Category Archives: Nebraska / Midwest News

Michigan vows to go carbon neutral by 2050, increase oversight of utility resource plans

By Catherine Morehouse, Utility Dive

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, D, on Wednesday signed an executive order committing her state to going carbon-neutral by 2050. It follows the governor’s commitment last year to reach the U.S. goals under the Paris Climate Agreement — reducing greenhouse gas emissions 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2025. Michigan’s new emissions reduction target is the most ambitious yet to come from a Midwest state, and calls for the state’s energy and environmental regulator to have additional oversight over utility integrated resource plans (IRPs). Its two largest utilities — DTE Energy and Consumers Energy — have goals to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 and 2040, respectively. Read more here.

Previously Posted News Release: Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer Joins U.S. Climate Alliance

More About The Coalition

  • United States Climate Alliance Fact Sheet
    The United States Climate Alliance is a bipartisan coalition of 25 governors committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement. The Alliance is led by state governments and is focused on state-to-state cooperation to accelerate the deployment of climate solutions needed to help each achieve their climate goals. The Alliance represents 55 percent of the U.S. population and an $11.7 trillion economy – an economy larger than all countries but the United States and China.
  • Climate Alliance Governors
  • Climate Alliance Principles

Climate Alliance Publication (PDF): Solar Deployment Guidebook: A Resource for State & Local Governments

DTE ENERGY & CONSUMERS ENERGY NEWS RELEASE

DTE Energy and Consumers Energy pledge to help build extensive Midwest electric vehicle charging network, Globe Newswire

According to the Edison Electric Institute, more than 1.4 million EVs are in use today, a number expected to grow to nearly 20 million by 2030. The Institute anticipates that a robust network of EV charging stations will be required to serve the needs of these drivers. Companies joining DTE Energy and Consumers Energy in the charging network’s memorandum of cooperation include Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois, Oklahoma Gas and Energy, and Evergy (covering parts of Missouri and Kansas). Additional companies have expressed interest and may soon join the collaborative effort.

MORE NEWS FROM STATES

Can solar power save rural America?, Farm and Dairy
The sun is shining in Pennsylvania and Ohio. At least, solar developers hope so. They’re flocking to the two states, seeking out land leases and pitching projects that would put more renewable energy onto the grid. Solar development is touted as a win all around. It’s not extractive. It’s renewable. It allows farmers and landowners new opportunities to make money from their properties.

Solar panels shine a light on bee habitats, Southernminn.com
September is National Honey Month, and while there’s still concern over struggling bee populations, a Minnesota project has helped establish a new approach to make these pollinators thrive again. Several groups, including Fresh Energy, have played a role in making Minnesota the first state to adopt a regional standard for pollinator-friendly habitats within solar farms.

Solar Dominates Maine’s Largest Renewables Procurement on Record, Greentech Media
Average winning contract rates were 3.5 cents per kilowatt hour, according to reporting from the Portland Press Herald. That price is competitive with incumbent power in the region, Maine PUC Chair Philip Bartlett II told the newspaper. 

Alaska’s pro-oil Republican governor is quietly pushing green energy projects, KTOO
Renewables make an especially compelling case in Alaska, where electricity costs nearly twice the national average. And the Eklutna hydroelectric concept isn’t the only renewable power idea to draw [Governor] Dunleavy’s interest. The governor has also quietly pitched Warren Buffett, the billionaire investor, on Alaska’s wind power potential, with Buffett responding in a letter that he hopes he can “join forces” with Dunleavy. Executives from one of Buffett’s companies, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, have held a series of meetings with the governor and senior administration officials.

States That Grew Rich From Fossil-Fuels Need to Figure Out What’s Next, contributed by The Conversation, U.S. News & World Report. These are very challenging times for U.S. fossil fuel-producing states, such as Wyoming, Alaska and North Dakota. The COVID-19 economic downturn has reduced energy demand, with uncertain prospects for the extent of its recovery. Meanwhile, rising concern about climate change and the declining cost of renewable energy are precipitating a sharp decline in demand for coal in particular.

INNOVATIVE TRANSITION STRATEGY: SOLAR-FOR-COAL SWAPS

Electric co-ops lead growing wave of early coal plant retirements with ‘solar-for-coal swaps’, PV Magazine. A new white paper from Energy Innovation, an energy policy firm, suggests that one way to speed up the process may be found in the “solar-for-coal swaps” that a small number of U.S. electric cooperatives have successfully completed. As the name implies, the main idea here is for a utility to swap out power from aging coal plants for solar generation. Private sector financing for the swap allows the coal plants to be bought and then retired ahead of schedule.

UPCOMING WEBINAR

Clean Energy Group: An Introduction to Virtual Power Plants, September 28, 12 pm to 1 pm 

Recommended Reading: Propelling the transition: The battle for control of virtual power plants is just beginning, Utility Dive. The largest power plants in the the U.S. — massive feats of engineering like the over 5,000 foot-long, 6,800-MW capacity Grand Coulee Dam — are proving to be no match in scale to the combined power of the rooftops and basements of homes and businesses across the country. Distributed energy, including rooftop solar, on-site batteries to store electricity and more, are on track to grow to nearly 400 GW in the U.S. by 2025, according to projections from Wood Mackenzie, significantly greater than the amount of coal or nuclear power capacity in the U.S. today. As virtual power plants develop, there is a growing debate about the degree to which the future of distributed energy management will be controlled by large utilities or third-party aggregators.

Hemingford Solar Array Powered Up

By Kay Bakkehaug, Hemingford Ledger

Monday morning was a beautiful, sunny morning without a cloud in the sky; a perfect day to celebrate the Village of Hemingford’s solar array field with a ribbon cutting hosted by the Hemingford Chamber of Commerce. The solar system was up and running on September 9th.

The completed solar array is located just north of the Box Butte County Fair Grounds, on the west end of the Hemingford Golf Course. The Village Board of Trustees began discussions with GenPro back in early 2017. Village of Hemingford Chairman John Annen took the moment to thank everyone for their hard work on the project. Read more here.

Photo Credit: GenPro Energy Solutions

Previously Posted: Contracts for Hemingford Solar Project Signed, by Kay Bakkehaug, Scottsbluff Star Herald

2 retired teachers running for OPPD board want to reduce utility’s greenhouse gas emissions

By Nancy Gaarder, Omaha World-Herald

Mary Spurgeon, a retired Bellevue Public Schools vocal music teacher, and William Forsee, a retired Burke High and Abraham Lincoln High School biology teacher, are competing to represent Subdivision 3, which includes La Vista, Papillion and the Bellevue area.

Spurgeon and Forsee say they are committed to reducing the utility’s greenhouse gas emissions, with Forsee citing concerns about climate change as one of his key motivators for running. Spurgeon says that past OPPD boards failed to be good stewards of the ratepayers’ money but that the current board is moving in the right direction and she wants to encourage that progress. Read more here.

City council approve solar project agreement

By Nick Stevenson, Norfolk Daily News

The Norfolk City Council approved a Community Solar Project Agreement at its meeting Monday night. City Engineer Steve Rames told the council members the agreement amends the current Distribution System Lease Agreement between the Nebraska Public Power District and the City. Read more here.

Photo by Ammodramus / Wikimedia Commons

PREVIOUSLY POSTED

UPCOMING EVENT

Solar Land Lease Considerations for Landowners: Webinar Presented by Nebraska & Ohio Extension Specialists

NEBRASKA LEGISLATIVE BILL 824

In 2016 the Nebraska Legislature passed LB 824, which removed some regulatory barriers connected to renewable energy development in our state.

Nebraska Environmental Trust Awards $130,000 Second-Year Grant Funding to Independent Colleges Foundation to Help Complete Sustainability Learning Lab at Bellevue University

Council of Independent Nebraska Colleges Foundation, Business Wire

The Council of Independent Nebraska Colleges Foundation (CINCF) announced today that it has received a $130,000 grant from The Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) to provide second-year funding in support of a new sustainability learning lab at Bellevue University. Construction on the Sustainability Learning Lab began in the spring of 2019 and is expected to be completed later in the fall of 2020.

The completed project will include a 7,000-square foot outdoor-indoor facility supporting a greenhouse, solar and wind generation stations, a biofuel algae pond and an outdoor classroom. The lab will support science and environmental sustainability education, research, public awareness and green workforce development. When completed, it is expected to engage and educate more than 2,500 students, educators, researchers and campus visitors a year. Read more here.

NORTHEAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE ROUNDTABLE SESSIONS

Northeast Community College will host two roundtable sessions in the coming weeks that will serve as a follow up to business and community members’ participation in workforce needs assessments of the region that have been completed on behalf of the Northeast Nebraska Growing Together Initiative. The first session will be held on Tuesday, September 29, from 4-5 p.m., with the second session on Thursday, October 1. Both sessions will be held virtually via Zoom.

To register for either of the Northeast Community College Workforce Roundtable Solutions sessions, go online to northeast.edu/workforce-solutions. Register by September 25th.

13th Annual Nebraska Wind & Solar Conference Postponed due to COVID-19

News Release, Nebraska Wind & Solar Conference Planning Committee 

The 13th Annual Nebraska Wind & Solar Conference scheduled for November 9-10, 2020 has been postponed due to COVID-19 based restrictions and health risks. The Planning Committee feels the face-to-face interaction and networking between participants and Conference exhibitors and sponsors is an important component of the annual Conference. “The safety of our participants and the need for our participants to freely visit with each other were the primary considerations,” said Conference Chair John Hansen.  

The next annual Nebraska Wind & Solar Conference will be held on November 8-10, 2021 at the Lincoln Cornhusker Marriott.

The Planning Committee is also working to develop virtual outreach opportunities to share information about the issues and progress within the industry. “There are many exciting developments going on in both the wind and solar industries,” Conference Chairman John Hansen said.

The Planning Committee encourages everyone wanting more information on the wide range of issues facing wind and solar energy development to visit the Conference website at www.nebraskawsc.com. The website includes an extensive library of recent presentations from leading state and nationwide industry experts as well as past Conference presentations. Past expert presentations can be found under “Resources” and are organized by year and topic on the website. The Planning Committee urges you to take full advantage of the resources our website has to offer.

Details regarding virtual outreach and the 2021 Conference will be posted on the Conference website as they develop. To sign-up for email updates, please visit the Conference website.

The Planning Committee thanks everyone for their past support and looks forward to seeing you next year.

OPPD announces sites for two backup natural gas plants

By Jessica Wade, Omaha World-Herald

The Omaha Public Power District on Thursday announced the locations of two natural gas peaking plants that will be built in the Omaha area. No location has been announced for a solar farm planned as part of the Power with Purpose project. OPPD will hold two online meetings for the public to learn more about the natural gas units: the Papillion facility will be discussed Sept. 29 at 6 p.m.; the Omaha unit will be discussed on Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. For information on the meetings, visit OPPDCommunityConnect.com. Read more here.

PREVIOUSLY POSTED 

The Climate Crisis Requires That We Move Away from Gas, by Sheryl Carter and Bobby McEnaney, Natural Resources Defense Council

We need to create a zero- or net-zero carbon future to deal with the worsening climate crisis—and that requires transitioning away from fossil gas. Getting there will require us to significantly reduce our reliance on gas and, for any gas we still use, address both the methane leaked throughout the supply chain and carbon emitted during combustion. Moving away from gas—in our buildings, in the power sector, and across our economy—could take a long time, and that is why we must start now. Here are some things we can do today to get there smartly and affordably:

WIND & SOLAR DECARBONIZING OUR ECONOMIES LOCALLY & NATIONALLY

Wind’s Environmental Record, American Wind Energy Association (AWEA)
Wind power is a low-carbon energy source—when a wind turbine generates electricity it produces zero carbon emissions. The development of clean wind energy avoids significant carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution.

  • In 2019, the electricity generated from wind turbines avoided an estimated 42 million cars’ worth of CO2 emissions.
  • A typical wind project repays its carbon footprint in six months or less, providing decades of zero-emission energy.

Climate Change: A Solar Energy Industries Association Initiative

  • Both concentrating solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) technologies produce clean, emissions-free electricity that can help reduce U.S. GHG emissions
  • Solar heating and cooling systems can provide about 80% of the energy used for space heating and water heating needs.

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED READING

EPA Infographic: Sources of GHG Emissions in the United States by Sector. While methane, the primary component of natural gas, makes up 10% of greenhouse gas emissions, it is 84 times more potent than carbon dioxide during the first two decades of its release.

Carbon dioxide (CO2): Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil), solid waste, trees and other biological materials, and also as a result of certain chemical reactions (e.g., manufacture of cement). Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere (or “sequestered”) when it is absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle.

Methane (CH4): Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from livestock and other agricultural practices and by the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills.

Nitrous oxide (N2O): Nitrous oxide is emitted during agricultural and industrial activities, combustion of fossil fuels and solid waste, as well as during treatment of wastewater.

Fluorinated gases: Hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, and nitrogen trifluoride are synthetic, powerful greenhouse gases that are emitted from a variety of industrial processes. Fluorinated gases are sometimes used as substitutes for stratospheric ozone-depleting substances (e.g., chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, and halons). These gases are typically emitted in smaller quantities, but because they are potent greenhouse gases, they are sometimes referred to as High Global Warming Potential gases (“High GWP gases”).

5 Major US Utilities That Haven’t Promised to Fully Decarbonize: Some of the holdouts will surprise you.

By Julian Specter, Greentech Media

Electric utilities all over the place are promising to eliminate or net out their carbon emissions — here’s GTM’s look at the top five. Such promises were unthinkable for utilities just a few years ago. But the trend took off when Xcel Energy figured out it could retire coal plants, build clean power plants, and make more profits while keeping electricity costs down. The combination of positive public perception, a bigger rate-base and greater appeal to sustainability-minded investors turned the carbon-free commitments into the rule, not the exception, for the utility sector.

“They’re really trying to appease a nascent but quite powerful movement of [environmental, social and governance focused] shareholders and institutional investors,” said David Pomerantz, executive director of utility watchdog group Energy and Policy Institute, which tracks carbon targets. “Once it started taking off…it became awkward if a company didn’t have a goal.” A few exceptions do remain, though — holdouts that have not promised to eliminate their greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading here.

Photo: NextEra Energy constructed Nebraska’s 35-acre, 5-megawatt solar array east of Fort Calhoun, which became operational in late December of 2019. NextEra contracted with OPPD to sell the power it produces to the utility for at least 20 years.

Previously Posted

  • NextEra is also pursuing a 423-megawatt solar project in Nebraska. It has acquired land rights and now is waiting to find a buyer and to hear what the Southwest Power Pool would charge for a connection to the grid. That figure is critical in developing renewable projects. [Phil Clement, who directs projects in Nebraska for NextEra] said that although it’s not now in the plan, storage could become a part of a Nebraska solar array as well. NextEra always builds solar projects “with storage in mind,” he said. Source: Solar-storage project would be ‘game-changer’ for Kansas City region, by Karen Uhlenhuth, Energy News Network
  • NextEra, Nebraska farmers aim to build largest solar farm in the Midwest, by Karen Uhlenhuth, Energy News Network

NEBRASKA-BASED VALMONT INDUSTRIES IN THE NEWS

Convert launches new PV tracker control system, contributed by Convert, PV Magazine

Solar PV tracking manufacturer, Convert, is launching its TRJ-AI Tracker Control System. The company says its new TRJ-AI innovation provides the industry the opportunity to easily control, manage, and monitor tracking systems from digital devices reliably and remotely to optimize the energy production of solar plants.

“Technology is ever-evolving and our commitment is to guarantee a better solution and a higher performance than the current standards, every time. Today with the innovative TRJ-AI Tracker Control System, the customers are able to take control when and where they want,” says Yury Reznikov, vice president and general manager of global solar for Valmont Industries, Inc, the Nebraska-based company that acquired Convert in 2018. “This means having complete control of your solar photovoltaic plant while increasing yield, minimizing risks, and optimizing O&M costs at the same time.”

Valmont Industries Website
Valmont Careers

MORE ON NEW SOLAR SCHOOLS STUDY & SOLAR POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS

Virginia jumps to head of the class on school solar installations, report shows, by Elizabeth McGowan, Energy News Network

California is still the runaway valedictorian of solar-powered K-12 schools nationwide, but a recent renewable energy policy evolution in Virginia has propelled the state to head-of-the-class status. Since 2017, Virginia schools leapfrogged an impressive 12 spots — from 20th place to eighth place — in solar capacity installed, according to a report released Tuesday by a Charlottesville nonprofit.

Generation 180 collaborated with the Solar Foundation and the Solar Energy Industries Association to compile Brighter Future: A Study on Solar in U.S. Schools. The organization was founded in 2016 to equip individuals and communities across the country to play a role in the transition to 100% clean energy. Report co-author Tish Tablan is the program director for Solar for All Schools, a Generation 180 initiative.

 About Power Purchase Agreements

Solar Power Purchase Agreements, Solar Energy Industries Association 
A solar power purchase agreement (PPA) is a financial agreement where a developer arranges for the design, permitting, financing and installation of a solar energy system on a customer’s property at little to no cost. Schools all across the country are using Solar Power Purchase Agreements to solar power their buildings for free or at minimal cost.

Opinion: Clean energy development can help our economy back onto its feet

By John Karakoulakis, The Colorado Sun

COVID-19 has knocked Colorado’s thriving economy off track. The path to getting our economy back on a strong footing won’t be easy, but clean energy development has been a boon for our state, and the industry will be vital in spurring economic growth. In the near-term, Congress will undoubtedly return focus to economic stimulus legislation. Any viable stimulus plan must include energy investment. Thankfully, two bills aimed at this goal already exist. America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act (ATIA) and the American Energy Innovation Act (AEIA) are two commonsense solutions to aid our damaged economy.
Continue reading here.

John Karakoulakis is Director of The Western Way, a nonprofit organization focused on conservative solutions to western U.S. conservation issues. Referenced in his article:
Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions Poll: GOP Voters Overwhelmingly Support Clean Energy to Jumpstart Economy, Create Global Competitive Advantage

NEW TRANSMISSION STUDY

Previously Posted

UTILITIES’ ZERO-CARBON EMISSIONS COMMITMENTS

The 5 Biggest US Utilities Committing to Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050, Greentech Media
Utility net-zero carbon pledges are piling up, even if the companies are a long way from kicking their fossil fuel habits.

Check out more utilities’ carbon reduction commitments using this interactive map:
SEPA’S Utility Carbon Reduction Tracker
Omaha Public Power District’s Emission Reduction Goal: Net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

OPPD’S Decarbonization Study: Pathways to Decarbonization, OPPD Community Connect
What is decarbonization? Simply, it’s the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, commonly referred to as our carbon footprint. Although carbon dioxide (CO2) occurs naturally in the Earth’s atmosphere, human activities over the last century have significantly increased levels of greenhouse gases. These include burning fossil fuels for energy and transportation, and removing trees (deforestation) to enable other land uses, such as clearing rainforests for agricultural purposes.

SMUD’S NEW COMMITMENT

SMUD aims for carbon neutrality by 2030 in new climate emergency declaration, Utility Dive
The Sacramento Municipal Utility District’s Board President Rob Kerth said in a statement the move reflects a broader cultural transition among the country’s utilities.

YALE CLIMATE OPINION MAPS 2020

Estimated % of adults who think global warming is happening (72%), 2020, Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. These maps show how Americans’ climate change beliefs, risk perceptions, and policy support vary at the state, congressional district, metro area, and county levels.

MORE ABOUT WALMART’S NEW PROJECT GIGATON INITIATIVE

Walmart, Schneider Electric team up to help suppliers transition to renewable energy, Supply Chain Dive. Walmart is partnering with Schneider Electric to make renewable energy more accessible to suppliers. The initiative with Schneider Electric’s Energy & Sustainability Services, titled Gigaton PPA (power purchase agreements), seeks to educate suppliers on their renewable energy options and help them through conversion — a process Walmart’s Senior Director of Sustainability Zach Freeze said can be daunting for any supplier — especially small ones. Gigaton PPA aims to bridge the knowledge gap and pool like-minded, co-located suppliers to combine purchasing power.

GREEN CAMPUSES

Duke University buys 101 MW of solar from Duke Energy, PV Magazine
Three projects across North Carolina are being developed to fulfill a new agreement between Duke Energy and Duke University, under the utility’s Green Source Advantage program. The university is the first academic institution to come to terms on a renewable power contract under the program.

TESLA BATTERY DAY

Tesla battery day bingo, PV Magazine
Tesla battery day is next week. Earlier this year, Musk told analysts that what he had to say “will blow your mind. It blows my mind.” Here’s a list of battery hyperbole and terms you’re bound to hear at the event.

ENERGY STORAGE INCENTIVES

Battery energy storage systems integrated in solar facilities to receive tax incentives, PV Magazine
Tax incentives spurring deployment of energy storage are limited in their application, as they require the system to be paired with solar. On top of this, the requirements to receive the tax incentives do not always align with advancements in battery technology and/or system design. The writer, Lysondra Ludwig, is a tax law associate in Farella Braun + Martel’s San Francisco office.

LITHIUM BATTERY SUPPLY CHAIN

BNEF: Lithium battery supply chain is unsurprisingly led by China, Energy Storage News
BloombergNEF (BNEF) has ranked China #1 among the countries of the world most involved in the lithium-ion battery supply chain in 2020, with Japan and South Korea in second and third place respectively. While the top three results for 2020 are unlikely to surprise many, BNEF predicts that South Korea will fall out of the top three by 2025 to be replaced by the US, although Japan will remain in second place.

LITHIUM BATTERY RECYCLING

Lithium battery recycling facility welcomed by New York Governor Cuomo, Energy Storage News
Along with a worldwide growth in interest in recycling and sustainability topics around lithium batteries and other clean energy technologies, there is growing interest in the US and elsewhere for establishing secure supply chains for lithium and other materials such as nickel and cobalt. A few days ago four US Federal agencies including the Department of Energy announced the formation of the Federal Consortium for Advanced Batteries (FCAB) to support domestic industry.

Solar Projects In Southern Indiana To Boost Economies, Double Solar Capacity

By Rebecca Thiele, WFYI Indianapolis, NPR 

Three large solar farms proposed for southern Indiana are expected to double the state’s solar capacity. Capital Dynamics and Tenaska hope to build projects in Pike, Gibson, and Knox counties adding 500 megawatts of solar. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, Indiana has installed just more than 450 megawatts of solar to date. Read more here.

Photo Credit: Thomas Machnitzki / Wikimedia Commons

Indiana Wind Energy News 

Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, Inc. Awarded 302 MW EPC Wind Contract in Indiana, IEA News Release, GlobeNewswire. “There continues to be a strong demand for wind construction, and we are very pleased to be able to support the efforts to bring increased renewable energy sources to our home state of Indiana,” said JP Roehm, IEA’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Wind installations in the U.S. in the second quarter of 2020 were the highest second quarter of installations on record.” 

IN NEBRASKA

Previously Posted: Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives, Inc. Announces $98 Million Wind Construction Project in Nebraska, Globe Newswire

About Milligan One Wind Farm 
Ninety–nine (99) turbines are under construction for the Milligan One Wind Farm Project owned by EDF Renewables located south and east of Milligan in Saline County. Maximum capacity would be 300,000 kilowatts (or 300 megawatts). The average annual output could power about 10,000 homes. This facility is planned to be operational by the end of 2020. Source: Wind Energy Generation in Nebraska, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE)

Milligan One Wind Project Website

FACEBOOK’S NET-ZERO EMISSIONS COMMITMENTS

Facebook Targets Net-Zero Across Its Global Supply Chain by 2030, Greentech Media
With wildfires burning north, south and east of its Menlo Park, California headquarters, Facebook on Monday announced it will expand its emissions-reductions goals, encompassing not only emissions from its own operations but also those produced by its suppliers. The social networking corporation expects to eliminate or offset all of its own emissions this year, while completely decarbonizing its supply chain by 2030.

CRAYOLA’S SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTS 

Crayola products now being made by 100% renewable energy, company says, Lehigh Valley Live
“Crayola is committed to responsibly making its products and working to get better every day to ensure that children have a healthy environment for their creative tomorrows,” said Rich Wuerthele, Crayola’s president and CEO.

BP’S ROI GOALS FROM CLEAN ENERGY PROJECTS

How BP Plans to Make Oil-Like Returns From Renewables, Greentech Media
The oil major wants to make returns of 8 to 10 percent from renewables projects as it chases a 50-gigawatt target for 2030.

How Much Power is 1 Gigawatt?, U.S. Department of Energy

HYDROGEN & FUEL CELL TECHNOLOGIES

How to build the foundation for a hydrogen economy in the US, GreenBiz
The US Department of Energy’s H2@Scale program, described as a “multi-year initiative to fully realize hydrogen’s benefits across the economy,” is a 4-year old initiative that is beginning to show results. It sees hydrogen as an integration technology that enhances the performance of diverse energy sources and plays a key role in facilitating a low carbon energy system.

During the past year, DOE channeled more than $100 million in grants to some 50 projects to further the H2@Scale initiative. They are funded through US Department of Energy’s H2@Scale program through its Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) in cooperation with other EERE offices. Just last month, EERE announced about $64 million for 18 projects in fiscal year 2020.

NATIONAL SOLAR TOUR

Deadline Extended: Sign Up for the National Solar Tour, American Solar Energy Society News Release, PR Newswire

The Deadline to submit your Local Solar Tour has been Extended to September 23, 2020. The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) and Solar United Neighbors (SUN) have converted the 2020 edition of the National Solar Tour to be fully virtual. From September 28 – October 4, the largest annual grassroots solar event will take place online at nationalsolartour.org. The National Solar Tour will help empower tour-goers to learn about solar technology, sustainability, and the process of going solar from tour hosts nationwide; all from the safety of their home.