Science and Technology:
¶ Scripps operates one of the most capable research fleets in the world, including three research vessels and one floating research platform. They venture worldwide on research projects, powered by diesel fuel. A noble experiment with biofuel marked the start of a new chapter in sustainability for the Scripps fleet. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
Scripps research vessel.
World:
¶ The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, unveiled plans to crack down on the most polluting vehicles. It is said to be the toughest plan ever proposed by any major city in the world. Specifically, Khan has proposed a £10 per day Emissions Surcharge on older vehicles and an extended Ultra-Low Emission Zone. [CleanTechnica]
¶ Work on a concentrated solar plant, the first of its kind in Africa to use of thermal power, is expected to start in the Northern Cape within the next two months. The Redstone Solar Thermal Power Plant will be able to generate 100 MW of electricity, enough to power 200,000 local houses. It will be developed by SolarReserve. [Independent Online]
Rendering of the Redstone Solar Thermal Power Plant. Credit: Supplied
¶ The foreign oil firm TransCanada has filed a lawsuit against the US government under NAFTA rules, seeking $15 billion in compensation for the rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline project. The suit alleges that the US violated NAFTA’s broad rights for foreign investors by thwarting the company’s “expectations.” [CleanTechnica]
¶ The total lifetime cost of the planned Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant could be as high as £37 billion ($48 billion), according to an assessment published by the UK government. The figure was described as shocking by critics of the scheme, especially as the same energy department’s estimate 12 months earlier had been £14 billion. [The Guardian]
Illustration of Hinkley Point C nuclear station. Image: EDF Energy/PA
US:
¶ Rhode Islanders will have more options to “go green” for energy sources, as Governor Gina Raimondo signed several renewable energy measures into law. The measures offer tax incentives for those using solar power and include a “community solar” program so people get can get credit for power from joint projects. [WPRI 12 Eyewitness News]
¶ Recognizing the upsurge in community solar, the Solar Energy Industries Association, along with the Coalition for Community Solar Access, recently released The Residential Consumer Guide to Community Solar. The guide gives concise and necessary information to consumers to make very informed decisions. [CleanTechnica]
Westmill Solar Cooperative, via Wikicommons.
¶ The city of Los Angeles is one step closer to getting rid of coal. On July 1, the LA Department of Water and Power stopped buying electricity from the Navajo Generating Station, a huge coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Nation in Arizona. The sale means the DWP has cut its dependence on coal power by a quarter. [89.3 KPCC]
¶ On hot summer days, Los Angeles residents turn on air conditioners, creating a high demand for power. Five years from now, natural gas may no longer cover those summer peak loads. It is to be replaced by the world’s largest storage battery, capable of delivering over 100 MW for four hours. [Environment & Energy Publishing]
AES Corp’s Laurel Mountain battery complex in West Virginia. AES photo.
¶ Duke Energy Corp expects to start construction this month of a 17-MW solar farm at a Navy base in Indiana. The construction process will include installation of 76,000 solar panels on a land plot of roughly 145 acres (58.68 hectares) southwest of Bloomington. The solar park is expected to be completed by early 2017. [SeeNews Renewables]
¶ UK company Renewable Energy Systems Ltd said it expects to begin construction this month on the 102-MW Lamesa solar power plant in Texas. The plant, to be built Dawson County, will consist of 410,000 PV panels, producing enough electricity for around 26,000 households. It should enter service by mid-2017. [SeeNews Renewables]
Solar PV park. Author: mdreyno. Creative Commons, Attribution 2.0 Generic.
¶ The Highland Wind Farm, a $250 million project that’s been in the works for five years in northwest Wisconsin’s St. Croix County, has won the final piece of regulatory approval, for the second time. The wind farm will consist of 44 turbines, of 2.3 MW each. With optimal conditions, they will produce power for over 35,000 homes. [Madison.com]
¶ A federal plan to offer leases for offshore wind power development near the coastline of Oahu could help Hawaii take a big step toward reaching its goal of getting all its electrical power from renewable energy by 2045. Stationing giant turbines in the ocean north and south of the island will be a huge engineering challenge. [InsideClimate News]
The Walney wind farm, in the Irish Sea. Credit: Wikimedia
¶ Coloradans care about climate change, surveys say, and analysts point out that politicians ignore the issue at their own peril in this critical swing state. The Guardian newspaper produced a report stating voters, especially young ones, are increasingly dismayed that climate change has been “the missing issue of the 2016 campaign.” [RealVail]
¶ SolarFest, a two-day festival will be held on July 15 and 16 at Southern Vermont Arts Center in Manchester, Vermont. Folks from all over the Northeast will gather to witness over 20 musical acts on two stages powered by solar panels and over 50 presenters surrounding the grounds. A two-day pass costs $60. [Brattleboro Reformer]
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