This week in Energy Democracy news:
States are stepping up to the plate to combat climate change. Despite a focus on federal level change, most policy progress has actually happened at the state level. This week, Massachusetts joined their ranks in a big way by introducing legislation requiring 100 percent renewable energy by 2035. Plus, New Mexico joins 18 other states in a national renewable energy coalition.
Featured:
These governors are showing what happens when you campaign on climate action and win by David Roberts, Vox
Since climate change was first introduced to US politics, most attention and debate have focused on a federal solution, but most actual policy progress has taken place at the state level. States are where everything from cap-and-trade systems to renewable energy mandates have actually become law.
The Solar Revolution Is Coming—But It’s Skipping Over Communities of Color by David Grossman, Popular Mechanics
Electric Vehicles Could Cost the Same as Gasoline and Diesel Cars by 2021: Report by Stephen Edelstein, The Drive
According to the study by research firm Deloitte, EVs could cost the same as internal combustion cars by 2021.
Are Electric Cars Only for the Rich? Sacramento Is Challenging That Notion by Bradley Berman, New York Times
When harrow met solar: U.S. land-use competition heats up by Carey L. Biron, Reuters
A question being posed across the United States: should farmers devote some, or even all, of their land to solar energy?
New Mexico considers greater investments in solar, wind, AP
A House panel on energy policy took up discussion Thursday of a bill from Democratic state Rep. Sheryl Williams Stapleton to channel 1 percent of a $5 billion trust fund toward investments in solar and wind energy
Energy Democracy News Across the States:
Arizona
Arizona Unlocks Solar Rooftop Regulations by Charles Thurston, Clean Technica
California
PG&E must deal with problem that bankruptcy won’t end: fires by Brian Melley, AP
A statewide problem.’ How PG&E’s bankruptcy could soil California’s green-energy movement by Dale Kasler, Sacramento Bee
Colorado
Two new Pivot Energy community solar gardens now online in Denver by Kelsey Misbrener, Solar Power World
Connecticut
In Connecticut, municipal aggregation rising as a clean energy priority by Meg Dalton, Energy News Network
Florida
Shop for electricity? Florida voters could decide in 2020. by Samantha Gross, Miami-Herald
Electric vehicle charging spaces could be mandated in Miami-Dade developments by Brian Bandell, South Florida Business Journal
Hawaii
Kauai: World’s Biggest Solar Power Plant Relies On A Flock Of Sheep by Allan Parachini, Civil Beat
Illinois
Illinois joins states committed to carbon-emission reduction, AP
Indiana
This bill could revise a controversial Indiana solar power law by Mark Wilson, Courier & Press
Massachusetts
Lawmaker: A move to all-renewable energy a ‘moral obligation’ by Chris Lisinski State House News Service
Minnesota
Solar is thriving in low-income Minneapolis neighborhoods by Frank Jossi, Star Tribune
New Hampshire
Gilford Senior Apartments, Topped With Solar, Certified As ‘Passive House’ by Annie Ropeik, New Hampshire NPR
New Jersey
Low-Income Solar Is The Goal Of 225 Megawatt New Jersey Community Solar Program by Charles Thurston, Clean Technica
New Mexico
NM to join 18 states in climate change coalition by Dan Boyd and Kevin Robinson-Avila
New York
MEGA SUN: Gigantic solar farms proposed for the Rochester region by Steve Orr, Democrat & Chronicle
North Carolina
Plugging into Electric Vehicles in the Tar Heel State by Dory Larsen, Cleanenergy.org
Tennessee
New Plan Pushes Electric Vehicles in Tennessee by Toby Sells, Memphis Flyer
Vermont
Burlington Electric Announces New Incentive Providing Discounted Electric Vehicle Charging Rates by Pat Bradley, WAMC
Virginia
Virginia’s solar freedom bill by Ivy Main, PV Magazine
West Virginia
Community looks to solar power in the Eastern Panhandle by Brendan Reynolds, Local DVM
Nationwide Energy Democracy News:
Is 100% renewable energy for the US possible? Yes by Grant Smith and Bill Walker, Utility Dive
Should the nation as a whole shoot for such an ambitious goal? Is it even possible for the entire U.S. to supply electricity reliably with 100% renewable energy sources?
What’s at stake for Illinois as FERC considers PJM capacity market changes by David Thill, Energy News Network
Midwest ‘roadmap’ aims to unlock EV emissions benefits by Jeffrey Tomich, E&E News
The vision — big cities with EVs powered by turbines dotting the Great Plains — is widely shared. But how to get there isn’t clear just yet.
The great irony of climate change politics is red states face more pain by Ronald Brownstein, CNN
Climate change will impose the greatest economic losses on Republican-leaning areas of the country that are almost uniformly resisting new efforts to combat it, according to a sweeping new study released Tuesday.
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!
