This week, weāre zooming in on another example of how fossil fuel interests are propping up local opponents to derail clean energy projects, this time targeting an Ohio solar farm. Plus, until the election, weāre adding a special section of political coverage that youāll find below your regularly scheduled clean energy news roundup.
In central Ohio, a fight has been going on for more than a year between developers of a solar project and a so-called āgrassrootsā group that doesnāt want it built.
Knox Smart Development popped up late last year to fight the 120 MW Frasier Solar project, holding a town hall and otherwise campaigning to stir up opposition to the project. Kathiann Kowalski reported for the Energy News Network that the group has appeared at three public hearings in front of Ohioās energy project siting board, and made more than 100 unique arguments against approving the project.
The problem? Half of those comments contained misinformation, and ādo not present credible or compelling opposition to the proposed project,ā said Heidi Gorovitz Robertson, a professor at Cleveland State University College of Law.
Last week, Knox Smart Development founder Jared Yost hinted at where some of Knox Smart Developmentās support and misinformation may be coming from.
In a hearing with the energy siting board, Yost testified that Tom Rastin, the former head of oil and gas compressor company Ariel Corportation, is one of the groupās biggest donors. Rastin also reportedly leads The Empowerment Alliance, a dark money nonprofit that advocates for the natural gas industry. Another Empowerment Alliance leader spoke at one of Knox Smart Developmentās town halls last year.Ā
Yost denied that The Empowerment Alliance influenced his opposition to the Frasier project, but clean energy advocates say Knox Smart Development is just another example of how fossil fuel interests are disguising themselves behind community-led groups to make their fights against clean energy feel organic and credible.
š· Unionsā clean energy: The Inflation Reduction Actās labor standards for clean energy development could create as many as 3.9 million jobs across 6,285 burgeoning projects, a labor advocacy group says. (Utility Dive)
š Virtual (power plant) reality: Xcel Energy in Minnesota wants to build virtual power plants that combine solar power generation and energy storage ā a technology analysts say is āwell past pilot scaleā and ready for full deployment in North America. (Energy News Network, Utility Dive)
ā ļø Cautionary tale: State policies could supercharge utility-scale clean energy deployment, but experts say too rapid of an expansion could strengthen opposition, and that local participation in the siting process is still key. (Utility Dive)
š EVsā new charge: Experts say solid state batteries have the potential to transform the auto sector by giving electric vehicles hundreds of miles more of range per charge. (Inside Climate News)
š Managing the load: Cleantech experts say home power management systems are set to become essential as homeowners switch to electric appliances and vehicles, as well as add at-home power generation. (Bloomberg)
š Going for sustainability gold: A sustainability advocate says Los Angeles will need an āepic transportation rebootā to achieve a zero-emission Olympic Games in 2028. (Los Angeles Times)
šŗšø Plus, some politics:
Conservatives for clean energy: A national advocacy group founded in 2016 aims to make the conservative case that clean energy will win in free market competition and support private property rights. (USA Today)
Keeping climate quiet: Observers say Vice President Kamala Harris is seemingly making a ādeliberate choiceā to minimally mention climate as she tries to downplay divisive issues in her campaign, though allies say itās still clear where she stands on the topic. (Washington Post, New York Times)
Learning from Minnesota: U.S. climate advocates say Minnesota Gov. Tim Walzās measured and bureaucratic approach to clean energy programs, and success in attracting federal funding, will lead to policy gains at the federal level. (E&E News)
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