Opinion:
¶ “The AI Boom Is Boosting Carbon Emissions – Should Companies Acknowledge Their Climate Share?” • AI uses a lot of electricity because it needs thousands of specialized computer chips. It’s getting clear that the AI boom in the next few years will increase electricity consumption exponentially, increasing the world’s carbon emissions. [CleanTechnica]
Computer chip design (Adi Goldstein, Unsplash)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Self-Repairing Solar Panels Are Heading For Space” • Demand for larger, more powerful solar arrays is heating up for use in space. NASA has been scouting for companies that can deliver the most bang for the buck, and the Arizona startup Solestial is in the running with new ultra thin solar panels that can repair themselves in space. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “US And China Reach ‘Some Agreements’ On Climate – John Kerry” • The US has reached some agreements with China ahead of the COP28 Summit in Dubai at the end of this month, US climate envoy John Kerry has said. “We felt that our days of talks were very successful. We did come up with some agreements”, he said, adding that details will come soon. [BBC]
July meeting (Office of US Climate Envoy, public domain)
¶ “Northumberland Solar Farm Given Planning Permission” • A solar farm in Northumberland that could provide power for up to 13,000 homes was granted planning permission. The land is being used to grow animal feed and was used for opencast coal extraction in the 1950s and 60s. When the solar farm is finished, sheep will graze on the land. [BBC]
¶ “Volvo Leads The Way: Electric Trucks For Australia” • Volvo Group includes Volvo Trucks, Mack Trucks, Volvo Penta, and Volvo Bus. Volvo has a battery EV alternative for every diesel truck they offer, from a medium-duty truck with a 5-ton payload right up to the flagship Prime Mover. It is the biggest automotive manufacturer in Australia. [CleanTechnica]
Electric garbage truck (Photo courtesy of Volvo)
¶ “ZOLA: Fighting For Energy Equality Backed By GE, EDF, And Tesla” • ZOLA Electric is on a mission to provide clean power, all the time, anywhere. The company was founded over a decade ago to install smart, connected devices in the form of lithium ion batteries and solar, to power basic energy needs for rural African communities. [Energy Digital Magazine]
¶ “South Africa’s Eskom Unveils The Largest Battery Storage Project in Africa” • South Africa’s national power utility company, Eskom, has just unveiled the largest Battery Energy Storage System in South Africa. With a capacity of 100 MWh, this is not only the first one of its kind in South Africa, but also a first on the African continent. [CleanTechnica]
Eskom storage facility (Eskom image)
¶ “Yukon Wants To Electrify To Reduce Emissions But Faces A Shortage Of Green Power” • Yukon Energy officials say they will be hard-pressed to produce enough renewable power to meet the territory’s emissions targets. To hit emissions targets, Yukon Energy needs much more reneable energy, especially for home heating and transportation. [CBC]
¶ “China Will Guarantee Financial Support For Coal-Fired Power Plants” • A government agency in China says coal-fired power plant operators will receive guaranteed payments based on the installed capacity of their units, part of a program to ensure a stable power supply across the country. China is still building coal-fired power plants. [POWER Magazine]
Coal plant in China (Shubert Ciencia, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
US:
¶ “Low US Gasoline Demand Is Making Gasoline Less Profitable” • Low gasoline demand in combination with the seasonal switch to winter-grade gasoline has made gasoline less profitable to produce, reducing the difference between gasoline blendstock and crude oil prices to multiyear lows of around 17¢/gallon in October 2023. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Volvo Group Acquires Proterra” • Volvo Group announced, “Proterra Inc and Proterra Operating Company Inc are in a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy process in the US. Volvo Group has been selected as the winning bidder in an auction for the business and assets of the Proterra Powered business unit at a purchase price of $210 million.” [CleanTechnica]
Proterra bus (Darius Pinkston, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)
¶ “US Grid Rules Preclude Reliability, Security Benefits Of Cloud Computing, Experts Warn” • Cloud technologies could provide significant cost, security and reliability benefits to the US electric grid but critical infrastructure rules do not allow them to be used for certain larger assets, multiple speakers said at FERC’s annual reliability conference. [Utility Dive]
¶ “Kentucky Regulators Approve Plan For 900% Increase In Renewable Energy” • The Kentucky PSC approved a plan by Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities to retire several fossil fuel plants and replace them with 877 MW of solar and a 125-MW, 500-MWh of battery system. This will be a 900% increase in renewables. [pv magazine USA]
Solar array in Kentucky (Vesper Energy image)
¶ “Siemens Gamesa Scraps Plans To Build Blades For Offshore Wind Turbines In Virginia” • Siemens Gamesa has canceled plans to build blades for offshore wind turbines in Virginia. It is the latest sign of trouble for the young US offshore wind industry as inflation, raised interest rates, and supply chain issues have cut into profitability. [WVTF]
¶ “Disputes Over Safety, Cost Swirl A Year After California Okayed Plan To Keep Last Nuke Plant Running” • A year after California endorsed a proposal to keep running its last nuclear plant, disputes still swirl about its safety, whether over $1 billion in public financing could be be wise, and even if the electricity is needed in the age of renewables. [Spectrum News]
Have a consummately fine day.
geoharvey 
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