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 
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