Opinion:
¶ “Yes, Industrial Waste Disasters Are More Likely From Climate Change” • The threat of a catastrophic failure in Piney Point, Florida, sending a 20-foot wall of industrial wastewater over homes and businesses illustrates the danger of our reliance on industrial waste ponds. The risk they pose is greater because of climate change. [CleanTechnica]
Five named storms (Image courtesy of NOAA)
¶ “Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Critical In Low-Income Areas And Communities Of Colors” • States and utilities need to take intentional steps to ensure that everyone has access to the coming wave of vehicle electrification, especially households with low and medium incomes and communities of color, a report shows. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Why Investments In Clean, Renewable Energy Will Avoid Blackouts At A Low Cost” • Many people are concerned about whether the grid can stay stable with only clean, renewable energy running through it, especially after recent blackouts in California and Texas. This article, by Mark Z Jacobson, explains why the system will work. [The Hill]
Blackout (Claudio Schwarz, Unsplash)
¶ “Signs of Hope for Scientific Integrity and Public Health” • The Biden administration and Congress have both taken important steps to safeguard scientific integrity and speed up COVID-19 vaccinations. Executive orders directed agencies to regulate based on evidence, while House committees considered the Scientific Integrity Act. [UCS blog]
Science and Technology:
¶ “Forecasters Expect Another Overactive Hurricane Season With 17 Named Storms” • Colorado State University released its 2021 Atlantic hurricane season forecast. It predicts above-average activity this year with 17 named storms, 8 hurricanes and 4 major hurricanes. An average year has 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes. [CNN]
Storm (Torsten Dederichs, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “Ampersand Secures Sub-Saharan Africa’s Largest-Ever Private Investment In Electric Mobility” • Ampersand Rwanda Ltd, is Africa’s first electric motorcycle company. It has secured a $3.5 million investment from the Ecosystem Integrity Fund. The deal is the largest ever e-mobility investment by a venture capital fund in sub-Saharan Africa. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Zeekr – Geely Launches New Premium EV Brand In China” • Geely has made some wild business moves in recent years. Since buying Volvo from Ford back in 2010, the company has snapped up iconic industry brands like Daimler and Lotus Cars. Geely has now launched an all-new brand in China that’s being positioned as a luxury EV brand. [CleanTechnica]
Lynk & Co Zero EV (Image from Geely, via Paul Tan)
¶ “Four Wind Farms, A Solar Farm And Battery Storage Complex Proposed For Rockhampton Region” • In Queensland, the town of Rockhampton has emerged as a national leader for renewable energy development. The region has been named as the possible home to four wind farms, a solar farm, and a battery storage complex. [Queensland Country Life]
¶ “Germany Plugin Electric Share Hits 22.5% In March – 2.4× Year-On-Year Share Growth” • Germany, Europe’s largest auto market, saw plugin electric vehicles reach 22.5% share in March 2021, a growth of over 2.4× from March 2020. Overall auto sales, at 292,349, recovered year on year, but were still down about 15% from their March 2019 result. [CleanTechnica]
Volkswagen e-Up! (Volkswagen image)
¶ “Renewable Power Generation Rises 181%” • In Vietnam, Solar and wind power generation in the first quarter rose 181% year-on-year to 7.79 billion kWh. Combined, they accounted for 13% of total power generation, behind coal-fired power at nearly 50% and hydropower at 23%, according to a report by national utility Vietnam Electricity. [VnExpress International]
¶ “SSE Achieves First Power At Gordonbush Extension” • A few weeks after the delivery of the 38-MW Gordonbush Extension’s eleven Siemens Gamesa turbines, SSE Renewables has achieved first power. The first four turbines at the facility are operating, and all the rest are scheduled to be operational in mid-2021. The wind farm is in the Scottish Highlands. [reNEWS]
Wind farm in Scotland (SSE Renewables image)
¶ “OVO Energy And Ørsted Sign Barrow Offtake” • OVO Energy has entered into a power purchase agreement with Ørsted to buy green power from the 90-MW Barrow offshore wind farm. OVO Energy will purchase 100% of the power from the wind farm, which helps to increase the share of renewable electricity it supplies to almost 40%. [reNEWS]
US:
¶ “Wells Fargo Joins Duke Energy’s GSA Program With Solar Buy” • Wells Fargo has become the latest large energy customer to enter into a renewable power agreement under Duke Energy’s Green Source Advantage program. The bank is set to buy more than 58 MW of solar capacity from the Blackburn Solar project in North Carolina. [pv magazine USA]
Wells Fargo bank sign (Tony Webster, Wikimedia Commons)
¶ “All Hail The Mighty Heat Pump, Hero Of The American Jobs Plan” • When The American Jobs Plan talks about upgrading buildings, it doesn’t mean replacing dirty old oil heaters with new gas heaters, or old gas appliances with efficient gas upgrades. What it means is ditching fossils entirely. That’s where heat pumps come in. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “BlackRock Raises $4.8 Billion To Invest In Renewable Power” • BlackRock Inc has raised $4.8 billion for a new fund to invest in renewable power assets around the world – almost double its initial target. With 100 institutional investors, it’s the latest sign of increasing interest from investors to buy into the surging green power sector. [Yahoo Finance]
Have a consequentially fortunate day.
geoharvey 
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