Sustainability Weekly
Fridays are for…
EPA Air Pollution Rules, Solar Grazing, Clean Energy, and more!
by Alli DiGiacomo
Happy Friday and September! While it is not officially considered Fall, it certainly is starting to feel like it in New York! Reflecting on Earth’s hottest summer on record (for a second year in a row), with July 22 holding the record for Earth’s hottest day on record. And in August, there were 2,045 highest daily maximum temperature records broken. In just the United States…
Keep reading below for more sustainability news!
T H I S W E E K ’ S T O P S T O R I E S
EPA RESTORES INDUSTRIAL AIR POLLUTION RULE
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reinstated a key air pollution rule, known as the "Once In, Always In" policy, which was rolled back during the Trump administration. This rule requires industrial facilities, such as factories and refineries, classified as major sources of toxic air pollutants to permanently maintain strict pollution controls, even if their emissions later drop below major source levels. The rule is designed to curb the emission of hazardous air pollutants like arsenic and benzene, which can cause severe health problems such as cancer. Under Trump, the policy was rescinded in 2018, which allowed about 4,000 operations to increase their emissions. Environmental groups and public health advocates, such as the American Lung Association and Earthjustice, welcomed the EPA’s move, agreeing that it will help protect communities, often poor and minority, that live near polluting facilities.
THE LARGEST SOLAR GRAZING PROJECT IN THE US IS COMING TO TEXAS
JR Howard, owner of Texas Solar Sheep, is preparing to fulfill his largest order yet: supplying 6,000 sheep to graze across eight solar fields in Texas run by Enel North America. This project, the largest of its kind in the U.S., represents a growing trend of agrivoltaics, where agriculture, like sheep grazing, is combined with solar energy production. The sheep keep grass short for less than the cost of traditional mowing, which saves money and reduces fossil fuel emissions from lawn mowers. Sheep grazing on solar farms is also proven to reduce soil erosion, improve soil health through natural fertilization, and to increase biodiversity by supporting native plants and animals. The solar panels provide the sheep with shade, helping them stay cool and reducing water needs. The use of sheep also prevents damage to solar panels caused by debris kicked up by mowers. Enel is incorporating other initiatives such as beekeeping and hay production into its solar sites.
Howard’s business has grown dramatically, from just 400 sheep on one solar site three years ago to deploying over 10,000 today. This project occupies nearly 10,000 acres and produces 2.6 gigawatts of power. It is a reflection of the increasing integration of sustainable practices in solar energy. Agriovoltaics helps balance the shift of transforming farmland into solar farms as the US is rapidly expanding solar to meet clean energy goals.
ALMOST ALL NEW US POWER PLANTS ARE CARBON-FREE
In the first half of 2024, 97% of new U.S. power generation capacity came from carbon-free sources such as solar, battery storage, wind, and nuclear, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). This reflects a significant shift toward clean energy, with 20.2 gigawatts (GW) of new electricity capacity added—up 21% from the same period last year.
Solar power led the charge, accounting for 59% (12 GW) of new installations, driven by projects like the Gemini solar-and-storage facility in Nevada. Texas and Florida were the leading states for solar development. Battery storage made up 21% (4.2 GW), nearly matching the total battery storage built in all of 2022, with most installations in California and Texas. Wind projects contributed 12%, and nuclear power added 5%, with the completion of the 1.1 GW Vogtle 4 reactor. Only 400 megawatts of new fossil gas capacity came online.
MORE IN SUSTAINABILITY NEWS
Carbon Credits and Carbon Offsets: What’s the Difference?
34,565 new clean energy jobs have been created since the Biden-Harris administration’s landmark climate and clean energy investments became law in August 2022. Companies have announced and advanced 646 new clean energy projects and over $372 billion in investments across 47 states and Puerto Rico.
A letter to Architecture from MEP Engineering.
Consulting firm Wood Mackenzie expects nearly 30% of new solar systems installed at homes this year to also be paired with battery storage, as more homeowners invest in back-up power for when extreme weather causes grid outages.
Illinois is eliminating single-use plastic bottles in hotels.
Food banks prevented 1.8 million metric tons of carbon emissions last year. Member organizations in 50 countries globally provided 1.7 billion meals to more than 40 million people in 2023, most of which recovered from farms or wholesale produce markets.
Here’s how much cropland could be freed up if Americans ate half as much meat.
Climate change is messing with city sewers — and the solutions are even messier.