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Opinion:

¶ “Nuclear Power Could Solve US Electricity Needs. But At What Cost?” • Ed Lyman, nuclear power safety director at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said his instinct is that restarting old reactors is one option that is too expensive. He said, “They aren’t going to be miraculously any cheaper than when they were shut down for financial reasons.” [POWER Engineering]

Three Mile Island in 2019 (Constellation Energy, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Deb Katz: Nuclear Power? We Can Do Better Than False Solutions” • The resurrection of nuclear power as a solution for anything is a travesty. For all its claims, nuclear power is neither clean nor green. It is a dirty, toxic technology. It relies on its invisibility to keep its lies going while communities suffer the burden of its broken promises. [Greenfield Recorder]

World:

¶ “Volvo Pioneered Automotive Safety. Sustainability Is Next” • Vanessa Butani, recently joined Volvo Cars as its global head of sustainability. Her task is to make Volvo the “most sustainable automaker” in the world. Under her direction, owners of Volvo cars will be able to learn such things as where the minerals and other materials were sourced. [ABC News]

Volvo electric car (Vauxford, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Brisbane Airport Electrifies Airside Services” • How do you make a busy metropolitan airport function more sustainably? In an Australian first, Brisbane Airport is installing “a common-use ground support equipment charging system.” Some 35 chargers will be installed for a start, with plans to install over 100 more in the future. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Croatia: A Land Of Ancient Beauty With A Ramp-Up To Renewable Energy” • George Bernard Shaw once said, “Those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik.” Croatia imported 55% of the energy it consumed in 2021. Now Croatia is raising the stakes on clean energy with auctions for solar, wind, and hydropower projects. [CleanTechnica]

Dubrovnik (Salya T, Unsplash)

¶ “Starmer Pledges To Cut Offshore Wind Red Tape” • The UK government pledged to “rip up” red tape and bureaucracy for offshore wind developers in support of its mission to turn the UK into a ‘clean energy superpower’ by 2030. Prime Minister Keir Starmer criticised the “volume and inconsistency” of planning and regulatory hurdles. [reNews]

¶ “Windcat Launches Hydrogen-Ready CSOV” • Windcat’s first Commissioning Service Operation Vessel has been launched by Damen. It is the first of six such craft and the first of Windcat’s ‘Elevation Series’ of future-proof offshore wind farm suport and maintenance ships. The launch ceremony took place at Ha Long Shipyard in Vietnam. [reNews]

Windcat CSOV (Windcat image)

¶ “Taiwan Considers Importing Clean Energy From Nearby Countries” • Taiwan is joining a growing list of places looking to import green power to sustain industrial and economic activity while also meeting climate goals. Taiwan is considering building renewable power plants in nearby countries like the Philippines or Japan. [BNN Bloomberg]

¶ “Victoria’s Largest Wind Farm Energized” • The first energy from Stage 1 of TagEnergy’s 1333-MW Golden Plains Wind Farm has been delivered to Victoria’s electricity grid, while Stage 2 is securing new investment. The 756-MW Stage 1 of TagEnergy’s $4 billion project is expected eventually to deliver 9% of the energy used in Victoria. [Energy Magazine]

Hepburn Wind Farm, Victoria (Elekhh, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Hurricane Milton’s Lasting Health Impact Is Just Beginning, Studies Suggest” • A recent study published in the journal Nature examining nearly 500 tropical cyclones from 1930 to 2015 in the US suggested that big storms lead to thousands of extra deaths after the storms, and leave lasting impacts on public health. The reasons aren’t yet clear. [ABC News]

¶ “Washington State’s Landmark Climate Law Hangs In The Balance This Election” • The Climate Commitment Act, one of the most progressive climate policies ever passed by a state Legislature, is under fire from conservatives, who say it increased energy costs in Washington, which has long had some of the highest gas prices in the nation. [ABC News]

Mt Rainier (Stephanie Bergeron, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Sales Of 100% Fossil-Fueled Cars Are Declining In US” • A report from the Alliance for Automotive Innovation says vehicles with internal combustion engines saw the biggest loss in market share of any vehicle category in the first half of 2024, dropping by 2.3%. They still make up a majority of new car sales, but their dominance is decreasing. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Help Get More E-Bikes On Moab Trails” • The Bureau of Land Management is considering allowing e-bikes on more mountain bike trails in the deserts around Moab, Utah. Officials are only considering Class 1 e-bikes, however. There are good reasons for this, but the Bureau should consider the technical limitations on the most common bikes also. [CleanTechnica]

Moab Trails (Bureau of Land Management, Public Domain)

¶ “Earthquakes And Oil Well Blowouts In West Texas Associated With Wastewater Injection” • Permian Basin wastewater is often a toxic and briny mix of salts, water, chemicals, and naturally occurring radioactive materials. The oil and gas industry’s main method for disposing of that polluted water is injecting it into the ground. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Google Signs World-First ‘Mini Nuclear’ Deal To Power AI” • Google signed what it calls the first corporate energy deal for power from small modular reactors, in a signal that renewables face competition for data center power demand. Google agreed with Kairos Power for up to 500 MW of nuclear power in the US as soon as 2030. [Latest renewable energy news]

Have a sensibly fantastic day.

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

World:

¶ “Real Zero at Fortescue” • Fortescue is in the news a lot. Just a few weeks ago, at a UN roundtable, Fortescue’s Andrew Forrest unveiled a plan to move mining operations from “net zero” to “real zero.” He showed how Fortescue will eliminate Scope 1 and 2 emissions without voluntary carbon offsets and without carbon capture and storage. [CleanTechnica]

Electric mining truck (Fortescue image)

¶ “Polish Polenergia To Provide 100 MW Of Renewable Energy To Microsoft” • Polish energy major Polenergia said one of its units has entered into a back-to-back agreement with an arm of Canadian asset manager Brookfield under which it will offer 100 MW of renewable energy projects in Poland to Microsoft Corp in 2026. [Renewables Now]

¶ “At The 2024 Paris Auto Show, The Focus Is On Price” • At the Paris Auto Show this year, BYD will be showcasing the Yangwang U8, a luxury SUV costing around 1 million yuan ($141,509). It may be the hunkiest go anywhere, do anything backroad basher designed to go toe to toe with the best that Land Rover and Mercedes have to offer. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Yangwang U8 (BYD image)

¶ “India Passes 200-GW Renewable Energy Milestone, Heads For Green Future” • India passed a renewable energy milestone, with a renewable energy capacity of 200 GW in September, marking a big step toward sustainability. The Central Electricity Authority reported that India’s generating capacity from renewable energy now stands at 201,457 MW. [Elets eGov]

¶ “£255 Millioin Boost For UK Monopile Factory” • SeAH Wind UK has made an additional £225 million investment into its monopile manufacturing hub in Teesside, north-east England. This brings its total investment into the site at Teesworks Freeport up to £900 million. The investment was supported by backing from UK Export Finance. [reNews]

Teesworks Freeport (Teesworks image)

¶ “Nexif Ratch Energy Begins Building 145 MW Of Solar In The Philippines” • A developer based in Singapore, Nexif Ratch Energy, announced the financial close and start of construction for a 145 MWp solar project near Bacolod, the capital of Negros Island in the Philippines. Aboitiz Power Corp has 10-year PPA for the electricity. [pv magazine International]

¶ “Dongfang Unveils 26-MW Offshore Turbine” • Dongfang has unveiled a 26MW turbine. The Chinese manufacturer reveaed pictures of the machine’s giant nacelle at its factory in Fuzhou, Fujian Province. The machine has the world’s highest capacity of any offshore model. It has a blade diameter of 310 meters and hub height of 185 meters. [reNews]

Nacelle of Dongfang 26-MW turbine (Dongfang image)

¶ “OX2 Acquires 1-GW Oz Wind Farm” • OX2 has acquired its first onshore wind project in Australia, a 1-GW scheme a few hours north of Perth, in Western Australia. The site, which is in an early stage, will also include a battery energy storage system. The planned total installed capacity is about 1 GW. The scheme involves over twenty landowners. [reNews]

¶ “New Survey Reveals Doubt, And Hope, That World Will Achieve Climate Targets” • We asked authors who have contributed to the reports of the IPCC to share their best guesses about where the world is headed. The median estimate was 2.7 °C by 2100. To put it plainly, this could be a catastrophic outcome for humanity. [Phys.org]

Trees, hills, and fog (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “Adani Green’s Operational Capacity Up 34% In H1” • Adani Green Energy Limited reported a 34% increase in its operational capacity, reaching 11,184 MW in the first half of fiscal year 2025 from 8,316 MW in the same period last year. Of the total added capacity, AGEL said 2,418 MW came from solar plants in Khavda, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. [Asian Power]

¶ “Coalition ‘Don’t Have A Proper Plan’ For Nuclear Energy” • Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the Coalition “don’t have a proper plan” for nuclear energy, and they must be “held to account” for their nuclear proposal. Steven Miles and Anthony Albanese held a press conference in the Gold Coast for the lead-up to the state election. [MSN]

Australia (Mark Galer, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Biden Tours Hurricane-Hit Florida, Announces $612 Million In Projects” • President Joe Biden on Sunday toured areas of Florida ravaged by the back-to-back hurricanes and announced federal funding for projects to strengthen the electric grid and a “whole government” effort on recovery efforts. He announced $612 million for six DOE projects. [ABC News]

¶ “Florida Is Developing Rapidly. Will Climate Change Impede Its Growth?” • Florida has the second-highest permit-issuing state for both single-home and multifamily permits, according to the National Association of Home Builders. But destruction by hurricanes spotlighted residents’ ongoing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change. [ABC News]

House in Florida (Lo Sarno, Unsplash)

¶ “What’s Holding Back The EV Revolution In America? It’s The Charging!” • Why are well over 95% of car sales in Norway EVs, while in America, they struggle to get past the 10% mark. A 2022 study from the University of California, Berkeley, found that nearly 30% of public non-Tesla fast chargers in the San Francisco Bay Area did not work. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Grid Condition Accuracy Requires Monthly Reporting And Assurances” • The California PUC released a Proposed Decision that outlines its current thinking about the particulars within its formal ruling later this month. The Proposed Decision orders that accuracy issues be addressed, but it fails to give a deadline for the improvements. [CleanTechnica]

Have a simply magnificent day.

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World:

¶ “Brisbane Metro – The End of Diesel Buses?” • Brisbane was serviced by an efficient electric tram network until the ’70s, when it was ripped up and diesel buses took the place of trams. Now, in a retro revolution, Brisbane is set to bring in an electric Metro system, with electric “Metro” buses for clean mass transit for pollution reduction. [CleanTechnica]

Brisbane Metro (Courtesy of Brisbane City Council)

¶ “World’s Largest Floating Offshore Wind Turbine Rolls Off Production Line In China” • The world’s most powerful floating offshore wind turbine, with a generating capacity of 20 MW, has rolled off the production line in Yancheng city, in east China, Xinhua reports, citing the country’s leading train maker CRRC Corporation Limited. [Azərtac]

¶ “In Kyiv, Residents Brace For Power Outages Using Solar Energy” • The people in Ukraine are bracing for a harsh winter ahead, as more than half of the country’s energy infrastructure has been destroyed by Russian missile and drone attacks. To shield themselves at least partially from power outages, some people are turning to solar energy. [ERR]

Kyiv (Ilya Cher, Unsplash)

¶ “UPPCL Secures 500-MW Solar Power Deal To Meet Growing Demand” • UP Power Corporation Limited was approved to buy 500 MW of solar power in a 25-year agreement. The deal aims at meeting rising energy needs in Uttar Pradesh. It will be handled by competitive bidding under the Solar Inter-State Transmission System Scheme. [APAC News Network]

¶ “Renewable Energy Surge Lowers UK Blackout Risk” • The risk of blackouts in the winter months in the UK has fallen to its lowest in four years thanks to the rise of the country’s renewable energy capacity. The National Energy System Operator predicts that the UK’s winter power supplies will outpace demand by nearly 9% this year. [OilPrice.com]

UK renewable energy (Luke Thornton, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Morocco Advances Renewable Energy With 270-MW Jbel Lahdid Wind Farm Launch” • Morocco took another big step in renewable energy with the Jbel Lahdid wind farm. Launched by the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water, the Jbel Lahdid wind farm adds 270 MW to Morocco’s renewable energy capacity. [Morocco World News]

¶ “Revolutionizing Swiss Railways With Renewable Energy” • Switzerland embraces sustainability in its transportation sector through a unique initiative by the Swiss startup Sun-Ways. This project involves the integration of removable solar panels into the railway infrastructure, marking a leap towards renewable energy for transport systems. [Microgrid Media]

Swiss train (Uwe Conrad, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “As Parts Of Florida Went Dark From Helene And Milton, The Lights Stayed On In This Net-Zero, Storm-Proof Community” • Climate resiliency and storm protection were built into homes in Hunters Point. The homes have endured a few storms since people moved in around February 2023, Hurricanes Helene and Milton put those features to the test. [CNN]

¶ “Volunteers Bring Solar Power To Hurricane Helene’s Disaster Zone” • Crews from all over the US and even Canada are helping Duke Energy and local electric coops with repairs, but it’s slow going with some roads and bridges washed away. But volunteers with nonprofit Footprint Project and a local solar installer set up a solar generator. [ABC News]

Volunteers at work in 2023 (Footprint Project image)

¶ “Dangerous, Record-Breaking Heat Hits West” • Dangerous, record-breaking heat is ongoing in the West, with the Phoenix reaching the triple digits every day for the last three weeks. Phoenix climbed over a scorching 110 degrees on 80 days in 2024, which shattered the record set last year with 55 days of temperatures over 110 degrees. [ABC News]

¶ “DeSantis Foresees No Limits To Development In Areas Susceptible To Disasters” • Days after Hurricane Milton caused widespread damage to areas still rebuilding after Hurricane Ian two years ago, Governor Ron DeSantis dismissed a suggestion that the state limit development in coastal areas vulnerable to dangerous tropical storms. [CleanTechnica]

Damage by Milton to a motel (Raskuly, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Clean Energy Jobs Are Changing Lives. These Programs Are Providing Liftoff” • The Knight Green Careers Training Center focuses on 18 to 25-year-olds “critically at risk from incarceration and gun violence” to give them meaningful careers and financial stability. Students can take part in free, grant-funded programs as a step to career-pathway jobs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Radioactive Legacy Of The Hanford Nuclear Reservation Will Live On, Even As Plans For Cleanup Evolve” • Some 177 tanks collectively hold 56 million gallons of radioactive waste at the Hanford site in the State of Washington. Plans for how to contain and safely store that waste have been evolving and changing for years. [Oregon Public Broadcasting]

Have a greatly enjoyable day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Imagining Peak Car: Can We Live Without The Private Automobile?” • An article in the Washington Post says only 8.4% of US households have no car, and 33% have just one. None of the alternatives to vehicle ownership has made a dent. Going without a car may be a difficult choice for transportation, but the choice has rewards. [CleanTechnica]

Traffic (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

¶ “What It’s Like To Go Through A Climate-Induced Hurricane” • Vice President Kamala Harris says climate change is a thing we must combat as an “existential threat.” Former President Donald Trump dismisses it as a “hoax.” Well, I just came out the other side of hunkering down in a hurricane, and I can say that the climate crisis is very real. [CleanTechnica]

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Nature Conservation Index Is A New Tool For Policy Development And Biodiversity Protection” • Species do not exist in isolation; they are interconnected. Addressing environmental problems involves addressing nature conservation at its core. The Nature Conservation Index comes in at a point when we ask how we can be more effective. [CleanTechnica]

Nature to be conserved (Provided by BioDB)

¶ “Superhot, Superdeep Rock Miles Below Could Create A Clean, Renewable Energy Source” • Laboratory data reported in the journal Nature Communications confirm the potential for the goal of geothermal energy: tapping into the superhot, superdeep rock miles below our feet. It could be an energy source to replace a significant amount of fossil fuels. [Mining.com]

World:

¶ “VinFast Leads Way In EV Battery Optimization” • VinFast’s approach to advancing battery technology includes vehicle optimization, strategic partnerships that encompass both popular and emerging battery technologies, and investments of millions of Euros in facilities to enhance its growing in-house expertise. [CleanTechnica]

Battery factory worker (Courtesy of VinFast)

¶ “Tesla Maximum Range Rear Wheel Drive Model 3 Appears On Configurators In Germany And The UK” • Electrive reports a new version of the Tesla Model 3 appeared on the company’s online configurators in Germany and the UK. The Model 3 Maximum Range RWD uses 12.5 kWh per 10 km and has a range of 702 km (436 miles). [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Latvenergo Unit Starts Building 176 MW Of Solar Parks In Lithuania” • Elektrum Lietuva, a unit of Latvian state-owned utility Latvenergo AS, announced the start of construction works on three solar parks in Lithuania with a combined capacity of 176 MW. The three sites are expected to be operational by no later than September 2025. [Renewables Now]

Worker at a solar array (EBRD image)

¶ “Amazon Prefers Renewables In Asia As Nuclear Still Elusive” • Amazon is only looking at wind and solar to offer green power for projects in Asia, even as global technology companies begin examining nuclear generation to supply energy-hungry data centers. This is in contrast to the US, where tech titans want to fuel them with nuclear energy. [The Japan Times]

¶ “Poland Renewable Energy Association Calls For Bold Climate Action Following Floods, Droughts” • Droughts and floods that have simultaneously affected Poland in recent weeks are a clear signal that energy transformation cannot wait, a major renewable energy group in Poland has said. The absence of effective action on climate is costing Poland a lot. [ceenergynews]

Krakow (dimitrisvetsikas1969, Pixabay)

¶ “Greece’s New Climate Plan Sets More Ambitious Renewable Energy Goals” • Greece set more ambitious targets for expanding solar and wind power to cut greenhouse emissions by 2030 under a revised energy and climate plan. Athens will aim for an 82% share of renewables in electricity generation by 2030 versus a 66% target in its previous 2019 plan. [Reuters]

¶ “UK Secures £225 Million Investment For Teesside Renewables Industry” • The UK Government announced £225 million of funding in Teesside’s renewables sector, via collaboration with Korean investors. UK Export Finance and the Korea Trade Insurance Corporation enabled SeAH Steel Holding to expand an offshore wind factory. [Energy Live News]

Teesside (Net Zero Teesside image, cropped)

US:

¶ “US Hourly Electricity Demand Peaked In July With Extended Heatwaves” • Last summer, US electricity demand in the Lower 48 states was greatest at 6:00 PM EDT on July 15, 2024, when it reached about 745 GWh, based on data in our Hourly Electric Grid Monitor. US electricity demand tends to peak in July or August as AC use ramps up. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Hampshire’s Low-Income Community Solar Program Is Finally Nearing The Starting Line” • More than seven years after the New Hampshire regulators first approved the idea of using community solar to create savings for low-income households, electric bill discounts are finally appearing on the horizon for the first batch of participants. [CleanTechnica]

Community solar array (Stephen Coffrin, US DOE)

¶ “Form Energy Secures $405 Million To Speed Development Of Long-Awaited 100-Hour Battery” • Form Energy, a company that is beginning to produce a longer-lasting alternative to lithium batteries, announced that it hit a milestone of $405 million in funding. The money will allow Form to speed up manufacturing and continue R&D. [The Well News]

¶ “Legislature Will Consider Potential To Store High-Level Nuclear Waste In Wyoming” • A committee of the Wyoming Legislaturepassed draft legislation that could lead to allowing groups to use the state for temporary storage of high-level radioactive fuel waste created by nuclear power plants. It is going to the full legislature. [Cowboy State Daily]

Have a uniquely perfect day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Wildlife Populations Decline By 73% In 50 Years: Study” • The average size of global wildlife populations has declined by 73% in 50 years, a study by the World Wildlife Fund found. The study, the 2024 Living Planet Report, monitored wildlife populations of 5,495 species of amphibians, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles between 1970 and 2020. [ABC News]

Kingfisher (Vincent van Zalinge, Unsplash)

¶ “The Wave Energy Dam Is Beginning To Bust Wide Open” • The power of ocean waves has been beckoning renewable energy innovators since the early 2000s, and now their work is starting to pay off. So far, it has been modest demonstrations, but the Israeli startup Eco Wave Power is looking at a 400-MW wave energy opportunity in Taiwan. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Alfa Laval To Supply First Systems For Ammonia-Fueled Marine Vessels By End Of 2025” • Alfa Laval is working hard to help the marine industry meet net zero targets. The sector accounts for nearly 3% of global carbon emissions, and it is starting to see a new fuel landscape. Ammonia may become a future low-carbon fuel. [CleanTechnica]

Ammonia powered ships (Courtesy of Alfa Laval)

¶ “AI May Not Need Nuclear Power Feeding, New Algorithm Reduces Energy Use By 95%” • A research team at BitEnergy AI has developed a promising technique to drastically reduce AI’s energy use. The new method, known as Linear-Complexity Multiplication, optimizes the mathematical operations that run AI, so AI may not need nuclear power. [MSN]

World:

¶ “UK Seals £24 Billion In Green Project Investments” • The UK government welcomed over £24 billion of private investment for “pioneering” energy projects before the International Investment Summit on 14 October. It said the cash will boost clean energy across the nations and regions and represents “a huge vote of confidence in the UK.” [reNews]

Solar farm ( UK government via Flickr)

¶ “Global Emissions Will Peak In 2024, Claims DNV In Latest Report” • In a press release, international accredited registrar DNV said 2024 will be the year of peak emissions. DNV’s Energy Transition Outlook says energy-related emissions are at the cusp of a long period of decline for the first time since the start of the industrial revolution. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “FuturEnergy, SSE File 122-MW Irish Array Plans” • SSE Renewables and FuturEnergy Ireland have submitted a planning application for the Cummeennabuddoge wind farm in Ireland to An Bord Pleanala. The renewable energy project of up to 122 MW is located on a site 5 km north-west of Ballyvourney near the boundary of Counties Cork and Kerry. [reNews]

Wind turbine (FuturEnergy Ireland image)

¶ “Mexico’s New President Has A Plan: A Cheap Mexican EV For The Masses Called “Olinia”” • Claudia Sheinbaum, Mexico’s new president, wants to bring Mexico into the 21st century, pivoting to tech, drones, semi-conductors, and EVs. She announced she’ll make sure that, by the end of her term, Mexico owns a locally designed and built, affordable EV. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “$1.5 Trillion Needed Yearly To Hit COP28 Targets” • A report found despite unprecedented renewable energy deployment in 2023, progress still falls short to triple renewables by 2030, with current national plans and targets set to deliver only half of the required number, and an investment of more than $1 trillion per year is needed to get back on track. [reNews]

Wind turbines (Ben Jessop, Pexels)

¶ “Britain Sets Out Funding Model For Renewable Energy Storage Projects” • The UK will offer developers of renewable energy storage projects, such as pumped hydro, a guaranteed minimum income to spur investment in technologies that help the country meet its climate targets. Britain aims to decarbonize its power sector by 2030. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Ørsted And SRP Open Largest Co-located Solar And Battery Storage Project On Salt River Project Power Grid” • Ørsted and Salt River Project opened the Eleven Mile Solar Center, a 300-MW solar project with a 300-MW, 1200-MWh battery energy storage system in Arizona. Ørsted is investing $20 billion in US energy capacity. [CleanTechnica]

Pinal County’s Eleven Mile Solar System (Ørsted image)

¶ “Hurricane Milton Damage Emerges After Storm Passes Into Atlantic Ocean” • The damage that emerged after Milton struck Florida’s west coast include loss of the roof of Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, a number of deaths of people at a senior living community in St Lucie County, and destruction of a 10,000-square-foot sheriff’s facility. [ABC News]

¶ “GM Offers Another Reason To Buy An Electric Vehicle, Just In Time For The Next Power Outage” • The GM Energy branch of GM has rolled out PowerBank. The basic elements are familiar to those who follow the news about electrification, with tie-ins for EVs. Home energy storage can pave the way to rooftop solar, and virtual power plants. [CleanTechnica]

GM Energy’s PowerBank (Courtesy of GM Energy)

¶ “Report Outlines Grid Plans For US Mid-Atlantic” • A report from The Brattle Group highlighted how the US Mid-Atlantic states have multiple avenues for developing critical transmission lines that they can act on. The study was commissioned by the American Council on Renewable Energy and the Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition. [reNews]

¶ “Advocacy Groups Pitch Solar Microgrids As New Orleans Power Backups” • The New Orleans City Council has voted to consider proposals for a distributed power grid across the city. Individual generator sources, such as solar PVs on a house, can be connected to each other to form a grid that gets its power from distributed sites. [Louisiana Illuminator]

Have a relaxingly unhurried day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Could Small Modular Reactors Be Used To Create Nuclear Warheads?” • The global pursuit of small modular reactor technology could feed the development of nuclear warheads. In answer a question on the subject, the best the UK’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero could do was to provide a qualified response. [New Civil Engineer]

Trinity bomb test (US Government, public domain)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Solar Desalinization System From MIT Needs No Grid Connection Or Battery Backup” • Using sunlight to power a desalinization system is fairly simple. What happens when the sun isn’t shining? Engineers at MIT say they have the answer: a desalination system that removes salt from water at the the pace of solar energy. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Berlin Gets A Flying Electric Ferry” • Candela Technology AB, based in Stockholm, has announced the sale of a Candela P-12 electric hydrofoiling ferry to charter cruises in Berlin. “Berlin is a city with a lot of water, but this is hardly used for transport. We want to open up waterways for fast, emission-free transport,” said Candela’s Brigitte Junker. [CleanTechnica]

Candela boat (Candela image)

¶ “Lithion Becomes Hyundai’s Official Partner For Collection And Recycling Of EV Batteries In Canada” • Hyundai Auto Canada announced that it has selected Lithion as its primary partner for collecting EV batteries and modules for recycling. Hyundai’s corporate vision is to collect and recycle their lithium-ion vehicle batteries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Cybertruck May Be Too Heavy And Angular For EU Roads” • Transport and Environment reports that the owner of a Tesla Cybertruck in the Czech Republic announced that national authorities registered his vehicle for use on public roads. A group of NGOs questions the legality of the registration because the truck exceeds weight limits. [CleanTechnica]

Cybertruck (Maxim, Unsplash)

¶ “Britain Sets Out Funding Model For Renewable Energy Storage Projects” • Britain will offer developers of renewable energy storage projects, such as pumped hydro, a guaranteed minimum income to spur investment in technologies that help the country meet its climate targets. Britain aims to decarbonise its power sector by 2030. [MSN]

¶ “Sany Installs 15-MW Onshore Wind Turbine” • Chinese firm Sany Renewable Energy installed a self-developed onshore 15-MW wind turbine, the SI-270150, in Tongyu, Jilin Province. This feat set two new global records, one for the largest single-unit capacity and the other for largest rotor diameter for onshore turbines, the turbine firm said. [reNews]

Sany wind turbine (Sany image)

¶ “Guess Which Country Will Account For 60% Of Re Additions Until 2030” • China, the dominant player in renewable energy, is expected to account for almost 60% of the total clean energy to be added globally between 2024 and 2030. While Beijing adds the biggest volumes, India is growing the fastest amongst major economies, the report said. [Asian Power]

¶ “Lightsource BP Opens 50-MW Polish PV Farm” • Lightsource BP has opened the 50MW Kotuń Solar Farm, its first PV project in Poland. The Kotuń Solar Farm is a key project for Lightsource BP, marking a milestone in the firm’s contribution to Poland’s renewable energy sector while supporting the Lightsource BP energy transition strategy. [reNews]

Solar farm (Lightsource BP image)

¶ “Labor Springs Surprise Nuclear Power Committee To Call Coalition Bluff” • Australia’s Labor government surprised the last sitting of the winter parliament by creating a select committee to inquire into the viability of nuclear power. The committee is not designed to support a Labor government policy shift, but to call out a Coalition bluff. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶ “Hurricane Milton Could Be ‘Like Nothing They Have Ever Seen Before,’ FEMA Administrator Warns” • Even as Hurricane Milton was miles southwest of Tampa, officials in Florida were doing all they could do to brace for impact at around 9 PM on Wednesday. FEMA warned that the storm could “be like nothing they have seen before.” [ABC News]

Hurricane Milton at landfall (NWS/NOAA, public domain)

¶ “How Rising Oil Prices Could Impact The Election, According To Experts” • An escalation of conflicts in the Middle East in recent weeks has triggered a sharp increase in oil prices, raising uncertainty about where costs will head in the final weeks before Election Day. Oil prices surged about 13% over an 11-day stretch ending on Monday. [ABC News]

¶ “First Electric School Bus Fleet To Serve A Sovereign Tribal Community In The US” • In Minnesota, the Red Lake School District unveiled a new electric school bus fleet. It is the first school district with an indigenous population to use funding from the EPA Clean School Bus Program. Red Lake honors their roots while using modern technology. [CleanTechnica]

Red Lake ceremony (Red Lake School District)

¶ “New Brownfield Solar Project In New Jersey Just Completed” • CEP Renewables, NJR Clean Energy Ventures and CS Energy announced that they completed a 19-MW DC grid supply Foul Rift solar project in Warren County, New Jersey. It is one of several brownfield and landfill solar projects CEP Renewables has completed in the state. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “WSU Receives $4 Million Grant For Research Converting Renewable Energy To Liquids” • A Washington State University research team has been selected to receive a $4 million US DOE grant for work in converting renewable energy to liquid fuels. The team will use renewable energy to create such hydrocarbons as oil or gasoline. [WSU Insider]

Have a serenely effective day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Electrify Everything, Eradicate Energy Poverty” • Worldwide, about 733 million people face hunger. Families don’t see how to light and heat their homes, keep a vehicle fueled, and fix meals. The Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative showed a correlation between a lack of electricity and education, poor health, and malnourishment. [CleanTechnica]

Burkina’s gold (TREEAID, CC BY 2.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Hurricane Milton Made Up To 800 Times More Likely By Hotter Water In Gulf Of Mexico” • A Climate Central analysis showed that the high sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, which fueled the rapid intensification of Hurricane Helene, were made between 400 and 800 times more likely by the climate crisis. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Mobile Homes & Municipalities Find Heat Pumps To Fit Their Needs” • ORNL’s Ground Source Heat Pump Screening Tool was designed for GSHP applications. It allows building owners, HVAC system designers, and installers to estimate the benefits and costs of GSHP systems in buildings at all climate zones in the US. [CleanTechnica]

Pump Up Your Savings with Heat Pumps (DOE image)

World:

¶ “How The Source Of Your Tissues And Toilet Paper Is Fueling Wildfires Far Away ” • Few people in other parts of Europe and the US would have realized that some of their everyday products may have played a role in making fires in Portugal worse. Certain paper products are made with materials from eucalyptus trees, which are grown there for paper. [CNN]

¶ “UK To Pour $28 Billion Into Carbon Capture And Storage Over 25 Years” • The UK’s new Labour government announced that it will pump £22 billion ($28.77 billion) into carbon capture and storage schemes over the next 25 years. The Guardian reports the move came after a round of high pressure lobbying by fossil fuel giants. [CleanTechnica]

Protesting carbon capture (Matt Hrkac, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Plugin Vehicles Now 22% of World Auto Sales” • Global plugin vehicle registrations were up 19% in August 2024 from August 2023. There were 1.5 million registrations. Battery EVs were up by just 6% year over year, but plugin hybrids jumped 51%, selling close to half a million units. A million battery EVs took up the remaining million registrations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Kent Wins Substation Design For Five Estuaries” • Kent PLC signed a contract to provide a concept design study of a HVAC offshore substation platform for the RWE-led Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm in England. The Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm is the sister extension project of the existing £1.5 billion, 353-MW Galloper Wind Farm. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm substation (Courtesy of Kent)

¶ “SSE Turns Sod On 320-MW UK Battery Site” • Construction is underway on SSE’s largest battery storage project, a 320-MW installation at Monk Fryston, in North Yorkshire. Once the installation is completed in early 2026, the site could power over half a million homes for up to two hours at a time, during times of peak demand. [reNews]

¶ “Renewable Energy To Fall Short Of UN Goal To Triple By 2030, IEA Says” • Renewable energy sources are set to meet nearly half of all electricity demand by the end of the decade. Nevertheless, it will fall short of a UN goal to triple capacity to reduce carbon emissions, a report by the International Energy Agency showed. [Voice of America]

Solar park in Japan (Mark Merner, Unsplash)

¶ “Nuclear Plant ‘Will Decimate Fish Stocks'” • How many fish does a nuclear power station kill? It sounds grisly, but for the engineers building Britain’s first nuclear power station in a generation, it’s an urgent question. And for conservationists and villagers on the banks of the River Severn in Gloucestershire, it has become an urgent question. [BBC]

US:

¶ “Milton Strengthens To Category 5 Storm Again” • Hurricane Milton re-strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane Tuesday afternoon. It is taking aim at Florida’s west coast, and landfall is expected late Wednesday night as a Category 3 hurricane. Milton is closing in as Floridians are still recovering from devastation unleashed by Hurricane Helene. [ABC News]

Hurricane Milton (Matthew Dominick, NASA, public domain)

¶ “Biden-Harris Admin Announces California’s Launch of First Phase of Federal Home Energy Rebate Programs” • The US DOE announced that California is launching its first federal Home Energy Rebates program, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act. California is starting with a section on an energy efficiency improvements. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “GM Set To Walk Away From Ultium Label Amid Battery Strategy Shake-Up” • General Motors introduced its Ultium battery and EV platform technologies in 2020. Now, according to Bloomberg, the name Ultium may soon disappear at GM. It hired Kurt Kelty, who formerly worked at Tesla, to be in charge of its EV battery program. [CleanTechnica]

Chevrolet Equinox EV 3LT (Courtesy of GM)

¶ “Ohio High Court Races Will Decide Future Of State’s Energy Transition And Utility Fairness” • This fall’s election for three seats on the Supreme Court of Ohio is expected to play a pivotal role in deciding the state’s direction on renewable energy, utility accountability, and other energy issues. Candidates do not run on specific issues but have records. [Ohio Capital Journal]

¶ “Ashtrom Puts On Stream 306-MW Solar Park In Texas” • Part of construction and real estate giant Ashtrom Group, Israel’s Ashtrom Renewable Energy, brought its 306-MW, 400-MW DC Tierra Bonita solar park online, after reaching commissioning earlier than planned. The solar PV farm is in Pecos County, in the west of Texas. [Renewables Now]

Have an understandably positive day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Is Restarting Three Mile Island Really A Good Idea?” • From an emissions perspective, nuclear’s resurgence is a good thing: consuming nuclear fuel doesn’t create greenhouse gas emissions. But does a focus on nuclear power really make sense? Solar and wind power plants, with battery storage, are safe and cheaper to build and operate. [Fast Company]

Three Mile Island (Constellation Energy, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “On Army Bases, Nuclear Energy Can’t Add Resilience, Just Costs And Risks” • Sometimes, the US government offers a huge subsidy to an industry on grounds that make no sense to anyone with even basic knowledge of the subject. The Army’s Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program to install small reactors on military bases is an example. [Breaking Defense]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Fused Molecules Are Building Blocks For Safer Lithium-Ion Batteries” • By fusing together a pair of contorted molecular structures, Cornell researchers created a porous crystal that can uptake lithium-ion electrolytes and transport them smoothly via one-dimensional nanochannels. The design could lead to safer solid-state lithium-ion batteries. [CleanTechnica]

Representational graphic (Adam Malin, ORNL, US DOE)

World:

¶ “Ukraine Strikes Russian Oil Hub As Zelenskyy Says War Is In ‘A Very Important Phase'” • Ukraine’s military said it has struck a major oil terminal in Crimea that provides fuel for Russia’s war effort as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the war has entered a key phase. Both sides are facing the issue of how to sustain their costly war of attrition. [ABC News]

¶ “Toyota Puts Nearly $1 Billion Into Electric Aviation Startup” • Toyota, still the largest automaker in the world, has announced that it is going to “invest an additional $500 million to support the certification and commercial production of Joby’s electric air taxi, with the aim of realizing the two companies’ shared vision of air mobility.” [CleanTechnica]

Hydrogen fuel cell eVOTL (Joby Aviation)

¶ “Better Energy Signs First Finnish PPA” • Better Energy signed its first power purchase agreement in Finland, to build a solar park near Hanko. Faerch will offtake enough renewable energy to cover around 70% of its annual electricity use in the country. The solar park is expected to be connected to the grid in 2026 and generate 38 GWh annually. [reNews]

¶ “Global Floating Wind Pipeline Hits 266 GW” • The global floating offshore wind project pipeline grew by 9% over the last 12 months to 266 GW, according to a RenewableUK report. A year ago, the pipeline stood at 244 GW, and it expanded by 22 GW in the past year. The number of projects increased globally during that time from 285 to 316. [reNews]

Work on a floating windfarm (Principle Power image)

¶ “Valorem Secures €200 Million Investment” • Valorem, a French renewables developer, received a firm offer to raise €200 million from a consortium of AIP Management and IDIA. The pair join existing investors via its France Investissement Energie Environnement 2 fund. Valorem has grown its holdings fivefold in eight years. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Salmon Swim Freely In The Klamath River For First Time In A Century After Dams Removed” • For the first time in over a century, just days after the largest dam removal project in US history was completed, salmon are swimming freely along the Klamath River and its tributaries. The river is a major watershed near the California-Oregon border. [ABC News]

Upper Klamath River (BLM, public domain)

¶ “Home Insurers Argue For A 42% Average Rate Hike In North Carolina” • With many western North Carolina residents still lacking power and running water from Hurricane Helene, a hearing began on the insurance industry’s request to raise homeowner premium rates by more than 42% on average, with variations depending on location. [ABC News]

¶ “100 Electric Trash Trucks, 150 Electric Buses, 30 Electric Graders: Commercial Electric Vehicles Report” • Commercial vehicle owners and fleet operators are continuing their move to EVs for one simple reason: They cost less to own and operate than conventional trucks and buses. The proof comes from Republic Services. [CleanTechnica]

Electric collection truck (Oshkosh Corperation image)

¶ “Alaska Utilities Turn To Renewables As Costs Escalate For Fossil Fuel Electricity Generation” • Last year, Renewable IPP began operating Alaska’s largest solar project, which is built on 45 acres of a fire-scarred patch of land near the Matanuska-Susitna Valley city of Houston. In June, the panels provide power up to nineteen hours per day. [Inside Climate News]

¶ “Readout of US Energy Secretary Granholm And Deputy Secretary Turk’s Conversation with Electricity Sector Leaders About Hurricane Helene Response” • US Energy Secretary Jennifer M Granholm and Deputy Secretary David M Turk joined electricity sector leaders to discuss the response and recovery effort to Hurricane Helene. [CleanTechnica]

Hurricane Helene (AOML, NOAA)

¶ “Wisconsin Utilities Plan Nearly $2 Billion In Renewable Energy Projects” • Three major Wisconsin utilities plan to spend almost $2 billion on five renewable energy projects as part of efforts to cut carbon emissions and shift to clean energy. Plans include 500 MW of solar, about 180 MW of wind and 100 MW of battery storage. [ironmountaindailynews.com]

¶ “Gila River Indian Community Turns On Power For First Ever Solar-Over-Canal Project” • The Gila River Indian Community celebrated a historic milestone in its work on water conservation and renewable energy by bringing the first-ever solar-over-canal project in the country online. The project spans over 2,700 linear feet of the Casa Blanca Canal. [Arizona Mirror]

Have a sufficiently exquisite day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “It’s Happening: See-Through Solar Windows Kick Fossil Energy To The Curb” • The age of the fossil fuels is drawing to a close, and solar windows are coming to help. A solar window is engineered to let daylight in while also catching solar energy and generating electricity. The technology is maturing and poised for widespread adoption. [CleanTechnica]

Sleek, black solar windows (Courtesy of ClearVue)

World:

¶ “Samoa Warns Of ‘Highly Probable’ Oil Spill” • A fuel spill is “highly probable” after a New Zealand navy ship grounded, caught fire, and sank off the coast of Samoa, the Pacific island nation’s acting prime minister said. All 75 people on board the HMNZS Manawanui were taken to safety on life boats. The ship is one of nine in New Zealand’s navy. [ABC News]

¶ “A New 200-kW Solar PV, 915-kWh Battery Minigrid Brings Electricity To Hakwaka Village” • We always hear that over 600 million people in Africa have no access to electricity, and that close to a billion have no access to clean cooking! With the right business models and funding, hundreds of GWh of capacity can be installed in African countries. [CleanTechnica]

Local shopkeeper (Image courtesy of UNDP)

¶ “EVs Take 29.4% Share Of The UK Auto Market” • September saw plugin EVs take 29.4% share of the UK auto market, up from 23.4% year on year. Both battery EVs (up 24%) and plugin hybrids (up 32%) grew volume, year-over-year. Overall auto volume grew 1% to 275,239 units but was still far below the pre-2020 seasonal norms of over 350,000. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “RWE, TotalEnergies Forge German Offshore JV” • RWE and TotalEnergies have agreed to develop jointly two offshore wind projects with a total capacity of 4 GW. To this end, TotalEnergies will acquire a 50% equity stake in the projects from RWE. The projects are roughly 110 km to 115 km north-west of the German island of Borkum. [reNews]

Projects on the map (RWE image)

¶ “Maharashtra Aims For 50% Renewable Energy By 2030” • Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that Maharashtra will be India’s first state to get 50% of its energy from non-traditional sources. Also the state’s energy minister, he spoke at a ceremony laying the foundation stone for a facility for integrated solar manufacturing. [Rediff Money]

¶ “TagEnergy Completes 100-MW Yorkshire BESS” • Tag Energy’s 100-MW, 200-MWh facility in Drax, North Yorkshire, became its first transmission-connected battery energy storage system, following successful completion of the commissioning switching program by the project’s onsite team and National Grid engineers. [reNews]

BESS (TagEnergy image)

¶ “71.12% Of Referendum Participants Support Construction Of Nuclear Power Plant In Kazakhstan” • Kazakhstanis supported construction of nuclear power plant in the country, as an early count showed 71.12% of voters favored it, the Central Election Commission reported. Data show 5,561,937 voters supported it and 2,045,271 opposed it. [AKIpress News Agency]

US:

¶ “Criticisms Of LNG Export Emissions Study Don’t Withstand Scrutiny” • A paper, “The greenhouse gas footprint of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exported from the United States” appeared in the journal Energy Science & Engineering. It’s a credible journal, and you wouldn’t think that this would be a subject of special contention, but it is. [CleanTechnica]

LNG carrier (kees torn, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “With Help From DOE Program, Moline Continues Planning For Solar Project” • As Moline, Illinois seeks to redevelop areas, administrator Bob Vitas says it is looking to the future, including in alternative energy sources. One way Moline is innovating is through a solar project planned on a parcel of land south of the Quad Cities International Airport. [Energy Central]

¶ “San Antonio Will Soon Be Home To A Pioneer Renewable Energy Plant” • Bexar County, New Mexico, will be home to a first-of-its-kind renewable energy plant when it opens in 2026. Ohio-based Synthica Energy broke ground on the plant on September 26. The plant is expected to divert nearly 250,000 tons of waste from local landfills each year. [MySA]

Have a genuinely incredible day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Why Are You Paying To Subsidize The Fossil Fuel Industry?” • Governments across the world now spend a total of $2.6 trillion per year on subsidies that harm the environment, jeopardizing global climate and biodiversity targets. The public should not be paying at the pump for increasing the profits of the fossil fuel industry. [CleanTechnica]

Fossil Fuel Subsidies Cancelled (John Englart, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Emissions From LNG Are Worse Than From Burning Coal” • A study published in the journal Energy Science And Engineering argues that greenhouse gas emissions associated with extracting natural gas, compressing it, and transporting it mean the entire process results in about a third more damage than burning coal at end use locations. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Rescue Teams Search For Missing After Floods, Landslides Kill At Least Sixteen In Bosnia” • Rescue teams on Saturday searched for those still missing after flash floods and landslides hit parts of Bosnia, killing at least sixteen people and injuring scores more. Climate change increases the intensity of rainfall because warm air holds more moisture. [ABC News]

Old Bridge in Mostar (Hongbin, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Why The 2035 Zero-Emission Car Target Is Crucial” • A T&E briefing outlines why the 2035 goal is so important. An analysis looked at the impact of a shift to EVs on jobs in the automotive sector and showed that those lost in the traditional fossil-fuel focused industries would be offset by new jobs in the quickly growing e-mobility value chain. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Farm Plans Near University Approved” • A solar farm looks set to be built in Lancashire after councilors approved an application. Plans are in place for the site near the Bailrigg Campus of Lancaster University. The site belongs to Lancaster City Council, which said it is “committed to supporting the move to a lower carbon future.” [BBC]

Bailrigg House (Loxley, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Trade Defence: Where To Go Next For EU’s EV And Battery Trade Policy” • Following the anti-subsidy investigation, the European Commission has proposed additional import duties on China-made battery EVs, ranging from 7.8% for Tesla to 35.3% for SAIC’s MG. Last year, one in five electric cars sold in Europe was imported from China. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “As The Era Of Coal Comes To An End, How Close Is The UK To 100% Clean Energy?” • The UK was the first in the world to generate electricity from coal. Now it is the first major economy to phase it out. Such a rapid transition is only possible due to the rise of alternative electricity sources that are capable of meeting rising demands. [The Independent]

Alternative energy (Drew Hays, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Less Than Ten Days After Helene Made Landfall, Florida Braces For Another Hurricane, Potentially A Category 3 ” • Less than ten days after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida, the state is bracing for another potentially devastating blow from a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. Tropical Storm Milton could land as a Category 3 storm. [CNN]

¶ “AV Successfully Flight Tests New Solar-Powered Aircraft” • An upgraded Sunglider™ was tested by AeroVironment, showing off improved high-altitude platform-station capabilities. The result is Horus™ A, which is a new version of Sunglider for government applications. The Horus A is capable of carrying payloads of up to 150 pounds. [CleanTechnica]

Solar-powered aircraft (Courtesy of AeroVironment, Inc)

¶ “EVgo To Receive Up To $1.05 Billion To Accelerate Buildout Of Public Fast Charging Across The US” • EVgo Inc, one of the nation’s largest public fast charging networks for EVs, announced that it received a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $1.05 billion of debt financing, from the US DOE Loan Programs Office. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Dakota County’s Byllesby Dam Modernization To Double Renewable Energy Output, Securing Cannon Falls’ Energy Needs” • Dakota County’s Byllesby Dam, a century-old structure, has recently completed a significant upgrade that promises to double its renewable energy output, as local leaders and partners congregated to mark this milestone. [Hoodline]

Cannon Falls (CF Area Chamber of Commerce, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “New Solar Farms Look To Shine Bright In Southwestern PA” • Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and renewable energy developer Oriden celebrated the launch of three solar farms. Two are in Fayette County and will have nearly 14 MW of capacity each. One in Somerset county will have about 15 MW, so the total capacity will be 43 MW. [Herald-Standard]

¶ “Refurbished Three Mile Island Payment Structure Not Quite What It Seems” • Reactor 1 at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, which was shut down in 2019, will be refurbished and put back into service to supply power for Microsoft. The demand for electricity is exploding, thanks to cryptomining and AI, leaving little for normal life. [CleanTechnica]

Have a fundamentally elated day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Thinking About Climate Reparations” • The idea that we might even think of making reparations for our releases of greenhouse gases fills me with horror. But what if we designed a kit that would be the basis for a solar microgrid?And what if we built them and gave them away to people all over the world? Where would that put us? [CleanTechnica]

A lot better than nothing (USAID in Africa, public domain)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Demo Project For Electric Bus With Super-Rapid 10-Minute Charging” • Toshiba Corporation, Kawasaki Tsurumi Rinko Bus Co, Ltd, and Drive Electro Technology Co, Ltd agreed to study a demonstration project on the value of a super-rapid charging battery powered by a pantograph. The project is expected to be operating in November 2025. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Mexico’s New President Promises To Resume Fight Against Climate Change” • In her first days as Mexico’s new president, Claudia Sheinbaum made a point of distancing herself from the fossil fuel reliance promoted by her predecessor, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and vowed to resume an energy transition that he had halted. [ABC News]

Claudia Sheinbaum (EneasMx, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Solar Power Companies Are Growing Fast In Africa, Where 600 Million Still Lack Electricity” • Companies that bring solar power to some of the poorest homes in Central and West Africa may be among the fastest growing in Africa, where governments struggle with some of the world’s worst infrastructure and the results of climate change. [ABC News]

¶ “EU Countries Vote To Impose Duties On China EVs Ahead Of A Deadline” • EU countries voted to impose duties on imports of EVs from China, as talks continued between Brussels and Beijing to find an amicable solution to their trade dispute before an end-of-October deadline. EU automotive powerhouse Germany and Hungary voted against it. [ABC News]

BYD EV (Farrel Atharic, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “EVs Take A Record 97.5% Share In Norway – Tesla Takes Third Of Market ” • September witnessed plugin EVs take a record 97.5% share in Norway, up from 93.0% year on year. Battery EVs took a 96.4% share, also a new record, with plugin hybrids a distant runner-up at 1.1% share. Overall auto volume was 12,966 units, up 25% YOY. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Evecon, Mirova Power 77-MW Solar PV Plant In Estonia, The Baltics’ ‘Largest’” • Estonian energy company Evecon and French asset manager Mirova reached operational status at a 77.53-MW solar park in Estonia. The companies say it is the largest solar park in the Baltics, with double the capacity what had been the largest, a PV plant in Estonia. [PV Tech]

Kirikmäe solar park (Evecon image)

¶ “BNEF Estimates $1 Trillion Per Year Investment To Triple Renewable Energy Capacity” • Despite progress, nations are not on track to meet the target of tripling global renewable energy capacity by 2030, according to the Unlocking Investment to Triple Renewables report, unveiled at the Global Renewables Summit in New York City. [GreentechLead]

¶ “PKN Orlen Completes First Onshore Link For Baltic Power” • PKN Orlen confirmed that it made the first onshore connection for the 1200-MW Baltic Power wind farm in Poland. The first of four directional drills under the coastline, beach, and seabed was successfully completed, with no direct impact on areas of high ecological value, the company said. [reNews]

Jack-up platform in the Baltic (PKN Orlen image)

¶ “Mexico City’s Municipal Solar Panels To Power The Capital’s Electric Buses” • Mexico City’s municipal public market will use its solar panels to power city buses, Bloomberg News reported. The solar PVs on Central de Abasto will help President Claudia Sheinbaum “achieve her goal of boosting clean energy in the fossil-fuel dependent country.” [Mexico News Daily]

US:

¶ “The Supreme Court Steps Into A Fight Over Plans To Store Nuclear Waste In Rural Texas And New Mexico” • Justices of the Supreme Court said they will review a ruling that found the NRC exceeded its authority under federal law in granting a license to a private company to store spent nuclear fuel at a dump in West Texas for 40 years. [ABC News]

Supreme Court (Fine Photographics, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Volkswagen ID.4 Sales Down 58% in USA ” • Last quarter, Volkswagen ID.4 sales decreased 58%, year on year! They went from 10,707 to 4,518. At a time when EV sales are going up for Ford (+12%), Nissan (+41), Chevrolet (+26%), and Cadillac (139%), one would expect that Volkswagen EV sales were going up, not decreasing by 58%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Isolated And Alone, Texas Power Grid Shivved By Louisiana Lawmakers” • Texas chose to go its own way on the power grid. It is independent from the rest of the country. But it also went its own way on regulations, and this led to power outages. A power line linking the state to the rest of the country might help, but Louisiana could block it. [CleanTechnica]

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

¶ “New York Governor Kathy Hochul Announces $24 Million Of Awards For Innovation In Multiple Clean Energy Sectors” • New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced more than $24 million in awarded contracts for 26 innovation projects in multiple clean energy sectors, joining the NYSERDA’s growing portfolio of over 200 innovation projects. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “Avangrid Wins DOE Contract To Build Maine Renewable Energy Project” • The US DOE selected Avangrid Inc for a $425 million capacity contract for its Aroostook Renewable Project to connect wind energy from Aroostook County, Maine, to the rest of the state. The Maine Public Utilities Commission will have to act on the project also. [Daily Energy Insider]

Have a totally okay day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Storms, Flooding, And Extreme Heat Will Transform The American South” • Hurricane Helene dumped 4 feet of rain on parts of North Carolina, leading to devastating floods in places like Asheville that were considered safe havens. But we should have seen it coming. The average surface temperature in the Gulf of Mexico is 90°F. [CleanTechnica]

Hurricane Helene (NOAA AOML)

Science and Technology:

¶ “New Analysis Finds Substantial Value of Adding Up to 4-Hour Duration Batteries to Solar Or Wind Power Plants In Regions Facing Transmission Congestion” • Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory published a study that examines the value of adding batteries to wind and solar plants located in areas that are facing transmission congestion. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Volkswagen ID.7 Pro S Covers 794 km on One Battery Charge” • Driving the electric ID.7 Pro S, Volkswagen Team Switzerland, headed by Felix Egolf, an expert in long-distance driving with electric cars, successfully covered a total of 794 kilometres (493 miles) with a single battery charge in a driving time of 15 hours and 42 minutes. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.7 (Volkswagen Newsroom)

¶ “Fossil Gas Crisis And EV Taxis in Colombia: A Surprisingly Promising Pair” • Recently, Columbia has gone through a series of complex changes of rain patterns, availability of natural gas, international politics, and utility company policy. The result is that taxi companies in the country are turning to electric taxis. It is a promising change. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EVs Take 27.6% Share In France — Citroën e-C3 Arrives In A Rush” • September’s auto sales saw plugin EVs take 27.6% share in France, a drop from 29.3% year on year. Battery EV share grew modestly, while the plugin hybrid share fell. Overall auto volume was 139,003 units, down by some 11%. The Tesla Model Y was the month’s best selling Battery EV. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Eyosias G, Unsplash)

¶ “SSE Delays Completion Of Dogger Bank A” • SSE Renewables, Equinor, and Vargronn confirmed that the 1.2-GW Dogger Bank A wind farm off east England will not be in operation until the second half of 2025. The announcement was made after the project team worked with GE Vernova to assess the impact of three recent blade failures. [reNews]

¶ “UK’s Largest Operating Solar Farm Secures 20-Year PPA” • NextEnergy Capital announced that its subsidiary, NextPower UK ESG, signed a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement for the Llanwern Solar Farm, the largest operating solar farm in the UK. The agreement covers 90% of the electricity generated by the 75-MW facility. [Energy Live News]

Solar farm (Courtesy of NextEnergy Capital)

¶ “European Commission Approves €1.2 Billion Polish Storage Support” • The European Commission has approved a Polish scheme to support investments in electricity storage facilities to foster the net zero economy. The €1.2 billion scheme is to support the installation of at least 5.4 GWh of new electricity storage facilities. [reNews]

¶ “Australia’s Largest Operating Wind Farm Sends First Power To Sunshine State Grid” • Acciona Energia announced the largest operating wind farm in Australia, the 923-MW MacIntyre project in south-western Queensland, has marked a notable milestone. It has made its first export of renewable energy to the national electricity market. [RenewEconomy]

MacIntyre wind farm (Courtesy of Acciona Energia)

¶ “‘Don’t Agree On Everything’: Leaders Divided On Nuclear” • Peter Dutton has promised to build seven nuclear plants across Australia if the coalition wins next year’s federal election. But David Crisafulli, who is on track to lead the Liberal National Party to power in Queensland at the October 26 election, stands firmly against the proposal. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Why Was Flooding In Asheville So Extreme? Meteorologists Explain” • The remnants of Hurricane Helene were not the only factor that contributed to the severity of the flooding that struck Asheville, North Carolina. Other regional conditions, including a precursor rain event and the topography of the land, gave rise to deadly flash flooding. [ABC News]

Helene’s damage in Asheville (Bill McMannis, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Cryptocurrency And Data Centers Create Soaring Electricity Demand in Texas” • In the US, electricity demand is growing fastest in Texas, where ERCOT manages 90% of the load on the power grid. The growing demand for electricity is largely from computing facilities such as data centers and cryptocurrency mining operations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US DOE Invests $1.5 Billion In Grid Schemes” • The US DOE announced funds totaling $1.5 in four transmission projects being developed by American Council on Renewable Energy members. They will enable nearly 1,000 miles of power lines and 7.1 GW of new capacity in Louisiana, Maine, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. [reNews]

Transmission lines (SXC image)

¶ “Utility-Scale US Solar Electricity Generation Skyrocketing in 2024” • In August 2024, utility-scale solar electric generation averaged 63.1 GWh between 10:00 AM and 6:00 PM each day in the Lower 48, 36% more than for the same hours in August 2023. Additions of solar generating capacity outpaced other resources in the US electric power sector in 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Nuclear Power Regulator Urged To Address ‘Dirty Bomb’ Risks To Society And Economy” • The US NRC, the nuclear power regulator, has not acted on recommendations to address radiological security risks to the economy and society including those from “dirty bombs,” This is according to the Government Accountability Office. [Reuters]

Have an appreciably receptive day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Andrew Forrest Scoffs At Net Zero, Calling It ‘A Proven Fantasy'” • In an interview, Forrest said it is high time for the world to walk away from the “proven fantasy” of net zero by 2050 and to embrace “real zero” by 2040. He called on business executives and politicians to make way for leaders willing to take on such a challenge. [CleanTechnica]

Ship powered by green ammonia (Fortescue Future image)

¶ “LG Chem Finds Key To Suppressing Thermal Runaway In Batteries” • LG Chem announced that its Platform Technology R&D team has developed a temperature-responsive Safety Reinforced Layer, a material designed to suppress thermal runaway. The research findings were published online in Nature Communications. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Volvo Trucks Pushes For Price On Carbon Emissions” • At present, Volvo Trucks is leading in the electric truck sector, with a 51% market share in Europe and 40% in the US. In the first half of 2024, of over 2,500 electric trucks delivered in Europe, more than half were from Volvo Trucks. The company is pushing for a carbon emissions price. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo electric truck (Volvo image)

¶ “Growing Markets for Grid-Connected Battery Storage in India” • Last summer, India’s electricity infrastructure strained to meet soaring demand and had its greatest peak power shortfall since 2010. With increasing future climate events, traditional equipment should be expected to fail. This can be addressed by battery energy storage systems. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Anesco Wins Approval For 48-MW Solar Site” • Anesco has planning permission from South Staffordshire Council to build a 48-MW solar farm in north-west England. Construction at the 143-acre site will begin in early 2025. The site will benefit from advanced biodiversity improvements designed to support local wildlife and at-risk species. [reNews]

Solar panels (Anesco image)

¶ “BrightNight Gets Permit For $480 Million Renewables Hub In Victoria” • The government of Victoria awarded development approval for a project that will add 360 MW of solar and 300 MW battery energy storage capacity. The proposal for what will be the largest hybrid renewable energy complex in Victoria was launched by BrightNight. [Renewables Now]

¶ “European Energy Turns Sod On Latvian Solar” • European Energy is beginning construction of what will be one of Latvia’s biggest solar farms at 148 MW. The solar farm will be connected to the grid by the end of 2025. Latvia has ambitious climate goals and a long history with hydropower, but its solar potential is largely untapped. [reNews]

Operational asset (Courtesy of European Energy)

¶ “Solar Central To UK Clean Power Mission” • Solar power will be a “key driving force” behind the 2030 clean power mission, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband told industry during the first meeting of the government’s reactivated solar taskforce. The taskforce will “focus relentlessly” on accelerating the delivery of solar energy across the country. [reNews]

¶ “Nuclear Power Plants In France Are Threatened By Marine Submersion, Warns Greenpeace” • Greenpeace France warns of the vulnerability of nuclear power plants to marine submersion, in a report published October 3. Among the threats linked to rising temperatures: rising water levels, fueled by melting ice caps and warming oceans. [Actual News Magazine]

Nuclear plant in France (T.A.F.K.A.S., CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “Hurricane Helene Live Updates: Death Toll Rises To 189 Amid Search For Missing” • At least 189 people were killed by Helene, according to The Associated Press. The hurricane made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region a week ago as a massive Category 4 hurricane. It was the strongest hurricane to make landfall in the Big Bend on record. [ABC News]

¶ “Historic October Heat In The West Made Possible By Climate Change” • A record-setting late season heat wave is in effect in the West, partly due to human-caused climate change. October temperature records were broken in major cities, some with triple-digit heat. Palm Springs reached 117°F; Phoenix hit 113°F, and Tucson had 105°F. [ABC News]

Tucson (JC Cervantes, Unsplash)

¶ “Tesla Sales Up 6.4% In Third Quarter” • Tesla released its third quarter production and delivery numbers. After two quarters of dropping sales, year over year, there was much anticipation to see how much Tesla could bounce back and see sales growth in the third quarter. Tesla deliveries in Q3 2024 totaled 462,890, a 6.4% increase over Q3 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “RWE Turns Sod On 450 MW Of Texan BESS Projects” • RWE has broken ground on three battery energy storage systems in Texas with a combined capacity of 450 MW. Onsite construction is now underway at RWE’s Crowned Heron 1, Crowned Heron 2, and Cartwheel 1 BESS projects in Texas. Each of the projects has 150 MW of capacity. [reNews]

RWE energy storage (RWE image)

¶ “Clearway Energy Group Starts Work On 300-MW Texas Solar + Storage Project” • Clearway Energy Group announced that it has closed financing and begun construction of the 300-MW Pine Forest solar and 200-MW Pine Forest standalone storage projects in Texas. The projects will generate enough electricity to power over 90,000 homes. [Solar Power World]

¶ “Corrosion Exceeds Estimates At Michigan Nuclear Plant Us Wants To Restart, Regulator Says” • Holtec, the company wanting to reopen the Palisades nuclear reactor, found corrosion cracking in steam generators “far exceeded” estimates, the US NRC said in a document. It found 1,163 steam generator tubes had indications of the stress cracking. [Reuters]

Have a thrillingly serene day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “This Sleek Electric Boat Flies Like An Airplane, With Fuel Cells” • Wing-in-ground effect refers to a pocket of air that forms under a boat equipped with aerodynamic wings, creating a lift effect. The vessels are classified as boats despite appearing to fly like airplanes. Activity is picking up in the field, and Sea Cheetah has added a hydrogen fuel cell. [CleanTechnica]

Sea Cheetah (Courtesy of Sea Cheetah via einpresswire)

¶ “How The Process Of De-Extinction Will Be Used To Restore This Fabled Species” • The debate over whether the ivory-billed woodpecker is actually extinct may be ongoing, but a genetic engineering company aims to restore it to its natural habitat. Colossal Biosciences, a US company, plans to bring the ivory-billed woodpecker back. [ABC News]

World:

¶ “Italy And Switzerland Have Agreed To Shift Their Shared Border In The Alps. Here’s Why” • Alpine glaciers are melting. In fact they lost 4% of their volume last year. That means the border is changing, since they mark the border between Switzerland and Italy. So the two countries agreed to redefine their border in the area of the Matterhorn. [CNN]

Matterhorn (Lukáš Konvica, Unsplash)

¶ “Record Xpeng Sales in September!” • Xpeng enjoyed a big boost in sales from the new MONA M03 in September, leading the Chinese smart EV startup to a new monthly sales record. Xpeng scored 21,352 deliveries last month, and over 10,000 of those were the MONA M03, an EV that has the potential to be a top seller globally. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Car & General To Deploy 30 CHAJI EV Charging Stations In Mombasa And Ukunda For Electric Three-Wheelers” • Three-wheelers, or tuk tuks, are an integral part of the East African public transport. We are starting to get a lot of good news around their electrification in places like Tanzania and Kenya. One bit is that charging stations are coming. [CleanTechnica]

Tuk tuks (Courtesy of Car & General)

¶ “RWE Signs Monopile Supply Deal With Steelwind” • RWE has signed a contract with Steelwind Nordenham for production of up to 300 monopile foundations for its offshore wind projects in Europe. Steelwind will reserve capacity for 320,000 tonnes of steel at its Nordenham plant over 24 months from 2027 onwards for around 200 monopile foundations. [reNews]

¶ “China Drives Record Growth In Renewable Energy Jobs” • A record 2.5 million jobs were created in the renewable energy sector in 2023, the International Renewable Energy Agency and International Labour Organization said. Nearly two-thirds of the world’s solar and wind power installations were in China, which got 1.84 million of the jobs. [Caledonian Record]

Wind turbines (Enrique, Pexels)

US:

¶ “Cadillac LYRIQ Sales Soar!” • The share of Cadillac sales that were electric (that is, LYRIQ sales) was the highest of any major automaker, 19%, in the second quarter. The LYRIQ had 7,294 sales in the second quarter. That might not seem like much, but it’ a 139% increase in sales, as the LYRIQ had 3,018 sales in the third quarter of 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “NREL Researchers Survey The State Of US Smart Charge Management” • Smart charge management – managing the flow of electricity that charges EVs intelligently – can have incredible benefits for drivers, utility companies, governments, and fleets. But they have not been widely deployed nationwide, and NREL did a national survey. [CleanTechnica]

Surveying smart charge management (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

¶ “Pfisterer To Connect Empire Wind” • Pfisterer is to provide connection technology for the Equinor 2-GW Empire Wind project off the coast of New York, and the company will connect each of the project’s 15-MW turbines. The connection system allows all of the array cable infrastructure to be tested prior to hardware installation. [reNews]

¶ “Nissan EV Sales Surge in USA – LEAF Up 188%, ARIYA Up 23%” • Nissan was once a world leader in electric vehicles, and a US leader. Its Nissan LEAF was the top selling electric vehicle in the US and worldwide for a while. Maybe it’s making a comeback now, as sales of the ARIYA are up 23%, and sales of the LEAF are up a whopping 188%. [CleanTechnica]

Nissan ARIYA EV (Nissan)

¶ “US Adds 2.7 GW Of Grid Storage In Q2” • The US grid storage market added 2773 MW in the second quarter of 2024, data from the American Clean Power Association and Wood Mackenzie shows. In their latest US Energy Storage Monitor report, every segment of the US energy storage market saw growth in Q2 over last year’s totals. [reNews]

¶ “BOEM Approves 2.8-GW Atlantic Shores Plan” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has approved the Atlantic Shores South project plan to construct and operate two wind energy facilities with a capacity of 2800 MW off the coast of New Jersey. This is the final approval needed from BOEM after the Interior Department’s July 2024 Record of Decision. [reNews]

BOEM director Elizabeth Klein (BOEM image)

¶ “Ameresco Celebrates Completion Of Utah’s First Floating Solar Project” • Ameresco celebrated completion of Utah’s first floating solar array. It was developed in partnership with the Mountain Regional Water Special Service District. The 587.5-kW solar project was built on a holding pond at the Signal Hill Water Treatment Plant. [Solar Power World]

¶ “Conflicted RCEA Board Passes On Nuclear Power ” • After much discussion, a divided Redwood Coast Energy Authority failed to reach a decision on whether to accept an offer of free nuclear power from the Diablo Canyon Power Plant. The agency will pass on the state-mandated offer for an allocation of free nuclear energy. [North Coast Journal]

Have a happily productive day.

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World:

¶ “Barcelona Is Using Regenerative Braking To Power Subways And EV Chargers ” • Each year in Barcelona, people take 440 million trips on its subway system. Every time a subway train stops, the energy generated by regenerative braking is turned into electricity, which gets fed through inverters and distributed in the subway system. [CleanTechnica]

Barcelona subway stop (TMB Barcelona image)

¶ “The Carbon Footprint Of Live Music Is A Savage Beast: Is There Any Hope For Improvement?” • The quest to understand live music’s carbon footprint began in 2019, when a rep from the band Massive Attack got curious and contacted Carly McLachlan. The director of the Tyndall Center for Climate Change Research soon had quite a challenge. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Vestas Confirms 1.1-GW Inch Cape Turbine Deal” • ESB and Red Rock Renewables signed a deal with Vestas to install 15-MW turbines at the 1080-MW Inch Cape offshore wind farm off the east coast of Scotland. The contract is for the supply, installation, and commissioning of 72 units together with a long-term service and warranty agreement. [reNews]

Vestas turbine nacelle (Vestas image)

¶ “Berlin’s Clean Industry Wish-List: Kick Nuclear Out Of EU Financing” • Laying out key priorities for the EU’s upcoming Clean Industrial Deal, German Economy State Secretary Sven Giegold said he wants the Commission to prioritize renewable energy. He wants to take a tough line on nuclear power and French renewable targets. [Euractiv]

¶ “Renewable Records Tumble For The Second Day In A Row, Pushing Fossil Fuels To New Lows” • The instantaneous share of renewable energy in Australia’s main grid has reached new highs for the second day in a row, steadily nudging out fossil fuels in preparation for the day that coal generation might be switched off completely. [RenewEconomy]

Solar panels (CCEP image)

¶ “‘Kyiv Attacks Substation’ Near Russian-Held Nuclear Plant; Russia Pounds Zaporizhzhia City With Guided Bombs” • The management of the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station said on Sunday that Ukrainian forces had launched a new attack on a nearby substation, destroying a transformer. It said this was a “terrorist” attack. [MSN]

¶ “Tata Power To Invest $14.3 Billion In Rajasthan, Mostly In Renewables” • Indian electric utility Tata Power Co Ltd intends to pour ₹1.2 trillion ($14.32 billion) into projects in Rajasthan, among which will be 10 GW of renewable capacity. Tata Power signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the investment with the state government. [Renewables Now]

Lake Pichola, Rajasthan (Uri Sittan Tripo, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “Helene Left At Least 128 People Dead And Communities ‘Wiped Off The Map.’ Now, Survivors Are Struggling To Get Food And Water” • The magnitude of devastation wrought by Helene intensifies by the hour as search crews find more bodies and floodwaters slowly recede – revealing more neighborhoods obliterated by the storm. [CNN]

¶ “Hurricane Helene By The Numbers: Catastrophic Destruction Covers 400 Miles” • After its landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane, Helene caused ruinous storm surge, wind damage and inland flooding across wide areas of the South. Helene was the strongest hurricane on record to make landfall in the Big Bend region. [ABC News]

Hurricane Helene making landfall (NOAA, public domain)

¶ “Asheville Tragedy Shows There Are No Climate Change Safe Havens: Experts” • Asheville, North Carolina, has been called a potential safe haven for climate refugees. But the fatal floods and landslides seen after Helene ripped through the area highlight that “no place is truly untouched by climate change, anywhere in the world.” [ABC News]

¶ “California Climate And Energy Update” • Significant work is still needed to build a just and sustainable California, but the recent progress made in every major sector is worth celebrating. California has the vision and leadership needed, and the will of the state’s residents on its side to create a livable future for all in the face of climate change. [CleanTechnica]

California PVs (Tom Brewster Photography, BLM, CC BY 2.0)

¶ “After Six Years, Tesla Finally Accounts For Less Than 50% Of US EV Sales” • The US battery EV market is evolving, with more models, broader choices for consumers, more legacy automakers putting forward options. Unsurprisingly, Tesla has less than 50% of the US battery EV market for the first time in years, from a peak of around 80%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford CEO Jim Farley Targets 19 Million Potential EV Buyers With New Ford Power Promise” • Ford has introduced the Ford Power Promise, a program aimed to attract about 19 million people who may consider an EV. “Nearly 90% of shoppers say they would be more likely to buy an EV if they knew they could charge at home,” Farley said. [CleanTechnica]

Home EV charging (Courtesy of Ford Motor Company)

¶ “New Thin Film Solar Factory Transforms Red State Into Green Warrior” • Last week, Alabama state officials joined with the thin film solar manufacturer First Solar to celebrate the official opening of the company’s massive factory in Lawrence County. The facility will add 3.5 GW worth of solar capacity to the US each year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “WPS, We Energies Announce Renewable Energy Projects To Power 250,000 Wisconsin Homes” • Wisconsin Public Service and We Energies announced plans to build nearly 800 MW of solar, wind, and battery storage around the state, providing enough energy to provide for annual needs of about a quarter of a million homes in Wisconsin. [WTAQ]

Have a fully fabulous day.

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World:

¶ “Serious Money – $43 Million – Behind 100% Wind Power For Cargo Ships” • The cargo shipping industry is finally returning to wind power after a long hiatus. Some maritime innovators even aim to bring back 100% wind power. One of them is the French startup VELA, which has just nailed a new $43 million round of funding to make it happen. [CleanTechnica]

Trimaran by French startup VELA (via businesswire.com)

¶ “As India Pursues Ambitious Renewable Energy Goals, Gujarat Paves The Way” • Gujarat has emerged as a leader in renewable energy, leading efforts toward a greener, more sustainable future. With a strong emphasis on solar power, the state plays a vital role in helping India reach its goal of achieving 500 GW of renewable capacity by 2030. [Chemical Industry Digest]

¶ “European EV Sales Are Up And Down, Ford Starts Electric Capri Production In Germany” • Battery EV Sales are down in some parts of Europe. The Center for Automotive Management put the data into a chart that shows at a glance what is going on with EV sales in European countries, and it shows some bright spots among the gloom. [CleanTechnica]

Battery EV registrations (Center for Automotive Management)

¶ “China Coal Hub Could Lead Its Energy Transition, According To Researchers” • China’s largest coal-mining hub is set to lead the country’s energy transition, a report says. Inner Mongolia, which produces more coal than any country outside of China itself, already has 88 GW of wind and solar capacity, with 170 GW more in the pipeline. [Energy Connects]

¶ “ACWA Power, Badeel, SAPCO Report Financial Close On Key Solar PV Projects” • Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power, Badeel, and Saudi Aramco Power Company secured financial closure for the Haden, Muwayh, and Al Khushaybi solar PV projects. Valued at $3.2 billion, the projects aim for a combined capacity of 5.5 GW of solar power for Saudi Arabia. [Gulf Business]

Solar array (ACWA image, cropped)

¶ “GoldenPeaks Capital And CNBM Commit To Target A 1-GW Project Pipeline Annually in Europe ” • GoldenPeaks Capital Holding Ltd and China National Building Material Group have committed to further strengthen their strategic partnership to a 1-GW annual project pipeline, adding such new markets as Italy, Germany, and Greece. [Business Wire]

¶ “Britain To Become First G7 Country To End Coal Power As Last Plant Closes” • Britain will become the first G7 country to end coal-fired power production with the closure of its last plant, Uniper’s Ratcliffe-on-Soar in England’s Midlands. It will end over 140 years of coal power in Britain. Slmost 30% of the country’s electricity came from coal in 2015. [Reuters]

Ratcliffe-on-Soar plant (Vilmantas Bekesius, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Historic Coal Mining City Makes Switch To 100% Renewables” • Queensland state government-owned energy firm CleanCo has inked a long-term deal to supply Ipswich City Council with 100% renewable electricity. The power purchase agreement will enable the historic coal mining city to operate its major buildings and streetlights with renewables. [pv magazine Australia]

US:

¶ “How Floating Solar Is Carving Out Space In The Renewable Energy Landscape” • The idea of setting a solar panels out to float on top of reservoirs and other bodies of water seemed a bit exotic just a few years ago. But there are circumstances when a floating solar array is practical, even as conventional renewable energy could be developed. [CleanTechnica]

Floating solar system (Courtesy Mountain Regional Water)

¶ “One Storm, 95 Dead, And A 500-Mile Path Of Destruction. Now The Hard Work Of Recovering From Helene” • Short on supplies, short on power, and short on patience, the people who saw a massive storm upend their lives have come to a new week, facing the challenge of rebuilding while roads are closed and electricity could be a week away. [CNN]

¶ “Flood Fire Risk With EVs: At Least Some EV Packs Need Better Water Sealing” • In the wake of the recent hurricane that swept Florida and wrecked lower Appalachia, the author came across an interesting social media post from local government officials in Pinellas County, Florida. It shows the uncomfortable and dangerous death of a Tesla. [CleanTechnica]

Screenshot from the Pinellas County tweet (Fair use)

¶ “First Solar Inaugurates $1.1 Billion Solar Manufacturing Plant In Alabama” • First Solar started up a new $1.1 billion vertically integrated thin-film solar manufacturing facility in Alabama. It will add 3.5 GW of solar manufacturing capacity in the US and is expected to create over 800 energy technology manufacturing jobs in the state. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “TotalEnergies Starts 1.2-GW Texas PV Duo” • TotalEnergies started commercial operations of its 720-MW Danish Fields and 455-MW Cottonwood solar farms with battery storage in Texas. These new projects, with a combined capacity of 1.2 GW, are part of a portfolio of renewables assets totaling 4 GW in operation or under construction in Texas. [reNews]

Solar farm (TotalEnergies image)

¶ “US Closes $1.52 Billion Loan To Resurrect Michigan Nuclear Plant” • The US said it closed a $1.52 billion loan to resurrect the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan. A Biden administration official said it could take two years to reopen the plant, which is longer than the company predicted. The administration wants to triple US nuclear capacity. [MSN]

¶ “US Nuclear Plants Won’t Power Up Big Tech’s AI Ambitions Right Away” • Tech companies are scrambling to meet energy demand from data centers to power generative AI. But nuclear power involves regulatory hurdles, possible supply-chain snags, sometimes stiff local opposition, and scrutiny from various environmental authorities. [Cyprus Mail]

Have an unambiguously superb day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “These Record-Breaking New Solar Panels Produce 60% More Electricity” • Commercially available solar panels convert about 20% to 22% of sunlight into electrical power. However, research published in Nature has shown that future solar panels could reach efficiencies as high as 34% by exploiting a technology called tandem solar cells. [WIRED]

Solar panels (Chelsea, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “How Climate Change Is Intensifying Storms Like Hurricane Helene” • The proportion of hurricanes that fall into categories 4 and 5 is expected to increase as the planet heats up, according to the most recent report from the IPCC, a well-respected climate science authority from the UN. Peak hurricane wind speeds are expected to increase. [DC News Now]

World:

¶ “100 Electric Buses for Uruguay – Thanks, BYD” • BYD (Build Your Dreams) continues to help electrify the world. We have news this week that BYD has delivered 100 electric buses to CUTCSA, the largest transit operator in Uruguay. In South America, BYD has already delivered electric buses in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Ecuador. [CleanTechnica]

Electric buses in Montevideo (BYD image)

¶ “More Companies In Kenya Adopting Electric Motorcycles For Deliveries” • The move towards EVs in Africa, especially electric motorcycles, is mainly driven by the private sector, led by small startups. Most of the change has been concentrated along what is known as the “boda belt” from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to the outskirts of Dakar, Senegal. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “A Green Corridor For Chinese Investors” • Pakistan has the potential to add 23,801 MW, around 31.5% of renewable energy capacity by 2030, as confirmed by the World Bank’s Variable Renewable Energy Locational Study. However, it currently has a mere 7% contribution from renewable energy in its energy mix. That is a great opportunity. [The News International]

Solar array (World Bank image)

¶ “BIPV Philippines Launches Pampanga Factory, Paving The Way For Renewable Energy Innovation” • BIPV Philippines achieved a major milestone when it opened its first factory in Pampanga. A result of the joint venture of BIPV Korea and AC Ong Consulting Inc, the factory marks a key moment in the country’s shift to renewable energy. [Philstar Life]

¶ “Egypt: Renewable Energy To Supply 42% Of Energy Mix By 2040” • Egypt’s goals to have renewable energy provide over 42% of Egypt’s energy mix by 2040 were outlined during the BRICS Energy Ministers Conference held in Moscow this week. Egypt also targets to capture 5-8% of the global green hydrogen market by the same year. [The North Africa Post]

Egypt (Mariam Soliman, Unsplash)

¶ “Steps Afoot For Renewable Energy Sources: Leghari” • At the closing session of the first day of the Asia Energy Transition Summit, Federal Minister for Energy (Power Division) Awais Leghari said Pakistan will have to adopt creative ways to ensure transition from anti-environment-friendly energy sources to renewable energy. [The News International]

US:

¶ “Electrify America Opens Thousandth Charging Station” • A couple of days back, Electrify America announced the opening of its latest large charging station. While a new station with a large number of stalls is welcome and news by itself, this station was even more special because it is the company’s thousandth charging site! [CleanTechnica]

Charging site (Image by Electrify America)

¶ “The Hydrogen Economy In America Faces A Number Of Challenges” • While the US struggles to find ways to reduce its carbon and methane emissions, hydrogen keeps coming up as a great way to do that. But if it isn’t made from renewable sources, it creates huge amounts of carbon emissions, making the cure worse than the disease. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Power And Batteries Help Texas Through Sweltering Summers And Record Energy Demand” • This summer, while electricity demand hit record highs, Texas’ use of solar power and batteries increased. The result? A more stable grid that’s keeping the lights on and air conditioners humming, according to Canary Media. [Yahoo]

Dallas (Zack Brame, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Puget Sound Energy Advances Renewable Energy Efforts” • In a significant development for Washington’s renewable energy landscape, Puget Sound Energy announced the commencement of two pivotal projects. They are a 124-MW solar PV project by Qcells and a 200-MW, 800-MWh battery project by Brightnight and Cordelio Power. [Microgrid Media]

¶ “Hurricane Helene Floods Retired Duke Nuclear Plant In Florida” • Floodwaters from Hurricane Helene have swamped the Crystal River plant, a retired Duke Energy Corp nuclear power plant that closed in 2013, according to a filing with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. An escape of spent fuel seems unlikely. [Yahoo Finance]

Have an exceptionally easy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “MAGAlomaniacs Are Shocked, SHOCKED That Hurricanes Are Getting More Powerful” • We have been told for many years that global warming would lead to more destructive storms. Now with Hurricane Helene, politicians who staked their political lives on denying climate change are shocked, SHOCKED that such a powerful storm is happening. [CleanTechnica]

Helene (Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory)

World:

¶ “UK Court Hands Prison Terms To Climate Activists Who Threw Soup On Van Gogh’s ‘Sunflowers’” • Two climate activists were sentenced to prison by a London court for throwing soup over Vincent Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” painting while protesting fossil fuels. Phoebe Plummer, 23, was given two years, and Anna Holland, 22, got 20 months. [CNN]

¶ “Most Car Sales (54%) in China Are Now Plugins!” • Plugin vehicles scored a little more than 1 million sales in a 1.9-million-unit overall market in August. That’s up 38% year over year, and the second best month ever, while the overall market is down 1% year over year. Battery EVs were up 19% in August, while plugin hybrids jumped 78%. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Song L (Nissangeniss, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Hyundai Cooks Up A Low-Cost EV Battery Scheme For The Affordable EV Of The Future” • The cost of an EV battery has dropped like a rock since the early 2000s. A recent calculation from the US DOE’s Vehicle Technologies Office puts the drop at 90% for light-duty vehicles. Hyundaijust unveiled a LiFePO₄ EV battery project in partnership with Kia. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hyundai Motor Groups First 100% EV Factory” • Kia has celebrated the opening of Kia Gwangmyeong EVO Plant, the Hyundai Motor Group’s first facility dedicated to making EVs. The South Korean facility has an annual production capacity of 150,000 units. It started production of the Kia EV3 in the first half of this year. [CleanTechnica]

Kia Gwangmyeong EV Plant

¶ “India Seeks 6,000 MW Of Peak Renewable Power Supply With Storage” • India is seeking bids to supply 6,000 MW of capacity from renewable energy projects for assured peak-hour supply with storage, in a tender issued by state-run SJVN. India is looking to connect a record 35 GW of solar and wind capacity to its grid during the year. [Deccan Herald]

¶ “High Wind Speeds Boost UK Renewables Output” • UK renewables generation increased by 19% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2024 to 32.8 TWh, largely due to favorable wind conditions. Renewable sources accounted for a record 51.6% share of the electricity mix during the period, according to government figures. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbines (ScottishPower Renewables)

¶ “Twelve Countries Warned Against Threats Of Nuclear Weapons” • Twelve countries, including China, Brazil, Turkey, and Kazakhstan, issued a joint statement warning against threats of nuclear weapon use. The statement emphasizes that civilian infrastructure, including peaceful nuclear facilities, should not be targets of military operations. [MSN]

¶ “Germany Approves Second Section Of SuedOstLink” • In Germany, the Federal Network Agency completed the planning approval for the second section of the SuedOstLink electric grid connection to supply Bavaria with wind power from other parts of Germany. It will use a DC line for an underground cable from Münchenreuth to Marktredwitz. [reNews]

DC line (Tennet image)

US:

¶ “Dozens Dead As Helene Unleashes Life-Threatening Flooding And Knocks Out Power To Millions Across Southeast” • Helene continues to unleash its fury in the Southeast after leaving 49 people dead in various states, leveling communities, and leaving many in floodwaters after the historic storm made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region. [CNN]

¶ “River Partners’ Restoration of Floodplains Averts Disasters in California” • Responding to human misdeeds, Nature is assailing California. So River Partners buys private land and restores large areas of the natural landscape. Its mission is “to bring life back to rivers by creating wildlife habitat for the benefit of people and the environment.” [CleanTechnica]

San Joaquin River National Wildlife Refuge (River Partners)

¶ “$44 Million for Clean Energy Planning And Deployment on Tribal Lands” • The US DOE announced nearly $44 million for Tribal communities to deploy clean energy solutions to provide energy security and reduce energy costs. Six American Indian and Alaska Native communities will receive $18.8 million to install solar and wind energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Octopus Backs US Solar Duo” • Octopus Energy made two investments in the US solar market, with the company backing developers Circal and Zestec to create projects. The company said it marks the next move in its $2 billion plan for America’s renewables revolution. It comes just three months after it made its first green energy investments stateside. [reNews]

Solar panels (Mark Stebnicki, Pexels)

¶ “Oregon Opponents Block Offshore Wind Auction” • A planned auction of Oregon offshore wind leases was postponed after Governor Tina Kotek effectively torpedoed the auction plan. The US Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management delayed the offshore wind energy auction due to low bidder interest. [WorkBoat]

¶ “Major US Power Companies Shut Units In Wake Of Storm” • Storm Helene forced major US electric utilities to shut or slow power plant operations. Southern Co took one of its Georgia nuclear reactors offline, and Duke Energy halted output from two coal-fired generating units. Helene also downed power lines and battered other parts of the grid. [Reuters]

Have an absolutely favorable day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Manganese Cathodes Could Boost Lithium-ion Batteries” • Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries use supplies of nickel and cobalt, which are limited. Research led by the DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory opens up a potential low-cost, safe alternative in manganese, the fifth most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust. [CleanTechnica]

Manganese (Han-Ming Hau, Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley)

World:

¶ “Groundbreaking Held For EGL2 Subsea Link” • Ground has been broken for a 2-GW subsea link between Scotland and England. EGL2’s subsea cable will go 436 km (271 miles) from Peterhead to the coast of East Yorkshire at Fraisthorpe Sands, and run underground for 68 km (42 miles) to a new HVDC converter station at Drax. [reNews]

¶ “Rezolv, APA Ink Romania Wind Offtake” • Rezolv Energy has signed a virtual power purchase agreement with Italian company A2A for electricity produced by the Vifor wind farm in Romania. The VPPA provides for the purchase of 150 GWh per year of renewable energy. Rezolv has signed six VPPAs since June, for a total of 460 GWh per year. [reNews]

Wind farm (Rezolv image)

¶ “Energy Transition Opens New Vistas For Solar, Wind Power Companies” • Over the past three months, Anhui Huasun Energy Co Ltd has been racing against time to make solar modules for a gigantic PV project on the edge of China’s Taklamakan Desert, its largest. A boom in technology and industry that is coming about in China is clear. [China Daily]

¶ “Italy Deploys 4.2 GW Of Solar In January-August Period” • Italy added around 5 GW of renewable capacity, of which 4.2 GW was solar power, in the first eight months of 2024, according to Gestore dei Servizi Energetici, the Italian energy agency. This means Italy’s cumulative PV capacity reached 34.48 GW at the end of August. [pv magazine International]

Solar plant in Italy (Balfabio, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Romania Unveils A 7-GW Offshore Plan” • The Romanian government published a roadmap to help realize a potential up to 7 GW of offshore wind capacity in the country, supported by the European Commission and World Bank Group. The plan was produced as part of the project “Internal energy market and energy transition in Romania.” [reNews]

¶ “Solar Levelized Cost Of Electricity 56% Lower Than Lowest-Cost Fossil Fuels” • Solar has taken center stage in global energy development as costs have fallen to record lows. IRENA, the International Renewable Energy Agency, reported data through 2023, noting that solar levelized cost of electricity has fallen 90% since 2010. [pv magazine USA]

Solar energy (Michael Förtsch, Unsplash)

¶ “Fortescue Targets 2-3 GW Of Renewables To Achieve Its Real Zero By 2030 Goals” • Fortescue’s climate transition plan gives comprehensive details of how the mining giant is planning, and will 100% eliminate fossil fuels from their Australian iron ore operations by 2030 using a number of measures, including using solar energy. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “The Presence Of IAEA Inspectors At Key Substations Critical To Nuclear Power Plants Could Deter Russia From Attacks” • The decision to expand monitoring missions to the main substations that support nuclear power plant operations may help prevent Russian aggression threatening nuclear facilities, the director of energy programs of the “Razumkov Center” said. [ТСН]

Substation (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “How Climate Change Put Florida’s Big Bend To Greater Risk Of Tropical Threats” • Helene’s path in the Northern Caribbean and Eastern Gulf of Mexico went across very warm ocean waters. The warmer than normal sea surfaces in these regions were 200 to 500 times more likely due to human-caused climate change, Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index says. [ABC News]

¶ “Hurricane Helene Live Updates: One Dead In Florida As Category 4 Storm Makes Landfall” • Helene made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida as a major Category 4 hurricane with 140 mph winds. Since that time, it has moved around 100 miles inland into Florida and Georgia and has been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane. [ABC News]

Hurricane Florence, 2018 (Alexander Gerst, public domain)

¶ “American Climate Corps Has Already Put 15,000 Young Americans To Work” • As part of his commitment to tackle the climate crisis, President Biden launched the American Climate Corps to mobilize young workers on clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience. Some 15,000 young people have been put to work in the clean energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Renewable Energy Sources Now Provide Over 30% Of US Generating Capacity” • A SUN DAY Campaign review of data in two new reports by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the US Energy Information Administration reveals that now over 30% of total US utility-scale electrical generating capacity is renewable. [Renewables Now]

Wind turbines (Louis Moncouyoux, Unsplash)

¶ “World-First Geothermal Energy System Heading For US Air Force” • The US Air Force has pushed the renewable energy envelope since the early 2000s, especially for large solar arrays. Now it is turning its attention to a new system aimed at pushing the boundaries of the US geothermal energy industry far beyond its current limitations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Training A Million Apprentices for Cleantech And Climate Jobs by 2035” • This week, the US Climate Alliance set up the Governors’ Climate-Ready Workforce Initiative. It is a bipartisan coalition of 24 governors who together account for roughly 60% of the country’s economy and 55% of its population. It is to train a million apprentices by 2035. [CleanTechnica]

Have s patently positive day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “How To Design Great Houses That Protect Against Severe Weather Events” • Intelligent design enhances energy efficiency by reducing the heating and cooling load; resilient materials increase the home’s ability to withstand nature’s fury; and a solar plus battery system ensures that the house will remain functional in a power outage. [CleanTechnica]

Rendering of VISION House Austin (Green Builder Media)

¶ “New Standard For Measuring Offshore Project Emissions” • A “first-of-a-kind” methodology to standardize how the carbon footprint of an offshore wind farm is measured was published by the Offshore Wind Sustainability Joint Industry Programme. The Carbon Trust collaborated with twelve program partners to devise the methodology. [reNews]

World:

¶ “VinFast VF 3 Launched In Philippines, The First Market To Receive It After Vietnam” • VinFast introduced its VF 3 in the Philippines, the first market outside of Vietnam to receive the compact urban electric car. This launch is seen as a key step in expanding VinFast’s presence in Southeast Asia, a region ready for sustainable mobility. [CleanTechnica]

VinFast EVs (VinFast image)

¶ “BYD Smashes Sales Records In August As Other Chinese Companies Struggle” • It seems BYD knocks the ball out of the park every month. In August, BYD delivered 370,854 vehicles, up nearly 30% YOY. According to Car News China, in a Top Forty list of the bestselling domestic cars in China, BYD made twelve of the top twenty vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Partners With Loxea To Launch The ATTO 3, Dolphin, And Seal in Kenya” • We seem to get news of BYD entering a new market somewhere in the world every week now. But it’s great for the overall mission to accelerate adoption of EVs globally. This time, BYD is partnering with Loxea to bring the ATTO 3, Dolphin, And Seal to Kenya. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seal (Courtesy of Loxea)

¶ “Lamprell Nets TP deal For 2.8-GW Norfolk Duo” • RWE has awarded two key contracts to Lamprell for the future supply of transition pieces for two of its UK offshore wind projects, which total 2,800 MW. The schemes are Norfolk Vanguard West and Norfolk Vanguard East. The award underlines RWE’s continued commitment to the projects. [reNews]

¶ “Peak Wind Nets Canadian Gig” • Peak Wind was awarded the operations and maintenance contract for the 495-MW Buffalo Plains wind farm in Alberta. Buffalo Plains, which is owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, entered construction in 2023 and began delivering power last month. It hosts 83 Siemens Gamesa 5.2-MW and 6.6-MW turbines. [reNews]

Buffalo Plains wind farm (Peak Wind image)

¶ “Falling Solar And Battery Costs Drive Record Renewable Investment, But Pace Still Short Of COP28 Target” • Despite a record $623 billion of investment in renewable energy in 2023, a report from BloombergNEF warns that it must be an average of $1 trillion per year over the rest of the decade to meet the COP28 goal of tripling renewable capacity. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Octopus To Invest £2 Billion In UK Renewables By 2030” • Octopus Energy has announced a £2 billion investment in UK renewable energy projects by 2030. The investment will fund new solar farms and battery storage. The company has agreed on deals for four new solar farms in Bristol, Essex, East Riding of Yorkshire and Wiltshire. [Energy Live News]

Wind farm (Courtesy of Octopus Energy)

¶ “NATO Member Announces $16 Billion Investment In Its First Nuclear Plant” • The Polish government will be investing the equivalent of nearly $16 billion to fund its first nuclear power plant. The announcement follows reports that the country would seek approval from the European Commission of its plan to finance the plant. [Newsweek]

US:

¶ “California Adopts Nation’s First Deadlines For Utilities to Connect EV Chargers To The Grid” • The California Public Utilities Commission approved a set of timelines to accelerate grid connections of new residential buildings, commercial sites, and EV charging stations. The decision implements the Powering Up Californians Act passed in 2023. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo Electric Truck (Courtesy of Volvo Trucks)

¶ “A US DOE Pilot Project To Calculate Emissions of Certain Industrial Products” • The US DOE announced a pilot project to measure greenhouse gases of certain industrial products. The US, its trading partners, manufacturers, and consumers need a fair, coherent system for measuring the GHGs associated with making energy-intensive products. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Small Wind Power Projects Expanding Into New Markets” • For the last eight months, researchers from the DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have been gathering information about who installed distributed wind energy projects that supply electricity locally. The researchers found the distributed wind sector is growing. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines in Tulsa (Courtesy of American Windpower)

¶ “New Jersey Hits Pause On An Offshore Wind Farm That Can’t Find Turbine Blades” • The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities granted Leading Light Wind a pause through December 20 for its developers to seek a source for the crucial components. The project would be built 40 miles (65 km) off Long Beach Island and would consist of up to 100 turbines. [ABC News]

¶ “DOD Breaks Ground On Project Pele: A Mobile Nuclear Reactor For Energy Resiliency” • The Department of Defense broke ground at Idaho National Laboratory on the Project Pele transportable nuclear reactor. The reactor, under a Strategic Capabilities Office initiative, is being made by BWXT Advanced Technologies, LLC, Lynchburg, Virginia. [US DOD]

Have a firmly founded day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Replacing EV Battery After Five Years? Fuggedaboutit” • It’s one of the most popular criticisms of electric cars from critics and skeptics looking to ignore the benefits of electric cars: “What about in five years when you have to spend $15,000 to replace the car’s high-voltage battery pack?” But here’s the thing: You probably won’t have to replace it! [CleanTechnica]

Tesla battery manufacturing (Tesla image)

World:

¶ “World Can Triple Renewable Power, But Push Is Needed: IEA” • An IEA report says nations could achieve their commitments of the COP28 summit if they can clear regulatory bottlenecks and modernize the grid. The report said that tripling renewables and doubling efficiency targets could cut worldwide emissions by 10 billion tonnes by the end of the decade. [The Hill]

¶ “Mysterious Magma In Extinct Volcanoes May Be Filled With Elements Needed To Power The Future” • A mysterious type of magma found within extinct volcanoes scattered around the world could contain an abundant supply of rare earth elements, which are crucial ingredients for EVs, wind turbines and other clean technologies, a report says. [CNN]

Ore hauling train in Sweden (Kabelleger, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Efforts Speed Up To Reduce Waste Streams By Reestablishing Oyster Filtration Reefs ” • Why should you support oyster shell recycling? Over 85% of oyster reefs are gone worldwide. These losses occurred due to over-harvesting or habitat destruction, but oyster recycling efforts may have a slow, positive effect on oyster reef reestablishment. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Elfly Group And Nordic Seaplanes Sign Agreement for Deployment of Noemi Electric Seaplanes” • Elfly Group, developers of the all-electric seaplane program ‘Noemi’ (No Emissions), announced a partnership with Denmark’s Nordic Seaplanes. They will turn the dedicated seaplane operator into the world’s first ‘Noemi’ airline. [CleanTechnica]

Seaplane (Courtesy of Elfly Group)

¶ “Europeans Are Taking Action to Save Energy And Embrace Clean Energy” • A wide-ranging survey shows that Europeans support the energy policy pursued by the EU in the last five years. Looking ahead, they express strong backing for increased EU-wide coordination, and even more efforts at both EU and national levels. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Havfram To Install Waterkant Turbines” • Havfram, based in Oslo, has signed a contract with Luxcara for the transport and installation of turbines for the 270-MW Waterkant offshore wind farm in the German North Sea. The agreement covers the vessel charter for transport and the installation of sixteen 18.5-MW MingYang machines. [reNews]

Havfram installation vessel (Havfram image)

¶ “Renewable Energy Goal Risks Falling Short Without More Money” • The increasingly rapid deployment of renewables around the world is still not enough to meet global goals, said political and climate leaders at the Global Renewables Summit in New York. More private investments remains key to tripling the global renewable energy capacity by 2030. [Yahoo]

¶ “Sany Launches 8-MW Turbines For Europe” • At WindEnergy Hamburg, Chinese wind turbine maker Sany has launched two 8-MW onshore models designed for European wind conditions. According to Sany, the models are the 7.8-MW SI-17578, with a 175-meter rotor diameter, and the 8-MW SI-18580 model, with a 185-meter diameter. [reNews]

Sany turbines in China (Sany image)

¶ “Zelensky Sounds Nuclear Alarm At UN” • Russia is seeking to target three Ukrainian nuclear power plants, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky told the UN. He warned that, if Vladimir Putin was prepared to resort to such a move, “it means nothing you value matters to Moscow.” He did not specify which plants were under threat. [Newsweek]

US:

¶ “ENGIE: 1 GW of Battery Storage Capacity Added In USA This Year” • ENGIE has reached more than 1.8 GW of installed battery energy storage system capacity in the US, and 1 GW of that was just added since January 2024! ENGIE is not clear on whether it means 1.8 GW, 1.8 GWh, or both, but it says that the new battery systems are in California and Texas. [CleanTechnica]

Battery system (Courtesy of ENGIE)

¶ “Biden Administration Proposes A Ban On Chinese-Made Software” • The Biden administration announced sweeping new regulations that would ban software and hardware developed by Chinese companies from being installed on internet-connected cars sold in the US. A New York Times article says the government justifies this on national security grounds. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “This Chart Shows How California Is Massively Extending Solar Use Into The Evening” • It’s truly stunning to see how much battery storage is already helping to integrate more solar power in The Golden State. Solar PVs have reached 20% of the California electricity supply, and much of that charges batteries during the day. [CleanTechnica]

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

¶ “New York Joins GOWA” • During New York Climate Week, the State of New York announced it has joined the Global Offshore Wind Alliance. GOWA includes governments, international organizations and private sector companies committed to expanding offshore wind capacity globally and driving the transition to a clean energy future. [reNews]

¶ “CIP To Acquire 255-MW Battery In Arizona” • Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is to acquire the 255-MW, 1020-MWh Scatter Wash standalone battery storage project in Phoenix. Strata Clean Energy will continue to serve as construction and asset manager for the project. Strata has 6 GW of solar PV and 24 GWh of battery projects under development. [reNews]

Have a grandly unworried day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Grid-Scale Storage Batteries Use Many Different Chemistries” • Batteries for grid-scale energy storage don’t need to meet the same criteria as EVs for size and weight. These are relatively unimportant, as are energy density and fast discharge rates. That means they can use all sorts of chemistries that are not suitable for automotive purposes. [CleanTechnica]

Zinc bromine flow batteries (Courtesy of Redflow)

¶ “Giving Batteries A Longer Life With The Advanced Photon Source” • Scientists at the Argonne National Laboratory are partnering with other US laboratories and academic institutions to study what is called self-discharge. This is a series of chemical reactions in the battery that causes performance loss over time, shortening the battery’s lifespan. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Parts Of The Sahara Desert Are Turning Green Amid Heavy Rainfall” • One of the driest regions on Earth is shifting green, as heavy rainfall causes vegetation to grow in the typically barren landscape. Satellite images released by NASA show pockets of plant life popping up all over the Sahara Desert after a cyclone drenched it. [ABC News]

Sahara (Wolfgang Hasselmann, Unsplash)

¶ “European Union Is Ditching Fossil Gas Fast, Replacing It with Solar And Wind ” • One of the notable challenges the EU faces is the continued Russia war of Ukraine. Having previously relied on an enormous amount of natural gas from Russia, the EU has had to find ways to replace it. Part of that has been to build up renewable sources. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Cargo Ship Crosses Atlantic Ocean Using Mostly Wind Power” • The trouble with fast, modern container ships is that they use fossil fuels and emit a great deal of air pollution that is harmful to the planet and human health. So it was both captivating and exciting to see that a modern rather large cargo sailing vessel, the Anemos, was recently launched. [CleanTechnica]

Anemos (Courtesy of TOWT, Ports America)

¶ “Floating Solar Project Withstands Super Typhoon Capricorn” • One of the fiercest typhoons to hit the area of Guangdong, China, since 1949 was Super Typhoon Capricorn this month. In this wild weather, torrential winds, and giant waves, what is the durability of floating solar panels? If you expected to see broken panels, think again. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hamburg 2024: ‘Offshore Wind Hits 76 GW'” • Ahead of WindEnergy Hamburg 2024, Clarksons Research has released a range of data points profiling the offshore wind sector. Today, 76 GW of offshore wind capacity is active globally, involving around 13,800 turbines and 327 wind farms. This is a 13% year-on-year increase. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (Zoltan Tasi, Unsplash)

¶ “Record Renewables Growth Fuels Cost Competitiveness, IRENA Report Shows” • Over three-quarters of renewable energy capacity added last year was cheaper than fossil fuels, a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency shows. Last year’s UN climate meeting set a goal of tripling renewable energy capacity worldwide by 2030. [MSN]

¶ “Australia On Track To Add 7 GW Of New Wind And Solar This Year, As Investment Bounces Back” • Australia is on track to add over 7 GW of renewable energy generating capacity in 2024, new data revealed, off the back of a large uptick in large-scale wind and solar investment and unstoppable momentum in the rooftop PV market. [RenewEconomy]

Wind turbines (Westwind Energy)

¶ “Kyiv Warns Of Imminent Russian Strikes On Nuclear Sites, Calls For Global Action” • Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, citing intelligence sources, warned that Russia is planning strikes on Ukrainian nuclear facilities ahead of the coming winter. He called on the UN and Ukraine’s allies to establish permanent monitoring missions at the plants. [Kyiv Post]

US:

¶ “Tugboat Powered By Ammonia Sails, Showing How To Cut Emissions From Shipping” • On a tributary of the Hudson River, a tugboat powered by ammonia eased away from its dock and sailed for the first time to show how the maritime industry can reduce planet-warming carbon dioxide emissions. The ammonia is used to power a fuel cell. [ABC News]

Amogy tugboat (Amogy image)

¶ “Two Kinds Of Ocean Energy Inch Forward Off The Oregon Coast” • The way electricity is traditionally made is a major cause of climate change, so clean alternatives are key to addressing it. The coastal waters of Oregon are shaping up to be key for advances in two forms of renewable energy: wave power and wind turbines that float. [ABC News]

¶ “California Sues ExxonMobil For Alleged Deception Around Plastic Recycling, In First-Of-Its-Kind Lawsuit” • California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against ExxonMobil alleging the company carried out a “decades-long campaign of deception” in which the oil and gas giant misled the public on the merits of plastic recycling. [CNN]

Plastics (John Cameron, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Helene Forecast To Rapidly Intensify And Hit Florida As A Major Hurricane” • An area of thunderstorms in the Caribbean is expected to develop and rapidly intensify over the exceptionally warm Gulf of Mexico before hitting the US Gulf Coast this week as a major hurricane. Now Potential Tropical Cyclone Nine, it is expected to become Hurricane Helene. [CNN]

¶ “Study Identifies Five Key Gaps In The Hydropower Supply Chain And Ways To Address Them” • Solar panels and wind turbines get a lot of attention when we talk about renewable energy. But hydropower has generated a lot of clean energy for over a century. Nearly 27% of all US renewable energy comes from hydroelectric operations. [CleanTechnica]

Have an overwhelmingly gorgeous day,

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Electric Aviation With Unlimited Range Is Getting Cheaper And Smaller” • The smaller the plane, the easier it is to electrify or even go full electric with it it. Once you get to unmanned planes and helicopters that carry a small sensor payload, such as a camera, you’re in a realm where all-electric aviation has been around for over a decade. [CleanTechnica]

Electric flight (Screenshot from video in the article)

World:

¶ “Carmaker Progress Towards EU CO₂ Target In H1 2024 – New Report” • In the first half of 2024, most EU carmakers are close to meeting their target with gaps ranging from 10-17 gCO₂/km. Leaders in EV sales such as Volvo Cars have already reached their 2025 target. Volkswagen and Ford are the furthest behind with gaps of 28-29 gCO₂/km. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Brings Its E-Vali Electric Delivery Van To Europe” • BYD, a Chinese company, makes a range of passenger cars, some of which sell for less than $10,000 in China. It also builds electric buses and commercial trucks for everything from tractor trailers to ambulances, street sweepers, and trash trucks. Now, its E-Vali electric van will be sold in Europe. [CleanTechnica]

BYD delivery van (BYD image)

¶ “Philippine Ports To Repurpose For Offshore Wind” • The Philippine Ports Authority is to join forces with the country’s Department of Energy to accelerate development of offshore wind projects through the repurposing and modernization of port infrastructure. They will start with a focus on three ports considered priorities. [reNews]

¶ “Engie Secures Belgian Offshore Wind CPPA” • Engie has secured a corporate power purchase agreement with Atlas Copco Airpower to offtake energy from the 325-MW C-Power wind farm off the coast of Belgium. The PPA means that Atlas can run its smart factory in Wilrijk partly on wind energy generated in the North Sea. [reNews]

 Offshore wind farm (Engie image)

¶ “Australia Green Lights 300-MW Cambridge Solar Farm ” • Australia has given its environmental approval for the 300-MW Cambridge Solar Farm in Queensland, which will be connected to the existing transmission system. The project will be 80 km south of Townsville and will have enough capacity to power 123,000 Queensland homes. [Asian Power]

¶ “Grenergy Expands Chile Battery Project By 1 GW” • Grenergy will expand its Oasis de Atacama battery project in Chile with two new phases through the acquisition of 1 GW of solar power, including a 1-GW energized line, from Repsol and Ibereólica. The operation comprises a 77-MW solar project and 923 MW of PV projects that are under development. [reNews]

Solar farm (Grenergy image)

¶ “More Renewable Energy Records Tumble Across The Grid” • Renewable energy records continue to fall across Australia’s National Electricity Market. Rooftop solar hit a new high in New South Wales on the weekend, and in Queensland, a new peak for the potential amount of renewables in the state, factoring in curtailed solar and wind. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Tidal Transit Expands Fleet With Two CTVs” • Offshore wind crew transfer vessel supplier Tidal Transit has expanded its fleet after securing the first charter for its latest vessel, Arabella Jane. The Windflex 27 CTV with Quad IPS started work supporting operations at Orsted’s Hornsea 2, the world’s largest offshore wind farm. [reNews]

Arabella Jane (Tidal Transit image)

¶ “Peter Dutton’s Nuclear Plan Still Has No Costings, And No Grid Connection: It’s A Political Hoax” • Outside the Fullerton Hotel, the voices were clear as unions and environmental groups denounced Australian Coalition leader Peter Dutton’s nuclear “fantasy.” Inside, it was a moment for true nuclear believers, but the numbers just weren’t there. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶ “US Unveils $112 Million Fund For Wave Energy Projects” • The US DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office has announced a $112 million funding call for demonstrations of wave energy technologies. The funding is to be spread out over five years and will offer funding for projects under three topic areas. Funds are also available for related technologies. [reNews]

Wave (Tim Marshall, Unsplash)

¶ “What The Newest US Energy Jobs Report Says About Clean Energy Employment” • Renewable energy jobs are now over 40% of the 8.35 million people employed in the US energy industry, according to the US DOE’s annual US Energy and Employment Report published in September. Green jobs are key to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BOEM Begins Planning Second Atlantic Offshore Wind Lease” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is in the early stages of siting another commercial lease sale for the East Coast. The BOEM held an open house last week in Morehead City, North Carolina, the first in the multiyear planning process for Central Atlantic 2. [Coastal Review]

Have a genuinely wonderful day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Global Surface Temperatures Are Rising Faster Now Than At Any Time In The Past 485 Million Years” • Climate researchers at the University of Arizona and The Smithsonian used 150,000 pieces of fossil evidence in the latest climate models to find the average global surface temperatures for the full period of multi-cellular life. What we are seeing is new. [CleanTechnica]

Map showing sea temperature anomalies (Image from NOAA)

¶ “Can AI Aid In Climate Change? Scientist Explores Solutions In New Book” • Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is a marine biologist, policy expert, conservation strategist, and co-founder of a nonprofit think tank. Her new book “What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures” looks at the possibilities for the future as we face climate change. [ABC News]

World:

¶ “Tourists Are Rushing To See Glaciers Before They Disappear. The Trips Are Turning Deadly” • It’s called “last-chance tourism.” Glaciers are becoming a poster child for last-chance destinations, and the market is growing. As they melt, they become more accessible, but the problem is, they are becoming increasingly unstable and more dangerous. [CNN]

Tourist in an ice cave (Paxson Woelber, Unsplash)

¶ “Nigeria’s Ambitious Goal of a Clean Transportation Sector” • Nigeria is on a mission to decarbonize its transportation. Africa’s most populous nation pledged to have all new sales of cars and vans be zero-emissions by 2040 as part of its goal of carbon neutrality by 2060. Electric mobility is the most cost-effective path to reaching this goal. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ampersand And CrossBoundary Energy Look To Supercharge Kenya’s E-Mobility With Solar Charging And E-Motorcycle Batteries” • The solar PV market in many African countries has grown thanks to project developers and financiers offering attractive financial agreements to clients in the commercial and industrial sector. [CleanTechnica]

Electric motorcycle (Ampersand image)

¶ “Fossil Fuels Will Continue To Lead Energy Mix Amid Slow EV Growth: McKinsey” • Despite the ongoing shift toward cleaner energy, fossil fuels will still have a major role in meeting global energy needs, supplying 40% to 60% per cent of global energy in 2050 due to the slower-than-expected adoption of EVs, a report by McKinsey says. [The New Indian Express] (Wrong, GHH)

¶ “Meet The Woman Who Lit Up Yemen’s Towns One Solar Panel At A Time” • Abs is a town in Yemen. It had been left with nearly no electricity due to the destruction of power grids during the ongoing war that began in 2014, when Houthi rebels stormed the capital. A woman named Iman designed a solar station that reduces costs by 65%. [The National]

Iman Hadi Al Hamali (UN Development Program image)

¶ “Japan Can Raise Renewable Energy Share To 80% By 2035: Study” • Japan could boost the share of renewable energy in its electricity production to 80% by fiscal 2035 by expanding the use of storage batteries and enhancing cooperation on the regional power grid, the Renewable Energy Institute, a Japanese think tank, said in a recent study. [The Mainichi]

¶ “‘Economic Insanity:’ Treasurer Slams Peter Dutton’s Nuclear Power Plan” • Plans seven nuclear power plants are “economic insanity,” the treasurer says, ahead of a speech by Peter Dutton, Australia’s federal opposition leader. The Coalition, Dutton’s political group, outlined plans to build seven nuclear reactors in five states. [RenewEconomy]

Coast of Australia (Graham Holtshausen, Unsplash)

¶ “Europe Faces Radiation Threat: Ukrainian Energy Ministry Warns Of Possible Russian Strikes On NPP Substations” • The Kremlin is preparing to attack substations of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants. If this happens, the entire European continent will be under a radiation threat, according to the Telegram of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine. [MSN]

US:

¶ “US Solar Energy Soars Despite Chinese Competition” • The US is seeing record annual solar energy capacity growth, thanks to greater investment in the sector. The already rapidly growing solar industry boomed after the Inflation Reduction Act was passed and other favorable policies were introduced. This growth is expected to continue. [OilPrice.com]

Solar power (Pixabay, Pexels, cropped)

¶ “How To ‘Grow’ New Supply Of Nickel For EV Batteries” • The last primary nickel mine in the US is due to close in about 10 years, leaving the domestic supply chain for nickel-based EV batteries high and dry. Not to worry, though. Soil is naturally rich in nickel in many parts of the US, and Metalplant can grow plants that extract it. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “15,564 Solar Jobs Added in USA Last Year, Reaching Record 279,447 Solar Workers (Or is it 454,136?)” • The solar industry is a major source of jobs and it’s growing fast, according to the 14th annual National Solar Jobs Census by the Interstate Renewable Energy Council. There are 279,447 installers, but there are more jobs that depend on the industry. [CleanTechnica]

Have a brilliantly unpretentious day.

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World:

¶ “Scientists looked deep beneath the Doomsday Glacier. What they found spells potential disaster for the planet” • Scientists using ice-breaking ships and underwater robots have found the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica is melting at an accelerating rate and could be on an irreversible path to collapse, spelling global sea level rise catastrophe. [CNN]

Another bit of Thwaites Glacier (NASA, public domain)

¶ “BMW To Get Battery Recycling Support From JB Straubel’s Redwood Materials” • In 2017, Tesla cofounder and CTO JB Straubel left Tesla and founded Redwood Materials, to focus on battery recycling. About 95% of a battery can be recycled and reused. Now, BMW partnered with Redwood Materials for its battery recycling. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Morocco Increases Impact on Global EV Market – $10 Billion in EV Investments” • Morocco’s role in the EV transition keeps growing with the investments it makes. Morocco has established itself as a leading power in the African automotive sector, having overtaken South Africa in 2018 as the largest car manufacturer in Africa. Now it is doing more. [CleanTechnica]

EV charging (Image from telenor IoT)

¶ “Inverter Market To Grow By $32.38 Billion (2024-2028) As Wind Energy Demand Rises, With AI Redefining The Market Landscape” • The global inverter market size is estimated to grow by $32.38 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio. Driven by AI, the market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 6.78% during the forecast period. [Yahoo Finance UK]

¶ “Cuban Leader Díaz-Canel Attends Renewable Energy Fair Amid Severe Blackouts” • At the Third International Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fair in Havana, Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, said the Cuban government aims to achieve 100% renewable energy participation in the energy matrix. [Cuba Headlines]

Havana (Adam Jones, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Chaos In The Climate System” • Catastrophic floods like those inundating West Africa and Central Europe are sometimes called “acts of God.” And in this year, likely to be the warmest in human times, extreme weather events have become so common, many people are shrugging off these signs of climate disruption with the same sense of inevitability. [Living on Earth]

¶ “Manitoba To Encourage Renewable Energy” • Premier Wab Kinew said Manitoba will help Indigenous bands bring on 600 MW of wind generation by providing them with loan guarantees. He said it’s the best way meet the climate commitments of the province, generate affordable electricity, and create jobs in First Nations communities. [CTV News Winnipeg]

Turbines and canola (DrBeetrootCa, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Federal Opposition’s Proposal For Nuclear Reactors May Raise Household Energy Costs By A$665” • Australian households may see A$665 ($452) higher energy bills, if the federal opposition’s plan to build seven nuclear reactors goes through, according to a report by Analysts at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. [International Business Times AU]

US:

¶ “Over $3 Billion to Support America’s Battery Manufacturing Sector, Create Jobs, And Enhance National Security” • The US DOE announced over $3 billion for 25 projects in fourteen states to boost production of advanced batteries and battery materials in the US. The projects should support over 8,000 construction jobs and over 4,000 operating jobs. [CleanTechnica]

BlueOval City factory construction (Courtesy of Ford)

¶ “Extreme Temperatures May Contribute To Thousands Of Additional Deaths In The US” • As the Earth’s temperature keeps rising, lives could be at stake. A study from the University of Pennsylvania found deaths related to extreme temperatures may triple by the middle of the century, hitting people in minority communities the hardest. [ABC News]

¶ “Constellation Energy to Restart Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant, Sell The Power To Microsoft For AI” • Constellation Energy plans to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant and will sell the power to Microsoft. This demonstrates the immense energy needs of the tech sector as they build out data centers to support artificial intelligence. [CNBC]

Three Mile Island (Constellation Energy, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Six Alaska Communities Selected For Renewable Energy Projects” • Six communities in Alaska have been selected for a renewable energy program. The Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project, funded by the US DOE, focuses on rural and island communities interested in developing renewable energy sources. [KNOM Radio Mission]

¶ “Climate Week, Climate Science Fair Return To NYC This Weekend” • After a year of record-breaking heat and flooding, urgency is the tone for the 16th annual Climate Week NYC. The theme for this year’s event, which is the largest climate affair of its kind, is “it’s time.” The climate networking mega-fair consists of eight days of more than 600 events. [Gothamist]

Have an utterly enchanting day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “One Simple Trick To Send The Cost Of An EV Battery Rocketing Downwards” • The cost of an EV battery has been sailing rapidly along a downward path. The UK firm Zircotec is introducing a high-tech coating that can free up the EV battery supply chain from expensive, heavy materials in favor of less expensive alternatives. [CleanTechnica]

Ceramic battery coating (Courtesy of Zircotec)

¶ “Kia EV9’s Motor Does The Electric Equivalent Of Shifting Gears” • Unlike most electric motors, Kia EV9’s motor can change the way its winding is configured on the fly, effectively doing something like shifting gears in an internal combustion vehicle. This makes the motor even more powerful and efficient across its entire range of speeds. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “The US Led On Nuclear Fusion For Decades. Now China Is In Position To Win The Race” • A controlled fusion reaction will release around four million times as much energy as burning coal, oil, or gas, and four times as much as fission, the kind of nuclear energy in use now. The Chinese government is pouring up to $1.5 billion into fusion annually. [CNN]

Energy Singularity experiment with fusion (Energy Singularity)

¶ “Brazil Drought Punishes Coffee Farms And Threatens To Push Prices Even Higher” • In Brazil, which is the world’s largest coffee producer, farmers are grappling with both their worst drought in more than seven decades and above-average temperatures. One farmer expected to harvest 120 sacks of coffee beans this season, but he managed just 100. [ABC News]

¶ “Youth Activists Plan Protests To Demand Action On Climate As Big Events Open In NYC” • Activists are perparing for protests around the world to demand action on climate change just as a pair of major week-long climate events – Climate Week NYC and the UN General Assembly – are starting to get underway in New York City. [ABC News]

Climate protest (Mika Baumeister, Unsplash)

¶ “Climate Disruption Will Be The Precursor To Global Political Disruption” • Writing in The Guardian, Anatol Lieven, director of the Eurasia program at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, sees a direct link between alterations in the Earth’s environment that are fully evident and the prospects for stable governments in the future. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hamburg 2024: R&D Progresses 25-MW Test Rig” • R&D Test Systems in Denmark completed the 3700 tonne foundation for its 25-MW turbine test bench. After the foundation’s completion the center is now designing and welding the test bench parts that will perform extreme test loads on main bearings for 25-MW wind turbines. [reNews]

Test for a 25-MW turbine (R&D Test Systems)

¶ “South Australia Joins Denmark In Elite Club Of Two, “Pushing The Boundaries” Of Renewable Energy Integration” • South Australia joined an elite global club. It is listed with Denmark as the two energy systems in the world to be successfully managing significant volumes of surplus variable renewable energy across the year. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Over 500 GW Of Solar Power To Be Installed In 2024” • The world is on track to install 593 GW of solar power this year, according to Ember. This is 29% more than what was installed last year. In its latest analysis, Ember said solar “will likely add more GWs in 2024 than the entire global increase in coal power capacity since 2010 (540 GW).” [Asian Power]

Solar farm (Kelly, Pexels)

¶ “China And Japan End Their Dispute Over Fukushima Water Discharge” • China and Japan reached a consensus on discharges of radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, the Chinese foreign ministry said. This brings to an end a diplomatic dispute that had rumbled on for over two years. The two sides agreed on international monitoring. [NBC News]

US:

¶ “GM Electric Cars Can Now Charge At Tesla Supercharger Location” • As of Wednesday, September 18, 2024, the Tesla Supercharger network is available to all electric cars made by General Motors (except the EV 1, of course!). We can say that this is a hugely important announcement for owners of GM electric cars in North America. [CleanTechnica]

Charging cars (General Motors image)

¶ “2023 Was Another Big Year for Newly Installed And Proposed Hybrid Power Plants” • Improving battery technology and the growth of variable renewable generation are driving interest in “hybrid” power plants combining renewable generating capacity with co-located batteries. A briefing from Berkeley Lab tracks operating and proposed plants. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford Has A Huge, Honking Renewable Energy Trick Up Its Sleeve” • A few months ago, Ford appeared to have ceded a good chunk of the market to China. However, the company is back on the affordability track again, this time with a focus on pumping up the nation’s renewable energy profile. This is a multi-faceted project, and each facet is big. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array (Courtesy of Ford Motor Company)

¶ “TGS Completes New York Bight Surveys” • TGS completed an ultra-high-resolution survey in the New York Bight on behalf of Community Offshore Wind. The lease area could host 3 GW of capacity, enough to power more than one million homes and businesses. The survey characterized soil conditions at the site and took over eight months. [reNews]

¶ “Arkansas Solar Plant Starts Operating” • Entergy Arkansas has begun commercial operations at a 100-MW solar plant. The utility had acquired Walnut Bend Solar Energy Center, in Lee County, from Invenergy which led development, engineering, and construction of the facility. The Walnut Bend facility uses bifacial solar panels and tracking. [reNews]

Have an immaculately convenient day.

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Opinion:

¶ “How China Is Becoming The Saudi Arabia Of Renewables” • China’s consumption of fossil fuels has declined this year due to the rise of electric vehicle use and rising capacities in renewable energy sources. All told, China’s solar and wind power capacity increased by almost 300 GW last year and is doing so again in this year. [South China Morning Post]

Shanghai (Nuno Alberto, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Japan Launches World’s First Steady-State Nuclear Fusion Reactor” • Tokyo-based Helical Fusion is set to launch a first-of-its-kind steady-state nuclear fusion reactor, according to a report from Interesting Engineering. It is considered a “pilot” reactor, but if it succeeds, the project could have major implications for the future of clean energy. [The Cool Down]

World:

¶ “Electric Boat Costs €40 To €50 to Cross Baltic Sea, But Gas Boat Costs €750” • An electric hydrofoiling Candela C-8 crossed the Baltic Sea, from Stockholm to the Finnish region of Åland. The Candela C-8 required no more than €50 worth of electricity for the voyage, but a similarly sized boat powered by gasoline could need €750 of fuel. [CleanTechnica]

Candela C-8 (Candela image)

¶ “Enormous Solar Projects In India, UAE, And Australia” • Solar projects are an order of magnitude larger than they were ten years ago. Solar power is the cheapest option for new electricity generation, and it has become the #1 source of new electricity generation capacity around the world. But where will it be in another 10 years‽ [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Bus Rapid Transit Stations In Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania Are Getting Charging Stations For Various Types Of EVs” • In Dar es Salaam, the Dar Rapid Transit Agency (DART) signed a contract with TRÍ to install an advanced charging system. This illustrates DART’s plans for environmental conservation and sustainable urban mobility. [CleanTechnica]

TRÍ E2 (Courtesy of TRÍ)

¶ “Haiti Builds A Path To A Clean, Resilient Energy Future” • About 49% of Haitian people had access to electricity as of 2022. In rural areas, that number is closer to 2%, and whee Haitians have access to electricity, that access may not be reliable. In addition, Haiti relies heavily on imported fossil fuels. But it is getting support for a transition. [NREL]

¶ “UK Gas-Fired Power Plant Usage At Lowest Since 2017” • In the UK, gas-fired power plants are operating at their lowest levels since 2017. Analysis by Kilowatts.io shows that less than half of all combined cycle gas turbine capacity is in use during peak profit hours. CCGT capacity, designed for baseload power, struggles to compete as renewables grow. [Energy Live News]

Peterhead power station (Courtesy of SSE)

¶ “Renewable Energy’s Rise Creates Challenges For Traditional Power Utilities” • In Europe, renewable energy now accounts for over 50% of the total power generation. Solar power has seen particularly strong growth in recent years due to significant cost declines. But the rise of renewables has also led to challenges for the power industry. [OilPrice.com]

¶ “World Now Has Five Times More PV Than Nuclear Capacity” • The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2024, overseen by nuclear consultant Mycle Schneider, shows that global operating PV capacity exceeds by almost five times that of nuclear energy. The number of operating nuclear units stands at 408, one more than a year ago. [pv magazine International]

Rooftop solar power (Watt A Lot, Unsplash)

¶ “TEPCO Again Halts Work To Collect Melted Nuclear Fuel” • Once again, TEPCO has been forced to halt its project to collect nuclear fuel debris at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. TEPCO could not confirm camera images of equipment used to remove the debris from the Number 2 reactor, bringing a stop to the project, the utility said. [Asahi Shimbun]

US:

¶ “Firefighters Nearing Victory In Battle Against Three Massive Wildfires Near Los Angeles” • More than 8,000 Firefighters are nearing victory in the battles against the Airport, Bridge, and Line wildfires near Los Angeles. Combined, the three wildfires have burned over 117,000 acres, destroyed nearly 200 structures, and injured 23 people. [ABC News]

Bridge Fire (Angeles National Forest, public domain)

¶ “Los Angeles County Reports A Rare Handful Of Local Dengue Cases” • Los Angeles County is reporting three locally acquired cases of dengue so far this year. This is rare for the region. There have been at least 3,085 cases of locally acquired dengue virus in the US so far this year, according to CDC data. Over 2,900 of the cases are in Puerto Rico. [ABC News]

¶ “Biden Team Sprinting To Disburse Climate Solutions And Infrastructure Funding” • Overall, the policies of President Joe Biden and the Democrats have already spurred unprecedented resurgence in US manufacturing jobs, an exceptional economic boom, and the greatest climate investments in US history. And more is coming. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it (Democratic Party image)

¶ “Doral Picks IHI For US Solar O&M Gig” • Doral, a renewables developer has selected IHI Corporation to provide operations and maintenance services for several solar plants in Indiana. The projects are all parts of the larger Mammoth Solar Project. With all four parts combined, the Mammoth Solar Project is expected to have 1.3 GW of capacity. [reNews]

¶ “FPL’s Turkey Point Nuclear Plant’s Units 3 And 4 Licenses extended” • The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission extended the licenses of Units 3 and 4 of the Florida Power & Light Company’s Turkey Point nuclear power plant. The renewal extends the operational lifespan of Units 3 and 4 until 2052 and 2053, respectively. [Power Technology]

Have an exquisitely goofy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Climate Change Is Here, Whether We Like It Or Not” • A headline in the New York Times said that “historic amounts of rain” in parts of North Carolina caught residents, officials, and forecasters by surprise. It caught people by surprise? How is that possible? The oil companies have known since the 1950s that their products cause climate change. [CleanTechnica]

Weather (Image courtesy of NASA)

¶ “Ford Chairman And CEO Jim Farley Wakes After Decade-long Nap, Shocked By China’s EVs ” • Only in mid 2023 did the CEO and Chairman of Ford Motor Company, one of America’s most storied firms, realize that maybe the Chinese weren’t just doing cheap knockoffs of US products and happily buying US brand cars with the proceeds. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “There Are Now More Fully Electric Cars On Norwegian Roads Than Gas Cars” • Norway’s Road Traffic Information Council reported a milestone: The number of fully electric vehicles on Norwegian roads is now greater than the number of gas cars! Its report says over one million gas cars were taken off Norwegian roads in the past 20 years. [CleanTechnica]

Oslo (Jack White, Unsplash)

¶ “Energy Transition Encounters Challenges” • McKinsey has launched an updated Global Energy Perspective revealing the global energy transition is entering a new phase, marked by rising costs, complexity, and increased technology challenges. Growing energy demand and resulting emissions could affect the pace of the energy transition. [reNews]

¶ “Miliband Vows To Take On ‘Renewables Blockers'” • The UK’s Labour Government will take on the blockers and delayers of clean power projects. During a conference speech at an Energy UK, Ed Miliband said, “Every wind turbine we block, every solar farm we reject, every piece of grid we fail to build makes us less secure and more exposed.” [reNews]

Ed Miliband (UK Government)

¶ “New South Wales Begins Its Renewable Energy Revolution” • The recent auction for the South West Renewable Energy Zone in New South Wales reveals the state’s growing interest in renewable energy. With bids exceeding 15 GW, this initiative marks a significant step towards a sustainable energy transition in Australia. [energynews.pro]

¶ “Berlin Backs 2.7 GW Of Onshore Wind In Tender” • The latest German onshore wind tender has been oversubscribed attracting nearly 3 GW. According to results of the tender by the Federal Network Agency, 230 bids totaling 2,723 MW were successful. The bids exceed the 2.5 GW needed for the country’s annual expansion target. [reNews]

Wind turbines (Waldemar, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Coca-Cola Bottles 100% Renewables Target Thanks To Solar Farm Of 1.2 Million Panels” • Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Australia, a consumer goods company based in Sydney, signed a 10-year virtual power purchase agreement with Lightsource bp. The agreement is for 925 GWh/year from a solar Farm in New South Wales. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “Lloyd’s Register To Certify World’s Largest Tidal Energy Turbine” • Lloyd’s Register, a renewable energy certification body with a scope in marine energy, has signed an agreement with Orbital Marine Power to start the certification process for the world’s largest tidal energy converter. The converter is rated at 2.4 MW. [Offshore Engineer Magazine]

O2 tidal energy turbine (Courtesy of Orbital Marine Power)

¶ “Nuclear Plant Radioactive Leak ‘Slowing Down'” • An old radioactive leak at a nuclear plant’s storage silo appears to have slowed down, a report says. The Magnox Swarf Storage Silo, built more than 50 years ago at Sellafield, started leaking in 2019 after it first happened in the 1970s. There is no way of stopping the leak without removing the waste first. [BBC]

US:

¶ “Gas Prices Are Plummeting. Experts Explain Why” • Gas prices have fallen about 13% from a 2024 peak in April, owing in part to sluggish demand for gas as the busy summer traveling season has given way to an autumn slowdown, experts said. And a sharp decline in the price of crude oil has propelled an even larger drop-off in gas price. [ABC News]

Summer road trip (Nathan Dumlao, Unsplash)

¶ “Survey Finds 70% Of US Farmers Are Open To Large-Scale Solar On Farmland ” • If large-scale solar projects can allow for the continued use of their land for agricultural production, 70% of US farmers are open to the idea of solar developments on their farmland, results of a survey from the Solar and Storage Industries Institute show. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Delivery Vans Are Going Electric! Where And Why” • The transition toward clean freight is picking up speed. Over the past few years, we’ve started to see more and more zero-emission commercial trucks, delivery vans, and buses hit the road. One indicator of this progress is the growing share of zero-emission truck and bus registrations. [CleanTechnica]

Electric delivery van (Courtesy of Frito-Lay North America)

¶ “US Nuclear Repository Is Among The Federally Owned Spots Identified For Renewable Energy Projects” • The US DOE said it will negotiate a lease agreement with NextEra Energy Resources Development, based in Florida, for nearly 3 sq mi (7.8 sq km) of land surrounding the nation’s only underground repository for nuclear waste. [ABC News]

¶ “NRC Issues Permit To University For Molten Salt Reactor” • The NRC has issued a construction permit to Abilene Christian University to build the the first US university research reactor approved in over 30 years. ACU’s molten salt research reactor is to be the first deployment of the Natura MSR-1, a 1-MW molten salt reactor system. [Power Engineering]

Have an excellently planned day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “New EV Battery Has 15-Year, 930,000-Mile Expected Service Life” • We’ve come to the point where, if you buy a new electric car, you probably never have to worry about the car’s battery wearing out. CATL, the largest battery producer in the world, has a new battery it says has a service life of 1.5 million km (930,000 miles) or 15 years. [CleanTechnica]

CATL facility in Arnstadt (Giorno2, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

World:

¶ “Zimbabwe To Cull 200 Elephants To Feed Citizens Left Hungry By Drought” • Zimbabwe has authorized a slaughter of elephants to feed citizens left hungry by its worst drought in decades. Nearly half of the country’s population facing the risk of acute hunger, so it plans to cull 200 elephants. It has 84,000 elephants, nearly double its capacity. [CNN]

¶ “Data Center Emissions Much Higher Than Reported” • The Guardian compiled emissions data from data centers at Google, Microsoft, Meta, and Apple for the years 2020 through 2022, and found they are 7.62 times as high as officially reported. Also, Goldman Sachs says a ChatGPT query uses ten times as much electricity as a Google search. [CleanTechnica]

Google data center (Google image)

¶ “Venezuelan Opposition Calls On US To Cancel Oil Company Licenses To Pressure Maduro” • Venezuela’s main opposition coalition called on the US to cancel the licenses that allow energy companies like Chevron to operate in the country. The purpose is to pressure President Nicolás Maduro to negotiate a transition from power. [ABC News]

¶ “JSW Energy Commissions 300-MW Wind Plant” • JSW Renew Energy Two Limited, a subsidiary of JSW Energy, has commissioned the 300-MW wind power project awarded by Solar Energy Corporation of India in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu. The company’s total installed capacity is 7,726 MW, and 2,114 MW more is under construction. [Asian Power]

Wind turbines (Laura Penwell, Pexels, cropped)

¶ “Genex Secures State-Backed PPA For 750-MW Solar Project” • The power company Stanwell Corporation, which is owned by the state of Queensland, has signed a 15-year deal to purchase renewable energy from Genex Power’s Bulli Creek project. At 750-MW, the Bulli Creek solar farm is set to be the largest solar project in Australia. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “Banks Pledge $386 Billion To Support India’s Renewable Energy Industry” • Financial institutions have pledged a total of $386 billion in investments to help India boost its renewable energy, Renewables Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi said. India aims to have 500 GW of renewables capacity installed by 2030. It has about 153 GW now. [OilPrice.com]

Solar panels (Caspar Rae, Unsplash)

¶ “Geothermal Energy Could Outperform Nuclear Power” • Fervo Energy, a scrappy Texan upstart, is applying hydraulic fracturing – along with other petroleum industry techniques – to the sleepy geothermal sector. Should it succeed, it would mean this relatively fringe source of energy could become a major player in the energy mix. [Hindustan Times]

US:

¶ “A Once-In-1,000-Year Rainfall Event From An Unnamed Storm Floods Homes In North Carolina” • Floodwaters surged into homes, stranded vehicles, and forced rescues in coastal North Carolina as a tropical storm-like system dumped historic amounts of rain in just hours. At one station, eighteen inches of rain fell in twelve hours. [CNN]

Storm (R.O.Y, Pexels, cropped)

¶ “A Polluting, Coal-Fired Power Plant Found A Key To Solving America’s Biggest Clean Energy Challenge” • The polluting coal plant is on its way out, scheduled for retirement in the next five years. It’s generated billions of dollars’ worth of electricity in its 50-year life, but the most valuable of its parts is its connection to the grid that powers our homes. [CNN]

¶ “Two Charged In Case Of Illegal Exports For Russian Nuclear Energy” • Two men have been charged with illegal smuggling and conspiring to violate export controls by selling equipment to Russia’s nuclear energy industry, according to the US Attorney’s office in Boston. Such cases are relatively common, and they can be very sophisticated. [ABC News]

Nuclear containment (Sean P Twomey, Pexels)

¶ “Massive Pipeline Fire Burning Near Houston Began After A Vehicle Struck A Valve” • Flames gradually subsided after a massive pipeline explosion caused by a vehicle that went through a fence and struck an above-ground valve, according to officials. The natural gas liquids in miles of pipes had to empty before the fire was out. [ABC News]

¶ “State of Electric School Buses, 2024 Edition” • As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Congress authorized $5 billion to help school districts transition to electric school buses. In the first round of funding applications, ending in August 2022, the EPA received about 2,000 applications requesting nearly $4 billion for 12,000 buses. [CleanTechnica]

Charging school buses (Courtesy of Zum)

¶ “First Offshore Wind Lease Sale In Gulf of Maine To Power More Than 4.5 Million Homes” • The Department of the Interior announced an offshore wind energy lease sale for eight areas on the Outer Continental Shelf off Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine on October 29, 2024. These areas are sufficient for about 13 GW of capacity. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Vestas Secures First US Turbine Order For NY Offshore Wind Project ” • Denmark’s Vestas, which has wind projects across the globe, secured its first contract to supply turbines to an offshore wind project in the US. Vestas will supply 54 V236-15.0-MW turbines to Equinor’s 810-MW Empire Wind 1 offshore wind project off Long Island. [The Well News]

Have a marvelously fine day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Retreat From Renewables Has A Dark And Dangerous Underside” • The existential climate crisis that confronts us requires political and policy solutions that disempower the fossil fuel industry and their state allies. The Oil & Gas industry wants return to a time when it was powerful and controlled the US political system. [CleanTechnica]

Nebraska (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

¶ “The Unseen Effects Of Climate Change And A Hotter World” • Focusing on the Gulf Stream slowing or the glaciers melting in Greenland may make it harder for us to see the small, everyday consequences of our warming planet. Instead, we focus on racist rants of politicians who lack the mental acuity to understand the things that are going on. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “How Big Oil Has Infiltrated Universities And Shaped Climate Research” • It’s hard to remember today, but a few decades ago many conservatives were keen environmentalists. US president George HW Bush championed renewable fuels and strengthened the Clean Air Act. “Every city in America should have clean air,” the elder Bush declared. [Corporate Knights]

San Francisco (Ragnar Vorel, Unsplash)

¶ “Why Does Nuclear Power Exist? Follow the Money. You’ll Find the Answer” • Let’s get one thing clear: nuclear power is neither safe nor economically sensible. It can’t hold a candle to truly renewable, sustainable energy sources when it comes to cost or viability. So why are nuclear plants built? Because it makes money for a select few people. [LA Progressive]

World:

¶ “Death Toll Rises As Torrential Rain And Flooding Force Evacuations In Central Europe” • The death toll was rising in Central European countries after days of heavy rains caused widespread flooding and forced evacuations. Driven by human-caused climate change, a hotter atmosphere can lead to more intense rainfall. [ABC News]

Torrential rain (Max, Unsplash)

¶ “From Potential To Progress: Latvia’s Renewable Energy Landscape” • Latvia’s renewable energy sector has evolved over the past several years. In the early stages, wind energy projects were scarce, and solar energy was not yet considered a viable large-scale option. Today, Sunly is considering an investment in a 500-MW solar park. [LSM]

¶ “China’s Longi Sets World Record For Highest Tandem Solar Cell Efficiency At 34.6%” • Longi, a Chinese solar module maker, announced that it has achieved a remarkable power conversion efficiency of 34.6% in two-terminal tandem perovskite solar cells. The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory verified the results. [Interesting Engineering]

Declining cost of solar power (Rfassbind, public domain)

¶ “Bezos-Backed Group To Prepare South African Grids For Investment” • A global organization backed by Amazon Founder Jeff Bezos’ climate and biodiversity fund said it’s setting up a program to attract investment into South African municipal power grids, which need 319 billion rand ($18 billion) to prepare for more renewable energy. [BNN Bloomberg]

¶ “Saudi Arabia Cuts Oil Use In Power Generation Despite Higher Demand” • Saudi Arabia has made some headway in reducing the volumes of oil it burns to generate electricity, a practice that it hopes to end by 2030. The Saudi decarbonization strategy aims for 50% renewable energy for power generation by the end of the decade. [Economy Middle East]

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
(AT Service, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Sumitomo Enters India’s Renewable Energy Market With A $711.54 Million Investment ” • Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation has entered the India’s renewable energy sector through its joint venture with AMPIN Energy Transition Private Limited that will invest $711.54 million to develop clean power sources in the South Asian country. [Asian Power]

¶ “Australia’s Most Fossil Dependent Economy Opens Up To Renewable Energy Highways” • The Pilbara region of north-west Western Australia is opening up to create up to four renewable energy super-highways. The land is the world’s biggest iron ore mining province and Australia’s most fossil fuel dependent economic region. [RenewEconomy]

Hauling ore (Rhys Moult, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Russians Are Stockpiling Ammunition And Explosives At The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant” • The Ukrainian National Resistance Center recently reported that Russian forces are continuing to use the territory of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to station military personnel and store ammunition and explosives. [Ukrainska Pravda]

US:

¶ “US Solar Panel Manufacturing Capacity Grows Nearly Four-Fold Under Federal Incentives ” • Solar module manufacturing capacity in the US exceeds 31 GW, a nearly four-fold increase since the Inflation Reduction Act became law in 2022. In two years under the IRA, the solar industry has added 75 GW of new capacity to the grid. [CleanTechnica]

Testing a solar cell (Radiotrefoil, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Uber And Waymo Expand Partnership to Bring Autonomous Ride-Hailing to Austin And Atlanta” • Uber and Waymo are expanding their relationship to bring the Waymo Driver to more clients. The two companies will deliver driverless ride-hailing in Austin and Atlanta only through the Uber app beginning in early 2025. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Sixteen Rural Electric Cooperatives Will Leverage $7.3 Billion In Federal Funding To Deliver Affordable, Reliable Electricity” • The first wave of sixteen rural electric co-ops chosen for funding under the USDA’s Empowering Rural America plan can leverage the awards to deploy carbon-free energy to help power 5 million homes in rural areas of 23 states. [CleanTechnica]

Have a congenially comfortable day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Study Reveals Link Between Heatwaves And Dementia” • A pioneering study revealed health risks posed by long-term weather extremes in the UK, as the effects of climate change intensify. It shows that prolonged exposure to extreme heat can be linked to cognitive decline, kidney disease, skin cancer, and the spread of infectious diseases. [BBC]

Sitting in a wheelchair (Steven HWG, Unsplash)

¶ “Study Challenges Predictions On Climate Cataclysms” • A recent study published in Science Advances indicates that current uncertainties are too significant to predict precisely when critical components of the Earth system, such as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, polar ice sheets, or tropical rainforests, might reach tipping points. [SciTechDaily]

World:

¶ “Brazil Experiencing Record-Breaking Wildfires As Persistent Drought Affects The Amazon Rainforest” • Over 50,000 wildfires are active throughout Brazil, ABC News was told by authorities and the Igarape Institute, a think tank that focuses on emerging security and development issues. The Amazon is one of the most heavily affected regions. [ABC News]

Wildfires in Brazil (Antonio Cruz, CC-BY-SA 3.0 Brazil)

¶ “Present And Future Of EV Manufacturing In Latin America” • Latin America’s EV sales are rising. They may not be growing as fast as we wish in some countries; in others, they’re growing faster than we ever could have expected; but the trend is clear. Latin America’s EV sales are 5 million per year, 70% of which are in Brazil and Mexico. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Too Many Heavy, Large EVs Undermine The Benefits Of Green Transportation, Says Researcher” • Why do so many people want heavy, large EVs? They risk the progress that can be made by the transition to personal transportation electrification. So argues a professor of transport, energy, and climate change at the University of Oxford. [CleanTechnica]

2023 Hummer EV (Provided by GM)

¶ “Adani Wins 6,600-MW Maharashtra Power Bid At A Tariff Of ₹4.08/Unit” • Adani Group has won a bid to supply 6,600 MW of bundled renewable and thermal power to Maharashtra for 25 years with its quote of ₹4.08 per unit (4.9¢/kWh). The bid covers 5 GW of solar power and 1,496 MW of thermal at nearly ₹1/unit (1.2¢/kWh) less than the state pays now. [Rediff Money]

¶ “Iran’s Renewable Power Plants’ Electricity Generation Grows By 23%” • In the Iranian calendar month of Mordad, which runs from July 22 to August 22, the renewable power plants in Iran generated a total of 264 GWh of electricity. The represents a noteworthy 23% increase compared to the same month in the previous year. [menafn]

Solar plant in Iran (Nima Najafzade, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Indonesia Breaks Ground On Its First EV Battery Factory Powered By Renewable Energy” • Indonesia broke ground for its first EV battery factory to operate entirely on renewable energy. The plant is in Central Sulawesi. With an abundance of mineral resources, especially nickel, Indonesia holds substantial potential for EV battery production. [Borneo Bulletin]

¶ “Coal-To-Green Transition Redefining China’s West-To-East Power Transmission” • In northwest China’s Gobi Desert, two neighboring power plants testify to the country’s ongoing clean energy transition. The first is one of China’s largest thermal power stations. It is supplied over 20,000 tonnes of coal each day. The other is fueled by sunlight. [Xinhua]

Coal, Inner Mongolia (Herry Lawford, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Claims That Russia Might Strike Ukrainian Nuclear Plants” • US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan expressed concerns about potential Russian strikes aimed at Ukraine’s nuclear plants. Speaking in Kiev, he stressed Russia’s attacks on “civilian energy infrastructure,” alleging that Moscow had also “targeted Ukraine’s nuclear plants.” [Al Mayadeen English]

US:

¶ “Rooftop Solar On Commercial Properties And Parking Lots Is The Next New Thing” • Part of the reason commercial rooftop solar is getting more popular is that it allows business to predict precisely what electricity will cost them for decades to come. In addition, while state and local incentives often sweeten the deals, the cost of solar keeps falling. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array over parking lot (Terrasmart image)

¶ “New $242 Million Funding Assistance Program Is Helping Low-Income Californians Get Zero-Emission Vehicles” • The California Air Resources Board announced a new $242 million effort, the Driving Clean Assistance Program, to prioritize the low-income Californians who need grants and loan assistance to get zero-emission vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “$21 Million Now Available to Install EV Fast Chargers In New York” • Governor Kathy Hochul announced that $21 million is available to install EV fast chargers along major travel corridors across New York State. The Upstate NEVI Direct Current Fast Charger program is funded by a grant from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure initiative. [CleanTechnica]

Have an emphatically propitious day.

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geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “UK Court Rules Government Plan To Build First New Coal Mine In Decades Unlawful On Climate Grounds” • Britain’s approval of a coal mine was unlawful, London’s High Court ruled. The same court had ruled earlier that planning authorities must consider the impact of burning fossil fuels when deciding whether to approve projects. [CNN]

Fields near Whitehaven (David Purchase, CC-BY-SS 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Climate Protesters Are Taking Action Against Big Oil, And UK Courts Are Handing Them Prison Terms Like What Thieves Get” • Two new laws give the act of planning a “public nuisance” event a maximum sentence of ten years in prison. This is similar to the punishments for violent crimes like robbery, which range from community service to twelve years’ jail. [CNN]

¶ “BYD Partners With Pilatus Motors To Launch Several Models In Zambia!” • BYD seems to launch a new market in some place every week. It’s good news for Zambia, as BYD launched in that country, giving Zambians a chance to buy some of the latest EVs from one of the world’s largest EV firms. BYD partnered with Pilatus for several models there. [CleanTechnica]

BYD on display (Courtesy of BYD)

¶ “New Manufacturing Process For High-Performance Lithium-Metal Battery” • The Horizon 2020 SOLiDIFY consortium, made up of 14 European partners, has developed a high-performance lithium-metal solid-state battery. The prototype has a unique “liquid-to-solid” processed electrolyte developed by imec, Empa and SOLVIONIC. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “AMEA Power To Develop Africa’s Largest Solar PV Project” • AMEA Power, based in Dubai, will invest $800 million more in two renewable energy projects in Egypt, boosting its promise of clean energy for the country. The projects include a 1,000-MW PV plant and a 600-MWh battery system for the largest solar PV and battery project in Africa. [Gulf Business]

Solar array (AMEA image)

¶ “EU Commission Approves State Aid For Wind Power In Belgium” • The European Commission approved a €682 million ($755 million) Belgian measure in support of renewable offshore wind energy. Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said, “This measure will help to reduce Belgium’s dependence on fossil fuels from Russia.” [Yahoo]

¶ “Big Oil Faces A Rising Number Of Climate-Focused Lawsuits, Report Finds” • Big oil is facing more and more climate-focused lawsuits, as communities demand accountability for losses due to the industry’s contributions to the climate crisis, a report says. Oil Change International and climate research organization Zero Carbon Analytic published the report. [The Guardian]

US Supreme Court Building (Joe Ravi, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Watchdog Warns Of Rust And Leaks At Nuclear Plant” • A watchdog has raised safety concerns about the state of some areas of the Dounreay nuclear power complex in Scotland. The Office for Nuclear Regulation found corroded steelwork in a building being used to store drums of radioactive sodium, and leaks from low-level radioactive waste pits. [BBC]

US:

¶ “New Poll: Overwhelming Support For US Clean Energy Incentives” • Nearly 90% of American voters support federal clean energy tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act, according to polling released by Global Strategy Group, North Star, and the Solar Energy Industries Association. That includes 78% of 2020 Trump voters. [CleanTechnica]

Solar instillation in the California desert (Courtesy of BLM)

¶ “You Can Now Get Tesla Model 3 With $0 Due At Delivery” • In another effort to pull in new buyers, Tesla has just sent out a new offer. You can now buy a brand new Tesla Model 3 and pay $0 at delivery. And if you take delivery by September 30, along with this $0 due on delivery, you can get financing for as low as 2.49% APR. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Sungrow FPV Unveils High-Capacity Floating Solar Solutions At RE+ 2024” • With the growing North American PV market demand, Sungrow FPV is focused on meeting local market needs with tailored, high-capacity solutions for floating solar projects. These systems offer key advantages such as stable generating efficiency and high reliability. [CleanTechnica]

Display of panels for floating solar system (Sungrow FPV image)

¶ “As Northwest Homes And Businesses Get More Energy Efficient, It Helps The Power Grid, Report Finds” • Heat pumps, electric water heaters, solar panels, home insulation, and smart thermostats and lighting are all helping Pacific Northwest electric utilities and power regulators better balance the grid, according to a study. [Oregon Public Broadcasting]

¶ “Blending Hydrogen In New York Gas Systems Could Require 48 TWh Of Electricity: EDF” • Using hydrogen to decarbonize home heating is likely not a viable long-term strategy, raising questions about the role hydrogen blending could play in the energy transition, according to a report from the Environmental Defense Fund. [Utility Dive]

Have a truly fantastic day.

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