Opinion:
¶ “Introducing Community Solar+, The Next Generation Of Community Solar” • In a new report, RMI introduces our vision for Community Solar+. The vision foresees community solar projects that are deliberately planned and strategically deployed to embrace added value streams and advance community-wide sustainability and equity goals. [CleanTechnica]
Parking lot solar (Sunpower Corporation image)
¶ “Tesla’s Six Factories Are A New Phase Of Its Future” • Tesla has opened its sixth factory, Giga Texas, which is also its new global headquarters. Tesla has grown enormously since it started out in 2003, and reaching six factories indicates the beginning of a new phase, one of tremendous growth on a scale that I think we have not yet seen from any company. [CleanTechnica]
Science and Technology:
¶ “COP26 Promises Will Hold Warming Under 2°C” • The carbon-cutting promises made at COP26 would see the world warm by just under 2°C by the end of this century, according to an analysis. The study finds that if all the pledges that countries made are implemented “in full and on time,” temperatures would rise by 1.9° to 2°C. [BBC]
Monk seal using a fishing net as a pillow (NASA, Unsplash)
¶ “These Plastic Batteries Could Help Store Renewable Energy On The Grid” • A new type of battery made from electrically conductive polymers could help make energy storage on the grid cheaper and more durable, enabling a greater use of renewable power. The batteries are made by the Boston-based startup company PolyJoule. [MIT Technology Review]
¶ “US Air Force Seeks Sustainable Dandelion Supply Chain To Thwart “Rubber Apocalypse”” • The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is leaving no stone unturned as it seeks a sustainable supply chain. The iconic maker of car tires is zeroing in on the humble dandelion as an alternative to natural rubber from the Hevea tree. Yes, the dandelion. [CleanTechnica]
Dandelions (Viridi Green, Unsplash)
¶ “A New Heat Engine With No Moving Parts Is As Efficient As A Steam Turbine” • Engineers at MIT and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have designed a heat engine with no moving parts. Their new demonstrations show that it converts heat to electricity with over 40% efficiency, a performance better than that of traditional steam turbines. [MIT News]
World:
¶ “Over 300 Killed After Flooding Washed Away Roads And Destroyed Homes In South Africa” • Heavy rains and flooding battered the eastern coast of South Africa, killing at least 306 people, damaging roads and destroying homes. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution project found that climate change made such events more likely. [CNN]
Storm (Сергей Леденёв, Pexels)
¶ “Germany Faces $240 Billion Hit If Russian Gas Is Cut Off” • Germany would plunge into a deep recession if its supply of Russian natural gas was suddenly shut off, the country’s top forecasters warned. The country would lose €220 billion ($238 billion) in economic output over the next two years in the event of such a shock. [CNN]
¶ “World’s Renewable Electricity Capacity Surpassed 3 TW In 2021” • Renewables accounted for 38.3% of global electricity generation capacity at the end of last year, compared to 36.6% in 2020, the International Renewable Energy Agency said in its annual statistical report. Renewables grew by 9.1% overall and reached 3.06 TW. [Balkan Green Energy News]
Solar system (JoergGastmann, Pixabay)
¶ “Renewable Energy Is Providing Reliable Electricity” • The Clean Energy Council says that the update of the 2021 Electricity Statement of Opportunities from the Australian Energy Market Operator shows that timely investment in renewable energy, transmission, and storage will fill the gap left by retiring fossil fuel generators. [Clean Energy Council]
¶ “Renewable Future for Fukushima” • Many fields no longer suitable for farming are now covered with solar PVs due to a multibillion-yen investment in renewable energy. Government and industry financiers are developing 11 solar farms and 10 wind farms on abandoned or contaminated land near the Fukushima nuclear plant. [NASA Earth Observatory]
Farmland in Fukushima (zoo_monkey, Unsplash)
¶ “Renewable Energy Prices Soar 30%” • The price of electricity generated by renewable power sources in North America has gone up almost 30% over the past year due to fast-rising costs of development coupled with more robust demand, according to a report by LevelTen Energy, the operator of the world’s largest power purchase agreement marketplace. [Oil Price]
US:
¶ “Breaking News! With New Plant, Kentucky To Become The Nation’s Top Producer Of Electric Vehicle Batteries” • Kentucky Governor Beshear announced that Envision AESC, a Japanese EV battery company, will invest $2 billion in Bowling Green, to build a 30-GWh gigafactory. The project will supply enough batteries each year to power 300,000 EVs. [CleanTechnica]
Downtown Bowling Green (OPMaster, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Toyota BZ4X US Prices Revealed” • Toyota has announced the starting price for the Toyota bZ4X in the most basic XLT trim with a single front-mounted motor in the US will be $42,000. The Limited all-wheel drive dual motor version starts at $48,780. All versions of the bZ4X will also have a “Delivery, Processing and Handling” fee of $1,215. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Maui County Drew Half Of Its Energy From Renewable Sources In 2021” • Of the three counties Hawaiian Electric services, Hawaii island led the way with 60% renewable energy, followed by Maui County at 50.2% renewable energy and Oahu at 32.8% renewable energy, according to the company’s 2021-22 Sustainability Report. [Maui News]
Have a satisfactorily absurd day.
geoharvey 
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