Opinion:
¶ “Musk Stirs The Trump 2.0 Inner Circle And Adds In A Splash Of Cronyism” • Tesla CEO Elon Musk is now an integral part of the Trump 2.0 administration. How Musk will fare in the long haul is still unknown. Musk’s mercurial nature may be undone by Trump’s furious outbursts and inability to maintain attention or loyalty for long. [CleanTechnica]
Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster (SpaceX, public domain)
World:
¶ “Talks Fail To Reach Agreement On Plastic Pollution Treaty” • Negotiators working on a treaty to address the plastic pollution crisis won’t reach an agreement and plan to resume the talks next year. The impasse is whether the treaty should reduce the total plastic on Earth and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. [ABC News]
¶ “Japanese Car Sales Plummet In Southeast Asia As Chinese Cars Gain Market Share” • Japanese car brands have had big sales in southeast Asia for decades, but Chinese brands have stolen a march on the Japanese brands. BYD just started selling cars in Indonesia last July, but it is already that country’s sixth best selling car company. [CleanTechnica]
BYD opening in Guatemala (BYD image)
¶ “Rosatom Starts Building A 300-MW Wind Power Plant In Daghestan” • Rosatom Renewable Energy, a unit of the Russian nuclear company Rosatom, started construction of a 300-MW onshore wind project in the Republic of Daghestan, in south-western Russia. Rosatom said the wind park will be the largest in the country when completed. [Enerdata]
¶ “ADB And MSEL Sign Deal To Establish 20-MW Solar Power Plant In Bangladesh” • The Asian Development Bank signed a $24.3 million financing package with Muktagacha Solartech Energy Limited to establish a grid-connected solar PV plant in Bangladesh. The plant will have a capacity of 20 MW and is to be grid-connected. [The Business Standard]
Scene in Bangladesh (ATM Arafath Ali, Unsplash)
¶ “Australian Utility Strikes Offtake Deal For 288-MW Solar Farm” • TasRex signed a power purchase agreement with Hydro Tasmania for the 288-MW Northern Midlands Solar Farm, under development near the city of Launceston. Hydro Tasmania will take 100% of the energy from the A$500 million ($325.8 million) project. [pv magazine International]
¶ “Australia Opens Tender 4 For 6 GW Of Renewable Energy Projects” • Australia opened registration for Tender 4 of its Capacity Investment Scheme, for 6 GW of renewable capacity in the National Electricity Market. Stage A for project bids will open on 13 December 2024. Bidders will have until 18 February 2025 to submit project bids. [MSN]
Wind turbines (Irina Iriser, Unsplash)
¶ “Trial Run At Finland’s Onkalo Spent Nuclear Fuel Repository” • Finland is in a trial run to demonstrate the process for the safe disposal of spent nuclear fuel at Onkalo, the first permanent geological repository. So far, nuclear waste specialist Posiva has encapsulated and stored three canisters of non-radioactive test elements. [POWER Magazine]
US:
¶ “Solar Project Converts Cranberry Bog Into An Efficient Power Source” • In Carver, Massachusetts, a 7.1 MW-DC community solar installation with a 4-MW, 2-hour battery storage system will supply clean energy to nearby institutions and residents through Eversource Energy. The array was sited on 28 acres of a cranberry bog. [CleanTechnica]
Carver Solar (Courtesy of Syncarpha)
¶ “Iron-Air Energy Storage Finishes What Natural Gas Started” • When phase 1 of the massive Sherco solar plant in Minnesota went online last week, partially replacing the nearby Sherco coal plant, an iron-air battery system went with it. Though it only has 10 MW of capacity, the pilot-scale system will unlock the full 24/7 potential of solar power. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Leading California Winery Makes Transition To 100% Solar Power” • A leading sustainable winery in Alexander Valley is making major strides once again after announcing a crucial energy switch. A report by Wine Industry Advisor says Skipstone has just gone 100% solar. Thanks to a SolarCraft installation, Skipstone fully runs on solar power. [MSN]
Vineyard (Skipstone image)
¶ “US Renewable Energy Growth In First Three-Quarters” • A report from FERC highlighted main facts about the renewable energy growth in the US in the first three-quarters of 2024. Of new US generating capacity in the first three quarters of 2024, 89.6% was renewable. Solar was most important, with 77.7% of the new capacity during this period. [GreentechLead]
¶ “Nuclear Energy Proposal In The Northwest Is A ‘Distraction’ From Proven Renewables” • Interest is growing in nuclear energy as a solution to “dirty” sources of power. But Kelly Campbell, policy director for Columbia Riverkeeper, said companies are looking into nuclear because they want a “magic bullet” for climate change. [MSN]
Have a mindbogglingly easy day.
geoharvey 
Leave a comment