Put ‘em up | Dirty Word | Lithium
Happy summer Friday afternoon.
Just a quick recap for today. Basically the big news was all about the cancellation of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and what that means for other pipeline projects both now and in the future. Both the New York Times and Greentech Media questioned whether this is the end of new pipelines. The New York Times went further to suggest the next energy battle is between renewables and natural gas.
Bruce Mohl at Commonwealth Magazine tells us that in Maine “Mass.” becomes a dirty word in the referendum fight over the New England Clean Energy Connect project. He notes, “The referendum battle is in some ways the dark underbelly of a push for clean energy in Massachusetts.”
While this next story isn’t about a new technology it is about a new find. From NECN, “Is a Proposed Lithium Mine in Nevada the Future of Renewable Energy? Northern Nevada could soon explode into America’s ‘Lithium Valley,’ playing an even more critical role in our country’s future than Silicon Valley did with technology. Tesla built the highest-volume battery plant in the world outside Reno, but it has to import the lithium it uses from as far away as Western Australia or South America. That could soon change with a discovery that’s just a couple hours north of Tesla’s Gigafactory. A Canadian mining company identified what is one of the world’s largest lithium deposits inside the footprint of an ancient volcano.”
That’s the recap for this week. Have a great weekend and as always, stay safe.
Gas
The World Can’t Take Much More Shale Gas, Wall St. Journal
Dominion Sells Gas Business and Cancels Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Greentech Media
Anti-Pipeline Playbook Snags Biggest Victories Yet. What’s Next?, Bloomberg Law
Natural gas pipeline developers aim to differentiate from Atlantic Coast and avoid its fate, Utility Dive
Is This the End of New Pipelines,? New York Times
Beginning of the End for New Oil and Gas Pipelines?, (audio) Greentech Media
Climate Change/Renewables/RGGI
The Next Energy Battle: Renewables vs. Natural Gas, New York Times
As Fossil Fuel Pipelines Fall to Opposition, Utilities See Renewable Energy as Safe Bet, Greentech Media
Wall Street giants plan more active role in climate fight, Axios
While climate change divides Democrats and Republicans, renewable policy unites, PV Magazine
NYSERDA announces first-of-its-kind partnership with ASHRAE to build back better and mitigate spread of COVID while combating climate change, Niagara Frontier Publications
Virginia joins Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, CBS19 News
Pennsylvania House OKs bill curbing state’s ability to join RGGI in ongoing dispute with governor, Utility Dive
Humid Heat Extremes on the Rise, Climate Central
Major COVID-related emissions drop still ‘no cause for cheer,’ Houston Chronicle
Is a Proposed Lithium Mine in Nevada the Future of Renewable Energy,? NECN
Wind
Interior Department to streamline offshore wind permitting, nix unsolicited leasing, Utility Dive
Coast Guard challenged on offshore wind traffic study, Work Boat
Solar
Tough Questions for Massachusetts in Weighing Solar Development Against Land Conservation, GTM2 (subscriber content)
Sunrun to Acquire Vivint Solar, Creating Home Solar Giant, Greentech Media
Energy Efficiency/Storage
Investors Still Betting on Next Big Energy Storage Technology: Solid-State Batteries, Greentech Media
Federal Energy Efficiency: Promoting Equity and the Planet, NRDC
Eversource Energy: Restarts In-Person Energy Efficiency Services with Enhanced Safety Guidelines, Market Screener
Nuclear
Pilgrim Watch Releases Handbook on Nuclear Decommissioning, Wicked Local Kingston
General Atomics to deliver radiation monitoring systems to Millstone 3, Nuclear Engineering Intl.
Market/Grid/Policy/Prices
Mass. becomes dirty word in Maine referendum fight, CommonWealth Magazine
Commitment from Hydro-Quebec will bring electricity to Maine at discounted rate, WABI
How Utility Companies Use Charitable Giving To Influence Policy, HuffPost
Big spending, legal appeals in $1B transmission project, AP
U.S. power use to drop by record amount in 2020 due coronavirus: EIA, Reuters
Opinion
Explainer: Why the CMP Corridor is a Bad Deal for Maine and the Climate, National Resources Council of Maine
How energy efficiency could be a powerful force for economic recovery, NHBR
Crashing coastal property values and the economic fallout of climate change, Boston Globe
Why Advocates of 100% Clean Energy Must Overcome the ‘Resource Adequacy’ Challenge, Greentech Media
States are falling short on building decarbonization — Here’s what regulators need to do, Utility Dive
Our View: Fixing a broken system, Andover Townsman
Northeast Energy News 