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.
geoharvey 