Opinion:
¶ “Tesla Marketing Campaign Takes A Slightly Traditional Turn” • Tesla swore off traditional advertising early on, depending on word-of-mouth referals. But these days, paid ads for Tesla are popping up across social platforms, including on Facebook, YouTube, and lots of other places. What’s behind the Tesla marketing turnabout? [CleanTechnica]
Tesla Model Y (Pontus Jerand Wernhammar, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “Flixtrain, Trainline, And T&E Call For Reduced Rail Tolls To Help Make Train Travel More Accessible” • Travelling by rail instead of flying can decrease emissions by up to -97% on specific routes. Reducing flying and car use is urgent to mitigate climate change and live within the Paris Agreement to limit temperature increases to well below 2°C. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Adani Green Energy Has Over 10 GW Of Renewable Capacity Operating” • Adani Green Energy Ltd has reached an operating renewable energy portfolio of 10,934 MW, the largest in India. AGEL’s operating renewable energy portfolio consists of 7,393 MW of solar, 1,401 MW of wind and 2,140 MW of wind-solar hybrid capacity. [pv magazine India]
Adani Green Energy wind-solar plant (AGEL image)
¶ “Mytilineos Inks 210-MW Solar Offtake Deal In Greece” • Based in Greece, Mytilineos and Karatzis, a manufacturing firm, signed a 210-MW power purchase agreement for the energy generated by a 262-MW solar portfolio. Mytilineos will be able to take 80% of the energy produced by the portfolio, which has 35 projects in Larissa prefecture. [Power Engineering International]
¶ “Portuguese Utility Says Renewables Covered 91% Of Demand In March” • Renewable energy covered 91% of Portugal’s demand for electricity in March, according to data from the grid operator. Hydropower provided 47%, followed by wind at 31%, solar at 6%, and biomass at 5%. Natural gas plants generated the remaining share. [pv magazine International]
Solar + horses (Voltalia image)
¶ “Alice Springs Roadmap To Renewable Energy Calls For Urgent Action” • The central Australian town of Alice Springs is on track for 50% renewable power by 2030 but a report says urgent action and investment is needed to integrate the increasing amounts of renewable energy, including solar PV and battery energy storage, into its isolated grid. [pv magazine Australia]
¶ “Russian Ship Carrying Nuclear Fuel For US Nuclear Power Plant Detained In German Port” • Atlantic Navigator II has been held in dock at the German seaport of Rostock for three weeks after enriched uranium was found on board. The ship visited the port because of engine problems but may not leave due to a violation of EU sanctions. [Українська правда]
US:
¶ “Tesla Sales Tumble Nearly 9%, Largest Drop In Four Years, As Competition Heats Up And Demand Slows” • Tesla sales fell sharply last quarter as competition increased worldwide, EV sales growth slowed, and price cuts failed to lure more buyers. Tesla said it delivered 386,810 vehicles worldwide in the first quarter, down almost 9% year on year. [ABC News]
¶ “Getting Solar And Battery Storage For Your Home Is Now As Simple As Ordering Pizza (In Four States)” • After its successful debut in Texas last year, BLUETTI is now extending its services to California, Massachusetts, and North Carolina. This gives homeowners a seamless path to energy independence and reducing utility expenses. [CleanTechnica]
BLUETTI Solar+ (BLUETTI screen-shot)
¶ “The Lure Of Federal Money Is Too Strong For Virginia And Youngkin To Pass Up” • The Climate Pollution Reduction Grants program provides $5 billion in grants to states, territories, tribes, and local governments to develop and execute plans for reducing GHG emissions and other air pollution. Virginia, under Governor Younkin, is taking part. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “US Gives Go-Ahead For 2.6-GW New England Wind” • The US government announced its approval of Avangrid’s 2,600-MW New England Wind offshore wind project. With the approval, the Department of the Interior has approved more than 10 GW of capacity from offshore wind projects. It said this is enough to power nearly 4 million homes. [reNews]
Offshore wind turbines (insung yoon, Unsplash)
¶ “Continuance Of Coal’: Rocky Mountain Power Updates Energy Plan” • Rocky Mountain Power’s resource plan of March 2023 said Utah’s last two coal-fired power plants would retire by 2032. Now, an updated plan says the plants will run until 2036 and 2042. The change is based on court decisions against the EPA and bills in Utah’s legislature. [KSL News]
¶ “Doe Funds Heated Sand Energy Storage Project Pilot” • NREL researchers are working on a multi-day energy storage system using heated sand have developed a prototype. Now it has set the stage for a pilot project. Computer modeling has shown that a commercial-scale system would retain more than 95% of its heat for at least five days. [pv magazine USA]
Please click on the image to enlarge it. (NREL image)
¶ “NRC Underestimates Climate Risks To Nuclear Power, GAO Says” • A Government Accountability Office report found that the NRC uses historical data, rather than climate projections, to identify and assess risk in initial licensing processes and during safety reviews for plants. That may underestimate how weather could affect nuclear power plants. [E&E News]
¶ “Connecticut’s Millstone at high risk for flooding in Category 4 hurricane due to climate change” • A report by the federal Government Accountability Office identifies the Millstone Power Plant in Waterford as one of a half dozen nuclear power plants in the US that face a high risk of flood due to a storm surge from a Category 4 hurricane. [CT Insider]
Have an entirely impeccable day.
geoharvey 