Energy Week #357: 2/6/2020

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 #357: 2/6/2020

Thursday, January 30

UPS electric delivery vehicle (Courtesy of UPS)

• “UPS Orders 10,000 Electric Delivery Vans From Arrival” • Arrival’s electric delivery vans are priced about the same as conventional delivery vans but have 50% lower operating costs. Arrival’s unique skateboard platforms allow the company to create vehicles in any weight, type, size, or shape to match customer requirements. [CleanTechnica]
• “Renewables Set To Overtake Natural Gas In US Power Mix, EIA Says” • The DOE’s Energy Information Administration has finally come around to the view that renewables will overtake natural gas in the country’s electricity mix. The EIA has long been known for its implausibly conservative predictions about renewable energy. [Greentech Media]

Making steel

• “Nordic Steel Giant To Use Renewable Hydrogen To Produce Fossil-Free Steel By 2026” • Momentum is growing towards the decarbonization of one of the world’s most energy intensive industries. Svenskt Stål AB is turning to renewable hydrogen to replace coal in the production of steel – nearly 10 years earlier than it thought possible. [RenewEconomy]
• “Coal Plants Increasingly Operate As Cyclical, Load-Following Power, Leading To Inefficiencies, Costs” • Increasingly, Coal plants operate as cyclical or load-following generation units, as the power market becomes more saturated with intermittent resources, a whitepaper from the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners says. [Utility Dive]

Friday, January 31

Block Island (University of Rhode Island)

• “US Government Sees Renewables Passing Natural Gas In 20 Years” • For the first time, the EIA’s default projection places renewables as the largest single source of electricity generation, with renewables surpassing natural gas somewhere around 2040. But renewables’ prices seem to make the report’s projections obsolete already. [Ars Technica]
• “US Wind Hits 9.1 GW In 2019” • The wind industry has experienced its third strongest growth year on record in 2019 with 9143 MW added to the grid, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Utilities and businesses also set a new record in 2019, announcing 8726 MW in new power purchase agreements. [reNEWS]

Fire nearing Canberra (© Martin Ollman | MEGA)

• “Canberra Residents Flee Their Homes As State Of Emergency Is Declared” • Out-of-control bushfires are forcing residents near Canberra, the capital of Australia, to flee their homes as a state of emergency was declared. Worsening “erratic” conditions have prompted authorities to release a series of urgent “Leave Now” alerts to people in affected areas. [Daily Mail]

Saturday, February 1

• “Australia Fires: Residents Told To Seek Shelter In Canberra Region” • A bushfire near the Australian Capital Territory grew to more than 35,000 hectares (135 square miles) on Saturday, as officials closed a major motorway. Residents in some areas near the capital, Canberra, were warned that it was “too late to leave” and they should try to seek shelter. [BBC]

“Sunset over Newport Bridge” (Carolyn Fortuna | CleanTechnica)

• “Republican Strategists Praise Carbon Pricing As A Way To Win Votes” • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) called for conservative solutions to address climate consequences. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) talked of a possible existential crisis for the party. Republicans are starting to talk about carbon pricing. [CleanTechnica]
• “Donald Trump’s EPA, Ruled By The Swamp, Is Letting Companies Dump Sewage Into Our Rivers” • The EPA under Donald Trump is now allowing cities to dump raw sewage into rivers. A New York Times article says the Trump administration has decided to reverse almost 95 environmental rules because it considers them too costly. [CleanTechnica]

Sunday, February 2

Sea can and wind turbine (Contributed photo)

• “Okanagan Company Braves High Winds With High Hopes Of Renewable Energy In Nunavut” • Spearheaded by the Arctic Research Foundation, the project titled Naurvik, Inuktut for “growing place,” consists of two sea cans outfitted to grow vegetables that proponents hope will help ease Arctic food costs. They are powered by the wind. [KelownaNow]
• “Documents Show Scientists’ Revolt At Trump’s ‘Crazy’ Hurricane Claims” • A flurry of emails from NOAA’s top officials and scientists shows their consternation and alarm after President Trump falsely claimed Hurricane Dorian could hit Alabama. The emails were released in response to Freedom of Information Act requests. [The Sydney Morning Herald]

Monday, February 3

Bernie

• “Power To The People: Bernie Calls For Federal Takeover Of Electricity Production” • Sanders has laid out a $16 trillion climate change plan that would transition US electricity generation away from fossil fuels to renewable resources like wind, solar and hydropower by 2030. That’s far faster than any other Democratic candidate’s target. [Politico]
• “Super Bowl Ads Announce Hummer Electric Truck And The “Quiet Revolution”” • General Motors will start selling a battery-powered Hummer pickup truck in May 2020. To whet the appetite of the truck-driving public, the new Hummer is the topic of a 30-second television ad running during the Super Bowl. You can see it here. [CleanTechnica]

Fires nearing Canberra (Photo: Barcroft Media | Xinhua)

• “If There’s A Silver Lining In The Clouds Of Choking Smoke It’s That This May Be A Tipping Point” • As a climate scientist on sabbatical in Australia, I’ve had plenty of conversations about the climate crisis lately. Although the Murdoch media make it seem as if there’s plenty of debate, the reality is that most Australians I talk to get it. [The Guardian]

Tuesday, February 4

• “Greta Thunberg Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize” • Two members of the Swedish Parliament nominated 17-year-old Greta Thunberg for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. Thunberg started just three years ago with lone climate protests on Fridays at the Swedish Parliament. Since then, she has emerged as a world leader. [CleanTechnica]

Oil terminal (Getty Images)

• “Coronavirus And Oil: Why Crude Has Been Hit Hard” • The world’s biggest oil producers could be about to reduce output as they grapple with the fallout of the coronavirus. As China has responded to the medical emergency, travel restrictions are in place factories, offices and shops remain shut. The result is a 20% reduction in demand for oil. [BBC]
• “Scientists Find Another Threat To Greenland’s Glaciers Lurking Beneath The Ice” • Warmer air is not the only threat to Greenland’s ice sheet. A study published in the journal Nature Geoscience found that the ice is being attacked from below: Warm ocean water moving underneath the vast glaciers is causing them to melt even more quickly. [CNN]

Wednesday, February 5

Sunset (Photo: Kevin M Klerks, CC BY 2.0)

• “Saugeen Ojibway Nation Has Saved Lake Huron From A Nuclear Waste Dump” • In a major victory for Canada’s First Nations, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation overwhelmingly voted down the proposed deep geological repository for storage of low-level and intermediate-level radioactive nuclear waste next to Lake Huron. [CounterPunch]
• “Thanks To Renewable Energy: Electric Bulbs Will Finally Glow In 1200 Government Schools” • Students in far flung areas across Kashmir division have a reason to smile as more than 1200 government schools will be provided round the clock electricity from the clean renewable energy sources. Previously, only 36% of the schools had power. [The Kashmir Monitor]

Billie Eilish greening her act (Scott Dudelson | Getty Images)

• “From Billie Eilish To Maroon 5, Green Touring Is Becoming The New Normal” • Green touring has been around for decades, with musicians including Neil Young and Bonnie Raitt among the movement’s pioneers. But as effects of climate change continue to intensify, the music industry is now making this approach mainstream. [CNN]

Energy Week #357: 2/6/2020

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

Energy Week #356: 1/30/2020

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 #356: 1/30/2020

Thursday, January 23

Prince Charles (CNN image)

• “Prince Charles: We Need A New Economic Model Or The Planet Will Burn” • Only a revolution in the way the global economy and financial markets work can save the planet from the climate crisis and secure future prosperity, warned Prince Charles, a lifelong environmentalist. The heir to the British throne spoke in an interview with CNN. [CNN]
• “Top US Bankers Don’t Want To Lead The Climate Fight” • While professing deep concern about global warming, top executives at the World Economic Forum expressed reluctance to act as referees in financial markets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. That, they said, is not their role, despite calls to stop funding carbon-intensive industries. [CNN]

Tesla Model 3 (Tesla image)

• “Tesla Overtakes Volkswagen As Value Hits $100 Billion” • Tesla has displaced Volkswagen as the world’s second most valuable carmaker, after a dramatic rise in share price pushed its market value to more than $100 billion (£76.1 billion, €90 billion). Tesla shares rose 4% on Wednesday, making its valuation second only to Toyota. [BBC]

Friday, January 24

• “NY PSC Approves Measure to Lower Costs for Clean Energy” • The Public Service Commission issued an order allowing the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to offer a new contracting mechanism. The takeaway is that this change will make it cheaper and easier for NY to meet its clean energy goals. [Natural Resources Defense Council]

Peat

• “Carbon-Neutral In 15 years? The Country With An Ambitious Plan” • Finland has pledged to be carbon-neutral by 2035. That is twice as fast as the UK government target. But to achieve this, it will have to make big changes, particularly in the peat industry, which currently provides energy, heating and jobs. That will make it a hard goal to achieve. [BBC]
• “What The Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) Means For Clean Energy In PJM” • PJM, which coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 states and DC, submitted proposed MOPR values in its last filing as required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. They will support fossil fuels and raise costs for customers. [Resources Magazine]

Saturday, January 25

Wind farm (Zbynek Buriva | Unsplash)

• “50Hertz To Turn Wind Into Heat In Rostock” • Some wind energy generated in northern Germany can’t be consumed or transported south. 50Hertz Transmission is working with Stadtwerke Rostock to turn it into heat to be used by a utility. The two companies are building a 20-MW power-to-heat plant in Rostock’s Marienehe district. [reNEWS]
• “Spain Closes 2019 With Nearly Half Renewable Energy Mix” • According to data furnished by the Red Eléctrica de España, the operator of the Spanish electricity grid, installed non-polluting power capacity in Spain grew by 10% during 2019. Renewable energy now represents 49.3% of the total installed generation capacity in the country. [Saurenergy]

Solar farm

• “NextEra Looks To Add Batteries To Its Existing Solar Fleet” • NextEra Energy is combing through its base of existing solar facilities with an eye to retroactively adding batteries, as it adopts a more “aggressive” view of energy storage because of its falling costs. The company is expanding after experience it had with a system built in 2018. [Greentech Media]

Sunday, January 26

• “Nissan LEAF And Uber Tag Team London” • Uber is getting a partner to help it electrify its fleet in the London area, and Nissan is getting a partner to help it sell a bunch of Nissan LEAFs. More specifically, 2,000 Nissan LEAFs will enter Uber’s London fleet. They will have 40 kWh batteries offering about 168 miles of range on a single charge. [CleanTechnica]

Polluted river (USGS, Wikimedia Commons)

“Trump’s Dismantling Of Environmental Regulations Unwinds 50 Years Of Protections” • In Trump’s first two years in office, the EPA put its efforts into reversing regulations. And in the third year, other agencies also took up environmental regulation rollbacks. This even extends to some protections established under the 50-year-old Clean Air Act. [CNN]

“Ambitious Zero Emission Tokyo Plan Wins Praise, Begs For Action” • Late last year, Gov Yuriko Koike revealed the Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy, Tokyo’s long-awaited plan to transition to clean energy. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government plans to spend over ¥74.6 billion ($683 million) to achieve a net-zero carbon emissions goal. [The Japan Times]

Monday, January 27

Wind farm (DEME image)

• “DEME Consortium Plans Ostend Green Hydrogen Drive” • A Belgian group is planning to construct a facility in the Port of Ostend by 2025 to produce green hydrogen from offshore wind-generated electricity. According to the three project partners, Hyport will cut CO₂ emissions in Flanders by around 500,000 to 1 million tonnes annually. [reNEWS]
• “The Climate Change Solution That Climate Deniers Can Get Behind” • Republicans and Democrats generally disagree about climate change, but they are likely to agree on renewable and clean energy. Among Republicans, 77% agree with funding more research into renewable energy, and 79% are behind generating renewable energy. [VICE]

Antarctic glacier (Murray Foubister, Wikimedia Commons)

• “200 Years Since Antarctica Was Discovered, The Continent Faces Irreversible Glacial Melting” • On January 27, the 200th anniversary of the discovery of Antarctica, glaciologists say the continent is approaching a tipping point. Pass it and nothing will prevent the glaciers from melting, even if we cut out all GHG emissions overnight. [Newsweek]

Tuesday, January 28

• “New Tasmanian Premier To Take On Climate Change With Renewables” • Last week Peter Gutwein replaced Will Hodgman as the leader of the Liberal Party in Tasmania and sworn in as the state’s 46th Premier. Soon after, Gutwein announced that he would also become the first Tasmanian Liberal Minister for Climate Change. [pv magazine Australia]

View down a hole scientists made in Thwaites glacier (British Antarctic Survey)

• “Antarctica Melting: Journey To The ‘Doomsday’ Glacier” • It has been described by glaciologists as the “most important” in the world. Some call it the “doomsday” glacier. Roughly the size of Britain, Thwaites glacier already accounts for 4% of world sea level rise and it is melting increasingly rapidly. It holds enough water to raise sea levels over half a meter. [BBC]
• “The Pacific Ocean Is So Acidic That It’s Dissolving Dungeness Crabs’ Shells” • The Pacific Ocean is becoming more acidic, and that is taking its toll. The Dungeness crab is vital to commercial fisheries in the Pacific Northwest, but lower pH levels in its habitat are dissolving parts of its shell and damaging its sensory organs, a study found. [CNN]

Wednesday, January 29

Cruise Origin

• “General Motors Will Convert Hamtramck Factory To EV And Autonomous Vehicle Production” • GM says it will manufacture EVs and the Cruise Origin, an autonomous electric shuttle, at the Hamtramck Factory. Gerald Johnson, executive vice president of global manufacturing for GM sent a letter to factory workers telling them the news. [CleanTechnica]
• “Big US Utility Says ‘Near-Firm Renewables’ Soon To Be Cheaper Than Fossil Fuels” • The CEO of clean energy company NextEra Energy says wind and solar projects co-located with battery storage will be cheaper to operate than most fossil fuel-powered plants by 2025. He expects the LCOE from wind farms to be $20 to $30/MWh. [RenewEconomy]

Oil companies are among those turning to renewables.

• “Texas Is The Center Of The Global Corporate Renewable Energy Market” • Texas accounted for more than a quarter of all corporate renewable energy deals signed worldwide last year. The global market for corporate renewable energy deals surged 40% in 2019, reaching 19.5 GW of new contracts. Texas’ share of this was 5.5 GW. [Greentech Media]

Energy Week #356: 1/30/2020

 

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

Energy Week #355: 1/23/2020

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 #355: 1/23/2020

Thursday, January 16

Bye Aerospace eFlyer (Photo courtesy of Bye Aerospace)

• “Electric Aircraft Pilot Training Is Arriving” • Quantum Air and OSM Aviation Group announced an electric aircraft pilot training partnership. OSM Aviation Academy will conduct the Quantum-branded pilot training program according to FAA commercial standards. Electric urban air mobility is taking shape one step at a time. [CleanTechnica]
• “Irrigation Keeps Things Cool In Extreme Heat” • A study in Nature Communications examined the influence of irrigation on extreme heat. The cooling effect of irrigation over regions studied partly or completely offset the effect of global warming contributing to more frequent and intense heat extremes by up to a factor of eight. [Futurity]

Probably time to do something (Getty Images)

• “Sir David Attenborough Warns Of Climate ‘Crisis Moment'” • “The moment of crisis has come” in efforts to tackle climate change, Sir David Attenborough has warned. According to the renowned naturalist and broadcaster, “we have been putting things off for year after year.” Sir David’s comments came in a BBC News interview. [BBC]

Friday, January 17

• “Microsoft Pledges To Go ‘Climate Negative,’ And Remove 45-Years Of Company Emissions” • American tech giant Microsoft made an ambitious pledge to effectively reverse the company’s historical contributions to climate change, and says will remove the entirety of its carbon footprint made since the company’s founding 45 years ago. [RenewEconomy]

Ultrafan engine (Rolls-Royce image)

• “Giant Jet Engines Aim To Make Our Flying Greener” • The aerospace industry is under pressure to reduce its environmental impact. Aircraft are getting more efficient, but airline traffic is growing even faster. Rolls-Royce has a solution, which involves building a much bigger, much more efficient jet engine. It is made largely of carbon fiber. [BBC]
• “Colorado Uranium Producer Lays Off Third Of Utah Workforce” • A Colorado energy company laid off a third of its workforce in southeast Utah, primarily at the last conventional uranium mill operating in the US. Energy Fuels Inc laid off 24 of its 79 employees, most of them at the White Mesa Mill, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. [Argus Press]

Twin Buttes Wind Farm (Joshua Heyer, Wikimedia Commons)

• “Tri-State G&T To Boost Renewable Energy Goal To 50% By 2024” • Tri-State Generation & Transmission serves the needs of 43 electric cooperatives in four states. They have pushed it to go to renewables. According to the Denver Post, Tri-State intends to increase the amount of electricity it generates from renewable sources to 50% by 2024. [CleanTechnica]

Saturday, January 18

1. “Kids’ Climate Lawsuit Thrown Out By Appeals Court” • A federal appeals court dismissed a lawsuit brought by a group of young people that had sought to compel the federal government to rein in the nation’s climate emissions. The court concluded that the youths lacked standing to sue the government over its actions. [InsideClimate News]

Rain in Sydney (EPA image)

• “Heavy Rains Hit Some Blaze-Hit Regions” • Heavy rains and thunderstorms have hit parts of Australia’s east coast, dousing some of its fires but bringing a new threat of flooding. Major roads were closed in Queensland, and power cuts were reported in parts of New South Wales as a result of the weather, but the rain is helping with fires. [BBC]

Sunday, January 19

• “University At Albany Sets Out To Reduce Carbon Footprint” • The University at Albany is gearing up to chase net-zero carbon-neutral status. Last month, UAlbany received a $2 million grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority to plan how to go net zero. It won’t be quick or easy, but it can be done. [The Daily Gazette]

Oil field (Carina Johansen | NTB Scanpix | AFP via Getty Images)

• “Norway Says Its New Giant Oil Field Is Actually Good For The Environment. Critics Call It Climate Hypocrisy” • Norway claims the newly opened Johan Sverdrup oil field is helping to “reduce emissions” because it is powered entirely by renewable energy. Emissions are credited where fuel is burned, not where it is made, so they are not Norway’s problem. [CNN]
• “Australia Fires: Have Gum Trees Made The Bushfires Worse?” • Eucalyptus forests are some of the most flammable in the world. The trees, also known as gum trees, are fire resilient, but they can actually spread fires. Burning bark can break off and be carried in the wind. They can ignite new fires 30 km (18 miles) ahead of the main fire. [BBC]

Monday, January 20

Offshore wind farm (Beverley Goodwin, CC, 2.0 Generic)

• “Rhode Island Orders 100% Renewables Electricity By 2030” • The governor of Rhode Island, Gina M Raimondo, has signed an executive order that directs the state to source 100% of its power from renewable energy sources by 2030. While Rhode Island is not the first state to do so, it is the first state setting such a tight schedule. [Renewables Now]
• “Fires Set Stage For Irreversible Forest Losses In Australia” • Before the wildfires, ecologists divided up Australia’s native vegetation into two categories: fire-adapted landscapes that burn periodically, and those that don’t burn. Now, that distinction lost meaning. Even rainforests and peat swamps caught fire, likely changing them forever. [The Denver Post]

South Tarawa (Dmitry Malov | Alamy)

• “Climate Refugees Can’t Be Returned Home, Says Landmark UN Human Rights Ruling” • It is unlawful for governments to return people to countries where their lives might be threatened by the climate crisis, a landmark ruling by the UN human rights committee has found. The judgement is considered to be a legal “tipping point.” [The Guardian]

Tuesday, January 21

• “The Majority Of Electric Cars In Australia Are Charged With Renewable Power” • A whopping 75% of electric cars in Australia are charged almost exclusively with renewable power, according to an informal poll of 400 owners conducted by Future Smart Strategies managing director and electric vehicle advocate Prof Ray Wills. [The Driven]

GE Renewable’s Haliade-X turbines (GE Renewable Energy)

• “Works Begin At Dogger Bank, The World’s Largest Off-Shore Wind Farm” • Construction is underway at the gigantic Dogger Bank off-shore wind farm being built off the UK. It will outsize all others. Currently, the 659-MW Walney wind farm is the world’s largest. Dogger Bank will have a capacity of 3.6 GW. It is expected to begin operating in 2023. [New Atlas]
• “Wind Energy Powerhouse Vestas Announces Plans For ‘Zero-Waste’ Turbines” • Vestas said it is aiming to produce “zero-waste” wind turbines by the year 2040. The Danish company said that this would be accomplished through a “circular economy approach” in the design, production, service, and end-of-life parts of the value chain. [CNBC]

Wednesday, January 22

Navajo coal-burning power station (Credit: Alan Stark | Flickr)

• “Proposed 2.2-GW Storage Project Plans To Use Navajo Coal Station Power-Lines” • A proposal for a 2.2-GW pumped hydro facility in Arizona moved a step closer to reality last week, as FERC accepted its application for a preliminary permit. The $3.6 billion project would rely on the transmission lines of the retired Navajo coal-burning generating station. [Utility Dive]
• “Does Illinois Have The Energy To Opt Out Of FERC?” • The ruling by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to support fossil fuels could lead to spikes in energy bills. Illinois’ Citizens Utility Board, environmental groups, and legislators are putting forward a multifaceted package that includes a provision to opt out of FERC. [WTTW News]

Wind farm in Scotland (Credit: Wikipedia Commons)

• “Scotland To Reach This Year 100% Renewable Energy Goal” • Scotland has been increasing the percentage of electricity it gets from renewables rapidly. It is to achieve a 100% renewables-based energy matrix this year, which would add Scotland to the list of other countries that achieved the same goal, such as the Congo, Iceland, and Paraguay. [ZME Science]

Energy Week #355: 1/23/2020

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

Energy Week #354: 1/16/2020

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 #354: 1/16/2020

Thursday, January 9

After a fire (C00 Public domain)

• “Pathways To Changing The Minds Of Climate Deniers” • Researchers at Stanford found that those who deny human causes for climate change can be swayed through conversations that appeal to their different identities, reframe solutions, or even embrace their climate views. They have four suggestions for breaking down barriers in conversation. [Phys.Org]
• “Tesla Is The Most Valuable Auto Company In The History Of America” • Barron’s noted on January 7th, 2020, that Tesla had become the most valuable auto company in US history. Let me repeat: Not just currently. We are talking about the most valuable American auto company in US history. Congratulations to Elon and Tesla! [CleanTechnica]

Cooling off at a misting fan in Melbourne (Saeed Khan | AFP via Getty Images)

• “It’s Official: 2019 Was The Second-Hottest Year On Record” • From France to Australia, from India to Alaska … if you stepped outside in almost any corner of the globe, you could feel it. 2019 was hot. Really hot. In fact, we just lived through the second-hottest year ever recorded, according to the European Union’s flagship climate monitoring organization. [CNN]

Friday, January 10

• “Trump Announces Overhaul Of Landmark Environmental And Climate Rules” • President Donald Trump announced changes to National Environmental Policy Act rules, which requires federal agencies to assess the environmental impact of projects such as the construction of mines, highways, water infrastructure and gas pipelines. [CNN]

Cadillac EV

• “GM And LG Chem’s 30+ GWh Ohio Battery Gigafactory Highlights Rapid EV Industry Progress” • A month ago, GM and LG Chem announced a joint venture to build a 30+ GWh battery factory in Ohio, and drive down battery costs in the process. The announcement shows clearly how much and how quickly the EV industry has changed. [CleanTechnica]
• “Mercedes/BMW Ride-Hailing Group “Free Now” Buys 60 Tesla Automobiles” • Free Now is a mobility service owned by Mercedes and BMW jointly. A Handlesblatt report says Free Now decided to expand its fleet of electric taxis in Germany and will begin by adding 60 Teslas to its fleet of cars in Hamburg, where Free Now has its headquarters. [CleanTechnica]

Saturday, January 11

Smoke rising from wildfires in Australia (DELWP Gippsland | AP)

• “Australia Is Burning. The Arctic Is Melting. Yet Trump Keeps Gutting Climate Change Regulations.” • Increasingly, the world is feeling the dangerous impacts of climate change. But the Trump administration is steadfast in pursuit of one of its signature policy goals: gutting environmental regulations, including those aimed at curbing climate change. [CNN]
• “California’s Renewable Energy Targets Slashed Carbon Pollution – Now There’s A Proposal To Pause Them” • Analysis shows California’s renewable energy targets helped drive a large drop in emissions and pushed the state past its 2020 climate goals early. Yet one California lawmaker wants to put a stop to the mandate, for now. [Lost Coast Outpost]

Chrysler C7 Airstream coupe, very modern in 1936 (sv1ambo, Wikimedia Commons)

• “Fiat Chrysler Will Basically Fund Tesla’s Gigafactory 4” • Last year, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles made a deal to pool its fleet with Tesla’s in order to comply with Europe’s stricter emissions rules. According to a US investment bank, the deal is worth $2 billion through 2023 and will basically provide funding for Tesla’s new German factory. [CleanTechnica]

Sunday, January 12

• “Traffic On Monongahela River Slows Due To Slump In Coal Demand” • Pittsburgh’s three rivers have dropped from being the No 1 inland port in the US to fourth due to the slump in the demand for coal. Shipping on the rivers has dropped from nearly 52 million tons in the early part of this century to 27 million in 2017, an official report says. [Observer-Reporter]

Dunn Road fire (Sam Mooy | Getty Images)

• “Scott Morrison Can’t Afford To Waste The Bushfire Crisis When Australia Urgently Needs Its Own Green New Deal” • The lies of the climate deniers have to be rejected. This is a time for truth telling, not obfuscation and gaslighting, writes former Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull. He calls for a Green New Deal in Australia. [The Guardian]
• “Australian Megafire Engulfs Nearly 1.5 Million Acres” • Two wildfires in southeastern Australia have merged, creating one megafire that spans 2,300 square miles (6,000 square km – somewhat larger than the US state of Delaware). It is just one of at least 155 are burning in New South Wales, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. [Livescience.com]

Monday, January 13

Proterra Jouley Electric School Bus (Courtesy Proterra)

• “Largest Electric School Bus Program In United States Launching In Virginia” • Dominion Energy partnered with local Virginia school districts to begin replacing diesel buses with 100% electric school buses in phases. Thomas Built Buses Inc has been selected as the provider of all 50 of the initial electric school buses. [CleanTechnica]
• “IRENA: Renewable Energy Must Double In 10 Years” • The International Renewable Energy Agency said that to address climate change, renewable sources need to grow from the current 26% of global power to at least 57% by 2030. This will require annual investment in the sector to double from $330 billion to $750 billion. [Gulf News]

Wallaby eating a carrot (NSW DPIE handout, via Reuters)

• “Ausstralian Firefighters Say ‘Megablaze’ Near Sydney Is Under Control” • Exhausted firefighters said the largest “megablaze” is under control, as wet weather promised to deliver a respite that is much needed. The vast Gospers Mountain fire on Sydney’s northwestern outskirts has been burning out of control for nearly three months. [The Japan Times]

Tuesday, January 14

• “Australia Fires Will Be ‘Normal’ In Warmer World” • UK scientists say the recent fires in Australia are a taste of what the world will experience as temperatures rise. Prof Richard Betts from the Met Office Hadley Centre said we are “seeing a sign of what would be normal conditions under a future warming world of 3°C.” [BBC]

Moy Wind Farm, Scotland (Mars Incorporated)

• “Business Leaders Must Help Fight The Climate Crisis” • This is a make-or-break year. Global emissions have risen for three consecutive years when they should be dropping sharply, if the world is to meet the goals of the Paris climate agreement. I’m an optimist, and I believe we can respond with material action. But we are running out of time. [CNN]
• “Oceans Are Warming At The Same Rate As If Five Hiroshima Bombs Were Dropped In Every Second” • A study showed that 2019 was another year of record ocean warming.The world’s oceans are now heating at the same rate as if five Hiroshima atomic bombs were dropped into the water every second, scientists have said. [CNN]

Wednesday, January 15

Installing a solar system (Source: Science in HD, via Unsplash)

• “Transitioning To 100% Renewable Energy By 2050 Would Pay For Itself” • A global effort to eliminate the world’s greenhouse gas emissions implies a transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050. According to analysis, that would cost C$95 trillion ($72.7 trillion), but the investment would pay for itself in only seven years. [The Weather Network]
• “Three-Quarters Of New US Generating Capacity In 2020 Will Be Renewable, EIA Says” • According to the latest EIA data, wind and solar will make up 32 GW of the 42 GW of new capacity additions expected to start commercial operation in 2020, respectively, dwarfing the 9.3 GW of natural-gas-fired plants to come online this year. [Greentech Media]

Wind and coal (Credit: Andrew, Creative Commons)

“Replacing Coal With Renewables Could Save Energy Customers $8 Billion A Year, Financial Analysts Find” • Analysts at Morgan Stanley and Moody’s Investors Service expect electric utilities to accelerate their transition away from coal. Replacing coal with renewable energy could save electricity customers as much as $8 billion each year. [DeSmog]

 

Energy Week #354: 1/16/2020

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

Energy Week #353: 1/9/2020

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 #353: 1/9/2020

Thursday,  January 2

Smoky Hills Wind Farm (Drenaline, Wikimedia Commons)

• “Kansas’ Embrace Of Wind Energy Helps It Reduce CO₂ Emissions” • Kansas has been able to reduce its CO₂ emissions for a 10th straight year, largely due to the rapid adoption of wind energy and a slow move away from coal powered electricity. The Kansas News Service reports that about 36% of all electricity produced in Kansas is from wind. [KSHB]
• “Sebastian Kurz-Led Conservatives To Form Coalition Government With Greens In Austria” • Austria’s conservatives led by Sebastian Kurz agreed to form an unprecedented coalition government with the Greens, capping almost three months of negotiations. It will mark the first time the Green party has been in power. [WION]

Solar array (APPA | Unsplash)

• “German Solar Grows 30% In 2019” • The solar market grew by about 30% in 2019 with almost 4 GW of new projects installed, nitial analysis by the German solar industry association BSW said. The association said falling PV prices with increased power prices, intensifying climate debate, and growing electromobility were the main reasons for growth. [reNEWS]

Friday, January 3

• “Trump Administration Plans 2020 Approvals For Major Projects” • The Trump administration is poised this year to do what congressional Democrats and other critics of the president’s “energy dominance” campaign have been demanding for a long time: Advance large-scale renewable energy projects on federal lands. [E&E News]

Fat sheep living on seaweed (Fionn McArthur, Start Point Media)

• “Belching In A Good Way: How Livestock Could Learn From Orkney Sheep” • One of the Orkney islands, North Ronaldsay, is home to 50 people and 2,000 sheep. In the 19th Century, the islanders built a stone wall to confine the flock to the shoreline, where it survived on seaweed. That special diet could hold the key more climate-friendly livestock farming. [BBC]
• “Australia Fires: Navy Rescues People From Fire-Hit Mallacoota” • The Australian navy has evacuated around 1,000 tourists and residents who were trapped in the fire-ravaged town of Mallacoota on the Victoria coast. The evacuees will be taken to Western Port, the navy said, around 16 hours’ voyage down the coast. [BBC]

Saturday, January 4 

Motiva refinery Port Arthur, Texas (Motiva image)

• “Oil And Petrochemical Companies Want YOU To Pay To Protect Them From Climate Change!” • Not content with ruining the Earth with billions of tons of CO₂ and plastic waste, oil and petrochemical companies want the federal government to build enclaves to protect their refining facilities from rising sea levels and more powerful storms. [CleanTechnica]
• “Australia’s Fires Could Change The Country Forever” • The natural rhythms of Australia’s environment include wildfires, but scientists haven’t seen anything like this before. At least 12 million acres of land have already been scorched and more than a hundred blazes are still active, but the fire season has yet to reach its peak. [NBCNews.com]

After Hurricane Maria (Photo: Mario Tama | Getty Images)

• “Groundbreaking Study Finds ‘Fingerprint’ Of Human-Caused Climate Change In Global Daily Weather” • Scientists can now detect the “fingerprint” of human-caused climate change in a global perspective of daily weather patterns, according to a groundbreaking analysis published in the journal Nature Climate Change. [Common Dreams]

Sunday, January 5

• “Lithium For Tesla Battery Uses Less Water Than 11 Avocados” • Reportedly, 3,840 liters (1,104 gallons) of water are evaporated for a 64-kWh battery. According to the director of the Helmholtz Institute for Electrochemical Energy Storage, this is the amount of water used to producte in 250 grams of beef, 10 avocados, or 30 cups of coffee. [CleanTechnica]

How one fire can start another fire miles away

• “Australia Fires: A Visual Guide To The Bushfire Crisis” • Record-breaking temperatures and months of severe drought have fueled a series of massive bushfires across Australia. The fires, burning since September, have intensified over the past week. High temperatures and strong winds are forecast for the weekend, creating further fire risk. [BBC]
• “Avangrid Betting Big On Renewable Energy” • Avangrid is pushing forward with multi-billion-dollar initiatives to create two wind farms off the coast of Nantucket, about 30 miles south of Cape Cod. Together, they would add more power to the New England grid than the company’s controversial $1 billion Maine transmission project. [Lewiston Sun Journal]

Monday, January 6

Tesla police car for Westport, Connecticut (image via Twitter)

• “Police Department Adds 2020 Tesla Model 3 And Explains Why” • Asked why he chose the Model 3, Police Chief Koskinas says he “believes in being green.” However, the car’s unmatched performance for the money, its 5 star safety rating, its top-of-the-industry collision avoidance technology, and its low lifetime cost also were factors. [CleanTechnica]
• “Australia Fires: Rain Brings Relief But Huge Blazes Expected Ahead” • Sooty rain fell on Australia’s east coast, from Sydney to Melbourne, with “torrential” rain reported in some parts of New South Wales. But officials warned it would get hot again soon and huge fires in Victoria and NSW could meet to create a larger “mega blaze.” [BBC]
• “Innovative New Orleans School Puts Focus On Environment, Climate Change” • A high school in New Orleans is preparing students for careers in coastal protection and restoration, anticipating a future with ongoing climate change and sea level rise. New Harmony High School opened in 2018 and has about 100 south Louisiana students. [WBRZ]

Tuesday, January 7

Biogas plant (Shutterstock image)

• “Las Vegas Taxi Company Orders Hundreds Of Teslas” • Kaptyn, which has 872 taxis among its total of 1,400 vehicles in Las Vegas, launched 30 Teslas in its taxi service in the city. That, however, is just a soft launch of its Tesla fleet. The number of electric vehicles in the fleet will be in the hundreds by sometime in February. [CleanTechnica]
• “EU Plans ‘Big Increase’ In Green Gas To Meet Climate Goals” • Production of biogas, biomethane, and “green” hydrogen will have to increase by at least 1,000% by 2050 to reach the EU’s climate neutrality objective for that year, an EU official has said. Renewable gases today already represent around 7% of gross inland energy consumption. [EURACTIV]

Closed coal mine in Asturias (Alvaro Fuente | Getty Images)

• “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Drop In Spain As Power Plants Ditch Coal” • Spain has taken just one year to reach a goal that was expected to require a decade. The government had predicted that by 2030 coal would no longer be used in power plants to generate electricity, yet this objective was all but achieved last year. [EL PAÍS in English]

Wednesday, January 8 

Flaring gas (Getty Images)

• “Iran Attack: Crude Oil Prices Rise After Iraq Missile Attacks” • Oil prices have risen further after two bases hosting US troops in Iraq were hit by ballistic missiles. Brent crude was up by 1.4% at $69.21 per barrel in the middle of the Asian trade, easing back from earlier gains. Global stock market prices were sent lower on concerns over the conflict. [BBC]
• “US Greenhouse Gas Emissions Fell In 2019 Due To Less Coal Consumption, Data Shows” • After rising sharply in 2018, US greenhouse gas emissions fell an estimated 2.1% in 2019, analysis of preliminary figures published by the Rhodium Group shows. The fall is almost solely due to reduced use of coal for generating electricity. [CNN]

Siemens Gamesa offshore wind turbine (Siemens Gamesa image)

• “Dominion’s Planned US Offshore Wind Project Could Be World’s Largest At 2.64 GW” • Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy said that Dominion Energy named it the preferred supplier for what could be the largest offshore wind farm in the world, at 2.64 GW. Siemens said model and number of turbines remain to be determined. [Power Engineering Magazine]

 

Energy Week #353: 1/9/2020

 

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