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California is awash in renewable energy — except when it’s most needed
As California suffered through an epic heat wave this month, state officials pleaded with residents to conserve electricity. Almost simultaneously, power grid operators were rejecting thousands of megawatts of solar and wind energy that could have provided a cushion to get through the crisis. The explanation illustrates one of the paradoxes confronting California as it rushes to transition to a clean-energy economy: The state has built up so much renewable energy production in recent years that it can rarely use it all during peak production hours. But it also doesn’t have enough storage capacity to hang onto it for when it might be needed. [ read more … ]
Grid
Grid anger rises in Puerto Rico as massive outages remain
Puerto Rico struggled to restore power for residents Tuesday, providing a reminder that the U.S. territory’s shaky electricity system was unreliable long before Hurricane Fiona arrived Sunday. The ongoing crisis — which left more than 3 million people without power — is renewing critiques of Puerto Rico’s centralized system from environmental groups and some analysts who see microgrids as key to building a more reliable grid. Others have called for the implementation of more rooftop solar. Grid experts and residents are asking why more hasn’t been done to strengthen Puerto Rico’s electricity system since Hurricane Maria, a powerful Category 4 storm, made landfall five years ago. There’s also increasing pressure on LUMA Energy LLC, the company that began operating the island’s grid last year. [ read more … ]
Congress
Manchin: ‘Revenge politics’ could sink permitting reform
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Joe Manchin is decrying forces aligning against his permitting overhaul effort, a sign of the long odds the legislation likely faces in passing Congress. The bill, long sought by the energy industry, is expected to be released later today. “I got to be honest with you, I’ve been around for a long time in state and federal politics, I’ve never seen stranger bedfellows than the Bernie Sanders and the extreme liberal left siding up with Republican leadership in Congress,” Manchin (D-W.Va.) said of opposition to the plan Tuesday. “I’ve never seen this.” [ read more … ]
Kigali climate treaty clears Senate hurdle
The Senate cleared a procedural hurdle Tuesday afternoon before moving to ratify the international climate deal to phase down the use of potent greenhouse gases stemming from refrigerants and air conditioning units. The chamber voted 64-30 to close debate on the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, which targets hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). It would be the first climate treaty to clear the Senate in decades. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said a final vote could occur as soon as Wednesday. [ read more … ]
EVs
More Than Half of US Car Sales Will Be Electric by 2030
Just over half of passenger cars sold in the US will be electric vehicles by 2030, according to a report from BloombergNEF, thanks in part to consumer incentives included in the $374 billion in new climate spending enacted by President Joe Biden. Those incentives, among them a point-of-sale tax credit of up to $7,500 for a new EV purchase, are likely to boost the pace of adoption, BloombergNEF analysts found in the report. Prior to passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in August, projections for EV sales by 2030 2030 came in at 43% of the US market. With the climate-spending measure in place, that estimate was revised upwards to 52%. [ read more … ]
Hertz places a risky wager on EVs
Car rental company Hertz Corp. made its biggest bet yet on electric vehicles Tuesday with a commitment to buy up to 175,000 of them from General Motors Co. These EVs — if Hertz can actually get them — could get many Americans behind the wheel of an EV for the first time and supplement cars entering the company’s fleet from Tesla Inc. and Polestar. But Hertz could get the blame from its customers if the charging experience goes awry.
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Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.