States across the U.S. are taking significant steps to improve distributed solar programs. These initiatives aim to ease access, streamline operations, and address customer needs while supporting broader clean energy goals.
Heading into the winter season, grid operators and utilities across the U.S. continue to strengthen their winter readiness measures to ensure reliable electricity supplies amid rising demand and potential energy shortfalls.
The Biden administration is accelerating efforts to secure its clean energy and climate accomplishments, advancing rules and funding programs to drive decarbonization. Recent initiatives, such as methane emission rules and clean energy investments, aim to solidify progress achieved during the administration's tenure. However, the incoming Trump administration raises concerns of potential policy reversals, similar to the sweeping rollbacks seen in 2017.
States across the U.S. are implementing initiatives to enhance electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure as EV adoption continues to grow. Recent policies range from rebates for residential EV chargers to expansion of medium and heavy-duty EV charging programs, reflecting a push to support the transition to clean transportation.
Transmission planning across the U.S. is adapting to meet rising energy demands, necessitating coordinated efforts to strengthen and expand infrastructure. Beyond supporting renewable integration and enhancing resilience, transmission expansion is becoming critical for new electrification demands, increased manufacturing activity, and large data center loads.
Co-locating energy-intensive data centers with power generation facilities is viewed as a strategic solution to access large sources of electricity without lengthy interconnection processes or extensive grid
upgrades. Recently, technology firms have turned to nuclear power for its steady, carbon-free output to directly power these high-demand facilities. However, the co-location trend has raised concerns over grid reliability and potential cost impacts.
Canada has passed legislation to unlock the vast potential of offshore renewable energy in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. This marks a significant step forward for the offshore wind industry in the region, establishing a joint regulatory framework to harness the Atlantic wind resources.
As carbon management grows as a critical tool for climate action, federal strategies and state legislation are evolving to promote efficient and responsible development of carbon capture projects and carbon dioxide (CO2) pipelines. However, ongoing opposition and legal challenges, particularly concerning the use of eminent domain, reflect the complexities the industry must navigate to fully emerge. Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) involves the capture of CO2 from the emissions of industrial processes before they are released into the atmosphere for storage in subsurface geological formations.
The Biden administration has taken significant action to foster renewable energy development on federal lands to support the clean energy transition. Recent actions include efforts to expand solar energy development across 11 western states and streamline federal permitting processes, underscoring the administration's commitment to achieving a carbon-free grid by 2035.
The buildout of the nascent clean hydrogen industry hinges on regulations to implement the clean hydrogen production tax credit considered critical for projects to advance, alongside progress on regional clean hydrogen hubs that will serve as the foundation for a national hydrogen network.
The push to expand energy storage capacity reflects the drive for more resilient and flexible energy systems to support the shift to clean energy. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) anticipates significant growth in energy storage with nearly 36 gigawatts (GW) added by the end of 2028 based on plans reported by utilities. At the end of 2023, U.S. electric utilities reported operating about 15.8 GW of battery storage capacity.
There is a growing focus on reducing the contributions of buildings to greenhouse gas emissions in order to accelerate progress toward a net-zero carbon future. Buildings account for about 40 percent of total energy use in the U.S. and 35 percent of the nation's carbon emissions, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).