The largest coal factory in the West will blow up on Friday

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

• The coal mines at the Navajo generating station in Arizona have been overturned – VIDEO.
• The Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance launches principles to accelerate the electrification of the US commercial fleet.
• UnderstandSolar is a free service that connects you to the top solar installers in your region for custom solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to buy the best prices. Click here to learn more and get your bids – * ad.

Coal chimneys overturn

Update 12/18: The chimneys of the Navajo Generating Station were demolished this morning. Here is a video that captures the moment they fell:

December 16: The 2,400 MW Navajo Generation Station (NGS) in northeast Arizona – the largest coal plant west of the Mississippi River – was closed more than a year ago, in November 2019, as Electrek reported.

And this Friday, December 18, the 775-meter-high chimneys from NGS will be demolished with explosives as part of the decommissioning process around 8:30 p.m.

The demolition of the smoke is a symbol of how the energy landscape has changed dramatically in a few years. A few months before announcing in February 2017 that they would close NGS by the end of 2019, its utility owners were in federal court pleading for the right to run the plant in the 2040s.

In just three years, Arizona’s two largest utility companies – Arizona Public Service (APS) and Tucson Electric Power – have committed to giving up all their coal assets and working toward 100% carbon-free electricity. Moreover, the Arizona Corporation Commission, which regulates utilities, is also committed to reaching zero net by 2050.

However, much remains to be done to ensure a fair and equitable transition for the Navajo and Hops. While PHC proposed $ 144 million in November to support affected tribes and surrounding communities in the transition from coal to green energy, other utilities have not yet stepped up to provide aid in the form of funding.

Navajo and Hopi community leaders recently issued an assessment bulletin assessing the state of transition:

• Cessation of harmful coal mining and burning of coal: B-
• Ensuring corporate responsibility with the help of transition financing from utilities: C
• Land and water recovery and restoration approach: F
• Development of clean energy projects that are in harmony with sacred tribal values: C +
• Ensuring the priority of community voices and community benefits: D

You can access the details of the newsletter here.

The impulse to electrify the American merchant fleet

A group of 21 major global companies based in the US, including Amazon, AT&T, Best Buy, DHL, IKEA, Siemens, National Grid and Uber, have merged and become the Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance (CEVA). ).

The group is led by the non-profit organization Ceres. CEVA was formed in January 2020 to accelerate the business transition to electric vehicles in all vehicle segments, from light cars to heavy trucks.

CEVA yesterday launched its first set of principles for electrifying the cross-sectoral fleet that provides guidance on what car and truck manufacturers need to do, regulators, policy makers and utilities to advance the commercial electric vehicle market.

The timing of this decarbonisation of the US transportation sector is no coincidence with the election victory and the upcoming inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who promised support for electric vehicles and pledged to accede to the Paris Agreement on presidency (cc Pete Buttigieg, whom Biden elected as transport secretary).

Here are the principles of Alliance Electric Vehicle Electric and complete details about each principle can be found here:

1. A greater variety and volume of zero emission vehicle model options
2. Access to cost-effective charging infrastructure and flexible tariffs
3. More transparency regarding the timing and availability of the launch of the new model
4. Initial cost parity with ICE vehicles
5. Integrated access to renewable energy
6. Improving coordination and support from electricity companies and regulators
7. Strategically located and widely available loading infrastructure
8. Technological interoperability and simplified loading standards
9. Employee navigation and decarbonization of regional transport

Badar Khan, president of National Grid, USA, said:

To combat climate change, we need to address the transport sector. This starts with companies like us that electrify our own fleets, thus reducing GHG emissions in our daily business and helping our customers to do the same.

We will move to a 100% electric fleet by 2030 for our light vehicles, while pursuing the replacement of our medium and heavy vehicles with carbon-free alternatives.

Photo: Mark Henle / The Republic via azcentral.com

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