Focus
Biden's Build Back Better plan passes House of Representatives as Senate battle looms
PV-Tech – November 22
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed President Joe Biden's Build Back Better act, which now moves to the Senate, where negotiations will continue over the legislation that includes clean energy and climate investments totaling $555 billion. The $1.75 billion spending bill will face significant hurdles in the Senate. Among the renewables support included in the act – details of which were revealed last month – are a 10-year extension of the solar investment tax credit as well as tax credits to support the domestic manufacture of PV equipment.
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News
Most California utilities on track to reach state's aggressive clean energy goals
S&P Global – November 22
California regulated utilities are on track to reach the state's Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) goal of procuring 60% of retail sales from renewables by 2030, although 27 small and multi-jurisdictional utilities, electric service providers, and community choice aggregators are at risk for not meeting near-term goals, according to a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) report to the Legislature. The state's investor-owned utilities are forecast to have excess renewable procurement through 2027, according to the CPUC.
New studies point to microgrids as 'once in a generation solution'
Microgrid Knowledge – November 17
A new report prepared by Guidehouse finds that by 2030 renewable microgrids in the U.S. will generate 500,000 new jobs, $72 billion in GDP growth, and $146 billion in sales across the supply chain. The study derived its figures by looking at the renewable energy, energy storage, and microgrid controller components of microgrids, and it assumes 32 GW of microgrids will be installed by the end of the decade.
How 24/7 clean energy procurement impacts the grid
Renewable Energy World – November 17
Procuring hour-by-hour clean energy within an energy buyer's grid can lead to a greater reduction of greenhouse gas emissions than 100% clean energy matching, while driving deployment of clean firm power generation and long-duration energy storage, according to a new study. The study from Princeton University's ZERO Lab is the first analysis of the grid impact of 24/7 carbon-free electricity procurement, which is growing in popularity among corporate and governmental energy buyers.
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Projects
Intersect Power secures $2.6B in financing for 2.2 GW solar with 1.4 GWh battery storage
Energy Storage News – November 22
Intersect Power has secured $2.6 billion in financing for the construction and operation of a portfolio of solar and energy storage projects in California and Texas. The six-project portfolio includes 2.2 GW of late-stage development solar with 1.4 GWh of energy storage. The Athos III, Oberon I, and Oberon II projects are in California. They are all expected to be operational by 2023.
Construction starts at first major U.S. offshore wind farm
NBC News – November 19
Construction has begun on a project dubbed the "first commercial scale offshore wind farm" in the U.S. The construction's kickoff, which took place last Thursday, represents another step forward for America's fledgling offshore wind sector. Located in waters 15 miles off Martha's Vineyard, near Cape Cod in Massachusetts, it's hoped that the 800-MW Vineyard Wind 1 facility will start sending power to the grid in 2023.
Oregon Court of Appeals overturns ruling that blocked solar facility expansion
Capital Press – November 17
The Oregon Court of Appeals has overturned a ruling that blocked a solar facility's expansion in Crook County. The county approved increasing the solar project's size last year from 320 to 654 acres, which was challenged by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Earlier this year, the state's Land Use Board of Appeals agreed with ODFW's arguments that the development plan didn't live up to key requirements for wildlife habitat mitigation.
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