Science and Technology:
¶ “Small Wind Guidebook” • Although wind turbines large enough to provide a significant portion of the electricity needed by the average US home generally require an acre of property or more, approximately 19.3% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas and may own land parcels large enough to accommodate a wind energy system. [CleanTechnica]
Small turbine (Cultivate Photography Multimedia Design, NREL)
World:
¶ “More CEOs Fear Their Companies Won’t Survive As AI And Climate Challenges Grow” • More executives are feeling better about the global economy, but a growing number don’t think their companies will survive the coming decade without a major overhaul, due to pressure from climate change and technology like artificial intelligence. [ABC News]
¶ “Brazil’s Rio De Janeiro State Confronts Flood Damage After Heavy Rain Kills At Least 12” • In Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state heavy rain wreaked havoc last weekend, flooding people’s homes, a hospital, the Rio metro line, and a main section of freeway. Scientists say extreme weather is more frequent due to climate change brought on by human action. [ABC News]
Rio De Janeiro (Joshua Woroniecki, Unsplash)
¶ “2023 Volkswagen Group Electric Car Deliveries Up 34% Over 2022” • The press is full of stories about how the EV revolution is slowing down, but don’t believe it. Reports from the actual world show what is happening in the real world. Volkswagen Group has announced that its deliveries of EVs increased by a healthy 34% in 2023 compared to 2022. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “BYD Starts Shipping EVs On Explorer No 1” • BYD’s first ocean vessel is on its first journey. Explorer No 1, which is apparently the name of BYD’s first vessel, has sailed from Shenzhen, China. Explorer No 1 departed from Xiaomo International Logistics Port, after being delivered to Yantai Port in Shandong Province just days ago, on January 10. [CleanTechnica]
BYD Explorer No 1
¶ “Enel To Acquire 1-GW Hybrid Renewables Project At Mine In Australia” • Enel Green Power Australia, a subsidiary of Italian energy company Enel, agreed to acquire the 1-GW Julia Creek renewables project from QEM. The project is sited next to the QEM Julia Creek vanadium and oil shale project in north-west Queensland. [Power Technology]
¶ “Vestas Introduces Low-Emission Steel Offering For Wind Turbines” • Vestas established a partnership with ArcelorMittal to launch a low-emission steel offering that significantly reduces lifetime carbon dioxide emissions from the production of wind turbine masts. Vestas’s sustainability strategy includes addressing the materials it uses. [Cision News]
Vestas turbines (Dario De corso, Unsplash)
¶ “Ireland Sets New Wind Record In 2023” • Wind farms provided 35% of the island of Ireland’s electricity and set a new record for power production in 2023. This is according to Wind Energy Ireland’s Annual Report, Cutting Carbon, Cutting Bills: Analysis, which examines savings in gas consumption delivered by wind farms in 2023. [reNews]
¶ “Albania Kicks Off Qualifications For 300 MW Solar Power Auction” • Albania invited investors to qualify their PV projects for a tender for 15-year contracts for difference. The quota is 300 MW. The highest acceptable price is €59.97/MWh. Developers with the lowest bids will be selected in turn until their projects total 300 MW. [Balkan Green Energy News]
Berat Albania (Johnny Africa, Unsplash)
¶ “Fossil Lobby Claims Voters Want Nuclear. Grid Simulation Shows It’s The Last Thing Australia Needs” • Polls show support for nuclear power, but critiques published by physical and social scientists and engineers show its weaknesses. They argue that, in the real world, nuclear energy is too expensive, too dangerous, and too slow to plan and build. [Renew Economy]
US:
¶ “How Off-Road Electric Equipment Impacts Green Movement” • We often hear about electric cars, buses and trucks reducing, or even eliminating, emissions. But important changes are under way off-road as well, on construction sites, on farms, and in a variety of similar applications that require big machines to get the job done. [CleanTechnica]
Volvo L25 Electric Compact Wheel Loader (Volvo image)
¶ “US EV Market Grows, Still Just 11% Of Global EV Market” • In 2023, US EV sales saw a notable increase, reaching 1.6 million units, up from the 1.1 million sold in 2022. This uptrend seems resilient and is expected to persist into 2024, with sales projected to hit 1.9 million units, representing a significant 13% of the new car market. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Protecting And Empowering American Solar Customers” • The Solar Energy Industries Association is supporting customers by not only providing them with informational resources but also working to develop national standards that promote fair sales practices to ensure the safe and uniform installation of solar and storage systems. [CleanTechnica]
Rooftop solar system (Giorgio Trovato, Unsplash)
¶ “Surging Electricity Demand Increases the Risk of Blackouts in the US” • The Electric Reliability Council of Texas issued a call to Texans for electricity conservation on Monday morning to avoid a shortage. This is due to a spike in demand resulting from winter weather combined with low wind speeds for the state’s massive wind capacity. [Oil Price]
¶ “Canada Energy Giant Wants To Build One Of Wyoming’s Largest Solar Farms” • Despite an Arctic blast and heavy snowfall blanketing Laramie County, a Canada pipeline and energy firm wants to build a sprawling solar power farm that could power Wyoming industry. Enbridge Inc wants to build a solar farm of nearly 4,000 acres. [Cowboy State Daily]
Have an impartially nurturing day.
geoharvey 