Opinion:
¶ “Vermont’s Climate Plan Is Built On A Foundation Made Of Paper” • Vermont has a plan to combat climate change. But the plan rests on a foundation of paper because Vermont’s most consequential energy policy papers over our region’s fossil use and does not move the needle when it comes to making our region’s power supply more renewable. [VTDigger]
Vermont State House (Decumanus, CC-BU-SA 3.0)
World:
¶ “Russian Attacks On Energy Grid Amount To Genocide, Says Ukraine” • Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure amount to genocide, the Ukrainian prosecutor-general told the BBC. Millions of Ukrainian people face power cuts in freezing weather, following sustained Russian attacks. Strikes on key facilities targeted “the full Ukrainian nation.” [BBC]
¶ “Rolls-Royce Tests A Jet Engine Running On Hydrogen” • Rolls-Royce is putting a small aircraft jet engine through tests that could one day lead to huge changes within the aviation industry. The engine itself is almost completely conventional. But this is the first time a modern aircraft engine has ever been run on hydrogen. [BBC]
Engine test (Rolls-Royce image)
¶ “UK Government Supports Energy Storage With Over £32 Million Funding” • Five projects based across the UK will benefit from a share of over £32 million in phase two of the Longer Duration Energy Storage competition, to develop technologies to store energy as heat, electricity, or a low-carbon energy carrier like hydrogen. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
¶ “$90 Million To Set Up Net-Zero Energy Solutions Platform For South Africa” • African Infrastructure Investment Managers will provide the initial equity of up to $90 million to establish a new renewable energy platform for net-zero energy solutions for Africa. The platform will provide energy for the commercial and industrial sectors. [ESI Africa]
Johannesburg (NJR ZA, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Ireland Mulling Mandatory Renewables Quota For Heat Sector By 2024” • The Irish government wants to introduce an unspecified renewable energy quota for the heating sector by 2024. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland recently predicted that heat pumps could cover 20% of the country’s heating demand in 2030. [PV Magazine]
¶ “Ukraine’s Nuclear Chief Says He Sees Signs Russia May Be Leaving Occupied Nuclear Plant” • The head of Ukraine’s state-run nuclear energy firm said on Sunday there were signs that Russian forces might be preparing to leave the vast Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant which they seized in March soon after their invasion. [Reuters]
Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant (Ralf1969, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)
Australia and New Zealand:
¶ “Electric Trucks Take The Load On The Road In New Zealand” • Reliance Transport, a last-mile cartage specialist based in South Auckland, New Zealand, commissioned two battery-powered Scania electric trucks, with the help of the Low Emission Transport Fund managed by Australia’s Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Queensland Windfarm To Provide Enough Power For 1.4 Million Homes With New $2 BIllion Investment” • With an investment of A$2 billion ($1.34 billion), one of Australia’s biggest windfarms will double its capacity to 2,000 MW, providing power for 1.4 million homes and accelerating Queensland’s exit from fossil fuels. [The Guardian]
Wind farm in Queensland (Carole Mackinney, Copyleft)
¶ “Councils Commit To Solar-Driven Renewable Energy Power Plan” • Seven New South Wales local councils united to buy electricity from the 115 MW Metz Solar Farm under a long-term power purchase agreement. They will buy enough renewable energy to allow their facilities and assets to transition eventually to 100% renewables. [pv magazine Australia]
¶ “Demonstrating The Micro Power Of Hydrogen” • Denham, a small coastal town in Western Australia, 820 km north of Perth, has the attention of the country as it trials a renewable hydrogen microgrid. The microgrid, believed to be one of the first of its kind worldwide, this month began producing hydrogen in the community. [Cosmos Magazine]
Denham, Western Australia (W Bulach, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
US:
¶ “Prince William And Kate To Visit US For Climate Change Prize” • In their first trip abroad since becoming Prince and Princess of Wales, William and Catherine will visit the US this week for an environmental prize. They will show their support for finding ways to tackle climate change, at the second annual Earthshot Prize awards in Boston. [BBC]
¶ “Renewables Providing Nearly A Quarter Of US Electricity In 2022” • US renewable energy sources provided almost 23% of the nation’s electrical generation during the first three-quarters of 2022, according to a report by the SUN DAY Campaign, which reviewed data released the day before Thanksgiving by the US Energy Information Administration. [reNews]
Wind turbine (Trygve Finkelsen, Pexels)
¶ “Ford Keeps Top Human Rights Ranking” • Ford has been named the top automotive brand in the World Benchmarking Alliance’s 2022 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark for the second consecutive year. Ford came in at number one on a list of 29 automotive companies. The benchmark examines corporate policies, processes, and practices. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “State Of Colorado Launches First EV Education Campaign” • The Colorado Energy Office and the Colorado Department of Transportation started an EV education campaign. They did this to raise awareness of state and federal EV tax credits and state EV infrastructure investments. They also did it to help first-time EV buyers prepare for EV ownership. [CleanTechnica]
Have a fundamentally superior day.
geoharvey 