$400 Billion from the DOE
Energy Terminal Weekly Newsletter
May 2nd 2023 | Issue #50 | Subscribe here
Happy Tuesday and happy 50th newsletter edition!
It's hard to believe we've been releasing our weekly newsletter for almost a full year. Shoutout to all of our Day 1's who have been here since the beginning and to the hundreds who have joined our newsletter since. We're grateful for all of y'all!
In this issue:
💲400B in funding from the DOE
🔋 Energy storage + geothermal internships
🏭 EPA's new power plant rules
👷 Millions of new energy jobs
☀️ Walmart's solar parking lot
🚨 Top 3 Energy Opportunities 🚨
1) EPRI, Energy Storage Summer Intern
EPRI is a nonprofit organization that conducts research and development related to the generation, delivery, and use of electricity. The position will involve developing energy storage technologies, participating in energy market study research, and supporting cost and benefits studies.
2) Ormat Technologies, Geothermal Production Engineering Intern
Ormat is a leading geothermal company and the only vertically integrated company solely engaged in geothermal and recovered energy generation. This position is responsible for monitoring the performance of geothermal production and injection wells, supervising well field operations, and monitoring drilling operations.
3) Span, Power Electronics Engineering Intern
SPAN develops products that accelerate the home's rapid adoption of renewable energy. In this role, you will be tasked with researching, designing, implementing, testing, and validating multiple hardware and control designs used in power electronics systems.
📣 Episode 27
How do many renewable technologies get off the ground? Is public capital really important to the success of the energy transition?
In this episode we talk with Jonah Wagner, Chief Strategist at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office. We learn how the Loan Programs Office has successfully jumpstarted many renewable technologies (i.e. utility scale solar), and what current technologies it is looking at. Public funding and support is crucial to the success of emerging technologies, and in this episode we learn exactly why. Finally, Jonah shares his excitement about the energy transition, and shows us that this new energy future is possible if everyone starts working towards it.
📚 Reading List
Solar parking lots, new EPA regulations, and millions of energy jobs. Check out this week’s handpicked reading list to learn more about these groundbreaking energy topics 🔥
🎙️Podcasts:
Energy Policy Now, Energy Transition Puts Grid Reliability to the Test
PJM Interconnection is the largest wholesale electricity market in the US, and they aim to improve electric grid reliability amidst the clean energy transition
In February, they published a report stating that electricity supply could fall short of the amount needed for a reliable grid in just five years because fossil fuel generators and coal plants are retiring at a faster rate than replacement with renewable alternatives
PJM is now making efforts to revise market rules so supply can meet demand, including during extreme weather events
Politico Energy, What to expect from EPA’s looming power plant rules
One of the proposed rules will cover existing power plants
Other rules will cover new power plants
The rules are under review at the White House, but what likely will be in the rule is carbon capture and storage
EPA might also require gas plants to co-fire hydrogen
The rules are expected to crack down on existing natural gas projects, sending a sign to utilities that natural gas won’t be around forever
Catalyst, How to build more hydropower
Hydropower is currently the world's largest source of renewable electricity
New hydropower is challenging to build due to high capital costs and a lack of adequate locations in the U.S.
Guest Gia Schneider, CEO of Natel Energy, proposes building more smaller-scale projects as the answer to this issue
📰️ Articles:
Reuters, Russia and West wrestle over energy assets amid Ukraine invasion
Energy has been a centerpiece of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine with global implications
Recently, Russia took control of the assets of a Finnish and a German company within Russia
Many multinational energy companies are deciding how to engage with their Russian assets, with many choosing to divest or cede control to government
The rapid increase of cleantech and renewables with be a driver of new jobs
Estimated 10% growth in education sector with the creations of 3 million jobs for vocational and higher education teachers
Need teachers to train this new workforce
3 million positions will be added to the economy for agricultural specialists
Mother Jones, What if Walmart turned its parking lots into solar farms?
Installing solar panels over parking lots to create photovoltaic (PV) canopies would generate power, allow for EV charging stations, and lessen the urban heat island effect
There are 3572 Walmart Supercenters across the US, so if solar panels were put in every one of these lots, 1.25 million households could be powered
With parking lots occupying over 1400 square miles across the country, if every parking lot had solar canopies, this would add 1.5 terawatts of energy generation
⏰ Missed Episode 27?
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