Welcome to Grid Brief! Here’s what we’re looking at today: Where Tim Walz stands on key energy and climate issues, what’s causing California electricity prices to rise, and federal investments in the grid.

Tim Walz’s Record on Energy and Climate

Yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her running mate for the 2024 election. Readers of this newsletter may be interested in Governor Walz’s record on energy and climate issues. Here are three key data points to know:

1. In 2023, Walz signed a bill into law that would require Minnesota to get all of its electricity from wind, solar, and other carbon-free sources by 2040. In 2022, Minnesota’s in-state electricity generation came primarily from renewables (31%), coal (27%), and nuclear power (24%). The state also relies on coal-generated power from neighboring North Dakota.

2. In the past legislative session, the governor signed an energy permitting reform bill into law. One of the key aspects of the bill included creating exemptions from certificate of need requirements by the Public Utility Commission for wind, solar, and transmission projects. The Governor’s office estimates that the bill will reduce permitting timelines for these projects by 9-12 months.

3. Walz is a firm supporter of EVs. The Governor led the charge to implement California’s tailpipe emission standards in Minnesota. Walz also rolled out state rebates of up to $2,500 for EV buyers.

What’s Behind California’s High Energy Prices

In July, the average cost of residential electricity in California was about 34 cents per KWh, the second most in the country behind Hawai’i (45 cents/KWh).

A recent Wall Street Journal article provides a deep dive into what is causing these high prices, namely infrastructure upgrades, the greening of the grid, and inadequate battery storage.

In Borrego Springs, a desert town near San Diego, one resident’s electricity bill hit $1837.40 in June which was more than her $1,200 rent. One grocery store owner paid an average of $8,000 per month over the last year for his shop with a rent of $9,500. The store tried to cut back on air conditioning, but the desert heat forced food to go bad or melt.

Phred Dvorak reports that “The town’s primary utility, San Diego Gas & Electric, has raised electric rates 82% in the past 10 years as it poured money into wildfire prevention and expanding and greening the grid.”

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Conversation Starters

• DOE awards $2.2 billion for grid grants (Roll Call)

  Authorized in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the funding will go to eight projects that reach across 18 states and is expected to add 13 gigawatts of capacity, including 4,800 megawatts of offshore wind.

• Mattress Mack calls for grid enhancement, infrastructure investments (X)

  Houston businessman and famous sports better Jim McIngvale, a.k.a Mattress Mack, has called for grid upgrades following the power outages during Hurricane Beryl this year.

• Biden fights lift of LNG export pause (E&E News)

  The administration is asking the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to clear the way for a pause on LNG exports while DOE considers their climate impacts. In July, a Louisiana District Court reversed the pause.

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