World:
¶ “An ‘Unprecedented Drought’ Is Affecting The Panama Canal. El Niño Could Make It Worse” • An “unprecedented drought” is affecting the Panama Canal’s water supply, and it is leading authorities to impose surcharges and weight limits on ships traversing the key global trade route, according to the Panama Canal Authority. [CNN]
Panama Canal (Michael D Camphin, Pexels)
¶ “IEA: Renewable Energy Growth Projected To Reach Up To $1.7 Trillion In 2023” • Aside from mitigating the effects of climate change, the IEA said countries that invest in renewable energy will see economic benefits. IEA Deputy Executive Director Mary Warlick said annual growth in renewable energy is expected to reach up to $1.7 trillion this year. [ABS-CBN News]
¶ “Finland’s Plan To Bury Spent Nuclear Fuel For 100,000 Years” • The Onkalo geological disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel is nearing completion. It cost €1 billion (£860 million, $1.07 billion) to build and is expected to begin operations in about two years. Its arrival has been hailed as a game changer by many, including the International Atomic Energy Agency. [BBC]
Onkalo (kallerna, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)
¶ “South Africa Expects To Add 5,500 MW Of Renewable Energy To The Grid By 2026” • South Africa expects more than 5,500 MW of additional renewable energy projects to come online by 2026, according to electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa. He said that 66,000 MW of wind and solar projects are under development in the country. [ZAWYA]
¶ “China Offers To Donate 66 GW Of Solar And Wind Power Equipment To South Africa” • The Chinese government has offered to donate to South Africa solar PV panels and generators that can be installed at public institutions to prevent power disruptions, according to Chen Xiaodong, China’s ambassador to South Africa. [The Mail & Guardian]
Wind turbines (Thomas Reaubourg, Unsplash)
¶ “Asia Leads Charge In Renewable Energy Growth” • IRENA’s report Renewable Capacity Statistics 2023 shows that in 2022, Asia accounted for nearly 60% of the worldwide increase in renewable energy generating capacity, resulting in a total of 1.63 TW of renewable capacity by year end. A huge part of this increase was in China. [PV Magazine]
¶ “Electricity Imports Surpass Nuclear Power In The UK” • Electricity imports in the UK have overtaken nuclear power generation as the country experiences a decline in nuclear output to its lowest level in 40 years. The findings come from the Q1 edition of the Electric Insights report, compiled by Imperial College London. [Energy Live News]
Heysham nuclear power plant (Rwendland, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
Australia:
¶ “Australia Set For Cheaper Solar Power As Supply Of Panels Soars, Says Report” • Australians could soon start to benefit from cheaper solar panels as a dive in raw material costs and a “boom” in global output delivers annual solar electricity price falls of 10% for the rest of the decade, according to a report by Climate Energy Finance. [The Guardian]
¶ “Copenhagen Energy Receives State Backing For Oz Project” • Copenhagen Energy has received support from the government of Western Australia as it progresses plans for its Leeuwin Offshore Wind Farm project. The project has been awarded lead agency status by the state’s Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation. [reNews]
Leeuwin Offshore Wind Farm (Copenhagen Energy image)
¶ “Historic Moment In Australia’s Energy Transition: Hazelwood Battery Energy Storage System Is Commissioned” • Marking a new era in Australia’s energy transition, Hazelwood is the first retired coal-fired power station in the country to host battery storage. It is a key moment in repurposing former thermal assets for renewable technologies. [Yahoo Finance]
US:
¶ “House Passes GOP-Led Gas Stove Bill” • The House is taking up a pair of GOP-led bills that Republicans say would prevent a nationwide ban on gas stoves, despite the White House’s insistence that it has no such plans. The chamber passed the first of the two bills by a vote of 248 to 180. The issue has become part of the political culture wars. [CNN]
Gas stove (Eduardo Pastor, Unsplash)
¶ “$192 Million To Advance Battery Recycling Technology From Joe Biden Administration” • The US DOE announced more than $192 million in funding for recycling batteries from consumer products, launching an advanced battery R&D consortium, and the continuation of the Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Prize, which began in 2019. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Form Energy To Supply 15-MW, 1500-MWh Battery To Georgia Power” • Form Energy announced that it is moving forward with its agreement with Georgia Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company, to deploy a 15-MW, 1500 MWh iron-air battery system. The battery system is expected to come online as early as 2026. [CleanTechnica]
PV array in Georgia (Jud McCranie, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Solar + Battery Microgrid Provides Seminole Tribe Of Florida With Energy Security” • The Seminole Tribe Of Florida is installing solar PVs with battery storage on its rural Reservation of Big Cypress. The primary goals of the project are to provide reliable electricity to residents during grid outages and weather events and to lower energy costs. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “US Energy Department Launches Plan To Relocate Spent Nuclear Fuel” • The prospect of removing spent nuclear fuel stored at the decommissioning San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station came one step closer to being realized after the US DOE initiated a plan to find temporary repositories while a permanent site is completed. [The Coast News]
Have a wonderfully delightful day.
geoharvey 
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