Opinion:
¶ “Is Nuclear Sustainable? Read The Label” • The EU decided that nuclear is sustainable, but it’s getting some major pushback from scientists, sustainable investor groups, and the finance advisers of the European Commission itself. They argue the rules will divert money from truly green projects to prop up legacy industries and allow emissions to rise further. [Politico]
Nuclear plant (Petar Avramoski, Pexels)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Carbonfuture Announces Catalyst For Carbon Removal, Partnering With Heimdal, Lithos, Ucaneo” • Carbonfuture has launched a program called Catalyst, partnering with upcoming carbon removal companies for no-strings-attached carbon credit pre-purchases and methodology support. Three companies have joined the program. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Could Iron-Based Catalysts Make Fuel Cells Viable?” • The main factor holding back use of fuel cells is cost. Most catalysts that are used to make electricity from hydrogen are based on precious metals. Researches at the University of Buffalo report they have created an iron-based catalyst that could significantly reduce the cost of fuel cells. [CleanTechnica]
Fueling a car (Alternative Fuels Data Center, US DOE)
World:
¶ “Tesla Pausing Production At Giga Berlin And Shanghai To Upgrade Assembly Lines” • Even with the new Gigafactories in Berlin and Shanghai, Tesla is working to expand production. The company plans to take costly production breaks to upgrade both plants over the next month or so, so it can increase production capacities significantly. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Lloyd’s Register Gets Behind Wind Power For Cargo Ships” • Lloyd’s Register is old enough to see wind power come, go, and come back again. The firm has put its seal of approval on a type of sail that will help cargo ships meet the goals of a key index of the International Maritime Organization for energy efficiency and carbon emissions. [CleanTechnica]
Wind-powered ship (Courtesy of Anemoi Marine)
¶ “Microsoft’s Dublin Datacenter To Help Take Pressure Off Ireland’s Renewable Energy” • Later this year, Microsoft is to deploy its “grid-interactive UPS technology” at its datacenter in Dublin to demonstrate how such technology may be used to help decarbonize power grids. It will work with power management specialist Eaton on the project. [TheRegister]
UK:
¶ “Iberdrola Prepares Sixteen Renewable Energy Projects for Development” • The Iberdrola group is developing sixteen new renewable projects in the UK after obtaining Contracts for Difference with the UK government that ensure their financial viability. The sixteen projects will have a combined capacity of 2,122 MW. [North American Windpower]
Wind turbines (Efe Kurnaz, Unsplash)
¶ “Strong Tides Along UK Coast Could Create Electricity For Less Than Cost Of Nuclear Power” • The tides along Britain’s west coast could produce huge amounts of clean electricity for less cost than nuclear, Sky News was told. The tides are only second to Canada’s, peaking in the Bristol Channel, off the coast of north Wales, and off northwest England. [Sky News]
¶ “UK Government Delays Sizewell C Decision” • In a written statement to the House of Commons, Business Minister Paul Scully said that Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng’s decision on the Sizewell C nuclear power plant would be given by 20 July. The decision had been scheduled for July 9. [World Nuclear News]
Sizewell B reactor dome (Dave Croker, CC BY-SA 2.0)
US:
¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Takes Drive Forward To Combat Climate Change” • To combat climate change and bring down costs for families, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for states and municipalities to track and reduce GHG emissions. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Ford’s June Sales Numbers Impress Again” • Ford is doing some really impressive things with EV sales in new categories with slim competition. Overall EV sales for June are up, totaling 4,353 units. That is 76.6% more than they sold last year at this time. So Ford is making progress on EVs and is doing better than they’ve ever done. [CleanTechnica]
Ford electric van (Ford image)
¶ “Rivian Says It Is On Track To Deliver 25,000 Vehicles This Year” • Rivian is enduring “production hell,” the period most manufacturers face after they get new production lines set up. Rivian remains undaunted, however, telling the media this week it plans to deliver a total of 25,000 battery EVs to customers by the end of this year. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “SCOTUS EPA Ruling Will Not Stop Plans For Public Power Decarbonization” • The recent ruling by the Supreme Court that limits the EPA’s authority to cap greenhouse gas emissions will not materially affect public power utilities’ credit quality or the move away from fossil fuels, Fitch Ratings says. Any benefits for fossil fuels should be short lived. [Fitch Ratings]
Solar panels (Karsten Würth, Unsplash)
¶ “McCain’s Will Use 100% Renewable Energy By 2030” • Global potato processor McCain Foods is constructing five solar facilities in Aroostook County, Maine, that they say will power half of one of their largest plants. McCain’s has committed to using 100% renewable electricity by 2030, according to a spokesman for the company. [Bangor Daily News]
¶ “Power Distributor Shares Concerns Over Grid Reliability With Kentucky Lawmakers” • One of the country’s largest electricity transmission operators, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, warned Kentucky lawmakers that coal-fired power plants are retiring faster than new renewable energy is coming online to replace it. [WFPL]
Have a happily composed day.
geoharvey 