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This is the first roadmap the utility filed since announcing a clean energy goal and an accelerated exit from coal generation, which PNM director of integrated resource planning Nick Phillips said is set to take place by 2024. The IRP lays out several potential paths to full decarbonization by 2040 as PNM retires its gas generators over the course of the late 2020s and the 2030s.
However, environmental groups say the plan does not actually achieve true decarbonization, with the Sierra Club criticizing PNM s decision to sell its interests in the Four Corners coal plant. The sale, according to senior attorney Matthew Gerhart, may serve to prolong the plant s operations.
Published Feb. 8, 2021
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The following is a contributed article by Warren Leon, executive director of the Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA.org) and Bentham Paulos, a board member of CESA and author of Advancing Toward 100 Percent: State Policies, Programs, and Plans for Zero-Carbon Electricity.
As the Biden Administration takes the reins of power and Democrats take control of the Senate, the prospects for real action on climate change have increased.
President Biden has announced support for moving to a zero-emissions power sector by 2035. States are leading the way, with 17 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico already committing by legislation, executive order, or utility commission order to move to 100% clean power systems. In total, these commitments cover areas that account for 48% of the U.S. gross domestic product and 42% of the U.S. population.
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Solar PPA prices rose 11.5% over the course of 2020, according to the Q4 2020 PPA Price Index from LevelTen Energy the first increase in solar prices since the LevelTen price report began. Wind prices saw a 24.3% increase over the same time period.
While COVID-19 played a role in the increase 26% of developers told LevelTen they raised their prices to cover costs incurred by COVID demand in excess of supply appears to be the main driver. “Many of the most economically competitive projects have already contracted with offtakers, leaving higher-priced projects available in the market,” according to Rob Collier, vice president of developer relations for LevelTen Energy.
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President Joe Biden on Wednesday marked his first day in office by taking steps to rejoin the Paris climate accord, along with signing a flurry of executive orders.
One executive order Biden signed is intended to restor[e] science and tackle the climate crisis by reviewing several agency actions taken under former President Donald Trump, including on energy efficiency, coal ash, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), fuel efficiency standards, and more. He also signed an order intended to review industry influence on the regulatory process.
Biden has long pledged to make climate and clean energy a priority under his administration, and stakeholders say these day one actions signify that will be the case.
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The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Startup Exchange showcased five startups, all developing emerging hydrogen production technologies, at a workshop and panel on Friday.
While two startups aim to drive down the cost of electrolysis, three others look to pilot new approaches to producing blue and green hydrogen.
Matthew Blieske, global hydrogen product manager for Shell, told the startups that hydrogen needs new low-cost solutions to accelerate tepid growth. However, Blieske encouraged startups to seek corporate partnerships, warning entrepreneurs who plan to strike out on their own that they could struggle to keep costs in check.
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