Energy Exchange

East Coast meets West Coast style – how 2 states are advancing clean energy

By EDF Blogs / Published: June 1, 2018

Cities and states are taking the initiative to address climate change independently from the federal administration. With unique political contexts and environmental needs, each local authorities’ policies address specific climate challenges.

California’s new landmark mandate, requiring solar panels on new home constructions, and New York’s ongoing Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) initiative, illustrate just how different paths can lead to accomplish the same intent: to fight climate change. They are also indicative of how elected officials are prioritizing energy, infrastructure, and housing in their planning.

The longer states wait to take action to set or meet environmental goals, the more expensive their efforts will become. More importantly, the delay can affect the economic and health benefits from new jobs and lower emissions that improve residents’ quality of life.

New York and California are well positioned because they’ve capitalized on emerging trends by addressing legal and regulatory issues in ways other states have yet to do. Let’s take a look at their approaches and challenges. Read More »

Also posted in California, Clean Energy, Electricity Pricing, Energy Efficiency, Energy Innovation, New York, New York REV, Solar Energy / Comments are closed

New York breathes easier as plans emerge for electrification, starting with new city buses

By Rory Christian / Published: May 3, 2018

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City, operator of the largest bus fleet in the United States, recently announced a plan to adopt a zero-emissions electric vehicle (EV) fleet by 2040. This news is a welcome breath of fresh air. Transitioning away from diesel-fueled buses will improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers in numerous ways. But the question remains: Why will it take more than 20 years?

The deadline is likely a result of the MTA’s need to determine how best to integrate EVs into their current operations while maintaining, and improving, quality of service. There are a myriad of logistical and operational aspects to consider before making a full transition. These considerations will be identified during the agency’s bus pilot, scheduled to start with 10 EV buses this year and planning to expand to 60 buses within the next three years. Read More »

Also posted in Air Quality, Clean Energy, New York / Read 2 Responses

Clean energy – not natural gas – drove decarbonization in 2017

By Andy Bilich / Published: February 16, 2018

Despite attempts by the Trump administration and the coal industry to limit clean energy in favor of fossil fuels – including a tariff on solar energy, a thinly-disguised bailout for coal and nuclear power plants (that was rightly rejected), and a dramatic proposed cut to energy research – we are accelerating the transition to a cleaner electric grid. In fact, last year was the first time the reduction in power sector emissions can be attributed more to energy conservation and renewable energy than switching from coal to natural gas.

The new 2018 Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE) Factbook* highlights the electric power sector as the driving force behind the decarbonization of the U.S. economy. In total, power sector emissions declined 4.2 percent in 2017, mostly due to the 18.4 GW of new renewable energy we added to the grid (a 14 percent increase over the previous year’s total U.S. renewable capacity). In 2017, renewable generation represented about 18 percent of total U.S. generation (around10 percent from non-hydro renewables alone).

This explosive growth further cements renewable energy’s role in reducing emissions from the U.S. power sector. Let’s dig into the factors that led to this growth, and how we can extend this trend of emissions reductions from renewables beyond 2017. Read More »

Also posted in Clean Energy, Climate, Demand Response, Electricity Pricing, Energy Equity, Grid Modernization, Natural Gas, Solar Energy / Read 3 Responses

Are electric vehicles finally taking off? Here’s what you need to know.

By EDF Blogs / Published: January 31, 2018

By Jason Mathers, supply chain director at EDF, Corporate Partnerships

Electric vehicles are poised to take off. We’ve just closed a year of record demand and investment. It’s no longer a question of whether electric vehicles – or EVs – will arrive, it’s how: How big of a role will EVs play, how soon and how clean will they be?

Popularizing EVs will depend on tackling key challenges. We’re seeing progress on several fronts. Read More »

Posted in Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

How electric trucks could disrupt highway transport and save businesses billions

By EDF Blogs / Published: January 5, 2018

By Jason Mathers, Supply Chain Director at EDF, Corporate Partnerships

Tesla’s much-anticipated electric semi-truck is garnering attention for its futuristic look and zero-emission promise – and it’s part of an innovation trend that is changing the future of trucking, with implications for entire supply chains.

United Parcel Service, Anheuser-Busch, Walmart, PepsiCo and J.B Hunt are among the companies rushing to secure orders of Tesla’s trucks, which are expected to be in production in 2019.

All-electric trucks can bring tangible benefits not just to truck owners, whose conventional vehicles can consume more than $60,000 worth of fuel a year, but also to their customers.

Fuel has long been a top cost for trucking, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the per-mile cost. Because fuel bills are passed on to companies that hire trucks to get their goods to market, electric trucks can thus promise businesses significantly lower and more stable operating costs.

For the business community as a whole, savings could be in the billions. Read More »

Posted in Electric Vehicles / Read 1 Response

Rooftop solar and EVs save water and cut pollution – and data can help us go further

By Beia Spiller / Published: December 13, 2017

Thanks to improvements in technology, it’s easier than ever to be green.

Solar panels and electric vehicles (EVs) are two prime examples of technologies that can help people minimize their environmental footprint, without sacrificing comfort or having to radically change their daily behavior. But the question still remains: How much of an environmental benefit do these technologies actually produce? And, are there actions that owners of these technologies can take to minimize their pollution footprint even more?

A new paper by my colleagues and me, recently published in Energy Economics, attempts to answer these two questions for households in Austin, Texas. These homes are part of Pecan Street Inc., a living smart-grid laboratory with the largest customer energy-use database on the planet. Using detailed household-level data from 2013-2015, we were able to track solar panel performance and EV use and charging patterns, and match these actions to two important environmental impacts: water use and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Our paper confirms that, in Texas, residential solar panels uses less water and pollutes the air less than using the central-grid power (based on its electricity sources during those years), and driving an EV instead of a gasoline vehicle generally reduces the household’s water and emission footprint, even though EVs charge from the grid. Moreover, our analysis demonstrates how carefully examining energy-use data can help us make sure we’re maximizing clean energy’s benefits. Read More »

Also posted in Solar Energy, Texas / Comments are closed