Opinion:
¶ “Ontario’s Hydrogen Approach Will Be A B-School Case Study In Failure” • Ontario recently announced its first significant hydrogen project. It involves truckloads of hydrogen leaving Niagara Falls to be burned in a gas generator over 100 kilometers away. Multiple layers of energetic and economic nonsense are involved in this. [CleanTechnica]
Niagara Falls (Rafik Wahba, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “Nine Breakthroughs For Climate And Nature In 2023 You May Have Missed” • In a tumultuous year, the positive milestones for the climate and nature might well have gone under your radar. Future Planet rounds up nine quiet wins of the year, plus one much louder one. They are remarkable steps forward in tackling the nature and climate crises. [BBC]
¶ “Historic COP28 Agreement Calls for Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels” • At the end of COP28, as representatives were nearing hopelessness, an 11,000 page document was produced. It had what the UN is calling the “beginning of the end” of the fossil fuel era. The global pact includes explicit language looking to the end of Big Oil. [CleanTechnica]
McKibben and Bassey (John Englart, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “COP28 Wrap Up – And A Child Shall Lead Them” • The final official pronouncement from conference did the unthinkable: It suggested that nations transition “away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner.” At one point, 12-year old Indian activist Licypriya Kangujam rushed the stage to add her voice. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Suzlon Secures 100.8-MW Indian Order” • Suzlon Group has secured a new order for 32 turbines at a wind project in India for an unnamed global utility. Suzlon will install the turbines with a rated capacity of 3.15-MW at the 100.8-MW project in Gujarat. The company will undertake post-commissioning operation and maintenance services. [reNews]
Suzlon turbine (Suzlon image)
¶ “Total Renewable Energy Generation In October 2023” • In a landmark moment for the Indian renewable energy sector, October 2023 witnessed an unprecedented surge in solar power, claiming a dominant position with a remarkable 66.31% share in total renewable energy generation. Concurrently, wind power crossed the 23% threshold. [SolarQuarter]
¶ “Solar Power Usage Shines Bright” • China is expected to add 160 to 180 GW of solar power in 2023, a record annual rise in capacity, the China Photovoltaic Industry Association said. For the first ten months of this year, the output value of China’s PV manufacturing sector has already reached 142.56 GW, a year-on-year increase of 156%. [China Daily]
Solar panels (Markus Spiske, Unsplash)
¶ “United Solar Energy Inks 700-MW Floating PV And Storage PPA In Sri Lanka” • The government of Sri Lanka has entered into a power purchase agreement with Australian firm United Solar Group for a 700-MW floating solar and storage project. Of Sri Lanka’s installed electric generating capacity, 59% is already renewable sources. [PV Tech]
¶ “German Nuclear Plant To Be Replaced By Europe’s Biggest Battery” • PreussenElektra, operator of the decommissioned Brokdorf nuclear power plant in northern German state Schleswig-Holstein, which was taken offline at the end of 2021, wants to transform the site into a power storage facility, reports from NDR say. [Renew Economy]
Brokdorf NPP (PreussenElektra image)
US:
¶ “California Leads US in Electric Vehicle And Charging Station Adoption” • California has led the United States in the number of EVs and EV charging locations every year since 2016, accounting for 37% of US registered light-duty EVs and 27% of EV charging locations at the end of 2022, according to new estimates in our State Energy Data System. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Why GM Offers The Hummer EV As A Military Vehicle” • This year, GM Defense took the Hummer EV to the next level, making a prototype that would make it a viable vehicle even on the front lines. With a tube-frame, rugged panels, upgraded suspension and tires, and even a 12-kW diesel range extender and generator, it has a lot of utility. [CleanTechnica]
Hummer prototype (GM image)
¶ “Offshore Wind Miracle Happening In USA” • For better or worse, the offshore wind profile of the United States has broken down cleanly along partisan political lines. However, one huge crack has finally appeared. Officials in the deep red state of Louisiana approved not one but two new offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Duke Energy Completes Its First Floating Solar Project In Florida” • Duke Energy’s first floating solar project in Florida is now producing clean, renewable energy while helping the company better understand the capabilities of innovative clean energy technologies to benefit Florida communities and customers, now and in the future. [Duke Energy]
Floating solar array (Duke Energy Image)
¶ “US DOE Reaffirms Commitment to Buy Tribal Energy” • On December 4, US DOE Secretary Jennifer M Granholm signed a memorandum reaffirming DOE’s commitment to purchase clean power from Tribes while working to meet the clean energy goals of the federal government. Tribes can think of the DOE as a potential customer. [Department of Energy]
¶ “Lawmakers To Revisit Vermont’s Renewable Energy Goals” • What would it take to source all of Vermont’s electricity from renewable sources? That’s a question lawmakers plan to tackle in the upcoming legislative session as they look to update the state’s renewable energy standard. Vermonters will need to rely less on fossil fuels, but how is that to be done? [WCAX]
Have a stupifyingly enlightening day.
geoharvey 