Energy Exchange

Clean firm power is the key to affordable, reliable grid decarbonization in California

By Michael Colvin / Published: May 13, 2021

California has ambitious efforts underway to decarbonize our electric grid by 2045. The choices we make today will help determine how affordably, equitably and reliably we can get there.

Renewables are an important piece of the puzzle, but we will also need something else. Renewable energy supplies can drop up to 60% between summer and winter months, due to cloudier skies and less-powerful winds. Short duration storage batteries can complement renewable generation production on a day-to-day basis, but they cannot pull the state through several weeks of reduced supply.

According to a recent study published in the journal Issues in Science and Technology, California will need to increase its renewable energy generation capacity while also tapping into clean firm power resources to meet these goals.

Also posted in California, Renewable Energy / Comments are closed

Fossil fuel industry failed Texans during the freeze, now it’s using the crisis to attack renewables

By Colin Leyden / Published: April 15, 2021

February’s energy crisis did something no Texas politician has done in decades: It brought Texans together to demand our leaders in Austin fix the flawed energy system that failed so miserably, caused nearly $300 billion in damage and killed more than 200 Texans.

Unfortunately, fossil fuel interests and their willing allies in the Texas Legislature are pushing bills that would have absolutely zero impact on the problems that caused the crisis and would instead place additional costs on producers and customers of electricity generated by solar and wind. The Houston Chronicle called the bills a “cheap shot at renewable energy” and “shameless political opportunism aimed at helping the oil and gas industry profit off Texans’ misery.”

At issue are Senate Bill 1278 and House Bill 4466, companion bills that would force onto wind and solar power generators a disproportionate percentage of ERCOT’s “ancillary service” costs — costs that are currently divided equally among all electricity generators and then passed on to their customers.

Also posted in Natural Gas, Texas / Comments are closed

Biden has an opportunity to accelerate recovery in Puerto Rico

By EDF Blogs / Published: January 26, 2021

By Agustín F. Carbó and Daniel Whittle

En español

It’s a new day for the United States and Puerto Rico. With a new president and a new governor, Puerto Rico can turn a new page, and continue rebuilding — even better than before. This couldn’t come at a better time. President Biden’s climate and clean energy strategy is the boldest, most far-reaching we’ve ever seen from a U.S. President. Under this plan, Puerto Rico should receive federal support in reaching its own far-sighted clean energy goals. In doing so, the island can become a model of resilience and innovation for the nation and the Caribbean.

Also posted in Energy Equity / Tagged Puerto Rico | Comments are closed

Biden tiene la oportunidad de acelerar la recuperación en Puerto Rico

By EDF Blogs / Published: January 26, 2021

Por Agustín F. Carbó y Daniel Whittle

En inglés

Es un nuevo día para Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico. Con un nuevo presidente y gobernador, Puerto Rico entra en una nueva etapa, mejor que antes, para continuar con su reconstrucción. Esto no podía llegar en un mejor momento. La estrategia del presidente Biden para abordar el cambio climático y la energía es la más audaz y de mayor alcance que jamás hayamos visto de un presidente de E.E.U.U. Según su plan, Puerto Rico debería recibir apoyo federal para alcanzar sus propias metas de energía limpia. Al hacerlo, la isla puede convertirse en un modelo de resiliencia e innovación para la nación y el Caribe.

Also posted in Energy Equity / Tagged Puerto Rico | Comments are closed

What our climate goals mean for natural gas, and what states should do about it

By Natalie Karas / Published: January 13, 2021

The transition to a low-carbon economy will have a big impact on the way we think about natural gas: how we produce, use and transport it. One area where this challenge is particularly acute is the state regulatory frameworks governing gas utilities across the country, and in particular, how those rules line up against the climate goals now being set by a growing number of states.

States that don’t re-envision the way their gas utility systems run will be challenged to meet their climate targets. To help states avoid that fate, EDF has developed a new guide suggesting ways that state regulators can navigate this complex challenge.

Also posted in California, Colorado, Gas to Clean, Natural Gas, New York / Comments are closed

New government in Puerto Rico must focus on transforming the energy sector

By Agustín Carbó / Published: December 2, 2020

En español

In recent years, we have witnessed how legislation seeks to transform the electricity sector in Puerto Rico. In 2014, the Energy Transformation and RELIEF Act was approved, which for the first time created an independent regulatory entity capable of overseeing and enforcing Puerto Rico’s energy policy. Five years later, in 2019, the Public Energy Policy Law passed, with a bipartisan vote, which essentially mandates Puerto Rico source 100% of its electricity from renewables by 2050.

With a new government in Puerto Rico, there is a historic opportunity to execute public policies capable of transforming the archipelago’s electric system, having a positive impact on future generations. That is why it is extremely important for Puerto Ricans that the directives and goals established in the Integrated Resource Plan of the Electric Power Authority be implemented as modified by the Energy Bureau. This will ensure that the electrical system is clean, reliable, resilient and affordable in order to revitalize the economy and improve the quality of life of all residents.

Posted in Clean Energy / Tagged Puerto Rico | Comments are closed