Opinion:
¶ “Electric Cars Are The Spawn Of The Devil, Ex-CIA Dude Tells Faux News” • If you are wondering where all the negativity about electric cars is coming from, you probably don’t spend every moment of the day filling your cranial cavity with detritus from Faux News. If you did, you would be treated to a constant barrage of stunningly stupid nonsense. [CleanTechnica]
BYD Explorer No 1, bringing cars from China (BYD image)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Space Solar Power Is Happening Sooner Rather Than Later” • The futuristic idea of beaming solar power down to Earth from space has been getting closer to the here and now, despite a slew of financial and technological obstacles. California Institute of Technology put a space solar prototype into orbit last year. The technology is real. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Bboxx Wants To Scale Its Reach By Ten To Benefit 36 Million People By 2028” • Bboxx and its group of companies has over 4,000 staff across Africa and offices in the UK and Asia. Bboxx is active in energy access, electric mobility, clean cooking, smart financing, and is increasing people’s access to communication with smartphones. [CleanTechnica]
Bboxx image
¶ “Skypower Inks 1-GW Zambian Solar PPA” • SkyPower Global, based in Canada, and Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation announced that they signed a 1-GW PPA. The agreement is part of Zambia’s Integrated Renewable Energy Plan, designed to enhance the nation’s renewable energy capacity and to support sustainable growth, said Skypower. [reNews]
¶ “India’s New Solar Installations Hit 6.2 GW In March” • Rystad Energy figures show India’s monthly installations of renewable energy surged to a record 7.1 GW in March 2024. The previous record was 3.5 GW, set in March 2022. More than 6.2 GW of the March 2024 total was solar capacity. That is over 80% of the 7.5 GW installed in all of 2023. [pv magazine International]
Solar plant in Gugarat (Citizenmj, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Bowen Says Coalition’s Nuclear Plan Puts Grid Reliability At Risk Due To Delays In Coal Plant Closures” • The Australian Federal climate and energy minister lambasted the Coalition’s pursuit of nuclear power and its intention to stop renewables, saying it would put grid reliability at risk due to a delay in closing decrepit coal power stations. [RenewEconomy]
¶ “Body Targets Irish ‘Electrical Revolution’” • A new association, Ireland Electrified, was launched to accelerate the electrification of the country’s heating and transport sector, cutting its carbon emissions and strengthening energy security. The move comes nearly 80 years after the Rural Electrification Scheme turned Ireland into a modern economy. [reNews]
Transmission lines (Ireland Electrified image)
¶ “Battery Growth Outpaces All Other Clean Tech” • Growth in batteries outpaced almost all other clean energy technologies in 2023 as falling costs, advancing innovation, and supportive industrial policies helped drive up demand for energy storage. In 2023 alone, battery deployment in the power sector increased by more than 130% year-on-year. [reNews]
¶ “Renewable Energies Cover 56% Of Germany’s Q1 Electricity Consumption” • Renewable energies covered around 56% of electricity consumption in Germany in the first quarter of 2024, according to projections by the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg and the German Association of Energy and Water Industries. [Yahoo]
German wind turbines (Stephan Mosel, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)
¶ “China’s Quiet Energy Revolution: The Switch From Nuclear To Renewable Energy” • China’s earlier goals for nuclear capacity additions have been moderated, with reductions of up to 40%. This may have been partly because targets have been missed. At the same time, goals for renewable capacity have been greatly increased. [RenewEconomy]
US:
¶ “Native American Tribes Want US Appeals Court To Weigh In On $10 Billion SunZia Energy Transmission Project” • Native American tribes want a US appeals court to weigh in on their request to halt construction on part of a $10 billion transmission line that will carry wind-generated electricity from New Mexico to customers as far away as California. [ABC News]
San Pedro Valley (Todd Morris, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “EPA Limits Four Types Of Power Plant Pollution With One Sweeping Rulemaking” • The Biden administration announced a series of new rules designed to cut pollution emitted from coal and natural gas-fired power plants having an impact on air, land, water, and climate. Power plants produce over a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions in the US. [ABC News]
¶ “How The Chinese-Made Volvo EX30 Will Deal With US Tariffs And Incentives” • The Volvo EX30 battery-electric midsize SUV goes on sale in the US this summer. Since Volvo is now a Chinese company, we might ask how it expects to sell the EX30 in the US and make a profit. Reuters has done a little digging, and what it uncovered is a bit of a surprise. [CleanTechnica]
Volvo EX30 (Rutger van der Maar, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Nearly $1 Billion In Grants To Invest In America’s Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicle Transition” • Competitive grants will be awarded by the EPA for projects that reduce climate and air pollution from heavy-duty vehicles, support good jobs, and improve air quality for communities, especially those burdened by air pollution. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “PG&E’s Electricity 100% Greenhouse Gas-Free, Utility Says” • One of the largest US utilities, PG&E is delivering electricity to its customers that is free of greenhouse gas emissions. In 2023, its electricity was 53% nuclear, 13% hydroelectric, and 34% solar, wind, and other renewable resources. GHG emissions reached record levels elsewhere. [Energy Digital Magazine]
Have a totally terrific day.
geoharvey 