Spurring the Cowboy State

Good morning and happy Friday,

The long, hot Texas summer, with demand rising as high as 85 GW some days, has made the ERCOT grid “tired.” And although solar has done well, “Texas’s massive wind fleet has under-performed throughout most of August due to lower-than-expected wind conditions in West Texas.” If offshore wind is going to offer a solution, “the industry and its political backers need to work together” to find a path forward.?

Meanwhile, Bloomberg looks at the issue of decommissioning renewable energy projects, and if you didn’t expect to read about platypuses today, surprise! NREL’s new PLatypus device promises “a faster, cheaper way to give solar panels a clean bill of health” following severe weather events.

Read on for more.

Sand in Our Eyes

The boys of summer may be gone, but New Jersey’s offshore wind woes continue. Here are some of the latest waves to hit the beach, and some thoughts on how to approach those who may be resisting the sweeping changes brought by the energy transition.

• Recently released results from a poll conducted by Monmouth University find that efforts to discredit offshore wind have worked, causing support to fall to the lowest levels in 15 years.
• Offshore developer Orsted recently saw its stock price dip after announcing that supply chain and inflation issues would mean completion of their Ocean Wind 1 project will likely be delayed until 2026, although they still plan to begin construction next year.
• In a thoughtful guest opinion piece, a New Jersey doctor who dealt with “entrenched beliefs based on misinformation” on the front lines of the Covid pandemic reflects on the similarities between that and opposition to clean energy.

?? The Takeaway

Gentleness and curiosity. The good doctor notes that combating misinformation requires engaging with those who absorb it – and “in some cases, fossil fuel money is influencing the debate.” Those who oppose clean energy should be met with “gentleness and curiosity,” she writes, and “Instead of shouting across a beach at our neighbors, we should focus on the fossil fuel industry that’s trying to kick sand into our eyes.”

Spurring the Cowboy State

The Cowboy State has a proud history of being the nation’s top coal-producing state, and a deep commitment to fossil fuels. So what to make of the IRA, the climate provisions of which could bring more than $7 billion to the state, according to an RMI study? Here are some points to “spur” conversation:

• Wyoming stands to make out like a bandit thanks to provisions in the IRA that direct additional funds to “energy communities” that are transitioning away from fossil fuels. In addition, the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment Program incentivizes projects that “retool, repower, repurpose or replace” existing energy infrastructure.??
• The state’s senators have “been among the foremost critics of the nation’s first comprehensive climate law,” but nevertheless convened a federal funding summit with the goal of helping communities and organizations apply for IRA money.
• Although Wyoming has some of the best wind resources in the country, it doesn’t even make the top 10 in terms of states with the most production. One obstacle: the need for really long transmission lines to get the energy to load centers.

?? The Takeaway

Not so fast, pardner. Wyoming levies an excise tax on wind production, and with aggressive growth, that could generate almost $90 million a year in revenue – but mineral severance taxes and royalties bring in many times that and makeup about 40% of the state’s income, so renewables aren’t seen as a replacement for fossil fuels. Besides, people “like the long views we have.” But $7 billion is nothing to sneeze at, and Wyomingites know a good opportunity when they see one.

• Suspended: Regulators suspend Dominion’s rules for connecting solar to grid
• Local Banknotes: Tarrant County applies for millions in federal solar funding
• Eco-Stim: Corona, NM hangs its hopes on huge clean-energy projects

• Once again, Piatt County, IL considers an application for a wind farm
• Mohave County, AZ could pause renewable energy projects
• Dickinson County, IA residents pushing for wind turbine moratorium
• Michigan residents concerned about proposed oversight for solar facilities

Stubborn Optimism

It’s been a rough year, climate-wise. The Canadian wildfires, ablaze since March, really picked up in June and will more than double Canada’s typical annual carbon emissions. The summer months brought record-breaking global heat, deadly flooding, and of course, the Maui fires.

In the face of such overwhelming events, it can be easy to sink into a state of complacency rooted in a sense of hopelessness. The problems are enormous, enough to drive one to despair.

Not an option, says Canadian science educator David Suzuki. “Despair is a luxury we can’t afford any longer.” Instead, says Christiana Figueres, we need to adopt an attitude of “stubborn optimism” that we can achieve the necessary changes.

The Washington Post’s Amanda Shendruk makes the case that there are reasons to feel optimistic. Important changes are happening, be they increases in the use of EVs and renewable energy, or reduced CO2 emissions from industrialized nations. True, it’s not enough – yet. But these are vital steps in the right direction, and we have to stay focused on progress. Here in the U.S., we can take heart that national emissions have been falling since 2005, and the IRA will make a big difference in lowering them even further.