Energy Efficiency, Microgrids, Solar, Sourcing Renewables  -  April 28, 2018

Weekend reads: EPA vs. science; Using innovative tech for profit & the environment & more

Kick back and relax with these must-read energy stories from around the web:

Scott Pruitt ousted EPA science advisers. Now he’s going after the science itself (Vox)  At a barely publicized event Tuesday with no reporters present, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt signed a new directive aimed at increasing transparency in science. The announcement poses a fundamental challenge to the agency’s work as a regulator by instituting new restrictions on the scientific findings used by the EPA. “It’s reducing the pool of science the agency can use,” said Christopher Zarba, who retired earlier this year from the EPA as the coordinator of the agency’s science advisory boards. 

Two-Thirds of Executives Use Innovative Technologies to Drive Profit, Benefit the Environment (IT Business Net)  An overwhelming majority of executives at top companies say they are using innovative technologies to drive profitability and environmental performance, according to a new survey released today by Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). More than 70 percent of executives surveyed said their business and environmental goals are more closely aligned than they were just five years ago, primarily due to advances in technology.

Which U.S. Industries Are Setting the Strongest Climate Goals? (Inside Climate News)  The country's largest companies are increasingly acknowledging the risks they face from climate change and water and resource scarcity, and more are promising to cut greenhouse gas emissions. But relatively few are making time-bound commitments based on science to tackle climate-related challenges, according to a new sector-by-sector analysis. 

During Puerto Rico’s Blackout, Solar Microgrids Kept The Lights On (Fast  Company)  Seven months after Hurricane Maria hit Humacao, Puerto Rico–the first town on the island in the path of the storm–the community still hasn’t been connected to the national electric grid. But when the national grid went down last week after an accident, a community center in Humacao still had power. The community center, like several other buildings across the island, now has its own solar electricity and battery storage system. 

The Hearst Castle solar project will break ground soon, marking a milestone for State Parks (San Luis Obispo Tribune)  The Hearst Castle State Park Visitor Center will soon become the first state park facility to draw 100 percent of its electricity by solar power. Construction on the solar project in the visitor center’s parking lot is set to break ground Tuesday, according to State Parks. The project cost to State Parks? Zero. 

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