Allianz will move toward its 2050 goal to slash greenhouse gas emissions from its investment portfolio by first aiming to reduce such investments 25% below 2019 levels by 2025. "We are convinced that integrating climate and sustainability aspects will have an impact on our investment strategy," said ESG board member Gunther Thallinger.
The Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice and other groups are suing the Environmental Protection Agency over its decision to grant Florida control over Section 404 permitting under the Clean Water Act. "EPA is lowering the bar to allow a state, for the first time, to run the federal wetlands program without meeting federal standards," said Tania Galloni of Earthjustice.
Point Comfort, Texas, began replacing old water lines six years ago, but like many US cities with aging infrastructure, it has struggled to secure adequate funding for upgrades. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality gave the city's water system a superior rating, but upgrades are still required due to a high number of connections and complaints of rust-colored water.
The US added about 16,900 clean energy jobs last month, but 12% of workers who lost their jobs due to the pandemic remained unemployed at the year's end, according to a study commissioned by E2, E4TheFuture and the American Council on Renewable Energy. "We look forward to working with the incoming Biden administration and the new Congress to move past the endless cycle of temporary stopgap measures," said ACORE CEO Gregory Wetstone.
Equinor and BP have won the right to develop two offshore wind farms in New York -- the 1,260-megawatt Empire Wind 2 and 1,230-MW Beacon Wind 1 sites. "The US East Coast is one of the most attractive growth markets for offshore wind in the world," said Equinor CEO Anders Opedal.
Total is taking a leadership role among oil and gas majors turning to renewables by unveiling plans to participate in more than a dozen solar, energy storage and offshore wind projects. Total is partnering with 174 Power Global on 12 solar and storage projects in the US for a total capacity of 1.6 gigawatts and will bid for the right to develop the Thor offshore wind farm in Denmark, alongside Iberdrola.
Cities, states, utilities and private businesses last year stepped up to nurture the growth of renewable energy sources across the US. That trend is set to accelerate as the Biden administration takes the reins in Washington, D.C., having already pledged to spend $2 trillion on sustainable infrastructure.
RESB Murmurs: This is a good look at all the pieces coming together that will help drive renewables growth in 2021, including federal, state and local policies as well as consumer and corporate demand. - Sean
A glut of wind and solar capacity on the US electrical system could actually be a good thing -- even if it raises a few technical challenges, explains Melissa Lott of the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy. In this podcast, Greentech Media's Shayle Kann and Lott discuss opportunities for intermittent excess capacity, as well as a framework for realizing those benefits in New Zealand.
PepsiCo is advancing its net-zero by 2040 goal with power purchase agreements to source output from Orsted's 298-megawatt Haystack site in Nebraska and the 367MW Western Trail wind farm in Texas. The deals will meet nearly 25% of PepsiCo's US power needs.
The world wants to know: will climate change-induced incidents hinder the very industry set on slowing global warming? Not really, according to a new study from the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and Utrecht University. The study found the overall risk to renewable energy production is moderate, based on two warming scenarios and analysis of climate maps covering various regions.