The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on Monday unveiled a roadmap it says will, using hydrogen energy, enable the U.S. to reduce its emissions by 10% in 2050, compared to 2005 levels. The strategy document calls for specifically targeting hydrogen use in key industries, including chemicals, steel, refining, and heavy transportation. The roadmap focuses on hydrogen formed using carbon-free sources, which the administration is calling clean hydrogen. However, there has been some debate as to whether — to be truly clean — hydrogen plants need to use new sources of energy or if they can take electrons currently on the grid.
U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., recently introduced two bills to incentivize the construction of critically important transmission infrastructure. The Grid Resiliency Tax Credit Act would establish a 30% investment tax credit for qualifying electric power transmission line property and grid-enhancing technologies. The Facilitating America’s Siting of Transmission and Electric Reliability Act would streamline Federal Energy Regulatory Commission backstop siting authority.
A new report from Columbia Law School examines legal and regulatory obstacles to renewables projects, finding 228 local restrictions across 35 states as well as 293 projects that have received “significant opposition” in 45 states. The report, published by Columbia Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, expands on similar reports published in 2021 and 2022. Post March-2022, the report says, 59 new restrictions have been adopted, and 82 additional projects are being contested.
A satellite launched by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has successfully received and transmitted solar power back to Earth, the first time solar power has been transmitted to Earth in this manner. Space-based solar panels would not have their effective hours limited by the day-night cycle experienced on Earth, and there is vastly more room to build and operate facilities. The sector has received considerable attention in recent years, with a Japanese project led by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry aiming to demonstrate the transfer of power from space to the Earth by 2025.
The Nevada Legislature has approved Assembly Bill 524, a bill that calls for more in-state power generation. AB 524 now heads to the governor’s desk for approval or a veto. The bill will change how electric utilities make long-term resource plans to the Public Utilities Commission and will allow them to file resource plans more often than every three years. It also directs utilities to reduce their usage of energy bought on the open energy market by getting more energy from in-state renewable resources.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Friday issued a notice to proceed with construction for 300 MW of additional energy storage capacity at the Desert Sunlight Solar complex in California. The Desert Sunlight Solar facilities currently generate 550 MW of solar electricity and have 230 MW of energy storage capacity in operation. The Sunlight Storage II project, which will be developed by a wholly owned subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources LLC, will boost that storage capacity to 530 MW.
Western Kern's legacy oil fields have gained new interest recently as a place to bury carbon dioxide. But what about also using the area's ample underground geologic formations to store energy for the state power grid? Bakersfield-based Premier Resource Management proposes to build a 10 MW, $100 million geothermal energy storage facility in western Kern, then expand it to generate 400 MW at a cost of $1.8 billion. The company says the project would displace petroleum-fed "peaker" power plants with a zero emission, closed process that uses brackish groundwater already in place and creates minimal waste.
*This article may require a subscription to read.
[View source.]
See more
DISCLAIMER: Because of the generality of this update, the information provided herein may not be applicable in all situations and should not be acted upon without specific legal advice based on particular situations.
© Allen Matkins | Attorney Advertising
Refine your interests »
