Opinion:
¶ “Secretary Pete: Transportation Dept Should Be A Climate Agency” • President Joe Biden’s decision to have Pete Buttigieg lead the Department of Transportation may be among the most consequential of his presidency. Secretary Buttigieg will inherit multiple simultaneous crises. The transition to emissions-free vehicles will be a major job. [CleanTechnica]
NASA electric aircraft design (NASA image)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Forests Absorb Twice As Much Carbon As They Emit Each Year” • Research published in Nature Climate Change found that the world’s forests sequestered about twice as much carbon dioxide as they had emitted in 2001 through 2019. In other words, they provide a “carbon sink” that absorbs about 1.5 times as much CO₂ as the US emits. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Mammoet Team Unveils Turbine Installation System” • Three companies, Mammoet, Sumitomo Mitsui Construction, and FHECOR Ingenieros Consultores are jointly developing an innovative installation system for onshore wind turbines. The self-climbing installation system allows them to reach to greater heights and more reliable winds. [reNEWS]
New installation technology (Mammoet image)
World:
¶ “Shell, Vattenfall, And MHI Plan German Green Hydrogen Giant” • Shell, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Vattenfall and municipal company Warme Hamburg have signed a letter of intent to develop a green hydrogen project in Germany. The partners initially plan a 100-MW electrolyser at the Hamburg-Moorburg power plant site. [reNEWS]
¶ “How Africa’s Largest City Is Staying Afloat” • Lagos is Nigeria’s economic powerhouse, home to more than 24 million. The most populous city in Africa, it is also one of its most vulnerable to sea level rise and floods. Here is a look at how the city is adapting, as it faces threats of the increased rainfall and rising seas that are expected to come with climate change. [BBC]
Lagos at high tide, 2010 (ISeeAfrica, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Morocco Aims For 50% Renewable Energy By 2030” • About 35% of the electricity demand of the Kingdom of Morocco is provided by renewable resources. Nevertheless, the country is aiming to do much better. Morocco wants to be at 50% renewable energy for electricity needs by 2030, and it aims to be 100% powered by renewables by 2050. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Vattenfall Closes In On First Power At Kriegers Flak” • First power is expected from Vattenfall’s 605-MW Kriegers Flak offshore wind farm off Denmark by late this month or in early February, now that the company has secured the final permitting to have the project run. The wind farm will feature a total of 72 Siemens Gamesa 8.4-MW turbines. [reNEWS]
Offshore wind farm (Vattenfall image)
¶ “Tesla Reduces Model 3 Prices In Europe, VW Misses EU Emissions Target” • Tesla posted new prices for the Model 3 in several EU countries and the UK. While the reductions are not uniform in all countries, they average around 8%. Meanwhile Volkswagen EV sales are up nearly four-fold, but it’s not enough to meet VW’s emissions targets. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “BYD Will Sell 1,002 More Electric Buses To Bogotá, Colombia” • We recently reported that a stunning 470 BYD electric buses were headed to Bogotá, Colombia. That was apparently the warmup act. BYD has now been selected to provide the city with 1,002 more electric buses. This comes from winning an open tender the city put out. [CleanTechnica]
BYD electric bus (Transmilenio image)
¶ “Rural Ireland Shows Support For Local Wind” • A new opinion poll, commissioned by the Irish Wind Energy Association, shows that a majority of people in rural Ireland would support a wind farm being built in their area. Around 52% would support a wind farm in their area, while those opposed to wind farms nearby came to only about 15%. [reNEWS]
¶ “China Adds 72 GW Of Wind In 2020” • China added just under 72 GW of wind power capacity in 2020, nearly tripling the amount of capacity added in 2019, according to data from the National Energy Administration. Installed capacity of solar power rose by 48.2 GW, returning that sector to growth after two years of lost momentum. [reNEWS]
Offshore wind farm (MingYang image)
US:
¶ “Fleet Owners: For Big Savings, Plan Now For Electrification” • A new Rocky Mountain Institute report, “Steep Climb Ahead,” recommends that fleet managers develop long-terms plan that include how many vehicles and chargers (and what types of chargers) will be purchased annually as well as where and when vehicles will be charged. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Volta Charging Raises $125 Million” • Almost all EV charging station companies have one thing in common. Either a host company pays for them, or the EV drivers who use them have to pay for them. Volta does things differently. Its charging stations are free to use, while advertisers pay to get their product or story in front of you. [CleanTechnica]
Volta charging station (Volta image)
¶ “Tesla’s 4th Quarter Registrations In California Up Almost 63%” • Tesla’s vehicle registrations in California were up almost 63% during the 4th quarter of 2020 compared with the 4th quarter of 2019, according to an article published by Reuters. It noted that this was mostly due to the success of Tesla’s newest addition to its line, the Model Y. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “LA Seeking Public Input Getting To 100% Renewable Energy By 2030” • The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power needs the community’s help with ideas on how to achieve 100% renewable energy. The department is conducting a study to determine how the city can reach its objective and has asked for feedback. [CBS Los Angeles]
Have a consequentially superb day.
geoharvey 
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