Focus
Governor Newsom signs sweeping climate legislation
ABC News – September 16
Governor Gavin Newsom on September 16 signed a package of bills to expand California's reliance on clean energy and reduce carbon emissions. The new laws include proposals aimed at reducing exposure to gas and oil pollution in communities of color, expanding clean energy jobs, and accelerating the state's timeline for getting most of its electricity from renewable energy sources. Newsom signed the legislation following a record-breaking heat wave that forced California to rely more heavily on natural gas for its electricity production.
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News
Biden plans floating platforms to expand offshore wind power
Associated Press – September 15
The Biden administration on September 15 announced plans to develop floating platforms in the deep ocean for wind towers that could power millions of homes and vastly expand offshore wind in the U.S. The plan would target sites in the Pacific Ocean off the California and Oregon coasts, as well as in the Atlantic in the Gulf of Maine. President Joe Biden hopes to deploy up to 15 GW of electricity through floating sites by 2035, enough to power 5 million homes.
Governor Newsom signs California community solar act into law
PV-Tech – September 19
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a community solar program into law that will help low income communities benefit more from solar PV. Signed as part of a sweeping package of legislation under the $54 billion California Climate Commitment, AB 2316 directs the California Public Utilities Commission to create a community renewable energy program that prioritizes access for renters, low-income households, and those who cannot install on-site solar and storage.
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Projects
Terra-Gen finances 410 MW second phase of Kern County solar, energy storage facility
Solar Industry Magazine – September 16
Terra-Gen has completed financing on the second phase of its Edwards Sanborn Solar Storage facility in Kern County. This phase is composed of 410 MW AC of nameplate solar capacity and 1,786 MWh of battery storage. The first phase of the Edwards Sanborn project was financed in July 2021, and its 345 MW of solar and 1,505 MWh of storage are now fully operational.
EDF secures McDonald's as power offtaker of 255 MW solar park in Texas
Renewables Now – September 14
EDF Renewables North America has signed a virtual power purchase agreement with McDonald’s that will support the construction of a 255 MW/332 MW DC solar park in Texas. Planned to be installed in 2023-2024, the Apollo Solar farm is expected to generate 619,000 MWh of electricity annually, or enough to meet the demand of more than 1,200 of McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S.
Hecate Grid signs utility contract, gets local approval for 1,200 MWh California BESS project
Energy Storage News – September 19
Hecate Grid has signed off-take contracts for the stored energy from the company’s proposed 300 MW/1,200 MWh Humidor Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project in Los Angeles County with Southern California Edison and MCE, one of the state’s community choice aggregator groups. Hecate Grid also received site plan approval from county officials for the facility.
L.A. City Council committee delays plan to shift Scattergood power station to hydrogen
Los Angeles Daily News – September 18
The Los Angeles City Council’s energy committee on September 15 delayed a key decision over whether to move forward on an $800 million plan that would shift the power source at Scattergood Generating Station in Playa del Rey from natural gas to “green” hydrogen. The use of hydrogen power at Scattergood faces opposition from several environmental groups, which argue that many questions have not been answered regarding the safety and effectiveness of hydrogen power technology, including whether the city’s plan to make Scattergood more “green” is ready.
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