Opinion:
¶ “Wall Street Journal Editorial Board’s Anti-Wind Diatribe Is A Swing And A Miss” • The WSJ Editorial Board published an op-ed piece based on experience and numbers from two improperly installed wind turbines. After a review of the two wind turbines’ problems, they concluded, “This green new deal was a bad deal all around.” [CleanTechnica]
Wind farm in Texas
Science and Technology:
¶ “How Climate Change May Affect Winter ‘Weather Whiplash'” • “Weather whiplash” is a sudden shift from one set of weather conditions to another, for example from bone-chilling cold to unseasonably warm. And now, experts are questioning whether the changing climate may affect some kinds of winter whiplash events. [Scientific American]
World:
¶ “Maldives Or Mauritius? No Dilemma For Solar” • In Mauritius, a 16-MW grid-tied solar power plant aimed at reducing coal and oil consumption was commissioned, while in the Maldives the Scaling Up Renewable Energy Program is supporting efforts to commit to clean and inexpensive energies through a 5-MW solar tender. [pv magazine International]
Maldives (PK Niyogi, Wikimedia Commons)
¶ “UK Wind Power Hits Record High” • UK wind energy generation hit a new high of over 15 GW on Friday 8 February, according to RenewableUK citing National Grid data. Some 15.32 GW was generated by wind power between 12:15 pm and 1:45 pm, providing 36% of Britain’s electricity demand. The previous record was 15.04 GW. [reNEWS]
¶ “EnergyAustralia To Turn Charities Into Mini-Power Plants” • Electricity company EnergyAustralia is launching a $15 million program to help charities reduce their power bills by installing free solar panels and battery systems, turning them into mini-power plants. It will link the individual systems to form a virtual power plant. [The Sydney Morning Herald]
Installing a solar system (Glenn Hunt)
¶ “German Energy Grids Say Plans Ready For 100-MW Hydrogen Plant” • German power and gas grid firms Amprion and Open Grid Europe said they would shortly apply to build the country’s first large hydrogen plant that can convert windpower to alternative fuels that are easier to store and transport. It will have a 100-MW capacity. [ETEnergyworld.com]
¶ “New Zealand Identifies 11 GW Solar Potential” • New Zealand already uses renewable energy for almost 90% of its electricity demand, according to live transmission data on Transpower’s website, but PV is not even listed among the clean energy technologies in operation. A report says the potential for solar power is huge. [pv magazine International]
New Zealand (Image: Ketan Kumawat | pexels)
¶ “TEPCO To Deploy Robot For First Contact With Melted Fuel From Fukushima No 1 Nuclear Disaster” • TEPCO will use a robot to make contact with material believed to contain melted fuel from a reactor at Fukushima Daiichi. It is to determine whether the melted fuel stays intact or crumbles, so plans can be made to remove it. [The Japan Times]
¶ “Investors ‘Rising To Renewables'” • A report from Octopus Group surveyed global institutional investors with a collective $6.8 trillion of assets under management. It concluded that institutional investors plan to almost double portfolio allocations to renewable energy with almost $210 billion to flow into the sector over the next five years. [reNEWS]
Wind turbine (Pixabay image)
US:
¶ “Los Angeles Ditches Plan To Invest Billions In Fossil Fuels, Mayor Eric Garcetti Says” • Los Angeles is abandoning a plan to spend billions of dollars rebuilding three natural gas power plants along the coast, Mayor Eric Garcetti said. The city is moving toward a goal of 100% renewable energy and to improve air quality. [Los Angeles Times]
¶ “The Feds Are Spending $48 Million To Move His Village. But He Doesn’t Want To Go.” • Because of rising seas, subsidence, and erosion, 98% of Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana, is gone. The federal government is moving the remaining population, twenty or so families, at a cost of $45 million. It is just the first of such moves. [CNN]
Children of Isle de Jean Charles (Bill Weir | CNN)
¶ “The Latest News From The Tesla Gigafactory 2 In Buffalo Isn’t Good” • Tesla is building Gigafactory 2 in Buffalo, New York, to make solar panels and roof tiles. Now it appears to be a disaster waiting to happen. The state ponied up $750 million to refurbish and equip the factory for Tesla, but former workers say there has not been much progress since. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Putting The Sun In Sunshine State? Florida’s About-Face On Solar Power” • Despite being the Sunshine State, Florida has long lagged when it comes to tapping into the sun’s abundant rays. But now that is changing as utility companies in the state have begun to recognize solar power as a vital component of a diverse energy future. [Christian Science Monitor]
Solar farm in Florida (Alfredo Sosa, CSM staff)
¶ “Look What A Whopping 50,000 Solar Panels Will Do For PATCO Rail Line And Its Commuters” • Solar canopies are to be installed over 10,000 parking spaces at four rail stations in southern New Jersey. They will protect cars from the elements, and they will save the PATCO rail system an estimated $600,000 per year. [Cherry Hill Courier Post]
¶ “Long-Delayed Vogtle Nuclear Plants Want To Delay Reporting How Much Longer They’ll Be Delayed” • Georgia Power started building two Vogtle nuclear reactors in 2009, to be completed in 2016. They were delayed to 2021 and 2022. Now Georgia Power is asking to delay reporting on whether they will be delayed again. [CleanTechnica]
Have an abundantly rewarding day.
geoharvey 