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Energy Week #473 – 5/26/2022
Minute 0: Introduction
Thursday, May 19
Wind turbines (NREL image)
Minute 2
¶ “NOAA Wind Forecasts Result In $150 Million In Energy Savings Every Year” • As electricity providers increasingly add renewable energy to their portfolios, a study in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy shows that more accurate wind forecasts generated by a NOAA weather model is saving large amounts of money. [NOAA Research]
Coal-burning power plant (Sam LaRussa, Unsplash)
Minute 5
¶ “‘Fossil Fuels Are A Dead End’: UN Chief Emphasizes Renewable Energy Projects” • United Nations general secretary Antonio Guterres, noting the global energy crises which prompted large economies to open new oil and gas fields, has proposed five critical actions to jump-start the transition to renewable energy. [Hindustan Times]
Materials scientists (Image by Argonne National Laboratory)
Minute 8
¶ “Center Advancing Beyond-Lithium Battery Tech Generates Over 30 Patents” • Since 2013, DOE researchers have invented a diverse range of technologies in the “beyond lithium-ion” space. The primary focus has been on flow, lithium-sulfur, multivalent and solid-state batteries. It has yielded over 30 patents that are now available for licensing. [CleanTechnica]
Friday, May 20
Building an offshore wind turbine (Rscbelgium, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
Minute 11
¶ “150 GW Of Wind Power From The North Sea – Deal Signed In Denmark” • Probably the most ambitious renewable energy agreement ever was signed on the harbor of Esbjerg, Denmark. The Esbjerg Declaration, which has the subtitle The North Sea as a Green Power Plant of Europe, has targets for offshore wind up to at least 150 GW by 2050. [CleanTechnica]
Construction of new power station at Hinkley Point (Nick Chipchase, CC BY-SA 2.0)
Minute 13
¶ “Hinkley Point C Nuclear Power Station Delayed A Year By Covid” • The nuclear power station being built at Hinkley Point in Somerset will start operating a year later than planned and will cost an extra £3 billion, it was announced. The delay means the first reactor unit is now scheduled to start operating in June 2027, a year later than planned. [The Guardian]
Climeworks carbon capture (Climeworks image)
Minute 16
¶ “DOE Announces Multibillion-Dollar Project To Kickstart A Carbon Dioxide Removal Industry In US” • The US DOE is announcing a massive investment in direct air carbon removal projects, in hopes of kickstarting an industry that energy experts say is critical to getting the country’s planet-warming emissions under control. [CNN]
Saturday, May 21
Cherry blossoms in Tokyo (Alan Godfrey, Unsplash)
Minute 19
¶ “Human-Induced Climate Crisis Is Making Japan’s Cherry Blossoms Bloom Earlier” • Japan’s world-famous cherry trees are flowering much earlier than normal due to human-induced climate change, a study has found. The cherry blossoms have special cultural importance, and the dates of flowering have been recorded for centuries. [CNN]
Zoox robotaxi (Zoox image)
Minute 22
¶ “Zoox Shows Off Its Battery-Electric Autonomous People Pod” • Amazon has an autonomous robotaxi division, Zoox, which is preparing to bring its battery-electric autonomous people mover to market soon. The Zoox is designed from the ground up to transport people from point A to point B as conveniently as possible. [CleanTechnica]
School buses (Denisse Leon, Unsplash)
Minute 24
¶ “Harris And EPA Will Announce Schools Can Apply For $500 Million To Replace Diesel School Buses With Zero-Emissions Buses” • The Biden administration is announcing that school districts around the US can apply for the first round of funding to transition to zero emissions buses. It is $500 million out of $5 billion in the bipartisan infrastructure law. [CNN]
Sunday, May 22
US electric grids (NREL image)
Minute 27
¶ “Why We Can Send A Rover To Mars, But We Can’t Send An Electron From New York To California” • Space missions are a federal matter, but states determine energy policy and decisions on infrastructure. Right now, states and the federal government can choose how to define our country’s options for clean energy and plan the challenges ahead. [CleanTechnica]
Cotton Top Tamarins (Rebecca Campbell, Unsplash)
Minute 30
¶ “What Is Biodiversity And How Are We Protecting It?” • The UN has declared Sunday, May 22, to be the International Day for Biodiversity to raise awareness of the extinction risk facing animals and plants. Nearly a third of all species are currently endangered due to human activities. Governments will meet on the issue this year in China. [BBC]
Sydney Harbor (Photoholgic, Unsplash)
Minute 32
¶ “Australian Voters Deliver Strong Message On Climate, Ending Conservative Government’s Nine Year Rule” • Australian voters have delivered a sharp rebuke to the center-right government, ending nine years of conservative rule. They have voted in favor of the center-left opposition that promised stronger action on climate change. [CNN]
Monday, May 23
Ireland (Nils Nedel, Unsplash)
Minute 35
¶ “Ireland Allocates 1.53 GW Of PV In Second Renewables Auction” • Grid operator EirGrid announced provisional results of Ireland’s second renewable energy auction. Overall, EirGrid selected 80 of the 130 projects that were submitted. The projects range in size from 0.5 MW to 104.4 MW and are mostly located in central and southern Ireland. [PV Magazine]
Hyzon road train (Hyzon image)
Minute 38
¶ “Could Hydrogen Be The Victor In UK’s Hydrogen Vs Electric Truck Probe?” • The UK government launched a £200 million investigation into the future of its road freight. Over a three-year period, it will look to understand advantages of hydrogen and electric trucks, as well as the infrastructure needed for road freight to be decarbonized. [CleanTechnica]
Wildfire (USDA Forest Service)
Minute 40
¶ “With Climate Change Fueling Wildfires, Changes Are Needed To Prevent Worse Scenarios” • A study published this month in the journal Ecology Letters found that wildfire risks are going to increase in states like New Mexico because of climate change. Scientists say humans need to make changes to prevent worse fire risks. [The NM Political Report]
Tuesday, May 24
Hardwick solar array (Encore Renewable Energy image)
Minute 43
¶ “Solar Array Transforms Hardwick Gravel Pit Into Renewable Energy Resource” • Encore Renewable Energy and the Electric Department of Hardwick, Vermont, held a ribbon-cutting at a 1.65-MW solar array at a former Hardwick gravel pit. The system is expected to provide annual electricity needs of approximately 340 homes. [Vermont Business Magazine]
Scania (Image courtesy of Scania)
Minute 46
¶ “More Electric Semi Trucks Coming To US And Europe” • Private car owners may still be undecided about EVs, but commercial fleet managers are rushing to reap the benefits of battery-operated vehicles, with their greatly reduced costs of fuel and maintenance. Electric semi trucks are enjoying a surge of orders in both the US and Europe. [CleanTechnica]
Bullet train in Tokyo (Fikri Rasyid, Unsplash)
Minute 48
¶ “What Would A Flying-Free World Look Like?” • Air travel is incredibly polluting, but what would happen if people across the world suddenly stopped flying completely? A world of no flights would present some serious logistical challenges, but could also open up the door to huge changes to other, lower-carbon forms of transport. [BBC]
Wednesday, May 25
Climeworks direct air capture plant (Photo by Climeworks)
Minute 51
¶ “Elon Musk, Alphabet, And Joe Biden (USA) Are Just A Few Investing Billions Into Carbon Removal” • As the world shifts toward clean energy in its automobiles and its energy generation tactics, experts say there’s still a lot of work to do to ensure global temperatures don’t keep rising. One costly but effective solution is carbon removal technology. [CleanTechnica]
PVs in the Po Valley (Rosapicci, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
Minute 54
¶ “Italy Introduces Domestic Renewable Energy To The EU’s Common Agricultural Policy Plan” • Italy formally backed a plan to allow farmers to sell renewable energy to European power grids, following talks between Italian Agricultural Minister Stefano Patuanelli and European Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski. [China.org]
Blue Bird chassis (Image courtesy of Blue Bird)
Minute 56
¶ “Blue Bird Will Manufacture Electric Medium Duty Trucks And Vans” • A school bus is basically a truck chassis with a passenger compartment bolted on. So it should come as no surprise that Blue Bird, which currently manufactures electric school buses, is preparing to start producing medium duty Class 5 and Class 6 electric trucks. [CleanTechnica]
Minute 59: Finis
Notes: Energy Week #473 – 5/26/2022
George Harvey, blogger, author, and journalist for Green Energy Times and CleanTechnica, computer engineer
Tom Finnell, electrical engineer, transmission grid expert, world traveler, philanthropist, and philosopher
Energy, Renewable Energy, Wind Power, Solar, Batteries, Nuclear, Coal, Oil, Gas, Climate Change
Energy Week with George Harvey and Tom Finnell 