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James Hewett Profile
James Hewett

@JamesHewettDC

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@Breakthrough Power Sector Policy; My Views: Transmission is Beautiful & Bang Screw.

Joined June 2014
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
We need to "build more high-voltage transmission lines that can carry electricity long distances, and use those transmission lines to better connect regions and communities to one another." Check out the latest GatesNotes from @Breakthrough founder:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
22 days
Happy Friday
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
We have crossed the Rubicon…
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
1) Thank you to all the @IBEW lineworkers putting their lives and families on hold to provide mutual assistance! Seeing the scale and speed that can be deployed is truly inspiring and gives me hope that we can rebuild and expand the grid:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 month
We are losing to China on transmission
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
If only there was a way to fix this..
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
@MichaelEWebber I heard there was a technology created over a century ago to move power from where it was created to where ppl needed it, this true?
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
economy-wide decarb models / actually building transmission
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
11 months
An AI-supported search requires 10X the computing costs of a standard internet search... Data centers use 1-1.5% of global electricity, but MIT estimates they may use up to 21% by 2030. There are currently 5,375 data centers in the US and efficiency gains are stalling:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 months
permitting reform bill one-pager:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
IRA implementation without transmission…
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
"There is no transition without transmission – that’s my new mantra..." - @RobGramlichDC Great article from @brianreports , @naurtorious , and @merrill_dave in @climate about "Billion-Dollar Power Lines Finally Inching Ahead to Help US Grids"
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
8 months
ICYMI: Big congrats to Pattern Energy for closing financing ($11B) and starting construction on SunZia—the largest clean energy project in US History! SunZia Tx is a is a 550-mile ± 525kV HVDC line between NM and AZ & will deliver 3.5GW of SunZia Wind to AZ and CA.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Reposting the 10+ year permitting process for an interregional transmission line below. It's about a lot more than just the environmental review. The grid solutions we need will require rethinking over a century of transmission policy.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
4 months
Order 1920 is a big deal. Of course, we are waiting on the final 1300 pages of the rule to dive deeper, but we learned a lot at today’s meeting. It is definitely the biggest @FERC action since the 1990s. I lay out our quick reaction in a new @Breakthrough Newsroom post:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 month
Grid Strategies put together a great one-pager on how the transmission provisions in the permitting bill would work:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
👀👀👀Michael Skelly and team at Grid United are building across the interconnections seam... The North Plains Connector HVDC line will be the first transmission connection between three regional U.S. electric markets—MISO, WECC and SPP.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
11 months
Ali and I are doing our part to address the human capital shortage in transmission… Meet Fitz Hewett!
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@RobGramlichDC
Rob Gramlich
11 months
Human capital is the cause of the GLOBAL HVDC SHORTAGE. HVDC equipment not available until 2031. The few companies who do it need to hire electrical engineers. College students should study electrical engineering and do way more for #climate than any of their peers. Spread this!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
4 months
This morning, @ENERGY released the preliminary list of potential National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor designations or NIETCs!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
Transfer capacity between the US and Canada: 11,850MW (2020) Transfer capacity between US Eastern and Western Interconnections: 1,300MW (2,100MW w/ERCOT)
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Great @nytimes article from @bradplumer and Nadja Popovich on the role of electrification in achieving net zero by 2050 and whether our grid can handle it.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
Linemen deserve at least the same level of gratitude as other energy workers in the cold. I’m not seeing much love right now. Also, found out today my nephew is going to enter an apprenticeship program after he graduates HS this year & I couldn’t be prouder! @IBEW #ThankALineman
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Thanks, @RobGramlichDC ! Ready for GW-miles of new build & crew neck szn!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
18 days
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@FERC_OPP
Office of Public Participation
19 days
FERC Term of the Week! “Right-of-way": This is the land acquired by mutual agreement with a company to install and operate a natural gas transmission pipeline. Rights-of-way are also referred to as easements. @FERC has jurisdiction over rights-of-way for pipelines. #FERCFluency
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
It's 2023, let's work on cutting the 10-year timeline to plan and permit an interregional transmission line:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
UPDATED: the Transmission Projects Ready to Go report now shows 36 high-voltage projects that could be ready to break ground soon with improvements to federal policy. 187GW of clean energy, 3.3M jobs, only 10% of the Tx we need by 2050… check it out @CleanEnergyGrid .
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Congrats to @TWEProject on receiving their final approval from @Interior ! HVDC Interregional Transmission is happening!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
. @AliMinarcik and I are excited to share that we’re adding another transmission advocate to the coalition:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Released today: A timely, new @CleanEnergyGrid report card that ranks transmission planning & development across the country. Shocker, no region got an A... I'll post the best charts below, but you should check it out yourself:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
5 months
Zuck talking about AI load, transmission, nukes, and permitting…
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
Wake up. Finance Byrd Bath complete. No changes to the clean energy tax package. LFG!!!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
🚨 Cancel your weekend plans... 🚨 DOE (draft) National Transmission Needs Study is out:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 month
Today the Grid Deployment Office @ENERGY is announcing the first round of selections for the Transmission Siting and Economic Development (TSED) Program. The first round of selections covers 20 projects at $370 million across 16 states. 1/4
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 month
Today, @ENERGY ’s Grid Deployment Office announced $2.2B in awards under the Grid Resilience and Innovation Partnership (GRIP) Program created by BIL to support innovative projects that enhance grid resilience and reliability. The big news is the $700M for North Plains Connector!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Transmission is beautiful
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Look at our boys @TimMLatimer and @apoorv_bh89 absolutely crushing it!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
8 months
China has like 40+ >765kV UHV lines in operation or planned going over 20K miles. They are now planning 6 more… The US and Europe are ceding this market/tech when it will be needed globally for net zero… plus these lines are cool as hell. Look at em:
@RobGramlichDC
Rob Gramlich
8 months
State Grid Corp of China might approve 6 new ultra high voltage transmission lines this year and plans to spend $70b/year. And we plan to sit around and watch.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
BIG WIRES has been introduced! Thank you @RepScottPeters and @SenatorHick for your leadership on this issue. And, of course, thanks to @DanielPalken and @Erb_Tom10 for all your efforts pulling it together. This is a very good piece of legislation!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Pipeline vs transmission permitting:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
Yikes. If only there was a way to fix this!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 month
Two GOP Governors supporting interregional transmission!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 month
The largest award will go to Grid United's North Plains Connector, the first major Tx connection between the Eastern and Western Interconnection. This project will serve as a model for future infrastructure investments aimed at building a sustainable and resilient energy future.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
4 months
This is a good reminder that folks might want some nice transmission graphics to boost their social algos next week… here’s a few:
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@JesseJenkins
Jesse D. Jenkins
4 months
GRIDSTRAVAGANZA coming Monday...
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
He’s everyone’s favorite transmission expert and coined bangers like “no transition without transmission” and “the three P’s.” Check out @RobGramlichDC ’s latest podcast interview with @andywstone of @KleinmanEnergy :
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
29 days
FERC cannot overrule this decision. To do so for new lines would require 9 years and up to 3 EIS/NEPA processes at DOE and FERC to use the NIETC/backstop process (GBX has been in development for ~15 years). This is why legislation to fix this is vital. We have to go faster.
@jefftomich
jeffreytomich
29 days
An Illinois appellate court has again reversed the ICC’s approval of Invenergy’s Grain Belt Express transmission line.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
3 months
ICYMI, last week MN passed a bill allowing the co-location of high-voltage transmission infrastructure in all existing state and interstate highway corridors! This is great policy (see chart below) and other states should follow their lead. Congrats to @HighwaysNextgen !
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
I’m getting increasingly worried about load. Personal opinions aside, crypto is set to explode, AI data centers need 3-4x more power than current opps, electrolyzer interconnection requests are massive compared to “announcements,” and…
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
@MichaelEWebber I heard there was a technology created over a century ago to move power from where it was created to where ppl needed it, this true?
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
I see your @JigarShahDC "Deploy" meme and raise you the @RobGramlichDC "Three P's" of transmission:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
4 months
I’m glad all my friends and family in Houston are safe. The images coming out of downed transmission lines all over town are frightening. Four ppl have lost their life… it seems like it could have been much worse based on the pictures.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
26 days
A couple of podcast recs on permitting reform to throw in your queue this week: 1. @JesseJenkins with @JerusalemDemsas on Good on Paper & 2. @brianschatz with @ezraklein on his podcast
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 month
The largest award will go to Grid United's North Plains Connector, the first major Tx connection between the Eastern and Western Interconnection. This project will serve as a model for future infrastructure investments aimed at building a sustainable and resilient energy future.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
12 days
nice little weekend trip.. some of the highlights
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
I think the kicker here is that most O&G projects on federal land get a categorical exemption, but a geothermal energy project can trigger as many as six NEPA reviews and take up to 10 years before the it is fully permitted…
@AlecStapp
Alec Stapp
1 year
Geothermal has enormous potential as a source of clean baseload energy, but: - 90% of geothermal resources are on lands owned by the federal government - projects can trigger up to 6 separate environmental assessments and take 7 to 10 years We need permitting reform ASAP.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
3 months
Yeah Fitz I agree that it should be standard practice to separate the transmission and distribution rates. Happy Father’s Day to all the energy dads out there!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
I've been asked quite a bit recently what 2-3x transmission by 2030 actually looks like. Let's instead say 2035, and the answer is it could look a lot of different ways and each have their tradeoffs, with the actual end product probably being some combination of each.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
This chart shows why extra-high voltage transmission (345kV+) needs to be the focus for permitting reform:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
The @NECEC_ME has prevailed in court! Love to see it. It will supply 1200MW of low-cost, clean firm power for @isonewengland !
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Let me be very clear, all of these dockets can be strengthened and they would be very helpful… However, we need legislation to achieve the full potential laid out in the REPEAT studies.
@robinsonmeyer
Robinson Meyer
1 year
New: Sen. Schumer has asked FERC to begin writing new rules that would make it easier to build new power lines The rules may allow Democrats to skip permitting-reform talks and secure some of their biggest remaining climate goals by agency action
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Two panels, two cities, and two very different audiences, but one day and one topic… transmission. We are making progress folks.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Why do we need permitting reform for clean energy? These are my two favorite slides from a massive new report:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
The devolution of permitting debates:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
6 months
👀
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
6 months
Why isn’t there an advanced market commitment like Frontier for clean firm resources? We know we need it like CDR—yes, some technologies are basically ready, but some are pretty close and most are still a few years away. Seems like it would be helpful, no?
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Check out my full series on why the US needs to upgrade and expand our bulk power system and how we can do it!
@Breakthrough
Breakthrough Energy
1 year
BE just wrapped a four-part series on transmission, covering everything from grid expansion to new transmission technologies. Read the latest from BE’s @JamesHewettDC on how we can advance U.S. transmission policy and check out the entire series:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
6 months
transmission permitting
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Over the last several months, @Breakthrough has been making the case that America must update, expand, innovate, and invest in transmission. To wrap up our series on Tx, here are the latest insights into the policy landscape and what we still must do:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
6 months
Big day for FERC watchers—confirmation hearing and monthly meeting. Also today, @SenatorHick and @RepScottPeters 👑 are introducing the SPEED & Reliability Act to accelerate interregional transmission permitting! Here’s what it does:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Great article by @pattersonscott & @d_harrison on the bipartisan recognition that transmission permitting is a priority. I cannot overstate how much we are underestimating new demand from AI data centers, chips, & H2 on top of EVs and electrification:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
It is incredibly rewarding to see that @ENERGY has announced that the first tranche of funding from the new Transmission Siting and Economic Development (TSED) grant program is now open🧵
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
You've heard Elf on the Shelf. I present Jack on a DAC.
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@AndreasenJack
Jack Andreasen
1 year
🚨DAC HUB WINNERS🚨 Top prizes go out to @Climeworks , @heirloomcarbon and @1PointFiveCCUS Additional prizes out to @sustaera @fervoenergy @CarbonCaptureUS @8riverscapital and more! A historic day!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
7 months
@AlecStapp Maybe we should have a free trade agreement. Europeans love our wallets and whiskey.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
This report is fantastic. Congrats to the @audubonsociety for taking a thorough and balanced look at transmission expansion, the potential impact on birds, and best practices to mitigate those risks:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
As someone who's struggled with stuttering their entire life, I have deep respect for @POTUS getting up an giving a speech to the entire free world... Regardless of your politics, I empathize with that struggle and was lucky to have a mom that was a top notch speech therapist!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
My coworkers are probably tired of hearing me complain about copper. It’s the metal that keeps me awake at night. Unlike the other metals we need for the transition, it’s way harder to 2-3x a 100 year old supply chain. Excited to dig into this episode.
@shaylekann
Shayle Kann
1 year
Copper is THE metal of electrification, and we're going to need a whole lot more of it in the coming years. But declining production, lower ore grades and the near-total inability to permit and construct new mines threatens a major shortage that could derail our climate progress
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Reconductoring, GETs, HVDC converter stations... What are they? And, how do they help decarbonize the grid? I break down promising innovative technology solutions in our third installment of the @Breakthrough Newsroom series on transmission:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
6 months
@AlecStapp Line is needed for 160 utility-scale renewable energy projects.. All this bc one dude doesn’t want the 20 for 35 acre swap Interior said was net positive in its EA. Shameful.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
Easy, last-minute costume idea for #energytwitter :
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
PJM basically isn’t building extra high-voltage (345+kV) transmission. Since implementing Order 1000 in 2014, these projects have fallen off a cliff. While a lot of us knew this, actually seeing the numbers in @ClaireWayner ’s new @RockyMtnInst blog is something:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
11 months
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
Friendly reminder that @Breakthrough Ventures companies have well over 1000 job openings, most in hardtech companies:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
6 months
This is so dope. Lets build moar 5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣s
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Pedro Pascal as a transmission tower
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
Me when people say building transmission is impossible…
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
Leading eNGOs released a set of principals to accelerate transmission infrastructure this morning. More is needed IMO, but this is an important first step getting alignment on transmission policy:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
4 months
Chair @wlpFERC coming into tomorrow’s mtg
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
3 years
Congrats to my super talented (and patient) partner, ⁦ @AliMinarcik ⁩, on being sworn in to ⁦ @ENERGY ⁩’s Water Power Technologies Office! DOE is lucky to have you (and hopefully they can hire more people just like you to help us with implementation of IIJA 😜).
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
Ready for the @Grid_Action fly-in today to talk transmission. Hitting 40 offices. Sorry staffers!
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 month
Lots of folks asking for permitting bill modeling. Its coming. However, David did a great thread on some modeling @evolved_energy did a month ago that is a very good proxy. Go read it. The tl;dr is the preliminary GHG benefit-cost ratios I’m seeing are between 5:1 to 10+:1.
@ddpaolella
David Paolella
1 month
Failure to increase the rate of renewables deployment & grid expansion has big consequences: -could lose ~50% of emissions reductions from IRA thru medium-term -$25B/yr higher energy costs by 2040 -risk leaving up to $300B in IRA tax credits on the table -gas fills the gap
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
Saw this yesterday and thought: 1) Damn 2) Look at the size of this thing! Number of insulators… wild. Likely one of the 40+ and ~20k miles of UHV lines China has operating or planned. 3) The US has zero UHV planned and that’s bad for our economy.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
@KleinmanEnergy Here is the tl;dr:
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 years
Yesterday we find out that all wind turbine blades can be recycled. Today we find out that industrial scale battery recycling is financeable.
@RedwoodMat
Redwood Materials
2 years
Redwood has received a $2B loan from @ENERGY , representing a critical milestone in the US’ commitment to addressing the most important gap in electrification. We will continue to work tirelessly to achieve a sustainable energy future.
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
2 months
enhanced geothermal is getting wild
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@JamesHewettDC
James Hewett
1 year
So proud of Team Transmission!🥲 I didn’t know if they would have the capacity to carry the load, but they never shorted and delivered a magnetic performance!
@CanaryMediaInc
Canary Media
1 year
🏆 High-Voltage Transmission won the 2023 U.S. #energytransition bracket in an electrifying victory over Heat Pumps
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