In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):
- Texas is expected to add record utility-scale solar in the next two years.
- West Virginia’s electric car drivers made a film about why they chose to embrace electric.
- The Welsh capital of Cardiff is getting 36 e-buses – the largest order outside of London to date.
- 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.
Texas solar boom
Texas is already the No. 1 state in the the US with the most wind energy capacity. And now it’s catching up to No. 1 California in utility-scale solar capacity.
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports:
Texas will add 10 gigawatts (GW) of utility-scale solar capacity by the end of 2022, compared with 3.2 GW in California. One-third of the utility-scale solar capacity planned to come online in the United States in the next two years (30 GW) will be in Texas.
The installation of 2.5 GW of solar capacity in 2020 marked the beginning of the solar boom in Texas. We expect the state to add another 4.6 GW of solar capacity in 2021 and 5.4 GW in 2022, which will bring total installed solar capacity in Texas to 14.9 GW.
Utility-scale solar projects that start construction in 2021 or 2022 are eligible for a 26% federal tax credit, and that’s driving growth. The tax credit drops to 22% in 2023 and to 10% for projects that start in 2024 or later.
Thirty percent of the solar farms will be built in West Texas’s sunny Permian Basin, which is best known as a major center for oil drilling. It looks as though the Permian Basin could be headed for a new identity.
EV drivers in West Virginia
The West Virginia Electric Auto Association (WVEAA), a chapter of the US Electric Auto Association, premiered a documentary film shot by Jon Averill about the early adopters of electric vehicles in the Mountain State and why they choose to embrace electric. It’s a fun watch to see what folks are driving and why. Have a look:
More electric buses in Cardiff
The Welsh capital Cardiff is getting 36 fully electric buses. It’s believed to be the biggest single order of electric buses placed outside of London to date in the UK.
The 36 Yutong E12 zero-emission buses will be on the roads in the city from the end of 2021, according to Cardiff Bus. The 12-meter E12 is fitted with 422kWh batteries and has a daily operational range of more than 186 miles (300 km) on a single charge. The passenger seating features LED lighting and separate USB charging points. It has a capacity of up to 40 seated and 30 standing passengers, for a total of 70 passengers.
The investment is a collaboration between Cardiff Bus and its shareholder, Cardiff Council, after receiving funding from the Department for Transport’s Ultra-Low Emissions Bus Scheme1.
Bus transport is the main form of public transportation in Cardiff, which currently has a fleet of around 250 buses. Cardiff Bus is the main operator.
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