Energy Week #543 – 10/5/2023

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 #543 – 10/5/2023

Minute 0: Introduction

Thursday, September 28

Offshore wind farm (Mitchell Orr, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 2
¶ “Projects Could Power 18 Million US Homes With Offshore Wind Energy” • The US offshore wind energy development pipeline reached a potential generating capacity of 52,687 MW at the end of May 2023, according to a NREL analysis. If fully developed, these projects could power over 18 million American homes. [CleanTechnica]

Buses in Oslo (Eirik Skarstein, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 5
¶ “Oslo To Replace Almost All Diesel Buses With Electric Buses By Year’s End” • Norway makes no apology for its seeking to electrify its transportation sector as quickly as possible. Its clean transportation initiative includes the public sector, as Oslo and other Norwegian cities covert their public transportation systems to electric buses. [CleanTechnica]

Solar worker (Ken Oltmann, CoServ)

Minute 8
¶ “Renewable Power Helped The US Survive Hottest Summer Ever” • This summer, the US endured the two warmest months ever recorded, yet the system held. Despite years of messages trying to raise doubts about whether renewables have a place in grid reliability, there’s no doubt now that wind and solar power and battery storage held their own. [NRDC]

Friday, September 29

Construction of wind turbine (Modvion AB)

Minute 10
¶ “Rise Of Wooden Towers: A Green Solution For Wind Turbines” • Swedish startup Modvion AB is revolutionizing the wind turbine industry by building towers made of wood instead of steel. This innovative approach aims to reduce the carbon footprint of wind power by over 90%. The world’s tallest wooden turbine tower is currently under construction. [EnergyPortal.eu]

Nissan concept car (Nissan image)

Minute 13
¶ “Nissan: No New ICE Cars For Europe, All-EV By 2030” • In a recent press release, Nissan announced that starting now, there will be no new combustion-powered vehicle models for the market, and by 2030, the company wants all new Nissans to be “100% electric.” We can take a quick look at the announcement and review what it means. [CleanTechnica]

Gulf Stream (NOAA SciJinks)

Minute 16
¶ “New Study Definitively Confirms Gulf Stream Weakening” • The Gulf Stream transport of water through the Florida Straits has slowed by 4% over the past four decades, according to a study published in Geophysical Research Letters. The study says there is a 99% certainty that this weakening is more than expected from random chance. [CleanTechnica]

Saturday, September 30

Pumping gas (engin akyurt, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 19
¶ “Gasoline Prices In California Are Up 80¢ In A Month” • The average price of a gallon of gas in California reached $6.08, up some 80¢ or 15% since a month ago, according to data compiled by AAA. At some gas stations in Los Angeles, prices are hovering around $7.00 a gallon. The high cost is partly due to a surge in the cost of crude oil. [ABC News]

Offshore oil rig (Kayden Moore, Pexels, cropped)

Minute 22
¶ “Biden Administration Approves More Offshore Drilling In Bid To Expand Wind Energy” • The Biden administration revealed plans for as many as three new oil and gas drilling lease sales in federal waters over the next five years. The Interior Department was required by law to create the plan, but the number of leases offered is the smallest in history. [CNN]

Boston Public Schools electric buses (Blue Bird image)

Minute 24
¶ “$500 Million For Electric School Buses That Reduce Pollution, Save Money, And Protect Health” • The US EPA announced the availability of at least $500 million in funding from the Clean School Bus rebate competition. The program is transforming school bus fleets across America and protecting children from air pollution. [CleanTechnica]

Sunday, October 1

Wind turbines (Laura Penwell, Pexels)

Minute 27
¶ “Taipower Touts Local Wind Power Progress” • As of August, power generated from Taiwan’s wind turbines this year reached 2.89 TWh, 94.1% more than the same period last year, Taipower said. In July, total storage capacity for wind turbine-generated power grew to 2.25 GWh, more than three times the 671 MWh in July 2016, the company said. [Taipei Times]

Redonda (Mike Appleton, Re:wild)

Minute 30
¶ “Redonda: Tiny Caribbean Island’s Transformation To Wildlife Haven” • The incredible eco-restoration of one tiny Caribbean island, transformed from desolate rock to verdant wildlife haven in just a few years, has become a focus for the imaginations of environmentalists worldwide. Today, Redonda is a vibrant home for dozens of threatened species. [BBC]

Turbine going to sea (Avangrid press photo by Worldview Films)

Minute 32
“Runaway Costs Create Uncertain Future For Offshore Wind Projects In CT and Other Northeast States” • Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and other Northeast governors, warned the Biden administration of escalating costs that could stall any new wind farm proposals. They blame inflation and supply chain problems. [CT Insider]

Monday, October 2

Moving a floating wind turbine (WindEurope image)

Minute 35
¶ “Buchan Offshore Wind Files Scottish Floater Report” • Buchan Offshore Wind has submitted its Offshore Scoping Report to the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate.The Scoping Report has details of the planned project, which will be located off the Aberdeenshire Coast 75 km northeast of Fraserburgh and have a capacity of around 1 GW. [reNews]

New Orleans (David Chuan-En Lin, Unsplash)

Minute 38
¶ “Saltwater Is ‘Winning’: Why Low Water Levels Have Grown Into A Huge Problem For The New Orleans Area” • Hurricanes have always been threats. But as drought grows in the Central US and sea level rises, a formerly unusual emergency is becoming more frequent: saltwater is infecting drinking water in cities on the Mississippi River. [CNN]

Phoenix (Ian Dziuk, Unsplash)

Minute 40
¶ “Phoenix Has Driest Monsoon Season Since Weather Service Began Record-Keeping In 1895” • The National Weather Service said the monsoon season this year in Phoenix had only 0.15 inches (.38 cm) of rainfall from June 15 to September 30. That’s the driest since the agency began keeping records in 1895. The previous mark was 0.35 inches in 1924. [ABC News]

Tuesday, October 3

Diabetes test (isens usa, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 43
¶ “Fukushima Study Links Low-Dose Radiation To Diabetes” • Research to be presented at this year’s Annual Meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes, suggests that exposure to low doses of radiation may contribute to increased risk of diabetes. It considered over 6,000 emergency workers at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. [Mirage News]

Offshore wind farm (Pixy.org, CC0)

Minute 46
¶ “Orkney Offshore Project Files Consent Application” • The West of Orkney Windfarm submitted comprehensive offshore consent applications to Scottish Ministers for its proposed 2-GW offshore wind project, secured under ScotWind. The project will have up to 125 turbines on fixed foundations and aims to deliver first power in 2029. [reNews]

Hydropower (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

Minute 48
¶ “Renewable Energy And Reducing Energy Waste Met 25% Of The State’s Electricity Needs Last Year” • Renewable energy and reducing energy waste met 25% of Michigan’s electricity needs last year, according to a report from the Michigan Public Service Commission. Renewable energy includes wind, solar, hydro, biomass, and landfill gas. [Michigan Radio]

Wednesday, October 4

Solar array at a highway interchange (Maine DOT)

Minute 51
¶ “California Looks To Add Solar And Transmission Along Highways” • There’s a lot of empty land along California’s highways, and the state will soon be looking at how it can fill some of it up with solar panels, batteries and power lines to help meet its clean energy targets. A bill for the purpose is awaiting the governor’s signature. [Canary Media]

Offshore wind turbines (Jesse De Meulenaere, Unsplash)

Minute 54
¶ “Failure Of Wind Auctions In The UK Are A Lesson For The Global Offshore Wind Industry” • Last September, a round of the UK offshore wind auctions failed. Policy had created unworkable conditions for the industry. Experts at the Global Wind Energy Council believe that this should serve as a pivotal moment for the global offshore wind industry. [CleanTechnica]

Oroville Dam (California Department of Water Resources, public domain)

Minute 56
¶ “’Miracle’ Water Year In California: Reservoirs Are At 128% Of Average” • California ended its “miracle” water year with enough rain and snow to fill the state’s reservoirs to 128% of the historical average. It was one of the wettest years on record in the state, and welcome news to a state that spent much of the past dozen years in a deep drought. [ABC News]

Minute 59: Finis

Notes: Energy Week #543 – 10/5/2023

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 #542 – 9/28/2023

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 #542 – 9/28/2023

Minute 0: Introduction

Thursday, September 21

Whitelee wind farm (Rosser1954, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

Minute 2
¶ “UK Smashes Low Carbon Record With Wind Power” • On 18th September at 2pm, the grid achieved a new low carbon intensity record, hitting just 27 g/kWh, National Grid ESO said. A record set earlier this year was 33 g/kWh. Wind power accounted for 48% of the electricity supply on that day, with nuclear energy second at 18.9%. [Energy Live News]

Work from home (Ian Harber, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 5
¶ “Working Remotely May Have Significant Carbon Reduction Benefit” • A study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows that working from home can reduce the carbon footprint of an individual employee by more than 50%. It sheds light on factors that influence environmental effects of different work models. [CleanTechnica]

Ron DeSantis (Tom Williams, public domain)

Minute 8
¶ “DeSantis Unveils Energy Agenda From Texas Oil Country” • Flanked by two oil rigs in West Texas, Florida Gov Ron DeSantis shared his vision for America’s energy sector, with an emphasis on ending efforts to fight climate change. He wants to greenlight more pipelines and allow mining and extraction of oil, gas, coal, uranium, and other minerals on federal lands. [CNN]

Friday, September 22

Container ship powered by fuel cell (ABB image)

Minute 10
¶ “ABB To Provide Hydrogen Fuel Cell Propulsion Systems For Container Ships” • ABB announced that it will collaborate with Samskip Group, a shipping company based in the Netherlands which plans to be net zero by 2040, and India’s Cochin Shipyard to build two 135-meter container ships. They will be powered by 3.2-MW ABB hydrogen fuel cells. [CleanTechnica]

Ocean Infinity mapping drone (Ocean Infinity image)

Minute 13
¶ “Ocean Infinity Is Going To Use Underwater Drones To Help Build Offshore Wind” • On land, surveyors can walk around a site and fly over it to get all of the information they need for construction. The deep waters off the Pacific coast requires new methods. Ocean Infinity will conduct an extensive site survey for one new offshore site. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines (Rabih Shasha, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 16
¶ “Global Wind Power Capacity To Hit 2.38 TW By 2032” • Wind power capacity is expected to grow 10.1% annually to hit 2.38 TW globally by 2032, driven by increased activity in western markets and Africa. This long-term growth in installed capacity in wind power will take place despite short-term challenges, according to Wood Mackenzie. [The National]

Saturday, September 23

Battery energy storage system (Castillo Engineering image)

Minute 19
¶ “US Energy Storage Deployments To Exceed 10 GW This Year” • Energy storage, both at home and at the grid-scale, is scaling up. A report from Interact Analysis shows that the US is expected to reach 49.5 GW of installed and operational energy storage capacity. Over 10 GW is expected to be added to the cumulative total in 2023 alone. [pv magazine USA]

Peacham community solar project (Image via YouTube)

Minute 22
¶ “Peacham, Vermont, Celebrates Community Solar With A Solarbration” • Peacham, Vermont, population 731, is holding a Solarbration on September 24, 2023 to welcome the Peacham Community Solar installation. At just 150 kW, it may be small compared to other community solar projects, but it will have a big impact on the town. [CleanTechnica]

Candela C-8

Minute 24
¶ “Candela Sets 24-Hour Distance Record For Electric Boats – 777 Kilometers!” • Candela CEO Gustav Hasselskog wanted to prove that the C-8 could handle long-distance cruising, so he set up a 20 nautical mile loop. During one 24-hour period, the C-8 test boat covered 777 km (483 miles). The previous record was 79 miles covered in 20 hours. [CleanTechnica]

Sunday, September 24

Ford EV (Ford UK image)

Minute 27
¶ “Ford Sides With EVs, Tells UK Prime Minister Not To Fear The Strong Headwinds” • With the UK’s 2030 ban on the sale of new internal combustion engine coming up, automakers have been investing in UK facilities to make EVs. As the deadline nears, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak decided to postpone the ban. Some car makers are not happy. [CleanTechnica]

Green area in a desert (Halima Bouchouicha, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 30
¶ “Deserts As Carbon Sinks? Study Shows Potential For Greening Arid Regions” • A team of plant scientists has introduced a novel method to sequester carbon dioxide by “re-greening” arid areas, without competing with agriculture or food production. Their report, published in the journal Trends in Plant Science, suggests developing deserts for carbon sinks. [Earth.com]

Overhead bus charger (ABB image)

Minute 32
¶ “New York Bus Electrification Is Moving Forward With 53 Overhead Bus Chargers” • New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that construction is progressing on 53 state-of-the-art overhead electric bus chargers at Metropolitan Transportation Authority depots in Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and Brooklyn. [CleanTechnica]

Monday, September 25

Gas pump (Khamkéo Vilaysing, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 35
¶ “There’s No Reason To Keep Riding A Gas Price Rollercoaster” • A recent article at USA Today tells the woeful tale of gas prices rising, again. This year has been a tough one for people at the gas pumps. We could say, ‘I told you so!’ But instead, let’s look at how bad it is, and what’s behind the rising gas prices, and then look at some ideas to save gas. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo electric truck (Volvo image)

Minute 38
¶ “Pepsi Isn’t The Only Company Hauling Sodas With Electric Trucks” • In some ways, electric trucks form a corner of the EV industry where it’s possible to be ahead of Tesla. Not only can other truck makers do this, but a recent partnership between Volvo and Coca-Cola Canada shows that there’s competition among soda brands, too! [CleanTechnica]

Lahaina (Dominick Del Vecchio, FEMA, public domain)

Minute 40
¶ “Residents Prepare To Return To Sites Of Homes Demolished In Lahaina Wildfire” • Authorities will begin allowing the first residents and property owners to return to their properties in Lahaina’s fire zone, many for the first time since it burned down nearly seven weeks ago, on August 8, by the deadliest US wildfire in more than a century. [ABC News]

Tuesday, September 26

Installing a solar system (Bill Mead, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 43
¶ “‘Staggering’ Green Growth Gives Hope For 1.5°C, Says Global Energy Head” • The prospects of the world staying within the 1.5°C limit on global heating have been made brighter in the past two years owing to the “staggering” growth of renewable energy and green investment, according to Fatih Birol, the chief of the world’s energy watchdog. [The Guardian]

Retired oil rigs (Ben Wicks, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 46
¶ “EU’s Guidance For Carbon Price Through 2050 Is Staggering” • Pricing carbon aggressively is a conservative, market-oriented fiscal policy that puts costs on negative externalities, following in the well-precedented paths of pricing tobacco and alcohol. The US and Canada aren’t pricing carbon high enough. Europe is doing it the best. [CleanTechnica]

Protest against carbon capture (Matt Hrkac, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Minute 48
¶ “Techno-Fixes To Climate Change Aren’t Living Up To The Hype” • The IEA updated its road map for the energy sector to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. It doubles down on the need to switch to renewable energy swiftly while minimizing the use of technologies that are still unproven, such as carbon capture and hydrogen fuels. [The Verge]

Wednesday, September 27

Coal-burning power plant (Sam LaRussa, Unsplash)

Minute 51
¶ “‘Not Nearly Enough’ IEA Says Fossil Fuel Demand Will Peak Soon But Urges Faster Action” • Global demand for oil, natural gas, and coal is likely to peak by 2030. It is an “encouraging” development but “not nearly enough” to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5°C, according to the International Energy Agency. [CNN]

Goats at work (City of West Sacramento)

Minute 54
¶ “The Goats Fighting Fires In Los Angeles” • Factors such as hotter, drier conditions due to climate change are key drivers in increasing the risk and severity of the fires, research shows. But land management can play an important role, as the build-up of dead trees and dry shrubs creates dangerous fuel that can lead to big, severe fires. Goats can help with that. [BBC]

Minute 56

Wind farm in Iowa (Drew Hays, Unsplash)

¶ “MidAmerican Announces Renewable Energy Milestone” • According to a news release, MidAmerican Energy delivered 100% renewable energy to serve its Iowa customers’ electricity usage in 2022. MidAmerican’s Iowa wind fleet generated more than 27,000 GWh, which it delivered to its Iowa customers at very low rates. [Storm Lake Radio]

Minute 59: Finis

Notes: Energy Week #542 – 9/28/2023

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 #541 – 9/21/2023

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 #541 – 9/21/2023

Minute 0: Introduction

Thursday, September 14

Derna, now largely destroyed (Syed Wali Peeran, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Minute 2
¶ “What We Know About The Floods That Killed Thousands In Libya” • Over 6,000 people have died as of Wednesday morning, according to the health ministry undersecretary of the Unity Government in Tripoli, one of two rival governments operating in the country. Storm Daniel caused floods that broke two dams, destroying much of the city of Derna. [CNN]

Wind turbines (BP image)

Minute 5
¶ “World Heading For 2.5°C Global Warming” • The world is on a 2.5°C warming trajectory according to Wood Mackenzie’s Energy Transition Outlook report. If transformative action is not taken now, the Paris Agreement goal to limit the average temperature increase to below 1.5°C will very likely be missed, the report concluded. [reNews]

Doing business (sps universal, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 8
¶ “Kroll Study Shows Stronger Investment Returns For Firms With High ESG Ratings” • Kroll, an independent global risk and financial advisor, analyzed data on over 13,000 companies across industries around the globe and found that companies with high Environmental, Social, and Governance ratings outperformed those with lower ratings. [Kroll]

Friday, September 15

Solar array in Florida (Amer Awwad, US DOE)

Minute 10
¶ “Florida Is Now Adding More Solar Power Than Any Other State” • Florida has long ranked a distant third place behind California and Texas in installed solar, but it’s now installing more solar panels than any other state. This is despite its having a policy landscape considerably more challenging than what is found in other states. [Canary Media]

Fisherman with albacore tuna (NOAA FishWatch, public domain)

Minute 13
¶ “Climate Change Takes Habitat From Big Fish, The Ocean’s Key Predators” • This year’s marine heat waves and spiking ocean temperatures foretell big changes for some of the largest fish in the sea. Loss of habitat could largely remove some of the most important predators from the ocean, including commercially important seafood species. [ABC News]

Renault Zoe (Renault image)

Minute 16
¶ “EV Sales Growing Faster Than Forecasted, Oil Demand Peaked In 2019” • RMI shows that the rapid growth of EVs means that global oil demand for cars has already peaked and will be in freefall by 2030. The new driver of change is economics. Because battery costs enjoy learning curves, total cost of ownership price parity has been reached. [CleanTechnica]

Saturday, September 16

Aswan Dam (Olaf Tausch, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

Minute 19
¶ “Solar Energy And Climate Change Are Killing Future Hydro Plants In Africa” • About 1.2 billion people live in Africa, and improved standards of living, they are using more electricity. The plan on how to do that is changing, however. Power dams are getting less cost-effective, as solar gets cheaper and water made less available by climate change. [ZME Science]

Monarch butterfly (Erin Minuskin, Unsplash)

Minute 22
¶ “Interior Department Announces More Than $40.6 Million For Efforts To Conserve America’s Most Imperiled Species” • The Interior Department announced over $40.6 million in grants through the US Fish and Wildlife Service to ten states and the US Virgin Islands to support land acquisition and conservation planning projects for 65 listed species. [CleanTechnica]

Joby Aviation eVTOL vehicle (Photo from Joby Aviation)

Minute 24
¶ “NREL And Joby Aviation Partnership Spotlights Green Ride-Hailing Flight Services” • When Joby Aviation wanted to find the environmental impact of its future all-electric aerial ride-hailing service, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which has done years of sustainable aviation research, helped provide a technological bird’s eye view. [CleanTechnica]

Sunday, September 17

Solar power (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

Minute 27
¶ “G20 Leaders Commit To Triple Renewable Energy Capacity By 2030 And Achieve Global Net Zero By 2050” • In a significant move on climate change issues at G20 summit, the leaders agreed to go for rapid, deep and sustained reductions in global GHG emissions by 43% by 2030 relative to the 2019 levels to limit global warming to 1.5°C. [Mid-day]

Poison Ivy (Tina Hester, Pixy.org, CC0)

Minute 30
¶ “Poison Ivy Is Poised To Be One Of The Big Winners Of A Warming World” • Poison ivy is poised to be one of the big winners in this global, human-caused phenomenon. Scientists expect the dreaded three-leafed vine will take full advantage of warmer temperatures and rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to grow faster, bigger, and more toxic. [NPR]

Antarctica (Long Ma, Unsplash)

Minute 32
¶ “Antarctic Sea-Ice At ‘Mind-Blowing’ Low Alarms Experts” • Satellite data shows the sea-ice surrounding Antarctica is well below any previous recorded winter level, a worrying new benchmark for a region that once seemed resistant to global warming. An unstable Antarctica could have far-reaching consequences, polar experts warn. [BBC]

Monday, September 18

Solar array (Terra Solar image)

Minute 35
¶ “Ørsted To Develop 400 MW Of Irish Solar” • Orsted disclosed that it is developing a 400-MW portfolio of Irish solar projects in a partnership with Irish renewable energy developer Terra Solar. The sites could power over 90,000 Irish homes. This brings further momentum to Orsted’s solar pipeline in Ireland, which now totals over 600 MW. [reNews]

Lobster boats in Maine (Leon Bredella, Unsplash)

Minute 38
¶ “Climate Change Could Bring More Monster Storms Like Hurricane Lee To New England” • When it comes to hurricanes, New England can’t compete with Florida or the Caribbean. But scientists said the arrival of storms like Atlantic storm Lee could become more common in places such as the Gulf of Maine, as the planet warms. [Rapid City Journal]

Young sea turtle (Morgan Newnham, Unsplash)

Minute 40
¶ “Costa Rica’s Sea Turtle Decline Linked To Climate Change” • The effects of climate change are increasingly evident in various parts of the planet. The repercussions of climate change include rising sea levels, high sea temperatures, and more. Experts from the APM Terminals Turtle Conservation Program say it results in fewer sea turtle hatchlings. [The Tico Times]

Tuesday, September 19

Corn field (Taylor Siebert, Unsplash, cropped)

Minute 43
¶ “A Bright Spot At The Intersection Of Farming, EVs And Solar Energy” • Across the US, more than 30 million acres of farmland is devoted to growing corn for ethanol. NREL calculated that we could power the country’s entire electricity demand with 10 million acres of solar panels. Solar panels pay taxes. Corn doesn’t. We can go on. [Virginia Mercury]

Rajasthan (Sushmita Balasubramani, Wikimedia Commons)

Minute 46
¶ “Fossil Share In Rajasthan’s Power Mix Drops To 50% As Solar And Wind Surge” • The share of fossil fuels in Rajasthan’s power generation mix hit the record-low level of 50% from April to July of this year. This is the first time that the lowest level has been sustained for over a quarter of the year, according to a new report by Ember. [pv magazine India]

Joby’s production prototype eVTOL aircraft (Joby Aviation image)

Minute 48
¶ “Hundreds Of Flying Taxis To Be Built In Ohio, Governor Announces” • Joby Aviation Inc was selected to build an electric air taxi manufacturing site at Dayton International Airport, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and others announced. The electric air taxi is to carry a pilot and four passengers at speeds of up to 200 mph over a range of 100 miles. [ABC News]

Wednesday, September 20

Wind turbine in Nunavut (Tugliq Energy)

Minute 51
¶ “Sanikiluaq Wind Project Represents Major Shift In Nunavut Renewable Energy Policy” • A lone windmill in Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, which is expected to produce enough power to cut the community’s reliance on diesel fuel by half, is all but a done deal as the Qulliq Energy Corporation and the Nunavut Nukkiksautiit Corporation are set to sign an agreement. [CBC]

Wildfire (Mike Newbry, Unsplash)

Minute 54
¶ “Insurance Majors Held Fossil Fuels Assets While Cutting Coverage Due To Climate Risks” • A report shows that the US insurance sector held $536 billion in fossil fuel-related assets in 2019, despite some insurers citing climate-related risk and natural disasters as factors in raising premiums or dropping coverage in high risk regions. [CleanTechnica]

Storm Daniel approaching Libya (NOAA, public domain)

Minute 56
¶ “Horrific Libya Flooding Made Up To 50 Times More Likely By Planet-Warming Pollution, Scientists Find” • The World Weather Attribution initiative, a team of scientists that analyze the role of climate change in extreme weather events, found that planet-warming pollution made the deadly rainfall in Libya up to 50 times more likely to occur and 50% worse. [CNN]

Minute 59: Finis

Notes: Energy Week #541 – 9/21/2023

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 #540 – 9/14/2023

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 #540 – 9/14/2023

Minute 0: Introduction

Thursday, September 7

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (US FWS, public domain)

Minute 2
¶ “Biden Administration Cancels Years-Long Attempt To Drill In Alaska National Wildlife Refuge” • The Biden administration said it will cancel seven Trump-era oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and protect more than 13 million acres in the federal National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, stymieing a years-long attempt to drill in the region. [CNN]

Disney World (Brian McGowan, Unsplash)

Minute 5
¶ “Climate Change Is Hurting Six Flags, Seaworld, And Disney World” • When intense rain and flooding stranded more than 70,000 people at Burning Man in the Nevada desert, it was just the latest example of how extreme weather, made far worse by climate change, has impacted major North American attractions this summer. [CNN]

Sea (frank mckenna, Unsplash)

Minute 8
¶ “The World Just Experienced The Hottest Summer On Record, By A Significant Margin” • June to August was the warmest such period since records began in 1940, according to data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Also, according to the Copernicus data, August of 2023 was the warmest August since record keeping began in 1940. [CNN]

Friday, September 8

Onshore wind turbines (Courtesy of Octopus Energy)

Minute 10
¶ “20,000 Communities Demand Local Wind Turbines” • The arguments against wind power are running out of steam as costs drop and ratepayers chase after the savings. A ratepayer-driven, pro-wind revolution is brewing in the UK, and it could head to the US soon. Octopus Energy is behind the ratepayer-driven wind revolution. [CleanTechnica]

Microburst (NOAA image)

Minute 13
¶ The Climate Crisis Is Wreaking Havoc On The Insurance Industry“” • Senators Elizabeth Warren (MA), Chris Van Hollen (MD), and Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) wrote to Treasury Secretary Janet L Yellen and Federal Insurance Office Director Steven Seitz, pointing out that insurance companies have reduced coverage in disaster-prone areas. [CleanTechnica]

Hurricane Lee (NOAA image)

Minute 16
¶ “Hurricane Lee Becomes First Category Five Storm Of Atlantic Season” • Hurricane Lee has powered up to a category five storm, packing wind speeds of up to 160 mph (260 km/h) as it churns through the Caribbean. It could cause dangerous conditions on the US east coast on Sunday, according to information from the US National Hurricane Center. [BBC]

Saturday, September 9

Windpower (Karsten Würth, Unsplash)

Minute 19
¶ “COP28: A Chance To Course-Correct On The Global Clean Energy Transition” • Leaders of COP28 write that the world is not on track to meeting the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement, and the global clean energy transition is dangerously off-course. But there is hope. We can still get back on track by taking urgent action now. [POLITICO.eu]

Hurricane Lee ( CIMSS, public domain)

Minute 22
¶ “Lee Adds To A Growing Trend Of Intense Hurricanes Powered By Warmer Oceans” • Hurricane Lee rapidly intensified at a historic pace into a Category 5 storm Thursday night, adding to a spate of extremely intense hurricanes this year and in recent decades. Experts say the strength and rapid growth of storms are symptoms of the climate crisis. [CNN]

Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally (Ford image)

Minute 24
¶ “Ford Takes The Mustang Off-Road With Upcoming Mach-E Rally Car” • One look at the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally, and you can see that it’s not the standard crossover that many other auto manufacturers are offering. This EV takes the freedom and fun of Mustang onto dirt roads, showcasing a different direction for electric vehicles.[CleanTechnica]

Sunday, September 10

Earth (NASA image)

Minute 27
¶ “Underwhelming G20 Skates Over The Big Issues Of Poverty, Inequality, And Climate” • The G20 has failed to meet the huge challenges our world faces, said Oxfam. The G20 continue to stumble away from taking the bold actions necessary to tackle poverty, inequality, and climate issues at an uninspiring Summit in India this weekend. [Oxfam America]

Hurricane Lee (NOAA image)

Minute 30
¶ “Hurricane Lee Becomes Rare Storm Rapidly Intensifying From Cat 1 To Cat 5 In 24 Hours” • During the satellite era, very few hurricanes have intensified by 85 mph or more in 24 hours. Lee was a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph on Thursday. Twenty-four hours later, it was Category 5 hurricane with 165 mph winds. [ABC News]

Rural America (Jonathan Singer, Unsplash)

Minute 32
¶ “How Frontline Communities Can Take Advantage Of The Inflation Reduction Act To Advance Local Priorities” • The IRA has a J40 provision that directs 40% of the overall benefits and investments to Disadvantaged Communities, defined based on indicators from the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool or by a common condition. [CleanTechnica]

Monday, September 11

Smog (Evgeny Nelmin, Unsplash)

Minute 35
¶ “Could Cleaner Air Reduce The Risk Of Suicide?” • A new frontier of potentially preventative research on suicide is rising that might, at first, seem unrelated: improving air quality. Over the past few years, various studies have identified associations between raised levels of air pollution and increased suicide risk. What should we make of this evidence? [BBC]

Wind farm (Enercon image)

Minute 38
¶ “Enercon Reaches 60-GW Wind Milestone” • Enercon has announced it has reached 60 GW of onshore wind capacity installed worldwide. More than 32,000 wind turbines have been planned, produced, and commissioned in 50 countries since the company’s foundation in 1984. This capacity is about what would be in 60 conventional power plants. [reNews]

Brooklyn neighborhood (Redd F, Unsplash)

Minute 40
¶ “How Biden Is Bringing More Environmental And Climate Justice To The US” • This past year, the EPA invested $3 billion from the Inflation Reduction Act in the new Environmental and Climate Justice Grant Program to accelerate environmental justice efforts, address pollution, and support a more equitable future for communities. [CleanTechnica]

Tuesday, September 12

Solar array on a farm (NextTracker image)

Minute 43
¶ “’Seismic Shift:’ Energy Crisis Helped Wind And Solar Stretch Cost Advantage Over Fossil Fuels” • In 2010, the cost of solar PV was eight times as high as the cheapest source of fossil fuels, with a levelised cost of energy of 44.5¢/kWh. An IRENA report says the LCOE of PVs fell to 4.9¢/kWh in 2022, making it 29% cheaper than the cheapest fossil fuel option. [Renew Economy]

Cable route – Please click on the image to enlarge it.

Minute 46
¶ “Sun Cable Plan To Bring Solar Power To Singapore Is Back On” • Sun Cable, formerly known as PowerLink, is an ambitious idea that involves sending solar power via an undersea cable 4,200 km (2,610 miles) from Darwin, Australia, to Singapore. Delays in approvals and disagreements held the project up. Now it is under way again. [CleanTechnica]

Hurricane (Pixabay, Pexels)

Minute 48
¶ “Number Of Billion-Dollar Weather Disasters In US Blows Through Annual Record With Four Months Left In The Year” • With four months left in the year, the US has had 23 disasters that each cost at least $1 billion, NOAA data shows, surpassing the previous record of 22 events in 2020. Together, 2023’s disasters have done $57.6 billion in damages. [CNN]

Wednesday, September 13

Solar array (Arizona Public Service image)

Minute 51
¶ “Solar Power Europe Predicts EU Will Reach Its Renewable Energy Goal Three Years Early” • The 2023 annual report from Solar Power Europe comes to a startling conclusion. It says the EU will reach the renewable energy goal it set for 2030 three years early. The report is 148 pages long, and this article provides a summary. [CleanTechnica]

Protest (Renovate Switzerland image)

Minute 54
¶ “Renowned Conductor Allows Climate Activists To Address Crowd At Swiss Music Festival” • A famed Russian conductor allowed climate protesters who disrupted a performance at a classical music festival in Switzerland to address the crowd. Two protesters from Renovate Switzerland were pushing the Swiss government to declare a climate crisis. [CNN]

Offshore windpower (Drax Group image)

Minute 56
¶ “Gone With The Wind: Fossil Fuel Loses Ground In UK’s Energy Mix” • New analysis from Imperial College London for Drax Electric Insights has found that for the first time ever, the installed wind capacity has surpassed gas, reaching 27.9 GW in June compared to the 27.7 GW installed capacity for gas generating capacity. [Drax Group]

Minute 59: Finis

Notes: Energy Week #540 – 9/14/2023

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