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 