Tag: california

California’s Energy Trailer Bill – What just happened?

California’s Energy Trailer Bill – What just happened?

September 6, 2022 |

More timely and impactful energy policy emerged from the California legislature last week in the form of a new energy and climate change budget trailer bill (AB 209), which creates important new programs, directs billions in state funding, advances access to climate-friendly refrigerants, and shines a light on extreme heat protection for renters. A “trailer bill” is a package of policy details that follow the main budget bill, which allocates the state’s dollars.

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Offshore wind development goals off the California Coast

Offshore wind development goals off the California Coast

August 17, 2022 |

A directive set forth by Assembly Bill 525 (AB 525, Chiu, Chapter 231, Statutes of 2021) directs that on or before June 1, 2022, the California Energy Commission (CEC) shall “evaluate and quantify the maximum feasible capacity of offshore wind to achieve reliability, ratepayer, employment, and decarbonization benefits and shall establish megawatt offshore wind planning goals for 2030 and 2045.” On August 12, 2022, the CEC adopted a report whose preliminary findings set planning goals of 2,000-5,000 MW of offshore wind by 2030 and 25,000 MW by 2045.

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US DOI grants permission for construction of key transmission project

US DOI grants permission for construction of key transmission project

July 18, 2022 |

The US Department of the Interior (DOI) has approved the development of the Ten West Link Transmission Line between Tonopah, Arizona and Blythe, California. The planned energy infrastructure project, which will include the construction of a 125-mile-long 500- kilovolt transmission line, will assist the two states develop future solar energy projects and storage resources.

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Wärtsilä to provide 500 MW energy storage portfolio for Clearway Energy Group

Wärtsilä to provide 500 MW energy storage portfolio for Clearway Energy Group

July 13, 2022 | , ,

Wärtsilä, a Finnish energy provider, has won a contract from Clearway Energy Group to provide a 500MWac/2GWh energy storage portfolio for Clearway’s solar-plus-storage projects. The five solar-plus-storage sites are a combination of energy storage and solar photovoltaic (PV) resources, and they are situated in Hawaii and California. The Daggett II and Daggett III projects, with a combined solar PV capacity of 482MWac and 275MWac/1.1GWh of energy storage, are part of the portfolio.

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Biden Administration Proposes First-Ever California Offshore Wind Lease Sale

Biden Administration Proposes First-Ever California Offshore Wind Lease Sale

May 31, 2022 | , ,

On May 26, 2022, the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a Proposed Sale Notice (PSN) that includes three proposed lease areas in the Morro Bay Wind Energy Area (WEA) off central California and two proposed lease areas in the Humboldt WEA off northern California. The lease sale in two regions hundreds of miles apart is novel. Taken together, the five proposed lease areas total approximately 373,268 acres that have the potential to unlock over 4.5 gigawatts of offshore wind energy.

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Achieving a clean power system in California: Report

Achieving a clean power system in California: Report

May 18, 2022 | , ,

This companion policy report provides California policymakers with no-regrets actions to implement reliability insights from the technical analysis. The recommendations show how the state can mitigate risks from deploying resources too slowly, and reduce air pollution impacts of legacy natural gas power plants, while expanding resource diversity and regional coordination to improve reliability.

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AES signs PPAs to deliver 450 MW of clean energy to Amazon

AES signs PPAs to deliver 450 MW of clean energy to Amazon

May 9, 2022 | , ,

AES Corporation, based in the US, has signed two power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Amazon to supply 450 MW of clean energy to power its data centre operations in California. AES Corporation’s portfolio of projects will deliver clean energy to the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) market with 450 MW of solar and 225 MW of four-hour duration battery energy storage.

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Heliogen and Woodside Energy to set up a concentrated solar power project

Heliogen and Woodside Energy to set up a concentrated solar power project

March 30, 2022 |

Heliogen, a solar power technology company based in the US, has signed a project agreement with Woodside Energy, an Australian energy company owned by Woodside Petroleum, to test a concentrated solar energy project in the United States. Heliogen is planning to build a concentrated solar energy facility with artificial intelligence (AI) at a site in Mojave, California.

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California Building Decarbonization: What’s Coming in 2022?

California Building Decarbonization: What’s Coming in 2022?

February 27, 2022 |

In recent years, California has been a leader in the global effort to tackle climate change through a transition to clean, safe, and healthy all-electric buildings—but more is needed to meet the state’s fast-approaching climate goals. What steps has California taken toward building decarbonization so far, and what’s on the horizon for 2022? For the building sector, the single most cost-effective path to decarbonization is transitioning the state’s building stock from gas-fueled appliances to clean and highly-efficient electric appliances powered by California’s increasingly clean electric grid. 

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<strong>PG&E proposes 6.4 GWh of stand-alone energy storage</strong>

PG&E proposes 6.4 GWh of stand-alone energy storage

January 28, 2022 |

Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E), a California utility, has announced plans to build nine additional energy storage projects totaling 1,600 MW/6.4 GWh, including a 350 MW extension of the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility. Between 2023 and 2026, the energy storage projects would become operational, coinciding with the planned retirements of gas plants in southern California and PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant.

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Hydrostor to receive $250 million funding from Goldman Sachs

Hydrostor to receive $250 million funding from Goldman Sachs

January 12, 2022 |

Hydrostor, a long-duration energy storage system provider based in Canada, has received $250 million in capital from the Private Equity and Sustainable Investing Businesses within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The company is expected to utilize proceeds to develop and construct its 1.1 GW/8.7 GWh of advanced compressed air energy storage projects in Australia and California.

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The path for offshore wind in California

The path for offshore wind in California

December 15, 2021 |

When superimposed over the East Coast, the California coastline extends from Maine to North Carolina. The harnessing of its offshore wind resources will be necessary for California to achieve its zero-carbon energy resources supply goal by 2045. There is strong momentum from a policy and planning standpoint to expand the renewable base to other technologies including offshore wind.

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Ameresco to supply battery storage systems to Southern California Edison

Ameresco to supply battery storage systems to Southern California Edison

October 30, 2021 |

Southern California Edison (SCE) has signed a contract with Ameresco, a cleantech integrator and renewable energy asset developer, owner, and operator, to design and build three grid scale battery energy storage systems (BESSs) at existing substation parcels throughout SCE’s service territory in California. The systems have a total capacity of 537.5 MW and a four-hour endurance, totalling 2,150 MWh.

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California Approves New Rules to Support EV Charging Infrastructure

California Approves New Rules to Support EV Charging Infrastructure

October 13, 2021 |

The California Public Utilities Commission broke new ground recently, approving new rules that will ensure utilities provide “utility-side make-ready” infrastructure (illustrated below) to support electric vehicle (EV) charging at no cost to the typical customer. This will reduce the costs of installing charging stations for cars, trucks, and buses by about 25 percent, fundamentally improving the economics of electrifying the transportation sector.

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Clean Energy Jobs in California 2021

Clean Energy Jobs in California 2021

October 7, 2021 | ,

California’s clean energy economy employed about 480,000 Californians at the end of 2020, down from 537,000 the year before. However, since the sector’s losses peaked at the end of May 2020, jobs grew back by more than 13 percent compared to less than 6 percent in statewide economy overall.

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ESS signs 2 GW battery deal with SB Energy

ESS signs 2 GW battery deal with SB Energy

October 4, 2021 |

ESS, based in Oregon, has agreed to sell 2 GWh of long-duration batteries to SB Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank Group Corporation. The transaction is valued at least $300 million and the entire agreement will last till 2026. ESS has already delivered the first system an SB Energy’s facility in California.

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Investment Plan for California Clean Transportation Program

Investment Plan for California Clean Transportation Program

September 30, 2021 | ,

This 2021–2023 investment plan covers the thirteenth year of the program and reflects laws, executive orders, regulations, and other funding programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, petroleum dependence, and criteria pollution emissions for all Californians. This 2021–2023 investment plan establishes funding allocations based on identified needs and opportunities, including a focus on zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure.

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