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Virginia approves 100% clean energy legislation, pushing state toward 2.4 GW storage, RGGI
The Virginia Clean Economy Act, narrowly passed by both chambers of the state legislature, sets one of the largest energy storage targets in the country at 2.4 GW by 2035 and pushes state regulators to devise a carbon dioxide cap and trade program that complies with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). The act, which requires Virginia’s electric utilities and competitive suppliers to generate electricity from 100% renewable energy by 2050, passed on the same day that Dominion Energy, by far the state’s largest utility, announced its own commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. [ read more … ]
Wind Energy
Trump’s punt on offshore wind sparks lobbying blitz
Offshore wind companies are beefing up their presence on K Street as the Trump administration sidesteps and delays federal reviews of sprawling projects off the East Coast. At least two dozen companies and associations are lobbying the federal government on offshore wind policy as of the end of 2019, either by themselves or through at least 18 lobbying firms, an E&E News analysis of disclosures filed with Congress shows. The companies include developers, utilities and suppliers, along with environmental and public health groups that see offshore wind as a worthwhile clean energy source. [ read more … ]
Longer Turbine Blades Have Slashed Wind Energy Costs
Longer wind turbine blades over the last decade have allowed wind developers to produce more power without making turbines taller and could continue to drive future growth in the industry. But it may not do much to placate locals who are upset about the increasing visibility of those turbines. [ read more … ]
Climate
Climate risks shifting investors from gas to wind
Offshore wind is beginning to attract traditional oil and gas investors as climate change swells the long-term risks for the sector, according to two energy experts at Wood Mackenzie.
The offshore wind industry is maturing rapidly. Last year set a record for turbine order capacity of $78 billion, the firm noted in a study yesterday.
[ read more … ]
Why Amazon nixed ‘green’ shipping proposal
The idea was one of at least two instances in recent years when Amazon teams debated telling customers more about the environmental impact of their shipping choices, according to two people familiar with the episodes. Neither was implemented, in part, because of the risk that shoppers would think twice before clicking “Buy Now,” the people say. “It was all efficiency and bottom-line focused,” said one of the people, who requested anonymity to discuss an internal matter. “If you don’t have top-down goals around sustainability, there are always going to be trade-offs.” [ read more … ]
FERC
N.Y. grid operator: FERC rulings a win for clean energy
A series of rulings last month from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission are unlikely to affect New York’s climate goals as feared, the president of the state’s grid operator said yesterday. But it remains unclear whether FERC would try to block a price on carbon emissions in New York — an idea pushed by the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) and clean energy groups. It’s an idea that has yet to win support of Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo. [ read more … ]
2020
The four biggest differences between the Biden and Sanders climate plans
Both Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders agree Earth’s steadily rising temperatures are an “existential threat.” Both say President Trump made a grave mistake when he promised to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord. And both offer more ambitious proposals for tackling climate change than any U.S. president ever has. But beyond that, the former vice president and the independent senator from Vermont have diverging proposals about how exactly — and how quickly — to try to cut the country’s contributions to global warming. [ read more … ]
Many Hill Democrats push back on Sanders’ green plans
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) wants to ban hydraulic fracturing, end all fossil fuel extraction on public lands and do away with nuclear power if he’s elected president — all ideas that aren’t likely to fly with moderates on Capitol Hill. Sanders’ plan for a Green New Deal is the most ambitious climate proposal in the presidential field, particularly after fellow progressive Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) dropped out of the race yesterday. It’s garnered endless praise from progressives and environmental groups. [ read more … ]
EVs
G.M. Lays Out Ambitions for Electric-Vehicle Lineup to Rival Tesla
“We want to get as many E.V.s on the road as possible,” said Mary T. Barra, the G.M. chief executive. “We believe climate change is real, and we have the ability and responsibility to create a cleaner, healthier planet.” The company is hoping that sales of its electric vehicles in the United States and China will exceed one million a year by 2025, Ms. Barra said. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.