GHG Emissions, Solar, Sourcing Renewables, Wind  -  January 14, 2023

Weekend Reads: US emissions 2022, the good and bad news; Electricity state-by-state

It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web:

US emissions rose in 2022. Here’s why that’s not as bad as it sounds. (Grist)  A new report from the Rhodium Group, a research firm that models greenhouse gas emissions, brings good news and bad news. First, the bad: U.S. emissions increased by just over 1 percent last year, making 2022 the second consecutive year of carbon emissions growth since the American economy began recovering from the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The good news is that there are signs that the U.S. economy is already starting to kick its addiction to planet-warming emissions, even before the implementation of the landmark clean energy law passed by Congress last year.

Mass General tries performance reports to cut greenhouse gas use in anesthesia (WBUR)  Dr. Sam Smith was on call at a Santa Barbara hospital in January 2018 when mudslides killed 23 people. Over the next few years, Smith, an anesthesiologist, helped treat patients suffering injuries or illnesses tied to heat waves and fires in California. “Climate change was really on my personal agenda,” said Smith. He bought an electric car, installed solar panels and cut back on meat. “I thought, wow, I’m really making a difference.”

New York partially banned cryptocurrency mining. Now environmentalists want more.  (Politico)  A first-in-the-nation partial ban on cryptocurrency mining in New York is sending ripple effects through the burgeoning industry and also emboldening environmentalists to push for similar measures across the nation. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s November signing of a two-year moratorium on new fossil fuel-powered cryptocurrency mining projects is already said to be deterring some cryptocurrency businesses from investing in the state, and environmentalists are suggesting the measure could be a model for other states.

Webinar: Is Your Energy & Sustainability Data Financial Grade? (EnergyCap)  Whether it’s driven by investor pressure, consumer demand, business partners, or altruism, energy and sustainability reports are front and center in boardrooms across the country. In fact, 90 percent of companies say they either have or are developing a formal strategy to manage corporate ESG practices.  But is your data financial grade? Is your reporting data reliable and defendable? If you were audited tomorrow, how confident are you in your energy & sustainability reports?  Tune into this webinar as we unpack the critical components of financial grade energy & sustainability data, why it’s so important, and what you can do today to prepare for an audit tomorrow. REGISTER HERE

Texas Project Will Use Wind to Make Fuel Out of Water (Inside Climate News)  Oil made Texas an energy giant, but even this petroleum powerhouse is working hard to secure a footing beyond fossil fuels. It already generates more wind energy than any other U.S. state, and soon the mighty air that lashes its high plains will power a novel new process: the production of vehicle fuel from water.  Scientists say this technology, called “green hydrogen,” plays a big part in the world’s hopes to transition from fossil fuels and reduce carbon emissions.

Mapped: Biggest Sources of Electricity by State and Province (Visual Capitalist)  On a national scale, the United States and Canada rely on a very different makeup of sources to generate their electricity. The U.S. primarily uses natural gas, coal, and nuclear power, while Canada relies on both hydro and nuclear. That said, when zooming in on the province or state level, individual primary electricity sources can differ greatly. Here’s a look at the electricity generation in the states and provinces of these two countries using data from the Nuclear Energy Institute (2021) and the Canada Energy Regulator (2019).