Summary

Quote of the Week:

“Growing up in rural Alabama, I know first-hand the effect that government can have on communities. It is important that we consider the voices of historically disadvantaged communities in our decisions,” said Willie Phillips, the new acting Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. “I’m working with my colleagues as speedily as I can to come together on a consensus to deliver on the momentum that we built in the last year. I believe we have a very good chance to make progress.”

CLEAN ENERGY

Must Be Equitable

FERC acting Chairman to prioritize reliability, transmission and environmental justice. The new FERC head Willie Phillips outlined his vision for the agency, highlighting a focus on ensuring that historically disadvantaged communities have a “meaningful” voice “every step of the way” as the commission works to support a changing energy system. Phillips says key priorities include ensuring electrical grid reliability and improving transmission planning to bring more new energy resources online. The agency will also host a roundtable on environmental justice in late March to help advance the agency’s Equity Action Plan, enacted last year. (Utility Dive)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is Affordable

Fighting climate change, one household at a time. With the historic passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, the Biden administration’s next major challenge involves encouraging households to take advantage of new clean energy rebates. While clean energy technologies typically have a high upfront cost, the IRA’s tax credits and incentives can make these purchases significantly more affordable in the short-term, on top of delivering long-term cost savings. Since many Americans know little about the IRA, or otherwise tend to wait until absolutely necessary to make home upgrades, the administration is working to educate the public on the available clean energy incentives. (Associated Press)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is A Good Investment

Clean energy subsidies bring billions to districts whose representatives voted against them. The Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy subsidies and incentives were a major project of the Biden administration, but most of the benefits are flowing to Republican-leaning districts. Out of 30 clean energy projects announced since the passage of the IRA, 27 chose to set up shop in red states — representing more than $35 billion in investments. Analysts say companies are choosing these areas in part because many offer large amounts of sun or wind, but also because they have lower labor costs, lower taxes, and looser land use and permitting regulations. (Wall Street Journal $)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is Replacing Fossil Fuels

How the U.S. can achieve 100% clean electricity. The U.S. can still meet the Biden administration’s goal of a zero-emissions electricity grid by 2035 if the right steps are taken, according to a new analysis from Evergreen Action and the NRDC. The goal hinges on strong pollution standards on power plants from the EPA and faster clean energy deployment, the analysts write. Additional support at the federal level — like FERC requiring more long-term transmission planning — and complementary state-level targets can help accelerate the timeline even further. (Washington Post $)

Old power plants are a big opportunity for the energy transition. The husks of old coal plants hold a hidden gem for the energy transition: grid interconnection. One of the biggest bottlenecks for bringing new clean energy capacity online has been a lack of transmission capacity to connect it to the grid — but redeveloping old power plants as sites for new clean energy resources can help sidestep the issue because they already have the right infrastructure in place. As newer and larger coal plants continue to retire, they’ll continue to leave behind valuable transmission infrastructure that can help accelerate the shift to clean energy. (Bloomberg $)

Offshore wind transmission planning can save $20 billion. To reach the Biden administration’s goal of 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy by 2030, state and federal regulators and grid operators need to start planning for how to bring that energy online. Advanced planning around offshore wind transmission needs could help save up to $20 billion in costs, according to a new report by The Brattle Group. The analysis suggests developing a long-term plan in advance of wind farm construction would help avoid bottlenecks and delays, and ultimately reduce the number of transmission projects needed to connect coastal wind farms to the grid. (TIME)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is Challenging

To decarbonize transportation, focusing on EVs may be the wrong approach. Transportation remains the largest source of U.S. climate pollution, and while policymakers have largely focused on trading out gas cars for EVs, a new analysis from the Climate and Community Project suggests there are better ways. On our current trajectory, global lithium production would need to triple to meet projected demand in the U.S. alone. Given ongoing supply chain shortages in key battery materials like lithium — as well as the negative environmental and social impacts of lithium mining — the researchers find that reducing car dependency could help decarbonize the transportation sector more quickly and efficiently. By promoting alternative transportation options like transit, walking, e-bikes, and smaller cars with smaller batteries, the U.S. could cut lithium demand by over 90 percent by 2050, while also reducing road deaths. (The Guardian)

MULTIMEDIA

Video: No, Tucker Carlson, wind farms are not killing whales