Opinion:
¶ “XPeng’s Flying Car Looks Super Cool, But What Kind Of Future Does It Have?” • XPeng got a lot of headlines this week for the first global public flight of XPeng Aeroht’s XPeng X2 flying car. It was a fun event and you can watch a video of the milestone here. Seeing the flying electric car in the skies of Dubai definitely makes one feel like the future has arrived. [CleanTechnica]
XPeng X2 (XPeng image)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Siemens Gamesa Offshore Wind Turbine Prototype Breaks 24-Hour Output Record” • Siemens Gamesa set a fresh record in wind generation this week. A Siemens SG 14-222 DD offshore wind turbine prototype produced 359 MWh within a 24-hour time period, “the most power one turbine has ever produced over this duration …” [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Smaller, Faster Charging Batteries From Penn State Will Turbocharge EV Revolution” • Researchers at Penn State say they have found a way to make batteries for EVs that can be smaller and faster charging. That addresses the concern many people have that charging an EV takes too long. They published the research in the journal Nature. [CleanTechnica]
Battery graphic (Penn State image)
World:
¶ “Global Wildlife Populations Have Declined By 69% Since 1970, WWF Report Finds” • The world’s wildlife populations have plummeted by an average of 69% between 1970 and 2018, a dangerous decline resulting from climate change and other human activity, the World Wide Fund for Nature warned in a report Thursday. [CNN]
¶ “Europe Has Enough Energy To Survive The Winter. Next Year Might Be Different” • Russia’s attempt to use its vast energy exports as a weapon against Europe isn’t going to plan. Moscow has greatly reduced gas supplies in retaliation for sanctions by Western countries, but the region has been able to amass enough for the upcoming winter. [CNN]
Liquified natural gas ship (Maciej Margas, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Capital Dynamics Raises €521 Million In New Renewables Fund” • Capital Dynamics closed its latest renewable energy fund with €521 million in capital commitments. The CEI IX fund exceeded its initial target of €300 million by about 75%, receiving capital commitments from a large, globally diversified investor base of new and existing investors. [reNews]
¶ “How Big Is Renewable Energy’s Impact On Property Values?” • Several renewable energy projects across Australia seemed to have a significant impact on property values, a report says. Having one in a local government area (LGA) seemed to have a strong benefit on both property prices and on the overall cost of living. [Your Investment Property Magazine]
Gold Coast (City of Gold Coast, Unsplash)
¶ “Progress Made On Safety Zone Around Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, Says IAEA Head” • The head of the UN’s nuclear energy watchdog said on Thursday that he believes “good progress” is being made in talks between Russian and Ukrainian officials for the establishment of a safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power plant. [Anadolu Agency]
¶ “Europe Is Still Quietly Importing Russian Nuclear Energy” • Russia’s nuclear fuel industry remains conspicuously untouched by European sanctions more than seven months into the war in Ukraine. This is despite eight rounds of sanctions having been imposed, and it is much to the dismay of Kyiv officials and environmental campaigners. [CNBC]
Nuclear power plant (Nicolas Hippert, Unsplash)
UK:
¶ “Labour Vows To Treble Solar Power Use During First Term If Elected” • Labour criticised prime minister Liz Truss’s plan to ban solar power from most of England’s farmland and vowed to treble the renewable energy source in its first term. Labour hopes to make the most of a cabinet rift over energy after the business secretary opposed the PM over solar. [The Guardian]
¶ “Cambridge Power Gains Planning Nod For 50-MW Battery” • Cambridge Power has secured planning permission for a 50-MW battery storage project in Essex. The site, next to the Lawford substation, is the latest to secure planning permission in Cambridge Power’s growing portfolio. The project forms part of the Brookfield 800-MW joint venture portfolio. [reNews]
Cambridge Power battery (Cambridge Power image)
¶ “Summer 2022 Smashed Dozens Of UK Records” • Two months after the summer heatwave, its data underline the huge impact climate change is having on the UK. More than half of the UK’s oldest active weather stations recorded their hottest day ever in 2022. New all-time highs were set at 56 of the 109 longest standing stations, Met Office data show. [BBC]
US:
¶ “Oakland To Use Electric Buses To Provide Backup Power To Municipal Buildings” • The California Energy Commission has funded a first of its kind vehicle to building (V2B) project that will allow the batteries of electric buses to provide backup power to community buildings to provide safe places for residents during emergencies. [CleanTechnica]
New Flyer electric bus (New Flyer image)
¶ “Fully Electric Vehicles Reached About 6% Of Auto Sales In USA In 3rd Quarter” • Fully electric vehicles have grown and grown in recent years. More and more models hit the market each month, and some of them are selling in decent volumes. Meanwhile, Tesla’s strong growth continues and one wonders how high Tesla can go. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “CSU Moves Toward Energy Goal With Solar Project” • Two Colorado-based solar energy companies, Namaste Solar and Solaris Energy, both Certified B corporations, helped Colorado State University toward its goal of 100% renewable electricity with the installation of 17 of 20 sites on four CSU campuses over the past two years. [Loveland Reporter-Herald]
Have a relaxingly rambunctious day.
geoharvey 