THIS WEEK IN CLIMATE & CLEAN ENERGY WINS: WEEK OF 4/28/23:

In a week of big corporate wins, Six Flags announced the largest solar project allocated toward a for-profit organization in the U.S., while Google signed onto the largest corporate sponsorship of distributed solar development in the country. Google’s support of more than 80 distributed solar projects will total 500MW and benefit over 25,000 families in low-to-moderate income communities. Meanwhile, General Motors and Samsung SDI plan to invest more than $3 billion to build a new U.S. battery plant, Prolec GE USA will invest $28.5 million to expand their Louisiana manufacturing facility, and Siemens has officially opened their second U.S. EV charging factory. 

The EV industry continues to grow, with electric car sales surging by 55% last year to surpass 10 million. And a BloombergNEF report revealed that thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. is poised to deliver 600GW of new solar, wind, and energy storage capacity through the end of the decade– a record-breaking surge in development for the U.S. renewables project pipeline.  

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced $13 million in funding to support community geothermal energy initiatives and a new effort to achieve 100% clean energy in all Colorado federal facilities by 2030. DOE launched the Energy Savings Hub, an online resource for consumers to access information about how they might qualify for clean energy savings. 

This week, states continue to see benefits from the administration’s clean energy plan, specifically in rural towns like Colleton County, South Carolina, where federal funding could bring roughly 575 clean energy jobs that would significantly impact their economy. In Idaho, the state’s largest electricity provider, Idaho Power, is making progress on the construction of a new solar plant that is expected to power around 24,000 homes. In Illinois, Governor JB Pritzker announced millions in funding for state climate and clean energy programs.

Private Sector

• Six Flags announced it will build California’s biggest solar energy project in Los Angeles and the largest solar project allocated toward a for-profit organization in the U.S. [Law 360, 4/25/2023]
  • The project will feature a solar carport and battery storage system that can hold millions of kilowatt-hours of energy, allowing the park to offset “100% of its energy usage with solar power.”
• Google and EDPR NA Distributed Generation (EDPR NA DG) signed a framework agreement supporting more than 80 distributed solar PV projects. [PV Magazine, 4/24/2023]
  • The largest corporate sponsorship of distributed solar development in the U.S., the projects total 500MW and will benefit over 25,000 families in low-to-moderate income communities.
• General Motors and Samsung SDI plan to invest more than $3 billion to build a new battery cell manufacturing plant in the U.S. [PR Newswire, 4/25/2023]
  • Targeted to begin operations in 2026, the companies hope to scale their EV capacity in North America beyond 1 million units annually. 
• Prolec GE USA will invest up to $28.5 million to expand its Louisiana manufacturing facility. [Office of Governor John Bel Edwards – Press Release, 4/225/2023]
  • The company expects to create 153 new direct jobs to build electrical transformers used in wind farms, solar parks and other industrial and renewable energy applications. 
• Siemens has officially opened its newest EV charger factory outside of Dallas. [Electrek, 4/24/2023]
  • This is Siemens’ second US EV charging factory, as part of the company’s plan to make 1 million EV chargers for the U.S. market.

New Reports 

• Electric car sales surged by 55% last year to surpass 10 million. [CNBC, 4/26/23]
  • The record sales figures, contained within the IEA’s Global EV Outlook for 2023, continue a trend of sustained growth for the industry.
• A BloombergNEF report predicted the U.S. renewables project pipeline is set for a record-breaking surge in development. [Business Green, 4/24/23]
  • Thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, the U.S. is poised to deliver 600GW of new solar, wind, and energy storage capacity through the end of the decade.  
• Tax incentives for renewable energy projects in the Inflation Reduction Act will reduce development costs by 67%. [Utility Dive, 4/25/26]

Biden Administration 

• The U.S. Department of Energy announces $13 million in funding to support community geothermal energy initiatives. [DOE, 4/25/2023]
  • There have been 11 communities across ten states selected to design geothermal heating and cooling system plans that will create jobs and reduce carbon emissions.
• The U.S. Department of Energy launched the Energy Savings Hub — an online one-stop shop for American consumers to access saving tools like clean energy tax credits. [DOE, 4/26/2023]
  • The Hub highlights a variety of low or no-cost DIY energy efficiency tips that can reduce energy usage and energy waste. 
• The U.S. Department of Energy announced a new effort to power Colorado’s federal facilities, achieving 100% clean energy by 2030. [DOE, 4/26/2023]
  • There will be a 3-month work period to develop a plan that, when implemented, will mean Federal customers are supplied with 100% CFE by 2030 on an annual basis, with at least 50% CFE every day.

State-Level 

• Around the country, states continue to see a windfall in funding from the affordable clean energy plan. [Wall Street Journal, 4/23/2023]
  • Colleton County in South Carolina is one of many small rural towns hoping to qualify for a piece of the $1 trillion in federal tax incentives and loans for clean energy.
• In Idaho, the state’s largest electricity provider continues to take steps to ensure clean energy resources for the next two decades. [Idaho State Journal, 4/25/2023]
  • The provider is making serious headway on constructing Jackpot Solar Project, a new solar plant that is expected to power roughly 24,000 homes.
• Governor JB Pritzker announced $10 million in funding for the Climate Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program and $6 million for the Energy Transition Barrier Reduction Program as part of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). [Illinois Gov, 4/21/2023]
  • The programs will expand pathways for clean energy careers by increasing training opportunities and boosting diversity in the clean energy trade industries by providing resources to limit barriers to participation.