This week in Energy Democracy news:
Renewable energy now provides more electricity than nuclear power in over half of the U.S. Community solar is fueling the renewable energy revolution, helping bridge the renewables accessibility gap for those who lack access to rooftop solar. Also, states vow to fight back against Trump’s proposal to weaken fuel efficiency standards. In Maine, towns are adopting solar despite a resistant governor. In Massachusetts, an energy bill passes but fails to lift net metering caps. Plus, New York regulators make plans to increase solar subsidies.
Featured:
Energy and environment fights, deals play out this week by George Cahlink, E&E News reporter
Report: Trump will move to rescind California vehicle emission, EV rules by Gavin Bade, Utility Dive
Residential storage hits new record, deploying 36MWh in Q1 by Peter Maloney, Utility Dive
There was as much grid-connected residential storage deployed in the first quarter, 36 MWh, as was deployed in the previous three quarters, according to the report.
Aging grids drive $51B in annual utility distribution spending by Robert Walton, Utility Dive
Solar delivers during New England heatwave by John Weaver, PV Magazine
On July 19th, LaRusso notes that around the 2 PM solar peak two gigawatts of behind the meter solar was pumping out power, and met over 11% of New England’s total electricity demand. When accounting for 866 MW of grid tied solar power, that value increases to 15% of demand.
As Economics Improve, Solar Shines in Rural America by David C. Wagman, IEEE Spectrum
Declining costs have helped some of the country’s smallest electricity providers expand their use of solar in highly innovative ways
The $3 Billion Plan to Turn Hoover Dam Into a Giant Battery by Ivan Penn, New York Times
U.S. states vow to fight Trump rollback on auto emissions by Joseph White and David Shepardson, Reuters
California and 18 other U.S. states promised on Thursday to fight a Trump administration proposal to weaken fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks and force states into line, arguing the United States has an obligation to protect the environment for future generations.
Renewable energy provides more electricity than nuclear power in over half of U.S. states by Kelly Pickerel, Solar Power World
Energy Democracy News Across the States:
Arizona
AZ Leads Nation in Some Aspects of Renewable Energy Growth by Katherine Davis-Young, Public News Service – AZ
Sunnova Returns to the Arizona Solar Market, This Time With Batteries by Julian Spector, GreenTech Media
California
California’s huge energy decision: link its grid to its neighbors, or stay autonomous? By David Roberts, Vox
Calif. Revs Up for Trump Fight Over Environmental Regs by Cheryl Miller, The Recorder
Southern California developer finds big opportunity for solar on megamalls by Kathie Zipp, Solar Power World
California’s Imperial Irrigation District Suing Over Net Metering Ordinance by Betsy Lillian, Solar Industry Magazine
How 3,000 streetlights turned San Diego into America’s smartest city by John R. Quain, Digital Trends
People powering Glendale with virtual power plant by Daniel Brotman and Michael Beck, LA Times
Sacramento wants you to dump your car and rent one of these 400 electric share vehicles by Tony Bizjak and Ryan Lillis, Sacramento Bee
California Wants to Reinvent the Power Grid. So What Could Go Wrong? By Ivan Penn, New York Times
Florida
Florida drives ahead with electric vehicles; lags behind in energy efficiency, renewables, Capital Soup
Georgia
Georgia Power looking for 100 MW of distributed solar projects by Plamena Tisheva, Renewables Now
Idaho
The future is shining bright for Idaho’s rooftop solar by Elias Bishop, Idaho State Journal
Illinois
Southern Illinois is becoming a hot place for energy companies to build solar farms by Teri Maddox, Belleville News Democrat
Illinois SREC administrator approved, community solar gathers steam by Mark Burger, PV Magazine
Indiana
IPL rate deal largely avoids fixed charge hike by Iulia Gheorghiu, Utility Dive
Kansas
Kan. regulators to hear dispute over distributed generation by Jeffrey Tomich, E&E News reporter
Maine
Towns are turning to solar power despite LePage’s opposition to renewable energy, Bangor Daily News
Locals push solar power from the bottom up in Maine by John Weaver, PV Magazine
Massachusetts
Massachusetts power players scramble for deal in critical storage, DER docket by Peter Maloney, Utility Dive
State organization calls for 100 percent renewable energy in Massachusetts by 2035 by Dave Eisenstadter, Valley Advocate
Massachusetts Legislature Could Overturn Eversource’s New Demand Charge for Resi Solar by Julian Spector, Green Tech Media
Massachusetts passes energy bill without lifting net metering caps by Christian Roselund, PV Magazine
It was a dark day for the solar power industry in Mass. by John Chesto, Boston Globe
Nevada
New solar energy project planned for southern Nevada by Gabriella Benavidez, Fox 5
Green groups come out against Nevada retail choice ballot measure by Robert Walton, Utility Dive
New Mexico
Clean Energy Plan Unveiled By NM Democrat Running for Gov by Ellen Lockyer, Sante Fe
Public Radio
New Jersey
Solar power without the roof panels: How community solar works by James Nash, North Jersey
New York
Report says NY should prime solar market more by Larry Rulison, Times Union
New York is Doubling Down on Its Solar Subsidies by Jason Hopkins, The Daily Caller
Ohio
Ohio’s First Landfill Solar Project is Ready to Go by Arlene Karidis, Waste 360
Rhode Island
Report Knocks Rhode Island for Dirty Renewables by Tim Faulkner, ecoRI News
South Carolina
Duke Energy program will provide new choice for solar energy for SC customers, SCNow
Isn’t That Convenient? Duke Energy Launches Community Solar After Net Metering Cap Hit
by Frank Andorka, Solar Wake up
Texas
Texas Program Provides $2500 Rebate For New EVs And Plug-in Hybrids by Jake Richardson, Clean Technica
Vermont
Vermont PUC approves contracts for over 10 MW of renewable energy, Vermont Business Magazine
Tesla batteries save $500K for Green Mountain Power through hot-weather peak shaving by Robert Walton, Utility Dive
Virginia
Sutch: Virginia’s electric grid should be resilient, locally-fueled, and democratic by Aaron Sutch, Roanoke Times
Economics, carbon bills push Dominion to boost renewables output in Virginia by Jared Anderson, S&P Global
Blocked by-law proposals at Virginia’s largest electric cooperative prompt complaint to state regulators by Robert Zullo, Virginia Mercury
Nationwide Energy Democracy News:
‘Road map’ lays out paths for deep carbon cuts in Midwest by Jeffrey Tomich, E&E News
The Need for Carbon Removal by Holly Jean Buck, Jacobin
If we buy into thinking of carbon removal technologies as substitutes for reducing carbon output, then industrial interests have already won: they have set the narrative and the framing, where carbon capture exists so that they can continue to emit. But we should demand more from these technologies.
How to Plan for a More-Distributed Grid, Part 2 by David Labrador, Rocky Mountain Institute
Europeans Stake Out Huge Claim In U.S. Energy Start-Ups While American Giants Sit On Sidelines by Peter Kelly-Detwiler, Forbes
Apartments rarely come with access to charging stations. But electric vehicles need them by Lucas David, The Conversation
New federal data show that homeowners are more than three times more likely than renters to own an EV. And since 43 million U.S. households – 37 percent of all households – rent their homes, it is worth thinking hard about why this gap exists.
Commercial Solar Markets: Scalable or Snowflakes? By Michelle Davis, Green Tech Media
Californian, Hawaiian homeowners charging ahead on residential batteries by Megan Geuss, Ars Technica
Solar Power Moves From Roofs to Semi-Trucks and Trailers by Susan Carpenter, Trucks.com
In one test, a solar-powered cooling system developed by eNow, a Warwick, R.I., builder of solar panels could cut harmful diesel emissions on a refrigerated truck trailer by almost 100 percent. It builds power systems for big-rig air conditioning, lift gates for straight and semi-truck trailers, safety lighting for emergency vehicles and telematics systems that require an energy source to ensure batteries are always charged.
84 gigawatts of community solar, and the plan to get there by John Weaver, PV Magazine
If a major coal plant goes down and no one notices, can it impact reliability? By Robert Walton, Utility Dive
Can a ‘DER Authority’ fix the utility information problem to boost clean energy? Mike O’Boyle, Utility Dive
Native American lands have 61 GW of economic solar potential; DOE loan guarantees available by Will Driscoll, PV Magazine
The 50 States of Solar Report: Q2 2018 Update by NCCETC
Community solar can address renewables accessibility gap, report finds by Katherine Morehouse, Utility Dive
The report points to a large gap in solar accessibility, noting between half to three-fourths of Americans cannot access traditional rooftop solar. Community solar is a potential way to grant access to 50 million U.S. households that are classified as low-to-moderate income (LMI) residences.
Efficiency advocates fear Trump administration may try to roll back light bulb standards by Robert Walton, Utility Dive
This article originally posted at ilsr.org. For timely updates, follow John Farrell or Marie Donahue on Twitter or get the Energy Democracy weekly update. Also check out over 50 episodes of the Local Energy Rules podcast!
