geoharvey

Opinion:

¶ “Nuclear Plant Problems Have Happened Around The Planet, And Aging Facilities Across USA Still Pose A Major Threat” • The Fukushima nuclear disaster is just one of a set of similar disasters at nuclear plants, notably at Chernobyl, Ukraine, and Three Mile Island. And the wrecked reactors at Fukushima still threaten the environment. [The South Dakota Standard]

Cooling towers (Lukáš Lehotský, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “A Tiny Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Turbine Can Power 10,000 Homes” • The US DOE expects that supercritical CO₂ (sCO₂) turbines can shave energy consumption at power plants by 10%, but they are also much smaller than steam turbines. The DOE says that a 20-meter steam turbine would be replaced by a 1-meter sCO₂ turbine. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Volvo Energy | Sustainable Trucking With Extended Life Batteries” • At the end of its vehicle lifecycle, a used battery can be repurposed or used for onsite energy storage where total capacity is less critical than it might be in an EV. Volvo Energy hopes to contribute to sustainability, supporting charging, microgrids, and green energy. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo Energy battery facility (Volvo Energy image)

¶ “World Bank Warns Oil Prices Could Reach $150 A Barrel” • Oil prices could rise to more than $150 a barrel if the conflict in the Middle East escalates, according to the World Bank, with big rises in energy and food prices. For now oil prices remain steady at around $90 a barrel and are predicted to fall, but the Bank warns that this outlook could quickly reverse. [BBC]

¶ “Scania Brings New Energy By Offering Next-Level Electric Trucks” • Scania unveiled its cutting-edge line of regional electric trucks with zero emissions in June 2022, and the manufacturing process is set to commence in Södertälje, Sweden. The trucks boast a power of 400 or 450 kW, perfectly suited for a wide range of truck applications. [CleanTechnica]

Scania 40R battery electric truck (Photo by Scania)

¶ “Stellantis Enters EV Battery Recycling Agreement” • Stellantis, the company formerly-known as Fiat-Chrysler before a key merger, is the manufacturer of iconic vehicles like the Jeep brand and Dodge’s muscle cars. The company recently announced a plan and a partnership to make sure more EVs get batteries recycled at end-of-life. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “OWP Butendiek Signs Hydrogen PPA” • German offshore wind farm OWP Butendiek has signed a power purchase agreement with the support of advisory company Pexapark to fuel green hydrogen production. The 288-MW project will provide electricity to a green hydrogen facility operated by a global leader in the energy industry. [reNews]

Offshore windpower (wpd image)

¶ “Hexicon And Mainstream Renewable Power File 2.5-GW Floating Wind Farm Application In Sweden” • Freja Offshore, a joint venture of Mainstream Renewable Power and Hexicon, has submitted a planning application in Sweden for the Dyning floating offshore wind project. It is planned to have a capacity of up to 2.5 GW. [offshoreWIND.biz]

¶ “US Military Bulk Buying Japan’s Seafood To Counter China Import Ban” • The US military is bulk buying Japanese seafood to help offset China’s import ban of the products after Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in August. The new initiative aims to help soften the impact of China’s ban. [Axios]

Sushi (Vinicius Benedit, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “BOEM Designates Four Wind Energy Areas In Gulf Of Mexico, Power To 3 Million Homes” • As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 GW of offshore windpower capacity by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced it has finalized four new Wind Energy Areas in the Gulf of Mexico. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Here’s How Foundations Are Bringing Solar To Lower-Income Communities” • The rooftop solar industry is booming, but far too few lower-income Americans have benefited. Now a growing number of charitable foundations are stepping up to redress that injustice, using different ways to bring the benefits of solar to the communities that need it most. [Canary Media]

Rooftop solar power (RE-volv image)

¶ “Solar Gardens Encouraged To Grow In New Orleans” • New Orleans city officials amended a set of regulations to clear the way for an order of Catholic nuns and other organizations to build solar projects to help low-income residents. The City Council’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee voted unanimously for the reforms. [Louisiana Illuminator]

¶ “Cars Are Canceling Out San Diego’s Progress On Renewable Energy” • San Diego has made enormous strides toward getting more of its electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar in recent years. But, according to the city’s latest inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, that progress is being canceled out by pollution from cars and trucks. [KPBS]

San Diego (Gabe Pierce, Unsplash)

¶ “As Coal Mines Close, Displaced Miners Find Work In Boom Of Renewable Energy” • Energy communities include those that have met a threshold of fossil fuel-related jobs or had a coal mine closed since 1999. In many such places, former miners are able to find jobs in factories that take advantage of tax breaks for energy communities. [Capital & Main]

¶ “Aspen Power Completes Fourteen Utility-Scale Solar Projects In Georgia” • Aspen Power completed construction on fourteen solar projects that the company acquired from Inman Solar. The projects total 49.4 MW (DC) of generation capacity, with Aspen Power acting as the long-term owner and operator of the solar facilities. [Solar Builder]

Have a soothingly constructive day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Want A New EV Dirt Cheap? Get Ready To Act Fast In Two Months!” • It looks like a perfect storm of EV affordability is going to arrive in about two months (January 2024). If the vehicle described here, the Chevy Bolt, at the prices they’ll be available, for works well for your needs, it’s a deal that you’ll have a narrow window to jump on. [CleanTechnica]

Chevy Bolt (GM image)

¶ “Nuclear Or Net Zero. It Can’t Be Both” • It seems clear that Australia’s Coalition will go to the next election with a muddled strategy for energy and climate change. Net zero and nuclear won’t mix. Pursuing the first will effectively rule out the second. Westinghouse’s projected cost of $1 billion for its 300-MW small modular reactor shows this. [Quadrant Online]

World:

¶ “Explosion Off Nigeria Points To Threat Posed By Aging Oil Ships Around The World” • The Trinity Spirit was a floating production storage and offloading vessel, storing oil at sea. It had long since been a floating hazard when it had an explosion and fire in February of 2022. It is common for FPSO ships to fall into neglect and become dangerous. [ABC News]

FPSO ship off Nigeria (Ciacho5, public domain)

¶ “G-7 Nations Back Strong Supply Chains For Energy And Food Despite Global Tensions” • At a meeting in Osaka, trade and economy officials from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies strengthened their pledge to work together to ensure smooth supply chains for essentials like energy and food despite global uncertainties. [ABC News]

¶ “BYD Makes A Splash At Japan Mobility Show With Seal Debut – First Chinese Carmaker There” • BYD is the first Chinese automaker ever to participate in the Japan Mobility Show. The world’s leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles made a big splash at the global automotive show formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seal (BYD image)

¶ “Irreversible Solar Tipping Point Has Passed, Researchers Claim” • A study in the journal Nature Communications comes to a rather extraordinary conclusion. The authors found, much to their surprise, the solar power tipping point is no longer in the future. In fact, it has already occurred. They found that the move to solar power is now irreversible. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Market Player Snaps Up 370-MWh Victorian Battery Project” • Sostoneo, set up only last month by Italian insurance and asset management provider Generali Group, acquired 100% of the A$400 million ($254 million) Koorgangie Energy Storage System project being developed near Kerang in Victoria by Edify Energy. [pv magazine Australia]

185-MW Koorangie Energy Storage System (Edify Energy image)

¶ “Coal To Fall As India To Get 50% Of Power From Renewables By 2030” • The Narendra Modi government has set an ambitious target of meeting 50% of the country’s energy requirements from renewable sources by 2030. Of the Indian power capacity, 41.4% is renewable, but that generated only 10.55% of all the electricity generated in the 2022-23 financial year. [NewsClick]

¶ “HD Hyundai Electric Inks 3-GW Korean MOU” • HD Hyundai Electric signed a memorandum of understanding with Pacifico Energy Korea, CS Wind, Korea Ocean Engineering & Consultants Co and Daebul Shipbuilding at HD Hyundai Global R&D Center to jointly develop an offshore windpower project of over 3 GW in Jeollanam-do province, South Korea. [reNews]

Offshore windpower (Jesse De Meulenaere, Unsplash)

¶ “China’s Installed Capacity Of Renewable Energy Surges” • China’s installations of renewable energy hit 172 million kW (172 GW) in the first nine months of the year, a 93% increase from to the same period last year, according to the National Energy Administration. This surge reflects the country’s commitment to promoting green development. [Xinhua]

US:

¶ “Water Woes, Hot Summers, And Labor Costs Are Haunting Pumpkin Farmers In The West” • Pumpkins can survive hot, dry weather to some extent, but the heat of this summer, which broke records and went well over 100°F (38°C), was just too much, said Mark Carroll, the Texas A&M extension agent for Floyd County, Texas. [ABC News]

Pumpkin patch (Marius Ciocirlan, Unsplash)

¶ “Poultry Companies Ask Judge To Dismiss Ruling That They Polluted An Oklahoma Watershed” • A number of poultry producers, including the world’s largest, asked a federal judge to dismiss his ruling that they polluted an Oklahoma watershed. They said pollution happened years ago and Oklahoma officials have noted its steady decline. [ABC News]

¶ “Ford’s EV And Battery Manufacturing Ambitions Get A Boost With Rockwell Automation Technologies” • Ford is making good progress on its battery plant in Glendale, Kentucky. Ground was broken for the plant last December. Called the Ford Blue Oval SK Battery Park, the $5.8 billion project will create 5,000 new jobs in the town. [CleanTechnica]

New Ford factory (Ford image)

¶ “California Is Sending NEVI Money Out To Contractors” • California announced that it’s time to cut some checks for 270 EV chargers at 26 stations in the state. Over the next five years the state is going to cut checks for as much as $380 million. All of this funding comes from the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Activists Gather Near Bow’s Coal Plant, Calling For Its Owners To Transition To Clean Energy” • On Sunday, climate change activists gathered near New England’s last running coal power plant in Bow, New Hampshire, to call for its owners to stop burning fossil fuels and transform the plant into a renewable energy facility. [NHPR]

Have a surprisingly civil day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Vanadium Flow Batteries Stake A Claim For Round The Clock Storage For Renewables” • Flow batteries may be more expensive up front but last for decades and dispatch sunshine for up to 18 hours. By contrast, rows of lithium-ion batteries springing up in the countryside are handy backup to meet peak energy demand for a few hours at a time. [Renew Economy]

Solar farm with battery backup (Yadlamalka image)

¶ “Alysm Energy Develops Non-Flammable Battery Storage Technology” • Leading developer of non-lithium rechargeable battery technology Alysm Energy has announced that it has successfully developed the industry’s first high-performance, non-flammable battery storage technology suitable for warmer climates. [Energy Digital Magazine]

World:

¶ “They Went Hunting For Fossil Fuels. What They Found Could Help Save The World” • When two scientists went looking for fossil fuels beneath the ground in France, they did not expect to discover something which could help tackle the climate crisis. It was hydrogen. Now that they know to look for it, they might find more. But how much can they find? [CNN]

Drilling operations in Kansas (Natural Hydrogen Energy)

¶ “Kazakhstan Has Confirmed Nationalization Of Arcelormittal Subsidiary After Mine Fire Kills At Least 32” • Kazakhstan has confirmed the nationalization of ArcelorMittal Temirtau, which operates the country’s largest steel plants and several coal and ore mines, after a coal mine fire that killed at least 32 workers. Another 14 are still unaccounted for. [ABC News]

¶ “First Autonomous, Electric Aircraft On Earth To Get Approval For Commercial Flights” • An EHang eVTOL aircraft, the EH216-S, has just been approved for commercial flights by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. This is the first such approval anywhere in the world. And the EH216-S is not only electric – it’s also autonomous. [CleanTechnica]

EHang 216 (EHang image)

¶ “ACWA Power Signs Agreements Worth $746 Million At FII7 In Riyadh” • ACWA Power, a leader in energy transition and green hydrogen production and the largest private water desalination company in the world, has signed several agreements worth $746 million on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh. [Daily News Egypt]

¶ “Siemens Energy Seeks Government Aid Amidst Market Turbulence” • German firm Siemens Energy AG, a major player in the renewable energy sector, is finding itself grappling with a financial crisis that has prompted a call for substantial support from the government, raising questions about the stability and direction of the industry. [Microgrid News]

Siemens Gamesa headquarters (Zarateman, CC0)

¶ “Rooftop PV Take A Bite Out Of The Australian Grid’s Lunch As Minimum Demand Records Tumble Again” • According to data provider GPE NEMLog, rooftop solar PVs hit a new peak of 48.6% of total generation at 1:50 PM, breaking the record of 48.4% it had set at the start of the month. This took a big bite out of the business of Australia’s main grid. [Renew Economy]

¶ “Climate Change Wreaks Havoc In Cameroon” • Cameroon is especially exposed to climate change. The National Observatory on Climate Change indicates that Cameroon’s location makes it “very exposed” to climate-related dangers, inclluding droughts, floods in its cities, effects of El Niño, monsoons, and rising water levels along the coast. [EL PAÍS English]

Road in Cameroon (Angelo Casto, Unsplash)

¶ “Russia Accuses Ukraine Of Damaging Nuclear Waste Storage As The Battle For Avdiivika Grinds On” • Russia accused Ukraine of damaging a nuclear waste storage facility in a drone strike on the Kursk nuclear power plant while fighting raged on for the control of the key eastern city of Avdiivika, where Russians may have suffered heavy losses. [ABC News]

US:

¶ “Cruise, GM’s Robotaxi Service, Suspends All Of Its Driverless Operations Nationwide” • Cruise, the autonomous vehicle unit owned by General Motors, is suspending driverless operations nationwide after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked its license. Cruise began carrying passengers throughout San Francisco just recently. [ABC News]

Waymo (gibblesmash asdf, Unsplash)

¶ “Many Conservative US Politicians Push For Anti-Clean Energy Legislation” • Conservative politicians across the US are sharpening their attacks on EVs as well as making anti-clean energy a clarrion call for philosophic unity. The GOP wants to repeal EV incentives, forgetting that many Republicans are reaping the economic benefits of EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Phoenix Uber Riders Can Now Order A Waymo Robotaxi” • Uber and Waymo formed a partnership in the Phoenix metro area. A few days ago, Uber customers were able to get matched with a fully autonomous, all-electric Waymo ride for the first time in the 225+ square miles of Metro Phoenix where Waymo has been operating. [CleanTechnica]

Matching what is nearby (Uber image)

¶ “Republicans Pass Bill Slashing USA Energy Efficiency Funds” • The first major legislation the House GOP passed under Speaker Mike Johnson would cut billions of dollars in consumer rebates for energy efficiency. The $58 billion measure, which funds the Energy Department and other agencies, rescinds more than $5.5 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act. [Rigzone]

¶ “Even With Vogtle, Georgia Power Says It Needs More Sources of Electricity” • Despite the nuclear units going online, Georgia Power says increased demand for electricity is coming fast. It is asking regulators to let it secure more power generation ahead of schedule. The utility said it wants to build or contract for at least 3,365 GW, mostly of natural gas. [WRDW.com]

Have an inexpressibly decent day.

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Opinion:

¶ “A Refreshed Bolt Is Exactly What GM Needs Right Now” • In GM’s recent Q3 earnings call, CEO Mary Barra revealed some interesting new details about the return of the Chevy Bolt. Based on what she said and some of the headwinds the EV market has been facing recently, it seems pretty clear that a new Chevy Bolt is exactly what GM needs. [CleanTechnica]

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV 2LT (Kevauto, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “In Michigan, Clean Energy And Agriculture Are Allies, Not Enemies” • The Michigan legislature is trying to make building clean energy in rural areas easier. Some opponents claiming that bills to do this amount to “war” being declared on agricultural districts. This framing is not just inaccurate. It is the opposite of the truth. [Bridge Michigan]

¶ “Is Crisis At Siemens Energy Symptom Of A Wider Wind Power Problem?” • One of the biggest wind turbine makers has reignited concerns over the headwinds facing the industry. It lost billions in market value this week. The rising costs of financing and building windfarms made headwinds for those building offshore windfarms worldwide. [The Guardian]

Wind turbines (Anna Jiménez Calaf, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “US Aims To Launch First Nuclear Thermal Rocket Into Space” • US defense and space agencies are moving quickly toward the world’s first in-orbit demonstration of a nuclear thermal rocket. Two US agencies, DARPA and NASA, are colaborating on the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations, between the Earth and the moon. [Environment News Service]

World:

¶ “Acapulco Residents Are Fending For Themselves In Absence Of Aid” • In a city without water, electricity or gasoline, desperate people have been allowed, even encouraged, to take essential goods from wrecked stores since Hurricane Otis hit Acapulco. The goods they can take include water, food, and other the things necessary to support them. [ABC News]

Hurricane Otis (MarioProtIV, public domain)

¶ “Tesla’s Giga Berlin Expansion Set To Kick Off In Early 2024 Amid Controversy” • Tesla revealed its hope to start its Giga Berlin expansion project in the first half of 2024. This news comes against the backdrop of ongoing public debates about the project’s scope and impact. For example, where does the water for the plant come from? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volvo Will Build The EX30 Compact SUV In Ghent Factory” • In a response to the strong demand for Volvo Cars’ upcoming new EX30 compact crossover, the company has decided to start building the new fully electric Volvo EX30 in its Ghent, Belgium plant from 2025, expanding production capacity for the hotly anticipated new vehicle. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo Ghent factory (Volvo image)

¶ “Decoding The Chaos In The Market For Electric Cars” • EV makers are unhappy. Mercedes described today’s marketplace as “subdued,” but CFO Harold Wilhelm said “we are beyond the worst” when it comes to inflation and energy pricing. However, he did add, “I can hardly imagine the current status quo is fully sustainable for everybody.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Power Is Expected to Dominate Electricity Production By 2050” • We put the latest world technological and economic data into a macroeconomic model. Our findings suggest that the solar revolution has, indeed, arrived. Solar energy is on track to make up more than half of global electricity generation by the middle of this century. [FlaglerLive]

Solar energy (Andreas Gücklhorn, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Gas Prices Drop As Some States Fall Below $3 A Gallon” • The average US gas price fell about 35¢ per gallon from a 2023 peak in mid-September, to $3.52, AAA data shows. That is a decline of over 9%. In Georgia and Mississippi, where gas prices are lowest, the average price per gallon dipped below $3. In Californias, the average price fell 57¢ to $5.30. [ABC News]

¶ “BP Places $100 Million Order For Tesla’s Ultra-Fast EV Chargers” • BP (sorry, bp) wants to do its part to save the planet by becoming a major player in the EV charging industry. It has looked around at all the charger manufacturers, done its due diligence, and placed a $100 million dollar order for Tesla Superchargers. [CleanTechnica]

bp pulse (courtesy of bp pulse)

¶ “New York’s Rideshare Cars Are Returning To The City’s Electric Roots” • New York City is requiring all rideshare vehicles to be fully electric by 2030. Mayor Eric Adams unveiled the “Green Rides” rule, which mandates that the rideshare fleet in the city must transition to either zero-emission or wheelchair accessible vehicles by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Texas Surpasses California With Most Installed Solar Power” • Texas now has the most solar power installed on its power grid in the country, knocking California out of its longtime reign. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the grid operator for 90% of Texas, had 18,364 MW of solar capacity installed on its grid as of September 30, ERCOT data shows. [Governing]

Solar array (Jason Blackeye, Unsplash)

¶ “Regulators Authorize Solar Power Plant In Mason County” • The Public Service Commission of West Virginia has approved a solar power plant project that will have more than 220,000 solar panels and create 319 construction jobs. According to the PSC, New Haven PV I applied to build the 100-MW solar facility on August 18. [WOWK]

¶ “DOE Issues Draft Plan For Grid Interconnections” • The DOE released a draft road map for transforming grid interconnection processes, a major hurdle to the Biden administration’s goal of decarbonizing the power sector by 2035. About 2,000 GW of mostly renewable generation and energy storage are in queues waiting to connect in the US. [Smart Cities Dive]

Have a comfortably positive day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Transition To EVs Is A Win For Our Climate – Let’s Make It A Win For US Workers” • A transition to electric transportation is underway globally, and momentum is growing. But what is its outlook for jobs? Can the EV transition support good jobs that provide for families and communities? The fundamentals show there’s reason to be optimistic. [CleanTechnica]

Rivian factory (Rivian image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “’Small Swaps’ To Climate-Friendly Diet Can Significantly Reduce Carbon Footprint, Improve Health” • Realistic, simple dietary swaps can help make a difference in the US carbon footprint, a study found. Published in Nature Food, it simulated health and environmental impacts of simple substitutions in diets of over 7,700 Americans. [ABC News]

¶ “Are Halloween Pumpkins A Future Superfood?” • Pumpkins have values that go far beyond the Halloween accessory they’ve become known for. They stick around until Thanksgiving, and even past. But their true potential lies in their nutritional and medicinal benefits, which are especially valuable because they tolerate drought so well. [BBC]

Pumpkins (Mark Duffel, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Sublime Systems Can Help Clean Up Carbon Emissions From Cement” • According to Canary Media, making cement produces more carbon emissions than any nation except China and the US. And reducing carbon emissions must be done within the laws of science. Sublime Systems has a cement with lower emissions that meets industry standards. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “New UK Laws To Make Charging An Electric Vehicle Easier And Quicker” • Millions of EV drivers will benefit from easier and more reliable public charging thanks to new laws in the UK. They will ensure that prices across chargepoints are transparent and easy to compare and that many public chargepoints have contactless payment options. [CleanTechnica]

Charging (Ernest Ojeh, Unsplash)

¶ “Tanzanian Renewable Startup Leading Through Innovation” • Millennium Engineers uses creative renewable energy solutions to support local communities across Tanzania. Its most recent project is centered around the fishing industry in Lake Victoria. Among the completed projects it installed is renewable energy at primary schools in Tanzania. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “€100/Month Electric Cars In France Next Week” • France is getting serious about climate action, equity, and EU-supportive economics all at once with a new electric car leasing program. The government is working to help low-income residents go electric. Starting next week, there will be a €100/month EV leasing program for eligible cars. [CleanTechnica]

Renault Twingo (Fiver, der Hellseher, CC-BY-SA 4.0, Cropped)

¶ “Two Workers At Fukushima Plant Hospitalized After Getting Sprayed With Radioactive Waste Accidentally” • Two workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were sent to hospital after being sprayed with liquid with radioactive materials it, officials said. The workers had been cleaning the piping at the Advanced Liquid Processing System. [ABC News]

¶ “Denmark Supports Efforts To Develop Floating Offshore Wind Turbines” • Denmark is taking the lead in developing floating offshore wind turbines. The government is supporting projects and forming new partnerships as it believes floating wind will be critical for the next phase of the development of renewable energy. [The Maritime Executive]

Floating turbine (Untrakdrover, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Solar And Battery Energy Can Significantly Reduce Energy Bills” • Research by the Australian DOE shows that households equipped with solar panels and an 8.5-kWh battery can save more than 40% on their electricity bills. The finding is expected to add momentum for a swift deployment of renewable energy in Australia. [Investing.com Australia]

¶ “Data Insight: 21 Out Of 27 EU Countries Have Now Registered Corporate Renewable PPAs” • Just six EU countries have yet to host corporate renewable power purchase agreements, after four countries – Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia and Portugal – entered the market in 2023. Four other countries entered the corporate renewable PPA market in 2022. [Energy Monitor]

Lisbon (Liam McKay, Unsplash, cropped)

US:

¶ “US Solar PV Market: Prices Go Up, Prices Go Down” • Market prices modeled for installed residential PV systems were 15% lower this year than last. Though other system costs were higher, those increased costs were more than offset by lower module, inverter, logistics, and customer acquisition costs, resulting in overall cost reductions for systems. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Installation Underway Of 15 Acres Of 3D-Printed Artificial Reefs In Coastal North Carolina” • Acres of 3D-printed artificial reefs are being planted in coastal North Carolina to bolster its biodiversity and promote growth of natural reef. The reefs are being planted in the Palmico River, a large estuary system on North Carolina’s Atlantic Coast. [ABC News]

Reef section (Natrix image)

¶ “Resorts World Property Is Now 100% Powered By Renewable Energy” • Resorts World officials announced that the resort is now powered by 100% renewable energy. With Resorts World reaching this goal, NV Energy officials said they’ve reached their Renewable Portfolio Standard goal, the state’s renewable energy requirement, to hit 50% by 2030. [KTNV]

¶ “TotalEnergies JV Bags 25-Year Wind Power Contract With NY” • The Attentive Energy One project of TotalEnergies SE, Corio Generation, and Rise Light & Power, has been selected by New York State for a 25-year contract to supply 1.4 GW of renewable electricity. The consortium aims to commission the project in 2029, TotalEnergies said. [Rigzone]

Have a generally perfect day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Schuyler Gould: Not One Ounce Of Nearly 100,000 Tons Of High-Level Radioactive Waste Has Been Safely Disposed Of” • What is this country going to do with its high-level radioactive waste? Arguably the most toxic substance on the planet, not one ounce of the nearly 100,000 tons produced in this country has been safely disposed of. [Vermont Digger]

Vermont Yankee nuclear plant in 2012 (NRC image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Wisk Is First EVTOL Air Taxi Firm To Make Public Flights, Lilium Offers First EVTOL Aircraft For Private Purchase” • Wisk became the first eVTOL air taxi firm to make public flights at Long Beach Airport in Los Angeles County. Also, Lilium Jet, together with EMCJET, is offering the first private eVTOL in the US to customers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar And Wind-Powered Boat Travels Through The Greek Islands” • The HopYacht differs from the other electric boats in that it has solar power and sail power in order to use sunlight and wind. The HopYacht is also a catamaran, not a monohull. And another difference is that it emphasizes efficiency and long range rather than speed. [CleanTechnica]

Solar and wind-powered boat (HopYacht image)

World:

¶ “Turbocharged Otis Caught Forecasters And Mexico Off-Guard. Scientists Aren’t Sure Why” • Acapulco was told to expect a tropical storm, but 24 hours later, Otis made landfall with 165 mph (266 kph) winds, the strongest ever recorded in the East Pacific. Otis’ winds went from 70 mph (113 kph) winds to 160 mph (257 kph) in just 12 hours. [ABC News]

¶ “Uber Says It Is Adding 10,000 Electric Cars To Its Fleet In Australia” • Uber Australia is making good on its commitment to be totally carbon emissions-free by 2040. It announced this week it is importing 10,000 electric cars from BYD and will make them available to its Uber and Uber Eats drivers on attractive terms. [CleanTechnica]

Uber (Uber image)

¶ “The City Of Impact Lays A Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle Plan For Green Hydrogen” • The 10th annual Ocean Energy Europe Conference is going on at The Hague. Wave and tidal energy are front and center, and that city is interested in putting offshore wind farms to work for multiple uses, including floating solar, aquaculture, and green hydrogen. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Oil Majors Double Down On Fossil Fuels While Climate Scientists Go To Prison” • Something is seriously out of whack when ExxonMobil and Chevron double down on their plans to extract every bit of fossil fuels on Earth while climate scientists go to jail for telling the truth about the link between burning fossil fuels and global warming. [CleanTechnica]

Scientists in rebellion (Courtesy of Scientist Rebellion)

¶ “Revived SEC Targets 4.5 GW Of Renewable Generation And Storage” • The State Electricity Commission was resurrected with the Victorian government unveiling a 12-year strategy to include supporting 4.5 GW of clean energy development, funding for domestic electrification, and developing long-duration energy storage projects. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “First High-Speed Train Arrives In Southern Hemisphere – Bandung Confluence” • The first high-speed train south of the equator connects two of Indonesia’s largest cities, which are on the island of Java. One is the national capital, Jakarta, with 11.25 million residents. The other isthe fourth largest city, Bandung, with 2.67 million. [CleanTechnica]

KCIC high-speed train (KCIC press image)

US:

¶ “Berkeley Lab Launches The Power Reliability Event Simulator Tool” • To address the issue of power outages, Berkeley Lab has developed the Power Reliability Event Simulator TOol (PRESTO) an easy-to-use, publicly available model to be used to simulate the occurrence of short power interruptions in any county in the continental US. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Heat Pump Water Heater Sales In 2022 Signal A Decisive Shift In Water Heating Trends” • Energy-efficient water heating took significant strides in 2022. Sales of heat pump water heaters grew 26% last year, while sales of gas water heaters declined by 17%, underlining a clear shift in the US toward more efficient, electric-powered water heating systems. [CleanTechnica]

Heat pump water heater (NIST, public domain)

¶ “Energy Plan Bills Advance To Full Michigan Senate” • Bills to set a 100% clean energy standard for Michigan by 2040 advanced out of committee. They are part of Democrats’ broader plan to support renewable energy. Senator Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) says the bills would move Michigan away from dependance on fossil fuels. [Michigan Radio]

¶ “EDPR Unveils Arizona Solar-Storage” • EDPR NA Distributed Generation unveiled plans for a solar-storage project in Arizona for Mohave Electric Cooperative. The 23.27-MW (dc) ground-mount solar array and a 15-MW, 60-MWh energy storage system for Mohave Electric Cooperative will help it provide renewable power and mitigate peak energy use. [reNews]

Arizona parking lot (Michael Nothum, US DOE)

¶ “New Hampshire Delegation Welcomes Nearly $500,000 To Expand Energy Efficiency In Rural Communities” • Nearly $500,000 in funding were allocated in New Hampshire through the Rural Energy for America Program Technical Assistance as part of nearly $2 billion in funding provided for REAP through the Inflation Reduction Act. [Senator Jeanne Shaheen]

¶ “Kansas Corporation Commission Sides With Big Utilities” • The Kansas Corporation Commission issued an order approving a settlement changing rules for customers of Evergy, a monopoly electric utility that provides energy to 1.7 million Missouri and Kansas customers. Vote Solar and the Sierra Club believe KCC lacks authority to make the order. [Earthjustice]

Have a powerfully expressive day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “The Importance Of Energy Management In Residential PV Systems” • Energy management systems take in many signals, put them through data models, and tweak the available resources optimally. The most advanced ones, such as one from SolarEdge, seamlessly integrate with virtual power plant systems to the advantage of homeowners. [CleanTechnica]

Home on a hillside (SolarEdge image)

¶ “Climate Scientists Warn That Earth Systems Are Heading For ‘Dangerous Instability’” • Forecasts about the negative effects of human-caused climate change are common, but new research makes even more dire claims, declaring that “life on planet Earth is under siege” and that “we are pushing our planetary systems into dangerous instability.” [ABC News]

World:

¶ “‘Unstoppable’ Energy Transition Means Demand For Oil, Gas, And Coal Set To Peak By 2030” • Global demand for fossil fuels is expected to peak later this decade, according to a report. The International Energy Agency said in its annual World Energy Outlook report that the shift will be driven by the “phenomenal rise” of clean sources of energy. [CNN]

Power plant (Untitled Photo, Unsplash)

¶ “Japan’s Automakers Unveil EVs Galore At Tokyo Show To Catch Up With Tesla” • At the Tokyo show, Mazda plays up a sportscar concept that is a plug-in EV with its rotary engine. Honda shows off its Prelude sportscar EV concept. Toyota’s angular Lexus concept, set to go on sale in 2026, is an EV that runs on lithium-ion batteries. [ABC News]

¶ “Vietnam’s Vinfast Committed To Selling EVs To US Despite Challenges” • Vietnamese automaker Vinfast plunged right into the crowded and hypercompetitive US auto market, gambling that if it can sell its EVs to finicky Americans, it can succeed anywhere. But CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy said in a recent interview that the US market is “difficult.” [ABC News]

Vinfast EVs (Thai Nguyen, Unsplash)

¶ “EV Floodgates Open In Ethiopia After Gov’t Exempts All EVs From VAT, Surtax, And Excise Tax” • A year ago, the Ethiopian government introduced some incentives to catalyze the adoption of electric vehicles. Ethiopia’s Ministry of Finance exempted all electric vehicles from VAT, surtax, and excise tax! It’s been a year now, so let’s see how it worked. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Neoen, Alight Begin Work On Swedish PV Project” • Neoen and Alight signalled the start of construction of the 100-MW Hultsfred solar farm in Sweden. Jointly developed and owned by Neoen (majority shareholder) and Alight, the Hultsfred solar farm is to be connected to the E.ON local grid, in south-east Sweden in 2025. [reNews]

Solar farm site (Neoen image)

¶ “Amazon Adds 39 Renewable Energy Projects In Europe” • Amazon announced adding 39 new renewable energy projects in Europe so far this year, totalling over 1 GW of capacity. Amazon has enabled over 160 wind and solar projects in 13 European countries. They will provide enough energy for annual needs for over 4.7 million European homes. [Amazon EU]

¶ “Wind Energy Market Size To Hit $220.7 Billion, Globally, By 2028” • According to The Insight Partners, the windpower market is expected to grow from $156.8 billion in 2021 to $220.7 billion by 2028. It is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.0% from 2022 to 2028. The Asia Pacific region is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period. [Yahoo Finance]

Wind turbines (Frederik Schönfeldt, Unsplash)

¶ “Germany And France Finally Compromise On Nuclear” • The French are dependent on nuclear power. Existing French nuclear plants will require major capital improvements and plants under construction are really expensive. France wants to subsidize its nuclear program, but other EU countries, especially Germany, objected. Now they have compromised. [Oil Price]

US:

¶ “EcoFlow’s 110-W Foldable Solar Panels Are On Sale For 33% Off” • The cost of solar panels and power stations is coming down, the specs are going up. Now 110-W foldable solar panels from EcoFlow are available for just $199, which is a discount of a full third off the regular retail price of $299. Here are details on the EcoFlow foldable solar panel. [CleanTechnica]

Foldable solar panel (Ecoflow image)

¶ “NY Governor Hochul Announces Nation’s Largest-Ever State Investment In Renewable Energy Is Moving Forward” • New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the largest state renewable energy investment in US history. The conditional awards include three offshore wind and 22 land-based renewable energy projects totaling 6.4 gigawatts of clean energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California Sees Unprecedented Growth In Energy Storage” • California is surging forward in the buildout of battery energy storage systems with more than 6,600 MW online, enough to power 6.6 million homes for up to four hours. The total resource is up from 770 MW four years ago and double the amount of just two years ago. [California Energy Commission]

California storage milestone (Government of California)

¶ “Idaho Power Customers Urge Utilities Commission To Reject Proposal To Change Solar Credit System” • At a Idaho Public Utilities Commission hearing, dozens of Idaho Power customers and climate advocates laid out concerns about a proposal that would reduce the value of electricity it gets from customers with solar arrays. [Idaho Capital Sun]

¶ “Xcel Seeks 1.2 GW Of New Minnesota Wind Resources To Replace Retiring Coal Plant” • Xcel Energy is seeking about 1,200 MW of new wind projects located in southwest Minnesota, the utility announced. The renewable resources will help to replace the Sherco coal-fired plant in Becker, Minnesota, which Xcel is to retire by 2030. [Utility Dive]

Have a usefully gleeful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Billions Of Snow Crabs Have Died In Alaska. Will Billions Of People Be Next?” • Billions of snow crabs died, probably due to warm water. The mortality event appears to be one of the largest reported losses due to marine heatwaves. The groups of animals it hit include fish and crustaceans worldwide. Is Mother Nature trying to tell us something? [CleanTechnica]

Snow crab (NOAA Fisheries)

¶ “Does European Football Care About Climate Change?” • More teams, more games, more flights. Next season will see men’s club football expand further in Europe, with 177 more fixtures across UEFA’s three major tournaments and greater environmental impact. That could lead to 2 billion air miles by teams and fans in 2024-25, up from 1.5 billion. [Yahoo Sports]

World:

¶ “Rapid Melting In West Antarctica Is ‘Unavoidable,’ With Potentially Disastrous Consequences For Sea Level Rise, Study Finds” • Rapid melting of West Antarctica’s ice shelves may now be unavoidable as human-caused global warming accelerates, with potentially devastating implications for sea level rise around the world, new research has found. [CNN]

West Antarctica (Jeremy Harbeck, OIB, NASA)

¶ “Philippine EV Summit Shows Positive Developments, Predicts 6.6 Million EVs On The Road By 2030” • Over 6 million EVs will be on the streets of the Philippines by 2030, if the forecast of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines is correct. The projection was announced at the 11th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “1.8-Gigawatt Benban Solar Farm In Egypt Can Power 1 Million Households” • The success of the Benban Solar Farm in Egypt, demonstrates the impact that large scale clean energy projects can have on the energy matrix of North African countries. The largest solar park in Africa and the 4th largest solar farm globally, it has a capacity of 1.8 GW. [CleanTechnica]

Benban Solar Farm (Screenshot of ACCIONA video)

¶ “Amazon Adds 39 Renewable Energy Projects In Europe” • Amazon announced adding 39 new renewable energy projects in Europe so far this year, totalling over 1 GW of capacity. Amazon has enabled over 160 wind and solar projects in 13 European countries. They will provide enough energy for annual needs for over 4.7 million European homes. [Amazon EU]

¶ “Eviation Sells Up To Fifty Electric Commuter Aircraft To German Startup” • Alice debuted at the 2019 Paris Air Show. It is the first flight-tested all-electric commuter aircraft. According to Eviation, the nine-passenger regional aircraft has zero emissions and has significantly lower operating costs per hour compared to light jets or regional turboprops. [AVweb]

Eviation Alice

¶ “DP Energy Wins Approval For 430-MW Oz Wind Farm” • DP Energy has been awarded Development Approval for its 430-MW Callide onshore wind farm project in Australia by the State Assessment Referral Agency. The project will be in the Calliope Range in the Banana Shire Council in Queensland, 75 km west south-west of Gladstone. [reNews]

¶ “RES Unveils 600-MW UK Solar And Storage Plans” • RES has launched informal consultation on early plans for a solar and storage project of up to 600 MW in Nottinghamshire. The land is adjacent to the recently decommissioned West Burton Power Station, and RES has an agreement in place to use its 600 MW of surplus grid capacity. [reNews]

Solar farm in the UK (RES image)

US:

¶ “Bidenomics In Action: Clean Energy Jobs And Investments Taking Hold Across America” • Analyses of data from the DOE, the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, and the US Energy Information Administration show job growth and record investments in the clean power sector since Pres Biden enacted his Investing in America agenda. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Solid-State EV Battery Factory Opens In Massachusetts” • Factorial announced plans for a new battery R&D facility to be located in Massachusetts, and on October 23 the company is celebrating the official opening ceremony for its new solid-state EV battery factory in Methuen. Manufacturing is growing again in the US. [CleanTechnica]

Factorial solid state battery (Factorial Energy)

¶ “$18.5 Billion In Energy Savings From The Better Climate Challenge” • The US DOE published the “2023 Better Buildings Initiative Progress Report,” summarizes the achievements of the DOE’s Better Buildings partners since the initiative’s inception in 2011. The report shows $18.5 billion saved through efficiency improvements. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Newsom Assures California Always A Partner On Climate Change As He Begins China Trip” • Governor Newsom opened a week-long trip to China with an assurance that California will be a partner on climate issues no matter how the US presidential election turns out next year. Newsom is reinforcing his state’s role as a global climate change leader. [ABC News]

Gavin Newsom in Canada (Office of the Governor of California)

¶ “TotalEnergies Starts Up 380-MW Texas Solar” • TotalEnergies has started commercial operations of a 380 MW solar farm south of Houston. Myrtle solar farm is co-located with a battery storage plant with an energy capacity of 225 MWh. The site has 705,000 ground-mounted PV panels installed over an area equivalent to 1,800 American football fields. [reNews]

¶ “Nuclear Power Plants On Agenda As Illinois Veto Session Begins Tuesday” • Illinois state lawmakers return to the capitol as the 2023 veto session begins. One of Illinois Gov JB Pritzker’s most notable vetoes of 2023 was a bill that would have lifted the moratorium on building new nuclear power plants and allowed small modular nuclear reactors. [WGEM]

Have a decidedly superb day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “What’s New On The Rungs Of Liebreich’s Hydrogen Ladder?” • Michael Liebreich is the founder of what is now Bloomberg New Energy Finance. He has been assessing where the big money is in half-trillion dollar chunks for the past 20 years or so. One of his more useful hydrogen infographics is the Hydrogen Ladder, and now he’s updated it. [CleanTechnica]

Hydrogen ladder (Michael Liebrich, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “New Marine Energy Harvesting Devices Are (Finally) Heaving Into View” • CleanTechnica will report from The Hague next week for the 2023 Ocean Energy Europe Conference and Exhibition. While we wait for it, let’s take a look at the goings-on over at the Dutch Marine Energy Centre, which earned the post of Platinum Sponsor at the event. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Here Is Why I Am Excited About Toyota’s New EPU Pickup And Land Cruiser Se Electric Concepts” • Toyota, which has resisted selling battery EVs, unveiled two interesting concepts of the type at the Japan Mobility Show 2023. These are the Toyota Land Cruiser Se Concept BEV and the EPU Double Cab Mid-Sized Pickup BEV concept. [CleanTechnica]

Toyota EPU Pickup BEV concept (Courtesy of Toyota)

¶ “More Electric Buses Deployed By Energy Producer Aboitiz In Philippine Urban Centers” • Aboitiz Equity Ventures, a Philippine energy producer that also operates in numerous other sectors, is making headway promoting simple EV technologies for public service, overcoming charging issues by centralizing strategically located stations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Average Tailpipe Emissions Today Higher Than They Were Ten Years Ago” • Research by Possible, a UK climate advocacy group, finds that average tailpipe emissions from new internal combustion increased in the last ten years. In fact, anyone who wants the non-electric car with the lowest tailpipe emissions might best buy a used 2016 model. [CleanTechnica]

Ford Explorer (Courtesy of Ford)

¶ “Commission Publishes Recommendations To Tackle Energy Poverty Across The EU” • Energy poverty affects citizens in every EU country. In 2022, high energy prices and high costs of living meant an estimated 9.3% of Europeans were unable to keep their homes adequately warm, up from 6.9% in 2021. The Commission published its recommendations. [Energy]

¶ “Rio Tinto Signs First Nations Power Deal For Solar, Wind And Battery Projects” • Mining giant Rio Tinto is seeking to roll out a series of solar, wind and battery projects to replace the gas-fired generators on which its huge iron ore mines currently depend. The company signed a green power deal with the Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation. [Renew Economy]

Pilbara (Eddie Bugajewski, Unsplash)

¶ “Indian Government Plans Strict Regulations For Domestic Solar Panel Manufacturing” • The Indian government is set to implement a policy that will require solar panels to be composed of domestically manufactured cells, wafers, and polysilicon in order to be registered under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Old Coal Mine Filled With Warm Water Has Been Heating A Town With Green Energy For Six Months” • Britain’s deep coal mines have become a surprising source of green energy. It’s been heating the town of Gateshead successfully for six months. The scheme is thought to be replicable in areas with large abandoned mine works. [Good News Network]

Gateshead facility (Britain’s Coal Authority)

¶ “Fossil Fuel Power: A Dying Trend In 50% Of Economies” • A new study by Ember, an energy think tank, has revealed that half of the world’s economies have already crossed the peak of power generation from fossil fuels. This means they have not increased their fossil fuel power output for at least five years since reaching their highest level. [Interesting Engineering]

¶ “Some EU Policies ‘Hinder’ Climate Action, WWF says” • The World Wildlife Fund decried EU climate measures in a report, Among WWF’s ‘hall of shame’ of the EU’s worst measures for the climate are the failure to tax aviation fuels and the inclusion of gas and nuclear in the so-called sustainable finance taxonomy, the EU’s green investment rulebook. [Euronews.com]

Power station with smoke (Travis Leery, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “California Governor Gavin Newsom is traveling to China to talk climate change” • California Governor Gavin Newsom will try to reinforce his state’s role as a global leader on climate change as he begins a weeklong visit to China on Monday, a trip that presents both political risk and opportunity for crucial international collaboration. [ABC News]

¶ “Prize Finalists Make Home Electrification Solutions Look EAS-E” • The EAS-E Prize is offering up to $2.4 million in cash prizes and technical assistance to accelerate development of easy, affordable, and equitable electrification. Each finalist team will receive $5,000 in cash and a $75,000 voucher to work with national laboratories. [CleanTechnica]

Hydronic Shell modular panel (Courtesy of Hydronic Shell)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Clean Energy Advocates Appeal New NC Rules That Cut Payments To Rooftop Solar Owners” • Worried that growth of residential solar power in North Carolina could slow down badly, several environment groups asked the state’s Court of Appeals to overturn Duke Energy’s new rates and rules for rooftop solar panels. [Wilmington Star-News]

¶ “Governor Vetoes New York Offshore Wind Transmission Act” • Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, has vetoed the Planned Offshore Wind Transmission Act. New York State has set a target of 9 GW of offshore wind by 2035. The American Clean Power Association described the veto as a “significant blow” to the state’s renewable energy goals. [reNews]

Have a nicely settled day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Solution For A World Awash In Chicken Feathers” • Researchers found something to do with the millions of tonnes of chicken feathers produced annually. A team from two technological universities has applied a tailored form of keratin to make bio-based membranes for zero emission hydrogen fuel cells. [CleanTechnica]

The birds (Egor Myznik, Unsplash)

¶ “How We Know Past Climate Without Thermometers” • To figure out the global climate before thermometers, we need an understanding of geology and chemistry to decode the planet’s temperature in earlier times. Digging into coastal sediments and glaciers reveals mud and ice that is hundreds of thousands of years old. [The Daily Progress]

World:

¶ “Coffee Is In Danger. Starbucks Is Working On Solutions” • Coffee is a finicky crop, especially arabica coffee, the most popular type. Climate change poses a huge threat to the coffee business and to farmers. The Inter-American Development Bank warned that by 2050 “rising temperatures will reduce the area suitable for growing coffee by up to 50%.” [CNN]

Coffee beans (Rodrigo Flores, Unsplash)

¶ “Could The UK’s Tides Help Wean Us Off Fossil Fuels?” • Tidal power represents a huge store of renewable energy, and the UK, an island nation with some of the world’s most powerful tides, is uniquely well-placed to exploit that resource. Tidal power can store huge amounts of tidal energy, and the UK is uniquely well-placed to exploit that resource. [BBC]

¶ “Scania Unveils Cutting-Edge Battery-Electric Bus Platform At Busworld” • The new Scania battery-electric bus platform is a pivotal part of the company’s overall e-mobility portfolio. This groundbreaking platform offers low-entry 4×2 buses equipped with batteries giving it a range of over 500 km (310 miles) under optimal conditions. [CleanTechnica]

Scania’s latest BEV bus on display (Photo from Scania)

¶ “Hong Kong Needs More Renewable Power And Government Land Grants” • Limitations on using renewable power in Hong Kong present a major barrier to constructing data centres with low carbon footprint in the city amid rising energy consumption, according to a vice-president of a technology arm of Sun Hung Kai Properties. [South China Morning Post]

¶ “More Renewable Energy Loans For Community Projects” • Citizens Own Renewable Energy Network Australia is in the news again funding two projects to support community organizations’ moves to renewables. It is giving interest-free renewable energy loans to a children’s family center in New South Wales and a theater in South Australia. [CleanTechnica]

Capri Theatre (Photo courtesy of CORENA)

¶ “Here’s Why A Giant, 2,361-Mile Cable Will Be Installed Under The Sea From Morocco To The UK” • The world’s longest subsea power cable, stretching 2,361 miles, is planned to supply clean energy from Morocco to the UK. According to Electrek, Xlinks was designated a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project to get it quick approvals. [Yahoo News New Zealand]

US:

¶ “Fossil-Free, 100% Affordable Housing Can Mean Residents Have No Utility Bills” • The US federal government announced awards of over $100 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Inflation Reduction Act to help renovate the homes of more than 1,500 low income families to be zero energy and climate resilient. [CleanTechnica]

Brewster Woods (Preservation of Affordable Housing image)

¶ “GasLeasks.Org Is Targeting Natural Gas Health Threats” • GasLeaks.org is on a mission to educate the public about natural gas and the happy talk the industry spreads about methane being clean burning. When it burns, methane does release less carbon dioxide than coal or oil derivatives. But methane leaks have big problems for other reasons. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Climate Change Decimated Alaska’s Snow Crab Population” • A group of NOAA scientists published a paper, “The collapse of eastern Bering Sea snow crab.” It explores the disappearance of 10 billion snow crabs from the Bering Sea between 2018 and 2021. It makes a convincing case that that 10 billion snow crabs were killed off by climate change.[InsideHook]

Steamed snow crab (donchili, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Hopkinton Council Approves Solar Contract For Hopkinton PD, First Phase Of Energy Upgrades” • The town of Hopkinton, Rhode Island will move forward with installing solar panels on the Hopkinton Police Department, a move the Town Manager Brian Rosso said would save the community almost $10,000 in the first year and more after that. [Westerly Sun]

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $2 Billion In Funding To Increase Climate Resilience” • Officers of Homeland Security, FEMA, and the White House announced that FEMA is making $1.8 billion available for grant programs designed to help communities increase resilience to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather. [Homeland Security Today]

Lightning (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “Navigator Cancels Proposed Midwestern CO₂ Pipeline, Citing ‘Unpredictable’ Regulatory Processes” • A company said it would cancel its plans for a 1,300-mile (2,092-km) pipeline across five Midwestern states that would have gathered the carbon dioxide emissions from several ethanol plants and buried the gas deep underground. [MPR News]

¶ “Democratic Governors Block Bills For New Nuclear Power Plants” • In the last three months, the Democratic governors of Illinois and North Carolina vetoed bills to build new reactors in their states, warning that doing so would divert money and attention from a strategy of using renewable energy backed up, at least for now, with natural gas. [Yahoo News]

Have an agreeably effortless day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Zeroing In On EV Batteries With More Storage And Faster Charging” • A novel lithium-based electrolyte material can be used to develop solid-state batteries that charge faster and store more energy than conventional designs. Experiments showed the solid-electrolyte is stable in normal air environments and inhibits the growth of dendrites. [CleanTechnica]

Solid-state battery graphic (ORNL image)

¶ “ORNL Scientists Close The Cycle On How To Recycle Mixed Plastics” • Mixed plastics are difficult to separate into to their constituent polymers. To address the issue, scientists at the DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory used careful chemical design, neutron scattering, and high-performance computing to develop a recycling process. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Siemens-Led Group Completes Test of 100% Renewable Hydrogen in Gas Turbine” • A consortium that includes Siemens Energy and ENGIE said it completed what the group called the world’s first operational test of a gas turbine fueled with 100% renewable hydrogen. The hydrogen is produced by a 1-MW electrolyzer at the site. [POWER Magazine] Does this have value?

Gas turbine (US DOE image) 

World:

¶ “Is An Australian EV Road User Tax Inevitable?” • EVs made headlines again this week with the Australian High Court decision to rescind an EV road user tax based on kilometres travelled, introduced by the Victorian state government in July 2021. The issue will doubtless be challenged by the states to base taxation on use of the road. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Jamaica Tackles Kingston Harbor Plastic Pollution With New Technology” • Jamaica is one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. But Jamaica suffers from the same curse of pollution, much of it from plastics, as other human enclaves. The Kingston Harbor Cleanup Project is using technology to return the harbor to its former glory. [CleanTechnica]

Jamaicans who clean up (Courtesy of Clean Kingston Harbor)

¶ “Orlen Group And Northland Power Greenlight Baltic Power Wind Project” • The Orlen Group has committed to develop the Baltic Power wind farm off Poland, in partnership with Canada’s Northland Power. The company has also started construction of a terminal that could facilitate five more wind farms for a total capacity of 5.2 GW. [Offshore Magazine]

¶ “A 13-GW Renewable Energy Project Will Benefit Jammu and Kashmir” • Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha Friday said that the 13-GW renewable energy project approved by the cabinet would benefit Jammu and Kashmir, along with other parts of the country. The government is uninterrupted and reliable power supply to the people. [Greater Kashmir]

Houseboats in Kashmir (Isa Macouzet, Unsplash)

¶ “Researchers Make Astounding Reveal About The Cost Of Solar Power And Battery Storage” • A study by the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change indicates that affordable and eco-friendly energy options got so much cheaper to install in the last ten years that they might just be all we need by 2050, Interesting Engineering reports. [MSN]

¶ “Australia’s Main Grid Hits New Renewable Energy Record – On Another Weekday” • Australia’s main grid set a record for renewable energy production on Friday, for the second time in the week, with a peak of 71.3%, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator. The record was set over a 30-minute trading period ending at noon. [Renew Economy]

Solar field and farm field (Nextracker image)

US:

¶ “What Does It Take To Modernize The US Electric Grid?” • The US electric grid was largely built in the 1960s and 1970s. While the system has been improved, aging infrastructure is struggling to meet our modern electricity needs, such as renewable energy and growing electrification for buildings and transportation. Now the US is addressing the problem. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Colorado Adopts Clean Cars Standards, But Leaves Benefits On The Table” • In a win for the climate, public health, and residents’ pocketbooks, Colorado officials adopted a Clean Cars policy, ensuring that its people will have access to more electric and hybrid vehicles. By 2032, 82% of new vehicles sold in the state must be plug-in types. [CleanTechnica]

Jenny Ueberberg in her Tesla (Jenny Ueberberg, Unsplash)

¶ “Grain Belt Express Transmission Line Nears Final Approval” • The Grain Belt Express was stalled with regulatory battles and legal challenges for over a decade. Now one of the last hurdles has been cleared, as the Missouri Public Service Commission dropped its objections after the developer agreed to deliver half of the electricity to Missouri. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Grid Resilience Projects On Kauaʻi Receive $18 Million In Federal Funds” • The US DOE is putting $3.5 billion to improve electric grid resilience across the country, and a portion of that funding will go towards Hawaii’s clean energy goals. Two of the technology demonstrations projects by the Hawaii State Energy Office are to get grants. [Hawaii Public Radio]

Solar array (Kauaʻi Island Utility Cooperative)

¶ “Felch OKs Permit For Groveland Mine Solar Power Farm” • A plan to establish a solar farm at the former Groveland Mine has gained the final local government authorization needed to move forward. The 120-MW array in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula will sit on 500 to 550 acres, much of it at an open pit mine that had closed in 1981. [The Mining Journal]

¶ “Corner Cutting Of Nuclear Proportions As Duo Admit To Falsifying Safety Tests 29 Times” • Two men this week confessed to deliberately bypassing testing protocols that are essential to keeping nuclear power plants safe. This happened not once, not twice, but 29 times. The testing was faked at a number of plants over a period of a decade. [Theregister]

Have a quite excellent day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The World Is Mobilizing Against Big Biomass This Week” • In actions around the world, protestors stress that burning forest-based wood pellets for large-scale energy production imperils climate change efforts and harms communities. Governments are urged to prevent carbon-storing forests from being turned into wood chips. [CleanTechnica]

Capitol Building (Jorge Alcala, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “A Possible Legal And Policy Blitzkrieg Against CleanTech” • An item that kept coming up in the news and getting promptly buried last month was Project 2025. At its core of Project 2025 is a book, of over 900 pages saying what the Heritage Foundation hopes it could do during the first six months of a Republican administration in 2025. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “BYD: The Top Electric Car Maker That Is Not Tesla” • Tesla has a Chinese rival in its rear-view mirror. Shares in BYD, or Build Your Dreams, jumped this week after it said it expected profits in the third quarter to more than double compared with last year. BYD is now ahead of Tesla in quarterly production, and just second to Tesla in global sales. [BBC]

BYD Atto 3 (Alexander Migl, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Portugal’s Barroso Lithium Mine Project Faces Villagers’ Ire” • An ancient farming village up in the Portuguese mountains is fighting plans for an opencast lithium mine right on its doorstep. Portugal’s lithium reserves are considered central to Europe’s increasing demand for EVs, but the villagers say that does not justify ruining their way of life. [BBC]

¶ “Partners To Deploy 200,000 Electric Motorcycles And 5,000 Battery Swap Stations In Africa By 2030” • Kofa, a Ghanaian company focusing on battery swap networks, and TAILG are jointly developing a battery swap-enabled electric motorcycle called Jidi. They hope to deploy 200,000 EVs using the Kofa battery swap network by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

TAILG factory (Courtesy of Kofa)

¶ “IAEA Team Gathers Samples Near Fukushima As Treated Radioactive Water Is Released” • An International Atomic Energy Agency team is visiting Fukushima for its first marine sampling since the nuclear plant began releasing treated radioactive water. One team member said he does not expect any rise in radiation levels in the area’s fish. [ABC News]

¶ “Jinkosolar Is To Supply 3.8 GW Of Modules To ACWA Power Solar Farms” • Chinese solar module manufacturer JinkoSolar agreed to supply 3.8 GW of its n-type panels to ACWA Power for use at two solar projects under construction in Saudi Arabia. The panels will be installed at the 2.3-GW Ar Rass 2 project and the 1.5-GW Al Kahfah solar farm. [PV Tech]

Solar farm (Jinkosolar image)

¶ “Australia Needs ‘Drastic’ Renewables Boost As Nuclear Not An Option For Decades, Says Center-Right Thinktank” • A center-right thinktank is calling for “drastically accelerated deployment” of renewable energy, batteries, and transmission infrastructure. It acknowledged there is no prospect of nuclear energy playing a role in Australia before 2040. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “Atlantic Hurricanes Twice As Likely To Strengthen From Weak To Major Intensity In 24 Hours” • The Atlantic basin’s tropical cyclones may now be more than twice as likely to strengthen from a weak hurricane or tropical storm into a major hurricane in just 24 hours due to climate change, a paper published in Scientific Reports found. [ABC News]

Atlantic hurricanes (NASA, Unsplash)

¶ “Biden Wants To Drag The Creaky, Cranky US Electrical Grid Into The 21st Century” • In some cases, requests to connect to the grid are taking up to five years for approval, which is why the Biden administration announced $3.46 billion in funding to upgrade America’s electric grid. It is the largest single investment in the US grid in history. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “It’s A Hydrogen Fuel Cell Train Party, And California Has Been Invited” • Many slings and arrows have been lobbed at the idea of outfitting EVs with hydrogen fuel cells instead of battery packs, but the vision of fuel cells refuses to die. Now California is to add a fleet of hydrogen fuel cell trains to its stable of alternatives to fossil fuel. [CleanTechnica]

Hydrogen fuel cell train in California (Stadler, California DOT)

¶ “Crops And Solar Intersect As Iowa’s First Agrivoltaics Project Prepares To Power Up” • An Alliant Energy Solar Farm at Iowa State University is not your typical solar array. Come next year, the ground underneath and around the panels will bloom with fruits, vegetables, and pollinator plants. It is called agrivoltaics, farming and solar together. [The Gazette]

¶ “‘A Massive Enterprise’: California’s Offshore Wind Farms Are On A Fast Track” • The areas off California with the strongest winds are far from shore and too deep for traditional platforms, so developers are planning clusters of floating platforms about 20 miles off the coast, in waters more than a half-mile deep and tethered by cables. [The Salinas Californian]

Morro Bay (Morro Bay Tourism Bureau)

¶ “Charting A Clean Energy Future” • In a recent report, The Nature Conservancy found that businesses in five Midwestern states – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin – have been rising to the challenge of reducing their carbon footprints. They are setting ambitious greenhouse gas reduction targets and working to attain their goals. [The Nature Conservancy]

¶ “Our 10-Year Utilities Forecast: Renewable Energy To Triple By 2032” • Morningstar estimates that 45% of US power generation will be renewable energy by 2032. With more aggressive clean energy policies to meet key US climate targets, these numbers could increase even more. Morningstar thinks the renewable energy sector is 12% undervalued. [Morningstar]

Have a highly valued day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Seven Myths About Fuels And Electric Trucks From The Oil & Gas Industry” • In this briefing, we focus on three different types of fuels: e-diesel, hydrotreated vegetable oil, and biomethane, as these are the alternatives to zero-emission trucks most touted by the O&G industry, which has been promoting a set of myths to build up public support. [CleanTechnica]

Frankenfuels (Image via Transport & Environment)

¶ “Expectations For Tesla Have Just Gotten Too Ridiculous” • In Tesla’s third quarter 2023 conference call for investors, Elon Musk sounded a bit depressed. And investors wanted to know why the expectation was that Tesla’s sales volume for 2024 would only be up 28% from 2023. Why was it not rising at a CAGR of 50%, as it was supposed to do? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Achieving Energy Security Without Nuclear Power” • “I was asked by a government official in the energy sector: ‘Without nuclear energy, how can Vietnam meet its energy demands?'” According to the IEA’s Net Zero Emission by 2050 Scenario, the goal of reaching net zero emissions will be done almost entirely on renewable energy. [VnExpress International]

Wind turbines (Dan Meyers, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “US Eases Venezuela Oil Sanctions After Election Deal” • The US is easing sanctions on Venezuela’s oil, gas, and gold sectors after the country’s government and opposition agreed to have next year’s election monitored by international observers. Other sanctions imposed over suppression of protests and erosion of democracy remain in place. [BBC]

¶ “Greta Thunberg Charged With Public Order Offense In UK After Arrest Outside Oil Event” • Climate activist Greta Thunberg was arrested and charged with a public order offense at a protest against an oil and gas industry conference in London. She was charged with violating the Public Order Act, which allows police to impose limits on public assemblies. [ABC News]

Earliaer demonstration (Mika Baumeister, Unsplash)

¶ “30% Of New Cars In France Now Plugin Electric Cars!” • In France, plugin vehicle sales keep rising. Last month’s plugin vehicle registrations ended at 45,883 units, divided between 30,213 battery EVs, up 34% year over year to reach 20% share of the overall auto market, and 15,670 plugin hybrids, which were up 35% for a up 10% market share. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “CSIRO Claims Falling Particle Concentrated Solar Power Can Lead To A Net Zero Economy” • Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization says a research facility for concentrated solar power made a breakthrough with “falling ceramic particles” technology, which captures and stores solar energy as heat. [CleanTechnica]

Heliostats (Courtesy of CSIRO)

¶ “Southern Alberta Municipalities Receive Substantial Revenue From Renewable Energy Projects, Says New Analysis” • A non-profit organization that opposes the province’s moratorium on new renewable energy projects has released an analysis that shows Alberta municipalities collect millions in taxes from solar and wind projects. [Calgary Herald]

¶ “Ingka Invests In Source Galileo’s Offshore Wind Portfolio” • Ingka Investments, the investment arm of IKEA’s largest retailer, Ingka Group, will take a 20% stake in the offshore wind project portfolio of Source Galileo, who are developing 10 GW of wind to electricity and hydrogen production off the northwestern coasts of Europe. [Power Engineering International]

Offshore wind turbines (Source Galileo Image)

¶ “Nuclear-Powered Cargo Ship Is A Suspect In Baltic Pipeline Breach” • A nuclear-powered cargo ship is one of two vessels that attracted investigators’ attention after damage to a subsea gas pipeline in the Baltic. It seems it was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The Sevmorput is the last nuclear-powered cargo vessel in the world. [The Maritime Executive]

US:

¶ “GOP-Led States And Industry Groups Ask Supreme Court To Block Biden’s ‘Good Neighbor’ Pollution Rule” • GOP-led states, fossil fuel groups, and utilities filed an emergency request asking the Supreme Court to block the implementation of the “good neighbor” rule, which aims to reduce air pollution that wafts across state lines. [CNN]

Air pollution (Maxim Tolchinskiy, Unsplash)

¶ “$3.5 Billion For Largest Ever Investment In America’s Electric Grid” • White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu and Secretary of Energy Jennifer M Granholm announced $3.46 billion in funding for 58 projects in 44 states to strengthen electric grid resilience and reliability throughout the country. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Mobile Microgrid Builder Makes Renewable Power Beautiful” • A San Francisco firm makes elegant mobile microgrids that deliver renewable power anywhere it’s needed. And they double as art. Southern Beams Builds makes Dragon Wings, 30-kW solar-battery generators in 20-foot mobile containers. They have wings of mythical beasts. [The Energy Mix]

Dragon Wings (Southern Beams Builds image)

¶ “Solar And Storage Industry Celebrate Construction Inclusion Week” • Solar industry jobs in the US are growing. The National Solar Jobs Census shows that representation of veterans, Asian, Hispanic, and Latino workers in the industry outpaces the rest of the economy, and solar companies have made a lot of progress to hire more women. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Indiana Michigan Power Will Build Four Solar Plants By 2026” • Indiana Michigan Power will expand their renewable energy initiatives with four new solar plants coming by mid-2026. Two will be in Michiana. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approved I&M’s plan to expand its renewable energy capacity to power over 200,000 typical homes. [ABC57]

Have a delightfully amiable day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Clean Cars Yield $178 Billion In Benefits For Illinois” • Illinois has a big opportunity to provide significant air quality, health, and economic benefits to its residents by adopting the Advanced Clean Cars II standard. The cumulative net societal benefits may reach $168.8 billion to $178 billion by 2050, depending on how the standard is adopted. [CleanTechnica]

Chicago (Joel Mott, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Ed Markey On Nuclear Energy And Climate Voters” • “The economics of nuclear power don’t seem to be working out very well right now. The Vogtle nuclear [will] produce 2,400 MW of power, but its now estimated to cost $34 billion … [Imagine] what would happen if Georgia Power would’ve invested $34 billion in solar and storage in sunny Georgia. [Axios]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Efficient And Environmentally Friendly EV Battery Recycling With A New Recipe” • Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology found an efficient way to recycle EV batteries. It is possible to recover 100% aluminum and 98% lithium. At the same time, the loss of valuable raw materials such as nickel, cobalt and manganese is minimized. [CleanTechnica]

Chemistry (Anna-Lena Lundqvist, © CUT)

¶ “Scientists Find The Potential Key To Longer-Lasting Sodium Batteries For Electric Vehicles” • Electron microscopy and X-ray scattering revealed a cause of rapid performance decline in sodium-ion batteries: defects introduced in making the cathode material. Knowing this, researchers can design better cathodes for longer-lasting batteries. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Why Clean Air Is A Luxury That Many Can’t Afford” • In the past, indoor air pollution killed many people. But modern forms of air pollution, caused by burning fossil fuels and industries, increasingly claim lives. It is estimated that 4.5 million people died prematurely as a result of outdoor air pollution in 2019, 1.6 million more than in 2000. [BBC]

Smog in Bangkok (Nick van den Berg, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Toyota Makes A Real EV Move With An LG Battery Deal” • After dismissing EVs and pushing hard on hydrogen and hybrids, Toyota did something we haven’t seen much lately: It put in an order for some normal, buy-them-today battery cells! LG Energy Solution will supply automotive battery modules for Toyota’s expanding line of EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Galileo Signs Its First CPPA” • Galileo, a European renewables development platform, has signed its first corporate PPA with an unnamed global corporation listed on the NYSE. The 10-year PPA relates to electricity generated by three of Galileo’s solar PV projects in Italy, aiming to decarbonise the client company’s production processes. [reNews]

Solar panels (Asia Chang, Unsplash)

¶ “Significant Portion Of Eolus’ 1-GW Offshore Wind Farm Will Go To Volvo Cars” • Renewable energy developer Eolus has signed a letter of intent to collaborate with Volvo Cars on the Västvind offshore wind power project, in waters off Gothenburg, Sweden. Volvo Cars is building a battery factory it is building with Northvolt. [North American Windpower]

¶ “Scotland To Invest £500 Million In Offshore Wind Supply Chain” • First Minister Humza Yousaf has announced that the Scottish Government will invest up to £500 million in the next five years in Scotland’s offshore wind supply chain. He said there is a potential for £25 billion to be invested in the Scottish supply chain over the lifetime of ScotWind. [reNews]

Humza Yousaf (Scottish Government via Flickr)

¶ “World May Have Crossed Solar Power ‘Tipping Point’” • The world may have crossed a “tipping point” to make solar power our main source of energy. A study, based on a data-based model of technology and economics, finds that solar PVs are likely to become the dominant power source before 2050, even without supporting climate policies. [ScienceDaily]

US:

¶ “21 Species Have Been Delisted From The Endangered Species Act, And Not For A Good Reason” • The US Fish and Wildlife Service has delisted 21 species from the Endangered Species Act due to extinction, the agency announced. The decision to delist the species was made after a rigorous review for each species, the US FWS explained. [ABC News]

Bridled White-Eye, extinct (Peter, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “GM Contributes Important Automotive Software Standards” • After producing software the author refers to simply as “bad,” GM has acted to improve things. In a recent press release, we learn that GM is working on expanding access to secure vehicle data for not only Ultium cars, but for other automakers aiming to do the same. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Green Hydrogen Slugfest Pits INPEX Against ExxonMobil In Texas” • The dust has settled over the final selection of winning projects in the new US Clean Hydrogen Hubs program, and now the real fight begins. All eyes are on Texas, where green hydrogen stakeholders are already jockeying for opportunities to eliminate fossil-sourced hydrogen. [CleanTechnica]

Planned green hydrogen facility (GHI via prnewswire.com)

¶ “EERC-Led Regional H₂ Project To Get Almost $1 Billion In Federal Funding” • The Heartland Hydrogen Hub was chosen by the DOE for a regional clean energy project. The award is in talks for up to $925 million. The collaborative HH₂H initiative will produce low-carbon hydrogen, decarbonize supply chains, and create clean energy jobs. [University of North Dakota]

¶ “Palisades Nuclear Papers Indicate Cost Of Repowering Higher Than Anticipated” • Documents suggest Holtec International bought the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant with no intention of decommissioning it, that they plan to install modular nuclear units there, and their projected cost for restarting Palisades is much larger than originally thought. [WSJM]

Have a fortunately grounded day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “New Wave Energy Devices To Suck Clean Kilowatts From The Seven Seas” • Building a better mousetrap could catch attention, but if that is out of reach, the next best thing is to build a better wave energy converter. Most of the activity is still taking place in the experiment-and-demonstrate phase, but the US Navy is one of those cheering hard. [CleanTechnica]

Oscilla Power wave conversion unit (Oscilla Power image)

¶ “Surprising Discovery About Coral’s Resilience Could Help Reefs Survive Climate Change” • A team at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences studied a star coral, Orbicella faveolata, to see whether coral populations that survived heat can pass their heat tolerance on to their offspring. The results showed the opposite. [USC Dornsife]

World:

¶ “Scotland’s Biggest Offshore Wind Farm At Full Power” • The biggest offshore wind farm off Scotland has begun operating at full capacity. Seagreen, off the Angus coast, can generate enough electricity to power two-thirds of Scotland’s households. The £3 billion project, comprising 114 giant turbines, has been more than a decade in the making. [BBC]

Offshore wind turbines (掬茶, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Oil Co To Help Toyota Mass Produce New Solid-State Battery” • Toyota unveiled a new solid-state battery last summer, and the company has not been letting the grass grow under its feet. Last week, the company hooked up with the Japanese oil producer Idemitsu Kosan to mass produce the battery within an ambitious 2027-2028 time frame. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EU Ministers Back Near Phaseout Of Diesel Trucks” • EU environment ministers backed CO₂ targets for trucks proposed by the EU Commission. Manufacturers will have to reduce the average emissions of new freight trucks by 45% in 2030 and 90% in 2040. The ministers rejected proposed loopholes for e-fuels and biofuels. [CleanTechnica]

eActros (Image by Mercedes-Benz)

¶ “Cape Town’s EV Pilot Project Shows A Strong Business Case For Municipalities To Procure EVs For Their Fleets” • A recent case study by the City of Cape Town’s transport department, in collaboration with GreenCape, gives some valuable insights into some of their operations and how they can be electrified. Cape Town’s fleet has 9,386 vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Brunswick And Nova Scotia Strike Deal With Ottawa On Phasing Out Coal And Creating A Green Energy Grid By 2030” • The governments of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia have got approval from the federal government for their plans to increase the use of renewable energy and stop using coal to generate electricity by 2030. [CBC]

New Brunswick wind turbines (Dr Wilson, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Hai Long Team Confirms A €3 Billion Financing Deal” • Northland Power and its partners have met all conditions and completed the NT$117 billion (€3.43 billion, $3.62 billion) financing for the 1-GW Hai Long offshore wind project off Taiwan. It is located approximately 45 to 70 km off the coast of Changhua in the Taiwan Strait. [reNews]

¶ “Siemens Energy Delivers Hybrid Storage System In Ireland” • Siemens Energy will deliver a hybrid grid stabilisation and battery storage plant of 160-MWh at Shannonbridge in Ireland. It is the first combination of synchronous condenser and battery into one, single grid connection to stabilise the grid and make better use of renewable energy. [reNews]

Irish wind farm (Sarah777, public domain)

¶ “Nukes, Climate Change Are Both Threats, Say Activists” • The activists opposed to nuclear energy are warning people not to be fooled by an industry that says it can save the world from climate change. The activists bill both greenhouse gas emissions and the combination of nuclear waste and arms proliferation as the two biggest threats of our time. [Penticton Herald]

US:

¶ “Record-Low Water Levels Recorded Along The Mississippi River During Prime Season To Ship Grain” • Mississippi River water levels reached record lows from Missouri to Arkansas, preventing shipments of grain and other goods from making their way downriver during one of the busiest times of year, National Weather Service data shaows. [ABC News]

Barges at a lock (Joe Ross, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “IBEW, IUOE, And LIUNA Sign Historic Three-Union Solar Agreement” • The presidents of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Laborers International Union of North America, and the International Union of Operating Engineers signed a tri-trade solar agreement governing utility-scale solar project construction. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Save $900 On This Electric Fat Tire Trike From Addmotor” • Right now, the Addmotor Arisetan II M-360 is on sale for $3099, down a full $900 from its regular retail price. The company is also throwing in over $200 in freebies with each purchase at this time: a backpack, handlebar bag, mirrors, and reflective stripes for the rims. [CleanTechnica]

Electric fat tire trike (Addmotor image)

¶ “Supply Costs To Rise For Energy Aggregation Program” • For residents included in the community electricity aggregation program with the town of Dartmouth, Massachusetts, energy supply costs will increase soon. Nevertheless, the new costs are still lower than current Eversource rates, and town officials expect it to stay that way. [Dartmouth Week]

¶ “Wind And Solar Siting Bills Draw Criticism From Michigan Local Governments” • Michigan’s House of Representatives is considering bills giving state regulators power to approve zoning for certain wind and solar energy projects. The bills are part of a push to boost renewable energy in Michigan while reducing reliance on fossil fuels. [Michigan Radio]

Have a wonderfully carefree day.

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Opinion and Interviews:

¶ “Volt Solar Tile – The Roof Of The Future?” • Leeson Group, based in Melbourne, has already developed 150 MW of solar farms and has projects amounting to 750 MW in the pipeline. The revenue from these projects has been used to develop the Volt solar tile, which was launched in October last year. Here is an interview with Peter Leeson. [CleanTechnica]

Peter Leeson with the Volt solar tile (Courtesy of Leeson Group)

¶ “Small Modular Nuclear Reactors: Unlikely, Unaffordable, Dirty, And Dangerous” • A year ago, Gov Glenn Youngkin announced proposals for his new Virginia Energy Plan. He declared, “A growing Virginia must have reliable, affordable, and clean energy for Virginia’s families and businesses.” SMRs are none of those things. [Cardinal News]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Climate Change Will Make These Places Too Hot To Live” • As global temperatures rise, long periods of extreme heat will make certain regions ‘unlivable’ for weeks at a time, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says. The Washington Post examines the bleak report, which considers different scenarios. [Newser]

Delhi (Laurentiu Morariu, Unsplash)

¶ “MIT Design Would Harness 40% Of The Sun’s Heat To Make Clean Hydrogen” • In a study appearing in Solar Energy Journal, MIT engineers lay out the conceptual design for a system that can efficiently produce “solar thermochemical hydrogen.” The team estimates its new design could harness up to 40% of the sun’s heat to generate hydrogen. [MIT News]

World:

¶ “47% Of New Cars In Netherlands Now Plugin Cars!” • In the Netherlands, 47% of new cars sold in September were plugins. Furthermore, 34% were full electrics! The Netherlands saw an increase in plugin registrations to 13,916 units in September, with the Dutch plugin vehicle market thus reaching 47% of the overall auto market last month. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Michal Lauko, Unsplash)

¶ “WPD Secures Connection For 740-MW Swedish Wind” • The developer WPD has secured grid connection for two wind farms in Sweden with a total capacity in excess of 700 MW. WPD was awarded grid access for the two wind farms after signing the grid connection agreement for up to 740 MW installed wind power capacity with the grid operator Ellevio. [reNews]

¶ “DolWin5 Platform Sets Sail For Europe” • The platform for the 900-MW DolWin5 offshore converter has left Seatrium’s shipyard in Singapore and is expected to arrive at the Aibel shipyard in Norway next. Mighty Servant 1 will sail around 13,000 nautical miles around the Cape of Good Hope and is expected to arrive in December. [reNews]

DolWin5 Platform (TenneT image)

¶ “Australian Startup Develops PV-Hydrogen Standalone Power System” • Boundary Power, a union of West Australian utility Horizon Power and Victorian electrical engineering company Ampcontrol, launched a standalone power system that uses solar power and a renewable hydrogen hydride battery to store and generate electricity as needed. [PV Magazine]

US:

¶ “Tesla Model Y Low-Cost Ride Service Launched In Downtown Tampa” • Downtown Area Shared Hubs launched a low-cost ride service in downtown Tampa, Florida, using six Tesla Model Ys. Riders can use an app on iPhones or Android phones to schedule short zero-emissions trips in seven neighborhoods of downtown Tampa in the bright yellow Teslas. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Ys (Downtown Tampa Partnership image)

¶ “Floating Offshore Wind Could Bring Billions In Value To The US West Coast” • A Pacific Northwest National Laboratory report shows that along a 200-mile stretch of ocean off the coast of southern Oregon and northern California, floating wind farms could triple the Pacific Northwest’s wind power capacity while offsetting billions of dollars in costs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Fuel Cell Trucks Win Big In New $7 Billion US Hydrogen Plan” • Zero emission fuel cell trucks are big winners in the new Clean Energy Hydrogen Hubs competition, a $7 billion DOE program aimed at ramping up US H₂ production. About 95% of H₂ produced in the US comes from natural gas, and the program intends to cut costs of green sources. [CleanTechnica]

Fuel cell trucks at hydrogen fuel station (Courtesy of Quantron)

¶ “US Startup Launches Scalable Wave Energy Converter, Usable With Solar” • Wavr LLC, a startup based in Hawaii, is developing a wave energy converter that is designed to be scaled up and to be integrated with other renewable energy technologies. The company plans to sell a version integrating five 40-W solar panels for $2,300. [PV Magazine]

¶ “Construction Begins On 550-MW solar, 150-MW Energy Storage In US” • The first of three Origis Energy projects that combine 550 MW of solar and 150 MW of energy storage have begun construction in Mississippi. The projects are expected to deliver electricity to customers in the Tennessee Valley Authority service territory. [PV Magazine]

Solar array (Origis Energy image)

¶ “Utilities Still Moving Way Too Slowly On Clean Energy” • Very few US utilities are taking the real-world actions they need to combat the worst harms of climate change, a Sierra Club report says. With the tens of billions of dollars in incentives for clean energy created by last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, they have even less excuse for delay. [Canary Media]

¶ “Rhode Island Issues 1.2-GW Offshore RFP” • Rhode Island Energy has issued a Request for Proposals to secure an additional 1200 MW of offshore wind to help power the US east coast state’s energy needs. Developer bids can include proposals less than or up to approximately 1200 MW. Responding bids will be received through 31 January 2024. [reNews]

Have a reliably magnificent day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Carbon Sequestration – Diving Into The Various Options” • The “net” of “net zero” implies that we can make up for the global warming from persistent emissions removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This can be done by enhancing the natural ability of vegetation to sequester the carbon. But it can also be done artificially. [CleanTechnica]

Carbon Sequestration (LeJean Hardin and Jamie Payne, DOE)

¶ “From Minor Player To Major League: Moving Beyond 4-Hour Energy Storage” • As extreme weather conditions increase and more building heating systems are electrified, peak demand is becoming more significant in winter. Demand peaks in winter also tend to be longer. Storage with longer duration than four hours is becoming importnat. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar And Wind Energy Could Fulfill Energy Demand 10-Fold, Oxford Study Finds” • Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment unveiled research indicating that wind and solar power could not only meet but vastly surpass the UK’s energy demands, providing a compelling pathway towards a greener, more sustainable future. [Cherwell]

Wind turbines (Charles Cook, Flicker, CC BY 2.0, cropped)

World:

¶ “Kia Pushes The EV Revolution Forward With Three New Electric Models” • The first annual Kia EV Day took place on October 12, 2023. The company used that event to formally introduce three new battery electric models available now or coming soon. Kia likes to keep things simple. The new models are the EV3, EV4, and EV5. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Affordable Electric Cars Like BYD Seagull And Wuling Bingo Could Be Big Hit In Africa” • Zimbabwe’s national statistics agency, Zimstat, recently released its Transport Statistics Report for the Second Quarter of 2023. About 95% of light vehicles are 8-year old imports. A new BYD Dolphin costs $10,690. That could transform the market. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Dolphin (BYD image)

¶ “EU Carbon Emission Rules Set To Rattle Pakistan’s Export Sector” • Starting this month, all businesses based in the EU countries are required to report on imported products that are “carbon emission-intensive.” . The new regime also requires that all carbon emissions be “financially offset” 2026 onwards. The change will impact Pakistan’s export sector. [Dawn]

¶ “Australia’s Biggest Battery Wins Federal Environmental Approval” • Australia’s biggest battery project, a 2,400-MWh facility 25 km from Melbourne’s central business district, won environmental approval from the Federal Labor government. The 1,200-MW battery Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub was proposed by Equis Australia. [Renew Economy]

Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub battery (Equis image)

¶ “France Aims To Double Its Renewable Capacity By 2035” • France aims to more than double its renewable power capacity by 2035, bringing unprecedented amounts of solar and wind power online to become carbon neutral by 2050. The French government is targeting 140 to 175 GW of installed wind, solar, and hydropower capacity in 12 years. [The National]

¶ “Engie And Posco Pursue Huge Green Hydrogen Project In Pilbara To Feed Green Steel” • Engie and South Korean steel maker Posco agreed to work together on a major green hydrogen project in Western Australia. There was no indication of the size of the project, although the two companies are working together on a 5-GW project in Oman. [Renew Economy]

Solar farm (Alinta Energy image)

¶ “TEPCO Opens Hatch On Reactor Container At Fukushima Plant; Plans To Start Debris Removal By End Of Fiscal 2023” • TEPCO announced that it had partially opened a hatch of the reactor containment vessel in the Unit 2 reactor building at the Fukushima Daiich nuclear plant. A robotic arm will reach into the hatch to begin debris removal. [The Japan News]

US:

¶ “Electric Bikes: A Less-Polluting Option For Commutes And Errands In The ‘New Normal’” • For moving one person around a city, an electric bike can be far cheaper than a car, and with more flexibility than most public transportation. Refueling an e-bike is cheap. There’s no requirement for insurance or registration. And parking is often free. [CleanTechnica]

Electric bike (Rad Power Bikes image)

¶ “Kia Releases Pricing And Specifications For EV9” • Customers in the US will be able to place an order for a Kia EV9 on October 16. It is one of the first battery-electric three-row SUVs available in America. This highly anticipated EV from Kia has generated lots of interest, but until now, few specifics about pricing and trim levels were available. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Oil Production Hits All-Time High, Conflicting With Efforts To Cut Heat-Trapping Pollution” • US oil production hit an all-time high last week, contrasting with efforts to reduce carbon emissions by the Biden administration and world leaders. It also conflicts with Republican claims that Biden is making “war on American energy.” [NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth]

Pumpjack (Jayrocky, Pexels)

¶ “Lujan Grisham Announces New Climate Center” • Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a climate initiative to help reduce impacts of climate change on New Mexico. The interim chair of  the New Mexico Climate Investment Center said, “It operates as an investment fund, focusing on clean energy and equity-focused investments.” [NM Political Report]

¶ “Snubbed As A Regional ‘Hydrogen Hub,’ Nebraskans Remain Charged Up About Clean Energy Growth” • Two companies in Nebraska that would have benefited from the federal funding – Monolith and Project Meadowlark – both said being passed over for a billion-dollar “hydrogen hub” grant will not stop their plans for expansion. [KSNB]

Have an intensively spectacular day.

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

Opinion:

¶ “Trends For The Next Decade Of Sustainable Investing” • The urgency for more capital to finance innovative sustainability actions is clear, as companies race toward a transition to net-zero energy and demand grows to finance additional related issues important to global economies, such as gender equity or ocean conservation. [Morgan Stanley]

Wildlife reserve in India (UnKknown Traveller, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Geothermal Energy Rising – Pros And Risks” • A geothermal energy technology by a Houston-based startup company, Fervo Energy is called Enhanced Geothermal Systems. It uses the oil and gas industry’s fracking techniques to access geothermal energy in placess where hot underground water does not reach the Earth’s surface. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Exploring Thermal Energy Storage Solutions For Energy-Efficient Buildings” • Established in November 2022, Stor4Build is a multilaboratory consortium working to hasten development, optimization, and equitable deployment of low-cost thermal energy storage technologies to enable buildings to run efficiently on renewable resources. [CleanTechnica]

Stor4Build laboratory (Werner Slocum, NREL)

World:

¶ “India’s Solar PV Capacity Soars To 71 GW, With Rooftop Solar Leading The Charge At 11 GW” • India has advanced its capacity rapidly, demonstrating a remarkable commitment to clean and renewable power sources. The Ministry of New And Renewable Energy said India’s solar PV capacity has grown to nearly 71,781 MW, with rooftop solar leading. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “HDF Proposes 1,500 MW Of Solar PV Combined With 3,500 MWh Of Green Hydrogen Storage” • South Africa has a fleet of over 20 GW of coal plants set to be decommissioned over the next couple of decades. HDF Energy, a developer of large-scale green hydrogen infrastructure and high-power fuel cells, has a proposal for how to replace them. [CleanTechnica]

Rendering of HDF Renewstable Mpumalanga (Courtesy of HDF)

¶ “Deal Inked For 1.5-GW Offshore Wind Projects” • Offshore wind developer Triconti Windkraft Group has entered into a partnership with Liechtenstein-based investor Sea Wind Holding AG for the development of two wind facilities in three provinces in Luzon and the Visayas to boost renewable power supply in the Philippines. [Inquirer Business]

¶ “EU Can Meet Its 2030 Solar Power Target With Agrivoltaics Alone” • Combining agriculture and photovoltaics as agrivoltaics on just 1% of agricultural area used in the EU could bring 944 GW of peak capacity online by 2030. This is according to data from the Overview of the Potential and Challenges for Agri-Photovoltaics in the European Union. [Balkan Green Energy News]

Solar panels on a rice paddy (Σ64, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “IAEA: Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant To Move Second Reactor Into Hot Shutdown” • IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said authorities at the Russian-occupied plant informed the agency they were beginning to move reactor 5 from cold to hot shutdown in order to provide warm water and heating for Enerhodar ahead of the winter season. [Yahoo News]

US:

¶ “The Toll Of Heat Deaths In The Phoenix Area Soars After The Hottest Summer On Record” • After the Phoenix area’s hottest summer on record. the toll of heat-associated deaths in Maricopa County has reached over 360. The number is still being tallied, and it alarms public health officials who say the final count will surely set a new record. [ABC News]

Phoenix (Nader Abushhab, Unsplash)

¶ “Environmentalists Warn Of Intent To Sue Over Snail Species Living Near Nevada Lithium Mine” • In an ongoing legal battle with the Biden administration over a Nevada lithium mine, eco-activists are poised to return to court. They accuse US wildlife officials of dragging their feet on a year-old petition seeking endangered species status for a tiny snail. [ABC News]

¶ “Winthrop Center In Boston Named World’s Largest Passive House” • Millennium Partners, working with MIT, produced the world’s largest building ever to meet the Passive House Network standard. The 53-story Winthrop Center also meets the LEED Platinum standard set by the US Green Building Council and has been WELL Gold certified. [CleanTechnica]

Winthrop Center (Millennium Partners image)

¶ “EIA Expects Most US Households Will Spend Less On Energy This Winter” • US households that use natural gas and those that are located in the West, together over half of all US households, are expected to spend less on heating this winter, compared with last winter. US homes using heating oil will likely spend slightly more this winter than last. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Colorado Clean Energy Employment Rises To 64,000, More Than Double Fossil Fuel Jobs” • Colorado’s fast-growing clean energy sector today employs more than twice as many workers statewide as the fossil fuel industry, according to the Clean Jobs Colorado report. The report is released annually by clean energy business group E2. [Colorado Newsline]

Colorado (Thomas Morse, Unsplash)

¶ “Multistate Wind-Power Line Project Green-Lit By Missouri Regulators” • A major energy project got approval from the Missouri Public Service Commission, advancing a years-long effort to build a wind energy line across the Midwest. The Grain Belt Express would stretch nearly 800 miles from Kansas to Illinois. It will cost more than $7 billion. [KY3]

¶ “Former Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant Has One Building Left To Demolish” • Work continues on dismantling the former Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon, but only the reactor building is still standing, Scott State, CEO of NorthStar Services, said tearing this building down is one of the job’s more complex operations. [Vermont Public]

Have a stunningly elegant day.

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Opinion:

¶ “A Carbon Correction Factor For Trucks? Don’t Be Fooled By The Oil Industry’s Latest Con” • After the European Commission proposed new CO₂ targets for trucks and buses, the fuels lobby’s proposed a carbon correction factor in the standards that would not incentivise alternative fuels. It is an accounting trick to keep selling fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

Mercedes-Benz truck (Mercedes-Benz image)

World:

¶ “Climate Change, Human Activity Causing Global Water Cycles To Become ‘Increasingly Erratic’” • Climate change and human activity are making the world’s hydrological cycle “increasingly erratic,” a report from the World Meteorological Organization shows. The change is due to droughts, extreme rainfall, and the increased melting of snow, ice and glaciers. [ABC News]

¶ “Stockholm To Ban Gasoline And Diesel Cars From Downtown Commercial Area In 2025” • A ban on gasoline and diesel-fueled cars from a commercial district of Stockholm’s downtown in 2025 will be the first for a European capital, a city official said. The ban will take effect in a 20-block area of shops, pedestrian walkways, and a few homes. [ABC News]

Stockholm (Alexandre Van Thuan, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Volvo Cars, Ford, Renault Group, IKEA, Others To Climate Commissioner: Electrify Corporate Fleets By 2030” • EU Climate Commissioner Šefčovič said the European Commission will launch a public consultation for an action to speed electrification of corporate fleets by 2030.” Over 40 organisations called on him to deliver on his promise. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China Powers Up Bangladesh’s Wind Power Project” • The first centralized wind power project in Bangladesh, the Cox’s Bazar wind power project, is connected to the grid and started power generation, said its operator, the China’s State Power Investment Corp. The project will provide Bangladesh with about 145 million kWh of electricity per year. [China Daily]

Near Cox’s Bazar (Masum-al-Hasan Rocky, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Germany Accelerates Onshore Windpower Expansion” • Germany is accelerating the expansion of onshore wind power. Newly installed capacity in the first nine months of 2023 already surpassed last year’s total by more than 50%, with the total coming to 2,436 MW, according to estimates published by the Onshore Wind Energy Agency. [Xinhua]

¶ “Brazil Set To Widen Lead As Cleanest Major Power Sector: Maguire” • Brazil generated nearly 93% of its electricity from clean sources during the first nine months of 2023, up from 91% in the same period of 2022. Brazil passed France as the largest clean-power share (including nuclear) among the world’s major economies. [Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide]

Wind turbines in Brazil (Amanda Bampi Tegler, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Bloc Quebécois Stands With The Algonquin Nation Against A Proposed Nuclear Waste Site” • The Bloc Québécois supports Algonquin First Nations opposition to a proposed nuclear waste site near the Ottawa River, a culturally important river and harvesting site for First Nations. The waste site is to be developed by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. [National Observer]

US:

¶ “Idaho Officials Briefly Order Evacuation Of Small Town After Gas Line Explodes” • Authorities briefly ordered evacuations for most of the town of Middleton, Idaho, after a gas pipeline exploded. The explosion happened when a worker using an excavator ruptured a 22-inch (56-cm) natural gas pipeline near the town of about 10,600 people. [ABC News]

Museum in Middleton (Tamanoeconomico, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “SEIA And Nature Conservancy Announce Historic Agreement To Unlock Solar Power Development” • The SEIA said that an historic agreement to cool opposition to solar development had been reached between major solar developers, conservation groups, environmental and environmental justice groups, tribal entities, and agricultural organizations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Rural Solar Opponents About To Face Tsunami Of PV” • An organized movement against rural solar development has been rising across the US, partly fueled by fossil energy stakeholders. Now solar developers are pushing back, in a powerful alliance with conservationists, tribal groups, agriculture stakeholders, utilities, and others. [CleanTechnica]

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

¶ “Tesla Model 3 And Model Y Now Cost Less Than Gasoline-Powered Equivalents” • For years, we have been hearing an old refrain about how EVs like Teslas cost so much more than cars powered by gasoline engines that only the wealthy can afford them. Many had the attitude, “Call me when EVs are affordable.” Well, now the call has arrived. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Iowa’s Top Scientists Focus Solar Power In 2023 Climate Report” • Some 221 science faculty from 36 universities and colleges from across Iowa stepped away from grading papers to present the 13th annual Iowa Climate Statement this week, and it’s focused on the sun. Solar energy is where it’s at, or should be, according to the statement. [WOWT]

Solar farm (Gunnar Ridderström, Unsplash)

¶ “Administration Announces Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs To Drive Clean Manufacturing And Jobs” • President Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm are announcing seven clean hydrogen hubs that were chosen to receive $7 billion in funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to propel the domestic market for clean hydrogen. [The White House]

¶ “Three Counties Could Power Over 250,000 Homes With Clean Energy With One Change” • Analysis by the Environment California Research and Policy Center has shown that three counties, Ventura, Los Angeles, and San Diego, could power over 270,000 homes simply by installing solar energy farms along their highways. [Yahoo Finance]

Have an astonishingly quiet day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Only One Industry Can’t Survive Without Fossil Fuels” • Responding to questions from a commodity and energy trader, the author examines various industries that are though of as hard to decarbonize. He evaluates fertilizers, steel, and industrial heat. His conclusion is that there is only one industry that cannont be decarbonized, and that is fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

Steel making (yasin hemmati, Unsplash)

¶ “Ten Reasons Why Nuclear Power Has No Future” • Knowing the environmental dangers and financial and social liabilities nuclear power will impose on us and our descendants should galvanize us to demand that government regulations act in the public’s best interest. Nuclear power is dirty and dangerous now, and for many generations to come. [NB Media Co-op]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Carbon Capture Pipeline Rendered Obsolete By Carbon-Sucking Concrete” • The vision of entwining the US in a network of carbon pipelines seems to be fading, as new forms of carbon capture are emerging. The latest development is the 33 billion tons-per-year global concrete industry, which is heading for negative carbon emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Cement-free concrete (C-Crete via PR Newswire.com)

World:

¶ “Finnish Police Investigate Undersea Gas Pipeline Leak As Possible Sabotage” • Finnish police said they have launched a criminal investigation into possible sabotage of a subsea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia that was shut down due to a leak. They have ruled out an operational mishap and said the damage was from “external activity.” [ABC News]

¶ “Mercedes-Benz And Volvo Introduce Latest Long Haul Truck Models” • Mercedes-Benz introduced its eActos 600 electric long haul truck at a public event near Hamburg. Its range is 1,000 km per day. Also, Volvo Trucks unveiled a new SuperTruck 2 model, which it says achieved a 134% efficiency increase. It is not electric but will influence future electric models. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo Trucks product (Volvo Trucks via YouTube)

¶ “China’s Oil & Gas Giant Sinopec Says Peak Oil Demand Has Already Happened In China” • State-owned Sinopec, the world’s largest oil refining, gas, and petrochemical conglomerate, just announced that 2023 marks peak gasoline demand in China. Sinopec is close to being the entire Chinese oil and gas industry, so it would know. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EU Renewables Generation Hits New High In Q3” • Power generation from renewable sources hit a new high in the third quarter of 2023, according to a report from energy data analyst EnAppSys. Renewable power generation in the quarter increased by 12% compared to Q3 2022, the highest growth rate for any third quarter so far. [reNews]

Sunflowers and wind turbines (Johanna Montoy, Unsplash)

¶ “Cubico Starts Up 200 MW Of Colombian Solar” • Cubico Sustainable Investments has put nine new solar projects into operation in Colombia this year through its joint venture with Celsia. The developments total 200 MW, bringing the joint venture’s operational solar platform in Colombia to 300 MW, making it one of the largest in the country. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Shining New Light On The Onsite Solar Market” • Our recent summer had wild weather, unprecedented Pacific hurricanes, and historic heat waves. The number of companies making climate commitments continues to rise. Of the Fortune 500 companies, 42% have set or achieved a major climate milestone for 2030, up 11% from last year. [CleanTechnica]

Onsite solar project in California (Courtesy of Target)

¶ “Stellantis To Build Second EV Battery Factory In Kokomo, Indiana” • Jeep maker Stellantis says it will build a second EV battery factory in Kokomo, Indiana, that will create 1,400 new jobs. The $3.2 billion plant, a joint venture with Samsung, is to start production in 2027. Construction on the companies’ first JV factory in Kokomo is under way. [ABC News]

¶ “The State Of Electric School Bus Adoption In The US” • In the US, electric school bus adoption continues to expand. As of June 2023, there are 2,277 electric school buses that are operating, delivered, or on order. There are 5,982 committed electric school buses in total, an increase of over 3,200 buses since the June 2022 release of WRI’s dataset. [CleanTechnica]

Electric School Bus (Proterra image)

¶ “Why Rivian Is Funding A 100-MW Solar Project Built On A Kentucky Coal Mine” • Rivian signed its largest contract yet to buy renewable energy as a means of working toward its net-zero emissions commitment. The 100-MW deal is notable for its location in rural Kentucky atop the former site of one of the largest coal mines in Appalachia. [GreenBiz]

¶ “TVA, Origis Announce Three Solar-Plus-Storage Projects For Mississippi” • Origis Energy, a renewable energy developer, said it started work on the first of three planned solar-plus-storage projects in Mississippi. The company said the three installations will have a total solar capacity of 550 MW and an energy storage capacity of 150 MW. [POWER Magazine]

Have an intensely satisfactory day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Bill McKibben, Pope Francis, And The Warmest September” • The data from September, 2023 shows average temperatures for the month were 1.8°C above pre-industrial levels and 0.5°C hotter than any September ever recorded. But there is good news: “The planet is now adding a gigawatt a day of solar power. A nuclear plant’s worth every day of solar power.” [CleanTechnica]

Bill McKibben has only praise for Pope Francis (Vatican image)

World:

¶ “The Climate Crisis Is Coming For Your Hoppy Beer” • Hops in major beer-producing European countries like Germany, Czech Republic and Slovenia are ripening earlier and producing less since 1994, scientists found. And, perhaps most alarmingly for the IPA lovers of the world, they are starting to lose their critical bitter component. [CNN]

¶ “Tesla, Daimler, And New Flyer Keep The Ball Rolling On Heavy Duty EVs” • We should take a look into large, heavy duty EVs in the supply chain, delivering such things as the food we eat. In today’s heavy duty EV roundup, we’ll briefly talk about two electric truck stories and one bus story that show us progress is being made to help our lives cleaner. [CleanTechnica]

Daimler Trucks truck (Daimler Trucks image)

¶ “Indigenous Communities Protect The Amazon” • About 1.5 million Indigenous people live in the Amazon forests South America. Deforestation and fires have eaten into this iconic forest in recent decades, putting it in danger of becoming a net carbon emitter. Indigenous communities, however, are helping protect some of its most intact parts. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Private Sector’s $4.4 Billion Investment In Renewable Energy To Boost Egypt’s Capacity” • The private sector is working on Egyptian renewable energy projects valued at $4.4 billion, said the Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mohamed Shaker. These projects aim to increase Egypt’s renewable power capacity to 10,000 MW by 2025. [SolarQuarter]

Egypt (Flying Carpet, Unsplash)

¶ “Singapore Is Set To Start Importing Green Energy From Indonesia Within Five Years” • Singapore could start importing 2 GW of renewable energy annually from Indonesia within five years, in what is the Republic’s biggest effort so far to import low-carbon electricity. The imports would account for about 15% of Singapore’s annual needs. [Spectra]

¶ “GE Vernova’s Hydro Power Business Commissions Four 175-MW Units For Nigeria’s Second Largest Hydropower Plant” • GE Vernova’s Hydro Power commissioned four 175-MW Francis hydropower turbines and generators at the Zungeru project in Nigeria. The 700-MW Zungeru project is the second largest hydropower plant in Nigeria. [General Electric]

Construction at Gure dam (Okeile, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Zelenskiy Pledged Not To Attack Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, Says IAEA Chief” • In an interview with the Guardian, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, says Volodymyr Zelenskiy has promised him that Ukraine will not attack Europe’s biggest nuclear plant in any counteroffensive against Russia. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “NREL Analysis Identifies Drivers Of Offshore Wind Growth” • As much as 20% of regional power needs along the Atlantic coast could be served by offshore wind farms by 2050, according to researchers with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory who modeled deployment of th emerging offshore wind sector in new depth and detail. [CleanTechnica]

Block Island Wind Farm (Suzanne Tegen, NREL)

¶ “What’s In The EPA’s New Pollution Standards For Cars And Trucks?” • Transportation is the highest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, accounting for 39% of total emissions. Rapid electrification of the transport sector and the extensive adoption of zero-emission EVs can dramatically cut GHG emissions and help achieve US climate goals. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “People Are Okay With Wind And Solar Installations In Their Neighborhoods, Studies Say” • A major poll gave us a fascinating revelation: The majority of people in the US say they wouldn’t mind fields of solar panels or wind turbines being built in their communities. More surprisingly, these respondents are part of a large pool of bipartisan voters. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines in Washington (Murray Foubister, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Grid Operator MISO’s Outdated Ban On Essential Services From Renewables Threatens Future Grid Reliability” • MISO operates the grid across fifteen states and Manitoba. It explicitly prohibits wind, solar, and battery hybrid systems from providing the services that help maintain a reliable power grid. FERC said it should be ready to change that. [Earthjustice]

¶ “Green Mountain Power Proposes Energy Storage For All Vermonters” • Vermont utility Green Mountain Power submitted a petition to the Vermont Public Utility Commission asking it to approve a Zero Outages Initiative costing $280 million. It aims to harden the grid and decentraleg energy by providing batteries to customers. [Utility Dive]

House in Vermont (Craig Tidball, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “With Tensions Rising, Michigan Democrats Unveil Clean Energy Reforms” • As Michigan Senate Democrats negotiate a plan to wean Michigan off fossil fuels, their House counterparts unveiled the latest piece of the party’s sweeping energy reform package, shifting approval for large wind and solar arrays to the state Public Service Commission. [Bridge Michigan]

¶ “‘Clean’ Nuclear Power? NC Legislature Says Yes With A Veto Override” • Nuclear power, once the environmentalists’ scourge of for its radioactive waste, is now “clean” in North Carolina. At least that’s the view of state law after both chambers of the state’s General Assembly overrode Gov Roy Cooper’s veto of energy legislation passed in September. [Winston-Salem Journal]

Have an indisputably nice day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Biochar Can Improve Soil Health While Capturing Carbon” • Millions of tons of organic waste from agriculture and forestry operations are left to rot or get burned each year, emitting CO₂, increasing global heating. If those same waste products were converted into biochar, they could sequester some of that carbon in a form that can enrich soil. [CleanTechnica]

Biochar (Courtesy of US Biochar Initiative)

World:

¶ “EVs Take 21% Share In Germany In Predicted Hangover” • In Germany, September saw plugin EVs take 21% share, down as predicted from 32.3% YOY, as a hangover from new incentive cuts. After August’s large pull-forward, this was fully expected. Overall auto volume was 224,502 units, unchanged YOY. The Tesla Model Y was the bestselling EV. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Frauscher X Porsche eFantom Electric Sport Boat” • While the latest electric Porsche ventures have kept up on many fronts and found a happy home with true Porsche fans, here is something for those of us who prefer water over land, the eFantom. Thanks to Porsche and the Frauscher Shipyard, Fantom Air has its first production model on display. [CleanTechnica]

Frauscher x Porsche 850 Air Fantom, 2023 (Porsche AG image)

¶ “Commission Completion Of Key ‘Fit For 55’ Legislation, Putting EU On Track To Exceed 2030 Targets” • The European Commission welcomes adoption of two final pillars of its “Fit for 55” legislative package for the EU’s 2030 climate targets. This package of legislation shows that Europe is delivering on its promises to lead on climate action. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Sunny Albania Turns To Solar Power To Fuel Development” • Along southwestern Albania’s coastline, the sun shines brightly, warming the 234,828 new solar panels at the Karavasta power station that will be connected to the country’s energy grid in the coming weeks. Albania gets 99% of its electricity from hydro, but it needs more to avoid shortages. [Tech Xplore]

Korçë, Albania (Renaldo Kodra, Unsplash)

Australia:

¶ “Australian Hydrogen Gets A Headstart” • Announced in the 2023-24 Budget, Hydrogen Headstart is seeking projects that will produce renewable hydrogen or derivatives at scale. Successful projects will be given a production credit for ten years to cover the gap between renewable hydrogen production cost and the market price. [Australian Renewable Energy Agency]

¶ “Hope For Power Bill Relief As Eastern Australia’s Wholesale Electricity Price Tumbles” • Eastern Australia’s wholesale electricity prices fell sharply in the September quarter, a trend that if maintained could deliver power bill relief for households and businesses alike. Spot prices were down 70% after price caps took effect, especially on coal and gas. [The Guardian]

Renewable energy in Australia (Kshithij Chandrashekar, Unsplash)

¶ “Coalition Are ‘Climate Charlatans’ Making False Claims About Australia’s Nuclear Power Potential, Energy Minister Says” • The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, accused the Coalition of using “the rightwing playbook of 2023 – populism, polarisation, and post-truth politics” in making false claims about the potential for nuclear power in Australia. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “The Midwest US Could Be A Hotspot For Deadly ‘Moist Heat Stress’ As Global Temperatures Climb” • Large parts of the world, including China and the Midwest US, are on track to become too hot for humans to handle as accelerating global temperatures expose billions to heat and humidity so extreme their bodies will no longer be able to cope, a study shows. [CNN]

Wisconsin countryside (Dave, Unsplash)

¶ “Tesla Cuts Model Y And Model 3 Prices As It Tries To Meet Ambitious Sales Target” • To achieve its ambitious target of 1.8 million unit sales this year, Tesla has to sell a whopping 476,000 vehicles in the fourth quarter. In an effort to bolster sales, the company has decided to implement price cuts across some of its most popular models. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Peak Hourly US Electricity Demand In July Was The Second Highest” • On July 27, 2023, peak hourly electricity demand in the continental US reached 741,815 MWh. This was the second highest since the Energy Information Administration began collecting this data in 2016, and just under high of 742,704 MWh recorded on July 20, 2022. [CleanTechnica]

Texas (NASA Earth Observatory, NASA)

¶ “Wyoming Gives Up Federal Cash” • The Inflation Reduction Act offers states a total of around $350 millionto plug what are known as “stripper wells,” which produce less than 15 barrels of oil a day but still produce significant amounts of methane. They produce about 10% of Wyoming’s oil and gas, so the state is taking a pass on the offer. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Boise Airport, Lander Street Water Renewal Facility Moving To Clean Energy” • Two major facilities in Boise will change over to 100% clean energy. The city is partnering with Idaho Power to access clean energy through its Clean Energy Your Way program. The Lander Street Water Renewal Facility and the Boise Airport will run on green energy. [KTVB]

Boise Airport control tower (Larry D Moore, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Valley Children’s Gets $55 Million Grant For Renewable Energy Microgrid Project” • The US DOE and the California Energy Commission awarded $55 million to Valley Children’s Hospital, in Madera County, California, to provide uninterrupted care and sustainability. It will go towards the hospital’s renewable energy microgrid. [ABC30]

¶ “Regulators Reject Request To Shutter Nuclear Reactor” • Federal regulators rejected a request from two environmental groups to shut down one of two reactors at California’s last nuclear power plant. Friends of the Earth and Mothers for Peace said in a petition filed with the NRC that some safety tests had been excessively delayed [The Journal Record]

Have a shockingly relaxing day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Why And How Solar Production Will Accelerate Over The Next Few Years” • Costs solar and battery storage are going down in cost at an astounding 18% and 19% annual rate, respectively. This is significantly faster than two historically famous events, the ramp of the Ford Model T and production of US aircraft during World War II. [CleanTechnica]

Solar, growing faster than Model T (Harry Shipler, public domain)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Firsthand Fieldwork: Getting Mangroves Into Coastal Models For Better Climate Prediction” • To better understand important dynamics at play in flood-prone coastal areas, ORNL scientists working on simulations of Earth’s carbon and nutrient cycles paid a visit to experimentalists gathering data in a Texas wetland to learn about mangroves. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Oil Prices Rise Following Hamas Attack On Israel” • Oil prices jumped by 4% on Monday on concerns that conflict in Israel and Gaza could disrupt output. The Israel and Palestinian territories are not oil producers, but the Middle Eastern region accounts for almost a third of global supply. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, rose to over $86 a barrel. [BBC]

Palestinian Rocket (Fars News, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Baltic Sea Gas Pipeline Between Finland And Estonia Is Shut Down Over A Suspected Leak” • Finland and Estonia said the undersea Balticconnector gas pipeline running between the two countries across the Baltic Sea was temporarily taken out of service due to a suspected leak. Operators, said they noted an unusual drop in pressure. [ABC News]

¶ “Drought In Brazil’s Amazon Is Sharpening Fears For The Future” • Extreme drought is sweeping across Brazil’s Amazon. The historically low water levels affect hundreds of thousands of people and wildlife. Experts predict the drought could last until early 2024, and the problems stand to intensify. One man noted, “Without water, there is no life.” [ABC News]

Amazon drought of 2010 (NASA and JPL-Caltech)

¶ “Banks Group Sells 2.9-GW UK BESS Project” • The Banks Group sold its 2,900-MW South Yorkshire battery energy storage system project to West Burton Energy. The project is part of the reclamation and restoration of part of the former Thorpe Marsh power station. West Burton Energy already operates a power station and BESS in Nottinghamshire. [reNews]

¶ “RWE Successfully Implements New Technologies For More Sustainability In Wind Power” • RWE has constructed a 5.7-MW onshore wind turbine. It tested two innovative technologies to reduce environmental impact during the plant’s construction phase on the one hand and greenhouse gas emissions during its subsequent operation on the other. [RWE]

RWE test turbine (RWE image)

¶ “Soon-To-Be World’s Largest Joint-Venture Offshore Wind Farm Now Powering Millions Of Homes” • What will reportedly soon be the world’s largest offshore wind farm marked its first major milestone in September with the completed installation of a pair of 13-MW turbines, according to Electrek. The completed wind farm will have 277 turbines. [Yahoo News]

US:

¶ “A Nevada Lithium Mine Leads To ‘Green Colonialism’ Accusations” • In the high Nevadan desert lies an enormous deposit of lithium, a metal that is essential in the production of electric car batteries. Environmentalists and native people cannot agree on whether a new rush for this “white gold” should be supported or fiercely opposed. [BBC]

Thacker pass (Courtesy of Lithium Americas)

¶ “Governor Newsom Stands Up To Big Oil” • In a strong move to hold oil companies responsible for the economic and public health dangers of oil wells left idle and unplugged, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the “Orphan Well Prevention Act,” into law. It is to require a bond covering the full cost of site cleanup when an oil well is sold. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Vermont’s Flood-Damaged Capital Is Slowly Rebuilding” • Nearly three months after severe flooding in Vermont’s capital city, Montpelier businesses launched an event with food trucks, music, and street performers to celebrate how much they’ve rebuilt. They remind the public not to forget them as they struggle to make a complete comeback. [ABC News]

July flood of Montpelier (NASA Applied Sciences)

¶ “How Efforts To Restrict Democracy In Ohio Also Make It Harder To Fight Climate Change” • Ohio’s recent adoption of gerrymandered voting district maps is the latest in a series of anti-democratic measures that thwart action to address climate change, critics say. Data show a majority of Ohioans worry about climate change. [Ohio Capital Journal]

¶ “US Construction Costs Dropped For Solar, Wind, And Natural Gas-Fired Generators In 2021” • In 2021, average construction costs for US natural gas-fired generators fell by 18% from what it was 2020, though the costs of combined-cycle base-load plants increased 8%. Costs fell by 5% for wind turbines, and by 6% for solar PV systems. [CleanTechnica]

Construction costs (US Energy Information Agency image)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “California’s Solar Power Will Plummet During Saturday’s Near-Total Solar Eclipse. But Your Lights Will Stay On.” • On Saturday morning a solar eclipse lasting about three hours will obscure most of the sun across the full expanse of the state and beyond. The eclipse will eliminate much of our solar power, but the grid is unlikely to fail. [Palo Alto Online]

¶ “Holtec Sets August 2025 Target Date For Restarting Michigan Nuclear Plant” • The Florida-based energy company Holtec International has formally begun the process of seeking federal reauthorisation to restart the single-unit Palisades nuclear power station in Michigan. It is planning a date for repowering set in August, 2025. [NucNet]

Have a truly inspired day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Individual Actions You Can Take To Address Climate Change” • Humans are driving climate change, and humans can change our trajectory. While governments and businesses have key roles in reducing planet-heating emissions, individual actions matter, too. The NPR Network has been reporting on individual actions that can make a positive impact. [NPR]

Community garden (Filip Urban, Unsplash)

¶ “Political Megaprojects Lower Our Living Standards” • Often, policies that should aid society and the economy, do just the opposite. Money is spent on massive projects that show little advantage. Nuclear power plants take up money that could built projects with much smaller environmental footprints while generating more power. [Frontier Centre For Public Policy]

Science and Technology:

¶ “BMW Lends EV Batteries To Weird New Diesel-Killing Electric Vehicle” • EVs can be used as mobile energy storage devices. A US company, Dannar, developed a series of wheeled electric workhorses to knock out diesel generators and other equipment. They may look weird, but they have packs of powerful BMW EV batteries from BMW. [CleanTechnica]

Mobile Power Station with BMW i3 EV batteries (Dannar image)

World:

¶ “Pakistan Weighs Early Closure Of Some Gas, Diesel Power Plants Under ADB Scheme” • Pakistan is exploring the possibility of shutting down some of its power plants fueled by gas or diesel oil before their economic lifetime ends, as part of a low-carbon energy transition supported by the Asian Development Bank, a think tank said. [The News International]

¶ “World EV Sales Are Now 18% Of World Auto Sales” • Global plugin vehicle registrations were up 45% in August 2023, YOY, rising to 1,238,00 units. In the end, plugins represented 18% share of the overall auto market (with a 13% BEV share alone). This means that the global automotive market is firmly in the Electric Disruption Zone. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Qin Plus DM-i (Jengtingchen, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “UK Risks Losing Out To Europe In Hydrogen Energy Race” • In 2021, the UK set itself a goal to become a ‘global leader in hydrogen’ by 2030. Britain’s target for 10 GW of hydrogen would make it one of Europe’s top producers. Two years later, delivery is falling short and it’s dropped behind European rivals jostling for a piece of the market. [Mining.com]

¶ “Iberdrola Supplies Wind Energy To Global Brake Giant TMD” • Iberdrola and the world’s largest manufacturer of brake materials, TMD Friction Services, signed a contract for supply of clean electricity for 15 years. The utility will supply around 50 GWh per year, which will cover more than 50% of TMD’s total demand in Germany. [REVE News]

Wind turbines (insung yoon, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “EPA Takes Two Big Steps To Curb Climate-Warming HFCs” • The US EPA released two regulations, one final, one proposed, aiming to curb the use and climate-warming hydrofluorocarbons emissions. Together, the rules will avoid HFC emissions that are equivalent to up to one billion metric tons of carbon dioxide cumulatively through 2050. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Energy Efficiency And Electrification Take Center Stage In New Jersey” • The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities expanded funding for utility energy efficiency programs and created the first building electrification programs. There will be $1.6 billion in annual energy efficiency investment by NJ utilities for each of the next three years. [CleanTechnica]

New Jersey State House (Marion Touvel, public domain)

¶ “Climate Change Wake-Up Call: San Antonio’s Hottest Summer Yet” • San Antonians are finally enjoying cooler, wetter weather. The metro area and its nearly 2.5 million people have survived the hottest summer on record, with 74 days of temperatures of 100°F or more. That’s 15 more days than the previous record of 59 days set in 2009. [San Antonio Report]

¶ “Silicon Ranch, SSVEC Celebrate Opening Of New Solar Farm In McNeal” • Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative hosted a ribbon cutting Saturday to formally recognize the start of solar and battery “farm” with more than 60,000 panels in McNeal, Arizona. SSVEC has constructed a new substation to replace one built in 1940. [Sierra Vista Herald]

McNeal, Arizona (Ken Lund, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “California Governor Gavin Newsom Signs Law Requiring Big Businesses To Disclose Emissions” • Businesses in California that make over $1 billion will have to disclose a wide range of planet-warming emissions under a bill Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on Saturday. It is the most sweeping mandate of its kind in the nation. [Spectrum News]

¶ “Natural Gas Prices Forecast: Bullish Wave Amid Supply Disruptions And Weather” • The US natural gas market shows a blend of bullish factors as futures hit an eight-month peak. This uptrend is primarily fueled by lower output, greater exports, and anticipation seasonal heating demand. Labor unrest is adding complexity to market dynamics. [FX Empire]

Have a charmingly breezy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Michael Mann Deconstructs The Current State Of Climate Denial” • Michael Mann is famous for helping create the iconic “hockey stick” graph. He recently sat down for an interview with Vox to talk about the latest tactics the fossil fuel crowd is using to rebut the message he and his fellow climate scientists are trying to promote. [CleanTechnica]

Michael Mann (Courtesy of Michael Mann)

¶ “Inflation Adjustments For Renewable Projects” • The New York State Public Service Commission is considering a proposal for inflation adjustments for renewable energy projects, which would provide the necessary financial stability to ensure these projects move forward. We are making an immediate call for public support. [New York League of Conservation Voters]

World:

¶ “Floods, Storms, And Fires Displaced 20,000 Children Per Day During Six Years” • Over 43 million children were driven from their homes by floods, storms, droughts, and wildfires over the six years from 2016 to 2021, according to data from UNICEF. That works out to 20,000 children displaced per day due to extreme weather fueled by climate change. [CNN]

Refugee camp (Julie Ricard, Unsplash)

¶ “World Breaches Key 1.5°C Warming Mark For Record Number Of Days” • The world is breaching a key warming threshold at a rate that has scientists concerned, a BBC analysis has found. On about a third of days in 2023, the average global temperature was at least 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial levels. Currently, 2023 is on track to be the hottest year on record. [BBC]

¶ “LFP Cathodes – Made In Morocco, Financed By China, And Exported To The West” • The USA has effectively locked out Chinese batteries from its domestic market, but what if such components as LFP cathodes are made in Morocco, in a factory financed by a Chinese–Korean partnership? Morocco has a free trade agreement with the US. [CleanTechnica]

City in Morocco (Walkerssk, Pixabay)

¶ “Germany Successfully Auctions Off 7 GW Of Offshore Wind Projects, As Experts Warn About Uncapped Negative Bidding” • Germany’s Federal Network Agency unveiled the outcomes of its largest-ever offshore wind auction, awarding 7 GW of capacity. This significant achievement marks a substantial milestone in Germany’s renewable energy quest. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Uruguay’s Power Grid Runs On 98% Green Energy. Here’s How” • Back in 2007, Uruguay had a growing economy but not enough energy to power the growth. It also had no fossil fuels. Now, typically 98% of Uruguay’s grid is powered by green energy. That change was enabled by the thoughts of a very bright man and powered by a lot of wind. [NPR]

Wind turbines in Uruguay (Matias Contreras, Unsplash)

¶ “Europe Could Become Energy Self-Sufficient In €2 Trillion Push, Study Says” • Europe could wean itself off fossil fuels and create a self-sustainable energy sector by spending around €2 trillion ($2.1 trillion) on solar, wind and other renewable sources by 2040, a study led by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research says. [Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide]

US:

¶ “Building Better Blades: Renewed Funding Supports Wind Turbine Blade Innovations” • A group of researchers at NREL, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is working out how to make bigger turbine blades efficiently and cost-effectively. Part of the challenge is that the turbine blades should ideally last a long time and be recyclable. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbine blade (ShellAsp, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “A Heat Pump Water Heater Will Save All The Electricity You’ll Need To Power Your EV” • We should consider that some heat pumps are so efficient that their greater deployment will offset much of the electricity that we now use inefficiently. This saved electricity will allow new electrical loads, such as EVs, to be added to the grid seamlessly. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Alaska Moving Toward Equity, One House At A Time” • Alaska Native communities face enormous challenges when it comes to energy, housing, and health. While NREL researchers are doing groundbreaking R&D to chart the nation’s path to clean energy, the Alaska Campus focuses on deploying these technologies in frontline communities. [CleanTechnica]

Copper River at Gakona, Alaska (NREL image)

¶ “Grid Modernization Essential For State’s Energy Future, Officials Say” • Grid modernization is a complex topic for New Mexico. And the shift toward renewable energy will make it even more dramatic. Officials say that the one-way transmission of electricity from the utility to users is a model that soon will be as passé as rotary telephones. [Santa Fe New Mexican]

¶ “Allegiant Stadium Becomes First NFL Stadium Powered By 100% Renewable Energy” • The Las Vegas Raiders and Allegiant Stadium, in partnership with NV Energy, announced that the stadium has been converted to 100% renewable energy. The home of the Las Vegas Raiders is the first NFL stadium powered exclusively by renewable energy. [Raiders.com]

Allegiant Stadium (Image from Raiders.com)

¶ “Rooftop Solar Helps Rhode Island National Guard Cut Annual Electric Bill By $100,000” • The Rhode Island National Guard saved $100,000 in its annual electricity bill thanks to a 550-kW rooftop solar system. A SolarEdge DC-optimized system was installed on the rooftop of a heavy equipment maintenance facility at Camp Fogarty. [Solar Builder]

¶ “Georgia Power Will Pay $413 Million To Settle Lawsuit Over Nuclear Reactor Cost Overruns” • Georgia Power Co will pay $413 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the utility of reneging on financial promises to one of its nuclear reactor partners. The payments to Oglethorpe Power Corp could hold down future bills for millions of Georgia customers. [WABE]

Have a preposterously productive day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Novel UK Spacecraft Maps Heat Variations Across Earth” • A novel UK satellite has returned its first pictures of heat variations across the surface of the Earth. HotSat-1 can trace hot and cold features as small as 3.5 meters. In the initial imagery, a Chicago train is observed moving through the night and the flame fronts of Canadian wildfires are mapped. [BBC]

Car parks in Las Vegas (Satellite Vu image)

¶ “Non-Native Plants Are Expanding Their Range To Higher Latitudes Due To Climate Change” • Climate change is affecting the distribution of plants and animals around the world. As the planet warms, some species are shifting their ranges to higher latitudes or altitudes, according to a study in the journal Science Advances. [Nature World News]

¶ “Wright Electric Targets 1,000 Wh/Kg Batteries For Electric Aircraft” • Wright Electric plans to make an electric airplane that can carry 100 paying passengers on short flights of an hour by 2027. In a press release , it said its focus has changed from fuel cells to lighter, more powerful batteries with a pack energy density of 1,000 Wh/kg. [CleanTechnica]

Wright Electric battery (Wright Electric image)

World:

¶ “E-Fuels Would Emit ‘Five Times As Much As Electric Cars’ If EU Criteria Weakened” • All new cars sold in the EU from 2035 must emit zero CO₂ emissions, but the bloc is set to exempt cars that run on synthetic fuel. The EU Commission says that only carbon-neutral e-fuels can qualify. The oil industry wants that criterion weakened. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “UK EV Share At 23.4%” • September saw the UK EV share at 23.4% of the auto market, up from 22.4% year on year. Battery EV sales grew in volume by 19% YOY, slightly less growth than the overall market. Overall auto volume was 272,610 units, up 21% YOY, but still far below pre-2020 norms. Tesla was the UK’s most popular battery EV brand. [CleanTechnica]

White Tesla (Matt Weissinger, Pexels)

¶ “180 MW Of Solar PV To Anchor HDF’s First Green Hydrogen Project In Kenya” • HDF Energy, a developer of large-scale green hydrogen infrastructure and manufacturer of high-power fuel cells, recently announced the start of development studies, the next step on the path to install the first green hydrogen power plant in Kenya. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Octopus Buys 1,000-MWh BESS Project To Back Renewable Energy PPAs In Queensland, Australia” • Octopus Investments Australia has acquired Blackstone BESS, a 500-MW, 1,000-MWh project in Queensland. Octopus said the BESS will be used for power purchase agreements for “firmed blocks of energy” from by windpower and solar PVs. [Energy-Storage.News]

Stanwell Clean Energy Hub (Queensland government image)

¶ “Chile’s $2 Billion Energy Storage Boost” • Chile is on track to become the largest energy storage market in the Americas. The US expects to deploy 10 GW of energy storage by the end of 2023, but Chile’s energy storage ambitions and massive lithium supply have given it a pathway to becoming number one in the near future. [Oil Price]

¶ “Western Australia Seeks Stakeholder Input To Guide Major Grid Expansion” • The government of Western Australian is calling for input from industry to help drive major transmission network expansion in the South West Interconnected System as the state powers towards a large-scale, high-renewable grid of the future. [pv magazine Australia]

Solar array in WA (Western Power image)

¶ “Bute Energy wins WPP Investment” • Wales Pension Partnership will jointly invest alongside CIP Bute Energy’s portfolio of renewable energy projects across Wales. The investment comes to £68 million. Bute Energy’s Energy Parks and electricity grid projects are expected to attract up to £3 billion of direct investment into Wales. [reNews]

¶ “Germany Restarts Coal-Fired Generation To Support Winter Power Supply” • German officials approved a plan to bring some shuttered coal-fired power plants online to help avoid energy shortages this winter. Cabinet members said they support putting on-reserve lignite-fired power plants back online from now until the end of March 2024. [POWER Magazine]

Lignite mine (Wim van ‘t Einde, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “New Mexico Signs Final Order To Renew Permit At US Nuclear Waste Repository” • New Mexico environmental regulators finalized a 10-year permit extension at the nation’s only underground nuclear waste repository. They say it will increase oversight and safeguards while prioritizing the cleanup of Cold War-era waste. [ABC News]

¶ “Offshore Wind Stakeholders Fan The Fires Of Hope Despite Setbacks” • Bad news hit the US offshore wind industry this week. Nevertheless, glimmers of hope remain among the ashes. States along the Atlantic coast are re-calibrating their plans, and a new single-blade floating wind turbine could change the economic profile of offshore wind. [CleanTechnica]

Single-blade turbine design (TouchWind image)

¶ “Peak Energy Plans Sodium-Ion Grid-Scale Battery Storage Revolution” • Grid-scale storage batteries have been relying on lithium-ion batteries, Nickel Manganese Cobalt to begin with and Lithium Iron Phosphate more recently. Peak Energy believes it has the ability to make sodium-ion batteries that outperform both at half the cost. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Dominion Proposes Additional Solar Projects in Virginia” • Dominion Energy Inc’s D announced that it has proposed more than a dozen additional solar projects for Virginia customers. If approved, these would produce 772 MW of carbon-free electric energy, which at full capacity could power about 200,000 homes in Virginia. [Yahoo Finance]

Have an uncompromisingly enjoyable day.

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Opinion:

¶ “$4.3 Billion On The Table; Huge Benefits To Public Health And Wealth Lie Within Reach” • We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in our homes and buildings, to win big on public health and reduce both housing energy costs and climate change pollution. Now $4.3 billion in new flexible funds are soon to be available from the US EPA. [CleanTechnica]

Home sweet home (Vidar Nordli-Mathisen, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Pope Francis Lambasts Climate Change Skeptics And ‘Irresponsible’ Western Lifestyles” • Pope Francis has made his strongest statement yet on the growing climate crisis, pinning blame on big industries, world leaders, and “irresponsible” Western lifestyles, in a blistering statement. He criticized climate change deniers and delayers especially. [CNN]

¶ “Unprecedented Temperature Anomalies In 2023 – Hottest Year On Record” • The Copernicus Climate Change Service, with funding from the EU, routinely publishes monthly climate bulletins reporting on the changes observed in global surface air temperature, sea ice cover and hydrological variables. The data for September has no precedent. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (C3S – ECMWF)

¶ “Search And Rescue Launched For 100 People Missing In Northeast India As Flash Flooding Kills At Least 14” • A search and rescue operation is looking for over 100 missing people in India’s northeast, after flash floods hit the Himalayan state of Sikkim, killing at least 14 people and washing away roads and bridges, the state government said. [CNN]

¶ “Why Countries Are Choosing To Build New Cities In Places At High Risk Of Worsening Floods” • The world is urbanizing, and the amount of building in flood-prone areas is growing quickly, according to research published in the journal Nature. The rapid growth sparks concerns about people’s vulnerability to disasters as the climate crisis escalates. [CNN]

North Jakarta (Fahrul Razi, Unsplash)

¶ “A Certificate To Own A Car In Singapore Now Costs $106,000” • The cost of a certificate to own a large family car in Singapore rose to a record high of S$146,002 ($106,619). The city-state introduced the 10-year certificate of entitlement system in 1990 as an anti-congestion measure. Anyone in Singapore who want to buy a car must have the certificate. [BBC]

¶ “Asia Pacific To Invest $3.3 Trillion In Power Generation Over Ten Years” • The Asia Pacific region is poised to invest as much as $3.3 trillion in power generation over the next 10 years, half of which in solar and wind power. India and China are leading the growth in power demand and investments, according to Wood Mackenzie analysis. [Oil Price]

Rooftop solar panels (Jeroen van de Water, Unsplash)

¶ “Norway’s EVs At A Record 93% Share” • September saw plugin EVs at a record 93% share of Norway’s auto market, up from 89.1% YOY. The gains in share came from erosion of combustion car sales, rather than growth in EV volume. Overall auto volume was 10,342 units, down almost 30% YOY. The Tesla Model Y was September’s bestseller. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Lightning Strike Destroys Biogas Tanks At Severn Trent Food Waste Recycling Facility” • Lightning caused an explosion and fire at a UK anaerobic digestion facility, when it struck a biogas tank. The Cassington facility processes over 50,000 tons per year of commercial food wastes and generates 2.1 MW of electricity, along with biofertiliser. [The Chemical Engineer]

Lightning (Shlomo Shalev, Unsplash)

¶ “IAEA: All Units At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Should Be In Cold Shutdown” • To prevent safety risks, all units at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant should be brought into cold shutdown, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in their October 4 report. Russia, which occupied the plant, runs one unit in hot shutdown. [Yahoo News]

US:

¶ “High-Performance, Earth-Friendly Materials For Geothermal Wells” • The DOE announced $19 million in funding over four years for a new research center focused on the chemical and mechanical properties of cement composites and other materials used in enhanced geothermal systems. Brookhaven Lab scientist Tatiana Pyatina will lead the effort. [CleanTechnica]

BNL materials scientist Tatiana Pyatina

¶ “Fear And Loathing In Rural Michigan Puts Gotion Battery Factory At Risk” • Gotion is a battery maker with a primary emphasis on LFP batteries. It plans to manufacture batteries in Green Charter Township, Michigan on scrub land that has not had a crop in twenty years. A local movement is trying to save the “pristine farmland.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Energy Storage Project In Healy Envisioned To Support More Renewables” • Westinghouse has proposed building an energy storage facility in Healy, Alaska, south of Fairbanks, at the site of a coal-fired power plant unit set to be retired next year. The energy will be stored as heat. The US DOE is supporting the effort with funding. [Anchorage Daily News]

Countryside near Healy (Josh McCausland, Unsplash)

¶ “Athena ZEV Takes Up Challenge Of Electrifying Airports And De-Risking Investment” • Athena is an effort funded by the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office and led by NREL in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It is aiming to de-risk airport investments in support of zero-emission vehicles, with an initial focus on rental cars. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Three New England States Join Together For Offshore Wind Power Projects, Aiming To Lower Costs” • Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts will procure wind energy projects together rather than separately as part of a joint agreement the states’ governors announced. It is the first such multi-state agreement in the nation. [WPRI.com]

Have a uniquely lovely day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Iridium Panic Soothed By New Green Hydrogen Systems” • A rare precious metal, iridium, is a key ingredient in the systems electrolyzers use to produce green hydrogen. Demand for electrolyzers is increasing, and iridium may come into short supply. Workarounds are already emerging and the US DOE is on the case. [CleanTechnica]

Chemicals firm Mattiq’s alternative system (Mattiq image)

¶ “A New Twist On Rechargeable Battery Performance” • A study led by researchers at the US DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, shows that the so-called solid electrolyte interphase in lithium batteries is not an electronic insulator, as previously thought, but instead behaves like a semiconductor. This has implications for battery designs. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Coffee Is In Danger. Starbucks Is Working On Solutions” • Coffee is a finicky crop, and arabica coffee, the most popular variety, is particularly so. And climate change poses a huge threat to the coffee business and to farmers. So Starbucks is developing new arabica varietals that are specifically cultivated to hold up better on a warming planet. [CNN]

Coffee tree (Joshua Trujillo, Starbucks)

¶ “From Potatoes To Quinoa, Many Of Our Favourite Foods Are At Risk From Threats Like Climate Change And Disease. The “Seed Guardians” Of Potato Park In The Andes Are Hoping To Change That.” • Asociación Andes is a non-profit organisation in Cusco, Peru, that works to protect biodiversity and indigenous rights in the region. [BBC]

¶ “Failure Of Wind Auctions In The UK Are A Lesson For The Global Offshore Wind Industry” • Last September, a round of the UK offshore wind auctions failed. Policy had created unworkable conditions for the industry. Experts at the Global Wind Energy Council believe that this should serve as a pivotal moment for the global offshore wind industry. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind turbines (Jesse De Meulenaere, Unsplash)

¶ “EVs Take 63.4% Share In Sweden” • September saw plugin EVs take 63.4% share in Sweden, up from 55.2% last year. Most of the plugin growth came from full electrics, which took 44.4% of the overall market. Auto sales was 28,130 units, up 28% YOY, and in line with pre-2020 seasonal norms. The Tesla Model Y was the country’s bestselling vehicle. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “DEWA And ACWA Power Ink Deals For Phase 1 Of World’s Largest Renewable Energy-Driven Desalination Plant” • The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority entered into a 30-year water purchase agreement with ACWA Power, of Saudi Arabia, for the inaugural phase of the Hassyan seawater desalination project, powered by solar energy. [SolarQuarter]

Desalination Plant in Dubai (Starsend, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Second Phase Of Treated Fukushima Water Dump Begins” • TEPCO, the operator of the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, began the second phase of the discharge of contaminated and treated water from its facilities. It said it has confirmed that the first discharge was carried out within the established safety limits. [La Prensa Latina]

US:

¶ “’Miracle’ Water Year In California: Reservoirs Are At 128% Of Average” • California ended its “miracle” water year with enough rain and snow to fill the state’s reservoirs to 128% of the historical average. It was one of the wettest years on record in the state, and welcome news to a state that spent much of the past dozen years in a deep drought. [ABC News]

Oroville Dam (California Dept of Water Resources, public domain)

¶ “Biden–Harris Administration Investing $80 Million To Improve Flood Prediction” • Last month, the Department of Commerce and NOAA’s Office of Water Prediction awarded the contract for Next Generation Water Prediction Capability to Raytheon. The $80 million, four-year contract is expected to transform water prediction. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California Looks To Add Solar And Transmission Along Highways” • There’s a lot of empty land along California’s highways, and the state will soon be looking at how it can fill some of it up with solar panels, batteries and power lines to help meet its clean energy targets. A bill for the purpose is awaiting the governor’s signature. [Canary Media]

Solar array at a highway interchange (Maine DOT)

¶ “The Workhorse Of The Heat Pump Water Heater World: Bradford White’s Aerotherm” • A Heat pump water heater saves a ton of CO₂ emissions annually compared to gas, and it reduces an average household’s annual energy bill by $200-$500. There is also a 30% federal tax credit of up to $2,000 for buying and installing this efficient water heater. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nevada’s Largest Wind Farm Just Got 70,000 Acres From BLM” • The BLM has set aside public land for the Stagecoach Wind farm prevent new mining claims from interfering with the project’s review or development. BLM’s environmental analysis of the wind project is “in progress,” and estimated completion of that review and permitting is June 2026. [Electrek]

Spring Valley Wind Farm (Pattern Energy image)

¶ “Tucson Electric Power Plans $294 Million Battery Plant To Store Solar Energy” • Tucson Electric Power says it plans to turn on a large battery energy storage system in Tucson by summer 2025, to store solar energy for use after sundown. Roadrunner Reserve system would have a rated capacity of 200 MW and a storage capacity of 800 MWh. [Arizona Daily Star]

¶ “Avangrid Pulls Contract For Offshore Park City Wind Power Project” • Orange-based Avangrid, which is a subsidiary of Spain’s energy giant Iberdrola, is pulling out of its contract to provide electricity to Connecticut via the Park City Wind project. The project called for providing 804 MW of power through power purchase contracts. [CT Insider]

Have a magically happy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Reality Check: The IEA Busts Ten Myths About The Energy Transition” • There is a lot of naysaying about the clean energy transition. The excuses spread by detractors, pessimists, and companies trying to protect their polluting businesses abound. A recent report from the International Energy Agency puts a lot of the myths to rest. [CleanTechnica]

Solar manufacture (Courtesy of Boviet Solar)

¶ “Houston Wants Feds To Waste Billions On Dike To Protect It From Climate Change” • Texas wants the US government to put up money for a massive dike for Houston. Ike’s Dike’s already massive budget projection just ballooned to $57 billion. If it gets approved, it will be the biggest civil engineering project in US history. But does it make sense? [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Bangladesh’s Worst Ever Dengue Outbreak Has Now Killed More Than 1,000 People” • Over 1,000 people have died from dengue in Bangladesh’s worst outbreak on record, official data shows, with rising temperatures due to the climate crisis driving the ongoing spread as more cases are reported away from dense urban centers for the first time. [CNN]

Dhaka, Bangladesh (Simon Reza, Unsplash)

¶ “EVs Take A Record 29.3% Share In France – Tesla Leads” • September saw plugin EVs take a record 29.3% of the French auto market, up from 24.2% year on year. Full electrics alone took close to 20% of the market, also a new record high. Diesels hit a record low, at 8.5% share. The Tesla Model Y remains France’s bestselling electric vehicle. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Zambia Proposes Removing Customs Duty On Battery-Electric Vehicles And Charging Systems” • Good news from Zambia: Presenting the 2024 national budget, Hon Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, the Minister of Finance and National Planning, announced removing customs duties on battery EVs and their necessary accessories. [CleanTechnica]

Charging an EV in Zambia (Courtesy of ZEMIA)

¶ “Orkney Offshore Project Files Consent Application” • The West of Orkney Windfarm submitted comprehensive offshore consent applications to Scottish Ministers for its proposed 2-GW offshore wind project, secured under ScotWind. The project will have up to 125 turbines on fixed foundations and aims to deliver first power in 2029. [reNews]

¶ “Masdar Enters Tajikistan Market With Plans To Explore 500 MW Of Clean Energy Projects, Including Floating Solar” • MW Energy, a joint venture of Masdar and W Solar Investment, has signed an agreement with Tajikistan’s government to explore at least 500 MW of clean energy capacity, including floating solar power and hydropower. [ZAWYA]

Lake in Tajikistan (Encal Media, Unsplash)

¶ “Egypt Unveils Ambitious Subsea Solar Energy Export Plan To Europe” • The Copelouzos Group, a Greek conglomerate, and Infinity Power, a joint venture of Masdar and Egyptian company Infinity, lead the GREGY interconnector project. This project is to transmit 3,000 MW of renewable energy from Infinity Power to Greece through a subsea cable. [Greek City Times]

¶ “Fukushima Study Links Low-Dose Radiation To Diabetes” • Research to be presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes, suggests that exposure to low doses of radiation may contribute to increased risk of diabetes. It considered over 6,000 emergency workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. [Mirage News]

Diabetes test (isens usa, Unsplash, cropped)

US:

¶ “Enhanced Geothermal And Offshore Wind Energy Gain Earthshot™ Support” • To support DOE’s Energy Earthshots™, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will lead two Energy Earthshot Research Centers. These centers build upon PNNL’s expertise in the science underpinning geothermal energy and floating offshore wind energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “DOE Issues $3 Billion Conditional Loan Guarantee For Virtual Power Plants Program” • The US Department of Energy Loan Programs Office announced, that it had issued a conditional loan guarantee to Sunnova Energy for its Project Hestia. The money will be used to create virtual power plants that benefit 75,000 to 115,000 US homeowners. [CleanTechnica]

Project Hestia (US DOE image)

¶ “Smart Electric Power Alliance Brings 25 Utility Companies Together To Pursue Lower Emissions” • 25 investor-owned and municipal utility companies, including some of the largest, have organized the Smart Electric Power Alliance, whose members pledge to cut their carbon emissions by 80% compared to 2005 levels no later than 2030. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Renewable Energy And Reducing Energy Waste Met 25% Of The State’s Electricity Needs Last Year” • Renewable energy and reducing energy waste met 25% of Michigan’s electricity needs last year, according to a report from the Michigan Public Service Commission. Renewable energy includes wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and landfill gas. [Michigan Radio]

Hydropower (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

¶ “Massachusetts Can Expand Solar Without Chopping So Much Forest, Report Says” • Massachusetts has had a solar energy boom since 2008. But that has come at a cost: more than half of solar farms built in the state during the last decade required clear-cutting forest; another 16% covered workable farmland. A report says it doesn’t need to be this way. [WBUR]

¶ “NorthStar’s Organization Denied License To Build Interim Storage” • Demolition of the Vermont Yankee nuclearplant is on schedule and within budget. But finding a resting place for the plant’s highly radioactive waste still in Vernon became uncertain when a federal court ruled that the NRC did not have authority to grant a critical permit. [Brattleboro Reformer]

Have a cheeringly useful day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “How Researchers Are Using Ai To Save Rainforest Species In Puerto Rico” • Researchers from the green nonprofit Rainforest Connection and Google’s philanthropy branch said they found a way to use AI to monitor and conserve species in threatened ecosystems as rainforests bear the brunt of impacts from global warming and deforestation. [ABC News]

Monitor placement (Rainforest Connection image)

¶ “Tesla Supercharging Not Harmful To Batteries After All!” • For many years now, it has been advised not to fast charge electric vehicles too often, that doing so could lead to rapid degradation of your EV’s battery. Some people, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, have advised that it’s not such a big deal. Recent research shows that is indeed the case! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Can Roof Materials Cool The Outside Air And Lower Energy Demand?” • Researchers used modeling to examine three types of roofing and their impact on near-surface temperature in the Chicago area. Cool (white) roofs reduced the near-surface temperature by 1.5°C, for green roofs it was 1.2°C, and for solar panels it was 0.6°C. [CleanTechnica]

Green roof in Paris (Anja from Pixabay)

World:

¶ “Indonesia Opens Whoosh High-Speed Railway” • Indonesia has inaugurated its first high-speed railway, a $7.3 billion project backed by China under its Belt and Road Initiative. President Joko Widodo launched the service, which connects Jakarta to Bandung. Mr Widodo has prioritised projects like Whoosh to ease the country’s severe traffic jams. [BBC]

¶ “39% Plugin Vehicle Share In China! – China EV Sales Report” • Plugin vehicles are all the rage in the Chinese auto market. They scored over 750,000 sales last month, up 36% year over year (YoY) and a new record. That pulled the year-to-date tally to over 4.6 million units. Plugin vehicles hit 39% market share, with full electrics taking 26%. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Song Pro EV (Jengtingchen, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Hydrogen’s Rise Fuels Global Ammonia Infrastructure Growth” • As hydrogen gains prominence amid the global pursuit of decarbonization and energy security, many major projects are considering transportation in the form of ammonia, a safer and more cost-effective method for exporting hydrogen supplies in large volumes. [Oil Price]

¶ “Vestas Adds Extra 1.2 GW Of Orders To End Third Quarter” • Vestas has signed deals to supply an additional 1220 MW of onshore and offshore wind turbines to projects across Europe and the US. The company secured a 960-MW order for 64 wind turbines, each 15.0 MW, for EnBW’s He Dreiht offshore wind project in the German North Sea. [reNews]

Vestas wind turbine (Vestas image)

¶ “India To Award 7.2 GW Of Offshore Wind Power In Tamil Nadu” • India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy issued a public notice for bidding for offshore wind development areas off the coast of the Tamil Nadu region, with 7,215 MW of capacity in the mix. The call is for seven locations with a total area of 1,443 square kilometers. [evwind.es]

¶ “Buchan Offshore Wind Files Scottish Floater Report” • Buchan Offshore Wind has submitted its Offshore Scoping Report to the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate.The Scoping Report has details of the planned project, which will be located off the Aberdeenshire Coast 75 km northeast of Fraserburgh and have a capacity of around 1 GW. [reNews]

Moving a floating wind turbine (WindEurope image)

¶ “TEPCO To Start Second Release Of Treated Water From Fukushima N-Plant” • TEPCO plans to begin its second release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Thursday. It intends to release about 30,000 tons of treated water, or about 2% of the treated water at the plant, over four release periods in the fiscal year. [The Japan News]

US:

¶ “Saltwater Is ‘Winning’: Why Low Water Levels Have Grown Into A Huge Problem For The New Orleans Area” • Hurricanes have always been threats. But as drought grows in the Central US and sea level rises, a formerly unusual emergency is becoming more frequent: saltwater is infecting drinking water in cities on the Mississippi River. [CNN]

New Orleans (David Chuan-En Lin, Unsplash)

¶ “Weather Events Have Reduced Our US Hydropower Forecast By 6% This Year” • Weather events in the Northwest led to lower water supply, leading to forcast of 6% reduction in hydropower generation, year over year. The impact of decreased Northwest hydropower generation is offset by higher generation expected in California. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Phoenix Has Driest Monsoon Season Since Weather Service Began Record-Keeping In 1895” • The National Weather Service said the monsoon season this year in Phoenix had only 0.15 inches (.38 cm) of rainfall from June 15 to September 30. That’s the driest since the agency began keeping records in 1895. The previous mark was 0.35 inches in 1924. [ABC News]

Phoenix (Ian Dziuk, Unsplash)

¶ “Advocates Expect A Bright Future For Solar Power In Ohio, Though There May Be Hurdles” • Some projections anticipate solar power growing rapidly in the Midwest in the coming years. SEIA expects Ohio to add another 7,788 MW of solar capacity in the next five years. Amazon has eighteen solar and wind projects operational or in the works in Ohio. [WOSU News]

¶ “Agreement Could Push Cornell To Renewable Energy Goal” • Cornell could reach its goal of carbon neutrality much earlier than the target date of 2035. School officials say an agreement with energy developer Distributed Sun has the potential to push Cornell over the threshold of powering the Ithaca campus with 100% renewable energy. [WHCU]

Have an emphatically great day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Tracking The Sun Makes Solar Panels More Efficient On Land And On Water” • All life on Earth is dependent on energy from the sun. Today, we have solar panels that are incredibly efficient compared to their predecessors from 50 years ago, but that efficiency is compromised if the panels are not oriented properly toward the sun. [CleanTechnica]

Solaflect tracking system (Solarflect image)

¶ “MilliMobile, The World’s Smallest EV, Has No Battery” • The MilliMobile is just 10 mm (0.4 in) square. It was created by researchers at the University of Washington, who will present it to the world at a conference in Madrid in early October. As the MilliMobile moves along flat surfaces, it scavenges energy from ambient light and radio waves. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Redonda: Tiny Caribbean Island’s Transformation To Wildlife Haven” • The incredible eco-restoration of one tiny Caribbean island, transformed from desolate rock to verdant wildlife haven in just a few years, has become a focus for the imaginations of environmentalists worldwide. Today, Redonda is a vibrant home for dozens of threatened species. [BBC]

Redonda (Mike Appleton, Re:wild)

¶ “Ban On Single-Use Plastic Cutlery In Force In England” • A ban on some single-use plastic products is coming into force in England. Shops and hospitality businesses will no longer be able to supply plastic cutlery or certain other plastic items. Around 1.1 billion single-use plates and over four billion pieces of plastic cutlery are used in England every year. [BBC]

¶ “Northvolt Selects Quebec For Its First North American Battery Factory” • Northvolt is coming to Canada, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act passed by the US last summer. The incentives in the IRA have put a squeeze on other countries, which are being asked to step up with subsidies of their own to match those the US has made available. [CleanTechnica]

Northvolt factory (Northvolt image)

¶ “Volkswagen Cuts EV Production, Cancels New Wolfsburg Factory” • Volkswagen has reduced the output of electric cars at its German factories and has cancelled plans to build a new $2 billion factory in Wolfsburg, according to a Bloomberg report. Is this good news, bad news, or just news? Let’s dig into both stories to see what answers we find. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wrightbus Bags Contract Which Could See 150 Hydrogen Buses Sold To Nuclear Power Plant” • Wrightbus has secured a contract which could see 150 hydrogen buses sold to the Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk. The site has ordered four double deck Hydroliners to test. If the test buses are successful, Sizewell C will order up to 150 buses. [Business Live]

Hydroliner bus (Wrightbus image)

¶ “New Cumbria Solar Farm To Power Over 12,000 Homes” • A large new solar farm in Cumbria has lodged initial plans with planning authorities. Developers claim the electricity generated would be enough to power 12,750 homes. The entire solar farm would extend to 104 hectares of farmland and have a lifespan of 40 years. [The Scottish Farmer]

¶ “Taipower Touts Local Wind Power Progress” • As of August, power generated from Taiwan’s wind turbines this year reached 2.89 TWh, 94.1% more than the same period last year, Taipower said. In July, total storage capacity for wind turbine-generated power grew to 2.25 GWh, more than three times the 671 MWh in July 2016, the company said. [Taipei Times]

Wind turbines (Laura Penwell, Pexels)

¶ “Protecting Wildlife At Wind Energy Facilities” • A lot of work goes into planning a wind facility, long before the turbines are installed. One big consideration is protecting the environment and putting in measures to give wildlife safe ways to navigate and places to live. Conservation also means educating the people of the community about wildlife. [Evwind]

¶ “54% Of Portugal’s Electricity Is Now Generated By Renewable Energy” • Portugal has made significant strides in integrating renewable energy sources into its electricity generation. The country has taken advantage of solar power, tidal power wind generation, and hydroelectric power plants. Portugal is using no coal and no nuclear power. [The Portugal News]

Solar array (Tom Fisk, Pexels)

US:

¶ “Many Underserved Communities Face EV ‘Charging Deserts.’ These Five Strategies Can Help” • The rapid acceleration of electric vehicle adoption in the United States comes with the risk of leaving historically disadvantaged communities behind if charging infrastructure isn’t adequately expanded. Here are five ways to address that. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Runaway Costs Create Uncertain Future For Offshore Wind Projects In CT and Other Northeast States” • Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and other Northeast governors, warned the Biden administration of escalating costs that could stall any new wind farm proposals. They blame inflation and supply chain problems. [CT Insider]

Turbine going to sea (Avangrid press photo by Worldview Films)

¶ “One Of America’s Reddest States Wants 100% Green Energy – If Dams Count As Green” • It’s a battle that scrambles traditional political alliances, with US Rep Mike Simpson, a Republican from Idaho, leading the push to remove four dams on the Lower Snake River, while leading Democrats, such as Washington Gov Jay Inslee, urge caution. [The Lawton Constitution]

¶ “OPSB Approves Solar Energy Project In Jackson County” • The Ohio Power Siting Board recently authorized Dixon Run Solar, LLC to construct a 140-MW solar facility to be installed on more than 2,000 acres in Bloomfield Township. The project will occupy approximately 2,085 acres of private leased land, the OPSB said. [Farm and Dairy]

Have a patently worthwhile day.

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geoharvey is not tax-deductible.