Generator Interconnection Cost Analysis in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Territory

Electric transmission system operators (ISOs, RTOs, or utilities) require new large generators seeking to connect to the grid to undergo a series of impact studies before they can be built. This process establishes what new transmission equipment or upgrades may be needed before a project can connect to the system and assigns the costs of that equipment. Berkeley Lab has collected interconnection cost data for 845 projects from interconnection studies for the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) Territory. The studies were performed between 2002 and 2023 and include all of the most refined cost estimates available. …

Demystifying the Evolving Gas Industry

As we strive towards a more sustainable and carbon-neutral energy future, it’s important to acknowledge the crucial role of gas in the energy transition. Gas serves as a bridge fuel, a backup power source for renewables, and a fuel in transition, and its use has led to significant reductions in CO2 emissions in recent years. ​

​Gas also has the potential to support industrial processes and help organizations meet their carbon objectives. In this new report Shell Energy discusses that while the goal is to move towards a more sustainable energy mix, gas will continue to play an important role …

Sustainable Behaviour at Work: How Message Framing Encourages Employees to Choose Electric Vehicles

This paper explores the application of message framing as a management practice to promote change in employee behaviour for corporate sustainability. We conduct a field experiment in a German automotive company to test the effects of three different frames (emotional, normative and gain) on pro-environmental actions in relation to electric vehicle choices of 170 employees. The frames are applied via two communication channels: first, via emails to remind employees about ordering a new car and second, via pop-up notifications appearing in the online system where employees complete their orders. We find that the interventions applied in emails, but not in …

Credible Pathways to 1.5°C

To support preparations for upcoming major events such as the COP28 Climate Change Conference, the IEA is releasing Credible Pathways to 1.5 °C: Four pillars for action in the 2020s, a new report on the key actions needed to keep within reach the Paris Agreement’s target of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 °C. That possibility is narrowing rapidly, with energy-related CO2 emissions continuing to rise in 2022 despite declining costs for clean energy technologies and the dynamic deployment of renewables, electric cars and other solutions.

Declining costs for clean energy technologies and new policies have shaved around 1 …

Global EV Outlook 2023

The Global EV Outlook is an annual publication that identifies and discusses recent developments in electric mobility across the globe. It is developed with the support of the members of the Electric Vehicles Initiative (EVI).

Combining historical analysis with projections to 2030, the report examines key areas of interest such as electric vehicle and charging infrastructure deployment, battery demand, electricity consumption, oil displacement, greenhouse gas emissions and related policy developments. The report includes analysis of lessons learned from leading markets to inform policy makers and stakeholders about policy frameworks and market systems for electric vehicle adoption.

This edition features analysis …

The Economic and Strategic Importance of Domestic Mineral Production

As we look to the future, improvements in technology and increased government involvement in energy markets means we will likely see more electric vehicles (EVs), batteries for storage, solar panels, wind turbines, and increased competitiveness of hydrogen technologies. In addition to improvements in technology, many governments and some businesses around the world are trying to set targets to reach net zero carbon dioxide emissions, which means reducing carbon dioxide emissions to as close to zero as possible so that any remaining emissions are reabsorbed from the atmosphere by oceans, forests, or other plants. The Biden administration, for example, has set …

Geothermal: Policies to Help America Lead

The US should not miss out on the opportunity to build a globally competitive geothermal industry. Today, the US has a lead in the technology space, representing 25% of the market with the ability to capitalize on its early advantage. However, other countries are prioritizing geothermal and could overtake US investments.

The geothermal market opportunity is significant: The global market addressable by US firms is conservatively estimated to be $1.5 trillion through mid-century creating 100,000 jobs. The actual size of the market could be much larger if critical innovations, such as enhanced geothermal systems (EGS), deep drilling, and well materials …

Green Steel in the Ohio River Valley

For more than a century, steel has played an important role in the economy and culture of the Ohio River Valley. But the traditional method of making steel, known as BF-BOF (blast furnace-blast oxygen furnace), requires lots of energy and produces lots of climate-warming emissions. The iron and steel sector is currently responsible for about 7% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to the International Energy Agency.

Shifting to fossil fuel-free steelmaking could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, boost jobs, and grow the region’s economy. Fossil fuel-free DRI-EAF (direct reduced iron-electric arc furnace) steelmaking uses green hydrogen—created with wind and …

It’s Critical to Prioritize Commercial and Market Readiness for H2Hubs

The $8 billion hydrogen hubs program (H2Hubs) being deployed by the Department of Energy (DOE) is the most extensive demonstration program undertaken in energy in the United States. Designed to support the creation of sustainable hydrogen-based regional ecosystems, it faces formidable challenges, and DOE will need to adjust standard management practices to meet them.

Most importantly, the program targets important markets that don’t yet exist, in many cases using technologies that have not been tested, missing critical components of the energy transportation infrastructure and facing competition from established and plentiful sources of cheap hydrogen (that emit substantial amounts of greenhouse …

50 States of Grid Modernization Q1 2023 – Executive Summary

The purpose of this report is to provide state lawmakers and regulators, electric utilities, the advanced energy industry, and other energy stakeholders with timely, accurate, and unbiased updates about how states are choosing to study, adopt, implement, amend, or discontinue policies associated with grid modernization. This report catalogues proposed and enacted legislative, regulatory, and rate design changes affecting grid modernization during the most recent quarter. The 50 States of Grid Modernization report series provides regular quarterly updates and annual summaries of grid modernization policy developments, keeping stakeholders informed and up to date.

In the first quarter of 2023, 47 states …