Checking the Weather: Homeownership and Climate Change Risk

Author:   Kayla Benjamin   Published: 11/28/2023    Washington Informer News

A house near the northeast D.C. border, fills up with three feet of water during a rainstorm on Sept. 10, 2020. It’s important for homeowners and potential homebuyers to understand their house’s flood history and other climate change risks. (Photo courtesy of Deborah Wiggins)

A house near the northeast D.C. border, fills up with three feet of water during a rainstorm on Sept. 10, 2020. It’s important for homeowners and potential homebuyers to understand their house’s flood history and other climate change risks.

If you’re picking out clothes for the following day, you’ll probably glance at the weather forecast. If you’re making weekend plans, it’s often useful to check if the prediction includes rain or snow.

Decisions about our long-term futures, like what house to buy or how to invest in home maintenance, require a lot more information than what we can find with a quick look at an app or the local news. But homebuyers and homeowners can benefit from thinking about the weather — specifically, how the weather will change as the planet continues to warm up, and what impact it can have on their homeownership plans.

What Climate Change Has to Do with Homeownership

 

D.C.’s black community mourns the loss of Baba Oduno A. Tarik, a race man and UNIA-ACL leader

Author: WIF Staff    II/28/2023    Washington Informer News

Good day! Today’s newsletter covers the life and legacy of Baba Oduno A. Tarik, the impact of climate change on homeownership, holiday events at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and Delegate Nick Charles’ appointment to fill a Senate seat in Maryland’s 25th District.

D.C.’s black community mourns the loss of Baba Oduno A. Tarik, a race man and UNIA-ACL leader

Baba Oduno A. Tarik, a prominent Garveyite, master teacher and horticulturist who died on Nov. 22 at the age of 76, is being celebrated by Black people of various political, religious and cultural backgrounds for his impact on their lives. Tarik maintained a significant presence in the D.C. metropolitan area for nearly 60 years among Nationalists, Pan-Africanists, Christians, Muslims, African spiritualists and Rastafari brethren and sistren.

BREAKNG NEWS: Gretchen Whitmer signs transformative climate legislation into law over Republican objections

Author: ,    Published: 11/28/2023      UPMATTERS

 

photo

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — On Tuesday afternoon, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a slate of new clean energy bills recently passed by the State House and Senate.

These bills are designed to transition Michigan from a majority fossil-fuel-powered state into a national leader in renewable energy within the next two decades.

The Clean Energy Future Plan is one of the most ambitious climate mandates in the country and has been gaining national attention for its size and scope.

Supporters of the plan in our own state said it will help fight climate change, create a healthier environment for the state, and provide more jobs.

“It’s gonna help us move Michigan to a clean energy by 2040, it’s gonna be a great opportunity to create more jobs, here in Michigan but at the same time be able to protect the health and welfare of our citizens across the state,” Sam Singh, Michigan Senator said.

Details of the plan released by senate democrats include an electric grid with a 100% clean energy standard, improving energy efficiency and reducing waste.

Also, it would expand the Public Service Commission’s ability to include utilities and prioritize affordability, and require electric and gas providers to offer low-income energy waste reduction programs to assist customers.

BlackRock nabs $1B for energy transition infrastructure fund

Author: Lamar Johnson    Published:  11/28/2023   Utility Dive

The headquarters of BlackRock in Manhattan.

Dive Brief:

  • BlackRock announced Nov. 16 it was approaching $1 billion in capital commitments for its Evergreen Infrastructure fund, which will invest in businesses playing a role in the clean energy transition in North America and Europe.
  • The firm secured a chunk of the funding from its European Founding Partners program and expects 50%-60% of the final portfolio to be allocated to Western European businesses. The fund will also focus on transportation, digital infrastructure and the circular economy.
  • The fund has already signed an agreement to acquire Lighthouse, a portfolio of solar and battery storage investments currently operating in six states. BlackRock said the portfolio’s operations are supported by the Inflation Reduction Act, which passed last year and included about $369 billion in clean energy and climate incentives.

Dive Insight:

BlackRock first announced the open-ended infrastructure equity fund in June 2022. The company said that by focusing on long-term cash yields, the fund’s investments will deliver consistent returns both resilient to and linked to inflation.

“In today’s evolving energy landscape, companies are looking for capital that will partner with them as they adapt their businesses and navigate an accelerating long-term shift towards a lower-carbon economy,” Anne Valentine Andrews, BlackRock’s global head of infrastructure and real estate, said in the release.

The latest round of funding includes investments from Italy’s largest bank, Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A, and a pension fund for Italian engineers and architects, Inarcassa. Flavio Gianetti, executive director of M&A and group shareholdings for Intesa Sanpaolo, said the project emphasizes the need to develop new infrastructure focused on sustainability and the energy transition.

For Inarcassa, the investment was about “entering a network of institutional investors who are active in supporting the transformation of an evolving, low-carbon economy, while promoting the well-being of communities and the environment,” according to its president, Guisseppe Santoro.

The fund’s open-ended structure enables it to provide businesses financial support during their own clean energy transitions. BlackRock said the fund will work with portfolio companies to help implement decarbonization activities and actively track, assess and report on progress.

More powerful, resilient and versatile: The next generation of solar tech is emerging

Author:  Diana DiGangi    Published: 11/24/2023    Utility Dive

An array of photovoltaic solar panels at the Berliner Wasserbetriebe are seen on April 30, 2010 in Berlin, Germany.

An array of photovoltaic solar panels reflects the sky. Installed U.S. solar capacity grew at an “exponential” average rate of 44% percent per year from 2009 to 2022, according to the Energy Information Administration.

DEEP DIVE

As solar energy booms in the U.S. with record investments and installations, a wave of technological advancements is set to transform the amount of energy solar can produce, where it can be deployed, and how long it can last.

“It seems like when there’s a good idea, it can very rapidly get rolled out through the whole industry,” said Chris Deline, a research engineer who leads the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s photovoltaic field performance group.

Over the last five years, Deline said, the industry “entirely switched over” from aluminum back surface field solar, or Al-BSF, cells to passivated emitter rear contact, or PERC, cells. “And it seems like there are new emerging entrants within n-type silicon that are poised to do the same thing,” taking over from PERC, he said.

For example, the solar industry is now beginning to make a switch from p-type PERC to n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact, or TOPCon, cells. N-type cells have their wafers doped negatively using chemicals like phosphorus, while p-type cells are doped positively. Doping is the process of adding an impurity to the semiconductor to increase its ability to conduct electricity.

In the early days of solar technology, installations were limited to space applications like satellites, and p-type cells proved more resistant to radiation and degradation in space than n-type cells. This allowed p-type technology to stake out a larger market share early on, and this domination continued after terrestrial solar installations began — though n-type cells are more efficient and resilient for utility and other applications outside of space.

Now, n-type cells are gaining ground.

The new set of solar array panels deployed on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is backdropped against the blackness of space and a cloud-covered area on Earth.
Solar panels can be seen on the Hubble Space Telescope in a Dec. 1, 1993

“That’s going to be a big transition,” Deline said. “It’s like Moore’s Law of faster and faster computer processors that allows them to keep going to higher and higher efficiencies.”

PERC continued to dominate the solar panel market in 2022, but experts predict the technology will go the way of its predecessor, Al-BSF. The German industrial association VDMA said in an April report that it projects TOPCon’s market share will increase from around 10% in 2022 to as much as 60% globally within the next decade, and become the dominating cell type after 2025.

“It is a generally accepted view that TOPCon will ramp up relatively quickly in market share and likely dominate crystalline silicon solar technology in the not-so-distant future,” said First Solar’s Chief Technology Officer Markus Gloeckler

Strain-engineered, single crystal thin film of perovskite grown on a series of substrates with varying compositions and lattice sizes.
The image by David Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering is licensed under CC BY 2.0

First Solar and its competitor Hanwha Qcells both made investments this year in perovskite-based tandem cell technology. First Solar acquired Evolar, a Swedish start-up focused on tandem cells, and Qcells announced a $100 million investment in a tandem-cell production line.

Across all panel types, the average dollars-per-kilowatt cost of solar construction has fallen by a few thousand dollars since 2013, and fell 6% to $1,561 per kW in 2021, the Energy Information Administration said in an October analysis.

What makes up a solar cell?

While Gloeckler sees a bright future for TOPCon, he says First Solar is “confident” in its commitment to thin film technology in the form of cadmium telluride, or CdTe, which is the most popular panel technology for utility-scale deployments — while crystalline silicon panels like TOPCon continue to dominate overall.

The company is set to deploy production of its proprietary copper reduction technology CuRe in the second half of 2024, which Gloeckler said the company expects “will be able to compete very well with TOPCon” due to its “anticipated lower degradation rate” when exposed to high temperatures and humidity.

Gloeckler said the company is also optimistic about its ability to harness the potential of perovskite solar cells, which are “fundamentally thin film semiconductors.”

Perovskite cells have made recent leaps in efficiency, but remain tricky to deploy at commercial scale due to the chemistry presenting stability issues.

In comparison to silicon, perovskite is “relatively inexpensive,” Deline said. “Fundamentally, though, the fact that it’s so easy to make may be part of why it’s so hard to get it to be stable.”

Strain-engineered, single crystal thin film of perovskite grown on a series of substrates with varying compositions and lattice sizes.
Strain-engineered, single crystal thin film of perovskite grown on a series of substrates with varying compositions and lattice sizes.
The image by David Baillot/UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering is licensed under CC BY 2.0
First Solar and its competitor Hanwha Qcells both made investments this year in perovskite-based tandem cell technology. First Solar acquired Evolar, a Swedish start-up focused on tandem cells, and Qcells announced a $100 million investment in a tandem-cell production line.
Tandem-junction cells offer “a path toward higher module efficiencies over single-junction designs,” according to NREL. Multiple junctions — or boundaries between layers of semiconducting materials — allow solar cells to break through the Shockley–Queisser limit, a theoretical limit which prevents single-junction cells from absorbing more than 30% of the solar energy that shines on them.

But researchers are still pursuing higher efficiencies with single-junction cells.

NREL announced a single-junction efficiency breakthrough on Oct. 25, reaching an efficiency of 27% with a gallium arsenide cell. In a release, the lab said researchers optimized the doping and structure of the top layer of the cell to minimize the negative impacts of defects.

Bifaciality, or the ability of a solar cell to produce energy when illuminated from either side, is another cutting-edge innovation. One significant trend Deline sees across the solar industry is “bigger and bigger modules,” which make it easier to reap the efficiency gains of bifaciality.

“You can buy a 630, 650 watt module now, and that’s just because [the module] is massive,” he said. “In a lot of cases, these include two layers of glass on the front and the back,” increasing bifacial gain on the back side of the panel where there is “clear glass instead of a white polymer sheet.”

Garrett Nilsen, deputy director of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office, said other areas for innovation in solar panel manufacturing and deployment include different ingot and wafer types, wafering techniques and cell structures, or module architectures, along with cheaper, simpler and more resilient racking systems.

“This is a great time to be involved with solar technology,” Deline said. “There’s a lot of innovation going on, and there’s a lot of new investments.”

Where can solar panels deploy?

As the technology behind solar cells undergoes rapid innovation, researchers are also working to expand how and where installations are deployed.

DOE projects that the U.S. will need to install 1 TW of solar capacity by 2035 to meet its decarbonization goals, which will require “more diversity of siting configurations,” the department says.

Floating solar is relatively common in Southeast Asia and Europe, but so far has only been deployed at a small scale in the U.S., said Juan Gallego-Calderon, a clean energy engineer at Idaho National Laboratory, or INL. These deployments have been limited in size to around 10 MW, and sited in manmade water bodies that aren’t federally regulated.

Gallego-Calderon is working on an INL project to accelerate the deployment of floating PV in reservoirs that are controlled by federal entities like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

“The reason why there hasn’t been any deployment in those is just because the regulations are not in place,” he said. “So we are investigating the regulatory and environmental pathways, and we’re producing a techno-economic assessment tool that also includes environmental modeling.”

A 1.1 MW floating solar panel system, deployed on Big Muddy Lake at Camp Mackall in North Carolina in 2022.
A 1.1 MW floating solar panel system, deployed on Big Muddy Lake at Camp Mackall in North Carolina in 2022.
Melissa Sue Gerrits via Getty Images

The largest floating solar installation in the U.S. is an 8.9-MW array in the Canoe Brook reservoir in Short Hills, New Jersey, which is owned and operated by the utility New Jersey Resources.

Floating solar in federal reservoirs can help avoid conflicts over land use — such as opposition to solar installations as “eyesores” — and siting it in a hydroelectric reservoir to create a hybrid system can reduce solar curtailment, NREL found in a 2022 report.

“We’re looking at a proposed pumped storage hydro facility where they’re actually working with a company to design a floating PV system to put in the upper reservoir to operate in conjunction with the pumped storage hydro,” Gallego-Calderon said. “And they’re working on the license right now to submit to FERC, so things are happening.”

Is sustainable recycling possible?

The INL and First Solar are also collaborating to develop a more sustainable recycling process for CdTe panels, participating in a project led by the University of Kansas.

“About half of the utility-scale solar projects are using these tellurium-based thin film solar panels,” said Daniel Ginosar, group leader of the chemical systems group at INL. “The lifespan of those [is] typically twenty years until they start losing efficiency.”

There are also supply chain considerations. As the U.S. aims to deploy massive amounts of renewable energy, the Biden administration has announced a goal of reducing reliance on China for critical minerals, including tellurium.

“We wanted to understand how we can recover the tellurium to reuse it in new solar panels, and at the same time reduce the amount of waste that’s going to be generated by the systems coming out of use at end of life,” Ginosar said. Currently, recycling CdTe panels is “not a complete process.”

THIS WEEK IN ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS

Author: WHCEQ  Staff     Published: 11/17/2023     White House Council on Environmental Quality 

This week, President Biden announced the release of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). The NCA5, which assesses changes in the climate, its national and regional impacts, and options for reducing present and future risk, indicates that not only is every region of the country already experiencing the impacts of climate change, but ambitious climate action is underway in every region as well.

In coordination with the release of NCA5, President Biden announced more than $6 billion in investments to make communities across the country more resilient to the impacts of climate change, including by strengthening America’s aging electric grid infrastructure, reducing flood risk to communities, supporting land and water conservation efforts, and advancing environmental justice. The Administration is also releasing new resources to boost climate resilience efforts. See the Fact Sheet on Tuesday’s announcements in English here and in Spanish here.

As part of the investments announced in coordination with the release of the NCA5, the Biden-Harris Administration joined the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and public-and private-sector partners in announcing $141.3 million in grants through the America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC). The 74 new grants announced today will support landscape-scale conservation projects across 46 states, three U.S. Territories, and 21 Tribal Nations, and will generate at least $12 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of more than $153 million.

On Wednesday, the Biden-Harris Administration celebrated the two-year anniversary of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – a once-in-a-generation investment in America’s infrastructure and competitiveness. The Biden-Harris Administration has been breaking ground on projects to rebuild our roads and bridges, deliver clean and safe water, clean up legacy pollution, expand access to high-speed internet, make communities more resilient, and build a clean energy economy. Learn more here, check out updated state by state fact sheets here, and look here for an updated map showcasing the more than 40,000 projects and awards identified or now underway.

Also this week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced up to $3.9 billion available through the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnerships (GRIP) Program. The GRIP Program enhances grid flexibility and resilience against growing threats of extreme weather and climate change while supporting meaningful community and labor engagement, investing in the American workforce, and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Learn more at the Grid Deployment Office website.

Yesterday, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael S. Regan announced the appointment of 16 members to the agency’s first-ever National Environmental Youth Advisory Council (NEYAC). The newly established federal advisory committee will provide independent policy advice and recommendations to Administrator Regan on how to increase the effectiveness of EPA’s efforts to address a range of environmental issues impacting youth. The council is the first ever at EPA to be exclusively occupied by young people, with all members between the ages of 16 and 29. View the NEYAC launch event recording here.

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) also announced the Get the Lead Out (GLO) Initiative that will help ensure safer drinking water for communities as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Through the GLO Initiative, which is funded entirely by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is in partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor, EPA will partner with 200 underserved communities nationwide to provide the technical assistance they need to identify and remove lead service lines.

 

SPOTLIGHT: CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory Outlines Biden-Harris Administration’s Vision for Clean Water Post-Sackett v. EPA
CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory delivered a keynote address at the One Water Summit in Tucson, Arizona and laid out the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision for a national commitment to protect clean water. Her speech followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s disappointing decision in Sackett v. EPA earlier this year.

 

Referring to Sackett as “one of the largest judicial rollbacks of environmental protections in U.S. history,” Chair Mallory outlined three keys to bolstering clean water protections and shared how the Administration is working to fulfill President Biden’s belief that every person deserves access to clean water.

 

While in Arizona, Chair Mallory also visited the Sierra Vista Effluent Recharge Project, which is one of 74 projects receiving over $140 million in funding from the second round of America the Beautiful Challenge (AtBC) grant awards.

 

#ICYMI (In Case You Missed It)

The Biden-Harris Administration announced $63.4 million in new investments as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for water conservation, water efficiency, and protection of critical environmental resources in the Colorado River System. The investments, which will improve and protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System now and into the future, are administered through the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program and funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history.

DOE announced a new $1.3 billion commitment in three transmission lines crossing six states – Arizona, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, and Vermont – to deliver affordable, reliable power to households across the country, creating more than 13,000 direct and indirect high-quality local jobs.

Additionally, to ensure that transmission buildout is done efficiently, DOE released the final National Transmission Needs Study, which provides insight into where the grid – and American communities – would benefit from increased transmission, by assessing current and anticipated future capacity constraints and congestion on the nation’s electric grid.

Also, this month EPA announced the launch of the Community, Equity & Resiliency initiative, a groundbreaking effort to help communities across the nation navigate EPA’s Inflation Reduction Act investments and other new funding opportunities made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. To learn more about the effort, visit EPA’s new Community, Equity & Resiliency webpage.

 

GET INVOLVED!

Upcoming White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council Virtual Public Meeting

On Wednesday, December 6, the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) will convene a virtual public meeting, from approximately 2 pm to 7:45 p.m. ET. Registration for the meeting is available until the scheduled end time of the meeting. Registration to speak during the public comment period will close at 11:59 p.m. ET, on Wednesday, November 29. Further, the WHEJAC is interested in receiving public comments relevant to charges, topics, and questions currently under consideration, with written comments due by Wednesday, December 20. For more information, please reference this Federal Register Notice and the WHEJAC’s webpage.

Request for Information To Support the Development of a Federal Environmental Justice Science, Data, and Research Plan

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) seeks information to assist in developing a coordinated Federal strategy to identify and address gaps in science, data, and research related to environmental justice. Information received through this RFI will inform the biennial Environmental Justice Science, Data, and Research Plan. Interested persons and organizations are invited to submit comments on or before December 12, 2023.

Keep reading for more environmental updates from the Biden-Harris Administration. If you were forwarded this email, or are not on our list yet, please sign up here.

 

RESOURCE HUB

Invest.gov: Interactive map showing the historic public and private sector investments President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is bringing to states and territories across America.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Maps: Updated map reflecting the more than 20,000 projects and funding announced in communities across the United States.

Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act Technical Assistance Guide: New guide highlighting programs that help communities navigate programs and resources that can help them deliver infrastructure, clean energy and climate resilience projects.

Inflation Reduction Act Guidebook: This guidebook provides an overview of the clean energy, climate mitigation and resilience, agriculture, and conservation-related tax incentives and investment programs in President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

Inflation Reduction Act Tribal Guidebook: Guidebook to the Inflation Reduction Act’s Clean Energy and Climate Investments in Indian Country, which provides clear descriptions of the law’s tax incentives and funding programs for which Tribes are eligible.

Direct Pay Through the Inflation Reduction Act: Find resources on the Inflation Reduction Act’s “elective pay” (often called “direct pay”) provisions, through which tax-exempt and governmental entities can take advantage of tax credits for building clean energy projects.

Inflation Reduction Act Open Funding Opportunities: See a list of funding opportunities that are open for application, the deadline for applying, and relevant links.

 

Grants.gov: Learn about current federal grant opportunities.

Cleanenergy.gov: A one-stop shop for Inflation Reduction Act policy updates.

DOE Interactive Map: Interactive tool showcasing where clean energy investments are occurring across the United States thanks to President Biden’s Investing in America agenda

Energy Savings Hub | Department of Energy: Access resources made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America plan, which will help lower your energy costs, make your home safer and more comfortable, and help the planet.

Environmental Justice Scorecard: Find information about what federal agencies are doing to advance environmental justice in communities across America.

Department of Housing and Urban Development Funding Navigator: Find hundreds of available IRA, BIL and other programs across a range of federal agencies in these categories: Energy Efficiency and Renewables, Utility Scale Energy, Resiliency, Lead and Healthy Housing, Brownfield and Waste Management, Transportation, Broadband, Workforce Development and Environmental Justice. The Navigator provides current program status and type, with live links to the program and support that helps applicants learn where to apply based on audience.

 

NEWS CLIPS OF THE WEEK

The New York Times: The Toll of Climate Disasters Is Rising. But a U.S. Report Has Good News, Too.

E&E News: Biden: New climate report shows urgency of threat

The Washington Post: Wind and solar energy are booming in surprising places

The Hill: Biden Administration Announces 15 New Renewable Energy Projects on Public Lands

 

TWEETS OF THE WEEK

Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP):

Today’s National Climate Assessment makes clear that while the climate crisis impacts all Americans, it disproportionately harms communities of color, low-income individuals, and rural communities.

@POTUS and I will continue to take historic action to help communities prepare for and respond to the climate crisis while reducing emissions to achieve our climate goals.

The White House (@WhiteHouse):

Today, the Biden-Harris Administration released the Fifth National Climate Assessment and announced more than $6 billion to strengthen climate resilience – boosting our vision for a climate resilient nation.

EPA Administrator Michael Regan (@EPAMichaelRegan)

I’m honored to introduce the members of @EPA’s National Environmental Youth Advisory Council. This council ensures young people have a permanent seat at EPA’s table and a voice in the work we do. It’s a committee by young people, for young people.

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/the-epa-finally-recruited-young-people-for-climate-crisis-help

DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm (@SecGranholm):

We’re delivering an equitable clean energy transition—one community at a time.

With $31M, we’re empowering states + local governments with the resources they need to implement projects for:

☀️Solar streetlights

🏢Zero-carbon building retrofits

🙌and more

https://energy.gov/articles/biden-harris-administration-announces-more-31-million-clean-energy-funding-19-states-and

 

RECENT BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCEMENTS

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $169 Million to Accelerate Electric Heat Pump Manufacturing as Part of Investing in America Agenda

As part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a historic $169 million for nine projects to accelerate electric heat pump manufacturing at 15 sites across the country. The selected projects are the first awards from DOE’s authorization, invoked by President Biden using emergency authority on the basis of climate change, to utilize the Defense Production Act (DPA) to increase domestic production of five key clean energy technologies, including electric heat pumps.

CEQ Chair Brenda Mallory Outlines Biden-⁠Harris Administration’s Vision for Clean Water Post-Sackett v. EPA

Today, White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Chair Brenda Mallory delivered a keynote address at the One Water Summit in Tucson, Arizona and laid out the Biden-Harris Administration’s vision for a national commitment to protect clean water. Her speech followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s disappointing decision in Sackett v. EPA earlier this year. Referring to Sackett as “one of the largest judicial rollbacks of environmental protections in U.S. history,” Chair Mallory outlined three keys to bolstering clean water protections and shared how the Administration is working to fulfill President Biden’s belief that every person deserves access to clean water.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $3.5 Billion to Strengthen Domestic Battery Manufacturing

Today, two years after President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced up to $3.5 billion from the Infrastructure Law to boost domestic production of advanced batteries and battery materials nationwide. As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the funding will create new, retrofitted, and expanded domestic facilities for battery-grade processed critical minerals, battery precursor materials, battery components, and cell and pack manufacturing, all of which are critical to supporting clean energy industries of the future, such as renewable energy and electric vehicles.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces More than $90 Million in Tribal Recycling Infrastructure Projects and Recycling Education and Outreach Grants

Today, in conjunction with America Recycles Day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced 59 selectees to receive over $60 million in Solid Waste Infrastructure for Recycling (SWIFR) grants for Tribes and Intertribal Consortia, and 25 selectees to receive over $33 million in Recycling Education and Outreach (REO) grants. These grants, which are part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics, will expand recycling infrastructure and education for waste management systems across the country.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $51 Million from Investing in America Agenda for Water Resources and Ecosystem Health

The Department of the Interior today announced $51 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for 30 new Environmental Water Resource Projects in 11 states through the Bureau of Reclamation. The collaborative projects focus on water conservation, water management and restoration efforts that will result in significant benefits to ecosystem or watershed health.

President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda Provides $50 Million for Water and Energy Efficiency Projects

The Department of the Interior today announced the availability of up to $50 million for water conservation and efficiency projects as part of the President’s Investing in America agenda to enhance the resilience of the West to drought and climate change. Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will boost the Bureau of Reclamation’s Water and Energy Efficiency Grants Program, which provides funding for projects that result in quantifiable water savings, implement renewable energy components, and support broader resilience and sustainability benefits. These projects conserve and use water more efficiently; increase the production of renewable energy; mitigate conflict risk in areas at a high risk of future water conflict; and accomplish other benefits that contribute to sustainability.

Biden-Harris Administration Invests $444 Million to Strengthen America’s Infrastructure for Permanent Safe Storage of Carbon Dioxide Pollution

As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced over $444 million to support sixteen selected projects across twelve states that will fight climate change by bolstering the nation’s carbon management industry. The projects, funded by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will expand carbon dioxide (CO2) storage infrastructure needed to significantly and responsibly reduce CO2 emissions from industrial operations and power plants, as well as from legacy emissions in the atmosphere. Large-scale, responsible deployment of carbon management technologies is crucial to meeting the Administration’s ambitious climate goal of achieving a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces More than $31 Million in Clean Energy Funding to 19 States and Local Communities

In support of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced the next 19 state and local governments to receive more than $31 million in formula grants through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, funded by the President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and managed by DOE’s Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP). Funds will be deployed to advance crucial clean energy and infrastructure upgrades by state governments, local governments, and in Puerto Rican municipios.

FACT SHEET: Biden-Harris Administration Releases Fifth National Climate Assessment and Announces More Than $6 Billion to Strengthen Climate Resilience Across the Country

To equip Americans with the best available science and understanding of climate change impacts in the United States, President Biden is today announcing the release of the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5). NCA5, which assesses changes in the climate, its national and regional impacts, and options for reducing present and future risk, indicates that not only is every region of the country already experiencing the impacts of climate change, but ambitious climate action is underway in every region as well.

Biden-Harris Administration, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Announce Over $140 Million in Grants from the America the Beautiful Challenge to Restore Lands and Waters

The Biden-Harris administration joined the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and public-and private-sector partners today in announcing $141.3 million in grants through the America the Beautiful Challenge (ATBC). The 74 new grants announced today will support landscape-scale conservation projects across 46 states, three U.S. Territories, and 21 Tribal Nations, and will generate at least $12 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of more than $153 million.

Biden-Harris Administration Agencies Sign Interagency Agreement to Address Wildfire Risk and Protect Communities from Smoke  

Today, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael S. Regan, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Mandy Cohen announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to further their joint work to protect communities from the impacts of wildfire smoke, while promoting land management practices that reduce the risk of large, severe fires.

 

Biden-Harris Administration Invests More than $1.2 Billion in Rural Cooperatives to Increase Economic Opportunity and Advance Equity in Rural America

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA is investing more than $1.2 billion in loans and grants to spur economic development, catalyze rural prosperity and advance equity through rural cooperatives in 36 states and Puerto Rico. Last month, USDA celebrated its 59th annual National Cooperative Month and the vital role cooperatives play in helping people build bright futures in rural America.

 

Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Celebrates Historic Progress in Rebuilding America Ahead of Two-Year Anniversary of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

Two years ago, President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – a once-in-a-generation investment in America’s infrastructure and competitiveness. Since then, the Biden-Harris Administration has been breaking ground on projects to rebuild our roads and bridges, deliver clean and safe water, clean up legacy pollution, expand access to high-speed internet, and build a clean energy economy.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces New Get the Lead Out Initiative to Accelerate Removal of Lead Service Lines nationwide as Part of Investing in America Agenda

Today in Washington, D.C., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox announced the Get the Lead Out (GLO) Initiative that will help ensure safer drinking water for communities as part of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda. Through the GLO initiative, which is funded entirely by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is in partnership with the Department of Labor, EPA will partner with 200 underserved communities nationwide to provide the technical assistance they need to identify and remove lead service lines.

 

Biden-Harris Administration Advances 15 Onshore Clean Energy Projects with Potential to Power Millions of Homes

During remarks at the Western Governors Association Winter Meeting today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced that the Interior Department is advancing 15 onshore renewable energy projects across the West. The Bureau of Land Management is making progress across several states, including achieving full operational status for two solar and battery storage projects in California, permitting milestones for transmission lines proposed across Arizona, Nevada and Utah, next steps for geothermal energy development in Nevada, and progress on environmental reviews for seven solar projects proposed in Nevada and a solar and battery storage project in Arizona.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $64 Million for New Water Conservation Agreements to Protect the Colorado River System

The Biden-Harris administration today announced $63.4 million in new investments as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for water conservation, water efficiency, and protection of critical environmental resources in the Colorado River System. The investments, which will improve and protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System now and into the future, are administered through the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program and funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history.

DOE Announces up to $440 Million to Install Rooftop Solar and Batteries in Puerto Rico’s Most Vulnerable Communities

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a slate of solar companies and nonprofits selected to install rooftop solar and battery storage systems for vulnerable households in Puerto Rico through the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund (PR-ERF). The first tranche of PR-ERF funding, up to $440 million, will help lower energy bills for 30,000–40,000 single-family households in Puerto Rico, improve household energy resilience, and keep the lights on during extreme weather events.

EPA Launches New Community-based Initiative to Help People Access Unprecedented Resources for Local Climate and Environmental Justice Solutions

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the launch of the Community, Equity & Resiliency initiative, a groundbreaking effort to help communities across the nation navigate EPA’s Inflation Reduction Act investments and other new funding opportunities made possible by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Through this new initiative, EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation and Office of Environmental Justice and External Civil Rights will facilitate community-driven partnerships and provide a space for communities to learn, connect, and cultivate ideas on how to access the historic resources, especially in low-income and disadvantaged communities.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces State and Tribal Allocations for $48 Million Grant Program to Protect Groundwater Resources and Tackle Climate Change

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced grant allocations for states and Tribes to tap into over $48 million in funding through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to develop and implement Underground Injection Control (UIC) Class VI programs. This program is a key part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal to reach a net zero emissions economy by 2050, particularly for the industrial sector.

FACT SHEET: President Biden Announced Over $5 Billion to Support Rural Communities During Investing in Rural America Event Series

Today, President Biden will travel to Northfield, Minnesota to visit Dutch Creek Farms to lead his Administration’s Investing in Rural America Event Series and highlight investments from the Biden Administration in Rural America. During the visit, President Biden will announce over $5 billion in new investments from his Investing in America agenda – including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act – to advance rural prosperity, economic development, competition, and sustainability. President Biden will also discuss how Bidenomics and his Investing in America agenda are ensuring rural Americans do not have to leave their hometowns to find opportunity.

Biden-Harris Administration Approves Largest Offshore Wind Project in the Nation

The Biden-Harris administration today announced its approval of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) commercial project – the fifth approval of a commercial-scale, offshore wind energy project under President Biden’s leadership. Today’s announcement supports the Administration’s goal of deploying 30 gigawatts of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, following the approval of the Vineyard Wind 1, South Fork Wind, Ocean Wind 1, and Revolution Wind projects. When completed, these five projects will collectively add more than 5 gigawatts of clean, renewable energy to our nation’s grid, enough to power more than 1.75 million homes.

Fact Sheet: Biden-Harris Administration Announces Historic Investment to Bolster Nation’s Electric Grid Infrastructure, Cut Energy Costs for Families and Create Good-paying Jobs

This week, the Biden-Harris Administration announced the latest steps in efforts to protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System and strengthen water security across the West. Leveraging historic investments from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Administration will continue to partner with states and Tribes facing historic drought conditions and build a more sustainable and equitable future for communities across the country.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $65 Million in Rural Water Funding from President’s Investing in America Agenda

As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in Rural America Event Series, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton traveled to Clovis, New Mexico today to announce $65 million for rural water projects in fiscal year 2024 through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. Investments through Reclamation will support six projects already under construction or in the planning phase in Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota and South Dakota, and follows $668 million previously announced for rural water projects from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $1.3 Billion to Build Out Nation’s Electric Transmission and Releases New Study Identifying Critical Grid Needs

As part of the President’s Investing in America agenda, a key pillar of Bidenomics, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced up to a $1.3 billion commitment in three transmission lines crossing six states. This historic commitment, made possible by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will advance transformative projects aimed at adding 3.5 gigawatts (GW) of additional grid capacity throughout the United States, equivalent to powering approximately 3 million homes, and creating more than 13,000 direct and indirect jobs.

DOE Announces $121 Million to Reduce Emissions Across America’s Industrial Sector

Author: US DOE EERE Staff     Published: 11/17/2023  EERE

U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

EERE Funding Opportunities

New Funding Opportunities Will Advance Cross-Sector Technologies and Decarbonize the Most Energy- and Emissions-Intensive Industrial Subsectors

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office (IEDO) today announced a $38 million funding opportunity that will accelerate the innovative, cross-sector technologies required to create a clean energy economy. Additionally, DOE announced a notice of intent (NOI) to issue a $83 million funding opportunity that will decrease emissions in the hardest to decarbonize industrial subsectors. Decarbonizing the U.S. industrial sector is an essential component of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and is key to achieving the nation’s clean energy goals. By accelerating the development and adoption of sustainable technologies that increase efficiency and eliminate industrial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, this funding will help tackle the climate crisis, boost the competitiveness of domestic manufacturing, and create good-paying jobs for American workers.

The U.S. industrial sector is central to our nation’s economy, creating the products society relies on —from the chemicals used to create consumer products, to the cement and concrete in our roads, and the steel and iron in our buildings and cars. Yet, this vital sector accounts for one-third of all energy-related domestic GHG emissions. Achieving a net-zero industrial sector requires an aggressive, multidimensional approach. This NOI and funding opportunity announcement (FOA) focus on a two-pronged research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) strategy to drive industrial decarbonization: tackling the complex systems at the heart of the most energy- and emissions-intensive industries and pursuing cross-sectoral enabling technologies for challenges that are common across many industries.

Cross-Sector Technologies FOA

The Cross-Sector Technologies (CST) FOA focuses on high-impact, applied research, development, and pilot demonstration projects to advance the transformational cross-sector technologies and innovations required to reduce energy use and GHG emissions across the industrial sector. FOA topics include electrification of industrial heat, efficient energy use in industrial systems, and decarbonizing organic wastewater and wet waste treatment.

View the CST FOA. Concept papers are due December 18, 2023, at 5:00pm ET, and full applications are due March 20, 2024, at 5:00pm ET. EERE envisions awarding multiple financial assistance awards in the form of cooperative agreements. The estimated period of performance for each award will be approximately 24 to 36 months.

Energy- and Emissions-Intensive Industries NOI

The Energy- and Emissions-Intensive Industries (EEII) funding opportunity will focus on applied RD&D for the highest GHG-emitting industrial subsectors, specifically: chemicals and fuels; iron and steel; food and beverage; building and infrastructure materials (including cement and concrete, asphalt pavements, and glass); and forest products. Together, these industries account for more than 65% of U.S. industrial manufacturing emissions that have global impacts. Decarbonizing these subsectors will have immediate impacts on overall manufacturing and far-reaching impacts on domestic supply chains across the U.S. economy.

This funding opportunity will also include a joint topic with the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) and the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) focused on pre-front-end engineering and design (pre-FEED) studies that support the development of decarbonized industrial processes using approaches that include innovative, pre-commercial technologies. Potential pre-FEED areas of interest include: (a) integration of green hydrogen as a feedstock in clean fuels, chemicals, and iron and steel production; (b) carbon capture for select industrial sectors; and (c) integration of multiple decarbonization technologies for chemical production, mineral processing, and iron and steel.

View the EEII NOI.

Updates for both the CST FOA and the EEII NOI will be posted on the EERE Exchange website.

Both funding opportunities are part of DOE’s Technologies for Industrial Emissions Reduction Development Program (TIEReD), which leverages resources across the Department’s applied research offices to invest in fundamental science, research, development, initial pilot-scale demonstration projects, and technical assistance and workforce development. The projects selected for both opportunities will advance the goals of the DOE Industrial Decarbonization Roadmap, and two of DOE’s Energy Earthshot Initiatives—the Industrial Heat Shot™ and the Clean Fuels & Products Shot™.

DOE is committed to investing in bold industrial decarbonization technologies at each stage of the innovation pipeline. Learn more about DOE’s all-hands-on-deck strategy to decarbonize the U.S. industrial sector.

 

6 PACE Resources to Boost PACE Business

Author:  PACE Nation Staff   11/17/2023  PACE Nation

📊 PACE Market Data

Examine historical C-PACE and R-PACE investment insights.

🔍 Project Case Studies

Analyze an expansive set of PACE projects.

✍️ A PACE Enabled World

Explore the environmental risks facing communities and how PACE financing can build a more resilient, prosperous, and sustainable future.

📜 PACE Legislation

Be at the forefront of current and historical PACE-enabling legislation.

👓 Webinars

Learn from our library of webinars, member-calls and educational content.

🗞️ Newsletters

Stay informed with the most current PACE news and PACENation updates.
PACENation Members receive exclusive access to our database of resources plus:
– Connection to our diverse community of PACE professionals
– Industry initiative leadership
– Networking events to grow your PACE business

New Members that sign up by November 30th will receive 50% off of their 2024 Membership!
Join PACENation Today!

A Black Perspective on AI

Author: Nadira Jamerson  Published: 11/17/2023    Word In Black

Happy Friday, Word In Black Fam,

From educators to actors and journalists, the emergence of artificial intelligence is at the forefront of many Americans’ minds.

As CEO of Houston Defender Network, Sonny Messiah Jiles knows firsthand that AI presents both opportunities for growth and challenges, especially for the Black community. It’s no secret that AI could replace the human worker, cause inaccuracies or misinformation, and perpetuate racial bias and prejudice. But Jiles believes AI can also make life easier for us, including for Black publishers. In an op-ed for Word In Black, she breaks down the good, the bad, and the ugly of AI from a Black perspective.

“Black legacy media should explore the opportunities and challenges of AI and look closer at the benefits of full participation in this next evolution of digital media,” she writes. And she implores Black publishers not to wait to learn about AI so they can be sure to use it correctly and effectively.

Jiles writes, “It is our responsibility as a society to maintain the balance between AI and humanity and work for accuracy, access, and equity for Black America.” Click here to read more.

Even if you’re not a news publisher, it’s definitely worth considering how you can teach yourself and your community about safe ways to use this evolving technology.

Have a great weekend!

Best,
Nadira Jamerson
Digital editor

The Best Things to Happen to Black People in 2023 (So Far)
Young genius! 14-year-old Heman Bekele was honored for inventing a soap that does more than kill germs — it’s a potential treatment for skin cancer. The teen was awarded the “American Top Young Scientist Award” for his efforts.

Do you have some good news to share about yourself or someone in your community? Let us know by submitting your story.

EV charging: the new workplace requirement

Author: ChargePoint  Staff    Published: 11/16/2023    ChargePoint 

Home

EV charging at work

Tools to help assess your property for workplace EV charging

Thank you for your interest in our recent workplace webinar, “EV charging: the new workplace requirement,” featuring speakers from CALSTART’s Charge@Work program and CBRE.

Charge@Work helps workplaces, employees, public officials and community leaders plan and implement workplace EV charging programs.

Ready to get charging? Use the free Charge@Work Project Builder to design a custom EV charging site, based on your specific needs. This virtual tool guides you through choosing a charging solution, working with your utility and local contractors, estimating costs and much more.

Need additional insights into EV charging sentiment and impact at the workplace? Check out CBRE’s Spring 2023 Office Occupier Sentiment Survey and the ChargePoint workplace solutions page.
Explore Tool

The Best Fix and Flip Financing to Grow

Author: Larry Gilmore    Published: 11/16/2023    ClearBlu Capital Group

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DOE Issues Notice of Intent for Funding to Advance the National Clean Hydrogen Strategy

Author: US DOE Staff   Published: 11/16/2023    EERE

U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

EERE Funding Opportunities

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a notice of intent for potential funding to accelerate the research, development, demonstration, and deployment (RDD&D) of affordable clean-hydrogen technologies. This potential funding will reduce the cost and improve the performance of critical elements of hydrogen infrastructure, while streamlining and improving processes essential to the efficient, timely, and equitable deployment of clean hydrogen technologies. Achieving these goals will support the vision embodied in the U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap of affordable clean hydrogen for a net-zero carbon future and a sustainable, resilient, and equitable economy.

DOE’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO) would administer the potential funding, which is expected to focus on advancing fueling infrastructure for heavy-duty (HD) vehicles and other HD transportation applications; addressing key challenges to siting, permitting, and installation; and improving community engagement and outreach to ensure equitable deployment of clean hydrogen systems. By improving key technologies, spurring deployment, and helping industry achieve economies of scale, funded activities would support and reinforce the long-term viability of DOE’s Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs (H2Hubs) and other commercial-scale hydrogen projects.

Potential topic areas include:

  • Components for Hydrogen Fueling of Medium- and Heavy-Duty Vehicles to develop advanced components for gaseous and/or liquid hydrogen dispensing;
  • Standardized Hydrogen Refueling Station of the Future to develop and demonstrate a low-cost, standardized, and replicable hydrogen fueling station that reduces operating and capital cost and offers scalability and hydrogen fuel flexibility (e.g., gaseous vs liquid);
  • Enabling Permitting and Safety for Hydrogen Deployment to identify and address the primary challenges to siting, permitting, and installation across the value chain from hydrogen production through end-uses;
  • Equitable Hydrogen Technology Community Engagement to design and implement activities focused on understanding the concerns of communities and providing education on hydrogen technologies.

For all topic areas, HFTO envisions awarding financial assistance awards in the form of cooperative agreements with periods of performance ranging from approximately two to four years and DOE encourages applicant teams that include stakeholders within academia, industry, and national laboratories across multiple technical disciplines. Teams are also encouraged to include representation from diverse entities such as minority-serving institutions.

Visit the EERE funding exchange to learn more about this potential funding.

Solar Snapshot: 👑 The 2023 Sunny Awards Crown its Winners; Heliostat Prize Semifinalists Announced

Author: US DOE SETO Staff   Published:11/16/2013   Solar Energy Technologies Office  

U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Solar Energy Technologies Office

What’s Inside: Solar Snapshot, the newsletter of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO), shares recent announcements; deadlines; upcoming events; and more.

If someone forwarded this newsletter to you, you can subscribe here.

Reach out to us at solar@ee.doe.gov with any inquiries or suggestions.

Estimated read time: 5 minutes, 7 seconds

What’s New?

Meet the Winners of the 2023 Sunny Awards

DOE crowned the winning teams of the 2023 Sunny Awards for Equitable Community Solar at the RE+ Midwest conference. The Sunny Awards celebrate solar portfolios and programs that increase equitable access to the meaningful benefits of community solar for subscribers and their communities. Five teams were named Grand Prize Winners, each taking home $10,000 in cash prizes for their impactful initiatives. One additional team was awarded a $5,000 Meaningful Benefit Award in the resilience category.

Sunnys winners map

Heliostat Prize Semifinalists Announced

The American-Made Heliostat Prize announced its nine semifinalists who have each won $100,000 and will now move on to compete for a chance to win the Grand Prize. This prize seeks to accelerate technology innovation and reduce the cost of heliostats, which are devices that tilt mirrors to track the sun and reflect it toward a receiver to generate concentrated solar-thermal power (CSP).

Heliostat Prize

New Funding to Expand Equitable Solar Communities of Practice

DOE launched a new Equitable Solar Communities of Practice program, which aims to support the equitable distribution of the benefits of solar. SETO is looking for industry experts to serve as lead organizations for one or more of the five proposed communities of practice. Lead organizations will be eligible for $75,000 in funding per community of practice. Apply by December 8.

Community Power Accelerator Prize Announces First Wave of Phase 2 Winners

The American-Made Community Power Accelerator Prize (Round 1) announced the first group of Phase 2 winners. There will be an additional announcement for the remaining Phase 2 winners in early 2024. Each winner will receive cash prizes and move on to Phase 3 of the competition.

Upcoming Deadlines

Don’t forget to participate in these funding opportunities, prizes, and solicitations:

  • Transmission Interconnection Roadmap Request for Information (RFI) – Grid operators, utilities, state and local governments, Tribal governments, clean energy developers, energy justice organizations, nonprofits, trade associations, and other stakeholders can submit feedback by November 22.
  • Systems Integration RFI – Members of the solar industry, academia, research laboratories, government agencies, and end-user groups can submit responses until November 30.

Some Light 🌞 Reading

New Database on Large-Scale U.S. Photovoltaic (PV) Systems

The U.S. Geological Survey and DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory released the largest and most comprehensive database to date on large-scale solar energy projects in the United States. The U.S. Large-Scale Solar PV Database is a public resource that will benefit research for large-scale solar energy development and inform siting and planning for future deployment.

Topics Announced for Small Business Solar Innovations

DOE announced topics for the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) funding programs for fiscal year 2024. The programs give U.S. small businesses an opportunity to conduct high-risk, cutting-edge research and technology development with potential for commercialization, spurring innovation and job creation. Register for an informational webinar on December 4.

New Tool Connects Microgrids to Increase Community Resilience in Puerto Rico

Microgrids, which often use solar and storage, can function even when disconnected from the larger grid, which is helpful during widespread outages. A new tool developed with SETO funding takes microgrid capabilities even further, allowing the exchange of power between multiple microgrids within a network. See how this new tool can increase community resilience, especially in places that experience major hurricanes like Puerto Rico.

Join Our Team: Science, Technology, and Policy Fellowship

Are you a student, researcher, or professional with a passion for solar energy? You can join SETO in advancing solar technologies and deployment through the Science, Technology, and Policy Fellowship! Selected participants will play an integral role in designing and implementing new initiatives to make solar energy more affordable and reliable. Applications are due January 15, 2024.

2024 STP ORISE Fellowship

Meet SETO’s CSP Team

DOE funds research to improve CSP technologies—which look quite different from traditional solar panels. Check out SETO’s new video that details how the technology works and shows how staffers with diverse career backgrounds come together to advance CSP’s trajectory in meeting our decarbonization goals.

csp team video

Federal Energy Funding for Rural and Remote Areas: A Guide for Communities

DOE’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations recently released a guide for people who live or work in rural and remote areas and are looking to plan or build clean energy projects in their communities. Find questions to ask before applying for federal funding, tips for navigating the funding process, and other resources.

Apply to the Cradle to Commerce (C2C) Program

Are you an entrepreneur or scientist eager to bring climate tech to the market? C2C is accepting pre-applications through December 10. Register for a virtual information session on November 29 to learn how C2C works to accelerate climate innovations and how you can be a part of the next cohort.

Innovators Selected for DOE’s Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program (LEEP)

DOE announced the latest round of cohorts for LEEP. The 21 selected innovators will now work with an extensive network of mentors and experts at national laboratories to develop next-generation technologies that will help achieve a clean energy future that benefits the whole country.

Join the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) Research Programs

Are you a U.S. graduate student considering a future postdoctoral position in renewable energy research? Check out this recent video from NREL to get a sense of what postdocs do at the lab.

Upcoming Events

Power Systems Integration Data and Algorithms Platform for Distributed Solar Generation Integration Analysis

November 17 | 2:30 p.m. ET
SETO is hosting a webinar on the Open Energy Data Initiative – Systems Integration program that will include an introductory presentation and demonstrations of the data pre-processing and distribution state estimation features.

SBIR/STTR Informational Webinar

December 4 | 2 p.m. ET
Join SETO at this informational webinar to discuss the Phase I solar topics for small businesses.

EnergyTech University Prize (EnergyTech UP) Informational Webinar

December 5 | 4 p.m. ET
Students and faculty interested in participating in EnergyTech UP, a $400,000+ collegiate competition, are encouraged to attend this informational webinar to learn about the regional Explore pitch events, the first major event of the competition.

Solar District Cup One-Semester Division Informational Webinar

December 7 | 4 p.m. ET
The Solar District Cup Collegiate Design Competition is seeking student teams for the winter/spring (one-semester or two-quarter) division of the Class of 2023–2024. Learn more about the competition at this informational webinar and register to compete.

In Case You Missed It

DOE Justice Week 2023: Equity Empowered

Funding Notice: $9.5 Million Available to Enhance Hydropower Flexibility 

Author: US DOE Staff    Published: 11/16/2023    EERE

U.S. Department of Energy - Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

EERE Funding Opportunities

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) today released a $9.5 million funding opportunity to increase hydropower’s flexibility, allowing it to better balance the variability of resources such as wind and solar on the power system.  

Hydropower currently accounts for 28.7% of total U.S. renewable electricity generation and about 6.2% of total U.S. electricity generation. It can supply electricity immediately or store it to meet real-time demand. By enhancing these abilities, this investment helps strengthen hydropower’s ability to support an electric grid with an increasing amount of variable renewable energy resources as the United States works to meet its clean energy goals. 

The opportunity will fund projects in three topic areas: 

  1. Up to $4 million for projects that demonstrate hydropower hybrid configurations, such as a hydropower facility paired with another type of generation or with an energy storage resource.  
  2. Up to $4 million for projects that advance technology innovations to improve the flexible capabilities of the U.S. hydropower fleet. 
  3. Up to $1.5 million for projects that quantify the flexible capabilities of hydropower and advance operational strategies to increase such flexibility to better serve an evolving electric grid.   

Between four and seven awards are anticipated under the Strategies to Increase Hydropower Flexibility funding opportunity. Individual awards may vary between $750,000 and $4 million.  

Applicants must submit a concept paper by 5 p.m. ET on January 18, 2024, to be eligible to submit a full application.  

Webinar  

WPTO will host an informational webinar at 2:30 p.m. ET on November 30, 2023, to discuss the funding opportunity and areas of focus. Register for the webinar.   

Learn more about this and other water power funding opportunities.  

Urge the Department of Interior to follow through with Honoring Chaco Now

Author: Judith LeBlanc    Published: 11/16/2023    Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund

 

Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund

 

The Honoring Chaco Initiative (HCI) is a first of its kind effort to change the paradigm of public lands management in this sacred landscape and finally prioritize the health, economic and environmental justice, equity, and sustainability of the region.

To protect certain areas of Greater Chaco from industrial exploitation, we’ve join with partners, including Navajo Nation, Diné C.A.R.E., Sierra Club, and Friends of the Earth, in support of the HCI to stop new oil and gas drilling and fracking in the region, phasing out existing extraction activities, and establishing Tribal co-management strategies for the future.

The Greater Chaco Landscape extends far beyond the boundaries of Chaco Culture National Park and holds environmental, cultural, and historical significance to Indigenous Peoples that must be safeguarded from further destruction.

Community protections must be put in place to ensure the health, wealth, and wellness of impacted Diné (Navajo) communities, and to protect these communities from the harms that come from leaking, venting, flaring, and spilling of toxic materials from an aging and industrialized oil and gas infrastructure.

Just transition efforts and community infrastructure investments must be funded to address the impacts of sacrifice zones and environmental racism, and to achieve an immediate phase out of fossil fuels.

The oil and gas industry must be held accountable for the cumulative impacts of nearly 40,000 oil and gas wells in the region. The legacy of pollution, including abandoned, orphaned, and non-producing wells must be addressed and fully remediated.

The Department of the Interior’s move to protect Chaco Culture National Historical Park by issuing a 20-year administrative withdrawal that bans new oil and gas drilling on unleased federal lands within a 10-mile buffer is a great start, but they can’t stop there.

Urge Secretary Haaland to complete the Honoring Chaco Initiative, end the legacy of broken promises, and address the impacts of sacrifice zones in the Greater Chaco region by adding your name now.

Full Petition:

Dear Secretary Haaland,

For too long, the Greater Chaco region has been ravaged by the oil and gas industry, putting Tribal communities at risk, undermining the cultural integrity of the landscape, and jeopardizing clean air and water.

Your efforts to champion Indigenous issues are admirable. I support the Department of the Interior’s move to protect Chaco Culture National Historical Park by issuing a 20-year administrative withdrawal that bans new oil and gas drilling on unleased federal lands within a 10-mile buffer.

I encourage you to continue moving forward with the Honoring Chaco Initiative, a first of its kind effort to change the paradigm of public lands management in this sacred landscape and finally prioritize the health, economic and environmental justice, equity, and sustainability of the region.

While steps have been taken to protect certain areas of Greater Chaco from industrial exploitation, more needs to be done to truly safeguard the safety and well-being of this cultural landscape and surrounding communities.

Since 2014, over two million people have called on federal agencies to address the impacts of sacrifice zones in the Greater Chaco region and pause all oil and gas proposals. Groups have called for meaningful tribal and community consultation at every stage of decision-making; for the cumulative impacts of oil and gas development to be considered, analyzed and addressed; and for the advancement of environmental and economic justice.

Looking ahead, we call on you to ensure the Honoring Chaco Initiative continues to progress and advance the following core goals:

  • Stop permitting new oil and gas drilling and fracking, and phase out existing extraction, across the Greater Chaco Landscape.
  • Develop and implement Tribal co-management strategies for the region’s public lands and resources.
  • Fully protect and restore the air quality, ground and surface waters, and healthy lands of the region.
  • Allocate resources to enable communities to achieve economic security and sustainability, including massive clean up efforts of failing oil and gas infrastructure.

The Honoring Chaco Initiative is an opportunity for the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management to finally end the legacy of broken promises and address the impacts of sacrifice zones and environmental racism in the Greater Chaco region.

I expect the Department of the Interior to fully follow through with its promises to safeguard and truly honor Greater Chaco.

Sincerely,

Making Interregional Transmission Work in the East

Author: Advance Energy United  Published: 11/16/2023  Advanced Energy United Webinars

Making Interregional Transmission Work in the East

Posted by Webinar on Nov 16, 2023 10:40:56 AM

 

Recorded on November 15, 2023

Advanced Energy United convened an interactive discussion designed to identify and accelerate common ground among states up and down the East Coast around the topic of adding interregional transmission capacity to our power grid. The session featured state energy officials in the Northeast who are working through the details of how to accomplish this goal.

The panelists discussed the hurdles that need to be overcome at the state level to harmonize interests and create pathways for mutually beneficial interregional transmission.

Panelists

  • Bruce Ho, Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection
    Senior Policy Advisor
  • Jason Marshall, Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
    Deputy Secretary & Special Counsel for Federal/Regional Energy Affairs
  • Preethy Thangaraj, New Jersey Office of the Governor
    Policy Advisor, Energy & Environment
  • Abe Silverman, Columbia University
    Director, Non-Technical Barriers Program

Moderator

  • Verna Mandez, Advanced Energy United
    Managing Director, Transmission Campaign

Registered Apprenticeships: Superhighways to good jobs

Author: US DOL Staff  Published: 11/16/2023     US Department of Labor

DOL Seal

National Apprenticeship Week. Nov. 13-19, 2023

Acting Secretary Su, Secretary Cardona, government officials, students and others crowd together on a stage for a group photo.

National Apprenticeship Week launches with graduation ceremony

Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, Domestic Policy Advisor to the President Neera Tanden, and others kicked off National Apprenticeship Week 2023 with a graduation ceremony for students who recently completed apprenticeship programs.

“Registered Apprenticeships use proven strategies that help connect young people with good jobs and provide employers with skilled, entry-level employees,” explained Acting Secretary Su. “The apprenticeship program graduates we honored here today at the Department of Labor remind us how these programs change peoples’ lives, creating a brighter future for them and for our nation.”

Registered Apprenticeships open up opportunities for all workers

National Apprenticeship Week is going strong, involving more than 1,700 events and proclamations from communities around the country. At the start of the week, Acting Secretary Su shared success stories from some of the apprentices she’s met, and reflected on apprenticeship’s role in supporting nationwide economic growth.
Youth Apprenticeship Week. May 5-11, 2024. Photo of 5 young engineering apprentices.
Our first Youth Apprenticeship Week

Join us for the first Youth Apprenticeship Week next May as we celebrate the benefits of Registered Apprenticeships for people ages 16-24. Find ideas for participating on our Youth Apprenticeship Week webpage.
Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su poses for a photo with Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and an apprentice from the Chicago Women in Trades
In Chicago, Su outlines efforts to improve the national apprenticeship system

In Chicago, Acting Secretary Su joined Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker at a regional convening of workforce leaders hosted by our Employment and Training Administration. Acting Secretary Su’s remarks highlighted efforts to strengthen and modernize the national apprenticeship system. She also toured a training center and met with apprentices and business leaders.
Apprentice Trailblazer. Innovators. Trendsetters. Future Leaders.
Introducing our first cohort of Apprentice Trailblazers!

Earlier this year, we announced plans to create a national network of apprentices and apprenticeship graduates whose individual stories may inspire career seekers interested in becoming apprentices. This week, we announced the 57 youth apprentices and recent apprenticeship graduates who will make up the first cohort of Apprentice Trailblazers.
YouthBuild Grants. A young woman in hardhat and safety vest smiles at a construction site.
$98M in grants available to support pre-apprenticeships in key industries

We’re making $98 million in funding available through our YouthBuild program to support pre-apprenticeships in high-demand industries including construction, healthcare, information technology and hospitality.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
A young woman in protective goggles reads from a clipboard in a lab environment. Apprenticeship for vets

The earn-while-you-learn model of Registered Apprenticeship offers an excellent opportunity for veterans starting their civilian careers.
A young man with a laptop chats with two older coworkers in a professional setting. Presidential proclamation

In a National Apprenticeship Week proclamation, President Biden said, “Apprenticeships not only strengthen our workforce today, they give workers the skills needed for industries of the future.”
Exterior of a Plaza Azteca restaurant. The restaurant's logo hangs above a mosaic tile design and several tables and chairs sit on the sidewalk. $11.4M for workers

Restaurant chain operators must pay $11.4 million to employees at more than 40 Plaza Azteca locations in seven states, following investigations and litigation.
Several soldiers stand in uniform. The camera focuses on the flag patch sewn onto one service member's uniform in the foreground. TAP updates

We’re updating our Transition Assistance Program to benefit job-seeking service members, veterans and military spouses.
Close-up of an older person walking with a walker, while somebody supports their arm. Misclassification resolved

We recovered $532,842 in back wages for 67 workers from an Alabama home care employer that misclassified employees as contractors.
Two miners in protective gear walk through an underground mine Speak up, save lives

Too many miners are being hurt or sickened on the job. Join us in getting the word out about their workplace rights – including protection from retaliation.
A piece of paper on a clipboard reads, "Unemployment Insurance." Unemployment insurance guidance

We’ve released guidance to states on how to promote equitable access for all workers and jobseekers to unemployment insurance programs.

DATA SPOTLIGHT
Two workers wearing high-visibility clothing, hard hats and fall protection walk near wind turbines in a field.
Growing jobs that don’t need a 4-year degree

Interested in starting a new career without having to get a 4-year degree? Check out these 10 growing jobs that don’t need a bachelor’s degree, are expected to grow faster than average and that pay above the median.

WORKING FOR YOU
Jason Williams poses with a graduation certificate, standing with Acting Secretary Su, Secretary Cardona and Manny Lamarre
How an apprenticeship gave Jason a fresh start

Good jobs change lives. Apprenticeship can get you started. Watch Jason’s story.

POST OF THE WEEK
How will you celebrate National Apprenticeship Week this year? We’ll be highlighting all the ways apprenticeships benefit:
✔️youth
✔️new/emerging industries
✔️underserved populations
✔️women
✔️vets & fed employees
Register your event & find inspiration at apprenticeship.gov/national-apprenticeship-week
–@USDOL

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Expert insights and tools for workplace EV charging

Expert insights and tools for workplace EV charging

Thank you for attending the “EV charging: the new workplace requirement” webinar.

We’ve included a link to the webinar replay below in case you’d like to review it or share it with your colleagues.

Review:

  • Why demand for EV charging has increased among employees
  • How companies across industries are deploying EV charging as a way to encourage employees to return to the office
  • The impact offering EV charging can have on your organization, employees and community
  • Available tools to help you assess your own workplace property for an EV charging implementation
Watch Recording
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DOE Prizes and Competitions: A Sample of Opportunities

Author: US DOE EID Staff   Published: 11/13/2023   DOE Office of Economic Impact and Diversity

This is the first of our upcoming FY24 “MSI/TCU/HBCU Educational Engagement and Training Series”. Stay tuned for more in the series, which will be posted on the blog page (https://www.energy.gov/diversity/educational-engagement-and-training-series-technical-assistance-msis-tcus-hbcus) as well as posted on our office ED’s upcoming events calendar.

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ClearBlu Weekly Newsletter

Author: Larry Gilmore    Published: 11/13/2023    ClearBlu 

 

Opinion: Bank capital requirements would put squeeze on mortgage market

Fannie Mae: Record-High 85% of Consumers Call it a Bad Time to Buy a Home; Most Expect Rental Prices to Increase

Biden Administration Unlocks Plan to Bolster U.S. Housing Supply

MBA Weekly Survey Nov. 1: Mortgage Applications Decrease

HELOC, nonagency securitization could grow long term, leaders say

Federal Housing Administration Expands Access to Mortgage Financing for Homes That Have or Will Include Accessory Dwelling Units 

27-YEAR-OLD QUITS CORPORATE JOB, BUILDS HER OWN EMPIRE, NOW GIVING $25K IN FUNDING TO BLACK ENTREPRENEURS

ANDRE IGUODALA RAISES $200M FOR HIS VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM

14-year-old who invented soap to treat skin cancer named America’s Top Young Scientist

12 Reasons You Need a Business Plan

How to pitch me: 7 investors discuss what they’re looking for in September 2023

The Top 3 Business Opportunities of the Next Decade (and How to Capitalize on Them)

The Secret to Billionaires’ Success Everyone Can Steal: The Law of 100X

SMALL BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURS AND THE GENERATIVE AI ADVANTAGE

Entrepreneurship For Introverts: The How-To

11 Free Courses and Learning Resources for Small Business Owners

How To Grow Your Business By Doing More — Not Less — For Your Customers

The number one reason so many startups fail, according to entrepreneurs from Harvard Business School