Renewable Energy Plays Growing Role in Reducing Coal, Natural Gas Generation
In the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, it expects that increased U.S. power generation from new renewables capacity – mostly wind and solar – will reduce generation from both coal-fired and natural gas-fired power plants in 2023 and 2024. With the new solar and wind projects coming online this year, EIA forecasts these two energy sources will account for 16% of total generation in 2023, up from 14% last year and 8% in 2018. In contrast, EIA’s forecast share of generation from coal falls from 20% in 2022 to 18% in 2023; the forecast share from natural gas declines from 39% to 38%. One of the most significant shifts in the mix of U.S. electricity generation over the past few years has been the rapid expansion of renewable energy resources, especially solar and wind. The U.S. electric power sector operated about 74 GW of solar photovoltaic…
DOE Supports Equitable Community Solar Projects with Accelerator Prize
Faribault Community Solar project (Credit: Apadana Solar Technologies) The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)’s National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP) has launched a slate of initiatives to support the deployment of equitable community solar projects and recognized projects exemplifying best practices in community solar. Community solar allows any household to access the benefits of renewable energy, with an emphasis on those that cannot access rooftop solar. The Community Power Accelerator and its $10 million prize will leverage $5 billion in private-sector financing commitments to help community-based organizations and other mission-aligned project developers access financing and build community solar projects, particularly in disadvantaged and underrepresented communities. The department is also launching a new campaign to highlight the connections between solar energy and its long-term benefits, beginning with community solar. Community solar will play a vital role in supporting the Biden-Harris administration’s Justice40 Initiative to ensure that every community benefits from the clean…
AMP Smart, Titanium Merge to Offer Smart Home and Solar Solutions
Allen Bolen Smart home company AMP Smart and solar installer Titanium have finalized their merger and now offer consumers a complete smart home and solar sales and installation solution. Together, AMP and Titanium offer a spectrum of products, including rooftop solar, meter monitoring, smart thermostats, video surveillance, feature-rich smart home panels, automated lights and door locks, and a full suite of cutting-edge monitored security products. “This merger was very strategic,” says Executive Chairman Allen Bolen. “AMP’s operational strength, combined with Titanium’s powerhouse sales engine, creates an ideal platform to drive growth.” The company is actively recruiting new sales and operations talent to take advantage of the rapid expansion in the smart home and solar industries. “I believe our growth will continue to accelerate and may even surpass 50 percent in 2023,” states CEO Josh Sutherland. “We look forward to hiring people in a challenging economy, and we plan on healthy…
New California-Arizona Ten West Link Transmission Line Breaks Ground
Vice President Kamala Harris, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm and National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi broke ground for Ten West Link, a new 500 kV high-voltage transmission line that will connect Southern California and central Arizona and deliver clean electricity. The Department of the Interior approved construction of the line in July 2022. “The Ten West Link in Arizona demonstrates a very important point: when we invest in climate, we invest in families, in communities, in opportunity and prosperity for all people,” says Harris. “When we invest in climate, we build a safer, cleaner, healthier, more just, and more prosperous country. When we invest in climate, we invest in America.” The Ten West Link route traverses a region with some of the highest potential for utility-scale solar photovoltaic energy development in the nation. The project will provide critical transmission infrastructure to support the development…