The U.S. solar energy industry has grown tremendously in the past decade. That growth has actually been one of the most phenomenal economic growth stories across the whole U.S. economy. However, the “Covid Era” hit solar hard, and it has struggled to get back on the trajectory it was on. … [continued]
Extending investment tax credits (ITC) and production tax credits (PTC) through 2050 for renewable electricity generation increases annual U.S. solar generation by 10%, according to our alternative policy analysis, Annual Energy Outlook 2022: Extended and Sunset Tax Credit Cases. Long-term availability of federal tax credits provides an incentive for more small-scale distributed generation in homes and … [continued]
Originally published by Union of Concerned Scientists, The Equation. By John Rogers When I bought solar panels for my house not long ago, I got a 30 percent discount, courtesy of the federal government. Too many people, though — people who make less than my family does — can’t get that … [continued]
How Inserting a Key Provision Could Save Americans Billions and Accelerate the Transition to a Cleaner and More Reliable Power System
Courtesy of RMI. By Ryan Shea & Russell Mendell Through the Justice40 Initiative, President Biden has made clear that bringing clean energy benefits to marginalized and low-income communities is a priority. Right now, low-income households experience up to three times higher energy burden (the percent of household income spent on energy costs) than high-income … [continued]
Solar power keeps getting cheaper and keeps growing year after year, now accounting for nearly half of new power capacity in the United States. But coal and fossil methane (also deceivingly called “natural gas”) power plants need to be retired more quickly than they have been. We need to cut … [continued]
One decade ago, I was writing about the rapid growth of solar power in the United States and the exciting forecast for much more solar growth in the country. The past couple of years have again brought record solar installations in the United States, and record solar activity more broadly. … [continued]
Originally published on RMI.org By Heather Clark, Mark Kresowik & Darien Crimmin There is much talk about the urgency of climate change and how federal policy is currently being crafted to address it. However, there remains a critical need for targeted tax credits for zero-carbon buildings and retrofits. Buildings are the largest single contributor of global greenhouse gas (GHG) … [continued]
Originally published on RMI.org. By Uday Varadarajan, David Posner, Sam Mardell, & Russell Mendell According to the latest US government inventory, solar will account for 39 percent of the electric generation capacity added in 2021, and wind will constitute a further 31 percent. With current technology costs and policy incentives, renewables are now unquestionably … [continued]
Episode 38 of Cleantech Talk kicks off with a discussion of how, while China may be overperforming with its solar panel buildout, those panels are underperforming due to the low air quality there. Which is a polite way of saying that coal-combustion aerosols are reducing solar panels’ electricity harvest — by up to a third! (Dark aerosols, like soot, tend to absorb light; other aerosols such as sulfates and nitrates, reflect light. In both cases, the aerosols prevent light from reaching solar panels below.)
