This week in buildings, industry and land decarbonization news, Canary Media wrote about Connecticut’s efforts to spur networked geothermal projects as the state looks for ways to keeps its citizens warm in the winter while cutting carbon emissions. Lawmakers there are considering HB 6929, which would create a loan and grant program to support development of the technology. Geothermal heat pumps have been around for 100 years, but their use for residential heating dates back to 2017 when a
nonprofit in neighboring Massachusetts pitched it to utilities.
E&E News ran a story on how some new electric stoves are using lithium-ion batteries so they can be used by consumers whose homes do not have high-voltage outlets. Several firms are ramping up production of the stoves, which can benefit from federal tax cuts that were approved under the Inflation Reduction Act.
RMI posted a report arguing that efficiency should be applied using a whole-of-systems approach instead of focusing exclusively on technology substitutions within the existing system. Efficiency should also go hand in hand with electrification because cutting the size of overall electricity use means fewer energy technologies will be needed.
While data centers are driving huge demand growth in states like Virginia and Texas, the trend might be about to hit a roadblock in Silicon Valley’s home state of California, as Cal Matters reported. California pays among the highest prices for electricity in the country, but state lawmakers want to prevent data centers from making power bills even higher for other customers. Lawmakers have introduced several bills to address the matter, including one that would prevent other customers from paying for the grid upgrades required to serve large data
centers and encouraging the tech industry to use clean power.
Republicans continued their opposition to a suite of efficiency upgrades, with The Hill reporting that the Trump administration has delayed implementation of some late Biden-era standards. They include standards for lightbulbs, washing machines, air conditioners and gas-powered water heaters. The delay was not enough for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who introduced a resolution that would completely undo the standard for water heaters, the same publication reported.
Read other stories in this week’s Intelligence Report:
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