World:
¶ “Can Your On-Demand Deliveries Be Emissions Free?” • The global on-demand last-mile delivery service is worth over $150 billion, and it’s growing. What are the climate impacts of these deliveries? And how can we help the sector transition to zero-emissions vehicles and reduce its climate impacts? RMI looks at these issues. [CleanTechnica]
Delivery (Rowan Freeman, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “The Volvo XC40 Leads The Way In South Africa As Battery EV Sales Show Good Progress in 2023” • The annual sales of full battery EVs came close to 1,000 units in South Africa for the first time in 2023. Last year, 931 battery EVs were sold in South Africa, almost doubling from 502 in 2022 and more than quadrupling from 218 in 2021. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Northvolt Secures $5 Billion in Financing For Circular Battery Factory” • Northvolt has a goal of making the most sustainable batteries in the world. It recently chose Quebec as the site of its first battery factory in North America because of the availability of its hydroelectric power. The electricity the factory uses will be nearly 100% emissions free. [CleanTechnica]
Northvolt Ett factory (Northvolt image)
¶ “Indian Tycoon Adani Bets Big On Vast Solar And Wind Plant” • In the desert along the border with Pakistan, Indian billionaire Gautam Adani is building the world’s largest renewable energy park as he races to future-proof his coal-linked fortune. The $2.3-billion Khavda Renewable Energy Park will have 30 GW of solar and wind capacity. [Yahoo News]
¶ “Panama Launching 500-MW Renewable Energy And Energy Storage Scheme” • Panama has launched a 500-MW tender auction for renewables and energy storage, the first in Central America to include storage. Winning bidders are to have projects operational by 1 September 2026, for existing renewable projects and new solar PV plants. [Energy-Storage.News]
Panama City (Mattias Hill, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Bangladesh Solar Power Surge Set To Unlock Thousands Of Green Jobs” • After years of slack progress, renewable energy in Bangladesh has seen a strong turnaround on the back of more affordable solar power. It is expected to create 3,000 to 4,000 new jobs in the next few years. Rooftop solar alone accounted for a record 42 MW added in 2023. [The Hindu]
¶ “Europe Celebrates 4.2-GW Record Offshore Wind Haul” • The European offshore wind industry brought online a record 4,200 MW of offshore wind capacity in 2023. The amount was up 40% from the 1.7 GW installed in 2022, according to figures published by trade association WindEurope. Of the 4.2 GW total, 3 GW was installed in the EU. [reNews]
Offshore wind farm (Van Oord image)
US:
¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $104 Million To Advance Net-Zero Projects At Federal Facilities” • The US DOE announced $104 million for energy conservation and clean energy projects at 31 Federal facilities. It is the latest step in President Biden’s strategy to reestablish the Federal Government as a sustainability leader. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “People Who Drive Trucks For A Living Really Like Driving Electric Trucks” • Work trucks account for only 4% of the vehicles on the road but produce 25% of greenhouse gas emissions from the US transportation sector. That’s why increasing the number of electric trucks is so important for reducing the US emissions from transportation. [CleanTechnica]
Ford EVs (Ford image)
¶ “Regulators, Pentagon, Student Activists Push Back On Georgia Power’s Energy Plans” • Georgia Power wants to generate and buy more energy to meet growth in demand. Commissioners, staff, and interveners questioned not just the forecasts but the choice of energy sources and the utility’s claim that the changes would drive power rates down. [WABE]
¶ “BLM Analysis Aims to Optimize Solar Energy Development Throughout the US West” • The Bureau of Land Management announced an updated roadmap for solar energy development in the West. The change is to expand solar energy production in more Western states and make renewable energy permitting on public lands more efficient. [CleanTechnica]
Solar energy (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)
¶ “AES Announces Addition Of 3.5 GW Of Renewables” • AES Corp, based in Virginia, said it added 3.5 GW of new renewable energy generation capacity to its global portfolio in 2023, which is nearly double what it built in the previous year. The projects include solar power, wind power, and energy storage in several locations worldwide. [POWER Magazine]
¶ “Insects Thrive In Restored Habitats Near US Solar Energy Facilities” • Researchers from the Argonne National Laboratory and National Renewable Energy Laboratory went on a mission to explore the ecological impact of PV solar energy sites, especially those restored with native grasses and wildflowers. The result is buzzing with life. [Earth.com]
Community solar garden (ItaliaCalcio2008, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Strata Breaks Ground On Arizona Battery Project” • Strata Clean Energy has broken ground on a 255-MW, 1020-MWh Scatter Wash battery storage complex in Phoenix. The facility is expected to be operational in April 2025. The project’s batteries can store enough electricity to power more than 250,000 homes for four hours daily. [reNews]
¶ “Biden Administration Approves $1.1 Billion Aid Package To Extend Diablo Canyon Operation” • The Biden Administration announced a $1.1 billion aid package to keep California’s Diablo Canyon Power Plant operating until 2030. The nuclear plant is the last one still in operation in the state. PG&E also submitted a 20-year license extention to the NRC. [KEYT]
Have a wholly gratifying day.
geoharvey 
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