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Opinion:

¶ “What’s A Fair Tax On EV Drivers? It’s Debatable, But Texas Is Definitely Gouging Us” • Road construction and maintenance is largely funded by gasoline taxes, so a car that uses no gasoline is not paying its fair share of costs. In Texas, a one-time $400 fee when an EV is purchased plus an annual $200 fee going forward covers this – and then some. [CleanTechnica]

Road work (Robert Linder, Unsplash, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Songbirds In The Hot Seat As Climate Change Impacts Alarm Calls” • An international study predicted that high temperatures caused by climate change will impact the ability of the common songbirds great tits (Parus major) to sound the alarm and scare off predators, potentially impacting the species future. The birds are sensitive to heat. [The University of Western Australia]

¶ “The Race Is On To Tap A Source Of Clean Energy Beneath Our Feet” • Hot, dry rocks lie below the surface everywhere on the planet. And by using advanced drilling techniques developed by the oil and gas industry, some experts think it’s possible to tap that larger store of heat and create geothermal energy almost anywhere. [The Japan Times]

Monkey in a hot spring (Steven Diaz, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Kia Announces Efforts To Clean Up Oceans And Better Inform The Public About EVs” • Recent press releases from Kia tell two stories of the company’s environmental work. Kia is supporting efforts to remove plastics and other garbage from the ocean, and has an upcoming event it’s attending to help educate the public about EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Fisker Expands In Canada And Three European Countries, Showing It Understands The Truck Market” • Three different stories about Fisker give us a look into the company’s plans for global expansion, and we also see that the company “gets it” when it comes to the Alaska truck (which should be a good seller in the States). [CleanTechnica]

Fisker Ocean Force E (Fisker image)

¶ “Government Greenlights Plans To Build A Massive, $700 Million ‘Water Battery’ That Will Help Prevent Power Outages” • The energy company Drax Group has the Scottish government’s go-ahead to build a £500 million ($634 million) “water battery.” The pumped storage hydro plant is part of a plan to strengthen the UK’s power grid. [Yahoo News]

¶ “Newfoundland Picks Four Wind Projects To Power Hydrogen Plants” • Canada’s gusty Atlantic province of Newfoundland and Labrador selected four companies to develop wind farms to supply power for new hydrogen plants, conditional on further approvals. They would help Canada fulfill a pledge to supply green hydrogen to Germany by 2025. [Reuters]

Houses in Newfoundland (Erik Mclean, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Deadly Tropical Storm Idalia Floods Parts Of South Carolina After Pummeling Florida” • Idalia weakened to a tropical storm as it dumped heavy rain, unleashed strong winds and knocked out power in parts of southern Georgia and the Carolinas, just hours after pummeling Florida’s west coast and inundating communities there with floodwater. [CNN]

¶ “The Ways Hurricane Idalia Made History” • Hurricane Idalia made history, proving to be a once-in-a-lifetime storm for parts of Florida. After rapid intensification over warm Gulf waters, it was the most powerful hurricane to make landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region in more than 125 years. And it set records for storm surge from Tampa to the Big Bend. [CNN]

Flooding from Hurricane Idalia (Andrew Heneen, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “TEMPO Instrument Captures Its First Images Of Air Pollution Over Greater North America” • The first images, collected once per hour over a six-hour time window August 2, give a preview of TEMPO’s ability to track nitrogen dioxide on an hourly basis in geographic areas as small as four square miles, about the size of the National Mall in Washington, DC. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hope In Michigan: One Policy, Big Impact” • The Michigan legislature appears to be pursuing a clean energy standard that requires 60% of utility electricity be from renewable or nuclear energy by 2030, and 100% by 2035. This is more ambitious than what was first proposed, and Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she will support that effort. [CleanTechnica]

Marquette, Michigan (Gary Meulemans, Unsplash)

¶ “Motiv Power Systems Introduces New Electric Truck Series” • California-based Motiv Power Systems introduced the its Argo Series electric trucks. They can be used for various applications, such as shuttle buses, box trucks, step vans, and refrigerated vehicles. Motiv Power Systems CEO Tim Krauskopf provided some insights. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Alliant Energy Reports Over 50% Of Energy From Renewable Sources” • Alliant Energy, the third-largest windpower operator in the US, increased production by 25% from 2021 levels. Its Iowa utility increased the share of renewable energy to its customers by double digits, raising the percentage of renewable energy for retail customers to 52.7%. [Corridor Business Journal]

Iowa wind turbines (Drew Hays, Unsplash)

¶ “Hochul Inks Indian Point Bill But Radiological Waste Debate Rages On” • The owners of the shuttered Indian Point nuclear plant planned to dump a million gallons of radiological water into the Hudson River. State Senator Pete Harckham introduced a bill to make such a discharge illegal. Now the bill is passed, and Governor Hochul has signed it into law. [Yahoo News]

¶ “Xcel Energy Seeks License Extension For Monticello Nuclear Plant” • The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission granted Xcel Energy approval to extend operations of the Monticello nuclear plant through 2040, increasing the storage of spent nuclear fuel at the site. The utility is also asking the NRC to extend the plant’s license. [Power Engineering]

Have a reassuringly fulfilling day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “The Bacteria That Can Capture Carbon” • Scientists have recently discovered a microbe, a type of cyanobacteria, off the coast of a volcanic island near Sicily, that eats carbon dioxide “astonishingly quickly.” The microbes found in September 2022 are “hyper-efficient at taking up CO₂ through photosynthesis,” one scientist said. [BBC]

Cyanobacteria (Luke Thompson and Nikki Watson, CC1)

¶ “Kia And Wallbox Partner For Bidirectional EV Charging” • This article shares some news from Kia and Wallbox America about their plan to offer bidirectional charging, as they are collaborating to introduce bidirectional charging to Kia’s EV9 customers. But the start gives readers unfamiliar with V2X technology a quick primer on it. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Chinese People Are Living Two Years Longer Thanks To ‘War On Pollution,’ Report Says” • Ten years ago, China’s capital was often covered in thick yellow and gray smog. The air quality was so bad that Chinese leaders launched a multibillion-dollar “war against pollution.” A decade on, China’s pollution levels had fallen 42%. [CNN]

Great Wall (Hanson Lu, Unsplash)

¶ “China Promised Climate Action. Its Emissions Topped US, EU, And India Combined” • China produces about 30% of the world’s total emissions – more than the US, the EU and India combined, according to Global Carbon Budget 2022. More than any other country, China holds the power to make or break global efforts to prevent a climate catastrophe. [Al Jazeera]

¶ “Still Enormous Coal Use And Growth In China And India” • China and India together consumed 67% of total global coal production in 2022, as China burned 52% and India accounted for 15%. Although both countries are also installing massive amounts of renewables, their consumption of coal is unlikely to decline for some time. [CleanTechnica]

Burning coal (Juan Encalada, Unsplash)

¶ “Oz First Nations Player Signs Solar, Storage Agreements” • Desert Springs Octopus, a majority Indigenous owned and operated company backed Octopus Australia, has announced renewable energy Benefit Sharing Agreements with Northern Territory community organisations for a total of 160 to 230 MW of solar PVs with battery backup. [reNews]

¶ “Fossil Fuels’ Share In EU Power Mix At Lowest Level Since Records Began” • Fossil fuels produced just 33% of EU power in the first half of 2023, the lowest share in records going back to 1990, think tank Ember said. The main reason was lower demand for electricity, which meant the rising renewable energy output could meet more of the demand. [Reuters]

Hallstatt, Austria (Joss Woodhead, Unsplash)

¶ “Chris Bowen’s Five Reasons Why Nuclear Is Wrong For Australia” • After 10 years of denial and delay on climate action, Chris Bowen, the Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy, says he is not interested in more years of distraction by nuclear energy, an energy source that “clearly doesn’t stack up for our country.” [Proactive Investors]

US:

¶ “EPA Reduces Federally Protected Waters By More Than Half After Supreme Court Ruling” • The Environmental Protection Agency and US Army released a new rule that reduces federally protected water by over half. A Supreme Court decision in May had rolled back protections for US wetlands. By acerage, 63% of US wetlands could be impacted. [CNN]

Wetlands (p j, Unsplash)

¶ “Hurricane Idalia Is Expected To Hit Florida As A Category 4 Storm. Officials Warn Of ‘Potential For Death And Catastrophic Devastation’” • The National Hurricane Center warned Hurricane Idalia could hit Florida’s west coast as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm on Wednesday morning, as Idalia continued to intensify and churn toward the state. [CNN]

¶ “What Is A Storm Surge And Why Is It Deadly?” • As Hurricane Idalia barrels towards Florida, over 1.5 million people in 28 counties have been asked to evacuate due to its potential storm surge. The “life-threatening” coastal flood could bring ocean water up 10 to 15 feet (3-5 m) above ground level, the National Weather Service said. [BBC]

Hurricane approaching (Craig Cameron, Unsplash)

¶ “Biden DOJ Tells Court There Is No Constitutional Right To A Stable Climate” • Our Children’s Trust developed a legal theory that a lack of government action on climate change infringes on rights to life, liberty, and equal protection as set forth in the 14th Amendment. The DOJ said “there is no constitutional right to a stable climate system.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Department Of The Treasury Releases Guidance On Inflation Reduction Act Provision” • The US Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service released proposed rules on key provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act to ensure clean energy jobs are good-paying jobs with a robust, diverse pipeline of workers. [CleanTechnica]

Worker on the job (IWSI America image)

¶ “There’s A Vast Source Of Clean Energy Beneath Our Feet, And A Race To Tap It” • In a sagebrush valley full of wind turbines and solar panels in western Utah, a drilling rig transplanted from the oil fields of North Dakota. But the softly whirring rig was not searching for fossil fuels. It was drilling for heat, which could be just as powerful for fighting climate change. [Yahoo]

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Holds First-Ever Gulf Of Mexico Offshore Wind Energy Auction” • The Interior Departmentheld the first offshore wind auction for the Gulf of Mexico region. RWE Offshore US Gulf, LLC won the Lake Charles Lease Area, with a potential to generate approximately 1.24 GW of offshore wind capacity. [US Department of the Interior]

Have a cheeringly lovely day.

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Opinion:

¶ “We Need A Cash For Stinkers Program” • Like the Cash for Clunkers program of the financial crisis, we need a ‘Cash for Stinkers’ program to battle the climate crisis. Its goals would be to slow climate change, create a more just subsidy policy, and get ICE stinkers off the road, while making EVs more affordable for owners of the most polluting vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

Tired car (david latorre romero, Unsplash)

¶ “Automakers Try To Dodge Their EV Commitments” • Car commercials and public pronouncements sure make it sounds like automakers are all in on EVs. But contrary to their public commitments, automakers are trying to head off new federal standards that could bring about the transition to EVs that they claim to support. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Did Hunting Mammoths To Extinction Kick Off Climate Change?” • For most people interested in climate change, it all started with the industrial revolution, but that’s only when it went into overdrive. The rise of agriculture, mass deforestation, and the destruction of native species had already led to smaller but still significant changes in the climate. [CleanTechnica]

Steppe Mammoth (April Pethybridge, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Schools Egged, Businesses Harassed: Japan Suffers Chinese Backlash Over Fukushima Release” • Online harassment and vitriol directed at Japanese people following the release of treated radioactive wastewater from Fukushima has sent tensions between Japan and China soaring, prompting Tokyo to summon the Chinese ambassador. [CNN]

¶ “Chevron: Workers At Major Australia Gas Facilities To Strike” • Workers at two large liquefied natural gas plants in Australia, operated by US energy giant Chevron, are set to go on strike from 7 September, in a move that could drive up global prices. The Wheatstone and Gorgon sites produce more than 5% of the world’s LNG. [BBC]

Chevron LNG tanker (Chevron image)

¶ “Climate Change Has Ravaged India’s Rice Stock. Now Its Export Ban Could Deepen A Global Food Crisis” • Last month, India announced a ban on exporting non-basmati white rice in a bid to calm rising prices at home and ensure food security. India has since followed with more restrictions on its rice exports, triggering fears of global food shortages. [CNN]

¶ “Drought Threatens Shipping On World Waterways” • Today, 90% of all goods travel by ship at some point. But thanks in part to emissions from ships, drought conditions in several parts of the world have lowered the water level in many rivers and canals to the point where ships can no longer carry some cargoes to their destinations. [CleanTechnica]

Panama Canal (Wellington Luck, Panama Canal Authority)

¶ “Toyota Corolla Killer? The BYD Dolphin!” • With a price point of less than A$40,000 ($25,780) and 410 km of range, the BYD Dolphin is not only competing with its fellow triplets (the MG 4 and the ORA Cat) but also with similarly sized ICE cars. We now have a full battery electric car that is cheaper than the hybrid Toyota Corolla! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “World’s Largest Floating Offshore Wind Farm Officially Opened” • The Hywind Tampen wind farm was opened recently by Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. Gullfaks and Snorre are the first oil and gas fields in the world to receive power from offshore wind, reducing CO₂ emissions. The Hywind Tampen wind farm has a capacity of 88 MW. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Crown Prince Haakon (Ole Jørgen Bratland, Equinor)

¶ “$3 Billion Rewiring The Nation Deal To Power Wa Jobs And Growth” • The governments of Australia and Western Australia signed an agreement to further Western Australia’s growth of affordable and more secure renewable energy. The deal will bolster WA’s energy security by expanding and modernising the electricity grids. [Prime Minister of Australia]

US:

¶ “Tropical Storm Idalia Is Expected To Rapidly Intensify As It Aims For Florida’s Gulf Coast, Threatening To Hit As A Category 3 Hurricane” • Florida is bracing for “major impact” as Tropical Storm Idalia is expected to strengthen rapidly into a Category 3 hurricane aiming for its Gulf Coast, threatening dangerous storm surge and winds, authorities said. [CNN]

Expected path of Idalia (NOAA image)

¶ “FEMA Announces $3 Billion For Climate Resiliency As Time Runs Low For Congress To Replenish Its Disaster Fund” • In a year that is breaking records for disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has announced nearly $3 billion to help communities build resiliency against climate change-fueled extreme weather. [CNN]

¶ “California Gas Utility Settles With AG After Greenwashing Allegations” • In 2019, Southern California Gas Company made multiple claims falsely portraying its natural gas as “renewable,” when 95% of  it was fossil natural gas. Recently, the California Attorney General reached a settlement, which included a fine and retraction statement. [CleanTechnica]

Aliso Canyon natural gas plant (Scott L, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “After Blistering Summer, Texas Voters To Decide If Billions Should Go To Power Plants” • Grid operator ERCOT barely kept up with record electricity demands in the summer heat in Texas. Voters will decide whether the state government should set up a multi-billion dollar program to encourage construction of more traditional power plants. [NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth]

¶ “Convicted Ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder Moved To Oklahoma Prison To Begin His 20-Year Sentence” • Larry Householder was one of those convicted in March of conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving bribery and money laundering in a $1 billion bailout for a nuclear plant. Now he is in Oklahoma. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Have a nicely ordered day.

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(, CC-BY-SA 3.0) km² CO₂ NH₃ CH₄ ₹ NOₓ ‽ ♦♦♦♦♦

Opinion:

¶ “Can California Cropland Be Repurposed For Community Solar?” • When you think of solar power, California undoubtedly comes to mind. But surprisingly, its community solar programs haven’t been able to gain traction. Out of the 5,700 MW of all installed community solar in the country, less than 1% of that is in California. That may change. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array (Courtesy of Argonne National Laboratory)

¶ “Too Reliant On Natural Gas, Florida Needs A Plan For Energy Security” • Florida temperatures are breaking records, and heat indexes have hit 110°F in some areas. As Florida grapples with intense temperatures and increasing energy demands, we must prioritize the development of an affordable and reliable energy security plan for the state. [Tampa Bay Times]

Science and Technology:

¶ “We Reviewed More Than 150 Papers On Water Management. Here’s What We Learned” • Hydroeconomic modeling is a tool for water management. It gets complicated when you balance water use by people, agriculture, ecosystems, energy production, and recreation. Now add flood management, politics, economics, and climate change! [CleanTechnica]

Snake River, Grand Tetons (Elton Menefee, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “The Other ‘Niño’ That Fuels The Most Destructive Atlantic Hurricanes” • Scientists are starting to study closely a weather phenomenon they had know about for years. Called the “Atlantic Niño,” it may have an outsized influence on a hurricane season’s destructive potential, since they fuel some of the Atlantic Oceans’ most intense storms. [BBC]

¶ “China’s Summer Of Climate Destruction” • China’s summer this year has seen both extreme heat and devastating floods, which struck areas where such weather has been unheard of. Scientists, who blame climate change, warn that the worst is yet to come. The crop loss in Heilongjiang Province alone had major impacts on the country’s food supplies. [BBC]

Farm field in Heilongjiang Province (Jay Fang, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Schneider Electric And FAS Form A Partnership To Bring Renewable Energy To Communities In The Amazon” • Schneider Electric and Fundacão Amazonia Sustentável agreed to identify and implement ways for indigenous and riverside communities to gain access renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions in the Legal Amazon region. [MarketScreener]

¶ “Suzlon Picks Up 201.6-MW Indian Order” • Suzlon Group has secured an order of more than 201 MW for its 3-MW series of wind turbines from Teq Green Power XI Private, part of O2 Power Private. The agreement will see Suzlon install 64 of its largest wind turbine generators with a Hybrid Lattice Tubular tower and a capacity of 3.15 MW. [reNews]

Suzlon turbine (Suzlon image)

¶ “How Solar Power Is Heralding The Global Energy Revolution” • This year, the world will install as much solar power as existed globally in 2017. Next year, 2018’s total will be added to existing levels. In these two years, worldwide solar capacity will almost double. If Bloomberg NEF is correct in their forecasts, an energy revolution is under way. [The National]

¶ “European Energy To Build 65-MW Solar Plant In Lithuania” • European Energy, a Danish renewable energy company, plans to build a 65-MW solar project in Anyksciai, Lithuania. Considered to be one of the largest solar farms till date in the Baltics, the new plant is expected to be operational in the fourth quarter of this year. [Power Technology]

Solar farm (European Energy image)

¶ “French Energy Regulator: Nuclear Alone Not Enough For Carbon Neutrality” • If France is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, it must integrate renewables into its energy mix, according to the head of the country’s energy regulator, RTE, who believes nuclear power alone will not be enough to do it. France needs to diversify further its energy mix. [EURACTIV.com]

US:

¶ “The Kia EV9 Might Be The 3-Row EV For The Rest Of Us” • If you have four or five kids, the options for EVs are not great, and nothing is cheap. That’s why the Kia EV9, which the company announced recently, is exciting. Though the company has not yet released the price, it will almost certainly be less expensive than a large Tesla or Rivian. [CleanTechnica]

Kia EV9 (Kia image)

¶ “Agrivoltaics To Save US Farmland From Buildings” • Partly fueled by misinformation about climate change, some people argue that solar power is not a proper use of farmland, missing the more significant loss of land to development. Agrivoltaics, the dual use of farmland with solar arrays, can be the solution to farmland loss, not the cause. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Maui Fires: Upcoming Bankruptcy Spikes Visitor Costs To All Islands Except Kauai” • Many expect the behemoth Hawaiian Electric Company to be forced into bankruptcy by the recent Maui wildfires. HECO supplies all of Hawaii’s electricity, except for what is used on the island of Kauai, which has its own power company and uses renewables. [Beat of Hawaii]

Remembering Maui (Benjamin Rascoe, Unsplash)

¶ “US Launches Marine Energy Research Fund” • The US Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office is to provide multi-million dollar funding to support marine energy research in the country. WPTO expects to release this funding opportunity in fall 2023 in partnership with DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office. [reNews]

¶ “Texas Launches ‘Virtual Power Plants’ To Strengthen Electric Grid” • The Public Utility Commission of Texas announced two virtual power plants are now able to provide power to the electric grid. These virtual power plants are bundles of small devices, like backup generators and EV chargers, owned by consumers, many customers with Tesla Electric. [KVII]

Have a perfectly pleasant day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Technologies To Enhance The Power Grid Exist, We Just Need To Deploy Them” • The Inflation Reduction Act is pushing the US toward a clean energy future. Unfortunately, our existing transmission system limitations threaten to undermine the law’s clean energy potential. Thankfully, new technologies are poised to integrate more renewable capacity. [MSN]

Transmission lines (Andrey Metelev, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “How Wind Can Help Us Breathe Easier” • Windpower gives us energy that does not contribute to global warming or pollute the air. But what is the monetary value of this benefit? Multiplying CO₂ avoided by the social cost of carbon results in a benefit of $99/MWh for wind generation. That exceeds the value of the same energy from fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Zika, Dengue Transmission Expected To Rise With Climate Change” • There were 1,016 deaths in Brazil due to dengue hit a record high in 2022, in four digits for the first time. The sobering number is expected to be even higher in 2023. Transmission of arboviruses could increase by 20% over the next 30 years due to climate change. [The Good Men Project]

Protection from mosquitoes (Aarón Blanco Tejedor, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “A Losing Battle To Save The Lungs Of Athens As Wildfires Grip Greece” • Fires are raging across Greece, and with so many frontlines there are simply not enough firefighters in the country to stop them. You can feel them in the parched air scratching at your throat and stinging your eyes. Breathing is hard and the air is thick with acrid smoke. [CNN]

¶ “The Indigenous Groups Fighting Against The Quest For ‘White Gold’” • “Our land is drying up and our water is polluted,” said a protester at a roadblock in the village of Purmamarca, high in the Andes. The village is in what has become known as the “lithium triangle,” a stretch of mountains that holds the world’s biggest reserves of lithium. [BBC]

Purmamarca (Telmo Filho, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “38% Of New Cars Now Plugin Cars In Netherlands!” • The Netherlands saw an increase in plugin registrations to 10,922 units in July, with the Dutch plugin vehicle market reaching 38% last month. That kept the year-to-date score at 42%. That’s mostly thanks to pure electrics (25% of new vehicle sales), which jumped 43% year over year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EV Fast Charger Integration At Car Dealerships” • Jule, a North American EV charger manufacturer, offers auto dealers a way to lower their total cost of ownership for the EV chargers they install. The Jule EV charging systems include an on site storage battery that minimizes utility upgrade costs and helps avoid the demand charges. [CleanTechnica]

Chargers at a dealership (Courtesy Jule)

¶ “Hydropower In Africa Faces An Uncertain Future” • Africa’s reliance on hydropower could be headed for trouble as rapidly falling costs of solar and wind power and the impacts of climate change make the viability of future projects questionable, a study says. It shows 67% of future hydropower plants in the continent may not be worth the investment. [ZAWYA]

¶ “Brazil Has 189 GW Of Offshore Wind Power In The Pipeline” • Brazil has 189 GW of offshore wind projects currently under license at Ibama. Power generation from offshore wind is a still unexplored market in the country, but companies expect it to develop rapidly once the regulatory framework is approved and the first auctions begin. [Evwind]

Offshore wind farm (Ørsted image)

US:

¶ “As Young Conservatives Try To Get Climate On The Agenda In 2024, Denial Takes The Spotlight Instead” • During the debate, a young voter asked Republican candidates about the climate crisis. The answers showed candidates were out of touch with the 55% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents who say human activity is changing the world’s climate. [CNN]

¶ “Unlocking Hydropower’s Potential” • Hydropower has been around a while. The first commercial hydropower plant was operating in California in 1893. But hydropower’s consistency, flexibility, and dispatchability have made it essential to the grid and to our clean energy transition. Today NREL researchers are maximizing its value. [CleanTechnica]

Small hydro dam (Scott DeNeale, ORNL, US DOE)

¶ “Court Finds That Southeast Market Transmission Scheme Protects Monopolies” • In the US South, powerful utilities created an energy trading market in 2021 that favored their expensive, carbon-intensive resources over the clean energy produced by independent generators. A court found it violates rules against monopolies. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “ERCOT Issues Conservation Request Saturday Ahead Of Expected Tight Grid Conditions” • ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas asked Texans to reduce their use of energy, if they could do so safely, on Saturday afternoon. Emergency operations were avoided due to Texas residents and businesses conserving energy. [NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth]

Texas landscape (Alyssa Kibiloski, Unsplash)

¶ “Homeowners Are Having To Pay Higher Insurance Premiums; Here’s Why Climate Change Is To Be Blamed” • A report said around 17% of homeowners’ insurance policies in Louisiana were canceled last year, and over two-thirds of policies had higher costs compared to other states. In climate-vulnerable states, some insurers went bankrupt. [Market Realist]

¶ “State Of Texas Wins Ongoing Battle With The NRC” • Texas brought a suit against the NRC over a license it issued for nuclear waste storage. The court ruled, “The Atomic Energy Act does not confer on the Commission the broad authority it claims to issue licenses for private parties to store spent nuclear fuel away-from-the-reactor.” [Newswest 9]

Have a charmingly entertaining day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Oz Is Just Barmy About Hydrogen: Smart Energy Council Presentation Q&A” • Michael Barnard spoke at a Smart Energy Council webinar with over 300 mostly Australian participants. He made predictions about transportation, saying almost all of it would electrify. He followed this with a question and answer session with the participants. [CleanTechnica]

Electric aircraft (Evia Aero, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Partnering With Beavers To Adapt To Climate Change” • To mitigate climate change and adapt to a warming planet we need as many partners as we can get. This includes embracing nature as a key ally. Estimates suggest that nature-based solutions can provide 37% of the mitigation needed to keep climate warming to less than 2°C. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “The Rival To The Panama Canal That Was Never Built” • The Panama Canal is essential to global trade, but a recent drought has left large numbers of ships waiting to pass along it, raising questions about whether an alternative route between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans is needed. The idea about a different route is coming up again. [BBC]

Ship in the Panama Canal (Paul Harrison, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Four Million Children In Pakistan Have No Safe Water, A Year After Deadly Floods” • One year after floods devastated swathes of Pakistan, UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, said it estimates that eight million people living in flood-affected areas of the country are still living without clean water. Around four milliion of them are children, [CNN]

¶ “PEI Asserts Its ‘Clear Authority’ Over Wind Farms And Solar” • The Prince Edward Island government has made regulatory changes under the Renewable Energy Act to give itself “clear authority” to issue permits for solar and wind farms, including within municipal boundaries. The move will allow projects to go ahead even if the local council is opposed. [CBC]

Wind turbine at PEI (Sktaxpayers, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “24% Of New Cars In France Now Plugin Cars” • Plugin vehicles continue to rise in France, with last month’s plugin registrations at 31,275 units, divided between 17,218 battery EVs (13% share of the overall auto market) and 14,057 plugin hybrids (11% share of the market). The former jumped 46% year over year, while the latter were up by 30%. [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶ “Colorado Makes Buildings More Livable, Less Polluting” • Colorado has passed nation-leading standards that will reduce climate-damaging emissions from large buildings. The Building Performance Standard will decrease greenhouse gas emissions from large commercial and residential buildings 20% by 2030, so Colorado can meet its climate goals. [CleanTechnica]

Denver (Logan Bonjean, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Green Mountain Power Expands Residential Storage Plan To All” • Vermont utility Green Mountain Power is one of the most progressive utilities in America. In 2015, it started a small pilot program that made Tesla Powerwall residential storage batteries available to a limited number of customers. Now, the program has been expanded. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “‘Thank You, Big Oil’ Campaign Targets Fossil Fuel Companies” • This week, drivers traveling on highways in Phoenix, Austin, and Fresno will see prominent billboards displaying a map of record-breaking temperatures that have been recorded across the US this summer. Its words read, “Brought to you by Big Oil,” by ThankYouBigOil.com. [CleanTechnica]

ThankYouBigOil bilboard (Bill McKibbon, via Twitter)

¶ “Governor Hochul Announces New York’s First State-Owned Energy Storage System Is Operating” • Governor Kathy Hochul announced that New York’s first state-owned battery project is operating in Franklin County. The 20-MW facility installed and operated by the New York Power Authority connects into the state’s electric grid. [Governor Kathy Hochul]

¶ “Clean Power Increases, Fossil Fuels Decline In California” • California Energy Commission’s System Electric Generation report reveals massive increases in generation by solar and wind power, decreased natural gas generation, and a nearly complete phase-out of coal in the state’s power mix. Solar had the greatest increase. [Environment+Energy Leader]

Solar array (California Energy Commission)

¶ “Biden’s Climate Bill Brings Investments And Jobs To Many Gop Strongholds” • It’s become commonplace to find workers installing solar PV panels on the roofs of homes in states like California or Arizona. But in West Virginia, it’s still a rare sight. That’s slowly changing, however, partly due to President Biden’s signature climate law. [Louisville Public Media]

¶ “Residents And Elected Officials Blast Utility Over Historic Wyoming Rate Hike” • Rocky Mountain Power proposed to hike power rates in Wyoming by an average of 29.2%. Extreme cold, heat, and drought last year spiked demand for electricity, forcing the utility to purchase natural gas, coal, and power at premium prices. Of course, critics blame renewables. [WyoFile]

Wind turbines in Wyoming (CGP Grey, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “USDA Officials Tout Solar Projects In Minnesota” • Federal officials made a stop at the Minnesota State Fair to tout new pilot projects combining solar power and agriculture in what is termed “agrivoltaics.” It puts solar electricity generation on the land alongside farming. Two projects are examples, one in Big Lake, and another in Ramsey. [Twin Cities Business]

¶ “TVA Reverses Course, Won’t Sell Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant; Future Use For Facility Undecided” • Seven years after voting to sell its Bellefonte nuclear plant site, the Tennessee Valley Authority decided to keep the Jackson County, Alabama, power plant for another potential use. The use they intend is not clear. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

Have a grandly gorgeous day.

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Opinion:

¶ “My Descent Into A Nuclear Waste Grave” • Erika Benke wrote of her experience of Onkalo, where Finland will begin depositing spent nuclear fuel underground in a few years. Onkalo, which lies 450 m (1,480 ft) below the Earth’s surface, is made  up of tunnels hewn in living rock to store highly radioactive waste for 100,000 years. [BBC]

Onkalo Deep Repository (Posiva.fi, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “A Sustainable Solution: Compostable Wind Turbine Blades” • Polymer composites expert Valeria La Saponara, a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC Davis, has a vision to develop compostable, ecologically sound wind turbine blades from bamboo and mycelium, the fungal rootlike system. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Huge Colonies Of Emperor Penguins Saw No Chicks Survive Last Year As Sea Ice Disappears” • In the Bellingshausen Sea, four out of five emperor penguin colonies analyzed saw no chicks at all survive last year as the area experienced an enormous loss of sea ice, according to a study in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment. [CNN]

Penguins (Michael Van Woert, NOAA NESDIS, ORA)

¶ “Maritime Wind Energy Plot Thickens As UK Startup Applies F1 Know-How” • A time for oceanic wind power is returning. The “hard sail” era is dawning and cargo shippers are already starting to put the ball in motion. They will have one more option to choose from if all goes according to plan for the UK startup GT Green Energy Technologies. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “UK Renewables Industry Rejects Market Reform Proposals” • The cost of electricity will “inevitably rise for consumers” if plans for an overhaul of the market go ahead, say three UK trade associations representing over 800 renewable energy companies. The scheme would mean that the wholesale price of electricity would vary across Great Britain. [reNews]

Solar panels (EDF image)

¶ “Winds of Change” • The Kipeto Wind Power Project is about 30 miles southwest of Nairobi. It has sixty turbines that together generate 100 MW, enough to power tens of thousands of homes. Local vulture populations have been declining due to poisons, but concerns that the wind farm will harm them have been allayed. [The Nature Conservancy]

US:

¶ “Houston Issues Mandatory Water Restrictions Due To Intense Heat, Worsening Drought” • Faced with a fast-spreading, extreme drought and blistering heat, Houston public officials announced that outdoor water restrictions are now mandatory across the city as water pressure drops. Scientists say heat and drought are both linked to climate change. [CNN]

Part of the water supply (Alexander Hatley, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Maui County Sues The Utility Hawaiian Electric Over Wildfire Negligence” • Maui County is suing Hawaiian Electric, saying it failed to turn off electric equipment before wildfires started on the island. If power lines had been switched off for exceptionally high winds and dry conditions, the destruction could have been avoided, the lawsuit said. [BBC]

¶ “Republican Debate: What They Said (And Didn’t Say) About Climate” • One of the Republican debate’s most illuminating moments came 20 minutes in. The reaction to it was swift and – among some young people and scientists – angry. Nikki Haley was the only candidate who said climate change was real, in the short discussion on the subject. [BBC]

Nikki Haley in 2021 (Glenn Youngkin, public domain)

¶ “El Niño Means An Even Floodier Future Is On The Coastal Horizon” • High-tide flooding in the US, which is measured by NOAA tide gauges that continuously record surrounding water levels, occurs nearly three times as often today as it did in 2000, and the frequency is accelerating along most Atlantic and Gulf Coast locations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “At Last, The Vision Of The Grand Canyon Tribal Coalition Is Realized” • When Grand Canyon National Park was established in 1919, Indigenous Peoples were forced off their land. Since that time, tribes in the region have been working to regain access to and greater protections for their ancestral homes. Now that goal is being achieved. [CleanTechnica]

Grand Canyon (Omer Nezih Gerek, Unsplash)

¶ “For First Time, 50% Of California Diesel Fuel Is Replaced By Clean Fuels” • California hit an important milestone in its shift away from polluting fuels, with clean fuels replacing over 50% of the diesel oil sold in the first quarter of this year. California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard requires fuel producers to reduce the carbon intensity of fuels. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Anchorage Will Likely See Higher Bills With LNG Imports, But Some Say Renewables Could Delay That” • Alaska utilities that use natural gas from Cook Inlet to heat homes and generate electricity will, in the future, need to look elsewhere, as supplies of accessible gas will decline. Conservation and renewable energy could delay that. [Alaska Public Media]

Transmission lines in Anchorage (Chugach Electric)

¶ “Construction Of A Photovoltaic Plant Starts In Texas To Supply Solar Power To Facebook” • Iberdrola’s US subsidiary Avangrid has begun construction of the 240-MW True North PV plant in Falls County, Texas. It will supply electricity to power the operations of Meta, the parent company of the social network Facebook, in the region. [Evwind]

¶ “US Department Of Energy Projects Strong Growth In US Wind Power Sector” • The US DOE released three annual reports showing that wind power is one of the fastest growing and lowest cost sources of electricity in America and is set for rapid growth. Wind power accounted for 22% of generating capacity installed in the US in 2022. [Department of Energy]

Have a wholly meritorious day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Two New Approaches To Wind-Powered Ships” • Cargill chartered the The Pyxis Ocean to carry a cargo of grain from China to Brazil. The ship was recently retrofitted with wing sails at a shipyard in Shanghai. Also, Odfjell says it is partnering with bound4blue, a pioneering developer of wind-assisted propulsion technology. [CleanTechnica]

Odjfell tanker (Image courtesy of Odjfell)

¶ “Got Climate Change? Methane-Eating Bacteria To The Rescue!” • Researchers at California University Long Beach have studied this subject and determined there are certain bacteria that thrive in methane-rich environments. They eat methane, or CH₄, and turn it into biomass and carbon dioxide, CO₂. And CO₂ is much better than CH₄. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYU Professors Use Special Bacteria To Turn Waste Into Renewable Energy” • Anaerobic digesters convert cow manure into biogas fuel, but they are limited to a modest efficiency of 30% to 40%. Now, research led by a team of BYU professors is making the process faster and more efficient by pretreating the waste with special bacteria. [BYU News]

Cows (Andy Kelly, Unsplash)

Fukushima Waste Water Release:

¶ “Japan Begins Releasing Treated Radioactive Water From The Fukushima Nuclear Plant Into The Sea” • The operator of the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power says it has begun releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. The controversial wastewater dumping project is expected to last for decades. [NBC Chicago]

¶ “China Bans Seafood From Japan After Tokyo Begins Releasing Treated Radioactive Water” • China announced it was banning all seafood from Japan in response to Tokyo’s decision to start the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, dramatically escalating an already tense feud between the two neighbors. [CNN]

Seafood (Max Mota, Unsplash)

¶ “What Are The Concerns Over Waste Water Release?” • Since the Fukushima disaster, TEPCO has been pumping in water to cool the nuclear reactors’ fuel rods. Every day the plant produces contaminated water, which is stored in massive tanks. Releasing treated waste water into the ocean is a routine for nuclear plants, but this is on a far bigger scale. [BBC]

World:

¶ “Parts Of The Tropical Rainforests Could Get Too Hot For Photosynthesis, Study Suggests” • Some leaves in tropical forests from South America to South East Asia are getting so hot they may no longer be able to photosynthesize, with big potential consequences for the world’s forests, a study says. Photosynthesis can fail at around 46.7°C (116°F). [CNN]

Tropical forest (Martin Zangerl, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Ecuador Rejects Oil Drilling In National Park” • Ecuador’s voters resoundingly supported referendums to block oil drilling in a biodiverse rainforest and gold mining in the Chocó Andino on Sunday. With more than 90% of ballots counted, 58% of Ecuadorians voted to ban new oil drilling in Yasuní national park in the Amazon rainforest. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Construction Has Started At Africa’s First Dedicated Gigawatt-Hour Battery Factory In Cape Town” • Over the past ten years, South Africa has imported over $10 billion worth of solar panels, inverters, and battery materials. A quarter of that was imported in the first half of 2023. A battery plant is being built in South Africa to help meet demand. [CleanTechnica]

Solar MD site in Cape Town (Courtesy of Solar MD)

¶ “Renewable Energy Manufacturing In Southeast Asia Can Generate $90 Billion To $100 Billion In Revenue By 2030” • The Southeast Asian region could lose up to 30% of its gross domestic product by 2050 due to increases in heat and extreme weather events. Bolstering the region’s renewable energy manufacturing capacity could improve its outlook. [PR Newswire]

¶ “Slow Expansion Of Wind Power In Southern Germany Is ‘Depressing’ – Scholz” • German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has called the sluggish rollout of wind power in the south of the country “depressing” and warned that the three southern states – Hesse, Baden-Wurttemberg, and Bavaria – must act quickly to increase installations. [Clean Energy Wire]

Bavaria (Markus Spiske, Unsplash)

¶ “‘Takes Longer’ And ‘Costs More’: Treasurer Snubs Nuclear Energy As A Viable Option” • Australian Treasurer Jim Chalmers has snubbed nuclear power as a viable option, saying it “takes longer” and “costs more.” Mr Chalmers claimed Australia is better suited for renewables and has more options in clean energy. He said renewable energy is cheapest. [Sky News Australia]

US:

¶ “Battery-Electric Fishing Vessel Marks A Sea Change For Small Commercial Fishers” • This fall, a 46-foot commercial fishing boat will cruise into Sitka, Alaska, and cut its diesel engine. An electric motor will whir to life, marking a sea change for Sitka’s small-boat commercial fishing industry: a transition to energy-efficient commercial fishing. [CleanTechnica]

Fishing boat to have hybrid system (Eric Jordan via NREL)

¶ “Extreme Heat Makes Electricity More Expensive, More Polluting, And Less Reliable” • Extreme heat has hit hard lately from coast to coast this year. The direct health impact of heat stress is bad enough, and dangerous. But extreme heat also hits our electricity system in ways that make it more expensive, more polluting, and less reliable.  [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Avangrid Announces Its First Solar Project In California” • Avangrid has confirmed a decision to build its first solar project in California. The 44-MW Camino Solar project will be built by Cupertino Electric in Kern County, next to Avangrid’s 189-MW Manzana Wind farm. Avangrid already operates over 500 MW of wind power in California. [reNews]

Have an impressively peaceful day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “NREL Reimagines Next-Generation Drivetrain Technologies For Offshore Wind Turbines” • Studies leveraging conceptual designs of offshore wind turbines point to how their drivetrains could soon be changed to produce more power at lower cost, a paper by the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and General Electric Research shows. [NREL]

Block Island Wind Farm (Suzanne Tegen, NREL)

World:

¶ “Weather That Drove Eastern Canada’s Devastating Wildfires Made Twice As Likely By Climate Change” • The weather conditions that fueled record-shattering wildfires in eastern Canada earlier this summer and sent plumes of hazardous air into the US were made more likely and more intense by the climate crisis, according to a report. [CNN]

¶ “Heat Pump, Solar, And Battery Use Exploding In The UK” • Heat pumps and solar panels rule in the UK this June. In fact, it has been a bumper year for all green energy upgrades, batteries included, a 62% increase over 2022. According to The Guardian: “On average, more than 17,000 households installed solar panels every month this year.” [CleanTechnica]

Rooftop solar in the UK (Mtaylor848, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “India Aims For 65% Renewable Energy Share By 2030, Beating Previous Targets” • Speaking at an event to launch a book by Sumant Sinha, Chairman of ReNew Power, R K Singh, India’s Union Power Minister, revealed that India is poised to achieve a remarkable 65% share of renewable energy in its energy mix by the year 2030. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Better Energy Picks Up Danish PV PPA” • IT infrastructure supplier Atea signed a 10-year PPA with Better Energy for energy from a new solar project in Denmark. The project will be connected to the grid later this year. It is expected to deliver 70 GWh per year of energy. The PPA will provide one-third of the electricity used by Atea in Denmark. [reNews]

Solar power and bee festival (Better Energy image)

¶ “Shell And BP Among Oil Firms Accused Of Greenwashing Over Renewable Energy” • Shell and BP are among twelve oil firms accused of greenwashing over the amount of renewable and low-carbon energy they produce. They generated just 0.02% and 0.17% of energy from renewable sources in 2022 respectively, the analysis claimed. [The Independent]

¶ “Investment In New Australian Wind And Solar Farms Stalls Amid ‘Raft Of Barriers’, Report Finds” • Investment in new wind and solar farms has all but stalled in Australia, as developers face a “raft of barriers” despite strong political support, says the latest Clean Energy Council quarterly report. Just 348 MW of projects were funded in the first half of 2023. [The Guardian]

ESA antenna and PVs (European Space Agency, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “New Research Shows Renewables Are More Profitable Than Nuclear Power” • Researchers from the European Environmental Bureau, the Stockholm School of Economics, and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research questioned recent efforts to increase investments in nuclear power, especially in the EU and the US. [pv magazine India]

US:

¶ “Solar Up 20X, Fossil Fuel Use Down In California” • According to data from the California Energy Commission, the state made significant strides to meet goals to develop a resilient grid, attain 100% clean electricity, and meet its carbon neutrality objectives. In the last decade, solar generation grew from 2,609 GWh to an astounding 48,950 GWh. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (CEC image)

¶ “86% Of New US Electric Utility Generation Capacity Coming From Non-Fossil Fuels In 2023” • Efforts to decarbonize the US power grid are evident in planned additions and retirement of utility-scale generating capacity. For 2023, new capacity will be primarily from solar (52%) and wind (13%), while batteries for stored energy will provide 17%. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (US EIA image)

¶ “Growing The Geothermal Energy Workforce – 1st Cohort In US DOE’s INTERN Program” • The US DOE and the National Science Foundation announced the first cohort of geothermal interns in the NSF INTERN program. The collaboration is the first activity coordinated under a NSF-DOE Memorandum of Understanding. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Dominion And Dulles Break Ground On Nation’s Largest Renewable Energy Project At An Airport” • Dominion Energy and Virginia officials broke ground at Dulles International Airport for a solar, battery, and EV project they said will be largest such project at an airport. It will have 100 MW of solar capacity and a 50 MW battery. [Virginia Mercury]

Dulles International Airport (Tripod, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Micron Vs New York Energy Policy” • Computer chip maker Micron revealed that by the 2040s its Onondaga County plants will be sucking up enough electricity to power New Hampshire and Vermont combined. All of it is supposed to be renewable energy, but as yet, the state has no plan for providing that much renewable power. [Empire Center for Public Policy]

¶ “Governor Hochul Signs Legislation To Protect Hudson River” • Earlier this year, a nuclear power plant announced a plan to dump over a million gallons of radioactive wastewater into the Hudson River. New York State lawmakers passed legislation to prohibit such a release of nuclear materials. Governor Hochul has now signed it into law. [Erie News Now]

Have a significantly peachy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Black Mass, Black Gold, And The Truth About EV Battery Recycling” • Detractors are quick to point out the shortcomings of EVs, not the least of which being the massive carbon cost of mining metals needed for them, such as lithium, nickel, cobalt, and manganese. But those detractors are missing a critical bit of information: battery recycling. [CleanTechnica]

Battery materials (Courtesy of RecycLiCo Battery Materials)

¶ “Georgia’s New Nuclear Reactors A Cautionary Tale” • Electric monopoly Georgia Power hailed the recent Vogtle construction as an “American energy success story.” While nuclear energy is impressive, the Vogtle project has been an absolute mess. It’s less of an American success story and more of a boondoggle that should serve as a cautionary tale. [R Street Institute]

¶ “The US And China Must Unite To Fight The Climate Crisis, Not Each Other” • Climate change is a global crisis and cannot be solved by any one country alone. If the US, China, and other industrialized countries do not come together to dramatically decrease greenhouse gas emissions, the world [will become] uninhabitable. [Senator Bernie Sanders]

Wildfire (Tim Mossholder, Pexels)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Peer Reviewed Research Confirms ClearVue Solar Window Benefits” • ClearVue, based in Perth, Australia, makes PV solar windows. In a two-year study of ClearVue windows installed in the roof and vertical walls of greenhouse at Murdoch University, researchers found that ClearVue’s clear solar glazing produces consistent energy generation. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Multi-Day Energy Storage Increases Grid Capacity By Factor Of Ten” • Form Energy announced it has been awarded a $12 million grant from NYSERDA for a 10-MW, 1000-MWh pilot battery project in New York by 2026. This will be Form Energy’s first grid-scale project in New York. Similar projects are going up in Colorado and Minnesota. [pv magazine USA]

Form Energy battery (Form Energy image)

World:

¶ “Japan Will Start Releasing Treated Radioactive Water This Week. Here’s What We Know” • After months of controversy and anticipation, Japan is set to begin releasing treated radioactive wastewater from its Fukushima nuclear plant later this week despite fierce objections from some countries. The plan has been in the works for years. [CNN]

¶ “Kelowna: Cooler Weather Brings Hope As Firefighters Make Progress” • Officials said firefighters have made some progress aided by cooler weather but the “battle is not over.” Blazes from hundreds of fires have driven over 30,000 people from their homes. Some firefighters are working even after discovering that they have lost their homes to the fires. [BBC]

Kelowna in 2019 (Lewin Bormann, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Volkswagen Begins ID.7 Production At Upgraded Emden Factory” • In a press release on August 21, 2023, Volkswagen announced the symbolic start of production of the ID.7 at the company’s newly revamped and upgraded factory in Emden, a city in the northwest corner of the country not far from the border with the Netherlands. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Zimbabwe Declares That Load-Shedding Has Ended, But There Is Still A Lot Of Work To Do!” • After a very frustrating period of prolonged load-shedding, providing electricity only from midnight to 4:00 am, Zimbabwe  declared the end of electricity rationing. This follows construction of two 300-MW coal-powered plants. [CleanTechnica]

The Kariba Dam (Courtesy of Zambezi River Authority)

¶ “Fukushima: Wastewater From Ruined Nuclear Plant To Be Released From Thursday, Japan Says” • Japan is to start release of wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on August 24, in defiance of fishing communities, China, and some scientists. The plan has caused controversy because the water contains tritium. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “In Maui And Across America, Climate Change And Extreme Weather Are Hurting Housing Affordability” • For people on Maui and across the US, climate change is making the affordable housing crunch worse. In many cases, Americans have sought affordable homes in areas that are in greater risk of hurricanes, floods, extreme heat and wildfires. [CNN]

Lahaina (MSgt Andrew Jackson, US National Guard, public domain)

¶ “Tropical Storm Harold Is Heading Toward South Texas, Threatening Floods And Dangerous Storm Surge” • A tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico has strengthened into a tropical storm as it continues to churn towards South Texas, where residents were bracing for heavy rain, flooding, powerful winds, and dangerous rip currents. [CNN]

¶ “Storm Hilary: Flooding Cuts Off Palm Springs” • Hilary, the first tropical storm to hit southern California in 84 years, cut off the desert city of Palm Springs after dumping a year’s worth of rain. Flooding closed major roads in and out of Palm Springs after 3.18 in (8 cm) of rain fell. Death Valley National Park got a full year’s worth of rain in one day. [BBC]

Predicted Flooding (Andrew Orrison, Weather Prediction Center)

¶ “Biden Tours ‘Overwhelming’ Hawaii Wildfire Damage” • Pres Joe Biden toured wildfire damage in Hawaii, arriving in Maui on Monday, 13 days after the deadliest US wildfire in over a century. He told survivors the nation “grieves with you.” As Mr Biden and First Lady Jill Biden toured the charred ruins, at least 114 people have died and 850 people are missing. [BBC]

¶ “‘Adding Insult To Injury:’ RI Needs Renewable Energy” • We recently hit a snafu when Rhode Island Energy rejected Ørsted’s proposal for the 880-MW Revolution Wind 2 project because costs “were ultimately deemed too expensive for customers to bear.” Just a few days later, Rhode Island Energy announced a 24% hike in electricity rates. [ecoRI News]

Have a quintessentially flawless day.

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Opinion:

¶ “From Highways To Healthy Communities, Transforming How California Invests In Transportation” • California is long overdue to overhaul racist highway-building practices that exacerbate the nation’s worst air pollution in mainly low-income communities of color and threaten its climate goals. It’s a systemic problem. Systemic solutions are needed. [CleanTechnica]

Los Angeles (Denys Nevozhai, Unsplash)

¶ “Truckers’ Health And The Rise Of Zero-Emission Trucks” • Diesel emissions release harmful pollutants like nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5) into the atmosphere. It is a public problem, but it is also a problem for the truck drivers. In-cabin pollution is one of the most significant daily exposures to air pollutants for drivers. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Weird Wind That Can Supercharge Heatwaves And Wildfires” • In German, “Föhn” means hairdryer, but can also be a wierd hot wind. The Föhn effect is a hot, dry wind that sweeps down a mountainside, baking everything in its path. It can take place anywhere on Earth, and it can cause local temperatures to rise by over 28°C (50°F) in one hour. [BBC]

Föhn clouds over La Palma (Tigerente, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

World:

¶ “Canada Wildfires: At Least 30,000 Households In British Columbia Told To Evacuate” • About 30,000 households have been ordered to evacuate in Canada’s British Columbia province, where nearly 400 wildfires are raging. Travel to the waterside city of Kelowna has been restricted, and smoke from nearby fires hangs over Lake Okanagan. [BBC]

¶ “Canada’s Northwest Territories Set A Record For Its Hottest Temperature” • With a Saturday temperature of 37.4C, Fort Good Hope in the NWT saw “the hottest temperature recorded that far north in Canada,” says Environment Canada meteorologist Jesse Wagar. She added that the new records smashed the previous ones “often by several degrees.” [BBC]

Wildfire in BC (British Columbia Wildfire Service)

¶ “Climate Change Impacts Increase In South-West Pacific” • The State of the Climate in the South-West Pacific in 2022 report provides a snapshot of climate indicators including temperatures, sea level rise, ocean heat and acidification, and extreme weather events in 2022. It also highlights the socio-economic risks and impacts on key sectors like agriculture. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Green Light For Largest Solar Project At Lakeside North Harbour” • Set to be one of the largest solar parking canopy projects in the UK, a solar PV and battery project at Lakeside North Harbour in Portsmouth was given a go-ahead. Panels will be installed on five buildings and as parking canopies, for a total capacity of 4.462 MW. [Portsmouth City Council]

Rendering of the solar project in Plymouth

¶ “Kenya Launches Tender For Off-Grid Solar Plants” • Kenya Power and Lighting Company Plc has issued a tender for the deployment of off-grid solar power plants in remote regions. The microgrids will be in eight communities. Kenya Power said the selected developers will have to build the facilities and provide O&M services for seven years. [PV Magazine]

¶ “Cambridge Completes Australian First Install Of Modular Solar Solution” • Cambridge Energy said the first Australian deployment of its Nomad system has been completed at Norton Gold Fields’ Binduli mining operation near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. The system has solar PV tracking technology in a prefabricated, modular design. [PV Magazine]

Nomad system (Cambridge Energy image)

¶ “Signal: ‘Europe’s Largest’ Virtual Storage Solution Reflects Renewables Growth” • The announcement by Sonnen that it plans to build “Europe’s largest virtual home battery storage solution” is reflective of the energy transition, its CEO has said, and that is supported by research from GlobalData, Energy Monitor‘s parent company. [Energy Monitor]

¶ “France’s EDF Takes 1.3-GW Nuclear Reactor Offline Amid Heatwave” • French power company EDF said it took its 1.3-GW nuclear reactor Golfech 2 offline citing environmental reasons as the country goes through a spell of excessively hot weather. The plant is close to the southern town of Toulouse, which expects to have 40°C (104°F) temperatures. [Reuters]

Golfech nuclear plant (John Seb Barber, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Two Dead, Many Structures Lost As Wildfire Threat Grows In Washington State” • Two wildfires in Spokane County have burned over 20,000 acres and left at least two people dead. As of Sunday night, the Oregon Road Fire and the Gray Fire had each burned over 10,000 acres according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. [CNN]

¶ “Floods Hit Death Valley As Storm Hilary Peaks In California” • Hilary is the first tropical storm to hit California in 84 years. It has brought record rains, flooding Los Angeles and desert areas like Palm Springs and Death Valley. Experts say recent abnormal weather events hitting the US and other countries are influenced by human-caused climate change. [BBC]

Death Valley (Photographersnature, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Tesla Now Offering Cheaper Model S And X ‘Standard Range’” • Ahead of the release of the Cybertruck and an expected debut of the simplified Model 3 Highland, Tesla has also shared new trim offerings for its Model S and X in the US. The automaker has added a third “Standard Range” trim for both its premium sedan and SUV with reduced prices. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “North Carolina Offshore Wind Leases Blocked” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management recently announced that two out of the six offshore wind sites located off Eastern North Carolina will not be leased due to objections from the US Department of Defense. The issue is that wind turbines can interfere with radar systems. [Offshore Magazine]

Have an abundantly fruitful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Batteries Available For Rapid EV Transition In USA Thanks To IRA” • David Waterworth: “Earlier this year, I predicted that the majority of all vehicles produced globally would be battery electric by 2027, but there was doubt expressed at how this could occur due to battery supply constraints.” Now an EDF report shows that the batteries may be there. [CleanTechnica]

States that benefit most from battery investment(EDF image)

¶ “Biden’s Dangerous Climate Hypocrisy” • President Joe Biden announced a number of measures in response to dangers of weather events brought on by climate change. But unfortunately, even as the Biden administration announces some relief for the problems, it continues to greenlight the fossil fuel projects that are driving it. [Hawaii Tribune-Herald]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Revolutionizing Energy Storage: Researchers Unveil 2D Carbon Nitride Solar Battery” •  Researchers from the University of Cordoba and the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research collaborated to design a groundbreaking solar battery. It uses a plentiful, non-toxic, and easily synthesizable material composed of 2D carbon nitride. [Microgrid Media]

UC campus (Américo Toledano, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

World:

¶ “Vedanta Aluminium Commits To Green Future, Secures 1335 MW Renewable Energy Dea” • Vedanta Aluminium, based in Mumbai, announced that it signed agreements for 1,335 MW of renewable energy to power its operations. The long-term power agreements will see Vedanta Aluminium use a mix of both solar and wind energy. [The Financial Express]

¶ “Discussions Held With Indian Company On Manufacturing Solar Panels In Sri Lanka” • Sri Lankan Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera Saturday held a discussion with the Managing Director of Surana Solar Company of India to explore the possibility to make the solar panels needed for renewable power generation in Sri Lanka. [ColomboPage]

Sri Lanka countryside (Dylan Shaw, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “US-Philippines Energy Policy Dialogue” • The United States and the Philippines launched the inaugural US-Philippines EPD on August 17. The EPD aims to advance commitments by the US and the Philippines to deepen cooperation on energy security, energy access, and the clean energy transition, as was agreed in November 2022. [State Department]

¶ “Fast Food Chain Harnesses Power Of The Sun” • With a 22% renewables share, the Philippines is still far from the 35% goal. Coal dominates the energy capacity with nearly 60%. With this challenge, fast-food giant McDonald’s Philippines has been intensifying its shift to environment-friendly and sustainable operations. [Inquirer Business]

McDonald’s Arayat Pampanga (Contributed photo)

¶ “Japan’s Nuclear Plants Are Short Of Storage For Spent Fuel” • The Japanese government is promoting nuclear power as a low-carbon energy source, though Japan’s nuclear plants are running out of storage capacity. The small town of Kaminoseki agreed to a geological study to examine its suitability as an interim storage site for spent nuclear fuel. [Manufacturing.net]

US:

¶ “Tropical Storms Like Hurricane Hilary Could Significantly Change Southern California’s Coast” • Experts say that over a year’s worth of rain could fall within a couple of days in some areas of Southern California this weekend. Southern California hasn’t had a tropical storm since 1939, but if more are coming, they could alter the coast. [CleanTechnica]

Hurricane Hilary (Lauren Dauphin, NASA Earth Observatory)

¶ “Appeals Court Derails Uinta Basin Oil Train Plan” • There’s a lot of oil and gas in the Uinta Basin, east of Salt Lake City. Since there are no roads, developers wanted US taxpayers to fund a railroad. A US Court of Appeals ruled that a 2021 environmental impact statement and biological opinion were rushed and violate federal laws. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Agrivoltaics Is Making Friends Across Partisan Lines, Thanks To Farmers” • US farmers are warming up to agrivoltaics, which co-locates solar arrays with grazing fields, row crops, pollinator habitats, and other forms of agricultural activity. The rise of this dual-use movement comes at a good time for both farmers and solar advocates. [CleanTechnica]

Agrivoltaics (Werner Slocum, NREL)

¶ “Berkeley-Led Carbon Management Project Would Study Alternatives To Oil Companies’ Efforts” • A study will examine a community-based model for managing carbon. The resulting operation would be community-owned, no oil companies would be involved, and it might not even inject supercritical CO₂ deep underground. [The Bakersfield Californian]

¶ “US Can Cut Building Emissions By Up To 91%, Saving $100 Billion Per Year In Energy-Related Costs” • In a paper publishied in the journal One Earth, a team of researchers found that the US can achieve its climate goals, decrease building emissions by 91% from their 2005 peak, and save over $100 billion each year on energy costs. [Eurasia Review]

Have a sufficiently lighthearted day.

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Opinion:

¶ “US Commerce Department’s Solar Tariff Decision Imperils Clean Energy Boom” • The US Commerce Department issued a final determination that certain companies in Southeast Asia are circumventing duties imposed on Chinese solar products. Here is a statement from Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. [CleanTechnica]

Solar panels (Asia Chang, Unsplash)

¶ “New Superfast Charging EV Battery From CATL Slams The Door On Gasmobiles” • EVs can help stop catastrophic climate change. Shifting transportation modes to walking, biking, and mass transit would help more, but car culture seems to be here to stay. The new 4C superfast charging EV battery from CATL could accelerate the EV trend. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Olive Oil Is In Trouble As Extreme Heat And Drought Push The Industry Into Crisis” • There is a crisis brewing in the olive oil industry. The scorching temperatures that swept southern Europe this summer claimed lives and led to intense wildfires, but they’re also very bad news for olive trees. Olive industry experts warning of potential shortages. [CNN]

Olive grove (David Boca, Unsplash)

¶ “Canada Wildfires: British Columbia Declares Emergency” • A state of emergency has been declared in Canada’s western British Columbia province, as a fast-moving wildfire threatens to burn more homes in the area around the city of West Kelowna. The McDougall Creek wildfire grew from 64 hectares (158 acres) to 6,800 hectares (168,000 acres) in 24 hours. [BBC]

¶ “25 Countries And 25% Of World Population Face Extremely High Water Stress” • Data from WRI’s Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas show that 25 countries face extremely high water stress yearly, using up almost their entire available water supply regularly. About 4 billion people live in a highly water-stressed state for at least one month of the year. [CleanTechnica]

25 countries exposed to extreme water stress

¶ “Toyota Tsusho To Construct 25-MW Solar Power Plant In Benin” • Toyota Tsusho announced that it signed a contract with the Beninese Electricity Production Company, operating under Benin’s Ministry of Energy and Water, to establish a 25-MW solar plant. The project will be the first large renewable energy project in West Africa by a Japanese entity. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Ukraine’s Roadmap To Renewable Energy” • Many of the old coal-burning power plants in Ukraine have been bombed beyond repair, and the country wants not to rely on Russian fossil fuels in any event. So Ukraine will close all its coal plants by 2035 and transition to solar, wind, and heat pump technologies for a cost-effective and secure response. [Evwind]

Dunayskaya solar station (Activ Solar, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Business Rejects Coalition Fight Against ‘Reckless’ Renewables Rollout” • Business leaders and Australia’s three biggest energy companies will not back the Coalition’s push for the Albanese government to abandon its 2030 clean energy target as, David Littleproud and Peter Dutton attack the rollout of wind and solar across the country. [The Sydney Morning Herald]

¶ “Japanese Rally Against Ocean Discharge Of Contaminated Wastewater” • “It is morally wrong to discard one’s waste in another’s backyard,” said Tomoko Abe, a member of the Japan’s House of Representatives. Speaking of nuclear-contaminated wastewater, he argued that the vastness of the ocean doesn’t equate to an absence of impact. [Xinhua]

Anti-nuclear rally in 2011 (保守, public domain)

¶ “The Secret Nuclear Power Plant That Poisoned Russians For Decades” • It is a real safety threat when a dishonest or negligent government runs nuclear plants under desperate circumstances. A secret Russian site called Mayak is a monument to the dangers of nuclear power in the wrong hands. Two-thirds of the people in one village had radiatioin sickness. [Big Think]

US:

¶ “Hurricane Hilary Sparks Rare Storm Watch For California” • A Category 4 storm called Hilary is predicted to first make landfall in Baja California on Saturday morning. Forecasters say it will move on towards southern California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah as a tropical storm. It would be the first tropical storm to hit California in over 80 years. [BBC]

Hurricane Hillary rainfall forecast (NOAA image)

¶ “Feds Determine Five Chinese Solar Panel Companies Have Been Skirting US Tariffs” • After an investigation lasting over a year, officials concluded that five Chinese solar PV makers were skirting US tariff laws by routing their operations through four other Southeast Asian countries. Higher tariffs will be delayed until 2024 so installers can find other sources. [CNN]

¶ “NYC Rideshare Vehicles Must Be Either Zero-Emission Or Wheelchair Accessible By 2030” • New York City Mayor Eric Adams and the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission’s David Do announced proposed rules for “Green Rides.” They would transition the city’s rideshare fleet to either zero-emission or wheelchair accessible by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

EVs in a garage (Upgraded Points, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Regulators Approve GMP Request To Expand Home Energy Storage Program” • Green Mountain Power customers will have greater access to seamless, cost-effective home battery backup power after an order by the Vermont PUC. GMP may to lift the enrollment caps on its Powerwall and Bring Your Own Device home battery programs. [Vermont Business Magazine]

¶ “New York State Increases Clean Energy Storage Research Incentives” • Climate and renewable energy advocates suggest the New York State Build Public Renewables Act can help ensure New York achieves economy-wide carbon neutrality by the middle of this century. That scheme includes the construction of a green transmission grid. [pv magazine USA]

Have a famously fabulous day.

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Opinion:

¶ “From Policy To Prosperity: Solar Is Supercharging American Communities After One Year Of Energy Incentives” • Just twelve months after the Inflation Reduction Act became law, solar and storage companies have announced over $100 billion in private sector investments for over 155 GW of new solar capacity. This is just the tip of the iceberg. [CleanTechnica]

Agrivoltaic landscape (Courtesy of Lightsource BP)

Science and Technology:

¶ “What Rapid Intensification Means For Hurricanes” • Heat provides fuel for storms. Higher sea surface temperatures and high ocean heat content play huge roles in rapid intensification. The climate crisis is forcing up ocean temperatures, which leads to rapid intensification. This leads to more major hurricanes, of Category 3 or higher. [CNN]

¶ “How Canada’s Wildfires Are Warming The Stratosphere” • Research has shown that wildfires’ likelihood and intensity have already increased due to human-caused global warming. There is still a lot we don’t understand about these powerful phenomena, however. Not least is the ability of wildfires to alter and disrupt climate systems long after they die out. [BBC]

Wildfire (Mike Newbry, Unsplash)

¶ “A Study With 300,000 Workers In The Nuclear Industry Suggests An Increased Risk Of Death From Cancer” • Prolonged exposure to low doses of ionizing radiation is associated with a higher risk of death from cancer than was previously thought, according to a study of nearly 310,000 nuclear industry workers in France, the UK, and the US. [EL PAÍS English]

World:

¶ “Snake season starts early as unusually high temperatures hit Australia” • Snakes are active in warm weather, and as Australia’s east coast experiences one of its warmest winters on record, snake season appears to have started early. The Australian Reptile Park has issued an “urgent warning” for people to be on the look out for venomous snakes. [CNN]

Venomous snake (Courtesy of the Australian Reptile Park)

¶ “Xi Jinping Is Building A Dream City. Devastating Floods Raise Questions About His Plan” • In 2017, China announced Xi’s plan of “1,000-year significance” to transform an area of crop fields and polluted wetlands 100 km (62 miles) south of Beijing into an eco-friendly, high-tech hub, Xiong’an. The area can flood, and some are questioning the plan. [CNN]

¶ “Yellowknife Evacuees Turned Away From Full Flights” • Angry residents of Yellowknife, who had waited in hours-long queues to board flights out on Thursday, were told by officials to try again on Friday or Saturday, the day the wildfire could reach the city. Canada’s two major airlines are also facing criticism over soaring air fares and rescheduling fees. [BBC]

Yellowknife (Gordon Leggett, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Himachal Pradesh Floods: More Rain, Less Snow Are Turning Himalayas Dangerous” • A study found that mountains across the globe, including the Himalayas, are seeing increased rainfall at elevations where it has mostly snowed in the past. Worsened by unabated construction, heavy rains are frequently triggering disasters in India’s Himalayan region. [BBC]

¶ “Ford And SK On To Build $1.2 Billion Battery Materials Plant In Quebec” • Ford and China’s CATL made an unconventional deal on battery technology, but Ford is not placing all its eggs in one basket. It has forged ties with SK On, a South Korean battery company, to build a number of battery factories in the US, and at least one plant in Quebec. [CleanTechnica]

Quebec plant (Courtesy of Ford)

¶ “AGL Signs Up To Power Victorian Smelter As State Races To 95% Renewables” • AGL Energy signed a nine-year contract to supply aluminium giant Alcoa Australia with electricity for a smelter in Victoria. AGL is to supply roughly 50%, or 300 MW, of the power needed to run the smelter over a period from July 2026 until July 2035. [Renew Economy]

¶ “Baltic Power Secures Offshore Construction Permits” • Baltic Power has secured three building permits relating to 1200 MW of offshore wind capacity it is developing off the coast of Poland. The Pomeranian Voivode Dariusz Drelich issued a permit for the construction of 76 turbines in the Baltic Sea. Baltic Power also got two other permits. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbines (Vestas image)

¶ “France To Reduce Nuclear Power Generation Due To Heat Wave” • Two nuclear plants along the Rhone River in France may have to reduce power generation beginning this weekend due to a persisting heatwave, an official said. The high temperatures have increased the river water temperature above the thresholds for use in cooling. [La Prensa Latina]

US:

¶ “America’s Richest 10% Are Responsible For 40% Of Its Planet-Heating Pollution” • America’s wealthiest people are also some of the world’s biggest polluters, not only because of their massive homes and private jets, but because of the fossil fuels generated by the companies they invest their money in, a study published in the journal PLOS Climate shows. [CNN]

Rich (Charles C Collingwood, Unsplash)

¶ “Kentuckians Call On Regulators To Consider Climate Impacts Of LG&E’s Natural Gas Plants” • LG&E and Kentucky Utilities plan to retire nearly a third of their coal generation by 2028 and replace it with a mix of natural gas, solar, and battery storage. At a meeting, every commenter but one opposed plans to build new fossil fuel infrastructure. [Louisville Public Media]

¶ “Why electric bills are going up due to Vogtle” • You may have noticed a jump in your electric bill recently. The weather and higher fuel costs definitely play a role, but some of the hike is to pay for the expansion of Plant Vogtle near Waynesboro. Plant Vogtle’s new Unit 3 is operating, and Unit 4 is to be online soon. But they are billions over budget. [WRDW]

Have a comprehensively enchanting day.

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Opinion:

¶ “EVs Can Support Power Grid Reliability And Reduce Costs. Here’s How” • With so many recent power outages, the US grid does not inspire confidence. It’s natural to wonder how the grid will hold up as the country electrifies its economy. The California legislature is tackling this issue head-on with a bill that would help integrate EVs with the grid. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (UCS image)

¶ “What does Georgia’s just-opened nuclear reactor say about the industry’s future in the US?” • According to Georgia Power, Unit 3 at Vogtle can supply 1,100 MW, providing power to 500,000 homes and businesses. But because the reactor was so lavishly expensive, customers will soon be seeing their electric energy bills increase. [Yahoo News]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Transformational Fast-Charging LFP Batteries – Coming Soon” • The world’s largest battery producer, CATL, announced that it will soon to start productioin of an LFP battery that can charge at a superfast rate of 4C, the fastest ever for an LFP battery. The Shenxing battery and it will go into mass production by the end of 2023. [CleanTechnica]

Shenxing battery announcement (CATL)

¶ “ITM Launches 20-MW Electrolysis Module” • ITM Power has launched a 20-MW core electrolysis process module suitable for scaling up into large-scale electrolyser and green hydrogen projects. The Poseidon module has been engineered by ITM as a standardized module incorporating “real-world lessons learned from commercial projects.” [reNews]

World:

¶ “Hundreds Of Wildfires That Rage In Canada’s Northwest Territories Prompt Evacuations In What Officials Are Calling A ‘Crisis Situation’” • Hundreds of wildfires raging in parts of Canada’s Northwest Territories have prompted officials to issue evacuation orders and declare a state of emergency as the blazes threaten the capital city of Yellowknife. [CNN]

Firefighters (Government of the Northwest Territory)

¶ “Race To Evacuate City As Blaze Approaches” • One of the largest cities in Canada’s far north is being evacuated amid warnings that a wildfire could reach it by the weekend. The 20,000 residents of Yellowknife, the capital of the Northwest Territories, have until noon Friday to leave. Scientists say climate change increases the risk of wildfires. [BBC]

¶ “Mainstream, Ocean Winds Partner On Second Scots Floater” • Mainstream Renewable Power and Ocean Winds partnered to develop a site east of Shetland, bringing the total capacity of the Arven offshore wind farm to 2300 MW. The partnership is to develope one Arven site, with a capacity of 1,800 MW. Ocean Winds is developing the other alone. [reNews]

Floating offshore wind turbines (Ocean Winds image)

¶ “EVs Make The Mainstream News In Australia: 385% Growth In Pure EV Sales!” • You know EVs are making an impact when they feature on a national finance report. ABC News reported that battery EV growth in Australia is 385% higher than last year, plugin hybrids are up 24%, plugless hybrids remain stable, sales of combustion cars are down. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hysata To Build Next-Generation Hydrogen Electrolyser” • A pioneering, all-Australian hydrogen electrolyser technology is getting a chance to prove itself at a commercial scale. If it works, the project could alter the economics of renewable hydrogen production. The concept arose in a laboratory at the University of Wollongong. [Australian Renewable Energy Agency]

Old-style wind+hydrogen power (Longershanks, public domain)

¶ “Big Potential For Green Hydrogen In North Africa: Report” • By 2050 North Africa could become a leading exporter of green hydrogen with Europe its main market, according to a recent report from accounting consultancy Deloitte. The report projects the future of an industry still in its infancy, but it is growing because of the climate crisis. [France 24]

US:

¶ “Significant Impacts Of The Inflation Reduction Act And Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” • The Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law are revitalizing the US energy system by investing in American energy supply chains, clean energy job creation, emissions reduction, and consumer energy savings. [CleanTechnica]

Investment in America (From energy.gov)

¶ “2022 Was Another Big Year For Hybrid Power Plants in the US, Especially PV Plus Storage” • Improving battery technology and the growth of variable renewable generation are driving a surge of interest in “hybrid” power plants that combine. Examples include wind and solar generating plants that are co-located with batteries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Energy Jobs Have Increased In Nearly Every County” • The DOE released county-level data on energy employment across the country. The data show that energy jobs grew in nearly every US county in 2022. The release comes on the first anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, which has already spurred over $110 billion of clean energy investments. [CleanTechnica]

Ute solar workers (GRID Alternatives Tribal Program)

¶ “BPU Bumps Up Community Solar From Pilot To Full-Fledged Program” • With the aim of expanding access to solar energy, a New Jersey state agency made a pilot program created to make cleaner energy available to all households permanent . The Board of Public Utilities established the community solar program unanimously. [NJ Spotlight News]

¶ “Texas Counties Don’t Have The Power To Ban Solar Farms, Attorney General Finds” • The Texas attorney general’s office dealt a blow to a rural county that has been searching for ways to keep solar farms away. Residents in Franklin County had pushed county commissioners last year to impose a 180-day moratorium on commercial solar development. [The Texas Tribune]

Have a movingly gorgeous day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Americans Want Sustainable Transportation Options, Not More Highways” • Americans want more sustainable choices for transportation, not more highways. A survey on Americans’ attitudes revealed strong interest in transportation options that prioritize walkable, bikeable, and transit-connected communities over highway expansions. [CleanTechnica]

Traffic jam (Aleksandr Popov, Unsplash)

¶ “Nuclear Facilities As Military Targets – The Zaporizhzhia Case An Overview” • For the first time in history, a nuclear plant is a military objective in a war. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is being contested as a target in the war in Ukraine. It is a new and unprecedented situation for which the international community is unprepared. [Katoikos]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Sodium-Ion Battery Market To Surpass 2899 Million By 2030 Drives Due To Rising Industrial Use” • Global sodium-ion battery market is gaining traction as the focus shifts towards eco-friendly energy storage solutions. Sodium-ion batteries offer a sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries, reducing reliance on scarce resources and environmental harm. [Yahoo Finance]

Sodium-ion battery researcher (Tavo Romann, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

World:

¶ “Army Airlifts Hundreds To Safety From Fires In Northwest Territories” • More than 6,500 people were ordered to evacuate in parts of the Northwest Territories due to 236 active wildfires in the region. Some residents in the town of Hay River were forced to evacuate for the second time this summer. Others were in Hay River to shelter from Fort Smith. [BBC]

¶ “Multitrillion-Dollar Carbon Bubble? Climate Chief Warns World Leaders Over Fossil Fuel Plans” • The head of the IPCC says world leaders face a multitrillion-dollar threat by pushing plans for fossil fuel production. The UN climate panel estimated that fossil fuel investors could be at risk of losing $1 trillion to $4 trillion if governments limit global warming. [CNBC]

Offshore oil rig (Jan-Rune Smenes Reite, Pexels, cropped)

¶ “Europe Space Chief Warns Over Political Wavering On The Climate” • Europe’s top space official urged wavering politicians not to abandon European leadership on climate change. Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency said record heatwaves and wildfires are “really alarming” evidence of the pace of global warming. [Reuters]

¶ “Crude Oil Prices Will Increase Through 2024 As Demand Rises Above Supply, US EIA Says” • The US Energy Information Administration forecasts higher crude oil prices in the second half of 2023 and into 2024 in its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook due to moderate but persistent inventory drawdowns with demand exceeeding supply. [CleanTechnica]

Past and expected Spot oil prices (EIA image)

¶ “Plan For How Indonesia Will Spend $20 Billion To Transition To Cleaner Energy” • A plan for Indonesia to spend $20 billion to transition to cleaner energy was submitted to the government, its authors said. It aims to use the funds over the next three to five years to accelerate retirement of the nation’s coal plants and switch to renewable energy. [AP News]

¶ “Pacific Flicks Switch On 6-MW Solar Farm As Hybrid Plant Powers Up” • Pacific Energy has delivered a hybrid power station incorporating a 6 MW solar array fitted with 11,088 PV panels, a 2.4-MW battery energy storage system, and a 9.5-MW gas-fuelled power plant at Westgold’s Tuckabianna mine site near Cue in Western Australia. [PV Magazine]

Ribbon cutting (Pacific Energy image)

US:

¶ “News Outlets Went All In On Maui Fire Coverage. But Did They Miss A Key Part Of The Story?” • News media have given a lot of coverage to climate change. But research by the watchdog Media Matters shows only 4% of television news segments about the disaster, during a two-day period starting August 9, tied the catastrophe to climate change. [CNN]

¶ “Feds Ease Water Cuts On Colorado River After Blockbuster Winter” • Federal officials are easing water restrictions on the Colorado River next year, after above-average winter snowpack helped lift water levels at the nation’s two largest reservoirs. Lake Mead has shown “significant improvement” because of the good winter and water conservation efforts by states. [CNN]

Colorado River (Westwind Air Service, Unsplash)

¶ “Maui Wildfires Leave Trail Of Death And Destruction” • About 2,000 housing units have been secured to house thousands of Maui residents who lost homes. Hawaii Gov Josh Green said 402 hotel rooms and 1,400 Airbnb units will be available. Another 160 residents have volunteered to shelter displaced people, and 222 displaced families are already in housing. [CNN]

¶ “Electrify America Opens Solar Plant To Offset EV Charging” • Electrify America announced that a project has gone online: a solar power plant that puts enough renewable energy into the grid to more than make up for its EV charging sessions. The 75-MW Electrify America Solar Glow™ 1 solar PV project is in San Bernardino County, California. [CleanTechnica]

Solar farm (Electrify America image)

¶ “Switching To EVs And Clean Electricity Could Result In 89,300 Fewer Premature Deaths In The US” • The American Lung Association recently released “Driving to Clean Air: Health Benefits of Zero-Emission Cars and Electricity.” The report foresees America running on clean, renewable electricity and driving all-electric vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Launches Program To Provide Electricity To More Native American Homes” • The US Interior Department unveiled a program to bring electricity to more homes in Native American communities, as the Biden administration looks to funnel more money toward climate and renewable energy projects. It will be funded by an initial $72.5 million. [ABC News]

Have an overwhelmingly happy day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “From Cradle To Grave, EVs Have Fewer Greenhouse Gas Emissions Than Gas Vehicles” • Cradle-to-grave greenhouse gas emissions for a small gasoline SUV in 2020 were estimated to be 429 grams of CO₂ equivalentper mile, while the same size EV with 300 miles of range had 48% fewer GHG emissions, Argonne National Laboratory analysis shows. [CleanTechnica]

Comparing emissions (energy.gov)

World:

¶ “Alberta Will Never Comply With Federal Clean Power Grid Plan, Premier Vows” • Alberta will never comply with a Canadian government plan to phase out carbon emissions from power generation by 2035, Premier Danielle Smith said. She said a net zero power grid by 2050 would be too costly and carry the risk of blackouts. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Back To The Future For India’s Rice Farmers” • One farmer said, “Most of the people from the village are farmers but with major climatic changes we started facing a lot of problems. Our crops got destroyed because of unseasonal rains or scarcity of water.” Hybrid rice and heavy use of fertilizer make things worse. Some farmers are going back to old ways. [BBC]

Himachal Pradesh Rice field (7018412375, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “NASA Clocks July 2023 As Hottest Month On Record” • On average, July 2023 was 0.43°F (0.24°C) warmer than any other July in NASA’s record, and it was 2.1°F (1.18°C) warmer than the average July between 1951 and 1980. The primary focus of the GISS analysis is long-term temperature changes over many decades and centuries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BasiGo Introduces The E9 Kubwa Electric Bus, Which Is Specifically Designed For The Kenyan Marke” • After a successful pilot program supplying twenty K6 electric buses to public transport operators in Nairobi, BasiGo announced that it will introduce a 36-seater electric bus custom designed for the Kenyan market. [CleanTechnica]

BasiGo bus (BasiGo image)

¶ “Models Suggest Dropping Costs Of Solar And Wind Power In Africa May Make Hydro Power Obsolete” • A team of scientists affiliated with several institutions in Europe found, via modeling, that building dams to generate hydroelectricity in Africa may be not be a cost-effective approach in light of falling costs for solar and wind power. [Tech Xplore]

¶ “Solar Power Surges In Europe And Is Set To Double By 2030” • The EU is moving fast to deploy solar power in response to the energy crisis. A report by the lobby group SolarPower Europe found the bloc would have over 400 GW of solar power installed by the end of the decade, almost double the 208 GW of solar power produced today. [ZME Science]

Solar panels in Italy (Sungrow EMEA, Unsplash)

¶ “Sri Lanka To Provide Solar Power To 25,000 Low-Income Households” • The Sri Lankan Cabinet approved a proposal to provide solar power to 25,000 low-income households, an official said. the National Housing Development Authority has selected 11,000 partially completed houses in fifteen housing projects to provide free solar power. [Xinhua]

US:

¶ “Montana Judge Hands Young Plaintiffs Significant Victory In Landmark Climate Trial” • A Montana judge handed a significant victory to more than a dozen young plaintiffs in the nation’s first constitutional climate trial, as extreme weather gets more deadly and scientists warn the climate crisis is eroding our environment and natural resources. [CNN]

Montana (Tony Reid, Unsplash)

¶ “How Much Water Is Left In The Colorado River? Scientists And Officials Are Scrambling To Find Out” • With a phenomenal winter snowpack, water levels on the Colorado River are going up for the first time in years. Some water restrictions are being lifted, but officials, farmers, and tribes are bracing for difficult negotiations to come on water rights. [CNN]

¶ “Biden’s Climate Law Has Led To 86,000 New Jobs And $132 Billion In Investment, New Report Says” • A year after Democrats passed the Inflation Reduction Act, it’s leading to a surge of clean energy projects and job creation, a report from Bank of America says. Over 270 new clean energy projects have been announced, creating more than 86,000 jobs. [CNN]

Wind turbines (Bastian Pudill, Unsplash)

¶ “Solar And Storage Companies Add Over $100 Billion To US Economy As A Result Of The Inflation Reduction Act” • Since the Inflation Reduction Act passed one year ago, US solar and storage companies have announced over $100 billion in investments, bolstering the US economy, analysis made by the Solar Energy Industries Association shows. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “$50 Million To Enhance Water Infrastructure In The Upper Colorado River Basin” • The Interior Department announced $50 million over five years to improve water infrastructure and drought data collection in the Upper Colorado River Basin. This year, $8.7 million will support drought mitigation in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. [CleanTechnica]

Flaming Gorge Reservoir, Wyoming (Patrick Hendry, Unsplash)

¶ “California’s Power Grid Operator Prepares For Heat Wave, Possible Tight Conditions” • Another round of extreme heat is in the forecast, but will the hot temperatures stress California’s power grid? In short, California ISO, the grid operator, said no, but there could be scenarios where Californians may be asked to cut back on electricity usage. [CBS News]

¶ “Nuclear Plant Moratorium Bill Heads To Veto Session Fight In Illinois” • The veto of a law to end a moratorium on new nuclear power plant construction in Illinois sets up a battle in the fall veto session. In his veto message, Gov JB Pritzker appears to be saying the bill isn’t quite ready for prime time. Clearly people take their different sides and disagree. [WGLT]

Have a deservedly grand day.

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Opinion:

¶ “UK Biomass Strategy Won’t Stop The Destruction Of North American Forests” • The growing wood pellet industry, driven by UK demand, is damaging some of the most important forests on the North American continent, and the biodiversity they support. The UK government has a new Biomass Strategy, but it has very little in it to improve the situation. [CleanTechnica]

Deforestation (Sebastian Pichler, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Nearly 40% Of Tesla’s Battery Material Suppliers Come From China” • Of the ten best selling plugin vehicles in the world, eight are Chinese models. The other two are Teslas, which can also be produced and sold in China. A lot of the EV battery minerals of the world are mined or at least processed in China. Here, we take a look at the implications. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “As The Earth Gets Hotter, Can Our Cities Get Cooler?” • Most years, lately, heat is the deadliest disaster. It kills an average of 490,000 people globally and causes severe health problems for many more. Deaths from heat are expected to grow by 50% by 2050, according to the World Health Organization. It can be at its worst in poor urban areas. [CleanTechnica]

One Solution to heat (CHUTTERSNAP, Unsplash)

¶ “Micron Technology Initiates Major Rooftop Solar Project In Singapore For Sustainable Operations” • Micron Technology, a prominent memory chip maker, is installing 36,000 solar panels on the roof of its Singapore plant and carport. This sustainable initiative aims to use renewable energy to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. [Solar Quarter]

¶ “Vestas Turbine Sets World Record” • Vestas’s V236-15 MW prototype wind turbine set a world record for the most power output by a single unit. The Danish manufacturer’s wind turbine racked up 363 MWh in 24 hours. The prototype was installed at the offshore Østerild National test center for large wind turbines in Denmark, in December 2022. [reNews]

V236-15 MW turbines (Vestas image)

¶ “Vehicle-To-Grid Tech Put To Test In SA Trial” • Flinders University has brought ten V2G chargers online, working with the Australian arm of French renewables developer Engie. They allow compatible EVs to be used as mobile batteries that can store and supply energy directly to the grid during periods of high demand. [pv magazine Australia]

UK:

¶ “UK Homes Install ‘Record Number’ Of Solar Panels And Heat Pumps” • British households are making more green energy upgrades than ever before, installing a record number of solar panels and heat pumps. Industry figures show there were more green energy installations in June alone than in any six-month period in previous years. [The Guardian]

Housing in Bristol (Louis Reed, Unsplash)

¶ “‘Change Is Needed’: Ofgem Chief Calls On Ministers To Rethink Energy Price Caps” • In what could herald a shake-up of Britain’s energy market, Ofgem’s Jonathan Brearley is calling on ministers to rethink the “very broad and crude” price control used to keep bills in check for the past four years, to find whether it is still fit for it purpose. [The Guardian]

¶ “Risks Of Further Delays At Hinkley Point C, EDF Warns” • EDF has admitted there is a risk of further delays to two nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point C due to construction setbacks. The French energy giants behind the new nuclear power station along the Somerset coast remarked last year that the plants may start 15 months late. [Somerset Live]

Hinkley C nuclear station (Gov.uk, Open government licence 3.0)

US:

¶ “When A ‘Fire Hurricane’ Hit, Maui’s Warning Sirens Never Sounded” • Dozens of survivors shared their stories of escape and loss with the BBC. Their stories help for piecing together a picture of the tragedy that unfolded when fires moving at a mile per minute consumed the town. Lahaina’s wildfires are the deadliest in the US in over a century. [BBC]

¶ “The US Passed A Major Climate Law One Year Ago. Here’s How It’s Going” • A year ago this week, the Inflation Reduction Act, the first major federal climate legislation in US history, was signed into law. The act is just the first step on the way for the US to meet its climate goals. But it has kicked off a stunning boom in clean energy. [Canary Media]

Wind turbines (Anna Jiménez Calaf, Unsplash)

¶ “Automakers Pursue Energy Reduction Efforts In Shift To Renewable Energy” • The Detroit Three automakers have taken actions to reduce their energy consumption to conserve on costs and help ensure a reliable energy supply as they move toward running their operations fully off renewable electricity sources in the coming years. [The Detroit News]

¶ “UAlbany, UConn And Utilities To Research Weather, Power Grid Needs” • One of the challenges in shifting to a carbon-free power grid is the weather. Researchers at Universities of Albany and Connecticut hope to get answers to questions about weather and energy through a consortium using expertise from both academia and utility companies. [Times Union]

Brandford House, UConn (Tomas Martinez, Unsplash)

¶ “Why Haven’t Summer’s Extreme Heat Waves Caused Any Blackouts?” • Florida is set to experience heat index values of up to 115°F this week. Persistent, scorching temperatures covered much of the Southwest, expanding into the Midwest and Northeast in July. Record after record was broken, but so far, the grid has not failed. Why? Renewables. [USA Today]

¶ “One Congregation Offers Case Study As Episcopal Church Works Toward 2030 Carbon Neutral Goal” • When the heat went out, so did the reluctance to end the dependence on fossil fuels at St Martin’s Episcopal Church in Davis, California. By 2021, St Martin’s had become carbon neutral, as certified by Interfaith Power & Light. [National Catholic Reporter]

Have a spectacularly easy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “How Will EPA’s Proposed Power Plant Carbon Rule Impact Public Health?” • The US EPA has published a proposed rule that would limit carbon pollution from power plants burning fossil fuels, a move that is urgent, statutorily required, and long overdue. How does the power sector impact public health? “It’s all connected to fossil fuels.” [CleanTechnica]

Fossil fuel power plant (Jason Blackeye, Unsplash)

¶ “SA’s Energy Crisis Causing Economic Decline, Reluctance To Achieve Zero Emissions By 2050” • South Africa is facing an energy crisis that is killing the economy. One of the stumbling blocks is power struggles within the ruling party, disagrees internally on an Integrated Resource Plan, which causes delays for renewable energy projects. [SABC News]

¶ “Why Electric Car Tech Could Drive Down Power Prices” • What if every light in your home along with your television, computer, smartphone, swimming pool, and all cleaning, cooking, and cooling appliances could be powered by one source? And what if that source was the battery on wheels you parked in your garage each night? [The Driven]

Charging a car (Michael Fousert, Unsplash)

¶ “Why Reopen Palisades Nuclear Plant When We Have Wind And Solar?” • Even though the US nuclear industry has not built a single nuclear plant on schedule or on budget in the last 50 years, Michigan’s governor and Legislature are promoting nuclear subsidies, which could strangle renewable investments and raise Michigan’s electricity rates. [Bridge Michigan]

¶ “When Silence Is Not Golden” • Japanese authorities and the UN’s nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency, have both said publicly releasing contaminated water was safe. But in nearby countries, fear that the release may contaminate food that are already stretched and worsen a future threaten by the climate change crisis, remains. [The Fiji Times]

Nuclear waste storage in Fukushima prefecture (Greenpeace)

World:

¶ “IEA And Oilprice.com See Peak Oil Happening This Decade” • Back in 2019 the International Energy Agency said it could see no sign of “peak oil” coming any time soon. In June, the IEA took another look into the future and announced “peak oil” was in fact on the horizon. Now, Oilprice.com said they expect demand for fossil fuels to peak in 2027. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Taking Flight With The Candela C-8” • The Candela C-8 is finally available for customers to purchase. Instead of a loud, inefficient combustion engine, the Candela C-8 has a torpedo-shaped C-Pod motor assembly. It is lifted out of the water on the hydrofoils for a smoother ride and around 80% less drag. It’s is super fast and super quiet. [CleanTechnica]

Candela C-8 moving really fast (Candela image)

¶ “Up To $6000 For Homeowners To Go Zero Carbon Under Greens Policy” • The Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand wants to give homeowners up to $6000 for them to ditch gas and fossil fuels as part of its new plan for a multibillion-dollar Clean Power Payment for Kiwis. The grant would cover up to 25% of the cost of zero-carbon home upgrades. [1News]

¶ “More Wind Power Projects Charge Up Philippines” • Aboitiz Power Corp said its renewable energy arm Aboitiz Renewables, Inc, had entered a partnership with Vena Energy to invest in the latter’s 102-MW wind power project in Rizal and Laguna. The deal was signed early in July, and in the first week of August, the rollout plans started. [CleanTechnica]

Wind and solar in AboitizPower energy portfolio (Aboitiz image)

¶ “ACWA Sets Up Central Asia’s Largest Wind Turbine In Uzbekistan” • Acwa Power, a Saudi-listed company and a leader in energy transition, has installed the first wind turbine for its 500-MW Bash wind farm project, in Uzbekistan. The wind turbine manufactured by Envision is the largest of its kind in Central Asia with a capacity of 6.5 MW. [ZAWYA]

¶ “Companies Pay Almost €800 Million For Right To Build Offshore Wind Farms In German Tender” • Investors agreed to pay €784 million for the right to build wind farms at four sites in the North Sea in Germany’s latest offshore tender. The wind farms will have a total capacity of 1,800 MW and are expected to enter operation in 2028. [Renew Economy]

Offshore wind farm (BlueFloat Energy image)

¶ “China Leads The Rest Of The World In The Photovoltaic Sector” • From the resources of Rethink Energy, we learn that quarterly global solar installations appear to be growing at 50% per year. In the second quarter of 2023 alone, about 92 GW of solar power were installed globally. Of that, 51 GW, 55%, was installed in China. [Evwind]

US:

¶ “Updated 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook Increases Prediction To ‘Above Normal’ Level Of Activity” • Due to current ocean and atmospheric conditions, including record-warm sea surface temperatures, NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center has increased the prediction for the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season to an “above normal” level of activity. [CleanTechnica]

GOES-16 satellite image of Hurricane Don (NOAA image)

¶ “Maui Fire: 89 Killed As Governor Warns Of ‘Significant’ Death Toll Rise” • Eighty-nine people have been confirmed killed in the Maui fire that razed Lahaina. The number of victims could rise “significantly,”  Hawaii Governor Josh Green warned on Saturday, as forensic work continues to identify the victims. There are still hundreds unaccounted for. [BBC]

¶ “North Carolina Offshore Wind Surveys Have Protections For Right Whales” • Right whales are in rapid decline due to vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements. The whales face threats of noise pollution, malnourishment, and a need to adapt to climate change. Fortunately, offshore wind planning surveys will be done with protective measures in place. [CleanTechnica]

Have a sensationally relaxing day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Why Weren’t Maui Residents Warned Sooner?” • Local evacuations first took place on Tuesday, then an announcement came that the flames were “100% contained.” By the next day, however, fast-moving flames had engulfed Lahaina. Residents reported that strong winds knocked out the communications systems hours before the fires arrived. [BBC]

Lahaina fire damage (US Civil Air Patrol)

¶ “Pathways To Equity And Savings For Low-Income American Households” • Low-income Americans end up paying about four times more of their income on energy than non-low-income individuals. This year, federal housing departments are poised to alleviate more of these energy-related challenges and bring about greater energy equity. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Review: Christopher Nolan’s Masterpiece ‘Oppenheimer’ a Reminder of Nuclear Power’s Horror” • Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, is quite compelling to the Del Mar-based Samuel Lawrence Foundation, a nonprofit deeply concerned about nuclear waste storage at San Onofre and the harmful effects of radiation on communities. [Times of San Diego]

Ad for the movie in Poland (Marek Mróz, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

World:

¶ “Yemen: Oil Salvaged From Abandoned ‘Time Bomb’ Tanker In Red Sea” • A “floating time bomb” oil tanker left adrift in the Red Sea has been drained of its cargo, the UN says. The vessel was abandoned off Yemen in 2015 after war broke out. It had over a million barrels of oil on board, and it was feared that the FSO Safer could cause a major spill. [BBC]

¶ “Mushrooms Are Being Farmed In Abu Dhabi’s Desert” • A startup in Abu Dhabi found a way to grow mushrooms in the middle of the desert. Below Farm grows “specialty mushrooms” such as king oyster, shiitake, and lion’s mane. Its managing director says the indoor farm is the first in the region to grow and sell high-end mushrooms. [CNN]

Mushroom and kale pizza (Marmellata Bakery image)

¶ “Share Of Renewables In KE Generation Likely To Reach 30% In Seven Years” • K-Electric, an electric utility in Karachi, foresees 30% renewable energy in its overall power generation in seven years. In the current energy mix KE imports 94% of its electricity from thermal sources. It gets 3% from local thermal plants and 3% from renewables. [Business Recorder]

¶ “Goulburn Community Solar Farm Sees Local Investors Take Action Against Climate Change And Power Bills” • Dimity Taylor owns a sheep farm near Goulburn, a small city in New South Wales. She calls the spinning shadows of the wind turbine blades beautiful and says the turbines sound like the ocean. Now she is one of a group happily investing in solar PVs. [ABC]

Wind farm in New South Wales (CSIRO, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “Maui Wildfires Death Toll Rises As Some Residents Return To Lahaina” • The death toll from this week’s wildfires in Maui has now reached 80, officials confirmed on Friday night. In addition, a press release announced, “Firefighters continue working to extinguish flare-ups and contain fires in Lahaina, Pulehu/Kihei and Upcountry Maui.” [CNN]

¶ “How Laws Designed To Protect The Environment Were Weaponized Against It” • After over 50 years of efforts to implement a toll program that would reduce emissions and congestion in lower Manhattan, the plan cleared a milestone in May, when the federal government released of an environmental assessment. Then New Jersey sued. [CNN]

Holland Tunnel entrance (Cesar Centeno, Jr, public domain)

¶ “16.8 GW Of Utility-Scale Generating Capacity In US In First Half Of 2023” • In the first half of 2023, developers added 16.8 GW of utility-scale generating capacity to the US power grid, our latest inventory of electric generators shows. Developers plan to bring an additional 35.2 GW of capacity online in the second half of the year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “DOE Funds Two Direct Air Capture Carbon Removal Projects” • The DOE announced $1.1 billion in funding for two direct air capture projects, one in Texas and the other in Louisiana. The Washington Post reports they will be used to develop and test the machinery. In total, the Biden administration has earmarked $3.5 billion for US direct air capture projects. [CleanTechnica]

Carbon capture (Courtesy of Climeworks)

¶ “Vermont Renewable Energy Manufacturer Given Award For Excellence In Global Exporting” • When NRG Systems opened, it was just a tiny building in a field in Hinesburg. Now, it’s one of the world’s foremost exporters. The manufacturer of renewable energy tools received the President’s E Award in Washington, DC, for its excellence in global exporting. [WCAX]

¶ “Cordova And NREL Push The Envelope Of Microgrid Design” • Cordova, like so many other cities in Alaska, is not connected to a larger energy system. Its 2,700 residents live in a microgrid that copes with earthquakes, tsunamis, avalanches, volcanic eruptions, and winter superstorms. Cordova is collaborating with NREL to create a model for microgrids. [CleanTechnica]

Cordova, Alaska (USDA Forest Service Alaska Region)

¶ “Maxeon To Build 3 GW TOPCon Cell And Module Plant In New Mexico” • Maxeon Solar Technologies has chosen the site for its first US factory. The new 3 GW facility will be built in Albuquerque. It will produce TOPCon PV-silicon cell technology and Maxeon’s proprietary shingled-cell Performance Line solar modules. [PV Magazine]

¶ “Pritzker Vetoes Bill That Lifted Moratorium On New Nuclear Power Stations” • Illinois’ moratorium on new nuclear powers will stay in place for now after Gov JB Pritzker vetoed a bill to lift the ban. The legislation would have invalidated a 1987 law that prohibited new nuclear power facilities until permanent waste storage was made available. [The Center Square]

Have a doubly ducky day.

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Opinion:

¶ “How To Ensure All North Carolinians Benefit From The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law” • North Carolina is home to the second largest highway system in the country. Building them has been distructive to poor neighborhoods. Now the state has an opportunity to re-prioritize funds towards healthier and more sustainable alternatives. [CleanTechnica]

Light rail in Charlotte (Justin Ruckman, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

World:

¶ “Natural Gas Prices Are Spiking Again. Here’s Why” • Natural gas prices spiked again this week, just as Europe prepares for the heating season. The Offshore Alliance, which represents two Australian labor unions, has taken steps toward strike action at two of Chevron’s LNG sites. The strikes could shut down as much as 10% of global LNG production. [CNN]

¶ “Volkswagen Outsells Tesla In Germany, ID.3 Sales Surge In China” • Through the first seven months of 2023, Volkswagen sold slightly more electric cars in Germany than Tesla. According to Germany’s Federal Motor Transport Authority, Tesla outsold all rivals in the first six months of 2023, but strong sales in July put Volkswagen into the lead. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.3 (Courtesy of Volkswagen)

¶ “European Nations Join Azerbaijan In An Ambitious Green Project” • Azerbaijan, Georgia, Hungary, and Romania have reached an agreement to push ahead with a project to generate green energy from renewable sources in Azerbaijan and to export the power to Europe through a subsea cable running under the Black Sea. [Oil Price]

¶ “India, The World’s Most Populated Country, Is On Track To Achieve Its Climate Goals: Report” • India has reduced its carbon emissions by 33% in 14 years. In a report filed to the UN, India says it is well on its way to achieving the goal it established for itself in the Paris climate accord: To reduce its carbon emissions by 45% from its 2005 levels by 2030. [Salon]

Solar plant in Uttar Pradesh (Citizenmj, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Putin Profits Off US, European Reliance on Russian Nuclear Fuel” • The US and its European allies are importing vast amounts of nuclear fuel from Russia, providing Moscow with hundreds of millions of dollars it can use for its war on Ukraine. The dependence on Russian nuclear products leaves the US and its allies vulnerable. [VOA]

US:

¶ “Ocean Heat Is Off The Charts, So Where Are The Hurricanes? Forecasters Warn A Change Is Coming” • Record ocean heat has set the stage for an active Atlantic hurricane season, but so far we have had no storms. There have been no tropical storms in the Atlantic basin in nearly a month, and none have come close to the US. That could soon change. [CNN]

Storm (Luka Vovk, Unsplash)

¶ “US Intelligence Community Boosts Focus On Climate Crisis, Supply Chains, Pandemics” • The US intelligence community is ramping up its focus on the dizzying and complex array of odd challenges that respect no global borders: Disruptions of supply chains, pandemics, extreme weather fueled by climate change, narcotics trafficking, and others. [CNN]

¶ “Maui Fires Death Toll Rises To At Least 55; Hundreds Have Been Evacuated; Biden Approves Disaster Declaration” • The death toll from fast-moving wildfires on Hawaii’s Maui island rose to at least 55 people, officials said. One blaze, which nearly destroyed the historic town of Lahaina, was said to be 80% contained earlier in the day. [CBS News]

Lahaina burning (USCG Hawaii Pacific District 14, public domain)

¶ “Robotaxi Companies Win: Can Operate 24/7 In San Francisco” • A hot topic in recent months has been the debate and political fight in San Francisco about whether to let robotaxis from Cruise and Waymo operate 24/7. After a six-hour hearing, members of the California Public Utilities Commission voted 3-1 in favor of the robotaxi companies. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “In A Surprise Move, Proterra Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection” • In a statement, Proterra said has voluntarily filed for protection under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code in the District of Delaware in an effort to strengthen its financial position through a recapitalization or going-concern sale. The firm said it will continue to operate. [CleanTechnica]

Proterra bus (Courtesy of Proterra)

¶ “Cadillac Reveals The Escalade IQ 7-Passenger Electric SUV With 450-Mile Range” • Cadillac says it intends to sell only EVs by 2030. The Lyriq is getting close to deliveries. The Celestiq will be here in a couple of years. This week, Cadillac took the wraps off the first existing model to get a battery electric makeover, the Escalade IQ. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Videos Denying Climate Science Approved By Florida As State Curriculum” • Videos that compare climate activists to Nazis, portray solar and wind energy as environmentally ruinous, and claim that global heating is part of natural long-term cycles will be made available to young schoolchildren in Florida, after they were approved for use in public schools. [The Guardian]

“You mean they’re lying?” (Ben White, Unsplash)

¶ “Surge In US Thunderstorms Has Caused ‘Unprecedented’ $34 Billion In Insured Losses This Year” • In the first half of this year, waves of severe storms led to $34 billion in insured losses in the US, an unprecedented level of financial damage in such a short time, Swiss Re Group said. Climate change contributes to the frequency and severity of violent weather events. [CBC]

¶ “Cook County Announces First Off-Site PPA For Renewable Energy” • Cook County officials announced on August 1 its first power purchase agreement for renewable energy. Starting in March 2025, Cook County’s asset portfolio will source close to 24% of its electricity, about 49,000 MWh, from a new, off-site solar project in Illinois. [HF Chronicle]

Have a really magical day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Mirko Musa: Rescuing Rivers – And The World – With Help From Water Power” • Water power, including both hydropower and marine energy, is reliable and predictable. Mirko Musa, an R&D associate staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, is working to make water power more versatile, cost-effective, and durable. [CleanTechnica]

Mirko Musa (Mirko Musa, ORNL, US DOE)

World:

¶ “How Indigenous Conservation Protects The Environment In Canada” • Using a “two-eyed seeing approach,” Dolcy Meness and other Nagadjitòdjig Akì guardians draw on indigenous knowledge and Western science to monitor impacts of extractive industries on their territory. Kitigan Zibi Anishinabegan is an Algonquin First Nation in Quebec. [BBC]

¶ “How This School In The Indian Desert Stays Cool Even In Extreme Heat” • In the north Indian desert town of Jaisalmer, temperatures can reach approximately 120°F (49°C) at the height of summer. Here, buildings have long been designed to adapt to the heat. New York architect Diana Kellogg used that tradition for the Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls’ School. [CNN]

Rajkumari Ratnavati Girls’ School (Diana Kellogg Architects)

¶ “World’s Largest Lithium Mine Is In Australia” • Not long ago, people were discussing the scarcity of lithium. Now, most of the world’s lithium comes from Australia, which has bountiful reserves of hard rock spodumene. The world’s largest hard-rock lithium mine is the Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora Mine, in Western Australia. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Spiro Secures $63 Million Financing Solution To Expand Its Fleet Of Electric Motorcycles, Batteries, And Swap Stations” • A leading African electric motorbike and clean energy provider, Spiro, has deployed over 9200 electric motorbikes in Benin, Togo, and Rwanda. Spiro says its riders have driven 80 million km and done 2 million battery swaps. [CleanTechnica]

Motorcycle and batteries (Courtesy of Spiro)

¶ “Renewable Energy Workers Say Alberta’s Pause Will Wipe Out Season Of Work” • Alberta’s United Conservative government said it directed the province’s utilities regulator not to approve any more renewable energy projects, citing what it says are rural and environmental concerns. The Alberta Utilities Commission is to hold an inquiry and report in February. [CBC]

¶ “Octopus, UKPN ‘Cut Bills With Excess Renewables’” • Octopus Energy has teamed up with UK Power Networks to offer free energy for households when there is excess renewable power. Participating customers will get free electricity to “power up” their homes when there is surplus electricity on the local grid from abundant renewables. [reNews]

Wind turbines (Octopus energy image)

¶ “Eight EU Countries On Track To Meet New NECP Solar Power Targets Before 2030” • Only 12 EU member states have updated their national energy and climate plans for 2030, though the deadline was June 30. Eight of them are set to meet the new targets for PV capacity at least three years earlier, SolarPower Europe said. [Balkan Green Energy News]

US:

¶ “Biden Is Campaigning As The Most Pro-Climate President While His DOJ Works To Block A Landmark Climate Trial” • As President Joe Biden touts his environmental record this week in the West, the US Department of Justice is waging a legal battle over whether a landmark youth climate lawsuit should even be allowed to go to trial. [CNN]

Kelsey Juliana (Out Children’s Trust, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “‘Like Something Out Of A Horror Movie’: At Least 6 Dead And Communities Decimated In Maui Wildfires” • At least six people have died in the wildfires that are ravaging parts of Maui, setting entire communities on fire and leaving behind apocalyptic scenes. The fires on Maui were fueled partly by violent winds from Hurricane Dora, 800 miles away. [CNN]

¶ “Extreme Heat Will Make Grand Canyon Visits Dramatically More Risky In The Future, Study Says” • Extreme heat fueled by climate change will significantly increase the risk of heat-related illness for the people who visit Grand Canyon National Park each year, a National Park Service study found. The increase could be 137% by 2100, in a worst case scenario. [CNN]

Grand Canyon (Omer Nezih Gerek, Unsplash)

¶ “Texas Power Use Hits Another Record During Heat Wave” • Demand for power in Texas hit a record high on Wednesday for the second time this week and ninth time this summer as homes and businesses used air conditioners to escape a lingering heat wave. Energy analysts point out that wind and solar power have helped ERCOT meet record demand. [SaltWire]

¶ “Community Solar: Panels Without A Roof” • As the cost of solar decreases each year, all forms of solar are within reach of more people. One form, community solar, is growing especially fast. According to the National Renewable Energy Lab, capacity has grown by 121% year-over-year since 2010. That trend that is expected to continue. [CleanTechnica]

Concept of community solar (Massachusetts Clean Energy Center)

¶ “DFW Airport Breaks Ground On New Renewable Energy Plant In Continued Quest For Net-Zero Emissions” • Dallas-Ft Worth Airport (DFW) is rolling out its next phase of projects to aid its achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. The airport broke ground on a wind-powered Central Utility Plant to replace an old plant powered by natural gas. [WFAA]

¶ “Solar Leads 16.8 GW US Grid Addition In First Half Of 2023” • The EIA released a report on the power grid’s growth and usage for the first half of 2023. Solar power led with 35% of all new installations, natural gas had 34% (there were also retirements), wind stood was 19%. Batteries took 11%. One nuclear reactor was installed seven years late. [Environment+Energy Leader]

Have a seriously carefree day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Red States, Do You Know That You’ve Benefited More From Climate Funding Than Blue States?” • Four-fifths of all the clean energy investments under the Inflation Reduction Act have gone to districts held by House Republicans, but every one of them voted last spring to repeal the incentives that encouraged those investments. [CleanTechnica]

Sign at project (Retrieved from Twitter)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Recycling Revival: Creative Problem-Solving For EV Battery Recycling” • Automated disassembly batteries is safer than simply shredding them, and it improves the quality and value of extracted materials such as copper and aluminum. “We like to talk about recovering the value instead of recycling,” said ORNL researcher Jonathan Harter. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Microalgae Vs Mercury” • In the search for ways to fight the methylmercury in global waterways, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory discovered that some phytoplankton, forms of microalgae, are good at degrading the potent neurotoxin. The mechanism can be used to improve the prediction and accuracy of mercury-cycling models. [CleanTechnica]

Chlorella vulgaris (ORNL, US DOE)

World:

¶ “July Hit A Crucial Warming Threshold That Scientists Have Warned The World Should Stay Under” • The world got its first preview last month of what summer will be like at 1.5 degrees of global warming – a threshold that scientists warn the planet should stay under, yet one that it has flown increasingly close to in recent years. [CNN]

¶ “Amazon Nations Fall Short Of Agreement On A Goal To End Deforestation” • The eight countries that share the Amazon basin have fallen short of an agreed goal to end deforestation. At their first summit in fourteen years, they issued a joint declaration that created an alliance to combat deforestation, but it left the details of actions up to individual countries. [BBC]

Deforested area of Brazil (Ibama, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “New Zealand Is Partnering With Blackrock In Aim To Reach 100% Renewable Electricity” • New Zealand’s government said it will partner with US investment giant BlackRock in its aim to become one of the first nations to have its electricity grid run entirely from renewable energy. It is helping BlackRock launch a $1.2 billion investment fund. [PBS]

¶ “Why Renewable Energy Has The Potential To Power The Philippines’ Future” • The Philippines is facing the threat of an energy crisis. One sources of natural gas supplies a third of the power used by Luzon. It is expected to run dry by 2027, and the pressure is on the archipelagic nation to shift its reliance to renewable sources of energy. [Eco-Business]

Rural Luzon (AR, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “China Accused Of ‘Hypocrisy’ As Japan Is Set To Release Fukushima Wastewater” • China has criticized Japan’s plans to release radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, and it imposed restrictions on Japanese seafood imports. But nuclear plants across the world, including China, dump tritium into the sea constantly. [VOA News]

¶ “Queensland Halfway To Achieving 2030 Renewable Energy Target” • Queensland is on track to beat its renewable energy target of 50% renewable energy by 2030. With the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan in full swing, it’s expected the Sunshine State will connect a further 682 MW of new clean generation before the end of 2023. [pv magazine Australia]

Queensland (Carole Mackinney, Free Art License, cropped)

US:

¶ “NREL Workshop Hosts Experts To Envision Tomorrow’s Sustainable Mobility Systems” • Which energy-efficient mobility strategies will get us to the finish line in time? That question was the focus of a two-day workshop hosted by NREL, where thought leaders from industry, government, and academia discussed the challenges and opportunities. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “GM Unveils New Vehicle-To-Home EV Charging, But What About The Bolt?” • Bidirectional EV charging provides electricity ratepayers with more flexibility to coordinate their power needs at home with time-of-day discounts. It can mean that a vehicle can be used as an emergency home generator. GM is releasing it. But where is the Chevy Bolt? [CleanTechnica]

Bidirectional EV charging (Courtesy of GM, via email)

¶ “San Diego Launches Instant Permit Program For Residential Solar Projects” • San Diego launched an instant permit program for residential solar projects. The program, which is mandated by a state bill, allows residents to apply for solar and battery storage building permits for their home online and instantly receive approved paperwork. [FOX 5 San Diego]

¶ “This Group Of Former Coal Workers Just Did Something That’s Never Been Done Before In The US” • The first unionized fossil fuel workers are switching to offshore wind. New York’s Ravenswood Generating Station generates 2,480 MW, 20% of New York City’s electricity, using oil and natural gas. The plant is to replace 1,400 MW with offshore wind. [Yahoo News]

Ravenswood Generating Station (Taraqur Rahman, Unsplash)

¶ “US May Phase In Hydrogen Tax Credit In A Bid To Balance Industry, Activists” • John Podesta, a top climate adviser to President Biden, signaled the administration could phase in some requirements for a valuable new hydrogen tax credit in a bid to nurture an industry critical to decarbonizing industrial operations. [The Portland Press Herald]

¶ “Governor Newsom Announces New Strategy To Develop A Hydrogen Economy Of The Future” • Governor Gavin Newsom directed his Office of Business and Economic Development to develop California’s Hydrogen Market Development Strategy, with an all-of-government approach to building up a clean, renewable hydrogen market. [Gavin Newsom]

Have a generously empowered day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Will Electric Flying Taxis Live Up To Their Promise?” • If all goes to plan, Volocopter’s two-seater electric aircraft, VoloCity, will be carrying passengers around Paris in time for the 2024 Olympics. It will be the first service in Europe to use an electric vertical take-off and landing (EVTOL) aircraft, but the company needs to show it has a market. [BBC]

VoloCity (Volocopter image)

¶ “Want to cope with heatwaves? Look to Japan’s creative cooling solutions” • Japan, a nation renowned for its design thinking and innovation, is armed with many ways to survive punishing heat. They love the AC as much as any heat-stricken country, but they also find respite in creative remedies, from electrically ventilated clothes to water-based rituals. [BBC]

¶ “Fanning The Flames: Wildfires Emit Potent Climate-Warming Organic Particles” • A study published in Nature Geoscience, found that wildfires are causing a much greater warming effect than had been accounted for by climate scientists. The study highlights an urgent need to revise climate models and update approaches for the changing environment. [CleanTechnica]

Smoke (Steve Brown, NOAA)

¶ “Nuclear Powered Cargoships ‘Wishful Thinking’ Says Precious Shipping Boss” • In Precious Shipping’s quarterly newsletter the company’s Managing Director Hashim particularly took issue with an article from Bloomberg last month that painted a vision of large nuclear-powered vessels. He called the idea of nuclear cargo ships “wishful thinking.” [Seatrade Maritime]

World:

¶ “Portugal Battles Wildfires Amid Third Heatwave Of The Year” • Firefighters in Portugal are battling to contain wildfires burning thousands of hectares amid soaring temperatures. Temperatures in excess of 40°C (104°F) are expected to hit much of the Iberian peninsula this week. In Portugal, Monday saw a temperature of 46.4°C (116°F) recorded in Santarém. [BBC]

After a wildfire in Portugal (Feli García, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Climate Change: The Record Summer That Scorched Asia” • Countries have pledged to keep the world from warming past 1.5°C. A recent report, compiled by nearly two dozen climate scientists, found that temperatures earlier this year were up by 2°C in many parts of Asia. The region is home to more than 4.5 billion people. [BBC]

¶ “Humans Emitting Carbon Dioxide 200 Times Faster Than Supervolcanic Eruptions That Caused Earth’s Most Severe Mass Extinctions” • Lead researcher Dr Qiang Jiang, a Curtin PhD graduate from Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the findings were vital to understanding how to prevent future climate disasters. [CleanTechnica]

Erupting volcano (Yosh Ginsu, Unsplash)

¶ “First Solar-Powered Battery Charging And Swapping Hub For Rural Mobility Launches In Kenya” • Rural areas of Africa have been badly underserved, especially in transport. That is starting to change. The first solar-powered battery charging and battery swapping hub for rural mobility has been launched in Kenya by the SUN-RUN partnership. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Breaking Through ‘Status Quo Bias’ With Co-Designed Solar Power Plants” • A group of Dutch researchers assessed the impact of including stakeholder input in the design process of solar power plants. It found that a co-designed approach may help counter the resistance of local inhabitants and result in more positive evaluations of the project. [PV Magazine]

Local involvment (US HUD image)

¶ “Solar Sector Backs Winser Report’s Plan To Overhaul Power Grid” • Trade body Solar Energy UK has welcomed the report by Electricity Grid Commissioner Nick Winser recommending ways to speed up infrastructure build time. The report proposes ways to halve the time for upgrades. There are 230 GW of projects currently in the queue. [Solar Power Portal]

¶ “Acciona Energia Proposes New 58-Turbine Nyaninyuk Wind Farm In Victoria” • A major energy company has revealed a proposal for a fourth wind farm in Victoria to meet the rising demand for clean energy. The Nyaninyuk wind farm would have 58 turbines, able to generate 330 MW. The wind farm is to be sited in the western part of the state. [ABC]

Wind turbines (Image supplied by BP)

¶ “Atlas Renewable Energy, Isagen To build 1-GW Solar PV In Colombia” • US-based Atlas Renewable Energy and Colombia-headquartered Isagen have partnered to develop, build and operate 1 GW of solar projects in Colombia. Isagen implied that the projects would be built and commissioned quickly, to meet Colombia’s clean power demand quickly. [PV Tech]

US:

¶ “Hydrogen Aviation Brings Together Georgia Democrat And Republican” • State officials in Georgia have answered the call to fight against renewable energy, but it seems not everyone got the memo. Georgia’s Senators, one Democrat and one Republican, support a national hydrogen aviation strategy and a regional green hydrogen hub. [CleanTechnica]

Hydrogen infographic (US DOE image)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “US Electric Co-Ops Invited To Apply For Renewable Energy Funding” • The USDA asked rural co-operatives to send letters of interest for a rural renewable energy systems fund. The scheme is for electric co-ops and will award funds on a competitive basis to cover 25% of the cost of a qualifying project that is finished by September 30, 2031. [Co-operative News]

¶ “Nucor Signs Agreement With NextEra Energy Resources To Support Solar Energy Development In Kentucky” • Nucor Corporation announced a power purchase agreement for 250 MW of electricity from Sebree Solar, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources. Sebree Solar is a 400-MW solar project in Henderson County, Kentucky. [PR Newswire]

Have a brilliantly enlightened day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Redefining America’s ‘Energy Communities’ Can Boost Clean Energy Investment Where It’s Needed Most” • Millions of people live in communities deeply dependent on the fossil fuel industry, facing both risks and opportunities of a low-carbon future. One benefit of the Inflation Reduction Act is to encourage investment in “energy communities.” [CleanTechnica]

Abandoned company store (Brian M Powell, CC-BY-SA, cropped)

¶ “Farmington, A City In Need Of A Jolt” • The good news these days about Farmington, New Mexico, is that the air is clear. Since the 1960s, the town’s giant smokestacks could be seen from miles away, and their dangerous emissions helped add the designation of “national sacrifice zone” to this area. Now, visitors come to see the view of the mountains. [Aspen Times]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Full Clean Ahead: Can Shipping Finally Steer Away From Fossil Fuels?” • Nearly half (43%) of all voyages made along the longest shipping corridor between China and the US could be powered by hydrogen without adding any fuel capacity or extra port calls, according to the International Council on Clean Transportation. [The Guardian]

MV Sea Change, a zero-emissions ferry (All American Marine)

World:

¶ “Supermarkets To The Rescue – Coles Joins Virtual Power Plant” • Coles supermarkets has 846 stores throughout Australia. The company plans to install solar panels and batteries on 100 of its supermarkets and liquor stores. Now, all three of Australia’s big supermarkets, Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi, are working towards net-zero emissions. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “How Opera Is Aiming For Net Zero Amid Worsening Climate Change” • Thoughts of a night at the opera typically include images of chandelier-filled theatres and arias performed in exquisite costumes against transportative stage sets. But recent years have seen opera companies working out strategies to reduce their carbon emissions. [BBC]

Sydney Opera House (Liam Pozz, Unsplash)

¶ “Malaysia’s Penang Development Corporation Expands Into Solar Energy For A Green Future” • The Penang Development Corporation, a state government agency, put forth plans to expand its presence in the renewable energy sector, focusing on solar energy, with the intention of making it one of its core businesses in the future. [Solar Quarter]

¶ “Solar Power: Expected To Eclipse Oil In 2023” • Renewable energy has become an increasingly important topic in recent years as we work towards a more environmentally-friendly and sustainable future. A recent Forbes article highlights an exciting trend toward solar power investment, which is set to eclipse oil this year. [Digital Journal]

Solar array (Sungrow EMEA, Unsplash)

¶ “UK Grid Connections Branded ‘Greatest Obstacle’ To Net Zero Following Landmark Review” • Nick Winser, electricity networks commissioner, published his review of grid connections. He called for the “speeding up the delivery of strategic electricity transmission lines”, which he described as “challenging but vital and achievable.” [City AM]

¶ “Starmer Says Sunak’s Lack Of Investment In Wind Power Is A ‘Gift To Putin’” • Labour party leader Keir Starmer condemned the prime minister’s climate policies, saying the failure to invest in renewables such as wind turbines is a “gift to Putin.” He said the ban on onshore windpower means every family in the UK is paying £180 more for energy. [The Guardian]

Wind turbine (Raychel Sanner, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “World Bank To Help Fund 1,000 Mini Solar Power Grids In Nigeria” • The World Bank is aiming to help fund construction of 1,000 mini solar power grids in Africa’s biggest economy Nigeria in partnership with the government and private sector, according to the World Bank president Ajay Banga. Nigeria’s population is over 200 million. [News24]

US:

¶ “Glacier Basin Flooding Destroys Two Structures In Alaskan Capital Of Juneau And Prompts Local Emergency Declaration” • Record-breaking river flooding destroyed at least two structures in Juneau and prompted local evacuations. This was the result of a sudden outburst from a glacier-dammed lake that inundated the region, officials say. [CNN]

Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls, Juneau
(Enrico Blasutto, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “How Tesla’s Delicate ‘Dynamic Pricing’ Model Works” • Tesla has been breaking records this year, maintaining a 60% share of US EV sales. The company’s successes of 2023 can be attributed in part to its ever-changing prices and incentives, and company executives say the dynamic pricing model will be around for the foreseeable future. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Fisker Holds A Glitzy Reveal Event In SoCal” • Henrik Fisker laid on a glitzy Product Vision Day event last week, in which he presented three new EVs his company might manufacture someday, God willing and the creek don’t rise. For those who are interested, there is an extravaganza of 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 36 seconds that can be viewed. [CleanTechnica]

Fisker reveal event (Courtesy of Fisker)

¶ “Vineyard Wind Teams With Bristol CC On New Wind Power Lab Geared To Families And Students” • Imagine climbing the ladder of an offshore wind turbine all the way to the top, thanks to virtual reality. We can experience it in the new educational exhibit in Bristol Community College’s Wind Power Lab, a joint venture with Vineyard Wind. [SouthCoastToday.com]

¶ “Warming Climate Could Create Nuclear Waste Problems In Maine” • The Maine Yankee nuclear plant is closed. Its waste disposal site is safe from all possible flooding, sea level rise, tornadoes, lightning strikes and other natural disasters. For now. But climate change is making the Atlantic Ocean sea level rise and storms unpredictable. [Bangor Daily News]

Have an exuberantly merry day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Green Backlash? UK’S Leader Fuels Battle Over Driving – Which Could Signal A Coming Climate Fight” • Posing in a car once owned by Margaret Thatcher, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak explained why he was launching a media blitz to burnish his own credentials as a champion of the average voter against state environmental overreach. [NBC News]

Protest (Markus Spiske, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “NOAA And NASA Spearheading Massive Air Quality Research Campaign This Summer” • Scientists from NOAA, NASA, and 21 universities from three countries are deploying state-of-the-art instruments in multiple, coordinated research campaigns this month to investigate how air pollution sources have shifted over recent decades. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Greta Thunberg Pulls Out Of The Edinburgh Book Festival Appearance After Accusing A Key Sponsor Of Greenwashing” • Climate activist Greta Thunberg canceled an appearance at the Edinburgh International Book Festival after accusing one of the festival’s main sponsors, investment management firm, Ballie Gifford, of maintaining ties to fossil fuels. [CNN]

Greta Thunberg (European Parliament, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “South Africa Imported $1.1 Billion (4.4 GWh) Of Lithium-Ion Cells And Batteries In First Six Months Of 2023!” • According to Gaylor Montmasson-Clair. South Africa imported $1.1 billion of lithium-ion cells and batteries in just the first six months of 2023! This a big jump from the $0.7 billion worth of cells and batteries imported in the whole of 2022. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Pension Wealth In Peril!” • A recent Carbon Tracker report alerts us to the possibility that Pension wealth appears to be in Peril. The report, Loading the Dice against Pension Funds, says that the global financial system is in danger of having to support the stranded assets of fossil fuel companies as national economies go green. [CleanTechnica]

Pump jacks in storage (Larry D Moore, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “‘Top Renewables State’ NSW Swamped With Bids” • Newly crowned the best state for renewable energy investment, New South Wales is being swamped with bids to replace coal power with new infrastructure. The latest tender round aimed for solar, battery, and other power projects totalling 950 MW of capacity, but it drew bids for 3,100 MW. [CQ Today]

¶ “Installation Of Turbine Twice The Height Of London Eye Begins At World’s Largest Offshore Wind Farm” • Wind turbines, each of 13 MW, are being installed 80 miles off the Yorkshire coast at the Dogger Bank Wind Farm. The work is being done by the largest jack-up turbine installation vessel, a Jan de Nul’s ship with a lifting capacity of 3,200 tonnes. [Marine Insight]

Jack-up ship (Dogger Bank Wind Farm image)

¶ “Australia Will Fall Well Short Of 82% Renewable Energy By 2030, Analysts Predict, As Problems Mount” • Plans for Australia to generate more than four-fifths of its power from renewable sources by 2030 are coming under pressure amid claims the country is way off track. Australia gets no more than 35% of its power from renewables now. [ABC]

¶ “Winter Heatwave In Andes Is A Sign Of Things To Come, Scientists Warn” • The record-breaking winter heatwave in the Andean mountains of South America has surged to 37°C (98.6°F), prompting local scientists to warn the worst may be yet to come as human-caused climate disruption and El Niño cause havoc across the region. [The Guardian]

Andes (Alexander Schimmeck, Unsplash)

¶ “Alberta Announces Six-Month Pause On Renewable Energy, Citing Rural Concerns” • Alberta’s conservative government is pausing all approvals in the province’s booming renewable energy industry in response to what it says are environmental and rural concerns. The pause affects solar and wind projects of more than one megawatt. [Red Deer Advocate]

US:

¶ “VinFast Breaks Ground At New North Carolina Factory Despite Perception Backlash, Expects Listing Soon” • Despite facing difficulties in the launch of its cars in the US, Vietnamese EV maker VinFast recently broke ground at its North Carolina EV facility. Once completed, the plant is expected to have an output of up to 150,000 electric cars annually. [CleanTechnica]

Roy Cooper, Governor of North Carolina

¶ “Entergy Arkansas To Offer Clean Energy Program Go ZERO” • Electric utility Entergy Arkansas received regulatory approval to provide a clean energy program for industrial and commercial customers looking to meet sustainability goals, according to a news release. Several businesses have already expressed interest in participating. [Talk Business & Politics]

¶ “A Proposed ‘Battle Plan’ For The Next Republican Presidency Includes Eliminating A Biden-Era Clean Energy Act That Has Funneled Hundreds Of Billions To Primarily Red States” • Red states like Oklahoma and Texas are the biggest beneficiaries of the Inflation Reduction Act, but such conservative groups as the Heritage Foundation oppose it. [Business Insider]

Wind turbines in Oregon (Steve Wilson, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Northwest: Electricity Demand To Rise Nearly 25% In Next Decade” • Demand for electricity in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana is projected to rise by nearly 25% within the next decade, according to an annual report on expected electricity demand. The report was published by the Pacific Northwest Utilities Conference Committee. [The News Guard]

¶ “SC’s Nuclear Fiasco: What’s Next In Saga Surrounding Fraud And Mismanagement At VC Summer” • Six years after South Carolina’s grand nuclear power ambitions came crashing down, federal prosecutors say they are not backing down in their attempt to hold accountable those they allege are responsible, despite a major setback. [Post and Courier]

Have a simply perfect day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Rishi Sunak’s Obscene Disregard For The Climate Will Damn Him Once He’s Flung From Power” • Ostensibly, Rishi Sunak is committed to the ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and the 2035 carbon-free electricity target. But underneath those commitments, he is doing everything he can to put himself on the side of those who oppose net-zero. [iNews]

Old hot rod (Pixy.org, CC0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Desiccants Allow Air Conditioners To Work Smarter, Not Harder” • Desiccants that remove moisture from the air may be important for cooling our homes and businesses in the future. Several companies are working on ways to dry air out before cooling it. They estimate this could cut the need for electricity for cooling by 50% to 80%. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Amazon Deforestation At Six-Year Low In Brazil After 66% Plunge In July” • Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by 66% last month compared to July 2022 and is now at its lowest rate in six years, according to preliminary data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research. Surveillance has increased and perpetrators are being fined. [CNN]

Amazon rainforest (Ivars Utināns, Unsplash)

¶ “Parts Of South America Are Sweltering Under A ‘Fierce’ Heatwave – And It’s The Middle Of Winter” • Southern Cone countries including Chile and Argentina are having summer-like conditions as a heat wave pushed temperatures higher than 38°C (100°F) in places. This is winter. One climatologist said the event is “rewriting all climatic books.” [CNN]

¶ “‘Dither And Delay’ Of UK Government On Electric Vehicles Risks Investment Essential To Transport Decarbonisation” • The UK government’s “dither and delay” moves relating to the zero emissions car and van mandate could risk billions of pounds worth of private investment going into the UK charging network, Transport & Environment said. [CleanTechnica]

Charging an EV (Siemens image)

¶ “Calls To Drill Below The Earth At Grangegorman To Source Geothermal Energy” • Greenhouse gas emissions that come from Technological University Dublin in Grangegorman could be halved by drilling boreholes into the ground on the campus and harvesting the geothermal energy that has been confirmed to be available there. [RTE]

¶ “Lithium Processing Pilot Plant In WA’s Pilbara To Bring Benefits To Community, Traditional Owners” • A Pilbara miner is trying to harness renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions from the lithium it produces. Pilbara Minerals announced a final investment decision for a joint-venture pilot facility with Calix Limited, an environmental technology company. [ABC]

Rendering of the Lithium plant (Pilbara Minerals)

¶ “Kenya Is Harnessing Sun’s Potential As Next Frontier In Its Renewable Energy Sector” • Kenya has seen a significant surge in solar power generation that experts hail as a game-changer for the East African country. Its abundant sunshine can potentially revolutionize its energy sector in terms of cost-effectiveness and scalability. [The North Africa Post]

¶ “EU Must Address Wasted Green Energy And Negative Prices, Solar Industry Warns” • The EU needs to address curtailment wasting solar energy and negative prices. A major concern for the industry is that solar power is increasingly being cut off from the grid in times of low demand, sometimes in favour of heavily-polluting coal power production. [edie]

Solar panels (Nuno Marques, Unsplash)

¶ “IAEA Finds No Explosives On Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Roofs” • The UN nuclear watchdog said it found no mines or explosives on the roofs of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The IAEA was only given access to the roofs of the reactor buildings and their turbine halls after a monthlong wait. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Offshore Wind Resources Could Meet 25% Of US Demand” • The US has one of the best offshore wind resources in the world, a new report from UC Berkeley, Energy Innovation, and Grid Lab finds. With good near-term policy actions, those resources could account for up to a quarter of US electricity generation in less than 30 years. [CleanTechnica]

Return to base (Arnold Price, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Batteries Now Can Replace Old Power Plants” • Most of the oldest fossil fuel power plants in the US are near or in cities, making it more urgent – and more difficult – to shut them down. Now, with the changes in rules announced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, it will be much easier to replace them with battery storage. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Flow Battery Code Is Starting To Crack: Red State Edition” • Georgia is now the proud home of its first ever utility-scale flow battery. The new battery will serve as a model for similar projects all over the country, even though Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is one of 19 Republican governors who signed up their states to the “Anti-ESG Alliance.” [CleanTechnica]

Flow battery (Stryten Energy image)

¶ “Four New Offshore Wind Power Projects Proposed For New Jersey Shore; Two Would Be Far Out To Sea” • Wind power developers have proposed four new projects for sites off the New Jersey Shore. The proposed projects would more than double the number of wind farms to be built off the state’s coast if they are approved by regulators. [ABC News]

¶ “Duke Energy Unveils Kentucky’s Largest Utility-Scale Rooftop Solar Site At Amazon Air Hub” • Kentucky’s largest rooftop solar array operates over 5,600 PV panels on the 800,000-square-foot Amazon Air Hub rooftop. This Duke Energy facility will feed up to 2 MW of solar power directly onto the electric grid, enough to power about 400 homes. [CSRwire]

Have a categorically constructive day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Unpacking The Reasons Why Republican Senators Oppose EPA Power Plant Rule” • In May, the EPA announced new carbon pollution standards for power plants to protect public health, reduce pollution, and deliver up to $85 billion in climate and public health benefits over two decades. Some 39 Republican US senators signed a letter opposing it. [CleanTechnica]

Power plant (Earth.com image)

¶ “Electric Vehicle Regulations And Laws: A Primer For Decision Makers” • It can be difficult to find easy-to-understand resources regarding the many EV policies and regulations. To save decision makers time, RMI compiled a series of factsheets that clearly and thoroughly outline existing regulations, their goals, who must comply, and what is required. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Devastating Wildfires Spur New Detection Systems” • Almost 900 forest fires were active in Canada during the week of July 17, burning a total of 10 million hectares. OroraTech, a German company, has eight satellites with special infrared sensors that monitor temperatures in grids of four-by-four meters. They can detect fires and issue warnings. [BBC]

Fire in British Columbia (BC Wildfire Service image)

¶ “Scientists Dig Into Wildfire Predictions, Long-Term Impacts” • Wildfires have grown in frequency, range, and intensity as the climate changes. Scientists the US DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working on several fronts to better understand and predict these events and what they mean for the carbon cycle and biodiversity. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Activists Drape Rishi Sunak’s Mansion In Black Cloth To Protest His Climate Policies” • Five people were arrested after climate activists draped black cloth over British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s private mansion, in a protest against his policy to “max out” the UK’s oil and gas resources in the North Sea. The demonstrators were from Greenpeace. [CNN]

Rishi Sunak (The Conservative Party, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “The Chinese Town Engulfed By A Flood To Save Beijing” • As the flooding emergency in western Beijing turned deadlier at the beginning of this week, taking out bridges, washing away cars by the dozen, and wreaking havoc, the decision was made to divert the raging waters. They went to Zhuozhou, in Hebei Province, with force the locals didn’t expect. [BBC]

¶ “Ocean Heat Record Broken, With Grim Implications For The Planet” • The oceans hit their hottest temperature ever recorded as they soak up warmth from climate change. The implications for our planet’s health are dire. The average global sea surface temperature of 20.96°C, beating a 2016 record, according to the EU’s climate change service Copernicus. [BBC]

Ocean (Joseph Barrientos, Unsplash)

¶ “Jordan Plans To Introduce Regulations For Green Hydrogen Projects In Renewable Energy Push” • According to an official of Jordanian Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Jordan is set to introduce regulations for green hydrogen projects as part of a national strategy to expand renewable energy use and export green hydrogen to other nations. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “South Africa Now Has Over 10 GW Of Wind And Solar Generation Capacity” • South Africa has about 50 GW of electric generating capacity. It is dominated by Eskom’s coal power plants. They are old, they break down often, and the result is load shedding, blacking out large areas daily. The fastest way to deal with this is to install renewables. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines in South Africa (Kalle Pihlajasaari, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “China Pumps Out Coal Plants At Increasing Pace To Allay Power-Security Fears, Risking Climate Transition” • China is approving new coal power plants at an increasing pace to avoid power shortages and restart economic growth, Greenpeace says. This is raising alarm about the country’s ability to meet its stated decarbonization goals. [South China Morning Post]

¶ “Russians Force Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Workers To Get Russian Passports” • Ukraine’s General Staff reported, “In Enerhodar, temporarily occupied by Russian troops, the occupiers are forcing the plant’s staff to obtain Russian passports, threatening them with reprisals, in order to keep them working at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.” [Yahoo News]

Zaporizhzhia NPP (IAEA Imagebank, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Tesla Owners: $25/Month In Texas For Overnight Charging (Unlimited)” • Starting with Texas, Tesla is spreading its wings as a retail electricity provider. Tesla is providing cost-effective electricity to its EV owners and Powerwall customers. The most attractive offer it is making is $25/month unlimited overnight vehicle or Powerwall charging. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electric Vehicles And The US Economy: A Win-Win Situation” • We know that electrifying vehicles will help the environment. What we haven’t heard much about is the positive influence that EVs will have on the US economy. New research indicates that EVs are going to be really, really good for the US economy, and for a variety of reasons. [CleanTechnica]

Ford F-150 Lightning (WMrapids, public domain)

¶ “133 Self-Storage Rooftops In 3 US States Are About To Power Community Solar” • The largest US self-storage company, Public Storage, is working with rooftop developer Solar Landscape on a multi-state project that will see 87.5 MW of community solar installations on self-storage building rooftops in Maryland, New Jersey, and Illinois. [Electrek]

¶ “2023 Sees The Highest Second Quarter On Record For US Wind Power And Solar Installations” • The American Clean Power Association released a report showing that 5,218 MW of utility-scale solar, wind, and storage capacity were installed in Q2 2023. This makes it the second-highest second quarter for clean power installations. [Evwind]

Have an utterly delightful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “How Offshore Wind Can Supply 25% Of US Electricity By 2050” • Currently, six turbines off the coast of Rhode Island account for the lion’s share of the US’s offshore wind energy production. But researchers believe massive offshore turbines could be producing more than 10,000 times as much energy in less than three decades. [Time]

Turbines off Block Island (Alex DeCiccio, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “MIT Engineers Develop Futuristic Battery Alternative With Cement And Carbon Black For Energy Storage” • Engineers at MIT developed a low-cost energy storage system using two of our most ubiquitous historical materials: cement and carbon black. The two materials can be combined with water to make a supercapacitor. [The Weather Channel]

¶ “High-Tech Pavement Markers Support Autonomous Driving In Tough Conditions, Remote Areas” • ORNL engineers and others are puting low-powered sensors in the reflective raised pavement markers that are already used to help drivers identify lanes. They published a paper saying the chips in the markers are effective when other means fail. [CleanTechnica]

Pavement marker (Carlos Jones, ORNL, US DOE)

World:

¶ “Great Barrier Reef Stays Off UNESCO ‘In Danger’ List But Hot El Niño Summer Looms” • Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence that suggests the Great Barrier Reef is at risk of another mass bleaching event this coming summer the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided not to add it to its list of sites “in danger.” Scientists question why. [CNN]

¶ “PM: I Care About Reaching Net Zero Carbon Emissions” • UK Prime minisiter Rishi Sunak faced criticism from environmental groups, and some of his own MPs, that he is not committed to tackling climate change. He insisted he cares about reaching net zero, and he said the UK would need to achieve net-zero in “a proportionate and pragmatic way.” [BBC]

Rishi Sunak meets Joe Biden (The White House)

¶ “Australia To Commence LFP Industry” • EVs need batteries. Batteries need cathodes. Australian mining needs to move up the value chain. All these needs will be met by Avenira’s LFP cathode manufacturing plant in Darwin, in the Northern Territory. It is expected that when it opens, it will be one of only three LFP cathode plants outside of China. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electric VTOL Aircraft – China’s New Technology Lead” • FutureFlight‘s Jennifer Meszaros says, “The Bao’an district of the vast city of Shenzhen in China’s Guangdong province is set to become a hub for advanced air mobility services, with its district government now having signed partnership agreements with three eVTOL aircraft developers.” [CleanTechnica]

EHang & GZDG Vertiport (Courtesy of EHang)

¶ “Tesla Rules Supreme In Europe (Europe EV Sales Report)” • Some 311,000 plugin vehicles were registered in June in Europe, which is up 42% year over year. Last month’s plugin vehicle share of the overall European auto market was 25% (17% full battery EVs). That result pulled the 2023 plugin vehicle share to 22% (15% for battery EVs alone). [CleanTechnica]

¶ “86 Airports In India Go Renewable, 55 Of Them Achieve 100% Renewable Power” • In a big move towards sustainable aviation, 86 airports in India are making strides in adopting green energy solutions. Out of these, 55 airports have achieved a remarkable milestone by ensuring that 100% of the energy they use comes from renewable sources. [SolarQuarter]

Indira Gandhi International Airport (Bharatahs, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “First Commercial Gravity-Based Energy Storage Tower Begins Commissioning” • Energy Vault announced that it is starting to commission its first commercial gravity energy storage system. Energy Vault says the gravity tower is to be fully commissioned in Q4 2023, as the world’s first gravity-based storage facility not based on pumped hydro. [pv magazine USA]

¶ “Apraava Energy Secures Renewable Energy Transmission Projects In Rajasthan” • Apraava Energy, an integrated energy provider, has secured two interstate transmission projects in Rajasthan through tariff-based competitive bidding. The projects are part of a scheme to get 20 GW of power from renewable energy zones in Rajasthan. [pv magazine India]

Desert camp in Rajasthan (Ivy Aralia Nizar, Unsplash, cropped)

US:

¶ “New York In Danger Of Missing 2030 Emissions Target: Report” • New York must quicken its pace to achieve its 2030 renewable energy goals, a report released by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says. The state would have to add 6.5 GW of renewables to meet the 2030 target. That is more than half of what it has added in the last twenty years. [The Hill]

¶ “Fight Fire With AI? Artificial Intelligence Tackles Wildfires” • Pano AI is building out the largest blaze-detecting network in the Pacific Northwest, monitoring 2.4 million hectares (5.93 million acres) of land across California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana and using AI-based fire hazard detection and assessment in real time. [CleanTechnica]

Fire detected by AI cameras (Courtesy of Pano AI)

¶ “Texas Power Use Hits Record High For Seventh Day This Summer” • Power demand in Texas has hit a record high for the second day in a row and the seventh day this summer, as ongoing heat waves have kept air conditioning systems on. ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said it has enough resources to meet soaring demand. [Power Technology]

¶ “New Nuclear Power Plant Comes Online In USA” • The newest unit of Plant Vogtle is in operation. It was linked to the grid, with a capacity of 1,114 MW, the Energy Information Administration said Tuesday. The country now has at 93 operating commercial reactors, most of which were built between 1970 and 1990, according to the EIA. [Rigzone]

Have a gratifyingly appreciated day.

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Opinion:

¶ “No, US Offshore Wind Developers Aren’t Killing Whales, And Haven’t Been Given Permits To Do So” • Michael Barnard writes, “Today I saw some egregious nonsense about offshore wind and whales I had never seen before. Was I surprised? No, not at all.” Very wealthy people may disagree on politics, but they often can agree on spreading untruth. [CleanTechnica]

Block Island wind farm (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

¶ “So Not Only Are NIMBYS Delaying Our Essential Transition To Renewable Energy, They’re Also Taking Lots Of Money Out Of Our Pockets!” • The Boston Globe reports that the cost of the critically important New England Clean Energy Connect project increased by over 50% to 1.5 billion dollars while the developer battled NIMBYs for three years. [Mondaq]

¶ “NRG Energy’s Pivot Amid Power Sector Change” • Once a giant pure-play power producer, NRG Energy has cultivated a legacy of pioneering business models to withstand waves of change in the power sector. Its latest shift pivots from megawatts generated to customers served. Notably, it is selling nuclear and building renewable assets. [POWER Magazine]

South Texas Project nuclear plant (NRG Energy image)

¶ “Critical Issues Unaddressed As Takahama Reactor Restarted” • Japan’s oldest nuclear reactor was brought back online at the Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture on July 28 for the first time in 12 years. It left serious problems unaddressed, including the effectiveness of current evacuation plans in an emergency. [Asahi Shimbun]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Progress Reported On Proton Batteries, With Green Hydrogen Bonus” • In a proton battery, hydrogen is split from water and stored as protons at a carbon electrode. During the discharge cycle, proton batteries release their protons. They pass through a membrane to meet oxygen from ambient air, and that reaction produces water and power. [CleanTechnica]

Proton battery powering tiny fans (Courtesy of RMIT)

World:

¶ “Batteries For Hire Could Help Nigerians Ditch Generators” • Although Nigeria has vast energy reserves, more than 92 million of its people live without access to electricity, the International Energy Agency says. Those who are connected to the electricity grid experience frequent power cuts. A company called Reeddi is offering batteries for solutions. [CNN]

¶ “The UK Will Drill For More Oil And Gas In The North Sea” • The UK government announced plans to allow a big expansion of drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea in a move that green activists describe as a taking a “wrecking ball” to the UK climate commitments. He also announced plans for two carbon capture and storage sites in the North Sea. [CNN]

Idle oil rigs (Andy Beecroft, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “NTPC Renewable Energy Wins 550-MW Solar Project at Record Low Tariff” • NTPC Renewable Energy has achieved yet another significant milestone in India’s renewable energy sector by securing the Letter of Award for a 550-MW Solar Project. The project was awarded at the remarkably low tariff of ₹2.56/kWh (3.1¢/kWh). [GreentechLead]

¶ “Ukraine Fights To Build More Resilient, Renewable Energy System In Midst Of War” • Amidst Russia’s war, Ukraine’s power is still on. Crews from UkrEnergo are on call 24/7 to respond to targeted attacks on their grid and to address local communities’ needs quickly after a missile strike. Renewable energy can make the grid more resilient. [CleanTechnica]

Ukraine solar resource map (Billy Roberts, NREL)

US:

¶ “How The US Is Fighting Back Against Deadly Floods” • In early July, the state of Vermont was hit by historic flooding. Over nine inches of rain fell in some areas in a single day. And climate change is projected to bring more precipitation. Restoring key floodplains in Vermont could reduce flood-related damages by 20%, a study had shown in 2022. [BBC]

¶ “NREL Researchers Bring Technical Expertise To Communities Selected For Geothermal Heating & Cooling Initiative” • NREL will assist communities in Colorado (Carbondale), Vermont (Middlebury), and Alaska (Seward and Pilgrim Hot Springs, a remote community near Nome) to install district or networked geothermal technologies. [CleanTechnica]

Geothermal power in Iceland (David Elvar Masson, Pexels)

¶ “US BOEM Finalizes Wind Energy Areas In The Central Atlantic” • As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 GW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced three final Wind Energy Areas in Atlantic Ocean waters off Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Program Aims To Use Renewable Energy To Power Utah Communities By 2030” • A new program is aiming to get Salt Lake City and a number of other communities across the state of Utah powered using renewable energy by 2030. Utah Renewable Communities is a state-wide project partnering with the utility Rocky Mountain Power. [KSL NewsRadio]

Salt Lake City (Brent Pace, Unsplash)

¶ “US DOE Announces Over $450 Million To Increase Access To Rooftop Solar Power For Puerto Rico Residents” • The US DOE announced up to $453.5 million from the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund to increase residential rooftop solar PV and battery installations, with a focus to support Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable residents. [Department of Energy]

¶ “Vogtle Unit 3 Goes Into Operation” • Georgia Power declared that Plant Vogtle Unit 3 has entered commercial operation and is now serving customers and the State of Georgia. The new unit represents a long-term investment in the state’s energy future [which customers will have to pay down at high electric power prices – ghh] for decades to come. [WWNY]

Have a magnificently rewarding day.

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