Opinion:
¶ “Natural Gas Power Plants Begin Their Inevitable Decline” • Natural-gas-fired power plants are expected to provide 38% of the nation’s electricity in 2022, according to the US Energy Information Administration. Though nearly a net 6,900 MW of capacity will be added this year, natural gas is expected to be 36% of the power mix in 2023. [The Street]
Wisconsin gas-powered plant (Dual Freq, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Protein Evolution Recycles Plastics Quickly – ‘1 Million Years Of Evolution In 1 Day’” • Protein Evolution, a startup based in New Haven, Connecticut, emerged from stealth mode this week to announce it has created a process that can break down plastic waste into its component parts, which can then be reused to make new plastics. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Solar PV Module Design Has Wide-Ranging Impacts On Our Clean-Energy Future” • To achieve its decarbonization goals, the US must increase its PV production and installations rapidly, but installing more of the same is not the only solution. PV modules that last longer could reduce the manufacturing requirements and amounts of materials. [CleanTechnica]
Solar modules (Kelly, Pexels)
World:
¶ “How Pop Band A-Ha Inspired Norway’s EV Revolution” • Back in the 1980s, leaders in the Nordic environmental movement were pushing for EV technology but it just wasn’t being noticed. Then they recruited the country’s biggest pop group to help push the issue into the mainstream. The group, A-ha, used an EV to launch a campaign of civil disobedience. [BBC]
¶ “Ukrainians Are Dreading The ‘Darkest Winter’ As Russia Takes Aim At The Power Grid” • As the weather gets colder, millions of Ukrainians are trying to prepare for what they know will be an extremely difficult winter. The Ukrainian government said in July that over 800,000 homes had been damaged or destroyed in the war. Now Russia is bombing power plants. [CNN]
Bombed apartment building (Nick Tsybenko, Unsplash)
¶ “USA And UAE Team Up On Clean Energy – $100 Billion Investment” • Through a new Partnership for Accelerating Clean Energy, the US and UAE will focus on the scalable development of low-emission energy sources, with the goal of deploying 100 GW of clean energy globally by 2035. This will be done with an investment of $100 billion. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Mercedes – Last ICE Platform 2023, Midsize EV Sedan 2024” • The Mercedes E Class is due for an update next year, and Mercedes told Germany’s Automobil Woche this week that the new platform for the E Class will be the last internal combustion chassis it will develop. Autocar reports that an electric counterpart to the C Class will be out in 2024. [CleanTechnica]
2023 Mercedes E Class prototype (Courtesy of Mercedes)
¶ “Renewable Energy Records Tumble Around The Country As Rooftop Solar Power Soars” • Soaring power production from rooftop solar panels broke records across Australia as output from fossil fuels fell to all-time lows. “We have observed records being broken recently – I think we need to get used to that,” a former electricity system planner said. [ABC]
¶ “EDF Renewables Turns Sod For 50-MW Battery” • EDF Renewables UK has started construction of a 50-MW battery site at Energy Superhub Coventry. The 50-MW, 100-MWh battery will help to support the integration of renewables in the UK by storing energy when the supply is abundant and discharging it when the supply is lower. [reNews]
EDF battery (EDF image)
¶ “Poland To Build Three Nuclear Power Plants” • The Polish government unveiled plans to install six large pressurized water reactors by 2040 with a combined installed capacity of 6 GW to 9 GW. Poland signed an agreement with the US on cooperation in the field of civil nuclear energy. Westinghouse offered its AP1000 technology. [Balkan Green Energy News]
US:
¶ “Navy Lays Out Plan To Shutter Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility Nearly One Year After Leak Sickened Military Families” • A year after a fuel leak sickened families and forced the Pentagon to shut down the Red Hill fuel storage facility in Hawaii, the Navy laid out its nearly 5-year plan to permanently close the World War II-era facility. [CNN]
Red Hill fuel storage facility (US Navy image)
¶ “Almost 25% Of US Electrical Generation Was Renewable In The First Two-Thirds Of 2022” • Renewable electricity sources saw increases in the first two-thirds of 2022, Energy Information Administration data shows. In the first eight months of 2022, nearly a quarter of US electricity generation came from clean energy sources, Electrek reported. [EcoWatch]
¶ “Tritium And DC-America Join Forces To Provide Coast-To-Coast EV Charging” • Tritium DCFC Limited and DC-America joined forces to install DC fast chargers along America’s highway system as part of a coast-to-coast charging network. DC-America will offer its versatile charging stations equipped with Tritium’s fast chargers. [CleanTechnica]
EV charging stations
¶ “California Taco Bell Receives First EV Charging Stations” • Taco Bell opened its first ultra-fast charging station in South San Francisco, with help of ChargeNet Solutions. The partnership of ChargeNet Stations and Diversified Restaurant Group, a Taco Bell franchisee, will make EV charging easy at one of America’s most popular fast food chains. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “rPlus Energies Breaks Ground On 200-MW Solar Project” • Renewable energy developer rPlus Energies began construction of the 200-MWac Appaloosa Solar 1 project in Iron County, Utah. This project is the state’s largest. rPlus Energies, Greenbacker, and Sundt Construction hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on the project site. [Utah Business Magazine]
Have a serendipitously enjoyable day.
geoharvey 
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