World:
¶ “How Climate Is Making Australia More Unliveable” • Climate change is a key concern for voters in Australia’s election on Saturday. So is the cost of living – and these issues are coming into focus like never before. Record-breaking bushfire and flood events in the past three years have killed more than 500 people and billions of animals. [BBC]
Flooding in Queensland (Kgbo, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “EU Reveals Its Plans To Stop Using Russian Gas” • More details have come from the European Commission on how it plans to end Europe’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels and speed up its shift to green energy. Russia supplies 40% of the EU’s natural gas and 27% of its imported oil. The EU sends Russia roughly €400 billion per year in payment. [BBC]
¶ “Tesla China Exported Two Batches Of Over 4,000 EVs In One Week” • According to Kankanews, two batches of EVs were shipped from Tesla China recently. The first one had 4,767 EVs. And then this second batch was shipped within a week. This shows a rapid comeback after businesses in Shanghai were closed by the pandemic. [CleanTechnica]
Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai export vehicles (Courtesy of Tesla)
¶ “Tesla Opens Superchargers To All EVs In Five More Countries” • Last year, Tesla announced a pilot program in which owners of EVs would gain access to Tesla Superchargers even if their cars aren’t made by Tesla. Now, Tesla has opened its Supercharger network to five more countries in Europe to encourage more people to drive EVs. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “‘Fossil Fuels Are A Dead End’: UN Chief Emphasizes Renewable Energy Projects” • United Nations general secretary Antonio Guterres, noting the global energy crises which prompted large economies to open new oil and gas fields, has proposed five critical actions to jump-start the transition to renewable energy. [Hindustan Times]
Coal-burning power plant (Sam LaRussa, Unsplash)
¶ “UN Calls For Trebling Of Renewable Energy Investment In Face Of Climate Crisis And Russia’s War” • UN Secretary-General Antonio Gutteres has unveiled a new five-point plan for speeding up the global energy transition, stating that renewables are “the only path to real energy security.” He called the plan “peace project of the 21st century.” [Edie.net]
¶ “Australian Rainforests Are Dying At Their Fastest Rate In Decades, Prompting A Climate Warning” • Tropical trees in the vast, green rainforests that cover northern Queensland are dying at double the previous rate since the 1980s, a study published in Nature found. The trees’ life expectancy is potentially halving with increased climate change and cyclones. [9News]
Rainforest (Ajit Singh, Unsplash)
¶ “Shell And Air Liquide Sign Ten-Year Contract For Renewable Electricity In Italy” • Shell Energy Europe Limited has signed a ten-year contract with the French industrial gas producer Air Liquide to provide 52 GWh per year of renewable electricity to power its industrial and medical gas production operations in north-east Italy. [PV Magazine]
US:
¶ “Electrify America Partners With Terra-Gen For 75 MW Of Renewable Energy” • Electrify America announced that it entered into a 15-year virtual power purchase agreement with developer Terra-Gen to build a 75-MW solar plant in San Bernardino, California. Solar Glow 1 is expected to generate 225,000 MWh per year. [CleanTechnica]
Solar Glow 1 solar power plant (Electrify America image)
¶ “Tesla Model 3 And Model Y Outsell All Other New Cars In California In Q1 2022” • Tesla Models 3 and Model Y EVs outsold all other new cars in California in the first quarter of 2022, even gas-powered vehicles. This is a major achievement for Tesla and a win for EV advocates, especially as California is the 5th-largest economy in the world. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Center Advancing Beyond-Lithium Battery Tech Generates Over 30 Patents” • Since 2013, DOE researchers have invented a diverse range of technologies in the “beyond lithium-ion” space. The primary focus has been on flow, lithium-sulfur, multivalent and solid-state batteries. It has yielded over 30 patents that are now available for licensing. [CleanTechnica]
Materials scientists (Image by Argonne National Laboratory)
¶ “Consumers Energy Agrees On 300-MW US Solar PPA” • In Michigan, Consumers Energy has agreed to a 300-MW PPA for two solar projects being developed in Genesee and Hillsdale counties by Chicago-based Ranger Power. The agreements are currently being reviewed by the Michigan Public Service Commission. [reNews]
¶ “NOAA Wind Forecasts Result In $150 Million In Energy Savings Every Year” • As electricity providers increasingly add renewable energy to their portfolios, a study in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy shows that more accurate wind forecasts generated by a NOAA weather model is saving large amounts of money. [NOAA Research]
Wind turbines (NREL image)
¶ “Minnesota’s High Winds This Spring Spark A Jump In Green Energy Production” • In one measure of how windy it was in Minnesota, utilities reported generating much more wind power this year. In Willmar, the gusty spring months have translated into record-breaking power production for the city power utility’s two wind turbines. [MPR News]
¶ “DOE Throws PG&E Lifeline To Keep The Aging Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Operating” • The US DOE is extending the deadline for Pacific Gas & Electric to submit required documents for getting part of a $6 billion federal fund to keep the aging Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant operating. But the lifeline may violate DOE guidance. [Common Dreams]
Have an utterly delightful day.
geoharvey 