Monthly Archives: June 2017

2017-07-06 Energy Week

Visitors Please Note: This blog is maintained to assist in developing a TV show, Energy Week with George Harvey and Tom Finnell. The post is put up in incomplete form, and is updated with news until it is completed, usually on Wednesday. The source is geoharvey.wordpress.com.

Within a few days of the last update, the show may be seen, along with older shows, at this link on the BCTV website: Energy Week Series.

Thursday, June 29:

Cape Grim Baseline Air Pollution Station in Tasmania. (Credit: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization)

Scientists are concerned about an unknown cause of a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide. In one of the most hopeful signs since the global climate crisis became widely known, the amount of carbon dioxide that people are pumping into the air seems to have stabilized. Nevertheless, the amount in the air is still increasing. [New York Times] Thanks to CC Reilly
Mississippi Power Co, faced with an ultimatum from state regulators, said it will suspend efforts to build a coal-fueled power plant with carbon capture. The cost of the plant ballooned from $2.9 billion to $7.5 billion and it is three years behind schedule. Instead of running on so-called “clean coal,” it will run on natural gas. [FederalNewsRadio.com]
The nation’s electricity grid operators are increasingly turning to more flexible resources and low-cost renewable energy options like wind and solar, rendering outdated the notion that “baseload” generating plants are required to reliably power America’s homes and businesses, according to a new report by The Brattle Group. [Solar Industry]

Friday, June 30:

Liuzhou forest city

In 2016, China’s State Council released guidelines forbidding the construction of “bizarre” and “odd-shaped” buildings lacking character or cultural heritage. They want a focus on “economic, green and beautiful.” Newly unveiled plans for Liuzhou Forest City, designed by Stefano Boeri Architetti for southern China, seem to fit the bill. [CNN]
Global research institute McKinsey & Company analyzed current energy storage prices and concluded that commercial customers are already feeling the economic benefits of cheaper batteries and falling prices for lithium-ion technology. Battery-pack costs now down to less than $230/kWh, compared to about $1,000/kWh in 2010. [RenewEconomy]
President Donald Trump frequently used the word “wealth” on Wednesday when describing natural resources like coal, natural gas, and heavy crude oil, before laying out six ways American businesses could sell off those resources for profit. Trump wants to “revitalize the nuclear energy sector.” Aside from that, he is promoting fossil fuels. [Inverse]

Saturday, July 1:

Map of the pipeline project (Access Northeast)

A natural-gas-infrastructure project slated for southern New England came to a screeching halt June 29, when Houston-based Spectra Energy Partners announced that the controversial Access Northeast project is being suspended. The Algonquin natural-gas pipeline included a series of extensions between New York and Massachusetts. [ecoRI news]
Lately, crude oil hasn’t looked like a great investment. The Keystone XL pipeline’s operator, TransCanada, is struggling to track down oil producers and refiners who want to invest in transporting crude oil from Canada to the United States. When it proposed the pipeline extension in 2008, a barrel of crude cost $130. Now it’s down to $45. [Grist]

Rooftop solar in Hawaii (Photo Risource Energy)

Hawaiian Electric Companies submitted a draft of its plan to modernize the power grids on the five Islands it serves to bring more renewable resources online. The plan shows how the gird modernization will help achieve a consolidated renewable portfolio standard of 48% by 2020. The state mandated RPS calls for 30% by 2020. [Pacific Business News]

Sunday, July 2:

When China halted plans for more than 100 new coal-fired power plants this year, even as President Trump vowed to “bring back coal,” the contrast seemed to confirm Beijing’s leadership in the fight against climate change. But China’s energy companies are building or planning to build more than 700 new coal plants worldwide. [New York Times]

Bizzell Library, University of Oklahoma (tylerphotos, Wikimedia Commons)

The University of Oklahoma has long been known for weather and climate research, but a high-ranking administrator says an eight-year, $161 million project that has just formally begun puts OU in an entirely new orbit. The contract involves development, deployment and operation of the Geostationary Carbon Cycle Observatory. [Tulsa World]
“Utility Spends $7.5 Billion To Prove Clean Coal Is A Cruel Hoax” • In 2010, Southern Company began construction of a “clean coal” generating facility in Mississippi. Working on a $3.5 billion budget, its mission was to prove that the technology worked. Now, 3 years overdue and $4 billion over budget, the company has given up. [CleanTechnica]

Monday, July 3:

Electric train (David Gubler, Wikimedia Commons)

Using surplus electricity from renewables to make hydrogen fuel is starting a new era for all forms of heavy transport. Trucks, trains and ships using hydrogen fuel cells for propulsion are no longer just theoretically possible: they have reached the trial stage. And using hydrogen for fuel has come to make economic sense. [eco-business.com]

Green School, Indonesia (Photo: Putu Sayoga | Getty Images)

Some 134 million people in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region do not have access to electricity, and for many of those who have electricity, the supply is unstable. Off-grid distributed energy systems using renewable energy could be a solution to this problem, thanks to the increasing availability of renewable energy technologies. [BRINK]
With the country seemingly paralyzed by polarization, two separate announcements in California and Washington, DC last week heralded strange bedfellows coming together to advocate for climate dividends. They include environmentalists in California and big business – including some of the largest oil and gas companies. [HuffPost]

Tuesday, July 4:

Building a floating wind turbine

The world’s first commercial-scale floating wind farm, which will be sited 25 km off the coast of Scotland, is nearer to being a reality. According to a press statement, each of the five 5-MW wind turbines has been attached onto a floating substructure in Norway, and they are now ready to be towed into position and anchored to the seabed. [Gulf Today]
The amount of solar energy installed on the world’s power grids increased 50% year over year in 2016, according to a report by the International Energy Agency. Between 70 GW and 75 GW solar panels came online, with close to half those installations coming in China, where solar capacity more than doubled last year. [Chron.com]

Goldman Sachs buying power from a wind farm

Goldman Sachs became the first US bank to sign a large-scale power purchase agreement for off-site renewable energy. The agreement will make it possible to build a new 68-MW wind farm in Pennsylvania. Goldman Sachs has established a goal to get 100% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020. (Interview) [One Step Off The Grid]

Wednesday, July 5:

Cutting forests for palm oil plantations (Credit Dimas Ardian | Getty Images)

Over the past several months, historic shareholder resolutions have pushed oil giants, including Exxon, to disclose climate-related risks. Food companies are next, experts say, whether they use or produce palm oil, corn, soy or beef, to name some with the biggest climate impacts. [InsideClimate News]
The European Commission has allocated €4 million to a project that will link the French and Irish electricity grids via an undersea cable. The Celtic Interconnector project, called an “obvious solution,” would have a 600-km-long undersea cable with a capacity of 700 MW. [EURACTIV]

Sheringham Shoal Wind Farm (Wikimedia Commons)

A wind power project in California aims to capture the Central Coast’s wind. Trident Winds proposes to build a wind farm of 60 to 100 turbines off the coast, from Cayucos to north of Piedras Blancas. The project would have a capacity of 1000 MW. [The San Luis Obispo Tribune]

2017-06-29 Energy Week

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Within a few days of the last update, the show may be seen, along with older shows, at this link on the BCTV website: Energy Week Series.

Thursday, June 22:

Philadelphia, committed to 100% clean energy (Shutterstock image)

Weeks after its mayor joined hundreds of other mayors across the country denouncing the White House’s move to reject the Paris climate accord, Philadelphia announced it is committing to using 100% clean energy by 2035. Currently, energy used by buildings and industry in Philadelphia accounts for 79% of its carbon pollution. [Curbed Philly]
Vermont state and local leaders joined with businesses and nonprofits to announce an initiative to galvanize support for addressing climate change, after the president’s decision to withdraw from the Paris accord. Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger and Governor Phil Scott announced the Vermont Climate Pledge Coalition. [vtdigger.org]

Coal miners (Photo: US National Archives)

Researchers from Michigan Technological University published a study saying that ditching coal in favor of solar power would save nearly 52,000 lives in the United States each year. It says external costs of use of coal for generating electricity amount to 27¢/kWh. Bureau of Labor Statistics data says the US has 51,000 coal miners. [CleanTechnica]

Friday, June 23:

Stephen Hawking (Photo: Jemal Countess | Getty Images)

“Exxon, Stephen Hawking, greens, and Reagan’s advisors agree on a carbon tax” • What do ExxonMobil, Stephen Hawking, the Nature Conservancy, and a number of former conservative cabinet members have in common? All are founding members of the Climate Leadership Council, which proposed a revenue-neutral carbon tax policy. [The Guardian]

Cattle graze near a wind turbine in Iowa (AP image)

President Trump’s put-down of wind energy at his Iowa rally was denounced across the state, which takes pride in its position as a national leader in wind generation. Trump was talking up his support for coal during his speech when he told the audience, “I don’t want to just hope the wind blows to light up your homes and your factories.” [The Japan Times]

With the wind turbine setback regulations in place since 2014, Ohio has lost billions of dollars in wind power investment, along with the jobs that would have produced, to its neighbors. Now, Ohio Senate lawmakers have advanced an important fix to wind turbine setback policy in the state’s proposed biennial budget. [AltEnergyMag]

Saturday, June 24:

Biglow wind farm and Mount Hood

Portland General Electric, rocked by deep opposition to new fossil-fuel infrastructure earlier this year, is now embracing the public as an ally as it pushes for more renewables. The utility said a big new investment in renewables reflects in part local reaction to President Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement. [Portland Business Journal]
The Vermont Legislature is supporting the Paris climate agreement despite President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the pact. After some Republicans in the House complained the resolution could commit the state to pay for climate funding, that body passed it in amended form. [Rutland Herald]
Technology giant IBM says it has achieved two major commitments four years ahead of schedule in its efforts to help combat climate change. One of the goals it met is to have 20% renewables in its energy mix for the year 2020. The other is a 35% reduction in carbon emissions it planned to have by the same year. [North American Windpower]

Sunday, June 25:

Breckenridge Colorado snow train (Photo: Dave Dugdale, Wikimedia Commons)

With the installation of more solar gardens, a continued commitment to energy-efficiency, and fruitful negotiations with Xcel Energy, Breckenridge, Colorado, could draw all of its electricity, public and private, from renewable resources as early as 2035, according to a new plan to be presented to the town council. [Summit Daily News]
Vermont lawmakers put off until October the deadline for adopting new rules governing wind turbines, after the Public Service Board offered a major revision in response to concerns it said it heard from legislators and others. A legislative committee postponed the July 1 deadline for adopting new limits for turbine noise. [vtdigger.org]
The owners of the VC Summer Nuclear Station believed a detailed construction schedule by their builder was the basis for the timing and cost of adding two reactors at the South Carolina plant. They have learned it doesn’t exist, calling into question repeated assurances that the new units can be built by 2020 for $14 billion. [Charleston Post Courier]

Monday, June 26:

EOS Energy Storage Project (EOS Energy Storage)

New York lawmakers unanimously passed a measure requiring the state’s Public Service Commission to set targets to increase the adoption of energy storage in the state through 2030. The new law requires the commission to work with the New York State Energy and Research Development Agency and the Long Island Power Authority. [RTO Insider]
Donald Trump will tout surging US exports of oil and natural gas during a week of events aimed at showing the country’s growing energy dominance. He also plans to emphasize that after decades of relying on foreign energy supplies, the US is set to become a net exporter of oil, gas, coal, and new renewable and nuclear technology. [Petroleumworld.com]
Solar energy continues to be the fastest growing energy source for US electricity, and now accounts for 2.2% of the US supply. Large-scale solar production in April totaled 4.8 million MWh, a jump of 63% over the same month a year ago, and with the combination of rooftop solar contributed 6.9 million MWh, or 2.2%. [RenewEconomy]

Tuesday, June 27:

Artist’s rendering of Nectar Farms expansion

A massive expansion of Nectar Farms in western Victoria will be powered by wind energy with battery storage. The $430 million (A$565 million) project will use the latest hydroponic glasshouse and plant technology. Nectar Farms is now looking to start work on Stage 2 of their expansion plans, which will see the facility grow from 10 to 40 hectares. [The Stawell Times-News]
The latest issue of the Energy Information Administration’s Electric Power Monthly shows that renewable energy surpassed nuclear energy in March and April, with renewables at 21.60% versus 20.34% for nuclear in March, and 22.98% versus 19.19% in April. While renewable energy is growing rapidly, nuclear power declines. [Renewable Energy Magazine]CleanTechnica]
Last week, a Chinese province conducted a test to show it was possible for the entire region to run solely on green energy. For seven continuous days, over 5 million citizens living in the province survived without use of any fossil fuels, on 100% renewable energy, according to the State-run Xinhua News Agency. [ScienceAlert]

Wednesday, June 28:

NAVYA ARMA autonomous shuttle

NAVYA ARMA, the French maker of autonomous shuttles, announced that its first assembly plant outside Europe will be in Michigan. The state has already publicly backed autonomous vehicles on its roads with Governor Rick Snyder, who signed driverless vehicles legislation to be tested in the state, seeking to make it a global leader. [CleanTechnica]
Ultra-thin, flexible screen-printed batteries for cheap portable devices and intermittent renewable energy are closer to reality, due to a joint project of two Australian universities to develop technology by battery energy storage firm Printed Energy. The solid state batteries are printed in a roll-to-roll process like a newspaper. [Manufacturers’ Monthly]

Fuel trailer on the back of the bus (Team Fast image)

Team Fast, a spin-off company from Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, has found a way formic acid can efficiently carry the ingredients needed for hydrogen fuel cells, used to power electric vehicles. The fuel is a liquid, which means you can transport it easily and refill vehicles quickly, just as with conventional fuels. [BBC]

2017-06-22 Energy Week

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Within a few days of the last update, the show may be seen, along with older shows, at this link on the BCTV website: Energy Week Series.

Thursday, June 15:

Installing solar in Tanzania (Photo: Photo Christabel Ligami)

In Tanzania, an international collaborative called the Maasai Stoves and Solar Project has begun to change the roles of women by introducing the use of clean-energy cookstoves and solar power to the Maasai community. The project trains women to distribute and install cookstoves and solar panels in their traditional mud houses. [Earth Island Journal]
A federal judge ruled that the federal permits authorizing the Dakota Access pipeline to cross the Missouri River just upstream of the Standing Rock reservation, which resulted from one of the Trump administration’s first orders, violated the law in certain critical respects. The court is considering whether pipeline operations should be shut off. [Māori Television]
Massachusetts lawmakers are considering bills that would advance the state’s interest in microgrids and require the consideration of non-wires alternatives before utilities make investments in grid upgrades. The bill, H 1725, would also direct utilities to offer time-of-use rate options by 2018 and put limits on fixed charge increases. [Utility Dive]

Friday, June 16:

Geothermal power plant (Gretar Ívarsson | Wikimedia)

While the fossil fuel industry still has a big chunk of the market and a staunch ally in President Donald Trump, experts generally agree that renewable energy will rule in the future. Now, a new study is warning energy companies to start adopting green sources if they want to stay in business. The study was conducted by Wood Mackenzie. [EconoTimes]
Renewable energy sources like wind and solar are expected to see their costs plummet even further over the coming decades. According to BNEF’s New Energy Outlook 2017 report, offshore wind costs will absolutely plummet, dropping 71% by 2040, and the levelized the costs of electricity from solar and onshore wind will drop 66% and 47%, respectively. [CleanTechnica]
Republican lawmakers peppered EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt with tough questions on proposed budget cuts that many feared would result in drastic changes to their states. At a House hearing on the White House’s proposed EPA budget, a number of GOP members of Congress objected to the proposed cuts of over 30%. [CNN]

Saturday, June 17:

The difference pollution makes for Beijing

A notification posted online this week by the Legislative Affairs Office, which reports to the Chinese cabinet, indicates that all manufacturers will be required to generate EV credits that equal 8% of sales in 2018, 10% by 2019, and 12% by 2020. The credits are computed based on the level of electrification of the cars produced. [CleanTechnica]
Vivint Solar had a surprisingly good first quarter, and this was followed by a promising financial agreement. In Early June, Vivint announced that it expanding was its services into Colorado and returning to Nevada. Now, as we hit the halfway mark of the month, the company announced that it would be expanding its services into Vermont. [CleanTechnica]
As batteries and new sources of flexibility bolster the installed capacity of renewables, their market shares will be reaching 49% in India, 55% in China, 74% penetration in Germany, and 38% in the US by 2040, according to the newly released Bloomberg New Energy Finance’s annual long-term analysis of the future of energy. [ABP LIVE]

Sunday, June 18:

Solar array (Thinkstock image)

“Solar power gaining ground” • Solar power, once so costly it made economic sense only in spaceships, is becoming cheap enough that it will push coal and even natural-gas plants out of business faster than previously forecast. The scenario suggests green energy is taking root more quickly than most experts anticipate. [GoErie.com]
Worldwide, $10.2 trillion will be invested in power generation from 2017 to 2040, with renewable power sources such as wind and solar getting almost three quarters of that, the report by Bloomberg New Energy Finance said. But $5.3 trillion more in renewable power would be needed to keep global temperatures from rising more than 2° C. [Climate Central]

Falling oil prices crushed corporate revenue streams in Houston last year, plunging sales in the region to even lower levels than in the Great Recession eight years ago. In 2016, revenue for Houston’s 100 biggest public companies dropped to $561.7 billion, down from the $976.7 billion they collected at the height of the oil boom in 2014. [Houston Chronicle]

Monday, June 19:

BPA dam on the Columbia River (Alan Berner | The Seattle Times)

Bonneville Power Administration, which supplies power in the Northwest, has seen lower demand for power from public utilities and major industrial customers, which all have been working to increase energy conservation. While sale revenue has sagged, BPA operating costs have increased, so retail rates are expected to increase. [The Seattle Times]
According to data released today by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, Walmart’s climate emissions continue to rise. This is after Walmart pledged to become more of an environmental leader. ILSR says the company scaled back its renewable power projects here in the US. Its clean energy projects fell 16% since 2013. (Video) [WHAG]

Tuesday, June 20:

Baffin Wind Power Project (Photo: Eddie Seal | Bloomberg)

“Texas Is Too Windy and Sunny for Old Energy Companies to Make Money” • South Texas is to wind power what Napa Valley is to wine and Georgia is to peaches. For not only does the state’s Gulf Coast generate strong evening gusts, but it also blows fiercely in the middle of the day, just as electricity consumption is peaking. [Bloomberg]
“UK’s ‘stunning Sunday’ of 70% low-carbon power offers glimpse of near future” • Once again, renewable power hit records in the UK. An upshot of more renewable power on the grid is that as demand for power on the grid reduces, so also do prices. With high wind output last week, the UK recorded its first negative power prices. [pv magazine]

Wednesday, June 21:

Midwest wind turbines

“New report: Adding renewables keeps the lights on and money in America’s pockets” • This week, a new report from Analysis Group looked at how technological progress has affected electric grid reliability and power markets. One of the top takeaways is that adding renewables creates a more diverse, reliable system. [HuffPost]
Welsh Power has left its previous supplier in favor of DONG. It is now the largest multi-site customer in DONG Energy’s history, and the contract means a doubling of the number of UK sites receiving power from the company. A DONG announcement puts it 27 years ahead of the schedule it had for the Paris climate change agreement. [NW Evening Mail]
Replacing coal-fired power plants with solar power installations could save nearly 52,000 lives every year, a study from the Michigan Technological University found. This is the probable number of people would will not die of things such as asthma and congestive heart failure if harmful emissions from coal-fired plants are eliminated. [Nasdaq]

The 150-Kw array in Guilford by Soveren Solar (Beyond My Ken, Wikimedia commons)

The annual Vermont Clean Energy Industry Report released by the Department of Public Service emphasizes Vermont’s climate economy as a “promising source of economic growth and employment opportunity.” The clean energy sector saw a 7.7% increase in employment over the last year to over 19,080 jobs. [Windpower Engineering]

2017-06-15 Energy Week

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Within a few days of the last update, the show may be seen, along with older shows, at this link on the BCTV website: Energy Week Series.

Thursday, June 8:

Offshore wind farm (Chuyuss | Shutterstock)

The recent joint statement by Germany, Denmark, and Belgium on building offshore wind farms in the next decade aims to increase Europe’s current capacity by almost 500%. In theory, this new decision means offshore wind could power up to 25% of the EU by 2030. The current capacity of EU offshore wind power is 12.6 GW. [IFLScience]
At midday on June 7, gas power plants generated just 20% of the UK’s electricity, and coal plants generated none. The amount of power from fossil fuels was surpassed by not only wind power, but nuclear and solar as well. Renewables alone – wind, solar, biomass and hydro – produced about 50.7% of the total demand, a record amount. [The Independent]
GTM Research, with the Energy Storage Association, published its latest US Energy Storage Monitor. The US had its largest ever quarter for energy storage deployment, deploying 234 MWh worth of energy storage across the first quarter of the year, representing a more than fifty-fold growth as compared to the same quarter a year earlier. [CleanTechnica]
Vermont may be able to avoid expensive electrical grid upgrades by increasing the use of technological solutions and in particular efficiency, according to speakers at an industry conference in Burlington. Managing peak demand will be especially important, as electric vehicles proliferate and reliance on fossil fuels for other purposes is cut. [vtdigger.org]

Friday, June 9:

Intrepid Travel photo

Process Safety and Environmental Protection published a study that demonstrates the viability of using anaerobic digestion in a low-temperature (20° C) environment to convert solid food waste into renewable energy and organic fertilizer. Globally, more than 1.3 billion tonnes of municipal waste are created each year. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
Intrepid Travel, the largest carbon-neutral tour company in the world, announced that it’s going to double its carbon offset contribution this year on all 68 of its tours that run in America. The pledge was taken in response to President Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris climate accord, according to a company press release. [Metro US]

Saturday, June 10:

Roads leading into Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana (Photo: Louisiana Office of Community Development)

Rising sea levels are already forcing one American town to relocate, and there are warnings that many others will follow. The US Government announced this year it would pay $48 million to help residents of Isle de Jean Charles, Louisiana, whose residents have been called the first climate refugees in the country. [NEWS.com.au]
Hawaii is the first state in the nation to enact legislation that implements portions of the Paris agreement. Governor Ige signed SB 559, which puts the state in alignment with the principles and goals adopted in the Paris agreement. The governor also signed HB 1578, which establishes a Carbon Farming Task Force. [The Rafu Shimpo]
The UN’s 193 nations issued an urgent call to protect oceans by reversing the threats from plastic garbage, illegal and excessive fishing, increasing ocean water acidity, and rising sea levels that could wipe out small islands. The US backed the action plan but rejected its support for the Paris agreement to tackle climate change. [The Japan Times]

Sunday, June 11:

Indian hydro project

The Indian Power Ministry has finalized a policy for reviving 40 hydro power projects of 11,639 MW, provide support of ₹16,709 crore ($2.511 billion), and declare all large and small hydro projects as renewable energy. At present, a hydro power project up to 25 MW is classified under renewable energy and is entitled to various incentives. [HERE. NOW]
“US Senators: Heartland Institute Mailings to Grade School Science Teachers ‘Possibly Fraudulent'” • If you teach science to American schoolchildren, there’s a good chance that you might open your mailbox soon and find a package containing a free, unsolicited 135-page book and 11-minute DVD, plus a cover letter from the Heartland Institute. [DeSmog]
Last week, the European Union and China released a joint statement declaring their intentions to move on with the Agreement with or without America. They have gone past this position, and now they have decided to work with US states and cities that are keen on cutting their carbon footprint by going over the President’s head. [IFLScience]

Monday, June 12:

Kauai countryside (Wikipedia image)

The Garden Island newspaper reports that a Hawaiian electric utility, Kauai Island Utility Cooperative, will build a pumped storage hydro project. It could supply more than 15% of the island’s electricity and surpass the goal of 70% renewable energy by 2030. The cooperative says protecting trout populations is a priority. [KITV Honolulu]
Jerusalem-based renewable-energy developer Energiya Global will invest $1 billion over the Pieces are falling into place for an important collaboration between India and Africa to end energy poverty. The stakes are high, as sub-Saharan Africa and India account for over 80% of the world’s 1.1 billion unelectrified. India had already pledged in 2015 a concessional credit line of $10 billion to Africa over five years. [Thomson Reuters Foundation]

Turbines and a lift boat off Block Island (Photo: AP)

Massachusetts’ bid to become the nation’s leader in offshore wind power is ramping up. The state’s electric utilities will soon release requirements for projects seeking to develop the state’s first ocean-based wind farm. That sets in motion an ambitious effort to put Massachusetts ahead of other states’ efforts on offshore wind power. [The Japan Times]

Tuesday, June 13:

Framework building in Portland

Building officials in Portland, Oregon, have approved the construction of what will be the tallest wooden building in the US. Known as Framework, the building will be 11 stories tall. The architect says a wooden building can have a carbon footprint 75% lower than a comparable steel or concrete building, and that is just one of many advantages. [CleanTechnica]
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that cities will take over web publication of the information on climate change that has been removed from EPA web sites. He was joined by a dozen mayors of other large cities. They are part of a group of 270 US mayors who pledged to honor the goals of the Paris climate accord. [InsideSources]
NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) and the New York Power Authority issued requests for proposals to renewable energy developers for up to 2.5 million MWh of large-scale renewable energy for New York state. The storage will help the state move to a goal of 50% renewable electricity by 2030. [North Country Now]

Wednesday, June 14:

Solar installers

According to a newly published US Solar Market Insight Report from Greentech Media and the Solar Energy Industries Association, the US solar market added 2,044 MW of new capacity in the first quarter of 2017. The report says prices continue to fall, with utility-scale system prices dropping below $1 per watt for the first time. [pvbuzz media]
Global coal production fell 6.2% in 2016, the most ever recorded, according to BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy, a closely watched compendium of information about global energy trends. Coal made up only 28% of the world’s energy production last year. US output declined 19% and Chinese production fell almost 8%. [Fox Business]

2017-06-08 Energy Week

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Within a few days of the last update, the show may be seen, along with older shows, at this link on the BCTV website: Energy Week Series.

Thursday, June 1:

Climeworks carbon dioxide facility (Credit: Julia Dunlop)

The world’s first commercial facility that extracts carbon dioxide from the air and resells it for commercial purposes has opened in Switzerland. The carbon dioxide will be sold and used to grow lettuce. This technology could help cut 1% of global fossil fuel emissions by 2025, according to Climeworks, the system’s developer. [Live Science]
Shareholders in ExxonMobil have backed a motion requiring the company to assess the risks from climate change. The plan, proposed by investors including the Church of England, was supported by over 62% of those eligible to vote. Exxon will now have to consider how global efforts to mitigate climate change will impact their business. [BBC]
California took a potentially important step closer toward clean energy when the state Senate passed a bill mandating 100% renewable energy by 2045. Lawmakers voted 25 to 13 to pass SB 100, and it now heads to the Assembly. In recent years, several gas-fired and nuclear plants have shut down due to lack of demand. [Courthouse News Service]

Friday, June 2:

Donald Trump (Credit: Reuters)

“China likely to lead climate initiatives as Trump quits global pact” • It’s not hard to imagine Chinese president Xi Jinping having a wry smile at both the decision by Donald Trump to pull the US out of the Paris climate accord and the global reaction. Xi is now free to accept the mantle of global leadership on climate action. [The Rakyat Post]
“Trump climate deal pullout: The global reaction” • President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US is withdrawing from the 2015 Paris climate agreement has drawn strong reaction from a very few supporters and a great many opponents inside America and around the world. Here are statements from members of both groups. [BBC]

Sunny day flooding in Miami due to rising seas (Photo: B137, Wikimedia Commons)

“Paris climate deal: US firms criticise Trump move” • General Electric, Facebook, Goldman Sachs and Walt Disney and other corporate giants condemned the move. Tesla’s Elon Musk and Walt Disney’s Robert Iger both quit seats on White House advisory groups. Goldman Sachs boss Lloyd Blankfein used his first ever tweet to condemn the move. [BBC]
Changing from coal to solar energy could prevent over 51,000 premature deaths a year, a study from Michigan Technological University suggests. Around 200,000 people die each year from air pollution in the US and 52,000 of those deaths are from power generation. The eastern US and the Midwest have the most danger due to coal pollution. [Newsy]

Saturday, June 3:

Pittsburgh, before environmental regulations, in the 1950s (via Twitter)

Residents in Pittsburgh say it’s ironic that President Donald Trump name-dropped their city during his announcement that the United States was pulling out of a global climate accord. After all, it’s stricter environmental regulations and clean energy policies that transformed their once “smoky city” into a beautiful place to live. [CNN]
Democratic state attorneys general – the same group that beat back President Donald Trump’s travel ban in court – are now turning their eyes to climate and environmental issues. As Trump announced the US’ exit from the Paris climate accord, several attorneys general had already begun discussing strategies to battle the administration. [CNN]
New York State will seek bids for clean energy projects valued at up to $1.5 billion in a move the Cuomo administration says is aimed at expanding the state’s green energy economy after President Trump’s pulled out of the Paris climate accord. The state expects the investments to result in up to 40,000 clean energy jobs by 2020. [Newsday]

Sunday, June 4:

Satellite measuring sea ice (US Air Force image)

In March 2017, when Arctic sea ice is typically at its maximum winter extent, circling US satellites recorded an extent of just 5.57 million square miles, the lowest maximum in the record’s 38-year history. Now, due to budget cuts, the 38-year continuous US Arctic satellite monitoring program is about to end, leaving scientists blind. [The Wire]
US states accounting for almost 30% of national gross domestic product have pledged to meet the country’s commitments in the Paris climate agreement by joining the US Climate Alliance. The mayors of 187 US cities, with a total population of 52 million, have also agreed commitment to uphold the Paris agreement goals. [Financial Times]

House with a Tesla solar roof (Rendering courtesy SolarCity)

Tesla’s solar roof is off to a good start, and that bodes well for the sprawling solar panel factory that the company plans to open in Buffalo later this year. Less than a month after the company started taking orders for their solar roof tiles, Tesla executives told analysts that the new product already is “sold out well into 2018.” [Buffalo News]

Monday, June 5:

Fish farming and solar power (Photo: CFP)

“China steps up clean energy generation efforts” • China already has the world’s largest clean energy capacity, and in 2015, the country’s investment in clean energy exceeded $100 billion, accounting for one-third of the world’s total, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. And more investment is pouring in. [Global Times]
An unprecedented number of solar fuels have been identified thanks to the combined efforts of researchers from Caltech and Berkeley Lab. Solar fuels are chemical fuels produced using the sun. Researcher John Gregoire explained, “Solar fuels technology will provide us clean fuels just as solar cells provide clean electricity.” [Power Technology]
US Energy Secretary Rick Perry reassured Japan that America is committed to tackling environmental issues and promoting clean energy even though it is leaving the Paris climate accord. Perry told Japanese counterpart Hiroshige Seko in Tokyo that the US commitment to environmental issues remains unchanged. [The Japan Times]

Tuesday, June 6:

Offshore wind farm (reNews image)

Natural Power, Fred Olsen Windcarrier, and SubC Partner have joined forces to offer an offshore wind turbine inspection service that aims to reduce downtime. The partners will officially launch the service at the Offshore Wind Energy 2017 event in London. It will allow clients to choose from a list of inspection services under one contract. [reNews]
New York’s attorney general alleges in new court documents that ExxonMobil’s internal accounting practices were a “sham,” misleading its investors on climate risks. The top prosecutor said that its internal figures differed from those it had provided the public, and his office named Rex Tillerson, now US Secretary of State. [Environmental Leader]
The Bullrock Corporation of Shelburne, Vermont, received a Certificate of Public Good to construct the state’s largest solar array intended for consumption by Vermonters. The 5.7-MW project will be built on 57 acres in Grande Isle leased from Dream Weaver Farm, allowing the farm to remain in agriculture and avoid development. [Vermont Biz]

Wednesday, June 7:

The US is falling behind other countries in advanced energy technologies, threatening national security and undermining its global influence, former generals and admirals in the US military warn. The military officers’ conclusions follow warnings from businesses about the decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement. [Financial Times]
We Are Still In is a group of 125 mayors, nine governors, 183 university presidents, and 902 businesses, including Apple, Google, Ikea, and Target. The group issued a declaration that they continue to support climate action. Many leaders believe that it will be possible to meet the US’s original pledge to reduce emissions, despite Trump. [Fast Company]
“Renewable Energy Push Is Strongest in the Reddest States” • Two years ago, Kansas repealed a law requiring that 20% of the state’s electric power come from renewable sources by 2020. But by the time the law was scrapped, that target had already been met. Last year, Kansas generated more than 30% of its power from wind. [New York Times]