Opinion:
¶ “From Ignorance To Greed To Ideology To Propaganda: The Failures Of Texas’ Grid” • There were a number of failures in Texas last week that were much bigger issues than renewable energy. The grid failures were predictable and avoidable. The state, utilities, and most municipalities all failed the citizens and businesses of Texas. [CleanTechnica]
Paris, Texas (Courtesy of the National Weather Service)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Green Hydrogen, Waste Hydrogen Both In Play For Rapid Decarbonization” • Now that all the big carmakers are on board with electrification, what are they going to do about all that carbon entwined with their supply chains, especially for steel? The answer appears to be hydrogen, both green, from renewable resources, and waste. [CleanTechnica]
“Heat Pumps And Efficiency – Some Key Solutions To Texas’ Electricity Woes” • Texas’ woes were caused as much by increased demand as by failures of the grid. In poorly weatherized homes, 35% used gas furnaces and 60% used lower efficiency electric heating. High efficiency heat pumps provide part of the answer for heat and cooling. [CleanTechnica]
Heat pump operations (Dandelion Energy image)
World:
¶ “22% Of German Vehicle Sales In January Were Plugins!” • The German passenger plugin vehicle market saw registrations double in January year over year to 36,903. While full electrics jumped 118% YOY, plugin hybrids did even better, at 138%. This brilliant performance took place in a steep fall of the overall market, down 31% YOY. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “DHL Teams With Volvo Trucks To Speed Up Transition To Fossil-Free Trucking” • If there is any question that trucking is turning to electric drive systems, DHL Freight and Volvo Trucks are showing the answer. They have partnered to speed up the introduction of heavy duty electric trucks to be used for regional transport throughout Sweden. [CleanTechnica]
Charging a truck (Image courtesy of Volvo Trucks)
¶ “Bladt Expands Factory For Supersized Monopiles” • Offshore wind fabricator Bladt Industries invested to expand its factory in Denmark to produce XXL monopiles for next-generation wind turbines. The Danish outfit said it expects to be ready to deliver XXL monopiles from the upgraded production facilities at Lindo Port of Odense in 2022. [reNEWS]
¶ “GIG Inks Wind Offtake With Danone In Poland” • Macquarie’s Green Investment Group has signed an agreement with Danone companies in Poland to supply it with renewable energy through a 10-year power purchase agreement. GIG is now supporting eighteen corporations with PPAs, representing a total of 3 GW of renewables capacity. [reNEWS]
Wind turbines (Abby Anaday, Unsplash)
¶ “Australia Emerges As APAC Renewable Energy Leaders” • Research from IHS Markit revealed that Australia leads the Asia Pacific region when it comes to renewable energy production with 89% of all power sources under construction being solar, wind, hydro, or other renewables. They are to deliver around 80 GW of cpacity in coming years. [Energy Matters]
¶ “Construction Starting Gun Primed For 176-MW NZ Farm” • Meridian Energy announced it is soon to start construction of a new 176-MW wind farm in New Zealand. The Harapaki Wind Farm will be New Zealand’s second largest with 41 Siemens Gamesa 4.3-MW wind turbines generating enough to power over 70,000 average households. [reNEWS]
Wind farm (Pixabay image)
¶ “Fukushima’s Legacy: Japan’s Hard Turn Toward Renewables” • After the tsunami flooded the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant on 11 March 2011, all of all the country’s 54 nuclear reactors were shut down as a safety precaution. Now, nine are back online. Getting to the country’s carbon emissions goals will mean a big move toward renewable energy. [IEEE Spectrum]
US:
¶ “Oshkosh Defense Wins Contract To Build Next Generation Vehicles For USPS” • USPS announced it has awarded a contract to design and build what it calls its Next Generation Delivery Vehicle to Oshkosh Defense, a subsidiary of Oshkosh Corp. Some of the vehicles will be gas powered, and some will be EVs, but there is no word on the mix. [CleanTechnica]
USPS Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (USPS image)
¶ “EV Charging Station Installations Increasing Fast In USA, From 245 In 2009 To 20,000+ In 2019” • A recent snapshot of EV charging stations from the DOE said their number rose from 245 in 2009 to more than 20,000 in 2019. The DOE also said, “From 2017 to 2019, about 5,000 new charging outlets were installed each year.” [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Coal Projected To Exit US Electricity By 2033. Trump Might Have Killed It” • The biggest problem for coal is economics. It shouldn’t be surprising that Bloomberg and Morgan Stanley project that coal is on its way out, and will be gone from the US market by 2033. And Trump’s help for coal was not enough to counter his help for natural gas. [CleanTechnica]
Sequoia National Forest (Suresh Ramamoorthy, Unsplash)
¶ “Taking The Gloves Off In California Battle Over Oil” • The California oil industry has an 800-pound gorilla reputation of getting pretty much what it wants in Sacramento. But five California legislators are not having it. In no evident mood for pussyfooting around, they have introduced SB 467 to fight dirty and risky oil extraction practices. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Ex-Scana CEO Pleads To Fraud Over Failed Reactor Project” • Former Scana Corp CEO Kevin Marsh pleaded guilty to fraud charges tied to a $10 billion nuclear project the South Carolina gas and electric utility abandoned amid soaring costs and construction delays. Marsh admitted to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. [Bloomberg Law]
Have an extraordinarily frolicsome day.
geoharvey 