Opinion:
¶ “Who Will Pay For Indonesia’s Clean Energy Bill?” • Indonesia is one of the world’s biggest coal producers, and environmental activists worry that many vested business interests are limiting the government’s ambitions for a clean energy transition. The country’s coal-burning power plants are mostly not old, and it is building more. This raises questions. [BBC]
Bali landscape (Geio Tischler, Unsplash)
¶ “The 2022 CleanTechnica Car Of The Year Is …” • It’s been one month since the 2022 CleanTechnica Car of the Year award was announced, and it’s time to reveal the winner! I’m going to go through all of the finalists once more, starting with the model with the lowest percentage of the votes and going to the one with the highest. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Getting Renewable Energy Connected” • There are about 1,300 GW of new energy resources, primarily renewables and storage, waiting to connect to power grids across the US. That’s more than the combined output of all power plants operating in the country today. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission blames the backlog on old rules. [NRDC]
Wind turbines (Filipe Resmini, Unsplash)
Science and Technology:
¶ “E-Diesel Truck Costs 47% More Than Electric Truck, Counting Operation” • A study compares the price of e-fuels with battery-electric trucks in various scenarios. Even in the most optimistic for e-fuels, they are 15% more expensive. In a more reasonable estimate, they would cost 47% more than buying and operating a battery-electric truck. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Scientists Have Used Mushrooms To Make Biodegradable Computer Chips” • Research at the Johannes Kepler University in Austria has shown that mushroom skins could be used to provide a biodegradable alternative to some plastics used in batteries and computer chips, making them easier to recycle. The research was published in the journal Science Advances. [CNN]
Mushrooms (Külli Kittus, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “Rich Countries Are Trying To Hit Pause On Climate Summit’s Key Issue” • At the UN’s COP27 climate summit, the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom are united against establishing a new fund this year to help the world’s developing nations – which have contributed little to the climate crisis – recover from climate disasters. [CNN]
¶ “Solaris Sells 18 More Electric Buses To Cracow” • Electric bus manufacturer Solaris recently sold another 18 articulated electric vehicles to public transport operator Miejskie Przedsiębiorstwo Komunikacyjne in Cracow. The contract was worth over PLN 98 million ($21.6 million) and the delivery of the buses is to be completed next fall. [CleanTechnica]
Solaris Urbino 18 (Mirko Riemer, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “Maritime Sector And Green Hydrogen Leaders Agree On Ambitious Targets” • Leading organizations and initiatives across the shipping value chain, joined by the largest green hydrogen producers, signed a statement committing to rapid production and use of low-carbon fuels based on green hydrogen for global shipping decarbonization. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “European Energy Powers Up Swedish Wind Project” • European Energy has now completed the construction of the 37-MW Kingebol wind farm in the municipality of Åmål, Sweden with first power now being generated. European Energy has also revealed plans to build a 37-MW solar park adjacent to the wind park in Åmål. [reNews]
Wind farm (European Energy image)
¶ “Wealthy Nations Ink $20 Billion Deal To Move Indonesia Off Coal” • A group of wealthy countries secured an agreement with Indonesia to shift the major emitter’s power generation from coal to clean energy. The $20 billion deal financed by financial institutions and governments would be one of the largest public investments to close fossil fuel plants. [E&E News]
¶ “Anglo American Finds Renewable Sources For Queensland Coal Operations” • Mining major Anglo American has struck a deal with Queensland-owned energy generator Stanwell to power its steelmaking coal business solely through the use of renewable energy from 2025 onward, as part of a ten-year power supply deal. [Mining Weekly]
Wind turbines (Quang Nguyen Vinh, Pexels)
¶ “As Europe Quits Russian Gas, Half Of France’s Nuclear Plants Are Offline” • As Europe braces for a winter without Russian gas, France is hurrying to repair problems plaguing its atomic fleet. A record 26 of its 56 reactors are offline for maintenance or repairs after the worrisome discovery of cracks and corrosion in some pipes used to cool reactor cores. [Moneycontrol]
US:
¶ “Small Firms Have A Big Role Fighting Climate Change” • In the US, small businesses make up 99% companies. They employ nearly half of the American workforce. But their sheer numbers make it tough to regulate them. Focusing on supply chains can make it easier to engage with small businesses, unlocking billions in emissions savings. [BBC]
Main Street in Logan, Utah (Michael Hart, Unsplash)
¶ “GM Strikes Battery Separator Deal” • When we talk about EV batteries, minerals like lithium and cobalt tend to get most of the attention. But, a little polymer part of each cell, the battery separator, plays a vitally important role. In a press release, GM announced that it has struck a deal to keep improving separators and build them in the US. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Regulatory Approval For SunZia Transmission Paves The Way For A Southwest Renewable Energy Corridor” • Pattern Energy Group announced its SunZia Transmission project received the approval of the Arizona Corporation Commission to build a 550-mile high voltage DC transmission line from New Mexico to Arizona. [pv magazine USA]
Have a justifiably jolly day.
geoharvey 
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