Energy & Utilities: Page 21


  • Tesla's Musk admits 'significant mistakes' with solar roof project

    Following customer complaints of increased installation costs, the company said it will sell home solar and storage together to streamline installations. 

    By Jason Plautz • April 29, 2021
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    Screenshot via Greentown Labs Houston

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    Cleantech incubator part of Houston's goal to be 'energy transition capital'

    One year after the city unveiled its Climate Action Plan, the incubator said it has 30 startups ready to move into its 40,000-square-foot Greentown Labs space.

    By Chris Teale • April 23, 2021
  • President Biden, Biden, executive order, climate
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    Retrieved from The White House/YouTube on January 29, 2021
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    Biden pledges to halve US carbon emissions by 2030

    The United States will work to cut greenhouse gas emissions 50-52% by 2030, relative to 2005 levels, sending clear signals to business and world leaders. 

    By Robert Walton • April 22, 2021
  • GE Renewable Energy's wind turbine generator, Haliade-X
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    Courtesy of GE Renewable Energy
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    Clean energy jobs 'hit hard' by COVID-19 in 2020: report

    Research from Environment Entrepreneurs found the sector shed 307,000 jobs but rebounded in the second half of the year — and could be set for major recovery in 2021.

    By Chris Teale • April 20, 2021
  • Equitable energy transition will require more than funding and job training, researchers say

    Utilities, governments must ensure clean energy jobs provide stable, middle-class earnings, according to a new guide from Inclusive Economics and the Bloomberg Philanthropies American Cities Climate Challenge.

    By Emma Penrod • April 19, 2021
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    Permission granted by Steelblue for the City of Sacramento / Perkins&Will.
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    Sacramento to transform historic train station into people-first mobility hub

    The city council approved the 31-acre Sacramento Valley Station Area plan, which will prioritize people over cars and is designed to be one of the state's most sustainable public places.  

    By Cailin Crowe • April 19, 2021
  • Capitol Hill
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    The image by Андрей Бобровский is licensed under CC BY 3.0
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    Biden's infrastructure plan goes big on EVs, but his first budget starts small, analysts say

    The Biden administration's infrastructure plan includes $174 billion to electrify transportation, though the FY22 budget request starts cautiously.

    By Robert Walton • April 15, 2021
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    Getty Images
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    Few states taking steps for equitable EV infrastructure investment, report cautions

    Benefits of the shift to electric transportation could be constrained to higher-income populations without the right policies, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy lays out.

    By Robert Walton • April 12, 2021
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    The image by Jennifer C. is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Opinion

    US building codes need a major retrofit to meet climate goals and spare consumers

    The International Code Council, which recently rolled back local governments' say in energy efficiency regulations for buildings, needs to adapt to the times or step aside, writes Energy Innovation's Sara Baldwin.

    By Sara Baldwin • April 7, 2021
  • First Solar's Series 6 modules deployed in a project in Kern County, California
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    Permission granted by First Solar
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    Local governments set record for new renewable energy procurement in 2020, groups report

    Transactions last year grew renewable capacity 23% from 2019's totals, according to World Resources Institute and Rocky Mountain Institute data.

    By Chris Teale • April 5, 2021
  • A Kight-Swift electric Daimler Trucks electric truck
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    Retrieved from Business Wire.

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    As EV economics improve, medium- and heavy-duty trucking may be 'next big frontier' for clean transportation

    Heavy-duty trucks represent just 5% of vehicles on the road, but experts say they account for more than a quarter of overall U.S. transportation emissions.

    By Robert Walton • March 26, 2021
  • Fermata Energy has partnered with the City of Boulder on a vehicle-to-grid charging project
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    Permission granted by Fermata Energy
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    New coalition calls on Biden admin to prioritize electrified transportation

    CHARGE, a group of 37 organizations, is urging EV charging infrastructure be especially deployed in communities traditionally underserved by transportation or that have struggled with pollution burdens.

    By Chris Teale • March 25, 2021
  • Bergen County Utilities Authority, wastewater
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    Permission granted by Bergen County Utilities Authority
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    Climate-driven water infrastructure failures risk becoming 'business as usual'

    Monday's World Water Day comes one month after extreme weather wreaked havoc on Texas' water supply, an event that experts warn could become the new normal if leaders fail to invest in resiliency. 

    By Chris Teale • March 22, 2021
  • Arizona utility opposes legislation barring state regulators from decarbonization mandate

    As with many other states, Arizona is embroiled in a debate about the extent of regulators' authority when it comes to decarbonization. 

    By Emma Penrod • March 17, 2021
  • San Antonio Texas
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    "San Antonio" by Stoic Stoat is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
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    San Antonio power provider sues ERCOT, citing 'unlawful' pricing

    Mayor Ron Nirenburg gave the city's full support for the suit against the Texas grid operator, saying "state regulators are presiding over one of the largest illegal transfers of wealth" in state history.

    By Catherine Morehouse • March 16, 2021
  • DOE to spend billions on electric vehicle R&D in jobs fight with China

    President Biden's administration is tackling transportation electrification in part to prevent China from cornering a $23 trillion market in carbon-reducing tech, according to Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. 

    By Robert Walton • March 11, 2021
  • House Democrats clear pathway to 100% clean energy by 2035

    The bill would require economy-wide net-zero emissions by 2050, targeting transportation electrification, environmental justice and building efficiency. 

    By Catherine Morehouse • March 3, 2021
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    Getty Images
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    USPS to continue purchasing gas vehicles, despite Biden all-electric pledge

    The postal service says the procurement allows for flexibility, and hinted at the ability to "retrofit" some vehicles. But EV advocates say "this will lock USPS into an outdated technology for many years."

    By Robert Walton • Feb. 25, 2021
  • America Is All In co-chairs and federal leaders
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    Screenshot via America Is All In

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    Climate leaders go 'all in' to halve emissions by 2030

    The new "America Is All In" coalition of U.S. communities, businesses and institutions, has pledged to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 with support from the federal government. 

    By Chris Teale • Feb. 22, 2021
  • Economic rebound could derail progress on Paris climate goals, experts warn

    The U.S. power sector has exceeded previous emissions goals and will continue to do so, a new report says. Progress could be thwarted by rising emissions in the transportation sector.

    By Emma Penrod • Feb. 18, 2021
  • For Utility Dive climate project, illustration with transmission lines in a storm
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    Danielle Ternes/Smart Cities Dive
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    Deep Dive

    Power sector experts fight misinformation around Texas outages

    Operators will often prepare for peak loads based on historical data, but those forecasts can be less predictable under a changing climate, one expert said.

    By Catherine Morehouse • Feb. 18, 2021
  • traffic seattle
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    SonderBruce. (2017). "I-5 southbound traffic approaching Downtown Seattle" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
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    The system of GHG emissions reporting is broken, experts say

    As the media points fingers at cities for underreporting carbon emissions, some argue the blame should instead be placed on a lack of guidance.

    By Cailin Crowe • Feb. 11, 2021
  • Deep Dive

    Lawmakers vs. regulators: The fight over Arizona's zero-emissions mandate

    Conservatives say the Arizona Corporation Commission's proposed zero-carbon mandate oversteps its constitutional authority while defenders say the legal debate is an excuse to impede the state's climate fight.

    By Herman K. Trabish • Feb. 11, 2021
  • Auto industry embraces Biden's electrification efforts

    The Alliance for Automotive Innovation said it will work with the administration on an electrification program to bring all automakers "under a unified set of common requirements."

    By Robert Walton • Feb. 10, 2021
  • A man looks at lines of code depicted on a computer screen
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    sestovic via Getty Images
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    Security flaws enabled Tampa-area water utility hack

    Authorities found poor security hygiene — weak passwords and an outdated operating system — played a role in the hack. 

    By Samantha Schwartz • Updated Feb. 12, 2021