Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 18, 2024

In extreme weather, when electricity demand is at its highest and the grid needs gas plants the most, gas plants have been failing at alarming rates. Gas plants failed at a scale that jeopardized grid reliability for large regions of the United States during severe winter storms in 2011 , 2014 , 2018 , 2021 , and 2022.

Fossil Fuels 261

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity Technology 261

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 24, 2023

Utilities and grid operators prepared for the storm as it was coming down the pike, but they still underestimated the energy demand it would trigger, as well as the number of outages at fossil fuel power plants—mainly natural gas-fired, plus some coal-fired plants.

Fossil Fuels 257

Fossil Fuels 2014 Climate Change Electricity 257

Legal Planet

MARCH 9, 2023

Yet some pro-sprawl interests question whether this is necessary, given the advent of electric vehicles. Clean electricity generation still has a carbon cost. Even if we move to 100% electric vehicles, that energy has to come from somewhere. Electric vehicles come with their own carbon footprint and pollution costs.

Electricity 299

Electricity Fossil Fuels 2022 Conservation 299

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 12, 2022

As the adoption of electric cars, trucks, and buses gains momentum, many people are wondering if the electric grid is up to the task of charging all of those vehicles. And will the grid be able to handle all of the electric vehicles we will have as we progress toward a highly-electrified transportation future, by say 2040 or 2050?

Electricity 352

Electricity Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Cooling 352

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 23, 2023

With the clean energy transition already under way, the US electricity mix is set to continue changing this year. Solar power is expected to make up about half of all additions of US electric generating capacity in 2023, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). I’ll start off with the good.

Fossil Fuels 216

Fossil Fuels 2023 Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides 216

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Last week, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed into law a standard that will make the North Star State’s electricity 100 percent carbon-free by 2040. What’s next? Minnesota’s legislative session runs until late May.

Electricity 262

Electricity Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 262

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 19, 2022

Climate Alliance (USCA) can meet all of their electricity needs with renewable energy—while decarbonizing other sectors of the economy and ensuring equitable benefits to all communities. And we’re already seeing the prominent role that renewables are starting to play in our electricity mix. by 2035 is needed.

Renewable Energy 363

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Clean Energy 363

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

Since the beginning of 2022, electric vehicle sales in the United States have been downright electrifying. Last year, US drivers bought more than 800,000 new electric vehicles (EVs), 65 percent more than in 2021, even as overall car sales declined. billion to help California drivers switch from gasoline to electricity.

Electricity 334

Electricity Air Pollution 2030 Clean Air Act 334

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 30, 2023

Now it’s on to the state Senate, where the question is: Will this be the year Minnesota sets a path toward 100-percent carbon-free electricity? From a countrywide perspective, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) released a study in August 2022 identifying multiple pathways to a net-zero power grid by 2035.

Electricity 253

Electricity Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 253

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 8, 2023

Electric transportation is essential for a cleaner and healthier world. Replacing gasoline vehicles with electric can reduce emissions that cause climate change and illnesses. Researchers like me are putting a microscope to the electric vehicles (EVs) because, as with any extraction and manufacturing, there are associated impacts.

Electricity 304

Electricity Recycling Fossil Fuels Climate Change 304

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 24, 2023

There’s good news in the recently released official data on electricity generation in the United States in 2022: renewable energy has continued to grow, coal power has continued to drop, and renewables are now firmly ahead of coal for the first time ever. percent of the country’s electricity supply (up 1.1 It supplied 10.5

Clean Energy 306

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Solar Power 306

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

The legislation committed nearly $400 billion to support, among other things, wind and solar power, battery storage, electric vehicles, and other clean energy technologies that will make a significant dent in US heat-trapping emissions. It also will save US consumers money because they will spend less on fossil fuels.

Carbon Emissions 329

Carbon Emissions Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 2030 329

Circle of Blue

DECEMBER 13, 2022

The Year in Water, 2022. Sharpening the Shark’s Teeth By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue – December 13, 2022. The strength of the shark’s teeth and the breadth of the bite were on full display in 2022. Though vivid, the shark metaphor is an inadequate frame for some of 2022’s defining water stories. Brett Walton.

2022 299

2022 Climate Change Government Law 299

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 26, 2024

As one example of these rising costs, Californians’ electricity bills have been skyrocketing over the past few years. And we know that as our climate warms further—driven by burning fossil fuels—the risk of large wildfires will only grow. There are many more capital costs likely coming.

Climate Change 258

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity 258

Environmental Progress

JANUARY 4, 2022

Germany is expected to increase its fossil fuel consumption for electricity generation in 2022, if its weather conditions and electricity demand are similar to 2021, a new analysis from Environmental Progress finds. With its 2021 and 2022 electricity generation profile, Germany would have missed its targets.

Electricity 128

Electricity 2022 Fossil Fuels 2021 128

Circle of Blue

MAY 10, 2022

In India and Pakistan, recent heat waves, worsened by a changing climate, are causing dangerous water and electricity shortages. Despite the heat, Pakistan residents continue to endure daily electricity cuts, losing about nine hours of electricity each day. I’m Eileen Wray-McCann.

2022 264

2022 Electricity Climate Change Fossil Fuels 264

Circle of Blue

JUNE 14, 2022

For decades, hydroelectric dams in the Colorado River Storage Project supplied cheap power and a relatively steady revenue stream from electricity sales. Lake Powell is the country’s second largest reservoir and a lynchpin in the intermountain electric grid. Today, the cash registers are ringing at much lower decibels.

2022 246

2022 Electricity Fossil Fuels Government 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 21, 2024

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) included a major—forthcoming—refresh for one of the biggest policy drivers of the nation’s clean energy transition to date: tax credits subsidizing the deployment of clean electricity resources. the GHGs emitted into the atmosphere by a facility in the production of electricity—is not greater than zero.

Electricity 291

Electricity Clean Energy Greenhouse Technology 291

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 13, 2024

As electric vehicle charging stations sprout like mushrooms along our roads and clusters of new wind turbines come online, these two clean energy solutions to the climate crisis are becoming more commonplace. But beyond more electric cars and solar panels, what can everyday people do?

Fossil Fuels 252

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity Climate Change 252

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 4, 2024

But it also includes deals with lesser-known utility companies that generate electricity predominantly from fossil fuel-burning power plants and that sell fossil gas directly to consumers. This includes sponsorship deals with oil and gas companies—big names you would recognize from highway off-ramps. Impact Community.”

Fossil Fuels 312

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Recycling 2024 312

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 12, 2024

Fossil gas power plants currently provide the largest source of electricity generation and capacity in the United States. However, as we replace fossil fuels with clean electricity for heating and transportation to meet our climate goals, these peak demands will increasingly shift to the winter in many parts of the country.

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Fossil Fuels Electricity 2030 Clean Energy 291

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 22, 2024

The next day, Wednesday, August 14, Puerto Rico woke up with 728,000 clients (almost half) without electricity, thousands without drinking water (because many communities rely on electricity to pump water), and flood warnings throughout the island. What awaits Puerto Rico with Genera in charge of electricity generation?

Renewable Energy 316

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity 2019 316

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 31, 2022

Rising prices of methane gas used for power and heating, exacerbated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, are contributing to soaring electric and heating bills across the country. And such action cannot be influenced by fossil fuel interests and their policy proposals that we are seeing in Congress. How Did We Get Here?

Clean Energy 244

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity 2020 244

Legal Planet

APRIL 29, 2024

The Department of Energy estimates the cost of an electric vehicle lithium-ion battery pack declined 89% between 2008 and 2022. Different batteries may be ideal in settings where charging speed is not a factor, such as utility-scale electricity storage. Prices for battery storage have declined even more sharply.

Fossil Fuels 279

Fossil Fuels 2008 2010 Clean Energy 279

A Greener Life

JULY 7, 2021

New research from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) confirms renewables are continuing to outpace fossil fuels on cost. They found that the share of renewable energy that achieved lower costs than the most competitive fossil fuel option doubled in 2020. With record-low auction prices of $1.1

Fossil Fuels 98

Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 2010 2020 98

Legal Planet

JULY 15, 2024

The first efforts to use of wind to generate electricity was 134 years ago, and the photoelectric effect was discovered six decades earlier. But the scientific and technological advances that made these technologies competitive with fossil fuels are much more recent. La Cour builds windmill in Denmark to generate electricity.

Renewable Energy 264

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels 2005 Technology 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 16, 2022

They just released their 2022 “Annual Energy Outlook” (AEO), which is a big deal: it tells us where electricity is headed over the next 30 years. Here are five key takeaways from this year’s AEO, focused primarily on the electricity sector: 1. Source: US Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Outlook 2022 (AEO2022).

Natural Gas 291

Natural Gas Renewable Energy Climate Change Electricity 291

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 31, 2022

At any point in the summer, extreme heat could trigger electricity supply shortages and rotating power outages. In reality, a big heat wave could lead to electricity supply shortages and rotating power outages during any summer month, but September is when it’s most likely. How well has California’s grid been performing this summer?

Solar Power 295

Solar Power Fossil Fuels Electricity 2020 295

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 31, 2023

The destruction we see today is a direct result of decades of dependence on fossil fuels, enabled by decades of deception and obstruction on the part of the fossil fuel industry, and prolonged by decades of inaction on the part of policymakers who have been in their thrall.

Fossil Fuels 241

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Clean Air Act Pollution Control 241

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

Gas, which now generates 40 percent of US electricity, is considered by some to be critical to maintain grid reliability. percent higher than the number of wealthier residents, according to a 2022 UCS study. EN: What needs to be done to make the electric grid more equitable—and reliable?

Clean Energy 343

Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Fossil Fuels Electricity 343

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 17, 2023

Yet, in 2022, almost 40% of electricity in the US was generated by power plants fueled by natural gas. Note: “Natural gas” is an industry misnomer; UCS considers methane, fossil gas, and gas to be much more appropriate terms. States remain widely varied on their reliance on gas for electricity.

Fossil Fuels 239

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Nitrogen Oxides Electricity 239

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 7, 2022

A two-bill package has been introduced in the House and Senate to establish new incentives for the use of fossil-fueled vehicles-- rebranded as “low emission transportation fuels”-- and eliminating rebates and grants for hybrid and electric vehicles. Posted: October 7, 2022] PA Environment Digest

Fossil Fuels 98

Fossil Fuels Electricity Biofuels Natural Gas 98

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 10, 2024

In New England, the percent of people of color living near fossil fuel power plants is up to 23.5 Even as some parts of the country transition away from fossil fuel infrastructure, the retirement of gas plants has become another driver of inequity.

Fossil Fuels 307

Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Air Pollution 307

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 16, 2023

That’s a really good thing given the central role we expect and need solar to play in a just transition away from fossil fuels. Last year, solar accounted for almost 5 percent of US electricity. The solar energy sector is big and getting bigger. Back then, my focus was on small (really small) systems, measured in tens of watts.

Solar Power 310

Solar Power Fossil Fuels Electricity Technology 310

Circle of Blue

JUNE 6, 2022

By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue – June 6, 2022. Besides the kilowatt-hours it generates, Glen Canyon provides key services to the electric grid. The country’s second largest reservoir and a lynchpin in the intermountain electric grid, Powell is more dirt than water these days. Currently the lake is at 3,534 feet.

Electricity 338

Electricity Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Greenhouse 338

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 19, 2023

The Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) rule, which I’ve blogged about in detail before, will phase out fossil-fueled trucks over the next several decades. The current draft of the ACF rule was released in late March and made several changes to the version that the California Air Resources Board (CARB) heard back in October 2022.

Electricity 273

Electricity Nitrogen Oxides Fossil Fuels Regulations 273

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 11, 2022

As a result, when today’s fossil fuel end uses can be directly electrified via renewables instead, such as for heating in buildings , it is overwhelmingly a better decarbonization path. Background on the hydrogen hubs program.

Fossil Fuels 273

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Natural Gas Waste 273