This Week in Climate & Clean Energy Wins: Week of 10/2/23

THREE NUMBERS TO KNOW:

This week, companies made progress on expanding their hydrogen, solar, and wind operations in the United States. Hystar AS announced plans to expand into North America by opening a new electrolyzer factory in 2024 and a multi-GW factory by 2027. In Texas, Ashtrom Renewable Energy secured $270 million in financing for a 400-megawatt solar project that is expected to open next year. Also, in the world of solar, Consumers Energy announced plans to build an 85-megawatt solar energy project expected to power 20,000 homes. In Virginia, Dominion Energy Inc. announced its plans to develop another wind farm that will match the size of its current project, which completed its final environmental impact report, and is expected to receive final approval from the federal government in the next few weeks. Dominion will participate in a lease process next year to get permission for the second project, creating the largest offshore wind farm in the country. 

In the past few months, domestic manufacturing has been on the road to recovery, with new analysis showing production pick-up and employment rebounds. Economists say the improvement reflects resilient markets during a time when many are nervous about a recession. According to an Axios report, the U.S. could meet its net-zero target by 2050 through swift action on electric vehicle (EV) deployment, building decarbonization, and developing clean energy technologies. After much of the country faced extreme heat and weather-related emergencies this summer, new data shows that more batteries were online to maintain grid stability than ever before – a testament to advancements in energy storage technology. Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) released graphics that depict projected results of what the clean energy transition could look like in each state by 2050. The graphics paint a hopeful future for clean energy opportunities sector by sector.

The Department of Energy (DOE) finalized energy efficiency standards that will cut yearly household utility costs for Americans by $1.5 billion. The new standards will take effect in 2023 and will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with gas furnaces and appliances. DOE announced $264 million in funding for 29 projects focused on industrial decarbonization, carbon storage, and offshore wind, with the goal of developing solutions to scientific challenges to clean energy advancement. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the final Clean Air Act Outer Continental Shelf air quality permit, which allows Revolution Wind to move forward with constructing an 880 megawatt (MW) wind farm consisting of 100 offshore turbines.

Lastly, Arizona is receiving more than $1 billion for building roads, bridges, and an electric vehicle network, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. In Michigan, a new report found that the state met 25% of its electricity needs in 2022 through renewable energy and reducing energy waste alone. In Nevada, the Bureau of Land Management set aside nearly 70,000 acres for a wind project expected to generate 600 megawatts of power. In California, lawmakers passed a bill mandating the Department of Transportation to ​“evaluate the suitability” of the land along the state’s highways for developing renewable energy facilities. 

Private Sector

• Hystar AS announced its plans to expand into North America by opening a new electrolyzer factory in 2024 and a multi-GW factory by 2027. [Power Engineering, 10/2/2023]
• Ashtrom Renewable Energy signed a green financing deal totaling  $270 million for a 400-megawatt solar project in Texas. [Ashtrom Renewable Energy, [10/2/2023]
  • The total investment in the Tierra Bonita project is estimated at $435M, and it is expected to be open in 2024. 
• Consumers Energy announced its plans to build an 85-megawatt solar energy project at a former coal plant location. [Consumers Energy, 10/4/2023]
  • The project is expected to power approximately 20,000 homes and pay local, county, and school district taxes, totaling millions of dollars over its 30-plus-year lifetime.
• Dominion Energy Inc., which is developing one of the largest US offshore wind farms, announced it is planning another similar-sized project in Virginia. [Bloomberg Law, 10/4/2023]

New Reports

• Domestic manufacturing took a step towards recovery last month as production picked up and employment rebounded. [Reuters, 10/2/2023]
  • Despite higher interest rates, the third straight month of improvement strengthened economists’ expectations of accelerated economic growth and resilience.
• The U.S. could meet its net-zero-emissions target by 2050 through action on EV deployment, building decarbonization, and scaling clean energy. [Axios, 10/2/2023]
  • It would require an increase in EVs on the road by 100 times current levels – including not only cars and light trucks but also heavy-duty buses and trucks.
• This summer, more batteries than ever were online to help the grid survive seemingly unending heat waves and weather-related emergencies. [Canary Media, 10/2/2023]
  • Batteries have proven they can help the electrical system with critical reliability problems while nudging it in a cleaner direction by developing long-duration storage technologies.

• New graphics from RMI show sector-by-sector clean energy opportunities and their federal investment potential. [Rocky Mountain Institute, 9/29/2023]
  • They depict a plausible, vetted view of what the end results of the clean energy transition could look like in each state by 2050.

Biden Administration

• DOE finalized congressionally mandated energy efficiency standards that will slash household utility costs by $1.5 billion annually and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. [DOE, 9/29/2023]
  • The mandate will take effect in 2028 and require non-weatherized gas furnaces and those used in mobile homes to achieve an annual fuel utilization efficiency of 95%.
• DOE announced $264 million in funding for 29 projects to develop solutions for the scientific challenges to advance clean energy technologies within the decade. [DOE, 9/29/2023]
  • The funding will support projects focused on six different areas, including industrial decarbonization, carbon storage, and offshore wind.
• EPA announced its approval of the final Clean Air Act Outer Continental Shelf air quality permit for the operation of Revolution Wind’s wind farm for up to 880 MW. [EPA, 9/29/2023]
  • The facility will consist of up to 100 offshore wind turbine generators and their foundations, two Offshore Substations, and inter-array cables.

State-Level  

• Reps. Ruben Gallego and Greg Stanton announced that Arizona will receive more than $1 billion for building roads, bridges, and an electric vehicle network, thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. [Daily Independent, 10/2/2023]
• According to a new Michigan Public Service Commission report, the state met 25% of its electricity needs in 2022 through renewable energy and reducing energy waste. [Michigan Radio, 10/2/2023]
  • The report also shows a record 19,571 customers produced some of their own electricity in 2022 — most with rooftop solar installations.
• The Bureau of Land Management set aside nearly 70,000 acres in Nevada for the new Stagecoach Wind Project. [8 News Now, 10/2/2023]
  • The massive project is expected to generate 600 megawatts of power.
• California lawmakers passed a bill mandating the Department of Transportation to ​“evaluate the suitability” of the land along the state’s highways for developing renewable energy, energy storage, and electrical transmission and distribution facilities. [Canary Media, 10/4/2023]