By Sophia Ptacek and Sheryl Carter, Natural Resources Defense Council

Utility clean energy commitments have strengthened and multiplied since we inventoried some of the most newsworthy announcements last year. Xcel Energy recently became the first major utility to commit to eliminating 100 percent of its carbon emissions by 2050. Platte River Power Authority, a publicly owned utility in Colorado, announced its pledge to provide 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2030. And MidAmerican Energy, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, will be the first U.S. utility to provide customers with electricity generated from 100 percent renewable energy by 2020, less than a year away . . . Climate commitments keep coming. Read more here.

MORE ENERGY TRANSITION STORIES & BLOOMBERG’S NEW MOVEMENT ANNOUNCEMENT

• 100% zero-carbon energy policies advance in three states, PV Magazine
  Bills to move to 100% carbon-neutral electricity by 2030 and 2045 advanced in Washington and New Mexico, while Minnesota’s governor announced a plan to move his state to 100% zero-carbon by 2050.
• Minnesota 100% carbon-free bill joins flurry of state level clean energy action, Utility Dive
• Nukes not included: 100% renewable energy proposed in Illinois, PV Magazine
  Senator Cristina Castro and Representative Ann Williams have introduced The Clean Energy Jobs Act, which would raise the state’s RPS to 45% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% renewable energy by 2050.
• Like peanut butter and jelly, wind+solar in a 1.2 GW deal, PV Magazine
  NextEra and KKR have partnered on a portfolio of ten operational wind+solar assets, totaling 860 MW of wind and 328 MWac of solar, in a $900 million convertible equity finance deal.
• North Dakota finally embraces big solar, PV Magazine
  For the first time, North Dakota will have a solar installation at least 1 MW in size. Actually, that’s an understatement, as state regulators have approved Geronimo Energy’s bid for a
  200 MW project outside of Fargo.
• As Detroit studies solar potential, residents focus on community benefits, Energy News Network
• City of Binghamton Offering No-Cost Community Solar Energy, WICZ
  BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – Mayor David announced the City of Binghamton will take part in NYSERDA’s Solar for All program, in hopes to reduce the energy burden of low-income houses with no-cost community solar subscriptions. 
• Utah Bill To Move Communities To Net-Zero Energy By 2030 First Of Its Kind, KPCW
• New resource library helps cities boost buildings’ energy efficiency, Smart Cities Dive
• 5 new corporate climate initiatives revealed at GreenBiz 19, GreenBiz
• Canada Just Joined IRENA — Here Is Why That Matters, CleanTechnica
  It marks a continued growth in membership for IRENA year on year, with the membership almost doubled from 85 members in 2011. At present more than 80% of countries are members, including major world powers such as China, United States, Russia and the European Union.
• Our Highest Office, My Deepest Obligation, by Michael Bloomberg, Bloomberg Opinion
  I’m not running for president, but I am launching a new campaign: Beyond Carbon.

NEW SLIDESHOW

WINDExchange Publishes New Offshore Wind Slideshow 
As part of its series of wind information slideshows, WINDExchange published Block Island and Beyond: Offshore Wind Energy in the United States. This slideshow provides a brief introduction to offshore wind in the United States, including the country’s first installation off the coast of Block Island, Rhode Island. The slideshow is also available as a PowerPoint file.

Pixabay Photo