Science and Technology:
¶ “Robot Bees From MIT May Be The Pollinators Of The Future” • Worried that alterations to the Earth’s climate may wipe out bees, leading to a steep decline in the availability of fruits and vegetables? Fear not. Researchers at MIT say they have successfully created robot bees that can do the job of real bees just as well and maybe better. [CleanTechnica]
Artificial bee (MIT image)
World:
¶ “Using Commercial Freezers To Balance The Grid In Australia” • In the ongoing quest to move to a more stable grid, supported by renewable energy, all options are being considered, whether it is the humble home hot water system or commercial freezers. As one of our readers has commented, “Brilliant, low hanging fruit. Bring it on.” [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Laos-Based 600-MW Monsoon Wind Power To Export Power To Vietnam Soon” • The 600-MW Monsoon wind power project in Laos is reaching final phases of construction and will soon be exporting electricity to Vietnam, investor Monsoon Wind Power reported. The first wind facility in in Laos, it is also the biggest in Southeast Asia. [Theinvestor.vn]
Power grid in Laos (Courtesy of Monsoon Wind Power)
¶ “Telangana Plans To Turn 25 Villages Into Solar Villages” • The Deputy Chief Minister, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, announced the government of Telangana plans to transform 25 selected villages into “Solar Villages.” As part of this initiative, solar panels will be installed for agricultural pump sets and on rooftops of residential buildings. [The New Indian Express]
¶ “Malta Joins Global Offshore Wind Alliance” • Malta has joined the Global Offshore Wind Alliance, an alliance of around thirty countries and organizations established in 2022. The alliance was started during the UN’s COP27 conference through the joint efforts of IRENA, the Danish government and the Global Wind Energy Council. [Times of Malta]
Offshore wind farm (Dmitry Eliuseev, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Over Time, Over Budget … Will Our New Nuclear Plants Ever Be Built?” • The cost of nuclear power in the UK came roaring back into the headlines as reports that the final bill for Sizewell C, the planned new power station on the Suffolk coast, would be £40 billion, twice what was initially expected. This was followed by a damning report on EDF. [The Times]
US:
¶ “Solar Farms Are Booming In The US And Putting Thousands Of Hungry Sheep To Work” • The booming solar industry has found an unlikely mascot in sheep. In Texas, SB Energy operates the fifth-largest solar project in the country, with a capacity of 900 MW, on 4,000 acres. All that grass is managed with the help of about 3,000 sheep. [ABC News]
Solar PVs and sheep (Agrivoltaic Solutions via Green Energy Times)
¶ “LA Fires Live Updates: Mayor Names Chief Recovery Officer, Plans Outside Probe” • At least 27 people have died as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought and winds, rage across 45,000 square miles of the Los Angeles area. About 82,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders and another 90,000 are under evacuation warnings. [ABC News]
¶ “‘Mighty Mite’ Electric Truck Gets A Solar Power Makeover” • The MT1 compact electric truck from TELO Trucks hasn’t even hit the market and it’s already getting a solar makeover. Fans of the tiny but functional pickup can pre-order a truck with solar panels on the cab roof and a tonneau cover for extended driving range. Aptera helped with technology. [CleanTechnica]
TELO MT1 with solar panels (TELO Trucks via Aptera)
¶ “Ohio’s Solar Revolution: How Renewable Energy Is Changing The Rules Of The Game” • Ohio is stepping into the spotlight as a leader in renewable energy, with massive solar projects like the Union Solar Farm and Fox Squirrel Solar Farm driving a clean energy revolution. The projects are not just about sustainability. They’re transforming local economies. [Tododisca]
¶ “USA Needs More Electricity to Win AI Race, Says Trump Energy Czar ” • The US risks forfeiting a global competition to dominate artificial intelligence if it doesn’t build more reliable, always-on electricity to supply the industry, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department warned. He said AI needs baseload power. [Rigzone]
Have a stimulatingly serene day.
geoharvey 