Anna Kramer’s Post

Whenever there is a change in Political Party, especially at the Presidential level, there is always uncertainty when it comes to new policies, and the direction the new office will take. With Donald Trump taking office, he has been quite vocal about unravelling the IRA and other Environmentally related laws and initiatives. Although, this was a concern back in 2016 when he first took office, and the industry still managed to thrive. How do you think this new Presidency will impact the Renewable Energy Industry over the next 4 years? #Renewableenergy #Climate #Environmental

On July 22nd, the North Carolina Utilities Commission will hold a critical hearing to determine the fate of Duke Energy Corporation's proposed #CarbonPlan. In an Op-Ed for Energy News Network, I explain why the current plan is harmful for both #ratepayers and our #environment, and offer some recommendations for improving it. #utilities #energytransition #cleanenergy #accountability Environmental Defense Fund

Via PV Mag: " Massachusetts House passes climate bill, setting example for other states to follow: The Massachusetts bill includes siting reform, which will help speed the buildout of solar and other clean energy technologies. The Massachusetts legislature passed S.2967, a climate bill that took a year for the House and Senate to agree upon. It addresses what Vote Solar said is “the pressing climate crisis by facilitating a path away from polluting fossil fuels and towards the streamlined adoption of clean energy resources”. “Now, more than ever, state-level legislation is crucial in transitioning towards clean energy. We applaud legislators for passing this bill and recognizing that we urgently need to address the climate crisis, while also prioritizing equity in the process,” said Vote Solar’s Northeast director, Elena Weissmann. “We congratulate the Senate and House leadership and the advocates who did not take the pressure off, for the passing of this bill.” The bill includes siting reform, which will help speed the buildout of solar and other clean energy technologies. It extends regional clean energy procurement timelines and offers battery energy storage incentives along with an energy storage procurement program, similar to what the Commonwealth has in place for offshore wind procurement. A building regulations board will be required to consider emissions and embodied carbon considerations. And the bill brings the existing Office of Environmental Justice and Equity into law and includes environmental justice protections. The Sierra Club said in a statement that the “final compromised language” includes wins that add support for climate mandates and ratepayer interests in methane gas infrastructure spending. “We are encouraged to see the legislature put reasonable restrictions on expanding our polluting methane gas system. This will protect ratepayers, reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and create healthier communities,” said Jess Nahigian, political director of the Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter. With passage of this bill, Massachusetts again shows clean energy leadership among other states. The Commonwealth jumped up from nineteenth to eleventh in the country for solar capacity; its growth attributed to the innovative Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program that was established in 2018. As a result of the SMART program, solar provides almost 25% of Massachusetts’ electricity needs with 5.3 GW of solar installed or enough to power nearly one-million homes, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association. The bill now heads to Governor Maura Healey to sign. " #EnergyStrorage #BatteryStorage #Energy

The Biden administration has allocated over $100 billion in clean energy grants under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with over 80% of funding expected to be secured through legally binding contracts by the end of Biden’s term. The IRA’s decade-long tax incentives for renewable energy and carbon capture have spurred investments nationwide, benefiting even Republican-led states, where some leaders have urged Congress to uphold the law's provisions. Recent grants include funding for federal building electrification, NOAA climate research, and rural energy projects. #CleanEnergy #InflationReductionAct #ClimateAction #RenewableEnergy #BidenAdministration #Sustainability #CarbonCapture #USPolitics #GreenTransition #RonNechemia #GlobalBank

The government needs a cohesive vision for our country that aligns with a mission. Instead what appears to exist is a government creating regulations that conflict with other objectives such as ensuring safety and economic development for the population through the availability of energy. The lack of coherent vision has resulted in an irrational state of defeating dependable fossil fuels, natural gas, and electricity generation while forcing a transition to electric everything to be plugged into a grid that cannot support the demand or an infrastructure that doesn’t exist.

From NRECA: Four large electric grid operators are backing NRECA’s legal argument that the Environmental Protection Agency’s power plant greenhouse gas rule will drive the early closure of crucial generation sources and threaten grid reliability. https://lnkd.in/gD7mrVpc

Climate action is on the move in the Vermont Legislature! Renewable Energy Standard reform (H.289) passed out of the House Appropriation Committee today on an 8-3-1 vote after the non-partisan Joint Fiscal Office debunked an inflated cost estimate put out by the Scott administration. The bill - which will be in front of the full House on Tuesday - would get Vermont to 100% renewable electricity and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Simultaneously, the Climate Superfund Act (S.259, aka "Make Big Oil Pay") passed out of Senate Finance on a bipartisan 5-0 vote. The bill would require major oil companies - many of whom knowingly lied to the public about the risk of climate change - to help pay for the damages that the climate crisis is imposing on Vermonters. #ActOnClimate #vtpoli

The SEC has voted 3 to 2 to finalize its climate disclosure rules for public companies. When the SEC released proposed rules two years ago, legal challenges followed and went as far as the U.S. Supreme Court, which ultimately questioned the agency’s authority. So the SEC has dropped the Scope 3 greenhouse gas emission disclosure and modified the Scope 1 and 2 disclosures. The final version also narrows financial statement requirements by eliminating a financial metrics disclosure. However, public companies will still be required to disclose capitalized costs, expenditures expensed and losses related to carbon offsets and renewable energy credits. For details: https://bit.ly/49Pcna1

Last session Minnesota lawmakers set big picture energy and climate goals, this year lawmakers and stakeholders focused on how to get them done. Implementation details are the hardest part and often don't give us splashy headlines and bumper sticker slogans, but they are critical to success. Thank you Alyssa Eilers and Brian Halloran for representing Center for Energy and Environment and making sure that we get the details right. And thank you to our many partner organizations and lawmakers for supporting practical, thoughtful policy changes to advance the clean energy transition in our state! Read this great blog by Alyssa Eilers to learn more some of the great policies passed in 2024.

💡 🌱 New Climate Legislation Approved By Massachusetts Senate 💡 🌱 Yesterday, the Massachusetts Senate approved a wide-ranging climate bill that will systematically address the state’s clean energy infrastructure needs. Bill S.2829, An Act upgrading the grid and protecting ratepayers, will put Massachusetts on track to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.  🌟 Key Highlights 🌟 - New siting and permitting provisions, paired with robust community review processes, that will expedite project timelines, courtesy of stakeholders at the Commission on Energy Infrastructure Siting and Permitting. - Consideration of the cost-effectiveness of grid-enhancing technologies and battery storage for all proposals for capital improvement in the grid - Provisions to advance the deployment of electric vehicles along with solar, wind, and storage facilities  “The Senate has heard loud and clear from residents, advocates, and clean energy leaders. Today we are taking action to make it easier and more efficient to build clean energy infrastructure so that Massachusetts can deliver on our climate commitments.” - Karen Spilka, Senate President NECEC is proud to have played a pivotal role in the passage of this legislation. We want to acknowledge the NECEC policy team, Natalie Hildt Treat, Alycia Goody, Oliwia Krupinska, and Tim Snyder, for working hard to make this legislation possible. We also want to thank Mike Barrett, Cynthia Creem, Michael Rodrigues, Karen Spilka, and the entire Massachusetts State Senate for all their work. Legislation like this establishes the foundation for increased collaboration, innovation, and a sustainable future. Stay tuned for further updates as the debate progresses to the house! Together, we can create lasting change. To learn more about this bill, read here: https://lnkd.in/epmTt6qW #Massachusetts #CleanEnergy #MASenate #Sustainability #EnvironmentalJustice #ClimateAction