Clean Energy Finance Forum

What is strategic electrification? Why is it an important topic for clean energy stakeholders and how can they capitalize on this trend? In this interview, William Tokash, a senior analyst for Navigant Research, provides some insights into his recent publication on the concept, and its future path of growth and technological development.

The popularity of solar energy skyrocketed in South Carolina (SC) with the introduction of net metering in 2014 when the state legislature unanimously passed its landmark energy bill. After the introduction of the Distributed Energy Resources (DER) program, the Palmetto State went from having virtually no solar energy to having an installed capacity of 591 megawatts (MW).

Vastly higher clean energy targets are essential to empower the international community to make the leap to a sustainable future, according to Richard Heinberg, coauthor of “Our Renewable Future: Laying the Path for One Hundred Percent Clean Energy.” In this interview, he delves into the practical challenges involved in the global transition to renewable power sources.

“There are no jobs on a dead planet,” said Sharan Burrow, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation. Burrow is vice-chair of The B Team, a coalition of business and civil society leaders that was founded by Richard Branson and Jochen Zeitz. In an attempt to address the dual dangers of economic injustice and environmental disaster that Burrow’s remark references, The B Team launched the Pledge for a Just Transition to Decent Jobs in August 2018.

The versatile online State Energy Analysis Tool produces visuals and data analyses on energy and climate at the state level as well as the national level in the United States. This information allows states to explore their potential for renewable energy and carbon markets. It provides powerful data visualization for users to access information on clean energy, carbon emissions, and industry regulations.

Innovative solutions can help solar companies reach the low-to-moderate-income market, according to a report from Vote Solar. According to 2016 Census and FICO data, 44-78 million people in the United States qualify as low-income and/or low-credit. But many of these customers are being left out of the clean energy transition because of financial barriers to securing access to solar products.

Integrating socioeconomically inclusive behavior is a strong point of South Carolina’s clean energy programs. Three staffers at South Carolina Energy Office, Energy Policy Analyst Darcy Jones (the primary source), Deputy Director of Energy Maeve Mason, and Energy Specialist Stacey Washington, completed a joint written interview where they shared insights about how to protect low-to-moderate-income consumers.

As Missouri’s clean energy policies go back and forth like a ball in a game, advocates are doing their best to negotiate, said James Owen, executive director of Renew Missouri, in this interview. Net metering and other policies are being actively debated by state decision makers. The outcome is still up in the air.

When electric vehicles transform the auto-driven landscape of the United States, what will low-to-moderate-income communities do? A new report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, “The Future of Transportation Electrification: Utility, Industry and Consumer Perspectives,” evaluated this accelerating controversy and emerged with some solutions.