Focus
Manchin, Schumer in surprise deal on health, energy, taxes
Associated Press – July 28
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin this week announced an expansive agreement, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, addressing health care and climate issues, raising taxes on high earners and large corporations, and reducing federal debt. The measure would reduce carbon emissions by around 40% by 2030, Schumer and Manchin said. It would spend $369 billion on energy and climate change initiatives, including consumer tax credits and rebates for buying clean-energy vehicles and encouraging home energy efficiency; tax credits for solar panel manufacturers; $30 billion in grants and loans for utilities and states to gradually convert to clean energy; and $27 billion to reduce emissions, especially in lower-income areas.
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News
Governor Newsom wants California’s offshore wind target raised to 20 GW by 2045
Renewable Energy World – July 25
Governor Gavin Newsom is calling on the California Energy Commission (CEC) to increase the state’s offshore wind target to at least 20 GW by 2045, as part of the Assembly Bill 525 process. In May, the CEC set a preliminary target of 3 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and 15 GW by 2045. Assembly Bill 525 requires the CEC to prepare a final strategic plan for developing offshore wind resources by June 23, 2023.
U.S. solar industry jobs rose 9% in 2021, mainly in installation
U.S. News & World Report – July 26
The number of jobs in the U.S. solar energy industry rose 9% last year to more than 255,000, with most workers employed in installation and project development, according to a report from the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. The rise marked a return to growth in sector employment following a contraction in 2020 due to pandemic-related work disruptions. California, the nation's top solar market, boasts 29.7% of the sector's total jobs with 75,712.
ACP reports substantial decrease in solar energy deployment in Q2
Solar Industry Magazine – July 26
A new American Clean Power (ACP) report shows that the rate of clean energy deployment slowed substantially in the second quarter as policy headwinds, economic factors facing the industry, and trade issues have impacted project development and increased the backlog of new project delays. During the second quarter, the industry saw a 55% decline in project installations from the same period in 2021, with 3,188 MW of utility-scale clean power capacity installed. This makes the second quarter the lowest quarter for clean energy capacity additions since the third quarter of 2019.
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Projects
Anschutz’s TransWest project applies to join CAISO in bid to send wind power from Wyoming to California
Utility Dive – July 26
TransWest Express, an Anschutz Corp. subsidiary, is seeking to put its planned Wyoming-to-Nevada power line, under the control of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), the company said Monday. The 732-mile transmission project is designed to deliver wind power in Wyoming to load serving entities in the West, mainly in California, but without increasing CAISO’s transmission access charge, which the grid operator levies on customers to meet its revenue needs, according to an application at CAISO.
Wind power added to Santa Barbara grid
Santa Barbara Independent – July 21
The 3CE electricity consortium that buys power for much of Santa Barbara County added 16 new wind-energy turbines to its resources on July 21. Located in Riverside County just outside of Palm Springs and operated by AES Corporation, the Mountain View Wind Repowering Project took out 104 older turbines to replace them with more powerful Vestas turbines. Altogether, the 16 wind turbines generate 257 GWh of energy per year, which is enough to supply 40,000 households with electricity.
Cypress Creek Renewables buys 600 MWh BESS portfolio in Texas
Energy Storage News – July 26
Developer Cypress Creek Renewables has acquired four standalone battery energy storage system (BESS) projects totaling 400 MW/600 MWh in Texas from Black Mountain Energy Storage. The projects have a nameplate power of 100 MW each and are located in the market run by Texas’ main grid operator, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.
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