Science and Technology:
¶ “Rechargeable Molten Salt Battery Freezes Energy In Place For Long-Term Storage” • For long-term energy storage, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory showed that freezing and thawing a salt solution can be the basis for a rechargeable battery that can store energy cheaply and efficiently for weeks or months at a time. [Scientific American]
World:
¶ “India’s Poor Bear The Brunt Of Blistering Temperatures” • As a blistering heatwave sweeps through India, the country’s poor are again the most vulnerable. The brutal heatwave has upended lives of millions of people in India who struggle to cope with the highest temperatures in over 100 years in cities that are yet to develop climate action plans. [BBC]
¶ “Ford Increases Tow Rating, Reduces Charging Time For Mustang Mach-E In Europe” • Ford increased the Mustang Mach-E’s towing capacity and lowered its charging time for customers in Europe. Ford says the charging time was reduced with an over-the-air update. Towing capacity has been increased with free hardware updates. [CleanTechnica]
Mustang Mach-E towing a boat (Image courtesy of Ford)
¶ “Germany’s Plugin EV Share Up To 24.3%, Economic Pressures Mounting” • Germany, the EU’s largest auto market, saw plugin EVs take 24.3% share in April 2022, up from 22.1% YOY. Overall auto volume was down by over 21% YOY, and over 40% compared to pre-pandemic seasonal norms. Supply chain disruptions and cost inflation reduced sales. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “2021’S Top Ten Countries In The Global EV Revolution” • We should have come to this point in global EV progress earlier, and to save the climate, we need to move even faster. But at least we are finally moving at something resembling the required pace for EVs. Here is a list of the top ten countries for the EV revolution, a long story in two parts. [CleanTechnica]
Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Cabrio
(JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Spotlight On Renewable Energy In Kenya” • Renewable energy is changing the way that energy is produced, distributed, and consumed. In Kenya, renewable energy accounts for 73% of power generation capacity, and 90% of electricity is generated by green energy sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric and geothermal power. [Africa Outlook Magazine]
¶ “GE Renewable Energy Buys Minority Stake In 3D Printing Firm” • GE Renewable Energy has acquired a minority stake in Danish 3D printing firm COBOD International. The investment will give GE Renewable Energy greater access to COBOD’s 3D printing technology, which can be used to make wind turbine towers onsite at wind farms. [Power Technology]
3D printing equipment (COBOD International)
¶ “In April, 50% Of Power In Spain Came From Renewables” • Span’s national grid operator Red Electrica de Espana announced in its estimates report that Spain had produced a little over half of its electricity from renewable sources of energy last month. It said that in April, 50.1% of the Spanish power came from clean energy resources. [Saur Energy]
¶ “Gravity-Based Storage Team Kick Off Construction In China” • Energy Vault, Atlas Renewable, and China Tianying have started construction of a 100-MWh gravity-based storage system adjacent to a wind farm and national grid site at Rudong in Jiangsu province, China. The EVx system will be the first to be deployed in the country. [reNews]
Energy storage system (Energy Vault image)
US:
¶ “Solar Energy Projects Are Grinding To A Halt In The US Amid Investigation Into Parts From China” • The solar energy industry has been thrown into a panic and projects are grinding to a halt after the Biden administration launched an investigation into whether parts from Southeast Asia might actually have been made in China which has higher tariffs. [CNN]
¶ “Texas Is In Turmoil, As Green Finance Is Very Appealing To Major Funds” • Last year the Texas legislature passed a law to stop fund portfolios that don’t include fossil fuel companies from doing business in the state. They may not business with companies the State Comptroller says are “boycotting” fossil fuels. But loopholes are being used. [CleanTechnica]
Oil platform (Photo by NASA, public domain)
¶ “Tesla Financing Rates Are The Lowest In The Industry” • It’s true that Teslas are premium-priced, but their financing deals can make them compelling. CarsDirect outlines some good news for potential Tesla buyers: If you choose a Tesla, you could be getting a surprisingly good deal, thanks to the lower interest rates than you could get for other cars. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “New Mexico Adopts Clean Car Rule” • The Environmental Improvement Board and the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board each adopted the Clean Car Rule in a joint public hearing. They both approved the Clean Car Rule, allowing California’s Advanced Clean Cars to be put in place statewide in New Mexico from July 1, 2022. [CleanTechnica]
New Mexico (Raychel Sanner, Unsplash)
¶ “AES Corporation Nails Down Another Microsoft Renewable Energy Agreement” • AES Corporation, a Fortune 500 electrical power company based in Arlington, Virginia, has inked another multi-year renewable energy agreement with Microsoft Corp. It is for 110 MW of electric power, available 24/7, from solar PVs and battery storage. [Daily Energy Insider]
¶ “Senator Markey Secures Environmental, Financial Protections For Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant” • Senator Edward J Markey got commitments from Holtec, the company decommissioning the Pilgrim nuclear plant, that it would not discharge radioactive, contaminated water into Cape Cod Bay without the consent of stakeholders. [Senator Edward Markey]
Have a greatly appreciated day.
geoharvey 