It’s ironic — this week’s Cleantech Chief of the Week is the capital metropolis of this week’s Cleantech Laggard of the Week. Town of Austin, and particularly its public transportation company, made one of the thrilling EV bulletins of the previous 12 months, whereas the state of Texas went on the market and pushed to the end line one of many worst EV insurance policies I’ve seen in ages. As they are saying over there, “Preserve Austin bizarre.” Maybe extra applicable can be “Preserve Austin superior and slap some sense into Texas.”
I’m giving Austin the award for CleanTech Chief of the Week as a result of CapMetro, Austin’s regional public transportation supplier, has come out and introduced an enormous cleantech undertaking that goes above and past what I’ve seen earlier than. Moreover, it’s a undertaking that would encourage different massive tasks alongside the identical traces.
To start with, again in 2021, CapMetro introduced it was shopping for 200 electrical buses from Proterra and New Flyer. The information this previous week is that these electrical buses might be charged from solar energy produced by an enormous photo voltaic cover. Partnering with BP Pulse and HOLT Renewables, CapMetro is plopping down $34 million for this photo voltaic cover. It’s good, and we solely want to see extra such tasks.
The undertaking will embody 7,000 photo voltaic panels spanning 12 acres. Learn extra about it right here.
Now, although, onto the laggard of the week. …
You most likely know what that’s about. This can be a easy one. The Texas legislature has determined that electrical car house owners ought to pay $200 a 12 months as an additional tax or price for not utilizing gasoline. With the legislature led by Republicans and the invoice shifting on to Republican Governor Greg Abbott, don’t anticipate any course correction right here. A lot for the concept Tesla shifting its HQ to Texas and constructing a ginormous manufacturing unit there would positively affect Texas state politicians on the matter of EVs.
Condolences to our Texas readers. If it makes you are feeling any higher, you possibly can learn my longer rant about this information right here.
Photographs: Texas flag by Janet Reddick from Pixabay and by Kim Broomhall from Pixabay
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Photo voltaic PV & Farming — Tendencies In Agrivoltaics
I do not like paywalls. You do not like paywalls. Who likes paywalls? Right here at CleanTechnica, we carried out a restricted paywall for some time, but it surely at all times felt mistaken — and it was at all times powerful to resolve what we must always put behind there. In idea, your most unique and finest content material goes behind a paywall. However then fewer individuals learn it! We simply don’t love paywalls, and so we have determined to ditch ours.
Sadly, the media enterprise continues to be a tricky, cut-throat enterprise with tiny margins. It is a endless Olympic problem to remain above water and even maybe — gasp — develop. So …
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