3/ The report finds achieving an 80 percent clean electricity grid by 2035 is technologically feasible, would not raise customer costs or compromise reliability, and would deliver major benefits to all U.S. regions including $1.5 trillion in clean energy capital investments.
4/ The #2030Report also finds an 80x30 CES would avoid $1.7 trillion in health/env costs, including 93,000 avoided premature deaths, through 2050. Add in transportation electrification & together we can avoid 240,000 premature deaths and $3 trillion in health/env costs by 2050.
5/ There's significant convergence between rigorous studies that we can do this. And utilities (& their investors) increasingly agree - just read through @AEPnews's April 22 earnings call, when the CEO announced 16 GW of new renewables investments by 2030. seekingalpha.com/article/442074…
6/ If a utility with deep roots in Appalachian coal country, including West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, can do it, so can your utility. And hey, also these other 13 major utilities that embraced 80% emissions reductions by 2030: reuters.com/business/energ…
7/ New analysis from the same team looks out at other research that confirms we're not crazy. In fact, rigorous studies are CONVERGING on the feasibility, reliability, affordability, public health, innovation, jobs, and climate benefits of ~80x30 CES. energyinnovation.org/wp-content/upl…
9/ An ambitious federal CES that’s achievable in the reconciliation window is perhaps the most consequential climate win we could hope for from this administration. Clean electricity is the lynchpin of decarbonization, essential to our planet, and there is no time to wait.
Recent @bradplumer article for @nytimes asks - will utilities replace #coal with #naturalgas or #renewableenergy? Utilities are diverging along those paths, but the math for renewable and storage economics is more compelling than many understand. A thread:
1/ If you concede that natgas or some "firm" capacity is for balancing and to meet peak, it's fair as a rule of thumb to say solar plus storage replaces that service until we get to much higher penetrations of renewables. We can rely for now on 450 GW of existing gas.
2/ @Lazard LCOE v12 puts the LCOE of natgas at $41-74. Consider two interesting numbers. The first is yesterday's contracts for 1200MW solar and 590MW storage in Nevada. Only one contract for 200/100 MW of solar + 4hr battery announced prices. greentechmedia.com/articles/read/…