After listening to the episode on Kathy Hochul, I'm curious about the clash of affordability politics and clean energy policy in other blue/green states across the country. I work in Maine, where the legislature restricted their net energy billing incentive for solar plants last year, claiming that the policy caused stranded costs to be passed onto consumers. (Supposedly, the state is developing a revised policy incentive to replace it.) I wonder if we'll see more rollbacks like this? Or if Dems can use it to make a more convincing case for clean energy (e.g. solar is the cheapest form of energy)?
The credible policy to rapidly create affordable, reliable community energy that I'm aware of is already adopted and being deployed by France and South Korea: Mandated solar canopy micro-grids, including on-site BESS +Vehicle-2-Grid chargers at ALL existing parking lots larger than 80 spaces, nationwide, within 3 to 5 years; largest lots first.
This could also be accomplished by a determined City Council that directed planning & permitting staff to inventory existing suitable lots in their jurisdiction, create expedited permitting for pre-approved modular solar micro-grid system designs, co-ordinate batch interconnection approvals with the utility company, and issue RFPs to pre-qualified microgrid developers for multiple air-space leased projects. This strategy sends an explicit economic message to qualified developers: "Our town is open for business. Help us rapidly build an affordable, reliable, city-wide solar energy micro-grid matrix here, instead of wasting your time and money trying to acquire customers and wading through permitting swamps elsewhere".
While solar canopies on parking lots are very cool, they definitely aren’t cheap. Not sure building more of them is going to bring down the cost of electricity. For that we need more utility scale solar (and preferably much lower tariffs on panels)
This would be a fantastic (and potentially uplifting?!) topic for a Volts interview. Can you recommend for DR a couple possible speakers/interviewees on this subject? I pretty much have this thought every time I go past a parking lot (so, a lot), but it would be wonderful to hear about it actually being implemented.
Please join our new LinkedIn Group, the Community Voices in Energy Network, to learn/discuss energy policy that centers the people most affected by utility decisions, how to engage effectively in PUC proceedings, and how to translate that insight into action. https://www.linkedin.com/groups/17278010/
Today, the Trump administration reached a nearly $1 billion agreement with French energy giant TotalEnergies to cancel & buy-out at taxpayer expense, its previously approved offshore wind leases off the coasts of New York and North Carolina. This is "US Energy Planning" at the behest of US BigOil&Gas: Freeze out European offshore wind developers.
You need to follow up this. Increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere is not only about climate, but also about our brain and cognitive functions. Professor Ugo Bardi, Italy was one of the first to warn for this:
I asked Swedish Professor Peter Stenvinkel, expert in nephrology and the blood chemistry, and his comment was; ”Scary but unfortunately it is likely. We know that more CO₂ in the blood leads to acidosis, altered oxygen transport and effects on electrolytes and enzyme function.”
These are much higher concentrations than we'll see in the atmosphere in any of our lifetimes. Indoor CO_2 (from breathing or combustion) is a concern, sure, but outdoors we have many more things to worry about than this...
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Hey David, if you have a chance, mind sharing a bit more about what Bend is doing?
After listening to the episode on Kathy Hochul, I'm curious about the clash of affordability politics and clean energy policy in other blue/green states across the country. I work in Maine, where the legislature restricted their net energy billing incentive for solar plants last year, claiming that the policy caused stranded costs to be passed onto consumers. (Supposedly, the state is developing a revised policy incentive to replace it.) I wonder if we'll see more rollbacks like this? Or if Dems can use it to make a more convincing case for clean energy (e.g. solar is the cheapest form of energy)?
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Work for the California Air Resources Board on our climate data and risk disclosure. Location: Sacramento. Salary range: $10,521.00 - $13,173.00 per Month https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=511462
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Is there an actual policy perspection for cheaper electricity that won't take decades to implement?
The credible policy to rapidly create affordable, reliable community energy that I'm aware of is already adopted and being deployed by France and South Korea: Mandated solar canopy micro-grids, including on-site BESS +Vehicle-2-Grid chargers at ALL existing parking lots larger than 80 spaces, nationwide, within 3 to 5 years; largest lots first.
This could also be accomplished by a determined City Council that directed planning & permitting staff to inventory existing suitable lots in their jurisdiction, create expedited permitting for pre-approved modular solar micro-grid system designs, co-ordinate batch interconnection approvals with the utility company, and issue RFPs to pre-qualified microgrid developers for multiple air-space leased projects. This strategy sends an explicit economic message to qualified developers: "Our town is open for business. Help us rapidly build an affordable, reliable, city-wide solar energy micro-grid matrix here, instead of wasting your time and money trying to acquire customers and wading through permitting swamps elsewhere".
While solar canopies on parking lots are very cool, they definitely aren’t cheap. Not sure building more of them is going to bring down the cost of electricity. For that we need more utility scale solar (and preferably much lower tariffs on panels)
This would be a fantastic (and potentially uplifting?!) topic for a Volts interview. Can you recommend for DR a couple possible speakers/interviewees on this subject? I pretty much have this thought every time I go past a parking lot (so, a lot), but it would be wonderful to hear about it actually being implemented.
Please join our new LinkedIn Group, the Community Voices in Energy Network, to learn/discuss energy policy that centers the people most affected by utility decisions, how to engage effectively in PUC proceedings, and how to translate that insight into action. https://www.linkedin.com/groups/17278010/
Today, the Trump administration reached a nearly $1 billion agreement with French energy giant TotalEnergies to cancel & buy-out at taxpayer expense, its previously approved offshore wind leases off the coasts of New York and North Carolina. This is "US Energy Planning" at the behest of US BigOil&Gas: Freeze out European offshore wind developers.
--- CLIMATE EVENTS & MEETUPS ---
Building an Energy Future that Leaves No One Energy Poor - Register for free webinar co-hosted by Environmental Defense Fund and the Environmental Law Institute: https://www.eli.org/events/community-lawyering-environmental-justice-part-15-building-energy-future-leaves-no-one
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You need to follow up this. Increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere is not only about climate, but also about our brain and cognitive functions. Professor Ugo Bardi, Italy was one of the first to warn for this:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23008272/
I asked Swedish Professor Peter Stenvinkel, expert in nephrology and the blood chemistry, and his comment was; ”Scary but unfortunately it is likely. We know that more CO₂ in the blood leads to acidosis, altered oxygen transport and effects on electrolytes and enzyme function.”
These are much higher concentrations than we'll see in the atmosphere in any of our lifetimes. Indoor CO_2 (from breathing or combustion) is a concern, sure, but outdoors we have many more things to worry about than this...