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HYDROGEN: The Treasury Department’s new hydrogen tax credit guidelines appear to favor Texas and states in the Midwest and Southwest, where wind and solar can be built quickly and cheaply. (Canary Media)
ALSO: The new hydrogen incentive rules raise questions about how the federal government will measure the industry’s emissions and account for the use of nuclear power and carbon capture in hydrogen production. (E&E News)
SOLAR: First Solar enters two deals to sell $700 million worth of tax credits, a first-of-its-kind transaction that will let the U.S. solar panel manufacturer quickly bring in money from the federal domestic production incentives it could otherwise only use to trim its tax bill. (Canary Media)
WIND:
STORAGE:
CLIMATE: A judge rejects a U.S. Justice Department bid to dismiss an Oregon youths’ lawsuit alleging federal policies contribute to human-caused climate change, allowing the case to move forward. (OPB)
CARBON CAPTURE: Communities across south Louisiana organize to oppose at least 20 underground carbon dioxide storage projects in the planning or development stages that also include a sprawling network of pipeline expansions. (Floodlight/WWNO)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Georgia saw a surge of electric vehicle and battery-related investment in 2023, driven by ongoing construction at Hyundai’s electric vehicle factory and amplified by federal funding and tax credits. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Savannah Tribune)
OIL & GAS: New Mexico lawmakers consider legislation that would ban new oil and gas drilling and phase out most existing production within one mile of schools and daycare centers. (Associated Press)
EFFICIENCY:
WIND: Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities build a utility-scale wind turbine in Kentucky to test the potential for wind power in the state. (Kentucky Lantern)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
SOLAR:
CARBON CAPTURE: Communities across south Louisiana organize to oppose at least 20 underground carbon dioxide storage projects in the planning or development stages that also include a sprawling network of pipeline expansions. (Floodlight/WWNO)
OIL & GAS:
GRID:
CLIMATE: A federal report on damage done by 2022’s Hurricane Ian finds newer homes survive better than older homes, with newer roofs as the single most important upgrade in damage assessments. (Miami Herald)
CLEAN ENERGY: A South Korean electronics company announces it will invest $700 million into West Virginia to develop renewable energy, telehealth and other technologies. (Associated Press)
HYDROGEN: Newly proposed rules governing development of the “green hydrogen” industry appear to favor Texas and states in the Midwest and Southwest, where wind and solar can be built quickly and cheaply. (Canary Media)
ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: The U.S. EPA awards $50 million to environmental and climate justice organizations from New Orleans and Houston to reduce greenhouse gases and clean up their communities. (Verite News)
OVERSIGHT: Louisiana Gov.-elect Jeff Landry names an oil and gas industry executive to head up the state’s Department of Natural Resources. (NOLA.com)
WORKFORCE: A Texas nonprofit trains workers for the solar industry as part of its mission of “disrupting poverty through green career training.” (Dallas Free Press)
COMMENTARY: Louisiana is gearing up for a legal fight against a federal policy that could dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions even as the state tries to preserve its coastline against rising seas, writes a columnist. (NOLA.com)
OIL & GAS: A $25 million federal grant allowed Michigan to plug 200 orphaned oil and gas wells in 2023, nearly half of all known orphaned wells in the state. (MLive)
WASTE-TO-ENERGY: Youngstown, Ohio, officials halt plans for a facility that would convert recycled tires into synthetic gas in a neighborhood of predominantly Black residents. (Inside Climate News)
PIPELINES:
GRID:
SOLAR: Officials in southern Illinois advance plans to purchase a vacant, 123-acre cemetery that’s owned by the state for a solar project. (FOX 2)
RENEWABLES: Indiana-based NiSource sells a minority stake in its utility NIPSCO for $2.16 billion that executives say will help the utility invest in more renewables. (Times of Northwest Indiana)
COAL: The owner of North Dakota’s largest coal plant, which is set to close in the coming years, expands a partnership to recycle more byproducts from coal burning for future uses. (Bismarck Tribune)
OVERSIGHT: The U.S. Supreme Court and federal district courts are weighing several cases this year that could significantly limit federal energy regulators’ ability to oversee climate and infrastructure policy. (E&E News)
WIND: Consumers Energy begins operating a 72-turbine, 201 MW wind project in central Michigan. (FOX 17)
EMISSIONS: A northern Michigan city hopes to reduce its local methane emissions by enrolling more restaurants in a composting program that diverts food waste from landfills. (WDIV)
UTILITIES: Minnesota utilities continue seeking rate increases for grid investments and clean energy as inflation on services remains stubborn for consumers. (Star Tribune)
HYDROGEN: The Biden administration releases guidance for its hydrogen tax credit, though industry leaders say the rules go too far in prioritizing low- and zero-emission hydrogen production and will slow growth. (E&E News, Utility Dive)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
SOLAR: Solar advocates in Georgia and elsewhere embrace federal funding for programs to reduce energy bills by making solar power affordable for lower-income households. (WABE/Grist)
CLEAN ENERGY:
CLIMATE:
EMISSIONS:
PIPELINES: A proposed carbon pipeline in the Midwest divides ethanol industry supporters and farmers who say they feel betrayed by the company’s potential use of eminent domain to build the project. (South Dakota Searchlight)
GRID:
LITHIUM: The Reno-Sparks Indian Colony looks to build coalitions and garner public support — rather than file lawsuits — to fight the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada. (Associated Press)
RESILIENCY: Although Massachusetts wants more municipalities to undertake climate resiliency projects, they say securing state funds to do so isn’t easy. (Boston Globe)
BUILDINGS: Maine’s heat pump market is already thriving, but new federal subsidies targeting low-income homeowners could further spur its growth. (Portland Press Herald)
CLEAN ENERGY: A $10 million federal grant will support economic development efforts in Ohio and neighboring states to help lure small- and medium-sized manufacturers specializing in the clean energy supply chain. (Energy News Network)
CO2 PIPELINES:
OHIO: The former FirstEnergy subsidiary that was to receive the bulk of a ratepayer-funded bailout for two of its nuclear plants says it acted in a “legal way” to help get House Bill 6 passed. (Ohio Capital Journal)
SOLAR:
PIPELINES: Environmental groups and four tribes will appeal Michigan regulators’ decision to allow plans for an underground tunnel for Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac. (MLive)
OIL & GAS:
BIOGAS: Plans for a central Wisconsin anaerobic digester on a dairy farm divide local residents as critics raise groundwater pollution concerns. (Wisconsin Examiner)
COAL: Decommissioning units of a Wisconsin coal plant in the coming months will require complex steps to keep wastewater treatment, water intake and a conveyor system operational for remaining units. (Journal Sentinel)
UTILITIES: A new Illinois law that took effect on Jan. 1 prohibits utilities from shutting off power to customers when temperatures reach certain heat thresholds. (Southern Illinoisan)
GRID: North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum declared a statewide emergency on Friday as thousands of residents experienced power outages when an ice storm dismantled power lines. (Associated Press)
CLIMATE: A new documentary explores researchers’ and advocates’ efforts to find climate solutions in northern Michigan. (Michigan Advance)
CLEAN ENERGY: A coalition of regional groups uses a $10 million federal grant to recruit more than 1,000 small and medium manufacturers for the growing clean energy economy in West Virginia and four other Appalachian states. (Energy News Network)
ALSO:
CARBON CAPTURE: The U.S. EPA grants Louisiana the authority to approve and regulate the drilling of wells for carbon capture projects. (Louisiana Illuminator)
SOLAR: Solar advocates in Georgia and elsewhere embrace federal funding for programs to reduce energy bills by making solar power affordable for lower-income households. (WABE/Grist)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
WIND: A Virginia city receives more than $39.2 million to renovate a marine terminal into an offshore wind logistics facility. (WVEC)
HYDROGEN:
GRID:
POLITICS: Virginia environmental justice advocates worry Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin is hampering a 2020 law intended to boost transparency and engagement with communities affected by pipelines and other energy projects. (Inside Climate News)
OVERSIGHT:
COAL:
UTILITIES: West Virginia water and gas utilities spat over a line break and service outage last month. (Charleston Gazette-Mail)
As federal incentives spur a wave of new domestic clean energy manufacturing, economic boosters in Ohio and neighboring states see an opportunity to “Make it in Appalachia.”
A virtual summit this month will serve as part of public kickoff efforts to identify and support small and medium manufacturers in the region so they can play a role in the growing clean energy economy.
The New Energy Economy project is being funded by a $10 million federal grant awarded this fall. Lead applicant Catalyst Connection and ten other partners have been working over the past two months to finalize subcontracts for the effort, which encompasses 156 counties in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.
“By supporting small-to-medium manufacturers and providing training and resources, we can drive economic transformation, create in-demand jobs, and build a brighter future for Appalachian communities,” said Steve Herzenberg, co-director of ReImagine Appalachia, one of the grant partners.
ReImagine Appalachia is hosting its virtual strategy summit on January 16 and 17. The first day will focus on how to turn the Ohio River Valley into a sustainable manufacturing hub, with discussions the next day focused on community rebuilding and workforce development under federal climate infrastructure programs.
The Appalachian Regional Commission is providing funding for the grant under the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as part of its Appalachian Regional Initiative for Stronger Economies. ARISE supports multi-state projects to drive large-scale regional economic change.
The New Energy Economy project will provide training, technical assistance, supply chain mapping and guidance for factory and product upgrades to more than 1,000 small to medium-sized manufacturers over four years in sectors that include renewable energy, hydrogen, smart grid, green buildings, and electric vehicles.
“We want to identify and support companies that want to participate in a new clean energy supply chain or improve their factory in energy efficiency,” said Petra Mitchell, president and CEO at Catalyst Connection, based in Pittsburgh. Although much of Appalachia is rural, the region includes many towns and cities.
Mitchell said a wide range of businesses could benefit in different sectors. Planned hydrogen hubs, for example, will need lots of metal products and meters, she said. So companies making those types of things may want to think about how they could adapt existing products or develop new ones to serve that sector.
Similarly, lots of pieces and parts go into wind turbines, said Amanda Woodrum, another co-director of ReImagine Appalachia. “They’re made of things that we make already, like gearboxes and bearings.” The grant project can help identify companies that might be a good fit for making those things and provide technical know-how so they can gear up to expand.
Yet there are barriers to getting into new markets.
“Across the region, many small and medium-sized manufacturers lack the capabilities to participate in the supply chains for green energy production or green products manufacturing,” said Janiene Bohannon, communications director for the Appalachian Regional Commission. “Appalachian manufacturers and energy providers seeking to pivot to greener models face difficulties in post-COVID supply chain disruptions, labor shortages, increasingly dated facilities and technology, and lack of availability of training in said technology.”
Large manufacturers often have staff or can afford consultants to grow their businesses and navigate entry into new market sectors.
“Small companies rarely do this,” said Ethan Karp, president and CEO of MAGNET in Cleveland.
The nonprofit will be responsible for providing roughly $1 million in services to companies in Ohio counties covered by the grant. Other manufacturing extension partners will work with companies in the four other states covered by the grant.
More than half of the 32 Ohio counties rank among the 25% most economically depressed counties nationwide. Only two are “competitive” under the commission’s designation system.
“We can really make a difference there,” Karp said. “We’re going to retain a ton of jobs, and we’re going to strengthen the output and grow our communities.”
Work in the manufacturing sector generally pays better than low-wage jobs that have employed many people in Appalachia after other manufacturing jobs left the area and the coal industry declined over the past several decades. A significant number of people in Appalachia have also become disconnected from the workforce, Woodrum said.
Now, across the five states included in the grant, the project is expected to serve 1,100 businesses, create 5,500 jobs, retain 15,190 jobs and provide $44 million worth of cost cuts, Bohanon said.
“We already have a presence in these counties,” Karp said, adding that MAGNET has already done some work helping manufacturers find opportunities for energy efficiency. MAGNET provides its educational and consulting services free of charge. Companies then invest in projects that can save money or otherwise boost their profit margins.
Lots more outreach about the grant program will follow after the upcoming strategy session for ReImagine Appalachia. Among other things, that outreach will help companies in the region think about whether they can play a role in the clean energy supply chain, even if that role isn’t initially obvious.
“It doesn’t have to necessarily be high-tech stuff,” Karp said, adding that a lot of the shift will be market driven. So, as more electric vehicles come on the market, companies will want to think about how they can be part of that growth. Or, as there’s more electrification, manufacturers may want to think about products they could supply. And then companies will need more training and technical help to expand their businesses through capital investments, any workforce issues and more.
“With the right sustainable strategy and the right investments, we can actually turn the region into leaders in the new energy economy,” Woodrum said. “The kind of manufacturing and the jobs that it creates are a big important piece of that puzzle.”
Historically, “Appalachia’s been one of the most likely places for innovation,” said Rick Stockburger, president and CEO of BRITE Energy Innovators, based in Warren, Ohio, which is not part of the Catalyst Connection grant project. “There’s no structural reason why it can’t be again, especially as we’re thinking about this new economy and how we make sure everybody can participate in it.”
STORAGE: Analysts predict the federal climate package will drive a record-breaking year for battery installations, with Texas and California continuing to lead the industry’s growth. (S&P Global)
TRANSPORTATION:
OIL & GAS:
SOLAR: A federal program meant to expand low-income community solar may face challenges verifying income and building trust in communities that have largely been left out of the clean energy transition. (Energy News Network)
BUILDINGS:
WIND: The offshore wind industry looks to rebound in 2024 after a year of canceled contracts and missed launch dates. (E&E News)
GRID: The U.S. Department of Energy will release up to $70 million for public and private entities, universities and national laboratories to advance grid security and resilience research. (Utility Dive)
CLIMATE:
COAL ASH: The U.S. EPA’s assessment of coal ash as more carcinogenic than previously realized could shift North Carolina’s plans to clean up the substance in Chapel Hill and at least 70 other sites around the state. (NC Newsline)
Communities in southern Maine are collaborating on a pilot program that aims to help residents overcome cost and logistical barriers to accessing climate-friendly home energy upgrades.
Five towns and two regional nonprofits received a three-year, $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program in late 2023. The budget for the program is now being finalized for launch this summer or fall.
The grant will fund AmeriCorps members to provide one-on-one energy coaching for residents. These “navigators” will help identify the best cost- and emissions-cutting retrofits for each home, and will help residents apply for a range of accompanying tax credits, rebates and other incentives. The grant also includes about $500,000 to directly offset residents’ remaining costs.
“The pilot program, as we envision it, will remove the up-front capital barrier and help homeowners navigate the process with confidence,” said Kendra Amal, the town manager in Kittery, one of the towns participating in the grant. “We expect to see a significant increase in the number of households able to make energy-reducing and cost-saving improvements to their homes through this program.”
Kittery joins the towns of Kennebunk, Kennebunkport, Wells and Ogunquit in working with Southern Maine Planning and Development Commission on the project, along with York County Community Action Corporation. SMPDC will host the AmeriCorps navigators, while the county action agency will set up a new Southern Maine Energy Fund to help pay for projects and will provide energy services staffers to oversee actual retrofits and installations.
“We’ve heard from all of our communities that home weatherization and heat pumps are really important, but they didn’t feel like they could do it themselves,” said SMPDC sustainability coordinator Karina Graeter. “(This program) provides the opportunity for these smaller communities that don’t have their own sustainability staff or their own capacity to undertake big outreach and education efforts … to try and address the energy issues that have been shown to be really important to the community.”
Maine relies more on home heating oil than any other state, and residential emissions are the state’s top contributor to climate change after transportation. In recent years, Maine has been nationally lauded for successful efforts to incentivize efficient electric heat pumps as a replacement for oil. State heat pump and weatherization rebates can total thousands of dollars per project, especially for lower-income people, and federal tax credits can offer thousands more.
But even hefty incentives may not cover everything, and energy bill savings from these upgrades can take months or years to materialize — meaning many people still can’t afford remaining project costs, said Amal and Graeter.
During Kittery’s climate action planning process, the town discovered that many residents weren’t taking advantage of state energy rebates, Amal said. And costs were not the only problem; Amal said residents also cited “the confusing and often rigid process required to qualify” for incentives as another reason they chose not to pursue home efficiency or electrification work.
“There are so many great incentives out there, but they’re always sort of changing depending on what funding is available, you know, who’s running the program,” said Graeter. “Helping people navigate that requires a certain amount of skill and knowledge.”
The program’s navigators will be trained to help residents make the most of these complex offerings, she said.
The grant proposal envisions connecting with interested residents through whatever way they reach out to a participating group, whether it’s via the county agency or a town. Residents of any income would be paired with a navigator, who would answer their questions, assess their needs and provide technical assistance on designing a project with the greatest energy savings impact.
For low- and moderate-income families, the program would also provide instant rebates to offset upfront project costs. The county agency’s energy technicians would do the actual installation work on the project and follow up on other assistance options, including tax credits as needed.
In the next six months of setting up the program, Graeter said her cohort plans to seek inspiration from other regional groups — like the county agency partnering on the grant, or WindowDressers, which builds heat-saving window inserts for low-income people — to design a community engagement approach that will reach the most people.
“The idea is to have a ‘no wrong path’ sort of option for people; meeting people where they’re at in terms of their energy needs, and figuring out what assistance they need most,” she said.
The participating towns have been working toward this program for years, since initially collaborating to fund Graeter’s position at SMPDC, Graeter said. This regional approach lets them learn from each other and build on shared progress rather than duplicating effort, she said.
Amal noted that the pilot nature of the program also aims to help officials evaluate impact and potentially scale up similar efforts elsewhere in the state.
Graeter stressed that the grant doesn’t seek to replace federal energy tax credits or existing state programs offered by Efficiency Maine, the quasi-governmental agency that oversees Maine’s energy incentives.
“Our focus is really to increase access to those programs, and then provide some additional financial support to help bridge the gap between current incentives and the true cost of these upgrades, which is always shifting and changing,” she said.
CLEAN ENERGY: State-level clean energy policies had a strong year in 2023 as Democrats in states like Minnesota and Michigan treated climate action like a political asset. (E&E News)
ALSO: A Minnesota agency overseeing the state’s clean energy transition adds 64 positions to its staff of roughly 90 to help manage new state energy-related programs and capitalize on federal funding opportunities. (Energy News Network)
OIL & GAS: U.S. gas utilities serving more than 35 million customers offer builders and contractors incentives to keep fossil fuels in new buildings, part of a longstanding relationship that could impede electrification. (The Guardian)
CLIMATE: Challenging previous claims of the Midwest as a climate haven, a new report says the region can expect an increase in climate abandonment, particularly from high-flooding areas, over the next 30 years. (Planet Detroit)
WIND: A Cleveland-area company aims to grow the market for its benches, picnic tables and other outdoor furniture crafted from recycled wind turbine blades. (Energy News Network)
BIOGAS: Biogas digesters are receiving a growing share of federal rural clean energy program funding coming into Wisconsin, as critics question the climate benefits of the technology. (Tone Madison)
NUCLEAR: The owner of a southwestern Michigan nuclear plant is contesting its property tax assessment which, if lowered, could cost the state and local governments millions of dollars in tax revenue. (WSJM)
WORKFORCE:
ELECTRIC VEHICLES:
SOLAR:
CLIMATE: The outgoing mayor of Des Moines, Iowa, is appointed to serve as the city’s climate ambassador after leaving office. (KCCI)
COMMENTARY: A Michigan Democratic state representative says the state’s new clean energy laws will boost grid reliability while lowering bills. (Bridge)
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