OK, you know what the Jackanapes-in-Office thinks he is trying to do. However,
1. The Energy Department is promoting offshore energy, especially wind.
2. We have yet more alliances of state and local governments for 100% clean energy.
3. BWAHAHAHAHA!!!
4. Yes, covid-19 initially hurt solar panel and wind turbine production and installations, but it also put a massive dent in pollution, including CO2, and the industry has already started to come roaring back.
Virus Or Not, US States Foment 100% Renewable Energy Rebellion — CleanTechnica
If fossil fuel stakeholders hoped for the COVID-19 crisis to give them a little breathing room, they may have to do some re-hoping. The US Energy Department dropped yet another one of its renewable energy truth bombs earlier this week, and now a coalition of economically powerful US states has followed up with a new initiative aimed at accelerating 100% clean energy goals across the country. That’s not just a state-level thing, either. The new initiative aims at municipalities, corporations, utilities, and other stakeholders, too.
We don't even have room to list all of what is going on. We will have to be content with short takes, today, to be followed up on future Renewable Days with Ys in Them.
CESA notes that 14 states and Washington, DC already have established aggressive clean energy goals leading to 100%. The main thrust of the collaboration is to accelerate those efforts, with the ultimate aim of pulling the rest of the nation along with them.
In a public statement, New York State connected the new collaboration with nationwide economic growth.
“Convening with sister states to achieve nation-wide success under the 100% Clean Energy Collaborative will support sustained growth of the nation’s green economy at a critical time in the fight against climate change,” explained Doreen Harris, who is VP of large-scale renewable energy for the state’s energy research agency NYSERDA.
Basically, the 100% Clean Energy Collaborative will serve as a platform for clean energy states to help each other out. CESA already has a solid track record in that area, by facilitating renewable energy portfolio standards in a collaboration of 29 states plus Washington, DC.
But wait, there’s more. The Collaborative also seeks to network with municipalities and utilities that are seeking 100% clean energy, as well as private sector stakeholders.
Meanwhile, yet another in a series of interesting coincidences (or not-coincidences as the case may be) occurred this week, when news surfaced that at least seven top oil and gas execs were heading to the White House for a personal meeting — a rare thing these days — in search of an assist for their industry.
As if to troll the group, the Energy Department promptly cut loose with two key renewable energy funding announcements promoting offshore wind, among other renewable marine energy resources.
Curious Timing! New Offshore Renewable Energy Research = $22 Million +20 Million — CleanTechnica
With the US oil and gas industry in a state of collapse, now would be a good time for the nation to invest in energy infrastructure that has real staying power — not just concrete infrastructure but intellectual capital as well. That seems to be what’s brewing in the minds of the Department of Energy. It has just launched a new $22 million renewable energy R&D initiative aimed specifically at building up the nation’s stockpile of expertise in the marine area. That’s just for starters, because another $20 million is already in the mix.
To be clear, federal plans for developing US marine energy were brewing all through the boom times enjoyed by the oil and gas industry.
Things in that area ramped up considerably during the Obama administration, including the startup of a wind turbine R&D center at Clemson University in the coastal state of South Carolina.
The renewable energy research train picked up steam during the Trump administration as well. That may seem odd, considering that Trump swept into office on a tidal wave of fossil fuel support while pooh-poohing renewable energy in general and offshore wind energy in particular.
Nevertheless, Trump’s tenure has seen a tsunami of activity in the offshore wind area, including the startup of a new national wind R&D consortium supported by the Energy Department. That initiative is being spearheaded by New York State, which has already grabbed the offshore wind ring despite being all but landlocked (all but Long Island, that is).
The Energy Department offered up a rather suggestive explanation in a public statement announcing the $22 million wind energy research initiative earlier this week.
“The…primary goal is to increase the likelihood of commercial adoption of marine energy technologies, while developing intellectual capital for U.S. technology leadership in ocean sciences and marine energy,” it explained.
Intellectual capital is code for exporting technology, by the way.
Which in turn is code for bidness. Honking great big bidness.
Here in the US, renewable energy is already nudging coal out of the electricity market, thanks in part to vigorous growth in the wind industry. Natural gas looks like the next domino to fall in the near future. On the far horizon, wind power could also be a factor in wiping the mat on heavy duty transportation and thermal fuel through power-to-gas technology.
I'm not going to list all of the Diaries in this series in the last year on all of these topics. Just a few on other initiatives in this space.