Science and Technology:
¶ “SWEL Promises Cleanest, Cheapest Energy Ever” • Sea Wave Energy Ltd spent the better part of the last decade developing a floating, wave-riding generator that the company claims will produce a whole lot of tidal energy for not a whole lot of money. They claim its electricity will have an LCOE (levelized cost of energy) of 1¢/kWh. [CleanTechnica]
SWEL generator (SWEL, via New Atlas)
¶ “Vision Marine Sets Electric Speed Record” • Five time UIM and current F1 H20 World champion pilot Shaun Torrente broke the 100 MPH speed barrier in a Vision Marine electric watercraft at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri, with a speed of more than 109 MPH! The previous record was 88.6 MPH, set by a Jaguar Vector V20E in 2018. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Greenland Ice Losses Set To Raise Global Sea Levels By Nearly A Foot, New Research Shows” • Widespread ice losses from Greenland have locked in nearly a foot of global sea level rise that’s set to come in the near future – and new research suggests there is no way to stop it, even if the world stopped releasing planet-heating emissions today. [CNN]
Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland (Annie Spratt, Unsplash)
¶ “Pakistan Flood Disaster To Cost More Than $10 Billion, Says Minister” • Pakistan’s planning minister says early estimates show the devastating floods that hit the country have caused at least $10 billion (£8.5 billion) of damage. His comment comes as another government minister said that one-third of the South Asian nation has been submerged. [BBC]
¶ “UK Looks To Sweden For A Solution To Nuclear Waste” • We have ways to store nuclear waste that work on a temporary basis. But there is little available for long-term storage, and 100,000-year storage is needed. Sweden is developing long-term storage, but not everyone agrees that it is a good idea. One said the plan is “unfortunately, a nuclear fig leaf.” [BBC]
Aerial view Sellafield, Cumbria (Simon Ledingham, CC BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Finally, South Africa Could Be Getting An EV With V2L, The Kia EV6!” • Kia’s EV6 that is reported to be on its way to South Africa in the near future. The EV6 comes with the option of a 54 kWh or 74 kWh battery pack (usable capacity). As supplied for Africa, the car can produce 3.6 kW of backup power, which will help in situations of load-shedding. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “EV Charging Stations On The Up” • The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing funding of $871,000 to support a pilot project, run by Australian and New Zealand smart metering and data intelligence provider Intellihub. Chargers will be mounted on utility poles for families with no overnight parking facilities. [ARENA]
Charging station (Intellihub image)
¶ “China’s Clean Energy Investments Growing Rapidly In Africa” • Chinese investments in renewable energy are increasing rapidly in sub-Saharan Africa, with major projects set to help light vast areas of the continent while contributing to tackling climate change. Support has gone to hundreds of African clean energy development projects. [China Daily]
¶ “Solar Farm With Power For 16,000 Cork Homes Is First Big Irish Project For Global Green Energy Giant” • Construction of the Ballinrea Solar Farm in Cork is due to begin in 2024, and it is to be operational by 2025, producing enough power for 16,000 homes. It will add 65 MW of solar to Ørsted’s global goal of 17.5 GW of onshore renewables by 2030. [Cork Beo]
County Cork (Colin C Murphy, Unsplash)
¶ “US Urges ‘Controlled Shutdown’ Of Zaporizhzhia Plant” • The US government has urged a complete shutdown of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant as fighting intensifies in the area and international experts plan an inspection visit. A White House national security spokesman also reiterated calls to create a demilitarised zone around the facility. [RTE]
US:
¶ “California Plans To Add Solar Panels Over Irrigation Canals” • California has 4,000 miles of irrigation canals that distribute water to the state’s farmers. If all of them were covered with solar panels, they could produce 13 GW of renewable energy. Turlock Water & Power is planning to start Project Nexus, a pilot program putting PVs over the canals. [CleanTechnica]
PVs over the TID Main Canal (Turlock Water & Power)
¶ “California’s Advanced Clean Cars II Regulations Supported By Ford” • The California Advanced Clean Cars II plan for model years of 2026 through 2035 requires that by 2035, all new passenger cars, trucks, and SUVs sold in California will be zero-emission vehicles. Ford released a statement in support of California’s new rules. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “USPS Electric Vehicle Study Challenged By Analysis” • The Inflation Reduction Act includes $3 billion for the US Postal Service to reduce its emissions and shift to EVs. A University of Michigan study finds that the switch to all-electric mail-delivery vehicles would lead to far greater reductions in emissions than previously estimated by the USPS. [CleanTechnica]
Postal delivery EV concept (United States Postal Service)
¶ “Governor Laura Kelly Touts Kansas As A Wind Energy Leader” • Governor Laura Kelly touted Kansas as a leader in wind energy, citing the recently released Wind Energy Market Report from the US DOE. According to the report, land-based wind energy supplied 45.1% of Kansas’ electricity generation in 2021. Kansas is the number three state for windpower. [KRSL.com]
¶ “Clashes Brew Over Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Extension Plan As 40% Of Expected Renewables Fail To Come Online” • Last year, the California PUC ordered the state’s power providers to procure 11.5 GW of new clean energy resources collectively. Regulators now worry that supply chain constraints and other factors could delay the projects. [Utility Dive]
Have a consummately delightful day.
geoharvey 