Opinion:
¶ “Dutton’s Nuclear Would Spike Electricity Bills When (If) They Start In The 2040s” • We know Australia’s Coalition is split over nuclear power. You would have thought that two nuclear reactors coming into operation in the US would encourage those favoring nucear. They aren’t. The reactors were $20 billion over budget and seven years late. [Crikey]
Original two reactors at Vogtle (NRC, public domain)
World:
¶ “Renault Group To Launch An Ambitious Level 4 For Public Transportation” • Renault Group is to collaborate with WeRide, an expert in autonomous driving, for commercial deployment of vehicles capable of managing driving situations on their own, within an operational defined domain, with remote supervision, but without an on-board operator. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Dirt Cheap Batteries Enable MW-Scale Charging Without Big Grid Upgrades Right Away” • Battery prices keep plummeting. In 2022, 1 kWh of battery capacity cost $159. In 2023, $136. At the beginning of 2024, batteries were available for $95 per kWh. And CATL recently announced that it would be shipping batteries for $56/kWh at the end of 2024. [CleanTechnica]
Battery facility in Switzerland (Kecko, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Bosch Ventures Amplifies Commitment to Cleantech With Two Battery Recycling Investments” • Bosch Ventures, the unit of the Bosch Group concerned with corporate venture capital, has announced two major investments in the battery recycling sector in the same week. They are significant steps towards sustainable technology development. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Parkwind, ESB To Submit Plans For Irish Project” • Oriel Wind farm will lodge an application with An Bord Pleanala for its proposed 375-MW offshore wind farm in the North Irish Sea. The project will be built off the north County Louth coast and will have 25 turbines. The application also includes the electricity substations and transmission cables. [reNews]
Offshore wind farm (Parkwind image)
¶ “Hydrogen Storage Could Reduce Renewables’ Costs” • In a recent study, Turkish researchers suggest that hydrogen storage can store renewable energy at large scales and relatively low cost. The model suggests that if Germany increased use of hydrogen storage at renewable energy plants nationwide, this would result in roughly 60% lower costs. [IEEE Spectrum]
¶ “Loch Ness To Get £3 Billion Hydro Power Boost” • Glen Earrach Energy Limited has revealed plans for a £3 billion hydroelectric project at Balmacaan Estate near Loch Ness. The project is designed to provide extended energy storage capacity, integrating renewable energy into the grid and reducing local carbon emissions by 10%. [Energy Live News]
Urquhart Castle and Loch Ness (Ramon Vloon, Unsplash)
¶ “Surging Solar Power Dampens Demand For Generators, UPS” • While citing industry sources, the news outlet Dawn reported that the increased import and falling prices of solar panels, in particular those from China, have encouraged consumers across Pakistan to install solar power systems to offset their high electricity bills. [Aaj English TV]
US:
¶ “Company Receives Pentagon Contract To Investigate Potential Site For ‘Dry Rock’ Geothermal Power Plant” • Houston’s Sage Geosystems won a contract to analyze the potential for a mostly subterranean power storage system at Fort Bliss. The setup would make it possible for renewably generated energy to be stored and discharged for 12 hours or more. [The Cool Down]
Drilling rig (Sage Geosystems image)
¶ “GM Energy Has A Broad Vision Including Vehicles, Stationary Storage, Solar, And VPP” • GM Energy, a new GM business unit, focuses on offering batteries, EV chargers, and software. The company has introduced the Ultium Home product suite, which includes energy storage, solar panels, and bi-directional charging equipment. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “US Competition Selects Finalists In Floating Offshore Wind Technologies” • The US DOE selected finalists in its competition to promote technologies for floating offshore windpower. Studies suggest that floating turbines could produce 2,800 GW in the US alone, which would be more than double current US electricity consumption. [The Maritime Executive]
Glosten platform technology PelaStar (Glosten image)
¶ “Puerto Rico’s Rooftop Solar Boom Is At Risk, Advocates Warn” • In Puerto Rico, residents turn to rooftop solar and batteries for a more reliable and affordable alternative to the power grid. But a political challenge by a powerful government entity threatens to slow that progress, local solar advocates and some Democratic members of US Congress say. [Canary Media]
¶ “Warmer, Wetter Climate In Maine Impacts Human Health, Infrastructure” • Scientists said Maine’s climate is warmer and wetter, with implications for human health and infrastructure. Data show the ten warmest years have all been since 1998, with 2023 ranking as the second warmest. And increased warmth has led to more extreme weather. [Public News Service]
Have a gracefully moving day.
geoharvey 
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