Opinion:
¶ “Recent Battery Deals Could Indicate Manufacturers Are Up To The Task Congress Gave Them” • China has 100% control over battery-grade synthetic graphite, 73% control of cobalt, 68% control of nickel, and 59% control over lithium. US car makers, however, are showing they are up to the task of finding new sources of materials. [CleanTechnica]
Chevrolet Equinox EV in the 2024 model year (GM Image)
¶ “Australia’s Energy Future Is Renewable, Not Radioactive” • Bernard Keane summed up the nuclear debate like this in Crikey: “Someone on the right will call for a ‘debate’ on nuclear power. Critics will point out that nuclear power is ludicrously expensive, takes decades to build, and is prone to multi-hundred per cent cost blowouts.” And so it goes on. [Green Left]
World:
¶ “BYD Scores Big Rental Deal” • BYD, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, partnered with SIXT, an international car rental company, for the European market. The agreement is to begin a long-term partnership with a shared vision to help accelerate electric mobility adoption. The all-electric BYDs will be available to customers in Q4 2022. [CleanTechnica]
BYD Atto 3 SUV (BYD image)
¶ “19% Of New Car Sales In Germany Fully Electric, 32% Have A Plug” • The German automotive market may have bottomed out. After growing 3% in August, September brought a solid 14% sales increase, while plugins grew even faster. Sales of full electric vehicles were up in September by 33% year over year, taking 19% of the overall market. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “16% Of New Cars Now Fully Electric In France!” • In France, the overall auto market presented its second positive month, after a long fall in sales. It was up 6% year over year, but still down a significant 19% compared to September 2019. Full electrics were the highlight of the market, growing 34% YOY, and winning 16% of the market in September. [CleanTechnica]
Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric (Alexander Migl, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “World Energy Storage Forecast Increased 13% – Thanks, IRA & REPowerEU!” • The Inflation Reduction Act in the US and the EU’s REPowerEU will underpin the US and EU movement towards faster battery deployment. The IRA, for example, includes an Investment Tax Credit that applies to standalone energy storage projects. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Iberdrola Commissions Australian Wind-Solar Project” • Iberdrola has started commissioning its first wind-solar hybrid project, Port Augusta. The renewable facility, located in the state of South Australia, combines 210 MW of wind power with 107 MW of photovoltaic power and has required an investment of A$500 million ($312 million). [reNews]
Wind and solar power (Iberdrola image)
¶ “NTR Signs Irish Solar PPA With AIB” • NTR has signed a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement with Irish banking group AIB to source energy generated from two solar farms NTR will construct in County Wexford. The solar farms at Enniscorthy and Gorey combine to place 21.4 GWh of new renewable energy in the Irish grid. [reNews]
¶ “Renewable Energy Plants Could Boost Property Prices” • According to PRD’s, Renewable Energy In the Property Market, local government areas that built either a wind or solar energy plant in 2017, have seen average property prices increase 41% over the past five years. The value of a home can also be increased by installing solar panels. [Elite Agent]
Wind farm in Queensland (Lepidlizard, public domain)
¶ “Germany’s Scholz Vows Solution To Nuclear Power Dispute Next Week” • The German government will resolve a dispute over nuclear power in the coming days, Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in Berlin on Friday, after plans to delay the nation’s nuclear phase-out beyond the end of the year exposed cracks in the coalition. [StreetInsider]
US:
¶ “Climate Change Exposes Lack Of US Preparedness In Defending Arctic Ocean Interests, Senator Says” • Climate change is unlocking a new crossroads and potential center of conflict: the Arctic. But one key lawmaker, Maine Senator Angus King, warns the US has lagged behind in securing the region, as other powers move in. [CNN]
USCGC Bertholf, Arctic Ocean (US Coast Guard, public domain)
¶ “Lots Of Energy Around Green Energy In Lebanon” • Want a glimpse into the future? Visit Lebanon, New Hampshire. Solar arrays glint in the sun at the city’s buildings. The city bought one of the nation’s first Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup trucks. The municipal airport is getting ready for electric planes. All this is not an accident. [Union Leader]
¶ “Prairie Zephyrs Power Iowa Utility Toward Renewable Energy Goal” • MidAmerican Energy is a state-regulated utility based in Des Moines and owned by Berkshire Hathaway Energy. It has 800,000 electric and natural gas customers in four states. It plans to generate the annual equivalent of 100% of its electricity from renewable sources. [Courthouse News Service]
Wind farm (Photo courtesy of MidAmerican Energy)
¶ “Billions Of Snow Crabs Have Disappeared From The Waters Around Alaska” • The snow crab harvest has been canceled in Alaska for the first time ever after a sharp fall in the snow crab population. There had been around 8 billion snow crabs in 2018, but the number fell to 1 billion in 2021, an Alaska Department of Fish and Game researcher said. [CNN]
¶ “Will ERINs Make Teslas Cheaper?” • The US Renewable Fuel Standard mandates that fuel sold in the US has to contain a minimum volume of renewable fuels. Since 2005, that has mostly been corn ethanol. It seems consideration is now being given to EV makers to allow them to generate electric Renewable Identification Numbers. [CleanTechnica]
Have a securely powered day.
geoharvey 