CLEAN ENERGY: A FEMA proposal that would require new renewable energy installations to withstand stronger storms threatens clean energy’s growth, advocates say. (E&E News)
ALSO:
• Clean power procurement by federal agencies is at or near its lowest levels since 2010 despite strong incentives for clean energy investments. (E&E News)
• The Inflation Reduction Act could ease tensions between labor and environmental advocates by requiring developers to employ union members to build federally supported solar and wind projects. (Capital & Main)
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Climate Generation’s Window into COP27
This November, world leaders are coming together at the international climate negotiations (COP27), and Climate Generation is here to help you stay in-the-know. Follow the COP27 conference through the eyes of ten everyday climate leaders — because international climate policy should be accessible to everyone.
UTILITIES:
• Consumer and clean energy advocates say federal rules widely adopted in the 1970s that allow utilities to pass fuel costs on to customers remove incentives to transition to clean energy. (Energy News Network)
• North Carolina regulators consider whether to approve or modify Duke Energy’s decarbonization plan after a month of hearings in which opponents criticized the plan’s slow pace and reliance on natural gas. (WUNC)
POLITICS: Major environmental groups announce a joint get-out-the-vote effort to mobilize voters for climate-conscious candidates. (The Hill)
CLIMATE:
• Climate advocates hope the Biden administration will take their side in a Supreme Court case that could determine whether oil and gas companies can be held liable for climate damages. (E&E News)
• Hurricane Ian marks another climate disaster with damages totaling over $1 billion, bringing the U.S. to more than 10 so far this year. (The Hill)
• Climate change is leading to heavier rains across the U.S., as warmer temperatures allow the air to hold more water, a study finds. (Washington Post)
GRID:
• Sunrun announces that it used a virtual power plant consisting of residential solar and battery storage systems to power New England homes throughout the summer months — the first regional market to do so. (E&E News)
• Florida’s rapid restoration of power to more than 2 million people after Hurricane Ian shows resilience built by 15 years of grid hardening investments. (Christian Science Monitor)
• Wyoming researchers receive $500,000 in federal funds to explore using machine learning to optimize energy storage systems connected to wind and solar power installations. (Casper Star-Tribune)
OIL & GAS: In Pennsylvania, a gas utility says a nonfunctioning heating unit and a blocked ventilation system at a daycare sent over 30 people — mostly children — to the hospital for carbon monoxide poisoning. (ABC News, Morning Call)
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Minnesota Future of Gas Campaign Seeks Coordinator
Minnesota’s Future of Gas Campaign, co-led by Fresh Energy, CUB Minnesota, and COPAL, is seeking proposals for a Campaign Coordinator to help build the campaign and be responsible for implementation of campaign strategies.
ELECTRIFICATION: A northern California public power provider says its new all-electric headquarters with a solar-powered microgrid demonstrates the feasibility and practicality of zero-emissions buildings. (Building Design + Construction)
COMMENTARY: Electrification experts call on Congress to establish transmission support standards to compel neighboring grids to share power when they need it most. (Utility Dive)
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