According to a recent analysis by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), solar and battery storage is expected to dominate new electricity generation capacity for this year.
👍 Solar energy and battery storage expected to dominate in US in 2024 Paige Bennett EcoWatch
In 2024, there are currently plans to add 62.8 gigawatts of utility-scale electric generating capacity, about 55% higher than the 40.4 gigawatts of capacity added last year.
New solar electric generating capacity is predicted to make up most of the share of new capacity added in 2024 at around 58%, and battery storage is expected to make up about 23%, according to EIA’s Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory.
Solar growth could nearly double last year’s numbers, reaching an added 36.4 gigawatts of new utility-scale electric generating capacity in 2024 compared to the 18.4 gigawatts of solar electric generating capacity added in 2023. Initially, there were 29.1 gigawatts of planned solar development for 2023. Solar had been on the rise from 2010 to 2021, but then declined from 2021 to 2022. Now, it is back on the rise with this year’s predictions.
Global Warming
Global Carbon Market Outlook 2024
California’s carbon price is expected to average around $42 per metric ton in 2024 and $46 per ton in 2025, according to BloombergNEF. That’s up from $34 per ton in 2023, supported by financial intermediaries. It could reach as high as $93 per ton by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, carbon prices in the EU are forecast to average €71 per ton ($76 per ton) this year, down from €85 per ton in 2023. BNEF then projects the bloc’s prices will head towards €149 per ton in 2030. Carbon markets offer investors access to a tool that tracks a diverse set of low-carbon technologies. They could also attract investors looking to shield their returns from high interest rates and inflation.
This Colorado community is already living in the all-electric future
In the Geos neighborhood, heat pumps, solar and energy efficiency abound. The net-zero community offers a glimpse into what a decarbonized home can look like.
Texas will add more grid batteries than any other state in 2024
Interview: Why global support for climate action is ‘systematically underestimated’
There is near-universal global public support for climate action, yet people systematically underestimate the commitment of their peers, according to a new study.
The research, published in Nature Climate Change, is based on a globally-representative sample of nearly 130,000 people in 125 countries.
It finds that 86% of people “support pro-climate social norms” and 89% would like their governments to do more to tackle warming. Moreover, 69% say they would be willing to contribute 1% of their income to addressing climate change.
Yet respondents also “systematically underestimate the willingness of their fellow citizens to act”, according to the paper, creating a potentially challenging “perception gap”.
Legal experts say the move promotes efficiency and avoids inconsistencies.
U.S. Department of Energy to Provide Nearly $710 Million in Loans for Expansion of EV Tech
The United States Department of Energy (DOE)’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) has given preliminary approval for a loan of $544 million to SK Siltron CSS for the expansion of manufacturing silicon carbide (SiC) wafers for use in electric vehicles (EVs), a press release from LPO said.
SK Siltron CSS is an offshoot of the South Korean SK Group. SK Siltron CSS said SiC wafers are “more efficient” than silicon at conducting heat and handling high power, which leads to faster EV charging and as much as 10 percent longer range.
The projects support the Biden-Harris administration’s target that 50 percent of all new vehicle sales in the U.S. be zero emissions by 2030, according to the press release.
The global power mix will be transformed by 2028
The world is on course to add more renewable capacity in the next five years than has been installed since the first commercial renewable energy power plant was built more than 100 years ago. Almost 3 700 GW of new renewable capacity will come online over the 2023‑2028 period, driven by supportive policies in more than 130 countries.
I wrote The First Green Terawatt was the Hardest in 2019.
Pro Publica
The Rising Cost of the Oil Industry’s Slow Death
There are more than 2 million unplugged oil and gas wells that will need to be cleaned up. But an analysis by ProPublica and Capital & Main has found that the money set aside for this cleanup work in the 15 states accounting for nearly all the nation’s oil and gas production covers less than 2% of the projected cost. That shortfall puts taxpayers at risk of picking up the rest of the massive tab to avoid the environmental, economic and public health consequences of aging oil fields.
PV and prices, the fast uptake of solar in Brazil
In a new monthly column for pv magazine, the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) reports that Brazil currently has more than 85% renewable electricity, mainly hydropower, but with rapidly growing shares of solar and wind power. With 2.3 million rooftop PV systems installed so far and more than 90 million consumer units still available to go solar, favourable energy policies and cheap PV are encouraging the fast uptake of solar in the country.
California Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Repeal NEM 3.0 and Support the Rooftop Solar Market
Over the last year, the California rooftop solar and storage industry has struggled to adjust to the abrupt changes to California’s net metering program. The new bill would require the California Public Utilities Commission to develop a new solar tariff by 2027 and prohibit new fees on solar customers, helping to ensure that the solar market in California continues to grow.
From Daily Kos
Meteor Blades
Due to circumstances beyond my control, Earth Matters and the Weekly Spotlight on Climate & Eco-diaries will not appear today or Sunday, Feb. 25, but will return on March 3.
Dark Brandon Is Boosting Electric Cars: Boosting Biden Day 40
Biden and Harris have been taking real action to boost EVs since 2021, including a new initiative launched December 14. It’ll make federal workers’ business travel cleaner while saving taxpayers cash and bolstering U.S. manufacturing of EVs and charging equipment.
Today the Administration is announcing new public and private commitments to boost access to electric vehicles (EVs), save taxpayer dollars, and tackle the climate crisis. This includes leading by example on climate with the release of new Federal employee travel guidelines that direct the use of sustainable transportation for official and local travel, both domestically and internationally.
These new commitments will save taxpayers money by increasing the use of EVs and taking other cost-effective actions on clean transportation associated with business travel for the Federal workforce. In addition, the State of California, companies, and nonprofits are announcing new commitments through the Biden-Harris Administration’s EV Acceleration Challenge to expand EV fleets, increase consumer education, and grow the availability of EV charging and other clean transportation infrastructure.
Since the President took office, EV sales have more than quadrupled, with more than four and a half million EVs on the road. EV ownership is more affordable than ever before, with prices down over 20% from one year ago. The number of publicly available charging ports has also grown by over 70 percent, with 170,000 publicly available EV chargers across the country, putting us on track to deploy 500,000 chargers by 2026 — achieving the President’s goal four years early.
