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Wildfires and blackouts mean Californians need solar panels and microgrids

David Roberts

October 28, 2019 |

Vox |

Multi-Media |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, California

Localized, distributed energy systems are popping up around California. As the larger electricity system becomes less reliable in the face of wildfires, more individuals are turning to microgrids and solar energy with help from organizations like Clean Coalition and Stone Edge Farm Microgrid. While still happening on a small scale, such energy systems may become more popular as its sustainability in a changing climate shows to be more resilient.

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How solar ‘skin' helped an Indiana homeowner win a fight for rooftop panels

Kari Lydersen

October 15, 2019 |

Energy News Network |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Indianapolis, Indiana

After the homeowners association denied his request to install solar panels on his roof due to their aesthetic, Indianapolis-resident Joey Myles used SolarSkin to disguise the panels to look like asphalt shingles. The company Sistine Solar makes these films that coat solar panels in various images that can be used to blend in with roofs or other forms of artwork. The panels with skins only generate about 85 percent of energy as those without skins, but they can withstand extreme weather.

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Do California Power Shutoffs Work? Hard to Know, Experts Say

Jonathan J. Cooper Jocelyn Gecker

October 14, 2019 |

Associated Press |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

As a proactive effort, California’s Pacific Gas & Electric Co. cut power in the hopes it would prevent wildfires that are often caused by power lines. It took a page from San Diego Gas & Electric who has been doing so for five years, along with increased spending on its weather predicting equipment. While the preventative measures are seemingly impactful, with a lacking comparative alternative, experts question its impact.

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After oil and gas: Meet Alberta workers making the switch to solar

Sharon J. Riley

October 02, 2019 |

The Narwhal |

Multi-Media |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Canada, Alberta

Alberta, Canada is a place that historically has had a close relationship with oil and gas. But as renewable energy surges into the market, these industries become more and more precarious. This article talks to a range of young men—a key demographic in these industries—about why they made the decision to leave oil and gas for solar energy and what helped them make that transition. Many said, among other things, that their motivations lay in wanting to leave a better world for their children to grow up in.

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The all-electric home: Tackling air pollution by cutting off natural gas

Heather May

August 27, 2019 |

The Salt Lake Tribune |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Herriman, Utah

In a collaborative effort between developers, power companies, and the government, a new apartment complex in Utah will be almost entirely powered by solar energy. The complex, developed by Wasatch Premier Communities, will work with Rocky Mountain Power to determine how to integrate such technology into the region’s electricity grid. This kind of development is gaining ground in Utah, and those in the industry hope to educate others of the benefits of going electric.

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Chevron starts its unique project that buries carbon dioxide underground

Akshat Rathi

August 10, 2019 |

Quartz |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Australia, Barrow Island, Western Australia

In the wake of a massive natural gas extraction project by Chevron, the Australian government asked the oil behemoth to bury as much as 4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, which would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. The technology fueling the burying initiative, called carbon capture and storage (CCS), has had success in similar projects around the world in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the oil creation process.

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Buried lines helping prevent outages during Carolina hurricanes

John Sharpe

July 26, 2019 |

Carolina Public Press |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, North Carolina

Coastal cities across South and North Carolina are considering the benefits of underground power lines. With hurricane winds doing major damage to above-ground lines, buried lines often go unharmed, leaving residents with power during such storms. Those in the field note that the cost of rerouting power underground is substantial, and something that residents must cover themselves.

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Bonneville, the Northwest's biggest clean-power supplier, faces promise and perils in changing energy markets

Hal Bernton

July 21, 2019 |

The Seattle Times |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Grand Coulee, Washington

The Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state has a longstanding history of providing generating power and hydropower, but hasn't always been the most reliable operation and faces financial uncertainty. Still, it has a produced "public power at cost for Northwest utilities" and contributed to a boost in the numbers of salmon available for harvest.

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I've seen the future and it's Norwich: the energy-saving, social housing revolution

Oliver Wainwright

July 16, 2019 |

The Guardian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Norwich

A neighborhood of 100 homes in Norwich offers a solution to the affordable housing crisis through no-frills public housing. The homes, part of a social housing project funded by the Norwich City Council, meet modern energy efficiency standards that allow residents to pay nearly 70% less in energy bills than other neighborhoods.

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The Ute Mountain Ute Tribe goes solar

Avery White

July 16, 2019 |

High Country News |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Ute Reservation, Colorado

The Ute Tribe’s reservation is building its first large-scale solar array with the end goal of transitioning to 100 percent renewable energy. The reservation, spanning Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, has partnered with GRID Alternatives Colorado to implement this first installment, which will eliminate over 1,500 tons of greenhouse gas emissions in just the first year.

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