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Resource adequacy was at the heart of NetZero Insider’s coverage of policy issues this past week. 


James Downing reports on the conflict over a deal the Biden administration brokered between Oregon and Washington and four tribes over four Snake River dams. Republicans in the House of Representatives charge that the agreement will lead to the dams being breached and threaten reliability. 


Jon Lamson has a story on a discussion hosted by the Clean Energy States Alliance, during which experts said additional regulatory and policy support are needed to help scale up the utility-scale battery storage industry. 


In Massachusetts, a group of Weymouth residents submitted final arguments over an Algonquin Gas Transmission compressor station they say should not have been sited near their neighborhood; attorneys for Algonquin and the state say the facility is needed and was sited appropriately. Lamson reports. 


Our curated content includes a look at another air-quality squabble, this one much older and based on coke production near Pittsburgh and a proposal by Iowa legislators to bar anonymous environmental complaints


Back on the West Coast, Ayla Burnett reports on an energy summit in Palo Alto, Calif., that highlighted the perspectives of communities historically excluded from the decision-making process on energy matters.  


Elaine Goodman reports that solar advocates have petitioned FERC to take action against the Salt River Project over what they say are discriminatory policies against customers with rooftop solar panels. In other news out of Arizona, pv Magazine reports that a proposed solar power export tax has advanced in the state Senate.  


And Downing has a story on two new members being appointed to the Virginia State Corporation Commission: Kelsey Bagot, a former staffer for FERC Commissioner Mark Christie, and Sam Towell, who previously worked for the state attorney general. 


More news of net-zero policy issues is gathered in our weekly Intelligence Report below: 


Jump To

Equity & Economics
Finance & Investing
Impact & Adaptation
Policy & Politics

 
 

Equity & Economics

New York

NYPA Petitions Public Service Commission to Establish Renewable Energy Access and Community Help Program

REACH would directly benefit low-income electric ratepayers using renewable generation from distributed energy sources in their communities or from large-scale renewable projects located throughout the state's electric power grid. North American Clean Energy


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Finance & Investing

International

BloombergNEF: Clean tech investment hits $1.8tr in 2023, but remains 'off track' for global climate goals

BNEF warned investment levels remained "nowhere near" the $4.8tr it estimates is required each year between 2024 and 2030 to deliver on the internationally-agreed goal of limiting temperature increases to 1.5C. BusinessGreen


California

OPINION: Paying for conflicts of interest

As PG&E bills begin arriving in the mailboxes and computers of both private customers and businesses of all sizes, costs for everything from food to roofing to appliances will rise. Plus, the rate hike itself will mean less food, less heat and less flexibility for myriad Californians. If that's not a loud call for state legislators to take action to preclude future conflicts of interest, it's hard to see what could be, writes Thomas Elias. California Focus


Minnesota

Minnesota 'green bank' hopes to start funding climate projects this summer

Minnesota leaders plan to launch the state's first-ever "green bank" this year to invest in climate-friendly projects, and could start distributing some of its $45 million funds early this summer. Sahan Journal


New Hampshire

As carbon pricing picks up around the globe, lawmakers urge NH to get on board

If the New Hampshire Legislature passes House Bill 1486, the state would be required to consider proxy carbon prices in its spending decisions relative to transportation and buildings. Carbon pricing is an economic instrument and market-based mechanism to curb greenhouse gas emissions, one that is becoming increasingly popular across the globe. According to the World Bank, 73 carbon pricing initiatives have been implemented, covering 23% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. New Hampshire Bulletin


U.S.

GoFundMe Is Remaking Disaster Aid. It Largely Helps the Wealthy.

As climate-fueled disasters destroy more American homes, the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe has exploded in popularity. Its appeal is simple: People can provide cash directly to survivors, which is quicker than insurance and often more generous than government aid. But new research suggests that cash sent through GoFundMe disproportionately benefits the wealthy rather than those who most need help. The New York Times


U.S.

BlackRock commits $500M to Recurrent Energy, expands renewable power portfolio

BlackRock has agreed to pour $500 million into Recurrent Energy, a utility-scale solar and energy storage project developer, for a 20% stake in a bid to expand its renewable energy portfolio. The transaction marks the inaugural investment for BlackRock's fourth climate infrastructure fund, which the asset manager launched last year. ESG Dive


U.S.

Venture Capital Funding in Energy Storage Increases 59% Year-over-Year, with a Record $9.2 Billion in 2023

Mercom Capital Group released its report on funding and mergers and acquisitions activity for the global energy storage and smart grid sectors for the fourth quarter and full year 2023. Venture capital funding in energy storage in 2023 was the highest ever recorded, increasing 59% year-over-year, with $9.2 billion in 86 deals compared to the $5.8 billion raised in 96 deals in 2022. North American Clean Energy


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Impact & Adaptation

International

With the World Stumbling Past 1.5 Degrees of Warming, Scientists Warn Climate Shocks Could Trigger Unrest and Authoritarian Backlash

Most of the public seems unaware that global temperatures will soon push past the target to which the U.N. hoped to limit warming, but researchers see social and psychological crises brewing. Inside Climate News


International

Climate change has killed 4 million people since 2000 -- and that's an underestimate

Research assessing how many people are being killed by the climate crisis has remained conspicuously stagnant since the McMichael standard was established in the 2000s. But this week, a climate and health researcher published a commentary in the journal Nature Medicine that takes that standard to its logical conclusion. By the end of this year, climate change will have killed roughly 4 million people globally since the turn of the century. Grist


International

The climate case for a career in mining

The mining industry's poor reputation has arguably been earned. In many parts of the world, the industry has devastated local ecosystems, upended Indigenous communities, and exploited its workers. Yet in order to meet international targets for slowing climate change, the world needs enormous amounts of lithium, cobalt, copper, nickel, and other metals that are key ingredients in clean energy technologies. Securing these commodities could mean opening hundreds of new mines worldwide. Grist


Drought & Flooding

New Jersey

A Climate Change Success Story? Look at Hoboken

This flood-prone city on the Hudson River balances climate infrastructure with resident needs. New York Times


Migration

International

OPINION: Climate migration is our new reality and new responsibility

Congress and the White House must act now to pass the Climate Displaced Persons Act and take this crucial step toward creating a safe and resilient future for all of us, write Tefere Gebre, chief program officer at Greenpeace USA, and Nicole Melaku, executive director of the National Partnership for New Americans. The Hill


Wildfires

International

Carbon Neutral or High Emitter? Canada & The Forest Carbon Loophole

Canada's GHG reporting approach claims GHG emissions from wildfires are natural, but GHG removals from forests at the age of "commercial maturity", despite being primarily natural disturbance origin, are anthropogenic. Clean Technica


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Policy & Politics

U.S.

The I.R.A. Is Biden's Signature Climate Achievement. Many Voters Don't Know It.

President Biden has done more than any president to tackle climate change, but strategists are grappling with an uncomfortable fact: As he faces a bruising re-election campaign against the Republican front-runner, former President Donald J. Trump many Democrats said the president is failing to communicate his most significant policy achievements. The New York Times


Pennsylvania

In a Steel Town Outside Pittsburgh, an Old Fight Over Air Quality Drags On

The debate over a pollution permit in Clairton, Pa., home to the nation's largest coke plant, pits environmental groups and residents concerned about public health against U.S. Steel and its supporters. Inside Climate News


U.S.

NextEra CEO downplays chance of Inflation Reduction Act repeal if Trump re-elected

Renewable energy markets may have experienced some turbulence in recent years, but those challenges have only served to make NextEra Energy an even stronger company, executives told investors during a Jan. 25 earnings call. The Inflation Reduction Act is a key growth driver for the company, but the upcoming federal elections are creating uncertainty around utility clean energy plans. However, NextEra Energy CEO John Ketchum downplayed the possibility that Republican lawmakers would repeal the Inflation Reduction Act if former President Donald Trump is re-elected in November. Utility Dive


U.S.

To keep or not to keep: The fate of scope 3 emissions in SEC's climate disclosure rule

Given all of the pushback the agency has received over its proposed rule, particularly scope 3 reporting requirements, experts are uncertain if scope 3 will make the final cut. ESG Dive


U.S.

As summers grow ever hotter, OSHA appears ready to protect workers

Failing to provide a bathroom and drinking water could soon become illegal. This year, a new rule from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration could for the first time provide federal protection to heat exposure and require companies to invest in employees' well-being during the hottest parts of the year. Grist


U.S.

Vulnerable Democrats Oppose Biden Climate Plans on EVs, Power Plants

Vulnerable Democrats in swing states are increasingly sounding the alarm about Biden environmental policies that risk turning off cost-conscious moderate voters they need to win at the ballot box. The warnings pose an election year challenge for President Joe Biden, whose plans to slash power plant pollution, boost electric vehicle sales and pause natural gas exports are popular with climate activists -- but politically poisonous for some congressional Democrats. Bloomberg


U.S.

How to greenwash': propane industry tries to rebrand fuel as renewable

The Propane Education & Research Council, a U.S. propane industry lobbying group, strategized to downplay the full climate impacts of propane and market it as "renewable" or "clean energy," recordings reviewed by climate newsletter Heated and the Guardian reveal. The group has spent nearly $30 million over the last two years on advertisements for fossil fuel, often promoting propane, the vast majority of which is a by-product of natural gas or crude oil refining, as a form of clean and renewable energy. The Guardian


U.S.

Major changes in federal flood insurance program urged by U.S. Senate panel

Congress has spent more than six years avoiding its responsibility to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, using a series of stopgap bills to extend the life of the program that has issued nearly 5 million policies. The lackadaisical approach to brokering a five-year reauthorization of the program was one of several topics the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee discussed Jan. 25 during a hearing on challenges local communities have with flooding and the federally run insurance program. Oregon Capital Chronicle


U.S.

The risks in Biden's LNG pause

The freeze won't stop the U.S. export surge thanks to new projects authorized and under construction. The DOE points out that export capacity is already slated to double over the next few years. Axios


U.S.

State Energy Policy in a Land of New Federal Opportunity

Today, there are more reasons than ever before for states to proactively drive clean energy policy to reap economic, health, and environmental benefits for their citizens. Clean Technica


U.S.

State agriculture officials slam big banks over 'net-zero' emissions goals: 'Catastrophic'

The Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) is a global group of financial institutions dedicated toward "financing ambitious climate action," with a goal of pushing the economy toward net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050, according to its website. News Channel 20


U.S.

OPINION: As the White House Pushes Net Zero, Let's Be Clear on What That Means

As the administration lays the framework for net zero buildings, there's one major pitfall it must avoid: neglecting "Scope 3" emissions. The Messenger


U.S.

Bipartisan Senators request increased tariffs on solar imports from China

The senators argue that the United States cannot price-compete with China for solar panels, which Wood Mackenzie reported fetch an average price of $0.15 per W, about 60% cheaper than the average U.S.-made panel. pv Magazine


Texas

Texas regulators nix proposed battery rule over concerns it would limit new resource additions

ERCOT's board of directors, in October, unanimously approved NPRR 1186, which would have required batteries to maintain a certain state of charge depending on the ancillary services they are providing. Utility Dive


New Mexico

Oil and gas gave big to New Mexico lawmakers in 2023

That amount almost certainly will grow in coming months due to a quirk in New Mexico's disclosure laws. Elected officials don't have to report contributions they received in the last quarter of last year until this spring. The amount of money the industry showers on elected officials offers a glimpse into the influence it has at the state capitol during legislative sessions. New Mexico In Depth


Alaska

OPINION: Red states should run far, far away from Renewable Portfolio Standards

RPS, to put it simply, is a mandate pushed by environmentalists to make sure electricity is generated only from the sources they want, no matter the impact to family budgets, writes Rick Whitbeck of Power The Future. Must Read Alaska


New Mexico

Bureau of Land Management Office scraps proposed fossil fuel regulations in N.M.

Ten years of meetings and plans abruptly dumped; future plans uncertain. SourceNM


Nebraska

Nebraska introduces legislation to prevent HOA from barring solar installation

Under the bill, any regulations prohibiting solar installations would be deemed void and would have a civil cause of action of violation occurs. pv Magazine


Montana

PSC to investigate NorthWestern Energy's decisions during January cold spell

The Montana Public Service Commission voted unanimously Jan. 30 to investigate how NorthWestern Energy and another utility planned and handled power generation and costs during the record cold snap that hit Montana in January. Daily Montanan


Montana

Public Service Commission president pushes back on audit

Public Service Commission President (and state auditor hopeful) James Brown argued before a legislative committee that high turnover at the state's utility board in 2021 was warranted, and said policing his commission colleagues is constrained by their elected status. Montana Free Press


Michigan

EGLE says environmental review panels should be axed, cites delays and drains on resources

Citing delays and concerns about good governance and resource use, members of the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy continued calls to repeal environmental review panels established during GOP Gov. Rick Snyder's administration. Environmental groups joined EGLE Deputy Director James Clift and Legislative Liaison Sydney Hart in asking members of the House Natural Resources, Environment, Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee to move forward on two bills introduced by state Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield). Michigan Advance


Michigan

State board OKs petition to repeal Michigan renewable energy siting law

The bipartisan board's 4-0 vote clears the way for the group Citizens for Local Choice to begin gathering signatures in hopes of reversing Public Act 233, a law passed in November that established statewide permitting standards for large-scale renewable energy projects that had previously been permitted at the local level. Bridge Michigan


Massachusetts

OPINION: Climate and economic development bills are powerful avenues to net-zero goals

Our climate goals are within reach, but the longer we wait to start running toward them, the harder it will be to get there. Bold, targeted action this legislative session offers a unique and critical opportunity to make our climate vision for Massachusetts a reality, writes Amy Boyd Rabin, vice president of policy at the Environmental League of Massachusetts. Commonwealth Beacon


Iowa

Legislation seeks to curtail anonymous environmental complaints

A bill that received early support in the Iowa Senate on Jan. 25 would require someone who reports a potential violation to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to provide their name, which the department would reveal to the potential violator if it investigates. Sen. Tom Shipley, R-Nodaway, said Senate Study Bill 3103 is meant to stop frivolous, anonymous complaints to the DNR, along with those that target certain facilities such as livestock feedlots and confinements. The bill was advanced by a three-person subcommittee Shipley led Jan. 25 for further consideration in the Senate. Iowa Capital Dispatch


International

Q&A: How YouTube Climate Denialism Is Morphing

Climate science has been under attack for decades. But some climate deniers are no longer refuting the fact that Earth is warming because of human activity. Now, their message focuses on doom: They admit our planet is running a fever, but shrug and say there's not much we can do about it. Inside Climate News


International

Worries in Europe Over the White House Move to Delay Gas Terminals

The Biden administration's decision to review new liquefied natural gas projects for their impact on climate change could be a headache for overseas buyers. New York Times


Arizona

Arizona proposes solar power export tax

Solar assets that export electricity out of the state would be taxed 12.5% per every dollar of revenue made from the sale of electricity. pv Magazine


Arizona

OPINION: New regulations threaten Arizona's renewable energy industry

This change would impose a massive cost on businesses, which inevitably would be passed onto customers and slow the switch to renewable sources, writes Alexander Smith, Director of Sustainability at Grand Canyon University. Arizona Capitol Times


Carbon Pricing

New Hampshire

As carbon pricing picks up around the globe, lawmakers urge NH to get on board

If the New Hampshire Legislature passes House Bill 1486, the state would be required to consider proxy carbon prices in its spending decisions relative to transportation and buildings. New Hampshire Bulletin


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