geoharvey

Opinion:

¶ “Rishi Sunak’s Obscene Disregard For The Climate Will Damn Him Once He’s Flung From Power” • Ostensibly, Rishi Sunak is committed to the ban on selling new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 and the 2035 carbon-free electricity target. But underneath those commitments, he is doing everything he can to put himself on the side of those who oppose net-zero. [iNews]

Old hot rod (Pixy.org, CC0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Desiccants Allow Air Conditioners To Work Smarter, Not Harder” • Desiccants that remove moisture from the air may be important for cooling our homes and businesses in the future. Several companies are working on ways to dry air out before cooling it. They estimate this could cut the need for electricity for cooling by 50% to 80%. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Amazon Deforestation At Six-Year Low In Brazil After 66% Plunge In July” • Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon fell by 66% last month compared to July 2022 and is now at its lowest rate in six years, according to preliminary data from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research. Surveillance has increased and perpetrators are being fined. [CNN]

Amazon rainforest (Ivars Utināns, Unsplash)

¶ “Parts Of South America Are Sweltering Under A ‘Fierce’ Heatwave – And It’s The Middle Of Winter” • Southern Cone countries including Chile and Argentina are having summer-like conditions as a heat wave pushed temperatures higher than 38°C (100°F) in places. This is winter. One climatologist said the event is “rewriting all climatic books.” [CNN]

¶ “‘Dither And Delay’ Of UK Government On Electric Vehicles Risks Investment Essential To Transport Decarbonisation” • The UK government’s “dither and delay” moves relating to the zero emissions car and van mandate could risk billions of pounds worth of private investment going into the UK charging network, Transport & Environment said. [CleanTechnica]

Charging an EV (Siemens image)

¶ “Calls To Drill Below The Earth At Grangegorman To Source Geothermal Energy” • Greenhouse gas emissions that come from Technological University Dublin in Grangegorman could be halved by drilling boreholes into the ground on the campus and harvesting the geothermal energy that has been confirmed to be available there. [RTE]

¶ “Lithium Processing Pilot Plant In WA’s Pilbara To Bring Benefits To Community, Traditional Owners” • A Pilbara miner is trying to harness renewable energy to reduce carbon emissions from the lithium it produces. Pilbara Minerals announced a final investment decision for a joint-venture pilot facility with Calix Limited, an environmental technology company. [ABC]

Rendering of the Lithium plant (Pilbara Minerals)

¶ “Kenya Is Harnessing Sun’s Potential As Next Frontier In Its Renewable Energy Sector” • Kenya has seen a significant surge in solar power generation that experts hail as a game-changer for the East African country. Its abundant sunshine can potentially revolutionize its energy sector in terms of cost-effectiveness and scalability. [The North Africa Post]

¶ “EU Must Address Wasted Green Energy And Negative Prices, Solar Industry Warns” • The EU needs to address curtailment wasting solar energy and negative prices. A major concern for the industry is that solar power is increasingly being cut off from the grid in times of low demand, sometimes in favour of heavily-polluting coal power production. [edie]

Solar panels (Nuno Marques, Unsplash)

¶ “IAEA Finds No Explosives On Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Roofs” • The UN nuclear watchdog said it found no mines or explosives on the roofs of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The IAEA was only given access to the roofs of the reactor buildings and their turbine halls after a monthlong wait. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Offshore Wind Resources Could Meet 25% Of US Demand” • The US has one of the best offshore wind resources in the world, a new report from UC Berkeley, Energy Innovation, and Grid Lab finds. With good near-term policy actions, those resources could account for up to a quarter of US electricity generation in less than 30 years. [CleanTechnica]

Return to base (Arnold Price, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Batteries Now Can Replace Old Power Plants” • Most of the oldest fossil fuel power plants in the US are near or in cities, making it more urgent – and more difficult – to shut them down. Now, with the changes in rules announced by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, it will be much easier to replace them with battery storage. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Flow Battery Code Is Starting To Crack: Red State Edition” • Georgia is now the proud home of its first ever utility-scale flow battery. The new battery will serve as a model for similar projects all over the country, even though Georgia Governor Brian Kemp is one of 19 Republican governors who signed up their states to the “Anti-ESG Alliance.” [CleanTechnica]

Flow battery (Stryten Energy image)

¶ “Four New Offshore Wind Power Projects Proposed For New Jersey Shore; Two Would Be Far Out To Sea” • Wind power developers have proposed four new projects for sites off the New Jersey Shore. The proposed projects would more than double the number of wind farms to be built off the state’s coast if they are approved by regulators. [ABC News]

¶ “Duke Energy Unveils Kentucky’s Largest Utility-Scale Rooftop Solar Site At Amazon Air Hub” • Kentucky’s largest rooftop solar array operates over 5,600 PV panels on the 800,000-square-foot Amazon Air Hub rooftop. This Duke Energy facility will feed up to 2 MW of solar power directly onto the electric grid, enough to power about 400 homes. [CSRwire]

Have a categorically constructive day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Unpacking The Reasons Why Republican Senators Oppose EPA Power Plant Rule” • In May, the EPA announced new carbon pollution standards for power plants to protect public health, reduce pollution, and deliver up to $85 billion in climate and public health benefits over two decades. Some 39 Republican US senators signed a letter opposing it. [CleanTechnica]

Power plant (Earth.com image)

¶ “Electric Vehicle Regulations And Laws: A Primer For Decision Makers” • It can be difficult to find easy-to-understand resources regarding the many EV policies and regulations. To save decision makers time, RMI compiled a series of factsheets that clearly and thoroughly outline existing regulations, their goals, who must comply, and what is required. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Devastating Wildfires Spur New Detection Systems” • Almost 900 forest fires were active in Canada during the week of July 17, burning a total of 10 million hectares. OroraTech, a German company, has eight satellites with special infrared sensors that monitor temperatures in grids of four-by-four meters. They can detect fires and issue warnings. [BBC]

Fire in British Columbia (BC Wildfire Service image)

¶ “Scientists Dig Into Wildfire Predictions, Long-Term Impacts” • Wildfires have grown in frequency, range, and intensity as the climate changes. Scientists the US DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory are working on several fronts to better understand and predict these events and what they mean for the carbon cycle and biodiversity. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Activists Drape Rishi Sunak’s Mansion In Black Cloth To Protest His Climate Policies” • Five people were arrested after climate activists draped black cloth over British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s private mansion, in a protest against his policy to “max out” the UK’s oil and gas resources in the North Sea. The demonstrators were from Greenpeace. [CNN]

Rishi Sunak (The Conservative Party, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “The Chinese Town Engulfed By A Flood To Save Beijing” • As the flooding emergency in western Beijing turned deadlier at the beginning of this week, taking out bridges, washing away cars by the dozen, and wreaking havoc, the decision was made to divert the raging waters. They went to Zhuozhou, in Hebei Province, with force the locals didn’t expect. [BBC]

¶ “Ocean Heat Record Broken, With Grim Implications For The Planet” • The oceans hit their hottest temperature ever recorded as they soak up warmth from climate change. The implications for our planet’s health are dire. The average global sea surface temperature of 20.96°C, beating a 2016 record, according to the EU’s climate change service Copernicus. [BBC]

Ocean (Joseph Barrientos, Unsplash)

¶ “Jordan Plans To Introduce Regulations For Green Hydrogen Projects In Renewable Energy Push” • According to an official of Jordanian Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, Jordan is set to introduce regulations for green hydrogen projects as part of a national strategy to expand renewable energy use and export green hydrogen to other nations. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “South Africa Now Has Over 10 GW Of Wind And Solar Generation Capacity” • South Africa has about 50 GW of electric generating capacity. It is dominated by Eskom’s coal power plants. They are old, they break down often, and the result is load shedding, blacking out large areas daily. The fastest way to deal with this is to install renewables. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines in South Africa (Kalle Pihlajasaari, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “China Pumps Out Coal Plants At Increasing Pace To Allay Power-Security Fears, Risking Climate Transition” • China is approving new coal power plants at an increasing pace to avoid power shortages and restart economic growth, Greenpeace says. This is raising alarm about the country’s ability to meet its stated decarbonization goals. [South China Morning Post]

¶ “Russians Force Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Workers To Get Russian Passports” • Ukraine’s General Staff reported, “In Enerhodar, temporarily occupied by Russian troops, the occupiers are forcing the plant’s staff to obtain Russian passports, threatening them with reprisals, in order to keep them working at the Zaporizhzhia NPP.” [Yahoo News]

Zaporizhzhia NPP (IAEA Imagebank, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Tesla Owners: $25/Month In Texas For Overnight Charging (Unlimited)” • Starting with Texas, Tesla is spreading its wings as a retail electricity provider. Tesla is providing cost-effective electricity to its EV owners and Powerwall customers. The most attractive offer it is making is $25/month unlimited overnight vehicle or Powerwall charging. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electric Vehicles And The US Economy: A Win-Win Situation” • We know that electrifying vehicles will help the environment. What we haven’t heard much about is the positive influence that EVs will have on the US economy. New research indicates that EVs are going to be really, really good for the US economy, and for a variety of reasons. [CleanTechnica]

Ford F-150 Lightning (WMrapids, public domain)

¶ “133 Self-Storage Rooftops In 3 US States Are About To Power Community Solar” • The largest US self-storage company, Public Storage, is working with rooftop developer Solar Landscape on a multi-state project that will see 87.5 MW of community solar installations on self-storage building rooftops in Maryland, New Jersey, and Illinois. [Electrek]

¶ “2023 Sees The Highest Second Quarter On Record For US Wind Power And Solar Installations” • The American Clean Power Association released a report showing that 5,218 MW of utility-scale solar, wind, and storage capacity were installed in Q2 2023. This makes it the second-highest second quarter for clean power installations. [Evwind]

Have an utterly delightful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “How Offshore Wind Can Supply 25% Of US Electricity By 2050” • Currently, six turbines off the coast of Rhode Island account for the lion’s share of the US’s offshore wind energy production. But researchers believe massive offshore turbines could be producing more than 10,000 times as much energy in less than three decades. [Time]

Turbines off Block Island (Alex DeCiccio, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “MIT Engineers Develop Futuristic Battery Alternative With Cement And Carbon Black For Energy Storage” • Engineers at MIT developed a low-cost energy storage system using two of our most ubiquitous historical materials: cement and carbon black. The two materials can be combined with water to make a supercapacitor. [The Weather Channel]

¶ “High-Tech Pavement Markers Support Autonomous Driving In Tough Conditions, Remote Areas” • ORNL engineers and others are puting low-powered sensors in the reflective raised pavement markers that are already used to help drivers identify lanes. They published a paper saying the chips in the markers are effective when other means fail. [CleanTechnica]

Pavement marker (Carlos Jones, ORNL, US DOE)

World:

¶ “Great Barrier Reef Stays Off UNESCO ‘In Danger’ List But Hot El Niño Summer Looms” • Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence that suggests the Great Barrier Reef is at risk of another mass bleaching event this coming summer the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has decided not to add it to its list of sites “in danger.” Scientists question why. [CNN]

¶ “PM: I Care About Reaching Net Zero Carbon Emissions” • UK Prime minisiter Rishi Sunak faced criticism from environmental groups, and some of his own MPs, that he is not committed to tackling climate change. He insisted he cares about reaching net zero, and he said the UK would need to achieve net-zero in “a proportionate and pragmatic way.” [BBC]

Rishi Sunak meets Joe Biden (The White House)

¶ “Australia To Commence LFP Industry” • EVs need batteries. Batteries need cathodes. Australian mining needs to move up the value chain. All these needs will be met by Avenira’s LFP cathode manufacturing plant in Darwin, in the Northern Territory. It is expected that when it opens, it will be one of only three LFP cathode plants outside of China. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electric VTOL Aircraft – China’s New Technology Lead” • FutureFlight‘s Jennifer Meszaros says, “The Bao’an district of the vast city of Shenzhen in China’s Guangdong province is set to become a hub for advanced air mobility services, with its district government now having signed partnership agreements with three eVTOL aircraft developers.” [CleanTechnica]

EHang & GZDG Vertiport (Courtesy of EHang)

¶ “Tesla Rules Supreme In Europe (Europe EV Sales Report)” • Some 311,000 plugin vehicles were registered in June in Europe, which is up 42% year over year. Last month’s plugin vehicle share of the overall European auto market was 25% (17% full battery EVs). That result pulled the 2023 plugin vehicle share to 22% (15% for battery EVs alone). [CleanTechnica]

¶ “86 Airports In India Go Renewable, 55 Of Them Achieve 100% Renewable Power” • In a big move towards sustainable aviation, 86 airports in India are making strides in adopting green energy solutions. Out of these, 55 airports have achieved a remarkable milestone by ensuring that 100% of the energy they use comes from renewable sources. [SolarQuarter]

Indira Gandhi International Airport (Bharatahs, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “First Commercial Gravity-Based Energy Storage Tower Begins Commissioning” • Energy Vault announced that it is starting to commission its first commercial gravity energy storage system. Energy Vault says the gravity tower is to be fully commissioned in Q4 2023, as the world’s first gravity-based storage facility not based on pumped hydro. [pv magazine USA]

¶ “Apraava Energy Secures Renewable Energy Transmission Projects In Rajasthan” • Apraava Energy, an integrated energy provider, has secured two interstate transmission projects in Rajasthan through tariff-based competitive bidding. The projects are part of a scheme to get 20 GW of power from renewable energy zones in Rajasthan. [pv magazine India]

Desert camp in Rajasthan (Ivy Aralia Nizar, Unsplash, cropped)

US:

¶ “New York In Danger Of Missing 2030 Emissions Target: Report” • New York must quicken its pace to achieve its 2030 renewable energy goals, a report released by State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli says. The state would have to add 6.5 GW of renewables to meet the 2030 target. That is more than half of what it has added in the last twenty years. [The Hill]

¶ “Fight Fire With AI? Artificial Intelligence Tackles Wildfires” • Pano AI is building out the largest blaze-detecting network in the Pacific Northwest, monitoring 2.4 million hectares (5.93 million acres) of land across California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana and using AI-based fire hazard detection and assessment in real time. [CleanTechnica]

Fire detected by AI cameras (Courtesy of Pano AI)

¶ “Texas Power Use Hits Record High For Seventh Day This Summer” • Power demand in Texas has hit a record high for the second day in a row and the seventh day this summer, as ongoing heat waves have kept air conditioning systems on. ERCOT, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, said it has enough resources to meet soaring demand. [Power Technology]

¶ “New Nuclear Power Plant Comes Online In USA” • The newest unit of Plant Vogtle is in operation. It was linked to the grid, with a capacity of 1,114 MW, the Energy Information Administration said Tuesday. The country now has at 93 operating commercial reactors, most of which were built between 1970 and 1990, according to the EIA. [Rigzone]

Have a gratifyingly appreciated day.

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Opinion:

¶ “No, US Offshore Wind Developers Aren’t Killing Whales, And Haven’t Been Given Permits To Do So” • Michael Barnard writes, “Today I saw some egregious nonsense about offshore wind and whales I had never seen before. Was I surprised? No, not at all.” Very wealthy people may disagree on politics, but they often can agree on spreading untruth. [CleanTechnica]

Block Island wind farm (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

¶ “So Not Only Are NIMBYS Delaying Our Essential Transition To Renewable Energy, They’re Also Taking Lots Of Money Out Of Our Pockets!” • The Boston Globe reports that the cost of the critically important New England Clean Energy Connect project increased by over 50% to 1.5 billion dollars while the developer battled NIMBYs for three years. [Mondaq]

¶ “NRG Energy’s Pivot Amid Power Sector Change” • Once a giant pure-play power producer, NRG Energy has cultivated a legacy of pioneering business models to withstand waves of change in the power sector. Its latest shift pivots from megawatts generated to customers served. Notably, it is selling nuclear and building renewable assets. [POWER Magazine]

South Texas Project nuclear plant (NRG Energy image)

¶ “Critical Issues Unaddressed As Takahama Reactor Restarted” • Japan’s oldest nuclear reactor was brought back online at the Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture on July 28 for the first time in 12 years. It left serious problems unaddressed, including the effectiveness of current evacuation plans in an emergency. [Asahi Shimbun]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Progress Reported On Proton Batteries, With Green Hydrogen Bonus” • In a proton battery, hydrogen is split from water and stored as protons at a carbon electrode. During the discharge cycle, proton batteries release their protons. They pass through a membrane to meet oxygen from ambient air, and that reaction produces water and power. [CleanTechnica]

Proton battery powering tiny fans (Courtesy of RMIT)

World:

¶ “Batteries For Hire Could Help Nigerians Ditch Generators” • Although Nigeria has vast energy reserves, more than 92 million of its people live without access to electricity, the International Energy Agency says. Those who are connected to the electricity grid experience frequent power cuts. A company called Reeddi is offering batteries for solutions. [CNN]

¶ “The UK Will Drill For More Oil And Gas In The North Sea” • The UK government announced plans to allow a big expansion of drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea in a move that green activists describe as a taking a “wrecking ball” to the UK climate commitments. He also announced plans for two carbon capture and storage sites in the North Sea. [CNN]

Idle oil rigs (Andy Beecroft, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “NTPC Renewable Energy Wins 550-MW Solar Project at Record Low Tariff” • NTPC Renewable Energy has achieved yet another significant milestone in India’s renewable energy sector by securing the Letter of Award for a 550-MW Solar Project. The project was awarded at the remarkably low tariff of ₹2.56/kWh (3.1¢/kWh). [GreentechLead]

¶ “Ukraine Fights To Build More Resilient, Renewable Energy System In Midst Of War” • Amidst Russia’s war, Ukraine’s power is still on. Crews from UkrEnergo are on call 24/7 to respond to targeted attacks on their grid and to address local communities’ needs quickly after a missile strike. Renewable energy can make the grid more resilient. [CleanTechnica]

Ukraine solar resource map (Billy Roberts, NREL)

US:

¶ “How The US Is Fighting Back Against Deadly Floods” • In early July, the state of Vermont was hit by historic flooding. Over nine inches of rain fell in some areas in a single day. And climate change is projected to bring more precipitation. Restoring key floodplains in Vermont could reduce flood-related damages by 20%, a study had shown in 2022. [BBC]

¶ “NREL Researchers Bring Technical Expertise To Communities Selected For Geothermal Heating & Cooling Initiative” • NREL will assist communities in Colorado (Carbondale), Vermont (Middlebury), and Alaska (Seward and Pilgrim Hot Springs, a remote community near Nome) to install district or networked geothermal technologies. [CleanTechnica]

Geothermal power in Iceland (David Elvar Masson, Pexels)

¶ “US BOEM Finalizes Wind Energy Areas In The Central Atlantic” • As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s goal of deploying 30 GW of offshore wind energy capacity by 2030, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced three final Wind Energy Areas in Atlantic Ocean waters off Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Program Aims To Use Renewable Energy To Power Utah Communities By 2030” • A new program is aiming to get Salt Lake City and a number of other communities across the state of Utah powered using renewable energy by 2030. Utah Renewable Communities is a state-wide project partnering with the utility Rocky Mountain Power. [KSL NewsRadio]

Salt Lake City (Brent Pace, Unsplash)

¶ “US DOE Announces Over $450 Million To Increase Access To Rooftop Solar Power For Puerto Rico Residents” • The US DOE announced up to $453.5 million from the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Fund to increase residential rooftop solar PV and battery installations, with a focus to support Puerto Rico’s most vulnerable residents. [Department of Energy]

¶ “Vogtle Unit 3 Goes Into Operation” • Georgia Power declared that Plant Vogtle Unit 3 has entered commercial operation and is now serving customers and the State of Georgia. The new unit represents a long-term investment in the state’s energy future [which customers will have to pay down at high electric power prices – ghh] for decades to come. [WWNY]

Have a magnificently rewarding day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Why Republicans Can’t Get Out Of Their Climate Bind, Even As Extreme Heat Overwhelms The US” • Scientists say July will be the hottest month on record. And after years of skepticism and denial, a small number of Republicans are urging their party to get proactive on the climate crisis. But Republicans are living under the shadow of Donald Trump. [CNN]

Ghost forest (Sanjana’s MagicPix, Pexels)

¶ “Is Oppenheimer The Anti-Nuclear Movement’s Braveheart?” • The release of Braveheart in 1997 had an impact on Scotland’s cultural identity and politics. The independence movement and tourist industry have never looked back. ICAN, the International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons, hopes Oppenheimer will do the same sort of thing. [Scottish Left Review]

¶ “Could A Drastic Change In Atlantic Ocean Currents Leave Chicago High And Dry? Yes” • Last week’s heat wave was not a cheery time to think about the central US getting hotter and dryer. But researchers at the University of Copenhagen say that could happen if an important system of oceanic currents suddenly shuts down. [Chicago Sun-Times]

Atlantic Ocean (Colin Watts, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “World’s Tallest Wooden Wind Turbine Is Nearly Complete – And Its Creators Say It Makes Wind Power Way More Efficient” • Sweden’s Modvion is building a wood-based wind turbine for Varberg Energi. It will be the world’s tallest wooden turbine when completed. It will stand at 344 feet, with the blades, an Electrek report says. [Yahoo News]

World:

¶ “Canada wildfire: Firefighter dies tackling British Columbia blaze” • A third firefighter has died battling Canada’s worst wildfire season on record. So far this season, Canadian wildfires have burned about 30 million acres – more than the land area of South Korea or Cuba. Out of the 990 active fires in Canada, 613 are considered out of control. [BBC]

Firefighters (BC government image)

¶ “Greece Sees Its Most Intense Wildfire Emissions For July On Record” • The largest wildfires started by July 17 west of Athens and on the island of Rhodes, forcing nearly 20,000 people to evacuate, in the largest evacuation from a wildfire in the country. CAMS GFAS data show the highest July wildfire carbon emissions ever recorded for Greece. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electric Two-Wheelers In Indonesia” • Out of the 125 million motorcycles in use in Indonesia at the end of 2022, only 32,000 are electric. The Indonesian government intends to use a $455 million subsidy to encourage manufacture of 800,000 electric two-wheelers and the conversion of 200,000 petrol-powered scooters to electric. [CleanTechnica]

Alva CERVO (Alva CERVO image)

¶ “Indonesia’s Minister Of Energy Urges Swift Adoption Of Renewables, Emphasizing Solar And Wind As Key Solutions” • In response to the alarming impact of climate change, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif stressed the urgency of achieving a new target for renewable energy that is three times the current goal. [SolarQuarter]

Australia:

¶ “CETF Counters Long Lead Times With 200 MWh Battery ‘Hives’” • Clean Energy Transfer Fund, based in Queensland, plans to get around long lead times and major capital outlays of grid-scale renewables projects by use of hundreds of sub-5-MW battery units across Australia to create coordinated battery ‘hives’ of up to 200 MWh each. [pv magazine Australia]

Energy Storage (CETT image)

¶ “Vanadium Battery To Power Regional WA” • Horizon Power, Western Australia’s regional energy provider, bought a vanadium redox flow battery for a long-duration energy storage pilot in Kununurra. The 78-kW, 220kWh battery will enable Horizon Power to test the provision of 100% renewable energy over long periods. [Government of Western Australia]

¶ “Pocock Seeks To Impose Duty Of Care Over Climate Harm On Australian Government” • With July on track to be the world’s hottest month on record, the independent senator David Pocock will call for a duty of care in Australian law that would require governments to consider the impact of climate harm on young people in their decision-making. [The Guardian]

Uluru (Ondrej Machart, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “VinFast Breaks Ground At Its First US Factory In North Carolina” • North Carolina has also positioned itself to be a favorable place for businesses to come and has doubled down since the introduction of the most recent federal stimulus bill. VinFast, moving rapidly into the US market, broke ground at the site of its new factory in that state. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electric School Bus US Market Study And Buyer’s Guide: A Resource For School Bus Operators Pursuing Electrification” • The updated 2023 Electric School Bus Market Study is a guide offering school districts and others an overview of the electric school bus market and a catalog that presents electric school bus models available. [CleanTechnica]

First electric school bus in California (Theurv, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Instant Permits Now Available For Residential Rooftop Solar Projects In SLO County” • Last week, the County of San Luis Obispo Department of Planning and Building announced that instant permits for residential rooftop solar projects are available through an automated application for permitting new residential rooftop solar systems. [Paso Robles Daily News]

¶ “Northland Transmission Line To Boost Reliability As Power Plants Are Replaced By Renewables” • Large cross-country transmission lines carrying clean energy from remote rural areas to population centers will be a key strategy for cutting emissions. The 180-mile-long Northland Reliability Project has a budget of $970 million. [Energy News Network]

Have a superbly admirable day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Vacations As We Know It Are Over” • Terrified tourists on holidays in the Greek Islands this week came face-to-face with the future. The widespread and extreme weather conditions across southern Europe this summer are a wake-up call – a reminder that not even our vacations are insulated from the growing consequences of global heating. [CNN]

Vacation (Asad Photo Maldives, Pexels)

¶ “It’s The Summer Of Changed Climate. Get Used To It” • Here’s a hot take on the summer of 2023: The climate you grew up in is gone, replaced by something new and changing, but also fixedly different, where the Atlantic Ocean can hit hot-tub temperature, heat is a recurring public health concern, and people will have to adapt their way of living. [CNN]

¶ “Jennifer Sensiba: Why Is Chevy Bringing The Bolt Back?” • In a recent press release, Chevrolet announced that they’re bringing the Bolt back. Here, I want to cover some background, what we know so far, and why they’re doing this. Long story short: this is yet another example of EVs winning over consumers, despite considerable headwinds! [CleanTechnica]

2022 Chevy Bolt (Greg Gjerdingen, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Green Hydrogen Gets Greener With Record-Breaking Solar Device” • Rice University engineers have created a device that “turns sunlight into hydrogen” with a record-breaking level of efficiency. The device integrates innovative halide perovskite semiconductors with electrocatalysts in a single, durable, cost-effective and scalable device. [Oil Price]

World:

¶ “Europe Fires: How Canadair Pilots Battle The Mediterranean Blazes” • Amphibious Canadairs operate by scooping up water from either a lake or the sea and releasing it over fires. The vital role of these aircraft in particular was brutally highlighted last week when two pilots were killed fighting blazes on the Greek island of Evia. [BBC]

Canadair dropping water (Chiara Guercio, Unsplash)

¶ “Antarctica Is Missing An Argentina-Sized Amount Of Sea Ice, And Scientists Are Scrambling To Figure Out Why” • Much of the Northern Hemisphere is suffering record-breaking summer heat waves, but in the Antarctic winter, another terrifying climate record is being broken: The ice is 1.6 million sq km (0.6 million sq mi) below the record low set in 2022. [CNN]

¶ “July 2023 Set To Be Hottest Month On Record” • “According to the data released today, July has already seen the hottest three-week period ever recorded; the three hottest days on record; and the highest-ever ocean temperatures for this time of year,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres told journalists at the UN headquarters in New York. [CleanTechnica]

Sea surface temps (Copernicus Climate Change Service at ECMWF)

¶ “The New Gold Rush In The Era Of Clean Energy” • Global investment in critical minerals increased by 30% in 2022, after a rise of 20% the year before. This was largely due to governments pushing a shift away from fossil fuels to renewable alternatives, which has fuelled the development of new renewable energy projects around the globe. [Oil Price]

¶ “Every Home On Steep 75-House New Hillside Site Above Matlock To Have Solar Panels” • Detailed plans to build 75 homes on a flood-hit site on the steep hillside in Derbyshire have been submitted to the Derbyshire Dales District Council. Every home would be given an EV charging point, solar panels, and solar hot water. [Derby Telegraph]

Home site (Image by Honey & Nineteen47)

US:

¶ “DOE Launches First-Ever ‘Cleanup To Clean Energy’ Initiative To Explore Generating Clean Energy On DOE-Owned Lands” • The US DOE kicked off its “Cleanup to Clean Energy” initiative, an effort to repurpose parts of DOE-owned lands that were used previously in the nation’s nuclear weapons program into the sites of clean-energy generation. [energy.gov]

¶ “State Added 13,000 Clean-Energy Jobs In Past Year” • A report from Climate Power says that Arizona has added almost 13,000 clean-energy jobs in the past year from private investment. This number is good enough for the seventh place among states and evidence that the state is becoming a “powerhouse” for clean energy and EV production. [AZPM News]

Arizona (Mason Field, Unsplash)

¶ “Greenlink Power Poles On Collision Course With Treasures At Tule Springs Fossil Beds, Protectors Say” • Greenlink West is a $2.5 billion transmission line that will carry electricity from solar farms planned in the Nevada desert to cities. But Protectors of Tule Springs says there’s evidence of “significant” fossils in a park right in the project’s way. [8NewsNow.com]

¶ “Feds Clear Plant Vogtle To Fuel Second New Nuclear Reactor For Customers” • Federal regulators have approved plans to load radioactive fuel into a second new nuclear reactor in Georgia. The NRC said that Georgia Power Company and its co-owners can begin loading fuel into unit 4 at Plant Vogtle, southeast of Augusta. [Alabama Public Radio]

Have an enchantingly lovely day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Lessons From The ‘Living Without Russian Gas Miracle’” • Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the EU imported half its natural gas from Russia. Many warned that closing the gas pipes from Russia would lead to an economic recession and severe job losses. But when gas imports were cut by 85%, there was little loss. What happened? [CleanTechnica]

Tanker (Scott Tobin, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “The Nuclear Energy Trap” • Nuclear reactors are being pushed as an answer to global warming. But the problem is that they cannot survive it. That’s only the start of serious issues with the world’s newly found love affair with nuclear energy. This article examines the likelihood of nuclear energy as a fixit for global warming, or is it a victim? [Pressenza]

Science and Technology:

¶ “New Zinc Batteries Take On Dunkelflauten And Dendrites, Too” • More renewable energy is pouring into the grid, sparking the demand for new, low-cost energy storage. A European consortium has come up with a new solution that could fit the bill, in the form of grid-scale zinc batteries that double as green hydrogen generators. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines (Dan Meyers, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Inside Efforts To Avert Environmental ‘Catastrophe’ In The Red Sea” • Moored five miles off the coast of Yemen for more than 30 years, a decaying supertanker carrying a million barrels of oil is finally being offloaded by a UN-led mission, hoping to avert what threatened to be one of the world’s worst ecological disasters in decades. [CNN]

¶ “Sustainable Energy For South African School With Sun Exchange Solar Project” • Solar leasing platform Sun Exchange and power producer CVE South Africa announced the funding of a large solar-plus-battery project to provide clean power and load shedding relief to one of the largest technical high schools in South Africa. [CleanTechnica]

Previous Sun Exchange project (Courtesy of Sun Exchange)

¶ “BasiGo Partners With AC Mobility To Bring Electric Buses To Rwanda!” • Nairobi-based electric bus pioneer BasiGo has launched BasiGo Rwanda Ltd, a new entity focused on electrifying the public transport system in Rwanda. BasiGo has partnered with AC Mobility, Rwanda’s provider of automated fare collection systems for public transport. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Manitoba Plans To Use Wind Power To Double Or Triple Energy-Generating Capacity Over The Next Two Decades” • Manitoba plans to rely on wind farms and other forms of green power to boost generating capacity from 6,600 MW right now to somewhere between 10,000 and 16,000 MW by the 2040s, according to a new energy policy. [CBC]

Wind turbines (Arteum.ro, Unsplash)

¶ “UK Renewables Generation Hit Record Levels In 2022” • UK renewables generation has reached a record share of the energy mix, according to data from the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. Renewables made up 41.5% of electricity generation, compared with 39.6% in 2021, as both wind and solar reached record levels. [Power Technology]

US:

¶ “Wind And Solar Are Propping Up The Texas Power Grid Amid A Brutally Long Heat Wave” • As Texas bakes under a sweltering heat dome this summer and people crank their air conditioners, the state’s energy demand has smashed records. But the power has stayed on and prices haven’t spiked tremendously. Thank wind and solar, energy experts say. [CNN]

Solar parking lot in Texas (ndiggity, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “DOT Proposes New Car Standards That Would Raise Fuel Economy Modestly And Push The Sale Of EVs” • The Biden administration proposed modest increases to fuel efficiency standards for the vehicles most Americans drive. The proposal fits alongside the administration’s push for increasing the share of electric vehicles on the roads. [CNN]

¶ “Heat Pumps And Floating Wind To Lead Zero Emissions Campaign In Maine” • When the people of Maine realized how much money they could save each winter by switching to heat pumps, they began installing them in record numbers. In fact, the Maine blew by a target of 100,000 heat pumps by 2025 two years ahead of schedule. [CleanTechnica]

Portland (Jeana Bala, Unsplash)

¶ “Scorching heat strains US air conditioning capacity” • Energy providers warn Americans to be frugal with air-conditioning this weekend, as intense heat and increased demand could lead to blackouts. Nearly 200 million Americans are under “dangerously hot conditions” alerts with temperatures expected to soar past 100°F (38°C) in several major cities. [BBC]

¶ “The First US Utility-Scale Offshore Wind Farm Just Got The First US-Built Offshore Substation” • The first US-built offshore substation is now standing at New York’s South Fork Wind, the first utility-scale offshore wind farm in US federal waters. South Fork Wind’s 1,500-ton, 60-foot-tall offshore substation came from Texas to New York by ship. [Electrek]

Installing the substation (South Fork Wind image)

¶ “More Extreme Heat Means More Risk For Our Power Grid, Experts Say” • Extreme heat like what hit the Chicago area this week can stress the power grid by spiking demand for electricity. As air conditioning units kick into high gear to keep homes and businesses cool, the high temperatures can cause problems at power stations, experts warn. [Daily Herald]

¶ “Federal Regulators Approve New Rules To Ease Backlogs” • The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission finalized long-awaited new rules intended to reform how power generation projects get connected to the electric grid. FERC Chairman Willie Phillips said there are 2,000 GW of power projects stuck in interconnection queue. [Idaho Capital Sun]

Have an excitingly cool day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Collapse Of The Gulf Stream – An Epitaph For A Dying Planet” • University of Copenhagen scientists say there is ample evidence that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation could collapse as early as 2025 or as late as 2095. It is one of the climate tipping points scientists are most concerned about as global temperatures rise. [CleanTechnica]

Gulf Stream (RedAndr, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “The Latest Bad News About Koeberg Nuclear Power Station Is A Stark Reminder” • The Cape Chamber shares concerns about the reported work delays at Koeberg. They may further strain an already compromised national grid. The Western Cape will feel the strain in particular, should both nuclear reactors be offline simultaneously. [Cape Business News]

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Microbes That Could Protect Grapevines From Climate Change” • Vines whose roots had been exposed to one group of bacteria fared unexpectedly well in a heat experiment. They did not wilt or develop discoloured leaves, unlike some other plants. They barely showed any signs of heat stress in their cells. It was as if the heat hadn’t touched them. [BBC]

Vines with grapes (jose alfonso sierra, Unsplash)

¶ “Making Renewable, Infinitely Recyclable Plastics Using Bacteria” • Scientists engineered microbes to make ingredients for recyclable plastics, replacing finite, polluting petrochemicals with sustainable alternatives. The new approach shows that not only are renewable, recyclable plastics possible, but they can be superior to what we have. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “This Month Is The Planet’s Hottest On Record By Far – And Hottest In Around 120,000 Years, Scientists Say” • Vast swaths of three continents are baking under blistering temperatures and the oceans have heated to unprecedented levels. Scientists of two climate authorities are reporting even before July ends that it will be the hottest month on record by far. [CNN]

Heatwave (Pixy.org, CC0)

¶ “False Claims Of Bogus Heatwave Spread Online” • False claims suggesting that the BBC misreported temperatures in southern Europe were spread on social media. One GB News presenter accused the BBC of trying to “make people terrified of the weather” by reporting ground temperatures instead of the air temperatures. The accusation is debunked. [BBC]

¶ “Solar Energy Desalination Plants Increasingly Provide Water For Africa” • Desalination is moving to the heart of water supply for those countries in Africa with access to the sea or to salt lakes but little fresh water. The expansion of renewable energy sources across the continent will enable desalination without worsening greenhouse gas emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Desalination plant (Courtesy of KarmWater)

¶ “Africa Lithium Supply To Boom In Next Few Years” • When we think of the sources of lithium, we think of South America, Australia, and the US a bit – with processing in China, of course. We don’t think of Africa. However, Africa has resources, and the expectation is that the continent will be a much bigger source of lithium by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶ “AC Is Hard On The Planet. This Building Has A Sustainable Solution” • With 834 rental apartments along with commercial space, a building on Brooklyn’s waterfront is set to be the largest multifamily, residential building with “geothermal” heating and cooling system in New York State when it’s completed in late 2025, developer Lendlease says. [CNN]

1 Java Street building (Marvel and Lendlease image)

¶ “Supreme Court Clears Way For Mountain Valley Pipeline Construction To Proceed” • The Supreme Court cleared the way for construction of the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline, granting an emergency request from project backers that is supported by Congress and the Biden administration. The order is a victory for West Virginia Sen Joe Manchin. [CNN]

¶ “If You Can’t Stand The Heatwave, Get A Heat Officer” • Only three cities in the US have appointed heat officers, but experts say they are quickly becoming key figures on the frontline of climate change. In Phoenix, where daily temperatures have soared above 110°F (43°C) every day for nearly a month, David Hondula is working nonstop. [BBC]

Chief heat officer Hondula educating residents (City of Phoenix)

¶ “Biden Harris Administration Opens Applications For States And Territories To Implement $8.5 Billion For Home Energy Rebates As Part Of Investing In America Agenda” • The US DOE announced it is accepting applications for states and territories to implement two Home Energy Rebate programs created by the Inflation Reduction Act. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Governor Mills Signs Bill To Create Jobs, Advance Clean Energy, And Fight Climate Change Through Offshore Wind” • Governor Janet Mills signed into law LD 1895, to procure up to 3,000 MW of offshore wind energy, allowing for critical port development, while protecting critical lobstering areas from development. [Maine.gov]

Floating offshore wind turbine (Untrakdrover, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Whitmer Signs Bills Boosting Solar Power, Allowing More Stringent State Regulation” • Gov Gretchen Whitmer signed six bills into law to boost solar power and to allow creation of state environmental rules more stringent than the federal standard. She says the bills advance her climate goals of reaching 2 million EVs driving in by 2030. [The Center Square]

¶ “Sparks Fly At Hearing On Georgia Power Project That Could Stick Ratepayers With Plant Vogtle Tab” • The debate about the Plant Vogtle expansion raged during the latest installment of state regulators considering the controversial nuclear expansion project, which has doubled in cost and taken seven years longer to build than initially planned. [Georgia Recorder]

Have an absolutely wonderful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Is The Decline Of Oil In Sight?” • The idea of “peak oil” has been around for decades. It foresees a peak in the amount of oil we can extract and an irreversible decline in production. Last month, the International Energy Agency recently announced that we may soon reach a different but related value: a peak in the global use of (or “demand for”) oil. [CNN]

Charging an EV (myenergi, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Renewable Solar Energy Can Help Purify Water And The Environment” • Chemists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have demonstrated that water remediation can be powered in part, and perhaps even exclusively, by renewable energy sources. Their method integrates solar energy into an electrochemical separation process. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Battery Swapping For Large Trucks – Is This The Way To Go?” • Mitsubishi Fuso has worked with Ample to collaborate on its battery swapping technology for large electric trucks. The focus has been on smaller “last-mile” electric delivery trucks rather than the larger, long-distance semi trucks you often see on the highway. [CleanTechnica]

Ample charging station (Screen shot from an Ample video)

World:

¶ “VW Partners With XPENG And Audi Partners With SAIC In China” • Volkswagen Group announced that it is investing close to $700 million into XPENG, providing a capital increase, and in exchange getting 4.99% of the company’s shares at $15 per share. Audi is forming a somewhat similar partnership with Chinese automaker SAIC. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Porsche Opens First ‘Charging Lounge’” • Porsche announced it is opening its first “Porsche Charging Lounge.” It said, “Porsche is planning to set up its own fast-charging stations along Europe’s most important routes, with a premium charging experience one expects of the brand.” The first Charging Lounge has six 300-kW fast chargers and four 22-kW chargers. [CleanTechnica]

Porsche’s first Charging Lounge

¶ “I Squared Capital To Build Up To 1 GW Of Solar Plants In Malaysia” • I Squared Capital, a leading global infrastructure investment manager, announced that HEXA Renewables, its portfolio company, signed a memorandum of understanding to develop up to 1 GW of hybrid solar photovoltaic projects in the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia. [Business Wire]

Australia:

¶ “Wholesale Electricity Prices Down Almost 60% A Year On From Australia’s Short-Lived Energy Crisis” • Emissions from Australia’s main electricity grid dropped more than 6% in the June quarter from a year ago to a record low for the period, and wholesale prices stabilized, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator. [The Guardian]

Wind turbines (Pixabay, Pexels)

¶ “Australia Is Touted As A Future Clean Energy ‘Superpower,’ But Research Suggests Other Nations Will Outperform Us” • An analysis by CSIRO found Australia was near the top of the pack on factors such as the quality of renewable resources. But we are not the world’s best, and others are nipping at our heels. There’s still much work to be done. [CSIRO]

¶ “Northam Green Hydrogen Hub Set To Supply Renewable Energy To Heavy Vehicles” • Buses, concrete mixers, road trains, and rubbish trucks powered by green hydrogen could hit West Australian roads in the next eighteenth months. The new green hydrogen plant could be the first in the country to produce green hydrogen for vehicles commercially. [ABC]

Infinite Green Energy hub (Infinite Green Energy image)

US:

¶ “Advocates Forced DTE To Cut Pollution, Invest In Clean Energy With Settlement Approved” • The Michigan Public Service Commission approved a settlement led by advocacy organizations that will require DTE Energy to emit less pollution and invest more in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and assistance to low-income ratepayers. [NRDC]

¶ “Lithium Extraction And Conversion From Geothermal Brines – Ten Projects Get $10.9 Million From US Government” • The US DOE announced $10.9 million for ten projects across nine states that will advance innovative technologies to extract and convert battery-grade lithium from geothermal brine sources within the US. [CleanTechnica]

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

¶ “New Hampshire Communities Use Solar Power To Save Money And Build Resiliency” • With energy costs spiking over the past few years, cost-effective renewable energy has come back to the forefront in New Hampshire. More communities in the state are taking advantage of the power of the sun, generating their own power with solar panels. [WMUR]

¶ “Democrats Push More Resilient, Lower-Carbon Infrastructure At US Senate Climate Hearing” • The changing climate is hurting infrastructure and the national economy, members of the US Senate Budget Committee said. Members of both parties agreed on the need to speed up the approval process for large energy and infrastructure projects. [Iowa Capital Dispatch]

Wind farm (musicFactory lehmannsound, Pexels)

¶ “Legislature Approves Wind Power Procurement And Labor Standards Bill, Sending It To Mills” • Just before the legislative session wrapped up, the House and Senate gave final approval to a bill that adds labor standards to a measure that will shape the buildout of Maine’s budding offshore wind industry, sending it to Gov Janet Mills’ desk. [Maine Beacon]

¶ “No New Nuclear Facilities Along Vulnerable Coasts, Alaska Regulators Say” • Lt Gov Nancy Dahlstrom signed a package of regulations that dictate where small nuclear “microreactors” may be built in Alaska. An 18-wheeler can transport a microreactor. Such reactors must not be built in areas vulnerable to coastal flooding. [Alaska Public Media]

Have a classically comfortable day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Misguided Push To Weaken Nuclear Safety Standards Is Gaining Steam” • Imagine a future where experimental nuclear reactors are scattered across the US landscape like so many Starbucks, in densely populated and rural areas alike. This is the future that many in the nuclear industry and their supporters are working overtime to achieve. [The Hill]

NuScale Power Voygr (NuScale image)

World:

¶ “$4.6 Billion Plant In South Africa Will Make ‘The Fuel Of The Future’” • In Nelson Mandela Bay, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, thousands of hectares of land could one day become the world’s largest green ammonia plant. While ammonia has many uses, as fertilizer and a chemical feedstock, green ammonia may become the fuel of the future. [CNN]

¶ “Crucial System Of Ocean Currents Is Heading For A Collapse That ‘Would Affect Every Person On The Planet’” • A vital system of ocean currents could collapse in a few decades if the world continues to pump out planet-heating pollution, scientists warn. The event would be catastrophic for global weather and “affect every person on the planet.” [CNN]

Atlantic Ocean (Jacob Buller, Unsplash)

¶ “Deadly Mediterranean Wildfires Kill More Than Forty” • The long heatwave shows no let-up, and temperatures are expected to rise above 44°C (111°F) in parts of Greece. The heaviest death toll so far is in Algeria, where the 34 victims included ten soldiers surrounded by flames in an evacuation in the coastal province of Bejaia, east of Algiers. [BBC]

¶ “Hyundai And Seoul National University Launch Battery Research Center” • Hyundai Motor Group and Seoul National University teamed up to open the Joint Battery Research Center at the highly regarded South Korean university. The aim: world domination. Or, well, in slightly less menacing terms, “global leadership in the battery field.” [CleanTechnica]

Building at Seoul National University (Maru4u, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “’Global China’ Is A Big Part Of Latin America’s Renewable Energy Boom, But Homegrown Industries Are Key” • Renewable energy’s rapid rise in Latin America is under Chinese influence. China’s government and banks have pushed the continent’s energy transition. Chinese companies produce about 90% of all wind and solar technologies installed there. [GreenBiz]

¶ “China Surpasses Renewable Energy Targets Five Years Ahead Of Schedule” • A report by Global Energy Monitor, an NGO that monitors wind and solar farms, China has exceeded its ambitious goals. The report reveals that China is set to double its renewable energy capacity by 2025, reaching a milestone of 1,200 GW of solar and wind capacity. [Microgrid Media]

Solar array in China (李大毛 没有猫, Unsplash)

¶ “Trafford Approves £750 Million Battery Storage Project” • In the UK, Carlton’s push for a £750 million battery energy storage system at Trafford Low Carbon Energy got planning permission from the metropolitan borough council. Carlton Power says its infrastructure project will be “the world’s largest” battery energy storage system. [Place North West]

US:

¶ “Florida Ocean Temps Surge To 100°F As Mass Coral Bleaching Event Is Found In Some Reefs” • Multiple reefs near the Florida Keys are completely bleached or dead in a grim escalation that took place in as little as two weeks, experts told CNN. A buoy in the Florida Bay hit 101.1°F at a depth of 5 feet, one of the highest temperatures ever recorded anywhere. [CNN]

Sailing at Key West (Jonathan Wheeler, Unsplash)

¶ “US Lawmaker Greg Casar Begins Thirst Strike Over Heat Laws” • A US congressman will go without food and water in a protest over a Texas law overriding protection for people who work outdoors in intense heat. More than 400 workers have died in heatwaves since 2011. There are no federal protections for workers exposed to heat. [BBC]

¶ “Another New Solar Cell Factory For The USA, Another Win For Bidenomics” • In the world of Bidenomics, clean power is a job-creating dynamo touching off a US manufacturing boom. The latest example is a new 2-GW PV cell factory that originally was supposed to be built in Germany. Instead its 350 jobs will go to Colorado Springs. [CleanTechnica]

New solar cell factory in Colorado (Courtesy of Meyer Burger)

¶ “Panasonic To Produce Higher-Energy-Density Batteries In USA With Silicon From Nexeon” • Panasonic says that it is always working to improve battery energy density to provide longer range for EVs. And naturally, Panasonic’s aim is to do so at lower cost. Now it plans to produce better EV batteries, starting in 2025, in De Soto, Kansas. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Stellantis And Samsung SDI Are To Build A Second Battery Gigafactory In USA” • StarPlus Energy is a joint venture Stellantis and Samsung SDI formed for a battery gigafactory that is to begin operations in the first quarter of 2025 in Kokomo, Indiana. Now they have announced a second US battery gigafactory that will open in 2027. [CleanTechnica]

Chrysler Airflow Concept (Courtesy of Chrysler)

¶ “Brightnight, Rivian, And The Nature Conservancy Unite To Transform Starfire Coal Mine Into Kentucky’s Largest Renewable Power Project” • The Nature Conservancy, Brightnight, and Rivian announced that Starfire Mine, once one of the largest US coal mines, will be the site of a solar energy center. Its capacity will be 800 MW. [The Nature Conservancy]

¶ “First Solar Secures An Order For An Alabama Project” • The Tennessee Valley Authority ordered 279 MW (DC) of thin film solar panels from First Solar for a solar project in Alabama. The Lawrence County Solar Project is expected to start commercial operation in 2027. It reflects TVA’s growing emphasis on solar in the region. [reNews]

Have a plausibly dreamy day.

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World:

¶ “Heat Waves In US And Europe Would Have Been ‘Virtually Impossible’ Without Climate Change” • Attribution analysis from the World Weather Attribution initiative shows that the searing heat in the US and southern Europe would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change, and it made China’s heat wave at least fifty times more likely. [CNN]

Sun in a heatwave (Raphael Wild, Unsplash)

¶ “Sub-Saharan 12-Country Supergrid Proposed By Researchers” • A transmission grid proposed in the journal Scientific Reports  stretches from Mali and Nigeria in West Africa, through Niger, Chad, and Sudan to Ethiopia in East Africa, then south through Kenya, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania, and Mozambique, and finally to South Africa. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “8.5 GW Of Solar Parks Completed Under Govt Support Scheme” • Eleven solar parks with a combined capacity of  8.521 GW were completed and seven solar parks totaling 3.985 GW partly completed under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy’s scheme for “Development of Solar Parks and Ultra-Mega Solar Power Projects.” [pv magazine India]

200-MW PV plant in Gujarat (Engie image)

¶ “Exergy And Geothermal Engineering Sign Contract For UK’S First Deep Geothermal Power Plant” • Exergy International and Geothermal Engineering Ltd., the UK’s leading developer and operator of geothermal plants, signed a contract for the supply of a 3-MW gross capacity ORC power plant at a United Downs site in Cornwall. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “UAE To Work With COP28 Participants To Triple Global Renewable Energy Capacity By 2030” • The UAE will work with the participants of COP28 to triple the world’s renewable energy capacity and to double the production of hydrogen by 2030, according to Suhail Al Mazrouei, the UAE Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. [The National]

Wind farm (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

¶ “Australia Says Nuclear Isn’t Part Of Its Energy Mix. Here’s Why” • Nuclear energy has never been part of Australia’s energy mix as it has abundant renewables, according to Chris Bowen, Australia’s minister for climate change and energy. Apart from being extremely expensive, it generates large amounts of waste and is an inflexible energy source, he said. [CNBC]

US:

¶ “Deadly Extreme Heat Is On The Rise In National Parks – A Growing Risk For America’s Great Outdoors” • Extreme heat appears to be killing people in America’s national parks at an alarming pace, highlighting both its severity and the changing calculus of personal risk in the country’s natural places as climate change fuels more weather extremes. [CNN]

Search and rescue personnel (Grand Canyon National Park)

¶ “Smoke From Hundreds Of Canadian Wildfires Blankets Northern Us Cities With Air Pollution” • Smoke from over 1,000 wildfires burning across Canada has wafted over the northern US, bringing poor air quality and pollution that threaten residents’ health. Chicago, Minneapolis, and Detroit are among top twenty most polluted cities in the world. [CNN]

¶ “How Desperate US Prisoners Try To Escape Deadly Heat” • Prisoners locked in cells without air conditioning are struggling as temperatures rise. So are the staff guarding them. On the countless blisteringly hot days, when temperatures climbed above 37.7°C (100°F), survival depends upon a mix of creativity and desperation to stay cool. [BBC]

Prison (Tom Blackout, Unsplash)

¶ “Colorado Adopts New Rules To Curb Methane Emissions” • The Colorado Air Quality Control Commission unanimously approved new standards that will directly tie the amount of oil and gas that companies can produce within the state to how well they measure and reduce the methane emissions from their operations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “It’s About Time! Oil & Gas Companies Will Have To Pay More For Drilling On Public Lands” • A rule was proposed by the Biden administration to raise the royalties fossil fuel companies pay to pull oil, gas, and coal from public lands. They’ll also be required to increase the bonds they hold by a factor of ten before they start drilling on public lands. [CleanTechnica]

Orphaned well (National Park Service)

¶ “Texas To Release Offshore Wind Kracken As Foes Sharpen Knives” • The Biden administration is forging ahead with plans for 3.7 GW of wind turbines in the Gulf of Mexico. Texas would have the lion’s share at over 2.4 GW. Get ready for a remix of the Clash of the Titans, as renewable energy stakeholders head for a showdown with the usual suspects. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Maine To Go All In On Offshore Wind” • The legislature of the state of Maine is expected to pass a bill that calls for getting 3 GW of electricity from offshore wind turbines in the Gulf of Maine by 2040. The measure also supports building port infrastructure and local supply chains to service projects in the gulf’s deep, frigid waters. [Canary Media]

Prototype floating wind turbine in the Gulf of Maine. (UMaine)

¶ “Keeping Contentious Nuclear Plant Open Could Cost Californians $45 Billion: Report” • If the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant stays online for two more decades, total costs to run the site could range from more than $20 billion to nearly $45 billion through 2045, according to analysis by the Environmental Working Group. [The Hill]

¶ “Massachusetts Senator Takes Victory Lap As State Blocks Radioactive Water Release From Nuclear Plant” • Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey applauded his home state for icing a private company’s plan to release about a million gallons of radioactive water into the Cape Cod Bay from a shuttered nuclear power plant. [Courthouse News Service]

Have a prudently blissful day.

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World:

¶ “India Says No To BYD Factory Plan” • In what may be a hint of troubles ahead for China as it seeks to become a global economic giant, India rejected a plan from BYD and Megha Engineering and Infrastructures to invest $1 billion to build an EV and battery factory. India and China have animosities, and security concerns may have been an issue. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Atto 3 (Courtesy of BYD South Africa)

¶ “G20 Bloc Fails To Reach Agreement On Cutting Fossil Fuels” • The Group of 20 major economies meeting in India failed on Saturday to reach consensus on phasing down fossil fuels after objections by some producer nations. Scientists and campaigners are exasperated by international bodies’ foot-dragging on action to curb global warming. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “GWEC Calls For More Ambition On Renewables Deployment” • More ambition on renewable energy is needed to reach net zero by 2050, the Global Wind Energy Council says. After the Clean Energy Ministerial, GWEC chief executive Ben Backwell said: “The outcome of the G20 Clean Energy Ministerial today gets us no closer to a net zero world by 2050.” [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (GWEC image)

¶ “Solar Power Has A Strong Case In Kenya Due To Its Favorable Weather And Position On The Equator” • Kenya is on the equator and has favorable weather. It does not suffer from the seasonality of many other areas of the world, giving it a massive opportunity for solar power to compete as a consistent and reliable source of power all year round. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “The Largest And Most Powerful Wind Turbine Ever Built Is Now Operational” • The world’s largest wind turbine constructed to date is now up and running and contributing to the power grid in China. The turbine is a MySE 16-260. The nomenclature designates a power capacity of 16 MW and a rotor diameter of 260 meters (853 feet). [ScienceAlert]

Turbine being installed (China Three Gorges Corporation image)

¶ “BASF, MingYang Plan Chinese Offshore Project” • BASF and Mingyang Smart Energy agreed to partner on building and operating an offshore wind farm in China. The wind farm will supply renewable energy electricity to BASF’s Verbund site in Zhanjiang, driving 100% green electricity supply and fostering sustainable, smart production. [reNews]

¶ “Remote Xhosa Community Pioneers Use Of Solar Power To Transport Tourists” • Bulungula Lodge in Nqileni Village, a rural community on the Wild Coast of South Africa, has pioneered eco-tourism since it opened in 2004. Solar panels were ten times as expensive then as they are now, yet the lodge has operated on solar power for almost twenty years. [SA Good News]

Hut at Bulungula Lodge (Bulungula Lodge image)

¶ “1040-MW UK Battery Receives Planning Consent” • Carlton Power has secured planning permission for a 1040-MW battery energy storage scheme at the Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park in Greater Manchester. The £750 million scheme will strengthen grid security and resilience in northwestern England and support the growth of renewable power. [reNews]

¶ “World’s Biggest Wind Power Projects Are In Crisis Just When World Needs Them Most” • Offshore wind projects are facing an economic crisis that cut billions of dollars in planned spending this week, just as the world needs clean energy more than ever. Affected offshore wind projects include some off the coasts of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. [Mining.com]

Offshore wind power plant (Image by Iberdrola)

¶ “Fukushima Fish With 180 Times Legal Limit Of Radioactive Cesium Fuels Water Release Fears” • A fish living near drainage outlets at Fukushima Daiichi contained levels of radioactive cesium 180 times Japan’s safe limit. A total of 44 fish with cesium levels above the safe limit were found in the nuclear plant’s port between May 2022 and May 2023. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “Cruise Robotaxis Enter Miami” • GM’s robotaxi firm Cruise is slowly expanding, and its next market appears to be Miami. Aside from the fun combination of Miami and robotaxis, what is interesting about the news is how fast the Cruise robotaxi firm has been expanding. It has begun or expanded service in four cities since November. [CleanTechnica]

Robotaxi (Courtesy of Cruise)

¶ “Eight Solar Microgrids In San Diego To Deliver Clean Energy And Local Resilience” • Cost-saving solar microgrids are coming to eight public buildings in San Diego, with a substantial boost from Shell New Energies, a subsidiary of the British oil giant. San Diego has broken ground on the first the of eight microgrids it plans to install. [The Energy Mix]

¶ “What’s Driving Sudden Flare Of Solar Energy And Storage In Colorado?” • Colorado has had a lot of solar and other renewable energy projects that independent experts say are keeping it ahead of a fast-growing pack of successful green-development states. Accelerants are lucrative tax credits and grants from the Inflation Reduction Act. [Vail Daily]

Solar panels in Paradox Valley (Tony Webster, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “One Year Old US Climate Law Is Already Turbocharging Clean Energy Technology” • The US climate law that passed one year ago offers a 30% discount off this installation via a tax credit, and that’s helping push clean energy even into places where coal still provides cheap electricity. For one family in Frankfort, Kentucky, it was a good deal. [WWNY]

¶ “State Regulators To Hear Plant Vogtle Progress Report After Nuclear Expansion Stalled Again” • Georgia Power announced that a new nuclear reactor at Plant Vogtle is on its way to being fully operational in the coming months. The news comes several days before the utility faces another showdown over the project’s ballooning costs. [Georgia Recorder]

Have a charmingly providential day.

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Opinion:

¶ “’Relevant For India’: N-Power Too Expensive, Too Slow To Reach Net Zero In Australia” • An article in The Guardian said nuclear power is too expensive and slow to be part of Australia’s plans to reach net zero. This situation cannot be any better in the case of India, due to the huge population, constrained natural resources, and the high demand. [Counterview]

Nuclear plant (Indian Department of Atomic Energy, GODL)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Climate Records Tumble, Leaving The Earth In Uncharted Territory” • A series of climate records on temperature, ocean heat, and Antarctic sea ice alarmed some scientists who say their speed and timing is unprecedented. Heatwaves in Europe could break more records, the UN says. Scientists already fear some worst-case scenarios are unfolding. [BBC]

¶ “Why High Temperatures Can Make Planes Too Heavy To Take Off” • Our planet’s rising temperatures are making it harder for planes to take off at certain airports, posing yet another challenge for civil aviation. And as heatwaves become more frequent, the problem could extend to more flights, forcing airlines to leave passengers on the ground. [CNN]

Airplane (Stefan Fluck, Unsplash)

¶ “How Will Extreme Temperatures And Heatwaves Change How We Work?” • The World Meteorological Organization recorded the hottest week on record. The scorching temperatures have not abated as heatwaves continue in Europe, North America, Asia, North Africa and more. Many types of jobs will have to change to keep people safe. [BBC]

World:

¶ “Rhodes Fires Could Worsen As Thousands Flee Homes And Hotels” • Thousands of people have been evacuated from homes and hotels on the Greek island of Rhodes after wildfires engulfed large parts of the island. The island has been battling wildfires fanned by strong winds since Tuesday, as Europe deals with a challenging heatwave. [BBC]

Houses on Rhodes (Jacqueline O’Gara, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Four missing after extreme rainfall hits Canada” • Four people in Canada, including two children, have been reported missing in flooding caused by torrential rains in Nova Scotia, police have said. Officials say the heaviest rains to hit the Atlantic region in 50 years have triggered floods. Three months worth of rain fell in just 24 hours in some areas. [BBC]

¶ “Tesla Aims To Double Or Triple The Giga Berlin Production Capacity To 1 Million Cars Per Year” • If anyone is concerned about demand for Tesla vehicles leveling off or dropping, it certainly isn’t Tesla. Tesla is now requesting that the authorities in Germany approve a significant expansion of the already huge Giga Berlin factory. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Giga Berlin (Tesla image)

¶ “Batteries The Next Step For Billionaire St Baker’s Energy Ecosystem” • Trevor St Baker knows how to make money. He recently sold his coal-fired power generator in New South Wales, for 200 times what he paid for it. Now, he is investing in green energy, not because he wants to save the world, but because he wants to make money. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Italy’s Renewable Energy Sector Soars With 2.5 GW Of Additions In Six Months” • Reports indicate that in the first half of 2023, Italy added an impressive 2.5 GW of new renewable capacity. The Monthly Electricity System Report says domestic clean energy sources covered 44.3% of the nation’s electricity demand in June. [Microgrid Media]

Solar array in Italy (Balfabio, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Tensions Emerge Between State And Federal Governments Over Australia’s Energy Grid Roadmap” • Cracks in the unity of the nation’s energy ministers have emerged amid disquiet over a review of power grid plans and an effort by Australia’s federal government to force carbon offsets from big new gas fields on to the states. [The Guardian]

¶ “Queensland’s $62 Billion Green Energy SuperGrid Gambit” • Though Australia is a major coal producer, the government has approved several wind and solar power operations and expects the country to become a major green hydrogen hub in the next decade. And now the state of Queensland will become home to a SuperGrid, powered by renewables. [Yahoo Finance]

Solar array in Australia (Grahamec, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “State Subsidies For Buying A Tesla? Tesla Now Makes It Easier To Find What They Are” • Many articles about EV costs point out that aside from the US federal tax credit for EVs, various state incentives are also available. But which states? How much? What models or types of EVs qualify? Tesla has a tool at its website to answer for the cars it makes. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tehachapi Pass Makes Ideal Wind Energy Location” • The wind from the Mojave Desert rises to power one of the largest and most productive wind-energy investments on the planet. The series of wind farms known as the Tehachapi-Mojave Wind Resource Area consists of more than 5,000 turbines in a wide variety of sizes. [Tehachapi News]

Tehachapi windfarm (Alexandre Buisse, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “As Solar Harvesting Booms In Nevada, Conservationists Call For A State-Specific Development Plan” • With nearly 100 solar plant applications pending in Nevada, conservationists worry there isn’t an updated management plan specifically guiding utility-scale solar development. US and state governments have conflicting goals. [The Nevada Independent]

¶ “El Paso Electric Power Usage Hits Level Not Expected Until 2029 Because Of Heat Wave” • El Paso Electric has shattered power-consumption records four days in the last three weeks because of the heat wave gripping the region for over a month. El Paso Electric officials didn’t expect to hit the power peak levels of this summer until 2029. [El Paso Times]

Have a stunningly beautiful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Barbie Versus Oppenheimer: Two Diametrically Opposed Universes That Remind Us Of Two Existential Threats” • For the Greenpeace community, these two films echo past and present campaigns against very real existential threats: Barbie reveals the problems of deforestation and plastic pollution; Oppenheimer puts a focus on nuclear annihilation. [Greenpeace]

Einstein and Oppenheimer (US Defense Threat Reduction Agency)

Science and Technology:

¶ “There’s A Heatwave In The Sea And Scientists Are Worried” • The month of June and the first few days of July were hotter than any in recorded history, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Residents in the south of the US, southern Europe, and elsewhere have been enduring sweltering temperatures. But records are also being broken in the water. [BBC]

World:

¶ “China Is Drilling Some Of The World’s Deepest Holes In Hunt For Natural Resources” • Chinese engineers broke ground in the Sichuan Basin on a super-deep borehole to burrow far into the Earth’s crust, as the country steps up its search for natural resources. The hole will eventually reach 10,520 meters (34,514 feet) into the ground. [CNN]

Sichuan (Ourima, public domain)

¶ “Climate Records Tumble, Leaving Earth In Uncharted Territory” • A series of climate records for temperature, ocean heat, and Antarctic sea ice have alarmed some scientists who say their speed and timing is “unprecedented.” Studies are under way, but scientists already fear some of the worst-case scenarios are unfolding. [BBC]

¶ “Europe Heatwave: Temperatures To Soar In Greece As Fires Still Burn” • Greece is bracing for more intense heat over the weekend, with meteorologists warning that temperatures could climb as high as 45°C (113°F). It could turn into Greece’s hottest July weekend in 50 years. Meanwhile, firefighters are continuing to battle dozens of wildfires. [BBC]

Wildfire in Greece (Lotus R, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Colombia’s Largest EV Seller Announces Alliance With CATL” • In Colombia, a set of quite specific circumstances ended up with the largest EV distributor being Auteco, a local motorcycle company. This year, Auteco created a business line devoted to EVs. Auteco’s EV line struck a deal with CATL to service all EVs with CATL batteries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Self-Driving Truck Company Completes Successful Road Test In China” • The autonomous trucking company TuSimple has completed various entirely autonomous test drives on public roads in China. The company claims that this is actually the first time such a self-driving truck test was done without a human inside the truck. [CleanTechnica]

TuSimple Self Driving Truck

¶ “ACWA Power Inks MOU For 10 GW Of Wind Project in Egypt” • Global power developer ACWA Power signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Egyptian New and Renewable Energy Authority to develop 10 GW of windpower. Under the MOU, about 3,000 sq km of land near the city of Sohag will be alloted to ACWA for development. [Energy Capital & Power]

¶ “African Solar Panels Are Cost-Competitive With China” • Africa has only 1% of the world’s solar capacity, and about 600 million African people lack access to energy. But a report finds that solar module manufacturing in some African countries is “already cost competitive with equivalent manufacturing in China.” [Oil Price]

Solar array (Sungrow EMEA, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Heat Can Kill On The Job, And These Workers Are Dying” • From California to Florida, a record heat wave has caused dozens of deaths, filled some hospitals, and prompted governments to warn to avoid long exposure to heat. OSHO is charged to protect workers, but it can do little or nothing if a boss orders workers to toil in the searing summer sun. [CNN]

¶ “Inflation, Interest Rates And Whales: Why Offshore Wind Projects Are On The Rocks” • The offshore wind energy is a hot-button issue, but the US only has seven turbines out at sea. Two larger farms expected to be completed this year, but for years, delays prevented the fledgling US offshore wind industry from taking off, and it’s still hitting snags. [CNN]

Offshore windpower (Jesse De Meulenaere, Unsplash)

¶ “New Jersey Sues Over New York City’s Congestion Pricing Plan” • New Jersey is suing to stop New York City’s landmark congestion price plan to charge drivers entering downtown Manhattan. New Jersey filed a lawsuit in federal court Friday against the US Department of Transportation, which gave final approval for New York City’s plan. [CNN]

¶ “Canoo Transporting NASA Astronauts” • Canoo delivered three Crew Transportation Vehicles to the Kennedy Space Center. Canoo said that the vehicles were intended to transport astronauts for Artemis lunar missions. It wrote, “The CTVs are engineered to carry fully suited astronauts, flight support crew, and equipment to the launch pad.” [CleanTechnica]

Canoo Crew Transportation Vehicle

¶ “Biden Unlocks Wind Power In Gulf Of Mexico” • Federal regulators announced the first sale of Gulf of Mexico offshore wind leases, opening sites off the coast of Texas. They could potentially power nearly 1.3 million homes. The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will auction off the lease sites on August 29. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “RWE Inks 300 MW Of PPAs For Dominion Energy Virginia’s Solar Power Supply” • RWE partnered with Dominion Energy Virginia, signing eight long-term Power Purchase Agreements for seven solar projects. Their combined capacity exceeds 300 MW. Dominion Energy remains committed to achieving net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. [SolarQuarter]

Have a wholly unproblematical day.

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Opinion:

¶ “‘We Are Damned Fools’: James Hansen” • On June 23, 1988, NASA scientist James Hansen told the US Senate the greenhouse effect had been detected, indicating that the climate was in fact changing. His was largely ignored. He has been stalked, vilified, denounced as a lunatic, and arrested for attempting to speak the truth about climate change. [CleanTechnica]

Senator Inhofe in denial (C-Span, public domain)

¶ “Heatwave Shows Biden’s Better Grid Initiative Is Woefully Underfunded” • The blistering heat wave in the US is severely straining the country’s electrical grids. As temperatures soar in the West, air conditioning units are working overtime, drawing far more energy from the grid than usual. And the nation’s power grids are antiquated. [Oil Price]

¶ “House Republicans Want To Plant Trees To Combat Climate Change, But Will It Work?” • As most of the US contends with extreme heat, wildfire smoke, or flash flooding, and a growing number of Americans say climate change has “made things worse” in their lives, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., has an answer: Plant trees. [Yahoo News]

Planting a tree (Leiliane Dutra, Pexels)

¶ “The Big Problem With Small Nuclear Reactors” • Gigawatt water-cooled reactors are seen as obsolete by many observers. Newbuilt, these behemoths generate electricity at up to nine times the cost of large solar and onshore wind facilities. They can take well over a decade to build. But small modular reactors may not offer any improvement. [Undark Magazine]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Long-Lost Greenland Ice Core Suggests Disastrous Sea Level Rise Potential” • An ice core taken from beneath Greenland’s ice sheet decades ago shows that a large part of the country was ice-free around 400,000 years ago, when temperatures were similar to those the world is approaching now, a report says. The report’s implications are alarming. [CNN]

Greenland melting (Paul Bright, Unsplash)

¶ “2024 Will Probably Be Hotter Than This Year Because Of El Niño, NASA Scientists Say” • As millions bake under a relentless heat wave in the South and Southwest US, and as temperatures soar around the Northern Hemisphere, NASA scientists warned that we haven’t seen the worst of El Niño and next year will likely be even warmer for the planet. [CNN]

¶ “Better EV Batteries Start On Factory Floor With New ‘Dry Manufacturing’ Method” • The latest development in EV battery technology comes from Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is part of the US DOE’s sprawling network of research facilities, in a public-private partnership with the US energy storage firm Navitas Systems. [CleanTechnica]

New method for making EV batteries (Navitas Systems via ORNL)

World:

¶ “Solar Startup Yellow Raises $14 Million To Scale Up In Africa” • Yellow has been financing solar energy and digital devices like smartphones in Malawi since it was founded in 2018. It’s about to enter some new markets thanks to a new fundraising round. The company just raised $14 million in a series B fundraising round led by Convergence Partners. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “100 Million 2-Wheel Electric Vehicles In 2027?” • A report by Rethink Energy says post-Covid pandemic electric 2-wheeler sales are recovering globally. Since 2021, there has been marginal growth in the sector, with a move towards electrification. But they expect that by 2027, over 100 million electric 2-wheelers will be on the roads globally. [CleanTechnica]

Swapping batteries (Courtesy of Bikebank and Gogoro)

¶ “ESB And Bord Na Móna To Build Major Solar Power Farm In Kildare” • Voltalia, a major French renewables company, will build a 108-MW solar farm in Kildare on behalf of the ESB and Bord Na Móna. It marks the first large solar project in a joint venture between the two bodies, as the Irish State increasingly looks to develop solar power. [Independent.ie]

US:

¶ “Fervo Completes Geothermal Energy Testing” • Fervo Energy, based in Houston, uses horizontal drilling techniques developed by the oil and gas industry to unlock geothermal resources in places where tapping underground sources of heat to generate electricity has never been possible. Fervo says a test at a full-scale pilot facility was successful. [CleanTechnica]

Geothermal well (Fervo Energy Image)

¶ “Strong Clean Vehicle Standards Can Deliver $44 Billion In Health, Economic, And Climate Benefits To New Mexicans ” • New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham recently took action to give New Mexicans more EV options. A report shows that if her plan is fully adopted, New Mexicans could get up to $44 billion in benefits through 2050. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Unlocking The Potential Of Commercial Rooftop Solar” • RMI says in a report that US real estate investment trusts control 38.5 billion square feet of rooftops on commercial buildings, parking lots, and garages that are suitable for solar panels. If fully utilized, they could produce about 10% of all electricity generated in the country. [CleanTechnica]

Target solar roof (Courtesy of Target)

¶ “Coal-Fired Electricity Is Falling Below Solar In NC” • Coal was used in 37% of electricity generation in 2015 in North Carolina. In the first quarter of 2023, it was down to 7%, while solar was up to 8%. A North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association officer said, “Based on this data, we’d expect to see solar generation regularly surpass coal generation starting this year.” [WFAE]

¶ “Texas Regulators Go Easy On The Gas Fines” • Two-thirds of Texans lost their power in the deadly winter storm of 2021, as natural gas lines and infrastructure froze. But new rules targeting poorly weatherized lines have so far resulted in only $30,500 in fines against gas companies. That’s raising concerns about the next big freeze. [Politico]

Have a breathtakingly inspiring day.

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Opinion:

¶ “That Chinese EV Price War Truce Dissolved Real Quickly – What Does That Mean?” • Soon after the agreement was made to end the EV price war in China, the China Association of Auto Manufacturers, which arranged the meeting and agreement, said in a statement that realized the agreement had actually violated China’s antitrust law. [CleanTechnica]

BYD E6 taxi (LN9267, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Time To Close Diablo” • California’s Central Coast is faced with a 20-year license extension for the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace is doing everything it can to show why an extension of Diablo’s license is the wrong thing to do. California needs a safe, reliable, all-renewable energy portfolio. [The Santa Barbara Independent]

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Transformation Of Global Steel Making Has Huge Potential” • A major insight from Agora is that the once seen as “hard-to-abate” sector, the steel industry, now has the potential to turn into a “fast-to-abate” sector. A net-zero iron and steel industry is technically feasible by the early 2040s using a rapid rollout of new technologies. [CleanTechnica]

Blast furnace (Kateryna Babaieva, Pexels)

World:

¶ “Is This Extreme Weather The ‘New Normal?’ There’s No Such Thing, Some Scientists Say” • This year, summer in the Northern Hemisphere is a tale of heat, floods, and fire. But scientists warn this may only be a preview of the chaos to come if we continue to pump out planet-heating pollution. Until we stop doing that, we have no idea of what is to come. [CNN]

¶ “The Australian Climate Protesters Cast As Extremists” • Stench gas is released in mines as a danger warning. Protesters used it at the main offices of Woodside Energy, the largest oil and gas firm in Australia, to highlight the climate crisis. The investigation was done by a counter-terrorism group. Lawyers warn that Australia is being “increasingly militarised.” [BBC]

Oil platform in Australian waters (CSIRO, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Tesla Now At 4% Of US Auto Market, Nearly 3% Of European Auto Market” • One of the most interesting elements of Tesla’s quarterly shareholder reports is something that seldom gets much attention. What I’m talking about is Tesla’s graph on the company’s market share in three major auto markets – the US, Europe, and China. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tata’s New $5.2 Billion EV Battery Plant Catapults UK From Zero To Hero” • The economic news out of the UK has been less than encouraging since its withdrawal from the EU in 2020. But now, Tata Motors, the leading Indian automaker, has announced that it will build a $5.2 billion EV battery plant there for its iconic Jaguar Land Rover business. [CleanTechnica]

Tata drive system

¶ “China’s Installed Renewable Energy Capacity Surges In H1” • In the first half of 2023, China’s installed capacity of renewable energy grew 18.2% compared with the same period last year, according to the National Energy Administration. The installed capacity of wind power grew 13.7% year on year, while that of solar power was up 39.8%. [People’s Daily]

¶ “Europe Stockpiling 40 GW (DC) Of Chinese Solar Panels” • Chinese-manufactured solar panels are piling up in European warehouses, with about 40 GW (DC) of capacity currently in storage, according to Rystad Energy. The number of panels, worth about £7 billion, is same amount installed across the continent in 2022. [reNews]

Solar panels (Jadon Kelly, Unsplash, cropped)

US:

¶ “Tesla Revenue Up 47%, Gross Profit Up 7% Year Over Year” • In the second quarter of 2023, Tesla continued to rake in the cash on the back of record global deliveries. The company brought in nearly $25 billion in revenue in the second quarter, which was 47% more than in Q2 2022. Here we look a little more closely at these and other numbers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volkswagen Group Uses Tennessee Lab To Add Lightness, Improve Wireless Charging” • Colin Chapman, founder of Lotus Cars in 1952, often said, “Adding power makes you faster on the straights. Subtracting weight makes you faster everywhere.” Volkswagen Group is engaged in subtracting weight, especially EVs, at a Tennessee laboratory. [CleanTechnica]

Super-lightweight whuzzit (Courtesy of Volkswagen)

¶ “There’s One Self-Driving Electric Car You Can Now Buy In California – The Mercedes-Benz EQS” • Whereas you have to keep your eyes open and your hands on the wheel in a Tesla with FSD active, up to date, and in use, in a 2024 Mercedes-Benz EQS, you can now close your eyes and take your hands off the wheel on certain highways in California. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Economics Of Green Energy: A Case Study Of Wind Ranchers In Texas” • When a developer offered John Davis cash for the right to install an array of wind turbines on his land, he looked at the numbers. Davis can get $8 per acre raising cattle, $15 per acre from deer hunters, but many hundreds of dollars by hosting wind turbines. [Electropages]

Wind turbines in Texas (Leaflet, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Solar Power Could Help Stabilize The Texas Power Grid Amid Record Electricity Demand” • Wednesday set a record for Texas power demand. ERCOT data shows the demand was over 82,500 MW. The previous record was set on Monday. ERCOT records also show that solar and wind energy have helped manage that demand and keep the grid stable. [KENS 5]

¶ “Texas Solar Energy Jobs Surge Amidst Heatwave: A Bright Future For Power Grid Stability” • As the heatwave continues and tests the Texas grid, solar energy is key in meeting demand. Solar is growing and creating more jobs, a report shows. The growth in jobs means more people turning to solar, and that means less stress on the grid. [CBS Austin]

Have a thoroughly satisfying day.

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World:

¶ “Xi Says China Will Follow Its Own Carbon Reduction Path As US Climate Envoy Kerry Meets Top Officials In Beijing” • China will follow its own path to cut carbon emissions, leader Xi Jinping vowed, as US climate envoy John Kerry called for faster action to confront the climate crisis. China’s goals are a carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. [CNN]

China’s wall (Hanson Lu, Unsplash)

¶ “Fake Twitter Profiles, Wikipedia Editing And PR Battles: Inside The Push To Greenwash The COP28 Climate Summit” • The optics of a major oil-producing country organizing the world’s most important climate conference, and appointing the CEO of an oil company to lead it, are not lost on anyone – including, it seems, the hosts: the UAE. [CNN]

¶ “Floodwaters Reach Iconic Taj Mahal As Northern India Reels From Massive Deluge” • The Yamuna River reached its highest level on record. The devastating floods causing havoc across northern India have reached the iconic Taj Mahal. Experts warn it could become a regular occurrence as the climate crisis brings ever more extreme weather. [CNN]

Taj Mahal (Tharun Kumar U, Unsplash)

¶ “Nearly All Major Italian Cities On Red Heat Alert” • Red alerts for extreme heat are in place in most of Italy’s main cities as a heatwave intensifies in Europe. Temperatures are expected to peak on Wednesday, with 23 cities on high alert, from Trieste in the north-east to Messina in the south-west. The heat threatens everybody, not just vulnerable groups. [BBC]

¶ “Europe Heatwaves: Wildfires Rage In Greece As Temperatures Soar” • Large swathes of southern Europe continue to swelter in record heat as wildfires rage across the continent. Temperatures hit a high of 46.3°C (115.3°F) in Sicily, and crews battled fires in Greece and the Swiss Alps. Also, China saw record heat and flooding from Typhoon Talim. [BBC]

Flooding in Fuzhou, Fujian province (Fuzhou Fire Department)

¶ “COP 28 Agenda – Phase Down Of Fossil Fuel Inevitable And Essential” • The COP 28 Climate Summit is scheduled for next November in Dubai. The president of the conference is Sultan Al Jaber, who just happens to be the head of Adnoc, the national oil company of the UAE, of which Dubai is a part. Yes, that is how it’s happening, and no, it’s not a joke. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Rio Tinto Produces Metals Critical To The REVolution” • The Australian mining companies are global leaders in the search for critical minerals and materials to enable the green industrial revolution. At a local level, Queensland is encouraging miners to prepare for the time when coal is no longer their main product. Rio Tinto is a good example. [CleanTechnica]

Ore with copper, cobalt, and nickel (Paul-Alain Hunt, Unsplash)

¶ “China Begins Blanket Radiation Testing On Seafood Imports From Japan” • China has begun blanket radiation testing on seafood imports from Japan, sources familiar with the bilateral relationship said Tuesday, a move seen as pressuring Tokyo’s plan to release treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. [Kyodo News]

US:

¶ “NTSB Investigation Of Pennsylvania Candy Factory Explosion Reveals Natural Gas Was Leaking From Two Service Lines” • An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board into an explosion at a Pennsylvania candy factory that left seven dead in March revealed that natural gas was leaking from two service lines, a preliminary report says. [CNN]

Fractured line from the candy factory (NTSB image)

¶ “US Heatwave Sees Hospitals Use Body-Bag Ice Treatment” • An unrelenting heatwave continues in much of the southern US, leaving more than 90 million Americans under a heat advisory. Phoenix saw 110°F (43°C) for the nineteenth straight day, setting a record. Officials said hospitals are using body bags filled with ice to cool down some overheated patients. [BBC]

¶ “Number Of EV Charging Points In USA Nearly Doubled In Three Years” • EV owners know that most charging is done at home, and if you have workplace charging, that can also cover nearly all of a person’s charging needs. For others, the good news is that charging stations are being installed daily. The market is responding just as it should. [CleanTechnica]

Charging station (Sophie Jonas, Unsplash)

¶ “C-Crete, A Cement-Free Concrete, Debuts In Seattle” • C-Crete Technologies has a new process that provides a sustainable alternative to Portland cement, emitting almost no CO₂ when it’s made, and it actually absorbs CO₂ from the air over time. It was used for the first time in a commercial building foundation in Seattle, C-Crete said. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Extreme Heat Drives Texas Power Demand To Yet Another Record” • Power demand in Texas is once again setting records as extreme heat drives homes and businesses to crank up the air conditioning, and the outlook for more searing temperatures means the state’s grid will continue to be tested. Power use set its ninth record in just three weeks. [Yahoo Finance]

Houston (Vlad Busuioc, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Utah’s Community Renewable Energy Program Is Projected To Come To Fruition In 2024” • The Salt Lake City Council unanimously passed a resolution committing the city to the Utah Community Renewable Energy Program. Coordinated by Rocky Mountain Power, the program aims to help communities meet a net-100% renewable energy goal by 2030. [KUER]

¶ “Center To Help Communities Tackle Renewable Energy Projects” • The Graham Sustainability Institute is launching the Center for EmPowering Communities to help communities in Michigan tackle the planning and zoning challenges related to developing renewable energy projects such as wind and solar installations. [The University Record]

Have a certainly safe day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “What Record Warm Ocean Temperatures Could Mean For Hurricane Season” • The Atlantic hurricane season is entering uncharted territory with water temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico the highest ever recorded. Hot oceans drive powerful hurricanes, but they are not the only factor. The situation is uncertain. [CNN]

Uncertain weather (Shashank Sahay, Unsplash)

¶ “Vehicle To Everything Can Be The Answer To Support The Grid – GridBeyond” • One of the most common questions about widespread EV adoption is “Can the grid handle all those electric cars?” A GridBeyond white paper tackles the issues surrounding the rapid uptake of EV options, and how vehicle-to-everything tech could offer solutions. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Soaring Temperatures To Record Rainfall: Asia Is Reeling As The Climate Crisis Takes Hold” • The world’s largest and most populous continent is dealing with the deadly effects of extreme summer weather, as countries endure blistering heatwaves and record monsoon rainfall, with governments warning residents to prepare for more to come. [CNN]

Flood in Indian monsoon (Dibakar Roy, Unsplash)

¶ “‘This Is Just The Beginning’: Extreme Heat Around The World As Fires Rage In Southern Europe” • Italy, Spain and Greece have already faced unrelenting heat for days, but the European Space Agency warns that the heat wave is only just beginning. Italy has been particularly hard hit, and temperatures in many cities are expected to soar above 40°C (104°). [CNN]

¶ “JUWI South Africa Has 400 MW EPC Projects In Advanced Stages Of Development For Mines In South Africa” • The leading renewable project developer JUWI Renewable Energies recently announced that it now has 400 MW of engineering, procurment, and construction projects in advanced stages of development for mines in South Africa. [CleanTechnica]

Garob Wind Farm (Courtesy of JUWI)

¶ “Wabtec Sends Electric Train Love Letter To World’s Largest Iron Mine” • The leading mining firm Vale has just ordered up three of Wabtec’s FLXdrive zero emission locomotives to ply a 550-mile railroad, pulling loads of ore from the world’s biggest iron mine. The two companies also are planing to test using ammonia as a fuel. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Power Firms Shifting Focus To Green Projects” • Chinese power companies have expanded their involvement in green energy projects worldwide, with the number of the new energy projects they invested in rising 55.6% year-on-year. a report says. They are in regions such as Southeast Asia, Europe, Oceania, and Latin America. [China Daily]

Wind farm (Karsten Würth, Unsplash)

¶ “’Very, Very Worried.’ Ramokgopa Sounds Alarm On Koeberg Refurbishment” • Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, the South African Minister of Electricity, says that he is “very, very worried” that the Koeberg nuclear plant refurbishment is behind schedule again. The delay could result in higher stages of load shedding continuing into 2024. [News24]

Australia:

¶ “Australian Aboriginal group And Philippine Firm ACEN To Develop Renewable Energy” • Philippine energy company ACEN Corp and Australia’s Yindjibarndi Aboriginal group are planning to develop up to 3 GW of wind, solar, and battery storage on land held by the community. It is in the heart of Western Australia’s iron ore mining region. [Reuters]

Western Australia (Chris Stenger, Unsplash)

¶ “World’s Biggest Solar Project To Add Wind As New Owners Prepare To Take Charge” • Windpower will be added to a plan to send Australian solar energy to Southeast Asia through what is to be the world’s longest undersea power cable. The plan has been to use Northern Territory sunshine to supply renewable energy to Singapore. [Renew Economy]

¶ “Australia’s Biggest Coal Plant Can Close In 2025 And Lights Won’t Go Out. Here’s How” • The fossil fuel lobby and some of the media are agitating to delay the planned August 2025 closure of Australia’s biggest coal power station. They claim it is needed to “keep the lights on.” But delay would put power affordability, reliability, and security at risk. [Renew Economy]

Eraring power station (Nick Pitsas, CSIRO, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “Tesla Cybertruck #1 Is Here At Last” • At the Tesla Gigafactory in Austin, there was great excitement as the first pre-production Cybertruck rolled off the assembly line. Reportedly, the battery electric pickup truck from Tesla has over 1.5 million reservations pending, and now the big story will be how many of those turn into firm orders. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Blue Bird Electric School Bus Gets Better” • The iconic, nearly 100-year-old bus maker Blue Bird has been producing electric buses for a few years, and now it’s introducing a new, improved version. The electric bus will have 25% more storage capacity in its battery, rising to 196 kWh. That provides 130 miles of range on a single charge. [CleanTechnica]

Blue Bird electric school bus (Blue Bird image)

¶ “Ford F-150 Lightning Price Drops, Production Increasing To 150,000/Year” • Many EV fans hoped the Ford F-150 Lightning would take the US by storm – at least, as much as it could with the production capacity Ford targets. The electric truck has done quite okay, so far. However, it could do better now, because Ford is dropping its MSRP. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “ERCOT Sees Record-Breaking Electricity Demand For Fourth Time This Summer ” • In Texas, Monday’s demand for electricity set a record. As of 5:45 pm Monday, demand hit 82,014 MW. The previous record was set four days earlier at 81,405 MW. ERCOT records show solar and wind energy helped manage the record demand each time it happened. [KVUE]

Have a notaceably tranquil day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Bifacial Perovskite Solar Cells Point To Higher Efficiency” • A bifacial perovskite solar cell, which allows sunlight to reach both sides of the device, holds the potential to produce higher energy yields at lower overall costs, scientists at the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory say. Back side efficiency is close to that of the front. [CleanTechnica]

Perovskite solar cell (Dennis Schroeder, NREL, public domain)

¶ “How A Future With Less Frequent, More Intense Rain Could Change Utah’s Plant Landscape” • Woody plants, such as juniper and sagebrush, have roots that dive deep into the soil and can grow to where there is water. But the roots of most grasses are near the surface. Climate change favors plants with deeper roots, so it looks like change may be coming. [KUER]

World:

¶ “One Electric Launches Three EV Models For Markets In India And Ten Other Countries” • One Electric announced the launch of two electric motorcycles and one electric scooter, which are completely designed, developed, and made in India. Their focus will be for bike taxis, last-mile deliveries, and affordable city commuter segments. [CleanTechnica]

One Electric Motorcycle (One Electric image)

¶ “Slow Growth For Italy’s EV Market In Spring Despite Tesla Push” • The Italian car market is enjoying a prolonged rebound since the lows of 2022. However, while most major car markets in Europe show improving EV numbers, the race between EV and internal combustion powertrains idles in the fourth largest market of the Old Continent. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Korean Giants Advance Queensland Hydrogen Plan” • The Hanguk-Hoju Hydrogen Consortium is planning to build a green hydrogen ‘super hub’ at Abbot Point in Queensland, aiming to produce up to 1.8 million tonnes of green ammonia yearly, for export to Korea, by 2032. It plans to develop 4.5 GW of wind and solar to power the project. [pv magazine Australia]

Port facilities at Abbot Point (Abbot Point Operations image)

¶ “French Tourism Businesses Are Wary Of Customers Drying Up As Droughts Worsen” • After a long drought last summer, then another in the following winter, the once cracked lakebeds of southern France are now well watered. Dams release water into reservoirs on a consistent schedule for activities in the lake. But tour operators are still wary. [ABC News]

¶ “First Solar inks 5-GW (DC) Module Deal” • First Solar signed an agreement with Energix Renewables to supply it with 5 GW (DC) of thin-film solar modules. The modules, which will power Energix projects in Israel, Poland, and the US, will be delivered between 2026 and 2030. The Energix portfolio now has 7 GW of projects under development. [reNews]

Solar panels (First Solar image)

¶ “UK Wind Trumps Gas And Nuclear Power” • According to the UK’s electricity system operator, wind power accounted for an estimated 54.9% of the total electricity generated in Britain on Saturday. This figure was followed by nuclear power at 16.8% and natural gas at 12.6%. Solar power contributed 7.2% of the UK’s electricity for the day. [Energy Live News]

US:

¶ “Canadian Wildfires Put Nearly 60 Million US Residents Under Air Quality Alerts” • Canadian wildfire smoke is plaguing the US, triggering air quality alerts for eleven states across the northern Plains, Midwest, and Great Lakes region. From Montana to New York, forecasters predicted nearly 60 million people would see decreased visibility and poor air quality. [CNN]

City in haze (Alex Gindin, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Arizona Senator Leans On Astronaut Past To Call For Climate Crisis Action Amid Blistering Heat Wave” • Democratic Senator Mark Kelly leaned into his experience as an astronaut to call for climate crisis action amid a blistering heatwave across the US, including his home state of Arizona. The weekslong heat is still intensifying in the Southwest. [CNN]

¶ “How Texas Is Racing To Thwart The Heat” • Many cities in Texas are taking proactive measures to cool their streets down and protect their people from dangerous heat. Their measures range from installing green roofs and walls and painting streets with cool pavement coating to purchasing air conditioning units for vulnerable residents. [BBC]

San Antonio (Judah Estrada, Unsplash)

¶ “Can You Get A New Tesla Model 3 For $28,000 In NJ? Yes, You Can!” • If you live in New Jersey, you can get a new Model 3 for as low as $27,990 all-in (net cost after incentives and tax credits). That’s less than the cost of a Honda Accord, and almost as cheap as a Toyota Corolla, for an advanced fully electric sedan from Tesla! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Construction Of NJ’s First Offshore Wind Farm Moves A Step Closer” • With the backdrop of the recently completed state budget process and a sustained push by opponents to slow the process down, Ocean Wind 1, New Jersey’s first offshore wind project, took a major step forward with an approval from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. [NJBIZ]

Monopyle (Rich Hundley III, NJ Governor’s Office)

¶ “Innergex Secures Financing For 330-MW Wyoming Wind” • Innergex Renewable Energy closed $534 million of financing for a 330-MW wind project in Wyoming. The electricity generated by the Boswell Springs Wind Project will be sold under a 30-year, 320-MW power purchase agreement signed with PacifiCorp, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary. [reNews]

¶ “Iowa Reaches Milestone On Wind-Energy Production” • Iowa has been a wind-energy leader for decades. Now 64% of the state’s energy production comes from wind. That is a new record for the state, the US Energy Information Administration reported. Green-energy advocates call it a big step along the road to fossil-fuel independence. [Public News Service]

Have an unpretentiously brilliant day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Scientists Are Growing Sustainable Buildings From Fungi Now” • The age of energy-sucking, carbon-emitting concrete is still upon us, but more sustainable building materials are starting to emerge. The latest development is mycocrete, a fungal paste that can be injected into textile molds. That may not sound very appetizing, but neither is concrete. [CleanTechnica]

Fungal shape (Hub for Biotechnology in the Built Environment)

¶ “Solar Farms Out At Sea: Clean Energy’s Next Breakthrough” • There are numerous challenges still to overcome for solar farms on the ocean. They include high costs, destructive winds, and corrosive salts. Yet developers are increasingly confident that offshore solar power can become a significant new segment in renewable energy. [Gulf Business]

World:

¶ “John Kerry To Step Into Searing China Heat As World’s Two Biggest Polluters Try To Fix Fractured Ties” • When John Kerry arrives in Beijing to restart climate negotiations, he will step off the plane into one of the hottest summers ever recorded in the city. Since 1951, Beijing has seen 104°F (40°C) on 11 days, almost half of which were in the past few weeks. [CNN]

Beijing (Henry Chen, Unsplash)

¶ “Can US And China Set Aside Rivalry For Climate Action?” • Mr Kerry, the US special envoy on climate, is the latest top official to be dispatched from Washington after visits by Antony Blinken and Janet Yellen, as the US seeks to restart stalled relations with Beijing. He will meet his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua and other officials on his four-day trip. [BBC]

¶ “Electric Buses For The Hague, Cracow, Aarhus, Novi Sad, And Novi Ruda” • Electric bus delivery stories used to be few and far between. Now, you can get multiple stories a week! There are so many stories showing up that several are coming in one article. That is at least partly because Europe is supposed to reach 100% zero-emissions buses by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

Mercedes-Benz eCitaro (Courtesy of Daimler)

¶ “BYD Battery News – $1 Billion Factory In India, Sodium-Ion Batteries In China” • According to Reuters, BYD has submitted a $1 billion investment proposal to build electric cars and batteries in India in partnership with a local company, Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructures, three people with direct knowledge said. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Australia Annual Renewables Share Ticks Over To 37%, Lot More Needed” • The share of renewable energy in Australia’s main grid went to 37% for a rolling 12 month period for the first time, showing strong growth in recent years. The renewables share was 13.6% just 10 years ago. But more needs to be done by the end of the decade. [Renew Economy]

The 6-MW Rye Park wind turbine (Tilt Renewables image)

¶ “Germany Plans Hydrogen Use For Heating And Mobility In Strategy Update” • The German government wants to use hydrogen for decarbonising road transport and heating, in addition to industry, according to a highly anticipated revamp of the national hydrogen strategy, which was leaked to business daily Handelsblatt. [Hydrogen Central]

¶ “Top UK Energy Firms To Warn Rishi Sunak: ‘Don’t Back Off Green Agenda’” • More than 100 of the UK’s biggest energy companies will tell Rishi Sunak this week not to back off the green agenda after an Office for Budget Responsibility report warned of catastrophic effects on the economy of continued overreliance on gas. [The Guardian]

Solar panels (Andreas Gücklhorn, Unsplash)

¶ “Iberdrola Reaches 41,246 MW Of Solar And Wind Power” • Iberdrola reinforced its commitment to the energy transition, with data published today by the National Securities Market Commission showing the company has increased its renewables installed capacity by 6.5% worldwide in the last 12 months, to reach a total of 41,246 MW. [Evwind]

¶ “Russia Invites Residents Of Enerhodar Near Zaporizhzhia NPP To Move To Far East” • Russians have urged the Ukrainian citizens in Enerhodar, the city closest to Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, to relocate to Russia’s far East. Russia reportedly asked the people to leave at least 18 settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region ahead of the Ukrainian offensive. [Republic TV]

Enerhodar (Федя Кузнецов, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

US:

¶ “US Heatwave: ‘Dangerous’ Temperatures Could Set New Records” • Parts of the US are likely to see record temperatures on Sunday, with warnings of “dangerous” heat levels into next week across the south-west. On Saturday, an all-time high of 118°F (48°C) was recorded in Phoenix, where temperatures hit 110°F (43°C) for 16 days running. [BBC]

¶ “Will Texas Become Too Hot For Humans?” • The EPA is warning that in the coming decades Texas summers are likely to be “increasingly hot and dry, creating problems for agriculture and possibly human health.” The agency predicts that seventy years from now, Texas will have days above 100°F (38°C) three or four times as often as it does now. [BBC]

Austen (MJ Tangonan, Unsplash)

¶ “USDA Investing Millions In Renewable Energy In Nebraska” • The US Department of Agriculture Rural Development said Nebraska will get $21 million in grants to help small businesses and agricultural producers access federal funds for renewable energy and energy efficiency upgrades. They will come through the Rural Energy for America Program. [KLKN-TV]

¶ “EIA Predicts Record-Breaking Natural Gas Consumption In US” • The US Energy Information Administration has forecast record natural gas consumption in the US in July and August, largely due to demand for air conditioning. The EIA predicts a 4% increase in US electricity generation from natural gas, compared to the same period last year. [GreentechLead]

Have a significantly clement day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Changing Seasons: Jet Shift Causes Seasonally Dependent Future Changes In The Midwest Hydroclimate” • A study found that future mean precipitation during the Midwest rainy season will not change greatly relative to current precipitation. But it found a significant increase in the late spring precipitation and a decrease in the late summer. [CleanTechnica]

Jet Stream (NOAA image)

World:

¶ “EU Lifts Curbs On Food Imports From Fukushima Area As Japan Set To Release Nuclear Water Into Sea” • After positive results from tests, the EU has lifted all import restrictions on food, including fish produced near the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, just as Tokyo prepares to release treated radioactive wastewater into the ocean. [CNN]

¶ “A New Outbreak Of Canadian Wildfires Is Sending A Plume Of Unhealthy Smoke Into The US Yet Again” • New wildfires in western Canada are sending of unhealthy smoke into the US again. The smoke is spreading unhealthy air into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Upper Michigan, and down to Indiana. [CNN]

North America, July 14, 2023 (CSU/CIRA & NOAA)

¶ “Europe Heatwave: Red Alerts Issued In Fifteen Italian Cities” • Potential record temperatures are expected in Europe next week as another heatwave approaches. Red alerts have been issued for fifteen cities across Italy as extreme heat affects southern Europe, according to the European Space Agency, which uses satellites to monitor land and sea temperatures. [BBC]

¶ “Volkswagen EV Sales Growing 50% In 2023” • Volkswagen Group’s electric transition is continuing at a good pace. Its pure electric sales were up nearly 50% in the first six months of 2023 from the first six months of 2022, from 217,200 to 321,600. Furthermore, there are another 200,000 or so battery EV orders on the books just in Western Europe. [CleanTechnica]

VW ID.4 (Rainer Zietlow, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “One-Third Of All Electricity Will Come From Renewables By 2030” • RMI, formerly known as the Rocky Mountain Institute, in collaboration with Bezos Earth Fund, has issued a new report that claims fully one-third of all the electricity the world needs will come from renewable sources in 2030. Today, about 12% comes from renewables. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “First Utility-Scale Airborne Wind System Is Launched By Kitemill” • The launch of Norwegian company Kitemill’s latest airborne wind energy technology, the KM2 system, will bring AWE to utility-scale, Kitemill says. The KM2 system features a 16 meter wingspan and can do vertical take-off and landing. It could generate 100 kW on average. [Energy Monitor]

KM2 system (Kitemill image)

¶ “How Big Oil Hijacked Germany’s Multi-Billion-Dollar Offshore Wind Auction” • European oil and gas supermajors BP Plc and TotalEnergies have won all of the capacity on offer in Germany’s 7-GW offshore wind auction. BP and TotalEenrgies each took two sites. Germany currently has 8 MW of offshore wind capacity. [Oil Price]

¶ “Municipalities Grant BioPower approval For 1-GW Solar Project In South Africa” • US-based renewable power company BioPower Operations has announced plans to build a 1GW solar power facility in the South African state of Mpumalanga. The company has established a joint venture, which would be around $2.5 billion investment. [PV Tech]

Droogfontein solar plant in South Africa (Globeleq image)

¶ “Novouralsk Nuclear Plant Blast: What We Know As Russians Rushed To Hospital” • More than 100 people were hospitalized and one killed after an explosion at a uranium enrichment plant in Russia’s Urals region, the largest of its kind in the world, local media reports say. Russia’s state nuclear corporation, Rosatom, owns the plant. [Newsweek]

US:

¶ “Can Biden Achieve His Cornerstone Climate Goal? Why 100% Clean Power Is Still Out Of Reach” • One of President Joe Biden’s climate commitments is a crucial goal: Transforming the US electric grid to run entirely on clean energy by 2035. But federal analysis shows clean and renewable sources will make up about 86% of US energy in 2035. [CNN]

Hydropower (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

¶ “US Heatwave: A Third Of Americans Under Extreme Heat Advisories” • The US heatwave is forecast to intensify. Heat advisories were issued for at least 113 million Americans, in Florida, from Texas to California, and on up to Washington. About 27 million people are forecast to see temperatures of over 110°F (43°C) in the coming days. [BBC]

¶ “Tesla Tells US Customers Tax Credit Likely To Decline In 2024” • Very few automakers have EVs on the US market that are eligible for the full $7,500 consumer tax credit. Tesla’s order log often goes six months, and things do change. The company wants to make sure people order now if they are expecting to get the full tax credit. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla (Tesla Fans Schweiz, Unsplash)

¶ “In The California Desert, Old EV Batteries Now Store Solar Power” • B2U Storage Solutions is employing the excess supply of used EV batteries to meet the high demand for stored clean energy. “It’s pretty simple: Take it out of the car, put it in, cable it up, and it’s ready to go,” says Rachel Harper, B2U’s operations project manager. [Marketplace.org]

¶ “Seabrook Nuclear Plant Faces Ongoing Challenge Of Concrete Degradation” • The Nuclear Regulatory Commission reported NextEra Energy Seabrook nuclear plant’s overall performance last year “preserved public health and safety.” But agency officials also discussed a decade-long problem with the power plant’s concrete: alkali-silica reaction. [NHPR]

Have an easily superb day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “World Registers Hottest Day Ever Recorded – What’s To Come?” • So far in July, the record for the world’s hottest day has been broken four times, data from the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction shows. ASU News interviewed Randy Cerveny, who keeps the world’s weather records for the World Meteorological Organization. [CleanTechnica]

Desert (Fabian Struwe, Unsplash)

¶ “Reality Check: Natural Gas’s True Climate Risk” • New RMI analysis has definitively calculated natural gas’s global life-cycle emissions and compared those to the global life-cycle emissions of coal. A study published in the science journal Environmental Research Letters concludes that leaky gas is as damaging to the climate as coal. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Yamuna River Surpasses Height Record As Northern India Reels From Deadly Floods” • A major river overflowing near New Delhi, India’s capital, has reached the highest level on record, authorities said, prompting mass evacuations and causing havoc with water supplies. Northern states report that death rates are rising from heavy flooding. [CNN]

Flooding in northern India (NASA Earth Observatory)

¶ “Tesla Plans To Manufacture A $24,000 Car In India” • Building a new Tesla factory in India is good news, but here’s the real meat in the stew: According to insiders with knowledge of the talks that have been going on since May, the starting price of the vehicles manufactured in India will be ₹2 million, or $24,401 at today’s exchange rate. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EU Approves Nature Restoration Plan” • An report in The Guardian, says nature is dying faster than humans have ever known due to climate change, pollution, and the way people exploit the Earth, a scientific assessment shows. The EU passed a law to protect 20% of its land and fisheries from degrading more and to help restore biodiversity. [CleanTechnica]

EU Parliament (Courtesy of EU Parliament)

¶ “Diversifying Critical Material Supply Chains Minimizes Geopolitical Risks” • The energy transition requires a dramatic increase in the supply of critical materials, yet supplies chains remain vulnerable to a range of geopolitical risks. Geopolitics of the Energy Transition: Critical Materials examines the geopolitical risks and opportunities. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Iraq’s Electricity Ministry Plans To Award A Contract For A 700-MW Solar Power Plant” • Iraq, an oil-producing country and member of OPEC, announced plans to grant a contract for the development of a new solar power plant with a capacity of 700 MW, Electricity Minister Ziyad Fadel said. He said the cabinet is expected to approve the project. [SolarQuarter]

Solar power (Thomas Coker, Unsplash)

¶ “China Is Quietly Building A Green Energy Empire In Latin America” • China is expanding its green energy production and growth potential rapidly in key emerging markets. While China is busily making inroads in renewable energy markets in Asia, Africa, and even the West, nowhere has its influence grown more rapidly than in Latin America. [Oil Price]

¶ “US Natural Gas Loses Ground As Europe Leans On Solar Power” • For decades, natural gas has been Europe’s primary source of electricity, but Europe move away from its dependence on natural gas after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The US stepped in to help Europe deal with shortages, but now, solar power is reducing the amount of gas needed. [Yahoo Finance]

Natural gas tanker (Zetong Li, Unsplash)

¶ “France’s Nuclear Power Stations To Limit Energy Output Due To High River Temperatures” • High temperatures could halve nuclear power production at plants along France’s Rhone River this week. Output restrictions are expected at two nuclear plants in eastern France due to high temperature forecasts, nuclear operator EDF said. [Euronews.com]

US:

¶ “Summer Has Become A Survival Test As Heat Gets More Extreme” • More than fifty record-high temperatures have been set across Florida since the start of June, and brutal humidity has made the heat even more dangerous, making it more difficult for the body to cool itself. Every day is a grueling endurance exercise for Florida’s farm workers.[CNN]

Farm in Florida (Scott Bauer, USDA, public domain)

¶ “Excessive Heat Scorches Millions Across US Southwest” • An unrelenting heatwave is scorching the Southwest, with Arizona projected to see a record stretch of extreme hot weather. Over 115 million people are under some form of heat warnings, according to the National Weather Service. Phoenix has had fourteen days of temperatures hitting at least 43°C (110°F). [BBC]

¶ “Kia Georgia Production Plant Expanding For EV9” • Kia is getting ready to produce the fully electric EV9 SUV in Georgia. The Korean automaker is expanding its West Point assembly plant in Georgia to produce the Kia EV9, a three-row SUV. The production facility will start with model-year 2024 production in the second quarter of 2024. [CleanTechnica]

Kia EV9 (Kia image)

¶ “Batteries, Not Blackouts: California’s Power Grid Gets Boost From Battery Energy” • As California increases its reliance on renewable energy sources like solar and wind, there’s a concern that there may not be enough energy during certain seasons and times of the day to keep the lights on. But now, California has 5,600 MW of battery capacity. [CBS News]

¶ “Lawsuits Could Delay Start Of NJ’s First Offshore Wind Power Project” • Litigation could delay the start of New Jersey’s first offshore wind energy project, as developer Ørsted sues various governments, including Cape May County and Ocean City, to stop delaying necessary permits, and citizens groups try to halt the project altogether. [NBC10 Philadelphia]

Have an abundantly comical day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Insurance Companies That Support Fossil Fuel Companies? Shame On You” • Identifying insurance giants like Liberty Mutual, AIG, and Chubb, the Rainforest Network argues that “the insurance industry literally has the power to change the world by withholding insurance from any new fossil fuel projects.” Let’s take a look at an analysis. [CleanTechnica]

Miami (Jose Garcia, Unsplash)

¶ “Michigan Ratepayers Will Foot The Bill For Resuscitation Of Palisades Nuclear Reactor” • The 52-year old Palisades nuclear power plant on the shore of Lake Michigan near both Chicago and Grand Rapids, is one of the oldest and most degraded reactors in the country. Michigan has had too many nuclear white elephants already. [Counterpunch]

Science and Technology:

¶ “How Ancient ‘Skywells’ Are Keeping Chinese Homes Cool” • Skywells cooled buildings in an era before air-conditioning. When wind blows above a skywell house, it can enter the indoor space through the opening. Because outdoor air is often cooler than indoor air, the incoming breeze travels down the walls to the lower stories and create airflows. [BBC]

Skywell (Wuyuan Skywells Hotel image)

¶ “New Flow Battery Lasts All Year On Simple Sugar” • When researchers at the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory set out to make flow batteries better, they were serious. They came up with solution based on sugar that can last all year, and more. The discovery could lead to new low-cost, long duration energy storage systems. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Climate Change Threatens To Cause ‘Synchronized Harvest Failures’ Across The Globe” • New research shows scientists underestimated the climate risk to agriculture and global food production. “High-impact but deeply-uncertain hazards” were ignored. But now the threat of ‘synchronized harvest failures’ has been revealed. [Salon.com]

Harvest (Robert Wiedemann, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “China’s Heat Wave Leads To Record-Breaking Production Of Electricity” • China Energy Investment Corporation, one of the world’s largest generators of coal-fired power, says its electricity production reached a record high as the country grapples with a punishing heat wave. The volume of electricity it produced on Monday had hit a daily record. [CNN]

¶ “An Indian Culinary Must-Have Is Off The Menu As Prices Jump 400%” • The ubiquitous tomato is now off the menu at homes and restaurants across India after prices soared by more than 400% due to crop failures after scorching heat waves and heavy rains, farmers and agriculture experts say. Heatwaves are getting worse for India. [CNN]

Chutney (Pyx Photography, Unsplash)

¶ “Europe Agrees On Landmark Nature And Climate Deal After Tense Negotiations” • The European Parliament voted in favor of legally binding targets to protect and restore nature in the EU, despite strong opposition among policymakers. The EU nature law requires countries to introduce measures to restore nature on 20% of their land and sea by 2030. [CNN]

¶ “Deadly Heatwave Sweeps Across Southern Europe” • A heatwave is sweeping across parts of southern Europe and north-west Africa, with potential record-breaking temperatures in the coming days. Temperatures are expected to surpass 40°C (104°F) in parts of Spain, France, Greece, Croatia and Turkey. In Italy, they could reach as high as 48.8°C (119.8°F). [BBC]

Heat wave (Raimond Klavins, Unsplash)

¶ “Volkswagen Announces Its Electric Offensive For Brazil” • The EV revolution has primarily been focused on China, Europe, and the United States. We and others have long been calling for more electrification in South America. That is now part of Volkswagen’s public plans! So, Volkswagen is taken a clear leadership position in this major market. [CleanTechnica]

US:

¶ “Ocean Heat Around Florida Is ‘Unprecedented,’ And Scientists Are Warning Of Major Impacts” • A sudden marine heat wave off the coast of Florida has surprised scientists and sent water temperatures soaring to unprecedented highs, threatening one of the most severe coral bleaching events the state has ever seen. The ocean is close to 97°F in some areas. [CNN]

Bleaching coral (Derek Manzello, NOAA)

¶ “Wind Turbine Recycling Gets $5.1 Million Boost” • With over 142 GW of wind power installed in the US, manufacture of wind turbines is accelerating to help meet the nation’s clean energy goals. This raises a critical question: How can the US holistically consider the life cycle of a wind turbine to create a sustainable wind energy economy? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Biden–Harris Administration Announces $90 Million To Support Resilient And Efficient Building Energy Codes And Save American Families Money” • The US DOE has announced $90 million in competitive awards to help states, cities, tribes, and partnering organizations implement updated energy codes for their buildings. [CleanTechnica]

New York (ben o’bro, Unsplash)

¶ “The Lone Star State Is Leading A Battery Storage Boom” • The leading role of Texas in the US renewable energy revolution, as well as its competitive energy market, put it in a prime position to be at the forefront of the rapidly growing battery storage sector. Of six major US battery projects completed in the first quarter, four were in Texas. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “DTE To Close Last Coal Plant Sooner Under Revised 20-Year Clean Energy Plan” • DTE Energy, state officials, and numerous environmental groups came to an agreement that will see the company phase out its coal plants sooner and increase spending on alternative energy sources faster. The Detroit-based company will its use of coal by 2032. [Detroit News]

Have a comfortably unobstructed day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Several Shark Species Are Facing Extinction. Here’s How You Can Help” • Older than dinosaurs and trees, sharks have endured a lot in their 450 million year history. They’ve even survived five mass extinctions, including the asteroid that wiped out 75% of life on the planet. But many species of these aquatic apex predators are now in danger of dying out forever. [CNN]

Shark (Oleksandr Sushko, Unsplash)

¶ “The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Is A ‘Dirty Bomb’ Waiting To Happen – A Nuclear Expert Explains” • Concerns about the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant were heightened recently as Ukraine and Russia accused each other of planning an attack on the plant. The IAEA and independent experts speak to the all too real risk of catastrophe. [The Conversation]

World:

¶ “A ‘Perfect Storm’ Unfolding This Summer Is ‘Supercharging’ The Weather, Scientist Says” • A “perfect storm” is unfolding this summer, as atmospheric ingredients combine to create record-breaking weather. As the arctic temperatures rise faster than those in warmer areas, the reduced difference can make the jet stream get “stuck,” prolonging weather events. [CNN]

Storm (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “Renewable Energy Zones Octuple Renewable Energy For Queensland” • Queensland’s government announced a plan to establish 12 Renewable Energy Zones. And Alan Kohler, finance presenter on the Australia’s ABC, stunned audiences when he showed a graph of melting Antarctic ice and warned: “That’s not finance yet, but it soon will be.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Africa Moving Towards Decarbonisation” • Africa, an importer of both second-hand cars and the fuels they burn, is moving to be self-sufficient. East Africa has startups in motorbike, electric tricycle, taxi, and bus assembly; as well as innovative financing and software development. BasiGo, in Kenya, and Ampersand, in Rwanda, are standouts. [CleanTechnica]

Electric buses in Africa (Image courtesy of BasiGo)

¶ “Over Half Of Australians Intend To Buy An EV In The Future” • The attitudes of Australian drivers have changed a lot in the past two years. Major influencers appear to be fuel price hikes, and the easing of EV prices. A new representative national survey commissioned by Savvy has shown that over half of Australians intend to buy an EV in the future. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Eku Energy Secures 1-GW Italian Battery Deal” • Eku Energy, a storage developer, signed a framework agreement with Renera Energy for exclusivity over 1 GW of battery projects in Italy. The Italian goal is to generate 65% of its electricity from renewables by 2030, and Italy is projected to be the third largest energy storage market in Europe by then. [reNews]

Ecu Energy battery (Ecu Energy image)

¶ “This 1-GW Solar + Salt + Shrimp Farm Is A 3-In-1 Power Station” • A huge solar power station in China is generating clean energy, producing salt from sunlight, and serving as a shrimp-breeding site. State-owned China Huadian Corporation said the 1-GW Huadian Tianjin Haijing power station will generate 1,500 GWh of electricity each year. [Electrek]

¶ “Eco Wave Power And EDG Wave Project Receives Funding” • Eco Wave Power and EDF’s EWP-EDF One wave energy power station of 100 KW in the Port of Jaffa secured a grant from the Israeli government. The site has ten floaters along the Port of Jaffa’s pre-existing breakwater, each connecting to Eco Wave Power’s patented energy conversion unit. [reNews]

Eco Wave system (Eco Wave image)

¶ “Nuclear Power Too Expensive And Slow To Be Part Of Australia’s Plans To Reach Net Zero, Study Finds” • Nuclear power should not form part of Australia’s plans to reach net zero emissions because it is too expensive and slow, according to the final report of a project that models how Australia might meet its 2050 climate target. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “He’s A Millionaire With A Private Jet. But Now He’s Selling It For The Sake Of The Environment” • Private jets emit at least ten times the pollutants of commercial planes per passenger, and they contribute disproportionately to the climate impact of the aviation sector, a US Institute for Policy Studies report shows. One private jet owner is scaling back. [CNN]

Cessna 650 Citation III (wiltshirespotter, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “US Climate Envoy John Kerry Set To Travel To Beijing This Weekend” • US climate envoy John Kerry is set to travel to Beijing this weekend for climate talks with his counterparts in China, a Biden administration official told CNN. The meeting comes as the US and China seek ways to work together on the climate crisis. [CNN]

¶ “US Storms: Vermont Governor Calls Floods ‘Historic And Catastrophic’” • Vermont has suffered “historic and catastrophic” flash flooding, the governor said after up to two months worth of rain fell in two days. Over 100 rescues have been conducted by emergency crews in the state, and over 100 roads were closed because of the inundation. [BBC]

Flooding in Vermont (National Weather Service)

¶ “How Microgrids Can Help Communities Adapt To Wildfires” • By using small-scale local energy sources, communities can create microgrids that allow them to disconnect from regional electrical grids during emergencies. With microgrids, they can continue to deliver essential services to keep both homes and communities safe. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Arizona Public Service Seeks At Least 700 MW Of Renewable Resources” • Arizona Public Service released its 2023 All-Source Request for Proposals, in which the utility is asking developers to submit project proposals for flexible and innovative energy resources. Of the 1 GW of resources, APS is seeking at least 700 MW of renewable resources. [pv magazine USA]

Have a happily progressing day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Nearly 62,000 People Died From Record-Breaking Heat In Europe Last Summer. It’s A Lesson For The US, Too” • Nearly 62,000 people died heat-related deaths last year during Europe’s hottest summer on record, a study published in Nature Medicine found. It is heartbreaking evidence that heat is a silent killer, and its victims are greatly under-counted. [CNN]

Ambulance (Jonas Augustin, Unsplash)

¶ “Terrible Truths About Nuclear Energy Exposed” • A new documentary titled The Fukushima Disaster: The Hidden Side of the Story is a powerful, moving, informative film that is superbly made. Directed and edited by Philippe Carillo, it is among the strongest films ever made on the deadly dangers of nuclear technology. [Independent Australia]

Science and Technology:

¶ “How Harvesting Electricity From Humid Air Could One Day Power Our Devices” • It’s an idea that has been around for many years. Nikola Tesla and others have investigated it in the past but never achieved promising results. However, that could be about to change. Research groups around the world are finding ways to glean electricity from humid air. [BBC]

Lightning (Leon Contreras, Unsplash)

¶ “Bosch Pumps Up New Green Hydrogen Water Treatment Technology” • Hydrogen is abundant, but it is not easy to extract. Renewable energy has flipped the script by driving down the cost of electrolysis, in which an electrical current extracts hydrogen from water. The German legacy firm Bosch has a new water treatment system for electrolysis. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Better Batteries From Lawrence Berkeley Lab Research” • A research team led by Gao Liu, a senior scientist in the Energy Technologies Area at Lawrence Berkeley Lab, published a paper in the journal Nature Energy recently in which they report on new technology that could lower the cost of lithium-ion batteries and extend their service life. [CleanTechnica]

Scientists at work (Courtesy of Lawrence Berkeley Lab)

World:

¶ “Stellantis Showcases The Citroen AMI As An Efficient Last Mile Solution For Postal Entities In Africa” • Stellantis is ramping up its activities in Africa. It already has a manufacturing presence there, as the Citroen AMI, an all-electric small city car, is made in Morocco and exported to Europe. But now Stellantis looks like it wants to enlarge on that. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla And Chinese EV Producers Have Reportedly Signed A Price War Truce” • EV price cuts in recent months have been superb for customers. But they’ve apparently been a bit brutal for automakers. Reports are that this should all get easier to manage since fifteen Chinese automakers and Tesla have signed a truce ending the price war. [CleanTechnica]

XPeng EVs (Image courtesy of XPeng)

¶ “Solar Tracker Market Size For 2030 Projected To Be Worth $19.61 Billion, With CAGR Of 13.9%” • The global solar tracker market size was valued at $6.94 billion in 2022. The market size is projected to grow from $7.88 billion in 2023 to $19.61 billion by 2030, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate of 13.9% during the forecast period. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Skyborn Enters Race For 2.8-GW Swedish Offshore Wind Site” • Skyborn, a portfolio company of Global Infrastructure Partners has submitted a permit application to the Swedish government to build the 2,800 MW offshore wind farm. The Fyrskeppet project is to be north of Örskar in Uppsala County, about 50 km off the coast. [Splash 247]

Offshore windpower (WPD image)

¶ “Queensland Identifies ‘Renewable Energy Zones’ As Part Of $62 Billion ‘Super Grid’ Plan” • The Queensland government has identified 12 “renewable energy zones” in the state, forming the backbone of its $62 billion plan to decarbonise its electricity supply. The government says it wants wind, solar, and pumped-hydro projects in the zones by 2035. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “The Two Most Fuel Efficient Cars In The USA (2023 Edition)” • For the model year 2023, the highest-rated EPA combined fuel economy for gasoline vehicles was about 60 miles per gallon. By contrast, two EV models, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and the Lucid Air, achieved 140 mpg-equivalent. Maximum EV fuel economy has grown 37% since MY 2011. [CleanTechnica]

Hyundai Ioniq 6 (Courtesy of Hyundai)

¶ “US Storms: ‘All Hands On Deck’ As Floods Deluge US North-East” • More than 13 million people in the north-east are under flood alerts as a deadly storm deluges the region. Flash flooding from excessive rainfall was expected across New England at times through Tuesday morning, with Vermont facing the highest risk, forecasters said. [BBC]

¶ “GM Is Disappointing With More Anti-EV Lobbying!” • GM doesn’t exactly have the best history when it comes to advocacy and innovation for EVs. One example is its work with the Donald Trump administration to try to cripple California fuel economy standards. Now it’s pushing back against the EPA’s already rather weak 2030 regulations! [CleanTechnica]

2022 GMC Hummer EV (Image courtesy of GM)

¶ “Ameresco Inks 80-MW Colorado Storage Deal” • Ameresco has signed an 80-MW grid battery contract that will consist of several arrays installed in strategically located sites in Colorado. The agreement for the 78.3-MW, 313.34-MWh of energy storage systems is with United Power, an electric cooperative serving Colorado’s northern Front Range. [reNews]

¶ “Columbia Water & Light Has Proposed A Community Solar Program” • Columbia Water & Light has proposed a Community Solar Program, giving access to solar power to  those who live in the Missouri city but cannot install solar on their own property. The program would save money on the electricity bill and would be open to 600 subscribers. [ABC17NEWS]

Have a mystifyingly gorgeous day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Why Don’t More Headlines Warn Us About Energy Profit Windfalls?” • The news that 722 of the world’s top corporations made combined windfall profits of $1 trillion per year in 2021 and 2022 did not stir much outcry. We’ve become accustomed to a paradigm in which the Survival of the Richest, to use Douglas Rushkoff’s new book title, is all. [CleanTechnica]

Gas station in Iceland (Khamkéo Vilaysing, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Despite Breakthroughs, Usable Nuclear Fusion Is Still Decades Away” • The US DOE reported a major scientific breakthrough in nuclear fusion science in December 2022. For the first time, more energy was released from a fusion reaction than was used to ignite it. This achievement may indeed be historic, but fusion energy is still a long way off. [Inverse]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Daffodils Eaten By Livestock Could Address Climate Change” • Methane is considered the second most common greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide, and it is released by cows and sheep whenever they burp. A report on the BBC said that a chemical which can be extracted from daffodils could reduce methane production by a third. [Nature World News]

Daffodils (Mike Cassidy, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “South Korean Shoppers Hoard Salt And Seafood Ahead Of Japan’s Release Of Treated Radioactive Water ” • For the past month, Korea has struggled with severe sea salt shortages as shoppers snap it up in bulk, reflecting heightened public anxiety ahead of the planned release of treated radioactive water from Fukushima, Japan. [CNN]

¶ “Crunch Talks Due On Deep-Sea Mining Controversy” • At global talks in Jamaica, deep-sea mining will be one of the hot topics. Scientists fear a possible “goldrush” for precious metals on the ocean floor could have devastating effects on marine life. But supporters argue that these minerals are needed if the world is to meet the demand for green technologies. [BBC]

Nautilus (Shaun Low, Unsplash)

¶ “The Rush For Nickel: ‘They Are Destroying Our Future’” • An integral part of global life, nickel is used in stainless steel, mobile phones and EV batteries. As the world shifts to greener vehicles and needs more rechargeable batteries, the International Energy Agency predicts that demand for nickel will grow by at least 65% by 2030. But mining it can have toxic effects. [BBC]

¶ “Australian State Encourages Miners To Move Away From Fossil Fuels” • Queensland’s Labour government is trying to find a balance on mining. The Labour Party receives the majority of support from the union movement. One of the most powerful unions is involved in the mining industry and is concerned about the loss of any jobs in that sector. [CleanTechnica]

Truck in a mine (Courtesy of Volvo Trucks)

¶ “Global Economy Loses Trillions Of Dollars In Years Following El Niño” • As El Niño returns, Dartmouth College researchers report in Science that its financial toll can persist for several years after the event itself and cost trillions in lost income worldwide. The study projects losses that far exceed those estimated by previous research. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “FFI Moves Ahead With Green Aviation Fuel Plan” • Green energy developer Fortescue Future Industries announced plans to progress the further investigation into the development of a green hydrogen manufacturing facility at Marsden Point, in New Zealand, to produce 60 million liters per year of synthetic fuel for sustainable aviation. [Mining Weekly]

Flying over mountains (Elizabeth Camp, Unsplash)

¶ “Danish Investor Raising €12 Billion Fund For Renewable Energy” • Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners reached its first close of €5.6 billion ($6.1 billion) of capital commitments received setting it on track to reach its target fund size of €12 billion which would make it the world’s largest greenfield renewable energy fund. [Splash 247]

¶ “Top Russian Official Threatens Strikes On Ukrainian And European Nuclear Facilities” • Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said that Russia should attack Ukrainian nuclear power plants and nuclear facilities in Eastern Europe if an alleged Ukrainian attack on a Russian nuclear plant is confirmed. [Yahoo News]

Nuclear plant cooling towers (Lukáš Lehotský, Unsplash)

¶ “Russia Warns NATO Summit To Discuss Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant” • Russia’s Foreign Ministry warned that those attending the upcoming NATO summit in Lithuania should discuss the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, given that “the vast majority of the alliance members will be in the direct impact zone” if a disaster occurs at the facility. [WGMD]

US:

¶ “Extreme Heat Costs North Carolina Workers And Employers – New Report” • The report, Excessive Heat in North Carolina, found a link between extreme heat exposure in four major industries and avoidable costs to employers, including increased worker compensation for missed wages. The report was commissioned by NRDC. [CleanTechnica]

Farm workers (Immo Wegmann, Unsplash)

¶ “Tips And Tricks To Keep Energy Bills Down” • WalletHub says the average monthly electricity cost in South Dakota is around $150. Adding renewable energy sources such as wind or solar, could reduce that monthly bill. In March, Black Hills Energy started looking to bring more renewable energy sources to the Black Hills Area. [KEVN]

¶ “The Largest Wind Farm In The Country Could Be Built In Idaho – But Not Without Controversy” • Idaho is now home to a new controversy. A wind farm, possibly the largest in the country, has been proposed on publicly owned land facing the Minidoka National Historic Site. That site is where Japanese were interned during World War II. [Deseret News]

Have an enjoyably wholesome day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “CATL Announces New Battery With Improved Cold Weather Performance” • CATL is the world’s largest manufacturer of batteries. The company announced this week that it has developed new materials for lithium-ion batteries that will dramatically improve charging efficiency for electric cars, especially in extreme cold. [CleanTechnica]

CATL building (CATL image)

World:

¶ “North Korea Calls On International Community To Stop Japan’s Release Of Treated Fukushima Wastewater” • In a statement, reported by state media outlet KCNA, North Korea has called upon the international community to stop Japan from releasing treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. [CNN]

¶ “Global Heat In ‘Uncharted Territory’ As Scientists Warn 2023 Could Be The Hottest Year On Record” • The world is blasting through climate records as scientists sound the alarm: The likelihood is growing that 2023 could be the hottest year on record, and the climate crisis could be altering our weather in ways they don’t yet understand. [CNN]

Sunset (Jason Blackeye, Unsplash)

¶ “Stellantis Introduces STLA Medium EV Platform” • Stellantis released details about its STLA Medium platform, which it says will become the basis for many of the battery electric models it plans to introduce in the next few years. The company’s goal is for all the cars it sells in Europe and half of those sold in North America to be battery EVs by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Will Produce Electric And Plug-In Hybrid Vehicles In Camaçari, Brazil” • BYD has announced that it has finalised an agreement to land in Bahia and will build three factories at once in the Camaçari complex, 50 km from Salvador. This initial investment will be around an investment of more than 3 billion Brazillian reals ($620 million). [CleanTechnica]

BYD cars (Courtesy of BYD)

¶ “EVs Are At 24.6% Share In Germany – Tesla Model Y Third Overall” • June saw plugin EVs at 24.6% share in Germany, down from 26.0% year on year. Full electrics grew their share at a decent rate, up from 14.4% to 18.9%, the share of plugin hybrids halved, however, after incentives were cut. Overall auto sales were 280,047 units, up 24.7% YOY. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Reduced Eskom Load-Shedding Is Here To Stay, Electricity Minister Assures” • Speaking to reporters, the South African electricity minister, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, said improvements in the amount of load shedding are due to increased energy availability factor and the fact that Eskom has needed to burn less coal. [MyBroadband]

Johannesburg (tebogo losaba, Unsplash)

¶ “Molten Salt Melt Starts For Huge 700 MW DEWA CSP Project” • Herlogas, in colaboration with Shanghai Electric, has melted 340,000 tons of salt for a molten-salt thermal energy storage system. The salt is in fourteen tanks at DEWA’s 700-MW NOOR I project in Dubai. The project is the largest concentrated solar power plant in the world. [SolarPACES]

¶ “Town in Japan Hopes New Wind Turbines Generate Tourism” • Three massive offshore wind turbines, which were recently erected off the coast of Nyuzen, Toyama Prefecture, have been attracting attention from interested locals and visitors alike. Town officials hope to turn the green energy generators into a new tourist attraction. [The Japan News]

Tulips and cherry blossoms (aoi tulip, Unsplash)

¶ “Egypt Sets Sights On Renewables With $5 Billion Wind Farm Deal With Scatec” • In Egypt, the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy signed a $5 billion deal with Norwegian utility Scatec to develop a 5-GW wind farm in southern Egypt. The project is expected to create 8,000 jobs, hiring many people who are among Egypt’s poorest. [Scoop Empire]

¶ “1 GW In 1 Quarter: India’s Wind Energy Capacity Addition Sees Unprecedented Jump” • India’s installations of wind energy capacity have seen an unprecedented jump in the first quarter of the current fiscal as projects totalling 1.13 GW were installed in the country. This is more than the installations achieved annually for the last six years. [PSU Watch]

Wind farm (Johanna Montoya, Unsplash)

¶ “Renewable Energy Projects Approved In Odisha” • The Energy Department of the Indian state of Odisha approved proposals for two solar power projects of 50 MW each and a wind project of 50 MW. A bio-methane project for generating power from the methane gas produced by fermentation of municipal waste was also approved. [The New Indian Express]

US:

¶ “$130 Million For Seven Transportation Projects On Federal and Tribal Lands As Part Of President Biden’s Investing In America Agenda” • The Federal Highway Administration announced $130.5 million in federal grants for seven projects under its Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Transportation Projects Program. [CleanTechnica]

Proterra electric bus (Proterra image)

¶ “Green Hydrogen Hullabaloo Swamps The Opposition” • Lawmakers in Texas have been trying to hit the brakes on clean power, but the hits just keep on coming. The latest development is that two leading energy firms, Entergy and ENGIE, have joined forces to hit the state with a 350-MW green hydrogen project that could grow to 1 GW by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “SWEPCO Gets Approval For $2.2 Billion In Solar And Wind Power” • Southwestern Electric Power Co of Shreveport received regulatory approval to proceed with a “fuel-free power plan” and buy nearly a gigawatt of wind and solar generation to be built by Invenergy LLC of Chicago. SWEPCO serves about 125,000 customers in western Arkansas. [KFSM]

Have a particularly inspiring day.

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Opinion:

¶ “An Attack On The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Could Still Be Catastrophic” • While the ongoing crisis at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant should not lead to panic, there is also no cause for complacency. Unfortunately, the American Nuclear Society and others have been busy trying to dismiss the risks. Simply put, the ANS is dead wrong here. [UCS blog]

Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant (Google Earth image)

¶ “The Psychology Of Climate Change” • Climate change anxiety has the author tossing and turning more nights than she would like to admit. While it’s a good thing that people respond to this kind of anxiety by engaging in environmental action, we should also consider how certain emotions might prevent following through with any action at all. [Psychology Today]

Science and Technology:

¶ “What Would Net-Zero Shipping Look Like?” • At a United Nations summit, countries agreed to curb shipping emissions to net-zero “by or around 2050.” Shipping is a highly polluting industry, producing nearly 3% of global emissions. If it were a country, the shipping industry would be the sixth largest polluter in the world. [BBC]

Model of sailing ship (Oceanbird image)

¶ “Solar Panels Can Be More Efficient And Easier To Recycle” • Solar panels keep air conditioners on in Texas during record heat and helpthe EU stave off energy blackouts due to Putin’s war on Ukraine. But while solar is rapidly becoming a major source of power for the world, it is still a relatively young technology, with lots of room for innovations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “UN Says Climate Change ‘Out Of Control’ After Likely Hottest Week On Record” • “If we persist in delaying key measures that are needed, I think we are moving into a catastrophic situation, as the last two records in temperature demonstrates,” António Guterres said, referring to the world temperature records broken on Monday and Tuesday. [The Guardian]

There is no Planet B (Li-An Lim, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Yellen Urges China To Back Global Funds To Fight Climate Change” • US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urged China  to combat the “existential threat” of climate change by supporting international funds helping developing countries with the crisis. She said the US and China should work together on global challenges despite differences. [CNN]

¶ “At Least Two Dead In Oil Platform Fire In Gulf Of Mexico” • Two people were killed and one person is missing after a fire broke out at the Nohoch Alfa offshore platform at the Bay of Campeche, in the Gulf of Mexico, Petróleos Mexicanos said. Out of 328 workers who were on the structure when the fire started, 321 have been evacuated. [CNN]

Burning oil rig (Office of the President of Mexico)

¶ “100 BYD Yuan Plus EVs Delivered To Mexico – Get Ready For A Flood!” • BYD has been selling its EVs in more and more countries. Now, it’s selling them in Mexico, the 12th largest auto market in the world. BYD is #1 in the world for plugin vehicle sales and #2 for pure EV sales. Sales in Mexico are helping it grow its global markets. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Go-Ahead London Is Adding 299 Electric Buses To Its Fleet This Year” • Go-Ahead London is going for a further 141 battery-electric buses, taking the total number of electric buses to be delivered to the operator during 2023 to 299 vehicles. The buses for Go-Ahead London will be provided by Alexander Dennis in collaboration with BYD UK. [CleanTechnica]

Electric bus (Courtesy of Alexander Dennis)

¶ “Bowen: ‘Australia Will Be Renewable Energy Superpower, Not A Nuclear Backwater’” • Federal energy minister Chris Bowen slammed a call for nuclear power in Australia, saying they are slow to build, impossibly expensive, and not needed in Australia. He called for Australia to be a “renewable energy superpower, not a nuclear backwater.” [Renew Economy]

¶ “Negative Power Prices Reveal Market Is Still Unprepared To Tap On Full Renewables Potential” • Over the weekend electricity producers on European power exchanges offered to pay up to €500 per MWh to anyone taking their electricity. The record negative prices reflect the dynamic changes brought about by renewable energy. [Balkan Green Energy News]

Spot power prices (European Power Exchange image)

¶ “UN Nuclear Agency Seeks More Access To The Plant That Kyiv And Moscow Say Is Under Threat” • The head of the United Nations nuclear agency said Friday he was pushing for access to the rooftops of reactors at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, where Ukrainian officials accused Russia of planting explosives. [AP News]

US:

¶ “New Jersey’s Zombie Offshore Wind Industry Finally Sees Light Of Day” • New Jersey inched one step closer to its first offshore wind farm when a helpful tax bill squeaked through the legislature by the skin of its teeth. Passage of the bill should help launch the 1,100-MW Ocean Wind 1 project, though there still may be trouble. [CleanTechnica]

Monopiles ready to go (Courtesy of EEW)

¶ “VMT Proposal In Infrastructure Investment And Jobs Act Could Change How Americans Drive” • The federal fuels tax is supposed to pay for national roads. It has held steady at 18.4¢ for gasoline and 24.4¢ for diesel since October 1, 1993. VMT, or vehicle miles traveled, is a better way to pay for American roads and highways. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Investing In America Tour – Highlights From New York And Vermont” • Interior Secretary Deb Haaland traveled to New York and Vermont to highlight how President Biden’s Investing in America agenda and “Bidenomics” strategy work to bolster the clean energy economy and tackle the climate crisis through collaborative conservation. [CleanTechnica]

Have an etherially charming day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Hottest Day Ever, Three Days In A Row” • Zachary Shahan: I wrote a story yesterday about Monday being the hottest day ever recorded by humans. It turns out, the next day, Tuesday, was hotter. And then yesterday was hotter still. Maybe I shouldn’t write and publish this article until tomorrow to see if we go for 4 days in a row. [CleanTechnica]

Heat-related illness (US CDC Health & Heat Tracker)

¶ “Is China Really Leading The Clean Energy Revolution? Not Exactly” • China’s solar capacity is 228 GW, more than the rest of the world combined, Global Energy Monitor says. Its 310-GW wind capacity leads the world. It has 750 GW of wind and solar projects in the pipeline and will hit its 2030 target of 1,200 GW five years early. But it is a big polluter. [The Guardian]

¶ “Zaporizhzhia Alarms Should Signal End Of Nuclear Power Pursuit” • Amidst accusations from both Russian and Ukrainian sides that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been wired for detonation or could be deliberately attacked during the current war there, one absolute truth remains: nuclear power plants are inherently dangerous. [Common Dreams]

Nuclear plant (Kelly, Pexels, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Simple Ways Cities Can Adapt To Heatwaves” • Images constantly captured by the International Space Station show extreme land surface temperatures in cities. They also much cooler areas that result from having parks or water features. One study found that areas within a 10-minute walk of a park are as much as 3°C cooler than other areas. [BBC]

¶ “4000 Scenarios For A Climate Turnaround” • A computer simulation was developed to shed light on addressing climate change. It combines climate models, economic models, and 1200 energy-related technologies to analyze and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The study employed a supercomputer to calculate 4,000 scenarios for 15 world regions. [CleanTechnica]

Supercomputer (Pixy.com, CC0)

World:

¶ “Last Month Was The Planet’s Hottest June On Record By A Huge Margin” • Earth’s temperature was off the charts in June. An Analysis from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service found that last month was the hottest June by a “substantial margin” above the previous record. The nine hottest Junes have all occurred in the last nine years. [CNN]

¶ “IAEA Chief ‘Completely Convinced’ It’s Safe To Release Treated Fukushima Nuclear Wastewater” • Japan’s plan to release treated radioactive water into the ocean is safe and there is no better option to deal with the massive buildup of wastewater collected since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog told CNN. [CNN]

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi (IAEA Imagebank, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Amazon Deforestation Down By A Third In 2023, Says The Brazilian Government” • Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon fell by 33.6% in the first six months of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s term compared with the same period in 2022, Brazil’s government says. Lula has pledged to end deforestation, or forest clearance, by 2030. [BBC]

¶ “Cape Town Electric Bus Pilot Program Shows $34,000 In Reduced Costs Per Bus Per Year” • A case study by GreenCape and partners gives us a look at Golden Arrow Bus Services’ recent electric bus pilot program in Cape Town. GABS could save R657,000 ($34,000) in fuel costs per bus per year by switching from diesel to electric. [CleanTechnica]

Electric bus (Courtesy of Golden Arrow Bus Services)

¶ “First Nations Won’t Back Nuclear Plant Expansion Until Waste Questions Are Answered” • Two First Nations near the proposed expansion of Canada’s largest nuclear power plant will not support any new projects until there is a solution to the nuclear waste problem on their territory, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation wrote in a membership letter. [National Observer]

US:

¶ “Nonfossil Fuel Energy Sources Accounted For 21% Of The US Energy Consumption In 2022” • Primary energy consumption in the US was 100.4 quadrillion BTUs in 2022, a 3% increase from 2021. About 21% of US energy consumption in 2022 came from nonfossil fuel sources such as renewables and nuclear, according to the EIA’s Monthly Energy Review. [CleanTechnica]

US Energy, all sources (Monthly Energy Review)

¶ “Fossil Fuel Companies Paying Big Bucks To Kill California Emissions Reporting Laws” • Two bills before the California legislature would require fossil fuel companies to disclose more about carbon emissions. Not surprisingly, the industry strongly opposes both bills and is spending freely to make sure they do not get passed. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “State Regulators Approve Xcel Energy’s Plan For Battery Storage In Becker” • The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved an Xcel Energy project that will test a 10-MW Form Energy iron-air battery system. Xcel expects it will begin operating in late 2025. The system will be able to store a 100 hour supply of energy. [MPR News]

Rendering of a 56-MW iron-air battery (Form Energy image)

¶ “High Summer Heat Means ⅔ Of North America At Risk Of Energy Shortfalls” • If temperatures spike this summer, parts of the US could face electricity supply shortages. The latest summer reliability report from NERC warns that two-thirds of North America is at risk of energy shortfalls this summer in times of extremely high electricity demand. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Community Power Coalition Announces New Rates” • In New Hampshire, Community Power Coalition customers will get a new electricity base rate of 10.9¢/kWh starting in August. The reduction is expected to generate $5.5 million in savings and $1.7 million in community financial reserves for the 75,000 CPCNH customers. [Eagle Times]

Have a perfectly pleasant day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Smoke In Our Eyes: National Park Grandeur Degraded By Global Warming” • A US Global Change Research Program report shows climate change is having effects on the natural environment, agriculture, energy production and use, land and water resources, transportation, and human health and welfare across the US and its territories. [CleanTechnica]

Howe Ridge Fire (Courtesy of National Park Service)

¶ “The Future Of Solar Energy In Maine Hinges On Passing LD 1986” • The future of solar energy in Maine depends on which of two bills is potentially enacted by the Legislature. Both LD 1347 and LD 1986 aim to address how solar projects are compensated for their electricity, but only LD 1986 will actually support solar development. [Bangor Daily News]

Science and Technology:

¶ “El Niño + Climate Change = Heat Records” • Climate change combined with this year’s El Niño set a new world record for worldwide heat on Tuesday – 62.92°F or 17.18°C. That may not sound that hot to anyone sweating through a summer heat wave, but the figure is almost a full degree Celsius above the average between 1979 and 2000. [CNN]

Hot day – wishing it felt as good as it looks (Lucian, Unsplash)

¶ “The Planet Saw Its Hottest Day Ever This Week. The Record Will Be Broken Again And Again” • This week saw a new record for the hottest global temperature ever, data from two climate tracking agencies shows. That is likely to happen again soon. The lead scientist at Berkeley Earth said we “may well see a few even warmer days over the next 6 weeks.” [CNN]

¶ “Penn State’s New LionGlass Is 10 Times Tougher And Has Half The Carbon Emissions” • Penn State University announced a new product, LionGlass, which is ten times more resistant to damage than soda lime silicate glass. And it uses about half the energy to manufacture, because the melting temperatures are lowered by about 300°C to 400°C. [CleanTechnica]

LionGlass (Courtesy of Penn State University)

¶ “Delivering A Net-Zero Future For Aluminum” • Processes used in aluminum production are energy-intensive and rely heavily on fossil-fuel generated electricity. Access to renewable power, emissions reduction technologies, scrap availability, and data transparency for emissions are increasing to meet the demand for low-carbon aluminum. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Oil Giant Shell Warns Cutting Production ‘Dangerous’” • The boss of energy giant Shell told the BBC that cutting oil and gas production would be “dangerous and irresponsible.” He warned increased demand from China and a cold winter in Europe could push energy prices and bills higher again. His statement angered some climate scientists. [BBC]

Refinery (Paul Teysen, Unsplash)

¶ “Anxiety And Anger Over Japan’s Nuclear Waste Water Plan” • A controversial plan by Japan to release treated waste water from the Fukushima nuclear plant has sparked widespread anxiety. Since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, over a million tonnes of treated waste water has accumulated there. Japan wants to start releasing it into the Pacific Ocean. [BBC]

¶ “Australian Mining Companies Chose Battery-Electric Over Hydrogen Fuel Cell Mining Trucks” • Both batteries and fuel cells provide the electricity needed to turn electric motors, so which is better? The companies have done their research. For them, the answer is clear. Battery-powered mining trucks are the way to go. Why? Efficiency. [CleanTechnica]

Caterpillar 793 electric truck (Courtesy of Caterpillar)

¶ “Floating Photovoltaics Emerge As A Promising Solution For Southeast Asia’s Clean Energy Future” • For countries with lots of solar potential and limited land, floating PV, or FPV, has potential for clean energy. The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory did an analysis of FPV potential for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Renewable Energy And Cleaner Transport: Egypt Updates Its Climate Commitments” • Egypt updated its carbon emissions plan to generate 42% of its energy from renewable resources by 2030 instead of 2035. It intends to meet this target replacing inefficient thermal power plants with renewable power sources, mainly solar and wind powered. [Egyptian Streets]

Cairo (Waleed Rostom, Unsplash)

¶ “UN Wants More Access To Ukraine Nuclear Plant Amid Sabotage Warnings” • The UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency, has called for increased access to the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant in southern Ukraine as Moscow and Kyiv accused each other of planning acts of sabotage at Europe’s largest nuclear power facility. [Al Jazeera]

US:

¶ “Californian Winemakers Learning Firefighting Techniques” • Northern California’s Napa Valley had a historic wildfire season in 2020. The first blaze erupted in August, consuming hundreds of thousands of acres and killing five people. Vinyard owners had to adapt to learn not only firefighting techniques, but how to deal with wine flavored by smoke. [BBC]

Napa Valley vineyard (Gabriel Tovar, Unsplash)

¶ “Electric Bicycles Can Bridge Gap In Access To Transportation” • Power-assisted bicycles have existed for more than a century. While gasoline-powered bicycles are no longer mainstream, today, battery-powered electric bicycles are more popular than ever. Sales figures for e-bikes are significantly outpacing all other electric vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EV Batteries Find Second Life Storing Solar Energy At Night” • B2U Storage Solutions, based in Los Angeles, is using the excess supply of used batteries to meet the high demand for stored clean energy. “It’s pretty simple: Take it out of the car, put it in, cable it up. And it’s ready to go,” Rachel Harper, B2U’s operations project manager, said. [KCRW]

Have a marvelously exquisite day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Underestimating Climate Change Is A Costly Mistake For Crop Production” • A new study published in Nature Communications suggested that we may be underestimating the risks of harvest failures in multiple global breadbaskets. This failure could have serious consequences across the world for food security, prices, and social stability. [Nature World News]

Crop (Paz Arando, Unsplash)

¶ “Toyota Claims Solid-State Battery Has 745 Mile Range, 10 Minute Charging Time” • Toyota said it has simplified the production of the material used to make solid-state batteries, with a discovery that could dramatically cut charging times and increase driving range. It the weight, size, and cost of batteries could be cut in half. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Japan Will Soon Release Fukushima Radioactive Water Into The Ocean. How Worried Should We Be?” • TEPCO has built over 1,000 massive tanks to contain what is now 1.32 million metric tons of wastewater – enough to fill over 500 Olympic pools. It is running out of space for new tanks, so it will release water with tritium in it. [CNN]

IAEA experts check water storage (IAEA Imagebank, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Climate Change: World’s Hottest Day Since Records Began” • The world’s average temperature reached a new high on July 3, topping 17°C for the first time. Scientists say the reading was the highest in any instrumental record dating back to the end of the 19th century. The high heat is due to a combination of the El Niño and emissions of CO₂. [BBC]

¶ “Crippling Fuel Crisis Turns Cuba To Old Friend Russia” • In a time of crippling fuel crisis and a dire economic outlook, Cuba’s leadership has again turned to an old ally for help. The latest in a series of major challenges they have faced recently, including food insecurity, inflation, and electricity blackouts, is a fuel crisis. So they look to Russia for help. [BBC]

Recent photo of cars in Havana (Persnickety Prints, Unsplash)

¶ “Tesla Model Y Tops BEV Sales In New Zealand In June, #2 In Overall Market” • The Tesla Model Y topped battery EV charts in New Zealand last month, selling 765 units. More importantly, the Model Y was the second best selling vehicle in the country’s overall market! It was only behind the Toyota RAV4, which sold 1,496 units last month. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Will Be In India “As Soon As Possible,” Says Elon Musk” • Many countries want to offer Tesla its next manufacturing home. Over the past few years, Tesla CEO Elon Musk has had several discussions with the government of India about a potential investment, and a recent meeting stoked encouragement that the two could forge a deal soon. [CleanTechnica]

Road in New Delhi (Laurentiu Morariu, Unsplash)

¶ “Germany Achieves Record 57.7% Renewable Energy Share In Net Power Generation For First Half Of 2023, Fraunhofer Study Finds” • The findings of a Fraunhofer study show that renewable generation constituted 57.7% of the net electricity generation for the German power supply, an increase from 51.8% recorded in the same period of 2022. [SolarQuarter]

¶ “Volvo Switch To Renewable Fuels, Cuts Emissions 84%” • Volvo Cars hopes to reduce its lifecycle carbon footprint by 40% per car in the time from 2018 to 2025. That requires a 25% reduction in the company’s operational emissions, and that includes logistics. So, for Volvo to reach its 0 carbon goal, it has to look everywhere. Shipping is an obvious issue. [CleanTechnica]

Shipping (Image courtesy Volvo Cars)

¶ “The Companies Leading The Fight Against Climate Change” • As the issue of climate change takes more of the center stage, the UK government is pushing companies further to reduce their impact. New regulations will have British companies outlining their net zero plans from 2024, giving a view of what a ‘credible’ transition plan looks like. [Hargreaves Lansdown]

¶ “UAE To Triple Renewable Energy Contribution By 2030” • UAE announced plans to triple the amount of renewable energy in its power mix over the next seven years, with a goal of climate neutrality. A National Strategy will support R&D programs in energy technologies, in addition to encouraging innovation and investment in energy sector. [reNews]

UAE (Nick Fewings, Unsplash)

¶ “Russia, Ukraine Accuse Each Other Of Plotting Imminent Attack On Nuclear Plant” • Russia and Ukraine accused each other of plotting to stage an attack on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, which was taken over by Russia at the beginning of the war. With six reactors, the Zaporizhzhia plant is Europe’s largest nuclear facility. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Four Reasons Why K–12 Schools Are Warming Up To Heat Pumps” • As students celebrate learning lessons and making it to summer vacation, we have one big thing to celebrate too: school leaders have been busy learning how modern HVAC systems can transform their school buildings. Here are the top four lessons we want to pass along. [CleanTechnica]

School (Gautam Krishnan, Unsplash)

¶ “Missouri S&T Will Ask St Louis Area Residents For Opinions About Nuclear Waste” • Missouri University of Science and Technology wants to know what people around St Louis think about nuclear waste. It got a $2 million grant from the US DOE to study the issue. The Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada is off the table, and a facility is needed. [STLPR]

¶ “Inside The First Youth-Led Climate Lawsuit To Go To Trial ” • The final day is over in the youth-led lawsuit against Montana for its failure to rein in development of fossil fuels in the state and slow climate change. Over the first five days of the trial, the plaintiffs’ attorneys carefully shaped their case. Now they are waiting a decision. [Wired]

Have a sensationally okay day.

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