Summary

Quote of the Week:

“Charging is different from traditional gasoline fueling in that the model is ‘charge while you park’ – let the car charge while you’re doing something, such as sleeping in your apartment building at night,” said Anthony Harrison, senior director of North American policy for ChargePoint, the world’s largest EV charging network. “So if we want to engage people of all income levels to have access to charging while they’re sleeping at night, we need to move into not just single family but also multifamily spaces.”

CLEAN ENERGY

Must Be Equitable

EV infrastructure must reach “charging deserts.” As growth in EV sales continues to spike across the U.S., federal and state officials are starting to focus on eliminating “charging deserts” to ensure traditionally underserved communities can also make the shift to electric cars, the Thomson Reuters Foundation reports. The Biden administration just offered $2.5 billion in funding to help build out charging infrastructure in underserved communities. The White House also announced that private companies have committed $700 million to the effort as well, writes Protocol. (Thomson Reuters Foundation, Protocol)

CLEAN ENERGY

Has Many Benefits

Offshore wind is an economic lifeline. The former refinery-town of Paulsboro, N.J. is about to get an economic boost from the offshore wind industry as the community. A new plant that makes monopiles — offshore wind foundations — is expected to create 500 new jobs, on top of another 1,500 permanent jobs at the nearby state-financed New Jersey Wind Port. The company has begun hosting presentations for prospective local workers, offering pay between  $24 and $32 per hour. (NJ Spotlight)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is A Good Investment

U.S. energy jobs are growing fast, mostly in low-carbon sectors. Energy industry jobs are growing faster than the economy overall, according to a new Department of Energy report, and clean energy jobs are leading the way. Energy sector jobs rose 4 percent in 2021 over the previous year, with especially high (25 percent) growth in clean vehicle supply chains. While the solar and wind industries are employing more workers, fossil fuel jobs are on the decline. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm remarked that the report signals good news for the administration’s clean energy goals, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is expected to further boost the low-carbon energy sector this year. (Reuters)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is Replacing Fossil Fuels

Biden & East Coast governors team up on offshore wind. The White House announced a formal partnership with 11 governors on the East Coast to coordinate on the growth of the nascent U.S. offshore wind industry. The announcement comes as the administration prepares for further offshore wind auctions, and wind developer Ørsted committed to an agreement with labor unions on labor standards and workforce development. This effort is in line with the Biden administration’s target of developing 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030. (Associated Press)

Energy storage soared in Q1, could have been even higher. Grid-scale energy storage quadrupled during the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, but analysts say those numbers could have been higher if not for supply chain woes. Installations reached a record high of 747 megawatts, even as deployments were stalled by material shortages and the Commerce Department’s solar tariff investigation. Despite these challenges, analysts say demand remains strong and grid storage is expected to reach 41 gigawatts by 2026. (Utility Dive)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is Challenging

Solar installation is a grueling job sector. The growing solar industry has been a boon for U.S. clean energy, but the sector’s reliance on temp agencies and cheap gig-style labor has made solar installation jobs highly exploitative. Grid-scale solar installation workers report low and inconsistent pay, lack of benefits, few full-time positions, inadequate housing support, and poor safety conditions. Workers and advocates hope unionizing the sector and more permanent employment opportunities will improve conditions. (VICE)

MULTIMEDIA

Graphics: Where Communities are Adopting Electric School Buses