Opinion:
¶ “Rise of Batteries in Six Charts And Not Too Many Numbers” • Battery demand is growing exponentially, driven by a domino effect that cascades from country to country and from sector to sector. This effect is set to enable the rapid phaseout of half of global fossil fuel demand and be instrumental in abating power and transport emissions. [CleanTechnica]
Battery (Jakob Owens, Unsplash, cropped)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Instant Offshore Floating Wind Turbine: Just Remove The Tower” • There is a way that floating turbines can be configured like strange, seagoing carousels, with blades that circle around a vertical axis. The vertical axis is the key that allows for radical new design strategies, and it enables a wind turbine that doesn’t have a tower at all. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Projected Zero-Carbon Electricity Growth Highly Dependent On Cost In Parts of Asia” • In its International Energy Outlook 2023, the US EIA projects low zero-carbon technology costs will drive major growth in zero-carbon electricity capacity and generation and limit growth in fossil fuel-fired generation in parts of Asia between 2030 and 2050. [CleanTechnica]
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
¶ “Toyota’s CFAO Group Brings BYD Dealership To Rwanda, Launches Atto 3, Dolphin, And Seagull Next” • CFAO Mobility in Rwanda has just launched East Africa’s first BYD car dealership in Kigali. The Atto 3 electric SUV will be available in the Rwanda market immediately, with the Dolphin and Dolphin Mini (BYD Seagull) models soon to follow. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “India’s Renewable Energy Capacity Has Reached 188 GW: President Murmu” • India’s installed renewable energy capacity has increased to about 188 GW, up from 81 GW a decade ago, President Droupadi Murmu said in an address. She noted that solar power capacity has increased 26-fold, wind power capacity has doubled in the last ten years. [Swarajya]
Harabhangi Dam (সন্দীপ সরকার, CC0 1.0)
¶ “More Green Energy Powers Coal-Rich Shanxi” • China’s major coal-producing region of Shanxi stepped up renewable energy growth as it seeks low-carbon and greener development. Its renewable energy capacity reached 53.09 GW at the end of 2023, up 22.6% year-on-year, data from the Shanxi provincial statistics bureau shows. [China Daily]
¶ “Greece’s Renewable Energy Output Soars, Aims To Become Green Energy Exporter” • According to its power grid operator, Greece witnessed a remarkable surge in its hydroelectric, wind, and solar energy production last year, reaching a record high. This aligns with Greece’s ambitions to become a major exporter of renewable energy. [EnergyPortal.eu]
Fishing boat with solar panels (Jebulon, CC0 1.0)
¶ “H&M Group Expands Its Renewable Energy Portfolio With Three New Solar Parks in Sweden” • Global fashion retailer H&M Group is to bolster its renewable energy efforts by adding three ground-mounted solar parks in Sweden. The parks, in Blekinge, Södermanland, and Halland, will have capacities of 13 MW, 6 MW, and 4 MW, respectively. [SolarQuarter]
¶ “Europe Signs PPAS For 16.2 GW Of Renewables In 2023, Including 10.5 GW Of Solar” • Swiss financial analyst Pexapark has published its latest report on the European renewable power purchase agreement sector, European PPA Market Outlook 2024. It found that European buyers struck deals for a record 16.2GW of clean power in 2023. [PV Tech]
Wind turbines (Mark König, Unsplash)
¶ “Ford Government Wants To Refurbish Pickering Nuclear Reactors But Can’t Say How Much It Will Cost” • Ontario will seek approval to refurbish four aging 1980s Candu nuclear reactors at Pickering. Energy Minister Todd Smith admitted there is no precise cost estimate for the nuclear refurbishment, at least not one he is willing to reveal. [Toronto Star]
US:
¶ “Western Monarch Butterflies Overwintering In California Dropped 30% In 2023” • The number of western monarch butterflies overwintering in California dropped by 30% last year, likely due to how wet it was, researchers said. Other causes of the decline are destruction of habitat due to housing, pesticides, herbicides, and climate change. [ABC News]
Monarch butterfly (Melissa Burovac, Unsplash)
¶ “State Energy Policy in a Land of New Federal Opportunity” • New and expanded federal programs have radically shifted the landscape of what’s economically and politically feasible for state policymakers, giving states a chance to unlock wide-ranging benefits and attract billions in federal and private funding for residents and businesses. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Historic Funding to Plug Orphaned Oil & Gas Wells” • The Department of the Interior awarded nearly $5 million through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for Missouri to clean up legacy pollution. Missouri has nearly 5,000 orphaned oil and gas wells documented that need to be plugged, many of which have emit methane. [CleanTechnica]
Abandoned gas well (Steve Hillebrand, US FWS, public domain)
¶ “New Analysis Reveals Implications Of Plummeting Usage Of Coal In The US” • A report from research firm Rhodium Group found that the United States’ planet-overheating gas emissions dropped by 1.9% in 2023, largely thanks to the phaseout of coal burning. Coal produced 17% of US energy last year, according to the report. [The Cool Down]
¶ “Report: Palisades Getting Federal Loan To Reopen” • A report from Bloomberg says Holtec International Corporation will get a $1.5 billion loan from the US DOE to restart the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan. The facility was shut down in May 2022 to be decommissioned, but Holtec pitched the restart idea after purchasing the plant. [WKZO]
Have a superbly guided day.
geoharvey 