geoharvey

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Real Value Of Electrifying Non-Powered Dams” • Some non-power dams are suitable for conversion to generate power, but few have been in the last 20 years due to the complexity and concerns about economics. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory developed a way to calculate the economic value of a converted NPD. [CleanTechnica]

Allegheny River Lock and Dam 2 (Andrew Byrne, US ACE)

World:

¶ “33% Plugin Vehicle Market Share In China – February 2024 Sales Report” • Plugin vehicles are all the rage in the Chinese auto market, but Chinese New Year celebrations, which always slow things down, happened this year in February. There were 440,000 EV sales, which is down 9% year over year. The overal market had 1.33 million sales. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “I Want To Tackle It In A Big Way’: Meet The Nigerian Women Spearheading Solar Projects” • In Fadeyi’s childhood, she only had intermittent electricity, but she got a degree in chemistry and training in solar installation. Then She started a non-profit dedicated to climate advocacy and providing clean energy to poor communities. [Euronews.com]

Solar panels in Nigeria (EtinPower image)

¶ “NatPower UK To Invest $12.8 Billion Into Battery Storage ‘Gigaparks’” • A renewable energy developer announced it would invest almost $12.8 billion into a massive battery storage project in the UK. NatPower, a UK startup, plans to submit planning proposals for three ‘gigaparks,’which it hopes to follow up with 10 more parks in 2025. [OilPrice.com]

¶ “Significant Renewable Energy Gains In 2023 Put Global Goal Within Reach” • The world added 50% more renewable energy in 2023 than 2022, putting the global goal of tripling clean energy in the next six years within reach, experts have said. The IEA made the announcement after analysis of current policies and market developments. [Yahoo News UK]

Wind turbines (Bastian Pudill, Unsplash)

¶ “Japan, China Hold Expert Consultation on Fukushima Daiichi Treated Water Ocean Release” • The governments of Japan and China held an expert consultation meeting regarding the release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean. The Japanese said that monitoring results showed no impact on seawater. [The Japan News]

US:

¶ “Clean Energy, One Community At A Time” • Many places are highly dependent on fossil fuels, but they might not have the time, experience, or other resources to convert to sustainable energy. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory provide technical assistance research that can help communities pursue sustainable energy options. [CleanTechnica]

House in Alaska (Courtesy of NREL)

¶ “Navajo And Hopi Country Deserve More EV Charging” • EV charging dead zones still exist in the US, some with no plans in sight to improve the situation. Here, we look into Navajo and Hopi tribal lands, and why it’s important to address the problem, not only for the people who live there, but for all of the people who struggle to visit the region. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “How Platte River Power Authority Is Accelerating Its Energy Transition” • Community-owned Platte River Power Authority is a wholesale electricity provider in northern Colorado. It has a policy goal to decarbonize by 2030. It was the first utility in the state to bring windpower online, and plans to grow its windpower sevenfold by 2025. [Longmont Times-Call]

Platte River wind turbines (Platte River Power Authority)

¶ “The US Federal Gov’t Attempts To Tackle Cement And Concrete Decarbonization” • Decarbonization of Cement and concrete is the object of $6 billion in grants by the US DOE. In total, 33 projects across more than 20 states will help accelerate the commercial scale demonstration of emerging industrial decarbonization technologies. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Comprehensive Analysis Of Texas Solar Farm Hail Storm Aftermath” • On March 15, 2024, a powerful hailstorm hit Fort Bend County, Texas. It damaged thousands of solar panels at the Fighting Jays Solar Farm. One lesson is that storm damage is getting worse. But there are ways to take that into account when new projects are developed. [Microgrid Media]

Have a contentedly unperturbed day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Solution To Energy Storage May Be Beneath Your Feet” • Thermal energy storage shows promise as a low-cost alternative to existing storage technologies, and storing energy in solid particles such as sand provides a ready answer, with very few geological restrictions. And after all, sand, like air and water, is just about everywhere. [CleanTechnica]

Sand (Keith Hardy, Unsplash)

¶ “Study: Since 1979 Climate Change Has Made Heat Waves Last Longer” • Since 1979, global heat waves are moving 20% more slowly, meaning more people stay hot longer. They are also happening 67% more often, a study in Science Advances says. The study found the highest temperatures in the heat waves are warmer than 40 years ago. [Boston.com]

World:

¶ “Tropical Cyclone Makes Landfall In Northern Madagascar” • A tropical cyclone swept across Madagascar killing eighteen people. The island has been hit by ten strong tropical cyclones since the start of 2022. The southern part of the island is still getting over its worst drought in forty years. Parts of the island are facing a hunger crisis due to extreme weather. [ABC News]

Tropical storm (Jeremy Bishop, Unsplash)

¶ “Invest With This Kiva-Like Nonprofit And Help Build Solar Projects In The Global South” • Kiva.org is a site where people can chip in to provide micro-finance around the world. Now there’s another nonprofit working to harness the power of micro-investments to help fund solar projects in the Global South, and it has an approach very Kiva’s. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “IMO Agrees To First Tax On Shipping Emissions” • The International Maritime Organization, an agency of the UN, has agreed to impose a fee on every ton of shipping emissions from oceangoing cargo vessels. The fee could lead to big changes in the shipping industry while raising a significant amount of money, the Times reports. [CleanTechnica]

Container ship (Courtesy of Volvo Car Group)

¶ “Solar Projects Go Live In Gujarat” • Adani Green Energy, a subsidiary of the Adani Group, has started operations for its 775 MW of solar power projects in Gujarat. The company confirmed the projects were operating after obtaining necessary approvals. The new capacity is considered significant for India’s renewable energy sector. [Manufacturing Today India]

¶ “India On Track To Surpass 500-GW Renewable Target By 2030: Govt Official” • India is on track to surpass its 500-GW renewable target by 2030, said Sudeep Jain, Additional Secretary, Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, while speaking at an industry event. He noted that 2023 saw the most rapid growth in renewable capacity yet. [BW Businessworld]

Solar power (Nuno Marques, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Major Storm To Hit California” • After a storm brought 10 to 13 inches of snow to California and Utah, a bigger storm is on its way to Southern California with flash flooding, strong winds, and heavy snow. Numerous weather alerts for California, Nevada, and Arizona include flood watches for Los Angeles, San Diego, and Santa Barbara. [ABC News]

¶ “EPA Sets New Emissions Standards For Heavy-Duty Vehicles In Effort To Fight Climate Change” • The EPA announced its new emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles. The agency claims the new emissions standards will avoid 1 billion tons of GHG emissions by 2055. The standards will go into effect for vehicles being made in 2027-2032. [ABC News]

Scania truck (Gabriel Santos, Unsplash)

¶ “Made-In-The-USA Monocrystalline Solar Cells: Not A Dream Anymore” • When the US solar firm Suniva ceased operating in 2017, it looked like the end for monocrystalline manufacturing in the US. Nevertheless, if all goes according to plan, the US solar industry will finally get its hands on monocrystalline solar cells that are made in the USA. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Curbside EV Charging In NYC Is A Huge Success” • New York City has a goal of being “net-zero” by 2050. Clearly, that’s not going to happen with zillions of vehicles powered by infernal combustion engines on its roads. Curbside EV charging may help. FLO, a Canadian company, has run 100 curbside chargers in a pilot program since 2021. [CleanTechnica]

Curbside EV charging (Image courtesy of FLO)

¶ “Enel Starts Construction Of Ables Springs Solar-Plus-Storage Project In Texas” • Enel North America began construction of the Ables Springs solar-plus-storage project in Kaufman County, Texas. The project has a 186 MW solar PV system and a 115-MW, 169-MWh battery system. Ables Springs is Enel’s 17th renewable energy project in Texas. [Solar Builder]

¶ “US Renewables’ Installed Generating Capacity Beats Coal” • Solar capacity additions hit the ground running in 2024, pushing renewables’ installed generating capacity past coal, US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission data shows. Solar accounted for 2,527 MW of new installed generating capacity in January of this year, 87.3% of the total. [Electrek]

Wind turbines (Waldemar, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Clean Energy Connector Pilot Launches In Illinois, New Mexico, And Washington DC” • The US DOE and Department of Health and Human Services are partnering on a pilot program of the Clean Energy Connector to connect low-income households with community solar projects. The pilot is starting in Illinois, New Mexico, and Washington, DC. [pv magazine USA]

¶ “Uranium Is Being Mined Near The Grand Canyon” • The largest US uranium producer is ramping up work just south of Grand Canyon National Park on a long-contested project, as global instability and growing demand drive uranium prices higher. Environmentalists and Native American leaders are demanding more regulatory oversight. [MSN]

Have a totally okey-dokey day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “The EV Revolution Has Passed A Tipping Point” • By the end of last year, sales of electric cars reached 5% or more of the new car market in 31 countries. The trajectory laid out by countries that had reached that point in the past shows that EVs sales can grow from 5% to 25% of new cars in under four years, according to Bloomberg. [CleanTechnica]

Togg T10X, made in Turkey (Togg image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Extreme Temperatures Hold Untapped Potential For Solar And Wind Energy” • Conditions that come with the intense hot and cold weather that strains power grids may provide greater opportunities to capture solar and wind energy, according to a study led by Washington State University. The intense weather has more energy. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “QuantumScape Brushes Off Solid-State Battery Skeptics” • QuantumScape is readying a solid state battery. QuantumScape’s battery is not solid throughout. The key to the technology is an anode-free manufacturing process, in which the cell is fabricated in a discharged state. The anode assembles itself during its first charging cycle. [CleanTechnica]

Mock-up of a QuantumScape QSE-5 (QuantumScape image)

World:

¶ “UK Records ‘Highest Ever Share Of Electricity Generation By Renewables’” • The UK saw its highest ever share of electricity generation by renewables last year, at 51.5%, Government figures show. In energy trend data just released, the Energy Department said this came as fossil fuel electricity generation saw its lowest share on record. [Evening Standard]

¶ “China Files WTO Complaint Over US EV Incentives” • From the time President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act, it was inevitable. The Chinese empire struck back by initiating dispute settlement proceedings against the US at the World Trade Organization to safeguard its interests in the EV industry, the Chinese mission said. [CleanTechnica]

BYD’s first cargo ship (BYD image)

¶ “Yellen Plans To Confront China For ‘Unfair’ Clean Energy Subsidies” • US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen revealed that she intends to warn Beijing that its national underwriting for energy and other companies is creating oversupply and distorting global markets, when she pays the country an official visit. China filed a complaint at the WTO against the US. [OilPrice.com]

¶ “Canada Continues Massive Financial Support For Fossil Fuels” • Environmental Defence, a Canadian non-profit, published a report taking the country’s government to task for its continued financial support of fossil fuels. The group claims that in 2023, Canada gave over $18.5 billion in financial support to fossil fuel and petrochemical companies. [CleanTechnica]

Canada’s Fossil Fuel Subsidies (Environmental Defense)

¶ “Australia Can Reach 94% Renewable Power By End Of Decade: Climate Council CEO” • Amanda McKenzie, the Climate Council CEO, says Australia is at “40% renewable power” and can get to “94%” during this decade. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced a $1 billion investment to boost the manufacturing of solar panels in Australia. [Gold Coast Bulletin]

¶ “Eolus Made Investment Decision For Three Onshore Wind Projects In Sweden” • Eolus made an investment decision for wind power projects Fågelås, Boarp, and Dållebo totaling 88 MW. It signed an agreement for turbines with Vestas, and will start construction immediately. The projects are going into an area in need of electricity resources. [Energy Central]

Wind turbine (Raychel Sanner, Unsplash, cropped)

US:

¶ “More Than Half Of Water From Colorado River Used For Agriculture Industry, Report Finds” • More than half of the Colorado River’s total annual water flow is being used to irrigate agricultural land, a paper published in Communications Earth & Environment states. And all of the water is being used; none of it makes it to the ocean. [ABC News]

¶ “Governor Proposes Alternative Plan For Reducing Carbon Emissions” • Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro has proposed a plan aimed at reducing power plant carbon emissions while requiring more electricity to come from renewable sources. Pennsylvania would become the first state to adopt its own carbon-pricing program, if the plan passes. [Bay Journal]

Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro (Commonwealth Media Services)

¶ “Biden–Harris Administration Announces $62 Million To Cut US Battery Recycling Costs” • The DOE announced $62 million for seventeen projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to increase consumer participation in consumer electronics battery recycling as well as improving the economics of battery recycling. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Iowa Farm Is Running On Renewable Energy All-Year Round. Here’s How” • Jason Russell’s hog barn finished construction two decades ago, but the way it functions has changed since then, because the way farmers use energy is evolving. A wind turbine supplies 75% of the farm’s electricity, and a solar array on a third of an acre supplies the rest. [weareiowa.com]

Iowa (Tim Willis, Unsplash)

¶ “New Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Regulator’s Denial Of Renewable Energy Incentive For Electric Utility” • The New Mexico Supreme Court rejected a utility’s appeal for a financial incentive under a law requiring greater production of electricity from renewable energy sources. The opinion by the court was unanimous. [Los Alamos Daily Post]

¶ “‘Swarm’ Of UFOs Buzzed US Air Force Base As ‘Mystery Drones’ Spotted Near Nuclear Assets” • A “swarm” of mysterious drones has been spotted around a US Air Force base that is known to house nuclear assets. The objects are thought to have been controlled by a foreign power trying to gather information on America’s most important defence sites. [Irish Star]

Have an unequivocably beneficial day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Polar Ice Is Melting And Changing Earth’s Rotation. And It’s Messing With Time Itself” • One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself. [CNN]

Polar ice at Iceland (Roxanne Desgagnés, Unsplash)

¶ “Norway Is Taking The Lead In Electric Trucks” • Norway has set a target for all new trucks sold in the country to be electric by 2030. To do that, many new charging stations of 1-MW capacity or more must be added. Enova is making 60 million kroner ($5.5 million) available to five Norwegian companies to install electric truck chargers in southern Norway. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “SSE Partners With Bord Na Móna On 800-MW Onshore Wind JV In Ireland” • Two of Ireland’s leading low-carbon energy companies, SSE and Bord na Móna, announced a 50:50 joint venture aimed to deliver up to 800 MW of new onshore wind energy for Ireland. The JV could invest more than €1 billion over the next decade in onshore wind projects. [SSE]

Ireland (Ainars Djatlevskis, Unsplash)

¶ “Solar Sunshot: Albanese Pledges $1 Billion To Take Australia From ‘Pit To Panel’” • Prime minister Anthony Albanese pledged A$1 billion in production subsidies and grants to build a solar supply chain on Australian soil. Albanese said Australia “should not be the last link in a global supply chain built on an Australian invention.” [RenewEconomy]

¶ “‘Historic Breakthrough’: China’s Installed Wind Turbine Cost Drops To One-Fifth Of The US In Green Energy Race” • Wind power is soaring ahead in China, with the installation price of turbines dropping nearly 45% thanks to economies of scale and technological advancements, according to government tender documents. [South China Morning Post]

Wind turbines (Thomas Reaubourg, Unsplash)

¶ “Urgent Action Needed: Tripling Renewable Energy By 2030, Warns IRENA Report” • The world faces a stark reality: A massive increase in renewable energy deployment is critical to avoid the worst of climate change, according to “Systemic Changes Needed to Triple Renewables by 2030,” a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency. [SolarQuarter]

US:

¶ “You Can Buy This Electric Luxury SUV For $25,000 Right Now. But There Might Be A Catch” • For sale: A brand new luxury electric SUV for the price of $25,000. There just might be a slight catch. The California-based electric SUV company Fisker faces a real possibility of bankruptcy. Its stock is hovering just over 2¢ per share, far below its 2021 peak of $28.50. [CNN]

Fisker Ocean (Alexander-93, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Massachusetts, Rhode Island, And Connecticut Receive Proposals For Offshore Wind Projects” • Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut received proposals for offshore wind projects as they hope to boost their reliance on the renewable source. They have an agreement allowing coordinated selection of offshore wind projects. [ABC News]

¶ “Ford’s Move Into Mass-Market Electric Vehicles – Smart With Stiff Competition” • The automotive industry has seen a big shift towards EVs driven by new technology, consumer preferences, and global efforts to combat climate change. Among traditional automakers, Ford has emerged as a frontrunner in embracing this transition. But it has challenges. [CleanTechnica]

Ford F-150 Lightning charging (Mariordo, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Heat Pumps Are Scaling Up And Taking On Big Industry” • Residential heat pumps deserve a lot of credit for driving the decarbonization train, but home-scaled systems are no match for industrial processes that require steam. The US DOE is on the prowl for a solution and just made a $145 million bet on heat pumps that generate steam. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Makes $1.5 Billion Conditional Commitment To Holtec Palisades To Support Recommission Of Michigan Nuclear Plant” • The US DOE announced the offer of a conditional commitment of up to $1.52 billion for a loan surety for Holtec Palisades to finance the restoration of the 800-MW Palisades Nuclear Plant. [CleanTechnica]

Palisades Nuclear Plant (US NRC, public domain)

¶ “Industrial Decarbonization Is Coming To A State Near You” • The US government announced $6 billion in grants that makers of metal, paper, and glass can use to reduce GHG emissions. The Biden-Harris administration is framing them as an opportunity to transform the US industrial sector and strengthen domestic manufacturing. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Last Coal Plants In New England To Close; Renewables Take Their Place” • The last coal producers in New England will shutter their doors permanently under an agreement reached with environmental groups and the EPA. Two plants in New Hampshire, Schiller and Merrimack, will voluntarily close down in 2025 and 2028, respectively. [The Hill]

Reddy Kilowatt on a booklet (Author unknown, public domain)

¶ “Walmart Funds Almost 1 GW In US Solar Power” • Walmart is funding almost two dozen new community solar projects and three long-term purchase agreements that will add almost 1 GW of zero-carbon energy to the US grid. That’s roughly enough energy to power 750,000 US homes. Walmart already had more than 600 renewable energy projects. [GreenBiz]

¶ “Washington Governor Urged To Veto $25 Million For Nuclear Power Project” • Environmentalists and tribal leaders want Gov Jay Inslee to veto a $25 million earmark in Washington’s capital budget for deploying next generation nuclear reactors. The funds are to go to Energy Northwest to develop small modular nuclear reactors in the state. [News From The States]

Have a particularly entertaining day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Renewables Are The Only Energy Solution That Can Avert Climate Disaster, Conference Told” • While it is the sovereign right and prerogative of nations to choose their energy mix, the arguments for adding new nuclear capacity are weak, according to the director-general of the International Renewable Energy Agency, Francesco la Camera. [Daily Maverick]

Wind turbines (Karsten Würth, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “NOAA Calls For Urgent Geoengineering Investigation” • It is abundantly clear that we are not sufficiently slowing the pace of global heating. So the administrator of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said NOAA is starting to study the effects of likely techniques for geoengineering, including the ones involving the oceans. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Schools To Reopen In South Sudan After Two Weeks Of Extreme Heat” • South Sudan’s government said schools will reopen next week after being closed for two weeks due to heat. The health and education ministries said temperatures were expected to drop in the coming days. During the heat wave, the country’s highs were up to 45°C (113°F). [ABC News]

Family in South Sudan (David Atoroyo Sika, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Chinese EV Makers Challenging Market Leaders At Auto Show In Bangkok” • Chinese EV makers are showing off their latest models, including a flying car, at the Bangkok International Motor Show. BYD, XPeng, Great Wall Motors, and others are challenging longstanding market leaders like Toyota, Isuzu, and Ford, as they expand exports. [ABC News]

¶ “Offshore Wind Industry Wants To Shed Its Fossil-Fueled Workboats” • The offshore wind industry seems to want to go beyond producing carbon-free renewable energy. They are also replacing the fuels used by their working vessels. Electric power is on the menu as a long term solution, and alternative fuels are getting attention for now. [CleanTechnica]

Service operations vessel (Courtesy of ESVAGT)

¶ “There Are Now Visibly More Electric Motorcycles In Nairobi, Kenya” • Hundreds of thousands of internal combustion engine motorcycles are sold each year in Kenya. These continue to add enormous amounts of greenhouse gas emissions. But a number of startups are making electric motorcycles, and they are starting to make a difference. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Offshore Wind Race Heats Up In Baltic Sea, Russia Or Not” • Russia has a slim coastal finger on the Baltic Sea, giving it a golden opportunity to tap rich offshore wind resources. To no one’s surprise, it has passed on that. However, activity has been increased by other Baltic nations. That includes a new 975-MW wind farm for Germany. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind turbines (Screenshot courtesy of Siemens)

¶ “UK Cable Superhighway Receives £3.4 Billion Boost” • Ofgem gave provisional approval to a funding package for the proposed 2-GW high voltage Eastern Green Link 2 transmission line. The line is a subsea and underground 500 km (310 miles) electricity superhighway between Scotland and Yorkshire. Its funding will come to £3.4 billion. [reNews]

¶ “Nordex Secures 98-MW Swedish Order” • The Nordex Group has received an order from Holmen Energi AB for 98 MW in Sweden. In summer 2025, the Nordex Group will supply and install 14 N163/6.X turbines for the Blisterliden wind farm in a forested area in the county of Västerbotten in the northeastern part of Sweden. [reNews]

Wind turbine (Nordex image)

¶ “Indian Police Report UFOs Flying Over Nuclear Plants ‘Every Few Days’” • Senior law enforcement in India video-taped UFO sightings over nuclear plants last year, a news report revealed. One witness, a police sub-inspector, said he was ‘100% sure’ the object he taped, with its high-speed ‘zigzag movements,’ could not be explained by human tech. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Why Stumpy, DC’s Iconic Cherry Tree, Is Drawing So Much Attention” • A hallowed-out, small cherry tree in Washington, DC, is getting a major amount of attention ahead of its removal from the Tidal Basin because of climate change. Over the last century, sea levels in the Washington, DC, area have risen by over a foot, according to NOAA. [ABC News]

Cherry trees in salt water (Javier Robles, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “What Is The Cost Of Climate Pollution? Corporate Profits, That’s What” • The US SEC proposed a rule mandating that public companies report their greenhouse gas emissions. But corporations will do just about anything to hide the true cost of their climate pollution, and the lobbying pressure against full disclosures won out. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “$50 Million For Tribal Clean Energy Projects” • The US DOE said that under the Clean Energy Technology Deployment on Tribal Lands – 2024, the amount of funding available has been doubled, as it has increased from $25 million to $50 million. The DOE Office of Indian Energy is soliciting applications from Indian Tribes. [CleanTechnica]

USDA visit to Blackfeet Nation (USDAgov, public domain)

¶ “Ørsted’s Sunrise Wind Offshore Project Gains US Government Approval” • The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved the 924-MW Sunrise Wind offshore wind farm. Its developers, Danish energy company Ørsted and utility provider Eversource, have also taken a final investment decision on the project. [Power Technology]

¶ “West Virginia Governor Vetoes Bill Expanding Renewable Energy To Protect Coal” • West Virginia Gov Jim Justice (R) vetoed a measure that would raise the allowable size for a solar plant operated by state utilities, citing concerns about its effects on the coal industry. The bill would have doubled the maximum size of utility solar plants to 100 MW. [The Hill]

Have a decidedly great day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “New Solid-State EV Battery Just Tip Of Energy Storage Iceberg” • One pathway in the evolution of battery technology is to replace the liquid electrolyte in a conventional battery with a solid or quasi-solid electrolyte. A series of recent breakthroughs has brought solid-state energy storage almost to the point of commercial production. [CleanTechnica]

Solar, wind, and storage (Energy Vault image)

World:

¶ “Forest Fires Burn In Nearly Half Of The Drought-Stricken States in Mexico, Fueled By Strong Winds” • Mexico’s National Forestry Commission reported 58 active fires in fifteen states, including in protected nature reserves in Morelos, Veracruz, and Mexico states. A preliminary estimate of the affected area comes to over 3,500 acres (1,421 hectares). [ABC News]

¶ “Here Are The Big Hurdles To The Global Push To Build Up Renewable Energy” • In December, the world’s governments agreed they want to triple renewable energy by 2030. They laid the goal out at the UN climate summit. But the post-pandemic global economy is throwing up obstacles that will need to be overcome to meet the goal. [ABC News]

Wind turbines (Priscilla Du Preez, Unsplash)

¶ “Queensland Roadmap Plots A Path For A 22-GW Renewable Energy Zone Strategy” • Queensland has launched an updated renewable energy zone roadmap that lays out a framework to strategically connect about 22 GW of renewable energy to the grid in 12 coordinated zones across the state’s southern, central, and northern regions. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “BYD Targets Toyota And Volkswagen With New Price Cut Strategy” • If you think the EV revolution is slowing down, it’s only because electric cars are still too expensive. BYD thinks it has the answer. The giant Chinese automaker is not content with unseating Tesla with low-price EVs. Now it’s going after Toyota and Volkswagen also. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seagull (China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Tech)

¶ “Renewable Power Makes 1-GW Italian Battery Pact” • Altea Green Power is partnering with Renewable Power Capital to develop 1 GW of battery storage in Italy. The partnership is focused on ensuring strong involvement of local municipalities and stakeholders. It aims to achieve ready-to-build status for the pipeline in the next 2 to 4 years. [reNews]

¶ “Polestar Uses Renewable Power To Reduce Carbon Footprint Of New Electric SUV” • Polestar, an EV manufacturer based in Sweden, says it has reduced the total “cradle-to-gate” carbon footprint of its new Polestar 3 electric performance SUV as it continues to gain efficiencies and use more renewables in the manufacturing process. [The Driven]

Polestar EV (Polestar image)

¶ “Adani Eyes 45 GW Of Renewable Energy Capacity By 2030” • Billionaire Gautam Adani’s group is building the world’s largest renewable energy park in Gujarat, as it eyes a massive 45 GW capacity to generate electricity largely from solar. He said his group’s renewable energy arm, Adani Green Energy, is leading an energy transition. [Press Trust of India]

US:

¶ “Trader Joe’s Just Increased The Price Of A Banana For The First Time In Over Twenty Years” • Trader Joe’s told CNN that it raised the price of a banana to 23¢, an increase of more than 20%. The grocer has sold bananas for 19¢ each for over two decades. World Banana Forum experts had warned that climate change can drive up banana prices. [CNN]

Bananas (engin akyurt, Unsplash)

¶ “$6 Billion To Transform America’s Industrial Sector And Reduce Emissions” • The DOE announced up to $6 billion for 33 projects across over twenty states to decarbonize industries, reduce industrial GHG emissions, support good-paying jobs, revitalize industrial communities, and boost US manufacturing competitiveness. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The TELO Electric Pickup Is A Tiny Truck With Big Features” • If you want to buy an electric pickup truck, your options are still fairly limited, but they are available. However, if you want to buy a little truck, not your standard full-size pickup, you are almost out of luck. TELO Trucks, however, might be about to produce a solution for that. [CleanTechnica]

Rendering of TELO Trucks mini truck (TELO Trucks image)

¶ “$22 Million to Improve Siting And Permitting for Large-Scale Renewable Energy And Energy Storage” • As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the US DOE announced up to $22 million to improve planning, siting, and permitting processes for large-scale renewable energy facilities, including solar, wind, and batteries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Geothermal Advancements, Incentives Could Help NM Meet Renewable Energy Goals” • About 75 years ago in Animas, drillers going after water for irrigation stumbled upon extremely hot water naturally bubbling up out of the ground. The spot would later become the location of New Mexico’s first utility-scale geothermal power plant. [AOL.com]

Animas, New Mexico (BAlvarius, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “A Reality Check On A Small Nuclear Reactor” • Gov Glenn Youngkin shocked a lot of people when he announced in 2022 that he’d like to see a small nuclear reactor and that he’d like to see it built in Southwest Virginia. He shocked people again last week when he said he no longer believed Southwest Virginia was the best location. [Cardinal News]

¶ “Anti-Nuclear Activists File An Appeal Over The Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant’s Safety Operations” • Two groups, Mothers for Peace and Friends of the Earth, are calling on a federal court to revisit safety decisions for Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County. They say the NRC made “unlawful” decisions regarding safety. [KCBX]

Have a perfectly lovely day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “To Make Water Last Year-Round, Kenyans In Dry Regions Are Building Sand Dams On Seasonal Rivers” • Kenyans are building sand dams so they can harvest water from seasonal rivers. The barriers, typically made of concrete, impede water flow so grains of sand settle behind them, creating artificial aquifers that fill up during rainy seasons. [ABC News]

Kerio River (Rainier5, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “SK Ecoplant, BCG Energy To Develop Renewable Energy Projects In Việt Nam” • BCG Energy, a Vietnamese firm, signed a cooperation agreement with SK ecoplant, one of the Republic of Korea’s leading investors in renewable energy, to build 300 MW of rooftop solar, 100 MW of ground-mounted solar, and 300 MW of wind power in Việt Nam. [vietnamnews.vn]

¶ “Dominica Announces Solar And Battery Storage Solutions for Primary Schools” • The Island of Dominica came one step closer toward its goal of becoming a fully climate-resilient nation with two new solar microgrids. The Ministry of Education announced microgrids at two primary schools that are emergency hurricane shelters in times of need. [CleanTechnica]

Roseau visited by a cruise ship (Nario Esprit, Unsplash)

¶ “Triple Win: How Africa’s Industrials Can Decarbonise, Lower Energy Costs And Increase Reliability All At The Same Time” • In African countries, a large part of a company’s energy may come from its own power plants. This is especially true wherever grid reliability is low and industries rely on their own power to ensure a stable energy supply. [Cape Business News]

¶ “ACWA Power Says Breakdown At Morocco Solar Plant Costs Firm $47 Million” • Saudi Arabian renewable energy utility ACWA Power International reported a storage breakdown at one of the concentrating solar plants it operates in Morocco that will cost the company an estimated $47 million. It is not the first such breakdown. [Gulf Business]

Ouarzazate Power Station (Marc Lacoste, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Climate-Conscious Investors Put Nuclear Dead Last On List Of Desirable Australian Ventures” • Nuclear energy ranks last on the list of climate technologies big institutional investors want, according to a survey of climate conscious investors with A$37 tillion ($24 trillion) under management. Fewer than 10% of the group are considering nuclear power. [The Guardian]

¶ “Canada Pushes Nuclear Power To Get At Oil Sands” • Natural Resources Minister Gary Lunn said discussions are already taking place with the oil industry and the province of Alberta to use nuclear power to extract oil from oil sands. He believes nuclear energy helping get heavy crude out of the ground will help cut greenhouse gas emissions. [Reuters] (What‽)

Oil sands site (jasonwoodhead23, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

UK:

¶ “PM Announces National Endeavour To Strengthen The UK’s Nuclear Deterrent” • The Prime Minister will today, March 25, declare a ‘national endeavour’ to secure the future of the UK’s thriving defence and civil nuclear industry, as he visits Barrow-in-Furness and announces a significant package of investment in skills, jobs, and communities. [GOV.UK]

¶ “Battery Train Sets Distance Record – The Beginning Of Beautiful Fast Charging” • Great Western Railway’s innovative fast charge battery train trial has been setting records for UK distance without recharging. The most recent is 86 miles (138 km). The train operated at speeds of up to 60 mph, with stops and starts over a hilly route. [CleanTechnica]

Battery electric train (GWR via YouTube)

¶ “UK Renewables Top Gas In Winter” • Renewable energy, such as wind, hydro and solar, generated more power than gas plants in the UK during the winter of 2023 to ’24. Data from the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit’s Power Tracker indicates that renewable generation reached about 55 TWh, but gas generated an estimated 45 TWh. [Energy Live News]

¶ “Clean, Local Energy” • A report found that heating homes using heat pumps powered by community-owned, local wind power could reduce costs by around a quarter below the average cost of gas-powered heating in 2023. Adding rooftop solar and batteries would increase the potential savings, making clean heat nearly a third cheaper than gas. [The Ecologist]

Wind turbine (Paisley Scotland, Flickr, CC 2.0)

¶ “Report: More Profits Must Go To Local Communities From Renewable Energy Projects” • The Welsh Government must find a way to retain a greater share of the profits from commercial renewable energy projects for the public good, a report from the Institute of Welsh Affairs says. Local energy sources provide a way to retain local wealth. [Nation.Cymru]

US:

¶ “Lower Priced Tesla “Model 2” Production To Begin In 2025” • After CleanTechnica’s Zach Shahan termed the coming affordable Tesla the “Model 2” as a joke for a while, Elon Musk said it won’t have that name. Elon Musk loves letters; the Model 3 exists only because Ford has rights to “Model E.” Regardless, the new Tesla is expected to start at $25,000 or less. [CleanTechnica]

Second generation Roadster (Courtesy of Tesla)

¶ “ACT Now: How the Advanced Clean Trucks Rule Will Impact The Electric Grid And Fleets” • RMI analyzed telematics data from Geotab ITS in fifteen states that plan to implement the Advanced Clean Truck rule regulations. RMI’s report is intended to allow stakeholders in those locations to make informed and effective decisions. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Colorado Renewable Energy Society’s Position On Nuclear Power” • Wind and solar are now the lowest-cost and fastest-growing generating capacity. Colorado’s largest utility, Xcel, is on track to provide 85% of its electricity from wind and solar by 2030. CRES believes new nuclear power investment in Colorado is ill-advised. [Pueblo Chieftain]

Have an inconceivably jubillant day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “Floating Solar Array Is Designed To Take The Rough Stuff” • The idea of floating solar panels on calm waters has already taken hold. Sending them off to sea is just next-level engineering. The potential benefit of co-locating solar arrays with offshore wind farms is a tempting prize, and Moss Maritime is moving closer to a solution. [CleanTechnica]

Earlier version of the Moss Maritime concept (Saipem image)

World:

¶ “Taps Running Dry Have Become Part Of Daily Life In South Africa’s Biggest City” • While drought can hurt Johannesburg’s water supply, the dams are full. But climate change is making things worse in another way: Officials say a weeks-long late summer heat wave, up to 5°C above normal, is giving a huge boost to water demand. [CNN]

¶ “US EIA Increases Oil Price Forecast After OPEC+ Production Cut Extension” • The EIA increased its forecast prices for crude oil and petroleum products for the remainder of 2024 in its March Short-Term Energy Outlook after the announcement that OPEC+ will extend its voluntary production cuts through the second quarter of 2024. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (EIA image)

¶ “Coal, The Dirtiest Fossil Fuel, Is Preparing For A Lengthy Goodbye” • Thanks to China’s energy insecurity combining with rising Indian demand, along with the continued fallout from the war in Ukraine and faltering international programs to wean developing economies off fossil fuels, coal is proving remarkably resilient. [The Economic Times]

¶ “Farmers Double The Value Of Back Paddocks With Renewable Power Deals” • The founder of Australia’s first renewable energy land acquisition agency, Daniel Moroko says he found land for 4 GW of big battery projects and 800 MW of solar farms over 30 individual agreements in four Australian states. Some farmers doubled the value of back paddocks. [RenewEconomy]

Australian paddock (britt gaiser, Unsplash)

¶ “Maximizing The Lifecycle Of EV Batteries In Renewable Energy Storage” • The innovative intersection of electric vehicle technology and the renewable energy industry has given rise to a promising sustainability initiative: the repurposing of spent EV batteries for stationary energy storage to mitigate intermittency issues. [ytech.news]

¶ “Offshore Wind Growth Continues In Pursuit Of Climate Targets” • McKinsey research suggests global installed offshore wind capacity is expected to reach 630 GW by 2050, up from 40 GW in 2020. This is just a small part of wind installations. The IEA says that offshore wind farms account for just 7% of installed wind capacity. [Energy Digital Magazine]

Wind turbines (Jian Liu, Unsplash)

¶ “Africa Asks Rich Nations To Honor Pledge On Climate Change” • African countries have urged developed countries to honor their pledges to the Loss and Damage Fund meant to support communities bearing the brunt of the negative impacts of climate change. They said fund pledges and replenishments should be honored without delays. [The Star, Kenya]

¶ “Renewable Energy Key To Tackling Global Water Crisis – IEA” • The International Energy Agency is seeking to reduce the amount of water used in generating energy globally. In place of fossil fuels like oil, gas, and coal, the IEA said use of renewable energies like wind and solar panels would reduce water use in the energy sector. [Punch Newspapers]

Walking for water (Jeff Ackley, Unsplash)

¶ “Peter Dutton In Standoff With State Liberal Leaders Over The Federal Coalition’s Nuclear Power Plan” • In Australia, the federal Coalition faces a battle with the states on its proposal for nuclear power stations at the sites of decommissioned coal power plants, with state premiers and opposition leaders alike largely against Peter Dutton’s proposal. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “US Virgin Islands National Park Gets Much Needed Solar Power” • One of the most beautiful of the US National Parks is Virgin Islands National Park, taking up most of the island of Saint John. Hurricanes, however, are a major problem. The park has opportunities to get energy from sunshine, and the National Park Service is helping with that. [CleanTechnica]

Installing solar panels (National Park Service image)

¶ “Oil Executives Talk Down Rapid Shift To Green Energy As Profits Boom” • Big Oil used an industry conference to argue against a rapid transition to green energy, as fossil fuel firms are made bold by high demand and record profits despite rising alarm over climate change. They spoke at the annual CERAWeek event in Houston. [The News International]

¶ “US NRC Says Gates-Backed Reactor Company’s Planned Application Needs Work” • US regulators told a nuclear power company founded by Bill Gates that its planned construction permit application for a high-tech reactor needs more work. A critic of the technology said could the issue could delay the Wyoming plant’s development. [Yahoo Finance]

Have a truly happy day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Dick Smith Says No Country Has Ever Been Able To Run Entirely On Renewables. Is That Correct?” • Businessman Dick Smith has thrown his support behind calls to introduce nuclear-generated power to Australia, claiming that no country has ever relied on renewables for its electricity. So, is he right about that? The simple answer is, “No.” [ABC]

Nuclear plant in Lithuania (Håkon Grimstad, Unsplash)

¶ “Filling Nuclear Power’s $5 Trillion Hole Is Beyond the Banks” • Nuclear-energy officials arrived in Brussels this week amid a growing wave of public support for atomic power. Then they were humbled by the tepid reaction of bankers. The bankers are unwilling to provide the $5 trillion the industry needs by mid-century. [Yahoo Finance Canada]

Science and Technology:

¶ “AI Has A Voracious Appetite For Electricity, And That’s A Problem” • Bloomberg reports that John Ketchum, CEO of NextEra Energy, speaking at CERAWeek, said US power demand is poised to increase by 81% over the next five years. Another speaker predicted that AI will gobble up more power in the US than households by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

Robot (Alex Knight, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Russia Launches Massive Air Attack On Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure” • Russia unleashed a massive aerial attack in what Ukrainian officials said was the largest and most destructive assault on its energy infrastructure since the start of the war. One target was Ukraine’s largest hydroelectric power station, the Dnipro dam in Zaporizhzhia. [ABC News]

¶ “As Ukraine Eyes A Green Energy Plan, Russia Attacks…Coal?” • Ukraine and its leading utility DTEK have already pledged to discontinue burning coal in power plants, in accord with other European nations. Russia’s latest act of violence against civilians is all the more reason to shed fossil fuels, for the environment and as a national security threat. [CleanTechnica]

Dnipro dam (Валерія Константинова, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “US Shows Interest In Investing In Pakistan Renewable Energy With Eye To Counter Iran Pipeline” • The US expressed interest in investing in renewable energy projects in Pakistan, only two days after a senior official in Washington said his country wanted to prevent the construction of a gas pipeline from Iran to the city of Gwadar, Pakistan. [Arab News PK]

¶ “Gorgeous Agrivoltaic System Gilds The Rural Solar Lily” • The agrivoltaic movement is important for the renewable energy field because it pulls the rug out from under critics, who argue against siting solar arrays on farmland. The only thing missing now is aesthetics, and the European research firm AgroSolar Europe has the solution. [CleanTechnica]

Agrivoltaics using bio-based components to raise solar
panels above crops (Courtesy of AgroSolar Europe)

¶ “NTPC Allocates 1,584 MW Of Renewables-Plus-Storage At $0.056/kWh” • NTPC has allocated 1,584 MW under its 3-GW renewables-plus-storage tender, at an average price of ₹4.70 ($0.056)/kWh. The winning developers will set up renewable energy projects backed with energy storage system to supply firm and dispatchable energy. [pv magazine India]

US:

¶ “Before You Install Wind Energy Technology, Check Out This Database” • The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Wind Resource Database can help determine which sites are best for wind turbines. The database hosts high-resolution temporal (time-based) and spatial (location-based) datasets developed using widely used models. [CleanTechnica]

Flowers and wind turbine (Bryan Bechtold, NREL)

¶ “Attacking Electric Vehicles Has Become An Aggressive Political Campaign Tactic” • Some people, particularly politicians, appeal strongly to emotions strongly, to persuade others to oppose EVs. Clearly, it’s time that we engage in some critical reflection on how politicians draw upon different dark linguistic tools to gain political goals and objectives. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US DOE Reports Chart Path for East Coast Offshore Wind to Support a Reliable, Affordable Electricity System” • The US DOE released findings from the Atlantic Offshore Wind Transmission Study, a two-year study that evaluated transmission options to support offshore wind energy deployment along the Atlantic Coast of the US. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind farm (Pete Godfrey, Unsplash)

¶ “Transition To Clean Energy Future Will Be ‘Lumpy,’ Says Lincoln Davies, But We Can Get There” • When he talks about renewable energy, Lincoln Davies wants you to keep 173,000 in mind. That’s how much solar energy, in terawatts, bathes the Earth at any given moment. That’s also 10,000 times what the human inhabitants use. [The University of Utah]

¶ “A Debate About The Cost Is Dogging A Renewable Energy Bill” • It is not certain how much it will cost if utilities are required to sell only renewable electricity by 2035. That’s the goal of H.289, a bill that raises the state’s renewable energy requirements. Cost estimates have ranged from as little as $150 million to as high as $1 billion. [Seven Days]

Vermont State House (Bob P B, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Battery Storage Playing Increasingly Important Role On California Grid” • The rapid increase in battery storage capacity over the past few years is helping to balance supply and demand within the California Independent System Operator market. Storage capacity stood at 500 MW in 2020. By July 2023, it had reached 5,600 MW. [RBN Energy]

¶ “International Nuclear Energy Expert Questions Michigan’s Palisades Restart” • Is investing $1.8 billion in federal and state funds to restart the aged Palisades nuclear power plant on the Lake Michigan shore necessary for Michigan’s climate goals? It is one of the questions Paris-based international nuclear policy analyst Mycle Schneider raised. [Michigan Public]

Have a highly valued day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Leaders Of Over 30 Countries Meet In A Brussels Summit To Promote Nuclear Energy” • In the shadow of a giant monument glorifying nuclear power, over 30 nations from around the world pledged to use the controversial energy source to help achieve a climate-neutral globe while providing countries with an added sense of strategic security. [ABC News]

Atomium, Brussels (Fisnik Murtezi, Unsplash)

¶ “Further Rise In Food Prices Possible If Global Temperatures Continue To Rise” • Rising global temperatures could strain the agriculture industry, and worldwide inflation will likely cause food prices to increase more, a study says. Changes in average monthly temperatures have the strongest and most consistent correlation to productivity and inflation. [ABC News]

¶ “WMO: The Earth Continues To Warm As Nations Ignore Climate Science” • Scientists and officeholders are gathering in Copenhagen to discuss how to meet nationally set contributions they agreed to at the 2015 Paris climate accords. The nations have been unable to reduce emissions as they strengthen their embrace of fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

Sea surface temperature anomaly, August 2023
(Copernicus Climate Change Service and ECMWF)

¶ “CSIRO – Science Fights Back in Small Nuclear vs Renewables Row!” • CSIRO has defended itself against attacks by Australia’s conservative politicians and the Rupert Murdock media. The fossil fuel set are reacting to the latest CSIRO GenCost report, which reaffirms yet again that renewables are the cheapest form of electricity generation. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “PepsiCo Expands Investment In Vietnam With $400 Million For Renewably Powered Plants” • US food and drink maker PepsiCo Inc will invest an additional $400 million in Vietnam to build two plants powered by renewable energy in the country. The announcement came as delegations of more than 60 US enterprises visited Vietnam. [Hindustan Times]

Vietnam (Catherine McCormack, Unsplash)

¶ “Zero Petroleum Eyes Renewables-Rich South Australia For Green Fuels Plant” • British synthetic fuels developer Zero Petroleum has signed an agreement with the South Australian government. Zero plans to build a synthetic fuel plant in the state with production to begin as early as 2026. Zero Petroleum was founded in 2020. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Atlas Inks Agreement For 200-MW Chilean Battery” • Atlas Renewable Energy has signed a power purchase agreement for a battery energy storage system it is developing with the Chilean company COPEC. The battery system will be installed next to Atlas’ Sol del Desierto solar plant, in the commune of Maria Elena in the Antofagasta region. [reNews]

Battery system (Atlas Renewable Energy image)

¶ “Nuclear Power Plant Impacted By Russian Missiles” • The Ukrainian atomic-energy operator Energoatom said that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant “is on the verge of blackout” after Russia launched what has been described by Ukraine’s Energy Minister as one of the war’s largest-scale attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector. [Newsweek]

US:

¶ “FERC Affirms Decision To Hold Utilities Accountable For Interconnection Delays” • FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, affirmed its determination on key provisions in Order No 2023, its landmark interconnection ruling. FERC can penalize utilities and transmission owners that fail to respond to interconnection requests in good time. [CleanTechnica]

Transmission lines and Mt Hood (Eric Muhr, Unsplash)

¶ “Toxic Chemical Releases Have Declined 21% In Ten Years In USA” • The US EPA released its 2022 Toxics Release Inventory National Analysis. It shows that environmental releases of the inventory’s chemicals from facilities covered by the program were 21% lower in 2022 compared to 2013. This includes a 26% decrease in air releases. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Texas Scores Another Clean Tech Point, Flow Battery Edition” • Texas may protect its fossil fuel interests, but it is also the go-to place for clean energy innovators to do the work of killing off coal, oil, and gas. The latest example is a manufacturing venture that will produce a unique formula, aimed at cutting the cost of flow battery technology. [CleanTechnica]

Flow battery chemistry (Quino Energy screenshot via YouTube)

¶ “Ameren Missouri’s Solar Power Surge: Advancing Renewable Energy Goals With 400-MW Solar Project Approval” • Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation, was approved to develop or acquire roughly 400 MW of solar energy. The first of these solar projects is slated to start operations in 2025, followed by two more in 2026. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Doral Renewables Secures $114 Million For An Ohio Solar Project” • Doral Renewables announced it has secured financing for the Great Bend Solar project, a 48-MW facility to be built in Meigs County, Ohio. The solar project marks Doral’s first in the state. HBSC provided $36 million is for construction as part of a $114 million package. [pv magazine USA]

Solar array (Chelsea, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “US Must Speed Permits To Spur Renewable Energy Growth, Execs Say” • The US government needs to streamline permitting for renewable energy projects, including development of power transmission infrastructure and grid connectivity, to support needed growth, according to business executives speaking at a conference in Houston. [MSN]

¶ “‘Transformational’ Kentucky Renewable Energy Project On Old Mine Receives $81 Million” • The US DOE awarded $81 million to develop a renewable-energy project in Kentucky. It is projected to create about 1,500 jobs for construction. The money will help develop a pumped-storage hydro facility on a former surface coal mine site. [Yahoo News Canada]

Have a cordially appreciated day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “Why The Tesla Model Y And Other EVs Are So Safe” • Each year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the best-known evaluator of vehicle safety, awards kudos to vehicles that adhere to top safety standards. EVs are tested no differently than other cars. The tests show why EVs are so safe, as they hold up quite well in simulated crashes. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Michal Lauko, Unsplash, cropped)

World:

¶ “New Map Shows Just How Extreme Last Month Was For The Planet” • If last month being the planet’s hottest February – the ninth month in a row that a monthly record tumbled – failed to resonate, a map from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows the ways the extreme warmth translated to impacts around the world. [CNN]

¶ “Global Ocean Heat Has Hit A New Record Every Single Day For The Last Year” • The world’s oceans have now experienced an entire year of unprecedented heat, with a new temperature record broken every day, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the University of Maine’s Climate Reanalyzer. [CNN]

Panama City, Florida (Craig Cameron, Unsplash)

¶ “Encavis AG Partners With BELECTRIC To Construct 114-MW Solar Farm In Borrentin, Germany” • Encavis AG, a renewable energy operator based in Hamburg, is collaborating with BELECTRIC to build a solar farm in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, with a capacity of 114 MW and an annual power output of 119 GWh. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Four Countries Could Account for Most Near-Term Petroleum Liquids Supply Growth” • Growth in petroleum sales is driven primarily by rising crude oil production from four countries in the Americas – the US, Guyana, Canada, and Brazil – which would partially offset near-term voluntary production cuts in 2024 expected from OPEC+. [CleanTechnica]

Oil supply growth. Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Amazon Strikes PPA Deal To Source Power From Iberdrola’s East Anglia Offshore Wind Project” • Amazon has inked a major renewable energy offtake deal that has seen it secure 159 MW of electricity from the East Anglia Three offshore wind farm. East Anglia Three is currently under development in the English Channel. [Business Green]

¶ “Shell Backing Away From Retail, Focusing On EV Charging, To Sell 1,000 Fuel Retail Locations” • A recent article at Yahoo Finance says Shell is going to start backing away from retail fuel stations to better focus on EV charging. As part of this effort, 1,000 fuel retail locations will be sold, and more EV charging stations will be installed at rest. [CleanTechnica]

Shell charging area (Shell image)

¶ “Australia’s Largest Solar Farm Powers Up Queensland” • The 88-MW Dugald River solar farm will power key mines in outback Queensland’s North-West Minerals Province. Mining projects from MMG Limited, New Century Resources, and Mount Isa Mines are set for a green energy boost as Australia’s largest solar farm officially launches. [Australian Mining]

¶ “WWF: Nuclear Path To Net-Zero Is A ‘False Narrative’” • As world leaders gather in Brussels for a Nuclear Energy Summit, to identify a role for nuclear energy in the energy transition, WWF argues that the idea that nuclear energy can play a key role in reaching the net-zero emissions long-term goal of the Paris Agreement, is a false narrative. [Panda.org]

Nuclear power plant (Ondrej Bocek, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “How Climate Change Is Affecting Washington, DC’s Iconic Cherry Blossoms” • While warming temperatures are causing cherry blossoms all over the world to bloom earlier, rising sea levels are leaving the National Park Service no choice but to cut down more than 150 trees that have lined the waterfront view for more than a century. [ABC News]

¶ “US Crude Oil Exports Reached a Record in 2023” • US crude oil exports established a record in 2023, averaging 4.1 million barrels per day (b/d), 13% (482,000 b/d) more than the previous annual record set in 2022. Except for 2021, US crude oil exports have increased every year since 2015, when the US ban on most crude oil exports was lifted. [CleanTechnica]

US petroleum exports. Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “EPA Releases New Auto Emissions Rule” • In a move hailed as one of the most significant climate rules in US history, the Biden administration set forth regulations regulating tailpipe emissions on March 20. They call for reducing average fleetwide carbon emissions 56% by 2032. They are the strictest limit on US car and light truck pollution ever. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “University Of Pennsylvania Leads Ivy League In Transition To Solar Power” • The University of Pennsylvania, a member of the Ivy League with an extensive healthcare component. Together, the educational and healthcare facilities use around 300 MW, a third of what an average nuclear power plant might produce. U Penn now has 220 MW of PVs. [CleanTechnica]

University of Pennsylvania solar farm (AES image)

¶ “Vermont House Gives Its Preliminary Approval To A Major Renewable Energy Bill” • Vermont House lawmakers gave their preliminary approval for a major bill that sets strict requirements for utilities to buy power from renewable resources over the next five to ten years. There is still some disagreement over what the final price tag will be. [WCAX]

¶ “Bill Gates-Founded Energy Company Set To Construct $3 Billion Nuclear Power Plant In Wyoming, To Be Operational By 2030” • A power company co-founded by Microsoft’s Bill Gates announced plans to begin building a new type of nuclear power plant in Wyoming this June. TerraPower plans to start building the plant without permits. [Daily Mail Online]

Have an absolutely perfect day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science:

¶ “Natural Gas Isn’t Burning Nearly As Cleanly As We Thought” • Remember those golden days when natural gas was a bridge fuel, cleaner burning than coal? Remember how the USA has a shared dream that it has world-beating emissions reductions because of natural gas displacing coal? Into this pleasant dream some harsh realities intrude. [CleanTechnica]

Natural gas flame (Ayesha Firdaus, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Pakistan, Bangladesh, And India Suffer World’s Most Polluted Air” • This year’s IQAir World Air Quality Report shows only seven countries met the World Health Organization’s pollution recommendations in 2023. But the report said three South Asian countries – Bangladesh, Pakistan and India – had the world’s lowest air quality. [Voice of America]

¶ “Coal Billionaire Is Building The World’s Biggest Clean Energy Plant And It’s Five Times The Size Of Paris” • Five times the size of Paris, Earth’s biggest energy plant will make enough electricity to power Switzerland. The Khavda project is turning barren salt desert on the edge of western India into one of the world’s most important sources of clean energy. [CNN]

Post office, village of Khavda (b sarangi, CC0 1,0)

¶ “EVs Grow 94% YOY in Mexico, Tesla Model Y Is Leading The Market” • Mexico was a laggard in the EV transition, until things started to change in late 2021. Now, Mexico is turning into one of the most interesting countries in the region, attracting significant Chinese investment to build EVs locally and rapidly ramping up sales as prices fall. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Aramco CEO Blasts Energy Transition ‘Fantasy’ At CERAWeek 2024” • On the first day of CERAWeek 2024, Amin Nasser, CEO of Aramco, the world’s largest fossil fuel company, told those in attendance that global oil demand will not peak for some time, so policymakers will need to ensure investments in oil and gas are sufficient to meet demand. [CleanTechnica]

CERAWeek 2024 meeting (CERAWeek 2024 image)

¶ “Yet Another Study Shows EVs Are Cleaner Than ICE And Continue Getting Cleaner” • A recent post by Canary Media shows that EVs are (again) proving to be cleaner than similar internal combustion engine vehicles. ICE vehicles are stuck burning the same fuel for the rest of their serviceable lives, but EVs just get cleaner with cleaner electric grids. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Climate Committee Casts Doubt On Scottish Goals” • The continued delays to the updated climate change plan and further slippage in climate policies have brought the Climate Change Committee to believe no longer that the Scottish Government will meet its 2030 target. Scotland has a statutory 2030 goal to reduce emissions by 75%. [reNews]

Scottish castle (Connor Mollison, Unsplash)

¶ “SA Must Implement Renewable Energy Masterplan Urgently, Says Gaylor Montmasson-Clair” • South Africa should enact the SA Renewable Energy Masterplan as soon as possible, as every day’s delay is wasted, said Gaylor Montmasson-Clair, the plan’s facilitator, yesterday on the side lines of the Solar Storage Live Africa and Future Energy Show. [MSN]

¶ “World Needs A Terawatt Of Renewables Each Year, But Only Solar Is Staying On Track” • The International Renewable Energy Agency describes the need for a “systemic shift away from fossil fuels” of terawatt-scale deployment this decade in order simply to meet the global target set at the COP28 conference held in Dubai in December. [RenewEconomy]

Solar power (Michael Förtsch, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “The Strong, Steady Growth of the US Electric Auto Market, In Charts” • EV sales have grown quite consistently for the past few years, despite a strong narrative to the contrary of late. While CleanTechnica has tracked US EV sales for years and produced quarterly reports on them, it has not produced reports on trends in EV market share – until now. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “300 Million Home Sales Prove It: Wind Turbines Don’t Kill Property Values After All” • Fossil energy stakeholders have been ginning up local opposition to new wind farms, partly on account of their supposed impact on property values. A growing pile of evidence shows that impacts on property values are negligible, according to the DOE. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines (Lake Region Electric Cooperative via NREL)

¶ “Can Ford Pull Off A Decent $25,000 EV?” • Various EV outlets and even Bloomberg are reporting that Ford has secret plans to build an affordable EV platform, aiming for both a small pickup and an SUV in the $25,000 range. In this article, I want to talk about why they’re doing this and speculate on whether they can actually pull it off. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Analysis Suggests Lower Price Tag For Changes To Vermont’s Renewable Energy Law” • As a proposed revision of the state’s renewable energy policy comes up for a vote in the House this week, lawmakers will have a new price tag to consider. It is less than half the one originally presented by Governor Phil Scott’s administration. [VTDigger]

Vermont (Robert Thiemann, Unsplash)

¶ “Michigan Transfers Renewable Energy Project Authority To State Via Public Act 233” • Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a law creating Public Act 233. Previously, local townships, or at times local elections, had the authority for siting many renewable projects. With the new law, siting authority lies with the Michigan Pubic Service Commission. [WWMT]

¶ “Dairyland Demolishes Power Plant That Stood In Genoa For Over 50 Years” • Dozens people gathered in Vernon County, Wisconsin, to watch the demolition of Dairyland’s retired power plant. The plant was retired in 2021 and President and CEO of Dairyland, Brent Ridge, says they will continue to use the site in Genoa for spent fuel storage, at least. [WEAU]

Have a rewarding fruitful day,

George

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Why You Should Buy An EV For Your Next Vehicle” • An interesting 2023 study breaks down several characteristics that contribute to a positive intention toward an EV purchase. Studies analyze public acceptance of EVs and point out the gap between adoption intention and actual adoption behavior. There are a lot of reasons to buy an EV. [CleanTechnica]

EV charging (myenergi, Unsplash)

¶ “Joe Rogan, Ray Kurzweil Reveal the Truth about Renewable Energy” • As an inventor and entrepreneur, Ray Kurzweil is considered to be one of the most brilliant minds of the 21st century. In an interview, he told Joe Rogan, “People say we need nuclear power which we don’t, I mean, you can get it all from the sun and, and the wind within 10 years.” [Energy & Capital]

World:

¶ “More And Faster Offshore Wind Is The Aim Of Maersk’s New ‘Rube Goldberg’ Workboat” • Maersk Supply Service has new type of “next-generation Wind Installation Vessel.” It will haul the WIV out to a wind farm construction site and park it there 24/7, while additional components are ferried in by a fleet of other purpose-built vessels. [CleanTechnica]

New offshore wind vessel (Courtesy of Maersk Supply Service)

¶ “EV Battery Prices Dropping A Lot This Year And Next” • Here is some good news. EV battery prices are expected to drop a lot in 2024 and 2025. That’s according to a recent analysis from Goldman Sachs. When EV battery prices do come down a lot, we can then expect electric vehicle prices to come down a lot, which will boost EV sales further. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “World’s First Commerical Seaweed Farm In An Offshore Wind Farm” • The dream of building the world’s first commercial scale seaweed farm within an offshore wind farm edged a little closer to reality last week, when the Irish firm Simply Blue Group stamped its seal of approval on the North Sea Farm 1 project. If all goes well, the idea will spread. [CleanTechnica]

Seaweed farm (Courtesy of Smartland Landscape Architecture)

¶ “Construction Starts On Second Biggest Battery In World’s Most Renewable Grid” • Zen Energy says it started construction on the 111-MW, 291 MWh Templers battery near Adelaide. It will be the second biggest in South Australia. The state already leads the world in the share of wind and solar in its grid and is set to be 100% renewably powered by 2027. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Finnish Player Inks 600-MW Romanian PV Pact” • Finnish renewable energy investor Korkia and Romania-based renewable energy developer Econous Green Energy set up a partnership to develop 600 MW of solar energy in Romania. Initial projects are expected to be licensed and ready for construction in 2025, to supply energy for 200,000 households. [reNews]

Solar array (Red Zeppelin, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “TagEnergy And Harmony Energy’s 49-MW, 98-MWh battery storage facility comes online” • TagEnergy, a clean energy company, and renewable energy infrastructure developer Harmony Energy brought the 49-MW, 98-MWh Jamesfield battery energy storage system facility online in Scotland. It is a standalone project near Abernethy. [ETN News]

¶ “System Operator Outlines £58 Billion UK Offshore Grid Plan” • The UK Electricity System Operator has published a report proposing a £58 billion investment in the electricity grid to meet growing demand for electricity in Great Britain by 2035. The plan aims to connect 21 GW more offshore wind development off the coast of Scotland. [reNews]

Grid system (National Grid)

¶ “Chief Scientist Cathy Foley Backs Renewables, Calls Nuclear Power ‘Expensive’” • Australia’s chief scientist is backing a path to zero emissions led by renewables over nuclear energy, which is “expensive technology.” The federal opposition has put nuclear power back on the national agenda, but Cathy Foley said energy assessments should be guided by evidence. [ABC]

¶ “It Was A ‘Monumental’ Year For Renewables In Europe” • Coal dropped 26% in 2023, and another 20% of coal plants in the EU are expected to close this year and next. Surprisingly, gas did not replace coal in the grid, as it saw a decline of 15%, the fourth year of decline in a row. Wind power is now the second-largest source of electricity in the EU. [Corporate Knights]

Wind turbines (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

¶ “Images Taken Deep Inside Melted Fukushima Reactor Show Damage, But Leave Many Questions Unanswered” • Images by miniature drones inside a badly damaged nuclear reactor at Fukushima Daiichi show displaced equipment and misshapen materials but leave many questions unanswered, showing how daunting decommissioning will be. [AP News]

US:

¶ “Who Is Buying Electric Cars Now?” • For years, very early adopters were buying electric cars because of the climate crisis or because they were techies who quickly got drawn to the new electric era. But now there are a lot of people buying electric cars who aren’t early adopters in one of those core buyer groups. So, who are these people? [CleanTechnica]

EV driver (Jenny Ueberberg, Unsplash)

¶ “Garamendi, King Introduce Bill To Allow Biomass Power To Participate In The RFS” • Rep John Garamendi, D-Calif., and Sen Angus King, I-Maine, each introduced legislation to allow plants generating renewable electricity from forest biomass, such as woodchips or sawdust, to participate in the Renewable Fuel Standard. [Ethanol Producer Magazine]

¶ “BOEM Publishes Notices Of US East Coast Offshore Wind Proposals” • The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has finalized its designation of a wind energy area in the Gulf of Maine. It could potentially deliver 3 GW to Maine and 10 GW to Massachusetts. BOEM’s notice is to be followed by a 30-day public comment period. [Offshore Magazine]

Have a fully worthwhile day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Legacy Automakers Downplay The Value Of EVs While They Play Catch-Up” • As the dominance of combustion-powered vehicles wanes, legacy automakers are negotiating an existential transition. After all, they’ve spent decades in ICE production. But they need to pivot , and adapting quickly is crucial. Yet many car makers question the need. [CleanTechnica]

Ferrari (Jeff W, Unsplash)

¶ “Will Earth Hit A Climate ‘Tipping Point?’ Here’s Why Experts Say This Framework Is Problematic” • People talk about tipping points, but experts say even the concept of a tipping point is misleading. One scientist, James Hansen, who played a key early role in raising climate change awareness, describes the phrase as “greatly overused and misused.” [Salon.com]

Science and Technology:

¶ “NIO And CATL Partnership An Interesting Battery Evolution” • So many improvements in batteries are focused on two things: more range and faster charging. NIO has a unique focus on battery swapping, so it benefits from batteries that lose capacity slowly and last longer. So NIO partnered with CATL to develop longer-lasting batteries. [CleanTechnica]

Nio House (bfishadow, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

World:

¶ “Amid Fierce Competition In China’s EV Market, Xpeng To Launch Cheaper Brand” • Chinese EV maker Xpeng said it plans to launch a cheaper brand, is a highly competitive segment amid intense price competition in the industry. Its models are to be launched within the next month, at prices between 100,000 and 150,000 yuan ($14,000 to $21,000). [CNN]

¶ “South Sudan Shutters All Schools As It Prepares For An Extreme Heat Wave” • South Sudan is closing all schools in preparation for an extreme heat wave expected to last two weeks. Temperatures are expected to soar to 45°C (113°F). South Sudan is especially vulnerable to climate change with heat waves common but rarely exceeding 40°C (104°F). [ABC News]

South Sudan (Jura Bakx, Unsplash)

¶ “Ecolab Achieves 100% Renewable Electricity In Europe With The Completion Of Windfarm Development Project” • Ecolab Inc, is a global leader in water, hygiene, and infection prevention systems and services that protect lives. It announced that it is sourcing of enough clean electricity from Low Carbon to power 100% of its European operations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “TotalEnergies Reaches 1.5-GW PPA Milestone” • TotalEnergies reached over 1500 MW of signed renewable PPAs with over 600 industrial and commercial customers worldwide. Of this 1.5 GW, 1.1 GW is already operating, generating 1.5 TWh of electricity per year, while 400 MW will be commissioned by year-end, the oil and gas giant said. [reNews]

Solar farm (TotalEnergies image)

India:

¶ “Delhi Government To Equip 645 Buildings With Rooftop Solar Plants” • In a move towards renewable energy adoption, the Delhi government, partnering with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, is set to outfit 645 government buildings with rooftop solar systems. This initiative is projected to increase the city’s solar PV capacity by 50 MW. [Construction World]

¶ “India’s Energy Subsidies Hit 9-Year Peak” • In India, energy subsidies have surged to a nine-year peak, reaching $39.3 billion, amidst the ongoing global crisis. This shows the government’s efforts to cushion the impact of rising energy costs on consumers and industries, while supporting the transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy. [Construction World]

Rooftop solar panels (Michael Wilson, Unsplash)

¶ “Adani Group To Invest 70% Of Total Investments In Green Energy” • The Adani Group is likely to put over 70% of its total investments towards green energy, including renewable power, green hydrogen, and transmission lines, sources said. It plans to invest $14 billion (₹1.2 lakh crore) in the 2024-25 financial year in energy infrastructure. [India TV News]

US:

¶ “Fossil Fuels Broke The Environment. Who Should Pay To Fix It?” • In his latest blog post on Substack, Bill McKibben wrote that the Vermont legislature is working on an idea that would require companies that produce and distribute fossil fuels to pay for the environmental damage they have caused. (Some people want to make them criminally liable.) [CleanTechnica]

Flooded Montpelier (Vermont Agency of Agriculture via YouTube)

¶ “Renewable Energy Projects Near Rosamond Would Generate 1,700 Construction Jobs” • The eastern part of California’s Kern County would have three large renewable installations added to its renewable energy portfolio, for over 1,700 construction jobs by the end of this year, if the county Board of Supervisors approves them. [Bakersfield.com]

¶ “US Revives Forgotten Uranium Mines To Replace Russian Supplies” • As uranium supplies from Russia fall under the shadow of potential sanctions, and while Ukraine’s allies look to wean themselves off nuclear fuel produced by the Russian corporation Rosatom, owners of left-for-dead mines in the US are looking to revive them. [Bellona.org]

Have a creatively inspired day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “What Are the Benefits Of Using Renewable Energy For Businesses?” • With the increasing demand for sustainable practices, many companies have turned to renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power. But why exactly should businesses make this switch? Here we look into a number of reasons. [Business Matters]

Talking about business (Jason Goodman, Unsplash)

¶ “How Human-Rights Court Challenges Are Moving The Needle On Climate Change” • In the book Climate Capitalism, Akshat Rathi paints a picture of ways in which a green economy is possible, and in many cases already happening. Here, an excerpt looks at the influence of court challenges in inducing change by private companies and governments. [Toronto Star]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Radia’s WindRunner To Be The World’s Largest Aircraft Ever Built” • The enormous blades required for today’s most potent offshore wind turbines can’t easily be transported over land. A Colorado-based energy startup believes it has the answer: A colossal plane purpose-built to ferry the largest turbine blades imaginable. [Interesting Engineering]

Radia’s WindRunner (Radia image)

World:

¶ “Hyundai Motor And Iveco Group Expand Their Partnership To Explore Synergies For Electric Heavy-Duty Trucks In Europe” • Hyundai Motor Company and Iveco Group signed a Letter of Intent, to work towards electric heavy-duty truck solutions, for both battery electric trucks and fuel cell electric trucks, for the European markets. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “On Track To Produce 30% Renewable Energy By 2030” • The Minister of Energy and Minerals of Oman confirmed it is on track to produce at least 30% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. He highlighted the fact that ongoing studies are assessing feasibility, costs, and necessary adaptations for industries to transition to renewable energy. [Muscat Daily]

Evening skyline in Oman (Muhammad Shoaib, Unsplash)

¶ “RECPDCL And BHEL Forge JV For Renewable Energy Project Development” • REC Power Development and Consultancy Limited announced a Memorandum of Understanding it had signed with Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited. The MOU aims to create a joint venture to develop 1 GW of renewable generating capacity. [Energetica India Magazine]

¶ “Odisha’s Single Window Committee Approves Projects Worth ₹556 Crore In Renewable Energy” • Odisha government’s Single Window Committee has approved investment proposals worth ₹556.49 crore ($67.14 million) in the renewable energy sector. The projects proposed generating capacity of 82.42 MW, including solar, wind, and hydropower. [odishabytes]

Temple in Odisha (Ayiman Mohanty, Unsplash)

¶ “Russia Spreading Fake News Of Ukraine’s ‘Strike’ On Nuclear Power Plant” • Kremlin propaganda is spinning a fake story about an alleged attack by the Ukrainian forces on one of the nuclear power plant’s facilities at Zaporizhzhia, according to the Center for Strategic Communications and Information Security, a Ukrinform report says. [Ukrinform]

US:

¶ “Climate Criminals – Prosecuting Big Oil For Environmental Crimes” • David Arkush, who is the director of the Public Citizen Climate Program, and Aaron Regunberg, who is a senior climate policy counsel at Public Citizen, have written an article for “The New Republic” called The Case for Prosecuting Fossil Fuel Companies for Homicide. Wow! Let that sink in! [CleanTechnica]

Symbol of Justice (DonkeyHotey, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Ford F-150 Lightning Race Pits Tesla’s Superchargers Against Electrify America” • Tom Moloughney and Kyle Conner took two Ford Trucks from New Jersey to Florida to see who would get there first. One had to rely on Electrify America stations, and the other had to use Tesla’s Supercharger network. Spoiler: They arrived minutes apart. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Orange County’s Pioneering Floating Solar Array: A Beacon Of Renewable Energy” • In Florida, Orange County is making a big move towards being more sustainable and using renewable energy. They’ve put up the biggest floating solar power system in the US Southeast on a 3.6 acre pond at their Southern Regional Water Supply Facility. [Microgrid Media]

Have a truly marvelous day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Baseload Power Doesn’t Make Sense Anymore” • Today, despite all the reasons to know better, many people still insist that we need baseload power. I see this every day in the news. I think it is sheer folly. Let me start with a statement that some people might find hard to take: It is not possible to run a grid on just baseload power. [CleanTechnica]

Coal-burning power plant (Jason Blackeye, Unsplash)

¶ “Is Nuclear Power Coming Back from the Dead? Not If We Can Help It Say Activists Who Buried Nukes More Than 40 Years Ago” • As the industry seeks a revival with backing from the US Congress, the White House, and teams of industry propagandists, prominent activists from the No Nukes/Safe Energy movement of the 1970s are reviving, too. [Amherst Indy]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Scientists Divided Over Whether Record Heat Is Acceleration Of Climate Crisis” • Scientists are divided about high marine air temperatures. Some stress that current trends are within climate model projections. Others are perplexed by the speed of change because the seas are the Earth’s great heat moderator and absorb more than 90% of climate warming. [The Guardian]

Sky and ocean (Silas Baisch, Unsplash)

¶ “Toxic Plastic Chemicals Number In The Thousands, Most Are Unregulated, Report Finds” • Researchers have developed a database of all known chemicals used in plastic production. It’s a staggering number: 16,000 plastic chemicals, with at least 4,200 of them considered “highly hazardous” to human health and the environment, according to the authors. [CNN]

World:

¶ “How A Beautiful Spanish Tourist City Became The Green Capital Of Europe” • Valencia is one of Spain’s sunniest cities, thanks to its prime location on the Mediterranean. Now, it can also claim to be among the most sustainable after winning the coveted Green Capital of Europe title. The title is given annually by the European Commission. [CNN]

Valencia (Al Elmes, Unsplash)

¶ “German Greenhouse Gas Emissions Dropped Sharply Last Year” • Official data shows Germany’s greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 10.1% last year as use of renewable energy grew, use of coal and gas diminished and economic pressures weighed in. The German government says it is on course to meet its target to cut emissions 65% by 2030. [ABC News]

¶ “The Dogood ZERO: An Electric Microcar For Urban Living” • The little Dogood Motors ZERO EV claims it has more space inside than a Lamborghini, and it has “more electric range than a Ferrari.” While such statements may be technically true, they also seem to be a very funny comparison for an electric microcar that costs £6,000 ($7,640). [CleanTechnica]

Dogood Motors ZERO EV (Dogood Motors image)

¶ “EVs Surpassing Renewables In New Investment” • The surge in e-mobility investment directly arises with the growth of final consumption. In 2023, global sales of all types of EVs – battery powered vehicles, plug-in hybrids, and fuel cell vehicles – came to 13 million units, making a growth rate of 29.8%, TrendForce reported. [The Global Energy Association]

¶ “Volkswagen And Skoda Are Moving Forward With Plans For Less Expensive Electric Cars” • Everybody is clamoring for less expensive electric cars. The Chinese are already building them, but many people worry that cheap cars from China will ruin traditional automakers. That might change. Here’s news on cars coming from Volkswagen and Skoda. [CleanTechnica]

Skoda Epiq concept Courtesy of Skoda

¶ “Alberta Government Releases Map Of No-Go Zones For Renewable Power Projects” • The government of Alberta has released some details of where and how it will permit wind and solar development, prohibiting it along a broad stretch of the province’s western edge, assessing its visual impact in five large areas, and restricting it on agricultural land. [MSN]

¶ “Barbados Targets 100% Renewable Energy By 2030, OTEC Plays A Vital Role” • Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion is gaining traction in the Caribbean region. After meetings last year with the governments of Grenada and the Turks and Caicos Islands, Barbados is starting to explore OTEC for its transition to renewable energy by 2030. [EIN News]

Night-time in Barbados (acobie inniss, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Batteries And Green Energies Like Wind And Solar Combine For Climate Solution” • The US is rapidly adding batteries for large scale energy storage. Increasingly, these are getting paired with solar and wind projects. Electric grid operators, electric utilities and renewable energy developers say the combination is essential for a green energy future. [ABC News]

¶ “Dogsledding: How Climate Change Forces Iditarod To Adapt” • For the first time in 25 years of running dogsledding tours, Tanya McCready must invest in snowmaking equipment. The vanishing snow along the trails she mushes her sled dogs and the once frozen lake she says is no longer safe to cross signify a changing climate. [ABC News]

Sled dogs (Yann Gbs, Unsplash)

¶ “Study: We Need Waaaaaaaay More EV Chargers At Retailers” • A report from Consumer Reports examined which retailers are leading and which are lagging when it comes to EV chargers. It says, “Only about 1% of the 270,000 retail locations controlled by the 75 retail and fast-food companies we reviewed offer any EV charging.” CR calls this “bleak.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Proposed Budget Supports Nuclear Projects” • The 2025 budget request includes nearly $1.6 billion for the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, to support securing high-assay low-enriched uranium supplies, develop new reactor technologies, support R&D, advance the use of additive manufacturing and AI, and deploy US reactors overseas. [Eurasia Review]

Have a luminously gorgeous day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “City Plans For 10,800 Solar Panels” • Manchester City has submitted a planning application to install over ten thousand solar panels at their Joie Stadium and training hub. The panels would supply the club with up to 4.39 MWh of renewable energy every year, offsetting the annual power required to run the City Football Academy. [BBC]

Stadium with solar panels (Manchester City FC)

¶ “Bengaluru: Water Crisis Shakes India’s Silicon Valley” • The fifteen million people of Bengaluru don’t have enough water. People living in apartment buildings and gated communities say they are being forced to change their routines, especially when temperatures are unusually high. Bengaluru was once known as a cool city with lush gardens. [BBC]

¶ “Flying Electric Boat To Haul Commuters At Site Of Epic Environmental Protest” • The Swedish electric boat company Candela is in production of its 30-passenger P-12 hydrofoil ferry. The zero emission watercraft levitates above the water while in motion. Energy efficiency for fossil-free travel is the main benefit of hydrofoil technology. [CleanTechnica]

Candela P-12 electric boat (Courtesy of Meridian Energy)

¶ “Musk Talks Tesla Semi And Lower Priced Car Production At Grünheide” • According to Handelsblatt, Elon Musk visited the Tesla Gigafactory in Grünheide, to give a talk to the workers and staff. He said it could “make sense” to produce the Tesla Semi at the German factory. He also said high-volume production of the Tesla Semi will happen this year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Austria Brings In Onshore Wind Reforms” • The Government of Austria introduced market premium regulation for onshore wind. This increases both maximum bid prices for the onshore wind market premium and the tender volumes. The maximum bid was adjusted to the current market situation and increased from 9.28¢ to 9.60¢/kWh. [reNews]

Wind farm (Zbynek Burival, Unsplash)

Australia:

¶ “Queensland’s Renewable Profile Lures Clean Energy Jobs” • Queensland is gaining traction as a clean economy powerhouse. Orrcon Steel announced a major investment to back the state’s renewable energy supply chain. A manufacturing plant opened in Brisbane’s north to supply components for Australia’s pipeline of large solar projects. [Mirage News]

¶ “Renewable Energy Projects ‘Acceleration’ By The Victorian Government Draws The Fury Of Farmers” • Victoria set about speeding up A$90 billion in stalled renewable energy projects. Now rural communities across the state are angry over the government’s plan for accelerating the projects, claiming that community consultation was a “sham.” [ABC]

Transmission towers (Pierre Jarry, Unsplash)

¶ “CSIRO Defends GenCost – And Science – As Coalition And Murdoch Go Nuclear Against Key Institutions” • The head of Australia’s principal scientific research organisation stepped in to defend the CSIRO’s important GenCost report, in the face of unrelenting attacks from nuclear power advocates who are not impressed by science. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶ “New York City Gets 500-kW Charging Stations” • Gravity Mobility opened up some 500-kW chargers to other companies in New York City. Reuters called them the “fastest EV charger in US.” Though they might not technically be the fastest ever (they may only tie for first place), it’s a big move, and it signals that the kilowatt wars might continue. [CleanTechnica]

EV chargers (Gravity image)

¶ “US Delivers $2 Billion Boost For Rural Renewables” • US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack addressed fears over farmland being lost to solar and wind farms, as he announced $2.2 billion in loan support for rural electric cooperatives. He said, “We’re obviously encouraging use of non-prime farmland for purposes of renewable energy.” [The Energy Mix]

¶ “NYPA Seeks Partners For Renewable Energy Projects To Advance New York’s Climate Goals” • The New York Power Authority launched a Request for Qualifications to identify and pre-qualify companies and investors for crenewable energy and storage system projects, aligning with New York State’s ambitious climate action objectives. [SolarQuarter]

Wind turbines (Anna Jiménez Calaf, Unsplash)

¶ “Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel Goes To Washington” • Vermont’s Waste Policy Committee is discussing legislation and policy proposals in Washington, DC. Lissa Weinmann, the Committee Chair, said the meeting was intended to discuss nuclear energy bills and policy proposals with the state’s Congressional delegates. [WAMC]

¶ “$100 Million Nuclear Reactor Project To Be Tested In East Tennessee” • California-based Kairos Power and Tennessee officials unveiled plans for a low-power demonstration reactor in Oak Ridge. The privately funded nuclear engineering company will invest $100 million and create 55 jobs to deploy the reactor at the East Tennessee Technology Park. [AOL.com]

Have a naturally magnificent day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Tariffs Aren’t Enough To Save US Car Makers From Chinese EVs” • Recently, US Senator Marco Rubio started pushing for more tariffs on Chinese electric cars. They have a pretty good chance of destroying vehicle manufacturing in the US. This may be a reasonable argument, but tariffs alone would only delay the inevitable. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Dolphin Mini (BYD image)

¶ “Dutton’s Blast Of Radioactive Rhetoric On Nuclear Power Leaves Facts In The Dust” • In Australia, the most recent GenCost report estimates the LCOE of a theoretical small modular reactor built in 2030 would be A$382 to A$636/MWh. The cost for solar and wind is between A$91 and A$130/MWh, including the costs of integration. (A$1=$0.66) [The Guardian]

Science and Technology:

¶ “IIHS Gives Poor Rating To Automated Driving Systems From Tesla And Nine Other Companies” • We just reported on a suit filed over a death that happened with an automated driving system operating. Now, a report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety skewers all automated driving systems available on vehicles sold in the US. [CleanTechnica]

Lexus Teammate screen (Courtesy of IIHS)

World:

¶ “How Giant Batteries Will Help Power Scotland” • The number of giant batteries installed in Scotland is expected to increase greatly as part of the move towards renewable energy. National Grid, which transmits electricity around the country, predicts that the amount of energy storage needed will grow almost six times over by the end of the decade. [BBC]

¶ “Brussels Airport Adding 700 Level 2 Chargers In Quest For Zero-Emissions Operations” • Brussels airport has a plan to make all its vehicles electrified by 2025. It also wants to meet the needs of drivers with electric cars. Together with Interparking, one of the largest car park operators in Europe, Brussels airport is adding 700 new EV chargers. [CleanTechnica]

EV chargers (Courtesy of Interparking)

¶ “Concerns Over Government’s Gas Power Station Plans” • The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology has criticised government plans to back construction of gas power stations, citing concerns over the lack of measures for carbon capture. This move, the association says, could jeopardise the UK power emissions reduction goals. [Energy Live News]

¶ “Alberta Commission Finds Renewables Pose Little Threat To Agriculture, Environment” • Alberta’s utilities regulator released a report saying the province’s renewables industry is little threat to its agriculture or the environment. The report says the area of land needed for renewable energy is less than 1% of the area of prime agricultural land. [CTV News Calgary]

Alberta (Chris Henry, Unsplash)

¶ “India’s Renewable Energy Sector Surges” • India’s renewable energy sector is undergoing a surge, marking a pivotal moment in the country’s energy transition. According to recent reports from the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, India achieved a remarkable milestone when renewable generating capacity surpassed 150 GW. [Construction World]

Australia:

¶ “SA Bets On A Hydrogen-Fuelled Future” • The Office of Hydrogen was established in 2022 as part of South Australia’s Department for Energy and Mining. It is tasked with overseeing the delivery of the state’s Hydrogen Jobs Plan, the Port Bonython Hydrogen Hub, and industry engagement to accelerate the state’s emerging hydrogen economy. [Government News]

Rendering of a hydrogen plant (Office of Hydrogen Power)

¶ “Premier Blasts Nuclear Plan As Renewable Appeals Curbed” • Opponents of solar and wind farms will be stripped of the power to appeal approvals to a Victorian tribunal, as the premier blasts the federal opposition’s nuclear pitch as a distraction inspired by a cartoon. From April 1, shovel-ready renewable energy projects will be eligible for an accelerated pathway. [MSN]

¶ “bp Increases Stake In 26-GW Australian Renewable Energy Hub” • Macquarie Group sold its 15% share in the Australian Renewable Energy Hub to UK energy company bp, it said. The solar, wind, and green hydrogen project is planned for Western Australia. The project’s estimated worth is $36.4 billion (US), and bp’s share is now 64%. [pv magazine International]

Pilbara region of Western Australia (Chris Stenger, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Winter Storms Have Disrupted US Natural Gas Production” • Over the last four winters, winter storms Uri (Feb 2021), Elliott (Dec 2022), and most recently, Heather (Jan 2024) interrupted weekly US natural gas production by more than 15 billion cubic feet per day, according to the daily estimates from S&P Global Commodity Insights. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “First Fully Adaptive E-Bike Trail System Opens in Vermont” • A recent article at Bike Mag shared the story of the first US trail system fully compatible with adaptive bikes, or bikes that cater to the needs of the disabled. It features a total of 11 trails, and a total distance of three miles. The new trails are equally enjoyable by both abled and disabled. [CleanTechnica]

Adaptive trail (Screenshot from article’s embedded video)

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Announces $750 Million To Support America’s Growing Hydrogen Industry” • As part of the Investing in America agenda, the US DOE has announced $750 million for 52 projects in 24 states to reduce the cost of clean hydrogen and reinforce America’s global leadership in the clean hydrogen industry. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Pennsylvania Governor Unveils Plan To Cut Greenhouse Gases, Boost Renewables In Big Energy Producer” • Gov Josh Shapiro unveiled a plan to fight climate change. He will back legislation to make power plant owners pay for their greenhouse gas emissions and require utilities to buy more electricity from renewable sources. [WHEC.com]

Have a superbly superior day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Precision Agriculture: Does Climate Tech VC Money Flow Into Agri-Chemicals And Monocrops?” • Venture Capitalists don’t support CleanTechnica, even if it could help support the rest of their portfolio by promoting their other companies. Hilariously enough, those same VCs hire expensive PR firms who just pitch their story ideas to CleanTechnica. [CleanTechnica]

Farm field (Courtesy of Berkeley Law)

¶ “Five Signs To Spot Anti-Cleantech Propaganda From Sources That Seem Innocuous” • It’s an election year, so okay, everything must be viewed skeptically. Recently an ad came up purporting to stand up for free speech, which, according to the ad, knows no political colors. Hm. Seems innocuous. What could possibly go wrong, right? [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Researchers Discover New Technique To Encourage The Restoration Of Degraded Corals” • Researchers have discovered a way to encourage restoration of coral reef populations degraded by record-high marine temperatures. Underwater speaker that play the sounds of a healthy reef were found to help coral larvae settle up to seven times as fast. [ABC News]

Coral (roy zeigerman, Unsplash)

¶ “No Graphite? No Problem, Silicon EV Batteries Really Are Coming” • US automakers got the jitters last year when China announced new export curbs on graphite, the main ingredient in EV batteries. But new EV batteries that replace graphite with silicon are coming, and the synthetic graphite industry is also springing into action. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Vietnam And The Promise Of Clean Power” • With a growing economy, vast coastlines available for offshore wind power, and high solar radiation levels, Vietnam has all of the ingredients to be a world leader in renewable energy. A McKinsey & Company report says Vietnam is the country in Southeast Asia best suited for wind and solar developments. [CleanTechnica]

Village in Viet Nam (Nathan Cima, Unsplash)

¶ “Low Carbon Powers Up Finnish Project” • Low Carbon has announced that its Mörknässkogen onshore wind project is now in commercial operation. With a capacity of 30 MW from five Nordex turbines, Mörknässkogen is Low Carbon’s first wind project to come online in Finland, part of the company’s goal to deploy renewable capacity at scale. [reNews]

¶ “ACEN And BrightNight To Develop 1 GW Of Renewables In The Philippines” • ACEN and BrightNight announced plans to invest an estimated $1.2 billion within five years, to develop up to 1 GW of renewable energy projects in the Philippines. ACEN has a global renewables capacity of 4.8 GW already and a target of 20 GW by 2030. [pv magazine International]

ACEN solar array (ACEN image)

¶ “Australian Renewable Sector Recorded ‘Alarming’ Slowdown In 2023, Energy Body Finds” • Investments in renewable energy plants showed an “alarming” slowdown in 2023, with financial approvals for new solar farms shrinking more than a third while no new windfarms won backing, the Clean Energy Council said in its annual report. [The Guardian]

¶ “AkzoNobel Uses 100% Renewable Electricity In Latin America” • All of AkzoNobel’s manufacturing locations in Latin America are now operating on 100% renewable electricity. The company’s ambition is to reduce carbon emissions across the full value chain by 50% by 2030 (baseline 2018). It had achieved that goal in Europe and North America earlier. [AkzoNobel]

Paints and coatings facility in Colombia (AkzoNobel image)

¶ “Hybrid Power Systems Fuel Renewable Energy Pathway For Gold Producer” • Australian renewables provider, Pacific Energy, completed four hybrid generating systems, with a total capacity of 82 MW, to gold producer Westgold Resources. The systems have 28 MW of solar, 11.5 MW of battery storage and 42.5 MW of high-efficiency gas capacity. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “Government Must Act Now On Energy Storage” • A UK Parliamentary Committee report on long-duration energy storage concludes that the Government must act fast to ensure that energy storage technologies can scale up in time to play a vital role in decarbonising the electricity system and ensuring energy security by 2035. [UK Parliament]

Pumped storage facility (UK Parliament via Pixabay)

¶ “Japan’s Fukushima Plant Clean-Up At Snail’s Pace As Nuclear Experts Flag Achievements – ‘Not A Race’” • Thirteen years after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster, progress on its decommissioning and decontaminating thousands of hectares of land across northeast Japan is proceeding at an excruciatingly slow pace. [South China Morning Post]

US:

¶ “Scout ‘Back To Work’ Campaign Pays Homage To The Original” • Scout, the newest brand at Volkswagen Group, hasn’t produced anything yet, but it has created some interesting graphics that offer hints about the vehicles it plans to produce. Work has begun on a $2 billion factory 20 miles north of Columbia, South Carolina. [CleanTechnica]

Scout graphic (Scout image)

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Releases First-Ever National Strategy For Deployment Of Zero-Emission Infrastructure For Freight Trucks” • The Biden-Harris Administration released the National Zero-Emission Freight Corridor Strategy. It is designed to meet growing market demands by encouraging private sector investment. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Technology ‘Handoff’ May Mean Legal Trouble For Tesla” • After a man died in an accident with Tesla’s autopilot operating, a suit’s allegations against Tesla include false advertising, product liability, defective product design, failure to warn, intentional and negligent misrepresentation, and breach of warranty. The trial is set for March 18, 2024. [CleanTechnica]

Have a happily moving day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Heat Pumps Are Still A Good Investment Even If Your Grid Is Powered By Coal” • Do heat pumps lower emissions if they run on electricity from a dirty grid? Absolutely, according to NREL researchers. Modeling the entire US housing stock, they found that switching to heat pumps reduces emissions in every one of the contiguous 48 states. [CleanTechnica]

Candidate for a heat pump (vu anh, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “From Instant Grits to Polymers: Scientist Kat Knauer Is Laser Focused on Plastics Pollution” • When Kat Knauer was a child, she used science to discover that instant grits could control fire ants without allowing her dog to react to pesticides. Now she is a polymer scientist and the chief technology officer of a group led by NREL to study plastics. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “NREL’s Rail Optimization Software Is Putting Electrification Of Freight On The Fast Track” • A need for fossil fuels for rail transportation could change in the coming decade, as railways eye ambitious federal clean-energy goals that call for investment in electric locomotives and infrastructure for zero-emission freight movement. [CleanTechnica]

Autonomous, battery-electric rail car (Parallel Systems image)

¶ “Renewable Power Prices Must Be $30/MWh Or Less For Green Hydrogen Projects To Compete” • Renewable power for green hydrogen and ammonia production has to cost less than $30/MWh for them to compete in the market, Fortescue’s CEO reportedly said. This implies that the company’s Gibson Island project might be shelved. [Hydrogen Insight]

¶ “Magnificent Tidal Energy Project To Double As New City Park” • The International Renewable Energy Agency estimates that the global amount of technically recoverable, zero emission electricity from tidal motion could add up to 1,000 GW, and that’s just counting locations near coastlines. The world has been getting experience already. [CleanTechnica]

Tidal energy site on the River Mersey (Liverpool City Region)

World:

¶ “Excitement in Vietnam’s EV Industry” • The road transport sector in Vietnam accounts for 18% of national emissions. Now, a report on the EV market in Vietnam found it has the potential to be a leader in the electric 2-wheeled market, for which it has already had success, as well as meeting a growing demand for larger electric cars. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Equinor Launches 531-MW Solar Plant in Brazil” • Equinor ASA has launched its 531-MW Mendubim solar plant, marking a 30% increase in its equity power production in Brazil. The plant will produce 1.2 TWh of power annually, Equinor said. Around 60% of the energy will be sold under a 20-year power purchase agreement with Alunorte. [Rigzone]

Solar power (Sungrow EMEA, Unsplash)

¶ “Sunak Faces Anger Over New Gas-Power Strategy For ‘Backing Up Renewables’” • Rishi Sunak sparked controversy by endorsing the construction of new gas-fired power stations, stating that he will prioritise energy security. His plan plan, to be announced today, aims to bolster gas power capacity and give their investors increased confidence. [Business Matters]

¶ “Alberta’s ‘Roping In’ on Renewables Could Hurt C$11 Billion In Investments, Study Says” • Alberta’s ban on some renewable projects could hurt C$11.1 billion ($8.24 billion) in investments and stall up to 6.3 GW of solar and wind power capacity, a study by the Pembina Institute said. The new rules potentially affect 42 projects and thousands of jobs. [EnergyNow]

Alberta (Ryan Stone, Unsplash)

¶ “Renewable Power Bags 50-MW Finnish Battery” • Renewable Power Capital has acquired a 50-MW ready-to-build battery storage project in Finland from Ib Vogt. The project in the southern Finnish region of Uusikaupunki is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2025 and will be funded on a fully merchant basis. [reNews]

¶ “Gas, Rooftop Solar, Nukes: Dutton To Take “Most Expensive” Nuclear Power Plan To Next Election” • Australian opposition leader Peter Dutton told the Australian Financial Review’s business summit he wants the “scientific facts” on the table. He’s not talking about climate change. He wants the future to be nuclear, not renewable. [RenewEconomy]

Nuclear power plant (Stefan Kühn, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “France Hits 20 GW Solar Milestone” • France has recently reached a significant milestone in its renewable energy journey, achieving a landmark 20 GW of installed solar capacity. This achievement underscores the French national commitment to transitioning towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources. [Construction World]

US:

¶ “MOD BIKES 2024 E-Bike Collection Offers Power, Panache, And Nuance” • MOD BIKES introduced its 2024 e-bike collection with upgrades to appeal to fans and new buyers alike. Among them are torque sensors, dual battery options, tunable pedal assist levels, and wireless control of the Lumos smart helmet’s lighting and turn signals. [CleanTechnica]

MOD BIKES Easy + Sidebar e-bike (MOD BIKES image)

¶ “United States Produces More Crude Oil Than Any Country, Ever” • The United States produced more crude oil than any other nation at any time, according to International Energy Statistics, for the past six years in a row. Crude oil production in the US, including condensate, averaged 12.9 million barrels per day in 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Standard Solar Strengthens Vermont’s Renewable Energy Market” • Standard Solar, a prominent developer and proprietor of commercial and community solar projects, has acquired a 18.5-MW solar project portfolio in Vermont from local developer, MHG Solar. The acquisition means it can build six solar projects in the state. [SolarQuarter]

Have a relaxingly placid day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “Can We Connect Renewable Energy Hubs With Electricity Consumption Hubs?” • A new approach to grid planning could make it possible to power your home with the nation’s best and lowest-cost wind and solar energy, no matter where you live. An analysis studied the economics of linking renewable energy hubs to the biggest load centers. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (NREL image)

¶ “Head Of Japan’s Nuclear Regulatory Body Says Nuclear Power Is Never Fully Safe” • The head of Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority has reminded its officials that nuclear power is never “100% safe.” Yamanaka Shinsuke, told them that natural disasters, including such things as earthquakes and tsunami, cannot be avoided. [NHK]

¶ “Electric Aircrafts Will Need Powerful Ports” • Electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft might quickly move passengers over mountains or float them across urbanscapes. But an important consideration for these flying batteries is where they will charge and whether the existing power grid infrastructure can satisfy this demand. [CleanTechnica]

Supernal eVTOL (Hyundai image)

World:

¶ “The Jordanian Renewable Energy Fund Achieves Milestones, Impacting 2 Million Citizens” • The yearly impact of the Jordan Renewable Energy Fund’s efforts includes energy savings of over 75.3 GWh, cost savings exceeding 16.8 million Jordanian dinars ($23.7 million), and a reduction of over 97 kilotons per year in carbon dioxide emissions. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Gold Fields To Build Its Biggest Renewable Energy Project Yet At St Ives” • Gold Fields’ board has approved a renewable energy project costing A$296-million ($195-million) to be built at the St Ives mine, in Western Australia. The plant, including 42 MW of wind and 35 MW of solar capacity, will be the largest in the Gold Fields portfolio. [Mining Weekly]

A Gold Fields solar plant

¶ “NSW Lags On Rollout Of Renewables, Putting Australia’s 2030 Clean Energy Target At Risk” • New South Wales has the largest gap between its 2030 emissions reduction goals and the present pace of renewables rollout among the states. That performance will make it harder for Australia to meet national goals unless it is addressed, a report argues. [The Guardian]

¶ “Irish Firm Wins Gov’t Contract To Build 440 MW Of Wind Power” • Mainstream Renewable Power Ltd marked won two contracts to build two onshore wind projects in the Philippines. The government said it signed contracts with Mainstream to build wind projects, with a combined capacity of 440 MW, in Cagayan province and Leyte. [Inquirer.net]

Wind farm (Henry & Co, Unsplash)

¶ “Conditions Inside Fukushima’s Melted Nuclear Reactors Still Unclear 13 Years After Disaster Struck” • The tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, 2011 topped 15 meters (50 feet) in places. It flooded the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, causing three meltdowns. On the thirteenth anniversary of that event, we are still unclear about the plant’s condition. [ABC News]

US:

¶ “More Than 30 Million People Under Flood Alerts In The Northeast” • Flood alerts are in effect for over 30 million people in eleven states from Virginia to Maine Saturday night, with both flood watches and coastal flood alerts. The Northeast will see rain and possible flooding after the Southeast had strong winds, rising waters, and even a tornado. [ABC News]

Storm (Simon Maisch, Unsplash)

¶ “Been Waiting To Buy An EV? GM’s Price Reduction On The Blazer EV Is Your Chance” • General Motors has announced it is resuming sales of its Chevrolet Blazer EV. Software glitches got the company to pull the model from dealer showrooms. Now, to jumpstart Blazer EV sales, GM has reduced the cost of several models by about $6,000. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Morgan Olson Chooses Rivian Skateboard For Electric Delivery Vans” • Morgan Olson already manufactures the C250 step van, which was chosen by Canada Post last year. Now that truck will be converted to a battery electric vehicle using the skateboard that Rivian created for the delivery vans it is making for Amazon. [CleanTechnica]

Have an acceptably wonderful day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Whether Powered By Electrons Or Molecules, Automobiles Are A Curse” • After readers commented that there are too many cars in the world, Bloomberg ran a story entitled “EVs Can’t Fix a Global Epidemic of ‘Car Harm,’ Study Finds.” The modern world moves itself around in roughly 2 billion motor vehicles, 65% of which are cars, Bloomberg says. [CleanTechnica]

Highway intersection (Denys Nevozhai, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “‘Tell Him He’s Dreaming’: Bowen Rubbishes Coalition Claim Australia Could Have Nuclear Power In A Decade” • Australia’s energy minister dismissed Coalition MP Ted O’Brien’s claim that Australia could develop a nuclear power industry in a decade. He said, “Tell him he’s dreaming.” The build time for a nuclear plant in the US is 19 years. [The Guardian]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Tesla’s Giga Press Has Led To Systemic Industry Change; Now EVs Will Cost Less To Build Than ICE Vehicles By 2027” • The giga press has altered the way EVs are made. New manufacturing processes, along with lower battery costs, mean that EVs will be less expensive to build than internal combustion engine cars by 2027, one analyst says. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla giga press (Courtesy of IDRA)

¶ “Wave Energy Is (Really, Finally) Coming For Your Fossil Fuels” • Wave energy could harvest 29,500 TWh of electricity from the ocean every year, which is why researchers are still trying to design energy conversion devices, even after early failures. Now all that hard work may be about to pay off, and wave energy is set for a breakthrough. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electricity And Airplanes – Lowering The Carbon Emissions Of Flight” • We have two news stories that focus on different ways of using electricity to reduce the carbon emissions of airplanes. The first comes from Mercedes-Benz, about an electric refueling vehicle for airplanes. The other is from Airbus, about an eVTOL passenger vehicle. [CleanTechnica]

Proposed electric eVTOL vehicle (Courtesy of Airbus)

World:

¶ “Saudi Oil Giant Aramco Announces $121 Billion Profit Last Year, Down From 2022 Record” • Saudi oil giant Aramco reported it made $121 billion in profit last year, down from its 2022 record due to lower energy prices. Aramco had reported a $161 billion profit in 2022, likely the largest ever reported by a publicly traded company. [ABC News]

¶ “Australian Plug-in Vehicle Sales Exceed 10% In February 2024” • In a very newsy month down under, the most important item has to be that Australian plug-in electric vehicle sales in February have exceeded 10% for the first time since September, 2023 (9.6% battery EV, 1% plugin hybrid). The number for battery EVs is up to more than double that of January. [CleanTechnica]

Great Wall Motors ORA (Photo courtesy of Tip Schaffter)

¶ “Foundation Stone Laid For NTPC REL’s 630-MW Barethi Solar Power Project In Madhya Pradesh ” • India’s Union Power Minister said India has the world’s fastest growing economy. “We need to add more power capacity to meet the growing demand. The Barethi solar power project is very important since it is 630 MW and further it is clean energy.” [PIB]

¶ “EVs At 26.3% Share In France, With Peugeot e-208 Leading” • February saw plugin EVs at 26.3% share in France, up from 23.8% share in February 2023. Full electric volume grew 32% YOY, and plugin hybrid volume grew 12%. February’s overall auto volume was 142,598 units, up 13% YOY. The Peugeot e-208 was once again the best selling full battery EV. [CleanTechnica]

Peugeot e-208 (Calreyn88, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Power Demand! Is India Again Moving Towards The Coal Sector?” • In India, seven years ago, private-sector coal firms largely stopped building new power plants, fleeing massive losses and the looming threat of cheaper renewable power. But now some major companies are looking to invest in new and existing plants, Reuters reported. [MSN]

¶ “The EU to achieve at least 32% renewable energy by 2030” • The European wind power sector has seen significant growth and development over the past decade. Europe is a global leader in wind energy, both onshore and offshore. As of 2021, Europe had over 220 GW of installed wind power capacity, with the majority being onshore. [Business News This Week]

Wind turbines (Thomas Reaubourg, Unsplash)

¶ “‘Who’s Paying For These?’ O’Brien Confirms Taxpayer Funds Are Needed To Prop Up Coalition Nuclear Push” • Taxpayers would be forced to foot the bill for a portion of the Coalition’s mooted nuclear energy push, the opposition has confirmed, as it bats away questions over the cost, timeframe and commercial viability of local nuclear generation. [News.com.au]

US:

¶ “Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe Says He’s Changing Mindsets Of What’s ‘Possible In An Electric Vehicle’” • A common complaint of EVs is that they’re too expensive. That’s why Rivian, the electric carmaker from Irvine, California, just launched three new models to meet this “huge need in the market,” RJ Scaringe, Rivian’s founder and CEO said. [ABC News]

Rivian R2 (Rivian image)

¶ “Facebook Parent Meta Inks Deals For Solar Power In Missouri” • Meta is building an $800 million data center in Kansas City, joining 21 data centers it operates worldwide. As of December 31, Meta expected to spend about $15.12 billion related to renewable energy agreements, most of which is due beyond five years, the company said in its annual report. [KSDK]

¶ “Bill Proposes Study To Build New Millstone Nuclear Reactor” • A state legislative committee is considering a bill that calls for studying the feasibility of adding a new nuclear reactor at the Millstone Station power plant in Waterford. The legislation was introduced by state Rep Jonathan Steinberg, D-Westport. He was not available for comment. [Energy Central]

Have a pleasantly supportive day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “Hawk Supercomputer Improves Solar Cell Efficiency” • A team at the University of Paderborn has been using high-performance computers to study how solar cells convert light to electricity, to increase efficiency. The team used the Hawk supercomputer to see how designing certain strategic impurities in solar cells could improve performance. [CleanTechnica]

Visualization of solar cell (Marvin Krenz, University of Paderborn)

World:

¶ “EVs At 19.3% Share In Germany – Tesla Model Y Leads” • In February, plugin EVs had a 19.3% share of the German auto market after sudden incentive changes in late December. Battery EVs were down some 15% from last year, while plugin hybrids were up some 22%. Overall auto sales are still down some 13% from pre-2020 seasonal norms. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Fish To Frolic Among Floating Offshore Wind Turbines” • The rise of the offshore wind industry has sparked a new movement to piggyback other maritime activities onto offshore wind farms. In the latest development, a unique two-headed floating wind turbines has been tapped to host a commercial fish farm off the coast of Sweden. [CleanTechnica]

Hexicon offshore wind farm (Hexicon image)

¶ “BP Reaffirms 50 GW By 2030 Target” • In its 2023 Annual Report, BP reaffirmed its goal of bringing 50 GW of renewable energy capacity to Final Investment Decision by 2030. It also aims to reach 20 GW in FID by 2025. In 2023, the company had 6200 MW of renewable energy capacity brought to FID, up 400 MW from 2022. [reNews]

¶ “Latin American EV Market Heats Up as Chinese Automakers Enter with Newer, Cheaper, Better Options” • A bloodbath on the way for Latin America. The omens are now clear, as the Chinese market slows down and the Chinese EV industry reaps the fruit of early investments, massive economies of scale, and near total control over battery supply chains. [CleanTechnica]

JAC E10X

¶ “China’s Nuclear Plants Released Tritium Above Fukushima Level In 2022” • Chinese nuclear plants released wastewater containing tritium in 2022 at levels up to nine times higher than the amount expected to be found in the planned yearly discharge from Japan’s crippled Fukushima Daiichi complex, a public document showed. [nippon.com]

¶ “Equinor Starts Up 500-MW Brazilian Solar Farm” • Equinor has started operations at its 531-MW Mendubim solar plant in Brazil. Mendubim will annually produce 1.2 TWh of power with around 60% of that sold on a 20-year power purchase agreement with Alunorte, one of the world’s leading suppliers of alumina for the aluminium industry. [reNews]

Solar array (Scatec image)

¶ “A Small Drone Flies Into A Damaged Fukushima Nuclear Reactor For The First Time To Study Melted Fuel” • A small drone has flown inside one of the damaged reactors at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in hopes it can examine some of the debris of fuel had melted in areas where earlier robots failed to reach. [ABC News]

US:

¶ “Winter Is Over, And It Was The Warmest On Record. Here’s What The US Missed Out On This Season” • This winter was the warmest on record for the Lower 48, according to NOAA, and the records go back to the late 1800s. The singularly mild winter left vast areas of the country without typical amounts of snow and ice, fueling a worsening drought. [CNN]

Bare trees (Dulcey Lima, Unsplash)

¶ “Biden–Harris Administration Announces $425 Million to Decarbonize And Produce Clean Energy Products in Former Coal Communities” • The US DOE announced $425 million in funding to reduce emissions and advance making clean energy products for the US energy supply chain as part of the Investing in America agenda. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Rivian Surprises With Three New Models And New Battery Technology” • On March 7, 2024, Rivian introduced the R2, a five passenger SUV that is smaller than the R1S. That model has been expected for some time. What wasn’t expected was an even smaller R3 and a performance version of that car Rivian is calling the R3X. [CleanTechnica]

Rivian R3 home charging

¶ “Washington State’s Emissions Allowance Program’s First Auctions” • With the end its first full year of tradable emission allowance auctions, Washington state is looking into joining an integrated regional greenhouse gas reduction program with California and Québec. The program aims help the state move toward a low-carbon economy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Virginia Could Make Almost $5 Billion From This 3.5-GW Offshore Wind Farm” • The 180-turbine Kitty Hawk Wind is an offshore wind project proposed in federal waters over 36 miles from Virginia Beach. It could deliver 3.5 GW of electricity and around $5 billion in economic impact for Virginia. The usual types of opposition seek to prevent that. [Electrek]

Offshore wind farm (Avangrid image)

¶ “MIT Offers New Course That Could Massively Benefit Clean Energy Projects” • There’s a team of trained mediators ready to enter contentious clean energy conversations in communities around the US. They are students in a Massachusetts Institute of Technology class training to resolve conflicts that slow progress on renewable energy projects. [The Cool Down]

¶ “Hydropower Investment Opportunities Remain That Can Be Developed” • Hydropower has a reputation of being tapped out. Far from being so, hydropower, including pumped storage, still has enormous potential for growth, particularly for projects of small and medium size – those that produce up to 30 MW of power. [Department of Energy]

Have a completely accommodating day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “I’m A Climate Scientist. If You Knew What I Know, You’d Be Terrified Too” • If seening our once stable climate break doesn’t terrify you, then you don’t fully understand it. As far as we know, our world has never – in its entire history – heated up as rapidly as it is doing now. Nor have atmospheric greenhouse gas levels ever seen such a precipitous hike. [CNN]

Climatology ship (NOAA image via Unsplash)

¶ “SEC Climate Emission Disclosure Rules Are Only A Small Step Forward” • The SEC voted 3-2 to issue a final rule about climate disclosures, establishing a framework floor for some publicly listed companies. It requires a baseline transparency around climate risks and emissions, but only certain companies, and only Scope 1 and 2 emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Planet Just Shattered Heat Records For The Ninth Month In A Row” • Last month was the hottest February on record. Each of the last nine months set a record for heat, Copernicus’ data shows. February was 1.77°C warmer than the average February in pre-industrial times. The last twelve month period was 1.56°C above pre-industrial levels. [CNN]

Dog on a hot day (Akanda Kilicarslan, Unsplash)

¶ “PIK Researchers Devise Ways To Protect An Electrical Grid From More Powerful Storms” • Researchers at the Potsdam Institute For Climate Impact Research, using a computer model of the Texas electrical grid, say they found a way to guard against widespread power outages from more powerful storms by better protecting a few critical grid components. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Crude Oil Processing In China Hit A Record High in 2023” • Crude oil processing, or refinery runs, in China averaged 14.8 million barrels per day in 2023, which is an all-time high. The record processing came as the economy and refinery capacity grew in China following the country’s COVID-19 pandemic responses in 2022. [CleanTechnica]

Oil tanker (Etienne Girardet, Unsplash)

¶ “Nearly Half The Electricity Produced In The Netherlands Is Now Renewable” • Between May and July of 2023, over half of the electricity generated in the Netherlands was from renewable sources. It was as high as 57% in July. For the whole year, 48% of electricity was generated from renewable sources such as solar, wind, and water. [Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek]

¶ “UK Onshore Wind Capacity Hits 15 GW” • Now, with the installation of EDF Renewables UK’s 30.1-MW West Benhar wind farm in North Lanarkshire, there are 15,000 MW of operational onshore wind capacity in the UK, and there are 2,631 operating onshore wind farms across the land. Onshore wind now provides 11% of Britain’s electricity. [reNews]

Wind turbines (EDF Renewables image)

¶ “Russia And China Are Jointly Pursuing Plans To Establish A Nuclear Power Plant On The Moon’s Surface” • Russia and China have embarked on a collaborative venture aimed at establishing a nuclear power plant on the lunar surface. The project is set to unfold between 2033 and 2035. It showcases partnership of the two nations. [East Coast Daily Malayalam]

US:

¶ “Inflation Reduction Act Giving Solar Power And Electric Cars Big Boost” • The Solar Energy Industries Association expects the US may have enough solar power capacity in 2034 to power 100 million homes. However, there’s a huge difference between the organization’s “bull case” and “bear case” for solar, depending on political and economic factors. [CleanTechnica]

Solar panels (Gabriel, Unsplash)

¶ “Used Tesla And Electric Car Market Getting Huge Boost – Thanks, Hertz! (And Xcelerate Auto)” • First Hertz, and then other rental car companies, decided to go electric in a big way a few years ago. Now, they are starting to retire their older vehicles in a big way. The thousands of used Teslas and other electric cars offer buyers new opportunities. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford Pops E-Transit Van Out Of Stealth Mode To Boost EV Sales” • The good news about EV sales keeps pouring in. Ford Motor Company racked up a strong performance in February with a 93% uptick in sales of the F-150 Lightning, YOY, and a 64% increase for the Mustang Mach-E. Ford released the all-electric E-Transit to keep things going. [CleanTechnica]

Ford E-Transit electric commercial van (Courtesy of Ford)

¶ “Developer Pulls Plug On Transmission Project That Would Have Brought Millions To Northeast Kingdom” • National Grid has pulled the plug on building a major transmission line. Not only would the line would have carried power between Quebec and New England, it would have been a major income source for Northeast Kingdom communities. [Vermont Public]

¶ “Vermont Governor Opposes Ambitious Renewable Energy Bill Over Costs” • Citing a disputed cost study, Vermont Governor Phil Scott is pushing back against a bill mandating faster, wider adoption of renewable energy by power utilities. House Bill 289 would require utilities to purchase 100% of their electric power from renewable sources by 2030. [The Energy Mix]

Killington (Emily Ho, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Kentucky Senate Bill Would Add More Hurdles To Utilities Retiring Fossil-Fueled Power Plants” • In the wake of a new law that makes it harder to retire coal-fired power plants, Republican Senator Robby Mills from Henderson is back with a bill to create more restrictions on retireing fossil-fuel power plants – to the possible detriment of ratepayers. [Hoptown Chronicle]

¶ “West Virginia Updates Renewable Power Projects Laws to Expand Solar Energy Use And Attract Businesses” • In West Virginia, House Bill 5528 is raising the size limit for renewable projects. The old limit was 50 MW, but now it to be 100 MW. The bill also gets rid of a rule that would have ended the program in the upcoming year. [WV News]

Have a profoundly positive day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Climate-Conscious Travelers Are Jumpstarting Europe’s Sleeper Trains” • Climate-conscious Europeans, particularly younger travelers, are increasingly shunning carbon-spewing airplanes in favor of overnight trains. With that, they’ve spurred something of a night-train revival while discovering what many say is a richer way of traveling. [ABC News]

German train (Daniel Abadia, Unsplash)

¶ “EVs At 24.8% Share In UK – Tesla Back On Top” • February saw plugin EVs at 24.8% share of the UK auto market, up from 22.9% year on year. Full electric volume increased 21% YOY, with plugin hybrids up by 29%. Overall auto volume was 84,886 units, up 13% YOY and the highest February in 20 years. Tesla was the leading battery EV brand in the UK. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volvo Reaches 44% Plugin Vehicles” • Just about 1% of Volvo’s car sales in the US were full electrics in 2023. However, globally, in February, that figure shot up to a record-high 21.7%, so 21.7% of Volvo Cars global sales were 100% electric last month. Looking more broadly, 44% of Volvo Cars global sales were for plugin vehicles last month. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo XC40 (Alexander Migl, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “UK Government Allocates Over £1 Billion For Renewable Energy Auction” • Britain’s flagship renewables scheme received a record funding boost from government, with more than £1 billion for its upcoming auction. The funding signals large-scale government backing to drive further investment into the UK’s thriving renewables sector. [Mirage News]

¶ “Azerbaijan Predicts Mutual Benefits Of Foreign Investment In Construction Of Solar Power Plant” • W Hass Future GmbH & Co, a German firm, said it is ready to invest more than €300 million to establish solar power stations in Kyrgyzstan, Azernews reports. The company is also considering wind energy, along with the solar power. [AzerNews]

Baku, Azerbaijan (Tural Taqiyev, Unsplash)

¶ “RBC Raises Renewable Funding Target But Reports Little Progress On Oil And Gas Emissions” • The Royal Bank of Canada plans to ramp up its renewable energy funding, while it reported little progress on reducing the emissions intensity of its oil and gas investments. The bank plans to triple financing for renewable energy to $15 billion by 2030. [Yahoo News Canada]

¶ “UK’s Green Power Industry Receives Surprise £10 Billion Pledge” • Britain’s stressed green power industry has received a surprise fillip after NatPower, a renewables startup that is part of a larger European group, pledged to plow £10 billion into what would become the largest portfolio of battery storage projects in the country. [The Guardian]

Solar panels (Mariana Proença, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Atlas Renewable Energy Signs A 375-GWh, 24/7 PPA With Codelco” • Atlas Renewable Energy has signed a power purchase agreement with Chilean state-owned mining company Codelco to deliver 375 GWh per year from a solar-plus-storage project in Chile. The PPA is for a 24/7 supply, using battery energy storage to deliver power over a 15-year period. [PV Tech]

¶ “Adani Green Powers Up 1,000 MW Solar Capacity At Khavda, World’s Largest Renewable Energy Park” • Adani Green Energy, the renewable energy arm of the Adani Group, ‘operationalised’ an additional 448.95 MW of solar power projects in Khavda, Gujarat. This adds to 551 MW of solar power in February, for a total of 1 GW. [Swarajya]

Khavda Renewable Energy Park (Adani Group, via X)

¶ “Thirteen Years After Meltdown, The Head Of Japan’s Nuclear Cleanup Is Probing Mysteries Inside Reactors” • Just as Japan prepares to mark the thirteenth anniversary of its worst-ever nuclear disaster, the man in charge of cleaning it up says his team is still fighting to bring a sample out of the heart of the site’s radioactive debris. [AP News]

¶ “Nuclear Slow And Expensive, Renewables Fast And Cheap: Bowen Slaps Down Coalition ‘Fantasy’” • Australian Federal climate and energy minister Chris Bowen has again slammed the federal Coalition’s “nuclear fantasy”, describing it as a deliberate distraction and the latest “desperate effort” to keep the culture war over energy and climate alive. [RenewEconomy]

Windmill and nuclear plant (Boudewijn Huysmans, Unsplash)

¶ “IAEA Head Grossi Meets Putin Over Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant” • Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the security situation at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant, which is occupied by Russia. The two also discussed “other non-proliferation global challenges,” Grossi said. [Yahoo]

US:

¶ “Henry Hub Daily Natural Gas Spot Price Fell to Record Lows in February” • Because of high production and relatively low consumption, less natural gas has been withdrawn from storage this winter. US natural gas inventories have been above average. Relatively high storage levels indicate an oversupplied market, reducing natural gas prices. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “US Remained Largest Liquefied Natural Gas Supplier To Europe In 2023” • The US was again the largest LNG supplier for in 2023, accounting for nearly half of total LNG imports, data from CEDIGAZ show. Last year marks the third consecutive year in which the US supplied more LNG to Europe than any other country. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wyoming To Hitch A Ride On ‘Record-Shattering’ US Solar Industry” • When new projects come up for approval, US solar developers are not out there on their own. The manufacturing base has given rise to a whole new layer of lobbying in support of the solar industry. Wyoming, deep in the heart of coal country, is a case in point. [CleanTechnica]

Have a persistently sufficient day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “MethaneSAT Will Pinpoint Methane Pollution In Real Time” • MethaneSAT, a satellite brought into being by a collaboration between dozens of scientists, researchers, and private companies, is in orbit, peering down at the Earth as it circles fifteen times a day. MethaneSAT is designed to identify the sources that leak polluting methane gas. [CleanTechnica]

MethaneSAT (Environmental Defense Fund image)

¶ “Geoengineering Rears Its Ugly Head” • Luke Iseman and Andrew Song want to save the Earth from becoming so hot humans can’t survive on it any longer. They formed a company called Make Sunsets to fill weather balloons with helium and sulfur dioxide, stuff volcanoes spew out, for geoengineering by stratospheric aerosol injection. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Dutton’s Nuclear Push A ‘Dumb Idea’ And Decades Too Late” • Peter Dutton wants to make Australia a nuclear powerhouse, but it may be decades too late to achieve that, an expert says. The Coalition’s new energy vision was outlined in an article in The Australian, where opposition energy spokesman Ted O’Brien said reactors of all sizes were of interes. [Crikey]

Nuclear danger sign (Kilian Karger, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Mexico City Drought Causes Rainwater Catchment Basin To Catch Fire And Burn For A Day” • Mexico City’s drought and water shortage is so bad that one of its rainwater catchment basins caught fire, scorching 75 acres (30 hectares) of dried-up vegetation. The El Cristo basin is meant to hold excess water from storm drains. [ABC News]

¶ “UN Warns Of Climate Impact On Farms, Rural Households Run By Women In Poor Countries” • A report by the Food and Agriculture Organization, “The Unjust Climate,” found that rural households headed by women lose on average 8% more of their income during heat waves and 3% more during floods than those headed by men. [ABC News]

Women farming in Kenya (McKay Savage, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Top Selling Electric Vehicles in the World, January 2024” • The Tesla Model Y is #1 again in the world EV market. Registrations were up 63% year over year in January, to over a million units. China’s market was the main driver of growth of plugin sales, though it was greatest in Thailand (+239% YOY), Turkey (+219%), and Brazil (+263%). [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Canadian Lithium Project Gets Mitsubishi Investment” • Mitsubishi Corp is partnering with Frontier Lithium on a lithium mine in Ontario. Part of this partnership is that it’s an effort to avoid challenges sourcing lithium from China. For its cars to be eligible for the full US EV tax credit, Mitsubishi can’t use EV battery minerals from China. [CleanTechnica]

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV 2023 (Courtesy of Mitsubishi)

¶ “Clean Power Sends CO₂ Growth Back To Great Depression-Era Levels” • The world’s carbon dioxide emissions are rising at their slowest rate since the Great Depression thanks to a boom in clean energy, new figures show. The use of clean technology avoided vast quantities of CO₂ being produced, says the International Energy Agency. [The National]

¶ “Rad Power Bikes Reinforces Its Product Line For The Next Generation And Introduces Two New Models” • Rad Power Bikes introduced a host of foundational upgrades that improve the safety and quality of its bikes, including a new UL-certified Safe Shield battery, hydraulic brakes, turn signals, and brighter headlights. [CleanTechnica]

Rad Power Bikes Radster (Courtesy of Rad Power Bikes)

¶ “High-Risk Alert: Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Danger Level At 7-8, Says Energoatom Head” • As the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains under occupation since March 4, 2022, Petro Kotin, head of Energoatom, Ukraine’s state nuclear company, raised the alarm over the escalating danger, marking it at 7-8 on a ten-point scale. [BNN Breaking]

US:

¶ “New Dodge Charger Flips The Script On Electric Vehicles” • Dodge introduced two new all-electric versions of its classic gas-guzzling Charger muscle car. The new Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack and Daytona R/T are billed as the first EVs to take on the challenging aspects of muscle car fandom including noise, noise, and more noise. [CleanTechnica] (What‽)

Dodge Charger Daytona models (Courtesy of Stellantis)

¶ “Yotta Energy Is Disrupting Energy Storage With Its Modular Rooftop Storage Solution” • The core of Yotta’s technology is a compact sealed lithium iron phosphate energy storage system that is designed not to need any external coolant and nests directly under a rooftop solar panel, allowing an integrated installation at the panel. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Adds Record-Breaking 32 GW Of Solar In 2023” • The US installed a record-breaking 32 GW of solar in 2023, during the first full year of the Inflation Reduction Act. The utility-scale sector added 22.5 GW of new capacity, while nearly 800,000 Americans added solar to their homes, according to the US Solar Market Insight 2023 Year-in-Review. [reNews]

Solar farm (EDF Renewables image)

¶ “Solar Hits A Renewable Energy Milestone Not Seen Since WWII” • Solar accounted for most of the capacity the nation added to its electric grids last year. That feat marks the first time since World War II, when hydropower was booming, that a renewable power source has comprised more than half of the nation’s energy additions. [Grist]

¶ “Blocking Renewable Energy Is A Top State Legislative Priority For Network Of Pro-Fossil Fuels Think Tanks” • The State Policy Network announced on its website last month that it will focus on working with state lawmakers to prevent states from adopting wind and solar power in 2024. SPN’s donors include fossil fuel interests. [Energy and Policy Institute]

Have an altogether delightful day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

(, CC-BY-SA 3.0) km² CO₂ NH₃ CH₄ ₹ NOₓ ‽ ¦ – ¦♦♦♦♦♦

Opinion:

¶ “Peter Dutton’s Climate Denial Is Morphing Into A Madcap Nuclear Fantasy” • Welcome to the Trumpian world we now live in, guided by energy tropes on social media. Say something often enough and people may believe it. And just when you think it couldn’t get more weird, up pops Australia’s federal Coalition with a plan for nuclear power. [RenewEconomy]

Chernobyl in 2011 (David Holt, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

World:

¶ “EVs Take 92.1% Share In Norway – Tesla Model Y Dominates” • February saw plugin EVs take 92.1% share in Norway, up from 90.1% year on year. Following the recent tax changes, battery EVs alone were above 90% share for the second consecutive month. The Tesla Model Y sold 1,747 units, which is almost a quarter of the entire market. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nissan Ariya Gets Big Price Cut – Competitive With Tesla Model Y Now?” • The Nissan Ariya, the company’s fully electric crossover, just got its base price reduced by about $3,600. Some higher-end versions of the Ariya got their MSRP absolutely shredded, by as much as $6,000. The base MSRP for the Ariya is now $39,590. [CleanTechnica]

Nissan Ariya (Kazyakuruma, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Kazakhstan’s Renewable Energy Sector Gains Momentum With 146 Facilities In Operation” • The Kazakh Ministry of Energy released a report on the country’s burgeoning landscape of renewable energy, boasting 146 operational renewable energy facilities exceeding 100 kW on March 4, Kazinform news agency reported. [The Astana Times]

¶ “Hydro Rein Bags 2.4-GW Scandi Wind Portfolio” • Hydro Rein, Hydro’s renewable venture, is to acquire the majority stake in a 2,400-MW portfolio of wind projects in development in Sweden and Norway. Hydro Rein has entered into an agreement with the Swedish renewable energy developer IOWN Energy to take an 80% stake in the 25 projects. [reNews]

Wind farm (Hydro Rein image)

¶ “Microgrid Market Powers Up, Envisioned To Reach $87.8 Billion By 2029, At A CAGR Of 18.5%” • The global microgrid market is poised for substantial growth, with a projected size of $87.8 billion by 2029. The growth reflects a robust compound annual growth rate of 18.5% from 2024 to 2029, according to one report. [Metro – News Channel Nebraska]

¶ “Rays Power Infra Bags Order For Three Solar Projects” • The renewable energy firm Rays Power Infra said that it has bagged orders for three solar projects in India totalling 520 MW. The company is pursuing other growth opportunities. It submitted bids for solar EPC projects in India, Mauritius, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Bangladesh. [Energy Central]

Solar farm (Gunnar Ridderström, Unsplash)

Australia:

¶ “Australians Prefer Living Near Wind, Solar Over Nuclear, Coal” • Only one in ten Australians would want to live near a nuclear reactor or coal-burning power plant, while most would prefer to live near wind and solar farms, new polling shows. The polling comes as the Coalition prepares to release its plan for nuclear reactors in Australia. [Mirage News]

¶ “European Energy Turns Sod On Oz Solar” • European Energy initiated construction on what will be its first operating project in Australia, a 56-MW solar farm in Victoria. Located in the Hume region of the state, this solar farm’s construction is anticipated to be completed in 2025. The 94-hectare site had been primarily used for grazing. [reNews]

Solar farm (European Energy image)

¶ “Trina Solar Sees Australia’s Rising Demand For Renewable Energy Solutions ” • Trina Solar sees strong demand for solar energy across various sectors in Australia. With a remarkable 12.5% increase in total installed solar capacity to 34.2 GW in 2023, Australia’s renewable energy landscape is also building battery energy storage systems. [SolarQuarter]

US:

¶ “Blizzard Slams California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, More Snow On The Way” • The snow has topped ten feet in some of the Sierra’s higher elevations. Now, yet another storm is to hit the mountains of Northern California, Oregon, and Washington with more heavy snow. It is expected to add up to two feet of snow to what has already fallen. [ABC News]

Blizzard (Dave Hoefler, Unsplash)

¶ “California Man Is First In The US To Be Charged With Smuggling Greenhouse Gases” • A Southern California man was arrested on suspicion of smuggling refrigerants into the US from Mexico. Federal prosecutors said he’s the first person to be charged with violating regulations intended to curb use of greenhouse gases. [ABC News]

¶ “US Counties Are Blocking Renewable Energy For Themselves, But Not For Thee” • A movement is afoot to block utility-scale renewable energy development across the US, even though the cost of wind and solar power is cheaper than electricity from other sources in many areas. However, there is more than one way to deal with such things. [CleanTechnica]

Worker at solar array (Courtesy of Shoals Technologies Group)

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Announces $90 Million to Improve Building Efficiency, Increase Resilience, And Reduce Costs for American Families And Businesses” • As part of the Investing in America agenda, the DOE announced $90 million in funding to support building energy code adoption, training, and technical assistance. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The US Saw Record Market Share For Heat Pumps And Electric Water Heaters In 2023” • The “Electrify Everything” movement is growing quickly, latest data from AHRI shows. The data tracks annual shipments of furnaces, heat pumps, and water heaters. As heat pumps set new records, gas equipment market share continued to decline. [CleanTechnica]

Have an amusingly profitable day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “The National Electricity Market Wasn’t Made For A Renewable Energy Future. Here’s How To Fix It” • Rooftop solar is Australia’s cheapest source of electricity. Consumers can get electricity from rooftop solar at less than a fifth of the average cost of buying it from a retailer. In 2022, total rooftop solar capacity exceeded 30 GW. Coal capacity was 21 GW. [The Conversation]

Solar panels on a school (Orderinchaos, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Is Nuclear Power A Fix For Climate Change? Experts Think It’s Too Dangerous” • As the climate crisis grows worse every year, much recent debate has focused on nuclear energy. It is certainly “cleaner” than fossil fuels in terms of carbon emissions, but most experts Salon contacted were skeptical that it can offer a path to climate salvation. [Salon.com]

World:

¶ “OPEC+ Production Cuts Deepen With Extensions From Saudi Arabia, Russia And Other Oil Giants” • The countries in OPEC+ announced they are extending reductions in oil production of 2.2 million barrels a day. Saudi Arabia led them by extending its previously-implemented cut of 1 million barrels a day through the end of 2024’s second quarter. [ABC News]

Highway in Saudi Arabia (backer Sha, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Chinese Company Develops Renewable Energy Technology For Rural Communities In Africa” • In a trip to India, founder Li Xia of Shenzhen Power Solution saw the challenges faced by rural communities without access to electricity. She knew it was also an issue facing millions of people who live off-grid in Africa. So she decided to act. [CGTN]

¶ “EVs Take 51.8% Share In Sweden” • February’s market saw plugin EVs take 51.8% share in Sweden, down year on year from 54.0%. Plugin volumes were down YOY for full battery EVs, but up for plugin hybrids. February’s overall auto volume was 18,773 units, up some 2% YOY. The Tesla Model Y was the month’s best selling battery EV. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo XC40 (George Sargiannidis, Unsplash)

¶ “EDF Renewables UK’s West Benhar Wind Farm Officially Opened By Scottish Energy Minister” • Local children and community groups joined EDF Renewables UK and Scottish Government Minister for Energy, Just Transition, and Fair Work, Gillian Martin for the official opening of the country’s newest operational wind farm. [energy-pedia]

¶ “Nautical SUNRISE Funds OranjeWind Floating Solar Farm” • The Nautical SUNRISE project will help fund a 5-MW offshore floating solar system for use on RWE’s 800-MW OranjeWind wind farm off the west coast of the Netherlands. The €8.4 million project is supported with €6.8 million of the Horizon Europe program. It kicked off in December. [reNews]

Floating solar and wind turbines (SolarDuck image)

¶ “Egypt Secures $40 Billion Investment For Renewable Energy And Green Hydrogen Projects In Suez Canal Zone” • Egypt signed seven memorandums of understanding with global companies for the advancement of renewable energy and green hydrogen ventures in the Suez Canal Economic Zone, as per an official statement. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Territory Labor Government Unveils $45 Million DK BESS for Renewable Energy Boost” • The Northern Territory’s Labor Government reached a milestone in its pursuit of clean energy with the installation of the $45 million Darwin-Katherine Battery Energy Storage System. The Australian territory’s goal is 50% renewable energy by 2030. [BNN Breaking]

Northern Territory (Christian Bass, Unsplash)

¶ “Fury after Exxon chief says public to blame for climate failures” • The world is off track to meet its climate goals and the public is to blame, Darren Woods, chief executive of oil giant ExxonMobil, has claimed, prompting a backlash from climate experts. Exxon is among the top contributors to global heating greenhouse gas emissions. [The Guardian]

¶ “Queensland’s CleanCo To Provide Clean Energy For Airports Consortium” • Two Queensland airports committed to getting 100% of the electricity for their land operations from renewable sources under an agreement with CleanCo and the North Queensland Airports group. They plan to be powered by the Kaban Wind Farm by 2025. [Government News]

Cairns Airport (Rocker Sta, Unsplash)

¶ “India Seized Chinese Cargo That Could Be Used For Pakistan’s Nuclear Weapons Project” • Two advanced Computer Numerical Control machines made by GKD, Italy and bound for the port of Karachi were seized by Indian customs in January at Mumbai Port. The dual-use items were shipped from China could be used in Pakistan’s nuclear weapons program. [menafn]

US:

¶ “At Least Two Dead As Largest Wildfire In State History Tears Through Texas Panhandle” • Several large wildfires continue to tear through the Texas Panhandle, one of which has grown into the largest blaze in state history. About 90% of Roberts County is burned, according to Chief W Nim Kidd of the Texas Division of Emergency Management. [ABC News]

Roberts County (Austin Lamar Allison, CC0 1.0)

¶ “Forty Collegiate Teams Advance In The Solar Decathlon 2024 Design Challenge” • Forty teams from 37 collegiate institutions are advancing to the final stage of the US DOE Solar Decathlon® 2024 Design Challenge based on their cutting-edge, zero-energy building designs. They were selected at the semifinal competition of February 23–24, 2024. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Fisker And Nissan May Collaborate On An Electric Pickup Truck” • According to Car and Driver, Henrik Fisker announced during an earnings call last week that the company is negotiating with an unnamed “large automaker” to enter into a strategic partnership. Now Reuters has news that the large automaker in the picture is Nissan. [CleanTechnica]

Have a dramatically goodly day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Debunking Solar Myths: What About Nuclear?” • ‘Uncle Bob’ is the proverbial character who shares at family gatherings all he believes about solar and why it just isn’t a good idea. He asks, “What about nuclear? That’s reliable runs all the time. Why don’t we do more of that?” First, there’s radioactive waste, and second, it’s too expensive. [pv magazine USA]

Diablo Canyon nuclear plant (Tracey Adams, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Accelerating Ocean Heat Breaks All-Time Records” • Research finds ocean temperatures … “have now smashed previous heat records for at least seven years in a row.” It should shake up and rattle the cage of every person on the planet because their leaders, who are supposed to address problems like this, are asleep at the switch, sound asleep! [Pressenza]

World:

¶ “No Snow, No Tourists – Death Of A Swiss Ski Resort” • The Rüschegg Eywald ski resort is much loved. Many families spent happy days there. But this winter season, its T-bar ski lift has not once been open. At almost 1.6 miles (2.5 km), it is the fourth longest ski lift in Switzerland and not for the faint-hearted. But it has fallen victim to climate change. [BBC]

Camping at Rüschegg (Emanuelflueck, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “ELu Gathers Electric Vehicles, Sporting Greats, And Good Food” • ELu is an EV charging station provider that installs and manages 22-kWh and ultra-fast DC charging pods with battery integration. The integrated battery system enables the chargers to operate effectively and sustainably at locations with limited power infrastructure. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “More Affordable Electric Cars Are Starting To Arrive In More Places Around The World” • $25,000 seems to be the magical number when it comes to the upfront purchase price of EVs to get things going into overdrive in the EV world. And there has even been a lot of excitement around a potential for a $25,000 compact car from Tesla. [CleanTechnica]

Dacia Spring (Dacia image)

¶ “India And Sri Lanka Sign Deal On Hybrid Renewable Energy System” • India and Sri Lanka signed an agreement to develop a hybrid renewable energy system on three islands in Jaffna. The project with 530 kw of wind power, 1,700 kw of solar, 2,400 kwh of battery capacity, and 2,500 kw of stand-by diesel power will be built at the islands by USOLAR. [menafn]

¶ “Kyrgyzstan Seeks Chinese Investment In Renewable Energy, Boosting Economic Ties” • In a move to strengthen economic relations and advance sustainable development, the chairman of Kyrgyzstan’s Cabinet of Ministers, Akylbek Japarov, reached out to Chinese banks and businesses, seeking their involvement in Kyrgyz renewable energy projects. [BNN Breaking]

Kyrgyzstan (Mick Truyts, Unsplash)

¶ “Anglo-American Announces Financing For Wind And Solar Projects” • Three renewable projects, the Koruson 2 cluster of projects, on the border of the Northern Cape and Eastern Cape of South Africa, will have 520 MW of wind and solar electric generating capacity. Anglo-American owns the projects jointly with EDF Renewables and Envusa Energy. [DFA]

¶ “Guernsey Paves The Way For Green Energy By Eliminating Standby Charges For Renewable Installations” • In a seminal move, Guernsey has announced its decision to eliminate standby charges for all sizes of renewable energy installations, starting on April 1, 2024. This pivotal policy shift represents a leap towards sustainable development. [Medriva]

Saint Peter Port, Guernsey (Julie Clarke, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Massive Blizzard Hits California And Nevada” • A massive blizzard is pounding parts of California and Nevada. The storm has closed major roads, shut down ski resorts, and left tens of thousands of homes without power. The blizzard was especially severe in the mountainous Sierra Nevada region, where wind gusts reportedly reached 190 mph. [BBC]

¶ “Property Owners In Colorado Sue To Force Clean Up Of Orphaned Wells” • When an oil or gas company drills a well, it is supposed to post a bond, a sum of money sufficient to cap it when it is closed. Typically, those bonds are woefully inadequate, amounting to no more than a few pennies on the dollar. And so the wells stay open. [CleanTechnica]

Orphaned wells (USGS image)

¶ “Teen Firefighters Step Up To The Flames As Texas Wildfires Spread Throughout Panhandle” • When the largest wildfire in Texas history made its way to the town of Pampa, 15-year-old Nathan Slater said he immediately knew where he had to be. He had been training and volunteering for the last couple of months as a junior firefighter. [ABC News]

¶ “County: Renewable Revolution – Solar And Battery Contracts Set To Double Clean Electricity Supply” • With a unanimous vote, the Los Alamos County Council approved solar and storage agreements, putting Los Alamos County on an accelerated path toward meeting its goal of being a net carbon-neutral energy provider by 2040. [Los Alamos Reporter]

Have a satisfactorily scrumptious day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “When a bribe isn’t a ‘bribe’” • Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, convicted of accepting a bribe, has filed an appeal. His appeal contends that because corporations are legally considered people after the Citizens United ruling, and people have the right to free speech, then corporations can use their dollars to speak to politicians. [Law and Crime News]

Davis-Besse (Nuclear Regulatory Commission, cropped)

World:

¶ “Activists Build Treehouses To Protest Tesla’s Plans To Expand Its Plant Near Berlin” • Environmental activists are staging a protest against plans to expand the grounds of electric carmaker Tesla’s first plant in Europe. Between 80 and 100 activists have been camping in a forest near Berlin. They put up tents and built treehouses as part of the protest. [ABC News]

¶ “BYD Dolphin Mini Rolling in Mexico – Cheapest Electric Car By Far” • The BYD Seagull, a small and super affordable electric car from the top selling plugin vehicle producer in the world, has now made its way into the Mexican auto market. The 5-door compact electric hatchback comes at a shockingly low price of MXN$358,800 ($21,000). [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seagull (Courtesy of BYD)

¶ “Tesla And BYD Cut Prices Further in China!” • BYD is at the top of China’s EV market, while Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 are usually at the top of the model sales chart. Searching for more sales, BYD and Tesla cut prices at least a few times in 2023, and it looks like that trend is continuing. Both BYD and Tesla are set for price cuts this week. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “World’s Largest Rooftop Solar Power Plant To Be Built In Denmark” • The Danish solar company SolarFuture ApS has landed an order for a 35 MW rooftop solar power plant. The electricity production from the solar plant in Horsens, Denmark, will exceed that of all existing installations in the world, even at Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada. [CleanTechnica]

Rendering of rooftop solar system (Image by SolarFuture)

¶ “Shell To Tackle Nigeria’s Power Problems With Off-Grid Renewable Energy” • Shell Nigeria Plc says it will assist the Nigerian government provide electricity for millions of people, using renewables. Shell plans to deploy renewables as off-grid energy source to Nigerians, especially in areas not connected to the national grid. [Punch Newspapers]

¶ “JLR Vows To Reduce Energy Bills By Using Solar Power” • JLR, Jaguar Land Rover, says it will reduce energy bills by using solar power. It says the aim for off-grid energy projects is to produce almost 120 MW of renewable energy at their peak, enough to power nearly 44,500 homes. It will have a variety of solar panels installed at JLR locations. [Coventry Telegraph]

Solar panels on a rooftop (JLR image)

¶ “Solar, Wind Parks Around The City Of Nikšić Could Power Montenegro” • A study mapping the potential of solar and wind energy in the region of Nikšić shows that renewable energy sources in optimal locations around Montenegro’s second-largest city could generate enough electricity for all households in the country. [Balkan Green Energy News]

¶ “Energy-Related Emissions Hit A Record High Last Year Despite Renewables Surge” • Despite a decline in fossil fuel use in developed economies, global energy-related emissions rose last year to a record high as coal use rose in major developing markets hit by low hydropower generation, an International Energy Agency showed. [Oil & Gas 360]

Carbon emissions (Marcin Jozwiak, Unsplash, cropped)

US:

¶ “California Mountain Regions Brace For Huge Snowstorm” • Several California ski resorts closed, as the state prepared for a massive snowstorm forecast to hit the Sierra Nevada region. Officials closed off roads as the state braced for up to 10 feet (3 metres) of snow. Wind gusts could also top 140 mph (225 kmh) in the Sierra Nevada mountains. [BBC]

¶ “US To Investigate “Security Concerns” Involving Chinese Electric Cars” • Cars built in Mexico can be imported to the US without tariffs, thanks to the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement that replaced NAFTA. The Alliance of American Manufacturers calls possible cheap Chinese EVs made in Mexico an “extinction level event” for US car makers. [CleanTechnica]

BYD electric cars ready to ship (Image courtesy of BYD)

¶ “Brown University Study Documents Links Between National And Local Offshore Wind Opponents” • A study from Brown University shows in graphic detail how linkages exist between opponents of offshore wind and captive fossil fuel apologists at the national level. The national organizations have one mission: protecting fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “400 US Farmers To Enlist For Rural Wind Power” • The Biden administration announced a plan to recruit 400 farmers to install wind turbines on their land. The push for wind power builds on a US DOE study that makes the case for pumping up the nation’s supply of distributed wind power, meaning local wind farms and individual wind turbines. [CleanTechnica]

Wind farm (Alice Welch, USDA)

¶ “Will Vermont Commit To 100% Renewable Electricity?” • In Vermont, lawmakers are moving forward with legislation that would require electric utilities to get 100% of the electricity they sell to consumers from renewable sources by 2030. H.289, An Act Relating to the Renewable Energy Standard, received favorable committee reports. [Environment America]

¶ “Plant Vogtle Unit 4 Connects To Electric Grid For The First Time, Says Georgia Power” • Georgia Power announced that Unit 4 at Plant Vogtle is generating electricity, successfully connected to the electric grid for the first time. The initial plan was to bring Unit 4 online in 2017. The project came in at more than double the projected cost. [The Augusta Chronicle]

Have a fortunately progressing day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Electrolyzing Carbon Dioxide Out Of Sea Water Has Multiple Red Flags” • Recent news was that Germany’s vice chancellor, Robert Habeck, publicly backed a significant carbon capture and sequestration plan as actual decarbonization of the economy is not on track for targets. One assumes no one has bothered to tell him about Satartia, Mississippi. [CleanTechnica]

Protest (Matt Hrkac, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

World:

¶ “Why The Warming Effects Of This El Niño Event Will Linger For Several Months” • Several regions around the planet are expected to experience record-breaking average surface air temperatures through the summer as a result of the heating influence of the current El Niño pattern, according to a study published in Scientific Reports. [ABC News]

¶ “As Congo Seeks To Expand Drilling, Some Communities Worry Pollution Will Worsen” • Congo, a mineral-rich nation in central Africa, is thought to have significant oil reserves. Drilling has been confined to a small area on the Atlantic Ocean and offshore, but the government is seeking to auction off thirty oil and gas blocks in the country. [ABC News]

Countryside in Congo (Jay Monty, Unsplash)

¶ “UK’s Path To Net Zero: Battery Storage Central To Renewable Energy Success, Says Commissioner Winser” • Nick Winser, the UK’s electricity networks commissioner, recently highlighted the pivotal role of battery storage for reaching the net zero targets. Winser underscores the need to complement wind and solar power with storage systems. [BNN Breaking]

¶ “Glasgow Dock Expects Record Year For Turbines” • Peel Ports Clydeport expects to see a record year for handling wind turbine components at its King George V Dock site in Glasgow as it keeps up support the renewable energy sector. The UK’s second largest port operator will process over 1000 components, weighing over 60,000 tonnes, in 2024. [reNews]

Wind turbine blades (Peel Ports Clydeport)

¶ “Solar Capture 56% of India’s Renewable Energy Generation In January 2024” • In January 2024, India achieved a milestone in its renewable energy journey, with solar power accounting for an impressive 56.08% of the nation’s total renewable energy output. This achievement highlights India’s steadfast commitment to sustainable energy. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Statkraft Plans $6 Billion Hydro And Wind Investment In Norway” • Statkraft aims to invest kr44 billion to kr67 billion ($6.3 billion) in hydro and wind power. The company released its annual report for 2023, when Statkraft saw its net operating revenues fall kr65.3 billion ($6.1 billion) compared to 75.3 bn kroner the year before. [reNews]

Wind farm (Statkraft image)

US:

¶ “A New $900 Million Investment Catapults Michigan Into Solar Industry Spotlight” • In Michigan, the solar industry has been somewhat middling until now. But a $900 million investment from Corning just shook things up. Michigan’s state officials were happy to credit the win to their talent pool, which seems to have tipped the balance. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The State of Arizona And The US Forest Service Fight Battles For Clean Water” • The technologies, the science, and the public policy behind clean water is a pretty big deal. But it’s a big deal that most people don’t know that much about. This can lead us to take it for granted. Here are two stories about fights over water in the western US. [CleanTechnica]

Seedling sheltered by a burned tree (Erika Reiter, USFS)

¶ “Deadly Wildfire Grows Into Largest In Texas History” • Several large wildfires are still tearing through northern Texas, including one that has grown into the largest blaze in the state’s history. The Smokehouse Creek Fire that ignited in Hutchinson County is just 3% contained, and it has covered an area larger than the size of Rhode Island. [ABC News]

¶ “New Virtual Training and How-To Resources Help Leaders Advance Renewable Energy Development” • NREL, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is colaborating with RMI to provide a virtual training to support development of renewable energy projects and created a how-to guide on battery energy storage systems. [CleanTechnica]

Caribbean fellows with RMI (Photo from RMI)

¶ “Climate Change Could Unearth, Disturb Nuclear Waste Buried By The US In The Cold War Era, Officials Say” • Noxious waste buried at former nuclear weapons test sites could be unearthed by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change continue at the current rate, says a report by the US Government Accountability Office . [ABC News]

¶ “Texas Adds Two More Utility-Scale Solar Power Projects” • In Texas, two large solar power installations came online. Clearway Energy Group said it completed the 452-MW Texas Solar Nova complex in Kent County. The Fence Post installation, in Navarro County, includes a 297-MW solar photovoltaic project paired with 86-MW of storage. [Yahoo Finance]

Solar power (Sungrow EMEA, Unsplash)

¶ “Washington DC’s cherry blossom season announced” • The National Park Service and organizers of the National Cherry Blossom Festival said March 23-26 are the projected peak bloom dates for the District of Columbia’s Tidal Basin cherry blossoms. Peak bloom is occurring earlier each year. The average date has historically been April 4, the EPA said. [ABC News]

¶ “A Spent Nuclear Fuel Shipment Arrived In Idaho. Here’s Why It’s A Big Deal” • Idaho National Laboratory just got a shipment that took over a decade to deliver. After years of negotiations with the state, and dozens of deliverables by the US government to manage the lab’s radioactive legacy waste, INL finally has access to 25 experimental fuel rods. [DOE]

Have a gleefully liveable day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

(, CC-BY-SA 3.0) km² CO₂ NH₃ CH₄ ₹ NOₓ ‽ ♦♦♦♦♦