Coal communities around the country are making significant strides to advance their economies, create jobs, and support workers. Thank you to our partners at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for creating the newest spotlight in their Clean Energy Jobs video series!
#JustTransition#CoalCommunities
Wyoming has powered America for generations.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the state will do it again – this time, with wind energy.
Meet some of the workers who are putting Wyoming on the clean energy map.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy released a plan to get big electric transmission lines built in 10 strategic parts of the country. Which may sound a bit dull and technical—but the slow pace of power line construction has become perhaps the biggest roadblock to running the U.S. on 100% clean electricity. If the new plan becomes reality, the country could much more quickly build the infrastructure to bring abundant wind power from Kansas to the east, enable New York City and the surrounding area to take advantage of major offshore wind farms, and much more.
Canary Media Inc. has some good reporting on the new plan, meant to unlock both large federal loans and a fast-track for approving transmission lines with the federal government, instead of with overlapping sets of state and local regulators. (See their story here: https://lnkd.in/dTyk5wZm) But for some useful background on why transmission has been such a challenge, and why clean energy advocates are looking specifically at the long waits to get new power lines approved, it might be helpful to check out our podcast episode, "Why does it take five years to build a wind farm?" featuring Dr. John Parsons of MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT - Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research.
"The construction [of a wind farm] takes about 18 months," Dr. Parsons told us. "But before those 18 months are several years of getting your permits, developing your relationships with the region, and so on. For wind farms, I'd say you're talking minimum five years... Transmission lines are another order of magnitude. I mean, it can be for some transmission lines decades." And this long process of approving new power lines takes place in an environment where we're trying to add huge amounts of new wind and solar electricity, many from power stations where wind and sun is abundant but the electricity must travel a very long way to reach the cities and population centers that need new clean energy the most.
#cleanenergy#renewableenergy#transmission#permitting#climatechangehttps://lnkd.in/eHZnpWGu
To reach zero carbon by 2040 in Minnesota -- a goal many places in the U.S. have -- the electricity grid needs to be extended to take on wind and solar energy. That's expensive work. Here's one of the first big projects in Minnesota.
Minnesota Power won key permits to modernize and expand a giant high-voltage power line, which it says is critical to avoid outages and keep wind energy flowing to customers.
Today I published the third and final part of my 3-part essay on how we in the United States are not moving fast enough to deploy #wind and #solar. In this portion, I take a look at what is slowing us down, both at the state and federal level, and what can be done about it.
This covers a lot of ground. A few takeaways:
1. We don't necessarily need more incentives (solar and wind are already mad cheap) - but we do need policy stability.
2. The continual addition of new trade barriers is interrupting the momentum of solar growth.
3. We need to focus on removing barriers - both at the federal and state levels - in many different areas. Transmission and interconnection lead the list.
4. There's a lot of ways that federal action could force movement in recalcitrant states, utilities, and grid operators - but you need to have that federal power to do it.
5. The policies are easier here than the politics, and some of the constituencies that should be supporting a rapid transition are frequently playing an obstructionist role.
And as always, my writing on medium reflects my personal opinions, not my employer's.
#energytransition#climatecrisishttps://lnkd.in/etGDRMZJ
Offshore wind deployment is accelerating along our Atlantic coast, and that transformation raises a host of challenges and opportunities. NREL researchers have bitten off the big question of how to plan transmission to accommodate the turbines beginning to dot Atlantic waters. It’s ambitious, thorough, and hugely important work.
Almost 13% of the U.S. population lives on the Atlantic Coast. That’s why researchers are making important connections between offshore wind energy and those East Coast communities! They’ve identified key steps the United States should take to make cost-effective connections and ensure offshore wind energy can play a key role in a low-carbon future.
Check it out in the new Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study and Action Plan. https://bit.ly/3IV1LdW
Where did interest in wind power peak this week? Tracking weekly online search metrics from across the county, here is what we found. The following five DMA's saw the largest spike in interest related to wind power relative to their four-week rolling average.
Almost 13% of the U.S. population lives on the Atlantic Coast. That’s why researchers are making important connections between offshore wind energy and those East Coast communities! They’ve identified key steps the United States should take to make cost-effective connections and ensure offshore wind energy can play a key role in a low-carbon future.
Check it out in the new Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study and Action Plan. https://bit.ly/3IV1LdW
For centuries, windmills have been a practical tool on farms, pumping water and grinding grain. Today, wind power is finding new purpose as homeowners seek energy independence. With the Inflation Reduction Act offering a 30% tax credit for residential wind projects, innovative companies are reimagining what's possible for home-scale turbines. My latest for The Wall Street Journal.
#DYK Vineyard Wind 1 is already delivering power to the New England grid?
In January, Vineyard Wind 1 began supplying electricity to the New England grid, improving reliability on the edge of New England’s transmission system. As a key part of the region's energy infrastructure, Vineyard Wind taps into the abundant #offshorewind resources of the Atlantic Ocean, diversifying New England's energy mix and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
