Energy Week #492 – 10/6/2022

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 #492 – 10/6/2022

Minute 0: Introduction 

Thursday, September 29

Rescue in Naples Florida (City of Naples Fire and Rescue)

Minute 2
¶ “Hurricane Ian Continues To Batter Florida As A Category 1 Storm While Officials Warn The Worst Is Yet To Come” • Ian made landfall as a Category 4 near Cayo Costa around 3:05 pm, with winds near 150 mph. It continued to batter Florida with high winds, heavy rain, and historic storm surge Wednesday night, even as it weakened to a Category 1. [CNN]

ESS all-iron flow battery (ESS image)

Minute 5
¶ “ESS Flow Battery To Supply 200-MW, 2-GWh Of Storage To California Utility” • ESS is an Oregon-based company that makes flow batteries using abundant and inexpensive materials: iron, salt, and water. ESS is to supply the Sacramento Municipal Utility District with a flow batteries with a total capacity of 200-MW, 2-GWh beginning next year. [CleanTechnica]

Growing alfalfa (USDA-NRCS image)

Minute 8
¶ “Hay! Alfalfa Is The Biggest Issue For Western Water” • All the reductions of water use cities can do will not be nearly enough to restore the Colorado River. But alfalfa farmers in one California irrigation district use far more water than the allotment for the state of Nevada. Alfalfa farms use almost enough water to cover the river’s shortfall. [CleanTechnica]

Friday, September 30 

West Virginia wind turbines (DJCohenour, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

Minute 11
¶ “Last Gasp For Mountain Valley Pipeline Natural Gas Project” • Natural gas stakeholders thought they had the Mountain Valley Pipeline in the bag. Federal legislation that would have cleared the way for it and other fossil energy projects was cut from a spending bill by its own sponsor, Senator Joe Manchin. This should be a warning on fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

Experimental wafer stack (Fraunhofer ISE image)

Minute 13
¶ “Fraunhofer ISE Doubles Production Speed Of Silicon Wafers For Solar Panels” • Working with a consortium of companies and research organizations, Fraunhofer ISE devised an innovative production line that can produce 15,000 to 20,000 silicon wafers per hour. That is about double the output of most production lines in use today. [CleanTechnica]

Lucky survivors (PCHS-NJROTC, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

Minute 16
¶ “Hurricane Ian’s Rainfall Was A 1-In-1,000 Year Event For The Hardest-Hit Parts Of Florida” • Hurricane Ian slammed into the Gulf Coast of Florida on Wednesday with record-breaking storm surge and devastating winds. But as it tracked inland, extreme rainfall became the most destructive aspect of the storm for central Florida. [CNN]

Saturday, October 1

Electric ferry (Artemis Technologies image)

Minute 19
¶ “Artemis Technologies Unveils Fast Electric Ferry Design” • A maritime design and applied technologies firm based in Belfast, Artemis Technologies, unveiled the design of its 100% electric EF-24 Passenger vessel for the global high-speed ferry market. This revolutionary ferry is one of several zero-emission vessels being created by the company. [CleanTechnica]

Solar trailer (Sono Motors image)

Minute 22
¶ “Sono Motors Debuts Solar Trailers, Solar Refrigeration For The World’s Current Diesel Fleet” • One promising way to cut some diesel usage in the existing fleet is to use solar retrofit kits on buses and large trailers for subsystems that ventilate, heat, air condition, or refrigerate. Sono Motors unveiled systems that cover those needs. [CleanTechnica]

Electrified classic (Everrati image)

Minute 24
¶ “Everrati Accelerates Global Production Of Classic Car EV Conversions Following Surging Demand” • Everrati has been working hard to ensure that timeless classics are also part of the transition to EVs. By converting legendary cars of yesteryear, Everrati is preserving them for a new generation to drive and enjoy without gas-guzzling guilt. [CleanTechnica]

Sunday, October 2

Noru from space in false colors (Earth Observatory, NASA)

Minute 27
¶ “Noru Became A Super Typhoon In Six Hours. Scientists Say Powerful Storms Are Becoming Harder To Forecast” • While Noru didn’t inflict as much damage or loss of life as other recent typhoons in the Philippines, it stood out from the others because it gained strength so quickly. It went from being a typhoon to a super typhoon in just six hours. [CNN]

Wind farm near Madison, New York (Russell Lovrin, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

Minute 30
¶ “RWE Agrees To Acquire Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses, Inc” • German renewable energy company RWE AG signed a purchase agreement with Con Edison to acquire all shares in Con Edison Clean Energy Businesses. Con Edison CEB has about 3 GW of capacity operating in the US and another 7 GW in its development pipeline. [RWE]

Fort Lauderdale neighborhood (Luiz Cent, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 32
¶ “Lack Of Flood Disclosure Laws Is Putting Home Buyers At Risk As Extreme Storms Become More Frequent” • According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, most states either have inadequate flood disclosure laws or none at all. This means that homebuyers completely in the dark about the history of flood damage at a property, unless they ask. [CNN]

Monday, October 3

Solar array (Jason Blackeye, Unsplash)

Minute 35
¶ “Hurricane Ian Amplifies Urgent Need For Resilient, Renewable And Just Energy Grid” • Climate change is fueling more intense storms, with power outages that can be lethal. But distributed renewable energy – generated at or near the place where it will be used – can keep the power flowing to homes, hospitals, and businesses when disasters hit. [The Hill]

Babcock Ranch solar array (From babcockranch.com)

Minute 38
¶ “This 100% Solar Community Endured Hurricane Ian With No Loss Of Power And Minimal Damage” • Babcock Ranch says it’s “America’s first solar-powered town.” Its solar array makes more electricity than the 2,000-home town uses. When Hurricane Ian came barreling through southwest Florida this week, the lights in Babcock Ranch stayed on. [CNN]

Tesla solar house (Screenshot from Tesla)

Minute 40
¶ “Tesla Powerwalls Survive Hours Underwater In Hurricane Ian” • Kelly Roofing, a licensed Tesla Solar Roof installer in Southwest Florida where Ian made landfall, says a solar roof it installed has no damage, apart from a small amount it got when a 30-foot boat landed on it. And two Powerwalls that were under water for hours are doing fine. [CleanTechnica]

Tuesday, October 4

Inside an Airlander 10 blimp (Hybrid Air Vehicles image)

Minute 43
¶ “Trains, E-Bikes, And Blimps – Bill McKibben Envisions Slower, Cleaner Transportation” • Years ago, a group of people in France founded a “slow food” movement, celebrating the joy of dining rather than downing a burger with fries and dashing back into life’s fray. Could we be ready for a “slow travel” movement? McKibben certainly thinks so. [CleanTechnica]

Battery storage system (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

Minute 46
¶ “Microgrids For Anyone” • The National Renewable Energy Laboratory published a description of the improvised controls that saved NREL during its own outage. It describes a microgrid approach that sidesteps the central controller, an expensive and complicated component, to make microgrids easy and low cost where they are needed most. [CleanTechnica]

Agrivoltaics (Image courtesy SolarEdge)

Minute 48
¶ “Can Agrivoltaics Fuel The Growth Of Sustainable Farming?” • The Inflation Reduction Act, lauded as the largest climate change investment in US history, features a $369 billion investment in clean energy. It includes more than $20 billion for climate-smart agricultural practices, and that will likely produce more grants or subsidies for agrivoltaic projects. [CleanTechnica]

Wednesday, October 5

NextEra’s projected LCOE ratings (NextEra image)

Minute 51
¶ “Why Should We Pay Extra For Nuclear Power?” • As the governor of Virginia wants to switch support from renewables to nuclear power, it might be a good idea to revisit reports from last June. NextEra Energy, the biggest US investor in nuclear energy, made it clear that its cost analysis shows reasons to switch from nuclear to renewables. [CleanTechnica]

Electrovaya battery energy storage system (Electrovaya image)

Minute 54
¶ “NY Governor Hochul: Electrovaya To Establish Lithium-Ion Battery Gigafactory In Chautauqua County” • Governor Kathy Hochul announced Electrovaya, Inc, a producer of lithium-ion batteries for transportation and utility storage, has selected the Town of Ellicott in Chautauqua County, New York, as the site for its first US plant. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines (RWE image)

Minute 56
¶ “RWE pledges €15 Billion German Green Drive” • RWE has pledged to accelerate its efforts to phase out coal power generation, boosting its investment in renewables to replace the fossil fuel. RWE said it is ready to end lignite-based electricity generation in 2030 and confirmed that it will “invest massively” in renewable energy. [reNews]

Minute 59: Finis

Notes: Energy Week #492 – 10/6/2022

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 #491 – 9/29/2022

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 #491 – 9/29/2022

Minute 0: Introduction 

Thursday, September 22

FMG ore train (Geez-oz, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

Minute 2
¶ “Australian iron ore miner Fortescue Metals Group announced a $6.2 billion plan to eliminate fossil fuels and carbon emissions from its operations by the end of the decade.” • The world’s fourth-largest iron ore producer expects to save $818 million a year from 2030 based on current prices of diesel, gas and carbon credits, a statement says. [Bay News 9]
(Also see video, “Business as usual is over,” at CNN)

Daimler truck (Daimler Trucks, via Bloomberg)

Minute 5
¶ “Daimler Launches First Mercedes-Branded Electric Semi” • In big news for the shipping industry, Daimler Truck revealed the production version of its first-ever, heavy-duty, long-haul battery electric semi truck: the Mercedes-Benz eActros LongHaul. It can haul 22 tons of cargo 500 km, or 311 miles, before it needs to be recharged. [CleanTechnica]

Sloth to the rescue (Jack Charles, Unsplash)

Minute 8
¶ “Nuclear Power As Response To Climate Crisis Is Like ‘Calling On A Sloth To Put Out A House Fire’ – Times Columnist” • A Times Opinion columnist, Farhad Manjoo, argued that nuclear power entails higher costs and longer periods for construction than renewables. With batteries, solar and wind are easier to put up and have lower costs. [The Deep Dive]

Friday, September 23

Agriculture workers (World Bank Photo Collection, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

Minute 11
¶ “A Wave Of Technologies Uses Nature To Fight The Climate Crisis” • A wave of technologies is accelerating natural climate solutions, and experts say that, together, they can provide around one-third of the cost effective climate mitigation that is needed between now and 2030 to achieve the 1.5ºC target of the UN Climate Paris agreement. [CleanTechnica]

Hurricane Fiona storm track (NOAA image)

Minute 13
¶ “Fearsome Hurricane Fiona Could Be Canada’s Strongest-Ever Storm” • Canadians are bracing for what could be the strongest storm ever to hit their country’s coast. Hurricane Fiona lashed the Caribbean, is forecast to brush by Bermuda as a dangerous Category 3 storm, and shows no signs of slowing before it slams into Canada on Saturday morning. [CNN]

Wind turbine (Elena Zhuravleva, Pexels)

Minute 16
¶ “Renewable Energy Jobs Rise By 700,000 In A Year, To Nearly 13 Million” • Worldwide employment in the renewable energy sector reached 12.7 million last year, a jump of 700,000 new jobs in just 12 months, despite the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the energy crisis, according to a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency. [Indiablooms]

Saturday, September 24

Construction work (Ford image)

Minute 19
¶ “BlueOval City: Ford’s Making Its Biggest Factory Complex Ever To Support EV Production” • Ford announced breaking ground for BlueOval City, representing a $5.6 billion investment on an EV-making mega-campus of nearly six square miles in western Tennessee. Ford’s goal is to build 2 million EVs per year by 2026, worldwide. [CleanTechnica]

Aluminum (Darren Patterson, Pexels)

Minute 22
¶ “Aluminum-Sulfur Battery Could Drastically Change Mining For Renewable Materials” • One of the most crucial aspects of sustainable living is the responsible mining of renewable resources. Massachusetts Institute of Technology scientists have developed an aluminum-sulfur battery that could change mining practices forever. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Citroën Ami (Image from Citroën UK)

Minute 24
¶ “Citroën Announces New Partnership With Ubitricity” • The Citroën AMI is part of a new exiting range of very small urban electric vehicles. The AMI has a 5.5 kWh battery, a 6 kW motor, a top speed of 45 km/h (28 mph). It has a range of 46 miles. One really noteworthy thing about this little EV is that you can get one for only £7,695 ($8,356)! [CleanTechnica]

Sunday, September 25

House in Queensland (Kgbo, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Minute 27
¶ “Rooftop Solar Recently Reached 72% Of Western Australia Electricity Output!” • It was once a common assumption in the utility industry and among solar skeptics that solar power could not provide more than 5% of grid electricity or the grid would break. In Western Australia, rooftop solar PVs recently provided 72% of grid power for a time. [CleanTechnica]

Alice, in GlobalX branding (Courtesy of GlobalX & Eviation)

Minute 30
¶ “Electric Airplane Flights Coming To Florida, The Bahamas, And The Caribbean” • Electric aircraft are all the rage, but when will we see actual commercial electric airplane options for normal people? They are on the way. The electric aircraft “Alice” from Eviation Aircraft is getting real orders, including from a young airline based in Florida. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Tyler Casey, Unsplash)

Minute 32
¶ “Tesla BEV Market Share Dropped From 25.1% In Q2 2020 To 15.6% In Q2 2022 – While Sales Grew 180.2%” • Sales of Teslas grew from 90,891 in Q2 2020 to 254,695 in Q2 2022. But in the markets of China, Europe, and the US, Tesla’s share of battery EV sales dropped from 25.1% in Q2 2020 to 15.6% in Q2 2022. The market is growing faster than Tesla. [CleanTechnica]

Monday, September 26

Sakuú solid-state battery (Sakuú image)

Minute 35
“NGK Is To Supply Sakuú With Ceramics For Solid-State Batteries” • Sakuú, based in California, has novel methods of 3D printing. NGK is a Japanese company with expertise in ceramics. They will collaborate to develop 3D-printed solid-state batteries. Sakuú says the batteries are 50% smaller, 30% lighter, and less expensive than lithium-ion batteries. [CleanTechnica]

Forecast wind arrival times (NOAA image)

Minute 38
¶ “Florida officials urge residents to prepare for Tropical Storm Ian” • Floridians are bracing for Tropical Storm Ian, which is expected to rapidly intensify before hitting western Cuba with threats of strong winds and storm surge as high as 9 to 14 feet, according to the National Hurricane Center. It is too early to know where it will make US landfall. [CNN]

Sunrun installation (Sunrun image)

Minute 40
¶ “East Bay Customers Support California’s Grid During Extreme Heat Wave Through Innovative Program” • East Bay Community Energy and Sunrun have been installing solar + battery systems in California. Systems in EBCE’s Resilient Home Program gave critical emergency energy support to stave off rolling blackouts during California’s Flex Alerts. [CleanTechnica]

Tuesday, September 27

Hummer (GM image)

Minute 43
¶ “GM Banks On Honking Big Electric Vehicles In First-Ever Propulsion Do-Over” • GM has announced its first retooling of one of its propulsion facilities to make the innards for EVs. That’s the kind of move that could make EV-only startups quake in their boots. But the real question is how to plump up the lithium supply chain. [CleanTechnica]

Rheem 120V heat pump water heater (Rheem image)

Minute 46
¶ “Rheem Releases 120V Plug-In Heat Pump Water Heater That Can Be Plugged Into Typical Outlet” • Rheem released its 120V ProTerra(R) Plug-in Heat Pump water heater. This is really good news. When it comes to climate effects and price, heat pump water heaters are the energy equivalent of seven solar panels that cost one-sixth of the price. [CleanTechnica]

Super Typhoon Noru (NOAA/CIRA/RAMMB)

Minute 48
¶ “Climate Change Is Causing Hurricanes To Intensify Faster Than Ever” • Rapid intensification has historically been a rare phenomenon, but human-caused climate change is stacking the deck in favor of more intense storms. As they generate more rainfall and larger storm surge, they are also more likely to be stronger and intensify faster. [CNN]

Wednesday, September 28

Bamboo house interior (Maria Orlova, Pexels)

Minute 51
¶ “Could Living In A Bamboo Home Help Solve The Climate Crisis?” • While bamboo has been used in construction in Asia for thousands of years, it’s starting to be used for sustainable housing in parts of the US and elsewhere. Giant bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant on the planet. It can be harvested when it is just three years old. [CNN]

Flooded Venice (Egor Gordeev, Unsplash)

Minute 54
¶ “Venice’s Fight Against Rising Seas” • This statement is far from hyperbole: Venice is at very real risk of being consumed by the sea. In worst-case scenario, the city could disappear beneath the waves by as early as 2100. Part of the problem is rising sea levels. But also, many buildings in the city are slowly sinking due to groundwater extraction. [BBC]

Wind turbines (Scottish Power image)

Minute 56
¶ “Scottish Power Secured Record-Breaking 19 Renewable Energy Projects In First Half Of 2022” • Scottish Power has confirmed it secured 19 renewable energy projects in the first six months of 2022 totalling more than 9 GW, a record for the firm. Along with others, ScottishPower received leasing through the ScotWind initiative in January 2022. [Current News]

Minute 59: Finis

Notes: Energy Week #491 – 9/29/2022

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 #490 – 9/22/2022

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 #490 – 9/22/2022

Minute 0: Introduction 

Thursday, September 15

Yvon Chouinard on El Capitan (Tom Frost, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

Minute 2
¶ “Patagonia’s Founder Transfers Ownership Into Two Entities To Help Fight The Climate Crisis” • Patagonia, based in Ventura, California, sells outdoor apparel and equipment. It was founded in 1973 by rock climber Yvon Chouinard. He and his family are transfering ownership to two nonprofits, which will use its profits to fight climate change. [CNN]

Our Next Energy skateboard (Our Next Energy image)

Minute 5
¶ “‘Our Next Energy’ To Showcase Anode-Free Battery With 600-Mile Range” • Our Next Energy says it has created an anode-free battery cell with an energy density of 1,007 Wh per liter. The new cell eliminates the need for graphite and anode equipment, which could make it possible for manufacturing costs to be as low as $50 per kWh. [CleanTechnica]

Leapmotor T03 (Courtesy Leapmotor)

Minute 8
¶ “Leapmotor Starts Exports Of The T03, And The First 60 Units Are On Their Way To Israel” • Chinese EV manufacturers have been exporting vehicles to Europe and other places, but are now starting to really position themselves for global exports on a larger scale. The Leapmotor T03 is one example. The car starts at the equivalent of €10,000 in China. [CleanTechnica]

Friday, September 16

Floating offshore wind turbine pilot by the University of Maine, 2013 (Jplourde umaine, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Minute 11
¶ “Biden Administration Announces Plan To Develop Floating Offshore Wind Turbines For The West Coast” • Several new initiatives to develop technology for massive, floating offshore wind turbines were announced by the Biden administration as part of the effort to launch offshore wind in California and elsewhere on the US coastlines. [CNN]

Gen6 batteries (BMW, via Autocar)

Minute 13
¶ “New ‘Gen6′ BMW Battery Promises 620 Mile Range” • When BMW recently announced the 46 mm round battery format, they said the new cells would offer more range than their current EVs, but we didn’t know how much more. Now we do: over 1000 km (about 620 miles). The Gen6 EV battery also offers significantly faster charging. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo Trucks trucks (Volvo Trucks image)

Minute 16
¶ “Volvo Trucks Ramps Up Big Electric Truck Production” • This week, Volvo Trucks made waves in the heavy-duty truck space by becoming the first manufacturer to begin series production of an all-electric, 44 ton heavy-duty semi truck. The Volvo Trucks line-up includes six electric semi truck models for a wide range of applications. [CleanTechnica]

Saturday, September 17

Work on a small flow battery (StorEn Technologies, detail)

Minute 19
¶ “How Vanadium Flow Batteries Expand Applications” • There are many reasons why microgrids with battery backup have such great popularity now. Vanadium flow batteries, have commercial advantages over other energy storage systems because of their inherent efficiencies and life cycles, which do not exist with with energy storage technologies. [CleanTechnica]

Skyscrapers designed using AI (Courtesy Manas Bhatia)

Minute 22
¶ “An Architect Asked AI To Design Skyscrapers Of The Future. This Is What It Proposed” • An architect and computational designer based in New Delhi, Manas Bhatia, has a bold vision of the future – one where residential skyscrapers covered in trees, plants and algae act as “air purification towers.” His ideas were rendered into images by AI. [CNN]

Fish net recycling (BMW image)

Minute 24
¶ “BMW To Recycle Fishing Nets In New Electric Cars” • In what BMW is calling “a first for the automotive industry,” its Neue Klasse EVs, set to launch in 2025, will feature plastic parts made from 30% recycled fishing nets and ropes, resulting in trim pieces with a 25% smaller carbon footprint than plastic parts made more conventionally. [CleanTechnica]

Sunday, September 18

Mangrove trees at low tide (David Clode, Unsplash)

Minute 27
¶ “Mexican Mangroves Help Mitigate Climate Change By Capturing Carbon” • Mangroves are known to reduce heavy impact from storms but their benefits go beyond that. Scientists found that the Mexican mangroves help in climate change by capturing carbon. The scientists urge communities to preserve mangrove forests. [Nature World News]

Battery-electric Xcelsior CHARGE NG™ (Courtesy of New Flyer)

Minute 30
¶ “Buy Clean Takes Center Stage At US DOT And Other Agencies” • The Buy Clean Task Force announced that the US government will prioritize low-carbon procurement across four categories: steel, concrete, asphalt, and flat glass. DOT Secretary Buttigieg said he will apply the same principles for the entire Department of Transportation. [CleanTechnica]

Farm (Guido Klinge, Unsplash)

Minute 32
¶ “As Farmers Split From The GOP On Climate Change, They’re Getting Billions To Fight It” • The US government’s conservation programs are meant to help farmers, as they confront the worse droughts and unprecedented rainfall and flooding of climate change. The farmers might not change parties, but they may change their party’s climate change policies. [KRWG]

Monday, September 19

Offshore wind farm (GWEC image)

Minute 35
¶ “Global Offshore Wind Alliance Launches” • A new multi-stakeholder alliance has been set up with the aim of driving installed global offshore wind capacity up 670%, from 57 GW in 2021 to 380 GW in 2030. The Danish and US governments were joined by the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Global Wind Energy Council, and others. [reNews]

Rooftop solar system (Vivint Solar, Pexels)

Minute 38
¶ “Graphene-Based Battery Set To Make Domestic Renewable Energy Even Cleaner” • Zero Emissions Developments, based in Brisbane, has developed an emissions-free technology to create batteries from graphene, and is set to transform the solar energy industry by offering a sustainable, cleaner, and more reliable energy storage solution. [Architecture & Design]

Shrinking Lake Powell (Nwbeeson, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Minute 40
¶ “The Upstream Water Used To Keep Lake Powell In Action Is Running Out” • Upstream reservoirs in the Colorado River Basin might not have enough water to keep Lake Powell above a critical threshold indefinitely, federal officials have warned in recent weeks, as the West’s ongoing megadrought saps water from across the regiion. [CNN]

Tuesday, September 20

Charging an EV (Andrew Roberts, Unsplash)

Minute 43
¶ “Why Electric Vehicles Won’t Break the Grid” • Days after the California regulators approved a plan to ban sales of new gas cars in 2035, the grid operator asked people to delay charging EVs while demand was driven high by a heat wave. Renewable energy naysayers made fun of that, but grid operators and utilities say EVs will not be a problem. [Scientific American]

Wind plant in Shanzi (Hahaheditor12667, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Minute 46
¶ “China Begins To Lead Way In Renewable Energy” • China’s total installed capacity for renewable energy generation has risen to 1.1 billion kW (1,100 GW) in a decade, with generation capacity of hydropower, wind, solar, and biomass, the National Energy Administration says. The current 5-year plan would have 50% of electricity come from renewables. [China Daily]

Electric street sweeper (US Hybrid image)

Minute 48
¶ “US Hybrid Gets Order For 62 Electric Street Sweepers” • Semi truck electrifying firm US Hybrid had a lot be excited about this past weekend, after the company signed a deal to supply Global Environmental Products with enough of its proprietary electric and hybrid electric propulsion kits to build 62 zero emission street sweepers. [CleanTechnica]

Wednesday, September 21

Hawa Mahal, pink palace of Jaipur (Annie Spratt, Unsplash)

Minute 51
¶ “How India’s Lattice Buildings Cool Without Air Con” • India’s architecture once featured intricate lattice structures. Cut from marble or red sandstone in ornamental patterns, jaali was an architectural feature in India between the 16th and 18th Century. Now, modern architects search for better ways to keep buildings cool, and the system is coming back. [BBC]

Toyota Mirai schematic with hydrogen tanks and fuel cells (Toyota)

Minute 54
¶ “Bosch Warns Auto Industry About Putting All Its Eggs In The Lithium-Ion Basket” • Markus Heyn, head of mobility services for Bosch, has some strong opinions about the auto industry’s reliance on lithium-ion batteries. He is not claiming fuel cells are superior to lithium-ion batteries. What he is claiming is that we should have a backup plan. [CleanTechnica]

Wind farm (Harry Cunningham, Pexels)

Minute 56
¶ “Renewable Energy As A Price Stabilizer” • On Monday, the price of electricity was below €49 on the Leibzig exchange in Germany. It was higher in countries more dependant on fossil fuels: for example €141 in Poland and €257 in Switzerland. In France, with its dependence on nuclear, it was €169. The price of electricity is curbed by renewables. [PV Magazine]

Minute 59: Finis

Notes: Energy Week #490 – 9/22/2022

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 #489 – 9/15/2022

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 #489 – 9/15/2022

Minute 0: Introduction 

Thursday, September 8

Flood in Pakistan, 2022 (M Salik Abbasi, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

Minute 2
¶ “’We Are Going To Drown’: Villagers Trapped As Pakistan’s Largest Lake Overflows” • In Pakistan, Lake Manchar, which has swelled to an area of hundreds of square kilometers due to the combined effects of a heavy monsoon and melting glaciers, breached its banks, leaving nearby villages under several feet of water, and many residents are trapped. [CNN]

Summer (Dakota Roos, Unsplash)

Minute 5
¶ “Europe’s Warm Summer Shatters Records” • This summer was the hottest on record in Europe, EU satellite monitoring data shows. Heatwaves and drought saw June, July, and August shatter previous high marks for temperature. The Copernicus Climate Change Service said the data showed August in Europe was the warmest on record by “a substantial margin.” [BBC]

Capitol (Image by Francine Sreca, Pixabay)

Minute 8
¶ “NRDC To Congress: Don’t Pass Pollution Measure That Enables Auto Emissions Tampering” • A proposed air pollution exemption now before Congress would harm US air quality and Americans’ health and welfare, according to testimony given to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in a hearing on September 7. [CleanTechnica]

Friday, September 9

Tesla Model Y (Tyler Casey, Unsplash)

Minute 11
¶ “Tesla Model Y Is Safest Automobile In Europe – Euro NCAP” • Tesla has long topped the charts in the USA when it comes to detailed breakdowns of NHTSA safety analyses. Four Tesla models have been rated as the safest US cars. Now Tesla has taken the #1 spot in Europe as well, with the Model Y. It got the best score ever recorded in Europe. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines (Chris Barbalis, Unsplash)

Minute 13
¶ “Switching The Whole World To Renewable Energy Could Pay For Itself In Just Six Years, Study Says” • Transitioning nearly the entire world to an efficient and renewable energy system would cost nearly $62 trillion, according to the analysis by researchers at Stanford University. Nevertheless, the transition would pay for itself in six years. [Yahoo News]

Jeep EV (Courtesy of Stellantis)

Minute 16
¶ “Jeep Unveils 3 New Battery Electric Models” • Stellantis has announced three new Jeep battery EVs that will be coming to market soon. Together they will help the parent company transition to selling 100% battery electric passenger vehicles in Europe and 50% passenger car and light duty trucks in the US by end of 2030. [CleanTechnica]

Saturday, September 10

Chevrolet Equinox EV (General Motors image)

Minute 19
¶ “GM Unveils $30,000 Electric SUV That Will Be One Of The Cheapest EVs Available” • General Motors revealed a new electric SUV that it expects will be the cheapest compact electric SUV on the market when it goes into production in about a year. The Chevrolet Equinox EV will have a starting price around $30,000, making it among the cheapest EVs. [CNN]

Wind turbines on the coast (Jem Sanchez, Pexels)

Minute 22
¶ “NextEra Goes Full Bore To Extend Lead In Emerging $2 Trillion US Renewables Power Play” • NextEra Energy, a US renewables development pacesetter, plans to invest $85 billion to $95 billion in energy storage and generation projects through to 2025 in a bid to boost its share of an emerging $2 trillion clean power market. [Recharge News]

Using hydrogen in natural gas lines (Courtesy of SoCalGas)

Minute 24
¶ “Researchers Want To Mix Renewable Fuels Into Existing Gas Lines At UC Irvine” • Researchers exploring the possibility of using existing infrastructure to deliver cleaner alternatives for fossil fuels to people in a real-world setting submitted a proposal to the California Public Utilities Commission to do that on the campus of UC Irvine. [Los Angeles Times]

Sunday, September 11

Orphaned well (Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection)

Minute 27
¶ “Identifying Undocumented Orphaned Oil & Gas Wells” • Los Alamos National Laboratory is leading a research consortium funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to identify and evaluate the hundreds of thousands of undocumented orphaned wells in the US. It will determine environmental impacts with a focus on methane emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Apples growing (Jeremy Bezanger, Unsplash)

Minute 30
¶ “German Farmer Grows Fruit Under Solar Power Equipment” • A German farmer is successfully growing apples beneath solar power equipment that produces electricity. Many of the farm’s trees grow beneath solar panels that have been producing power. In addition to providing electricity, the panels protect the fruit below with shade. [VOA Learning English]

Installing rooftop solar (Kate Costa, US DOE, public domain)

Minute 32
¶ “Sunrun And Tesla Solar Roofs And Batteries Saving The Day In California” • Thanks to solar PV and battery companies, the California grid is much better equipped to deal with challenges of heatwaves than it was a decade ago. A leading force in these industries is Sunrun, the largest home solar and battery storage company in the USA. [CleanTechnica]

Monday, September 12

Solar energy (Raphael Cruz, Unsplash)

Minute 35
¶ “Reasons For (Cautious) Optimism: The Good News On The Climate Crisis” • We could say a lot about what’s going wrong. The extent of damage caused at 1.2°C of global heating since pre-industrial levels is proving greater than was forecast by climate scientists not that long ago. But there are reasons for hope, as we push harder to address the issue. [The Guardian]

University of Maine team members (University of Maine Extension)

Minute 38
¶ “Mixing Solar Power And Agriculture: A Blueberry Farm Does A Test Run” • With dual-use agrivoltaics, crops are grown under or between the rows of solar panels, with the aim of generating renewable energy without removing farmland from production. The University of Maine is studying a combination of solar power and blueberry farming. [Canary Media]

Wind turbines (Irina Iriser, Pexels)

Minute 40
¶ “States With The Most Untapped Wind Energy Potential” • Using data from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Stacker compared installed wind energy capacity in the continental US to potential wind energy capacity. The EERE calculation of wind energy used suitable wind turbine locations based on legal and technical factors. [Arizona’s Family]

Tuesday, September 13

Dry river in Northern Ireland (K Mitch Hodge, Unsplash)

Minute 43
¶ “Are Drying Rivers A Warning Of Europe’s Future?” • Nearly two-thirds of Europe suffered drought conditions this year, the worst in 500 years. Scientists say global warming has played a large role in the crisis. Crops were lost. River shipping slowed. Nuclear power plants were shut down for lack of cooling water. But extreme weather is becoming normal. [BBC]

Night train berth (Night Train image)

Minute 46
¶ “Ditch The Plane, Take The Night Train” • People who travel by train leave a carbon footprint 50 times smaller than those who fly. Recognizing how dramatic the difference is, many Europeans now prefer to take the train rather than fly. Nightjet, a service of ÖBB (Austrian Railways), is increasing the allure of train travel by adding 33 custom designed trains. [CleanTechnica]

Lobster boat (Thomas Dewey, Unsplash)

Minute 48
¶ “The Gulf Of Maine And Its Lobsters Are At Risk From Climate Change” • According to an article published earlier this year in the National Fisherman, 82% of lobsters caught in the US come from Maine. A new report from The Washington Post details the effects of the current climate crisis on the Gulf of Maine. The lobster industry is in trouble. [InsideHook]

Wednesday, September 14

Mustang Mach-E (Bram Van Oost, Unsplash)

Minute 51
¶ “Ford Plans New Build-To-Order System To Reduce The Cost Of Electric Cars” • Reuters reports that Ford CEO Jim Farley will be in Las Vegas next week to meet with Ford dealers. His mission is to convince them the “build to order” business model is better and could help reduce the cost of delivering Ford electric cars and trucks by about $2,000. [CleanTechnica]

Corn farm (Julian Schöll, Unsplash)

Minute 54
¶ “Ethanol Burns Clean, But Creates More Emissions Than Gasoline” • Ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline in cars. But there is a dispute about the carbon emissions of making ethanol from corn. Research by Reuters shows that US ethanol plants produce over twice the harmful emissions of oil refineries, per gallon of fuel production capacity. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines (Tom Fisk, Pexels, cropped)

Minute 56
¶ “Switching To Renewable Energy Could Save Trillions – Study” • Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy could save the world as much as $12 trillion (£10.2 trillion) by 2050, according to an Oxford University study. The report said it was wrong and pessimistic to claim that moving quickly towards cleaner energy sources was expensive. [BBC]

Minute 59: Finis

Notes: Energy Week #489 – 9/15/2022

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 #488 – 9/8/2022

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 #488 – 9/8/2022

Minute 0: Introduction 

Thursday, September 1

Rooftop solar system (Courtesy of SunPower)

Minute 2 
¶ “Ten Big Cleantech Benefits In Inflation Reduction Act” • The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has been the story of the quarter in the cleantech world. It covers a wide array of topics. Solar power giant SunPower came up with a list of 10 things in the Inflation Reduction Act that can “change your home and fill your wallet.” Here is a look at them. [CleanTechnica]

Vineyard (Karsten Würth, Unsplash)

Minute 5
¶ “The Arctic Circle: A New Frontier For Sustainable Wine” • In recent years, heat waves, drought, and smoke from wildfires have been wreaking havoc on European vineyards. It is increasingly difficult to produce the same legacy wines that producers have been making for centuries. Now there are vineyards in Sweden, and they are starting to be productive. [BBC]

Menzies Hotel, Menzies (Michal Lewi, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Minute 8
¶ “Horizon Power Secures Land To Take Goldfields Town To 100% Renewables” • Western Australia’s regional utility Horizon Power is seeking to shift the northern Goldfields town of Menzies to 100% renewables. Menzies is one of 32 remote communities served by HP microgrids. Most are diesel powered, but they are all turning to renewables. [One Step Off The Grid]

Friday, September 2

Nuclear power plant (Kelly, Pexels)

Minute 11
¶ “Russia’s Stranglehold On The World’s Nuclear Power Cycle – Analysis” • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called on the international community to ban Russian nuclear technology. However, blocking and replacing Russia’s exports of uranium, reactors, and nuclear technology to the rest of the world is easier said than done. [Eurasia Review]

Pipistrel Velis Electro (Pipistrel image)

Minute 13
¶ “Why Electric Airplanes Are Taking Off At Flight Schools” • Air travel has been slow to transition to clean energy, but the next generation of aviators need not wait for commercial airlines to move away from fossil fuels. The Velis Electro, the world’s only electric plane fully certified in the EU and the UK, is taking off as a greener option for trainee pilots. [CNN]

PV shipments (EIA image)

Minute 16
¶ “Record Numbers Of Solar Panels Were Shipped In The US During 2021” • US shipments of solar PV modules rose to a record electricity-generating capacity of 28.8 million peak kW in 2021, from 21.8 million peak kW in 2020, based on data from our Annual Photovoltaic Module Shipments Report. Solar module shipments were 80% imports. [CleanTechnica]

Saturday, September 3

Oil leak that caused gas pipeline shutdown (Gazprom image)

Minute 19
¶ “Russia To Keep Key Gas Pipeline To EU Closed” • Russia’s gas pipeline to Germany will not reopen as planned on Saturday, state energy firm Gazprom has said. The firm said it had found an oil leak in a turbine on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, meaning it would be closed indefinitely. Moscow denies using energy supplies as an economic weapon. [BBC]

Beaver (mana5280, Unsplash)

Minute 22
¶ “Beavers Are Considered Valuable in the Fight Against Climate Change” • Scientists in Utah and California recently discovered that beavers are an important factor in the fight against climate change. Dams created by the rodents help store water longer, and fend off fires. This is important as arid conditions are brought on by global warming. [Green Matters]

Chicago (Pedro Lastra, Unsplash)

Minute 24
¶ “Chicago To Run Civic Operations On 100% Renewables By 2026 ” • The City of Chicago runs over 400 public buildings. City Hall and two international airports are examples. After signing a five-year clean energy deal with Constellation Energy, the city said that all its facilities and operations will run on renewable energy by 2025. [The World Economic Forum]

Sunday, September 4

Presidents Erdogan and Biden (The White House)

Minute 27
¶ “Turkey Offers To Mediate In Ukraine Nuclear Plant Standoff” • Turkish President Erdogan offered to mediate in the standoff over the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine. The offer came hours before the UN nuclear watchdog said the facility lost its last remaining main power line to the grid and was now relying on a reserve line. [Kyiv Post]

CalWave wave unit (Courtesy of CalWave Power Technologies)

Minute 30
¶ “Wave Energy Converter Passes First Test, Now It’s Off To Oregon” • Last week, Calwave concluded a successful 10-month test run of its x1 at a site off the coast of San Diego. CalWave is ready for action and is moving off to sites in Oregon and Alaska. It is also starting to look seriously at commercialization, possibly piggy-backed with offshore windpower. [CleanTechnica]

Haikou, Hainan (Anna Frodesiak, public domain)

Minute 32
¶ “Chinese Province Of Over 9 Million To Ban Fossil Fuel Car Sales By 2030” • Hainan may not be a household name in the US or Europe, but it is a province with more than 9 million people. The recent news out of Hainan is that the province is banning new fossil-fuel vehicle sales by 2030. That target is one of the most aggressive out there. [CleanTechnica]

Monday, September 5

Tube train (Image courtesy of Transpod)

Minute 35
¶ “Canada Might Be Getting A 1,000 Kilometers Per Hour Vacuum-Tube Train” • A Canadian company has unveiled plans for a fully electric train-style vehicle which could travel at 1,000 km/h (621 mph) and, it claims, would cost less than a plane ticket to travel on. FluxJet will be propelled at ultra-fast speeds along a protected tube-guideway. [CNN]

Elestor flow battery (Elestor image)

Minute 38
¶ “Hydrogen Bromide Flow Battery For Large-Scale Renewables Storage” • Dutch startup Elestor secured €30 million in funding from a consortium of lenders led by Equinor. It will use the funds to continue developing its hydrogen bromide flow battery technology. Elestor plans to build a gigawatt-scale production facility. [pv magazine Australia]

Rooftop solar system (Nuno Marques, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 40
¶ “Inflation Reduction Act To Give US Solar Energy Industry A Much Needed Boost” • The latest data from the US Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie show a near leveling off of growth. But this forecast was based on the idea that the Investment Tax Credit would start declining in 2024. It has now been extended to 2032! [CleanTechnica]

Tuesday, September 6

Thwaites Glacier (Alexandra Mazur, University of Gothenburg)

Minute 43
¶ “’Doomsday Glacier,’ Which Could Raise Sea Level By Several Feet, Is Holding On ‘By Its Fingernails,’ Scientists Say” • In Antarctica, Thwaites Glacier, called the “doomsday glacier,” has the potential to rapidly retreat in the coming years, scientists say, amplifying concerns over the extreme sea level rise that would accompany its potential demise. [CNN]

Cooperative solar plant (Courtesy of Grunneger Power)

Minute 46
¶ “Renewable Energy From Local Sources Is The New, New Thing In Europe” • There is a quiet revolution taking place that could significantly disrupt the utility industry. Communities in Europe are making plans to create their own electricity from renewable sources. It involves people managing their own supply of electricity. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines (Thomas Galler, Unsplash)

Minute 48
¶ “100 Percent Renewable Energy Systems Could Power The Globe By 2050” • A review from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers analyses over 600 peer-reviewed articles on 100% renewable energy. “The main conclusion of most of these studies is that 100% renewables is feasible worldwide at low cost,” the report says. [TriplePundit]

Wednesday, September 7

Sunnova network (Sunnova Energy)

Minute 51
¶ “Renewable Energy From Local Sources – California Edition” • Sunnova announced that it has applied to the California PUC to develop a novel solar and storage “micro-utility.” This innovative renewable energy platform allows residents, communities, and businesses to share excess clean power and “island” from the legacy distribution system. [CleanTechnica]

Logging (US Forest Service, USDA)

Minute 54
¶ “Wooden Buildings Could Eliminate 106 Billion Tons Of Carbon Emissions” • The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research published a study in Nature Communications that says building future cities from engineered wood products could prevent 106 billion tons of carbon dioxide from entering the Earth’s atmosphere by 2100. [CleanTechnica]

Farm (Dan Meyers, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 56
¶ “Billions Directed To Food And Agriculture Is ‘Largest Since The Dust Bowl Of The 1930s’” • The Inflation Reduction Act, the biggest climate bill the US has ever passed, also addresses food and agriculture. Several areas of conservation, food protection, and financial insulation for at-risk farmers have been bundled in climate-friendly farm practices. [CleanTechnica]

Minute 59: Finis

Notes: Energy Week #488 – 9/8/2022

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