Opinion:
¶ “After A Terrible Year Of Climate News, Here Are 5 Reasons To Feel Positive” • There has been no shortage of bleak climate news this year. But amid the gloom, there have also been signs of progress. Renewable energy records have been set, and the world celebrated one of its greatest environmental wins. Here are five reasons to be hopeful. [CNN]
River in the Amazon basin (Artur Warchavchik, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Modeling Breakthrough Allows Researchers To Account for Occupant Comfort And Assess Smart Building Technologies” • About five years ago, a group of US National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers looked at trends for electrifying home appliances and realized they shared a common, unaddressed need for tools. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Vestas May Expand Even Faster Onshore By Not Aiming For Even Bigger Wind Turbines” • Vestas announced two major orders in Germany and Lithuania for V162 turbines of 5.6 MW and 6.2 MW, with a combined capacity of 152 MW. The turbines are dwarfed by Vestas’ 15-MW offshore turbine, but Vestas is not aiming for bigger onshore turbines. [CleanTechnica]
Vestas wind turbine (Lina N, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Protecting European Auto (And Battery) Jobs – Finally EU Priority” • In her annual State of the Union address, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, startled many by announcing a probe into Chinese EV subsidies. The result is not yet known, but carmakers have already started to shift EV manufacturing to Europe. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Britain Likely To Generate More Electricity From Wind, Solar And Hydro Than Fossil Fuels For The First Year In 2023” • For three months Tech Xplore tracked data for Great Britain (though not Northern Ireland, which is on the Republic of Ireland’s grid). They believe the UK is on track generate more electricity from renewables than fossil fuels in 2023. [Tech Xplore]
UK wind farm (Pixabay, CC0, Public domain)
¶ “Italian Centralised Storage Receives €17.7 Billion Injection” • The European Commission has approved a €17.7 billion ($19.5 billion) Italian scheme to support the construction and operation of a centralised electricity storage system of over 9 GW, 71 GWh, helping to integrate renewable energy sources into the country’s electricity system. [Power Engineering International]
¶ “E2E’s New Project Will Make Alberta Town First In Canada Powered Completely By Geothermal Energy” • E2E Energy Solutions and the municipality of Rainbow Lake, Alberta, are announcing a first of its kind pilot project that will power and heat the community entirely using geothermal renewable energy sources by 2028. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
Sunset at Rainbow Lake (snub_you, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “IAEA Continues To Seek Zaporizhzhia Reactor Rooftop Access” • International Atomic Energy Agency experts were told that security concerns meant they would not be going ahead with their planned access to the reactor rooftops at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on 19 December. No alternative date has been set. [World Nuclear News]
US:
“160 Communities Now Automating Solar Permitting With SolarAPP+” • Over 160 US communities are using SolarAPP+™ (Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus), a free, online software platform for local governments that standardizes, streamlines, and automates the solar permitting process. They have approved over 32,800 projects. [CleanTechnica]
Homes with rooftop solar (Werner Slocum, NREL)
¶ “Long And Winding Road To US Offshore Wind Just Got 35 Miles Shorter” • US Wind, Inc, announced the start of a marine survey to prepare the final layout design for an 80,000 acre windpower project off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland. Alpine Ocean Seismic Survey will conduct data collection along the 35-mile route. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Pike Solar Powers Up, Commences Commercial Operations In Colorado” • Independent renewable project developer, owner, and operator Deriva Energy, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, announced the start of commercial operation at Pike Solar in El Paso County, Colorado. Pike Solar will provide energy to Colorado Springs Utilities. [PR Newswire]
Pikes solar array (Courtesy of Colorado Springs Utilities)
¶ “New Agreement Aims To Add Renewable Power To Montana’s Grid” • Two Montana communities have voted to approve the Green Power Program, which, pending approval by the state Public Service Commission, will add a new renewable energy source for local governments, businesses, and eventually for residents to tap into. [Sydney Herald]
¶ “Officials Surprised By Davis-Besse Devaluation” • The treasurer of a local school district is encouraging residents to contact state legislators for answers about why the valuation of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant dropped by $54 million. The Ottawa County school district will realize a loss in property taxes of about $1.8 million. [Press Publications]
Have a really dreamy day.
geoharvey 