“There is a lot of work in the city that needs to be done now and over the next decade, and there’s a need for new talent across the board,” said Keith Kinch, co-founder and general manager of clean tech startup BlocPower. “And if we’re going to address climate change and meet the needs of frontline communities, then we should be able to hire from frontline communities and work with local companies, and allow generational wealth to be built.”
CLEAN ENERGY
Must Be Equitable
Local workforce development program boosts clean energy economy in underserved NYC communities. The Civilian Climate Corps program launched last year in New York City provides paid training to New Yorkers from underserved communities — helping build a growing workforce to meet the City’s energy transition goals while providing opportunity for communities suffering from poverty and gun violence. Administered by the clean tech startup BlocPower, the program trains participants in diverse skills from solar panel and battery installation to electric heat pump installation, weatherization, and EV charger maintenance. The program aims to train 6,000 workers over two years. (Canary Media)
CLEAN ENERGY
Has Many Benefits
Offshore wind embraces recyclable turbine blades. Traditional wind turbine blades are notoriously difficult to recycle, creating a waste problem for the industry. But a new major wind farm off the coast of Europe will use recyclable turbine blades, designed so their component parts can be easily separated and reused. The Hollandse Kust Zuid wind farm is one of the first to use the new kinds of blades, but companies across the industry have announced intentions to transition to fully recyclable components. (CNBC)
CLEAN ENERGY
Is A Good Investment
Climate tech sector expects to weather economic headwinds. With global markets taking a downturn, clean tech industry veterans believe their sector can weather the storm and avoid a repeat of the “clean tech 1.0” bubble. Today, renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuels and legacy automakers are transitioning to electric vehicles, signaling that clean energy investments are likely here to stay. Climate tech startups raised over $53 billion in 2021, and commitments from major asset managers and corporations are remaining in place with more investments set to come. (Bloomberg $)
CLEAN ENERGY
Is Replacing Fossil Fuels
Rhode Island on track for 100 percent clean energy by 2033. Pushed by a coalition of labor and environmental groups, the Rhode Island legislature is on track to pass the ambitious clean energy legislation, which would make the state the first in the country to decarbonize its electricity. On top of clean electricity, the coalition is also advocating for a just transition for workers in the energy sector. Rhode Island has seen a 74 percent growth in “green jobs” since 2014, a number set to grow as the energy transition accelerates. (Boston Globe $)
Major utility commits to “real zero” emissions by 2045. Utility giant NextEra announced it aims to eliminate power generation emissions without the use of carbon credits, offsets, or capture by 2045— a first for the industry. NextEra is already investing heavily in solar development and plans to continue rapidly expanding its solar and storage capacity to meet its targets. While the plan comes with caveats and assumptions around cost and when to phase out fossil fuel infrastructure, industry watchdogs applauded NextEra’s ambitions. (Protocol)
New interconnection rules aim to speed new energy rollout. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) proposed new rules to bring energy projects online more quickly. While clean energy projects have grown rapidly, many have been unable to power the grid because of transmission and interconnection backlogs. There are currently over 8,000 proposed generation and storage projects — totaling 1,400 gigawatts — waiting in interconnection queues. FERC’s proposed rules would require transmission providers to adopt “first-ready, first-served” interconnection requirements, allow co-located resources to share a single interconnection request, and impose fines for missing transmission review deadlines (Utility Dive)
CLEAN ENERGY
Is Challenging
Mining industry could threaten clean energy transition. Metal and mineral prices are rising as demand for clean energy accelerates, but mining companies have been reluctant to fund new projects to increase supply. Instead, mining giants are prioritizing dividends and share buybacks, keeping supply limited and prices high. Copper and iron ore prices are up more than 40 percent over the past two years, leading to cost increases for clean energy technologies like solar panels, wind turbines, and batteries. Shortages of key minerals and metals are expected in the coming years, but rising costs of fuel and equipment, higher interest rates, and concerns about the social and environmental damage of extraction are leaving mining executives wary of major new investments.(Wall Street Journal $)
MULTIMEDIA
Interactive Graphics: Take a look inside a lithium-ion battery, solar panel and wind turbine
