This Week’s News for LA’s Best Buildings
See the Cutting-Edge Tech Turning Government Buildings into Lean, Green Machines
The U.S. General Services Administration is on the hunt for that zero-emission, energy-saving technology, and has just announced the latest batch of novel tools and building materials that may help the government meet its goals. Through its Green Proving Ground program, the GSA is using some of the buildings in its portfolio to evaluate these technologies, utilizing real-world conditions to test, and hopefully prove, their ability to drastically cut the environmental impact of the federal government.
D.O.E. Announces $15 Billion in Energy Savings Through Better Buildings Initiatives
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $15.3 billion in energy savings through the Better Buildings Initiative, a public-private partnership with more than 900 businesses, state and local governments, utilities, housing authorities, and other organizations across the United States pursuing ambitious energy, waste, water, and/or greenhouse gas reduction goals and sharing their solutions. These savings represent 155 million metric tons of carbon emissions, or roughly the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by 20 million homes in one year. Decarbonizing America’s building sector is a key part of President Biden’s plan to reach a net-zero carbon economy by 2050.
Marta Segura: LA City's First Climate Emergency Mobilization Director
Early in 2021, Mayor Eric Garcetti launched Los Angeles’ first-ever Climate Emergency Mobilization Office (CEMO) with a mandate to coordinate the actions of the Mayor’s Office, City Council, and community leaders to meet the commitments of L.A.’s Green New Deal while centering the voices and needs of LA’s frontline communities. TPR interviewed CEMO Director Marta Segura, a longtime environmental justice advocate who has spent decades designing programs and social change campaigns to address inequities and health gaps in communities across Los Angeles.
Three Ways US Cities Broke Clean Energy Records in 2021
As the latest IPCC report notes, cities will play a critical role in climate action over the next decade, and many challenges and opportunities for generating more clean electricity lie ahead. After remaining undaunted in their pursuit of renewables in 2020, US cities, counties, and tribal governments made 2021 another record-breaking year for renewable energy development in the United States.
Climate Change is Straining California's Energy System, Officials Say
Torrid heat, raging wildfires and prolonged drought are putting California residents at increased risk of power outages, officials said Friday, as extreme weather driven by climate change puts additional stress on the state’s already-taxed energy grid.
Officials said in an online briefing that they were preparing for a scenario in 2022 that would see California fall short of energy demands by about 1,700 megawatts. The shortfall is likeliest to occur in the summer after the sun sets, depriving energy providers of solar energy.
California Can Reliably Hit 85% Clean Energy by 2030 Without Risking Outages - En Route to a 100% Clean Grid
Power crises during California’s August 2020 heat waves raised questions about how reliable the state’s grid will be on the road to its target of 100% clean energy by 2045.
But new research provides clear answers: California can reliably achieve an 85% clean electricity grid by 2030 with a diverse mix of renewables and batteries, flexible demand, trade with neighboring states, and some existing power plants—under multiple build-out assumptions and possible future conditions. It turns out a cleaner grid is a more reliable grid.
Image by Yewkeo via Fast Company