South Dakota is cited in a new report which argues to avoid an energy crisis, America needs to have a shared vision of what a strong power grid looks like, and multiple sources -- namely renewables -- should play a role.

The nonpartisan think-tank Energy Innovation has credited states such as South Dakota and Iowa for generating roughly 60% of their electricity from wind farms without compromising reliability. But demand is soaring nationally, with data centers popping up and increased electricity use inside homes.

The report suggests not all stakeholders are on the same page to ensure there's enough power to go around.

Sara Baldwin, senior director of electrification for the group, said there is good news.

"We are not in an energy emergency," Baldwin emphasized. "We actually have time to do this in a very pragmatic and thoughtful way and avoid some of the fearmongering that we're seeing right now."

She argued there is still too much misinformation, such as renewables not being reliable enough to keep the lights on. The authors said they have proved to be capable but acknowledged it will take more than wind and solar to meet future demand. However, they stressed policymakers should not be tempted to pursue options like building new gas plants for short-term needs, as it is more costly in the long run.

Instead, the researchers contended there should be incentives for management strategies to complement renewables, such as consumers adjusting their energy use during peak times. They do recognize it might be difficult to motivate enough people to sign on.

Baldwin recommended policymakers remove barriers making it hard to plug clean energy into the grid.

"One of the biggest threats to grid reliability is speed," Baldwin observed. "We have over two terawatts of new wind, solar and batteries in various interconnection queues across the country waiting to connect, and that is nearly double the current capacity of our entire grid."

The batteries she mentioned are storage sites for electricity generated from renewables when the sun is not shining, or the wind is not blowing. The report suggests storage should be spread out among various locations, as opposed to a centralized power plant. It finds such approaches help the grid withstand extreme weather conditions amid heightened demand, without having to lean on carbon-intensive sources conflicting with emission-reduction goals.

Some of the broader rhetoric about energy production might make it seem renewables are "fringe" electricity sources but Baldwin countered it is not the case.

"At the end of the day, we've been working towards a carbon-free grid for now over a quarter-century," Baldwin pointed out. "This is not a new transition."


get more stories like this via email

Indiana now classifies natural gas and propane as clean energy under a new state law.

Gov. Mike Braun signed Senate Bill 178, granting the fuels eligibility for tax credits and other incentives.

Sam Carpenter, executive director of the nonprofit Hoosier Environmental Council, opposed the measure, arguing the fuels significantly contribute to climate pollution.

"Methane is around 38 times more potent as a greenhouse gas," Carpenter pointed out. "What happens is there's a lot of leakage that happens in the drilling, in the extraction, the storage, the transportation, even the burning of methane."

Proponents of the bill argued it supports an "all of the above" approach to reduce energy costs for Hoosiers.

Carpenter cautioned investing in natural gas infrastructure could backfire. He noted the high costs and slow pace of building pipelines and transmission systems. He also emphasized Indiana's energy landscape is already shifting.

"Ninety percent of new generation coming online is renewable," Carpenter stressed. "It's wind, and it's solar, and it's battery storage, and that's really based on price, and it's based on the competitive factor, and it's based on timeliness."

Carpenter suggested the measure will likely have minimal immediate impact unless federal policies change. The bill passed with bipartisan support in the General Assembly.


get more stories like this via email

Lawmakers in the U.S. House will vote on a bill this week affecting Virginia's ability to create stronger emissions standards for vehicles and trucks.

The bill targets "California emissions standards," policies which call for 100% of cars sold to be electric or emissions-free by 2035. That policy has been partially or fully adopted by Virginia and 16 other states.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to repeal the standards, leading to the legislative effort.

Rob Sargent, program director of Coltura, an energy transition nonprofit, said the federal government should be increasing access to electric vehicles instead of going against policies that promote them.

"EV tax credits and any programs designed to make EVs available to the American people are key," he said, "and can unlock decades of savings for people for what has been a strain on their household finances."

A report by the independent Government Accountability Office stated that Congress does not have the authority to repeal the emissions standards. Supporters of the bill have said banning gas cars is an affront to consumer freedom.

More than a half million Virginians are considered "gas super users," meaning they use significantly more gasoline than the average driver.

Sargent said repealing strong emissions standards would make it harder for states to reduce their carbon footprint.

"If Congress acts to pull the rug out from under those states' ability to take action to make cars cleaner in their state," he said, "then it also will undercut the availability of electric vehicles for consumers that would save them money."

The Senate is considering a similar bill despite opposition from within the Legislature.


get more stories like this via email

This week, the Trump administration announced what it terms "emergency permitting" for energy projects, streamlining a sometimes yearslong process down to 28 days. Opponents said it will mean time in court.

The U.S. Interior Department plans to alter the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act so projects around oil, gas, coal, minerals and more can proceed without the agency approvals the laws require. The department said it's part of President Donald Trump's January "National Energy Emergency" declaration.

Erik Molvar, executive director of the Western Watersheds Project, said there is no such emergency.

"The idea that there's some kind of 'national energy emergency' is a lie that the Trump administration is making up to justify an extralegal approach to approving energy projects and skipping past the environmental safeguards that Congress put in place," Molvar contended.

He argued the move risks historic sites, wildlife habitat and recreation opportunities on Montana's 30 million acres of public land. Molvar added he expects energy projects brought under the new, streamlined permitting will be overturned in court.

The announcement comes just one day after the Interior Department's draft strategic plan for the next four years was leaked. A "big idea" cited in the draft is to, quote, "release federal holdings to allow state and local communities to reduce costs," and in parentheses, "housing." Molvar stressed it would essentially put federal responsibilities in the hands of smaller entities.

"These state and local governments have a distinct tendency -- particularly in conservative parts of the rural West -- to want to maximize industrial development, maximize local communities' abilities to line their own pockets, with really little consideration to the long-term health of the land," Molvar emphasized.

Strategic goals listed in the plan include to "restore American prosperity" and "ensure national security through infrastructure and innovation."


get more stories like this via email