Tag Archives: tariffs

Smart community projects “a natural” for public power, says Kelly

By Paul Ciampoli, American Public Power Association

Smart community projects are “a natural for public power,” said Sue Kelly, President and CEO of the American Public Power Association on Feb. 11 in remarks made at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ 2019 Winter Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. Among the things that public power is doing when it comes to smart city activities is converting streetlights to LEDs and electric vehicle charging infrastructure. In addition, public power is working on microgrids and distributed energy installations. Read more here.

ALSO OF POTENTIAL INTEREST

Winning in a more distributed energy world: 3 steps to utility success, Utility Dive. A billion-dollar retail opportunity awaits utilities that turn reluctant customers into partners.

The part of the Green New Deal we should all support, Opinion article by Alice Hill, CNN
Research tells us that by investing just $1 in resilience before calamity strikes, the nation can save itself $6 in future recovery costs.
Study Shows Positive Perception Creates More Acceptance of Wind Farms, Renewable Energy Magazine. A recent study from the University of Michigan states when local residents feel the
planning process for building wind turbines is fair and open, their perceptions of the often-controversial energy source remain steady or improve with time. In fact, the openness with which the planning process is handled is more important in shaping residents’ perceptions of wind energy than receiving a payment, researchers say.
New Podcast, “The Solar Maverick,” Launches With Great Success Blending Industry Insights and Entrepreneurial Advice, AltEnergy Magazine. “The Solar Maverick” debuted in November 2018 and is heading into 2019 as one of the most popular podcasts in solar, and with a growing
international audience.
Shell to acquire battery firm sonnen, Energy Storage News
Second phase of EV charging station plan begins in July, American Public Power Association
Electrify America has announced that the second, $300 million cycle of its National Zero
Emissions Vehicle investment plan is available and that the 30-month investment period begins on July 1.

FEATURED NATIONAL INITIATIVE

Tariffs Hurt The Heartland, a bipartisan coalition launched in
September 2018, represents 150 organizations, including farms, small businesses, and consumer groups.

The coalition has hosted 15 events across the country to showcase stories of individuals, businesses, nonprofits and communities that have been hurt by tariffs.

Previously Posted

Local View: Tariffs jeopardize wind farm growth, by Dan McGuire, Lincoln Journal Star
Dan McGuire is director of the American Corn Growers Foundation. He lives in Lincoln.
SEIA News Release: Tariffs Take a Bite Out of American Solar Jobs

Local View: Tariffs jeopardize wind farm growth

Written by Dan McGuire, Lincoln Journal Star

Over the past few years, wind farms have started springing up across the state, and these projects are providing a financial lifeline for our farming communities . . . Unfortunately, just like an unexpected drought or spike in gas prices, Nebraska farmers hoping to harvest the wind have been thrown yet another curveball — the Trump administration’s trade war with China is threatening wind’s growth in our state.

Tariffs that tax certain wind turbine parts could unnecessarily raise the cost of wind power, preventing some of the wind farms in our development pipeline from getting built. That means fewer jobs and less income for host communities. The trade dispute is already affecting farmers in our state. Read more here.

Dan McGuire is director of the American Corn Growers Foundation. He lives in Lincoln.

Midlands Voices: Tariffs could slow surging Nebraska wind industry

By David Levy, Omaha World-Herald

The writer is a partner and chair of the energy practice group at Baird Holm law firm in Omaha, representing wind and solar energy developers, Nebraska municipal utilities and rural public power districts. This commentary reflects his personal views and not the views of Baird Holm.

Wind is creating new opportunities in communities across Nebraska. In the 20 years since Nebraska’s first wind farm began operations, wind energy businesses have invested more than $2.6 billion in the state. Nearly 2,000 Nebraskans now work in the wind industry, where wind technicians on average make close to $55,000 annually and work and live in rural areas. Thousands more construct wind farms across the state, infusing hundreds of millions of dollars in new wages and spending into local economies . . . Nebraska has a lot to gain if the wind industry continues its growth. And it has just as much to lose if these tariffs move forward. Concerned voters should ask their congressional representatives to urge the administration to exempt wind energy components from these harmful tariffs. Read more here.

NPPD Photo: Steele Flats Wind Farm

ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED READING

Wind + solar make up more than 20% of generation in 10 states – more on the way, PV Magazine. The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has put in stark terms that we have 12 years to clean up our carbon emissions, or face dire consequences for our civilization and our species. That’s the bad news. The good news is that an energy transition is underway in the electricity sector.
Climate bill would move D.C. to 100% renewable energy by 2032, The Washington Post
The District would adopt one of the nation’s most aggressive plans to cut carbon emissions, aiming to use entirely renewable sources of energy for the city’s power grid just 14 years from now, under new legislation proposed by five D.C. Council members.
Why 100 percent renewable energy pledges should cover internet infrastructure, GreenBiz
More companies are committing to climate action through campaigns such as We Are Still In, RE100, the Science Based Targets Initiative and the Step Up Declaration. However, many companies making these commitments are leaving out a large and growing segment of their emissions: data.
Spatial and temporal specificity: the new high bar for 100% renewables, PV Magazine
Google, already 100% renewable powered via PPAs offsets of fossil fuels, is now aiming to make sure they’re clean energy powered 24/7 – even as the sun sets, and winds die down.
General Motors will soon use wind power to build pickups and SUVs, CBS
Related article: GM’s Arlington plant now operates on 100% renewable energy
IKEA Celebrates Grand Opening of IKEA Midwest Distribution Center in Joliet, IL, Business Wire
The Joliet distribution center is LEED Gold Certified, a first for IKEA properties in the U.S. A key environmental highlight is its 268,920-square-foot solar array built with 9,036 solar panels, currently the largest in Illinois.
AEP to shutter 1,590 MW Ohio coal plant two years ahead of schedule, Utility Dive
Wisconsin’s Solar Energy Will Increase By 33 Percent Under New Public-Private Partnership, Wisconsin Public Radio

EV NEWS

New tool helps states identify EV policies that work, and those that don’t, Utility Dive

The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), which has developed, along with Cadmus, a tool for states and localities to assess their policies and develop regulations that will encourage smart growth of charging infrastructure and vehicle adoption.

GREEN POWER LEADERSHIP AWARDS

Anheuser-Busch Recognized for Excellence in Green Power Use in 2018 EPA Leadership Awards,
Renewable Energy Magazine

NEW PRODUCT FOR RESIDENTIAL HOMEBUILDERS

News Release: Solar Alliance launches “SunBox” product for residential homebuilders

“With California legislation requiring all new homes to have solar starting in 2020, and other states soon to follow, the new home segment is one of the fastest growing markets and this program provides a fantastic tool to address that demand,” said Chairman and CEO Jason Bak. “SunBox provides residential developers with all of the tools they need to provide their customers with a permit-ready solar package. Including solar in the initial home design makes long term economic sense and provides another option for developers to offer their customers. The new home market is massive, and this program allows us to target it strategically.”

AT&T signs huge renewable energy purchase agreement

Posted by Climate Action

AT&T has agreed to purchase 520 megawatts of renewable energy, in what is being signaled as one of the largest corporate agreements to date The company has also signed on to a set of principles which help guide and support corporate companies make cost-effective renewable energy purchases from the grid. The initiative is being led by WWF and the World Resources Institute. Read more here.

Image Credit: Leaflet / CC

ALSO IN THE NEWS

Massachusetts reaches 2 GW of installed solar, PV Magazine
The state has reached this milestone despite a residential market crash, a long waiting period for the new SMART regulations, and net metering caps being reached in some utility service areas.
Tri Global Energy Continues to Tower Over Wind Energy Development in Texas, Cision PR Newswire. The company develops and owns utility-scale wind projects in Texas, New Mexico and Nebraska.
Why a Big Utility Is Embracing Wind and Solar, Opinion, New York Times
Clean Focus Completes 11.92 MW Community Solar Projects In Colorado, PV Magazine
Alaska’s energy and arctic-tech startup scene is warming for global challenges, GreenBiz
BP aims to invest more in renewables and clean energy, The Guardian
Farmers Might Want to Swap Tobacco Plants for Solar Panels, Popular Mechanics
An analysis by researchers at Michigan Tech found that solar farms are more profitable than tobacco farms.
Tariffs violate NAFTA and the Trade Act, Canadian companies tell court, PV Magazine
A group of three Canadian companies filed a lawsuit in the United States Court of International Trade, saying their products shouldn’t be covered by the tariffs because they do not harm U.S. module manufacturers . . . The lawsuit, filed [with] the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York this week, is [the] fifth legal action taken in an attempt to get relief from the tariffs, though it is the first known action to be filed within the United States itself. South Korea, Taiwan and the European Union and China currently have challenges to the tariffs pending before the World Trade Organization.
6 Reasons to be Optimistic About the Future of Solar, by Mike Bloomberg, Medium

Nebraskans for Solar

Solar: the energy of life