Opinion:
¶ “A Golden Age Of Renewables Is Beginning, And California Is Leading the Way” • California has had a record-breaking string of days in which the combined generation renewable sources has exceeded demand on the main electricity grid for anywhere from 15 minutes to 9.25 hours per day. The implications are spectacular. [Scientific American]
Solar PVs (Tom Brewster Photography, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine Has Left The Entire Region At A Heightened Risk Of Radioactive Pollution” • Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has put the country’s nuclear facilities at considerable risk. For example, a drone attacked Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant on April 7. Both Ukraine and Russia deny being behind the drone attack. [The Conversation]
Science and Technology:
¶ “Strict Rules Stop Green Hydrogen Production Diverting Clean Power From The Grid. What Are They?” • Green hydrogen must be made from green electricity. But its makers must ensure more than that. Renewable hydrogen is only produced when sufficient renewable energy is available, and is not diverting clean energy away from the grid. [Energy Post]
Solar array (Sungrow EMEA, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “Climate Change Is Bringing Malaria To New Areas. In Africa, It Never Left” • Last year in the US, there were a small number of cases of locally transmitted malaria, and that was a reminder that climate change is reviving the threat of some diseases. But across the African continent malaria has never left, killing or sickening millions of people. [ABC News]
¶ “IAEA Team Inspects Treated Radioactive Water Release From Japan’s Fukushima Nuclear Plant” • A team of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency inspected the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant for a review of its discharge of treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific. The IAEA team will issue a report later. [ABC News]
Ocean at Fukushima plant (IAEA Imagebank, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Honda EV Production Plan For Canada Comes Into Focus” • Honda will build batteries for EVs in Ontario with financial aid from the Canadian and provincial governments under a plan to be announced, a source with direct knowledge of the deal told Reuters. Canada matches or even exceeds financial incentives available in the US. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Iberdrola And Norges Bank Expand Spanish Renewables Platform” • Iberdrola has concluded negotiations with Norway’s sovereign wealth fund to add 644 MW of solar capacity in Spain to their Iberian clean energy alliance. Out of these additional projects, 328 MW will be in Extremadura (already in operation) and 316 MW will be in Castilla y Leon. [reNews]
Solar array (Iberdrola image)
¶ “JSW Energy Wins 700-MW Solar Project” • JSW Energy, a leading power company in India, has successfully secured a 700-MW solar project from NTPC, the largest power generation utility in the country. This achievement marks a significant milestone for JSW Energy as it continues to expand its renewable energy portfolio. [Construction World]
¶ “Denmark Allocates New Funding For Renewable Energy Infrastructure In Ukraine” • Ukraine and Denmark have signed an MOU on long-term cooperation and reconstruction for Ukraine, according to Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy. Russian missile and drone attacks have been targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. [Euromaidan Press]
Solar station in Pokrovsk (Photo from eenergy.com.ua)
¶ “DNV: China To More Than Quintuple Renewable Energy Installations By 2050, With Solar Capacity To Reach 5.5 TW” • Norwegian analyst DNV has published its latest outlook for China’s energy industry, which is headlined by the prediction that the country will more than quintuple its renewable energy installations by 2050. [PV Tech]
¶ “Share Of Electricity Generated By Fossil Fuels In Great Britain Drops To Record Low” • Fifteen years ago, gas and coal power made up 75% of the electricity mix, while renewables were only 2%. Last year only a third of Great Britain’s electricity came from fossil fuels, and 40% from renewables. There are times when over 90% is from renewables. [The Guardian]
UK wind farm (Trish Steel, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
US:
¶ “US DOE Reduces Regulatory Hurdles For Solar, Transmission, And Energy Storage Projects” • The US DOE is amending its list of categories of projects that qualify for the simplest form of environmental review because they typically do not have major impacts. Battery systems, transmission line upgrades, and solar PV systems are on the list. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “US Unveils Five-Year Offshore Leasing Plan” • US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced a new five-year schedule of offshore wind leasing rounds, with up to 12 lease sales by 2028. Four lease sales in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, Pacific, and near US territories will take place this year, one each in 2025 and 2026, two in 2027, and four in 2028. [reNews]
Offshore wind turbine (Worldview Films image)
¶ “US Interior Department Finalizes Rule to Streamline And Modernize Offshore Renewable Energy Development” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement finalized updated regulations for renewable energy development on the US Outer Continental Shelf, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Holy Cross Approaches 90% Renewable Power In 2025” • Holy Cross Energy, a not-for-profit rural electric cooperative based in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, announced last week that it is on track to achieve a 90% renewable energy portfolio by the end of 2025, bringing it closer to its goal of distributing 100% renewable power by 2030. [Aspen Daily News]
Have an ecstatically happy day.
geoharvey 