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Energy & Water
Energy & Water
Protect Water Resources with Solar Panels
What’s happening? India is protecting its water supply by creating evaporation shelters that are solar panels.
Why is this important? Drought can be impacted by limiting evaporation. Perhaps this is a two-fer- power source and evaporation protection all in one.
How will this be important? Put this in your pocket for a negation tool if your solar project gets questions and then offer to limit water evaporation to help with drought.
Sharing Economy Meets Energy Sector Supply Chain
What’s happening? Meet REPOWR which is peer to peer sharing of energy services equipment.
Why is this important? “The company is refining the way transportation companies rent and lease equipment, by connecting transportation and leasing companies to a network marketplace.”
How will this be important? Companies can generate revenue from equipment that is not currently in use.
Anatomy of Offshore Wind Bills
What’s happening? New Jersey is looking at offshore wind bills. The opposition in the Garden State are environmental and consumer groups. S3926 (2021 | NJ)
Why is this important? The opposition is opposed to private developers exercising eminent domain to build transmission lines for the offshore wind that supersedes local control of the land involved.
How will this be important? Opposition based on private entities exercising eminent domain isn’t new. We’ll see how this plays out in a post-COVID mindset where equitable treatment leads conversations.
NJ.com | Bill to speed offshore wind power opposed by environmental, consumer groups
Trees Clean Air. Trees Cut Heating & Cooling Costs.
What’s happening? American Forests issued “tree equity scores” for cities over 500,000 saying trees clean air, cut heating and cooling costs and increase property values.
Why is this important? I you’re in TX- Houston, Ft. Worth & El Paso are on the list of cities that could benefit from more trees. If, you’re in California, it’s San Jose, Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Diego.
How will this be important? Trees aren’t costly or complicated compared to other strategies. That could make this a very popular policy choice.
Route Fifty | The Cities That Have the Most to Gain From Planting More Trees
Groundwater Rules Changing in California.
What’s happening? California use to allow farmers unlimited access to groundwater. Now, flow meters are required on agricultural wells courtesy of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
Why is this important? The policy argument is that the state can best manage its groundwater resources if it understands how much groundwater is being used
How will this be important? There’s that Texas study recommending changes to Texas “antiquated” groundwater rules. As water resources change, rethinking the old ways changes. The California rules require “managers of the state’s 140 most overdrawn groundwater basins must balance the amount of water being pumped from, and recharged into, aquifers by 2040. It allows increased pumping during drought only if no major problems result.”
San Jose Mercury News | The end of California’s groundwater free-for-all
Tuscon Building Code Update- EV Ready
What’s happening? Tucson Arizona has updated its building code to require electric vehicle (EV) charging outlets in all new one- and two-family dwellings
Why is this important? Phase 2 of the building code update will be EV requirements for new commercial and multifamily housing
How will this be important? Tucson ensured that the code updates will be universal in that all charging equipment could be used at the new required 40 amp circuit
Parking Lot Begets Battery Storage & EV Charging
What’s happening? ConEd, partnered with Centrica Business Solutions, is flipping an empty parking lot in Brooklyn into a new concept battery storage and EV charging center.
Why is this important? The hybrid facility will house 5 MW/ 15MWh battery system holds enough power for about 5,000 apartments for four hours of peak summer usage & offer 18 direct-current fast chargers
How will this be important? COVID resulted in more open parking lots, so why not flip a parking lot…
PV Magazine | ConEdison is developing a battery storage and EV charging facility
Water Saving Bill: Ban Useless Grass
What’s happening? Nevada Governor has signed a bill to ban all useless grass in the Las Vegas Valley.
Why is this important? Useless grass is unused grass – on verges and outside offices and housing developments.
How will this be important? It is estimated that over 200 watershed across the country are operating at drought levels.
Bill Shifts Recycling Costs to Companies
What’s happening? Maine Legislature passed LD 1541 (2021 | ME) that shifts part of the cost of recycling packaging onto the producer. It’s the first time an extended producer responsibility program passed a state Legislature.
Why is this important? Similar programs in Canada and the EU improve municipal recycling at no extra cost to consumers
How will this be important? Maine included exceptions for small businesses
Resource Recycling | Maine lawmakers approve first-in-nation packaging EPR bill
New Ground Water Study. Rice University Baker School
What’s happening? A Rice University Fellow is reminding us that Texas Rule of Capture is more than 120 years old and is based on water practices from more than 1000 years ago in Ancient Rome. Texas is growing fast. More people. More industry. More more more.
Why is this important? Instead of responding reactively per usual, see the next question, let’s proactively and plan. He suggests looking to these states for ground water policy: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Ohio and Oklahoma. Wink wink, nudge, nudge OH and MI groundwater law doctrines “emphasize an equitable balance between competing uses while still respecting water owners’ property rights”
How will this be important? As drought conditions worsen, access to water rises nd the policy questions re-emerge. Cyclical policy changes.
Overruling the Rule of Capture | Baker Institute
Corridor News | Study warns Texas must address future of groundwater policy
Texas A&M. Off Shore Renewable Energy
What’s happening? Texas A&M researchers are proposing large floating platform would convert energy from multiple sources, including wind turbines, wave energy converters, current/tidal energy converters, and solar energy panels.
Why is this important? Currently in Texas there is a request to converse power in Texas because of a June heat wave. We haven’t even seen August when it is ridiculously hot.
How will this be important? Louisiana is partnering with one of those Northeast states to make Gulf Wind Generation bigger and better.
Texas A&M Today | Research Underway On Floating Renewable Energy Station
Voter Approval for Consumer Owned Utilities
What’s happening? Maine Legislature has passed LD 1708 (2021 | ME) that would put to the voters of Maine whether to create a consumer owned utility to replace the state’s investor-owned utilities
Why is this important? The policy talking points are more affordable, more reliable, cleaner and Maine-operated power
How will this be important? Maine has been experiencing long outages, high costs and point to foreign owned utilities as catalysts for the legislation.
Beacon | Bill to put proposed consumer-owned utility on ballot passes legislature
3 Categories of EV Charger Infrastructure Costs
What’s happening? We know EV chargers are happening, and as partnerships emerge and unfold we learn bout the types of costs. So here we go:
Procurement Costs:
- Hardware
- Contracts
- Software
- Grid Hosting
- Make Ready Infrastructure
Required Costs:
- payment system
- measurement standards compliance
- ADA requirements
- Dual plug requirements
- Cost standards
Soft Costs:
- Communication between utilities and providers
- Innovation
- Land Use costs
- Permitting costs
Why is this important? Partnerships. Software companies partnering with infrastructure companies partnering with payment companies. Build your owner partnership with these costs.
How will this be important? The lists will ebb and flow but the key is innovation, how quickly do standards change? Do standards change? Are new costs soft or fixed?
Governing | EV Charging Stations Can Benefit Local Economies
EVs and the Grid
What’s happening? Ev supporters say we need more chargers to keep up with demand. More chargers means more electricity use. EVs could soak up excess daytime solar power. Can incentivize off peak charging.
Why is this important? Grid stability is a priority for policy makers. EVs can bring down total energy use in communities because “Continuous increases in efficiency have led to reduced demand for electricity in advanced economies.”
How will this be important? charging stations could be a conduit for vehicles to provide power back to electrical grids, a resource when outages occur or when demand exceeds supply.
Governing | EV Charging Stations Can Benefit Local Economies
New EU Cyber Security Rules for Electric
What’s happening? EU regulators are building on 2018 rules with specific new cybersecurity rules for the electric sector. New features will include requiring national authorities to share information about cyberattacks with officials in other EU member states, including whether attacks could affect other countries; and a need for an agency that responds to cyberattacks and potentially helps detect them.
Why is this important? The regulators noticed that while the EU adopted the first rules in 2018, critical infrastructure was determined country by country using varying standards. While the continent shares an electricity grid and attacks could spread among countries.
How will this be important? Laws regularly hop the pond and are adopted in the States.
Wall Street Journal | European Energy Sector Prepares for New Cybersecurity Rules
Meet Solar Hydro Energy Storage
What is happening? Australia will be home to 50MW facility hydro solar facility with storage.
Why is this important? the way it works is novel…. “‘solar hydro’ power plant features concentrated PV technology that generates heat as a by-product, which is captured and used for thermal storage. The electro-thermal storage system consists of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) turbine, industrial chillers, and two insulated water-based thermal storage pits or reservoirs, each roughly the size of four Olympic size swimming pools. One of the reservoirs is kept at a temperature of 90 C and the other at close to 0 C, and the temperature difference is used to generate dispatchable electricity using ORC turbines.”
How will this be important? Provides longer duration firming for renewable energy generation at a lower cost.
PV Magazine | Australia to host 50 MWh ‘solar hydro’ plant with storage
Water v. Electric Cyber Security By the Numbers
What’s happening? let’s compare the size and scope of water utilities vs. electric utilities.
Water: 52,000 community drinking water systems in the U.S. provide tap water to nearly 300 million Americans. 93% provide water to fewer than 10,000 people. 67% to fewer than 500. 100,000 non-community drinking water systems at campgrounds, schools, hospitals, office buildings, factories and other locations. 16,000 waste water treatment servicing 250 million.
Electric: 200 companies provide electricity to the majority of Americans. About 3,000 electric utilities in the country
Why is this important? One size solution does not fit all.
How will this be important? Solutions to secure systems have to consider scale and scale varies greatly.
Governing | How Simple Fixes Can Prevent Cyber Attacks on Water Systems
No & Low Cost Fixes to Stop Water Cyber Security Attacks
What’s happening? In February a water treatment plant in Oldsmar, FL was hacked releasing unsafe levels of sodium hydroxide into the water supply.
Why is this important? A human noticed the issue and intervened. Lessons learned to address the issue include segmenting the industrial control systems so that it is not on the same system as the information technology system used for business functions. Ensuring secure connections for remote workers. Ensuring fired employees have systems access revoked immediately upon termination. Ensuring security in rural communities.
How will this be important? Free resources for water via WaterISAC, a nonprofit established in coordination with industry associations, research organizations and the EPA, available at 15 Cybersecurity Fundamentals for Water and Wastewater Utilities. The EPA offers $6.5 billion for low-cost loans to support water infrastructure projects, including “new or innovative approaches” to cybersecurity.
Governing | How Simple Fixes Can Prevent Cyber Attacks on Water Systems
ESG & Utility Credit Ratings
What’s happening? Moody’s Investor Service this week said that ESG standards have a negative impact on utility CREDIT ratings, especially if the utility owns generation.
Why is this important? PG&E and Edison have both seen recent credit ratings downgrades
How will this be important? Not only is this tied to sustainability and climate issues such as severe weather events, but mitigation can occur and can occur in other aspects of ESG such as governance.
Clean Energy Bill with EV Build Out
What’s happening? The Nevada Legislature sent SB 448 (2021 | NV) to the Governor.
Why is this important? The bill gave the state’s largest utility what it wanted to build out $2 billion in transmission lines and at the same time the utility must invest $100 million in electric vehicle charging stations
How will this be important? Let’s consider the make up of the Nevada Legislature, but not the partisan, the male/female. Nevada has had a majority of female legislators, who are more apt to reach agreements and listen to opposing opinions.
Climate Neutral Cement Plant
What’s happening? A Norwegian company and a Swedish company are joining forces like wonder twins to create the carbon capture cement plant launching in 2030, that will capture almost 1.8 million tonnes of CO2 annually.
Why is this important? World’s 1st climate neutral cement plant.
How will this be important? The partnership shows the benefits of collaborating to solve climate and environmental issues.
Bellona | The world’s first climate-neutral cement plant in Gotland, Sweden
New Non-Profit Concerning Microgrids
What’s happening? Microgrid Resources Coalition is now a non-profit advocating for micrograms
Why is this important? Their goal is “focused on breaking down barriers for resilient and clean microgrids across North America.”
How will this be important? In the press release they point to power failures in Texas and California show us that “Microgrids provide customers and utilities with a key resilient energy solution capable of simultaneously benefiting communities and the electric system as a whole”
Oregon Funds Utility EV Charger Rollout
What’s happening? Oregon Governor this week signed HB 2165 (2021 | OR) that permits utilities to collect a fee for EV charger infrastructure so long as 50% of the investment benefit low-income, rural, and BIPOC communities in their service territories.
Why is this important? Equity and diversity in electrification are going hand in hand.
How will this be important? This isn’t the first time we have seen EV charger infrastructure funds being tied to low income, rural and BIPOC communities. It won’t be the last either.
Adieu Foreign Ownership of Infrastructure in Texas
What’s happening? A 140,000 acre ranch in Texas owned by a former Chinese military officials who sought to build solar and wind farms, will be prohibited from direct ownership by the Lone Star Infrastructure Protection Act.
Why is this important? After the Colonial Pipeline was seized by ransomware there were renewed calls for bans on foreign ownership of infrastructure.
How will this be important? The call for US owned infrastructure will continue and expand.
News 4 SA | Texas stops Chinese billionaire from building wind farm
County Creates Hydrogen Hub
What’s happening? Energy developers are making San Juan County, N.M., into a “hydrogen hub.”
Why is this important? A hydrogen hub will supply clean electricity to western utilities, plus non-carbon fuel for vehicles and industrial processes. The first station will focus on blue hydrogen.
How will this be important? Libertad Power Project LLC will have the first hydrogen station up and running by 2024 & will ultimately expand the site into an industrial center for hydrogen fuel supply in multiple markets
Governing | San Juan County, N.M., Aims to Become a Hydrogen Energy Hub
Proposed Changes to California Roof Top Solar
What’s happening? Concerns that homes with solar panels are being overpaid, the proposal would (1) reduce bill credits received in exchange for excess energy their solar generates (2) a new monthly charge on them AB1139 (2021 | CA)
Why is this important? Opponents say this is a fight between traditional energy and solar energy that threatens more blackouts and wildfires. Supporters say that the legislation will “right-size an unfair burden faced by those who don’t have solar panels.”
How will this be important? The state regulator is also considering similar changes if the Legislature fails to act.
Governing | It Is Not All Sunshine in California’s Rooftop Solar Industry
Right to Charge Legislation
What is happening? In 2020, Virginia passed Right to Charge legislation that gives Virginia Condo owners the right to charge their EVs.
Why is this important? home owner associations have been fearful of EV chargers. The fears include fires, liability, expense and access.
How will this be important? Right to Charge legislation will make the rounds through the states. SB 630 (2020 | VA)
Energy News Network | Virginia law cleared a path for condo owners to install charging stations
1st Statewide Publicly Owned Utility
What’s happening? A bipartisan group of Legislators in Maine are pushing to create the nation’s first statewide owned utility.
Why is this important? The new statewide entity would “issue bonds to purchase the assets of the state’s two investor-owned utilities, Central Maine Power, a subsidiary of Avangrid and the state’s largest utility, and Versant Power, formerly known as Emera Maine.”
How will this be important? The goal is to make Maine the first statet o reach its 100% renewable energy state.
Energy Data Shows Renewable Cred
What’s happening? Global companies, including Google and Microsoft, have a global collaboration to get more granular energy use information to strengthen their renewable energy use data.
Why is this important? “U.K.-based EnergyTag is developing a framework to shift grid generation information to a more granular, hourly standard, and ensure companies aiming to get their electricity from zero emissions power sources are not operating in markets running off fossil fuels when intermittent resources such as wind and solar aren’t generating at full capacity”
How will this be important? It will change energy data reporting to hourly.
Every Action Has an Equal and Opposite Reaction
What’s happening? After the pipeline hack in the US, Japan announced restrictions against foreign technology in its telecom and energy infrastructure.
Why is this important? There will be many regulatory reactions to the Colonial Pipeline hack.
How will this be important? Let’s make a list of all the regulatory reactions because that will fuel business for a few years.
Nikkei Asia | Japan to restrict use of foreign tech in telecom, power grids
Let’s learn something: EV Chargers + Utility Poles
What’s happening? Data points to a 70% cost savings by mounting EVSE chargers 10 feet up a wooden utility pole.
Why is this important? The chargers are easier to service, and consumers access them by scanning a QR code at human level, and the charger lowers to them.
How will this be important? Cost savings and EV expansion- that’s what everyone and their dog wants
Smart Cities World | Utility pole-mounted EV chargers help turn Melrose green
COVID. Nevada and the EV + Renewable Bill
What is happening? Nevada is considering SB 448 (2021 | NV) that will speed the approval of transmission lines needed to move low-cost, renewable electricity, require the state’s largest utility, NV Energy, to invest $100 million in charging infrastructure for light, medium, and heavy-duty electric vehicles (EVs) over the next three years.
Why is this important? The bill will tackle a COVID angle by requiring that at least 40% of NV Energy’s investments will be made in “communities that have borne a disproportionate share of transportation pollution and have suffered most from COVID-19—a disease that is made more deadly by exposure to local air pollution.”
How will this be important? The link renewables to EVs, its happening more often and more quickly.
+1 Utility in the Electric Highway Coalition
What’s happening? National Grid has joined 7 other utilities in the Electric Highway Coalition. “Each utility within the coalition is taking steps to provide charging solutions in their service territories and collaborating to ensure accessibility, reliability, and a positive customer experience. “
Why is this important? National Grid has already deployed 1,400 charging ports with 16,000 on the way, one of the largest EV charging programs outside of California.
How will this be important? Coalitions are effective and popular. Let’s learn from it.
Niagra Frontier Publications | National Grid joins coalition to increase EV charging across US
Anatomy of a Public Service Commission Approved EV Plan
What’s happening? Florida Public Service Commission approved Duke Energy’s new multi-part electric vehicle (EV) program, is $62.9 million over the four-year period 2022-2025. The plan will include RESIDENTIAL EV NON-TIME OF USE CREDIT PROGRAM, REBATE PROGRAM FOR COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL (C&I) CUSTOMER CHARGING STATIONS, DUKE FLORIDA-OWNED DC FAST CHARGE (DCFC) STATION PROGRAM
Why is this important? Review it, see what you like, add it to your strategic planning.
How will this be important? We’re at the beginning of building out EV infrastructure. These approvals will ebb and flow and tweaks will occur. Pieces of other proposals will meld together until we see a model version that gets repeated.
Solar Farms and Bees
What is happening? The Texas Legislature is considering SB 1772 (2021 | TX) that would create the Texas Pollinator-Smart program to promote protection of bees at solar energy sites.
Why is this important? A couple weeks ago we talked about a pilot program in Arizona that integrated agricultural practices around and under solar installations. Ag and solar are gong hand in hand.
How will this be important? The program will award certificates to qualifying solar sites. This is the type of social impact that catches the attention of consumers as their thirst for social impact companies grows.
An Oil & Gas Company and ESG
What is happening? ConocoPhilips have mentioned ESG in their lobbying reports when discussing their interest in disclosures. Specifically, climate-related financial disclosures.
Why is this important? ConocoPhillips has been recognized by the S&P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook 2021, which includes companies with top ESG scores from the credit rating agency.
How will this be important? The new economy has brought the change from a shareholder economy to a stakeholder economy, and there is no indication of this change disappearing.
Bloomberg Law | Democrats’ ESG Drive Fuels Lobbying Bonanza in Washington
New Local Preemption: Clean Energy
What’s happening? Florida Legislature has. Package of energy related preemption bills. SB 1128 (2021 | FL) preempts natural gas bans; SB 856 (2021 | FL) preempts gas station regulations and EV Charging station regulations; SB 896 (2021 | FL) “preempts local government from deciding whether or not solar facilities should be granted permits as agricultural land and redefines pulling methane gas from a landfill as renewable energy.”
Why is this important? Preemption is the name of the game for popular Republican legislation.
How will this be important? Other levels of government will always want to control how cities govern themselves.
Miami Herald via Governing | Florida Lawmakers Pre-empt Localities on Clean Energy Regulation
Fiscal Cost of Banning Gas in Local Building Codes
What’s happening? San Francisco wants to convert more than 240,000 housing units from gas- to electric-power. The cost: $3.5 to $5.9 BILLION
Why is this important? Other cities have or are considering bans on natural gas in buildings. The options San Francisco is considering 3 options: (1) retrofitting at the time of building sale (2) at the time of natural replacement or (3) incentivizing retrofits by charging property owners a fee for greenhouse gas emissions
How will this be important? Banning the use of natural gas in buildings is a trending way for local governments to address CO2 emissions, which means these bans are going to keep on keeping on
San Francisco Chronicle via Governing | San Francisco’s Costly Plan to Ban Gas in Buildings
Samsung Construction and Trading Corporation build $673m solar power plants in Texas
What is happening? Samsung is planning the almost 700MW capacity solar array in Milam County, Texas near one of its chip manufacturing plants
Why is this important? This is part of Samsung C&T’s environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) strategy system, based on six non-financial areas: labour and human rights, environment and safety, co-prosperity, compliance, information security, and social contribution.
How will this be important? If there is 1, there are more.
Power Technology | Samsung C&T to build solar plants in Texas
Wind Power Funds Schools
What is happening? Blackwell Consolidated Independent School District provides a postsecondary scholarship of up to US$36,000 for graduates. The funding comes from a $35 million deal the school district brokered with a wind farm company in 2005,
Why is this important? “[In Texas] school districts have a strong incentive to borrow money by selling bonds to pay for capital improvements, then use revenues from the wind farms to pay off the bonds.”
How will this be important? Findings show that new wind farms result in large increases in the amount of local revenue that is brought in per student, with only small reductions in state aid
Powering EV Chargers with Renewables
What’s happening? Tesla announced that it would be powering all of its superchargers with renewable power by the end of 2021
Why is this important? Tesla also has a solar and energy storage business to accelerate renewable energy adoption
How will this be important? Rivian has also announced its own renewable powered charging network
Electrek | Tesla says it will power all Superchargers with renewable energy this year
Recycle Material Standards Legislation
What is happening? SB 5022 (2020 | WA) would require plastic containers for beverages, household cleaning products & personal care products sold in Washington state to contain up to 50% post-consumer-use recycled content by 2031. By June 2024, the use of polystyrene foam will be banned. An increase in the content of recycled material in plastic garbage bags.
Why is this important? Greater media coverage and awareness of the quantity of unrecycled plastic
How will this be important? Local governments and state governments have taken action on single use plastic, this Washington State legislation is the next step forward
Seattle Times via Governing | Washington State Bill to Reduce Plastic, Styrofoam Waste
NY Regulator Prevents Utility Owned Storage
What’s happening? The New York Public Service Commission rejected a request from state utilities to allow for utility-owned storage projects.
Why is this important? other states are considering ownership and operation of storage facilities. It is a ripe issue.
How will this be important? New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology consortium said that allowing utilities to own assets could skew the market and disadvantage developers who want to own their own assets. The consortium is good info to keep in. your memory palace.
Bill Requires Utilities to Share Cyber Security Information
What’s happening? Georgia HB 156 (2021 | GA) will require utilities to share cyber incidents with the state.
Why is this important? Worldwide utilities have been hacked, and the U.S. is keen on ensuring reliable and secure utility service.
How will this be important? Hacking information is the new frontier.
Land Men Switch Teams.
What is happening? Land men who would negotiate land deals for oil and gas industry are now working for land for wind and solar land deals.
Why is this important? As the number of land men (err… land persons) declines, they are also switching sides to represent land owners in these transactions.
How will this be important? Wind and solar installations are not shrinking in number, they are only growing. Acquiring the land or space for those will continue to require negotiations and identification.
WSJ | Landmen Who Once Staked Claims for Oil and Gas Now Hunt Wind and Sun
Bonjour, Global Power System Transformation Consortium
What is happening? A public private partnership, the Global Power System Transformation Consortium, The G-PST Consortium led by CEOs of five of the world’s leading system operators: Australia Energy Market Operator (AEMO), National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) UK, California Independent System Operator (CAISO), Ireland’s system operator (EirGrid) and Denmark’s system operator (Energinet).
Why is this important? The public private partnership goals are to improve grid reliability, resilience and security.
How will this be important? UK Secretary of State Kwasi Karteng: “Tackling climate change requires international cooperation, and if we want to successfully achieve cost-efficient, green energy networks that work for everyone, we need to work together.”
ESI Africa | Public Private Partnership to decarbonise global power systems
Cap Metro Commits to 100% Renewable
What’s happening? Austin Texas’s Capitol Metro has committed to all transit facilities and electric buses being renewable energy. Currently all transit facilities are now powered by Texas wind energy through Austin Energy’s GreenChoice program & the city has 12 electric buses in use.
Why is this important? Cap Metro is furthering Austin’s goal of 100% carbon free energy by 2035
How will this be important? CapMetro will purchase 200+ more electric buses to be 100% all-electric vehicles within the next 5 years.
CBS Austin | CapMetro commits to 100% renewable energy for all transit facilities and electric buses
TX A&M Researchers: More Reliable Grid
What’s happening? Researchers at Texas A&M are studying ways to “moderate their effects [of generation and transmission events], if not completely eliminate them, at the distribution level”
Why is this important? Texas A&M Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering Chanan Singh proposes “trying to integrate solar and battery storage at a distribution-level framework.””
How will this be important? This research is part of a “research project being funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, but the Power On Act proposed by Cornyn and other lawmakers would set up more grant programs within that department to continue tackling this issue. It would authorize $500 million to be made available to power providers, suppliers, and distributors to fortify existing electric infrastructure.”
Commercial charging Tariff for EV
What’s happening? New York is considering S3929/A3876 which would require utilities to propose commercial tariffs for fast charging in an effort to help fleet operators go electric. The proposal would include alternatives to traditional commercial demand-based rate structures and would require consideration for the full range of electric vehicles.
Why is this important? States are till feeling their way around how to regulate EV charging. New York’s largest utility calls the legislation too prescriptive and says it will “unfairly shift costs”
How will this be important? Every state is trying to figure this out, this is a new tool for the legislative tool boxes.
Utility Dive | Tesla praises, ConEd opposes different New York EV bills
Meet the new Solar- Agrivoltaics
What’s happening? University of Arizona scientists are testing raised solar panels that can fit a tractor underneath them, and allow for the growing of plants underneath so as to benefit both the plant and the amount of solar energy stored.
Why is this important? Growing plants under the solar panels cools the solar panels. And the cooler microclimate under the solar panels means those crops need less water.
How will this be important? Agrivoltaic panels produced 3 % more energy during the May through June growing season and 1% more overall
Governing | Transforming Farms and Food Production With Solar Panels
Wastewater + Green Jobs + Sustainability + High Tech
What’s happening? Waste water is gaining ground as green, sustainable and high tech. Think of how often waste water has been central to disasters during hurricanes, winter storms, and tornadoes. Managing waste water is big business. We have 800,000 miles of public sewers in the U.S. and the 500,000 miles of private sewers.
Why is this important? During COVID waste water was tested to find hot spots for COVID as scientists grappled with tracking the rapid infections.
How will this be important? The future of wastewater is vast… wastewater can allow for methane capture, microbial fuel cells that make it possible to generate energy
Governing | Wastewater Has the Best Green Jobs Workers Don’t Know About
Utilities are Key to EV Charging Roll Out
What’s happening? The Alliance for Transportation Electrification is reminding people why utilities are pivotal in EV charger roll outs. Here’s the reasons why: utilities are better equipped to handle customer service issues, utilities can encourage charging at times better for the electric grid, and utilities can enhance customer affordability with market incentives.
Why is this important? Every state and local entities is struggling with improving chargers. Manufacturers want chargers to clam range anxiety. Charging equipment manufacturers want their product out for consumption.
How will this be important? EV production is only increasing, which m Eans the n umber of chargers is only increasing. Jump on the rain before you find yourself on the late train and the late train is pricy.
River Bender | Utilities Key to Successful EV Transition
COVID Effects: Bag Bans.
What’s happening? Philadelphia paused its plastic bag ban during lockdown. Maine is postponing its statewide plastic bag ban. The Massachusetts Governor lifted local bans during May 2020 and then reestablished the local bag bans in July 2020.
Why is this important? Plastic bag bans, plastic food containers, styrofoam containers all the local bans, have taken a backseat to the pandemic.
How will this be important? As the new normal becomes clear, these bans will be tweaked, reassessed and new version will emerge.
Route Fifty | Pandemic-Paused Plastic Bag Bans Ripped Anew by Critics
Add Connecticut to States Expanding Offshore Wind
What’s happening? The Connecticut legislature is purchasing 2 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030. CT Commissioner of the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says if the state wants to meet its goal of sourcing all of its electricity from zero-carbon sources by 2040, it will need more offshore wind.
Why is this important? CT’s projections show it will need 5000 megawatts of offshore wind in total by 2040.
How will this be important? The state needs the Biden Administration help. To that end, to 800,000 acres in the New York Bight have been recognized the Biden Administration for wind turbine leases. Offshore wind is a state-federal partnership
Governing | Connecticut Expected to Increase Off-Shore Wind Contracts
Power Outages By the Numbers.
What’s happening? I’ll admit when I read the headline, I thought oh has to be California or maybe Texas if we factor in Winter Storm Uri. I was wrong. Maine has the highest number of power outages per year at an average of 4 outages per year and ranks 2nd in outage duration of 14 hours annually over a five-year period from 2015 to 2019
Why is this important? Watching Maine grapple with consistent electric power could be instructive. They are adding Hydropower to Western Maine & say that “expensive backup generators or battery storage are answers for some, but are not affordable to everyone, nor are microgrids for communities or islands.” A 2019 Maine law requires utilities to establish and file their emergency response plan for recovery and restoration every two years.
How will this be important? Watch their utility regulator who is considering “possibly holding utilities to performance-based standards”
Bangor Daily News via Governing | Maine Works to Resolve the Worst Power Outages in the Nation
New Report. OffShore Wind & Texas. More Power than TX Needs.
What’s happening? Environment Texas Research & Policy Center research says off shore wind could produce 166% of Texas Energy needs.
Why is this important? Earlier this year we talked about Louisiana partnering with Massachusetts, or one of the colonies, to build offshore turbines in the Gulf based on the turbines working in the Atlantic.
How will this be important? Winter Storm Uri has changed how people view energy in usually warmer states and by the looks of it, every option is on the table.
Renew Biz | Offshore wind ‘could deliver 166% of Texas power’
Texas A&M researchers. Dow Like Index for TX Energy
What’s happening? A recent Texas A&M study published in the journal Nature Communications researchers devised a metric that reflects the average price of energy in the United States
Why is this important? Researchers say pricing for energy should be beyond supply and demand. “Energy is affected by all kinds of events, including political developments, technological breakthroughs and other happenings going on at a global scale.”
How will this be important? “This metric can help guide lawmakers, government or non-government organizations and policymakers on whether, say, a particular tax policy or the impact of a technological advance is good or bad, and by how much,” Pistikopoulos said. “We now have a quantitative and accurate, predictive metric to navigate the evolving energy landscape, and that’s the real value of the index.”
Texas A&M Today | Dow-Like Index For Energy Prices Might Help Smooth Transition To Clean Power
Here’s How Kansas is Limiting Wind Farms
What’s happening? Kansas is considering SB 279 (2021 | KS). Currently Kansas gets 41% of its energy supply from wind. Makes sense, I’ve seen the Wizard of Oz. This bill will limit where wind turbines can be built. Imagine wind farms are strip clubs or bars and pull out your measuring tape, because this bill would limit wind farms to least 1.5 miles from a home, 3 miles from an airport or park, and one mile from another person’s property line.
How is this important? It is a model for those who seek to limit wind energy.
Why will this be important? Limiting where businesses or resources can be built or collected isn’t unique to Kansas or wind energy.
PA State Government Choosing Solar Power for its Buildings
What’s happening? Pennsylvania Governor announced the state would “build seven new solar arrays and create more than 400 construction jobs, calling it the largest solar commitment of any state or local government in the United States.”
Why is this important? By 2023, 1/2 of the state government’s energy needs ill be met by solar. Plus, the state is locking down its energy prices for 15 years.
How will this be important? The project is a viable template for other state governments
Route Fifty | Solar Project to Produce Half of State Government’s Electricity
State Laws and Microplastics in Water Supplies
What’s happening? In 2018 California passed a bill that required 4 years of testing water supplies for micro plastics. Now California will release the world’s first guidelines for microplastics in drinking water.
Why is this important? Last Week Tonight covered Microplastics last week. think of Microplastics like bans on plastic bags, straws, styrofoam. Its going to appear in all levels of state government.
How will this be important? Microplastics and plastics in water has impacted everything from the Arctic to the pool of plastics floating in the Pacific
CalMatters | California Is First to Tackle Microplastics in Drinking Water
Re-routing Transmission Lines with Conservation Easements
What’s happening? Imagine lands with no hard zoning so you have a conservation easement to avoid things like transmission lines in your backyard. Well, a new new Transmission Authority in Colorado would supersede the easement with eminent domain thanks to SB21-072 (2021 | CO)
Why is this important? The Transmission Authority will be funded by the existing fixed utility fund.
How will this be important? Unlike most eminent domain bills, this bill moves the power of eminent domain to a new entity that is not accountable to voters or a direct governing body that is elected.
Colorado Politics | OPINION | Pending bill gives away your say over utilities
Maine Legislature: Pause Community Solar
What’s happening? Maine Legislature wants to pause community solar so that those projects cannot get ratepayer-sponsored credits that are provided under the so-called “net energy billing” program through at least June 2021.
Why is this important? This move is in response to 2019 legislation that created an array of new incentives for community solar. Regulators warned that the incentives could add tens of millions of dollars a year to electricity bills in Maine.
How will this be important? In reacting to the impact of incentives, the legislators left residential roof top solar in tact.
Maine Public Radio | Legislative Committee Proposes Temporary Moratorium On Community Solar Projects
Why did Australia Switch Off Solar to Stabilize the Grid?
What’s happening? To stabilize the grid, Australian regulators remotely switch off thousands of household solar panels to avoid blackouts.
Why is this important? Unlike what we hear about in North America, this was a result of South Australia experiencing “near-record minimum demand levels for electricity from the grid” during a planned outage of circuit. Earlier in the weekend the grid experienced too high demand.
How will this be important? Grid stabilization is key when use is too high and too low. Plan accordingly.
Funding the Plugging of Abandoned Wells
What’s happening? Colorado has 60,000 abandoned wells that need to be plugged at a cost of $140,000 each for a total of more than $8 billion.
Why is this important? CO’s law says industry is to pay in a system of blanket bonding for the clean up. The state has only collected $125 million. IN 2019, the state gave local government more powers over oil well clean up.
How will this be important? When Colorado dug into this, other regulations were changed too. Including that regulators banned the burning off or releasing of natural gas, a routine drilling practice, & created a broad range of wildlife and public health protection policies
Route Fifty | In Colorado, the Looming Liability of Oil and Gas Cleanup
Meet the New Kid: Gambit Energy Storage LLC
What’s happening? Gambit Energy Storage LLC is an entity under the Elon Musk corporate umbrella that is installing more than 100 megawatt energy storage project in Angleton, Texas. It could power 20,000 homes on a Texas summer day.
Why is this important? Commercial operation date of June 1, just when Texas heat begins to ramp up.
How will this be important? “It wouldn’t surprise me if Musk is thinking about starting his own power company.”- Former City Manager of Angleton, TX
Gov Tech | Tesla Quietly Plugs Giant Battery into the Texas Energy Grid
How ME & MA are using batteries for grid resiliency.
What’s happening? A $5 million battery project in Maine, will charge at night with cheaper electricity, and can be released by the region’s grid operators in Massachusetts, who can remotely dispatch those batteries and send enough power flowing to run 4,000 or so homes for up to two hours
Why is this important? 3 benefits the grid operators point to is (1) reduced reliance on fossil fuel generation (2) the ability to soak up excess output from a fast-growing fleet of solar and wind projects (3) to keep the region’s electric system stable and reliable.
How will this be important? Safe, stable grids are policymakers golden ticket whether the state faces blackouts, wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, or just peak usage.
Portland Press Herald via Governing | Batteries Will Store and Send Excess Power to Maine Households
Winter Storm 2021 Relief. Kansas Small Business Loan Programs
What’s happening? Kansas policy makers reached an agreement to use idle funds in the state treasury to power $100 million. It will offer the loans at a below-market rate.
Why is it important? States that experienced WinterStorm 2021 are struggling for way to help businesses.
How will this be important? Stakeholders agree there is more to do to address structural problems in the system, but these below market rate loans
Governing | Kansas Rushes Bill to Help Residents With High Energy Bills
WinterStorm 2021 Legislation. High Consumer Bills in Kansas.
What’s happening? Kansas has a new program to provide loans to municipalities. The loans would be repaid over 10 years, ensuring protection of ratepayers.
Why is this important? Kansas isn’t the only state hit by energy issues because of the Winter Storms of 2021.
How will this be important? The Governor of Kansas signed the bill, after it had passed the House Committee 12 hours earlier.
Governing | Kansas Rushes Bill to Help Residents With High Energy Bills
The Power of 6 Utilities to Proliferate EV Chargers
What’s happening? The Electric Highway Coalition, made up of the Tennessee Valley Authority, Southern Co., Duke Energy, American Electric Power (AEP), Dominion Energy and Entergy Corp are joining forces to develop a network of DC fast chargers to quickly recharge electric vehicles (EV) traveling along major highways from the Atlantic Coast to the Gulf and Central Plains regions
Why is this important? The companies are building out EV chargers in their own territories and will join with other networks of rapid chargers being added by EVgo in 34 states and Electrify America
How will this be important? As economist predict the growth of EV, charging infrastructure supports more EV purchases and the jobs to build the backbone of charging infrastructure and operation.
Is charging your EV the new gig economy entrant?
What’s happening? SparkCharge that we talked about earlier this year after it announced its partnership with AllState, is moving toward on demand charging. It also has partnerships with vehicle services startup, Spiffy
Why is this important? Its the first company to allow EV customers to say that they want a charge at this point in time at this location and this much range.
How will this be important? All services are working toward greater personalization for the end user. And now it’s EV charging.
Tech Crunch | Is EV charging the next gig for the gig economy? SparkCharge thinks so
TX Winter Storm 2021. Ripple Effect in SC
What’s happening? South Carolina legislators are reviewing their electric generation capacity and grid access to determine whether the state can withstand storms.
Why is this important? South Carolina’s review came after its Governor asked for the review by regulatory staff. A full study is due at the end of the year.
How will this be important? We’ll see more of this where one state experiences a tragic event, and a second state asks its regulator to test run the tragic event to determine flaws in state two’s response.
WIS 10 | Lawmakers review SC’s electric grid in aftermath of Texas winter storm
Bill to Push Natural Gas Use in Homes
What’s happening? Indiana is considering HB 1191 (2021 | IN) that will limit cities and local governments from banning any specific type of fuel source for appliances and heating homes.
Why is this important? IN is enacting the exact opposite of other states and cities where we’re seeing an electrification of building codes, and specific prohibitions on natural gas.
How will this be important? The battle between natural gas and electrification is ongoing.
Indianapolis Star | Indiana Proposes Bill to Protect Natural Gas Use in Homes
Homes as Power Stations. Is this the future?
What is happening? Sweden is is transforming homes into highly efficient ‘prosumers’ – buildings which both produce and consume the vast majority of their own energy. 54% of Swedens power is renewable from hydropower and biomass.
Why is this important? In 1948 Sweden began using excess steam from power generation facilities to heat nearby buildings and roads through a series of underground pipes. Practicality is their nature.
How will this be important? Their politics might be quickly dismissed by some, but the data people think Sweden has managed to balance high carbon taxes with low energy rates to top the Forum’s Energy Transition Index
The Print | How Sweden is transforming its homes into power stations
How does Cyber Security & Texas Grid Blackout Relate to each other?
What’s happening? Former Texas Congressman Will Hurd said the Texas blackouts raise cyber security issues because enemies of the state could use what happened in Texas as a model for a cybersecurity attack.
Why is this important? Resiliency, Reliability and Security are all up for grabs in the reforms that will follow the 2021 Texas Winter Storm.
How will this be important? Hurd has backed the Future Leaders Fund to increase diversity in the Republican Party.
KTSA | Former Congressman Raises Cyber Security Concerns Following Texas Power Grid Failure
On Demand EV Charging Start Up.
What’s happening? SparkCharge has a portable electric vehicle charging system, the Roadie. They’re partnering with Allstate Roadside, Spiffy, HONK Technologies, and Mark Cuban to launch BoostEV, an on-demand mobile EV charging network.
Why is this important? How to charge for EV charging is a legislative and regulatory great area. Sparkcharge is launching across the country in 12 cities including New York, Chicago, San Diego, Dallas, Boston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
How will this be important? Is SparkCharge pricing model of SparkCharge’s partners being responsible for setting the pricing for the BoostEV charging service the right model? Who knows. This is largely unchartered waters.
Business Insider | Tech startup SparkCharge to roll out an on-demand EV charging service
Texas Winter Storm 2021. Impact of Export Ban on Natural Gas.
What’s happening? During the power outages in Texas last week, Governor Abbott declared a statewide emergency that led to an order prohibiting oil and gas companies from exporting natural gas. Priority of natural gas was given to residents and facilities in Texas.
Why is this important? 60% of Mexico’s power generation relies on Texas natural gas supply.
How will this be important? “The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, known as ERCOT, that oversees most of the state’s electrical power grid, also did not have an actual number of power generation plants forced offline due to insufficient natural gas. ” One of the big questions Texas officials will resolve.
WFAA | Abbott’s natural gas export ban causes energy crisis across the border in Mexico
The Next 35GW in Texas
What’s happening? Data from ERCOT (Electric Reliability Council Of Texas Inc.) says texas will add 35 gigawatts (GW) of solar and wind power capacity in the coming few years & 26GW of battery storage.
Why is this important? The benefit of solar, wind and battery storage are at issue during the hearings related to the blackouts from the 2021 Texas Winter Storm.
How will this be important? The Texas electric system has been declared an emergency legislative item by Governor Greg Abbott.
4 Part Energy Storage Study
What’s the deal? National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) launched its Storage Futures to create a framework for a “dramatic increase in deployment” and “answer the big questions around the role of storage in our future grid.”
Why is this important? Report 1 of 4 covers deployment and breaks battery storage into 4 categories that can help jurisdictions adopt battery storage.
- Units that function as operating reserves and last about an hour fall under phase 1
- Phase 2: devices that help with peaking capacity and last 2-6 hours
- Phase 3: includes daytime capacity and energy-time shifting units that last 4 to 12 hours
- Phase 4: multi-day or seasonal capabilities as well as energy-time shifting potential in storage units that last 12 hours or longer.
How will this be important? Physical scientists, utilities, and policy makers could find common terms to use when discussing the evolution of the grid.
Renewable Energy from Waves
What’s the deal? Tasmania joins Denmark & Oregon to harness energy from waves.
Why is this important? The pilot project, Wave Swell Energy, will provide data about expansion to nearby areas. Current research estimates that wave energy could take on as much as 11% of Australia’s energy needs by 2050.
How will this be important? The globe has more water than land, and a growing interest in renewable energy.
Cool Hunting | TASMANIAN ISLAND TO HARNESS ENERGY FROM WAVES
Anatomy of a Utility Debt Clearing Bill.
What’s the deal? New Mexico is considering HB 206 (2021 | NM ) this bill will clear 50% of the debt, if the customer agrees to a payment plan for the remainder. NM’s regulator, the Public Regulation Commission, would approve discounted rates for low-income families; & create an Energy Efficiency Development Block Grant program to provide local and tribal governments with money to retrofit homes in underserved communities to conserve energy and lower utility bills
Why should we care? Supporters say the bill will have a positive impact on families suffering during the pandemic.
How can this impact me? Depends if ratepayers will foot the bill. Bill authors say currently the bill would have utility write-offs recovered first with any federal, state or philanthropic funds available through COVID-19 programs. The remainder would be added to rate base.
Governing | New Mexico Bill Would Wipe Utility Debt for Low-Income Homes
Industry with 22 Million Tons CO2 per year?
What’s the deal? Bitcoin uses a lot of energy to mine. The industry is responsible for 22 million metric tons of CO2 emissions. That’s the same as Sri Lanka & Jordan.
Why should we care? Tesla, of the clean emission sect, bet big on bitcoin this week. It bought $1.5 billion of bitcoin & said it would soon allow purchase by bitcoin.
How could this impact me? How the market and regulators reconcile a clean energy ethos with bitcoin that is responsible for tons of emissions could set the tone for many. Watch closely.
Reuters | Elon Musk wants clean power. But Tesla’s carrying bitcoin’s dirty baggage
What if wind and solar were taxed the same way?
What’s the deal? Wyoming is considering HB 94 (2021 | WY) that would apply the same tax that wind energy faces to solar. A $1 tax on each MW/hour of electricity produced from larger solar energy facilities.
Why should we care? Finding a way to tax large scale solar and not tax residential, rooftop solar is the future. Solar industry doesn’t like it, saying it makes solar less competitive than in neighboring states. The idea first came from Wyoming’s House Appropriation committee last legislative session. It’ll make the rounds.
How can this impact me? The treatment of renewables by legislators and regulators is in perpetual fluctuation.
Casper Star Tribune | Wyoming lawmakers want to tax solar like they tax wind
Wyoming Overhauls Net Metering
What’s the deal? SF 16 (2021 | WY) asks for net metering that is fair for all in Wyoming. From the bill “ensure it balances the interests of customer generators with those of electric utilities and ratepayers to ensure the availability of safe, adequate and reliable electricity service at just and reasonable rates,”
Why should we care? Wyoming is taking first step into new territory a lot lately and other states follow. Think about it’s laissez faire take on bitcoin & blockchain. If Wyoming goes full free market on net metering, watch Arizona it tends to move next.
How can this impact me? Legislation that combines renewable energy, talk of subsidies and fairness… that’s catnip.
KPVI | Energy Journal: Bill to overhaul net metering system approved by Wyoming Senate
Utility Bill Spikes + EV Chargers
What’s the deal? A comprehensive transportation bill in Massachusetts included language that requires utilities to give state regulators ways for people/businesses with fast chargers to avoid excessive bills.
Why should we care? Everyone is trying to figure out how to get more fast chargers out there, and right now the way traditional billing works doesn’t encourage deployment of fast chargers that take a large surge of electricity quickly.
How can this impact me? Every state and city is working on solutions for this, so let’s all see what the utilities in MA propose because the answer might be in there.
Energy News | Massachusetts asks utilities for ways to avoid bill spikes from EV fast-charging
Add Seattle to the List of Cities Removing Natural Gas from Buildings
What’s the deal? Seattle City Council unanimously prohibited natural gas use in new commercial and apartment buildings taller than three stories. We’re talking no natural gas for heating. People who like to cook with gas may in the clear., granted you still have to clean those gas stoves and that’s a task that breaks fingernails.
Why should we care? Electrification is seen as to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas pollution from fossil fuels that drive climate change.
How can this impact me? Building Codes like this are spreading quickly. So far cities are keeping houses out of the code changes.
What do utilities need to know about GM’s move to EVs?
What’s the deal? By 2035 GM plans its vehicle offerings will be all EV. By 2040, Gas plants will be carbon neutral. They’ve signed the UN pledge. GM is all in.
Why should we care? Utilities should care because in the fine print, GM is intent that 100% of its electric vehicle batteries to be reused as other forms of energy storage. GM’s energy storages systems are designed to be repairable.
How could this impact me? This is future seeing, GM sees today’s filling stations will be converting to tomorrow’s charging stations. GM is sourcing 100% renewable energy to power its U.S. sites by 2030 and global sites by 2035.
Detroit Free Press via Governing | General Motors Aims for All Zero Emission Vehicles by 2035
Meet Wire Free Charging
What’s the deal? Meet FreeWire Technologies Inc.its bringing wire free EV charging stateside. In Germany EON SE and VW are partnering for similar wire free EV charging.
Why should we care? EV is innovation central right now. A new day, a new start up.
Why does this matter to me? Investors include BP. Energy companies are entering green infrastructure and alternative energy.
Transport | EV Charging Firm FreeWire Closes $50 Million Funding Round
Wildlife is Impacting Energy Regulations in Colorado
What’s the deal? new oil and gas rules in Colorado require permission from Colorado Parks and Wildlife for drilling and development on certain identified Wildlife lands.
Why should I care? We’re doing more for wildlife in Texas two with at the wildlife bridge in San Antonio and one planned in Houston. Not to mention the list of endangered species in West Texas.
Why does this matter to me? Issues aren’t black and white. Information is easily accessible. People generally want to protect animals. Get in the game and balance the interests.
Fox 21 News | New oil and gas rules protect wildlife in Colorado
More Pensions Divest from Oil
What’s the deal? 2 NYC pensions are divesting $4 billion from oil. This has mostly been a west coast trend. Now it’s in the east.
Why should we care? Investors have been calling for environmental actions. NASDAQ has new ESG requirements for listing like diversity and inclusion. This isn’t just a game for “activist investors.” Some pensions want their members to have options like ESG focused investments.
Why does this matter to me? Symptomatic of the new economy. People are paying attention to what is happening. Not just when a group on reddit invests in GameStop.
Chief Investment Officer | Two NYC Pension Funds Divesting $4 Billion from Oil Companies
Brackish drilling wastewater saves aquifers?
What’t the deal? On January 15th, the EPA allowed TCEQ to manage permitting for oil and gas discharge. Before permits came through the Texas Railroad Commission and the EPA. New game, new rules?
Why should we care? New kid is in charge, new rules could be up next. Add to it State Senator Perry who says the brackish water could ultimately replenish aquifers.
Why does this matter to me? UT scientists have found a cheaper way to remove salt from brackish water. So, desalination could be more affordable. It’s estimated that the total value of water management from oil and gas to be $33.6 billion.
Salon | Lawmakers to weigh whether wastewater from oil fields could replenish the state’s aquifers
Model Legislation to Prohibit Banning Natural Gas
Sample legislation: In Kansas it is SB 24 (2021 | KS)
Who is behind it? American Public Gas Association & American Legislative Exchange Council
Other states: Tennessee, Arizona, Oklahoma and Louisiana
Supporters say: Protect consumer choice
Energy News Network | Proposals to prohibit natural gas bans may threaten cities’ clean energy goals
What did German Regulators Remove from EV Regulations?
In promulgating EV rules, German regulators removed “a draft law that would have allowed grid operators to limit the load of some households for up to two hours in order to reduce peak demand”
Who opposed the removal: utilities
Where did the load limit rule come from? a utility work group
S& P Global | German ministry scraps peak power shaving draft law for EV roll-out
Emerging Consideration for Renewable Energy Projects
What’s an emerging consideration for renewable projects? Input from Native American Tribes, Indigenous tribe on the land and cultural impact
Why? A solar project that was built over a pre-contact trade route used by Indigenous peoples for millennia ultimately led to $3 million on an ethnographic study and scholarships for Native students.
How have circumstances changed? The Department of the Interior is being led by an Indigenous person for the first time in history
How much of new capacity will be carbon free in 2021?
80% of the US Grid generation capacity that is added in 2021 will be carbon emission free according to the US Energy Information Agency
Is carbon free being led by nukes or batteries? Batteries will offer more than 10%, 4.3GW of the total new 40 GW capacity
What’s the rest of the new capacity look like?
- natural gas is down 34% from last year and down 60% over 3 years
- 12.2GW of new wind capacity
- 15.4GW of new solar capacity
Ars Technica | US grid will see 80 percent of its new capacity go emission-free
Anatomy of a Cheaper Energy Program
What is this project? FEWtures, a research group focused on how the future of Food, Energy and Water are intertwined and can be used to strengthen rural communities.
Who is behind it?University of Kansas
Why? Rural Revitalization
What are the project’s tenets?
- minimize external subsidies and support
- economic viability
- “build an online virtual tool that will take information about rural communities, such as its’ population size, number of available acres, average wind speed and amount of money the community has available to invest in projects.”
What are some practical examples from the project?
- a battery for energy storage made that stores energy in ammonium and is made from “nitrogen from the air and will use energy from wind turbines to combine it with hydrogen from water to make ammonia, a compound of hydrogen and nitrogen”
- to power water treatment
- to have water for livestock
- to have water for drinking
Wichita Eagle | Kansas Researchers to Help Rural Communities Thrive
+1 City to require EV Chargers in New Parking Lots
Where: Madison, WI
The EV charger requirements:
- 1% of parking spaces in new multifamily residential are required to have EV chargers
- 10% of the spaces must be wired for future chargers
- By 2041, at least 10% of spaces must have chargers and half must be wired
- Existing parking lots, when at least 10,000 square feet are repaved, also must meet the above standards
- Parking spaces for EV chargers are required for schools, hotels, hospitals, office buildings and other public and private lots where people park for 6+ hours at a time
- Exceptions: restaurants, retail and service businesses, warehouses and factories.
Government Technology | Madison, Wis., to Require EV Chargers in New Parking Lots
TX Researchers Found a new Way to Desalinize
The researchers: University of Texas at Austin, along with DuPont
How does this new deal mechanism work? An electron microscopy technique to identify membrane thickness that can make desalination more cost effective and accessible.
Texas Standard | An New Desalination Approach Could Help Texas Conserve Scarce Water Resources
EV Fast Charger with No Installation?
Meet Splitvolt which works from existing 240 volt plugs, like for your dryer.
The Splitvolt will allow charging when your dryer is not in use.
It’s compatible with compatible with third-party chargers & works with EVs from Fiat Chrysler, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Tesla, Volkswagen, and Volvo.
Kelly Blue Book | Startup Offers Fast EV Charger That Requires No Installation
Harris County TX Renewable Energy Requirements.
Harris County Commissioner Garcia is proposing solar, wind and battery back up for when Harris County Commissioner decide how to purchase their power in 2023.
Is this new for the Energy Capital? No, Since July 2020, the city of Houston says it uses 100% renewable energy
Anatomy of a bill creating a moratorium on transmission lines
Where: Nebraska
The legislation: LB 409 (2021 | NE)
This bills calls for a study to determine if new transmission lines, longer than 200 miles, are necessary & creates the Electric Transmission Line Study Committee of the Legislature
So what gives? What do the legislators want to know?
- more information on routing lines
- more information on the property rights impacted
- more information on the impact to consumers through rate increases
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