View this email in a web browser.
Fighting Climate Change Prepared Jay Inslee for a Pandemic
When Washington Governor Jay Inslee ran for the Democratic nomination for president on a platform of aggressively tackling climate change, he didn’t get much traction with voters. But then the U.S. first cases of Covid-19 hit Washington state in January, and Inslee’s decisive science-based leadership suddenly seemed prescient. [ read more … ]
Wind Energy
Peek Into a Wooden Mast Reveals Wind Power’s Towering Future
Standing nearly 100 feet tall on the rocky shore of the island Bjorko in southwest Sweden, a white wind tower looks indistinguishable from thousands of similar tubes that help generate clean energy all over the world. But inside is another story. The interior of the tower is a tableau of creamy white boards, soaring into the air like a hollowed-out tree trunk. It’s a total redesign of the classic steel turbine tower from Swedish company Modvion AB, which says it can cut costs for the renewable power industry and dramatically reduce the sector’s output of greenhouse gases.
[ read more … ]
FERC
DC Circuit grills NARUC, FERC on whether Order 841 will harm state ability to regulate distribution
A three judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit pressed counsel on Tuesday on whether or not a landmark federal storage order was encroaching on state authority over the distribution system. Order 841, issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in 2018, was intended to expand the ability of storage to participate in wholesale power markets. But critics of the order are stuck on “one small and unnecessary aspect of the rule” which attempts to “curtail state authority” over the distribution system, Jennifer Murphy, director of energy policy and senior counsel for the plaintiff, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, told judges during virtual oral arguments. [ read more … ]
Grid
Grid order draws concerns
President Donald Trump’s executive order last week prohibiting U.S. electric utilities from installing grid devices from foreign adversaries is causing concern among renewable energy and power storage providers. Clean energy providers say they support the order’s intent, which is tied to the threat that devices could pose to national security. But they worry the list of devices the Energy Department is planning to investigate as part of the order is so broad that developers will put projects on hold over concerns that components may eventually be banned. [ read more … ]
EVs
Tesla delays semi truck delivery to 2021
Tesla has postponed the first delivery of its Tesla Semi to 2021, the company said in its earnings report last week. The electric truck was already behind schedule, as the first delivery was originally planned for 2019. The delay is not caused by a markedly down quarter for Tesla. “Despite global operational challenges, we were able to achieve our best first quarter for both production and deliveries,” the company reported. Total revenues were up 32% year over year (YoY), while profits were up 118%, YoY. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.