Opinion:
¶ “Dispelling Myths Around Renewable Energy Technologies” • Despite the falling costs of renewable energy, and their growing share in the global energy mix, fossil fuel companies and their allied politicians keep pushing myths that question renewables’ viability to replace fossil fuels and attempt to justify fossil fuel-based solutions. [Energy Monitor]
Wind turbines (Filipe Resmini, Unsplash, cropped)
World:
¶ “Sandstorm Hits Beijing And Northern China For The Fourth Time In A Month” • A severe sandstorm has cloaked Beijing and China’s northeastern regions for the fourth time in one month forcing some residents to stay indoors to protect themselves from dense air pollution. On Monday, the air quality index soared to “severely polluted” levels. [CNN]
¶ “Proposed 1,200 MW Floating Solar PV Plant In Zimbabwe Could Increase Generation By 44%” • China Energy Engineering Group has proposed to construct a 1,200 MW DC floating solar PV plant on Lake Kariba to help with Zimbabwe’s unprecedented power crisis. The floating solar plant would cover 25 km² (about 1.34%) of the reservoir’s area. [CleanTechnica]
Kariba Dam (Image from ZRA)
¶ “Nextracker Lands Order For 1.56 GW India Solar Project” • Media reports say Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy will procure trackers for a 1.56-GW solar power project in the state of Gujarat. The company is building the project for India’s largest power generation company, NTPC Limited. It is expected to be commissioned by June 2024. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Coal Power Station Closes As State Transitions To Renewable Energy” • The Liddell Power Station in New South Wales, a coal-fired power station which first came online in 1971, has been shut down. The facility proved unreliable, having to be restarted 335 times in 2022, and it consistently failed to produce its maximum amount of power. [Utility Magazine]
Liddell plant in 2006 (Webaware, public domain)
¶ “Nuclear Power Plants: China And Russia Are Dominating The World’s Nuclear Trade” • At the beginning of this year, of the 59 reactors under construction in the world, 22 were in China, and 43 are of either Russian or Chinese technology, according to data from the World Nuclear Industry Status Report. Other countries are left far behind. [Globe Echo]
US:
¶ “Los Angeles, Las Vegas And Other Major Cities Could Face Huge Water Cuts In Feds’ Proposed Plan To Save The Colorado River” • The Biden administration released a highly anticipated analysis of the Colorado River crisis. It paints a dire picture of what that river system’s collapse would portend for the West’s major cities, farmers, and Native tribes. [CNN]
Las Vegas (Ryan Hafey, Unsplash)
¶ “See The Chipotle Of The Future” • The casual Mexican fast food chain Chipotle unveiled an all-electric restaurant design that is completely powered by renewable energy. The gas grills that are a focal point for walk-in customers are being replaced by electric systems. The chain’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030. [CNN]
¶ “Porsche Behind World’s Biggest Factory For Silicon Battery Materials” • Porsche has been running behind the EV pack, but it appears to be set to catch up. The company has put money into the US startup Group14 Technologies, which is building a silicon battery materials factory in Washington state billed as the largest facility of its kind in the world. [CleanTechnica]
Group14 factory in Washington State (Courtesy of Group14)
¶ “Tesla Market Cap Up To $585 Billion” • The last week has not been great, but Tesla’s stock is on a tear this year, up almost 73% for the year to date. With analysts looking ahead to the next nine months of the year, investors in Tesla stock have pushed its market capitalization up significantly in recent months, to $585 billion. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Electric School Buses Upgrades Linked To Increased Student Attendance” • Replacing all of the oldest school buses in the nation could lead to 1.3 million fewer daily absences annually, according to a University of Michigan study. The suspected cause of these preventable absences is exposure to high levels of diesel exhaust fumes in bus cabins. [CleanTechnica]
School bus (Courtesy of GreenPower Motor Company)
¶ “Biden Administration Approves Construction Of 700-Mile Transmission Line Across US West” • The US Bureau of Land Management announced that it has approved the construction of a 732-mile high-voltage transmission line across the Western US that will help transport renewable energy from Wyoming to southern Nevada. [The Hill]
¶ “Sea Level Rise: Scientists Find ‘Unprecedented’ Rates Along Some US Coasts” • A study published in Nature Communications found that since 2010, sea level rise along the nation’s Southeast and Gulf coasts has increased dramatically. Scientists at Tulane University found that sea levels in those regions have increased by about half an inch every year. [Vigour Times]
Ft Lauderdale (Daniel Halseth, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “FEMA Sued Over Lack Of Renewables In Rebuilding Puerto Rico’s Power Grid” • Advocacy groups are suing the US Federal Emergency Management Agency, saying it is incorrectly ignoring renewable energy while using billions of dollars in congressional funding to rebuild Puerto Rico’s power grid, making the island less resilient. [1450 AM 99.7 FM WHTC]
¶ “Green Oceans’ Persuasion Methods Echo Those Of National Climate Change Deniers” • A 22-page report by the Climate and Development Lab at Brown University concludes that Green Oceans, a citizens group based in Rhode Island that lobbies against offshore wind projects, bases its arguments on techniques of disinformation funded by fossil fuels. [ecoRI News]
Have an agreeably sustainable day.
geoharvey 
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