Opinion:
¶ “WTF Is Actually Going On With Elon Musk?” • The things that Elon Musk does can be weird, and there are many examples. We can spend a lot of time looking into odd things, such as the way he plays video games. But is he running Tesla the same way? Here we look into weird things, first outside of time at Tesla, and then things he does at work. [CleanTechnica]
Elon Musk (Trevor Cokley, USAF, public domain)
¶ “For Low-Cost Electricity, Virginia Needs Renewable Energy, Not Gas Plants ” • The era of low-cost renewable energy is fairly new, but it is already impacting utility bills across the country. Virginia used to boast of its low rates, but now there are 22 states with residential rates that are lower. And most of it is generated by renewable resources. [Virginia Mercury]
World:
¶ “Toyota Promoted Its Hybrid While Funding Climate Deniers” • Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, has a significant track record of funding climate deniers. Sorry, but it’s true. Toyota Motor Corporation is opposed to the EV revolution, and it has become the largest funder of US lawmakers who deny that there is a climate crisis. [CleanTechnica]
Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (OSX, public domain, cropped)
¶ “Volkswagen And VinFast Are Taking Different Routes To The Electric Car Future In India” • Volkswagen in particular would love to find a new revenue source as it faces increasingly strong headwinds in the Chinese market. VinFast is also interested in selling its cars in India, but it is taking a much different path than Volkswagen has chosen. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Wind Energy To Push Dirty Bunker Fuel Overboard, Trump Or No Trump” • The US oil industry may regret backing Trump. Global decarbonization is still a force to be reckoned with. A case in point is the shipping industry, which is beginning to edge fuel oil aside in favor of harvesting the wind energy resources right under their feet. [CleanTechnica]
Airwing hard sail by GT Wings (Courtesy of GT Wings)
¶ “Australian Government Pledges $1.24 Billion For Green Aluminum” • Australia’s Labor government pledged $1.24 billion in production credits to support the country’s four aluminum smelters’ switch to renewables before 2036. “Green aluminum” usually refers to metal made using solar, wind, or hydropower, instead of the coal used today. [VOA]
¶ “Portugal Mulls 10-GW Offshore Wind Ambition” • Portugal’s government has indicated it wants to create a cluster of offshore wind farms off its Atlantic Ocean coast that could eventually total 10 GW. The government recently approved four ocean areas where offshore wind farms can be installed, moving a step closer to its first offshore licence auction. [reNews]
Floating wind turbine (JDR Cables)
¶ “Record-Breaking Year For German Wind Power Sector” • Germany approved 2,400 new wind turbines in 2024, marking the highest number ever and displaying the sector’s momentum, despite the far-right’s election promises to dismantle wind farms and restore nuclear power. In 2024 as authorities approved a record-breaking expansion of 14 GW. [China Daily]
US:
¶ “LA Fires Live Updates: Governor Newsom Deploys Additional Firefighting Resources” • At least 27 people have died as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought and strong winds, rage in the Los Angeles area. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared that he would deploy additional resources ahead of the extreme fire weather expected this week. [ABC News]
Eaton Fire (CalFire image)
¶ “Climate Scientist: ‘There’s No Place That’s Safe'” • Though firefighters seem to have it cornered, the monster that roared through LA County last week is still alive. A few people are returning to their homes. Insurance, if they had it, is a whole other battle. The focus now is turning from what happened to why, and what in the world is next? [MSN]
¶ “GE Wind Repowering Scheme Puts Wind Whiners To Bed” • Wind repowering is one bright point for the US wind industry, which is facing uncertain times as the incoming administration takes the reins of national energy policy. Instead of trying to build new wind farms from scratch, fighting political battles, old sites can be repowered. [CleanTechnica]
Wind repowering project (Courtesy of GE Vernova)
¶ “BOEM Approves 2.4-GW SouthCoast Construction Plan” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced approval of the construction and operations plan for the SouthCoast offshore wind project. The SouthCoast Wind Project, south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, will be able to generate up to 2.4 GW of offshore wind energy. [reNews]
¶ “Fire At Moss Landing Could Turn Back The Clock On Battery Storage In California” • A fire at the Moss Landing battery plant between Santa Cruz and Monterey could be a major setback for battery storage in the Golden State. According to Lookout Santa Cruz, when a portion of the Vistra battery storage facility caught fire, it shocked the industry. [CleanTechnica]
Moss Landing battery storage (LG Energy Solution)
¶ “Convergent Bags $585 Million for PV And Battery Projects” • US energy storage developer Convergent closed a $585 million guaranteed loan facility from the US DOE to build solar and battery capacity in Puerto Rico. The financing, from the DOE’s Loan Programs Office will be invested in the construction of a 100-MW solar plant and a 55-MW battery. [reNews]
¶ “NREL: US Could Deploy 51 GW To 84 GW Of Renewables On Federal Land By 2030” • The US could deploy 51 GW to 84 GW of renewable energy on federal lands by 2035, a report from the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory says. It could supply 10% of the clean energy required for the country to reach net zero emissions. [Data Center Dynamics]
Have a seriously unconcerned day.
geoharvey 