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This week in buildings, land and industry decarbonization news, The New York Times ran an essay from journalist Michael Grunwald arguing the necessity for “factory farming.” Many want to tear down modern farming techniques to address climate and other pollution, but Grunwald argues that the efficiencies in modern farming can often be better overall for the climate.
Reuters published a story about how many data center owners are interested in new geothermal energy, which has benefited from technology pioneered by the natural gas industry. Geothermal holds some promise, but some setbacks have soured investors, while ample natural gas is available, and its producers want to tap into the higher demand from data centers as well.
Canary Media looked into the future of heat pumps with a new presidential administration taking office. While heat pumps are more efficient than other heating options, they come with high upfront costs that have been defrayed by friendly policies like tax breaks. Those breaks could be on the chopping block as Republicans seek offsets to extending and expanding the tax cuts President Trump signed in his first term.
Bloomberg Law looked into how a recent energy efficiency standard on tankless water heaters issued by the federal Department of Energy is splitting the industry. Energy efficiency advocates support it, but the appliance industry has mixed views. Republicans have repeatedly voted against DOE’s efficiency standards, most recently passing the “Liberty in Laundry Act” out of the House as the Rogersville Review reported. With the presidency and Senate under GOP control next year, such bills will have a much better chance of becoming law.
We’ll be taking a break for the holidays. Our next report will be on Jan. 13, 2025. Until then have a happy New Year!
Now read on this week’s Intelligence Report:
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