Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 22, 2021

Most people know very little about the institutions that run the electricity grid. We need renewable energy to grow from producing 20% of our […].

Electricity 264

Electricity Government Clean Energy Renewable Energy 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

Senate Bill (SB) 271 requires utilities to achieve, at a minimum, renewable energy-generated electricity sales of 50 percent in 2030 and 60 percent in 2035. Additionally, SB 271 requires utilities to achieve a “clean energy” portfolio of at least 80 percent in 2035 and 100 percent in 2040. What’s In the Bills?

Clean Energy 279

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nuclear Power 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 17, 2023

The fabulous growth of wind and solar builds on states’ clean energy policy and corporate decarbonization targets. However, great opportunities for more new clean energy supplies to replace fossil fuel energy need supporting grid investments. Where do we go for that modern infrastructure?

Clean Energy 246

Clean Energy Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Regulations 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 22, 2024

When it comes to the transition to clean energy, 2023 was quite a year for progress: record-breaking amounts of solar installed in the United States, a solid drop in carbon emissions from the US power sector, more than one million electric vehicles sold in the country for the first time, “breakneck” growth in renewable energy globally, and more.

Clean Energy 255

Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity 2024 255

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 28, 2022

Last week was a big one for clean energy in Michigan. First, Union of Concerned Scientists and the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition released a new report on how Michigan and other states can achieve 100-percent renewable energy standards that benefit all communities. No new gas plants. The Path Ahead.

Clean Energy 279

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 2030 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 16, 2024

Much of our electricity system is 50 to 70 years old, yet current plans for domestic manufacturing, electric vehicle fleets, community solar gardens and more clean energy all depend on a modern grid. New demands for electricity and the need to reduce climate-changing emissions are driving new grid planning efforts.

Electricity 299

Electricity Renewable Energy Clean Energy Law 299

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 30, 2024

Replacing gasoline with electricity greatly reduces the carbon emissions from driving. Based on where electric vehicles (EVs) have been sold, driving the average EV in the US produces global warming emissions equal to a hypothetical 94 mile per gallon gasoline car, or less than a third of the emissions of the average new gasoline car.

Electricity 336

Electricity Fossil Fuels 2012 Climate Change 336

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. Stay tuned for more updates as Minnesota and its climate and clean energy champions move closer to a healthier, equitable energy future for the state and its residents.

Electricity 264

Electricity Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 23, 2024

Residential electricity rates for many Californians have increased significantly over the last year, making it more expensive to charge an electric vehicle (EV) at home. It’s still cheaper to recharge an EV than buy gasoline, but those savings have been eroded by surging electric rates. to $9.54.

Electricity 306

Electricity Fossil Fuels 2026 Climate Change 306

Legal Planet

MAY 7, 2024

Chris Hunkeler, Wikimedia Commons In the West, the benefits of electricity market regionalization appear more attractive than ever. Regionalization” refers to efforts to expand coordination between Western states to buy and sell wholesale electricity through centralized federal power markets.

Electricity 246

Electricity Clean Energy Law 2026 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 22, 2022

Lithium-ion batteries are essential for decarbonizing transportation through electric vehicles and building a resilient, renewable energy grid through energy storage batteries. By 2050, battery recycling could supply 22 to 27% of lithium, 40 to 46% of nickel, and 45 to 52% of cobalt needed for electric vehicles in the US.

Recycling 297

Recycling Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity 297

Yale E360

FEBRUARY 16, 2023

In its quest for green energy, Europe is looking to North Africa, where vast solar and wind farms are proliferating and plans call for submarine cables that will carry electricity as far as Britain. But this rush for clean power is raising serious environmental concerns. Read more on E360 →

Clean Energy 332

Clean Energy Electricity 332

Yale E360

JANUARY 27, 2023

Solar, wind, electric vehicles, and other clean energy technologies saw a record-high $1.1 trillion in investment globally last year, matching investment in fossil fuels for the first time ever, according to a new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Read more on E360 →

Fossil Fuels 251

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 2022 Electricity 251

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 between 2010 and 2020 across all economic sectors, the share of US primary energy consumption from methane gas increased from 25 to 34 percent. .

Clean Energy 246

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity 2020 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

JANUARY 30, 2023

On January 26, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed House File 7 —the 100% Clean Energy Bill. 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?

Electricity 264

Electricity Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 21, 2024

Earlier this month, the US Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service hosted a public hearing on their recent proposed rules governing implementation of the Section 45Y Clean Electricity Production Credit and the Section 48E Clean Electricity Investment Credit. My testimony is copied below.

Electricity 290

Electricity Wind Power Greenhouse Clean Energy 290

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. What’s “clean,” and how is it measured?

Electricity 306

Electricity Clean Energy Greenhouse Technology 306

Scientific American

NOVEMBER 4, 2024

Thousands of homes in Navajo and other tribal lands don’t have access to electricity. A $200-million federal funding effort aims to fix that problem with solar power and other clean energy

Clean Energy 144

Clean Energy Electricity Solar Power 144

Environment + Energy Leader

JUNE 12, 2023

Companies transitioning fleets will need to make a plan to effectively charge vehicles, without spiking utility costs or drawing too much from the energy grid.

Clean Energy 245

Clean Energy Electricity 245

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 338

Electricity Air Pollution 2030 Clean Air Act 338

Environment + Energy Leader

APRIL 17, 2023

Ember, a non-profit think tank that aims to accelerate the transition to clean energy, releases its Global Electricity Review 2023. The post Ember’s Global Electricity Review 2023: Accelerating the Transition to Clean Energy appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader.

Clean Energy 147

Clean Energy Electricity 2023 Renewable Energy 147

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 25, 2022

I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Without power grid modeling tools, the transition to clean electricity would be an absolute mess. Luckily, we don’t have to resort to guesswork because we have sophisticated grid modeling tools that help guide the transition to clean electricity. Surely that would not end well.

Electricity 279

Electricity Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 12, 2022

Nearly all of the alliance members have a renewable electricity standard (RES), which requires utilities in their jurisdiction to increase their use of renewable energy to a particular percentage by a specific year. We found that states have technically feasible and highly beneficial ways to achieve 100-percent renewable energy.

Electricity 279

Electricity Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nitrogen Oxides 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Extreme weather, which is increasing due to climate change , can degrade the electricity system and cause these failures. Power outages are costly, can have extreme impacts on both the health and safety of a population, and can happen at any point in the process of electricity generation, distribution, and usage.

Electricity 279

Electricity Renewable Energy Climate Change Sea Level 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 21, 2023

Last spring, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) , which operates the electricity grid serving 45 million people across the central United States, found o ut it was at a higher risk of power outages than it believed. The result, as I explain below, was skyrocketing electricity bills for thousands of people.

Electricity 264

Electricity Clean Energy Natural Resources 2022 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 21, 2022

The best way policy makers can do so is to seize these climate and clean energy opportunities. UCS research from earlier this year shows states can reliably meet 100 percent of their electricity needs with renewable energy.

Clean Energy 264

Clean Energy Climate Change Renewable Energy Government 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 3, 2023

Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) sets a bold goal for the state—no carbon pollution from electricity generation by 2045, which means zero global warming emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants. Illinois legislators and clean energy advocates celebrate CEJA’s signing in September 2021.

Electricity 246

Electricity Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Waste 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 23, 2021

With its passage out of a key committee in the House of Representatives last week, the Clean Electricity Performance Program (CEPP) is a step closer to reality, as part of the powerful budget reconciliation bill (the Build Back Better Act). The bill, and that provision, still have a ways to go to get through Congress, […].

Clean Energy 263

Clean Energy Electricity Climate Change 263

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. They offer a lot of good news about clean energy progress.

Clean Energy 306

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Solar Power 306

Environment + Energy Leader

DECEMBER 20, 2022

The post Cintas Electric Vehicle Program Shows Progress appeared first on Environment + Energy Leader. The company is looking to expand the commercial fleet by 50 more vehicles next year.

Electricity 264

Electricity Clean Energy 264

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 290

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity Climate Change 290

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. For example, Dominion Energy, an electric and gas utility in Virginia, is planning to build a mammoth 1,000-megawatt gas plant in an area with a high percentage of residents who are people of color and low-income.

Clean Energy 359

Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Fossil Fuels Electricity 359

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. How is that going to happen? Their report, however, comes with a warning.

Carbon Emissions 331

Carbon Emissions Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 2030 331

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 20, 2022

For instance, pilots can help utilities learn how to effectively integrate distributed energy storage, including batteries installed in ratepayers’ homes, which will be key to reducing emissions. Developments in Hawaii are relevant for Michigan given the similarities of the process in both states.

Clean Energy 264

Clean Energy 2005 2020 Technology 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 26, 2024

For the rural communities living in or near national parks, electricity was a commodity. Something I really care about is to make sure the benefits of clean energy are reaching everyone in our society,” García said. Back home in Colombia, García’s family is witnessing the consequences of a fossil fuel-centered energy system.

Renewable Energy 328

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity 328

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. The most promising and comprehensive solution is to meet grid reliability needs with clean resources rather than gas plants. Gas power plants have a problem.

Fossil Fuels 290

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity Technology 290

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 25, 2022

Today, the regional entity overseeing much of the electric power grid in the Midwest—the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO)—approved a set of major new transmission system upgrades that will bring billions of dollars in benefits to the region while better enabling states and utilities to pursue transitions to clean energy.

Solar Power 312

Solar Power Clean Energy Carbon Emissions Electricity 312