Seven years after hurricanes Irma and Maria made landfall on Puerto Rico in 2017, the island continues to struggle with a deficient electrical power infrastructure. Power outages are common, the price of electricity continues to increase and the reconstruction of the power grid is not happening fast enough. Power outages affect rural and urban communities in Puerto Rico and endanger the lives of the most vulnerable.
By Grace Smith and Elizabeth Lieberknecht
The Biden administration just made another major investment in a cleaner, safer energy future for all Americans. On Friday, EPA and the Department of Energy announced applications are open for $850 million in funding to monitor and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector.
By Ari Pottens and Scott Seymour
Canada recently released its latest estimate of greenhouse gas emissions which, for the very first time, includes atmospheric measurements of methane emissions taken from oil and gas facilities.
By Morgan Rote and Chelcie Henry-Robertson
As the U.S. invests billions in deploying its hydrogen strategy with the goal of decarbonizing industry and reducing emissions, the 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit is the big ticket item on the table aiming to kick-start the emerging hydrogen economy. Unsurprisingly, everyone wants a share of this financial incentive, and the details are being ironed out as we speak. But current loopholes in the rules are opening the door for the very real – if unintentional – prospect of boosting hydrogen that is not clean and will not reduce emissions. Here we lay out three accounting schemes that can be used to classify hydrogen as ‘clean’ but could actually worsen the climate if not addressed. To protect the integrity of our hydrogen decarbonization strategy, our taxpayer investments into new clean solutions, and our policies designed to do this, we have to ensure that the right safeguards are in place and these dangerous loopholes are closed.
By Anna Lorant and Guillaume Morauw
The European Hydrogen Bank, a financing instrument that supports renewable hydrogen production within the EU and internationally, has just announced a €1.2 billion investment to help boost the renewable hydrogen economy, a cornerstone of the EU’s strategy to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. While many are focusing on how this can help to meet hydrogen production targets, it’s important to remember that how we deploy hydrogen also matters. Whether or not hydrogen will actually deliver climate benefits depends on the detail, and that is why all eyes are on the Terms and Conditions of the second Hydrogen Bank Auction, as a significant instrument to scale up the European hydrogen market.
Florida is overwhelmingly dependent on natural gas imported from out of state to generate 75% of its power for customers like homes and businesses. Unfortunately, a loophole in fuel cost recovery policy creates financial incentives for outsized natural gas dependence, funded by Florida families and businesses through rates and Florida lacks a comprehensive process for integrated resource planning, instead typically deferring to 10-year plans filed by utilities, with no requirements to diversify energy sources.
