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.
geoharvey 
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