Energy Week #392: 11/5/2020

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 #392: 11/5/2020

Thursday, October 29

Hurricane Zeta (Reshaud, via Twitter)

¶ “Third Hurricane Hitting Louisiana, Fifth Major Storm, Seventh Evacuation – As Election Day Nears” • In Louisiana, it’s another day, another hurricane. Now, it’s Zeta, bringing mostly rain to my neighborhood but much more damage to the New Orleans area. Tuesday is Election Day and hurricanes tend to knock out power for weeks. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Cleantech Creates Higher Paying Jobs – Millions Of Them” • One of the really great side benefits of climate action is that it creates a lot of well paying jobs. But how many jobs? And how well do they pay? E2 (Environmental Entrepreneurs), the American Council on Renewable Energy, and the Clean Energy Leadership Institute have some answers. [CleanTechnica]

Wind farm in Texas (Leaflet, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Tremendously Cheap Solar, Wind, And Batteries Are To Transform Society, RethinkX Forecasts” • The ongoing theme in the energy industry is a sharp drop in solar power, wind power, and battery prices. But we ain’t seen nothin’ yet, according to RethinkX. And cheap clean energy doesn’t just mean somewhat lower costs. It means disruption. [CleanTechnica]

Friday, October 30

¶ “Renewables Dominate As Demand Shows Strong Recovery Across Europe” • In Europe, with demand increasing, renewable power was the largest source of electricity generation for the sixth quarter in a row. Renewables provided 40.3% of the total electricity generated in Q3 while fossil fuels produced 35.2% and nuclear 24.4%. [Power Engineering International]

Wildfire at Glacier National Park (NOAA image, public domain)

¶ “Trump Fires NOAA’s Chief Scientist In Fear Of 5th National Climate Assessment” • Craig McLean, NOAA’s chief scientist, has been forced out from the position by Erik Noble, a former White House policy adviser who had just been appointed NOAA’s chief of staff. At issue was NOAA policy banning manipulating research or presenting ideologically driven findings. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Expanding Into Solar Microgrids And Virtual Power Plants” • Elon Musk says he expects Tesla’s energy business will one day be equal to or exceed its automotive business. That day may be some time in the future but the company is certainly expanding its solar and battery operations rapidly, both for grid scale and residential applications. [CleanTechnica]

Saturday, October 31

Chevy Bolt drivetrain in 1977 K5 Blazer (Chevrolet image)

¶ “Chevrolet Electric Connect And Cruise Package To Debut At SEMA 360” • Do you have a great old car with a bad old engine? The performance people at Chevrolet see the value of engine swaps and created a whole new business unit called Connect and Cruise with its mission to make converting a gas-burner to EV as close to plug and play as possible. [CleanTechnica]

Tidal kite (Minesto image)

¶ “Minesto Advances Faroe Islands Tidal Kite” • Swedish marine energy developer Minesto is working to commission its DG100 tidal power project in the Faroe Islands, having verified the system’s most important operational functions. Minesto said it has also verified procedures for safely installing and recovering the power plant from the sea. [reNEWS]

Wave energy array (Courtesy of Eco Wave Power)

¶ “Eco Wave Power Enters MOU Regarding Wave Energy Array In Vietnam” • Eco Wave Power announced that it had signed an agreement with MSMART Future Technology on development of a 50-MW wave energy array in Vietnam. After an in-depth feasibility study, the companies will work on a joint venture in Vietnam. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Sunday, November 1

¶ “Biden Campaign Appeals To Sportsmen And Women With New Ad; Highlights Decline In Ruffed Grouse, Attacks Trump On Forest Service Budget Cuts” • One of Joe Biden’s new campaign ads clearly aims to appeal to a group of people who are largely Republicans. And it can point to multiple members of the GOP who endorse Biden. [The Dominion Post]

¶ “French Government Puts US Gas Imports on Ice” • A move by one of Europe’s largest energy companies shows both markets and governments are beginning factor methane emissions into business decisions. France’s Engie ended a commitment to a long-term $7 billion liquefied natural gas import contract with NextDecade Corp. [CleanTechnica]

Burning rice stubble (Greg Willis, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Renewable Energy Start-Up Working On Sustainable Solution Of Stubble Burning” • A renewable energy start-up, Verve, works on ways to convert stubble into a substantial source of income and energy for farmers in parts of India. In a video, co-founder and CEO Suvrat Khanna talked about a solution to a cause of severe pollution. [Yahoo India News]

Monday, November 2

Beatrice Offshore Wind Farm (SSE Renewables)

¶ “Could Scotland Ever Be ‘The Saudi Arabia Of Renewables’?” • In a year, Glasgow will host COP26, so BBC Scotland is looking at how renewable energy has grown. As first minister, Alex Salmond said Scotland could be the “Saudi Arabia of renewables.” In 2009, 27.2% of Scotland’s electricity was generated by renewable energy sources. In 2019, it was 90.1%. [BBC News]

¶ “An $11 Trillion Global Hydrogen Energy Boom Is Coming. Here’s What Could Trigger It” • Engineers are working on a giant cavity in a geological formation known as a salt dome, a huge underground mass of salt, 130 miles south of Salt Lake City. Filled with hydrogen, the cavity could become one of the largest renewable energy reservoirs in the world. [CNBC]

Tesla Model 3 charging (CleanTechnica image)

¶ “Joseph Biden Aims To Improve US EV Tax Credit, Restore It For Tesla And GM” • If elected president of the US, Joseph R Biden would do a few things for the electric vehicle industry. He has talked about helping to get a massive number of EV charging stations around the country, but he also has some tax proposals on the wish list. [CleanTechnica]

Tuesday, November 3

¶ “Plan To Run Power Cable Between Australia And Indonesia Scrapped As Giant Pilbara Power Project Takes Shape” • Running a power line from Australia to Indonesia seems like a good idea, but those behind it looked at the numbers and found the most economical way of exporting Northern Australia’s green energy is by boat. [The Sydney Morning Herald]

Wind farm (SPR image)

¶ “SPR Delivers ‘Black Start’ From Onshore Wind” • In what is believed to be global first, ScottishPower Renewables used energy from an onshore windfarm to re-energise part of the power grid. With the successful ‘black start,’ the 69-MW Dersalloch windfarm proved that wind power can restore a ‘blacked-out’ section of the grid. [reNEWS]

Typhoon Goni (Credit: NRL | NASA | NOAA)

¶ “Typhoon Goni: The Year’s Strongest Storm Slams Into The Philippines” • While the US Gulf Coast sets records for storms, the Pacific Ocean is dealing with its own superlative weather worries. Typhoon Goni slammed into the Philippines on Sunday with peak winds of nearly 200 mph, killing at least 20 people and displacing more than 350,000. [Grist]

Wednesday, November 4

¶ “US Officially Exits Paris Climate Accord” • The US has left the Paris climate accord, officially. The withdrawal, set in motion with a letter from President Trump exactly one year ago, caps a long-promised move from the president and leaves the US as the only country in the world to withdraw from the landmark Paris climate agreement. [The Hill]

Shell oil refinery (Leonard G, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Shell’s Climate Poll On Twitter Backfires Spectacularly” • A climate poll on Twitter posted by Shell asked: “What are you willing to change to help reduce emissions?” It got 199 votes. When US Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted a tweet saying “I’m willing to hold you accountable for lying about climate change…,” it was liked 350,000 times. [The Guardian]

Wind farm (Johanna Montoy | Unsplash)

¶ “Wind, Solar Costs Fall By 10% In 2019” • Wind and solar costs declined by more than 10% in 2019, according to Capgemini’s latest World Energy Markets Observatory report, which observed “consistently lower costs being recorded month after month.” Also, the costs of lithium ion batteries used for EVs and energy storage decreased by 19% in 2019. [reNEWS]

Energy Week #392: 11/5/2020

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

Energy Week #390: 10/29/2020

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 #390: 10/29/2020

Thursday, October 22

Eurostar ( Joshua Veitch-Michaelis, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “HS1 Aims To Be First UK Railway Run Entirely On Renewable Energy” • The High Speed 1 rail line is on track to become the first railway in the UK to be 100% powered by renewable energy. The operator of the high-speed line between London and the Channel Tunnel in Kent has ambitious plans to become 100% run on wind and solar energy. [New Civil Engineer]

¶ “Aggressive Push To 100% Renewable Energy Could Save Americans Billions – Study” • New analysis by Rewiring America finds that households would benefit financially from a complete switch to clean energy sources such as solar and wind. More than 40% of energy emissions are determined by appliances in and around the home, according to the report. [The Guardian]

Tulips and turbines (Martijn Baudoin | Unsplash)

¶ “Renewables Are Proven To Be A Smarter, More Efficient Investment Worldwide” • Recent analysis of the renewables landscape by BloombergNEF has determined that solar and wind power are on the verge of a tipping point: in five years, it will be more expensive to operate existing coal or natural gas plants than to build new solar or wind farms. [Triple Pundit]

Friday, October 23

Charging a Honda (Courtesy of Honda)

¶ “UBS Predicts EV Price Parity In 2024” • UBS analyst Tim Bush recently told The Guardian, “There are not many reasons left to buy an ICE car after 2025.” The key factor will be the reduction of battery prices below $100/kWh, which Bush expects to happen in 2022. And the price premium for a car powered by a battery will disappear completely by 2024. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Huge $50 Billion Pilbara Green Hydrogen Hub Granted Major Project Status” • A plan to build a massive renewable energy hydrogen project of up to 26 GW of wind and solar capacity in Western Australia’s Pilbara region is set to enjoy a fast-tracked approvals process, after securing ‘major project status’ from the federal government. [RenewEconomy]

Wind turbine (GE Renewable Energy image)

¶ “GE Turns Up Haliade-X Prototype To 13 MW” • GE Renewable Energy has begun operations of its Haliade-X turbine prototype optimised with a 13 MW power output. In the coming months the prototype will undergo a series of tests to perform different types of measurements and obtain its type certificate in the coming months. [reNEWS]

Saturday, October 24

INL laboratory (Idaho National Laboratory image)

¶ “Battery Recycling Researchers Develop New Electrochemical Process” • To keep hazardous materials from entering the waste stream when EVs are producted and when batteries are retired, it is essential that batteries be recycled. Idaho National Laboratory aims to make recycling old lithium-ion batteries easier, more efficient, and potentially greener. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Global Shipping’s UN Climate Talks Fail Amid Threats Of A Walkout” • After a week of talks, delegates at the International Maritime Organization failed to agree to targets that would meet the Paris Agreement, as they had originally agreed to do in 2018, a deal the shipping industry hailed as ‘historic’ and which 100 countries had voted on. [Forbes]

Aquatics Centre by VenhoevenCS & Ateliers 2/3/4/

¶ “Renewable Energy To Power 2024 Olympic Aquatic Center” • The architectural team of VenhoevenCS and Ateliers 2/3/4/ have revealed plans for a timber aquatic center in Paris. The aquatic center will use a smart energy system to provide 90% of needed energy from recovered or renewable energy sources for the 2024 Olympics. [Inhabitat]

Sunday, October 25

Wind turbine (Alex Eckermann, Unsplash)

¶ “Joe Biden Calls Climate Change The ‘Number One Issue Facing Humanity’” • In an interview by Dan Pfeiffer, Joe Biden declared, “Climate change is the existential threat to humanity,” the former vice president said. “Unchecked, it is going to actually bake this planet. This is not hyperbole. It’s real.” And Joe Biden has a plan to deal with it. [CNBC]

Red Salmon Wildfire (InciWeb courtesy image)

¶ “US Renewable Energy Lab Energizes Remote Communities” • In California, American Indian reservations risk being “islanded” from the larger electricity grid when wildfires break transmission lines. Many other sorts of communities have reasons to look to their own power supplies. The National Renewable Energy Lab can help meet that need. [Environment News Service]

Conversion car (Transition One image)

¶ “Transition One Will Convert Your Old Gasmobile To Electric Power In About 4 Hours” • If you own a conventional car but want an EV, your choices are to convert it to electric, or buy an EV. Now, if you live in France, there’s a third way. Transition One can replace your car’s internal combustion drive train with an electric system in about four hours. [CleanTechnica]

Monday, October 26

Old Faithful (Jacob W Frank, NPS, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Study: Climate Change Could Interrupt Yellowstone Geysers” • A team of scientists and storytellers will create murals to help Yellowstone National Park’s visitors understand what the park will look like late this century. They will show less forest, more meadow, new species, and an Old Faithful that may be dormant due to climate change. [Casper Star-Tribune Online]

¶ “Tropical Storm Zeta Forms, Could Reach US Gulf Coast By Midweek” • A tropical depression east of Mexico strengthened into Tropical Storm Zeta and could reach the US Gulf Coast by midweek. Zeta could be at or near hurricane strength when it approaches the northern Gulf Coast on Wednesday. It will be this year’s fifth named storm to impact Louisiana. [CNN]

Canyon Creek fire, 2015 (Credit: Oregon Department of Forestry)

¶ “Air Pollution A Major Driver of Ill Health Worldwide” • Air pollution is now the world’s fourth-leading risk factor for early death according the latest “State of Global Air Report.” The report comes annually from the Health Effects Institute and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation to sum up current scientific understanding. [CleanTechnica]

Tuesday, October 27

1969 Corvette Stingray (SG2012, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “GM And Ford Knew About Climate Change 50 Years Ago” • Scientists at General Motors and Ford Motor Co knew as early as the 1960s that car emissions caused climate change, research by E&E News found. The car company’s discoveries were followed by decades of political lobbying by GM and Ford to undermine attempts to reduce emissions. [E&E News]

¶ “Trump Administration Buries Dozens Of Clean Energy Studies” • The DOE has blocked reports for over 40 clean energy studies. It replaced them with mere presentations, buried them in scientific journals that the public cannot access, or left them paralyzed within the agency, according to emails and documents obtained by InvestigateWest. [InvestigateWest]

Coral (Image provided by Dr Brian LaPointe, Florida Atlantic University  Harbor Branch)

¶ “We Must Protect Coral Reefs With Conservation Innovation & Technology” • The coral reefs are dying, and they’re the world’s first ecosystems to become extinct because of human action. Conservation innovation and technology alone cannot save reefs, but over half a billion people depend on them for food, income, and protection. [CleanTechnica]

Wednesday, October 28

Renewable energy (Image: Kenueone | wikimedia)

¶ “Fraunhofer To Develop Battery Inverter For Whole-Area UPS And Renewables Integration” • Fraunhofer and its industrial and academic partners are developing a battery inverter that can be grid connected under normal operation but can use renewables generators within its area to form an island grid, for whole-area uninterrupted power supply. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “MBTA Switches To 100% Renewable Energy Starting Jan 1” • The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has signed a contract to switch its electricity supply to 100% renewable energy starting January 1. The move will save an estimated $3.5 million dollars annually at a time the agency faces large budget cuts from Covid-19 ridership dips. [Cambridge Day]

Turbine installation (Verdant Power image)

¶ “Three Tidal Turbines
 Pop Into New York City’s East River” • Marine energy company Verdant Power has plopped three tidal power turbines into New York City’s East River on one array. The Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy Project is the first US-licensed tidal power project. The project is a demonstration, and more turbines are on the way. [CleanTechnica]

NOTES:

Energy Week #390: 10/29/2020

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

Energy Week #389: 10/22/2020

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 #389: 10/22/2020

Thursday, October 15

Storm over Bavaria (P Horálek, ESO, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “‘Staggering’ Rise In The Number Of Natural Disasters” • A report from the UN Office on Disaster Risk Reduction says there were 7,348 disaster events recorded worldwide in 2000 to 2019, with 1.23 million fatalities and $2.97 trillion in losses. There were 4,212 reported disasters 1.19 million deaths and losses of $1.63 trillion in 1980 to 1999. [Environment Journal]

¶ “Using Ammonia To Store And Transport Renewable Energy” • Although ammonia is a gas at room temperature, it is much more readily liquified than hydrogen, enabling large quantities of energy to be stored and transported. It can be directly in fuel cells, converted back into hydrogen, or burned in an internal combustion engine. [Engineering.com]

Amy Coney Barrett and Mike Pence (Office of US Vice President)

¶ “Amy Coney Barrett’s Climate Dodge Isn’t Just Unscientific. It’s At Odds With Most Americans” • Twice this week, Amy Coney Barrett refused to acknowledge the scientific reality that the climate is changing. The second time, she doubled down, saying that the very issue of climate change was “a very contentious matter of public debate.” [Huffpost]

Friday, October 16

Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite (NASA image)

¶ “SpaceX To Launch Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich Satellite On November 10” • The Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite will be launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on November 10. Sentinel 6 will be capable of monitoring the level of 90% of the oceans with millimeter accuracy. It will also get data on atmospheric temperature and moisture. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Elementary School District To Save $40 Million From Energy Efficiency And Solar” • According to Midstate Energy, it has a contract with Cartwright Elementary School District in Phoenix to come up with a guaranteed $40 million in energy savings with no upfront cost. I say again: $40 million in energy savings with no upfront cost. [CleanTechnica]

Austin Central Library solar roof (PRNewsfoto | Apparent, Inc)

¶ “Solar Saves Austin Central Library $100,000 A Year” • Austin, Texas, has a goal of reaching 100% carbon-free electricity by 2035. Now, that goal is saving it money. Austin Central Library has gone solar, and it’s saving a lot of money as a result of that. Specifically, from a 180-kW solar array on its roof, the library is saving $100,000 a year. [CleanTechnica]

Saturday, October 17

Oceanbird (Wallenius Marine image)

¶ “Sweden’s New Car Carrier Is The World’s Largest Wind-Powered Vessel” • Oceanbird is a wind-powered transatlantic car carrier is being designed by a Swedish shipbuilder, Wallenius Marine, with support from the Swedish government and several research institutions. The 35,000 ton ship will be powered by five telescoping rigid sails. [CNN]

GM Factory ZERO Retooling (Photo: Jeffrey Sauger for General Motors)

¶ “GM Rebrands Hamtramck Plant As Factory ZERO; Hummer Available Late 2021” • General Motors has committed to a future of zero-crashes, zero-emissions, and zero-congestion. Now, GM says it is rebranding the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Center as Factory ZERO. It is being reconfigured for all-EV assembly, with a $2.2 billion investment. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EDF Renewables Acquires 4.5-GW Solar Portfolio From Geenex Solar” • EDF Renewables North America and Geenex Solar announced the close of an agreement of up to 4.5-GW (AC) pipeline of solar development assets in the PJM transmission area in the eastern US. The transaction will accelerate EDFR growth in the PJM region. [Solar Power World]

Sunday, October 18

Chacaltaya Refuge (Joan Simon, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “My Personal History With Global Warming” • I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia from 1964–1966. While I was there, I tested my skills at the highest ski resort in the world, on the impressive glacier at Mount Chacaltaya, five feet of fresh snow on top of ten feet of glacier. Returning for a visit, I found the snow and glacier had vanished. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind farm (Zach Shahan | CleanTechnica)

¶ “Offshore Wind: Latest News on Turbines, State Action, And Markets from Coast to Coast” • Other news may capturing the public attention, but there are some headline-worthy happenings in the world of offshore wind, including the first turbines in US federal waters. If you could use a splash of good news, here are a few updates. [CleanTechnica]

Energy self-reliant states (ILSR image)

¶ “Every State COULD Be Powered With 100% Renewable Energy” • If each US state took full advantage of its renewable resources, how much of its electricity needs would that cover? Would in-state renewable generation be enough to charge EVs and power electric heating, too? The answer, in almost every state, is a resounding yes. [Red, Green, and Blue]

Monday, October 19

¶ “Western Australia OKs Renewable Power Export Project” • The government of Western Australia approved development of a 15,000-MW solar and wind project, which will export electricity to Indonesia and supply the WA iron ore sector. It is the first stage of the proposed Asian Renewable Energy Hub that is targeted to expand to 26,000 MW. [Argus Media]

Tapping ocean power (Source: Seabased AB, http://www.seabased.com)

¶ “Let Nature Design Your Renewable Energy Strategy” • It is time to redesign our energy strategy. And the very same nature that created an impressive energy palette with sun, wind, water and more can show us how to do it. Every point on the globe has multiple natural resources with unique synergies. All we need to do is balance them. [Renewables Now]

Solar farm (Courtesy of Lightsource BP)

¶ “Penn State Now Purchasing Renewable Electricity From Solar Farms” • Penn State has recently begun purchasing renewable energy from three recently built solar farms in Franklin County, according to a university release. The purchase is part of a larger goal the university has to be more sustainable and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. [Onward State]

Tuesday, October 20

¶ “Windham County Sheriff Purchases Tesla To Add To fleet” • Electric vehicles are showing up all over the place – in your neighbor’s driveway, in the local public works department and in bus fleets around the nation. Now the Windham County Sheriff’s office has one. And it will save the taxpayers a lot of money on fuel and repairs. [Brattleboro Reformer]

Cameron Peak Fire (Loveland Fire Rescue Authority via Reuters)

¶ “Colorado’s Record-Breaking Wildfires Show ‘Climate Change Is Here And Now'” • The Cameron Peak fire, a few miles west of Fort Collins, Colorado, has engulfed over 200,000 acres and it’s still growing. It has now become the biggest wildlife in Colorado history. And it is the second fire in 2020 to set a record as largest wildfire in Colorado history. [CBS News]

¶ “The Oil Industry Is In Crisis. ConocoPhillips Is Doubling Down” • Despite the gloom-and-doom in the oil industry and the specter of a blue wave in Washington, ConocoPhillips is doubling down on crude with a major acquisition. The company announced a $9.7 billion all-stock takeover of Concho Resources, a Permian Basin fracking company. [CNN]

Wednesday, October 21

Wildfire (Office of Emergy Management, San Juan County, Colorado, via Facebook)

¶ “Wildfires Force Closure Of National Forests In Five Colorado Counties” • Due to “unprecedented and historic fire conditions,” National forest land in five Colorado counties will temporarily close, federal officials said. As of October 20, 442,000 acres of land were affected by wildfires in north central Colorado and southern Wyoming. [CNN]

¶ “All New US Electricity Generation Capacity Came From Renewables This Summer” • A SUN DAY Campaign review of Federal Energy Regulatory Commission data shows renewable energy sources dominated additions of US electrical generating capacity in the first eight months of 2020. In fact, all capacity added last summer was renewable. [Solar Power World]

Thermosiphons in Alaska (Credit: Arctic Foundations)

¶ “The Epitome Of Stupidity: Oil Companies Chill The Ground In Alaska So They Can Keep Drilling” • The Guardian reports that ConocoPhillips and other oil companies operating on the North Slope in Alaska are facing a new challenge. As permafrost melts, their trucks can’t cross the land and rigs can destabilize. They are considering freezing Alaskan land. [CleanTechnica]

 

Energy Week #389: 10/22/2020

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

Energy Week 10/15/2020

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 10/15/2020

Thursday, October 8

Maid of the Mist (ABB image)

¶ “First All-Electric Vessels In USA Launch In New York – Maid of the Mist” • The Maid of the Mist; the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation; New York Power Authority; and ABB announced that the Maid of the Mist, the iconic Niagara Falls boat tour since 1846, launched the first two all-electric passenger vessels in the US. [CleanTechnica]

Repurposing gas infrastructure (Image via US DOE)

¶ “With Coal Dead, Department Of Energy Lobs Green Hydrogen Brick At Natural Gas” • With the US coal industry collapsing, we now turn to natural gas. The US DOE announced a major green hydrogen initiative with The Netherlands, which is building international collaborations aimed to squeeze natural gas out of the H₂ market. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo Penta RT (Volvo Group image)

¶ “Electric Fire Trucks On The Way!” • We’re finally getting electric fire trucks! Volvo Penta has an electric powertrain to put into fire trucks produced by Rosenbauer. The name of the electrified fire truck is “Revolutionary Technology.” For now, there are just 3 test trucks. They are going into trial service in Berlin, Amsterdam, and Dubai. [CleanTechnica]

Friday, October 9

Wild land in California (Credit: CC0, Public domain)

¶ “30% Of California Land Must Be Conserved Under Governor Newsom’s New Order” • Citing a need to tackle the problem of climate change, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered state agencies to conserve 30% of state land and coastal water by no later than 2030. The move is a bid to sequester carbon in the state’s natural and working lands. [Phys.Org]

¶ “Icebreaker No Longer Subject To Night-Time Shutdown” • The Ohio Power Siting Board has adopted a motion removing a night-time shutdown requirement for the proposed 21-MW Icebreaker offshore wind farm on Lake Erie. It removed a clause that would have required turbines to be stopped during the night from March 1 to November 1. [reNEWS]

Wall Street (Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Donald Trump And His Supposed Economic Success” • President Trump claims economic success based on the Dow Jones Industrial Index. But if we look at some of the other Dow Jones indices, picking some that might have profited or suffered from Trump policies, what we find is very different from what Trump might like us to believe. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Global Green Hydrogen Pipeline ‘Tops 60 GW'” • There are over 60 GW in the pipeline of planned green hydrogen projects, Rystad Energy research shows. The analysts said 87% of the projects are GW-scale. Europe and Australia dominate the global pipeline, which includes 11 proposed electrolyser projects with a capacity of 1 GW or more. [reNEWS]

Saturday, October 10

The 40,000th link at geoharvey.com  was posted on October 10.

Track of Hurrican Delta (FleurDeOdile, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Hurricane Delta Makes Landfall In Storm-Battered Louisiana” • Hurricane Delta hit land in Louisiana, which is still recovering from Hurricane Laura in August. Delta is the 10th named storm to make US landfall so far this year, breaking a record that has stood since 1916. Delta hit Creole, Louisiana as a Category 2 hurricane, with winds of 100 mph. [BBC]

Wildfire (Union of Concerned Scientists via Twitter)

¶ “Five of California’s Six Largest Fires on Record are Burning Now” • Wildfires in this single year alone have burned more of California’s land than they did in the entire first decade of reliable recordkeeping (1984–1993). And nearly as much as the entire decade of the 1990s. And the year is not over. Here are some graphics that show their size. [CleanTechnica]

Some types of floating platforms (Josh Bauer, NREL)

¶ “Offshore Wind Grew 19% Globally In 2019” • Global installed offshore wind capacity reached 27,064 MW in 2019, which is a 19% increase from the previous year. This and other trends can be found in the 2019 Offshore Wind Technology Data Update, released by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. [CleanTechnica]

Sunday, October 11

Hywind floating windfarm (Photograph: Equinor)

¶ “Investors And Graduates Flock To The UK’s Burgeoning Windfarms” • The UK is pursuing an ambitious plan for offshore wind power. It will require an average of one wind turbine to be installed every weekday for ten years, £50 billion of investment from the private-sector, and many workers. [The Guardian]

New York City (Image by Robert Hoffmann via Unsplash)

¶ “New York Pathways To Bus And Truck Electrification” • To achieve New York’s ambitious climate and clean energy goals outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, New York needs to aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the transportation sector, the largest source of emissions in the state. [CleanTechnica]

Monday, October 12

Agrophotovoltaic array (Credit: Next2Sun)

¶ “Agrophotovoltaic News: Bifacial Panels In Germany, Grazing Sheep In Austria” • Next2Sun has an innovative PV system that combines agricultural use and solar power on the same area. It has a vertical arrangement of solar modules that use sunlight from both the front and the rear, facing east and west, while the area between is used for agriculture. [CleanTechnica]

Polarstern

¶ “International Scientists Return From Arctic With Wealth Of Climate Data” • The RV Polarstern icebreaker, a ship carrying scientists on a year-long international effort to study the high Arctic, has returned to its home port in Germany carrying a wealth of data that will help researchers better predict climate change in the decades to come. [The Irish News]

Lake Charles, after Laura, before Delta (Josiah Pugh, Louisiana National Guard, public domain, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Louisiana Has Been Hit By 3 Deadly Hurricanes This Season: Reflections While Riding Out Delta” • The Gulf Coast states face tropical storms and potentially hurricanes every year. However, 2020 takes the cake. Louisiana has had to brace itself six times this year. During Laura, the winds raged for about nine so hours, but Laura was silent compared to Delta. [CleanTechnica]

Tuesday, October 13

Westar power plant (Bounzie66, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Stop CO₂ Emissions Bouncing Back After Covid Plunge, Says IEA” • CO₂ emissions from energy use are expected to fall to 33.4 gigatonnes in 2020, to the lowest level since 2011, and the biggest year on year fall since 1900, the International Energy Agency said in its annual world energy outlook. But governments are not doing enough to prevent a rapid rebound. [The Guardian]

¶ “New Polling On Climate Change: Denial Is Out, Alarm Is In” • Americans are now nearly four times more likely to say they’re alarmed about the climate crisis than to be dismissive of it. That’s the highest ratio ever since the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication first began gathering data on American attitudes about climate change back in 2008. [Grist]

Tesla Model 3 (Mariordo, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “US Tesla Sales Up 22% In 3rd Quarter, US Auto Sales Down 9%” • Overall, the US auto market saw its sales decrease 9% in the third quarter of 2020 compared to the third quarter of 2019. That’s much better than earlier in the year. Across the first three quarters of the year, US auto sales were down 19%. But Tesla and a few others were up. [CleanTechnica]

Wednesday, October 14

Swimming polar bear (Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Trump Administration Study Finds Climate Change, Oil Drilling Could Threaten Polar Bears” • A study examining polar bear habitats in Alaska found that upcoming large industrial activities could have an effect on polar bear populations. The bears are already fighting for survival due to climate change factors including rapid ice loss. [KTVU San Francisco]

¶ “Solar Energy Reaches Historically Low Costs” • In some parts of the world, solar power is the cheapest source of electricity in history, thanks to policies encouraging renewable energy growth, according to a report by the International Energy Agency. In most countries, it’s consistently cheaper to build solar farms than new gas-fired power plants. [The Verge]

Hydropower dam in Norway (Photo: Statkraft)

¶ “Hydropower Pushes For Greater Access To Green Finance” • Hydropower, the largest source of renewable electricity, could begin using environmental, social, and corporate governance measures to bolster project financing from the end of this year. Investors are increasingly scrutizing environmental, social, and ethical standards. [Greentech Media]

Notes:

Energy Week 10/15/2020

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

Energy Week – 10/8/2020

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 – 10/8/2020

Thursday, October 1

GM factory (GM image)

¶ “General Motors To Achieve 60% Renewable Energy Thanks To Massive Arkansas Solar Deal” • GM announced a significant step towards achieving its goal of sourcing 100% of its energy from renewables by 2040. The company has signed a power purchase agreement for a 180 MW solar project that is set to be built in Arkansas. [pv magazine USA]

Wind turbines in China (Public domain, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Has The World Started To Take Climate Change Fight Seriously?” • The announcement by Chinese President, Xi Jinping that China would cut emissions to net zero by 2060 is enormously important. China, the biggest greenhouse gas emitter, may have fired the starting gun on what will become a global race to eliminate fossil fuels. [BBC]

¶ “Tesla Will Begin Selling Chinese Model 3 With LFP Batteries This Week” • Confidential sources tell Reuters that Tesla will begin selling Model 3 cars built in Shanghai and equipped with LFP (LiFePO₄) batteries to customers in China this week. Lithium iron phosphate batteries contain no nickel and no cobalt. Prices have not been announced. [CleanTechnica]

Friday, October 2

Donald and Melania (Anthony Quintano, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Coronavirus: Donald Trump And Melania Test Positive” • US President Donald Trump has said he and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for coronavirus and are now in quarantine. The president, aged 74 and therefore in a high-risk group, announced the news in a tweet. “We will get through this together,” he wrote. [BBC]

China’s largest solar-plus-storage project (Sungrow image)

¶ “China’s Largest Solar-Plus-Storage Project Goes Online” • China’s largest solar-plus-storage project has been connected to the grid. How big is it? It’s 2.2 GW. Sungrow, the #1 suppliers of inverters for renewable energy projects, shared the news of the new record. The project was developed by Huanghe Hydropower Development. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.3 (Image courtesy of Volkswagen)

¶ “September In Norway Goes Off The Charts – Record Plugin Vehicle Market Share Of 82%” • Electric vehicle pioneer Norway saw a massive 81.6% plugin electric vehicle market share of the overall market in September, with almost 62% being pure electric vehicles. Best sellers included the new VW ID.3, the Tesla Model 3, and Polestar 2. [CleanTechnica]

Saturday, October 3

Bison (© Michael Gäbler, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “The Return Of Europe’s Largest Beasts” • Populations of bison and wolf are reviving in parts of Europe, with efforts to return some of the landscape to a more natural state. A new method of conservation aims to let large areas return to wilderness, to a state without human intervention. But it can be tricky to manage that. Large beasts are not always welcome. [BBC]

Waterspout (Dr Joseph Golden, NOAA, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Climate Change Responsible For Record Sea Temperature Levels, Says Study” • An unprecedented rise in sea temperatures is being driven by global warming, a major report in the peer-reviewed Journal of Operational Oceanography reveals. It shows an overall trend globally of surface warming, with the largest rise in the Arctic Ocean. [Newswise]

¶ “How NextEra Overtook ExxonMobil As The Largest US Energy Company” • If you had invested in Florida-based utility NextEra Energy a decade ago, your total return would have been 600%, including dividends. By contrast, if you had invested in ExxonMobil a decade ago, you have seen a total 10-year return of -25%. There are reasons for those changes. [Forbes]

Sunday, October 4

Six years of the ERCOT queue (Credit: Rocky Mountain Institute)

¶ “Rocky Mountain Institute Study Shows Renewables Are Kicking Natural Gas To The Curb” • After analyzing the most recent data from two of the largest US electricity markets, the Rocky Mountain Institute has come to a startling conclusion. Renewables are muscling in on natural gas. What happened to coal is now happening to gas. [CleanTechnica]

Flood (Hermann Traub, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Storm Alex: Heavy Rains Cause Severe Flooding In France And Italy” • At least two people have died and 25 are missing after a powerful storm hit southern France and north-western Italy. Named Alex, it brought fierce winds, torrential rains, and floods. Météo-France said that 450 mm (17.7 in) of rain fell in some areas over the course of just 24 hours. [BBC]

Prescribed burn (National Park Service, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “Federal Bill Could Increase Prescribed Burns In California, Incentivize State To Burn At A Larger Scale” • Fire suppression, a lack of prescribed burns, and climate change are among the top reasons behind the scale and intensity of the fires in California, experts say. A federal bill could help address those issues, or at least be a starting point. [Capital Public Radio News]

Monday, October 5

Oil platform (Agência Brasil, Wikimedia Commons)

¶ “A $100 Billion Big Oil Divestiture Plan Is Coming” • The largest oil & gas companies, including ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron, and BP, are projected to sell a combined $100 billion in assets worldwide as they focus on top-performing regions, particularly the US shale, according to a new analysis from consulting firm Rystad Energy. [CNBC]

¶ “McDonald’s Among Food Firms Urging Tougher Rules On Deforestation” • UK food firms, including McDonald’s, are urging tougher rules to protect rainforests. Government ministers are planning a new law against big firms using produce from illegally deforested land. But the firms say the law should apply to all deforestation, legal or not, to slow climate change. [BBC]

Right whale and her calf (Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission)

¶ “Seismic Blasting By Oil & Gas Industry In Atlantic Ocean Halting On November 30” • In rare good news, the federal permits that allow fossil fuel companies to use deafening airguns, which harm many marine species, will expire on November 30 and not be renewed. Fossil fuel companies use the airguns to search for oil and gas deposits. [CleanTechnica]

Tuesday, October 6

Honda McLaren (Image retrieved from ata.gov.al)

¶ “So Long, Farewell – Honda To Leave Formula 1 To Focus On EVs” • Honda has announced that it will cease to participate as an engine provider for the Formula 1 racing series at the end of the 2021 season. The automaker has decided to turn its focus to zero emission vehicles. Honda made it a goal to electrify two-thirds of its global automobile sales in 2030. [CleanTechnica]

Electric School Bus (Image courtesy of Proterra)

¶ “Newsom Signs Law to Clean California Air Inside And Out of School” • Governor Newsom signed into law a bill that will make the air safer to breathe and the water safer to drink in public schools, while reducing energy bills. It also accelerates the installation of charging infrastructure for EVs to combat the largest source of air pollution. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Two Is A Crowd: Why Renewables And Nuclear Don’t Mix, Even To Cut Emissions” • Research published in Nature Energy warns that nuclear and renewables should not be combined in any recipes for effective energy system decarbonisation, with the two generation types likely to crowd each other out and limit their effectiveness when mixed. [RenewEconomy]

Wednesday, October 7

Sands of time (Credit: CC0 Public Domain)

¶ “Trillions Of Extra Economic Damages Predicted In New Study Of Climate Change Effects” • The world is underestimating the economic effects of climate change by trillions of dollars, a study published in Nature Communications shows. Current economic forecasting models fail to account for unpredictable variations in global temperatures. [Phys.Org]

Charging station (Image courtesy of Solaris)

¶ “Canadian Initiative Launched To Cut Electric Bus Charging Costs” • The Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium, which gives transit agencies technnology support, launched a $999,000 investment in an initiative to reduce costs for charging electric buses. Ontario energy storage company eCAMION, is leading the project. [CleanTechnica]

Transit shelter solar roof in Portland, Oregon (Trimet image)

¶ “New 100% Clean Electricity Contract Will Save MBTA $3 Million A Year In Electric Bills” • The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is working on a multi-year electricity contract to power its trains, trolleybuses, stations, and other facilities entirely on renewable power. The contract is expected to save $3 million a year. [Streetsblog MASS]

Energy Week – 10/8/2020

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