Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Regulation  -  June 24, 2023

Weekend Reads: Power Grid Needs Climate Resilience; Accelerated RE Growth for Public Lands

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

The U.S. power grid isn't ready for climate change (Axios) Human-caused climate change is poised to strain the U.S. power grid in the coming decades, and improvements are needed to enhance its ability to meet increasing electricity demands. The effects of new weather extremes on the grid may be seen if intense heat waves trigger energy demand spikes. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation warned that two-thirds of the continent face an elevated risk of energy shortfalls if extreme heat events occur.

Ukraine’s Green Recovery To Kick Global Decarbonization Into High Gear (CleanTechnica) The law of unintended consequences is working overtime for Russia, which sought to tighten its grip on global energy markets by chasing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky out of office. Ukraine is launching a green recovery plan that aims to decarbonize Europe. A number of elements are going into Ukraine’s green recovery plans. One good example is electric arc technology, enabling steel makers to take advantage of renewable energy resources.

The feds move to speed up development of wind and solar on public land (Grist) The federal Bureau of Land Management proposed a new rule that would reduce fees for wind and solar development on public lands. Regulators say the move could accelerate renewable power production on federal lands and help achieve President Joe Biden’s goal of a carbon-free power sector. Solar and wind developers lauded the proposed rule as an important step toward a clean energy transition on U.S. public lands.

The Energy Transition Needs Serious People (Forbes) In the final season of the TV series Succession, Logan Roy says to his children, “I love you, but you are not serious people.” I reflect on this message with the heads of sustainability and ESG at energy firms, industrial companies, and global banks. Are they “not serious people”? Many seem to be tasked with proving, contrary to reality, that their companies are doing something serious about climate change. Meanwhile, they continue to fund fossil fuels.

US East Coast floating wind farm offers springboard for growth (Reuters) The U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management started an environmental assessment of the first utility-scale floating wind farm in the U.S. The 144 MW project would be located 20 nautical miles off the coast of Maine. Construction of the 12 wind turbines could start in early 2024. Maine could see commercial lease auctions in early 2025 and the insights from the Aqua Ventus project will be "instrumental in developing best practices.”

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