Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 30, 2022

Replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy from wind and solar will depend on upgrading the electric power grid, which is currently plagued by planning delays and gridlock. PJM Takes a Look at Renewable Planning. Midwest (Sort of) Continues a Proud Tradition. What New England Sees.

Fossil Fuels 264

Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Electricity Regulations 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 27, 2022

From this 2040 perspective, Michigan’s 100-percent renewable energy standard took full effect five years ago, and—along with accelerated closures of coal plants, like the one in Monroe, and a ban on new gas plant construction—it has saved Michigan families at least $15 billion in public health costs.

Renewable Energy 299

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity 299

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 26, 2024

For the rural communities living in or near national parks, electricity was a commodity. According to García, prioritizing meaningful community participation can speed up an equitable transition to clean energy, rather than continuing to foster large projects that prioritize private sector profits. ” Petro said.

Renewable Energy 328

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity 328

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

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 264

Fossil Fuels 2023 Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides 264

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, 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

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

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 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 363

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Electricity 2025 363

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. What’s next?

Electricity 264

Electricity Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 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. PowerGEM , an independent consulting firm, conducted the analysis for us, using the same data and process PJM uses.

Electricity 246

Electricity Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Waste 246

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

Clean Energy 306

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Solar Power 306

Union of Concerned Scientists

AUGUST 22, 2023

But extreme heat also hits our electricity system in ways that make it more expensive, more polluting, and less reliable. Extreme heat means more expensive electricity Extreme heat can sharply increase electricity consumption as people turn up their air conditioners for relief. One factor is the dirtiness of fossil fuels.

Electricity 246

Electricity Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Cooling 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Union of Concerned Scientists’ (UCS) research shows that top fossil fuel producers’ emissions are responsible for as much as half of global surface temperature increase. The best solution: Replace fossil fuels with renewable energy. The transition to 100-percent renewables is possible.

Fossil Fuels 321

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 321

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

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

MAY 19, 2022

Minnesotans are already experiencing the climate crisis, as well as health impacts, from burning fossil fuels. A recent Union of Concerned Scientists analysis found that Minnesota could meet its electricity demands with 100-percent renewable energy by 2035, which would provide significant economic and health benefits.

Clean Energy 264

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Electricity 264

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 312

Electricity Recycling Fossil Fuels Climate Change 312

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 million homes.

Renewable Energy 264

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

JUNE 15, 2022

The ones that’ll soon be gracing areas over the horizon are powerful enough, each one, to generate the equivalent of an average home’s daily electricity use in just a few seconds. Even more important, though, wind is an impressive piece of our electricity supply. Wind is now the largest source of renewable energy in the country.

Wind Power 360

Wind Power Fossil Fuels Electricity Climate Change 360

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

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.

Fossil Fuels 317

Fossil Fuels Electricity 2030 Clean Energy 317

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. The United States needs to speed its transition to clean energy in order to stave off even worse impacts of climate change.

Fossil Fuels 290

Fossil Fuels Clean Energy Electricity Climate Change 290

Union of Concerned Scientists

APRIL 28, 2022

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. Whitmer announced the MI Healthy Climate Plan , a roadmap for meeting the state’s carbon pollution reduction goals.

Clean Energy 279

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy 2030 279

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. It also will save US consumers money because they will spend less on fossil fuels.

Carbon Emissions 331

Carbon Emissions Fossil Fuels Clean Energy 2030 331

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

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

AUGUST 4, 2023

Most of the oldest fossil fuel power plants in the United States are located near or in cities, making it more urgent—and more difficult—to shut them down. Now, with the changes in arcane rules announced just last week by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), it will be much easier to replace them with battery storage.

Fossil Fuels 246

Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Electricity Climate Change 246

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

Circle of Blue

AUGUST 3, 2021

energy policy has done little to incentivize the growth of these technologies, relying on a patchwork of energy credit programs, tax breaks, and development spending to promote renewable energy production. But as the market grows, some urge caution before using wastewater to create renewable natural gas.

Carbon Emissions 317

Carbon Emissions Waste Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 317

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

JANUARY 10, 2024

In New England, the percent of people of color living near fossil fuel power plants is up to 23.5 Dominion Energy is pushing to build the largest gas peaker plant in Virginia in an area where 44% of the residents are people of color and 25% are low income.

Fossil Fuels 325

Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Electricity Air Pollution 325

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 263

Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity 2024 263

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?

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Solar Power Fossil Fuels Electricity 2020 299