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 