Commercial, GHG Emissions, Industrial, Solar  -  January 20, 2024

Weekend Reads: How Costly is the Energy Transition, Really?; Taylor Swift Divides Climate Advocates

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

What If the Clean Energy Transition Costs Much Less Than We’ve Been Told? (Inside Climate News)  The global transition to clean energy has a cost, but it may be a lot lower than the figures that sometimes get thrown around. The differences are large, amounting to trillions and even tens of trillions of dollars. A new analysis from RMI, the clean energy research and advocacy group, identifies what its authors say is a basic flaw in many of those estimates: They don’t fully take into account the decrease in fossil fuel spending. “This kind of narrative that there’s a massive surge in capital that’s required is simply incorrect,” said Kingsmill Bond.

The Global 100 list: How the world’s most sustainable corporations are driving the green transition (Corporate Knights)  As 2023 came to a close, the World Meteorological Organization declared it to be the hottest year on record. One week later, the Global Carbon Project shared more discouraging news: that despite global pledges to reduce emissions, greenhouse gases from fossil fuels hit a record high again in 2023. As the climate crisis exacts a punishing toll around the globe, we’re also getting better at solving problems. Corporate leaders are flowing a growing share of their revenues into investments that will accelerate the green transition, according to Corporate Knights research.

WEBINAR: ACHIEVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY WITH BUILDING SOFTWARE (EnergyCap)  Volatile energy prices and impending carbon reporting legislation are driving companies to increase spending on energy efficiency and sustainability management solutions. Choosing the right solution is vital to effectively monitoring efficiency and meeting investor-grade emissions standards. Verdantix recently published their Green Quadrant for Energy Management Software. Please join EnergyCAP and Verdantix to get a first-hand overview of the Green Quadrant and explore how an energy and sustainability ERP can support your energy efficiency goals. REGISTER HERE

We need a lot more transmission. Here’s why it isn’t getting built (Renewable Energy World)  Three decades ago, the grid needed organizing. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, recommended implementing independent regional operators to manage power markets and facilitate transmission planning. The resulting six entities — California ISO,  SPP, MISO, PJM, New York ISO, and ISO New England — as well as Texas-regulated ERCOT, have largely succeeded in bringing competition to a power industry that was, previously, wholly controlled by utilities. To be sure, the foundation for regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs) was laid long before the energy transition took hold. 

WEBINAR: 2024 STATE OF CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY (Atrius)  The Annual State of Corporate Sustainability Report takes a deep dive into understanding the biggest drivers, motivators, and challenges facing professionals dedicated to making our built environment more sustainable. This year is no different; built from the perspective of over 200+ industry professionals, this year’s findings showed that both energy and sustainability professionals have critical roles to play in meeting corporate ESG goals. In this webinar, we’ll review key findings from the report from the perspective of our panelists. REGISTER HERE

OPALCO’s next Community Solar project is in the works (The Journal of the San Juan Islands)  Across a 19-acre plot at Douglas and Bailer Hill roads, Orcas Power & Light Cooperative plans to install their latest community solar project on San Juan Island. The project, which was started before the COVID-19 pandemic and was subsequently delayed by the global health crisis, is currently in its permitting stages. The project is part of Community Solar, OPALCO’s initiative to provide affordable access to clean, alternative power and store local energy for essential services through solar panel arrays and batteries.

Climate Advocates Need To Calm Down About Taylor Swift's Jet (Newsweek)  Last month, Newsweek, the Daily Mail, UNILAD, and others reported that Taylor's trips produced 138 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, equivalent to the energy used by 17 houses in one year. These articles built upon a snowballing narrative about the pop sensation's environmental damage, from concerns over the Eras Tour to Taylor being named Yard's biggest celebrity polluter after racking up 8,293.54 tons of CO2 emissions in her jet in 2022. But fixating this intensely on Taylor's jet reinforces a misconception that climate action is always a sacrifice, and that Taylor must choose between the planet or her career and love life.

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