No. 109: Grid Connections

Are you ready to get lean and green? We're digging into energy infrastructure this week: companies are exploring ways to use existing connections to the electrical grid to avoid all the bureaucracy associated with new infrastructure projects, which can take years to resolve.

I've got a great paid media role at a social impact marketing agency in Brooklyn to share with you, and Wirecutter has the details on how you can take advantage of rebates under the Inflation Reduction Act. If you're like me, the savings are significant and worth a look. Let's jump in!

~ Greg

What we're reading

A coal-fired power plant is leveraging existing infrastructure to connect new solar power to the grid without a lengthy permitting process. (CNN)

• I've talked in the past about how clean energy technology is actually proliferating at a good rate, but the delivery infrastructure is lacking. Congress has been working on ways to make that permitting process easier, but it's a key constraint.
• To get around this, Xcel Energy has opted for a different approach: use the existing interconnection system at their Sherco plant in Minnesota to connect a major solar farm to the grid.
  • Researchers at the University of California Berkeley estimate that we could double the capacity of the electrical grid by following this strategy, and we don't necessarily need to use plants that are retiring.
• I'm curious to see if this offers more energy companies a potential transition path; they don't necessarily need to build new facilities, and they can transition more quickly to renewable energy.

Norway has been leading in electric vehicle adoption around the world, and they just crossed a major milestone: there are more electric than gas cars on the road in Norway now. (Electrek)

• This is seriously impressive stuff because we're talking about vehicles on the road, not vehicle sales. Enough time has passed since EVs have been on the market for them to overtake existing internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles on the road.
• You can't really purchase an ICE vehicle in Norway anymore, practically speaking. EVs have 94% market share for new vehicles, and Norway has set a goal of phasing out sales of gas cars by 2025.
  • That sort of thing won't fly in the U.S., at least not for a while. California may be the most aggressive on that front, and they are aiming for 2035.
  • The Biden Administration has taken flack for new rules on tailpipe emissions that are designed to nudge manufacturers to produce more EVs, but those rules remain in place for now.
• Will anyone catch up to Norway in the near future? Only time will tell.

Job of the week

I'm always struck by the density of social impact opportunities in New York, and this week's featured job puts you in the center of the action at HelpGood. They are a marketing and communications agency that works with social impact organizations like nonprofits and foundations. They've even worked on Smokey the Bear – an agency after my own heart.

HelpGood is looking to hire a Paid Media Specialist who will report to the Chief Strategy Officer. The variety here is fantastic – many different clients to work with and myriad marketing channels to work on. If variety is the spice of life, this role brings the flavor. Be sure to give it a look.

Community roundup

• Oregon is rolling back its drug decriminalization laws. If the police stop someone for drug possession, they will have the option of being charged with possession or treatment. (The Guardian)
  • I appreciate that there is some flexibility built into the law since there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addiction. I'm watching to see how this law fares compared to the last one; many states, not just Oregon, have been experimenting with different approaches to drug use with varying success.
• First responders to the World Trade Center on 9/11 have suffered from a series of health problems over the years, and the CDC manages the World Trade Center Health Program to support victims. Families are now advocating that the program should cover dementia; a study released this summer showed that first responders are being diagnosed with dementia at much higher rates if they were exposed to dust and debris from the World Trade Center. (WaPo)
• A group of 14 states has set a goal to reduce chronic absenteeism among students by 50% over a five-year period. Absenteeism spiked during the pandemic and has improved in recent years, but some of the rates are still very high. (Chalkbeat)
  • Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10% or more school days in a year. Multiple states recorded rates above 20% in the past few years. More than one-third of Colorado students were chronically absent in 2021-2022 for example.
• Navient, a student loan servicer contracted by the U.S. government, has reached a $120 million settlement with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and will no longer be allowed to service federal student loans. (Axios)
• Nippon Steel is looking to acquire U.S. Steel in a deal that has caught the attention of both presidential candidates. Environmentalists are concerned that a deal could reduce the chances that U.S. Steel will invest in carbon reduction techniques due to lack of competition. The industry is responsible for 7% of global carbon emissions and 25% of industrial carbon emissions according to Grist.

Hot job opportunities

• Business Development – Bala Consulting – Arlington, VA
• Project Coordinator Intern – Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories – Charlotte, NC
• Sustainable Design Professional – HKS – Dallas, TX
• Product Manager – MapLight – Remote
• Senior Major Gifts Officer, West – News Literacy Project – SF Bay Area
• Data Community Lead – OS Hub – Remote
• Vice President Enterprise Data Strategy and Solution – Fluence Energy – Mountain View, CA or Arlington, VA
• Integration Engineer – Walden Mutual Bank – Concord, NH
• Director of Design – Code for America – Remote
• DevOps Engineer – Blue Tiger – Remote

Resource of the week

When the Inflation Reduction Act shows up in this newsletter, it's usually with regards to industry spending and incentives. You might be surprised to hear that there is a home energy rebate program baked into the IRA, and programs are starting to roll out this year. $4.5 billion dollars is on the line – it'll be first come, first served until 2031 or when the money runs out.

Wirecutter has a guide on what to expect, and my own searches have been a pleasant surprise. I went to the ENERGY STAR website and found out that my local utility company was offering rebates on smart thermostats, for example. They even had a website where I could order one with the rebate already applied – no fussy paperwork to deal with.

If you're in the market for a new appliance, an HVAC upgrade, or perhaps one of the aforementioned thermostats, give this guide a look.

Test your knowledge

Reach back for a minute, and remember we were talking about burying trees as a carbon sequestration technique a few weeks ago. It's called wood vaulting – vault in terms of locking something away, and not vault as in leap over something. The thought is that when companies thin trees as part of standard forest management, the trees they can't sell for lumber could be buried to trap the carbon they would release as they decompose.

You might be familiar with the answer to this week's trivia question – it has been featured here before as a strategy for finding jobs with companies that value environmental impact:

What initiative encourages businesses to donate 1% of annual sales to environmental causes?

Email me your guess, and I'll send one lucky winner a couple of One Work stickers!

I bought a stud finder with auto leveling laser, and now I’m 17% handier around the house than I was last week (don’t question the math). You can find me on LinkedIn and Threads.