One year old, US climate law is already turbocharging clean energy technology

The renewable energy company EnerWealth Solutions is helping Black farmers in the Carolinas install solar panels among their crops so they can benefit financially from the solar boom with a consistent stream of income.

Washington State’s Climate Commitment Act set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions and created an emissions market to incentivize emission reductions while generating money for climate change mitigation. Carbon emission allowances are auctioned off to businesses, and set percentages of the income are designated for projects like electrifying public transit.

New York City’s new curbside composting program collects food waste from residents in Queens to divert it from landfills. Microorganisms break down the food scraps in a process called anaerobic digestion that creates biogas used to heat 2,500 homes.

Ukrainian scientists invented a generator that uses organic waste from agriculture to produce cheap energy. This method can replace natural gas while disposing of agricultural waste in a way that doesn’t emit carbon dioxide.

A regional cap-and-trade program in the northeast United States has reduced carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and led to overall job gains in the economy. Up to 50 percent of the region’s CO2 reductions are attributable to the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative program and nine of the states participating report training more than 8,000 workers.

Micro-hydro projects in the United States have become much more accessible and more financially viable since Congress passed a law in 2013 making it easier for small hydroelectric projects to get federal approval. Specifically, water treatment plants that can retrofit their systems to generate electricity are an excellent energy opportunity. The plant in Grand Lake now produces more electricity than it consumes.

Since 2022, Denver has given out almost 15,000 electric bike rebates via an online portal to make them a more accessible transportation option. The applications are so popular they’re gone in seconds, and they can only be redeemed in person at participating local bike shops.

Getting to public transportation can be difficult for commuters. Microtransit is easing that burden and reducing emissions by replacing individual car trips. Partnerships between cities and companies ensure shared, on-demand scooters, bikes, or vehicles are available to help people reach public transportation.

Artificial intelligence tools are helping the solar energy company Solstice better serve community solar subscribers and make projects more inclusive for low-income households. The tools use data to predict when subscribers might be facing problems that will likely lead to them leaving the project, such as delays or billing confusion, and vet subscribers based on whether they are likely to pay their bills instead of using their credit scores.

Local governments in the United States are taking the lead on carbon removal projects to meet net-zero goals, which could help bring down the cost of the technology to make it more widely accessible. A coalition of governments in Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, for example, awarded grants to projects that store carbon dioxide in concrete.