THE NET-ZERO BLOG
Climate policy analysis and updates from Sacramento
How clean hydrogen can enable California’s climate goals
Hydrogen is sometimes referred to as the Swiss Army Knife of climate solutions due to its potential to replace fossil fuels in multiple sectors. However, not all hydrogen is created equal – with certain production methods better for the climate than others. Prioritizing end-uses for hydrogen based upon regional characteristics can also ensure that project investments are as optimal as possible. This blog post examines California’s opportunity to produce and consume clean hydrogen.
Governor Newsom and Legislature reach landmark agreement on Clean Energy Central Procurement
Last week the Administration and Legislature reached an agreement on a new package of clean energy policies, key to which is the proposed authorization for the Department of Water Resources to centrally procure diverse clean energy resources. By providing a demand backstop, central procurement can give investors more confidence to allocate risk-capital towards these projects.
Direct Air Capture Hubs: California projects successful in receiving DOE grants
Earlier today, the Department of Energy announced the recipients sharing in $1.2 billion in Direct Air Capture (DAC) Hub funding made available via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In this blog post, we highlight the projects in California that were successful in receiving federal funding. We explore the state’s remaining challenge in attracting the remaining full-scale funding grants available.
Recommendations to solve California's biomass challenge
With its world-leading policies on electrification and clean power, California has made important progress towards achieving its climate goals. However, not all emissions are from the energy and industrial sectors. Land-based emissions, including from burning or decaying biomass, must also be addressed to achieve a carbon neutrality goal. In this blog post, we identify potential priority approaches for biomass utilization, including for durable wood products, advanced biofuels and biomass electricity, that can help California meet its climate goals.
The challenges of carbon capture and storage in California: Commercial frameworks
California has significant ambitions for carbon capture and storage, with a goal for this technology to make-up 25% of the state’s net-zero portfolio. However, there are currently no operating CCS projects in California. In a previous post, we highlighted how an immature regulatory framework is a key reason for this and identified opportunities to address this barrier. Here we examine a second key barrier, which is the lack of a commercial framework to attract the substantial and diverse CCS investments required to help fully decarbonize California’s economy in only 22-years.
California’s transmission permitting: Slowest in the West?
Blog announcement: Clean Air Task Force’s Nelson Falkenburg and CSG’s Sam Uden explore one of the main drivers behind California’s decade-long lead times to transmission development, which is a key permitting application at the California Public Utilities Commission known as the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. Nelson and Sam compare these requirements to other Western States, highlighting California’s highly challenging permitting regime.