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Energy Week #393: 11/12/2020
Thursday, November 5
Wind turbines in Nevada (Famartin, Wikimedia Commons)
¶ “Nevada Voters Seal Renewable Energy Goals In Their State Constitution” • As was widely expected, Nevada voters approved Question 6 on the ballot, which amends the state constitution to mandate that the Nevada’s electricity providers shift to at least 50% renewable energy by 2030, according to the New York Times and the Associated Press. [Vox]
¶ “Central Maine Power Energy Corridor Project Nearly Ready To Begin” • A renewable energy project that will be built by Avangrid, Inc and Central Maine Power Company to bring hydropower from Quebec to Maine and other parts of New England has received one of the last permits it needs before construction can begin. [pressherald.com]
¶ “European Green Hydrogen Acceleration Center Launched” • EIT InnoEnergy launched an unprecedented effort to support the development of an annual €100 billion green hydrogen economy by 2025. The European Green Hydrogen Acceleration Center could help create half a million direct and indirect jobs across the green hydrogen value chain. [reNEWS]
Friday, November 6
Vanuatu, endangered paradise (Sahra Peterson, Unsplash)
¶ “Ecocide: Should Killing Nature Be A Crime?” • Small island states like Vanuatu have long tried to persuade large powerful nations to voluntarily reduce their emissions, but change has been slow – so ambassador John Licht suggested that it might be time to change the law itself, with amendment to a treaty known as the Rome Statute. [BBC]
Viking Energy (Eidesvik AS image)
¶ “The Foul-Smelling Fuel That Could Power Big Ships” • An enormous engine, three floors high, growls loudly at a test center in Copenhagen. Usually such an engine would be propelling a large ship across the sea, but this one is being prepared to take part in a ground-breaking project. Engineers want to see if they can make it run on liquid ammonia. [BBC]
Wireless car charging (WiTricity via Twitter)
¶ “SAE Publishes New Wireless Charging Standard” • Standards are important. Imagine if every manufacturer needed a specially shaped nozzle on the gas pump to fill the tank. That wouldn’t work well. And yet it is the norm for plugs for electric cars. Now, the Society of Automotive Engineers has published a standard for wireless charging. [CleanTechnica]
Saturday, November 7
NACA hangar circa 1931 (Photo via NASA)
¶ “On Climate Action, Everyone Has The Right Stuff” • NASA’s Mercury program was an all hands on deck, do-or-die mission for an elite squad of seasoned military test pilots. Now the Earth itself could use a dose of the same human energy and sense of purpose. Here is an interview with Dr James Hansen, comparing and contrasting the efforts. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Ecologically Friendly Agriculture Doesn’t Compromise Crop Yields” • According to an international study comparing 42,000 examples of diversified and simplified agricultural practices, increasing diversity in crop production benefits biodiversity but does not compromise yields. The research, published in Science Advances, is based on 5,188 studies. [EurekAlert]
Eviation airplane (Eviation image)
¶ “Eviation Set To Deliver First 9-Passenger Electric Airplane In 2022” • The dream of commercially viable electric airplanes just keeps getting closer. Eviation, Israeli startup, began building its first electric plane, in 2017. The company says it plans to deliver the first of its bespoke airplanes to Cape Air, a regional carrier serving New England, in 2022. [CleanTechnica]
Sunday, November 8
Offshore wind turbines (Nicholas Doherty, Unsplash)
¶ “EU Eyes Huge Increase In Offshore Wind Energy To Meet Climate Goals” • The European Union is considering a plan to increase its offshore wind energy capacity five-fold this decade and 25-fold by 2050, as it seeks to become climate neutral, a draft policy shows. The EU is already home to 42% of the world’s offshore wind capacity. [EnergyInfraPost]
¶ “Jeffrey Young: Oil Companies Admit to Contributing to Climate Change – and Blame You” • In a climate change lawsuit, oil companies admitted that their products were a major cause of climate change, and it’s a real problem. But extraction of the fossil fuels doesn’t cause climate change, they said. It is the use of the product that generates emissions. [Noozhawk]
Earth from Space (NASA image)
¶ “US Renewable Energy Industry Cheers Joe Biden Election Win As ‘Beautiful Day'” • The American renewable energy sector has cheered the declared election of Joe Biden as the next President of the United States, with industry bodies placing the accent on the potential for the country to rejoin global climate leadership under the new administration. [Recharge]
Monday, November 9
Sheep and solar panels (Image: Neoen)
¶ “NSW Orchestrates 12 GW Of Renewables And 2 GW Of Pumped Hydro By 2030” • New South Wales published its NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, charting a path to 12 GW of new large-scale solar and wind capacity. It is to attract $32 billion in private investment, create thousands of jobs, and reduce annual electricity bills. [pv magazine Australia]
¶ “Tropical Storm Eta Makes Landfall In Florida” • Tropical Storm Eta has hit Florida, bringing with it heavy rain and strong winds that forecasters fear may lead to storm surges and flash flooding. Schools, beaches and public transport in much of the southern part of the state were shut before the storm made landfall in the Florida Keys. [BBC]
Scientists studying hydrogen production at the Idaho National Laboratory
¶ “Green Hydrogen Nail, Meet Shale Gas Coffin (And Nuclear Could Be Next)” • If US President-Elect Joe Biden doesn’t do the fossil fuel industry any favors, he’ll only be following in the footsteps of outgoing President Donald J Trump. Intentionally or not, Trump has already overseen the demise of the domestic coal, oil, and natural gas industries. [CleanTechnica]
Tuesday, November 10
Offshore wind farm (Impériale, Wikimedia Commons)
¶ “Louisiana Governor: Renewable Energy Initiative for Gulf of Mexico” • Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards announced a renewable energy initiative for the Gulf of Mexico, with plans to harness Louisiana’s strengths in offshore energy production for the development of wind power, the nation’s No 1 source of renewable energy. [STL.News]
Wind farm, Montenegro (Milica Buha, Wikimedia Commons)
¶ “‘Defying The Difficulties:’ Renewables Set For Record Run Despite Covid: IEA” • The world is set to add record levels of renewable power this year and next despite the Covid pandemic, the International Energy Agency said. New renewables additions this year are expected to reach almost 200 GW, or nearly 90% of all new generating capacity. [Recharge]
Mount Rushmore (National Park Service photo)
¶ “Time to Be Real – Part 1” • Denial of reality is dangerous. When it is institutionalized, it can become dangerous to large numbers of people. Denial of science has become a policy of the Republican Party, and people in Red states are suffering. The first proof of this is just appearing now, as huge numbers of people in Red states get Covid-19. [Green Energy Times]
Wednesday, November 11
Klamath River (Public domain, Wikimedia Commons)
¶ “The rebirth of a historic river” • For millennia, the Yurok people in Northern California have depended on fishing for salmon. But that source has been in decline after the Klamath River was dammed for hydroelectricity. Now, the fortunes of the Yurok could be set to change, as the largest dam removal project in US history has been given a green light. [BBC]
¶ “As Fed Says Climate Change Is A Financial Hazard, Trump Fires Person In Charge Of NCA” • In denial of his recent defeat, Donald Trump has been firing people he thinks disagree with him. This week began with the firing of the executive director of the organization responsible for preparing the National Climate Assessment. [CleanTechnica]
Vestas wind turbine (MHI Vestas image)
¶ “MHI Vestas Installs First 9.5-MW Floater” • MHI Vestas has installed the most powerful turbine on a floating offshore wind platform. The V164 9.5-MW turbine was installed on a Principle Power WindFloat platform at an installation harbor. It is the first of five that will go to the Kincardine floating offshore wind farm, off Scotland. [reNEWS]
Energy Week #393: 11/12/2020
Energy, renewable energy, wind power, Solar, batteries, Nuclear, coal, oil, gas, Climate Change
Energy Week with George Harvey and Tom Finnell 