This week’s good climate news
With so much still to do to slow warming and avoid the worst impacts of climate change, it’s important to fortify ourselves by celebrating wins along the way.
Rooftop solar surging around the globe
Global rooftop solar capacity increased 49% in 2022, according to a report from SolarPower Europe. This explosion of rooftop solar and large solar arrays is expected to continue in 2023.
It is expected that solar output around the world will be large enough to meet more than half of the EU's energy demands sometime this year.
GM and Ford EVs will soon charge at Tesla stations
To advance widespread electric vehicle adoption and improve charger access, General Motors announced its EVs will be compatible with automaker Tesla’s chargers. Beginning in 2024, Ford and GM EV drivers will be able to buy adapters for Tesla plugs.
Starting in 2025, both corporations plan to sell vehicles compatible with Tesla’s North American chargers.
Big boost to rural energy
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has unveiled two federal programs providing $10.7 billion in grants and loans to rural electric cooperatives. The funds aim to support initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy affordability and accessibility, and promote clean energy alternatives, offering flexibility to co-ops in selecting technologies and financial options.
The funds were earmarked from the Inflation Reduction Act.
Biden veto preserves clean air standards
President Joe Biden vetoed a Republican-led effort to overturn the Environmental Protection Agency’s protective standards for heavy-duty truck emissions. These standards are projected to prevent almost 3,000 deaths and numerous hospitalizations and respiratory illnesses each year by 2045.
This rule is critical to protecting public health.
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