Summary

Quote of the Week:

“The global energy crisis is driving a sharp acceleration in installations of renewable power, with total capacity growth worldwide set to almost double in the next five years,” writes a new report from the International Energy Agency. “Renewables [will] become the largest source of global electricity generation by early 2025, surpassing coal.”

CLEAN ENERGY

Must Be Equitable

Organized labor fights to transform solar jobs. Boosted by clean energy incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act, the solar industry is booming across the country and with it, solar installation jobs. But job quality and pay can differ drastically depending on whether workers are contracted through temp agencies — where workers report volatile schedules, exploitative travel arrangements, and grueling conditions — or through labor unions — which members say ensure good pay, conditions, and job quality. As more states and solar companies turn to union labor amid tight labor markets, labor leaders are focused on capturing a greater share of the industry to raise job quality and ensure the energy transition advances organized labor. (The American Prospect)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is A Good Investment

Ford breaks ground on largest U.S. EV battery plant. The BlueOval SK project in Kentucky, a joint venture between South Korean battery manufacturer SK On and legacy automaker Ford, is officially under construction. Announced last year, the $11.4 billion project will create two mega manufacturing sites in Kentucky and Tennessee that encompass three battery plants. The plants at the Kentucky site — the largest economic development project in the state’s history — are expected to produce 86 gigawatt hours of battery capacity per year and are scheduled to be completed in 2024. Altogether, the multi-state project is projected to create 11,000 jobs. (The Korea Herald)

CLEAN ENERGY

Has Many Benefits

Solar panels are coming to empty roadsides. A new digital tool that helps transportation departments find and mock up ideal solar project sites could unlock clean energy across more than 52,000 acres of unused roadside land nationwide. Installing solar panels in medians and shoulders, and by on- and off-ramps could yield up to 36 terawatt hours of energy — enough to power 12 million EVs — according to sustainable highway project The Ray. Some roadside projects on otherwise empty lands have already been installed in places like Oregon and Georgia, and are expected to grow as transportation departments pursue renewable energy to meet their climate targets. (Grist)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is Replacing Fossil Fuels

Renewables will become the world's biggest source of electricity by 2025. Renewable energy is poised to surpass coal power and take the top spot for global electricity generation within the next three years, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. The report writes that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered massive worldwide momentum toward clean energy as global energy markets continue facing disruption from the war. Total renewable capacity is set to double by 2027, at which point renewables are projected to account for 40 percent of global electricity — half of which will be solar and wind power. (CNBC)

California’s offshore wind lease sale nets $402 million (so far). The first sale of West Coast federal offshore wind leases has begun, drawing in hundreds of millions of dollars in bids from developers. The auction includes five sites off the California coast representing a total of 583 acres of deep ocean waters with the potential to produce over 4.5 gigawatts of electricity that could power 1.5 million homes. The state aims to develop 25 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2045, while the Biden administration is targeting 30 gigawatts of offshore wind nationwide by 2030. (CalMatters)

NJ pollution zones become clean energy hubs. A former coal-fired power plant in New Jersey has been decommissioned to make room for a $1 billion battery array. As the Garden State retires coal assets in its shift to clean energy, investors say the battery storage site will be an important asset for the state as it shifts to rely more on renewable energy sources, the Associated Press reports. Over in Mount Olive, the NJ Spotlight writes that the Combe Landfill site is transforming into a solar farm capable of powering 4,000 homes. The site is the largest solar array on a capped landfill in the state, and one of the largest in the country. (Associated Press, NJ Spotlight)

CLEAN ENERGY

Is Challenging

Solar tariff debacle could slow U.S. energy transition. A new probe from the Commerce Department has found that Chinese solar manufacturers have been evading long-standing tariffs, and could result in a stalling of U.S. clean energy goals. The Commerce Department could raise tariffs on Southeast Asian solar panel exporters as high as 254 percent in the next two years. While the U.S. currently relies heavily on solar panel imports, the Biden administration has made domestic clean energy manufacturing a priority. But the Commerce Department moves could threaten to reduce U.S. supply, drive up prices, and delay or cancel potential solar deployments needed to meet national climate targets. (Bloomberg $)

MULTIMEDIA

Illustrations: Here’s what the clean energy future might look like