Science and Technology:
¶ “Industrial Heat Will Decarbonize With Electricity Instead Of Molecules. Here Is Why” • Electrification with resistance is usually more efficient for high temperatures. Burning fossil fuels creates a lot of waste heat. If a process needs 10 MW of heat provided by natural gas, often only 5 MW of electricity is needed to replace it. [CleanTechnica]
Glass making (Paul Harrison, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Drought, Heat Waves Could Worsen Air Pollution For Vulnerable Communities” • Research suggests that the hardships inflicted by heat and drought may be more widespread than previously thought. Heat and drought worsened air pollution for low-income and non-white communities throughout California, according to a study. [Los Angeles Times]
World:
¶ “This Once-Thriving Lake Has All But Dried Up. It’s A Story Repeated Across Europe As The Drought Deepens” • Lake Montbel is a shimmering, turquoise lake, stretching across 1,400 acres of southwest France, in the foothills of the Pyrenees. But after the driest winter in more than six decades, it is at about 28% of its capacity. Much of Europe is in drought. [CNN]
Lake Montbel (Carolina Betancur, Unsplash)
¶ “With Tesla Price Cuts, Tesla Growing Faster In EU Than Any Other Automaker” • Some analysts claimed that Elon Musk and Tesla’s sweeping price reductions were a sign of weak demand. However, new data approaching the end of the first quarter shows how the move has boosted the automaker’s market share in a few key world markets. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Weichai’s Electric Trucks Will Use BYD’s Blade Battery” • BYD’s revolutionary LFP Blade Battery has been instrumental in boosting production and sales of BYD’s battery EVs as well as its “Super Hybrid” DM-i and DM-p plug-in hybrids. BYD sales have been growing rapidly, but the company is also offering its Blade Battery to other OEMs. [CleanTechnica]
Blade Battery (Image courtesy of BYD)
¶ “BYD Partners With EV Cab Service In India, Will Deliver 100 BYD E6s With Blade Battery” • BYD has partnered with Evera, a cab service based in New Delhi. BYD will deliver 100 e6 station wagon EVs. Evera provides app-based cab services in the Indian capital. This will be one of the largest orders of EVs in the fleet sector for BYD India. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Luxon Takes Aim At Red Tape In Ambitious Plan To Boost Renewable Energy Production” • New Zealand’s National Party says its new renewable energy policy will double the amount of electricity produced from solar, wind, and geothermal plants. Leader Christopher Luxon announced plans to change consent rules to get renewable capacity built faster. [RNZ]
New Zealand geothermal plant (Ingolfson, public domain)
¶ “Fortescue Signs Renewable Power Supply For 300-MW Green Hydrogen Project” • Fortescue Future Industries says it signed a long term contract for renewable power to supply its proposed 300-MW green hydrogen and green ammonia facility to be built in Norway. Statkraft will supply the electricity, presumably from hydropower. [Renew Economy]
¶ “Record Level Of Renewable Electricity Generated In Scotland During 2022” • Renewable electricity generation reached record levels in Scotland during 2022. Over the year, total of 35.3 TWh was generated, up 28.1% on 2021 and an increase of 9.8% from 2020 – the previous record year. The rise was mainly driven by increased onshore wind generation. [insider.co.uk]
Whitelee wind farm (Scottish Government, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Urgent Action Needed To Harness Africa’s Renewable Energy Sources” • African Development Bank Group President Dr Akinwumi Adesina has told a high-level international conference in Berlin that urgent action is needed to reduce the world’s dependence on fossil fuels and harness Africa’s renewable energy sources. [Devdiscourse]
¶ “Photo From Inside Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant Shows Fresh View Of Damage” • Damage to the interior of a structure at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant can be seen in a photo released by Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Inc. Part of the pedestal’s inner wall can be seen to have melted away, exposing its rebar. [Asia News Network]
Damage at the Fukushima plant
(International Research Institute for Nuclear Decommissioning)
¶ “Scotland Slams UK’s Nuclear Emphasis In Energy Security Plan” • The Scottish Government condemned the recent move by the UK Government to prioritise nuclear power. In its policy plan, Powering Up Britain, the UK Government launched the Great British Nuclear which will be responsible for driving the delivery of new nuclear projects. [Energy Live News]
US:
¶ “They’re Drilling For Liquid Gold In Texas, But This Time It Isn’t Oil – It’s Lithium!” • If you see a drilling rig going up in Texas, it’s easy to assume that it must have something to do with oil and gas production. But some drilling rigs in east Texas are helping provide the lithium clean technologies like electric cars and home energy storage need. [CleanTechnica]
Drilling rig (Standard Lithium image)
¶ “Sun Day Campaign EIA Data Review Shows US Renewable Energy Generation Grew By 8.3% In 2022” • According to a review by the Sun Day Campaign of data recently released by the US Energy Information Administration, renewable energy sources provided 12.99% of the nation’s total energy production in 2022. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
¶ “REI’s Renewable Energy Goal Climbs To New Heights” • The Recreational Equipment Inc Co-op set and achieved a 100% renewable energy goal a decade ago. This week, it announced it’s upleveling that commitment, pledging to source local renewable energy in each of its 181 stores and to support clean energy projects. [Greenbiz]
Have a marvelously lovely day.
geoharvey 