World:
¶ “Cash For Clunkers Program In China Will Boost Electric Car Industry As EU Tariffs Bite” • Last month the government of China announced it would double trade-in subsidies introduced in April to boost demand for cars after sales growth slowed. The cash for clunkers trade-in program could drive total electric car sales to over 10 million this year. [CleanTechnica]
Volvo EX30 (Courtesy of Volvocars)
¶ “Lithium And Politics Clash In Serbia” • If the future of clean energy depends on lots of batteries, the world will need lots of lithium. When China realized that early in this century, it started securing lithium supplies globally. Now that is having effects, as other nations do not want to be beholden to China for a supply of the critical resource. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “The Energy Transition is Slowed by Growth in Consumption” • Renewable energy is a strong runner. Its growth rate far exceeds that of global energy consumption. But it has started from a low base and so its absolute growth, in exajoules per year, has so far been less than that of consumption. Fossil fuels are still growing just a bit slower than renewables. [CleanTechnica]
A race (Andreas N on Pixabay)
¶ “Australia Greenlights World’s ‘Largest’ Solar Hub” • Australia approved plans for a massive solar and battery farm that would export energy to Singapore, a project billed as the “largest solar precinct in the world.” The project will eventually include a cable linking Australia with Singapore. It is backed by tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes. [Yahoo Finance UK]
¶ “KGAL Fund Bags 50-MW Czech Solar Project” • KGAL fund ESPF 5 has entered the Czech market with the purchase of the 50-MW solar project PVPP Saxonie near the northern Bohemian city of Most. The Czech Republic is developing into a highly attractive market for investors, with its climate targets having been increased several times, KGAL said. [reNews]
PVPP Saxonie solar project (KGAL image)
¶ “Negative Power Prices Hit Europe As Renewable Energy Floods The Grid” • European power markets are experiencing a notable shift as renewable energy sources, particularly wind and solar, become a larger part of the energy mix. On Wednesday, power prices in several European markets dipped below zero due to a surge in green power production. [OilPrice.com]
¶ “Australia Needs 126 GW Of Solar, Wind By 2030 To Hit Net Zero By 2050” • Modeling from BNEF shows that Australia must rapidly decarbonize its power sector to reach net-zero by 2050. An investment of A$3.56 trillion ($2.4 trillion) is needed by 2030, as renewable energy capacity needs to grow by 135% to more than 126 GW. [pv magazine International]
Wind farm (FNQ, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
US:
¶ “Tens Of Thousands Remain Without Power In Puerto Rico After Tropical Storm” • Tens of thousands of customers are without power in Puerto Rico, a week after Ernesto swiped the US territory as a tropical storm. Authorities pledged to restore power to everyone by the weekend, as the National Weather Service issued another heat advisory. [ABC News]
¶ “US Power Grid Added 20.2 GW of Generating Capacity In First Half of 2024 – Almost Entirely Clean Energy” • According to the EIA’s Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory, there were 20.2 GW of utility-scale electric generating capacity added in the US during the first half of 2024. Of that, 18.7 GW was solar, wind, and battery power. [CleanTechnica]
Solar array (Harisankar, Unsplash)
¶ “Household Vehicles Were Parked 95% On A Typical Day In 2022” • Household vehicles were driven an average of 64.6 minutes on a typical day in 2022 (including all trips made that day) and parked for the remainder of the time (95%). Household vehicles being parked for 95% of a 24-hour day offers a lot of time for EV charging. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Thin Film Solar Deployed In Biggest-Ever Solar Farm In The US East” • New thin film solar technology has been a long time breaking into widespread use, but its day is coming, along with the promise of low costs and a small environmental footprint. The latest example is the huge 800-MW Double Black Diamond solar farm in Illinois. [CleanTechnica]
Thin film solar PVs (Courtesy of Swift Current Energy)
¶ “Unitil Launches New Hampshire’s Largest Solar Project, Expected To Power 1,200 Homes” • Officials with Unitil, an electric and natural gas provider based in Hampton, New Hampshire, have broken ground on a first-of-its-kind project in the state. Construction is underway on what will become New Hampshire’s largest solar project. [WMUR]
¶ “HEA Board Approves Buying Energy From What Will Be Alaska’s Largest Solar Farm” • The Homer Electric Association board unanimously approved a contract with Renewable IPP, which has built several large solar farms in Alaska. Jenn Miller, CEO of Renewable IPP, said it is working to give Alaskans energy options beyond natural gas. [KBBI AM 890]
Homer Spit, Homer Alaska (Grace Simoneau, Unsplash)
¶ “California Advances Flexible Demand To Absorb Renewable Power” • The California Energy Commission expects to issue flexible demand appliance standards for electric storage water heaters, “hopefully” within months, said Michael Sokol, director of the efficiency division at the California Energy Commission. He was speaking on a webinar. [pv magazine USA]
¶ “Holtec To DEP: State Has No Authority To Ban Radioactive Water Discharge Into Cape Cod Bay” • The company that owns the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, Holtec International, filed an appeal seeking to discharge radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay. Last month, the state denied Holtec a permit to release nearly 1 million gallons of water. [capeandislands.org]
Have a reasonably amusing day.
geoharvey 