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Opinion:

¶ “Solar Has Been Quietly Running Up The Score During The Delayed Vogtle 3 And 4 Construction” • During the construction of the Vogtle nuclear units 3 and 4, more than 4,500 MW of solar was built in the state of Georgia. That’s double the peak capacity that those nukes will bring online, and at 1/5 the cost. Let’s look into this. [Southern Alliance for Clean Energy]

Georgia solar project (Riley Harwood, US DOE, public domain)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Clean Energy 101: Passive Daytime Radiative Cooling (Really Cool Roofs)” • At Third Derivative and RMI, they’re particularly excited about a class of advanced materials that provide a passive daytime radiative cooling effect, greatly reducing indoor heat. In fact, their heat and emissions reduction benefits may even save people’s lives. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Heat Pump Water Heaters Save Money And Lower Emissions” • Our world is facing a climate emergency because of the billions of tons of greenhouse gases we dump into the environment each year. A heat pump hot water heater can be three times as efficient as a normal electric water heater. Same amount of hot water at one third the cost. [CleanTechnica]

Heat pump water heater (NIST, public domain)

World:

¶ “To Save Climate, Oil And Gas Sector Must Greatly Reduce Planet-Warming Operations, Report Says” • The oil and gas sector is one of the major emitters of planet-warming gases. It will need a rapid and substantial overhaul for the world to avoid even worse extreme weather events fueled by human-caused climate change, a report says. [ABC News]

¶ “Peru Has Lost More Than Half Of Its Glacier Surface” • Peru lost more than half of its glacier surface over the last six decades, and 175 glaciers became extinct due to climate change between 2016 and 2020, said scientists from the state agency that studies glaciers. Peru’s glaciers cover only 44% of the land they did when the first inventory was done in 1962. [ABC News]

Pastoruri Glacier (Willian Justen de Vasconcellos, Unsplash)

¶ “DHL Express South Africa Gets Volkswagen ID. Buzz Cargo Test Fleet In South Africa” • Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles partnered with DHL for the pilot test of an ID. Buzz Cargo fleet in South Africa. Four ID. Buzz Cargo units will be used as last-mile courier service in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban for a period of six months. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Vatican Getting Nearly Forty EVs From Volkswagen” • The Pope and the Vatican have been supporters of climate action and vehicle electrification for several years. The Vatican aims to have a completely carbon neutral fleet by 2030. Now the Vatican’s fleet is electrifying more than ever with an order for forty Volkswagen ID vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

Pope Francis and Volkswagen EVs (Volkswagen AG)

¶ “Zuellig Pharma And ACEN RES Forge Green Partnership For 100% Renewable Energy In The Philippines” • Zuellig Pharma is partnering with ACEN Renewable Energy Solutions to provide 100% renewable energy for two major distribution facilities in the Philippines – the Santa Rosa Distribution Center and Canlubang Distribution Center. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Lightsource BP Launches Collective PPA Model” • Lightsource BP unveiled a collective purchasing framework so smaller and mid-sized businesses can access clean electricity by aggregating their demand. The company is inviting businesses to join a European multi-buyer corporate power purchase agreement for a portfolio of solar assets in Spain. [reNews]

Solar array with pollinator support (Lightsource BP image)

¶ “Giant Batteries Are Winning The Race Against Gas-Fired Power” • The longterm economics of gasfired generating plants are changing quickly. Giant batteries that ensure stable power supply by offsetting intermittent renewable supplies are getting cheap enough to make developers abandon scores of projects for gasfired generation worldwide. [Energy Central]

US:

¶ “Inflation Reduction Act Drives $92 Billion Investment In EV Production, 84,000 Jobs In USA” • The Inflation Reduction Act has been an enormous stimulus for the EV sector in the US. It is underrated and under-acknowledged for how it has brought manufacturing and mining jobs to the US, not to mention the many jobs it has retained. [CleanTechnica]

BlueOval City factory construction (Courtesy of Ford)

¶ “US Gas Prices Down As Gasoline Demand Down” • The US Energy Information Administration reports that gas prices in the US are down 10% compared to the same time last year. Or, taking inflation into account, they are actually down 13%! This is despite an expected 2% increase in miles expected to be traveled during Thanksgiving weekend. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Swift Current Energy’s Mineral Basin Solar Project Secures 20-Year NYSERDA Power Contract” • Swift Current Energy recently announced that its Mineral Basin Solar project has been granted a 20-year power contract by NYSERDA, marking a big step forward in New York State’s substantial investment in renewable energy. [SolarQuarter]

Wind turbines (Marcel Strauß, Unsplash)

¶ “Despite Setbacks, States Are Still Counting On Offshore Wind” • East Coast states’ plans to install massive new offshore wind farms have been battered by bad economic news and canceled contracts for projects officials were counting on to reach their clean energy goals. But state leaders don’t intend to dial back offshore wind ambitions. [Louisiana Illuminator]

¶ “Burlington Approves New Carbon Fee And Creates New Fund For Clean Energy Projects” • The Burlington City Council voted to charge developers a fee for installing new fossil fuel heating systems in new buildings and some existing buildings, despite opposition from some environmentalists who say the measure isn’t green enough. [VTDigger]

Have an appealingly convivial day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Twenty-Five Billion Reasons For Ministers To Support Urgent Consumer Energy Reform” • If we are to maximise solar value and continue to lower household power bills, we need Australia’s policy makers to act on smarter technology and regulation. The rules must benefit households and businesses, and not just big industry. [Renew Economy]

Australian Rooftop solar (Western Power image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “New Carbon Material Sets Energy-Storage Record” • Guided by machine learning, chemists working at the US DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory designed a material for carbonaceous supercapacitors that stores four times more energy than the best commercial material. The new material could be used to make more useful supercapacitors. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Northvolt And BYD Announce Sodium-Ion Battery Plans” • Northvolt made a surprise announcemen that it had developed a best-in-class sodium ion battery that would allow for expansion of cost effective and sustainable energy storage systems across the world. Separately, BYD says it will build a sodium-ion battery plant in China. [CleanTechnica]

Northvolt sodium-ion battery (Northvolt image)

World:

¶ “Dramatic Rise In Web Searches For ‘Climate Anxiety’” • The rise of wildfires, floods and droughts around the world are just some of the highly visible signs of climate change. The impact of climate change on human minds is reported less often. Online search queries related to “climate anxiety” have risen, according to data gathered by Google. [BBC]

¶ “The Villagers Building 100 Ft Ice Towers” • Ladakh had been bathed by the sun for 300 days per year, while barely four inches of rain have fallen. Floods in the region were virtually unheard of. There have been four in the last ten years. But drought always returns, leaving villages at risk. Now villagers are building ice towers to hold water through summer. [BBC]

Leh, Ladakh (Anmol Arora, Unsplash)

¶ “Why Kenya-Uganda Oil Row Is Causing Regional Jitters” • For decades, Kenya has imported oil and sold it on to its East African neighbours, but its role in supplying fuel regionally is at risk. A bitter row over fuel supplies has erupted between Kenya and Uganda, with the Ugandan leader saying his country is being “cheated” by “parasites” and middlemen. [BBC]

¶ “EU Lawmakers Back “Made in Europe” Green Tech Rules in First Bloc-Wide Industrial Plan” • Europe’s lawmakers voted in favor of “made in Europe” green manufacturing rules as part of the EU’s Net Zero Industry Act. This will boost European support for green tech to counter growing pressure from China and the US while improving resilience. [CleanTechnica]

Scania electric bus (Scania image)

¶ “TransAlta Going Greener As It Maps Out $3.5 Billion In Spending, Mainly On Renewables” • One of Alberta’s largest power generators says over two-thirds of its profits will come from renewable electricity production by 2028. It is a major shift for a company that once was one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in Canada. [Global News]

US:

¶ “Search For Pipeline Leak After As Much As 1.1 Million Gallons Of Oil Sullies Gulf Of Mexico” • As much as 1.1 million gallons of oil may have been discharged into the Gulf of Mexico from a pipeline system off Louisiana’s southeast coast, according to the US Coast Guard. The exact location and cause of the leak are as yet unknown. [ABC News]

Oil on water (Dmitry Bukhantsov, Unsplash)

¶ “Ford To Resume Building EV Battery Plant Delayed By Strike” • Ford Motor Co is resuming construction on a Michigan EV battery plant that the company postponed two months ago during a strike by the United Auto Workers union. But the automaker said that due to slowing EV sales growth, it will scale back the factory’s size. [ABC News]

¶ “This Moped-Style Utility E-Bike Could Replace A Car For Many People” • The newest model of e-bike from Momentum, a sub-brand of Giant Bicycles, promises to be a contender in the growing utility and cargo bike category due to its low stepover frame, impressive payload capacity, wide range of accessories, and grip throttle. [CleanTechnica]

Momentum Cito E+ e-bike (Courtesy of Momentum)

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Approves Sixth Offshore Wind Project” • The Biden-Harris administration announced approval of the Empire Wind offshore wind project, the sixth approval of a large offshore wind energy project under President Biden’s leadership. This supports the goal of 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Zero-Emissions Ferry For San Francisco Bay” • SWITCH Maritime manufactured a zero-emissions 75-passenger ferry. The company’s CEO Pace Ralli provided many details about the new vessel for CleanTechnica. It is to have hydrogen fuel cells, the hydrogen storage tanks, the electric propulsion system, and a lithium-ion battery system. [CleanTechnica]

Zero-emissions ferry (Courtesy of SWITCH Maritime)

¶ “GE Vernova And Next Hydrogen Sign MOU To Integrate Electrolysis Technology With Power Systems To Produce Green Hydrogen” • GE Vernova and Next Hydrogen Solutions have signed an MOU to integrate Next Hydrogen’s electrolysis technology with GE Vernova’s power systems offerings to produce green hydrogen. [General Electric]

¶ “Air Force Rescinds $100 Million Award For Microreactor” • In August, Oklo was tentatively chosen as the contractor to build a microreactor at Alaska’s Eielson Air Force Base by the end of 2027. But the military revoked the intent to award Oklo the planned $100-million-plus contract in late September, according to newsletter Northern Journal. [Canary Media]

Have a pleasantly surprising day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Five Things To Watch For At COP28 In Dubai” • COP28 will take place against a backdrop of steadily rising GHG emissions, record-breaking heat, and extreme climate impacts. But even so, unbelievably, there has been a continued expansion in fossil fuel production and use, and there are yawning emissions gaps in countries’ climate efforts. [CleanTechnica]

We’re in the wrong place (David Kovalenko, Unsplash, cropped)

World:

¶ “BMW Ends Combustion Engine Production In Germany” • As one of the most iconic brands in the century-long optimization of automobile engines for sporty driving, BMW’s tagline was “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” Now, however, BMW is turning to EVs and has ended the production of combustion engines in its home country of Germany. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Brazil Records Its Hottest Ever Temperature” • Brazil has recorded its hottest ever temperature, 44.8°C (112.6°F), as parts of the country endure a stifling heatwave. The record was hit on Sunday in the town of Araçuaí, in Brazil’s south-eastern state of Minas Gerais. [BBC] (Please note: geoharvey.com had a report of a much higher temperature last week as a result of an error.)

Storm in Minas Gerais (Nathalia Segato, Unsplash)

¶ “1.5ºC Is In The Rear View Mirror. 3ºC Is Just Around The Corner – UN Emissions Gap Report” • This year’s Emissions Gap Report says as things stand, unconditional Nationally Determined Contributions made under the Paris Agreement in 2015 would put the world on track for limiting temperature rise to 2.9°C above pre-industrial levels. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Zero Carbon Charge Starts Construction On First National Network Of 100% Solar-Powered EV Charging Stations in South Africa” • While there is already a growing charging network in South Africa, Zero Carbon Charge now wants to help grow the network further, by including more of the national and regional roads that are not yet covered. [CleanTechnica]

Zero Carbon Charge site (Zero Carbon Charge image)

¶ “North Seas Energy Ministers endorse Wind Power Package” • The ten Energy Ministers of the North Seas Energy Cooperation agreed a new NSEC Action Agenda for the build-out of offshore wind. This Agenda aims to help strengthen Europe’s wind energy supply chain. The NSEC also welcomed the EU Commission’s Wind Power Package. [WindEurope]

¶ “Coal Power Plants Thriving At 65% PLF Despite Record RE Capacity Addition, Says CRISIL” • Plant load factors of India’s coal-based power plants will improve to about 65% this fiscal despite record renewable energy capacity addition, said a report by CRISIL Ratings. Conditions for companies generating with coal increase their credit ratings. [The Financial Express]

Coal plant (Saket swagat sahoo, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “California Wildfires Altering Ecosystems, Disrupting Wildlife Habitats: Study” • Over the past two decades, US forest fires have become more intense, frequent, and widespread. The fires that burned large swaths of land in California are reshaping wildlife ecosystems, a study found. It was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [ABC News]

¶ “Seppuku At GM’s Cruise Division Shows The Necessity Of Transparency, But That May Not Be Enough” • After a nasty crash involving one of its vehicles and a pedestrian, GM lost its license to run robotaxis in California, and it has put production of its next-generation vehicles on hold. But it seems a vital part of those stories was missing. [CleanTechnica]

GM Cruise EV (GM Cruise image)

¶ “Tesla Cybertrucks Roll Into Tesla Stores Before Black Friday” • With ten days remaining to the Cybertruck Delivery Event that is to take place at Tesla Giga Texas on November 30, Tesla has already started displaying Cybertrucks at its showrooms in the US. The Cybertrucks showcased at Tesla Stores are production models and will go to customers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Revolution Wind Begins Construction Of Offshore Wind Farm In Rhode Island Sound” • Offshore wind projects along the Atlantic coast have suffered setbacks recently, particularly in New Jersey. But things are different in Rhode Island. Revolution Wind celebrated starting construction of a large offshore wind farm in Rhode Island Sound. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind farm (Pixy.org, CC0)

¶ “Texas, Weirdly, Is Leading America’s Clean Energy Future” • Texas, America’s oil capital for more than a century, is now the top producer of renewable energy in the US. While fossil fuel still reigns supreme in the state’s energy mix, wind and solar account for a growing share of the total. Some people are happy about that, but some are not. [Business Insider]

¶ “Amazon To Develop First Solar Farm In Oklahoma” • Amazon announced that it’s developing its first solar farm in Oklahoma, and plans to power local grids and its operations. The solar farm will be in Kiowa County in southwest Oklahoma, with a capacity of 100 MW. This will add to two Amazon wind farms in the state, for a total of 618 MW of capacity. [KGOU]

Wind turbines in Oklahoma (USDA, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Governor Hochul Announces Installation Of First Offshore Wind Turbine For South Fork Wind” • Governor Kathy Hochul announced the completed installation of the first offshore wind turbine for South Fork Wind, a milestone for New York’s offshore wind development. It will be the first large wind farm completed in US federal waters. [Governor Kathy Hochul]

¶ “The Deeper Dig: A Plan For What’s Left Of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant” • VY has been shut down since 2014, and NorthStar, the company that now owns it, is deconstructing it. NorthStar recently submitted a plan that describes in detail the final steps of decommissioning, which is projected to be finished ahead of schedule, by 2026. [VTDigger]

Have a successfully navigated day.

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Opinion:

¶ “UK Has £10 Billion Per Nuclear Reactor Decommissioning Bottomless Pit” • The costs for nuclear power are coming home to roost in the UK. Despite the very high costs of new nuclear reactors, the rising costs of clean up, and the availability of much cheaper alternatives, the UK’s current administration remains committed to the technology. [CleanTechnica]

Model of Hinkley Point C (UK government, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “$18 Trillion Capital Gap Is Threatening The Green Energy Transition” • Closing the $18 trillion gap to fund the transition to green energy through 2030 is slowed due to negative investment conditions. Challenges include inflation, supply chain pressures, and higher costs of capital. But the energy sector has responded proactively. [PR Newswire]

¶ “The Future Of Energy Is Community Energy, And 100% Renewable” • Our governments, energy market bodies, and energy corporates may not be getting the energy transition right. They are struggle to get the social approval they need for the big expensive decisions that they are making. Community energy is the answer to a fast transition. [Renew Economy]

People of a community (Natalie Pedigo, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Extreme Weather And Falling Demand Are Pushing Wineries Into The Red” • According to the International Organisation for Vine and Wine, an industry group, global wine production is set to fall to its lowest level since 1961 this year, hit by scorching heat and extraordinary flooding. Italy is expecting a 12% drop in its output, and Spain could see 14 %. [CNN]

¶ “The World Briefly Smashed Through The 2-Degree Warming Limit For The First Time Ever” • The Earth’s temperature briefly rose above a crucial threshold that scientists have been warning for decades could have catastrophic and irreversible impacts on the planet and its ecosystems, according to data shared by a prominent climate scientist. [CNN]

Ice (Melissa Bradley, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “China’s Growing EV Influence Around Asia Highlighted At San Francisco’s APEC Summit” • The 2023 APEC Summit held in San Francisco last week marked a pivotal moment in the region’s transition to sustainable transportation. Representatives from China engaged in updating already existing bilateral agreements to promote EV cooperation. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electric Delivery Trucks Growing In Australia” • Just as the Australian state and federal regulations are being adapted to the transition to electric semi trucks, local councils are being urged to examine their regulations to allow quiet, less polluting electric delivery trucks to operate at night. These trucks could charge during the day, using cheap solar. [CleanTechnica]

Electric truck (Volvo Group image)

¶ “UK Gov Raises Maximum Price for Offshore Wind Projects” • In a release posted on its website recently, the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said that the government has “increased the maximum price for offshore wind projects in its flagship renewables scheme to further cement the UK as a world leader in clean energy.” [Rigzone]

¶ “EWEC Commissions 2-GW Solar Plant In Abu Dhabi” • Abu Dhabi officials inaugurated the 2-GW Dhafra Solar Photovoltaic Independent Power Project. It is said to be the largest single-site solar PV plant. It is managed by UAE-based Masdar, Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, French energy giant EDF, and Jinko Power, a Chinese solar developer. [PV Magazine]

Dhafra solar project (EWEC)

¶ “Replacing Oil Shale With Renewables In The Power System Can Help Estonia Achieve Its Energy And Climate Ambitions” • A quicker phase out of oil shale use in electricity generation and streamlining permitting for renewable energy projects are crucial to realise Estonia’s goals while maintaining energy security, an IEA policy review shows. [International Energy Agency]

US:

¶ “Those With Smaller Farming Operations Often Pay The Price Of Extreme Weather” • Kentucky farmers were not used to the distances they’ve had to drive the past couple years, the result of bad weather that’s closed nearby market sites. As the damage increases, a trip that used to take ten minutes got get produce to market can take an hour or more. [ABC News]

Farm (Timothy Eberly, Unsplash)

¶ “Hyundai Teams With Amazon For New Car Sales And Web Services” • Amazon would dearly love to get into selling new cars. In a joint press release at the Los Angeles auto show, Hyundai and Amazon announced a partnership that will offer Hyundai automobiles, both conventional and electric, online through Amazon starting early next year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Air Force Approves New Green Aircraft Demonstrator Project” • The US Air Force conferred X-plane status on a green aircraft demonstration project aimed at reducing fuel use by 30%. Spearheaded by Boeing and NASA, the it is the first Air Force designated X-plane to focus on sustainability since the program began in the 1940s. [CleanTechnica]

Transonic Truss-Braced Wing X-66A (Boeing image)

¶ “A Year After Devastating Winter Storm, Power Plant Problems ‘Still Likely’ In Extreme Weather” • As the anniversary of Winter Storm Elliott approaches, a pair of reports released last week reveal how much worse the situation could have become and how the continued vulnerability of the US energy grid to frigid weather continues. [Virginia Mercury]

¶ “Congress Looks To Boost Job Training For Offshore Wind Industry” • Congress is considering federal help to address the labor shortage in the fledging offshore wind industry. Senator Edward J Markey (D-Mass) introduced the Offshore Wind Jobs and Opportunity Act, that would boost workforce needed for offshore windpower development. [WorkBoat]

Have a highly beneficial day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “This Corn Was Down To Its Last Two Cobs. Now It Could Help Farmers Grow Food In The Climate Crisis” • Heirloom grains, vegetables, and fruits have traits that make them less at risk of climate change, because they have been grown over hundreds of years in wildly different conditions. Here is the story of a corn that was barely saved from extinction. [CNN]

Jimmy Red (Peter Frank Edwards for High Wire Distilling Co)

World:

¶ “UK Government Plans Radical Shake-Up Of Foreign Aid For Climate Change Disasters” • The UK government is to spend millions of pounds helping countries prepare for future disasters in a radical shake-up of policy. A £150 million fund will help poor countries get faster access to money in emergencies and reduce the impacts of climate crises. [BBC]

¶ “US And China Agreement Sets The Tone For COP28” • The US and China will back a new global renewables target and work together on methane and plastic pollution, they said in a joint statement after a meeting to find common ground ahead of COP28 talks. The two countries account for 38% of the world’s greenhouse gases. [CleanTechnica]

Xi Jinping and Joe Biden in 2022 (White House, public domain)

¶ “Solar Smashes More Records, As Coal Power Sent To Another New Low” • Solar power expanded its influence over Australia’s main grid on the weekend, setting new records for output and generation share, and helping to send the output of black coal to a new low. Of 8 GW of coal capacity in New South Wales, only 1.53 GW were operating. [Renew Economy]

¶ “Housing Developments In Zimbabwe Are Starting to Get Solar Panels From The Get-go!” • Falling prices for solar installations, rising energy costs, and regular power outages in places like Zimbabwe and South Africa make the business case for solar PVs even better. Housing developments with solar offer residents some energy security. [CleanTechnica]

Housing (Courtesy of Turnbury Property Developers and TDW)

¶ “Japan Railway Operators Eye Net-Zero CO₂ Emissions Via Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trains” • Railway operators are hastening to put hydrogen fuel cell trains into commercial use. The trains will help cut CO₂ emissions for transportation, and the government intends to review related regulations and push for the spread of such trains. [The Japan News]

¶ “Wind Turbines Begin 700 km Journey Inland From Geraldton To Billion-Dollar Kathleen Valley Lithium Mine” • The first of 15 gigantic blades, which will make up five wind turbines, has left Geraldton Port on a 700 km journey inland to a $951 million lithium mine that is being opened up in Western Australia’s northern Goldfields. [ABC]

Moving a blade (Supplied, Danny Tuddenham via Facebook)

US:

¶ “Tesla Embraces Advertising with a Focus on Vehicle Safety” • Tesla has shunned traditional advertising methods, preferring to let its innovative products speak for themselves. But in a notable departure from this strategy, Tesla recently embarked on an advertising journey, beginning with a commercial on YouTube that showcases safety. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Prime Time Shuttle To Buy 550 Canoo Electric Vehicles” • Prime Time Shuttle, a major US shuttle service based out of Los Angeles, has agreed to purchase 550 EVs from the startup Canoo. Prime Time Shuttle is based in LA, but provides luxury vehicles for shuttle services in 34 states. Canoo expects to create about 1,300 jobs in Oklahoma. [CleanTechnica]

Canoo for Prime Time Shuttle

¶ “Solar Power To The People: California Program Brings Clean Energy To Oakland” • Over 100 projects in California have solar panels installed through the Multi-Family Affordable Housing program. The state allots $100 million per year, starting July 2019. By 2030, the program’s goal is 300 MW of solar projects on low-income rental buildings. [The Guardian]

¶ “New Plant Hardiness Map, Used By Gardeners Nationwide And Based On OSU Climate Data, Unveiled” • The Department of Agriculture released its new Plant Hardiness Zone Map, the national standard by which gardeners can determine which plants are most likely to survive the coldest winter temperatures at a given location. [CleanTechnica]

Plant Hardiness Zone Map (USDA)

¶ “Biden Administration Announces $6 Billion For Climate Resilience, Grid Enhancements” • President Biden announced over $6 billion in investments to make US communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change by improving electric grids, reducing flood risk, supporting conservation, and pushing for environmental justice. [Smart Energy International]

¶ “$1.6 Million In Tax Revenue On The Line For Wiscasset In Dispute Over Nuclear Waste Facility” • The town of Wiscasset looks like it is set to go to court over a Maine Department of Environmental Protection decision to give tax breaks to a facility that stores spent nuclear fuel from the decommissioned Maine Yankee power plant. [The Maine Monitor]

Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant, 2015 (NRC image)

¶ “National Grid Renewables Breaks Ground On Two Ohio Solar Projects” • National Grid Renewables announced the start of onsite construction at neighboring projects in southern Ohio. Once operational, the Ross County Solar Project and the Fayette Solar Project will deliver a combined 167.5 MW of clean solar power. [The Highland County Press]

¶ “US Military Quietly Revokes Planned Contract For Small Nuclear Plant At Alaska Air Force Base” • The U.S. military has rescinded the preliminary award of what could be a nine-figure contract with the company it had tentatively selected to build a small-scale nuclear power plant at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks. [Alaska Beacon]

Have an emotionally rewarding day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Accelerating Power At Sea For A Thriving Blue Economy” • The ocean contains enough water to fill quintillions of gallon-sized containers. But it is not just the ocean’s size that stymies exploration. Ocean exploration requires technology, technology needs energy, and the ocean is a power desert. The US DOE hopes to deal with that. [CleanTechnica]

Sea (NOAA image)

¶ “A New All-Solid Battery Hits Long Duration Energy Storage Mark” • In past years, the technology tools were lacking, but that’s not an excuse anymore. Wind and solar power are widely available, and new long duration energy storage technology is emerging to help renewables replace fossil fuel power plants without a hitch. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Your Home Could Soon Power Itself – With Concrete” • MIT researchers have successfully developed a supercapacitor, which can act like a battery – though it is different, as it doesn’t degrade through use – out of widely available materials, in the hopes of providing a cheap and architectural way of saving renewable energy from going to waste. [Newsweek]

Tree at a concrete wall (Pawel Czerwinski, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Solar Energy Could Power All The Health Facilities In Poorer Countries And Save Lives, Experts Say” • This month, at COP28, experts will argue that all healthcare facilities in poorer countries could be provided with electricity using solar energy, within five years and for less than $5 billion, putting an end to the risk of life from power outages. [The Guardian]

¶ “Is The World Warming Faster Than Expected?” • With our historically high sea temperatures, worrying lows in Antarctic sea-ice, and extreme weather events hitting every continentm, it’s now “virtually certain” that 2023 will be the hottest year on record. But the rate of warming is not beyond what scientists expected from climate models. [BBC]

Wildfire smoke (Landon Parenteau, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Cero Generation’s Italian Agrivoltaic Project Goes Live” • Cero Generation has announced that Pontinia, its 70-MW solar project in Italy, is now live. Pontinia is also among the first agrivoltaics projects in Italy, combining solar power generation with farming. About 65% of the 135 hectares (334 acres) that the project sits on will be used for agriculture. [Energy Global]

¶ “A Swedish Hydrofoil Ferry Seeks To Electrify The Waterways” • Speeding through Stockholm’s archipelago, the new P-12 vessel by electric boat maker Candela barely makes a sound as it glides over a meter (3’ 4”) above the water. Its developers hope the ferry, which was unveiled this week, will introduce a new era of public transport on the water. [ABC News]

Candela P-12 (Candela image)

¶ “UK’s Octopus Energy Launches $3.7 Billion Offshore Wind Fund With Tokyo Gas” • Britain’s Octopus Energy’s renewables investing arm launched a fund with Japan’s Tokyo Gas to invest £3 billion ($3.7 billion) in offshore wind projects by 2030. The Octopus Energy Offshore Wind fund was set up with funding from Tokyo Gas. [Offshore Magazine]

¶ “US, Philippines Sign Landmark Nuclear Deal” • The US and the Philippines signed a landmark deal that would allow the US to export nuclear technology and material to Manila, which is exploring the use of nuclear power. US Congressional approval is needed for the deal, and so is adherence with non-proliferation requirements. [MSN]

Philippine nuclear research reactor (PNRI, public domain)

US:

¶ “EVgo To Build Charging Stations Faster, Offer Free Charging To Hertz Customers” • Like all charging providers, EVgo works hard to improve what it is doing and make for a better driver experience. This continued in November with an advancement in EV charging construction speed and a deal with rental car company Hertz. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Mexico Adopts Crucial Package to Clean up Cars And Trucks” • The New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board and the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board has adopted three major standards that will provide significant climate, public health, air quality, and economic benefits to New Mexico. [CleanTechnica]

New Mexico (Davron Bowman, Unsplash)

¶ “Seventy US Dealers Apply To Sell VinFast Electric Vehicles” • Vietnamese automaker VinFast has gotten serious about selling electric cars around the world, and it is entering the US auto market quite early in its evolution. According to VinFast, seventy auto dealers across the US have already put in applications to sell VinFast EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “First Wind Turbine Produced At GE Vernova’s New York Facility” • GE Vernova’s Onshore Wind business announced that it has completed the first onshore wind turbine produced on its new wind manufacturing assembly line in Schenectady, New York. The unit is the largest onshore turbine ever manufactured in the US. [Power Engineering International]

GE Verona’s 6 MW turbine (GE Verona)

¶ “Despite Loss Of Two Major Projects, New Jersey Is Moving Forward With Its Offshore Wind Power Goals” • Despite the loss of two major offshore wind farm projects when Danish developer Ørsted pulled out of New Jersey, the state is moving forward with its plans to support and grow the nascent industry. The state will seek bids on new projects. [WHYY]

¶ “New Yorkers Encouraged To Prepare Now For Winter” • It is time to prepare for winter. Multiple New York State agencies and authorities offer programs to help residents manage energy use, reduce electric and heating bills, and increase comfort during cold temperatures by weatherizing and making these buildings more energy efficient. [nyserda]

Have a charmingly actualized day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Mitigation And Adaptive Actions Are Working, But Climate Threats Continue To Intensify” • The Fifth National Climate Assessment shows a decline in US greenhouse gas emissions even as the population and GDP have grown. But even with ambitious climate action underway, every region of the US is having greater climate threats and impacts. [CleanTechnica]

Climate impact (Soliman Cifuentes, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “At Talks On Cutting Plastics, Plastics Credits Are On The Table. What Are They?” • Two groups that want reduced plastics production, Break Free From Plastic and the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, published a report highly critical of plastics credits, calling them a flawed tool that won’t help with worldwide pollution. [ABC News]

¶ “There Is A Silent Revolution Happening In Africa” • Africa is home to over 50 countries and more than 1.3 billion people. A lot of exciting things happen on the continent, and a lot of them just fly under the radar or don’t get a lot of attention. An example is an increasing number of electric scooters and bikes in Harare, Zimbabwe. [CleanTechnica]

Electric motorcycle (Ather Energy, Unsplash)

¶ “Ghana Waives Import Duties On Electric Vehicles For 8 Years Starting 2024” • Ghana’s Minister for Finance and Economic Planning presented the 2024 Budget Speech. In that speech, some great incentives for electric vehicles were announced. Two incentives were wavers of import duties for public transportation EVs and knocked-down EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hydrogen Aircraft Brings Low Emissions Flight To The Skies” • Australian Government funding is helping startup AMSL Aero to develop a new hydrogen-powered aircraft named Vertiia. The Sydney business received $5.43 million under the Australian Renewable Energy Agency’s Advancing Renewables Program after a prototype was developed. [energy.gov.au]

Vertiia by AMSL Aero (AMSL Aero image)

¶ “The Latest Tory Worry: China’s Grip On Solar Power” • The UK’s Hawkish Conservative MPs spooked by China’s influence in the UK have a new worry: solar power. China controls 80% of the global solar manufacturing market, including both finished solar panels and the raw materials needed to build them. But the UK wants to expand use of solar power. [POLITICO.eu]

¶ “UK Government Announces It Will Increase Maximum Price Paid For Renewable Power” • The UK Government announced it will increase the maximum price that renewable assets may be paid for power under the Contracts for Difference regime. The administrative strike price for the sixth CFD allocation round will rise by 30%. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Offshore windfarm (Pete Godfrey, Unsplash)

¶ “Kyiv Blames Partial Shutdown At Zaporizhzhya NPP On Russian ‘Gross Incompetence’” • Incompetent actions taken by the Russian occupation administration led to a partial blackout at Zaporizhzhya NPP, Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom said on November 16. The Energoatom report was confirmed by information from the IAEA inspectors. [Yahoo News]

US:

¶ “Florida Flooding Closes Schools, Knocks Out Power” • More than 80,000 customers were without power in Florida Thursday morning after torrential rain and winds topping 65 mph. Parts of South Florida, near Key Largo, recorded more than a foot of rain in the past 24 hours. Miami saw a whopping 7.53 inches of rain, setting a new daily record. [ABC News]

Flooding in Florida (Wade Austin Ellis, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Fire Prone California Homeowners Left Behind As Insurance Companies Drop Coverage” • As climate change continues to cause disasters across the country, such companies as Farmers, Allstate, USAA, and State Farm have limited any new business in California. Many top home insurers in that state have increased premiums, some by nearly 10 times. [ABC News]

¶ “The 2024 Fuel Economy Guide Can Help You Choose Your Next Fuel-Efficient Vehicle” • To help make choosing a vehicle easier, the US DOE and EPA released the 2024 Fuel Economy Guide. Using it makes comparing vehicles easy, with detailed fuel economy and annual fuel cost estimates for model year 2024 light-duty vehicles for sale in the US. [CleanTechnica]

EV charging (myenergi, Unsplash)

¶ “Report Charts the Path to an American-Made Energy Storage Future” • The Solar Energy Industries Association has released a report addressing the barriers to building a robust energy storage manufacturing sector in the US, including cost competitiveness, access to raw materials, technical expertise, and the need for a large, diverse workforce. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “$3.5 Billion to Strengthen US Battery Manufacturing” • Two years after President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the US DOE announced up to $3.5 billion from the law to boost domestic production of advanced batteries and battery materials in the US. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law supports a policy of net-zero emissions by 2050. [CleanTechnica]

Battery storage (Z22, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Jefferson County Commissioners Sign Tax Deal With Solar Power Company” • In Ohio, the Jefferson County commissioners signaled their approval of a 43-MW solar generation facility on a reclaimed strip mine in Steubenville, signing an agreement that will guarantee payments of at least $300,000 a year for the next 35 years. [The Herald Star]

¶ “100% Renewable Energy By 2035 Is Ambitious But LA Is On Track” • If you live in the City of Los Angeles, every time you turn on your AC or flip a light switch, the power you’re using comes from the LA Department of Water and Power. They plan to provide all of it without a drop of gas or an ounce of coal by 2035, just energy from renewables. [KCRW]

Have an acceptably ideal day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “EnergyX Aims New Solid-State EV Battery At The 500,000-Mile Car Of The Future” • EVs are just like ordinary gas guzzlers in some respects, including their lifespan. A longer-lasting solid-state EV battery would help cut their lifecycle emissions, and the startup EnergyX is among those that are hammering away at the problem. [CleanTechnica]

Solid-state EV batteries (Courtesy of EnergyX)

¶ “Ocean Thermal Energy: The Future Of Renewable Power?” • Ocean thermal energy conversion technology, which exploits the differing temperatures in different layers of ocean water to create energy, is almost 150 years old, but is only now gaining traction for practical application. It could become an essential source of energy for island nations. [Oil Price]

¶ “Hydropower Making Sustainability Gains With Fish-Safe Turbines” • Innovative, high-performance hydro turbines that enable fish to pass directly through can generate energy while preserving biodiversity, according to studies conducted by Alden Research Laboratory along with the US Electric Power Research Institute. [Power Engineering International]

Hydro turbine (Natel Energy image)

World:

¶ “42% Of New Cars In Netherlands Now Plugin Cars!” • The Dutch market saw an increase in plugin registrations to 11,776 units in October, with the plugin vehicle market thus reaching 42% of the overall auto market last month. That kept the year-to-date score to 43%, mostly thanks to the pure electrics that make up 29% of new vehicle sales. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EVs Are The Only Bright Spot In Global Efforts To Reach Net Zero Emissions” • EV sales are moving at the right speed to reach net zero carbon emissions as outlined in the Paris Agreement. That achievement is shown in an analysis that shows that the EV sector is the only one of 42 indicators assessed that is on track to reach an agreed-upon 2030 target. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model 3 (Austin Schmid, Unsplash)

¶ “China’s Renewable Energy Boom Powers Global Job Surge, Report Says” • The global energy sector is witnessing a surge in job opportunities fueled by clean technologies, with China contributing over half of this growth, a Paris-based energy watchdog said. It also warned that skill shortages are emerging as an increasing concern. [Radio Free Asia]

¶ “Portugal Just Ran On 100% Renewables For Six Days In A Row” • Portugal started decarbonization with some legacy hydropower, but neither nuclear capacity nor plans for any. That meant it had to figure out how to cut fossil fuel use with new renewables. It committed to building renewables in pledging a 2050 deadline for net-zero carbon emissions in 2016. [Canary Media]

Portugal (Maksym Kaharlytskyi, Unsplash)

¶ “UK-Backed Fund Plans To Mobilize $1.6 Billion For Africa Power” • A UK-government backed renewable energy fund plans to mobilize $1.6 billion to help get electricity to 16 million people and businesses in Africa. The Renewable Energy Performance Platform’s REPP 2 aims to raise $230 million directly and will partner with other financiers. [Financial Post]

¶ “Ireland Holds Firm On 8 GW Of Solar By 2030 Target” • The Irish government said this week that it expects to install 8 GW of solar by 2030. The government said PV should reach existing levels of onshore wind, roughly 4.5 GW, by the mid-late decade. The government said that Ireland will hit the 8-GW target by use of existing instruments. [PV Magazine]

Ireland (Aldo De La Paz, Unsplash)

¶ “Conservative MPs Have Called On Jeremy Hunt To Boost Coastal Communities By Unleashing Britain’s Renewable Power” • With the world’s five largest farms, the UK is already a world leader in traditional offshore wind. But Conservative MPs want to see similar success in floating offshore wind, which allow turbines to be placed farther out to sea. [Daily Express]

¶ “Japanese Support Fishermen By Buying From Fukushima Area” • Since the 2011 meltdowns, the Fukushima nuclear plant stored growing amounts of radioactive waste water. In August, the plant started releasing treated and diluted waste water into the ocean. Many Japanese people are buying fish in support of fisheries in waters near the plant. [VOA Learning English]

Market in Hokkaido (Cindy Chan, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “The Belvidere Plant’s Transition To An EV Plant Has A Bright Future” • Stellantis, which produces Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and RAM vehicles, is to invest $4.7 billion in the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois.. This company aims to reopen the existing plant to produce midsize trucks on two shifts and to establish an EV battery plant in Belvidere. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Top Tesla Gigacasting Supplier Gets Acquired By GM!” • The Tesla Model Y has been a whopping success globally. It is on track to being the highest selling vehicle model of any powertrain in 2023. Some of that has come down to Tooling & Equipment International’s efficient, cheap casting process. But now TEI belongs to GM. [CleanTechnica]

2024 Cadillac Celestiq (Cadillac image)

¶ “Georgia’s Path Forward: Transforming Climate Crisis Into Opportunity With Renewable Energy Growth” • Every few years, the federal government engages experts across the country to develop a national climate assessment. The latest one shows that climate change has arrived. But it also shows a path forward, with solutions in reach. [WGXA]

¶ “Alaska Gets $200 Million For Railbelt Energy Project, Cook Inlet Undersea Cable” • A $206 million federal grant will fund a project to run a 50-mile undersea cable through Cook Inlet, to better connect Railbelt utilities and improve access to renewable sources. Here is an interview about the project, flexibility, and energy security. [Alaska Public Media]

Have a happily cognizant day.

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World:

¶ “US And China Pledge To Resume Climate Working Group, Ramp Up Renewables Ahead Of Biden-Xi Summit” • The US and China announced that they agreed to resume a working group on climate cooperation and pledged a major ramp-up of renewable energy. The announcement came ahead of a leaders’ summit in San Francisco. [CNN]

Wind farm in China (liuzusai刘祖赛, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Why Delhi Lags Behind Beijing In The Battle To Breathe” • Since 2013, Beijing has waged a determined war on air pollution using a range of command-and-control measures. Meanwhile, Delhi is among the ten most polluted cities in the world, partly because of firecrackers celebrating a Hindu festival, but mostly due to normal activity. [BBC]

¶ “Health Warnings As Brazil Is Gripped By An ‘Unbearable’ Heatwave” • Red alerts have been issued for almost 3,000 towns and cities across Brazil, which are enduring an unprecedented heatwave. In the city of Rio de Janeiro, temperatures were as high as 42.5°C (108.5°F). Officials attributed the heat to El Niño and climate change. [BBC] (The temperature is corrected from an earlier report.)

Rio de Janeiro (Raphael Nogueira, Unsplash)

¶ “Asian Economies Must Ramp Up Wind And Solar Power To Keep Global Warming Under 1.5°C” • To meet the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C (2.7°F), nine major Asian economies must increase the share of electricity they get from renewable energy from the current 6% to at least 50% by 2030, a report by Agora Energiewende says. [ABC News]

¶ “Heat-Related Deaths For Older Adults Could Increase 370% By Mid-Century If Climate Warms 2°C” • Yearly heat-related deaths worldwide for people over 65 are projected to increase 370% by the middle of the century if global temperatures rise by 2°C, a report says. Heat-related deaths of adults over 65 have increased by 85% since the 1990s. [ABC News]

Heat (Eelco Böhtlingk, Unsplash)

¶ “Mercedes Moving All 5,000 Company Cars In Germany To Electric” • Mercedes-Benz decided to transition all 5,000 of its company cars in Germany to EVs. This comes through “company circles” according to Automobilwoche, and it seems Mercedes-Benz has somewhat confirmed and somewhat corrected the publisher on the news. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volkswagen ID.7 Is Volkswagen’s New Star EV” • Volkswagen’s ID.7 is larger, has more range, has more tech, and will cost more money than Volkswagen’s top selling EVs, the ID.4 and ID.3. Will the ID.7 sell more units than those two? Probably not. But it’s got some selling points that are so compelling I wouldn’t bet against it just yet. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.7 (Courtesy of Volkswagen)

¶ “Indonesia State Utility Plans 31.6 GW Renewable Power Capacity In 2024-2033” • Indonesia’s state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara plans to build 31.6 GW of renewable power capacity between 2024 and 2033, chief executive Darmawan Prasodjo told parliament. The new renewable capacity would be 75% of all new capacity during the time. [Nasdaq]

¶ “Renewable Energy Set To Account For 85% In Vietnam In 2050” • Vietnam aims to increase the share of renewable energy in the primary energy supply to around 85% in 2050, Vietnam News reported, citing Tran Hong Thai, the Deputy Minister of Science and Technology. Coal-derived power will be completely phased out by 2050. [menafn]

Ya Ly Dam spillway (Tycho, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “Biden ‘Just Getting Started’ On Climate Action In Response To Major New Report” • President Joe Biden said he will continue to pursue remedies to the threats caused by climate change with the release of the Fifth National Climate Assessment. He recognized that it’s still not enough and that some Republicans are getting in the way of more progress. [ABC News]

¶ “No Place In The US Is Safe From The Climate Crisis, But A New Report Shows Where It’s Most Severe” • The effects of a rapidly warming climate are being felt in every corner of the US, and they will worsen over the next ten years with continued fossil fuel use, according to the Fifth National Climate Assessment, a stark report from federal agencies. [CNN]

Miami (Ryan Parker, Unsplash)

¶ “Battery Energy Storage Systems Are Here: Is Your Community Ready?” • Many communities are already evaluating building proposals for battery energy storage systems. To help with this, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory experts have assembled BESS resources that communities will need as they look toward their energy goals. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “First Electric VTOL Aircraft To Fly Over New York City” • A four-passenger eVTOL aircraft has flown over New York City. It’s very different from the Volocopter that recently flew over Tampa. The Joby electric aircraft can go 100 miles on a full charge, and Joby estimates that a flight from Manhattan to JFK Airport will take around seven minutes. [CleanTechnica]

Electric VTOL (Courtesy of Joby)

¶ “ExxonMobil Aims To Be Top Lithium Supplier For Electric Vehicles, Drills First Lithium Well” • ExxonMobil announced that it aims to be a top lithium producer and supplier for the EV battery industry by 2030. It is getting to work on its first lithium well at a lithium production site in southwest Arkansas, which is a lithium-rich region. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California To Use Flexible Appliances For Renewable Energy Integration” • Flexible demand appliance standards are “coming down the road” in California for water heaters, behind-the-meter batteries, and EV chargers, the California Energy Commission’s Andrew McAllister said at a CalFlexHub symposium on flexible load technologies. [PV Magazine]

Have a euphoniously funny day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Electric Vehicle Sales Continue to Grow, Despite What Some Automakers Are Saying” • The future of cars is electric, a fact that many of the world’s automakers have publicly stated. But over the last month several automakers have said the transition from gasoline to EVs needs to slow down, partly due to low demand. That is a tactic. [CleanTechnica]

EV (Hyundai Motor Group, Pexels)

Science and Technology:

¶ “How Floating Solar Panels In Reservoirs Could Revolutionise Global Power” • Floating solar PVs on reservoirs could produce three times as much electricity as the entire EU, a study shows. Innovative schemes have seen solar panels attached to car parks, trash heaps, and farms. Now, researchers are urging governments to invest in floating solar. [Euronews]

¶ “Solar-Powered Device Produces Clean Water And Clean Fuel At The Same Time” • A floating, solar-powered device that can turn contaminated water or seawater into hydrogen fuel and purified water has been developed by University of Cambridge researchers. It could be useful in resource-limited or off-grid environments. [CleanTechnica]

Solar device (Chanon Pornrungroj, UC, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

World:

¶ “Tiny Caribbean Nation Creates World’s First Marine Protected Area For Sperm Whale” • The tiny Caribbean island of Dominica is creating the world’s first marine protected area for one of earth’s largest animals: the endangered sperm whale. Scientists say the reserve not only will protect the animals, but it will also help fight climate change. [ABC News]

¶ “Volkswagen Will Produce Electric Cars In Mexico” • Tesla may have postponed its plans to produce electric cars in Mexico, but Volkswagen is stepping in to fill that hole. Volkswagen is now saying that it will build electric cars down in Mexico. Naturally, it could end up that Tesla and Volkswagen start EV production at around the same time. [CleanTechnica]

Interior of VW EV (Courtesy of Volkswagen)

¶ “Global Wind Power Market To Record Robust Growth At 13.67% CAGR, Accounting For $278.43 Billion By 2030” • A recent report published by Kings Research shows that the global Wind Power Market size reached $112.23 billion in 2022 and projects it to register $278.43 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 13.67% from 2023 to 2030. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Volvo Makes Longest Ever All-Electric Truck Journey In Australia” • Just as Australian states and territories are reviewing trucking regulations, Volvo is announcing that it has finished the longest all-electric heavy-duty truck trip in Australian history. A Volvo FH Electric traveled from Queensland to the Australian Capital Territory for the milestone. [CleanTechnica]

Longest journey (Volvo image)

¶ “RWE Renewable-Electricity Generation Helps Drive Earnings Growth” • For RWE, adjusted earnings before depreciation and amortization reached €6.150 billion compared with €3.39 billion in the first nine months of last year. EBITDA from the wind, solar, and hydro businesses rose, while the coal and nuclear were lower than last year’s figures. [Morningstar]

¶ “Support For COP28 Pledge For Tripling Renewable Energy Is Historic, REN21 Chief Says” • Think tank REN21 has seen a move in response to the COP28 president’s call to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030, according to its executive director. The increase is expected to be 90% solar and windpower. [The National]

Windpower (Anna Jiménez Calaf, Unsplash)

¶ “UK Wind Power Still A Better Deal Than Gas” • Analysis by independent think tank New Green Alliance has revealed even if the UK government sets prices for offshore wind power at double the level paid in the last successful Contracts for Difference auction, it will still be cheaper than gas power, and prices will be less volatile. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Drenching Rain On Its Way To Quench Louisiana’s Worst Drought On Record” • The Gulf Coast’s most significant rainfall in months will bring much-needed relief this week to portions of the Gulf Coast, helping to alleviate Louisiana’s worst drought on record, which fueled unprecedented wildfires and helped trigger a saltwater intrusion into the Mississippi River. [CNN]

Yazoo River Diversion Canal (Justin Wilkens, Unsplash)

¶ “Nearly Half Of US Vehicle Classes Has One Or More Vehicles With 100 MPGe Fuel Economy Or Greater” • Six of the thirteen EPA size classes had at least one vehicle with EPA-rated fuel economy greater than 100 miles per gallon equivalent for model year 2023. Midsize and large EVs had the highest fuel economy, tying at 140 MPGe. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “AEP To Spend $9.4 Billion On Regulated Renewables” • The American Electric Power Company plans to invest $9.4 billion in regulated renewables over the next five years as part of its plan to add 21.5 GW of diverse generation in the period 2024-2033. This is according to AEP chair, president, and CEO Julie Sloat, as she discussed AEP’s five-year plan. [Renewables Now]

Traverse Wind Energy Center (American Electric Power image)

¶ “$10 Billion Renewable Energy Project Paused Over Concerns For Native American Historic Sites” • Work on a $10 billion transmission project has come to a halt in southwestern Arizona, with Native American tribes saying the federal government has ignored concerns about effects that the SunZia transmission line will have on religious and cultural sites. [PBS]

¶ “Smaller Utah Towns Were Banking On The Promise Of Nuclear Replacing Coal. Now What?” • An energy project that was slated to help many Utah communities transition from fossil fuels to nuclear power has been canceled. That means they’ve got to find other ways to fill that gap in their long-term plans for transitioning to carbon-free electricity. [KUER]

Have a simply majestic day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Air Pollution Standard Backed By MEPs Is ‘Worse Than Useless’” • The EU Parliament backed a “Euro 7” standard that fails to significantly increase air pollution protections beyond its Euro 6 predecessor. Green group Transport & Environment even suggested that EU lawmakers rename the draft vehicle emissions law as “Euro 6 F.” [CleanTechnica]

Road traffic (Mikechie Esparagoza, Pexels, cropped)

¶ “Flattening The Solar Duck: Why Households Should Also Face Negative Export Tariffs” • Australia’s rooftop solar success story has regulators and grid operators grasping for blunt instruments to re-assert control. But is this really something to panic about, or should negative prices be taken as a signal to solar households to adopt battery storage? [Renew Economy]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Success Story: New Tool Connects Multiple Microgrids to Increase Community Resilience” • An Oak Ridge National Laboratory team developed software to manage the exchange of power among multiple microgrids in a network. The team is in the final hardware testing before demonstrating their microgrid orchestrator in Adjuntas, Puerto Rico. [CleanTechnica]

Adjuntas microgrid storage units (Maximiliano Ferrari, ORNL)

¶ “Battling Desertification: Bringing Soil Back To Life In Semiarid Spain” • As the Sahara advances northward into Spain, farmers are deeply aware of the swift changes coming to their orchards, crops, and pastures. They see an average loss of fertile soil exceeding 21 metric tons per hectare per year – and the need for well-managed soil. [The Good Men Project]

World:

¶ “Tourists Are Rethinking Their Relationship With Earth” • Ecobnb, based in Italy, lists over 3,000 properties worldwide, from a vegan and organic farmhouse in Tuscany, to an eco mountain lodge in Costa Rica. Travellers can filter their search to find specific interests such as plant-based food, and EV charging stations powered by renewable energy. [BBC]

Accommodation listed on Ecobnb’s website (Ecobnb image)

¶ “Toxic Haze In India Capital After Diwali Festival” • Residents of India’s capital, Delhi, woke up to smoky skies as air quality dropped after the festival of Diwali. People in the city burst crackers late into Sunday night despite a ban on fireworks due to high pollution levels. There are a number of air pollution sources in Delhi, and schools are closed. [BBC]

¶ “Kenyans Get Tree-Planting Holiday To Plant 100 Million Seedlings” • Kenyans have been given a special holiday to plant 100 million trees as part of the government’s goal to plant 15 billion trees in 10 years. The holiday allows “each and every Kenyan to own the initiative,” according to Environment Minister Soipan Tuya. [BBC]

Kilimanjaro and insufficient trees (Sergey Pesterev, Unsplash)

¶ “Nations Gather In Nairobi To Hammer Out Treaty On Plastic Pollution” • Efforts to create a landmark treaty to end global plastic pollution are advancing in Nairobi as most of the world’s nations, plus petrochemical companies, environmentalists, and others affected by the pollution gather to discuss draft language for the first time. [ABC News]

¶ “Spinning Mega-Machines Will Safeguard The Baltic Power Grid As It Desynchronizes From Russia” • Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia recently accelerated a plan to cut the electrical chains that keep them tied to Russia. A technical lynchpin to their planned escape from the Moscow-controlled power zone is a set of synchronous condensers. [IEEE Spectrum]

Spinning machines (Siemens Energy)

¶ “Uttar Pradesh Is To Invite Bids For 7 GW Of Solar Power Projects” • Daily newspaper Business Standard reported that the Uttar Pradesh government is gearing up to tender 7 GW of solar capacity. It reported the state will invite bids for the PV capacity, with 4 GW to be tendered soon and an additional 3 GW to be auctioned subsequently. [pv magazine India]

¶ “Vattenfall delivers first power from Vesterhav” • Vattenfall has delivered first power from its 170-MW Vesterhav Syd wind farm sited off the coast of Denmark close to its 180-MW Vesterhav Nord project. The project’s 20 turbines were erected from July to September this year. Changes in plans and tough weather have delayed the power output. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbine (Vattenfall image)

¶ “Saudi Arabia Invites Developers For 3.7 GW Of Solar Projects” • Saudi Arabia is seeking to award four solar projects with 3.7 GW of combined capacity of as part of its National Renewable Energy Program. The Saudi Power Procurement Company opened the qualification process for firms interested in the development of the four solar schemes. [Renewables Now]

US:

¶ “Ramcharger Takes A Belt And Suspenders Approach To Electric Pickup Trucks” • Many prospective pickup truck buyers are skittish about buying a battery electric model. So Ram has come up with a brilliant solution: the Ramcharger 1500. It is built on exactly the same chassis as the REVolution 1500, but it has a shorter range of 145 miles. [CleanTechnica]

Ramcharger (Ram image)

¶ “Biden Moves To Reduce US Reliance On Russian Nuclear Supply Chain” • The US has enough uranium to last 100 years but lacks the fuel enrichment capacity to be self-reliant. So the US is dangerously reliant on Russian nuclear supply chains. The White House reportedly asked Congress for $2.16 billion to boost US enrichment capacity. [Oil Price]

¶ “Renewable Energy Fuels Major Economic Payoffs In Rural Indiana” • Wind and solar projects are powering a big surge for Indiana’s economy. David Loomis, president of Strategic Economic Research, said communities located near renewable-energy fields reap additional rewards. “Economic development, benefits, property taxes, jobs.” [Public News Service]

Have a perceptably insightful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Future Of EVs Can’t Rely On One Man’s Mental Health” • In a number of recent articles, like one at Futurism, Elon Musk has been described as broken. To justify that position, the author points to incidents that Twitter employees told him about. The author claims that as public opinion of Musk fell, Musk’s mental state fell with it. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Cybertruck (Tesla image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “First Electric VTOL Flight In Florida” • Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft continue to coast forward, and one of the latest landmark achievements from the industry is the first eVTOL flight in Florida. That same flight is also the first time an eVTOL aircraft has taken flight at a major international airport in the US. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “World Temperatures Will Blow Past Paris Goals This Decade, Asserts New Study” • A paper by scientists of a dozen institutions says the world’s average temperature will surpass 1.5°C above preindustrial times much sooner than most forecasts. It says extreme action is needed, or they will reach 2°C above those levels before 2050. [Phys.org]

Lead author James Hansen (Bruce Gilbert, Earth Institute)

World:

¶ “Plans For £4 Billion Offshore Wind Farm Could Meet Manx Energy Demands” • Power generated from a £4 billion offshore wind farm could meet the Isle of Man’s peak energy demands, the company behind the plans said. Renewable energy firm Ørsted is seeking views on the proposals for the project in area off the island’s east coast. [BBC]

¶ “Presidential Aspirants Agree On Renewables, Diverge On Nuclear Energy” • Among Taiwan’s four presidential candidates, there is broad agreement on the importance of renewable energy in Taiwan’s energy mix in the future. But there is considerable disagreement on whether Taiwan should continue to use nuclear power and in what form. [Focus Taiwan]

Wind farm off Taiwan (Courtesy of Taiwan Power Co)

¶ “Wind Power Projects In Thatta Come Online” • All twelve of the wind power projects in the Thatta district of Sindh, with a total capacity of 610 MW, were connected to Pakistan’s national grid, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. The plants are part of the 3,000-km-long China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. [The Express Tribune]

¶ “Renewables Hit Record High In Australia” • Renewable energy hit a record high of 72.9% of total generation of the National Electricity Market on Sunday, as a wave of wind and solar across Australia’s main grid sent coal output and operational demand to new lows. The new peak beat the previous peak of 72.5%, which was set on October 24. [Renew Economy]

Bald Hills wind farm (John Englart, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “How A False Claim About Wind Turbines Killing Whales Is Spinning Out Of Control In Coastal Australia” • Quentin Hanich, editor-in-chief of Marine Policy, spent this week debunking a fake article on social media that claimed to be from his publication. It said offshore wind projects in regions of New South Wales would kill 400 whales a year. [The Guardian]

¶ “West Coast Council Backs Locally Generated Hydroelectricity” • The West Coast Regional Council is calling for the Government to back local hydropower as the country moves away from coal and gas. The council has submitted this on the Government’s discussion documents, “Advancing New Zealand’s Energy Transition,” on its local power needs. [RNZ]

Southern Alps (Peter Burdon, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Brazil Installs 1.6 GW Of Wnd Energy” • In Brazil, the National Electric Energy Agency announced that in April, the country surpassed the 3-GW mark of growth in the electricity generation matrix in 2023. Of the total, approximately 1.6 GW are related to wind farms (49.15% of the total) and 1.2 GW of photovoltaic solar (37.19% of the total). [REVE]

US:

¶ “How Researchers, Farmers, And Brewers Want To Safeguard Beer Against Climate Change” • In the face of human-caused climate change impacting water access and weather patterns in the Willamette Valley, hops growers need all the new strategies the farm can get to sustain what they produce and provide to local and larger breweries alike. [ABC News]

Hops growing (Markus Spiske, Unsplash)

¶ “There’s another wildfire burning in Hawaii” • A wildfire is burning in a remote Hawaii rainforest, underscoring a new reality for the normally lush island state. The ingredients are the same as they were in Maui’s historic town of Lahaina: severe drought fueled by climate change is creating fire in Hawaii where it has almost never been before. [ABC News]

¶ “Vineyard Wind 1 Installs First 853-Foot-Tall GE Haliade-X Wind Turbines” • We hear a lot about offshore wind installations that were halted as the economic calculus changed, rendering some of the projects unprofitable. Here we have some news about the forward progress with Vineyard Wind 1 off the coast of Massachusetts. [CleanTechnica]

GE Haliade-X turbine (Courtesy of Avangrid)

¶ “With Smart Policy, Truck Electrification Is Within Reach” • Only 10% of vehicles on US roads are medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks, but they produce nearly 25% of our transportation emissions. An analysis of fifteen states adopting the Advanced Clean Trucks regulation shows 60% of medium-duty and 43% of heavy-duty trucks can be electrified now. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “In A First, MIT Trains Students To Resolve Conflicts Over Clean Energy Projects” • As the US injects hundreds of billions of dollars into clean energy through the Inflation Reduction Act, criticism is growing louder about where, how, and whether new development should be allowed. MIT is training students on conflict resolution. [St Louis Post-Dispatch]

Have a noticeably grand day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The AI Boom Is Boosting Carbon Emissions – Should Companies Acknowledge Their Climate Share?” • AI uses a lot of electricity because it needs thousands of specialized computer chips. It’s getting clear that the AI boom in the next few years will increase electricity consumption exponentially, increasing the world’s carbon emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Computer chip design (Adi Goldstein, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Self-Repairing Solar Panels Are Heading For Space” • Demand for larger, more powerful solar arrays is heating up for use in space. NASA has been scouting for companies that can deliver the most bang for the buck, and the Arizona startup Solestial is in the running with new ultra thin solar panels that can repair themselves in space. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “US And China Reach ‘Some Agreements’ On Climate – John Kerry” • The US has reached some agreements with China ahead of the COP28 Summit in Dubai at the end of this month, US climate envoy John Kerry has said. “We felt that our days of talks were very successful. We did come up with some agreements”, he said, adding that details will come soon. [BBC]

July meeting (Office of US Climate Envoy, public domain)

¶ “Northumberland Solar Farm Given Planning Permission” • A solar farm in Northumberland that could provide power for up to 13,000 homes was granted planning permission. The land is being used to grow animal feed and was used for opencast coal extraction in the 1950s and 60s. When the solar farm is finished, sheep will graze on the land. [BBC]

¶ “Volvo Leads The Way: Electric Trucks For Australia” • Volvo Group includes Volvo Trucks, Mack Trucks, Volvo Penta, and Volvo Bus. Volvo has a battery EV alternative for every diesel truck they offer, from a medium-duty truck with a 5-ton payload right up to the flagship Prime Mover. It is the biggest automotive manufacturer in Australia. [CleanTechnica]

Electric garbage truck (Photo courtesy of Volvo)

¶ “ZOLA: Fighting For Energy Equality Backed By GE, EDF, And Tesla” • ZOLA Electric is on a mission to provide clean power, all the time, anywhere. The company was founded over a decade ago to install smart, connected devices in the form of lithium ion batteries and solar, to power basic energy needs for rural African communities. [Energy Digital Magazine]

¶ “South Africa’s Eskom Unveils The Largest Battery Storage Project in Africa” • South Africa’s national power utility company, Eskom, has just unveiled the largest Battery Energy Storage System in South Africa. With a capacity of 100 MWh, this is not only the first one of its kind in South Africa, but also a first on the African continent. [CleanTechnica]

Eskom storage facility (Eskom image)

¶ “Yukon Wants To Electrify To Reduce Emissions But Faces A Shortage Of Green Power” • Yukon Energy officials say they will be hard-pressed to produce enough renewable power to meet the territory’s emissions targets. To hit emissions targets, Yukon Energy needs much more reneable energy, especially for home heating and transportation. [CBC]

¶ “China Will Guarantee Financial Support For Coal-Fired Power Plants” • A government agency in China says coal-fired power plant operators will receive guaranteed payments based on the installed capacity of their units, part of a program to ensure a stable power supply across the country. China is still building coal-fired power plants. [POWER Magazine]

Coal plant in China (Shubert Ciencia, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Low US Gasoline Demand Is Making Gasoline Less Profitable” • Low gasoline demand in combination with the seasonal switch to winter-grade gasoline has made gasoline less profitable to produce, reducing the difference between gasoline blendstock and crude oil prices to multiyear lows of around 17¢/gallon in October 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volvo Group Acquires Proterra” • Volvo Group announced, “Proterra Inc and Proterra Operating Company Inc are in a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy process in the US. Volvo Group has been selected as the winning bidder in an auction for the business and assets of the Proterra Powered business unit at a purchase price of $210 million.” [CleanTechnica]

Proterra bus (Darius Pinkston, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “US Grid Rules Preclude Reliability, Security Benefits Of Cloud Computing, Experts Warn” • Cloud technologies could provide significant cost, security and reliability benefits to the US electric grid but critical infrastructure rules do not allow them to be used for certain larger assets, multiple speakers said at FERC’s annual reliability conference. [Utility Dive]

¶ “Kentucky Regulators Approve Plan For 900% Increase In Renewable Energy” • The Kentucky PSC approved a plan by Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities to retire several fossil fuel plants and replace them with  877 MW of solar and a 125-MW, 500-MWh of battery system. This will be a 900% increase in renewables. [pv magazine USA]

Solar array in Kentucky (Vesper Energy image)

¶ “Siemens Gamesa Scraps Plans To Build Blades For Offshore Wind Turbines In Virginia” • Siemens Gamesa has canceled plans to build blades for offshore wind turbines in Virginia. It is the latest sign of trouble for the young US offshore wind industry as inflation, raised interest rates, and supply chain issues have cut into profitability. [WVTF]

¶ “Disputes Over Safety, Cost Swirl A Year After California Okayed Plan To Keep Last Nuke Plant Running” • A year after California endorsed a proposal to keep running its last nuclear plant, disputes still swirl about its safety, whether over $1 billion in public financing could be be wise, and even if the electricity is needed in the age of renewables. [Spectrum News]

Have a consummately fine day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Fossil Fuels Will Kill Us All, Every One” • Emissions from fossil fuels make us sick and increase global temperatures to the point where glaciers melt, sea levels rise, and we have more powerful storms. But we act like the person who falls from a 20-story building and tells someone on the 10th floor who asks how it’s going, “So far so good.” [CleanTechnica]

Oil (Maarten van Dijl, Greenpeace via Oil Change International)

¶ “Oil Companies Shook My House, Hundreds Of Miles From The Oil Fields” • While fracking sometimes causes earthquakes, wastewater disposal from all types of oil production is almost always to blame. Wastewater disposal wells pump large volumes of undrinkable saltwater into the ground in deeper layers. We owe ourselves better than this. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “How Africa’s First Heat Officer Is Protecting Women In Sierra Leone” • Eugenia Kargbo is the first person in Africa to hold the position of chief heat officer. Her job is to make Freetown, Sierra Leone, a more liveable, greener city and to help its residents cope with rising heat. In 2022, her team installed market shade covers to protect 2,300 street vendors. [BBC]

Freetown (Bunting Kargbo, Unsplash)

¶ “Powering Progress: Batteries For Discoms” • India’s power system is shifting to a new phase as universal electricity access is achieved. Now economic growth drives electricity demand. Building out sufficient energy storage will be essential for India’s grid to successfully integrate renewable resources and to meet future load demands. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China Announces Plan To Reduce Methane Emissions” • In a piece of good news for our overburdened planet, China agreed to take a hard look at its methane emissions and find ways to reduce them. It said that it will boost monitoring, reporting, and data transparency to reduce releases of the super-potent greenhouse gas, according to Bloomberg. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines in China (Hahaheditor12667, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “European Wind Power Action Plan” • The recently agreed EU energy target is at least 42.5% of demand covered by renewable sources by 2030, with the ambition to reach even 45% from renewable sources. Reaching that target will require a massive increase in installed wind capacity, from 204 GW in 2022 to over 500 GW in 2030. [Energy Industry Review]

¶ “THDCIL Inks Pacts To Develop 3,270 MW Renewable Energy Projects In Karnataka” • THDC India Ltd plans to set up 3,270 MW of clean energy projects, including pumped storage and floating solar, in Karnataka, its chairman and managing director said. The company signed two memoranda of understanding related to the plans. [Business Standard]

Karnataka countryside (Tejj, Unsplash)

¶ “100-MW Solar Power Plant Gets Nod In Bangladesh” • The government of Bangladesh has approved a proposal to set up a 100-MW solar plant in Mymensingh District. A consortium of Chinese Xizi Clean Energy Equipment Manufacturing Co Ltd and local firms Cassiopea Fashion Ltd and Cassiopea Apparels Ltd will build the plant. [Asia News Network]

US:

¶ “White House Announces New Efforts To Prevent Wildfires, Limit Smoke Hazards” • The White House is announcing an interagency focus to protect communities from wildfire smoke and prevent large fires that put communities at risk. An MOU was signed by the Departments of Interior and Agriculture, along with the EPA and CDC. [ABC News]

Wildfire smoke (Malachi Brooks, Unsplash)

¶ “Hawaii Unveils $150 Million Recovery Fund For Maui Wildfire Victims’ Families, Injured Survivors” • Governor Josh Green of Hawaii announced a recovery fund of over $150 million for the victims of the Maui wildfires. The families of those who were killed and those who “suffered severe personal injuries” could receive more than $1 million each. [ABC News]

¶ “Jeep’s Electrification Game Plan: Wrangler, Wagoneer, And More Going Electric!” • Exciting times are coming for Jeep enthusiasts, as Jeep is set to take a giant leap into electrification. Jeep outlined some plans for the next five years, promising to electrify some of its most beloved models, including Wrangler, Wagoneer, and Grand Wagoneer. [CleanTechnica]

Jeep EV (Jeep image)

¶ “Santa Maria to operate eight city facilities with solar power” • In California, the Santa Maria City Council approved agreements to operate eight city facilities with solar power that are expected to save over $12.6 million in the 20-year life of the project. The city will have no out-of-pocket costs and will begin saving money in the first year of operation. [Santa Maria Times]

¶ “San Antonio City Council Approves $31 Million For Largest Municipal Solar Project In Texas” • The City Council of San Antonio, Texas, approved the largest municipal solar project of its kind. The $31 million project will result in the installation of roof top, parking, and park canopy solar photovoltaic systems at 42 city facilities. [Texas Public Radio]

Municipal solar array (Big Sun Solar image)

¶ “Michigan Senate Votes To Override Local Decisions On Wind, Solar Energy” • Michigan lawmakers approved another major change to the state’s energy policy, passing a two-bill package that would let state regulators override local decisions about where to allow large-scale wind and solar arrays. The bills are headed to the governor. [Bridge Michigan]

¶ “Illinois House Passes Bill To Lift Moratorium On Nuclear Plants” • A bill ending Illinois’ ban on building nuclear power plants is headed to Governor Pritzker’s desk. The state House of Representatives passed the legislation on Thursday, and the state Senate passed it on Wednesday. Pritzker vetoed a similar bill earlier, but lawmakers think he’ll sign this one. [WGEM]

Have a significantly graceful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Now Is The Time To Get Transportation Right” • In the US, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to use infrastructure investments to meet our nation’s climate and equity goals. A new NRDC publication ranks the states by how well they are set up to take advantage of those transportation funds. [CleanTechnica]

EVs (LA Department of Transportation image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Batteries Of The Future? How Cotton And Seawater Might Power Our Devices” • During a power outage in India, there’s a cash machine still happily dispensing banknotes, partly thanks to burnt cotton. This cash machine has a backup battery in it, a battery that contains carbon from carefully combusted cotton. Other batteries have other low-impact materials. [BBC]

¶ “Let’s Go Gigacasting!” • Tesla has pioneered the use of massive casting machines, which do what Elon Musk calls “gigacasting.” With that casting system available, Tesla will think of the entire underbody of its EVs as a single piece. Let’s do a deep dive into gigacasting and learn what’s pushed it to the pinnacle of EV manufacturing. [CleanTechnica]

EV manufacture (Courtesy of Tesla)

¶ “The Last Twelve Months Were The Hottest Ever Recorded, An Analysis Finds” • The last twelve months were the hottest Earth has ever recorded, says a peer-reviewed report by the nonprofit research group Climate Central. It says burning gasoline, coal, natural gas, and other fossil fuels caused the unnatural warming of the past year. [Metro US]

World:

¶ “Pacific Leaders To Meet To Discuss Climate Change And Other Regional Concerns” • South Pacific leaders are heading to the stunningly beautiful island of Aitutaki for discussions about climate change and other regional concerns. Among the other concerns is the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the nuclear power plant in Fukushima. [ABC News]

Coconut trees (Bill Fairs, Unsplash)

¶ “Nigeria Has Ended Fossil Fuel Subsidies, Giving Solar Power A Boost” • Nigeria is Africa’s largest producer of crude oil. Yet since it has no refineries of its own, gasoline and diesel fuel must be imported. Even with subsidies, Nigerians pay exorbitant prices. The government has decided to end the subsidies and switch to supporting renewable energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electric Buses In Kenya Create Greater Environmental Impact” • While South American and Chinese cities have been generating a great deal of attention by electrifying their public transport, East Africa is determined to not fall behind. The large part of electric buses are still in China, but the biggest impact may come from those in Kenya. [CleanTechnica]

BasiGo E9 Kubwa (Image by BasiGo)

¶ “Maersk’s APM Runs 8% Of World’s Ports, Says Electrification Is The Answer” • APM Terminals, the AP Moller-Maersk division that runs about 8% of the ports in the world, has released a white paper, The Case For Electrified Container Handling, on what to do about container-handling equipment at the docks. It may be where the world is headed. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Small Modular Nuclear Reactor That Was Hailed By Coalition As Future Cancelled Due To Rising Costs” • The only company to have a small modular nuclear power plant approved in the US, which wsa cited by the Australian opposition as evidence of a “burgeoning” global nuclear industry, has cancelled its first project due to rising costs. [The Guardian]

NuScale VOYGR-6 small modular reactor (NuScale image)

¶ “‘The Market’s Decided’ Say Climate, Energy Leaders” • The climate and energy ministers agree that the market has charted its future for energy already. And it’s renewable, says Australia’s climate change and energy minister Chris Bowen, who spoke at the Future Energy conference at the Tonsley Innovation precinct in Adelaide. [Cosmos Magazine]

US:

¶ “Why Super Fog Is Continuing To Create Dangerous Driving Conditions In Louisiana” • Relentless drought conditions fueling the persistence of marsh fires burning in parts of southeastern Louisiana are causing ongoing super fog events on regional highways during peak commute times. Some highways were closed due to dangerous conditions. [ABC News]

Fog (Jakub Kriz, Unsplash)

¶ “EIA Expects U.S. Annual Solar Electricity Generation To Surpass Hydropower In 2024” • The Energy Information Administration forecast that the US will generate 14% more electricity from solar energy than from hydroelectric facilities in 2024, in its Short-Term Energy Outlook. The forecast is driven by continued growth in solar facilities. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “PG&E Files Application To Keep The Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Operating Until 2045” • PG&E submitted to the NRC an application to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant running 20 years after its scheduled closure date, meaning the plant could operate until 2045. Originally PG&E planned to shut down its two reactors in 2024 and 2025. [KCBX]

Diablo Canyon nuclear plant (PG&E image)

¶ “Southern California Fire Risk Prompts Warnings For Power Shutoffs Wednesday As Santa Ana Winds Return” • Thousands of residents are at risk of power outages Wednesday and Thursday due to powerful winds blowing through Southern California and causing an increased threat of wildfires. National Weather Service offices issued Wind Advisories. [FOX Weather]

¶ “Pioneering Nuclear Project Gets Canceled After Costs Surge” • The first nuclear power project in the US with a small modular reactor has been canceled. NuScale Power Corp was building the reactor in partnership with the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems, but the estimated cost of its electricity rose from $58/MWh to $89/MWh. [Oil Price]

Have a truly untroubled day.

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

World:

¶ “’Virtually Certain’ That 2023 Will Be Warmest Year After October Record” • This year’s heatwaves, floods, and fires have been deadly. Now it is “virtually certain” that 2023 will be the warmest on record, after October temperatures were 0.4°C above the previous high of October 2019. It was the fifth month in a row of record warmth. [BBC]

November (Ruvim Noga, Unsplash)

¶ “Global Wine Production Falls To 62-Year Low In 2023” • Poor weather globally is likely to cause global wine production to fall to a six-decade low this year. The International Organisation of Vine and Wine says that wine production around the world is likely to be about 7% lower in 2023 than last year. Such a yield would be the worst since 1961. [BBC]

¶ “Essen: Germany’s ‘Ugly Duckling’ City Success” • In the heart of western Germany’s long-time Ruhr region, the city of Essen spent much of the past 150 years marred by pollution, tainted by filthy mines, factories, and poisoned waterways. But a striking transformation has seen Essen go from being Germany’s ugly duckling to one of Europe’s greenest cities. [BBC]

Elisabethkrankenhaus, Essen (Wiki05, public domain)

¶ “Why Cheetahs Will Be Especially Vulnerable To Climate Change” • Cheetah populations are especially vulnerable to rising temperatures because hotter days are forcing them to hunt at night more, putting them in greater competition with nocturnal predators such as lions and African wild dogs, according to a study in the journal Biological Sciences. [ABC News]

¶ “Musk Makes The Move To Bring An Affordable Tesla To The European Market” • Finally, Tesla revealed plans to manufacture an affordable EV. It will enter the market as a €25,000 ($26,838) EV produced at Tesla’s gigafactory near Berlin. Elon Musk made the announcement as he visited the Tesla factory in Gruenheide and chatted with staff. [CleanTechnica]

Giga Berlin, which looks like every other Giga  (Tesla image)

¶ “The Nasty Drought In Syria, Iraq And Iran Would Not Have Happened Without Climate Change, Study Finds” • A three-year drought that has left millions of people in Syria, Iraq, and Iran with little water would not have happened without human-caused climate change, a study by World Weather Attribution found. The drought started in July of 2020. [El Paso Inc]

¶ “Energy Vault’s Gravity Storage To Power 1.16 GWh Of Chinese Projects” • Energy Vault Holdings said that five systems using its EVx gravity energy storage technology and totalling 1.16 GWh will be built in China. Together with two other sites, they have a combined capacity of 3.26 GWh, and representing over $1 billion (€937 million) of project value. [Renewables Now]

Energy Vault system (Business Wire image)

US:

¶ “Virginia Governor Declares State Of Emergency As Crews Fight Wildfires” • Firefighters are battling several blazes in forests of Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky. Wide swaths of those states face moderate to severe drought conditions and warmer than normal temperatures. Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin has declared a state of emergency. [ABC News]

¶ “Air Force Asks Congress To Protect Nuclear Launch Sites From Wind Turbines” • The Air Force’s underground nuclear missile silos are rarely disturbed by more than the occasional wandering cow. But the service is now asking Congress to help with another unexpected danger: towering wind turbines, which are edging closer to the sites each year. [ABC News]

Wind farm (rachelalienergy, public domain)

¶ “US Steel Pioneers Battery-Powered Locomotives, First In North America” • The debut of two all-electric locomotives in the Pittsburgh area, replacing two built in 1964 and 1974, strikes a chord of history. With clean trains and green steel, grandpa must be beaming about what this means for his progeny and all living things around his old hometown. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Advances Fifteen Onshore Renewable Energy Projects With Potential To Power Millions Of Homes” • During remarks at the Western Governors Association Winter Meeting, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced that the Interior Department is advancing fifteen onshore renewable energy projects across the West. [CleanTechnica]

Wind project (Interior Department image)

¶ “Redwood Materials Helps To Recycle Kauai’s Stationary Energy Storage Systems” • In Hawaii, the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative currently has a 4.6-MWh battery storage system that is ready to be decommissioned. So KIUC is getting the help of Redwood Materials for the decommissioning process as well as recycling the batteries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “2025 RamCharger Raises The Electric Truck Bar” • Ram Trucks took the wraps off its 2025 RamCharger hybrid pickup truck. Packing 663 HP electrified horsepower and 615 lb-ft of torque, this is a big, fast, and powerful pickup with a 14,000 lb. tow rating, a 2625 lb payload capacity, and it does 0-60 MPH in four seconds. [CleanTechnica]

2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger Limited (Courtesy of Stellantis)

¶ “PG&E Deploys Its First 100% Renewable Remote Grid In Push To Mitigate Wildfires” • Pacific Gas and Electric Company put into service its first fully renewable remote grid in its growing fleet of standalone power systems. PG&E’s Wildfire Mitigation Plan describes remote grids that provide utility service using local energy resources. [Smart Energy International]

¶ “Advocates Fear NH Clean Energy Proposal Would Pit Nuclear Against Solar, Wind” • New Hampshire clean energy advocates say a proposal to define nuclear power as clean energy could undercut renewable energy. A NH House bill would allow nuclear power generators, such as Seabrook Station, to receive payments for generating clean energy. [The Keene Sentinel]

Have a widely appreciated day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Kauai Is A Clean Energy Leader. Its Secret? A Publicly Owned Grid” • Kauai’s grid infrastructure took a beating from Hurricane Iniki in 1992, and the business that owned the grid wanted to sell. Kauai residents raised financing and acquired the utility in 2002, turning it into a locally owned cooperative reduced rates that had once been Hawaii’s highest. [Canari Media]

Kauai (Spencer Watson, Unsplash)

¶ “Electricity Grid in Peril: A National Priority” • The number of weather-related power outages has grown significantly in recent years, with such weather disasters as extreme cold, hurricanes, and wildfires making many of the US power interruptions worse. The US has not adequately invested in or enacted policies to address these issues. [RealClearEnergy]

¶ “Nuclear Energy And Free Market Capitalism Are not Compatible” • Nuclear energy saw some success in the past, but seems incapable of it today. That is largely because the tenets of free market capitalism cause it to fail. This is also true for small modular reactors. Successful nuclear programs have always been subsidized by governments. [CleanTechnica]

Nuclear plant (Jametlene Reskp, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Investing In Nuclear Energy Is Bad For The Climate, NGOs Say” • At the European Nuclear Energy Forum, the nuclear industry and certain EU countries are calling for more support and subsidies for nuclear power, particularly for Small Modular Reactors. But environmental NGOs are joining voices to contest this call. [The European Environmental Bureau]

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Big Bubble Curtains Protecting Porpoises From Wind Farm Noise” • Over the past decade, a curious invention has spread across Europe’s northern seas. It’s called a big bubble curtain, it works a bit like a giant jacuzzi, and it helps protect porpoises from the massive underwater noise caused by wind farm construction. [BBC]

Big bubble curtain (Hydrotechnik Lübeck image)

¶ “Offshore Wind Developers Are Eyeing New Alliances With Aquaculture Industry” • The US offshore wind industry has had a slow start, but wind developers elsewhere are beginning to attract aquaculture stakeholders with opportunities for multi-use and co-located operations. If that works, it could help deflect some of the resistence. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Real-World Traffic Demo Reveals Energy Savings” • In a real-world demonstration, researchers from Oak Ridge National Laboratory determined that a connected and automated vehicle, or CAV, traveling on a multilane highway with integrated traffic light timing control can maximize energy efficiency and achieve up to 27% savings. [CleanTechnica]

Test of an automated vehicle (ORNL, US DOE)

World:

¶ “Local Production Of Plug-In Hybrids Up Times Five In South Africa” • The latest Automotive Industry Export Council data shows that South African auto makers made note of increased sales of EVs worldwide. As a result, production of EVs has jumped from 733 in the first three quarters of 2021 to 3,534 in the same period in 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla To Build €25,000 Car At German Gigafactory” • An anonymous source who claims to have knowledge of the matter says Tesla plans to produce a car with a starting price of €25,000 ($26,838) at its factory in Grünheide, Germany, according to a Reuters report. The source did not say when production of the new car would begin. [CleanTechnica]

Gigafactory (Tesla image)

¶ “K-Electric Plans Ambitious 640-MW Renewable Energy Initiative” • K-Electric, the primary electricity provider for Karachi, is advancing a strategic renewable energy plan that could reshape the city’s power landscape. The company has taken significant steps towards adding 640 MW of renewable capacity to Pakistan’s grid. [The Express Tribune]

¶ “SUSI Invests In Italian Storage Market” • SUSI Partners has expanded the scope of its Italian solar development platform to include battery storage projects. ReFeel New Energy has passed its initial targets and has over 750 MW of battery capacity under development, of which 200 MW is awaiting final authorisation to move into construction. [reNews]

Energy storage (SUSI Partners)

US:

¶ “The Private Sector Accounts For 89% Of Announced US Battery Investments” • Announcements of investments by the private sector in US battery technologies have been increasing over the last few years, with 208 as of September 2023. The locations of announcements relating to battery materials and manufacturing are all across the US. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “West Virginia’s Largest Solar Power Facility At Fort Martin To Go Online By End Of Year” • The Mon Power solar power facility in Fort Martin is nearly complete and is expected to generate electricity by the end of the year. With 50,000 solar panels that will produce 18.9 MW, it is the largest of five planned facilities by the utility First Energy. [WV News]

West Virginia Solar array (Courtesy of First Energy)

¶ “State Of New York Makes Massive Investment In Renewable-Energy Projects” • New York has made a massive investment in renewable energy. The state is committing $300 million to create the nation’s first offshore wind blade and nacelle manufacturing facilities. This investment will create 8,300 jobs for New York’s renewable energy workforce. [Public News Service]

¶ “USDA Awards REAP Grants To Biogas, Bioenergy Projects” • The USDA awarded $145 million in loans and grants to 700 projects under the agency’s Rural Energy for America Program. Several biogas and bioenergy projects are among those selected for REAP awards. Two California biogas companies were each awarded $1 million. [Biomass Magazine]

Have a preposterously pleasant day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Tesla Share Price Is Under Pressure. Will The Cybertruck Help?” • If the Cybertruck is a hit with the public, the price of Tesla shares could soar and everyone will say what a genius Musk is. If it does not, the share price could sink and people will say Musk is an idiot. Could it be that both statements are true? “We’ll see,” said the Zen master. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Cybertruck (Tesla image)

¶ “Atoms For Peace Was Never The Plan” • Atoms for Peace had a nice ring to it. But it was a fantasy at best, at worst, a lie. Atoms for Peace was never the intention. Atoms for war, as it turned out, was brewing in the background even before Dwight Eisenhower became president of the US. Whose idea was it? Dr Charles A Thomas, of Monsanto, for one. [Counterpunch]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Study Reveals Effects Of Fast Charging On Electric Car Battery Health” • Recurrent Auto published a report on DC fast charging and battery degradation. “We compared cars that fast charge at least 90% of the time to cars that fast charge less than 10% of the time. … The results show no statistically significant difference in range degradation. [CleanTechnica]

Charging an EV (Ernie Journeys, Unsplash)

¶ “SunDrive Innovation Aims To Reduce Solar Costs” • SunDrive Solar is set to take a giant step towards a new type of cheaper solar panels at commercial scale. The Australian company’s technology replaces one of the most expensive components of a solar cell with an alternative about 100 times cheaper and much more efficient. [Australian Renewable Energy Agency]

World:

¶ “‘Shame On You, Tesla!’ Sweden’s Labor Unions Fight Back” • Dock workers in Sweden are threatening to block deliveries of new Teslas entering the country. They are standing by metal workers at Tesla’s Swedish repair shops who went on strike on October 27. Their dispute rises from Tesla’s refusal to sign a collective agreement with their union. [CleanTechnica]

Stockholm (Maxime Gilbert, Unsplash)

¶ “Trina Solar Expands Investment In Vietnam, Accelerating The Country’s Solar Power Growth” • The Chinese solar panel maker Trina Solar announced plans to boost its investment in Vietnam’s Thai Nguyen province by an additional $420 million. The boost will raise Trina’s total investment in the country to nearly $900 million. [EnergyPortal.eu]

¶ “EU Wind Package Must Protect Workers” • IG Metall Coast, Germany’s largest trade union is calling for a joint assessment of the EU Commission’s Pact for Wind Energy and the industrial policy concept of Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck. It said regional value creation and collectively agreed working conditions must be given more consideration. [reNews]

Wind turbine workers (Dennis Schroeder, NREL, public domain)

¶ “2024: The Commencement Of Taiwan’s Floating Wind Farm Era” • Taiwan is making significant strides in the development of floating offshore wind power, as the capacity for wind power in shallow coastal areas gradually reaches its limit. It is anticipated that 2024 will mark a pivotal year for development of floating wind farms in Taiwan. [Digitimes]

¶ “REC Issues Dual Tenders Totaling 11 GW For Renewable Power Evacuation Projects In Rajasthan” • REC Power Development and Consultancy has issued two tenders for the establishment of an Inter-State Transmission System aimed at evacuating a total of 11,000 lakh (1.1 billion) units of power from Renewable Energy Zones in Rajasthan. [SolarQuarter]

Transmission tower (Shruti Singh, Unsplash)

¶ “Solar Mini-Grids Offer Clean-Power Hope To Rural Africa” • Mini-grids, small power systems usually supplying rural villages, are not new. But the drop in cost of solar PVs has driven growth in clean energy mini-grids, with rural Africa poised to benefit the most. The village of Sabon Gida has more reliable power than Lagos, Nigeria’s economic capital. [Forbes India]

¶ “China, Japan And South Korea Reaffirm Pledges For Climate Action” • The environment ministers of China, Japan, and South Korea reaffirmed their commitments to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution. The countries said they remain committed to multilateralism and are willing to encourage close collaboration. [China Daily]

Biodiversity (Rui Silvestre, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “NREL Study Finds Rapid Adoption Of ZEVs Will Move To US To 80% Or More Drop In GHG Emissions By 2050” • The rapid adoption of zero-emission EVs will move the US close to an 80% drop in transportation greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 from the 2019 level according to researchers from the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. [Green Car Congress]

¶ “Dominion Sees Cheaper Wind Power At Massive Offshore Project” • Dominion Energy Inc expects to deliver power at a cheaper price than originally expected from the largest approved offshore wind project in the US, a rare win for a wider wind sector recently beleaguered by bad news. The shares soared the most in almost a year. [Supply Chain Brain]

Block Island Offshore Wind Farm (Ionna22, CC-BU-SA 4.0)

¶ “West Virginia PSC OKs Major Solar Energy Project In Mason County” • The Public Service Commission of West Virginia gave a green light to New Haven PV I to site a 100-MW solar facility on 1,555 acres in Mason County. The array will consist of 226,356 solar panels. The company will invest $97 million, creating 319 construction jobs. [WV News]

¶ “University Of Arkansas Outlines Plan For Renewable Energy” • The University of Arkansas’s 2022 Sustainability report had a solar energy plan that would save the school over three million dollars every year. Now, Eric Boles, director of Sustainability says expanding the school’s use of solar power is a cost-efficient way to reduce its carbon footprint. [KNWA]

Have an unambiguously exciting day.

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Opinion:

¶ “EV Charging And The Grid: The Truth Is Out There” • There is a widely held belief that supplying enough electricity to charge all the EVs expected to be around in a few years will take huge investments for the grid upgrades needed to meet the demand for EV charging. Now, thanks to the Green Energy Consumers Alliance, we have facts. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla and bison (Taun Stewart, Unsplash)

¶ “How Alberta Was A Green Energy Leader But Squandered It” • Alberta was a leader in oil. Then its black gold rush was rivalled by a green one, as investors clamour to cash in on the province’s bright Prairie skies and Chinook winds. But Alberta’s provincial government hit the brakes on renewable power in the midst of a multi-billion dollar boom. [Global News]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Climate Change Laying Healthy African Land To Waste” • The UN Convention to Combat Desertification concluded that over 100 football pitches worth of healthy land is lost every minute in Africa. But the problem is global. The UNCCD says that between 2015 and 2019, the world lost at least 100 million hectares of healthy land each year. [The East African]

Desertification (Gabriele Niek, Unsplash)

¶ “Tesla Vehicles Warn Drowsy And Inattentive Drivers” • Teslas keep getting smarter over time with the help of free over-the-air software updates. A new and interesting feature has just started rolling out to Tesla cars in Europe. It warns drivers if they are inattentive or drowsy. The vehicle monitors movements of a driver’s eyes and the steering wheel. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “EVs Take 26.5% Share In France – Dacia Springs Up” • October saw plugin EVs take a 26.5% share of the French auto market, up from 22.4% last year. The volume of full EV sales grew over 50% year on year. The overall auto volume was up some 22%, year on year, though still below pre-2020 norms. The Dacia Spring was the best selling full EV. [CleanTechnica]

Dacia Spring (Alexander Migl, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “25% BEV Share In China! – China EV Sales Report” • Plugins scored more than 776,000 sales in China last month, up 22% year over year, to set the market’s second monthly record in a row. And expect the last quarter of the month to continue this record streak. The September sales pulled the year-to-date tally to over 5.4 million units. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Bangladesh’s First Offshore Wind Power Project Approved” • Denmark’s green investment proposal valued at $1.3 billion for developing Bangladesh’s first 500 MW utility-scale offshore wind energy project has received the government’s nod in principle for a detailed feasibility study. The proposed project site is in the Cox’s Bazar district. [The Business Standard]

Wind turbines (Supplied photo)

¶ “Europe’s Battery Charge To Power A Green Economy” • The European battery market could be worth as much as €250 billion a year as of 2025. Europe aims to increase its share of global battery-cell production to as high as 25% this decade from 3% in 2018, reducing Asia’s 85% dominance. The EU is also promoting battery reuse and recycling. [Cyprus Mail]

¶ “ISIF Commits €94 Million To The UK Green Energy Giant Octopus Energy’s Fund” • The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund announced a €94 million commitment to OEG’s Sky Fund for investment in renewable energy projects. OEG plans to establish an office in Dublin, creating a full-time presence as it invests in Irish green energy projects. [Independent.ie]

Wind farm in Ireland (Kenneth Gallery Smyth, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Australia’s 2024-25 Budget To Focus On Supporting Green Energy Industries, Chalmers Flags” • Australia’s next federal budget will back green energy winners to help the renewable energy transition, according to treasurer Jim Chalmers. He said the energy transformation is “absolutely central” to the Albanese government’s goals. [The Guardian]

¶ “CDB Wants Faster Transition To Renewable Energy” • Dr Gene Leon, President of the Caribbean Development Bank has challenged regional leaders to quicken their pace in transitioning to full reliance on renewable energy sources. He said achieving the 2030 goal of becoming carbon neutral is critical to building economic and climate resilience. [Barbados Today]

Wind turbine (Luke Thornton, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “New Kind of Nuclear Threat In Putin’s War On Ukraine Explained” • The government of Ukraine said that a Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s western Khmelnytsky region on October 25 had targeted a nuclear power plant, reigniting fears of the consequences of having a war raging in a country that is home to 15 atomic power stations. [Newsweek]

US:

¶ “Fact Check: Trump Falsely Claims California Had ‘Blackouts All Over The Place This Summer’” • Former President Donald Trump falsely claimed in a speech in Texas that California had widespread blackouts this summer because there was insufficient electricity to meet demand. The state’s last blackout due to load imbalance was in 2020, a state official said. [CNN]

Not blacked out (Tyler Casey, Unsplash)

¶ “Tesla Energy Unveils VPP Plan For Puerto Rico And $0 Down Solar For Tesla Drivers” • Electricity has become a fundamental component of modern life, but generating it on relatively small patches of land in the middle of vast oceans is challenging. So Tesla Energy has introduced a virtual power plant program for residents of Puerto Rico. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Senator Casey Urges Amendments To Support US Steel in Renewable Energy Projects” • Senator Bob Casey is supporting American manufacturing by urging the Biden Administration to amend guidelines under the Inflation Reduction Act. He wrote the Treasury and the IRS to correct guidelines allowing use of foreign steel in PV projects. [Franklin County Free Press]

Have a totally okay day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Hansen Vs Mann: Is Global Warming Linear Or Exponential?” • In research published in the journal Oxford Open Climate Change, James Hansen and his colleagues argue that IPCC models and predictions on climate change are too conservative. He suggests geoengineering. Michael Mann has a differing viewpoint, calling geoengineering a “slippery slope.” [CleanTechnica]

Clouds (Zoltan Tasi, Unsplash)

¶ “Canada’s Carbon Price Working, So Of Course It’s Being Attacked” • Canada’s carbon price is back in headlines. For fiscal and political reasons, the Liberal government exempted homes heating with oil from the tax for three years. Naturally, the Conservatives have used this to raise populist grievances that mostly don’t hold any water. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Who Are The Major Players In Electric Grid Reliability?” • The largest blackout North American history happened when an overloaded electrical line sagged to short out on a tree limb. The cost could have been as high as $10 billion. New regulations have helped avoid a repeat of that outage, but now the grid is being strained by climate change. [CleanTechnica]

Grid regions (North American Electric Reliability Corporation)

World:

¶ “Climate Scientists Are Working With Indigenous Tribes” • For many of us, climate science brings to mind satellite observations, temperature records or the analysis of ice cores. But there is plenty more data besides that. Indigenous communities that have long lived close to the land often hold their own records and recollections. [BBC]

¶ “Tesla Model Y Rules In Europe – Europe EV Sales Report” • Approximately 288,000 plugin vehicles were registered this September in Europe, up 15% year over year. Unfortunately, the overall market grew 11%, as it is finally recovering from a couple of bad years. The Tesla Modle Y dominated the EV market with 34,378 cars sold. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Pontus Jerand Wernhammar, Unsplash)

¶ “Community-Battery Applications Swamp Renewable Energy Authority” • The Australian Renewable Energy Agency says it has received 140 eligible applications for its Community Batteries Funding Program, with a total grant request of $1.3 billion. This is over 10 times the $120 million available under the program’s first round of funding. [The New Daily]

¶ “Transitioning Towards Renewable Energy Will Stabilize Energy Prices, Tabuya Says” • In Fiji, the Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection, Lynda Tabuya says strategic policies can mitigate the effects of dependency on fossil fuels by promoting energy efficiency and transitioning towards renewable energy sources. [Fijivillage]

Fiji (Josaia Cakacaka, Unsplash)

¶ “Renewable Energy Investors In Greece To Add Batteries Or Face Curtailment” • Though curtailments are still low in Greece, there is concern that soon they may soon cause more serious problems for clean energy producers, as the share of renewable energy in the country’s energy system rises to 78%. Batteries can solve this issue. [Balkan Green Energy News]

¶ “Wind Farms Push Spain’s Renewables Share To 50.7% In Oct” • Renewabl sources accounted for 50.7% of Spain’s total electricity production in October, up from 42.1% a month earlier. The large increase is thanks to a sharp rise in wind power output, according to preliminary figures released by the Spanish grid operator, Red Electrica de Espana. [Renewables Now]

Wind farm in Spain (José Ibáñez, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “Sales Of Electric Cars Top 20% In California, Led By Tesla Model Y” • The California New Car Dealers Association reported on November 1, 2023, that sales of battery electric cars accounted for 21.5% of new car sales in the Golden State during the first 9 months of the year. It was 22.3% in the third quarter, up from 16.4% in 2022 and 9.1% in 2021. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar And Wind Power Curtailments Are Rising In California” • The California Independent System Operator, which operates the grid in most of the state, is increasingly curtailing solar PVs and wind-powered electricity generation as it balances supply and demand during the rapid growth of those renewable energy sources in California. [CleanTechnica]

California solar array (BLM California, public domain)

¶ “Clean Power Alliance To Serve Southern California With Record Amounts Of Wind Power From Largest Renewable Energy Infrastructure Project In US History” • A 15-year PPA with Pattern Energy will expand CPA’s diverse clean energy portfolio with 575 MW of wind energy from the 3.5-GW SunZia wind farm in central New Mexico. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Cover Crops Help Fight Climate Change, But Farmers Fear Losing Money” • Cover crops top the list of tasks U.S. farmers are told will build healthy soil, help the environment and fight climate change. Yet after years of incentives and encouragement, Midwest farmers planted cover crops on only about 7 percent of their land in 2021. [CGTN]

Corn crop (CFP image)

¶ “Michigan Legislature Clears 100% Clean Energy Law” • The Michigan State House passed a package of bills that could make Michigan a clean energy leader. If Governor Whitmer signs them, they will set a 100% clean electricity standard for 2040. Among other things, they include an energy storage standard of 2.5 GW by 2030. [Environment America]

¶ “Person Of Interest Charged After Car Drives Through Security Fences At South Carolina Nuclear Plant” • A person of interest has been charged a day after a man drove a vehicle through security fences at Oconee Nuclear Station in South Carolina, according to authorities. The man was charged with attempted murder and other crimes. [ABC News]

Have a thoroughly delightful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “It Is The Best Of Times, It Is The Worst Of Times For Offshore Wind In America” • The Biden Administration just approved a plan to install up to 176 wind turbines off the coast of Virginia. But in New York, the developers of four proposed offshore wind farms recently asked the state for more money before moving forward. [CleanTechnica]

Block Island Wind Farm (Gary Norton, US DOE)

Science:

¶ “Why Grazing Bison Could Be Good For The Planet” • The American bison were hunted almost to extinction by European settlers. Their loss was devastating to the prairies. Now they are making a comeback, and they could help reverse the damage. In Kansas, thirty years of bison grazing in tallgrass prairie has been shown to increase native plant species richness. [BBC]

World:

¶ “Olive Oil Prices Skyrocketing In Europe” • Olive oil has increased by about 75% since January 2021, and in Spain, the world’s biggest olive oil producer, prices jumped a massive 115% since August 2021. Spanish farmers and experts primarily blame the nearly two-year drought, with higher temperatures affecting flowering of the trees. [ABC News]

Olive tree (Carlos Zurita, Unsplash)

¶ “How An American Meat Broker Fuels Amazon Deforestation” • China has become the world’s biggest beef importer, and Brazil is China’s biggest supplier, according to UN data. More beef moves from Brazil to China than between any other countries. But the Brazilian cattle industry is a major driver of destruction of the Amazon rainforest. [ABC News]

¶ “Wuling Bingo And BYD Seagull Excel In China, Selling Over 150,000 Units Each” • Two small EVs, the Wuling Bingo and the BYD Seagull, are selling like hotcakes right now in China. These small, affordable 5-door EVs show that it really is possible now to develop a small affordable EV and scale production in decent numbers in a short time. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seagull (BYD image)

¶ “Coal Free By 2070? India’s Push Toward Renewables Won’t Stop Coal Reliance For The Next Two Decades” • India’s leaders have been optimistic about its path to net zero, making bold claims that 50% of its electric power will come from renewables by 2030, and 100% by 2070. But the use of coal goes on and is likely to continue doing so. [NBC Bay Area]

¶ “Vestas Expands Its Wind Technology Energy Offering In Germany” • Developer Uhl Windkraft was first to order Vestas’ new V172-7.2 MW wind turbine, the latest addition to Vestas’ EnVentus Platform. Six turbines will be supplied to the Hoßkirch wind project, which is in cooperation with the Comital House of Koenigsegg-Aulendorf. [Energy Digital Magazine]

Vestas wind turbines (Vestas image)

US:

¶ “Fifteen Injured In Fire And Building Collapse Following Gas Line Rupture In New York State” • Fifteen people were injured, including five of the first responders, after a gas line rupture in Wappingers Falls, New York, a village near Poughkeepsie. The rupture lead to a massive fire and collapse of a multi-family building, according to officials. [ABC News]

¶ “Electrifying Trucks: Tackling Inflation And Saving Americans Money” • Truck electrification combats inflation partly because electric trucks are two to five times as efficient as diesel trucks, but also, electricity is dramatically less expensive. Depending on use and other specifics, running on electricity rather than diesel oil can reduce fuel costs by 40% to 60%. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Semi (Courtesy of Frito-Lay)

¶ “DOE Announces Up To $440 Million To Install Rooftop Solar And Batteries In Puerto Rico’s Most Vulnerable Communities” • The DOE announced a slate of solar companies and nonprofits selected to install rooftop solar and battery storage systems for vulnerable households in Puerto Rico, through the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Harvesting Sunshine: Solar Is America’s Newest Cash Crop” • Agrivoltaics, the combination of agriculture and solar energy, is one of the fastest-growing applications of solar. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that there are 2.8 GW of agrivoltaic sites in the US, and more projects are coming online every week. [CleanTechnica]

Regenerative farming (Courtesy of Silicon Ranch via Cision)

¶ “Public Power Is On The Ballot In Maine. Will Voters Take A Leap Of Faith?” • Two utilities, Central Maine Power and Versant, distribute 97% of Maine’s electricity. Question 3 on Maine’s ballot asks voters to decide whether they want to oust CMP and Versant and replace them with a nonprofit, publicly owned utility called Pine Tree Power. [Grist]

¶ “Longroad Energy Starts Construction On 377-MW Arizona Solar Projec” • Longroad Energy, a renewable energy developer based in Massachusetts, announced the financial close and start of construction of Sun Streams 4. The project, in Maricopa County, Arizona, has 377 MW of solar panels and a 300-MW, 1,200-MWh battery system. [pv magazine USA]

Longroad solar project (Longroad image)

¶ “Vermont Lawmakers Want To Require Utilities To Source 100% Renewable Electricity By 2030” • Vermont lawmakers will take up their next big piece of climate legislation next year in the form of a bill that would require electric utilities to get more of their power from renewable sources. Vermont Democrats are set to override a veto. [Vermont Public]

¶ “No Easy Solutions For Removing San Onofre’s Spent Nuclear Fuel” • The San Onofre nuclear power plant hasn’t generated any electricity in more than ten years. But even as the iconic plant is being dismantled, it is still generating controversy over what to do with some of the radioactive material on the site. Some highly radioactive waste has nowhere to go. [KTLA]

Have a fundamentally soaring day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Why It Matters That The Earth Is On The Brink Of 1.5°C Of Warming ” • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change uses 1.5°C as a limit to aim for. The exact figure of 1.5°C of warming is less important than keeping global warming as far below that figure as possible. But researchers say the likelihood of doing so is waning. [ABC News]

Terraced fields (Huy Nguyen, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Researchers Argue That Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Is Not Enough To Combat Climate Change” • A paper in Oxford Open Climate Change says that strategies humanity must pursue to reduce climate change will have to include more than reducing greenhouse gases. This comes from an analysis of climate data led by researcher James Hansen. [Phys.org]

World:

¶ “EVs Take 60.6% Share In Sweden – Kia EV9 Debuts” • October saw plugin EVs take 60.6% share in Sweden, up fractionally from 59.4% year on year. EV volumes were up by some 14%, barely ahead of overall market growth. Overall auto volume was 25,016 units, up by 12% year on year. The Volkswagen ID.4 was the EV that sold best in October. [CleanTechnica]

Kia EV9 in Korea (Hyundai Motor Group, Unsplash)

¶ “US Electric Train Maker Sends Hot Pink Diesel-Killing Love Letter To Australia” • A new electric train is heading from the US to Australia with a futuristic twist. The locomotive will deploy regenerative breaking – energy captured from its brakes while on the move. The payoff is lower fuel costs, a smaller carbon footprint, and reduced down time. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China’s Coal Boom Includes 775 GW Of Shelved, Canceled, Or Closed Plants” • China has permitted more coal plants in recent years than the rest of the world combined, reports say. But the narratives don’t mention the operating coal plants that were shut down and plants that were not built have a combined capacity of 775 GW. [CleanTechnica]

Coal mine (Herry Lawford, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “China’s Lithium Mining Boom In Tibet Sparks Debate In Renewable Energy Race” • A research report by Turquoise Roof, a network of Tibetan researchers, has revealed that the booming EV industry in China is fuelling a lithium rush in Tibet. It risks damaging the troubled region’s fragile ecology and deepening rights violations. [Phayul]

¶ “Singapore Seen As Hub For Renewable Energy” • Singapore can be a hub for renewable energy as the city-state can leverage its status as one of the world’s biggest commodity trading centers and bunkering ports, analysts said. Its Energy Market Authority has given tentative approval for plans to import 1.2 GW of wind power from Vietnam. [China Daily]

Singapore (Peter Nguyen, Unsplash)

¶ “Global Grid-Forming Inverter Market Expected To Reach $1,042 Million By 2028” • The global grid-forming inverter market is estimated to grow from $1,042 million by 2028 from an estimated of $680 million in 2023. Grid-forming inverters are vital for managing the rapid growth of renewable energy and ensuring grid stability. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Portugal Powered Solely By Renewables Last Weekend” • Portugal relied solely on renewable energy last weekend, largely wind and hydroelectric power, to meet electricity demand. It generated 172.5 GWh of renewable electricity and useed 131.1 GWh between Friday night and Monday morning, exporting excess power to Spain. [PV Magazine]

Trolley car in Portugal (Aayush Gupta, Unsplash)

¶ “Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Starts Third Release Of Treated Radioactive Wastewater Into The Sea” • The tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant began its third release of treated and diluted radioactive wastewater into the sea Thursday after Japanese officials said the two earlier releases ended smoothly. [TheHour]

US:

¶ “VinFast May Bring The Ultra Cheap VF 3 To America” • Last June, VinFast introduced the VF 3, a boxy two-door electric vehicle designed to appeal to customers in its home market of Vietnam. Now, there are suggestions that VinFast might produce cars in a North Carolina factory, and the VF 3 could be priced in the sub-$20,000 range. [CleanTechnica]

VinFast VF 3 (Courtesy of VinFast)

¶ “Well-Equipped Single Motor Chevy Equinox Will Start At $34,995 – Someday” • When Chevrolet announced the Equinox EV in January of 2022, it said the battery-electric version of its popular midsize SUV would start at around $30,000 and have a range of up to 300 miles. At a somewhat increased price and range, it is still coming. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “TotalEnergies Starts Up 380-MW Solar Power Plant with Battery Storage in Texas” • TotalEnergies has started commercial operations of Myrtle Solar, a solar farm south of Houston. Myrtle has a capacity of 380 MW and 225 MWh of co-located batteries. Myrtle produces enough green electricity each year to provide for about 70,000 homes. [PR Newswire]

Transmission towers (Pierre Jarry, Unsplash)

¶ “EPICS Global Research Centre For 100% Renewable Power Grids Launched In US” • The Electric Power Innovation for a Carbon-free Society center was launched at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. It has partners from the UK, Australia, and the US researching potencial of 100% renewable power grids across the world. [Smart Energy International]

¶ “Despite Net-Zero Commitments, California Is Curtailing Renewable Power” • California, a state that’s all-in for net-zero energy policies, announced it’s curtailing solar and wind power due to increased congestion. Congestion occurs when power transmission lines lack the capacity to deliver the electricity generated. [Independent Women’s Forum]

Have an amusingly straightforward day.

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Opinion:

¶ “How The US Can Become A Global Leader In Offshore Wind” • To become a global leader in offshore wind energy, the US must seize the opportunity to address three major areas: investing in employment and training, bolstering transmission infrastructure, and developing a comprehensive set of American standards and guidelines. [CleanTechnica]

Block Island wind farm (US DOE, public domain)

Science and Technology:

¶ “24M Introduces Electrode-To-Pack Battery Without Individual Cells Or Modules” • Prior to 24M ETOP™, cell makers, EV OEMs, and energy storage integrators built battery packs and modules from individual cells. However, current lithium-ion battery cells have a large fraction of inactive, non-charge carrying materials in them, adding weight. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “A Sustainable Alternative To Air Conditioning” • One major contributor to global warming is air conditioning. But scientists from McGill University, UCLA, and Princeton found in a study an inexpensive, sustainable alternative to mechanical cooling with refrigerants in hot and arid climates, and a way to mitigate dangerous heat waves during blackouts. [CleanTechnica]

Thermostat (Dan LeFebvre, Unsplash)

¶ “Designing cleaner vehicles” • As a second-year master’s degree student in mechanical engineering, Adi Mehrotra channels much of his energy into designing clean energy vehicles. He has taken the helm of the MIT Electric Vehicle Team, a student research team that probes the future of transportation by designing a hydrogen-powered motorcycle. [MIT News]

World:

¶ “The Isle Of Eigg: The Community-Owned Island That Powers Itself” • Eigg is one of a collection of islands in the Scottish Inner Hebrides called the Small Isles. It lies 15 miles from the mainland and is reliant on a ferry that runs a few times a week, weather dependent, for supplies and transport. Waste isn’t an option here and sustainability is a necessity. [BBC]

Wind turbines on Eigg (W L Tarbert, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “BMW Going With New Batteries For Its Ambitious EV Plans” • A core technology for transforming to an emissions-free world is batteries, and researchers around the world are looking to find what is best. BMW has just confirmed it will use LFP battery cells soon, and it is also working on solid-state battery and sodium-ion battery cells. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electric Bus Traction In Stockholm And Sicily Is Increasing Exponentially With Bus Expert Solaris Supplying The Stocks” • Solaris, a Polish e-mobility leader in public transport, continues to make waves in the world of sustainable transportation with its latest orders from Sweden’s Nobina Stockholm and Italy’s AMTS Catania earlier this October. [CleanTechnica]

Solaris Urbino 15 LE electric bus in Sweden (Solaris image)

¶ “Indonesia’s Ambitious Plan To Cut Carbon Emissions And Boost Renewable Energy” • Indonesia is facing the challenges of rapid growth of industry and energy demands. It unveiled an ambitious plan to curtail its carbon emissions in the on-grid power sector and significantly increase the share of renewable energy generation to 44% by 2030. [DD News]

¶ “Amazon Expands Renewable Energy Footprint In India With 198-MW Wind Farm” • Amazon has unveiled a new 198-MW wind farm Osmanabad, Maharashtra, India. This addition marks Amazon’s fiftieth renewable project in India, pushing the firm’s renewable energy capacity past 1.1 GW. It is the seventh Amazon project in the past year. [Inc42]

Windpower in India (Debasish1974, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “G7 Pushes For Removal Of Japanese Food Import Bans” • The Group of Seven urged recent restrictions imposed on Japanese food products from around Fukushima to be removed. The restrictions follow the Fukushima nuclear Disaster. The G7 nations include Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Japan, Canada, and the US. [Food Safety News]

US:

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Approves Largest Offshore Wind Project In The Nation” • Located approximately 23.5 nautical miles off Virginia Beach, the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project is the largest yet, and would provide about 2,600 MW of clean, reliable offshore wind energy, capable of powering over 900,000 homes. [CleanTechnica]

Wind resources at 100 meters above the ground (NREL image)

¶ “Toyota more than doubles investment and job creation at North Carolina battery plant” • Toyota will invest an additional $8 billion in the hybrid and electric vehicle battery factory it’s constructing in North Carolina, more than doubling its prior investments and expected number of new jobs, the company announced Tuesday. [ABC News]

¶ “Bechtel Wins EPC Work On Texas Solar Project” • Bechtel has been selected by Sabanci Renewables to design and construct a 232-MW (DC) solar plant in Victoria County, Texas. Bechtel will do development, including engineering, procurement, building, commissioning, and project management. Construction is set to be completed in mid-2025. [reNews]

Solar farm (Sabanci Renewables image)

¶ “Ørsted Scraps Two Offshore Wind Power Projects In New Jersey, Citing Supply Chain Issues” • Danish energy developer Ørsted said it is scrapping two large offshore wind power projects off the coast of New Jersey, adding uncertainty to a nascent industry federal and state governments are counting on to help transition away from fossil fuels. [CBS News]

¶ “Why The Military May Need Microgrids For Overseas Bases To Win A Near-Peer Fight” • A paper by an Air Force engineer warns of a major vulnerability on US military bases overseas. Most bases are wired into the electrical grids of host nations, but their backup generators may not have fuel for over a week. They need microgrids. [Air & Space Forces Magazine]

Have a curiously rewarding day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Nuclear Plant Problems Have Happened Around The Planet, And Aging Facilities Across USA Still Pose A Major Threat” • The Fukushima nuclear disaster is just one of a set of similar disasters at nuclear plants, notably at Chernobyl, Ukraine, and Three Mile Island. And the wrecked reactors at Fukushima still threaten the environment. [The South Dakota Standard]

Cooling towers (Lukáš Lehotský, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “A Tiny Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Turbine Can Power 10,000 Homes” • The US DOE expects that supercritical CO₂ (sCO₂) turbines can shave energy consumption at power plants by 10%, but they are also much smaller than steam turbines. The DOE says that a 20-meter steam turbine would be replaced by a 1-meter sCO₂ turbine. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Volvo Energy | Sustainable Trucking With Extended Life Batteries” • At the end of its vehicle lifecycle, a used battery can be repurposed or used for onsite energy storage where total capacity is less critical than it might be in an EV. Volvo Energy hopes to contribute to sustainability, supporting charging, microgrids, and green energy. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo Energy battery facility (Volvo Energy image)

¶ “World Bank Warns Oil Prices Could Reach $150 A Barrel” • Oil prices could rise to more than $150 a barrel if the conflict in the Middle East escalates, according to the World Bank, with big rises in energy and food prices. For now oil prices remain steady at around $90 a barrel and are predicted to fall, but the Bank warns that this outlook could quickly reverse. [BBC]

¶ “Scania Brings New Energy By Offering Next-Level Electric Trucks” • Scania unveiled its cutting-edge line of regional electric trucks with zero emissions in June 2022, and the manufacturing process is set to commence in Södertälje, Sweden. The trucks boast a power of 400 or 450 kW, perfectly suited for a wide range of truck applications. [CleanTechnica]

Scania 40R battery electric truck (Photo by Scania)

¶ “Stellantis Enters EV Battery Recycling Agreement” • Stellantis, the company formerly-known as Fiat-Chrysler before a key merger, is the manufacturer of iconic vehicles like the Jeep brand and Dodge’s muscle cars. The company recently announced a plan and a partnership to make sure more EVs get batteries recycled at end-of-life. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “OWP Butendiek Signs Hydrogen PPA” • German offshore wind farm OWP Butendiek has signed a power purchase agreement with the support of advisory company Pexapark to fuel green hydrogen production. The 288-MW project will provide electricity to a green hydrogen facility operated by a global leader in the energy industry. [reNews]

Offshore windpower (wpd image)

¶ “Hexicon And Mainstream Renewable Power File 2.5-GW Floating Wind Farm Application In Sweden” • Freja Offshore, a joint venture of Mainstream Renewable Power and Hexicon, has submitted a planning application in Sweden for the Dyning floating offshore wind project. It is planned to have a capacity of up to 2.5 GW. [offshoreWIND.biz]

¶ “US Military Bulk Buying Japan’s Seafood To Counter China Import Ban” • The US military is bulk buying Japanese seafood to help offset China’s import ban of the products after Japan began releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in August. The new initiative aims to help soften the impact of China’s ban. [Axios]

Sushi (Vinicius Benedit, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “BOEM Designates Four Wind Energy Areas In Gulf Of Mexico, Power To 3 Million Homes” • As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 GW of offshore windpower capacity by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced it has finalized four new Wind Energy Areas in the Gulf of Mexico. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Here’s How Foundations Are Bringing Solar To Lower-Income Communities” • The rooftop solar industry is booming, but far too few lower-income Americans have benefited. Now a growing number of charitable foundations are stepping up to redress that injustice, using different ways to bring the benefits of solar to the communities that need it most. [Canary Media]

Rooftop solar power (RE-volv image)

¶ “Solar Gardens Encouraged To Grow In New Orleans” • New Orleans city officials amended a set of regulations to clear the way for an order of Catholic nuns and other organizations to build solar projects to help low-income residents. The City Council’s Climate Change and Sustainability Committee voted unanimously for the reforms. [Louisiana Illuminator]

¶ “Cars Are Canceling Out San Diego’s Progress On Renewable Energy” • San Diego has made enormous strides toward getting more of its electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar in recent years. But, according to the city’s latest inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, that progress is being canceled out by pollution from cars and trucks. [KPBS]

San Diego (Gabe Pierce, Unsplash)

¶ “As Coal Mines Close, Displaced Miners Find Work In Boom Of Renewable Energy” • Energy communities include those that have met a threshold of fossil fuel-related jobs or had a coal mine closed since 1999. In many such places, former miners are able to find jobs in factories that take advantage of tax breaks for energy communities. [Capital & Main]

¶ “Aspen Power Completes Fourteen Utility-Scale Solar Projects In Georgia” • Aspen Power completed construction on fourteen solar projects that the company acquired from Inman Solar. The projects total 49.4 MW (DC) of generation capacity, with Aspen Power acting as the long-term owner and operator of the solar facilities. [Solar Builder]

Have a soothingly constructive day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Want A New EV Dirt Cheap? Get Ready To Act Fast In Two Months!” • It looks like a perfect storm of EV affordability is going to arrive in about two months (January 2024). If the vehicle described here, the Chevy Bolt, at the prices they’ll be available, for works well for your needs, it’s a deal that you’ll have a narrow window to jump on. [CleanTechnica]

Chevy Bolt (GM image)

¶ “Nuclear Or Net Zero. It Can’t Be Both” • It seems clear that Australia’s Coalition will go to the next election with a muddled strategy for energy and climate change. Net zero and nuclear won’t mix. Pursuing the first will effectively rule out the second. Westinghouse’s projected cost of $1 billion for its 300-MW small modular reactor shows this. [Quadrant Online]

World:

¶ “Explosion Off Nigeria Points To Threat Posed By Aging Oil Ships Around The World” • The Trinity Spirit was a floating production storage and offloading vessel, storing oil at sea. It had long since been a floating hazard when it had an explosion and fire in February of 2022. It is common for FPSO ships to fall into neglect and become dangerous. [ABC News]

FPSO ship off Nigeria (Ciacho5, public domain)

¶ “G-7 Nations Back Strong Supply Chains For Energy And Food Despite Global Tensions” • At a meeting in Osaka, trade and economy officials from the Group of Seven wealthy democracies strengthened their pledge to work together to ensure smooth supply chains for essentials like energy and food despite global uncertainties. [ABC News]

¶ “BYD Makes A Splash At Japan Mobility Show With Seal Debut – First Chinese Carmaker There” • BYD is the first Chinese automaker ever to participate in the Japan Mobility Show. The world’s leading manufacturer of new energy vehicles made a big splash at the global automotive show formerly known as the Tokyo Motor Show. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seal (BYD image)

¶ “Irreversible Solar Tipping Point Has Passed, Researchers Claim” • A study in the journal Nature Communications comes to a rather extraordinary conclusion. The authors found, much to their surprise, the solar power tipping point is no longer in the future. In fact, it has already occurred. They found that the move to solar power is now irreversible. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Market Player Snaps Up 370-MWh Victorian Battery Project” • Sostoneo, set up only last month by Italian insurance and asset management provider Generali Group, acquired 100% of the A$400 million ($254 million) Koorgangie Energy Storage System project being developed near Kerang in Victoria by Edify Energy. [pv magazine Australia]

185-MW Koorangie Energy Storage System (Edify Energy image)

¶ “Coal To Fall As India To Get 50% Of Power From Renewables By 2030” • The Narendra Modi government has set an ambitious target of meeting 50% of the country’s energy requirements from renewable sources by 2030. Of the Indian power capacity, 41.4% is renewable, but that generated only 10.55% of all the electricity generated in the 2022-23 financial year. [NewsClick]

¶ “HD Hyundai Electric Inks 3-GW Korean MOU” • HD Hyundai Electric signed a memorandum of understanding with Pacifico Energy Korea, CS Wind, Korea Ocean Engineering & Consultants Co and Daebul Shipbuilding at HD Hyundai Global R&D Center to jointly develop an offshore windpower project of over 3 GW in Jeollanam-do province, South Korea. [reNews]

Offshore windpower (Jesse De Meulenaere, Unsplash)

¶ “China’s Installed Capacity Of Renewable Energy Surges” • China’s installations of renewable energy hit 172 million kW (172 GW) in the first nine months of the year, a 93% increase from to the same period last year, according to the National Energy Administration. This surge reflects the country’s commitment to promoting green development. [Xinhua]

US:

¶ “Water Woes, Hot Summers, And Labor Costs Are Haunting Pumpkin Farmers In The West” • Pumpkins can survive hot, dry weather to some extent, but the heat of this summer, which broke records and went well over 100°F (38°C), was just too much, said Mark Carroll, the Texas A&M extension agent for Floyd County, Texas. [ABC News]

Pumpkin patch (Marius Ciocirlan, Unsplash)

¶ “Poultry Companies Ask Judge To Dismiss Ruling That They Polluted An Oklahoma Watershed” • A number of poultry producers, including the world’s largest, asked a federal judge to dismiss his ruling that they polluted an Oklahoma watershed. They said pollution happened years ago and Oklahoma officials have noted its steady decline. [ABC News]

¶ “Ford’s EV And Battery Manufacturing Ambitions Get A Boost With Rockwell Automation Technologies” • Ford is making good progress on its battery plant in Glendale, Kentucky. Ground was broken for the plant last December. Called the Ford Blue Oval SK Battery Park, the $5.8 billion project will create 5,000 new jobs in the town. [CleanTechnica]

New Ford factory (Ford image)

¶ “California Is Sending NEVI Money Out To Contractors” • California announced that it’s time to cut some checks for 270 EV chargers at 26 stations in the state. Over the next five years the state is going to cut checks for as much as $380 million. All of this funding comes from the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Activists Gather Near Bow’s Coal Plant, Calling For Its Owners To Transition To Clean Energy” • On Sunday, climate change activists gathered near New England’s last running coal power plant in Bow, New Hampshire, to call for its owners to stop burning fossil fuels and transform the plant into a renewable energy facility. [NHPR]

Have a surprisingly civil day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Vanadium Flow Batteries Stake A Claim For Round The Clock Storage For Renewables” • Flow batteries may be more expensive up front but last for decades and dispatch sunshine for up to 18 hours. By contrast, rows of lithium-ion batteries springing up in the countryside are handy backup to meet peak energy demand for a few hours at a time. [Renew Economy]

Solar farm with battery backup (Yadlamalka image)

¶ “Alysm Energy Develops Non-Flammable Battery Storage Technology” • Leading developer of non-lithium rechargeable battery technology Alysm Energy has announced that it has successfully developed the industry’s first high-performance, non-flammable battery storage technology suitable for warmer climates. [Energy Digital Magazine]

World:

¶ “They Went Hunting For Fossil Fuels. What They Found Could Help Save The World” • When two scientists went looking for fossil fuels beneath the ground in France, they did not expect to discover something which could help tackle the climate crisis. It was hydrogen. Now that they know to look for it, they might find more. But how much can they find? [CNN]

Drilling operations in Kansas (Natural Hydrogen Energy)

¶ “Kazakhstan Has Confirmed Nationalization Of Arcelormittal Subsidiary After Mine Fire Kills At Least 32” • Kazakhstan has confirmed the nationalization of ArcelorMittal Temirtau, which operates the country’s largest steel plants and several coal and ore mines, after a coal mine fire that killed at least 32 workers. Another 14 are still unaccounted for. [ABC News]

¶ “First Autonomous, Electric Aircraft On Earth To Get Approval For Commercial Flights” • An EHang eVTOL aircraft, the EH216-S, has just been approved for commercial flights by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. This is the first such approval anywhere in the world. And the EH216-S is not only electric – it’s also autonomous. [CleanTechnica]

EHang 216 (EHang image)

¶ “ACWA Power Signs Agreements Worth $746 Million At FII7 In Riyadh” • ACWA Power, a leader in energy transition and green hydrogen production and the largest private water desalination company in the world, has signed several agreements worth $746 million on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh. [Daily News Egypt]

¶ “Siemens Energy Seeks Government Aid Amidst Market Turbulence” • German firm Siemens Energy AG, a major player in the renewable energy sector, is finding itself grappling with a financial crisis that has prompted a call for substantial support from the government, raising questions about the stability and direction of the industry. [Microgrid News]

Siemens Gamesa headquarters (Zarateman, CC0)

¶ “Rooftop PV Take A Bite Out Of The Australian Grid’s Lunch As Minimum Demand Records Tumble Again” • According to data provider GPE NEMLog, rooftop solar PVs hit a new peak of 48.6% of total generation at 1:50 PM, breaking the record of 48.4% it had set at the start of the month. This took a big bite out of the business of Australia’s main grid. [Renew Economy]

¶ “Climate Change Wreaks Havoc In Cameroon” • Cameroon is especially exposed to climate change. The National Observatory on Climate Change indicates that Cameroon’s location makes it “very exposed” to climate-related dangers, inclluding droughts, floods in its cities, effects of El Niño, monsoons, and rising water levels along the coast. [EL PAÍS English]

Road in Cameroon (Angelo Casto, Unsplash)

¶ “Russia Accuses Ukraine Of Damaging Nuclear Waste Storage As The Battle For Avdiivika Grinds On” • Russia accused Ukraine of damaging a nuclear waste storage facility in a drone strike on the Kursk nuclear power plant while fighting raged on for the control of the key eastern city of Avdiivika, where Russians may have suffered heavy losses. [ABC News]

US:

¶ “Cruise, GM’s Robotaxi Service, Suspends All Of Its Driverless Operations Nationwide” • Cruise, the autonomous vehicle unit owned by General Motors, is suspending driverless operations nationwide after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked its license. Cruise began carrying passengers throughout San Francisco just recently. [ABC News]

Waymo (gibblesmash asdf, Unsplash)

¶ “Many Conservative US Politicians Push For Anti-Clean Energy Legislation” • Conservative politicians across the US are sharpening their attacks on EVs as well as making anti-clean energy a clarrion call for philosophic unity. The GOP wants to repeal EV incentives, forgetting that many Republicans are reaping the economic benefits of EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Phoenix Uber Riders Can Now Order A Waymo Robotaxi” • Uber and Waymo formed a partnership in the Phoenix metro area. A few days ago, Uber customers were able to get matched with a fully autonomous, all-electric Waymo ride for the first time in the 225+ square miles of Metro Phoenix where Waymo has been operating. [CleanTechnica]

Matching what is nearby (Uber image)

¶ “Republicans Pass Bill Slashing USA Energy Efficiency Funds” • The first major legislation the House GOP passed under Speaker Mike Johnson would cut billions of dollars in consumer rebates for energy efficiency. The $58 billion measure, which funds the Energy Department and other agencies, rescinds more than $5.5 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act. [Rigzone]

¶ “Even With Vogtle, Georgia Power Says It Needs More Sources of Electricity” • Despite the nuclear units going online, Georgia Power says increased demand for electricity is coming fast. It is asking regulators to let it secure more power generation ahead of schedule. The utility said it wants to build or contract for at least 3,365 GW, mostly of natural gas. [WRDW.com]

Have an inexpressibly decent day.

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Opinion:

¶ “A Refreshed Bolt Is Exactly What GM Needs Right Now” • In GM’s recent Q3 earnings call, CEO Mary Barra revealed some interesting new details about the return of the Chevy Bolt. Based on what she said and some of the headwinds the EV market has been facing recently, it seems pretty clear that a new Chevy Bolt is exactly what GM needs. [CleanTechnica]

2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV 2LT (Kevauto, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “In Michigan, Clean Energy And Agriculture Are Allies, Not Enemies” • The Michigan legislature is trying to make building clean energy in rural areas easier. Some opponents claiming that bills to do this amount to “war” being declared on agricultural districts. This framing is not just inaccurate. It is the opposite of the truth. [Bridge Michigan]

¶ “Is Crisis At Siemens Energy Symptom Of A Wider Wind Power Problem?” • One of the biggest wind turbine makers has reignited concerns over the headwinds facing the industry. It lost billions in market value this week. The rising costs of financing and building windfarms made headwinds for those building offshore windfarms worldwide. [The Guardian]

Wind turbines (Anna Jiménez Calaf, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “US Aims To Launch First Nuclear Thermal Rocket Into Space” • US defense and space agencies are moving quickly toward the world’s first in-orbit demonstration of a nuclear thermal rocket. Two US agencies, DARPA and NASA, are colaborating on the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations, between the Earth and the moon. [Environment News Service]

World:

¶ “Acapulco Residents Are Fending For Themselves In Absence Of Aid” • In a city without water, electricity or gasoline, desperate people have been allowed, even encouraged, to take essential goods from wrecked stores since Hurricane Otis hit Acapulco. The goods they can take include water, food, and other the things necessary to support them. [ABC News]

Hurricane Otis (MarioProtIV, public domain)

¶ “Tesla’s Giga Berlin Expansion Set To Kick Off In Early 2024 Amid Controversy” • Tesla revealed its hope to start its Giga Berlin expansion project in the first half of 2024. This news comes against the backdrop of ongoing public debates about the project’s scope and impact. For example, where does the water for the plant come from? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volvo Will Build The EX30 Compact SUV In Ghent Factory” • In a response to the strong demand for Volvo Cars’ upcoming new EX30 compact crossover, the company has decided to start building the new fully electric Volvo EX30 in its Ghent, Belgium plant from 2025, expanding production capacity for the hotly anticipated new vehicle. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo Ghent factory (Volvo image)

¶ “Decoding The Chaos In The Market For Electric Cars” • EV makers are unhappy. Mercedes described today’s marketplace as “subdued,” but CFO Harold Wilhelm said “we are beyond the worst” when it comes to inflation and energy pricing. However, he did add, “I can hardly imagine the current status quo is fully sustainable for everybody.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Power Is Expected to Dominate Electricity Production By 2050” • We put the latest world technological and economic data into a macroeconomic model. Our findings suggest that the solar revolution has, indeed, arrived. Solar energy is on track to make up more than half of global electricity generation by the middle of this century. [FlaglerLive]

Solar energy (Andreas Gücklhorn, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Gas Prices Drop As Some States Fall Below $3 A Gallon” • The average US gas price fell about 35¢ per gallon from a 2023 peak in mid-September, to $3.52, AAA data shows. That is a decline of over 9%. In Georgia and Mississippi, where gas prices are lowest, the average price per gallon dipped below $3. In Californias, the average price fell 57¢ to $5.30. [ABC News]

¶ “BP Places $100 Million Order For Tesla’s Ultra-Fast EV Chargers” • BP (sorry, bp) wants to do its part to save the planet by becoming a major player in the EV charging industry. It has looked around at all the charger manufacturers, done its due diligence, and placed a $100 million dollar order for Tesla Superchargers. [CleanTechnica]

bp pulse (courtesy of bp pulse)

¶ “New York’s Rideshare Cars Are Returning To The City’s Electric Roots” • New York City is requiring all rideshare vehicles to be fully electric by 2030. Mayor Eric Adams unveiled the “Green Rides” rule, which mandates that the rideshare fleet in the city must transition to either zero-emission or wheelchair accessible vehicles by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Texas Surpasses California With Most Installed Solar Power” • Texas now has the most solar power installed on its power grid in the country, knocking California out of its longtime reign. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the grid operator for 90% of Texas, had 18,364 MW of solar capacity installed on its grid as of September 30, ERCOT data shows. [Governing]

Solar array (Jason Blackeye, Unsplash)

¶ “Regulators Authorize Solar Power Plant In Mason County” • The Public Service Commission of West Virginia has approved a solar power plant project that will have more than 220,000 solar panels and create 319 construction jobs. According to the PSC, New Haven PV I applied to build the 100-MW solar facility on August 18. [WOWK]

¶ “DOE Issues Draft Plan For Grid Interconnections” • The DOE released a draft road map for transforming grid interconnection processes, a major hurdle to the Biden administration’s goal of decarbonizing the power sector by 2035. About 2,000 GW of mostly renewable generation and energy storage are in queues waiting to connect in the US. [Smart Cities Dive]

Have a comfortably positive day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Transition To EVs Is A Win For Our Climate – Let’s Make It A Win For US Workers” • A transition to electric transportation is underway globally, and momentum is growing. But what is its outlook for jobs? Can the EV transition support good jobs that provide for families and communities? The fundamentals show there’s reason to be optimistic. [CleanTechnica]

Rivian factory (Rivian image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “’Small Swaps’ To Climate-Friendly Diet Can Significantly Reduce Carbon Footprint, Improve Health” • Realistic, simple dietary swaps can help make a difference in the US carbon footprint, a study found. Published in Nature Food, it simulated health and environmental impacts of simple substitutions in diets of over 7,700 Americans. [ABC News]

¶ “Are Halloween Pumpkins A Future Superfood?” • Pumpkins have values that go far beyond the Halloween accessory they’ve become known for. They stick around until Thanksgiving, and even past. But their true potential lies in their nutritional and medicinal benefits, which are especially valuable because they tolerate drought so well. [BBC]

Pumpkins (Mark Duffel, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Sublime Systems Can Help Clean Up Carbon Emissions From Cement” • According to Canary Media, making cement produces more carbon emissions than any nation except China and the US. And reducing carbon emissions must be done within the laws of science. Sublime Systems has a cement with lower emissions that meets industry standards. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “New UK Laws To Make Charging An Electric Vehicle Easier And Quicker” • Millions of EV drivers will benefit from easier and more reliable public charging thanks to new laws in the UK. They will ensure that prices across chargepoints are transparent and easy to compare and that many public chargepoints have contactless payment options. [CleanTechnica]

Charging (Ernest Ojeh, Unsplash)

¶ “Tanzanian Renewable Startup Leading Through Innovation” • Millennium Engineers uses creative renewable energy solutions to support local communities across Tanzania. Its most recent project is centered around the fishing industry in Lake Victoria. Among the completed projects it installed is renewable energy at primary schools in Tanzania. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “€100/Month Electric Cars In France Next Week” • France is getting serious about climate action, equity, and EU-supportive economics all at once with a new electric car leasing program. The government is working to help low-income residents go electric. Starting next week, there will be a €100/month EV leasing program for eligible cars. [CleanTechnica]

Renault Twingo (Fiver, der Hellseher, CC-BY-SA 4.0, Cropped)

¶ “Two Workers At Fukushima Plant Hospitalized After Getting Sprayed With Radioactive Waste Accidentally” • Two workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant were sent to hospital after being sprayed with liquid with radioactive materials it, officials said. The workers had been cleaning the piping at the Advanced Liquid Processing System. [ABC News]

¶ “Denmark Supports Efforts To Develop Floating Offshore Wind Turbines” • Denmark is taking the lead in developing floating offshore wind turbines. The government is supporting projects and forming new partnerships as it believes floating wind will be critical for the next phase of the development of renewable energy. [The Maritime Executive]

Floating turbine (Untrakdrover, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Solar And Battery Energy Can Significantly Reduce Energy Bills” • Research by the Australian DOE shows that households equipped with solar panels and an 8.5-kWh battery can save more than 40% on their electricity bills. The finding is expected to add momentum for a swift deployment of renewable energy in Australia. [Investing.com Australia]

¶ “Data Insight: 21 Out Of 27 EU Countries Have Now Registered Corporate Renewable PPAs” • Just six EU countries have yet to host corporate renewable power purchase agreements, after four countries – Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia and Portugal – entered the market in 2023. Four other countries entered the corporate renewable PPA market in 2022. [Energy Monitor]

Lisbon (Liam McKay, Unsplash, cropped)

US:

¶ “US Solar PV Market: Prices Go Up, Prices Go Down” • Market prices modeled for installed residential PV systems were 15% lower this year than last. Though other system costs were higher, those increased costs were more than offset by lower module, inverter, logistics, and customer acquisition costs, resulting in overall cost reductions for systems. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Installation Underway Of 15 Acres Of 3D-Printed Artificial Reefs In Coastal North Carolina” • Acres of 3D-printed artificial reefs are being planted in coastal North Carolina to bolster its biodiversity and promote growth of natural reef. The reefs are being planted in the Palmico River, a large estuary system on North Carolina’s Atlantic Coast. [ABC News]

Reef section (Natrix image)

¶ “Resorts World Property Is Now 100% Powered By Renewable Energy” • Resorts World officials announced that the resort is now powered by 100% renewable energy. With Resorts World reaching this goal, NV Energy officials said they’ve reached their Renewable Portfolio Standard goal, the state’s renewable energy requirement, to hit 50% by 2030. [KTNV]

¶ “TotalEnergies JV Bags 25-Year Wind Power Contract With NY” • The Attentive Energy One project of TotalEnergies SE, Corio Generation, and Rise Light & Power, has been selected by New York State for a 25-year contract to supply 1.4 GW of renewable electricity. The consortium aims to commission the project in 2029, TotalEnergies said. [Rigzone]

Have a generally perfect day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Schuyler Gould: Not One Ounce Of Nearly 100,000 Tons Of High-Level Radioactive Waste Has Been Safely Disposed Of” • What is this country going to do with its high-level radioactive waste? Arguably the most toxic substance on the planet, not one ounce of the nearly 100,000 tons produced in this country has been safely disposed of. [Vermont Digger]

Vermont Yankee nuclear plant in 2012 (NRC image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Wisk Is First EVTOL Air Taxi Firm To Make Public Flights, Lilium Offers First EVTOL Aircraft For Private Purchase” • Wisk became the first eVTOL air taxi firm to make public flights at Long Beach Airport in Los Angeles County. Also, Lilium Jet, together with EMCJET, is offering the first private eVTOL in the US to customers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar And Wind-Powered Boat Travels Through The Greek Islands” • The HopYacht differs from the other electric boats in that it has solar power and sail power in order to use sunlight and wind. The HopYacht is also a catamaran, not a monohull. And another difference is that it emphasizes efficiency and long range rather than speed. [CleanTechnica]

Solar and wind-powered boat (HopYacht image)

World:

¶ “Turbocharged Otis Caught Forecasters And Mexico Off-Guard. Scientists Aren’t Sure Why” • Acapulco was told to expect a tropical storm, but 24 hours later, Otis made landfall with 165 mph (266 kph) winds, the strongest ever recorded in the East Pacific. Otis’ winds went from 70 mph (113 kph) winds to 160 mph (257 kph) in just 12 hours. [ABC News]

¶ “Uber Says It Is Adding 10,000 Electric Cars To Its Fleet In Australia” • Uber Australia is making good on its commitment to be totally carbon emissions-free by 2040. It announced this week it is importing 10,000 electric cars from BYD and will make them available to its Uber and Uber Eats drivers on attractive terms. [CleanTechnica]

Uber (Uber image)

¶ “The City Of Impact Lays A Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle Plan For Green Hydrogen” • The 10th annual Ocean Energy Europe Conference is going on at The Hague. Wave and tidal energy are front and center, and that city is interested in putting offshore wind farms to work for multiple uses, including floating solar, aquaculture, and green hydrogen. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Oil Majors Double Down On Fossil Fuels While Climate Scientists Go To Prison” • Something is seriously out of whack when ExxonMobil and Chevron double down on their plans to extract every bit of fossil fuels on Earth while climate scientists go to jail for telling the truth about the link between burning fossil fuels and global warming. [CleanTechnica]

Scientists in rebellion (Courtesy of Scientist Rebellion)

¶ “Revived SEC Targets 4.5 GW Of Renewable Generation And Storage” • The State Electricity Commission was resurrected with the Victorian government unveiling a 12-year strategy to include supporting 4.5 GW of clean energy development, funding for domestic electrification, and developing long-duration energy storage projects. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “First High-Speed Train Arrives In Southern Hemisphere – Bandung Confluence” • The first high-speed train south of the equator connects two of Indonesia’s largest cities, which are on the island of Java. One is the national capital, Jakarta, with 11.25 million residents. The other isthe fourth largest city, Bandung, with 2.67 million. [CleanTechnica]

KCIC high-speed train (KCIC press image)

US:

¶ “Berkeley Lab Launches The Power Reliability Event Simulator Tool” • To address the issue of power outages, Berkeley Lab has developed the Power Reliability Event Simulator TOol (PRESTO) an easy-to-use, publicly available model to be used to simulate the occurrence of short power interruptions in any county in the continental US. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Heat Pump Water Heater Sales In 2022 Signal A Decisive Shift In Water Heating Trends” • Energy-efficient water heating took significant strides in 2022. Sales of heat pump water heaters grew 26% last year, while sales of gas water heaters declined by 17%, underlining a clear shift in the US toward more efficient, electric-powered water heating systems. [CleanTechnica]

Heat pump water heater (NIST, public domain)

¶ “Energy Plan Bills Advance To Full Michigan Senate” • Bills to set a 100% clean energy standard for Michigan by 2040 advanced out of committee. They are part of Democrats’ broader plan to support renewable energy. Senator Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) says the bills would move Michigan away from dependance on fossil fuels. [Michigan Radio]

¶ “EDPR Unveils Arizona Solar-Storage” • EDPR NA Distributed Generation unveiled plans for a solar-storage project in Arizona for Mohave Electric Cooperative. The 23.27-MW (dc) ground-mount solar array and a 15-MW, 60-MWh energy storage system for Mohave Electric Cooperative will help it provide renewable power and mitigate peak energy use. [reNews]

Arizona parking lot (Michael Nothum, US DOE)

¶ “New Hampshire Delegation Welcomes Nearly $500,000 To Expand Energy Efficiency In Rural Communities” • Nearly $500,000 in funding were allocated in New Hampshire through the Rural Energy for America Program Technical Assistance as part of nearly $2 billion in funding provided for REAP through the Inflation Reduction Act. [Senator Jeanne Shaheen]

¶ “Kansas Corporation Commission Sides With Big Utilities” • The Kansas Corporation Commission issued an order approving a settlement changing rules for customers of Evergy, a monopoly electric utility that provides energy to 1.7 million Missouri and Kansas customers. Vote Solar and the Sierra Club believe KCC lacks authority to make the order. [Earthjustice]

Have a powerfully expressive day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “The Importance Of Energy Management In Residential PV Systems” • Energy management systems take in many signals, put them through data models, and tweak the available resources optimally. The most advanced ones, such as one from SolarEdge, seamlessly integrate with virtual power plant systems to the advantage of homeowners. [CleanTechnica]

Home on a hillside (SolarEdge image)

¶ “Climate Scientists Warn That Earth Systems Are Heading For ‘Dangerous Instability’” • Forecasts about the negative effects of human-caused climate change are common, but new research makes even more dire claims, declaring that “life on planet Earth is under siege” and that “we are pushing our planetary systems into dangerous instability.” [ABC News]

World:

¶ “‘Unstoppable’ Energy Transition Means Demand For Oil, Gas, And Coal Set To Peak By 2030” • Global demand for fossil fuels is expected to peak later this decade, according to a report. The International Energy Agency said in its annual World Energy Outlook report that the shift will be driven by the “phenomenal rise” of clean sources of energy. [CNN]

Power plant (Untitled Photo, Unsplash)

¶ “Japan’s Automakers Unveil EVs Galore At Tokyo Show To Catch Up With Tesla” • At the Tokyo show, Mazda plays up a sportscar concept that is a plug-in EV with its rotary engine. Honda shows off its Prelude sportscar EV concept. Toyota’s angular Lexus concept, set to go on sale in 2026, is an EV that runs on lithium-ion batteries. [ABC News]

¶ “Vietnam’s Vinfast Committed To Selling EVs To US Despite Challenges” • Vietnamese automaker Vinfast plunged right into the crowded and hypercompetitive US auto market, gambling that if it can sell its EVs to finicky Americans, it can succeed anywhere. But CEO Le Thi Thu Thuy said in a recent interview that the US market is “difficult.” [ABC News]

Vinfast EVs (Thai Nguyen, Unsplash)

¶ “EV Floodgates Open In Ethiopia After Gov’t Exempts All EVs From VAT, Surtax, And Excise Tax” • A year ago, the Ethiopian government introduced some incentives to catalyze the adoption of electric vehicles. Ethiopia’s Ministry of Finance exempted all electric vehicles from VAT, surtax, and excise tax! It’s been a year now, so let’s see how it worked. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Neoen, Alight Begin Work On Swedish PV Project” • Neoen and Alight signalled the start of construction of the 100-MW Hultsfred solar farm in Sweden. Jointly developed and owned by Neoen (majority shareholder) and Alight, the Hultsfred solar farm is to be connected to the E.ON local grid, in south-east Sweden in 2025. [reNews]

Solar farm site (Neoen image)

¶ “Amazon Adds 39 Renewable Energy Projects In Europe” • Amazon announced adding 39 new renewable energy projects in Europe so far this year, totalling over 1 GW of capacity. Amazon has enabled over 160 wind and solar projects in 13 European countries. They will provide enough energy for annual needs for over 4.7 million European homes. [Amazon EU]

¶ “Wind Energy Market Size To Hit $220.7 Billion, Globally, By 2028” • According to The Insight Partners, the windpower market is expected to grow from $156.8 billion in 2021 to $220.7 billion by 2028. It is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.0% from 2022 to 2028. The Asia Pacific region is expected to continue its dominance over the forecast period. [Yahoo Finance]

Wind turbines (Frederik Schönfeldt, Unsplash)

¶ “Germany And France Finally Compromise On Nuclear” • The French are dependent on nuclear power. Existing French nuclear plants will require major capital improvements and plants under construction are really expensive. France wants to subsidize its nuclear program, but other EU countries, especially Germany, objected. Now they have compromised. [Oil Price]

US:

¶ “EcoFlow’s 110-W Foldable Solar Panels Are On Sale For 33% Off” • The cost of solar panels and power stations is coming down, the specs are going up. Now 110-W foldable solar panels from EcoFlow are available for just $199, which is a discount of a full third off the regular retail price of $299. Here are details on the EcoFlow foldable solar panel. [CleanTechnica]

Foldable solar panel (Ecoflow image)

¶ “NY Governor Hochul Announces Nation’s Largest-Ever State Investment In Renewable Energy Is Moving Forward” • New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the largest state renewable energy investment in US history. The conditional awards include three offshore wind and 22 land-based renewable energy projects totaling 6.4 gigawatts of clean energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California Sees Unprecedented Growth In Energy Storage” • California is surging forward in the buildout of battery energy storage systems with more than 6,600 MW online, enough to power 6.6 million homes for up to four hours. The total resource is up from 770 MW four years ago and double the amount of just two years ago. [California Energy Commission]

California storage milestone (Government of California)

¶ “Idaho Power Customers Urge Utilities Commission To Reject Proposal To Change Solar Credit System” • At a Idaho Public Utilities Commission hearing, dozens of Idaho Power customers and climate advocates laid out concerns about a proposal that would reduce the value of electricity it gets from customers with solar arrays. [Idaho Capital Sun]

¶ “Xcel Seeks 1.2 GW Of New Minnesota Wind Resources To Replace Retiring Coal Plant” • Xcel Energy is seeking about 1,200 MW of new wind projects located in southwest Minnesota, the utility announced. The renewable resources will help to replace the Sherco coal-fired plant in Becker, Minnesota, which Xcel is to retire by 2030. [Utility Dive]

Have a usefully gleeful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Billions Of Snow Crabs Have Died In Alaska. Will Billions Of People Be Next?” • Billions of snow crabs died, probably due to warm water. The mortality event appears to be one of the largest reported losses due to marine heatwaves. The groups of animals it hit include fish and crustaceans worldwide. Is Mother Nature trying to tell us something? [CleanTechnica]

Snow crab (NOAA Fisheries)

¶ “Does European Football Care About Climate Change?” • More teams, more games, more flights. Next season will see men’s club football expand further in Europe, with 177 more fixtures across UEFA’s three major tournaments and greater environmental impact. That could lead to 2 billion air miles by teams and fans in 2024-25, up from 1.5 billion. [Yahoo Sports]

World:

¶ “Rapid Melting In West Antarctica Is ‘Unavoidable,’ With Potentially Disastrous Consequences For Sea Level Rise, Study Finds” • Rapid melting of West Antarctica’s ice shelves may now be unavoidable as human-caused global warming accelerates, with potentially devastating implications for sea level rise around the world, new research has found. [CNN]

West Antarctica (Jeremy Harbeck, OIB, NASA)

¶ “Philippine EV Summit Shows Positive Developments, Predicts 6.6 Million EVs On The Road By 2030” • Over 6 million EVs will be on the streets of the Philippines by 2030, if the forecast of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines is correct. The projection was announced at the 11th Philippine Electric Vehicle Summit 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “1.8-Gigawatt Benban Solar Farm In Egypt Can Power 1 Million Households” • The success of the Benban Solar Farm in Egypt, demonstrates the impact that large scale clean energy projects can have on the energy matrix of North African countries. The largest solar park in Africa and the 4th largest solar farm globally, it has a capacity of 1.8 GW. [CleanTechnica]

Benban Solar Farm (Screenshot of ACCIONA video)

¶ “Amazon Adds 39 Renewable Energy Projects In Europe” • Amazon announced adding 39 new renewable energy projects in Europe so far this year, totalling over 1 GW of capacity. Amazon has enabled over 160 wind and solar projects in 13 European countries. They will provide enough energy for annual needs for over 4.7 million European homes. [Amazon EU]

¶ “Eviation Sells Up To Fifty Electric Commuter Aircraft To German Startup” • Alice debuted at the 2019 Paris Air Show. It is the first flight-tested all-electric commuter aircraft. According to Eviation, the nine-passenger regional aircraft has zero emissions and has significantly lower operating costs per hour compared to light jets or regional turboprops. [AVweb]

Eviation Alice

¶ “DP Energy Wins Approval For 430-MW Oz Wind Farm” • DP Energy has been awarded Development Approval for its 430-MW Callide onshore wind farm project in Australia by the State Assessment Referral Agency. The project will be in the Calliope Range in the Banana Shire Council in Queensland, 75 km west south-west of Gladstone. [reNews]

¶ “RES Unveils 600-MW UK Solar And Storage Plans” • RES has launched informal consultation on early plans for a solar and storage project of up to 600 MW in Nottinghamshire. The land is adjacent to the recently decommissioned West Burton Power Station, and RES has an agreement in place to use its 600 MW of surplus grid capacity. [reNews]

Solar farm in the UK (RES image)

US:

¶ “Bidenomics In Action: Clean Energy Jobs And Investments Taking Hold Across America” • Analyses of data from the DOE, the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, and the US Energy Information Administration show job growth and record investments in the clean power sector since Pres Biden enacted his Investing in America agenda. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Solid-State EV Battery Factory Opens In Massachusetts” • Factorial announced plans for a new battery R&D facility to be located in Massachusetts, and on October 23 the company is celebrating the official opening ceremony for its new solid-state EV battery factory in Methuen. Manufacturing is growing again in the US. [CleanTechnica]

Factorial solid state battery (Factorial Energy)

¶ “$18.5 Billion In Energy Savings From The Better Climate Challenge” • The US DOE published the “2023 Better Buildings Initiative Progress Report,” summarizes the achievements of the DOE’s Better Buildings partners since the initiative’s inception in 2011. The report shows $18.5 billion saved through efficiency improvements. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Newsom Assures California Always A Partner On Climate Change As He Begins China Trip” • Governor Newsom opened a week-long trip to China with an assurance that California will be a partner on climate issues no matter how the US presidential election turns out next year. Newsom is reinforcing his state’s role as a global climate change leader. [ABC News]

Gavin Newsom in Canada (Office of the Governor of California)

¶ “TotalEnergies Starts Up 380-MW Texas Solar” • TotalEnergies has started commercial operations of a 380 MW solar farm south of Houston. Myrtle solar farm is co-located with a battery storage plant with an energy capacity of 225 MWh. The site has 705,000 ground-mounted PV panels installed over an area equivalent to 1,800 American football fields. [reNews]

¶ “Nuclear Power Plants On Agenda As Illinois Veto Session Begins Tuesday” • Illinois state lawmakers return to the capitol as the 2023 veto session begins. One of Illinois Gov JB Pritzker’s most notable vetoes of 2023 was a bill that would have lifted the moratorium on building new nuclear power plants and allowed small modular nuclear reactors. [WGEM]

Have a decidedly superb day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “What’s New On The Rungs Of Liebreich’s Hydrogen Ladder?” • Michael Liebreich is the founder of what is now Bloomberg New Energy Finance. He has been assessing where the big money is in half-trillion dollar chunks for the past 20 years or so. One of his more useful hydrogen infographics is the Hydrogen Ladder, and now he’s updated it. [CleanTechnica]

Hydrogen ladder (Michael Liebrich, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “New Marine Energy Harvesting Devices Are (Finally) Heaving Into View” • CleanTechnica will report from The Hague next week for the 2023 Ocean Energy Europe Conference and Exhibition. While we wait for it, let’s take a look at the goings-on over at the Dutch Marine Energy Centre, which earned the post of Platinum Sponsor at the event. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Here Is Why I Am Excited About Toyota’s New EPU Pickup And Land Cruiser Se Electric Concepts” • Toyota, which has resisted selling battery EVs, unveiled two interesting concepts of the type at the Japan Mobility Show 2023. These are the Toyota Land Cruiser Se Concept BEV and the EPU Double Cab Mid-Sized Pickup BEV concept. [CleanTechnica]

Toyota EPU Pickup BEV concept (Courtesy of Toyota)

¶ “More Electric Buses Deployed By Energy Producer Aboitiz In Philippine Urban Centers” • Aboitiz Equity Ventures, a Philippine energy producer that also operates in numerous other sectors, is making headway promoting simple EV technologies for public service, overcoming charging issues by centralizing strategically located stations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Average Tailpipe Emissions Today Higher Than They Were Ten Years Ago” • Research by Possible, a UK climate advocacy group, finds that average tailpipe emissions from new internal combustion increased in the last ten years. In fact, anyone who wants the non-electric car with the lowest tailpipe emissions might best buy a used 2016 model. [CleanTechnica]

Ford Explorer (Courtesy of Ford)

¶ “Commission Publishes Recommendations To Tackle Energy Poverty Across The EU” • Energy poverty affects citizens in every EU country. In 2022, high energy prices and high costs of living meant an estimated 9.3% of Europeans were unable to keep their homes adequately warm, up from 6.9% in 2021. The Commission published its recommendations. [Energy]

¶ “Rio Tinto Signs First Nations Power Deal For Solar, Wind And Battery Projects” • Mining giant Rio Tinto is seeking to roll out a series of solar, wind and battery projects to replace the gas-fired generators on which its huge iron ore mines currently depend. The company signed a green power deal with the Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation. [Renew Economy]

Pilbara (Eddie Bugajewski, Unsplash)

¶ “Indian Government Plans Strict Regulations For Domestic Solar Panel Manufacturing” • The Indian government is set to implement a policy that will require solar panels to be composed of domestically manufactured cells, wafers, and polysilicon in order to be registered under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Old Coal Mine Filled With Warm Water Has Been Heating A Town With Green Energy For Six Months” • Britain’s deep coal mines have become a surprising source of green energy. It’s been heating the town of Gateshead successfully for six months. The scheme is thought to be replicable in areas with large abandoned mine works. [Good News Network]

Gateshead facility (Britain’s Coal Authority)

¶ “Fossil Fuel Power: A Dying Trend In 50% Of Economies” • A new study by Ember, an energy think tank, has revealed that half of the world’s economies have already crossed the peak of power generation from fossil fuels. This means they have not increased their fossil fuel power output for at least five years since reaching their highest level. [Interesting Engineering]

¶ “Some EU Policies ‘Hinder’ Climate Action, WWF says” • The World Wildlife Fund decried EU climate measures in a report, Among WWF’s ‘hall of shame’ of the EU’s worst measures for the climate are the failure to tax aviation fuels and the inclusion of gas and nuclear in the so-called sustainable finance taxonomy, the EU’s green investment rulebook. [Euronews.com]

Power station with smoke (Travis Leery, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “California Governor Gavin Newsom is traveling to China to talk climate change” • California Governor Gavin Newsom will try to reinforce his state’s role as a global leader on climate change as he begins a weeklong visit to China on Monday, a trip that presents both political risk and opportunity for crucial international collaboration. [ABC News]

¶ “Prize Finalists Make Home Electrification Solutions Look EAS-E” • The EAS-E Prize is offering up to $2.4 million in cash prizes and technical assistance to accelerate development of easy, affordable, and equitable electrification. Each finalist team will receive $5,000 in cash and a $75,000 voucher to work with national laboratories. [CleanTechnica]

Hydronic Shell modular panel (Courtesy of Hydronic Shell)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Clean Energy Advocates Appeal New NC Rules That Cut Payments To Rooftop Solar Owners” • Worried that growth of residential solar power in North Carolina could slow down badly, several environment groups asked the state’s Court of Appeals to overturn Duke Energy’s new rates and rules for rooftop solar panels. [Wilmington Star-News]

¶ “Governor Vetoes New York Offshore Wind Transmission Act” • Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, has vetoed the Planned Offshore Wind Transmission Act. New York State has set a target of 9 GW of offshore wind by 2035. The American Clean Power Association described the veto as a “significant blow” to the state’s renewable energy goals. [reNews]

Have a nicely settled day.

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