Science and Technology:
¶ “People Building Artificial Beaver Dams In Drought-Stricken Montana” • In southwest Montana, landowners, volunteers, and others are wading into streams to create artificial beaver dams. The dams slow water runoff, which is quicker now with climate change bringing rain rather than snow. The dams may on day attract beavers. [Yale Climate Connections]
Beaver (Wolfgang Fürstenhöfer, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “How Climate Change Threatens To Close Ski Resorts” • Over Christmas and New Year, northwest Switzerland hit a record 20.9°C (70°F). The warm weather throughout the Alps is an omen of what awaits the ski industry. Many resorts are aware that they only have two options: close or adapt their business model to cope with mounting climate threats. [BBC]
¶ “Bill Gates Backs Start-Up Tackling Cow Burps” • Billionaire Bill Gates has announced an investment in Australian start-up Rumin8, which is developing a seaweed-based feed to reduce the methane emissions from cattle. Nearly a third of global methane emissions come from livestock and most of that is from beef and dairy cattle. [CNN]
Dairy herd in the Netherlands (Shyam, Unsplash)
¶ “Forecast: Europe Could End Reliance On Chinese Li-Ion Battery Cells By 2027” • Europe is on track to produce enough Li-ion cells by 2027 to meet its own demand for EVs and energy storage, analysis by Transport & Environment shows. But T&E said the EU needs a policy to counter US subsidies or risk losing investments in the EV supply chain. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “European Response To The US Inflation Reduction Act” • The European Green Deal has ambitious climate policies. It means to usher the EU into the net zero economy by 2050. But it requires a massive ramp up of technologies from wind turbines to EV batteries. The question is how much of the buildup’s value will be captured by European industry. [CleanTechnica]
Training at a BMW Group plant (Courtesy of BMW)
¶ “UAE Supports India’s Ambition Of 450 GW Of Renewable Energy By 2030” • The UAE’s expanded cooperation with India in the area of climate and clean energy aims to support New Delhi’s ambition to achieve 450 GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions by 2070, a senior official said. [EastMojo]
¶ “Wholesale Power Prices Fall On Renewable Energy Output To Bring Consumer Relief” • Embattled consumers are set for some welcome relief after sky-high wholesale electricity prices more than halved in the final three months of 2022, an analysis by the Australian Energy Market Operator shows. The prices fell on abundant renewable generation. [ABC]
Grid storage batteries (Victorian government image)
¶ “IAEA Rejects Russian Claims That Ukraine Stores Arms At Nuclear Power Plants” • The International Atomic Energy Agency rejected claims by Russia that Ukraine stores arms at Ukrainian nuclear power plants. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said he had instructed IAEA staff to inspect for arms and the results showed there were none at the plants. [UrduPoint]
US:
¶ “Aptera Responds To Customer Feedback, Makes DCFC Standard On All Vehicles” • One piece of news about the Aptera stirred up a lot of displeasure and controversy: the first run of vehicles would come without DC fast charging. Seeing that reaction, Aptera decided to do whatever it takes to have higher speed charging ready. [CleanTechnica]
Aptera (Courtesy of Aptera)
¶ “At A CAGR Of Over 15% In 2023 To 2028, The North America PV Market Will Boost The Region’s Renewable Energy Sector” • The demand for the Solar PVs is growing fast in North America. Factors are demand in the private and public sectors for clean electricity, strong government policies, and the falling cost of electricity generated by PVs. [Yahoo Finance]
¶ “Union Leaders Tell Biden, ‘Don’t Change The IRA’” • The leaders of several unions and environmental groups are urging US President Joe Biden to reject efforts by foreign governments and carmakers to revise the Federal EV tax incentives outlined in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The IRA has had a big effect on US automobile manufacturing. [CleanTechnica]
Solar EV charging station (Kindel Media, Pexels, cropped)
¶ “Granholm Ecstatic At Red State Surge In Renewable Energy: ‘That Is Fantastic!’” • At a White House press briefing, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm was asked by Yahoo News to weigh in on the sharp rise in renewable energy projects in Republican-led states like Texas since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act. “That is fantastic,” she said. [MSN]
¶ “Colorado Co-Op Signs On For 1.2 TWh Of Annual Renewable Energy” • Invenergy, a leading renewable energy company, said it has entered a wholesale power supply agreement with CORE Electric Cooperative, the largest nonprofit electric cooperative in Colorado, for 400 MW of new solar and wind power and 100 MW of battery storage. [pv magazine USA]
Solar panels (Invenergy image)
¶ “Federal Study Calls For Rooftop Solar Panels To Meet Puerto Rican Renewable Energy Goals” • Puerto Rico should install rooftop solar panels in such sites as airports and industrial areas to reach national renewable energy goals, a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory said. The island depends heavily on fossil fuels for electricity production. [The Hill]
¶ “NRC Rejects Request to Keep Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Online” • In 2022, PG&E asked the NRC to resume consideration of a 2009 application, which had been withdrawn in 2016, to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. The NRC rejected the proposal, saying that it needed current information on the plant’s condition. [POWER Magazine]
Have a simply resplendent day.
geoharvey 
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