November 25, 2023

Weekend Reads: Next Generation of Solar Tech; Texas Board of Ed vs. Science Textbooks

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

More powerful, resilient and versatile: The next generation of solar tech is emerging (Utility Dive)  As solar energy booms in the U.S. with record investments and installations, a wave of technological advancements is set to transform the amount of energy solar can produce, where it can be deployed, and how long it can last. “It seems like when there’s a good idea, it can very rapidly get rolled out through the whole industry,” said Chris Deline, a research engineer who leads the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s photovoltaic field performance group.

Solar power to the people: California program brings clean energy to Oakland (The Guardian)  Joseph Wang and his wife have figured out a way to stay warm and efficient during northern California’s winter nights: layering. “We bundle up during the day, and at night. We use two blankets,” said Wang, 87, in Mandarin, explaining how he and his wife, Meng Rou Lan, 84, dealt with trying to save money on their electricity bill last winter. When he and his wife were hit with a $130 electricity bill, they decided to use their heater sparingly. But soon, due to a publicly funded statewide solar program in California, their bill may go down as much as $40 a month.

A year after devastating winter storm, power plant problems ‘still likely’ in extreme weather (Virginia Mercury)  Nearly a year ago, a Christmas weekend storm blasted across the country, forcing utilities to cut electricity to hundreds of thousands of people in parts of the southeastern U.S. after temperatures plunged, demand spiked, large numbers of power plants failed and natural gas supply was strained.  As the anniversary approaches of Winter Storm Elliott, a pair of reports released last week reveal how much worse the situation almost became and the continued vulnerability of the U.S. energy grid to frigid weather.

Trust, tech and transformation: Navigating investor priorities (PwC)  Investors want to better understand how companies are managing crises and staying resilient, while creating and protecting long-term value in today’s fracturing world. They are looking closely at two areas—emerging technology and sustainability—to gauge whether companies can seize opportunities for reinvention and business transformation, or will instead succumb to rivals.

Texas board rejects many science textbooks over climate change messaging (Texas Tribune)  A Republican-controlled Texas State Board of Education on Friday rejected seven of 12 proposed science textbooks for eighth graders that for the first time will require them to include information on climate change. The 15-member board largely rejected the books either because they included policy solutions for climate change or because they were produced by a company that has an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policy. 

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