Focus

Hundreds of U.S. and European companies and investors urge Biden to hike climate target

Reuters – April 12

Hundreds of U.S. and European companies and investors, including Walmart, Apple, General Electric, and California State Teachers’ Retirement System, on Tuesday called on the United States to slash its greenhouse gas emissions at least 50% this decade, adding to mounting pressure on the Biden administration ahead of a climate summit next week. The current U.S. pledge, made under former President Barack Obama, is for emissions in 2025 to be 26%-28% below 2005 levels.

News

Interior bolsters offshore wind by revoking Trump-era legal opinion

The Hill – April 9

The Interior Department last Friday bolstered offshore wind energy by revoking a legal opinion issued during the Trump administration that gave more weight to fishing concerns about that kind of energy development. Robert Anderson, the Interior Department’s principal deputy solicitor, issued an opinion that reversed the Trump-era solicitor Daniel Jorjani’s December opinion that the department should err “on the side of less interference rather than more interference” in fishing when it comes to offshore wind activities.

Transmission strategy takes shape as Congress, FERC press ahead with reforms

S&P Global – April 12

A package of far-reaching reforms to expand the nation’s high-voltage electric transmission system is coming into focus as congressional Democrats begin drafting legislation in line with President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure vision. The suite of policy proposals is largely centered on a new investment tax credit for regionally significant transmission lines and potentially two new grid-focused offices housed within the U.S. Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The transmission blitz comes amid a wave of recent in-depth reports highlighting the benefits associated with expanding and upgrading the nation’s regionally siloed electric grid to accommodate increasing levels of variable renewable energy penetration.

Projects

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. leading new microgrid projects for mission-critical, vulnerable customers

Power Engineering – April 13

Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has launched its community microgrid program and already started work on the first major project in the effort. The California Public Utilities Commission approved PG&E’s Community Microgrid Enablement Program (CMEP) last month. The first community microgrid in PG&E’s plan is the Redwood Coast Airport Renewable Energy Microgrid already under construction.

Zinc battery storage contracts in California, Texas, and India for Eos Energy Enterprises

Energy Storage News – April 14

Eos Energy Enterprises has announced three large-scale projects in the U.S. and India. The company did not give full details including sizing and capacity of each project, but it identified the customers: renewables, natural gas, and battery storage project developer Hecate Energy for a project in Texas, solar energy independent power producer Azure Power for a project in India, and power engineering consultancy ZGlobal for a project in California. The California project will also be paired with solar.

Navajo Nation finalizes solar plant leases on tribal land

KNAU – April 8

The Navajo Nation is moving ahead with two more solar power plants, which are expected to generate millions of dollars in revenue for the tribe over their lifetimes. One is about an hour north of Flagstaff in Cameron and the other is in Utah near the Arizona border. The power from the plants will mostly go to utility providers outside the Navajo Nation.