Opinion:
¶ “Why Renewable Electricity Powers Decarbonization – And Pays Off” • For decades, big power utilities piled on with claims that fluctuating solar and wind power could black out the grid. Back in 2005, even the US DOE said renewables were “too rare, too diffuse, too distant, too uncertain, and too ill-timed.” Now we know that isn’t true. [Jefferson Public Radio]
Wind turbines (©Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Thinking Inside The Blade: NREL’s 3D-Printed Water Power Prototypes” • There may be benefits from applying 3-D printing techniques to create complex blade mold sections that can be bonded. The process shows some promise for overcoming transportation barriers by allowing on-site manufacture of large wind turbine blades. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Blue Nature Alliance Aims To Restore 7 Million Square Miles Of Ocean In Five Years” • The ocean covers more than 70% of our planet, a total of 139 million square miles. The newly formed Blue Nature Alliance aims to protect 5% of it in the next five years. A 5% area might sound small, but the area is larger than the entire continent of South America. [CNN]
Navatu Reef, Fiji (Ron Vave, Conservation International).
¶ “Dalai Lama And One Hundred Other Nobel Prize Laureates Call For Fossil Fuels To Be Phased Out” • As the most powerful leaders of the world prepare to come together for the President Joe Biden’s virtual climate summit, the Dalai Lama and one hundred other Nobel Prize winners have a clear message for them: Keep fossil fuels in the ground. [CNN]
¶ “UK Commits To 78% Emissions Cut By 2035” • The UK Government is planning to set the world’s most ambitious climate change target into law to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels, it announced. The Carbon Budget will even incorporate the UK’s share of international aviation and shipping emissions. [reNEWS]
Person with intentionally messy hair (UK government image)
¶ “Stanwell Flags Coal Exit As It Pivots To Renewables And Storage” • Queensland state-owned energy giant Stanwell Corporation says the company’s future must be in renewables and storage rather than coal, in a delicately-worded statement that rang an early death knell for the company’s two coal-fired power plants. [Renew Economy]
¶ “Wind Farms To Generate Power And Jobs For The Southern Downs” • Two windfarms and up to 400 jobs in the Southern Downs of Queensland are closer to reality with State Assessment and Referral Agency approval. Acciona’s MacIntyre Wind Farm, with up to 1026 MW capacity, was approved. Also approved was the 103-MW Karara Wind Farm. [Media Statements]
Ravenshoe Wind Farm (www.gondwananet.com, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Indonesia Banking On Solar Power To Boost Renewable Energy Generation” • Indonesia is planning to increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix. To accomplish this it will employ several strategies, including halting imports of fossil fuels and liquified petroleum gas by 2030. In particular, it will expedite solar power projects. [ANTARA News]
¶ “Dumping Reactor Water ‘Extremely Irresponsible'” • Chinese experts have condemned Japan’s unilateral decision to discharge contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean, calling it “extremely irresponsible.” Dumping the contaminated water from the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster is not Japan’s only option, one said. [China Daily]
Water tanks at Fukushima, 2012 (Gill Tudor, IAEA, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
US:
¶ “Coal Miners Join Climate Activists To Back Biden’s $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan” • Coal country is in free fall and is pleading for help from Washington. That’s why the largest union in one of the dirtiest industries is broadly backing President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion green infrastructure package – adding their efforts to the support from climate activists. [CNN]
¶ “Remote Communities Partner With DOE Experts And National Labs To Adopt Clean Energy Solutions That Reduce Energy Costs And Power Disruptions” • The US DOE announced it will provide federal assistance to eleven US remote and island communities to help with their clean energy options and economic outlook. [CleanTechnica]
Not remote enough to need help (Chris Boese, Unsplash)
¶ “Pegatron Will Build A Tesla Parts Plant In Texas” • Pegatron, a company based out of Taiwan, will build a plant in El Paso, Texas, to provide components for Tesla, Reuters reports. Company officials said that the details of the plant investments are still in planning stages. Pegatron is a key supplier for Apple, but it sees EVs as a major growth area. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Hershey Signs Two US Solar PPAs” • The Hershey Company has signed two PPAs to develop solar projects as it moves its operations toward the use of clean and renewable energy. One PPA is for a 20-MW project in Camden, North Carolina. The other is for a 50-MW project currently under construction in Denton County, Texas. [reNEWS]
Solar array (American Public Power Association image)
¶ “Three Texas Bills Under Fire By Investors” • The Lone Star State leads the nation in wind energy, and renewable energy investment continues to grow. However three Texas bills are under fire by renewable energy investors for the effect they will have on the industry. One state senator said they aim to penalize renewables for no reason. [KVII]
¶ “NYC Mayor Announces Step Forward Toward Purchase Of Large-Scale Renewable Electricity” • New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City intends to partner with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to pursue a joint large-scale purchase of electricity generated by renewable resources. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
Have a categorically superior day.
geoharvey 