Science and Technology:
¶ “A Superconducting Aircraft Motor From Airbus And Toshiba, Thanks To Hydrogen” • Toshiba and Airbus are entering into a partnership to develop a prototype aircraft engine: Hydrogen needs to be cooled to -253ºC to turn it into a liquid. At such low temperatures, some materials become superconductors, so why not use that cold in the engine? [CleanTechnica]
Aircraft engine (Image by Airbus and Toshiba)
Opinion:
¶ “Google And Amazon Are Betting On ‘Advanced’ Nuclear. This Critic Warns It’s Not Ready” • The newest nuclear tech claims to be safer and more sustainable than traditional nuclear plants. But critics argue that “advanced” nuclear technology isn’t necessarily that advanced, and that it’s unlikely to be ready on the timeline that Big Tech wants. [Fast Company]
World:
¶ “Green Light For 100-MW Scottish Battery” • Apatura received planning consent for a battery storage project near the city of Dundee on Scotland’s east coast. It is Apatura’s fifth project to receive concent in the last twelve months. Apatura’s goal is to deliver grid-scale battery storage that supports renewable energy generation in Scotland. [reNews]
Battery storage system (Apatura image)
¶ “Megha Engineering Signs 618.1-MW Solar PPA In India” • MEIL said it signed power purchase agreements with Bangalore Electricity Supply Co to supply 618.1 MW of solar power. The company will build 76 solar plants of varying capacities to supply power under a Ministry of New and Renewable Energy solar scheme for farmers. [pv magazine International]
¶ “Atrato Opens 55-MW Solar Farm In Yorkshire” • Atrato Onsite Energy announced that it has opened a 55-MW solar farm in Yorkshire. The £39.4 million plant is the company’s largest installation investment to date and has capacity enough clean energy to power over 20,000 homes and eliminate 11,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually. [reNews]
Solar farm (Atrato image)
¶ “Alberta’s Squeeze On Renewable Energy Pushed Investment To Other Provinces” • Eight months after the government of Alberta lifted its moratorium on development of large wind and solar projects, investment has yet to return as companies choose instead to invest in other provinces. Investors are deterred by unpredictability. [Yahoo News Canada]
¶ “Global Wind Power Set To Grab Record Share Of Electricity Market” • Global wind-powered electricity generation could set a record in 2024, as winter comes in the northern hemisphere and wind speeds pick up for many of the world’s wind farms. This could help wind power grab a record-high share of the world’s electricity generation market. [Reuters]
Wind turbines (Luca Bravo, Unsplash)
¶ “Solar Farms Powering Rural Vic” • The Victorian Government said that once complete, the 250-MW Goorambat East Solar Farm will be able to supply enough renewable energy to power every household in the Rural City of Benalla and Rural City of Wangaratta twice over. And the the Winton Solar Farm has been completed and commissioned. [Energy Magazine]
US:
¶ “Electric Buses Just Got Way, Way More Interesting” • With huge batteries below and solar panels on the roof, electric buses can serve as mobile energy storage units, delivering clean energy as needed. One obstacle is the cost of installing EV charging stations, but the leading school bus firm First Student has an answer for that. [CleanTechnica]
Electric buses (First Student via prnewswire.com)
¶ “Stellantis To Demo Muscular Solid-State EV Battery In Muscle Car” • Auto industry analysts expect the solid-state EV battery of the future will appear by 2030. But Stellantis is partnering with the Massachusetts startup Factorial on a fleet of Dodge Charger Daytona EVs by 2026, fitted with Factorial’s proprietary “FEST” solid-state battery cells. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “More US Solar Manufacturing Incentivized By Biden-Harris White House” • The US is in a manufacturing revival unlike any before, due policies from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The latest news is that more of the solar industry supply chain is going to be stimulated in the US, with plants for solar ingot and solar wafer production. [CleanTechnica]
Monocrystalline PV cell (Courtesy of Suniva)
¶ “With Electricity Prices Rising, Groups Blame Slow Rollout Of Renewables” • Electric bills in Chesapeake Bay drainage states could rise as much as 24% after wholesale electricity prices hit new records. The price of reserve power for air conditioning and heating emergencies in 2025–2026 was more than nine times the previous record. [Bay Journal]
¶ “GE Vernova To Remove More Vineyard Wind Blades” • GE Vernova is to remove some blades from the Vineyard Wind offshore wind farm and strengthen others, it announced. GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind got approval to return to installing new blades on turbines once stringent safety and operational conditions were met in October. [reNews]
Debris of broken blade (Vineyard Wind image)
¶ “San Francisco Could Source About 5% Of Its Electricity From Forthcoming Wind Farm” • San Francisco will get approximately 5% of its electricity from a Merced County wind farm within two years, as part of an agreement with Colorado-based Scout Clean Energy. Officials say the PPA will accelerate the city’s transition away from fossil fuels. [San Francisco Examiner]
¶ “NextEra Considers Nuclear Restart In Iowa, While Renewable Deals Swell” • NextEra Energy is conducting engineering studies and speaking with federal regulators about the possible restart of its Duane Arnold nuclear power plant, company executives said. This interest is partly due to growing power demand from AI data centers. [Yahoo Finance]
Have an enviably creative day.
geoharvey 
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