A number of Senators are calling on Gov. Wes Moore to veto House Bill 1296 – Electricity – Offshore Wind Projects – Alterations.
See the full story at Delmarva Now.
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Anacostia Riverkeeper Clean Up Fund In Jeopardy Due To Budget Shortfall, Riverkeeper Fears
WUSA9
Riverkeeper Trey Sherrard is raising the alarm over a proposal to move nearly $2 million from D.C.’s Bag Tax revenues to the city’s general fund. Under the act that created the $.05 bag tax in 2009, the revenue is designated for Anacostia River cleanup and protection.
Lawmakers Hope To Use This Emerging Climate Science To Charge Oil Companies For Disasters
Maryland Matters
A fast-emerging field of climate research is helping scientists pinpoint just how many dollars in damages from a natural disaster can be tied to the historic emissions of individual oil companies — analysis that is the centerpiece of new efforts in Maryland and other states to make fossil fuel companies pay billions for floods, wildfires and heat waves.
States Rethink Data Centers As ‘Electricity Hogs’ Strain The Grid
Virginia Mercury
Data centers are the backbone of the increasingly digital world, and they consume a growing share of the nation’s electricity, with no signs of slowing down. The global consultancy McKinsey & Company predicts these operations will double their U.S. electric demands from 17 gigawatts in 2022 to 35 gigawatts by 2030 — enough electricity to power more than 26 million average homes.
Virginia Can Still Meet Clean Energy Goals
Virginia Mercury
In the 2025 session, the General Assembly will have to choose from three options if it still cares about the energy transition: stop the growth of the data center industry in Virginia, put the onus on data centers to source their own clean energy from the grid, or dramatically increase renewable energy generation and power line construction.
National and International News
Here’s What Electrify America’s EV Charging Plans Are For 2024
Electrek
Electrify America’s goal is to expand its network to 5,000 DC fast chargers by year-end. It also says it will open larger charging stations and expand its Plug&Charge payment tech.
New Water Heater Efficiency Standards Will Create Largest-ever Energy Savings From One Rule: DOE
Utility Dive
The U.S. Department of Energy finalized new energy efficiency standards for several types of residential water heaters, in a rule it expects will generate more energy savings than any other appliance rule the agency has issued.
Finding Space For Wind Farms Might Be Easier Than We Thought
Washington Post
Towering wind turbines dot landscapes across the country, stretching hundreds of feet into the sky. But the huge structures topped with massive rotating blades only take up five percent of the land where they’ve been built, new research shows. This means developers could fit turbines in places that are often perceived as unsuitable for a wind farm.
California Now Has 1 EV Fast Charging Station For Every 5 Gas Stations
Electrek
Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) announced on Saturday that there is now one EV fast charging station for every five gas stations in California. California has led the US in the number of EVs and EV charging stations every year since 2016, according to the US Energy Information Administration in December.
Microsoft Signs Deal To Invest More Than $10 Billion On Renewable Energy Capacity To Power Data Centers
CNBC
Microsoft has signed a deal with Brookfield Asset Management to invest more than $10 billion to develop renewable energy capacity to help power data centers. Brookfield will deliver 10.5 gigawatts of renewable energy for Microsoft between 2026 and 2030 in the U.S. and Europe under the agreement. The companies described the deal as the largest single electricity purchase agreement signed between two corporate partners.