Opinion:
¶ “Ontario’s Welcome About-Face On Renewable Energy” • Premier Doug Ford appears to have experienced a come-to-green-power moment. Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith put out the call for 2,000 MW – about 5% of all generation in the province – of non-emitting power generation, including wind, solar, hydro and bioenergy. [Toronto Star]
Toronto (Lukas Menzel, Unsplash)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Scientists Successfully Replicate Historic Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough Three Times” • Scientists in California shooting nearly 200 lasers at a cylinder holding a fuel capsule the size of a peppercorn have taken another step in the quest for fusion energy, which, if mastered, could provide the world with a near-limitless source of clean power. [CNN]
World:
¶ “Nature Groups Go To Court In Greece Over A Strategic Gas Terminal Backed By EU” • Five environmental campaign agencies have launched legal action against a major natural gas project supported by the EU as a regional alternative to Russian energy. Greenpeace and the World Wide Fund for Nature led the legal action. [ABC News]
Gas-fired power plant (USFWS, public domain)
¶ “Gogoro To Power Uber Eats With Battery Swap Technology in Taiwan” • In many countries where scooters and motorcycles are a popular way to get around, people live in dense housing. With no driveway of their own to plug it in, it’s tough to actually get the scooter charged up at night. Gogoro figured out a way around that problem in Taiwan. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “New Fuel Cell Electric Truck Gets A Big Thumbs-Up” • The battle between batteries and fuel cells is heating up, but Daimler Truck is not picking sides. Its Mercedes-Benz GenH2 hydrogen fuel cell truck is aimed at operations that are less than optimal for battery-electric trucks, and five leading stakeholders have already signed up for it. [CleanTechnica]
Mercedes-Benz GenH2 truck (courtesy of Daimler Truck)
¶ “Dutch-Norwegian Cleantech Firm SolarDuck Bags €15 Million For Its Offshore Floating Solar Power Tech” • SolarDuck reported that it has secured €15 million in additional funding to advance its Offshore Floating Solar power technology. The funds will be used to execute SolarDuck’s first commercial projects and work towards its 1-GW 2030 target. [Silicon Canals]
¶ “Cheaper Tesla Model Coming To China Soon? Giga Shanghai Significantly Expanding” • Tesla is on the cusp of a significant expansion at its Gigafactory Shanghai, setting the stage for increased EV production and the launch of a highly anticipated budget-friendly model. This strategic move has the potential to bolster Tesla’s presence in China. [CleanTechnica]
Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai
¶ “Solar And On-Shore Wind Provide Cheapest Electricity And Nuclear Most Expensive, CSIRO Analysis Shows” • Electricity generated by solar and on-shore wind is Australia’s cheapest, even after the expense of integrating them into the power grid is factored in, according to analysis from the CSIRO. This contrasts with nuclear power. [The Guardian]
¶ “Green Hydrogen Gets Big Boost With Frontier Takeover Of Waroona Energy” • Australian renewable energy firm Frontier Energy has acquired Waroona Energy. With neighbouring large solar projects in Western Australia, the companies plan to create the state’s largest vertically integrated renewable energy hub and make green hydrogen. [pv magazine Australia]
Solar array (Frontier Energy image)
US:
¶ “$40 Million to Train the Clean Energy Workforce from Biden-Harris Admin” • Authorized by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the DOE’s Energy Auditor Training program will provide up to $40 million in grants for states to train individuals to conduct energy audits or surveys of commercial and residential buildings. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Oregon Appeals Court Finds Rules For The State’s Climate Program Are Invalid” • A state appeals court in Oregon decided that the rules for a program designed to limit and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel companies are invalid. The department, however, said the decision was limited to an administrative error. [ABC News]
Mount Jefferson (Eric Muhr, Unsplash)
¶ “After A Brutal 2023, Offshore Wind Looks To Overcome Growing Pains” • In 2023, financial hardships and logistical challenges hammered project developers in the United States, leading them to cancel a quarter of the nation’s offshore wind farms under contract. But America has amassed a hefty pipeline of offshore wind projects. [Canary Media]
¶ “Chicago Archdiocese To Power Parishes, Schools With 100% Renewable Energy” • The power of the wind will soon power the Catholic Church in the Windy City. The Chicago Archdiocese announced that beginning in January its parishes, schools, offices, and cemeteries will switch to 100% renewable energy sources for its electricity needs. [National Catholic Reporter]
Chicago (Sawyer Bengtson, Unsplash)
¶ “Maine Turns Its Heat Pump Focus To ‘Whole-House’ Systems That Can All But Eliminate Fossil Fuel Use” • Maine’s new state incentives are pushing residents to adopt “whole-house” heat pump systems, making efficient electricity the primary home heat source and discouraging secondary use of oil or gas. They add to federal incentives. [Energy News Network]
¶ “Trench 94: The US Navy’s Nuclear Submarine Graveyard” • Do you ever wonder where nuclear submarines go when they die? That is, where their highly radioactive cores are stored? There is a place in the US, called Trench 94, which is effectively a nuclear submarine graveyard, containing dozens of old reactors that are stored in perpetuity. [IFLScience]
Have a notably industrious day.
geoharvey 