geoharvey

Opinion:

¶ “How We Can Stop Lithium Mining From Depleting Water Resources, Draining Wetlands, And Harming Communities In South America” • To deal with climate change, we must move away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy. However, many green technologies depend on lithium, and extracting lithium can be destructive. [CleanTechnica]

Uyuni Salt Flat (Samuel Scrimshaw, Unsplash)

¶ “Building US Infrastructure Fast And Smart” • The Biden Administration released a Permitting Action Plan this week. The plan promises to deliver infrastructure investments on time and on budget that will revitalize communities across the country. The plan is built on five key elements, but they needs actions that are not in the plan. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Creaky US Power Grid Threatens Progress On Renewables, EVs” • The nation’s transmission network, plagued by outages and increasingly severe weather, needs a trillion-dollar overhaul to handle the Biden administration’s promised clean-energy revolution and deal with climate change. Unfortunately, no one is taking charge of that problem. [Reuters]

Transmission lines (Ernest Brillo, Unsplash)

¶ “Iceland Serves As A Role Model To Other Countries For Renewable Energy” • Iceland runs entirely on renewable energy, harnessing the land’s natural hydro and geothermal power sources to sustainably power the country. In contrast, only 16% of our energy in North Carolina comes from renewable resources. Iceland may be worth studying. [WRAL]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Study Says Climate Change, Water Sports Posing Threat To Sea Turtles” • A new study conducted by the University of Exeter has found that climate change and water sports are posing a threat to sea turtles. The study, which was published in the journal Endangered Species Research, shows that thousands of sea turtles are dying every year. [WION]

Sea turtle (Giorgia Doglioni, Unsplash)

¶ “Size Matters For Speeding Up Nuclear Waste Cleanup” • A team of researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory designed and demonstrated a particle separation technology that may decrease the time and money needed for cleanup. The application is described in Chemical Engineering & Processing: Process Intensification. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “£200 Million Boost To Rollout Of Hundreds More Zero-Emission Heavy Goods Vehicles” • Transport Minister Trudy Harrison announced at the Logistics UK’s Future Logistics Conference that over £200 million of UK government funding will be injected into an extensive zero emission road freight demonstrator program. [CleanTechnica]

FUSO eCanter in London (Daimler image)

¶ “BYD Atto 3: As Easy As Ordering Takeaway” • At a time when it seems almost impossible to buy a new car, one Australian has found that buying a BYD Atto 3 was as easy as ordering takeaway. Not only that, but the car is available with only a 3 month waiting period. EV Direct is making 1500 BYD Atto 3 electric crossovers available per month starting in July. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Supply Chain Issues Are Getting Worse, And Climate Change Is A Main Culprit” • Supply chain disruptions have caused problems from bare grocery store shelves to shortages of microchips. The product shortages are caused in part by the fact that most of our goods are transported across long distances to be used for manufacturing. [Salon]

Shipping (Dominik Lückmann, Unsplash)

¶ “Investors Eye Renewable Power Plants In The Philippines” • Negros Occidental governor Eugenio Jose Lacson revealed that two investors were eyeing to build renewable power plants in the province. According to Lacson, investors were eyeing to build a hydro power plant along the Bago River and a solar power plant in the town of Hinoba-an. [Panay News]

¶ “Drones Seized At UK Nuclear Bases After A ‘Swarm’ And Reports Of ‘Red Lights’” • Drones have been seized by security personnel at nuclear facilities with one report of a ‘swarm’ at a UK installation, newly released files show. The unmanned aerial systems were sighted at plants across the country amid concerns over the security threat they pose. [Metro]

Drone (Dose Media, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Texans Asked To Turn Up Thermostats After Sweltering Heat Knocks Six Power Plants Offline” • The Electric Reliability Council of Texas made the appeal in a statement saying that soaring temperatures increased demand and caused six power generation facilities to trip offline. That resulted in the loss of about 2,900 MW of electric power. [CNN]

¶ “Hydrogen Valley Vision For Washington Gets Boost From Aussies’ Proposed Plant” • An Australian company, Fortescue Future Industries, is eying property next to the soon-to-close coal power plant in Centralia, Washington, to build a big hydrogen fuel production facility. The company publicized its plans during a hydrogen symposium. [OPB]

Hydrogen production plant (Fortescue Future Industries)

¶ “Elon Musk Is Confident In Tesla’s Ability To Sell All The EVs It Makes” • Tesla CEO Elon Musk is confident of Tesla’s ability to sell all of the EVs it makes. Elon Musk’s statement was part of an answer to a question about the Twitter purchase in an interview with Peter Campbell of the Financial Times during the Financial Times Future of the Car summit. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Massive Solar Project Proposed In Rio Rancho” • The City of Rio Rancho could become home to one of the largest solar farms in New Mexico. Clenera, a private renewable energy company based in Boise, Idaho, wants to build a solar plant of up to 400 MW capacity on about 3,100 acres of unused land on a part of Quail Ranch. [Albuquerque Journal]

Have a delightfully peaceful day.

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

World:

¶ “Climate Change Doubled Chance Of South African Floods That Killed 435 People, Analysis Shows” • Human-induced climate change made the extreme rainfall that triggered deadly floods in South Africa in April heavier and twice as likely to happen, according to a rapid analysis published by the World Weather Attribution project. [CNN]

Subtropical Depression Issa (NASA, public domain, cropped)

¶ “Drax Renewable Energy Storage Scheme Approved” • Plans to create a battery storage facility for renewable energy at Drax, in Yorkshire, have been approved, despite objections. The site will hold energy produced at Drax Power Station when demand from the National Grid is low. Selby District Council gave permission for the 0.7 hectare (1.73 acre) site. [BBC]

¶ “East Africa Drought: ‘The Suffering Here Has No Equal'” • In a desolate village in Turkana, Northern Kenya, villagers pray for rain, but it just won’t come. A fourth season of failed rains is causing one of the worst droughts that East Africa has seen in decades, and this village, which is home to 3,600 families, is one of the areas hardest hit. [BBC]

Turkana, Kenya in 2020 (Imani Manyara, Unsplash)

¶ “Russian Operator To Suspend Electricity Supply To Finland” • Citing problems with payments, Russian energy supplier RAO Nordic says it will suspend deliveries of electricity to Finland from May 14. The Finnish grid operator said Russia provided only a small percentage of the country’s electricity and that it could be replaced from other sources. [BBC]

¶ “Fiat 500e Shines In 21% Plugin Share Market Of France” • Plugins continue to rise in France, with last month’s plugin vehicle registrations divided between 12,692 battery EVs (12% of the overall auto market) and 10,234 plugin hybrid EVs (9% share of the auto market). The former jumped 33% year over year while the latter was down by 8%. [CleanTechnica]

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

¶ “Volkswagen Extends The Life Of The E-Up!, Plans ID.2 And ID.1 Models” • Volkswagen announced that the e-Up!, a small electric car the company started selling in 2013, will continue in the lineup until 2025. In addition, a decision has been made to move forward with an ID.2 model and to begin development of an ID.1 car as well. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Norway Turns Its Back On Gas And Oil To Be A Renewable Superpower” • Norway has unveiled plans for a major expansion of its offshore wind energy production by 2040, aiming to turn a country that has built its wealth on oil and gas into an exporter of renewable electricity. The government set a target to develop 30 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040. [Euronews]

Offshore wind turbine (Grahame Jenkins, Unsplash)

¶ “The Top 5: The Net Zero Commitments of Mining Firms” • Going green comes with expensive up-front costs for mining companies. In some cases, there also arises the need for the invention of new, lower emissions technologies to squeeze out the carbon. Here is a list of the top five companies for net zero commitments. [Saur Energy International]

¶ “France’s Power Sector Further Strained By Extended Outages And Repairs” • France’s nuclear power plants are to have repairs and extended outages, leading to a 25% decrease in power output next winter, an analysis from Baringa Partners LLP said. The shortage will happen just as EU countries scramble for energy as they reduce imports from Russia. [Oil Price]

Cruas nuclear power plant (Yelkrokoyade, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Uganda To Build East Africa’s First Nuclear Power Plant” • Uganda is set to build East Africa’s first nuclear power plant after acquiring land for the project, according to Bloomberg. The government did not reveal where the plant will be located. In 2017, Uganda said that it wanted to build a 2,000-MW nuclear power plant by 2032. [AF24NEWS]

¶ “Rolls Royce Explains Why Wylfa And Trawsfynydd Are Top Targets For Mini-Nuclear Plants In The UK” • Rolls Royce SMR says North Wales sites are among its top targets for mini-nuclear plants in the UK. The venture is developing SMR tech with plans to roll-out 12 plants in the UK. The company hopes to provide power to the UK grid by 2029. [North Wales Live]

Artist’s impression of plant (Rolls Royce image)

US:

¶ “Could Solar Power Solve Puerto Rico’s Energy Nightmare?” • After two hurricanes and a major earthquake left Puerto Rico’s power grid in tatters, the US government’s disaster agency set aside a support package of roughly $10 billion. The funds were released nearly two years ago, but almost nothing has been spent. It is a golden opportunity for solar installations. [BBC]

¶ “Interior Nixes Oil And Gas Lease Sales In Alaska And Gulf Of Mexico” • The Department of Interior is cancelling three oil and gas lease sales off the coasts of Alaska and in the Gulf of Mexico. The leases would have opened up more than a million acres for development in oceans ecosystems vital to endangered species, fishermen, Native peoples, and others. [CleanTechnica]

Alaska (Landon Arnold, Unsplash)

¶ “Ford’s EV Sales Are Way Up, With The F-150 Lightning Leading The Way” • Ford announced very good sales numbers for its EVs, with overall, sales up 139% from 2021. The new F-150 lead in sales, sales of Mustang Mach-E electric crossovers were up 61% in April from May, and April’s E-Transit electric work van sales were up 62.3%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Energy-Related CO₂ Emissions Rose 6% In 2021” • In 2021, US energy-related CO₂ emissions increased by 296 million metric tons, or 6%, compared with 2020 levels. This increase followed a rise in economic activity and energy consumption when the initial economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic began to subside. [CleanTechnica]

Have an ineffably enthralling day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “Fight Fascists And Save Money: Go Electric” • The price of a gallon of gasoline is surging, straining drivers’ pocketbooks. At the pump prices seem extreme, but we’ve been here before. Gas prices were similarly high in 2006, 2008, and for a while after 2011. For US consumers, a switch from fossil fuels to electricity is one solution. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “A Fair Green Deal For The Last Coal Plant In Mississippi” • Some power plants are protected by complex arrangements of long-term contracts that insulate them from competition. RMI has developed a novel approach to accelerate the transition of these plants to clean energy and provide fair compensation to impacted workers and communities. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Six Years Late And 250% Over Budget: Georgia’s Newest Nuclear Plant” • The Municipal Energy Authority of Georgia, announced that the Vogtle 3 and 4 nuclear generating stations approaching completion in that state are now likely to cost roughly $34 billion. They were originally estimated to cost $14 billion and be operational in 2017. [Oil Price]

Vogtle construction in 2011 (Charles C Watson Jr, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

World:

¶ “Queensland Floods: Residents Evacuate As Australia Faces New Emergency” • Hundreds of Australians have been told to evacuate their homes as Queensland faces another flooding emergency. The storm system causing the problem has now moved south towards Queensland’s heavily populated southeast, which includes Brisbane. [BBC]

¶ “Europe Is Running Out Of Time To Find Alternatives To Russian Gas” • The security of Europe’s gas supplies is getting shakier. Soon after Ukraine reduced the flow of natural gas across its territory into Europe, blaming interference by Russian troops, Gazprom suspended supplies through a Polish pipeline and cut off gas to a distributor in Germany. [CNN]

LNG carrier (Gerd Fahrenhorst, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “LPG Price: Millions Hit Hard As Cooking Gas Cost Soars In India” • Food and fuel costs have been soaring. Last week, India’s central bank announced its first interest rate hike in two years in an attempt to slow inflation. Experts say any increase in the price of essential commodities such as cooking gas cylinders will force people to change priorities. [BBC]

¶ “Saving The Books And Cooking The Planet” • Oil and gas companies are increasingly using mergers and acquisitions to offload emissions from their balance sheets and meet corporate climate targets without actually reducing emissions, according to an Environmental Defense Fund report that examined mergers and acquisitions in 2017 through 2021. [CleanTechnica]

Oil rig (Pixabay, Pexels, CC0)

¶ “Green Genius Plans To Develop 700 MW Of Renewable Energy Capacity” • Renewable energy firm Green Genius plans to develop 500 MW of solar power plant capacity in Lithuania by 2025. The company also intends to develop wind farms with 200 MW of capacity in the country. An investment of €750 million ($783 million) will be required. [Power Technology]

¶ “GM Plans To Return To European Market With EVs And Mobility Services” • For 90 years, GM had a presence in Europe through its Opel and Vauxhall brands, though it struggled to make a profit there. But recently, as the EV revolution picks up steam, CEO Mary Barra said that GM is looking to re-enter the EU as an all-EV player. [CleanTechnica]

Electric delivery vans (Courtesy of FedEx)

¶ “Household Energy Bills Could Rise Even MORE To Cover Costs Of Building New Nuclear Plants” • Britons already struggling to pay their energy bills may be asked to have to pay even more to fund the Government’s nuclear power push in the form of a new monthly levy, according to Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng. [Daily Mail]

US:

¶ “As Water Runs Short In California, Commission Rejects $1.4 Billion Desalination Plant” • As a water crisis looms in California, the state’s coastline protection agency unanimously rejected the development of a $1.4 billion desalination plant in Huntington Beach that would have converted ocean water into municipal water for Orange County residents. [CNN]

Canal, Venice California, May 2016 (NewtonCourt, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Coastal Fire: California Mansions Burn As Wildfires Spread” • Hundreds have been forced to evacuate from their homes due to a swift-moving wildfire in southern California that has torched some 20 mansions so far. The Coastal fire in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, has grown to 199 acres since it began on Wednesday. [BBC]

¶ “US Distributed Wind Energy Potential Can Meet Half Of National Electricity Demand” • A study funded by the Wind Energy Technologies Office used highly detailed data and new modeling techniques to identify sites with the highest potential for distributed wind energy. Distributed wind has nearly 1,400 GW of economic potential. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines in Alaska (James Brooks, USCG, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Two Affordable Used Electrified Cars Available Nationwide” • One basic problem for finding a good used EV is that the more affordable models don’t have the range or fast charging for trips. A top solution to this problem is to rent a car for trips. Hertz is now renting out Teslas, which opened up new possibilities! Now you have choices for good used EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Two Dozen States Can Meet 100% Of Electricity Demand With Renewables By 2035” • Since its founding in 2017, the US Climate Alliance has grown to 24 states and one territory. They represent 56% of the US population, generate 62% of the country’s gross domestic product, and are responsible for 43% of the country’s annual carbon emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Have an exquisitely pretty day.

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

Science and Technology:

¶ “Reducing Harmful Air Pollution Has Led To A Surprising Effect – More Hurricanes In The North Atlantic” • A study published in Science Advances found that as aerosol pollution decreased in the decades following the US Clean Air Act and similar actions in Europe, the ocean could absorb more sunlight, which fueled more storms. [CNN]

Hurricane Sam (NASA image)

World:

¶ “Ukraine Halts Some Russian Gas Flows To Europe” • Ukraine suspended the flow of some Russian natural gas to Europe, blaming Moscow for diverting supplies from the vital pipeline network. The Ukrainian gas transmission system operator said it decided to suspend operations at a major transit point because of “interference by the occupying forces.” [CNN]

¶ “33% Of New Cars Sold In Netherlands Now Plugin Cars” • In the context of a falling overall market, down 7% YOY in April, the Dutch plugin EV market has continued to grow, reaching 33% last month. Pure electrics had 20% of all new vehicle sales, a surge of 98% YOY last month. Overall, the YTD market share for plugin vehicles rose to 30%. [CleanTechnica]

Skoda Enyaq (Alexander Migl, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Stellantis EV Plans Save Canadian Automotive Plants” • The future of two automotive plants in Ontario has been up in the air, but Stellantis announced that it will invest $3.6 billion to update the plants. While the plants will make combustion cars in addition to EVs, Stellantis will also partner with LG to build a $3 billion battery factory. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “European Energy And Vestas Forge Offshore Turbine Team” • European Energy and Vestas have teamed up for a joint venture aiming to develop and build three of Vestas’ new V236 15.0-MW offshore wind turbine at three test positions which are now under development by European Energy about four km off the coast near the city of Frederikshavn. [reNews]

Wind turbines (European Energy image)

¶ “EU’s Renewable Power Capacity Additions Jump 30% In 2021” • The EU added a record 36 GW of renewable power capacity in 2021, exceeding the 2020 additions by 30%. The world also set a fresh record in new renewables capacity in 2021, adding almost 295 GW, up 6% against the 2020 growth, an International Energy Agency report says. [Balkan Green Energy News]

¶ “BP Bids For New Dutch Offshore Wind Leases” • BP submitted bids for two offshore wind leases in the Netherlands that together have the potential for generating capacity of 1,400 MW. The bids were submitted in the tender process for rights to develop the Hollandse Kust West Wind Farm Zone sites numbered 6 and 7, about 53 km off the country’s west coast. [reNews]

Netherlands (BP image)

¶ “IAEA Restores Remote Transmission Of Safeguards Data From Ukraine’s Chernobyl Plant” • Remote transmission of safeguards data from the war-inflicted Ukraine’s Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant to the International Atomic Energy Agency has been “fully re-established,” Director-General of the IAEA Rafael Mariano Grossi, said. [Republic World]

¶ “First Floating Tidal Power Delivered To Nova Scotia Grid” • Sustainable Marine said it has successfully harnessed the tidal currents in Canada’s Bay of Fundy, delivering the first floating in-stream tidal power to Nova Scotia’s grid. The project has enabled Sustainable Marine to acquire skills and resources to deliver turnkey projects. [Marine Link]

Tidal turbines and installation ship (Sustainable Marine image)

US:

¶ “House Natural Resources Committee Refers Investigation Involving Former Trump Officials To DOJ” • The House Natural Resources Committee is referring an investigation involving “potentially criminal conduct” about a policy reversal involving former Trump administration officials to the Department of Justice, a letter obtained by CNN shows. [CNN]

¶ “This California Desert Could Hold The Key To Powering All Of America’s Electric Cars” • Lithium is abundant in the Salton Sea Basin. People working to extract it say there could be enough to make batteries for all the electric cars expected to be built in this country for many years, freeing the US from reliance on foreign lithium suppliers. [CNN]

Salton Sea (Sherman Yang, Unsplash)

¶ “Elon Musk Hints CCS Plugs Coming To Tesla Supercharger Locations In The US” • In a Financial Times interview, Elon Musk said, “We’ve already opened Tesla Superchargers to other electric cars in Europe, and we intend to roll that out worldwide. It’s a little trickier in the US because we have a different connector than the rest of the industry.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Just Don’t Say “Climate Change,” And Manchin Is On Board With West Virginia Wind Power” • West Virginia wind power is on the rise, just don’t mention the term “climate change” to Senator Joe Manchin. Black Rock’s 23 state-of-the-art wind turbines are now part of an “all-of-the-above” approach to West Virginia’s energy policy. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines (Clearway Energy image)

¶ “US Ammonia Prices Rise In Response To Higher International Natural Gas Prices” • The US price of ammonia, the primary source of nitrogen fertilizer, has risen by a factor of six in the past two years, mostly since March, 2021. Ammonia prices generally follow natural gas prices because ammonia is produced primarily from natural gas. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New 68-MW Solar Project Will Power 30 Electric Co-Ops In Georgia” • Green Power EMC, the renewable energy supplier for 38 Georgia Electric Membership Corporations, and Silicon Ranch were joined today by elected officials and leaders from Houston County to dedicate the new 68-MW (AC) Houston Solar project near Perry, Georgia. [Solar Power World]

Have an endlessly superb day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “The Insanity Of Expanding Nuclear Energy” • Former nuclear regulatory top dogs from the US, France, Germany and Great Britain issued a joint statement in January strenuously opposing any expansion of nuclear power to combat climate change. There is not a single good reason to build new nuclear plants, and many reasons not to. [E/The Environmental Magazine]

Old sign (Ilja Nedilko, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Tulane Scientists Develop Powerful Family Of 2-D Materials” • A team of scientists at the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering has developed a new family of two-dimensional materials. Researchers say the development has some promising applications, including in advanced electronics and high-capacity batteries. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Great Barrier Reef Suffers Sixth Mass Bleaching Event With 91% Of Reefs Surveyed Affected” • Warmer waters from climate change caused coral bleaching in 91% of reefs surveyed along the Great Barrier Reef this year, an Australian government agency said. It was the sixth mass bleaching event of the reef on record and the fourth since 2016. [CNN]

Bleached coral (Vardhanjp, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Putin Tells Local Officials To Do Better On Fighting Siberian Fires” • Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered regional officials to do more to tackle fires raging in Siberia, after at least eight people were killed over the weekend and hundreds of buildings burned. Putin warned against any repeat of last year’s fires, which set a record for Russia. [CNN]

¶ “Australia Election 2022: What Will The Vote Mean For Climate Policies?” • When Australia heads to the polls on 21 May, the outcome could be significant for the planet’s future. Still reliant on coal for most of its electricity, it is one of the dirtiest countries per capita. But it’s also one of the nations most at risk from climate change. [BBC]

Wind farm in Western Australia (Harry Cunningham, Unsplash)

¶ “Which Corporations Pledge To Reduce Business Flying?” • A new ranking of corporate air travel reveals that work is underway to reduce emissions by businesses, but more action is needed. The ranking, launched as part of T&E and Stand.Earth’s new Travel Smart campaign, grades 230 US and European companies according to nine indicators. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Glacier Dam Overwhelmed By South Asian Heatwave” • A record heat wave accelerated ice and snow melt, feeding a lake near the Shishpar glacier in northern Pakistan’s Hunza District so quickly it breached its ice dam and dumped 10,000 cubic feet of water per second down the valley. It wiped out a bridge and two power plants, and it flooded a village. [CleanTechnica]

Hassanabad, Hunza (Zachaboi, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Green Power Growth To Flatline Without Stronger Policies ‘In Next Six Months’, IEA Warns” • The next six months will be crucial to shaping the outlook for renewable energy beyond 2023, according to the International Energy Agency. Green power growth is set to flatline unless governments strengthen policy measures. [Recharge News]

¶ “Renewables ‘Primed For Record 2022’” • Renewable power is set to break global records in 2022, despite higher costs and supply chain bottlenecks, according to the International Energy Agency. The world added a record 295 GW of renewable power capacity in 2021, but 320 GW of renewable capacity is expected to be added this year. [reNews]

Offshore wind workers (EnBW image)

¶ “SA Renewables Surge Bringing Down Energy Prices, But Consumers Miss Out” • South Australia has “substantially lower” wholesale electricity prices because of its world-leading uptake of renewable energy, but the savings are not being passed through to customers, a report confirmed. Reforms will be needed for consumers to benefit. [Renew Economy]

¶ “Norway Unveils 30-GW Offshore Wind Goal By 2040” • The Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, has unveiled plans to build 30 GW of offshore wind off Norway’s coast by 2040. The government said the ambition is that almost as much new power will be produced from offshore wind as is produced in total in Norway today. [reNews]

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store (Government of Norway)

US:

¶ “In Las Vegas, Grass Lawns Are Outlawed” • The removal of lush green grass is happening a lot these days in Las Vegas, as it is now illegal to grow even small lawns for aesthetic use. There are many issues with lawns, including build-ups of chemicals, but the biggest problem is that there just isn’t enough water anymore to irrigate them. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hyundai And Kia Pondering New EV Factory In Georgia” • Hyundai wants to construct a factory in the US to build EVs, and is considering locating it in Georgia. Rivian says it wants to build a new $5 billion factory there, too. But a political fight is raging over the factories, with one candidate for governor claiming they threaten aquafers. [CleanTechnica]

Kia (Image by Kia)

¶ “Fifth Third Sets New Operational Sustainability Targets By 2030” • In Cincinnati, Fifth Third Bank announced six new sustainability targets to be achieved by 2030. These targets build upon the bank’s initial five goals set in 2017, which established the foundation for Fifth Third to reduce the environmental impact in its own operations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Navajo Nation’s Transition To Renewable Energy: What And Where To Expect It” • Since the closure of the Peabody Black Mesa coal mine near the four corners region in northeast Arizona, the Navajo Nation has established a transition from coal to renewable energy sources, including a solar power plant in Kayenta, Arizona. [Navajo-Hopi Observer]

Have an insightfully inspired day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “Ford Is Making Electric Vehicles That Deliver Stuff, So Why Can’t USPS?” • The new Ford E-Transit van is quiet, compact, connected, and only weighs one metric tonne. So, why doesn’t the US Postal Service insist that its fleet contractor build delivery vans along those lines instead of pushing more gasmobiles onto neighborhood streets? [CleanTechnica]

Ford electric van (Courtesy of Ford Motor Company)

Science and Technology:

¶ “NREL Scientists Advance Renewable Hydrogen Production Method” • An Analysis from scientists at the US Department of Energy National Renewable Energy Laboratory shows evidence that perovskite materials could hold the potential to play an important role in a process to produce hydrogen in a renewable manner. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

World:

¶ “Climate Change: ‘Fifty-Fifty Chance’ Of Breaching 1.5°C Warming Limit” • The likelihood of crossing a key global warming threshold has risen significantly, according to a new analysis. UK Met Office researchers say that there’s now around a fifty-fifty chance that the world will have warmed by more than 1.5°C within the next five years. [BBC]

Climate crime scene (Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona, Unsplash)

¶ “UK Climate Refugees Who Won’t Leave” • The Welsh village of Fairbourne is facing an existential crisis. The tiny village has been identified as being at high risk of future flooding because of climate change, with residents told it is beyond saving. The Gywnedd Council plans to “decommission” the entire village and turn it back into marshland. [BBC]

¶ “World’s Largest Solar Power Carport Launched” • A 35-MW solar power carport with 90,000 solar panels was activated in the Netherlands. It is located on the parking site used for the annual Lowlands music festival, which has tens of thousands of visitors each year. The parking area covers 35 hectares and has 15,000 parking spaces. [CleanTechnica]

Carport groundskeeper hard at work (Solarfields image)

¶ “Volkswagen ID.3 GTX – Dual Motor Hot Hatch Coming In 2023” • The Volkswagen ID.3 is the spiritual successor to the Golf – a battery-electric 5-passenger hatchback for the 21st century. It will have the same powertrain as its ID.4 GTX and ID.5 GTX siblings, giving it 299 horsepower and 339 pound-feet (460 Nm) of torque. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD K6 Minibuses Being Piloted In Kenya’s Matatu Industry” • A huge chunk of the pollution in large cities such as Nairobi is from emissions from the transport sector. Adoption of electric buses is bound to help reduce emission levels. The electric BYD K6 minibus, with a seating capacity of around 20 passengers could be a big help. [CleanTechnica]

BYD K6 Minibus (Wahsaw, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “BP Stake Swoop To Lead $36 Billion Asian Renewable Energy Hub Green Hydrogen Mega-Project: Report” • BP will soon announce a deal for an about 30% equity stake in the $36 billion AREH, which plans to tap 16 GW of onshore wind and 10 GW of PV for production of renewable H2 and ammonia, according to The Australian. [Recharge News]

¶ “Avoid Using Gas As ‘Transition’ Fuel In Move To Clean Energy, Study Urges” • Countries should move from coal to renewable energy without shifting to gas as a “transition” fuel to save money, as high gas prices and market volatility have made the fossil fuel an expensive option, according to analysis from TransitionZero. [The Guardian]

Earth (NASA image, Unsplash)

¶ “Nuclear Power Company Westinghouse To Build 2 GWh Of Pumped Heat Storage In Bulgaria” • Pennsylvania-based Nuclear power firm Westinghouse Electric Company has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a state-owned energy company to build 2 GWh of pumped thermal energy storage capacity in Bulgaria. [Energy Storage News]

¶ “Green Party Leaders Urge Saskatchewan Government To Halt Small Nuclear Reactor Plans” • The interim Leader of the Green Party of Canada made a stop in Regina Monday to urge Premier Scott Moe to abandon plans to develop small nuclear reactors. Amita Kuttner said developing nuclear power will take too long in the climate emergency. [CBC]

NuScale Power Module (NuScale Power)

US:

¶ “Goodyear Follows The Bouncing Soybeans For Sustainable Rubber Tires” • Rubber trees are threatened by blight. Goodyear announced that some of its tires are getting a soybean makeover, reducing use of synthetic rubber with no performance sacrifice. Goodyear noted that the soybean tires use surplus oil left over from food applications. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “GM Reveals More Cadillac Lyriq Specs” • Cadillac has begun series production of the Lyriq, its first battery-electric offering. The Debut Edition lists for $59,990 and comes with a single rear motor making 340 hp and 325 pound-feet of torque. The first of those cars to be produced are expected to be delivered to their owners in June. [CleanTechnica]

Cadillac Lyriq (Image courtesy of Cadillac)

¶ “How This Big Project Will Turn The High Desert In Central Utah ‘Green’” • What is touted to be the world’s largest industrial green hydrogen production and storage facility received a conditional commitment of more than $504 million in federal funding, a big development for the Advanced Clean Energy Storage project. [Deseret News]

¶ “CenterPoint Energy Receives Approval For 335 MW Of Renewable Energy For Southwestern Indiana” • CenterPoint Energy, Inc announced that its Indiana-based electric utility, CenterPoint Indiana South, has received approval to add 335 MWs of solar energy into its long-term electric generation transition plan. [Daily Energy Insider]

Have an enjoyably thoughtful day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “Refining, Tesla’s Next Frontier” • Now that Tesla has spent 2 years getting the 4680 battery to production and it has paid almost all its debt, it is time for Tesla to make another BIG bet. That could mean financing mining, but refining the minerals needed to make the huge numbers of batteries seems to be a more exciting option. [CleanTechnica]

Cathode structure (Tesla image)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

World:

¶ “Tesla Visited The DRC And Argentina For Environmental And Societal Risk Assessments” • In its 2021 Impact Report, Tesla announced that it visited the Democratic Republic of Congo and Argentina to assess both environmental and societal risks. Tesla sent out a delegation with members of its Responsible Sourcing Committee to visit suppliers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Coal Shortage And Heatwave Spark India’s Power Woes” • Beginning in April, power outages have rippled across India, slowing factories, closing schools, and sparking demonstrations. Two in three households said they were facing power outages. The main reason why electricity is in such short supply is a shortage of coal. [BBC]

Coal worker (Amir Arabshahi, Unsplash)

¶ “Hong Kong Utility Unveils 150-MW Offshore Wind Plan” • HK Electric unveiled plans to develop an offshore wind farm off the coast of Hong Kong with capacity of about 150 MW. The project would cover about 600 hectares about 4 km away from Lamma power station. It would feature 13 to 19 turbines, with capacity between 8 MW and 12 MW each. [reNews]

¶ “Sold Out! Every EV Volkswagen Can Manufacture In 2022 Is Already Spoken For” • Herbert Diess, CEO of Volkswagen Group, says it is “basically sold out on electric vehicles in Europe and in the United States” for all of this year, The Verge reports. That means anyone hoping to buy an EV from VW, Audi, or Porsche may have to wait until 2023. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.Buzz (Image courtesy of Volkswagen)

¶ “Wind Hits April High Note In Ireland” • In April 2022, wind energy provided 32% of Ireland’s electricity, up 7% on April 2021, according to the latest Wind Energy Ireland monthly report. Last month was the most power ever provided by wind in the month of April and follows a strong first quarter where wind provided around 39% of Ireland’s electricity. [reNews]

¶ “Siemens Gamesa To Supply 192-MW Canadian Wind Farm” • Siemens Gamesa is to supply turbines to Capstone Infrastructure Corporation’s 192-MW Wild Rose 2 wind farm, about 35 km southeast of Medicine Hat, Alberta. The deal is for 38 of Siemens’ 5.2-145 model, Capstone said. The energy will be sold through a 15-year power purchase agreement. [reNews]

Wind turbine (Siemens Gamesa image)

¶ “‘Great Uncertainty’ Over Nuclear Plants’ Delivery Following Opposition To Chinese Investor” • The delivery of Essex-based nuclear plant Bradwell faces “great uncertainty” after political opposition mounted against involvement of a Chinese investor. EDF said that without Chinese backing, it is no longer obliged to continue funding the project. [CityAM]

US:

¶ “A First In The US, Unions Announce Deal To Build Offshore Wind Farms (Video)” • Offshore wind developer Ørsted and North America’s Building and Trade Unions agreed to a “historic” national project labor agreement for offshore wind projects along the Atlantic Coast. The agreement sets better standards for an industry set to grow. [CleanTechnica]

Jack-up ship (Arnold Price, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Tesla’s Recycled Batteries: Almost 92% Reuse Of Raw Materials” • Tesla’s recycled batteries have provided almost 92% of their original raw materials back to Tesla for future use, according to new information in Tesla’s 2021 Impact Report. Tesla’s factories are already using an in-house, closed-loop recycling system. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Rivian’s Venture Into Its First Renewable Energy Project” • Rivian, based in California, produces distinctive EVs, but it is looking to do this while eliminating all of the greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain. The company is now working with a partner, Clearloop, to develop its own solar power project in Nashville, Tennessee. [Sustainability Magazine]

Rivian R1T (Rivian image)

¶ “Electricity Shortage Warnings Grow Across US” • From Texas to California to Indiana, electric grid operators are warning that power generating capacity is struggling to keep up with demand, a gap that could lead to rolling blackouts during heat waves or other peak periods as soon as this year. In Texas, tight conditions could start as soon as next week. [MSN]

¶ “California Sets 3-GW Floater Goal For 2030” • California set a floating offshore wind target of 3 GW by 2030 as part of a raft of new goals for the state. The California Energy Commission believes that with that end-decade goal, the state can deliver up to 15 GW by 2045 and possibly 20 GW by 2050. The targets are contained in a draft AB 525 report. [reNews]

Towing a floating wind turbine (Principle Power image)

¶ “Start Making Preparations For An Active Hurricane Season Now” • Researchers at Colorado State University predicted an above-average Atlantic hurricane season for 2022. Experts expect at least 19 named storms, nine of which will become hurricanes, and four of which will be significant hurricanes with a category 3 or higher intensity. [Lake County News]

¶ “Georgia Nuclear Plant’s Cost Now Forecast To Top $30 Billion” • A nuclear power plant being built in Georgia is now projected to cost its owners more than $30 billion. A financial report from one of the owners pushed the cost of Plant Vogtle near Augusta to a forecast cost of $30.34 billion. Vogtle is the only nuclear plant under construction in the US. [CBS 46]

Have a simply magnificent day.

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

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Metals Company Success: Deep-Water Collector Vehicle Tested At Depth Of Almost 2,500 Meters” • A polymetallic nodule collector vehicle has been successfully tested in the Atlantic Ocean at a depth of almost 2,500 meters. The vehicle shows that polymetallic nodules can be mined while disturbing the environment minimally. [CleanTechnica]

Deep-water vehicle (Photo courtesy of The Metals Company)

¶ “Climate Change Is Affecting Global Mental Health” • Young people answering a survey mentioned inadequate government responses to climate change alongside feelings of betrayal by their governments. “These psychological stressors threaten health and wellbeing,” a study in the Lancet said, “and could be construed as morally injurious and unjust.” [MSN]

¶ “Invasive Species And Climate Change Impact Coastal Estuaries” • Native species in California’s estuaries are expected to experience greater declines as invasive species interact with climate change, according to a study from the University of California, Davis, which was published in the Ecological Society of America’s journal, Ecology. [Eurasia Review]

Non-native and native colonial ascidians (Ben Rubinoff, UC Davis)

World:

¶ “Mine E-Waste, Not The Earth, Say Scientists” • The recycling of e-waste must urgently be ramped up because mining the Earth for precious metals to make new gadgets is unsustainable, scientists say. The Royal Society of Chemistry says there now needs to be a global effort to mine that waste, rather than mining the Earth. [BBC]

¶ “Glencore And Li-Cycle Partner For Battery Recycling” • Li-Cycle and Glencore have announced a long-term battery supply agreement to improve the EV battery supply chain. They came to a global feedstock supply agreement: Glencore will supply a variety of manufacturing scrap as well as end-of-life lithium-ion batteries to Li-Cycle. [CleanTechnica]

Batteries going to a recycling shredder (Li-Cycle image)

¶ “Tesla Plans German Factory Expansion” • Production at the Tesla factory in Grünheide, Germany near Berlin is barely under way and already Tesla is making plans to expand the facility. Quoting local broadcaster RBB, electrive says Tesla wants to buy about 100 hectares of land near the current site for additional storage space and a goods station. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Arctic Town Attempts To Design Wind And Solar Devices Against Climate Change And Energy Crisis” • The arctic town of Qaanaaq, Greenland, plans to incorporate renewable energy to save the lives of financially-stricken residents, who were gripped by the burdens to pay for fossil fuels required to heat and power their homes. [Nature World News]

Qaanaaq (Col Lee-Volker Cox, USAF, public domain)

¶ “India Added 15.5 GW Of Non-Hydro Renewable Energy Capacity” • India added 15.5 GW non-hydro renewable energy capacity during FY22, compared to just 7.7 GW installed in the preceding fiscal year, a CEEW Centre for Energy Finance Market Handbook says. But to get to India’s 2030 goal of 500 GW, 40 GW will be needed each year. [GreentechLead]

¶ “Soon we’ll have too MUCH energy!” • Britain is predicted to have an excess amount of electricity by 2030 due to huge investments in wind and solar power, according to new analysis. It predicts that huge amounts of electricity could go to waste by 2030. The government also wants to build eight nuclear plants by 2050. [Daily Mail] (So, what’s the point of nuclear?)

Wind turbines (Arteum.ro, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Huge Wildfire in New Mexico Could Worsen This Weekend” • The so-called Hermits Peak Fire in New Mexico is the second biggest wildfire the state has ever seen. It has been burning for more than a month and has torn through an area larger than the city of Chicago. Winds, near-record heat, and dry conditions are expected to make it worse. [BBC]

¶ “Mary Barra Says By Mid-Decade GM Will Be Selling More EVs In The US Than Anyone – Including Tesla” • General Motors CEO Mary Barra told Yahoo! Finance that the company plans to sell more EVs in the US than other automakers, including Tesla, by the middle of the decade. She also said that EVs are a huge opportunity for the company. [CleanTechnica]

Chevy Silverado EV (Courtesy of GM)

¶ “The Two Largest Reservoirs In California Are Already At ‘Critically Low Levels’ And The Dry Season Is Just Starting” • Against the backdrop of the water crisis in the Colorado River Basin, where the country’s largest reservoirs are plunging at an alarming rate, California’s two largest reservoirs, Shasta Lake and Lake Oroville, are facing a similar struggle. [CNN]

¶ “Tesla’s 2021 Impact Report – Exiting The Fossil Fuel Era” • Tesla released its 2021 Impact Report and shared details about the environment, supply chain, and how it’s leading the exit from the fossil fuel era. Last year alone, Tesla customers avoided 8.4 million metric tons of CO₂e. This statement is an incredible milestone, but more is coming. [CleanTechnica]

Have a beautifully restful day.

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

Science and Technology:

¶ “Rechargeable Molten Salt Battery Freezes Energy In Place For Long-Term Storage” • For long-term energy storage, researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory showed that freezing and thawing a salt solution can be the basis for a rechargeable battery that can store energy cheaply and efficiently for weeks or months at a time. [Scientific American]

World:

¶ “India’s Poor Bear The Brunt Of Blistering Temperatures” • As a blistering heatwave sweeps through India, the country’s poor are again the most vulnerable. The brutal heatwave has upended lives of millions of people in India who struggle to cope with the highest temperatures in over 100 years in cities that are yet to develop climate action plans. [BBC]

¶ “Ford Increases Tow Rating, Reduces Charging Time For Mustang Mach-E In Europe” • Ford increased the Mustang Mach-E’s towing capacity and lowered its charging time for customers in Europe. Ford says the charging time was reduced with an over-the-air update. Towing capacity has been increased with free hardware updates. [CleanTechnica]

Mustang Mach-E towing a boat (Image courtesy of Ford)

¶ “Germany’s Plugin EV Share Up To 24.3%, Economic Pressures Mounting” • Germany, the EU’s largest auto market, saw plugin EVs take 24.3% share in April 2022, up from 22.1% YOY. Overall auto volume was down by over 21% YOY, and over 40% compared to pre-pandemic seasonal norms. Supply chain disruptions and cost inflation reduced sales. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “2021’S Top Ten Countries In The Global EV Revolution” • We should have come to this point in global EV progress earlier, and to save the climate, we need to move even faster. But at least we are finally moving at something resembling the required pace for EVs. Here is a list of the top ten countries for the EV revolution, a long story in two parts. [CleanTechnica]

Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Cabrio
(JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Spotlight On Renewable Energy In Kenya” • Renewable energy is changing the way that energy is produced, distributed, and consumed. In Kenya, renewable energy accounts for 73% of power generation capacity, and 90% of electricity is generated by green energy sources such as wind, solar, hydroelectric and geothermal power. [Africa Outlook Magazine]

¶ “GE Renewable Energy Buys Minority Stake In 3D Printing Firm” • GE Renewable Energy has acquired a minority stake in Danish 3D printing firm COBOD International. The investment will give GE Renewable Energy greater access to COBOD’s 3D printing technology, which can be used to make wind turbine towers onsite at wind farms. [Power Technology]

3D printing equipment (COBOD International)

¶ “In April, 50% Of Power In Spain Came From Renewables” • Span’s national grid operator Red Electrica de Espana announced in its estimates report that Spain had produced a little over half of its electricity from renewable sources of energy last month. It said that in April, 50.1% of the Spanish power came from clean energy resources. [Saur Energy]

¶ “Gravity-Based Storage Team Kick Off Construction In China” • Energy Vault, Atlas Renewable, and China Tianying have started construction of a 100-MWh gravity-based storage system adjacent to a wind farm and national grid site at Rudong in Jiangsu province, China. The EVx system will be the first to be deployed in the country. [reNews]

Energy storage system (Energy Vault image)

US:

¶ “Solar Energy Projects Are Grinding To A Halt In The US Amid Investigation Into Parts From China” • The solar energy industry has been thrown into a panic and projects are grinding to a halt after the Biden administration launched an investigation into whether parts from Southeast Asia might actually have been made in China which has higher tariffs. [CNN]

¶ “Texas Is In Turmoil, As Green Finance Is Very Appealing To Major Funds” • Last year the Texas legislature passed a law to stop fund portfolios that don’t include fossil fuel companies from doing business in the state. They may not business with companies the State Comptroller says are “boycotting” fossil fuels. But loopholes are being used. [CleanTechnica]

Oil platform (Photo by NASA, public domain)

¶ “Tesla Financing Rates Are The Lowest In The Industry” • It’s true that Teslas are premium-priced, but their financing deals can make them compelling. CarsDirect outlines some good news for potential Tesla buyers: If you choose a Tesla, you could be getting a surprisingly good deal, thanks to the lower interest rates than you could get for other cars. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Mexico Adopts Clean Car Rule” • The Environmental Improvement Board and the Albuquerque-Bernalillo County Air Quality Control Board each adopted the Clean Car Rule in a joint public hearing. They both approved the Clean Car Rule, allowing California’s Advanced Clean Cars to be put in place statewide in New Mexico from July 1, 2022. [CleanTechnica]

New Mexico (Raychel Sanner, Unsplash)

¶ “AES Corporation Nails Down Another Microsoft Renewable Energy Agreement” • AES Corporation, a Fortune 500 electrical power company based in Arlington, Virginia, has inked another multi-year renewable energy agreement with Microsoft Corp. It is for 110 MW of electric power, available 24/7, from solar PVs and battery storage. [Daily Energy Insider]

¶ “Senator Markey Secures Environmental, Financial Protections For Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant” • Senator Edward J Markey got commitments from Holtec, the company decommissioning the Pilgrim nuclear plant, that it would not discharge radioactive, contaminated water into Cape Cod Bay without the consent of stakeholders. [Senator Edward Markey]

Have a greatly appreciated day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “REpowerEU: Europe’s Chance To Say Bye To Fossil Fuels” • REpowerEU is the EUʼs flagship strategy to reduce its energy dependence on Russia. It is planned for publication on May 18. The strategy provides the perfect opportunity for the EU not only to wean itself off Russia energy but to reduce hugely its demand for fossil energy. [CleanTechnica]

Wind farm (Efe Kurnaz, Unsplash)

¶ “How Europe Could Cut 35% Of Its Transport Oil Demand” • As the EU plans a ban on imports of Russian oil and oil products, a paper assesses how the EU could end the imports by reducing oil demand instead of creating new dependencies on producers that are similarly authoritarian and human rights abusers, such as Saudi Arabia or Iran. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “This Solar-Powered Plane Could Stay In The Air For Months” • The solar powered airplane Solar Impulse 2 circumnavigated the Earth powered entirely by sunlight in 2016. In 2019, the airplane was sold to Skydweller Aero, a US-Spanish startup, with the intention of turning the plane into the world’s first commercially viable “pseudo-satellite.” [CNN]

Skydweller taking off (Skydweller Aero Inc)

World:

¶ “Europe Is Planning To Ditch Russia’s Oil. Will It Go After Its Gas?” • Europe has proposed a ban on Russian oil, but has again stopped short of sanctioning Russia’s natural gas, a more potent move. The European Commission’s sixth package of sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, would phase out all crude and oil products by the end of the year. [CNN]

¶ “New Law In France: Green Roofs On All New Commercial Buildings” • The French Parliament approved a law requiring all new commercial buildings to partially have their roofs covered with plants or solar panels. The law will apply to all new buildings in commercial zones. Environmentalists had wanted the roofs to be completely covered by greenery. [CleanTechnica]

Green roof in Paris (cocoparisienne, Pixabay)

¶ “UK Plugin Share 16.2%, BEVs Grow 66% YOY, Supplies Can’t Keep Up” • The UK market saw plugin electric vehicles take 16.2% share in April, up from 13.2% YOY. Full battery electrics grew strongly YOY, while plugin hybrids fell. Overall auto volumes were down over 25% from pre-pandemic seasonal norms, at 119,167 units. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volvo, Alison Seek To Clean Up Diesel Truck Emissions With Electric Drivetrains” • Volvo Trucks says it will work with Bucher Municipal to electrify sewer cleaner trucks. By the end of 2023, the two companies expect to deliver up to 80 fully electric sewer cleaner trucks to cities in Europe. Bucher is a leading supplier of municipal street vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo electric sewer cleaning truck (Volvo Trucks)

¶ “Energy Vault Signs Deal With India For Gravity-Based Energy Storage” • Indian utility NTPC Ltd and Energy Vault, based in Switzerland, signed a memorandum of understanding to forge a long-term strategic partnership for EVx gravity-based energy storage technology and software solutions to support its clean energy initiatives. [pv magazine Australia]

US:

¶ “Drought Expands In The Southwest, Worsening The Region’s Fire Risk And Water Crisis” • Drought conditions worsened in much of the Southwest over the past week, according to the latest update from the US Drought Monitor, deepening the region’s water crisis and fueling record-setting wildfires. More than 98% of the Southwest is in drought this week. [CNN]

Drought in the US on May 3 (droughtmonitor.unl.edu)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “DOJ Announces New Office To Enforce Laws Around Climate Crisis, Toxic Pollution” • Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the Justice Department is opening an office specializing in environmental justice efforts. The Office of Environmental Justice is part of a strategy to prioritize the issue, with a focus on the climate crisis. [CNN]

¶ “Foundational Agrivoltaic Research For Megawatt Scale” • The DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office has announced the Foundational Agrivoltaic Research for Megawatt Scale (FARMS) funding opportunity, which will award $8 million in funding for projects that examine how agrivoltaics can be scaled up for new opportunities. [CleanTechnica] (Horrible acronym!)

FARMS publication (Solar Energy Technologies Office)

¶ “Offshore Wind Can Be The Future Of Renewable Energy In South Carolina” • The Carolinas could get all their energy from offshore wind. North and South Carolina could capture enough wind off the coast that they could abandon all other sources of energy, if everything were converted to run on electricity, an Environment America report says. [WSPA]

¶ “BOEM Completes California Offshore Environmental Study” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management concluded offshore wind energy activities will have no significant environmental impact in the Humboldt Wind Energy Area, off the coast of northern California. The finding follows a BOEM review of potential environmental impacts. [reNews]

Humboldt Bay (Humboldt Bay HR&C District)

¶ “Ohio Democratic Party Sues DeWine Over FirstEnergy, Nuclear Bailout Law Records” • The Ohio Democratic Party filed a lawsuit against Gov Mike DeWine’s administration, saying it is breaking the state’s public records law by providing documents with information blacked out. The documents relate to a nuclear bailout corruption scandal. [The Statehouse News Bureau]

¶ “Site Of Retired Iowa Nuclear Plant To Become A Solar Farm” • Iowa’s only nuclear power plant shut down in 2020. Now there are plans to build the state’s biggest solar farm on and around the site. It will include enough solar photovoltaic panels to power tens of thousands of homes and batteries to store energy for times when it’s needed. [Yale Climate Connections]

Have a stunningly beautiful day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “Everything To Know About The Three Mile Island Accident” • Netflix has a new four-part docuseries, “Meltdown: Three Mile Island.” The series details the terrifying partial meltdown of a nuclear power plant in central Pennsylvania in 1979. It features testimonials from the plant’s chief engineer and whistleblower, Richard Parks, and others. [Yahoo]

Three Mile Island plant (Smallbones, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

World:

¶ “Shell Profits Nearly Triple As Oil Prices Surge” • Energy giant Shell made $9.13 billion (£7.3 billion) in the first three months of the year, nearly triple its $3.2 billion profit it announced for the same period last year. But the company said pulling out of Russian oil and gas due to the Ukraine conflict had cost it $3.9 billion (£3.1 billion). [BBC]

¶ “Ukraine War: How Germany Is Getting Rid Of Russian Oil” • Since the invasion the German government has dramatically reduced its dependence on Russian oil from 35% to 12%, all of which comes to the refinery in the town of Schwedt, in north-eastern Germany. Germany has managed to pivot away from Russian oil quicker than expected. [BBC]

Petrochemical plant in Schwedt (© Ralf Roletschek, via Wikimedia)

¶ “Enough Raw Metals To Make 14 Million Electric Cars Globally In 2023 – Study” • There is enough lithium and nickel available to produce 14 million electric cars globally in 2023 even without Russian supplies, a study into the short-term availability of raw materials shows. The study was carried out by Transport & Environment. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Sweden Plugin EV Share At 48.2%, Kia Niro On Top” • Sweden saw plugin EVs take 48.2% market share in April, up from 43.1% YOY. Overall auto market volume was down 19% from last year. Sweden’s best selling auto was the Kia Niro. In April, 24.7% of cars sold were full battery BEVs, up from last year’s 22.2%, and 23.4% were plugin hybrids, up from 20.8%. [CleanTechnica]

Kia Niro (Hyundai Motor Group, Unsplash)

¶ “RenewableUK Calls For 5-GW Hydrogen Plan” • RenewableUK has published a series of key policy recommendations in a report to help the UK Government achieve its target of 10 GW of low carbon hydrogen by 2030, including at least 5 GW from green hydrogen production. Green hydrogen is made from water by electrolysis powered by renewables. [reNews]

¶ “World’s Second-Largest Hydropower Plant Set For 14-Year Upgrade After Deal With GE” • GE Renewable Energy has signed a deal that will see it carry out upgrades to the 14-GW Itaipu hydropower plant, a vast facility straddling the border between Brazil and Paraguay. Itaipu started production in 1984. The upgrade will last 14 years. [CNBC]

Itaipu Dam (Jonas de Carvalho, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Officials Worry Southern California Won’t Have Enough Water To Get Through Summer Without Unprecedented Cuts” • As Southern Californians brace for unprecedented restrictions on water use, officials worry some communities won’t have enough water to get through the summer, unless residents and businesses cut back more than restrictions require. [CNN]

¶ “Stanford University Announces New Climate Change School With $1.1 Billion From Renowned Venture Capitalist” • Stanford University announced it is launching a new school with a focus on climate change. Renowned Silicon Valley venture capitalist John Doerr and his wife donated $1.1 billion to fund the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. [CNN]

Hoover Tower, Stanford University (Y S, Unsplash)

¶ “In California, 12.5% Of New Light-Duty Vehicle Registrations Were Plug-In Electric Vehicles In 2021” • In California, 12.5% of new light-duty vehicle registrations were plug-in EVs in 2021. Next highest were the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Washington, and Oregon, which each had PEV registrations accounting for more than 7% of new registrations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Jamestown: America’s First English Settlement Is Now Endangered” • One of the most important historic sites in the US has been put on a list of endangered places. Preservation groups warn that Jamestown, Virginia, the first successful English colony in America, may not survive another generation because of climate change. [BBC]

Historic Jamestown (Pi3.124, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Austin Semiconductor Factory Moves To 100% Renewable Power” • Austin semiconductor maker Infineon Technologies announced that it is switching to 100% renewable power for its local factory. Infineon was one of the first semiconductor makers to set a carbon neutrality goal for its global operations, according to the company. [KVUE]

¶ “Sila To Build Next Generation Batteries In Washington State” • Sila Nanotechnologies is working with Mercedes and BMW on batteries that use silicon for anodes instead of carbon. The result is batteries that are less expensive and more energy dense. The company announced it will convert a facility in Washington State to produce 10 GWh of batteries. [CleanTechnica]

Batteries (Sila Nanotechnologies image)

¶ “Wyoming Starts Energy Partnership With Idaho Laboratory” • Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon announced in a press release that his state has signed a memorandum of understanding with Batelle Energy Alliance, the operating contractor of the Idaho National Laboratory to collaborate on such advanced energy technologies as nuclear and hydrogen. [K2 Radio]

¶ “Another $61M In Refunds For SC customers In Nuclear Plant Lawsuit” • A judge has approved a second round of refunds for electric ratepayers of Dominion Energy South Carolina totaling $61 million as part of the settlement agreement over a failed nuclear plant. The VC Summer plant never came online despite customers paying over $2 billion for it. [WCBD]

Have a comfortably victorious day.

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

Science and Technology:

¶ “How Spiral Welding Is Revolutionizing Wind Turbine Manufacturing” • Colorado-based Keystone Tower Systems is changing how wind turbines can be manufactured, transported, and installed. They have been using a spiral-welding technique, borrowed from the steel-pipeline industry, to build some of the largest turbine towers on the market. [CleanTechnica]

Audi plant in Mexico (carlos aranda, Unsplash)

¶ “‘One Earth Climate Model’ Shows How To Cut Global Emissions” • One of the most comprehensive and rigorous attempts to detail emissions cuts is a study recently published in the journal Energies. It examined how to keep warming below 1.5°C by 2050 on an industry by industry basis. The study is the topic of a webinar on May 4. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “EU Unveils Plan To Ban Russian Oil Imports” • The EU has been outlining plans this morning to ban imports of Russian crude oil within six months and refined oil products by the end of the year. Exceptionally, Hungary and Slovakia would be able to continue buying Russian crude oil until the end of 2023 under existing contracts. [BBC]

Pump jack (David Thielen, Unsplash)

¶ “Delhi Propels Final-Mile Deliveries In Bid To Become India’s Electric Vehicle Capital” • A report by RMI India, RMI, and the Dialogue and Development Commission of Delhi offers a novel on-the-ground analysis of fleet electrification efforts in Delhi. It assembles findings from electric delivery deployment and the implementation of pilot project. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Li-Metal Gets Grant To Advance Lithium Metal Solid-State Batteries” • Li-Metal, a company based in Canada, is developing technologies for producing lithium metal anodes and lithium metal. It has a patent-pending production process to replace lithium chloride as a raw material with lithium carbonate, which is easily available. [CleanTechnica]

Model of Li₂CO₃ crystal structure (Ben Mills, public domain)

¶ “Victorian Big Battery Drives Major Revenue Jump For Neoen” • Renewable energy developer Neoen said that its revenue for the first quarter of 2022 was up a staggering 36%, a performance the French company said was largely attributable to the addition of the Victorian big battery, which was switched on in December of last year. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “New Class Of Hydrogen Ship Design From C-Job” • C-Job Naval Architects designed a new class of liquid hydrogen tanker that may revolutionize the renewable energy market. The tanker concept, developed in partnership with LH2 Europe, is a critical element in realizing a green end-to-end liquid hydrogen supply chain. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Hydrogen ship (Courtesy of C-Job Naval Architects)

¶ “Denmark Wants To Build Two Wind Energy Islands To Supply More Renewable Energy To Europe” • Dan Jørgensen, Denmark’s energy minister, said Denmark and Europe “must be free of Russian fossil fuels as fast as possible.” The country plans to build two islands to facilitate offshore wind farms, with one eventually providing for 10 GW. [Evwind]

¶ “Ukraine To Build Five Nuclear Power Units Together With Westinghouse” • NNEGC Energoatom and Westinghouse are doing joint research on construction of new power units at Ukrainian nuclear plants. Noting that two Russian missiles flew over the Zaporizhia nuclear plant, the CEO of NNEGC said the new plants would have higher security. [menafn]

Westinghouse AP1000 at Sanmen (我, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Lake Powell Officials Take Unprecedented, Emergency Steps To Delay Water Releases As Level Plummets” • The federal government announced unprecedented steps to help boost water levels at Lake Powell. The measures are intended to buy the surrounding communities more time to plan for what happens if the reservoir runs out of water. [CNN]

¶ “NREL Builds Out National Capability To Reduce Risk In Big Changes In Grid Infrastructure” • The transition to renewable and distributed energy requires a deep look at how to develop, control, and deploy upcoming power electronic devices for energy systems. This is now possible with the Power Electronic Grid Interface platform at NREL. [CleanTechnica]

NREL researcher Jin Tan (Image from NREL)

¶ “Tesla Now Makes More Money Than GM And Ford” • For the longest time, GM and Ford have been the kings of this industry, but that is no longer true. Tesla is now making more money than General Motors and Ford. An article in The Street highlighted this Tesla achievement, noting that the world leader in EVs is taking trophies GM and Ford used to win. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Biden Admin: $3.16 Billion From Bipartisan Infrastructure Law To Boost Domestic And Battery Manufacturing” • The US DOE said that $3.1 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will fund more batteries and components in America, bolster domestic supply chains, create good-paying jobs, and help lower costs for families. [CleanTechnica]

Stationary battery (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

¶ “Study Finds Offshore Wind Could Drive Down Energy Costs In New England” • A new analysis led by North Carolina State University researchers found offshore wind power could help lower wholesale electricity prices on average for six states in New England, with relatively low risk of wind turbines failing during extreme winter storms. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Should Gavin Newsom Keep Diablo Canyon Open? SLO Anti-Nuclear Group Has Concerns” • San Luis Obispo Mothers for Peace questioned “whether the governor has the power to make any decisions about how long Diablo Canyon should operate,” and noted several difficulties they see with attempting to keep the plant open. [San Luis Obispo Tribune]

Have an unequivocably exquisite day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “California AG Subpoenas Exxon Over False Plastics Recycling Claims” • The Attorney General of California has launched an investigation into plastics and Big Oil. Exxon is one of the biggest contributors to the global plastics pandemic. It is also the poster child for everything that is wrong with capitalism as it has evolved over the past 50 years. [CleanTechnica]

Rubbish washed up on a beach (Antoine GIRET, Unsplash)

¶ “Outdated Zoning Laws Are Holding Renewable Energy Back” • The cost of renewable energy has plummeted in the past ten years, but it faces legal barriers. One of the reasons there isn’t more solar and wind is that there are costs associated with installing them that haven’t decreased so significantly. Experts refer to them as “soft costs.” [Popular Science]

Science and Technology:

¶ “How Phantom Forests Are Used For Greenwashing” • Drawing down carbon by increasing forest cover has become central to the fight against climate change. But sometimes the forests exist on paper only, because promises have not been kept, or because planted trees have died or even been harvested. A new effort will now be made to track success and failure. [BBC]

Planting volunteer (Mikhail Nilov, Pexels)

World:

¶ “India And Pakistan Heatwave Is ‘Testing The Limits Of Human Survivability,’ Expert Says” • Temperatures in parts of India and Pakistan have reached record levels, putting the lives of millions at risk as the effects of the climate crisis are felt across the subcontinent. The average maximum temperature in central India in April was 37.78°C (100°F). [CNN]

¶ “Germany Will Support An EU Oil Embargo On Russia” • Germany is ready to support a European ban on imports of Russian oil, and won’t be “blackmailed” by Moscow into paying for natural gas in rubles. Finance minister Christian Lindner said Germany would agree any new sanctions on Russia with its partners in the EU. [CNN]

Pumpjack (Jeremy Morris, Unsplash)

¶ “France Plugin EV Share 21.1% In April, New Bestseller” • In France, plugin EVs took 21.1% of the auto market in April, up from 14.8% year-on-year. Full battery electrics continued to dominate over plugin hybrids. The overall passenger auto market was down 22.6% YOY, and down 44.2% compared to pre-pandemic April 2019. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BP Profits Soar As Calls For Windfall Tax Grow” • BP’s profits for the first three months of this year have more than doubled after oil and gas prices soared. The energy giant reported an underlying profit of $6.2 billion (£4.9 billion) compared to $2.6 billion in the same period last year. Rising profits have prompted calls for a one-off windfall tax. [BBC]

Thunder Horse platform (Andyminicooper, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Danish Giant Reveals Details Of Giga-Scale Renewable Hydrogen Plans In Murchison” • Details have emerged of the Murchison Hydrogen Renewables project proposed for Western Australia. It includes over 5 GW of wind and solar, a big battery, a 3-GW electrolyser, and production of about 2 million tonnes a year of green ammonia. [Renew Economy]

US:

¶ “Biden Administration Making $3 Billion Investment In Lithium Ion Battery Production” • President Joe Biden is building on his EV goal with a $3 billion investment aimed at boosting the US supply of lithium ion batteries. The move is aimed at fighting climate change, but also to respond to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. [CNN]

Tesla (Matt Weissinger, Pexels)

¶ “Electric Vehicle Manufacturers Mobilize Behind Charging Cybersecurity At NREL” • With more EVs in use, vehicle security is drawing more interest. Members of the EV industry gathered at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to evaluate enhanced cybersecurity for the connections between EVs and charging infrastructure. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford F-150 Lightning Home Integration System Priced At $3,895” • Ford chose Sunrun as its partner to install the Home Integration System needed to take advantage of the vehicle-to-home capability of the F-150 Lightning. Now, Matthew Stover, the director of charging and energy services at Ford, has revealed a price of $3,895. [CleanTechnica]

‘Home of the Future’ with a Ford F-150 Lightning (Sunrun image)

¶ “US Offshore Wind Says The Quiet Part Out Loud: Fossil Fuel Is Toast” • The technical electricity generation potential for wind turbines located in US waters is more than 2,000 GW, but almost none of it has been tapped as yet. But the Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has laid the groundwork for growth. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Climate Change Is Coming For New England’s Highest Peak” • Mount Washington in New Hampshire is famous for some of the world’s worst weather. But Mount Washington’s weather is starting to shift significantly because of climate change. A study from the Appalachian Mountain Club found areas on and near Mount Washington warming. [NHPR]

View from Mount Washington (Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash)

¶ “Avangrid Unleashes 200-MW Oregon Wind Farm” • Avangrid Renewables has achieved commercial operation at its 200-MW Golden Hills wind farm in Oregon. Golden Hills features 41 Vestas V150 4.3-MW turbines and 10 GE 116 2.5-MW turbines. The new wind farm increases PSE’s owned and contracted wind fleet to over 1,150 MW. [reNews]

¶ “Counterfeit Parts Found In US Nuke Plants: Here Is What NRC Is Doing About It” • In response to an audit report that found three instances of counterfeit, fraudulent, and suspect items in the nation’s nuclear power plants, the NRC will implement eight improvements to guard against such component problems in the future. [Seacoastonline.com]

Have fundamentally enchanting day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “Five Ways To Cut Oil And Gas Use With Clean Transportation” • Oil and gas prices are burgeoning due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with gas prices rising above $4 a gallon in the US and above $10 a gallon elsewhere. The world is already experiencing the deadly effects of climate change. It is time to reduce oil and gas use in vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

Traffic in Montreal (Jp Valery, Unsplash)

¶ “Macron Won On The Back Of The ‘Green’ Vote. Here’s How He Can Repay Their Trust” • In his first term as President of France, Emmanuel Macron managed to convince just enough young, green minded voters to put their trust in him. He must not betray their confidence. What he does on transport will be a good test case. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The West Can Cut Its Energy Dependency On Russia And Be Greener” • Russia’s invasion of Ukraine amplified the importance of national-security considerations in western countries’ energy policies. But governments must maintain their environmental focus, especially on GHG emissions. Both goals are urgent. They should be evaluated together. [The Guardian]

Solar farm (Gunnar Ridderström, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “The End Of The European ICE Age” • A recent report from Boldt and Avere examined the state of progress of European automakers’ attitudes to the uptake of electric vehicles. Although there was some reluctance to go first, it appears now that there is a greater aversion to be the last to abandon internal combustion engines and promote EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Thrives In Italy As Broader Plug-In Market Falls In March” • As expected, Italy’s auto market is in a rout. Europe’s fourth largest market posts in March its first battery EV decline in many years of growth, though hybrid sales grew slightly. The overall market has been down badly. The Tesla Model Y did its best performance to date. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Esteban Chinchilla, Unsplash)

¶ “ÖBB Earmarks €1 Billion For Investment In Renewable Energy For Traction Power” • ÖBB, the Austrian national railway, aims to invest around €1 billion through 2030 in renewable energy such wind, solar and water. The company is moving to generate an additional 280 GWh, it announced at its annual results presentation. [RailTech.com]

¶ “There’s Value In Old Power Generation Components” • The market for recycled power equipment components is getting a boost due to ongoing global supply chain issues, particularly for those in the renewable energy sector. The so-called “circular” supply chain provides a solution for companies finding it difficult to source raw materials. [Power Magazine]

Bike shelter made from a part of a recycled wind
turbine blade (Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy)

¶ “Large-Scale Hydrogen Projects Take Shape As Technology Continues To Evolve” • Some people think green hydrogen could be decades away, but they may be wrong. A great deal of money is being spent on hydrogen technology, and serious projects are getting done. The effects of the investments could be felt sooner rather than later. [Power Magazine]

¶ “Finnish Group Cancels Rosatom Nuclear Plant Contract Over Risks Exacerbated By Ukraine War” • Finnish group Fennovoima says it has canceled a contract on cooperating with Russian state-owned nuclear power giant Rosatom to supply a nuclear power plant, saying Moscow’s war in Ukraine has “worsened” risks for the project. [Radio Free Europe]

Nuclear plant in Finland (Fennovoima, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “‘Operating Normally’: Russia Shows Seized Ukraine Nuclear Plant” • There has been deep international concern over the situation at the plant, which has six of Ukraine’s 15 reactors and can create enough energy for four million homes. Russia invited journalists to the site to tell them all necessary precautions are being taken at the plant. [France 24]

US:

¶ “Lake Powell Officials Face An Impossible Choice In The West’s Megadrought: Water Or Electricity” • Lake Powell, the country’s second-largest reservoir, is drying up. The situation is critical: if the water level at the lake drops 32 feet more, power generation will be halted at the Glen Canyon Dam. Levels have dropped 100 feet in the last three years. [CNN]

Glen Canyon Dam, July 2021 (Jeremy Bezanger, Unsplash)

¶ “California 100% Powered By Renewables For The First Time” • Renewables met 100% of California’s electricity demand for the first time on April 30, most of it from solar power produced along Interstate 10, an hour east of the Coachella Valley. The milestone lasted almost 15 minutes before edging back down to about 97% renewables. [Yahoo]

¶ “River-Powered Villages To Hydropower Water Power Successes: WPTO Accomplishments Report” • This year, several of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s recent water power successes earned spots in the 2020–2021 Accomplishments Report, which was published by the US Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office. [CleanTechnica]

Small hydropower (US DOE photo)

¶ “Tesla’s Unconventional Sales Model Could Mark The End Of Traditional Car Dealerships” • Tesla’s direct-to-consumer model changes the game for buyers, a MarketWatch opinion piece says. It eliminates days of haggling prices at dealerships, when buyers prefer to buy online. And it removes the need for dealerships to stock hundreds of cars. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Big Week For Clean Energy In Michigan” • A lot has happened in Michigan this week: release of a report from the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Michigan Environmental Justice Coalition, submission of a proposed settlement agreement by the utility Consumers Energy, and news of Governor Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan. [CleanTechnica]

Have a superbly copacetic day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “Batteries Included, Thanks To Tesla” • Bloomberg New Energy Finance believes that the energy storage decade has arrived. BNEF forecasts there will be 1 TWh of batteries installed around the world by 2030. This may prove to be a conservative estimate in the light of some of the comments Elon Musk made recently in a Ted talk. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Megapack (Tesla image)

¶ “Point vs Counterpoint: Tesla’s CEO Should Focus On Tesla And Ignore Twitter” • During a week in which Tesla reported another record quarter and smashed Wall Street estimates for revenue and profit, CEO Elon Musk has been derided for his attempts to take over Twitter. Is the criticism valid? Here we examine points and counterpoints. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Marching Under A Radioactive Cloud” • It was May 1, 1986, and one of the biggest holidays in the Soviet year, a celebration of workers and peasants. Of course, the Kremlin never passed up an opportunity to hold a parade, even in the middle of the worst nuclear disaster in history, so what was happening at Chernobyl had no effect on celebrations. [CNN]

Abandoned amusement (Dasha Urvachova, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Planet-Warming Emissions From Cow Burps Have Been Seen From Space” • Methane emissions in cow burps have been observed from space. The emissions were detected by GHGSat’s high-resolution satellites in February, the company said. In April GHGSat analysis confirmed that the emissions came from a cattle feedlot in California. [CNN]

¶ “Tri-Cities Scientists “Magically” Mining Metals From Water” • Scientists at the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are working with industry to test an approach that uses magnetic nanoparticles surrounded by an adsorbent shell to capture critical materials, such as lithium, from various water sources, possibly including seawater. [CleanTechnica]

Wave (Silas Baisch, Unsplash)

¶ “Climate Change May Increase Risk Of New Infectious Diseases” • Climate change will result in thousands of new viruses spread among animal species by 2070, and that’s likely to increase the risk of emerging infectious diseases jumping from animals to humans, according to a study. This is especially true for Africa and Asia. [Sentinel-Tribune]

World:

¶ “Will Gigafactory Berlin–Brandenburg Give Tesla An Unfair Advantage In Europe?” • Tesla could take back EV market share in Europe overall with its new Gigafactory Berlin, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. Many people believe that once production ramps up, Tesla could have an unfair advantage in the European auto market. [CleanTechnica]

Elon Musk at Gigafactory Berlin (SEC image via Unsplash)

¶ “Electric Car Sales Soar Despite Ballooning Battery Costs” • According to estimates from EV-Volumes.com, global EV sales soared by nearly 120% in the first quarter of this year. Tesla delivered a record 310,000 EVs in the first quarter, despite the fact that the company implemented several price increases in 2021, and another in March 2022. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Climate Change Storm Threatens Kenya’s Tea Production” • Kenya’s tea production is likely to drop significantly within the next decade because of climate change, threatening the country’s foreign earnings from the crop. A senior researcher at the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization’s Tea Research Institute voiced concerns on the issue. [KBC]

Picking tea leaves in Kenya (CIAT, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Russia’s Rosatom Is Trying To Take Complete Control Of The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, IAEA Says” • A group of eight Rosatom specialists had been sent to the Zaporizhzhya plant to demand “daily reports on confidential issues.” The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that the plant’s personnel is working “under immense pressure.” [Yahoo News]

¶ “France’s Nuclear Shutdown Hits 50% Of Reactors Amid EU Energy Crisis” • Energy supplier Electricité de France said some 28 of the country’s 56 reactors were shut down due to routine maintenance or defects. The latest shutdown forced EDF to buy electricity from the European grid “to compensate the lack of production of our nuclear plants.” [Press TV]

Saint-Laurent nuclear plant (T.A.F.K.A.S., CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “Largest US Grid Operator Puts 1,200 Mostly Solar Projects On Hold For 2 Years” • The largest US electrical grid operator has approved a new process for adding power plants to the grid system it manages, including a two-year pause on reviewing some 1,200 projects, mostly solar power, that are part of a controversial backlog. [Courier-Journal]

¶ “Geothermal Company Looks To Augustine As A Source Of Renewable Energy” • An Alaska company could start prospecting for energy on the active volcano on Augustine Island, in Cook Inlet. The state of Alaska is considering leasing land to GeoAlaska LLC so it can see if Augustine could potentially be a good site for a geothermal project. [KDLL]

Augustine Island (ML Coombs, US Geological Survey)

¶ “Climate Change And Health” • Dr Sedden Savage, a doctor at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire, has already found three fully embedded ticks on her this spring. The early start to tick season is becoming the norm in northern New England. Anyone who likes to spend time outdoors should be concerned about Lyme disease. [Rutland Herald]

¶ “USDA Invests In Renewable Energy Infrastructure For Three Wyoming Small Businesses” • State Director Glenn Pauley announced that the US Department of Agriculture is investing over $38,000 in Wyoming renewable energy infrastructure for three small businesses. They are among 165 projects to receive funding for clean energy or safe water. [The Fence Post]

Have a fulfillingly elated day.

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

Opinions of Various Authors: 

¶ “Electric Vehicle Misinformation: How Do You Deal With It?” • When I bought my first electric car in 2011, I didn’t plan on promoting them as a disruption to the auto industry. I also didn’t see a lot of attacks on EVs, because people I knew just looked at them as a joke and nobody really felt threatened by them. But I had to learn to deal with attacks. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Tyler Casey, Unsplash)

¶ “225 Reasons Why People Buy Electric Cars” • The reddit EV forum has a post, “Why Have You Gone Electric?” When I saw that it had 225 responses, I looked to see what all those people said. These folks were already driving electric and talking about the factors that motivated them move to EVs. Some of what they said is worth thinking about. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Ukraine War: Clean Energy Tipping Point?” • The US and its allies have also tried to sanction Russia as severely as possible for their aggression in Ukraine. To do that, it is necessary to greatly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. Solar and wind electricity generation are already less expensive than electricity from coal or fossil gas. [CleanTechnica]

Howitzer similar to 72 going to Ukraine (US Army photo)

¶ “Do-It-Yourself Electric Vehicles” • “I love Teslas,” says Graeme, owner of Oz-DIY Electric Vehicles, “they make great spare parts!” Graeme knows a lot about cars, both fossil fueled cars and EVs. Looking around his workshop, I see a number of cars in various stages of retrofit. He also makes and sells kits for those who want to do their own conversions. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Clorox Company Signs A 47-MW Virtual Power Purchase Agreement” • The Clorox Company said it signed a 12-year, 47-MW virtual power purchase agreement with Enel Green Power North America for renewable electricity. The deal should provide about half of the renewable electricity Clorox needs in the US and Canada. [Environment + Energy Leader]

Clorox products (Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash)

¶ “Azure Power Global Signs An Expression Of Interest With Government Of Karnataka To Develop 1700 MW Renewable Energy Projects” • Azure Power, an Indian power producer, signed an Expression of Interest with Government of Karnataka to develop solar, wind, and hybrid renewable energy projects aggregating to 1,700 MW capacity. [MarketScreener]

¶ “Solar Delivered 15% Of 201 GW Peak Demand On April 26” • Renewable energy has come to the rescue during the ongoing power crisis triggered by surging demand amid the heat wave condition in India, especially when the peak electricity supply hit the record level of 201.06 GW earlier this week, a senior official said. [Saur Energy International]

Solar parking canopy in India (Rsrikanth05, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “TC Energy Wants To Power The Oilsands With Small Nuclear Reactors” • The head of Canadian pipeline giant TC Energy Corp said he sees an opportunity to get involved in providing small-scale nuclear power for Alberta’s oilsands. TC Energy already has a 48.4% ownership stake in the nuclear generating company Bruce Power. [Canada’s National Observer]

US:

¶ “A Watershed Moment: Key Findings About Potential Drinking Water Contamination” • Every day, people across the US turn on their faucets for a glass of drinking water, but few of them ever think about where their water comes from. Researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory found a wide range of potential contamination. [CleanTechnica]

Areas of contamination (Sean Turner, PNNL)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Approximately 5,000 More EV Chargers Coming To Southern California” • There was a time when there were no drive-in gas stations, but despite that, the number of gas-powered vehicles grew. Today, critics of EVs say there aren’t enough public EV chargers, which is true, but that situation is changing. California is acting to get them installed. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Time To Shine: Solar Power Poised To Surpass Wind As Michigan’s #1 Renewable Energy Source” • DTE, southeast Michigan’s largest energy provider, says it’s working to reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2040, and net-zero carbon by 2050. Wind will continue to be important, but solar is likely going to be DTE’s driving force moving forward. [WXYZ]

Wind turbines in Michigan (NOAA via Flickr)

¶ “Video: Yes, Renewable Energy Plants Are Cheaper To Operate Than Non-Renewables” • In March, the US generated 18% of its electricity from renewable sources like wind and solar, according to a study from Ember, a global energy think tank. Some people wanted to know if renewable energy saves money as well as the environment. It does. [WCNC]

¶ “RFPs Solicited By Dominion For Renewable Energy Projects In Virginia” • Dominion Energy Virginia issued a request for proposals for up to 1,200 MW of new solar and onshore wind projects, as well as about 125 MW of energy storage. Another RFP, looking proposals for power purchase agreements, will be issued in September. [North American Windpower]

Solar panels in Virginia (USDA via Flickr)

¶ “South Carolina Companies Team Up For Renewable Energy Project At McCall Farms” • A new facility at the McCall Farms plant in South Carolina turns waste into usable natural gas. It filters natural gas gathered from nearby wastewater lagoons, which hold the parts of fruits and vegetables that don’t make their way into food. [WBTW]

¶ “California Governor Reconsidering The Future Of PG&E’s Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant” • Concerns about the power grid in California, especially with the shutdowns Californians have seen in the past two summers, have prompted Governor, Gavin Newsom to think again about shutting down the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. [KSBY]

Have a particularly enjoyable day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “Should People Get Rid Of Their Garden Lawns?” • Many of us create or maintain lawns in our gardens without giving it a second thought. But could these innocent patches of greenery be a colossal waste of space? They are relatively easy and cheap to maintain, but there are many more environmentally friendly ways to use the space they take up. [BBC]

Lawn (Paul Moody, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Europe Has Bought $46 Billion Worth Of Russian Energy Since The Ukraine War Began” • Russian revenues from fossil fuel exports to the EU soared during the first two months of the Ukraine invasion, up by more than double from what it was last year, despite some buyers shunning Russian energy and finding alternative suppliers, a report shows. [CNN]

¶ “Soaring Costs And Shortages Push German Industry To The Brink” • Many of Germany’s manufacturing businesses, which provide almost a fifth of its GDP, are finding it difficult to buy raw materials and energy, according to the World Bank. The problem is acute for small and medium-sized businesses, which provide over half of the country’s output. [CNN]

Heavy industry (Ant Rozetsky, Unsplash)

¶ “Trillions In Unpaid Health And Environmental Costs” • The five biggest oil majors in Europe pocketed €47 billion – mostly in profit for shareholders and management – in 2021, taking their total profits to €850 billion since 1993, a study shows. The study also shows that their pollution, public health effects, and carbon emissions total €13 trillion. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Meet The 200 MPH Gen 3 Formula E Race Car” • Described as “a seriously quick and agile racing car” by the only driver to drive it thus far (three-time Le Mans winner Benoit Treluyer), the eagerly anticipated Gen 3 version of the Formula E race car made its debut in Monaco. The power, applied to both front and rear, comes to 800 hp. [CleanTechnica]

Gen 3 EV (Jaguar image)

¶ “Steel Company Shifts To Renewable Energy” • A steel manufacturer and property developer based in the Philippine province of Cebu is set to be a carbon-neutral firm by 2025, after shifting to renewable energy by tapping First Gen Corp as its power supplier. The power supply is coming from the EDC geothermal plant in Leyte. [The Manila Times]

¶ “Candela Opens Electric Boat Experience Center On The French Riviera” • Candela has announced it will open an electric boat experience center this September in Cannes on France’s Côte d’Azur, as a joint effort with the leading French recreational boat dealer, Sud Plaisance. Potential customers can get test drives during the Cannes Yachting Festival. [CleanTechnica]

Candela C-8 (Image courtesy of Candela, cropped)

¶ “Xlinks wants CFD support for UK-Morocco link” • Xlinks is in talks with the UK government about possible Contract for Difference support for a project that would link power generated at a solar and wind facility with storage in Morocco to the UK. The project aims to cover connect 3,800 km (2,361 mi) of HVDC subsea cables, the company said. [reNews]

¶ “Origin Bags 900-MW Oz Solar Project” • Australian energy retailer Origin has acquired a solar project of up to 900 MW in New South Wales as part of plans to boost renewables in its portfolio. The Yarrabee Solar Farm, in the Riverina district, consists of a 450-MW initial project. There is a potential to double its capacity. [reNews]

Solar array (Red Zeppelin, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “EV Conversions Are Awesome, But You’ll Have To Wait” • Some people with old cars they love would rather perform EV conversions, switch them over to electric power, and get the best of both worlds, than buy a new EV. The LA Times recently went out and talked to the owners of EV conversions and the shops that do the work. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Sixteen States, DC, And Environmental Groups Sue USPS Over Gas-Powered Trucks” • Attorneys general from sixteen states and the District of Columbia, along with a coalition of environmental groups, are suing the US Postal Service in an effort to stop the purchase of thousands of gasoline-powered trucks instead of electric trucks. [CNN]

USPS delivery trucks (Sam LaRussa, Unsplash)

¶ “In Atlantic City, Optimistic Offshore Wind Advocates Acknowledge Uncertainty” • To hear advocates tell it, prospects have never looked so good for the US offshore wind industry, after its record-setting $4.37 billion sale of wind power leases in the New York Bight. Some uncertainty does arise with concerns over inflation and supply issues. [WorkBoat]

¶ “FPL Package Deal – EV Charger, Installation, And Unlimited Off Peak Charging For $38 A Month” • Florida Power & Light has a deal for EV drivers that sounds rather tempting. For just $38 a month, it will install an EV charger at your home and provide unlimited off-peak electricity to charge your car for one low fee. A ten year contract is required. [CleanTechnica]

Dream of the future (FPL image)

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Advances Three Transmission Projects To Connect More Clean Energy To The Grid” • The Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management announced significant milestones on three transmission projects that will potentially carry 10,000 MW of renewable energy across the West. [US Department of the Interior]

¶ “US Nuclear Power Agency Seeks Staff Documentation Of NuScale’s Quake Protection” • An official with the US NRC has ordered staff to supply documents that could lead to a review of a 2020 approval of a the NuScale nuclear reactor after an engineer raised concerns about its ability to withstand earthquakes, documents showed. [Financial Post]

Have a gloriously serene day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “How Can Urban Landscapes Modulate Their Carbon Footprint?” • What comes to mind when you think of a city? Is it concrete and urban sprawl? Or can you envision an exciting life filled with economic and cultural opportunities? Cities need to transcend their reliance on stifling, toxic, deadly fossil fuels and suppression of the natural world. [CleanTechnica]

Urban landscape (Photo retrieved from NOAA, public domain)

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Most Devastating Hurricanes Could Double By 2050 In Nearly All Regions Of World, Scientists Say” • Intense hurricanes and typhoons of category 3 or stronger, the most devastating storms on the planet, could more than double by 2050 in nearly all regions of the world because of climate change, according to a report in Science Advances. [CNN]

¶ “Some Experts Fear These Forests Could Shift From Absorbing Carbon Dioxide To Emitting It” • Wildfires burning in the vast and pristine forests of Canada, Europe, and the far Northern US could release an enormous amount of planet-warming emissions between now and 2050, putting the world’s climate goals in peril, scientists reported. [CNN]

Alaskan boreal forest (LB Brubaker, NOAA, public domain)

¶ “Korean Researchers Develop Battery Tech With Blistering Charge Speeds” • The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology say they did some battery development that is pretty astonishing. They claim to be able to make a hybrid lithium-ion battery that could theoretically reduce the charging time for an electric car to one minute. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Photovoltaics vs Nuclear Power On Mars” • Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have compared how PV or nuclear energy could power a crewed outpost for an extended period on Mars and have determined that solar offers the best performance. The team considered four scenarios, one with a nuclear reactor and three with PVs. [PV Magazine]

Mars colony (Davian Ho, University of California, Berkeley)

World:

¶ “India Has Seen Months Of Extreme Heat And This Week It Will Only Get Hotter” • Life-threatening heat waves arrived in India a month earlier than normal, shattering temperature records, with highs reaching over 100°F (38°C) – and it will only get hotter. Over one billion people will be subjected to excessive heat, one expert said. [CNN]

¶ “Ukraine War: Russia Gas Supply Cuts ‘Blackmail’, Says EU” • Russia’s decision to cut off gas exports to Poland and Bulgaria is an “instrument of blackmail”, the EU says. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said the move showed Russia’s “unreliability” as a supplier. Russia supplies over a third of the EU’s natural gas. [BBC]

Ursula von der Leyen (Kuhlmann, MSC, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “22% Of New Cars In Europe Have A Plug!” • Despite declining growth rates, the European passenger plugin vehicle market is still growing significantly, up 10% in March. This is especially significant, as the overall market continues to fall off a cliff, down 19% year over year last month, marking its ninth consecutive month on the red. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Caribbean Must Speed Renewable Energy Transition To Manage Oil Shocks” • Caribbean countries must transition to renewable energy quickly because of high costs of fossil fuels, the president of the Caribbean Development Bank said. Imported petroleum provides about 80% of the energy for the nineteen countries that borrow funds from the bank. [Reuters]

Antigua (Mark Jordan, Unsplash)

¶ “Russian Hackers Are Targeting Europe’s Renewable Energy Infrastructure” • A European wind power industry association says three cyberattacks on German wind farms may be linked to hackers sympathetic with Russia who aim to cause havoc on European renewable energy systems as Europe looks to cut its reliance on Russian fossil fuels. [Oil Price]

¶ “Safety warning at Europe’s largest nuclear plant held by Russian troops” • Safety at the largest nuclear power plant in Europe has been a “red light blinking” since Russia’s invasion, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency warned. He said the IAEA is struggling to get access to Zaporizhzhia plant, which is occupied by Russian troops. [Yahoo News]

Zaporizhzhia briefing, March 4 (IAEA Imagebank, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Southern Californians told to reduce outdoor watering in ‘unprecedented’ order amid historic drought” • Facing extreme drought conditions caused by a “changing climate,” Southern California officials are demanding businesses and residents in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura, and San Bernardino counties cut outdoor watering to one day a week. [CNN]

¶ “California Sets Standards For 100% EV Sales” • In just over a decade, all cars sold in California will be electric, based on new proposed standards from the state’s Air Resources Board. The proposed standards require about 35% of vehicles sold by car manufacturers to be EVs starting in model year 2026 and 100% in model year 2035. [CleanTechnica]

EV charging in California (Kindel Media, Pexels)

¶ “US DOE Launches $84 Million Enhanced Geothermal Energy Systems Program” • The DOE issued a request for information to support $84 million in geothermal systems pilot demonstration projects. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorizes the DOE to support four competitively selected pilot projects for different types of geology. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Purdue And Duke Energy To Explore Potential For SMR Nuclear Power Source For Campus” • Purdue University and Duke Energy plan to explore the feasibility of using advanced nuclear energy to meet the campus community’s long-term energy needs. They intend to study power produced through Small Modular Reactors. [Green Car Congress]

Have a wonderfully agreeable day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “Green Jet Fuel Is Here – So Why Are Airlines Not Using It?” • The ingredients of Sustainable Aviation Fuel include used cooking oils or agricultural waste. The first commercial flights using SAF took off in 2011. And yet in 2019, SAF accounted for just 0.1% of all jet fuel used worldwide. There are reasons why the industry is not using much of it. [CNN]

Electric aircraft, another approach (Eviation image)

¶ “Lessons From Sweden’s Anti-Putin, Pro-Climate Energy Model” • Buyers of Russian gas created the conditions for the war and could not take economic steps to deter it. But there is a model not dependent on gas or so much oil. What it delivers is prosperity, an end to fossil fuel politics, and climate justice to future generations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “A $6 Billion Bailout For US Nuclear Power Plants?” • The massive bipartisan infrastructure bill that was signed into law in mid-November included $6 billion for the DOE to establish a program to keep unprofitable nuclear reactors going. It might do that (which might not be safe), but it might even fail to save any reactors or jobs. [Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]

Palisades nuclear plant (NRC image, public domain)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Capturing Carbon With Inspiration From Battery Chemistry” • Using seed money provided through the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program, an initiative of the US DOE, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is working with an array of emerging technologies to draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Ukraine War: Poland Says It Will Manage Without Russian Gas” • Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered “unfriendly” countries to pay for gas in rubles. Poland’s deputy foreign minister says Warsaw can cope without Gazprom’s gas. It has “options to get the gas from other partners,” according to a deputy foreign minister. [BBC]

Polish wind turbines (Przykuta, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Ukraine War To Cause Biggest Price Shock In 50 Years – World Bank” • The war in Ukraine is set to cause the “largest commodity shock” since the 1970s, the World Bank warned. In a new forecast, it said disruption caused by the conflict would contribute to huge price rises for goods ranging from natural gas to wheat and cotton. [BBC]

¶ “‘Vampire devices’ cost UK households £147 a year” • UK households could save an average of £147 per year by switching off so-called vampire devices, electronics that drain a surprising amount of power even when they are on standby. British Gas research shows that UK households spend £3.16 billion annually just to leave vampire devices on standby. [BBC]

Infrared led inside remote (Peter Hebels, public domain)

¶ “Turkey’s Karsan Is Building The Electric Buses Customers Want, Today” • Turkey has established itself as a key builder of commercial vehicles, with the majority of those flowing through export channels to Europe, thanks to the favorable customs agreements established in 1995. Karsan, a Turkish company, is now making electric buses. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Japan’s Main Railway Is Now Powered Solely By Renewable Energy” • Tokyu Railways trains switched to power generated solely by renewable sources. This means that carbon dioxide emissions from Tokyu’s sprawling network of seven train lines and a tram service are now zero, and green energy is being used at all its stations. [The Bharat Express News]

Tokyu Corporation railroad (MaedaAkihiko, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Carbon Removal Pioneer Climeworks Raises $650 Million To Grow Faster” • With new customers, Climeworks, a leading player in the field of carbon removal technology, announced an equity round of $650 million. This marks a milestone in the carbon removal industry and the future trajectory of Climeworks as a company. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Russian Capture Of Chernobyl Put World On “Brink Of Disaster”: Ukraine’s Zelensky” • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia’s capture of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant soon after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine had pushed the world towards the “brink of disaster” because Russia treated the area like a normal battle ground. [NDTV.com]

Red Forest, beyond buildings (Jorge Franganillo, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Biden Flips The Switch On Trump’s Incandescent Light Bulb Plan” • In yet another rollback of a Trump-era policy, President Joe Biden’s Department of Energy finalized a new efficiency rule to phase out older, high-energy incandescent light bulbs. The move is the culmination of a decades-long, bipartisan effort to phase out inefficient light bulbs. [CNN]

¶ “New Law Could Boost Labor Union Presence In Maine Renewable Energy Projects” • As Maine expands its investments in renewable energy, organized labor is winning policy victories aimed to boost union workers’ presence in the green economy. A new law will require developers to pay prevailing wages on many renewable energy projects. [Maine Public]

Mars Hill wind farm (Michael Surran, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Duke Energy Renewable Energy Growth Soars By 20% In 2021” • Duke Energy had its best year ever for adding renewable energy as the company posted a 20% jump in wind and solar power in 2021. This information was detailed in Duke Energy’s 16th annual disclosure on environment, social, and governance topics. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “Nuclear Energy Generation Surpassed By Renewable Energy In 2021” • Electric power sector generation from renewable sources totaled 795 million MWh in the US during 2021. This surpassed nuclear generation, which totaled 778 million MWh, but it did not surpass coal, according the US Energy Information Administration. [Solar Industry]

Have a totally peachy day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “Big Oil – PBS Frontline Series On An Industry That Lies To Get What It Wants” • A PBS Frontline three-part series goes into how Big Oil – led by ExxonMobil – used its money and influence to thwart attempts by federal and state officials to reduce carbon emissions. The first video is already available on PBS stations. It will be aired in the UK this summer. [CleanTechnica]

Pollution (Matteo Catanese, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Replacing NSW Coal Plant With Renewables Would Create Thousands More Jobs Than Gas” • Replacing the Eraring coal-fired power station in New South Wales with renewable energy would create tens of thousands more construction jobs than replacing it with gas, an analysis found. Eraring is Australia’s largest coal-fired power station. [The Guardian]

¶ “Slovenia’s Populist PM Loses Election To Environmentalist Party” • Slovenia’s populist Prime Minister, Janez Janša, lost a national election on Sunday as the environmentalist Freedom Movement party won more votes than his SDS party, according to preliminary figures from election authorities. Janša conceded that he had been defeated in the vote. [CNN]

Ljubljana, Slovenia (Zach Pickering, Unsplash)

¶ “Fifteen European Countries Have 15% Or More Plugin Vehicle Sales For New Cars” • There are now fifteen European countries that have 15% or more of new-car buyers buying plugin electric cars (full electric cars or plugin hybrids). There are twelve European countries that have 10% or more of new-car buyers buying full battery EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “XPRIZE And Musk Foundation Award $15 Million To Carbon Removal Prize Winners” • On Earth Day, XPRIZE and the Musk Foundation announced that a total of fifteen teams from nine countries were awarded $1 million milestone awards each as part of the next stage of the $100 million XPRIZE carbon removal competition. [CleanTechnica]

Elon Musk (XPRIZE image)

¶ “The Demand For Green Skills Is Growing Globally” • Climate change, global warming, greenhouse gas emissions, economic instability, health, safety, waste, and energy in buildings are all changing environmental factors that point to the need for green jobs and skills. Green investments are most effective in where workers have green skills. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Aker Horizons And Statkraft Forge Green Hydrogen Tie-Up” • Aker Horizons and Statkraft are to partner for green hydrogen and ammonia production in India and Brazil. Statkraft is a renewable energy company with a presence in those countries, and Aker Clean Hydrogen is a global hydrogen, ammonia, and methanol producer. [reNews]

Renewable energy (Statkraft image)

¶ “LG Chem Becomes The First Korean Company To Sign A Long-Term Purchase Contract For RECs” • LG Chem announced that it signed a 20 year purchase contract of renewable energy certificates with Korea South-East Power Co. Doing this, LG Chem became the first Korean company to sign a long-term supply contract of RECs. [PV Magazine]

¶ “Europe Needs To Dramatically Increase Recycling Of Raw Metals Used In Electric Cars And Renewable Energy Sources If It Wants To Become ‘Carbon Neutral’ By 2050” • A study by the Belgian university KU Leuven found that the EU’s ‘Green Deal’ goal will need 35 times as much lithium and up to 26 times as much rare earth metals as are used today. [Daily Mail]

Metal objects (Pavel Neznanov, Unsplash)

¶ “Shell Closes In On $1.8 Billion Deal For Indian Renewable Power Developer Amid Low-Carbon Push” • Shell is closing in on a deal for Sprng [sic] Energy as it looks to speed up its shift to low-carbon energy and expand its presence in India. Shell is preparing to buy the Indian renewable power developer from private equity group Actis. [City AM]

¶ “Eighteen Chinese Drones Flew Over UK Nuclear Installations In Past Two Years – UK Report” • Defense officials believe that Beijing spies have been responsible for 18 drone sightings at military sites and power facilities around the UK in just two years, The Mirror reported. The drone sightings were reported between 2019 and 2021. [EurAsian Times]

Drone in flight (Aaron Burden, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Man Who Died After Self-Immolating In Front Of Supreme Court Was A Climate Activist” • Wynn Alan Bruce, 50, from Boulder, Colorado, died on Saturday after setting himself on fire in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC. He was a climate activist, according to social media posts from various people who claim to know him. [CNN]

¶ “Brightdrop Zevo 600 Sets Guinness World Record For Electric Delivery Vans” • The world world record for the distance an electric delivery van went on a single charge went to Brightdrop’s Zoev 600. The record, 258.85 miles, was set by Stephen Marlin, a client solutions account executive for BrightDrop, which is a division of GM. [CleanTechnica]

FedEx vans (Photo courtesy of FedEx and GM)

¶ “Meet The Power Plant Of The Future: Solar + Battery Hybrids Poised For Explosive Growth” • America’s electric power system is undergoing radical change. The first decade of the 2000s saw huge growth in natural gas generation, but the 2010s were the decade of wind and solar. Now, signs suggest the 2020s may see a boom in “hybrid” power plants. [Arizona Daily Star]

¶ “Texas Among State Leaders For Solar And Wind Renewable Energy Development” • A report from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory shows Texas is among the leading states in developing renewable energy. The study found many projects are forming a queue of initiatives, seeking to connect to power grids. [San Marcos Corridor News]

Have a quitely perfect day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “John Kerry Is Trying To Convince The World To Act On Climate Change. Russia’s War Made It That Much Harder” • John Kerry has a mission. It is To convince the rest of the world to embrace renewable energy and reduce their planet-warming emissions as much as possible. The US Climate Envoy’s job isn’t getting any easier in its second year. [CNN]

John Kerry (White House, public domain)

¶ “How Can We Help Kids Cope With ‘Eco-Anxiety’?” • Close to 60% of the young people who responded to the survey said that they felt “very” or “extremely” worried about climate change while 75% said that “the future is frightening”, 56% believe that “humanity is doomed,” and 58% felt that governments were betraying them or future generations. [BBC]

¶ “Video: Seven TV Meteorologists Discuss Their Coverage Of Climate Change And Weather” • Time was – and not so long ago, it seems – you might have had trouble rounding-up a half-dozen broadcast meteorologists to speak openly about how they address climate change as part of their weather forecasting. That time is changing. [Yale Climate Connections]

Microburst (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “Why Ukraine war should turbocharge US transition to renewable energy” • The war in Ukraine has laid bare the West’s overdependence on Russian oil and gas, which is squeezing many NATO nations. But trading Russian oil for that produced in Iran or Venezuela is self-defeating. It is simply storing up issues for later. [South China Morning Post]

Science and Technology:

¶ “NREL Tool Aims To Predict Interactions Between Soaring Eagles And Wind Turbines” • Understanding and minimizing the risks to raptors is critical to achieving the US renewable energy goals. Being able to visualize just how eagles might fly around wind power plants will help developers and operators consider how wind turbines can be safe for them. [CleanTechnica]

Release of a golden eagle (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

World:

¶ “Entrepreneurs Have Solutions To SA’s Electricity Problems” • Loadshedding and ongoing electricity issues have forced South Africans to seek for renewable energy solutions. Owners of two small businesses in the province of Eastern Cape are helping people achieve energy independence and electricity security for households or businesses. [SowetanLIVE]

¶ “‘Positively Electrifying’ Renewable Power Buy Will Be Quebec’s Biggest Ever” • Quebec will issue two new requests for proposals for 2,300 MW of new wind and other renewable energy capacity, Premier François Legault announced. The RFPs are on top of three new wind farm contracts totaling 1,200 MW announced last week. [The Energy Mix]

Wind turbines in Quebec (Qcgag, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “New Generation Takes An Interest In Renewables” • As the urge to move towards a climate-friendly energy paradigm is increasingly felt every day, more solar power projects are being set up in Bangladesh. Spectra Solar Park Limited is one of the latest such projects. The 35-MW plant has 137,520 solar panels and 12 central inverters. [The Business Standard]

¶ “Can Flow Batteries Support India’s Renewable Energy Pivot?” • Prof Kothandaraman Ramanujam of IIT-Madras has developed a flow battery based on lead. Ramanujam tells Quantum that the battery has been found to work well and is market-ready. It has the advantage that its source materials are very inexpensive and available in India. [The Hindu Business Line]

Redox Flow Battery (Colintheone, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Power Minister Calls On Nations To Come Together For International Credit Guarantee Fund To Promote Renewable Energy” • In India, Union Power Minister Raj Kumar Singh called for the creation of an international credit guarantee fund and a renewable energy bank to facilitate development of renewable energy projects worldwide. [Moneycontrol]

¶ “A View From Outside The Onkalo Storage Facility On Olkiluoto Island” • In a few months, the Onkalo Storage Facility will turn the page to a new chapter of nuclear energy’s turbulent 80-year story, making history for the power plant just a short drive down the road. For the first time, high-level nuclear waste will be put into permanent storage. [EMEA Tribune]

Workers in the Onkal storage facility (kallerna, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “EV Owners Join Supporters At Connecticut State Capital In Favor Of SB 214” • EV owners across all brands showed up in the Connecticut State Capital to show their support for Senate Bill 214. Paul Braren, writer at TinkerTry, shared his perspective in a recent post with several photos. Paul noted that Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid were all represented. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Dallas County Will Add 3 Tesla EVs To Its Fleet” • Dallas County will add three Tesla EVs to its fleet of vehicles, Fox4 has reported. Dallas county’s commissioners voted last week to approve the purchase of three Tesla Model 3s, which will be used at first as replacements for law enforcement agency cars that are in for service. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y police car in Fremont, California (City of Fremont)

¶ “NREL Explores The Dynamic Nature Of Wind Deployment And Land Use” • Through spatial analysis of US wind power facilities deployed over the past two decades, the NREL studied the intersection of wind energy siting and the environment. This advanced understanding how wind technology and plant design affect land use requirements. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Sees Drop In Gas-Fired Power Production” • Natural gas-fired power generation in the US peaked in 2020, and it will continue to fall as it competes with increasingly affordable wind and solar capacity, according to analysts who say renewables’ growth is being “supercharged” by rising fossil fuel costs and disruptions in energy security. [The Energy Mix]

Have a significantly edifying day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “A 100% Renewable Energy Future Is Possible, And We Need It” • We’re living in a time of high volatility in the price of gas that has hit close to all sectors of our economy. We’re also living in a time plagued with costly ”this is not normal” weather events. But how feasible is a transition to renewable energy? And can this transition benefit us all? [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it (© 2022 UCS)

¶ “Macron And Le Pen’s Nuclear Plans Torn Apart: ‘Waste Of Time And Money'” • French presidential hopefuls Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen have unveiled ambitious plans to boost France’s nuclear power capacity – already at 70% of its domestic electricity generation – but experts have questioned the feasibility of such plans. [Daily Express]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Magic Mushrooms: Scientist Says Fungi Could Revolutionize Climate Change Fight” • Visit any forest, and you’re bound to see mushrooms growing alongside trees and other plants. These fungi can play an important part in the health of that ecosystem and its ability to fight climate change. Some fungi benefit the trees they are with. [FOX 11 Los Angeles]

Alba white truffles, symbionts (Chuttersnap, Unsplash)

¶ “Tesla Considering 800 Volt Systems For Cybertruck And Semi” • Tesla is considering using 800 volt architecture for the Cybertruck and the Semi, Drew Baglino, senior vice president of powertrain and energy engineering said during the Q1 earning call lasts week. But the company probably will not adopt 800 volt architecture for existing models. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “HY4 Passenger Plane Sets Hydrogen Altitude Record” • H2FLY set a world altitude record with its four-seat HY4, as it is the first hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft to reach an altitude above 7,000 ft (2,135 m). This came less than a day after the HY4 made the first flight in a hydrogen-powered passenger aircraft between major European airports. [CleanTechnica]

H2FLY HY4 in Flight (H2FLY image, cropped)

¶ “China Electric Car Market Reaches 26% Plugin Market Share In March” • Plugin vehicles are all the rage in the Chinese auto market. Even with Covid-related lockdowns happening in some major cities, plugins scored 458,000 registrations, up 118% year over year, and the second best monthly result ever. And the Q1 growth was 130%, YOY. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China’s Renewable Energy Capacity Expands In Q1” • In the January-March period, China’s windpower capacity jumped 17.4% YOY to 340 GW, the National Energy Administration said. Solar farms saw capacity reach 320 GW, with an increase of 22.9%. By the end of March, the country’s total installed power generation capacity hit about 2,400 GW. [China.org]

Solar power plant in China (そらみみ, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Labor Outlines Plans To Shift Energy System To Renewables” • Labor is vowing to reduce Australian household power prices with a plan to shift towards renewable power. Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen told the 9News political editor Chris Uhlmann on Today that renewable energy is “the cheapest form of energy.” [9News]

¶ “Could Anglesey’s Tidal Energy Project Drive A New Energy Revolution?” • On the stunning and craggy coastline of Holy Island in north Wales, work has started on a construction project to generate energy from one of the world’s greatest untapped energy resources: tidal power. The tides at the site are among the highest in the world. [The Guardian]

Old breakwater at Holy Island (Reading Tom, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “‘Environmental Extremist, Arsonist And Former Fugitive’ Pleads Guilty To Arson In Pacific Northwest” • Joseph Mahmoud Dibee, who is linked to environmental extremist acts in the mid 1990s and early 2000s, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit arson in California and Oregon, and arson in Oregon, according to the US Department of Justice. [CNN]

¶ “Rural Nevada Is At The Frontline Of Renewable Energy Development” • Greenlink Nevada is an NV Energy-led initiative that would put up power lines to transport renewable energy around Nevada. The proposal would have two main energy corridors supplying Las Vegas and Reno, along with three smaller transmission lines. [Sierra Nevada Ally]

Renewable energy in Nevada (Greenlink courtesy image)

¶ “Tesla Is Working With Manor ISD To Give High School Graduates Jobs At Giga Texas” • Tesla is working with Manor Independent School District to give high school graduates an opportunity to work full-time at Giga Texas while completing courses in Advanced Manufacturing Programming at Austin Community College. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Florida Seeks 100% Renewable Electricity By 2050” • Florida utilities would increase their electricity to 100% renewable by 2050 under a proposed rule. The rule is an result of a lengthy court battle in which dozens of young people claimed Florida is violating their constitutional rights by continuing to promote use of fossil fuels that drive climate change. [Bay News 9]

Have a sufficiently gorgeous day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “Wind Energy Is Booming In Deep-Red Republican States” • Wind energy is thriving in America’s heartland, on the vast plains of Oklahoma, Texas, and Nebraska. Long an area devoted to oil and gas, Western Oklahoma is now home to one of the worlds’s largest wind farms. As the turbines turn, one mayor said, you can hear “the sound of money.” [CNN]

Oklahoma wind turbine (Raychel Sanner, Unsplash)

¶ “If We Want To Solve Climate Change, Businesses Need To Invest In Our Planet” • It will take a lot more than governments, environmentalists, and individuals can do to solve the climate problem. After decades of treating business leaders as the enemy, many environmentalists have come to realize that if we want to save the planet, we cannot do it without them. [CNN]

¶ “The Best Hybrid And Electric Vehicles For 2022, According To US News & World Report” • US News & World Report recently published its best hybrid and electric vehicles, after studying 82 models. Colin Aylesworth, Senior Editor on their Autos team, spoke with CleanTechnica about the models that were judged to be the best in their classes. [CleanTechnica]

Kia EV6 (Zotyefan, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Can The Federal Government Require States To Allow Direct Sales Of Cars?” • With state legislatures in many states bought and paid for by dealers’ lobbyists, EV companies that do direct sales in a growing number of US states are finding that the remaining states are unlikely to budge. Congress can do something about that. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Instant Long Duration Energy Storage: Just Add Carbon Dioxide” • Carbon dioxide is getting a bad rap these days, but even a molecule that contributes to global warming can help in a climate crisis. A case in point is long duration energy storage, which is the key to shoehorning more wind and solar energy into the grid, more quickly. [CleanTechnica]

Long duration energy storage (Courtesy of Energy Dome)

World:

¶ “Europe’s Summer Of Floods And Fire Was Its Hottest On Record, Report Finds” • The fifth European State of the Climate report says Europe went from an unusually cold spring to its hottest summer on record last year, smashing records for heat and daily rain, and Mediterranean wildfires burned through land around the size of Cyprus. [CNN]

¶ “Small Electric Vehicles Powered By Microgrids” • In Rural Nigeria, renewable energy minigrids can power two- and three-wheeled EVs for the same cost as fossil-fueled alternatives. This offers rural Nigerians the benefits of clean, affordable transport; bolsters electricity sales for the rural utility; and reduces costs of electricity for all. [CleanTechnica]

Nigerian street (Muhammadtaha Ibrahim Ma’aji, Unsplash)

¶ “Greens Unveil $17 Billion Renewable Energy Plan To Support Solar Battery Uptake As Part Of 2022 Federal Election Pitch” • The Greens want to offer Australians grants of up to $10,000 and loans of $50,000 to install solar batteries. The position part of a $17 billion plan to help households and businesses transition from gas to clean energy. [ABC]

¶ “Smart Grids Could Help Nova Scotia Reach Renewable Energy Targets, Experts Say” • Nova Scotia is placing a greater emphasis on renewable energy sources in order to meet its target of 80% renewable energy by 2030. The province will need to better manage the balance between available supply and demand, and smart grids will help with that. [CBC]

Lunenburg, Nova Scotia (Livia Widjaja, Unsplash)

¶ “Luxembourg Worried About Problems At EDF Nuclear Plant Near Border” • Two Luxembourg government ministers have written to French nuclear authority ASN to request information about problems with corrosion at an EDF nuclear plant near the Luxembourg border, French daily Le Parisien reported, quoting energy news wire Montel. [Reuters]

US:

¶ “Rising Gas Prices Bring Biden To A Political Crossroads Over Climate Policy” • The White House has been pushing renewable energy, but with a war that caused fuel prices to soar, pinching Americans’ wallets, it has been forced to reexamine the balance of its economic approach with the President’s ambitious climate policy commitments. [CNN]

White House (Suzy Brooks, Unsplash)

¶ “California High School Students Race Solar Powered Cars” • Here’s another way to get kids involved in solar transportation so they can learn about STEM careers. It has a lot more in common with the first solar-powered car, which was built by GM for a 1955 car show, than with what college teams or companies like Aptera are into today. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “UMass Amherst Launches Ambitious Goal To Power Flagship Campus With Renewable Energy By 2032” • The University of Massachusetts Amherst has unveiled UMass Carbon Zero, a program to limit the dangers of climate change and power the university’s 1,500-acre flagship campus with 100% renewable energy by about 2032. [UMass Amherst]

Murray D Lincoln Campus Center (Ktr101, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Twitter Pledges To Remove Ads Skeptical Of Climate Change” • In an Earth Day blog post, Twitter’s sustainability team announced that it would begin blocking what the company called ”misleading information” about climate change. The company said the regulatory standard for information on the subject would be the IPCC and other scientific bodies. [Newsmax]

¶ “Catalyze Collaborates With Stream Realty Partners To Deploy 450 MW Of Renewable Energy On Stream Properties” • Power producer Catalyze said it has negotiated a Master Framework Agreement with Stream Realty Partners to develop on-site renewable energy systems on all of Stream’s industrial properties in the US. [pv magazine USA]

Have a perfectly lovely day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “Is The US Stockpiling Dirty Oils? How Greater Transparency Can Reduce The Climate Impacts” • In response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, President Biden authorized the largest-ever Strategic Petroleum Reserve drawdown in March 2022. The economic benefits may seem clear, but the environmental impacts of SPR withdrawal are less certain. [CleanTechnica]

Strategic oil reserve (Energy.gov, public domain, cropped)

¶ “Elon Musk Wants To Build A Future Worth Getting Excited About” • Elon Musk wants to build a future worth getting excited about, and he elaborated more on this in a recent TED Talks interview at Tesla Giga Texas. One pre-recorded interview with TED Talks head Chris Anderson has recently been made available to watch online. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Why Nuclear Power Won’t Solve The Fuel Crisis” • There is a sudden spurt of nuclear optimism from Washington to London, but it is little more than a political feint. By the time proposed nuclear projects are developed, in a decade or more, we will be either well into a new chapter of solar and wind energy or in deep trouble. [Yahoo News UK]

Sailing into a dream (Johannes Plenio, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Taller Wind Turbines To Get TLC From 3D Printing” • Parts of the US have no wind turbines because of wind speed issues, so engineers and innovators are hammering away at that by finding ways to build taller wind turbine towers. That’s not as easy as it sounds, but GE Renewable Energy is banking on 3D printing to overcome the obstacles. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Australian Scientists To Fit Tesla With Printed Solar Panels In 15,000-Kilometer Test Ride” • Hoping to get people thinking about climate change, the Charge Around Australia project will power a Tesla with 18 printed plastic solar panels, each 18 meters (59 feet) long, rolling them out beside the vehicle to soak up sunlight when it needs a charge. [CNN]

Printed solar panels (Image from Charge Around Australia)

¶ “Ukraine War Forcing Europe To Tackle Its Dependency On Fossil Fuels” • As we mark Earth Day 2022, countries in Europe are grappling with how to transition from fossil fuels, especially oil and gas from Russia. Some environmentalists are cautiously optimistic that the war in Ukraine could push the west towards more renewables. [RTE]

¶ “Ørsted Toasts First Power At Greater Changhua 1&2a” • Ørsted has achieved successful delivery of first power from the 900-MW Greater Changhua 1&2a Offshore Wind Farm, in waters off Taiwan. The first power was delivered as scheduled with the installation and energization of the first batch of offshore wind turbines at the site. [reNews]

Jackup ship at work (Ørsted image)

¶ “World Earth Day – Need To Reduce People’s Reliance On Fossil Fuels: Dalai Lama” • His Holiness Dalai Lama said on the occasion of World Earth Day, “Let us remember that everyone wants to live a good life, Not just humans, but also animals, birds, and insects.” He added, “We should all be worried about our shared existence.” [News Track]

US:

¶ “Honolulu Is Leading The Way For Solar Power. Here’s How Other US Cities Rank” • Nine US cities have a combined solar capacity greater than the entire country had just ten years ago. Environment America and research firm Frontier Group found that 15 of the 56 cities surveyed reported a tenfold increase in their solar capacity between 2014 and 2022. [CNN]

Honolulu (Zetong Li, Unsplash)

¶ “Statevolt Plans 54-GWh Battery Factory In California” • Lars Carlsrom may be the Elon Musk of battery manufacturers. He is a serial entrepreneur founding battery companies. Now, Electrive reports that Carlstrom is behind a battery company that intends to build a 54-GWh battery factory in Southern California’s Imperial Valley. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla’s Revenue Grew To Over $18 Billion In Q1 2022” • Tesla reported its earnings for the first quarter of 2022, and beat the expectations of certain analysts. Tesla’s automotive revenue reached $16.86 billion, up 87% from Q1 last year. Tesla also said that its growth was impacted by growth in vehicle deliveries and other factors. [CleanTechnica]

Gigafactory (Tesla courtesy image)

¶ “Michigan Climate Plan Calls For 60% Renewable Power By 2030” • Michigan would get 60% of its electricity from renewable sources and build infrastructure to accommodate millions of electric vehicles within the next eight years if the state can reach goals in a climate plan put forth by the administration of Gov Gretchen Whitmer. [MLive.com]

¶ “New York City’s Central Park A ‘Lab’ To Study Climate Change” • Central Park is now a climate change laboratory that researchers hope will help many US parks more resilient. The Central Park Climate Lab team wants to use data from satellites and on the ground to study seasonal patterns and how plant and animal life respond to shifting weather. [WKZO]

Central Park (Jon Tyson, Unsplash)

¶ “Hormel On Track To Match 100% Of Domestic Energy Use With Renewable Sourcing” • Hormel Foods Corporation has announced that it anticipates matching 100% of its domestic energy use with renewable sourcing by the end of 2022. Hormel Foods is aiming to match 100% of its global energy use with renewable sourcing by 2030. [Austin Daily Herald]

¶ “Nuclear Power Industry Targets Alaska For Small Reactors” • Nuclear industry giant Westinghouse believes that their micro-reactors could dramatically change Alaska’s relationship with energy, and its representatives have been going to the state to talk to leaders. Not everyone is so certain of the economic and environmental benefits. [Governing]

Have a resoundingly triumphant day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “The Last Tepui: Biodiversity On The Earth’s Sky Islands” • For fans of toads, biodiversity, and rock climbing, “Explorer: The Last Tepui” from Disney+ is a must-see. It displays exploration of the unique “islands in the sky” that dot the Amazon, and it also provides an opportunity to review the importance of biodiversity on the clean tech field. [CleanTechnica]

Kukenan sky island (Veronidae, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Regenerative Agriculture Makes Farmers And Ranchers More Resilient To Climate Change” • Regenerative agriculture helps farmers and ranchers withstand the effects of climate change, according to a report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council. It comes at the heels of a UN report that paints the grim effects of global warming. [NRDC]

¶ “Parts Of The World Heading Toward An Insect Apocalypse, Study Suggests” • A study published in the journal Nature shows a clear and alarming link between the climate crisis and high-intensity agriculture and showed that insect abundance has already dropped by nearly 50%, in places where the impacts are particularly high. [CNN]

Bee on a flower (Diana Parkhouse, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Quebec Launches Wind And Renewable Energy Projects To Meet Growing Demand” • Hydro-Québec, a government-owned public utility, will be putting out two calls for tender for 2.3 GW of renewable energy projects in an effort to meet growing demands for electricity while maintaining the government’s environmental commitments. [Yahoo News Canada]

¶ “Many Protected Areas Do Not Benefit Wildlife, Study Says” • The largest ever study of protected areas – places “set aside” ostensibly for nature – has revealed that most do not actively benefit wildlife. In 1,500 protected areas of 68 countries, it found that success varied hugely around the world and depended a great deal on how an area was managed. [BBC]

Jacana walking on water lily (David Clode, Unsplash)

¶ “This Measure Of German Inflation Just Hit Its Highest Level Since 1949” • German annual producer price inflation topped 30% in March, the country’s Federal Statistics Office said. That’s its highest level since the agency began collecting data 73 years ago. The biggest culprit? Energy prices, which rose nearly 84% from the same month last year. [CNN]

¶ “Denmark Announces Aggressive Carbon Tax” • We have been waiting for the first draft of implementation since Denmark wrote GHG reductions into national law, in December of 2019. This week it was presented, and as usual some like it, and some do not. Danish national media outlet dr.dk reports a summary of some details: [CleanTechnica]

Copenhagen (Febiyan, Unsplash)

¶ “Amazon Extends Position As The World’s Largest Corporate Buyer Of Renewable Energy” • Amazon announced 37 new renewable energy projects around the world, marking some significant progress on its path to power 100% of its operations with renewable energy by 2025. That puts it five years ahead of its original target of 2030. [pv magazine India]

US:

¶ “Biden Administration Unveils New Rebate Programs To Replace Old Transformers And Upgrade Commercial Electric Motors” • The Biden administration unveiled two programs, established by the bipartisan infrastructure law, to provide $20 million worth of rebates to replace old transformers and upgrade electric motor systems. [CNN]

Transformer (ETA+, Unsplash)

¶ “Hollywood Barely Talks About The Climate Crisis. A Group Wants To Change That” • Leonardo DiCaprio has made the climate crisis and conservation his life’s work. Many others in Hollywood are environmentally conscious. But a study shows the industry isn’t doing nearly enough on screen to keep the climate crisis in everyday conversation. [CNN]

¶ “US Air Quality Report Finds A Sharp Uptick In Pollution, With The Hardest-Hit Cities In California” • In the US, the number of “very unhealthy” and “hazardous” air quality days was higher between 2018 and 2020 than it ever had before, according to a report released by the American Lung Association. This came after 23 years of declining levels of pollution. [CNN]

We could do better (Timothy Eberly, Unsplash)

¶ “Tesla Profits Soar As Customers Pay More” • Tesla has raised prices, but that hasn’t reduced demand for its cars. Despite the firm facing higher costs, profits at Elon Musk’s company soared to $3.3 billion in the first three months of the year, as customers proved willing to pay more. The firm’s deliveries were up 68%, despite supply chain shortages. [BBC]

¶ “Mercedes EQS SUV Will Be Manufactured In The US” • After a wait since it was announced, Mercedes has unveiled its EQS SUV. Despite its ungainly name, it is a sophisticated family hauler. Except for being taller than the sedan by 7.8 inches, and having a roof that goes back further, the SUV is mechanically identical to the EQS sedan. [CleanTechnica]

Mercedes EQS SUV (Image courtesy of Mercedes)

¶ “One Massachusetts Company Has A Big Sustainability Story To Tell On Earth Day” • Vanguard Renewables, a specialist in organics-to-energy, has a lot to celebrate this Earth Day. Having success with GHG reductions, it has partnered with Ben & Jerry’s, Cabot Creamery, and Polar Beverages, on biodigesters in Vermont and Massachusetts. [GlobeNewswire]

¶ “Governor Whitmer Wants Federal Aid To Keep Palisades Nuclear Plant Open” • Michigan’s Democratic governor wants a nuclear power plant on Lake Michigan to stay open and she’s asking the federal government to pay for it. But the owner of the Palisades Power Plant says it’s too late for that and that the plant will shut down in May as scheduled. [ABC57]

Have a gracefully spectacular day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “How Cars Can Help Us Undermine Putin’s Power” • But there is something that we can all do to weaken Putin’s very ability to wage war: Cut the quarter of a billion dollars that we send him daily for oil (at least twice the amount we send for gas even at current prices). And the weapon that most of us have to weaken Putin’s oil profits is the car. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo XC40 Recharge (George Sargiannidis, Unsplash)

¶ “You Might Be Paying For A Worthless Gas Plant” • Would you be willing to take out a 30-year mortgage on a house that will have to be demolished in twenty years? Utilities are building gas-fired power plants today for a future that may not have a use for them, potentially leaving ratepayers with bills for a gas plant long after it has closed. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Making The Invisible Visible: Methane Solutions Offer Down Payment On Our Climate Future” • The oil and gas sector is the second largest source of methane, accounting for an estimated 25% of global emissions. Operating leak-free is a priority and many tools are already at our disposal. And a growing array of satellites are spotting methane leaks. [CleanTechnica]

Methane Source, Carbon Mapper, 2021 (Screenshot, Youtube)

World:

¶ “How The African Rainforest Is Helping Fight Climate Change” • Companies and governments around the world are racing to reduce their emissions and develop innovative technology to capture carbon. But the African forest elephant is remarkably efficient at storing carbon with no technological aid at all by destroying vegetation dispersing nutrients. [BBC]

¶ “Footprint Project And New Use Energy Provide Ukraine With Solar Microgrids” • The Footprint Project and New Use Energy teamed up to quickly provide Ukraine with solar microgrids. Will Heegaard, CEO of Footprint Power, and Paul Shmotolokha, CEO of New Use Energy, have been helping Ukrainians since Russia launched its invasion in February.  [CleanTechnica]

Loading PVs (Image courtesy of the Footprint Project)

¶ “Greens: Nuclear Energy Threat To Security” • The council of the non-parliamentary Estonian Greens has sent a letter to the government of the country in which it describes nuclear energy as a serious security threat in light of the Ukraine conflict and asks the government to cease all relevant activities. “Nuclear energy is a serious security risk.” [ERR]

¶ “MOU Signed To Convert Coal Mine In Crowsnest Pass To Renewable Energy Complex” • Montem Resources announced plans to turn one of their historical coal mines in Alberta into a green energy facility. The complex will include a 320-MW pumped hydro facility, 100-MW green hydrogen electrolyser, and a 100-MW offsite wind farm. [rdnewsnow.com]

Tent Mountain (Image from Montem Resources)

¶ “Madhya Pradesh Renewable Energy Capacity Grew 32-Fold In 12 Year” • Madhya Pradesh, a state in India, has reached 5,152 MW of installed renewable energy capacity, compared to just 160 MW in the year 2010. This includes 2,444 MW of wind power, 2,490 MW solar power, 119 MW biomass power, and 99 MW small hydropower. [pv magazine India]

¶ “Equinor Publishes Energy Transition Plan” • Equinor will allocate more than half of its annual gross capital expenditure to renewables and low carbon solutions by 2030, as part of actions detailed in its first energy transition plan. The plan provides an overview of how the company is progressing towards its 2050 net zero ambition. [reNews]

Offshore wind service vessel (Equinor image)

¶ “Nuclear Reactor Linked With Trawsfynydd Site Could Be Approved By 2024” • Construction of a new nuclear power station in Wales appears to have moved a step closer with confirmation that a Rolls-Royce design for a small modular nuclear reactor is expected to receive UK regulatory approval by mid-2024. [Nation.Cymru]

US:

¶ “US Spring Snow Storm Leaves 300,000 In The Dark” • A spring storm caused power outages in states in the Northeast, with over a foot of snow falling in some places. Some 300,000 customers lost electricity, 200,000 of them in New York state. As far south as Virginia, residents who have been looking forward to spring were greeted by wintry blasts. [BBC]

Spring snow (Pedro Netto, Unsplash)

¶ “PG&E’s Tesla Megapack Is Now Operational” • Pacific Gas and Electric’s 182-MW Tesla Megapack Elkhorn battery is now in operation, the Associated Press has reported. Included in the system are a total of 256 Tesla Megapacks on 33 concrete slabs. These have the capacity to store and dispatch up to 730 megawatt-hours of energy to the grid. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Texas Solar Project Secures Financing” • Twain Financial Partners has closed on $42 million in financing to complete the Longbow solar project in Brazoria County, Texas. Twain’s $42 million financing is its largest solar loan to date, is part of its recent commitment to finance $1 billion of new renewable projects over the next three years. [reNews]

Solar project (APPA image, Unsplash)

¶ “Biden Administration Launches $6 Billion Nuclear Power Credit Program” • Twelve nuclear reactors in the US have closed since 2013 in the face of competition from renewable energy and plants that burn natural gas. The Biden administration opened up applications for a $6 billion program to help nuclear power plants struggling with rising costs. [Yahoo News]

¶ “Massachusetts Can Lead Equitable Transition To 100% Renewable Energy By 2035 ” • Massachusetts can show climate leadership and meet 100% of its electricity needs with renewable energy by 2035, according to an analysis released by GreenRoots and the Union of Concerned Scientists. The change would have huge economic benefits. [Union of Concerned Scientists]

Have an entirely upbeat day. 

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

Opinion: 

¶ “EVs: The Rise Of The Electron Monsters. Do We Really Need 9000-Pound Electric Vehicles?” • Back in the ’70s, people made up the phrase “gas guzzler” to describe vehicles that consumed way too much gasoline. Now, we have some EVs that consume far more raw materials and electricity than is wise in a world that needs to transition quickly. [CleanTechnica]

Hummer EV SUV (Image from gmc.com)

¶ “Elon Musk Emphasizes An “Engineering-First” Approach At Tesla – Here’s Why” • Compared to legacy automakers, Tesla spends far more per vehicle on research and development costs, according to The Motley Fool. Tesla spent an average of $2,984 on R&D per car produced in 2020, and exactly $0 on advertising for each vehicle sold. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Volumetric Energy Density Of Lithium-Ion Batteries Increased By Over Eight Times Between 2008 And 2020” • The amount of energy contained in a given volume is the volumetric energy density. In 2008, lithium-ion batteries had a volumetric energy density of 55 watt-hours per liter; that increased to 450 watt-hours per liter by 2020. [CleanTechnica]

Lithium-ion batteries (Photo from NASA, public domain)

¶ “Wind Turbines Can Stabilize The Grid” • In a milestone for renewable energy integration, GE and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory operated a common class of wind turbines in grid-forming mode, which is when the generator can set grid voltage and frequency and, if necessary, operate without power from the electric grid. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Ukraine War: Can India Feed The World?” • Last week, Indian PM Narendra Modi told US President Joe Biden that India was ready to ship food to the rest of the world, as the war in Ukraine shocks supplies and raises prices. Mr Modi said India had enough for its 1.4 billion people, and it was “ready to supply food stocks to the world” if the WTO allowed. [BBC]

Indian agriculture (amol sonar, Unsplash)

¶ “Use England’s Plentiful Brownfield Sites For Windfarms, Urge Scientists” • Onshore windfarms need not blight England’s most beautiful parts, because there is plenty of room for them next to rail lines and on brownfield land, leading scientists have said. The government decided to keep the curbs on onshore wind farms in the recent energy strategy. [The Guardian]

¶ “Wuling Air EV Coming To China” • The Wuling Mini EV is getting a new brother, the Wuling Air ev. [sic] The Wuling Mini EV has been extremely popular in China, outselling every other EV in the home market, largely because the base model can be purchased for a little over $5,000. Wuling Air can be had in versions for two or four passengers. [CleanTechnica]

Wuling Air ev 4 passenger (Courtesy of SAIC-GM-Wuling)

¶ “Solar Power Market Size To Hit $293.18 Billion By 2028” • The global solar power market was $170.55 billion in 2020. According to report published by Fortune Business Insights, the global solar power market is projected to reach $293.18 billion by 2028, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate of 6.9% during the forecast period. [GlobeNewswire]

¶ “Jan De Nul To Install Greenlink Cables” • Jan De Nul signed a contract with Sumitomo Electric for installation of cables to link Irish and UK power grids enabling flows of low carbon electricity. The Greenlink subsea electricity interconnector is due to be commissioned in 2024 and has been awarded status as a Project of Common Interest by the EU. [reNews]

Cable-laying ship (Jan De Nul image)

¶ “Global 2021 Wind Additions Nudge 100 GW” • A surge in Chinese offshore installations has pushed global wind capacity additions to 92.5 GW in 2021, according to research from Rethink Energy.Overall, China accounted for a leading 51% share of global wind additions, followed by the US (15%), Brazil (4%), Sweden (2%), and Turkey (2%). [reNews]

US:

¶ “Natural Gas Spikes To Highest Level Since 2008 As Rare Nor’easter Looms” • Natural gas futures surged to levels unseen since 2008 as the Northeast braces for a rare April blast of heavy snow. Natural gas futures soared 9% to $7.96 per million BTU in recent trading, leaving natural gas prices up by a staggering 113% since the end of last year. [CNN]

Trees with snow (Kostiantyn Li, Unsplash)

¶ “National Grid Says By 2050 Heating Customers Could Go All Renewable” • National Grid, the dominant utility in New York’s Capital Region, says it will be able to heat and power upstate homes and businesses within 30 years using all-renewable fuel sources, a major step forward in complying with the state’s aggressive climate change law. [Times Union]

¶ “Shining Cities 2022” • Solar power continues to expand rapidly. The US has 121.4 GW of solar PV capacity, generating enough energy to power over 23 million homes. Millions of Americans have invested in solar energy and millions more are ready to join them. America’s major cities could reap great benefits from solar energy. [Environment Maine]

Rooftop solar array (University of Texas San Antonio)

¶ “CAISO Renewables Set All-Time Record 97.6% With More Records Possible In April: Operator” • CAISO, the California Independent System Operator, set an all-time peak record when renewables provided 97.6% of the grid’s electricity on April 3. There is a potential for more renewable records in April, according to the grid operator. [S&P Global]

¶ “Colorado Ignores Carbon-Free Nuclear Power As Utah Embraces It” • As Colorado seems to ignore nuclear energy’s potential, a set of Utah cities and towns is moving forward with building a 462-MW small modular reactor generating station in Idaho, at the US DOE’s Idaho National Laboratory near Idaho Falls. [Denver Gazette] (Some Utah cities have dropped out of the deal because of bad economics.)

Have a seriously amusing day.

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

Science and Technology:

¶ “This Bat Appreciation Day, NREL Shines Light (Literally) On Bat Interactions With Wind Energy” • Bat Appreciation Day was April 17. With the US DOE’s Wind Energy Technologies Office’s support, National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers are working hard on solutions that protect bats and other creatures near wind installations. [CleanTechnica]

Bats in the evening (Paul Cryan, PhD, USGS, public domain)

¶ “How Climate Change Is Disrupting The Global Supply Chain” • The COVID pandemic has rightly received most of the blame for global supply chain upheavals in the last two years. But the less publicized threat to supply chains from climate change poses a far more serious threat and is already being felt, according to scholars and experts. [GreenBiz]

¶ “Climate Change Making Aspects Of Weather Forecasting Challenging” • Akshay Deoras is a researcher in the Department of Meteorology, University of Reading, UK. He is working on understanding how to predict Indian monsoon low-pressure systems. In an interview he explains various aspects of weather forecasting challenges. [The Indian Express]

Indian monsoon season (Sonika Agarwal, Unsplash)

¶ “1.5°C vs 2°C: What Difference Can A Lousy Half A Degree Of Global Warming Make?” • What started as quiet concern is growing much louder among climate scientists: without a very radical change of course within the next few years, we’re not going to stop the world from passing 1.5°C of warming. We should be looking at what that means. [ABC]

World:

¶ “The French Town Where The Lighting Is Alive” • French start-up Glowee is making bioluminescent lights. Unlike standard streetlamps, which emit a harsh glare and need to be hooked up to the electricity grid, these otherworldly lights are powered by living organisms. Their light has a very soft quality. They will be installed in public places as a test. [BBC]

Glowee grows marine bacteria for lights (Glowee image)

¶ “Pioneering Electric Buses In Pune” • Although the domestic electric bus market in India is nascent, projections indicate four out of ten buses sold in the country could be electric by 2030. As a leading early adopter of e-buses, the city of Pune, Maharashtra, represents a valuable case study on the country’s public transport electrification. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tidal Power Is Set For A Commercial Breakthrough In The UK” • Tidal energy has long been lurking in the UK’s renewable energy arsenal, outshone by its wind and solar counterparts due in part to early issues with technology readiness and high costs. But recent research shows it could provide 11% of the electricity needs of the UK. [The Maritime Executive]

Installing a tidal turbine (Glen Wallace, Flickr, CC BY-ND)

¶ “Greece Breaks One Renewable Energy Record After Another” • Greece is breaking one renewable energy record after another according to data from the Independent Power Transmission Operator. This is true both at investing and demand level with green technologies covering 67% and 68% of the country’s energy needs on April 1st and 2nd. [Greek City Times]

US:

¶ “Volkswagen Is Looking Into Developing An Electric Truck” • Volkswagen of America CEO Scott Keogh told Business Insider that Volkswagen might launch an electric pickup truck that would compete with Ford’s F-15 Lightning and Chevrolet’s Silverado EV here in the US. He said a battery-powered truck is a huge opportunity for Volkswagen. [CleanTechnica]

Ford’s F-15 Lightning (WMrapids, CC0 1.0)

¶ “Missouri Environmentalists Worry Bill Undermines Law Meant To Boost Renewable Energy” • Environmental advocates are raising concerns that a Missouri law enacted last year to speed up utilities’ transition to renewable energy may soon be changed to make it easier for companies to keep coal plants partially open. [The Joplin Globe]

¶ “US Firms Plan New Jersey Submarine Cable Site” • Rise Light & Power and Delaware River Partners are to develop a ‘shovel-ready’ site for a submarine cable manufacturing facility for the US offshore wind industry. The pair said the historic partnership would position New Jersey as a leading manufacturing hub in the growing offshore wind industry. [reNews]

Manufacturing facility (DRP image)

¶ “Climate Toll On US Military Bases: Damaged Roads, Sunken Runways” • US military bases in the Arctic and sub-Arctic are failing to prepare for long-term climate change as required, even as soaring temperatures and melting ice already are cracking base runways and roads and making flood risks worse, the Pentagon’s watchdog office said. [India Today]

¶ “The Pentagon Is Sending A New Nuclear Design To Idaho” • The Pentagon announced that a new nuclear design is going to be assembled in the Mountain West. It is to be a mobile nuclear microreactor that can travel in up to four shipping containers. The Pentagon is still deciding between designs from two separate East Coast teams. [Aspen Public Radio]

Have a profusely rewarding day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “‘Invisible Energy Highways’ Could Usher In A New Era Of Shared Power” • Undersea electricity cables could become more common as governments drive their energy strategies towards renewables. As countries develop wind and solar power, there will be a greater incentive to build undersea cables that can promote power-sharing across regions. [Oil Price]

Cable laying ship (Nsandel, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “EPA Releases Formaldehyde Study The Chemical Industry Tried To Suppress” • In a victory for scientific integrity, the EPA issued a long-delayed draft toxicological assessment on formaldehyde. Its conclusions affirm that breathing just small amounts of formaldehyde over time is associated with an increased cancer risk. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Ocean Comes To Colorado – Fast-Tracking Novel Marine Energy Technologies” • By 2050, our oceans could contain more plastic than fish. Equipment is being designed to help clean up the mess, but these sea sweepers need a power source. The ocean could be a power source, and the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory is working on that. [CleanTechnica]

NREL’s new wave tank (Photo by Joe DelNero, NREL)

World:

¶ “More Than Half Of American Commercial Vehicles Could Be Electrified Today” • Research by the North American Council for Freight Efficiency and RMI shows that vans and step vans in the US and Canada are 100% electrifiable today. The report says that electrifying vans and step vans would avoid about 43.5 million tons of CO₂e emissions annually. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “We’re Making Wine In Norway” • The fjords don’t freeze any more, and it rains when it used to snow. Norwegian winemaker Bjørn Bergum’s plants grow at 61° north of the equator, far outside the 30° to 50° degrees latitude traditionally considered optimum for wine production. But climate change is pushing vineyards farther from the equator. [BBC]

Bjørn Bergum in the vineyard (Slinde Vineyard image)

¶ “In A First, India Plans Standalone Renewable Battery Power Bank” • India is setting up its first standalone renewable battery bank, hoping for investments of ₹2,000 crore ($260 million) to make green energy available during peak demand, but high prices of lithium and disruptions due to Russian warmaking may weigh on response. [Times of India]

¶ “Tesla Hires A Geologist – Perhaps A First Step Toward Mining Its Own Lithium?” • A tweet shows that Tesla has already hired at least one geologist and implies that Tesla sees Canada as an ideal resource center for its factories in Fremont and Austin. This implies that Tesla isn’t shy about making sure it dots all of its “i’s” and crosses its “t’s” on these subjects. [CleanTechnica]

Geologists at work (Oregon DOT, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “The EU Is Considering Toughening Its Renewable Energy Targets” • In light of its hunt for replacements for Russian fossil fuels, the European Union may set its renewable energy capacity expansion ambitions even more compelling than they are now. The EU wants to “speed up the energy transition” and possibly reconsider its positions. [Cody News Company]

¶ “Le Pen Puts Fuel-Tax Cut, Wind Crackdown At Heart Of France Energy Plan” • French presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is campaigning on promises to cut taxes on gasoline, heating oil, natural gas, and electricity. She would crack down on wind turbines, build twenty new nuclear reactors, and exit from Europe’s electricity market. [Autoblog]

Marine Le Pen (Olaf Kosinsky, Wikipedia, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “‘We’ve Been Trying To Warn You’ – Fed-Up Scientists Get Arrested Demanding Climate Action” • Scientists in multiple countries protested to demand real government action on climate change, with some engaging in such civil disobedience as chaining themselves to a bank door or gluing their hands to a government building. [HuffPost]

US:

¶ “Texas Slaps Down Tesla Fast Charger Plan” • Texas recently put up $21 million to encourage folks to install DC fast chargers along its roadways. The grants were funded by the Texas Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Program, seemingly as part of its Dieselgate settlement. Tesla fast chargers, however, cannot be part of the program. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Super Charger (Z22, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Gravity Adds Tesla Model Y To Fleet Of NYC Yellow Taxi Cabs” • Gravity, which announced its all-electric vehicle fleet of New York City yellow cabs last year, is adding Tesla Model Y vehicles to its fleet, Inside EVs reports. The company’s existing fleet is comprised of Ford Mustang Mach-E crossovers, which have been deployed since December 2021. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “In Pennsylvania, Ukraine Invasion And Urgent Climate Report Drive New Interest In Renewables, Efficiency” • Analysts say that Pennsylvania’s renewables industry may sell more solar panels or wind turbines as prices of fossil fuel-powered energy spike in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and warnings of climate chaos intensify. [90.5 WESA]

Have an abundantly advantageous day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “E15 Is Not The Answer To High Gas Prices” • When drivers buy E15 fuel, they won’t save much, and they will sometimes get fooled into paying the same or even a little more. That doesn’t mean that it’s a breakeven proposition, however. A deep look at E15 shows there are enough good reasons to stay away from it that we can call it a non-fix. [CleanTechnica]

Gas pump (Cameron McPhee, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Growing Perennial Grasses Could Help Curb Climate Change” • Climate change is driving up temperatures and causing more frequent heatwaves in the American Midwest. But according to a study led by the University of Maryland, growing the perennial giant miscanthus could cut Midwest warming by one degree Celsius. [Earth.com]

¶ “Key UN Finding Widely Misinterpreted” • In the IPCC report, researchers wrote that greenhouse gases are projected to peak “at the latest before 2025.” This is seen to imply that carbon could increase for another three years and the world could still avoid dangerous warming, but scientists say that’s incorrect and we need to reduce emissions immediately. [BBC]

Melting glacier in Argentina (NOAA, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Save Energy And Annoy Putin, Germans Told” • German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck has called on the public to cut energy use and stop using cars to help wean their country off Russian oil and gas. The EU is pressuring Germany to ban Russian oil, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz has indicated that Germany could do so by the end of this year. [BBC]

¶ “Were Durban Floods A Consequence Of Climate Change?” • A weather system that triggered floods in South Africa caused over 300 mm (11.8 in) of rainfall to be dumped in a 24-hour period on 11 April. That amount of rain is equal to about 75% of South Africa’s average annual precipitation. Such events are believed to be more likely because of climate change. [BBC]

Tropical storm Issa hits South Africa (NASA, public domain)

¶ “Solar, Wind Energy Demand Leads To Shortage, PPA Price Increases” • Renewable energy developers are having a difficult time keeping up with demand in North America, and that is increasing prices, according to a report from LevelTen Energy. Power purchase agreement prices increased nearly 10% in the first quarter of 2022. [Environment + Energy Leader]

¶ “Volkswagen MEB Upgrades Coming: 435 Mile Range, 200 KW Charging, Online Leasing” • Volkswagen says it wants to increase the range of its cars based on the MEB platform to 435 miles and boost charging capacity from 125 kW to 200 kW. It also said customers in Germany can now lease ID.4 and ID.5 vehicles built to their personal specifications online. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen drive system (Image courtesy of Volkswagen)

¶ “Mercedes-Benz To Supply 70% Of Its Energy Needs With Renewables And Halve Vehicle Emissions” • Mercedes-Benz plans to halve the CO₂ emissions per passenger car by the end of this decade. It will do this by electrifying its fleet, installing green charging infrastructure, improving battery technology, and other means. [Environment + Energy Leader]

US:

¶ “Biden Administration Announces It Will Resume Onshore Oil And Gas Lease Sales With Higher Royalty Rate” • The Interior Department announced it plans to resume onshore oil and gas lease sales on federal land. The royalty rate for companies to pay to the federal government will be higher. The Bureau of Land Management will issue sale notices on Monday. [CNN]

Pump jack (Pixabay, Pexels)

¶ “California Wants To Speed Up The EV Revolution” • California announced an initiative to move the EV revolution forward. Its Air Resources Board has a proposal to eliminate the sale of cars and light-duty trucks powered by gasoline and diesel oil by 2035. This is in line with policies similarly enacted by some of the most progressive nations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Air Quality Concerns Arise As New Mexico Wildfires Spread” • Residents in New Mexico are being urged to be mindful of air quality safety because of the spread of wildfires throughout the state. There are five large wildfires burning in New Mexico. and they caused evacuations throughout the impacted areas. Most of the state was under a red flag warning. [CNN]

Red sunset (Chris Barbalis, Unsplash)

¶ “New York Green Lights Massive Renewable Energy Projects To Cut Fossil Fuel Reliance” • Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the State Public Service Commission approved contracts for the Clean Path New York project and the Champlain Hudson Power Express project. They are expected to reduce the city’s reliance on fossil fuels by over 50% in 2030. [The Hill]

¶ “New York Is To Have 10 GW Of Distributed Solar Energy By 2030” • New York Governor Kathy Hochul, in advance of Earth Week, announced that the State Public Service Commission has approved a framework for New York to achieve at least 10 GW of distributed solar by 2030. That would supply annual needs of nearly 700,000 average homes. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array in Brooklyn (US DOE, public domain, cropped)

¶ “Wind Power Surpasses Coal, Nuclear As Power Generation Source In US” • For the first time in recorded history, wind power was the second-largest source of electricity in the country for an entire day. The Energy Information Administration released data that shows wind energy surpassed both coal and nuclear power on March 29, 2022. [VICE]

¶ “Pentagon To Build Nuclear Microreactors To Power Far-Flung Bases” • Pentagon officials recently announced that the Defense Department will build a nuclear microreactor that can be flown to an austere site by a C-17 cargo plane and set up to power a military base. A number of nuclear scientists and watchdogs question the need for such a device. [Yahoo News]

Have a phenomenally delightful day.

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

Science and Technology:

¶ “Powerful ‘Rivers In The Sky’ Could Cause Biggest Ice Shelf In Antarctic Peninsula To Collapse” • When the temperatures in Antarctica soared to 38 degrees Celsius above normal, an ice shelf the size of Los Angeles collapsed. A study showed that the event resulted from an atmospheric river. The Larsen C ice shelf could collapse the same way. [CNN]

Antarctic ice (Jay Ruzesky, Unsplash)

¶ “Finding The Invisible Climate Killer, So-Called “Green” Ships” • LNG-powered ships look clean, but they have a dirty, invisible secret: methane. In fact, about 80% of Europe’s LNG used by ships today are worse for the climate than the fuels they replace, due to emissions of methane, which is roughly 80 times more warming than carbon dioxide. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Ukraine’s President Zelensky To BBC: Blood Money Being Paid For Russian Oil” • In an interview with the BBC, President Zelensky spoke to continued purchases of Russian oil. He singled out Germany and Hungary, accusing them of blocking efforts to embargo energy sales, from which Russia stands to make up to £250 billion ($326 billion) this year. [BBC]

Protest (Samuel Jerónimo, Unsplash)

¶ “Solar PV Energy Breaks Records And Together With Wind Energy Lowers European Electricity Markets Prices” • In the first week of April, the PV energy broke records in the Spanish, French, and Italian markets. This technology and the wind energy contributed to lower the prices of most European electricity markets. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Lilium Jet EVTOL Project Inches Towards EASA Certification” • German startup Lilium took a key step towards certifying its eVTOL aircraft when they submitted means of compliance proposals to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Lilium has already made a $1 billion deal to sell 220 of its electric VTOL aircraft to Brazilian airliner Azul. [CleanTechnica]

Lilium electric airplane (Lilium image)

¶ “Bermuda Electrifies 1/3 Of Its Public Bus Fleet” • Bermuda’s Department of Public Transportation launched the first of 30 electric buses into service, a third of its public bus fleet. The electric buses are replacing old diesel-powered buses, cutting capital, maintenance, and operations costs in half. This will save $10 million over their lifetime. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Blackrock, Mubadala To Invest $526 Million In Tata Power’s Renewable Energy Unit” • India’s Tata Power Company said that BlackRock Real Assets and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company would invest ₹40 billion ($525.76 million) for a 10.53% stake in its renewable energy unit. The investment is expected to fund growth in renewable energy. [Nasdaq]

Tata Power office in Bengaluru (Ameyajkamat, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Luxembourg Calls On French Electricity Supplier To Release ‘All Details As Soon As Possible'” • Minister for the Environment Carole Dieschbourg and Minister for Energy Claude Turmes are demanding an emergency meeting and “full details” from EDF on cracks that have allegedly been detected in welds in a reactor at the Cattenom nuclear power plant. [RTL Today]

US:

¶ “Governor Youngkin Signs Energy Generation Property Tax Exemption Into Law, Strengthening Energy Freedom In Virginia” • Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed a bill into law which creates a property tax exemption for residential and mixed-use solar energy systems up to 25 kW. The law expands energy freedom for consumers. [CleanTechnica]

Rooftop solar systems (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

¶ “Police Confused As They Pull Over Autonomous Chevy Bolt With No Driver” • Police were confused recently as they pulled over an autonomous EV in a viral TikTok video. The autonomous vehicle realized that it was being pulled over and stopped. You can hear the police officers saying, “Ain’t nobody in it,” and “This is crazy” in the video. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Oklahoma’s SB 512 Wants To Shut Tesla Down And Stop OTA Updates” • Oklahoma’s SB 512 would outlaw Tesla and other EV manufacturers from servicing customers in the state. It’s being considered by the state’s House of Representatives. If this bill becomes law, Tesla would have to close its existing locations in Oklahoma. [CleanTechnica]

Oklahoma State Capitol (Daniel Mayer, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “State Approves Massive Electricity Transmission Lines To Power Climate Goals” • The New York state Public Service Commission approved two transmission lines to bring electricity generated by hydroelectric, solar, and wind power to the New York City, where it can be difficult to tap such renewable sources of energy. [The City]

¶ “Vision Fellowships Expand To Host Renewable Energy Positions” • With a focus on environmentalism, agriculture, and sustainability, the Martha’s Vineyard Vision Fellowship has announced seven scholarships, and in a first for the organization two new fellowship positions aimed at encouraging renewable energy on the Island. [The Vineyard Gazette]

Houses in Martha’s Vineyard (Aubrey Odom-Mabey, Unsplash)

¶ “Hannaford’s Goal: Use Only Renewable Power By 2024” • At Hannaford, the newest environmental goal is to run its stores on 100% renewable electricity by 2024. Ahold Delhaize, Hannaford’s parent company, is striving to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across its operations by 2040, and for its entire supply chain by 2050. [Yahoo News]

¶ “Massachusetts Senate Debating Sweeping Climate Change Bill” • The steps Massachusetts needs to take to meet its goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 were debated by the state Senate as part of a sweeping climate bill. The bill sets out a range of strategies, which are distributed across a wide array of technologies. [AP News]

Have an incontrovertibly worthy day.

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

Opinion: 

¶ “Introducing Community Solar+, The Next Generation Of Community Solar” • In a new report, RMI introduces our vision for Community Solar+. The vision foresees community solar projects that are deliberately planned and strategically deployed to embrace added value streams and advance community-wide sustainability and equity goals. [CleanTechnica]

Parking lot solar (Sunpower Corporation image)

¶ “Tesla’s Six Factories Are A New Phase Of Its Future” • Tesla has opened its sixth factory, Giga Texas, which is also its new global headquarters. Tesla has grown enormously since it started out in 2003, and reaching six factories indicates the beginning of a new phase, one of tremendous growth on a scale that I think we have not yet seen from any company. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “COP26 Promises Will Hold Warming Under 2°C” • The carbon-cutting promises made at COP26 would see the world warm by just under 2°C by the end of this century, according to an analysis. The study finds that if all the pledges that countries made are implemented “in full and on time,” temperatures would rise by 1.9° to 2°C. [BBC]

Monk seal using a fishing net as a pillow (NASA, Unsplash)

¶ “These Plastic Batteries Could Help Store Renewable Energy On The Grid” • A new type of battery made from electrically conductive polymers could help make energy storage on the grid cheaper and more durable, enabling a greater use of renewable power. The batteries are made by the Boston-based startup company PolyJoule. [MIT Technology Review]

¶ “US Air Force Seeks Sustainable Dandelion Supply Chain To Thwart “Rubber Apocalypse”” • The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company is leaving no stone unturned as it seeks a sustainable supply chain. The iconic maker of car tires is zeroing in on the humble dandelion as an alternative to natural rubber from the Hevea tree. Yes, the dandelion. [CleanTechnica]

Dandelions (Viridi Green, Unsplash)

¶ “A New Heat Engine With No Moving Parts Is As Efficient As A Steam Turbine” • Engineers at MIT and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have designed a heat engine with no moving parts. Their new demonstrations show that it converts heat to electricity with over 40% efficiency, a performance better than that of traditional steam turbines. [MIT News]

World:

¶ “Over 300 Killed After Flooding Washed Away Roads And Destroyed Homes In South Africa” • Heavy rains and flooding battered the eastern coast of South Africa, killing at least 306 people, damaging roads and destroying homes. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution project found that climate change made such events more likely. [CNN]

Storm (Сергей Леденёв, Pexels)

¶ “Germany Faces $240 Billion Hit If Russian Gas Is Cut Off” • Germany would plunge into a deep recession if its supply of Russian natural gas was suddenly shut off, the country’s top forecasters warned. The country would lose €220 billion ($238 billion) in economic output over the next two years in the event of such a shock. [CNN]

¶ “World’s Renewable Electricity Capacity Surpassed 3 TW In 2021” • Renewables accounted for 38.3% of global electricity generation capacity at the end of last year, compared to 36.6% in 2020, the International Renewable Energy Agency said in its annual statistical report. Renewables grew by 9.1% overall and reached 3.06 TW. [Balkan Green Energy News]

Solar system (JoergGastmann, Pixabay)

¶ “Renewable Energy Is Providing Reliable Electricity” • The Clean Energy Council says that the update of the 2021 Electricity Statement of Opportunities from the Australian Energy Market Operator shows that timely investment in renewable energy, transmission, and storage will fill the gap left by retiring fossil fuel generators. [Clean Energy Council]

¶ “Renewable Future for Fukushima” • Many fields no longer suitable for farming are now covered with solar PVs due to a multibillion-yen investment in renewable energy. Government and industry financiers are developing 11 solar farms and 10 wind farms on abandoned or contaminated land near the Fukushima nuclear plant. [NASA Earth Observatory]

Farmland in Fukushima (zoo_monkey, Unsplash)

¶ “Renewable Energy Prices Soar 30%” • The price of electricity generated by renewable power sources in North America has gone up almost 30% over the past year due to fast-rising costs of development coupled with more robust demand, according to a report by LevelTen Energy, the operator of the world’s largest power purchase agreement marketplace. [Oil Price]

US:

¶ “Breaking News! With New Plant, Kentucky To Become The Nation’s Top Producer Of Electric Vehicle Batteries” • Kentucky Governor Beshear announced that Envision AESC, a Japanese EV battery company, will invest $2 billion in Bowling Green, to build a 30-GWh gigafactory. The project will supply enough batteries each year to power 300,000 EVs. [CleanTechnica]

Downtown Bowling Green (OPMaster, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Toyota BZ4X US Prices Revealed” • Toyota has announced the starting price for the Toyota bZ4X in the most basic XLT trim with a single front-mounted motor in the US will be $42,000. The Limited all-wheel drive dual motor version starts at $48,780. All versions of the bZ4X will also have a “Delivery, Processing and Handling” fee of $1,215. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Maui County Drew Half Of Its Energy From Renewable Sources In 2021” • Of the three counties Hawaiian Electric services, Hawaii island led the way with 60% renewable energy, followed by Maui County at 50.2% renewable energy and Oahu at 32.8% renewable energy, according to the company’s 2021-22 Sustainability Report. [Maui News]

Have a satisfactorily absurd day.

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