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 247

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 2030 247

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 340

Clean Energy Electricity 340

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 2026 Law 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 19, 2022

Minnesota needs substantial investments now to build toward an equitable clean energy future. The bad news is, they have to find a compromise between two vastly different clean energy bills—by Monday. With such a wide gulf to cross, Minnesota could miss another opportunity to advance many key clean energy programs.

Clean Energy 210

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Electricity 210

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 206

Clean Energy Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Regulations 206

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 228

Electricity Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 228

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 236

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 2022 Electricity 236

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

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 208

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nuclear Power 208

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 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 230

Electricity Renewable Energy Clean Energy Law 230

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 215

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity 2020 215

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 235

Electricity Fossil Fuels 2026 Climate Change 235

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 30, 2024

The end of every year is a great time for taking stock of what the year has broughtincluding in terms of clean energy in the power sector. As it turns out, 2024 has provided a whole lot of clean energy progress as fodder for that stock-taking. Offshore wind also made important progress, even with some strong headwinds.

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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 161

Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity 2024 161

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 261

Electricity Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nitrogen Oxides 261

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 297

Electricity Air Pollution Clean Air Act 2030 297

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 125

Clean Energy Electricity Solar Power 125

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 245

Electricity Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 245

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

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 208

Electricity Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 208

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 245

Electricity Clean Energy Greenhouse Technology 245

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 285

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Solar Power 285

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 203

Recycling Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity 203

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 210

Electricity Wind Power Greenhouse Clean Energy 210

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 199

Electricity Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Waste 199

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 211

Electricity Clean Energy Natural Resources 2022 211

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 298

Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides Fossil Fuels Electricity 298

Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

You don’t have to look beyond the front pages of newspapers , or beyond rooftops in your neighborhood to know that we are in the midst of a clean energy revolution, with renewable energy technologies dramatically decreasing in price and increasing in availability.

Law 325

Law Renewable Energy Clean Energy Fossil Fuels 325

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 296

Carbon Emissions Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 2030 296

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. States have technically feasible and highly beneficial paths to achieving 100 percent renewable energy. by 2035 is needed.

Renewable Energy 354

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Clean Energy 354

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 24, 2021

Today, the Commission voted to approve a decision requiring the purchase of a massive amount of new clean energy resources in order to bolster grid reliability.

Electricity 212

Electricity Clean Energy 212

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 200

Electricity Renewable Energy Climate Change Sea Level 200

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 277

Solar Power Clean Energy Carbon Emissions Electricity 277

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 175

Clean Energy Climate Change Renewable Energy Government 175

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 22, 2022

Unfortunately, the Minnesota Legislature failed to act on climate and clean energy investments this session, leaving progress toward a more affordable, equitable, healthy Minnesota on the table. Most Minnesotans are familiar with their local electricity utility, since that’s who bills them for electricity they provide.

Renewable Energy 322

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Solar Power Electricity 322

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 12, 2021

The Senate just released a federal budget resolution that includes a measure that could subsidize the production of natural gas. Here are 5 reasons why we shouldn't do that.

Natural Gas 321

Natural Gas Electricity 2021 Clean Energy 321