Mike Williams’ Post

I know many of you are trying to reduce your #carbonfootprint and improve the health of our planet. 🌎 If you're looking to get started or want to compare notes, my colleague Mike Williams is a great resource. #everydayisearthday

Big under reported GOOD news!💥 One of the most common Concerns that people have about The green energy transition is the inability of our grid and distribution system to handle that amount of power and get it where it needs to be. The grid, at a minimum, is going to need to double its capacity over the next decade. This is something I've known personally for a while but i've been waiting for Acknowledgment of that fact from the powers that be. These rule changes should help address the problem from the grid and production side of the problem. Everything up. To this point has been largely increasing green energy demand but not the supply of power needed to keep up. Our electrical grid is a lot like "just in time Inventory" where it has just barely enough Capacity to operate it at any given point and we're continuously pushing it to the edge. The solution up to now has been to turn on dirty peaker plants and occasionally even have rolling brown outs when it gets really bad. This industry is changing so fast that even as i'm in the middle of writing my book, i'm going to need to amend it. Im good with that.

How utilities can meet surging electricity needs without gas-fired power plants.

🌟Title: "Will Heat Pumps Cause Blackouts? - The Guardian🌟 Hey everyone, if you're also concerned about the impact of heat pumps on the energy grid, this article from The Guardian is a must-read. It delves into whether the increasing adoption of heat pumps will lead to blackouts and explores the potential challenges and solutions. It's an eye-opening piece that sheds light on this important topic. Check it out and let's continue the conversation on how we can work towards sustainable heating solutions. #HeatPumps #EnergyGrid #Sustainability https://ift.tt/4baB8nt

“Electricity demand is a feature, not a bug, of the clean energy transition and the pathway for meeting our climate goals,” RMI’s Mark Dyson told The New York Times. “Powering more of our economy with electricity, rather than fossil fuels, may get easier in the years ahead.” The growth of data centers, manufacturing, and clean energy industry in the United States is projected to lead to more energy demand. Right now, some utilities around the country are turning to more fossil fuel power plants at the prospect of this load growth. But there are better, less expensive options that can move us closer to meeting our climate goals, not farther from them. From solutions that make the most of the electricity grid we've already built to strategies that fast-track clean energy development at the site of current fossil fuel power plants, to virtual power plants and energy efficiency that make our homes safer and more resilient to climate shocks, we have the answers. With financial resources from the Inflation Reduction Act at the ready, utilities have the technologies and the support they need to build proactively toward a clean energy economy. https://bit.ly/4gPuIYq

When Southern California Edison (SCE) first announced its plan to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to help 250,000 customers install heat pumps back in 2021, some building-electrification advocates saw it as the kind of proactive step utilities need to be taking to transition their customers off of fossil fuels and help California meet its ambitious climate targets. Others saw it as an unproven building-electrification strategy that could add new charges to already-expensive electric bills, without clear evidence of long-term cost reductions and climate benefits. The California Public Utilities Commission sided with the latter group, rejecting SCE’s proposal on the grounds that it doesn’t "sufficiently show clear…benefits in the face of certain costs" for its customers at large. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3Uu5bLI #california #electrification #decarbonization

Exciting news on the energy front! The era of old school gas furnaces is on its way out, with heat pumps emerging as the game changer. They're already outselling gas furnaces in the US, and now CABANNE DISTRICT CDC, along with a coalition of states, is taking bold steps to accelerate the gas to electric clean energy transition. By prioritizing federal funding, developing rollout standards, and creating a comprehensive plan, they're making it easier for residents to embrace this eco friendly shift. Unlike traditional gas furnaces, heat pumps transfer heat from outdoor air to warm interiors, operating efficiently on an increasingly renewable energy grid. Even in freezing conditions, they extract warmth, saving households over $550 annually. Missouri Elected Officials emphasize the need for consumers to adopt clean heat, urging homeowners to consider heat pumps when replacing furnaces. Let's power the future with sustainable choices! #CleanEnergy #HeatPumpRevolution #affordablehousing #energyefficiency #stlouis #missouri #energyaccess #energyburden

Green Energy Goals in Conflict: Electric Power Originally published in Master Resource. Twenty-three states have adopted goals to move to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. State governments propose to retire coal- and gas-fired power plants and adopt wind and solar systems. But these goals conflict with efforts to promote electric vehicles (EVs), electric appliances, and a new rising demand for electric power. By: Steve Goreham https://lnkd.in/dDEzy7u3

With all the concern about AI and its massive appetite for electricity, its critical to re-center and realize that increasing the amount of electricity we use as a society is actually key to solving the energy transition. We need to electrify buildings, transportation, and many industrial processes and power them with clean electrons. This transition to an electrified economy is a feature, not a bug, and the good news is that we've got many innovative solutions available to start implementing right away! I'm lucky to work with thought leaders like Mark Dyson here at RMI who are honing in on the right problems and helping global companies & economies scale the best solutions to them. Explore our work on AI load growth, Virtual Power Plants, GETs & Reconductoring, clean repowering, and more at RMI.org

Long post alert! #ClimateAction of the day: Tell the California Public Utilities Commission that fossil fuels are NOT the answer to growing electricity demand! According to the The New York Times, electricity demand is expected to spike sharply in the coming years for the first time in more than a decade—& utilities are scrambling to add more power generation to the grid. Much of the demand is due to new data centers & manufacturing facilities, but it’s also due to a rise in the use of electric vehicles, heat pumps, & other electric appliances. This is good news - proof that we’re making progress on climate! But… …The bad news is that some power companies plan to meet the demand with more fossil fuel infrastructure. And that would be a massive step backward. While Congress debates permitting reform, we need to employ other creative solutions to keep dirty power off the grid—solutions we can pull the trigger on NOW. Here are some ideas: - Build more renewables - Increase battery storage - Upgrade transmission lines - Increase energy efficiency - Regulate high-power industries This is a pivotal moment for our energy future. If we fill this gap by turning back to the dirty energy of the past, we’ll seal our planet’s fate for generations to come. But if we meet this moment with innovation and resolve, we can create unstoppable momentum toward a clean, green power grid! This week, we’ll speak up to let our leaders know that in this moment of surging energy demand, building more fossil fuels is NOT the answer! We’ll start by contacting public utilities commissioners. Then, we’ll reach out to our federal leaders, state legislators, Governors, and the media, urging them to call for a CLEAN power surge that safeguards our planet’s future. Check the Action of the Day each day this week for another opportunity push our leaders to look forward, not backward! To get the Climate Action Now app and take action click: https://lnkd.in/gRYHeh6f #ClimateActionNow #cleanenergy #RenewableFuture #fossilfuelfree