Category: Opinion & Perspective

Wind and solar growth save €12 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine

Wind and solar growth save €12 billion since Russia invaded Ukraine

Mar 10, 2023 |

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine revealed the high cost of relying on fossil fuel imports—but renewables growth helped avoid a worse crisis. In the year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the EU has faced enormous pressure to mitigate energy security risks and protect itself against the soaring costs of fossil fuel imports. With coal prices also surging, the increased cost of fossil fuels pushed up electricity prices and triggered escalating inflation and a cost of living crisis across Europe.

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Where does Europe’s electricity come from?

Where does Europe’s electricity come from?

Mar 5, 2023 |

Europe has been steadily transitioning towards renewable sources of energy for their electricity generation, making considerable progress over the last decade. In 2011, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) made up 49% of the EU’s electricity production while renewable energy sources only made up 18%. A decade later, renewable energy sources are coming close to equaling fossil fuels, with renewables making up 32% of the EU’s electricity generation compared to fossil fuels’ 36% in 2021.

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New Program Will Help Ensure Reliable Electricity in Western US

New Program Will Help Ensure Reliable Electricity in Western US

Feb 25, 2023 |

In the Western region of the United States, the increasing demand for electricity and the need to ensure that resources are adequate to meet this demand led to the establishment of the WRAP. This is an important step toward the ultimate goal of a fully integrated, transparent, and accessible Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) with meaningfully representative governance in the Western region.

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UK Net Zero Review – calls for a Net Zero Investment Plan grow

UK Net Zero Review – calls for a Net Zero Investment Plan grow

Feb 19, 2023 |

On 13th January, former UK Energy Minister Chris Skidmore published his Net Zero Review, hailing net zero as the “growth opportunity of the 21st century” and calling for the UK to lead the global race to green growth. Skidmore urged the UK government to develop a Net Zero Investment Plan. Successfully implementing this plan alongside the Green Finance Strategy could help government turbocharge the net zero transition.

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US Clean Energy Goals Hinge on Faster Permitting

US Clean Energy Goals Hinge on Faster Permitting

Feb 12, 2023 |

Building renewable energy and transmission projects in the U.S. at the speed and scale the climate crisis requires will require reforms to the way they’re sited and permitted —  at the federal, state and local levels. The current timeframes needed to permit, build and interconnect systems are not aligned with the Biden administration’s target of decarbonizing the power sector by 2035. To reach this goal and mitigate the worst impacts of climate change, the U.S. must  double or triple the level of renewable energy deployment and double the expansion of transmission.

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Cryptocurrency’s Energy Consumption Problem

Cryptocurrency’s Energy Consumption Problem

Feb 9, 2023 |

Cryptocurrency has an energy consumption problem. Bitcoin alone is estimated to consume 127 terawatt-hours (TWh) a year — more than many countries, including Norway. Decarbonizing the crypto industry thus remains essential to achieving a safe climate future. With lawmakers increasingly looking at the effects of Bitcoin mining, from both an environmental and grid-resiliency perspective, lowering energy usage of this crypto currency is a must.

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What Happens When Utilities Start to Integrate the IRA into Planning?

What Happens When Utilities Start to Integrate the IRA into Planning?

Feb 2, 2023 |

The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was one of the climate highlights of 2022. As we enter 2023, our attention shifts toward implementation — and uncovering what’s possible when regulators and utilities leverage the full set of resources the IRA offers to accelerate an equitable energy transition. One of the places we expect to see changes emerge as a result of the IRA is in utility integrated resource plans (IRPs). IRPs are where utilities evaluate their long-term options for meeting energy needs, such as when to retire existing resources and what to build next.

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The United States Has the Only Major Power Grid without a Plan

The United States Has the Only Major Power Grid without a Plan

Jan 23, 2023 |

The US electric grid is often referred to as the greatest machine in the world. But in the aftermath of winter storm Elliott and the rolling power outages its frigid cold inflicted on many Americans, we need to ask ourselves: is this machine a match for these types of extreme weather events blanketing the country with ever increasing frequency and ferocity?

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Can the Inflation Reduction Act unlock a green hydrogen economy?

Can the Inflation Reduction Act unlock a green hydrogen economy?

Jan 16, 2023 |

A key component of the IRA is a lucrative set of tax credits intended to accelerate the deployment of clean energy technologies such as green hydrogen. This financial support has also brought some vehicle makers off the sidelines and into the clean transportation arena, with a few even planning to scale up hydrogen vehicle manufacturing and build new infrastructure.

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U.S. energy transition powered forward in 2022

U.S. energy transition powered forward in 2022

Jan 12, 2023 |

Renewable power made significant gains in the U.S. in 2022, new data from the Energy Information Administration’s Hourly Grid Monitor shows. After two years of disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, and turmoil in energy markets after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, the rapid progress of the renewable transition came into focus in 2022. The growing market share of utility-scale solar, wind, and hydro generation is clearly seen at a daily level.

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Run, Australia, Run! Catch Up with Leading Markets in Decarbonizing Light-Duty Vehicles

Run, Australia, Run! Catch Up with Leading Markets in Decarbonizing Light-Duty Vehicles

Jan 12, 2023 |

The Australian Government recently conducted a public consultation on national electric vehicle (EV) strategy and sought inputs on introducing mandatory national vehicle fuel efficiency standards for new light-duty vehicles (LDVs). This is a key step and we applaud the government for taking it. Adopting fuel efficiency or carbon dioxide (CO2) emission standards will help promote EV sales and help Australia to catch up with leading vehicle markets in combating climate change.

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These 8 countries have already achieved net-zero emissions

These 8 countries have already achieved net-zero emissions

Jan 8, 2023 |

Global action to combat climate change has prompted a wave of national commitments to reach net zero: the US and many others are targeting 2050, with countries like China and India decades later. But a handful of ‘carbon sink’ countries already have their emissions in check. Net zero emissions is achieved when more carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere each year than is emitted. Reaching net zero on a global scale is a central part of efforts to prevent global warming exceeding the 1.5C climate target.

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New York Approves Net Zero Climate Plan!

New York Approves Net Zero Climate Plan!

Dec 28, 2022 |

On December 19th, New York State finalized an ambitious and comprehensive “Scoping Plan” (weighing in at 445 pages) to implement the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA)—the groundbreaking climate and equity legislation enacted in 2019 with leadership and extensive engagement from a diverse set of stakeholders across the environmental justice, labor, clean energy, business and environmental communities, and support from NRDC and many others. 

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The Energy Transition in 2022

The Energy Transition in 2022

Dec 23, 2022 |

After two centuries of growth, 2022 was the turning point for the fossil fuel system as we forecast in our analysis in March and reiterated at the end of the year. Putin’s War led to spiking fossil fuel prices and major new policy moves as the result of the security crisis. This led to a surge in supply of renewable energy, a major increase in efficiency, and a new focus on building renewable supply chains. Fossil fuel demand has therefore peaked, squeezed between efficiency and the growth of renewables. Here we look back at how the energy system changed over the past year.

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G20 and Green Hydrogen: India must strive for leadership

G20 and Green Hydrogen: India must strive for leadership

Dec 23, 2022 |

India’s close friend and ally, Japan, first put hydrogen on the G20 agenda during its presidency in 2019. With India taking over the G20 presidency on December 1, 2022, it must seize the opportunity to propel the green hydrogen discussion to new heights. The years till 2030 are critical for green hydrogen’s development trajectory. India, with its green hydrogen leadership ambitions, can influence the pace and direction of the hydrogen agenda during its G20 presidency.

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Expanding solar and storage in Oregon

Expanding solar and storage in Oregon

Dec 22, 2022 |

The Oregon Solar+Storage Rebate Program was established by the Oregon Legislature in summer 2019 and launched by the Oregon Department of Energy in January 2020. The program provides homeowners with rebates up to $5,000 for solar, and an additional $2,500 for paired energy storage systems when installed together. Low-income service providers—such as nonprofits, municipalities, or other organizations serving low-income Oregonians —are eligible for rebates up to $30,000 for solar, plus $15,000 for paired storage.

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Banks Bet on Green Steel

Banks Bet on Green Steel

Dec 22, 2022 |

Pledges to support the transition to a net-zero steel sector are growing across both the private and public sector. In September, at Climate Week NYC, six signatory banks — including Citi, Crédit Agricole CIB, ING, Société Générale, Standard Chartered, and UniCredit — launched the Sustainable STEEL Principles (SSP), a climate-aligned finance agreement designed to help achieve net-zero emissions in the steel industry.

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The US solar industry waits

The US solar industry waits

Dec 19, 2022 |

The solar industry is waiting on the outcomes of several key policy issues. The first is how Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will manage the approval process under the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and the release of hundreds of solar equipment shipments still being detained. And the second is further US government guidance on specific requirements to qualify for the various tax credits and adders in the IRA.

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MENA, a potential new hub for green steel and green iron metallics

MENA, a potential new hub for green steel and green iron metallics

Dec 16, 2022 |

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has the high-grade iron ore supply, existing DRI capacity, green hydrogen potential and renewable energy resources necessary for producing green steel, putting it at an advantage worldwide. New investments in these green steel prerequisites in the MENA region by major iron ore, steel and energy producers underline the potential of the region in the green steel transition.

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Higher solar ambition can lower bioenergy in REPowerEU

Higher solar ambition can lower bioenergy in REPowerEU

Dec 9, 2022 |

Europe’s over-reliance on imported fossil fuels has led to today’s painfully high energy bills and has been weaponized by Putin throughout Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The EU’s ‘REPowerEU’ plan, formed in response to the invasion, takes the positive step of increasing renewables in order to decrease gas imports and meet climate objectives.

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