Opinion:
¶ “The War Against Solar Power Is Doomed To Fail” • Despite the sharp U-turn in federal energy policy, demand for solar power in the US continues apace, and the US solar industry is rising to the occasion. The latest news involves the introduction of new, high efficiency TOPCon solar cells into the US market. What’s that about coal? [CleanTechnica]
PV solar factory (Courtesy of Talon via Fraunhofer ISE)
World:
¶ “‘Irreversible On Any Human Timescale’: Scientist Reveals Best And Worst-Case Scenario For Antarctica” • A study in the journal Frontiers in Environmental Science, models scenarios for global warming on the Antarctic Peninsula. “What concerns me most about the higher emissions scenario is just how permanent the changes could be.” [Euronews]
¶ “North Aral Sea Regains A Third Of Its Water Thanks To Restoration Efforts Spearheaded By Kazakhstan” • For decades the drying Aral Sea has been the poster child for environmental catastrophe. By the mid-2010s, it had lost around 90% of its water mass. But the government of Kazakhstan has had some success working on restoration. [Euronews]
Aral Sea wreckage (Artem Asset, Unsplash)
¶ “Wildfire-Friendly Weather Nearly Triples: Will Outbreaks Leave Countries Scrambling For Resources?” • The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy – ideal to spark extreme wildfires – has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, a study shows. Countries may not have the resources to help each other deal with fires. [Euronews]
¶ “FAW Is Testing Semi-Solid-State Battery With 500 Wh/kg Energy Density” • CnEVPost reported that FAW, Volkswagen’s primary manufacturing partner in China, is testing a semi-solid state battery with 500 Wh/kg capacity in a prototype production automobile. The prototype battery replaced a conventional LFP battery with half its capacity. [CleanTechnica]
Prototype EV (FAW image)
¶ “Oil Prices Surge Ahead Of Possible US Attack On Iran” • The global Brent oil benchmark is up more than 7% over the past two days, vaulting the price of oil to about $71 per barrel, the highest level since July. Despite the recent surge, oil prices are still below where they stood a year ago. The US and Iran are negotiating, for the present. [ABC News]
¶ “Burgenland Launches Largest Austrian Wind Farm” • Austria’s largest wind farm was started up by Burgenland. It is comprised of 23 turbines totaling about 122 MW of capacity. The facility will generate 251 GWh of electricity annually. That is enough to supply around 70,000 households and deliver a fixed electricity price of 10¢/kWh. [reNews]
Wind turbines (Burgenland image)
¶ “Qair Secures $150 Million Mauritius Hybrid Financing” • Qair completed financing for its hybrid Stor’Sun project in Mauritius. The investment totals Rs7 billion (about $150 million), partnering with SBM Bank and with MCB, said the company. Qair said the financing represents one of the largest investments in Indian Ocean energy in recent years. [reNews]
¶ “Cubans Adopt Solar Energy As Blackouts And Fuel Shortages Deepen Crisis” • Cubans are increasingly turning to solar power to keep businesses operating and basic household appliances running during prolonged electricity cuts, as fuel shortages make diesel generators and other temporary solutions more difficult and costly to maintain. [AnewZ]
Cocotaxi in Havana (Mariordo, CC BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Private Investors In Renewable Energy In Cuba To Receive Up To Eight Years Of Tax Exemption” • The Cuban government has announced a tax exemption of up to eight years for individuals and companies investing in renewable energy systems. This is outlined by the Ministry of Finance and Prices, as published in the Official Gazette. [CubaHeadlines]
US:
¶ “Tesla Receives FCC Waiver For Cybercab Wireless Charging System” • Whatever you think of it, the Cybercab is Tesla’s next vehicle. The first production car has now been produced, and the model will apparently go on sale to customers this year. It has no steering wheel or pedals, and here is news on how it doesn’t need humans for charging. [CleanTechnica]
Tesla Cybercab recharging (Tesla image)
¶ “A US Sodium-Ion Battery Maker Challenges Powerwall For Home Energy Storage, And More” • To date, lithium-ion energy storage has been the gold standard for on-site energy storage. Still, there is always room for improvement. Syntropic Power added itself to the list of companies working on that, and it seems to be succeeding. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Coloradans Push Back On Trump Trying To Force Coal On Them” • In Colorado, as elsewhere, the Trump regime claimed an “emergency” need to keep old coal power plants running. Of course, that’s nonsense, especially as the same reign is stopping renewable energy projects that were already approved. Colorado lawmakers are having none of it. [CleanTechnica]
Denver from a distance (mana5280, Unsplash)
¶ “Trump’s ‘Destructive Policy’ On Energy Shows ‘Corrupting Influence’ Of Big Money To Block Electrotech Transition, Says Paul Krugman” • The Trump administration’s aggressive stance against clean energy initiatives is not just a rejection of climate science, but a clear symptom of “corrupting influence” from “big money,” economist Paul Krugman said. [AOL.com]
¶ “Republicans Look To Speed Up SMR Construction In Arizona” • Six bills aimed to make it easier to construct small modular reactors were introduced this session as buzz around the alternative to large nuclear plants grows. The bills focus on prohibiting counties from banning them and making it easier for data centers to build them. [Arizona Capitol Times]
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