Renewable Energy

Public policy aimed at reducing greenhouse gases and other pollutants is pulling heavy-duty trucking forward in states across the West, as a 100-year-old industry evolves away from heavily polluting vehicles.

The Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification has awarded $506,000 to six companies focused on boating electrification or charging infrastructure as part of its Fresh Coast Maritime Challenge.

Backers think geothermal could power as much as 20% of the U.S. grid. A handful of states approved laws this year and others are considering measures that would provide money and regulations to help the industry.

A public community college in Washington received $1 million from the federal Community Project Fund to enhance its mechatronics and automotive programs and build an advanced manufacturing program.

Six privately owned battery storage containers connected to a nearby San Diego Gas & Electric substation promise to provide some buffer from blackouts. The units are capable of delivering six megawatts and 12 megawatt-hours of energy.

Managed charging, battery storage and other technologies are helping to build electric grid resiliency and stability as electric vehicle use grows. Those working in the space are optimistic about the grid's ability to handle the load.

The University of Arizona's West EJ Center will put a $10 million federal grant toward rebates and tax credits to make energy-efficient appliances and solar panels affordable for community groups and other institutions.

The National Science Foundation awarded the University of Texas Permian Basin a $1 million planning grant to support research and implementation of technologies to improve the region's energy infrastructure.

Electric vehicle charging companies like Electrify America are exploring energy storage and new green energy projects to prepare for the increasingly electrified future of transportation.

A mobility charging hub is under development in Michigan to generate rapid, high-power charging for heavy-duty trucks, while also experimenting with the integration of new technologies like renewable energy production and storage.

Hydrogen fuel costs about $25 per kilogram, which is still too expensive for heavy-duty fleets to easily transition over to hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles. The cost displaces advantages over other alternative technologies.

Major pieces of domestic policy like the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are advancing hydrogen energy technology. A change to who occupies the White House could alter this course.

The California Hydrogen Leadership Summit met in Sacramento, Calif., last month to advance strategies for moving hydrogen fuel cell technology forward as a clean transportation option, particularly for heavy freight.

As part of the 30th annual Solar Car Challenge, high schoolers from Pasadena's Polytechnic School will race against other teams driving 1,400 miles from Texas to California in a solar-powered vehicle they built.

A new report ranks states for their transition to electric vehicles. California leads the list, followed by New York, largely because of the Empire State’s robust plans to transition all of its school buses to zero-emission vehicles.

Working with the nonprofit Solar Energy International, a public community college in Ohio will help train students and subject-matter experts in solar electric design and prepare them to train others.

Students from two universities collaborated on engineering challenges to make electric vehicles more energy-efficient, earning them first place in Year One of the EcoCAR Electric Vehicle (EV) Challenge.

Including solar, wind and nuclear power as well as hydroelectricity via large dams, 59 percent of California's electricity now comes from carbon-free sources. The state has a goal of 90 percent by 2035.