State of Play ???

Good morning and happy Friday,

In this week’s headlines, renewable energy is hitting a new milestone — in spite of a spiraling energy crisis and calls to increase fossil fuel production, while New Mexico’s ambitious 2019 climate laws show us just how messy progress can be. Emissions are down, wind and solar generation is up, but fights continue over the future of displaced workers and the cost of the transition.

Meanwhile, demand for “climate grief” therapists is rising and counselors are struggling to keep pace, with universities beginning to pilot climate stress counseling programs.?

Read on for more.

State of Play

Amidst all the buzz about the upcoming midterms, it’s easy to overlook state-level races that could have a big impact on the clean energy transition. An article this week from EnergyWire highlights five key contests and why they matter:

• In Arizona, two seats are up for grabs on the five-member Arizona Corporation Commission, and the outcome could have a big impact on the future of renewables in the Grand Canyon State. Its renewable energy standards haven’t been updated since 2006 and lag “well behind a number of Western states.”
• Similarly, two out of five seats on Louisiana’s Public Service Commission are being contested. The Pelican (or if you prefer, the Bayou) State gets 65% of its electricity from natural gas, and doesn’t have a renewables standard – although that could change if the new PSC takes the action plan released by the state’s Climate Initiatives Task Force, which calls for 100% renewable energy by 2035, seriously.
• And then there’s Texas. Where to begin? Climate and election denier Attorney General Ken Paxton is dogged by legal woes which may hurt him in November; the race for Texas Railroad Commissioner includes an incumbent who blamed wind and solar for last year’s blackouts; and even the race for the “powerful but historically low-profile job of land commissioner” has generated interest because of the candidates.

?? The Takeaway

Watch party, anyone? This year, gubernatorial elections are happening in 36 states, and the results could have a big impact on climate and renewable energy policies across the country. As always, good election outcomes depend on informed voters – let’s keep the messaging about the benefits of renewables going.

Fiona and Ian Meet Resiliency?

When hurricanes Fiona and Ian slammed into Florida and Puerto Rico last month, they devastated much of the energy infrastructure in their path, leaving nearly 6 million people without power. For those fortunate enough to have solar panels coupled with battery systems, the lights stayed on – but adoption of these technologies still faces an uphill battle. Here’s why:

• On-site solar and storage installations have proven “reliable, through and after these disasters” says the American Clean Power Association’s Jason Burwen – a fact that hasn’t been lost on local residents, many of whom are keen to get rooftop solar and battery backup.
• However, two obstacles stand in their way: cost and corporatism. “A new residential solar panel and battery system costs about $25,000, making solar energy unaffordable” for many residents of Puerto Rico, where the median income is $21,000. Meanwhile, in Florida, incumbent utility FPL has long opposed residential solar in favor of its own solar installations.
• Increased awareness of solar’s ability to withstand and perform – nay, shine! – through natural disasters is providing solar advocates with “ammunition” in “lobbying fights with lawmakers, regulators and traditional power companies” in Florida, Puerto Rico, and beyond.

?? The Takeaway

FEMA to the rescue? Puerto Rico is still rebuilding from the damage inflicted by Hurricane Maria in 2017, and Queremos Sol is “pushing President Joe Biden to require FEMA to favor rooftop solar systems and other small-scale renewable-energy projects, rather than fossil fuels, when doling out $9.5 billion in federal recovery and reconstruction aid.” In Florida, the agency is also providing $477 million in assistance to survivors, but in terms of renewables, aid is clearly needed on the policy front.

• Get Moving: ACP Urges Interconnection Reform
• For Sale: U.S. announces first auction for Pacific offshore wind
• Inflation Nation: PPA Prices Continue Rising

• Dominion unveils 800MW Virginia solar and storage
• Orsted signs 200MW Kansas wind PPA with Walmart
• Recurrent Energy Opens 2nd Largest Solar-Storage Project in US
• Cypress Creek files for state approval for 6 NC solar projects
• Apex gets new state approval for wind in Botetourt County, VA

Got Clean Energy Policies?

Canary Media’s Power by the People series has released a scorecard that ranks states on their policies to promote community-led clean power. Perhaps unsurprisingly, “California and Massachusetts top the list…while Kentucky and Louisiana are at the bottom.” The scorecard weighting favors “community choice aggregation, shared renewables, net metering, and carve-outs for distributed energy and solar in renewable portfolio standards,” but dings states “if they have passed laws prohibiting cities and counties from banning gas hookups in new construction, as 20 states have done.”

While it’s great to see that some states are doing well in this regard, there’s a lot of orange and red on that map! Which in turn means there’s a lot of work to be done to respond to grassroots demands to make clean energy accessible to all.