Jael Holzman

Washington, D.C., United States

Senior Reporter at Heatmap News

articles: @heatmap_news⚡️ songs: @ekkoastral 🎸

Articles

Ben Carson vs. the Anti-Solar Movement

1 week ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

1. Dukes County, Massachusetts – The Supreme Court for the second time declined to take up a legal challenge to the Vineyard Wind offshore project, indicating that anti-wind activists' efforts to go directly to the high court have run aground. The more worthwhile case to follow now is the Democratic state-led challenge to Trump’s executive order against offshore wind, which was filed earlier this week.
The National Park Service is Fighting a Solar Farm

1 week ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

A national park is fighting a large-scale solar farm over potential impacts to an endangered shrimp – what appears to be the first real instance of a federal entity fighting a solar project under the Trump administration. At issue is Geenex Solar’s 100-megawatt Wood Duck solar project in Barren County, Kentucky, which would be sited in the watershed of Mammoth Cave National Park.
Meet the Avatar Fan Fighting for Offshore Wind

1 week ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

Today’s chat is with George Povall, director of the All Our Energy pro-offshore wind environmental group. Povall – who told me he was inspired to be an environmentalist by the film Avatar – has for more than a decade been a key organizer on the ground in the Long Island area for supporting offshore wind development.
Trump Just Permitted a Solar Farm

2 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

The Trump administration appears to be advancing solar projects through the permitting process now. After a temporary halt to permitting for solar projects, the Bureau of Land Management told me a few weeks ago that it had lifted the pause, but I had told you I would wait for confirmation to see whether projects could actually move through government permitting.
Solar Notches Some Local Wins While Battery Storage Hears Boos

2 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

1. Hampden County, Massachusetts – Disgruntled residents in the small city of Westfield have won their fight against a Jupiter Power battery storage project. City leadership announced that after the battery storage proposal was “unanimously panned,” the company decided to withdraw from developing the project. Apparently, legacy PFAS contamination at the potential construction site was a reason for the outcry. 2.
A Powerful New Transmission Coalition Arises in the Northeast

2 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

This week’s conversation is about transmission. It may have been lost in the shuffle but earlier this week, the state of Massachusetts led a coalition of Northeast states in releasing a joint strategic action plan on transmission planning. We haven’t covered transmission fights too much yet in The Fight (that’ll change soon, stay tuned). So I wanted to learn more about how and why this plan came together, especially given how crucial wires will be to connecting renewables to the grid there.
You, Too, Can Protect Solar Panels Against Hail

2 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

This week’s Q&A is about hail. Last week, we explained how and why hail storm damage in Texas may have helped galvanize opposition to renewable energy there. So I decided to reach out to Brian Grenko, CEO of renewables engineering advisory firm VDE Americas, to talk about how developers can make sure their projects are not only resistant to hail but also prevent that sort of pushback. The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity. Hiya Brian. So why’d you get into the hail issue?
The Pro-Renewables Crowd Gets Riled Up

2 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

1. Long Island, New York – We saw the face of the resistance to the war on renewable energy in the Big Apple this week, as protestors rallied in support of offshore wind for a change. Activists came together on Earth Day to protest the Trump administration’s decision to issue a stop work order on Equinor’s Empire Wind project.
How a Carbon Pipeline Is Turning Iowa Against Wind

2 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

Local renewables restrictions are on the rise in the Hawkeye State – and it might have something to do with carbon pipelines. Iowa’s known as a renewables growth area, producing more wind energy than any other state and offering ample acreage for utility-scale solar development. This has happened despite the fact that Iowa, like Ohio, is home to many large agricultural facilities – a trait that has often fomented conflict over specific projects.
All Eyes Are On Texas as Anti-Renewables Bills Advance

4 weeks ago | heatmap.news | Jael Holzman

I couldn’t have a single conversation with a developer this week without talking about Texas. In case you’re unaware, the Texas Senate two days ago passed legislation — SB 819 — that would require all solar and wind projects over 10 megawatts to receive a certification from the state Public Utilities Commission — a process fossil fuel generation doesn’t have to go through.