Building & Transportation Electrification
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Retrieved from General Motors on August 15, 2024
GM Fort Wayne plant cuts natural gas use by 30%, wins DOE award
General Motors’ assembly plant captures waste heat from landfill gas-powered generators. The recovered heat can provide over 80% of the site’s building heating needs, the U.S. Department of Energy said.
By Nish Amarnath • Aug. 20, 2024 -
Adam Gray/Getty Images via Getty Images
With 10 new climate resilience centers, DOE aims to translate research into local action
Researchers will work on actionable science and tools to help local stakeholders combat extreme heat, flooding, drought and more, the U.S. Department of Energy announced last week.
By Ysabelle Kempe • Aug. 20, 2024 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Liudmila Chernetska via Getty Images
TrendlineBuilding Electrification
Decarbonization goals are spurring building electrication efforts across the U.S. While the use of heat pumps and other technologies is expanding, some policies are facing legal challenges.
By Utility Dive staff -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
More efficient electric vehicles can reduce grid stress, cut charging costs by almost a third: ACEEE
Improving average EV efficiency could also help reduce vehicle prices by almost $5,000, according to research published Tuesday by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
By Robert Walton • Aug. 20, 2024 -
franckreporter via Getty Images
New York encourages electrification with new grid planning process, affordability pilot
“The rate at which consumers are electrifying buildings and vehicles has the potential to outpace the existing grid planning processes,” the New York Public Service Commission said.
By Robert Walton • Aug. 19, 2024 -
Permission granted by Enel X Way North America
OpinionReconciling two competing goals: residential electrification and grid stability
By focusing on distributed resources, utilities will avoid overloading individual distribution feeder circuits and expensive upgrades that greater electrification might otherwise require.
By Jerry Jackson • Aug. 13, 2024 -
Douglas Rissing via Getty Images
GSA updates federal building standards in clean energy push
The latest P100 update, which applies to 300,000 federal buildings, mandates clean energy use in facilities and sets new benchmarks for efficiency.
By Nish Amarnath • Aug. 12, 2024 -
Bennett Raglin via Getty Images
Bill Gates-backed energy investment firm pulls in $839M for new climate fund
Breakthrough Energy Ventures’ third fund will have an investment focus similar to that of its predecessors and target five key areas in climate innovation, including energy and transportation.
By Zoya Mirza • Aug. 9, 2024 -
wolv via Getty Images
OpinionSteering gas utilities toward calmer seas with an eye to the electric experience
State regulators need to begin assembling their tools to manage the impact of the energy transition — on both gas customers and the electric grid — before crises in affordability and reliability are upon us.
By Sarah Steinberg and Brad Cebulko • July 30, 2024 -
Elijah-Lovkoff via Getty Images
US cities sharpen focus on building performance standards to meet net-zero goals
Over 40 cities will have these standards in place by 2026, compelling building owners to prioritize energy efficiency and emissions reduction measures, according to a report from JLL.
By Nish Amarnath • July 29, 2024 -
Courtesy of Ford Motor Co.
Sunrun, BGE launch first US electric vehicle-to-home virtual power plant
The initiative kicks off with just three customers but is “a significant proof of concept ... and the goal is to expand these programs all around the country,” said Sunrun CEO Mary Powell.
By Robert Walton • July 25, 2024 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Cities plan renewable energy, electrification projects as EPA unveils $4.3B in climate grants
The grants “put local governments in the driver’s seat to develop climate solutions that work for their communities,” a federal official said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • July 24, 2024 -
Courtesy of Wallbox
EnergyHub to integrate Wallbox L2 chargers into grid flexibility programs
About 80% of EV charging occurs at home, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, making residential customers a key to utilities looking to manage growing demand.
By Robert Walton • July 24, 2024 -
narvikk via Getty Images
Deep DiveInnovative solutions emerge to reduce 2.5-TW US clean energy interconnection backlog
California’s project scoring criteria, the Texas connect and manage option and SPP’s work to link system planning with the interconnection process across its multistate region could speed the clean energy expansion.
By Herman K. Trabish • July 22, 2024 -
Courtesy of Tesla Inc.
Owners report more problems with EVs than with gas vehicles: JD Power
New technology in cars is driving an increase in owner complaints, a June study found.
By Kalena Thomhave • July 17, 2024 -
Courtesy of Stellantis
DOE allocates $1.7B to convert auto factories to EV production and supply
Eleven shuttered or at-risk facilities in eight states will be converted to support electric vehicle manufacturing.
By Haley Cawthon • July 12, 2024 -
Courtesy of American Honda Motor Co., Inc
Lack of affordable electric vehicles will limit widespread US adoption until at least 2028: BofA
Analysts at Bank of America and Bloomberg say U.S. EV penetration rates are slowing and are unlikely to reach 30% by 2030.
By Robert Walton • June 26, 2024 -
stock.adobe.com/InsideCreativeHouse
Sponsored by Franklin EnergyGet on the bus: How utilities can support electric school buses
Among all vehicle electrification use cases, school buses are the very definition of a winning scenario, which is why they’re gaining so much attention.
June 24, 2024 -
Permission granted by Kraken Technologies Ltd
Sponsored by KrakenTo efficiently electrify everything, utilities will need a better customer IT stack
While utilities need to invest in new technologies, they should consider reinvigoration of an underappreciated tool that they already have: the customer IT stack.
By Emma Rodvien — Senior Manager of US Regulatory Affairs and Market Development, Kraken • June 24, 2024 -
Courtesy of Tesla Inc.
EV adoption falls to its lowest point since 2021: JD Power
Meanwhile, electric vehicles are more available than they’ve ever been.
By Kalena Thomhave • June 13, 2024 -
BanksPhotos via Getty Images
Q&ABudderfly’s CEO on accelerating clean technology adoption in commercial buildings
Al Subbloie discusses the slow adoption of ground-source heat pumps and highlights the benefits of outsourcing energy management and using software to boost efficiency and cut carbon emissions.
By Nish Amarnath • June 12, 2024 -
Getty Images
Residential DERs could compensate for rise in peak energy demand by 2035: Deloitte
Most utilities, however, will need to increase coordination with residential customers to maximize the potential of distributed energy resources, according to Deloitte.
By Emma Penrod • June 12, 2024 -
Davel5957 via Getty Images
Proposed tax on gas-powered large buildings will go to voters in Berkeley, California
A 2023 court decision that struck down Berkeley’s first-in-the-nation ban on gas hookups in new construction is part of what led to the ballot measure, an organizer said.
By Ysabelle Kempe • June 11, 2024 -
hirun via Getty Images
Deep DiveAs NVIDIA, IBM and others apply AI to boost utilities, regulatory and data privacy obstacles abound
The “move fast and break things” business model of the technology sector is meeting the regulated spending and reliability imperatives of the utility sector.
By Herman K. Trabish • June 11, 2024 -
Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
DOE releases zero-emissions building definition, part 1
The definition will bring clarity to support decarbonization efforts and enable clean energy technologies that can make U.S. buildings more comfortable, said U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm.
By Nish Amarnath • June 7, 2024 -
Courtesy of Volvo Cars
$1.3B earmarked for EV charging network expansion in US
The Biden-Harris administration aims to accelerate public and private investment in clean transportation with the largest single grant funding opportunity for U.S. EV charging to date.
By Haley Cawthon • June 3, 2024
