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Energy Week #363: 3/19/2020
Thursday, March 12
Pump jacks (David McNew | Reuters)
- “The Oil Industry Doesn’t Want To Be Bailed Out By Trump” • The shale industry that made the US the world’s leading oil and gas producer is facing its deepest crisis yet, triggered by a trade war and the coronavirus. Reportedly, the Trump administration is considering federal assistance. Industry leaders, however, say they don’t want a bailout. [CNN]
- “Renewables To Make A$1 Trillion In New Coal-Fired Plants Uncompetitive” • Analysis published by Carbon Tracker found more than half of coal-fired power stations worldwide were more costly to run than building new renewable energy. And by 2030, all coal capacity will be uncompetitive with renewables in all markets. [The Sydney Morning Herald]
Offshore wind turbines (Shaun Dakin | Unsplash)
- “US East Coast Offshore To ‘Deliver 83,000 Jobs'” • The US offshore wind sector could deliver up to 83,000 jobs and $25 billion in annual economic output by 2030, a report by the American Wind Energy Association says. The report assessed the impact of 30 GW of projects expected to be developed off the East Coast of the US by 2030. [reNEWS]
Friday, March 13
- “39% Of Toxic Air Emissions In USA Come From 100 Facilities” • The Environmental Integrity Project is made up of former EPA enforcement attorneys, public interest lawyers, investigators, analysts, and community organizers. It issued a report showing that 39% of all of the toxic air emissions in the US came from 100 facilities in 2018. [CleanTechnica]
Floatgen (Ideol image)
- “Floatgen Output Soars On February High Winds” • The 2-MW Floatgen floating wind pilot off the French Atlantic coast had its best month for production to date in February. Ideol, which developed the floating foundation, said it achieved a capacity factor of 66.3% and produced 923.2 MWh of clean electricity. Time availability stood at 95.7%. [reNEWS]
- “The US Is Ramping Up Its Wind Power Production” • While solar power projects have become supersized, the size of wind turbines has also grown rapidly. In particular, the growth in the size of wind turbine blades over the last decades has greatly transformed the wind power industry for the better, producing more power from larger “swept areas.” [OilPrice.com]
Saturday, March 14
Stromness, Orkney (Wikipedia)
- “This Small Island Chain Is Leading The Way On Hydrogen Power” • A group of islands off the northern coast of Scotland is an unlikely pioneer in hydrogen power. Orkney, better known for its breathtaking coastal scenery and some of Britain’s oldest heritage sites than for its cutting edge approach to energy, has been quietly leading on hydrogen technology. [CNN]
- “Wind Plants Can Provide Grid Services Similar To Gas, Hydro, Easing Renewables Integration: CAISO” • Wind plants have the potential to provide grid services that match those of a gas plant or hydroelectric facility, the California Independent System Operator has found. In a test, wind provided services at least as well as conventional plants. [Utility Dive]
Energy transition
- “Could The Oil Price Collapse Drive More Investment Into Renewables?” • Low oil prices will test the resolve of the majors’ energy transition plans, but analysts expect the companies’ long-term commitments to decarbonization and renewable energy to remain intact. It might even speed the transition up, if they find there is no profit in oil. [Greentech Media]
Sunday, March 15
- “‘A Step In The Right Direction’: More UW Campuses Moving Off Coal” • The Platteville campus of the University of Wisconsin is transitioning away from coal this month. A total of eight UW campuses doing so, also including Superior, Eau Claire, Stout, River Falls, LaCrosse, Oshkosh and Stevens Point. They are on the move toward more sustainable energy. [WKOW]
Grizzly bear in Canada
- “Bears Are Waking Up – Because It’s Too Warm, Too Soon” • After record breaking warm weather in Europe and the US this winter, the bears are waking up from hibernation early because they think it’s spring. So why is this early emergence of the bears a problem? Because they are hungry and there isn’t much for them to eat. [Electrek]
- “Trump Strikes Oil After Russia Moves To ‘Cripple’ US Shale” • At a White House Rose Garden press conference, President Trump stated that his administration would orchestrate the purchase of large quantities of crude oil to help the struggling US oil industry and build up strategic national reserves. The move is expected to cost $2.5 billiion. [The Epoch Times]
Monday, March 16
White roofs for cooling – Santorini (Yvette Kelly | AAP)
- “We Must Fight Climate Change Like It’s World War III – Here Are Four Potent Weapons To Deploy” • We are a group of experts in physics, geology, science education, coral reefs, and climate system science. We believe the lack of progress by governments in reducing global emissions means bold solutions are now urgently needed. [The Conversation AU]
- “Renewable Energy Could Power The World By 2050” • Virtually all the world’s demand for electricity to run transport, for heating and cooling, and to provide the power demanded by industry, could be met by renewable energy by mid-century. This is the consensus of 47 peer-reviewed research papers from 13 independent groups. [Truthdig]
Women carrying coal in India (Reuters image)
- “Coronavirus Outbreak: Coal Import Declines 14% To 17 Million Tonnes In February” • India’s coal imports registered a decline of 14.1% to 17.01 million tonnes in February in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, according to industry data. The overall trend in coal imports had been increasing until the coronavirus pandemic. [BW Businessworld]
Tuesday, March 17
- “US Solar Installations Shot Up Last Year, But Coronavirus Could Have An Impact Going Forward” • A report by the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables says almost 40% of US generating capacity added last year was solar. The SEIA is monitoring changes to the industry that COVID-19 pandemic could cause. [CNBC]
Solar panels (Mariana Proença | Unsplash)
- “NYSERDA Selects Boralex Solar Projects Under Request For Proposal” • Four solar projects of Canadian renewable energy company Boralex were selected by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority under a solicitation of 2019. One project is Greens Corners, at 120 MW; the others are 19.99 MW each. [Power Technology]
- “The People Cleaning Up The Oil Spills Of The Amazon” • For decades, pits of waste crude have dotted the Amazon rainforest in northern Ecuador. Now people are using resilient plants, fungi and bacteria to try to clean them up. Bioremediation uses living organisms like plants, fungi, and microbes to break down several pollutants, including crude oil. [BBC]
Wednesday, March 18
Pollution in China
- “China’s Coronavirus Lockdown Curbs Deadly Pollution, Likely Saving The Lives Of Tens Of Thousands, Says Researcher” • The drastic measures enforced by China during the coronavirus outbreak have greatly reduced deadly air pollution, potentially saving the lives of 50,000 to 75,000 people, a researcher at Stanford University said. [CNN]
- “A Red State Template For 100% Renewables? Utah Bill Unites Rocky Mountain Power, Cities, And Activists” • Utah got approval from an 80% Republican legislature to move more than one-third of the state’s population to 100% renewables by 2030. By doing that, it has accomplished something that many people thought was impossible. [Utility Dive]
Diversity: Hard hats, pipelines, waste isolation, pumping oil
- “A Faltering Fracking Industry, On The Verge Of A Bailout, Mixes Patriotism And Oil In The Permian” • Abundant signs across the Permian Basin, one of the most prolific oil and natural gas plays in the US, suggest that supporting the industry that’s one of the largest contributors to the climate crisis is a matter of American pride. [DeSmog]
Energy Week #363: 3/19/2020
Energy, renewable energy, wind power, Solar, batteries, Nuclear, coal, oil, gas, Climate Change
Energy Week with George Harvey and Tom Finnell 