Opinion:
¶ “In Arizona, The Future Of Renewable Energy Is On The Ballot” • When political pundits call Arizona a key swing state in the midterm elections, they’re talking about the races for control of the US Senate and House. However, this election could decide whether Arizona will become a leader in decarbonizing its power grid or abandon those efforts entirely. [Sierra Club]
Arizona (Robert Murray, Unsplash)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Four More Big Battery Stories” • Scaling up renewable energy generation capacity seems to be all about scaling up battery storage capacity to help with the fluctuations in supply. Luckily, we’ve got a lot of battery news. In fact, we’ve got so much battery news that we can’t cover it all. Here are four battery stories I’ll run through quickly. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Infraco Africa And Equatorial Power To Roll Out Access To Clean Power And Agri-Processing In The DRC And Rwanda” • Equatorial Power integrates the delivery of energy with water purification, agri-processing business incubation, and e-mobility. Infraco Africa is joining with it on mini-grids in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. [CleanTechnica]
Rwanda (Infraco Africa)
¶ “Electric Cars From China Are Putting The Squeeze On European Manufacturers” • Transport & Environment reports that a lack of incentives is slowing the electrification of European carmakers while Chinese EV makers are seeing their market share increase. Chinese companies could capture a majority of the EV market in Europe in time. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Developer Gains Nod For 90-MW UK Solar” • Renewables developer Boom Power has secured permission to construct over 90 MW of solar capacity in Yorkshire. The developer has been granted planning permission for the Osgodby (over 40 MW) and Low Farm (49.9 MW) solar farms. The Boom Power pipeline is approaching 3 GW in the UK alone. [reNews]
Solar array (Andres Siimon, Unsplash)
¶ “Landmark Energy Deal Massive Step Forward For Victorian Renewable Energy Transition” • The federal Albanese and Victorian Andrews governments announced an energy deal to accelerate Victoria’s renewable energy transition and kickstart offshore wind. The $2.25 billion deal will finance creation of six “renewable energy zones.” [The National Tribune]
¶ “Finland’s OL3 Nuclear Reactor Risks More Delays After Damage Found” • Damage was detected in the feedwater pumps of Finland’s Olkiluoto 3 nuclear reactor during maintenance work. The damage is likely to delay the commissioning of the plant and the startup of regular production, according to TVO, the plant’s operator. [Nasdaq]
Olkiluoto nuclear plant (Hannu Huovila, TVO, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
US:
¶ “As The Mississippi River Plunges, The Army Corps Is Building A 1,500-Foot-Wide Levee To Keep Salt Water Out Of Drinking Water” • The Army Corps of Engineers has begun construction on a 1,500-foot-wide underwater levee in the Mississippi River to prevent saltwater from pushing up the river amid record-low river levels and flow rates. [CNN]
¶ “Biden moves one step closer to making giant Pacific Ocean wind turbines a reality” • The Department of Interior announced it will hold a lease sale for wind energy off the coast of Central and Northern California, bringing the Biden administration’s dream of a massive West Coast wind farm one step closer to reality. [CNN]
Offshore wind farm (CGP Grey, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Treasury Department Launches Assessment Of How Extreme Weather Is Increasing Insurance Rates” • As climate change makes storms stronger and more destructive, Treasury will take a hard look at how climate-related disasters are driving insurance rates up. They will assess worsening extreme weather and its impact on the cost of insurance. [CNN]
¶ “Canoo Gets Orders For 3000 EVs From Zeeba And 9300 From Kingbee” • Earlier this year, Canoo hinted it might not have funds to begin production. Then Walmart stepped in with an order for 4500 delivery vans. Now Zeeba, a national fleet leasing company, has ordered 5,450, and Kingbee, a national van rental provider, ordered 9,300. [CleanTechnica]
Canoo (Image courtesy of Canoo)
¶ “$1.2 Billion Gemini Solar+Storage Project To Use 100% CATL Batteries” • The giant 690-MWac Gemini solar power project planned for Las Vegas will include 1,416 MWh of energy storage capacity. This will be one of the largest solar+storage projects in the US, or the world for that matter. The $1.2 billion project’s developer is Primergy Solar LLC. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Ørsted Signs 200-MW US Onshore Wind PPA” • Ørsted has signed a group power purchase agreement with five corporate suppliers to Walmart to supply the latter with electricity from the 200-MW Sunflower Wind onshore wind farm in Kansas. Amy’s Kitchen, Great Lakes Cheese, Levi Strauss & Co, The JM Smucker Co, and Valvoline Inc are buying the energy. [reNews]
Wind farm (Ørsted image)
¶ “BLM Announces Completion Of Crimson Energy Storage Project” • The Bureau of Land Management announced that construction of the Crimson Energy Storage Project, a 350-MW battery storage system in eastern Riverside County, California, is now complete. The system is in operation and expanding grid capacity. [Bureau of Land Management]
¶ “Solar Developer Secures $100 Million Loan” • Renewables provider Pivot Energy has agreed a $100 million revolving development loan facility with debt finance firm Fundamental Renewables. The money will go towards funding a diverse range of solar and storage projects across the US. The facility provides Pivot Energy with financial flexibility. [reNews]
Have a truly magnificent day.
geoharvey 