Science and Technology:
¶ “Reducing Harmful Air Pollution Has Led To A Surprising Effect – More Hurricanes In The North Atlantic” • A study published in Science Advances found that as aerosol pollution decreased in the decades following the US Clean Air Act and similar actions in Europe, the ocean could absorb more sunlight, which fueled more storms. [CNN]
Hurricane Sam (NASA image)
World:
¶ “Ukraine Halts Some Russian Gas Flows To Europe” • Ukraine suspended the flow of some Russian natural gas to Europe, blaming Moscow for diverting supplies from the vital pipeline network. The Ukrainian gas transmission system operator said it decided to suspend operations at a major transit point because of “interference by the occupying forces.” [CNN]
¶ “33% Of New Cars Sold In Netherlands Now Plugin Cars” • In the context of a falling overall market, down 7% YOY in April, the Dutch plugin EV market has continued to grow, reaching 33% last month. Pure electrics had 20% of all new vehicle sales, a surge of 98% YOY last month. Overall, the YTD market share for plugin vehicles rose to 30%. [CleanTechnica]
Skoda Enyaq (Alexander Migl, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Stellantis EV Plans Save Canadian Automotive Plants” • The future of two automotive plants in Ontario has been up in the air, but Stellantis announced that it will invest $3.6 billion to update the plants. While the plants will make combustion cars in addition to EVs, Stellantis will also partner with LG to build a $3 billion battery factory. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “European Energy And Vestas Forge Offshore Turbine Team” • European Energy and Vestas have teamed up for a joint venture aiming to develop and build three of Vestas’ new V236 15.0-MW offshore wind turbine at three test positions which are now under development by European Energy about four km off the coast near the city of Frederikshavn. [reNews]
Wind turbines (European Energy image)
¶ “EU’s Renewable Power Capacity Additions Jump 30% In 2021” • The EU added a record 36 GW of renewable power capacity in 2021, exceeding the 2020 additions by 30%. The world also set a fresh record in new renewables capacity in 2021, adding almost 295 GW, up 6% against the 2020 growth, an International Energy Agency report says. [Balkan Green Energy News]
¶ “BP Bids For New Dutch Offshore Wind Leases” • BP submitted bids for two offshore wind leases in the Netherlands that together have the potential for generating capacity of 1,400 MW. The bids were submitted in the tender process for rights to develop the Hollandse Kust West Wind Farm Zone sites numbered 6 and 7, about 53 km off the country’s west coast. [reNews]
Netherlands (BP image)
¶ “IAEA Restores Remote Transmission Of Safeguards Data From Ukraine’s Chernobyl Plant” • Remote transmission of safeguards data from the war-inflicted Ukraine’s Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant to the International Atomic Energy Agency has been “fully re-established,” Director-General of the IAEA Rafael Mariano Grossi, said. [Republic World]
¶ “First Floating Tidal Power Delivered To Nova Scotia Grid” • Sustainable Marine said it has successfully harnessed the tidal currents in Canada’s Bay of Fundy, delivering the first floating in-stream tidal power to Nova Scotia’s grid. The project has enabled Sustainable Marine to acquire skills and resources to deliver turnkey projects. [Marine Link]
Tidal turbines and installation ship (Sustainable Marine image)
US:
¶ “House Natural Resources Committee Refers Investigation Involving Former Trump Officials To DOJ” • The House Natural Resources Committee is referring an investigation involving “potentially criminal conduct” about a policy reversal involving former Trump administration officials to the Department of Justice, a letter obtained by CNN shows. [CNN]
¶ “This California Desert Could Hold The Key To Powering All Of America’s Electric Cars” • Lithium is abundant in the Salton Sea Basin. People working to extract it say there could be enough to make batteries for all the electric cars expected to be built in this country for many years, freeing the US from reliance on foreign lithium suppliers. [CNN]
Salton Sea (Sherman Yang, Unsplash)
¶ “Elon Musk Hints CCS Plugs Coming To Tesla Supercharger Locations In The US” • In a Financial Times interview, Elon Musk said, “We’ve already opened Tesla Superchargers to other electric cars in Europe, and we intend to roll that out worldwide. It’s a little trickier in the US because we have a different connector than the rest of the industry.” [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Just Don’t Say “Climate Change,” And Manchin Is On Board With West Virginia Wind Power” • West Virginia wind power is on the rise, just don’t mention the term “climate change” to Senator Joe Manchin. Black Rock’s 23 state-of-the-art wind turbines are now part of an “all-of-the-above” approach to West Virginia’s energy policy. [CleanTechnica]
Wind turbines (Clearway Energy image)
¶ “US Ammonia Prices Rise In Response To Higher International Natural Gas Prices” • The US price of ammonia, the primary source of nitrogen fertilizer, has risen by a factor of six in the past two years, mostly since March, 2021. Ammonia prices generally follow natural gas prices because ammonia is produced primarily from natural gas. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “New 68-MW Solar Project Will Power 30 Electric Co-Ops In Georgia” • Green Power EMC, the renewable energy supplier for 38 Georgia Electric Membership Corporations, and Silicon Ranch were joined today by elected officials and leaders from Houston County to dedicate the new 68-MW (AC) Houston Solar project near Perry, Georgia. [Solar Power World]
Have an endlessly superb day.
geoharvey 
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