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Opinion and Interviews:

¶ “Volt Solar Tile – The Roof Of The Future?” • Leeson Group, based in Melbourne, has already developed 150 MW of solar farms and has projects amounting to 750 MW in the pipeline. The revenue from these projects has been used to develop the Volt solar tile, which was launched in October last year. Here is an interview with Peter Leeson. [CleanTechnica]

Peter Leeson with the Volt solar tile (Courtesy of Leeson Group)

¶ “Small Modular Nuclear Reactors: Unlikely, Unaffordable, Dirty, And Dangerous” • A year ago, Gov Glenn Youngkin announced proposals for his new Virginia Energy Plan. He declared, “A growing Virginia must have reliable, affordable, and clean energy for Virginia’s families and businesses.” SMRs are none of those things. [Cardinal News]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Climate Change Will Make These Places Too Hot To Live” • As global temperatures rise, long periods of extreme heat will make certain regions ‘unlivable’ for weeks at a time, a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says. The Washington Post examines the bleak report, which considers different scenarios. [Newser]

Delhi (Laurentiu Morariu, Unsplash)

¶ “MIT Design Would Harness 40% Of The Sun’s Heat To Make Clean Hydrogen” • In a study appearing in Solar Energy Journal, MIT engineers lay out the conceptual design for a system that can efficiently produce “solar thermochemical hydrogen.” The team estimates its new design could harness up to 40% of the sun’s heat to generate hydrogen. [MIT News]

World:

¶ “47% Of New Cars In Netherlands Now Plugin Cars!” • In the Netherlands, 47% of new cars sold in September were plugins. Furthermore, 34% were full electrics! The Netherlands saw an increase in plugin registrations to 13,916 units in September, with the Dutch plugin vehicle market thus reaching 47% of the overall auto market last month. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Michal Lauko, Unsplash)

¶ “WPD Secures Connection For 740-MW Swedish Wind” • The developer WPD has secured grid connection for two wind farms in Sweden with a total capacity in excess of 700 MW. WPD was awarded grid access for the two wind farms after signing the grid connection agreement for up to 740 MW installed wind power capacity with the grid operator Ellevio. [reNews]

¶ “DolWin5 Platform Sets Sail For Europe” • The platform for the 900-MW DolWin5 offshore converter has left Seatrium’s shipyard in Singapore and is expected to arrive at the Aibel shipyard in Norway next. Mighty Servant 1 will sail around 13,000 nautical miles around the Cape of Good Hope and is expected to arrive in December. [reNews]

DolWin5 Platform (TenneT image)

¶ “Australian Startup Develops PV-Hydrogen Standalone Power System” • Boundary Power, a union of West Australian utility Horizon Power and Victorian electrical engineering company Ampcontrol, launched a standalone power system that uses solar power and a renewable hydrogen hydride battery to store and generate electricity as needed. [PV Magazine]

US:

¶ “Tesla Model Y Low-Cost Ride Service Launched In Downtown Tampa” • Downtown Area Shared Hubs launched a low-cost ride service in downtown Tampa, Florida, using six Tesla Model Ys. Riders can use an app on iPhones or Android phones to schedule short zero-emissions trips in seven neighborhoods of downtown Tampa in the bright yellow Teslas. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Ys (Downtown Tampa Partnership image)

¶ “Floating Offshore Wind Could Bring Billions In Value To The US West Coast” • A Pacific Northwest National Laboratory report shows that along a 200-mile stretch of ocean off the coast of southern Oregon and northern California, floating wind farms could triple the Pacific Northwest’s wind power capacity while offsetting billions of dollars in costs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Fuel Cell Trucks Win Big In New $7 Billion US Hydrogen Plan” • Zero emission fuel cell trucks are big winners in the new Clean Energy Hydrogen Hubs competition, a $7 billion DOE program aimed at ramping up US H₂ production. About 95% of H₂ produced in the US comes from natural gas, and the program intends to cut costs of green sources. [CleanTechnica]

Fuel cell trucks at hydrogen fuel station (Courtesy of Quantron)

¶ “US Startup Launches Scalable Wave Energy Converter, Usable With Solar” • Wavr LLC, a startup based in Hawaii, is developing a wave energy converter that is designed to be scaled up and to be integrated with other renewable energy technologies. The company plans to sell a version integrating five 40-W solar panels for $2,300. [PV Magazine]

¶ “Construction Begins On 550-MW solar, 150-MW Energy Storage In US” • The first of three Origis Energy projects that combine 550 MW of solar and 150 MW of energy storage have begun construction in Mississippi. The projects are expected to deliver electricity to customers in the Tennessee Valley Authority service territory. [PV Magazine]

Solar array (Origis Energy image)

¶ “Utilities Still Moving Way Too Slowly On Clean Energy” • Very few US utilities are taking the real-world actions they need to combat the worst harms of climate change, a Sierra Club report says. With the tens of billions of dollars in incentives for clean energy created by last year’s Inflation Reduction Act, they have even less excuse for delay. [Canary Media]

¶ “Rhode Island Issues 1.2-GW Offshore RFP” • Rhode Island Energy has issued a Request for Proposals to secure an additional 1200 MW of offshore wind to help power the US east coast state’s energy needs. Developer bids can include proposals less than or up to approximately 1200 MW. Responding bids will be received through 31 January 2024. [reNews]

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Carbon Sequestration – Diving Into The Various Options” • The “net” of “net zero” implies that we can make up for the global warming from persistent emissions removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This can be done by enhancing the natural ability of vegetation to sequester the carbon. But it can also be done artificially. [CleanTechnica]

Carbon Sequestration (LeJean Hardin and Jamie Payne, DOE)

¶ “From Minor Player To Major League: Moving Beyond 4-Hour Energy Storage” • As extreme weather conditions increase and more building heating systems are electrified, peak demand is becoming more significant in winter. Demand peaks in winter also tend to be longer. Storage with longer duration than four hours is becoming importnat. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar And Wind Energy Could Fulfill Energy Demand 10-Fold, Oxford Study Finds” • Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment unveiled research indicating that wind and solar power could not only meet but vastly surpass the UK’s energy demands, providing a compelling pathway towards a greener, more sustainable future. [Cherwell]

Wind turbines (Charles Cook, Flicker, CC BY 2.0, cropped)

World:

¶ “Kia Pushes The EV Revolution Forward With Three New Electric Models” • The first annual Kia EV Day took place on October 12, 2023. The company used that event to formally introduce three new battery electric models available now or coming soon. Kia likes to keep things simple. The new models are the EV3, EV4, and EV5. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Affordable Electric Cars Like BYD Seagull And Wuling Bingo Could Be Big Hit In Africa” • Zimbabwe’s national statistics agency, Zimstat, recently released its Transport Statistics Report for the Second Quarter of 2023. About 95% of light vehicles are 8-year old imports. A new BYD Dolphin costs $10,690. That could transform the market. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Dolphin (BYD image)

¶ “EU Carbon Emission Rules Set To Rattle Pakistan’s Export Sector” • Starting this month, all businesses based in the EU countries are required to report on imported products that are “carbon emission-intensive.” . The new regime also requires that all carbon emissions be “financially offset” 2026 onwards. The change will impact Pakistan’s export sector. [Dawn]

¶ “Australia’s Biggest Battery Wins Federal Environmental Approval” • Australia’s biggest battery project, a 2,400-MWh facility 25 km from Melbourne’s central business district, won environmental approval from the Federal Labor government. The 1,200-MW battery Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub was proposed by Equis Australia. [Renew Economy]

Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub battery (Equis image)

¶ “France Aims To Double Its Renewable Capacity By 2035” • France aims to more than double its renewable power capacity by 2035, bringing unprecedented amounts of solar and wind power online to become carbon neutral by 2050. The French government is targeting 140 to 175 GW of installed wind, solar, and hydropower capacity in 12 years. [The National]

¶ “Engie And Posco Pursue Huge Green Hydrogen Project In Pilbara To Feed Green Steel” • Engie and South Korean steel maker Posco agreed to work together on a major green hydrogen project in Western Australia. There was no indication of the size of the project, although the two companies are working together on a 5-GW project in Oman. [Renew Economy]

Solar farm (Alinta Energy image)

¶ “TEPCO Opens Hatch On Reactor Container At Fukushima Plant; Plans To Start Debris Removal By End Of Fiscal 2023” • TEPCO announced that it had partially opened a hatch of the reactor containment vessel in the Unit 2 reactor building at the Fukushima Daiich nuclear plant. A robotic arm will reach into the hatch to begin debris removal. [The Japan News]

US:

¶ “Electric Bikes: A Less-Polluting Option For Commutes And Errands In The ‘New Normal’” • For moving one person around a city, an electric bike can be far cheaper than a car, and with more flexibility than most public transportation. Refueling an e-bike is cheap. There’s no requirement for insurance or registration. And parking is often free. [CleanTechnica]

Electric bike (Rad Power Bikes image)

¶ “Kia Releases Pricing And Specifications For EV9” • Customers in the US will be able to place an order for a Kia EV9 on October 16. It is one of the first battery-electric three-row SUVs available in America. This highly anticipated EV from Kia has generated lots of interest, but until now, few specifics about pricing and trim levels were available. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Oil Production Hits All-Time High, Conflicting With Efforts To Cut Heat-Trapping Pollution” • US oil production hit an all-time high last week, contrasting with efforts to reduce carbon emissions by the Biden administration and world leaders. It also conflicts with Republican claims that Biden is making “war on American energy.” [NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth]

Pumpjack (Jayrocky, Pexels)

¶ “Lujan Grisham Announces New Climate Center” • Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a climate initiative to help reduce impacts of climate change on New Mexico. The interim chair of  the New Mexico Climate Investment Center said, “It operates as an investment fund, focusing on clean energy and equity-focused investments.” [NM Political Report]

¶ “Snubbed As A Regional ‘Hydrogen Hub,’ Nebraskans Remain Charged Up About Clean Energy Growth” • Two companies in Nebraska that would have benefited from the federal funding – Monolith and Project Meadowlark – both said being passed over for a billion-dollar “hydrogen hub” grant will not stop their plans for expansion. [KSNB]

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(, CC-BY-SA 3.0) km² CO₂ NH₃ CH₄ ₹ NOₓ ‽ ♦♦♦♦♦

Opinion:

¶ “Trends For The Next Decade Of Sustainable Investing” • The urgency for more capital to finance innovative sustainability actions is clear, as companies race toward a transition to net-zero energy and demand grows to finance additional related issues important to global economies, such as gender equity or ocean conservation. [Morgan Stanley]

Wildlife reserve in India (UnKknown Traveller, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Geothermal Energy Rising – Pros And Risks” • A geothermal energy technology by a Houston-based startup company, Fervo Energy is called Enhanced Geothermal Systems. It uses the oil and gas industry’s fracking techniques to access geothermal energy in placess where hot underground water does not reach the Earth’s surface. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Exploring Thermal Energy Storage Solutions For Energy-Efficient Buildings” • Established in November 2022, Stor4Build is a multilaboratory consortium working to hasten development, optimization, and equitable deployment of low-cost thermal energy storage technologies to enable buildings to run efficiently on renewable resources. [CleanTechnica]

Stor4Build laboratory (Werner Slocum, NREL)

World:

¶ “India’s Solar PV Capacity Soars To 71 GW, With Rooftop Solar Leading The Charge At 11 GW” • India has advanced its capacity rapidly, demonstrating a remarkable commitment to clean and renewable power sources. The Ministry of New And Renewable Energy said India’s solar PV capacity has grown to nearly 71,781 MW, with rooftop solar leading. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “HDF Proposes 1,500 MW Of Solar PV Combined With 3,500 MWh Of Green Hydrogen Storage” • South Africa has a fleet of over 20 GW of coal plants set to be decommissioned over the next couple of decades. HDF Energy, a developer of large-scale green hydrogen infrastructure and high-power fuel cells, has a proposal for how to replace them. [CleanTechnica]

Rendering of HDF Renewstable Mpumalanga (Courtesy of HDF)

¶ “Deal Inked For 1.5-GW Offshore Wind Projects” • Offshore wind developer Triconti Windkraft Group has entered into a partnership with Liechtenstein-based investor Sea Wind Holding AG for the development of two wind facilities in three provinces in Luzon and the Visayas to boost renewable power supply in the Philippines. [Inquirer Business]

¶ “EU Can Meet Its 2030 Solar Power Target With Agrivoltaics Alone” • Combining agriculture and photovoltaics as agrivoltaics on just 1% of agricultural area used in the EU could bring 944 GW of peak capacity online by 2030. This is according to data from the Overview of the Potential and Challenges for Agri-Photovoltaics in the European Union. [Balkan Green Energy News]

Solar panels on a rice paddy (Σ64, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “IAEA: Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant To Move Second Reactor Into Hot Shutdown” • IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said authorities at the Russian-occupied plant informed the agency they were beginning to move reactor 5 from cold to hot shutdown in order to provide warm water and heating for Enerhodar ahead of the winter season. [Yahoo News]

US:

¶ “The Toll Of Heat Deaths In The Phoenix Area Soars After The Hottest Summer On Record” • After the Phoenix area’s hottest summer on record. the toll of heat-associated deaths in Maricopa County has reached over 360. The number is still being tallied, and it alarms public health officials who say the final count will surely set a new record. [ABC News]

Phoenix (Nader Abushhab, Unsplash)

¶ “Environmentalists Warn Of Intent To Sue Over Snail Species Living Near Nevada Lithium Mine” • In an ongoing legal battle with the Biden administration over a Nevada lithium mine, eco-activists are poised to return to court. They accuse US wildlife officials of dragging their feet on a year-old petition seeking endangered species status for a tiny snail. [ABC News]

¶ “Winthrop Center In Boston Named World’s Largest Passive House” • Millennium Partners, working with MIT, produced the world’s largest building ever to meet the Passive House Network standard. The 53-story Winthrop Center also meets the LEED Platinum standard set by the US Green Building Council and has been WELL Gold certified. [CleanTechnica]

Winthrop Center (Millennium Partners image)

¶ “EIA Expects Most US Households Will Spend Less On Energy This Winter” • US households that use natural gas and those that are located in the West, together over half of all US households, are expected to spend less on heating this winter, compared with last winter. US homes using heating oil will likely spend slightly more this winter than last. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Colorado Clean Energy Employment Rises To 64,000, More Than Double Fossil Fuel Jobs” • Colorado’s fast-growing clean energy sector today employs more than twice as many workers statewide as the fossil fuel industry, according to the Clean Jobs Colorado report. The report is released annually by clean energy business group E2. [Colorado Newsline]

Colorado (Thomas Morse, Unsplash)

¶ “Multistate Wind-Power Line Project Green-Lit By Missouri Regulators” • A major energy project got approval from the Missouri Public Service Commission, advancing a years-long effort to build a wind energy line across the Midwest. The Grain Belt Express would stretch nearly 800 miles from Kansas to Illinois. It will cost more than $7 billion. [KY3]

¶ “Former Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant Has One Building Left To Demolish” • Work continues on dismantling the former Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon, but only the reactor building is still standing, Scott State, CEO of NorthStar Services, said tearing this building down is one of the job’s more complex operations. [Vermont Public]

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Opinion:

¶ “A Carbon Correction Factor For Trucks? Don’t Be Fooled By The Oil Industry’s Latest Con” • After the European Commission proposed new CO₂ targets for trucks and buses, the fuels lobby’s proposed a carbon correction factor in the standards that would not incentivise alternative fuels. It is an accounting trick to keep selling fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

Mercedes-Benz truck (Mercedes-Benz image)

World:

¶ “Climate Change, Human Activity Causing Global Water Cycles To Become ‘Increasingly Erratic’” • Climate change and human activity are making the world’s hydrological cycle “increasingly erratic,” a report from the World Meteorological Organization shows. The change is due to droughts, extreme rainfall, and the increased melting of snow, ice and glaciers. [ABC News]

¶ “Stockholm To Ban Gasoline And Diesel Cars From Downtown Commercial Area In 2025” • A ban on gasoline and diesel-fueled cars from a commercial district of Stockholm’s downtown in 2025 will be the first for a European capital, a city official said. The ban will take effect in a 20-block area of shops, pedestrian walkways, and a few homes. [ABC News]

Stockholm (Alexandre Van Thuan, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Volvo Cars, Ford, Renault Group, IKEA, Others To Climate Commissioner: Electrify Corporate Fleets By 2030” • EU Climate Commissioner Šefčovič said the European Commission will launch a public consultation for an action to speed electrification of corporate fleets by 2030.” Over 40 organisations called on him to deliver on his promise. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China Powers Up Bangladesh’s Wind Power Project” • The first centralized wind power project in Bangladesh, the Cox’s Bazar wind power project, is connected to the grid and started power generation, said its operator, the China’s State Power Investment Corp. The project will provide Bangladesh with about 145 million kWh of electricity per year. [China Daily]

Near Cox’s Bazar (Masum-al-Hasan Rocky, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Germany Accelerates Onshore Windpower Expansion” • Germany is accelerating the expansion of onshore wind power. Newly installed capacity in the first nine months of 2023 already surpassed last year’s total by more than 50%, with the total coming to 2,436 MW, according to estimates published by the Onshore Wind Energy Agency. [Xinhua]

¶ “Brazil Set To Widen Lead As Cleanest Major Power Sector: Maguire” • Brazil generated nearly 93% of its electricity from clean sources during the first nine months of 2023, up from 91% in the same period of 2022. Brazil passed France as the largest clean-power share (including nuclear) among the world’s major economies. [Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide]

Wind turbines in Brazil (Amanda Bampi Tegler, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Bloc Quebécois Stands With The Algonquin Nation Against A Proposed Nuclear Waste Site” • The Bloc Québécois supports Algonquin First Nations opposition to a proposed nuclear waste site near the Ottawa River, a culturally important river and harvesting site for First Nations. The waste site is to be developed by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited. [National Observer]

US:

¶ “Idaho Officials Briefly Order Evacuation Of Small Town After Gas Line Explodes” • Authorities briefly ordered evacuations for most of the town of Middleton, Idaho, after a gas pipeline exploded. The explosion happened when a worker using an excavator ruptured a 22-inch (56-cm) natural gas pipeline near the town of about 10,600 people. [ABC News]

Museum in Middleton (Tamanoeconomico, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “SEIA And Nature Conservancy Announce Historic Agreement To Unlock Solar Power Development” • The SEIA said that an historic agreement to cool opposition to solar development had been reached between major solar developers, conservation groups, environmental and environmental justice groups, tribal entities, and agricultural organizations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Rural Solar Opponents About To Face Tsunami Of PV” • An organized movement against rural solar development has been rising across the US, partly fueled by fossil energy stakeholders. Now solar developers are pushing back, in a powerful alliance with conservationists, tribal groups, agriculture stakeholders, utilities, and others. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (US DOE image)

¶ “Tesla Model 3 And Model Y Now Cost Less Than Gasoline-Powered Equivalents” • For years, we have been hearing an old refrain about how EVs like Teslas cost so much more than cars powered by gasoline engines that only the wealthy can afford them. Many had the attitude, “Call me when EVs are affordable.” Well, now the call has arrived. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Iowa’s Top Scientists Focus Solar Power In 2023 Climate Report” • Some 221 science faculty from 36 universities and colleges from across Iowa stepped away from grading papers to present the 13th annual Iowa Climate Statement this week, and it’s focused on the sun. Solar energy is where it’s at, or should be, according to the statement. [WOWT]

Solar farm (Gunnar Ridderström, Unsplash)

¶ “Administration Announces Regional Clean Hydrogen Hubs To Drive Clean Manufacturing And Jobs” • President Biden and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm are announcing seven clean hydrogen hubs that were chosen to receive $7 billion in funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to propel the domestic market for clean hydrogen. [The White House]

¶ “Three Counties Could Power Over 250,000 Homes With Clean Energy With One Change” • Analysis by the Environment California Research and Policy Center has shown that three counties, Ventura, Los Angeles, and San Diego, could power over 270,000 homes simply by installing solar energy farms along their highways. [Yahoo Finance]

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Opinion:

¶ “Only One Industry Can’t Survive Without Fossil Fuels” • Responding to questions from a commodity and energy trader, the author examines various industries that are though of as hard to decarbonize. He evaluates fertilizers, steel, and industrial heat. His conclusion is that there is only one industry that cannont be decarbonized, and that is fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

Steel making (yasin hemmati, Unsplash)

¶ “Ten Reasons Why Nuclear Power Has No Future” • Knowing the environmental dangers and financial and social liabilities nuclear power will impose on us and our descendants should galvanize us to demand that government regulations act in the public’s best interest. Nuclear power is dirty and dangerous now, and for many generations to come. [NB Media Co-op]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Carbon Capture Pipeline Rendered Obsolete By Carbon-Sucking Concrete” • The vision of entwining the US in a network of carbon pipelines seems to be fading, as new forms of carbon capture are emerging. The latest development is the 33 billion tons-per-year global concrete industry, which is heading for negative carbon emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Cement-free concrete (C-Crete via PR Newswire.com)

World:

¶ “Finnish Police Investigate Undersea Gas Pipeline Leak As Possible Sabotage” • Finnish police said they have launched a criminal investigation into possible sabotage of a subsea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia that was shut down due to a leak. They have ruled out an operational mishap and said the damage was from “external activity.” [ABC News]

¶ “Mercedes-Benz And Volvo Introduce Latest Long Haul Truck Models” • Mercedes-Benz introduced its eActos 600 electric long haul truck at a public event near Hamburg. Its range is 1,000 km per day. Also, Volvo Trucks unveiled a new SuperTruck 2 model, which it says achieved a 134% efficiency increase. It is not electric but will influence future electric models. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo Trucks product (Volvo Trucks via YouTube)

¶ “China’s Oil & Gas Giant Sinopec Says Peak Oil Demand Has Already Happened In China” • State-owned Sinopec, the world’s largest oil refining, gas, and petrochemical conglomerate, just announced that 2023 marks peak gasoline demand in China. Sinopec is close to being the entire Chinese oil and gas industry, so it would know. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EU Renewables Generation Hits New High In Q3” • Power generation from renewable sources hit a new high in the third quarter of 2023, according to a report from energy data analyst EnAppSys. Renewable power generation in the quarter increased by 12% compared to Q3 2022, the highest growth rate for any third quarter so far. [reNews]

Sunflowers and wind turbines (Johanna Montoy, Unsplash)

¶ “Cubico Starts Up 200 MW Of Colombian Solar” • Cubico Sustainable Investments has put nine new solar projects into operation in Colombia this year through its joint venture with Celsia. The developments total 200 MW, bringing the joint venture’s operational solar platform in Colombia to 300 MW, making it one of the largest in the country. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Shining New Light On The Onsite Solar Market” • Our recent summer had wild weather, unprecedented Pacific hurricanes, and historic heat waves. The number of companies making climate commitments continues to rise. Of the Fortune 500 companies, 42% have set or achieved a major climate milestone for 2030, up 11% from last year. [CleanTechnica]

Onsite solar project in California (Courtesy of Target)

¶ “Stellantis To Build Second EV Battery Factory In Kokomo, Indiana” • Jeep maker Stellantis says it will build a second EV battery factory in Kokomo, Indiana, that will create 1,400 new jobs. The $3.2 billion plant, a joint venture with Samsung, is to start production in 2027. Construction on the companies’ first JV factory in Kokomo is under way. [ABC News]

¶ “The State Of Electric School Bus Adoption In The US” • In the US, electric school bus adoption continues to expand. As of June 2023, there are 2,277 electric school buses that are operating, delivered, or on order. There are 5,982 committed electric school buses in total, an increase of over 3,200 buses since the June 2022 release of WRI’s dataset. [CleanTechnica]

Electric School Bus (Proterra image)

¶ “Why Rivian Is Funding A 100-MW Solar Project Built On A Kentucky Coal Mine” • Rivian signed its largest contract yet to buy renewable energy as a means of working toward its net-zero emissions commitment. The 100-MW deal is notable for its location in rural Kentucky atop the former site of one of the largest coal mines in Appalachia. [GreenBiz]

¶ “TVA, Origis Announce Three Solar-Plus-Storage Projects For Mississippi” • Origis Energy, a renewable energy developer, said it started work on the first of three planned solar-plus-storage projects in Mississippi. The company said the three installations will have a total solar capacity of 550 MW and an energy storage capacity of 150 MW. [POWER Magazine]

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Opinion:

¶ “Bill McKibben, Pope Francis, And The Warmest September” • The data from September, 2023 shows average temperatures for the month were 1.8°C above pre-industrial levels and 0.5°C hotter than any September ever recorded. But there is good news: “The planet is now adding a gigawatt a day of solar power. A nuclear plant’s worth every day of solar power.” [CleanTechnica]

Bill McKibben has only praise for Pope Francis (Vatican image)

World:

¶ “The Climate Crisis Is Coming For Your Hoppy Beer” • Hops in major beer-producing European countries like Germany, Czech Republic and Slovenia are ripening earlier and producing less since 1994, scientists found. And, perhaps most alarmingly for the IPA lovers of the world, they are starting to lose their critical bitter component. [CNN]

¶ “Tesla, Daimler, And New Flyer Keep The Ball Rolling On Heavy Duty EVs” • We should take a look into large, heavy duty EVs in the supply chain, delivering such things as the food we eat. In today’s heavy duty EV roundup, we’ll briefly talk about two electric truck stories and one bus story that show us progress is being made to help our lives cleaner. [CleanTechnica]

Daimler Trucks truck (Daimler Trucks image)

¶ “Indigenous Communities Protect The Amazon” • About 1.5 million Indigenous people live in the Amazon forests South America. Deforestation and fires have eaten into this iconic forest in recent decades, putting it in danger of becoming a net carbon emitter. Indigenous communities, however, are helping protect some of its most intact parts. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Private Sector’s $4.4 Billion Investment In Renewable Energy To Boost Egypt’s Capacity” • The private sector is working on Egyptian renewable energy projects valued at $4.4 billion, said the Minister of Electricity and Renewable Energy, Mohamed Shaker. These projects aim to increase Egypt’s renewable power capacity to 10,000 MW by 2025. [SolarQuarter]

Egypt (Flying Carpet, Unsplash)

¶ “Singapore Is Set To Start Importing Green Energy From Indonesia Within Five Years” • Singapore could start importing 2 GW of renewable energy annually from Indonesia within five years, in what is the Republic’s biggest effort so far to import low-carbon electricity. The imports would account for about 15% of Singapore’s annual needs. [Spectra]

¶ “GE Vernova’s Hydro Power Business Commissions Four 175-MW Units For Nigeria’s Second Largest Hydropower Plant” • GE Vernova’s Hydro Power commissioned four 175-MW Francis hydropower turbines and generators at the Zungeru project in Nigeria. The 700-MW Zungeru project is the second largest hydropower plant in Nigeria. [General Electric]

Construction at Gure dam (Okeile, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Zelenskiy Pledged Not To Attack Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, Says IAEA Chief” • In an interview with the Guardian, Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, says Volodymyr Zelenskiy has promised him that Ukraine will not attack Europe’s biggest nuclear plant in any counteroffensive against Russia. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “NREL Analysis Identifies Drivers Of Offshore Wind Growth” • As much as 20% of regional power needs along the Atlantic coast could be served by offshore wind farms by 2050, according to researchers with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory who modeled deployment of th emerging offshore wind sector in new depth and detail. [CleanTechnica]

Block Island Wind Farm (Suzanne Tegen, NREL)

¶ “What’s In The EPA’s New Pollution Standards For Cars And Trucks?” • Transportation is the highest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, accounting for 39% of total emissions. Rapid electrification of the transport sector and the extensive adoption of zero-emission EVs can dramatically cut GHG emissions and help achieve US climate goals. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “People Are Okay With Wind And Solar Installations In Their Neighborhoods, Studies Say” • A major poll gave us a fascinating revelation: The majority of people in the US say they wouldn’t mind fields of solar panels or wind turbines being built in their communities. More surprisingly, these respondents are part of a large pool of bipartisan voters. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines in Washington (Murray Foubister, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Grid Operator MISO’s Outdated Ban On Essential Services From Renewables Threatens Future Grid Reliability” • MISO operates the grid across fifteen states and Manitoba. It explicitly prohibits wind, solar, and battery hybrid systems from providing the services that help maintain a reliable power grid. FERC said it should be ready to change that. [Earthjustice]

¶ “Green Mountain Power Proposes Energy Storage For All Vermonters” • Vermont utility Green Mountain Power submitted a petition to the Vermont Public Utility Commission asking it to approve a Zero Outages Initiative costing $280 million. It aims to harden the grid and decentraleg energy by providing batteries to customers. [Utility Dive]

House in Vermont (Craig Tidball, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “With Tensions Rising, Michigan Democrats Unveil Clean Energy Reforms” • As Michigan Senate Democrats negotiate a plan to wean Michigan off fossil fuels, their House counterparts unveiled the latest piece of the party’s sweeping energy reform package, shifting approval for large wind and solar arrays to the state Public Service Commission. [Bridge Michigan]

¶ “‘Clean’ Nuclear Power? NC Legislature Says Yes With A Veto Override” • Nuclear power, once the environmentalists’ scourge of for its radioactive waste, is now “clean” in North Carolina. At least that’s the view of state law after both chambers of the state’s General Assembly overrode Gov Roy Cooper’s veto of energy legislation passed in September. [Winston-Salem Journal]

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Biochar Can Improve Soil Health While Capturing Carbon” • Millions of tons of organic waste from agriculture and forestry operations are left to rot or get burned each year, emitting CO₂, increasing global heating. If those same waste products were converted into biochar, they could sequester some of that carbon in a form that can enrich soil. [CleanTechnica]

Biochar (Courtesy of US Biochar Initiative)

World:

¶ “EVs Take 21% Share In Germany In Predicted Hangover” • In Germany, September saw plugin EVs take 21% share, down as predicted from 32.3% YOY, as a hangover from new incentive cuts. After August’s large pull-forward, this was fully expected. Overall auto volume was 224,502 units, unchanged YOY. The Tesla Model Y was the bestselling EV. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Frauscher X Porsche eFantom Electric Sport Boat” • While the latest electric Porsche ventures have kept up on many fronts and found a happy home with true Porsche fans, here is something for those of us who prefer water over land, the eFantom. Thanks to Porsche and the Frauscher Shipyard, Fantom Air has its first production model on display. [CleanTechnica]

Frauscher x Porsche 850 Air Fantom, 2023 (Porsche AG image)

¶ “Commission Completion Of Key ‘Fit For 55’ Legislation, Putting EU On Track To Exceed 2030 Targets” • The European Commission welcomes adoption of two final pillars of its “Fit for 55” legislative package for the EU’s 2030 climate targets. This package of legislation shows that Europe is delivering on its promises to lead on climate action. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Sunny Albania Turns To Solar Power To Fuel Development” • Along southwestern Albania’s coastline, the sun shines brightly, warming the 234,828 new solar panels at the Karavasta power station that will be connected to the country’s energy grid in the coming weeks. Albania gets 99% of its electricity from hydro, but it needs more to avoid shortages. [Tech Xplore]

Korçë, Albania (Renaldo Kodra, Unsplash)

Australia:

¶ “Australian Hydrogen Gets A Headstart” • Announced in the 2023-24 Budget, Hydrogen Headstart is seeking projects that will produce renewable hydrogen or derivatives at scale. Successful projects will be given a production credit for ten years to cover the gap between renewable hydrogen production cost and the market price. [Australian Renewable Energy Agency]

¶ “Hope For Power Bill Relief As Eastern Australia’s Wholesale Electricity Price Tumbles” • Eastern Australia’s wholesale electricity prices fell sharply in the September quarter, a trend that if maintained could deliver power bill relief for households and businesses alike. Spot prices were down 70% after price caps took effect, especially on coal and gas. [The Guardian]

Renewable energy in Australia (Kshithij Chandrashekar, Unsplash)

¶ “Coalition Are ‘Climate Charlatans’ Making False Claims About Australia’s Nuclear Power Potential, Energy Minister Says” • The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, accused the Coalition of using “the rightwing playbook of 2023 – populism, polarisation, and post-truth politics” in making false claims about the potential for nuclear power in Australia. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “The Midwest US Could Be A Hotspot For Deadly ‘Moist Heat Stress’ As Global Temperatures Climb” • Large parts of the world, including China and the Midwest US, are on track to become too hot for humans to handle as accelerating global temperatures expose billions to heat and humidity so extreme their bodies will no longer be able to cope, a study shows. [CNN]

Wisconsin countryside (Dave, Unsplash)

¶ “Tesla Cuts Model Y And Model 3 Prices As It Tries To Meet Ambitious Sales Target” • To achieve its ambitious target of 1.8 million unit sales this year, Tesla has to sell a whopping 476,000 vehicles in the fourth quarter. In an effort to bolster sales, the company has decided to implement price cuts across some of its most popular models. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Peak Hourly US Electricity Demand In July Was The Second Highest” • On July 27, 2023, peak hourly electricity demand in the continental US reached 741,815 MWh. This was the second highest since the Energy Information Administration began collecting this data in 2016, and just under high of 742,704 MWh recorded on July 20, 2022. [CleanTechnica]

Texas (NASA Earth Observatory, NASA)

¶ “Wyoming Gives Up Federal Cash” • The Inflation Reduction Act offers states a total of around $350 millionto plug what are known as “stripper wells,” which produce less than 15 barrels of oil a day but still produce significant amounts of methane. They produce about 10% of Wyoming’s oil and gas, so the state is taking a pass on the offer. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Boise Airport, Lander Street Water Renewal Facility Moving To Clean Energy” • Two major facilities in Boise will change over to 100% clean energy. The city is partnering with Idaho Power to access clean energy through its Clean Energy Your Way program. The Lander Street Water Renewal Facility and the Boise Airport will run on green energy. [KTVB]

Boise Airport control tower (Larry D Moore, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Valley Children’s Gets $55 Million Grant For Renewable Energy Microgrid Project” • The US DOE and the California Energy Commission awarded $55 million to Valley Children’s Hospital, in Madera County, California, to provide uninterrupted care and sustainability. It will go towards the hospital’s renewable energy microgrid. [ABC30]

¶ “Regulators Reject Request To Shutter Nuclear Reactor” • Federal regulators rejected a request from two environmental groups to shut down one of two reactors at California’s last nuclear power plant. Friends of the Earth and Mothers for Peace said in a petition filed with the NRC that some safety tests had been excessively delayed [The Journal Record]

Have a shockingly relaxing day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Why And How Solar Production Will Accelerate Over The Next Few Years” • Costs solar and battery storage are going down in cost at an astounding 18% and 19% annual rate, respectively. This is significantly faster than two historically famous events, the ramp of the Ford Model T and production of US aircraft during World War II. [CleanTechnica]

Solar, growing faster than Model T (Harry Shipler, public domain)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Firsthand Fieldwork: Getting Mangroves Into Coastal Models For Better Climate Prediction” • To better understand important dynamics at play in flood-prone coastal areas, ORNL scientists working on simulations of Earth’s carbon and nutrient cycles paid a visit to experimentalists gathering data in a Texas wetland to learn about mangroves. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Oil Prices Rise Following Hamas Attack On Israel” • Oil prices jumped by 4% on Monday on concerns that conflict in Israel and Gaza could disrupt output. The Israel and Palestinian territories are not oil producers, but the Middle Eastern region accounts for almost a third of global supply. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, rose to over $86 a barrel. [BBC]

Palestinian Rocket (Fars News, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Baltic Sea Gas Pipeline Between Finland And Estonia Is Shut Down Over A Suspected Leak” • Finland and Estonia said the undersea Balticconnector gas pipeline running between the two countries across the Baltic Sea was temporarily taken out of service due to a suspected leak. Operators, said they noted an unusual drop in pressure. [ABC News]

¶ “Drought In Brazil’s Amazon Is Sharpening Fears For The Future” • Extreme drought is sweeping across Brazil’s Amazon. The historically low water levels affect hundreds of thousands of people and wildlife. Experts predict the drought could last until early 2024, and the problems stand to intensify. One man noted, “Without water, there is no life.” [ABC News]

Amazon drought of 2010 (NASA and JPL-Caltech)

¶ “Banks Group Sells 2.9-GW UK BESS Project” • The Banks Group sold its 2,900-MW South Yorkshire battery energy storage system project to West Burton Energy. The project is part of the reclamation and restoration of part of the former Thorpe Marsh power station. West Burton Energy already operates a power station and BESS in Nottinghamshire. [reNews]

¶ “RWE Successfully Implements New Technologies For More Sustainability In Wind Power” • RWE has constructed a 5.7-MW onshore wind turbine. It tested two innovative technologies to reduce environmental impact during the plant’s construction phase on the one hand and greenhouse gas emissions during its subsequent operation on the other. [RWE]

RWE test turbine (RWE image)

¶ “Soon-To-Be World’s Largest Joint-Venture Offshore Wind Farm Now Powering Millions Of Homes” • What will reportedly soon be the world’s largest offshore wind farm marked its first major milestone in September with the completed installation of a pair of 13-MW turbines, according to Electrek. The completed wind farm will have 277 turbines. [Yahoo News]

US:

¶ “A Nevada Lithium Mine Leads To ‘Green Colonialism’ Accusations” • In the high Nevadan desert lies an enormous deposit of lithium, a metal that is essential in the production of electric car batteries. Environmentalists and native people cannot agree on whether a new rush for this “white gold” should be supported or fiercely opposed. [BBC]

Thacker pass (Courtesy of Lithium Americas)

¶ “Governor Newsom Stands Up To Big Oil” • In a strong move to hold oil companies responsible for the economic and public health dangers of oil wells left idle and unplugged, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the “Orphan Well Prevention Act,” into law. It is to require a bond covering the full cost of site cleanup when an oil well is sold. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Vermont’s Flood-Damaged Capital Is Slowly Rebuilding” • Nearly three months after severe flooding in Vermont’s capital city, Montpelier businesses launched an event with food trucks, music, and street performers to celebrate how much they’ve rebuilt. They remind the public not to forget them as they struggle to make a complete comeback. [ABC News]

July flood of Montpelier (NASA Applied Sciences)

¶ “How Efforts To Restrict Democracy In Ohio Also Make It Harder To Fight Climate Change” • Ohio’s recent adoption of gerrymandered voting district maps is the latest in a series of anti-democratic measures that thwart action to address climate change, critics say. Data show a majority of Ohioans worry about climate change. [Ohio Capital Journal]

¶ “US Construction Costs Dropped For Solar, Wind, And Natural Gas-Fired Generators In 2021” • In 2021, average construction costs for US natural gas-fired generators fell by 18% from what it was 2020, though the costs of combined-cycle base-load plants increased 8%. Costs fell by 5% for wind turbines, and by 6% for solar PV systems. [CleanTechnica]

Construction costs (US Energy Information Agency image)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “California’s Solar Power Will Plummet During Saturday’s Near-Total Solar Eclipse. But Your Lights Will Stay On.” • On Saturday morning a solar eclipse lasting about three hours will obscure most of the sun across the full expanse of the state and beyond. The eclipse will eliminate much of our solar power, but the grid is unlikely to fail. [Palo Alto Online]

¶ “Holtec Sets August 2025 Target Date For Restarting Michigan Nuclear Plant” • The Florida-based energy company Holtec International has formally begun the process of seeking federal reauthorisation to restart the single-unit Palisades nuclear power station in Michigan. It is planning a date for repowering set in August, 2025. [NucNet]

Have a truly inspired day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Individual Actions You Can Take To Address Climate Change” • Humans are driving climate change, and humans can change our trajectory. While governments and businesses have key roles in reducing planet-heating emissions, individual actions matter, too. The NPR Network has been reporting on individual actions that can make a positive impact. [NPR]

Community garden (Filip Urban, Unsplash)

¶ “Political Megaprojects Lower Our Living Standards” • Often, policies that should aid society and the economy, do just the opposite. Money is spent on massive projects that show little advantage. Nuclear power plants take up money that could built projects with much smaller environmental footprints while generating more power. [Frontier Centre For Public Policy]

Science and Technology:

¶ “BMW Lends EV Batteries To Weird New Diesel-Killing Electric Vehicle” • EVs can be used as mobile energy storage devices. A US company, Dannar, developed a series of wheeled electric workhorses to knock out diesel generators and other equipment. They may look weird, but they have packs of powerful BMW EV batteries from BMW. [CleanTechnica]

Mobile Power Station with BMW i3 EV batteries (Dannar image)

World:

¶ “Pakistan Weighs Early Closure Of Some Gas, Diesel Power Plants Under ADB Scheme” • Pakistan is exploring the possibility of shutting down some of its power plants fueled by gas or diesel oil before their economic lifetime ends, as part of a low-carbon energy transition supported by the Asian Development Bank, a think tank said. [The News International]

¶ “World EV Sales Are Now 18% Of World Auto Sales” • Global plugin vehicle registrations were up 45% in August 2023, YOY, rising to 1,238,00 units. In the end, plugins represented 18% share of the overall auto market (with a 13% BEV share alone). This means that the global automotive market is firmly in the Electric Disruption Zone. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Qin Plus DM-i (Jengtingchen, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “UK Risks Losing Out To Europe In Hydrogen Energy Race” • In 2021, the UK set itself a goal to become a ‘global leader in hydrogen’ by 2030. Britain’s target for 10 GW of hydrogen would make it one of Europe’s top producers. Two years later, delivery is falling short and it’s dropped behind European rivals jostling for a piece of the market. [Mining.com]

¶ “Iberdrola Supplies Wind Energy To Global Brake Giant TMD” • Iberdrola and the world’s largest manufacturer of brake materials, TMD Friction Services, signed a contract for supply of clean electricity for 15 years. The utility will supply around 50 GWh per year, which will cover more than 50% of TMD’s total demand in Germany. [REVE News]

Wind turbines (insung yoon, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “EPA Takes Two Big Steps To Curb Climate-Warming HFCs” • The US EPA released two regulations, one final, one proposed, aiming to curb the use and climate-warming hydrofluorocarbons emissions. Together, the rules will avoid HFC emissions that are equivalent to up to one billion metric tons of carbon dioxide cumulatively through 2050. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Energy Efficiency And Electrification Take Center Stage In New Jersey” • The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities expanded funding for utility energy efficiency programs and created the first building electrification programs. There will be $1.6 billion in annual energy efficiency investment by NJ utilities for each of the next three years. [CleanTechnica]

New Jersey State House (Marion Touvel, public domain)

¶ “Climate Change Wake-Up Call: San Antonio’s Hottest Summer Yet” • San Antonians are finally enjoying cooler, wetter weather. The metro area and its nearly 2.5 million people have survived the hottest summer on record, with 74 days of temperatures of 100°F or more. That’s 15 more days than the previous record of 59 days set in 2009. [San Antonio Report]

¶ “Silicon Ranch, SSVEC Celebrate Opening Of New Solar Farm In McNeal” • Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative hosted a ribbon cutting Saturday to formally recognize the start of solar and battery “farm” with more than 60,000 panels in McNeal, Arizona. SSVEC has constructed a new substation to replace one built in 1940. [Sierra Vista Herald]

McNeal, Arizona (Ken Lund, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “California Governor Gavin Newsom Signs Law Requiring Big Businesses To Disclose Emissions” • Businesses in California that make over $1 billion will have to disclose a wide range of planet-warming emissions under a bill Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law on Saturday. It is the most sweeping mandate of its kind in the nation. [Spectrum News]

¶ “Natural Gas Prices Forecast: Bullish Wave Amid Supply Disruptions And Weather” • The US natural gas market shows a blend of bullish factors as futures hit an eight-month peak. This uptrend is primarily fueled by lower output, greater exports, and anticipation seasonal heating demand. Labor unrest is adding complexity to market dynamics. [FX Empire]

Have a charmingly breezy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Michael Mann Deconstructs The Current State Of Climate Denial” • Michael Mann is famous for helping create the iconic “hockey stick” graph. He recently sat down for an interview with Vox to talk about the latest tactics the fossil fuel crowd is using to rebut the message he and his fellow climate scientists are trying to promote. [CleanTechnica]

Michael Mann (Courtesy of Michael Mann)

¶ “Inflation Adjustments For Renewable Projects” • The New York State Public Service Commission is considering a proposal for inflation adjustments for renewable energy projects, which would provide the necessary financial stability to ensure these projects move forward. We are making an immediate call for public support. [New York League of Conservation Voters]

World:

¶ “Floods, Storms, And Fires Displaced 20,000 Children Per Day During Six Years” • Over 43 million children were driven from their homes by floods, storms, droughts, and wildfires over the six years from 2016 to 2021, according to data from UNICEF. That works out to 20,000 children displaced per day due to extreme weather fueled by climate change. [CNN]

Refugee camp (Julie Ricard, Unsplash)

¶ “World Breaches Key 1.5°C Warming Mark For Record Number Of Days” • The world is breaching a key warming threshold at a rate that has scientists concerned, a BBC analysis has found. On about a third of days in 2023, the average global temperature was at least 1.5°C higher than pre-industrial levels. Currently, 2023 is on track to be the hottest year on record. [BBC]

¶ “LFP Cathodes – Made In Morocco, Financed By China, And Exported To The West” • The USA has effectively locked out Chinese batteries from its domestic market, but what if such components as LFP cathodes are made in Morocco, in a factory financed by a Chinese–Korean partnership? Morocco has a free trade agreement with the US. [CleanTechnica]

City in Morocco (Walkerssk, Pixabay)

¶ “Germany Successfully Auctions Off 7 GW Of Offshore Wind Projects, As Experts Warn About Uncapped Negative Bidding” • Germany’s Federal Network Agency unveiled the outcomes of its largest-ever offshore wind auction, awarding 7 GW of capacity. This significant achievement marks a substantial milestone in Germany’s renewable energy quest. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Uruguay’s Power Grid Runs On 98% Green Energy. Here’s How” • Back in 2007, Uruguay had a growing economy but not enough energy to power the growth. It also had no fossil fuels. Now, typically 98% of Uruguay’s grid is powered by green energy. That change was enabled by the thoughts of a very bright man and powered by a lot of wind. [NPR]

Wind turbines in Uruguay (Matias Contreras, Unsplash)

¶ “Europe Could Become Energy Self-Sufficient In €2 Trillion Push, Study Says” • Europe could wean itself off fossil fuels and create a self-sustainable energy sector by spending around €2 trillion ($2.1 trillion) on solar, wind and other renewable sources by 2040, a study led by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research says. [Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide]

US:

¶ “Building Better Blades: Renewed Funding Supports Wind Turbine Blade Innovations” • A group of researchers at NREL, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, is working out how to make bigger turbine blades efficiently and cost-effectively. Part of the challenge is that the turbine blades should ideally last a long time and be recyclable. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbine blade (ShellAsp, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “A Heat Pump Water Heater Will Save All The Electricity You’ll Need To Power Your EV” • We should consider that some heat pumps are so efficient that their greater deployment will offset much of the electricity that we now use inefficiently. This saved electricity will allow new electrical loads, such as EVs, to be added to the grid seamlessly. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Alaska Moving Toward Equity, One House At A Time” • Alaska Native communities face enormous challenges when it comes to energy, housing, and health. While NREL researchers are doing groundbreaking R&D to chart the nation’s path to clean energy, the Alaska Campus focuses on deploying these technologies in frontline communities. [CleanTechnica]

Copper River at Gakona, Alaska (NREL image)

¶ “Grid Modernization Essential For State’s Energy Future, Officials Say” • Grid modernization is a complex topic for New Mexico. And the shift toward renewable energy will make it even more dramatic. Officials say that the one-way transmission of electricity from the utility to users is a model that soon will be as passé as rotary telephones. [Santa Fe New Mexican]

¶ “Allegiant Stadium Becomes First NFL Stadium Powered By 100% Renewable Energy” • The Las Vegas Raiders and Allegiant Stadium, in partnership with NV Energy, announced that the stadium has been converted to 100% renewable energy. The home of the Las Vegas Raiders is the first NFL stadium powered exclusively by renewable energy. [Raiders.com]

Allegiant Stadium (Image from Raiders.com)

¶ “Rooftop Solar Helps Rhode Island National Guard Cut Annual Electric Bill By $100,000” • The Rhode Island National Guard saved $100,000 in its annual electricity bill thanks to a 550-kW rooftop solar system. A SolarEdge DC-optimized system was installed on the rooftop of a heavy equipment maintenance facility at Camp Fogarty. [Solar Builder]

¶ “Georgia Power Will Pay $413 Million To Settle Lawsuit Over Nuclear Reactor Cost Overruns” • Georgia Power Co will pay $413 million to settle a lawsuit accusing the utility of reneging on financial promises to one of its nuclear reactor partners. The payments to Oglethorpe Power Corp could hold down future bills for millions of Georgia customers. [WABE]

Have a preposterously productive day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Novel UK Spacecraft Maps Heat Variations Across Earth” • A novel UK satellite has returned its first pictures of heat variations across the surface of the Earth. HotSat-1 can trace hot and cold features as small as 3.5 meters. In the initial imagery, a Chicago train is observed moving through the night and the flame fronts of Canadian wildfires are mapped. [BBC]

Car parks in Las Vegas (Satellite Vu image)

¶ “Non-Native Plants Are Expanding Their Range To Higher Latitudes Due To Climate Change” • Climate change is affecting the distribution of plants and animals around the world. As the planet warms, some species are shifting their ranges to higher latitudes or altitudes, according to a study in the journal Science Advances. [Nature World News]

¶ “Wright Electric Targets 1,000 Wh/Kg Batteries For Electric Aircraft” • Wright Electric plans to make an electric airplane that can carry 100 paying passengers on short flights of an hour by 2027. In a press release , it said its focus has changed from fuel cells to lighter, more powerful batteries with a pack energy density of 1,000 Wh/kg. [CleanTechnica]

Wright Electric battery (Wright Electric image)

World:

¶ “E-Fuels Would Emit ‘Five Times As Much As Electric Cars’ If EU Criteria Weakened” • All new cars sold in the EU from 2035 must emit zero CO₂ emissions, but the bloc is set to exempt cars that run on synthetic fuel. The EU Commission says that only carbon-neutral e-fuels can qualify. The oil industry wants that criterion weakened. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “UK EV Share At 23.4%” • September saw the UK EV share at 23.4% of the auto market, up from 22.4% year on year. Battery EV sales grew in volume by 19% YOY, slightly less growth than the overall market. Overall auto volume was 272,610 units, up 21% YOY, but still far below pre-2020 norms. Tesla was the UK’s most popular battery EV brand. [CleanTechnica]

White Tesla (Matt Weissinger, Pexels)

¶ “180 MW Of Solar PV To Anchor HDF’s First Green Hydrogen Project In Kenya” • HDF Energy, a developer of large-scale green hydrogen infrastructure and manufacturer of high-power fuel cells, recently announced the start of development studies, the next step on the path to install the first green hydrogen power plant in Kenya. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Octopus Buys 1,000-MWh BESS Project To Back Renewable Energy PPAs In Queensland, Australia” • Octopus Investments Australia has acquired Blackstone BESS, a 500-MW, 1,000-MWh project in Queensland. Octopus said the BESS will be used for power purchase agreements for “firmed blocks of energy” from by windpower and solar PVs. [Energy-Storage.News]

Stanwell Clean Energy Hub (Queensland government image)

¶ “Chile’s $2 Billion Energy Storage Boost” • Chile is on track to become the largest energy storage market in the Americas. The US expects to deploy 10 GW of energy storage by the end of 2023, but Chile’s energy storage ambitions and massive lithium supply have given it a pathway to becoming number one in the near future. [Oil Price]

¶ “Western Australia Seeks Stakeholder Input To Guide Major Grid Expansion” • The government of Western Australian is calling for input from industry to help drive major transmission network expansion in the South West Interconnected System as the state powers towards a large-scale, high-renewable grid of the future. [pv magazine Australia]

Solar array in WA (Western Power image)

¶ “Bute Energy wins WPP Investment” • Wales Pension Partnership will jointly invest alongside CIP Bute Energy’s portfolio of renewable energy projects across Wales. The investment comes to £68 million. Bute Energy’s Energy Parks and electricity grid projects are expected to attract up to £3 billion of direct investment into Wales. [reNews]

¶ “Germany Restarts Coal-Fired Generation To Support Winter Power Supply” • German officials approved a plan to bring some shuttered coal-fired power plants online to help avoid energy shortages this winter. Cabinet members said they support putting on-reserve lignite-fired power plants back online from now until the end of March 2024. [POWER Magazine]

Lignite mine (Wim van ‘t Einde, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “New Mexico Signs Final Order To Renew Permit At US Nuclear Waste Repository” • New Mexico environmental regulators finalized a 10-year permit extension at the nation’s only underground nuclear waste repository. They say it will increase oversight and safeguards while prioritizing the cleanup of Cold War-era waste. [ABC News]

¶ “Offshore Wind Stakeholders Fan The Fires Of Hope Despite Setbacks” • Bad news hit the US offshore wind industry this week. Nevertheless, glimmers of hope remain among the ashes. States along the Atlantic coast are re-calibrating their plans, and a new single-blade floating wind turbine could change the economic profile of offshore wind. [CleanTechnica]

Single-blade turbine design (TouchWind image)

¶ “Peak Energy Plans Sodium-Ion Grid-Scale Battery Storage Revolution” • Grid-scale storage batteries have been relying on lithium-ion batteries, Nickel Manganese Cobalt to begin with and Lithium Iron Phosphate more recently. Peak Energy believes it has the ability to make sodium-ion batteries that outperform both at half the cost. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Dominion Proposes Additional Solar Projects in Virginia” • Dominion Energy Inc’s D announced that it has proposed more than a dozen additional solar projects for Virginia customers. If approved, these would produce 772 MW of carbon-free electric energy, which at full capacity could power about 200,000 homes in Virginia. [Yahoo Finance]

Have an uncompromisingly enjoyable day.

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Opinion:

¶ “$4.3 Billion On The Table; Huge Benefits To Public Health And Wealth Lie Within Reach” • We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in our homes and buildings, to win big on public health and reduce both housing energy costs and climate change pollution. Now $4.3 billion in new flexible funds are soon to be available from the US EPA. [CleanTechnica]

Home sweet home (Vidar Nordli-Mathisen, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Pope Francis Lambasts Climate Change Skeptics And ‘Irresponsible’ Western Lifestyles” • Pope Francis has made his strongest statement yet on the growing climate crisis, pinning blame on big industries, world leaders, and “irresponsible” Western lifestyles, in a blistering statement. He criticized climate change deniers and delayers especially. [CNN]

¶ “Unprecedented Temperature Anomalies In 2023 – Hottest Year On Record” • The Copernicus Climate Change Service, with funding from the EU, routinely publishes monthly climate bulletins reporting on the changes observed in global surface air temperature, sea ice cover and hydrological variables. The data for September has no precedent. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (C3S – ECMWF)

¶ “Search And Rescue Launched For 100 People Missing In Northeast India As Flash Flooding Kills At Least 14” • A search and rescue operation is looking for over 100 missing people in India’s northeast, after flash floods hit the Himalayan state of Sikkim, killing at least 14 people and washing away roads and bridges, the state government said. [CNN]

¶ “Why Countries Are Choosing To Build New Cities In Places At High Risk Of Worsening Floods” • The world is urbanizing, and the amount of building in flood-prone areas is growing quickly, according to research published in the journal Nature. The rapid growth sparks concerns about people’s vulnerability to disasters as the climate crisis escalates. [CNN]

North Jakarta (Fahrul Razi, Unsplash)

¶ “A Certificate To Own A Car In Singapore Now Costs $106,000” • The cost of a certificate to own a large family car in Singapore rose to a record high of S$146,002 ($106,619). The city-state introduced the 10-year certificate of entitlement system in 1990 as an anti-congestion measure. Anyone in Singapore who want to buy a car must have the certificate. [BBC]

¶ “Asia Pacific To Invest $3.3 Trillion In Power Generation Over Ten Years” • The Asia Pacific region is poised to invest as much as $3.3 trillion in power generation over the next 10 years, half of which in solar and wind power. India and China are leading the growth in power demand and investments, according to Wood Mackenzie analysis. [Oil Price]

Rooftop solar panels (Jeroen van de Water, Unsplash)

¶ “Norway’s EVs At A Record 93% Share” • September saw plugin EVs at a record 93% share of Norway’s auto market, up from 89.1% YOY. The gains in share came from erosion of combustion car sales, rather than growth in EV volume. Overall auto volume was 10,342 units, down almost 30% YOY. The Tesla Model Y was September’s bestseller. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Lightning Strike Destroys Biogas Tanks At Severn Trent Food Waste Recycling Facility” • Lightning caused an explosion and fire at a UK anaerobic digestion facility, when it struck a biogas tank. The Cassington facility processes over 50,000 tons per year of commercial food wastes and generates 2.1 MW of electricity, along with biofertiliser. [The Chemical Engineer]

Lightning (Shlomo Shalev, Unsplash)

¶ “IAEA: All Units At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Should Be In Cold Shutdown” • To prevent safety risks, all units at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant should be brought into cold shutdown, the International Atomic Energy Agency said in their October 4 report. Russia, which occupied the plant, runs one unit in hot shutdown. [Yahoo News]

US:

¶ “High-Performance, Earth-Friendly Materials For Geothermal Wells” • The DOE announced $19 million in funding over four years for a new research center focused on the chemical and mechanical properties of cement composites and other materials used in enhanced geothermal systems. Brookhaven Lab scientist Tatiana Pyatina will lead the effort. [CleanTechnica]

BNL materials scientist Tatiana Pyatina

¶ “Fear And Loathing In Rural Michigan Puts Gotion Battery Factory At Risk” • Gotion is a battery maker with a primary emphasis on LFP batteries. It plans to manufacture batteries in Green Charter Township, Michigan on scrub land that has not had a crop in twenty years. A local movement is trying to save the “pristine farmland.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Energy Storage Project In Healy Envisioned To Support More Renewables” • Westinghouse has proposed building an energy storage facility in Healy, Alaska, south of Fairbanks, at the site of a coal-fired power plant unit set to be retired next year. The energy will be stored as heat. The US DOE is supporting the effort with funding. [Anchorage Daily News]

Countryside near Healy (Josh McCausland, Unsplash)

¶ “Athena ZEV Takes Up Challenge Of Electrifying Airports And De-Risking Investment” • Athena is an effort funded by the DOE Vehicle Technologies Office and led by NREL in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory. It is aiming to de-risk airport investments in support of zero-emission vehicles, with an initial focus on rental cars. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Three New England States Join Together For Offshore Wind Power Projects, Aiming To Lower Costs” • Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts will procure wind energy projects together rather than separately as part of a joint agreement the states’ governors announced. It is the first such multi-state agreement in the nation. [WPRI.com]

Have a uniquely lovely day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Iridium Panic Soothed By New Green Hydrogen Systems” • A rare precious metal, iridium, is a key ingredient in the systems electrolyzers use to produce green hydrogen. Demand for electrolyzers is increasing, and iridium may come into short supply. Workarounds are already emerging and the US DOE is on the case. [CleanTechnica]

Chemicals firm Mattiq’s alternative system (Mattiq image)

¶ “A New Twist On Rechargeable Battery Performance” • A study led by researchers at the US DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, shows that the so-called solid electrolyte interphase in lithium batteries is not an electronic insulator, as previously thought, but instead behaves like a semiconductor. This has implications for battery designs. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Coffee Is In Danger. Starbucks Is Working On Solutions” • Coffee is a finicky crop, and arabica coffee, the most popular variety, is particularly so. And climate change poses a huge threat to the coffee business and to farmers. So Starbucks is developing new arabica varietals that are specifically cultivated to hold up better on a warming planet. [CNN]

Coffee tree (Joshua Trujillo, Starbucks)

¶ “From Potatoes To Quinoa, Many Of Our Favourite Foods Are At Risk From Threats Like Climate Change And Disease. The “Seed Guardians” Of Potato Park In The Andes Are Hoping To Change That.” • Asociación Andes is a non-profit organisation in Cusco, Peru, that works to protect biodiversity and indigenous rights in the region. [BBC]

¶ “Failure Of Wind Auctions In The UK Are A Lesson For The Global Offshore Wind Industry” • Last September, a round of the UK offshore wind auctions failed. Policy had created unworkable conditions for the industry. Experts at the Global Wind Energy Council believe that this should serve as a pivotal moment for the global offshore wind industry. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind turbines (Jesse De Meulenaere, Unsplash)

¶ “EVs Take 63.4% Share In Sweden” • September saw plugin EVs take 63.4% share in Sweden, up from 55.2% last year. Most of the plugin growth came from full electrics, which took 44.4% of the overall market. Auto sales was 28,130 units, up 28% YOY, and in line with pre-2020 seasonal norms. The Tesla Model Y was the country’s bestselling vehicle. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “DEWA And ACWA Power Ink Deals For Phase 1 Of World’s Largest Renewable Energy-Driven Desalination Plant” • The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority entered into a 30-year water purchase agreement with ACWA Power, of Saudi Arabia, for the inaugural phase of the Hassyan seawater desalination project, powered by solar energy. [SolarQuarter]

Desalination Plant in Dubai (Starsend, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Second Phase Of Treated Fukushima Water Dump Begins” • TEPCO, the operator of the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, began the second phase of the discharge of contaminated and treated water from its facilities. It said it has confirmed that the first discharge was carried out within the established safety limits. [La Prensa Latina]

US:

¶ “’Miracle’ Water Year In California: Reservoirs Are At 128% Of Average” • California ended its “miracle” water year with enough rain and snow to fill the state’s reservoirs to 128% of the historical average. It was one of the wettest years on record in the state, and welcome news to a state that spent much of the past dozen years in a deep drought. [ABC News]

Oroville Dam (California Dept of Water Resources, public domain)

¶ “Biden–Harris Administration Investing $80 Million To Improve Flood Prediction” • Last month, the Department of Commerce and NOAA’s Office of Water Prediction awarded the contract for Next Generation Water Prediction Capability to Raytheon. The $80 million, four-year contract is expected to transform water prediction. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California Looks To Add Solar And Transmission Along Highways” • There’s a lot of empty land along California’s highways, and the state will soon be looking at how it can fill some of it up with solar panels, batteries and power lines to help meet its clean energy targets. A bill for the purpose is awaiting the governor’s signature. [Canary Media]

Solar array at a highway interchange (Maine DOT)

¶ “The Workhorse Of The Heat Pump Water Heater World: Bradford White’s Aerotherm” • A Heat pump water heater saves a ton of CO₂ emissions annually compared to gas, and it reduces an average household’s annual energy bill by $200-$500. There is also a 30% federal tax credit of up to $2,000 for buying and installing this efficient water heater. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nevada’s Largest Wind Farm Just Got 70,000 Acres From BLM” • The BLM has set aside public land for the Stagecoach Wind farm prevent new mining claims from interfering with the project’s review or development. BLM’s environmental analysis of the wind project is “in progress,” and estimated completion of that review and permitting is June 2026. [Electrek]

Spring Valley Wind Farm (Pattern Energy image)

¶ “Tucson Electric Power Plans $294 Million Battery Plant To Store Solar Energy” • Tucson Electric Power says it plans to turn on a large battery energy storage system in Tucson by summer 2025, to store solar energy for use after sundown. Roadrunner Reserve system would have a rated capacity of 200 MW and a storage capacity of 800 MWh. [Arizona Daily Star]

¶ “Avangrid Pulls Contract For Offshore Park City Wind Power Project” • Orange-based Avangrid, which is a subsidiary of Spain’s energy giant Iberdrola, is pulling out of its contract to provide electricity to Connecticut via the Park City Wind project. The project called for providing 804 MW of power through power purchase contracts. [CT Insider]

Have a magically happy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Reality Check: The IEA Busts Ten Myths About The Energy Transition” • There is a lot of naysaying about the clean energy transition. The excuses spread by detractors, pessimists, and companies trying to protect their polluting businesses abound. A recent report from the International Energy Agency puts a lot of the myths to rest. [CleanTechnica]

Solar manufacture (Courtesy of Boviet Solar)

¶ “Houston Wants Feds To Waste Billions On Dike To Protect It From Climate Change” • Texas wants the US government to put up money for a massive dike for Houston. Ike’s Dike’s already massive budget projection just ballooned to $57 billion. If it gets approved, it will be the biggest civil engineering project in US history. But does it make sense? [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Bangladesh’s Worst Ever Dengue Outbreak Has Now Killed More Than 1,000 People” • Over 1,000 people have died from dengue in Bangladesh’s worst outbreak on record, official data shows, with rising temperatures due to the climate crisis driving the ongoing spread as more cases are reported away from dense urban centers for the first time. [CNN]

Dhaka, Bangladesh (Simon Reza, Unsplash)

¶ “EVs Take A Record 29.3% Share In France – Tesla Leads” • September saw plugin EVs take a record 29.3% of the French auto market, up from 24.2% year on year. Full electrics alone took close to 20% of the market, also a new record high. Diesels hit a record low, at 8.5% share. The Tesla Model Y remains France’s bestselling electric vehicle. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Zambia Proposes Removing Customs Duty On Battery-Electric Vehicles And Charging Systems” • Good news from Zambia: Presenting the 2024 national budget, Hon Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, the Minister of Finance and National Planning, announced removing customs duties on battery EVs and their necessary accessories. [CleanTechnica]

Charging an EV in Zambia (Courtesy of ZEMIA)

¶ “Orkney Offshore Project Files Consent Application” • The West of Orkney Windfarm submitted comprehensive offshore consent applications to Scottish Ministers for its proposed 2-GW offshore wind project, secured under ScotWind. The project will have up to 125 turbines on fixed foundations and aims to deliver first power in 2029. [reNews]

¶ “Masdar Enters Tajikistan Market With Plans To Explore 500 MW Of Clean Energy Projects, Including Floating Solar” • MW Energy, a joint venture of Masdar and W Solar Investment, has signed an agreement with Tajikistan’s government to explore at least 500 MW of clean energy capacity, including floating solar power and hydropower. [ZAWYA]

Lake in Tajikistan (Encal Media, Unsplash)

¶ “Egypt Unveils Ambitious Subsea Solar Energy Export Plan To Europe” • The Copelouzos Group, a Greek conglomerate, and Infinity Power, a joint venture of Masdar and Egyptian company Infinity, lead the GREGY interconnector project. This project is to transmit 3,000 MW of renewable energy from Infinity Power to Greece through a subsea cable. [Greek City Times]

¶ “Fukushima Study Links Low-Dose Radiation To Diabetes” • Research to be presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes, suggests that exposure to low doses of radiation may contribute to increased risk of diabetes. It considered over 6,000 emergency workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. [Mirage News]

Diabetes test (isens usa, Unsplash, cropped)

US:

¶ “Enhanced Geothermal And Offshore Wind Energy Gain Earthshot™ Support” • To support DOE’s Energy Earthshots™, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will lead two Energy Earthshot Research Centers. These centers build upon PNNL’s expertise in the science underpinning geothermal energy and floating offshore wind energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “DOE Issues $3 Billion Conditional Loan Guarantee For Virtual Power Plants Program” • The US Department of Energy Loan Programs Office announced, that it had issued a conditional loan guarantee to Sunnova Energy for its Project Hestia. The money will be used to create virtual power plants that benefit 75,000 to 115,000 US homeowners. [CleanTechnica]

Project Hestia (US DOE image)

¶ “Smart Electric Power Alliance Brings 25 Utility Companies Together To Pursue Lower Emissions” • 25 investor-owned and municipal utility companies, including some of the largest, have organized the Smart Electric Power Alliance, whose members pledge to cut their carbon emissions by 80% compared to 2005 levels no later than 2030. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Renewable Energy And Reducing Energy Waste Met 25% Of The State’s Electricity Needs Last Year” • Renewable energy and reducing energy waste met 25% of Michigan’s electricity needs last year, according to a report from the Michigan Public Service Commission. Renewable energy includes wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and landfill gas. [Michigan Radio]

Hydropower (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

¶ “Massachusetts Can Expand Solar Without Chopping So Much Forest, Report Says” • Massachusetts has had a solar energy boom since 2008. But that has come at a cost: more than half of solar farms built in the state during the last decade required clear-cutting forest; another 16% covered workable farmland. A report says it doesn’t need to be this way. [WBUR]

¶ “NorthStar’s Organization Denied License To Build Interim Storage” • Demolition of the Vermont Yankee nuclearplant is on schedule and within budget. But finding a resting place for the plant’s highly radioactive waste still in Vernon became uncertain when a federal court ruled that the NRC did not have authority to grant a critical permit. [Brattleboro Reformer]

Have a cheeringly useful day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “How Researchers Are Using Ai To Save Rainforest Species In Puerto Rico” • Researchers from the green nonprofit Rainforest Connection and Google’s philanthropy branch said they found a way to use AI to monitor and conserve species in threatened ecosystems as rainforests bear the brunt of impacts from global warming and deforestation. [ABC News]

Monitor placement (Rainforest Connection image)

¶ “Tesla Supercharging Not Harmful To Batteries After All!” • For many years now, it has been advised not to fast charge electric vehicles too often, that doing so could lead to rapid degradation of your EV’s battery. Some people, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, have advised that it’s not such a big deal. Recent research shows that is indeed the case! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Can Roof Materials Cool The Outside Air And Lower Energy Demand?” • Researchers used modeling to examine three types of roofing and their impact on near-surface temperature in the Chicago area. Cool (white) roofs reduced the near-surface temperature by 1.5°C, for green roofs it was 1.2°C, and for solar panels it was 0.6°C. [CleanTechnica]

Green roof in Paris (Anja from Pixabay)

World:

¶ “Indonesia Opens Whoosh High-Speed Railway” • Indonesia has inaugurated its first high-speed railway, a $7.3 billion project backed by China under its Belt and Road Initiative. President Joko Widodo launched the service, which connects Jakarta to Bandung. Mr Widodo has prioritised projects like Whoosh to ease the country’s severe traffic jams. [BBC]

¶ “39% Plugin Vehicle Share In China! – China EV Sales Report” • Plugin vehicles are all the rage in the Chinese auto market. They scored over 750,000 sales last month, up 36% year over year (YoY) and a new record. That pulled the year-to-date tally to over 4.6 million units. Plugin vehicles hit 39% market share, with full electrics taking 26%. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Song Pro EV (Jengtingchen, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Hydrogen’s Rise Fuels Global Ammonia Infrastructure Growth” • As hydrogen gains prominence amid the global pursuit of decarbonization and energy security, many major projects are considering transportation in the form of ammonia, a safer and more cost-effective method for exporting hydrogen supplies in large volumes. [Oil Price]

¶ “Vestas Adds Extra 1.2 GW Of Orders To End Third Quarter” • Vestas has signed deals to supply an additional 1220 MW of onshore and offshore wind turbines to projects across Europe and the US. The company secured a 960-MW order for 64 wind turbines, each 15.0 MW, for EnBW’s He Dreiht offshore wind project in the German North Sea. [reNews]

Vestas wind turbine (Vestas image)

¶ “India To Award 7.2 GW Of Offshore Wind Power In Tamil Nadu” • India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy issued a public notice for bidding for offshore wind development areas off the coast of the Tamil Nadu region, with 7,215 MW of capacity in the mix. The call is for seven locations with a total area of 1,443 square kilometers. [evwind.es]

¶ “Buchan Offshore Wind Files Scottish Floater Report” • Buchan Offshore Wind has submitted its Offshore Scoping Report to the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate.The Scoping Report has details of the planned project, which will be located off the Aberdeenshire Coast 75 km northeast of Fraserburgh and have a capacity of around 1 GW. [reNews]

Moving a floating wind turbine (WindEurope image)

¶ “TEPCO To Start Second Release Of Treated Water From Fukushima N-Plant” • TEPCO plans to begin its second release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant on Thursday. It intends to release about 30,000 tons of treated water, or about 2% of the treated water at the plant, over four release periods in the fiscal year. [The Japan News]

US:

¶ “Saltwater Is ‘Winning’: Why Low Water Levels Have Grown Into A Huge Problem For The New Orleans Area” • Hurricanes have always been threats. But as drought grows in the Central US and sea level rises, a formerly unusual emergency is becoming more frequent: saltwater is infecting drinking water in cities on the Mississippi River. [CNN]

New Orleans (David Chuan-En Lin, Unsplash)

¶ “Weather Events Have Reduced Our US Hydropower Forecast By 6% This Year” • Weather events in the Northwest led to lower water supply, leading to forcast of 6% reduction in hydropower generation, year over year. The impact of decreased Northwest hydropower generation is offset by higher generation expected in California. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Phoenix Has Driest Monsoon Season Since Weather Service Began Record-Keeping In 1895” • The National Weather Service said the monsoon season this year in Phoenix had only 0.15 inches (.38 cm) of rainfall from June 15 to September 30. That’s the driest since the agency began keeping records in 1895. The previous mark was 0.35 inches in 1924. [ABC News]

Phoenix (Ian Dziuk, Unsplash)

¶ “Advocates Expect A Bright Future For Solar Power In Ohio, Though There May Be Hurdles” • Some projections anticipate solar power growing rapidly in the Midwest in the coming years. SEIA expects Ohio to add another 7,788 MW of solar capacity in the next five years. Amazon has eighteen solar and wind projects operational or in the works in Ohio. [WOSU News]

¶ “Agreement Could Push Cornell To Renewable Energy Goal” • Cornell could reach its goal of carbon neutrality much earlier than the target date of 2035. School officials say an agreement with energy developer Distributed Sun has the potential to push Cornell over the threshold of powering the Ithaca campus with 100% renewable energy. [WHCU]

Have an emphatically great day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Tracking The Sun Makes Solar Panels More Efficient On Land And On Water” • All life on Earth is dependent on energy from the sun. Today, we have solar panels that are incredibly efficient compared to their predecessors from 50 years ago, but that efficiency is compromised if the panels are not oriented properly toward the sun. [CleanTechnica]

Solaflect tracking system (Solarflect image)

¶ “MilliMobile, The World’s Smallest EV, Has No Battery” • The MilliMobile is just 10 mm (0.4 in) square. It was created by researchers at the University of Washington, who will present it to the world at a conference in Madrid in early October. As the MilliMobile moves along flat surfaces, it scavenges energy from ambient light and radio waves. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Redonda: Tiny Caribbean Island’s Transformation To Wildlife Haven” • The incredible eco-restoration of one tiny Caribbean island, transformed from desolate rock to verdant wildlife haven in just a few years, has become a focus for the imaginations of environmentalists worldwide. Today, Redonda is a vibrant home for dozens of threatened species. [BBC]

Redonda (Mike Appleton, Re:wild)

¶ “Ban On Single-Use Plastic Cutlery In Force In England” • A ban on some single-use plastic products is coming into force in England. Shops and hospitality businesses will no longer be able to supply plastic cutlery or certain other plastic items. Around 1.1 billion single-use plates and over four billion pieces of plastic cutlery are used in England every year. [BBC]

¶ “Northvolt Selects Quebec For Its First North American Battery Factory” • Northvolt is coming to Canada, thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act passed by the US last summer. The incentives in the IRA have put a squeeze on other countries, which are being asked to step up with subsidies of their own to match those the US has made available. [CleanTechnica]

Northvolt factory (Northvolt image)

¶ “Volkswagen Cuts EV Production, Cancels New Wolfsburg Factory” • Volkswagen has reduced the output of electric cars at its German factories and has cancelled plans to build a new $2 billion factory in Wolfsburg, according to a Bloomberg report. Is this good news, bad news, or just news? Let’s dig into both stories to see what answers we find. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wrightbus Bags Contract Which Could See 150 Hydrogen Buses Sold To Nuclear Power Plant” • Wrightbus has secured a contract which could see 150 hydrogen buses sold to the Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk. The site has ordered four double deck Hydroliners to test. If the test buses are successful, Sizewell C will order up to 150 buses. [Business Live]

Hydroliner bus (Wrightbus image)

¶ “New Cumbria Solar Farm To Power Over 12,000 Homes” • A large new solar farm in Cumbria has lodged initial plans with planning authorities. Developers claim the electricity generated would be enough to power 12,750 homes. The entire solar farm would extend to 104 hectares of farmland and have a lifespan of 40 years. [The Scottish Farmer]

¶ “Taipower Touts Local Wind Power Progress” • As of August, power generated from Taiwan’s wind turbines this year reached 2.89 TWh, 94.1% more than the same period last year, Taipower said. In July, total storage capacity for wind turbine-generated power grew to 2.25 GWh, more than three times the 671 MWh in July 2016, the company said. [Taipei Times]

Wind turbines (Laura Penwell, Pexels)

¶ “Protecting Wildlife At Wind Energy Facilities” • A lot of work goes into planning a wind facility, long before the turbines are installed. One big consideration is protecting the environment and putting in measures to give wildlife safe ways to navigate and places to live. Conservation also means educating the people of the community about wildlife. [Evwind]

¶ “54% Of Portugal’s Electricity Is Now Generated By Renewable Energy” • Portugal has made significant strides in integrating renewable energy sources into its electricity generation. The country has taken advantage of solar power, tidal power wind generation, and hydroelectric power plants. Portugal is using no coal and no nuclear power. [The Portugal News]

Solar array (Tom Fisk, Pexels)

US:

¶ “Many Underserved Communities Face EV ‘Charging Deserts.’ These Five Strategies Can Help” • The rapid acceleration of electric vehicle adoption in the United States comes with the risk of leaving historically disadvantaged communities behind if charging infrastructure isn’t adequately expanded. Here are five ways to address that. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Runaway Costs Create Uncertain Future For Offshore Wind Projects In CT and Other Northeast States” • Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and other Northeast governors, warned the Biden administration of escalating costs that could stall any new wind farm proposals. They blame inflation and supply chain problems. [CT Insider]

Turbine going to sea (Avangrid press photo by Worldview Films)

¶ “One Of America’s Reddest States Wants 100% Green Energy – If Dams Count As Green” • It’s a battle that scrambles traditional political alliances, with US Rep Mike Simpson, a Republican from Idaho, leading the push to remove four dams on the Lower Snake River, while leading Democrats, such as Washington Gov Jay Inslee, urge caution. [The Lawton Constitution]

¶ “OPSB Approves Solar Energy Project In Jackson County” • The Ohio Power Siting Board recently authorized Dixon Run Solar, LLC to construct a 140-MW solar facility to be installed on more than 2,000 acres in Bloomfield Township. The project will occupy approximately 2,085 acres of private leased land, the OPSB said. [Farm and Dairy]

Have a patently worthwhile day.

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World:

¶ “Storm Daniel: Greek Farmers Fear They May Never Recover” • During Storm Daniel, one of the worst hit parts of Greece was the Thessaly plain, an important agricultural area. Fruit trees, corn, and around a fifth of the cotton crop were destroyed and over 200,000 animals and poultry killed. The short-term cost could be up to €5 billion ($5.3 billion). [BBC]

Storm Daniel, three days of deluge (NASA, public domain)

¶ “Half Of UK Drivers See E-Bikes As Viable Alternative For Shorter Trips” • According to recent consumer research by Auto Trader UK, British car owners are increasingly considering the practical option of e-bikes for shorter journeys. Almost half (47%) view the e-bikes as a viable alternative. Nevertheless, the pace of growth is slow. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “50 New Electric Buses Will Soon Be Operating In Edinburgh” • Lothian Buses, a public transit provider in Edinburgh and the Lothians, ordered 50 new electric Volvo BZL buses for its fleet. The 50 double-deck buses cost over £24 million. They have zero direct emissions and will help improve air quality. They will start operating in 2024. [CleanTechnica]

Electric bus in Edinburgh (Volvo Bus UK & Ireland)

¶ “Renewable Energy Jobs Soared To 13.7 Million In 2022, Says Report” • Worldwide employment in renewable energy reached 13.7 million in 2022, an increase of one million since 2021 and up from a total of 7.3 million in 2012, according to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency and the International Labour Organization. [The Business Standard]

¶ “Green Energy In Uzbekistan: Prospects Of Solar And Wind Power Plants” • According to the estimates of the International Energy Agency and the UN Economic Commission for Europe, Uzbekistan has a potential to produce 2,091 billion kWh per year from solar and windpower. That is thirty times as great as the country’s annual consumption. [Gulf Times]

Masdar solar farm in Uzbekistan

¶ “Solar-Powered Pump Charges Water Changes In Ethiopian Village” • The village of Gol’Anod has a pump to provide its water. There was a time when the pump was driven by a diesel engine, but now, it is solar-powered. But it was upgraded by Oxfam in 2022 with the installation of a set of solar panels as an alternative power source. [Oxfam America]

¶ “Atlas Renewable Energy commissions 600 MW Of Solar PV In Brazil” • Latin America-focused solar developer Atlas Renewable Energy has commissioned 600 MW of solar PV in Brazil. Sited in the eastern state of Minas Gerais, the two solar plants, Lar do Sol and Casablanca, have installed capacities of 239 MW and 359 MW, respectively. [PV Tech]

Casablanca solar plant (Atlas Renewable Energy image)

¶ “IAEA Demands Russia Immediately Leave Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant” • The International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference has adopted a resolution on the immediate return of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under Ukraine’s full control. There were 69 countries in support of the resolution. [Energy Central]

US:

¶ “Biden Administration Approves More Offshore Drilling In Bid To Expand Wind Energy” • The Biden administration revealed plans for as many as three new oil and gas drilling lease sales in federal waters over the next five years. The Interior Department was required by law to create the plan, but the number of leases offered is the smallest in history. [CNN]

Offshore oil rig (Kayden Moore, Pexels, cropped)

¶ “Record Rain In New York City Generates ‘Life-Threatening’ Flooding, Overwhelming Streets And Subways” • Record-setting rain overwhelmed New York City’s sewer system, sending a surge of floodwater coursing through streets and into basements and subways. A month’s worth of rain fell in Brooklyn in just three hours in a deluge worsened by climate change. [CNN]

¶ “Sea Lion Escapes From Central Park Zoo Pool Amid Severe New York City Flooding” • A sea lion escaped from its pool at the Central Park Zoo amid the severe flooding that’s pounding New York City, officials said. The sea lion never beached the zoo’s secondary perimeter, however, and has been returned to its familiar exhibit in the zoo. [ABC News]

Flooded sea lion habitat (New York City Police Department)

¶ “Gasoline Prices In California Are Up 80¢ In A Month” • The average price of a gallon of gas in California reached $6.08, up some 80¢ or 15% since a month ago, according to data compiled by AAA. At some gas stations in Los Angeles, prices are hovering around $7.00 a gallon. The high cost is partly due to a surge in the cost of crude oil. [ABC News]

¶ “$500 Million For Electric School Buses That Reduce Pollution, Save Money, And Protect Health” • The US EPA announced the availability of at least $500 million in funding from the Clean School Bus rebate competition. The program is transforming school bus fleets across America and protecting children from air pollution. [CleanTechnica]

Boston Public Schools electric buses (Blue Bird image)

¶ “New Transit Service Funding In California – How States Can Find More” • California has responded in part to advocates’ calls to support public transit, though State leaders stopped short of using historic federal funding to help avert an imminent ‘fiscal cliff.’ But the $1.1 billion in new funding falls well short of the $5 billion transit advocates sought. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Maine’s Largest Dairy Farm Demonstrates The ‘Power’ Of Cow Poop” • Flood Brother’s Farm is Maine’s largest dairy farm. It is one of seven farms that provide 170,000 gallons of manure a day to the state’s first community renewable natural gas dairy digester. The digester generates methane from the manure and injects it into a natual gas pipeline. [WMTW]

Have a soothingly restful day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “New Study Definitively Confirms Gulf Stream Weakening” • The Gulf Stream transport of water through the Florida Straits has slowed by 4% over the past four decades, according to a study published in Geophysical Research Letters. The study says there is a 99% certainty that this weakening is more than expected from random chance. [CleanTechnica]

Gulf Stream (NOAA SciJinks)

World:

¶ “How Renewable Energy Is Transforming Global Electricity” • Two senior NREL researchers recently published an article in the Journal of Photovoltaics tracking changes to the world’s electricity supply over the past several years. They show that a majority of electricity is still generated using fossil fuels, but new capacity is dominated by renewable energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nissan: No New ICE Cars For Europe, All-EV By 2030” • In a recent press release, Nissan announced that starting now, there will be no new combustion-powered vehicle models for the market, and by 2030, the company wants all new Nissans to be “100% electric.” We can take a quick look at the announcement and review what it means. [CleanTechnica]

Nissan concept car (Nissan image)

¶ “Fuel cell power for electric vehicle charging” • Hydrogen and fuel cells represent an opportunity for EV charging. Hydrogen can store and release energy efficiently, and by use of highly efficient PEM fuel cells, it offers a constant and sustainable hydrogen-powered EV charging solution while reducing the strain on the grid. [Ballard Power Systems]

¶ “Sterling And Wilson Renewable Energy Wins Order Worth ₹1,535 Crore” • Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy Ltd has received an award from NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd for the 300-MW EPC project at Khavda RE Power Park, Rann of Kutch, in Gujarat, a company statement said. The order is worth ₹1,535 Crore ($184.76 million). [BQ Prime]

Solar and storage (Sterling and Wilson Renewable Energy)

¶ “‘Deep Concern’: Shell Employees Urge CEO To Rethink Shift From Renewables In Rare Letter” • After Shell CEO Wael Sawan announced plans to scale back investments in renewable energy, Shell employees sent him an open letter stating they are “deeply concerned” by the turn the fossil fuel giant is taking away from renewables. [Euronews.com]

¶ “Rise Of Wooden Towers: A Green Solution For Wind Turbines” • Swedish startup Modvion AB is revolutionizing the wind turbine industry by building towers made of wood instead of steel. This innovative approach aims to reduce the carbon footprint of wind power by over 90%. The world’s tallest wooden turbine tower is currently under construction. [EnergyPortal.eu]

Construction of wind turbine (Modvion AB)

US:

¶ “Warren Buffett Plans To Invest $3.9 Billion In Wind And Solar Power Projects” • Warren Buffett, the renowned chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, is set to make a substantial commitment to allocating $3.9 billion toward wind and solar power projects. And two promising startups share similar trajectories of innovation and potential. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Hualapai Indian Tribe: Solar-Plus-Storage Equals Savings Of $450,000 Per Year At Grand Canyon West” • At Grand Canyon West, the Hualapai Indian Tribe installed a solar photovoltaic array and battery system to help withstand short-term outages and rising energy costs. The system is capable of providing 50% of the annual energy for GCW. [CleanTechnica]

Hualapai Tribe PVs (Office of Indian Energy Policy and Programs)

¶ “Updated Report And Data Illustrate Distributed Solar Pricing And Design Trends” • The US DOE  released the latest edition of Berkeley Lab’s Tracking the Sun annual report. It describes price and design trends for grid-connected, distributed solar PV and PV-plus-storage systems, based on data from roughly 3.2 million systems in the US in 2022. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Six Massachusetts School Districts To Acquire Electric School Buses” • The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center awarded grants to six Massachusetts school districts to electrify their school bus fleets. The grants are up to $2 million per fleet. They include funds for new buses and technical assistance to make them operational. [CleanTechnica]

GreenPower electric school bus (GreenPower Motor Company)

¶ “Ørsted Completes 200-MW Wind Farm In Kansas” • Ørsted announced the start of operations for Sunflower Wind, a wind farm in Marion County, Kansas. To celebrate this achievement in clean energy development, Ørsted hosted a gathering attended by partners, landowners, community members, and local and state elected officials. [PR Newswire]

¶ “US Solar Power Soars, Chases Wind And Beats Hydropower” • In July, solar power in the US showed strong growth, according to data from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Energy Information Administration. FERC reported that solar accounted for 67.2% of new US capacity in July, bringing its share of total capacity to 7.12%. [Energy Live News]

Solar panels over a canal (Solar AquaGrid)

¶ “Governor McKee Announces Opportunity To Bring 1200 MW Of New Offshore Wind to Rhode Island” • Governor Dan McKee announced that Rhode Island Energy, the state’s leading energy utility, will be issuing a new Request for Proposals to solicit about 1200 MW of new offshore wind to help power the state’s clean energy needs. [Governor Dan McKee]

¶ “New Legislation Aims To Expand US Nuclear Fuel Programs” • US Representatives Bob Latta (R-OH) and Jim Clyburn (D-SC) this week reintroduced the Nuclear Fuel Security Act, HR 5718, hoping to drive new investments in domestic energy production. The bill, seeks to create a Nuclear Fuel Security Program under the US DOE. [Daily Energy Insider]

Have a beneficially consequential day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Autonomous Long Haul Trucking Is Key To Real Emissions Reductions” • The long haul autonomous trucking dream is a bit difficult to translate to reality. What’s the equation that will take their large size and the heavy weight of batteries to move heavy cargoes long distances? Where is the necessary fast charging infrastructure coming from? [CleanTechnica]

Autonomous truck (Torc image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Researchers Using AI To Aid Disaster Response And Recovery” • At the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, researchers are advancing AI and exploring its ability to accelerate scientific discovery, deepen our understanding of complex issues, and improve overall operations and emergency response. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Britain Approves Huge, Controversial Oil And Gas Field In The North Sea” • The UK government approved development of a huge oil and gas field in the North Sea, sealing its commitment to keep producing fossil fuels for decades. The Rosebank field, northwest of Shetland, has the potential to produce 500 million barrels of oil. [CNN]

Offshore oil rig (Zachary Theodore, Unsplash)

¶ “Coal Makes A Quiet Resurgence In The Clean Energy Era” • As momentum is shifting toward clean energy, and big banks like Goldman Sachs have pledged to divest from the dirty energy source, reports that coal power is dying appear to be premature. Smaller funds have popped up to fill the void in coal investing, so coal has some unexpected staying power. [CNN]

¶ “EU Truck Industry Could Lose 11% Of Sales To Tesla And BYD” • European truckmakers could lose 11% of the EU market to international electric rivals by 2035, Boston Consulting Group said in a study commissioned by Transport & Environment. BCG finds EU demand for zero-emission trucks will surge to 55% of sales by 2030, as prices fall. [CleanTechnica]

BYD electric trucks (Courtesy of BYD)

¶ “26% Of New Cars In France Now Plugin Cars” • Plugin vehicles continue to rise in France, with last month’s plugin registrations ending at 29,184 units, divided between 19,657 battery EVs (17% share of the overall auto market) and 9,527 plugin hybrids (8% of the market). The former jumped 60% year over year, while the latter were up by 55%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Oslo To Replace Almost All Diesel Buses With Electric Buses By Year’s End” • Norway makes no apology for its seeking to electrify its transportation sector as quickly as possible. Its clean transportation initiative includes the public sector, as Oslo and other Norwegian cities covert their public transportation systems to electric buses. [CleanTechnica]

Buses in Oslo (Eirik Skarstein, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Indian Solar Power Market Size To Increase By $273.82 Billion Between 2022 And 2027” • The Indian Solar Power Market size is expected to grow by $273.82 billion, accelerating at a CAGR of 34.24% during the forecast period, according to Technavio. The increasing investments in renewable energy are notably driving the solar power market in India. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Saudi Arabia Forms Joint Venture With Greece To Link Power Grids” • Saudi Arabia has signed a deal with Greece to establish a jointly-owned company to link up the two countries’ power grids with the goal of supplying Europe with clean energy, according to Reuters. Greece’s energy mix is 40% renewable, and the country is seeking to boost this. [Oil Price]

USNS Zeus (T-ARC 7) cable layer (USN, public domain)

¶ “Greenpeace Warns Over Safety Of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant” • International regulators are not able to monitor safety at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant properly, a critical dossier compiled by Greenpeace says. The dossier, which is being sent to western governments, says too few inspectors are facing too many restrictions. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “Projects Could Power 18 Million US Homes With Offshore Wind Energy” • The US offshore wind energy development pipeline reached a potential generating capacity of 52,687 MW at the end of May 2023, according to a NREL analysis. If fully developed, these projects could power over 18 million American homes. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind farm (Mitchell Orr, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “JD Power Report Indicates Some States Will Lag Far Behind Others On EV Adoption” • A recent report from JD Power makes it pretty clear that the transition to EVs will not be as simple as we had hoped. Instead of climbing one hill in the US, it’s going to be more like climbing fifty different hills simultaneously. We will climb some faster than others. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Renewable Power Helped The US Survive Hottest Summer Ever” • This summer, the US endured the two warmest months ever recorded, yet the system held. Despite years of messages trying to raise doubts about whether renewables have a place in grid reliability, there’s no doubt now that wind and solar power and battery storage held their own. [NRDC]

Solar worker (Ken Oltmann, CoServ)

¶ “City Council Reviews Report On Ways To Achieve 100% Renewable Energy In Ann Arbor” • The Ann Arbor City Council convened for a work session to discuss a study by a team led by 5 Lakes Energy on ways the city of Ann Arbor can meet its 100% renewable energy goal. The council requested a feasibility study last September. [The Michigan Daily]

¶ “USDA Sees Record Demand to Advance Clean Energy in Rural America Through President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda” • US Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA received record demand for funding to advance affordable and reliable clean energy in rural America under the Inflation Reduction Act. [USDA]

Have a grandly tranquil day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “The Potential Of Solar Cars In The World” • The integration of photovoltaic modules into EVs, solar cars, can contribute to the reduction of emissions in the transportation sector, reducing CO₂ emissions associated with electricity generation, along with charging costs and frequency, with benefits for users and the electrical grid itself. [CleanTechnica]

Aptera EV (Aptera image)

¶ “Trump Falsely Claims Wind Turbines Lead To Whale Deaths By Making Them ‘Batty’” • Donald Trump launched a largely baseless attack on wind turbines for causing large numbers of whales to die, claiming that “windmills” are making the cetaceans “crazy” and “a little batty.” Trump has a history of making false claims about renewable energy. [The Guardian]

World:

¶ “‘Not Nearly Enough’ IEA Says Fossil Fuel Demand Will Peak Soon But Urges Faster Action” • Global demand for oil, natural gas, and coal is likely to peak by 2030. It is an “encouraging” development but “not nearly enough” to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5°C, according to the International Energy Agency. [CNN]

Coal-burning power plant (Sam LaRussa, Unsplash)

¶ “‘Truly A David And Goliath Case’: Six Young People Take 32 Countries To Court In Unprecedented Case” • The European Court of Human Rights will hear an “unprecedented” lawsuit, brought by six young people against 32 European countries for failing to tackle the human-caused climate crisis. The case was fast-tracked due to urgency. [CNN]

¶ “The Autopax Air Yetu Shows Us That Small EVs Have The Potential Increase Capacity Of Vehicle Assembly Plants In Africa” • The Autopax Air EV Yetu is a fascinating car, and an interesting development for Kenya. That is because it is actually a rebadged Wuling Air by SAIC-GM-Wuling. The Air Yetu EV will soon be assembled in Thika, near Nairobi. [CleanTechnica]

Autopax Air EV Yetus (EMAK and the Green Africa Foundation)

¶ “Masdar And PLN NP Agree To Triple Size of ASEAN’s Largest Floating Solar Plan” • Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company PJSC – Masdar and PLN Nusantara Power, agreed to develop Phase II of the Cirata floating photovoltaic power plant in Indonesia by up to 500 MW, in a major expansion to Southeast Asia’s largest FPV plant. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

US:

¶ “The Goats Fighting Fires In Los Angeles” • Factors such as hotter, drier conditions due to climate change are key drivers in increasing the risk and severity of the fires, research shows. But land management can play an important role, as the build-up of dead trees and dry shrubs creates dangerous fuel that can lead to big, severe fires. Goats can help with that. [BBC]

Goats at work (City of West Sacramento)

¶ “BOEM Completes Environmental Review Of Proposed Wind Project Offshore Virginia” • In support of the US government goal of deploying 30 GW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management completed its environmental review of the proposed Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind commercial project. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Louisiana’s Saltwater Problem Shows Us How Climate Change Can Have Complex, Unanticipated Consequences” • Southern Louisiana is having some serious problems with water that are only going to get worse in the coming weeks. Salty water from the ocean is finding its way up the Mississippi River, and it is polluting drinking water. [CleanTechnica]

USACE briefing (Ryan Labadens, DOD, public domain)

¶ “Southern Power Acquires Its First Wyoming Solar Facility” • Southern Power, a wholesale energy provider and subsidiary of Southern Company, acquired its 30th solar project, the 150-MW South Cheyenne Solar Facility, from Qcells USA Corporation. The project is expected to achieve commercial operation in the first quarter of 2024. [Solar Industry]

¶ “$1.4 Billion For 70 Projects That Will Improve Rail Safety, Strengthen Supply Chains, And Add Passenger Rail Service” • The Federal Railroad Administration of the US DOT announced that it has invested more than $1.4 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law into seventy rail improvement projects in 35 states and Washington, DC [CleanTechnica]

Union Pacific Railroad electric train (Courtesy of Progress Rail)

¶ “US Energy Storage Capacity Additions Rise 161% In Q2, Set New Record” • The US energy storage industry added 1,680 MW, 5,597 MWh in the second quarter of 2023, marking the strongest quarter on record and reversing two straight quarters of stalled growth, said a report by Wood Mackenzie and the American Clean Power Association. [Utility Dive]

¶ “MidAmerican Announces Renewable Energy Milestone” • According to a news release, MidAmerican Energy delivered 100% renewable energy to serve its Iowa customers’ electricity usage in 2022. MidAmerican’s Iowa wind fleet generated more than 27,000 GWh, which it delivered to its Iowa customers at very low rates. [Storm Lake Radio]

Wind farm in Iowa (Drew Hays, Unsplash)

¶ “Texas Power Grid Will Be Impacted By The October 14 Solar Eclipse, ERCOT Says” • The Electric Reliability Council of Texas is bracing itself for yet another challenge to the state’s power grid this year: The October 14 annular solar eclipse. Officials recently confirmed that the rare celestial event is expected to have major impacts on solar power production. [Chron]

¶ “JEA Is Proposing A Rate Hike And Multi-Billion Dollar Debt Ceiling” • In Jacksonville, Florida, utility JEA is proposing a rate increase in 2024 as part of its efforts to offset nearly $5 billion in costs associated with the Plant Vogtle nuclear power plant in Southeast Georgia. The rate increase would be the third in the last three years. [Action News Jax]

Have a surpassingly gorgeous day.

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Opinion:

¶ “EU’s Guidance For Carbon Price Through 2050 Is Staggering” • Pricing carbon aggressively is a conservative, market-oriented fiscal policy that puts costs on negative externalities, following in the well-precedented paths of pricing tobacco and alcohol. The US and Canada aren’t pricing carbon high enough. Europe is doing it the best. [CleanTechnica]

Retired oil rigs (Ben Wicks, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Ukraine Needs Renewable Energy And Action, Not Empty Promises” • Global leaders convened at the Climate Ambition Summit just as innocent lives in Ukraine are tragically lost daily due to Russian-led attacks. This juncture demands swift action to develop clean-energy solutions for the turmoil caused by Russia’s reliance on fossil fuels. [Counterpunch]

World:

¶ “Extreme Heat Scorches Large Parts Of South America As Winter Ends” • Just as spring began in the Southern Hemisphere, it felt like the peak of summer across several countries in South America, where highs pushed above 40°C (104°F). Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil have all experienced record September temperatures. [CNN]

Lima, Peru (Creators Brand, Unsplash)

¶ “Paired Rural Dams And Super Pits As Alternative Batteries” • Australia still has a large agricultural industry (in between the mines), and all of these properties have dams, for irrigation of crops and for watering livestock. Around the various dams, there is a lot of space. What if these dams could be used to generate and store electricity? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wuling Bingo Sales Have Hit 100,000 Units In China Since Launch!” • The Wuling Bingo is a cool, small 5-door hatchback launched earlier this year in China. It also starts at the low price of an appetizing $8,681.51. Wuling recently announced that the Bingo has now passed the 100,000 units mark in sales in China in just about 6 months. [CleanTechnica]

Wuling Bingo (Wuling image)

¶ “Wind And Solar Power May Vastly Surpass The UK’s Energy Demand” • Britain’s energy needs could be met entirely by wind and solar, according to a policy brief published today by Oxford’s Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment. Wind and solar can provide significantly more energy than the highest energy demand forecasts for 2050. [Mirage News]

¶ “‘Staggering’ Green Growth Gives Hope For 1.5°C, Says Global Energy Head” • The prospects of the world staying within the 1.5°C limit on global heating have been made brighter in the past two years owing to the “staggering” growth of renewable energy and green investment, according to Fatih Birol, the chief of the world’s energy watchdog. [The Guardian]

Installing a solar system (Bill Mead, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Australian Households On Track To Add Near-Record Rooftop Solar Capacity To Electricity Grid” • Australian households are on track to add 3 GW of rooftop solar capacity to the electricity grid this year, though investment in large-scale wind and solar projects remains all but stalled, according to the country’s Clean Energy Regulator. [The Guardian]

¶ “Techno-Fixes To Climate Change Aren’t Living Up To The Hype” • The IEA updated its road map for the energy sector to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It doubles down on the need to switch to renewable energy swiftly while minimizing the use of technologies that are still unproven, such as carbon capture and hydrogen fuels. [The Verge]

Protest against carbon capture (Matt Hrkac, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Ukraine Purchased Diesel Fuel For Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant After Its Occupation” • “Ukraine and Energoatom purchased and transported [fuel] through Russian checkpoints. We asked to agree on a corridor to supply it so that when there was a blackout seven times, we would not have an accident,” Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said. [Yahoo]

US:

¶ “EV Penetration Exceeds 30% In Four California Counties” • According to registration data used as a proxy for sales, there were four counties in the US with EV market penetration above 30% last December, all in California. Santa Clara County stood highest at 35%, Marin County was at 34%, and Alameda and San Mateo Counties were at 32% each. [CleanTechnica]

Ford Mustang Mach E (PooleHarbour, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “DOE Funds Nine Technologies for Long-Duration Energy Storage” • Energy storage is growing. In 2020, California had 500 MW of battery storage. Now, it has 5,000 MW. And the US DOE announced it has selected nine proposals for long-duration energy storage test projects. Its goal is for costs for long-duration storage drop 90% by this decade’s end. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Farm Aid 2023 Aimed To Encourage Congress To Improve Agricultural Sustainability” • Farm Aid is an annual benefit concert held in the US to support American farmers. The event aims to raise awareness and funds for family farms and promote a sustainable, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. [CleanTechnica]

Farm Aid (Farm Aid)

¶ “Deloitte Report Details Importance Of Energy Storage To US Power Grid” • A new report from Deloitte, “Elevating the role of energy storage on the electric grid,” provides a comprehensive framework to help the power sector navigate renewable energy integration, grid flexibility and reliability, and electrification and decentralization support. [POWER Magazine]

¶ “Dominion Proposes A Pilot To Test Longer-Lasting Battery Storage” • Dominion Energy is seeking regulatory approval for a battery storage pilot that would be capable of discharging stored power over longer periods of time than its current technology allows, a development seen as a key component of the transition to renewable energy. [Virginia Mercury]

Have a magnificently easy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “There’s No Reason To Keep Riding A Gas Price Rollercoaster” • A recent article at USA Today tells the woeful tale of gas prices rising, again. This year has been a tough one for people at the gas pumps. We could say, ‘I told you so!’ But instead, let’s look at how bad it is, and what’s behind the rising gas prices, and then look at some ideas to save gas. [CleanTechnica]

Gas pump (Khamkéo Vilaysing, Unsplash, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Farmers Turn To Tech As Bees Struggle To Pollinate” • Thai Sade, based on a collective farm in central Israel, is the founder of tech firm BloomX. He says that the company has technology to mechanically pollinate crops in a similar way to bees. The bees are unable to do the job, due to factors such as climate change, habit loss and the use of pesticides. [BBC]

World:

¶ “Pepsi Isn’t The Only Company Hauling Sodas With Electric Trucks” • In some ways, electric trucks form a corner of the EV industry where it’s possible to be ahead of Tesla. Not only can other truck makers do this, but a recent partnership between Volvo and Coca-Cola Canada shows that there’s competition among soda brands, too! [CleanTechnica]

Volvo electric truck (Volvo image)

¶ “Electric Car Rules Could Cost Carmakers Billions” • New Brexit trade rules covering EVs could cost European makers £3.75 billion over the next three years, an industry body has said. The rules are meant to ensure that EU-produced electric cars are largely made from locally sourced parts. But they could reduce output in the EU by 480,000 vehicles. [BBC]

¶ “Vattenfall Starts Construction Of Tützpatz Agrivoltaic Project” • Vattenfall has started the construction of Germany’s largest agrivoltaic project to date, Tützpatz, in the north-eastern part of the country. The design of the 79-MW project makes it possible to combine solar power production and sustainable farming in the same area. [Energy Global]

Fraunhofer agrivoltaic pilot project (Tobi Kellner, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “India To Achieve 500-GW Renewables Target Before 2030 Deadline: RK Singh” • Union Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister RK Singh said India will achieve its 500-GW renewable energy target before 2030. His comment was in an address to FICCI’s India Energy Transition Summit 2023. India now has 424 GW of capacity of all types. [Zee Business]

¶ “Baltic Power Reaches Financial Close” • Northland Power has announced that its 1100-MW Baltic Power offshore wind project in Poland has met all conditions and reached financial close non-recourse green financing. Baltic Power’s estimated total capital cost is $6.5 billion. A consortium of 25 financial institutions is supporting the project. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (Pixabay)

¶ “Renewable Fuel Market Size Expected To Hit $2034.6 Billion By 2031” • According to a report published by Allied Market Research, the renewable fuel market was valued at $955 billion in 2021, and is expected to reach $2034.6 billion by 2031. The renewable fuel market is growing owing to initiatives by both private and government players. [EIN News]

¶ “Solar Power And Storage Prices Have Dropped Almost 90%” • Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change released a study showing declines in the cost of solar power by 87%, and of battery storage by 85%, in the last decade. These price drops make the global energy transition cheaper than had been expected. [Interesting Engineering]

Energy Storage (Sandia National Laboratories, public domain)

¶ “Rooftop Solar Alone provides 101% Of South Australia’s Electricity” • South Australia at one point supplied 114% of its electricity from rooftop solar. Some power inputs had to be switched off or the the excess exported, or stored in the state’s 150-MW battery. As of early July 2023, the state had 379,860 rooftop solar systems. [Informed Comment]

¶ “Building Irish Nuclear Plants ‘Does Not Make Economic Sense’, Claims Eamon Ryan” • Building nuclear energy plants in Ireland does not make economic sense and would result in people paying even higher electricity bills, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said. He said building nuclear plants would be too expensive for Ireland. [Irish Examiner]

Nuclear power plant (Frédéric Paulussen, Unsplash)

¶ “Austria Opposes Slovenian Nuclear Plant Expansion” • The Austrian region of Carinthia plans to take legal steps against neighbouring Slovenia’s project to expand the Krsko nuclear power plant, Austrian media reported. Carinthia plans to resort to all legal and political means at all levels to prevent the expansion of the Krsko plant. [SeeNews]

US:

¶ “Residents Prepare To Return To Sites Of Homes Demolished In Lahaina Wildfire” • Authorities will begin allowing the first residents and property owners to return to their properties in Lahaina’s fire zone, many for the first time since it burned down nearly seven weeks ago, on August 8, by the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. [ABC News]

Lahaina (Dominick Del Vecchio, FEMA, public domain)

¶ “Deep Red State Fights Blue-Green Algae Blooms, With A Carbon Sequestration Twist” • The politically red state of Utah is about to host a new method for acting on toxic blue-green algae blooms that bedevil lakes across the country. The project will also demonstrate algae remediation can also serve as an effective carbon sequestration tool. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Aroostook Wind Megaproject Is First In Maine To Need Legislative Approval. It Got It Upfront.” • LS Power asked the Maine Legislature in March to approve a transmission project, and by June they received it. The approval was required under provisions of the citizen initiative that had aimed, unsuccessfully, to derail another project. [Bangor Daily News]

Have a distinctly favorable day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Our Greatest Sin Is Emissions: We Must Repent For Climate Change” • Let us courageously acknowledge that the greatest sin we bear in this yet-another-hottest-year-in-history is the sin of emissions. Our species, and so many other miraculous living testaments to God’s majesty, are in a physical state of emergency due to our spiritual failings. [The Jerusalem Post]

Lake in the mountains (Rob Morton, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Benefit Breakdown: 3D Printed Vs Wood Molds” • Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers conducted a comprehensive life cycle, cost, and carbon emissions analysis on 3D-printed molds for precast concrete used in building construction and found that the method is economically beneficial compared to conventional wood molds. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Deserts As Carbon Sinks? Study Shows Potential For Greening Arid Regions” • A team of plant scientists has introduced a novel method to sequester carbon dioxide by “re-greening” arid areas, without competing with agriculture or food production. Their report, published in the journal Trends in Plant Science, suggests developing deserts for carbon sinks. [Earth.com]

Green area in a desert (Halima Bouchouicha, Unsplash, cropped)

World:

¶ “The Ominous Signs Pointing To Extreme Heat And Fire In Australia This Summer” • It’s only early spring in Australia and the country is already grappling with heat and fire, sparking fears of a potentially devastating summer. Dozens of bushfires have broken already out in the country, with more than 60 burning in New South Wales. [CNN]

¶ “How Climate Change Threatens Some Of The World’s Most Coveted Real Estate” • The upscale homes of Hong Kong’s Redhill Peninsula sit on a hill with views of the South China Sea. They offer wealthy people a quiet place to live. When more than 600 mm (23.6 inches) of rain fell on Hong Kong, the hill lost some stability, puting some at risk. [CNN]

Redhill Peninsula (Robin Hickmott, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “At UN, Horn Of Africa Nations Urge Global Solidarity And Real Reform” • As the UN General Assembly’s general debate continued Saturday, Horn of Africa nations made a strong plea for action to rescue a world teetering on the precipice of climate catastrophe and struggling under the weight of an outdated and unfair global financial system. [UN News]

¶ “Ford Sides With EVs, Tells UK Prime Minister Not To Fear The Strong Headwinds” • With the UK’s 2030 ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine coming up, automakers have been investing in UK facilities to make EVs. As the deadline nears, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak decided to postpone the ban. Some car makers are not happy. [CleanTechnica]

Ford EV (Ford UK image)

¶ “Community Solar Project Shining A Light On Australia’s Renewable Energy Transition” • As Australia prepares for a transition to renewable energy, some residents are banding together to create their own energy infrastructure. The New South Wales community of Bannister hopes these projects can educate others about renewable energy. [SBS]

¶ “How Germany, France, And Italy Compare On Net Zero Emission Targets” • Germany, France and Italy have pledged to hit net zero emissions around the middle of the century in a bid to stop weather from growing more extreme. Germany and Italy are both relying on renewable energy. France will get half its energy from nuclear plants. [The Guardian]

Distant nuclear plant (Timo Volz, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Saltwater Intrusion In Mississippi River Could Impact The Drinking Water In Louisiana” • New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell signed an emergency declaration over an intrusion of saltwater into the Mississippi River that officials say could impact the region’s water supply. River volume is expected to fall in the next several weeks to historic lows. [ABC News]

¶ “New York Bus Electrification Is Moving Forward With 53 Overhead Bus Chargers” • New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that construction is progressing on 53 state-of-the-art overhead electric bus chargers at Metropolitan Transportation Authority depots in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn. [CleanTechnica]

Overhead bus charger (ABB image)

¶ “Con Edison Says Region Is Warming Quickly As Climate Change Impacts Accelerate” • Temperatures in the New York City region are rising quickly due to climate change, so Con Edison must accelerate its investments to keep electric service reliable and resilient for customers, Con Edison’s 2023 Climate Change Vulnerability Study shows. [Con Edison]

¶ “Flamingos In Wisconsin? Tropical Birds Visit Lake Michigan Beach In A First For The Northern State” • Five flamingos that showed up in Wisconsin to wade along a Lake Michigan beach attracted a crowd of onlookers. The sighting was unexpected but not a shock because of recent reports of flamingos in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. [ABC News]

Flamingos, not in Wisconsin (Lex Melony, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Green Farming Is Growing, And Growing” • Green farming makes use of different practices to decrease detrimental impact on the environment. According to NuFarming, an agricultural resource, farming operations can have significant impacts on climate change. Simply adopting some new practices can lessen that impact. [Jacksonville Journal-Courier]

¶ “California Utility Will Try To Store Renewable Energy In Iron-Flow Batteries” • Battery manufacturer ESS announced that it delivered six Energy Warehouse iron-flow battery systems to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, which serves a population of 1.5 million people and relies on carbon-free sources to supply about 50% of its energy. [Freethink]

Have a sufficiently cheery day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “80% More US Wind Energy Potential This Decade From Tech Innovation” • While much of the US has great wind resources, some areas are less windy and have not seen much wind energy development. But new technologies could make it possible to profitably capture winds blowing higher above the ground across much of the US. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbine (Ian Van Landuyt, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Climate Action: Group Of Young People Take 32 Countries To Court Over Human Rights” • Six young people aged 11-25 are taking 32 countries in Europe to court over climate change. They say that countries aren’t doing enough to fight climate change, and that violates their human rights. They were inspired to act by wildfires in Portugal in 2017. [BBC]

¶ “How Medellin Is Beating The Heat With Green Corridors” • In Medellin, Oriental Avenue is a typical large street with traffic and local commerce. But because of decisions on local greenery, it is also covered with large fruit trees, shrubs and flowers. The area feels enjoyable all year and the air is noticeably fresher than areas that do not have green cover. [BBC]

Medellin (Eddnaranjo, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Ice Pops Cool Down Monkeys In Brazil At A Rio Zoo During A Rare Winter Heat Wave” • In the last week of winter, a heat wave has engulfed Brazil. It is causing humans and animals alike to eagerly greet any chance of cooling down. Black spider monkeys in the zoo were excited to be given ice pops as part of their well-being program. [ABC News]

¶ “Candela Sets 24-Hour Distance Record For Electric Boats – 777 Kilometers!” • Candela CEO Gustav Hasselskog wanted to prove that the C-8 could handle long-distance cruising, so he set up a 20 nautical mile loop. During one 24-hour period, the C-8 test boat covered 777 km (483 miles). The previous record was 79 miles covered in 20 hours. [CleanTechnica]

Candela C-8

¶ “Renewable Energy Production In Spain Will Reach 50% In 2023” • Spain is expected to produce over half of its electricity from renewable sources this year, according to research from Rystad Energy. If this happens, it will become the first of the five largest European countriesin terms of electricity demand. Spain is on the path to decarbonization. [Digital Journal]

US:

¶ “Arizona’s Sweltering Summer Could Set New Record For Most Heat-Associated Deaths In Big Metro” • Public health officials in Maricopa County, home to Phoenix, said 289 heat-associated deaths were confirmed as of Sept. 16, with another 262 deaths under investigation. Last year, there were 80 heat-related deaths confirmed. [ABC News]

Phoenix (Chris Tingom, Unsplash)

¶ “Energy Department Announces $325 Million For Batteries That Can Store Clean Electricity Longer” • The US DOE has announced a $325 million investment in new battery types to backup solar and wind energy. The funds will be distributed among 15 projects in 17 states and the Red Lake Nation, a Native American tribe in Minnesota. [ABC News]

¶ “25 States Agree To Quadruple The Number Of Heat Pumps In America” • The 25 states that are part of the US Climate Alliance agreed this week to promote policies that will speed up the installation of heat pumps in their states. Combined, those states account for 60% of the US economy and are home to more than half of all Americans. [CleanTechnica]

Air-spirce heat pump heating cycle (State Of Rhode Island)

¶ “US Electric Car Sales Up 147% Since 2021 – CleanTechnica Report” • The US electric car market continues to grow strongly. Yes, Tesla still dominates (that’s not changing anytime soon), but several other automakers are also seeing fast-growing full battery EV sales, and the number of battery EV options on the market has exploded in recent quarters. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Peacham, Vermont, Celebrates Community Solar With A Solarbration” • Peacham, Vermont, population 731, is holding a Solarbration on September 24, 2023 to welcome the Peacham Community Solar installation. At just 150 kW, it may be small compared to other community solar projects, but it will have a big impact on the town. [CleanTechnica]

Peacham community solar project (Image via YouTube)

¶ “Federal Rule Aims To Ease Connection Between New Power And Grid” • A new rule from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission aims to cut a backlog of energy projects. Among its measures are studying new generators in groups, instead of one-by-one, and letting the first-ready connect to the grid, instead of waiting in line behind slower projects. [StateImpact]

¶ “US Energy Storage Deployments To Exceed 10 GW This Year” • Energy storage, both at home and at the grid-scale, is scaling up. A report from Interact Analysis shows that the US is expected to reach 49.5 GW of installed and operational energy storage capacity. Over 10 GW is expected to be added to the cumulative total in 2023 alone. [pv magazine USA]

Battery energy storage system (Castillo Engineering image)

¶ “This Huge Minnesota Solar Farm Is About To Get Super-Sized” • Minnesota’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, is expanding its Sherco Solar project. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved adding a 250-MW array to the 460 MW solar farm currently being built. The 710 MW project is expected to come online at the end of 2025. [Electrek]

¶ “DOE-Developed Rail Car For Spent Nuclear Fuel Undergoes Final Testing” • The DOE has been busy testing the Atlas rail car, designed to transport spent high-level radioactive waste and nuclear fuel to disposal sites. The US DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy says the specially designed, 12-axle rail car could be ready for use by the end of this year. [FreightWaves]

Have an enchantingly beautiful day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Energy Storage Could Be Revolutionized By A New, Cost-Effective Catalyst That Is Effective In Achieving Its Goals” • At City University Hong Kong, scientists developed and tested a catalyst for producing hydrogen with Imperial College London collaborating on the project. Platinum is used for the catylist, but the amount is very small. [List23]

Platinum nuggets (Aram Dulyan, public domain)

World:

¶ “Airports Are Confronting The Reality Of The Climate Crisis” • Airports around the world find themselves resolved to adjust to the effects of climate pollution against a backdrop of worsening weather conditions and projected climate abnormalities. Each airport must produce its own comprehensive plan of action to mitigate climate risk. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “ABB To Provide Hydrogen Fuel Cell Propulsion Systems For Container Ships” • ABB announced that it will collaborate with Samskip Group, a shipping company based in the Netherlands which plans to be net zero by 2040, and India’s Cochin Shipyard to build two 135-meter container ships. They will be powered by 3.2-MW ABB hydrogen fuel cells. [CleanTechnica]

Container ship powered by fuel cell (ABB image)

¶ “Study Finds 98% Of Europeans At Risk From High Levels Of Fine Particulates” • A study conducted by The Guardian and the Expanse program found 98% of Europeans are exposed to higher levels of PM2.5 than is considered safe. Those elevated pollution levels are linked to as many as 400,000 deaths all across Europe each year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Global Wind Power Capacity To Hit 2.38 TW By 2032” • Wind power capacity is expected to grow 10.1% annually to hit 2.38 TW globally by 2032, driven by increased activity in western markets and Africa. This long-term growth in installed capacity in wind power will take place despite short-term challenges, according to Wood Mackenzie. [The National]

Wind turbines (Rabih Shasha, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Legal Advisers Plug Green Power Efforts” • The success of new offshore wind farms to be built in Portuguese waters depends on the structure of the auctions and companies’ ability to put forth bids that comply with labyrinthine national and EU laws governing marine protection, permitting, land rights, and grid connections. [Financial Times]

¶ “Finnish Wind Energy Shatters Records, Sets The Stage For Unprecedented Sustainable Journey” • Finland built a record amount of wind power in 2022. New capacity of 2.4 GW was brought online. This puts Finland in the top three of Europe’s most dynamic wind power builders, right on the heels of Germany and Sweden1. [Hitachi Energy]

Vatunki wind farm, Finland (Teemu Vehkaoja, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Tata Motors To Transition To 100% Renewable Electricity Across Operations By End Of The Decade” • As part of its vision to move towards Net Zero, Tata Motors developed a roadmap to transition to 100% renewable electricity across its operations by the end of the decade. India’s largest commercial vehicle maker set a net zero goal for 2045. [Autocar Professional]

¶ “As Russia Hits Ukraine’s Energy Facilities With A Deadly Missile Attack, Fear Mounts Over Nuclear Plants” • Ukrenergo, Ukraine’s grid operator, said a missile barrage was Russia’s first successful attack on energy facilities in months. It reported partial blackouts in five different regions across the country. There is fear for nuclear plants. [CBS News]

Nuclear Plant (Дьяков Владимир Леонидович, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “1.5 Million People Asked To Conserve Water In Seattle Because Of Statewide Drought” • Seattle Public Utilities is asking about 1.5 million customers in the Seattle area to use less water as drought conditions continue throughout most of the state. Among other things, residents were asked to stop watering lawns and to reduce shower time. [ABC News]

¶ “Ocean Infinity Is Going To Use Underwater Drones To Help Build Offshore Wind” • On land, surveyors can walk around a site and fly over it to get all of the information they need for construction. The deep waters off the Pacific coast requires new methods. Ocean Infinity will conduct an extensive site survey for one new offshore site. [CleanTechnica]

Ocean Infinity mapping drone (Ocean Infinity image)

¶ “Wyoming Rejects Proposed Moratorium On Renewable Energy” • The Joint Corporations Committee addressed a proposed bill that sought to impose a moratorium on renewable energy in Wyoming. The deliberations were guided by a wave of support from concerned citizens and advocates of renewable energy. The bill was rejected. [Wyoming News Now]

¶ “Enel Secures PPA For Part Of Solar-Plus-Storage Project In ERCOT With 104-MW BESS” • The North American arm of Italy-based energy firm Enel has secured a PPA with Boston Properties for part of a solar-plus-storage project in the ERCOT, the Texas market. The hybrid plant has a 104-MW battery energy storage system. [Energy-Storage.News]

Enel Green Power solar-battery plant (Enel Green Power)

¶ “Enfinity Global Swoops On 546-MW US Solar” • Enfinity Global has acquired 546-MW of solar assets under development from CS Energy. The assets are three solar farms currently under development in Colorado. This deal allows the company to make further progress in the implementation of its long-term business strategy in the US. [reNews]

¶ “Nuclear Panel To Meet Monday To Discuss Spent Fuel Transportation” • The Federal Nuclear Waste Policy Committee of the Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel will meet on Monday, September 25, 2023 from 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM. This meeting will be webcast, and a link is given to join the it. [Vermont Business Magazine]

Have a really ideal day.

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World:

¶ “UN Chief Warns ‘Humanity Has Opened The Gates To Hell’ As He Convenes Climate Summit” • UN Secretary General António Guterres issued a stark warning as he gathered world leaders for a high-level summit on the climate crisis: “Humanity has opened the gates to hell.” He said, “Climate action is dwarfed by the scale of the challenge.” [CNN]

António Guterres giving address (UN News)

¶ “Volvo Cars Says It Will Cease Production Of All Diesel Models Starting Early 2024” • In a bold move towards sustainability, Volvo Cars has unveiled an ambitious roadmap to sell only fully electric cars by 2030 and become a climate-neutral company by 2040. This ambitious plan shows that Volvo is a pioneer among legacy car manufacturers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Panama Taps Solar Energy To Heat Water And To Reduce Deforestation” • Alongside countering deforestation, solar hot water heating can help Panama cut its reliance on fossil fuels, particularly petroleum gas. Termosolar Panama says the fuel is used to heat most of the over 30 million litres of hot water Panamanians use daily. [UNEP]

Boiling water for school meals (UNEP image)

¶ “SBM Installs French Floating Wind Platform” • SBM Offshore installed the first floating wind unit to the Provence Grand Large floating wind project 17 km off the coast of Marseille. The anchor piles and moorings lines were pre-deployed in August 2023. In September SBM Offshore completed the hook-up of the first floater and its 8.4-MW turbine. [reNews]

UK:

¶ “UK Smashes Low Carbon Record With Wind Power” • On 18th September at 2pm, the grid achieved a new low carbon intensity record, hitting just 27 g/kWh, National Grid ESO said. A record set earlier this year was 33 g/kWh. Wind power accounted for 48% of the electricity supply on that day, with nuclear energy second at 18.9%. [Energy Live News]

Whitelee wind farm (Rosser1954, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “The UK Is Delaying The Switch To Electric Cars. Automakers Are Furious” • The UK government said it would delay a ban on the sale of new gas and diesel cars by five years. The move has angered carmakers who warned it undermines their efforts to switch to EVs. The PM claimed he wants to avoid “unacceptable costs on hard-pressed British families.” [CNN]

¶ “Rishi Sunak’s Plans To Delay Climate Targets Attacked, As UK Government Pushes Anti-Green Drive” • Britain will delay a series of key climate targets, its beleaguered Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said at a hastily organized press conference. The move angered businesses and political allies and intensified the UK government’s assault on green policies. [CNN]

Rishi Sunak (HM Treasury, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “Biden Administration Announces $4.6 Billion Grant Program To Reduce Planet-Warming Pollution” • Competitive grants totaling $4.6 billion were revealed by the Biden administration. States, cities, and tribes can apply for grants to reduce the planet-warming pollution that is fueling the climate crisis. The grants program will be managed by the EPA. [CNN]

¶ “DeSantis Unveils Energy Agenda From Texas Oil Country” • Flanked by two oil rigs in West Texas, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis shared his vision for America’s energy sector, with an emphasis on ending efforts to fight climate change. He wants to greenlight more pipelines and allow mining and extraction of oil, gas, coal, uranium, and other minerals on federal lands. [CNN]

Ron DeSantis (Tom Williams, public domain)

¶ “Highway Traffic Pollution Puts Communities Of Color At Greater Health Risk, Data Analysis Shows” • More than 49 million Americans live within a mile of a highway and face startling health risks from traffic pollution, according to an ABC News data analysis done in collaboration with ABC-owned television stations. [ABC News]

¶ “Working Remotely May Have Significant Carbon Reduction Benefit” • A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that working from home can reduce the carbon footprint of an individual employee by more than 50%. It sheds light on factors that influence environmental effects of different work models. [CleanTechnica]

Work from home (Ian Harber, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Wave Energy Legislation Unanimously Passes California Legislature” • The California State Senate passed California Senate Bill 605 unanimously. The bill directs the California Energy Commission to evaluate the feasibility, costs, and benefits of using wave and tidal energy across the 840-mile California coastline. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “Xcel Energy Proposes $15 Billion Plan To Add Renewable Energy To Its System” • Xcel Energy proposed a $15 billion plan to add an “unprecedented” amount of renewable energy over the next seven years to double the amount of renewable energy on the system. Xcel hopes to get $10 billion in tax credits from the Inflation Reduction Act. [Denver Gazette]

Wind turbines in Colorado (Jeffrey Beall, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Wolverine Power Agrees To Buy Palisades Nuclear Power” • The shuttered Palisades Nuclear Power Plant met the first step on the long road to reopening when Wolverine Power Cooperative, a Michigan-based nonprofit power company, signed a long-term agreement with Holtec International to buy power when the plant reopened. [MITechNews]

¶ “Citizens Advisory Panel Hears Update On Vermont Yankee Decommissioning” • The Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel met Monday evening to hear updates on the status of decommissioning the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant. The power plant in Vernon was shut down at the end of 2014. [WAMC]

Have an interestingly resplendent day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Free electricity: Is it really fair?” • Free electricity? It sounds too good to be true, but that’s what two companies are offering in a bid to shift demand to when power is plentiful. As solar and wind farms grow all the time, our electricity grid is increasingly complex, and the solar and wind farms are paid to shut down. Two companies are working on an alternative. [BBC]

Wind turbines (Luke Thornton, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “A Climate Week To Advance Urgent Change” • As the hottest summer on record winds to a close, the window to hold global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F) is rapidly closing. We need to act now to confront a widening climate crisis that is intersecting with, and exacerbating, a global biodiversity crisis, a global food crisis, and a crisis of global injustice. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Insurance Majors Held Fossil Fuels Assets While Cutting Coverage Due To Climate Risks” • A report shows that the US insurance sector held $536 billion in fossil fuel-related assets in 2019, despite some insurers citing climate-related risk and natural disasters as factors in raising premiums or dropping coverage in high risk regions. [CleanTechnica]

Wildfire (Mike Newbry, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “A Haunted Australia Stares Down Bushfire Disaster Again” • As Australia edged into spring in 2019, former fire brigade chief Greg Mullins warned the country was disastrously primed to burn. Over and over, he begged to be heard, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. His warnings, however, came true. Now, he is sounding the alarm again. [BBC]

¶ “Horrific Libya Flooding Made Up To 50 Times More Likely By Planet-Warming Pollution, Scientists Find” • The World Weather Attribution initiative, a team of scientists that analyze the role of climate change in extreme weather events, found that planet-warming pollution made the deadly rainfall in Libya up to 50 times more likely to occur and 50% worse. [CNN]

Storm Daniel approaching Libya (NOAA, public domain)

¶ “The World Just Sweltered Through Hottest August On Record” • August 2023 was Earth’s hottest August in NOAA’s 174-year climate record. The month also wrapped up the Northern Hemisphere’s warmest June-August summer period and the Southern Hemisphere’s warmest June-August winter on record, an analysis by NOAA scientists shows. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “45% Of New Cars In Netherlands Now Plugin Cars!” • In the Netherlands, 45% of new car sales were plugin car sales in August. Furthermore, 33% were full electrics, which jumped 58% year over year. The overall market is also rising, although at a slower rate (+19% YOY). We expect the final plugin share for 2023 to end close to 50%.[CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Michal Lauko, Unsplash)

¶ “Ormat Secures Contract With Mercury New Zeleand To Construct And Supply New 56-MW Geothermal Power Plant” • Ormat Technologies, Inc announced that it signed contracts with Mercury NZ Limited for supply and Engineering, Procurement and Construction of a new 56-MW geothermal power plant in New Zealand. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Sanikiluaq Wind Project Represents Major Shift In Nunavut Renewable Energy Policy” • A lone windmill in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, which is expected to produce enough power to cut the community’s reliance on diesel fuel by half, is all but a done deal as the Qulliq Energy Corporation and the Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation are set to sign an agreement. [CBC]

Wind turbine in Nunavut (Tugliq Energy)

¶ “Germany On Track To Meet Over 50% Of Energy Demand With Renewables This Year” • Germany is likely to generate enough energy from renewables to meet more than 50% of its energy demand by the end of this year, as Robert Habeck, the country’s Economy Minister, announced at a conference held by the Heinrich Böll Foundation. [EcoWatch]

¶ “Renewable Energy Accounts For 46% Of Dutch Electricity” • Almost half the electricity generated in the Netherlands in the first six months of this year came from natural sources such as the wind and sun, national statistics office CBS said. In total, 46% was generated from renewable resources, a rise of 16% on the same period in 2022. [DutchNews.nl]

Amsterdam (Azhar J, Unsplash)

¶ “Possibly Contaminated Iron Scraps From Near Fukushima Plant Sold” • Workers at a demolition site near the meltdown-stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant took and sold iron scraps from waste possibly contaminated with radioactive materials, according to officials in the Japanese Environment Ministry. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶ “Heatwaves claim tens of thousands of lives each year. Now a US mapping project is revealing those most at risk so they can get the help they need” • NOAA’s heat maps are helping policy makers and families understand the real-life impact of heat waves with new clarity, by combining satellite imagery, air temperature, and humidity data. [BBC]

Cooling off (Leonid Antsiferov, Unsplash)

¶ “Homeowners Face Rising Insurance Rates As Climate Change Makes Wildfires More Common” • An increasing number of Americans are finding it difficult to afford insurance on their homes, a problem only expected to worsen because insurers and lawmakers have underestimated the impact of climate change, a new report says. [ABC News]

¶ “New Roadmap To Accelerate Offshore Wind Transmission In US” • As part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the Interior and Energy Departments released An Action Plan for Offshore Wind Transmission Development in the US Atlantic Region to promote offshore windpower, bolster the US supply chain, and create good-paying jobs. [CleanTechnica]

Have an absurdly delightful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “A Bright Spot At The Intersection Of Farming, EVs And Solar Energy” • Across the US, more than 30 million acres of farmland is devoted to growing corn for ethanol. NREL calculated that we could power the country’s entire electricity demand with 10 million acres of solar panels. Solar panels pay taxes. Corn doesn’t. We can go on. [Virginia Mercury]

Corn field (Taylor Siebert, Unsplash, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Turbo-Charged Plants That Could Boost Farm Output” • UN Food and Agriculture Organization says almost 30% people around the world went short of food in 2022, with more than 10% severely short. Improving plant yields is one way to cut the shortfall, and there have been great advances, though they come with increased water usage. [BBC]

¶ “A (Virtual) Deep Dive Into Marine Energy’s Capabilities” • Big energy is lying under the waves that crash on our shores and in the tides that come in and out each day like clockwork: so much power that, if we tapped all the marine energy we have access to, it would be equivalent to nearly 60% of the United States’ power generation in 2019. [NREL]

Wave (Jeremy Bishop, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “VinFast To Set Up Shop In Indonesia, Plans To Expand In Seven More Markets In Asia” • Vietnamese automaker VinFast is making good its announcement to enter Southeast Asia. It plans to set up shop in Indonesia in early 2024. The strategy is to first distribute vehicles to dealer-partners in the country and then build an electric car plant. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Roam Introduces The Roam Move Electric Bus In Kenya” • Roam has just unveiled a second model in its electric bus range. This time, a smaller electric bus to cater to the middle segment in the Matatu sector. The electric bus has a spacious interior with a capacity to accommodate up to 51 passengers. It is assembled entirely in Kenya. [CleanTechnica]

Roam Move electric bus (Roam image)

¶ “Japan Draws Up Whitewash Plan To Salvage Image” • Japan plans to strengthen the monitoring and analysis of information about the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean and is seeking extra funding to step up public relations efforts at home and abroad. [China Daily]

¶ “Fossil Share In Rajasthan’s Power Mix Drops To 50% As Solar And Wind Surge” • The share of fossil fuels in Rajasthan’s power generation mix hit the record-low level of 50% from April to July of this year. This is the first time that the lowest level has been sustained for over a quarter of the year, according to a new report by Ember. [pv magazine India]

Rajasthan (Sushmita Balasubramani, Wikimedia Commons)

Australia:

¶ “Australia Can Lead The Production And Utilization Of Green Hydrogen, Former Prime Minister Turnbull Says” • Australian former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said that Australia has the potential to be a world leader in the production and export of green hydrogen. He was making his keynote address at a Global Wind Energy Council Summit. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “A Picturesque Island With The Cleanest Air On Earth” • Off the rugged north-western tip of Australia’s island-state of Tasmania is a wildly remote peninsula with a bleak name: Cape Grim. This is where you’ll find some of the cleanest air on Earth, according to the local air pollution station, which is there to collect and analyze the of the air. [BBC]

Cape Grim (Ian Cochrane, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “$1 Billion Contracts Awarded For Kwinana And Collie Big Batteries” • Western Australia’s Cook Government has awarded more than A$1 billion ($650,000) in contracts to deliver massive new battery energy storage systems in Kwinana and Collie as part of its commitment to cleaner, reliable and affordable energy for the state. [Government of Western Australia]

US:

¶ “Hundreds Of Flying Taxis To Be Built In Ohio, Governor Announces” • Joby Aviation Inc was selected to build an electric air taxi manufacturing site at Dayton International Airport, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and others announced. The electric air taxi is to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph over a range of 100 miles. [ABC News]

Joby’s prototype eVTOL aircraft (Joby Aviation image)

¶ “Three Years After Hurricane Sally, Pensacola Is Still Struggling To Rebuild” • It has been three years since Hurricane Sally struck the Gulf Coast, but the recovery is nowhere near complete for communities that experienced the most severe impacts from the storm, according to local residents and officials. Pensacola is still reeling from the impacts. [ABC News]

¶ “Vestas Toasts $40 Million Colorado Factories Boost” • Vestas is celebrating its $40 million investment in two Colorado factories, which will create up to 1,000 clean energy jobs. To celebrate the Brighton Nacelles and Windsor Blades factories, Vestas hosted an event with Governor Jared Polis, Xcel Energy, and the American Clean Power Association. [reNews]

Vestas wind turbines (Vestas image)

¶ “New Consortium To Make Batteries For Electric Vehicles More Sustainable” • A battery material called disordered rock salt could pave the way for replacing combustion vehicles with EVs faster. DRX cathodes could provide lithium-ion batteries with higher energy density than those made of nickel and cobalt, and it could make EV batteries more sustainable. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Johns Hopkins Researchers Join Push For 100% Renewable Energy Power Grids” • At Johns Hopkins, the Ralph O’Connor Sustainable Energy Institute, in collaboration with partners from around the globe, has established a new center focused on helping society transition towards 100% renewable energy for power grids. [JHU Hub]

Have an honestly enchanting day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Why EV Batteries Keep Getting Cheaper And Cleaner” • We have seen battery density double every 12 years and prices drop 50% every 5 years. Wright’s Law says this should go on. By 2030 we should have a battery with nearly double the capacity at the same weight for half the price, or the same capacity at half the weight for a quarter of the price. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Tesla May Have Perfected One-Piece Casting Technology” • Traditional manufacturing techniques use up to 400 individual stampings that then have to be welded, bolted, screwed, or glued together to make a complete unibody structure. If Tesla can get one-piece casting right, its cost of manufacturing could drop by up to 50%. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “First HVDC Undersea Power Project In The Developing World And Saudi Entry Into Exporting Renewable Power” • Private companies in India and Saudi Arabia recently signed a series of agreements. One of them covers a High Voltage Direct Current undersea line allowing power to be transmitted between the two countries, and beyond. [CleanTechnica]

Submarine cable trencher, (Friflash, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Copernicus: Record-Breaking Wildfires Throughout The 2023 Boreal Wildfire Season” • As the Northern Hemisphere comes to the end of the wildfire season, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service data on fire emissions and smoke transport associated with wildfires provides valuable insights to evaluate the most relevant wildfires. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Study Reveals Farm Dams Can Be Converted Into Renewable Energy Storage Systems” • A study published in Applied Energy, finds that agricultural ponds, could be connected to form micro-pumped hydro energy storage systems. It’s the first study to assess the potential of these small-scale systems as an innovative renewable energy storage solution. [India Education]

Brickpits fishing pond (Richard Croft, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Though The Price Shocks Hurt, Renewables Installed In 2021- 2023 Saved Europe €100 Billion” • IEA data shows that without the solar and wind capacity additions of 2021-2023 Europe’s energy costs would have been €100 billion higher in that time, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and reduced output from nuclear and hydro made energy prices spike. [Energy Post]

¶ “Ørsted To Develop 400 MW Of Irish Solar” • Orsted disclosed that it is developing a 400-MW portfolio of Irish solar projects in a partnership with Irish renewable energy developer Terra Solar. The sites could power over 90,000 Irish homes. This brings further momentum to Orsted’s solar pipeline in Ireland, which now totals over 600 MW. [reNews]

Solar array (Terra Solar image)

¶ “Replacing Australia’s Retiring Coal Power Stations With Small Nuclear Reactors Could Cost A$387 Billion, Analysis Suggests” • The federal government’s Energy Department says it would cost as much as A$387 billion ($249 billion) to replace Australia’s retiring coal-fired power stations with the form of nuclear power proposed by the Coalition. [The Guardian]

¶ “Costa Rica’s Sea Turtle Decline Linked To Climate Change” • The effects of climate change are increasingly evident in various parts of the planet. The repercussions of climate change include rising sea levels, high sea temperatures, and more. Experts from the APM Terminals Turtle Conservation Program say it results in fewer sea turtle hatchlings. [The Tico Times]

Young sea turtle (Morgan Newnham, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Thousands March To Kick Off Climate Summit, Demanding An End To Fossil Fuels” • Yelling that the future and their lives depend on ending fossil fuels, tens of thousands of protesters kicked off the opening salvo to New York’s Climate Week, where leaders will try once again to curb climate change primarily caused by coal, oil and natural gas. [ABC News]

¶ “Coal-Killing ‘Extension Cord’ Brings Renewable Energy To Local Communities” • The DOE may have a lot of big programs, but it also runs some that tend to fly under the media radar for ordinary communities. One is an ongoing solar program that aims to make local solar systems more accessible and affordable for most households. [CleanTechnica]

Fairbanks, Alaska (FairbanksMike, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Sublime Systems Receives ASTM Certification For Low Carbon Cement” • In June, CleanTechnica told readers about Sublime Systems, which makes cement without massive carbon emissions. Now, it has ASTM C1157 compliance certification, which has more stringent strength requirements than older hydraulic cement standards. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Climate Change Could Bring More Monster Storms Like Hurricane Lee To New England” • When it comes to hurricanes, New England can’t compete with Florida or the Caribbean. But scientists said the arrival of storms like Atlantic storm Lee could become more common in places such as the Gulf of Maine, as the planet warms. [Rapid City Journal]

Lobster boats in Maine (Leon Bredella, Unsplash)

¶ “How Rural Southwest Utah Is Proving The Potential Of Renewable Geothermal Energy” • There’s a new hotspot in the world of geothermal energy: a seemingly sleepy valley in Beaver County. Its secret? The valley sits on top of bedrock that reaches temperatures up to 465°F. That is enough heat to make the area really interesting for power generation. [KUER]

¶ “Renewable Power Expected To Grow As Louisiana Marks Clean Energy Transition” • Gov John Bel Edwards issued a proclamation declaring September 25-29 as Clean Energy Week in Louisiana in conjunction with the national celebration. The state’s renewable power industry is slightly behind that of most other states, but it is growing. [Louisiana Illuminator]

Have a flawlessly grand day.

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World:

¶ “Antarctic Sea-Ice At ‘Mind-Blowing’ Low Alarms Experts” • Satellite data shows the sea-ice surrounding Antarctica is well below any previous recorded winter level, a worrying new benchmark for a region that once seemed resistant to global warming. An unstable Antarctica could have far-reaching consequences, polar experts warn. [BBC]

Antarctica (Long Ma, Unsplash)

¶ “Ten Countries And Territories Saw Severe Flooding In Just Twelve Days. Is This The Future Of Climate Change?” • Greece, Lybia, Bulgaria, Turkey, Spain, Brazil, Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and the US all had severe flooding. Sadly, such things will happen again. Over 90% of global warming over the past 50 years has been in the oceans, which power storms. [CNN]

¶ “SAIC-GM-Wuling JV Is Back With Another Potentially Game Changing Product: The Wuling E10 Mini Delivery Vehicle” • In another bold move that could potentially create another new and exciting market for affordable mini delivery vehicles, the SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture has just started the wider rollout of the Wuling E10 delivery vehicle. [CleanTechnica]

Wuling E10 delivery vehicle

¶ “Carmakers Urged To Stop Prioritising SUVs Over Smaller & More Affordable Electric Cars” • The arrival of more affordable, smaller electric cars would hasten the uptake of zero-emission cars in the UK, a survey shows. 22% of new car buyers already intend to buy an electric car in the next year, but the percentage goes higher as the price goes down. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EVs To Surpass ⅔ Of Global Car Sales By 2030, Putting At Risk Nearly Half Of Oil Demand” • Global EV sales are on track to meet or outpace even the most ambitious net-zero timelines and could account for more than two-thirds of market share by 2030, following exponential growth trends, according to three research projects by RMI. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model 3 (Martin Katler, Unsplash)

¶ “EU May Require Four Times More Workers For Wind And Solar Projects By 2030” • Demand for talent in wind and solar power projects is expected to rise by “as much as fourfold” in EU countries by 2030, McKinsey & Co said. The wind and solar industry will need 990,000 full-time workers by the end of the decade, up from with 290,000 in 2020. [The National]

¶ “Water-Starved Saudi Confronts Desalination’s Heavy Toll” • Lacking lakes, rivers, and regular rainfall, Saudi Arabia relies on dozens of facilities that transform water from the Gulf and Red Sea to make it potable, supplying cities and towns that otherwise would not survive. Desalinization is energy intensive, but the country is turning to solar power. [Yahoo News]

Jeddah (backer Sha, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Adani Wind Receives Certification For India’s Largest Turbine” • Adani Wind, the wind energy solutions division of Adani New Industries Ltd, announced that its new Wind Turbine Generator has received type certification from Wind Guard GmbH, says a press release. At 5.2 MW, Adani’s news wind turbine is the largest made in India. [Daily Observer]

¶ “G20 Leaders Commit To Triple Renewable Energy Capacity By 2030 And Achieve Global Net Zero By 2050” • In a significant move on climate change issues at G20 summit, the leaders agreed to go for rapid, deep and sustained reductions in global GHG emissions by 43% by 2030 relative to the 2019 levels to limit global warming to 1.5°C. [Mid-day]

Solar power (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

¶ “Solar Power Five Times More Popular Than Fossil Fuels: Survey” • According to a global poll by research firm Glocalities, more than 68% of people worldwide support solar energy. Only only 14%of respondents back fossil fuels, and 24% back nuclear. The use of solar energy has been expanding rapidly on a global scale, as its costs decline. [Interesting Engineering]

US:

¶ “The Energy-Efficient Home Makeover” • The good news: Inflation is finally cooling. The not-so-good-news: Your electric bill probably hasn’t gotten the memo yet. According to the US Energy Information Administration, US households have seen their electric bills rise this summer by an average of about 2% over last summer’s bills. [CleanTechnica]

Thermostat (Dan LeFebvre, Unsplash)

¶ “US DOE Unveils New Interactive Map Showcasing Clean Energy Investments” • The US DOE released a new interactive map series showcasing, in localized detail, where clean energy investments are occurring across the US. This new interactive tool will serve as a valuable resource for tracking the industrial revitalization across the country. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Poison Ivy Is Poised To Be One Of The Big Winners Of A Warming World” • Poison ivy is poised to be one of the big winners in this global, human-caused phenomenon. Scientists expect the dreaded three-leafed vine will take full advantage of warmer temperatures and rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to grow faster, bigger, and more toxic. [NPR]

Poison Ivy (Tina Hester, Pixy.org, CC0)

¶ “The Augusta Bio-Refinery: A State-Of-The-Art Renewable Natural Gas Project” • On 8.5-acres of land in Augusta, a state-of-the art project, the Augusta bio-refinery, is under development by Renovatio Solutions LLC. The goal of the project is to convert organic wastes into renewable natural gas through anaerobic digestion. [The Augusta Press]

¶ “US Renewables Capacity Projected To Soar With The IRA” • The Inflation Reduction Act is spurring a land rush for sites for development and giving impetus to the manufacture of clean energy equipment in the US, according to Wood Mackenzie. The country could see annual renewable capacity additions triple to 110 GW in ten years. [Oil Price]

Have an entirely superior day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Time Of Use Electricity Rate Plans Explained: Challenges And Solutions To Maximize Your Savings” • The challenge of keeping the grid balanced is expressed in the “Duck Curve.” The peak of solar power drives demand from generating plants down, but it recovers in early evening. The rapid increase can be covered by battery energy storage. [CleanTechnica]

Deepening duck curve (CAISO image)

¶ “Panasonic Eyes Solid-State Batteries, But Not For EVs (Yet)” • Panasonic is the latest manufacturer to tease the technology of solid-state batteries beyond the familiar button-sized format, but don’t hold your breath for that new EV battery. The company’s near-term target consists of drones and factory robots, not street vehicles. At least, not yet. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Record-High Summer Temps Give A ‘Sneak Peek’ Into Future Warming” • Global temperatures this June and August were the warmest on record, but an analysis from Berkeley Earth found that they also likely exceeded the benchmark of 1.5°C above preindustrial levels. That means they are expected to prompt worsening impacts of global warming. [ABC News]

Sneak Peek into the future (Melvin, Unsplash)

¶ “Major UK Methane Greenhouse Gas Leak Gets Spotted From Space” • A major UK leak of the extremely potent greenhouse gas methane has been spotted by a satellite for the first time. The leak occurred over a three-month period while Wales and West Utilities were replacing the gas mains. The amount leaked could have powered 7,500 homes for a year. [BBC]

¶ “GreenMax And Tradeable Launch GreenShift Africa, A Platform Designed To Accelerate The Penetration Of EVs In Africa” • US-based GreenMax Capital Group Ltd and Tradeable, which focuses on trade in Africa, have announced a partnership to launch GreenShift Africa, a trade facilitation platform for EV promotion in Africa. [CleanTechnica]

Electric motorcycle (trenchophotography, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Pakistan To Enhance Cooperation With China To Promote Affordable Green Energy, Experts Say” • Pakistan and China enjoy close ties, and Pakistan needs to enhance cooperation with China further under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to promote affordable clean and green energy in the South Asian country, Pakistani experts said. [Xinhua]

¶ “Solar Energy And Climate Change Are Killing Future Hydro Plants In Africa” • About 1.2 billion people live in Africa, and improved standards of living, they are using more electricity. The plan on how to do that is changing, however. Power dams are getting less cost-effective, as solar gets cheaper and water made less available by climate change. [ZME Science]

Aswan High Dam (Olaf Tausch, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “China To Expand Geothermal Energy Usage” • Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing announced at a conference that China will vigorously increase the use of geothermal energy to meet its targets for clean energy generation, according to a Reuters report. Geothermal energy can be used to produce electricity and for heating and cooling. [Interesting Engineering]

US:

¶ “Interior Department Announces More Than $40.6 Million For Efforts To Conserve America’s Most Imperiled Species” • The Interior Department announced over $40.6 million in grants through the US Fish and Wildlife Service to ten states and the US Virgin Islands to support land acquisition and conservation planning projects for 65 listed species. [CleanTechnica]

Monarch butterfly (Erin Minuskin, Unsplash)

¶ “Hurricane Lee Live Updates: When Storm Will Reach New England” • As Hurricane Lee, a Category 1 storm, moves up the East Coast, tropical storm warnings are in effect along the coast from Massachusetts to Maine. Lee is hundreds of miles off the coast and is expected to make landfall in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick as a tropical storm. [ABC News]

¶ “NREL And Joby Aviation Partnership Spotlights Green Ride-Hailing Flight Services” • When Joby Aviation wanted to find the environmental impact of its future all-electric aerial ride-hailing service, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which has done years of sustainable aviation research, helped provide a technological bird’s eye view. [CleanTechnica]

Joby Aviation eVTOL vehicle (Photo from Joby Aviation)

¶ “NREL Researchers Reveal How Buildings Across US Use – And Could Use – Energy” • Buildings are responsible for 40% of total energy use in the US, including 75% of all electricity use and 35% of the nation’s carbon emissions. National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers created a data set to detail how buildings use – and could use – energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Santa Barbara County Moving Steadily Toward Renewable Energy Goal” • Santa Barbara County is moving steadily toward meeting its goal of operating government facilities on 100% renewable energy by 2030. Currently, renewable sources supply 53% of county government’s energy. Supervisors generally expressed support. [Santa Maria Times]

Santa Barbara County gonvernment campus (Contributed)

¶ “California Sues Fossil Fuel Giants Over Climate Change” • The state of California is the latest to take some of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies to court, claiming in a suit that decades of deliberate disinformation about climate change have worsened it and caused major environmental, public health, and economic damages in the state. [Courthouse News Service]

¶ “Environmental Groups Urge Regulators To Shut Down Diablo Canyon Reactor Over Safety, Testing Concerns” • Environmental groups called on federal regulators to shut down one of the two reactors at Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant until tests can be conducted on critical machinery they believe could fail, causing a catastrophe. [Santa Monica Daily Press]

Have a greatly appreciated day.

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World:

¶ “Climate Change Takes Habitat From Big Fish, The Ocean’s Key Predators” • This year’s marine heat waves and spiking ocean temperatures foretell big changes for some of the largest fish in the sea. Loss of habitat could largely remove some of the most important predators from the ocean, including commercially important seafood species. [ABC News]

Fisherman with albacore tuna (NOAA FishWatch, public domain)

¶ “Libya Turmoil Made Derna Flooding Even More Deadly” • Up to 20,000 people are feared to have died due to raging floods in eastern Libya. Derna, a city emblematic of a breakdown of Lybia law and order in recent years, had most of the deaths. It has had little investment for decades. An official said that one of the dams that burst was not being maintained. [BBC]

¶ “EV Sales Growing Faster Than Forecasted, Oil Demand Peaked In 2019” • RMI shows that the rapid growth of EVs means that global oil demand for cars has already peaked and will be in freefall by 2030. The new driver of change is economics. Because battery costs enjoy learning curves, total cost of ownership price parity has been reached. [CleanTechnica]

Renault Zoe (Renault image)

¶ “€25,000 Small Electric Cars On Track To Be Profitable By 2025!” • Carmakers can make a profit selling small electric cars made in Europe for €25,000, research shows. Falling production costs and battery prices would make mass market B-segment vehicles feasible to electrify by 2025, according to the study by Transport & Environment. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “French-Led Proposal For Australia’s Second-Biggest Battery Storage In Tasmania Will ‘Reduce Energy Costs’” • Tasmania could have a grid-connected battery by 2026 under a proposal from the country’s largest battery operator. Proposed by Neoen, a Paris-based energy company, the battery would add 140 MW of capacity to Tasmania’s energy network. [ABC]

Tasmanian countryside (Matt Palmer, Unsplash)

¶ “Djibouti Inaugurates Red Sea Power, Country’s First Wind Farm” • President Ismail Omar Guelleh inaugurated Djibouti’s first-ever wind farm. The Red Sea Power wind farm, near Lake Goubet, will provide 60 MW of clean energy, averting 252,500 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually, equivalent to the pollution from over 55,000 buses. [Energy Central]

¶ “Dublin Hotel Signs Wind PPA” • Flogas Enterprise signed a corporate power purchase agreement with Dublin’s Merrion Hotel to supply it with renewable electricity. The 21-month deal will allow the hotel to buy renewable electricity directly from one of Ireland’s first wind farms, Cronalaght Wind Farm in Donegal, which began operations in 1997. [reNews]

Wind turbine in Ireland (Peter Randall-Cook, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “California Energy Commission Starts $38 Million Project For EV Charging In Low-Income And Disadvantaged Communities” • The California Energy Commission is opening applications for $38 million in equity-focused incentives to fund EV charging stations in low-income and disadvantaged communities in 28 counties. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Rural Puerto Rican Homes To Receive More Low-Cost Solar Power” • Last month, Barrio Electrico began installing more solar power and energy storage in a part of Coamo named Barrio Pasto. The goal is to install enough new solar and energy storage in the first year to provide low-cost electricity to up to 500 households there. [CleanTechnica]

Rooftop solar system (Image by Barrio Electrico)

¶ “California Legislature Approves Plan Allowing The State To Buy Power” • The California Legislature voted to give Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration permission to buy massive amounts of electricity. The move is aimed at avoiding blackouts by shoring up the state’s power supply while jumpstarting the offshore wind industry. [San Diego Union-Tribune]

¶ “Florida Is Now Adding More Solar Power Than Any Other State” • Florida has long ranked a distant third place behind California and Texas in installed solar, but it’s now installing more solar panels than any other state. This is despite its having a policy landscape considerably more challenging than what is found in other states. [Canary Media]

Solar array in Florida (Amer Awwad, US DOE)

¶ “Enel Brings Five New Batteries Online In Texas, Tripling Its Operational Grid Storage Capacity” • Enel North America has more than tripled its operational utility-scale storage capacity this summer by bringing five new battery energy storage systems online in Texas. The batteries add 555 MWh of energy storage to the Texas power grid. [PR Newswire]

¶ “Sunflower Solar Plant Ensures A ‘Bright Future’ For Entergy And Mississippi” • Entergy Mississippi has looked closely at solar technology for over a decade. Its Bright Future initiative kicked off in 2015, helping its engineers learn more about the feasibility of solar technology. Now, it is developing the 100-MW Sunflower Solar Project. [Entergy Newsroom]

Solar farm (Entergy image)

¶ “Air Force Set To Award Contract For Small Nuclear Reactor At Base Near Fairbanks” • The Air Force announced its intent to award a contract for a small nuclear reactor at a base in Alaska pending approval by the NRC. The contract went to Oklo Inc, of Santa Clara, California, for a small reactor at Eielson Air Force Base. [Anchorage Daily News]

¶ “New Files Shed Light On ExxonMobil’s Efforts To Undermine Climate Science ” • ExxonMobil executives privately sought to undermine climate science even after the oil and gas giant publicly acknowledged the link between fossil fuel emissions and climate change, according to previously unreported documents revealed by the Wall Street Journal. [The Guardian]

Have a profoundly amusing day.

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