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

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

JULY 21, 2022

The most consequential vote to advance a clean energy future won’t be happening in Washington, D.C., It will be happening in the (virtual) boardroom of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), which has authority over the bulk electric transmission system across much of the Midwest. or your state capital next week.

Clean Energy 299

Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity Fossil Fuels 299

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

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

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. Nearly every part of a renewable energy grid can be circular, with all outputs circulating back as inputs in a regenerative cycle.

Recycling 299

Recycling Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity 299

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 27, 2023

It adds Michigan to the growing list of states, including Illinois and Minnesota , that have adopted standards to increase renewable energy on the grid and move toward 100-percent decarbonization of the power sector. It also will expand energy efficiency programs, streamline utility-scale renewable project siting approvals, and more.

Clean Energy 279

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nuclear Power 279

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

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. Building on the success of the 100 percent standard, there are many other energy- and environment-related bills ready for discussion and approval. Congratulations, Minnesota! What’s next?

Electricity 264

Electricity Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 264

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. Our analysis also demonstrates renewables’ power. EN: What were your top findings?

Electricity 279

Electricity Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nitrogen Oxides 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 30, 2023

And I love hearing about new renewable electricity records as spring unfolds. A few recent examples for that last love: California scored a new record for total generation from renewable energy in mid-April and a new record for solar production in mid-May. Spring tends to be a time when there is lower electricity demand.

Renewable Energy 245

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Climate Change Electricity 245

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 22, 2022

Minnesotans are facing concurrent crises of climate change, high energy prices and inflation, and the inequitable public health impacts of fossil fuel air pollution. Renewable energy will help with all of that—but we need a grid that is designed for wind and solar instead of having to rely on expensive coal and gas plants.

Renewable Energy 363

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Solar Power Electricity 363

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

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

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

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

OCTOBER 28, 2022

Although the nuclear bailout was repealed and refunded in 2021, some of the law’s other egregious provisions requiring ratepayers across the state to subsidize money-losing coal plants and gutting renewable energy and energy efficiency standards are still in place today. The Union of Concerned Scientists opposed H.B. Since H.B.

Renewable Energy 357

Renewable Energy Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Clean Energy 357

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 31, 2022

On the last day of the 2022 Minnesota legislative session, state legislators had a real case of the Mondays: They failed to deliver on climate and energy policies that would have accelerated renewable energy enough to forge a clear path to carbon-free electricity and set the state on track to meet science-based emission reduction targets.

Renewable Energy 264

Renewable Energy Clean Energy Electricity Fossil Fuels 264

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. Just imagine if grid planners had to guess how many renewables are required to reduce emissions or how much capacity is needed to ensure grid reliability. Surely that would not end well.

Electricity 279

Electricity Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 12, 2021

We need to quickly transition to a clean energy future in Illinois to prevent additional negative public health impacts from fossil fuel plants. The Clean Energy Jobs Act (CEJA) HB 0804/ SB1718 is the only bill that puts Illinois on a path to 100% carbon-free electricity by 2030 and 100% renewable energy by 2050.

Fossil Fuels 264

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Renewable Energy 2030 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 27, 2023

From a national perspective, the land use needed to reach our clean energy goals is modest. But for states like California, with large populations, an ambitious and necessary clean energy timeline , and ongoing natural resource issues , where to actually build these projects will require thoughtful planning.

Solar Power 312

Solar Power Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity 312

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

Environment + Energy Leader

DECEMBER 6, 2022

Rivian and Apex Clean Energy have signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) for 50 megawatts (MW) of electricity from the renewable energy company’s proposed Goose Creek Wind farm in Piatt County, Illinois.

Renewable Energy 261

Renewable Energy Clean Energy Electricity 261

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

JULY 25, 2022

This week, the Midwest’s regional electric grid operators approved nearly $10.5 These investments will bring more clean energy online, improve grid resiliency, and deliver significant consumer benefits and jobs. This development will create almost 32,000 jobs while providing enough energy to power more than 1.8

Renewable Energy 264

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 12, 2024

For its part, the transmission advocacy group Clean Grid Alliance calls MISOs action the biggest regional grid upgrade ever in the United States. This round of upgrades will help unlock vast amounts of clean energy and strengthen the reliability and resilience of the power grid. Clean Grid Alliance estimates that Tranche 2.1

Clean Energy 260

Clean Energy Wind Power Electricity Fossil Fuels 260

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 15, 2024

The fuel, commonly known as natural gas, now powers the biggest portion of US electricity generation—more than 40 percent. It has also grown to be the largest source of carbon pollution from the US power sector, even as zero-carbon renewable energy has been growing by leaps and bounds.

Renewable Energy 306

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity Nitrogen Oxides 306

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 22, 2022

The renewable energy transition involves harnessing epic forces of nature. Sleek solar panels forged from silver and silica from the depths of the Earth translate the sun’s blindingly fiery light energy into electricity. Batteries help store surplus energy. Source: UniEnergy Technologies / Wikimedia Commons.

Wind Power 298

Wind Power Renewable Energy Electricity Clean Energy 298

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. To meet our climate goals and reach net zero emissions by 2050, most studies show that we need to dramatically reduce gas use for generating electricity, heating homes and businesses, and running industrial processes.

Fossil Fuels 317

Fossil Fuels Electricity 2030 Clean Energy 317

Law and Environment

NOVEMBER 3, 2022

The Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) and Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) announced that proposed amendments to the state’s Clean Energy Standard (CES) were finalized earlier this month without substantive changes from draft language initially proposed by the agencies in April 2022.

Clean Energy 130

Clean Energy Electricity Renewable Energy 2030 130

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

Legal Planet

APRIL 29, 2024

Climate policy has been boosted by dramatic changes in the economics of clean energy. Perhaps the most important development of the past decade has been the dramatic decline in the cost of renewables. The Department of Energy estimates the cost of an electric vehicle lithium-ion battery pack declined 89% between 2008 and 2022.

Fossil Fuels 279

Fossil Fuels 2008 2010 Clean Energy 279

Law and Environment

AUGUST 11, 2022

5060 ), titled An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind, into law on Thursday August 11, 2022. Other provisions include a ban on incentives and rebates from Mass Save related to fossil fuel powered systems, except as backup for electric heat pumps. Electric Grid. Renewable Energy.

Clean Energy 147

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 2027 147

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 5, 2022

Today’s high energy prices are the result of recent events and long-term strategies. Reliance on fossil natural gas and the slow adoption of renewable energy contributed to electricity bills in New England in the first nine months of 2022 that are $5 billion higher than the prior year. Those predictions have come true.

Natural Gas 279

Natural Gas Renewable Energy Electricity 2022 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 3, 2023

Last year’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) included a clean hydrogen production tax credit (known as “45V”) that is one of a slew of new incentives intended to help catalyze the next and necessary phase of advancing the nation’s clean energy transition as a whole. The costs will be too great otherwise.

Clean Energy 264

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity Renewable Energy 264

PA Environment Daily

OCTOBER 24, 2024

Using an interactive online dashboard-- Renewables on the Rise 2024 -- documents the growth of six key clean energy technologies across the United States over the past decade and ranks states accordingly for solar power, wind power, battery storage, energy efficiency, electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging stations.

Renewable Energy 102

Renewable Energy Clean Energy Solar Power Electricity 102