Connect with us

Published

on

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced a new National Community Solar Partnership (NCSP) target: to enable community solar systems to power the equivalent of five million households by 2025 and create $1 billion in energy bill savings. Reaching these milestones will help achieve the Biden-Harris Administration’s goals of achieving 100% clean electricity by 2035 and ensure that all Americans can reap the benefits of renewable energy while building community wealth and resiliency.

“Community solar is one of the most powerful tools we have to provide affordable solar energy to all American households, regardless of whether they own a home or have a roof suitable for solar panels,” said Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm. “Achieving these ambitious targets will lead to meaningful energy cost savings, create jobs in these communities, and make our clean energy transition more equitable.”

There is enough solar installed to power 19 million households across the United States. Despite this unprecedented deployment, many Americans still lack access to affordable solar electricity, including many renters, homeowners who lack affordable financing options, and those without suitable roof conditions. Community solar is a form of energy generation where members subscribe to a portion of a solar array, usually located near their community. As the solar array produces energy, subscribers receive a portion of the revenue from the energy produced, typically as savings on their monthly electric bill — a critical factor for low-income and disadvantaged communities whose energy burden is three times higher than for non-low-income households.

There is enough community solar installed in the U.S. today to power 600,000 households — achieving DOE’s new NSCP target would mean an increase of more than 700% in the next four years. The recently released Solar Futures Study report from DOE and National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows how solar can play a major role in a decarbonized grid.

The NCSP is a DOE initiative led by the Solar Energy Technologies Office, in collaboration with the NREL and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The partnership includes a coalition of community solar stakeholders, such as State, local and Tribal governments, solar developers, and community-based organizations, working to expand access to affordable community solar to every American household. Partners leverage peer networks as well as technical assistance funding and resources to overcome the persistent barriers to expanding community solar access with a focus on those in underserved communities. As of September 2021, NCSP had over 650 members from over 440 partner organizations.

The Sharing the Sun report released by NREL in collaboration with NCSP shows that community solar can lead to substantial bill savings — from 5 to 25%. Achieving $1 billion in cost savings would mean that, on average, community solar projects would provide a 20% bill savings. This target, along with other potential solutions for equitable community solar deployment, was informed by NCSP stakeholders in a recent request for information.

To achieve these new targets, DOE is offering free, on-demand technical assistance to NCSP partnership members. Technical assistance provides personalized support to organizations deploying community solar to help them accelerate implementation, improve the performance of their program or project, and build capacity for future community solar development. NCSP has already distributed $1 million for technical assistance and hopes to provide $2 million in the next year.

Learn more about NCSP and join the partnership.

Article courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE)

 

Appreciate CleanTechnica’s originality? Consider becoming a CleanTechnica Member, Supporter, Technician, or Ambassador — or a patron on Patreon.

 

 


Advertisement



 


Have a tip for CleanTechnica, want to advertise, or want to suggest a guest for our CleanTech Talk podcast? Contact us here.

Continue Reading

Environment

Hyundai doesn’t care what Trump does, California does it anyway, big Texas solar

Published

on

By

Hyundai doesn't care what Trump does, California does it anyway, big Texas solar

On today’s episode of Quick Charge, Hyundai doesn’t care if incoming President Trump kills the $7,500 Federal EV tax credit, California’s planning to offer an EV tax credit of their own, and there’s a massive new solar project in Texas prairie land.

We’ve also got Tesla hoping to meet its Q4 sales goals by throwing all the EV demand levers in China while, at the same time, looking to hire remote drivers for its so-called “autonomous” robotaxis.

Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations sitewide. Learn more by clicking here.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news!

Got news? Let us know!
Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!

Read more: E-quipment highlight | Palfinger FLS 25 eDRIVE truck mounted forklift.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Environment

Banana auction billionaire’s $30 million investment in Trump’s crypto token highlights new ways to enrich president-elect

Published

on

By

Banana auction billionaire's  million investment in Trump's crypto token highlights new ways to enrich president-elect

Justin Sun, founder of blockchain platform Tron, poses for a photograph in Hong Kong, China, on Friday, May 8, 2020.

Calvin Sit | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Tron blockchain founder Justin Sun has invested $30 million into Donald Trump’s crypto project, World Liberty Financial, he announced Monday.

“We are thrilled to invest $30 million in World Liberty Financial @worldlibertyfi as its largest investor,” Sun wrote in a post on X.

Sun recently made national headlines when he spent $6.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction for a banana duct-taped to a wall.

World Liberty Financial, the Trump-branded crypto platform, aspires to be a sort of digital asset bank, where customers will be encouraged to borrow, lend and invest in digital coins. 

Trump has licensed his name and promotional considerations to the venture through an LLC, with no assumption of liability. In exchange, Trump’s LLC received billions of tokens and the right to 75% of revenues above a $30 million threshold.

The platform launched a WLFI token last month, and said in a roadmap that it was looking to raise $300 million at a $1.5 billion valuation in its initial sale. 

Before Sun’s investment, $21.2 million worth of the token had been sold. As of Monday afternoon, $51.2 million worth of the token had been sold, according to its website. Sales now appear to have crossed the $30 million threshold to trigger revenue distribution to Trump’s LLC.

“The U.S. is becoming the blockchain hub, and Bitcoin owes it to @realDonaldTrump ! TRON is committed to making America great again and leading innovation. Let’s go!” added Sun.

WLFI co-founder Zachary Folkman has said “well over 100,000 people” are on the whitelist to invest in the token. But as of Monday afternoon, only about 20,400 unique wallet addresses hold the token, according to blockchain data tracked by Etherscan, representing roughly 20% of the total number of people who registered.

“There have been a number of similarly significant purchases in recent weeks, and we are confident about future success and building out something that helps to make finance freer and fairer,” Folkman said in a statement. “We expect more such developments to happen in the coming weeks and months.”

Duct tape banana sells for $6.2 million

While Trump does not take office until January, Sun’s investment in WLFI, and the revenue it appears to direct to Trump’s LLC under the terms disclosed, highlights the way Trump’s newer business ventures, like his social media company Trump Media Technology Group and this crypto venture, could offer more direct opportunities for individuals to enrich the president-elect than Trump’s hotels and office buildings did.

During Trump’s first term in office, there were near constant questions about whether foreign governments’ lavish spending on rooms and banquets at Trump’s Washington, D.C. hotel amounted to violations of the Constitution’s “emoluments clause.”

The clause bars federal office holders from accepting payments or things of value from foreign governments and their representatives.

But Trump’s hotel rooms and office space have relatively fixed prices, and costs that cut into total profits.

By contrast, the investors in Trump’s newer ventures — as demonstrated by Sun’s token purchase — can inject tens of millions of dollars, instantly, with little to no cost to Trump.

Spokespeople for the Trump presidential transition, World Liberty Financial and Sun’s Tron did not immediately reply to requests for comment.

Sun’s purchase comes as Trump actively works to assemble his list of appointees. The president-elect wrapped up cabinet appointments over the weekend and has since moved on to other agency and department leaders.

How crypto and fintech may perform under the second Trump administration

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong reportedly met with Trump to discuss appointments on Nov. 18. Within a day, conversations swirled about the potential for Trump to create the White House’s first crypto czar.

By the end of the week, longtime crypto foe and SEC chairman Gary Gensler, whose term doesn’t expire until June 2026, announced he would be retiring on Inauguration Day.

Trump has yet to select a nominee to lead the SEC in Gensler’s place. Under new leadership, the securities regulator could choose to drop some of its enforcement actions against major crypto ventures. It’s unclear how Tron’s case could be impacted.

In March 2023, the commission unveiled fraud and unregistered securities charges against Sun, alongside separate violations against the celebrity backers of his Tronix and BitTorrent crypto assets, which included Jake Paul, Lindsay Lohan and Soulja Boy.

The SEC alleged that Sun engaged in fraud by manipulating the trading activity of the two tokens, creating the appearance of active trading when it did not exist. The unregistered offer and sale charges, on the other hand, are similar to charges the SEC has unveiled against other crypto offerings and exchanges, including Genesis, Gemini, Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken.

The crypto industry showed up in force this election cycle. Several notable sector leaders including Gemini co-founders Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss, as well as multiple C-suite executives from crypto firms battling the SEC, donated to PACs supporting the Trump campaign.

Trump’s coin sale misses targets as crypto project’s website crashes

Continue Reading

Environment

Save 30% off the Huffy Electric Green Machine during its Black Friday sales event

Published

on

By

Save 30% off the Huffy Electric Green Machine during its Black Friday sales event

Veteran bicycle brand and e-mobility innovator Huffy is joining the Black Friday sales festivities with an exclusive deal for Electrek readers on its 36-volt Electric Green Machine drift trike. Use the promo code below for 30% off your purchase.

Huffy Green Machine

Huffy puts over 130 years of experience into its products

Huffy is easily a household name in bicycles. The company is celebrating over 130 years in the segment and has shown no signs of slowing down. The brand is sold across thousands of retail locations and ships millions of bikes to customers throughout the US and 40 additional international markets each year.

The Huffy name is known for products that deliver riders comfort, style, and durability. Whether on a bike, trike, scooter, or ride-on, there’s something for every member of the family to enjoy. Since 2019, Huffy has been calling riders together with its rally cry, “Live the Ride,” which encourages families to celebrate togetherness by exploring the outdoors atop its products.

Whether that means leisurely rides through local parks with friends, family outings, traversing local trails, or exploring new cities during a summer getaway, Huffy strives to remind riders of the simple youthful joy that riding can bring.

Since Huffy launched the 20” Green Machine in 2023, teens and adults have been asking for a version that would allow them to experience the same adventure, fun, and thrill of each spin and drift. Huffy answered the call with their new Electric Green Machine, a nostalgic and electrified version of the classic drift trike Huffy fans know and love. This powerhouse drift-trike is packed with 36 volts of electric power and a 250-watt front hub motor that lets riders reach exhilarating speeds of up to 15 miles per hour. Perfect for thrill-seekers ages 14 and up, the Electric Green Machine reignites the fun and excitement of childhood rides.

All of Huffy’s products, including the Electric Green Machine seen below, are thoughtfully crafted for the moments that happen when you pop up your kickstand and see where the path takes you. In the case of the E-Green Machine, Huffy wants riders to unleash a whirlwind of thrilling drifts and slides right when they climb into the cockpit.

To help even more riders experience holiday thrills this season, Huffy is offering an exclusive discount on the Electric Green Machine for Electrek readers. Whether buying it for yourself or friends and family, the Electric Green Machine is the perfect gift to put under the tree this holiday season. If you’re ready to start drifting, use the promo code below to save some “green” on your purchase⎯but only for a limited time!

Huffy Green Machine

Don’t miss Huffy’s Black Friday deal on the Electric Green Machine

The new Electric Green Machine is available on Huffy.com for $599.99. However, you can use promo code “ELECTREKGM” at checkout for 30% off your purchase (valid on the Electric Green Machine only).

Huffy’s Black Friday deals are available now, but only until 11:59 PM on December 8, 2024, so act quickly while supplies last. This year, holiday thrills start with red and green at Huffy. Be sure to take advantage of this limited-time offer and check out the other limited-time deals on Huffy’s site this week (offering up to 55% across a range of products).

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Continue Reading

Trending