Opinion:
¶ “Fixation On UK Nuclear Power May Not Help To Solve The Climate Crisis” • With researchers at Oxford and elsewhere agreeing that the UK could easily become entirely powered by wind and solar, with no fossil fuels required, it seems an anomaly that nuclear power is still getting the lion’s share of subsidies to keep the ailing industry alive. [The Guardian]
Wind turbine in the UK (Andrew Tryon, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Lithium-Sulfur EV Batteries To Be Tested By Automakers” • The crowded field of next-generation EV batteries is getting more crowded by the minute. New solid-state technology has been catching much of the attention, but lithium-sulfur formulas have also attracted innovators and investors. Sulfur is a low cost, non-toxic, abundant, material. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “2.5ºC Is Now The Best Case Scenario, Climate Scientists Tell The Guardian” • Recently, The Guardian reached out to every lead author or review editor of IPCC reports since 2018 to ask them how the fight against global heating was going. Of the 380 people who responded, many expect climate havoc to unfold in coming decades. [CleanTechnica]
San Francisco after 2020 fires (Patrick Perkins, Unsplash, cropped)
World:
¶ “What Falling Sales? Global EV Sales Grow 19% in March!” • Global plugin vehicle registrations were up 19% in March 2024 compared to March 2023. There were 1.3 million registrations. Battery EVs were up by 7% year over year, while plugin hybrids jumped 50% YOY, to be the second best month ever. Plugins took a 19% share of the auto market. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Norway Is Continuing To Lead The Transition To A Green Economy” • Two reports show how well Norway’s push to lower its carbon emissions is working. Of the 2.8 million registered cars in Norway, a quarter are EVs. No other country in the world has such a high share of EVs. In total there are about 715,000 electric cars on Norwegian roads. [CleanTechnica]
ASKO truck boarding a ferry (ASKO image)
¶ “BC Transit Bringing 66 Electric Buses to More Locations” • More communities in British Columbia are about to benefit from electric buses. Sixty-six electric buses are on order from Nova Bus and New Flyer, both pre-qualified suppliers. And there are nine communities in BC with transit electrification infrastructure projects getting started. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Southern States Guaranteed 1.7 GW In National Renewable Energy Tender” • The Australian government has confirmed that Victoria will have at least 1.4 GW of renewable energy projects and Tasmania will get at least 300 MW in the first Capacity Investment Scheme tender. The tender is expected to open for bids on 31 May 2024. [pv magazine Australia]
Ross River Solar Farm (CEFC Image)
¶ “Energy Vault And ACEN Australia To Develop 200-MW, 400-MWh Battery Storage Projects” • Energy storage provider Energy Vault Holdings Inc and ACEN Australia, a leading Australian energy producer, have entered into a contractual agreement for the deployment of two battery storage projects with a combined energy capacity of 400 MWh. [ETN News]
¶ “Labor’s Gas Strategy: What Is It And Why Do Critics Call It ‘Back To The Future’?” • Australia’s Albanese government has finally released its gas strategy. It says gas will remain a central part of Australia’s energy and export sectors to 2050 and beyond. Climate groups say it will be ‘devastating’ to Australian emissions reduction targets. [The Guardian]
Gas-fired power plant (OLU, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “104,000 Panel Solar Farm Set To Power The University Of Manchester” • The University of Manchester signed a deal that will see up to 65% of its electricity demand supplied through a renewables project. Once complete, Medebridge Solar Farm will comprise 104,000 solar panels across 175 acres of low-grade agricultural land. [Envirotec Magazine]
¶ “Companies Partner To Boost Biodiversity At UK Renewable Energy Sites” • Two companies are working together on five solar+battery projects in the UK to ensure that each site meets its biodiversity net gain targets. The targets require improvements in the habitat as part of The Environment Act 2021 that came into force this year. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
Solar site (Courtesy of Queequeg Renewables)
US:
¶ “Chevrolet Malibu Heads For The Junkyard As GM Shifts Focus To Electric Vehicles” • The Chevrolet Malibu, the last midsize car manufactured by a Detroit car maker, is heading to the junkyard. General Motors confirmed that it will stop making the car, which came out in 1964, as the company focuses more on EVs. GM sold just over 130,000 Malibus last year. [ABC News]
¶ “Eli Opens Reservations For Its $12K ZERO Electric Microcar In The US” • If you’ve been waiting for a super-cheap EV that can handle all of your daily driving needs, you’re in luck. Eli Electric Vehicles is taking reservations in the US for its flagship vehicle, the $12,000 ZERO microcar, and sales are expected to begin in the third quarter of this year. [CleanTechnica]
Eli ZERO (Courtesy of Eli)
¶ “Vanadium Flow Batteries Are Coming For Your Gas Power Plant” • Back in 2020, the US DOE issued the $20 million Energy Storage Grand Challenge, aimed at supporting innovations that reduce the cost of manufacturing flow batteries. Technical issues and manufacturing are being addressed, and improved products are coming to market. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Colorado Legislature Passes Crucial Bill Advancing Renewable Energy Siting, Helping State Meet Ambitious Decarbonization Goals” • Colorado passed a key bill that takes a first step toward expediting the deployment of clean energy infrastructure, which is essential for driving the state toward its ambitious targets for decarbonization. [Clean Air Task Force]
Have an etherially alluring day.
geoharvey 
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