08.09 Good Clean Energy News
Clean Energy Keeps Houston Lights On
Clean energy is making Houston’s power grid more resilient. After Hurricane Beryl, Houston’s power grid was badly damaged, but places with solar, batteries, and gas microgrids kept the lights on. Experts say clean energy could help more as states like Texas continue to invest in clean energy.
Read more: Houston’s post-Beryl outages highlight benefits of… | Canary Media
California’s New Offshore Wind Buy
California's utility regulator wants to buy 7.6 gigawatts of offshore wind energy in the next decade. This proposal is more than expected and includes geothermal energy and long-duration storage. The decision awaits final approval next month.
Read more: Offshore wind gets boost from California’s utility regulator - E&E News by POLITICO
Big Boost for North Carolina Wind Project
Governor Roy Cooper celebrated the Timbermill Wind project in Chowan County, North Carolina. The 189-megawatt project will power 40,000 homes and support local farmers. This clean energy project will add jobs and boost the local economy, generating up to $33 million in tax revenue.
Read more: Timbermill Wind Energy Project celebrated in Chowan County
Churches Save Big with Solar
The Inflation Reduction Act is helping churches like Watts-Willowbrook Church of Christ in Compton, California, install solar panels. These installations save money, support community programs, and improve resilience. Solar panels can cut costs and provide backup power during outages.
Read more: Churches are going solar and saving big thanks to the climate law
From Kentucky Coal Mine to Solar Farm
BrightNight plans an 800-megawatt solar farm at the Starfire coal mine in eastern Kentucky. This project will bring renewable energy and jobs to the region, helping communities hit hard by the decline in coal mining. Construction could start as early as 2026.
Read more: Massive solar farm planned for coal mine site in eastern Kentucky
Hidden Agency Powers Green Building
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has $3.4 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act to make federal buildings greener. This includes low-carbon materials and innovative technologies to cut emissions. Projects will impact 40 million square feet and aim for net-zero emissions by 2045.
Read more: This little-known agency has billions to make federal buildings green
1st US EV-to-Home Virtual Power Plant
Sunrun and Baltimore Gas & Electric have launched the first U.S. vehicle-to-home virtual power plant in Maryland using Ford F-150 Lightning trucks. This small-scale program aims to show how bidirectional EV charging can support the grid during peak demand. Funded by a Department of Energy grant, the program will run from June to September and could expand nationwide.
Read more: Sunrun, BGE launch first US electric vehicle-to-home virtual power plant | Utility Dive
Ohio Pilots Agrivoltaics
A 1,900-acre solar farm in Madison County, Ohio, will research how large-scale farming can integrate with solar energy. The Madison Fields project aims to find best practices for agrivoltaics, addressing concerns about land use for solar projects. Funded partly by a $1.6 million DOE grant, it will test crops like hay and alfalfa, explore sheep grazing, and assess farm equipment compatibility.
Read more: Large-scale Ohio research project to explore how solar and farming can co-exist
Sources
St. John, Jeff. "Houston’s Post-Beryl Outages Highlight Benefits of Distributed Energy." Canary Media, 18 July 2024, https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/distributed-energy-resources/houstons-post-beryl-outages-highlight-benefits-of-distributed-energy?utm_medium=email.
Venteicher, Wes. "Offshore Wind Gets Boost from California’s Utility Regulator." E&E News, 22 July 2024, https://www.eenews.net/articles/offshore-wind-gets-boost-from-californias-utility-regulator/?utm_medium=email.
Uche, Amarachi. "Timbermill Wind Energy Project Celebrated in Chowan County." WITN, 24 July 2024, https://www.witn.com/2024/07/24/timbermill-wind-energy-project-celebrated-chowan-county/.
St. John, Jeff. "Churches Are Going Solar and Saving Big Thanks to the Climate Law." Canary Media, 29 July 2024, https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/solar/churches-are-going-solar-and-saving-big-thanks-to-the-climate-law.
Ennis, Bridgett. "Massive Solar Farm Planned for Coal Mine Site in Eastern Kentucky." Yale Climate Connections, 22 July 2024, https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2024/07/massive-solar-farm-planned-for-coal-mine-site-in-eastern-kentucky/?utm_medium=email.
Takemura, Alison F. "This Little-Known Agency Has Billions to Make Federal Buildings Green." Canary Media, 24 July 2024, https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/electrification/this-little-known-agency-has-billions-to-make-federal-buildings-green?utm_medium=email.
Walton, Robert. "Sunrun, BGE Launch First US Electric Vehicle-to-Home Virtual Power Plant." Utility Dive, 25 July 2024, https://www.utilitydive.com/news/sunrun-bge-launch-first-us-vehicle-to-home-ev-charging-program/722367/?utm_medium=email.
Kowalski, Kathiann M. "Large-Scale Ohio Research Project to Explore How Solar and Farming Can Co-Exist." Energy News Network, 29 July 2024, https://energynews.us/2024/07/29/large-scale-ohio-research-project-to-explore-how-solar-and-farming-can-co-exist/?utm_medium=email.
