In this week’s Solar News Roundup, Sunrun lands another virtual power plant deal and Connecticut sets its sights on eliminating fossil fuels by 2040.
Sunrun lands virtual power plant deal in Hawaii
Following several other virtual power plant deal announcements, Sunrun just announced plans for another virtual power plant, this time in Hawaii. The solar company has pledged to install 1,000 of its Brighbox battery systems on the island of Oahu by 2024, contributing to a larger demand response program in Hawaiian Electric (HECO) utility territory that’s lead by grid technology provider Open Access Technology International (OATI).
The announcement comes as the retirement of a primary coal-fired generator on Oahu looms in 2022. Customers participating in the program will receive upfront payment ranging from $100 to $150 for pledging their battery’s availability during certain key hours.
Connecticut to eliminate fossil fuels by 2040
Connecticut governor Ned Lamont has signed an executive order that sets the year 2040 as a target date for the state to eliminate all dependence on fossil fuels. In addition, the order expands the responsibilities of the Governor’s Council on Climate Change, otherwise known as the GC3, established under the previous governor Dannel Malloy. The GC3 is tasked with forming strategies to help the state meet climate goals set forth under various laws.
“Climate change is happening faster than we thought, and it’s impacting us in significant ways as a state,” Lamont said in a statement at a climate forum in Hartford recently. “Connecticut will continue to be a national leader on climate action.”
Before the new bill was signed, the GC3 was tasked with reducing greenhouse emissions in the state by 45 percent from a 2001 baseline by 2030.
