A cheaper, quicker way to upgrade the grid

GRID: Virtual power plants, dynamic line ratings, and other advanced grid technologies could open up space on the grid for more electricity while staving off the need for costly, time-consuming transmission construction, a new U.S. Energy Department roadmap finds. (Canary Media)

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ALSO:

• The insatiable power needs of Virginia’s rapidly growing data centers lead to plans to build additional power lines from aging coal fired-power plants in West Virginia. (Washington Post)
• A company’s plan to build a 320-mile transmission line to firm up regional connections to Texas’ independent state grid is running into opposition in both Mississippi and Louisiana. (Grist/Verite News)
• A federal judge rejects tribal nations’ and advocates’ bid to halt work on a segment of the SunZia transmission project in a culturally and ecologically significant part of southern Arizona. (Associated Press)
• More than 40 utilities participate in a program aimed at connecting Navajo Nation homes to the power grid. (Navajo Times)

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EMISSIONS:

• The Biden administration will reportedly release as many as four rules next week targeting fossil fuel power generation’s carbon emissions, air pollution and waste. (E&E News)
• U.S. climate envoy John Podesta announces a new task force aimed at cutting carbon emissions associated with global trade and manufacturing. (Reuters)
• Improving wastewater treatment processes could save the U.S. $15.6 billion, reduce energy costs and slash the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions, a peer-reviewed study finds. (The Hill)

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WIND: The world installed a record 117 GW of new wind power generation capacity last year, up 50% from the year before, a wind power advocacy group finds. (The Hill)

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ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE: Black Americans are more likely than other racial groups to say they’re “very” or “fairly” concerned about pollution, and are more likely than White Americans to be displaced by environmental contamination, a survey finds. (The Hill)

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CARBON CAPTURE: Illinois bills would add a series of restrictions on carbon sequestration and pipeline projects as developers seek to capitalize on the state’s geology and lucrative federal tax credits. (Energy News Network)

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SOLAR:

• Residents living within three miles of commercial solar projects tend to favor projects that are smaller than 100 MW, while local opposition increases as projects grow larger, according to a new survey. (Inside Climate News)
• New Hampshire’s Supreme Court decides a town can’t block solar projects over aesthetic or property value fears if the project otherwise satisfies local ordinances. (New Hampshire Bulletin)
• Hundreds of utilities and solar companies lobby congressional lawmakers to act fast on permitting and transmission reforms to promote “energy security.” (E&E News, subscription)

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ELECTRIC VEHICLES: Cities across the U.S. are building out electric vehicle charging networks to meet anticipated EV growth. (Utility Dive)

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POLITICS: House Republican leaders are poised to cut a provision to reverse the Biden administration’s LNG permitting ban from critical foreign aid packages. (E&E News)

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