GHG Emissions, Microgrids, Sourcing Renewables  -  August 5, 2023

Weekend Reads: Audubon Speaks Out for Electric Transmission; Case for CO2 Pipelines

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

Report shows Inflation Reduction Act alone won’t set United States on track for net zero (Bloomberg)  The U.S.’s transition to a net-zero economy by 2050 represents a $30 trillion investment opportunity in the country’s energy system by 2050, according to the New Energy Outlook: U.S. report, published today by research company BloombergNEF (BNEF). The report details a pathway for the U.S. energy system to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 using the lowest cost technologies available.

Microgrids can help us power tribal communities while embracing renewable energy (San Diego Tribune)  Across the country, 14 percent of tribal households lack access to electricity, which is 10 times the national average. As the state’s climate gets hotter, drier and more difficult to live in, reliable access to energy is becoming a necessity for healthy tribal communities. In many cases, it can mean the difference between life and death. A microgrid is a smart option for most businesses and communities that need reliable, affordable energy, but tribal lands are particularly well-suited to reap the benefits. 

Carbon capture technology is safe. Illinois should embrace CO2 pipeline projects (Chicago Sun-Times)  The Sun Times’ recent editorial “Pipe nightmare? Put safety in place before transporting carbon dioxide to Illinois” questioned the safety and need for two new pipeline projects being developed to transport and sequester CO2 in Illinois. The good news: answers to those questions already exist.

No, you won’t be flying in hydrogen-powered passenger planes (CleanTechnica)  "You really have to work hard to make hydrogen the right choice for aviation, and if the industry succeeds, its costs will be an order of magnitude higher, destroying most of their market." Industry expert Michael Barnard shares his primary arguments against hydrogen in aviation based on his publications, discussions with global experts, and positions on electric aviation advisory boards.

Electric lines kill birds. But they’re a lot better than climate change (Los Angeles Times)  Audubon is out with a new report that makes the case for displacing fossil fuels by building a lot more renewable energy infrastructure — even if some of that infrastructure kills or harms certain birds. Titled, “Birds and Transmission: Building the Grid Birds Need,” the report cites Princeton University research finding that 80% of the potential cuts in planet-warming pollution made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act — the climate bill signed last year by President Biden — could be lost if the nation fails to accelerate the build-out of its electric grid.

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