California will invest $9.3 billion in 46 transmission projects to accommodate the state’s renewable energy shift, enabling more than 17 GW of solar generation to be added to the grid. The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) said the latest transmission plan identifies additional transmission and resource capacity associated with designated zones “that make the most economic and operational sense.” In addition to solar generation, the plan will also enable over 3.5 GW of wind generation, more than 1 GW of geothermal development, and over 13.5 GW of storage projects to be added to the grid.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) unveiled a sweeping draft rule last Thursday that would represent a fundamental shift in how the agency manages millions of acres of public lands. The proposed rule would apply land-health standards to all of the 245 million acres that BLM manages, instead of limiting them to federal livestock grazing allotments. The rule would also designate conservation as a formal use of public lands, on par with energy development, grazing, and recreation. Energy developers, mining companies, and other land users could purchase conservation leases and use them as compensatory mitigation to offset project impacts as a condition of permit approval. The proposed rule would also allow for nongovernment groups to buy these leases and pay to conduct restoration work on the land.
President Joe Biden’s administration is making $450 million available for solar farms and other clean energy projects across the country at the site of current or former coal mines. As many as five projects nationwide will be funded through the 2021 infrastructure law, with at least two projects set aside for solar farms, the White House said Tuesday. The White House also said it will allow developers of clean energy projects to take advantage of billions of dollars in new bonuses being offered in addition to investment and production tax credits available through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.
Boasting an unrivaled combination of aggressive green energy commitments and massive energy demand, the data center industry continues to pace the corporate renewables market. U.S. wind and solar capacity contracted to data center providers and customers jumped over 50% in this update to 40 GW — two-thirds of the total U.S. corporate renewables market.
PacifiCorp outlined its plan to exit coal-fired generation in the coming years as it filed its 2023 Integrated Resource Plan with regulators in six western states. The plan also included 500 MW of advanced nuclear power generation as soon as 2030, with another 1 GW of nuclear by 2032.
Scale Microgrids Solutions will build a renewables microgrid for the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians, announcing the new project a few weeks after securing a $225 million debt facility. The company will build and install a microgrid pairing 1.5 MW of rooftop solar and a 6 MWh energy storage system for the tribe’s Soboba Casino Resort. The company said that tribal communities historically suffer from higher service costs, higher interconnection fees, more blackouts or brownouts, and remote and distant service locations.
Google has signed a 150 MW power purchase agreement with Orsted to purchase renewable energy generated by Helena Wind Farm in Pawnee, Texas, for the next 15 years. The project was commissioned in mid-2022 and provides electricity to the South ERCOT service territory – enough to power an estimated 90,000 homes.
EVelution Energy is building the first U.S. solar-powered cobalt processing facility in Yuma County, Arizona. Construction is expected to begin in 2024, with the facility fully operational in 2026. Cobalt sulfate is a key part of the EV supply chain. With EVelution's new factory, approximately 33,000 tons of EV battery-grade cobalt sulfate will be produced for 470,000 new EVs per year.
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