With up to 50 million residents projected by 2070, researchers say the state must invest as much as $154 billion in reuse systems, desalination and aquifer recharge to avoid future shortages.
The county council unanimously approved a 10-year contract between Cuyahoga Green Energy, the county-run utility, and Compass Energy Platform to develop district microgrids, which will serve as small-scale local electricity systems.
The nation’s largest county currently imports 60 percent of its water supply. The water plan that the Board of Supervisors adopted on Tuesday outlines how it will shift to sourcing 162 billion gallons locally instead.
A New Orleans power utility wants customers to pay for the $750 million to $1 billion price tag, which could raise bills an additional $11.86 per month. But the city has pushed back saying there must be an affordable option for ratepayers.
Once the legislative package gets signed into law, the state will have plans for at least 2,500 megawatts of energy storage and all state-regulated utilities will need to submit storage plans to the Public Service Commission by 2030.
The sale of electric utilities to corporate investors has brought more power outages and rate hikes. Local ownership has the potential for lower rates, better service and a quicker transition to renewable energy.
This spring the city will begin implementing solar panels on city-owned sites, either on rooftops, as parking canopies or as shade structures in parks in community centers. Currently just 10 city buildings have solar panels to generate electricity.
The great dams of the early 20th century have outlasted their questionable usefulness, declining in their power output, providing unpredictable sources of water and doing massive environmental damage.
The state grid operator ERCOT had 18,364 megawatts of solar power capacity on its electric grid at the end of September, which is enough to power almost 3.7 million homes during peak demand periods.
The regional hubs will help replace fossil fuels and will also create more than $40 billion in private investment along with thousands of new jobs. Nearly every state has joined at least one proposed hub.
Water providers say rebates for residential areas are costly and many people refuse to remove their lawns. The rules aim to save enough water for more than a million households a year.
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas wants to increase the amount of power it can quickly access in the case of extreme demand. It specifically is looking toward a decommissioned coal-fired power plant near San Antonio.
The state has more than 18,000 transmission lines that move power from a myriad of energy sources. But, as the state transitions away from fossil fuels, the existing infrastructure is inadequate.
The federal agency found Alabama’s program of managing its own coal ash is “significantly” less protective than what the federal rules require. For many the decision is evidence that other states, like Georgia, need to adjust their plans.
Officials tout the state’s diverse portfolio of energy sources, including wind, solar, natural gas and nuclear, as a major factor behind its resilience. On Aug. 7, peak demand was at 84,029 megawatts.
The typical city’s home pays nearly $2,385 per month on household expenses like mortgage, rent, loans, utilities and insurance, ranking 331 out of 431 cities across the state with the most expensive household bills.
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