The California State Senate has passed Senate Bill 605, which directs the California Energy Commission to evaluate the feasibility, costs, and benefits of using wave energy and tidal energy in the state, sending the bill to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for consideration. Per the amended bill, the California Energy Commission will work with various state agencies, including the California Coastal Commission, the Ocean Protection Council, and other stakeholders to identify suitable locations for wave energy and tidal energy projects in both state and federal waters.
The California Legislature has approved a bill to encourage the installation of solar power infrastructure along California’s highways. If signed into law, Senate Bill 49 would direct state agencies to evaluate the potential for solar energy, battery storage, and transmission infrastructure alongside highways to help California meet its clean energy targets — generating 90% of the state’s power by 2035 and 100% by 2045. The bill will establish a process for entities to operate and build this renewable energy infrastructure within state-owned rights-of-way.
California’s Oroville Dam, the nation’s tallest dam, is among a dozen major hydroelectric projects that have been waiting over 10 years to receive a renewal of its long-term permit from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Over 160 hydropower projects across the United States will see their longstanding federal permits, known as licenses, expire between this year and the end of 2027. The issue is not lost on members of Congress. On Thursday, the Senate Energy Committee is considering legislation from Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) that aims to reduce the permitting time for new and existing hydropower projects, including those with relatively modest environmental impacts. The bill has support from the hydropower industry, environmental groups, and former FERC commissioners.
The U.S. Energy Department and U.S. Interior Department have released an action plan for catalyzing offshore wind energy, strengthening the domestic supply chain, and creating jobs. The plan outlines immediate actions needed to connect the first generation of Atlantic offshore wind projects onto the electric grid and longer-term efforts to support needed transmission over the next several decades.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is accepting public comments related to the environmental assessment of an up to 400 MW solar project in Riverside County, proposed by IP Easley, a subsidiary of Intersect Power LLC. The complex will cover around 2,700 acres of BLM-administered public lands and 990 acres of private lands north of Desert Centre.
IKEA has launched two U.S. sustainability initiatives, which include a solar installation project along with renewable heating and cooling schemes. The company said the clean energy scheme was a continuation of its solar power project in Paramus, New Jersey, completed in July. The store features the company’s first long-span carpark system that maximizes the number of solar panels and extends across the entire parking deck roof. The company plans to expand its solar installation project across locations in Brooklyn, New York; Covina, California; New Haven, Connecticut; Stoughton, Massachusetts; Tempe, Arizona, and Tejon, California.
CPS Energy, a municipal utility serving San Antonio, Texas, has launched a request for proposals for up to 500 MW of energy storage projects. Smaller-scale projects can be strategically placed at different locations within the CPS Energy service area, improving reliability in specific locations, according to the utility.
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