More than 100 residents crisscrossed Montgomery County with high-tech thermometers mounted on their cars, to map out which parts of the county are the hottest. It’s part of a national effort to better understand urban heat islands, and focus more resources on areas that are sweltering.
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More DMV News
Virginia Says No to Anti-Gas Ban Bill, Still Aims to Protect Gas Users
S&P Global
The Virginia General Assembly took steps to prevent a sudden shutdown of municipal natural gas utility service in cities combating climate change, but lawmakers opted against joining at least 20 other states that have prohibited local governments from restricting gas use in buildings.
Thousands of Low-Income Virginians Set to Get Access to Shared Solar
Virginia Mercury
On Tuesday, Dimension Renewable Energy and Community Housing Partners announced they are partnering to offer shared solar to residents of the housing nonprofit’s more than 70 affordable apartment communities in Virginia.
Dulles Solar Farm Would Be the Nation’s Largest at an Airport
Washington Post
Dulles International Airport could soon be home to the largest airport-based solar and battery development in the United States, one that at peak production could provide enough energy to power more than 37,000 Northern Virginia homes.
Commuter Apps Trying to Cut Emissions, Boost Equity, Get Federal Funding
Washington Post
With the $250,000 Federal Transit Administration grant, Ramfos said the regional group [COG] will create a pilot “microtransit” program in the D.C. region focused on areas with higher poverty and limited access to public transportation.
National and International News
Testing One, Two: RadioIQ Gets Up Close with First Offshore Wind Turbines
Radio IQ
Setting out from a dock off Virginia Beach, passengers on board the Rudee Angler couldn’t even see the test turbines – even when one blade stretched 620 feet up. Dominion spokesman Jeremy Slayton was not surprised.
Developers Add Less Than Half of Planned U.S. Solar Capacity in H1 – EIA
Reuters
Power plant developers in the United States added less than half of the planned solar photovoltaic capacity in the first half of 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said on Thursday.
Solar + Storage Breaks Out in 2021 With Installed Hybrid Systems Surpassing Standalone Storage: LBNL
Utility Dive
Driven by falling battery prices and the growth of a variable renewable generation, hybrid and co-located energy projects — mainly solar combined with battery storage — are surging across the United States.
What Will the Climate Bill Do for Environmental Justice?
Canary Media
The breakthrough bill that passed the House and Senate with $369 billion in climate funding includes up to $60 billion in environmental justice initiatives. (That figure depends on what you count, of course.) The money is intended to help communities of color and low-income areas that have been overburdened with pollution and pushed to the frontlines of climate change by historically racist and classist practices.
‘We’re Back, Baby’: New Bill Boosts US Climate Credibility
AP News
After a moment when hopes dimmed that the United States could become an international leader on climate change, legislation that Congress is poised to approve could rejuvenate the country’s reputation and bolster its efforts to push other nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions more quickly.