Opinion:
¶ “Our Failed-Businessman President Is Working To Tank Another US Industry” • Whether it’s due to pure business ignorance, immense ignorance in general, or poisonous malice, our current president, a consistent business failure over the past several decades, is working feverishly to destroy another major US industry – the auto industry. [CleanTechnica]
Chevy Bolt (Zach Shahan | CleanTechnica)
¶ “What Are The Top Priorities For Utilities In Asia?” • Earlier this month, Malaysia’s Energy Minister gave a glimpse of what is happening in her country. She spoke of the need to digitize the electricity grid, why Malaysia is pushing for the use of solar energy and engaging with ‘prosumers,’ and the need for transparency to boost investment. [GovInsider]
¶ “Climate Change: Did We Just Witness The Beginning Of The End Of Big Oil?” • The energy sector is notorious for booms and busts, but oil and gas stocks’ weighting in the S&P 500 has not been this low since as far back as 1979. Investors have lost faith in oil companies, though it is not yet entirely clear whether that is a permanent change. [CNBC]
Gas station (Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images)
¶ “Can Nuclear Power Help Save Us From Climate Change?” • Nuclear power’s contribution to electricity generation is in a free fall, dropping from about 18% of worldwide electricity capacity in the mid 1990s to 10% today, the International Energy Agency says. The agency expects the downward spiral to continue, hitting 5% by 2040. [Chemical & Engineering News]
Science and Technology:
¶ “Climate Change: Impacts ‘Accelerating’ As Leaders Gather For UN Talks” • The signs and impacts of global heating are speeding up, the latest science on climate change, published ahead of key UN talks in New York, says. The data, compiled by the World Meteorological Organization says the five-year period from 2014 to 2019 is the warmest on record. [BBC]
Boat and ice (Getty Images)
¶ “Countries Must Triple Climate Emission Cut Targets To Limit Global Heating To 2°C” • An assessment backed by the world’s major climate science bodies has found commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions must be at least tripled and increased by up to fivefold if the world is to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris climate agreement. [The Guardian]
¶ “Five-Year Period Ending In 2019 Set To Be Hottest On Record, Sobering UN Report Says” • A stunning UN report, produced by the world’s leading climate science organizations, says the five years from 2015 to 2019 “is now estimated to be 1.1°C (1.98°F) above pre-industrial (1850-1900) times and 0.2°C (0.36°F) warmer than 2011-2015.” [The Weather Channel]
Protest in Sydney (Rick Rycroft | AP)
World:
¶ “More Than 90 Heads Of State Are Descending On New York City. Here’s What To Watch For” • Before the UN General Assembly this year, the UN is to hold a special Climate Action summit. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told country leaders not to come to the podium without “concrete and transformative plans” for the climate. [CNN]
¶ “Pizol Glacier: Swiss Hold Funeral For Ice Lost To Global Warming” • A Swiss glacier lost to global warming has been commemorated at a memorial service in the Alps. Dozens of people took part in Sunday’s “funeral march” to mark the loss of the Pizol glacier. It has shrunk so much that “from a scientific perspective it is no longer a glacier.” [BBC]
“Funeral march” for the Pizol glacier (Getty Images)
¶ “Tailem Bend Solar Farm Gets Operator Approval For Self-Forecasting Technology” • South Australia’s 95-MW Tailem Bend solar farm is the first of its kind to get approval for self-forecast generation by the Australian Energy Market Operator. Tailem Bend is required to switch off at times of negative prices, and it is looking at battery storage. [RenewEconomy]
¶ “Dozen Renewable Energy Projects Approved” • The UK approved electricity supply deals for a dozen major renewable energy projects, including the world’s largest wind farm, the £9 billion Dogger Bank project off the Yorkshire coast. The projects will provide 6 GW of electricity, enough to power over seven million homes. [Construction Enquirer]
Offshore wind farm
¶ “Google Clicks With Neoen For Finnish Power Pact” • French developer Neoen signed a power purchase agreement with internet giant Google for 130 MW of electricity from Finland’s 250-MW Mutkalampi wind farm. The off-take deal will kick in once the project, located in Central and Northern Ostrobothnia, begins operations in 2022. [reNEWS]
US:
¶ “Where Solar Energy Is Booming in the US” • Right now, amid the ebbs and flows of the solar industry, utility-scale solar may be the hottest business in town. According to the Q3 2019 U.S. Solar Market Insight Report from Wood Mackenzie and the Solar Energy Industries Association, the utility-scale pipeline has hit an all-time high of 37.9 GW. [Motley Fool]
Solar array (Getty Images)
¶ “Tredyffrin Targets 100% Renewable Energy” • The Board of Supervisors of Tredyffrin, Pennsylvania, adopted a resolution to commit to 100% clean energy. The vote of 6 to 1 was met with thunderous applause. Tredyffrin joins ten other municipalities in Chester County currently developing plans to transition away from fossil fuels. [Patch.com]
¶ “Tri-State Retires Nucla Station” • Tri-State Generation and Transmission officially retired its Nucla Station after it used up the last of its coal supply last week. Tri-State had announced in July that it would shutter the 100-MW coal-fired plant next year, roughly two years ahead of its previous plan to close the station in 2022. [The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel]
Have a sufficiently splendid day.
geoharvey 