Opinion:
¶ “Canada’s First New Nuclear Reactor In Decades Is A US Design. Will It Prompt A Rethink Of Government Support?” • Ontario Power Generation’s selection of GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy to help build a small modular reactor at its Darlington station set in motion events that could shape Canada’s nuclear industry for decades. [The Globe and Mail]
Darlington Nuclear GS (Felix König and DNGS, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
Science and Technology:
¶ “How Storing Energy Without Batteries Could Be Key To NS Giving Up Fossil Fuels” • In Nova Scotia, as much as 60% of the energy consumption comes from space heating, a figure that rises to 80% when hot water is included. Researchers say storing heat could help bring about the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. [CBC]
¶ “A Neglected Protein-Rich ‘Superfood'” • While the West might be squeamish about insects, people have been eating them for thousands of years, and in many parts of the world the practice is commonplace. Around 2,000 insect species are eaten worldwide. If half our meat were replaced by such things as crickets, it could cut our farmland use by a third. [BBC]
Chapulines (fried grasshoppers) and chili flavored peanuts for
sale in Mexico City (AlejandroLinaresGarcia, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Boston-Made Documentary Zeroes In On The Urgency Of Climate Feedback Loops” • The Boston-based team behind the climate documentary “Earth Emergency” has an urgent message. Feedbacks, or self-perpetuating loops found in nature, exist in many forms, on land, at sea, in ice and the atmosphere. They can speed up climate change. [WBUR]
World:
¶ “Huge Toll Of Extreme Weather Disasters In 2021” • Weather events, linked to a changing climate, brought misery to millions in 2021 a report from the charity Christian Aid says. It lists 10 extreme events that each caused over $1.5 billion of damage. The costliest were the flooding in Europe in July and Hurricane Ida, which hit the US in August. [BBC]
Storm damage (Mick Haupt, Unsplash)
¶ “Wärtsilä To Set Up Netherlands’ Largest Energy Storage System” • Technology group Wärtsilä will supply a 25-MW, 48-MWh energy storage system to GIGA Storage BV to help stabilize the electric grid in the Netherlands. This will be Wärtsilä’s first energy storage project in the Netherlands and the country’s largest system so far. [Saur Energy International]
¶ “Australia Announces $100 Million Funding For Grid-Scale Battery Storage Projects” • The Australian Renewable Energy Agency announced a $100 million competitive funding round for grid-scale batteries with advanced inverters to support the grid. The funding program will provide for energy storage projects 70 MW or larger. [Mercom India]
Grid with storage (Wikichesterdit, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Bharat Petroleum To Scale Up Renewable Energy Portfolio; Collaborates With Solar Energy Corporation Of India Limited” • Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited is aiming at a portfolio of 1 GW of renewable energy by 2025. BPCL is eyeing a renewable energy portfolio of 10 GW by 2040. They signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate. [Headlines of Today]
¶ “Central Bank Of Iraq Backs Renewable Energy Initiative” • The Governor of the Central Bank of Iraq held a dialogue with the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Electricity, and local Iraqi banks on an initiative to reduce shortages of electricity in Iraq, reduce carbon emissions, and have a clean environment in the oil-dependent nation. [Iraqi News]
Erbil, Iraq (Saad Salim, Unsplash)
¶ “Nuclear Experts Allowed To Resume Research On Spent Nuclear Fuel Processing Technology” • South Korean nuclear experts were allowed to resume R&D on technologies for spent nuclear fuel processing. South Korea runs 24 nuclear reactors, and plant operators want solutions both to decommissioning and to piles of spent fuel rods. [AJU Business Daily]
US:
¶ “US Snowstorms: California And Other Western States Battered” • Heavy storms have battered western regions of the US, leaving thousands without power. Almost 30 inches (76 cm) of snow fell in parts of northern California in 24 hours, causing blackouts and road closures, including a 70-mile (112 km) stretch of Interstate 80 into Nevada. [BBC]
Snow trouble (Truckee Meadows Fire Department via Twitter)
¶ “Wind And Solar Provided 14% Of US Electricity Generation In October” • In October 2019, solar and wind power accounted together for 11.3% of US electricity generation. In October 2020, they accounted for 12.4% of US electricity. And just a couple of months ago, in October 2021, they accounted for 14% of US electricity. That is steady growth. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “As Snow And Ice Disappear With Climate Change, Some Michigan Businesses Struggle” • Winter has long brought in big tourism dollars to Michigan. But warmer winters due to climate change are jeopardizing businesses that rely on cold-weather tourism and are threatening the state’s reputation as a Water-Winter Wonderland. [Michigan Advance]
Winter biking at Crystal Mountain (Crystal Mountain photo)
¶ “New York City To Invest $420 Million In Electric Vehicles And Infrastructure” • Mayor Bill de Blasio and the NYC Department of Citywide Administrative Services announced a plan to address climate change and make the city green. They would reduce the city government’s climate emissions by nearly 70% by 2030, from 2006 levels. [Off Grid Energy Independence]
¶ “Montana’s Largest Wind Farm Underway Near Miles City” • NextEra Energy Resources says it is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy from wind and solar. Now, it is building a 750-MW project in Montana. For each turbine, it will lease 50 square yards from local farmers, paying a total of $226 million over the next 30 years. [The Billings Gazette]
Have a spectacularly relaxing day.
geoharvey 
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