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Opinion:

¶ “Solar Energy’s Vital Role In Climate Change Mitigation” • The current wave of global actions against climate change may not be as urgent as needed, but is a step in the right direction. Going by recent events, it is right to say that the world may be hanging by a thread, as Mother Nature continues to react violently to human’s irresponsible behaviour. [pv magazine India]

Solar panels on a confusing-looking building (Danist Soh, Unsplash)

¶ “Australia’s Renewable Energy Goals Can’t Come At The Cost Of Biodiversity – We Need A Strategy” • Humanity faces two existential crises. We know well the climate crisis, but the second, less appreciated threat to humanity is biodiversity loss. We are only just beginning to appreciate its effects on our economy, agriculture, health, and culture. [The Guardian]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Nanofibers Pulled From Captured Carbon, With A Green Hydrogen Bonus” • In a sustainability twofer, scientists have figured out how to process captured carbon dioxide and water into green hydrogen and carbon nanofibers, which can be used as an additive for cement and other products that can do carbon sequestering for a long term. [CleanTechnica]

Cement (Daniela Paola Alchapar, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Gigantic Solar Farms Might Impact How Much Solar Power Is Generated On The Other Side Of The World” • Solar farms can be made large enough to affect the weather around them and even the climate as a whole. In our new research we looked at the effect such climate-altering solar farms might have on solar power elsewhere. [Sustainability Times]

World:

¶ “BYD Pickup Will Come In Two Flavors – PHEV And BEV” • Before the end of this year, the BYD pickup truck should go on sale in Australia, Asia, and several other countries, though not the US. BYD seems intent on offering electric cars and trucks in just about every market segment, so it is no wonder that it has its eye on the pickup truck space. [CleanTechnica]

BYD pickup (From Car News China via YouTube)

¶ “Porsche Readies Self For Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car…Maybe!” • Rumors of a Porsche hydrogen fuel cell car have begun swirling around the automotive press, following a new scoop from Car Buzz. If it does pan out, Porsche’s new hydrogen fuel cell car will most likely be unaffordable to all but the privileged few, but that’s okay. [CleanTechnica] (That’s okay‽)

¶ “BYD Electric Buses For Mexico City Bus Rapid Transit” • BYD has been selling electric buses around the world for years, and it just delivered another big order in Mexico. The Mexico City Metrobús, a bus rapid transit system that is getting to be nearly 20 years old (having been started in 2005), has taken delivery of twenty electric BYD buses. [CleanTechnica]

BYD electric bus (BYD image)

¶ “Drop In Nuclear Power Production In 2022” • Thirteen EU countries with nuclear electricity production generated 609,255 GWh of electricity in 2022, down 16.7% from 2021. This is the lowest level registered since 1990. The decrease is largely due to reactor maintenance in France, the EU’s largest producer of nuclear power. [European Commission]

¶ “Mexico Forecast To Add 10 GW Of Renewable Capacity By 2028” • Despite the current government’s regulatory restrictions, Mexico is expected to add 10 GW of renewable capacity by 2028, positioning it as one of the top four markets in Latin America. Latin America is expected to add over 165 GW in renewable capacity during the period. [BNamericas]

Wind turbine (Enel Green Power)

US:

¶ “NREL Releases The 2023 Standard Scenarios” • NREL, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, just released its 2023 Standard Scenarios, which shows how the US electricity sector might change through 2050. The scenarios can guide power system planning and enable dialogue using a common set of assumptions. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Removes Model 3 From The Referral Program; Model Y, S And X Still Eligible” • Until yesterday, all four of the Tesla cars in wide production (Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y) were eligible for these referral bonuses. But with the launch of the new “Highland” edition of the Model 3, the Model 3 is no longer part of the referral program. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model 3 (Tesla image)

¶ “Dearborn To Shift All City Buildings To 100% Renewable Energy Sources By 2026” • Dearborn, Michigan, is switching all of its city buildings to 100% renewable energy sources by the year 2026 through DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program. The city hopes this will not only help the environment but save taxpayer dollars as well. [WXYZ]

¶ “Pennsylvania Can Power All Homes In A City The Size Of Pittsburgh With In-State Solar” • The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission announced that the Commonwealth’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards program has surpassed 1 GW or 1,000 MW of solar energy. [Farm and Dairy]

Farm in Pennsylvania (Daniel Bernard, Unsplash)

¶ “US Federal Grid Spending Boosts Prospects In High Wind, Solar Regions” • The growth of wind and solar activity has been threatened by dwindling grid capacity. To address this, the DOE will provide $1.3 billion to three long-distance transmission lines connecting renewable power generation to load centers in the West and Northeast. [Reuters]

¶ “US Releases Draft Bill To Drive Offshore Wind” • A draft version of a new bill aims to improve permitting, coordination, and cooperation between agencies and with developers and stakeholders, establish a holistic process for offshore wind transmission, and boost support for fisheries and other likely affected stakeholders. [reNews]

Have a charmingly excellent day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Renewables Grew Rapidly In 2023, But Must Grow Faster To Meet Climate Change Goals” • The world’s renewable energy grew at a record pace in 2023, the International Energy Agency reported in its first assessment since nations agreed in December on ambitious new targets to slow dangerous climate change. The world added nearly 510 GW. [ABC News]

Wind farm (Anastasia Palagutina, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Massive Amounts Of Tiny Plastics Found In Bottled Drinking Water, Study Finds” • Researchers from Columbia University and Rutgers University published the study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which reveals an average of 240,000 detachable plastic fragments were found in a standard liter of bottled water. [ABC News]

¶ “How Passenger Electric Planes Could Become A Reality Within The Next Decade” • The race to decarbonize aviation is heating up, with researchers finding a way to make passenger airplanes operate on 100% electric power. One new plane will be able to hold 90 people and fly up to 500 miles without having to stop to recharge. [ABC News]

Aviation startup Elysian’s E9X (Elysian image)

¶ “Membrane-Free Green Hydrogen To Chase The Fossil Fuel Blues Away” • Fossil fuel stakeholders plan on petrochemicals staying afloat as renewable energy takes over power generation, but new green hydrogen technology is beginning to pull the rug out from under their feet. A membrane-free electrolysis system could make green hydrogen cheap. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Seven Stunning BYD Stats From 2023” • BYD has released the news that it sold more than 3 million plugin vehicles in 2023, the first company to make that achievement. In that sales update, BYD included several other stats that jumped out as well. For one thing, BYD’s exports rose 334.2% to 242,765 units! And there are a lot more stats to consider. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Atto 3 getting ruined by salt water

¶ “Renewable Additions Up 50% To New Record In 2023” • Global renewable power additions rose by almost 50% on the year to an estimated 507 GW in 2023, spurred by “continuous policy support,” energy watchdog the IEA said. The additions, three-quarters of which were solar power, set a record high for a 22nd consecutive year. [Argus Media]

¶ “Solar Energy Claims Around 55% Share In Indian Renewable Capacity As Of December 2023” • India has positioned itself as a frontrunner in the global shift towards renewable energy, with solar power spearheading the journey. As of December 2023, solar energy claims 54.76% share of the country’s total renewable installed capacity, with 73.31 GW. [SolarQuarter]

Solar water heater in India (Kushagra Dhall, Unsplash)

¶ “Australia’s Forrest Promises Investments For 14 GW Of Clean Energy” • Australian mining billionaire Andrew Forrest has committed to launch projects helping to deliver 14 GW of clean energy in the country by the end of the decade. That is a third of the government’s renewable energy target. The additions will be wind, solar, and battery projects. [Reuters]

¶ “Europe’s Largest Renewable Energy Generator To Invest $6.6 Billion In Norwegian Hydro, Wind” • Statkraft, Europe’s largest renewable energy generator, is investing nearly $6.6 billion into its Norwegian hydro and wind power facilities and construction of new onshore wind farms. The investment includes upgrades at older facilities. [Environment+Energy Leader]

Dam in Norway (Bjørn Kamfjord, Unsplash)

¶ “UK Government Plans Further Nuclear Power Expansion” • The government hopes to boost the nuclear power industry with the biggest expansion of the sector in 70 years. The government claims that this would lower bills and improve energy security. [Really‽] Many of the UK’s reactors are scheduled to be retired over the next decade. [BBC]

US:

¶ “California Governor Newsom Proposes Some Housing And Climate Cuts To Balance $38 Billion Budget Deficit” • Gov Gavin Newsom released details of a new $291 billion state spending plan for the 2024-25 budget year that accounts for an estimated $37.9 billion deficit. Newsom proposes to cut $2.9 billion from spending for climate change. [ABC News]

Governor Gavin Newsom (TechCrunch, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “NREL Analysis Unveils The Connection Between Electric Vehicles And Photovoltaics” • People who own EVs are more likely to add solar panels to their home, analysis by researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows. The impact of owning solar panels also has a bearing on whether a homeowner buys an EV, but not as strongly. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “More And More US Homes Facing Flood Risk” • The list of the nation’s most flood-prone homes is growing longer. NRDC’s updated Losing Ground dashboard now includes data on severe repetitive loss properties from the inception of the National Flood Insurance Program through late 2022. With a changing climate, the trends are worrying. [CleanTechnica]

Flood (Pixabay)

¶ “Clean Electricity Is Driving Down US Emissions” • America’s electrical grid is increasingly powered by renewable energy, and this helped slash the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions last year, even as the wider economy grew, according to new estimates by Rhodium Group. The report says that US emissions dropped by 8% in 2023. [Canary Media]

¶ “Thousands Of Vermonters Remain Without Power Following Gusty Winter Storm” • Fierce wind gusts of nearly 70 mph in some places targeted the western part of the state in the predawn hours, damaging barns, felling trees, closing roads and leaving utilities scrambling to restore power to thousands of people. There were nearly 30,000 outages. [VTDigger]

Have an essentially fabulous day.

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Opinion:

¶ “How Aggregated PPAs Create Clean Energy Options For SMEs” • The World Bank says that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) represent 90% of businesses globally. Mid-sized companies are the engine of the global economy. So, it’s safe to say that if we don’t get mid-sized companies on board, the energy transition won’t happen. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array (Courtesy of Schneider Electric)

Science and Technology:

¶ “New Material Found By AI Could Reduce Lithium Use In Batteries” • A new substance that could reduce lithium use in batteries has been discovered using artificial intelligence and supercomputing. It was found by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Microsoft. Scientists say the material potentially could reduce lithium use by up to 70%. [BBC]

World:

¶ “2023 Confirmed As World’s Hottest Year On Record” • The year 2023 has been confirmed as the warmest on record, driven by human-caused climate change and boosted by the natural El Niño weather event. Last year was about 1.48°C warmer than the long-term average before humans started burning large amounts of fossil fuels, the EU’s climate service says. [BBC]

Signal (Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “EVs Take 30.1% Share In France” • December saw plugin EVs take 30.1% share of the French auto market, an increase from 25.0% share, year on year. Full battery electric sales volume grew 50% YoY, while plugin hybrids grew 17%. December’s overall auto volume was 181,013 units, up 14.5% YoY, though still slightly below 2017-2019 norms. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volkswagen BEV Sales Increase 21.1% In 2023” • Volkswagen continues its rise up the EV revolution ladder. Volkswagen’s full battery electric vehicle (BEV) sales rose 21.1% in 2023, compared to the previous year. Overall, Volkswagen automotive sales were up 6.7%, so it is clear that BEV sales grew much more strongly than non-BEV sales. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.7 (Volkswagen image)

¶ “Wind Turbines Beat Gas Plants To Grab Record Share Of UK Power” • Britain’s thousands of wind turbines grabbed their biggest slice of the electricity mix ever in December, sending output from gas-fired plants to their lowest in almost four years. Windpower accounted for 41% of the output last month, and the share for gas was 26%. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Egypt Signs Agreement For The Middle East’s Largest Wind Power Project” • A consortium led by Saudi-listed ACWA Power and including Hassan Allam Utilities, which is the investment and development arm of Egypt’s Hassan Allam Holding, signed a 25-year land usufruct agreement to build a 1.1-GW wind power project in Egypt. [ZAWYA]

Wind farm in Egypt (Hatem Moushir, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Egypt To Invest $83 Billion In Renewable Energy Projects” • Egypt plans to invest nearly $83 billion in solar energy and other renewables projects in the next few years as part of an effort to expand its renewable sources, according to a government report. The country’s renewable sourcess are expected to provide nearly 42% of its energy in 2030. [ZAWYA]

¶ “400-MW PV Plant Powers Up In Uzbekistan” • The first 400-MW phase of China Energy Engineering Group’s 1-GW solar project has been connected to the grid in Uzbekistan. The project uses Arctech’s trackers tailored to survive Uzbekistan’s frequent sandstorms and dry climate. The 1-GW project is expected to generate 2,400 GWh annually. [reNews]

Solar array (Antonio Garcia)

¶ “Germany Adds Record 14 GW Of Solar In 2023 – Half Is On Households” • Renewable energy capacity in Germany grew by more than 17 GW or 12% in 2023 to a total of around 170 GW. The increase is driven by solar (14.1 GW) and wind power (3.2 GW). Half of the country’s new solar capacity installations were in the home segment. [Balkan Green Energy News]

US:

¶ “First 100% American Made Electric Fire Truck Enters Service In Mesa, Arizona” • E-One, based in Florida, is a full spectrum builder of fire apparatus and is a pioneer and recognized leader in extruded aluminum and stainless steel construction. Recently, the company has introduced Vector, the first American-made all-electric fire truck. [CleanTechnica]

Electric fire truck (Courtesy of REV Group)

¶ “US Saw A Historic Number Of Billion-Dollar Disasters In 2023” • Last year proved to be one of the costliest in the US due to extreme weather disasters, according to a report by the NOAA. The US was hit with more billion-dollar disasters in 2023 than any other year on record, highlighting the increased risk arising from a changing climate. [ABC News]

¶ “US Battery Storage Capacity Expected To Nearly Double In 2024” • Planned and currently operational US large-scale battery capacity totaled around 16 GW at the end of 2023. Developers plan to add another 15 GW in 2024 and around 9 GW in 2025, according to data in the EIA’s latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (EIA image)

¶ “US EIA: Solar Will Supply Almost All Growth In US Electricity Generation Through 2025” • The EIA expects solar generation will be the leading source of growth in the US electric power sector. In its January Short-Term Energy Outlook, it forecasts new capacity will boost the solar share of total generation to 7.0% in 2025, up from 4.0% in 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nuclear Expert Blasts NuScale Amid Investor Suit Arising From Cancelled Idaho Project” • Nuclear expert Mycle Schneider weighed in on NuScale’s announcement last November that it was cancelling its partnership with Utah power systems on a project to develop of six NuScale reactors at the US DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory. [InvestorsObserver]

Have a gloriously effortless day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Price Of Durable Carbon Removal Is The Price Of Carbon” • We lack a carbon market that effectively incentivizes emissions reductions at the scale needed to limit global warming to below 1.5°C. Tethering the carbon price to the cost of carbon dioxide removal provides a pathway to effectively determine the value of carbon emission reductions. [CleanTechnica]

Wind and coal (Tim van der Kuip, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Bold Predictions in AgTech and Cellular Agriculture for 2024” • Agricultural technologies (AgTech) is an arena of the clean tech ecosystem that can address a good chunk of our global climate changing emissions. Estimates range widely depending on how things are measured, but suffice to say, I think we can leave it at “a good chunk.” [CleanTechnica]

New solid state battery (Courtesy of Adden Energy)

¶ “Harvard Spinoff Lobs A Solid-State Battery Bomb At Fossil Fuels” • New energy storage technology is driving fossil fuels out of the global economy, and Adden Energy, a Harvard University spinoff, is adding fuel to the fire. Their new solid state battery can last for 6,000 cycles and takes about the same amount of time to charge as it takes to fill a tank of gas. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Bosch Press Conference is All About Energy | CES 2024” • At the Consumer Electronics Show, the Bosch room was mobbed with journalists, and we can presume that a lot of them, like me, are here on Bosch’s dime to cover whatever exciting new thing they could unveil. Bosch believes hydrogen will be central in meeting future energy needs. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “EVs Take 30% Share In Germany – Policy Chaos From Traffic Light Coalition” • December saw plugin EVs take 30% share of the German auto market, down YOY from a huge pull-forward in December 2022, when incentives for plug-in hybrids ended. Full year 2023 BEV volumes were up 11.4% over 2022. Volkswagen was December’s best EV seller. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.4 (Mariordo, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Wind Overtakes Coal For Electricity Generation In Europe” • Europe’s power producers generated more electricity from wind than from coal for the first time in the last quarter of 2023. Europe’s utilities generated a record 193 TWh of electricity from wind sites in the quarter compared to 184 TWh from coal-fired power plants, data from Ember shows. [Reuters]

¶ “Ilmatar Starts Up Finnish Wind Farm” • All of the 36 wind turbines at Ilmatar’s 221-MW wind farm in South Ostrobothnia, Finland, have been brought into operation. The site forms part of the developer’s first hybrid renewable energy park, which eventually will also include a 150-MW solar farm and a 25-MW battery. [reNews]

Wind farm (Ilmatar image)

¶ “France Drops Renewables Targets, Prioritises Nuclear In New Energy Bill” • The proposed text, which is slated to go before the cabinet early next month and then be submitted to lawmakers, reaffirms France’s commitment to nuclear power to ensure “energy sovereignty.” But the proposed text does not commit to building renewable capacity. [France 24]

US:

¶ “Possible Gas Explosion At Downtown Fort Worth Hotel Injures 21” • An explosion at a building in downtown Fort Worth, Texas, the Sandman Signature Hotel, may have been caused by a gas leak. It injured 21 people, sent heavy debris across a block, and forced nearby employees to evacuate. Officials said one person is in critical condition. [ABC News]

Sandman Signature Hotel (Sandman Signature image)

¶ “$32.5 Million to Advance Transportation Electrification in the USA” • The US DOE announced selection of sixteen projects totaling $32.5 million to advance technology integration in areas critical to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector. The selected projects were in nine states and Washington, DC. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Leading Heat Pump Manufacturers Successfully Develop Next-Generation Prototypes” • The US DOE announced that four more heat pump makers successfully produced heat pump prototypes as part of the Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge, a DOE initiative supporting transition to cold-climate heat pumps. [CleanTechnica]

Daikin heat pump (Daikin image)

¶ “Duke Energy To Build Solar Farm In Upstate” • A new solar farm is coming to South Carolina as part of an investment of $61 million by Duke Energy. The Laurens County Council approved the final reading of a Fee in Lieu Tax Agreement by the county and Duke Energy unanimously. The Beaverdam Solar Center, will have a capacity of 41 MW. [FOX Carolina]

¶ “Alaska Lawmakers Eye Bills On Neighborhood Solar, Green Bank And Renewable Energy Benchmarks” • Alaska lawmakers are set to take up several renewable energy policy proposals, including for neighborhood solar projects, loans for sustainable energy programs, and setting standards for utilities’ clean power generation. [Alaska Public Media]

Solar array in Ft Yukon, Alaska (US DOE, public domain)

¶ “BOEM Consults On Six New York Bight Lease Areas” • The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has launched a public consultation on the potential development of six wind lease areas offshore New York and New Jersey, in an area known as the New York Bight. BOEM estimates that the area could create up to 7 GWs of offshore wind energy. [reNews]

¶ “EIA Says 40% Of US Electricity Is Now Emission-Free For The First Time” • The pace of the green energy transition has sped up greatly in recent years. Figures released at the end of 2023 show roughly 40% of US electricity production is now emission-free. Emission-free electricity is that generated renewably or by nuclear reactions. [Singularity Hub]

Have an enthusiastically considerate day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Cities Should Prioritize Electric Vehicle Adoption in 2024” • Without easy access to charging, many apartment dwellers are skeptical about EVs. They need local leaders who can explain reasons why transportation should be electrified: economic development, workforce expansion, health benefits, climate pollution, and more. [CleanTechnica]

Neighborhood in New York City (Franz Boccalatte, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “New Zealand Exceeds 50% Electric Vehicle Penetration In December 2023!” • With the threat of loss of subsidies, New Zealanders have bought electric vehicles at an unprecedented rate, achieving 50% penetration in December 2023. Changes in government regulations and decreased the prices of EVs led to what may be a short-term rush. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Honda Mulls $14 Billion Plan To Build Electric Cars In Canada” • US media say Americans don’t like EVs. But it seems the companies who make electric cars didn’t get the memo. Japanese media source Nikkei announced that Honda is thinking about a $14 billion investment to manufacture batteries and electric cars in Canada. [CleanTechnica]

Honda EV (Honda image)

¶ “BYD Building Sodium-Ion Battery Gigafactory (30 GWh)” • At CleanTechnica we have had numerous articles about sodium-ion batteries over the years. Now things are getting real, though. BYD has begun construction on a 30 GWh sodium-ion battery factory in China. The company is investing 10 billion yuan ($1.4 billion) into the new factory. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Kenya Joins Consortium To Develop Battery Systems For Renewable Energy” • Kenya is one of the nine African countries forming a consortium to lead the world in developing battery systems to enable renewable energy. They intend to develop innovative battery storage under the Battery Energy Storage Systems Consortium. [Business Daily]

Wind power in Kenya (Andrew Owuor, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “India Welcomes First Fully Renewable-Powered Container Terminal” • Bharat Mumbai Container Terminals, operated by Singapore’s PSA International at Jawaharlal Nehru Port, made its status as India’s first container terminal powered by renewable energy public. The energy comes from a 7.8 MW solar farm, developed by O2 Power. [Construction World]

¶ “Australia Nears Half-Way Mark To 82% Renewables” • Nearly 40% of electricity demand in Australia was supplied by renewable sources over the course of 2023, data from OpenNEM shows, edging the nation closer to the halfway mark on its target of 82% renewables by 2030. The average share of solar and wind power on the grid was 38.4%. [Renew Economy]

Australian rooftop solar power (Western Power image)

¶ “As Nuclear Debate Nears, French Minister Sees Potential For Fourteen New Reactors” • France requires more than the six new nuclear plants currently planned and possibly needs to build more than fourteen new plants, Energy Transition Minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said just days before a parliamentary debate begins on the issue. [Reuters]

US:

¶ “Coal State Killing Coal With Solar Power, One Megawatt At A Time” • The coal state of West Virginia has been achingly slow to join the solar power revolution. It ranks a lowly 49th in a ranking of installed solar capacity by state. Nevertheless, three solar and energy storage projects are moving forward there, indicating that a change is in the wind. [CleanTechnica]

Solar power in West Virginia (Courtesy of FirstEnergy)

¶ “Microsoft, Qcells Strike Massive Supply Deal For US-Made Solar Panels” • South Korea’s Qcells said it will supply Microsoft with 12 GW of American-made solar panels through 2032 in what the companies called one of the largest ever deals of its kind. Qcells will make the solar panels for Microsoft at its new $2.5 billion Georgia factory. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Giant Subsea ‘Starfish’ To Help Push The Cost Of Floating Offshore Wind Down And Downer” • A majority of US offshore potential is in areas where the water is too deep for conventional turbines, and floating turbines are 50% more costly than those built in shallow waters. The US DOE is working to bring floating turbine costs down 70% by 2035. [CleanTechnica]

Cable layout for floating offshore wind farms (Aker Solutions)

¶ “PUC Scales Back Renewable Electricity, Adds New Natural-Gas Plants” • The Colorado PUC is adding more fossil fuel-generated power and scaling back Xcel Energy’s proposed investments in clean energy. High energy bills are largely due to volatile natural gas prices, and the PUC claims that increasing use of gas is a win for ratepayers. [Public News Service] (What‽)

¶ “Gorham To Be Home To Maine’s First Giant Battery Project” • Energy storage is needed to support renewable energy in Maine. This spring, one of New England’s largest battery storage projects will be built in Gorham, Maine. It presages other storage projects seen as critical for optimizing the region’s growing fleet of solar and wind power plants. [News Center Maine]

Battery project (Courtesy of Plus Power)

¶ “Future Of Xcel Energy’s Coal-Fired Power Plants? Oak Park Heights Options Include Solar, Batteries” • Recently, a coal-fired generator in Minnesota retired, the biggest to date. This marked a major milestone in Xcel Energy’s goal of delivering 100% carbon-free electricity in the state by 2040. Other plants will close soon. So what’s next? [Pioneer Press]

¶ “Massachusetts and New Hampshire Release Updated Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant Emergency Guides” • Massachusetts and New Hampshire both released updated guides for residents in the event of an emergency at the Seabrook nuclear plant. Each state outlines its own communities and emergency plans for areas within ten miles of the plant. [WHAV]

Have an emphatically merry day.

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Opinion:

¶ “One Month After COP28, Has Anything Changed?” • The world smiled when COP28 concluded its business by issuing a statement that called for “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner.” But a month later, there is little evidence COP28 had any measurable impact on the world’s fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

Clear statement of science (Image by 350.org)

¶ “Five Climate Tech Trends To Look Out For In 2024” • Data from PwC at the end of 2023 shows that climate tech now makes up 10% of all tech deals globally, a number that has crept up slowly, but surely, from 1.5% over the last decade. We are moving toward new solutions for old problems. Here are five trends that support that transition. [Energy Digital Magazine]

World:

¶ “Kenya’s Push To Make ‘Boda-Boda’ Motorbike Taxis Go Electric” • Motorbike taxis are everywhere in Kenya because they are cheaper than cars and can be better in the notorious traffic jams of Nairobi. Gas can cost about 1,000 Kenyan shillings a day, just over $6 (£5). One electric motorbike taxi driver says it costs no more than $1.42 a day for electricity. [BBC]

Boda-boda (Elkanah254, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Top Electric Vehicle Brands in the World – BYD And Tesla in a Different Universe” • In November, BYD continued at record levels, selling 289,000 units. Tesla went back to its normal self, with 174,000 sales. That was 14% above the same period in 2022. The competition for third place is tighter, with SAIC-GM-Wuling in the lead. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Norway Moves Aggressively To Curb Cruise Ship Emissions” • According to Transport and Environment, in 2017, Carnival Cruise Line emitted nearly ten times as much sulfur oxides along the coasts of Europe as all 260 million million cars on the Continent. Starting in 2026, only ships powered by alternative fuels will be allowed to visit Norway’s fjords. [CleanTechnica]

Fjord (Image by Visit Norway)

¶ “World EV Sales Now Are 19% Of World Auto Sales” • Global plugin vehicle registrations for November broke their previous monthly sales record (1,291,000 units), which was just set in September 2023. They reached 1,385,000 units in November. In the end, plugins represented 19% share of the overall auto market (13% battery EV share alone)! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “South Africa Proposes Delaying Shutting Down Coal-Fired Power Plants Beyond 2030, Including Tutuka” • The government of South Africa has proposed delaying shutting down coal-fired power plants beyond 2030 where technically and commercially feasible, including Tutuka power station, in a bid to retain SA’s dispatchable electricity capacity. [MSN]

Coal-burning plant (Gerhard Roux, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Largest Energy Storage Station In Hong Kong Greater Bay Area Now Operational” • The Baotang energy storage station is now fully operational in the city of Foshan. The station is the largest of its kind throughout the Greater Bay Area. It’s also the country’s first lithium battery energy storage station, able to integrate multiple technical routes. [CGTN]

¶ “Germany’s Renewable Energy Progress: A Comprehensive Overview” • In 2023, Germany hit a big goal on its path to going green, as renewables powered up 55% of its electricity. That’s up 6.6 percentage points higher than last year. They’re working toward a clean future with plans to get 80% of their energy from green sources by 2030. [Microgrid Media]

Solar power (JUWI Group, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “UK Invests In High-Tech Nuclear Fuel To Push Putin Out Of Global Energy Market” • The UK will become the first country in Europe to launch a high-tech high-assay low-enriched uranium nuclear fuel program to supply new nuclear projects. Most advanced reactors require HALEU fuel that is currently only commercially produced in Russia. [GOV.UK]

US:

¶ “Major US Shipping Port Gets 100% Clean Energy, But It’s Complicated” • The superbusy Port of Virginia is celebrating the achievement of 100% clean energy. That covers the port’s 116 electric stacking cranes, four electric rail cranes and 27 electric ship-to-shore cranes among other items. Diesel vehicles are not counted and are still in use. [CleanTechnica]

Port of Virginia (Courtesy of the Port Authority of Virginia)

¶ “States Need To Step Up Their EV Charging Infrastructure – Is 2024 The Year?” •The Federal Highway Administration’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program has $7.5 billion available to the states for funding EV charging stations. As of December, 2023, no EV charging stations had been built using that funding. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “United Rentals Adds Solar Battery Generators To Its Fleet” • United Rentals, Stamford, Connecticut, has agreed to purchase the new HIPOWER EHR solar battery generator from HIPOWER SYSTEMS, Olathe, Kansas, for its rental fleet. United Rentals said it is the first equipment rental company to offer mobile microgrid systems for rent. [Rental Management]

Mobile microgrid

¶ “Solar Panel Savings Opportunities In Georgia” • In the sun-kissed state of Georgia, homeowners have opportunities to save with solar. With an average of 110 sunny days annually, residents in cities like Atlanta are in a good position to harness this natural resource, despite the lack of major statewide incentives for solar panel installations. [BNN Breaking]

¶ “ERCOT May Connect With Eastern Power Grid To Avoid Winter Emergency Conditions” • When Texas frooze three years ago, the power was out long enough in some places to do billions of dollars in damages. Former ERCOT monitor Beth Garza says there may be ways to connect to the eastern grid and keep the independence ERCOT has. [CBS News]

Have a generously rewarding day.

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Opinion:

¶ “When Your Local Public Radio Station Advertises Fossil Fuels” • “My local public radio station, Oregon Public Broadcasting, which broadcasts throughout Oregon and southwest Washington, has been running advertisements for a fossil gas utility named Northwest Natural over the past year.” NPR also accepts fossil fuel ads. It is time to take action. [CleanTechnica]

Break free (Eelco Böhtlingk, Unsplash)

¶ “Wild Weather Ahead: How to Prep for 2024’s Climate Shifts” • Our climate is changing, growing warmer due to the emissions from burning fossil fuels, and our weather is changing with it. Instead of being a freak outlier, extreme heat is something we’ll need to be prepared to deal with on a much more regular basis, along with storms, floods and drought. [CNET]

Science and Technology:

¶ “An E-Bike Battery That Can’t Catch Fire, Even When Shot?” • Startup Nanotech Energy says its engineers have the answer to battery fires: 18650 cells that are not only fireproof, but won’t even catch fire if shot. These special cells are now available for purchase through the company’s US partner, Voltaplex. The cells are made in California. [CleanTechnica]

Nanotech 18650 cell (Nanotech)

World:

¶ “Former Oil Executive Mukhtar Babayev To Lead Cop29 Talks In Azerbaijan” • For the second year in a row, a minister with oil industry ties will preside over COP talks. Azerbaijan’s Mukhtar Babayev will lead the COP29 in Baku next November. He worked for decades at the national oil company before he become the environment minister in 2018. [BBC]

¶ “Green Investments Begin To Pay Off For Big Banks” • For the second year in a row, global banks made more from investments supporting environmentally friendly projects than they earned from financing oil, gas, and coal activities. While the difference is not large yet, it is an indicator that green energy is outpacing fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

Green investment (Towfiqu barbhuiya, Unsplash)

¶ “Chile’s Renewables Sector Marches On As Spotlight Tightens On Congress” • Chile continues to decarbonize its electricity amid market headwinds and expectations for legislative progress in 2024. Last year, installed capacity climbed 2 GW to 35.4 GW, with renewable energy plants and storage systems accounting for almost all the growth. [BNamericas]

¶ “Integration Of NEVs, Power Grid Gets Fillip” • China unveiled a new guideline on strengthening the integration of new energy vehicles with the power grid. It is a strategic move giving robust support for constructing a new power system and promote high-quality development in the NEV sector. One important issue is battery charging. [China Daily]

Wind farm (Vista Wei, Unsplash)

¶ “Europe’s Natural Gas And Power Prices Jump As Cold Snap Begins” • Power prices in Finland jumped to record-high levels as a deep freeze in the Arctic parts of the Nordic countries is set to move south to northwest Europe in the weekend and next week, creating additional energy demand and leading to higher electricity and natural gas prices. [Oil Price]

¶ “Greece Turns To Wind, Sun Projects To Increase Renewable Energy Sources” • Forced by the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to go back to coal-fired plants to generate electricity, Greece is also moving more toward alternative and renewable sources, especially from the wind and sun. Projects coming to 240 MW have been awarded. [The National Herald]

Greece (Constantinos Kollias, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “US Energy Secretary Touts 75% Growth In Public EV Charging Stations Since Biden Took Office” • As a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the EV charging infrastructure is growing. It will have more impact in years to come, but EV charging stations pop up every day already, and the Biden administration is eager to highlight them. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Don’t Worry If Your Favorite GM EV Doesn’t Qualify For A Federal Tax Credit” • General Motors announced it will provide incentives of $7,500 on its EVs to offset the loss of a US federal tax credit. GM told its dealers it would provide the equivalent EV tax credit amount “for any vehicles that became ineligible due to the new guidelines.” [CleanTechnica]

EV interior (GM image)

¶ “Inslee Praises Community Solar Project At Port Of Camas-Washougal As ‘A Personal Joy’” • Washington Governor Jay Inslee visited Clark County’s biggest solar array. He said it was integral to the state’s transition to clean energy. “This is a personal joy to me. It’s giving us optimism for our state,” Inslee said as he toured the Community Solar East project. [The Columbian]

¶ “Alliant Energy Deploys Six New Solar Projects In Wisconsin” • Alliant Energy has deployed six new solar projects in Wisconsin, collectively amounting to 514 MW and tripling the utility’s solar generation capacity. All six projects are online and operational, and are single-axis tracker systems, Tony Palese, a spokesperson for Alliant Energy, said. [pv magazine USA]

Solar project (Alliant Energy image)

¶ “Savings From Community Power Become Slimmer As NH Utilities Cut Electric Rates” • In New Hampshire, the Community Power Coalition announced a 26% drop in the base electric rate, to 8.1¢/kWh. But the financial benefit seen by those that are part of the Coalition will be reduced this year because all NH utilities cut their electric rates. [NHPR]

¶ “Constellation Energy’s Hydrogen Production Could Be Derailed By Shift In Federal Policy” • Plans by Baltimore-based Constellation Energy to mass produce carbon-free hydrogen could be jeopardized under proposed federal guidelines that exclude existing nuclear plants from tax subsidies designed to boost the clean hydrogen industry. [GMToday.com]

Have a beautifully easy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Positive Climate Solutions To Celebrate In 2024” • In 2024, the numbers about fossil fuels, renewable energy transitions, and cleantech innovations are quite illuminating, and frequently they are contradictory, but, together, clean climate solutions offer a generally positive framework for the energy transition taking place around us. [CleanTechnica]

Storm with a microburst (NOAA, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Labour’s Energy Advisers Warn Against Watering Down £28 Billion Green Investmen” • Independent Labour energy advisers warned against watering down its £28 billion green spending plans in advance of its promise to create a zero carbon electricity system by 2030. The goals include 70% solar and wind, along with nuclear and other renewables. [The Guardian]

¶ “The Neglected Clean Heat We Flush Down The Drains” • The residents of False Creek, a recently redeveloped neighbourhood of Vancouver, get heat from an unusual renewable source, their sewage wastewater. Increasingly, municipalities around the globe harness this underground form of excess heat to decarbonise their energy networks. [BBC]

False Creek (Jhana Ellard, Unsplash)

¶ “EVs At 89.6% Share In Norway” • December saw plugin EVs at 89.6% share in Norway, up from 87.6% year on year amidst temporary incentives turbulence. Overall auto volume was 12,183 units, down from last year’s rush, but closer to seasonal norms. Norway’s best selling vehicle in December, and for the full year, was the Tesla Model Y. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Germany Reports Lowest Emissions In 70 Years But That’s Not The End Of The Story” • Last year, greenhouse gas emissions in Germany fell to 673 million tons of CO₂ equivalent (including CO₂, methane, and nitrous oxide), Agora Energiewende said. That is down 46% from the reference year of 1990 and the lowest level since the 1950s. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines in Germany (Karsten Würth, Unsplash)

¶ “Germany Reached 55% Renewable Energy In 2023” • In 2023, 55% of Germany’s power came from renewables, according to energy regulator Bundesnetzagentur, Reuters reported. The year was the first that renewable resources provided more than 50% of the country’s electricity. Wind and solar provided 31.1% and 12.1% of the electricity, respectively. [EcoWatch]

¶ “Ireland’s Last Peat-Fuelled Power Plant Switches To 100% Biomass” • Bord na Móna’s Edenderry power plant in Ireland moved from peat-fired electricity to biomass, meaning it no longer harvests bogs for fuel, the Irish Independent reported. The plant is the last of Ireland’s peat-fuelled plants to adopt an alternative fuel source. [Bioenergy Insight]

Peat bog (Maksim Shutov, Unsplash)

¶ “Spain Generated Record 50% Of Power From Renewables In 2023” • Spain generated more than half of its electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar power in 2023 in a “historic” record, the national power grid, Red Electrica Espanola said. The renewably generated electricity was 50.4% of the overall national energy mix. [Tech Xplore]

US:

¶ “BrightNight Gets A $375 Million Renewable Energy Credit Line With A ‘Green Loan’ Twist” • The US startup BrightNight has become a renewable energy force to be reckoned with. It just nailed down a new $375 million line of credit that will enable it to push ahead with a portfolio of 31 GW worth of wind, solar, and energy storage projects. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array (Courtesy of BrightNight)

¶ “US Average Retail Gasoline Prices Were 40¢ Per Gallon Lower In 2023 Than 2022” • US retail gasoline prices in 2023 averaged 43¢/gal less than in 2022, data from the EIA’s Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update. The decline was partly due to lower crude oil prices in 2023 compared with 2022 and higher gasoline inventories in the second half of 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US DOE: $70 Million To Strengthen Energy Sector Against Physical And Cyber Hazards” • The US DOE announced up to $70 million in funding to support research intended to increase resilience and to reduce risks to energy delivery infrastructure from cyber and physical threats, extreme weather events, natural disasters, and other hazards. [CleanTechnica]

Power lines (Jerry Wang, Unsplash)

¶ “Governor Murphy Signs Legislation To Expand Community Solar Energy” • Governor Phil Murphy signed a bill to strengthen New Jersey’s community solar program. The Community Solar Energy Program gives individuals, who have no ability to install solar on their rooftops, access the benefits of solar energy, with significant energy savings. [NJ.gov]

¶ “Solar Energy Is On The Rise In Tennessee” • Tennessee has only begun to scratch the surface of its solar potential. According to data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory and compiled in the Environment America Research & Policy Center report, We Have the Power, solar energy could meet 24 times the state’s use for 2020. [Environment America]

Tennessee (nathan kosmak, Unsplash)

¶ “Superior’s Mayor Wants Utility Regulators To Revisit Their Approval Of A $700 Million Gas Plant” • The mayor of Superior asked Wisconsin utility regulators to revisit approval of a roughly $700 million natural gas plant planned for the city. A group of utilities wants to build the 625-MW plant as part of plans to shift away from coal. [Wisconsin Public Radio]

¶ “First Conventional Uranium Mining In The US In Eight Years Has Begun In Utah And Arizona” • For the first in eight years, conventional uranium mining is underway in the US at three mines in Utah and Arizona. Energy Fuels Resources says that it plans to stockpile and eventually process the uranium at its White Mesa mill facility in Utah. [KSJD]

Have a thoroughly fine day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The 360-GW Reason To Boost Finance For Energy Storage Now” • Storage is indispensable to the green energy revolution. Energy storage technologies are also the key to lowering energy costs and integrating more renewable power into our grids, fast. If we can get this right, we can hold on to ever-rising quantities of renewable energy we harness. [CleanTechnica]

Battery bank, 2011 (Primary-master, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “New Graphene-Based 18650 Battery Cells Promise To ‘End E-Bike Fires’” • A recent press release from Nanotech Energy makes a bold promise. It says that its new 18650 cell will “end e-bike fires.” Granted, many press releases tend to exaggerate, so it’s probably best to take this news with a pinch of salt, but it could be very good news. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “PowerCo Tests QuantumScape’s New Solid State Battery For Volkswagen, And Likes What It Sees” • Volkswagen leveled up its EV battery business in 2022 with its PowerCo branch. PowerCo put a solid state battery from QuantumScape through its paces. It passed with flying colors, bringing the solid state battery of the future one step closer. [CleanTechnica]

Solid state battery for EVs (Courtesy of Quantumscape)

World:

¶ “27% BEV Share In China!” • Plugin vehicles are all the rage in China. Plugins scored more than 872,000 sales last month, up 39% year over year, which is this market’s fourth record month in a row. And expect the last month of the year to continue this record streak. November sales pulled the year-to-date (YTD) tally to over 7.1 million units. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “XPeng Sees 171% Growth In 4th Quarter” • XPeng is no BYD or Tesla. It’s far away from the million battery EV sales they reached this year. But XPeng is growing strongly and can certainly dream about reaching the million BEVs per year milestone one day. In terms of 2023, XPeng saw its sales rise to 141,601 units. That’s a 17% increase from 2022. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Dolphin (Courtesy of BYD)

¶ “JERA Starts Up Ishikari Offshore Wind Farm” • JERA and Green Power Investment Corporation have begun commercial operations at the 112-MW Ishikari Bay New Port Offshore Wind Farm 3 km off the coast of Hokkaido. The wind farm features fourteen 8-MW Siemens Gamesa turbines. The partners have retained ownership of the wind farm. [reNews]

¶ “Statkraft Seals Two PPAs For UK Solar Site” • Statkraft has signed PPAs with Gresham House and Workspace, for the Beavor Grange Solar Farm in Devon, England. The 20-MW PV site is managed by Gresham House. It is large enough to power the equivalent of 6000 homes, or two-thirds of Workspace’s total power demand, Statkraft said. [reNews]

Solar and wind site (Statkraft image)

¶ “Poland Produced Record 26% Of Electricity From Renewables In 2023” • Renewables generated 26% of Poland’s electricity in 2023, up from 19.3% the previous year, data show. However, coal continues to produce most of the country’s electricity. According to the Fraunhofer Society, Poland’s largest renewable source was onshore wind. [Notes From Poland]

¶ “Australian Homes Three Times More Likely To Have Solar Panels Than A Pool” • Quarterly installations of new solar panels reached a record at the end of 2023, with Australian households over three times as likely to have a PV system as a swimming pool. Households and businesses added 921 MW of solar capacity in the last quarter of 2023. [The Guardian]

Solar installation in Sydney (Damian Shaw, City of Sydney)

US:

¶ “Pennsylvania Lawmakers Debate Proposal To Raise State’s Renewable Energy Goal” • A bill in the state House would raise the amount of electricity Pennsylvania gets from renewables. The proposal would raise Pennsylvania’s renewable energy goals from 8% now to 30% by 2030, fulfilling one of Gov Josh Shapiro’s campaign pledges. [The Allegheny Front]

¶ “Two Large Offshore Wind Sites Are Sending Power To The US Grid For The First Time” • For the first time, turbines are sending electricity to the grid from the sites of two large offshore wind farms in the US. The first of 62 turbines at Vineyard Wind is operating, as is the first of 15 turbines 35 miles east of Montauk Point, New York. [ABC News]

Offshore wind turbines (NOAA image)

¶ “These Industries Will See Growth In Hawaii Over The Next Decade, Economists Say” • Film, agriculture, and renewable energy are emerging industries that economists say will help diversify Hawaii’s economy in the next decade. A report says real estate, tourism, and the federal government provide the largest share of the state’s GDP. [Hawaii Public Radio]

¶ “Minnesota Dog Sled Competition Canceled Due To Lack Of Snow” • The John Beargrease Sled Dog Marathon is a series of races run by dog sleds and mushers on a 300-mile course known for incorporating the extremes of northern Minnesota weather, as well as for rugged terrain. It was canceled due to lack of snow, organizers announced. [ABC News]

Sled dog race (Thomas Lipke, Unsplash)

¶ “Archdiocese Shifting To 100% Renewable Energy This Year” • The Archdiocese of Chicago will shift its entire electric energy purchase to 100% renewable sources this year. The renewable energy purchase is the equivalent of removing 15,000 cars from the road, or eliminating the carbon emissions generated by 8,500 homes each year. [Chicago Catholic]

¶ “New Mexico Regulators Reject Utility’s Effort To Recoup Some Investments In Coal And Nuclear Plants” • Regulators rejected an effort by New Mexico’s largest electric utility to recoup from customers millions of dollars of investments made in a coal-fired power plant in the northwestern corner of the state and a nuclear power plant in neighboring Arizona. [ABC News]

Have a passably superb day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “A Perovskite Makeover Could Help Make Green Hydrogen Happen” • The cost of green hydrogen has been dropping, but it still remains stubbornly high. The figure of $5.00 per kilogram for green hydrogen is commonly cited, compared to just $1.50 for hydrogen from natural gas. That may change with a new perovskite-based nanocatalyst. [CleanTechnica]

Perovskite (Edumol Molecular Visualizations, CC-BY-SA 2,0)

World:

¶ “EVs Take 63.1% Share In Sweden – ID.4 Best Seller” • This December saw plugin EVs take 63.1% share in Sweden, down YOY from the record 74.7% of December 2022, which was boosted by a pull forward ahead of January incentive cuts. Battery EV volumes in full year 2023 were up 17.9% compared to 2022, though plugin hybrid EV volumes fell. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Is The First Company To Sell Three Million Plugin Vehicles In A Year” • We note that BYD was targeting 3 million vehicle sales in 2023, and it just surpassed that target. It had 3,023,679 EV sales in the year, all of which are plugin vehicles. BYD’s EV sales were split in 2023, as 52% were full electrics and 48% were plugin hybrids. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Song Plus (Courtesy of BYD)

¶ “Nordex Scores 553-MW Swedish Order” • Nordex has received orders for four wind farms in Sweden totaling 553 MW from Renewable Power Capital. A service contract is included. In spring 2025 the Nordex Group will start delivering and installing 80 machines, of which 74 are N163/6.X and six N149/5.X units, for the High Coast wind farm cluster. [reNews]

¶ “Aker To Supply Norwegian Transmission Tech” • Aker Solutions signed a FEED contract with the Marine Energy Test Centre in Norway to pilot new subsea power system technology which could reduce costs and complexity of offshore wind farms significantly. The project will see Aker Solutions provide new power transmission technology. [reNews]

Floating wind turbine in a storm (Aker image)

¶ “UK Use Of Gas And Coal For Electricity At Lowest Since 1957, Figures Show” • The amount of electricity generated by the UK’s gas and coal power plants fell by 20% last year, with consumption of fossil fuels at its lowest level since 1957. The UK’s gas power plants generated 31% of the UK’s electricity last year, and the UK’s last coal plant produced 1%. [The Guardian]

¶ “Bangladesh’s Solar Project Approvals Hit 2.1 GW In 2023” • In December, Bangladesh’s Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase approved tariffs for seven solar power plants totaling 630 MW. Approvals had been granted for 1,566 MW in the year to that point. Most of these projects secured a fixed tariff of around $0.10/kWh. [PV Magazine]

Solar array in Bangladesh (Parasol Energy image)

¶ “Prosumers In Romania Have Installed Capacity Larger Than Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant” • In Romania, there are over 100,000 prosumers with a total installed capacity estimated at 1,400 MW, and additions aren’t slowing down. There is more capacity of rooftop solar than at the country’s one nuclear power plant. [Balkan Green Energy News]

¶ “Spain’s New Radwaste Plan Supports Nuclear Phase-Out” • Spain’s Council of Ministers approved the seventh General Plan for Radioactive Waste, which sets the roadmap for treatment of wastes from nuclear plants. The plan slightly extends nuclear plant operations. Spain plans to close all of its five nuclear plants by 2035. [Nuclear Engineering International]

Nuclear plant in Spain (Jorge Franganillo, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “Price Cuts Boost Tesla 4Q Sales, Beating Estimates As EV Growth Rate Slows” • Tesla said that it sold 484,507 vehicles worldwide from October through December. That handily beat Wall Street estimates of 473,000 for the quarter, data provider FactSet said. Tesla said it sold just over 1.8 million vehicles in 2023, up 37.7% from 2022. [ABC News]

¶ “Heliostat Consortium Publishes Annual Report Highlighting Impactful Technical Projects, Partnerships With Industry” • The US DOE’s Heliostat Consortium, which is co-led by NREL, has announced publication of HelioCon Annual Report: 2023. The report provides detailed information on progress the HelioCon team has made. [CleanTechnica]

Ivanpah Solar Project (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

¶ “21 GW of US Coal to Retire in Next 3 Years; 88–211 GW of Solar to Join Grid” • Reports on electricity generation and new power capacity in the US clearly show strong trends toward more renewables and less coal. A report shows power capacity growth and retirements the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission expects in the next three years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Panels Meet Saffron In New Agrivoltaic Project” • The allure of raising a spice crop that retails for $5,000 a pound is enticing. In the unlikely state of Vermont, there is a agrivoltaic experiment under way. If all goes according to plan, it could pave the way for for a saffron boom in the US while it helps save the country’s small farms. [CleanTechnica]

Agrivoltaic array and harvest (courtesy of Next2Sun)

¶ “Pennsylvania Hits Solar Energy Milestone; Advocates Say There’s Much More To Do” • Pennsylvania now has 1 GW of solar energy capacity, enough to power all the homes in Pittsburgh. The Shapiro Administration says it’s an important milestone, but solar industry backers point out that the state should do more to help the industry grow. [90.5 WESA]

¶ “Resilient Power Proves A “Lifesaver” For Mississippi Health Center After Catastrophic Tornado” • After a March 2023 tornado leveled a health center in Mississippi, the organization was able to run operations via a resilient power microgrid system for the better part of a year and continued serving patients, many of whom had lost everything. [Direct Relief]

Have a gleefully happy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “We Need More Than Transmission Lines” • I want to start with a simple statement that some people think unbelievable: “We cannot power our grid with baseload power alone.” I will admit that it is theoretically possible to power the grid exclusively with baseload plants, but only for a very brief time, perhaps on the order of five minutes. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “The Rise Of Renewables Is A Reason To Be Hopeful In 2024” • Recently, Canary Media asked six of its regular contributors to talk about something that gives then hope for 2024. Eric Wesoff pointed out that BloombergNEF’s now forecasts 413 GW of solar power capacity will be installed worldwide in 2023. That’s up from 260 GW in 2022. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “China’s BYD Closer To Taking Tesla’s Electric Car Top Spot” • The Chinese company BYD has moved a step closer to toppling Elon Musk’s Tesla as the world’s biggest-selling manufacturer of electric vehicles. The firm announced that it had sold a record 526,000 battery-only EVs in the last three months of 2023. Tesla is about to release sales data. [BBC]

BYD EV (Jack1007, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Progress Made In The Solar & Battery Storage Industry Shows That The Future Is Going To Be Awesome!” • It is sad to see that we still have over six hundred million people in Africa without access to electricity. Distributed renewable energy can play a key role in increasing access to electricity in off-grid applications and offer crucial support for weak grids. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “SAE Develops NACS J3400 Standard In Record Time” • SAE International is the primary standards setting body for electrical devices. The switch to NACS meant it had to move swiftly to get a new standard in place in time for companies to use it when they wanted. SAE released a Technical Information Report after only six months of work. [CleanTechnica]

NACS J3400 (Image from Charged EVs)

¶ “Egypt And China Electric Power Initiate Preliminary Studies For Ambitious 10-GW Solar Energy Project” • Egypt signed a memorandum of understanding with a Chinese firm to begin preliminary studies for a groundbreaking 10-GW solar energy project. The solar project aims to save roughly $1 billion per year in natural gas costs. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Vestas Wins 108-MW Order In South Africa” • Wind turbine manufacturer Vestas has won a 108-MW order for the Witberg Wind Farm, placed by independent power producer Red Rocket, to be sited in Western Cape, South Africa, including supply and installation of 24 4.5-MW turbines and a 15-year management agreement. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Darling wind (Kalle Pihlajasaari, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “China Three Gorges Commissions 3.48-GW Of New Solar Capacity” • Three Gorges Energy switched on 3.48 GW of solar in the final week of December. One of the PV facilities, which is near Golmud in Qinghai province, has a capacity of 900 MW. Another, with 200 MW of concentrated solar power is part of a 100-GW wind-PV project. [PV Magazine]

¶ “Neoen Turns Sod On Italian Solar Trio” • Neoen has begun construction of its first three renewable energy projects in Italy. The three solar farms have a combined capacity of 24.7 MW. Two of them are located in Lombardy (8 MW and 7.6 MW) and one is in Marche (9.1 MW). Neoen has developed the projects and will retain 100% ownership. [reNews]

Solar farm (Neoen image)

¶ “Transmission Project for 20-GW Rajasthan Renewable Energy Zone” • Indian state-owned Power Grid Corporation has secured a crucial inter-state power transmission project aimed to harness energy from a 20-GW Renewable Energy Zone in Rajasthan. The Letter of Intent for this significant venture was issued in the last month of 2023. [SolarQuarter]

US:

¶ “Electric Vehicle Sales Are Slowing. No Need For Panic Yet, Insiders Say” • The recent headlines for EVs have been brutal: Sales are dropping. Momentum is slipping, as consumers are souring on the technology. Experts say, however, that 2024 may be the year to finally pull the plug on gasoline-powered cars and trucks. [ABC News]

The 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 (Hyundai image)

¶ “Wind And Solar Power Provide More Electricity Than Coal In The USA” • Those who love to hate EVs are fond of saying that they are powered by coal. A decade or two ago that was much more likely to be the case. Today, coal has shrunk enormously as a US electricity source, and it doesn’t even provide as much as solar and wind power together. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Vestas Secures 135-MW Project In The US” • Vestas has received a 135-MW order to power an undisclosed wind project in the USA. The order consists of 30 V163-4.5 MW turbines, Vestas’ newest high-capacity factor turbine and the project has been developed by Steelhead Americas, Vestas’ North American development arm. [Energy Global]

Vestas turbines (Dario De corso, Unsplash)

¶ “Northeast States Double Down On Building America’s Wind Market, Despite Setbacks” • Over the decades, GE closed plants, and its sprawling campus of 45,000 workers plummeted to less than 4,000. Still, despite rising costs, with many macroeconomic challenges, GE and New York state are both pushing ahead with proposed projects. [Capital & Main]

¶ “Nuclear Expert Blasts NuScale Amid Investor Suit Arising From Cancelled Idaho Project” • Hagens Berman urges NuScale Power Corporation investors who suffered big losses to submit losses now. Nuclear expert Mycle Schneider pointed out that NuScale promised in 2008 to have a reactor running in 2015, but it has not started construction. [GlobeNewswire]

Have a constructively awesome day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Should AI’s Role In Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Be Greater?” • Scientists warn that damage from climate change will get much worse unless we change course. Could AI’s role in developing new climate models save us carbon emissions? AI’s role in the struggle against climate change is both prominent and controversial already. [CleanTechnica]

Computer processor (Roman Spiridonov, Unsplash)

¶ “Quebec Has All Conditions For Success To Be Green Fertilizer Giant” • Green ammonia fertilizer is a serious business, unlike green ammonia for energy. Quebec has all the conditions for success it needs to make it a reality. The province also has all the facilities it needs to send ammonia to Europe, where it is in demand as a chemical fertilizer. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Amtrak Has Big Plans For 2024, But Congress Wants To Derail A Big Advantage” • With funding and support for the railroad up in the last few years, some key upgrades and improvements are going into place that could help many more travelers take it seriously. But some members of Congress are pushing safety issues that are not realistic. [CleanTechnica]

Amtrak train (Amtrak image)

¶ “It’s A New Dawn For Solar Power In Scotland: Susan Law” • It is a commitment which adds even further breadth to the ways in which landowners could diversify by becoming involved in the renewable energy industry. It supports the national drive towards net zero. It also helps make enterprises financially sustainable, particularly farming. [The Scotsman]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Will Climate Change Affect Chocolate Production?” • People around the world are discussing the disastrous effects of climate change on our planet; glaciers will melt, sea levels will rise, new diseases will appear, droughts and floods will destroy our habitats and farmlands, it may become too hot or cold to farm. But what about cacao beans for chocolate? [ScienceABC]

Cacao bean (Pixabay, Pexels, CC0)

¶ “Sea Of Methane Sealed Beneath Arctic Permafrost Could Trigger A Climate Feedback Loop” • Thick permafrost forms a tight seal that has so far prevented millions of cubic feet of methane from wafting out, but there’s no guarantee that the potent greenhouse gas won’t escape some day, a study in the journal Frontiers in Earth Science says. [Space.com]

World:

¶ “Climate Scientists Agree: 2023 Was Bad But The Worst Is Yet To Come” • People look forward to a new year with hopes of a better life. But the mood is somber among climate scientists this year, where the consensus is that 2023 marked the end of the prelude to climate change and the start of a new reality of an overheated planet. [CleanTechnica]

Smoke stack (Pixabay, Pexels)

¶ “Renewable Energy Share in EU Energy Use Hits 23% in 2022” • The EU has slightly increased the share of renewable energy it consumes, hitting 23% in 2022, Eurostat data shows. Compared with 2021, this represents an increase of 1.1 percentage points. The EU’s 2030 renewable energy target was raised from 32% to 42.5%, with an aim to increase it to 45%. [Rigzone]

¶ “China’s Solar Sector Steams Ahead Of EU And US” • Chinese manufacturers have a huge cost advantage over international rivals, a Horizons report from Wood Mackenzie says. China’s dominance is the result of economies of scale of large facilities, and Chinese companies have easy access to funding and less restrictive policies. [DW]

Solar panels (Pixabay, Pexels)

¶ “Energy Bill Price Hike Takes Effect As Record Numbers Struggle With Debt” • A £94 increase to the average household energy bill has come into effect as a response to rising wholesale prices. Ofgem’s price cap rose 5%, driven largely by international wholesale energy market instability and global events, especially the conflict in Ukraine. [The Independent]

¶ “Magnitude 7.4 Quake Strikes Central Japan” • A powerful earthquake and tsunami struck central Japan and its western coast at 4:10 pm on Monday, triggering warnings for residents to evacuate, knocking out power to large areas, and disrupting flights and rail services. Nuclear regulators said there were no irregularities at nucle plants. [Japan Today]

Wave (Todd Turner, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Solar And Wind Are 71% of New Power Capacity in USA in October” • Looking at official figures from FERC, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and adding in a CleanTechnica estimate for small-scale solar power additions, we conclude that 71% of new power capacity additions in the US came from solar and wind power as of October. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Flow Battery Electric Car To Be Made In The USA” • The crazy dream of a flow battery EV really is not so crazy after all. The European firm nanoFlowcell set up a US office to pitch its new QUANTiNO twentyfive electric car with new flow battery technology. Now the company is hatching plans for a whole US flow battery ecosystem. [CleanTechnica]

QUANTiNO twentyfive EV (Courtesy of nanoFlowcell)

¶ “Ram 1500 REV Electric Pickup Stays True To Its Roots” • Ram has introduced its actual version of an electric pickup truck, the Ram 1500 REV. It has some styling shown earlier in a concept, but it avoids any ground breaking changes. Eliminate some of the LED displays, and it looks like a slightly refreshed version of the current Ram 1500. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Illinois’ New Nuclear Bill Goes Dark Before It Can Spark” • Illinois ended its 36-year nuclear moratorium, but it’s a mistake to think that means more nuclear-powered electricity is coming to local homes. The legislation keeps the door shut on building traditional nuclear power plants. It ends the moratorium only for small modular reactors. [Illinois Policy]

Have a memorably inspired day.

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

Science and Technology:

¶ “A Key Electric Aviation Technology Started Testing In 2023” • Militaries around the world use a LOT of fossil fuels, and planes are hard to electrify. Militaries need high-performance planes, and the power density just isn’t there for most types of planes to be able to use battery power effectively. That doesn’t mean they aren’t testing electric airplanes. [CleanTechnica]

Electric airplane (DARPA image)

¶ “Seismology’s Eerie Report Exposes The Recurrent Rumbling Of Climate Change” • Research conducted by Colorado State University, based out of New York, found that over 35 years’ worth of data indicates that ocean waves have significantly increased in strength, reflecting an increase in storm intensity caused by global warming. [List23]

World:

¶ “The Year’s Most Extreme Weather Shows What A Warming Planet Is Capable Of, And What’s To Come” • In the hottest year on record, the fingerprints of a changing climate in a warming world were all over dozens of extreme weather events. Too much heat in the system raises the limits of what is possible in weather and pushes it toward the extremes. [CNN]

Storm (Felix Mittermeier, Unsplash)

¶ “Bangladesh sees dramatic rise in lightning deaths linked to climate change” • Bangladesh, which is blighted by extreme weather and heavy storms, suffers an average of 300 deaths by lightning every year, according to the UN. That’s compared with fewer than twenty annually in the US, which has almost double the population. [BBC]

¶ “South Africa’s Darkest Year Yet” • In South Africa, there was no load shedding in 2017, then 14 days of load shedding in 2018, 30 days in 2019, 54 days in 2020 and 75 days in 2021. in 2022 when there were 205 days. The year 2023 was supposed to mark a turnaround, but it has had over 300 days. Government ministers meanwhile engage in a turf war. [Scrolla.Africa]

Old cooling towers used for bunjee (Michael Schofield, Unsplash)

¶ “Major Investments Propel Smart Grid Development Globally” • As more electricity grids worldwide are connected to renewable energy projects, such as wind and solar farms, suppliers are using the change as the opportunity to develop smart grids that are safer, can better respond to consumer needs, and can carry out real-time demand monitoring activities. [Oil Price]

¶ “World’s Highest-Altitude Solar Power Station Connected To Grid” • The world’s highest-altitude photovoltaic power station in Shannan Prefecture of Xizang Autonomous Region in China was connected to the grid. Located on a plateau at up to 5,100 meters plateau, the power station is blessed with abundant sunshine all year round. [CGTN]

Shannan Prefecture (李大毛 没有猫, Unsplash)

¶ “North Korea’s Kim Vows To Launch Three More Spy Satellites And Produce More Nuclear Materials In 2024” • North Korean leader Kim Jong Un vowed to launch three additional military spy satellites, produce more nuclear materials and introduce modern attack drones in 2024, as he called for “overwhelming” war readiness. [Action News 5]

US:

¶ “In Eight States: Tesla Model Y For $32,000 And Model 3 For $30,000 – This Weekend Only!” • Tesla has been sending out a lot of messages to try to move vehicles in the last few weeks of the year. The company is sending out emails and text messages, and it has been especially active pushing for more demand on social media. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model 3 (Martin Katler, Unsplash)

¶ “Fear Mongering About Range Anxiety Has To Stop – CT Governor Calls Out EV Opponents” • This month, Governor Ned Lamont of Connecticut was fed up with unrestrained political opponents who were fear mongering about EV infrastructure. “They’re all gnashing their teeth about range anxiety,” Lamont told reporters. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Texas Is Going To Send Lots Of Solar Modules All Over The USA” • Public officials in Texas have been scrambling to protect oil and gas interests, but the rug keeps getting pulled out from under their feet. In the latest development, Texas will soon host a massive new factory that aims to produce 5 GW of solar modules every year. [CleanTechnica]

Photovoltaic array (Courtesy of Waaree Energies)

¶ “New Life For Old Coal: Minelands And Power Plants Are Hot Renewable Development Spots” • An AES Indiana generating plant will soon stop burning coal. Two of its four units will be switched to burn gas, an the others will be replaced by renewable resources. Other coal-burning plants are being replaced with batteries and renewables. [Michigan Advance]

¶ “Houston Becomes Hotspot For Clean Tech Startups” • While Silicon Valley may be known as the world’s biggest tech hub, Houston is quickly catching up when it comes to clean tech. The major Texan energy hub is rapidly branching out into the world of renewables, supported by a broad array of startups investing in innovative green technologies. [Oil Price]

Have a comfortingly relaxing day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Emerging Trends In The US In Microgrid Development And Deployment” • There are nearly 700 microgrids across the US, contributing less than 1% to the national electricity output. But microgrids are a key piece of the puzzle in America’s changing energy scene, because they bring stability and dependability, and they help the environment. [Microgrid Media]

Rooftop solar system (Vivint Solar, Unsplash)

¶ “Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Corner: Some Good News For The Climate In 2023” • We had compelling evidence of the urgency needed to address the climate crisis right before our eyes in 2023. But it is important also to note the progress in addressing the climate crisis and those affected by climate change this past year. [The Parkersburg News and Sentinel]

¶ “NM Governor Unaware That More Light Pollution Means More Crime: Jennifer Sensiba” • Recently, I came across a post by New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan-Grisham bragging on yet another poorly-executed government program. This time, she is sacrificing the state’s view of the stars at night for another cheap stunt. And it may increase crime. [CleanTechnica]

Light pollution (Joshua Tree National Park, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “The Failed NuScale Project Lets Utah Down – Again” • Early last month, NuScale made headlines by canceling its proposed 462-MW small modular nuclear reactor at the Idaho National Laboratory. Here in Utah, the news was met with little surprise. In 2015, the NuScale project was eight years out. In 2022, it was still eight years out. [The Salt Lake Tribune]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Electric Cars Powered By Sodium-Ion Batteries Go On Sale In China” • Sodium-ion batteries have one advantage over most batteries in current EVs: They don’t contain lithium. Their down side is that they have roughly half the energy density of lithium-ion batteries, which means shorter range. China is a good market for low priced, no frills cars. [CleanTechnica]

EV event (Farasis Energy via CnEVPost)

¶ “New Technology Promises More Efficient Solar Cells And Faster Miniaturization Of Electronics” • A team of scientists at the University of Ottawa say they can make the first back-contact micrometric PV cells. The cells, with a size twice the thickness of a strand of hair, have significant cost and efficiency advantages over conventional solar technologies. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Heat: The Silent Killer Stalking Australia’s Summer” • In an “urban heat island” near Sidney, it can be 10°C (18°F) hotter than in seaside suburbs, due to geography, lack of green spaces, and lots of heat-trapping surfaces. Heat is Australia’s “silent killer” because it’s deadlier than all other natural disasters combined yet leaves no visual clues of its scale. [BBC]

Walk on a hot day. (Jarritos Mexican Soda, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Volkswagen Group’s Elli Now Has 600,000 Charging Points” • An arm of Volkswagen Group, Elli continues to extend its EV charging infrastructure across Europe. It now has more than 600,000 charging stations in 27 different countries around Europe. This includes various networks that have joined the Elli collaboration. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar-Powered Truck Achieves World EV Altitude Record” • Gebrüder Weiss, a European logistics company, announced that the company’s Peak Evolution Team has achieved a remarkable feat: setting a new world altitude record for EVs. The team drove to the astonishing altitude of 6,500 meters (about 21,000 feet) above sea level on solar power. [CleanTechnica]

Solar-powered truck (Image provided by GW)

¶ “Climate Scientists Hail 2023 As ‘Beginning Of The End’ For Fossil Fuel Era” • Global efforts to slow runaway climate disaster may have reached a critical milestone as global carbon emissions from energy peak. A growing number of climate analysts believe that 2023 may be recorded as the year in which annual emissions start to decline. [The Guardian]

¶ “National Grid Announces Commercial Operations Of Viking Link – The World’s Longest Land And Subsea Interconnector” • National Grid’s new Viking Link electricity interconnector is operational moving power between the UK and Denmark. With a capacity of 1.4 GW, the link runs for 475 miles to join substations in the UK and Denmark. [National Grid]

Laying a cable (Energinet image)

US:

¶ “Winter Is Here, But It’s Losing Its Cool” • Winter is here, but for most of the US, it’s feeling less and less like it. Winter is warming rapidly because of human-caused climate change and it’s having an impact on snow, tourism, winter sports, local economies, dinner plates, and even allergies. Winter is warmer since 1970 in 97% of the spots tested. [CNN]

¶ “US DOE Finalizes The Efficiency Standards For Residential Refrigerators And Freezers, Closing Out Remarkable Year of Cost-Saving Progress” • The US DOE announced two energy-efficiency actions to save American households and businesses $5 billion per year on their utility bills, while cutting energy waste and carbon pollution. [CleanTechnica]

Kitchen (Courtesy of GE, via Best Buy)

¶ “Electric School Buses More Than Doubled In USA From March 2022 To June 2023” • The World Resources Institute said the number of electric school buses operating or delivered in the US rose from 598 in March 2022 to 1,285 in June 2023. The number that have been ordered or awarded funding nearly tripled in the same period. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Four US Rooftop Solar Trends In 2023” • Wood Mackenzie reported a 24% growth in installations through the first three quarters of 2023. Supply chain constraints of 2022 eased, and California had a big surge in installations, as customers looked to secure legacy NEM 2.0 rates. Here are four rooftop solar trends that pv magazine USA reported. [PV Magazine]

Have an overarchingly superb day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Debunking The “Dirty” Solar Panels And Battery Myth” • The latest schmutz about solar panels and batteries circulating online is that both are “dirty,” with unacceptably high carbon emissions and environmental impacts. The message is that it’s better to stick with good old reliable coal, oil, and methane gas than take a risk on new technologies. [CleanTechnica]

Rooftop solar system (yue chan, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “More Than Forty Dead In Liberia After Leaking Fuel Tanker Exploded As People Tried To Collect Gas” • A fuel tanker leaking gasoline exploded this week as people gathered to collect the fuel, leaving more than 40 dead, authorities in Liberia said. The blast also injured at least 83 people. Similar deadly accidents have happened elsewhere. [ABC News]

¶ “Brighton & Hove City Council In The UK Steps Up Measures To Improve Air Quality” • An idling engine can emit up to twice as greehouse gas as an engine in motion. The Brighton & Hove City Council is introducing a measure to help reduce emissions from idling. Motorists could get a £40 fine if they leave parked vehicles running. [CleanTechnica]

Mercedes-Benz eCitaro bus (Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz)

¶ “Tesla Model Y Going To Be Top Selling Vehicle In The World In 2023” • While the numbers are not yet in, the Tesla Model Y was the top selling vehicle model in the world in the first quarter of 2023, in the second quarter of 2023, and in the third quarter of 2023, and the fourth quarter always Tesla’s best. It’s clear what 2023’s the top selling car will be. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Scatec’s 540-MW PV, 1,140-MWh Battery Storage Project In South Africa Begins Supplying Electricity” • Scatec announced that the Kenhardt plants in the Northern Cape Province, are sending power to the South African grid. The plant is designed to deliver 150 MW of dispatchable power to the national grid year-round, from 5 am to 9:30 pm. [CleanTechnica]

Battery storage system (Courtesy of Scatec and BYD)

¶ “Chinese Company To Develop 10 GW Of Solar In Egypt” • China Electric Power Equipment and Technology Co has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Egyptian government to develop a 10-GW solar energy project, Egypt’s government says. Fully developed, the project could save more than $1 billion in natural gas costs. [PV Magazine]

¶ “2023: A Year In UK Energy Industry Successes” • This year has been full of twists and u-turns, but the UK energy industry has persevered towards a net-zero trajectory. To celebrate the energy industry’s collective efforts, Current± outlines some of the top decarbonisation successes of 2023 in the UK, with comments from key industry players. [Current News]

GE Haliade turbine (Dogger Bank image)

US:

¶ “In Memphis, Community Action Helps Solar Plus Storage Triumph Over New Thermal Generation” • A Tennessee Valley Authority plan to spend billions on gas-powered plants led to public outcry. Now Memphis Gas Light and Water has scrapped its proposed gas-fired plants and will invest in solar power and battery storage. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Mexico Proposes New Regulations To Reuse Fracking Wastewater” • New Mexico environmental officials proposed a regulatory framework for reusing wastewater with a focus on the used, salty byproducts of oil and natural gas drilling in a major US production zone. Critics fear the plan might only spur more drilling for petroleum. [ABC News]

Pumpjack (Eric Kounce, public domain)

¶ “Utilities And Environmentalists Call For Big Reforms To Renewable Energy Law” • During the coming legislative session, Vermont lawmakers plan to take up a bill to strengthen the renewable energy standard. It will likely require utilities to source even more of their power from renewable energy, and rely more heavily on local and regional sources. [VTDigger]

¶ “BLUETTI Launches BLUETTI Solar +, An All-in-One Solar Power Program For Texas Homeowners” • BLUETTI, an energy storage company, introduced BLUETTI Solar +, which caters specifically to Texan homeowners who want solar and battery-powered home systems. This initiative aims to be seamless, cost-effective, and hassle-free. [SolarQuarter]

BLUETTI Solar + system (BLUETTI image)

¶ “Treasury’s Proposed Clean Hydrogen PTC Rule Disappoints Power Industry” • The Treasury Department released proposed regulations and guidance defining a tax credit for production of “clean hydrogen,” a significant supply-side incentive. Though long-awaited, the measure has stirred up strong disappointment from the power industry. [POWER Magazine]

¶ “40% Of US Electricity Is Now Emissions-Free ” • With monthly data known through October, we don’t have a complete picture of the changes for 2023 but some trends seem locked in for the year. Energy from wind and solar is roughly equal to that of coal, and total carbon-emissions-free sources will account for roughly 40% of US electricity production. [Ars Technica]

Have an utterly okay day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Twenty Ways NREL Made an Impact in 2023” • This year seems to have gone by so fast. However, NREL’s scientists and staff have busily propelled many remarkable achievements as the laboratory leads the energy transition to a clean energy future. Here, we take looks at twenty of NREL’s most-impactful research highlights from 2023. [CleanTechnica]

NREL’s Visualization Lab (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

¶ “Clean, Renewable Energy: It’s Not Just A ‘Blue State’ Thing” • So-called “red” and “blue” states may seem as divided from each other as ever, but all fifty states have one important thing in common: Renewable energy is on the rise in all of them. While California moves to support a change to clean energy, so do Texas and Florida. [Environment America]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Electric Cargo And Utility Scooters Could Be An Apt Form Factor For Deliveries” • Deliveries of goods and services in urban areas can be a big source of air pollution and traffic congestion. Although e-bikes and electric cargo bikes are starting to make inroads into what was previously only the domain of vans and trucks, so are electric scooters. [CleanTechnica]

Utility scooter (Screenshot from Scootility website)

¶ “Road To Fuel Cell Trucks Leads Through Forklifts” • Forklifts aren’t particularly headline-grabbing, but they might be, if they help spur any buildout of the hydrogen fuel station network. Heavy-duty fuel cell trucks benefit from them, and a green hydrogen twist is already surfacing. Amazon is just one company looking into fuel cell trucks. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “World’s Tallest Wooden Wind Turbine Starts Turning” • A Swedish start-up called Modvion says it has just built the world’s tallest wooden turbine tower. The 2-MW generator on top has just started supplying electricity to the Swedish grid, providing power for about 400 homes. Modvion claims that using wood for wind power is the future. [BBC]

Construction work for wooden wind turbine (Modvion image)

¶ “The Year In Clean Energy: Wind, Solar And Batteries Grow Despite Economic Challenges” • Led by new solar power, the world added renewable energy at breakneck speed in 2023. If the trend is amplified, it will help Earth turn away from fossil fuels and reduce effects of severe warming. Clean energy is growing partly because it is inexpensive. [News and Sentinel]

¶ “Western China Provinces Accelerate Layout Of Clean Energy” • In the past, electricity from Sichuan and Qinghai provinces was transmitted to southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region when there were power shortages in winter. The region relies on its natural resources for green power now. This year, dozens of green power projects came online. [Xinhua]

Landscape in Sichuan Provence (李大毛 没有猫, Unsplash)

¶ “Vietnam Stays Committed To Developing Clean Renewable Energy” • Vietnam is committed to enhancing development of hydrogen energy production and hydrogen-source fuels in the regions with potential and advantages in renewable energy, close to major consumer markets, according to Nguyen Hong Dien, the Minister of Industry and Trade. [Vietnam Plus]

¶ “Masdar To Develop 2-GW Uzbek Wind Farm” • UAE energy company Masdar has signed an implementation agreement with the Government of Uzbekistan to develop a 2000-MW wind farm. The new agreement also includes deployment of 1150 MWh of battery energy storage capacity across five of Masdar projects in the country. [reNews]

Wind turbines (Masdar image)

¶ “Spain Confirms 2035 Nuclear Phase Out Deadline” • Spain has confirmed that it will go ahead with plans to close all its nuclear plants by 2035, though Europe is divided on whether nuclear energy should use to address climate change. Management of radioactive waste and dismantling of the plants will cost about €20.2 billion ($22.4 billion). [Oil Price]

US:

¶ “Memphis Says No To New Gas In Favor Of Solar Power” • In a win for West Tennessee communities, Memphis Gas Light and Water scrapped a proposal to build new dirty gas plants and says it will instead invest in solar power and battery storage. This came after the local utility got serious public pushback over the proposal. [Southern Environmental Law Center]

Tennessee bridge (Small Business Administration image)

¶ “Cummins Fined $1.67 Billion Over Diesel Defeat Devices In Ram Pickup Trucks” • It doesn’t seem that long ago that VW was sued for the “Diesel Gate” scandal in which VW diesel vehicles were found to be using emissions cheat devices. Now, Cummins is accused of using defeat devices for almost one million diesel engines in Ram pickup trucks. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Developers Hope A Balloon-Like Battery Will Aid Wisconsin Renewable Energy Efforts” • When Wisconsin’s largest coal plant, the Columbia Energy Center, closes in a few years, a carbon dioxide-filled “battery” developed by the Italian company Energy Dome will take its place. The facility will use carbon dioxide for energy storage. [Wisconsin Watch]

Columbia Energy Center (Courtesy of Alliant Energy)

¶ “Entrepreneur Recycles Metal And Other Parts Of Old Solar Panels” • As the world pivots from planet-warming fossil fuels to renewable energy, a new pollution problem is rearing its head: What can we do with old or worn-out solar panels? Adam Saghei, CEO of Arizona-based We Recycle Solar, has an answer, what he calls “urban mining.” [VOA News]

¶ “Pattern Energy Closes $11 Billion Financing Of Largest Clean Energy Infrastructure Project In US History” • Pattern Energy Group LP has closed an $11 billion financing and begun full construction of 550 mile SunZia Transmission and the 3,515-MW SunZia Wind, which combine to be the largest project for clean energy infrastructure in US history. [Pattern Energy]

Have an astonishingly wonderful day.

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

Opinion:

¶ “Building Decarbonization Policy Must Center Housing and Health Equity” • A brief from the NRDC highlights how racist practices create poor housing quality for at-risk communities and what can be done about this within building decarbonization policy. The NRDC collaborated with the Building Energy, Equity, and Power Coalition on the brief. [CleanTechnica]

New York City (Magnus Andersson, Unsplash)

¶ “Positive Environmental Stories From 2023” • As 2023 draws to an end, we’re confident the good news will keep on coming, as renewable power soars, vulnerable ecosystems gain rights, and climate protocols start to pay dividends. Climate anxiety is very real, but these good news stories from throughout 2023 prove there is hope for our planet. [Euronews.com]

World:

¶ “Climate Change: Seasonal Shifts Causing ‘Chaos’ For UK Nature” • The loss of predictable weather patterns is “causing chaos” for nature, according to the National Trust. It warns climate change is upsetting the regular rhythm of the seasons, making plants and wildlife vulnerable to disease. The effects can be seen at estates the National Trust manages. [BBC]

Red deer (Barry Edwards, National Trust)

¶ “Renewable Energy Drive For Indigenous Groups In Colombia” • Colombia approved regulations to encourage communities and indigenous groups to produce energy through renewable sources and sell it to the national grid. Earlier this month, bidding was opened for its first offshore wind farms. Only 1% of the country’s energy comes from alternative sources. [BBC]

¶ “Solar Panel Prices Down 30–40% In 2023, US Prices Down 15%” • The average global solar module price in the 3rd quarter of 2023 was down 30–40% from the 1st quarter of 2023, mostly due to imbalances in supply and demand in China. The US market gets almost no solar panels from China, but prices were down 15% in the same time. [CleanTechnica]

Solar panels (Mariana Proença, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Renewable Energy Investments To Surge 83% To $16.5 Billion In 2024” • India’s investments in renewable energy projects are expected to increase over 83% in 2024 to $16.5 billion, as the country focuses on energy transition to reduce carbon emissions, the Power Ministry estimates. India’s goal is to have 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030. [The Hindu]

¶ “Uruguay’s Green Power Revolution: Rapid Shift To Wind Shows The World How It’s Done” • In 2008, to escape high oil prices, Uruguay’s President Vázquez needed rapid solutions. He turned to Ramón Méndez Galain, a nuclear physicist, who would transform the country’s energy grid into one of the cleanest in the world, based on wind power. [The Guardian]

Wind turbines (Luca Bravo, Unsplash)

¶ “Record Amount Of Green Energy Installed In Italy This Year” • Italy installed a record amount of renewable energy this year, data released by a monitoring group shows. Over the first nine months of this year, 3.1 GW of renewable energy were installed, a record amount of new capacity for the period, the Renewable Energy Sources Observatory reported. [Xinhua]

¶ “EverGen Infrastructure Announces Completion Of The Fraser Valley Biogas Expansion” • In Australia, EverGen Infrastructure Corp reported completion of the Fraser Valley Biogas expansion and the delivery of first gas injection. Having acquired the facility in 2021, EverGen has delivered Fraser Valley Biogas’s original intended design. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Fraser Biogas (Courtesy of EverGen Infrastructure)

¶ “Start Of Construction Underway For Three Big Solar Parks In Romania” • Romania joined the group of gigawatt-scale markets this year in terms of installed PV capacity. In fact, SolarPower Europe expects the country to reach 8.7 GW by 2027. The solar boom is fueled in all segments from prosumers to municipal authorities. [Balkan Green Energy News]

¶ “TEPCO’s Operational Ban Is Lifted, Putting It One Step Closer To Restarting Reactors In Niigata” • Japanese nuclear regulators lifted an operational ban imposed on a nuclear plant owned by TEPCO Holdings, the operator behind the Fukushima Daiichi plant. This allows the company to resume preparations to restart the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant. [KRDO]

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant (D a, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Maine Storm Has Delayed A Key Vote On California-Style Limits For Gas Vehicles” • The rollout of potential regulations to drastically cut gas-powered vehicle sales in Maine was pushed back by a year because the Board of Environmental Protection had to delay a key vote after a storm caused power outages. The end of public comment was also delayed. [ABC News]

¶ “In Montana, Wind Is About To Overtake Coal Generation Capacity” • Data from the Energy Information Administration show that Montana coal plants had 1,631 MW of nameplate capacity in October. In the same period, Montana’s wind capacity was 1,479 MW. But two new Montana wind farms will soon come online, changing the balance. [Electrek]

Wind farm (Clearwater Wind image)

¶ “Illinois To Require EV Charging At Rental Properties Starting January 1” • Earlier this year, the Illinois Senate passed Bill 40, which will require single-family homes and newly constructed residential buildings with parking spaces to include conduits for EV charging, and it is going into effect on January 1. Other states are considering similar laws. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Power Setting Records In 2023” • Solar installations are expected to hit new record highs in the US this year. In the 3rd quarter of 2023, solar installations were up 35% year over year. Analysts from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie expect around 33 GW of solar power capacity will be added in 2023. [CleanTechnica]

Have a totally copacetic day.

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Opinion:

¶ “2023 Has Been A Big Year For Climate Accountability In The Courts ” • Climate litigation had a momentous year in 2023. Courts worldwide heard evidence and arguments at pivotal trials and hearings. Landmark rulings marked progress in holding governments to account for climate inaction or denial, and new climate cases continued to be filed. [DeSmog]

Courtroom (Jeremy McGilvrey, Unsplash)

¶ “COP28’s Unrealistic Tripling Of Nuclear Power” • UN climate conferences since 1992 have failed to follow through with results, as CO₂ emissions continue higher and higher with every passing year. The most recent conference, COP28, embraced nuclear power as a godsend challenging climate change. This is more fantasy than reality. [CityWatch Los Angeles]

World:

¶ “Amazon Drought: ‘We’ve Never Seen Anything Like This’” • The Amazon rainforest experienced its worst drought on record in 2023. Many villages became unreachable by river, wildfires raged, and wildlife died. Some scientists worry events like these are a sign that the world’s biggest forest is fast approaching a point of no return. [BBC]

Dry river bed (Lucas Amorelli, Sea Shepherd)

¶ “Solar Faces Challenges in Procurement And Supply Chain Strategy: Rystad” • In a report, Rystad emphasizes a need to develop a procurement strategy for supply chains that prioritizes cost-effectiveness and sustainability. It finds the supply chains system for oil and gas equipment and services to be fragmented and geographically diverse. [Saur Energy]

¶ “TPG Weighs $750 Million Investment In Greenko’s Green Ammonia Business” • Greenko group, one of India’s largest renewable energy companies, is in talks with private equity investor TPG Rise Climate fund to raise as much as $750 million in its green ammonia business, said people familiar with the ongoing discussions. [Moneycontrol]

Solar array (Greenko ZeroC image)

¶ “Gulf Energy Development Expands Its Renewable Energy Portfolio With Twelve New Solar Projects In Thailand” • Gulf Energy Development Public Company Ltd has taken a significant stride in its renewable energy portfolio. It announced that it signed power purchase agreements for twelve additional solar projects in Thailand. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Deep Wind Offshore Reveals 70-Turbine Wind Farm Project Offshore Sweden” • Deep Wind Offshore, based in Norway, is submitting a permit application for construction and operation of an offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Bothnia, off the south coast of Sweden. The Olof Skötkonung wind farm will include up to 70 wind turbines. [offshoreWIND.biz]

Offshore wind farm construction (EDF Renewables image)

¶ “Energy Sector Not Ready For Rapid Rise Of Renewables, Analysts Say” • A survey by the International Energy Agency of clean energy firms finds that not enough workers are being trained to fill the growth in skilled jobs. There is a great need, in particular, for trained electricians, to meet the rapid growth of wind, solar, and EVs. [Yale E360]

¶ “1.25 GW! Yingli Solar To Supply High-Efficiency Modules For Mega PV Power Plant In The Middle East” • Yingli Solar will provide 1.25 GW of high-efficiency PV modules for the Saad 2 PV project in Saudi Arabia. This project, developed by ACWA Power, is a pivotal part of the third round of PV projects by the Public Investment Fund. [Yahoo Finance]

Solar array (Raphael Cruz, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Turning Welding Machines Into EV Chargers” • Lincoln Electric, which has been in business since 1895, is known for manufacturing welding equipment of all types. It recently introduced its Velion line of DC fast EV chargers. Its Velion Level 3 DC fast charger platform delivers fast charging speeds with unparalleled reliability. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Large Indiana Solar Farm Approved To Power Southwest Michigan” • The Michigan Public Service Commission signed off on a large solar farm in Indiana to help power six counties in southwest Michigan. It approved a certificate of public necessity to Indiana Michigan Power Co for a 245-MW solar array to be built in Blackford County, Indiana. [MLive.com]

Solar farm (Mark Stebnicki, Pexels)

¶ “Wärtsilä Is To Provide Energy Storage System For Tampa Electric Company” • Technology group Wärtsilä will supply a 15-MW, 30-MWh battery system to Tampa Electric Company. It will be co-located with a 25 MW solar plant in Dover, Florida. The project will ensure grid reliability as the utility scales up its portfolio of solar energy. [Energy Global]

¶ “Advocates Hope To Use Map And Grant To Reduce Conflict Over Solar And Wind Siting” • As Indiana prepares to bring thousands of megawatts of wind and solar energy generating capacity online, environmentalists and educators hope to use mapping and grant-boosted education tools to manage strife over where projects go. [The Journal Gazette]

Have an unprecedentedly enjoyable day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Bill McKibben Lists Five Reason New LNG Terminals Won’t Be Approved. We Add One More” • After Russia cut Europe’s gas supply, the Europeans wanted new LNG terminals to ship US gas. Bill McKibben is campaigning to thwart the terminals. He listed five reasons why he thinks federal approvals may not be given. Here is a sixth. [CleanTechnica]

LNG tanker (HS Spender, Unsplash)

¶ “Coal State Sells Coal-Killing Iron-Air Energy Storage To Other States” • Oh the irony, it burns. Public officials in the iconic coal-producing state of West Virginia love to rant against renewable energy. But the state has just loaded up a $290 million incentive package to reel in the Massachusetts-based US energy storage startup Form Energy. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Can Flow Batteries Finally Beat Lithium?” • A new type of flow battery uses anew kind of fluid called nanoelectrofuel. It can store 15 to 25 times as much energy as a traditional flow battery, allowing for a battery system small enough for use in an EV and energy-dense enough to provide the range and speedy refill of a gasoline-powered vehicle. [IEEE Spectrum]

Equipment to make flow battery anodes (Influit Energy image)

¶ “This New Recyclable Wind Turbine Is The World’s First To Use Elium Resin” • Taking a stride towards a circular economy in the wind industry, the ZEBRA consortium announced the production of the second recyclable thermoplastic wind turbine blade and the successful completion of the full-scale validation testing for the first. [Interesting Engineering]

World:

¶ “Christmas Eve: Hottest since 1997 after 15.3°C recorded near Heathrow” • It was declared the warmest Christmas Eve in the UK since 1997. Temperatures hit 15.3°C (59.5°F) in Heathrow, west London, and Cippenham in Slough, the Met Office said. The warmest 24 December ever was 15.5°C, in Aberdeen and Banff in Scotland, in 1931. [BBC]

Slough (N Chadwick, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “BYD’s Plan For Japan Is Good For Africa” • BYD has some big plans for the Japanese market, according to reports from Tokyo. Reportedly, BYD wants to sell at least 30,000 EVs in Japan each year, though a network of about a hundred dealers. This can be quite a good development for several countries in Africa that get most of their vehicles from Japan. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Suzlon Soars High With 193-MW Wind Power Contract In Gujarat” • Suzlon Group has secured a major contract from KP Group for a 193.2-MW wind energy project in Gujarat. The deal is for 92 units of their advanced 2.1-MW wind turbines, installed on 140-meter hybrid lattice tubular towers. This is a repeat order from KP Group. [Manufacturing Today India]

Suzlon wind turbine

¶ “ING Ditches Oil & Gas, Aims To Triple Renewables Financing By 2025” • The Dutch bank ING Groep NV has decided to phase out upstream oil and gas financing in favor of renewable energy. It said in a media release that its upstream oil and gas financing will be phased out by 2040, while its investment in renewable energy will be tripled by 2025. [Rigzone]

¶ “IEA Working To Cut Renewable Energy Costs In Developing World” • The International Energy Agency will work to ensure the World Bank, regional development banks, and others will prioritise the cost of investing in clean energy in developing countries following the COP28 summit last week, its Executive Director said. [The Fiji Times]

Wind turbines (Pagie Page, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Renewed Hope For Renewable Energy At The End Of A Rollercoaster Year” • The UK’s march towards a greener future took several blows over the last year, but ended with the return of optimism as 2023 ends. Despite a failed offshore wind auction in the summer, two of the biggest North Sea developers produced some good news in December. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Russian Emergency Service: Fire Reported On Nuclear-Powered Vessel, Quickly Extinguished” • A fire broke out on a Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker in the northern Russian port of Murmansk but was quickly extinguished by firefighters, the regional branch of Russia’s emergency ministry said. The fire was put out without casualties. [Yahoo News]

Sevmorput (Kinburn, Public domain)

US:

¶ “Record-High Temperatures, Cross-Country Storm Forecast This Holiday Weekend” • A white Christmas may not be a reality for a vast majority of Americans this holiday season. Record-high temperatures are possible for multiple regions around the United States for the Christmas holiday, while other regions could be hit with heavy rain. [ABC News]

¶ “Tesla 4680 Battery Production Is Trapped In Production Hell” • Tesla is making its new 4680 cells at the Gigafactory in Austin, where it builds the Model Y and the Cybertruck. But there are serious problmes with the new cell technology, both in the rate of rejection and in the time it takes to make them, which have suffered as manufacture scaled up. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Pontus Jerand Wernhammar, Unsplash)

¶ “US Electric Car Market at the Whim of Tesla Supply And Demand Trends” • During the pandemic, prices of both new and used EVs went up. Then, Tesla dropped its prices repeatedly. Now, new Tesla cars qualify for EV incentives, and Tesla ramped up production on lower priced cars, so the market values of EVs has had to drop. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Amazon Gives Surprising Second Life To Decrepit Coal Mine” • In November, Amazon came closer to using 100% renewable energy by adding two renewable energy projects in Maryland. The recently closed Arch Coal mine will become the largest solar farm in the state, with 300,000 panels. The other project will be an agrivoltaic system. [Yahoo News]

Have a blissfully cheerful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Pity The Poor Climate-Aware Billionaire Oligarchs” • As we mark the passing of another year with the rituals of our religions, families, and cultures, spare a thought for the poor benighted billionaires who are trying and failing miserably to address climate change. They have a place to stand, a lever long enough, yet cannot move the world. [CleanTechnica]

World view (Look Up Look Down Photography, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Elegant Solid State EV Battery To Be Unveiled At CES 2024 By Schaeffler…Who?” • The field of solid state energy storage is about to get a little more crowded next year, when the German automotive supplier Schaeffler will reportedly unveil its new solid state EV battery at CES 24. The 75-year-old company is known for ball bearings. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Technology Can Rejuvenate And Extend The Life Of Old Solar Panels” • EtaVolt, a new company spun off from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, developed a nifty device that can rejuvenate and extend the life of old PV panels. The technology can be used on around 90% of all existing PV panels available worldwide. [Interesting Engineering]

EtaVolt PV rejuvenation device (EtaVolt)

World:

¶ “Germany’s Traffic Light Coalition Unexpectedly Turns Red For EV Incentives” • Germany abruptly stopped all remaining EV incentives, a year in advance of what had been promised, due to the country’s economic woes. The eco-bonus incentive, which was to go until January 2025, was cancelled with immediate effect on 17th December 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Chooses Hungary As The Site Of Its First Electric Car Factory In Europe” • BYD announced it will build an electric car manufacturing facility in the Hungarian city of Szeged. Foreign minister Péter Szijjártó posted a statement on his Facebook page saying the BYD factory “will be one of the largest investments in Hungarian economic history.” [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seal (Photo from BYD Media Center)

¶ “Adani’s Wind Energy Project To Offer Lowest Unit Price In Sri Lanka” • Sri Lanka is grappling with rising electricity generation costs, lacking the benefits seen in neighbouring countries with Independent Power Producers. IPPs like Adani could offer a substantial 30% cost reduction, dropping unit costs below $0.10 giving a much-needed relief. [Colombo Gazett]

¶ “AMLO’s Oil-Heavy Energy Policies Face Scrutiny” • Mexico’s President Andres Lopez Manuel Obrador (AMLO) has bet big on oil and gas since his inauguration in 2018 but the sector is beset by poor standards and high levels of debt, leading many to question his choices. Meanwhile, the renewable energy industry has been swept aside. [Oil Price]

Mexican wind farm (Lynx Burgos, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Mystery Green Hydrogen Investors Not A Mystery Any More” • Some investors just can’t resist the allure of clean power in the US. The latest example is a Danish company that bills itself as “a global leader in offshore wind.” They are aiming at the US green hydrogen market, with an assist from one of the largest private businesses in the country. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hybrid Sales Soar While EV Sales Plateau” • Americans bought more than one million hybrids so far in 2023, which is up 76% year over year. Sales of hybrids had been declining for several years. This turnabout comes as companies like GM and Ford are lowering the EV production targets. Consumers are still uneasy about charging away from home. [CleanTechnica]

Prius hybrid (Raivis Razgals, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “US Releases Rule Ensuring Only Green Hydrogen Gets $3/kg Tax Credit” • The US government unveiled its long-awaited proposed rules on clean hydrogen production. Green hydrogen projects will have to source power input from renewables assets on the same regional grid that have been installed within three years of H₂ production starting. [SolarPACES]

¶ “The Heavily Criticized “Aroostook Renewable Gateway” Suffers Another Setback” • The Public Utilities Commission of Maine has been forced to delay development of the Aroostook Renewable Energy Gateway because the developers can’t do the work for the agreed upon price. The line was to be connected to King Pine wind facility. [The Maine Wire]

Rendering of proposed transmission line (Courtesy of CMP)

¶ “South Dakota Rejects Opportunity To Use Federal Money To Expand Solar Power” • In another example of MAGAism stunting South Dakota’s growth, the Noem Administration has joined five other Republican-led states in refusing federal grants to boost clean energy. Non-profit and Indian groups have applied for the state’s allocation. [Dakota Free Press]

¶ “Georgia Power Ratepayers To Be On The Line For Another $7.6 Billion For Vogtle” • Reportedly, a financial agreement for the nuclear project boondoggle was approved by the Georgia Public Service Commission. It calls for the utility to cover at least $2.6 billion of an expected $10 billion in construction and capital costs spent on the Vogtle project. [WNEG]

Have the proverbially quintessential day.

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Opinion:

¶ “After A Terrible Year Of Climate News, Here Are 5 Reasons To Feel Positive” • There has been no shortage of bleak climate news this year. But amid the gloom, there have also been signs of progress. Renewable energy records have been set, and the world celebrated one of its greatest environmental wins. Here are five reasons to be hopeful. [CNN]

River in the Amazon basin (Artur Warchavchik, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Modeling Breakthrough Allows Researchers To Account for Occupant Comfort And Assess Smart Building Technologies” • About five years ago, a group of US National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers looked at trends for electrifying home appliances and realized they shared a common, unaddressed need for tools. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Vestas May Expand Even Faster Onshore By Not Aiming For Even Bigger Wind Turbines” • Vestas announced two major orders in Germany and Lithuania for V162 turbines of 5.6 MW and 6.2 MW, with a combined capacity of 152 MW. The turbines are dwarfed by Vestas’ 15-MW offshore turbine, but Vestas is not aiming for bigger onshore turbines. [CleanTechnica]

Vestas wind turbine (Lina N, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Protecting European Auto (And Battery) Jobs – Finally EU Priority” • In her annual State of the Union address, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, startled many by announcing a probe into Chinese EV subsidies. The result is not yet known, but carmakers have already started to shift EV manufacturing to Europe. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Britain Likely To Generate More Electricity From Wind, Solar And Hydro Than Fossil Fuels For The First Year In 2023” • For three months Tech Xplore tracked data for Great Britain (though not Northern Ireland, which is on the Republic of Ireland’s grid). They believe the UK is on track generate more electricity from renewables than fossil fuels in 2023. [Tech Xplore]

UK wind farm (Pixabay, CC0, Public domain)

¶ “Italian Centralised Storage Receives €17.7 Billion Injection” • The European Commission has approved a €17.7 billion ($19.5 billion) Italian scheme to support the construction and operation of a centralised electricity storage system of over 9 GW, 71 GWh, helping to integrate renewable energy sources into the country’s electricity system. [Power Engineering International]

¶ “E2E’s New Project Will Make Alberta Town First In Canada Powered Completely By Geothermal Energy” • E2E Energy Solutions and the municipality of Rainbow Lake, Alberta, are announcing a first of its kind pilot project that will power and heat the community entirely using geothermal renewable energy sources by 2028. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Sunset at Rainbow Lake (snub_you, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “IAEA Continues To Seek Zaporizhzhia Reactor Rooftop Access” • International Atomic Energy Agency experts were told that security concerns meant they would not be going ahead with their planned access to the reactor rooftops at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on 19 December. No alternative date has been set. [World Nuclear News]

US:

“160 Communities Now Automating Solar Permitting With SolarAPP+” • Over 160 US communities are using SolarAPP+™ (Solar Automated Permit Processing Plus), a free, online software platform for local governments that standardizes, streamlines, and automates the solar permitting process. They have approved over 32,800 projects. [CleanTechnica]

Homes with rooftop solar (Werner Slocum, NREL)

¶ “Long And Winding Road To US Offshore Wind Just Got 35 Miles Shorter” • US Wind, Inc, announced the start of a marine survey to prepare the final layout design for an 80,000 acre windpower project off the coast of Ocean City, Maryland. Alpine Ocean Seismic Survey will conduct data collection along the 35-mile route. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Pike Solar Powers Up, Commences Commercial Operations In Colorado” • Independent renewable project developer, owner, and operator Deriva Energy, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, announced the start of commercial operation at Pike Solar in El Paso County, Colorado. Pike Solar will provide energy to Colorado Springs Utilities. [PR Newswire]

Pikes solar array (Courtesy of Colorado Springs Utilities)

¶ “New Agreement Aims To Add Renewable Power To Montana’s Grid” • Two Montana communities have voted to approve the Green Power Program, which, pending approval by the state Public Service Commission, will add a new renewable energy source for local governments, businesses, and eventually for residents to tap into. [Sydney Herald]

¶ “Officials Surprised By Davis-Besse Devaluation” • The treasurer of a local school district is encouraging residents to contact state legislators for answers about why the valuation of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant dropped by $54 million. The Ottawa County school district will realize a loss in property taxes of about $1.8 million. [Press Publications]

Have a really dreamy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Top Clean Energy Accomplishments from US DOE in 2023” • In 2023, the US DOE made monumental strides in advancing the country’s clean energy goals. The DOE has been hard at work to combat the climate crisis, lower costs for American families and pave a path for our clean energy future. This article has a few of the top accomplishments of 2023. [CleanTechnica]

Power lines (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Scientists Find New Way To Desalinate Seawater Using Solar Power, Study Says” • Researchers at Nankai University in Tianjin, China, may have found a more efficient water to desalinate water using solar power, according to a paper in the journal Science Advances, offering a solution for global water scarcity through the use of renewable energy. [ABC News]

¶ “Floating Solar Power Plants To Hitch A Ride With Offshore Wind Farms” • The latest green development involves floating solar panels on the ocean instead of planting them on land. To ice the green cake, a Dutch-Norwegian shipyard spinoff called SolarDuck is laying plans to leverage offshore wind farms for its new floating solar technology. [CleanTechnica]

Solar Duck floating solar array (Courtesy of SolarDuck via RWE)

¶ “More Range from Nickel-Rich Electric Vehicle Batteries” • A seemingly simple shift in lithium-ion battery manufacturing could pay big dividends, improving EVs’ ability to store more energy per charge and to withstand more charging cycles, according to new research led by the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Is Nuclear Energy The Answer? It Depends On The Risk Threshold” • The cost of solar and wind power has been dropping as technology develops and the sector scales. SMR-generated nuclear power costs at least three times as much as power from solar or wind. The case of the NuScale SMR demonstrates the stark challenges. [JD Supra]

Sizewell nuclear plant (Geographer, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

World:

¶ “Angola Leaves OPEC In Output Quota Row” • Angola has announced it is leaving OPEC over a dispute on output quotas. This follows last month’s decision by the thirteen-member oil cartel and ten allied nations to further reduce oil production in 2024 to prop up volatile global prices. Angola produces about 1.1 million barrels per day. [BBC]

¶ “30% Of New Cars In France Now Plugin Electric Cars!” • Plugin vehicles continue to rise in France, with last month’s registrations ending at 45,281 units. There were 30,769 battery EVs (20% share of the overall auto market) and 14,512 PHEVs (10% share). The former jumped 52% year over year, while the latter were up by 18%. [CleanTechnica]

2023 Peugeot E-208 (Rutger van der Maar, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “23% Of Energy Consumed In 2022 Came From Renewables” • The share of renewable sources in gross final energy use at the EU level reached 23.0% in 2022. This represents an increase of 1.1 percentage points from 2021. The revised Renewable Energy Directive has revised upwards the EU’s 2030 renewable energy target from 32% to 42.5%. [European Commission]

¶ “Britain’s Roofs Can Be A Huge Resource For Solar Energy” • Roofs occupy an enormous amount of surface area in British cities and yet only a small fraction of this space is used for solar panels, despite the obvious benefits. There is the equivalent of thousands of hectares of suitable roofs. The chapel at King’s College, Cambridge is an example. [The Guardian]

King’s College (Wayne Yao, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Renewable Energy Now Exceeds 50% Of Installed Capacity” • China’s installed capacity of renewable energy has exceeded 1.45 billion kW (1,450 GW) this year, according to data released by the National Energy Administration. That means renewable energy accounts for more than 50% of the country’s total installed power generating capacity. [China Daily]

US:

¶ “Dreaming Of A White Christmas? Try Alaska. Meanwhile, Some US Ski Areas Hit With Rain” • “Some people will get their dream, their wish, and get a white Christmas right at the last minute,” said Judah Cohen, the director of seasonal forecasting at Verisk Atmospheric and Environmental Research. He said that climate change is behind reduced snow cover. [ABC News]

No White Christmas? (krakenimages, Unsplash)

¶ “Amprius Announces Ten-Fold Capacity Expansion At Its Fremont, California Battery Production Facility” • Amprius technologies makes some of the world’s highest energy density lithium-ion battery cells using proprietary silicone nanowire anode technology. Amprius is working on a gigawatt-hour scale production facility in Colorado. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Seattle Gets Creative To Limit Methane Gas Pollution As Industry Pushes Back” • After an appellate court ruled that because the federal Energy Policy Conservation Act prevents cities and states from setting certain standards, local authorities can’t ban fossil fuel burning appliances, the city of Seattle decided to get creative. [CleanTechnica]

Seattle (Stephen Plopper, Unsplash)

¶ “‘Water Is Life’: Navajo Nation Fights Serial Entrepreneur’s Hydropower Plant” • After Nature & People First proposed a pumped storage facility to replace the closed Navajo Generating Station, Navajo environmentalists are opposing the project. They assert that it will adversely affect the largest land area held by Indian peoples in the US. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Senators Markey And Warren Call For Strong Review Of Proposed Changes To Emergency Response Capabilities At Seabrook Nuclear Power Station” • Senators Markey and Warren urged the NRC to evaluate carefully a proposal to move important emergency response staff for the Seabrook plant from the plant to Florida. [Senator Edward Markey]

Have an entirely lovely day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Ontario’s Welcome About-Face On Renewable Energy” • Premier Doug Ford appears to have experienced a come-to-green-power moment. Ontario Energy Minister Todd Smith put out the call for 2,000 MW – about 5% of all generation in the province – of non-emitting power generation, including wind, solar, hydro and bioenergy. [Toronto Star]

Toronto (Lukas Menzel, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Scientists Successfully Replicate Historic Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough Three Times” • Scientists in California shooting nearly 200 lasers at a cylinder holding a fuel capsule the size of a peppercorn have taken another step in the quest for fusion energy, which, if mastered, could provide the world with a near-limitless source of clean power. [CNN]

World:

¶ “Nature Groups Go To Court In Greece Over A Strategic Gas Terminal Backed By EU” • Five environmental campaign agencies have launched legal action against a major natural gas project supported by the EU as a regional alternative to Russian energy. Greenpeace and the World Wide Fund for Nature led the legal action. [ABC News]

Gas-fired power plant (USFWS, public domain)

¶ “Gogoro To Power Uber Eats With Battery Swap Technology in Taiwan” • In many countries where scooters and motorcycles are a popular way to get around, people live in dense housing. With no driveway of their own to plug it in, it’s tough to actually get the scooter charged up at night. Gogoro figured out a way around that problem in Taiwan. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Fuel Cell Electric Truck Gets A Big Thumbs-Up” • The battle between batteries and fuel cells is heating up, but Daimler Truck is not picking sides. Its Mercedes-Benz GenH2 hydrogen fuel cell truck is aimed at operations that are less than optimal for battery-electric trucks, and five leading stakeholders have already signed up for it. [CleanTechnica]

Mercedes-Benz GenH2 truck (courtesy of Daimler Truck)

¶ “Dutch-Norwegian Cleantech Firm SolarDuck Bags €15 Million For Its Offshore Floating Solar Power Tech” • SolarDuck reported that it has secured €15 million in additional funding to advance its Offshore Floating Solar power technology. The funds will be used to execute SolarDuck’s first commercial projects and work towards its 1-GW 2030 target. [Silicon Canals]

¶ “Cheaper Tesla Model Coming To China Soon? Giga Shanghai Significantly Expanding” • Tesla is on the cusp of a significant expansion at its Gigafactory Shanghai, setting the stage for increased EV production and the launch of a highly anticipated budget-friendly model. This strategic move has the potential to bolster Tesla’s presence in China. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Gigafactory Shanghai

¶ “Solar And On-Shore Wind Provide Cheapest Electricity And Nuclear Most Expensive, CSIRO Analysis Shows” • Electricity generated by solar and on-shore wind is Australia’s cheapest, even after the expense of integrating them into the power grid is factored in, according to analysis from the CSIRO. This contrasts with nuclear power. [The Guardian]

¶ “Green Hydrogen Gets Big Boost With Frontier Takeover Of Waroona Energy” • Australian renewable energy firm Frontier Energy has acquired Waroona Energy. With neighbouring large solar projects in Western Australia, the companies plan to create the state’s largest vertically integrated renewable energy hub and make green hydrogen. [pv magazine Australia]

Solar array (Frontier Energy image)

US:

¶ “$40 Million to Train the Clean Energy Workforce from Biden-Harris Admin” • Authorized by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the DOE’s Energy Auditor Training program will provide up to $40 million in grants for states to train individuals to conduct energy audits or surveys of commercial and residential buildings. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Oregon Appeals Court Finds Rules For The State’s Climate Program Are Invalid” • A state appeals court in Oregon decided that the rules for a program designed to limit and drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel companies are invalid. The department, however, said the decision was limited to an administrative error. [ABC News]

Mount Jefferson (Eric Muhr, Unsplash)

¶ “After A Brutal 2023, Offshore Wind Looks To Overcome Growing Pains” • In 2023, financial hardships and logistical challenges hammered project developers in the United States, leading them to cancel a quarter of the nation’s offshore wind farms under contract. But America has amassed a hefty pipeline of offshore wind projects. [Canary Media]

¶ “Chicago Archdiocese To Power Parishes, Schools With 100% Renewable Energy” • The power of the wind will soon power the Catholic Church in the Windy City. The Chicago Archdiocese announced that beginning in January its parishes, schools, offices, and cemeteries will switch to 100% renewable energy sources for its electricity needs. [National Catholic Reporter]

Chicago (Sawyer Bengtson, Unsplash)

¶ “Maine Turns Its Heat Pump Focus To ‘Whole-House’ Systems That Can All But Eliminate Fossil Fuel Use” • Maine’s new state incentives are pushing residents to adopt “whole-house” heat pump systems, making efficient electricity the primary home heat source and discouraging secondary use of oil or gas. They add to federal incentives. [Energy News Network]

¶ “Trench 94: The US Navy’s Nuclear Submarine Graveyard” • Do you ever wonder where nuclear submarines go when they die? That is, where their highly radioactive cores are stored? There is a place in the US, called Trench 94, which is effectively a nuclear submarine graveyard, containing dozens of old reactors that are stored in perpetuity. [IFLScience]

Have a notably industrious day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Five Lessons From Portugal’s Six-Day Renewables Streak” • Years of renewables development set Portugal up for stunning success this fall when the country met all of its electricity needs with renewable sources for six days straight. So the grid can run on 100% renewables, but what else needs to happen to go from six days of clean energy to 365? [Canary Media]

Steetcar in Lisbon (Vita Marija Murenaite, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Algae Biofuel Rises From Grave To Haunt Fossil Fuel Stakeholders” • Algae biofuel was a big deal two decades back, when sustainable energy advocates were on the hunt for a next-generation oil crop. Then, it seems, algae biofuel got lost in the clean power sauce. However, it has never really gone away, and now it has come roaring back. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Fears Of Higher Oil Prices After Red Sea Attacks” • Attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea risk pushing up the price of oil and other goods, analysts have warned. Several firms paused shipments through the route after vessels were attacked by Houthi rebels in Yemen. In that case, they reroute around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope. [BBC]

Container ship (Diego Fernandez, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “At Least 100 Elephants Die In Drought-Stricken Zimbabwe Park” • At least 100 elephants have died in Zimbabwe’s largest national park in recent weeks because of drought. Their carcasses are a grisly sign of what wildlife authorities and conservation groups say is the impact of climate change and the El Nino weather phenomenon. [ABC News]

¶ “South Africa’s Shoprite Group Has Doubled The Amount Of Renewable Energy Used For Operations In Just One Year!” • The Shoprite Group is South Africa’s largest retailer by sales, market capitalization, profit, and number of employees and customers. Shoprite is accelerating its solar rollout across its sites in South Africa and other African markets. [CleanTechnica]

Rooftop solar system (Shoprite image)

¶ “Six Energy Companies Unite To Accelerate Offshore Wind Development In Philippines” • Six energy companies have joined forces and formed a Philippine-based offshore wind industry organisation to provide the expertise and technical resources needed to accelerate the development of offshore wind projects in the country. [Offshore Wind Biz]

¶ “Walmart Starts Its Electric Semi Truck Transformation” • Walmart Canada is rolling out three electric semi trucks at a grocery distribution centre in British Columbia. It will use the Freightliner eCascadia electric semis. Each truck will travel about 110,000 km (68,350 miles) each year. Walmart intends to electrify 100% of its fleet. [CleanTechnica]

Walmart electric semi (Courtesy of Walmart)

¶ “Philippines’ SN Aboitiz Power Group Charts Bold Solar Expansion, Aiming For 1,000 MW By 2030” • SN Aboitiz Power Group, a collaboration of Aboitiz Power Corp and Norwegian firm Scatec, is expanding its renewable energy portfolio beyond hydroelectric power. The company aims to increase its solar capacity by 1,000 MW by 2030. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Global Floating Wind Turbine Market Size Is Estimated To Reach $54,704 million By 2030” • Demand for floating wind turbines is growing. According to Straits Research, “The global floating wind turbine market size was valued at $5,655 million in 2021, projected to reach $54,704 million, and expand at a CAGR of 32.8% during the forecast period.” [Yahoo Finance]

Base of a floating turbine (US DOE, public domain)

¶ “Fewer Than Third Of Swiss Back Nuclear Power” • Fewer than a third of Swiss people favor nuclear power. Enthusiasm for wind turbines is also limited, according to a survey. The Swiss favour solar panels, primarily, and hydroelectric power plants. Large-scale rooftop solar installations are seen as the most important option, with 63% in favour. [SwissInfo]

US:

¶ “Biden-Harris Admin Announces $530 Million for Building Energy Efficiency And Resilience to Cut Consumer Costs” • The US DOE announce up to $530 million in technical assistance competitive grants for the adoption and implementation of the latest energy codes and standards. The program will be funded through the Inflation Reduction Act. [CleanTechnica]

Power lines (Dronebogus, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Delaware To Negotiate With US Wind Over Benefits For State” • Governor John Carney announced the start of negotiations between Delaware and US Wind on its two planned offshore wind projects, seeking potential agreements for leasing state land, reducing electricity costs, and funding workforce and environmental projects. [State of Delaware News]

¶ “Governor Polis Announces Funding For Agrivoltaics Grants To Help Colorado’s Agriculture Benefit From Solar Tech” • Gov Polis and Colorado Department of Agriculture Commissioner Kate Greenberg awarded $500,000 in grants to seven projects that demonstrate the use and benefits of agrivoltaics, the use of land for both solar energy and agriculture. [Colorado.gov]

Solar array for agrivoltaics (Tobi Kellner, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Meta Signs Deal For 330 MW Of Renewable Energy In Illinois And Arkansas” • Utility-scale solar developer and battery storage company Adapture Renewables, announced that it signed three Environmental Attributes Purchase Agreements with Meta to procure 330 MW of renewable energy from three solar projects being built in Illinois and Arkansas. [ESG Today]

¶ “Physicians Say Pilgrim Nuclear Decommissioning Should Wait For Health Studies” • A statewide physicians’ association, the publisher of the New England Journal of Medicine, says further decommissioning of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station should be put on hold to wait for research to study the public health consequences. [WCAI]

Have a fundamentally civilized day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “New Solid State EV Battery Deploys Ceramic “Brain” From Saint-Gobain” • US startup Ion Storage Systems is getting ready to launch a solid-state EV battery into a high volume commercial manufacturing line, with a little help from materials specialist Saint-Gobain. If all goes well, it will charge faster, cost less, and be better in other ways. [CleanTechnica]

Core of Ion solid-state battery (Ion Storage Systems image)

¶ “Zeekr’s New Golden Batteries Are … Golden” • EV battery technology continues to advance, sometimes at what seems to be a rapid clip. Much of the progress is subtle, incremental, nearly ignored progress that eventually adds up to a lot. But a new golden battery going into the Zeekr 007 electric car is both eye catching and a big deal. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “University Of Waikato In New Zealand Replaces More Than Half of Its Fleet With EVs- First Batch Is Made Up of BYD ATTO 3’s” • In New Zealand, the University of Waikato is transitioning its fleet to electric. The university will have nearly 80 EVs for employees once this program is completed. It is also installing EV charging stations. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Atto 3 (Courtesy of the University Of Waikato)

¶ “Renewables Have Provided More Than Half Of All Germany’s Electricity This Year” • In some places, particularly those whose economies depend on extracting fossil fuels, renewables are said to be unreliable and costly, but Germany is proving the doubters wrong. Germany has generated more than half of the electricity it used this year with renewables. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “First Phase of Volkswagen North America Gigafactory Is Complete” • Volkswagen is one of the auto industry leaders in US EV sales. It’s one of the more serious and more successful car makers in the US in terms of battery EV sales. The good news is that the first phase of Volkswagen’s battery gigafactory in St. Thomas, Ontario, is complete. [CleanTechnica]

Future PowerCo Ontario plant (Courtesy of Volkswagen AG)

¶ “UK Solar Farm To Supply Discounted Power” • Photovolt Development Partners developed the 840-MW Botley West Solar Farm in West Oxfordshire. It is to deliver affordable electricity to residents at preferential rates through a retail energy company, SolarRetail. Some energy generated by Botley West is going to the local community at a discount. [reNews]

¶ “Seven European Countries Pledge CO₂-Free Power Systems By 2035” • Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland pledged to eliminate CO₂-emitting power plants from their electricity systems by 2035. Taken together, the countries account for nearly half of EU power production. [The Business Standard]

Wind turbine (Gustavo Quepón, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “GMB Union Says Urgent Action Is Needed To Tackle Safety Concerns At Sellafield” • The GMB trade union has called on the government and nuclear authorities to take “urgent action” to address safety concerns at the Sellafield nuclear site. The union wrote to demand more investment to keep 11,000 workers at the vast nuclear rubbish dump safe. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “California Set To Become Second State To OK Rules For Turning Wastewater Into Drinking” • California regulators are set to vote on new rules to let water agencies recycle wastewater and put it right back into the pipes that carry drinking water to homes, schools, and businesses. It’s a big step for the state, but water is precious in California. [ABC News]

California Aqueduct (Ikluft, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “You Can Get A New Tesla Model 3 For $20,000 In New Jersey (Maybe)” • There is a lot of discussion about the prices of Tesla’s falling. Now someone on a platform formerly called Twitter, who goes by the name “Sami,” has gone beyond the norm to show that you can actually get a Tesla Model 3 in New Jersey for just $19,590 at the moment. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Some Good Climate News: Five Clean Energy Milestones We Hit In 2023” • Climate news can often feel gloomy. But amid the negative reports, there are optimistic stories about progress. The transition away from fossil fuels relies on expanding renewable energy and adopting electric appliances. Here are a few goals we achieved this year. [Fast Company]

Renewable electricity (Grzegorz Górniak, Unsplash)

¶ “Construction Underway On Kentucky’s Largest Solar Farm” • Construction of what is to be the largest solar array in Kentucky is underway. National Grid Renewables said its new Unbridled project, about 160 miles southwest of Louisville, is expected to go into commercial operation next year with 160-MW of generating capacity. [POWER Magazine]

¶ “WIN Waste Uses Refuse Collected By Mack EVs To Power Trucks” • Mack Trucks customer WIN Waste Innovations, a leader in the recycling and waste industry, received two Mack LR Electric Class 8 refuse vehicles. It is to be the first company in Massachusetts to power electric trucks exclusively by the waste collected by the trucks themselves. [NGT News]

Mack electric refuse truck (WIN Waste Innovations)

¶ “CPV Completes Massive Solar Project On Former Coal Mine in Pennsylvania” • Competitive Power Ventures’ affiliate CPV Renewable Power announced that CPV Maple Hill Solar, a 100-MW (AC) solar power generation facility in Portage Township, Pennsylvania, has completed construction and successfully entered operations. [Solar Power World]

¶ “Holtec Announces Delay In Indian Point Decommissioning” • Summary: Holtec International, the company responsible for decommissioning the Indian Point Energy Center in New York State, has announced a delay in the completion of the project. The decommissioning, originally scheduled to be finished by 2021, has been delayed before. [EnergyPortal.eu]

Have an entertainingly perfect day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Why Is Making EV Fast Chargers Reliable So Hard?” • For many EV drivers, charging away from home is often a nightmare, fraught with chargers that either are not working or that won’t turn on because of payment issues. The problems can originate with faulty installations, substandard maintenance, or improper management of software updates. [CleanTechnica]

Charging a Tesla (alex, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “EV Rentals Can Lead The Way To Increased EV Adoption” • A transition from cars with combustion engines to EVs will help to move the world toward reduced carbon emissions and improved air quality. Consumer confidence and affordability are barriers to the widespread adoption of EVs, so rentals have an important role to play in the success of EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Why China Didn’t Sign Global Pledge To Triple Renewables” • China Dialogue asked experts why China, despite being a world leader in renewables, has not signed a global commitment to triple renewable power capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030. They said tripling renewables is achievable, but doubling efficiency is a sticking point. [Eco-Business]

Technician (WorldSkills, Flickr, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “UAE’s Taqa Explores Stake In $2.1bn Subsea Cable Project Connecting Greece And Cyprus” • Abu Dhabi National Energy Company, known as Taqa, has signed an initial agreement to explore the prospect of becoming a shareholder in a project involving a high-voltage direct current subsea power cable between Greece and Cyprus. [The National]

¶ “First Batch Of Wind Power Projects In Inner Mongolia’s Gobi Desert Come On Stream” • The first batch of four wind power projects in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region’s Gobi Desert have come on stream. The area is rich in solar and wind energy resources. The installed capacity of the four projects is to be 3.1 million kW (3.1 GW). [Yicai Global]

Inner Mongolia (Audrius Sutkus, Unsplash)

¶ “Construction Of 216-MW Solar, 500-MWh Battery Plant Starts” • The construction of a hybrid renewables project in South Africa, with a 216-MW solar plant and a 500-MWh battery storage system to manage the intermittency of solar production, has been launched by diversified energy company TotalEnergies and its partners. [Engineering News]

¶ “Vestas Secures 186-MW Wind Turbine Order In Finland” • Danish wind turbine maker Vestas has secured a contract for 186 MW of wind turbines from the Finnish energy company Ilmatar. The order was placed by Ilmatar after reaching a final investment decision for the project, which is in Pahkakosk, 60 km north-east of Oulu, Finland. [Power Technology]

Transporting masts sections (Santeri Viinamäki, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Deploying Renewables Will Lower Africa’s Power Costs By 30%, Emissions By 90%, Says Former Nigeria VP Osinbajo” • Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria’s former Vice President, has argued that with focus on renewable energy resources, Nigeria and the rest of Africa could reduce energy costs by 30% and reduce carbon emissions by 90%. [Arise News]

¶ “All turbines Installed At Saint-Brieuc” • Iberdrola-owned Ailes Marines announced the complete installation of the 62 turbines at the 496-MW Saint-Brieuc offshore wind farm in France. The jack-up vessel Brave Tern of the Norwegian company Fred Olsen Windcarrier installed the last 8-MW machine on position SB49 on December 17, 2023. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (Iberdrola image)

¶ “South Africa Launches Bids For 5,000 MW Renewable And 615 MW Battery Capacity To Beat The Country’s Power Deficit” • The Government of South Africa has launched bidding rounds for 5,000 MW of new power generation capacity from renewable sources and 615 MW of battery storage, as the country fights to overcome power outages. [ETN News]

US:

¶ “US Auto Sales Down 8% In Q3 2023 Vs. Q3 2019” • The US auto industry is bouncing back, but it’s still below its pre-COVID days. Sales in the 3rd quarter of 2023 were 16% higher than sales in the 3rd quarter of 2022. But they were 8% below Q3 2019 sales. But battery EV sales in the US were up 44% from Q3 2022 and up 143% compared to Q3 2021. [CleanTechnica]

Rivian Pickup (Wes Hicks, Unsplash)

¶ “USDA Grows Solar Power In Rural Oregon Despite Limited Transmission, Assistance” • More farmland across the US will need to host power-generating solar panels for the country to decarbonize the electric grid and meet targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to the US Departments of Energy and Agriculture. [Cannon Beach Gazette]

¶ “Form Energy To Supply Storage Batteries For California Solar Project” • A Form Energy plant in Weirton, West Virginia, will supply iron oxide batteries for a PG&E energy storage project in Mendocino County. The $30 million project will use Form iron-air batteries to store electricity that it can discharge at 10 MW for 100 hours, to deliver 1,000 GWh. [WV News]

Form Energy battery installation (Form Energy image)

¶ “The Clean Energy Backlog Barely Budged This Year. What’s The Way Forward?” • Across the country, the amount of wind, solar and battery projects seeking connection to the grid has swelled to more than 2,000 GW. That far outpaces the total 1,250 GW of electricity generation capacity of all existing power plants on the US grid today. [Canary Media]

¶ “Georgia Residents Fear Rising Rates As Plant Vogtle Costs Soar” • Georgia residents are expressing their concerns about the potential rate hike that could result from the escalating costs of Plant Vogtle’s nuclear reactors. The Georgia PUC recently held a hearing to address how the expenses of the project should be divided. [TickerTV News]

Have an inexpressibly worthwhile day.

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Opinion:

¶ “COP28 – The End Of The 1.5°C Fantasy” • For all the happy talk in 2015 to mean anything, CO₂ levels should have been falling since then. But they have been rising, and this means the promise of the Paris climate accords was a mirage. Pessimists at the time suggested the good news was an illusion and sadly, they have been proven correct. [CleanTechnica]

John Kerry speaking (IAEA Imagebank, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “These Hot Rocks Can Glow Brighter Than The Sun. They Could Also Help Spell The End Of Fossil Fuels” •“[The rocks] in the box right now are about 1,600°C,” Andrew Ponec said, as he stood next to a thermal battery the size of a small building. That is nearly 3,000°F. “Hotter than the melting point of steel.” His company stores energy as heat in rocks. [CNN]

World:

¶ “Nations Begin Tightening The Screws On Chinese Electric Car Imports” • China today has dozens of electric car makers who crank out EVs at an astonishing rate. But as China gets closer to meeting its own electric car needs, its car makers are looking to export markets. For some countries, China is seen as a threat to local industry, and they are reacting. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo shipping (Courtesy Volvo Cars)

¶ “Lightsource BP Propels Renewable Energy Expansion in APAC with A$813 Million Solar Project Sale” • In a strategic move to fuel the expansion of renewable assets across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, Lightsource BP has recycled capital through the sale of five solar PV projects with an equity value totaling A$813 million ($545 million). [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Energy Shift In Action: Brown Coal Hits New Low In Victoria, Renewables Hit New High In NSW” • As the Australian Energy Market Operator unveiled its draft 2024 Integrated System Plan, Victoria and New South Wales set energy generation records, showing rapid shifts in Australia’s energy landscape. In Victoria, brown coal use hit a record low. [Renew Economy]

Wind farm in NSW (Grahamec, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Zera Projects A Surge In Renewable Energy Investments” • The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority projected a surge in renewable energy projects as local companies move to protect themselves from power shortages that are expected to worsen. The Kariba hydropower station is expected to operate at subdued levels due to drought. [NewsDay Zimbabwe]

¶ “Empowering Bangladesh’s Energy Landscape: Germany’s Support For Sustainable Development” • Germany committed to providing financial aid totaling $208 million to Bangladesh. The aid is for thirteen projects in energy transition, sustainable urban development, enhancing supply chains, empowering women, and biodiversity conservation. [Eurasia Review]

Scene in Bangladesh (Amjad rana, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Russia Intensifying Pressure On Captured Nuclear Plant’s Staff” • The Russian invasion forces are increasing pressure on Ukrainian personnel of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, the facility held by the Russians since March 2022, forcing them to get Russian passports and sign contracts with Russia’s nuclear generation operator Rosatom. [Ukrinform]

US:

¶ “Here’s How Wind Farms In The US Impact Nearby Home Values” • A study by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab examined a dataset of 500,000 home sales near 428 wind farms in 34 states. It found home sale prices within a mile of a wind farm tend to dip post-announcement, but they bounce back to what they were within three to five years of project completion. [Electrek]

Wind Turbines on a Farm (KSRE Photo, CC BY 2.0)

¶ “Federal Employees: It’s Time To Commute By EV Or Public Transit” • Federal employees, your days of driving a gas-guzzler to work solo are soon to become a thing of the past. The Biden administration is directing all federal employees to use more environmentally friendly options when traveling locally and for federal business. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Rooftops Gain Traction As Electric Vehicles Owners Look To Skip Paying For Electricity Or Gasoline” • When Jim Selgo moved to his home in Arizona in 2019, he had rooftop PVs installed. Less than a year later, taking more action to address climate change, he bought his first EV, a Nissan Leaf. He hasn’t paid for electricity or gasoline since. [Fortune]

Have a simply grand day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The DOE Is Innovating For The Challenges Of Today And Tomorrow” • In the face of mounting pushback and legislative bills meant to stymie clean energy development, the US DOE continues pushing forward in facilitating the clean energy transition to strengthen our national energy security. In the face of 2024 elections, we must not waver. [NRDC]

Wind turbines (Werner Slocum, NREL)

¶ “New York’s First Offshore Wind Farm May Be The Future Of Energy” • Wind power currently provides only about 10% of the US electricity, mostly from the 70,000 land-based turbines. There are a few offshore turbines, but 35 miles off the coast of Montauk Point, New York, South Fork Wind could represent the next frontier of energy. [KTVH]

Science and Technology:

¶ “How Origami, Acrylic Skins, And Flexible Flaps Are Advancing Wave Energy” • With “distributed embedded energy converter technologies,” ocean wave energy technology developers can interweave small individual generators into devices of almost any size or shape, with materials that bend, twist, or stretch in ocean waves to harness energy. [CleanTechnica]

Flexible wave energy technology (Graphic by NREL)

¶ “Sila Battery Substitutes Silicon Powder For Graphite In Quest For 1000 Watt-Hour Per Liter Batteries” • Sila is planning to supply its Titan silicon powder to battery makers like Panasonic that will replace all or part of the graphite used for the anodes in traditional lithium ion batteries. The silicon powder has several advantages over graphite. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “More Diesel-Killing Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Trains Heading For Germany, Plus India Piles On” • In September the Siemens Mobility announced completion of the first round of testing for its Mireo Plus H hydrogen train. If all goes according to plan, fuel cell electric trains will begin ferrying passengers sometime next summer. [CleanTechnica]

Siemens hydrogen fuel cell train (Courtesy of Siemens)

¶ “India’s Ambitious Power Expansion Plan” • India aims to achieve an installed capacity of over 900 GW by 2031-32. This includes 284 GW of fossil-based capacity and 615 GW of non-fossil-based capacity (including nuclear, hydro, solar, wind, biomass, and pumped storage), along with battery capacities of over 47 GW, 236 GWh. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Nova Scotia’s Largest Utility-Scale Solar Facility Is Complete” • Nova Scotia has the strongest greenhouse gas reductions target in all of Canada, aiming for 53% below 2005 levels by 2030, 80% renewables by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. With the completion of its largest solar facility to date, Nova Scotia moves another step toward these goals. [pv magazine USA]

Mahone Bay solar plant (Goldbeck Solar image)

¶ “DARES To Power 17.5 Million Nigerians With Renewable Energy Says World Bank” • The World Bank announced that it has approved the Nigeria Distributed Access through Renewable Energy Scale-up project, which is to provide over 17.5 million Nigerians with new or improved access to electricity through distributed renewable energy. [Businessday NG]

US:

¶ “This Electric Cargo Bike Can Go Up To 248 Miles Per Charge” • The Fiido Titan fat tire electric cargo bike is available with an option that can allow for really long rides between charging — up to 248 miles, which is remarkable for an e-bike. The specs on the Titan are impressive. For starters, it’s rated for 440 pounds of total carrying capacity. [CleanTechnica]

Electric cargo bike (Fiido image)

¶ “GM Announces Yet Another Cadillac EV Crossover” • In a recent press release, GM’s Cadillac division announced a fourth upcoming EV crossover: the VISTIQ. This makes four EV crossovers, with the cheapest to be the OPTIQ, followed by the LYRIQ, this new VISTIQ, and then the Escalade IQ at the top. Details are to come out next year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US BEV Sales Up 143% Over Q3 2021” • US full battery EV (BEV) sales continue to grow by leaps and bounds. Despite all the hype about “weak” electric vehicle demand and sales, they are actually strong and growing. Compared to Q3 2021, BEV sales in Q3 2023 were up 143%. Compared to Q3 2022, BEV sales in Q3 2023 were up 44%. [CleanTechnica]

Hyundai EV (Hyundai image)

¶ “California Grid Operator Approves Power Line Connection To Idaho” • The California Independent System Operator approved a 285-mile (459-km) power transmission line that would allow it to import 1,000 MW of wind energy from Idaho and export excess solar power to that state, it said in a statement. It should be operating by 2027. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Holtec Wants NRC To Deny Antinuclear Groups A Hearing Over Proposed Palisades Restart” • Holtec International asked the NRC to deny a petition by three antinuclear groups who want a hearing about its request for an exemption to NRC regulations that forbid refueling a reactor that has been legally scheduled for decommissioning. [ExchangeMonitor]

Palisades nuclear plant (NRC, public domain)

¶ “California Regulators Vote To Extend Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Operations Through 2030” • California energy regulators voted to allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to operate for an additional five years, despite calls from environmental groups to shut it down. The twin reactors supply up to 9% of the state’s electricity. They date to the mid-1980s. [KPBS]

¶ “NRC Inspectors Praise Vermont Yankee As Example For ‘How To Decommission’” • Two federal NRC inspectors praised the work of NorthStar Group Services in its decommissioning of the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant. They said they often bring other NRC inspectors to Vernon to see how it is being done and should be done. [Brattleboro Reformer]

Have a particularly cheerful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Ontario’s Hydrogen Approach Will Be A B-School Case Study In Failure” • Ontario recently announced its first significant hydrogen project. It involves truckloads of hydrogen leaving Niagara Falls to be burned in a gas generator over 100 kilometers away. Multiple layers of energetic and economic nonsense are involved in this. [CleanTechnica]

Niagara Falls (Rafik Wahba, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Nine Breakthroughs For Climate And Nature In 2023 You May Have Missed” • In a tumultuous year, the positive milestones for the climate and nature might well have gone under your radar. Future Planet rounds up nine quiet wins of the year, plus one much louder one. They are remarkable steps forward in tackling the nature and climate crises. [BBC]

¶ “Historic COP28 Agreement Calls for Transitioning Away From Fossil Fuels” • At the end of COP28, as representatives were nearing hopelessness, an 11,000 page document was produced. It had what the UN is calling the “beginning of the end” of the fossil fuel era. The global pact includes explicit language looking to the end of Big Oil. [CleanTechnica]

McKibben and Bassey (John Englart, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “COP28 Wrap Up – And A Child Shall Lead Them” • The final official pronouncement from conference did the unthinkable: It suggested that nations transition “away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner.” At one point, 12-year old Indian activist Licypriya Kangujam rushed the stage to add her voice. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Suzlon Secures 100.8-MW Indian Order” • Suzlon Group has secured a new order for 32 turbines at a wind project in India for an unnamed global utility. Suzlon will install the turbines with a rated capacity of 3.15-MW at the 100.8-MW project in Gujarat. The company will undertake post-commissioning operation and maintenance services. [reNews]

Suzlon turbine (Suzlon image)

¶ “Total Renewable Energy Generation In October 2023” • In a landmark moment for the Indian renewable energy sector, October 2023 witnessed an unprecedented surge in solar power, claiming a dominant position with a remarkable 66.31% share in total renewable energy generation. Concurrently, wind power crossed the 23% threshold. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Solar Power Usage Shines Bright” • China is expected to add 160 to 180 GW of solar power in 2023, a record annual rise in capacity, the China Photovoltaic Industry Association said. For the first ten months of this year, the output value of China’s PV manufacturing sector has already reached 142.56 GW, a year-on-year increase of 156%. [China Daily]

Solar panels (Markus Spiske, Unsplash)

¶ “United Solar Energy Inks 700-MW Floating PV And Storage PPA In Sri Lanka” • The government of Sri Lanka has entered into a power purchase agreement with Australian firm United Solar Group for a 700-MW floating solar and storage project. Of Sri Lanka’s installed electric generating capacity, 59% is already renewable sources. [PV Tech]

¶ “German Nuclear Plant To Be Replaced By Europe’s Biggest Battery” • PreussenElektra, operator of the decommissioned Brokdorf nuclear power plant in northern German state Schleswig-Holstein, which was taken offline at the end of 2021, wants to transform the site into a power storage facility, reports from NDR say. [Renew Economy]

Brokdorf NPP (PreussenElektra image)

US:

¶ “California Leads US in Electric Vehicle And Charging Station Adoption” • California has led the United States in the number of EVs and EV charging locations every year since 2016, accounting for 37% of US registered light-duty EVs and 27% of EV charging locations at the end of 2022, according to new estimates in our State Energy Data System. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Why GM Offers The Hummer EV As A Military Vehicle” • This year, GM Defense took the Hummer EV to the next level, making a prototype that would make it a viable vehicle even on the front lines. With a tube-frame, rugged panels, upgraded suspension and tires, and even a 12-kW diesel range extender and generator, it has a lot of utility. [CleanTechnica]

Hummer prototype (GM image)

¶ “Offshore Wind Miracle Happening In USA” • For better or worse, the offshore wind profile of the United States has broken down cleanly along partisan political lines. However, one huge crack has finally appeared. Officials in the deep red state of Louisiana approved not one but two new offshore wind farms in the Gulf of Mexico. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Duke Energy Completes Its First Floating Solar Project In Florida” • Duke Energy’s first floating solar project in Florida is now producing clean, renewable energy while helping the company better understand the capabilities of innovative clean energy technologies to benefit Florida communities and customers, now and in the future. [Duke Energy]

Floating solar array (Duke Energy Image)

¶ “US DOE Reaffirms Commitment to Buy Tribal Energy” • On December 4, US DOE Secretary Jennifer M Granholm signed a memorandum reaffirming DOE’s commitment to purchase clean power from Tribes while working to meet the clean energy goals of the federal government. Tribes can think of the DOE as a potential customer. [Department of Energy]

¶ “Lawmakers To Revisit Vermont’s Renewable Energy Goals” • What would it take to source all of Vermont’s electricity from renewable sources? That’s a question lawmakers plan to tackle in the upcoming legislative session as they look to update the state’s renewable energy standard. Vermonters will need to rely less on fossil fuels, but how is that to be done? [WCAX]

Have a stupifyingly enlightening day.

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Opinion:

¶ “We Can’t Let Aging Transmission Stall Clean Energy Progress” • The power lines and components that once bought prosperity to far-flung rural communities and illuminated modern cities are simply not up to the job of managing the surge of new renewable energy or batteries consumers are demanding. Our grid planning and management must evolve. [CleanTechnica]

Power lines (Andrey Metelev, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Major International Financing Deal To Get Vietnam Off Coal Moves Ahead While It Locks Up Climate Defenders” • Last year, the Just Energy Transition Partnership announced that it would help Vietnam get funds to achieve its climate targets, including reaching net zero by 2050. At COP28, Vietnam showed a plan to do its part. But climate acitvists are in jail. [CNN]

¶ “Takeaways From COP28: What Does The Climate Deal Say?” • Nearly 200 countries agreed to a new climate deal at the COP28 talks in Dubai, after two weeks of negotiations characterized by controversy and bitter divisions over the future of fossil fuels. Some experts call the decision historic. Others say it’s filled with a “litany of loopholes.” Here is a review. [CNN]

Pipeline to nowhere (JJ Ying, Unsplash)

¶ “Japanese Refineries Close As Japan’s Petroleum Consumption Falls” • The US Energy Information Administration forecast in its Short-Term Energy Outlook that Japan would have the lowest annual petroleum consumption 2024 since 1980, in part due to its aging and declining population. Reduced demand is already affecting Japan’s refining industry. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “General Motors Did Not Get The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Memo, Either” • GM raised eyebrows last week, when it announced a hydrogen fuel cell partnership with the US specialty truck firm Autocar. Apparently that was just the tip of the fuel cell iceberg. GM has just announced a new partnership with another leading truck maker, Komatsu. [CleanTechnica]

Electric mining truck by Komatsu (Komatsu image)

¶ “Portugal’s Energy Transition Goals Pumped Up By Hydro” • Portugal sourced a record 72% of its electricity from clean power sources over the first 11 months of 2023, up from 56% over the same period in 2022, thanks to electricity generation from hydro-electric sources being more than doubled, according to data from think tank Ember. [Reuters]

¶ “EIB Agrees To A €5 Billion Wind Counter-Guarantee Scheme” • The European Investment Bank’s Board of Directors has signed off on a €5 billion counter-guarantee scheme to improve access to finance for wind turbine manufacturers. The EIB expects their guarantee to support up to €80 billion of investments in wind energy projects. [reNews]

Wind turbines (Thomas Reaubourg, Unsplash)

¶ “Renewables Surpass 40% In UK Electricity Mix” • Renewable energy has reached a historic peak in the UK, at more than 40% of the country’s electricity generation during the latest quarter. That’s according to the Drax Electric Insights report, which suggests this growth resulted in the lowest recorded carbon intensity of 143 g CO₂e/kWh. [Energy Live News]

¶ “This New ‘World’s Largest’ Wind Turbine Makes Power In Severe Typhoons” • China’s Mingyang Smart Energy rolled out the world’s largest offshore wind turbine. Mingyang designed the MySE 18.X-20MW to lower the Levelized Cost of Energy and ensure long-term returns. It has a modular, lightweight design, with high efficiency and reliability. [Electrek]

Ming Yang wind turbine (Ming Yang image)

¶ “Environment Groups Slam Ramokgopa’s Nuclear Power Announcement” • Environmental activists criticised the South African electricity minister’s announcement of a procurement for 2,500 MW of nuclear capacity as against rules for approval. They said independent modelling shows that nuclear power is neither affordable nor needed. [The Mail & Guardian]

US:

¶ “Electric Vehicle Prices Get MUCH Closer To Conventional Vehicle Prices!” • Most of a Cox update on the average sale prices of new cars is just trends in the overall auto industry. But they decided to slip in some big notes regarding EVs at the end, and they buried a huge gem in the very last line: EV prices have fallen almost to those of traditional cars! [CleanTechnica]

Jenny Ueberberg in her Tesla (Jenny Ueberberg, Unsplash)

¶ “The IRA in 2023: Building Up for Action” • This is a good time to reflect on the progress made so far on the Inflation Reduction Act. While some programs are still under development and not yet available for consumers, some have effects already. There has been enough work happening to ensure that the act will deliver significant, lasting benefits. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Energy And Its Cheaper Bills Are Coming To More Disadvantaged Communities” • When a lightning storm knocked out power in Doris Brown’s neighborhood, her solar-powered home suddenly became a refuge for frantic neighbors without electricity. Non-profits had installed a solar system to make her home into a “hub home.” [Stateline.org]

Doris Brown at home (Courtesy of Solar United Neighbors)

¶ “Year in Review for DOE Clean Energy Innovation and Outlooks for 2024” • In 2023, we witnessed numerous exciting developments by the DOE while partisan fighting in Congress threatened to derail its ability to act as needed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, create good-paying jobs, and save money on energy bills. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Connecticut Needs Offshore Wind Energy Now” • Connecticut residents pay the highest rates for electricity in the continental US. Offshore wind power will help to provide much needed energy on a large-scale, can help mitigate the impacts of climate change and provide stable energy costs for generations to come, among many other benefits. [CT Mirror]

Have a super salubrious day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Training A New Generation Of ‘Climate Doctors’” • The Lancet called climate change the “biggest global health threat of the 21st century.” However, no one was being trained to deal it as a health issue. Now, a Colorado diploma program aims to turn working medical professionals into leading experts on both climate and health. [CNN]

Doctors at work (National Cancer Institute, Unsplash)

Cop28:

¶ “Core COP28 Climate Agreement Makes Unprecedented Call For Transition Away From Fossil Fuels, But Loopholes Remain” • The world agreed on a climate deal in Dubai at COP28 after two weeks of talks, making an unprecedented call for transitioning away from fossil fuels but using language that could allow some countries to take minimal action. [CNN]

¶ “COP28 Deal Pledges Global Transition Away From Fossil Fuels For First Time” • This is the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era, UK climate minister Graham Stuart says. This “historic moment” that should inspire action across the globe, he says. “We’re now unified in a common commitment to move away from fossil fuels.” [BBC]

Offshore oil rig (Zachary Theodore, Unsplash)

¶ “First Ever ‘Fossil Fuel’ Decision At COP28 Climate Summit Falters On Phaseout” • The United Nations climate summit ended in Dubai today with the first ever commitment to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems. Nevertheless, the decision has loopholes that allow the fossil fuel industry to proliferate. [Center for Biological Diversity]

World:

¶ “Senegal’s Capital City Is Getting 121 Electric Buses!” • As in most major cities, chronic traffic jams in Dakar, Senegal, result in heavy air pollution and prolonged commute times. To deal with both issues, Dakar Mobilité has raised the €135 million it needed to deploy an electric Bus Rapid Transit network consisting of 121 electric buses. [CleanTechnica]

Electric bus in Dakar (Courtesy of Meridiam)

¶ “46% Of New Cars In Netherlands Now Plugin Cars!” • In the Netherlands, 46% of new car sales were for plugins in November. Furthermore, 34% were full electrics! The Dutch market saw an increase in plugin registrations to 12,902 units in November, up 34% year over year, thanks to the close to 10,000 battery EVs registered (+41% YOY). [CleanTechnica]

¶ “India Surpasses 72.02 GW In Solar Power Capacity, Driving Renewable Energy Transition” • India has achieved a significant milestone in the renewable energy sector, with the country’s solar power capacity reaching 72.02 GW, as confirmed by R. K. Singh, the Union Minister for New & Renewable Energy and Power, in written replies to inquiries. [DD News]

Indian solar thermal plant (Bkwcreator, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Nextracker Achieves 10-GW Milestone in Middle East, Africa, and India Solar Power Markets” • Nextracker, a leading global provider of intelligent solar trackers and software, announced it has surpassed a corporate milestone of 10 GW of smart solar trackers either operational or under fulfilment for projects in the Middle East, Africa, and India. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Adani Group To Invest $100 Billion Over Ten Years In Green Energy Transition” • Adani Group released its half-yearly ESG compendium, showing progress in its decarbonization pathway. Five of its portfolio companies will invest $100 billion toward the energy transition. Adani Group is India’s largest developer of integrated infrastructure. [pv magazine India]

Wind farm in India (SuyogJoshiPhotography, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Subsea Project To Bring Renewable Power From Scotland To England Awarded £1.8 Billion” • A huge UK grid project awarded contracts worth £1.8 billion for a 190 km subsea transmission project to bring renewable power from Scotland to northern England. National Grid and Scottish Power plan to start building the £2.5 billion power line in 2025. [The Guardian]

¶ “Zaporizhia Depends On Single Power Line” • For several days, Ukraine’s Zaporizhia NPP has depended on a single power line for the off-site electricity it needs to cool its six reactors and for other essential nuclear safety and security functions, according to International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. [Nuclear Engineering International]

IAEA team inspecting damage, 2022 (Copyright by IAEA)

US:

¶ “Stellantis Partners With US DOE For A ‘Battery Workforce Challenge’” • To design, test, and produce battery cells requires a process with industry, government, and research institutions all playing key roles. All of these players need to be working hard to develop the next generation of skilled people to take part in this important work. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New US DOE Office to Coordinate Critical And Emerging Technology” • The DOE announced the Office of Critical and Emerging Technology to ensure US investments in areas such as AI, quantum computing, semiconductors, and biotechnology leverage it’s extensive assets and expertise to accelerate progress in these critical sectors. [CleanTechnica]

Engineer (ThisisEngineering RAEng, Unsplash)

¶ “Amazon And NREL Team Up On GHG Emissions Analysis” • The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Amazon, the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy worldwide since 2020, are working to modernize greenhouse gas emissions quantification using higher-resolution data and longer-term modeling. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Residential PV Up 24% Through Q3, Growth May Slow In 2024, Says WoodMac” • Residential solar posted modest growth in installations in the US through the first three quarters of 2023, rising 24% year over year, according to Wood Mackenzie’s latest market insight report. However, it said the market should temper its expectations for 2024. [PV Magazine]

Have a satisfactorily gratifying day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Making Oil Is More Profitable Than Saving The Planet. These Numbers Tell The Story” • Oil companies have long been under pressure to invest more money into renewable energy to help fight climate change. Here’s one simple reason why they don’t: They make a lot more money selling oil. That leaves them with little reason to save the planet. [WGCU]

Pumping oil (David Thielen, Unsplash, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “GE Completes Testing Sustainable Aviation Fuel On Tenth Aircraft Engine Model” • GE Aerospace is taking another step towards sustainable flights. The company announced it has finished testing with 100% SAF on ten aircraft engine models. GE Aerospace engines power three out of four commercial flights worldwide, the company said. [ABC News]

¶ “Recyclable, Plant-Based Material Could Take a Spin on Next Generation of Wind Turbines” • Most resins used in wind turbine blades require nonrenewable resources (like petroleum) and lots of energy to make. They are also difficult or impossible to recycle cost effectively. Researchers at NREL have developed a resin to deal with these issues. [CleanTechnica]

NREL team working on a turbine blade (Troy Boro, NREL)

¶ “New Zealand Company Uses Wood Chips To Make Synthetic Graphite” • Graphite is essential for lithium ion batteries. The Wall Street Journal says half the weight of a typical li-ion battery is graphite. China has been figuring out how to dominate supplies of materials needed to make EV batteries, including graphite. But graphite can be made from wood. [CleanTechnica]

COP28:

¶ “‘Verge Of Complete Failure’ Climate Summit Draft Drops The Mention Of A Fossil Fuel Phase-Out, Angering Advocates” • In Dubai, climate advocates are warning the COP28 climate summit could be on the verge of failure after the latest draft of the core agreement removed a call to phase out fossil fuels, the one thing most driving the climate crisis. [CNN]

Dubai (Mohammed Nasim, Unsplash)

¶ “Climate Summit In Dubai Headed For Overtime As Fury Over Fossil Fuels Widens Divide” • International negotiators at COP28 are preparing for a long day of painstaking negotiations that are likely to stretch into overtime, as deep divisions remain over whether to phase out fossil fuels. Climate advocates are furious at the weak draft agreement. [CNN]

¶ “UN Climate Talks In Jeopardy In Fossil Fuel Backlash” • The UN climate talks in Dubai could be in jeopardy after a number of nations reacted furiously to a draft deal on fossil fuels they call “weak.” The draft removed language from an earlier text urging that fossil fuels could be “phased out.” Unless all 198 countries at the talks agree, there is no deal. [BBC]

Train carrying coal in Tennessee (Chad Stembridge, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Stellantis Partners With Ample For Battery Swapping” • Ample and Stellantis recently signed an agreement to partner for the development of EV charging technology. Their goal? To deliver a fully charged EV battery in less than five minutes, which sounds pretty nice. They plan do this by use of Ample’s battery swapping technology. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Kenya’s Two-Wheeled Revolution” • Kenya is leading in electric motorcycle adoption in East Africa, with government initiatives to replace the roughly 2 million diesel motorcycles currently on the road. The Kenyan government hopes to boost local manufacturing and renewable energy use while promoting self-sufficiency. [CleanTechnica]

Burn Manufacturing Park in Kenya (Courtesy of Burn)

¶ “Global Nuclear Power Faces Unprecedented Challenges” • The World Nuclear Industry Status Report outlined severe challenges faced by the global nuclear power sector. The report, covering developments up to mid-2023, highlights a significant decline in nuclear production, with its share dropping to the lowest point in four decades. [Power Technology]

US:

¶ “Yet Another Oil Spill Hits the Gulf of Mexico” • A large oil spill hit the Gulf of Mexico on November 16, leading to a shutdown of the main pipeline and several others. But in December, more oil was detected on the water’s surface near the original spill. The Coast Guard has not confirmed whether the oil releases came from the same source. [CleanTechnica]

Gulf of Mexico (Robert Woeger, Unsplash)

¶ “Wisconsin Could Lose NEVI Funding” • Wisconsin is at risk of losing out on the federal funding for building out new charging infrastructure. The interstate highways are well covered, but there are still some significant dead zones in the state. A conflict between state and federal laws makes it nearly impossible to build charging stations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Dual-Use Solar Makes Best Use Of Renewable Energy And Farmland” • New York is looking at ways to impliment dual-use solar by combining solar panels with other land uses, ranging from shade canopies for cars or a house’s awning to common agrivoltaic practice. Crops are still being grown on land where solar panels are installed. [Public News Service]

Fruit under PV panels (Lisamiri, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Pritzker Signs Law Lifting Moratorium On Nuclear Reactors” • Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation lifting the moratorium on development of nuclear reactors in Illinois. Smaller nuclear reactors producing less than 300 MW will be allowed beginning January 2026. Morris Republican Senator Sue Rezin sponsored the proposal. [WGN]

¶ “House Passes Bill Barring Imports Of Russian Uranium For Nuclear Power” • The House passed legislation that would bar imports of Russian uranium for nuclear power plants. It was passed by a voice vote with bipartisan support. Republican Rep Cathy McMorris Rodgers (Wash) and Democrat Rep. Frank Pallone (NJ) spoke in favor of the bill. [The Hill]

Have a distinctly great day.

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