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Opinion: 

¶ “US EIA Projected The Future Of Electricity Generation In 2001. Why Were They So Wrong?” • Back in 2001, the US Energy Information Administration used its crystal ball and forecast the future of the US electricity supply through 2020. They forecast more coal, a small role for renewables, and steady growth in demand. So what went wrong? [CleanTechnica]

Upside-down image (Photoholgic, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Are Wildfires Happening More Often?” • Wildfires are burning in France, Portugal, and Spain. There are fires in Alaska, north of the Arctic circle, and across northern Canada. Experts say that “extreme fire weather” is getting more frequent and worse, in nearly all regions of the world. Climate change is an important factor, but other factors are at work. [BBC]

¶ “Investing In Plant-Based Alternatives Cuts Climate Emissions More Than Other Green Investments” • The Boston Consulting Group, a global consultancy firm, has issued a report that finds, for each dollar, investment in plant-based alternatives results in way more greenhouse gas savings than lots of other investment opportunities. [CleanTechnica]

Plant-based alternative (From Beyond Beef media kit)

¶ “Humanity Is On Track To Cause One Million Species To Go Extinct, According To UN Report” • According to a report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, a UN body, one million animal and plant species face extinction. And their problem is, ultimately, going to be humanity’s problem. [Salon]

World:

¶ “Europe Battles Wildfires In Intense Heat” • Authorities across southern Europe battled on Sunday to control huge wildfires in countries including Spain, Greece, Portugal, and France. At least 1,000 deaths have been attributed to the heatwave in Portugal and Spain so far. Temperatures in Spain have reached as high as 45.7°C (114°F) [CNN]

Heat wave (Lucian Dachman, Unsplash)

¶ “UK Heatwave: Country May Have Hottest Day On Record With 41°C Forecast” • The UK could set a record for hottest day this week, with temperatures forecast to hit up to 41°C (106°F). The current record in the UK is 38.7°C, in Cambridge in 2019. The Met Office issued a red extreme heat warning for Monday and Tuesday in much of England. [BBC]

¶ “Volkswagen Battery Modules Power Fast Charging Park, Sales Up 27% Year Over Year” • Like all other car makers, Volkswagen has been hit with production challenges of late. Nevertheless, the latest press release from the company says deliveries of its battery EVs were up 27% year on year through the first six months of 2021. [CleanTechnica]

Showing off an EV charging park (Volkswagen image)

¶ “Solar Panel Recycling Is About To Become BIG Business!” • It used to be that solar PVs went to the landfill at the end of their life. But just as companies like Redwood Materials find they can recycle EV batteries and make money, some companies are seeing the opportunities that old solar panels represent and are pursuing ways do the same. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Construction Kicks Off At 99-MW UK Storage Site” • UK developer Harmony Energy and Fotowatio Renewable Ventures have started initial construction works at the 99-MW, 198-MWh Clay Tye energy storage project in Essex, south-east England. Clay Tye will have 52 Tesla megapack batteries, managed by Tesla’s Autobidder AI software. [reNews]

Clay Tye battery site (FRV image)

¶ “MENA Power Projects Forum To Focus On $250 Billion Worth Of Projects” • The Middle East and North Africa sees $250 billion investment in power projects between 2021 and 2025, as power and utility providers gear up for more business at the MENA Power Projects Forum 2022. The event will be from September 7 to 8, 2022, in Abu Dhabi. [Trade Arabia]

¶ “Cadeler Lined Up For Baltic Power Turbine Installation” • Cadeler has secured a reservation agreement to install turbines at Orlen and Northland Power’s 1200-MW Baltic Power offshore wind farm, with over 70 turbines, off Poland. Cadeler said it has secured a large vessel reservation agreement to execute the transport and installation. [reNews]

Working ship (Cadeler image)

¶ “Indian Railways Tenders 2.6 GW Of Renewable Power Projects” • REMC Limited unit of Indian Railways invited bids to install 1 GW of renewable power projects for round-the-clock power supply to various railways. It also tendered to install 1.548 GW of land-based solar plants near the traction sub-stations across different zonal railways. [pv magazine India]

US:

¶ “Sunrun Installs 700,000 Solar Roofs – How About 700,000 More For Ford F-150 Lightnings?” • Sunrun, the Number One rooftop solar installer in the US, just installed its 700,000th rooftop solar system. Now, Sunrun has partnered with Ford to combine solarizing homes with electrifying their transport via the Ford F-150 Lighting. [CleanTechnica]

Ford F-150 Lightning (Ford image)

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration: $56 Million To Advance US Solar Manufacturing And Lower Energy Costs” • The Biden–Harris Administration announced a slate of new initiatives and $56 million in funding, including $10 million from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, to spur innovation in solar manufacturing and recycling. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Economic Drivers Envisioned To Replace Palisades Nuclear Plant Loss” • Despite efforts to save Palisades under a $6 billion federal program to rescue old nuclear plants set to close, and Holtec’s willingness to entertain a potential buyer, no such proposals have come forward. So the community with the plant has to find new employers. [MiBiz]

Have an impressively delightful day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “University Of Florida PhD Candidate Proposes USAF-Style Vehicle To Vehicle Charging” • A PhD candidate in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Florida has, along with his co-authors, proposed a two-battery system for EVs. If it works, it will allow one vehicle to charge another, even as they’re driving down the road! [CleanTechnica]

In-flight refueling (US Air Force image, public domain)

¶ “Longer Lasting Sodium-Ion Batteries On The Horizon” • Cheap and abundant, sodium is a prime candidate for new battery technology. One problem is limited performance. Now, a team from the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed a sodium-ion battery with greatly extended longevity in laboratory tests. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Europe Heatwave: Deadly Wildfires Spread In Mediterranean” • Thousands of firefighters contine to battle wildfires in Portugal, Spain and France, as a heatwave shows no sign of easing. A pilot died when his waterbombing plane crashed in Portugal. The Portuguese authorities say at least 238 people have died from the heat over the past week. [BBC]

Portuguese airtanker (Jacek Ulinski, Unsplash)

¶ “AP Has Immense Potential To Produce Renewable Energy” • With an immense potential to produce renewable energy and export power, the government of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh devised a policy to attract investments for establishing wind, solar and hybrid projects on a massive scale, an officer of the state’s transmission company said. [The Hindu]

¶ “Gippsland Dairy Farmers Rein In ‘Unsustainable’ Irrigation Costs With Solar Power” • A major investment in renewable energy has helped an organic dairy farm in the Gippsland region of New South Wales reduce irrigation-related electricity costs from almost $100,000 per year to just $15,000. The farm has 300 milk cows. [ABC]

Dairy farm in NSW (Rebecca Ritchie, Unsplash)

¶ “Old Mine Could Bring Renewables And New Life To An Eastern Ontario Town” • In the small eastern Ontario town of Marmora, an old open-pit mine offers an opportunity for hydroelectric energy production and – perhaps even more exciting – storage for renewable energy. It is a big pit, and it could store a lot of energy. [The Narwhal]

¶ “In A Twist, Old Coal Plants Help Deliver Renewable Power” • Across Pakistan, aging and defunct coal-burning power plants are getting new lives as solar, battery, and other renewable energy projects, partly because they have a decades-old feature that has become increasingly valuable: They are already wired into the power grid. [Technology Times]

Coal-fired power plant in Pakistan (VileGecko, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “War In Ukraine: EU Wants To Adopt New Sanctions Against Russia” • EU foreign ministers will discuss tougher sanctions against Russia, as Moscow is accused of deploying launchers to fire missiles from the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in the southern Ukraine. In particular, they will examine a proposal to ban gold purchases from Russia. [California18]

US:

¶ “Volvo Trucks Building An Electric Semi Charging Corridor” • Volvo is set to partner with Shell Recharge Solutions, Western Truck Center, TEC Equipment, and Affinity Truck Center to develop a medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicle charging network that connects several of California’s most important port cities and industrial centers. [CleanTechnica]

Truck charging (Volvo Trucks image)

¶ “Will Tesla Lower Prices If Inflation Falls? Elon Says Yes” • CEO Elon Musk said Tesla may be able to lower prices of its cars if inflation falls enough. Musk replied to a Tweet about pandemic and supply chain influences on Tesla car prices to a follower named Jaehwan Cho. “If inflation calms down, we can lower prices for cars,” Musk said. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Regional Investment Strategies Can Unlock Clean Energy Opportunities” • As Congress keeps debating investing in the US clean energy transition, RMI has released a report outlining how regional investment strategies can unlock emerging and growing clean energy opportunities for everything from offshore wind to EVs and green hydrogen. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines (Bastian Pudill, Unsplash)

¶ “Retailer Meijer Signs Renewable Purchase Deal With NextEra Energy” • Midwestern retailer Meijer signed a renewable power purchase agreement with NextEra Energy Resources to take the majority of energy generated by the Lacy Creek Wind Energy Center in Texas. The project will have 108 wind turbines and is to generate 800 GWh annually. [GreentechLead]

¶ “Georgia Power Critics Want Less Coal, More Renewables” • Georgia Power’s plan to meet the power needs of its customers would keep the utility on a path toward using less coal and more renewable energy. But environmental and consumer advocates are asking the Public Service Commission to require Georgia Power to do more. [The Rome News-Tribune]

Have a marvelously magnificent day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “This Supercharged Tree Might Help Fight Climate Change” • Trees draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but most trees grow much too slowly to be of much help with climate change. To reverse climate change, someone has to come up with a tree that grows much faster. A San Francisco company, Living Carbon, says it’s done exactly that. [CNN]

Seedling (Austin D, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Thousands Escape Wildfires In France, Spain, And Greece” • Over 11,000 people have been forced to leave a region in south-western France in the past few days. Dozens of fires are burning in Portugal and Spain where temperatures have surged above 40°C. At least 281 deaths in both countries were linked to the heat and several towns in Spain were evacuated. [BBC]

¶ “Australia Is Grappling With Its Worst Ever Energy Crisis. Does Victoria Hold The Key To A Fix?” • At issue is whether Victoria will get on board with a proposed fix for a grid in crisis. A board serving as the top adviser to state and federal energy ministers proposes a policy to help keep the lights on during the transition, but it may mean burning some coal. [ABC]

NSW’s Snowy 2.0 (Supplied by Snowy Hydro)

¶ “Volkswagen Group Reaches 217,100 EV Sales In First Half Of 2022” • Sitting between Chinese EV startups XPeng and NIO and American EV powerhouse Tesla, Volkswagen Group made 217,100 full EV sales in the first half of 2022. NIO delivered 50,827 vehicles in that time period, XPeng delivered 68,983, and Tesla delivered 564,743. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “French Nuclear Cuts Extend To Next Week As Temperatures Soar” • EDF’s nuclear plant output cuts are expected to stretch into next week as a heat wave sweeping across Europe pushes up river temperatures, reducing its ability to cool its plants. EDF said that two power stations on the Rhone River will produce less electricity in the coming days. [Regina Leader Post]

Tricastin nuclear plant (Marianne Casamance, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Russian Forces Accused Of Storing Weapons In Nuclear Plant” • Russia is using Europe’s largest nuclear power plant as a base to store weapons, including missile systems, and to shell nearby areas in Ukraine, an official with Kyiv’s nuclear agency said. The nuclear plant has been under Russian control since the early weeks of Moscow’s invasion. [The Guardian]

UK:

¶ “Hypothetical Weather Forecast For 2050 Is Coming True Next Week” • Two years ago, UK Met Office scientists tried a thought experiment to project what our forecasts will look like in 2050. “Not actual weather forecast,” they said. “Examples of plausible weather based on climate projections.” Well, on Monday and Tuesday, it’s here, 28 years early. [CNN]

Hot weather (Scott Goodwill, Unsplash)

¶ “National Emergency Declared After UK’s First Red Extreme Heat Warning” • A national emergency was declared after the first ever red extreme heat warning was issued. Temperatures could hit 40°C (104°F). The Met Office’s highest warning covers an area including London, Manchester, and York. This means a risk to life, and daily routines need to change. [BBC]

¶ “UK Power Market Needs Rapid Expansion Of Capacity” • The UK’s future power market must rapidly expand its generating capacity, including a maintaining an ongoing role for Contracts for Difference and Capacity Market mechanisms but with changes to ensure they remain fit for purpose, according to a report from Energy UK. [reNews]

Grid control room (National Grid image)

US:

¶ “Biden Vows To Use Executive Action After Manchin Torpedoes Climate Agenda” • After Senator Joe Manchin dealt a devastating blow to Democrats’ hopes for sweeping legislative action this year, President Joe Biden vowed to take “strong executive action” in response. The president aims toward writing broad climate action and tax legislation. [CNN]

¶ “Solectrac Partners With Nolan Manufacturing To Produce More Electric Tractors” • Solectrac, based in Northern California, makes battery-electric tractors for farming and utility operations. Solectrac announced it has entered into a partnership with Nolan Manufacturing to begin producing its battery-electric tractors in a facility in North Carolina. [CleanTechnica]

Solectrac tractor (Solectrac image)

¶ “June Was Tesla’s Best Production Month Yet, Despite Low Q2 Deliveries” • Tesla’s deliveries in Q2 were plagued by COVID-19 lockdowns that caused a 22-day production pause at its Shanghai Gigafactory. Nevertheless, Tesla’s new Gigafactories in Berlin and Texas are already showing their value, beginning with impressive production in June. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “GM And Pilot Company To Roll Out US EV Fast Charging Network” • GM and Pilot Company are collaborating on a US ‘coast to coast’ DC fast charging network that will be installed, operated and maintained by EVgo through its eXtend offering. The network of 2,000 charging stalls will be powered by EVgo eXtend and open to all EV brands. [Energy Digital]

EVgo charging station

¶ “Extreme Heat Is Getting Worse” • Duke Energy announced a summertime record for electric use in North Carolina and South Carolina on June 15, 2022. That was six days before summer started. With climate change, the number of annual heat waves in the US increasing from two per year in the 1960s to six per year during the 2010s. [NC State News]

¶ “As Massachusetts Lawmakers Consider Energy Bills, Power Suppliers Press To Continue Residential Retail Choice” • The end of the two-year legislative session is coming, and Massachusetts legislators are in conference over energy bills. A petition led by retail electricity suppliers in the state was circulated to support residential retail choice. [Utility Dive]

Have a uniformly unblemished day.

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World:

¶ “Can Rocket Launches Ever Be Green?” • Environmental effects of commercial space launches are a growing concern. There were 144 commercial launches last year, and at least three scientific research papers have already been published this year on the impact of rocket emissions on the atmosphere, temperatures, and the ozone layer. [BBC]

SpaceX Falcon (SpaceX, Unsplash)

¶ “Satellites Give Clues About The Coming Global Harvest” • As harvest time looms for the world’s primary wheat producers, countries that import wheat hope for a bumper global crop so record high prices might fall. But analysis on the health of crops around the world suggests that’s unlikely, and that Russia could be the only big winner. [BBC]

¶ “Hyundai Ioniq 6 Rocks V2L Technology With 379 Mile Range WLTP” • The new battery-electric sedan from Hyundai has a range of 379 miles using the WLTP standard common in Europe, Hyundai says, though some estimates are slightly lower. Hyundai says the car only needs 14 kWh of electricity to go 100 km (22.5 kWh for 100 miles). [CleanTechnica]

Hyundai Ioniq 6 (Hyundai image)

¶ “Scatec JV Signs Green Ammonia Offtake Deal In Oman” • The Norwegian developer Scatec and ACME Group signed a term sheet with Yara for the offtake from the first phase of a green ammonia plant in Oman. Fully developed, it will have a second phase, and the project could produce up to 1.1 million tonnes of green ammonia annually. [reNews]

¶ “Renewables Generation Costs Fall In 2021” • In 2021, the global weighted average cost of new renewable projects fell despite rising materials and equipment costs, a report from IRENA said. The global levelized cost of electricity of onshore wind projects added in 2021 fell to 3.3¢/kWh, while that of solar fell to 4.8¢/kWh. [reNews]

Renewable energy (IRENA image)

¶ “Two-Thirds Of New Renewables Were Cheaper Than Coal In 2021” • In 2021, 163 GW – nearly two-thirds – of new renewable power added was cheaper than the cheapest coal-fired power plants in G20 countries, a report released by the International Renewable Energy Agency says. Costs for solar and windpower fell 13% to 15% in 2021. [Electrek]

¶ “Kishida Wants Up To Nine Nuclear Reactors Online This Winter” • To deal with concerns about electricity shortages this winter, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said that he will push to have up to nine nuclear reactors in operation by then. Economy minister Koichi Hagiuda said that the highest priority will be put on safety. [The Japan Times]

Fumio Kishida (首相官邸ホームページ, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Low French Nuclear Output Is Bad News For The UK” • The UK power system faces another winter like last year’s, when thin supply buffers resulted in surging electricity prices, according to Fintan Slye, director of National Grid ESO, the UK network operator. The potential problem is partly caused by low output from nuclear plants in France. [Oil Price]

US:

¶ “Renewable sources generate 25.5% Of US Electricity” • The amount of Electricity generated by renewable sources continues to grow month over month and year over year in the US. In April 2022, the share of US electricity coming from renewable energy was up to 29.3%. Over the first four months of 2022, renewables provided 25.5% of US electricity. [CleanTechnica]

Renewable energy (Pixabay, Pexels)

¶ “Republican Attorneys General Fight SEC Over Corporate Climate Disclosures” • The SEC announced plans in March to require companies to disclose their climate risks within their operations as they compile required documents. Attorneys general from 24 states call the plan “an ill-advised misadventure into environmental regulation.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Panasonic To Build $4 Billion Tesla Battery Factory In Kansas” • Kansas Governor Laura Kelly announced that a battery factory will be built De Soto, Kansas. It is expected to create 16,500 construction jobs and 4,000 permanent jobs in the community. It would be the largest economic development project in the history of Kansas. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla battery (Tesla image)

¶ “BLM Approves Construction Of Power Line From Arizona To California” • The US Bureau of Land Management authorized construction of a 125-mile-long transmission line across Arizona and Southern California. The transmission project is intended to carry electricity from renewable energy sources to customers in the two states. [E&E News]

¶ “Critics Push For Coal Ash Cleanup As State Panel Considers Georgia Power 12% Rate Hike” • State regulators are set to vote next week on Georgia Power’s long-term plan. Clean energy and environmental advocates say the plan fails to go far enough to expand renewable energy and falls short of responsibly closing coal-fired power plants. [Georgia Recorder]

Plant Scherer (Altamaha Riverkeeper image)

¶ “New York Power Plant To Be Repurposed For Renewable Energy Storage” • New York is taking a major step to achieve its climate ambitions. Long Island City’s infamous Ravenswood power plant, which is highly recognizable for its red and white smokestacks, was recently purchased by renewable energy giant, Rise Light & Power. [Green Matters]

¶ “Alaska’s Largest Coal Plant Closes, As Green Energy Takes Hold” • Healy Unit 2, Alaska’s largest coal plant, has been plagued by operational issues for five years. It needs costly repairs, and the board of the Golden Valley Electric Association voted to shut it down, invest in wind energy, and install pollution controls on Healy Unit 1. [Popular Science]

Have a fabulously peachy day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “The ‘Cheap Food’ Era Could Soon Be Over. Here’s What Comes Next” • Farmers across Ukraine will try to bring in their wheat harvests in the coming weeks. They may have landmines in their fields. Their crops be stolen by Russia. And their one Ukrainian port is being blockaded. It could be make-or-break for global food supplies. [CNN]

Harvest (James Baltz, Unsplash)

¶ “Supreme Court’s EPA Decision Is A Wake-Up Call. Congress Must Act Now” • The US Supreme Court’s ruling limiting the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions is a wake-up call for Congress to pass urgent and meaningful legislation on climate and clean energy. We cannot allow climate action to remain a deeply entrenched political issue. [CNN]

World:

¶ “Heat Wave Threatens Power Shortages And Higher Pork Prices In China” • A scorching heat wave in China has forced a major manufacturing region to appeal to businesses and households to use less power, while fear of crop failure is sending pork prices soaring. Dozens of the country’s cities have been experiencing record-high temperatures. [CNN]

Beijing (zhang kaiyv, Unsplash)

¶ “VinFast Is On A Roll, Intends To Use Solid-State Batteries To Roll Faster” • VinFast/Vingroup has invested tens of millions of dollars into solid-state battery manufacturer ProLogium. They may set up a factory in Vietnam. They have not given a clear arrival date, so any hope for EVs powered by solid-state batteries has to be tempered. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “You Can Now Order A Volkswagen ID Buzz – UK Prices Out” • You can now order a Volkswagen ID Buzz in the UK. And, to put it simply, this 21st century “hippie bus” is not cheap. There are three trim levels. The low-end “Life,” starts at £57,115. The middle trim “Style” starts at £61,915. And the high-end “1st Edition” has a price starting at £62,995. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID Buzz (Courtesy of Volkswagen)

¶ “EU Lawmakers Stop Controversial Biofuels From Fueling Planes” • The European Parliament has barred some biofuel feedstocks from the EU’s aviation green fuel mandate, including intermediate crops and palm oil by-products. Transport & Environment called on the three main European institutions to ban animal fats also. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “RES Launches 58.8-MW Northern Ireland Bid” • RES has filed a planning application for the almost 59-MW Unshinagh wind farm in Northern Ireland. The 14-turbine proposal is expected to involve a £61 million investment. The wind farm would generate enough electricity to power 70,000 households while creating “skilled, sustainable jobs.” [reNews]

RES windfarm (RES image)

¶ “India Has Achieved Clean Energy Targets Before Deadline, Says RK Singh” • India has achieved clean energy targets nine years ahead of schedule Power Minister RK Singh said at the Sydney Energy Forum in Sydney, Australia. India has installed 162 GW of renewable energy capacity which is 41% of the 402 GW of electricity installed. [The Hindu]

¶ “Renewables Remain Cost-Competitive Amid Global Energy Crisis, Says IRENA” • Renewables are maintaining an extremely cost-competitive position with prices in the industry dropping last year, even as the energy market tackles a global fossil fuel crisis, according to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency. [The National]

Renewable energy (Kervin Edward Lara, Pexels)

¶ “Tokyo Court Orders Ex-TEPCO Execs To Pay $95 Billion Damages Over Fukushima Disaster” • The Tokyo district court ordered four former executives of TEPCO to pay ¥13 trillion ($95 billion) in damages to the operator of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, the plaintiff’s lawyers said. The suit was brought by shareholders. [CNN]

US:

¶ “NREL OpenPATH Tool Enables Expanded E-Bike Pilot Program To Demonstrate Energy-Efficiency Benefits” • The transportation sector is one of the largest contributors to the nation’s carbon emissions. The fastest-growing form of EV made to help combat climate change, however, is not the electric car. It is the electric bike. [CleanTechnica]

E-bike on the road (David Marcu, Unsplash)

¶ “Mississippi Adopts New Solar Net Metering Rules” • The Mississippi Public Service Commission voted to adopt updated Net Metering and Interconnection Rules. The new rules expand the state’s net metering program by raising the participation cap for rooftop solar and prioritizing solar PVs for low-to-moderate income customers, among other things. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Walmart Orders 4500 Electric Delivery Vehicles From Canoo” • Walmart is locked in a titanic struggle with Amazon to survive in the fiercely competitive world of online retailing. To do that, it needs to find ways to reduce delivery costs. So it signed a deal with Canoo, the southern California EV startup, to buy 4500 of its battery-EV delivery vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

Canoo EV (Canoo image)

¶ “BLM Approves Start Of Construction Of Oberon Solar Project” • The Bureau of Land Management issued final approval for construction of the Oberon solar project on BLM-managed land in Riverside County, California. The Biden administration is seeking to permit at least 25 GW of renewable energy on public lands by 2025. [Bureau of Land Management]

¶ “Governor Lujan Grisham Statement On Nuclear Regulatory Commission Decision To Approve Holtec Project” • Gov Lujan Grisham issued a statement of strong objection after the NRC said it intends to issue a license to Holtec International to build and operate an interim nuclear waste storage facility in New Mexico. [Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham]

Have an admirably successful day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “EVs Provide Energy Security, Aid Energy Transitions During Conflicts” • Society has had to transition from and use backup energy sources multiple times. The problem can be caused by political conflicts, shortages caused by natural disasters, financial troubles, and environmental issues, and wars. EVs offer a degree of energy security. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model X charging (Tesla image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Developing Nations Now Have A Scientific Basis For Legal Action Against Us, China For Climate Damages” • In a Dartmouth College study, researchers put dollar figures on economic harm caused by the countries most responsible for the climate crisis. The data could serve as a starting point for legal action against the world’s wealthiest nations. [CNN]

World:

¶ “Volvo Cars Withdraws From EU Automakers Organization” • The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association formed in 1991 so European vehicle makers could have a common voice. Stellantis quit last month because it thinks the EU wants change too soon. Now Volvo Cars has quit because the EU’s plans are not aggressive enough. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo XC40 Recharge (George Sargiannidis, Unsplash)

¶ “80% Of New Offshore Wind Capacity In 2021 Was Installed By China” • Offshore wind had a great year in 2021, with over 21 GW installed. If you read CleanTechnica regularly, you may have heard of several offshore wind installations in the North Sea. But 17 GW of the 21 GW of offshore wind power, about 80% of the total, was installed in China. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Federal Government Puts Up $10 Million For Clean Energy Projects For Saskatchewan First Nations” • Five Indigenous-led initiatives have been given boosts by the federal government. Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources John Wilkinson has announced that $10 million would be dedicated to five projects in Saskatchewan. [CBC]

Solar array in Saskatchewan (computer_saskboy, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “German Official: Nuclear Would Do Little To Solve The Gas Issue” • Germany’s vice chancellor defended the government’s commitment to ending the use of nuclear power at the end of this year, arguing that keeping its few remaining reactors running would be complex and do little to address the problems caused by a possible natural gas shortfall. [KSTP]

Australia:

¶ “Labor’s Renewables Target Is Ambitious But Achievable” • In Australia, renewable energy is set to speed up. To achieve its 82% target, Labor has to build renewables around five times faster than the past two decades, and build storage at about ten times the rate of the past five years. Energy economist Bruce Mountain offers a blueprint. [Michael West Media]

Wonthaggi wind turbines (Simon Yeo, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Renewable Energy On The Rise As Household Energy Bills Soar” • Amid an energy crisis and rising inflation rates, trying to navigate your household energy bills can be daunting. And as Australia is on track to getting half its electricity from renewable resources, environmental experts will tell you that the best move is to switch to gas-free lifestyle. [News.com.au]

¶ “Queensland To Install Batteries At Coal Plants” • Queensland will install renewable energy components at coal-fired plants but remains ambiguous about future plans for fossil fuels. Energy Minister Mick De Brenni says that adding battery storage and hydrogen production facilities to power plant sites will be in the government’s 10-year energy plan. [Eden Magnet]

Gladstone power station (LBM1948, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

US:

¶ “More Than 200 Congressional Staffers Urge Pelosi And Schumer To Act On Climate” • In a rare move, more than 200 congressional staffers have sent a letter to Democratic leadership in the House and Senate, demanding they close the deal on a climate and clean energy package and warning that failure could doom younger generations. [CNN]

¶ “25,000 PG&E And Tesla Customers Invited To Form World’s Largest Distributed Battery To Support Grid Reliability” • Pacific Gas and Electric Company and Tesla launched a virtual power plant pilot to support grid reliability and save customers money. Tesla invited about 25,000 PG&E customers with Powerwalls to join the VPP. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Powerwall (Tesla image, cropped)

¶ “Funding Notice: Community Geothermal Heating And Cooling Design And Deployment” • The US DOE announced a funding opportunity for Community Geothermal Heating and Cooling Design and Deployment. It will award some funding for projects that help communities design and deploy geothermal district heating and cooling systems. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Sal Electric Boat Cruises All Day On Nothing But Sunshine” • The Solar Sal 24 electric boat can cruise all day on sunshine alone. Sure, it has batteries onboard that can be used to power the boat after dark, but by careful attention to the natural world, ten people can enjoy a day on the water and never burn a drop of fuel or stop to recharge. [CleanTechnica]

Solar Sal boat (Solar Sal image)

¶ “New York Officials Explore Large Scale Renewable Energy At Two Municipally Owned Sites” • Two municipally owned sites in New York may get renewable energy development. NYSERDA signed memorandums of understanding with Dannemora and Brookhaven to explore the feasibility of developing renewable energy projects. [Solar Builder]

¶ “False Alarm At Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant” • There was an accidental warning about an emergency at the Seabrook nuclear power plant on Tuesday morning. Reports of a problem at the plant and potential evacuations surfaced about 11 a.m. But the reports were unfounded, and multiple Seacoast first responders said it was a false alarm. [Yahoo News]

Have an unusually nice day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “High-Tech Hard Sails Transform Old Cargo Ships Into Racing Yachts” • Wind power is making a comeback on the high seas, and the global shipping industry beginning to be down for it. Rigid sails for cargo ships are still in the tryout phase, but that could change as Russia continues to pinch the global fuel supply and climate goals kick in. [CleanTechnica]

Rigid sails on a cargo ship (Photo via Cision PR Newswire)

¶ “Hydrogen Fuel Cell Truck Is Here To Help EV Batteries, Not Harm Them” • London-based EV maker Tevva has come up with a formula combining EV batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. The company’s newly launched battery-electric truck has a fuel cell range extender to get it through the working day with maximum efficiency and lowest cost. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “India Will Overtake China In 2023, Says The UN” • India is set to be the world’s most populous country next year, overtaking China with its 1.4 billion people, according to UN figures. By this November, the planet will be home to 8 billion. But population growth is now at its slowest rate since 1950 and may peak by the 2080s, at about 10.4 billion. [BBC]

Street in India (Vishal Bhutani, Unsplash)

¶ “Persistent Expands Its Electric Mobility Venture Building To West Africa, Partners With SolarTaxi” • Persistent believes in the power of carbon-neutral economic development in Africa. It is a leading expert and pioneer investor in the renewable sector on the African continent. It announced that it has invested in the Ghanaian company SolarTaxi. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Catholic Groups Oppose EU Vote To Designate Gas And Nuclear Energy As ‘Green'” • Catholic organizations in Europe denounced a move by European Union lawmakers to designate gas and nuclear energy as “green” options for sustainable investing as part of the 27-nation bloc’s efforts to combat climate change. [National Catholic Reporter]

Cooling towers at a nuclear plant (Jiří Sedláček, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Australia:

¶ “Most Of South Australia’s Energy Via Renewables: Report” • South Australia got almost 70% of its electricity from renewables in the last financial year, data shows. The Open National Energy Market Report also shows that SA’s solar and wind resources can sometimes generate more than the state needs. On November 27, it provided 150%. [The New Daily]

¶ “Australia’s Most Affordable Energy Generation Is Renewable, Says CSIRO, AEMO” • Wind and solar have been reported by Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and the Australian Energy Market Operator to be Australia’s most cost-efficient and affordable energy generation and storage options. [Utility Magazine]

Windy Hill Wind Farm (Leonard Low, CC-BY 2.0)

¶ “‘Step Change’: $12 Billion Plan For New Electricity Grid” • In the 2022 Integrated System Plan, released on 30 June, AEMO says $12.7 billion investment in electricity transmission projects will be needed to accommodate the rapid change. But overall savings elsewhere will deliver net benefits that far outweigh the initial costs. [Australian Renewable Energy Agency]

¶ “Australia ‘On Track’ To Generate Half Its Electricity From Renewable Sources By 2025, Report Finds” • Australia is on track to meet half its electricity needs from renewable sources within three years, according to a report from the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. The changes are coming at an extraordinary pace. [ABC]

PV plant in the ACT (Grahamec, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

US:

¶ “Extreme Temperatures Will Challenge The Texas Power Grid This Week” • Summer is always hot in Texas, but this is hotter than hot – it’s a record-breaking, sizzling hot, sweaty summer. The high temperature in Dallas has topped 100°F every day since July 3, and the heat is continuing. The electric grid is being challenged. [CNN]

¶ “It’s Time For Clean Truck Rules In Illinois” • By adopting two clean truck regulations, Illinois could generate net societal benefits of roughly $26 billion through 2050. So says an analysis by the Environmental Resources Management Group evaluating the impact of the Advanced Clean Trucks and Heavy-Duty Omnibus rules on Illinois. [CleanTechnica]

Mack Trucks electric garbage truck (Courtesy of Mack Trucks)

¶ “Indiana Government Stops Solar Net Metering, Costs Voters Thousands!” • Thanks to lobbying by the oil industry and utilities, anyone who wants to install rooftop solar systems in Indiana’s investor-owned utility areas will no longer be able to sell power back to the grid for what they’d pay for it. It’s all about slowing the growth of solar power. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Utah’s Great Salt Lake Is Still Drying Up” • Salt Lake gets less Great all the time. If things don’t change soon enough, the most populated part of the state will face toxic dust clouds and a loss of lake effect snows, which will dry the place out even more. Scientific groups have warned the state about water issues, but change has not come. [CleanTechnica]

Great salt lake (Patrick Hendry, Unsplash)

¶ “Ford Tells 200,000 SUV Owners To Park Outside” • Ford is telling owners of some of its most popular, current, fossil-fuel-powered SUVs to park their vehicles outside after a series of engine fires that took place even when the ignition switches were off. It is one of two recalls for internal combustion engine fires, totaling 206,000 cars. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Renewable Sources Powered 88.5% Of MidAmerican Iowa Customers’ Energy In 2021” • MidAmerican Energy provided 88.5% of customers’ annual power needs from renewable energy last year, the Iowa Utilities Board has verified. That is five percentage points higher than 2020, according to a news release from the utility. [The Des Moines Register]

Have a relaxingly noteworthy day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Converting Mines Into Hydro-Powered Batteries” • A group of researchers at Michigan Technological University argues that a fully renewable energy grid could be achieved if mines in the US are converted into hydro-powered batteries. Such mines could clear the path for the “most ambitious” renewable energy goals in much of the country. [CleanTechnica]

Converted mine (Michigan Technological University)

¶ “Solid-State Battery Race Just Got Hotter With New VinFast-ProLogium Mashup” • Not too long ago, solid-state battery technology was lingering in the lab like a lonely ghost. Now, Vietnamese electric vehicle startup VinFast has big plans for high performance EVs through a newly announced partnership with the battery maker ProLogium. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China’s Wind Farms Have A Role In Its Renewable Energy Future. Can They Also Ease Effects Of Dust Storms?” • In spring, northwest winds carry large amounts of sand from the Gobi Desert, covering China’s north with yellow dust and sand. The Great Green Wall was created to mitigate this. Some believe wind farms can help also. [South China Morning Post]

Gobi Desert in Inner Mongolia (User: me, CC-BY-SA 2.5)

World:

¶ “Tesla Leads June EV Sales Surge In China” • China’s wholesale sales of new energy passenger vehicles reached 571,000 units in June, surpassing last December’s 505,000 units, data released by the China Passenger Car Association showed. The vast majority of the sales were battery EVs, with wholesale sales of 452,000, or 79% of the plugin pie. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Glencore Places Order For Battery-Powered Mining Vehicles” • Glencore is one of the world’s largest mining and raw materials companies. Its Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations division recently placed an order with Sweden’s Epiroc for a full fleet of battery-electric mining equipment for use at the Onaping Depth Project in Ontario. [CleanTechnica]

Epiroc electric loader (Courtesy of Epiroc)

¶ “NIO Announces 500 KW EV Charger And 3rd Generation Battery Swap Technology” • The race is on in China to offer the fastest possible EV charging. XPeng and GAC Aion say they have 480-kW chargers coming, but NIO announced that it will have 500-kW, 640-amp chargers in operation by the end of this year in both China and Europe. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “VSB To Sell 190-MW Wind Double To Finnish Utility” • VSB Group is to sell the 150-MW Karahka and 40-MW Juurakko wind farms in Finland to national utility Helen. The transaction will increase both Finland’s energy security and local generation of emission-free electricity, said VSB. The Juurakko wind farm will be completed by the end of 2022. [reNews]

Wind farm construction (VSB image)

¶ “Scatec And Partners Begin Building Solar Facility In Brazil” • Norwegian renewable energy company Scatec and its partners started construction at the 531-MW Mendubim solar project in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. They have signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with alumina supplier Alunorte, to be paid in US dollars. [Power Technology]

¶ “Solar21 Submits Application For £3 Billion Energy Park” • A £3 billion renewable energy project backed by Irish company Solar21 has been accepted for examination by the UK’s national planning body. Solar21 anticipates that some 760,000 tonnes of waste will be diverted from landfill each year, and it will then be converted into energy at the site. [The Irish Times]

Computer image of proposed waste-to-energy plant (Solar21)

¶ “Renewable Energy The Cheaper Option For Australia” • A report by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation shows that renewable energy options remain the cheapest new-build electricity generation option in Australia, although inflation and supply chain disruptions will likely put cost reductions on hold for a while. [Mining Weekly]

¶ “Slow, Expensive And No Good For 1.5° Target: CSIRO Crushes Coalition Nuclear Fantasy” • Australia’s leading scientific research organisation, the CSIRO, has delivered a damming blow against the renewed push by the federal Coalition for nuclear power, saying it is expensive and too slow for a significant contribution to any serious climate targets. [Renew Economy]

Nuclear power plant in France (Stefan Kühn, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “UK Energy Minister’s Nuclear Plants Plea Rejected By Scottish Government” • The Scottish Government has rejected UK Energy Minister Greg Hands plea to “rethink” its stance on new nuclear power stations in Scotland. The Scottish Greens said the minister’s plea shows that the Tories “cannot be trusted with the environment.” [The National]

US:

¶ “Property Owners And Officials Find Ways Around Some Century-Old Laws As The West Runs Out Of Water” • With a megadrought draining water reserves in the West, states are looking for alternatives to handle water rights, many of which were set more than 100 years ago when water supplies were far more abundant. [CNN]

Cattle country (K Mitch Hodge, Unsplash)

¶ “Maine Energy: How One Hydropower Project Sparked A $100 Million ‘Hoohah'” • New England Clean Energy Connect was supposed bring 1,200 MW of clean electricity from Canada to Massachusetts, but Maine voters rejected it. The legality of that has been put into question, and Maine’s Supreme Court could rule on the matter any day. [BBC]

¶ “Yosemite’s Giant Sequoias: Wildfire Threatens World’s Largest Trees” • A California wildfire is threatening the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park. The Washburn Fire has doubled in size over the past 24 hours. Firefighters are working in difficult terrain to protect some of the largest and oldest redwood trees in the world. [BBC]

Have a wonderfully fulfilling day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “How Inflation Could Be Cut By FERC And Renewable Energy Doubled” • Inflation is one of the chief financial challenges in America. A solution lies in plain sight, because technologies like wind and solar power can help stabilize domestic energy prices and prevent future price spikes due to over-reliance on volatile international fuel markets. [CleanTechnica]

NREL Flatirons Campus (Werner Slocum, NREL)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Using Microorganisms To Separate And Purify Rare-Earth Elements” • Using naturally occurring and engineered proteins and bacteria, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory scientists and their collaborators will leverage advances in microbial and biomolecular engineering to separate and purify rare-earth elements from domestic sources. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Sustainable Cities Made From Mud” • Mud buildings are remarkably good at keeping us cool in summer and warm in winter, and withstanding extreme weather. In the search for more sustainable buildings, architects are returning to the age-old construction material. Mud could be the perfect sustainable alternative to concrete. [BBC]

Rammed earth buildings in Yemen (LBM1948, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “MIT Scientists Think They Have Discovered How To Fully Reverse Climate Change” • Scientists at MIT think they may have finally found a way to reverse climate change. Or, at the least, help ease it some. The idea is to create a raft-like structure out of bubbles in space to act as a shield to reduce harm caused by the solar radiation. [BGR]

¶ “Electric Vehicle Battery Supply Chains 101” • EV sales are taking off in major markets around the world. With increasing demand for EVs comes increasing demand for batteries. We have to build sustainable battery supply chains and ensure they limit environmental and human health harms. Here, we look at the problems and the options. [CleanTechnica]

Blue Arc chassis with Proterra battery system (Proterra image)

World:

¶ “Oxford, Fastned, Tesla, Wenea, And Pivot Power Commission Europe’s Most Powerful EV Charging Hub” • The charging capacity at Energy Superhub Oxford is greater than at any other charging station in Europe, the team behind the project says. Eventually, 400 electric cars could charge at the new Energy Superhub Oxford at one time. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Evolito Buys Aerospace Battery Company Electroflight” • In the electric aviation arena, electric propulsion company Evolito has acquired aerospace battery company Electroflight. The two companies have collaborated in the past to make electric drive trains for aircraft. One of their products was used by Rolls-Royce to set an air speed record. [CleanTechnica]

Evolito motor system (Evolito image)

¶ “Carbon Capture And Storage Tech Too Risky” • There is a lack of quality data to show that carbon capture is commercially ready and cost competitive, says a report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. Instead, the world should prioritize renewable energy, grid modernization, and electrification. [South China Morning Post]

¶ “Morocco, A Top Fertilizer Producer, Could Hold A Key To The World’s Food Supply” • Morocco is one of the world’s top four fertilizer exporters, following Russia, China and Canada. This is because it has over 70% of the world’s phosphate rock reserves. A key to increasing the output of fertilizer is increasing the supply of renewable energy. [The Conversation]

Moroccan desert (Taryn Elliott, Pexels)

¶ “Shell, EPI Support Philippine Energy Plan” • Shell Overseas Investments BV declared it has established a joint venture with Emerging Power Inc to support the Department of Energy’s latest Philippine Energy Plan. The joint venture’s goal aims to contribute 1 GW to the country’s power systems by 2028 using alternative energy sources. [The Manila Times]

¶ “Porsche-Backed HIF Global Wants To Build An E-Fuel Plant In North-West Tasmania” • Porsche-backed HIF Global has lodged plans with Tasmania’s Environment Protection Authority to build Australia’s first commercial e-fuel facility. Porsche plans for 80% of its cars to be electric by the end of the decade, but is working on synthetic fuel for the others. [ABC]

Burnie, Tasmania (Gary Houston, public domain)

¶ “EDF Nationalisation Means It Is Unlikely To Spearhead Future UK Nuclear Power Projects, Says Top Industry Insider” • The nationalization of French energy giant EDF means it is unlikely to spearhead future UK nuclear power plants, an industry insider said. The Hinkley Point C developer will instead put investments into reactors in France. [This is Money]

US:

¶ “Biden Administration Takes Key Step In Controversial Alaska Oil Drilling Project, Angering Environmental Groups” • The US Department of Interior released a draft environmental impact statement for the ConocoPhillips oil drilling project, known as Willow. The statement is not a final decision, but is an important step toward developing oil wells. [CNN]

National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (US BLM, public domain)

¶ “Grid Operator: Renewable Energy Likely To Supplant Fossil Fuels As New England’s Predominant Source For Electricity” • A report released by the operator of New England’s electric grid said the generation of renewable energy will ultimately replace the burning of fossil fuels as primary source of electricity to meet customer demand. [CT Insider]

¶ “Seeing More Big Fish? Climate Change Might Be Responsible” • People are seeing bigger fish in places, but NOAA’s director of scientific programs Francisco Werner told the Washington Post that fish “aren’t growing larger, they are relocating to new environments.” They are moving out of bodies of water that are too warm because of climate change. [InsideHook]

Have a punctiliously developing day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Is Nuclear Sustainable? Read The Label” • The EU decided that nuclear is sustainable, but it’s getting some major pushback from scientists, sustainable investor groups, and the finance advisers of the European Commission itself. They argue the rules will divert money from truly green projects to prop up legacy industries and allow emissions to rise further. [Politico]

Nuclear plant (Petar Avramoski, Pexels)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Carbonfuture Announces Catalyst For Carbon Removal, Partnering With Heimdal, Lithos, Ucaneo” • Carbonfuture has launched a program called Catalyst, partnering with upcoming carbon removal companies for no-strings-attached carbon credit pre-purchases and methodology support. Three companies have joined the program. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Could Iron-Based Catalysts Make Fuel Cells Viable?” • The main factor holding back use of fuel cells is cost. Most catalysts that are used to make electricity from hydrogen are based on precious metals. Researches at the University of Buffalo report they have created an iron-based catalyst that could significantly reduce the cost of fuel cells. [CleanTechnica]

Fueling a car (Alternative Fuels Data Center, US DOE)

World:

¶ “Tesla Pausing Production At Giga Berlin And Shanghai To Upgrade Assembly Lines” • Even with the new Gigafactories in Berlin and Shanghai, Tesla is working to expand production. The company plans to take costly production breaks to upgrade both plants over the next month or so, so it can increase production capacities significantly. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Lloyd’s Register Gets Behind Wind Power For Cargo Ships” • Lloyd’s Register is old enough to see wind power come, go, and come back again. The firm has put its seal of approval on a type of sail that will help cargo ships meet the goals of a key index of the International Maritime Organization for energy efficiency and carbon emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Wind-powered ship (Courtesy of Anemoi Marine)

¶ “Microsoft’s Dublin Datacenter To Help Take Pressure Off Ireland’s Renewable Energy” • Later this year, Microsoft is to deploy its “grid-interactive UPS technology” at its datacenter in Dublin to demonstrate how such technology may be used to help decarbonize power grids. It will work with power management specialist Eaton on the project. [TheRegister]

UK:

¶ “Iberdrola Prepares Sixteen Renewable Energy Projects for Development” • The Iberdrola group is developing sixteen new renewable projects in the UK after obtaining Contracts for Difference with the UK government that ensure their financial viability. The sixteen projects will have a combined capacity of 2,122 MW. [North American Windpower]

Wind turbines (Efe Kurnaz, Unsplash)

¶ “Strong Tides Along UK Coast Could Create Electricity For Less Than Cost Of Nuclear Power” • The tides along Britain’s west coast could produce huge amounts of clean electricity for less cost than nuclear, Sky News was told. The tides are only second to Canada’s, peaking in the Bristol Channel, off the coast of north Wales, and off northwest England. [Sky News]

¶ “UK Government Delays Sizewell C Decision” • In a written statement to the House of Commons, Business Minister Paul Scully said that Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng’s decision on the Sizewell C nuclear power plant would be given by 20 July. The decision had been scheduled for July 9. [World Nuclear News]

Sizewell B reactor dome (Dave Croker, CC BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Takes Drive Forward To Combat Climate Change” • To combat climate change and bring down costs for families, the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for states and municipalities to track and reduce GHG emissions. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford’s June Sales Numbers Impress Again” • Ford is doing some really impressive things with EV sales in new categories with slim competition. Overall EV sales for June are up, totaling 4,353 units. That is 76.6% more than they sold last year at this time. So Ford is making progress on EVs and is doing better than they’ve ever done. [CleanTechnica]

Ford electric van (Ford image)

¶ “Rivian Says It Is On Track To Deliver 25,000 Vehicles This Year” • Rivian is enduring “production hell,” the period most manufacturers face after they get new production lines set up. Rivian remains undaunted, however, telling the media this week it plans to deliver a total of 25,000 battery EVs to customers by the end of this year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “SCOTUS EPA Ruling Will Not Stop Plans For Public Power Decarbonization” • The recent ruling by the Supreme Court that limits the EPA’s authority to cap greenhouse gas emissions will not materially affect public power utilities’ credit quality or the move away from fossil fuels, Fitch Ratings says. Any benefits for fossil fuels should be short lived. [Fitch Ratings]

Solar panels (Karsten Würth, Unsplash)

¶ “McCain’s Will Use 100% Renewable Energy By 2030” • Global potato processor McCain Foods is constructing five solar facilities in Aroostook County, Maine, that they say will power half of one of their largest plants. McCain’s has committed to using 100% renewable electricity by 2030, according to a spokesman for the company. [Bangor Daily News]

¶ “Power Distributor Shares Concerns Over Grid Reliability With Kentucky Lawmakers” • One of the country’s largest electricity transmission operators, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, warned Kentucky lawmakers that coal-fired power plants are retiring faster than new renewable energy is coming online to replace it. [WFPL]

Have a happily composed day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Four Ways Governments Can Encourage Businesses To Meaningfully Lower Their Carbon Emissions” • If we hope to limit global warming to 1.5°C, greenhouse gas emissions must peak before 2025 and decline 43% by 2030, the UNIPCC says. Governments cannot achieve that by themselves. Here are ways to encourage businesses to help. [CNN]

Emissions (Chris LeBoutillier, Unsplash)

¶ “Five Reasons To Switch To Renewable Energy No Matter What Your Current Plans Are” • Even though it can be scary to think about leaving what feels like a familiar space, you should switch to renewable energy. Here are five main reasons why switching to renewable energy is something you must do, regardless of your current thinking patterns. [Energy Industry Review]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Ozone Depletion Over North Pole Causes Weather Anomaly” • Many people know that ozone depletion can lead to excessive UV radiation. Swiss scientists showed that the depletion of ozone over the Arctic in spring causes abnormal weather throughout the northern hemisphere, with many places warmer than usual and either too dry or too wet. [CleanTechnica]

Atmosphere (NASA image)

¶ “Seaweed Diet Cuts Cow Methane Emissions 90% To 95%” • A seaweed, asparagopsis, can cut the methane emissions of cows by up to 95%, and authorities have approved it as a feed additive. CH4, a global company based in South Australia, announced that it made the first global sale of asparagopsis to CirPro, a South Australian meat processor. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Honda Offers Cooler Limited Edition Version Of Cool, Limited Electric City Car” • It was clear from the beginning: The Honda e (that’s the name) is a super cool, cute, fun little electric car … that will never see a large number of sales. Now, Honda is offering an even cooler, even more limited-production version, the Honda e Limited Edition. [CleanTechnica]

Honda e (Honda image)

¶ “Ford Factory In Craiova Going Electric” • Ford has gotten much more serious about going electric in the past few years, and that is more evident in Europe this week as Ford Otosan takes over the Craiova Manufacturing Plant in Romania and aims to invest half a billion dollars into it to bring it into the bright clean electric future. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Minesto Delivers Tidal Power In The Faroe Islands” • Marine energy developer Minesto commissioned the first 100-kW unit of its Dragon 4 tidal power plant in grid-connected operation in Vestmannasund, Faroe Islands. According to Minesto, first phase of electricity generation shows that predicted performance is achieved. [reNews]

Minesto tidal power (Minesto image)

¶ “Tata Power Plans To Invest $9.5 Billion In Clean Energy Push” • Tata Power Co said it will invest more than ₹750 billion ($9.5 billion) in renewables over the next five years, as it aims to almost double the share of clean energy in its portfolio. The company will also expand into new areas such as solar irrigation pumps and EV charging. [The Edge Markets]

¶ “Price Of Offshore Wind Power Falls To Cheapest Ever Level In UK” • The price of offshore wind power in the UK has fallen to an all-time low, which could ease the pressure on future household energy bills. Offshore windfarm operators will sell power for as little as £37.35/MWh ($45.02/MWh), 5.8% below the lowest bid in the most recent auction in 2019. [The Guardian]

Wind turbine (Expect Best, Pexels)

Germany:

¶ “Germany Plugin EV Share Grows, Fiat 500e Bestseller, And Grim Warnings” • Europe’s largest auto market, Germany, saw plugin EVs take 26.0% market share in June, up from 23.6% year-over-year. Overall auto volumes were down 18% YOY, to 224,558 units, the second lowest June in 25 years. At least one projection of problems to come is noted. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volkswagen Starts Construction On First Of Six Battery Factories” • Volkswagen Group is pushing forward aggressively into the electric car future. It has committed to an investment of $20 billion between now and 2030 to create a new company called PowerCo. This week, it broke ground on the first of six new European battery factories. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen battery factory in Salzgitter (Volkswagen image)

¶ “Germany Approves Largest Renewable Energy Expansion Plan In History” • In a bid to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and reach climate targets, Germany approved what is seen as the largest renewable energy expansion in its history, with the legal package passing the parliament. The plan is for 80% renewable electricity by 2030. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

US:

¶ “Wind And Solar Produce More Electricity Than Nuclear For The First Time In The US” • In April, for the first time, wind and solar produced 17.96% of the US electricity. They generated more electricity than the US nuclear power plants. Renewable sources generated nearly 30% of US electricity, according to the SUN DAY Campaign. [Electrek]

Solar array (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

¶ “I Want My Child To Grow Up To Be A Doctor, Lawyer – Or Environmental Economist!” • Did your high school guidance counselor ever tell you that you could become an environmental economist? How about a biomass plant technician? Or a wind energy operations manager? Today, those are a few of the green jobs that pay really well. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “DSD Completes 6.8-MW Community Solar Portfolio For The City of White Plains, New York” • DSD Renewables and The City of White Plains completed construction of a nine-site, 6.8-MW community solar portfolio. It is the largest municipal solar PV deployment in Westchester County, New York and will power about 700 homes. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Have an unreservedly happy day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Big Hike In Natural Gas Prices Will Accelerate Change In Utility Industry” • The economics of providing electricity to consumers using wind and solar has changed in the last year with soaring natural gas prices. The cost of natural gas generation has been increased by inflation to a much greater degree than the cost of solar and wind. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

World:

¶ “European Parliament Says Natural Gas Projects Can Be Considered ‘Green’ For Investments” • EU lawmakers voted in favor of calling natural gas and nuclear power “sustainable” or “green” sources of energy, backing a proposal from European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, that has spurred criticism from scientists and environmentalists. [CNN]

¶ “Fossil Gas Labelled Green In ‘Biggest Act Of Greenwashing In History'” • The European Parliament voted by 328 to 278 in favor of the EU Commission’s proposal to label gas as “green” in the EU’s taxonomy of sustainable investments. The vote is a disaster for the climate and a gift to Putin, according to Transport & Environment. [CleanTechnica]

Ursula von der Leyen (Courtesy of the Government of Finland)

¶ “Sri Lanka President Asks Russia’s Vladimir Putin For Help To Buy Fuel” • Sri Lanka’s president says he has asked Russia’s Vladimir Putin to help his cash-strapped nation import fuel, as it faces its worst economic crisis since independence from Britain in 1948. Gotabaya Rajapaksa said he “had a very productive” discussion with Mr Putin. [BBC]

¶ “Europe Wants A High-Speed Rail Network To Replace Airplanes” • A network of modern, super-fast and comfortable trains could run between every major city in the EU, as a reliable, comfortable and sustainable alternative to air travel. That was the vision outlined by rail industry leaders in Lyon, as they seek big increases in numbers of passengers. [CNN]

High speed train (Winston Chen, Unsplash)

¶ “Dutch BEV Market Up 82%, Fossil Fuel Vehicles Down 16%” • The Dutch battery electric vehicle market is slowly recovering. It is up 82% in the first half of 2022 compared to the first half of 2021, thanks to 29,428 registrations. At the same time, the internal combustion engine vehicle market is down 16% to 124,280 registrations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hexicon Secures First Ever CfD For UK Floating Wind” • Hexicon’s 32-MW TwinHub has become the first ever floating wind project to land a Contract for Difference in the UK, securing a strike price of £87.30/MWh in the latest auction round. The project involves two turbines built on a single foundation off the coast of Cornwall. [reNews]

Hexicon’s 32-MW TwinHub floater (Hexicon image)

¶ “Biggest Renewables Auction Accelerates Move Away From Fossil Fuels” • The UK’s fourth round of Contracts for Difference scheme secures almost 11 GW of clean energy, enough to power around 12 million homes. The per unit (MWh) price of offshore wind secured in this round is almost 70% less than that of the first allocation round, in 2015. [GOV.UK]

¶ “France Seeks To Nationalize Nuclear Giant EDF To Ride Out Energy Crisis” • The French government intends to nationalize its financially-struggling nuclear giant Electricite de France to help it ride out Europe’s worst energy crisis in a generation. EDF, already 84% state-owned, has been trying to deal with high costs of nuclear energy for years. [Energy Voice]

Hinkley Point C nuclear power station (EDF image)

US:

¶ “FCC Approves Starlink For Planes, Ships, And Trucks” • The US Federal Communications Commission recently authorized SpaceX to use the Starlink satellite internet network with moving vehicles, a move that will give impetus to the company’s plan to expand broadband offerings to commercial airlines, ships, and trucks, though not yet cars. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hydropower: Retrofitting Untapped Dams” • Although the US has more than 92,000 dams, 89,000 do not generate electricity through hydropower. Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are assessing the viability of retrofitting some of these non-powered dams. They may add up to 12 GW more electricity to the grid. [CleanTechnica]

Non-power dam in Tennessee (Scott DeNeale, ORNL, US DOE)

¶ “Electricity Grid Operator Expecting More Demand And Renewables In New England” • New England’s electricity grid is in for major changes, according to a yearly report from ISO New England, which manages the region’s grid. Decarbonization will become the way of life in New England, with transportation and heating becoming electrified. [NHPR]

¶ “Grand Canyon National Park Is Now More E-Bike Friendly” • In late 2020, the US government ordered public land managers such as the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, and National Park Service to expand recreational offerings for people riding e-bikes. Now, Grand Canyon National Park has announced changes to e-bike access policy. [CleanTechnica]

Grand Canyon (Gabriel Tovar, Unsplash)

¶ “Update: Offshore Wind Bill Signed Into Law By Rhode Island Governor” • A law signed by Rhode Island Gov Daniel McKee says that PPL Corp, which operates Rhode Island Energy, will be required to buy up to 1,000 MW of offshore wind power. Rhode Island has enough offshore wind potential to meet the state’s needs eight times over. [Environment America]

¶ “State Requests Input On Vermont’s Renewable Electricity Programs” • The Public Service Department announced the start of a comprehensive review of Vermont’s clean electricity policies and programs. The Department is issuing a Request for Input to solicit feedback about Vermonters opinions on the state’s supply of electricity. [Bennington Banner]

Have a powerfully uplifting day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Supposed Benefits Of Biofuels Are A Dangerous Illusion” • Guardian columnist George Monbiot had a few things to say about biofuels recently, none of them complimentary. His latest opinion piece starts this way: “Modern biofuels are touted as a boon for the climate. But, used on a large scale, they are no more sustainable than whale oil.” [CleanTechnica]

Use of Virent biofuel (Courtesy of United Airlines)

Science and Technology:

¶ “These Energy-Packed Batteries Work Well In Extreme Cold And Heat” • Engineers at the University of California, San Diego have developed lithium-ion batteries that perform well at both freezing cold and scorching hot temperatures but still pack a lot of energy. The researchers accomplished this feat by developing a new electrolyte. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Sand Battery Trials Begin In Finland” • The sand battery is the idea of two Finnish engineers. It is simplicity itself. Make a really big pile of sand. Heat it with excess renewable electricity to around 500º C (932º F), then use that heat later to heat homes, factories, even swimming pools. They say the sand can stay hot for 3 months or more. [CleanTechnica]

Sand battery (Image courtesy of Polar Night Energy)

¶ “Tapping Into The Million-Year Energy Source Below Our Feet” • A startup called Quaise hopes to retrofit power plants using a new way to tap geothermal energy. The company plans to vaporize rock to create the world’s deepest wells and harvest geothermal energy at a scale that could satisfy human energy needs for millions of years. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Norway’s Government Steps In To End Oil And Gas Strike, Averting A New Energy Shock For Europe” • Natural gas prices spiked after Norwegian oil and gas workers went on strike over a pay dispute. The Norwegian government has intervened to end the strike, citing concerns about Europe’s energy crisis amid Russia’s war in Ukraine. [CNN]

Norwegian offshore oil rig (JanChr, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “EU To End Undercounting Of Plug-In Hybrid Emissions” • The climate ratings of plug-in hybrid vehicles are set to become a lot more realistic after the EU agreed to assess CO₂ emissions based on how much they actually emit on the road. Green group Transport & Environment campaigned for years to highlight the true impact of “fake” EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “UK Plugin EV Share At 22%, Tesla Model Y Overall Runner Up” • June saw plugin electric vehicles take 21.6% market share in the UK, up from 17.2%, year-over-year. This despite a temporary availability shortfall, stemming from pauses at Tesla Shanghai. Overall new auto sales volumes were at 140,958 units, the weakest June since 1996. [CleanTechnica]

Vauxhall EV (Vauxhall image)

¶ “Shell To Build 200-MW Dutch Electrolyzer” • Subsidiaries of Shell have taken the final investment decision to build Holland Hydrogen 1, which will be Europe’s largest renewable hydrogen plant when it is operational in 2025. The 200-MW electrolyzer will be built in the port of Rotterdam and will produce up to 60 tonnes of hydrogen a day. [reNews]

¶ “UK Energy Bill Introduced To Parliament” • The UK’s Energy Security Bill, which will be introduced into Parliament today by Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng, will speed up the transition to energy independence, according to RenewableUK. The government said the Energy Bill is most significant piece of energy legislation in a decade. [reNews]

Parliament (Free Images)

¶ “Renewables Supply Nearly Half Of German Power Demand In First Half 2022” • Renewable energy has supplied roughly half of Germany’s electricity demand for the first half of 2022, boosting the amount of renewables in the mix by six percentage points compared to the same period in 2021. The figure shows a notable increase in production. [Renew Economy]

¶ “Energia To Halve Carbon In Power Generation” • Ireland’s Energia Group unveiled a commitment to reducing the carbon intensity of its electricity generation by 50% by 2030, compared to 2019 to 2020. To achieve the target Energia will increase the volume of renewable electricity it generates from onshore wind and solar by a factor of three. [reNews]

Hollyford wind farm (Energia image)

¶ “MEPs Divided Over Vote On Environmentally Sustainable Energy Sources” • The European Parliament will decide later today whether to classify certain gas and nuclear energy activities as environmentally sustainable. A proposal would label them as sustainable sources of electricity, but there is a great deal of opposition to the move. [RTE]

US:

¶ “Endangered Species Act Restored By Federal Judge After Trump-Era Weakening” • In a win for environmental groups, a federal judge in California overturned Trump administration move in 2019 to gut the landmark Endangered Species Act, vacating that administration’s changes and restoring protections for hundreds of species. [CNN]

Flying condor (Patrick Hendry, Unsplash)

¶ “Coal Mining In Extremo” • Surface mining is a particularly harmful way to get coal, as it leaves the land massively degraded. Mountaintop removal mining is one of the most destructives ways to do that, and it is still being practiced in Appalachia. An NGO based in West Virginia, Skytruth, published impressive footage showing how damaging it is. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Scottish Crew Makes 1.5-GW US Solar Move” • A Scottish company, Renewco Power, is expanding into the US by acquiring 1500-MW pipeline of early stage solar projects and 500 MW of battery projects from Beaufort Rosemary. Renewco is forming a partnership with Beaufort Rosemary also, to develop more sites for 3 GW of solar and storage projects. [reNews]

Have an enthralling lovely day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “We Can Have (Just About) Everything We Want For Energy And The Climate” • A study by Mark Z. Jacobson, et al, “Low-cost solutions to global warming, air pollution, and energy insecurity for 145 countries,” says we can make more money, live in a less expensive world, have huge health benefits, and stop carbon emissions, with very little downside. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (Image from study)

¶ “Renewables Prices Should Not Be Linked To Gas Prices” • The pressures created by high energy prices have been exacerbated greatly by the fact that wind and solar power prices are linked to gas prices in European electricity markets. The prices consumers pay for renewable electricity have soared even though their cost has not changed. [EURACTIV.com]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Latest Project Drawdown Update Adds Eleven Ways To Stop Global Heating” • Project Drawdown issued its comprehensive guide to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in 2017, and it has updated its original plan since. The most recent update from the Project Drawdown group adds eleven new ways to address the climate crisis responsibly. [CleanTechnica]

Solar trackers (Image from Project Drawdown)

World:

¶ “Sydney Is Flooded, Again, As Climate Crisis Becomes New Normal For Australia’s Most Populous State” • Flooding in Australia’s most populous state has become the new normal, as residents in the Sydney area deal with more erratic seasonal swings. Big floods used to happen once in a generation. Now they happen several times in a year. [CNN]

¶ “Brazil Sees Record Amazon Deforestation In First Half Of 2022” • Data from Brazil’s Space Research Institute satellites shows that 3,750 square kilometers (1,448 square miles) of the world´s largest rainforest were lost in Brazil between January 1 and June 24, the largest area since 2016, when the institute began this type of monitoring. [CNN]

Amazon Rainforest (Neil Palmer, CIAT, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Polestar CEO Wants To Build O2 Electric Roadster” • Speaking in an interview with Top Gear, Polestar CEO Thomas Ingenlath said that he wants to bring the sexy, slinky O2 Roadster Concept to production next. “My ambition is to make it a production car,” he said. “But it’s not that easy.” It seems that he wants to make it a halo car for the brand. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BMW 7 Series Begins Production In Dingolfing” • Production of the all-new BMW 7 and all-electric i7 luxury sedans has begun in the Bavarian town of Dingolfing. BMW says they’ve invested more than €300 million to ready the plant for production of the new 7, and is still working to transition its largest European plant to be “Lean, Green, and Digital.” [CleanTechnica]

BMW i7 (BMW image)

¶ “Another Diesel Cheating Scandal – This Time It’s Hyundai And Kia” • Hyundai and Kia are at the center of the newest diesel cheating scandal. A spokesperson for Hyundai Motor Group in Seoul that also represents Kia confirmed raids coordinated by the European Union agency Eurojust at eight corporate properties to gather evidence. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electrofuel Revolution Coming To Baltic Sea, And So Is Russia” • Sweden and Finland have certainly done a good job of ruffling Russian feathers with their plans to join NATO, and the new electrofuel movement could be caught in the crossfire. The Swedes and Finns are pressing ahead with green hydrogen, but Russia seems a little too interested. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind farm (Image courtesy of Simply Blue)

¶ “Accelerating Renewables Could Save Irish Households €600 Million, Say Wind Energy Ireland” • Hundreds of millions could be saved on household electricity bills if policies and planning urgently accelerated renewables, says Wind Energy Ireland. The industry body laid out a likely cost of living reduction of €600 million over the next decade. [Irish Mirror]

¶ “Siemens Gamesa Lined Up For 927-MW Gennaker” • Siemens Gamesa has been lined up to supply turbines to WPD’s 927-MW Gennaker offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea. The company said it had signed a master supply agreement with WPD, including a 20-year service agreement. The project will have 103 Siemens Gamesa turbines. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbine (Siemens Gamesa image)

¶ “Rolls-Royce Releases UK Small Modular Reactors Shortlist” • Rolls-Royce SMR has announced a shortlist of potential locations for its first Small Modular Reactor UK factory. It will be the first of three factories Rolls-Royce hopes to build to make SMRs. The Rolls-Royce SMR power station will have the capacity to generate 470-MW of energy. [Energy Digital]

US:

¶ “158 Tesla Mega-Batteries Will Boost Hawaii Green Energy By 10%, And Shut Down Coal-Fired Power Plant” • Oahu aims to free itself from the shadow of a major coal-fired power plant with the introduction of 158 Tesla Energy Megapacks to installed for a 565-MWh project. The coal-fired plant that will shut down has a capacity of 180 MW. [Good News Network]

Rendering of the Kapolei Energy Storage project (Power Plus)

¶ “In Light Of EPA Court Ruling, New Focus On States’ Power” • The Supreme Court limited the power of the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants. But its ruling didn’t touch the power of the states. And while Democrats have moved states to limit pollution, it is clear that Republicans are starting to do so also. [Weirton Daily Times]

¶ “Puerto Rico Is Pushing LNG When It Says It Is Shifting To Renewables” • Regulators are on the cusp of approving dozens of large solar and battery projects, slowly moving Puerto Rico closer toward its goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2050. But experts say the island may be undermining this by continuing to invest in fossil fuel infrastructure. [Canary Media]

Have a pricelessly useful day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Biden Administration’s 5-Year Offshore Oil & Gas Plan Is ‘Lose-Lose'” • The US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management proposed 11 potential offshore leases for oil and gas companies in waters in the Gulf of Mexico and possibly Alaska for the period from 2023 through 2028. There is a period of 90 days for comment. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore oil platform (tom jervis, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Why Is Sunny Singapore Not Covered With Rooftop Solar Panels?” • Rising fuel prices and other costs of living have delivered a stark reminder of how reliant we are on oil and gas, making the transition to renewable energy even more urgent. However, Singapore authorities are quite confident that they can achieve the transition. [CNA]

Science and Technology:

¶ “How Heatwaves Are Creating A Pollen Crisis” • Even with adequate water, heat can damage pollen and prevent fertilisation in many crops, including canola, corn, peanuts, and rice. For this reason, many farmers aim for crops to bloom before the heat of summer. But the crops are being exposed to higher temperatures earlier, in a changing climate. [BBC]

Bee on a sunflower (Christoph Polatzky, Unsplash)

¶ “Hydrogen Reality Check: We Need Hydrogen – But Not For Everything” • In theory, hydrogen can be used to decarbonize almost every sector. But the fact that it can be used, doesn’t mean it should. There are other tools in the decarbonization toolbox. Hydrogen should be used where direct electrification and energy efficiency are not possible. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Scientists Explore How To Make PVs Even Greener” • How do we reduce the carbon impact of a green technology? It is a question NREL researchers Hope Wikoff, Samantha Reese, and Matthew Reese tackle in their paper in Joule, “Embodied Energy and Carbon from the Manufacture of Cadmium Telluride and Silicon Photovoltaics.” [CleanTechnica]

PV array (Werner Slocum, NREL)

World:

¶ “Sri Lanka Energy Minister Warns Petrol Stocks About To Run Dry” • Sri Lanka’s energy minister has issued a stark warning over the country’s fuel stocks. On Sunday, Kanchana Wijesekera said the nation only had enough petrol left for less than a day under regular demand. He also said its next petrol shipment was not due for more than two weeks. [BBC]

¶ “Geely RADAR Revealed – Will A Volvo Pickup Follow?” • If Geely is going to be as big as it wants to be, Volvo is going to need a pickup truck. The bad news for them is that getting an electric pickup to production seems to be harder than anyone thought. The good news? It seems like they’ve already done it. Meet the (mostly) all-new Geely Radar. [CleanTechnica]

Geely Radar (Courtesy of Geely, via Reddit)

¶ “Church Stands Against Nuclear Power In The Philippines” • Reacting to news that Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr plans to reopen the Bataan nuclear plant, Bishop Ruperto Santos of Balanga spoke out against reviving the plant, stressing the danger it represents. The Philippine bishops’ conference stands against nuclear power also. [UCA News]

¶ “JSW Steel Is To Invest ₹10,000 Crore To Increase Use Of Renewable Energy, Reduce Emissions” • To reduce its carbon footprint, the Indian company JSW Steel has earmarked the sum of ₹10,000 Crore ($1.266 billion) to increase the use of renewable energy to replace thermal power and other green initiatives, its Chairman Sajjan Jindal said. [TechStory]

Making steel (yasin hm, Unsplash)

¶ “Energoatom Re-Establishes Link To Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant” • Energoatom, the Ukrainian state-owned nuclear power operator, has re-established a remote connection to safeguards surveillance systems at the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant. This is the second time the connection has been re-established in the last month. [Power Technology]

¶ “Ukraine War Fears As UK’s Nuclear Plants Vulnerable To Attack” • The war in Ukraine has put civilian nuclear plants on the frontline of a military conflict for the first time in history. Dr Paul Dorfman said that the conflict in Ukraine has shown that the UK’s own civilian nuclear infrastructure is at risk of attack and likely cannot be defended. [Daily Express]

Dungeness Power Station (Tony Hisgett, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Poor Households Face Having To Help Foot Bill For Building Sizewell C” • The UK government has been criticized for a plan that would make low-income households bear the cost of the Sizewell C nuclear power plant while factories are let “off the hook.” These are possible effects of a regulated asset base funding model that could finance the project. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “Tesla Sets Vehicle Production Record In June” • The trend of Tesla’s quarter-over-quarter growth finally got broken and year-over-year growth was minimal due to supply chain and factory uptime challenges. However, Tesla reports, “June 2022 was the highest vehicle production month in Tesla’s history.” That bodes well for the third quarter. [CleanTechnica]

Gigafactory Texas (Tesla image)

¶ “Tesla Attempts To Add Value In Fragile Economic Times” • One of the industry pundits writing for Reuters was correct about Tesla not setting yet another delivery record for the quarter, but the company did set a new monthly production record in June. Let’s look at Tesla’s work behind the scenes to continue its EV marketplace dominance. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Feds give PG&E More Time To Apply For Funds To Keep Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant Open” • PG&E has more time to consider applying for federal funding to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant operating. The US DOE granted the utility company’s request to extend the deadline for a $6 billion funding initiative. [San Luis Obispo Tribune]

Have a notably enjoyable day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “The Profound Climate Implications Of Supreme Court’s West Virginia v EPA Decision” • When the Supreme Court decided West Virginia v EPA, it caught fewer headlines than some of the term’s other cases. But it threatened Earth-shifting implications all its own by thrusting into question a critical EPA lever for addressing climate change. [CleanTechnica]

Wind and coal (Johannes Plenio, Unsplash)

¶ “It’s The Perfect Moment For A Clean-Energy Future: But War And Greed Are Getting In The Way” • Thursday’s Supreme Court decision, which sharply curbs the EPA’s authority to regulate pollution from US power plants, comes at a surprising moment. Even the utilities being regulated begged the court not to throw out the EPA’s flexibility. [Salon]

¶ “Could nuclear plant ruin Suffolk haven for avocets, bitterns and harriers?” • Minsmere is an ornithologist’s paradise. But a threat hangs over its wildlife glories. The government is set to announce its decision on whether to allow the Sizewell C nuclear power plant to be built by EDF on land that overlooks the 1,000-hectare (2,500-acre) reserve. [The Guardian]

Avocets (Joshua J Cotten, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Why The World’s Tallest Trees Are Dying” • Over the course of three years, 90% of the trees in a 15 acre private forest were killed by beetles. It used to be that the beetles were killed by the cold temperatures, which used to go below -30°F (-34°C), but it rarely goes below 0°F (-18°C) now, and the beetles can survive in the changed environment. [BBC]

¶ “You Can Spot Climate Change In Old Restaurant Menus” • A study from the University of British Columbia shows a startling way that climate effects are already showing up in our lives. They didn’t find it in ice cores or weather patterns, but in restaurant menus. In the 1880s, Vancouver’s seafood joints served lots of salmon. Now they serve squid. [The Atlantic]

Calamari (Esperanza Doronila, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Norway Grows EV Share – Tesla Model Y Bestseller” • The Norwegian electric vehicle transition continued to progress in June, with plugin electric vehicle share of 89.9%, up from 84.9% year-on-year. Overall auto volumes were down 27% year-on-year, to 14,901 units. The Tesla Model Y was the overall bestselling auto, at 2,531 units. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volvo Cars Building Climate-Neutral Electric Car Factory In Slovakia” • Volvo Cars was the first legacy automaker to set a target for when it would produce only 100% electric cars. This week, it’s taking that leadership forward again by announcing a third factory in Europe, one that will produce electric cars and capture future growth potential. [CleanTechnica]

2022 Volvo XC40 Recharge (Mariordo, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “NTPC To Build 10,000 MW Renewable Energy Project In Rajasthan, To Help Reach Its 60,000 MW Clean Power Target By 2032” • NTPC Renewable Energy Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NTPC, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Rajasthan to develop a total of 10-GW of renewable energy in the state. [Swarajya]

¶ “Swiss Minister Pushes For Renewable Energy To Replace Gas Imports” • The Swiss Energy Minister said the government made plans to prevent energy blackouts due to a drop in Russian gas imports in the context of war in Ukraine. But it was impossible to guarantee sufficient supplies for about 300,000 Swiss households that have gas heating systems. [SwissInfo]

Zug, Switzerland (Florian Wehde, Unsplash)

¶ “Investments In Renewable Energy To Generate Over 300,000 Jobs” • Key findings from a World Bank study make an estimate of new investments in grid-connected and off-grid renewable energy projects in Pakistan. Together, these investments could generate more than 190,000 direct jobs and 137,000 indirect jobs by 2030. [Dawn]

US:

¶ “How The Climate Crisis Is Forever Changing Our National Parks” • The consequences of the climate crisis – more wildfires, devastating drought, sea level rise, flooding, ecological disease – are plaguing the country’s national parks. Unprecedented flash flooding recently overwhelmed Yellowstone National Park and some of its surrounding areas. [CNN]

Yellowstone mule deer (David Garry, Unsplash)

¶ “California Approves Tax On Lithium Extraction” • California approved a plan to tax the lithium extracted from the Salton Sea area, according to a Reuters report. The money generated will be used to remediate the environmental damage done to the area by decades of abuse by humans. The tax will go into effect in January of 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “How Fast-Growing Colorado Is Tackling Its Transportation Emissions” • From Denver smog to jammed mountain highways, Colorado is focusing on transportation to solve congestion, pollution, and climate problems. Colorado’s efforts stand out in a scorecard recently released by RMI, a first-of-its-kind assessment of progress by states on climate goals. [CleanTechnica]

Colorado, the way we think of it (Briana Tozour, Unsplash)

¶ “New Scorecards Show Climate Progress Of Six Front-Runner States” • As midterm elections approach and Congress continues to debate federal climate and clean energy legislation, this week RMI released first-of-their-kind climate scorecards showing the progress of five key states leading on climate and clean energy. One more is coming soon. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Green Energy Helping Texas Power Grid Withstand Unusually High Demand” • As hot weather sweeps across the Southwest, new records for electricity demands are being set. In Texas, the electric grid has been able to successfully meet high electricity demand. Experts say that is partly due to the strong performance of wind and solar power. [StreetInsider]

Have a personally rewarding day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Diablo Canyon Power Plant Won’t Stop Power Outages” • To justify keeping the Diablo Canyon Power Plant open, nuclear power peddlers blame the state’s shift to renewable energy for power outages. It’s a false narrative. Nuclear power failed to prevent the blackout of 2020, and since then 4 GW of renewable energy have been put online. [CalMatters]

Diablo Canyon (“Mike” Michael L Baird, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “NREL Analysis Highlights Strategies Beyond Recycling To Bolster Circular Economy For PV And Battery Technologies” • In a comprehensive literature review, researchers at the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory discovered alternatives to recycling with potential to build an effective circular economy for PV and battery technologies. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “India Bans Single-Use Plastic To Combat Pollution” • India imposed a ban on single-use plastics on items ranging from straws to cigarette packets to combat worsening pollution in a land with streets strewn with waste. The government dismissed the demands of food, beverage, and consumer goods companies to hold off the ban to avoid disruptions. [CNN]

Plastic pollution (Dustan Woodhouse, Unsplash)

¶ “‘We Are In Extreme Crisis.’ Italian Parmesan Producers Fear For Future Amid Drought” • This year, an unusually dry winter meant snow melt has been scarce and spring rains were only sporadic. Together, they led to the worst drought in the northern regions of Italy in more than seventy years, a regional agency for the River Po confirmed. [CNN]

¶ “Russia Moves To Take Control Of Sakhalin-2 Oil And Gas Project” • Russian President Vladimir Putin moved to take over the Sakhalin-2 oil and gas project, as he signed a decree to take charge of it. The move could force Shell and Japan’s Mitsui and Mitsubishi to abandon their investments as the economic fallout of the Ukraine war spreads. [BBC]

LNG tanker (Vladislav Klapin, Unsplash)

¶ “EU Electric Cars Policy Leads Automakers To Question Whether There Will Be Enough Batteries” •The EU has agreed to prohibit the sale of cars with internal combustion engines by 2035. That seems like good news for clean transportation – and for the Earth. But the policy relies 100% on there being enough batteries available. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Rio’s Residents Garden Their Way Out Of Hunger” • Ms Silva puts her green fingers to use in exchange for a monthly stipend of 500 reais ($95, £79) from the city, as well as heaps of fresh food that she can take home at no cost. She is working in an urban garden that will provide food for 50,000 people just as Brazil is facing a food crisis. [BBC]

Urban garden (Markus Spiske, Unsplash)

¶ “Renewable Power Market Booming In Alberta: Experts” • Alberta will see $3.75 billion in investment in renewables by 2023, said the director of Business Renewables Centre Canada. The BRCC is already producing more than enough clean electricity for all the homes in Calgary, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Red Deer combined. [St. Albert Gazette]

¶ “UK Developer Unveils 400-MW PV Plan In Yorkshire” • Boom Power is working with local landowners and National Grid on a 400-MW solar farm development in East Yorkshire. The East Yorkshire solar farm brings Boom Power’s renewable pipeline, projects either in development or producing electricity now, to more than 2 GW. [reNews]

Solar farm in Yorkshire (Ian S, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Single-Use Plastic Waste Is Getting Phased Out In California Under A Sweeping New Law” • To reduce the impacts of plastic pollution, California Gov Gavin Newsom signed into law the country’s most sweeping restrictions on single-use plastics and packaging, the same day the Supreme Court limited the EPA’s ability to tackle the climate crisis. [CNN]

¶ “Biden Caught Between Climate Goals And High Gas Prices As Administration Releases New Drilling Plan” • The Department of the Interior released a proposed plan for where the it intends to hold offshore oil and gas lease sales in federal waters for the next five years. The Biden administration is stuck between conflicting goals on emissions and gas prices. [CNN]

Oil rig (Isaac Newton, CC-BY-SA 2.5)

¶ “Amazon Distribution Center In Wisconsin Plans To Add 760 EV Chargers” • In 2021, Amazon opened a distribution center in the Grandview Business Park near an interstate from Chicago to Milwaukee, about 15 miles north of the Illinois border. Amazon has approval for a plan to install 399 EV chargers at the site within the next 90 days. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “How US Cities Are Preparing For More Life-Threatening Heatwaves” • Heat is the deadliest natural disaster. Researchers estimate that about 5,600 Americans die of heat-related causes each year. Officials in Portland, New York, Miami–Dade, and Phoenix discuss their heat challenges and how they plan to keep residents safe this summer. [CleanTechnica]

Phoenix (Ian Dziuk, Unsplash)

¶ “EPA Retains Tools To Cut Power Sector GHG Emissions Despite Supreme Court Curbing Its Authority: Attorneys” • The Environmental Protection Agency still has pathways for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the power sector following the Supreme Court’s ruling that took away one possible avenue, according to legal experts. [Utility Dive]

¶ “California May Rescue Its Last Nuclear Power Plant – And Give PG&E Millions To Do It” • The California Legislature took the first step toward extending the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, the state’s one remaining nuclear plant, past its scheduled closure. The energy trailer bill allocates a reserve fund of up to $75 million. [The Press Democrat]

Have an impeccably actualized day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Supreme Court Deals A Massive Blow To The Planet” • The Supreme Court’s limits on the EPA’s power to push for carbon neutrality is a massive blow. It sets the US back in its efforts to eliminate fossil fuel pollution. We already are decades behind on that task, and the world is likely to continue to become a more dangerous place because of this decision. [CNN]

Coal-burning power plant (Sam LaRussa, Unsplash)

¶ “Adventurer Chris Ramsey Talks EVs And His Pole-To-Pole Trip In Nissan Ariya – Part 3” • This continues the interview with Chris Ramsey, who will drive a Nissan Ariya E-4ORCE from the North Pole to the South Pole in March 2023. In this part, he talks about the adventures he has had and what he looks forward to in the upcoming pole-to-pole trip. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hey, Sneakerheads! Green Shipping Would Add Just Pennies To Prices!” • Running ships entirely on green hydrogen-based fuels would add less than €0.10 to the price of a pair of trainers and up to €8 for a refrigerator, a study on decarbonizing shows. The analysis debunks claims by the shipping industry that green fuels would be too costly. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

World:

¶ “Life inside the Dutch earthquake zone” • Gas extraction in the Dutch state of Groningen has caused over 1,000 earthquakes since Exxon Mobil and Shell began government-approved drilling there in 1963. In the village of Overschild, 80% of the buildings need to be completely demolished as they have been deemed too unsafe to occupy. [BBC]

¶ “Valladolid Orders 30 Electric Buses Disguised As Trams” • In Spain, residents of Valladolid will soon be able to enjoy a little more fresh air with that sunshine. The public transit operator, AUVASA (Autobuses Urbanos de Valladolid), has ordered thirty zero-emissions electric buses from Irizar e-mobility, a Spanish company. [CleanTechnica]

Irizar e-mobility bus (Courtesy of Irizar e-mobility)

¶ “EU Takes Historic Decision – Ending Sale Of Polluting Cars By 2035” • EU governments agreed to end sales of polluting cars and vans by 2035, making the switch to zero-emissions vehicles a foregone conclusion. They agreed that manufacturers should not receive credits towards their CO₂ targets for new cars powered by e-fuels, though that could change. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Jera And Corio To Bid In Taiwan Auction With Formosa 3” • The Japanese company Jera and global portfolio company Corio Generation are to jointly bid later this year for the third phase of offshore wind blocks in Taiwan with the Formosa 3 project of up to 2 GW. Formosa 3 will comprise three sites called Haiding 1, 2, and 3 off the coast of Changhua. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbines (Jera image)

¶ “Renewable Power Costs Rise, Just Not As Much As Fossil Fuels” • The costs of renewable plants are rising after years of declines, according to a BloombergNEF report. But costs for natural gas and coal-fired plants are rising even faster. New onshore wind and solar projects cost about 40% less than new coal or gas plants, and the gap is widening. [Engineering News]

¶ “Nuclear Energy Is Off The Table, Says Ramaphosa” • President Cyril Ramaphosa says as South Africa tries to diversify its energy capacity, the nuclear energy option is off the table. Earlier, the Mineral Resource and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said nuclear power is needed as part of the green transition and to combat the country’s energy crisis. [SABC News]

Cooling towers (Ajay Pal Singh Atwal, Unsplash)

¶ “Russian Occupiers Want To Turn Off Cooling Of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant During Search For Weapons” • According to the Ukrainian nuclear operator, Russian invaders are planning to drain the cooling pools at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant while they search for weapons belonging to workers. This would create a nuclear danger. [Yahoo]

US:

¶ “Supreme Court Limits Biden’s Power To Cut Emissions” • The Supreme Court ruled that the EPA does not have the authority to limit pollution across whole states. The court hasn’t completely prevented the EPA from making such regulations in the future, but it says that the Congress would have to say clearly that it authorizes the power. [BBC]

Polluting power plants (Ella Ivanescu, Unsplash)

¶ “Nextracker And BCI Steel Renovate Abandoned Pittsburgh Steel Factory To Serve Growing Solar Market” • Nextracker LLC, a leader in utility-scale solar trackers, and BCI Steel, a Pittsburgh-based steel fabricator, announced they are reopening the historic Bethlehem Steel factory in Leetsdale, Pennsylvania, to produce solar tracker equipment. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wind Developers Plan To Add 6 GW Of US Offshore Wind Capacity Through 2029” • Power plant developers and operators have reported plans to install more than 6 GW of offshore wind capacity at sites mostly along the eastern seaboard over the next seven years, according to the DOE’s latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory report. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore windpower (Capmat007, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “LyondellBasell Signs 116-MW Solar PPA With Buckeye Partners” • LyondellBasell has signed its first two power purchase agreements supporting the company’s climate goal to procure a minimum of 50% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030. The combined agreements represent 216 MW of renewable electricity. [Solar Industry]

¶ “Entergy Arkansas Issues RFP For 1000 MW Of Renewable Energy” • Entergy Arkansas officials announced it has issued a request for proposals for 1,000 MW of solar and wind generation resources, emissions-free renewables to provide cost-effective energy supply, capacity, fuel diversity, and other benefits to its customers. [Entergy Newsroom]

Have a comfortably cool day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Having Trouble With High Dealer Prices? Don’t Be Afraid To Reach Out To The Manufacturer!” • For traditional automakers, everything goes through dealers. And dealers can take big advantage of market conditions. One dealer wanted a $70,000 “market adjustment” for a Ford F-150 Lightning. A call to the manufacturer can help. [CleanTechnica]

Ford F-150 Lightning (Ford Motor Company image)

¶ “Renewable Energy, Not Gas, Is The Answer To South Africa’s Long-Term Energy Security” • Amidst soaring gas and oil prices and global shifts in energy markets, many decision makers in the private and public sectors in South Africa seem intent to invest in gas. But if we really want long-term energy security, we must look to renewable energy. [IOL]

¶ “Why Green Ammonia Will Be The Workhorse Of EU’s Future Hydrogen Economy” • Europe is at a crossroads now. It has a dual objective of reaching its ambitious 2030 climate targets, while quickly reducing its dependency on Russia’s fossil fuels. These seemingly competing objectives can be achieved by prioritizing green ammonia. [EURACTIV.com]

Fertilizing an Italian meadow (Etienne Girardet, Unsplash)

¶ “Commentary On Decarbonising The Grid Misses The Mark On Batteries And Nuclear” • Some rather outlandish claims were published about the costs of batteries and nuclear power in the past week. The claim on batteries makes them out to be absurdly expensive, and the claim on nuclear is based on the cost of a plant that has never been built. [The Guardian]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Are Having A (Big) Moment” • There is a lot of news about solid oxide fuel cells. Shell signed a deal with the firm Ceres to test their solid oxide technology to produce green hydrogen in India, and the iconic auto maker Ferrari has hooked up with the US company Bloom Energy to decarbonize its factory in Italy. [CleanTechnica]

Solid oxide fuel cells (Courtesy of Ceres)

World:

¶ “LG Moves Into The EV Charging Business” • Together with energy services company GS Energy and IT service provider GS Neotek, LG purchased AppleMango, an EV charging station company. With their combined expertise, they will be able to work as a “one stop shop” for people looking to install EV charging stations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hard, Round, Tiltable Sails Add Wind Power To Energy Efficient Shipping” • The firm Norsepower Oy Ltd has been trying to bring wind power back to maritime shipping with sails that look like oversized smokestacks. An agreement with the Nefco, the Nordic Green Bank, will enable Norsepower to ramp up production. [CleanTechnica]

Ship with Norsepower sails (Courtesy of Norsepower)

¶ “PM Invites Chinese Companies To Invest In Renewable Energy” • Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan is open to investment and the coalition government is taking steps to remove all impediments for further facilitation of investors. He said deepening China-Pakistan economic cooperation is critical to Pakistan s socio-economic uplift. [The Nation]

¶ “Third-Gen Formula E Car Shows Up At Goodwood Festival Of Speed” • Last week, the wraps came off the latest generation of Formula E racecar. Not only did people get a look at it sitting parked somewhere, they saw it in action, going around the track at the Goodwood House. The car is a big step up, according to FIA Formula E. [CleanTechnica]

FIA Formula E (FIA Formula E image)

¶ “Offshore Wind Enjoys 21 GW Of Growth In 2021” • Offshore wind enjoyed its best-ever year in 2021, with just over 21 GW of new capacity connected to the grid, according to the latest Global Offshore Wind Report from the Global Wind Energy Council. The report shows there was a three-fold increase in grid connection worldwide from 2020 to 2021. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Environmental Groups Sue Biden Administration Over Climate And Wildlife Impact Of Drilling Lease Sale” • The environmental groups argue that when the federal government chose to put the Wyoming parcels up for bid, it failed to address the impacts on groundwater and threatened wildlife such as the sage-grouse, pronghorn, and mule deer. [CNN]

Migrating pronghorn (Mark Gocke, USDA, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Every Rivian Vehicle’s First Charge Will Soon Come From The Wind” • Later this year, the vehicle test track at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois, facility is going to get something really cool: a wind turbine that’s hundreds of feet tall. The turbine is rated for 2.8 MW, and can generate up to 10 million kWh of electricity annually. And that is just for starters. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford Dealers Can Now Call In Top Experts In A Snap” • While auto makers and dealers do their best to make sure technicians know how to work on every vehicle that the brand sells, they really can’t make the knowledge and skills of the company’s top engineers and experts available to local dealers. Or so I thought. Ford proved otherwise. [CleanTechnica]

Ford PR image (Ford PR image)

¶ “Leeward Locks Debt, Tax Equity For California Solar-Plus-Storage Project” • Leeward Renewable Energy LLC has secured construction financing and tax equity commitments to back a 100-MW solar project in California with a 20-MW, 50-MWh battery. The funding is for the Rabbitbrush solar-plus-storage project in Kern County. [Renewables Now]

¶ “Simply Blue, TotalEnergies To Develop Oregon Floater” • Simply Blue Energy and TotalEnergies are teaming up to develop a floating wind project off the southern Oregon coast. The three areas are each roughly 135 square miles in size within two zones identified by the Interior Department near Coos and Curry Counties. [reNews]

Have an absurdly superb day.

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Opinion:

¶ “We Don’t Need Base Load Power” • Base load power often supplies the electricity in the middle of the night, but we can use power from other sources instead. The issue is not technical. It is just a matter of cost. Because of low battery costs, our electricity can be cheaper and better. We can use them, save money, and have a better system. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “No Miracle Tech Needed: How To Switch To Renewables Now And Lower Costs Doing It” • The world is seeing unprecedented fuel price increases, energy blackmail between countries, up to 7 million air pollution deaths per year and one climate-related disaster after another. But a Stanford report says the issues can be addressed at low cost using available resources. [The Hill]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Severe Space Weather: What The Sun Taketh Away, It Can Give Back” • A recent story at Wired shows us a very frightening reason we should look into making our own electricity at home: coronal mass ejections. Just one problem such a thing can cause is fried transformers. The grid would be down until they can be fixed, and that could a very long time. [CleanTechnica]

Coronal mass ejection (NASA, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

World:

¶ “Sri Lanka Petrol: Why Is The Country In An Economic Crisis?” • Sri Lanka doesn’t have enough foreign currency to pay for imports, including petrol and diesel. It found it had less than a week’s worth of fuel left for essential services like buses, trains and medical vehicles, so it is halting sales of fuel to ordinary people until 10 July. [BBC]

¶ “Green Hydrogen In Play For Airbus Hydrogen Hub Scheme” • Airbus has just signed an agreement with the global industrial gas firm Linde to help carry out a plan to develop hydrogen hubs at airports around the world. There are different ways to bring this about, including some that are entirely free of all polluting emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Airbus concept airplane (Airbus image)

¶ “SSE Calls For 7-GW Irish Offshore Target” • Ireland must increase its climate goal from its current 5-GW target of offshore wind by 2030 to a more ambitious 7 GW, according to SSE Renewables. The call was made by SSE Renewables’ director of offshore wind Maria Ryan at Energy Ireland 2022, Ireland’s Decade of Delivery conference. [reNews]

¶ “European Council Reaches Agreement On Its Renewable Energy Directive” • The European Council agreed to set a new binding EU-wide target of 40% of energy coming from renewable sources in the overall energy mix by 2030, up from the previous 32% target. Energy production and use account for 75% of the EU’s emissions, the EC said. [PV Tech]

Offshore wind farm (Nicholas Doherty, Unsplash)

¶ “Solar, Wind Exceed 10% Power Generation In 2021” • Wind and solar accounted for a 10.2% share of power generation in 2021, the first time these technologies have provided more than 10% of global power, whilst also surpassing nuclear energy, according to BP. Solar and wind capacity continued to grow rapidly in 2021, increasing by 226 GW. [reNews]

¶ “Australia Can Slash Industrial Emissions, Create Jobs” • The Setting Up Industrial Regions For Net Zero Report, produced in collaboration with some of Australia’s largest industries, outlines opportunities to cut industrial climate change emissions to a fraction of their current level and create hundreds of thousands of jobs. [Australian Renewable Energy Agency]

Yara Fertiliser’s Pilbara facility

US:

¶ “Fossil Fuel Industry Cut Jobs In 2021 Despite Growth In Production, DOE Reports” • Jobs in the renewable energy sector grew in 2021, but fossil fuel employment declined, even as fossil fuel production increased, a DOE report says. EV and hybrid sectors showed a “whopping” 25% job growth. Jobs for fossil fuel extraction declined by 12%. [CNN]

¶ “Tesla Building Standard Range And Long Range Model Y In Austin” • Drive Tesla Canada reports that Tesla may be operating two Model Y production lines at its gigafactory in Austin. One is for the dual-motor Long Range version that has also been the base version of the Model Y, and one is for a new dual-motor Standard Range 279 mile version. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y Long Range (Courtesy of Tesla)

¶ “NC Supreme Court: HOAs Cannot Prohibit Solar Installs” • A North Carolina homeowner installed solar on his roof. This angered the Home Owners’ Association management, which took action. The issue went to court, and in the end, the state supreme court ruled that HOAs cannot use rules to prohibit the installation of solar power. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “CS Energy, Castillo Engineering, And Amp Energy Partner To Deliver 25.4-MW Community Solar Portfolio In New York” • CS Energy, Castillo Engineering, and Amp Energy announced that they have partnered on a portfolio of 25.4 MW of community solar projects in upstate New York. The projects range from 3.9 MW to 6.2 MW. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array in New York (Courtesy of CS Energy)

¶ “Groundbreaking California Rule Transforms How Renewables Connect To The Grid” • A decision from the California Public Utilities Commission marks a significant milestone by greatly simplifying the interconnection process for distributed energy resources, like solar and batteries, and providing transparency for project developers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “McKee Signs Bill For RI To Reach All-Renewable Electricity By 2033” • Rhode Island Gov Dan McKee is to sign a bill that will require 100% of Rhode Island’s electricity be offset by renewable production by 2033, a spokesperson from McKee’s office said. The bill codifies a similar executive order signed by former Gov Gina Raimondo in January 2021. [Patch]

Have a serendipitously copacetic day.

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Interview: 

¶ “Adventurer Chris Ramsey Talks EVs And His Upcoming Pole-To-Pole Trip – Part 2” • Chris Ramsey will drive a Nissan Ariya E-4ORCE from the North Pole to the South Pole in March 2023. He sat with Johnna Crider for an interview and we chatted about his achievements, his gratitude for Nissan’s support, and more. This is part two of our interview. [CleanTechnica]

Chris Ramsey and Nissan (Courtesy of Chris Ramsey and Nissan)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Mercedes EQXX Sets New Record – 747 Miles On One Charge” • A Mercedes EQXX made a trip from Stuttgart to Silverstone, England. When the journey end, the EQXX had driven 747 miles without recharging, setting a record for an EV. According to the Robb Report, the trip took place under real world driving conditions. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hurricane Numbers Are Decreasing In Every Ocean Basin Except For One, Study Finds” • A study found that the annual number of hurricanes, typhoons, and other tropical storms declined by roughly 13% as the planet warmed during the 20th century, everywhere globally except in the North Atlantic. The storms, however, may be more intense. [CNN]

Hurricane Dorian in 2019 (NASA image)

World:

¶ “BYD Hits 2 Million Plugin Vehicle Sales!” • BYD’s plugin vehicle sales keep growing and growing. Now, BYD has passed 2 million cumulative sales of plugin vehicles. That’s a milestone that may be hard to comprehend, but two million vehicles is a lot of vehicles. XPeng and NIO just celebrated reaching 200,000 cumulative EV sales! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Fertilizer Shortage Hits African Farmers Battling Food Crisis” • Fertilizer, the key ingredient needed to help crops grow, is in short supply globally. Global prices have sky-rocketed in part because of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The crisis has left many African countries, which are very dependent on foreign imports, scrambling to find solutions. [BBC]

Woman watering crops (USAID Africa Bureau, public domain)

¶ “PubMatic Powers All Of Its Global Data Centers With 100% Renewable Energy” • PubMatic, an independent advertising supply chain company, says that all of its global data centers are now powered by 100% renewable energy. PubMatic has ten data centers globally, which account for over 90% of the company’s energy usage. [Environment + Energy Leader]

¶ “Sleek Electric Ferry Flies Over Water, Picks Off Diesel Ferries” • If all goes according to plan, commuters in Stockholm will be able to climb aboard the world’s fastest electric ship, the Candela P-12 Shuttle, when it goes into service from the suburb of Ekerö to the city center next year. Candela is already well known for its sporty-looking electric boats. [CleanTechnica]

Electric ferry (Courtesy of Candela)

¶ “CIP Fund Finances 1-GW Spanish Wind Portfolio” • Green Credit Fund 1, a Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners fund, has signed a financing agreement with Capital Energy to help fund 1 GW of onshore wind farms in Spain. The projects are distributed throughout Spain and are expected to be built and operational between 2023 and 2025. [reNews]

¶ “Portland Renewable Energy Firm To Install Power System At Other End Of The World” • Ocean Renewable Power Co, based in Portland, Maine, is a developer of renewable power systems that generate electricity from river and tidal currents. It plans to install a new power system more than 6,400 miles from Maine next year, in Chile. [Mainebiz]

Patagonia (ORPC image)

¶ “Ukraine Terminates Russia Nuclear Agreements” • SINRU posted a notice on its website that says, “Due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation, the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine terminates international agreements concerning cooperation between countries in the field of nuclear safety.” [World Nuclear News]

US:

¶ “General Motors Embraces Plug And Charge Technology” • General Motors has announced it will move to plug-and-charge technology for its electric cars. The service is already available for drivers of certain models who use EVgo chargers, if they are equipped with the fast charge option. It will be expanded in coming months. [CleanTechnica]

Cadillac Lyriq (GM image)

¶ “Average Price For Residential Electricity Less Than 15¢/kWh In 2021 In Most US States” • As consumers begin to transition from gasoline vehicles to EVs, the price of electricity is becoming a new area of focus. Most states (38 states plus the District of Columbia) had average residential electricity prices of less than 15 cents/kWh in 2021. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Two EVs, One EV Charging Port: No Problem, Says GM” • GM just announced a convenient EV charging app for its EVs, and that could be just the tip of the next-generation EV charging iceberg. A new patent filing that suggests GM is also looking at a new charging architecture that enables two EVs to share the same port, at the same time. [CleanTechnica]

Brooklyn neighborhood (Josh Wilburne, Unsplash)

¶ “Experts Weigh In On Brooklyn’s Journey To Embracing Renewable Energy At Brooklyn Energy Summit” • Brooklyn businesses and elected officials are pushing to make the borough a national leader in the transition to renewable energy, and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce is working to help them meet their goals. [Brooklyn Paper]

¶ “New Jersey School District Enters Net Zero Revolution” • In New Jersey, Montville Township Public Schools are joining the net-zero revolution by installing solar modules on six schools in Morris County. Set to save almost $1 million in energy costs over the next 15 years, the systems are forecast to generate 1.84 MW of solar energy annually. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Have a spectacularly gorgeous day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Climate Damage Caused By Growing Space Tourism Needs Urgent Mitigation” • Researchers from UCL, the University of Cambridge and MIT used a 3-D model to explore the impact of rocket launches and re-entry, and the impact of projected space tourism. The damage done by space launches was shown to be almost incredibly polluting. [CleanTechnica]

Launch in 2016 (SpaceX, Unsplash)

¶ “The Key To Climate Action May Be Debt Forgiveness” • It should be clear to everyone that solving the climate challenges of an overheating planet will take cooperation among all nations. It seems hard to imagine such a thing now, with lunatics running things in so many places. When enough tragedy strikes, people to act. But there may be another way. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Adventurer Chris Ramsey Talks EVs And His Upcoming Pole-To-Pole Trip – Part 1” • Chris Ramsey will drive a Nissan Ariya E-4ORCE from the North Pole to the South Pole in March 2023. He sat down with Johnna Crider for an interview and chatted about his achievements, his gratitude for Nissan’s support, and more. This is part one. [CleanTechnica]

Chris Ramsey in a Nissan (Courtesy of Chris Ramsey and Nissan)

World:

¶ “Camouflaged Figures Lurking In The Bush Expose Australia’s Angst Over Climate Activists” • New South Wales state police formed a Strike Force Guard, a special squad formed to “prevent, investigate and disrupt unauthorised protests.” Their actions look repressive. Newly elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to end the “climate wars.” [CNN]

¶ “Will Electric Motorbike Sales Take-Off Across Asia?” • Visit most Asian countries, and you’ll notice that motorcycles swarm and buzz about everywhere. In several countries, well over 80% of families have one. Nearly all of Asia’s motorbikes currently run on petrol, but transport experts say that a big switch to electric versions is now gathering pace. [BBC]

NIU Technologies electric scooter (NIU Technologies image)

¶ “Japan Urges 37 Million People To Switch Off Lights” • Japan’s government has urged people in Tokyo and its surrounding area to use less electricity on Monday, as it warned that supplies will be strained as the country faces a heatwave. It said people should switch off unnecessary lights but still use air conditioning to avoid heatstroke. [BBC]

¶ “In Europe, 11% Of New Car Sales Are Battery Electric, And 19% Are Plugins” • The overall European car market is still suffering, down 34% compared to May 2019, and the European passenger plugin vehicle market has also started to be affected. It grew just 3% last month, with approximately 183,000 plugin vehicles registered in May. [CleanTechnica]

Fiat 500e (Daniel Przygoda, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Light At The End Of The Tunnel As Italy’s EV Sales Recover In May” • Italy’s EV market is not yet out of the woods, but things are starting to look up again. As European countries continue their long run to electrification, the continent’s fourth-largest auto market struggles to regain the pace it lost a few months ago. But the rebound may be under way. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Voltalia Unveils 1.5-GW Brazilian PV Plans” • Voltalia has unveiled plans for an over 1,500-MW solar power complex called Arinos in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. The company said Arinos will be developed on its own account and also on behalf of third parties. It has already signed partnerships, including with CTG Brazil. [reNews]

Solar panels (Jeremy Bezanger, Unsplash)

¶ “Khan Moves Toward Running London Tube On 100% Renewable Electricity” • Mayor Sadiq Khan is beginning the London Underground’s transition to being carbon neutral as he opens London Climate Action Week. He is launching a Power Purchase Agreement, with the first tender spent on ensuring 10% of the required electricity is renewable. [City AM]

¶ “Philippines Allocates 1.57 GW Of Solar In 2-GW Renewables Auction” • The Green Energy Auction Bids Evaluation and Awards Committee of the Philippines’ Department of Energy published a list of 19 winners of a recent auction to allocate 2 GW of renewable energy capacity. It allocated 1,966.4 MW in the procurement exercise. [PV Magazine]

Philippine solar plant (Solar Philippines image)

¶ “France Likely To Restart Coal-Fired Power Plant To Deal With Energy Crisis” • France is likely to restart coal-fired power plants to cope with the energy crisis fueled by the Russia-Ukraine war, Anadolu reported. The Energy Transition Ministry proposed to restart the Emile Huchet power plant in Saint-Avold. Many of the French nuclear plants are offline. [The Sun daily]

US:

¶ “Arizona DOT Wants You To Suggest Sites for EV Charging Stations” • The Arizona Department of Transportation has an interactive map that gives EV enthusiasts a chance to express their views on where EV chargers should be installed. As pioneers of a new technology, and many of EV drivers know a lot more about such things than state officials do. [CleanTechnica]

Monument Valley (Florian Schneider, Unsplash)

¶ “Full-Bodied With Notes of Band-Aid and Medicine” • Vintners are no strangers to the vicissitudes wrought by climate change. Warmer temperatures have been a boon to some in traditionally cooler regions who are rejoicing over riper berries. But scorching heat waves, wildfires, and other climate-driven calamities have more often ruined harvests. [The Atlantic]

¶ “Milwaukee To Join Cities Nationwide In Measuring The ‘Urban Heat Island’ Effect From Climate Change” • Milwaukee is measuring its extreme heat affects, hoping to avoid heat-related fatalities like those that happened in the area in 1995. Volunteer citizen scientists with weather sensors attached to vehicles are measuring temperatures. [The Milwaukee Independent]

Have a perfectly relaxing day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “What Firefighters Can Teach Us About Preparing The Grid For Extreme Weather” • Preparing for emergencies and preventing disasters requires planning, equipment, and communications. This is as true for operating the electric power system in extreme weather as it is for fighting fires. For emergencies, firefighters and utilities both share resources. [CleanTechnica]

Firefighters training (Matt C, Unsplash)

¶ “EV Charging Network: Eight Ways US States And Cities Can Make It Work” • The Biden administration aims for 50% of new light-duty vehicle sales to be zero-emission by 2030. California, Massachusetts, and New York, plan to reach 100% new EV sales by 2035. EVs are on the rise in the US, and here are ways to get the nation’s EV charging network to grow. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Century Old Material Key To Next-Gen Computer Chips” • The silicon-based computer chips that power modern devices require a lot of energy. Despite ever-improving computing efficiency, information technology is projected to consume around 25% of all primary energy produced by 2030. A well known material may change that. [CleanTechnica]

Arduino Uno (Vishnu Mohanan, Unsplash)

¶ “Examining The Pros And Cons Of Hydrogen Energy” • As a fuel that can generate zero emissions that is also an important industrial feedstock, hydrogen has been attracting people’s attention. Here, we take a look at the pros and cons of hydrogen energy, and whether it has a role to play in the global green energy transition. [Earth.Org]

World:

¶ “Energy Prices Are Causing Chaos In Asia. Here’s Why The Rest Of The World Should Worry” • Effects of high energy prices in Sri Lanka are so bad that the Prime Minister said the country’s economy has “completely collapsed.” In other countries trouble may be less obvious, but even in Australia, wholesale electricity bills are up 141% for the first quarter. [CNN]

Picking tea leaves in Sri Lanka (J A Neshan Paul, Unsplash)

¶ “European Gas “Crisis” Has Global Ripple Effects” • Russia’s Gazprom throttled deliveries of natural gas to Germany by 60% on Thursday. German economic minister Robert Habeck told reporters the cutbacks were a direct political attack in retaliation for Germany’s sanctions against Russia and military support for Ukraine. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Energy Shock Tests G7 Leaders’ Climate Resolve” • Leaders of the Group of Seven nations are under pressure to stick to climate pledges. Germany is in an awkward position as G7 summit host, having recently announced that it will burn more coal to offset a drop in Russian gas supplies amid deteriorating ties over the war in Ukraine. [France 24]

Hybrid solar-wind plant in Germany (Toksave, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “GE Leading Hybrid Wind And Solar Project In Turkey” • Renewable energy in Turkey will get a boost from a hybrid wind and solar power installation led by GE Renewable Energy. The project will integrate a 30-MW solar array with a 32-MW wind farm that was commissioned in 2020 by Sertavul, a Turkish energy company. [POWER Magazine]

¶ “Renewable Energy Development Boosts China’s Pursuit For Carbon Goals” • China has been laying a solid foundation for the country’s pursuit of its carbon neutrality goals, according to a report. China’s installed capacity of renewable energy reached 1,000 GW in 2021. That is 44.8% of the country’s total installed power capacity. [China.org]

Tibetan hamlet with hybrid power (Popolon, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Chinese Companies Play Vital Role In Pakistan’s PV Sector” • As the Government of Pakistan strives to make transformational changes in the power system by exploring affordable alternative energy sources, Chinese companies are playing a leading role as installers and service providers for on-grid, off-grid, and hybrid energy in the country. [China Economic Net]

¶ “More Efforts Needed To Tap Renewable Energy Potential” • In his message to a recent webinar themed “Asia: Renewable Energy Continent”, Vietnam’s environment and climate change minister suggested seven focus points to fully unleash the potential of renewable energy, as well as accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. [Vietnam Plus]

Rooftop solar PVs in Vietnam (USAID Vietnam, public domain)

¶ “France Sees Nuclear Energy Output Plummet At The Worst Possible Moment” • A recent flurry of unexpected issues at EDF caused French nuclear output to tumble to its lowest levels in 30 years. Around half of the EDF’s massive nuclear fleet is offline, delivering a massive blow to the EU’s energy security in the midst of a worldwide energy crisis. [Oil Price]

US:

¶ “Ford Ends Leasing Buyout Provision For Electric Vehicles” • It used to be that leasing a car was a way for some people to drive more car than they could otherwise afford. One advantage was that the person leasing the car could purchase it at the end of the lease period for a predetermined price. But such a deal may not be available at Ford anymore. [CleanTechnica]

Ford F-150 Lighting (Ford image)

¶ “Tesla’s Stock Upgraded On ‘Strong Competitive Advantage'” • Despite the current economic turndown, and a “tough quarter” for Tesla according to Elon Musk, one analyst upgraded the company’s stock. The analyst posits that Tesla is set up well for both the short-term and long-term markets, largely due to its early focus on vertical integration. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Warming Trends: Putting Citizen Scientists To Work, Assuring Climate-Depressed Kids That The Future Is Bright, And Building Solar-Hydrogen Generators” • There are reasons why people are afraid of what the future holds. But there are also reasons to have hope. Citizen Scientists can help, and there are other ways to see a bright future. [Inside Climate News]

Have an agreeably wonderful day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “World Leaders Are Facing Crises On All Fronts. Putin Will Be Watching If They Fail” • As the G7 approaches, Russian President Vladmir Putin’s officials are hinting at nuclear Armageddon, China is increasingly assertive, a global food crunch is on the way, oil prices are spiking, and both global economic slowdown and a cost-of-living crisis are looming. [CNN]

Ukrainian wheat field (Polina Rytova, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Boston Metal And ArcelorMittal Take Different Routes To Green Steel” • Making steel is an incredibly dirty business. Every ton produced creates about two tons of CO₂. The industry makes about 2 billion tons of steel every year, so that is a lot of CO₂, roughly 7% of all global emissions. There are different ways to address the issue. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wildlife Officials Want To Make It Easier To Relocate Climate-Imperiled Species” • The Endangered Species Act typically allows species to be introduced outside of their current range, but only within its historical range. But for some species, all of that range is becoming uninhabitable. New policy is needed, according to wildlife officials. [National Audubon Society]

Hawaiian Duck (Eric Tessmer, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

World:

¶ “New Zealand Sea Sponge Populations ‘Dying By The Millions’ Due To Climate Change” • Shocking images have emerged from New Zealand showing millions of once-velvety brown sea sponges bleached bone white, the worst mass bleaching event of its type ever recorded, marine scientists say. The bleaching event is due to warm waters from climate change. [CNN]

¶ “Singapore Takes Giant Step Forward” • In a forward thinking move, the Singapore government is proposing that all new buildings with carparks will have to install EV charging points in at least 1% of their total car and motorcycle parking lots and have sufficient electrical load to support EV charging for 15% of the total parking spaces. [CleanTechnica]

Singapore (Mike Enerio, Unsplash)

¶ “ORPC To Install Its First River Hydrokinetic Power System In South America” • A developer of systems that generate electricity from free-flowing river and tidal currents, Ocean Renewable Power Company, along with ORPC Chile, announced that it had agreed with the Municipality of Chile Chico to install a RivGen® Power System in 2023. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “All Purpose Transport – Electric Last-Mile Delivery For IKEA, Goodyear, BP, Others” • All Purpose Transport is a last-mile delivery provider to blue-chip customers. APT’s business model engages nearly 300 Australian owner-drivers who select and purchase their vehicles to do delivery services on behalf of APT. Now, APT is considering EVs. [CleanTechnica]

SEA Electric delivery EV (Photo courtesy of APT)

¶ “IAEA Voices Concern For Staff At Ukrainian Nuclear Plant, Demands Access” • The UN nuclear watchdog is increasingly concerned about the welfare of Ukrainian staff at the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine, Europe’s largest. International Atomic Energy Agency, said it must go there as soon as possible. [WION]

¶ “Norway Roadmap Targets Green Industrial Growth” • The Norwegian government includes offshore wind, hydrogen, and battery storage in seven focus areas in a roadmap for green industrial growth. The government aims to facilitate faster development of projects within the areas, including through stronger capital instruments. [reNews]

Norway (Tobias Tullius, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Colorado Regulators Approve Plan That Phases Out Coal By 2031” • With a unanimous decision, the Colorado Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel’s plan to accelerate the end of coal in the state by 2031. The updated settlement was supported by NRDC, Sierra Club, and other parties and approved by the PUC with some modifications. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Invites New Round Of Californians To Enroll In Virtual Power Plant” • Tesla recently launched of its new virtual power plant in partnership with Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). The virtual power plant will allow Powerwall owners to opt into the program to help stabilize the electric grid and end blackouts in California. [CleanTechnica]

House lit up in a blackout (Tesla image)

¶ “Michigan Ratepayers Celebrate Historic Win For Greener, Healthier Energy” • A diverse coalition of advocates across Michigan are touting approval of Consumers Energy’s 15-year power plan after the work of thousands of residents called for the utility to move quickly from coal and gas to healthier, more affordable wind and solar. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Einride Receives NHTSA Approval To Test Autonomous Trucks” • Einride, a Swedish company, has been using EVs to move shipping containers around freight terminals. Einride says it has received approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to test its Autonomous Electric Transport vehicle on US roads. [CleanTechnica]

Enride transport EV (Enride image)

¶ “Lawmakers Push Against Renewable Energy In Hearings On The Texas Grid” • Texas lawmakers held hearings this week on changes to the power grid in response to last year’s big blackout. The meetings touched on everything from infrastructure to the higher cost of energy. But renewable energy advocates may have reason to worry. [Texas Public Radio]

¶ “Bank Of America Signs 160-MW PPA In Indiana” • Bank of America signed a 15-year agreement with Constellation Energy to buy electricity and renewable energy certificates from the Mammoth Central PV project in Indiana. The agreement will help BOA get about 160-MW, 17% of its global electricity supply, from clean energy [reNews]

Have an extraordinarily satisfactory day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Cheap Gas Fired Power Begins To Unravel” • In 2019, a year in which gas prices were at a record low, we saw evidence that gas plants were not being operated in the best interest of ratepayers. Now gas prices are at a high, and projections indicate that gas prices will not decrease anytime soon. Policy makers need to do more to protect ratepayers. [CleanTechnica]

Two US areas exemplifying uneconomic operations (UCS image)

¶ “Transform Energy Grid Now With Renewable Microgrids” • A solution to stabilize energy prices is within our grasp. Acting now can also make the energy we need become more reliable and efficient. That solution is renewable microgrids: localized grids based on renewable energy resources and storage that can keep operating when the larger grid fails. [The Hill]

World:

¶ “Germany Declares Gas Crisis As Russia Cuts Supplies To Europe” • Germany activated the second phase of its three-stage gas emergency program, after Russia reduced the amount of natural gas it supplies. This takes Germany one step closer to rationing gas to industry, which would be a huge blow to the manufacturing heart of its economy. [CNN]

Laying natural gas pipe (Philfaebuckie, CC0 1.0 public domain)

¶ “EU Policy To Strengthen Rules For Companies’ Sustainability Disclosures With Mandatory ESG Standards” • The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive clarifies obligations relating to transparency by large companies operating in the EU. It requires adoption of Environmental, Social, and Governance reporting standards. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Small Seaport Crucial For Europe’s Energy Future” • The Lech Kaczyński terminal is important to replacing lost Russian gas, since Gazprom halted supplies to Poland. It is Poland’s biggest liquefied natural gas terminal, and it is being built up to increase the supply coming in from Qatar, the US, Norway, and elsewhere around the world. [BBC]

Świnoujście LNG terminal (Radosław Drożdżewski, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Canada Will Ban Harmful Plastics By End Of Year” • Canada is working to eliminate a lot of the plastic litter it produces every year. It enacted a world-leading ban on harmful single-use plastics. The ban will result in the estimated elimination of over 1.3 million tons of hard-to-recycle plastic waste and more than 22,000 tons of plastic pollution. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China Electric Car Market – 31% Market Share In May!” • Plugin vehicles continue to be all the rage in the Chinese auto market. With the end of the Covid lockdowns, plugins went back to the fast lane, growing 109% year over year, for over 403,000 registrations in May. Plugin hybrids surged 187% year over year to a record 105,000 units. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Song Plus (JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “RWE, EnBW JV Unveils 100-MW Green Hydrogen Scheme” • A joint venture including RWE and EnBW unveiled plans for a 100-MW green hydrogen plant on Germany’s north-east coast. The electrolysis plant will be at the heart of the HyTech Hafen Rostock project. The electricity for the plant is to come from renewable energies. [reNews]

¶ “Mitsubishi Power To Co-Develop Battery Storage Projects In Ireland” • The Japanese company Mitsubishi Power is to develop four battery projects in Ireland in partnership with renewable energy developer ION Renewables. The four battery projects will use Mitsubishi’s Emerald storage systems of 185.5 MW and 371 MWh of capacity. [Power Technology]

Storage facility (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries image)

¶ “Singapore Imports Renewable Energy” • Singapore received its first renewable energy import through an agreement between Keppel Electric and Laos state-owned enterprise Electricite Du Laos. The deal covers imports of up to 100 MW of hydropower from Laos to Singapore via Thailand and Malaysia, using existing interconnections. [Upstream Online]

US:

¶ “Two SMART Projects From Agilitas Energy Bringing Renewable Energy To Massachusetts” • Agilitas Energy, a developer and operator of distributed energy storage and PV systems, announced two Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target projects in its pipeline. They will help accelerate the Bay State’s transition to renewable energy. [CleanTechnica]

Massachusetts solar array (Agilitas Energy image)

¶ “US DOE Joins New Federal–State Partnership To Grow Domestic Offshore Wind Supply Chain” • The DOE announced that it will lead in the development of a comprehensive offshore wind supply chain roadmap as part of its participation in the new White House-led Federal-State Offshore Wind Implementation Partnership. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “American Clean Power Urges US Senate To Reconsider Coastguard Bill” • ACP has sent a letter to Senate leadership, with support from 24 senior leaders in the US offshore wind sector, raising concerns with the wording of a House-passed Coastguard Bill. If enacted, the Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022 could stall offshore wind development. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbines (Nicholas Doherty, Unsplash)

¶ “James Hansen Leads Petition To EPA To Regulate Greenhouse Gases” • Nobody listened to Dr. Hansen 34 years ago when he told congress about climate change. That’s one of the reasons we are on the verge of a global climate catastrophe today. Now he and colleagues propose to regulate greenhouse gases under the Toxic Substances Control Act. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Mississippi Cuts $300 Million Settlement Deal With Entergy Over Grand Gulf Nuclear Profits” • Entergy Mississippi reached a $300 million settlement with the Mississippi Public Service Commission. The PSC had initiated litigation in 2017 relating to Entergy’s return on investments from the Grand Gulf Nuclear Power Station. [Magnolia State Live]

Have a sensibly opulent day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Solar Power Plants Are More Missile Resistant” • Probably all of us have seen them the images of death and destruction in Ukraine. Every one has been heart rending. But, there’s one interesting piece of good news that came out of the country recently. It is the proof that it’s pretty difficult to take out a solar power plant. [CleanTechnica]

Bombed PVs (Ukrainian war crime investigators, Solar Generation)

World:

¶ “New Tesla Factories Losing Billions Of Dollars, Musk Says” • Elon Musk says Tesla’s new factories in Germany and the US are “losing billions of dollars” due to battery shortages and supply disruptions in China. The multi-billionaire also called the plants in Berlin and Austin, Texas “gigantic money furnaces.” He has warned of job cuts. [BBC]

¶ “Millions Affected As Deadly Floods Hit India And Bangladesh” • The South Asian nations of India and Bangladesh, home to more than 1.3 billion people, have been particularly badly hit by the rains, prompting some of the worst flooding in the region in years. Extreme weather events are increasingly frequent due to climate change. [CNN]

Children in Bangladesh (Nayeem Is J Preenon, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Europe Told To Prepare For Russia Turning Off Gas” • The head of the International Energy Agency has warned that Russia may stop supplying gas to Europe this winter. Fatih Birol says he believes a complete shutdown is not the most likely scenario, but Europe needs to develop contingency plans. Russia is already supplying less gas than expected. [BBC]

¶ “Volkswagen Previews Aero Sedan, Studies Grid Integration For Electric Cars” • Volkswagen released official sketches of the Aero sedan. The actual car will be revealed on Monday in China. The Aero is expected to go on sale there in the second half of 2023. The production model for the North American and EU market will be presented in 2023. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen EV (Volkswagen image)

¶ “Historic Extension Of EU’s Carbon Market Gets Green Light From Parliament” • The EU Parliament has voted in favor of extending its carbon market to shipping and road transport, two weeks after it also voted on expanding coverage to all departing flights from the EU. After a ten-year fight, big shipping polluters will finally be made to pay. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Energy Estate Targets $500 Million To Accelerate Renewables Growth” • The Australian renewables developer Energy Estate is seeking to raise over $500 million to support development work and bankroll the construction of renewable power plants in both Australia and New Zealand. Energy Estate plans to co-develop over 30 GW of projects. [pv magazine Australia]

Solar array (Soltec image)

¶ “WB Has Messed Up Country’s Energy Sector By Backing Gas: Experts” • Speakers at a seminar criticized the World Bank for messing up Pakistan’s energy sector by supporting fossil gas and financing LNG infrastructure in recent years. They called the shift to fossil gas a costly mistake that created high reliance on imported LNG at exorbitant spot prices. [Dawn]

¶ “Edmonton Signs 20-Year Wind And Solar Contracts As Part Of Net-Zero Goal” • The City of Edmonton signed two contracts for renewable energy that will start providing power in 2024 and prevent emissions of over 95,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year. Of the power created through these contracts, 80% will be generated by wind turbines and 20% will be solar. [Global News]

Edmonton, Alberta (Justin Hu, Unsplash)

¶ “Brookfield Raises $15 Billion For Climate-Focused Fund” • Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management said it raised $15 billion for its first impact fund focused on the transition to a net-zero carbon economy. The Brookfield Global Transition Fund will target investments tied to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. [SaltWire]

¶ “Could Germany Keep Its Nuclear Plants Running?” • As Germany seeks to fuel its economy and ward off a recession considered likely if faltering Russian gas supplies stop entirely, some are calling for nuclear plants to stay open. Utilities say constraints in sourcing fuel rods and expert staffing make that impossible. [The Indian Express]

German nuclear plant (Felix König, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Brightdrop Delivers 150 Electric Vans To FedEx” • FedEx and Brightdrop announced that the first 150 Zevo 600 electric vans have been delivered to facilities around southern California. This would make for one of the biggest deployments of electric vans to date. It’s also the fastest GM has brought a vehicle from design to market in its history. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Video Explains California High Speed Rail Problems” • Even with California’s great economy and more left-leaning politics, they struggle mightily to build a high speed rail between two cities. The reason might be hard to imagine, but a recent video goes into some detail as to why it’s like pulling teeth to get rail installed and running there. [CleanTechnica]

High speed train in California (CHSRA image)

¶ “Volkswagen Opens US Battery Research Lab” • Volkswagen will build EVs in the US, but it also wants to take full advantage of battery expertise and talent pools that are here to develop future products. One way the company is doing this is with a Battery Engineering Lab in Chattanooga, Tennessee, near its current production facility there. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “NASA Selects Three Fission Reactor Concepts For Lunar Demonstration” • NASA and the US DOE have selected three design proposals for a nuclear fission surface power system that will be ready to launch by the end of the decade. The technology can help power vehicles and equipment for the Artemis program on the Moon. [News9 Live]

Have a simply splendid day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “New Solar Tech Achieves Commercially Viable Lifetime” • Princeton Engineering researchers have developed the first perovskite solar cell with a commercially viable lifetime, a major milestone for an emerging class of renewable energy technology. The team believes their device can perform above industry standards for around 30 years. [CleanTechnica]

Stable perovskite cell (Bumper DeJesus via Princeton University)

World:

¶ “Hundreds Of Thousands Evacuated As Floods Ravage Southern China” • Hundreds of thousands of people in China have been evacuated in several southern and eastern provinces after unrelenting rains caused floods and triggered landslides. Two provinces upgraded flood warnings as rivers overflowed and floodwater levels broke a 50-year high. [BBC]

¶ “Mining Firm Glencore Pleads Guilty To UK Bribery Charges” • A British subsidiary of the mining firm Glencore pleaded guilty in a UK court to corruption offences for the second time in two months. It was accused of paying millions of dollars in bribes for access to crude oil in several African countries. The company has also pleaded guilty in the US and Brazil. [BBC]

Oil well (Pixabay, Pexels)

¶ “Three Global Banks Tackle Aluminum Decarbonization Jointly” • Three top lenders to the aluminum sector – Citi, ING, and Societe Generale – announced that they will partner with RMI’s Center for Climate-Aligned Finance to help decarbonize the aluminum sector by forming the Aluminum Climate-Aligned Finance Working Group. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “It’s Boom Times For Wind Power And Green Hydrogen In Ireland” • Clean power is blooming in Ireland thanks to such new technology as green hydrogen and floating wind turbines. That’s good news for the economy and great news for the rest of the EU, which is scrambling to untangle itself from Russian fossil energy imports. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind turbine (Courtesy of Simply Blue Group)

¶ “Norway Rethinks Its Incentive Package For Electric Cars” • Norwegian EV drivers pay lower tolls and fees and have other advantages. The Norwegian public road administration is urging that some of the advantages given to EV drivers be removed. It wants to reduce the number of cars on Norway’s roads and promote public transportation. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Emissions Reduction Plan Adopted In New Zealand” • The government of New Zealand has adopted its first Emissions Reduction Plan. The plan is required under the Climate Change Response Act to help achieve net zero CO₂ by 2050. Its transport goal is a 41% reduction of CO₂ from 2019 levels by 2035 using a set of four targets. [CleanTechnica]

Auckland, New Zealand (Dan Freeman, Unsplash)

¶ “Energy Minister Says Australia Must Ditch Coal And Switch To Renewable Energy Immediately To Avoid Future Threats Of Blackouts” • Generators refused to provide power because they would lose money, so the Australian Energy Market Operator suspended the spot market along the East Coast. That must not happen again, Chris Bowen said. [Daily Mail]

¶ “Acwa Power Consortium Closes $1.5 Billion Egypt Wind Project” • A consortium led by Acwa Power, a leading Saudi developer, investor, and operator of power generation, water desalinization, and green hydrogen plants worldwide, signed an agreement to develop a 1.1-GW wind project in Egypt, at an investment value of $1.5 billion. [ZAWYA]

Egypt (Flying Carpet, Unsplash)

¶ “Extreme Weather Drives Need For Better Interconnection” • Insufficient interconnection hampers the ability of neighboring solar and wind rich regions to compensate for anomalous conditions in markets such as Spain had last winter, Solargis said. Grids spanning countries will help regional utilities deal with extreme weather events. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Giant Hangar Poised For An Aviation Revolution” • Airships could help speed up the delivery of aid in disaster zones, carry air cargo much more cheaply than air freighters, and cut aviation emissions. Airships could offer an alternative for some types of aviation. A new generation of airships is taking shape in a former airship factory in Akron, Ohio. [BBC]

Airship in hanger (LTA Research image)

¶ “Cadillac Celestiq Teaser Images Released, Production Site Chosen” • General Motors announced that it has chosen a site for making the Cadillac Celestiq, the company’s planned flagship luxury sedan meant to compete with such vehicles as the Tesla Model S. GM is investing $81 million into its Global Technology Center in Warren, Michigan. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Three Georgia Power Plants Land On List Of Nation’s Dirtiest” • Georgia is home to three of the nation’s hundred dirtiest power plants, a report from the Atlanta-based Environment Georgia Research & Policy Center says. It ranks power plants across the US by their contribution to climate change based on the EPA latest eGRID data. [Reporter Newspapers]

Georgia Power’s Plant Scherer (Georgia Power image)

¶ “US Solar Consortium To Buy Up To 7 GW Of Panels Annually From 2024” • Several US solar companies said they plan to spend over $6 billion to buy 6 GW to 7 GW of solar modules annually starting in 2024 to support domestic supply chains. The move comes as the US government seeks to strengthen the country’s energy security. [S&P Global]

¶ “Co-Owners Sue Georgia Power In $695 Million Vogtle Contract Dispute” • The owners of a majority share of a nuclear power plant being expanded in Georgia are suing lead owner Georgia Power Co. They claim Georgia Power is trying to bilk them out of nearly $700 million by unilaterally changing a contract. [USNews.com]

Have a verifiably grand day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “How To Store More Carbon In Soil During Climate Change” • Researchers from Cornell University, Ohio State University, Technical University of Munich, and the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station are using synchrotron light to investigate how moisture affects soil carbon, which is important for healthy crops and fertile fields. [Phys.org]

Cropland (Jake Gard, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Indian Floods Destroy Millions Of Homes And Dreams” • In Assam, unprecedented rainfall and flooding have left behind a trail of destruction, submerging villages, destroying crops, and wrecking homes. Authorities say that 32 of the state’s 35 districts have been affected, killing at least 45 people and displacing more than 4.7 million over the last week. [BBC]

¶ “Counting Down The Days Until Its Water Taps Run Dry” • The Eastern Cape region of South Africa suffered a severe multi-year drought between 2015 and 2020, which devastated the local economy, particularly its agricultural sector. It had just a brief reprieve before slipping back into drought in late 2021. One city expects to run out of water in two weeks. [CNN]

Gqeberha City Hall (Leo za1, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Heaviest Rain In 60 Years Hits Southern China” • Almost half a million people have been affected by floods and landslides in the Chinese province of Guangdong, according to authorities, after parts of southern China were hit by the heaviest downpours in 60 years over the weekend. Flooding caused by the torrential rain has destroyed 1,729 houses. [CNN]

¶ “Floating City In The Maldives Begins To Take Shape” • A city is rising from the waters of the Indian Ocean. In a turquoise lagoon, just 10 minutes by boat from Male, the Maldivian capital, a floating city, big enough to house 20,000 people, is being constructed. Because it floats, it is not vulnerable to sea level rise from climate change. [CNN]

Floating city (Waterstudio.NL and Dutch Docklands)

¶ “Report: Shanghai Will Subsidize EV Purchases With 10,000 Yuan Per Unit For Rest Of 2022” • Shanghai will subsidize battery electric vehicle purchases within its borders with 10,000 yuan (about $1,500) per unit for the rest of 2022, Zero Hedge reports, citing Bloomberg as a source. The subsidy started in June and ends at the end of the year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Contact’s Hamilton Power Plant Closing Next Year To Reduce Carbon Emissions” • New Zealand’s Contact Energy is closing its Hamilton power plant next year to reduce carbon emissions. The 44-MW gas-fired power station has been operating since 1999 and provides steam and electricity to a dairy factory, with surplus electricity directed back to the grid. [Stuff.co.nz]

Hamilton power plant (Supplied image)

¶ “Gas Export Tax Would Help To Fix Australia’s Energy Crisis, Says Dr Ken Henry” • The dire state of Australia’s domestic electricity market, and our lack of investment in renewables, has been a mess of our own making, former Treasury secretary Ken Henry has said. But a gas export windfall tax could help to fix things, he added. [ABC]

¶ “Why China Just Can’t Seem To Quit Coal” • China has the world’s largest renewable energy supply, but it is not shutting down its coal-burning plants. Dr Joanna Lewis, an associate professor of energy and environment at Georgetown University, sees the problem in China as a fear of economic instability if coal plants are closed. [Popular Science]

Coal mine in China (Artyom Korshunov, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Boeing Unveils New 777 ‘ecoDemonstrator’ Test Jet” • US aircraft maker Boeing showed its new 2022 ecoDemonstrator plane. It is a converted, 20-year-old 777-200ER that will be tasked with testing new technologies aimed at making air travel more sustainable and safer. The ecoDemonstrator will reportedly go through a six-month series of tests. [CNN]

¶ “Cold Climate Heat Pumps Light Up Climate Fight” • To the extent that the local power grid relies on renewable energy, heat pumps take fossil energy out of the heating and cooling equation for centralized power plants. That explains why heat pumps are front and center in Biden administration efforts to decarbonize building energy systems. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Ford Sets EV Sales Record, Again” • Ford sold 6,254 EVs last month. This puts its total sales at 222% above last May’s numbers, an amazing increase. Perhaps more importantly, Ford’s EV sales growth is now four times that of the whole EV market, which means the company is grabbing ground and market share from other manufacturers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “PUC To Cut New Net Metering Compensation As ‘Costliest’ Renewable Program” • The Vermont Public Utility Commission issued its required update of the state’s net-metering program. Future systems that apply for permits on and after September 1, 2022, will see a small net decrease in compensation compared to existing systems. [Vermont Business Magazine]

Rutland solar home (GMP photo)

¶ “Seattle Offers Utility Pole EV Chargers To City Residents” • Seattle City Light, the utility company that services the city of Seattle and surrounding communities, announced a program to install EV chargers on utility poles, but with a twist. It allows city residents to request the installation of utility pole-mounted EV chargers near where they live. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Nuclear Industry Hopes To Double Electricity Output With New Reactors” • The US nuclear industry generats less electricity as reactors retire, but plant operators are hoping to nearly double their output over the next three decades, the industry’s trade association says. The massive scaling-up they envision hangs on small modular reactors. [Business Standard]

Have an especially enchanting day.

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World:

¶ “Germany To Fire Up Coal Stations As Russia Squeezes Gas Supply” • Germany must reduce natural gas consumption and increase the burning of coal in order to help fill gas storage facilities for next winter, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck announced as the country moves away from reduced Russian gas supplies. [CNN]

German coal-burning plant in snow (Arnoldius, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Russia Becomes China’s Biggest Oil Supplier” • Russia has become China’s biggest oil supplier, selling it discounted crude amid sanctions over the Ukraine war. Imports of Russian oil rose by 55% from a year earlier to a record level in May, displacing Saudi Arabia as China’s biggest provider. China has ramped up Russian oil purchases despite lower demand. [BBC]

¶ “Coalition Calls For EU Hydrogen Quota For Shipping” • Last year the European Commission proposed a shipping fuel law aimed at increasing the uptake of alternative marine fuels. Now, a broad coalition of energy providers, shipping companies, and NGOs is calling for improvements to the proposal by including a quota for e-fuels. [CleanTechnica]

Maersk shipping (Maersk image)

¶ “Big Oil Bets That Green Hydrogen Is The Future Of Energy” • Major oil companies are finally planning the large investments that could make green hydrogen a serious business. They have a very particular vision of a low-carbon future – multibillion dollar developments that convert vast amounts of renewable electricity into clean fuels. [The Economic Times]

¶ “Jinkosolar Powers First Overseas Factory By 100% Renewables” • Solar module manufacturer JinkoSolar has powered its first overseas factory solely from renewable resources. The RE100 factory in Malaysia produces approximately 7 GW of vertically integrated solar module capacity and is powered through power purchase agreements. [PV Tech]

Robot assembly at a JinkoSolar facility (JinkoSolar image)

¶ “SA’s Costly Big Gas Projects Could Cause A 40% Electricity Price Hike, Say Top Researchers” • Gas should only play a small role in South Africa’s energy mix for the foreseeable future – providing some energy during peak demand, a study shows. And it will only be the fuel of choice in certain circumstances, as diesel could be cheaper. [News24]

¶ “TotalEnergies, Gecol To Build 500 MW Of Solar In Libya” • General Electricity Company of Libya, a state-owned utility, plans to build a 500-MW solar park 280 km southeast of Tripoli, in partnership with French energy giant TotalEnergies. The International Renewable Energy Agency says Libya now has only 6 MW of installed PV capacity. [PV Magazine]

Libyan Desert (M.T ElGassier, Unsplash)

¶ “Bataan Nuclear Plant Unsafe Due To ‘Potentially Active’ Volcano: Scientist” • A Filipino-American geologist has criticized the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute’s claim that the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was safe for rehabilitation. He referred to a “potentially active” volcano near the plant, saying it is possible for Mount Natib to explode. [Yahoo News]

Australia and New Zealand:

¶ “Australian Companies In The Mix For $5 Billion Southland Hydrogen Plant” • Australian companies Woodside Energy and Fortescue Future Industries are counterparties in final stage negotiations to become lead developer of the prospective world’s largest green hydrogen plant in New Zealand’s Southland region, at the southern end of South Island. [Stuff.co.nz]

Southland landscape (Gulfside Mike, Unsplash)

¶ “Energy Estate Seeks $500 Million In Capital To Fast-Track Huge Development Pipeline” • Australian renewables outfit Energy Estate has revealed plans to launch a $A500 million-plus capital raising to underwrite its large and diverse development pipeline, which ranges from offshore wind, to green hydrogen and pumped hydro. [Renew Economy]

¶ “Mechanism To Ease Renewable Energy Transition” • To support the changing energy industry in Australia, the Energy Security Board released a draft plan for a capacity mechanism to stabilize the energy grid. The capacity mechanism would have gas and coal energy providers paid to have power available during peak times. [Utility Magazine]

Making things easy with coal (Mriya, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Heavy Industries In Australia’s Regions Could Cut Emissions By 80% And Create A Jobs Bonanza, Report Says” • The regional powerhouses of Australia’s industrial economy could reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% and become centers for multibillion-dollar investments in renewable energy, according to a report. [The Guardian]

US:

¶ “Half A Penny For ‘Near Firm’ Solar And Trillions In Renewable Opportunities” • NextEra, the largest renewable company in the US, sees 3.5 TW renewable capacity installations through 2050 worth $2 trillion. And that figure could double under the right conditions. It says the energy storage adder for solar power is now about 0.4¢ to 0.6¢ per kWh. [PV Magazine USA]

NextEra solar project in Oregon (NextEra image)

¶ “Diving Into Tesla’s 60+ Pages Of PUCT Filings” • Tesla has over 60 pages of Public Utility Commission of Texas filings that have recently been shared publicly. They include a lot of data that shows just how the Texas grid will benefit from virtual power plants. Tesla wants to register the first aggregate load resource in ERCOT, the Texan utility grid. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “‘It’s Our New Cash Crop’: A Land Rush For Renewable Energy Is Transforming The Eastern Plains” • Colorado’s Eastern Plains – from Yuma County cornfields to Prowers County feedlots and the wheat and sorghum fields in Kiowa County – are set for their biggest transformation in over a century as clean energy is added to the crops they produce. [The Colorado Sun]

Have an unimaginably agreeable day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Is Australia’s Energy Supply In Crisis? What’s The National Electricity Market? Can It Be Fixed?” • Last week, the Australian Energy Market Operator suspended the spot market in the National Energy Market for the first time. We heard politicians talking about “load shedding” and “regulatory intervention.” What’s going on? Where is it all heading? [ABC]

AGL’s Bayswater power station in New South Wales (AGL image)

¶ “How Community Solar Can Benefit Customers With Low And Moderate Incomes” • Residential rooftop solar projects often only benefit the households who live under the array, but a community solar project can reach beyond its site, impacting many more customers who otherwise might have a hard time accessing renewable power. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Friendly Fungi Help Forests Fight Climate Change” • While we know that forests play a major role in countering global warming, acting as reservoirs for carbon, what is less well understood is how tiny organisms that dwell hidden in the soil help lock away our greenhouse gas emissions. Ectomycorrhizal fungi enable certain trees to absorb CO₂ faster. [BBC]

Forest (Jay Mantri, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Western Europeans Wilt In An Early Summer Heatwave, Compounding Climate Change Fears” • Spain is seeing its hottest early summer temperatures, one area of France banned outdoor events, and drought stalked Italian farmers as a heatwave sent Europeans hunting for shade and fretting over climate change. It was 40°C (104°F) in Madrid. [CNN]

¶ “Tesla Giga Berlin Team Built Over 1,000 Model Y EVs This Week” • Tesla’s Giga Berlin team made over 1,000 Model Y EVs in one week. This is a phenomenal achievement, as Giga Berlin just began producing vehicles this year. Last March, Elon Musk promised to make sure Giga Berlin is a gem, as he doubled down on solving climate change. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla workers celebrating (Tesla image)

¶ “A Ford Tops EV Sales In Germany In May – Yes, Ford!” • The overall German automotive market is still in the red, with the market dropping 10% last month, but sales of battery EVs were up 9% year over year. The 29,182 battery EV registrations last month, represented 14% of the overall market. The Ford Kuga plugin hybrid led the market. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “WA Forges Ahead With Renewables Transition As Other States Face Energy Crisis” • WA has announced the end of state-run, coal-fired power plants by 2030. With additions of rooftop solar, there’s little or no need for the coal-fired plants to run during the daytime, and that causes issues for coal because coal plants aren’t designed to be turned on and off. [ABC]

Albany wind farm (maveriqk, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Demand For Rooftop Solar Batteries Surges As Eastern Australian Energy Prices Soar” • Demand for batteries linked to rooftop solar panels has soared in the past month as energy prices rise in the coldest start to winter in decades. Inquiries into battery rebates in Victoria have spiked in the past two weeks, one source says. [The Guardian]

¶ “Mexico Signs Renewable Energy Deals With US Companies As It Steps Up Climate Change Fight” • Mexico made commitments with 17 US companies on generating clean energy, its president said. After months of friction with business leaders, President Lopez Obrador said the deals would generate 1,854 MW as the government fights climate change. [The National]

Solar farm in Mexico (Contenidos InLab, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

US:

¶ “For The First Time, A Sea Turtle Has Laid Its Eggs On This Texas Beach” • For the first time, the world’s rarest species of sea turtle has laid eggs on Magnolia Beach in Texas, experts say. In the 1980s, there were only a couple hundred Kemp’s ridley sea turtles left in the world. About fifty hatched from the nest at Magnolia Beach. [CNN]

¶ “The Southwest’s Unchecked Thirst For Colorado River Water Could Prove Devastating Upstream” • When the federal Bureau of Reclamation and four states agreed to release a sixth of the capacity of the Flaming Gorge Reservoir, on the border of Utah and Wyoming, to help desiccated communities to the south, it created a local uproar. [CNN]

Flaming Gorge Reservoir in 2014 (Paul Hermans, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Tesla And Frito Lay Are Preparing For 100 Tesla Semi EVs” • Tesla and Frito Lay are preparing for the long-awaited delivery of 100 Tesla Semis. Teslarati reported that Tesla added an active Megacharger to a Frito Lay and PepsiCo facility in Modesto, in preparation for the delivery. Reportedly, Semi chargers could reach up to 1 MW per vehicle. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Protecting Solar Energy Assets From Hazardous Weather” • According to the US Energy Information Administration, from 2020 to 2035 solar power is estimated to rise from 3% to 14% of total energy production in the US. The bad news is that with climate change, severe weather is also rising, putting solar panels at risk of damage. [CleanTechnica]

Severe Weather Climatology (NWS Storm Prediction Center)

¶ “Fort Stockton Facility Aims To Boost Renewable Energy” • The Permian Basin leads the nation in crude oil and natural gas production. But that epicenter also has significant potential for wind and solar energy, and that’s drawn companies like Lancium to the region. Lancium hopes to have a 325-MW wind farm operating by year’s end. [Midland Reporter-Telegram]

¶ “Georgia Cooperatives Move To Freeze Nuclear Costs At $8.1 Billion” • One of the owners of the Vogtle nuclear plant being expanded in Georgia says it’s shifting overruns to Georgia Power Co in exchange for part of its ownership. Vogtle is currently projected to cost $30.34 billion. Oglethorpe Power Corp hopes to save $400 million. [CityNews Toronto]

Have a profoundly admirable day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “GM Falls For Crazy Floating Wind Turbine Idea, May Not Be So Crazy After All” • General Motors has been deploying its GM Ventures arm to kickstart next-generation clean tech. The firm has spearheaded a round of up to $10 million in funding for a new floating wind turbine system that looks like a giant wall of fidget spinners. [CleanTechnica]

Mult-turbine floating platform (Wind Catching Systems image)

World:

¶ “Italy’s Eni Says Russian Gas Supply Cut By Half” • Italy has become the latest of a host of European countries to report further cuts in its Russian gas supply. Italian energy giant Eni said it would receive only half of the 63 million cubic meters per day it had requested from Gazprom, after experiencing shortfalls for two days. [BBC]

¶ “Fiat 500e Shines In 21% Plugin Share Market Of France” • Plugin vehicles continue to rise in France, with last month’s plugin registrations ending at 26,517 units, of which 15,247 were battery EVs (or 12% share of the overall auto market) and 11,270 plugin hybrids (9% share of the overall auto market). The former jumped 38% year over year. [CleanTechnica]

Peugeot e208 charging (Tomás Freres, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “National Battery Testing Centre At The Queensland University Of Technology” • Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick is putting $15 million in funding for the National Battery Testing Centre at the Queensland University of Technology in the state budget. He says he wants his state to be “the natural home” of battery testing and making in Australia. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Marriage Between Sony And Honda Is Now Official” • Sony and Honda signed a memorandum of understanding in March saying the two companies intend to make electric cars together with each company contributing its own expertise to the effort. Now the new joint venture is official and will be known as Sony Honda Mobility. [CleanTechnica]

Sony Vision S 02 and Vision S 01 concepts (Sony image)

¶ “China’s Renewable Energy Capacity Expands In First Five Months” • In China, over the January-May period, the capacity of wind power jumped 17.6% year on year to around 340 GW, while solar farms saw capacity hit 330 GW, an increase of 24.4%, the National Energy Administration said. China’s goal is net-zero emissions by 2060. [China.org]

¶ “How Orkney Is Leading A Tidal Power Revolution” • Tidal power, while not yet widely commercialized, is seen by many as the next frontier in renewables. It’s the only renewable power source that comes from the moon’s pull on the Earth. Orkney, home of the European Marine Energy Centre headquarters, is a hub for tidal power innovation. [The Guardian]

Graphic showing Orbital O2 in action (Orbital Marine)

¶ “UAE Seeks Iran Assurance On ‘Peacefulness’ Of Nuclear Program” • The United Arab Emirates urged Iran to provide reassurances on the peaceful nature of its nuclear program after the IAEA denounced Tehran´s lack of cooperation. Iran has a controversial uranium enrichment program, and the UAE lies just across the Gulf. [The News International]

US:

¶ “Yellowstone River Flooding Is A 1-In-500-Year Event, Says US Geological Survey” • The devastating flooding that occurred along the Yellowstone River this week constitutes a 1-in-500-year event, according to a US Geological Survey news release. More than 10,000 visitors to Yellowstone National Park have been forced to evacuate. [CNN]

Flooding at Billings, Montana (Photo via USGS, public domain)

¶ “FERC Reveals Interconnection Reforms That Could Unleash Solar Energy Potential” • The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a notice of proposed rulemaking detailing the proposed interconnection reforms the Commission would like to adopt in order to clear interconnection backlogs and speed clean energy deployment. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “NM’s Kit Carson Electric Cooperative Achieves 100% Daytime Solar Power” • The Kit Carson Electric Cooperative has achieved a milestone. Customers in their service area, around Taos and Santa Fe, New Mexico, will now have 100% of their daytime electric use provided by solar power. This was achieved with the opening of a 41-MW solar array. [CleanTechnica]

Solar panels (Courtesy of the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative)

¶ “Biden Announces New Initiatives To Curb Methane During The Climate Conference” • Convening a meeting of over twenty of the world’s largest economies to discuss curbing methane emissions, President Joe Biden said Russia’s war in Ukraine shows that renewable energy is vital to national security as well as to preventing global warming. [Press TV]

¶ “Natural Beauty And Renewable Energy Source Are Being Threatened” • Vermont’s Green River Reservoir State Park is threatened. The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources ordered Morrisville Water & Light, to reduce generation by about 30%. So the dam at the reservoir operates at a loss, and the electric utility has no choice but to remove it. [VTDigger]

Green River Reservoir (Vermont State Parks image)

¶ “Methane-Based Gas Plant Explosion Sends Shockwaves Through Market” • The Freeport LNG export facility in Texas will be out of commission until September and will not be fully operational until late this year, the company said. An explosion at its Quintana Island liquefaction facility last week is having effects on global markets. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “As Texas Increases Renewable Energy Production, Grid Capacity And Transmission Haven’t Caught Up” • While a lingering heatwave impacts Texas, renewable energy sources are picking up the slack for the state’s power grid. But as energy demand continues to grow, is Texas moving fast enough on embracing renewable energy? [Texas Standard]

Have a serendipitously soothing day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Why The World Is Missing Its Chance For Clean Energy” • Sadly, the opportunity offered by economic slowdown of 2020 was lost. We sat down with Niklas Hagelberg, Coordinator on Climate Change at the UN Environment Programme, to find out more about the global energy crisis and what can be done to transition to an energy-efficient economy. [UNEP]

Sunflowers and wind turbine (Gustavo Quepón, Unsplash)

¶ “The West Just Experienced An Aspect Of The Climate Crisis That Scientists Have Warned Of For Years” • In the middle of a prolonged, water shortage-inducing megadrought, one area, Yellowstone, was overwhelmed by drenching rainfall and rapid snowmelt, creating a torrent of flash flooding that ripped out roads and bridges. [CNN]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Congo Peat: The ‘Lungs Of Humanity’ That Are Under Threat” • A giant slab of carbon-rich peat has been discovered in central Africa. It is under threat from uncontrolled development, posing a significant risk for future climate change, writes BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding. The peat bog stores about 30 billion tonnes of carbon. [BBC]

Congo River (Bsm15, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

World:

¶ “Europe Is Making It Much Harder For Russia To Ship Oil Anywhere” • The EU’s embargo on 90% of the oil it imports from Russia is the toughest punishment it’s inflicted on the Kremlin since the invasion of Ukraine. But another ban it just imposed could be nearly as important. It banned EU companies from insuring ships carrying Russian oil. [CNN]

¶ “Lightyear 0 Solar-Assisted Car Will Go Into Production This Year” • Dutch company Lightyear announced that this fall it will start making the world’s first production car fitted with solar panels. The Lightyear 0 will have curved solar panels in its roof, hood, and trunk that top up the electric battery. The first delivery in Europe could be as early as November. [CNN]

Lightyear 0 (Lightyear image)

¶ “Nepal To Move Everest Base Camp From Melting Glacier” • Nepal is preparing to move its Everest base camp because global warming and human activity are making it unsafe. The camp is used by up to 1,500 people in the climbing season. It sits on the rapidly thinning Khumbu glacier. A new site is to be found lower down, where there is no year-round ice. [BBC]

¶ “The UK’s Haven For Alternative Thinking” • The Centre for Alternative Technology spent the last half century redefining the relationship between nature and humankind. Once merely a haven for those who think about alternative ways to do things, it now offers master’s degrees in fields such as energy provision, green building, and sustainable food. [BBC]

Funicular powered by water and gravity (CAT image)

¶ “WA Urged Not To Delay On Renewable Energy” • A report by the Australian Energy Market Operator has found that Western Australia faced looming generation deficits even before the state government outlined a timetable for phasing out coal. The state’s Wholesale Electricity Market faces a shortfall of 21 MW from 2025 to 2026. [Western Magazine]

¶ “Australian State Grants Emergency Powers To Control Energy Crisis” • After cold weather combined with faults at coal plants to drive energy prices up, authorities in New South Wales were granted emergency powers to ensure the stability of the energy grid. They are directing the state’s private coal companies add supply to the grid. [The Straits Times]

Sydney harbor (Photoholgic, Unsplash)

¶ “Japan’s Top Court Says Government Not Responsible For Fukushima Damage” • Japan’s government is not liable for damages demanded by people whose lives were devastated by the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the country’s top court said. As the first such ruling in a series of similar cases, the ruling sets a precedent. [Reuters]

US:

¶ “US Mining And Geothermal Industries Could Strike ‘GOLD’ Through Partnership” • The mining and geothermal industries could partner for a more lucrative and greener future. GOLD (Geothermal Opportunities Leveraged Through Data) can use data from abandoned mining wells for the benefit of both industries. [CleanTechnica]

NREL graphic, NREL acronym (NREL image)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Introducing The 2022 Electricity Annual Technology Baseline” • The 2022 Electricity Annual Technology Baseline is now available, including distributed wind and pumped storage hydropower supply curve data for the first time. The Electricity ATB is a collaborative project led by the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Grid-Scale Energy Storage Market Breaks Q1 Record” • The US energy storage market set a new record in the first quarter of 2022, with grid-scale installations totaling 2,399 MWh, the highest capacity for Q1 on record. The volume of US grid-scale installations was four times the volume seen in Q1 of last year, sources said. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Energy Storage (NREL image)

¶ “Duke Energy Progress Submits Annual Update For Fuel, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency Program Charges In North Carolina” • Duke Energy Progress made its annual filings with the North Carolina Utilities Commission for costs associated with fuel and various riders, including state programs to encourage renewable energy adoption. [Duke Energy | News Center]

¶ “All Fifteen Cape Towns Say ‘No’ To Holtec’s Plans For The Bay” • This year Cape Cod voters were asked at local town meetings and elections about the now-closed Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station. All 15 towns on the Cape, including six on Martha’s Vineyard, voted against Holtec plans to dump radioactive water into the bay. [Cape Cod Times]

Have a delightfully gratifying day.

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