The state is inching closer to finalizing new energy performance standards for large buildings. But the already-circuitous regulatory process got a little more convoluted, thanks to pressure from the real estate, building, and utilities industries.
See the full story at Maryland Matters.
More DMV News
Dominion, in Rare Move, Details Data Centers’ Big Electricity Demands
Richmond Times-Dispatch
Data centers, some of the biggest electricity users of all, have signed agreements with Dominion Energy showing they expect to use the equivalent of 35% of the record flow of electricity the utility saw during last year’s Christmas freeze, a Richmond Times-Dispatch analysis found.
Planning Commission Grants Conditional Approval for Quantum Loophole Campus Substation
Frederick News-Post
The Frederick County Planning Commission voted 4-2 on Wednesday to grant conditional approval to FirstEnergy, which is working with Quantum Loophole, for an electric substation on Quantum Loophole’s planned data center campus.
Too Hot To Learn | How Climate Change Could Impact Children’s Education
WUSA-9 News
Record heat has gripped the D.C. Metro area, with highs soaring to the upper 90s. In the first week of September, highs have been more than 13 degrees hotter than what temperatures would be. Extreme heat can bring on many challenges, including in classrooms where children don’t have access to air conditioning.
From Poop to Power: How WSSC Water and Montgomery County are Partnering to Help the Environment
WUSA-9 News
Construction is almost complete on the new Bioenergy Facility at WSSC Water’s Piscataway Water Resource Recovery Facility in Accokeek, Maryland.
National and International News
This Tax Tweak is Supercharging Biden’s Climate Agenda
Grist
Tucked deep within President Biden’s landmark climate bill sits a seemingly small tweak to IRS rules that, for the first time, lets companies sell their clean energy tax credits.
Tripling Virtual Power Plant Capacity by 2030 Could Save $10B, Meet 20% Peak Demand: DOE
Utility Dive
Roughly tripling virtual power plant capacity to 80 GW to 160 GW by 2030 could save about $10 billion a year in grid costs while redirecting spending on peaking power plants to distributed energy resources at a lower cost, the Department of Energy said in a report released Tuesday.
DOE Offers $15.5 Billion to Retool Existing Auto Plants for EVs
Canary Media
The Biden administration on Thursday said it is offering $15.5 billion to help U.S. automakers retool existing plants that make gas-powered vehicles and turn them into factories that deliver electric cars and trucks.
US Clean Energy Projects Need Public Buy-In. Community Benefits Agreements Can Help
CleanTechnica
The United States is entering a clean energy boom thanks to once-in-a-generation investments made under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). In just seven months following the IRA’s passage, the industry announced over $150 billion in utility-scale clean energy — equivalent to five years’ worth of investments made between 2017 and 2021.
Judges Seem to Favor Biden Rule That Curbs Emissions and Boosts EVs
E&E News
An effort by the Biden administration to curb tailpipe emissions — the largest source of planet-warming pollution in the country — seems likely to withstand review by a federal appeals court.