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Energy Week #307, 03/07/19
Thursday, February 28:
Senator Patrick Leahy (Staff Sgt Michelle Gonzalez, US Army National Guard, Wikimedia Commons)
- “Leahy Makes Urgent Call For Real Action On Climate Change”
“The time for delay is over. In fact, our time is running out. Let this renewed vigor in addressing climate change brought about by the bold proposed Green New Deal be the catalyst for real change. And let’s stand, as Senator Stafford and others did in 1986, and do it together.” [Vermont Biz] - “Canadian Utility Planning Hydrogen Power Generation Project”
Together, Florida-based Joi Scientific and New Brunswick Power will deploy Joi Scientific hydrogen production systems in New Brunswick. The plan is to generate hydrogen with wind turbines, hydro, and nuclear power for net-zero carbon operation. [Electric Light & Power]
Renewable power (welcomia | Shutterstock.com)
- “Updated RPSs Will Lead To More Renewable Electricity Generation In US”
States with legally binding renewable portfolio standards accounted for 63% of electricity retail sales in the US in 2018. Although no additional states have adopted an RPS policy since 2015, several extended their existing targets in 2018 or early 2019. [Renewables Now]
Friday, March 1:
- “Toledo Voters Approve Lake Erie Bill Of Rights” • Voters in Toledo, Ohio, voted by 61% to 39% to approve the so-called Lake Erie Bill Of Rights, a declaration that the lake, which supplies drinking water to Toledo and many surrounding communities, has the legal right to be protected from harm from human activity. [CleanTechnica]
Illinois Statehouse
- “Aggressive Clean Energy Bill Would Push Illinois To 100% Renewables By 2050” • An ambitious energy bill, the Clean Energy Jobs Act, has been introduced in both chambers of the Illinois legislature. It would mandate the state shift to entirely renewable energy by mid-century with an emphasis on job creation and equity. [Energy News Network]
- “To Save Lobsters, Maine Piles Into States Eyeing 100% Renewables” • Maine, warning that global warming is a threat to its lobsters, just joined the growing chorus of states pledging to get all of their electricity from renewable energy sources. Gov Janet Mills said her state is already seeing damage from climate change first hand. [Bloomberg]
Saturday, March 2:
Grand Coulee Dam
- “State Senate Passes Bill To Move Washington To 100% Clean Energy”
The Washington State Senate passed a bill to convert the state to 100% clean renewable energy. The bill would mandate that all electrical utilities in the state transition to 100%, carbon neutral electric supply by 2030. It was passed by a vote of 28 to 19. [MyNorthwest.com] - “California Solar Rights Bill Up For March Hearing”
SB 288, California’s Solar Rights Bill, would remove barriers to solar, including outdated tariffs and delayed connections to the grid, protecting the estimated 800,000 solar homes in the state, as well as potential adopters. It is going to a Senate committee and become law this month. [CleanTechnica]
Navajo Generating Station (Photo: Alan Stark, Flickr)
- “Plans To Proceed With Navajo Generating Station Decommissioning Welcomed By Navajo Community”
The Navajo community in northern Arizona cautiously welcomed an announcement by the owners of the failed coal-fired Navajo Generating Station that they are still moving to decommission the plant this year. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
Sunday, March 3:
- “The ‘Grandfather’ Of Climate Science Leaves A Final Warning For Earth”
Wallace Broecker was the man who popularized the term “global warming” and first described the critical role the world’s oceans play in the climate. Days before his death, he urged scientists to consider deploying a last-ditch solar shield to stop global warming. [NBCNews.com]
Strait of Gibraltar
- “Spain And Morocco Sign Interconnector Deal”
Spain and Morocco have signed an agreement on the construction of a power interconnector under the Straits of Gibraltar. The 700-MW is due to be commissioned before 2026. Spain’s two existing cables to Morocco are Europe’s only electricity interconnections with Africa so far. [Energy Reporters] - “Achieving Paris Climate Target Could Add Billions In Fisheries Revenue”
Achieving the Paris Agreement global warming target could protect millions of tonnes in worldwide fisheries catch, as well as billions of dollars of annual revenues for countries with fisheries, a study found. The study was published in the journal Science Advances. [Financial Express]
Monday, March 4:
Offshore wind farm
- “How A Tiny Offshore Wind Farm In Scotland Could Unseat A US President”
Scotland’s Court of Sessions ruled that Trump’s company and the Trump golf club in Aberdeen are on the hook for the country’s legal costs of his lawsuits to stop development of an offshore wind farm. But the legal ramifications of the case go beyond that. [CleanTechnica] - “Climate Change: What Ten Presidents Have Known”
A White House memorandum addresses “the carbon dioxide problem” in straightforward terms. It warns of sea level rises that would sink New York City and Washington, DC. Produced by an adviser to President Nixon, it is one of many pieces of evidence in Juliana v United States. [CBS News] - “How do you bring a forest back?”
For a region with destroyed forests, an arid climate and depleted soils would be a recipe for disaster in an average reforestation program. For the Land Life Company, based in Amsterdam, it is an ideal place. The company reports that 96% of one group of seedlings survived a scorching summer without extra irrigation. [BBC]
Tuesday, March 5:
Camp Fire (Josh Edelson | AFP | Getty Images)
- “California On Fire: System Controlling State’s Wildfires Has Been Overridden, And That’s Bad News”
Findings of a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences show that a system normally dampening wildfire seasons no longer has the same impact. This shift, scientists say, appears to be here to stay. [Newsweek] - “This Is How Coal Ends: A Whimper, Not A Bang”
If anybody out there is wondering why President Donald Trump has been rather quiet on the topic of coal jobs these past few months, just take a look at the Westmoreland Coal Company, one of the biggest coal producers in North America – well, it was, until recently. [CleanTechnica]
Coal ash pond
- “Coal Ash Contaminating Groundwater Nationwide, Groups Say”
Waste ash from hundreds of coal-fired power plants has contaminated groundwater in 39 states with toxic substances like arsenic, lithium, and mercury, according to a report by two environmental groups. The report was based on data the plants reported to the EPA. [CNN]
Wednesday, March 6:
- “Researchers Discover Efficient Way Of Producing Hydrogen To Power Electric Cars”
A team of researchers from the Chemistry Department of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, has found a way to safely, cleanly and efficiently produce hydrogen gas that can be used to power the next generation of electric vehicles. [UMass Lowell]
- “Top BP Manager: We Should Take Climate Change Seriously”
Companies in the world and the oil and gas industry need to start tackling in earnest climate change, Spencer Dale, group chief economist at supermajor BP, told The Washington Post in an interview. “All the climate arguments are real, urgent and important,” Dale said. [OilPrice.com]
Wind farm (US DOE image)
- “More Utilities Make Big Commitments To Climate Action”
MidAmerican Energy will sell electricity generated from 100% renewable energy by 2020. The Platte River Power Authority pledged to provide 100% carbon-free energy by 2030. And Xcel Energy committed to eliminating 100% of its carbon emissions by 2050. [Natural Resources Defense Council]
Energy Week #307, 03/07/19
Energy Week with George Harvey and Tom Finnell 