Opinion:
¶ “Renewable Energy And Environmental Protection Is Not An Either/Or” • There are roughly 2,050 GW of new projects, 94.4% of this compromised of renewables and energy storage, waiting for authorization from grid regulators to connect. The National Environmental Policy Act isn’t the problem. The problems and solutions are simpler than that. [CleanTechnica]
High voltange (Nikola Johnny Mirkovic, Unsplash)
¶ “A Nuclear Power Plant In A Hurry: For Whose Benefit?” • New media reports say Sri Lanka’s interim Government hurried to approve a Russian-backed Nuclear Power Plant. We are trying desperately to reduce our fossil fuel consumption to conserve our limited dollar reserves, and a nuclear plant completely contradicts this strategy. [The Island.lk]
¶ “Old Forests, Critically Important For Slowing Climate Change, Merit Immediate Protection From Logging” • Forests are an essential part of Earth’s operating system. In the U.S., forests take up 12% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions annually and store the carbon long term in trees and soils. They should be protected as soon as possible. [Phys.org]
Old growth forest (Jenny Walsh, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “25% Of New Vehicle Sales Plugin Sales In Germany In 2023” • The German plugin market had a rather chaotic year in 2023, due to subsidy cuts. Battery EVs scored an okay 23% share of the auto market in December, leading to a 30% plugin share for the month. The full-year 2023 numbers ended at 25%, a drop from the 2022 numbers (31% share). [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Laos Is To Grow Its EV Market, Fuelled By Renewable Energy Ambitions” • In Laos, EVs marked significant growth in 2023, as a total of 4,631 EVs were sold. Of these, 2,592 were cars and 2,039 were motorbikes. But EV adoption in Laos is not being matched well by the needed infrastructure. Currently, the country boasts only 41 charging stations. [The Star]
Laos (Colin Roe, Unsplash)
¶ “India Set To Be Renewable Energy Hub With Hundreds Of Billions Earmarked For Projects” • India is fast becoming a focal point for renewable energy deals, with a series of recently signed multibillion-dollar agreements highlighting the “favourable investment climate” that has attracted domestic and global firms in the last few years. [South China Morning Post]
¶ “Southern Western Australia Gears Up For Major Renewable Energy Projects” • In the southern region of Western Australia, the landscape of renewable energy is witnessing a transformation with two major projects nearing completion. One is the 76-MW Flat Rocks Windfarm. The other is a groundbreaking pumped hydro project in Walpole. [BNN Breaking]
Wind farm in Western Australia (Harry Cunningham, Unsplash)
¶ “India’s Power Shortage Reduced To Less Than 1%: RK Singh” • Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, RK Singh, said India has made substantial strides in reducing its power shortage from about 4.5% in 2014 to less than 1%. India is well on its way to see 65% of its power capacity from non-fossil-fuel sources by 2030. [menafn]
¶ “Nuclear Goes Backwards, Again, As Wind And Solar Enjoy Another Year Of Record Growth” • The nuclear renaissance of the late-2000s was a bust due to the Fukushima disaster and catastrophic cost overruns with reactor projects. The latest renaissance is heading the same way, ie nowhere. Nuclear power went backwards last year. [Renew Economy]
Solar PVs and sheep (Courtesy of NextTracker)
¶ “Renewable Energy Capacity Overtakes Coal In Central China’s Henan” • By the end of 2023, the installed renewable energy power generation capacity in central China’s Henan Province had surpassed 67 million kW, overtaking coal power for the first time, according to the latest data from the State Grid Henan Electric Power Company. [Xinhua]
US:
¶ “Canoo Delivers First Of 9300 Electric Vans To Kingbee” • Canoo makes groundbreaking EVs in Oklahoma. For now, it is focusing all its energy on building vans that can be used by tradespeople and delivery services. Walmart is a prime customer. Another is Kingbee, which just placed an order 9,300 Canoo LTV 130 delivery vans. [CleanTechnica]
Canoo delivery van (Courtesy of Canoo)
¶ “Realigning Utility Incentives for Today’s Priorities” • PIMs, performance incentive mechanisms, are designed to motivate improved utility performance in specific areas that may not be adequately encouraged by traditional cost-of-service regulatory frameworks. To help people learn about them, RMI has launched a new PIMs Database. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “States With Big Climate Goals Strip Local Power To Block Green Projects” • Local restrictions in Michigan derailed more than two dozen utility-scale renewable energy projects as of last May, a study at Columbia University says. Some 228 restrictions in 35 states were imposed to stop green energy projects, and now states are retaking power. [niagara-gazette.com]
Have a fabulously cozy day.
geoharvey 
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