geoharvey

Science and Technology:

¶ “In A Warming World, Climate Scientists Consider Category 6 Hurricanes” • As increasing ocean temperatures contribute to ever more intense and destructive hurricanes, climate scientists introduced a hypothetical Category 6 to the Saffir-Simpson Wind Scale, which would encompass storms with wind speeds greater than 192 mph (309 km/h). [CleanTechnica]

Twin Tropical Cyclones (Courtesy of Earth Observatory)

¶ “Industrial Heat Pumps Are Coming For Your Fossil Fuels” • Electric heat pumps have been driving fossil fuels out of buildings and homes as electricity replaces oil and gas for heating, cooling, water heating, and drying laundry. Hard-to-decarbonize industries are next in line for a clean energy makeover, and the US DOE is on it. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “This Huge 1.2-MW Tidal Kite Is Now Exporting Power To The Grid” • Minesto’s fully operational Dragon 12 has emerged as a groundbreaking innovation in the renewable energy landscape, harnessing the power of tidal flows with a concept reminiscent of a futuristic military drone, yet behaving somewhat like a kite underwater. [Wonderful Engineering]

Minesto Dragon 12

¶ “Fervo Energy Claims 70% Reduction In Geothermal Drilling Time” • Fervo Energy has published early drilling results from its Cape Station geothermal project. Fervo says it drilled its fastest Cape well in just 21 days, a 70% reduction in drilling time from Fervo’s first horizontal well drilled in 2022. With faster drilling, costs have fallen by almost 50%. [Power Engineering]

World:

¶ “Mars Will Bring 300 Electric Heavy-Duty Trucks To Its European Fleet By 2030” • Mars Inc recently partnered with freight technology company Einride to add 300 electric heavy-duty trucks to the Mars European fleet. Bjoern Anderseck, Mars Global Supply Chain Transformation Lead, answered some questions for CleanTechnica. [CleanTechnica]

Electric truck (Courtesy of Mars and Einride)

¶ “Migrating Species Crucial To Planet Are Under Threat, Says UN” • The world’s most vulnerable migratory species are facing increasing risks of extinction, a landmark UN report warns. From turtle doves to green turtles, and from European eels to African penguins, migratory species play essential roles in protecting the Earth’s habitats. [BBC]

¶ “Green Hydrogen Exporters Risk Monopolising Renewable Energy, And The EU May Not Even Need Renewable H₂ Imports: Report” • The EU has massively overestimated how much green hydrogen it will need by 2030 and how much it will need to import, according to a report published by the engineering consultancy Ricardo. [Hydrogen Insight]

Ursula von der Leyen (European Commission image)

¶ “Abandoned Coal Mines Being Repurposed Into Renewable Energy Hubs” • As many governments around the globe aim to phase out the use of coal, researchers are exploring the potential for old mining sites. Rather than be left abandoned, old coal production sites could be used for a multitude of purposes to support a green transition. [OilPrice.com]

¶ “Atlas Copco Powers Up 16-MW Offshore Turbine” • Atlas Copco has supplied a QES 60 power generator for the successful installation of the world’s first 16-MW offshore wind turbine in south-east China’s Fujian Province. The 16-MW unit has the world’s longest turbine blades at 123 metres (403.5 feet), with each blade weighing 54 tonnes. [reNews]

Wind turbine construction (Atlas Copco image)

¶ “$2 Trillion A Year Needed To Triple Renewables Investment” • A report by think tank Climate Analytics calculates $8 trillion of investment is needed for new renewables and $4 trillion for grid and storage infrastructure to deliver the 2030 tripling goal agreed at COP28. Combined, the amount works out at $2 trillion a year on average. [reNews]

US:

¶ “$34,995 Chevy Equinox EV Coming Later This Year” • People will be able to buy the 1LT base model of the Equinox EV at a starting price of $34,995 plus a destination fee of $1395 later this year, Chevrolet says. The Equinox EV will be eligible for the full $7500 federal tax credit/rebate, making the net cost $31,090, well below the average US new car cost. [CleanTechnica]

2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV 3LT (Courtesy of GM)

¶ “US House Forces Military To Stop Using Chinese-Made Batteries” • Politicians in the US House of Representatives have forced the US Marines to disconnect a battery energy storage system that went into service at Camp Lejeune just a year ago. Why? The batteries in the energy storage system were made by CATL, a Chinese company. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US PV Developer Acquires 84-MW Portfolio” • US developer Standard Solar has acquired an 84-MW solar portfolio in Illinois. It consists of three sets of community solar gardens with a total capacity of 84 MW. Construction is scheduled to commence in 2024. Most of the projects are projected to be finished by the year’s end and the rest in 2025. [reNews]

Solar array (Sungrow EMEA, Unsplash)

¶ “UW-Madison Commits to 100% Renewable Electricity by 2030” • Sustainability initiatives at University of Wisconsin, Madison are not new, but the latest push is the first to encompass all aspects of campus. The plan aims to develop more solar on campus, become a “zero waste” campus by 2040 and achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2048. [GovTech]

¶ “Ex-Regulatory Chief, 2 Execs Indicted In Sprawling Ohio Nuclear Power Bribe Case” • Former Public Utilities Commission of Ohio Chairman Samuel Randazzo and a pair of FirstEnergy Corp executives, identified as ex-CEO Charles Jones and Vice President Michael Dowling, were indicted as part of the so-called House Bill 6 scandal of 2018. [upi]

Have a delightfully agreeable day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Take A Cue From Texas: Socialize Energy” • Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick might not seem to have much in common with socialists. But he did propose a rather socialist-sounding energy policy: If investors didn’t agree to build more natural gas plants in Texas, Patrick said, “then the state will have to build them ourselves.” [The New Republic]

Texas wind farm (Jason Dent, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “If AMOC Runs Amok, Life Will Change Dramatically” • The Gulf Stream, which gives warmth to Europe, is part of Atlantic meridional overturning current, or AMOC. A paper in Science Advances, warns of indications that AMOC could slow and stop flowing altogether in the not too distant future, changing lives of people across the world. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Future Fleet Of Low-Emission RoRos To Use Norsepower Rotor Sails” • French shipowner, Louis Dreyfus Armateurs SAS and the Finnish mechanical sail company, Norsepower Oy Ltd, announced that Norsepower Rotor Sail™ technology will be installed on a low-emission roll-on/roll-off fleet that will be chartered to Airbus. [CleanTechnica]

Ships powered by Norsepower Rotor Sails

¶ “Netherlands Starts The Year With 23% Battery EV Share!” • In the context of a recovering overall market (+6% year over year), battery EVs surged 57% YOY in January, to 7,865 registrations and to start the year with 23% market share, their best January ever. Plugin hybrids were up 12%, to 4,320 registrations, for a 13% market share. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Panasonic Energy Partners With NOVONIX For Sustainable Synthetic Graphite Supply For Battery Production” • Panasonic Energy Co, Ltd announced that it signed a off-take agreement with NOVONIX Limited for the supply of synthetic graphite, the main component of the anodes of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

Graphite supply (Courtesy of Novonix and Panasonic)

¶ “Iberdrola Inks Italian PPA” • Iberdrola announced it will supply long-term clean energy through a power purchase agreement to Tosano supermarkets in Italy, which has more than 19 hypermarkets and nearly 4000 employees. The off-site deal provides for the supply of clean energy for 10 years, guaranteed by an Iberdrola solar PV system. [reNews]

¶ “Taiwan: Renewable Energy Hits Record High Production And Penetration Rates” • Wind and solar generation reached 10.01 GW on Sunday, a new record for renewable energy production in Taiwan. Taipower also stated that this year, with wind and solar at more than 52%, renewable energy now makes up over half of all power used. [RTI Radio Taiwan International]

Car park with solar panels, Taiwan (SSJF01, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Wind Turbines Generated Over A Third Of Ireland’s Power Last Month” • Wind turbines supplied over a third of Ireland’s electricity needs in January, 1,379 GWh out of a total demand of 3,831 GWh. Data also show a decrease in the average wholesale price of electricity in Ireland, dropping to €99.90/MWh from €162.16 the previous year. [Big News Network.com]

¶ “Poland: Spa Town Turns To Renewable Energy For Cleaner Air” • Smog enveloping the Polish spa town of Ladek-Zdroj was anathema to it’s image as a health resort. After choking on polluted air for many years, the town turned to renewables to clean up its act and improve its air quality. It managed to reduce electricity costs a lot in the process. [DW]

Lądek-Zdrój (Aktron, Wikimedia Commons, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Nuclear Energy Push In PHL Seen ‘Too Late’ Amid Climate Crisis” • Developing nuclear energy in the Philippines could be too late due to the climate crisis, an analyst said, suggesting a focus on renewable energy. “If we’re waiting for ten years for something to all come together and miraculously work together and agree on that, it’s too late.” [BusinessWorld Online]

US:

¶ “Why There May Be Much Fewer Monarch Butterfly Sightings In The US This Summer” • Monarch butterfly sightings may be sparser than usual in the US and Canada following a drastic drop in populations wintering in Mexico, researchers told ABC News. The biggest threats monarchs face are habitat loss and changes in weather patterns. [ABC News]

Monarch butterfly (Gary Bendig, Unsplash)

¶ “Clean Power Alliances Talks To La Cañada Flintridge” • In California, Clean Power Alliance External Affairs Manager Dalia Gomez provided some background information on Clean Power Alliance and how it serves 32 jurisdictions in Los Angeles and Ventura counties. CPA will buy the clean power, and Southern California Edison will deliver it. [Outlook Valley Sun]

¶ “Snowmass Village Leans On Renewable Energy To Power Buildings” • Snowmass Village, Colorado, hopes join Aspen as one of a few cities in the country that are run on 100% renewable energy. It is contracting with the nonprofit Community Office for Resource Efficiency to identify properties 50,000 square feet or smaller for free electrification studies. [AOL.com]

Snowmass Village (Werdna, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Climate Change Is Making It More Dangerous For Kids To Play Outside, Report Finds” • A study by climate analytics firm First Street Foundation projected that by midcentury, increased levels of microscopic soot particles and ozone in America’s air will be back to the levels they were before a decades-long federal campaign to clean up the air. [WGN Radio 720]

¶ “Expanding Invasive Weeds Can Bring Ecological And Socio-Economic Damage To The US Due to Climate Change, A Study Says” • Climate change could expand the population of invasive weeds in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern US, according to findings of a study published in the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management. [Nature World News]

Have an abundantly fruitful day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Las Vegas Raiders Blow One Giant Raspberry At Renewable Energy Foes” • The Las Vegas Raiders will showcase Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as a paragon of renewable energy virtue to Super Bowl audiences everywhere when the 49ers and the Chiefs come to town. And the Raiders are not shy about laying it on thick. [CleanTechnica]

Allegiant Stadium (Jeffrey Hayes, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Getting To Know The ​”Ghost” Inside Batteries” • Researchers at the US DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory shed important new light on what the early signs of battery failure look like. Their study relates to a condition called soft-shorts. It provides the research community with valuable knowledge and methods to design better EV batteries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Particulars Of PM 2.5: Why Particulate Matter … Matters” • Unlike the other major air pollutants, particulate air pollution is defined by size rather than the chemicals it contains. With their densities typically reported in micrograms per cubic meter, the smaller these particulates are, the more damage they can wreak on the human body. [CleanTechnica]

Smog in Sydney (Marek Piwnicki, Unsplash)

¶ “How California’s Hurricanes Are Predicted To Become More Severe With Climate Change” • Most of the rain in California and the West comes from atmospheric rivers. Scientists estimate that atmospheric rivers will get stronger as temperatures continue to rise, making this a bigger problem. dominant driver water supply and flooding in California. [World Nation News]

¶ “Olivine: Natural Solution To Combat Climate Change” • Sahit Muja, the Founder and CEO of Global Mining, Green Minerals, and Albanian Minerals, emphasizes magnesium olivine’s role as an eco-friendly building block poised to eliminate 1 trillion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. It could be a natural solution to climate change challenges. [EIN News]

Olivine (Hannes Grobe, AWI, CC-BY-SA 2.5)

World:

¶ “Climate Campaigners Urge China To Invest In Renewable Energy In Pakistan” • Pakistani climate campaigners urged China to invest in renewable energy in their country. Their demand was raised at a rally led by the Pakistan Kissan Rabita committee in front of the Lahore Press Club to mark the Chinese Lunar New Year on Saturday. [Business Recorder]

¶ “City Offering Stratas Free Energy, Solar Assessments” • The City of Penticton, British Columbia, is offering free energy assessments and solar generation studies for stratified multi-family buildings whose residents want to go green. A limited number of assessments and studies are offered in an effort to improve sustainability. [Penticton Herald]

Skyscape at Penticton (Luke Kowand, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Govt Weighs The Use Of Green Hydrogen For Peak Power Generation” • India’s Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy proposed using green hydrogen for power generation to ensure round-the-clock availability of green power and ensure peak grid power supply. A plan for a 100-MW pilot project is already under way. [domain-b.com]

¶ “Redcar Solar Energy Farm Plans Approved Despite Fears” • In North Yorkshire, members of Redcar and Cleveland Council’s regulatory committee went against the recommendation of a planning officer that they refuse plans by EDF Renewables UK for a site near Yearby village. The facility would generate up to 49.9 MW of electricity. [The Northern Echo]

Yearby (Mick Garratt, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “France’s EDF Shuts Down Two Nuclear Reactors After Fire At Chinon Plant” • Nuclear energy operator EDF has shut down two reactors in western France after a fire in a non-nuclear sector of the plant, the company said. France’s nuclear safety watchdog said the fire had led to an electricity outage that triggered the automatic shutdown. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Transforming The US Steel Industry: A Great Lakes Memo Series” • The Great Lakes, from Minnesota to Pennsylvania, are a regional powerhouse of steel-making. The region has 60% of all steel production capacity in the US and 100% of coal-based steel production. RMI has produced a series of state-specific memos on reducing emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Steel making (Morteza Mohammadi, Unsplash)

¶ “Shell Shuts Down Its US Hydrogen Filling Stations” • Warning signs appeared last year when Shell scrapped its plans to build 48 hydrogen refueling stations for light duty vehicles in California. The $40 million in state incentives to install hydrogen fueling stations was not enough. Now Shell is closing the last of the ones it had opened. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “UK Largest Renewable Energy Supplier Building Longview Plant Along Columbia River” • Drax, the self-described largest power station in the UK, is building a plant along the Columbia River in Longview, Washington, to harvest wood pellets for Asia to generate power. Drax aims to use Pacific Northwest forests to replace coal overseas. [Longview Daily News]

Forest at the Columbia River (Elena Kuchko, Unsplash)

¶ “Controversial Energy Project In Southern Washington State Moves Closer To Breaking Ground” • A federal commission has released its environmental review for the Goldendale Energy Storage Project. It puts the project in Washington State closer to breaking ground, much to the consternation of several tribes and environmentalists. [Oregon Public Broadcasting]

¶ “Amazon’s Oregon Data Centers Set To Purchase Clean Power” • Amazon’s data centers in eastern Oregon will start buying clean electricity as they start to meet their renewable energy goals, according to a company statement. As part of the project, $1.2 million will be donated to a nonprofit organization that installs solar panels for NPOs. [Daily Tidings]

Have a remarkably enjoyable day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Redefining Costly, Unproven New Nuclear Technology As ‘Clean’ Is Dishonest” • A Colorado legislative committee recently nixed a bill that sought to boost new, unproven nuclear energy technologies by redefining the fission process as “clean energy,” which it’s not. But proponents will likely keep on pushing new, speculative nuclear projects. [ColoradoPolitics.com]

Small modular reactor (NuScale image)

¶ “Here’s Another, Often Overlooked Reason Why Nuclear Energy Is A Bad Thing” • Once commissioned, a nuclear power plant cannot be shut down without incurring enormous costs. The “payback time” for a nuclear power plant is between 10 and 18 years. Payback for windpower takes about a year, and for solar, it takes less than three years. [The Good Men Project]

World:

¶ “Critical Atlantic Ocean Current System Is Showing Early Signs Of Collapse, Prompting Warning From Scientists” • A crucial system of ocean currents may already be on course to collapse, a report says. The implications are alarming for sea level rise and global weather, with temperatures that plunge dramatically in some regions and rise in others. [CNN]

Atlantic Ocean (Jacob Buller, Unsplash)

¶ “‘Super El Niño’ Is Here, But La Niña Looks Likely” • This El Niño is one of the strongest on record, a rare “super El Niño,” but forecasters believe that La Niña is likely to develop in the coming months. The switch could get flipped to La Niña, with cooler than average conditions in the eastern tropical Pacific, as soon as summer, but more likely by fall. [CNN]

¶ “Zero Carbon Charge Signs Deal To Bring 480-kW EV Ultra-Fast EV Chargers To South Africa” • South African firm Zero Carbon Charge signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese energy storage systems maker Shanghai Magic Power Tech and a local partner for 120 ultra-fast renewable charging stations in South Africa. [CleanTechnica]

EVs charging (Courtesy of Zero Carbon Charge)

¶ “EVs Drop To 17.3% Share In Germany As Hangover Hits” • EV sales dropped in the German auto market in January, as plugin EV sales fell to a 17.3% share, after a sudden, entirely unexpected cancellation of all incentives in late December. Battery EV sales were hit hard, while plugin hybrid EV sales were down slightly, compared to last year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electric Vehicle Sales Growing Fast!” • A full 16% of global auto sales were plugins vehicles last year, up from 14% in 2022, 9% in 2021, and 4% in 2020. Going from a negligible 4% to a notable 16% so quickly is a thing of S-curves and disruptive technology. For December of 2023, the plugin vehicle market share was up to 22% globally. [CleanTechnica]

Charging an EV (Ernest Ojeh, Unsplash)

¶ “Dublin Battery System To Support The Irish Power Grid” • In a bid to support Irish grid stability, the Electricity Supply Board has opened a major battery plant at its Poolbeg site in Dublin. It is a 75-MW, 150-MWh fast-acting energy storage. The system is currently the largest site of its kind in commercial operation in Ireland. [Smart Energy International]

¶ “Greece Breaks Records In Renewable Energy For 2023” • The share of renewable electricity production, including hydropower plants, reached a historic high in 2023 in Greece at 57%. It was the first time more than half of the Greek electricity was generated by renewable resources. This came about as Greek windpower capacity exceeded 5 GW. [Greek Herald]

Wind turbines (Harry Cunningham, Unsplash)

¶ “Green Groups Hit Out At Labour’s £28 Billion Rollback” • The UK Labour Party said it will roll back its commitment to invest £28 billion in renewable energy projects each year, including offshore windpower. Green groups criticised Labour’s decision to reduce its previous investment plan for the country’s renewable energy sector. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Michael Mann Awarded $1 Million By Jury In Defamation Suit” • Climate scientist Michael Mann is known for developing the image called the “hockey stick” graph. That image has been used in many papers and reports over the years. It also induced attacks on Mann that were funded by fossil fuel interests. Mann sued his attackers and won. [CleanTechnica]

Michael Mann (Oregon State University, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Noting ‘Unprecedented’ Coral Bleaching And Heat Stress, NOAA Expands Coral Reef Alert System” • Water temperatures are climbing to unprecedented heights, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has added new levels to its alert system to account for increasingly severe coral bleaching and higher mortality rates. [CNN]

¶ “Another Heat Pump Headache For Fossil Fuel Stakeholders” • A coalition of nine US states has joined forces to promote heat pumps, decarbonizing thousands of buildings by pushing oil and gas out of the heating, air conditioning, and hot water business. To the dismay of the fossil energy stakeholders, HVAC industry leaders are eager to pitch in. [CleanTechnica]

Have an imaginatively ordered day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “Scientists Set New Record Of Nuclear Fusion” • Using the Joint European Torus, a large toroidal device known as a tokamak, scientists sustained a record 69 megajoules of fusion energy for five seconds, using only 0.2 milligrams of fuel. This amount of energy is sufficient to power approximately 12,000 households for the same duration. [NEWS.am TECH]

Tokamak reactor, 2016 (US DOE via Wikimedia Commons)

World:

¶ “Nuclear Reactor Restarts In Japan Have Reduced LNG Imports For Electricity Generation” • After the 2011 Fukushima Disaster, Japan suspended operations at all of its nuclear reactors. As of December 2022, 11 GW of Japan’s nuclear capacity had returned to service, which reduced the liquefied natural gas imports for electricity generation. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Atto 2 – Potentially a Big Hit in Europe!” • The BYD Atto 3 is already quite popular in Australia and parts of Europe, and it is reaching many other markets in Asia and South America. But the Atto 3 will soon have a partner that could turn out to be an even bigger seller: the Atto 2. It is the same car that will be sold in China as the Yuan Up. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Atto 2

¶ “EVs At 23.0% Share In UK – BMW Leading BEV Brand” • In January, plugin EVs took a 23.0% share of the UK auto market, up year-over-year from 20.0%. Full electric volume increased by 21% YOY, and plugin hybrids by 31%. January’s overall auto volume was 142,876 units, up 8% YOY. BMW was the UK’s leading BEV brand in January. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Council Approves West Of Orkney Wind Farm” • Orkney Island Council’s Development and Infrastructure Committee gave its backing to the 2000-MW West of Orkney offshore wind farm. The West of Orkney wind farm will have up to 125 turbines on fixed foundations 30 km west of the Orkney Mainland. First power is planned for 2029. [reNews]

Wind farm (Orkney Islands Council)

¶ “Balochistan Installs Modern Solar Facilities” • In Pakistan, the government of Balochistan, with support of the government of China, completed installations of solar power facilities at twelve educational institutions, computer labs, and hospitals. Pakistan has a total solar potential of 2,900 GW and a wind potential of 340 GW. [The Express Tribune]

¶ “Ten Valves That Workers Were Supposed to Close Were Open at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant, Believed to be Cause of Radioactive Water Leak” • Ten manual valves that workers were supposed to close were open on equipment at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant when about 5.5 tons of contaminated water leaked, TEPCO said. [The Japan Times]

Water tanks at Fukushima Daiichi (IAEA Imagebank)

US:

¶ “There Is Barely Any Ice In The Great Lakes Due To Warm Winter Temperatures” • Record warm winter weather is having severe ramifications on the ice cover that typically engulfs the Great Lakes at this time of year. Just 5.9% of the Great Lakes are currently covered with ice compared to an average of about 40% for this time of year, NOAA analysis shows. [ABC News]

¶ “Electrical 101: Ensuring Equitable EV Charging Access” • RMI’s forthcoming GridUp tool can help policymakers, regulators, and utilities understand the charging needs of rural and low-income communities. The tool is designed to help them to make well-informed decisions on where to place charging infrastructure so everyone benefits. [CleanTechnica]

EVBOX public charging (EVBOX image)

¶ “Whitehouse Proposes Legislation To Close Dark Money Tax Loophole” • Sheldon Whitehouse, the feisty senator from Rhode Island, is a fierce advocate for common sense and fairness in government. Reacting to a massive donation worth $1.6 billion to a conservative trust, Senator Whitehorse reacted with a bill to close certain tax loopholes. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US DOE Establishing National Center of Excellence to Accelerate Domestic Offshore Wind Industry” • The US DOE announced investing $4.75 million to establish the Academic Center for Reliability and Resilience of Offshore Wind, a national center of excellence to accelerate reliable and equitable offshore wind energy deployment. [CleanTechnica]

Wind resource map (NREL image)

¶ “Hawaii Drops Last Coal-Fired Plant After Launch Of Tesla Megapack Battery System On Oahu” • A Tesla Megapack battery system led the state of Hawaii to bid farewell to its last coal power plant, ushering in a new era powered by clean, renewable energy. The Kapolei Energy Storage, on the west side of Oahu, is operational. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Bill Would Create New Tax Credits For Renewable Energy Facilities” • A New Mexico Senate bill aims to make the state more attractive for renewable manufacturing. The Advanced Equipment Income Tax Credit bill would create a tax credit for qualified manufacturing facilities related to solar and wind energy components. [KUNM]

Wind turbines (Lloyd Wilson, Sandia Labs via Flickr)

¶ “Climate Scientist Michael Mann Wins Defamation Lawsuit” • In a major victory, renowned climate scientist Michael Mann has emerged triumphant in a defamation lawsuit against right-wing bloggers Rand Simberg and Mark Steyn. The jury awarded Mann $1,001,000 in punitive damages, a resounding blow to those who defame climate scientists. [BNN Breaking]

¶ “Gretchen Whitmer Seeks Another $150 Million To Restart Palisades Nuclear Plant” • Michigan Gov Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year recommends another $150 million to help restart the plant. Reports have indicated the federal government is preparing to offer a $1.5 billion loan for the plant also. [Bridge Michigan]

Have a grandly advantageous day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “The War In Ukraine, Fossil Fuels, And Petro-Dictators” • The damage caused by fossil fuels does not end with climate change, pollution, and fires. Some nations that become wealthy by extracting and exporting fossil fuels also develop their military might and become overly aggressive. Russia and Vladimir Putin give us one example. [CleanTechnica]

Standing up for Ukraine (Courtesy of Razom We Stand)

Science and Technology:

¶ “NASA Expert Explains How New Technology Will Investigate The Remarkable Warming Trend” • The time from February 2023 through January 2024 set a record as the warmest twelve months, at 1.52°C (2.74°F) above the 1850 to 1900 pre-industrial average. Climate change, El Niño, and warm oceans combined to cause the heat. [ABC News]

¶ “Wind Power Returns To Cargo Ships, And Now With Plastic Bottles” • The cargo shipping industry is slowly moving towards low emission fuels, but in the meantime wind power is ready and eager to go. Various forms of high tech sails are showing up on shipping lanes, and to gild the sustainability lily, some are made with recycled plastic bottles. [CleanTechnica]

Cargo ship with Rotor Sails (Courtesy of Norsepower)

¶ “NASA Launches New Climate Mission To Study Ocean, Atmosphere” • NASA’s satellite mission to study ocean health, air quality, and the effects of a changing climate for the benefit of humanity launched successfully into orbit. Known as PACE, the Plankton, Aerosol, Climate, ocean Ecosystem satellite, the spacecraft is performing as expected. [NASA]

World:

¶ “World’s First Year-Long Breach Of Key 1.5°C Warming Limit” • For the first time, global warming has exceeded 1.5°C across an entire year, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. World leaders promised in 2015 to try to limit the long-term temperature rise to 1.5°C, which is seen as crucial to help avoid the most damaging impacts. [BBC]

What we are doing‽ (Marek Piwnicki, Unsplash)

¶ “The Fukushima Nuclear Plant Leaked Radioactive Water, But None Escaped The Facility” • Highly radioactive water leaked from a treatment machine at the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, but no one was injured and radiation monitoring shows no impact to the outside environment, the utility operator said. [ABC News]

¶ “Ethiopia Banning Non-Electric Car Imports” • Details are a little thin at this point, but the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport and Logistics, Alemu Sime, recently said the country will not allow cars to enter the market unless they are EVs. “A decision has been made that automobiles cannot enter Ethiopia unless they are electric ones,” he said. [CleanTechnica]

Addis Ababa (Yohannes Minas, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “New Zealand EV Market Crash: 5% Penetration In January 2024” • January delivered an EV market crash in plug-in EV sales in New Zealand, to their lowest level in several years. After the monster sales records of December 2023, the removal of the EV tax incentive, and the double whammy of the Road User Charge, it was to be expected. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Statkraft And Better Energy Ink Polish Solar PPA” • Statkraft and Better Energy have strengthened their partnership in Poland, signing agreements to trade energy from four solar parks. Statkraft will purchase green energy from Better Energy’s Krapkowice solar park for 10 years, under a new set of power purchase agreements. [reNews]

Flowers and panels (Bettery Energy image)

¶ “Climate Change Is Fueling The Disappearance Of The Aral Sea. And It’s Taking Residents’ Livelihoods” • Lifelong farm workers and other residents near the Aral Sea say they’re facing a catastrophe they can’t beat: climate change. It is accelerating the decades-long demise of the Aral, which once was the lifeblood for the thousands. [Winnipeg Free Press]

US:

¶ “More Rapid Deployment Of Renewable Energy And Energy Storage Are Needed for a Resilient Power Grid in Puerto Rico” • With lots of solar and wind power, energy storage, and advanced extreme weather impact modeling, Puerto Rico could achieve a 100% renewable power grid by 2050 according to a study on Puerto Rican grid resilience. [CleanTechnica]

Puerto Rico (Andrea Starr, PNNL)

¶ “New Method Monitors Grid Stability With Hydropower Project Signals” • Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, developed a way to predict electric grid stability using signals from pumped storage projects. It provides critical information as the grid shifts more to renewable power. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Super Bowl To Be Hosted In First 100% Renewable Energy NFL stadium” • Super Bowl LVIII will pit the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sunday, February 11. This will be the first Super Bowl that takes place in Allegiant Stadium, home of the Raiders, which is 100% powered by renewable energy. [pv magazine USA]

Allegiant Stadium (David Lusvardi, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Arizona Utility Regulators Vote To Kill Renewable Standards” • Arizona utility regulators voted to begin the process of repealing the state’s energy efficiency and renewable standards. Industry advocates expressed disbelief, saying most states are expanding their renewable standards, and Arizona is the only state they know of scrapping them altogether. [12News]

¶ “A Bill That Would Reform The Renewable Energy Standard In Vermont Clears Key Panel” • The Vermont House Environment and Energy Committee voted in favor of H.289, a bill that would increase the amount of renewable energy that Vermont utilities are required to purchase to 100% by 2030. It heads to the House Ways and Means Committee next. [VTDigger]

Have a simply marvelous day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “New Direct Air Carbon Capture System Captures Water, Too” • Avnos shared a press release with CleanTechnica detailing the $36 million round of funding for its proprietary carbon capture system called HDAC, short for Hybrid Direct Air Capture. It captures water along with the carbon dioxide, and the US Navy finds that interesting. [CleanTechnica]

Avnos HDAC (Avnos image)

World:

¶ “Tesla Announces Pricing In Chile For Model 3 And Model Y: More Affordable Than Expected!” • It’s been three months since CleanTechnica reported that Tesla was officially hiring in Chile. Now the store is open, and pricing has been announced. It’s been pleasant to find that Tesla is not marking up its vehicles like most other brands do. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “A New Solution to Power Africa: Productive Use of Renewable Energy” • Access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa improved greatly over the last decade, reaching 49.4% of the population in 2022, up from 33% in 2010. But electricity consumption has not grown with access. Access to power is meaningless if customers can’t afford to pay for it. [CleanTechnica]

Solar power for pumping (Government of Makueni County, Kenya)

¶ “EVs Take 25.0% Share In France” • January saw plugin EVs take 25.0% share of the French auto market, an increase from 22.3% share, year on year. December’s overall auto volume was 122,284 units, up 9% YOY, but still far below 2017–2019 norms of about 155,000. France’s best selling full electric model in January was the Peugeot e-208. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Equinor’s Renewables Capacity Rises In Q4 2023” • Equinor’s power production from renewable energy sources reached 694 GWh in the final quarter of 2024, up 34% from the same quarter last year. This increase was mainly driven by production onshore by Rio Energy in Brazil and Wento in Poland, and offshore by Hywind Tampen. [reNews]

Wind power at Hywind Tampen (Equinor image)

¶ “Diesel Power Stations To Close As Big Batteries Take Centre Stage” • South Australia’s remarkable transition to renewable energy has claimed new fossil fuel victims. Engie revealed this week it will shutter two diesel plants in the state years ahead of schedule, as solar, wind, and battery storage have muscled them out of the market. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Lightsource BP Energises UK Battery” • Lightsource BP has energised the 25-MW, 50-MWh Tiln battery to support 61-MW Tiln solar project, the first in its multi-gigawatt global energy storage pipeline. In the past two years, the company has worked to build energy storage opportunities to support the 60-GW of solar it is developing worldwide. [reNews]

Storage at a solar site (Lightsource BP image)

¶ “China Accounts for Nearly All New Coal-Fired Power Plant Construction” • According to data from Global Energy Monitor, a group that tracks global power generation projects, China was responsible for construction of 96% of all new coal-fired facilities last year, and for almost 70% of all new coal-fueled power plants that came online. [POWER Magazine]

¶ “‘Unprecedented Collapse’ In EU Coal And Gas Electricity Generation Last Year, Report Reveals” • According to a report by Ember, more of Europe’s electricity came from wind power than fossil gas for the first time last year. Wind and solar produced a record 27% of the bloc’s electricity in 2023. Coal and gas took corresponding nosedives. [Euronews]

Wind farm (Tyler Casey, Unsplash)

¶ “The UK’s First Geothermal Power Plant Holds Promise For A Greener And More Sustainable Future” • Construction has begun for the UK’s first geothermal power plant, marking a significant milestone for UK renewable energy. Geothermal Engineering Limited expects the plant, sited in Cornwall, to start generating electricity this year. [Open Access Government]

US:

¶ “What Is The Pineapple Express And Why Has It Drenched California?” • Atmospheric rivers are long, narrow bands of rain that hit the west coast of the US and Canada endwise, bringing lots of rain. If one starts near Hawaii, it is called the “Pineapple Express.” Studies from NOAA suggest that they will bring more rain with climate change. [BBC]

Atmospheric river (Naval Research Laboratory, public domain)

¶ “Climate Mayors Urge Biden Administration To Finalize The Strongest Possible Standards For Heavy-Duty Vehicles To Reduce Pollution And Improve Air Quality for Cities” • In a letter, 75 members of Climate Mayors urged the Biden Administration to finalize the EPA’s strongest proposed rule for the GHG Emissions Standards for Heavy-Duty Vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford Teases Not-So-Secret Affordable EV, Again” • Word leaked out that the Ford Motor Company has assigned a secret task force to develop an affordable EV, aimed at competing with the low-cost lineup of Tesla and various Chinese auto makers. It’s pretty much the same secret that CleanTechnica’s Jennifer Sensiba noted in May of 2022, [CleanTechnica]

Affordable Ford (Ford Motor Company image)

¶ “Sublime Systems Receives $6.7 Million Award From DOE To Clean Up Cement Emissions” • Sublime Systems, an MIT spinoff, says it has found a way to eliminate 90% of the carbon emissions associated with making cement. Now Sublime Systems has been awarded $6.7 million by the DOE to help it advance electrolyzer technology. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Bill Looks To Reconfigure Tax Exemptions For Maine Yankee” • The fight over how the owners of the decommissioned Maine Yankee Nuclear Power Plant should be taxed has made its way to the state house, with Wiscasset town representatives pushing for a bill. The question centers on whether the facility should be paying taxes to the town. [WCSH]

Have a totally copacetic day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Rising Temperatures And Rising Authoritarianism – Trends That Are Intertwined” • As Earth’s annual average temperatures push against the 1.5º C limit, social scientists warn that we may move into a dangerous new era in human history. Research shows the increasing climate shocks could trigger unrest and authoritarian backlashes. [CleanTechnica]

No planet B (Markus Spiske, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Should There Be A Category 6 For Hurricanes? These Climate Scientists Say Yes” • The Saffir-Simpson scale currently goes from Category 1 to 5. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests adding a Category 6. The new scale would cap Category 5 storms at 192 mph and anything above that would be Category 6. [CNN]

World:

¶ “Study Of Sea Sponges Lead Scientists To Believe Earth Has Already Passed 1.5°C Of Warming” • A study of 300 years of ocean temperature records kept preserved within sea sponges in the Caribbean indicate that global mean surface temperatures may have already exceeded 1.5°C and that a 2°C Celsius rise could be possible by the end of the decade. [ABC News]

Sponges (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “BYD #1 In World In Plugin Vehicle Sales In 2023” • In the last stage of the 2023 race, BYD had another record month, this time with 321,000 registrations. It again beat Tesla, which had 195,265 deliveries. So BYD beat Tesla by a significant margin. With a 56% year-on-year growth rate, the Shenzhen company was the fastest growing make. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “World EV Sales Report – Tesla Model Y Is The Best Selling Model In The World!” • The last months of 2023 brought a record-fest for world plugin vehicle sales, with three months out of the last four setting new sales records. December had over 1,550,000 registrations. In the overall market, the Tesla Model Y was the global best seller. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Murphy Zheng, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “EVs At 93.9% Share In Norway – Record High” • January saw plugin EVs at 93.9% share in Norway, a new record high. All but battery EV powertrains faced higher taxes from January 1st, and had low sales, following December’s pull forward. Overall auto volume was subdued, at 5,122 units. January’s best seller was the Tesla Model Y. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Pacific Green Australia Announces Plans For 30 Hectare, Grid-Scale Battery Park In Portland, Victoria” • British-owned energy company Pacific Green Australia plans to build a 1-GW battery park on 30 hectares in Portland, Victoria. It will be one of the largest batteries in the nation. Pacific Green hopes to be feeding energy into the grid by 2026. [ABC]

Proposed energy park (Supplied by Pacific Green Energy)

¶ “Shell Joins RSP Wave Power, Subsea Energy Storage Project” • Shell has joined the Renewables for Subsea Power project, which is powering subsea equipment off the coast of Orkney, Scotland, through a combination of wave power and subsea energy storage. Shell Technology, a Marine Renewable Program, comes with the investment. [Offshore Magazine]

¶ “Pause On Renewables Projects To Lift At Month’s End As Planned” • The Alberta government’s seven-month moratorium on approving wind and solar power projects will end on February 29 as planned. Premier Danielle Smith confirmed the date in Ottawa. “We are the destination for solar and wind investment in the country,” Smith said. [CBC]

Calgary (Kyler Nixon, Unsplash)

¶ “One Of The World’s Biggest Atomic Power Plants Used To Have A Staff Of 12,000. Now Only 3,000 Run It” • Security at Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant remains fragile amid worrying recent staff cuts enacted by Russian occupiers. It is one of the ten biggest atomic power plants in the world, the UN nuclear watchdog chief said. [CTV News]

US:

¶ “Celebrating Another Breakthrough In Domestic Lithium Production” • Last week, Controlled Thermal Resources broke ground on a geothermal power plant in California’s Salton Sea. The facility will not only generate electricity from geothermal energy, but also serve a vital, dual purpose: extracting lithium from the hot brine that powers it. [CleanTechnica]

Groundbreaking (Photo from Controlled Thermal Resources)

¶ “Largest Proposed Wind Farm In Washington Reduced By Half, Firefighting Issues Are Part Of The Problem” • A wind farm that was to be the largest in Washington was reduced by half as it raised concerns about birds and viewsheds. Its developer said new restrictions could be bad for renewable energy development in the state. [Oregon Public Broadcasting]

¶ “Increasing Alternative Energy Standards Would Bring Billions In Investment To Pennsylvania” • The governor of Pennsylvania pledge 30% renewable energy by 2030. Three business groups crunched the numbers and found that if that happens, more than $13.1 billion could be invested in Pennsylvania over the next seven years. [pv magazine USA]

Solar installation in Pennsylvania (US DA, Public domain)

¶ “Texas Recently Generated 80% Of Its Power From Renewable And Nuclear Power. Here’s Why That Matters” • Starting at 9:45 am Sunday, more than 78% of electricity running on the grid managed by the ERCOT came from either wind, solar, or nuclear power. That percentage hovered between 78% and 80% until nearly 4 pm. [Houston Chronicle]

¶ “Biden’s $1.5 Billion Clean Energy Boondoggle” • We got word that the Feds agreed to pony up $1.5 billion to restart a 50-year-old “clean energy” power plant in Michigan. It’s a nuclear power plant that couldn’t compete with other sources of energy, costing up to 57% more than competing sources, so it was shut down in 2017. Now they want to restart it. [Energy and Capital]

Have a tolerably perfect day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “The War On Renewables Heats Up Across America” • Climate change is a threat to our way of life. Only renewables can help slow the changing climate. But due largely to misinformation disseminated by fossil fuel companies, people all across America believe that renewables like wind and solar are a threat to their way of life and must be stopped. [CleanTechnica]

Landscape to maintain (NOAA, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “The ShAPE of Buildings to Come: Scrap Aluminum Can Transform Recycling Life Cycle” • The circular economy just closed the loop on scrap aluminum, thanks to a new patent-pending technology from the US DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Scrap aluminum could gain new life as parts of building structures. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Sandia Uses Electric Grid Analytics To Combat Wildfire Risks And Aid Post-Wildfire Recovery” • Sandia National Labs’ wildfire grid resilience program aims to determine and mitigate risk of ignition, reduce wildfire spread, and decrease consequences of major wildfires through new tools and better informed decision making. [CleanTechnica]

Fire whirl in Colorado (Kyle Miller, US BLM)

World:

¶ “Russian Oil Getting Into UK Via Refinery Loophole, Reports Claim” • A so-called “loophole” means Russian crude is refined in countries such as India and the products sold to the UK. This is not illegal and does not breach the UK’s Russian oil ban, but critics say it undermines sanctions aimed at restricting war funds Russia’s war funds as it makes war in Ukraine. [BBC]

¶ “Carlton Power Plans 20-MW UK Hydrogen Scheme” • Kraft Heinz is partnering with Carlton Power on its first renewable green hydrogen project in the UK. The proposed scheme could fuel at least 50% of Kraft Heinz’s Kitt Green manufacturing plant in Wigan, helping reduce carbon emissions and advance the company net zero ambitions. [reNews]

Kraft Heinz factory (Kraft Heinz image)

¶ “Germany And Israel Bolster Energy Ties: Focus On Hydrogen And Renewables” • German Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Robert Habeck, met in Jerusalem with Israel’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Eli Cohen, to reinforce their collaborative work plan and address Israel’s post-war needs. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Anti-Renewables Rally Inspires Counter Action, As Farmers Share Solar And Wind Benefits, Debunk Myths” • A protest against large-scale solar and wind and transmission projects has inspired a number of counter movements from farmers who say the lease payments from renewable energy projects have kept their farms afloat. [RenewEconomy]

Australian farm (Cgoodwin, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Small Modular Reactors Do Not Solve The Many Problems Of Nuclear, NGOS Say” • As the European Commission prepares to launch its industry alliance for Small Modular Reactors on 6 February, civil society organisations stress the high costs and slow progress, making this technology a risky distraction from dealing with climate change. [EU Reporter]

¶ “How Fruit Farmers In Tohoku Are Coping With Climate Change” • The area of Yamamoto and Watari, in southern part of Miyagi Prefecture, is known for its relatively warm climate. But the unusual sight of tangerines, which are vulnerable to cold, coexisting with apples, which are vulnerable to heat, may be a symbol of rapid global warming. [The Japan Times]

Tangerine on a tree (Mateus Bandeira, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “OpenET Study Helps Water Managers And Farmers Put NASA Data to Work” • The system alled OpenET uses an ensemble of six satellite-driven models that harness publicly available data from the Landsat program to calculate evapotranspiration (ET), the movement of water vapor from soil and plants as it goes into the atmosphere. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Average Cost Of Car Insurance Up More Than 20% In Last Year” • Yahoo! Finance reports that car insurance costs were 20.3% higher in December than they were a year earlier, with the average annual premium costing $2,542, according to Bankrate. Part of that increase is due to inflation. But part of it is due to the weather brought by climate change. [CleanTechnica]

Storm damage (Mick Haupt, Unsplash)

¶ “Five Years Later, New Hampshire’s Community Power Law Is Reshaping The Electricity Market” • New Hampshire member towns in the year-old Community Power Coalition are reaping the benefits of banding together for electricity. Small customers in the coalition’s sixteen active member towns will buy electricity at a 26% reduced rate. [New Hampshire Bulletin]

¶ “New York City Approves Empire Wind O&M Hub Design” • New York City’s Public Design Commission approved the design for the offshore wind operations and maintenance building Equinor plans to built at the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal. This is an important step in revitalizing a working waterfront at this historic port. [Offshore Engineer]

Have a manifestly splendid day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Equinix And Schneider Electric Behind Seven New Wind Farms” • Equinix and renewable energy developer wpd signed seven 20-year Power Purchase Agreements, aided by Schneider Electric. As a result, seven wind farms will be built across France, four in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, two in Hauts-de-France and one in Pays de la Loire. [Energy Digital Magazine]

Wind farm in Yunnan (Luo Lei, Unsplash)

¶ “Regional Communities Gather From Latrobe Valley To Wollongong To Say Yes To Renewables, Community Power, Climate Action” • Regional communities gathered in Australia to send a strong message that they support renewable energy and want to see stronger action on climate change and new jobs in wind and solar power. [The National Tribune]

¶ “Premier: Harness Sarawak’s Strength In Renewable Energy To Propel State’s Economic Development” • Sarawak needs to harness its strength in renewable energy production to propel the state’s economy forward, said the Malaysian state’s Premier. He said the strength of Sarawak lies in its energy generation by its many renewable resources. [Malay Mail]

Dam in Sarawak (Gem Lyn, Unsplash)

¶ “Rooftop Solar Plan To Add 20-22 GW, But Challenges Cloud Sunrise Sector” • The residential rooftop solar power sector could become another sunrise sector in India with a business potential of about ₹1.5 lakh crore to ₹2 lakh crore ($12 billion), if all things perform precisely like the Sun, according to industry officials and experts. [IBTimes India]

¶ “Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited Illuminates Asia’s Largest Tea Estate With Innovative Solar Technology” • Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited commissioned a 1040-kW bifacial solar system at Chengmari Tea Estate, Asia’s largest tea estate. This project is the first deployment of on-ground bifacial modules in eastern India. [SolarQuarter]

Tea garden (Rupeshsarkar, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Czech Republic Expanding On Plan For Nuclear Reactors” • The Czech government said recently it plans to build up to four nuclear reactors instead of one as the country tries to become more energy independent and wean itself off fossil fuels. Prime Minister Petr Fiala said building more reactors could reduce the price per reactor by up to 25%. [NWAOnline]

¶ “Google Signs Its Largest Offshore Wind Power Agreement To Date” • Google has signed power purchase agreements with CrossWind and Ecowende consortia, joint ventures of energy companies Shell and Eneco. This announcement is in line with its goal to achieve net-zero emissions across all of its operations and value chains by 2030. [Inceptive Mind]

Google data center in Eemshaven, Netherlands (Google image)

US:

¶ “Tesla Ordered To Pay $1.5 Million Over Alleged Hazardous Waste Violations In California” • A California judge ordered Tesla Inc to pay $1.5 million as part of a settlement of a civil case alleging the company mishandled hazardous waste at its car service centers, energy centers, and a factory, multiple county district attorneys announced. [ABC News]

¶ “Nevada Supreme Court Ruling Says That Surface Water And Groundwater Are One And The Same” • The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled in a unanimous decision that the state may restrict new groundwater pumping if it will impact other users and wildlife. The decision will change how the state manages its groundwater. [CleanTechnica]

Desert in Nevada (D Lok, Unsplash)

¶ “Grid Electronics Research to Bridge Gap to Cleaner, More Reliable Power” • Most of the North American electric grid uses AC power. But renewable energy generation and electric cars require DC. Power electronics are used to switch between these flows and to link separate systems. ORNL researchers have been developing a set of building blocks. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Counties Are Blocking The Future Of Renewable Energy: These Maps, Graphics Show How” • At least 15% of counties in the US have effectively halted new utility-scale wind, solar, or both, USA Today found. But the opposition to renewable energy isn’t as simple as left vs. right. There’s no one group fighting renewables. [USA Today]

Have an especially fortunate day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Electric Cars: It’s All About Efficiency” • Cars and trucks powered by internal combustion engines are only about 20% efficient. This means that just one fifth of it is actually used to move them forward. By contrast, almost 90% of the energy stored in the batteries of electric cars is used to move them forward. [CleanTechnica]

Charging an EV (Andrew Roberts, Unsplash)

¶ “Tripling Nuclear Energy By 2050 Will Take A Miracle, And Miracles Don’t Happen” • It is time to abandon the idea that further expanding nuclear technology can help with mitigating climate change. We need to deal with carbon emissions quickly and inexpensively. Nuclear power is much too expensive and a buildout will take too long. [Down to Earth]

World:

¶ “UN Climate Chief’s Message: Fewer Loopholes, Way More Cash To Halt Climate Change” • United Nations’ climate chief Simon Stiell says to keep Earth from overheating, the nations of the world need to put fewer loopholes in climate agreements and far more money – trillions of dollars per year – into financial help for poor nations. [ABC News]

Melting ice (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “24% Plugin Vehicle Share In Europe” • The overall European automotive market fell 4% in December, its first drop in sixteen months. This was influenced by the German market, which fell by 23% in December, possibly influenced by the economic clouds on the horizon and a chaotic cut in EV subsidies. New EV sales fell 29% year-on-year, in the EU. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EVs Take 52.5% Share In Sweden” • The January market in Sweden saw plugin EVs take 52.5% share, almost flat from 52.4%, year-over-year. Plugin volumes were up YOY for both battery electrics and plugin hybrids. January’s overall auto volume was 17,159 units, up some 18% YOY. The bestseller for the month was the Tesla Model Y. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo EX30 (Alexander-93, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Govt Invites Bids For 4 GW Offshore Wind Projects” • India’s new and renewable energy ministry has invited bids to 4 GW of develop offshore wind energy. The bids are for four blocks of 1 GW each on open access basis, for offshore wind power projects off the coast of Tamil Nadu, through international competitive bidding. [The New Indian Express]

¶ “Hydrogen Electric Aircraft Scheme Hatched By EU Nations” • Much of the attention around electric aircraft involves moving beyond small, regional-hopping passenger planes into the long distance territory of jumbo jets. The US-UK startup ZeroAvia is one stakeholder leaning on hydrogen fuel cells to do the heavy lifting. [CleanTechnica]

Hydrogen infrastructure for electric aircraft (ZeroAvia image)

¶ “Floating Solar Energy Pilot Passes Trials Offshore Norway” • Fred Olsen 1848 has deployed 124 kW floating solar pilot off Risør, Norway. The project is a testing ground for improving the components of the BRIZO floating PV technology, which is designed to follow the motion of the ocean while withstanding local offshore conditions. [Offshore Magazine]

¶ “Vortex Energy’s $123 Million Investment Spurs Construction Of 110 MW Renewable Energy Portfolio, Paving The Way For Green Power Expansion In Poland” • Vortex Energy, a prominent renewable energy company in Poland, has started construction on a portfolio of projects comprising 53 MW of onshore wind and 57 MW of PV solar. [SolarQuarter]

Vitol Vortex solar array (Vitol image)

¶ “Climate Change: Fungal Disease Endangers Production Of Wheat” • An international team of researchers surrounding Prof Senthold Asseng from the Technical University of Munich has now shown that further spread of the fungal disease wheat blast could reduce global wheat production by 13% by 2050, to be a threat to global food security. [Lab Manager]

US:

¶ “The Solar Electric Car That Looks Like An Airplane Is Almost Ready For Takeoff” • The Aptera has been a long time coming. It was launched in 2006, only to hit a wall in 2011. A relaunch in 2020 got the gears in motion again, and now the long-awaited, futuristic, solar-powered three-wheeled electric car is almost ready to hit the road. [CleanTechnica]

Aptera (Aptera image)

¶ “Tracking Electricity Consumption From US Cryptocurrency Mining Operations” • Electricity demand associated with US cryptocurrency mining operations has grown very rapidly over the last several years. Our preliminary estimates suggest that annual electricity use for cryptocurrency mining may be 0.6% to 2.3% of US electricity production. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “$230 Million Wind Farm Near Glenrock Could Bring 200 Jobs And Power 44,000 Homes” • AES Corp, a Virginia-based energy behemoth shedding coal-fired plants as part of a yearslong restructuring effort to focus on renewables, unveiled plans to build a $230 million wind farm south of Glenrock, Wyoming. Its capacity will be 150 MW. [Cowboy State Daily]

Wyoming wind farm (Courtesy AES Corp)

¶ “The US Added 1.2 Million EVs To The Grid Last Year, And Electricity Use Went Down” • 2023 set another record for EV sales in the US. About 1.2 million vehicles, or 7.6% of all sales, were electric according to Kelley Blue Book. Nevertheless, the data on electricity use through November 2023 shows that it was down by 1.1%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Amazon Warns Climate Change Could Disrupt Its Business In Annual Filing” • Amazon is warning its investors that climate change could affect it negatively. In the risk factors section of its 2023 financial filing, Amazon added language that says climate change could cause its sales and operating results to fluctuate, possibly resulting in decreased revenue. [CNBC]

Have a politely presented day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “There’s Still Time For California Regulators To Stop Killing The California Solar And Storage Industry” • New state policies reduced California’s incentives to install solar power and storage, discouraging families and businesses from deploying systems. The Solar Energy Industries Association calls on policymakers to address the problems. [CleanTechnica]

Rooftop solar (Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Can Ocean Energy Power Carbon Removal?” • A mass of sargassum, a seaweed, sometimes has huge bits break off and wash ashore in Florida or the Caribbean. If that seaweed could be sunk instead of covering beaches, it would carry a huge amount of carbon to the ocean floor, sequestering massive amounts of carbon that was recently in the air. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Should More British Homes Be Built Using Straw?” • This year, straw from Lithuania will envelop a building in a quiet town in West Yorkshire. The panels will be supplied by a Slovakian firm, EcoCocon. Each timber-framed panel is around 400 mm thick and contains a mass of chopped straw. They help meet a rising demand for insulation and sustainability. [BBC]

Straw panel installation (EcoCocon image)

¶ “Westbridge Progresses Italian Solar Projects” • Westbridge Renewable Energy is developing two new solar projects in Italy. The 32-MW Gierre solar project is in Lazio and the 30-MW NM solar project is in Umbria. Both projects have secured land and grid access, completed feasibility studies, and now planning applications are in progress. [reNews]

¶ “Mobilizing Electric Vehicles In Rural India” • This week, NRDC, with partners Self Employed Women’s Association and the Small Industries Development Bank of India, unveiled a first-of-its-kind initiative to pilot EVs in rural areas of India. Access to clean mobility can transform livelihood opportunity growth in rural areas. [CleanTechnica]

New owners of two-wheeler EVs (Image by NRDC India)

¶ “Northern Territory Launches Plan To Power 72 Remote Indigenous Communities With 70% Renewables” • The NT government has launched community consultations on its Remote Power System Strategy, in a bid to power 72 remote Australian indigenous communities with an average of 70% renewables, by 2030. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Ford Transit Connect PHEV Coming To Europe This Year” • Ford announced that it will introduce its third generation Transit Connect to the European and UK markets, with sales starting in the second half of 2024. One version of the new Transit Connect will offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain with 68 miles of battery-only range. [CleanTechnica]

Ford Transit Connect (Ford image)

¶ “India Unveils 13.9 GW Coal Plants In Highest Annual Surge In Six Years” • India is set to bring online 13.9 GW of new coal-fired power plants this year, marking the highest annual increase in at least six years, the country’s power ministry said. There are surging power demands, low per-capita emissions, and concerns about energy security. [BW Businessworld]

¶ “Kenya’s Complete Transition To Clean Energy Gets World Bank Support” • The Climate Investment Funds endorsed a $70 million plan, with an allocation of $46.39 million, to advance the integration and use of renewable energy in the Kenyan grid. The move will enable the country’s transition to 100% clean energy by 2030. [Construction and Civil Engineering News]

Kenya (Damian Patkowski, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Electric Vehicles And Hybrids Surpass 16% Of Total 2023 US Light-Duty Vehicle Sales” • Combined sales of hybrid vehicles, plug-in hybrid EVs, and battery EVs in the US rose to 16.3% of total new light-duty vehicle sales in 2023, according to data from Wards Intelligence. In 2022, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and battery EV sales were 12.9% of total sales. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Carbon Dioxide, Radio Isotopes, The Keeling Curve, And The Greatest Cover Up In History” • Seventy years ago, Los Angeles had an air pollution problem that led to the word ‘smog’ being coined. Petroleum and automotive companies came to realize that pollution is a problem, and they created a massive cover-up to protect their profits. [CleanTechnica]

Smog in Los Angeles (Lan56, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Vesper Energy Secures $590 Million Financing For Hornet Solar Project” • Vesper Energy, a developer, owner, and operator of renewable energy assets, finalized financing for its Hornet Solar project. Set to provide renewable energy to communities throughout Texas, the project aims to enhance grid stability and address price volatility. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Xcel Energy To Build 3.6 GW Of Renewable Capacity And 600 MW Of Storage In Minnesota” • Utility Xcel Energy announced plans to decarbonise its operations in the Midwest. The plans involve the construction of 3.6 GW of new renewable power generating capacity and 600 MW of new battery energy storage system facilities. [PV Tech]

Xcel Energy solar system (Xcel Energy image)

¶ “Vibrations In Cooling System Mean New Georgia Nuclear Reactor Will Again Be Delayed” • Georgia Power Co said that vibrations in a cooling system of its second new nuclear reactor will delay when the unit starts operating. Plant Vogtle’s Unit 4 now will not begin operating until sometime between April 1 and June 30. [The Public’s Radio]

¶ “State Says Holtec Must Report On Chemicals In Vaporized Wastewater” • While Holtec International awaits decisions by regulators on discharging water from the Pilgrim nuclear plant, it has got rid of 200,000 gallons of the water by using heaters in the reactor cavity to evaporate it. The state wants a report on contaminants. [The Provincetown Independent]

Have a spactacularly quiet day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Hawaii’s Clean Energy Push: A Model For The Mainland?” • A massive clean energy experiment is taking place in Hawaii. It’s not that they are doing anything radically different in terms of renewable energy deployment, they’re just doing far more of it per capita than any other US state. And Hawaii is meeting its aggressive renewable energy plans. [Oil Price]

Pakini Nui Wind Farm (Yoshi Canopus, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

World:

¶ “China Has Nudged Japan Aside As Number 1 Auto Exporter, Japanese Data Show” • The Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association reported Japan exported 4.42 million vehicles in 2023. Earlier data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers shows China exported 4.91 million vehicles last year, largely EVs and hybrids. [ABC News]

¶ “Mexico’s Supreme Court Rules Against An Electricity Law Favoring A State-Owned Utility Over Private Firms” • A panel of Supreme Court justices in Mexico ruled against President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s rules that favored the state-owned electric power company over cleaner private power companies, which are mostly foreign-owned. [ABC News]

Wind farm in Mexico (Daniel Cravioto, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “25% of New Car Sales in China Were 100% Electric in 2023!” • Plugin vehicles in China once again ended the year with a record month, growing by 46% year-over-year in the last month of the year to a record 980,000 units. Range-extended vehicles have become trendy in China, with most packing 40 kWh-ish batteries and fast charging capabilities. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “30% Plugin Vehicle Share In France!” • Plugin sales continued to grow in France in December, reaching a record 54,413 units. Most of that was battery EVs. Their sales were up an amazing 50% year-over-year in December, to a record 37,355 units. Plugin hybrid EVs also joined to the party, by growing some 17% YoY to 17,056 registrations. [CleanTechnica]

Fiat 500e Cabrio (Alexander Migl, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “President Murmu Unveils India’s Renewable Energy Triumph: Soars To 188 GW With Solar Surging 26-Fold in A Decade” • Pres Droupadi Murmu declared that the government is prioritizing green energy, revealing that renewable energy capacity in India more than doubled over a decade to 188 GW. Solar capacity had a 26-fold increase. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “IEA’s Report Reveals 50% Surge In Global Renewable Capacity In 2023, Bringing Global Total To Nearly 510 GW” • A report by the International Energy Agency shows that the world added 50% more renewable energy capacity in 2023 than in 2022, bringing the global total to nearly 510 GW. Of the new capacity, 75% was solar PVs. [SolarQuarter]

Solar array (Raphael Cruz, Unsplash)

¶ “GE Vernova, Kandenko And Cosmo Eco Power To Develop Onshore Wind Farm In Fukushima” • GE Vernova’s onshore wind business announced it was selected by Abukuma South Wind Power LLC as the supplier for the 90-MW Abukuma South Wind Farm in the area of the city of Iwaki and town of Hirono, in Fukushima Prefecture. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “‘Time Is Right To Invest In Emerging Offshore Markets’” • World Bank offshore wind development program co-lead Sean Whittaker said, “There has never been a better time” for offshore wind developers to move into emerging markets. Speaking at the WFO Global Summit in Barcelona, he said his organisation has helped 26 countries speed up deployment. [reNews]

Wind turbines (SSE Renewables image)

¶ “Britain Not Planning Hinkley Point C Loan Guarantees, Says Downing Street” • The UK has no plans for loan guarantees for the Hinkley Point C nuclear project to ease the financing costs on EDF, a spokesman for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. “Hinkley Point C’s financing is a matter for the project’s shareholders, it’s not for government.” [Reuters]

US:

¶ “Sea Otters, Once Hunted To Near Extinction, Are Preventing Coastal Erosion As Their Populations Grow, Study Finds” • A recent discovery is that sea otters are Mother Nature’s solution to the prevention of coastal erosion. The sea otters eat burrowing crabs that have no other major predators. Crab burrows make coastal lands unstable. [ABC News]

Sea otters (Kedar Gadge, Unsplash)

¶ “John Podesta Will Take Over For John Kerry As US Climate Diplomat” • John Podesta, a senior White House adviser focused on clean energy and climate, will take over as top US climate diplomat when John Kerry steps down, a source familiar with the move said. He has been working on clean energy and carrying out the Inflation Reduction Act. [CNN]

¶ “Renewed US National Movement to Convert Private Utilities to Public Utilities” • A renewed US movement is afoot to replace corporate utilities with public, citizen-owned utilities. There have been energy cooperatives in the Midwest for nearly a century and a half. The American Public Power Association gives support for public power companies. [CleanTechnica]

Utility worker (USDA, public domain)

¶ “Delaware Judge Invalidates Elon Musk’s Tesla Pay Package” • Five years ago, the board of directors of Tesla approved a special compensation package for Elon Musk that exceeded by far any executive pay plan in the history of the world. If Musk hit certain targets, he would be entitled to total compensation of $56 billion. A judge said that’s too much. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Chugach Electric Offers Its Support For Renewable Energy Benchmarks” • Just a fifth of the electricity produced on Alaska’s Railbelt comes from renewable sources. The rest is from fossil fuels, primarily natural gas. But with a natural gas shortfall on the way, clean energy advocates want to push Railbelt utilities to boost renewables. [Alaska Public Media]

Have a perfectly wonderful day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Rise of Batteries in Six Charts And Not Too Many Numbers” • Battery demand is growing exponentially, driven by a domino effect that cascades from country to country and from sector to sector. This effect is set to enable the rapid phaseout of half of global fossil fuel demand and be instrumental in abating power and transport emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Battery (Jakob Owens, Unsplash, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Instant Offshore Floating Wind Turbine: Just Remove The Tower” • There is a way that floating turbines can be configured like strange, seagoing carousels, with blades that circle around a vertical axis. The vertical axis is the key that allows for radical new design strategies, and it enables a wind turbine that doesn’t have a tower at all. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Projected Zero-Carbon Electricity Growth Highly Dependent On Cost In Parts of Asia” • In its International Energy Outlook 2023, the US EIA projects low zero-carbon technology costs will drive major growth in zero-carbon electricity capacity and generation and limit growth in fossil fuel-fired generation in parts of Asia between 2030 and 2050. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Toyota’s CFAO Group Brings BYD Dealership To Rwanda, Launches Atto 3, Dolphin, And Seagull Next” • CFAO Mobility in Rwanda has just launched East Africa’s first BYD car dealership in Kigali. The Atto 3 electric SUV will be available in the Rwanda market immediately, with the Dolphin and Dolphin Mini (BYD Seagull) models soon to follow. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “India’s Renewable Energy Capacity Has Reached 188 GW: President Murmu” • India’s installed renewable energy capacity has increased to about 188 GW, up from 81 GW a decade ago, President Droupadi Murmu said in an address. She noted that solar power capacity has increased 26-fold, wind power capacity has doubled in the last ten years. [Swarajya]

Harabhangi Dam (সন্দীপ সরকার, CC0 1.0)

¶ “More Green Energy Powers Coal-Rich Shanxi” • China’s major coal-producing region of Shanxi stepped up renewable energy growth as it seeks low-carbon and greener development. Its renewable energy capacity reached 53.09 GW at the end of 2023, up 22.6% year-on-year, data from the Shanxi provincial statistics bureau shows. [China Daily]

¶ “Greece’s Renewable Energy Output Soars, Aims To Become Green Energy Exporter” • According to its power grid operator, Greece witnessed a remarkable surge in its hydroelectric, wind, and solar energy production last year, reaching a record high. This aligns with Greece’s ambitions to become a major exporter of renewable energy. [EnergyPortal.eu]

Fishing boat with solar panels (Jebulon, CC0 1.0)

¶ “H&M Group Expands Its Renewable Energy Portfolio With Three New Solar Parks in Sweden” • Global fashion retailer H&M Group is to bolster its renewable energy efforts by adding three ground-mounted solar parks in Sweden. The parks, in Blekinge, Södermanland, and Halland, will have capacities of 13 MW, 6 MW, and 4 MW, respectively. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Europe Signs PPAS For 16.2 GW Of Renewables In 2023, Including 10.5 GW Of Solar” • Swiss financial analyst Pexapark has published its latest report on the European renewable power purchase agreement sector, European PPA Market Outlook 2024. It found that European buyers struck deals for a record 16.2GW of clean power in 2023. [PV Tech]

Wind turbines (Mark König, Unsplash)

¶ “Ford Government Wants To Refurbish Pickering Nuclear Reactors But Can’t Say How Much It Will Cost” • Ontario will seek approval to refurbish four aging 1980s Candu nuclear reactors at Pickering. Energy Minister Todd Smith admitted there is no precise cost estimate for the nuclear refurbishment, at least not one he is willing to reveal. [Toronto Star]

US:

¶ “Western Monarch Butterflies Overwintering In California Dropped 30% In 2023” • The number of western monarch butterflies overwintering in California dropped by 30% last year, likely due to how wet it was, researchers said. Other causes of the decline are destruction of habitat due to housing, pesticides, herbicides, and climate change. [ABC News]

Monarch butterfly (Melissa Burovac, Unsplash)

¶ “State Energy Policy in a Land of New Federal Opportunity” • New and expanded federal programs have radically shifted the landscape of what’s economically and politically feasible for state policymakers, giving states a chance to unlock wide-ranging benefits and attract billions in federal and private funding for residents and businesses. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Historic Funding to Plug Orphaned Oil & Gas Wells” • The Department of the Interior awarded nearly $5 million through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for Missouri to clean up legacy pollution. Missouri has nearly 5,000 orphaned oil and gas wells documented that need to be plugged, many of which have emit methane. [CleanTechnica]

Abandoned gas well (Steve Hillebrand, US FWS, public domain)

¶ “New Analysis Reveals Implications Of Plummeting Usage Of Coal In The US” • A report from research firm Rhodium Group found that the United States’ planet-overheating gas emissions dropped by 1.9% in 2023, largely thanks to the phaseout of coal burning. Coal produced 17% of US energy last year, according to the report. [The Cool Down]

¶ “Report: Palisades Getting Federal Loan To Reopen” • A report from Bloomberg says Holtec International Corporation will get a $1.5 billion loan from the US DOE to restart the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan. The facility was shut down in May 2022 to be decommissioned, but Holtec pitched the restart idea after purchasing the plant. [WKZO]

Have a superbly guided day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Global Warming Could Increase Risk Of Human-Elephant Conflict, Researchers Say” • The risks for conflict between elephants and humans could increase in the future due to climate change and other human-caused environmental factors, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [ABC News]

Elephant (Nam Anh, Unsplash)

¶ “Suzlon Secures 642-MW Wind Power Project Order From Evren’s ABC Cleantech” • Suzlon Group, the largest renewable energy equipment provider in India, announced winning an order for wind turbines for a 642-MW wind power project from Evren Company. Evren is a joint venture in India between Axis Energy and Brookfield. [Free Press Journal]

¶ “Amazon To Source 473 MW Of Clean Power From Scottish Offshore Wind Farm” • Amazon has signed a corporate power purchase agreement with developers of the 882-MW Moray West offshore wind farm in Scotland, securing more than half of its capacity to power its UK operations. The wind farm is in the Moray Firth. [Offshore Engineer Magazine]

Offshore substation platform (Ocean Winds image)

¶ “Renewable Energy Sector Is Ramping Up” • The Indian Central Government launched the National Solar Mission in January 2010, with capacity target of 20 GW by 2022. In 2015, the target increased to 100 GW. Then it increased the target to 300 GW for 2030. Now India aims at the target of installed renewable capacity of 500 GW by 2030. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Tasmanian Government Continuing Rewards Of Renewable Energy” • A plan to streamline approvals for renewable energy projects was unveiled by the Tasmanian Government. It will ensure Tasmania continues to be the powerhouse for Australia’s renewable energy. A dedicated approvals pathway will help the rollout of major projects. [Manufacturers’ Monthly]

Tasmania (Tim Hart, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “BP Attacked By Investor Over ‘Irrational’ Switch To Clean Energy” • BP is facing new demands to scrap the “irrational” net zero commitments by former chief executive Bernard Looney. An activist investor, Bluebell Capital Partners, said the strategy is unrealistic and claimed that it has left shareholders £40 billion poorer. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “North Macedonia Posts 160% Growth In New Renewables Capacity In 2023” • Renewable electricity capacity in North Macedonia increased by 551.2 MW over the last two years. Of that, 399 MW was installed in 2023, two and a half times more than the year before. The increase was spurred by a combination of legal reforms. [Balkan Green Energy News]

Ohrid, North Macedonia (Ljupco Dzambazovski, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Move Toward Electrification Is ‘Inexorable,’ Energy Secretary Says” • EVs are proliferating across the nation, yet so many Americans still have questions about these battery-powered trucks and cars: Where do I charge them? What if I run out of range? Can I afford one? Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm answered questions for ABC News. [ABC News]

¶ “US Department of Transportation Announces $31.4 Million Loan To Upgrade Critical Rail Lines In California” • The US Department of Transportation announced provision of a $31.4 million loan to the Sierra Northern Railway and Mendocino Railway to expand and rehabilitate rail systems in the Central Valley and Mendocino County. [CleanTechnica]

Sierra Northern (Drew Jacksich, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “DOE Announces Funding Opportunity To Advance Domestic Manufacturing Of Next Generation Batteries” • The US DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office said it has released a $15.7 million funding opportunity to advance the domestic manufacturing of next generation batteries and energy storage. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Light-Duty Plugin Vehicle Sales Topped 1 Million for First Time In 2023” • Annual sales of electric vehicles more than quadrupled from 2020 to 2023, culminating in more than one million EV sales for the first time in calendar year 2023. In that year, cumulative sales of new light-duty plug-in EVs since 2010 reached 4.7 million. [CleanTechnica]

Electric car (Jp Valery, Unsplash)

¶ “EV Sales Rise to 7.2% of US Auto Sales, With Tesla At 4.3%” • In 2019, full EV sales were 1.4% of US auto sales. In 2020, they had risen to 1.7%, and in 2021, they had risen to 3%. In the past two years, things have changed much faster. In 2022, US EV sales accounted for 5.5% of the auto market, and last year (in 2023), EV sales rose to 7.2%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Shoppers Set To See Meat Prices Fall Thanks To Renewable Energy” • As it becomes more popular to produce sustainable fuel from processing soybeans, a massive amount of soymeal is produced as a co-product. Soymeal is the main ingredient in some animal feed, and its abundance makes the feed cheaper for meat purveyors, Bloomberg says. [New York Post]

Beefsteak (Sergey Kotenev, Unsplash)

¶ “Levittown Engineer Faked Nuclear Reactor Safety Paperwork For 11 Years, Feds Say” • Two men who pleaded guilty to giving false reports related to nuclear plant safety attended sentencing hearings in a federal court, the US Justice Department said. Both worked for a company that provided acoustic emissions testing for nuclear plants. [Daily Voice]

¶ “Studies To Examine Health Risks Of New England Nuclear Power Plants” • Petros Koutrakis, professor of environmental sciences at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, is leading two studies to investigate the health impacts of New England nuclear power plants on nearby residents. He spoke about his research on Vermont Public. [hsph.harvard.edu]

Have a magnificently productive day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “The Answer Is Blowing In The Wind And Shining From The Sun: Not Small Modular Reactors” • There is plenty of hype about small modular reactors. But SMR technology is unproven and risky. SMRs have the same problems as their big ancestors: high cost, long-lasting nuclear waste, and mining operations that leave piles of toxic waste. [Sierra Club]

Rolls Royce SMR (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, US DOE)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Separating Critical Materials From Dissolved Batteries” • A simple way to separate metal ions from a simulated battery electrode mixture was exhibited by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory researchers. Their process relies on basic chemical principles and requires no specialty chemicals, binding agents, membranes, or toxic solvents. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “52 Killed In Clashes In The Disputed Oil-Rich African Region Of Abyei” • Gunmen attacked villagers in the oil-rich region of Abyei claimed by both Sudan and South Sudan, leaving at least 52 people dead, including a UN peacekeeper, an official said. The attackers were armed youth who migrated to the state last year because of flooding in their areas. [ABC News]

Abyei dwelling (Sudan Envoy, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “French Towns Left Uninsured As Climate Change Increases Risks” • Some 2,000 towns and cities across France found they were uninsured at the start of the year after insurance companies raised rates or ended contracts due to costs relating to storms and flooding. Climate change is forcing a rethinking of the whole insurance industry. [Yahoo News UK]

¶ “New Electric Buses For Waterloo” • In 2020, the Region of Waterloo, Ontario, discontinued purchases of diesel-only buses, switching to hybrid and electric options. The first of Grand River Transit’s electric buses will begin service next month as part of its zero-emission bus pilot project. Ten additional electric buses are expected this year. [CleanTechnica]

Electric bus at charging station (ConceptConcentric Electric Bus)

¶ “Statkraft Aims To Build 3 GW Of Renewable Energy Projects By 2030” • Renewable energy firm Statkraft announced plans to roll out 3 GW of renewable energy projects in Ireland by 2030, which will include its 500-MW North Irish Sea Array offshore wind project. This would make a significant contribution to the State’s reaching its renewable energy target. [RTE]

Australia:

¶ “Origin Energy Invests $400 Million In Battery At Mortlake Power Station” • Origin Energy has signalled the construction of a substantial battery at the Mortlake Power Station in south-west Victoria, with an investment commitment of about $400 million. The Mortlake battery is to have capacities of 300 MW and up to 650 MWh. [Australian Manufacturing]

Mortlake Power Station (Origin Energy image)

¶ “Milestone For Hydrogen Generation In NT” • Hydrogen has been produced in the Northern Territory for the first time at Charles Darwin University, a step towards founding a hydrogen generation industry in the Territory. CDU said it will use its facility to train the skilled workers needed for a successful green hydrogen industry. [Energy Magazine]

¶ “New South Wales Council Turns To Solar To Power Water And Sewer Sites” • The MidCoast Council in the Hunter region of New South Wales has made the shift to solar to help power its water and sewer infrastructure as part of a broader commitment to powering all council operations with 100% renewable energy by 2040. [pv magazine Australia]

Water treatment plant (MidCoast Council image)

US:

¶ “States Remain In The Lead On Addressing Transportation Emissions” • Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, and there can be no successful climate action absent progress in reducing emissions from this sector. Unfortunately, litigation may delay federal rulemaking, but states can continue to act. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Financials Deep Dive – Massive Growth” • Elon Musk and Tesla’s top executives conducted the year 2023 and Q4 2023 earnings call last week. 2023 was Tesla’s best year yet. In addition to delivering a record 1.8 million vehicles last year, Tesla’s energy storage and solar business grew to more than double last year compared to 2022. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla (Taun Stewart, Unsplash)

¶ “US Auto Industry Rose 8% In Fourth Quarter, While EV Industry Grew 29%” • The US auto industry continues to grow in its long recovery from the COVID-19 epidemic and economic shutdown of 2020–2021. In the 4th quarter of 2023, US auto sales rose 8% compared to the 4th quarter of 2022. Meanwhile, pure battery EV sales rose by 29%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Equinor And BP Rebid Empire Wind 1” • Equinor and BP have rebid their 810-MW Empire Wind 1 project into New York’s fourth offshore wind solicitation. If awarded, Empire Wind 1 is expected to provide first power in 2026. The Empire Wind 1 bid into the solicitation follows the announcement of a swap deal between Equinor and BP. [reNews]

Have an outrageously easy day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “Geothermal Heat Pumps Key Opportunity In Switch To Clean Energy” • Analysis from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that, coupled with building envelope improvements, installing geothermal heat pumps in around 70% of US buildings could save as much as 593 TWh of electricity annually. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it (US DOE
Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy)

¶ “Perovskite Solar Cells: A Turning Point In Renewable Energy Or Just Hype?” • The world of solar energy is on the brink of a potential revolution, thanks to a new contender in the market: perovskite solar cells. These cells have impressive efficiency and promise to address many of the limitations of traditional silicon solar cells. [The Business Standard]

¶ “Coastal Chemistry Improves Methane Modeling” • Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using a new modeling framework in conjunction with data collected from marshes in the Mississippi Delta to improve predictions of climate-warming methane and nitrous oxide emissions from soils in coastal ecosystems. [CleanTechnica]

Mississippi Delta marsh (Matthew Berens, ORNL, US DOE)

World:

¶ “Alberta Tar Sands Pollution 64 Times Worse Than Reported” • The Canadian tar sands, a huge site of oil extraction in Alberta, cover an area larger than England. Researchers used airplanes to measure the total emissions from the Alberta tar sands. Their research showed that those emissions are 20 to 64 times worse than previously reported. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hundreds Of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vans To Flood The Streets” • The debate over hydrogen fuel cell EVs rages on, and Renault Group just added some fuel to the fire. The auto maker’s Hyvia electric vehicle venture is kicking into high gear with an initial delivery of 50 hydrogen fuel cell vans to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. [CleanTechnica]

Renault Master Van H2 Tech (Renault Group via YouTube)

¶ “Chinese Foreign Ministry Calls For Greater Cooperation Worldwide To Address Climate Challenges” • China has made remarkable progress in clean energy in recent years, providing practical solutions for tackling climate change globally. This will accelerate the international transition towards renewable power, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry. [MSN]

¶ “Booming Renewable Energy Generation Halves Wholesale Power Prices Across National Grid” • Rapid growth in renewable generation reduced the wholesale cost of power in Australia’s energy grid late last year, and it greatly reduced reliance on coal. Prices were down more than half in the final three months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. [MSN]

Solar farm (Merallisolar image)

¶ “Major Power Companies Break Ground On First-Of-Its-Kind Power Plant” • Reuters reported that Uzbekistan broke ground on the region’s first plant making green hydrogen from wind power, a major milestone in the fight to reverse the effects of climate change. The plant will ultimately produce 3,000 metric tons of green hydrogen per year. [The Cool Down]

¶ “Korea’s Imports Of Japanese Seafood Post Biggest On-Year Drop Last Year Since 2012” • Korea’s imports of Japanese seafood posted the biggest on-year decrease last year since 2012, a year after the Fukushima nuclear accident, data show. In 2023, Korea imports of Japanese fish and shellfish were down 12.8% from a year earlier. [The Korea Times]

Grilled fish (CA Creative, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “First-Ever Regional Offshore Wind And Wildlife Science Plan Released” • Tapping offshore wind is critical to address climate change. A landmark research plan to guide that effort was released by the Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind, a unique entity of academics, government, industry, and nonprofits. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Icon Of The Seas: World’s Largest Cruise Ship Sets Sail From Miami” • The world’s largest cruise ship has set sail from Miami on its maiden voyage, but there are concerns about the vessel’s methane emissions, as it is powered by LNG. The 365m-long (1,197 ft) Icon of the Seas has 20 decks and can house a maximum of 7,600 passengers. [BBC]

Icon of the Seas (Courtesy of Royal Caribbean Group)

¶ “School Solar Tax Credit Advances, Renewable Energy Tax Fails” • A New Mexico bill to make it easier for schools to access solar energy passed the House Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee on a 7-4 vote. The bill provides a tax credit to those who install solar arrays on school property. A bill to tax renewable energy producers failed. [NM Political Report]

¶ “This Issue Could Cost Donald Trump The 2024 Election, New US Study Shows” • Could former US President Donald Trump’s attempt to minimize the threat of climate change have cost him the 2020 election? Research shows that opinions on climate change are important enough to settle the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden. [The Jerusalem Post]

Have a notably droll day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “Copper Is King, But It Is Time for a Metal Meritocracy” • As the world scrambles to slow climate change by electrifying everything (and decarbonizing everything), demand for copper is soaring. The US DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office launched a new prize in 2021 to develop alternatives. Four are detailed here. [CleanTechnica]

Transmission lines (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

¶ “Plagues In Roman Italy Linked To Climate Change, Scientists Say” • The Justinian Plague, a wave of bubonic plague, is thought to have begun in the year 541, and it raged until 590. It followed the Antonine Plague of 165 to 180 CE and the Plague of Cyprian from 251 to 266. Scientists have linked all three to climate change events. [Newsweek]

¶ “AI Is Increasingly Being Used To Deal With Climate Change, But It Has Its Own Emissions Problem” • As the climate changes, farmers are facing more challenges than ever before. Floods, droughts, disease, and shifts within the growing and harvesting seasons mean the agriculture business is rapidly changing. AI can help, but it has its own problems. [CBC]

AgriRobot at work (University of Prince Edward Island)

World:

¶ “Morocco Expects An Increase In Green Energy Investments In The Coming Years” • Morocco is consolidating its position as a key player in the field of renewable energy at regional and global level. The Moroccan Minister of Energy, Leila Benali, said the Kingdom is heading towards an era of “unprecedented” growth in renewable energy investments. [Atalayar]

¶ “Porsche Takes The Wraps Off The Battery Electric Macan” • The Macan is a highly important car for Porsche. After it was first introduced in 2013, it quickly became the best selling model in the Porsche lineup. Porsche certainly doesn’t want to mess with the success of its most popular car. But now, it has introduced a full battery EV version. [CleanTechnica]

Full battery Macan (Porsche image)

¶ “TotalEnergies And European Energy To Develop Three Nordic Offshore Wind Projects” • As part of its integrated development in electricity, TotalEnergies has signed a new agreement with European Energy to develop offshore wind projects in three Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. [Energy Industry Review]

¶ “Innergex Sees 400-MW Quebec Solicitation Success” • Two Innergex Renewable Energy onshore wind projects have been selected in Hydro-Quebec’s request for proposals. One is the 300-MW Manicouagan wind farm, set to operate in 2029. The other is the 100-MW Lotbinieree project, which is to be in commercial operations in 2028. [ERR News]

Wind turbine (Innergex image)

¶ “Ukraine to start building four new nuclear reactors this year” • In an exclusive report, Reuters revealed that Ukraine expects to construct four nuclear power reactors in the upcoming summer or autumn, according to Energy Minister German Galushchenko. The country aims to offset the loss of energy capacity resulting from the war in Ukraine. [Al Mayadeen English]

¶ “Boralex Wins 365 MW Of Canadian Wind Contracts” • Two Boralex wind power projects totalling 365 MW were selected in Hydro-Quebec’s call for tenders. The first project is the 265-MW Arthabaska development, which will use between 37 and 44 wind turbines. The second is the Monnoir project, which will use 15-20 turbines for a capacity of 100MW. [reNews]

Wind farm (Boralex image)

¶ “Still No End In Sight For Decommissioning Work On The Fukushima Nuke Plant” • Nearly thirteen years since the triple-meltdown following the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, it is still unclear when decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station’s reactors will be completed. [The Mainichi]

US:

¶ “Insect Populations Flourish in the Restored Habitats of Solar Energy Facilities” • Bumblebees buzz from flower to flower, stopping for a moment under a clear blue Minnesota sky. Birds chirp, and tall grasses blow in the breeze. This isn’t a scene from a nature preserve or national park. It sits between PV solar arrays on rehabilitated farmland. [CleanTechnica]

Argonne scientist (Lee Walston, Argonne National Laboratory)

¶ “Redwood Materials Building Huge Cathode Factory” • The US has not been the home of much of the world’s EV battery or battery component production. One thing that needs to be built up is cathode production. Redwood Materials, a battery recycling startup created by Tesla cofounder and former CTO JB Straubel, is ready to change that. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Dearborn Commits To 100% Renewable Energy At City Buildings” • In Michigan, the city of Dearborn is opting into DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program to get municipal buildings to 100% renewable energy by 2026. Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud says it’s one of the ways the city is taking a lead in becoming more green. [WDET 101.9 FM]

Solar array at Dearborn (Courtesy of City of Dearborn)

¶ “$18 Million Going Into Renewable Energy And Fertilizer Projects Across Iowa” • The USDA is making millions of dollars available for renewable energy and fertilizer projects with Iowa getting a big share. Former Iowa governor and current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said the money could help stem the loss of family farms and farmland. [KTIV]

¶ “Maps And Data Show How Climate Change Could Affect Some Major US Ports” • With experts predicting an average sea level rise of 2 feet by 2100, flooding is a reality that most seaports and beach communities will soon have to contend with. Now, a new climate study shows that some parts of the coast are likely to change even sooner. [Yahoo News]

Have a totally copacetic day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Over 50 Solar + Storage Companies Take Action on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Justice” • America’s solar and storage industry is quickly transforming our energy system, creating new opportunities in every corner of the country. This rapid growth cannot be haphazard if we want to ensure equitable growth as part of this transition. [CleanTechnica]

Solar + storage (Sungrow EMEA, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “LNG Stakeholders Have Something New To Worry About Now” • Ammonia could pull the rug out from under the LNG export market because of hydrogen, which is efficient to ship as atoms within ammonia molecules. Ammonia can easily be made from hydrogen and liquified. It is efficient to transport ammonia and take hydrogen from it as needed. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “EAV 2Cubed 4-Wheeled E-Cargo Bikes Could Replace Urban Delivery Vans” • Vehicles that deliver goods and services create quite a bit of traffic congestion and air pollution urban areas, as well as carbon emissions. EAV, a company based in the UK, has an option that could be a great addition to delivery fleets. It is the EAV 2Cubed. [CleanTechnica]

EAV 2Cubed (Screenshot from EAV website)

¶ “Glow-In-The-Dark Red Herrings And Dead Whales” • During 2023, Australia made steady progress towards its 82% renewable energy for the grid by 2030. Some would say that we are halfway there! Progress is being hindered a bit by new naysayers, some of whom are promoting nuclear power. That is a glow-in-the dark red herring! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China Added More Solar Panels In 2023 Than US Did In Its Entire History” • China installed more solar panels in 2023 than any other nation has built in total, adding to a massive renewable energy fleet that’s already leading the world by a wide margin. China added 216.9 GW of solar capacity last year, blowing away its previous record of 87.4 GW. [Financial Post]

Dual axis trackers in China (Vinaykumar8687, CC-BU-SA 4.0)

¶ “Scotland Generates Record Amount Of Renewable Energy, Figures Show” • The latest data show that renewable technologies generated the equivalent of 113% of Scotland’s overall energy consumption in 2022. This is the highest level of renewables recorded to date, and it marks an increase of 26 percentage points compared to 2021. [The National]

¶ “North Macedonia Sees 160% Year Over Year Growth In 2023 Renewable Energy Licences” • The energy regulator for North Macedonia said that it issued licences for the production of electricity from renewable energy sources with a total installed capacity of nearly 399 MW in 2023, up by 160% compared to a year before. [SeeNews]

GE wind turbine (Borja Fasi Fernandez, GE Renewable Energy)

¶ “Energy Vault Expands Its Global Footprint For Gravity Energy Storage With License Covering South Africa” • Energy Vault, a grid-scale energy storage provider, announced that it signed a new licensing and royalty agreement in the Southern African Development Community region with Gravity Energy Storage Solutions Ltd. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

US:

¶ “North America Experienced An Unprecedented ‘Hot Drought’ In The Last Century, Research Shows” • Western North America has experienced an unprecedented “hot drought” over the last century, according to research that shows the amplification of heat in the region over recent decades. The paper was published in Science Advances. [ABC News]

Lake Mead (ricardo frantz, Unsplash)

¶ “Bid To Overhaul New Mexico Oil And Gas Regulations Clears First Hurdle Amid Litigation” • An effort to modernize oversight of the petroleum industry in New Mexico advanced past its first committee vetting at the state legislature. The bill would rewrite parts of the state’s 1930s-era Oil and Gas Act so regulators can keep pace with the industry’s growth. [ABC News]

¶ “US DOE Is Helping NOAA’s Mauna Loa Observatory Get To Net-Zero” • The US DOE awarded NOAA $5 million to support converting the Mauna Loa atmospheric baseline observatory in Hawaii to be a net-zero carbon facility. Among other things, the Mauna Loa Observatory monitors the global increase in levels of greenhouse gases. [CleanTechnica]

Mauna Loa Observatory (Christine Smith, NOAA)

¶ “Infographic Shows What Electrify America Did In 2023” • Electrify America’s chargers enabled many people to consider an EV, and road trips that had once been impractical are now totally doable. Reliability problems, however, have been a major drag. This mixed story continued in 2023, An infographic from the company lets us how it’s going. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “USPS Charging Stations Begin Arriving At Sorting And Delivery Centers” • The US Postal Service unveiled its first set of EV charging stations at an event, which it held at its Sorting and Delivery Center in South Atlanta. USPS charging stations like these will be installed at hundreds of S&DCs across the country throughout 2024. [CleanTechnica]

Canoo delivery truck (Canoo image)

¶ “Ørsted Withdraws from Maryland Offshore Wind Power Deals” • Following consultation with the State of Maryland, Ørsted has withdrawn from the Maryland Public Service Commission Orders approving the Skipjack 1 and 2 offshore wind projects. The projects are not viable due to changing economic conditions. [Offshore Engineer Magazine]

¶ “A Bill To Designate Nuclear Energy As Clean Energy Dies In Committee” • A Colorado Senate bill that would have defined nuclear energy as clean energy died in committee. SB24-039 would have included nuclear energy in the statutory definition of clean energy sources. Opponents said such a designation would have a negative environmental impact. [Colorado Politics]

Have a concepturally dreamy day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “NYU Tandon Researchers Unlock Energy-Efficient Solution to Global Water Crisis” • Researchers at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering have achieved a major breakthrough in Redox Flow Desalination, an emerging electrochemical technique that can turn seawater into potable drinking water and store affordable renewable energy. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Impacts And Benefits of Hosting Large Solar – Stakeholder Perceptions” • Despite national polls showing broad support for large-scale solar among rural Americans, opposition from local residents and elected officials around proposed LSS projects is on the rise. But a lack of data on community perceptions remains, and with it a lack of analysis. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Amazon’s Record Drought Driven By Climate Change” • One of our planet’s most vital defences against global warming is itself being ravaged by climate change. Often described as the “lungs of the planet”, the Amazon plays a key role in removing warming carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. But rapid deforestation has left it more vulnerable to weather extremes. [BBC]

Drought in an Amazon tributary (Copernicus Sentinel)

¶ “Global Warming Was Primary Cause Of Unprecedented Amazon Drought, Study Find” • Global warming caused by humans, and not El Niño, was the primary driver of last year’s severe drought in the Amazon that sent rivers to record lows, required deliveries of food and drinking water to hundreds of river communitie, researchers said. [ABC News]

¶ “Electric Cargo Bikes Are Twice As Efficient And Ten Times Cheaper Than A Delivery Van, Study Finds” • A recent study found that an electric cargo bike, specifically a Bullitt cargo bike, is twice as efficient and over ten times cheaper to operate than a van in urban areas. Ten times cheaper is not chump change by any means. [CleanTechnica]

eBullitt cargo bike (Courtesy of Larry vs Harry)

¶ “EU Sees Significant Drop in Carbon Emissions Amidst Growth Of Renewable Energy” • The EU saw a remarkable 8% decrease in carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels last year. It was the second-largest annual drop recorded thus far. This decline was primarily due to the rapid growth of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power. [EnergyPortal.eu]

¶ “Resolv Secures Grid Connection For 600-MW Romanian Wind Farm” • Rezolv Energy has signed a grid connection agreement for the Dunarea East & West wind farms, a 600-MW project in Constanța county, Romania. Work will commence in line with the Dunarea project timeline, with a view to the power coming onstream from 2026. [reNews]

Wind farm (Wolfgang Hasselmann, Unsplash)

¶ “Greece Breaks Records In Renewables, Energy Efficiency In 2023” • The share of renewable electricity production including large hydropower plants reached a record high of 57% in Greece in 2023. The sector covered more than half of demand for the first time. Gas consumption declined 10.1%. Wind power capacity topped 5 GW. [Balkan Green Energy News]

¶ “Reports: France To Push UK Government For Additional Support For Faltering Nuclear Projects” • The fallout from EDF’s confirmation its flagship Hinkley Point nuclear project is facing further delays continues, with reports that French Ministers are getting set to call on their UK counterparts to help shoulder some of the ballooning costs. [Business Green]

Nuclear plant construction (EDF image)

US:

¶ “Historic California Rain Could Foreshadow More Extreme Rainfall In Coming Weeks” • More than a month’s worth of rain fell in a span of three hours in San Diego on Monday, according to the National Weather Service. The city saw its wettest January day on record and wettest overall day in nearly 100 years with 2.73 inches of rain. [ABC News]

¶ “US Offshore Wind Industry Comes Roaring Back To The Tune Of 3.7 GW” • The US offshore wind industry suffered one blow after another last year, and two projects totalling 2.2 GW, planned for the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of New Jersey, were cancelled. But the state’s Board of Public Utilities just approved two projects with 3.7 GW of capacity. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind turbine (Courtesy of energyRE)

¶ “Biden Set To Withhold Approval Of LNG Terminals In Gulf Of Mexico” • The White House is directing the DOE to expand its evaluation of new LNG terminals in the Gulf of Mexico to consider its impact on climate change, as well as on the economy and national security, people in the Biden administration told the New York Times. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “A Sustainable Skyscraper Grows In Brooklyn Thanks To Alloy” • Alloy is an architectural and design firm that focus on property in New York City, especially Brooklyn. Its most recent project is a 44 story residential building in downtown Brooklyn. Everything in the building, from ovens to elevators, operates on electricity from renewable sources. [CleanTechnica]

Skyscraper in Brooklyn (Courtesy of Alloy)

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Achieves Major Milestones In Advancing Solar Energy Development In The Western US” • The Interior Department released its latest roadmap for solar energy development, and the Bureau of Land Management announced progress on 1,7 GW of solar projects and 1.3 GW of batteries in Arizona, California, and Nevada. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Renewable Power Facility Coming To Ouachita Parish” • The Louisiana Public Service Commission approved an Entergy Louisiana solar facility in Ouachita Parish. Entergy LA said that Black & Veatch will provide full engineering, procurement and construction services to the Sterlington project. It and another facility will add 225 MW in the parish. [KNOE]

Have a famously gratifying day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “Brighter, Whiter Snow Could Help Offset Global Warming. PNNL Scientists Study Why” • While research has shown that global warming is leading to a decline in snowpacks, a study by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory suggests the news may not be as grim as originally thought. Expectations for cleaner snow is one reason. [CleanTechnica]

Ford F-150 Lightning in snow (Ford image)

¶ “Electric Aircraft Offer Major Climate Benefits” • Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, did the world’s first life cycle assessment of an existing, two-seat, all-electric aircraft, comparing it to an equivalent plane powered by fossil fuel. After just one quarter of the expected lifespan of the electric aircraft, its climate impact is lower. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “New Coffee Genetic Map Promises Better Brews” • The most complete genetic map yet of Arabica coffee was pieced together by researchers in Italy. Arabica coffee is the world’s most popular drink. The new insights into the plant’s genetic code will help in breeding new coffee crops. And they may lead to coffee plants that can cope better in a warming world. [BBC]

Coffee beans (Michael Burrows, Pexels)

¶ “Extreme Waves That Hit Marshall Islands Highlight Dangers Of Climate Change” • A series of extreme waves that wreaked havoc on a US military base in the Marshall Islands could be indicative of more dangerous coastal behavior in the future, according to experts. The Marshall Islands are considered at the very front lines of climate change. [BBC]

¶ “Even More Bad News For Fossil Fuels: Solid State Battery Gigafactories Are Here” • Solid state batteries were not supposed to happen until the end of the decade, but it looks like they are here already. Solid state offers more range, fast charging, long lifecycle, improved safety, less supply chain risk, and enhanced recycling opportunities. [CleanTechnica]

Solid state battery manufacturing (Courtesy of Prologium)

¶ “Fewer Markets Are Importing Russia’s Coal” • Russia’s reliance on four countries to import its coal has increased since some countries implemented sanctions against Russia after it invaded Ukraine, according to Global Trade Tracker data. This trade shift corresponds with increased coal exports from the US to Europe and EU sanctions. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “European Energy Signs 1.3-GW Oz Solar PPA” • European Energy has taken a significant step towards realizing Australia’s largest solar farm by signing a PPA with global mining and materials company Rio Tinto. This agreement ensures that all energy generated from the 1-300-MW Upper Calliope Solar Farm will be supplied to Rio Tinto. [reNews]

Solar farm (European Energy image)

¶ “Nuclear Power Output Expected To Break Global Records In 2025” • Nuclear power generation is likely to break records in 2025 as more countries invest in reactors to fuel the shift to a low-carbon economy, according to an International Energy Agency report. Also, renewable energy is likely to overtake coal as a power source early next year. [The Guardian]

¶ “UK Government Approves Planning Application For BECCS At Drax Power Station” • Claire Coutinho, the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, approved the Development Consent Order for Drax Power Limited’s plans to convert two of its biomass units at Drax Power Station to bioenergy with carbon capture and storage. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Drax power station (Courtesy of Drax)

¶ “DTEK Toasts First Power At Romanian Renewables Projects” • DTEK Group achieved first power at its debut projects outside Ukraine. The two Romanian projects, one wind and one solar, are the first in a portfolio spanning Italy, Poland, Romania and Croatia. These are being developed by a DTEK subsidiary, DTEK Renewables International. [reNews]

¶ “Hinkley Point C Nuclear Plant Costs Could Rise To £46 Billion, Delayed To End Of Decade” • In 2022, the cost of the plant in Somerset was estimated at £26 billion in 2015 prices. Now EDF, which is developing the plant, has raised its estimate to £31-35 billion in 2015 prices, which could be as much as £46 billion in today’s prices. [Construction Briefing]

Lifting a 245-tonne roof into place (EDF image)

¶ “Sizewell Opponents Apply To Supreme Court As Government Commits £1 Billion” • The government announced an additional £1.3 billion to support Sizewell C nuclear plant. Opponents of the power plant are applying to the UK Supreme Court for the right to appeal against the dismissal of their legal challenge, which is based on the plant’s water supply. [BBC]

US:

¶ “More Internet Access From Elon Musk’s Starlink Can Enhance Sustainable Agritech” • The rise of precision agriculture could boost yields and profit margins while reducing reliance on fertilizer and other inputs, among other benefits. A hitch is that 30% of farm acreage in the US does not possess reliable WiFi access. Starlink can handle that. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Cybertruck Towing Range Updates – Range Issues? Misleading Concerns?” • Tesla Cybertrucks are rolling out quite quickly at the moment, per reports from the Tesla gigafactory in Texas and even based on local delivery info here in Southwest Florida. As it starts to get out to market, we’re getting a better sense of how the truck operates. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “High-Speed Rail Project Will Create Thousands Of Jobs And Provide An Efficient Way To Travel Between Los Angeles And Las Vegas” • A new high-speed train that can whisk travelers between Los Angeles and Las Vegas will get $3 billion in federal funding, the Biden administration announced. It is expected to take half as much time as a trip by car. [CleanTechnica]

Have a excitingly lovely day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “More Bad News For Fossil Fuels: Green Hydrogen Is Making Green Steel Happen” • Steelmaking was thought to be difficult if not impossible to decarbonize, with a key step in the process fully dependent on coal or natural gas. Well, that was then. The world’s first full-scale green steel plant is taking shape in Sweden, with help from green hydrogen. [CleanTechnica]

Aurora and green hydrogen (courtesy of H2 Green Steel)

¶ “Cobalt-Free Batteries Could Power Cars Of The Future” • Many EVs are powered by batteries that contain cobalt, a metal with high financial, environmental, and social costs. Researchers at MIT have now designed a battery material that could offer a more sustainable way to power electric cars, with a cathode based free of cobalt or nickel. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Euro 2024 E-Mobility Partner Is … BYD!” • Europe has a huge legacy auto industry, and many of these new electric cars come from those German, French, and other European auto brands. But the automotive company sponsoring UEFA’s Euro 2024, set to be its official e-mobility partner, is Chinese. BYD is the largest EV maker in the world. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seal

¶ “The $1.6 Trillion Future Of The Auto Tech Opportunity” • The automotive industry is undergoing a significant transformation, with autonomous driving, EVs, connected and software-defined vehicles, and in-cabin monitoring at the forefront. Such changes are expected to create a market opportunity some estimate to be worth $1.6 trillion by 2034. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BEV Sales Shoot Past All Expectations in Brazil In December, Rise 700%!” • Not long ago, Brazil’s battery EV sales were just symbolic: a fraction of a fraction. But the second half of 2023 has broken record after record, breaking all expectations and closing in on 3% battery EV share of the overall automobile in December, 700% growth YOY. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID. Buzz in Brazil (Courtesy of Volkswagen AG)

¶ “Romania’s Ministry Of Energy Is Putting €17.6 Billion Of EU Funds To Work” • Scheduled to be launched on March 1, two public calls in Romania will enable companies to get a total of €815 million in grants for renewable electricity projects. Minister of Energy Sebastian Burduja said that the subsidies would cover 2 GW of capacity. [Balkan Green Energy News]

¶ “Libra’s Greenwood To Build Massive Solar Power Facility In Canada” • Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure LLC, one of the renewable energy subsidiaries of Libra Group, announced the construction of a 100-MW (AC) solar facility in Saskatchewan. The Iyuhána Solar will be the largest built with a PPA from a Canadian utility since 2015. [GreekReporter.com]

Solar facility (Greek Reporter file photo, public domain)

¶ “EnergyAustralia Announces New 50-MW BESS” • Plans to develop a new Battery Energy Storage System next to the Hallett Power Station in Canowie, 210 km north of Adelaide, have been announced by EnergyAustralia. The Hallett BESS would have an initial power capacity of 50 MW with a total discharge capacity of up to 200 MWh. [Energy Magazine]

¶ “NI Saves £243 Million From Wind Power In 2023” • Wind Energy Ireland, with the help of energy specialists Baringa, reported that Northern Irish wind farms saved £243 million in 2023. The Irish renewable energy organisation confirmed in its annual report that 35% of the whole island’s electricity was provided by wind farms. [Current News]

Wind turbines (RTG, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “UK Government To Plow An Extra £1.3 Billion Into A Nuclear Plant” • The UK government says it will make £1.3 billion ($1.9 billion) of additional funding available to build the Sizewell C nuclear reactor project with EDF. Opponents of the project criticised the additional government funding, saying it lacked transparency. [Yahoo Finance]

US:

¶ “Lowering Energy Costs And Emissions In Rural America” • Updates are needed with climate change. So the NRDC endorsed the REAP Modernization Act, introduced by Senators Tina Smith and Ben Ray Luján and Representatives Abigail Spanberger and David Valadao, and the Rural Energy Equity Act, introduced by Senator Peter Welch. [CleanTechnica]

Sheep and solar panels (Courtesy of Lightsource bp)

¶ “Amazon Solidifies Global Leadership In Renewable Energy With Over 500 Solar And Wind Projects” • Amazon has been the world’s largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for four year in a row. With a portfolio of more than 500 solar and wind projects globally, Amazon’s renewable energy could power yearly needs of 7.2 million US homes. [Energetica India]

¶ “The Largest Electric Vehicle Fleet In The US Will Belong To…The US Postal Service” • EV advocates have been pressuring the US Postal Service to come up with a meaty decarbonization plan, and things are finally starting to cook. The latest news is about Ford Motor Company’s E-Transit electric delivery van, which can deliver the zero emission goods. [CleanTechnica]

Ford E-Transit EV for the USPS (Ford Motor Company)

¶ “Kansas Renewable Energy Projects Announced” • The USDA’s Rural Development Kansas Director Christy Davis announced that Rural Development is investing $2.8 million in renewable energy projects in the state. The funds are intended to reduce energy bills, boost energy production, and create jobs. A dozen Kansas projects are to receive grants. [Fort Scott Biz]

¶ “Bloomberg Signs A 15-Year Renewable Energy Deal With Ørsted” • Bloomberg has committed to get 100% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2025, as a part of its commitment as a member of global corporate initiative RE100. It has just signed a 15-year agreement with Ørsted for electricity from the 471-MW Mockingbird project in Texas. [ESG Today]

Have a brilliantly successful day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “The Energy Transition Has Reached A Critical Inflection Point” • The transition to net zero is a complex process that requires significant changes in the way we produce, distribute, and consume energy. Many countries and companies have set net zero targets for greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or earlier. But the transition has its challenges. [CleanTechnica]

Energy (Arteum.ro, Unsplash)

¶ “Military Interests Are Pushing New Nuclear Power, And The UK Government Has Finally Admitted It” • Even before wind and solar power costs plummeted, nuclear power was recognized as “unattractive.” Documents poblished to show official UK energy policy fail to justify nuclear power, but on the military side, the picture is clear. [Phys.org]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Space Solar Is Coming And Perovskites Are Hitching A Ride” • Space solar, beaming energy down to Earth, seemed like a nutty idea back in the early 2000’s, but researchers at the California Institute of Technology just wrapped up a months-long, in-orbit test of three key space solar technologies, including a batch of 32 different kinds of solar cells. [CleanTechnica]

Launch (SpaceX, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “New Nonprofit To Utilize AI To Alleviate The Global Water Crisis” • A new nonprofit has become the latest organization to use artificial intelligence to help solve the world’s environmental issues. Earth05, a Barcelona-based nonprofit launched at the World Economic Forum, will use AI to discover solutions to the worsening global water crisis. [ABC News]

¶ “Swiss Post Accelerates The Transition To Electric Delivery Vehicles” • Swiss Post has been working to transition to using only electric delivery vehicles since 2010. Today, its fleet consists of more than 7,000 electric vehicles, the largest fleet of zero emissions vehicles in Switzerland. Today, every Swiss Post site has EV delivery vehicles in use. [CleanTechnica]

Swiss Post (Courtesy of Swiss Post)

¶ “Equinor Powers Up UK Battery” • Equinor’s 25-MW Blandford Road battery storage asset in the UK is operating. The project was developed, and will be operated, by UK battery storage company Noriker Power, in which Equinor owns a 45% equity share. The battery system is in Dorset, connected to the Southern Electric Power Distribution network. [reNews]

¶ “Giant Green Hydrogen Energy Islands To Host 100 GW Of Offshore Wind” • The offshore wind industry is expected to pick up steam over the next 25 years with 500 GW by 2050. Where will all those gigawatts will go? A new venture has an ambitious proposal to uncork the looming bottleneck with a network of ten offshore green hydrogen plants. [CleanTechnica]

Energy island (Copenhagen Energy Islands)

¶ “Lhyfe, Source Galileo sign hydrogen MoU” • Source Galileo and Lhyfe have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop commercial-scale green hydrogen production units in the UK and Ireland. Under the agreement, Lhyfe and Source Galileo will combine their expertise to generate and supply the gas to a variety of customers. [reNews]

¶ “Bangladesh Solar Power Surge Set To Unlock Thousands Of Green Jobs” • After years of slack progress, renewable energy in Bangladesh has recently seen a strong turnaround on the back of more affordable solar power. Over 3 GW are now in operation. That momentum is expected to create 3,000 to 4,000 new green jobs in the next few years. [Eco-Business]

Off-grid system in Bangladesh (IMF, Flickr, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Japan Launches Major Offshore Wind Power Auctions In Push For Renewable Energy” • The Japanese government has initiated a third robust round of auctions, with the objective of selecting developers for two new offshore wind power areas in Japan’s northern region. Together, these areas have a combined capacity of 1.05 GW. [BNN Breaking]

¶ “A Mostly Renewable Electricity Grid Is Highly Feasible” • Australia’s electricity could be over 95% renewable by 2035, according to the latest release of Australia’s electricity market operator’s Integrated System Plan. Many people are sceptical, firmly believing that 24×7 baseload generators are essential. But experiments say they’re wrong. [Cosmos Magazine]

Weather (Neda Astani, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Storm Isha Forces Sellafield Nuclear Site Closure” • As Storm Isha swept across the UK, the Sellafield nuclear site took a step to close operations as a precaution. The decision, described as a safety measure in response to severe weather warnings, involved the suspension of activities related to nuclear waste processing, storage, and decommissioning. [Energy Live News]

US:

¶ “Electric Truck Manufacturers Select Mississippi (!) For New Battery Factory” • According to a press release, Accelera will build a factory to make commercial EV battery cells in Mississippi. It is expected to create more than 2,000 manufacturing jobs. The initial factory capacity will be 21 GWh annually with production scheduled to begin in 2027. [CleanTechnica]

Daimler Ekectric Truck

¶ “ExxonMobil Sues Investors To Block Climate Petition” • Oil giant ExxonMobil has sued climate activist investors in a bid to prevent their climate proposal from going to a vote at its annual investor meeting. The complaint is against Follow This and Arjuna Capital, which have called on Exxon to step up the pace of reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. [BBC]

¶ “New Climate Projections: NYC Will Keep Getting Hotter And Wetter” • What does climate change have in store for New York City? New projections from the New York City Panel on Climate Change confirm that the city will be hotter, rainier, and wetter in the coming years, with major shifts hitting the city in the 2030s, less than a decade away. [THE CITY – NYC News]

Have a grandly delightful day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Renewable Energy And Environmental Protection Is Not An Either/Or” • There are roughly 2,050 GW of new projects, 94.4% of this compromised of renewables and energy storage, waiting for authorization from grid regulators to connect. The National Environmental Policy Act isn’t the problem. The problems and solutions are simpler than that. [CleanTechnica]

High voltange (Nikola Johnny Mirkovic, Unsplash)

¶ “A Nuclear Power Plant In A Hurry: For Whose Benefit?” • New media reports say Sri Lanka’s interim Government hurried to approve a Russian-backed Nuclear Power Plant. We are trying desperately to reduce our fossil fuel consumption to conserve our limited dollar reserves, and a nuclear plant completely contradicts this strategy. [The Island.lk]

¶ “Old Forests, Critically Important For Slowing Climate Change, Merit Immediate Protection From Logging” • Forests are an essential part of Earth’s operating system. In the U.S., forests take up 12% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions annually and store the carbon long term in trees and soils. They should be protected as soon as possible. [Phys.org]

Old growth forest (Jenny Walsh, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “25% Of New Vehicle Sales Plugin Sales In Germany In 2023” • The German plugin market had a rather chaotic year in 2023, due to subsidy cuts. Battery EVs scored an okay 23% share of the auto market in December, leading to a 30% plugin share for the month. The full-year 2023 numbers ended at 25%, a drop from the 2022 numbers (31% share). [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Laos Is To Grow Its EV Market, Fuelled By Renewable Energy Ambitions” • In Laos, EVs marked significant growth in 2023, as a total of 4,631 EVs were sold. Of these, 2,592 were cars and 2,039 were motorbikes. But EV adoption in Laos is not being matched well by the needed infrastructure. Currently, the country boasts only 41 charging stations. [The Star]

Laos (Colin Roe, Unsplash)

¶ “India Set To Be Renewable Energy Hub With Hundreds Of Billions Earmarked For Projects” • India is fast becoming a focal point for renewable energy deals, with a series of recently signed multibillion-dollar agreements highlighting the “favourable investment climate” that has attracted domestic and global firms in the last few years. [South China Morning Post]

¶ “Southern Western Australia Gears Up For Major Renewable Energy Projects” • In the southern region of Western Australia, the landscape of renewable energy is witnessing a transformation with two major projects nearing completion. One is the 76-MW Flat Rocks Windfarm. The other is a groundbreaking pumped hydro project in Walpole. [BNN Breaking]

Wind farm in Western Australia (Harry Cunningham, Unsplash)

¶ “India’s Power Shortage Reduced To Less Than 1%: RK Singh” • Union Minister for Power and New & Renewable Energy, RK Singh, said India has made substantial strides in reducing its power shortage from about 4.5% in 2014 to less than 1%. India is well on its way to see 65% of its power capacity from non-fossil-fuel sources by 2030. [menafn]

¶ “Nuclear Goes Backwards, Again, As Wind And Solar Enjoy Another Year Of Record Growth” • The nuclear renaissance of the late-2000s was a bust due to the Fukushima disaster and catastrophic cost overruns with reactor projects. The latest renaissance is heading the same way, ie nowhere. Nuclear power went backwards last year. [Renew Economy]

Solar PVs and sheep (Courtesy of NextTracker)

¶ “Renewable Energy Capacity Overtakes Coal In Central China’s Henan” • By the end of 2023, the installed renewable energy power generation capacity in central China’s Henan Province had surpassed 67 million kW, overtaking coal power for the first time, according to the latest data from the State Grid Henan Electric Power Company. [Xinhua]

US:

¶ “Canoo Delivers First Of 9300 Electric Vans To Kingbee” • Canoo makes groundbreaking EVs in Oklahoma. For now, it is focusing all its energy on building vans that can be used by tradespeople and delivery services. Walmart is a prime customer. Another is Kingbee, which just placed an order 9,300 Canoo LTV 130 delivery vans. [CleanTechnica]

Canoo delivery van (Courtesy of Canoo)

¶ “Realigning Utility Incentives for Today’s Priorities” • PIMs, performance incentive mechanisms, are designed to motivate improved utility performance in specific areas that may not be adequately encouraged by traditional cost-of-service regulatory frameworks. To help people learn about them, RMI has launched a new PIMs Database. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “States With Big Climate Goals Strip Local Power To Block Green Projects” • Local restrictions in Michigan derailed more than two dozen utility-scale renewable energy projects as of last May, a study at Columbia University says. Some 228 restrictions in 35 states were imposed to stop green energy projects, and now states are retaking power. [niagara-gazette.com]

Have a fabulously cozy day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Rural Drivers vs Disinformation: Three Facts About Electric Vehicles To Set The Record Straight” • EV demand is on a clear upward trajectory, but false claims about EV demand, reliability, and performance are made widely, making it more challenging for rural drivers to separate fact from fiction as they consider purchasing an EV. [CleanTechnica]

Rural charger (Image courtesy of FreeWire)

¶ “Nuclear Fission Is Anything But Clean” • Vermont’s PSD has proposed an additional standard for energy production allowable under the Renewable Energy Standard, which is not “renewable” but “clean.” It says it needs the change because “Vermont utilities have embedded contracts for … nuclear power.” But nuclear is not clean. [Brattleboro Reformer]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Why Cold Air Outbreaks Are Still Happening Amid Global Warming” • It may be counterintuitive, but extreme cold blasts like much of the US is now having will continue to occur even as global temperatures soar to record levels. Research shows that climate change may bring more frequent and intense heat waves, but freeze events will still happen. [ABC News]

Snow (Annie Nyle, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “In 2023, Electric Cars Outsold Diesel Cars In Europe” • According to European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association data, a total of 1,538,621 battery electric cars were registered in the EU last year. Compared to the 1,123,444 battery electric cars sold in 2022, this represents an increase of 37%. Diesel deliveries came in at 13.6%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Gravity Energy Storage Has A Secret Weapon Up Its Sleeve” • The idea of deploying abandoned mines shafts to store energy is relatively recent. ABB a leader in the engineering field, sees a win-win potential for using abandoned mine shafts to deploy gravity storage systems, because mine owners are thirsty for storage solutions, too. [CleanTechnica]

Gravity storage in abandoned mine shaft (Courtesy of ABB)

¶ “Despite Russia, A Monster Offshore Wind Farm Is To Be Unleashed In Baltic Sea” • Neptunus, a 3.1-GW wind farm, is putting the high profile brand IKEA front and center in effort to cut Europe free from Russian fossil energy imports. Neptunus pairs the Swedish renewable energy developer OX2 with IKEA retail franchisee, Ingka Group. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EU Reaches Deal On Near Phaseout of Diesel Trucks” • In the EU, lawmakers agreed to CO₂ emissions targets for heavy-duty vehicles that will phase out almost all sales of new diesel trucks by 2040. Under the new guidelines, manufacturers will have to cut the average emissions of new trucks by 45% in 2030, 65% in 2035 and 90% in 2040. [CleanTechnica]

Super-sized electric truck (Courtesy of Scania)

¶ “In Davos, An Australian Mining Boss Presses Industries To Go Green” • Andrew Forrest, a blunt Australian billionaire who made his fortune in iron ore mining, stood out among the heads of industries at the meeting of global elites in Davos. He has been called a “climate evangelist” who presses fellow industrialists to also stop burning fossil fuels. [Bilyonaryo]

US:

¶ “Federal Transit Operations Funding Can Foster Healthy, Thriving, Sustainable Communities” • Rep Hank Johnson (D-GA) introduced transit funding legislation that could greatly improve transit across the country. The Union of Concerned Scientists has been watching and supported a similar bill sponsored by Rep Johnson in the last Congress. [CleanTechnica]

Electric buses in the Burlington Link-Transit fleet (BYD image)

¶ “FEMA Overhauls Disaster Assistance Program As Climate Crisis Fuels More Destructive Extreme Weather” • The Federal Emergency Management Agency is changing its responce to more extreme weather causing more destruction to people’s homes. For example, it is giving wider access to an immediate $750 per person hit by extreme weather. [CNN]

¶ “Appalachian Power Plans For Solar Energy” • Appalachian Power is seeking state approval to buy power from three solar plants being developed in Southwest and Southside Virginia. They are the 150-MW County Line plant in Charlotte County, the 80-MW 7 Bridges plant in Mecklenburg County and the 5-MW Elliot plant in Tazewell County. [Cardinal News]

A 15-MW solar plant in Campbell County (Appalachian Power)

¶ “The Legal Battle to Preserve the Advanced Clean Fleets Rule” • California’s Advanced Clean Fleets rule combats toxic freight pollution in the state. The California Trucking Association sued in federal court to block implementation of ACF, threatening to deny Californians and fleet operators its important public health and economic benefits. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Largest Solar And Storage Project In US Activated” • Terra-Gen and its contractor, Mortenson, announced activation of the Edwards & Sanborn Solar + Energy Storage project, the largest solar and storage project in the US. It has a solar capacity of 875 MW (DC) and nearly 3.3 GWh of energy storage. It has a 1.3 GW interconnection capacity. [pv magazine USA]

Solar + storage system (Mortenson image)

¶ “State Board OKs Petition To Repeal Michigan Renewable Energy Siting Law” • The Michigan Board of State Canvassers approved summary language for a proposed ballot initiative that aims to repeal a law allowing the state to override local rejections of large wind and solar projects. Farmers are among the people opposing the ballot initiative. [Bridge Michigan]

¶ “Solar United Neighbors Survey Shows Statewide Support For Solar Power And Net Metering” • As the West Virginia PSC looks at a Mon Power/Potomac Edison proposal to decrease the credits for home solar customers, Solar United Neighbors has released results of a survey that shows the widespead popularity of solar power, including home solar. [Dominion Post]

Have a gorgeously warm day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Can Your On-Demand Deliveries Be Emissions Free?” • The global on-demand last-mile delivery service is worth over $150 billion, and it’s growing. What are the climate impacts of these deliveries? And how can we help the sector transition to zero-emissions vehicles and reduce its climate impacts? RMI looks at these issues. [CleanTechnica]

Delivery (Rowan Freeman, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “The Volvo XC40 Leads The Way In South Africa As Battery EV Sales Show Good Progress in 2023” • The annual sales of full battery EVs came close to 1,000 units in South Africa for the first time in 2023. Last year, 931 battery EVs were sold in South Africa, almost doubling from 502 in 2022 and more than quadrupling from 218 in 2021. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Northvolt Secures $5 Billion in Financing For Circular Battery Factory” • Northvolt has a goal of making the most sustainable batteries in the world. It recently chose Quebec as the site of its first battery factory in North America because of the availability of its hydroelectric power. The electricity the factory uses will be nearly 100% emissions free. [CleanTechnica]

Northvolt Ett factory (Northvolt image)

¶ “Indian Tycoon Adani Bets Big On Vast Solar And Wind Plant” • In the desert along the border with Pakistan, Indian billionaire Gautam Adani is building the world’s largest renewable energy park as he races to future-proof his coal-linked fortune. The $2.3-billion Khavda Renewable Energy Park will have 30 GW of solar and wind capacity. [Yahoo News]

¶ “Panama Launching 500-MW Renewable Energy And Energy Storage Scheme” • Panama has launched a 500-MW tender auction for renewables and energy storage, the first in Central America to include storage. Winning bidders are to have projects operational by 1 September 2026, for existing renewable projects and new solar PV plants. [Energy-Storage.News]

Panama City (Mattias Hill, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Bangladesh Solar Power Surge Set To Unlock Thousands Of Green Jobs” • After years of slack progress, renewable energy in Bangladesh has seen a strong turnaround on the back of more affordable solar power. It is expected to create 3,000 to 4,000 new jobs in the next few years. Rooftop solar alone accounted for a record 42 MW added in 2023. [The Hindu]

¶ “Europe Celebrates 4.2-GW Record Offshore Wind Haul” • The European offshore wind industry brought online a record 4,200 MW of offshore wind capacity in 2023. The amount was up 40% from the 1.7 GW installed in 2022, according to figures published by trade association WindEurope. Of the 4.2 GW total, 3 GW was installed in the EU. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (Van Oord image)

US:

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Announces More Than $104 Million To Advance Net-Zero Projects At Federal Facilities” • The US DOE announced $104 million for energy conservation and clean energy projects at 31 Federal facilities. It is the latest step in President Biden’s strategy to reestablish the Federal Government as a sustainability leader. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “People Who Drive Trucks For A Living Really Like Driving Electric Trucks” • Work trucks account for only 4% of the vehicles on the road but produce 25% of greenhouse gas emissions from the US transportation sector. That’s why increasing the number of electric trucks is so important for reducing the US emissions from transportation. [CleanTechnica]

Ford EVs (Ford image)

¶ “Regulators, Pentagon, Student Activists Push Back On Georgia Power’s Energy Plans” • Georgia Power wants to generate and buy more energy to meet growth in demand. Commissioners, staff, and interveners questioned not just the forecasts but the choice of energy sources and the utility’s claim that the changes would drive power rates down. [WABE]

¶ “BLM Analysis Aims to Optimize Solar Energy Development Throughout the US West” • The Bureau of Land Management announced an updated roadmap for solar energy development in the West. The change is to expand solar energy production in more Western states and make renewable energy permitting on public lands more efficient. [CleanTechnica]

Solar energy (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

¶ “AES Announces Addition Of 3.5 GW Of Renewables” • AES Corp, based in Virginia, said it added 3.5 GW of new renewable energy generation capacity to its global portfolio in 2023, which is nearly double what it built in the previous year. The projects include solar power, wind power, and energy storage in several locations worldwide. [POWER Magazine]

¶ “Insects Thrive In Restored Habitats Near US Solar Energy Facilities” • Researchers from the Argonne National Laboratory and National Renewable Energy Laboratory went on a mission to explore the ecological impact of PV solar energy sites, especially those restored with native grasses and wildflowers. The result is buzzing with life. [Earth.com]

Community solar garden (ItaliaCalcio2008, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Strata Breaks Ground On Arizona Battery Project” • Strata Clean Energy has broken ground on a 255-MW, 1020-MWh Scatter Wash battery storage complex in Phoenix. The facility is expected to be operational in April 2025. The project’s batteries can store enough electricity to power more than 250,000 homes for four hours daily. [reNews]

¶ “Biden Administration Approves $1.1 Billion Aid Package To Extend Diablo Canyon Operation” • The Biden Administration announced a $1.1 billion aid package to keep California’s Diablo Canyon Power Plant operating until 2030. The nuclear plant is the last one still in operation in the state. PG&E also submitted a 20-year license extention to the NRC. [KEYT]

Have a wholly gratifying day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “A Cash Crop That Never Runs Out” • The 7,000-acre Ferrell Ranch in Beaumont, Kansas, has 50 wind turbines. The ranch had survived years when drought dried up income by relying on oil revenues, but today the wind turbines are providing a reliable cash crop for the ranch. Yale Climate Connections spoke with Pete Ferrell. [Yale Climate Connections]

Bison don’t mind wind turbines (Credit to Pete Ferrell)

Science and Technology:

¶ “A Critical Climate Goal May Be ‘Deader Than A Doornail,’ And Scientists Are Bitterly Divided Over It” • Ever since countries agreed in 2015 to try to restrict global warming to 1.5°C, that number has been our goal. Some prominent scientists argue we can’t meet it, and it’s irresponsible to act like we can. Others say that is wrong and even dangerous. [CNN]

¶ “Agrivoltaics In Action: Evidence Shows Solar Panels Nurture Habitats And Farms, Too” • An organized effort to stop rural solar development is still sputtering along, but the case for converting marginal farmlands into clean energy powerhouses is getting stronger. The key element is the emerging science of agrivoltaics, which nurtures farms. [CleanTechnica]

Caterpillar on milkweed (Lee Walston, ANL)

¶ “Extremely Fast EV Charging Delivers 100 Miles In Five Minutes” • The dream of an EV that can repower as fast as a gasmobile is edging closer to to reality. The Israeli startup StoreDot is reaching for the the brass ring of extremely fast EV charging, and they have the attention of BP, Daimler, VinFast, Volvo Cars, Polestar, and others. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Radioactivity Not Invited! Argonne Uses Heavy Ions To Safely And Quickly Produce Degradation in Nuclear Materials” • The DOE Office of Science user facility is well known to physicists for its ability to study nuclei. Now, its high energies are also rapidly providing new information about what happens to a material inside a nuclear reactor. [CleanTechnica]

Argonne National Laboratory scientists (ANL)

World:

¶ “A Climate Conspiracy Theorist Said The Government Deliberately Lit Wildfires. He Just Pleaded Guilty To Starting 14 Himself” • A Canadian man who posted conspiracy theories on social media claiming the government was deliberately starting wildfires pleaded guilty to starting 14 blazes, forcing hundreds of people from their homes. [CNN]

¶ “Shell Faces Calls For Climate Action By Institutional Investors” • Oil companies are used to individual shareholders pressing their boards of directors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but this year, 27 institutional investors are challenging the board of directors of Shell to align its activities with the goals of the 2015 Paris climate accords. [CleanTechnica]

Follow This demonstration (Follow This image)

¶ “Prince George Teralta Hydrogen For Energy Initiative Actually Makes Sense” • It’s incredibly rare that any hydrogen for energy play pencils out compared to alternatives. But there’s a place in the African country of Mali where geological hydrogen vents up through the ground and is burned to generate electricity for a 4,000 person village. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Traffic Through The Panama Canal Is Being Reduced Because Of Drought, Disrupting Global Trade” • A severe drought that began last year has forced authorities to reduce ship crossings by 36% in the Panama Canal, one of the world’s most important trade routes. The drought is one of the most severe ever to hit the Central American nation. [ABC News]

Panama Canal (Rikin Katyal, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “The EU Got Its First Climate Report Card. It’s Not Good” • Now is not the time for Green Deal fatigue. In fact, Europe must accelerate its efforts. That’s the blunt conclusion in an important, first-of-its-kind assessment from the EU’s top climate science advisory body. Another conclusion is that nuclear energy is not as useful as other types. [POLITICO.eu]

US:

¶ “Montana Supreme Court Upholds Climate Ruling That Said Emissions Can’t Be Ignored” • Montana’s Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by the state’s Republican governor to block a landmark climate ruling that said regulators must consider the effects of greenhouse gas emissions when issuing permits for fossil fuel development. [ABC News]

Montana (Matthew Lancaster, Unsplash)

¶ “Could Hybrid Cars Push Reluctant Drivers To EVs?” • After a year of slowed EV adoption in the US, such auto giants as Ford had billions of dollars in losses. Some car makers are rethinking their business strategies. Instead of pushing an all-electric future onto consumers worried about range, many are embracing an older approach: the hybrid. [BBC]

¶ “Rough-And-Tumble Ford Electric Pickup Truck Goes Up Against Gasmobiles” • Ford launched the F-150 Lightening EV in 2022 to great acclaim from MotorTrend, among others, but it is not resting on its laurels. The company has come just up with an attention-getting off-road racing version of the Lightening, and it’s ready to roll. [CleanTechnica]

F-150 Lighting Switchgear Demonstrator (Courtesy of Ford)

¶ “Hawaii Used Rooftop Solar To Shore Up The Grid. New Rules Threaten That” • With the 2022 shutdown of Oahu’s major coal plant looming, Hawaii utilities assembled the most powerful US network of homes with solar and batteries, to send electricity to the grid as needed. But state regulators approved a program that removes the incentives. [Canary Media]

¶ “What’s Stopping Climate Policies From Working Effectively?” • To reduce greenhouse gas emissions and curb global warming, the US enacted such laws as the Inflation Reduction Act, passed in 2022, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. A paper in Nature Climate Change explains why they don’t work as planned. [University of Colorado Boulder]

Have a jolly good day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “Next-Generation EV Batteries Could Have Something In Common With The US Army: Silicon” • Silicon battery science has been slowly creeping out of the laboratory and into the market, with the promise of lower costs and higher performance than regular lithium-ion batteries. The trickle may turn into a flood, with help from the US Army. [CleanTechnica]

Polycrystalline silicon (Warut Roonguthai, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

World:

¶ “India Must Leapfrog To Renewables And Hydrogen, Avoid Fossil Fuels: Adani” • India must leapfrog to renewable power and renewable hydrogen as an equitable solution and not replace one fossil fuel with another, Gautam Adani said. The Chairman of Adani Group, he published this thought in a World Economic Forum blog post. [S&P Global]

¶ “Five Ways Power Sectors Worldwide Can Drive Down Their Emissions” • For the first time, the IEA projects declining global coal demand over its forecast period.This builds on actions from last year, ranging from the release of coal transition-enabling investment plans in Asia to the actual transition away from coal in much of the world. [CleanTechnica]

NASA map of the world (Public Domain)

¶ “Battery Bonanza To Charge Queensland’s Renewables Future” • Premier Steven Miles announced a $179 million investment in the next stages of its successful local network connected batteries program. The funding, sourced from the Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund, will see twelve local network-connected batteries installed. [Media Statements]

¶ “Octopus Project Combines Direct Air Capture With Water Recovery” • Capture6 is developing Project Octopus, a system that will be installed as part of a new water treatment facility in Korea. It is billed as “the world’s first fully integrated water management and carbon dioxide removal facility using a seawater desalination plant.” [CleanTechnica]

Planned K-water treatment plant (Courtesy of Capture6)

¶ “Iberdrola Strikes 1.3-GW Iberian Pact” • Iberdrola and the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, managed by a Norges Bank group, are to add 1,300 MW of new renewable energy capacity to unlock a joint investment worth more than €2 billion over the next three years. The 674 MW of wind and solar they have will be increased to 2,600 MW. [reNews]

¶ “Azerbaijan Makes Smooth Shift To Renewables From Fossil Fuels” • Azerbaijan’s economy has seen a significant change in the last several months, especially in the non-oil sector, where the renewable energy industry has led to a rise in exports. In November 2023, it was made public that electric energy had become Azerbaijan’s top export. [AzerNews]

Street in Baku, Azerbaijan (Azar Kazzimli, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Eby Announces $36 Billion For BC Hydro Infrastructure Over Next 10 Years” • Premier David Eby stated that British Columbia Hydro plans to spend $36 billion on community and regional capital projects during the decade starting 2024-2025. This figure represents “significant” funding for electrification and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. [Boundary Creek Times]

¶ “Africa’s Chance For Green Electricity” • A study published in the journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment by the University of Tübingen and other institutions found that 80% of the energy needed in Africa could come from renewable sources by 2040, if the capacity of existing power plants is fully put to use and all the plants on the drawing-board are built. [Tech Xplore]

Wind turbine in South Africa (NJR ZA, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “German Onshore Wind Power Expansion Gets Significant Push In 2023 But Auctions Miss Target” • Onshore wind power was expanded in Germany last year by over 3.5 GW.  Almost 50% more turbines were installed than were in the previous year, bringing the country’s total onshore wind capacity to 61 GW. But auctions did not meet expectations. [Clean Energy Wire]

¶ “Nuclear Power Expansion Plans Highlight Fuel Bottlenecks” • Nuclear energy was highlighted at the COP28  meeting with a declared hope of seeing its capacity triple. The declaration was based on the idea that nuclear energy could help achieve global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Yet many industry watchers remain in doubt. [Chemistry World]

Nuclear plant (Stefan Kühn, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Now You Can Claim Your Tesla EV Federal Tax Rebate Online” • Tesla has no dealers to help you get the EV Federal Tax Rebate online. So how does it do with that? When you order your shiny new Tesla online, the company asks if you would like to get your rebate upfront. If you say yes, all it takes is a click of the mouse. Tesla takes care of all the rest. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar And Wind To Lead Growth Of US Power Generation In Next Two Years” • As a result of new solar projects coming on line this year, the EIA forecast that US solar generation will grow 75% from 163 billion kWh in 2023 to 286 billion kWh in 2025. It expects that wind generation will grow 11% from 430 billion kWh in 2023 to 476 billion kWh in 2025. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Why Texas’ Grid Isn’t Failing During This Year’s Extreme Cold” • Three years ago, when extreme cold took out the power for millions of people in Texas for days. Texas now has around 25% more wind power than it did in 2021, it has three times as much solar power, and there is nearly three times as much battery storage. [Fast Company]

¶ “Los Angeles’ Renewable Energy Plan Won’t Tank The Economy, Study Finds” • The City of Los Angeles’ plan to rely entirely on renewable electricity sources by 2035 won’t have a significant effect on the local economy, says research from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. The study examines nine ways to make the transition. [Tech Xplore]

Have an unqualifiedly fine day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “Small Wind Guidebook” • Although wind turbines large enough to provide a significant portion of the electricity needed by the average US home generally require an acre of property or more, approximately 19.3% of the U.S. population lives in rural areas and may own land parcels large enough to accommodate a wind energy system. [CleanTechnica]

Small turbine (Cultivate Photography Multimedia Design, NREL)

World:

¶ “More CEOs Fear Their Companies Won’t Survive As AI And Climate Challenges Grow” • More executives are feeling better about the global economy, but a growing number don’t think their companies will survive the coming decade without a major overhaul, due to pressure from climate change and technology like artificial intelligence. [ABC News]

¶ “Brazil’s Rio De Janeiro State Confronts Flood Damage After Heavy Rain Kills At Least 12” • In Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro state heavy rain wreaked havoc last weekend, flooding people’s homes, a hospital, the Rio metro line, and a main section of freeway. Scientists say extreme weather is more frequent due to climate change brought on by human action. [ABC News]

Rio De Janeiro (Joshua Woroniecki, Unsplash)

¶ “2023 Volkswagen Group Electric Car Deliveries Up 34% Over 2022” • The press is full of stories about how the EV revolution is slowing down, but don’t believe it. Reports from the actual world show what is happening in the real world. Volkswagen Group has announced that its deliveries of EVs increased by a healthy 34% in 2023 compared to 2022. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Starts Shipping EVs On Explorer No 1” • BYD’s first ocean vessel is on its first journey. Explorer No 1, which is apparently the name of BYD’s first vessel, has sailed from Shenzhen, China. Explorer No 1 departed from Xiaomo International Logistics Port, after being delivered to Yantai Port in Shandong Province just days ago, on January 10. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Explorer No 1

¶ “Enel To Acquire 1-GW Hybrid Renewables Project At Mine In Australia” • Enel Green Power Australia, a subsidiary of Italian energy company Enel, agreed to acquire the 1-GW Julia Creek renewables project from QEM. The project is sited next to the QEM Julia Creek vanadium and oil shale project in north-west Queensland. [Power Technology]

¶ “Vestas Introduces Low-Emission Steel Offering For Wind Turbines” • Vestas established a partnership with ArcelorMittal to launch a low-emission steel offering that significantly reduces lifetime carbon dioxide emissions from the production of wind turbine masts. Vestas’s sustainability strategy includes addressing the materials it uses. [Cision News]

Vestas turbines (Dario De corso, Unsplash)

¶ “Ireland Sets New Wind Record In 2023” • Wind farms provided 35% of the island of Ireland’s electricity and set a new record for power production in 2023. This is according to Wind Energy Ireland’s Annual Report, Cutting Carbon, Cutting Bills: Analysis, which examines savings in gas consumption delivered by wind farms in 2023. [reNews]

¶ “Albania Kicks Off Qualifications For 300 MW Solar Power Auction” • Albania invited investors to qualify their PV projects for a tender for 15-year contracts for difference. The quota is 300 MW. The highest acceptable price is €59.97/MWh. Developers with the lowest bids will be selected in turn until their projects total 300 MW. [Balkan Green Energy News]

Berat Albania (Johnny Africa, Unsplash)

¶ “Fossil Lobby Claims Voters Want Nuclear. Grid Simulation Shows It’s The Last Thing Australia Needs” • Polls show support for nuclear power, but critiques published by physical and social scientists and engineers show its weaknesses. They argue that, in the real world, nuclear energy is too expensive, too dangerous, and too slow to plan and build. [Renew Economy]

US:

¶ “How Off-Road Electric Equipment Impacts Green Movement” • We often hear about electric cars, buses and trucks reducing, or even eliminating, emissions. But important changes are under way off-road as well, on construction sites, on farms, and in a variety of similar applications that require big machines to get the job done. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo L25 Electric Compact Wheel Loader (Volvo image)

¶ “US EV Market Grows, Still Just 11% Of Global EV Market” • In 2023, US EV sales saw a notable increase, reaching 1.6 million units, up from the 1.1 million sold in 2022. This uptrend seems resilient and is expected to persist into 2024, with sales projected to hit 1.9 million units, representing a significant 13% of the new car market. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Protecting And Empowering American Solar Customers” • The Solar Energy Industries Association is supporting customers by not only providing them with informational resources but also working to develop national standards that promote fair sales practices to ensure the safe and uniform installation of solar and storage systems. [CleanTechnica]

Rooftop solar system (Giorgio Trovato, Unsplash)

¶ “Surging Electricity Demand Increases the Risk of Blackouts in the US” • The Electric Reliability Council of Texas issued a call to Texans for electricity conservation on Monday morning to avoid a shortage. This is due to a spike in demand resulting from winter weather combined with low wind speeds for the state’s massive wind capacity. [Oil Price]

¶ “Canada Energy Giant Wants To Build One Of Wyoming’s Largest Solar Farms” • Despite an Arctic blast and heavy snowfall blanketing Laramie County, a Canada pipeline and energy firm wants to build a sprawling solar power farm that could power Wyoming industry. Enbridge Inc wants to build a solar farm of nearly 4,000 acres. [Cowboy State Daily]

Have an impartially nurturing day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “The EV Revolution In The US Is Just Getting Started” • This year is expected to set another EV sales record both for volume and total market share. Colin McKerracher of BloombergNEF projects EV sales in the US this year will total about 1.9 million units or 13% of new car purchases. This year should also see fewer of the supply constraints. [CleanTechnica]

Electric Porsche (Bob Osias, Unsplash, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Can The Dream Of Fusion Power Be Realized?” • For the better part of a century, astronomers and physicists have known that a process called thermonuclear fusion has kept the Sun and the stars shining for millions or even billions of years. And ever since that discovery, they’ve dreamed of using that energy source to power the modern world. [Canary Media]

¶ “Sodium Batteries Challenge Lithium-Ion On Cost, Supply Chain” • One key area of interest for a low-cost alternative to lithium is sodium. But compared to lithium, sodium is heavy. Nevertheless, sodium batteries are relatively inexpensive and free from thorny supply chain issues, and they are starting to bust into the mainstream market. [CleanTechnica]

Sodium-ion battery schematic (Courtesy of PNNL)

World:

¶ “Conflict, Climate Change And AI Get Top Billing For Meeting In Davos” • With the climate crisis, wars upon us, and AI, climate, conflict, a divided world and the rise of artificial intelligence round out a to-do list of global priorities at this year’s edition the World Economic Forum’s gabfest of business, political and other elites in Davos, Switzerland. [ABC News]

¶ “Is Seabed Mining An Economic Necessity Or A Hazard?” • The Metals Company, uses remote-controlled machines the size of trucks “to scoop up rocks sitting on the sea floor.” Testing is going on, but the Canadian business hopes to get authorisation to start commercial mining in international waters in the north Pacific as early as the end of 2025. [BBC]

Subsea Collector (The Metals Company image)

¶ “EU Built Record New Wind Farms Last Year But Lags Behind Green Energy Goal” • European Union countries built 17 GW of new wind power farms in 2023, the most for any year so far, but still not enough to reach the renewable energy goal, industry data showed. The EU goal for 2030 requires at least 37 GW of new wind power be added per year. [Reuters]

¶ “Ten-Fold Solar Growth Needed In Climate Fight, Says PV ‘Godfather’” • Nations at COP28 may have agreed to help triple renewable energy capacity globally in seven years, but a pioneer of PV technology wants the solar industry to focus on a larger goal: increase the yearly installed capacity by 10 times, in the next 10 years. [Eco-Business]

Perovskite solar cells (National University of Singapore image)

¶ “Dutch Renewable Energy Production Surges, Reaching New Highs” • During the last year, 13% more renewable energy was generated in the Netherlands than in 2022. Wind and solar energy are the main sources, with biomass also producing a share. This aligns with the goals set by the Energy Agreement for Sustainable Growth of 2013. [Innovation Origins]

¶ “China’s State Grid Spending To Match Renewables” • State Grid Corp of China will maintain its annual investment budget at over 500 billion yuan ($70 billion) in 2024, after spending hit a record last year in a bid to keep up with the nation’s expansion of clean energy. The annual figure is in line with the company’s five-year plan. [Yahoo Finance]

Great Wall (Bruce Röttgers, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Iconic Fishing Shacks In Portland, Maine, Destroyed As Coast Sees Historic Water Levels” • Iconic fishing shacks in Portland, Maine, were washed away when the coast saw record water levels, as storms sweep across the country. Water levels at the Portland tide gauge set a new record on Saturday, surpassing the previous record set in 1978. [ABC News]

¶ “What I Learned At Himiway’s Booth At CES 2024, Plus Its Eight New Models!” • Himiway Bikes, based in Brea, California, announced several exciting new products and innovations in the e-bike industry at CES 2024. The company unveiled four new series and a total of eight new electric bike models that are set to launch in 2024. [CleanTechnica]

Himiway Rambler Upgraded (Himiway image)

¶ “US EV Market Grows 29% In 4th Quarter, Tesla Holds 56% Market Share” • The US electric vehicle market continues to grow, despite many headlines implying the contrary. In the 4th quarter, sales of full battery EVs were up 29% compared to sales in the 4th quarter of 2022. Compared to the 4th quarter of 2021, sales were up 122%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Bills Would Bring Shared Solar To Appalachian Power Territory, Expand Program For Dominion Customers” • Two Virginia lawmakers are seeking to expand the availability of shared solar, or community solar, in Virginia. Such a program allows a customer to buy electricity from a solar company and receive credit for it on their electric bill. [Cardinal News]

Solar farm being built (Dimension Renewable Energy image)

¶ “Top Range for 2023 EVs Was 516 Miles on a Single Charge in USA” • In model year 2023, the highest top range for an EV was 516 miles on a single charge, while the median range for all EV models rose to a new high of 270 miles. This is quite an increase from 2011, when four models were available with ranges from 63 to 94 miles per charge. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Delegate Mike Jones Proposes Halting New Fossil Fuel Projects In Virginia” • A first-time Democratic delegate proposed a bill to halt all new fossil fuel-related projects in Virginia. House Bill 28 would put a pause on approving new natural gas or coal-fired power plants, pipelines, oil refineries, and even import or export terminals used for fossil fuels. [VPM News]

Have a imaginatively planned day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion:

¶ “Bill McKibben On Global Heating, Capitalism, Insurance, And Social Friction” • In his latest Substack post, Bill McKibben delves into the insurance crisis brought on by a warmer climate. He says that insurance is the lubricant that makes commerce possible. He warns that without it, we will lose important parts of our local, national, and global economies. [CleanTechnica]

Destructive fire (Daniel Tausis, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “PNNL Kicks Off Multi-Year Energy Storage, Scientific Discovery Collaboration with Microsoft” • To meet the call for faster clean energy solutions, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has teamed with Microsoft to use high-performance computing in the cloud and advanced artificial intelligence to accelerate scientific discovery. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wind Turbines Are Friendlier To Birds Than Oil and Gas Drilling” • No one doubts that wind turbines do indeed kill at least some birds. But a new analysis of American data, published in Environmental Science & Technology, suggests the numbers are negligible, and have little impact on bird populations. Drilling for oil and gas is another matter. [Yahoo Finance]

Wind turbines (Thomas Reaubourg, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Kenya’s Geothermal Sector Gets A Boost From Indonesia, UAE” • Kenya’s geothermal sector got a shot in the arm during the Green Industrialisation Initiative in Dubai. Kenya’s energy sector faces many challenges, with the high costs of generation, transmission, and distribution, as well as a lack of investment in renewable energy sources. [Daily Nation]

¶ “Honda Zero – The Future Of Mobility Is About To Arrive” • The cars Honda brought to CES 2024 are not electric versions of the Hondas we often see. In fact, the two show cars, the Saloon and Space-Hub, look like no other vehicles Honda has ever produced. Actually, they don’t look much like any production cars anyone ever made. [CleanTechnica]

Honda Zero (Honda image)

¶ “Thai Government Facilitates Solar Rooftop Expansion To Drive Sustainable Business” • Thailand is fast-tracking rooftop solar installations without formal permission. The secretary of the Industry Ministry said the private sector’s interest in solar rooftops is expected to rise exponentially, due to rising power prices and reduced PV costs. [Nation Thailand]

¶ “Analysis: World Will Add Enough Renewables In Five Years To Power US And Canada” • Rapid growth has pushed the IEA to upgrade the renewables forecast it made, adding 728 GW of capacity to a five-year estimate it made just a year ago. It expectes enough renewables added over the next five years to power the equivalent of the US and Canada. [Eco-Business]

Utility worker (Asian Development Bank, Flickr)

¶ “Why Eskom Can’t Do Proper Maintenance On Its Power Stations” • Civil nuclear engineer Hugo Kruger said that South Africans should expect load-shedding to persist for another six months, as Eskom has not done proper maintenance in over a decade. It does not have plants to keep the grid going while others are having maintenance done. [MyBroadband]

US:

¶ “New Database of Federal Grants for Food Waste” • About 38% of food in our country goes unsold or uneaten, and most of this ends up as waste in landfills or incinerators. The good news is there are many waste reduction solutions that span the food supply chain. The catch is that making many of these changes will take investment. [CleanTechnica]

Compost (allispossible.org.uk, Flikr)

¶ “The First-Ever Climate Museum In The US Is Welcoming Visitors In NYC’s Soho Neighborhood” • New York’s new Climate Museum may call some of the most famous fashion brands as neighbors, but the emergence of this pop-up art exhibit in the heart of Soho, advocating through art, proves climate activism is much more than a trend. [ABC News]

¶ “John Kerry To Step Down As Us Climate Envoy” • US climate envoy John Kerry plans to step down from his post by this spring, a source close to Kerry confirmed to CNN. The 80-year-old former secretary of state and Democratic nominee for president led US negotiations at three international climate summits, most recently in Dubai. [CNN]

John Kerry and Han Zheng (Office of US Climate Envoy)

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Announces $623 Million in Grants to Continue Building Out EV Charging Network” • The Biden–Harris Administration announced $623 million in grants to help build out the US EV charging network. This will create American jobs and ensure more drivers can find nearby EV chargers, wherever they are. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “How Cities Can Scale Up Onsite Solar Power With New Federal Incentives” • Last year, San Antonio set a record of 75 days at or above 100°F. This year, the City of San Antonio made history by approving a major deal with local solar developer Big Sun Solar to put an estimated 13 MW of solar on 42 city-owned facilities and parking lots. [CleanTechnica]

Have a wonderfully nifty day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Science and Technology:

¶ “ETH Zurich Process Uses Sunlight To Remove Carbon Dioxide From The Atmosphere” • Researchers at ETH Zurich have found a solution that captures carbon dioxide when it is in the dark and releases it when it is in the light. The sun can be used to drive the process instead of heat energy that is used in conventional processes. [CleanTechnica]

Capturing and releasing carbon dioxide (ETH Zurich image)

¶ “Human ‘Behavioural Crisis’ At Root Of Climate Breakdown, Say Scientists” • Record heat, record emissions, record fossil fuel consumption. One month out from COP28, the world is further than ever from reaching its climate goals. At the root of these problems is a human “behavioural crisis,” a term coined by an interdisciplinary team of scientists. [The Guardian]

World:

¶ “Amazon Rainforest: Deforestation Rate Halved In 2023” • The rate of deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon fell by nearly 50% in 2023 compared to 2022, space agency data suggests. Brazil’s environment ministry said it was the lowest deforestation rate recorded in the last five years. Nevertheless, the deforested area is over six times the size of New York City. [BBC]

Amazon deforestation (Andre Dib, WWF)

¶ “What The US Attack In Yemen Means For Oil Prices, Inflation” • US airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen escalated a long conflict over a shipping route that holds significant implications for oil prices and inflation. The military operation, in which the US partnered with the UK, came in response to ongoing attacks on freight ships in the Red Sea. [ABC News]

¶ “Pumped Hydro Accelerating Into Grid Storage Future” • A lot of great pumped hydro news has come along from around the world in the past month, so a bit of a round up is in order. As a reminder, pumped hydro is the gravity storage solution that has actually been put to common use, unlike concrete blocks, hillside rail systems, and elevators. [CleanTechnica]

Pumped hydro reservoir (Lukas Marek, Unsplash)

¶ “Nuclear Continues To Lag Far Behind Renewables In China Deployments” • The modularity and ease of manufacturing of wind and solar means that it is easy for facilities made of them to scale up massively. Tracking capacity growth in China for scaling nuclear capacity vs renewables since 2014 shows that nuclear power lags far behind. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Snow-Capped Mountains at Risk from Climate Change” • Humans rely on those natural water storage just as much if not more than what we build. When the spring rains and summer sun melt this snowpack, it flows downhill to thirsty landscapes. About a quarter of the world relies on the water stored as snowpack in mountains. [CleanTechnica]

Ansel Adams Wilderness (Alan Rhoades, LBNL)

¶ “Agreeing On Green Hydrogen” • Green hydrogen and wind or solar PVs will be intricately connected, as early green hydrogen projects show. Most of the first green hydrogen plants could give a second export option to existing renewables projects. Also, legislation strengthens the case for co-location, because costs are cut in that case. [PV Magazine]

US:

¶ “Advancing Puerto Rico’s Grid Recovery And Modernization in 2023” • In response to the crisis reignited by Hurricane Fiona, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm created the DOE’s Puerto Rico Grid Recovery and Modernization Team. Funding will incentivize up to 40,000 residential solar PV and battery systems for vulnerable households. [CleanTechnica]

Energy Secretary Granholm announcing funding (PR-ERF)

¶ “$80 Million From Investing In America Agenda To Address Legacy Pollution By Plugging Orphaned Wells In Texas” • The Interior Department announced a nearly $80 million investment through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for Texas to continue plugging, capping, and reclaiming orphaned oil and gas wells across the state. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Plus Power Activates 185-MW, 565-MWh Battery System In Hawaii” • Plug Power has activated a large battery storage system that can deliver 185 MW for 565 MWh near Honolulu. Though it is not widely recognized, Plug Power is involved in sixty energy storage projects either already operating or under development across the US and Canada. [CleanTechnica]

Big battery in Hawaii (Courtesy of Plus Power)

¶ “Michigan Lawmakers Have More Energy Priorities In 2024” • Michigan entered 2024 with a host of new laws to transform how the state gets its electricity, from a mandate for 100% clean energy by 2040 to a new permitting system for large-scale wind and solar projects. But energy policy ideas are on the table, and people on both sides feel frustrated. [Bridge Michigan]

¶ “NASA Nixes Solar Power From Space (At Least For Now)” • A study from NASA evaluated whether Space Based Solar Power could compete with terrestrial electricity and reduce emissions. The authors concluded that the technology won’t be ready for prime time by 2050. They did, however, offer a roadmap for those who wish to pursue the idea. [Payload Space]

Sun (NASA Goddard SDO)

¶ “Biofuels Leader Warns ‘EVs Are Coming’” • Monte Shaw, the executive director of the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, warned that ethanol makers must reduce carbon intensity scores of their fuels or face less demand for their products, caused by a combination of the rise of EVs and increased ethanol production in Brazil. [Iowa Capital Dispatch]

¶ “Block Island Is Now 100% Renewable” • Block Island started 2024 by ending dependance on fossil fuels and switching to 100% renewably generated electricity. This follows a decision by the State of Rhode Island Division of Public Utilities and Carriers to grant a permit for the Block Island Utility District’s plan for 100% renewable procurement. [Block Island Times]

Have an inspiringly considered day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.