Energy Exchange

California aims to hit ambitious climate goals through electrification

By Larissa Koehler / Published: November 14, 2018

It’s been a good couple of weeks for clean energy in sunny California, which continues to move buildings and transportation away from dirty fossil fuels. This increased focus is well-placed: emissions from the transportation sector remain unacceptably high, accounting for nearly 40 percent of harmful pollution in the state; buildings are also a significant contributor, responsible for as much as 25 percent of the state’s emissions. Without committing to the electrification of these sectors – quickly – ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets in the state will be that much more difficult to achieve. Thankfully, a number of recent developments at the state level prove that California has what it takes to transform these sectors for good.

Posted in California, Electric Vehicles / Comments are closed

With this new roadmap, Ohio can lay the groundwork for billions of investment dollars and thousands of new jobs

By Dick Munson / Published: November 13, 2018

Earlier this year, I wrote about a report that shows Ohio could net more than 20,000 jobs and $25 billion in investment dollars through energy innovation.

And now we have the roadmap – with nine common-sense, concrete action steps – to get Ohio from here to there.

Building on a vision

The new roadmap report, Powering Ohio: A Path Forward for Energy and Transportation Transformation, is the second in a series by Synapse Energy Economics. Both rely on the insights and guidance of a diverse group of advisors from across the state’s business, regulatory, academic, labor and manufacturing sectors.

Posted in Electric Vehicles, Energy Innovation, Ohio / Comments are closed

Ohio continues move to smarter power system with multimillion-dollar clean-energy agreement

By John Finnigan / Published: November 9, 2018

Over the past few years, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) has actively opposed FirstEnergy in several cases where it sought bailouts for its uneconomic coal plants. We will continue to do so.

But if the utility giant wants to build a cleaner, more modern grid, we are eager to work together. Case in point: We are pleased to report that we reached an agreement on FirstEnergy’s plan to spend $516 million on grid modernization, bringing about lower bills, greater customer choice and less pollution.

Following AEP and Dayton Power & Light’s related agreements – both approved earlier this year – and in the midst of the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s (PUCO) innovative PowerForward initiative, it’s clear Ohio is on a path to a smarter, more sophisticated power system. Read More »

Posted in FirstEnergy, Grid Modernization, Ohio, Voltage Optimization / Comments are closed

What if gadgets talked to the grid to cut carbon? With this new technology, they can.

By Andy Bilich / Published: November 8, 2018

Having breakfast at a local restaurant last weekend, I was sitting next to parents who were desperately trying to get their toddler to eat the pancakes he had ordered a few minutes earlier. Watching the high-stakes drama, it occurred to me that toddlers are a bit like our electric grid: They can change drastically at a moment’s notice.

The better we are at reacting to the sudden outburst of “I hate pancakes” – or in the case of the grid, rapid changes in demand, price and emissions – the better off we’ll be.

For emissions at least, we can. Automated Emissions Reductions, or AER, is a new technology helping us to more precisely measure and proactively reduce the carbon emissions impact from our electricity use, in real time. A growing number of grid operators, businesses and energy managers nationwide are lining up to invest in this technology as an efficient way to cut their carbon footprint.

Posted in Electricity Pricing, Energy Innovation, Fourth Wave / Comments are closed

In memory of Henry Henderson

By EDF Blogs / Published: November 7, 2018

We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Henry Henderson, who spent years advocating for the environment as the head of the Natural Resource Defense Council’s Midwest team.

Victor Rojas, Senior Manager for Financial Policy at EDF, had the good fortune to work at the Chicago Department of Environment (DOE) some years ago. Although Henry Henderson had long since moved on to the NRDC, his imprint was felt throughout the entire portfolio of environmental initiatives and projects pursued by DOE. From the groundbreaking Chicago Climate Action Plan to sustainable business and infrastructure; from energy efficiency to brownfields; from habitat preservation to environmental justice – all of them had their genesis in Henry’s tenure as the city’s first DOE Commissioner. As such, his legacy as an innovator and environmental champion remains embedded in City of Chicago environmental efforts to this day.

When EDF started working in Chicago in 2013, Henry was not only extremely welcoming, but also helpful in integrating EDF into the Midwest advocacy scene.

He will be sorely missed.

Posted in General / Comments are closed

In New Mexico’s Permian, federal plans mean more methane waste unless state steps up

By Jon Goldstein / Published: November 6, 2018

As the landlord for a vast area of public land in Southeast New Mexico, one of the federal Bureau of Land Management’s primary responsibilities is to ensure the resources in that area are wisely managed to benefit the people of New Mexico. Why then is that agency moving forward on a plan that would waste millions of dollars’ worth of natural gas resources every year?

That is one of the primary questions posed today as a broad coalition of conservation and environmental groups filed comments with the BLM on their draft Resource Management Plan (RMP) for the area surrounding Carlsbad. Once finalized, this RMP will help guide BLM’s management decisions for 6.2 million acres over the next two decades.

Unfortunately, this RMP contains no methane waste provisions to reduce things like leaks from oil and gas operations.

Posted in Methane, Natural Gas / Tagged BLM, New Mexico, Permian | Comments are closed