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Opinion: 

¶ “What Is Nord Stream 2 And Can Biden Kill It?” • President Joe Biden said that natural gas will not flow through Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline to Germany if Moscow orders an invasion of Ukraine. It is a $11 billion undersea pipeline between Russia and Germany. Russia could use it as a coercive tool, and the Germans don’t want to be controled. [CNN]

Pipe-laying ship Solitaire (PR Allseas, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “The EV Transition Requires Infrastructure That Inspires Confidence And Powers All Communities” • From the largest metropolitan areas in the US to rural communities in Georgia, we need cleaner, more affordable, and efficient transportation options if we are going to solve climate change in a way that uplifts communities. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “No Silver-Bullet Solutions For Saving Used Planet” • With much of the planet already “used-up”, the world has hard choices to make over how to use land in the most sustainable and effective way. That is the take-home message from fifty leading experts on why land matters in tackling a host of existential challenges. [BBC]

Austrian landscape (Dimitry Anikin, Unsplash)

¶ “Fraunhofer ISE Invents Silicon Recycling Process For Solar Panels” • Frauhnofer ISE is one of Germany’s premier research institutions. In a press release, it says it has devised a way to recapture the silicon in old solar panels and reprocess it to be reused to manufacture new solar cells. The process can be used on an industrial scale. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Huge Profits At BP And Shell Revive Calls For Windfall Tax To Tackle Fuel Poverty” • In earnings reports, BP posted an annual profit of almost $12.9 billion, and Shell reported a profit of $19.3 billion after what it described as a “momentous” year. Meanwhile, households are suffering energy poverty. This has people calling for a tax on windfall profits. [CNN]

Pump jack (Jeff W, Unsplash)

¶ “Why Uganda Is Investing In Oil Despite Pressures To Go Green” • Vast oil reserves lie beneath Uganda’s Lake Albert and a fledgling oil business is going for them. There are environmental concerns and questions over whether it is too late for an oil boom, but it seems that change is coming to the wide valley floor, below the steep escarpment. [BBC]

¶ “Electric Triumph TE-1 Motorcycle Revealed” • A prototype of the Williams Advanced Engineering-developed, Triumph TE-1 electric motorcycle has finally been revealed, with the completed demonstrator now fully ready for live testing and final styling from the Triumph motorcycles team. It will be capable of 80 kW (107 hp) of continuous power. [CleanTechnica]

Electric Triumph TE-1 (WAE, Triumph)

¶ “January German Plugin EV Share 22% – Fiat 500 In Top Spot” • Germany, Europe’s largest auto market, and the world’s second largest plugin market after China, saw plugin electric vehicle share of 21.6% in January, almost flat year-on-year. January plugin registrations suffered a hangover after December’s end-of-year emissions compliance push. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Energy Secretary Ties Renewables To World Peace” • The greatest peace plan ever could be based on renewable energy, US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in her opening remarks at a US-EU Energy Council Ministerial this week. The issue of energy security has been highlighted due to Russia’s actions in Ukraine. [Oil Price]

Secretary Granholm addressing reporters (US DOE image)

¶ “Serbia’s Energy Security Plan Targets 50% Renewables Share By 2040” • Serbia plans to build solar power plants, wind farms, and pumped-storage hydropower plants, but also gas-fired power plants, energy storage batteries, and hydrogen facilities for its energy transition. Its Coal-fired power plants would all be closed by 2050. [Balkan Green Energy News]

US:

¶ “US Army releases first climate strategy with goal to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050” • The US Army released its first climate strategy with goals to reduce its greenhouse gas pollution by 50% by 2030 and attain “net-zero” emissions by 2050. The US military has been impacted by extreme weather in the past few years. [CNN]

Lunch at McDonalds (Konrad Ciężki, Pexels)

¶ “Founding A Federal Emissions Center – Tracking Methane Emissions Better” • The Biden administration has released a new set of actions for tackling super-polluting methane emissions. Their plan includes the formation of an interagency working group to coordinate greenhouse gas measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford E-Transit Deliveries To Customers Have Begun” • Ford E-Transit electric work vans are leaving the factory in Kansas City and are on their way to 300 business and commercial customers. More than 10,000 have already been ordered. Ford CEO Jim Farley says his company intends on being the Tesla of electric commercial vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

Ford E-Transit (Image courtesy of Ford)

¶ “Environmental Groups Praise Xcel Energy’s Plans To Close Coal Plants, Bolster Renewables” • Xcel Energy’s plan to retire all of its coal plants in the next eight years while building out its renewable energy capacity got unanimous approval from state regulators. It would, however, extend the operating life of the Monticello nuclear plant. [Bring Me The News]

¶ “Justice Signs Bill To End Nuclear Power Ban” • West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has signed a bill to repeal the state’s ban on nuclear power. It lifts a 26-year moratorium on the construction of nuclear power facilities in the state. The ban was intended to protect the coal industry in a state that has 88% of its electricity coming from coal. [WVPB]

Have an incredibly gratifying day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “The Wacky Untaxed World Of Jet Fuel Is Coming To An End” • For something that produces 2-5% of global CO₂ emissions depending on how you count it and who you ask, you’d think that aviation fuel would be a commodity that every country taxed heavily, especially more rational entities like the EU. But that’s just not true. [CleanTechnica]

Electron’s 4-passenger plane (Courtesy of Electron Aviation)

¶ “The Hidden Costs Of Keeping Gas Plants Online In Texas And Beyond” • We saw it in Texas last winter, and we’ve seen in many other cases, in weather cold and hot: Fossil power plants are very vulnerable to extreme weather and can fail to deliver just when the grid – and people trying to stay safe in their homes – need their electricity most. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Calculating Better Solid-State Batteries” • The Solid-State Battery Performance Analyzer and Calculator, or SolidPAC, can help researchers who have developed a promising new material but are not quite sure how to design a successful cell. Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Ilias Belharouak said, “It builds practicality into the search for better batteries.” [CleanTechnica]

SolidPAC graphic (Andy Sproles, ORNL, US DOE)

World:

¶ “Why The Dutch Embrace Floating Homes” • With sea levels rising and supercharged storms cause waters swelling, floating neighborhoods offer an experiment in flood defense that could allow coastal communities to better withstand climate change. In the land-scarce but densely populated Netherlands, demand for such homes is growing. [BBC]

¶ “Nissan To End Internal Combustion Engine Development … Sort Of” • ArsTechnica says Nissan will stop developing internal combustion engines, except for the US market, where demand for gasoline-powered engines is insatiable, particularly for large SUVs and pickup trucks. Engines that meet EU emissions levels are too expensive. [CleanTechnica]

Nissan concept (Nissan image, cropped)

¶ “UK Starts 2022 Above 20% Plugin EV Share – May End Close To 50%” • The UK saw plugin electric vehicle share hit 20.4% in January 2022, up from 13.7% in January 2021. Full battery electrics almost doubled their share year-on-year, to 12.5%. Diesels continued their retirement walk, with just 5.2% share, from 12.3% year-on-year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Contact Energy Ups Size Of Tauhara Geothermal Project To 168 MW” • New Zealand power company Contact Energy reports that the development of the new Tauhara geothermal power station near Taupo is progressing well. The company now expects the previously planned capacity of 152 MW can be increased to 168 MW. [ThinkGeoEnergy]

Te Huka geothermal plant at Tauhara (Contact Energy image)

¶ “Gencell Launches Revolutionary Off-Grid Ammonia-To-Power Solution For Mobile Operators” • GenCell Energy, based in Israel, is a provider of power systems fueled by hydrogen and ammonia. It is launching its GenCell FOX™ off-grid power system, which generates power on-demand from ammonia, for mobile operators. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “UK Regulators Approve China’s UK HPR1000 Design” • The UK HPR1000 reactor is suitable to build in the UK, the Office for Nuclear Regulation and the Environment Agency concluded. It is of the Hualong One design. A subsidiary of EDF and China General Nuclear, General Nuclear Services, proposes to build it in Bradwell, England. [World Nuclear News]

Cutaway of the UK HPR1000 design (CGN image)

US:

¶ “Preparing For Category 6 Hurricanes, A New Facility Will Test Winds Of 200 MPH And Storm Surge” • The 12-fan Wall of Wind at Florida International University is used as a test site for engineering against tornadoes, hurricanes, and other types of windstorms. It can generate winds of 160 MPH. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough anymore. [CNN]

¶ “Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy Calls For 80% Of Railbelt Power To Be Renewable By 2040” • Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has introduced new legislation that would require 80% of the Railbelt’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2040, with penalties for electric companies that fail to meet the requirement. [Anchorage Daily News]

Passenger train in Alaska (Luke Jones, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Hydropower Turbine Proposal Would Cut Power Costs For Three Cities” • Three cities in Northern California may see a change in their energy bill if a proposal to buy power from a renewable energy company is approved. The South San Joaquin Irrigation District’s water treatment plant would use hydropower for cheaper electricity. [Good Day Sacramento]

¶ “Brookfield Renewable Adds 7 GW Energy Storage To Pipeline” • Renewables owner and operator Brookfield Renewable tripled its US development pipeline to 31 GW through the $650 million acquisition of clean power developer Urban Grid. The pipeline of Urban Grid includes 13 GW of solar and 7 GW of energy storage in twelve states. [Energy Storage News]

Solar array (Urban Grid image)

¶ “More Cities Transitioning To 100% Renewable Energy!” • Los Angeles County, Beverly Hills, and Redondo Beach decided to go up to 100% renewable energy as the default rate beginning in 2022. By the end of this year, more than 2 million people will be receiving 100% renewable energy in Los Angeles and Ventura counties! [Sierra Club Angeles Chapter]

¶ “Governor Introduces Legislation To Spur ‘Micro’ Nuclear Reactors In State” • Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy introduced legislation that would streamline the state’s process for approval of siting for small nuclear reactors. The bill would facilitate use in Alaska of “micro-reactors,” a generation of very small reactors now under development. [Anchorage Press]

Have an outlandishly congenial day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Is California Becoming Anti-Solar?” • Is California becoming an anti-solar state? It sure seems that way considering its recent desire to start charging homeowners with solar $8 per kW. The state’s utility commission also wants to cut its rooftop solar energy incentives after many years of success. There has been a tremendous backlash. [CleanTechnica]

Googleplex solar rooftops (Steve Jurvetson, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Hydropower For A Resilient Grid – Why We Need It” • The US power grid is more vulnerable than ever before because of a shift in power sources and an uptick in natural disasters. When part of the grid goes out, it can cause a ripple effect across entire regions if not quickly corrected. Hydropower is a valuable resource for addressing that problem. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Making Designer Crystals? It’s Easier With A New Targeted Particle Bonding Strategy” • Colloids are microparticles evenly distributed in a fluid. Crystals made from colloids are valuable in a wide range of applications such as batteries, fuel cells, sensors, solar cells, and catalysts. Scientists have learned how to use them to form a crystal structure. [CleanTechnica]

Crystals made from colloids (Image courtesy of Energy.Gov)

¶ “Corals Doomed Even If Global Climate Goals Met: Study” • An average increase of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels would see more than 99% of the world’s coral reefs unable to recover from ever more frequent marine heat waves, they reported in the journal PLOS Climate. A 2°C increase means mortality will reach 100%, according to the study. [Phys.org]

World:

¶ “Cyclone Batsirai: Whole Villages Swept Away In Madagascar” • At least ten people have been killed and nearly 50,000 were displaced after Cyclone Batsirai brought strong winds and rain to Madagascar. Batsirai – the second major storm in two weeks – made landfall on the east coast, with gusts of 235 km/h (146 mph) and high waves hitting coastal areas. [BBC]

Track of Cyclone Batsirai (Meow, placed into public domain)

¶ “Climate Change: Top Companies Exaggerating Their Progress – Study” • Google, Amazon, Ikea, Apple, Nestle, and other big companies are failing to meet their own targets on tackling climate change, according to a study of 25 corporations. They also routinely exaggerate or misreport their progress, the New Climate Institute report says. [BBC]

¶ “Investors Submit 34 GW Of Wind, Solar, And Storage For Renewables Zone In Australia” • The state government of New South Wales has reported a “huge” response to the registration of interest process for the South-West Renewable Energy Zone. Over 34 GW of wind, solar PV, and energy storage proposals were received, after 3 GW had been sought. [PV Magazine]

Limondale 349-MW (DC) solar farm (RWE image)

¶ “GE Renewable Energy Announces New Renewable Hybrids Factory In India” • GE Renewable Energy announced that it has opened a new renewable hybrids factory near Chennai in India, for the manufacture of Flexinverter and Flexreservoir systems. The factory will be able to fully produce and integrate systems at the site. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “Operating Coal-Fired Power Plants More Expensive Than Switching To Renewables – Research” • A paper by Ravi Silva, Director of the Advanced Technology Institute at the University of Surrey, says solar energy typically has a cost comparable to or lower than other energy sources, including coal and nuclear, even as far north as Britain. [Mining.com]

West Burton power station (Richard Croft, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Ratch Australia To Build 70-MW Solar Park In Victoria” • Ratch Australia, an Australian electricity generation company and a subsidiary of Thailand power producer Ratch Group, has secured planning permission for construction of a 70-MW solar park in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley. The Morwell Solar Farm is to be operational by 2024. [Energy Digital]

¶ “The Opposition Demands New Nuclear Power” • For the first time, the party leaders of the four Swedish political parties are now writing a joint debate article in which they draw up the guidelines for a new energy policy. The parties agree to lift the current ban on building new reactors at locations other than the existing nuclear power plants. [California18]

Nuclear power plant (Lukáš Lehotský, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Boulder Sued Big Oil For Climate Damages, Then The Marshall Fire Happened” • Four years ago, Boulder, Colorado, sued ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy for climate change-related damages and adaptation expenses. They estimated the damage at over $100 million by 2050. They vastly overestimated the time and underestimated the price. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California Utilities Shutting Off Power For Fewer People, But Too Many Still In The Dark” • The practice of shutting off power to prevent utility equipment from starting wildfires is much less prevalent in the news recently. But is that because the events are now less frequent, or have Californians just become accustomed to power outages? [CleanTechnica]

Dixie Fire (Joe Bradshaw, Bureau of Land Management)

¶ “New Gas Plant For Electrical Co-Ops Draws Fire, Highlights Bumpy Path To Renewable Energy” • A gas-fired power plant proposed for Iberville Parish, Louisiana, is an important part of a plan by five rural Louisiana electrical cooperatives to provide reliable, cheap electricity through 2045, backers say. Critics say it would lock in emissions until 2045. [The Advocate]

¶ “Elon Musk Agrees With Keeping The California Nuclear Power Plant Open” • CEO and billionaire Elon Musk stated he agrees to keep a nuclear power plant in California open amidst the issues it faces with continuing its service. Musk agreed that the nuclear plant should not close down but instead focus on continuing its service for the public. [Tech Times]

Have a reliably fabulous day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Winter Olympics: Will The Beijing Games Be ‘Green And Clean’?” • China has promised to deliver a “green and clean” Winter Olympics. Organisers say they prioritized protecting native species, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting down on resources used. Extraordinary as efforts have been, there have been criticisms. [BBC]

Two-man bobsled (Rowan Simpson, Unsplash)

¶ “Big Problems With Small Nuclear Reactor Proposals For Montana” • For the last 44 years a successful Citizens’ Initiative banned nuclear power in Montana unless approved by the voters. But Republican majorities in the 2021 Montana legislature repealed the initiative and Republican Governor Greg Gianforte signed the bill into law. [Daily Montanan]

Science and Technology:

¶ “MIT Scientists Create 2-Dimensional Polymers As Strong As Steel” • Scientists at MIT have been trying for two decades to make a 2-dimensional polymer, something that all their theories and models suggested was possible but could never be actually created in the lab. Now, it seems they have one. It is stronger than steel and as light as plastic. [CleanTechnica]

MIT 2-dimensional polymer (MIT image)

¶ “Aquamarine Solar Project – Smart From Start To Finish” • Among the many solar projects in the country, the Aquamarine project is notable for its innovative development model. It’s part of a 20,000-acre master-planned solar park on fallowed and salt-contaminated agricultural lands in the Westlands Water District in California’s Central Valley. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Can ‘Green’ Ammonia Be A Climate Fix?” • In Minnesota, there’s a research farm peppered with wind turbines that, when in full swing, boasts an astonishingly low carbon footprint. The wind powers a chemical plant that makes ammonia, which can not only be spread as fertilizer under the turbines, but also can be used for fuel, free of CO₂ emissions. [WIRED]

Farm (Randy Fath, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Saving The Night Sky: New Zealand’s Craziest Experiment Yet?” • Increasing light pollution has proven negative effects on human health and nocturnal wildlife. New Zealand has not only starry nights of exceptional quality but a growing appetite for dark sky conservation. Now, it also has a plan to become the world’s first dark sky nation. [BCC]

¶ “Iceland To End Whaling From 2024 Amid Controversy And Falling Demand” • Iceland says it will end whaling from 2024 amid dwindling demand and continuing controversy. Svandís Svavarsdóttir, Iceland’s Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture, wrote that whale hunting had lost much of its economic significance in recent years. [CNN]

Humpback whale (Pixabay, Pexels)

¶ “Electric Cars Help Cut UK Transportation Emissions By 11.2%” • Sales of electric cars, including plug-in hybrids, surged in the UK last year, to 12% of the new car market. That’s good news, even if it is far behind the EV sales records being set by Norway. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders claims average new car emissions fell 11.2%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “This Renewable Energy Stock Has A Hidden Power Source” • Brookfield Renewable has invested heavily in expanding its portfolio of renewable energy resources over the years, especially to grow its wind and solar energy platforms. Brookfield doesn’t want investors to overlook the importance of its hydroelectric business, however. [The Motley Fool]

Water reservoir (Kelly L, Pexels)

US:

¶ “US DOE Announces $20 Million To Lower Costs Of Geothermal Drilling” • The US DOE announced up to $20 million in funding to lower the cost of developing geothermal energy by demonstrating faster drilling technologies to shorten the time it takes to develop projects overall. Geothermal drilling can exceed 50% of a project’s costs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wisconsin Wants To Open Up Electricity Sales For EV Charging, But Restrict Solar-Powered EV Chargers” • Two bills that focus on solar-powered EV chargers are going through the Wisconsin state legislature. Both emphasize selling electricity by the kWh to EVs, but one bill would require that all the electricity come from an electric utility. [CleanTechnica]

Solar-powered EV charger (iSun image)

¶ “BMW Gilds Zero Emission Mobility Lily: Free EV Charging, Low-Carbon Steel” • BMW North America announced a free new EV charging program to sweeten the deal for EV buyers. And, as BMW customers may want to buy larger EVs, BMW has makes that more ecologically friendly by use of its new low carbon steel initiatives. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Bill Would Increase Rhode Island’s Renewable Energy Standard” • Rhode Island’s state lawmakers are eyeing increases in the Renewable Energy Standard, a move that could prove a windfall for renewable energy projects. Under H7277, the standard would be raised incrementally every year until it hits 100% after 10 years. [ecoRI News]

Have a good old-fashioned perfect day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Nuclear Power: CO₂ Fix Or Cost Disaster?” • It is an issue the industry has not properly addressed. The costs for two reactors at Plant Vogtle in Georgia are up dramatically. In fact, the actual costs of 75 of the more than 90 existing nuclear power reactors in the US exceeded the initially estimated costs of the units by over 200%, according to the US DOE. [E&E News]

Plant Vogtle in Georgia (Georgia Power image)

¶ “New South Wales Working To Support Its 50% Electric Vehicle Market Share Target” • If you don’t have chargers, people won’t buy EVs. We need the ecosystem to support the uptake of the vehicles. If New South Wales aims to achieve 50% of new vehicle sales being EVs by 2030, the state government has to support a fast charging system. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Sustainable Construction: Modern Approaches To Traditional Practices” • As the mainstream construction techniques have progressed in speed and cost, there is a growing realization that continuing in the direction of traditional practices is having negative impacts on our environment, our communities, and our quality of life. [CleanTechnica]

Construction (Etienne Girardet, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “January Sees France’s Plugin EVs Grow Share By 50%” • In France, Europe’s second largest auto market, the January plugin electric vehicle share was 17.6%, up from 11.6% year-on-year. Full battery EVs doubled their share of the market to almost 10%. The overall auto market volume was down 33% from pre-pandemic seasonal norms. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Airlines Call For End To Loopholes In Carbon Market And Back European Climate Measures” • Four airlines and clean mobility group T&E are calling for equal rules to apply to all flights departing from European airports, regardless of their destination, in order for European measures to decarbonize aviation by 2050. [CleanTechnica]

Jet plane (Call Me Fred, unsplash)

¶ “US Waives Sanctions On Iran’s Civil Atomic Program In Bid To Advance Nuke Talks” • The Biden administration restored some sanctions relief to Iran’s atomic program as talks aimed at salvaging the 2015 nuclear deal enter a critical phase. Secretary of State Antony Blinken signed several sanctions waivers related to Iran’s civilian nuclear activities. [The Times of Israel]

¶ “Australia’s Largest Microgrid Goes Online” • The Western Australian coastal town of Kalbarri can now be powered by a 100% renewable energy system of rooftop solar and windpower with battery storage. Western Power, a state government-owned utility, confirmed that the state’s largest renewable microgrid has been commissioned. [PV Magazine]

Kalbarri microgrid (Western Power image)

US:

¶ “Utilities’ Carbon-Reduction Goals Will Have Little Impact On US CO₂ Emissions” • Executing several plans announced by US power utilities to reduce CO₂ emissions would have a minor effect on US energy-related CO₂ reductions, according to the analysis published in Annual Energy Outlook 2021 by the Energy Information Administration. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Two Colorado Companies Plan Vehicle-To-Home Charging Systems” • Vehicle-to-home, or V2H, sounds like such a simple concept. A battery and solar panels run on DC, however, and a home usually runs on AC. To make everything work, you need an inverter that changes AC to DC and back again. Two Colorado companies are working on that. [CleanTechnica]

Emporia EV charger (Emporia image)

¶ “Governor Introduces Bills Aiming For Renewable Energy Standards” • Governor Mike Dunleavy introduced identical bills to the Alaska House and Senate that seek to promote “energy independence” and an emphasis on renewable energy. A press release said an NREL study showed a figure of 80% sustainable energy is “highly achievable.” [Alaska’s News Source]

¶ “The Market, Not Climate Concerns, Is Driving Mississippi’s Slow Push For Renewable Energy” • Mississippi, where natural gas dominates the energy supply, may soon turn a corner in its transition to renewable energy. But despite the probable future impacts of climate change, the state is letting the market, not emissions, dictate that shift. [Mississippi Today]

Solar facility in Mississippi (Mississippi Power image)

¶ “DTE Seeks 500 MW Of Clean Power In Michigan” • DTE Energy is to add new renewable energy projects totaling about 500 MW in Michigan because of the continued growth and popularity of its MIGreenPower voluntary renewable energy program. MIGreenPower has 35 industrial, 450 small business and over 48,000 residential customers. [reNews]

¶ “New Initiative To Help Modernize Puerto Rico’s Power Grid” • The US DOE joined the Departments of Homeland Security and Housing and Urban Development to sign an MOU with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. It starts a with a locally tailored, community-driven roadmap to help Puerto Rico meet its target of 100% renewable electricity. [Energy Live News]

Have an outrageously auspicious day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Green Olympics: Test Case For China And Carbon Neutrality” • China can use the winter Olympics as a way to show the many millions of people who will watch the games that it is serious about achieving its ambitious climate goals. China has nearly half of total capacity of renewable energy that has been installed in the world. [CleanTechnica]

Guangling County wind farm (Hahaheditor12667, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Ice That Took Roughly 2,000 Years To Form On Mt Everest Has Melted In Around 25” • The highest glacier on the world’s tallest mountain is losing decades worth of ice every year because of human-induced climate change, a study shows. Ice that took around 2,000 years to form on the South Col Glacier has melted in around 25 years. [CNN]

¶ “Does Renewable Energy Threaten Efforts To Conserve Biodiversity On Land?” • In our study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, we suggest that, while conflicts between renewables and protected areas do occur, overlap need not be as severe as previously suggested, with appropriate policy and regulatory controls. [Carbon Brief]

Wildebeest migration (Jorge Tung, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Satellites Map Huge Methane Plumes From Oil And Gas” • Huge plumes of the warming gas methane have been mapped globally for the first time from oil and gas fields using satellites. Plugging these leaks would be an important step in buying extra time to curb climate change. The leaks are thought to be mostly unintended. [BBC]

¶ “European Oil Facilities Hit By Cyber-Attacks” • Multiple oil transport and storage companies across Europe are dealing with cyber-attacks. IT systems have been disrupted at Oiltanking in Germany, SEA-Invest in Belgium, and Evos in the Netherlands. In total dozens of terminals with oil storage and transport across the world have been affected. [BBC]

Oil terminal (Oiltanking image)

¶ “EU Member States To Sue Brussels For Classifying Fossil Fuel Gas And Nuclear Power As ‘Green Energy’” • EU member states are to take legal action against the European Commission after it decided to count natural gas and nuclear power as green energy. The EU’s executive controversially included the two fuels in its “taxonomy” this week. [The Independent]

¶ “UK Drivers Cut Fuel Costs 69% Switching To EVs From Petrol Or Diesel Cars” • UK drivers are set to save 68.6% of their annual fuel costs when making the switch from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles, research shows. The study was done by analysts at Your Electrical Supplies, Service, and Solutions (YESSS Electrical). [CleanTechnica]

Cost per mile (Image courtesy of YESSS Electrical)

US:

¶ “Democrats Call For Biden Officials To Limit US Natural Gas Exports Because Of Rising Home Heating Costs” • Eleven US Senators called for the Biden administration to curb overseas shipments of natural gas as Americans struggle with home heating sticker shock this winter. Higher natural gas prices are driving heating costs up sharply. [CNN]

¶ “EPA, White House Warn Louis Dejoy To Halt Plan To Replace USPS Fleet With Gas-Powered Trucks” • The White House and EPA blasted the US Postal Service for its decision to replace 90% of its aging vehicle fleet with gas-powered trucks, rather than EVs. The current USPS plan would have only 10% of its next generation delivery vehicles be electric. [CNN]

Next generation USPS delivery truck (USPS image)

¶ “81 Tesla Megapacks Help Texas Keep The Grid Stabilized” • Tesla is helping Texas with 81 Megapacks to avoid a repeat of last year’s winter disaster. This year, as Tesla is settling into its nice new headquarters, it is having a positive impact on the state. Elon Musk said that Tesla is working hard to provide even more of the battery systems. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New England Natural Gas And Electricity Prices Increase On Supply Constraints, High Demand” • The spot natural gas price at the Algonquin Citygate, a trading hub and benchmark for the natural gas price in New England, averaged $20.55 per million British thermal units during January 2022, the highest monthly average price since February 2014. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Louisiana Sets 5-GW Offshore Wind Goal” • Louisiana has announced an offshore wind goal of 5 GW by 2035. The target has been set out within the state’s Climate Action Plan, which is intended to complement ongoing efforts to implement the state’s Coastal Master Plan. The goal of that plan is to adapt to the impacts of climate change. [reNews]

¶ “Caterpillar Hops On Electric Train Craze With A Massive Deal For Ten Locomotives” • Through its Progress Rail subsidiary, Caterpillar, the legendary maker of heavy equipment, locked in a 10-locomotive deal with the Union Pacific Railroad, the equally legendary rail company. It will be the biggest battery-electric locomotive fleet in the US. [CleanTechnica]

EMD® Joule locomotive (Photo courtesy of Progress Rail)

¶ “CAISO Plan Calls For $30.5 Billion For Transmission And More Renewable Energy” • California’s power grid will look much different by 2040, a 20-year draft transmission plan by the California Independent System Operator shows. It calls for much more renewable energy resources and a $30.5-billion build-out of the transmission grid. [POWER Magazine]

¶ “House Committee Supports Nuclear Waste Ban Bill” • A New Mexico House Committee has approved a bill that would ban spent nuclear material from being stored in or transported through the state. The legislation aims directly at a proposed privately owned and operated spent nuclear waste interim storage facility in southeast New Mexico. [KSFR]

Have an importantly recreational day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Peak Oil Is Coming” • It may not appear so at the moment, because energy in all forms is in massive demand as we come out of the economic doldrums of the Covid pandemic. But climate change makes a case for a rapid fall in the middle of the decade as renewables outpace fossil fuels in supplying the world with energy. [CleanTechnica]

Deepwater Horizon (US Coast Guard, public domain)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Sunrun V2G Charger Works With Ford F-150 Lightning To Power Your Home” • Sunrun is the official charging partner for Ford and its F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck, which can be used as a backup power supply. It just requires a Ford Charge Station Pro, which comes with most F-150 Lightning models, and a “home integration system.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Koenigsegg Quark And Terrier Bring Big Power In Small Package To Electric Cars” • Christian von Koenigsegg has turned his talents to electric motors and drivetrains. One result is the Quark, a compact 3-phase electric motor measuring just 12″ by 13″ x 4.4″ (303 x 334 x 112 mm), that puts out an eye-popping 335 hp. And there is more. [CleanTechnica]

Terrier powertrain for electric cars (Image courtesy of Koenigsegg)

World:

¶ “Europe’s Plan To Call Natural Gas ‘Sustainable’ Triggers Backlash From Climate Campaigners” • Including natural gas and nuclear power on the EU’s green list could unlock a wave of private investment. But the plans have angered climate activists and could still be blocked by European lawmakers, who are also deeply divided over the issue. [CNN]

¶ “Australia Prepares for Automated Driving” • The latest report from Austroads looks at the minimum physical infrastructure needed for automated driving. This is good news. Tesla CEO Elon Musk expects Full Self-Driving will be ready at the end of this year, and my Tesla wastes time in the carport when it could be on the road earning money. [CleanTechnica]

NIO autonomous driving (Image courtesy of NIO)

¶ “Norway’s Plugin EV Share Above 90% Again In January – BEVs At Record 84%” • Norway, the global leader in electric vehicle adoption, saw plugin electrics take 90.5% share of the auto market in January 2022, up from 80.7% year-on-year. Full electrics alone took a record 83.7% share, with combustion-only vehicles at a new low of 4.9% share. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Australian Power Prices Now ‘Among Lowest In The World’ As Renewable Energy Drives Costs Down” • A flood of renewable energy has helped drive down household power prices to their lowest levels in almost a decade, according to analysis by the Australian Energy Council, which suggests Australia has some of the cheapest electricity in the world. [ABC]

Wind farm in Victoria (John Englart, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Russia Warns Of Power Price Spike If Energy Transition Is Hasty” • A rushed transition away from fossil fuels risks driving electricity prices higher, a senior Russian official said after German government comments that an EU carbon tax may make renewables more attractive in Russia. He said any push to renewables should be gradual. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “China’s State-Owned Nuclear Power Developer To Build Plant In Argentina” • China National Nuclear Corp, one of the nation’s two state-owned nuclear project developers, signed a contract to build a plant in Argentina based on the third-generation Hualong One reactor design. It will be Argentina’s fourth nuclear power plant. [South China Morning Post]

HPR cooling system (Ji Xing, Daiyong
Song, Yuxiang Wu, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

US:

¶ “Natural Gas Spikes 16% Ahead Of Winter Storm” • Natural gas futures rose 16% on Wednesday as energy markets brace for a powerful winter storm that threatens to derail production just as demand rises. Natural gas futures closed at $5.50 per million BTUs. That’s a rise of 55% since the price sank to $3.56 on December 30. [CNN]

¶ “The Real Cost Of Electric School Buses (It’s Lower Than You Think)” • Momentum towards electric school bus adoption is building, spurring a growing range of funding and financing opportunities from the federal and state governments, electric utilities, and local agencies to help communities overcome the initial economic barriers. [CleanTechnica]

Solaris electric school bus (Image courtesy of Solaris)

¶ “NREL-Led Solar Permitting Software Reduces Project Times By 12 Days” • The National Renewable Energy Laboratory did a pilot study of, a free, web-based tool that automates residential solar permit approval. The software reduces the time it takes to permit, inspect, and install residential solar panels on average by twelve days. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “General Motors To Power Three Automotive Plants With Clean Energy” • GM made a new pledge to power Michigan automotive plants in Flint, Burton, and Wyoming with clean energy. GM partnered with Consumers Energy for the project. It brings GM closer to its target of sourcing 100% renewable energy in the US by 2025. [Environment + Energy Leader]

GM Renaissance Center (arthurpalac, Pixabay)

¶ “San José Clean Energy Unveils New, Innovative Solar And Battery Storage Project With Major Climate Impact” • San José Clean Energy and Terra-Gen unveiled the Kern Solar and Battery Storage Project. It provides power in a unique format: fixed delivery of 62 MW of renewable energy between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM every day. [San Jose]

¶ “Georgia Power Aims For Employee Retention In Plan To Eliminate Coal” • Georgia Power is retiring all coal plants as it incorporates more renewable energy, according to a filing from the utility. More than 700 people work at the coal plants. Georgia Power plans to work with employees to transition them into new roles, a spokesperson said. [The Business Journals]

Have a shockingly lovely day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Zinc-Bromide Batteries To Store Solar Power At Acciona’s Testing Field In Spain” • Spanish renewable energy firm Acciona Energía will test the zinc bromide battery technology developed by Anglo-Australian manufacturer Gelion at its PV testing plant in Navarra. The project is part of an innovation program started by Acciona Energy. [PV Magazine]

Battery system (Acciona image)

World:

¶ “Here’s Another Thing Keeping Prices High: Climate Change” • The pandemic economy is one of imbalances. Supply chain woes and rising inflation have been with us for a while now, with few solutions in sight. But there’s another big shock to the global economy taking shape: climate change. And climate change is not going away. [CNN]

¶ “UK Plants Are Flowering A Whole Month Earlier Than They Used To, Study Shows” • Climate change is making plants across the British Isles flower, on average, a month earlier than they used to, a new study shows. And that might set off a chain of events that could disrupt ecosystems and potentially cause entire species to collapse. [CNN]

Cherry blossoms (Marijana Vasic, Unsplash)

¶ “Australia Sets The Example As India Seeks A Renewable Future” • Australian battery storage is an example for others. India’s Union Power Ministry put forth a plan to stop adding new coal-fired generating capacity, noting current coal fleet is only operating at 55% capacity. And reliance on gas generation has proven uneconomical. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Finance Pivots To Green Hydrogen” • Green hydrogen production is accelerating, and according to IEEFA is nearing light speed. On sunny days, from 10:00 am to 3:30 pm, prices for electricity are negative. EVs and energy storage can absorb some of the excess electricity, but GH₂ will drive renewable energy further in decarbonization. [CleanTechnica]

Green H₂ (Photo courtesy of Michelin Group)

¶ “Li-Cycle Announces First European Battery Recycling Facility In Norway” • Li-Cycle announced its first European battery recycling facility in Norway, in a joint venture with ECO STOR, a second-life energy storage development business focused on converting used lithium-ion batteries for use in energy storage. ECO STOR is a minority owner. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Arctic Exploration: Developing Green Energy Technology In An Extreme Region” • A $27 million clean energy-powered Russian research facility is being built in the Arctic. It is to be at the lead for the hopes of the country’s Arctic Council to bring carbon-free technologies to the remote and climatically harsh region. [Power Technology]

Siberian landscape (Moscow Institute for Physics and Technology)

¶ “Stelco Enters The EV Battery Recycling Market Through Primobius” • Stelco, a Canadian steelmaker, announced that it is entering the electric vehicle battery recycling market through agreements with Primobius GmbH. Under the agreements, Stelco will be able to advance commercial lithium-ion battery feedstock sourcing agreements. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “North Macedonia’s Renewables Target Set At 46% By 2025” • North Macedonia has projected the share of renewable energy sources in electricity to reach 46% by 2025, says the Economic Reform Program 2022-2024 that it submitted to the European Commission. The intermediate targets are 34% for 2022, and 37% for 2023. [Balkan Green Energy News]

North Macedonia (Shalev Cohen, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Five States Updated Or Adopted New Clean Energy Standards In 2021” • Four states, Delaware, Oregon, North Carolina, and Illinois, updated their Renewable Portfolio Standards or Clean Energy Standards in 2021. Also, Nebraska approved its first clean energy goal in 2021, becoming the 20th US state to commit to 100% clean electricity by 2050. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Almost 500-Mile-Long Lightning Bolt Crossed Three US States” • A lightning bolt almost 500 miles long that lit up the sky across three US states has set a new world record for longest flash, scientists have confirmed. The bolt in 2020, extended a total of 477.2 miles (768 km) and spread across Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. [BBC]

Satellite imagery of the lightning strike (NOAA image)

¶ “Tesla Can’t Offer Pennsylvania Residents State Inspection Because They Don’t Have Emissions Testing Equipment” • Tesla can’t offer Pennsylvania residents state inspections because Tesla doesn’t have emissions testing equipment. The idea that an EV has to pass emissions testing is more than just a little bit silly, but some laws are like that. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Developer Picks Up 540-MW Solar Portfolio” • Sol Systems, based in Washington, DC, has acquired a 540-MW solar development portfolio in southeastern Illinois from Arevon Energy. The portfolio consists of three 180-MW (DC) solar energy projects located across Hamilton, Randolph, Saline, and White counties. [reNews]

Solar array in Illinois (bogdanstepniak, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “New York Advocates Want Further Action On Climate, Renewable Energy” • On Tuesday, lawmakers heard over eight hours of testimony about Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed environmental conservation budget. Environmental advocates argue that the state hasn’t done enough to ensure it will hit its climate goals. [NY State of Politics]

¶ “New Mexico Debates Bill To Block Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage” • Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and members of New Mexico’s congressional delegation are in strong opposition to building a multibillion-dollar facility along the state’s border with Texas that would store tons of spent nuclear fuel from commercial power plants. [The Fresno Bee]

Have an exceptionally leisurely day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “The World’s Tiny Islands Inspiring Green Action” • Some say green islands or “eco-islands,” such as the Danish island of Samsø and the Greek island of Tilos, are shining examples of how we can live without fossil fuels. They demonstrate the power of small communities and act as beacons lighting the way towards a world less prone to carbon pollution. [BBC]

Tilos, Greece (Максим Улитин, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Are We Seeing The End Of Growth In Car Traffic?” • Last year the Dutch government published far lower projections for car growth than what it had predicted in 2017. Its upper projection for 2040 was halved, from 27% growth to 13%, while its lower projection even predicts a decline in car traffic per inhabitant of 11% between 2018 and 2040. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Earth Has More Tree Species Than We Thought” • There are 14% more tree species than have been discovered, according to what researchers call the first “scientifically credible” estimate. Of the 73,300 estimated species, the researchers say there are 9,200 yet to be found. Most rare species are in tropical forests under threat by climate change and deforestation. [BCC]

Forest (Luca Bravo, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Nissan Teases Teeny, Tiny Micra EV, And A Solid-State Battery Plan, Too” • Last week, Nissan came out swinging with a big bet on small-car electrification, in the form of a freshly restyled, 100% electric version of its subcompact Micra. Nissan is also in the Alliance partnership with Renault and Mitsubishi Motors, researching solid-state batteries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Record 31.1 GW Of PPAs Signed In 2021” • Corporations bought over 31 GW of renewable electricity through power purchase agreements in 2021, BloombergNEF research shows. The figure set a new record, up nearly 24% on the previous year’s 25.1 GW. Almost two thirds (65%) or 20.3 GW of the PPAs were struck in the Americas. [reNews]

Wind farm (Andrea Junqueira, Unsplash)

¶ “Five Powerful Examples Of Clean Energy Transitions In Asia” • Here, we look at five important examples across Asia: the huge and emerging economies of China, India, and Indonesia, along with Vietnam and Bangladesh. Together, these countries are home to about 43% of the world’s population and over 35% of the its energy consumption. [GreenBiz]

¶ “Farmers Profiting From The Solar Power Boom” • Some 75% of the UK’s land is farmland. This typically flat, open land is also best suited to renewables. In 2019, around 40% of farmers were already generating, and profiting from, low-carbon energy, says the UK National Farmers’ Union. They produced around 10% of the UK’s electricity. [Energy Monitor]

Solar farm (Gunnar Ridderström, Unsplash)

¶ “Peru Wants To Tender 2 GW Of Renewables This Year” •The Peruvian government will offer around 2 GW of renewable energy capacity in two different auctions this year, the country’s minister of energy and mines, Eduardo González, announced. The two procurement exercises are expected to mobilize around $2 billion in new investments. [PV Magazine]

US:

¶ “Increasing Flood Costs Over Next Three Decades Will Mainly Impact People Of Color, Study Shows” • A study published in the journal Nature Climate Change found the cost of flooding in the US will likely rise from around $32 billion today to $43 billion in 2050. And like many aspects of the climate crisis, the change in flood risk won’t affect everyone equally. [CNN]

Bicycle in a flood (Mika Baumeister, Unsplash)

¶ “Biden Administration To Offer $1.2 Billion For States To Clean Up Planet-Warming Methane Leaks” • The Biden administration said it will make about $1.2 billion available for states to clean up and cap orphaned oil and gas wells, which can leak methane into the atmosphere. It’s the first round of federal funding for cleanup of old wells, which will eventually cost $4.7 billion. [CNN]

¶ “EPA To Bring Back Mercury Pollution Rules That Were Nixed Under Trump Administration” • The EPA announced it intends to reaffirm its authority to regulate toxic mercury from power plant smokestacks, undoing a Trump rollback. The EPA proposes to bring back the 2012 Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rules implemented under President Obama. [CNN]

Coal-burning plant in New York (Ale Alvarez, Unsplash)

¶ “US Clean Energy Corps To Pursue Climate Resilience” • The Clean Energy Corps, a new program launched by the Biden administration, will hire 1,000 people in the US to help expand the country’s clean energy infrastructure, a step the White House says is “critical to achieving the president’s goal of 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ocean Energy Gets Its Galaxy Quest On: Never Give Up, Never Surrender” • Ocean energy has been an also-ran in the decarbonization race, but that could change in short order. Last week, the US Department of Energy threw down a cool $25 million in funding for eight new ocean-based energy projects at PacWave South. [CleanTechnica]

Ocean energy by PacWave South (Image by PacWave South)

¶ “Utility Issues Request For 2.3 GW Of Renewables” • Georgia Power has filed its 2022 Integrated Resource Plan which includes a request for approval of 2300 MW of renewables capacity, with a goal of 11,500 MW by 2035. The utility also requests approval to own and operate 1 GW of energy storage by 2030. (GP is part owner of the Vogtle nuclear plant.) [reNews]

¶ “West Virginia Lawmakers Vote To Repeal Ban On Nuclear Power Production” • West Virginia lawmakers have lifted a ban on nuclear energy production. The House of Delegates voted 76-18, with eight absences, to lift the ban. Senators already had voted to do away with the ban. Such issues as taxation, transportation, and safety are yet to be addressed. [WV MetroNews]

Have a resoundingly celebratory day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Can Nuclear Fusion Power The Race To Net Zero?” • The IPCC’s landmark report in 2018 concluded that the world needs to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 to have a good chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Estimates for when fusion might come into use range from 2030 to 2050, and beyond. That’s not soon enough. [Energy Monitor]

Tokamak reactor during maintenance (Rswilcox, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Are Auto-Dealership Protection Laws Holding Back Electric Vehicle Adoption?” • Bloomberg’s Liam Denning and The Atlantic’s, Robinson Meyer both argue that antiquated dealer-protecting state laws are delaying the transition to EVs by distorting the US auto market. They point out that EV sales are higher in the states that don’t restrict direct sales. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Nuclear Disaster In Japan Did Something Strange To Trees” • Trees outside Fukushima Daiichi are definitely acting weird, according to a study published recently in the journal Plants. Conifers in the area near the nuclear plant are showing unusual growth patterns, with the degree of irregularity in proportion to the distance from the plant. [Futurism]

Japanese Red Pine (David J. Stang, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

World:

¶ “Electric Car Market Grows To 29% In Europe As EV Sales Explode!” • While the overall car market continues falling off a cliff, at -22% YOY in December, Europe’s passenger plugin car market had a near-record month, with 280,200 registrations. The record was 281,000 registrations in December 2020, which was inflated by the CO₂ mandate rush. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla #1 In World EV Sales In 2021” • After a walk in the park in 2019 and 2020, Tesla had another comfortable win of its 4th consecutive Best Seller title in 2021. However, with its market share eroding (12% in 2018, 17% in 2019, 16% in 2020, and 14% in 2021), a competitor might challenge Tesla in 2022, and that would most likely be BYD. [CleanTechnica]

BYD S7 (Mohammad Fathollahi, Unsplash)

¶ “Bloomberg Predicts Massive Fall In Green Hydrogen Prices” • Although “blue” hydrogen, made from natural gas backed up by carbon capture and storage (a technology which struggles to be economically viable), is cheaper today than “green” hydrogen, made from water using renewable energy, according to a report by BloombergNEF. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Plugin Vehicles At Record 13.3% In Italy In December, But Car Market In Crisis” • In Italy, overall monthly registrations crashed near 27%, from almost 122,000 units in December 2020 to less than 89,000. Combustion engines continued their steep decline with a whopping 42% loss. With an end to incentives, EV sales fell too, though comparatively slightly. [CleanTechnica]

Fiat 500e (Robin Ooode, Unsplash)

¶ “Philippines DOE Opens Tender For 2 GW Of Renewable Capacity” • According to the Philippines Department of Energy’s notice of auction, the country is seeking to install new capacity on the islands of Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The targets for the three regions are for 1,400 MW, 400 MW, and 200 MW, respectively. [Renewables Now]

¶ “Massive Blades For Australia’s Biggest Wind Turbines Arrive In Queensland” • The first shipment of massive wind turbine blades for Neoen’s 157-MW Kaban wind farm in north Queensland arrived at the Port of Cairns late last week, and it was a sight to behold. An image was captured and shared by state energy minister Mick de Brenni. [Renew Economy]

Wind turbine blade shipment (Mick de Brenni via LinkedIn)

¶ “NextEnergy Completes $900 Million Solar Funding Drive” • Solar company NextEnergy Capital has raised $896 million with the close of its NextPower III ESG fund. NPIII ESG will focus on the international solar infrastructure sector, principally targeting projects in selected OECD countries, including the US, Portugal, Spain, Chile, and Poland. [reNews]

¶ “Jan De Nul Launches New Jack-Up Voltaire” • Jan De Nul has launched its next-generation jack-up Voltaire. The milestone was reached at the COSCO Shipping Shipyard in Nantong, China. This vessel will be the second and largest jack-up vessel in Jan De Nul’s fleet. The main crane with a capacity of over 3000 tonnes will enable her to build wind turbines at sea. [reNews]

Voltaire (Jan De Nul image)

¶ “Solar Expansion At WA Mine To Deliver 100% Renewables In Daylight Hours” • Perth-based Zenith Energy announced it will install more solar PV and battery storage capacity at IGO’s Nova nickel-copper-cobalt facility in West Australia’s Goldfield region. It will allow the mine to be powered by on-site renewables for up to nine hours at a time. [pv magazine Australia]

US:

¶ “The Average Cost Of Building A Tesla Revealed In Year-End Earnings Report” • Tesla makes a habit of defying conventional wisdom, which, in the auto manufacturing business, says you can’t make money building electric cars. It turns out that Tesla is one of the most profitable car companies in the world. So much for conventional wisdom. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla (Mr Borys, Pexels)

¶ “Startup Eyes Major ‘Infrastructure Play’ With Renewable Energy-Powered Cell Towers” • Aradatum Inc, a Brighton, Michigan, startup led by Larry Leete, who also has had roles at such companies as Steelcase Inc and General Electric, is nearing a pilot phase to deploy self-powered telecommunication towers across the country. [MiBiz]

¶ “Department Of Energy Launches Plan To Jumpstart Interstate Power Transmission” • California could one day meet its energy needs with solar power from Arizona’s deserts or hydropower from the Pacific Northwest under a $20 billion federal project to improve long-distance power transmission that was launched this month. [The San Diego Union-Tribune]

Have a comfortably cozy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Renewable Energy Is Leading The Way In The ‘New Utilities’” • The utilities sector has been undergoing transitions as energy demands and resources change. For those in the sector who thought that 2021 was rocky, there are signs that 2022 will be even more disruptive. Ty Roberts, VP of Networked Solutions, explained to Digital Journal. [Digital Journal]

Wind turbines (Laura Ockel, Unsplash)

¶ “China’s Offshore Wind Leap Shows Renewable Energy Failures” • Coal-dependent China’s recent overtake of the UK for the world’s largest offshore wind capacity, with nearly half global supply, is an impressive feat drawing deserved praise, but it also demonstrates how underutilized that renewable energy source really is. [Sustainability Magazine]

¶ “Natural Landmarks Already Damaged Or Destroyed By Climate Change” • Most people who never travel to exotic places will nonetheless recognize images of Mount Kilimanjaro with its legendary snows, or the Great Barrier Reef and its rich marine life. But these and many other iconic natural wonders are losing their struggle with climate change. [24/7 Wall St]

Kilimanjaro with nearly no snow (Stephan Bechert, Unsplash)

¶ “West Virginia Legislature Could Make A Big Mistake On Nuclear Energy Monday” • With the West Virginia legislature voting on bills to deregulate and fast-track new nuclear energy power plants in the State this week, ratepayers and taxpayers would be well advised to consider the recent case of “Plant Vogtle.” [Huntington News]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Plant-Based Epoxy Enables Recyclable Carbon Fiber And Improves Economics For Mass Market Electric Vehicles” • NREL researchers showed that making carbon fiber composites with bio-based epoxies and an anhydride hardener makes them fully recyclable by introducing linkages that are more easily degraded. Composites can approach being “green.” [CleanTechnica]

NREL researcher (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

World:

¶ “Bentley To Produce Its First EV In The UK” • Bentley has committed £2.5 billion to sustainability investments over the next 10 years and secured a UK production site for its first battery EV, which is slated to roll off of the production line sometime in 2025. The company will be exclusively electric and end-to-end carbon neutral by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “What An Astronaut Could See From Space That Changed Him For Good” • European Space Agency said the effects of climate change on Earth were increasingly visible from space and showed a marked difference since his last visit to the space station in 2016: retreating glaciers, pollution, and extreme weather events. [CNN]

Astronaut Thomas Pesquet (ESA/NASA image)

¶ “Western Australia – Out With The Poles, In With The Solar Panels” • Western Australia is a vast state. Power companies are seeing a high cost difference between maintaining poles and wires and installing hybrid power systems at the ends of the long power lines. When bushfires burn all the poles, it is very easy to decide which way to go. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Northern Territory EV Transition” • Australia’s Northern Territory has long been associated with the biennial World Solar Car Challenge. A recent survey showed 78% of Territorians would consider purchasing an EV if they were on price parity with petrol or diesel cars. The government of the territory is working on making that happen. [CleanTechnica]

Solar racer (Image courtesy of Northern Territory Government)

¶ “European Companies Willing To Provide Iran With Solar Panel Production Lines” • The head of the Energy Committee of Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture has said European companies, especially those in Germany, are currently willing to provide Iran with solar panel production lines, IRNA reported. [Tehran Times]

US:

¶ “Millions Remain Under Blizzard Warnings As Nor’easter Pummels The Northeast” • Much of the East Coast was covered with a thick blanket of snow Saturday night, with several areas reporting record snowfall totals, and officials across the region urged residents to stay put as the fierce nor’easter made its way through the country’s northeastern tip. [CNN]

Snow in Lexington, MA (HurricaneCovid, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “LA City Council Votes Unanimously To End Urban Oil Drilling” • After several years of intense organizing by residents and community groups, the Los Angeles City Council voted to pass a motion that will begin phasing out oil drilling throughout the City of Los Angeles. The unanimous vote is a tremendous win for health and safety. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California’s Rooftop Solar Net Metering Program” • Long a pioneer in the adoption of solar power, California is in the midst of seeking input from stakeholders, through a California Public Utilities Commission process, to adjust its net metering rooftop solar program in a manner that accounts for emerging needs and market trends. [CleanTechnica]

Have a really fantastic day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Six Solutions To Battery Mineral Challenges” • A flood of recent articles, whether spontaneous or coordinated, seeks to discredit renewable energy, EVs, and other elements energy transition to save the climate. One claim is that it’s immensely destructive if not impossible to find enough minerals to make all the batteries. There are solutions. [CleanTechnica]

Aptera (ApteraMotorsMedia, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Tesla Will Support Full Self Driving Licensing For Other Manufacturers” • Tesla will support FSD licensing by other car manufacturers, Elon Musk said on Twitter. From a financial standpoint, it makes good sense for Tesla to license it to other manufacturers. Licensing FSD would become another stream of income for the company. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Lamborghini Announces Plans For First EV” • Lamborghini CEO Winkelman recently confirmed in an interview with Autocar Magazine, that Lamborghini’s first all-electric model will arrive in 2028. He added that it will be a four-seat crossover. Following the crossover’s appearance, Lamborghini will release its all-electric second-generation Urus SUV. [CleanTechnica]

Lamborghini EV (Lamborghini image)

¶ “Oil Executives Barred From Leaving Peru After Massive Spill Causes ‘Ecological Disaster'” • Four oil executives in Peru were barred from leaving the country as authorities investigate an oil spill that forced Lima to declare an environmental emergency earlier this month. The travel ban applies to four employees of the Spanish energy and oil company Repsol. [CNN]

¶ “Australian Open Leads The Way – Game, Set, Match On Fossil Fuel Sponsorship” • Amidst the furor of the Novak Djokovic visa debacle and between the distractions of the Kyrgios–Kokkinakis doubles team-up, something far more significant happened at the 2022 Australian Open. Tennis Australia dumped fossil fuel sponsorship. [CleanTechnica]

Rod Laver Arena (Jono52795, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Hitachi Energy Achieves 100% Renewable Energy Across Its Operations” • Hitachi Energy has reached a major milestone for its sustainability goals, it announced. Hitachi Energy is using 100% fossil-fuel-free electricity to power its own operations. The development moves the company closer to its Sustainability 2030 plan. [Power Engineering International]

US:

¶ “Dangerous Heavy Snow And Winds Approaching Hurricane Intensity Could Knock Out Power, Flood Coastal Areas As Weekend Nor’easter Revs Up” • A weekend nor’easter that’s forming off the coast of the Carolinas Friday night will likely quickly strengthen as it begins making its way up the East Coast overnight into Saturday. [CNN]

Forming storm, Jan 29, 2021 (NOAA image)

¶ “Natural Gas Futures Surge As Powerful Winter Storm Looms” • Natural gas futures are climbing sharply ahead of a blizzard that will force millions of Americans to crank up the heat. For the week, the March natural gas contract is up more than 25%. This could point to higher home heating costs in the weeks to come, adding to the inflation. [CNN]

¶ “AccuWeather Shares How An Electric School Bus Fares In Alaska” • AccuWeather shared a story of how the “hottest school bus on the market” is doing in Alaska, addressing the topic of batteries and cold weather. The article said Tok Transportation, which operates buses for the Alaska Gateway School District, is testing the limits of the tech. [CleanTechnica]

Electric school bus (Tok Transportation image)

¶ “New Indiana Poll Reveals Strong Bipartisan Support For Renewable Energy” • Audubon Great Lakes released findings from an Indiana state-wide poll that shows great support from Indiana voters – across party lines – for more renewable energy. Of the voters polled, 74% favor expanding Indiana’s renewable energy resources. [National Audubon Society]

¶ “Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Plug-In Hybrid Arrives This Spring” • It’s good news, bad news time at the Jeep division of Stellantis, formerly Daimler Chrysler, formerly Chrysler Corporation. The 4xe plug-in hybrid version of the popular Grand Cherokee will go on sale this spring. According to Autoblog, buyers will have 5 trim levels to choose from. [CleanTechnica]

Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Plug-In Hybrid (Jeep image)

¶ “Duke Energy’s Solar Portfolio Grows In North Carolina With The Addition Of Two New Plants” • Continuing its efforts to grow renewable energy in North Carolina, Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, a nonregulated brand of Duke Energy, recently began commercial operation of two major solar facilities, totaling 71.6 MW, in the state. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “NYC’s First Electric School Buses Are Diesel-To-Electric Repowers, And That’s A Big Deal” • New York City has committed to having only electric school buses by 2035. The first of them are hitting the city’s streets now. In a pioneering move, instead of buying buses, Logan Bus Company is having 5 older diesel buses converted to electric. [CleanTechnica]

School bus (Photo courtesy of UES)

¶ “Leaders Say Nuclear Will Save Kemmerer. Residents Aren’t Convinced” • Coal’s demise hurt Kemmerer, Wyoming. When TerraPower announced in November that it would build a sodium-cooled nuclear reactor at the town’s Naughton Power Plant, local and state leaders were extatic. But ordinary people were more apathetic. [Casper Star-Tribune]

¶ “‘Storm-Prone State’: DeSantis Pledges $80 Million For Climate Adaptation In South Florida” • Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the state would award $80 million in grants to South Florida cities and counties to deal with storm-water and flood-control problems. Nearly $40 million of that amount is going to two Miami projects. [Miami Herald]

Have superbly superior day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Tesla Earnings Call Highlights – What I Learned” • I found the Tesla Q4 earnings call disappointing. It said basically that since they have plenty of demand for their current vehicles, there is no need to release the Cybertruck, Semi, or Roadster this year. But there are always some good nuggets of information to be shared when Elon Musk in on the call! [CleanTechnica]

Making EVs (From Tesla’s Q4 2021 Earnings Release)

¶ “Reaction To The McKinsey Climate Change Report” • The figures in the McKinsey consulting group report may sound dire. They show that the cost of addressing climate change will require the nations of the world to invest $9.2 trillion a year for many years to transition to 100% renewable energy. But they are not as bad as they sound. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Gas Stoves Are A Threat To Health And Have Larger Climate Impact Than Previously Known, Study Shows” • The gas emitted from household stoves and ovens is not only dangerous to public health but also has much more significant impacts on the climate crisis than previously thought, research by scientists at Stanford University shows. [CNN]

Gas burner (Brett Jordan, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Global Witness Exposes The Lie Behind The Carbon Capture Scam” • In 2015, Shell installed a carbon capture facility at its Scotford refinery northeast of Edmonton in Alberta. According to Dezeen, the system was designed to eliminate emissions from hydrogen production. But Global Witness says it actually released more CO₂ than it captured. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Australia Pledges $700 Million To Protect Great Barrier Reef Amid Climate Change Threat” • With a February 1 deadline to give UNESCO a report on the state of conservation of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia’s government pledged A$1 billion ($700 million) to protect it. The Australian Climate Council called the pledge “a band-aid on a broken leg.” [CNN]

Great Barrier Reef (Marek Okon, Unsplash)

¶ “Wärtsilä To Optimise And Decarbonise Gold Mine Power Station In Suriname” • Wärtsilä will supply a 7.8-MW, 7.8-MWh energy storage system to a gold mining company to help achieve its climate and decarbonization targets at a mine that it has in Suriname. It will be the first utility-scale energy storage system in the country. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “Innovative Financing: Developers Meet Rising Demand For Residential Geoexchange” • With a $3.8-million refinancing recently of two district geothermal (also called geoexchange) projects in British Columbia, Vancity Community Investment Bank has sealed its status as a leading Canadian financier for geothermal technology. [CleanTechnica]

Geoexchange systems (VCIB image)

¶ “India Could Create Millions of Jobs Through Renewable Energy” • Last year, India saw multiple waves of pandemic, increases in extreme weather events, and growing economic instability. The year 2021 also brought climate announcements from India, which shows that countries can create jobs, protect health, and combat the climate crisis. [NRDC]

¶ “Coal, Gas Power Shrinking In Australia As Renewable Energy Shines” • Renewable energy is squeezing fossil fuels further out of Australia’s power mix. Renewables accounted for a record-high share of average electricity generation in the final three months of 2021 and threatened the viability of coal-fired power plants. [Sydney Morning Herald]

Open pit coal mine (Max Phillips, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Sweden Approves A Plan To Bury Spent Nuclear Fuel For 100,000 Years” • What to do with nuclear waste has been a major headache since the world’s first nuclear plants came on line in the 1950s and 1960s. Sweden’s government has given a go-ahead for building a storage facility to keep the country’s spent nuclear fuel safe for the next 100,000 years. [Nasdaq]

US:

¶ “Federal Judge Cites Climate Crisis In Decision To Cancel Oil And Gas Leases In Gulf Of Mexico” • A federal judge invalidated a massive oil and gas lease sale for 80 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico after a coalition of environmental groups sued the Biden admnistration to stop it. The ruling cancels 1.7 million acres of oil and gas leases from that sale. [CNN]

Oil drilling platform (Gary Leavens, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “President Biden Hypes Up GM And UAW Again” • President Biden is hyping General Motors again. An official White House press release says GM is making a $7 billion investment to create 4,000 new jobs at EV manufacturing sites in Michigan, the latest sign that the Biden economic strategy is helping power a historic American manufacturing comeback. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New US Postal Service Contractor Proposes Electric Vehicles … For US Army” • For those who don’t know, Oshkosh Defense actually can make EVs. Earlier this week, the company upped the ante on its EV business by introducing the new eJLTV, which has been described as the “first-ever silent drive hybrid-electric Joint Light Tactical Vehicle.” [CleanTechnica]

USPS Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (Oshkosh Defense image)

¶ “Appalachian Power Files For Approval Of Projects” • Two filings submitted by Appalachian Power and Wheeling Power to the West Virginia Public Service Commission request approval and cost recovery for multiple renewable energy projects, a news release from Appalachian Power says. The move is expected to save customers $22 million. [Yahoo News]

¶ “Buena Park Becomes First City In Orange County To Choose 100% Renewable Energy” • Buena Park is now the first city in Orange County to choose to get its energy from 100% renewable sources. The Buena Park City Council voted 4-1 in favor of the resolution. Irvine, Huntington Beach, and Fullerton face similar resolutions soon. [Los Angeles Times]

Have an outstandingly awesome day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Is Your Seafood Climate Friendly? Scientists Outline The Benefits Of Marine Aquaculture” • Writing in BioScience, Alice Jones of the University of Adelaide, and an international team of scientists from the University and The Nature Conservancy, discuss the potential of marine aquaculture to feed a growing human population sustainably. [Newswise]

Seafood (Douglas Lopez, Unsplash)

¶ “How A Smart Electric Grid Will Power Our Future” • The largest ever simulation of its kind, modeled on the Texas power grid, concluded that consumers stand to save about 15% on their annual electric bill by partnering with utilities. In this system, consumers would coordinate with their electric utility operator on a ‘transactive’ basis. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Climate Change Is Coming For Our Coffee” • Bad news for coffee lovers: Climate change will make it much harder to grow Arabica coffee in the coming years, according to a study that appeared in the scientific journal Plos One. The study used several global climate models to examine how conditions will change for growing coffee by 2050. [CNN]

Coffee beans (Rodrigo Flores, Unsplash)

¶ “The Pandemic Has Been Great For Electric Car Sales” • Global sales of battery EVs increased to 4.5 million last year from 2.1 million in 2020, according to data from consultancy LMC Automotive. Electric cars made up 6.3% of global vehicle sales in 2021, tripling their market share from 2019. Overall passenger vehicle sales remain depressed. [CNN]

¶ “India’s ReNew Power Announces Battery Storage Partnership With Fluence” • ReNew Power and Fluence will set up a new joint venture company to offer energy storage in India. The first effort of that company will be to set up a 150-MWh battery project to support a 300-MW renewable energy project being developed by ReNew Power. [CleanTechnica]

Fluence batteries (Image courtesy of Fluence)

¶ “Fukushima Nuclear Disaster: Japanese Youth Sue Over Cancer Diagnoses” • Six young Japanese people are suing the operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant after developing thyroid cancer in the years after the 2011 nuclear disaster. The plaintiffs aged six to sixteen at the time of the disaster. Their lawsuit is seeking $5.4 million in compensation from TEPCO. [BBC]

¶ “Climate Change: How Much Will It Cost? McKinsey Has The Answer” • McKinsey is one of the world’s largest consulting firms, identifying risks and advising clients how to deal with them. It has issued a report that attempts to put real numbers on the true cost of climate change. There is good news in the report, but to realize it, we have to act. [CleanTechnica]

Lightning ahead (NOAA image, Unsplash)

¶ “Japan To Help With Bill Gates’ Next-Gen Nuclear Power Project” • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries said it will work with Japan’s atomic energy agency to provide technical assistance to a US start-up run by Bill Gates that is building a next-generation nuclear reactor in Wyoming. TerraPower plans to build its plant in that state by 2028. [Yahoo News]

US:

¶ “Bomb Cyclone With The Power Of A Hurricane Will Unleash Snow And Blizzard-Like Conditions This Weekend” • Confidence is growing that a winter storm with the intensity of a hurricane, snow measured in feet, and blizzard-like conditions will impact major cities in the Northeast this weekend. It is described as “a nor’easter with blockbuster potential. [CNN]

Snow (Tim Foster, Unsplash)

¶ “House Democrats Announce Three New Task Forces To Address The Climate Crisis” • As President Biden’s signature climate and economic bill stalls in the Senate, House Democrats are launching three new climate-focused task forces. They will focus on the climate change impact on agriculture, national security, and the US power sector. [CNN]

¶ “Lawyer For Big Oil Tells Court That Lawsuits Threaten National Security” • Responding to a lawsuit brought by the city of Baltimore over damages resulting from oil industry lies, a lawyer for big oil firms told a federal appeals court that lawsuits alleging fossil fuel companies lied about the climate crisis could pose a security risk to the nation. [CleanTechnica]

Greenpeace climate action (Greenpeace image)

¶ “Tesla expects 50% growth despite supply chain woes” • Tesla sales will grow by more than 50% in 2022 compared with last year despite supply chain problems, chief executive Elon Musk has said. The electric carmaker reported a record $5.5 billion profit last year. Sales at the firm rocketed 71% to $53.8 billion in 2021, as it delivered over 936,000 vehicles. [BBC]

¶ “Pathways To Net-Zero For New Mexico’s Economy” • A set of briefs includes modeling with a new, in-depth look into pathways for New Mexico to cut climate-warming pollution and improve health and quality of life for its communities, particularly rural and tribal communities that have historically been overburdened by fossil fuel development. [CleanTechnica]

Desert in New Mexico (Ethan Wright-Magoon, Unsplash)

¶ “Arizona Utility Regulators Again Reject Clean Energy Rules” • Arizona’s utility regulators rejected new rules that would have drastically boosted the use of renewable energy for the second time in a year, drawing sharp reaction from advocates of clean energy, who said the decision leaves the state far behind what is needed to address climate change. [Westport News]

¶ “Brookfield Renewable Adds 20,000 MW Of Solar, Energy Projects With Urban Grid Acquisition” • Brookfield Renewable and its institutional partners acquired clean power developer Urban Grid and its pipeline of projects comprising about 13,000 MW of utility-scale solar and 7,000 MW of energy storage capacity for $650 million. [Solar Industry]

Have a perfectly delightful day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Elon Musk Not A Fan Of “Zero-Sum” Mindset” • Elon Musk isn’t a proponent of a zero-sum mindset. He’s opened up Tesla’s patents. And he’ll also soon open up the company’s Supercharger network to other automakers. He’s encouraged industry-wide electrification all along. Tesla’s mission is all about “accelerating the advent of clean transport.” [CleanTechnica]

SpaceX launch (SpaceX image, Unsplash)

¶ “Experts Say Nuclear Energy As Climate Solution Is Total ‘Fiction'” • As global scientists continue to warn of the urgent need to keep fossil fuels in the ground, a quartet of European and US experts on Tuesday made a comprehensive case for why nuclear power should be not be considered a solution to the climate crisis. [Common Dreams]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Solid-State EV Battery Bingo Card Filling Fast: Dongfeng Motor, Nissan-Renault Numbers Come Up” • Skeptics continue to doubt the likelihood of a solid-state battery breakthrough, but leading automakers are clearly not listening. One EV company after another is taking up the technology, lured by a promise of long range and low cost. [CleanTechnica]

Solid-state battery (Oak Ridge National Laboratory image)

¶ “Reducing Wind Turbine Wakes Could Save Wind Farms Millions” • Wakes can cost an average wind farm about 10% of its potential energy. In the spring of 2022, National Renewable Energy Laboratory researchers will launch a multi-institutional, international wind energy campaign called the American WAKE experimeNt (AWAKEN). [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “US Working With Allies To Shore Up Energy Supplies If Russia Invades Ukraine” • The Biden administration is making contingency plans to shore up Europe’s energy supplies should a Russian invasion of Ukraine create gas shortages and roil the global economy, senior administration officials said. Supplies of natural gas are especially important. [CNN]

Pump jack (David Thielen, Unsplash)

¶ “There’s A New Kind Of Gold In Them There Pits” • A spent gold mine in far north Queensland is set to become the world’s first co-located solar and pumped storage plant. The 250-MW Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project, 270 km northwest of Townsville, is the first pumped hydro power station to be built in Australia in almost 40 years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “How Dubai Is Pushing Back Its Encroaching Deserts” • The desert has never been far from Dubai’s doorstep. Now a modern financial hub of three million people, the UAE’s most populous city has sea on one side, and a seemingly endless carpet of sand on the other. Encroaching deserts are threatening the emirate’s remaining fertile land. [BBC]

Dubai (Mohammed Nasim, Unsplash)

¶ “Renewable Energy On The Rise: 37% Of EU’s Electricity ” • In 2020, renewable sources covered 37% of gross electricity demand in the EU, up from 34% in 2019. Windpower provided 36% of renewable power, and hydropower accounted for 33%. Solar power, the fastest growing type of renewable energy, provided 14% of renewables. [European Commission]

¶ “Fortescue Buys Williams Advanced Engineering” • Fortescue has bought Williams Advanced Engineering. They have been cooperating for some time in the electrification of Fortescue’s 400 ton haulage trucks, and they will be working more closely together. WAE has been successful on the racetrack. Now it will take on heavy industry. [CleanTechnica]

Solomon Mine (Fortescue Communications, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Amp Energy Announces The Largest Battery Storage Facilities In Europe: Two Flagship 400-MW Projects In Scotland” • Amp Energy announced Europe’s two biggest battery storage facilities in its 800-MW battery portfolio in Scotland. The portfolio is due to be operational in April 2024 and will be comprised of two 400 MW battery facilities. [National Post]

US:

¶ “PG&E Proposes 6.4-GWh Battery Storage Plan” • Last June, the California PUC issued a directive requiring the state’s utility companies to install a total of 11.5 GW of storage between 2023 and 2026, to help replace the 2.2-GW Diablo Canyon nuclear plant. Now, PG&E is proposing nine new battery projects totaling about 1,600 MW and 6,400 MWh. [CleanTechnica]

Victoria Big Battery (Image courtesy of Neoen)

¶ “GE Revs Up Renewables Business Turnaround As Seismic Shake-Up At US Giant Looms” • US industrial conglomerate GE will intensify efforts to turn around its money-losing renewables business this year in a challenging near-term market as part of a recently announced plan to split the group into three separate public companies by early 2024. [Recharge News]

¶ “CO₂ Emissions Allowance Prices Increased In Latest RGGI Auction” • The most recent Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative quarterly auction resulted in a price of $13.00 per allowance. The previous auction set a record at $9.30 per allowance. Each allowance represents a limited authorization for power plants to emit one short ton of CO₂. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Markley Group Signs PPA For Electricity From Community Solar Projects In Massachusetts” • Markley Group entered a power purchase agreement with Borrego for renewable energy projects across the US. Markley will purchase half of the power from 80 MW of community solar projects in the Eversource utility territory. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “West Virginia Senate Votes To End Ban On Nuclear Power” • A bill to lift the ban on nuclear power in West Virginia passed the Senate. Lawmakers voted 24 to 7 to end the ban. West Virginia is one of 13 states that restricts the construction of nuclear power facilities. The ban was enacted at a time when state lawmakers supported coal. [WVPB]

Have a consequentially excellent day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Why Won’t The US Embrace EVs?” • President Joe Biden set a national target for half of all new vehicles sold in the US to be EVs by 2030. Many auto industry executives consider it a realistic goal. But there’s cognitive dissonance among plans, projections, and the current state of US EV purchases. Currently, only 4% of cars sold in the US are EVs. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla in Nashua, New Hampshire (Matt Henry, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Solar Panels From CPT Break Efficiency Barrier” • Silicon in solar PVs only responds to certain wavelengths, those in the red and yellow portion of the spectrum. University of Cambridge Researchers had a bright idea that allows material on the PVs to absorb light of other areas of the spectrum and convert it to useful wavelengths. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Climate Change Threatening Buried UK Treasures” • Climate change is threatening to destroy treasures buried in the UK as the soils that protect them dry out. About 22,500 archaeological sites in UK may be in danger. The problem is that changing weather patterns are drying out some peatlands, the waterlogged soils that cover about 10% of the UK. [BBC]

Roman fort Vindolanda (Vindolanda Trust)

¶ “EU Commission ‘Suppresses Its Own Science’ By Allowing Gas In Taxonomy” • The EU Taxonomy draft proposal would include gas as a sustainable investment. The Commission’s own expert group reviewed the proposal and rejected the inclusion of gas, however, as it contradicts science-based recommendations issued in 2020. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “FedEx Express Tests EVs In India” • FedEx Express is testing EVs in India as part of its global goal to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040, the company announced. The trial is slated to end in a month in Bangalore after testing the technology for FedEx Express operations. With positive results, the trial will be extended to Delhi. [CleanTechnica]

Energy storage facility (NEC Energy Solutions image)

¶ “Panasonic Will Invest $700 Million To Make Next-Generation Batteries For Tesla” • Nikkei Asia reports that Panasonic will invest $700 million to expand a battery factory in Japan, so they can make the new 4680 battery cells developed by Tesla. The factory will be capable of producing enough batteries each year to power about 150,000 EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “NTPC Renewable Arm Tenders 500 MW, 3,000 MWh Energy Storage Projects” • NTPC Renewable Energy Limited has invited global bids to develop energy storage with a total of 500 MW, 3,000 MWh of capacity anywhere in India. The project shall be awarded through international competitive bidding followed by reverse auction. [pv magazine India]

Energy storage facility (NEC Energy Solutions image)

¶ “Munich On Track To Reach 100% Renewables In 2025” • The German city of Munich is making considerable progress with the decarbonization of its power as the share of renewables is projected to reach 90% in 2022. The city sees itself on track to reach its goal of fully covering its power needs with green electricity in 2025. [Renewables Now]

¶ “Oman Inaugurates 500-MW Ibri 2 Solar Field” • Some 1.5 million bifacial panels make up the power plant in Ad-Dhahirah governorate. It was constructed in just 13 months by ACWA Power, the Gulf Investment Corporation, and Kuwaiti developer Alternative Energy Projects Co. The $417 million plant has 1.5 million PV panels. [PV Magazine]

Solar array (Oman Ibri II image)

¶ “Official: 17,000 MW Of Nuclear Power To Join Iran’s Grid” • The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran says 17,000 MW of nuclear power will join the country’s grid in the next 20 years. Iran has one nuclear power plant, which as a 1,000-MW reactor built by Russia. Russian and Iranian firms are working on two additional 1,000-MW plants already. [Press TV]

US:

¶ “Supreme Court Takes Up Case That Could Limit Federal Government’s Jurisdiction Over Wetlands” • The Supreme Court agreed to take up a case that could limit the federal government’s jurisdiction over wetlands protected under the Clean Water Act. The case comes as the Biden administration is is trying to undo Trump-era rollbacks to federal protections. [CNN]

US Supreme Court building (Adam Szuscik, Unsplash)

¶ “Tesla’s Q4 2021 Revenue Should Exceed Seventeen Dow Components” • On Wednesday, January 26th, Tesla’s 2021 full year earnings will be released. With luck, we may see that Tesla’s revenue exceeds seventeen Dow components. This will be put up livestream, with zany chat action and cool analyst charts, on the CleanTechnica YouTube channel. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Intel Will Transform Ohio Into A Semiconductor Chip Epicenter” • Intel announced that it will invest over $20 billion to build two new factories and establish an epicenter for advanced chipmaking in the Ohio. The two leading-edge chip factories will help boost production to meet critical demand for advanced semiconductors. [CleanTechnica]

Two proposed Intel processor factories (Intel Corporation image)

¶ “Nevada Regulators Approve Solar+Storage To Replace Coal-Fired Plant” • Nevada utility NV Energy received approval from state regulators to purchase two solar-plus-storage projects to replace power generation from its coal-fired North Valmy Generating Station. The 522-MW North Valmy plant is scheduled to be closed in 2025. [POWER Magazine]

¶ “Meta To Feed Off 225-MW Iowa Wind” • Apex Clean Energy is to supply Meta, also known as Facebook, with all the electricity from the 225-MW Great Pathfinder wind farm in Iowa. The project will help support Meta’s operations in the region. One of those is its data center campus in Altoona, Iowa, which recently announced an expansion. [reNews]

Have an unambiguously enjoyable day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Humans Do A Poor Job Of Calculating Risk. That’s Terrible For The Climate Crisis” • Humans do a poor job of evaluating climate risk and the cost of reducing it. Over the past five years, extreme weather disasters have cost the US more than $750 billion. The Build Back Better package would cost $555 billion over the course of 10 years. [CNN]

Bovine inconvenience (Jo-Anne McArthur, Unsplash)

¶ “Labeling Unabated Gas As ‘Green’ Risks Diverting Finance From Essential Renewables” • The European Commission’s move to label some investments in natural gas, a source of CO₂ and methane emissions, as climate-friendly risks detracting the finance community’s attention from the highest investment priority, renewable energy. [EURACTIV.com]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Climate Change Could Open Up ‘Rivers In The Sky’ Over East Asia” • We can clearly see that the climate crisis is already having a profound effect on weather systems, altering temperatures, rainfall, wind patterns, and more. Now, a study predicts likely deluges over the mountainous parts of East Asia in the future, the result of ‘atmospheric rivers.’ [ScienceAlert]

Deluge (Jim Witkowski, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Philippines Utility Meralco Launches 850-MW Renewables Tender” • The Manila Electric Company opened a tender for 850 MW of renewable generation capacity. The utility is seeking proposals to deploy around 600 MW to start providing power in February 2026, and another 250 MW that will begin commercial operations in February 2027. [PV Magazine]

¶ “Ireland’s Data Centers Provide An Economic Lifeline, But Environmentalists Say They’re Wrecking The Planet” • A €1.2 billion investment in a data center in the town of Ennis is likely to be welcomed by the Irish government, despite concerns that growth in data centers could undermine the commitment to cut carbon emissions in half by 2030. [CNN]

O’Connell Street, Ennis (Joseph Mischyshyn, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Is Switzerland’s Electric Vehicle Story A Preview For The Rest Of The Globe?” • For a long time, Norway was the trendsetter when it came to the future of EV adoption. Now there’s another country worth admiring. Known for exquisite chocolates, fine watches, and secretive banks, Switzerland is now taking its place on the EV scene. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Deutsche Post Offsets CO₂ Emissions For Transport Of Letter Mail” • Deutsche Post Group DHL announced that it’s offsetting CO₂ emissions for letter mail transport in 2022 at no extra cost. Until recently, the GoGreen option was subject to a charge. Now, it’s offsetting all CO₂ emissions that are generated by its mail transport operations. [CleanTechnica]

DHL GoGreen cargo bike

¶ “VETERIA21 Project Will Transform Thermoplastics For Use In EV Battery Casings” • The VETERIA21, which is being developed by AIMPLAS, a plastics technology company Spain, is focusing on advanced manufacturing processes to obtain sustainable materials for the EV industry. The goal is to reduce the weight in EVs, starting with battery casings. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Brunswick Power Seeks Unprecedented 25-Year License For Point Lepreau Nuclear Power Station” • The license for Atlantic Canada’s only nuclear power generating station expires in June, and the New Brunswick Crown corporation that operates the aging CANDU-6 reactor is seeking a license renewal for an unprecedented 25-year term. [Yahoo Finance]

Pickering Nuclear, a CANDU plant (John McArthur, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Advocates Say A Utility-Backed Bill Imperils Rooftop Solar In The Sunshine State” • A bill moving through the legislature in Florida, backed by a powerful utility, would reduce the financial benefits of rooftop solar panels so much that environmentalists and solar builders say it could turn the state’s fast-growing solar industry off overnight. [CNN]

¶ “US Superstores Could Power Over 7.9 Million Households With Solar” • A report released by the Environment America Research and Policy Center and the Frontier Group says that US big-box retail and grocery stores, if equipped with rooftop solar, could produce enough electricity to power more than 7.9 million households. [Power Engineering International]

Rooftop and parking lot solar (Frontier Group image)

¶ “Redwood Materials To Launch Production Of Anode Copper Foil” • Redwood Materials reports that it is planning to start up its anode copper foil production facility in the first half of this year. Redwood had earlier announced that Panasonic would be including its copper foil from recycled materials in new battery production at Giga Nevada. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Mexico House Committee Passes Renewable Energy Bills” • A State House Committee approved a series of bills this weekend designed to increase the use of renewable energy in New Mexico. One, the Energy Storage System Tax Credit, would offer homes and businesses a 40% tax credit for energy storage systems installed before 2025. [KSFR]

Solar array (US DOE image)

¶ “Large Corporations Present EV Blueprint To Auto Makers” • Ceres, a nonprofit that works with capital market leaders on sustainability issues, announced that Corporate Electric Vehicle Alliance members gave a roadmap to top auto makers for developing the types of EVs companies plan to buy in the US over the next five years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Enbridge: Growth In Renewable Power Is Huge, And It’s Just Getting Started” • Enbridge’s history is soundly in the oil and natural gas pipeline space, but it has been looking to expand into clean energy, using the cash flows from its oil and gas assets. The company is spending more on clean energy today than it is on its legacy businesses. [The Motley Fool]

Have an exhilaratingly convenient day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “No New Oil And Gas Leasing! Hearing On Climate And Offshore Drilling” • In a House Committee hearing, committee members focused on the connection between offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and US climate goals. This much is clear: continuing offshore oil and gas leasing as usual will not help us meet our climate goals. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore oil rig (Arvind Vallabh, Unsplash)

¶ “When Will The US Tap Its Massive Geothermal Energy Potential?” • As governments turn their backs on fossil fuels, many appear to be focused almost solely on wind and solar power. The US geothermal industry is finally gaining some momentum, but will it attract the investment and support it needs to fully develop? [Oil Price]

Science and Technology:

¶ “How Coronavirus Lockdowns May Have Led To Less Lightning In 2020” • Global lightning activity decreased nearly 8% in 2020 amid lockdowns triggered by the pandemic. Scientists who worked on the study discovered a potential cause for this drop in lightning activity: a decrease in atmospheric aerosols, tiny particles of air pollution. [CNN]

Lightning (Felix Mittermeier, Unsplash)

¶ “New Paper Shows: ‘A Win On Climate Is A Win For Health'” • From ramping up clean electricity to eliminating food waste, from designing cities for walking and biking to preserving ecosystems, projects that lead to a low-carbon society and limit climate change will have more and greater benefits for health than previously realized. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Plugin Electric Vehicles Get 21% Share Of Auto Market In Another Record Month In China” • Plugin vehicles in China once again ended the year with a record month, growing by 125% year over year in December to 502,000 units. Battery EVs were responsible for 83% of the plugin market in the month, slightly above the year’s 81% average. [CleanTechnica]

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

¶ “EU Climate Chief Wants Renewables To Stop Making Putin ‘Rich'” • European Union climate chief Frans Timmermans called on member states to increase investment in renewable energy and eventually wean the continent off Russian gas. The threat of a Ukrainian invasion is also giving rise to fears that gas prices could spiral even higher. [Financial Post]

¶ “Asia’s Emissions-Reduction Plan For The World” • At COP26 last year, the Asian Development Bank and the Indonesian and Philippine governments announced a pilot Energy Transition Mechanism. Now they are engaging others in the equitable, just, scalable, and affordable energy initiative to retire or repurpose coal-fired power plants. [The Jakarta Post]

Coal plant (Marcin Jozwiak, Pexels)

¶ “Japan’s Tepco Hit By Setback In Clean-Up Of Crippled Fukushima Nuclear Plant” • TEPCO has found that a coolant solution, which is used to create an ice wall halting the seepage of groundwater into Fukushima reactor buildings, leaked from two storage tanks. The leaks underscore the unpredictable challenges in the clean-up of the site. [Devdiscourse]

¶ “Foreign Ministers Of Iran And Russia Discuss New Nuclear Plant Construction” • Russian and Iranian officials met to discuss the construction of new nuclear plants in Iran, Tehran’s foreign minister said. He said Moscow and Tehran would instate a period of “excellent cooperation”, according to a report published by the Anadolu news agency. [The New Arab]

Presidential event at the Bushehr Nuclear
Plant (Hossein Heidarpour, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

US:

¶ “Over 450 Climate Scientists Say Advertising Industry Must End ‘Complicity’ In Climate Crisis” • A group of more than 450 scientists called on advertising agencies to cut off their fossil fuel clients and to end their ties with an ongoing misinformation campaign that has time and again killed progress on addressing the climate crisis. [NationofChange]

¶ “‘Surreal’ January Wildfire Shuts California Highway” • An unseasonal wildfire is raging on California’s Big Sur Pacific coast, forcing evacuations and closing Highway 1, US officials say. The National Weather Service reported a “surreal fire behaviour given the wet Oct and Dec.” It is called the Colorado Fire, and it has burned about 1,500 acres (607 ha). [BBC]

Area of the Colorado Fire (Spencer Davis, Unsplash)

¶ “Renewables To Make Up 18% Of Appalachian State’s Purchased Electricity In 2022” • In North Carolina, Hydroelectric and solar power purchases will increase Appalachian State University’s percentage of electricity supplied from renewables from 2% to 18% in early 2022. The university’s utility will buy electricity from Carolina Power Partners. [Watauga Democrat]

¶ “Indigo Introduces New EVs For Rideshare And Delivery” • Indigo Technologies introduced two new EV designs targeting the rideshare and delivery markets at the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The company describes itself as an OEM that is delivering a new class of smooth, roomy, and affordable EVs. [CleanTechnica]

Indigo Technologies EV (Indigo Technologies image)

¶ “$80 Million Renewable Landfill Gas Plant Construction To Start Soon” • Energy company EDL is poised to begin building a roughly $80 million landfill gas processing plant on the east side of Oberlin, Ohio, in the next few weeks, city Planning and Development Director Carrie Handy said. Its product gas will be cleaned and sold. [Chronicle Telegram]

¶ “Maryland Gives Itself B-Minus For Adapting To Climate Change In Coastal Areas” • Maryland has over 3,000 miles of shoreline, and climate change has already had a devastating impact on its coastal communities. Groups from the University of Maryland and the state just released a report card on its adaption status. It got a B-minus. [WTOP]

Have a downright upbeat day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Unpacking The ‘Electric Cars Aren’t As Green As You Think’ Claims” • After Volvo published a report that said building an EV had emissions nearly 70% higher than building its gas-powered equivalent, anti-EV people used the data to make extraordinary claims about EVs not being green. But the whole picture is more important than any one of its parts. [CleanTechnica]

Electric car charging (Kindel Media, Pexels)

¶ “Renewable Energy Could Cool European Tensions With Russia” • Germany could consider cooperating with Russia in renewable energy to defuse the tension between Moscow and the West over Ukraine, German Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Robert Habeck, said. He was speaking with Der Spiegel magazine in an interview. [Oil Price]

¶ “Is Nuclear Power The Best Solution To Climate Change?” • In a debate in the House of Commons on 19 January, a group of MPs known as the “atomic kittens” suggested that nuclear energy could be a panacea for all ills – including a solution for the climate crisis and the gas crunch. The facts, however, suggest that this is not true. [New Statesman]

Nuclear power plant (Kelly L, Pexels)

Science and Technology:

¶ “$200 Million Says Solid-State Batteries Will Soon Crack Gasmobile Death Grip” • Leading automakers are getting into solid-state batteries. The new technology promises longer range in a lighter, slimmer package than the current EV batteries. To skeptics, that may be just hot air, but $200 million in funding for Factorial Energy says otherwise. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Value Of Wind Energy” • Two teams of researchers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory showed that wind energy offers logistical, economic, and environmental value to utilities and consumers from the coast of Oregon, where the focus was on offshore windpower, to remote villages in Alaska, where the team looked at distributed energy. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind turbines (Grahame Jenkins, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Virtual Power Plants: Some Assembly Required” • Marketing research groups are predicting that distribution energy resources will grow to somewhere around 400 GWs by 2025. That figure may seem staggering, but there are projections that the global virtual power plant market will reach about $1.5 billion or more by 2026. [T&D World]

¶ “Reliance Buys Sodium-Ion Battery Tech Company” • Reliance New Energy Solar Ltd, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, has purchased a sodium-ion battery developer, Faradion Limited. Reliance is the largest private sector company in India, and it focuses primarily on fossil fuels. Its purchase of Faradion shows its interest in battery development. [CleanTechnica]

One type of sodium-ion battery (Tang-Yeon Hwang,
Seung-Taek Myung, Yang-Kook Sun, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Support for Energy Storage Is Needed To Prevent The Next Energy Crisis” • While the current energy crisis in Europe is yet to end, despite minor fluctuations, the prices for natural gas still show no sign of any dramatic drop back to the levels of 2020. Some EU lawmakers accuse Russia of ‘weaponizing’ natural gas supplies. [The German Marshall Fund of the United States]

¶ “Ørsted Signs MOUs To Develop Offshore Wind Farm In South Korea” • Danish energy company Ørsted signed memoranda of understanding with Korea Southern Power and Korea Midland Power to develop the Incheon offshore wind project in South Korea. The offshore wind facility will have a capacity of 1.6-GW, enough for 1.3 million households. [Power Technology]

Wind turbine (Waldemar Brandt, Unsplash)

¶ “Austria, Luxembourg Eye Legal Steps In EU Nuclear Energy Row” • The EU remains deeply divided over the so-called taxonomy plans, which aim to direct investment toward sustainable energy sources. On Friday, Austria and Luxembourg signaled that they are ready to take the dispute over nuclear energy to court. [DW]

¶ “Massive UK Battery Factory Receives $2.3 Billion In Funding” • UK-based battery manufacturing start-up Britishvolt has announced $2.3 billion (£1.7 billion) of funding for a proposed battery “gigafactory.” Britishvolt plans to produce 30 GWh of battery capacity per year from its 93-hectare site in Blyth, Northumberland. [Power Technology]

Rendering of UK battery factory (Britishvolt image)

US:

¶ “House Committee Schedules Second Hearing On Oil And Gas Industry’s Role In Climate Disinformation” • The oil and gas industry was issued a second round of appearance requests from the House Oversight Committee as it investigates its role in the spread of climate disinformation. BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and Shell board members were asked to testify. [CNN]

¶ “Natural Gas Becomes Important Battleground In Transition From Fossil Fuels ” • Last year saw natural gas bans as cities lead the way in phasing out gas from homes and buildings. Ithaca, NY became the first city to go further and lay out an ambitious policy to transition all buildings to electric by 2030. But some states are pushing back. [CleanTechnica]

Ithaca, NY (Will Barkoff, Unsplash)

¶ “Lockdown Drove Pollution Changes Between – Even Within – Cities” • Researchers from Washington University in St Louis developed a method using satellite measurements to determine levels of NO₂ on an unprecedented scale. This enables taking measurements in areas without ground monitoring. NO₂ is a key contributor to smog. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute Launches, With Solar” • The American Wind Wildlife Institute is now the Renewable Energy Wildlife Institute. It is a unique organization that brings together key stakeholders committed to expanding the scale and role of renewable energy in our power supply, while addressing wildlife and habitat issues. [CleanTechnica]

Have a prolifically beautiful day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Gas Prices Could Soar If Russia Invades Ukraine” • If Russia invades Ukraine, inflation-weary Americans will likely pay the price at the pump. That’s because Russia is the No 2 oil producer on the planet, behind only the US. And Ukraine is a key energy transit hub, where a large amount of Russian natural gas exports to Europe flow through. [CNN]

Russian soldier (Министерство обороны РФ, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Is The ExxonMobil Net-Zero Report And Announcement Another Greenwashing Campaign?” • ExxonMobil announced this week that it wants to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions for its operating assets by 2050 and shared details as to how it will achieve this goal. This sounds like a good thing on the surface, but is it really? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Should Shipowners Be Responsible For Compliance With Shipping ETS?” • The European Commission proposed adding shipping to the EU Emissions Trading System. Companies would have to pay for their emissions, rather than report them as under the original regulations. The question is, can they be expected to deal with problems correctly. [CleanTechnica]

Ship (Valentin Schönpos, Pixabay)

¶ “Nuclear Energy Is Far Too Costly” • When it suggests that nuclear power be considered sustainable, the EU Commission is completely ignoring the costs of nuclear energy. Quite apart from the funds required to build new nuclear power plants, even smaller ones, there is the far more important question of who would foot the bill in the event of an accident. [DW]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Scientists Recommend System Of Checkpoints To Help Guide Climate Engineering Research” • A team of scientists outlined a framework for assessing the viability of a method for reflecting sunlight called marine cloud brightening. The method would use ocean sea-salt particles to increase the reflectivity of low-lying clouds over certain ocean regions. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “When Graphene Speaks, Scientists Can Now Listen” • Two brothers, John Li, a Rice alumnus now studying at Stanford University, and Victor Li, then a high school student in New York and now a freshman at the MIT, are co-lead authors of a paper that describes the real-time analysis of laser-induced graphene production through sound. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “False Banana: Is Ethiopia’s Enset ‘Wondercrop’ For Climate Change?” • Enset, a banana-like crop, has the potential to feed more than 100 million people in a warming world, according to a study. The plant is almost unknown outside of Ethiopia, where it is used to make porridge and bread. It might be grown over a much larger range in Africa. [BBC]

Ensete ventricosum (Daderot, released to the public domain)

¶ “26% Of New Vehicle Sales Plugin Vehicle Sales In Germany In 2021” • In Germany, plugin vehicles scored an amazing 36% share (21% battery EV) in December, with the full 2021 numbers ending at over 681,000 units and 26% share (14% battery EV). That makes Germany the largest PEV market outside of China, beating even the USA. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “100% Zero-Emissions Cherry Orchard” • New Zealand’s first zero-emissions food producer, Forest Lodge Orchard, in Central Otago, New Zealand, is 100% free of fossil fuels. The farmers have electrified everything at the orchard, irrigation, electric vehicles, frost-fighting fans, tools, and everything else, and powered it all with a solar system. [CleanTechnica]

Forest Lodge Orchard, with zero emissions (Courtesy of FLO)

US:

¶ “Tesla Insurance Expands To Arizona And Ohio” • Tesla Insurance has been expanded to Arizona and Ohio. There are now five states where it is available, the others being California, Illinois, and Texas. In 2020, Elon Musk pointed out that the insurance part of Tesla’s business could be 30% to 40% of the value of the car business. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emissions Expected To Increase In 2022 And 2023” • In its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook, the Energy Information Administration forecast that US energy-related CO₂ emissions will increase in 2022 and 2023 but remain below 2019 levels. These emissions had decreased 11% in 2020 due to Covid-19. [CleanTechnica]

Graphic from the EIA’s Short-Term Energy Outlook

¶ “Wind Turbine Installed At Kansas Ethanol Plant” • Western Plains Energy, Faith Technologies Inc, Juhl Energy, and GE Renewable Energy partnered on a wind turbine to power the WPE ethanol plant in Oakley, Kansas, with on-site energy. WPE produces about 50 million gallons of denatured ethanol annually for use as fuel. [Ethanol Producer Magazine]

¶ “Verizon Signs Power Deals For 910 MW Of New Renewables” • US telecoms provider Verizon has entered into virtual power purchase agreements equating to a total of 910 MW of capacity. Verizon’s seven new renewable energy purchase agreements are expected to help finance the powering of seven new solar and wind facilities. [reNews]

Solar array (Duke Energy image)

¶ “EnTech Solutions Provides Wisconsin Cheese Factory With Solar Energy” • EnTech Solutions installed two renewable energy microgrids at the site of Agropur’s new 210,000 sq ft cheese plant being built in Little Chute, Wisconsin. Agropur is the largest North American dairy coop. The new facility will double its milk processing capacity. [Facility Executive Magazine]

¶ “West Virginia House Committee Advances Nuclear Power Ban Repeal Bill” • The West Virginia House of Delegates Committee on Energy and Manufacturing voted to advance a bill that would repeal the state’s ban on nuclear power plants. Committee members voted to report House Bill 2882 to the House floor with a recommendation that it pass. [WV News]

Have a copacetically rewarding day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “A 21st-Century Reinvention Of The Electric Grid Is Crucial For Solving The Climate Crisis” • With increasingly damaging weather, a path to tackle the climate crisis has become clear: Transition the electric grid to carbon-free wind and solar and convert most other fossil fuel users to electricity. The question of how to do that requires innovation. [GreenBiz]

Solar panels and farming (Werner Slocum, NREL)

¶ “Stellantis CEO Warns Of Dangers In EU Electric Car Policies” • Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares sat down for an interview with European newspapers. During the interview, he told the press the European Commission strategy to phase out combustion engines in favor of EVs is a political choice that carries social and environmental risks. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “China Mined A Record Amount Of Coal In 2021. It Might Produce Even More This Year” • China produced more coal than ever last year as its power stations struggled to meet demand for electricity, undermining plans to curb carbon emissions. Coal output hit a record 4.07 billion metric tons last year, up 4.7% from 2020. Output may increase this year. [CNN]

Chinese coal miner (Peter Van den Bossche, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Peru Oil Spill After Tonga Eruption An ‘Ecological Disaster'” • An oil spill off the Peruvian coast caused an “ecological disaster,” authorities said. The La Pampilla refinery leaked over 6,000 barrels of oil after a tanker was hit by waves linked to Tonga’s volcanic eruption. Foreign ministry officials urged operator Repsol to pay compensation. [BBC]

¶ “Plugin Vehicle At 65% Share In The Netherlands! Volkswagen ID.3 Shines!” • December was the second best month on record for the Dutch market for plugin vehicle sales, with 23,150 plugin registrations. The Netherlands had a 72% plugin EV share, with 69% share from just full battery EVs. In fact, all ten of the top ten cars were full battery EVs. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.3 (Amber, Unsplash)

¶ “South Africa’s Highest Mileage BMW I3 Has Now Driven 300,000 KM On Its Original Battery!” • Shaun Maidment’s 2016 BMW i3 now has 300,000 km (186,411 miles) on its odometer, the highest mileage of any i3 in Africa. He bought the car in August of 2016 and has been driven it over 300,000 km on its original battery! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Opibus Introduces The First Locally Designed And Developed Electric Bus In Kenya” • Opibus, a Swedish-Kenyan technology company that develops, designs, and manufactures EVs tailored for the African continent, has just introduced the first all-electric bus in Kenya. Opibus designed and developed the electric bus in Kenya. [CleanTechnica]

Opibus electric bus (Opibus image)

¶ “Top EU Regulator Urges ‘Ban’ On Crypto Mining That He Claims Is Sucking Up Renewable Energy” • The EU urgently needs to ban a form of cryptocurrency mining that is relying heavily on renewable energy, and poses a threat to climate-change goals, a top regional regulator said. Some countries have banned cryptocurrency activity already. [MarketWatch]

¶ “SSE Acquires First Solar Project” • Scottish energy supplier SSE has announced details of its first solar project, which will deliver 30 MW of clean energy. The move forms part of a £12.5 billion (€17 billion) investment program to power change towards net zero. The 30-MW solar farm at Littleton Pastures is located near Evesham in Worcestershire. [reNews]

Solar farm at Littleton Pastures (SSE image)

¶ “EU Beats 2020 Renewable Energy Goal, France Lags Behind” • The EU got 22% of its electricity from renewables in 2020, beating its 20% target, the EU statistics office said. The bloc’s 27 countries are increasingly turning to wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources as part of efforts to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. [Reuters]

US:

¶ “Greening The Rust Belt: An Unexpected Link Between Manufacturing Jobs And Sustainability” • Research suggests that communities that have seen steep reductions in manufacturing jobs are less likely to adopt plans related to environmental sustainability, highlighting the role that economic transitions play in fostering sustainability efforts. [CleanTechnica]

Victim of transition (Peter Herrmann, Unsplash)

¶ “Climate Change Could Lead To Blackouts And Higher Power Costs On West Coast” • Two studies led by a North Carolina State University researcher preview what electricity consumers on the West Coast could experience under two different scenarios for climate and power supply. They found power costs and reliability remain vulnerable. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “MidAmerican Unveils 2.1-GW Iowa Clean Power Project” • MidAmerican Energy has plans for a $4 billion renewable energy project in Iowa, including wind and solar generation. In a filing with the Iowa Utilities Board, MidAmerican’s proposed project would add 2,042 MW of wind generation and 50 MW of solar generation, to be completed in 2024. [reNews]

Wind farm (MidAmerican image)

¶ “New “Solar Power In Your Community” Guidebook” • The US DOE released the third edition of Solar Power in Your Community, the DOE’s guidebook to help local governments get economic and environmental benefits of increased local solar deployment. It contains case studies that show different successful approaches to solar installations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Town Of Boone Reaches Climate Neutrality In Municipal Operations Eight Years Ahead Of Its Goal” • Boone is the first municipality in North Carolina to achieve 100% renewable energy in municipal buildings, a press release says. Municipal operations will use 100% renewable energy by February, eight years ahead of the town’s goal. [Watauga Democrat]

Have an amply sufficient day.

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Opinion &c: 

¶ “Meet The Environmental Scientist Who Wants To Decolonize Conservation” • Jessica Hernandez first learned of conservation science and environmental justice through her grandmother. Maria de Jesus showed her granddaughter how to tend the family milpa, a plot where they harvested beans, corn, squash, medicinal plants, and even grasshoppers. [CleanTechnica]

Central American Milpa (Ll1324, CC0 1.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Cut Carbon And Toxic Pollution, Make Cement Clean And Green” • Decarbonizing cement plants is critical for reaching our climate goals. Cement is key to making concrete, the most widely used man-made material on the planet, and has few realistic alternatives. Cement is incredibly dirty to produce, but there are ways to curb emissions. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “What Do Unprecedented Fires And Tornadoes Mean For The Future Of Energy?” • The increase in climate-related disasters is becoming more distinct. Rising temperatures fuel more violent storms. The question is how to ensure that the nation’s energy supply and infrastructure are protected and prevent disruptions in energy distribution. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Tornado (Comfreak, Pixabay)

World:

¶ “Europeans Support Stronger EU Car Emissions Rules” • A large majority of people support stronger EU air pollution rules for carmakers to make vehicles as clean as possible, a YouGov survey shows. More than three-quarters of those polled said car makers should be legally obliged to reduce emissions as much as technically feasible. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Environmental Case For Buying A Coal Mine” • A growing number of campaigners, economists, and legal scholars now believe that there is an environmental case for getting involved in the fossil fuel market by buying up coal mines and acquiring drilling rights, in order to prevent the fossil fuel from being extracted, leaving it in the ground. [BBC]

Garzweiler lignite mine and power plants (Kateer, CC-BY-SA 2.5)

¶ “Volkswagen And Bosch Want To Industrialize Manufacturing Processes For Battery Cells” • Volkswagen and Bosch signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the establishment of a European battery equipment solution provider. They are are seeking industrial-scale solutions for battery manufacturing in Europe. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “This Colossal Floating Wind Farm Will Power Almost A Million UK Homes” • A floating wind farm being built in the Celtic Sea, off the coast of England and Wales, is twenty times the size of the world’s current largest floating wind farm. Called “Gwynt Glas” or “blue wind” in Welsh, it will provide power for around 927,400 UK homes. [Euronews]

EDF Renewables UK Teesside wind farm (© EDF)

US:

¶ “BlackRock Cares About Money, Not ‘Woke’ Politics” • Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, insists that companies need to disclose more about their climate plans and seriously consider their role in society. He says his reasons are financial, not “woke” politics. BlackRock is the world’s biggest money manager, with over $10 trillion under management. [CNN]

¶ “Ten Significant Water Power Accomplishments From 2021” • Over the last year, US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers worked hard to advance water power, a clean, carbon-pollution-free energy source. From surging oceans to rushing rivers, flowing waters are a constant and bountiful source of renewable energy. [CleanTechnica]

Verdant Power working on turbines (Paul Komosinski, NREL)

¶ “EV Commercials Go Prime Time” • Car brands collectively ran four times as many national TV ads for EVs in 2021 as they did in either of the previous two years, according to Bloomberg Green. General Motors, Ford, Volkswagen, and others, spent an estimated $248 million on nearly 33,000 spots, up from $83 million spent on 8,000 spots in 2019. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Renewable Power Plants Are Reducing US Electricity Generation From Natural Gas” • In its January Short-Term Energy Outlook, the US Energy Information Administration forecasts that rising electricity generation from renewable energy resources will reduce generation from fossil fuel-fired power plants over the next two years. [CleanTechnica]

EIA forecast graph

¶ “US Operator Seeks 1 GW Of Wind Power” • Appalachian Power issued a request for proposals for up to 1000 MW of wind and/or 100 MW of solar generation resources with optional battery energy-storage systems. The proposals will help the company meet the renewable energy requirements established by Virginia’s Clean Economy Act. [reNews]

¶ “Some Rural Co-Ops Embrace Renewable Energy, Keep Rates Flat” • Connexus Energy, the Minnesota’s largest electric coop, built the first large-scale, solar-plus-battery storage project in the state three years ago. Greg Ridderbusch, Connexus Energy’s CEO, said it’s one reason Connexus is able to keep its electric rates flat, year after year. [MPR News]

Solar and batteries (Connexus Energy image, cropped)

¶ “Green Mountain Energy Enters Agreement To Offer Arizona 100% Renewable Energy Ahead Of State Deadlines” • Arizonans have moved closer to having the power to choose renewable energy for their homes and businesses. Green Mountain Energy has entered into a Letter of Intent with Sawtooth DevCo, LLC for locally sourced renewable energy. [Benzinga]

¶ “Most US States See Nuclear Power As Part Of Their Green Transition” • Two-thirds of all states and the District of Columbia say that in one form or another, nuclear power generation will be needed in the US to meet the goals of a carbon-free grid by 2035 and net-zero emissions by 2050, a survey by the Associated Press showed. [Oil Price]

Have a rewardingly enchanting day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “How Greed And Politics Slow The Switch To Renewable Energy” • Thanks to fossil fuels, billions of people enjoy lives of wealth and comfort that was unimaginable before the industrial revolution. Fossil fuels do have their dark side, and you might think you understand that. But it’s likely fossil fuels are worse than you think. [Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]

Wind turbines (Dan Meyers, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “CATL Warns On Solid-State Batteries, Sees Supply Shortfall Ahead” • Recently, CATL, China’s largest battery maker, revealed plans for large investments to increase its production capacity. In the process, the company showed that technical difficulties will prevent mass production of solid-state batteries from occurring for a long time. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Six Questions To Help You Understand The Sixth Warmest Year On Record” • Scientists at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies record climate data using instruments all over the world, and it is validated by satellite data. Here, we answer six questions to help you understand the GISS global surface temperature analysis. [CleanTechnica]

Temperature anomalies (Gavin Schmidt, NASA GISS)

World:

¶ “32% Plugin Vehicle Share In France! Tesla Model 3 Is Number Eight In Overall Market.” • In 2020, the French auto market was horrible (-26% YoY), and 2021 was not much better (only up 1% from 2020). But even in that bad market, plugin sales continued to grow, with December sales (+6% YoY) signaling a record month, at 32% of all car sales. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Plastic Crisis Needs Binding Treaty, Report Says” • Pollution from plastics is a global emergency in need of a robust UN treaty, according to a report. It argues that the plastic pollution threat is almost equivalent to climate change. The air we breathe now contains plastic micro particles, there’s plastic in Arctic snow, plastic in soils and plastic in our food. [BBC]

Plastic cast up on a beach (Antoine Giret, Unsplash)

¶ “Shipping And Renewable Energy Bodies Join Forces To Advance Global Green Fuel Transition” • The International Chamber of Shipping, with over 80% of world’s merchant fleet, has signed a Partnership Agreement with the International Renewable Energy Agency to support the decarbonization of the shipping sector. [Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide]

¶ “Outlook For Fossil Gas Is ‘Bumpy'” • Wood Mackenzie’s recent press release highlights the difficulties that may lie ahead for the gas industry. The recent EU proposal to support biomethane and hydrogen will accelerate the movement away from natural gas as an energy resource. Growth of the gas industry will depend on price reduction. [CleanTechnica]

LNG Schneeweisschen (Photo courtesy of Uniper)

¶ “Philippines Has Cleared 62 PV Projects Totaling 1.3 GW For Renewable Portfolio Standards” • The Philippines’ DOE has published the list of operational renewable energy projects that are eligible for the renewable portfolio standards. The list has 62 solar projects, 36 hydropower facilities, seven wind farms, along with 36 biomass and 6 geothermal projects. [PV Magazine]

¶ “Neoen Starts Work On Australia’s Largest Renewable Energy Project” • Neoen started to develop 1.2 GW of wind, 600 MW of solar, and 900 MW of battery storage capacity in South Australia. Upon completion, the installation will likely be Australia’s largest wind, solar, and battery storage project. Transmission lines will tie it to Victoria also. [PV Magazine]

South Australia (Neoen image)

¶ “EVs Beat Diesels As Electric Car Sales Ramp Up In Europe” • Auto analyst Mathias Schmidt tells the Financial Times that sales of battery-electric cars in Europe and the UK were higher than sales of diesel-powered cars for the first time in December of 2021. There were 176,000 battery EVs sold in the month, and only 160,000 diesels. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Scottish Renewable Auction Plans 15 GW Of Floating Wind Leases” • The Crown Estate for Scotland announced the winning bids for its first renewable leasing round in 10 years. In total, the auction allocated 14.5 GW of floating wind leases and 9.8 GW of fixed-based wind leases, as well as a 0.5 GW mixed development. It raised almost £700 million. [Power Technology]

Offshore wind turbines (Øyvind Gravås, ©Equinor)

US:

¶ “Court Vacates Decision To Approve Dakota Access Pipeline Expansion” • An Illinois Appellate Court has issued its decision in the appeal of the Illinois Commerce Commission decision to approve the Dakota Access Pipeline and Energy Transfer Crude Oil Pipeline expansion. The court vacated the approval, and it remanded the case back to the ICC. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wabtec’s 100% Electric Locomotive Trickle Suddenly Becomes International Flood” • The locomotive manufacturer Wabtec debuted the FLXdrive 100% electric locomotive in Pennsylvania last November, but that was just the beginning. The company has found two clients in Australia and locked in a spot on Europe’s Rail Joint Undertaking. [CleanTechnica]

Wabtec FLXdrive locomotive (Photo courtesy of Wabtec)

¶ “The US Is Divided Over Whether Nuclear Power Is Part Of The Green Energy Future” • As climate change pushes states in the US to dramatically cut their use of fossil fuels, many are coming to the conclusion that solar, wind, and other renewable power sources might not be enough to keep the lights on. So they are considering turning to nuclear. [NPR]

¶ “Solar PV And Wind Power In The US Continue To Grow Amid Favorable Government Plans” • GlobalData’s latest report covers the power market structure of the US and provides historical and forecast numbers for capacity, generation, and consumption up to 2030. It expects that renewables will grow to 48.4% of power generation by 2030. [Power Technology]

Have an incomparably simple day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “From Asthma Alley To Renewable Row: Transform This Stretch Of Queens” • As a City Council member from Astoria, I worked to reduce New York City’s heavy dependence on fossil fuels because of the serious dangers of climate change. But for me, clean energy is personal. My son has been diagnosed with childhood asthma. [NY Daily News]

Ravenswood power plant (Rhododendrites, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “A 21st-Century Reinvention of the Electric Grid Is Crucial for Solving the Climate Change Crisis” • With the planet facing ever more intense heat waves, drought, wildfires, and storms, a path to tackle the climate crisis became clear: Transition the electric grid to carbon-free wind and solar and convert most other fossil fuel users to electricity. [Governing Magazine]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Is The Tesla Model Y Even Safer Than The Tesla Model 3?” • The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety revealed the results of its Tesla Model Y crash safety tests recently. Like all Teslas, the Model Y earned the highest possible rating for crash safety. Surprisingly, the Model Y electric SUV has proven even safer than the Model 3. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model 3 and Model Y in crash testing (IIHS images)

¶ “Gas Car Fires Far More Common Than Electric Car Fires” • A study by Auto Insurance EZ analyzed data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics and the National Transportation Safety Board, along with data on recalls from recalls.gov. It shows that while EV fires can happen, they are rare compared to fires in cars powered by gasoline. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Where Is All The Rooftop Solar Power In Australia Going?” • Australia now has over 17 GW of installed rooftop solar power, after a scorching installation rate in 2021. Despite supply chain issues, and the solar coaster of rolling lockdowns across districts and whole states, 3 GW were put on Australian roofs over the past 12 months. [CleanTechnica]

Rooftop solar (Nuno Marques, Unsplash)

¶ “Oman Partners With BP For Multi-Gigawatt Renewables Capacity By 2030” • BP has formed a strategic partnership with the government of Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals to exploit a potential multi-gigawatt renewable energy and green hydrogen by 2030. Among other things, BP will help Oman with data analysis. [Upstream Online]

¶ “Stelco Will Recycle EV Batteries At Its Ontario Factory” • A Canadian steel company, Stelco, has announced plans to recycle end-of-life EV and lithium-ion batteries at its factory in Ontario. Stelco will be using proprietary technology from a joint venture of German and Australian metal companies Primobius GmbH and Neometels Ltd. [CleanTechnica]

Battery recycling (Image courtesy of Primobius)

¶ “Renewable Energy To Meet Over 70% Of China’s Additional Power Needs In Next Three Years, Says IEA” • Renewable energy will meet over 70% of China’s additional electricity demand in the next three years as coal’s role in powering the country continues to decline, the International Energy Agency’s latest projection shows. [South China Morning Post]

¶ “South Australia Breaks Record By Running For A Week On Renewable Energy” • South Australia sourced an average of just over 100% of the electricity it needed from renewable power for a period of 6½ days leading up to December 29 last year. It is a record for the state and perhaps for comparable energy grids around the world. [Sydney Morning Herald]

Solar Car Park in South Australia (Flicker02, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Experts See Nuclear Energy As A Patch For Decarbonization” • Currently available renewable electricity sources are much cheaper, faster, and cleaner than nuclear power. “Investing in nuclear energy, which has been almost stopped for three decades, when we have a better alternative and doing so in the midst of a climate emergency is crazy.” [The Saxon]

US:

¶ “Battery Resourcers Recycling Facility Will Open In August” • Battery Resourcers is building a $43 million, 154,000 square foot recycling facility in Georgia. The company says it will be the largest in America when it opens in August. The new facility will be able to recycle 30,000 metric tons of discarded lithium-ion batteries and scrap per year. [CleanTechnica]

Batteries to recycle (Image courtesy of Battery Resources)

¶ “Electricity Regulation With Equity And Justice For All” • A report published by the US DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Advancing Equity in Utility Regulation, makes a unifying case that utilities, regulators, and stakeholders need to prioritize energy equity in the deployment of clean energy technologies and resources. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Court Rejects Tesla’s Request For Tougher Fuel Economy Penalties” • A US appeals court rejected Tesla’s request to reinstate higher civil penalties for automakers who fail to meet US fuel economy standards, Reuters has reported. The ruling is seen as a win for automakers that don’t meet US fuel economy standards. [CleanTechnica] 

Have an excitingly dignified day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Why Nuclear Power Can Never Be Green” • Calling nuclear power “green” or “sustainable,” attempting to equate a nuclear reactor with a solar panel or a wind turbine, is plain and simple fraud. Nuclear power does not lead to carbon emissions once production begins, but to give it the same treatment as a truly renewable source is a bare-faced lie. [Eurasia Review]

Nuclear power plant (Johannes Plenio, Pexels)

¶ “Climate Scientists On ‘Don’t Look Up’: It’s Infuriating, Soul-Sucking, And On-The-Nose” • I come from a team of climate scientists, analysts, and advocates. For us, Don’t Look Up was both like pulling teeth to watch and air-punchingly validating. We saw the futility of our work, and its necessity. We feel hopeful some people can be moved to action. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Tesla And Chinese EV Makers Putting Lot Of Weight On These Low-Cost EV Batteries” • Tesla first used lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP or LiFePO₄) batteries for its Model 3s that were made in China in 2020. The same technology is also being used by other Chinese manufacturers because of its low cost and low probability of catching fire. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model 3 in Qinghai (Image: Tesla, Tesla Greater China)

World:

¶ “India Is Preparing Its Power Grid For A Major Renewable Energy Expansion” • In line with India’s commitment at the COP26 summit, the country aims to reach net-zero by 2070. India seeks to meet 50% of its energy needs by 2030 through renewable sources and expand non-fossil fuel power generation capacity to 500 GW in this decade. [Oil Price]

¶ “Renault Says It Will Sell Only Electric Cars In Europe By 2030” • At a press conference, Renault CEO Luca de Meo said his company plans to sell only battery EVs in Europe by 2030. He left the door open for Dacia, the low-priced brand in the Renault stable, to sell internal combustion cars after that date, calling it Renault’s Plan B. [CleanTechnica]

Renault Megane E-Tech Courtesy of Renault)

¶ “Econergy Enters UK Storage Market With 50-MW Project Acquisition” • Econergy Renewable Energy acquired Swangate Energy Storage Ltd, a 50-MW storage project in Yorkshire. The 50-MW Swangate project is part of a wider pipeline of projects consisting of more than 800 MW of storage and 900 MW of solar PV. [Power Engineering International]

¶ “Will ScotWind Auction Deliver A Renewables Revolution?” • The ScotWind auction is the first time in a decade that plots of seabed in Scottish waters have been up for grabs. The ScotWind auction, whose successful bidders are about to be announced, should see at least a further 10 GW added to the Scottish market and maybe more with new technology. [BBC]

SeaJack turbine installation vessel (Michael Parry, public domain)

¶ “Government Exploring Rooftop, Floating Solar Power For Scarcity Of Lands: Nasrul” • In Bangladesh, the State Minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Nasrul Hamid, said that the government is exploring options like rooftop and floating solar power plants as alternatives to land-based sites due to scarcity of lands. [The Business Standard]

¶ “Australia To Get The Cupra Born” • Australians are keen to get into affordable electric cars. However, the EVs we keep getting offered are a little rich for our blood, a little expensive for our wallets. The latest is the Cupra Born, which I am sure will sell well at A$50,000 to $60,000 ($36,000 to $43,220) because it is a very exciting machine. [CleanTechnica]

Cupra Born (Image courtesy of Cupra)

¶ “Swedish Police Hunt For Drone Seen Flying Over Forsmark Nuclear Plant” • Police in Sweden deployed helicopters and patrols to the Forsmark nuclear plant to hunt for a large drone seen flying over the site late on Friday. They were unable to catch the unmanned vehicle, they said. Unconfirmed sightings took place at one other nuclear plant. [Reuters]

US:

¶ “What’s The Latest With Tesla’s Cybertruck?” • Tesla has been somewhat guarded about the Cybertruck. That said, an iteration of Tesla’s much-anticipated pickup was recently spotted at the Fremont factory test track. Hence, some clues were revealed. A few updated features were spied during a drone flyover of the factory area. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Cybertruck (u/Kruzat, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “US DOE Looks To Produce More Uranium For Cutting-Edge Nuclear Reactors” • The US government is looking to advance the country’s nuclear power capabilities in an effort to align with a less carbon-intensive future. With that, it is seeking to produce more high-assay low-enriched uranium fuel that would be used by reactors of new design. [The Deep Dive]

¶ “Military Seeks To Boost Tritium Output From TVA’s Watts Bar Nuclear Plant” • The military is seeking to boost the production of tritium, a key component of America’s nuclear arsenal, at the Tennessee Valley Authority’s Watts Bar Nuclear Plant. The move comes despite criticism that it violates international nuclear arms agreements. [Yahoo! Sports]

Have a classically pleasant day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “No One Surprised 2021 One Of The Hottest Years On Record – And That’s Terrifying” • NASA and NOAA released their data on 2021 climate trends. Climatologist Dr Kristina Dahl wrote, “What terrifies me about the latest data showing 2021 ranks as the sixth hottest year on record is that these facts and figures are no longer surprising or shocking.” [CleanTechnica]

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

¶ “Critics Slam USPS Failure To Pursue An Electrification Strategy” • The US postal service plans to saddle America with internal combustion technology until at least the middle of this century. That is simply insane. But a defense contractor will profit handsomely from this arrangement. And that’s business as usual in America. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Five Ways US States Can Get More Electric School Buses On The Road” • The enactment of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in the US is an important step on the path to cleaner school bus rides for more than 20 million children. Here are five specific ways that state leaders can lead in a transition to electric school buses. [CleanTechnica]

School buses charging (Nuvve Corporation, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Tesla Cold Weather Experiment In Temperatures Of -22°F And -31°F” • How long would a Tesla keep you warm if a blizzard kept you from moving? CleanTechnica readers reported on doing their own experiments with Teslas operating in the very cold temperatures. The results show that Teslas are really surprisingly good at keeping the heat on. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “1,000-Cycle Lithium-Sulfur Battery Could Quintuple Electric Vehicle Ranges” • A new biologically inspired battery membrane has enabled a battery with five times the capacity of the industry-standard lithium ion design to run for the thousand-plus cycles needed to power an electric car. The design came from a team at the University of Michigan. [CleanTechnica]

Lithium-sulfur battery (Ahmet Emre, Kotov Lab)

World:

¶ “Romanian Minister Says EU Funds To Drive Green Energy Surge” • EU support schemes will drive a surge in renewable energy projects in Romania to replace outdated coal-fired power plants and help the country meet its climate targets, Energy Minister Virgil Popescu said. He also gave a time scale on help from the US for nuclear plants. [Reuters]

¶ “Germany To Dedicate 2% Of Its Land To Development Of Wind Power” • Germany’s new Green Minister for Economics and Climate, Robert Habeck, presented a bold new plan for expanding onshore and offshore wind power. If successful, the plan would add up to 10 GW of new onshore wind capacity every year for the rest of the decade. [CleanTechnica]

Texas Wind Farm (Amazon image)

¶ “Huawei To Sell Large Capacity Battery For Renewable Energy In Japan” • With the growing demand for renewable energy, large-scale battery storage will be needed to maintain a stable supply. According to NikkeiAsia, Huawei will start selling the large-scale battery system for renewable energy storage in Japan in March 2022. [Huawei Central]

US:

¶ “Tesla Cybertruck Reportedly Delayed Until 1st Quarter Of 2023” • The Cybertruck page on the Tesla website used to say, “You will be able to complete your configuration as production nears in 2022.” But at the end of last year, the words “in 2022” were deleted. Why? It seems likely that Cybertruck production has been moved back into 2023. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Cybertruck (Image courtesy of Tesla)

¶ “The US Spent $1.1 Billion On Failed Carbon Capture Projects In A Decade” • The US Government Accountability Office said in a recent report that the US DOE had spent $1.1 billion on eleven carbon capture projects at coal-fired power plants and industrial facilities since 2009, most of which turned out to be failures and were never built. [Oil Price] (Thanks to Tad Montgomery)

¶ “Arizona Utility Signs Wind PPA With NextEra” • Arizona utility Salt River Project is contracting with a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Resources to buy the electricity from the 161-MW Babbitt Ranch wind farm in Coconino County, north of Flagstaff. It is scheduled to begin delivering electricity to SRP’s power grid by December 2023. [reNews]

NextEra wind farm (NextEra image)

¶ “Solar Power Could Boom In 2022, Depending On Supply Chains” • The US Energy Information Administration projects US solar companies will install 21.5 GW of utility-scale capacity this year, shattering the annual record of 15.5 GW set last year. But the Solar Energy Industries Association says growth could be limited by supply constraints. [Scientific American]

¶ “Permian Basin Solar Farm Green-Lit By State Of New Mexico. Will Power Oil And Gas Operations” • A New Mexico solar farm will support the needs of Chevron’s Permian Basin oil and gas operations after the fossil fuel giant won a bid for a section of State Trust land for the project. The Hayhurst project will have a capacity of 20 MW. [Yahoo News]

Pump jacks in the Permian Basin (Zorin09, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Targa To Source Solar Power For West Texas Assets” • Targa Resources Corp plans to source electricity from Concho Valley Solar to provide power to Targa’s natural gas processing infrastructure in the Permian Basin in West Texas. Concho Valley Solar has begun construction of a 160-MW project near San Angelo, Texas. [LP Gas magazine]

¶ “US Cross-Department Plan Inked To Greenlight 25 GW Of Renewables Plant On Federal Land By 2025” • Five US cabinet departments have signed a memorandum of understanding to improve government coordination and streamline reviews for development of a lead-off 25 GW of renewable energy projects on public lands by 2025. [RechargeNews]

Have an enchantingly delicious day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Some German Environmental Groups Overlook Coal’s Impact On Water While Focusing On Stopping Tesla” • Two groups are suing the German State Office for the Environment claiming that the tests for approval of the water supply for the gigafactory are not available. In my opinion, they are not pro-environment. They are just anti-Tesla. [CleanTechnica]

Berlin Gigafactory (Image courtesy of Tesla)

¶ “Why The Joint US-South Korean Research On Plutonium Separation Raises Nuclear Proliferation Danger” • South Korea, like the US, has long relied on nuclear power as a major source of electric power. Both countries have large stores of spent nuclear fuel. And South Korea has long had an interest in other nuclear technology. [Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]

Science and Technology:

¶ “2021 Was 45th Year In A Row With A Warmer-Than-Normal Global Temperature” • The last 45 years have all been above the 20th century average for global temperature, new data shows, as Earth continues its relentless warming due to heat-trapping fossil fuel emissions. Earth’s average temperature is now around 1.1°C above average pre-industrial levels. [CNN]

Earth from space (NASA image)

World:

¶ “India’s Richest Man Is Pouring More Than $80 Billion Into Green Energy” • Reliance Industries, a conglomerate owned by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, announced that it would allocate ₹6 trillion (about $80.6 billion) to renewable power projects in the western Indian state of Gujarat, where it hopes to help generate a million new jobs. [CNN]

¶ “The World’s Insatiable Appetite For Electricity Is Setting Up A Climate Disaster” • A report published by the International Energy Agency found that global demand for electricity surged 6% in 2021, fueled by a colder winter and the dramatic economic rebound from the pandemic. That drove both prices and carbon emissions to new records. [CNN]

Transmission lines (Matthew Henry, Unsplash)

¶ “Renewable PPA Prices Surge In Response To Gas Crisis” • A price rise of 7.8% quarter on quarter for renewable purchase price agreements means that the average cost has soared by 17.4% in the past nine months Corporations are looking to deliver on their climate goals and protect themselves against growing gas price volatility. [Business Green]

¶ “China Electric Vehicle Sales Growth Is Sparking Big Change” • China has emerged as a world leader in electric vehicle adoption in recent years. And it turns out 2021 was no exception. The Wall Street Journal recently reported, “China’s car market snapped a three-year decline last year, helped by strong sales of electric vehicles.” [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y vehicles in China (Courtesy of Tesla)

¶ “EU Gas And Nuclear Rules Derided As ‘Biggest Greenwash Ever'” • Experts and activists are commenting on the European Commission’s plan to include natural gas and nuclear power as eligible for sustainable finance. They warn that the plan will lead to further greenwashing, split financial markets, and undermine the bloc’s climate objectives. [EUobserver]

¶ “Shipping Carbon Price Loophole Lets Millions Of Tonnes Of CO₂ Off The Hook” • Over 25 million tonnes of CO₂ – equivalent to the CO₂ emissions of Denmark – are exempt from the EU’s proposed carbon price for shipping, a Transport & Environment study shows. The exemptions appear to be arbitrary, and they undermine the EU’s shipping law. [CleanTechnica]

Bridge of a ferry (Ibrahim Boran, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Energy Department Will Recruit 1,000 Additional Staffers For New Corps To Tackle The Climate Crisis” • The DOE is starting up a Clean Energy Corps to help implement the bipartisan infrastructure law and develop clean-energy solutions to the climate crisis, the agency said. It will hire 1,000 new employees through a newly launched hiring portal. [CNN]

¶ “The US ‘Megadrought’ Sets Another Stunning Record” • Despite several recent drenching rainstorms in the West and enough snow to top the second story of some buildings, the United States has tied an alarming drought record: At least 40% of the Lower 48 has gone 68 straight weeks – more than 17 months – in drought conditions. [CNN]

Drought (Ross Stone, Unsplash)

¶ “Palmetto Maps 107 Million Roofs In US While Opposition To Rooftop Solar Grows” • MIT researchers created Mapdwell, a tool that provides an instant assessment of any building’s rooftop potential for solar energy production and battery storage. The tool was sold to Palmetto and is ready for use. But there are those who want to stop rooftop solar. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US EPA To Evaluate Whether Lead Emissions From Piston-Engine Aircraft Endanger Human Health And Welfare” • The US EPA said it will evaluate emissions from piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded fuel and their potential threats to public health and welfare. The agency will issue a proposal for public review and comment in 2022. [CleanTechnica]

Airplane (Arie Wubben, Unsplash)

¶ “EDPR completes 200-MW Indiana Solar” • EDP Renewables has completed the construction of the 200MW Riverstart solar farm in the US state of Indiana. The project, located in Randolph County, is the largest solar farm by capacity in Indiana. It will generate electric energy equivalent to the average demand of over 36,000 homes each year. [reNews]

¶ “Manchin Wants Nuclear Tax Credit Extended In Biden’s Build Back Better Bill” • West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin (D) is seeking tax credits for nuclear power plants for 10 years instead of the six years as put in President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill. Manchin himself stalled the bill late last year with opposition to many of its provisions. [Oil Price]

Have an abundantly agreeable day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “The Answer Is Blowing In The Wind” • The US Interior Department’s offshore wind lease sales are important as they are necessary to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and mitigate warming levels. Unfortunately, as often happens with attempts to reduce US dependence on oil, opposition groups voice concerns about the wind lease sale. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind farm (Image from NOAA, public domain)

¶ “Debunking Three Myths About Renewable Energy And The Grid” • As wind and solar power have become far cheaper, and their share of electricity generation grows, skeptics of these technologies are propagating several myths about renewable energy and the electrical grid. Here, we take a look at why their message is simply wrong. [GreenBiz]

¶ “Why Is The Santa Susana Nuclear Accident Still Being Covered Up?” • In 1979, the year of Three Mile Island, I exposed another partial meltdown in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. It occurred at the Santa Susana Field Lab, a reactor and rocket-testing facility in the mountains between the San Fernando and Simi Valleys. [Zocalo Public Square]

SRE nuclear facility in 1958 (US DOE image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Happy Hours: Energy Storage Could Support The Grid Every Hour Of The Day, All Year Long” • The National Renewable Energy Laboratory modeled grid operations in high-storage power systems down to the hour in the latest phase of the Storage Futures Study. This is to help grid operators understand how to use energy storage of the future. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Gas-Powered Car Sales In China Down Around 4% While EV Sales Up About 145% In 2021” • Sam Korus of ARK Invest pointed out that gas-powered car sales in China were down 4% in 2021, while battery EV sales were up about 145%. China’s passenger auto sales were up about 4.4% last year and EVs were responsible for that growth. [CleanTechnica]

Teslas ready for sale (Image courtesy of Tesla China)

¶ “Denmark Crushes 50% EV Sales Barrier – Now What?” • I think Hans Christian Ørsted, who discovered electromagnetism in 1820, would be pleased. The association of Danish automobile importers reports that in December 2021 the share of electrified passenger vehicles, including both battery EVs and plug-in hybrids has passed 50%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “THOR And ZF Partner To Develop Battery-Powered Towable RVs” • THOR Industries, the Indiana-based parent company of Airstream, signed a memorandum of understanding with ZF, a Tier One supplier to the automotive industry based in Germany, for joint development of a high voltage electric drive system for towable recreational vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

E.Home Caravan (Image courtesy of Dethleffs)

¶ “Vedanta Aluminium Is India’s Largest Industrial Consumer Of Renewable Energy” • Vedanta Aluminium Business, Indias largest producer of aluminium and value-added products, has become the biggest industrial consumer of renewable energy in 2021. The company is powering an aluminum smelter entirely with renewable energy. [Daijiworld]

¶ “Global Renewable Power Installations Climb To New Record High In 2021 – IEA” • The amount of renewables added between 2021 and 2026 is expected to be 50% higher than from 2015 to 2020, driven by stronger support from government policies and more ambitious clean power goals announced for the Cop26 UN climate summit. [Yahoo News UK]

Solar array (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

¶ “Thames Water Creates Enough Renewable Energy To Cook 112 Million Turkeys” • The UK’s largest water company created almost 140 million cubic meters of green biogas during the sewage treatment process. This was use to generate over 300 million kWh of electricity, enough to cook 112 million Christmas turkeys. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

US:

¶ “Biden Administration Announces Its First Offshore Wind Auction, With More To Come” • The White House unveiled several government initiatives to bolster US offshore wind production, streamline a review of public lands for clean energy and implement power grid improvements as part of the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure law. [CNN]

Block Island offshore windfarm (US DOE, public domain)

¶ “How To Grow US Offshore Wind Power” • The US DOE is releasing a report that outlines regional and national strategies to accelerate US offshore wind deployment and operation. By implementing the strategies discussed in the report, the country achieve the interagency goal to deploy 30 GW of offshore wind by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Lightsource BP Closes On 345-MW Louisiana Solar Site” • Lightsource BP has closed on a $533 million (€467 million) multi-project financing package and started construction on its 345-MW Ventress Solar project 30 miles northwest of Baton Rouge. Lightsource BP will sell its energy to McDonald’s Corporation and eBay. [reNews]

Solar array with flowers (Lightsource BP image)

¶ “US DOE Awards $8.4 Million For Accessing Geothermal Potential From Abandoned Oil And Gas Wells” • The US DOE selected four projects to receive up to $8.4 million to establish geothermal energy from unused oil and gas wells. The funding will help existing well owners use unproductive wells to access geothermal potential. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Money Talks: ZeroAvia Nails Paine Field Site For Hydrogen Aircraft R&D” • The dream of zero emission flight is taking shape around electric aircraft, with batteries and hydrogen fuel cells running neck and neck to see who can take off first. So far it’s a toss-up, but ZeroAvia has a good shot at going mainstream within the next few years. [CleanTechnica]

Have a totally hunky-dory day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “A Year In Review: Advancing Energy Storage And Conversion Research” • Over the past year, researchers at NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) have pioneered innovative, interdisciplinary, and integrated R&D for advancements in electrochemical, molecular, thermal, and mechanical energy storage systems. [CleanTechnica]

Particle thermal energy storage built from retired thermal
plant (Jeffrey Gifford and Patrick Davenport, NREL)

¶ “Let’s Get Down And Dirty – Soil Needs Cleantech” • Soil is the foundation of the most basic of ecosystem functions. As a natural resource, it is indispensable. It provides essential nutrients to forests and crops and helps regulate the Earth’s temperature. The effects of the climate crisis make it clear: Soil needs cleantech and its innovation. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Oceans Were The Warmest On Record In 2021, For The Third Year In A Row” • Last year was the hottest on record for oceans for the third year in a row. An annual study, published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, found the past five years have been the hottest five on record for the oceans. The records go back to the late 1950s. [CNN]

Sea waters (Joseph Barrientos, Unsplash)

¶ “French City Cancels Hydrogen Bus Contract, Opts For Electric Buses” • The public transit agency for the city of Montpellier, on the southern coast of France, has cancelled a contract for 51 new buses powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The city had calculated it would cost 95¢/km for the hydrogen fueled buses versus 15¢/km for battery-powered buses. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ineos Seals Belgian Offshore Wind Power Deal With Eneco” • London-based chemicals firm Ineos has agreed with Eneco on a long-term deal for renewable offshore wind power. Under the terms of the ten-year deal, which begins in 2022, Ineos will purchase 65.5 MW of power produced at the SeaMade offshore wind park in the Belgian North Sea. [Splash 247]

Offshore wind construction (Pontificalibus, CC 1.0, cropped)

¶ “Ingeteam Commissions The First PV Plant With Batteries In Spain” • The 40-MW Arañuelo III solar plant is now operational and is part of the Campo Arañuelo PV complex developed by Iberdrola. The new plant is the first in Spain to include battery storage. The Arañuelo I, II, and III solar plants have a combined capacity of 143 MW. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “RE100 Calls For Better Clean Energy Support For Business, As It Approaches 350 Member Mark” • RE100, a coalition of firms committed to move to 100% renewables, called on governments to remove barriers for companies to get clean power, warning that regulatory barriers hamper the business world’s transition to net zero emissions. [Business Green]

Solar panels (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

¶ “Green EU Label For Nuclear: Federal Office Sees Inadequate Assessment” • Wolfram König, president of Germany’s Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management, commented on the proposal that nuclear power be classed as green. He said that from a technical point of view, the position nuclear power is sustainable is “not tenable.” [Market Research Telecast]

¶ “France’s New-Generation Nuclear Plant Delayed Again” • EDF announced there would be new delays and cost overruns for its troubled Flamanville nuclear plant in northern France, as the Covid-19 pandemic made the work more difficult. Projected costs were increased to €12.7 billion. Originally, the cost was projected to be €3.3 billion. [Digital Journal]

Flamanville NPP in 2010 (schoella, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “EPA Begins Enforcement On Clean Up Of Toxic Coal-Ash Ponds” • The US EPA announced that it will begin enforcing regulations that require coal-fired power plants to clean up their coal-ash waste – the toxic byproduct of burning coal to generate electricity. There are approximately 500 unlined coal-ash ponds in the US, according to the EPA. [CNN]

¶ “US Saw Its Fourth-Hottest Year On Record In 2021, Fueled By Record-Warm December” • In the US, the year 2021 was marked by extremes, including exceptional heat and devastating severe weather. It had the second-highest number of climate disasters and billion-dollar weather on record. Here’s a recap of the year’s climate and extreme weather events. [CleanTechnica]

Fire in California (Joe Bradshaw, Bureau of Land Management)

¶ “Assessing The US Climate In 2021” • In 2021, there were twenty weather and climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each to affect the US. These events included two floods, one drought, four tropical cyclones, eleven other severe storms, one wildfire, and one winter storm. The annual average for 1980 to 2021 is 7.4 events. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “85% Of US Electric Generating Capacity Retirements In 2022 Will Be Coal” • Operators have scheduled 14.9 GW of generating capacity to retire in the US during 2022, according to the EIA’s latest inventory of electric generators. Most of the scheduled retirements are coal-fired power plants (85%), followed by natural gas (8%) and nuclear (5%). [CleanTechnica]

Expected plant retirements (Energy Information Administration)

¶ “US Contractor To Build 250-MW Illinois Wind” • Invenergy has contracted Infrastructure and Energy Alternatives subsidiary White Construction to build the planned 250-MW Sapphire Sky wind farm in Illinois. Work started on the project during the fourth quarter of 2021, with targeted completion by the fourth quarter of this year. [reNews]

¶ “Iberdrola, CIP JV Completes US offshore Rejig” • Iberdrola has agreed with joint venture partner Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners to take control of over 2 GW US offshore wind capacity. The capacity includes the 1232-MW Commonwealth Wind project in Massachusetts and the 804-MW Park City Wind project in Connecticut. [reNews]

Have a superlatively ideal day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “The Next Front In Fighting Climate Change: Your Home” • The Build Back Better bill, if it ever comes to pass, now seems unlikely to include major climate change provisions. But we can reduce our own carbon emissions, starting with our own homes. About 20% of US greenhouse gases come from homes; about 20% of the problem can be solved by home owners. [CNN]

Home (Jacques Bopp, Unsplash)

¶ “Astonishing Things You Never Knew About Fossil Fuels From Bill McKibben” • In a recent blog post, Bill McKibben celebrated something he discovered recently while surfing the internet: “Forty percent of the world’s shipping consists of just sending fossil fuels around the world to be burned.” We burn fossil fuels so we can move fossil fuels to burn. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Last Seven Years Have Been The Warmest On Record As The Planet Approaches Critical Threshold” • The last seven years are the seven warmest on record for the planet, data shows. Earth’s average temperature is around 1.1°C above average pre-industrial levels, Copernicus reports, 73% of the way to the 1.5° threshold to avoid the worst impacts. [CNN]

Bridge of NOAA Ship Bell Shimada (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “First Lithium Carbonate Produced From Mica” • All UK car manufacturing will convert to electric vehicles by 2030 and lithium carbonate is a key component in the batteries required to power them. It turns out that the lithium that is needed can be extracted from mica found in granite. Now there is a pilot plant operating, doing that. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Antarctica: Invasive Species ‘Hitchhiking’ On Ships” • Species from around the world that are “hitching a lift” on ships threaten Antarctica’s pristine marine ecosystem, according to a study tracking research, fishing, and tourist vessels that routinely visit the protected region. It revealed that ships from 1,500 ports around the globe visit Antarctica. [BBC]

Antarctica (Paul Carroll, Unsplash)

¶ “Vattenfall Is Unleashing A New Drop-In Heat Pump On Unsuspecting Gas Markets” • The humble electric heat pump is emerging as a climate action hero. Vattenfall has just teamed up with the firm Feenstra to introduce a new heat pump that can replace natural gas boilers on a drop-in basis, without the need for expensive retrofits. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hydrostor Inks $250 Million Investment For Energy Storage Growth” • Hydrostor is getting a boost for its long-term energy storage projects. Goldman Sachs is investing $250 million to help the company build more than 1 GW, 8.7 GWh of its Advanced Compressed Air Energy Storage (A-CAES) projects in California and Australia. [Power Engineering]

Gem A-CAES Project (Hydrostor image)

¶ “India May Add 12.5 GW Of Solar In 2022-23” • Ratings agency ICRA expects India to add 16.1 GW of renewable energy capacity in the next fiscal year. The analysts told pv magazine the additions in clean energy will be driven by solar, with 12.5 GW coming in PV projects. Wind projects are expected to contribute 2.2 GW and hybrid plants 1.4 GW. [PV Magazine]

¶ “Lancashire Nuclear Power Plant To Stop Generating Electricity Two Years Early” • The Heysham 2 nuclear power station in Lancashire is set to stop generating electricity two years earlier than expected. In 2016, its life was extended by seven years to 2030 as no new power station projects were in the pipeline, but the plan has changed. [Lancs Live]

Heysham 2 nuclear power station (Mr T, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Solar Power Will Account For Nearly Half Of New US Electric Generating Capacity In 2022” • In 2022, the Energy Information Administration expects 46.1 GW of new utility-scale electric generating capacity to be added to the US power grid. Almost half of the planned 2022 capacity additions are solar, followed by natural gas at 21% and wind at 17%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “‘Off The Charts’: Weather Disasters Have Cost The US $750 Billion Over Past Five Years” • A historic freeze that hit Texas, a deadly hurricane that wreaked havoc from the Gulf Coast to the Northeast, and a record-shattering heat wave and drought in the West are just three of twenty weather disasters that hit the US in 2021, each costing over $1 billion. [CNN]

Weather on the high planes (NOAA image, Unsplash)

¶ “Bill Filed To Crush Solar Choice In The Sunshine State” • Florida Power and Light, the state’s largest power company, has written an anti-rooftop solar bill and is pushing it at the Florida Legislature. If passed, the bill will decimate Florida rooftop solar adoption and take a sledgehammer to solar choice for customers, jobs, and economic development. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Amazon Will Buy Thousands Of Ram ProMaster Electric Delivery Vans Every Year” • The Ram ProMaster, a battery EV, will be the brand’s first ever all-electric model when it debuts in the second half of 2023 as a rival for the Ford E-Transit and the Rivian EDV. It has a ready market with Amazon, whose need for last-mile delivery vans is huge. [CleanTechnica]

Ram ProMaster (Image courtesy of Stellantis)

¶ “RFP Alert: 11.5 GW Of Renewables Mandated By CPUC” • The Diablo Canyon nuclear plant is set to retire in 2025, as California switches to renewable generation. Three community choice aggregators jointly issued a request for proposals as part of a state mandate for 11,500 MW of carbon-emissions-free energy and long-duration energy storage. [pv magazine USA]

¶ “Report: Taxpayers ‘Losing’ On Subsidies For Nuclear Industry” • Nuclear power is making the transition toward smaller reactors. But a report from Taxpayers for Common Sense claims federal subsidies to help that move are a losing bet. The group says the DOE has spent more than $1.2 billion on small modular reactors, and is set to spend more. [Kiowa County Press]

Have an irrepressibly exultant day.

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Opinion: 

¶ “Here’s How To Solve The UK Energy Crisis For The Long Term – Store More Power” • The key to making sure there is enough affordable, low-carbon energy is more storage to make the most of the renewable energy available. A storage boom has been forecast over the coming decade as governments race to meet their climate targets. [The Guardian]

Highview Power’s CryoBattery (Highview Power image)

¶ “Taxonomy: Nuclear And Gas Energy Might Get Greenwashed, But With Little Impact ” • The EU Commission wants to classify nuclear and gas-fired power plants as “sustainable” generators. Activists are on fire, but as legitimate as their opinion is, the move is not actually all that significant. For one thing, nuclear power is too expensive. [Investigate Europe]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Scientists Develop Stable Sodium Battery Technology” • If the lithium and cobalt in lithium-ion batteries is replaced, it will result in technology that is more environmentally and socially conscious, scientists say. Toward that end, University of Texas at Austin researchers have developed an improved sodium-based battery material. [CleanTechnica]

Batteries and parts (Robin Glauser, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Tesla China Shares Video On How Safety Comes First At Tesla” • Tesla China shared a new video on its YouTube channel that highlights the important focus on safety that Tesla is well known for. The video led with a clip of CEO Elon Musk speaking on how important it is to put safety first. The video is in Chinese with English subtitles. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Delhi’s Smog Problem Is Rooted In India’s Water Crisis” • In the first week of November 2021, when Delhi’s air quality went beyond hazardous, stubble burning accounted for 42% of the city’s levels of PM2.5. The stubble is largely on farms where large amounts of ground water are used for paddy farming. And the ground water is getting scarce. [BBC]

Indian paddy fields (Sreehari Devadas, Unsplash)

¶ “Coal-Fired Power Is Not Flexible Enough For Negative Prices” • When the Australian Energy Regulator put the spotlight on the inability of coal-fired power stations to respond quickly to sudden changes supply and demand, it opened a discussion about dealing with the problem. The AER is asking whether coal plants can operate more flexibly. [AFR]

¶ “Adani Group Floats ANIL For Green Energy Projects, Aims To Become World’s Biggest Renewables Company” • Adani Group has set up a subsidiary, Adani New Industries Ltd, for low-carbon electricity and green hydrogen projects, and to manufacture wind turbines, solar PVs, and batteries. Its goal is to be the world’s largest renewable energy company. [Firstpost]

Gautam Adani (Image courtesy of Adani Group)

¶ “Aquila Takes 51% Stake In 421-MW Italian PV” • Aquila Capital has formalized the acquisition of 51% stakes in 421 MW of solar projects under development in Italy from Soltec Power Holdings’ subsidiary Powertis for an undisclosed price. The agreement also contemplates the co-development of an additional 90 MW for energy storage in the country. [reNews]

US:

¶ “World Economic Forum: Texas Could Experience Warmest Winter In 130 Years” • Texas is likely to experience its warmest winter in 130 years, according to the World Economic Forum. Considering last year’s deep freeze is still haunting those of us in the deep South, that may sound like a relief. But the warmer weather come with its cost. [CleanTechnica]

Drought conditions (US Drought Monitor image)

¶ “Gemilang To Deliver 140 Electric School Buses To California Schools” • Gemilang International Limited is planning to deliver 140 fully electric school buses to schools in California this year. The company, based in Johor, Malaysia, has been designing and manufacturing coaches and buses for over 30 years. It also makes bus bodies for EV producers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Blackstone Invests $3 Billion In Invenergy In Renewable Push” • The Blackstone Group injected $3 billion in Invenergy, a US multinational firm focused on power generation development and operations, in green push, Bloomberg reported. This follows the alternative asset manager giant’s $13 billion commitment in 2019 to back clean energy. [Arab News]

Solar array (Invenergy.com)

¶ “Work Starts On 100-MW Solar Project In Eastern Kern” • Construction has begun on a 100-MW solar PV project in Kern County, California. Rabbitbrush Sola will come with a battery storing 50 MWh of electricity. Developer Leeward Renewable Energy said it chose to build in Kern because of its consistent sunlight and flat land. [Yahoo News]

¶ “Edelman To ‘Part Ways’ With Clients That Do Not Meet New Climate Standards” • PR agency Edelman plans to “part ways” with clients that do not align with its climate principles. The agency reviewed them based on Carbon Disclosure Project reporting and scores, the latest IPCC reports, and industry emissions analysis. [Marketing Interactive]

Have a stupifyingly gorgeous day.

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geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

Opinion: 

¶ “Unpacking People’s Attitudes Toward Solar Power” • People in the US are increasingly concerned about the climate crisis, and eliminating fossil fuels from the global energy portfolio must take place. While the vast majority of the public supports the development of large-scale community-based solar installations, not everyone agrees. [CleanTechnica]

Mojave Desert concentrating solar system (US DOE)

¶ “Take It From Climate Scientists: ‘Don’t Look Up’ Is Damning – But Not Nearly Damning Enough” • I come from a team of climate scientists, analysts, and advocates. For us, “Don’t Look Up” was both like pulling teeth to watch and air-punchingly validating. It is a flawed movie about things we hate seeing, and then the world ENDS. [Common Dreams]

¶ “Maine Needs Policy Reforms, Truth In Advertising To Hasten Transition Off Fossil Fuels” • Maine is becoming a hub for clean energy, but its marketing remains muddy. Fossil fuel companies have spent billions of dollars lying to the American public about global warming, causing irreparable harm. So it should be no wonder that people are confused. [PenBay Pilot]

Solar array (Photo courtesy of ReVision Energy)

¶ “Why Is Support For Nuclear Power Noisiest Just As Its Failures Become Most Clear?” • During COP26, Nuclear Needs Net Zero laid on a pro-nuclear flash mob in central Glasgow, complete with young dancers wearing ‘we need to talk about nuclear’ T-shirts. They got media attention. But nuclear power costs three times as much as renewables. [openDemocracy]

Science and Technology:

¶ “New Study Shows Protecting Ecosystems Takes Priority Over Planting Trees For Carbon Storage” • Planting trees is a necessity to help remove carbon from the atmosphere. However, it’s not enough. Yes, there has been a lot of awareness around planting trees. However, a study has found that protecting ecosystems should be the first priority. [CleanTechnica]

View in the Cascades (Sergei A, Unsplash)

¶ “This Battery May Solve Renewables’ Energy Storage Problem” • Flow batteries are types of liquid batteries that potentially could provide large-scale, long-term energy storage. But, so far, the materials to make them have been too rare and too expensive. Researchers have found an alternative. It is a material that looks a lot like molasses. [Freethink]

¶ “The Metals Company Finishes Its Deep-Sea Research Campaign” • The Metals Company is focused on sourcing the critical metals and minerals needed for producing batteries for electric vehicles but in a unique way. TMC collects nodules that are just lying on the seafloor “like golf balls on a driving range and can be collected directly.” [CleanTechnica]

Remotely operated vehicle (TMC via Business Wire)

World:

¶ “Germany’s Plugin EV Share At Record 36% In December” • In Germany, Europe’s largest auto market and the 5th largest in the world, the plugin EV share hit a record of 35.7% in December, up from 26.6% year-on-year. Full battery electrics took 21.3% of the market. Overall auto sales were down to 227,630 units, the lowest December result in decades. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Northern Territory Of Australia Takes Baby Steps Into The Electric Future” • The Northern Territory, home of the iconic monolith Uluru, is not a state but a vast and sparsely populated territory. Up till now, there have been only 61 EVs registered in the Northern Territory (a penetration rate of 0.03%), but that is about to change. [CleanTechnica]

Uluru (Ondrej Machart, Unsplash)

¶ “Jordan Among Leading Arab Countries In Renewable Energy Transition” • Jordan is among leading Arab countries in the energy transition, which can be seen in the Kingdom’s use of renewable energy to meet more than 20% of its power needs, Secretary General of the Arab Renewable Energy Commission Mohammad Taani said. [menafn]

¶ “Global Sentiment On CO₂ Emissions Makes Energy PSUs Bet Big On Renewables” • Leading Indian energy companies like BPCL, ONGC, and NTPC are revising targets in a big renewable energy push to be future-ready to avoid stranded assets. The government is confident of having 450 GW of renewable energy installed by 2030. [Business Today]

Wind farm in Western Ghats (Rajavel vanaraj, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “EU: Nuclear Energy Will Require ‘€20 Billion Per Year’ Until 2050” • The EU commissioner for the internal market, Thierry Breton, said the bloc will need to invest €500 billion ($586 billion) in new nuclear energy facilities by 2050, €20 billion each year, according to an interview recently published by the French newspaper Journal du Dimanche. [DW]

US:

¶ “Ford To Greedy Dealers: No F-150 Lightnings For You!” • Lately, we have seen a lot of stories about car dealers tacking on outrageous “market adjustments” over the price on the window sticker for cars that are in high demand, for example adding $5,000 to $10,000 to the price of a Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. Ford is acting on that. [CleanTechnica]

Ford F-150 Lightning (Image courtesy of Ford)

¶ “‘Mystery’ US Energy Storage Company Breaks Through Veil Of Silence” • The energy storage firm FlexGen has barely been noticed by the media, but apparently things have been quite busy over there. Recently, the North Carolina company has hooked up with its home state’s electric cooperatives in a new venture that adds 40 MW of punch. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Why Connexus Energy Won’t Raise Electric Rates For A Fifth Year” • At a time when big Minnesota utilities are raising retail electric rates, electricity provider Connexus Energy told its nearly 140,000 institutional and residential customers that it has frozen rates for a fifth year. A large part of the cost saving is from solar power and batteries. [Star Tribune]

Have an indubitably fruitful day.

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geoharvey is not tax-deductible.