World:
¶ “These Are The Places Most At Risk From Record-Breaking Heat Waves As The Planet Warms” • Dangerous heat waves are set to increase as the climate crisis intensifies, and they will be devastating in countries and regions that are least prepared for them, a study says. Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea, and Central America are especially at risk. [CNN]
Kabul (Mohammad Husaini, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Mexico To Triple EV Production In 2023” • The Inflation Reduction Act seems to be causing significant upheaval in the Mexican auto industry, away from the combustion engine and toward EVs and batteries. Numbers are still small, but they’re growing at significant rates, and this year is poised to triple the BEV production of 2022. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Italian Farmers Saving An Ancient Fruit With Solar Power” • The citron of Calabria in southern Italy had almost died out from extreme weather and lack of economic value. But growing the crop under a canopy of solar panels has given the fruit a new lease of life. Their work in agrivoltaics has lessons for many climate-stressed crops. [BBC]
Conventinally growing citron (Takeshi Mas, Unsplash)
¶ “UK Investors Form 5-GW Green Hydrogen JV” • Clean energy investor PASH Global and ERIH Holdings formed a 50-50 joint venture to develop green hydrogen and ammonia projects with a total of 5 GW of electrolyser capacity. The power for the projects will be 10 GW of renewable energy generation capacity such as solar, wind, and geothermal by 2030. [reNews]
¶ “Volkswagen To Build Its Largest Battery Cell Factory … In Canada” • The battery division of Volkswagen Group, PowerCo SE, is to build its biggest battery gigafactory ever in St Thomas, Ontario. A potential final expansion stage could produce of up to 90 GWh of batteries annually. They referred to this last month; now they are announcing it formally. [CleanTechnica]
Visualization of Gigafactory St. Thomas (Volkswagen AG image)
¶ “Iberdrola’s Renewables Generation Rises By 5.3% In Q1 2023” • Iberdrola’s renewables generation increased to 40,344 MW in Q1 2023. The 5.3% rise from the same period in 2022 was largely due to increases in its solar and onshore wind projects. Solar capacity rose by 40%, to 4,576 MW, due to new installations in Australia, Spain, the US, and Brazil. [reNews]
¶ “Caterpillar And NMG Make Amazing Circular Deal” • Mining company Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc and Caterpillar Inc have signed definitive agreements to provide a zero-exhaust emission fleet, supporting infrastructure, and service for NMG’s Matawinie Mine. Caterpillar will supply heavy mining equipment to help NMG get to zero exhaust emissions. [CleanTechnica]
Caterpillar electric hauler (Caterpillar image)
¶ “Ameresco And Sunel To Jointly Bid For 1.5 GW Of Renewable Energy Projects” • US-based cleantech integrator Ameresco and the Sunel Group teamed up to bid for 1.5 GW of solar PV and battery energy storage system projects in the UK and Europe. Projects in Greece, Italy, Spain, Romania, and the UK are already in the bidding phase. [Power Technology]
¶ “Ukraine Condemns Russian ‘Blackmail’ On The Anniversary Of Chernobyl” • On the anniversary of the Chernobyl Disaster, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned Russia is using nuclear power plants to blackmail the world. “We have to do everything to prevent the terrorist state from using nuclear power stations to blackmail Ukraine and the world.” [RTE]
Zelenskyy in the Donetsk region in June 2021
(Presidential Office of Ukraine, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “MPs And Activists Push Back As Ottawa Pitches Expansion Of Nuclear Energy” • Anti-nuclear activists and a cross-partisan group of MPs urge the Canadian government to drop its support for nuclear energy projects, calling the energy source a “dirty, dangerous distraction” from climate action. Ottawa is supporting small modular reactors. [Yahoo News Canada]
US:
¶ “Biden Administration Eyes A Relatively Untapped Climate Solution To Revolutionize How Homes Are Heated And Cooled” • The DOE is announcing that eleven communities, across a wide range in sizes, received the first round of funding to help them reimagine how our homes stay comfortable using geothermal heating and cooling. [CNN]
Pond Loop Being Sunk (Mark Johnson, public domain)
¶ “GM To Pull The Plug On Chevy Bolt And Bolt EUV This Year” • GM made the end of the Chevy Bolt official in its Q1 earnings call. CEO Mary Barra announced production of the Bolt EV and Bolt EUV would end this year. But GM is expanding its EV fleet, and the Orion Township, Michigan assembly plant will be used to make battery electric trucks. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Holcim US Joins The US DOE Better Climate Challenge To Strengthen Its Commitment To A Net-Zero Future” • Holcim US is getting involved in the Better Climate Challenge, reflecting an ambitious goal to power US operations at thirteen cement plants nationwide with 100% renewable energy by 2030 and to reach net zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. [World Cement]
Cement plant (DFID, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “El Paso To Vote On ‘Climate Charter’ Pitting Fossil Fuels Against Renewable Energy” • Voters in El Paso will head to the ballot box next month to vote on a climate change charter that would set aggressive targets for renewable energy growth while cutting back on fossil fuels. The proposal pits climate activists against industry groups. [Washington Examiner]
¶ “NC Bill Is Aiming To Remove Barriers To Nuclear Energy” • In North Carolina, a bill to change language in statutes from “renewable energy” to “clean energy” passed a key committee, paving the way for nuclear and fusion development. A leader in the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign says there are too many risks with nuclear energy. [WRAL News]
Have a generously encouraging day.
geoharvey 
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