Science and Technology:
¶ “Nickel-Mining Plants To Juice EV Battery Supply Chain” • The EV battery supply chain has its pitfalls. The environmental cost of nickel mining is one of them. A solution to that may have emerged in the form of a new US phytomining startup called Metalplant. Phytomining is the practice of growing plants for their metal content. [CleanTechnica]
Phytomining (courtesy of ARPA-E)
¶ “Car Exhaust And Alzheimer’s” • Researchers in Australia and Singapore found a link between car exhaust and Alzheimer’s. This opens up a whole new argument in favour of the uptake of EVs and the removal of fossil fuels. Somehow, people ignore such issues and still claim that energy from fossil fuels outweighs the risks of a transition to electricity. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Volkswagen ID Buzz Robotaxis For Hamburg” • Volkswagen is still working on introducing fully electric ID Buzz robotaxis. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles chief executive Carsten Intra said: “We want to offer test drives for customers in Hamburg this year, under real conditions.” This will be through Volkswagen Group subsidiary MOIA. [CleanTechnica]
Volkswagen ID Buzz robotaxi
(Volkswagen/MOIA, © Dirk Eisermann/FAKTOR3)
¶ “Tesla’s Tenuous Hold On EV Market May Mean Opening Up South Asia” • Tesla is planning to send a team of people to scout for locations in India this month. The broad brush strokes of the upcoming discussions reportedly will affirm the company’s plans for investment in the South Asia nation, including setting up a manufacturing facility. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Malta Could Run On 100% Renewables Once Planned Energy Projects Are Completed, Says Energy Expert” • The Maltese islands could become fully reliant on renewable energy sources for considerable periods of time once the government’s planned energy projects are completed, a government energy expert told The Malta Independent. [The Malta Independent]
Birgu, Malta (Yevheniia, Unsplash)
¶ “Untapped Rooftop Solar: Australian Homes Could Save $9.3 Billion A Year, UNSW Study Finds” • Australian households could save $9.3 billion on energy bills each year by investing in home solar systems, a report found. The Solar Citizens study found the investment would pay for itself in just over five years, and then save A$1390 per year. [One Step Off The Grid]
¶ “India Added A Record 18 GW Renewable Energy Capacity In FY24” • India added a record renewable capacity of 18.48 GW in 2023-24, up 21% from 15.27 GW the tear before, Ministry of New & Renewable Energy data shows. India’s installed renewable capacity came to 143.64 GW, as of March 31, 2024. That does not count 47 GW of large hydropower. [TheBengaluruLive]
Solar Plant Maharashtra (Thomas Lloyd Group, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “IAEA Chief Welcomes Cold Shutdown Of All Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Reactor Units” • The safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine remains fragile, but the change to a cold shutdown of all six reactor units, accomplished on Saturday, is a good development, according to the UN nuclear watchdog director. [Firstpost]
US:
¶ “Good News About Electric Cars: They’re Driving Down Electricity Rates” • In a study commissioned by the Natural Resources Defense Council, an analysis by Synapse found that between 2011 and 2021, electric car drivers contributed $3.12 billion more than their associated costs, which drove down monthly rates for “all customers.” [CleanTechnica]
Tesla charging in Munich (alex, Unsplash)
¶ “Tesla Still Worth More Than Toyota, Porsche, Mercedes, And Hyundai Combined” • Tesla’s stock price and market cap are down considerably this year. What does this mean? If you want to take an American perspective, Tesla is still worth more than Ford, GM, Stellantis, Honda, Volkswagen, BMW, BYD, Hyundai, and Kia combined. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Northwest Oregon Dams’ 2023 Power Generation At Lowest Level In 22 Years” • Hydropower to generate electricity from Oregon and Washington dams dropped to historically low levels in 2023, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration on hydroelectricity in the Northwest for the year ending September 30, 2023. [Daily Tidings]
Gold Ray Dam in Oregon (Finetooth, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Company Works Toward Building Community Solar Project Near Eldorado” • Solar panels could pop up on about 30 acres of vacant land in the area of Eldorado, New Mexico, within a year, an outcome of state leaders’ push for renewable energy. The New Mexico Community Solar Program came about as a result of a law passed in 2021. [AOL.com]
¶ “Utah Solar Developer Taps Area Near Phoenix For $1.2 Billion Project; Water Negotiations Underway” • A group of investors who own roughly 30,000 acres of land in the Harquahala Valley, about 60 miles west of Phoenix, signed a deal to build a $1.2 billion solar project. They are negotiating separate deals for the water under the project. [ABC15 Arizona]
Have a placidly pleasant day.
geoharvey 