Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 21, 2024

Also like a sine graph, Union of Concerned Scientists will keep moving forward no matter what (and backward technically, but I am political science major and way out of my depth here, so let’s pretend they only move forward, give me kudos for an awesome simile, and get to the recap!).

Fossil Fuels 233

Fossil Fuels Recycling Clean Energy 2004 233

Legal Planet

JUNE 6, 2022

Our electricity system will be crucial to decarbonization efforts, both because much of our current energy comes from electricity, and because decarbonizing sectors like transportation will require significant electrification. Restructuring generally addresses one of two parts of the electricity industry: generation and retail.

Electricity 130

Electricity Renewable Energy Politics Law 130

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 16, 2021

What are the political implications of the fact that climate change will continue after emissions cease, or even potentially grow worse? Does this mean that we don’t need to worry about political backlash? Those kinds of impacts could provoke real political backlash. Some models show a potential for a rise of up to 0.3

Climate Change 130

Climate Change Politics Carbon Dioxide Sea Level 130

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 17, 2024

Project Cirrus,” a joint project of the US military and General Electric researchers, tried to disrupt and weaken one 1947 hurricane by seeding its eyewall clouds to increase rainout and destabilize its structure. There were also a couple of projects that did try to control hurricanes – but failed. In fact, they are barely being researched.

Climate Change 279

Climate Change Greenhouse Politics 2008 279

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 22, 2022

However the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, the Midwest’s regional grid manager, has stepped up to approve long-awaited upgrades that will improve the reliability of the electricity system across the region, including Minnesota as well as Illinois and Michigan. That’s not a Minnesota utility…is it?

Renewable Energy 363

Renewable Energy Fossil Fuels Solar Power Electricity 363

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

Legal Planet

OCTOBER 10, 2023

electricity to about one-fifth today. In fact, there was a surge in construction of new coal plants after 1970 due to high electricity demand. electricity use hit a ceiling , and it has risen only slightly since then. The reasons why electricity peaked in developed countries (including the U.S.) In 2010, U.S.

2012 278

2012 2008 Clean Air Act Renewable Energy 278

Union of Concerned Scientists

MAY 18, 2022

This choice reveals how the electric grid, and the work to cut global warming emissions, are shaped by our political structures. The federal government’s role is dominant in interstate commerce and the flow of electricity between states. By contrast, planning the electric grid just isn’t what most state and local governments do.

Electricity 264

Electricity Renewable Energy Clean Energy Government 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 16, 2024

I work in the electric utility sector, specifically on the grid issues that shape our energy supply choices. I heard some early warnings of data center growth running into grid limits first from tech companies and then from electric utility planners. This growth is a jolt to the usually slow-moving electricity sector.

Electricity 271

Electricity Clean Energy Nuclear Power Renewable Energy 271

Circle of Blue

NOVEMBER 1, 2021

In the Nile River basin last week, a political power shift in Sudan could turn up the heat on a long-simmering dispute over a major dam in the region. This hotly contested referendum is focused on the future of electric power in the region. Rhode Island followed in 1987, and was the last state to do so.

2021 278

2021 Electricity Environmental Protection Politics 278

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

DECEMBER 8, 2023

Climate action is limited by political will (not technology) In this pivotal moment of history, where the imperative to avert the worst impacts of climate change is clear, the world stands at the cusp of a transformative shift toward a renewable energy paradigm. What’s lacking is political will.

Fossil Fuels 336

Fossil Fuels Climate Change Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 336

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 1, 2024

Together with other modes of transportation, our vehicles emit the most heat-trapping gases in the US economy: 28 percent, followed closely by the electricity sector. In our study, by 2035 all new vehicles sold are either battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) or fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).

Fossil Fuels 336

Fossil Fuels Biofuels Nitrogen Oxides Electricity 336

Legal Planet

JANUARY 4, 2023

The City of Los Angeles is going into the new year with a big new building-decarbonization ordinance : starting this year, nearly all new buildings in the city will have to be entirely electric. All-electric as the new normal. And getting buildings to use electric appliances isn’t enough.

Fossil Fuels 246

Fossil Fuels Electricity Climate Change Natural Gas 246

Legal Planet

MAY 23, 2022

Climate change wasn’t a central issue in the campaign, but resistance to climate action no longer provided a political advantage. It promises AU$20 billion to upgrade the grid, lower taxes on electric vehicles, AU$3 billion to cut emissions from heavy industry, building of 85 solar farms and 400 utility-scale storage facilities. (In

Carbon Emissions 246

Carbon Emissions Climate Change Fossil Fuels Politics 246

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. Relying on market trends is nowhere near enough to do the job. Carbon emissions remain high.

Natural Gas 290

Natural Gas Renewable Energy Climate Change Electricity 290

Law and Environment

JUNE 16, 2021

The post TCI Update: Final Model Rule Addresses EJ, but Political Will May Be Lacking first appeared on Law and the Environment. TCI will be an effective regional structure for making those investments, and it makes sense for New York to act in concert with other states in the region.

Politics 130

Politics Carbon Emissions Clean Energy Greenhouse 130

Union of Concerned Scientists

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

Earlier this year, UCS experts worked with community groups to produce a report, On the Road to 100 Percent Renewables , which shows that two dozen states can reliably meet 100 percent of their electricity needs with renewable energy. degrees goal is threatened by political inaction. Why not just start with renewables?

Fossil Fuels 321

Fossil Fuels Paris Agreement Renewable Energy Carbon Dioxide 321

Union of Concerned Scientists

FEBRUARY 13, 2024

There are a lot of moving pieces, but it starts with decarbonizing the electricity sector and powering the economy with a diverse combination of clean energy resources—primarily wind, solar, and battery storage—connected with a modernized bulk transmission system that can reliably deliver electricity to consumers all 8,760 hours of the year.

Clean Energy 335

Clean Energy Renewable Energy Electricity 2030 335

Enviromental Defense

DECEMBER 3, 2024

The Act hands over energy planning to the Minister, marginalizing energy experts at the Independent Energy System Operator (IESO) and Ontario Energy Board (OEB)—whose mandate is to ensure decisions are based on evidence, not politics. Now, the Minister can simply “consult” with whoever they feel is appropriate.

Nuclear Power 115

Nuclear Power 2017 Climate Change Law 115

Legal Planet

DECEMBER 12, 2022

The LA Times’ inestimable Sammy Roth reports on the attempt of California’s investor-owned utilities to end “net metering,” whereby utilities must pay customers with rooftop solar for their excess electricity. And we will need lower-income communities to use electricity to get them into EVs. I don’t know what the PUC will do.

Electricity 246

Electricity Politics Law Climate Change 246

Legal Planet

MAY 9, 2022

Emissions trading systems are often launched with relatively lenient design features, typically justified as giving the system a chance to “learn-by-doing” and to gain political buy-in for approval of a program. . – Continual reform to improve ambition, integrity, and buy-in. Most ETS have fallen on the prices-too-low side.

Government 241

Government Politics Climate Change Paris Agreement 241

Circle of Blue

JULY 14, 2022

With less water in reservoirs, generators crank out fewer megawatt-hours, raising the cost of electricity and increasing the risk of summer blackouts. This year, Glen Canyon Dam is operating at just 60 percent of its maximum electrical generating capacity due to the drying of Lake Powell. 4) Drought Is Political.

Atmosphere 352

Atmosphere Regulations Politics Electricity 352

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 4, 2023

Beyond the climate harms of fossil fuels, they also impose a terrible toll on human health, as numerous recent studies show—including the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change , a BMJ study on global deaths from air pollution caused by fossil fuels, and a study on US deaths attributable to coal-fired electricity generation.

Fossil Fuels 328

Fossil Fuels Nitrogen Oxides Clean Energy Paris Agreement 328

Legal Planet

JUNE 20, 2022

For example, equity weighting would increase the social cost of carbon but would also raise questions about regulations that raise the price of electricity, an important expense for poor people. Second, there are political and legal problems with equity weighting.

Regulations 246

Regulations Politics Conservation Law 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

Like many other public-serving institutions throughout society, electricity and gas utilities are facing calls to be more equitable in their operations, planning, and treatment of customers. For example, think of how unequal burdens manifest themselves amid Danger Season , when a range of climate impacts hit increasingly hard.

Electricity 302

Electricity Fossil Fuels Air Pollution Renewable Energy 302

Circle of Blue

OCTOBER 26, 2022

Weeks before the November 8 election, national political debate centers on control of Congress. Wilce is the treasurer of Arizona Water Defenders, the political action committee that brought the question to the ballot. Photo © Keith Schneider / Circle of Blue. By Brett Walton, Circle of Blue – October 26, 2022.

Regulations 264

Regulations 2022 Politics Electricity 264

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. We need more electricity to transition our homes and cars off fossil fuels, but we can’t afford to let that electricity come from more gas power plants. States remain widely varied on their reliance on gas for electricity.

Fossil Fuels 246

Fossil Fuels Carbon Dioxide Nitrogen Oxides Electricity 246

Union of Concerned Scientists

OCTOBER 27, 2022

At the same time, 2021 was also a year when renewable electricity generation reached a record high globally. Under this scenario (which the IEA calls the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 or NZE scenario), renewables reach 60% of global electricity generation in 2030 and no new conventional coal plants are needed.

Fossil Fuels 252

Fossil Fuels 2030 Clean Energy Climate Change 252

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. percent of electricity sales, but at a lower level than the 2 percent clean energy advocates proposed and that utilities have previously achieved. What’s In the Bills?

Clean Energy 271

Clean Energy Fossil Fuels Renewable Energy Nuclear Power 271

Legal Planet

SEPTEMBER 27, 2024

The sale of new electric trucks, buses, and vans in California doubled in 2023 from 2022 , and one of every six medium and heavy-duty vehicles sold in the state today produces zero pollution. Manufacturers are stepping up to meet fleet operators’ growing interest in highly efficient electric technologies.

Clean Air Act 338

Clean Air Act Electricity Clean Energy 2023 338

Union of Concerned Scientists

JULY 3, 2022

The petitioners who brought this case include state-level political officials and coal companies who are single-mindedly determined to block climate action and perpetuate fossil fuel dependence to serve their narrow political or business interests.

Climate Change 296

Climate Change Fossil Fuels Carbon Emissions Nitrogen Oxides 296

Legal Planet

JULY 11, 2022

EPA lacked expertise on running the electricity system. Q: When does an issue have “major political significance”? . A: “Political significance” seems to have a narrow meaning. . Nothing about at all the political rhetoric on both sides regarding the plan. Congress needs to say so clearly if that’s what it intends.

Politics 264

Politics Regulations Law Climate Change 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

MARCH 29, 2022

Geopolitical conflicts and internal political turmoil within OPEC member nations and other oil producing countries can all end up affecting the global supply and price of crude oil. People might think about trading in that gas-guzzling SUV for a fuel-efficient hybrid or an electric vehicle. UCS/Jeremy Martin.

Electricity 264

Electricity Paris Agreement 2030 2020 264

Union of Concerned Scientists

DECEMBER 1, 2022

California’s leadership on reducing truck pollution has been on full display the past few years, passing critical regulations requiring 90 percent reduction in smog-forming nitrogen oxide (NO X ) emissions from diesel trucks and requiring manufacturers sell an increasing share of electric trucks to move away from fossil fuels altogether.

Nitrogen Oxides 246

Nitrogen Oxides Clean Air Act Ozone Fossil Fuels 246

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 239

Fossil Fuels 2023 Clean Energy Nitrogen Oxides 239

Union of Concerned Scientists

SEPTEMBER 26, 2023

Whether you call it updating, modernizing, or reforming, changes to the water rights system have long been considered a political third rail —the electric kind you don’t touch. Earlier this summer, I wrote about three bills that were poised to make long overdue changes to California’s outdated and inequitable water rights system.

2027 337

2027 Climate Change Law 2017 337