Energy Week #334: 9/5/2019

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.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.

Energy Week #334: 9/5/2019

Thursday, August 29

Greta Thunberg at New York (Greta Thunberg via Twitter)

• “Greta Thunberg, Climate Change Activist, Sails Into New York City” • Greta Thunberg has arrived in New York after a 15-day, 3,000 mile (4,800 km) voyage across the Atlantic. She will participate in UN climate summits in New York City and Chile. The 16-year-old Swede traveled by sail boat to minimize her carbon footprint. [BBC]
• “Energy Storage Technology Adoption In The US” • A report published by the US Energy Storage Association and Wood Mackenzie notes the US market has recorded a 232% year-over-year growth in terms of megawatts deployed in the first quarter of 2019. The US had 148.8 MW, 271.1 MWh, of energy storage deployed in the quarter. [Smart Energy]

Biochar (Image © Carboculture)

• “Biochar’s Role In Mitigating Climate Change” • Carboculture has a patented technology that turns methane-spewing biomass wasted into high-carbon charcoal, in a carbon-neutral way. This allows a cleaner, more efficient way to make such charcoal products as biochar. And biochar can be important for further carbon sequestration. [CleanTechnica]

Friday, August 30

• “Coal’s Share Of UK Power Generation Drops To Record Low Of 0.7%” • The share of UK power generated by coal hit a record low of 0.7% between April and June, according to new figures published by the government. The data show that coal-fired generation is now a record 63% lower than during the same period in 2018. [Energy Live News]

Aptera concept (Aptera image)

• “Aptera Is Back, Baby! New, Improved Electric Car Will Have 1,000 Mile Range” • Aptera, which had a very innovative car design, went bankrupt in 2011. Now it is coming back, after changing the design to an EV. The company claims its new design will permit a driving range of 1,000 miles using a 100 kWh battery. [CleanTechnica]
• “World’s Largest All-Electric Ferry Enters Revenue Service In Denmark” • Ellen, the largest all-electric ferry in the world, completed sea trials, survived shakedown cruises, celebrated its maiden voyage, and has now entered revenue service on the 22-mile route between the cities of Søby and Fynshav, on islands in southern Denmark. [CleanTechnica]

Saturday, August 31

Headline News:

• “Federal Energy Data: Coal In Death Spiral, Renewables Surge” • Data from the US DOE’s Energy Information Administration shows that the amount of electricity generated by coal fell by more than 13% in the first half of this year. Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the US coal sector’s rating from “stable” to “negative.” [Environmental Working Group]

Coal-burning power plant

• “‘Science Not Silence’: Greta Thunberg Takes Weekly Climate Strike To UN” • Swedish teenage activist Greta Thunberg took her weekly campaign for greater action on climate change to the gates of the UN, urging “everyone who cares about our future” to join her as world leaders gather in New York next month. She will address the UN on September 23. [SBS]
• “Dominion Energy To Deploy Electric School Buses; Utility Exceeds 2018 Virginia Authorized ROE” • Dominion Energy plans to deploy 1,050 electric school buses by 2025 in its Virginia service territory and replace all diesel school buses with electric versions by 2030. The initial deployment would start with 50 buses in 2020. [S&P Global]

Sunday, September 1

Fire in the Amazon (Reuters)

• “Uncertainty Of Climate Change Underscores The Need To Act” • Feedback loops, such as the release of CO₂ and methane from melting Arctic permafrost, mean that even if we achieve the very stringent greenhouse gas cuts required, there is a significant chance that warming from that amount of emissions could be much higher than 1.5°C. [The National]
• “How M-KOPA Labs Is Pulling Academic Research Into The Off-Grid Solar Industry” • As of November 2018, M-KOPA, a Kenyan off-grid solar company, has over 700,000 subscribing households. Unlike typical organizations in the low-cost solar industry, M-KOPA is meeting demand for larger appliances such as TVs or refrigerators. [CleanTechnica]

Delray Beach, Florida (Matt Gannon | CNN)

• “Florida’s Cities Are Building To Fight Rising Seas. Small Towns May Struggle To Defend Themselves” • Delray Beach is joining other Florida towns that are developing plans to respond to the threat of rising seas. An engineering report estimated the cost of protecting its most vulnerable neighborhoods in the city of 65,000 people at $378 million. [CNN]

Monday, September 2

• “Unsanctioned Democratic Climate Change Debate Could Occur On TYT” • The DNC created a draconian rule to prevent Democratic candidates from taking part in unsanctioned debates. Candidates who take part in such debates will be barred entry to DNC-sanctioned debates. The Young Turks is trying to organize a climate change debate. [CleanTechnica]

Icelandic girl, where the Okjokull glacier was (Photo: AFP)

• “Investors Are Leading The Climate Change Charge Towards Zero Emissions And Cleaner Fuels While Governments Lag Behind” • Financial giants from Europe, China, Japan, the US, Australia, and elsewhere can see the looming risks and rewards, and they are not waiting for policymakers to signal what needs to be done. [South China Morning Post]
• “Trump Doesn’t Think He’s ‘Ever Even Heard Of A Category 5’ Hurricane. Four Such Storms Have Threatened The US Since He Took Office” • Dorian is the most recent of four Category 5 hurricanes to endanger parts of the US since Trump assumed the Oval Office. With Dorian, he said he had never heard of such a thing. He said that of the earlier ones also. [CNN]

Tuesday, September 3

Greta Thunberg (Photo: Anders Hellberg | Effekt)

• “Attacks on Greta Thunberg, Say Allies, Show Just How ‘Terrified’ Reactionary Forces Have Become of Global Climate Movement” • As champions of Greta Thunberg hit back against malicious right-wing bullies, she said, “When haters go after your looks and differences, it means they have nowhere left to go. And then you know you’re winning!” [Common Dreams]
• “The Netherlands – Fossil Cars Down 20%, Electrics Up 75%” • In August, overall Dutch automobile sales were down by 16% year over year. Sales for cars powered by fossil fuels vehicles fell 20% from 39,430 to 31,430. At the same time, sales of fully electric vehicles jumped to 2,800 from 1,579 a year earlier, an increase of over 75%. [CleanTechnica]

Hurricane Dorian (NOAA GOES satellite imagery)

• “Why Are Hurricanes Like Dorian Stalling, and Is Global Warming Involved?” • Research shows that more North Atlantic hurricanes have been stalling as Dorian did, leading to more extreme rainfall. Their average forward speed has also decreased by 17% from 1944 to 2017, according to a study published by scientists at NASA and NOAA. [InsideClimate News]

Wednesday, September 4

• “Australia’s Renewables Power Past Renewable Energy Target” • Australia continues to install renewables at record rates and will surpass the scrapped target of 41,000 GWh of renewable energy capacity around the end of 2020, analysis from The Australian National University shows. The newer target of 33,000 GWh has already been achieved. [Mirage News]

Wind farm (Pixabay image)

• “‘Record’ Turbine Orders Placed In Q2 2019” • Wind farm developers placed a record 31 GW of turbine orders in the second quarter of 2019, according to new research by Wood Mackenzie. The previous record set in the fourth quarter of last year was beaten by 13.2 GW, the ‘Global Wind Turbine Order Analysis: Q3 2019’ report said. [reNEWS]
• “Elizabeth Warren Embraces Jay Inslee’s Climate Change Platform” • Sen Elizabeth Warren announced she would adopt Washington Gov Jay Inslee’s 10-year climate plan. She would also put $1 trillion into additional protections to workers and to help fund a radical transition of American infrastructure and industry away from fossil fuels. [CNN] (Also, candidate Julián Castro announced his own $10 trillion package, in case there is time [CNN])

Energy Week #334: 9/5/2019

Energy, renewable energy, wind power, Solar, batteries, Nuclear, coal, oil, gas, Climate Change

Energy Week #333: 8/29/2019

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.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.

Energy Week #333: 8/29/2019

Thursday, August 22

Goodrich Family Farm in Salisbury, Vermont

• “Middlebury College And Project Partners Celebrate Groundbreaking For Anaerobic Digester” • Representatives of Middlebury College, Vanguard Renewables, Vermont Gas, Goodrich Farm, and the State of Vermont gathered for the groundbreaking of the largest anaerobic digester east of the Mississippi River. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
• “Duke Energy Spreads FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, Doubt) About Renewables In North Carolina” • The Environmental Working Group is calling out Duke Energy for its outrageous claim that introducing more solar power into the state will cause a surge in emissions. Duke said emissions come from natural gas plants ramping up and down. [CleanTechnica]

Huge solar array

• “China Looks Inland To Boost Renewable Energy Deployment” • China, which already accounts for 45% of all investments in renewables worldwide, will increase deployment of solar power schemes inland over the coming decade. Gansu and Xinjiang provinces will see the highest concentration of solar projects in the future. [Utilities Middle East]

Friday, August 23

• “The Future Of Food: Why Farming Is Moving Indoors” • Ten shipping containers dominate a corner of a Brooklyn parking area, each full of climate control tech, growing herbs that are distributed to local stores on bicycles. This is literally urban farming. Lighting, humidity, and temperature are all controlled in hydroponic indoor farming. [BBC]

Bernie Sanders, 2016 (Phil Roeder, Wikimedia Commons)

• “Bernie Sanders Unveils Comprehensive $16.3 Trillion Green New Deal Plan Amid Climate Crisis” • Sen Bernie Sanders added progressive meat to the bones of the Green New Deal with the release of a comprehensive $16.3 trillion climate change program ahead of a campaign stop in Paradise, California, the city leveled by a devastating 2018 wildfire. [CNN]
• “Amazon Fires: ‘Our House Is Burning’, Macron Warns Ahead Of G7” • French President Emmanuel Macron has said the record number of fires in the Amazon rainforest is an “international crisis” that needs to top the agenda at this weekend’s G7 summit. Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro said Macron’s calls evoke “a misplaced colonialist mindset.” [BBC]

Saturday, August 24

• “David Koch Was the Ultimate Climate Change Denier” • David Koch died at the age of 79. He is best known as a major funder of right-wing political causes from tax cuts to deregulation, an arts patron, and a man-about-town. But to his critics, his most lasting political legacy might very well be the rapidly warming world that he left behind. [The New York Times]
• “Parsing The 35 Page, $16 Trillion Green New Deal From Bernie Sanders” • Bernie’s plan is projected to cost $16 trillion over the next 15 years. But Sanders says it will pay for itself by eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, requiring fossil fuel companies to pay for the damage their products do, and adding tax benefits of adding 20 million new workers. [CleanTechnica]

Billet of uranium (US DOE, Wikimedia Commons)

• “Japanese Utilities Start Selling Uranium Fuel Into Depressed Market” • Japan’s nuclear operators are starting to sell some of their huge holdings of uranium fuel, as chances fade of restarting many more reactors eight years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. The sales are likely to further depress the already weak uranium market. [Business Recorder]

Sunday, August 25

• “Can We Reach 100% Renewable Energy in Time to Avert Climate Catastrophe?” • Mark Jacobson is less depressed than he was a decade ago, when he and Mark Delluci wrote a road map for becoming 100% reliant on energy generated by water, wind and sun by 2030. And this is despite the precarious position that climate change puts us in. [Truthout]

Wildfire (Jae C Hong | AP)

• “Parts Of California Are Too Wildfire-Prone To Insure” • Yet another real estate-related crisis has come up in California, but we’re not talking about its sky-high home prices. According to newly released data, it’s simply become too risky to insure houses in big swaths of the wildfire-prone state. So homeowners have to turn to the state. [Salon]
• “Democratic National Committee Votes Against Allowing 2020 Candidates To Participate In Climate Change Debate” • Members of the Democratic National Committee voted down a resolution that would have resulted in single-issue candidate debates. The issue of the climate crisis has been a focus of proposals for such a debate. [CNN]

Monday, August 26

Detroit Zoo’s Arctic Ring of Life Exhibit

• “Detroit Zoo Plans To Be Powered By Renewable Energy By 2021” • Wind turbines and solar panels may soon be keeping the lights on in the Detroit Zoo. The zoo says it’s shifting to being powered entirely by renewable energy. It will use DTE’s MIGreenPower program to get electricity from renewable sources coming online in 2020. [LocalNews8.com]
• “Amazon Fires: G7 Leaders Close To Agreeing Plan To Help, Says Macron” • International leaders gathering at the G7 summit in the French town of Biarritz are reportedly nearing an agreement to help fight fires in the Amazon rainforest. French President Emmanuel Macron said a deal to provide “technical and financial help” was close. [BBC]
• “Sanders: Support Coal Country While Combating Climate Change” • Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders has told voters in coal-producing Kentucky that it is possible to be a friend of coal miners while also being a believer in climate change and the need for cleaner energy sources to combat it. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Tuesday, August 27

Burnt area of the Amazon (AFP image)

• “Amazon Fires: Brazil To Reject G7 Offer Of $22 Million Aid” • The Brazilian government has said it will reject an offer of $22 million in aid from G7 countries to help tackle the Amazon rainforest fires. Brazilian officials gave no reason for turning down the money. But President Jair Bolsonaro accused France of treating Brazil like a colony. [BBC]
• “ACT Finalises Shift To 100% Renewables, Now Eyes Transition To Electric Vehicles” • The Australian Capital Territory’s plan to decarbonize its transportation sector is picking up pace and is set to take center stage as the territory is completing its shift to 100% electricity and the first phase of its goal of zero emissions by 2045. [The Driven]
• “Trump Skips G-7 Climate Meeting, Slams Renewable Energy, But Insists ‘I’m An Environmentalist’” • After skipping a key meeting on climate change at the G-7 summit, Trump said he would not jeopardize oil, coal, and natural gas industry profits by promoting renewable energy. He also told reporters, “I’m an environmentalist.” [Environmental Working Group]

Wednesday, August 28

SCOBY packaging (MakeGrowLab image)

• “From Bio Waste To SCOBY Packaging” • MakeGrowLab has a material that can replace plastic packaging. Its SCOBY product is home-compostable, has a shelf life of 2 years, is a microbial and oxygen barrier, is insoluble in water and impermeable to water, and is 100% free from plastic and microplastic. And SCOBY is even edible! [CleanTechnica]
• “Project To Give LA Record-Cheap Solar Power Stymied By DWP Labor Union Concerns” • Los Angeles has been sitting on a contract for record-cheap solar power for over a month. City officials have declined to approve it because the city-run utility’s labor union raised concerns. It is still fuming over a decision to shut down three gas-fired power plants. [KTLA]

Home sweet home for 14 days (Greta Thunberg via Twitter)

• “Teen Eco-Activist Greta Thunberg To Arrive In New York After 2-Week Sail” • Eco-activist Greta Thunberg is expected to arrive in New York City on Wednesday, two weeks after she set sail from the English coastline, as part of her campaign to pressure politicians to put climate change at the top of their agendas. [NBC New York]

Energy Week #333: 8/29/2019

 

Energy, renewable energy, wind power, Solar, batteries, Nuclear, coal, oil, gas, Climate Change

Energy Week #332: 8/22/2019

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.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.

Energy Week #322: 8/22/2019

Thursday, August 15

Malizia II (Xriss, Wikimedia Commons)

• “Greta Thunberg: Teenage Climate Change Activist Sets Sail On Zero-Carbon Journey Aboard Malizia II” • Greta Thunberg has set sail on a two-week journey by boat across the Atlantic ocean. She will be attending two big climate change conferences in the US. The journey will take around two-weeks on a high speed yacht, called the Malizia II. [BBC]
• “‘It Is Raining Plastic’: Scientists Find Colorful Microplastic In Rain” • It’s raining plastic, a survey of rainfall in Denver and Boulder, Colorado, concluded. Scientists at the US Department of the Interior and US Geological Survey said they couldn’t see the plastic with their naked eyes, but found it using a binocular microscope fitted with a digital camera. [CNN]

Plastic fragments from Arctic seawater (Alice Trevail)

• “Plastic Particles Falling Out Of Sky With Snow In Arctic” • Even in the Arctic, microscopic particles of plastic are falling out of the sky with snow, a study has found. The scientists said they were shocked by the sheer number of particles they found: more than 10,000 of them per liter in the Arctic. People are likely to be breathing in microplastics, even in the Arctic. [BBC]

Friday, August 16

• “Solar Power Is Now Cheaper Than The Grid In Hundreds Of Chinese Cities” • Some 344 Chinese cities were found to have solar systems producing energy at lower prices than the grid, without any subsidies, research published in the journal Nature Energy says. According to the authors, that could encourage further investment in renewable energy. [CNN]

Wind farm in Kansas (Drenaline, Wikimedia Commons)

• “Renewable Energy Can Generate Billions Of Dollars In Health Benefits, Study Finds” • Ten states across the Midwest and Great Lakes region could see $4.7 billion in health benefits in 2030 if they stick with current renewable energy standards, according to a study from MIT. Building the renewable infrastructure would cost $3.5 billion. [The Verge]
• “July Was Earth’s Hottest Month On Record” • According to NOAA, Earth faced unprecedented heat in July, its hottest month on record. July’s temperature across land and ocean surfaces worldwide was 1.71°F above the 20th-century average of 60.4°. It was the highest for July since records began in 1880, besting the record set in 2016 by 0.05°. [CNN]

Saturday, August 17

Home with solar panes and Tesla Powerwall (Tesla image)

• “Tesla Makes Solar Affordable Again With New Monthly Rental Plans” • Tesla is making solar affordable again with a new solar rental program that lets homeowners simply rent a solar system for a flat monthly rate. To further sweeten the deal, there is no upfront installation cost at all and there is no long-term contract. Details will vary by state. [CleanTechnica]
• “And Now, The Really Big Coal Plants Begin To Close” • When the Navajo Generating Station in Arizona shuts down this year, it will be one of the largest carbon emitters to close in American history. Of all the coal plants to be retired in the US in recent years, none has emitted more. But it will not be alone. Other large plants are also closing. [Scientific American]

Škoda Citigoᵉ iV, made by VW (Image courtesy of Škoda)

• “The Volkswagen Triplets Are Going 100% Electric” • German car maker Volkswagen AG announced that it is replacing its inexpensive A-segment cars, which are powered by fossil fuels, with 100% electric vehicles. A-segment cars are the smallest under the European standard, and the VW vehicle will be the only full EV in its class. [CleanTechnica]

Sunday, August 18

• “Climate Deniers Get More Media Play Than Scientists: Study” • Climate deniers have had far more media attention than prominent climate scientists, a report shows. “Climate change contrarians have successfully organized a strong voice within politics and science communication,” according to the report’s authors. [Japan Today]

Bye Aerospace eFlyer (Image courtesy Bye Aerospace)

• “Bye Aerospace & OXIS Energy To Commercialize Lithium-Sulfur Batteries For Urban Air Mobility “ • Bye Aerospace is a busy electric aviation company developing the future of our urban air mobility world. It has two electric airplanes along with development projects. It is working with Oxis Energy to commercialize lithium-sulfur battery. [CleanTechnica]
• “China Storms Past US And Japan To Take Lead In Wind And Solar Power” • China has come to dominate worldwide solar and wind energy generation, in terms of both its own capacity and its companies’ share of global markets, leaving previous renewable market powerhouses, particularly the US and Japan, to play catch-up. [Nikkei Asian Review]

Monday, August 19

EmbraerX eVTOL aircraft (Courtesy Embraer)

• “Embraer, Bell, Brazil, And Uber Elevate Are Shaping Our Urban Air Mobility Future” • The Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition is over and heads are spinning. Aviation startups are challenging our current air mobility system with urban air mobility. Embraer, Bell, Brazil, and Uber Elevate are a few of the innovators. [CleanTechnica]
• “Indonesia Has The Potential To Generate 788,000 MW Of Power From Renewable Energy Sources” • Indonesia, which has a pollution problem, has a potential to generate 788,000 MW of power from renewable energy sources such as wind power, solar, tidal, and geothermal. This is more than 14 times the country’s current electricity consumption. [REVE]

Greta Thunberg at sea (@GretaThunberg, via Twitter)

• “Greta Thunberg: How Is Her Climate Mission Going?” • Teen activist Greta Thunberg is now five days into her boat journey across the Atlantic ocean, as she sails to attend two big climate change conferences in the US. The journey will take around two weeks on a high speed yacht, called the Malizia II. She said the food is good and she has not been seasick. [BBC]

Tuesday, August 20

• “Canada Election: Charities Warned Against Climate Change Ads” • Canada’s election watchdog warned environmentalists that saying climate change is real could break the law. The issue arose because one party running in October’s election denies climate change is a threat, so paid advertisements about climate change could be considered partisan activity. [BBC]

Greenland ice (Eric Rignot)

• “At The Bottom Of A Glacier In Greenland, Climate Scientists Find Troubling Signs” • Scientists in NASA’s OMG (Oceans Melting Greenland) program are investigating how ice is being attacked. They have found that the melt results not only by rising air temperatures but also by the warming ocean, which is eating away the ice from underneath. [CNN]
• “It’s Official: Wind Power Is Catching Up To Natural Gas” • If you blinked, you missed it. The US DOE has released a report indicating that the price of wind power is becoming competitive with natural gas for electricity generation in some markets. Good luck finding the press release, though. It’s a no-show on the DOE home page. [CleanTechnica]

Wednesday, August 21

Water over a dam (Featured image: Stock)

• “Germany: 72% Of Power Needs To Be Met By Non-Hydro By 2030” • The share of renewables in Germany reached 53.4% of the country’s power mix in 2018 and is expected to reach 72.7% by 2030. Non-hydro renewable energy is expected to meet the country’s power demand after nuclear and coal is phased out, according to GlobalData. [ESI Africa]
• “Renewables To Reach 30% Of US Energy By 2030” • The contribution of renewable power to total installed capacity in the US is expected to double to 30% by 2030 from today, a study from GlobalData forecasts. The study also projects that the share of coal-based capacity will decline from 27.2% in 2018 to 13.5% in 2030. [reNEWS]

ZeroAvia prototype (ZeroAvia image)

• “ZeroAvia Testing Hydrogen-Powered Electric Airplanes” • ZeroAvia, based in California, announced the it is developing electric airplanes powered by hydrogen fuel cells. The airplanes would carry 10 to 20 passengers on flights of no more than 500 miles. ZeroAvia claims they will be cheaper to make and operate than conventional aircraft. [CleanTechnica]

Energy Week #322: 8/22/2019

Energy, renewable energy, wind power, Solar, batteries, Nuclear, coal, oil, gas, Climate Change

Energy Week #331: 8/15/2019

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.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.

Energy Week #331: 8/15/2019

Thursday, August 8

Hydrogen (Australian National University image)

• “Cheap Renewable Energy: Cracking The Photosynthetic Process That Enables Plants To Split Water” • Scientists have identified an important photosynthetic process that enables plants to split water and powers all plant life on Earth. The process could make possible a limitless supply of cheap renewable fuel. [Phys.Org]
• “Global Renewable Energy Market 2018 By Top Manufactures With Production And Forecast To 2025” • The Global Renewable Energy Market is projected to reach $2,152.9 billion by 2025 and is expected to grow at 4.90% during forecast period 2018 through 2025, according to a report recently produced by Big Market Research. [Innovative Reports]

Pigs at a farm

• “Smithfield Foods Completes ‘Manure-To-Energy’ Project In US” • US pork processor Smithfield Foods completed a major ‘manure-to-energy’ project in Missouri. The firm has built a pipeline from one of its pig farms in the state to the natural gas mainline. It sends low-pressure natural gas to the pipeline for the city of Milan. [Bioenergy Insight Magazine]

Friday, August 9

• “The Shipping Industry Must Go Carbon Neutral To Survive” • A report from Maritime Strategies International predicts the value of all the world’s oil tankers will enter a period of dramatic decline from 2025 onward due to a dramatic collapse in demand for oil and coal. Ships built in 2015 may not be worth more than scrap metal prices in just 10 years’ time. [CNN]

Industrial farming (Andre Penner | AFP | Getty Images)

• “Change Food Production And Stop Abusing Land, Major Climate Report Warns” • Humans have damaged around a quarter of the ice-free land on Earth, a major report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warned. It stressing that further degradation must be stopped to prevent catastrophic global warming. [CNN]
• “Energy Innovation Report Claims Fuel Economy Rollback Will Cost Americans Big Bucks” • Energy Innovation studied the financial and environmental impacts of the Trump emissions rollback for automobiles. It concluded in a report that the administration’s plan will cost consumers billions while adding significantly to carbon emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Saturday, August 10

Tesla Model 3

• “Tesla Model 3 Outsold BMW, Mercedes, Audi, And Lexus Competitors In 2nd Quarter In USA – By A Landslide!” • No car in its category comes close to matching the Model 3 for sales. Tesla sold much more than three times as many Model 3s as the runner-up BMW 3 Series. Its sales were almost as great as all other top five cars put together. [CleanTechnica]
• “Is An Oil Price Crash Coming?” • Plunging prices for batteries and renewables are driving an EV revolution so rapidly that the economics of oil “are now in relentless and irreversible decline.” That is the startling conclusion of a detailed analysis produced by BNP Paribas, which is the world’s eighth-largest bank by total assets. [The National Interest Online]

Gulf of Mexico (Public domain image)

• “The Gulf Stream Is Slowing Down. That Could Mean Rising Seas And A Hotter Florida” • The Gulf Stream, the warm current that brings the east coast of Florida the mixed blessings of abundant swordfish, mild winters and stronger hurricanes, may be weakening because of climate change. It has reached its weakest point in 1,600 years. [Phys.Org]

Sunday, August 11

• “Solar Energy Storage Market To Grow At Over 35%” • A research report published by the market research and strategy consulting firm, Global Market Insights, Inc, projects that the Solar Energy Storage Market will surpass an annual installation of 3 GW by 2025. One of the forces adding to the growth is the advent of EVs. [Smart Energy]

Railroad on Svalbard after permafrost melt (Ckt2packet, Wikimedia Commons)

• “As The World Gets Hotter, Environmental Consequences Get Worse” • July was the 415th consecutive month of above-20th-century-average temperatures. The five warmest years on record were 2014-18, and this year is on track to be one. Things are heating up. As they do, the destruction to our environment and our economy only gets worse. [Charleston Post Courier]
• “Why Some VC Summer Refund Checks Are ‘Not Worth The Postage’” • Since 2008, South Carolina household electricity customers have paid on average $1,565 extra to finance two reactors at the VC Summer Nuclear Station. They were not built, so the customers are getting refund checks. Some got checks for as little as $0.04. [Charlotte Observer]

Monday, August 12

Coal-burning power plant (Credit: Kodda | Shutterstock)

• “Over 50 Coal Power Plants Closing Each Year” • Power companies are forecasting to retire coal facilities that currently offer about 17 GW of capacity by 2025. Shuttering these plants is a complex, multi-year process that includes decommissioning, remediation, and redevelopment. Last year, 13 GW of coal-burning capacity was shut down. [ThomasNet News]
• “Australia Coal Use Is ‘Existential Threat’ To Pacific Islands, Says Fiji PM” • The prime minister of Fiji has warned Australia to reduce its coal emissions and do more to combat climate change as regional leaders prepare to gather in Tuvalu ahead of the Pacific Islands Forum this week. He referred to the emissions as an “existential threat” facing Pacific nations. [The Guardian]
• “‘Coal Is Over’: The Miners Rooting For The Green New Deal” • The coal industry in Appalachia is dying. It is something that people there know better than anyone. Some in this region are pinning their hopes on moving on to alternative solutions, including rising Democratic star Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s Green New Deal. [The Guardian]

Tuesday, August 13

Solar array

• “World’s Lowest Cost Solar P V Contract Awarded In Portugal” • Portugal is now the country with the world’s lowest-cost solar PV contract. The lowest tariff awarded in the country’s first solar PV auction, held in July, was just €14.76/MWh ($16.54/MWh, 1.654¢/kWh) at today’s exchange rates. This beats a $16.95/MWh contract awarded in Brazil. [ETEnergyworld.com]
• “Solar Power Is Playing A Growing Role To Save The Bees” • After the worse bee losses on record. The US Department of Agriculture announced that it will no longer track honeybee populations or collect data for its Honey Bee Colonies Report. However, Solar companies are increasingly stepping in to provide safe havens for bees. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines in the US

• “Wind Power Costs And Prices Driven To New Lows In US” • Wind power is enjoying a prime period in the United States, with record low technology costs spurring strong investment, as local production of the components helps projects avoid the worst impacts of Trump’s trade war with China that has hit the solar market hard. [RenewEconomy]

Wednesday, August 14

• “SoCalGas and Electrochaea Announce Commissioning Of New Biomethanation Reactor System Pilot Project” • Southern California Gas Co and Electrochaea announced that they are commissioning the nation’s first scalable biomethanation reactor system at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Energy System Integration Facility. [PRNewswire]

eHang eVTOL (eHang courtesy image)

• “eHang Wants To Start An eVTOL Service In Guangzhou Soon” • eHang will build a fleet of autonomous passenger air taxis and low-altitude freight aircraft, possibly making it the world’s first operational urban air mobility company. The government of China has sanctioned the company, and the city of Guangzhou is hosting the pilot program. [CleanTechnica]
• “States Sue To Block EPA’s Coal Power Plant Emissions Rollback” • A coalition of states and cities will ask a federal court to block the Trump administration’s overhaul of regulations on emissions from coal-fired power plants. The so-called Affordable Clean Energy plan shifts regulatory authority to states and offers hope to the struggling US coal industry. [CNN]

Energy Week #331: 8/15/2019

Energy, renewable energy, wind power, Solar, batteries, Nuclear, coal, oil, gas, Climate Change

Energy Week #330: 8/8/2019

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.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.

Energy Week #330: 8/8/2019

Thursday, August 1

Monsoon storm (Photo by Jennifer Sensiba)

• “Southwest Monsoons Getting More Frequent And Intense” • Scientists studying monsoon storms in the Southwest found that, compared to 1970, storms are now producing 6-11% more rain per storm, while the time the storms last hasn’t changed. This means each storm is not only dumping more water, but is more intense. [CleanTechnica]
• “Energy Storage To ‘Top 1 TW By 2040′” • Energy storage will grow to 1095 GW in 2040, compared with 9 GW last year, boosted by cheaper lithium-ion battery technology, according to new research by BloombergNEF. The 122-fold boom will require $662 billion of investment, said BNEF in the ‘Energy Storage Outlook 2019’ report. [reNEWS]

GE manufacturing facility in Pune (Image: Sanjay Rawat)

• “Second Wind For GE” • GE India is making a bold bet on wind power, disruptive technology, and a new business model. The company has patented a hybrid technology to make renewable power available to a grid 24×7 through different combinations of solar, wind, hydro, and storage, managed by intelligent control systems. [Fortune India]

Friday, August 2

• “Blackjewel Miners Block Railroad To Demand Pay From Bankrupt Coal Company” • Some coal miners left without pay by the bankruptcy of coal company Blackjewel LLC are protesting by blocking a coal train in eastern Kentucky. The stand-off began when five miners blocked the train from leaving the plant, which is in Cumberland, Kentucky. [WMKY]

Solar plant in Portugal by Acciona (Acciona courtesy image)

• “Portugal Bags Lowest-Cost Solar Bid In The World” • The Portuguese energy secretariat received bids on 1.15 GW of solar power at an average cost of €20.33/MWh ($22.53/MWh). One of the bids was made at €14.76/MWh ($16.44/MWh or 1.644¢/kWh), probably a new world record. The bids represent investments of about €800 million ($887 million). [CleanTechnica]
• “US Boasts ‘Record’ Wind Activity” • Total US wind capacity reached 97,960 MW in the second quarter of 2019, with a further record 41,801 MW under construction or at an advanced stage of development, according to data from the American Wind Energy Association. Work on more than 200 wind farms is underway across 33 states. [reNEWS]

Saturday, August 3

Joshua trees (National Park Service image)

• “We May Have A Future Without Joshua Trees Thanks To Climate Change, Study Says” • Can you imagine a world without Joshua trees? A study by University of California-Riverside scientists says that could be the new reality, thanks to climate change. It says the hearty American desert trees could be driven to extinction by a drier climate. [CNN]
• “Climate Change Made Europe’s July Heat Wave Up To 3°C Hotter, Scientists Say” • The scorching heat wave that broke records across Europe last month was made a hundred times more likely, more intense, and up to 3°C hotter by climate change, according to a study from an international alliance of meteorological researchers. [CNN]

California solar farm

• “California Farmers Are Planting Solar Panels As Water Supplies Dry Up” • Solar projects could replace some of the jobs and tax revenues that may be lost as constrained water supplies force California’s agriculture industry to scale back. In the San Joaquin Valley alone, farmers may need to take more than half a million acres out of production. [Seattle Times]

Sunday, August 4

• “Germany Hopes To Replace Coal With Hydrogen” • Germany is increasingly looking to hydrogen as an alternative to gas to end the dependence on coal. Last month the Economy Ministry announced funding for 20 hydrogen research labs, and natural gas pipeline owners asked for rule changes to allow hydrogen to be added to the mix. [Energy Reporters]

Tesla Model 3 (Photo Credit: Kyle Field | CleanTechnica)

• “Big Auto’s Existential Problem: Cannibalize Cash Cows Or Evolve Too Slowly” • Legacy automakers have a dilemma on their hands. Transitioning to electric cars is hard. A few German automakers have calmly voiced their concerns. Others have resorted to all-out whining. So what about Big Auto in America? Here is a look. [CleanTechnica]
• “Colstrip Owner’s Losses Mount As Hunt For Cheaper Coal Continues” • With two of its four units shutting down this year, Colstrip Power Plant is still struggling to find cheap coal and retain employees, plant operator Talen Energy told Montana lawmakers. The company abruptly announced in June it would close two units three years early. [Billings Gazette]

Monday, August 5

Tropical forest (Photo: AFP)

• “Overlapping Crisis Of Climate Change Cause Of Ecological Land Grab” • The crises of climate change, unsustainable food systems, and mass species extinction are on a course towards what might best be called an ecological land grab. Experts who once touted “win-win” scenarios for the environment now talk about “trade-offs”. [Deccan Chronicle]
• “The Animals That Will Survive Climate Change” • With one in every four species facing extinction, which animals are the best equipped to survive the climate crisis? American bullfrogs might benefit from climate change, but some scientists say we humans, even with our extraordinary capacity for innovation and ability to adapt, probably won’t survive. [BBC]

Clearing forest for palm oil plantations (EPA image)

• “Stop Abusing Land, Scientists Warn” • Scientists and officials on the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are meeting in Geneva to finalizing a document on the climate. It will deliver a stark condemnation of the damage we are wreaking on the land surface of the planet with farming and land use that cause CO₂ emissions. [BBC]

Tuesday, August 6

• “As Climate Reckoning Arrives Over Agriculture, USDA’s Scientists Face Censorship” • A government climate scientist, who says the Trump administration buried a groundbreaking report he authored, has left the US Department of Agriculture in protest over the “political views” top officials allegedly imposed on his work. [ThinkProgress]

Aletsch Glacier (Sam Rayner | Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

• “Europe’s Record Heat Melted Swiss Glaciers” • According to initial findings from the Swiss Glacier Monitoring Network, Swiss glaciers experienced unusually high melt rates during the last two heat waves, which occurred in June and July. The network’s head tweeted that Swiss glaciers lost about 800 million metric tons of ice. [Science Magazine]
• “July Confirmed As Hottest Month Recorded” • July 2019 has replaced July 2016 as the hottest month on record. This July’s global temperatures marginally exceeded the previous record, according to meteorologists of the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Programme, which analyzes temperature data from around the planet. [CNN]

Wednesday, August 7

School bus powered by Proterra (Proterra image)

• “Proterra Launches Proterra Powered To Help” • Electric bus company Proterra has a new vehicle electrification offering called Proterra Powered. It makes the same technology Proterra has used in its vehicles for years available to other manufacturers to use in theirs. Most recently, Proterra electrified Thomas Built Buses’ Jouley school bus. [CleanTechnica]
• “How Shorter Workweeks Could Save Earth” • There can be no doubt that we are living unsustainably, but there’s a novel idea that could turn this around: we work less, thus slowing down the global economy and curbing our seemingly endless appetite to consume more stuff. Is that feasible? And would it really save the world? It could at least help. [BBC]

Cows grazing (Credit: AgResearch)

• “How Vaccines Could Fix Our Problem With Cow Burps” • Livestock may be responsible for up to 14% of all greenhouse emissions from human activities. But scientists at AgResearch hope a vaccine targeting methane making microbes could make it possible to reduce the contribution livestock farming is making to global warming. [BBC]

Energy Week #330: 8/8/2019

 

Energy, renewable energy, wind power, Solar, batteries, Nuclear, coal, oil, gas, Climate Change