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Texas could generate almost all its electricity with wind, solar and very little storage, study says

Energize Weekly, January 9, 2019 Texas—by taking advantage of its geographical diversity—could deploy enough wind and solar generation to meet the state’s electricity demand with little storage or fossil fuel backup, according to Rice University researchers. “One way to reduce the need for costly storage and for polluting fossil generation is to deploy wind and…

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Market pressure, state and local governments pushing marijuana growers to be more energy efficient

Energize Weekly, January 9, 2019 Legal marijuana cultivation—which is spreading across the county—is one of the most energy-intensive economic activities and is spurring the industry, as well as state and local governments, to seek ways to make grow operations more efficient. Thirty-three states and the District of Columbia have passed laws legalizing marijuana in some…

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Wind, solar and storage could competitively provide 70 percent of Minnesota’s electricity by 2050, study says

Energize Weekly, January 2, 2019 Minnesota can economically reach a mix of 70 percent wind and solar electric generation with storage by 2050, according to a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored report. The report done by Clean Power Research for MN Solar Pathways, a group of non-profit clean energy advocacy organizations and the Minnesota Department of…

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Global oil and gas supply chain emits 5,200 million tons of greenhouse gases, IEA says

Energize Weekly, January 2, 2019 The oil and gas industry is a source of carbon emissions even before the fuels are burned—one that should be addressed even as fossil fuels remain in the world energy system for decades, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA’s “well-to-wheel” analysis of indirect or fugitive emissions is…

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Drought leads to higher carbon emissions from utilities in the West, study finds

Energize Weekly, January 2, 2019 Drought across the West between 2001 and 2015 led to reduced hydropower and a 10 percent increase in greenhouse gas emissions as utilities shifted to fossil fuel generation, according to a study by Stanford University researchers. In total, drought conditions led to 100 million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) being…

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States begin to allow utilities to included energy efficiency programs in their rate base

Energize Weekly, December 26, 2018 New types of incentives are being added by states to the quiver programs to promote energy efficiency among utilities, according to a survey by the American Council for an Energy Efficiency Economy (ACEEE), a non-profit advocacy group. The council first surveyed state energy efficiency programs in 2015 and it did…

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Global coal consumption rises, division grows between coal-free and coal-burning regions

Energize Weekly, December 26, 2018 Global coal consumption is set to rise for the second consecutive year in 2018 and demand is projected to be stable over the next five years—as the world divides between coal-free and coal-burning regions, according to an International Energy Agency (IEA) market forecast. After two years of decline, coal demand…

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Most regions can adapt to coal and nuclear plant closures, not the West and Central Plains, NERC says

Energize Weekly, December 26, 2018 The rapid retirement of coal-fired and nuclear power plants can be absorbed by most of the nation, but could stress grids in the Central Plains, Southwest, Rocky Mountain region and the coastal Southeast, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC). NERC, the non-profit regulatory authority overseeing electric reliability…

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New York sets goal of carbon-free electricity by 2050 as clean energy pace picks up

Energize Weekly, December 26, 2018 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has set a target of net-zero-carbon electricity generation by 2040, as a broad array of clean energy initiatives continue to move forward in the state. “The federal government still denies climate change, remarkably turning a blind eye to their own government’s scientific report,” Cuomo said…

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Trump tariffs take a bite out of U.S. solar market, but future prospects still appear bright

Energize Weekly, December 19, 2018 The Trump administration solar panel tariffs have taken a bite out of the market with third quarter 2018 installations down 15 percent year over year and additions of utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) cells falling below 1 gigawatt (GW) for first time since 2015. The growth rate for 2018 compared to 2017…

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Oil prices and demand forecast to be soft in 2019 as economy slows and U.S. production grows

Energize Weekly, December 19, 2018 Oil prices are projected to decline sharply in 2019 as demand remains flat due to slowing economies and weakening currencies—as well as more U.S. oil in the market, according to national and international energy agencies. The federal Energy Information Administration (EIA) last week slashed its projected price for Brent crude…

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Washington clean energy plan ends coal-fired generation, looks to electrify transportation

Energize Weekly, December 19, 2018 Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has unveiled a legislative package aimed at reducing the state’s carbon emissions by 25 percent over 1990 levels, led by phasing out fossil-fuel electricity generation by 2035. The plan focuses in five initiatives: 100 percent clean energy by 2045, moving to electric transportation, a clean fuel…

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