Summary

Quote of the Week:

“The world’s growing demand for electricity is set to accelerate, adding more than double Japan’s current electricity consumption over the next three years,” said Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency. “The good news is that renewables and nuclear power are growing quickly enough to meet almost all this additional appetite, suggesting we are close to a tipping point for power sector emissions.”

CLEAN ENERGY

Must Be Equitable

The EV revolution needs equitable charging. While EV sales continue to grow nationwide, advocates are warning that low-income and rural communities are at risk of getting left behind. Since many renters don’t have access to home charging and public chargers are disproportionately located in whiter and wealthier areas, EV charging access remains a key obstacle to an equitable shift to EVs. The good news is that the federal government has allocated $7.5 billion to expand EV charging across the country, though advocates say renters in multi-family homes still need access to metered EV chargers instead of relying solely on more expensive public charging stations. (Axios)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is A Good Investment

Solar panels are the Midwest’s new cash crop. Red states are going green as solar farms are sprouting up across the Midwest. Ohio and Indiana alone are expected to install 15 gigawatts of solar power, despite widespread political opposition to renewables from state legislators. Thanks to the low cost of solar, the jobs created by solar energy expansion, rising energy demand, the prospect of new tax revenue streams, and the flat landscapes ideal for catching the sun’s rays, many landowners in the Midwest are finding solar installations to be an economic no-brainer. (Bloomberg $)

CLEAN ENERGY

Has Many Benefits

EVs reduce asthma and air pollution. Areas with higher concentrations of EVs have lower air pollution levels and asthma-related emergency room visits, according to a new study from the University of Southern California, one of the first to quantify the real-world health benefits of clean cars. The study found that most of the benefits were concentrated in wealthier areas, since the high sticker price of new EVs has kept them out of reach of lower-income communities. The authors write these findings underscore the importance of ensuring that communities most burdened by traffic-related air pollution can benefit from EV adoption. To that end, the California Air Resources Board announced a plan last year to provide incentives of up to $19,500 for low-income EV buyers. (Smart Cities Dive)

Since the IRA, the U.S. has gained 100,000 clean energy jobs. The Inflation Reduction Act’s robust tax credits were largely expected to boost the clean energy economy — and so far, they appear to be delivering. Most new American jobs are concentrated in wind, solar, battery, and EV supply chains, with common roles including electricians, mechanics, construction workers and technicians. The analysis, conducted by Climate Power, also found that more than 90 new clean energy projects have been announced since the bill was passed. (The Hill)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is Replacing Fossil Fuels

Clean energy will meet nearly all new energy demand. Renewables and nuclear power are expected to account for almost all the growth in global electricity supply over the next three years, according to a report by the International Energy Agency. IEA head Fatih Birol hailed the analysis as signaling a “tipping point” for the global electricity sector. While analysts noted that these projections could be impacted by factors like unexpected growth in energy demand and supply chain bottlenecks, experts affirm that the trend of clean energy growth is here to stay. (Washington Post $)

U.S. increased its fleet of clean buses by two-thirds last year. There were nearly 5,500 zero-emissions buses on the roads in 2022 compared to just about 3,300 in 2021, according to a new report from clean transportation non-profit Calstart. California leads the nation with the largest fleet, and the West Coast as a whole (including Oregon and Washington) makes up about 41 percent of all zero-emissions buses in the U.S. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was a major catalyst for the rapid growth in zero-emissions transit buses, thanks to more than $1.66 billion in grants to help accelerate adoption. That money alone funded 1,100 of the clean buses introduced last year. (Electrek)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is Challenging

California looks to balance wildlife, renewables, and transit in the Mojave Desert. Proposals to build high-speed electric rail and develop utility-scale solar in the Devil’s Playground section of the Mojave Desert Preserve have raised challenges for regulators looking to balance much-needed transportation and energy investments with habitat conservation. Wildlife advocates have questioned the value of a solar project in the area, but supporters point to the proposed site’s proximity to existing infrastructure like power lines that would help quickly — and cheaply — deliver clean energy. Critics and biologists contend that these developments could risk serious harm to the fragile desert ecosystem, though wildlife authorities and regulators affirm that the projects will be thoroughly evaluated on their environmental impacts. (Los Angeles Times $)

MULTIMEDIA

Video: How far do the longest-range EVs really go?