CESA Blog
After a decade of lithium-ion procurement, the leading clean energy states are finally turning their attention to long duration energy storage. Although it may still seem like a new idea, state-mandated procurement of energy storage has actually been going on for more than a decade. As of mid-2024, twelve U.S. states have set intentions to…
Three Questions with Jonathan Kennedy: An Update on the New Jersey Wind Port
The New Jersey Wind Port, currently under construction, is slated to be the nation’s first purpose-built offshore wind marshalling and manufacturing port, an important milestone for offshore wind development in the US. The port broke ground in 2021, and its first phase is on track for completion in April 2024. Subsequent phases will be completed…
A Case for Regional Collaboration among States in the New Offshore Wind Economy
In 2022, US state governments increased their collective procurements of offshore wind power to over 8,100 MW. While these collective procurement targets have the potential to transform electricity generation in the US, states have so far come to these targets and approached offshore wind development more generally, on an individual basis. To fully realize the…
Helping States Meet the Solar for All Challenge
The federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has created the best ever opportunity to bring the advantages of solar to low-income households and disadvantaged communities. Up to now, residential and community solar installations have been financed and developed in ways that make it easy for households with above-average incomes to participate and benefit, but often leave…
State IRA Websites: A Valuable Tool for Public Education
For the Inflation Reduction Act to be successful, the public needs to know how to apply for, qualify for, and receive the many tax credits and rebates that will be offered. Between rebates from the Home Energy Rebate Programs and tax credits for consumers, businesses, and tax-exempt entities, consumers have the potential to save billions…
Three questions with the California Energy Commission
Clean Energy States Alliance Research Associate Sam Schacht spoke with three senior members of the California Energy Commission (CEC)—International Relations Senior Advisor Alana Sanchez, Chief of Staff for CEC Chair David Hochschild Katerina Robinson, and Director for Siting, Transmission, and Environmental Protection Division Elizabeth Huber—about how California has worked with international and sub-national partners to…
A conversation on building Maryland’s offshore wind workforce
In the fall of 2022, the U.S. Department of Commerce Awarded $22.9 million to the Maryland Department of Labor from its Good Jobs Challenge grant program. The money is intended to catalyze the development of Maryland’s emerging offshore wind workforce and industry, including the existing Maryland Works for Wind (MWW) program. To learn more about…
EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program: Planning Grant Guidance
EPA recently released full guidance for states to apply for Phase I planning grants, which represent the first tranche of money available through the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program. This blog post pulls out the most important information that states need to know ahead of the March 31st deadline to inform EPA of their…
EPA’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program: Preliminary Information and Timeline for States
EPA has released some new details and an application and implementation timeline for their $5 billion Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) program, which was created under section 60114 of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). While the program is designed to be inclusive of municipalities and tribes, the majority of funding for planning grants will be…
Expanding Solar+Storage in Oregon
The Oregon Solar+Storage Rebate Program offers rebates to residential customers and low-income service providers who install solar or solar paired with energy storage. Rebates are issued to customers through the Oregon Department of Energy’s (ODOE) approved contractors, who pass the full amount of the rebate on as savings to their customers. Homeowners are eligible for…
Battery Storage – What’s it Worth?
When considering whether to invest in a new technology, the first thing anyone wants to know is will the benefits outweigh the costs? This is no less true of state energy agencies and utility regulators who are generally tasked with ensuring that taxpayers and ratepayers get a good return on their dollar. For this reason,…