nick chaset’s Post

In the context of the Governor’s proposed Mass Leads Act, my colleague Benjamin Downing and I spent some time thinking through Massachusetts' edge in our country’s expanding clean energy economy. In today’s Boston Business Journal, we caution that while Mass has long been a global leader in driving the energy transition, our pole position is no longer a given in an increasingly competitive environment. As we state in our op-ed: “At stake is the significant economic growth that comes from the convergence of multiple new trillion dollar markets for clean energy in electric power, transportation, heating and cooling. Doing nothing will cede this leadership to other states, limit our ability to direct the future of climate change mitigation, and result in the gradual erosion of our workforce.” We focus our recommendations on the need for new demand formation for clean technologies across sustainable cement and steel, and pathways for decarbonizing our natural gas infrastructure with hydrogen and heat pumps. These types of incentives were foundational for securing MA’s leadership in solar and energy efficiency a decade ago and should be replicated for the next phase of the state’s energy transition. https://lnkd.in/ef8x5BdY

DYK: Calpine is supporting California’s leadership in climate by leading the way in CCUS deployment, excellence in geothermal operations, and more. Learn more about Calpine in California.

We are at the forefront of developing technologies that will accelerate #netzero and #cleanenergy

The US has to define the rules to get tax incentives up to $3/kg for clean H2. It is essential that this H2 is truly clean, lets make things right from the beginning. Come join us to this webinar hosted by Environmental Defense Fund where expert friends from industry, academia and NGOs will share our views on how to incentivize truly clean H2.

Looking forward to joining this panel of experts from Canary Media, EDP Renewables, EnergyTag, Environmental Defense Fund, Hy Stor Energy, and Natural Resources Defense Council to discuss Treasury's draft guidance for the 45V Clean Hydrogen Production Tax Credit. Industry leaders will cover the renewables, hydrogen, and energy attribute tracking perspectives, while NGOs will discuss how the current rules--plus changes we could see in the final guidance--affect climate, consumers/taxpayers, and the growth trajectory of the clean hydrogen industry. The webinar is tomorrow (Wednesday Feb. 14)--sign up below! #cleanhydrogen #hydrogen #hydrogenpolicy #inflationreductionact #45V #climatepolicy #energypolicy #cleanenergy

This chart shows how far behind the US is on renewables

Read the commentary at the San Luis Obispo Tribune, “Former SLO Mayor Heidi Harmon urges community to ‘rally behind’ offshore wind,” by Heidi Harmon—February 18, 2024. “I recently had the privilege of participating in a gathering that brought together community members, elected officials and non-profit organizations to deliberate on offshore wind power, mainly focusing on the development in Morro Bay. As the former mayor of San Luis Obispo, I understand the significance of engaging in conversations about the impact of a burgeoning industry on our community, region and state… This signifies a substantial shift — a revolutionary transformation that will usher in a clean energy economy... California is laying the foundation to supply clean electricity to 25 million homes through 25 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2045… The California Energy Commission has introduced a preliminary Offshore Wind Strategic Plan. This comprehensive document comprises evaluations and suggestions concerning marine resources, sea-space planning, tribal and fishery relations, permitting, workforce development, port expansion and transmission. Representing the extensively researched roadmap for the state, this plan underscores offshore wind as the focal point for eliminating fossil fuels from the retail electric supply… Welcoming an industry that promotes clean energy is a step toward a healthier environment and a path to achieving 100% fossil-free independence. For our community to thrive, let’s rally behind an initiative that ushers in sustainable energy and propels us toward a future free from fossil fuel dependence.” See the full column below and at this link. https://lnkd.in/garY7aUB #offshorewind #floatingwind #cleanenergy #renewables #climate #offshorewindca #pacificoffshorewindsummit

Exceptional analysis by Scott Tinker and the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship regarding the state of the world's energy needs and future. With the march towards renewables and net zero, a true assessment of the international impacts of these decisions is paramount to a successful transition. definitely worth a watch.... https://lnkd.in/e_ngcQk9

💥 Community Energy is the Real Power House of Australia's Transition 💥 It's my first time at the Community Energy Congress by the C4CE - Coalition for Community Energy and it won't be the last! An incredible line up of industry leading speakers as well as REAL community members driving energy transformation for to seize the benefits. It's been a conference with REAL information and REAL innovation that will have direct impact for people, by people. Because if the energy transition isn't happening for the public good, why are we doing it? Some of my favourite quotes and speakers are below (paraphrased). - 'the best story we have to motivate us is the community story' ~ Saul Griffith - 'the experience of the transition is not going to be felt equally' ~ Brendan French - 'First Nations communities have been the last line of defense against the destruction of nature and fossil fuels, and they are the first line of preservation' ~ Lauren Mellor from Original Power I cannot wait for a jam-packed day 2. You can join this conference online - link here: https://lnkd.in/gtQqK9Uj #communityimpact #communityenergy #peoplepower #energytransition #regionalenergytransition #firstnationspeople #firstnationsenergy #communitydriven #collaboration

Our amazing team has had a busy year telling our story and listening. Building offshore wind (OSW) is a massive undertaking, with no shortage of challenges. But we know there’s no serious plan for decarbonization without it. A few observations after a year or so on the job: -There’s no “silver bullet” for good outreach. You’ll rarely get a moment where you know you have succeeded. You just keep at it. That’s our team’s mantra. -OSW, and the clean energy industry in general, shouldn't take for granted that people understand and want it. Like anything that’s new, it takes time for people to accept it. There’s an amazing opportunity, right now, for the OSW industry in the US to make an even bigger pitch to the public. As PPAs are won I think the hyper competitive nature that may be a hindrance to this will dissipate. -Expectations are quite high for offshore wind, deservedly so. It truly is a once in a generation opportunity to both clean up the grid and create jobs. Commitments from each project must be tangible, credible, and transparent in reporting. Building trust takes years but can be lost in an instant. -While misinformation and NIMBYism comes with the territory, it’s often a loud minority with a personal/economic interest (often funded by incumbent industries). We shouldn’t let the haters stop the march of progress. -Besides humility, we pride ourselves on creativity. We’re being creative in finding solutions to reach across the table and find common ground. There’s always something to offer and our team has been thought leaders in this space, designing programs tailored to certain needs that may be able to break through initial and/or legacy opposition. -Building a coalition for a project is really hard work but necessary work, now more than ever. As we say a lot, we can’t do this alone. At the same time, we’ve also heard in our conversations, no one tells our story better than us. That especially goes for the “subject matter experts”, such as the scientists, engineers, and others on the team, who have given their life’s work to an issue. They can be your best ambassadors and storytellers. -Youth are a real bright spot for inspiration which we’ve learned from some amazing classroom visits. There’s no silly arguing about climate change — they want to know what the job is and how they can learn to do it. Kudos to our team for focusing on the next generation of leaders and identifying ways we as a project can empower them. Hat tip to the team! Jeff Lee Romero, Sarah Dougherty, Jamie Matos Grant, Lia Y., Sophie Lee, Wesley Jacobs Mark Weprin Ryan Martini