Building & Transportation Electrification: Page 8
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Opinion
As trucking electrifies, how we prepare the grid must evolve
Fleets are often able to procure zero-emissions vehicles and chargers in less than a year. Grid upgrades can take upwards of five or more years.
By Cole Jermyn • Jan. 25, 2024 -
ASHRAE updates energy efficiency standard for existing buildings
The 2024 edition of Standard 100 contains new metrics for setting emissions targets and a “simple” compliance mechanism for energy efficient and low-emission buildings, it says.
By Joe Burns • Jan. 22, 2024 -
Trendline
Building Electrification
Decarbonization goals are spurring building electrication efforts across the U.S. While the use of heat pumps and other technologies is expanding, some policies are facing legal challenges.
By Utility Dive staff -
Bipartisan group of 12 senators proposes blocking DOE’s distribution transformer efficiency rule
Stricter standards and an “overnight” implementation proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy “jeopardize electricity distribution for millions” of Americans, said Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
By Robert Walton • Jan. 22, 2024 -
Sponsored by RS Technologies
Composite poles vs. alternatives in the face of natural disasters
Composite utility poles have been shown to be highly resilient in ice storms, freezing rain, hurricanes and wildfires.
Jan. 22, 2024 -
$104M for clean energy projects in 31 federal buildings announced by DOE
The selected projects are expected to save over $29 million in energy and water costs, generating an additional 27 MW of clean energy capacity, the U.S. Department of Energy says.
By Nish Amarnath • Jan. 19, 2024 -
Hertz reverses course on electric vehicles
The company, which once said EVs would account for a quarter of its rental fleet by 2025, is selling some 20,000 electric vehicles and replacing them with gas-powered cars.
By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 16, 2024 -
Gov. Newsom proposes $283M cut to California’s building decarbonization programs
The proposed 2024-25 budget would also delay $600 million of funding for the state’s electric vehicle rebate program, Clean Cars 4 All, and EV charging stations by three years.
By Dan Zukowski • Jan. 16, 2024 -
New buildings that use natural gas lose final utility subsidy in California
Incentives that indirectly help expand the gas system don’t align with the state’s climate goals, the California Public Utilities Commission said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Jan. 12, 2024 -
Biden administration awards $623M for EV charging, hydrogen buildout
The largest award, among recipients from 22 states and Puerto Rico, is $70 million for up to five hydrogen fueling stations in Texas, part of a plan to create a hydrogen corridor from Southern California to the Lone Star State.
By Robert Walton • Jan. 12, 2024 -
Buildings can reduce energy intensity by up to 38%: report
Undertaking energy savings and energy efficiency measures by 2030 can garner up to $2 trillion in annual savings, according to a white paper by the World Economic Forum and PwC.
By Nish Amarnath • Jan. 10, 2024 -
9 US power sector trends to watch in 2024
The U.S. march toward a decarbonized electric system will continue in 2024 as policymakers and others work to balance, climate, reliability, affordability and other goals.
By Robert Walton, Ethan Howland, Diana DiGangi, Larry Pearl, Kavya Balaraman and Emma Penrod • Jan. 10, 2024 -
PJM triples annual load growth forecast to 2.4% driven by data centers, electrification
The PJM Interconnection’s fastest-growing zones include ones served by Dominion Energy and FirstEnergy’s Metropolitan Edison and Jersey Central Power & Light utilities, per the grid operator’s load forecast.
By Ethan Howland • Jan. 9, 2024 -
Biden administration seeks public input to define zero emissions for buildings
The administration plans to base Part 1 of the definition on three pillars: an adherence to energy efficiency guidelines, the use of 100% clean energy and zero on-site emissions generation from energy use.
By Nish Amarnath • Jan. 8, 2024 -
Opinion
To spur more EV chargers, regulators must get creative with demand charges
No matter what the incentives for installing an EV charger, very few businesses will enter this marketplace if selling the product leads to thousands of dollars in charges that aren’t made up for with revenue.
By Chris Kaiser • Jan. 5, 2024 -
Legal threats to city, state natural gas bans in 2023: A timeline
The nation’s first gas ban was overturned. One state changed its building codes to avoid legal challenges. Here’s the biggest gas ban news of 2023.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Jan. 4, 2024 -
9th Circuit declines to reconsider decision rejecting Berkeley, California, natural gas ban
If the city wants to continue to appeal the decision, its next step would be the U.S. Supreme Court.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Jan. 3, 2024 -
$530M in building code technical assistance grants available from DOE
The grants will support a wider range of energy code and building performance standards activities, including workforce development, by state, local and tribal governments.
By Joe Burns • Dec. 20, 2023 -
Gas industry sues DOE over new furnace efficiency rule, citing cost and other concerns
The new rule will require gas furnaces to be 95% efficient, but the American Gas Association and other stakeholders say it effectively bans a product class and will drive prices higher for many consumers.
By Robert Walton • Dec. 20, 2023 -
To be truly net-zero, buildings must buy 100% renewable energy, global council says
A globally consistent definition of net-zero buildings is needed, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development says, while analysts note current carbon compliance ambiguities.
By Nish Amarnath • Dec. 19, 2023 -
Seattle requires large buildings to zero out greenhouse gas emissions by 2050
As building performance standards gain traction nationwide, Seattle’s policy is the city’s most ambitious plan ever to reduce building emissions, the City Council said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Dec. 13, 2023 -
NYC removes zoning restrictions for rooftop solar, energy storage and electrification equipment
The "City of Yes" initiative, which took effect Dec. 11, is expected to help facilitate environmentally friendly retrofits for over 50,000 buildings.
By Joe Burns • Dec. 12, 2023 -
Ford, Resideo launch joint vehicle-to-home energy management project
The two companies will study how Ford’s future electric vehicle batteries can supply power to homes to help reduce energy costs.
By Eric Walz • Dec. 12, 2023 -
VW is launching a vehicle-to-home EV charging pilot in Sweden
Today’s EVs, equipped with larger batteries, can provide even more power than Tesla’s Powerwall, which delivers 13.5 kWh of usable energy..
By Eric Walz • Dec. 11, 2023 -
HUD announces new building decarbonization efforts at COP28
As the U.S. pledges to make near-zero-emissions buildings the “new normal” by 2030, the housing agency is teaming up with other departments for access to the best available data and research.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Dec. 11, 2023 -
UN report proposes energy efficiency, other measures to slash cooling emissions up to 96% by 2050
Passive cooling, higher energy efficiency and a quicker phasedown of climate-warming refrigerants could save $1 trillion by 2050, according to the report released during the COP28 climate talks in Dubai.
By Nish Amarnath • Dec. 8, 2023