By EDF Blogs By Kae Tuitt As more and more companies transition to zero-emission medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles, it is increasingly clear that the future is electric. Still, some fleet owners coordinating receipt of new electric trucks and buses may face challenges with delays arising from the potentially lengthy and opaque interconnection process of getting EV chargers connected to the grid. Interconnection delays can make it difficult to adhere to project schedules and put projects at risk. Fleets can help address these challenges by encouraging states and utilities to adopt polic ..read more

By EDF Blogs Photo courtesy of Angel Luis Garcia By Abimarie Otaño Cruz The results of the Puerto Rico Grid Resilience and Transitions to 100% Renewable Energy Study (PR100) contain an important conclusion: “Puerto Rico can make a feasible transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050, but significant improvements and investments in the system, guided by meaningful community participation, are necessary to achieve this.” After the deaths and environmental impacts of hurricanes Irma and María in 2017, Puerto Rico needed a science-based plan that would demonstrate alternatives — where and how we ..read more

By EDF Blogs By Andrew Baxter “Very soon nobody is going to be able to hide from methane leakage,” Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said back in 2019 . Now, the convergence of new satellites, new climate commitments and new market demands means that day is here. Some companies have been girding for it; others are lagging. Either way, they all have work to do. Smart operators will embrace the challenge. But walking the halls of CERAWeek, one of the industry’s premier leadership gatherings, one gets the impression that some haven’t yet recognized the extent to which name-brand international oil companies ..read more

By EDF Blogs By Casey Horan The way charging customers connect to the grid is changing rapidly, especially in states working to meet transportation electrification and decarbonization targets. But regardless of policy goals, most states are experiencing increased demand for renewables accompanied by more customers seeking connection to the grid for projects like electric vehicle chargers, solar and storage. Balancing sustainable grid buildout with customer demand for load can pose challenges for utilities, and often results in interconnection delays.   States can enable faster ..read more

By Phillip Martin A new report released today by EDF details how Texas’ $342 million clean air program can be improved to help companies that want to secure state funding for zero-emission trucks. Recommendations include how to improve program design of the grants offered, including how to modernize the calculation of nitrogen oxides reductions to ensure the full benefit of switching from diesel to zero-emission vehicles is captured, and how to improve the administrative management of the program so it is easier for companies to secure funds to deploy zero-emission vehicles in Texas. The repo ..read more

By Mark Brownstein The Biden administration paused approval of new facilities that would export liquified natural gas in order to study the impact of these projects on the climate. The Natural Gas Act charges the U.S Department of Energy with determining whether gas exports to certain countries are in the public interest. With the damage caused by climate change getting worse, the President is right to ask for the facts before moving forward. After all, natural gas produces carbon dioxide when burned and methane pollution when leaked — both powerful climate pollutants. Lots of people have opi ..read more

By EDF Blogs By Andrew Baxter Methane is now a central part of the oil & gas industry’s climate challenge. New regulations in the U.S and Europe, growing concern in Asia and mounting interest from investors and global gas markets mean increasing pressure to improve emissions performance. It was also a focal point in the COP28 climate talks, where 52 producers representing more than a third of global production joined the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter, pledging to reduce emissions to near zero and to eliminate routine flaring by 2030. Now comes MethaneSAT, which will launch into or ..read more

By EDF Blogs By Elizabeth Lieberknecht Texas’ primary oil and gas regulator, the Texas Railroad Commission, took the unfortunate — though not surprising — step last month of requesting legal action against EPA’s recently finalized commonsense methane rules. This is unfortunate because, once implemented, these rules will protect public health, limit climate change and energy waste. It is not surprising because the RRC (Texas’ oddly named oil and gas regulatory agency) has shown little interest in trying to rein in Texas’ massive problem with oil and gas methane pollution. Texas emits more ..read more

By EDF Blogs   By Magdalen Sullivan, Co-Authored by Erin Murphy  Many states are adopting declining emission limits as a way to address the severe and growing dangers of the climate crisis, and that means state utility regulators are grappling with how to decarbonize energy systems, manage costs and meet demand. Traditional approaches to meeting energy demand with natural gas have included pipeline construction, pipeline replacement or large gas system upgrades — but these may no longer be appropriate investments in light of new policies and changing customer preferences. EDF’s new ..read more

By EDF Blogs By Charlotte Hanson Cutting methane emissions from the energy sector is the fastest, cheapest and most effective way to curb global warming even as we decarbonize our energy systems. And the first step is making sure we know how much methane is being emitted, where it’s being released and by whom. As the well-worn adage goes, you can’t fix what you don’t measure. Fortunately, global frameworks have taken hold that allow companies and regulators to do just that. The UN Environment Programme’s Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0  is a voluntary best practice scheme that ..read more