solar

December 1, 2020

Bah Humbug; PUC report predicts $160 million net metering cost shift for Mainers.

You would have thought the Maine Public Utilities Commission could have waited until 2021 to tell Maine’s ratepayers about what was in its newly released study examining the effect and rate impact of the state’s newly reinstituted net metering policies. Why? Because what ratepayer could enjoy the yuletide cheer knowing […]
November 24, 2020

More Than Ever, We Give Thanks!

Without a doubt, 2020 has been an unforgettable year. It’s been a year filled with events that many of us will never see the likes of again in our lifetime. As we approach Thanksgiving, we give thanks to the many that fill our lives with joy and love. This year […]
November 20, 2020

How Might CCUS Fare Under a Biden Presidency?

We’ve written many times about the benefits of carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technology. Unfortunately, this technology has run into one regulatory brick wall after another. That’s too bad, since many energy experts agree that carbon capture will be an essential tool for cutting carbon emissions and fighting climate […]
November 13, 2020

California, Germany Show Renewable Energy Targets May Do More Harm Than Good

A 16-hour flight and more than 5,500 miles separate Sacramento, California from Berlin, Germany. Yet, the size of their economies and the progressive energy policies they have adopted have created a common bond between them. On the world stage, California’s $2.9 trillion economy would make it the world’s 5th largest […]
November 6, 2020

Permitting Reform Key to Energy Infrastructure Development

“It’s the economy, stupid,” famously quipped colorful Democratic strategist James Carville when asked why then-Governor Bill Clinton would win the 1992 U.S. Presidential race. But when it comes to why much-needed natural gas, oil, and electric infrastructure projects aren’t being built in the U.S. today, a similar answer comes to […]
October 30, 2020

CCUS Could Help California Meet Its Green Goals

Over the years, Energy Fairness has supported Carbon Capture Utilization and Storage (CCUS) technologies. We’ve maintained that CCUS is absolutely critical for meeting carbon reduction goals while keeping electricity affordable and reliable. Fortunately, acclaimed academics are now echoing what we’ve been saying all along. According to a new report from […]
October 28, 2020

Renewable hydrogen: A game-changer for long-term storage?

We’ve all heard about the promise of lithium-ion batteries and the proven reliability of pumped storage. Yet, not much has been said about renewable hydrogen’s promise as a widely deployable energy storage solution. We’ve written many times about the need to develop more energy storage solutions. Why? Because the ever-increasing […]
October 22, 2020

Supreme Court Inches Closer to Hearing Coal Export Case

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court inched closer to taking a highly contentious environmental lawsuit. The lawsuit? A suit brought directly to the court by Wyoming and Montana against Washington State. And, without a doubt, it is the culmination of an almost decade-long fight to permit and develop a coal export […]
October 19, 2020

U.S Takes Steps to Secure Supplies of Rare Earth Minerals Critical for Energy Independence

“The United States now imports 80% of its rare earth minerals directly from China.” That was the startling fact included in President Trump’s Executive Order published last month directing the Secretary of the Interior to “…investigate our Nation’s undue reliance on critical minerals…from foreign adversaries.” Since 2010 we’ve discussed the […]
October 8, 2020

How Will the Golden State Meet Its EV Dreams?

On September 23rd, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order ending the sale of new gas-burning cars in the state by 2035. Environmentalists and carmakers praised the move, but many experts say the celebration is premature. The adoption of electric vehicles (EV) is a good thing and Energy Fairness […]
October 6, 2020

Russian Hackers Target Grid

In May, we wrote about President Trump’s “Securing the United States Bulk-Power System” executive order. The order directed the Department of Energy to take steps to defend the U.S. bulk-power system against attacks – cyber and otherwise. The action didn’t come a moment too soon. Why? Because Russia’s GRU military […]
September 29, 2020

In Extreme Heat and Catastrophic Wildfires, Natural Gas Keeps California’s Lights On

“Solar power plunges as smoke shrouds Calif.” “Wildfire Smoke Decreases California Solar Energy Output.” “When Smoke Blotted Out the Sun, Rooftop Solar Dithered.” These were just some of the headlines detailing how California dealt with rolling blackouts during an unprecedented period of extreme heat and catastrophic wildfires. Last month, we wrote about California’s blackouts. Without a […]
February 19, 2013

Hazardous Waste…from the Solar Industry

The solar energy industry is struggling with what to do with millions of tons of hazardous waste generated each year. Yes, you read that right…the solar energy industry. The one consistently held up by the media and environmental groups as “clean.” According to a report from the Associated Press, “Fueled […]
May 29, 2013

Solar Industry Plagued by Defects

Solar panels that fail just two years into their twenty-five-year life cycle. Protective coatings on solar panels that cause fires. These are the findings of a new report by the New York Times, which claims that the $77 billion solar industry is facing a quality crisis of frightening proportions. Just […]
April 25, 2018

Community Solar for All

PACE supports “all of the above” energy policies, even though the phrase itself has fallen out of fashion in some circles. All of the above, in case we haven’t always been clear, includes renewable energy. One of the most important renewable sources is community solar. The price is right, compared […]
May 15, 2018

Wolverines Set Shining Solar Example

Last summer, PACE released a report reviewing state solar net metering policies and discussing ideologies that influence some states to over-compensate private solar generators at the expense of every other consumer on the grid. We’ve enjoyed presenting on this topic and appreciate the many positive comments about our report’s readability and usefulness. […]
May 24, 2018

Smarter Ways Forward with The Ray

Frequently, PACE talks about consumers’ interest in transportation from a fuel supply angle (oil pipelines) or integrating new technologies (electric vehicles). Many big thinkers are attempting to envision how, when and at what cost energy, telecommunications and transportation will converge. Many laudable “Smart Cities” projects and pilots with broad scopes […]
June 18, 2018

Net Metering Debates Heat Up

Net metering policies evolved in several states this year, including Michigan, Connecticut, and Maine. Meanwhile, other states such as Kentucky saw heated battles sure to return. PACE supports changes in net metering laws that bring more fairness to the system – paying retail rates instead of avoided costs for net […]