Energy Week #370: 5/7/2020

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 #370: 5/7/2020

Thursday, April 30

Sun setting on a nodding donkey (Eric Gay | AP)

• “The World May Never Recover Its Thirst For Oil” • The world is learning to live with less oil. The coronavirus pandemic has destroyed demand for gasoline and jet fuel as billions of people stay home, and there’s no guarantee it will ever fully recover despite rock-bottom prices. The oil industry is bracing for the effects of the crisis to linger. [CNN]

Offshore wind farm (Phil Noble | Reuters)

• “Renewable Energy Helps Utilities Survive Virus Slump” • Energy companies from Ørsted A/S to Iberdrola SA reported robust first quarter earnings in a period that has been bedeviled by a slump in energy demand and a collapse in gas prices. Large wind and solar portfolios have so far protected those companies from the worst effects of the crisis. [gcaptain.com]

Coal-burning power plant (Lukas Schulze | Getty Images)

• “Covid-19 Crisis Will Wipe Out Demand For Fossil Fuels, Says IEA” • The International Energy Agency said the outbreak of Covid-19 would wipe out demand for fossil fuels by prompting a collapse in energy demand seven times greater than the slump caused by the global financial crisis. It said renewable energy will continue to grow. [The Guardian]

Indian Point nuclear plant

• “Indian Point 1-GW Nuclear Unit 2 Closing Permanently” • Tonight, April 30, with the push of a red button, one of the two operating nuclear reactors at the Indian Point Energy Center along the Hudson River north of New York City will shut down. The plant is 24 miles from Manhattan. Demolition is projected to cost $2.3 billion. [Power Engineering Magazine]

Friday, May 1

Source of medical materials (Photo: Aquapix | NOAA)

• “The Ocean Genome Helps Fight Disease: Here’s How We Save It” • The ocean plays a surprising role in fighting Covid-19. The “ocean genome” is a rich source of anti-viral compounds. And enzymes from a remarkable hydrothermal vent bacterium have been key to the technology in virus test kits, including those used to diagnose Covid-19. [CleanTechnica]

US shale gas plays (EIA, Wikimedia Commons)

• “The Oil Bankruptcies Are Just Beginning. Here’s Who Could Be Next” • The oil crash is blocking US fracking companies from accessing the cheap credit that fueled their prolific rise. That reversal of fortunes could prove fatal for overleveraged shale oil companies, and the weakest players are likely to be tipped into bankruptcy. [CNN]

Saturday, May 2

Alamosa solar project (US DOE image)

• “Trump Admin Sits On $43 Billion Intended For Clean Energy Loans While Unemployment Soars” • While the nation struggles to find ways to ramp up the economy so people can get back to work, over $43 billion in low-interest loans earmarked for clean energy projects sits undistributed by the Trump administration, The New York Times reported. [EcoWatch]

Have a sunny day!

• “City of Houston Surprises: 100% Renewable Electricity – $65 Million in Savings in 7 Years” • Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that the City of Houston has committed to purchasing 100% renewable energy through a renewed partnership with NRG Energy. The City realize $65 million in savings over the seven-year contract. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines (Credit: Jason Blackeye | Unsplash)

• “International Report Makes Business Case For Renewables Investment” • A report from the International Renewable Energy Agency makes the business case for investment in renewables. It says future decarbonization is still possible despite the economic fallout from the pandemic, and it highlights climate-safe options for investment. [Environment + Energy Leader]

Sunday, May 3

MV Osprey delivering jackets for Moray Firth East Wind Farm

• “Port Of Nigg Takes Delivery Of Massive Offshore Wind Farm Jackets For Moray East Development” • The heavy lift vessel MV Osprey, delivered the first eight out of 103 jacket structures for the 100-turbine Moray East Offshore Windfarm. The jacket structures will be taken to the wind farm site in the Moray Firth for installation. [Northern Times]

Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park

• “Dubai Achieves Record Lowest Tariff For Solar Project” • The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority awarded the 900-MW PV fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum Solar Park to a consortium led by ACWA Power. The winning tariff, which is 1.6953¢/kWh, establishes a new global benchmark for the cost of solar PV energy. [Arab News]

Modvion CLT tower on ferry (Modvion image)

• “Modvion Completes First Wind Turbine Tower In Sweden” • Cross laminated timber is lighter and stronger than steel, which permits a narrower base for tall wind towers. The towers are modular and can be shipped in sections to be assembled onsite, eliminating many transportation issues of wider steel masts. Now Monvion has its test mast built. [CleanTechnica]

Monday, May 4

Pilbara snakewood trees (Jim Bendon, Wikimedia Commons)

• “WA Watchdog Green-Lights World’s Biggest Hybrid Wind And Solar Hub” • A 15-GW wind and solar renewable energy project in Western Australia got a green light for environmental approval. The proposed Asian Renewable Energy Hub would supply the Pilbara power grid and develop a hub for generating green hydrogen. [The Sydney Morning Herald]

BNEF LCOE chart for 2019

• “It’s Time Coalition Listened To Experts On Climate And Energy, And Plotted A Green New Deal” • Australian prime minister Scott Morrison often says he is yet to see the evidence that lowering emissions fast enough to avert a climate crisis can be achieved in a way that doesn’t create an economic crisis too. Clearly, he is not looking. [Renewables Now]

DeepGreen’s Exploration Vessel

• “Oceans May Be Best Place To Get EV Battery Metals” • A study, which was commissioned by deep-sea mining company DeepGreen, shows it would be better to get the metals needed for batteries from ocean nodules than to mine them on land. There is less net cost for society and less environmental damage mining metals from the ocean. [CleanTechnica]

Tuesday, May 5

Utility-scale battery (Image: Southern Power)

• “California Utility Inks 770 MW Of Storage Deals” • Southern California Edison has signed seven contracts totaling 770 MW for battery energy storage to help enhance the state’s electric system reliability needs and integrate new renewable power. Most of the contracted battery projects are to be co-located with solar power plants. [reNEWS]

Solar array and a coal plant

• “Renewables Topped Coal in US Generation Every day in April” • Data from the Energy Information Administration shows that renewables generated more electricity than coal every day in the month of April. This impressive stretch actually began on March 25 and is still going on as of May 3, 40 days later. This point was not expected until 2021. [Saurenergy]

Hambach coal mine (King Otto, Wikimedia Commons)

• “Meyer Burger Plans 10 GW Of Floating Solar For North Rhine-Westphalia” • The CEO of Swiss technology company Meyer Burger said it is developing plans to build a factory in Germany to make PVs that are up to 24% efficient. He said 10 GW of the panels could cover the lake left behind when the Hambach coal mine closes. [CleanTechnica]

Wednesday, May 6

Neoen solar farm (Neoen image)

• “Neoen To Build Australia’s Largest Solar Farm After Power Deal With CleanCo” • French renewables developer Neoen will build a 400-MW solar farm in Queensland with a contract to sell most of the power to CleanCo, a state-owned clean energy company. Western Downs Green Power Hub will be Australia’s largest solar farm. [pv magazine Australia]

BYD electric truck (BYD courtesy image)

• “California On Verge Of Making Truck Manufacturers Produce Electric Trucks” • The California Air Resources Board released the final draft of the Advanced Clean Trucks standard, a policy that will require truck manufacturers to sell electric trucks. There will be a 30-day public comment period followed by a Board vote on June 25–26. [CleanTechnica]

Renewably powered tanker

• “Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy solution undergoes feasibility study for LR2 tanker” • Marine renewable energy technology company Eco Marine Power, based in Japan, announced that it has started a feasibility study regarding the implementation of its Aquarius Marine Renewable Energy design for an LR2 Tanker. [Manifold Times]

Energy Week #370: 5/7/2020

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

Energy Week #369: 4/30/2020

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 #369: 4/30/2020

Thursday, April 23

Battery project at a wind farm (Credit: NextEra Energy)

• “NextEra Energy Looks To Spend $1 Billion On Energy Storage In 2021” • Renewables developer NextEra reported its financial results for the first quarter, saying its renewables development unit has been unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic. It has plans for massive investments in the near future, including spending $1 billion on battery projects. [Greentech Media]

Pumpjack in the Permian Basin (Spencer Platt | Getty Images)

• “Super-Polluting Methane Emissions Twice Federal Estimates in Permian Basin, Study Finds” • Methane emissions from the Permian basin, one of the largest oil-producing regions in the world, are more than two times higher than federal estimates, according to a study recently published in the journal Science Advances. [InsideClimate News]

Changing prices (Olivier Douliery | AFP via Getty Images)

• “How The Coronavirus Has Impacted The Oil Industry – And The Future Of The Climate Crisis” • On Monday, oil prices fell to as low as minus $40 and eventually settling at minus $37.63 per barrel. Scared investors and negative oil prices leave the future of the industry on shaky ground. They may poise renewable energy options for a greener future. [The Hill]

Friday, April 24

Wind turbine and solar panels (GE Renewables image)

• “84-GW US Renewables+Storage Pipeline Has Developers Anxious For Market Integration Rules” • Counting projects of 1 MW or more, 4.6 GW of operating US renewables projects are co-located with batteries. The immediate development pipeline has 14.7 GW more. Behind those are 69 GW more. Developers want to know what the rules are. [Utility Dive]

Polluting power plant (Image: Shutterstock)

• “JBIC Becomes Third Japanese Bank In A Month To Signal Move Away From Coal” • The governor of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation said the bank will no longer accept loan applications for new coal power projects. The statement comes as more Asian firms ditch coal, with the capital flight from the fossil fuel accelerating. [Eco-Business]

Wind turbines (Getty Images)

• “Ofgem Backs Shetland Subsea Power Cable Plans” • Energy regulator Ofgem approved plans for a subsea power cable which would take energy from Shetland to the Scottish mainland. The Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks plan for a 600-MW transmission link to export renewable electricity from Shetland to the rest of Britain. [BBC News] (160 miles – ghh)

Saturday, April 25

US Aquifers (Credit: USGS)

• “US Supreme Court Decides Clean Water Act Applies To Groundwater” • This week, the Supreme Court made a ruling on a case involved the activities of a wastewater treatment plant on the island of Maui, Hawaii. Waste water was being pumped underground. But it was subsequently getting into the ocean, and the ruling says that is not permissible. [CleanTechnica]

Bye Aerospace Electric eFlyer (Courtesy Bye Aerospace)

• “Electric Air Taxi Service Set To Launch In California By 2021” • Quantum Air announced plans to launch what it’s calling a world’s first: an air taxi service using a fleet of 26 all-electric flying taxis to shuttle passengers between major points in the greater Los Angeles area. Quantum says its air taxi flights will be surprisingly affordable. [CleanTechnica]

Growing tomatoes (Gab997, Wikimedia Commons)

• “We Must Fix Our Food System To Withstand Disasters” • Just as this pandemic has shone a light on the fragility of our medical system, it has also shown that the US food system is broken. Our food supply comes largely from megacorporations across the globe; disruptions are widely felt and impossible to plan for in advance. [CleanTechnica]

Sunday, April 26

Oil tankers (Hamad I Mohammed | Reuters)

• “Australian Government’s $94 Million Crude Oil Purchase Offers A Simple Economics Lesson” • Last week, Australia took advantage of record-low oil prices to buy crude oil it needed to maintain a fuel stockpile. This illustrates the difference between energy that must be stocked, such as oil, and energy that flows naturally, such as renewables. [ABC News]

Turning PET into electrodes (American Chemical Society image)

• “New Research Turns Old Soda Bottles Into Battery Electrodes In Microwave” • Researchers at Purdue University have devised a way to use microwaves to convert plastic waste into battery electrode material. The process applies to PET – polyethylene terephthalate – the most commonly used plastic for single-use water and soda bottles. [CleanTechnica]

Lightning

• “As Extreme Weather Spurs Billions In Utility Resilience Spending, Regulators Struggle To Value Investments” • The National Renewable Energy Laboratory tried to evaluate approaches to resilience to guide utility investing. It found there are too many factors to quantify easily. This moves regulators back to human judgment. [Utility Dive]

Monday, April 27

Starlink launch (Credit: SpaceX via Flickr)

• “Starlink Private Beta Testing To Begin In 3 Months, Public Beta Testing To Follow” • SpaceX has launched 422 low Earth orbit Starlink satellites, with more coming in May and June. Private beta testing of the Starlink network will start within the next three months, Elon Musk says. SpaceX has permission to launch 12,000 satellites. [CleanTechnica] (This will bring internet in areas that now have no grid power. GHH)

Tankers (from a video by USCG PO3 Aidan Cooney)

• “Oil Tankers Lurk Off The Coast Of California” • The US Coast Guard is monitoring the “increased presence” of oil tankers that are hanging out in the seas near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. With the collapse in demand for crude oil, these tankers are being used pretty much as floating storage units for barrels of oil. [CleanTechnica]

Small hydropower plant in New York (Shinerunner, Wikimedia Commons)

• “US Renewables Provide More Electricity Than Coal In January-February” • Renewable energy sources produced 10.6% more electricity than coal during the first two months of 2020 and topped nuclear power in February, according to a SUN DAY Campaign analysis of recently-released data from the US Energy Information Administration. [Renewables Now]

Tuesday, April 28

North Dakota wetland (Krista Lundgren | USFWS, Wikimedia Commons)

• “The EPA’s Dirty Water: New Rule Discards Science, Ignores Importance of Wetlands And Tributaries” • In its latest act of abdication, the EPA published its Navigable Waters Protection Rule in the Federal Register on April 21. The EPA’s own Science Advisory Board said its formulation did not incorporate the “best available science.” [CleanTechnica]

Solar farm (Credit: Samuel Faber | Pixabay)

• “NJ Goes To Court To Fight Federal Order On Renewable Energy Sources” • New Jersey appealed a federal order that would raise the cost of energy from renewables, saying the measure exceeds federal authority and would slow the switch to clean energy. Advocacy groups in Delaware, Maryland, and the District of Columbia joined in the action. [NJ Spotlight]

Millstone nuclear plant, Niantic, Connecticut (JJBers, Wikimedia Commons)

• “As Pandemic Rages, Federal Nuclear Regulators Put Keeping Reactors Running Ahead Of Public Health And Safety” • How is the NRC responding to the coronavirus pandemic? By letting nuclear plants cut back workforces for social distancing, creating 84-hour work weeks, and by having the NRC inspectors work from home. [Environmental Working Group]

Wednesday, April 29

Michael Moore (Santiago Felipe | Getty Images)

• “Michael Moore’s Latest Film Is Riddled With Errors – And Millions Are Watching” • “Planet of the Humans,” produced by Michael Moore and Jeff Gibbs, is ostensibly about climate change. But Gibbs spends most of the so-called “documentary” railing against the problems of renewable energy and spinning out conspiracy theories. [Grist]

Tulips and turbines (Martijn Baudoin | Unsplash)

• “Five Renewable Start-Ups Getting Funding Despite Coronavirus” • Despite the slowdown in renewable energy production caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, people are still investing in renewable energy projects, in particular start-ups. Power Technology takes a look at the top five projects being funded during the pandemic. [Power Technology]

Macarthur Wind Farm (AMP Capital)

• “Recipe for cheaper electricity? Try 90% renewables by 2040” • A report from energy market analysts Reputex finds that the faster the shift to a power market dominated by renewable energy – and the more aggressive the action on climate change – the greater the downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices in the future. [RenewEconomy]

Energy Week #369: 4/30/2020

 

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

Energy Week #368: 4/23/2020

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 #368: 4/23/2020

Thursday, April 16

Solar panels (Pixabay image)

• “Colorado Springs Utility Announces The Start Of Its Largest Solar Project” • Duke Energy Renewables and Colorado Springs Utilities announced the start of operation for the Palmer Solar generating project. The 60-MW project has more than 220,000 solar panels on about 700 acres of land southeast of Colorado Springs. [Environment + Energy Leader]

Meltwater canyon (Ian Joughin | University of Washington | PA)

• “Scientists Confirm Dramatic Melting Of Greenland Ice Sheet” • Greenland’s ice sheet melted dramatically in the summer of 2019, researchers confirmed. A study reveals the loss was largely down to a persistent zone of high pressure. If such high pressure zones become regular weather features, future melting could be twice as high as currently predicted. [The Guardian]

University of Pennsylvania campus (Credit: Chase Sutton)

• “Penn Signs Power Purchase Agreement To Supply Campus With Solar Energy By 2023” • The University of Pennsylvania signed a Power Purchase Agreement for the construction of two new solar energy facilities, with the combined capacity of 220 MW, in central part of the state to supply campus with renewable energy. [The Daily Pennsylvanian]

Friday, April 17

Lake Mead (Getty Images)

• “US Megadrought Already Under Way” • A drought, equal to the worst to have hit the western US in recorded history, is already under way, according to scientists. Researchers say the megadrought is a naturally occurring event that started in the year 2000 and is still ongoing. Climate change is having a major impact, making the drought more severe. [BBC]

GM corporate office (Image credit: General Motors)

• “Work Begins On GM/LG Chem GigaPower Battery Factory” • Tesla isn’t alone working toward an electric automobile future. Just one day after getting approval from the Army Corps of Engineers, work began to clear the land for what GM calls its “GigaPower factory,” a battery manufacturing facility on 158 acres in Mecca Township, Ohio. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines in Kansas (Chris Ochsner | The Star)

• “For First Time, Wind Energy Overtakes Coal In Kansas” • Wind energy has overtaken coal in Kansas for the first time. The American Wind Energy Association reports that wind accounted for the largest share of energy production in Kansas and Iowa in 2019. It is the first time that wind was the top source of electricity for any states. [Kansas City Star]

Saturday, April 18

5000 HP electric dragster (HyperPower courtesy image)

• “The Tiny 1,340 HP Electric Motor Driving The Hyperloop” • Reading the specs on HyperPower’s electric motor is a dizzying experience. At 18 inches by what looks like less than 4 inches, each motor reportedly delivers 1 MW of power, or 1,340 HP. HyperPower has developed the motor so units can be ganged in a compact common shaft engine. [CleanTechnica]

Air pollution, destroying our health (WHO via Twitter)

• “200,000 Americans A Year Die From Air Pollution” • This is a reprint of a 2017 article, but worth review. As we now consider, perhaps more than ever, how much different things cause death in the USA, we should take note of the vast number of premature deaths that come as a result of air pollution – 200,000 a year in the United States. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind farm (Rachel Cooper | Unsplash)

• “Covid-19: UK Wind Farms Could Be Switched Off” • National Grid warned that it could ask UK power plants, including some wind farms, to switch off in order to avoid the network being overwhelmed with electricity as the Covid-19 pandemic hits demand. The UK network operator said there has been a 10% drop in power demand. [reNEWS]

Sunday, April 19

Solar farm in China (Brant Cumming | ABC News)

• “The World’s Energy Order Is Changing – And China Is Set To Reap The Strategic Benefits” • The production cap agreed on by OPEC+, the instability of the markets, the economic fall due to the coronavirus pandemic, and ongoing technological changes are playing out in a power shift. And it looks like China is set to be the main beneficiary. [ABC Science Online]

Greenery (Credit: Jennifer Roper)

• “Designing An End To A Toxic American Obsession: The Lawn” • Lawns cover 2% of the US. Maintaining them produces more greenhouse gases than they absorb. They are biodiversity deserts that have contributed to vanishing insect populations. They require more irrigation than any agricultural crop grown in the country. But there are alternatives. [CNN]

Katy Ayers in her canoe (Courtesy Katy Ayers)

• “Is Fungus The Answer To Climate Change? Student Who Grew A Mushroom Canoe Says Yes” • Catch a glimpse of Katy Ayers paddling her canoe on a Nebraska lake this summer and you might do a double take. Her 8-foot canoe seems much like any other until you look closely. Then you may see it is different; it is made out of mushrooms. [NBC News]

Monday, April 20

Cable wound up on a ship (Image: LS Cable)

• “TenneT Launches 2-GW Cable Project” • TenneT contracted with an international group of cable suppliers to develop a new 2-GW submarine cable connection for offshore wind projects planned off the Dutch and German coasts. The project will deploy a 525-kV high-voltage distributed current extruded submarine cable system. [reNEWS]

Oil rig (Getty Images)

• “US Oil Prices Drop To 21-Year Low As Demand Dries Up” • The price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate dropped 14% to $15.65 in Asian trading, its lowest level since 1999. Earlier this month, OPEC and its allies had agreed a record deal to reduce global output by about 10%. But some analysts said the cut was not big enough to make a difference. [BBC]

Solar array in Mexico (Alfredo Estrella | AFP via Getty Images)

• “Green Energy Investment Could Turbo-Charge Economic Growth Post-Covid, Expert Body Declares” • A report from the International Renewable Energy Agency says investment in renewable energy could turbo-charge economic growth in the aftermath of Covid-19, leaving populations richer, healthier, and safe from future climate risks. [iNews]

Tuesday, April 21

Pump jacks (Shutterstock image)

• “How Can The Oil Price Be Negative?” • Oil is the world’s most heavily traded physical commodity, but most of the trades are in the futures market, with the oil not actually changing hands until a contract matures. When that happens, the oil has to be stored. In the US, that usually means it goes to storage tanks in Cushing, Oklahoma, but the tanks are full. [ShareCafe]

Oil price crash (CNBC graph)

• “Anyone Who Thinks Oil Has Hit A Floor Is ‘Playing With Fire’ – Yes, Prices Can Go Lower” • An oil futures contract in the US made a historic plunge, with West Texas Intermediate crude for May delivery falling below zero for the first time to settle at negative $37.63 per barrel. Oil demand crashed due to the pandemic, and storage facilities are full. [CNBC]

Wind farm (Adam Śmigielski | Unsplash)

• “Renewables Overtake Coal-Fired Power Generation For First Time” • The International Energy Agency report on key electric power trends in the world’s developed economies, released last week, shows renewable energy overtaking coal as a source of electricity generation for the first time. In 2019, coal use was 13.4% lower than in 2018. [MINING.com]

Wednesday, April 22

Strategic Petroleum Reserve sites (Image: US DOE)

• “Speculation, Hopes, Tweets, And Wishful Thinking: Negative Oil Prices Explained” • On April 20, the price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate fell below –$40 a barrel briefly, sending shock waves through the industry and leading to a 600 point drop on Wall Street. How can a barrel of oil be worth less than zero? Here is an explanation. [CleanTechnica]

Monopile foundations on a ship (EEW image)

• “Ørsted, Dominion Primed For Coastal Virginia Build” • Dominion Energy and Ørsted are to begin construction shortly at the two-turbine Coastal Virginia offshore wind demo project, as key components are now on their journey from Europe. Two EEW-fabricated monopile foundations will be the first ever installed in US waters. [reNEWS]

Desert wind turbines (Dennis Schroeder | NREL)

• “US Renewable Energy Additions Completely Overwhelm Those By Natural Gas In First Months Of 2020” • A SUN DAY Campaign review of FERC data has found that solar, wind and hydropower provided 85.7% of new US electrical generating capacity during the first two months of 2020, overwhelming additions of natural gas. [Solar Power World]

Energy Week #368: 4/23/2020

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

Energy Week #367: 4/16/2020

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 #367: 4/16/2020

Thursday, April 9

Oil tanker (Cloudapple, Wikimedia Commons)

(The caption at Wikimedia Commons says this is a super tanker and that the picture was taken in 2020, but I suspect that is an error. I think the picture above may actually be an ore-bulk-oil carrier of the Bridge class, which displace up to  91,655 tonnes. They went out of service in 1997.)

• “Millions Of Barrels Of Oil Nobody Wants Are Floating In The Ocean” • Oil demand is in freefall, thanks to green technology and a pandemic. Oil is at its lowest price in decades, but that hasn’t stopped production. There are now millions and millions of barrels of crude stuck on massive oil tankers, waiting for things to go back to normal. [CleanTechnica]

Black squirrel monkey (Pedro Nassar | AFP | Getty)

• “Wildlife Destruction ‘Not A Slippery Slope But A Series Of Cliff Edges'” • Wildlife species will die out and natural ecosystems collapse in the near future if the climate crisis goes unchecked, scientists have warned. New research shows that the natural world is at far greater risk from climate breakdown than previously thought. [The Guardian]

Coal-fired plant in Wyoming (Greg Goebel, Wikimedia Commons)

• “Despite Trump’s Big Talk, US Coal Production Falls To Lowest Levels Since 1981” • Based on weekly production estimates, S&P Global Market Intelligence has said that US coal production through the first quarter of 2020 fell to its lowest level since 1981, with production estimates suggesting only 151 million tonnes of coal were produced. [RenewEconomy]

Friday, April 10

Building a solar farm (Iberdrola image)

“‘Europe’s Largest’ Solar Power Facility Comes Online As The Industry Faces Coronavirus Challenges” • A 500-MW PV plant, described by Spanish utility Iberdrola as “Europe’s largest,” is sending energy to the grid, a welcome bright spot for an industry that in the months ahead could experience difficulties brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. [CNBC]

Back yard pump jack (Getty Images)

“Oil Producers Agree To Cut Production By A Tenth” • Opec producers and allies have agreed to cut output by around 10% to counter the slump in demand caused by coronavirus lockdowns. The group said it would cut output in May and June by 10 million barrels to help prop up prices. The cuts will then be gradually eased until April 2022. [BCC]

Electrolyzer (ITM Power image)

“Green Hydrogen Pipeline Surges On A Wave Of Announced Mega-Projects” • The pipeline of electrolyzers to produce hydrogen from renewable energy has nearly tripled in just five months, Wood Mackenzie said. It updated green hydrogen data in a report published last October, following an avalanche of new project announcements. [Greentech Media]

Saturday, April 11

Plenty of coal (Credit: US DOE)

• “Coal Companies Want YOU To Pay Their Debts” • The coal industry, what’s left of it, wants American taxpayers to cover more of the cost of treating black lung disease and cleaning up abandoned mines, The Washington Post reports. This is precisely the kind of corporate money grab that some apologists of the so-called free market celebrate. [CleanTechnica]

Flooding in Baltimore, 2008 (Tim Windsor, Creative Commons)

• “Baltimore, Rhode Island Argue They’re Suing Fossil Fuel Companies Over Climate Deception” • At a time when fossil fuel companies are using a public health crisis to demand financial and regulatory support, the governments of Baltimore and Rhode Island are calling out a “decades-long campaign of deception” by these companies. [DeSmog]

Biogas plant (Mike Blake | Reuters)

• “California Sets Goal To Double Clean Energy By 2030” • California adopted an emissions target for its electric sector that would double its clean energy capacity over the next decade and stop development of new natural gas plants. The target is a 56% reduction in CO₂ emissions from 1990 levels by 2030. Some environmentalists say that is not enough. [Reuters]

Sunday, April 12

Spacecraft launch preparations (NASA image)

• “NASA Satellite Ends 17-Year Mission Measuring The Sun’s Impact On Climate” • A spacecraft measuring the amount of solar energy entering Earth’s atmosphere was shut down after 17 years. NASA says that greenhouse gas emissions from human activity have over 50 times the influence of changes in solar energy on global warming. [Spaceflight Now]

• “California Looks For Long-Duration Renewable Energy Storage Contracts For 2026” • An optimal power portfolio for California to drive the world’s fifth largest economy towards greenhouse gas reduction goals for 2030 and then to zero carbon by 2040, includes 1 GW of long duration energy storage, one analyst has said. [SolarPACES]

Research station (©EastGRIP)

• “Coronavirus Puts Arctic Climate Change Research On Ice” • Every year, 150 climate scientists of the EastGRIP project fly to Greenland to bore deep into its largest glacier and measure ice streams beneath it. The ice streams empty into the ocean, rising sea levels. This year the ice streams will go unmeasured because of the coronavirus. [Taiwan News]

Monday, April 13

• “Coronavirus And Flooding Set to Collide in USA – New Union of Concerned Scientists Analysis” • For communities already strained from dealing with the coronavirus, NOAA’s flooding forecast paints a grave picture in which they must somehow meet the intertwined challenges that severe flooding and a pandemic present them. [CleanTechnica]

Pump jack (Tass | Getty Images)

• “Record Deal To Cut Oil Output Ends Price War” • Opec and its allies agreed on a record oil deal that will reduce global output by about 10%, after a slump in demand caused by coronavirus lockdowns. The deal, made via video conference, is the largest agreed cut in oil production ever. Opec+ had announced plans for the deal on 9 April. [BBC]

Murra Warra wind farm in Victoria

• “Australian Renewables Hit 50% Of Main Grid’s Net Demand On Easter Saturday” • Renewable energy hit what may be a record level of renewable energy on grid demand in the early afternoon on Easter Saturday, when the combined output of rooftop solar, large-scale solar, wind, and hydro power accounted for 50.4% of net load. [RenewEconomy]

Tuesday, April 14

Penguin in a green land (Photo by Kelly Levin | WRI)

• “Five Visible Signs Of Climate Change In Antarctica” • Clearly Antarctica itself is not disappearing, but the Antarctica we know, and the life that depends on its glaciers and snowy mountains, is being transformed. There are visible signs of this transformation. Here are a few that present a troubling picture of a warming world. [CleanTechnica]

Graph showing electricity sources (IRENA image)

• “The Fossil Fuel/Renewable Energy Inflection Point: Three Perspectives” • The world is struggling with the coronavirus pandemic, but even the darkest of clouds can have a silver lining. Years from now, when historians look back and try to pinpoint exactly when renewables surged and fossil fuels contracted, this pandemic may what they focus on. [CleanTechnica]

Scientists John Geisz and Ryan France (Dennis Schroeder | NREL)

• “Scientists Set New Solar Power Efficiency Record At Almost 50%” • Scientists at the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory have set a new world record solar energy conversion efficiency, producing an innovative “six-junction” solar cell with 140 layers of semiconductor materials. It converts light into electricity at 47.1% efficiency. [RenewEconomy]

Wednesday, April 15

Earth (Nasa via AP)

• “NASA Fights Campaign To Remove 97% Climate-Change Claim As ‘Consensus’ Challenged” • Nothing sends climate skeptics into orbit faster than seeing NASA repeat the 97% climate-consensus claim, but the effort to have the Obama-era declaration removed from the government website is suffering from a failure to launch. [Washington Times]

Cascadilla solar farm (Courtesy of Sarah Zemanick)

• “New Cascadilla Solar Farm Sustainability Powers 10% Of Cornell University’s Annual Electricity Usage” • Cornell celebrated the opening of its sixth, and largest, major solar project on March 1. The newly minted 18-MW Cascadilla Community Solar Farm will be responsible for generating 10% of Cornell’s energy. [The Cornell Daily Sun]

Solar test facility in Widderstall, Germany (Dr Eugen Lehle, Wikimedia Commons)

• “Stronger Action On Climate Change Would Benefit The Economy, Study Finds” • One main argument against taking action on climate change has always been that it’s too expensive. But research published in the journal Nature finds the opposite is true. The net global economic benefit would range between $127 trillion and $616 trillion by 2100. [CBS News]

Energy Week #367: 4/16/2020

Oil has been stored in tankers sitting at anchor. OPEC+ came to an agreement on production quotas. Coal production keeps falling. Bad coronavirus outbreaks are expected in places where bad flooding is predicted. NASA has refused to take down statements that 97% or more of scientists agree on climate change. A study says we can make money addressing climate change. And there is more.

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

Energy Week #366: 4-9-2020

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 #366: 5/9/2020

Thursday, April 2

Solar array in France (Power Ledger image)

• “Power Ledger To Give French Customers Their Choice Of Energy” • Power Ledger, a peer-to-peer energy trading pioneer from Western Australia, unveiled a project that will allow French customers to customize their energy mix. Green energy retailer eKWateur is partnering with Power Ledger on the project, which is the largest of its type. [pv magazine Australia]

Neighborhood pump jack (David McNew | AFP | Getty Images)

• “The World Could Soon Run Out Of Space To Store Oil. That May Push Prices Below Zero” • The unprecedented collapse in oil demand has sent crude to 18-year lows, and yet a trade war between Saudi Arabia and Russia keeps the oil coming. With all that supply and little demand, The world will soon run out of room to store all the unneeded oil. [CNN]

 

Liebherr electric cement mixer (Liebherr, via Motorpasión)

• “Liebherr Releases First All-Electric Cement Mixer” • Swiss construction firm Liebherr recently announced an all-electric first for heavy-duty construction sites. Meet the ETM – a five-axle semi truck mixer based on the new 670 HP all-electric Volvo FM. It’s the world’s first mixer that is 100% electric, and it’s 100% awesome. [CleanTechnica]

Friday, April 3

Wind turbines in Spain (petter palander, CC 2.0 Generic)

• “Spain’s Renewables Share Hits 50% In March” • Renewables generated 50% of Spain’s electricity in March and 44.7% in the first three months of the year, according to the latest estimates by Spanish grid operator Red Electrica de Espana. Spain has been under a stay-at-home lockdown since March 15 to slow spreading coronavirus infections. [Renewables Now]

Tesla Model 3 and Tesla Model Y (Dick Amacher | CleanTechnica)

• “Tesla Has Best Ever 1st Quarter – 102,672 Vehicles Produced, 88,400 Delivered” • Tesla has yet again broken some records. It produced 102,672 vehicles and delivered 88,400. This is despite COVID-19. Tesla’s Fremont factory and its Shanghai Gigafactory were both shut down for periods of time last quarter due to the coronavirus pandemic. [CleanTechnica]

Coral reef fish (Manu San Felix | National Geographic)

• “Marine Life In The World’s Oceans Can Recover To Healthy Levels By 2050, Researchers Say” • Researchers found that in spite of marine biodiversity losses during the 20th century, the population losses have slowed and in some cases have even seen a resurgence during the 21st century. Scientists nodded to a series of successful interventions. [CNN]

Saturday, April 4

Convenience store (Ted Eytan, CC BY-SA 2.0)

• “Gas Stations Face Bankruptcy As Demand Plummets” • With falling oil prices, followed by loss of demand in a lockdown, lack of profits may force a number of gas stations and convenience stores to close, especially in rural areas or markets dependent on commuters. And, like it or not, that presents a big problem for everyone. [CleanTechnica]

Colstrip power plant (P.primo, Wikimedia Commons)

• “US Coal Likely To Be Spared as Demand Dims in 2020, Analyst Says” • Coal producers’ revenue will be largely spared this year, despite the coronavirus reducing consumption. The Coal companies have supply contracts, and utilities are still buying the fuel even if they don’t need to burn it. But prospects for 2021 look far more dire. [Bloomberg Environment]

SB Energy, Mitsubishi Kotooka wind farm

• “Toyota, Chubu Electric To Form Renewable Power Venture” • Japanese carmaker Toyota Motor Corp is to create a green energy unit to acquire and manage renewable energy plants and supply it with power. The company entered into an agreement with local utility Chubu Electric Power Co Inc to set up Toyota Green Energy LLP. [Renewables Now]

Sunday, April 5

Mining infrastructure (Andrew Lichtenstein | Getty Images)

• “Appalachian Coal Communities Brace For Coronavirus: It’s Going ‘To Wipe Us Out’” • At least one in 10 underground miners has black lung, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but experts say the actual number could be much higher. The thought of adding coronavirus to their problems is terrifying to these workers. [HuffPost]

Rooftops in Perth

• “Western Australia Puts Community Batteries At Top Of New Energy Roadmap” • WA’s Labor government unveiled an energy roadmap that puts community battery storage at the top of its proposals. It aims for a wholesale switch to such energy sources as rooftop solar panels, EVs, household and community batteries, and microgrids. [RenewEconomy]

OPEC meeting, listing to port (Alexander Klein | AFP | Getty Images)

• “Oil Prices Set To Crater As Russia, Saudi Arabia Meeting Delayed Amid Tension” • The virtual meeting between OPEC and its allies scheduled for Monday was postponed as tensions between Saudi Arabia and Russia mount, sources familiar with the matter told CNBC. One analyst said oil prices are “probably going to crater.” [NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth]

Monday, April 6

Wind turbines (Abby Anaday | Unsplash)

• “Renewables Surge By 176 GW In 2019” • The renewable energy sector added 176 GW of generating capacity globally in 2019, slightly lower than the 179 GW added in 2018, according to a report. However, new renewable power accounted for 72% of all power expansion last year, according to International Renewable Energy Agency data. [reNEWS]

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (governor.ny.gov)

• “And So It Begins: World’s 11th-Biggest Economy Pitches Renewable Energy For COVID-19 Recovery” • New York State would, which by some measures, be the world’s 11th-largest economy if it was an independent country. On Friday, April 3, New York announced the passage of enabling legislation for its new clean power plans. [CleanTechnica]

SMA service vehicle (SMA image)

• “Curtailment And Queueing To End: SMA Helps Soothe West Murray Woes” • Inverter company SMA may have found a way to allow five severely curtailed solar farms in Western Australia to resume normal operations. They have been curtailed by 50% for six months. This has implications for other areas where the grid is weak. [pv magazine Australia]

Tuesday, April 7

Rainbow Tree Residential Tower (Vincent Callebaut Architectures)

• “Green Building Would Add 30,000 Plants And Trees To Cityscape” • The Rainbow Tree Residential Tower is stunning green architecture designed to be built in the Philippine city of Cebu. Its architect claims that, once (if?) built, the 377-foot timber tower would bring more than 30,000 new plants, shrubs, and trees to the city skyline. [CleanTechnica]

Eagle Butte mine (Mead Gruver | AP | File)

• “Coal Production Falls Again” • Coal production across Wyoming continued to tumble over the start of the new year, with first quarter output setting a two-decade low, data released by the US Energy Information Administration shows. Wyoming coal mines produced 54.6 million tons, a drop of 10.8 million tons from last year. [Laramie Boomerang]

US power capacity additions

• “New Power Generation Quarterly: Annual Update For 2019” • Federal agencies track new power plant construction, but they have overlooked rooftop solar capacity. So, the ILSR publishes annual and quarterly reports that compile data from the Energy Information Administration and the Solar Energy Industries Association. [CleanTechnica]

Wednesday, April 8

Alauda’s Airspeeder taking off (Alauda image)

• “It’s Happening: Airspeeder Flying Car Company Gets Cash Infusion” • Alauda’s Airspeeder flying cars are going to happen. What’s more, they’re going to happen somewhat sooner than later thanks to a seven-figure round of fundraising. Alauda’s basic premise that racing improves the breed, so it started with a flying car that can compete in races. [CleanTechnica]

 

ICON 3D printed homes (ICON image)

• “ICON 3D Printed Homes For The Homeless Now Available In Austin” • ICON has created a unique 3D printer that can create an entire home in about 24 hours using a patented material. Now the company, in cooperation with local nonprofit Mobil Loaves & Fishes, is building an entire community for homeless people in the Austin area. [CleanTechnica]

Pump jack in Oklahoma (Image: Gina Dittmer)

• “Rock Bottom: How COVID-19 Has Shattered The Oil Industry” • The spread of Covid-19 poses a significant threat to the global oil and gas industry. The increasingly drastic action taken to reduce the spread of the virus interferes with many of the sector’s key processes, and the uncertainty of the pandemic only worsens market difficulties. [Offshore Technology]

Energy Week #366: 5/9/2020

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