EGEB: Texas used more green energy than coal in 2019, more

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

• Texas’ use of green energy surpassed its use of coal in 2019.
• JetBlue announces that it will offset emissions for all domestic flights from July 2020.
• Everon and Arcadia announce a new partnership to drive clean energy charging.
• Hydraloop has won Best Startup and Best Sustainable Project at CES 2020.

The Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB): A daily technical, financial, and political review/analysis of important green energy news.

Texas green

In 2019, Texas generated more power from green energy than it did from coal, according to data from the Electric Reliability Council of Texas.

Texas — a red state — leads the US in the production of wind energy, and is growing its solar capacity quickly.

The state sourced 21.5% of its energy from green sources (wind, solar, hydro, and biomass) and 20.3% came from coal, which is dropping rapidly across the US. However, as the Dallas Observer rightly points out, 47.3% of its energy still came from the fossil-fuel natural gas.

So this puts in perspective how much work the state — and indeed, the entire country — has left to do to increase its clean energy consumption. However, the move toward green energy in the Lone Star State — and indeed, the US — will continue to accelerate.

JetBlue goes green

JetBlue announced this week that it will offset emissions from jet fuel for all domestic flights from July 2020. The airline also announced that it will use sustainable aviation fuel in mid-2020 on flights from San Francisco International Airport. The fuel is already compatible with existing jet engine technology.

It is the first major US airline to go carbon neutral on domestic flights. (The airline gave no indication of its plan for international flights.)

This is a positive reversal for the airline, who was ranked last by the International Council on Clean Transportation in a white paper from September 2019 titled, “U.S. domestic airline fuel-efficiency ranking 2017-2018.”

In a press release, JetBlue explains:

JetBlue will continue to partner with Carbonfund.org — a leading US based nonprofit carbon reduction and climate solutions organization. JetBlue’s new carbon offsetting partners now also include established experts in the space — EcoAct and South Pole.

This expansion is expected to offset an additional 15-17 billion pounds (7 to 8 million metric tons) of emissions per year — the annual equivalent of removing more than 1.5 million passenger vehicles from the road. JetBlue will offer ways for the airline’s customers and communities to connect with the carbon offsetting projects JetBlue is engaging with.

JetBlue will support carbon offsets projects focused on forestry, landfill gas capture, and solar and wind.

Green energy EV charging

Everon, a global EV charging platform, and Arcadia (previously Arcadia Power), the only nationwide US technology company focused on clean consumer energy, have announced a new partnership.

The two companies will work together to make it easier for all EV drivers in the US to charge sustainably.

Everon allows companies to create their own dynamic charging network in order to serve both businesses and drivers. Arcadia leverages combined purchasing power to negotiate lower energy rates for consumers while connecting them to energy from US wind and solar farms.

Kiran Bhatraju, CEO of Arcadia, said, “Together with Everon we’re building tools to accelerate EV demand by making charging with renewable energy convenient and affordable.”

Hydraloop wins big at CES

Dutch water recycling system Hydraloop has won Best Startup, Best Sustainability Product, and the overall prize “Best of the Best” at CES 2020 in Las Vegas. The company was also chosen by Time magazine as one of the top 25 best products at CES 2020.

As Electrek reported earlier this week, the company initially won Best of Innovation in Sustainability, Eco-Design, and Smart Energy at CES 2020. To reiterate:

The product recycles 85% of all domestic water used. It cleans and disinfects shower, bath, and washing machine water it so it can be reused for toilet flushing, washing machines, the garden, or swimming pools.

Arthur Valkieser, CEO of Hydraloop, said:

Our mission is empowering people and organizations to save water and energy. We feel honored that CES has rewarded Hydraloop with so many prizes. This recognition will help us tremendously. We want to tell the the world that people can easily reduce their water consumption, without having to compromise on comfort of living.

Photo: Matthew T Rader/Unsplash