Opinion:
¶ “Why Can’t Renewable Energy Sources Keep UK Energy Prices Down?” • UK power generation from renewable sources has more than doubled since 2014. Nevertheless, dependence on fossil fuels is going to put a serious strain on people’s finances for the foreseeable future. So, why is the UK still at the mercy of gas prices? [BBC Science Focus Magazine]
Power lines (Matthew Henry, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “Storm Eunice Blows Off Rooftops With Highest Wind Speeds On Record In England” • Storm Eunice tore down rooftops and trees, crushed cars, and sent planes skidding on runways as millions of people across the UK hunkered down at home to stay out of hurricane-strength winds. Its winds reached 122 mph, the highest ever recorded in the UK. [CNN]
¶ “The Flood Barriers That Might Save Venice” • The MOSE tidal barrier was built over a period of four decades to protect Venice from rising sea water at high tides. Fourteen months after it was finished, it has been raised 33 times. Naysayers of the past appear to have been proven wrong. Not once has it failed to protect the city when it was raised. [CNN]
MOSE barrier raised (Consorzio Venezia Nuova image)
¶ “OTA Software Upgrades Coming Soon For Volkswagen ID.4” • Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess held an Ask Me Anything session on reddit this week. He got over 1,000 questions from people all around the world and his answers were illuminating. Basically what he said was a testament to the power of over-the-air updates. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Antarctica Will Likely Set An Alarming New Record This Year, New Data Shows” • Preliminary data from the National Snow and Ice Data Center suggests Antarctica will likely set a record this year for the lowest sea ice extent – the area of ocean covered by sea ice. Sea ice around the continent has dropped lower than the previous record minimum set in March 2017. [CNN]
Iceberg (Sergey Pesterev, Unsplash)
¶ “North Ayrshire Council Plans Solar Farm And Wind Turbines” • Plans for wind turbines and a solar farm at a development site in Irvine could help North Ayrshire Council to generate almost three times its future energy needs. The council said the three projects could generate 277% of the authority’s future energy demands, with the excess to be sold. [Irvine Times]
¶ “Canada Will Soon Have Its First Tesla Police Car” • Canada’s first Tesla will be added to fleet of patrol cars by the Bridgewater Police Service in Nova Scotia. Mayor Davit Mitchell shared his excitement on Twitter, noting that the city council agreed to buy a Tesla Model 3. He said data showed the lifetime cost will be less than for a conventional patrol car. [CleanTechnica]
Tesla police car in the UK (Tesla UK image)
¶ “Argentine Think Tank Sounds Alarm Over $8 Billion China Nuclear Power Contract” • Argentina’s General Mosconi energy institute has questioned a decision by the administration of President Alberto Fernández to sign a $8.3 billion turnkey contract for a nuclear power station with China National Nuclear Corporation. [BNamericas]
US:
¶ “Georgia To See 3,000+ Jobs From Build Back Better Act” • NRDC analysis shows that the Build Back Better Act, as it stands, could significantly accelerate clean energy investment, economic activity, and job growth in Georgia. The Senate’s passage of the Build Back Better Act would bring these climate and economic benefits to states across the country. [CleanTechnica]
SK Innovation’s planned Georgia EV battery site (SK Innovation)
¶ “200 Battery-Buffered Ultra-Fast Electric Car Chargers For Florida” • ADS-TEC Energy is a global leader in battery-buffered, ultra-fast charging. Smart City Capital specializes in finding funding solutions for the technologies that will define the future. The two companies are bringing ultra-fast ChargeBox electric car chargers to Florida. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Can The Salton Sea Geothermal Field In California Power Our EV Revolution?” • The Salton Sea geothermal field in California may hold enough lithium to meet all of the US battery needs, with enough left over to export some. But can it be extracted in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way? And how long will the resource last? [CleanTechnica]
Lithium extraction from hot brine (Jenny Nuss, Berkeley Lab)
¶ “Nacero Awards Long-Term Wind Power Agreement To NextEra Energy” • A press release says Nacero Inc awarded a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources a long-term power purchase agreement to supply wind power to Nacero’s planned manufacturing facility in Penwell, Texas, to supply gasoline with a net-zero lifecycle. [Odessa American] (Really?)
¶ “County Announces Renewable Solar Project” • In Wisconsin, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and Alliant Energy announced final plans for construction to begin this spring on a 90-acre solar project in the Town of Cottage Grove. Parisi said the Yahara Solar Project will achieve Dane County’s goal of using all renewable electricity at its facilities. [Verona Press]
Dairy farm in Wisconsin (Corey Coyle, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Texas Led The Country In New Renewable Energy Projects Last Year” • Texas led the US in building new renewable energy projects last year, according to a report released by the American Clean Power Association. This continues a promising trend in a state that is known for relying heavily on fossil fuels that warm the planet. [The Bharat Express News]
¶ “Richland Workers Exposed To Radiation At Nuclear Power Plant, Says Fed Agency” • Some Columbia Generating Station workers received significant exposure to radiation during the spring maintenance and refueling outage, according to the NRC. Exposures could have been higher, but, by chance, the problem was discovered promptly. [Tri-City Herald]
Have a consummately gorgeous day.
geoharvey 
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