Science and Technology:
¶ “A Year In Review: Advancing Energy Storage And Conversion Research” • Over the past year, researchers at NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) have pioneered innovative, interdisciplinary, and integrated R&D for advancements in electrochemical, molecular, thermal, and mechanical energy storage systems. [CleanTechnica]
Particle thermal energy storage built from retired thermal
plant (Jeffrey Gifford and Patrick Davenport, NREL)
¶ “Let’s Get Down And Dirty – Soil Needs Cleantech” • Soil is the foundation of the most basic of ecosystem functions. As a natural resource, it is indispensable. It provides essential nutrients to forests and crops and helps regulate the Earth’s temperature. The effects of the climate crisis make it clear: Soil needs cleantech and its innovation. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Oceans Were The Warmest On Record In 2021, For The Third Year In A Row” • Last year was the hottest on record for oceans for the third year in a row. An annual study, published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, found the past five years have been the hottest five on record for the oceans. The records go back to the late 1950s. [CNN]
Sea waters (Joseph Barrientos, Unsplash)
¶ “French City Cancels Hydrogen Bus Contract, Opts For Electric Buses” • The public transit agency for the city of Montpellier, on the southern coast of France, has cancelled a contract for 51 new buses powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The city had calculated it would cost 95¢/km for the hydrogen fueled buses versus 15¢/km for battery-powered buses. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Ineos Seals Belgian Offshore Wind Power Deal With Eneco” • London-based chemicals firm Ineos has agreed with Eneco on a long-term deal for renewable offshore wind power. Under the terms of the ten-year deal, which begins in 2022, Ineos will purchase 65.5 MW of power produced at the SeaMade offshore wind park in the Belgian North Sea. [Splash 247]
Offshore wind construction (Pontificalibus, CC 1.0, cropped)
¶ “Ingeteam Commissions The First PV Plant With Batteries In Spain” • The 40-MW Arañuelo III solar plant is now operational and is part of the Campo Arañuelo PV complex developed by Iberdrola. The new plant is the first in Spain to include battery storage. The Arañuelo I, II, and III solar plants have a combined capacity of 143 MW. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
¶ “RE100 Calls For Better Clean Energy Support For Business, As It Approaches 350 Member Mark” • RE100, a coalition of firms committed to move to 100% renewables, called on governments to remove barriers for companies to get clean power, warning that regulatory barriers hamper the business world’s transition to net zero emissions. [Business Green]
Solar panels (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)
¶ “Green EU Label For Nuclear: Federal Office Sees Inadequate Assessment” • Wolfram König, president of Germany’s Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management, commented on the proposal that nuclear power be classed as green. He said that from a technical point of view, the position nuclear power is sustainable is “not tenable.” [Market Research Telecast]
¶ “France’s New-Generation Nuclear Plant Delayed Again” • EDF announced there would be new delays and cost overruns for its troubled Flamanville nuclear plant in northern France, as the Covid-19 pandemic made the work more difficult. Projected costs were increased to €12.7 billion. Originally, the cost was projected to be €3.3 billion. [Digital Journal]
Flamanville NPP in 2010 (schoella, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
US:
¶ “EPA Begins Enforcement On Clean Up Of Toxic Coal-Ash Ponds” • The US EPA announced that it will begin enforcing regulations that require coal-fired power plants to clean up their coal-ash waste – the toxic byproduct of burning coal to generate electricity. There are approximately 500 unlined coal-ash ponds in the US, according to the EPA. [CNN]
¶ “US Saw Its Fourth-Hottest Year On Record In 2021, Fueled By Record-Warm December” • In the US, the year 2021 was marked by extremes, including exceptional heat and devastating severe weather. It had the second-highest number of climate disasters and billion-dollar weather on record. Here’s a recap of the year’s climate and extreme weather events. [CleanTechnica]
Fire in California (Joe Bradshaw, Bureau of Land Management)
¶ “Assessing The US Climate In 2021” • In 2021, there were twenty weather and climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect the US. These events included two floods, one drought, four tropical cyclones, eleven other severe storms, one wildfire, and one winter storm. The annual average for 1980 to 2021 is 7.4 events. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “85% Of US Electric Generating Capacity Retirements In 2022 Will Be Coal” • Operators have scheduled 14.9 GW of generating capacity to retire in the US during 2022, according to the EIA’s latest inventory of electric generators. Most of the scheduled retirements are coal-fired power plants (85%), followed by natural gas (8%) and nuclear (5%). [CleanTechnica]
Expected plant retirements (Energy Information Administration)
¶ “US Contractor To Build 250-MW Illinois Wind” • Invenergy has contracted Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives subsidiary White Construction to build the planned 250-MW Sapphire Sky wind farm in Illinois. Work started on the project during the fourth quarter of 2021, with targeted completion by the fourth quarter of this year. [reNews]
¶ “Iberdrola, CIP JV Completes US offshore Rejig” • Iberdrola has agreed with joint venture partner Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners to take control of over 2 GW US offshore wind capacity. The capacity includes the 1232-MW Commonwealth Wind project in Massachusetts and the 804-MW Park City Wind project in Connecticut. [reNews]
Have a superlatively ideal day.
geoharvey 