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Science and Technology:

¶ When the EPA released its draft report in 2015 on the safety of hydraulic fracturing, industry groups seized on one sentence as proof that fracking is safe: a conclusion that the process has no national “widespread, systemic impact” on drinking water. Now, the final report is out – and that sentence has been removed. [Christian Science Monitor]

Fracking in a farm field (Andrew Cullen / Reuters / File)

¶ The Arctic is heating up twice as fast as the rest of the world, triggering a “massive decline in sea ice and snow,” according to a new federal report. The study shows that the increase in average air temperature between October 2015 and September 2016 was the largest since 1995 at 6.3° F (3.5° C) above those recorded in 1900. [CNN]

World:

¶ A Hundred meters above the flat, dry grain country in western Victoria, the wind blows strongly. Last week the farming region took a big step towards capturing the power of this wind when a 116-turbine wind farm at Murra Warra got planning approval. It will power 250,000 homes, and it will create 60 permanent jobs. [Weekly Times Now]

Eighteen Murra Warra families banded together
to reap the benefits from hosting wind turbines.

¶ A new bid on solar power came in at an amazing price, given Denmark’s nascent solar market and its extremely northerly location. The auction brought in an average winning bid price of 38 Danish øre per kWh (5.4¢/kWh). This beats the LCOE from every other new power plant option except wind power – and it is in Denmark! [CleanTechnica]

¶ On some days Danish wind turbines produced 140% of the nation’s need, and they have solar energy and biomass. The Danish Energy Agency has said renewables produce 56% of Denmark’s electricity consumption. Their neighbours purchase any excess power they produce, and they can import power when the need to. [CleanTechnica]

Bottom of wind turbine at Avedore, Hovedstaden, Denmark
(Photo by Drouyn Cambridge via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 license)

¶ German energy group E.ON has invested in a British start-up business that uses sails instead of rotors to harness wind energy. Kite Power Solutions secured $6.36 million in a fresh funding round that, in addition, included oil industry services company Schlumberger and Royal Dutch Shell, according to E.ON. [Daily Times]

¶ The 20-MW Barcaldine Remote Community Solar Farm, Queensland’s largest solar power installation, is now supplying power to the grid, according to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. The facility, developed by Elecnor Australia, a unit of Spain’s Elecnor SA, is expected to reach full generation by the end of 2016. [SeeNews Renewables]

Moree solar farm (Source: ARENA)

US:

¶ The US Department of the Interior signed a memorandum of understanding with California to help develop renewable energy projects on federal and state lands, as well as offshore. The MoU establishes objectives for all projects, including prioritizing the applications processing and making more efficient use of existing transmission systems. [reNews]

¶ Activists who have demonstrated for months against the Dakota Access Pipeline may have some fuel to justify their protests. A spill has occurred 150 miles from where protesters have fought construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. State officials estimate 4,200 barrels of crude oil have leaked from the Belle Fourche Pipeline. [CNN]

Most of the oil has flowed into Ash Coulee Creek.

¶ An Arizona utility regulator suggested that nuclear energy should count as a renewable power source, allowing it to compete with solar and wind. One of the five members on the panel that regulates utilities proposed the change in a letter that also implies that he never supported the state’s Renewable Energy Standard. [Arizona Daily Sun]

¶ Good news for environmental campaigners: President-elect Trump has finally nominated someone to his cabinet who actually believes in climate change science. The bad news for those same campaigners is that this true believer happens to be CEO of ExxonMobil, who also sees fossil fuels as critical to humanity’s survival. [BBC]

Protestors young and old making their feelings heard
at the Exxon Mobil annual general meeting in Texas

¶ In another sign that the transition isn’t proceeding as smoothly as President Obama professes, the Energy Department refused Tuesday to provide President-elect Donald Trump’s team with a list of federal employees who have worked on climate-change programs. Trump’s transition team did not explain the request. [Washington Times]

¶ Two power line projects that won federal approval Tuesday will give a big capacity boost to the Western energy grid, including power for up to 1 million homes from what’s on track to become the biggest wind farm to be built in the US, the 3,000-MW Chokecherry-Sierra Madre wind farm in southern Wyoming. [Carlisle Sentinel]

Happy Jack Wind Farm, west of Cheyenne

¶ The San Roman Wind Farm, a 93-MW renewable energy project located near Brownsville, Texas, has begun commercial operation. It will produce sufficient electricity to power more than 30,000 Texas homes. It is expected to generate $30 million in tax revenues and $25 million in lease payments to landowners. [Commercial Property Executive]

¶ Donald Trump’s nominees for the secretaries of Energy and State, and administrator of the EPA, are creating a growing hydrocarbon council in his administration. While generally thought to be good for oil and gas, the ramifications remain unclear. The government perception of fossil fuel will doubtless change. [Oil and Gas Investor]

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Science and Technology:

¶ In early 2015, scientists announced the discovery of an almost circular structure in the Antarctic ice surface, about 2 km (1.2 miles) wide. Now, a team of climate researchers has found that the mysterious crater on the King Baudouin ice shelf shows that the East Antarctic ice sheet may be more vulnerable to climate change than expected. [Raw Story]

Antarctica’s Larsen C Ice Shelf (Youtube)

World:

¶ Five countries in Africa – Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Benin, and Togo – have jointly announced they will begin rejecting shipments of high-sulfur diesel fuel refined in Europe in a bid to reduce harmful emissions. Nigeria will reportedly accepting only diesel fuels with under 50 ppm of sulfur – down from the 3,000 ppm currently allowed. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The largest PV plant in East Africa is being commissioned in Soroti, Uganda. Made up of 32,680 PV panels, the new 10-MW facility is the country’s first grid-connected solar plant. The Soroti plant will generate enough clean, low-carbon, sustainable electricity for 40,000 homes, schools and businesses in the area. [PC Tech Magazine]

Soroti solar farm (Credit: APO)

¶ NTR has acquired the Twin Rivers wind farm in Yorkshire from InfraRed Environmental Infrastructure Fund and the Co-operative Group for £80 million. The 28.7-MW project consists of 14 Senvion MM92 turbines and is expected to come online before the end of the year. It is NTR’s tenth wind farm in the UK and Ireland. [reNews]

¶ Siemens Wind Power is to supply turbines totalling 60.6 MW to the Uljin wind farm in South Korea for SK D&D Company. The project, which is in Gyeongsangbuk province on the east coast of the country, will feature 16 SWT-3.6-130 machines and one SWT-3.0-108 turbine. Hub heights will range from 71 to 115 meters. [reNews]

Siemens 3.3-MW turbine (Siemens photo)

¶ Four Russian cities have expressed interest in using small nuclear reactors to supply heat and power, according to Yuriy Kuznetsov of NA Dollezhal Research and Development Institute of Power Engineering. A Rosatom feasibility study concluded that up to 38 cogeneration reactors could potentially be deployed at 14 sites. [World Nuclear News]

¶ A “trail-blazing” trial in a Welsh village could change how communities up and down the UK buy their electricity. By clubbing together, 100 households in Bethesda will be able to purchase the power generated by a local hydro scheme for half the price. Other communities might benefit from renewable energy projects in their areas. [BBC News]

Avon Idwal, Bethesda, Gwynedd, Wales
(Photo by Eric Jones, CC BY SA, Wikimedia Commons)

US:

¶ According to GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association’s Q4 2016 US Solar Market Insight report, 4,143 MW of solar PV were installed in the US in the third quarter of the year, a rate of one MW every 32 minutes. That pace has picked up and is even faster today, as the fourth quarter will surpass the third. [Your Renewable News]

¶ German electric utility E.ON is to develop a 228-MW onshore windfarm in Willacy County, Texas. The Bruenning’s Breeze windfarm will include 76 Nordex wind turbines, each with a generating capacity of 3 MW. With the commissioning expected at the end of 2017, it will be E.ON’s 22nd wind project in the US. [Power Technology]

E.ON wind turbines (Photo: courtesy of E.ON)

¶ Bill Gates and a few super-rich pals are going to pump $1 billion into cleaner energy tech. They launched Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a venture capital fund dedicated to fighting climate change (and, ideally, making money). This is step one in delivering on promises Gates made last year during the Paris climate talks. [Grist]

¶ The Block Island Wind Farm is supplying power to the grid, making it America’s first offshore wind facility. Deepwater Wind and project partners have commissioned the 30-MW installation off the coast of Rhode Island, and it is now delivering power into New England’s electric grid via a 20-mile-long submarine cable. [POWER magazine]

Block Islands last turbine going up

¶ Last week, Donald Trump’s transition team sent a 74-item questionnaire to the DOE, including a request for the names of anyone who attended global climate talks. Since then the full text of the questionnaire has been revealed. Sadly, it only increases the concerns regarding the intentions of the incoming Trump administration. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Texas grid operator ERCOT announced a new record in November for wind power in the state. For the first time, wind provided more than 15,000 megawatts of electricity in a single day. Already a clear leader in wind power in the US, Texas has more than 18,000 megawatts installed and another 5,000 under construction. [Energy Digital]

Texas wind power (Image via Wiki Commons)

¶ A long-running debate over whether Entergy New Orleans should build a $216-million power plant in New Orleans East has morphed into a wider dispute over the future of local energy generation in New Orleans. A city council meeting ran into two hours, with members of the public decrying the idea of a new gas-powered plant. [Lake Expo]

¶ The hydroelectric power station at the Kinzua Dam on the Allegheny River generates enough electricity to power 400,000 homes. But there are many smaller dams on the Three Rivers that aren’t generating power. Putting those existing dams to work could give the region a valuable source of renewable energy. [West Virginia Public Broadcasting]

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Opinion:

¶ “EIA’s Lack Of Math And Logic Skills Makes For An Interesting Investment Environment” • Every year the US DOE’s Energy Information Administration releases an Annual Energy Outlook. Every year, it projects that renewable growth will slow down. But the EIA projections have never done well portraying reality. [Seeking Alpha]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

Science and Technology:

¶ Methane levels in the atmosphere are rising faster than at any point in the past two decades, according to new research. The findings are presented by the newly-released “Global Methane Budget” published Monday, part of an effort by 100 international scientists to understand just how much methane is rising, and why. [CNN]

¶ Wind power plays a key role in curbing greenhouse emissions from other energy sources such as coal and gas, a study from researchers at Edinburgh University has shown. Energy from wind farms in the UK prevented almost 36 million tonnes of carbon emissions in six years, equivalent to taking 2.3 million cars off the road. [STV News]

Wind curbing emissions (STV file photo)

World:

¶ South Africa unveiled the first solar system in the continent to power an airport. Located halfway between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, George Airport will meet 41% of its energy demand from a brand new solar power plant built on its grounds. Its capacity will be increased in time, eventually reaching a total of 750 kW. [CNN]

¶ Oil prices have surged after oil-producing countries that are not OPEC members agreed to cut output. Brent crude jumped to $57.89 a barrel, the highest since July 2015, before falling back to $56.79, although that was still a gain of 4.5% on the day. Non-OPEC countries agreed to cut their output by 558,000 barrels per day on October 10. [BBC]

Offshore oil rig (Mikhail Mordasov, Getty Images)

¶ Waning appetite from key consuming nations and swift growth in other sources of energy will stall global demand for coal over the next five years, according to the International Energy Agency. An EIA forecast says coal’s share in the global power generation mix will drop to 36% by 2021, down from 41% in 2014. [City A.M.]

¶ Vestas Wind Systems A/S will equip and help build the 270-MW Sapphire wind farm in New South Wales, for AUS$430 million (US$321 million, €303.5 million), under a contract won in consortium with Australian firm Zenviron Pty Ltd. Vestas said it will supply and install 75 units of its V126-3.45 MW turbines. [SeeNews Renewables]

Vestas turbines at the Macarthur wind farm
(Image courtesy of Vestas Wind Systems A/S)

¶ A report by the Australia’s energy regulator has recommended a multi-billion-dollar investment in electricity infrastructure to help secure the stability of Australia’s power grid. The report argued the investment would help save money in the long run, especially considering the growing use of renewable energy generation. [The New Daily]

¶ Power generated by UK wind farms prevented the release of almost 36 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions between 2008 and 2014, according to a new study from the University of Edinburgh. The power generated by the UK’s wind farms was the equivalent of taking 2.3 million cars off the road, the study said. [Holyrood.com]

Wind turbines (Credit: Holyrood)

¶ Chinese state-funded renewable energy firms are spreading their nets overseas, as quality new projects become harder to come by at home. The two most active are China General Nuclear Power Group, the country’s largest nuclear reactor developer, and China Three Gorges, its biggest hydro power developer. [South China Morning Post]

¶ The 270-MW Sapphire wind project in New South Wales will proceed to construction, after securing up to $120 million in debt finance from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The CEFC said that its commitment to the $588 million project would demonstrate the bankability of Australian renewable energy projects. [RenewEconomy]

Taralga wind farm (courtesy of Vestas Wind Systems)

US:

¶ Donald Trump won’t get Rex Tillerson as secretary of state without a fight. Nominating the ExxonMobil tycoon for the position could ignite a showdown between the President-elect and senators in his own party. Tillerson has a close relationship with Vladimir Putin, and the CIA says Russia likely intervened in the presidential election. [CNN]

¶ The city council of St Petersburg, Florida unanimously voted to target 100% renewable electricity. It aims to achieve this goal with the help of some of the $1 million it received in a settlement with BP over the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. St Petersburg is reportedly the 20th US city to target 100% renewables for its electricity supply. [CleanTechnica]

St Petersburg (Photo: Cynthia Shahan | CleanTechnica)

¶ US utilities have traditionally been a safe bet for investors, and they may continue to be in 2017. Still, there are some worrisome undercurrents for the sector, and these deserve close attention, Fitch Ratings says in its annual look at the credit-worthiness of investor-owned companies that provide electricity and natural gas. [USA TODAY]

¶ Donald Trump said he still doesn’t think climate change is really happening, in an interview on Sunday 11 December. “I’m still open-minded. Nobody really knows,” he said after a Fox News anchor played a clip in which he calls climate change “a big scam for a lot of people to make a lot of money.” [International Business Times UK]

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Science and Technology:

¶ Climate change may be to blame for the deadly avalanche in Tibet, a study found. On July 17, more than 70 million tonnes of ice broke off from the Aru glacier in the mountains of western Tibet. Glacial collapse is unprecedented in that area of Tibet, which for decades has seemed to resist the effects of climate change. [The Statesman]

Avalanche (Getty Images)

World:

¶ The Solar Energy Corporation of India has launched a tender of 1000 MW capacity for the development of grid-connected rooftop solar capacity for Central Government Ministries and Departments. This would be the largest rooftop tender for SECI, which has commissioned rooftop solar projects with over 54 MW of capacity. [NetIndian]

¶ Eleven oil-producing countries that are not OPEC members agreed to cut their output to boost prices. The group, which includes Russia, said that they will cut production by 558,000 barrels per day. OPEC announced last month that it would be reducing its own production to ease an over-saturated global market. [BBC]

Worker in a Siberian oil field (Reuters image)

¶ Renewable energy can add resiliency to electricity grids, and there’s no reason why individual states can’t set their own goals higher than a national target, a senior GE technology director says. His comments bolster the case made by state governments acting on their own, such as Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia. [Queensland Country Life]

¶ Negotiations to construct the $300 million Singida Wind Farm in Tanzania are in advanced stages. It has a potential capacity of 100 MW of wind-powered electricity. It is being developed by Wind Power East Africa Limited in the country’s Singida Region. Construction is expected to begin in April or May of 2017. [The Exchange]

Tanzania is developing wind, solar, and geothermal power.

¶ India has asked American and French nuclear companies to furnish details of functional reactors designed by them as proof of their efficacy. Sources said Westinghouse and EDF are still not ready with fully operational “reference plants”, a pre-requisite before a final General Framework Agreement could be signed with these entities. [News Nation]

US:

¶ With just days left in the two-year term, the Michigan Legislature may be inching toward votes on what is billed as a comprehensive rewrite of state energy laws, legislation that Governor Rick Snyder has made clear is his highest priority. The bill would increase the amount of renewable power, but it has some heavy down sides. [Kansas City Star]

Wind turbine near Caseville, Michigan (Paul Sancya AP Photo)

¶ According to documents obtained by Politico, Donald Trump’s transition team has asked the Energy Department to cough-up the names of any employees who have worked on President Obama’s climate initiatives, including all who have worked on the “social cost of carbon.” It looks like a witch hunt is already under way. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The state of Michigan has legalized self-driving vehicles. This means that manufacturers can now sell consumers vehicles that drive themselves all of the time. These vehicles don’t even have to feature steering wheels or brake pedals. The legalization was heavily backed by Uber, Lyft, Google, the Detroit 3, and Toyota. [CleanTechnica]

PTT MTV Preview

¶ Two new Oklahoma wind farms expected online early next year will help Google meet its goal of providing 100% of its energy needs from renewable resources as soon as they are generating power. The new Oklahoma wind farms are among nearly 1,700 MW of new renewable power the company has agreed to buy. [Tulsa World]

¶ Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, an engineering firm in Springfield, Illinois, is nearing completion of a $1.8 million rooftop solar PV system at its corporate headquarters. When it is completed early next year, more than 3,700 panels will generate about 400 kW of power, meeting 90% of the company’s annual demand. [The State Journal-Register]

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Science and Technology:

¶ The hemlock woolly adelgid, which is killing whole stands of trees in the Northeast, is one in an expanding army of insects destroying forests across the US. Aided by a warming climate, global trade, and drought-weakened trees, the invaders have become one of the greatest threats to biodiversity throughout the country. [Glens Falls Post-Star]

Evidence of hemlock woolly adelgid infestation
(Photo by Nicholas A. Tonelli, CC BY SA, Wikimedia Commons)

World:

¶ As first ministers of the Canadian provinces emerged from a day-long summit, most hailed a pan-Canadian agreement on climate change. Saskatchewan’s Brad Wall stood in opposition. Here is a selection of what was said after the meeting ended, including a back-and-forth between Wall and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. [680 News]

¶ An environmentally neutral, grid-scale energy storage system, which liquefies air, stores it, and then uses it to drive a generator to feed power into the grid, may sound like tomorrow’s world. It is however, a very real prospect. A new 5-MW liquid air energy storage facility is being set up in the UK and will soon be put into operation. [Engineer Live]

Model of the Highview liquid air energy storage facility

¶ Energy storage accounted for 3.2 GW of the 52.43 GW secured in the latest UK capacity market auction for 2020–2021 delivery. The clearing price for the auction was £22.5/kW a year. Two battery storage facilities, each of 49 MW, were among the other projects bid. There was also 711 MW of hydro power capacity in the auction. [reNews]

¶ Staff at a Canadian company, Idenergie, have managed to create a kit that can turn the flowing water of a river into as much as 12 kWh of electricity per day. The river turbine system is mainly designed for off-the-grid applications such as small communities or remote cabins where it is not logical to be connected to the grid. [Trendintech]

River turbine by Idenergie

¶ A report shows that the total number of anaerobic digestion plants in live operation in the UK has risen from 424 a year ago to 540 today. This has reduced greenhouse gas emissions in the UK by about 1%, with numerous other benefits, including food waste recycling, low-carbon electricity, and green gas for the grid. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ India now has the world’s biggest solar plant. At full capacity, the new 2,500-acre plant in Kamuthi could power up to 150,000 homes and add 648 MW to India’s electricity generating capacity. The Kamuthi plant was built in just eight months, at a cost of $679 million. India has pledged to get 40% of its power from renewables by 2030. [Grist]

Solar panels in India (Photo: Daniel Cossio)

US:

¶ Connecticut policymakers are scrambling to develop a new energy strategy now that decisions in Massachusetts and New Hampshire have stalled huge pipeline projects. The legislative deadline for updating the energy strategy was October, but state officials now say they hope to have it completed by early next year. [Hartford Courant]

¶ US renewable energy has been growing exponentially. Over the last five years, Iowa and Texas have doubled their production of wind power, and solar generation in Nevada has increased seven-fold. In the first quarter of this year, about 15% of total electricity output came from renewable sources. Solar PVs provide enough power for 6 million homes. [Co.Exist]

Growth of solar and wind power

¶ First Solar and NextEra Energy announced that they have put the Silver State South PV plant online. The 250-MW plant has 3.4 million First Solar thin-film PV modules mounted on single-axis trackers. It was built on about three square miles of public land in Nevada. It will sell power to Southern California Edison. [pv magazine USA]

¶ The US Army and Georgia Power Co have formally opened a 250-acre solar energy farm at Fort Stewart. The project has been in the works for more than a year. It was built at a cost of $75 million and is the Army’s largest renewable solar energy project in Georgia. In fact, it is one of largest solar farms in the state. [Savannah Morning News]

Solar farm at Fort Stewart
(Image: Lt Col Brian Fickel, 3rd Infantry Division)

¶ The US electric power industry has invested in renewable resources well beyond states’ renewable portfolio standards and targets in some regions, a report from The Brattle Group says. The regions where this has happened have organized regional electricity markets or offer access to low-cost wind or solar potential. [Solar Industry]

¶ Researchers say seaborne radiation from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster has been detected on Oregon shores. Seawater samples from Tillamook Bay and Gold Beach indicate radiation from the nuclear disaster, but it is at extremely low levels that are considered not to be harmful to humans or the environment. [The Indian Express]

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Opinion:

¶ “Why clean energy is the next big business opportunity” • The American political landscape shifted drastically on November 8, but the scientific facts of climate change remain steadfastly the same as ever. Transitioning to clean energy will not only reduce the economic risks of climate change but will create economic opportunities. [CNN]

Workers installing a turbine (Photo: Dennis Schroeder, National
Wind Technology Center, public domain, Wikimedia Commons)

World:

¶ Wholesale electricity prices in two of the most coal dependent grids in Australia, those in New South Wales and Queensland, have soared in recent weeks. According to official data, they were more than twice the price of wholesale electricity in renewable-rich South Australia. And they have also had prices spike as high as $13,000/MWh. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Air pollution in Paris has hit dangerous levels prompting city officials to curb car use and make public transport free of charge until Friday. The city’s Metro and bus services have been free since Tuesday and set days of travel have been allocated for cars with odd and even numbers, in an attempt to reduce levels of pollutants. [CNN]

Smog in Paris

¶ US technology giant Apple Inc has taken another step into China’s new energy sector, as it started a collaboration with Xinjiang Goldwind Science and Technology to develop wind power. Under the deal, a Goldwind subsidiary is expected to transfer a 30% stake in a total of four wind project companies
to Apple. [gbtimes]

¶ For the first time, the UK’s wind turbines have set a record by generating more than 10,000 MW of electricity. This has given RenewableUK cause for celebration. The record of 10,104 MW was set between 2:00 and 2:30 pm on December 7, during which time wind provided 23% of Britain’s total electricity demand. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

Wind turbines at sunrise

¶ According to the Japanese industry ministry, total costs to resolve the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster will reach ¥21.5 trillion (about $188 billion), nearly double the previous estimate. Much of the additional costs will be eventually covered by the public, as the government plans to raise electricity charges to that end. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶ Xcel Energy’s Courtenay Wind Farm, in North Dakota, is fully operational. The 200-MW project is part of Xcel Energy’s plan to provide its Upper Midwest customers with reliable, cost-effective energy. The Courtenay Wind Farm delivers enough energy, on average, to power approximately 100,000 homes. [Transmission and Distribution World]

Xcel Energy’s Courtenay Wind Farm under construction

¶ A memo obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy outlining Donald Trump’s energy agenda for when he takes Office next January has revealed the full extent to which Donald Trump is going to lay waste to America’s climate record and clean energy industry. It lists 14 key energy and environment policies planned. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Duke Energy Renewables bought the 13-MW Victory Solar Power Project in Adams County, Colorado, from developer juwi Inc. Intermountain Rural Electric Association is purchasing the electricity generated by the project under a 25-year agreement. The solar site can power about 2,600 average homes. [Electric Light & Power]

Colorado solar project

¶ A new NRDC report finds that the transition from fossil fuels
to clean energy is irrevocably underway. Several major utilities interviewed by S&P Global Market Intelligence indicated that their fossil fuel retirement and clean energy investment plans have not changed because of the recent election results. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

¶ Entergy Corp announced that it will close down its Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan on October 1, 2018. It has struck a deal for early termination of a power purchase agreement for the generation, which had been to end in 2022. Officials say ending the contract early could save ratepayers $172 million over four years. [Utility Dive]

Palisades nuclear plant (Entergy photo)

¶ Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner has signed SB2814, into law. The benefits of the bill had been touted as increasing energy efficiency, expanding renewable energy, providing zero-carbon incentives for nuclear power plants at-risk of closure, additional funding for low-income assistance, job training, and cap of electricity increases. [JURIST]

¶ In a document obtained by Bloomberg, President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team asked the Energy Department how it can help keep nuclear reactors “operating as part of the nation’s infrastructure” and what it could do to prevent them from being forced out of the market by cheaper natural gas and renewable resources. [Bloomberg]

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World:

¶ Sudan’s ecosystems and natural resources are deteriorating. Temperatures are rising, water supplies are scarce, soil fertility is low and severe droughts are common. Experts say that without quick intervention, parts of the African country – one of the world’s most vulnerable – could become uninhabitable as a result of climate change. [CNN]

Dust storm approaching Khartoum

¶ The Kremlin has announced that commodities trader Glencore and Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund are together buying a 19.5% stake in Rosneft, Russia’s largest oil company, at a price is $11.3 billion. The Russian government is selling state assets to help balance the budget amid a two-year recession partly caused low oil prices. [BBC]

¶ The European Union will start to phase out coal subsidies and reduce its energy usage by 30% before 2030 pursuant to the terms of a major clean energy package announced in November. It expects to lower household utility bills, integrate renewables into power markets, and limit use of unsustainable bio-energy, among other benefits. [CleanTechnica]

Generating smoke, with electricity as a valuable by-product

¶ Australian utility EnergyAustralia has agreed to buy around 500 MW of power from new wind and solar projects, for $1.5 billion. The company, which operates two of Australia’s largest coal-fired power plants, cited emissions reduction as one of the reasons it plans to step up its renewable generation. [Power Engineering International]

¶ Battery storage coupled with low-carbon electricity generation could have helped to avoid the power outages experienced in South Australia earlier this year, according to a study by RES and Lloyd’s Register. RES Australia’s technical head said the power outages will mean a detailed review of the state’s power system security policy. [reNews]

Energy storage (RES image)

¶ The Dutch government released a long-term energy plan stipulating that no new cars with combustion engines may be sold from 2035 on. Also, all of the houses in the country, which has been for over 50 years the EU’s largest natural gas producer, will be disconnected from the gas grid by 2050. The measure has broad parliamentary support. [CleanTechnica]

¶ An Australian Energy Market Operator report has cast serious doubt over the role of gas power generation in Australia’s future energy mix, warning that the falling cost of renewable energy and battery storage could turn any new gas plants into costly stranded assets. This could possibly happen as early as 2030. [RenewEconomy]

Australian electric plant

US:

¶ Cape Light Compact, the electric utility serving the 21 towns in Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, has announced that its aggregation power supply load is going with 100% renewable power. The Compact has teamed up with NextEra Energy Services to provide low price electricity to all of its customers. [CapeCod.com News]

¶ Renewable energy provider sPower said it has signed a power purchase agreement for 105 MW of solar capacity with MCE, a community choice aggregation program in California. The 20-year contract is sPower’s largest to date. A solar power plant to be built in northern Los Angeles County will provide the power. [SeeNews Renewables]

Sandstone Solar facility (Photo: Business Wire)

¶ Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt is President-elect Donald Trump’s choice for Environmental Protection Agency administrator, his former campaign manager told reporters. The move elevates a fierce EPA critic – Pruitt had sued the agency over its regulations of power plants – to the position of EPA administrator. [CNN]

¶ German energy group E.ON said it has decided to build the 228-MW Bruenning’s Breeze onshore wind farm in Texas. The facility will be the group’s 22nd US wind farm. So far, it has installed over 3 GW of wind power capacity in North America. E.ON is also building the 278-MW Radford’s Run wind park in Illinois. [SeeNews Renewables]

Wind park in Texas (Author: Rockin’Rita, CC BY SA)

¶ Renewable energy demand from companies in the Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 “is significant and growing quickly,” according to a report published by US business group Advanced Energy Economy. Of the Fortune 100 companies, 71 have set renewable energy or sustainability targets. This is up from 60 just two years ago. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Constellation, a subsidiary of Exelon Corp, and Amphitheater Public Schools, a school district in Tucson, Ariz., have announced completion of a district-wide solar project totaling 9.3 MW. The project, located among 25 facilities, is expected to generate more than 60% of the district’s electricity needs in the first year of its operation. [Solar Industry]

PVs at an Arizona public school (Photo courtesy of Constellation)

¶ As a two-year freeze on Ohio’s renewable energy mandates is set to expire, the Ohio House approved a bill making compliance optional for the next three years. The Republican-led House voted for the bill 51-36 Tuesday. It’s scheduled for a Senate committee hearing Wednesday and a possible vote by the full Senate Thursday. [WTOL.com]

¶ The staff at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station appear to be “overwhelmed” and struggling to improve performance at the facility, which has a poor safety record and is set to close in less than three years. This is according to an internal memo from a federal regulator, which had been inadvertently sent to a local environmental advocate. [The Boston Globe]

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Opinion:

¶ “Texas is the Best. And Worst. #1 in both Wind Energy and Carbon Pollution.” • Texas is the number one producer of carbon pollution in the US. But these days, you can barely drive an hour without running into a new wind farm going up or a convoy of trucks carrying turbine blades. [The Equation: Blog of the Union of Concerned Scientists]

Oil extraction in a cotton field (Photo: Wikimedia)

¶ “Turns Out That Breitbart Article the House Science Committee Tweeted Out is a Con Job” • Texas Republican Lamar Smith is the oxymoronic Chairman of the House Science Committee, whose official government Twitter account tweeted out, “Global Temperatures Plunge. Icy Silence from Climate Alarmists.” [eNews Park Forest]

¶ “Trump’s Lies Threaten Wind Techs: Fastest-Growing US Job” There are reasons why Trump’s vendetta against what he calls “the windmills” hurts his own voters. First, wind techs, the guys who climb the towers to do maintenance, are blue-collar workers from red states. And theirs is the fastest growing job in the US. [CleanTechnica]

(Please click on the image to enlarge it.)

Science and Technology:

¶ As global temperatures continue to rise, a huge chunk of polar sea ice covering an area about the size of India, or twice the size of Alaska, has melted, climate scientists said. The scientists said that the warm ocean temperatures, the warming atmosphere and wind patterns like El Niño, are preventing ice from forming. [Science World Report]

World:

¶ A $662 million wind farm in Victoria’s west has been approved by the State Government. The wind farm, which will include up to 116 turbines, is set be built in Murra Warra, north of Horsham, after no objections were raised by local residents. It will power about 252,000 homes and go some way to meeting the state’s renewable energy targets. [The Mercury]

The Woodlawn Wind Farm in New South Wales.

¶ German energy suppliers can claim compensation over the country’s phasing out of nuclear power, a court has ruled. Judges did not agree with power plant operators that the shutdown, ordered after the Fukushima Disaster, was expropriation of their assets. But they ruled the government should compensate the firms. [BBC News]

¶ Off-grid solar could energize communities all across Myanmar. As traditional power sources like diesel generators are far too expensive for many people who live in poverty in the country, government-funded off-grid solar could offer cost-effective, clean electricity for more people. Non-profit organizations are also helping. [Inhabitat]

Solar Energy Myanmar Panasonic (Image via The Guardian)

¶ Google has confirmed it will hit its target of offsetting 100% of the energy used at its data centres and offices against power from renewable sources. The firm first made the commitment in 2015 to go 100% renewable by 2017. In a blog, the company said it was now the largest corporate buyer of renewable energy in the world. [BBC]

¶ Swedish state-owned utility Vattenfall AB said today it has taken over Danish energy firm Vindstod.dk, which offers 100% wind power sourced locally to private customers in Denmark. Vattenfall has a strategy to set foot into new markets through small sales companies with an existing customer base, it said. [SeeNews Renewables]

Danish wind turbines (Author: Tambako The Jaguar, CC BY SA)

¶ Donald Trump’s plan to erect a huge sea wall at his Irish golf course has been withdrawn in the light of stiff opposition from environmentalists. The original application cited rising sea levels as a result of climate change as a key reason for the protective barrier. A new plan with smaller wall is expected to be submitted shortly. [BBC News]

US:

¶ The sweet taste of victory has already begun to sour at the Oceti Sakowin Camp just north of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. When the US Army Corps of Engineers said it would seek alternative routes for the pipeline, protesters cheered. But as a winter squall descended and temperatures dropped, so too did the enthusiasm. [CNN]

White-out conditions near the camp

¶ A survey of economists by the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University Law School finds that most think climate change will have a greater negative impact on the US economy than expected, and will have it sooner than expected. The IPI surveyed economists who had published papers relating to climate change. [CleanTechnica]

¶ As the first US offshore wind farm prepares to come online, the Energy Information Administration has released new statistics showing the continued expansion of offshore wind leasing. The DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that the US has 4,200 GW of potential offshore wind energy open for development. [WorkBoat]

Block Island installation (Deepwater Wind photo)

¶ University of California, Irvine engineers have put up the first power-to-gas hydrogen pipeline injection project in the US, showing how excess clean electricity that would otherwise go to waste can be used. Surplus sustainable energy from solar panels or wind farms is into hydrogen, which is blended with natural gas for general use. [Newswise]

¶ The largest battery in New England – and once the world – was built 45 years ago and is still working. It’s hidden, on top and deep inside a mountain in north-central Massachusetts. Northfield Mountain is now undergoing re-licensing to run for another 50 years, providing grid load leveling for solar and wind power. [New England Public Radio]

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Opinion:

¶ “Going 100% renewable: An exciting new energy game” • An exciting new home energy game opened up for me this week when I made enquiries with my energy retailer. The average Australian emits 4.5 times the global average CO2, so the goal is to lower our household carbon emissions. It is an exciting game we play every day. [The Fifth Estate]

Wind turbines (Wind Data Centre)

¶ “Trump brings Koch network’s green-energy foes from the fringe to the center of power” • The head of the anti-renewable Institute for Energy Research is suddenly at the center of power. A former Koch Industries lobbyist who has led a coordinated national assault on renewable power is at the DOE, in charge of its transition. [Chicago Tribune]

¶ “Wind and Solar Are Better Together” • Building turbines and photovoltaics at the same location can reduce grid and battery costs and level out power supply. A handful of enterprising renewable energy developers are now exploring how solar and wind might better work together, developing hybrid solar-wind projects. [Scientific American]

Solar and wind together (Credit: Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0)

World:

¶ UK utility Centrica is launching a three-year trial in which batteries and other systems, such as combined heat and power units, will be installed in dozens of houses, businesses and hospitals in Cornwall. The £19 million project will evaluate the potential for a new independent power market in the southwest of England. [Decentralized Energy]

¶ In Scotland, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is in support of the Dounreay Tri floating wind demonstration project of Swedish engineering company Hexicon AB. The conservation charity said it has submitted a consultation response to Marine Scotland in support of the project west of the Pentland Firth. [SeeNews Renewables]

Multi-turbine floating platform (Image: Hexicon)

¶ Canadian Solar has closed financing of ¥14.9 billion ($141.5 million) to build and operate the 55-MW Yamaguchi Shin Mine solar plant in Japan. The loan facilities were arranged by Hanwha Asset Management, with a maturity of 17 years. The company considers Japan as a key growth market, having 597 MW in late development stages. [reNews]

¶ Five western Queensland councils, as reported by local media, have made steps toward utilising the Great Artesian Basin for local geothermal energy production. One project in Winton is actually already developing a plant, which is expected to come online in early 2017. The potential for geothermal power to save money is high. [ThinkGeoEnergy]

Winton, Queensland, Australia
(source: flickr / Chris Fithall, creative commons)

¶ Consumers using rooftop solar panels and batteries will produce between a third and half of Australia’s electricity by mid-century if the right policies are introduced, according to a roadmap from the CSIRO and Energy Networks Australia. It suggests it could help create a reliable electricity grid with zero emissions by 2050. [Queensland Country Life]

¶ The US is sponsoring India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which aims to stop nuclear proliferation by controlling exports of materials, equipment, and technology that can be used to assemble nuclear weapons. At the same time, the US is backing plans to construct six AP1000 nuclear power plants in India. [Power Technology]

Westinghouse reactor under construction

¶ Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions fell 3% to a five-year low in the financial year through March owing to lower power demand, growing renewable energy and the restart of nuclear power plants, government figures showed. Emissions fell for a second straight year to 1.321 billion metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent. [Times of India]

US:

¶ The Omaha Public Power District’s four proposed generation portfolios show that wind power is at the forefront of its future plans for renewables. The utility’s ultimate direction, however, depends on the new administration’s stance on renewable resources and implications of the Clean Power Plan’s judicial review. [Blair Enterprise Publishing]

Wind farm (Courtesy: Pixabay)

¶ Former Vice President Al Gore has met President-elect Donald Trump and his daughter Ivanka Trump to discuss climate policy. The meeting “was a sincere search for areas of common ground,” according to Mr Gore, a climate change activist. Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka reportedly wants to make the subject one of her signature issues. [BBC]

¶ Two Vermont towns, Stowe and Hyde Park, have recently commissioned municipally owned solar plants, making them the first towns in the state to do so. Together, the plants will produce 2.7 MW of solar electricity. This is enough to power 229 average residences of in the towns, about 7% of the total number of homes. [pv magazine USA]

Hyde Park, Vermont solar array

¶ With two solar facilities moving toward completion and a third in the planning stages, Pownal, Vermont is becoming a leading community. The total countywide capacity from solar sources is approximately 3.7 MW, of which 2.2 MW are in Pownal, but a 2.2-MW array is under construction, and a smaller array is also planned. [vtdigger.org]

¶ A 20-year extension for the operating license of the Fermi 2 nuclear power plant in Michigan has been put on hold after an activist group encouraged a federal agency to look more closely into how potassium iodide pills would be given to area residents if the plant ever has a major release of radioactive steam. [Electric Light & Power]

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Opinion:

¶ “Reliable renewable electricity is possible if we make smart decisions now” • Our recent research took a highly conservative approach to testing the cost question. With very conservative assumptions, we found that strategies to manage the variability of renewable resources were effective in a 100% renewable energy mix. [EconoTimes]

Wattle Point wind farm near Edithburgh, South Australia
(Photo: ScottDavis / Wikimedia)

¶ “Push towards renewable energy in India indicates coal is becoming yesterday’s fuel source” • Revelations that Labor has plans to progressively retire Australia’s coal-fired power stations put the cat among the energy pigeons. But, the fact is Australia is being buffeted by winds of change blowing far from our shores. [Courier Mail]

¶ “Through climate change denial, we’re ceding global leadership to China” • China was no more prepared for the results of the American election than the US. But it has been quick to size up the environmental implications of a Trump victory, and officials in Beijing are contriving to cast China in a fresh leadership role. [Los Angeles Times]

Shenzhen has won awards for its efforts to tackle climate change.
(Brent Ng / Associated Press)

World:

¶ As Liberians await the first 22-MW turbine at the Mt Coffee Hydro Power Plant to go online on December 15, the ‘Liberia Energy Access Practitioner’ group has been launched to help government decentralize energy to rural areas in the country. The program was organized by Mercy Corps with funding from the EU. [Liberian Daily Observer]

¶ About 20,000 passengers were stranded at an airport in Chengdu, China as flights were grounded because of heavy smog and a thick fog that left the city in a dark haze. The air quality index in Chengdu registered 280, a level considered “very unhealthy.” In some industrial cities south of Beijing, the air quality levels reach up to 875. [Digital Journal]

Pollution is a popular discussion topic on social media.
(File photo: Fred Dufour, AFP)

¶ The European Commission, the legislative arm of the EU, will publish a draft law allowing higher payment for surplus energy. Much of the money set aside by the law will be funneled to renewable energy companies, so they can provide electricity only when it is needed rather than simply generating as much as possible. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

¶ An initiative by youth organisations in Cameroon to turn human waste into biogas is reducing pollution and providing cheap, renewable energy. A non-governmental organisation run by young people, Bioenergy-Cameroon, installs equipment that converts waste from septic tanks and pit latrines into biogas. [New Straits Times Online]

Filling a bioreactor in Cameroon (Photo: Bioenergy-Cameroon)

US:

¶ Throngs of veterans from the group “Veterans Stand for Standing Rock” were arriving at the freezing Dakota Access Pipeline protest site on Sunday, one day before authorities are expected to remove protesters. The group said more than 2,000 veterans had signed up to support members of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe. [CNN]

¶ On Sunday afternoon, tribe members and their numerous allies celebrated, crying tears of joy, over the fact the pipeline project would be rerouted away from land that’s deemed sacred. Even so, the decision to re-route the Dakota Access Pipeline could be reversed once President Barack Obama leaves office next month. [CNN]

Snow covers the camp on November 30.

¶ The Solar Energy Industries Association reports that over 147 solar companies employ nearly 2000 people in Connecticut. The installed capacity of solar PVs in Connecticut is 265 MW, ranking it 17th in the US. The state’s 2015 solar installation ranks 14th nationally, growing 64% in 2015, with 91 MW installed for the year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Comments from utility DTE Energy’s CEO Gerry Anderson provided may be the best assessment of the future of coal: “I don’t know anybody in the country who would build another coal plant.” He says coal is dying because of its cost, and that is the case “regardless of what Trump may or may not do with the Clean Power Plan.” [Madison.com]

Michigan coal plant (DTE Energy image)

¶ The environmental group Hudson River Sloop Clearwater sued New York regulators over their subsidies for upstate nuclear power plants. Clearwater wants the court to vacate a part of the state’s Clean Energy Standard that would pay zero-emission credits to three generators that could have closed as early as next year. [RTO Insider]

¶ Scientists recognize that a waterborne disease sickening tens of thousands of people each year is associated with warmer waters of the Gulf of Mexico moving northward, partly due to climate change. While it is rare in New Hampshire and Maine, scientists have seen cases elsewhere in New England and expect it to spread. [Torrington Register Citizen]

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Opinion:

¶ “EPA boss: Here’s the good news about climate change (yes, that exists)” • Climate change is happening now. We’re causing
it. And frankly, it can seem terrifying. But – and this is a critical “but” – there’s still room for hope. That’s the message we may take from an interview with the outgoing head of the EPA, Gina McCarthy. [CNN]

Dawn (US Fish and Wildlife Service photo)

World:

¶ Many Albertans have been left on edge, thanks to the federal and provincial plans to phase out coal power plants and mines by 2030. However, Kim Perrotta, executive director of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, believes phasing out coal will have many benefits for all Albertans, especially for their health. [660 News]

¶ The sun looks like it is setting on Japan’s clean energy boom, despite projects like a massive floating solar farm near Tokyo. Renewable energy investments have hit a plateau and are set to fall as Tokyo cuts back subsidies while fossil fuels remain cheap. Japan also has a shortage of land for new solar installations. [Taipei Times]

Solar panels with Mount Fuji in the background
(Photo: AFP / Solar Frontier Company)

¶ India is the world’s most attractive destination in the energy sector that has the potential to attract investments of a trillion dollars over the next few years, Union power minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday. He said his optimism for the energy sector stemmed from the Narendra Modi government’s climate commitment. [Hindustan Times]

¶ As heavy rains pound some parts of Kenya, livestock are dying in other areas due to prolonged drought. The National Drought Management Authority says pastoralists in arid regions have suffered huge losses. Climate scientists say that pastoralists and livestock keepers are the people in the country most hurt by climate change. [Daily Nation]

Livestock in Kenya

US:

¶ Columbia, Missouri could more than double the amount of wind energy it uses with a proposed contract coming before the city council Monday. The Columbia City Council will take under consideration a contract with Iowa-based Crystal Lake Wind III LLC to purchase wind energy for $19.55/MWh (1.955¢/kWh). [Columbia Daily Tribune]

¶ Senator Diane Feinstein has urged the US Department of Agriculture to revisit her request for federal aid to help crews clear over 100 million dead trees posing hazards throughout California’s forests. Dried out, free-standing timber throughout the state threatens nearby structures and increases the risk of forest fires. [Asianjournal.com]

California forest in trouble

¶ The idea of deploying microgrids is gaining momentum throughout the US. A total of 124 microgrids with a combined capacity of 1,169 MW were operating across the nation as of July 2015, according to Pew Research. The group also predicted that microgrid capacity will grow to exceed 2,850 MW by 2020. [Satellite PR News]

¶ Rhode Island sits in the middle of one of the most wealthy and progressive regions of the world. But with 400 miles of coastline, it’s also one of the most susceptible areas to flooding and erosion. A committee, with a working name of the Civic Alliance for a Cooler Rhode Island is starting to meet to accelerate climate action. [The Westerly Sun]

Uniquely susceptible Rhode Island (Courtesy of ecoRI)

¶ An energy overhaul pending in the Michigan legislature has Democrats focusing on solar net metering. It is only a small part of a big energy package, but it became a huge part of the debate when the Senate introduced bills that would require users to buy energy at a retail rate but sell it at what is essentially a wholesale rate. [MLive.com]

¶ About 360 people gathered at the State Capitol in Hartford, Connecticut to oppose natural gas pipelines like the Access Northeast Pipeline, and to demand a renewed commitment to renewable energy. The march was organized by the Connecticut Sierra Club, 350 Connecticut, and a broad coalition of other groups. [WTNH Connecticut News]

Connecticut State Capitol

¶ New Mexico’s Kit Carson Electric Cooperative says it wants to serve all of its customers on sunny summer days with locally generated solar power by 2022. To hit that target, Reyes said, the co-op wants outside investors to build dozens of small solar arrays, of about 1 MW each, across its service territory. [Santa Fe New Mexican]

¶ Marquette, Michigan is on track to have its own community solar garden by next summer, offering city residents the chance to get their energy from the sun. The best part? The program will pay for itself. The Marquette Board of Light and Power adopted, in a 4-1 vote, a plan for its new community solar garden. [Marquette Mining Journal]

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Science and Technology:

¶ Batteries are not the cheapest way to store grid power. There are many different kinds of storage technologies, each with different characteristics. To be a sensible economic investment, the benefits have to outweigh the costs. Storage has to match the type of demand, considering how much power is needed, and for how long. [Gizmodo Australia]

Storage power ratings – Please click on the image to enlarge it.

World:

¶ China’s coal prices have soared this year due to domestic supply issues as the country tried to cut overcapacity. But new analysis suggests China’s coal demand will stabilize at around 4 billion tonnes, demand which will be able to be met easily with domestic supply, leading to the eventual phase-out of coal imports. [CleanTechnica]

¶ German wind turbine maker Senvion SA started operation of the 150-MW Mesgi’g Ugju’s’n wind farm in Quebec. The project is a 50/50 partnership between Canadian developer Innergex Renewable Energy Inc and the three Mi’gmaq communities located on the territory of Gespe’gewa’gi, namely Gesgapegiag, Gespeg and Listuguj. [SeeNews Renewables]

Senvion wind turbines (Source: Senvion, all rights reserved)

¶ According to a Greenpeace report, deaths from air pollution are underreported in India by 600,000 people per year. It kills over 1.6 million people in India, and the same number in China, every year. The main culprit is fossil fuels, particularly coal, and as use of these products increases, so do deaths caused by their pollution. [New Kerala]

¶ According to preliminary figures from the Power Trading Chamber, Brazil’s November wind power output rose by 57% on the year to 4,519 MW. Wind power’s share in total electricity generation grew to 7.3%. There was also growth in solar and biomass generation, though hydropower generation declined slightly. [SeeNews Renewables]

Wind farm in Brazil (Author: Otávio Nogueira, CC BY SA)

¶ An experimental Wave Hub renewable energy test site off the north coast of Cornwall is about to host its first commercial operation, after an Australian-based company announced plans to construct and operate a wave farm there. The annual output is due to rise to 15 MWh per year by 2020; enough to power 6000 homes. [Maritime Journal]

¶ The 23.1-MW Falcon Ma’an solar park in Jordan has been tied to the grid, according to an announcement by Enerray SpA. The facility is powered by JinkoSolar modules and uses SMA Solar Technology AG’s Medium Voltage Power Station. The solar park is expected to generate 147 million kWh of electricity per year. [SeeNews Renewables]

Solar array (Image by Enerray)

US:

¶ An official with the company seeking to buy the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant says it can dismantle the power plant for the money currently in its decommissioning fund. The CEO of NorthStar says if his company can’t dismantle the plant for the $580 million in the fund, then his company would make up the difference. [Electric Light & Power]

¶ Wayland, Massachusetts is harnessing the power of the sun thanks to four new solar arrays. The town expects to save more than $100,000 per year through a partnership with Ameresco, based in Framingham. Ameresco will maintain and operate the arrays, which have over 4,200 panels, for the next two decades. [Wicked Local Wayland]

Wayland Middle School (Photo: Andrew Bakinowski, Ameresco)

¶ Massachusetts regulators are looking for an independent evaluator to help develop and run an upcoming call for offshore wind power. The state’s Department of Energy Resources has issued a request for quote, and responses are due by 9 December. Massachusetts is required by law to contract 1.6 GW of offshore wind by 2027. [reNews]

¶ When the Block Island Wind Farm officially goes online this month only four of its five offshore turbines will be operating. Turbine 2 broke down in early November during routine testing. It turned out that a 6-inch drill bit had been left behind between the turbine’s generator and direct-drive system during assembly of the 6-MW turbine. [ecoRI news]

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Opinion:

¶ “Mayors could override Trump on the Paris climate accord – here’s how” • In a recent op-ed, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg wrote, “If the Trump administration does withdraw from the Paris accord, I will recommend that the 128 US mayors who are part of the Global Covenant of Mayors seek to join in its place.” [Business Insider]

Sunny day flooding now hits Miami regularly, thanks to rising
sea levels. (Photo by B137, CC BY SA, Wikimedia Commons)

World:

¶ Blueprint documents for the wind and hydro sector from China’s National Energy Administration showed that the country is set to spend at least ¥1.2 trillion ($174 billion) between 2016 and 2020, according to Reuters. Construction of new wind farms is expected to provide approximately 300,000 new jobs by 2020. [CleanTechnica]

¶ All new single-decker buses for use within the center of town
in London will be zero-emissions models from here on out, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, announced. He was speaking at a public event unveiling of the “world’s first” hydrogen fuel cell double-decker bus, which will be trialled in London in 2017. [CleanTechnica]

London zero-emissions bus

¶ The Canadian province of Alberta, known for its notoriously dirty oil sands, has just made a symbolically significant about-face on energy policy, with potentially major implications for North American wind power. First up is a tender for 5 GW of wind power. Alberta will also pay its coal plants $1 billion to shut down. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Offshore wind projects have fewer delays and cost overruns than other large power and utility projects, according to a new report from EY. While offshore wind averaged about 15% over budget, with delays of less than six months, hydropower, water, coal and nuclear projects were over budget by 49% on average. [reNews]

London Array (Credit: reNews)

¶ The global solar PV market is set to increase nearly 70 GW in 2016, reaching 294.69 GW, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData. A new report from GlobalData investigating the global solar PV market concluded that capacity will increase from around 225 GW in 2015 to 294.69 GW by the end of 2016. [CleanTechnica]

¶ The mayors of Paris, Mexico City, Madrid, and Athens said their cities will stop the use of all diesel-powered cars and trucks by the middle of the next decade to improve air quality. They will give incentives for alternative vehicle use and promote walking and cycling. The commitments were made in Mexico at a biennial meeting of city leaders. [BBC]

Air quality in Paris (Getty Images)

¶ EU countries are on track to meet their 2020 targets for renewable energy and emissions cuts but could fall short of longer-term goals, according to the European Environment Agency. “The EU’s 2020 targets on energy and climate are now well within reach,” its executive director said in a statement. [ETEnergyworld.com]

¶ Gamesa won a contract to deliver 55 of its G114-2.1MW turbines for a wind farm in Chile. The company will install the machines at the first phase of the Cabo Leones 1 wind farm in the Comuna de Freirina, which is being developed by EDF EN and Ibereolica. The turbines will be delivered by the end of the first half of 2017. [reNews]

4.5 MW wind turbine (Gamesa image)

¶ A Senate inquiry has recommended closing all 24 of the coal-fired power stations in Australia over the next ten years and the creation of a comprehensive energy transition plan to help with the ordered closure of the plants. The Retirement of Coal Fired power Stations Inquiry made four energy recommendations. [Green Left Weekly]

US:

¶ Xcel Energy’s Courtenay Wind Farm, a 200-MW project in North Dakota, is now fully operational. The project is in an area ideal for wind development. The project comprises 100 Vestas turbines and is now delivering enough energy, on average, to power approximately 100,000 homes, according to Xcel. [North American Windpower]

Wind farm under construction

¶ The House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology tweeted a misleading article at Breitbart about the state of the global climate. It read, “Global Temperatures Plunge. Icy Silence from Climate Alarmists.” Senator Bernie Sanders responded to the tweet, asking, “Where’d you get your PhD? Trump University?” [mySanAntonio.com]

¶ The green energy tariff that regulators approved for a $250 million Facebook data center under construction in New Mexico could trigger a “sea change” for renewable energy in the state, according to a public utilities attorney who had been retained by Facebook to negotiate with Public Service Company of New Mexico. [Albuquerque Journal]

Facebook data center for Los Lunas (Source: Facebook)

¶ A technology developed at the University of Chicago, and now being commercialized by a University startup, is addressing the intermittent nature of some renewable energy sources. It uses a selectively evolved, unicellular microorganism that helps convert electricity into bio-methane gas, a renewable replacement for natural gas. [Phys.Org]

¶ Two Illinois nuclear plants on life support got at least 10 more years after Exelon won a bid for ratepayer-financed subsidies. The governor and Democratic legislative leaders agreed on legislation requiring ratepayers statewide to finance hundreds
of millions annually in support for the nukes along with clean energy. [Crain’s Chicago Business]

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Science and Technology:

¶ New research from Ohio State University determined that a calving event creating an enormous iceberg in West Antarctica in 2015 was even more notable than first thought. It was the result of a deep, subsurface rift that formed approximately 20 miles inland. This implies that the glacier is deteriorating faster than thought. [CleanTechnica]

Rift in Antarctic glacier

World:

¶ The European Commission unveiled a reform of Europe’s power grid after 2020 on Wednesday. The draft law, which still needs to be approved by member states and the European Parliament, sets a binding target to cut energy use by 30% by 2030 and for renewable energy to make up at least 27% of the bloc’s power mix by 2030. [Zawya]

¶ The recently completed Kamuthi Solar Power Plant in Tamil Nadu is the largest solar power plant in the world. Since Delhi, Mumbai, and many other Indian cities have chronic pollution problems, this news brings the much-needed respite for India. The Kamuthi power plant is will supply enough power for over 150,000 homes. [Northbridge Times]

Kamuthi solar power plant

¶ Nuclear energy and wind power remained the top two sources of electricity generation in Spain for the first 11 months of 2016, with shares of 23.1% and 19.9%, respectively. According to the provisional figures released today by grid operator Red Electrica de Espana, renewables accounted for 42.2% of total generation.
[SeeNews Renewables]

¶ The oil cartel OPEC has agreed its first supply cut in eight years, after more than two years of depressed oil prices because of a supply glut on the market. OPEC’s president said that a cut of 1.2 million barrels a day would start from January. The price of Brent crude jumped 10% to $51.94 a barrel, and US crude rose 9% to $49.53. [BBC News]

Oil prices since 2014

US:

¶ The frigid North Dakota cold hasn’t stopped thousands of protesters from camping outside, trying to halt construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. Now, leaders of “Veterans Stand for Standing Rock” said they’re ready to go to North Dakota to join them, even though it was 29° Fahrenheit there on Wednesday afternoon. [CNN]

¶ A survey by Republican polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, conducted for the Conservative Energy Network, found that strong majorities supported increasing their states’ use of wind, solar, and hydropower, while a plurality supported the increased use of natural gas, and a majority opposed the increased use of coal. [Morning Consult]

Wind turbines (toddarbini iStock.com)

¶ Michigan’s largest utility, DTE Energy, is moving ahead with efforts to phase out its use of coal and will not be swayed by any potential changes to federal energy policy. DTE Energy intends to embrace renewable energy more aggressively in the coming years regardless of what changes come from the recent election. [Hydrogen Fuel News]

¶ American Electric Power is asking regulators for $52 million to build eight to ten microgrids in Columbus, Ohio. The microgrids are to be installed at critical facilities, such as hospitals, shelters, water plants, grocery stores and gas stations. AEP intends to let other nearby customers to connect to the on-site generation for a fee. [Greentech Media]

Columbus, Ohio (American Electric Power)

¶ Active Energy Group plc developed CoalSwitch, a biomass fuel that can be mixed at any ratio with coal as a drop-in fuel, or replace it altogether, in existing coal-burning powered plants. The company is building its first production facility in North America following recent testing and endorsement by Rocky Mountain Power. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority may become the first US state entity to participate in a federal auction for an offshore wind site. NYSERDA submitted documentation and a bid deposit to take part in an auction for a 79,350-acre Wind Energy Area 12 miles off the Long Island coast. [Windpower Engineering]

Offshore wind power

¶ The US EPA has published a proposed decision on the CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) fuel efficiency standards. The CAFE standards were set by the current Obama Administration back in 2012. The proposed decision simply maintains the current standards for vehicles in model years 2012 through 2025. [CleanTechnica]

¶ A Texan under consideration to lead the EPA wants to end subsidies for renewable energy and said it’s not clear how much human activity contributes to global warming. Kathleen Hartnett White, the head of a conservative Texas think tank, confirmed that she is being considered to lead the EPA after meeting with Donald Trump. [Sacramento Bee]

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World:

¶ The Egyptian government has signed an umbrella agreement with European Development Partners to secure €267 million ($296 million) funding for implementation of a new large-scale windfarm in the Gulf of Suez area in Egypt. The Gulf of Suez windfarm will generate 650 GWh per year, enough for 370,000 Egyptians. [Al-Bawaba]

Wind power (Shutterstock image)

¶ Details of a production cut agreement are due to be finalized
at a formal OPEC meeting in Vienna. But key OPEC members appear to disagree over the plan, and some analysts believe there might not be a deal. With analysts speculating, Brent crude oil was down $1.76 per barrel at $46.48, and US crude was down $1.80 at $45.28. [BBC]

¶ A question mark hangs over a world-leading laboratory that has pioneered research into nuclear fusion for nearly 40 years. The Culham Centre for Fusion Energy near Oxford is largely funded by the EU and dozens of its scientists come from outside the UK. They are getting nervous, and the lab’s future looks uncertain. [BBC]

Brexit has cast a shadow of uncertainty (Kate Stephens)

¶ A new joint venture has formed to develop a fast-charging network for European electric vehicles has been signed by Ford, BMW, Daimler, and Volkswagen Group (including Audi and Porsche). The DC electric vehicle fast-charging stations will reportedly offer up to 350 kW in power, while Tesla’s max out
at 120–135 kW. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Brazilian developer Casa dos Ventos has started commercial operations at its 359-MW Ventos do Araripe 3 wind power complex in the northeast of the country. The R$1.8 billion ($520 million) scheme, located on the Araripe plateau between Piauí and Pernambuco states, comprises 14 wind farms with 156 turbines. [reNews]

Wind farm in Brazil (Image: Casa dos Ventos)

¶ A pumped storage hydro energy scheme at an opencast coal mine site in southern Scotland has been approved, as a project at Glenmuckloch got the all-clear by the Scottish government. Dumfries and Galloway Council gave its backing to the project earlier this year. It has an operational capacity of up to 400 MW. [BBC News]

¶ China Guangdong Nuclear Power Group has approval from the Fujian Province Development and Reform Commission for a 300-MW offshore wind farm. It had already been approved by the National Energy Administration and is part of the national offshore wind development and construction program (2014-2016). [SeeNews Renewables]

Offshore wind park (Photo: Tim Collin, CC BY SA)

¶ In Nigeria, Nineteen Northern governors have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with General Electric for five solar plants to generate 500 MW of electricity. Based on the MoU, General Electric would build five 100-MW solar power plants, one in each of Borno, Kebbi, Nassarawa, Niger, and Taraba states. [Bella Naija]

¶ Three Dutch coal plants opened in 2015 are already threatened with early closure. Their owners failed to foresee a rapid rise in renewable power generation, falling demand, and calls to phase out coal. It was a costly error that other countries could learn from, the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis says. [Climate Home]

New Dutch coal plant (Photo: Wikimedia Commons / Zandcee)

US:

¶ Texas grid operator ERCOT announced a new record for wind on Monday, as wind provided more than 15,000 MW to the state. It is not the hour-by-hour records that are impressive, however. Wind power will provide at least 14.7% of the state’s electricity in 2016, according to ERCOT, up from 11.7% in 2015. [Greentech Media]

¶ EDP Renovaveis SA signed a 20-year power purchase agreement for the output of a 75-MW wind farm project in Indiana, starting in 2018. The Meadow Lake VI the wind project will supply power for the Wabash Valley Power Association. EDPR is targeting 1.8 GW of projects in the US by the end of the decade. [SeeNews Renewables]

Wind farm in Indiana (Photo by Ben Husmann, CC BY SA)

¶ NRG Energy said it has closed on the 1.5-GW utility-scale solar and wind developments from SunEdison. The largest elements of the purchase include a partnership interest in a 530-MW portfolio of seven solar developments in Utah and a 154-MW solar project in Texas. Operations in other states were purchased, as well. [Power Engineering Magazine]

¶ US Wind, a subsidiary of Italy’s Toto Holding SpA based in Maryland, has revealed some details about its application to build an offshore wind farm off the state’s coast. The company is proposing to build a 750-MW wind park containing up to 187 turbines. It would be the first large-scale offshore wind farm for the US. [SeeNews Renewables]

Wind turbines at sea (Photo: Harvey Barrison, CC BY SA)

¶ Some of Illinois’ largest manufacturers are staunch opponents of an Exelon proposal to keep the financially struggling Clinton and Quad Cities nuclear power plants open. Exelon says it will initiate steps to shut down the Clinton plant if the General Assembly doesn’t pass a bill before in the veto session wraps up on Thursday. [MDJOnline.com]

¶ A team of 20 federal inspectors is spending two weeks now, and one more in January, on a top-to-bottom review of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, as part of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s heightened scrutiny over the Plymouth plant. The team will focus on the plant’s procedures and its corrective action plan. [Wicked Local Carver]

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Opinion:

¶ “Want to know why Trump will struggle to save the coal industry? Look at Michigan.” • All year, Donald Trump has been promising to rescue the US coal industry by repealing various Obama-era pollution rules and ending the “war on coal.” And all year, analysts have pointed out that he probably cannot deliver on that promise. [Vox]

Monroe Power Plant in Michegan (Port of Monroe)

¶ “Trump’s Election Is No Death Knell For Climate Progress”
The US can meet the climate action commitments made in Paris last year, even if Mr Trump decides to withdraw. It is the US cities, communities, and businesses who are ultimately getting on with the massive job of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. [Huffington Post Australia]

Science and Technology:

¶ If it feels like it hasn’t rained in months in the South, you’re right. The region is experiencing an extreme drought. But just a few months earlier, we were talking about record-breaking floods in the South. These shocking extremes are happening more often, and it is all part of an unfortunate new normal in a world with climate change. [CNN]

Drought in the Southeast

¶ Coral across Australia’s Great Barrier Reef suffered its most devastating die-off on record, a new report says. In just nine months, bleaching caused by warmer water has killed around 67% of the coral in a previously pristine part of the reef. While there were major coral bleaching events in 1998 and 2002, this year’s is more devastating. [CNN]

World:

¶ Portugal’s Council of Ministers have approved the 25-MW Windfloat Atlantic floating offshore wind project which will be sited off the country’s northern coast. The project, in waters near Viana do Castelo, is scheduled to be built in late 2018 or 2019. The project will feature technology developed by Principle Power. [reNews]

Floating wind turbines (Principle Power image)

¶ India’s latest electricity sector report provides some clear insights on the electricity sector transformation. Thermal power plant utilization rates are collapsing to below 50%, the growth rate in new builds has halved, and renewable power generation is up 26% year-on-year. India’s renewables goal is 16 GW in 2016. [RenewEconomy]

¶ Chile’s government announced a new auction for almost 7,945 hectares (19,770 acres) of state-owned land for wind projects. The land is located in the area of Taltal in the region of Antofagasta and could host up to 400 MW of wind capacity. Proposals will be for development of wind farms of at least 100 MW. [SeeNews Renewables]

Wind farm in Chile (Author: Diego Correa)

¶ Saskatchewan and the Canadian federal government are working on an agreement on coal. If finalized, it “will provide Saskatchewan more flexibility in transitioning to additional renewable energy, including evaluating future opportunities for carbon capture and storage to trap carbon dioxide and store it.” [Saskatoon StarPhoenix]

¶ The global market for boilers, turbines, and generators is set to decline thanks to the growing focus on renewable energy sources and awareness about the environmental issues, according a study by GlobalData. The market is expected to decrease from $318 billion for the full period of 2010-2015, to $241 billion for 2016-2020. [Greentech Lead]

Cooling towers at a conventional thermal power plant

¶ Europe will be able to meet higher-than-normal electricity demand this winter even if nuclear safety checks tighten France’s power supply further, the European power grid lobby said. France faces its lowest level of nuclear power availability in 10 years because several reactors have been take offline for safety checks. [Reuters UK]

¶ Global solar installations are expected to jump 48% year-on-year to 76 GW in 2016 and then decline by 8% to 70 GW next year, sector consultancy Mercom Capital Group LLC said. This year’s growth can be attributed to “an unprecedented level of activity in China” before incentives were reduced at the end of June. [SeeNews Renewables]

Global Solar Demand Forecast (Mercom Capital Group, LLC)

US:

¶ The National Academy of Sciences released a study, which said New Orleans could see nearly 14.5 inches of sea level rise by 2040, and 6.5 feet by 2100. Scientists believe that metro areas outside of New Orleans’ protective levee system may have to be relocated because of rising sea levels within the next two decades. [WWLTV.com]

¶ The Interior Department’s Climate Science Centers, managed by USGS, are helping the National Park Service identify the impacts of climate change on parks. This will help answer a critical question: Which resources need human intervention to ensure their continued existence while the climate changes? [United States Geological Survey]

The construction of James Fort
(Artist: Sidney E. King, Permission by National Park Service)

¶ Ohio lawmakers are continuing their race to a showdown with Governor John Kasich over renewable energy. They want to delay state rules requiring renewable energy until he after he leaves office. But lawmakers appear to have put off until early next year the even bigger question of protecting old coal and nuclear power plants. [cleveland.com]

¶ Pacific Gas & Electric agreed to pay $85 million to neighboring cities and a school district affected by the closure of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, the California utility announced. When the Central Coast plant shuts down in 2025, it will deprive the area of property taxes and potentially affect local businesses negatively. [Modesto Bee]

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World:

¶ The government of Bolivia, a landlocked country in the heart of South America, has had to declare a state of emergency as it faces its worst drought for at least 25 years. Much of the water supply to La Paz and El Alto comes from the glaciers in the surrounding Andean mountains. The glaciers, however, are disappearing. [Truthdig]

No snow at a once-thriving ski resort in the Bolivian Andes
(Ville Miettinen via Wikimedia Commons)

¶ Abu Dhabi’s Masdar has completed its second solar power project in Mauritania, doubling the amount of power the UAE provides to the African nation, the clean company said. Masdar, working with the national utility provider, will meet up to 30% of the demand for rural communities with eight individual solar PV plants. [The National]

¶ Southwestern England’s Gloucester Cathedral is now home to
a 38-kW solar PV system. It is expected to reduce the facility’s costs for energy by around 25%. The Church of England has a goal of cutting carbon emissions 80% by 2050. English churches are oriented east-west by tradition, so many have south-facing roofs. [CleanTechnica]

Blessing the PVs (Photo via GloucestershireLive)

¶ The Lego Group has inaugurated a new factory in Jiaxing, China. The factory, as large as 20 football fields, currently employs more than 1,200 people and is expected to produce up to 80% of all Lego products sold in Asia. Lego has placed a special focus on sustainability at the factory, and it will be powered by the sun. [Energy Matters]

¶ A $10 million renewable energy-powered microgrid, possibly the largest in the country, will be developed in Western Australia. The coastal town of Kalbarri currently gets power through a 140-km transmission line, which can be unreliable. The microgrid will combine wind and solar power with a large-scale battery. [The Sydney Morning Herald]

Wind to combine with solar and battery (Photo: Luke Sharrett)

¶ Singapore will commission the world’s largest floating solar panel testbed by end of 2016 as part of its plan to harness clean or renewable energy. The one-hectare testbed at a reservoir at Tengah is slated to produce 1 MW of energy. If its efficacy is proven, it will supplement land-based solar panels as land is at
a premium. [Blasting News]

¶ Nepal should be energy rich. It has 2% of the world’s water resources and more than 300 days of sunshine in a year. But more than 30% of Nepalese have never used electricity, and the rest live with blackouts that can extend up to 16 hours a day during the winter. The government hopes to be able to power the country renewably. [Online Khabar]

Studying in winter in Nepal (Photo: Nabin Baral)

¶ People in Switzerland voting in a referendum have rejected a proposal to introduce a strict timetable for phasing out nuclear power, with the last nuclear plant closing in 2029. A projection for SRF public television showed the initiative failing by 55% to 45%. A majority of cantons (Swiss states) voted against the initiative. [Energy Bangla]

¶ Taiwan is set to kick-start the promotion of renewable energy as part of President Tsai Ing-wen’s denuclearization policy. The government aims to raise the percentage of renewable energy in the island’s power supply to 20%, or five times the current level, by 2025. It estimates the total investment at $56.6 billion. [Nikkei Asian Review]

Wind power facility in Taiwan’s Penghu Islands
(Courtesy of Taiwan Power)

¶ Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry now expects the total cost of dealing with the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear disaster to total more than ¥20 trillion (US$178.8 billion), nearly double the previous estimate, sources familiar with the matter said. The previous estimate was ¥11 trillion. [South China Morning Post]

US:

¶ Water isn’t a commodity that most southerners usually worry about. But lately, the drought has become a hot topic as more and more communities begin dealing with declining water resources. The drought, already exceptionally severe, continues to deepen. Even worse, these conditions may become the new norm. [Digital Journal]

Lake Hartwell, near Anderson, South Carolina, in drought
(Photo: Alan Raflo, Virginia Water Resources Research Center)

¶ Energized by a $500,000 grant from the US DOE, Plug In America will partner with the University of Rhode Island to promote the electric car revolution in Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Funds from the award will be used for public, workplace, and fleet events starting next year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ President-elect Donald Trump is set on stripping off funding from NASA’s Earth Science division. He wants the agency to concentrate more on deep space exploration. Trump would eliminate all climate change research conducted by NASA, according to the Guardian, shifting the focus to exploring the solar system. [Science World Report]

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Opinion:

¶ “Science under threat in Trump’s ‘post-truth’ world” • The ‘post-truth’ world is fertile land for science sceptics from climate change deniers, anti-vaccine groups to evolution sceptics. Given the rise of fake social media news, standards of truth are even more important. Deborah Blum is a Pulitzer Prize winner, and a trained scientist. [Irish Independent]

Floody hell: Climate change is a concern, but so is
everyday regulation in the US. (Photo: Lorraine Teevan)

Science and Technology:

¶ Scientists are creating a bio­diversity map identifying thousands of aquatic species in rivers and streams in the Western United States. The map eventually will include everything from insects to salmon to river otters. It’s possible because of new technology that can identify stream ­inhabitants by analyzing DNA in water samples. [The Register-Guard]

World:

¶ Following the removal of sanctions, Iranian energy demands are starting to increase, particularly from heavy industry, and this means output from renewables is expected to grow. The country’s renewables body is looking to attract $10 billion of direct private investment by 2018 and $60 billion by 2025. [Renewable Energy Focus]

Wind turbines in northwestern Iran (Shutterstock image)

¶ Swiss citizens are voting in a referendum to determine whether their country shuts down its nuclear power plants by 2029. Polls suggest a tight race. Switzerland gets about 33% of its electricity from nuclear power, around 60% from hydroelectric power and little more than 4% from renewable sources like wind and solar. [Deutsche Welle]

¶ As the Christmas festive season approaches, Finland’s chemical industry is urging people to support a campaign to turn left-over cooking fat into fuel. The campaign, called “Kinkkutemppu,” which means “ham trick,” will collect leftover cooking fat from Finnish households and convert it into renewable diesel fuel. [Market Business News]

Roasting a turkey produces enough grease to power an
average family car through 2 miles. (Image: pixabay-23178)

¶ COP22 lacked the glamour of the achievements of last year’s Paris agreement. National governments seemed most concerned with fast-tracking rules. But businesses, regional governments, and cities have stepped up with plans and initiatives to address climate change, moving to a low carbon and climate resilient future. [ETEnergyworld.com]

¶ In Vietnam, many investors have been ready to take part in the solar power industry but they are waiting for specific regulations from the Government to set prices. The relevant agencies have suggested a solar power price of 11.2¢/kWh to 13.2¢/kWh, which is attractive enough to attract investors to renewable energy. [VietNamNet Bridge]

Solar array at a primary school (Photo: Van Nam)

¶ Awareness of climate change and how to help sustain the environment will soon be taught in classrooms across the UAE, authorities announced. Curricula may include learning about sustainability, and school children will be shown how to take energy-saving measures. The program will include children of all ages. [gulfnews.com]

US:

¶ Recently, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University calculated the carbon footprint of Thanksgiving dinners, had every year on November 24, and published their findings for different states in the US. The meal-footprint is lowest in Vermont (0.09 kg of carbon dioxide released) and highest in West Virginia (36. 3 kg). [The Wire]

Food has its own carbon footprint
(Credit: diametrik/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

¶ Two former Indiana mayors are pressing the state to move to cleaner energy and emerging energy technologies that have not been favorably received so far by Indiana lawmakers. More than three-fourths of Indiana’s electricity generation is fueled by coal, and nine of the state’s 10 largest power plants are coal-fired. [Fort Wayne Journal Gazette]

¶ President-elect Donald Trump may want to cut environmental regulations, but the Tennessee Valley Authority is still moving away from coal. The federal utility got more than two-thirds of its electricity from burning coal two decades ago, but it expects to get a bit less than a quarter of its power from coal next year. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

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Science and Technology:

¶ The people of Lusatia, an area on the eastern side of Germany scarred by years of lignite mining, have come up with a novel plan for what to do with them. Since 1990, with the reunification of Germany, 12 out of the 17 mines shut down, leaving huge open pits across the landscape. Now, many of the pits have become lakes. [BBC]

Tourists visit an old open-pit mine (Freya Najada)

¶ WWF-Canada has developed a tool to build habitat protection into the renewable-energy development process, so conflicts with wildlife can be prevented before significant investments are considered. The digital tool helps identify areas where renewable potential is high and conflict with nature is comparatively low. [WWF-Canada Blog]

World:

¶ A collaboration between two Dutch co-operatives and four international companies has entered into a power purchase agreement to buy 350 GWh of electricity per year from the Windpark Krammer development for 15 years. So, they ensure the wind park’s viability while reaching their sustainability goals. [The Guardian]

Basis of a circular economy (Photo: Portland General Electric)

¶ The Asian Development Bank approved a $325 million loan to help enhance Pakistan install clean energy sources and improve access to electricity for people in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. The ADB will also provide a $750,000 grant for technical assistance to support capacity development and improvement of performance monitoring. [The Nation]

¶ An additional £390 million in funding for the support of electric vehicle and self-driving tech adoption in the UK has been announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond, as part of the Autumn Statement. It also revealed that the government would be extending the current tax breaks for electric vehicle charge points. [CleanTechnica]

EV charging (POD Point image)

¶ Pakistan can save up to $3 billion per year if it taps into the full potential of alternative energy resources and implements energy reforms programs, a provincial minister said. He said that net metering will allow for savings and reduction in the load on the grid while reducing dependency on coal and natural gas. [The News International]

¶ South America faces some challenges with curbing energy emissions, including increased car ownership. But the region now manages to utilize its renewable energy sources, thanks to its partnership with Chinese energy firms, as reported by the Fifth Column News. Uruguay, for example, now is powered 100% by renewable energy. [Latin Post]

Eco power wind turbines (Photo: Maria Wachala)

¶ Swiss voters will head to the polls on Sunday to decide whether to speed up phasing out Switzerland’s nuclear power plants. The Swiss have already vowed to close them, but a “yes” vote would force three of its five reactors to close next year. The Swiss Green Party wants to limit reactor lifetime to no more than 45 years. [The Local Switzerland]

US:

¶ In a quest to push development of up to 60 MW in power generation development, the Power Authority of Guam, a US island territory in the Philippine Sea, has narrowed down its list of bidders to seven that are considered qualified. One of the bidders proposed the development of a 10 MW geothermal project. [ThinkGeoEnergy]

Island coast at Yona, Guam in Micronesia
(Photo: flickr / Jonathan Miske, creative commons)

¶ A new confrontation is brewing over the Dakota Access Pipeline. Protesters fighting pipeline construction must vacate federal property near the Cannonball River in North Dakota by December 5 or face arrest, the Army Corps of Engineers said. The demonstrators must a large campsite where they have been staying. [CNN]

¶ When the city of Georgetown, Texas had decided to go all green, it had little to do with the environment. It had a lot to do with the money. “We wanted the least risk, most cost effective option we could get for the community,” Georgetown’s utility chief said. Wind is now competitive with fossil fuels, and its costs don’t fluctuate. [KPBS]

Christmas in Georgetown
(Photo by Jerry Stratton, CC BY SA, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ The Kentucky Public Service Commission has allowed East Kentucky Power Cooperative, Inc to offer its customers the opportunity to use solar power without putting solar panels on their roofs, filling an unmet demand for renewable energy. The facility is just the second community solar project approved by the PSC. [KyForward.com]

¶ If all goes according to plan, construction will begin next year on one of the longest power transmission projects in the nation’s history, a 700-mile line from wind farms around the Oklahoma panhandle to Atlanta and other cities in the Southeast. Getting to this point has been a struggle requiring federal government action. [Houston Chronicle]

Wind power (Photo: esoxx – Fotolia)

¶ While the world waits to see the political implications of the Trump presidency, S&P Global Ratings has released a new report exploring possible meanings for the energy sector and related project finance. The report covers its impacts on domestic energy regulation, renewables investment, and long-term credit quality. [Blue & Green Tomorrow]

¶ President-elect Donald Trump has vowed to end the “war on coal,” but one Michigan utility’s said his company plans to phase out the fuel, regardless. The company has already shuttered three coal-fired units, and has plans to shelve another eight by 2030. Its CEO said the company is on the path to phasing out coal completely. [MLive.com]

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Opinion:

¶ “Can Trump undo Obama’s policies?” • The environmental achievements under Obama are considerable, and Trump can’t vanquish them with a snap of his fingers. Many power plants have already taken steps to rein in toxic pollutants. Obama’s clean car rules have already stood up in court. But Trump has many options. [The Colorado Independent]

US wind farm (Credit: Mathias Appel, Creative Commons, Flickr)

¶ “Smart Energy Storage Gives Building Owners Control of Electricity Expenses” • In the past, we’ve traditionally overbuilt supply to maintain electric system reliability. We are supporting trillions of dollars of infrastructure that is not normally used. Getting past this with energy storage will bring financial benefits. [cre.tech]

World:

¶ The town of Newstead, Victoria is seeking proposals from potential project partners who could help refine its plan to reach 100% renewable energy in 5 years. The town, with a population of about 500, looks to build up its renewable energy capacity and tie it into the local grid with battery storage and new “energy market” ideas. [CleanTechnica]

Lyons Street, Newstead, Victoria
(Photo by Melburnian, CC BY SA, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ German companies are making efforts to protect the climate. The latest trend study from E.ON shows that a majority of the companies take the issue of energy conservation seriously. About 75% of the CEOs surveyed indicated they had made investments relating to climate protection over the past three years. [Your Renewable News]

¶ The World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa has lauded the release of the long-awaited draft Integrated Resource Plan and the proposed delay on building up nuclear power in South Africa. WWF says proposals for nuclear power should be taken off the table and more renewable energy should be added into the mix. [Independent Online]

Koeberg, South Africa’s only nuclear power station
(Credit: Bruce Sutherland, City of Cape Town)

¶ Sri Lanka’s will call open tenders for private investors to set up 60 solar power plants of with a capacity of one megawatt each, following a successful tender for wind power which slashed costs. Sri Lanka’s state-run Ceylon Electricity Board has been paying a feed-in tariff for solar power as high as Rs23/kWh (15¢/kWh). [EconomyNext]

¶ Egyptian New and Renewable Energy Authority is currently executing two wind power projects in Ras Gharib, Red Sea with investments estimated at around $400 million. Ehab Ismail, General Manager of Planning Department at NREA, said that the combined capacity of the two projects is estimated to be about 340 MW. [Zawya]

Zafarana Wind Farm in Suez (Reuters / Amr Dalsh)

¶ The renewable energy unit of French state-owned utility EDF is in talks with Chinese companies about a possible partnership to build offshore wind parks in China. EDF’s CEO said last year the firm wants to nearly double its renewable energy capacity worldwide to more than 50 GW by 2030 from about 28 GW. [The Maritime Executive]

¶ In Canada, governments at various levels are now working with indigenous leaders and energy companies to find new solutions to end that energy poverty. Federal, provincial and territorial ministers are due to meet in January with the various partners to come up with a joint plan to provide reliable electricity. [The Globe and Mail]

Town of Fort McPherson, NWT
(Fred Lum / The Globe and Mail)

US:

¶ Green Mountain Power has been looking to purchase 14 hydroelectric plants in Vermont and other New England states. The company says the deal would build its low-cost renewable energy portfolio and benefit ratepayers, but a solar developer says investments outside the state will slow down renewable energy development in it. [Vermont Public Radio]

¶ Legislative support is showing up for an extension of Oregon’s sunsetting Residential Energy Tax Credit, a top priority of the state’s solar energy industry. Included in draft recommendations of the Joint Interim Committee on Department of Energy Oversight was a call to continue RETC for another two years. [Portland Business Journal]

Installing a residential solar system in Oregon (Legend Solar)

¶ St. Petersburg Florida has joined the likes of Los Angeles and San Diego in approving a commitment to transitioning to 100% renewable energy. It is the first city in Florida and the 20th city in the US to make such a mandate. In a unanimous vote, the City Council Committee allocated $800,000 in funds to implement the plan. [PV-Tech]

¶ The National Renewable Energy Lab released the first ever technical and economic analysis of the potential of distributed wind power, from smaller turbines at home or business sites. The key finding is that distributed wind installed at millions of locations could technically power the entire country. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Pika Energy wind turbine on a farm in Maine
(Photo courtesy of Pika Energy)

¶ In Vermont, the Bennington County Regional Commission is rolling out an energy plan that includes data on current usage and sources, projections of future use, and strategies to support the state’s goals for cutting consumption and shifting more toward renewable energy production. A key goal is to produce more energy locally. [vtdigger.org]

¶ Hawaiian Electric Co will move forward with its clean-energy goals, despite having a climate change denier as the nation’s incoming president. Alan Oshima, the utility’s president and CEO, said he is concerned about President-elect Donald Trump’s victory but that the utility is committed to 100% renewable energy. [Government Technology]

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Science and Technology:

¶ Many species will not be able to adapt fast enough to survive climate change, say scientists. A study of more than 250 plants and animals suggests their ability to adapt to changes in rainfall and temperature will be vastly outpaced. Amphibians, reptiles and plants are particularly vulnerable. And tropical species are at higher risk. [BBC]

Tropical species may be particularly vulnerable.
(Thinkstock image)

World:

¶ Morgan Stanley has released a new report estimating that electric car sales will increase become 10 to 15% of the global new car market by 2025. Though the US may look to abandon its rules, every other civilized country has its own in place, and they require auto manufacturers to lower the emissions dramatically within a few years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ There has been a significant advancement in tidal energy this month with a single massive tidal turbine being deployed on the coast of Nova Scotia in the Cape Sharp Tidal project. Earlier this month, OpenHydro and Emera, the developers, deployed the first of a series of massive turbines. Now, they have connected it to the grid. [Electrek]

Tidal turbine being installed and used (Electrek)

¶ According to new data from EV Volumes, one million purely electric vehicles are now on roads worldwide! And that is largely made up of models that have been on the market for the past several years. The new electric car models hitting the market right now and in the coming year are a huge leap ahead, with even more customer appeal. [CleanTechnica]

¶ German tidal energy company Schottel Hydro has installed a SIT 250 turbine at Bintuni Bay in Indonesia. The turbine is suspended below a floating barge and supplies power to a wood chip factory that had previously received all its power from diesel generators. The project took 12 months to complete, Schottel said. [reNews]

Readying a tidal turbine in Indonesia (Schottel image)

¶ Alberta Premier Rachel Notley says the province’s electricity market is broken and it is capping electricity prices as part of a broader plan to move towards a more regulated industry. The cap will come into effect by June and will ensure Albertans pay no more than 6.8¢/kWh, but that is about twice what most Albertans pay now. [Prince George Citizen]

¶ Vietnam’s legislature has formally endorsed the government’s decision to scrap plans to build the country’s first two nuclear power plants. A statement from the government announcing the vote said renewable energy and power imports were available less expensively and investment should be made in more urgent needs. [The Chosun Ilbo]

Hydro dam in Vietnam
(Photo by Tycho, CC BY SA, Wikimedia Commons)

US:

¶ President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed his intentions
to cancel the Clean Power Plan. During his election campaign, Trump made several references to his intent to dismantle not only Obama’s Clean Power Plan, but also US involvement with the Paris Climate Agreement and the solar investment tax credit. [PV-Tech]

¶ US renewable electricity has grown to 16.7% of total installed capacity and 13.8% of total power generation in 2015, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s latest data book. Last year, renewable electricity accounted for 64% of the power capacity additions in the country, compared to 52% a year back. [SeeNews Renewables]

Wind and solar power plant in the US
(Featured Image: welcomia/Shutterstock.com)

¶ President-elect Donald Trump conceded there is “some connectivity” between human activity and climate change and wavered on whether he would pull the United States out of international accords. Asked if he would withdraw the US from international climate change agreements, Trump said he is “looking at it very closely.” [CNN]

¶ In the past, Ta’u, a 17-square-mile island in American Samoa with about 785 residents, was powered by diesel generators and struggled with regular power rationing and outages. Now the island has 1.4 MW of solar power. Its 60 Tesla Powerpacks can run the island for three days, and are charged by seven hours of sunlight. [MIS Asia]

Ta’u solar field (Image: Tesla / Solar City)

¶ Next summer, the town of Bedford, Virginia could see a brand new solar farm installed on town property, which is a first for any municipality in the state. The Town Council voted unanimously to approve the solar farm, to be located on 20 acres next to an old town landfill. The array’s power will cost the town 6.19¢/kWh. [Lynchburg News and Advance]

¶ Vermont utility companies are accustomed to sharing the cost of power, but a new rule that went into effect in September says utilities closest to the power source to pay for its output. Utilities in northern Vermont are trying to figure out what to do with Swanton Wind, a controversial wind farm proposed for Franklin County. [Watchdog.org]

Solar array in Burlington (Burlington Electric Department photo)

¶ In Ohio, a new community solar program called “OurSolar” from Paulding Putnam Electric Co-op will make renewable energy easy and affordable for its members. A groundbreaking ceremony was held on November 15. A subscription to a single panel costs $3 to $5. The co-op plans informational meetings. [The Paulding County Progress]

¶ In a last-minute bid to gain support for saving nuclear plants in Illinois, a massive piece of energy legislation is being scaled back. Exelon says unless lawmakers pass the bill next week, it will close plants in Clinton and the Quad Cities. Critics say this is just a case of a profitable corporation seeking a bailout on the backs of consumers. [Peoria Public Radio]

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Opinion:

¶ “Everything I Learned About Renewable Energy Contracts By Talking To Developers” – Utilities put together their portfolio of renewable energy contracts so that they will be able to deliver the capacity needed for each time of day, combining wind and solar with baseload renewables: geothermal, hydro, and landfill gas. [CleanTechnica]

Renewable energy (Image Credit: Chauncey Davis)

¶ “With Trump, China Emerges As Global Leader on Climate” How has China, the country that had been seen as the bad boy of climate policy, transformed itself into a potential global climate leader? And why do China’s leaders see their efforts on climate change as the key to the next phase of China’s growth? [Yale Environment 360]

Science and Technology:

¶ In recent years researchers have shown a correlation between oil and gas fracking and seismic activity, but not a direct causal link. Now, a study published in the journal Science, called “Fault activation by hydraulic fracturing in western Canada,” identifies and describes the mechanism of causality the first time. [CleanTechnica]

Illustration of fault
(cropped screenshot, University of Calgary)

¶ Researchers of Karlsruhe Institute of Technology are working on an efficient and inexpensive method for the production of organic plastics. The “BioElectroPlast” process of microbial electro-synthesis opens up paths not only for the production of biofuel from CO2 and electricity, but also for such chemical products as plastics. [Nanowerk]

World:

¶ Gujarat was the first state in India to have a cooperative for solar pump irrigators, through which farmers sell surplus power to the distributor by connecting solar pumps to the grid. The farmers’ co-op provides irrigation as service at half the previous rate, so even small farmers without wells save on irrigation costs. [India Climate Dialogue]

Solar power for irrigation
(Photo by International Water Management Institute)

¶ Research released by the International Council on Clean Transportation shows an average discrepancy between official vehicle fuel consumption figures and actual vehicle fuel use in the EU has risen to 42%. Most of the difference is explained by vehicle manufacturers exploiting loopholes in the current regulation. [CleanTechnica]

¶ SaskPower, the electric utility in Saskatchewan, plans to raise its renewable power supply to up to 50% by 2030. To do so, it needs to double the percentage of renewables in its supply mix. Wind power’s share is expected to reach 30% by 2030, and SaskPower intends to issue a request for proposals for wind power capacity early in 2017. [reNews]

Wind turbine (Author: Ville-Matti Kaartinen,
License: Creative Commons, Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic)

¶ Sweden is set to ditch taxes on production of solar energy in 2017 in a bid to run entirely on renewable energy by 2040, the government said. Solar energy is currently marginal in the nation, accounting for less than 0.1% of electricity production. Sweden relies mostly on hydropower (39%) and nuclear power (36%). [ETEnergyworld.com]

¶ South Africa’s government has delayed long-term nuclear power expansion plans, according to a draft energy blueprint. The plan would increase nuclear output 1,359 MW by 2037. Energy analysts said the previous 9.6-GW plan was overly ambitious and expensive. Utility Eskom has not changed its nuclear power plans. [Yahoo News]

Pylons near the Koeberg nuclear power plant
(Reuters / Mike Hutchings / File Photo)

US:

¶ In a unanimous decision, the New York State Court of Appeals Monday upheld a state agency’s right to review applications for renewal of federal licenses to operate two Indian Point nuclear power plants for another 20 years. This delivers a serious setback to the facilities’ owner, Mississippi-based Entergy Nuclear. [EcoWatch]

¶ EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy joined a chorus of voices saying the country is inevitably shifting from fossil fuels to renewables, regardless of what President-elect Donald Trump does with the Clean Power Plan. She also said that developing countries are “wondering if the US will turn its back on science and be left behind.” [Morning Consult]

Gina McCarthy (Rob Kunzig / Morning Consult)

¶ The head of E.ON, Germany’s largest power utility, believes investment in renewable energy in the US may be arrested by the Trump presidency. However, he pointed out that most jobs in the renewables industry were located in states dominated by the Republicans, and thought any change in legislation would happen very slowly. [PennEnergy]

¶ The clean energy economy is taking off, bringing opportunities for US businesses, entrepreneurs, investors, and consumers. Clean energy is putting Americans to work, and if President-elect Trump is serious about his promise to create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs, he would push America toward a clean energy future. [Huffington Post]

Installing solar panels (Wikimedia Commons)

¶ The Louisiana Public Service Commission has rejected utility restrictions on solar power and sided with customers who want to install solar panels and get credit for the solar power they generate that goes to the grid. The state’s utility companies had used loopholes in regulations to put fees on or restrict customer solar installations. [KATC Lafayette News]

¶ November set a record as the greatest month for wind energy in Texas and the Plain states, according to the American Wind Energy Association. The main Texas grid operator, ERCOT, recorded an instantaneous peak wind output of 14.122 GW on November 17, up from a previous high of 14.023 GW set in February. [reNews]

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Opinion:

¶ “Solar And Wind Versus Nuclear: Is Baseload Power Obsolete?” Renewables coupled with efficient, cost effective energy storage make grids virtually obsolete. Utility companies are petrified they may become irrelevant and the trillions of dollars invested in building grids throughout the world will no longer produce income. [PlanetSave.com]

Solar installation (via Quora)

World:

¶ S&P Global Platts reports that European power prices spiked
in early November as unscheduled nuclear outages in France continued to squeeze supply margins across Northwest Europe. Doubts continued to assail the market in mid-November, holding baseload prices for next January at up to €140/MWh ($149/kWh). [ScandOil]

¶ Between November 1 and November 15, Brazil’s wind power output rose by 53.6% on the year to an average of 4,817 MW, according to preliminary figures released by the Power Trading Chamber. Wind power’s share of Brazilian power generation grew to 7.8%. Biomass and solar have also shown growth in the period. [SeeNews Renewables]

Wind farm in Brazil. (Author: Otávio Nogueira, 
License: Creative Commons, Attribution 2.0 Generic)

¶ So far, renewables have played little part in Indonesia’s power sector. Now, an Indonesian marine renewable energy company and a unit of a French state-owned naval defence company aim to be the first to plug into the vast, and as yet untapped, tidal energy potential of the world’s biggest archipelago. [Thomson Reuters Foundation]

¶ A 90-MW battery energy storage system project was officially put into operation in Germany last week. To date, it is the largest implementation of its kind in the country. Six 15-MW lithium-ion battery-based systems have been deployed; one each in Bexbach, Fenne and Weiher and another three in North Rhine-Westphalia. [Energy Matters]

German battery-based system

¶ Two Chinese firms plan to build a solar power plant in the exclusion zone around the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, which has been off limits since 1986. GCL System Integration Technology and China National Complete Engineering Corp work on the project in Ukraine, with construction expected to start next year. [The Indian Express]

¶ Dong Energy has generated electricity for the first time from its 258-MW Burbo Bank 2 offshore wind farm in Liverpool Bay. The Danish company said the energization of the initial MHI Vestas 8-MW turbines is an “important step in the project.” All 32 turbines are expected to be in place by the first quarter of 2017. [reNews]

Turbine at Burbo 2 (Dong Energy photo)

US:

¶ President-elect Donald Trump promised get rid of the Clean Power Plan, and that, he says, would give a boost to the declining US coal industry. But even without the plan, he would probably not reverse a years-long movement away from coal in the US electric power industry, according to the head of one leading electric utility. [Tribune-Review]

¶ The Dakota Access Pipeline protest is turning violent. About 400 protesters clashed with police as demonstrators lit cars on fire and police launched tear gas and water at the crowds. Police said that the protesters “attempted to flank and attack the law enforcement line from the west,” and described their actions as “very aggressive.” [CNN]

Dakota Access Pipeline protest

¶ Internal carbon pricing is just starting to catch on in the global business community. Microsoft began what might be described as an internal carbon tax back in 2012. Now, some results are in. During the COP22 climate talks, the company released a white paper that makes a strong business case for an internal carbon fee. [Triple Pundit]

¶ Storms obviously aren’t new at the Norfolk Naval Station, but they are worse than ever – and the Pentagon blames climate change. Legislators have made denial of the effects of carbon emissions into policy, so Pentagon planners sometimes list upgrades to infrastructure as maintenance or repairs to avoid scrutiny from lawmakers. [The Recorder]

Fort Irwin, California (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times / TNS)

¶ AWS announced six new solar projects across Virginia. They will help it meet its target of generating 50% of its power using renewable energy sources by the end of 2017. The company hopes one day to be 100% reliable on renewable energy, and the new solar-powered plants are also a significant step towards its short-term goals. [Cloud Pro]

¶ Rawhide Energy Station, 23 miles north of Fort Collins, was once synonymous with coal. Environmental concerns over the burning of coal has prompted the Platte River Power Authority station to broadening its energy portfolio, which took a major diversification step when the Rawhide Flats Solar Project went online. [The Coloradoan]

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Opinion:

¶ “What Trump really means for global climate-change progress” • Maybe it just won’t get that bad. Yes, United States president-elect Donald Trump is threatening to pull the world’s second-largest emitter out of a major international deal to ratchet down greenhouse gases. But, no, it will not scuttle progress. [Christian Science Monitor]

Participants at the COP22 climate conference
(David Keyton / AP)

Science and Technology:

¶ Pioneering techniques that use satellites to monitor ocean acidification are set to revolutionize ocean study. This new approach, published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, offer a way to monitor of large swathes of inaccessible ocean from satellites that orbit the Earth some 700 km above our heads. [Satellite PR News]

World:

¶ Fruit producer Del Monte Philippines Inc is now able to save 25% of its annual power costs, thanks to a waste-to-energy project developed by GE. Del Monte’s 2.8-MW waste-to-energy project is powered by GE’s Jenbacher gas engines. Wastewater is treated in an anaerobic digester, powering two Jenbacher J420 engines. [The Standard]

Del Monte’s pineapple plantation

¶ The next head of the UN global climate talks appealed for the US to “save” Pacific islands from the impacts of global warming. Fijian Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama said that the islands needed the US now as much as they did during World War Two. He called on to the next US president to step away from climate scepticism. [BBC]

¶ African consumers are opting for off-grid solar solutions. According to International Energy Agency projections, almost one billion people in sub-Saharan Africa will gain access to the grid by 2040, but by that time 530 million will remain off-grid, almost comparable with the 600 million who cannot access power today. [TODAY.ng]

Solar farm in Africa (AFP image)

¶ The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, based in the US, prepared the report suggesting Bangladesh re-evaluate its “exceptionally grand but entirely subsidised plans for ever more imported thermal power capacity.” The report says solar energy and imported electricity would be commercially viable alternatives. [The Daily Star]

¶ PEPS, a Moroccan company has signed an agreement with Siemens and French-based renewable energy firm NST aimed at converting waste to electricity in a bid to fight climate change, a report said. The deal was signed as part of the COP22 climate change conference in Marrakech, according to Morocco World News. [Trade Arabia]

Waste to electricity

¶ Donald Trump’s sweeping election victory has not translated into a receptive international response. Instead, delegates at the COP22 climate conference in Marrakesh have expressed their renewed determination to meet the agreement’s goal to cut fossil fuel pollution enough to curb global warming. [The Australian Financial Review]

¶ Adani Enterprises announced that it proposes to commence construction of two major solar projects in Australia next year, each with an output of 100-200 MW. Land agreements are in place for the projects in South Australia and Queensland, and Adani has commenced the design and tendering phases for both projects. [ETEnergyworld.com]

Australian Solar Farm
(Photo by Grahamec, CC BY SA, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ After discussing details during the past week on how to meet the Paris Agreement’s goals successfully, some diplomats have suggested that the US should be punished with measures like a carbon-pollution tax on imports of American-made goods, if it withdraws from the agreement as president-elect Donald Trump has promised. [PerfScience]

¶ An earthquake in September forced South Korea to suspend operations at four nuclear reactors. To compensate for the energy gap, the country is procuring more liquified natural gas, according to S&P Global Platts. Now, East Asian spot prices for LNG have soared by more than 70% from the low reached this April. [Nikkei Asian Review]

An LNG carrier operated by Mitsui OSK Lines

US:

¶ Amazon is building Amazon Wind Farm Texas, a new 253-MW wind farm in Scurry County, Texas, that will generate 1,000,000 MWh of wind energy annually, enough to power almost 90,000 US homes, a press release says. The wind farm will include more than 100 turbines, and is scheduled to open in late 2017. [Proud Green Building]

¶ Western fires are getting bigger and hotter. When researchers from Penn State’s Earth and Environmental Systems Institute studied the history of western fires, they found that the changes in land management had trumped climate in much of the 20th century, but stronger fire-climate relationships have developed since the mid-1980s. [Arizona Daily Star]

Prescribed burn in California (CN Skinner / US Forest Service)

¶ The US Department of Agriculture is providing $3.6 billion in loans to fund 82 electric projects in 31 states. The funding will build or improve 12,500 miles of transmission lines. It includes $216 million for smart grids, $35 million for renewable energy, and nearly $28 million for environmental improvements and efficiency. [High Plains Journal]

¶ In a recent study out of Texas, researchers predicted that the state could reduce its coal-generated electricity to 6% in under
20 years. If the study’s proposals are even partly accurate, they would represent a turning of the tide in electricity generation, one that is not welcome in places like Wyoming, where coal is produced. [Billings Gazette]

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Opinion:

¶ “Environmentalists search for silver linings” • On November 15, the temperature in Salt Lake City reached 73°, the hottest temperature ever recorded for that date or later in the year. Park City Mountain Resort had already postponed its opening date from to November 26. Climate change, anyone? And yet, there is hope. [The Park Record]

No snow at Park City on November 18

¶ “How Trump Climate Denial Is Catalyzing the World” • During two weeks of meetings in Marrakech, top officials from almost 200 countries responded to climate science denial by reinforcing the December Paris Agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions. They warned that president-elect Trump could isolate the US. [Bloomberg]

¶ “China Takes the Climate Spotlight as U.S. Heads for Exit” • The election of Donald Trump as president of the United States has the world holding out for a climate hero, and parties at Marrakech are determined that it will be China. China is backing away from neither the challenge nor the Paris Agreement, as Trump vowed to do. [Scientific American]

In a photograph taken in Yokosuka, Japan in 2000, sailors
of the Peoples Republic of China march past USS Blueridge,
 (Photo by Jiang, CC BY SA, Wikimedia Commons)

Science and Technology:

¶ For what appears to be the first time since scientists began keeping track, sea ice in the Arctic and the Antarctic are hitting their record lows in mid-November. Temperatures in the Arctic have soared recently, and scientists are struggling to explain the implications. Air temperatures have been 35° F (20° C) above average. [CNN]

¶ Tesla officially became an energy company this week after a vote in favor of the automaker acquiring Solar City. But CEO Elon Musk had more to announce. Musk said that the brand’s new solar roof product will somehow cost less than a traditional shingled roof, and that’s even before factoring in the energy savings. [Huffington Post Canada]

Tuscan Glass Tile solar roof (Tesla photo)

World:

¶ NTPC Ltd said the Delhi Pollution Control Committee has given directions to keep all its units in Badarpur Thermal Power Station closed untill January 31, 2017. NTPC has not disclosed the reason for the committee’s direction. However, the reason is likely to be concerns around poor air quality in Delhi. [Real Time News, India]

¶ Latin America has been making headlines over the last 18-months due to the huge solar PV projects that are being developed on the continent. The most recent one to get underway is Enel’s 180-MW plant in Peru, with construction starting on the site this week. The construction is expected to take more than a year. [pv magazine]

City of Moquegua (Dtarazona, CC BY SA, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ The Quebec government has approved the 147.2MW Mont Sainte Marguerite wind farm, clearing the way for construction to begin on 1 December. Pattern Energy and RES Canada have partnered with the municipalities of St Sylvester, St Severin and Le Sacré-Coeur-de-Jesus in the project, about 50 miles south of Quebec City. [reNews]

¶ At UN climate talks in Marrakech, 47 countries of the Climate Vulnerable Forum set out an intention to go 100% renewable and carbon neutral. Members promised to update their national climate plans and produce mid-century strategies before 2020, in line with the aspirational 1.5° C global warming limit agreed last year in Paris. [Climate Home]

Homes in Bangladesh (Flickr / Nasif Ahmed / Bangladesh)

¶ A panel discussing reforms for TEPCO is increasingly seeing a need for the utility to merge the utility’s nuclear and power grid operations with those of other companies. Commissioned by the industry ministry, the panel has been discussing streamlining TEPCO’s operations to raise money for decommissioning the Fukushima Daiichi plant. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶ The Obama administration has introduced a ban on offshore oil drilling in the Arctic for at least five years. The move is a significant victory for environmentalists who have campaigned for years against drilling in the ecologically fragile region. But Donald Trump, who pledged to increase offshore drilling, could overturn the ban. [BBC]

Nearly 400 scientists signed a letter urging President
Obama to eliminate Arctic offshore drilling. (AP photo)

¶ US power company NRG Energy Inc has commissioned a 14.7-MW community solar farm in Spencer, Massachusetts. Featuring more than 61,000 PV panels, the project is NRG’s largest community solar facility in the US. The installation is 100% subscribed and will serve the electricity needs of more than 1,500 customers. [SeeNews Renewables]

¶ EDF Renewable Energy and Otter Tail Power Company have announced an asset purchase agreement by which EDF RE will construct the 150-MW Merricourt Wind Project. In 2019, when the project is finished, it will provide electric power to about 65,000 homes in the Otter Tail Power Company service area. [Windpower Engineering]

North Dakota wind farm

¶ The Tennessee Valley Authority has completed Alabama’s biggest solar farm. NextEra Energy Resources, an affiliate company of Florida Power and Light, installed more than 300,000 solar panels on 645 acres of Alabama farmland to generate 75 MW of power, enough to supply 15,000 homes. [Chattanooga Times Free Press]

¶ Last year Portland, Oregon passed a resolution to oppose expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure. The next step was to develop draft rules that are legally enforceable. This has been done, and Council members have voted 3-0 to pass the resulting amendments. On December 8, the city council will make its final decision. [CleanTechnica]

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World:

¶ China’s JinkoSolar lifted its guidance for shipments of PV modules in 2016, anticipating 6.6 GW to 6.7 GW, after third-quarter volumes rose 41.6% year-on-year. The company had previously expected 6 GW to 6.5 GW of PV module shipments for the year. The quarter’s revenue was down by 4.4% due to lower PV prices. [SeeNews Renewables]

Birds on a solar module (Author: Don McCullough, CC BY-SA)

¶ The European Commission has given the go-ahead for Greece’s support mechanism for renewable electricity after saying it aligns with EU state aid rules. The government plans for state aid through a feed-in tariff scheme for small projects and would have a price premium for those with capacities of above 500 kW. [Energy Voice]

¶ Saudi Arabia has reiterated its commitment to working toward mitigating the effects of global climate change at the 22nd UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech. Saudi Arabia is the only Arab country included on a list of the top 10 biggest CO2 emitters globally. It experienced a sharp rise between 2014 and 2015. [PV-Tech]

Saudi Arabia (Source: Flickr / Pixabay)

¶ India has reached a major milestone for its solar capacity. The cumulative solar power capacity, including rooftop and off-grid segments, has crossed 10 GW in the country. India is expected to become the world’s third biggest solar market next year, after China and the US, with additions in the range of 8 GW to 10 GW per annum. [Hindu Business Line]

¶ Vattenfall is to build the 350-MW Vesterhav North and South offshore wind farms in Denmark after the parliament approved supports for the projects. The Swedish utility said it will move on the plans for the nearshore installations off Jutland’s coast following the vote in the Folketing. First power is expected in 2020. [reNews]

Vattenfall offshore wind farm (Vattenfall image)

¶ China will accelerate its development of geothermal power to help meet targets set for renewable fuels consumption and tackle air pollution, Chinese officials said at a geothermal conference. The country’s current five-year plan has the non-fossil fuel portion of primary energy consumption to rise to 15% in 2020. [ETEnergyworld.com]

US:

¶ Geologists say a new survey shows an oilfield in west Texas dwarfs others found so far in the United States, according to the US Geological Survey. The Midland Basin of the Wolfcamp Shale area in the Permian Basin in west Texas is now estimated to have 20 billion barrels of oil and 1.6 billion barrels of natural gas. [CNN]

Pumpjack at dawn

¶ The DOE’s SunShot Initiative was launched in 2011 “with the goal of making solar electricity cost-competitive with traditional energy sources without subsidies by 2020.” In just five years the Initiative has achieved more than 90% of its goal to cut the cost of utility-scale solar electricity in the US down to 6¢/kWh. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Minnesota Power’s Great Northern Transmission Line between Canada and northeastern Minnesota received federal approval as the DOE issued a Presidential Permit for the project. This is the final regulatory approval needed before construction begins. The 224-mile line will deliver hydro power from Manitoba to Grand Rapids. [KDAL]

Transmission lines

¶ The nation’s energy infrastructure will undergo a significant transformation over the next 10 years, according to a study by Mortenson, a recognized leader in energy and transmission infrastructure. This is due largely to declining costs of energy storage. Of professionals answering a survey, 96% believe the technology is a major key. [AltEnergyMag]

¶ Nearly 50,000 Hoosiers worked in advanced energy industries in 2015, according to a report. The advanced energy category is broad and includes renewable energy, energy efficiency, and grid modernization. Its employees include engineers, computer scientists, data scientists, and construction workers. [Northeast Indiana Public Radio]

Wind power in Indiana (Tony Krabill / WVPE)

¶ Amazon’s cloud computing unit, Amazon Web Services, is supporting the development of five new solar parks in Virginia with a combined capacity of 180 MW. The facilities are being developed in partnership with utility Dominion Resources, which will own and operate them. They are expected to start operating in late 2017. [reNews]

¶ A group of 365 companies, including General Mills, Nike, and Starbucks, has urged President-elect Donald Trump to abide by the Paris climate deal. In addition to sticking with the Paris deal, the group urged the US government to have a “Continuation of low-carbon policies,” and to invest “in the low carbon economy.” [Opposing Views]

Somers Solar Center (Image: Dominion Resources)

¶ The New York Public Service Commission voted unanimously to approve the sale of the FitzPatrick Nuclear Power Plant. Its owner, Entergy, had been planning to shut it down because of financial losses. But Exelon agreed to purchase it for $110 million after the PSC passed a massive nuclear power subsidy program. [WRVO Public Media]

¶ The US Justice Department filed a lawsuit to block a merger involving one of the key players in the proposed sale of Vermont Yankee. Federal officials say EnergySolutions’ acquisition of Waste Control Specialists, which has agreed to buy the nuclear plant, would create a “near monopoly” in low-level radioactive waste disposal. [vtdigger.org]

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Opinion:

¶ “Is Renewable Energy Trump-Proof? ” • Donald Trump vowed to “save $100 billion that the United States is spending on climate policies.” His rhetoric on the campaign trail was xenophobic, racist, and misogynistic, Now he’s been elected president. And yet, some renewable energy industry insiders say they’re not too worried. [TakePart]

A wind farm in Sweetwater, Texas.
(Photo: Orjan F Ellingvag / Corbis via Getty Images)

¶ “Clean Power Is Too Hot for Even Trump to Cool” • Donald Trump was elected president, in part by calling climate change a hoax, vowing to gut most of Obama’s clean-energy policies, and promising to revive coal mining. If recent corporate actions are any indication, a Trump administration won’t slow investments in renewables much. [Bloomberg]

World:

¶ The International Energy Agency, which represents 29 energy-producing countries, says unless more money is spent exploring for and developing new oil fields, demand may outstrip supply early in the next decade. That could see oil prices surging again. Investment in new oil supplies last year was at its lowest since the 1950s. [BBC]

Oil well and camels

¶ US Secretary of State John Kerry gave an important speech at the Major Economies Forum of COP22, the UN’s climate change conference in Marrakesh, Morocco. Kerry drew the attention of listeners to melting glaciers, more powerful storms, and record-breaking droughts as incontrovertible evidence of the dangers of climate change. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Morocco is retrofitting 600 of its mosques with renewable energy, switching to efficient LED lighting, electricity from PVs, and solar water heating. The initial plan will be completed by early 2019, with the rest of the country’s 15,000 mosques to follow. The mosques are considered a starting point to raise awareness. [CNN]

Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca

¶ Renewable energy business Gaelectric is officially opening its County Antrim wind farm. Known as Cloonty, the £13.4-million plant will be Gaelectric’s fourth operating wind farm in Northern Ireland. Its four Enercon wind turbines will generate enough power to meet the annual electricity demand of over 5,000 homes. [Insider Media]

¶ Chile’s central power system saw the share of renewables rise to 17.7% in October 2016, with 778.2 GWh of green power generated, up from 13.4% a year ago. Wind power contributed 5.5% of grid power. Solar stood at 4.4%. Thermal renewable power supplied 4.37% of demand, and hydropower had a 3.4% share. [SeeNews Renewables]

Wind farm in Chile (Author: Diego Correa)

¶ Renewable energy will keep growing in the next few years as costs drop and coal use continues to fall, despite US President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to revive the fossil fuel, according to investors and analysts. They said possible policy changes under Trump should not dampen current investment in clean energy. [ETEnergyworld.com]

¶ The International Energy Agency released its annual report, which takes into account economic, technological, and policy developments, and it tries to project the trends that will drive our energy use for decades. This year’s IEA report suggests that a combination of economics and policy will drive an explosion in renewables. [Ars Technica]

Silhouette of wind power stations over the sea at sunset
(Photo: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management)

¶ Egypt’s minister of electricity and renewable energy said the country is focusing largely on improving the transmission and distribution network to meet the electricity demand. Egypt is also installing coal plants and trying to finalize a contract to build a nuclear power plant with Russian company Rosatom by the end of this year. [Zawya]

¶ China has responded to Trump’s claim that climate change was a Chinese hoax. “If you look at the history of climate change negotiations, actually it was initiated by the IPCC with the support of the Republicans during the Reagan and senior Bush administration during the late 1980s,” the Vice Foreign Minister pointed out. [Science World Report]

In danger of melting due to climate change
(Photo : Frances M. Ginter / Getty Images)

US:

¶ More people in the US are deciding to buy outright their residential solar systems rather than lease solar panels from a third party. Figures from GTM Research suggest that direct ownership will overtake solar leasing for the first time since 2011 next year, with 55% of all new US residential solar capacity owned by customers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Vasari Energy has expanded its utility-scale solar power project in Maricopa County and Gild Bend, Arizona, doubling the solar generating projects the company has in the state, with a capacity increase from 68 MW to 140 MW. The solar facility sits on a 900-acre development site. It will be connected to the Arizona grid. [Electric Light & Power]

Solar array in Arizona

¶ The US brewing industry is taking on a leadership position in sustainability. Breweries of all sizes have been investing in high efficiency equipment that cuts down their wastewater while producing usable products including methane gas, potable water and biosolids. That trend is not likely to change at any time in the near future. [CleanTechnica]

¶ General Motors made its largest procurement to date of renewable energy, purchasing enough wind power to provide for the electricity needs of 16 of its US facilities, including a major assembly and stamping complex in Arlington, Texas, offices in Fort Worth and Austin, and 13 parts warehouses east of the Mississippi River. [Justmeans]

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Opinion:

¶ “What President Trump Means for the Future of Energy and Climate” • After a stunning election, the first impulse may be to describe the future in apocalyptic phrases. Game over for the climate! Game over for NATO! Game over for the Clean Power Plan! Game over for Planned Parenthood! But Trump likes to be unpredictable. [DeSmog]

Open pit mine in Wyoming (Bureau of Land Management photo)

¶ “Trump may dismantle the EPA Clean Power Plan but its targets look resilient” • Tied up in the courts, the Clean Power Plan has not yet come into force. But even though its future is
at risk, one thing is clear: Market forces are, to a large degree, already achieving the CO2 emissions cuts targeted with the regulation. [The Conversation US]

World:

¶ Japanese companies are developing a plant that, when it is completed, will be the world’s largest single geothermal power station. All together, the three facilities at the Sarulla plant will be able to generate 320 MW of electricity. The No 1 unit is already generating power, ahead of its official launch by the end of the year. [Nikkei Asian Review]

Geothermal plant releasing steam

¶ French president Francois Hollande has said that the US must respect their commitments made under the COP21 Agreement in Paris. Speaking at climate talks in Marrakech, Mr Hollande said that the pact was irreversible “in law and in fact.” President Hollande said France would defend the deal in talks with the new US leader. [BBC]

¶ ESB and Coillte yesterday announced financial closure on the 33.1-MW Castlepook Wind Farm, near Doneraile, County Cork, Ireland. The €64 million wind farm is due to be commercially operational by May 2018 and will supply enough power for about 17,000 homes. Construction had already begun last April. [Irish Examiner]

The Castlepook wind farm

¶ French oil giant Total has earmarked an investment of $300 million for the installation of 5,000 rooftop solar PV systems atop its service stations over the next five years. The move came just a few days after the company’s CEO signed a $1 billion investment pledge for clean energy technology development. [RenewEconomy]

¶ ORPC Ireland Ltd, a subsidiary of Ocean Renewable Power Co, based on Portland, Maine, announced launching a €3.2-million technology development project. The centerpiece of the project will be ORPC Ireland’s lab that will perform tests to validate system improvements to a full-scale ORPC hydrokinetic turbine. [Mainebiz]

ORPC President and CEO Chris Sauer in Ireland.
(Photo courtesy Ocean Renewable Power Co)

¶ According to the International Energy Agency, a radical shift in the energy sector, cutting emissions to zero by around 2040, is needed to limit the global rise in temperature at 1.5° C (2.7° F). The IEA’s first report on meeting the climate target of the Paris agreement comes as more than 190 nations meet in Marrakesh. [Thomson Reuters Foundation]

¶ Spanish infrastructure group Acciona SA said it would spend some €2 billion ($2.1 billion) on renewable energy over the next five years. The company aims to reach 10,500 MW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2020, with approximately 80% of the planned investment for projects in developing countries. [SeeNews Renewables]

Wind farm (Source: Acciona SA)

US:

¶ The US Army Corps of Engineers delayed construction of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline to hold further “discussion and analysis” with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which has strongly opposed the project. Protests have gone on for months over the oil pipeline, which would go 1,172 miles from North Dakota to Illinois. [CNN]

¶ Duke Energy has proposed installing a solar-powered microgrid to power a communications tower in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The system would combine a 10-kW solar installation with a Fluidic 95 kWh zinc-air battery. It is Duke Energy’s first microgrid that is not built for entirely research purposes. [Energy Storage News]

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

¶ General Electric Corp on Tuesday unveiled a number of services and solutions for its cloud-based Predix Industrial Internet of Things platform, designed to bring “visibility, control and analytic insights to every part of industrial infrastructure and operations.” GE said they can run on a range of operating systems and devices. [SiliconANGLE]

¶ An Alaska Airlines jet has made the first renewably fueled commercial flight. Tree limbs and branches, the byproducts of the timber harvest that typically would have been burned as waste, made up some of the fuel that powered the Boeing 737 along its journey from Seattle’s Sea-Tac Airport to Washington DC’s Reagan National. [Newser]

Fueling in Seattle (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

¶ Rooftops in Los Angeles working-class neighborhoods bypassed by the solar power boom could soon sprout hundreds of new power panels under a pilot project approved by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Homeowners chosen for the project would receive $360 a year for leasing their roof space. [89.3 KPCC]

¶ The Chicago area’s biggest electric utility wants another rate increase. Unless it gets a bailout from ratepayers, ComEd/Exelon says it will shut one Downstate nuclear power plant next June, and another in 2018. Critics, however, say it is a mistake to force ratepayers to protect utilities from market forces. [Fox 32 Chicago]

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Opinion:

¶ “The next big hacking threat is already happening – you just can’t see it” • As hackers increasingly target operational systems over corporate suites, security researchers and intelligence officials alike are worried that power plants, factories, and utility stations could be at risk. Nuclear plants can be invaded through the internet. [Quartz]

A huge potential for harm (Reuters / Mike Hutchings)

¶ “Trump victory won’t halt the U.S. clean energy boom” • Clean energy has been booming in the United States for reasons that don’t have much to do with climate change. Issues including health, security, and innovation all lead to high levels of support among even Republicans for getting power from water, wind and sun. [The Globe and Mail]

World:

¶ Philippine President Duterte announced he has decided to sign the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate-change, which earlier he had said he would “not honor” for fear that reducing carbon emissions would limit the country’s industrialization. This is a welcome development for environmental and climate advocates. [Business Mirror]

Using a bamboo raft to save goats trapped by a typhoon

¶ Declining consumption of coal in the US last year played a significant role in keeping down global CO2 emissions, a report says. The Global Carbon Project’s annual analysis shows that CO2 emissions were almost flat for the third year in a row, despite a rise in economic growth. It is too early to say if they have peaked. [BBC]

¶ Moroccan energy group Nareva, a subsidiary of the royal holding company Société Nationale d’Investissement, has confirmed ambitions to grow its renewable energy business internationally as well as domestically. The company’s Pan-African ambitions in clean power were made clear at the COP22 meeting in Morocco. [SeeNews Renewables]

The Tarfaya wind farm on Morocco’s southern Atlantic coast

¶ Last month, Tesla launched its Powerwall 2.0 residential battery storage system, a little less than a year after Powerwall 1.0. Peak power has increased by 40%, continuous power by 50%, storage capacity by 100% (to 14 kWh), and an inverter is included. And all this is for about the same price as Powerwall 1.0, $5,500 ($AUS8,800). [CleanTechnica]

¶ Australia’s renewable energy sector hit a record in October, with 21.7% of electricity in the national electricity market coming from renewables, according to the latest Cedex report. The high proportion of renewables contributed to a drop in emissions from the national electricity market, 0.8% less than a year earlier. [The Guardian]

Australian wind farm (Photo: Angela Harper / AAP)

¶ Energy analysts at Deutsche Bank predict the state of South Australia could easily beat its target of 50% renewables by 2025, reaching 85% mark by 2020 and possibly as much as 95% by 2025. South Australia has already reached around 40% of its electricity from wind energy, and another 6% from rooftop solar. [CleanTechnica]

¶ Impact investment firm Wermuth Asset Management, has said that regardless of whether oil prices rise around potential OPEC production-capping news, there is no long-term future for the hydrocarbon sector. Solar power is now available at 3¢/kWh, which is equivalent to oil at $5 per barrel. Demand for oil is slowing down. [Emirates 24|7]

Oil infrastructure

US:

¶ President-elect Donald Trump is seeking quick ways to withdraw the United States from a global accord to combat climate change, a source on his transition team said, defying broad international backing for the plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Trump called global warming a hoax and promised to quit the Paris Agreement. [Fortune]

¶ Cattle at the Headley Ranch near the central South Dakota town of White Lake graze in the shadow of towering wind turbines. They don’t seem bothered by having to share their grazing land. Farmers are finding that when cattle prices are low, those pasture partners are a way to supplement his ranch income. [Tri-State Neighbor]

Wind towers among baled corn stalks (Submitted photo)

¶ Since May, San Francisco has enrolled tens of thousands of power customers in a renewable energy program in competition with PG&E, but the big question now is how fast the city will enroll the remaining hundreds of thousands of such customers. The city is looking to grow a 60-MW system to over 413 MW. [San Francisco Examiner]

¶ Boulder, Colorado is assured of beating its modern-day record for its latest first snow, with no wintry weather in the near-term forecast and certainly none by November 15. That date is usually thought the latest on record of Boulder’s latest first snow of 0.1 inch or more. The issue is important locally because of the skiing industry. [Boulder Daily Camera]

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Opinion:

¶ “Trump Won’t Stop Global Climate Action, Might Accidentally Help” • Donald Trump disputed the existence of anthropogenic climate change. However, a Trump presidency isn’t the disaster one might think for climate action globally or in the US. In fact, he might actually reduce US emissions, however unintentionally. [CleanTechnica]

King Canute, trying to stop the tide
Nature has a way of ignoring our most ardent wishes.

¶ “Trump’s influence on the future of clean energy is less clear than you think” • Like almost every president since Richard Nixon, Donald Trump promised US energy independence. But the Trump energy plan doesn’t account for the economic reality of coal and renewable energy. In fact, it doesn’t even add up to a coherent policy. [The Guardian]

COP22:

¶ Amid concerns over the threat by US President-elect Donald Trump, who has earlier vowed to cancel last year’s Paris climate agreement, the COP22 President, Salaheddine Mezouar said that one country walking out of the deal will not mean anything. The Paris agreement is already in force and the rest of the world is moving on. [Web India 123]

Marrakesh (photo by yeowatzup,
CC BY SA, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ China will continue to be an active player in climate talks and its policies will be unaffected by any external changes, according to a Chinese negotiator at the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22). He remarked on the issue on the sidelines of the conference in Marrakesh. [The Nation]

World:

¶ The Indian government is looking at promoting solar powered charkhas (spinning wheels) as well as rickshaws in the country. It has invited views from stakeholders on designs and prices of the products. Charkhas are used mostly in rural areas without an assured electric supply, so solar energy is an important potential power source. [ETEnergyworld.com]

Lady spinning yarn in a Charkha in Bangalore

¶ Another top auto-manufacturer, Renault, is facing a criminal investigation in France related to possible diesel emissions test manipulation, according to recent reports. French prosecutors were sent findings of an inquiry into the matter by a consumer fraud watchdog. The same organization is also looking into other companies. [CleanTechnica]

¶ While many nations are thinking about energy independence, Aruba is diving in. In 2012, the island nation pledged to go to 100% renewable energy within eight years. Today, nearly 40% of its energy is from clean sources, and more solar and wind farms, plants to convert waste to energy, and energy efficiency, are coming. [EcoWatch]

The Vader Piet wind farm in Aruba (Justin Locke)

¶ Yamanashi Prefecture, Toray Industries Inc, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc, and Takaoka Toko Co Ltd have concluded an agreement to jointly promote the technological development and experimental study of a “P2G system” (power to gas system) for realizing a fully CO2-free “hydrogen energy society.” [Japan Today]

¶ Spain will quickly ratify a global pact aimed at taming climate change, a step which had been delayed for months by politics, the Environment Minister said. The newly installed Conservative government, which was sworn in last week, has introduced the agreement in parliament already, so it can be ratified “as soon as possible.” [The Local Spain]

Wind farm in Catalonia, Spain
(Photo by Maria Rosa Ferre, CC BY SA, Wikimedia Commons)

US:

¶ In Colorado, low-cost, reliable wind power has been an important driver of the state’s growing and diversified energy sector, and the state is already on track to meet the Clean Power Plan’s targets. Today, wind energy already supplies over 14% of Colorado’s electricity, and wind supports 7,000 jobs in the state. [Pueblo Chieftain]

¶ California is a step closer to achieving its renewable energy goals with the commissioning of the Blythe and McCoy Solar Energy Centers. The projects took $1.2 billion of investment and have over four million solar panels with trackers. Together, they have a generating capacity of 485 MW, enough for 181,000 homes. [Desert Independent]

Blythe and McCoy

¶ Florida’s utility industry steered more than $20 million of their profits into a failed constitutional amendment to impose new barriers to the expansion of rooftop solar energy generation. The Florida Solar Energy Industry Association estimates that 2,315 MW of solar electric capacity will be installed in the next five years. [Miami Herald]

¶ Crippled by blows from a historic, game-changing fracking revolution that imploded energy markets across the world, the US nuclear industry is trying harder than ever to market itself as an irreplaceable ally in the war against climate change. But half of the current fleet of nuclear plants could be uneconomical as early as 2020. [Toledo Blade]

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