Focus
California adds ambitious targets to revised climate change strategy
KCET – November 17
The California Air Resources Board has unveiled a new version of its strategy for battling climate change. If adopted by the air board at its December 15 meeting, the plan would radically reshape California's economy, alter how Californians' vehicles, buildings, and appliances are powered, and ultimately serve as a blueprint for other states and countries to follow. The plan sets a more aggressive goal of cutting carbon emissions 48% below 1990 levels by 2030 — up from the 40% by 2030 required under state law — until reaching net-zero emissions in 2045. Air board officials said they are confident the state can achieve the new target largely because of new mandates and policies enacted this year. State officials phased out sales of new gas-powered cars by 2035, set a more stringent low-carbon fuel standard, and streamlined siting and permitting of renewable energy projects.
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News
DOE releases $350M for energy storage demonstration projects
Solar Industry Magazine – November 14
The U.S. Department of Energy has released nearly $350 million for emerging long-duration energy storage demonstration projects capable of delivering electricity for 10 to 24 hours or longer to support a low-cost, reliable, carbon-free electric grid. The funding opportunity will advance new renewable energy technologies, enhance the capabilities of customers and communities to integrate grid storage more effectively, increase grid resilience, and more.
SEIA code proposals approved by ICC members
PV-Tech – November 14
The International Code Council (ICC) has approved proposals from trade body the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) that designate U.S. solar and storage projects as Risk Category 2 infrastructure, instead of the most stringent category. SEIA said that without its intervention, a proposal from the Federal Emergency Management Agency would have required solar, storage, and wind projects to meet Risk Category 4 requirements and be built to withstand damaging natural disasters far beyond what is needed, resulting in a dramatic spike in construction costs.
Oregon State University plans to develop a battery that would not rely on rare minerals
OPB – November 11
The U.S. Department of Energy awarded Oregon State University (OSU) $3 million to explore the development of a new rechargeable battery technology that would accelerate the clean energy transition without relying on rare finite minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel. OSU researchers will explore anion batteries that provide the necessary components without using limited minerals like the ones lithium batteries use and that could potentially increase how much energy a battery can hold.
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Projects
3.5 GW Southwest wind project portfolio receives key approvals
Windpower Engineering – November 14
Pattern Energy Group’s SunZia Transmission project has received unanimous approval from the Arizona Corporation Commission on its recent Certificate of Environmental Compatibility application, representing the completion of the state’s permitting process. The SunZia Wind project represents over 3,500 MW of new renewable generation located in Torrance, Lincoln, and San Miguel Counties, making it the largest wind project in the Western Hemisphere.
BLM seeks public comment on Nevada solar project
KOLO – November 14
The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public comment on a solar energy project in Nye County, Nevada. The Copper Rays Solar Project would generate up to 700 MW of power on over 5,100 acres of public land southeast of the town of Pahrump. Two public comment meetings will take place on December 6 and December 7.
General Motors partners with California utility on vehicle-to-grid, vehicle-to-home tech
Energy Storage News – November 11
General Motors is partnering with San Diego Gas & Electric, one of California’s main investor-owned utilities, to explore the potential of vehicle-to-grid and vehicle-to-home battery integration. They will investigate the feasibility of integrating bi-directional electric vehicles to act as an energy resource for the grid. That includes looking at the various considerations for hardware, software, processes, and construction required to enable vehicle-to-grid, where energy stored in vehicles can be leveraged for the network.
SMUD tests tool to accelerate rooftop solar interconnections
Utility Dive – November 10
Residential solar is booming in the U.S., and while that is a good sign for customer bill savings and clean energy generation, the growth also represents logistical headaches for utilities tasked with determining whether the rooftop panels can be safely interconnected to their distribution systems. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have created a tool to automate interconnection assessments and speed up the interconnection process. Utilities are receiving thousands of interconnection requests per week, and NREL said the volume “shows no signs of slowing down.”
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