EGEB: Coal will be gone from US power by 2033 – Morgan Stanley

• Renewables will largely replace coal, according to a new Morgan Stanley report.
• Caltrans installs 22 new EV fast chargers at nine locations in California – and they’re free to the public.
• UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.

Coal’s demise in US power

Coal will be replaced largely by renewables, which will supply 39% of US electricity in 2030 and 55% in 2035, according to a Morgan Stanley report released this week. The banking giant predicts that coal is on track to disappear from the US power grid by 2033.

This is because a growing number of states are requiring utilities to eliminate carbon emissions.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, “Coal’s forecast share of electricity generation will rise from 20% in 2020 to 22% in 2021 and 24% in 2022, which is close to its share in 2019.” But that’s not a trend; it’s a blip, as it will be dwarfed by the global push toward clean energy.

Morgan Stanley analysts said in the report [via Bloomberg Green]:

[Gas prices may climb 48% this year, which] drives coal generation and the sector’s carbon footprint to increase in 2021 but we continue to project a constant decline thereafter.

Meanwhile, the US Senate energy committee voted 13-4 yesterday to approve the nomination of former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm to head the Department of Energy. She is expected to be confirmed in the full Senate next week.

Granholm, according to Reuters, “wants to steer the department to help the United States compete with China on electric vehicles and green technologies like advanced batteries and solar and wind power.”

Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) voted against Granholm. Wyoming is the number-one producer of coal. His concern is that Biden’s plan threatens thousands of fossil-fuel jobs. He said:

I can’t support a Biden administration agenda that throws my constituents out of work and kills the economies of the communities in which they live.

Interestingly, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), who will become the committee’s chairman, said of Granholm handling the Great Recession:

She was up to those challenges, she helped save the domestic auto industry, she diversified Michigan’s economy, she brought in new investments and new industry and she created new jobs.

Electrek’s Take: Keep in mind that this isn’t Greenpeace declaring coal’s demise; Morgan Stanley is a global financial institution. I recognize that it is Barrasso’s responsibility, just like Senator Joe Manchin’s (D-WV), to represent their constituents in trying to preserve fossil-fuel jobs. But what many legislators from coal-producing and dependent states such as Wyoming and West Virginia won’t admit – because surely they must know – is that their attempts at preserving fossil fuel jobs are in vain. It’s a losing battle.

Their best bets are to start formulating a plan for new job sources and industries for their residents, and get them off futile, polluting coal. (Manchin’s comment seems to imply that he knows that.) It will be better for their livelihoods and their health. As I write repeatedly, work with Senator Tammy Duckworth, who introduced a bill to support communities hurt by the loss of coal (D-IL). That’s foresight. Maybe Manchin will take her up on that.

Free California EV fast charging

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has installed 22 new EV fast charging stations at nine locations throughout the state. They’re located along several highways throughout Central California to the Los Angeles County border. The best part? They’re free with no time limit.

The Level 3 DC fast chargers have universal connectors and can complete an 80% charge in 30 minutes.

Here’s where they’re located:

• Tejon Pass Rest Area Interstate 5
• Junction Route 58/Route 184 in Bakersfield
• Caltrans Maintenance Station on Route 41 and next to I-5 in Kettleman City
• Caltrans Maintenance Station, 805 S. Lexington St., next to Route 99 in Delano
• C.H. Warlow Rest Area NB/SB Route 99 in Kingsburg
• Philip S. Raine Rest Area at SB Route 99 near Tulare
• Philip S. Raine Rest Area at NB Route 99 near Tulare
• Caltrans District 6 Office, 1283 N. West Ave., next to Route 99 in Fresno
• Caltrans Maintenance Station, 125 W. Almond Ave., next to Route 99 in Madera

District 7 director Tony Tavares, whose district includes Los Angeles and Ventura counties, said:

With four new EV fast chargers at the Tejon Pass Rest Area on Interstate 5, and 18 others staggered approximately 40 miles apart, Caltrans has reduced recharging concerns for plug-in EV drivers on long-distance trips through the Central Valley.

The $4.5 million project is funded by Caltrans and the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District in Fresno.

According to the California Air Resources Board, 70% of California transportation sector greenhouse gas emissions come from light-duty vehicles, including passenger cars, SUVs, and light-duty trucks.