World:
¶ “Netherlands Reaches 28% BEV Share In November!” • Despite an artificially inflated November 2020 (resulting from CO₂ fleet mandates and fiscal changes), the Dutch plugin EV market managed to stay in positive territory last month, rising 7% year over year. In November, 10,613 plugin registrations were logged, a new year best. [CleanTechnica]
Ford Mustang Mach-E (Eduardo Arcos, Unsplash)
¶ “ANZU: Taking Chargers From Hard-To-Find Novelties To Ubiquitous Infrastructure In Oz” • Startup ANZU, named for a Sumerian mythical creature and a dinosaur, is aiming to put affordable AC chargers everywhere in Australia. ANZU is ready. It’s compliant with national standards and registered as a supplier of electrical equipment. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Tesla China Sold Nearly 53,000 Made-In-China Vehicles In November, Crushing Claims Of Dropping Demand” • For the month of November, Tesla China sold 52,859 made-in-China vehicles, according to the China Passenger Car Association. This includes the export sales of 21,127 vehicles. So much for major media predictions of failure. [CleanTechnica]
Tesla Shanghai gigafactory (courtesy of Tesla)
¶ “Volkswagen Ramps Up Its Electric Car Strategy” • Volkswagen recently made several announcements about how it plans to pick up the pace of its transition to manufacturing electric cars and trucks. On December 8, it reported three strategic partnerships to help it strengthen its battery technology know-how and cost management. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Electrolyzer Ramping From 0 To 50,000 Amperes In Less Than 10 Seconds” • Hydrogen Optimized, based in Toronto, said it had demonstrated that its RuggedCell high-current unipolar electrolysis system could ramp from 0 to 50,000 amperes in less than 10 seconds. This can be used to stabilize electrical grids and optimize renewable grid capacity. [PV Magazine]
Electrolyzer (DLR, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Rio Tinto Begins Construction Of Its Renewable Energy Project In Madagascar” • Rio Tinto reported that it and partner Crossboundary Energy started building a solar and wind project to power the QMM ilmenite mine operations in Fort Dauphin, Madagascar. Rio Tinto’s goal is for operations in Madagascar to be carbon neutral by 2023. [KITCO]
¶ “Siemens Gamesa 14-MW Prototype Delivers First Power” • Siemens Gamesa’s prototype 14-222 DD offshore wind turbine has started producing electricity at the test site at Østerild in Denmark. The turbine has a rotor diameter of 222 meters and features the company’s new B108 blades. Orders for the turbine have already been placed. [reNews]
Prototype 14-MW wind turbine (Siemens Gamesa image)
US:
¶ “These Lawmakers’ Districts Are At Highest Risk Of Flooding. Here’s Where They Stand On The Climate Crisis” • An analysis found 25% of all critical infrastructure – things like hospitals, police stations and power plants – is at risk of being inoperable due to flooding. The risk is greater in some areas. A map shows risk levels and how lawmakers vote. [CNN]
¶ “Tornadoes Causing Chaos Across Several US States” • One person died in an Arkansas nursing home and a roof collapse at an Amazon warehouse in Illinois as tornadoes created havoc in several states. Twenty people were trapped inside the nursing home after it partly collapsed. Workers are also believed to be trapped in the Amazon warehouse. [BBC]
Tornado (Nikolas Noonan, Unsplash)
¶ “Navy Reports Contamination At A Second Water Shaft Servicing Hawaii Base” • The Navy reported dangerous levels of petroleum contamination in a second groundwater source at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, state health officials said, expanding the scope of a tainted water crisis that has already forced hundreds from their homes. [CNN]
¶ “Nebraska Just Voted To Go 100% Clean Electricity” • Nebraska is the 20th state to commit to 100% clean electricity by 2050. The Nebraska Public Power District approved net-zero carbon goal, joining the Omaha Public Power District and the Lincoln Electric System. The NPPD board of directors voted 9–2 to adopt the net-zero commitment. [CleanTechnica]
Omaha (John Matychuk, Unsplash)
¶ “NYC Is Planning To Buy Over $12 Million Worth Of Tesla Model 3s” • New York City will hold a Contract Public Hearing on December 16, 2021, via conference call, to discuss a proposed contract between its Department of Citywide Administrative Service and Tesla. The city wants to purchase $12,360,000 worth of Tesla Model 3 EVs. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Ford Ends F-150 Lightning Reservations, Says It Needs More Batteries” • When Ford announced the Mustang Mach-E, it planned on making maybe 30,000 of them. It was sort of a “Let’s run it up the flagpole to see if anyone salutes” kind of deal. Now, Ford CEO Jim Farley says Ford is completely oversubscribed with its battery EVs. [CleanTechnica]
F-150 Lightning (Image courtesy of Ford Motor Company)
¶ “Transforming The Grid, The Supply Chain And The Economy With Offshore Wind” • Offshore wind is positioned to become an increasingly important source of energy in the US over the next decade. As the offshore wind industry grows in the US, it could mean more jobs, big investments, and the development of local economies. [T&D World]
¶ “Renewable Energy Company Moves Ahead With Massive Solar Farm On Bill Gates-Owned Land” • A renewable energy company aims to develop one of the largest solar farms in the US. It includes land owned by Bill Gates. The 10,000-acre solar farm would be built near Plumwood, Ohio, and would cost at least $1 billion to build. [Yahoo Autos]
Have a decidedly positive day.
geoharvey 