January 13, 2024

Weekend Reads: West Virginia Makes the Solar Switch; US Emissions Reductions Fall Short of Goals

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

Utilities’ misguided opposition to community solar in California (Utility Dive)  With billions on the line from the federal government and the potential for renters and disadvantaged communities to finally access clean, affordable solar energy, California’s three largest utilities are actively working to stop the California Public Utilities Commission from issuing an equitable community solar program. In their decade of opposition to a viable statewide community solar program, the utilities have succeeded by sowing fear, uncertainty and doubt — we can’t let them get away with it this time.

Coal State Killing Coal With Solar Power, One Megawatt At A Time (Clean Technica)  Followers of US politics will not be surprised to know that the coal state of West Virginia has been achingly slow to join the solar power revolution. It currently ranks a lowly 49th in a state-by-state ranking of installed solar capacity. Nevertheless, three solar and energy storage projects are moving forward, indicating that a change is in the wind. First up is a new 18.9 megawatt solar array at Fort Martin, which just went online at the beginning of January. It’s the first in a suite of five solar arrays planned by FirstEnergy Subsidiary Mon Power and its fellow utility Potomac Edison.

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Gigantic solar farms of the future might impact how much solar power can be generated on the other side of the world (The Conversation)  The Sun’s energy is effectively limitless. While resources such as coal or gas are finite, if you are able to capture and use solar power it doesn’t prevent anyone else from also using as much sunshine as they need. Except that isn’t quite the full story. Beyond a certain size, solar farms become large enough to affect the weather around them and ultimately the climate as a whole. In our new research we have looked at the effect such climate-altering solar farms might have on solar power production elsewhere in the world.

Biden’s aides weigh climate test for natural gas exports (Politico)  The Biden administration is launching a review that could tap the brakes on the booming U.S. natural gas export industry — a move that threatens to pit the president’s climate ambitions against his foreign policy agenda. The outcome of the review could have big implications for the fossil fuel industry, U.S. clout as an energy superpower and the credibility of President Joe Biden’s climate pledges — and his reelection hopes in November.

U.S. cut climate pollution in 2023, but not fast enough to limit global warming (NPR)  The United States reduced emissions of climate-warming greenhouse gasses last year, after two years in which emissions rose. But the decline wasn't enough to meet climate targets set by the Biden administration. That would require much steeper cuts, most likely by significantly reducing the use of fossil fuels. U.S. emissions declined 1.9% in 2023 despite a growing economy, according to new estimates from the research firm Rhodium Group. That continues a trend in which wealthy countries have managed to break the link between economic growth and climate pollution.

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