In Memphis, Neighborhood Motion Helps Photo voltaic Plus Storage Triumph Over New Thermal Technology

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The opposite day, we did a narrative about how Uruguay transitioned to renewable power in a few decade. The architect of that success mentioned overlook concerning the environmental advantages, wind, photo voltaic, and battery storage right now are merely the most cost effective choice accessible in relation to including new provides of electrical energy to the grid. Memphis Gentle Gasoline & Water didn’t get the memo, apparently. A part of the bigger Tennessee Valley Authority, it proposed to exchange the now shuttered Allen coal fired producing station with 200 MW of latest methane gasoline fired technology. That was earlier than the neighborhood got here collectively and pushed again arduous towards the proposal.

Based on the Southern Environmental Regulation Heart, Memphis is already dealing with the consequences of a quickly heating planet — elevated flooding, longer droughts, file breaking warmth, and excessive winter storms. Memphis households have misplaced energy and water a number of occasions lately because of the altering climate and to storms made worse by world heating. A brand new examine by the Environmental Protection Fund and Texas A&M College exhibits that South Memphis is among the many most local weather susceptible communities within the nation.

In response to the TVA proposal, the Southern Environmental Regulation Heart, Sierra Membership, and Memphis Neighborhood In opposition to Air pollution issued the next statements:

“Communities in Memphis already face a few of the highest power burdens within the nation. Now, along with its current price hike, TVA is proposing to spend thousands and thousands of {dollars} on a brand new gasoline plant that may result in extra added gasoline prices and even greater energy payments for purchasers,” KeShaun Pearson, President of Memphis Neighborhood In opposition to Air pollution mentioned. “Sufficient is sufficient. Memphis households shouldn’t be compelled to foot the invoice for TVA’s fossil gasoline spending spree. The utility ought to as a substitute spend money on cheaper power choices, like solar energy and power effectivity applications that meet our power wants whereas reducing month-to-month payments.”

“The Tennessee Valley Authority is as soon as once more plowing forward with plans to construct costly, unreliable, and outdated fossil gasoline infrastructure, this time in Memphis. Households throughout the Tennessee Valley already felt the impacts of the federal utility’s obsession with fossil fuels when TVA’s coal and gasoline crops failed throughout final 12 months’s winter storm, inflicting rolling blackouts all through the area,” SELC Senior Legal professional Amanda Garcia mentioned. “As an alternative of placing all its eggs within the fossil gasoline basket, TVA ought to spend money on extra various sources of power — together with renewables and power effectivity — which may decrease energy payments whereas making a extra dependable grid.”

“Sierra Membership simply launched a examine yesterday that exhibits TVA has the most important deliberate gasoline buildout of some other utility within the nation and is failing within the clear power transition. Memphis mustn’t need to endure much more air pollution and better electrical payments due to TVA’s refusal to significantly incorporate power effectivity and renewable power in its planning – planning that’s largely hidden from public view,” Amy Kelly, Discipline Organizing Strategist for the Sierra Membership, mentioned.

Memphis Photo voltaic And Storage Plan

The entire notion of constructing new methane gasoline fired producing crops is tough to know, provided that the TVA is a federal instrumentality and the Biden administration is pushing arduous for renewable power applications that may dramatically scale back US emissions from the ability technology sector by the top of this decade. It additionally is not sensible when one of many largest utilities in America, Xcel Power, is spearheading the brand new Good Electrical Energy Alliance, a certain signal that a few of the greatest hitters in power technology have gotten the memo about renewable power and are ready to behave aggressively to implement it.

SELC introduced on December 21, 2023 that Memphis Gasoline Gentle and Water has now scrapped its proposal to construct new methane fired producing crops. As an alternative, it says it’ll spend money on solar energy and battery storage. At a time when utilities throughout the South, together with the Tennessee Valley Authority, are planning to spend billions on fossil gasoline crops and pipelines, MLGW’s pivot to scrub power supplies a roadmap to the clear power transition.

“We hope this may encourage different utilities to ditch their soiled gasoline crops and do what’s simply, truthful, and equitable for our individuals, the environment, and future generations.” mentioned Keshaun Pearson, the president of Memphis Neighborhood In opposition to Air pollution. “We’re inspired by MLGW’s choice to pursue a path towards clear power. We acknowledge this constructive first step in eliminating continued fossil gasoline enlargement,” Pearson added.

“Communities like ours in southwest Memphis have suffered for many years from the detrimental results of air pollution, together with air pollution from TVA’s coal and gasoline crops. This cycle of hurt inflicted by environmental racism can’t proceed. We hope this transfer by MLGW officers will encourage different utilities to ditch their soiled gasoline crops and do what’s simply, truthful, and equitable for our individuals, the environment, and future generations.”

Memphis And Social Justice

The choice to spend money on photo voltaic as a substitute of fossil fuels marks a significant victory for a metropolis on the entrance traces of environmental and local weather injustice. Households in Memphis, particularly in predominantly Black communities in south Memphis, are overburdened with greater than their justifiable share of commercial air pollution. Dozens of extremely polluting amenities encompass the world, creating many years of ongoing air air pollution issues and resulting in elevated charges of bronchial asthma and most cancers in these neighborhoods. Further gasoline crops would have added to those air pollution issues.

SELC says that renewables like photo voltaic additionally present a extra reasonably priced various to new gasoline crops, which depend on unpredictable and costly fossil gasoline prices. That is particularly essential in Memphis, which has one of many highest power burdens within the nation. Power burden measures the share of a household’s earnings that goes towards energy payments, and in Memphis 94,000 households face a ‘extreme’ power burden of greater than 10 %.

“MLGW’s choices to scrap its gasoline plans in favor of renewables ought to serve for instance for utilities throughout the area,” Amanda Garcia mentioned. “Now neighborhood teams and native utility leaders can give attention to discovering methods to extend power effectivity and decrease power burdens on Memphis households as a substitute of preventing over outdated fossil gasoline infrastructure proposals.”

Investing in solar energy and batteries will create a extra dependable grid with out emitting harmful greenhouse gases that worsen the impacts of local weather change, SELC says.

The Takeaway

Right here is proof that neighborhood activism can win the day towards final century considering. The TVA ought to be ashamed that it really proposed constructing new methane gasoline producing crops that may spew thousands and thousands of tons of carbon dioxide into the longer term for as much as 50 years at a time when individuals are waking as much as the truth that fossil fuels trigger the planet to get hotter and warmer.

But it surely’s not a philosophical debate. Renewables value much less. The best wing in America is at all times whining about letting the free market determine however then when the choice goes towards there slim self pursuits, they abandon that place fairly rattling rapidly. What occurred in Memphis can occur in each different metropolis in America, serving to to regulate rising power payments whereas conserving copious portions of crude out of the air we breathe. Looks as if a no brainer to us.