“This [electric school bus program] is momentous, not just because of its size, but because it demonstrates something pretty remarkable, which is that electrifying a municipal fleet is not a pipe dream. It’s not something that should be pushed off another year,” said Duncan McIntyre, the chief executive of Highland Electric Fleets, the company that the Montgomery County schools hired to deliver electric school buses along with the entire charging and maintenance infrastructure around them. “This sets an example for the entire country.”
CLEAN ENERGY
Must Be Equitable
Community solar is on the rise in Illinois. Community solar projects, which allow residents to subscribe to energy from nearby solar farms, are helping bring clean energy to people unable to install their own rooftop arrays. On top of the climate benefits, community solar projects are also saving subscribers money on their utility bills. Additionally, low- and moderate-income subscribers are eligible for further discounts thanks to Illinois’ equity-focused energy program. In 2021, Illinois had enough community solar to power 44,000 homes, and is expected to continue growing rapidly as clean energy buildout accelerates. (Chicago Tribune $)
CLEAN ENERGY
Has Many Benefits
Clean energy could bring $65 billion to rural Appalachia. While the region has long been dominated by the coal industry, a recent report from nonprofit research group RMI finds that Appalachia could reap huge benefits from wind and solar development. Local tax revenues, land lease payments, and employee wages are projected to rise as new wind and solar projects are developed, with additional indirect benefits for local economies. While further policy support and workforce development are needed to capitalize on these opportunities, researchers say the region is well positioned to get a big boost from the energy transition. (Yale Climate Connections)
CLEAN ENERGY
Is A Good Investment
The EV battery boom brings billions to the Midwest. Battery manufacturers are pumping billions into the region to develop supply chains that can meet the rapidly growing demand for EVs while capitalizing on incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act. Analysts at BloombergNEF project that North America is on track to increase its lithium-ion battery production capacity more than sevenfold by 2030. While many of these manufacturing centers have yet to break ground, they suggest a growing focus on domestic supply side capacity as American industrial policy shifts to reduce reliance on China. (Inside Climate News)
IRA is boosting the made-in-USA solar industry. Thanks in part to clean energy provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, a closed-steel processing plant from the early 1900s is reopening its doors and updating its facilities to start manufacturing solar panels. Solar Power World reports that the solar tracker manufacturer Nextracker is busy opening a number of new factories across the country, bringing permanent industrial jobs and robust domestic supply chains back to the U.S. Elsewhere, Bloomberg reports that solar panel manufacturer First Solar is planning a $270 billion research & development center in Ohio and increasing domestic production of solar modules because of the Inflation Reduction Act. (Solar Power World, Bloomberg $)
CLEAN ENERGY
Is Replacing Fossil Fuels
The American school bus is going electric. While the overwhelming majority of classic yellow American school buses run on dirty, polluting diesel, a $1 billion financing effort from the Biden administration is helping school districts make the switch to clean electric school buses. Since school buses run on fixed routes with regular downtimes, supporters say they’re an ideal place to begin electrifying transportation. Diesel buses are a major source of transportation sector air pollution and associated illnesses, which negatively impact students’ health, development, and even academic performance. The program aims to help offset the upfront costs of switching to electric buses, which are more expensive, while allowing school districts to reap the benefits of cheaper fuel and maintenance costs — and cleaner air. Advocates hope to have a fully electrified national school bus fleet by 2030. (Washington Post $)
CLEAN ENERGY
Is Challenging
Biden’s industrial policy could delay infrastructure goals. The Biden administration’s goal of rapidly shoring up American infrastructure may be at odds with its other goal of shoring up domestic supply chains. The “Buy America” provisions from the 2021 infrastructure law were written to help boost American supply chains, but may have the unintended consequence of delaying key infrastructure projects until the U.S. rebuilds its industrial manufacturing capacity. These delays come as rapid inflation threatens to increase the cost of infrastructure projects, and the concerns are fueling demands for clarity about the rules and possible exemptions. (Vox)
MULTIMEDIA
Graph: Energy loss is single biggest component of today’s electricity system
