Mark Jacobson

Great work by Synapse Energy Economics, Berkeley Lab and E4TheFuture in codifying Distributional Equity Analysis for distributed energy, and elevating it as and equal companion to Benefit-Cost Analysis. I'm hearing growing equity concerns about DERs - e.g., rising rates for renters/households/business who can't quickly weatherize/electrify/buy solar/storage/EVs; those "left behind" on natural gas. What if a project/program/investment passes BCA but worsens equity? Awesome to see these questions go mainstream - and a rigorous approach! I am looking forward to working on DER equity analysis! DOE page links to a long and short guide, and registration for a June 25th webinar: https://lnkd.in/gsC2WhKy #energyequity #distributedenergy #energyjustice

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Karen Herter, this is an incredibly timely and helpful report. Most telecom and energy engineers are focused on deploying two-way networks and IP connectivity to everything. In contrast, this report provides strategic quantification of the benefits of using multiple existing networks to provide hyperconnectivity to demand response devices. Well done!!!

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NREL Releases Two-Part Guide to Understanding Power System Model Results for Long-Term Resource Planning. #renewables #power #energy #wind #offshore #onshore #solar #hydropower #floating #nuclear #geothermal #efficiency #transition #susteinability #circular #economy #esg #clean #decarbonization #electrification #climate #hydrogen #mobility #greensteel #ammonia #transportation #storage #fuelcell #smartgrid #der #powersystem #generation #transmission #distribution #electricity #machines #drives #sensors #iot #education #engineering #innovation #entrepreneurship #creativity #technology #digitalization #cybersecurtity #metering

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the ANNENBERG PUBLIC POLICY CENTER survey found that 68% of Americans have been often affected by extreme #heat last year in their daily. 50% were impacted by poor air quality from #wildfires, and over 60% of respondents favor increased investment in #energy-efficient public transit and similar support levels for tax incentives for installing #solar or battery #storage solutions. 🔍 The data, collected from a nationally representative survey of 1,538 U.S. adults, reveals that experiences with adverse #weather conditions correlate with stronger support for initiatives aimed at mitigating #climatechange effects. These initiatives include those outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. 🌐 In line with global efforts like the World Meteorological Organization's (WMO) initiative for #EarlyWarningforAll, this survey underscores the critical need for proactive measures. Early warnings can mitigate the risks associated with #extremeweather, a point echoed by the survey's finding that firsthand experience with these conditions fosters support for #climatepolicies. 📉 This survey underscores the tangible ways in which climate change affects everyday life and highlights the growing public endorsement for proactive government measures. As we face these challenges, understanding public sentiment is crucial for shaping effective and supported environmental policies. 📑 For a detailed look at the survey results and methodology visit 👇 https://lnkd.in/e8age2nP

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Sharing energy affordability stories that Courtney Henderson (Hawks Peak Strategies) and I heard from low-income ratepayers in Massachusetts - appropriate for this "feels like 102 degrees" day! Most did not have central AC (nor heat pumps!), and if they did, either it doesn't work well or they use it scantily for fear of bills spikes: “I mean, the AC does work...but it takes a long time and my bill goes up, it like, it skyrockets.”   Many had a single window AC unit in a main space or a child's bedroom - often sacrificing their own comfort. Window AC may not work well either. In general folks were afraid of the costs of using AC too much, as one high-bill month could tip bills over the edge. One person's high summer bill led to a few months of partial utility payments, with the stress of continued shutoff notices and ultimately a payment plan: “When my bills go up is in the summer and that's how I get caught into the rut of owing more…" In several northeastern states LIHEAP covers heating but not cooling - as one person said, "So the only assistance you can get from the state and federal government is during the winter…with climate change, they’re gonna need to change that.” Continually grateful for people who give their time to share what's happening in their homes and what it's like to navigate a bunch of different programs. Incentive payments for interviews feel so inadequate to recognize the experiences people share about struggling with their bills, landlords, state and utility programs, etc. Not just heat and electricity, but rent, food, home insurance, car repairs and insurance, and childcare. The brief also describes how the participants think about utility and state "affordability" programs fit in, including budget billing, payment management, low-income discount rates, LIHEAP and MassSave - many of which have convoluted eligibility and application criteria. Going through state, utility and local agency websites we saw a lot of confusing stuff through people's eyes, including terminology that doesn't match from site to site (or page to page) and lots of easy website/communication fixes...underscoring how critical it is to involve impacted people upfront in program and service design, and user testing. https://lnkd.in/gh_kiuBG Give me a shout if you want to talk about research design! There are a lot of amazing low-cost platforms right now for recruiting and scheduling exploratory research. #energyequity #energyjustice

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"The EPA rule relies on installation of carbon capture and storage (CCS) equipment for several categories of power plants, in spite of overwhelming evidence that CCS is expensive, energy intensive, and does not work as advertised. By requiring co-firing with gas for coal-fired plants retiring by 2039, the EPA is ignoring the growing scientific evidence of higher lifecycle emissions for gas than their models account for, because of higher rates of upstream methane leakage than is assumed in the models. For low and intermediate load gas turbine power plants, which include highly polluting peaker plants, the EPA is requiring only incremental improvements in efficiency and the use of lower-emitting fuels. This is not the kind of power plant regulation we need in 2024 to address the growing threat of climate catastrophe, and the ongoing crisis of toxic air in frontline communities.” https://lnkd.in/gpZCmKsj

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For anyone who will be at IEEE Power & Energy Society T&D Conference feel free to stop by our panel session on #EVs and #gridreliability. Will be an interesting cross-sector discussion including technology provider, independent system operator, and utility perspectives among others. E-mobility is driving the blending of Transmission and Distribution system planning, design, and operations. Particularly with the growing prevalence of distributed energy resources, IoT and grid-edge technologies, and virtual power plants (#VPPs).

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LinkedIn is buzzing with the grand debate over emissions abatement, courtesy of SBTi's proposal. While they suggest using credits, companies have mixed feelings. But as far as my understanding goes, they have not slammed the door on #decarbonization. It is like having two roads to the same destination, giving us #flexibility and #choice. And let's not forget about stakeholders. Their views can sway decisions. While #offsets/ credits come with recurring costs, decarbonization demands hefty capital expenditure. How you tackle #emissions can shape how stakeholders perceive your company. So, choose wisely, considering not just the short-term gains but also the long-term impact on #stakeholders. Remember, you are still free to weigh your options and choose what suits your business best. It is all about finding the right fit! #climate #sbt #climatechange #esg #decarbonisation #offsets #carbon #carboncredits #emissions #scope3 #climateinvesting

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A new report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) looks at the technical potential of Grid Enhancing Technologies and suggests levers for stakeholders to accelerate deployment. In "Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Innovative Grid Deployment" the DOE says: "These findings represent an urgent call to action for regulators, utilities and all grid stakeholders to evaluate the opportunity to deploy these types of solutions to improve the reliability and affordability of the grid today." "Liftoff will be achieved when utilities and regulators comprehensively value and integrate advanced solutions as part of core grid investment, planning and operations. When these technologies are fairly evaluated and compensated – alongside the conventional options used today – utilities and regulators can ensure the most efficient and effective solution is used to meet customer needs." https://lnkd.in/gCEyNyng

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It was a pleasure to have contributed to Nexa Advisory’s latest report, Accelerating Consumer Energy Resources in Australia, focusing on pivotal recommendations to unlock the potential of consumer energy resources. Read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gu-ZH7pe

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The tool helps stakeholders navigate increasingly complex grid investment considerations as more states require utilities to file distribution plans, the lab said. #renewables #power #energy #wind #offshore #onshore #solar #hydropower #floating #nuclear #geothermal #efficiency #transition #susteinability #circular #economy #esg #clean #decarbonization #electrification #climate #hydrogen #mobility #greensteel #ammonia #transportation #storage #fuelcell #smartgrid #der #powersystem #generation #transmission #distribution #electricity #machines #drives #sensors #iot #education #engineering #innovation #entrepreneurship #creativity #technology #digitalization #cybersecurtity #metering

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Yesterday, Politico posted another retelling of Stanford professor Mark Z. Jacobson's fantasy that U.S. electricity might, one day, be derived entirely from energy provided by wind, water, and sunlight (WWS). With his fellowship at Stanford's Precourt Institute of Energy, it would be easy to assume Jacobson's advocacy is motivated by financial interests - specifically, to promote sales of natural gas. Financing for the Institute, after all, came in the form of a $30 million gift from natural gas maven Jay Precourt - and the "renewable" sources of energy favored by Jacobson are dependent everywhere on backup generation from that fossil fuel. But for our purposes here, we'll assume less partial motives are driving his unwavering support for his hypothesis. Either that, or ignorance - because start to finish, his claims appear to have little basis in physics or electrical engineering. Politico's article begins by attributing the following claim to Jacobson: "On most days for the past month, renewable energy has powered 100 percent of California’s main grid for at least 15 minutes." A simple analysis of information publicly available from California's Independent System Operator (CAISO), however, reveals this claim to be 100 percent hoo-hah...nonsense. Why? Jacobson credits only the "renewable" ingredients of California's power mix with powering the state, but it isn't that simple. Those ingredients require natural gas plants to run constantly, smoothing their erratic generation. Without them, wind and solar would take California's grid down in a matter of minutes, or even seconds. Moreover, electricity demand must be met with supply, precisely and in real time. That the supply of wind, water, and solar, added together might equal demand at any moment is thoroughly a matter of chance - 100 percent uncontrollable. Between 9AM and 3PM, virtually every day of the year, home solar in the Golden State generates too much electricity, requiring CAISO to get rid of it. And forcing our unwanted electricity on our neighbors doesn't come cheap - we must buy it at "negative prices", i.e., pay them to take it off our hands. That California electricity customers are running out of patience with wind and solar is understandable. After Connecticut, our state now has the highest prices in the continental U.S., and it's all thanks to "renewable" energy. Enough is enough - it's 2024, and the time to reconsider California's 1960s-era plan to produce all of our power with clean, safe, and affordable nuclear energy is long overdue. There's no more time to waste.

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Fascinating--trusted partnerships as the most important tool! When we think of tools, we often think of remote sensing or AI. But not according to entrepreneurs and investors in the voluntary carbon market. See below!

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Last week, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released the "Pathways to Commercial Liftoff: Innovative Grid Deployment" report for enhancing grid capacity and reliability. Although it spoke on BIG challenges, I actually found it to be an informative and actionable read. 🔎 The report highlights cost-effective and quick deployment options for upgrading the existing grid infrastructure to meet future demands and improve resilience. 📈 In the report, they do a great job of highlighting key actions for major stakeholders: ⚡️ Grid operators & utilities: deploy "ready" solutions at hotspots and transparency document strategies and outcomes to push the ecosystem forward 🛠️ Solution providers: be CLEAR about the value AND the risk of your tech - solutions are needed; the better understood the technology, the better the integration 📜 State & Federal Policymakers: initiative multi-stakeholder collaborations with clear policy goals at the state level 🏛️ Regulators & governance: Improve planning process to include current day best practices and align incentive structured to deploy more ADVANCED grid solutions I'll definitely be following the Liftoff initiative for more! Check out the announcement in the links below 👇🏽 #grid #technology #energy #doe

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Positive news for the clean energy transition in the U.S.! Last week, The Federal Energy Regulatory Commision (FERC) passed one of the most significant regulatory reforms to U.S. electrical grid transmission in decades. This landmark ruling aims to support the development of a much needed long-term strategy for planning the U.S. electrical grid's transmission. Why is this important? Transmission and Interconnection remain major bottlenecks to the U.S. clean energy transition. Without a massive expansion and upgrade of the high-voltage transmission grid, the U.S. cannot reach our climate goals or meet our country’s clean energy needs. “As abundant new energy generation projects remain stalled due to a lack of grid capacity and increasing electrification spurs new demand for power, the US grid is facing a lag in transmission buildout. While regional grid operators have made some progress on updating their transmission planning processes to meet these challenges, many of them stand to benefit from a more robust and long-term planning approach.”  – RMI So what’s in FERC’s new transmission and cost allocation rule and what will it do? In short, FERC Order No.1920 aims to improve the regional transmission planning process by taking a more long-term planning approach and addressing the cost allocation for these projects (i.e. how it gets paid for and by who). ⌛ Long-Term Planning: Encourages Regional Transmission Operators (RTOs) to engage in a more proactive, forward-looking regional planning process on a five-year basis. Transmission providers must use a 20-year planning horizon for projected new resources (expanded from the prior 3 to 5-year timeline). 💱 Cost Allocation: Addresses the largest transmission planning hurdle (cost), by establishing a new framework and promoting a portfolio approach that distributes benefits and costs more fairly across different regions and stakeholders. It also provides clear guidelines for states to participate in the decision-making process. 📊 Holistic Approach to Benefits Evaluation: Requires RTOs to assess a more comprehensive set of benefits – not just the costs – in the transmission planning process. Order No.1920 outlines a minimum set of seven (7) Economic and Reliability benefits that must be assessed, including things like upgrading or replacing aging infrastructure, reducing energy losses, improving grid congestion, and mitigating extreme weather events. By mandating comprehensive FUTURE transmission planning, the ruling should facilitate (and hopefully expedite) the integration of innovative grid enhancing technologies and improve the interconnection of clean energy resources to the grid. Barring any major delays from legal disputes or appeals, the provisions of Order No. 1920 will go into effect in 2025. The long-term and forward-looking nature of these reforms should hopefully shape a more certain and expedited trajectory for the United States’ clean energy future for the coming decades.

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Must See Webinar: How the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is Creating New Pathways for Grid Decarbonization 🔌🌿 Join us for a crucial discussion on Pathways to IRA: Pioneering New Routes for Grid Decarbonization. This in-depth session will unravel the transformative role of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) Tax Credit Transfer in fueling diverse opportunities for greener energy solutions. 🔍 Dive deep into: - The mechanics behind IRA’s groundbreaking tax credits for standalone storage. - Strategies for unlocking utility-scale storage solutions. - The significant impact on bolstering the surge of renewable energy. 🚀 Whether you’re an industry professional, an environmental advocate, or simply curious about the future of energy, this webinar promises to provide invaluable insights into the innovative financial structures driving our grid's decarbonization. Watch now: http://spr.ly/6045bLBLJ #Decarbonization #SustainabilityStrategy #GreeningTheGrid #SustainableBusiness #Webinar #EnterpriseCaseStudies

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File under CDP, DID ANY COMPANY SEE ITS DIRECT SCOPE 1 THU 3 GHG EMISSIONS DECLINE LAST YEAR? Sans renewable energy or sequestration credits? “How hot are we talking? Well, high temperatures across (western Nevada and northeastern California) won't get below 100 degrees (37.8 C) until next weekend,” the service posted online. “And unfortunately, there won't be much relief overnight either." https://lnkd.in/gT-fQqcH “Torrid.” Say that outloud to the person next to you. When was the last time you used that word to describe something? It’s almost 2025. Many of SBTI ghg reduction targets were set at or before 2021. We have 5 more years before the 2030 reduction targets “have” to be met. What have these “corporate leaders” collectively achieved so far? Let alone the corporations and businesses who haven’t set a SBTi 🎯…. CDP, SASB Standards , Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB)? Or perhaps we ask the sage interpretors of the above disclosures (many of which have no financial conflicts of interst🥸) such as Morningstar Sustainalytics or Bloomberg or FTSE Russell, An LSEG Business or ISS | Institutional Shareholder Services or MSCI Inc. or Refinitiv or RepRisk or S&P Global or Sustainalytics or Thomson Reuters or Dow Jones Risk & Compliance or Corporate Knights or KLD LLP or Moody's Ratings or EcoVadis or my Aunt? Can you please tell us: 💥 For SBTI target setting companies, what is the % increase in net: a) revenues b) operating costs c) profits d) SCOPE 1 GHG emissions e) SCOPE 2 GHG emissions f) SCOPE 3 GHG emissions For the following time periods: a) ‘baseline’ target year to the end of 2023 b) change year over year Next, could you do the same for companies who DID not set a SBTI target? If data is available. Hmmm…sounds like I need to write a grant proposal.

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