Opinion:
¶ “The Three Big Problems With Hydrogen Hype” • Yesterday, Mike Barnard had a great piece at CleanTechnica on the hydrogen folly. As I was going through it, and building on months (or years) of reading, listening, and thoughts on this topic, I just decided that a few things could and should be put very bluntly in another short article on this topic. [CleanTechnica]
European Parliament (Image by mcruetten on Pixabay)
¶ “GM, Toyota, And FCA Are Beyond Redemption – This Is Too Much!” • GM, Toyota, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles still want to offer less in air pollution reductions than a deal other car makers brokered last year, itself inadequate and shirking commitments made earlier. They have tried too hard to slow progress and to dirty our air. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “US Offshore Wind’s Next Step Forward: A Project, A Plan, And A Pathway” • The federal government released its environmental assessment of what might be the first large US offshore wind project. The Final Environmental Impact Statement examines the proposal’s environmental profile. It will be relevant to other offshore wind projects. [CleanTechnica]
Offshore wind farm (Zoltan Tasi, Unsplash)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Covid-19 Paused Climate Emissions – But They’re Rising Again” • The world’s sudden launch into lockdown a year ago had an interesting effect on carbon emissions – now they’re returning back to normal far quicker than society is. What the time brought us was not a drop in carbon emissions but some entirely new and sometimes unexpected insights. [BBC]
World:
¶ “Despite Protecting Nature, Indigenous People Will Be Left Out Of UN Biodiversity Talks” • Aiming to preserve 30% of the world’s land and water by 2030, dozens of countries will take part in a UN biodiversity conference this year, but Indigenous people won’t have a seat at the table. That is likely to limit the ambition of the final agreement. [CleanTechnica]
Without representation (Liz Martin, Unsplash)
¶ “India’s NTPC To Commission 100-MW Floating Solar Project Soon” • According to media reports, NTPC, India’s largest power generation company, is expected to commission a 100-MW floating solar power project in the state of Telangana. The ₹4.2 billion ($58 million) project will be spread across 450 acres of the Sri Ram Sagar Reservoir. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Total Eren Flexes Muscles At 97-MW Hercules” • French power producer Total Eren commissioned the 97.2-MW Vientos Los Hercules wind farm in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina. The project is Total Eren’s biggest wind farm to enter operation in Latin America. It will produce approximately 400 GWh of electricity each year. [reNEWS]
Hercules wind farm (Total Eren image)
¶ “Solar-Led Renewable Energy System Could Free Up 10% Of Caribbean Nation’s GDP” • For Antigua and Barbuda, IRENA proposed 199 MW of solar capacity in a near-90% clean energy system with 57% solar generation. Diesel would make up just 8%, down from its current 96%, which costs the nation around 10% of its GDP. [pv magazine International]
¶ “Solar Power Lights Up Sudanese Refugee Camp” • In eastern Sudan, renewable energy is being trialed as a power source in UN-run refugee camps, where an influx of thousands of people fleeing conflict in Ethiopia is putting a strain on local resources, and host communities. Their only other option for energy is to cut trees down for fuel. [UN News]
Training session for solar cookers (UNDP Sudan)
¶ “Clean Energy Council publishes Australian Guide To Agrisolar For Large-scale Solar” • As interest grows in agrisolar, using land for both agriculture and solar power, the Clean Energy Council has produced the Australian Guide to Agrisolar for Large-scale Solar to assist integration of agricultural activities into solar farm projects. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
¶ “South Australia Government Welcomes Approval For A$3 Billion Wind-Solar-Storage Project” • Neoen is building the Goyder Renewables Zone project in South Australia, at a cost of A$3 billion ($2.32 billion) . It could include up to 1,200 MW of wind generation, 600 MW of solar PVs and 900 MW of battery energy storage. [Energy Storage News]
300-MW Victoria Big Battery (Neoen image)
¶ “Post IPO, ReNew Power Plans Over 18 GW Of Renewables By 2025” • ReNew Power, an independent power producer based in India, has plans to build a pipeline of approximately 18 to 19 GW of renewable capacity by the end of the financial year 2025, Sumant Sinha, CMD of ReNew Power, said during a conference call with investors. [Mercom India]
US:
¶ “The US CLEAN Future Act – What’s In It?” • The CLEAN Future Act was on March 2, 2021, and it deserves some special attention, as it is the first major piece of climate legislation to be introduced since President Biden assumed office. Here, we give brief outlines of its major features, as well as some important measures that are not in it. [CleanTechnica]
Wind farm (Jason Ng, Unsplash)
¶ “Some Car Companies Want To Throw America Under The Bus – Again!” • General Motors, Toyota, and Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler Automobiles) say they would agree to standards that are tougher than the prior administration wanted but not as tough as the ones agreed to with the California Air Resources Board by the other car makers. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Georgia Power Plans To Add 2,260 MW Of Renewables By 2025” • Georgia Power announced that it is adding 2,260 MW of renewables to its energy mix by 2025. The company noted that solar is expected to make up a majority of its renewable resource growth and that currently it has over 2,500 MW of renewable resources online. [CleanTechnica]
Have a profoundly empowering day.
geoharvey 