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  1. #601
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Global electricity demand growth was met entirely by renewable power in the first half of 2022, halting the rise in fossil fuels.


    Renewables met all global electricity demand growth

    The world is in the middle of an energy crisis. With all the headlines, it might have been expected that coal and gas use would have increased in 2022. But that is not what happened, at least in the electricity sector. In fact, in the first half of 2022, renewables met all the growth in global electricity demand, halting the rise in fossil fuels.

    Renewables met all growth in global electricity demand

    Global electricity demand rose 3% in the first half of 2022 compared to the same period last year; this was in line with the historic average. Wind and solar met 77% of this demand growth, and hydro more than met the remainder. In China, the rise in wind and solar generation met 92% of its electricity demand rise; in the US it was 81%, while in India it was 23%.

    Coal and gas generation remained almost unchanged

    Because renewables growth met all the demand growth, fossil generation was almost unchanged. Coal declined by 1% and gas declined by 0.05%; these were offset by a slight rise in oil. Consequently, global CO2 power sector emissions were unchanged, despite the rise in electricity demand. Coal in the EU rose 15% only to cover a temporary shortfall in nuclear and hydro generation. Coal in India rose 10% because of a sharp rebound in electricity demand from the lows early last year when the Covid-19 pandemic struck hardest. These rises were offset against falls of 3% in China and 7% in the US.

    Wind and solar growth delivered tangible cost and climate benefits

    The growth in wind and solar in the first half of 2022 prevented a 4% increase in fossil generation. This avoided $40 billion USD in fuel costs and 230 Mt CO2 in emissions. In China, the growth in wind and solar enabled fossil fuel power to fall 3%, rather than rise by 1%. In India, it slowed down the rise in fossil fuel power from 12% to 9%. In the US, it slowed down the rise in fossil fuel power from 7% to 1%. In the EU, it prevented a major rise in fossil fuel power – without wind and solar, fossil generation would have risen by 16% instead of 6%.

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    A United Nations organization on Friday committed to sharply cut carbon emissions from air travel by 2050 in response to growing pressure for airlines to reduce their pollution.

    Several major environmental groups praised the move, saying it could encourage the production of more sustainable aviation fuel. But they cautioned that it will be difficult to push countries to follow up with policies that actually reduce emissions.

    Aviation is a relatively small contributor to overall climate-changing emissions, but its share is expected to grow. More people are expected to travel on planes in the coming years, and aviation lacks cleaner alternatives such as electric power that are rapidly becoming widely available for cars and trucks.

    On Friday in Montreal, representatives of nearly 200 nations in the U.N.’s International Civil Aviation Organization adopted what the agency called an “aspirational goal” of reaching “net zero” emissions by 2050.

    The decision capped nearly a decade of negotiations and occurred as aviation comes under more pressure to fall in line with conditions of the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate, which aims to cap the rise in global temperature. Crucially, the U.N. agency's resolution does not set targets for individual countries or airlines.

    Mark Brownstein, a senior official at the Environmental Defense Fund, said the resolution raised hope that travel will be more sustainable. “But the work isn’t over,” he said. “Now is the time for countries to act by establishing policies that support achievement of a 2050 net-zero goal for aviation with measurable progress in the interim.”

    Dan Rutherford, who tracks the issue for the International Council on Clean Transportation, said that to hit the net-zero target, aviation emissions will need to peak and start decreasing as soon as 2025, “with richer countries taking the lead.”

    Airlines and governments expect to greatly reduce emissions by gradually switching from kerosene-based jet fuel to fuels made from fats, grease, plants or renewables. The European Union has proposed higher taxes on fossil fuels including jet fuel. But reaching net zero could require tougher measures including limits on flights – at least until large electric- or hydrogen-powered planes are feasible decades from now.

    Airlines for America said it applauded the U.N. group's resolution, which could avoid a patchwork of policies by individual countries. The industry trade group called the 2050 milestone “ambitious,” but said airlines are already working with the U.S. government to make 3 billion gallons of sustainable aviation fuel available by 2030.

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    A new report suggests that the Inflation Reduction Act could be even bigger than Congress thinks.

    Late last month, analysts at the investment bank Credit Suisse published a research note about America’s new climate law that went nearly unnoticed. The Inflation Reduction Act, the bank argued, is even more important than has been recognized so far: The IRA will “will have a profound effect across industries in the next decade and beyond” and could ultimately shape the direction of the American economy, the bank said. The report shows how even after the bonanza of climate-bill coverage earlier this year, we’re still only beginning to understand how the law works and what it might mean for the economy.

    The report made a few broad points in particular that are worth attending to: First, the IRA might spend twice as much as Congress thinks. Many of the IRA’s most important provisions, such as its incentives for electric vehicles and zero-carbon electricity, are “uncapped” tax credits. That means that as long as you meet their terms, the government will award them: There’s no budget or limit written into the law that restricts how much the government can spend. The widely cited figure for how much the IRA will spend to fight climate change—$374 billion—is in large part determined by the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate of how much those tax credits will get used.

    But that estimate is wrong, the bank claims. In fact, so many people and businesses will use those tax credits that the IRA’s total spending is likely to be more than $800 billion, double what the CBO projects. And because federal spending tends to catalyze private investment, that could send total climate spending across the economy to roughly $1.7 trillion over the next 10 years. That’s significantly more money flowing into green-energy industries than the CBO projected, though it’s unclear if that additional money will lead to more carbon reductions than earlier analyses have projected.

    Second, the U.S. is “poised to become the world’s leading energy provider,” according to the bank. America is already the world’s largest producer of oil and natural gas. The IRA could further enhance its advantage in all forms of energy production, giving it a “competitive advantage in low-cost clean electricity and hydrogen production, infrastructure, geologic storage, and human capital,” the report states. By 2029, U.S. solar and wind could be the cheapest in the world at less than $5 per megawatt-hour, the bank projects; it will also become competitive in hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, and wind turbines. (The law will help America’s battery industry, but the bank doesn’t see the U.S. becoming the world’s biggest battery producer, given that China already has such a dominant advantage.)

    Perhaps rosiest of all was the bank’s view of major risks to the IRA. The bill passed with not even a single Republican vote, but the bank concludes that the GOP is relatively unlikely to repeal the law, even if they take the White House in 2024. That’s because it would hurt their own voters most: “Republican-leaning states are likely to see the most investment, job, and economic benefits from the IRA,” the report claims. Instead, the IRA is most likely to stumble because America still struggles with building out its energy infrastructure: The country might not be able to get government approval to permit enough power lines, green infrastructure, and carbon-injection wells for the law to matter, the bank said. This risk is all the more heightened now that Senator Joe Manchin’s permitting-reform bill—which, for all its flaws, would have clearly allowed for more renewable transmission construction—has failed. Powerful business groups are also lobbying to revise the most transmission-friendly sections from that bill if Congress revisits it.

    The Credit Suisse report is truly remarkable. What stuck with me most was this declaration: For big corporations, the IRA “definitively changes the narrative from risk mitigation to opportunity capture.” In other words, companies should no longer worry that they might be unprepared for future climate regulation, such as a carbon tax. They should be scared of missing out on the economic growth that the energy transition (and the IRA) will bring about.

    If the bill’s passage wasn’t signal enough, the report shows that climate change as a political issue—and frankly environmental protection more broadly—has arrived to a wholly new place. For decades, the country’s biggest climate advocates have tried to reduce the harm that the economy causes to the environment. Now they find themselves tasked with the biggest story in the economy itself.

    Perhaps most strange, even if the United States slips into recession in the next year, the IRA will only become more important. Historically, economists and businesses have treated helping the environment as a product of prosperity—if the economy is good, then companies can afford to do the right thing. But the IRA’s programs and incentives will keep flowing no matter the macro environment, which makes betting on clean energy one of the most certain economic trends of the next few years. Clean energy is now the safe, smart, government-backed bet for conservative investors. It’s really a shocking reversal of the past 40 years. It is such a change that it hasn’t yet been metabolized by the world of people involved in the issue.

    So inspired by the vigor of Credit Suisse’s forecast, let me venture a few predictions of my own. The number of Americans working in a climate-relevant industry is going to explode. It is going to undergo what you might call a techification. I was a nerd and a dreamer in high school in the late aughts, which meant I paid attention to the start-ups of that era—such as Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr—in their early years. I remember that fateful moment around 2010 when the valence of the industry switched—it was right around when The Social Network came out—and working in tech went from being a career choice for dorky optimists to the default career track for many ambitious college students. A similar switch is coming for companies working on climate change: The opportunity will be too large, the money too persuasive, the problems too intriguing.

    Finally, those of us who have long worked in climate change—and here I include myself, who started covering this topic in 2015—should have some excitement and even humility about this deluge of new talent. Even setting its arduous politics aside, managing climate change is a legitimately difficult technical and cultural problem—it’s going to require as many attentive and enthusiastic brains as possible, and the path to decarbonizing always required an infusion of new workers, investment, and good will. If you don’t yet work in the industry, but have always cared about climate change as an issue, well, this is your moment to get involved. These companies are going to need engineers, yes, but also programmers, accountants, marketers, HR staff, general counsels—there is space for everyone now.

    The fight against climate change is going to change more in the next four years than it has in the past 40. The great story of our lives is just beginning. Welcome aboard.


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    The United States generated three times as much renewable electricity from the sun and wind last year in comparison to 2012, a new analysis has found.

    Seven states alone now produce enough electricity from these sources, as well as geothermal energy, to cover half of their consumption, according to an online energy dashboard made public on Thursday.

    Just five years earlier, none of these states — South Dakota, Iowa, North Dakota, Kansas, Wyoming, Oklahoma and New Mexico — had achieved this level of renewable energy progress, the Renewables on the Rise 2022 dashboard showed.

    “As clean energy sources produce more and more of our power, they set the stage for other technologies — like electric cars and heat pumps powered by renewable energy — to replace dirty and outdated ones,” said Johanna Neumann, a senior director at the Environment America Research and Policy Center, which released the dashboard with the Frontier Group.

    “With renewables on the rise, we’re on our way to building a cleaner, healthier future,” Neumann added in her statement.

    The newly released dashboard details progress over the past decade in six areas that the authors deemed essential to a clean energy transition: wind, solar, electric vehicles (EVs), charging infrastructure for EVs and battery storage.

    Among the dashboard’s key findings was evidence that the U.S. produced enough wind energy to power 35 million typical homes in 2021 — or 2.7 times as much wind energy as in 2012.

    The U.S. also generated enough solar energy that year to power 15 million homes — or 15 times as much solar energy as in 2012, according to the dashboard.

    As far as EVs are concerned, Americans purchased nearly 647,000 plug-in electric cars in 2021 – a nearly 13-fold increase from 2012.

    The number of chargers to accompany those vehicles surpassed 120,000 nationwide — a nearly 20-fold increase from 2012.

    Looking into the country’s total battery storage, the dashboard found that the country now has nearly 4.7 gigawatts of storage, or 32 times as much as in 2012. This surge in capacity, the authors explained, helps support the use of more renewable energy and keep the lights on during extreme weather events.

    Meanwhile, energy efficiency improvements installed in 2020 will save the country 368 terawatt-hours of power over their lifetimes — or enough to power 34 million homes each year, according to the dashboard.

    California, Texas and Florida exhibited the most growth in solar power and battery storage from 2012 to 2021, while Texas, Oklahoma and Iowa ranked highest for wind power growth, the dashboard showed.

    Michigan, Illinois and Massachusetts showed the most improvement in savings from electric energy efficiency programs from 2013 to 2020, the analysis found.

    California, Florida and New York achieved the top ranks for both EV sales in 2021 and the growth of public charging ports since 2012.

    “When states prioritize building clean energy, their residents see lower energy bills, a more resilient electric grid, and healthier communities, which inspires neighbors — and our whole nation — to pick up the pace,” Sonia Aggarwal, special assistant to the president for climate policy and innovation, said in a statement.

    The report’s authors credited the Biden administration’s recently approved Inflation Reduction Act with the ability “to turbocharge clean energy’s growth,” in a press release accompanying the dashboard.

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    The leaders of California, Oregon, Washington state and British Columbia have signed an agreement to expand the region’s climate partnership — with hopes of accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy.

    “We don’t have all the answers. And so we seek to share best practices, we seek to compete,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said at a Thursday press conference in San Francisco.

    “That competition has brought us to where we are today,” the governor continued. “We’re in the how business.”

    Newsom gathered with his colleagues Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D), Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and British Columbia Premier John Horgan to sign the Pacific Coast Collaborative Statement of Cooperation — an updated agreement that recommits the region to climate action.

    The renewed partnership will promote investments in climate infrastructure, such as electric vehicle charging stations and a clean electric grid, according to the agreement.

    Participating officials also pledged to protect their residents from climate impacts like drought and wildfire, while ensuring that all communities are included in the clean energy transition.

    “This is not about electric power,” Newsom said. “This is about economic power. This is about dominating the next big global industry.”

    The Pacific Coast leaders signed the agreement at the Presidio Tunnel Tops in San Francisco, where they were hosted by the city’s mayor, London Breed (D).

    The Tunnel Tops — a 14-acre national park built on top of a highway tunnel — are what Newsom’s office described as “a model for building climate resiliency in urban areas and providing equitable access to green spaces.”

    The Pacific Coast Collaborative Statement of Cooperation signed on Thursday builds on the ongoing work of the Pacific Coast Collaborative, a regional partnership launched in 2016.

    The states of California, Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, as well as the cities of Vancouver, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Oakland and Los Angeles, are all members of the collaborative.

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    • Satellite power grid would beam energy around the globe just like data


    New Zealand company Emrod says it's got the technology to enable efficient wireless energy transfer from orbit. It's proposing a global wireless energy matrix, which would instantly beam renewable energy via satellite between any two points on Earth.

    Emrod has just demonstrated its wireless power beaming technology to Airbus and the European Space Agency (ESA) as part of the ESA's new push toward 24-hours-a-day space-based solar power. The idea of space-based solar is not new. The problem has always been size; you'd need transmitters and receivers about 2 km (1.2 miles) in diameter to shift a couple of gigawatts of energy down to Earth from a geostationary orbit some 36,000 km (22,370 miles) away. Building an array that size on Earth would be a huge challenge. Building one in space? Yikes.

    Emrod says its near-field energy beams could get the job done much more efficiently than competing technologies. But Emrod founder Greg Kushnir also thinks there's a much cheaper and easier way to satisfy European – and indeed global – renewable energy needs: by setting up a global wireless energy matrix capable of beaming power instantaneously around the planet, using lower-orbiting satellites that could be significantly smaller. Why go to all the trouble of building solar in space, when you can build it on the ground for a fraction of the price, and still send the energy where it's needed? https://newatlas.com/energy/emrod-sp...reless-energy/



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    • Honda to create $700M EV hub in Ohio


    Honda said on Tuesday it is spending $700 million to retool three of its Ohio plants to build electric vehicles as it aims to phase out gas engines by 2040.

    Batteries for the electric vehicles from Honda and its Acura division will be supplied by a joint venture with LG Energy Solutions. The automaker confirmed that the $4.4 billion battery plant will be located near Honda’s operations in Fayette County, Ohio, pending regulatory approval.

    The “new EV hub” will leverage Honda’s manufacturing and purchasing network in Central Ohio, emblematic of an industrywide scramble to bring battery production onshore to control supply and access to new battery technologies.

    So far, automakers and suppliers have announced more than $38 billion in investment through 2026 to boost battery production in the U.S., according to AlixPartners. That figure is likely to rise as the industry takes advantage of the $40 billion in tax credits included in the Inflation Reduction Act aimed at accelerating EV production.

    Last month, Ford broke ground at its $5.6 billion BlueOval City complex in Tennessee, where it plans to begin building advanced batteries for future Ford and Lincoln EVs, including the F-150 Lightning and a second battery-electric pickup, in 2025.

    Toyota plans to spend $3.8 billion to build a battery plant near Greensboro, North Carolina, for hybrid and battery-electric vehicles mid-decade. Panasonic, which supplies Tesla and other automakers, has committed to creating a $4 billion battery plant in Kansas — the state’s largest-ever economic development project — and is in talks for another $4 billion factory in Oklahoma.

    Honda and LG Energy aim to begin construction early next year and produce the advanced lithium-ion battery cells by the end of 2025. The joint venture has committed to investing an initial $3.5 billion, with total investment projected to reach $4.4 billion.

    Honda plans to ramp up production to sell millions of EVs in North America, a far cry from the 100,000 EVs and hybrids it sold in the U.S. last year, led by hybrid versions of its Accord sedan and CR-V crossover. The company, which expects to launch its first battery-electric SUV, the Prologue, in 2024, is currently co-developing models using General Motors’ Ultium platform but will begin producing vehicles based on its new Honda e:Architecture in 2026.

    The $700 million Honda has earmarked for re-tooling its existing Ohio factory footprint will help transition its Anna Engine Plant to build battery cases, Marysville Auto Plant to assemble battery modules and East Liberty Auto Plant to make EVs.

    https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/11/ho...io-investment/

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    • Toyota LandCruiser EV confirmed


    Trusty 70 Series to be converted to electric power under new deal

    An electric Toyota LandCruiser is on the way, but maybe not the one you’re thinking of.

    International sustainable energy company Vivopower has done a five-year deal with Toyota Australia to develop an all-electric version of the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series using conversion kits from its subsidiary Tembo.

    This deal has nothing to do with plans for an electrified version of the next-gen Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series, which has just broken cover with an all-new twin-turbo diesel V6 engine for Australia, but is eventually expected to become available with hybrid and full-electric powertrains – the latter likely to be a hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle.

    A prototype battery-electric Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series has been on trial at a BHP nickel mine in Western Australia since early 2021. The converted vehicle is deployed underground and requires no diesel fuel to run.

    Until now Vivopower had not been officially named as part of the project, with Toyota Australia attributing development work to its own product planning and development department in Port Melbourne.

    But Vivopower has now signed a letter of intent with Toyota Australia, which it says will serve as the basis for the Master Services Agreement that will govern their co-operation.

    “Final terms of the MSA are under negotiation, but upon completion, it is intended that VivoPower would become Toyota Australia’s exclusive partner for Landcruiser 70 electrification for a period of five years, with a further two-year option (seven years in total),” the Vivopower statement read.

    No mention of build numbers or sales plans were outlined in the media release.

    Issued overnight by a UK PR firm, the Vivopower statement appeared to take Toyota Australia somewhat by surprise, with no announcement of its own issued concurrently.

    Vivopower says it has expertise in electric vehicles, solar systems, critical power supply and battery technology. It has divisions based in the USA, Europe and Australia.

    It was initially founded in Australia in 2014 as a rooftop solar company but moved its headquarters to the UK in 2016 and floated on NASDAQ later the same year. It acquired Tembo e-LV and became involved in electric vehicles in October 2020.

    This is not the first time Vivopower has done a deal to electrify Toyotas involved in mining duties. Only days ago it announced a deal with a Canadian industrial equipment distributor to electrify more than 1600 HiLux and LandCruiser vehicles by 2026 using Tembo’s e-LV conversion kit.

    At this stage there's no word on whether the 70 Series EV will become available outside the mining industry.

    https://www.carsales.com.au/editoria...firmed-130624/

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    • Electric Chevrolet Equinox EV revealed with $30,000 starting price


    Chevrolet is putting the E in Equinox.

    The first all-electric Equinox EV has been revealed a year before it goes on sale next fall.

    The compact SUV is entirely different from the internal combustion engine-powered Equinox it will be sold alongside. It rides on GM's Ultium platform that will underpin all the automaker's new electric vehicles, including the Cadillac Lyriq and upcoming Chevrolet Blazer EV.

    The Equinox EV will eventually be offered in an entry-level model with a starting price around $30,000 before any tax credits are factored in, which is thousands less than many of the electric vehicles currently on sale that it will compete against.

    It is set to be built at GM's Ramos Aripe, Mexico, factory, which will qualify it for a $3,750 federal tax credit, at least. It could double that under the new rules set down in the Inflation Reduction Act, depending on where the materials for its battery pack end up being sourced from.

    The base Equinox EV LT will come with a 210 horsepower front-wheel-drive powertrain and a range of 250 miles per charge. A version with a battery good for 300 miles of range will be optional along with a 290 horsepower all-wheel-drive model rated for 280 miles.

    https://www.foxnews.com/auto/electri...ed-30000-price
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  2. #602
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    • Simon Evans - Global CO2 emissions will grow by less than 1% (300MtCO2) this year, according to new @IEA analysis


    A much larger 1,000MtCO2 increase has been prevented by major growth of renewables & EVs: https://twitter.com/DrSimEvans/statu...88474318376961


    Defying expectations, CO2 emissions from global fossil fuel combustion are set to grow in 2022 by only a fraction of last year’s big increase - News - IEA

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    NASA has suggested an experimental cooling system it is funding could ultimately allow electric vehicle users to charge their cars within five minutes.

    The agency said a team led by a Purdue University professor has developed the “subcooled flow boiling” technology for experimentation, with the hope it can control future systems’ temperatures in space.

    “A team sponsored by NASA’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division is developing a new technology that will not only achieve orders-of-magnitude improvement in heat transfer to enable these systems to maintain proper temperatures in space, but will also enable significant reductions in size and weight of the hardware,” NASA said in a blog post last week.

    “What’s more, this same technology may make owning an electric-powered car here on Earth easier and more feasible,” the post continued.

    NASA indicated achieving such a feat of charging electric vehicles within five minutes would require chargers to provide current at 1,400 amperes, far higher than currently available technology.

    Most chargers currently available support currents less than 150 amperes, while some of the most advanced chargers on the market deliver currents up to 520 amperes, the post noted.

    But NASA said Purdue University’s developmental cable can provide currents of up to 2,400 amperes by removing heat through the new technology, which would deliver charging at 4.6 times the rate of the fastest charger currently available.

    “Application of this new technology resulted in unprecedented reduction of the time required to charge a vehicle and may remove one of the key barriers to worldwide adoption of electric vehicles,” NASA wrote.

    President Biden has emphasized a shift to electric vehicles as a significant component of his climate initiatives, but the proposals have been met with criticism among some in the GOP, who have portrayed the plans as elitist and boons for the rich.

    Questions have also been raised about whether the U.S. electrical grid could even handle a hard shift toward electric vehicles.

    The Inflation Reduction Act, a party-line reconciliation package passed over the summer, includes billions in funding for electric vehicle tax credits and other financial incentives.

    It also includes a $7.5 billion investment to build a network of charging stations across the U.S.

    “The great American road trip is going to be fully electrified,” Biden said in Detroit last month. “Whether you’re driving coast to coast along I-10 or on I-75 here in Michigan, charging stations will be up and easy to find as gas stations are now.”

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    • Automakers’ Bold Plans for Electric Vehicles Spur U.S. Battery Boom


    Many automakers with U.S. operations plan to significantly ramp up production of electric vehicles this decade and, in the process, commit huge capital outlays. Meeting these ambitious manufacturing goals will require batteries—lots of them—as an electric vehicle (EV) can use hundreds to thousands of individual lithium-ion batteries.

    As a result, there is a wave of new investment in gigafactories—enormous facilities devoted to the production of lithium-ion batteries. Planned investment exceeds $40 billion, targeting parts of the U.S. in an effort to build out a key part of the domestic supply chain for batteries and EVs.

    Battery Factory Boom Rolling Out

    The U.S. experienced an initial wave of investment in lithium-ion battery factories after the Great Recession, driven in part by $2.2 billion of funding allocated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The capacity of those early factories was relatively small, reflecting modest sales of electric vehicles.

    U.S. capacity additions were sporadic until recently when the pace of new announcements picked up. Six new facilities, worth more than $5 billion, were announced from 2018 to 2020. Since the start of 2021, more than 15 new facilities or expansions have been disclosed in the U.S., reflecting a potential investment of at least $40 billion. Several plants have also been announced in Canada.

    The production capacity of these just-announced gigafactories generally dwarfs that of the earlier facilities, which was often less than 1 GWh. All but one exceeds 10 GWh of capacity, with the largest exceeding 40 GWh.

    https://www.dallasfed.org/research/e...2022/1011.aspx

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    • GM is in the energy business now


    The new unit is selling stationary energy storage, solar and software to EV owners and utilities

    General Motors is launching a new line of energy products to homeowners, businesses and utilities — the next step in an EV offensive designed to generate revenue beyond making and selling electric vehicles and aimed directly at Tesla.

    The product line will be housed under a new business unit called GM Energy and covers the gamut of EV ownership, including stationary energy storage, solar through a partnership with SunPower and bi-directional charging technology to deliver power from the vehicle to their home or to the grid. GM Energy has also developed a cloud product that houses data and management software and helps tie all of these hardware products together and, ultimately, balance out the power grid while providing an incentive to EV owners.

    The new business unit has also developed large-scale batteries for utilities as well as hydrogen fuel cells, Travis Hester, vice president of GM’s EV growth operations, told TechCrunch in a recent interview.

    GM Energy is divided into three sectors covering residential, commercial and charging. Each sector carries the Ultium name, the same branding that GM gave to the next-generation electric vehicle platform and batteries of its new and upcoming EVs.

    The home energy system, which includes stationary storage similar to Tesla’s Powerwall product, will debut with the launch of the 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV. GM did not release pricing information on its new products.

    https://techcrunch.com/2022/10/11/gm...ergy-business/

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    • Greece says its entire electrical grid ran on 100% renewables for the first time


    The Greek electrical system has hit a new milestone, after running completely on "clean" renewable energy for the first time.

    Renewable energy sources covered Greece's electricity demands for about five hours last Friday, the Independent Power Transmission Operator, or IPTO, said. Renewables also posted a new record that day, reaching a peak of 3,106 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity.

    The company, which owns and operates the Greek electrical transmission system connecting power plants with customers, says the achievement will open the door to making its energy mix greener in coming years.

    The country's accomplishment comes after a decade in which its reliance on fossil fuels has gradually declined, at the same time as it has boosted the capacity of renewables and large hydropower plants, according to The Green Tank, a Greece-based nonprofit environmental think tank.

    Greece's system isn't the only one to have hit the 100% mark with renewables: The much larger California Independent System Operator, which serves about 80% of the state, reported that it briefly achieved it in the spring.

    Renewable energy has seen "an unprecedented boom" in recent years, including a 45% jump in capacity in 2020, the International Energy Agency reported. In the U.S. this year, the gains include wind power outpacing both coal and nuclear energy.

    https://www.npr.org/2022/10/13/11287...lectrical-grid

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    • Small Water And Sewer Sites To Go 100 Percent Renewable


    MIDCOAST Council will soon be a step closer to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions, after entering into a contract to power all of its small water and sewer sites with 100 percent renewable energy.

    The arrangement will take effect in January 2023 and will reduce Council’s CO2 emissions by 3,258 tonnes per year.

    This equates to around thirteen percent of Council’s Scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions generated from purchased energy such as electricity, heating and cooling).

    It will also deliver an estimated annual saving of around $139,000.

    https://www.newsofthearea.com.au/sma...cent-renewable

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    • Mozambique gets AfDB support to boost renewable energy


    The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a grant of a grant of $2.5 million to the Mozambican government to develop renewable energy resources.

    The grant, from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), administered by the Bank, will be used to implement the Mozambique Renewable Energy Integration Program (MREP).

    “With the support of the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, Mozambique’s capacity to integrate larger shares of variable renewables will increase its efforts to become a major regional electricity supplier,” said Dr. Daniel Schroth, Director of the African Development Bank’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Department.

    He added, “Given that Mozambique is one of the most highly climate-vulnerable countries in the world, the project will help build a more sustainable and resilient power generation infrastructure.”

    https://cceonlinenews.com/2022/10/16...able-energy-2/

  3. #603
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday it will be granting Ohio University $195,736 to help expand the use of anaerobic digestion.

    The funds will specifically go to the university’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service which is working on a project to expand the use of anaerobic digestion in the food and brewery sectors.

    Anaerobic digestion can help lower the production of methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas, created at farms, landfills and from food waste.

    In 2020, methane made up 11 percent of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, according to EPA data.

    “As food breaks down, it produces methane — a major contributor to climate change,” said EPA Regional Administrator Debra Shore in a statement. “Anaerobic digesters can help cut food waste, reduce methane emissions from landfills and aid in the fight against climate change.”

    Biogas is made up of methane and can therefore be captured and potentially used as an energy source, according to the EPA. Meanwhile, digestate can be used for animal bedding, fertilizer, or compost.

    Anaerobic digestion can help lower the production of methane, a dangerous greenhouse gas, created at farms, landfills, and from food waste, according to the EPA.

    _____________




    The City of South Portland, Maine, has completed a 4.7-MW solar array atop the city’s capped landfill. The project should offset 63% of the city’s municipal electrical load.

    The three-phase project began in 2017 with a 1,016-kW array. In 2022, the expansion of “Landfill East” and addition of “Landfill West” added 474 kW and 3,251 kW to the total project. Today, these combined solar projects have the largest power potential of any solar array built on a municipal landfill in the state, according to Maine DEP.

    “The City of South Portland is thrilled to announce the completion of this multi-phase project,” said City Manager Scott Morelli. “Thanks to this extraordinary collaborative effort, solar energy now powers the vast majority of municipal operations — a win for both the environment and taxpayers.”

    _____________




    Denmark's Orsted and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) have teamed up to develop 5.2 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind in Denmark, corresponding to more than double the country's current installed capacity, the two companies said on Tuesday.

    The total of four projects will be developed through the so-called open-door procedure where the developers takes initiative to build an offshore wind farm without a government tender.

    "Orsted and CIP hope that the projects can be built prior to and in parallel with the projects in the government tenders," the companies said, adding that the projects might be feasible already by 2027 or 2028.

    _____________




    A solar farm that could power 5,150 homes a year has been proposed for the outskirts of Wootton. Following consultation events earlier this year, Oxford-based Ridge Clean Energy has submitted plans to the Isle of Wight Council for the Sunny Oaks Renewable Energy Park.

    The site, which would stretch behind Butterfly World, the houses on Park Road and wrap around Fattingspark Copse, could have solar panels over 27 hectares and be operational for 40 years. It is anticipated it could generate around 21,450 MWh of renewable electricity each year and be supplied to the local electricity distribution network, via the grid connection point at the nearby Wootton Common substation.

    The energy park would be built on land owned by Briddlesford Lodge Farm — and used for livestock grazing between July and October — for which an annual rent would be paid. The added income, planning agents BCM say, will diversify the farm’s takings and ensure it has sustained revenue when economic returns for farms, in general, are poor and declining.

    At the end of the operation period, the land would be restored to agricultural use. Another part of the development would see a ‘Battery Energy Storage System’ built across the road, accessed from a track on Briddlesford Road.

    The system would store some of the excess solar energy and release it when customers need it. Fencing, access roads, a substation building and approximately 80 CCTV cameras would be installed.

    _____________




    A renewable energy project earmarked for a Northamptonshire village has been green lit.

    Plans involve the erection of a 15-metre-high micro wind turbine on a plot of land at Oak Lodge off Northampton Road, Welford.

    The scheme has been brought forward as part of a green initiative by HE Servicing Ltd.

    The Britwind R9000 turbine, which has been designed for rural homes and farms, will provide up to 10,900kW of power per annum for domestic and leisure use.

    Noise and ecological impact assessments were completed as part of research carried out by Hedley Planning Services to confirm the site was a suitable source for a renewable energy project.

    Amelia Robson, senior planner at Hedley Planning Services, said: "We are delighted to secure planning permission for this exciting project and very much look forward to seeing the plans come to fruition.

    "We are facing an unprecedented energy crisis in the UK, so harnessing the wind can be one of the most efficient ways to supply clean energy for local landowners and homeowners.

    _____________


    • Ocean Winds receives environmental approval for BC-Wind


    Ocean Winds has received a positive ‘Environmental Decision’ for its BC-Wind project in the Baltic Sea.

    The decision was taken by the Regional Directorate for Environmental Protection (RDOS) in Gdansk, Poland. The project, which has a capacity of 400MW, will be built about 23km north of the municipalities of Choczewo and Krokowa in the Pomeranian Voivodeship.

    The approval comes after the project successfully completed the environmental impact assessment process.
    Among the factors in the assessment were the occurrence of seabirds and migratory birds over the planned investment area, the activity of bats and the occurrence of marine mammals.

    The BC-Wind project is on the right track to start commercial operations in 2027.

    “Receiving the environmental decision brings Ocean Winds significantly closer to the first Ocean Winds wind farm in the Polish Baltic Sea,” said Grzegorz Gorski, COO of Ocean Winds.

    https://renews.biz/81313/ocean-winds...l-for-bc-wind/

    ____________


    • China plans world’s biggest wind farm, capable of powering 13 million homes


    A Chinese city has announced plans to build the world’s biggest offshore wind farm, capable of powering more than 13 million homes.

    Chaozhou in China’s Guangdong province revealed the 43.3-gigawatt (GW) project in its five-year plan, published online on Friday.

    The facility will stretch more than 10km on the Taiwan Strait, where wind is reportedly strong enough to run turbines between 43-49 per cent of the time.

    Estimates suggest the 43.3 GW of power generating capacity is equivalent to the entire energy demand of Norway.

    Comparisons made by the US Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy suggest the Chinese wind farm would be able to power 4.3 billion LED lights. The five-year plan did not mention the cost of the project.

    Renewable energy has been a key component of President Xi Jinping’s mission to transition away from carbon-emitting power sources and become a renewable energy superpower.

    “We will work actively and prudently toward the goals of reaching peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality,” he said during his opening address to the Congress on 16 October.

    https://news.yahoo.com/china-plans-w...153509125.html

    ____________


    • Solar boom in Serbia: more than 100 MW of solar power plants on roofs


    The use of solar energy for the production of electricity is taking hold in Serbia. In the last few months, households and firms have installed around 360 rooftop photovoltaic power plants with a total capacity of 5.7 MW while another 100 MW is in the procedure.
    Rooftop solar power plants installed by households and companies in Serbia were a rarity until a few months ago, but the adoption of an appropriate regulatory framework enabled citizens to produce green energy for self-consumption.

    Natalija Luković, Assistant Minister of Mining and Energy, noted the adoption of the Law on Renewable Energy Sources, which enabled citizens and businesses to become prosumers, was initiated by her ministry.

    She said the new law enables citizens and firms to participate in the energy transition. Procedures have been simplified, so it is no longer necessary to take 20 steps, but only two for consumers to sign contracts with supply company EPS Snabdevanje, Luković pointed out at a panel discussion called “(Un)utilized potential of Serbia in renewable energy,” organized by Beta news agency in cooperation with the European Climate Foundation.

    Serbia currently has more than 370 registered prosumers with a total capacity 5.7 MW, and another 100 MW in the process of connecting to the grid, which is managed by DSO Elektrodistribucija Srbije, said Luković.

    In her words, a solar boom is happening in Serbia, which is why the Ministry is preparing changes to the Decree on the Criteria, Conditions, and Method of Billing Between Prosumers and Suppliers. The intention is to further simplify all the steps for connecting to the network.

    https://balkangreenenergynews.com/so...ants-on-roofs/

    ____________


    • Councils to install more than 16,500 EV charge points in the next year


    UK councils are set to install more than 16,500 electric vehicle charging stations over the next 12 months, doubling the number of public chargers currently installed.

    The research, conducted by British Gas under a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to more than 400 UK councils of which 195 responded to all questions asked, revealed that local authorities have installed 16,680 EV charging points to date, with a further 16,563 planned to be installed over the next 12 months.

    It shows that local authority owned EV charging capacity is set to more than double in five regions and nations across the UK.

    London reported the highest uplift in charger numbers (101% increase from 7,848 to 15,753) followed the East of England (131% increase from 974 to 2,254), the North-West (450% increase from 375 to 2,064), the South-West (172% increase from 533 to 1,455) and Wales (101% increase from 394 to 793).

    A smaller uplift in charge point installations is expected from councils across the South-East (98% increase from 1,686 to 3,345), Yorkshire (94% increase from 478 to 931), the North-East (83% increase from 424 to 780), the Midlands (67% increase from 1,180 to 2937), and Scotland (40% increase from 2,137 to 3,039).

    https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/lat...-the-next-year

  4. #604
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    NASA’s New Battery Might be Key to E-Flight


    NASA has just announced a new solid state battery that could revolutionize the way we store energy! This incredible technology could make Tesla's Powerwall look like child's play, and it's all thanks to a team of NASA scientists.

    __________




    Volvo Australia has decided to fast-track its switch to electric, vowing to sell EVs only in Australia by 2026, well ahead of the car brand’s global commitment to do this by 2030.

    The new commitment was announced on Thursday by Volvo Australia managing director Stephen Connor, shortly after the official launch in Australia of the new C40 Recharge – its first electric only SUV, adding to the XC40 that is already on the market and the EX90 that is soon to be revealed.

    Connor says the decision has been taken because there is no long term future in cars with internal combustion engines. And despite Australia’s relatively slow take-up of EVs to date, it senses its customers are ready to make the switch.

    __________



    After decades of attempts to power cars with energy from the sun, the solar automotive age might finally be upon us.

    Why it matters: With climate change accelerating and high gas prices squeezing consumers' budgets, the notion of filling up with free, clean solar energy is certainly enticing.

    The catch: The amount of solar energy that can actually be captured by solar panels on a car's roof is limited, which is why the tech has yet to take off.

    What's new: Germany’s Sono Motors, which went public on the Nasdaq last year, may have cracked the code with a $25,000 electric SUV called the Sion that's covered pretty much bumper to bumper in solar cells.

    Instead of a solar glass roof, the Sion's 456 cells are integrated seamlessly into its plastic hood, fenders, sides, roof and rear panels.

    Together, they provide enough energy to extend the car's 190-mile battery range by an average of 70 miles a week — or up to 150 miles per week in perfect conditions.

    For people with short commutes in sunny locales, that could mean never plugging in again.

    Driving the news: I checked out the Sion on a recent blustery, overcast day in Detroit during a stop on the car's first U.S. tour.

    The conditions were a good reminder of the car's practical limitations. Sono says the sun can account for about 5,400 miles of range per year — about one-third most drivers' yearly average — but that all depends on the season, the weather and even how shady your parking spot is.

    Details: From a distance, the Sion appears to have one of those trendy black matte paint jobs. Up close, however, you can see the rows of solar cells embedded in the car's body panels.

    How it works: Sono spent five years trying to perfect its patented injection molding process, which integrates monocrystalline silicon cells into the Sion's scratch-resistant, dent-proof polymer panels.

    Depending on the time of day and the angle of the sun, different parts of the car capture the sun's energy and feed it to the Sion's 54-kWh lithium-ion phosphate battery.

    Solar aside, the Sion's battery can charge in about 30 minutes when plugged into a DC fast charger, or in a few hours at an ordinary Level 2 charger.

    Even without solar power, the $25,000 Sion is an affordable EV (although it won't qualify for U.S. tax incentives because it's built in Europe).

    Sono kept costs low by outsourcing production to Valmet Automotive, a well-known Finnish contract manufacturer — and it only comes in one style, with no optional features.

    "You can have any color you want, as long as it's black," quipped chief operating officer Thomas Hausch, paraphrasing Henry Ford's famous comment about the Model T.

    And the company will sell its cars directly to consumers instead of through dealerships.

    What they're saying: "They've found, in between the cracks, an opportunity that other automakers were not going after," said Wedbush Securities analyst Daniel Ives.

    Be smart: A small handful of other companies, including the California-based Aptera and Dutch startup Lightyear, are also trying to crack the solar-powered EV nut.

    What to watch: More than 20,000 Europeans have put down a $2,000 refundable deposit, Sono says, and it has another 22,000 orders from fleet customers, including a subscription car service called FINN.

    The company says it is "actively evaluating American partnership opportunities" to bring the car stateside.

    Meanwhile, it's already generating revenue from selling solar retrofit kits for heavy trucks and buses.

    __________



    The Department of Energy is seeking public input on a new $1 billion program that stands to benefit energy generation in areas with 10,000 or fewer inhabitants.

    Passed by Congress last year, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act appropriated $1 billion to the department through fiscal year 2026 to improve the reliability and availability of energy and environmental protection from adverse impacts of energy generation.

    The department officials have said the Energy Improvement in Rural or Remote Areas program would support siting or upgrading transmission and distribution lines, slashing greenhouse gas emissions from rural energy generation, increasing energy efficiency and developing microgrids — localized grids that can operate autonomously.

    ___________




    Panasonic introduces “H2 KIBOU FIELD”, a demonstrative experiment at its Kusatsu factory in Shiga Prefecture.

    3-storage batteries, pure hydrogen fuel cell generators, and photovoltaic generators together can provide appropriate control and a stable supply of electricity.

    Panasonic says that it is the world’s first demonstration to prove that 100 per cent of the electricity consumed by a factory can be powered entirely by hydrogen from renewable sources.

    It also declared “Green Impact” to contribute to decreasing carbon dioxide emissions. By 2030, the carbon dioxide emissions of Panasonic business companies will be zero and by 2050, it will decrease by 1 percent of the world’s CO2 emissions.

    “When companies tried to achieve RE100, they were worried that photovoltaic generators and storage batteries would not be enough to achieve it. Therefore, we would like to make a proposal with the aim that RE100 can be achieved by linking three batteries using the technology of the fuel cell,” said Norihiko Kawamura, Panasonic.

    Panasonic is developing home appliances with the latest technology. In addition, it has been conducting research and development of home fuel cell “Ene-Farm” and hydrogen technology.

    “The home fuel cell “Ene-Farm,” which is based on this solution, was experimented with in the late 1990s. We have a track record of producing the first unit in the world in 2009. We have a research achievement in fuel cells for more than 20 years,” said Norihiko Kawamura, Panasonic.

    __________


    • Kenya eyes renewable energy milestone with blueprint


    Stakeholders in the country’s electricity sector have unveiled a new blueprint to enable Kenya to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy by 2030.

    The announcement comes ahead of the 27th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change set to take place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt between November 6 and 18.

    Under the aegis of the Electricity Sector Association of Kenya (Esak), they said the move is in line with the global climate agenda of preserving the environment.

    “In line with the current administration’s agenda on introducing reliability and affordability of power, we commit to encouraging the sustainable development of the Kenyan electricity sector through collaboration, advocacy and data-driven solutions, as a result maintaining investor confidence through a predictable and stable business environment,’’ said Esak Chairperson George Aluru.

    ‘‘This is even as we build the value chain and grow demand by attracting global industrial investors looking to accelerate their sustainability agenda by leveraging Kenya’s existing 90 per cent renewable electricity grid. This will position Kenya as a leader in the green industrial revolution”.

    Besides building a value chain for renewable energy and maintaining investor confidence, the lobby has also announced enabling policies and regulations in enabling the blueprint towards achieving 100 per cent renewable energy in the country.

    https://africainnews.com/kenya-eyes-...ith-blueprint/

  5. #605
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    There’s this saying that people tend to overrate the way the world changes every year and underrate the profound ways in which it may change over a decade.

    That probably explains why Latin America and the Caribbean’s renewable energy drive isn’t better known globally. Let’s look at the data.

    More than a quarter of primary energy in the region currently comes from renewables, twice the global average. From Costa Rica, where renewable energy sources account for 99% of its electricity matrix, to Brazil at 83%, countries small and large are increasingly powered by clean energy.

    Just over the last decade, areas that were outside of the renewable energy revolution have embraced it completely: think of my native Argentina, where renewable energy covered less than 2% of total energy demand in 2012 as now accounts for well over 12% and rising; Guatemala has gone from 50% to 71%.


    This is really impressive, but many countries in the region still depend on non-renewable energy. Bold and immediate action is needed for businesses and economies to leverage the transformative power of the private sector as we strive to meet our net-zero commitments under the Paris Agreement.

    Our region has the potential to do much more. Taking advantage of natural resources such as ample sunlight and available land LAC can become the world’s leading renewable energy hub, as long as greater access to much-needed global capital and best practices is ensured.

    That’s the rationale behind two of our most recent deals, announced over the last couple of weeks. We’re here to help launch worthwhile projects where you have the land, the right conditions, the passion and the ideas but you don’t always have the funds or the right expertise. These projects meet such criteria.

    With the help of a loan of up to $300 million, ENGIE Energía Peru will build the 296.4MW Punta Lomitas greenfield wind farm south of Lima – the largest non-conventional renewable energy project in the country to date.

    In Barbados, meanwhile, we are providing advisory services to ensure the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the development of Renewstable Barbados, a 50 MW solar generation facility with green hydrogen and lithium-ion battery storage. The new facility will provide stable and clean electricity supply for the Barbadian grid, also with the help of IFC and Hydrogčne de France (HDF).

    ____________


    Amazon has announced 14 new renewable energy projects in the U.S., Canada, Finland, and Spain, bringing Amazon’s total renewable energy investments to date to 10 gigawatts (GW) of electricity production capacity. Amazon says it has now surpassed Google as the world’s largest corporate buyer of renewable energy.

    The new purchases advance Amazon’s goal to power 100% of company activities with renewable energy by 2025. It also provides a fresh reminder of the huge role of cloud computing platforms in leading a society-wide transition to renewable energy.

    The latest solar and wind projects will supply renewable energy for Amazon Web Services (AWS) data centers that support millions of customers globally, as well as Amazon’s corporate offices, and fulfillment centers. These projects will also help Amazon meet its commitment to produce enough renewable energy to cover the electricity used by all Echo (Alexa) devices in use.

    “Our investments in wind and solar energy in the U.S. and around the world send a signal that investing in green technologies is the right thing to do for the planet and citizens—as well as for the long-term success of businesses of all sizes across all industries everywhere,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO.

    Amazon will now have a total of 232 renewable energy projects globally, including 85 utility-scale wind and solar projects and 147 solar rooftops on facilities and stores worldwide. The 14 new wind and solar projects include:


    • 11 U.S.-based projects, including Amazon’s first solar projects in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Pennsylvania, and additional projects in Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. In total, Amazon has enabled more than 6 GW of renewable energy in the U.S. through 54 projects.
    • Amazon’s second renewable energy project in Alberta is a 375-megawatt (MW) solar farm—which is also the largest in the country. When it comes online in 2022, the solar farm will bring Amazon’s capacity in Canada to more than 1 million megawatt hours (MWh).
    • Amazon’s first project in Finland is a 52-MW wind farm located near the country’s west coast. The project is expected to begin producing energy in 2022.
    • Amazon’s fifth solar project in Spain will generate 152 MW when it begins contributing power to the grid in 2023, bringing total capacity in the country to more than 520 MW.


    ____________



    Crowley signed an agreement with the Port of Humboldt Bay to exclusively negotiate to be the developer and operator of a terminal to serve as California’s first hub to serve offshore wind energy installations.

    This public-private partnership will support both federal and state government goals to develop more American offshore wind power and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Department of Interior announced on Oct. 18 that waters off the coast of Humboldt Bay areas will be part of the first-ever offshore wind lease sale on the U.S. West Coast on Dec. 6.

    The State of California has set a goal to create at least 5 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030. The Humboldt offshore wind areas alone are projected to provide 1.6 GW of energy, capable of supplying power to up 1.6 million homes. The federal lease auction also will include the Morro Bay area, which offers 3 GW of projected energy.

    Utilizing a grant from the Humboldt County Headwaters Fund in 2021, the Port of Humboldt Bay developed a conceptual master plan for the site. That led to a $10.45 million grant from the California Energy Commission, to conduct of technical studies, preliminary design and pre-permitting activities. The Port anticipates completing permitting and design in mid-2024. The new agreement with Crowley focuses on a 98-acre Phase I, with options to expand on adjoining land in additional phases.

    “This is a historic and transformational moment in the history of Humboldt County and the State of California,” said President Greg Dale of the Board of the Port of Humboldt Bay. “Guided by the support and expertise of Crowley, the Port of Humboldt Bay now stands to be an international leader in the transition to renewable energy. The Port will play a critical role not only in the Humboldt and Morro Bay Call Areas, but in all future offshore wind areas of the U.S. West Coast.

    “Within the next few years, this project will generate high-skill manufacturing and technical jobs, investments, and clean energy that will extend for generations into the future. And this project is just the beginning for Humboldt Bay, with the potential for additional complementary projects on other underutilized sites throughout the Bay.”

    _____________



    Elon Musk's Tesla paved the way nearly two decades ago. Now, the global transition to fully electric vehicles is littered with startups, inspired by a new era in mobility and drawn by the lower cost of building EVs compared with their fossil-fuel-guzzling forbears.

    Gone are the billion-dollar investments that have made legacy auto-making into such a cash cow. Suppliers offer ready-made generic electric platforms and manufacturers can take on contracts for assembly — approaches that translate into savings on jobs and infrastructure.

    What has been missing in the new EV formula, according to a Milan-based startup, AEHRA, is a fresh design concept.

    “Electric vehicles are looked at as being boring by the general public,” AEHRA CEO Hazim Nada said. "It is very easy to build an extremely powerful electric vehicle. It is not so easy to build an electric vehicle that has character. And I think that’s one of the elements that Italian-ness has to express.”

    Nada has hired a former Lamborghini designer to help infuse his vehicles with Italian emotion and is emphasizing aerodynamics over performance.

    But the company wants to enter an increasingly crowded market of EV startups and traditional carmakers that are being pushed to tackle car emissions that contribute to climate change. Some startups have had little success.

    AEHRA doesn't plan to launch its first vehicles — an SUV and a sedan — until mid-2025, with annual production starting at 20,000 to 25,000 vehicles. The ultra-premium cars also plan to come with a price tag to match — $160,000 to $180,000.


    They are expected to roll out first in the United States and key European markets before expanding to China. That would follow an initial production investment of 700 million euros (dollars).

    _______________

    • Here's Your First Look at the All-Electric Porsche 718 Boxster


    The next generation of Porsche's mid-engine 718 sports cars is going electric. The German sports carmaker has been coy on details since confirming the news in March, but thanks to spy shots out of Germany, we can finally get our eyes on a prototype for the first time.


    Spy photographers managed to catch this black-painted, camouflaged-clad prototype of the all-electric 718 Boxster driving on the road, giving us our best look yet at what the production version may look like. Despite dropping the internal combustion engine altogether, the car still maintains a mid-engine silhouette, with a two-seat forward cabin.

    https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod...0&resize=980:*

    https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a4...er-spy-photos/

    ___________

    Just for fun

    • Demystifying electric car charging


    Drivers typically know whether their car takes "regular" or "premium" gasoline. But when their fuel is electricity, filling up can be downright confounding.

    Driving the news: A new startup aims to fix that via a color- and number-coded system that helps electric vehicle (EV) drivers find the best chargers and plugs for their particular car.

    Why it matters: Helping car buyers understand how charging works — and managing their expectations — is one of the biggest hurdles facing the EV movement.


    • EV consumer anxiety isn't just about finding chargers. They also need to know which chargers work with their vehicle, how long it will take to "fill up" and how to pay.
    • One problem: different cars require different connectors. A Nissan Leaf or Mitsubishi Outlander can use one type of plug, while most other EVs use a different connector — except for Teslas, which use a third, proprietary connector.


    Also important to know: Home chargers and many of those often found at parking garages, grocery stores, malls and hotels are much slower than "DC fast chargers."


    • Yet some fast chargers are quicker than others, with outputs ranging from 24 kW to 350 kW.
    • It might seem intuitive to seek chargers with the highest output, but many cars are limited in how much power they can accept.


    For example: Ford's F-150 Lightning and Hyundai's Ioniq 5 can both be plugged into a 350 kW DC fast charger. But the Ford only accepts up to 120 kW or 155 kW, depending on the truck's battery size.


    • In the nebulous world of EV charging etiquette, that pickup driver would be seen as a "charger hog" if they plugged into a 350 kW charger (because they would fill up just as quickly at a less powerful charger).


    One more thing: Just as a gas pump slows to a trickle when the tank is almost full to avoid overflowing, EV chargers slow dramatically when the battery reaches 80% capacity.


    • You can still top off your battery, but that could add 30 minutes or so to your "fast" charging session — a surprise to many first-timers.


    What's needed: A massive education effort.


    • "It's a big shift," acknowledges Jonathan Levy, chief commercial officer at charging provider EVgo. "Americans don't speak kilowatts or kilowatt-hours in their home, even though their monthly electricity bill says, 'here is how many kilowatt-hours you consumed.'"
    • "And it's partially our responsibility as an industry to teach the units."


    Yes, but: The average driver doesn't want to learn a new language just to refuel their car, says Matt Teske, founder and CEO of Chargeway, a startup aiming to dramatically simplify EV charging.

    How it works: Chargeway's app uses colors to show your car's plug type and numbers to show the maximum power level it can accept:



    Chargeway aims to create a universal language to understand EV charging options. Image courtesy of Chargeway

    Chargeway's app also includes a map showing the types of plugs and power levels offered at each charging site.


    • A timer feature helps users estimate how long they'll need to recharge.
    • And if you plan a road trip, Chargeway will calculate where you should charge, based in part on factors like the weather and your typical driving habits.


    What to watch: Teske hopes to create a universal language for charging and reports positive responses so far from government officials, carmakers and industry groups.

    https://www.axios.com/2022/11/07/ele...ar-ev-charging
    Last edited by S Landreth; 09-11-2022 at 06:59 PM.

  6. #606
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    So far electric cars are upmarket, quite expensive. Or they are kind of upgraded golf carts. We certainly need cars that fit the lower price range, if they are to become main stream. I presently own a KIA and have talked with one of their non sales people. We can expect a moderately priced KIA in 2-3 years. Tesla is getting closer to promise something similar, a $25,000 car in the same time frame. My present car is aging and I hope/think it can last that long.

    Of course, as long as car companies can sell all cars they can produce for much higher prices, they are not likely to offer lower priced cars. But that is going to change with higher production rates. I am in the lucky situation to have my own garage with electric power, so I can recharge over night at very low cost.
    "don't attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by incompetence"

  7. #607
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    In France, solar just got a huge boost from new legislation approved through the Senate this week that will require all parking lots with spaces for at least 80 vehicles – both existing and new – to be covered by solar panels.

    The new provisions are part of French president Emmanuel Macron’s large-scale plan to heavily invest in renewables, which aims to multiply by 10 the amount of solar energy produced in the country, and to double the power from land-based wind farms.

    Starting July 1, 2023, smaller carparks that have between 80 and 400 spaces will have five years to be in compliance with the new measures. Carparks with more than 400 spaces have a shorter timeline: They will need to comply with the new measures within three years of this date, and at least half of the surface area of the parking lot will need to be covered in solar panels.

    According to the government, this plan, which particularly targets large parking areas around commercial centers and train stations, could generate up to 11 gigawatts, which is the equivalent of 10 nuclear reactors, powering millions of homes. Public Sénat writes that stipulations were put into place excluding parking lots for trucks carrying heavy goods or parking areas in historic or protected areas, to avoid “distorting” them, according to an amendment to the bill. While it’s unclear, future iterations of the bill will likely detail parking lots that would be excluded, in addition to how this plan will be funded and what the penalties would be for lack of compliance.

    Other measures on the table include building large solar farms on vacant land found alongside highways and railways, as well as on agricultural lands where feasible. Macron has said that any bill passed would need to guarantee money that ensures local communities directly benefit from the energy shift.

    France’s national rail service SNCF also plans to install some 190,000 square meters of solar panels in 156 stations throughout the country by 2025 and 1.1 million square meters by 2030, all with the aim to reduce energy consumption by 25%.

    The government also plans to build around 50 additional wind farms likes the one offshore Saint-Nazaire by 2050 in France. Measures are in place to reduce delays in building offshore wind farms from 10-12 years down to six years, and large solar farms from six years to three years.

    This summer, the French government solidified two zones for offshore wind farms off the coast of the Atlantic following a massive public debate involving 15,000 participants, with environmental protection being the biggest concern.

    The first wind farm is planned to be sited off the island of Oléron, more than 35 km off the coast of La Rochelle, with a capacity of around 1,000 MW. The second wind farm will likely be located farther out at sea, with both wind farms together producing enough electricity for 1.6 million people.

    ____________




    Planting grass on unused agricultural lands could provide the U.S. with enough biomass feedstock to meet the liquid fuel demands of the country’s aviation sector, a new study has found.

    Such a strategy could pave the way toward the full decarbonization of U.S. aviation fuel by swapping conventional jet fuel with sustainably generated biofuels, according to the study, published on Monday in Nature Sustainability.

    Researchers explained that feedstock for these biofuels would be produced by planting a type of grass called miscanthus across 23.2 million hectares, or 57.3 million acres — roughly the size of Wyoming.

    The grass would grow on what the authors described as “existing marginal agricultural lands” — or land that is poor in soil quality or often lays fallow.

    Cultivating miscanthus in such spaces could provide enough biomass to meet the U.S. aviation sector’s liquid fuel needs, which are expected to reach 30 billion gallons per year by 2040, according to the study.

    “It is within reach for the United States to decarbonize the fuel used by commercial aviation, without having to wait for electrification of aircraft propulsion,” co-author Nazli Uludere Aragon, a recent PhD recipient from Arizona State University’s geography program, said in a statement.

    “If we are serious about getting to net zero greenhouse gas emissions, we need to deal with emissions from air travel,” added Uludere Aragon, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at the Environmental Defense Fund.

    “Finding alternative, more sustainable liquid fuel sources for aviation is key to this,” she said.

    ____________





    Řrsted is proud to announce that the world’s largest installed windfarm, Hornsea 2, is now fully operational. The 1.3GW offshore wind farm comprises 165 wind turbines, located 89km off the Yorkshire Coast, which will help power over 1.4 million UK homes with low-cost, clean and secure renewable energy.

    The wind farm is situated alongside its sibling Hornsea 1, which together can power 2.5 million homes and make a significant contribution to the UK Government’s ambition of having 50 GW offshore wind in operation by 2030.

    _____________


    • The partnership announced the development of a $3 billion, 3GW renewable energy portfolio


    OYA Renewable and Oil Well Shares announced a new joint venture to build solar, wind and storage facilities on private land in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

    Significant new renewable energy capacity will be added to the PJM Interconnection region over the next seven years as a new joint venture has been formed to launch a $3 billion development platform.

    OYA Renewables announced that it has formed a joint venture platform with Oil Well Shares (OWS), an Appalachian oil and gas exploration company. The JV platform, named Chrysalis Energy, will design and build 3GW of utility-scale solar, wind and energy storage facilities across the PJM region. The systems will be installed on 1.5 million acres (1.5 million acres) of primarily contiguous title-owned land in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.

    The first phase of development is expected to be completed by 2030, and Chrysalis will follow suit as the energy transition infrastructure continues to develop, the company said.

    “The sheer size of the land holding is remarkable, probably the largest private land holding in PJM and comprising 1/1000th of the total continental US acreage,” said Manish Nayar, Founder and CEO of OYA Renewables. “Proximity to the Great Lakes is also important, allowing us to explore green hydrogen opportunities alongside solar, storage and wind. We are very proud to work with an energy innovator like OWS. His local on-the-ground presence will be invaluable as we seek to evaluate and develop renewable energy at scale.”

    https://localtoday.news/pa/the-partn...io-100977.html

    __________________


    • Labour vows to lift ban on onshore wind


    A Labour government would lift a planning ban on new onshore wind farms, Sir Keir Starmer has vowed.

    Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's refusal to back onshore wind "is about putting his party first, and the country second", the Labour leader said.

    Mr Sunak scrapped a move by predecessor Liz Truss to relax planning rules to allow more onshore wind turbines.

    But Sir Keir said not backing onshore wind was a "national act of self-harm, choking off our economic potential".

    Onshore wind is one of the cheapest forms of new power in the UK, and Sir Kier said that removing planning barriers would "slash energy bills".

    Labour has already pledged to double onshore wind and quadruple offshore wind in its plan for clean power by 2030.

    During a visit to a wind farm in Grimsby, North Lincolnshire, on Thursday, Sir Keir said the plan would involve "persuading some communities to get on board".

    He said he would not hesitate to ditch the planning ban on onshore wind so that "we can create tens of thousands of good quality skilled jobs", even if it "means some communities adapting to a new landscape".

    https://www.bbc.com/news/business-63579588

    _____________


    • Biden says U.S. "on track" to meet Paris commitment


    President Biden told a critical UN climate summit Friday that the U.S. is "on track" to meet its 2030 emissions-cutting pledge under the Paris Agreement while also touting efforts to help vulnerable nations harmed by global warming.

    Driving the news: "Thanks to the actions we've taken, I can stand here as president of the United States of America and say with confidence, the United States of America will meet our emissions targets by 2030," Biden told the COP27 climate summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.


    • The U.S. has pledged to cut emissions by 50% below 2005 levels by 2030.
    • Biden cited the new climate law, energy and climate provisions in the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law, and executive policies like stronger draft rules unveiled this morning to cut emissions of methane from the oil-and-gas sector.


    Why it matters: The U.S. is the world's largest historical carbon emitter and is currently second behind China.

    In addition, emissions-cutting pledges under the Paris Agreement are nonbinding, so showing the U.S. pledge is backed up by tangible domestic policies could help prod other nations to do more.

    The big picture: A dominant theme at this year's summit is calls for rich industrial polluters to boost aid to help developing nations cut emissions, adapt to climate change, and compensate them for unavoidable climate harms.

    Biden's speech touted various new financial assistance efforts, such as an additional $150 million for Africa under the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience, or PREPARE.

    However, the strong chances that Republicans will control at least one chamber of Congress create new barriers to meeting the White House's 2021 pledge to quadruple U.S. foreign climate aid to $11 billion annually by 2024.

    The intrigue: Biden repeatedly cited vulnerable nations' jeopardy, such as drought-fueled hunger in Africa.

    "The climate crisis is about human security, economic security, environmental security, national security, and the very life of the planet," he said.

    However, he did not spell out a specific U.S. commitment or posture on compensation known as "loss and damage."

    What they're saying: "Developing country negotiators are...eager to get more reassurance that the United States will throw its weight behind creating a collective funding stream to help them recover from devastating losses from climate disasters," Ani Dasgupta, president of the World Resources Institute, said in a statement.

    "If the United States continues to resist real progress on financing for loss and damage it could put the entire proceedings of this climate summit in jeopardy," Dasgupta said.

    Quick take: The White House entered this year's summit in a stronger position than last year, thanks to the big new climate law passed over the summer.

    https://www.axios.com/2022/11/11/bid...is-commitments

    _______________


    • Affordable EVs: 7 Electric Cars You Can Get for Under $40,000


    2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV - Starts at $25,600

    2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV - Starts at $27,200

    2023 Nissan Leaf EV - Starts at $28,040

    2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV - Starts at $30,000

    2023 Hyundai Kona Electric - Starts at $21,990

    2023 Mini Cooper SE - Starts at $34,225

    2023 Volkswagen ID.4 - Starts at $37,495

    Like most emerging technologies, electric vehicles hit the market with high price tags, and were initially viewed as playthings for those who had $100,000+ to throw around on a car. But that's no longer the case, as drivers look to save on gas and take steps to address the climate crisis. Several EVs in the $30,000 to $40,000 range are already out there now, and more are coming in 2023.

    There are also state tax credit options available, plus the new federal $7,500 EV tax credit. State credit information should already be finalized, and we'll know more about which cars apply to the 2023 federal credit by year's end.

    https://www.pcmag.com/picks/affordab...-40000-dollars

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    Lab-grown poultry from a California startup is safe for human consumption, the Food and Drug Administration said.

    Why it matters: It's a major milestone for cell-cultivated meats and could be a sign that these foods will be available in U.S. stores and restaurants.

    Driving the news: The FDA said Wednesday it completed its first pre-market consultation of human food developed from cultured animal cells and "has no further questions at this time" about the food's safety.


    • The startup UPSIDE Foods, which develops cell-grown chicken, provided information to the FDA based on food made from cultured chicken cells.
    • These foods could become more commonplace in the U.S. market "in the near future," the FDA said.
    • Before the food can enter the market, the facility where its made needs to meet U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and FDA standards, the FDA said. The food itself will also need a full USDA inspection.


    What is lab-grown meat?

    Recent advancements in cell culture technology have helped food developers use animal cells to produce food. Within the last three years, the FDA and the USDA agreed to regulate these cell-cultured meats.


    • "The FDA is ready to work with additional firms developing cultured animal cell food and production processes to ensure their products are safe and lawful," said FDA commissioner Robert Califf and Susan Mayne, director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, in a statement.


    The big picture: Multiple startups are now working to produce animal protein by growing animal cells. But this type of food is still experiencing growing pains. For example, officials are unsure what to call it.


    • The increase in production comes amid a fake-meat boom, which could grow by 10x by 2029, Barclays analysts estimated in 2019.


    ______________

    These Floaters Turns Ocean Waves Into Renewable Energy

    On the coastline of Gibraltar, blue metal floaters attached to a former World War II ammunition jetty bob up and down, turning the gentle rise and fall of waves into renewable energy. The floaters were invented by Eco Wave Power, a company that seeks to transform human-made structures like piers and breakwaters into sources of clean energy.




    Each batch of these floaters, per the development team, is carefully designed to suit the specific wave conditions where they're installed. For instance, smaller waves call for a larger number of small floaters, so they're easier to move up and down, but larger waves can handle larger floaters – thus, less of them are necessary.

    Eco Wave Power claims its entire system, from floater to grid, is about 50% efficient, meaning about 50 percent of the incoming wave energy is successfully converted to electricity. For context, that figure is greater than the 15% to 20% efficiency of most solar panels, the 20% to 40% efficiency of most wind turbines and the 33% efficiency of the average coal power plant.

    https://www.cnet.com/science/climate...ewable-energy/


    ______________

    • Domino’s Pizza Invests in Electric-Vehicle Fleet to Help Stores Recruit Drivers




    Domino’s Pizza Inc is investing in electric vehicles for some of its U.S. outlets to help attract drivers and overcome a worker shortage that has hobbled pie deliveries industrywide this year.

    The world’s largest pizza chain by stores and sales said it would procure 800 Domino’s-branded Chevrolet Bolts for 37 of its own stores and hundreds of others run by its U.S. franchisees.

    Domino’s said it would begin deploying the branded vehicles this month, and that the company expects to order more from the General Motors Co. division after the initial round.

    “We’ve got a long way to go, but we will have the biggest fleet of electric vehicles in the pizza industry, period,” Domino’s Chief Executive Russell Weiner said in an interview.

    https://www.wsj.com/articles/dominos...rs-11668990159

    ___________

    • Biden administration approves $550M for community-based clean energy


    The Biden administration announced on Tuesday that it will be allocating $550 million to support the deployment of community-based clean energy initiatives.

    Through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block (EECBG) Program, the funds will help state, local and tribal governments implement plans aimed at reducing fossil fuel emissions and overall energy use, according to a notice of intent first shared with The Hill.

    The total sum, made available through the recent bipartisan infrastructure law, is expected to serve more than 250 million Americans while helping achieve a net-zero economy by 2050, the Department of Energy stated.

    Applications to the EECBG Program will be available to all 50 states, five U.S. territories, the District of Columbia, 774 tribes and 1,878 local governments, per the notice of intent.

    “This direct injection of DOE funds is essential for communities working to deliver an equitable, resilient, and clean energy future,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.

    Of the total $550 million — authorized by Congress to be available until expended — the Energy Department said it intends to distribute $440 million in formula funding and competitive grants to the eligible parties.

    The remaining $110 million will go toward making the EECBG Program effective and efficient and to provide technical assistance to eligible entities.

    Among the eligible uses of the funds are a variety of capacity-building, planning and infrastructure projects aimed at cutting carbon emissions and energy use and improving energy efficiency, according to the Energy Department.

    For example, communities could harness the funding to build out electric vehicle infrastructure or deploy community solar projects to serve areas that otherwise do not have access to clean energy, the agency explained.

    Some other possibilities include the implementation of building energy audits and the development of conservation programs used in transportation, such as traffic light synchronization, bike lane construction or the opening of satellite work centers, per the notice of intent.

    The Energy Department will be allocating the funding as prescribed by the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act, with 28 percent going to states, 2 percent to tribes and 34 percent to each of two local government tiers.

    This means that $299.2 million in formula funding will be going to local governments, $123.2 million to states and $8.8 million to eligible tribes, according to the notice of intent.

    The Energy Department is allocating another $8.8 million for competitive grants to local governments — including tribes — that are not eligible to receive direct formula grants.

    This is the second time that EECBG received funding, with the program first receiving $3.2 billion in appropriations through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

    Applications for the EECBG Program will open in January. The program complies with President Biden’s Justice40 initiative — which directs 40 percent of the overall benefits of clean energy investments to underserved populations, according to the Energy Department.

    “State, local, and Tribal communities nationwide will be able to leverage this funding to drive greater energy efficiency and conservation practices,” Granholm said.

    Such improvements, she added, will help “lower utility bills and create healthier environments for American families.”

  9. #609
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Rolls-Royce and easyJet have completed the world’s first successful trial of a jet engine powered by hydrogen fuel.

    The ground test was conducted on the engine using green hydrogen produced by wind and tidal power generated in the Orkney Islands in Scotland.

    It took place at Ministry of Defence site Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, south-west England, using a converted Rolls-Royce AE 2100-A aircraft engine, which is widely used by planes around the world.

    The companies, which are aiming to prove hydrogen can safely and efficiently power civil plane engines, are planning to conduct a second set of trials.

    Flight tests remain a longer-term ambition.

    Grazia Vittadini, chief technology officer for Rolls-Royce, said: “We only announced our partnership with easyJet in July and we are already off to an incredible start with this landmark achievement. We are pushing the boundaries to discover the zero-carbon possibilities of hydrogen, which could help reshape the future of flight.”

    Johan Lundgren, chief executive of easyJet, said the test represented a “huge step forward” in reaching the companies' shared goal of attaining net zero by 2050.

    “This is a real success for our partnership team," he added.

    “We are committed to continuing to support this ground-breaking research because hydrogen offers great possibilities for a range of aircraft, including easyJet-sized aircraft.”

    After analysis of the early concept ground test, the partnership plans a series of rig tests, leading up to a full-scale ground test of a Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 jet engine.

    Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Grant Shapps, said it was a “true British success story”.

    “The UK is leading the global shift to guilt-free flying, and today’s test by Rolls-Royce and easyJet is an exciting demonstration of how business innovation can transform the way we live our lives,” he said.

    “This is a true British success story, with the hydrogen being used to power the jet engine today produced using tidal and wind energy from the Orkney Islands of Scotland — and is a prime example of how we can work together to make aviation cleaner while driving jobs across the country.”

    The partnership is inspired by the global, UN-backed Race to Zero campaign.

    ____________




    United Airlines announced a new investment in Natron Energy, a battery manufacturer, to boost electrification of the airline’s ground equipment.

    Although the company has previously invested in efforts to reduce aircraft emissions, the move is the first that has the potential to reduce United’s greenhouse gas footprint from its ground operations, United said in a statement.

    Natron Energy produces high-performance sodium-ion batteries, which, compared with lithium-ion batteries, are safer and have greater power density and recharging speed, according to the company. Lithium-ion batteries are common in consumer electronics, but have a tendency to overheat. Natron’s sodium-ion batteries are non-flammable.

    The investment is part of United Airlines Ventures, a fund that focuses on investing in new technologies and sustainable solutions to help United Airlines meet its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. The fund was launched in 2021.

    “Out of the gate, we primarily focused on technology designed to help reduce carbon emissions from our airplanes,” said Michael Leskinen, President of United Airline Ventures, in a release.

    “Natron’s cutting-edge sodium-ion batteries presented an ideal opportunity to both potentially expand our sustainability investment portfolio to our ground operations, and to help make our airport operations more resilient.”

    United currently has over 12,000 pieces of motorized ground equipment, about one third of which are already electric. The sodium-ion batteries could be used for charging electric ground equipment and future electric aircraft like air taxis, and to improve resiliency during inclement weather, the company said.

    “Natron’s sodium-ion batteries will help the aviation industry achieve its decarbonization and [electric vehicle] goals,” said Colin Wessells, CEO of Natron Energy. “Our batteries provide the high power over short distances that ground service equipment needs.”

    The sodium-ion batteries also have a superior output and cycle life than lithium batteries, per the company. Their nonflammable nature provides a safeguard for the high usage and power required for certain operations.

    Furthermore, demand for raw materials to make lithium batteries is growing, and shortages are already being reported, especially in the electric vehicle sector.

    In contrast, materials used to make sodium-ion batteries are abundant and easily sourced.

    “​​Made from commodity materials including aluminum, iron, manganese, and sodium-ions (~68% of the earth’s surface is covered with salt water) Natron’s cells, modules, and battery represent a responsible alternative to lead and lithium batteries,” the company’s website reads.

    The new funds from United Airlines will help boost production at Natron’s manufacturing facility in Michigan. The company plans to scale operations to begin mass production of UL-listed sodium-ion batteries in 2023.

    _____________


    • Vienna invests in renewable energy sources, plans to build the largest solar power plant in Austria


    In order to free itself from dependence on Russian gas, the city of Vienna has decided to invest in renewable energy sources and to speed up the implementation of existing projects.

    Thus, Vienna should get Austria’s largest solar power plant. The expert team proposed concrete measures to establish energy security in Vienna.

    The key point is that planned projects for the expansion of electricity production from renewable sources should be implemented ahead of time.

    This should significantly improve local energy production for next winter and reduce dependence on Russian gas.

    “We are already preparing for the upcoming winter. With gas storage capacity of more than 92 percent and the partial use of fuel oil in the power plants, we are confident that we will get through the winter well. But preparing for the winter of 2023 remains a big challenge,” they say from the city of Vienna.

    It was decided that the expansion of the solar facilities at the former landfill in the 22nd district of Vienna will be expanded ahead of schedule.

    That plant will be able to supply about 7,400 households.

    Along with investments in renewable energy sources, the city of Vienna is continuing with the energy saving plan.

    Thus, a rulebook was issued for public institutions, which contains advice for proper heating, ventilation, or lighting.

    Vienna invests in renewable energy sources, plans to build the largest solar power plant in Austria - Elrisala

  10. #610
    Thailand Expat Airportwo's Avatar
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    I laugh whenever I see the reference to "fossil fuel" there were a lot of em - wasnt there!

  11. #611
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    An early post, just because it’s pretty big news




    Vehicle giant Tesla has delivered its first electric semitrailers in the US, with chief executive Elon Musk promising the trucks would "look like an elephant moving like a cheetah" and provide a "step-change" in transport and emissions.


    The electric trucks were delivered to PepsiCo at Tesla's Gigafactory in Nevada before a large in-person audience on Friday and an online contingent of more than 30,000 people.

    The Tesla Semi, delivered five years after it was first unveiled, promises to travel 800 kilometres on a single charge while fully loaded, and use four independent motors to reach speeds of 96km/h in just 20 seconds.

    Mr Musk, who drove a Tesla Semi into the event, said producing a semitrailer may not seem to "make sense from a brand standpoint" for Tesla but could make a significant impact on transport emissions.

    "In the US, there's 15 million passenger vehicles and 200,000 semi trucks so it seems like a small percentage but it's actually 20 per cent of US vehicle emissions because you've got a huge vehicle and it's being driven all the time," Mr Musk said.

    "When you factor in the number of hours driven and the weight that it's carrying although it's only one per cent of vehicle production it's 20 per cent of vehicle emissions and it's over a third of all the particulate emissions.

    "From a health point, particularly in cities, this is a huge impact so that's why we're doing it."

    Tesla also revealed it had developed a megawatt charger to recharge the vehicles - technology that would later be used with its Cybertruck - and the truck would feature traction control, regenerative braking, and an automatic clutch.

    The company recently tested the Semi, Mr Musk said, on an 800km journey from San Diego to Fremont in California without recharging.

    The Tesla trucks have been launched years after originally expected, following a series of delays blamed on Covid-19 shutdowns and supply chain shortages.

    Representatives from PepsiCo took delivery of the first Tesla Semis at the Nevada event, after placing orders for 100 electric semitrailers shortly after its 2017 announcement.

    Fifteen of Pepsi's Tesla Semis will be used by subsidiary Frito-Lay at its facility in Modesto, California, that the company plans to turn into a zero-emission hub.

    PepsiCo North America chief executive Kirk Tanner thanked Tesla at the event, saying it had taken 'countless hours to make this happen'.

    The Tesla Semi's price reportedly starts at $US150,000, making it more expensive than diesel-based trucks, but orders have been placed by large US firms including Walmart and Fedex.

    The semitrailer will compete for attention alongside hydrogen-fuelled vehicles created by companies including Hyundai and Hyzon, which began hitting roads in Europe in late 2021.

  12. #612
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    The International Energy Agency (IEA) has raised its global forecast for renewables growth in what it calls its “largest ever upward revision” for the sector.

    The latest revision means the agency now forecasts 76% more growth than it did just two years ago, Carbon Brief analysis shows.

    This means extra wind, solar and other renewable technologies equivalent to the entire electricity system of India being built by 2026, on top of last year’s projections.

    The agency says this year’s forecast accounts for a wave of new policies introduced largely in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and soaring fossil fuel prices.

    The IEA’s latest annual report on the status of renewables notes that the global energy crisis is “pushing the accelerator on renewable energy expansion”, particularly in the EU, US, China and India. It says utility-scale solar and onshore wind power are now the cheapest options for new generation in “a significant majority of countries worldwide”.

    The influential Paris-based agency now expects renewables to surpass coal as the largest source of electricity generation by “early 2025”, reaching 38% of the power mix by 2027. The installed capacity of solar power alone is set to overtake that of coal in 2027.

    But, despite this increase in global ambition, the IEA says countries are still not on track to achieve a net-zero emissions energy system by 2050. It highlights how addressing regulatory and financial barriers could “significantly narrow the gap” to achieving this target.

    Extra capacity

    In its 2020 renewables report, the IEA forecast an additional 1,092 gigawatts (GW) of global capacity would be built between 2022 and 2026. It raised this to 1,496GW last year.

    For the main scenario in its latest report, the agency estimates that an extra 424GW of renewables capacity will now be built over this five-year period, roughly equivalent to the entire power capacity of India. This is a 28% increase on the previous estimate and up 76% from two years ago.

    Combined with the extra year that the IEA includes in its latest analysis, this brings the total additions by the end of 2027 to 2,383GW – around the total power capacity of China.


    ____________

    • US company turns air pollution into fuel, bottles and dresses


    At LanzaTech's lab in the Chicago suburbs, a beige liquid bubbles away in dozens of glass vats.

    The concoction includes billions of hungry bacteria, specialized to feed on polluted air—the first step in a recycling system that converts greenhouse gases into usable products.

    Thanks to licensing agreements, LanzaTech's novel microorganisms are already being put to commercial use by three Chinese factories, converting waste emissions into ethanol.

    That ethanol is then used as a chemical building block for consumer items such as plastic bottles, athletic wear and even dresses, via tie-ins with major brands such as Zara and L'Oreal.

    "I wouldn't have thought that 14 years later, we would have a cocktail dress on the market that's made out of steel emissions," said microbiologist Michael Kopke, who joined LanzaTech a year after its founding.

    To date, LanzaTech says it has kept 200,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, while producing 50 million gallons (190 million liters) of ethanol.

    That's a small drop in the bucket when it comes to the actual quantities needed to combat climate change, Kopke concedes.

    But having spent 15 years developing the methodology and proving its large-scale feasibility, the company is now seeking to ramp up its ambition and multiply the number of participating factories.

    "We really want to get to a point where we only use above ground carbon, and keep that in circulation," says Kopke—in other words, avoid extracting new oil and gas.

    https://phys.org/news/2022-12-compan...l-bottles.html

    __________

    • Sustainable aviation fuels are ready for takeoff, report finds


    "Sustainable" aviation fuels (SAFs), which are made from household solid waste, algae and other inputs, could dramatically cut emissions from air travel while also creating thousands of jobs, a new report finds.

    Why it matters: Aviation is one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize because planes are typically in service for decades at a time and cannot be significantly reengineered to run on different fuels.


    • But SAFs, it turns out, can be used as blends with traditional aviation fuels, and eventually instead of them.


    Zoom in: The new research, from the Rhodium Group, finds economic, technological and policy challenges to meeting the Biden administration’s aggressive targets for scaling up the use of SAFs in order to bring aviation emissions to net zero by 2050.


    • Currently, SAF production is just 4.5 million gallons per year, the report states.
    • The administration's goal is to bring that figure to 35 billion gallons by 2050.


    The big picture: Right now, production capacity for SAFs is still limited, and while demand from airlines is growing, it is not yet prompting a sufficiently rapid expansion of the industry, the report states.


    • Major U.S. airlines with far-reaching decarbonization targets plan to rely significantly on expanding SAF use to meet them.
    • For example, American Airlines told Axios last year the largest contributor to meeting its net zero target would be SAF expansion.
    • Airlines are investing in SAF suppliers.
    • This would go along with improved efficiency, carbon offsets, electrification of ground equipment, and the introduction of battery-powered aircraft on shorter-haul routes.


    What they're saying: "It will take more commitments from airlines, and at greater magnitudes, to really help spur SAF deployment," said Eric O’Rear, a senior analyst at Rhodium, in an email to Axios.


    • One barrier is cost: SAFs are currently too expensive for airlines to substitute them for traditional aviation fuels, O’Rear said.
    • "The current unsubsidized cost of SAF is on average 3-5 times more expensive than fossil jet fuel. Closing that gap will be critical for helping SAF to take off," he said.


    What’s next: A SAF tax credit in the new climate law is aimed at helping close that gap, but more orders from airlines, technological advances, and other steps could also help bring costs down, the report states.


    • O’Rear said "hundreds of thousands" of jobs could be created by scaling up SAFs to the point where aviation would be fully decarbonized.
    • However, each SAF technology would have a different jobs footprint, depending on how it is manufactured and transported.


    https://www.axios.com/2022/12/07/sus...ation-airlines

    __________

    • Morocco will spend nearly €12 billion on green investments over the next 4 years


    A new green investment program has just been presented by the OCP Group in the presence of King Mohammed VI. Focusing on renewable energy, this program will run from 2023 to 2027 and opens up new opportunities for foreign specialized companies.

    Having managed to triple its fertilizer production capacity in ten years, the OCP Group is now one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of phosphate fertilizers. The Moroccan Group wants to continue its momentum. Its CEO, Mostafa Terrab has just presented Saturday, December 3 in Rabat, in front of King Mohammed VI, a new fundamentally green investment program.

    Weighing 130 billion dirhams (11.7 billion euros), over four years, this new investment program aims to increase fertilizer production capacity with a long-term goal of carbon neutrality before 2040, according to a statement from the Royal Cabinet.

    In this perspective, according to the same source, the OCP group plans to supply all of its industrial facilities with green energy by 2027 by investing heavily in solar and wind energy.

    https://m.jpost.com/business-and-inn...cle-724017/amp

    __________

    • Green energy tops power from fossil fuels


    Renewable energy sources accounted for 47.1% of Greece’s electricity generation in the first 10 months of the year, surpassing the share of fossil fuels for the first time, according to a report based on Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE) data.

    “The energy crisis has de facto accelerated the energy transition. Any attempt to move in the opposite direction is harmful to the citizens and the economy,” said Nikos Mantzaris, a policy analyst with Green Tank, the think tank that published the report.

    Although until September 2022 fossil fuels were cumulatively ahead in the mix, increased production from renewable energy sources in October, combined with a sizable reduction in electricity demand in the same month, high gas supply prices and other economic parameters, reversed the trend, leading to a large reduction in the energy produced from fossil gas and lignite, the report states.

    From January to October, “green” energy produced 20,186 gigawatt-hours compared to 19,589 from lignite and natural gas. While the share of hydropower in the overall mix fell to 8.2% from 9.7% last year, the share of wind and photovoltaic power increased to 38.9% from 32.3% in the same period.

    https://www.ekathimerini.com/economy...-fossil-fuels/

    ____________

    • AMEA Power achieves financial close for 1GW renewable energy projects in Egypt


    UAE-based renewable energy developer AMEA Power has achieved financial close to develop 1GW of wind and solar energy projects in Egypt with an investment of $1.1bn.

    AMEA Power will develop, own, and operate a solar photovoltaic (PV) plant and a wind farm, each with a capacity of 500MW. The projects are said to expand its clean energy portfolio in Egypt to 2GW.

    To be located in the Aswan governorate, the solar PV plant is being financed by World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC), Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank (FMO), and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

    The wind farm, which will be located in the Red Sea Governorate, is being developed in collaboration with Sumitomo. The latter will own a 40% stake in the Egyptian wind farm.

    A consortium of banks that include Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and IFC will finance the project.

    Commercial International Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank, and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking will participate in the wind project as co-lenders under Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI) cover.

    IFC North Africa and Horn of Africa regional director Cheick-Oumar Sylla said: “These projects highlight the private sector’s essential role helping to deliver clean, affordable power, especially at a time of growing challenges from climate change and pressures on the environment.

    https://www.nsenergybusiness.com/new...rojects-egypt/
    ___________

    • The "flying taxis" of the future are lifting off


    Some odd-looking aircraft are flying circles above strawberry and lettuce fields in rural California, as the next era in aviation draws closer.



    Why it matters: Powered by electric batteries and designed to take off like a helicopter but fly like a plane, these newfangled aircraft — now undergoing testing — could soon be certified to whisk you to the airport or elsewhere.

    They're called electric air taxis, or electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOLs) — essentially cleaner, quieter helicopters.

    The big question: Whether anyone other than rich executives and thrill-seeking tourists will ever fly in them — and that depends on ticket costs.


    • eVTOLs are expected to be cheaper to maintain than traditional helicopters because their electric motors have fewer moving parts.
    • Most eVTOL companies are targeting fares about equal to an Uber Black trip, which could make them a (relatively) affordable option.


    The big picture: Urban air mobility is billed as the next big thing in transportation — quiet, electric aircraft skipping over congested roadways.


    • Morgan Stanley projects the market will take off slowly, but will be worth $1 trillion by 2040 and $9 trillion by 2050.
    • Investors have poured $6 billion into newly public eVTOL manufacturers, including Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation and others.


    Yes, but: After soaring initially, most eVTOL stocks have lost altitude this year amid broader economic woes and timeline uncertainty.

    Where it stands: Executives at Joby and Archer, widely seen as the leading U.S. players, remain confident, saying their eVTOLs are moving out of the research and development phase and into early commercialization.


    • Both expect to complete the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certification process by 2024 and to begin service in 2025.


    Details: During my recent visit to Joby's pilot plant at Marina Municipal Airport in Monterey County, California, workers were mostly assembling the aircraft by hand.


    • Many of the processes were laid out by Toyota, a Joby investor, to prepare for scaling up.
    • Joby is unique among eVTOL companies for its vertical integration — it has created many unique parts for its aircraft, rather than using proven, FAA-validated aviation components.


    hat's because the eVTOLs' transformational design requires fresh thinking, Joby executive chairman Paul Sciarra tells Axios.


    • "We're going to be building aircraft at volumes that will very soon exceed what are traditional aerospace volumes," he says. "So we had to start with production processes that we knew would scale."

    Archer is also prepping for wide-scale production.


    • The California-based company, which counts Stellantis and United Airlines as investors, recently announced plans to build a manufacturing facility in Covington, Georgia, near Covington Municipal Airport.
    • It's working on a 350,000-square-foot facility capable of producing up to 650 aircraft per year. There's room to grow by an additional 550,000 square feet, enabling production of up to 2,300 aircraft per year.
    • Production of Midnight, its sleek air taxi, is slated to begin in the latter half of 2024.


    Reality check, courtesy of Deutsche Bank analyst Edison Yu: Most personal transportation will remain ground-based for the near future.


    • The "Jetsons" sci-fi vision of urban air mobility for everyone won't arrive until at least the late 2030s, he says.
    • "You still have to make this into a business one day."


    https://www.axios.com/2022/12/07/job...ng-taxis-evtol

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    From the Emrod website , explaining some of the additional benefits of wireless power transmission

    Fossil Fuel Alternatives-microwaves-jpg
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Fossil Fuel Alternatives-microwaves-jpg  

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    ^^^
    In thinking about it more, I think I can develop a much better system of wireless power transmission than Emrod.

    The energy at one end is used to power a rail gun firing depleted uranium projectiles.
    The energy is stored in the projectile as kinetic energy.
    at the other end the projectile is intercepted and it's kinetic energy is converted back into usable form.
    What could go wrong with that?
    In the absence of depleted uranium, spit balls can be used.
    The sooner you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up.

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    A 1,000-megawatt photovoltaic power facility planned in partnership with a Saudi power giant was expected to help Bangladesh resolve its energy crisis, authorities in Dhaka said on Wednesday.

    Bangladesh, which is dependent on imported liquefied natural gas, has been struggling with an energy crisis for the past couple of months.

    On Monday, the Bangladesh Power Development Board, an agency under the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, signed a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power to set up a 1,000-megawatt solar power facility in the South Asian country.

    “It’s a first track initiative to resolve the ongoing energy crisis to some extent,” Mohammad Hossain, director general of the BPDB, told Arab News.

    He estimated that the project would comprise up to five power plants, cost around $3 billion, and would not take long to complete.

    “It doesn’t take much time to implement solar power plant projects ... If everything goes well, we can expect within the next two years that these solar plants will be able to go for production.”

    Authorities are now looking for appropriate land where the solar farm could be established.

    “It can be on public land or ACWA Power can also propose some private land,” Hossain said. “Based on that we will conduct a feasibility study of the project.”

    The facility would also help Bangladesh achieve its target of generating 40 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2041. With a total installed electricity generation capacity of 25,700 megawatts, the country’s current power generation mix comprises only 3 percent renewables.

    “This kind of 1,000-megawatt project will help us to meet the target,” Dr. SM Nasif Shams, director of the Institute of Energy at the University of Dhaka, told Arab News.

    “If we can secure this Saudi investment in the renewable energy sector, it will be a very positive thing for Bangladesh.”

    The project would not only contribute to Bangladesh’s clean energy goals but also to its energy resilience.

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    Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm is expected to announce a major step forward in nuclear fusion energy on Tuesday.

    Why it matters: Decades of effort have gone into fusion energy, which promises almost limitless carbon-free power — without the dangerous waste from traditional fission reactors.

    Driving the news: The breakthrough came in the past two weeks at the National Ignition Facility of the federal Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, the Financial Times reported in a scoop.


    • Granholm will announce scientists for the first time have produced "a fusion reaction that creates a net energy gain — a major milestone in the decades-long, multibillion-dollar quest to develop a technology that provides unlimited, cheap, clean power," the Washington Post adds.


    Reality check: Progress in showing conceptual viability would be just one stop on the long scientific, technical and financial road to commercializing this long-elusive holy grail.

    What's next: Granholm's announcement tomorrow is billed as a "major scientific breakthrough."

    ___________




    The U.S. Department of Energy said Sunday it would announce a "major scientific breakthrough" this week, after media reported a federal laboratory had recently achieved a major milestone in nuclear fusion research. The Financial Times reported Sunday that scientists in the California-based Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) had achieved a "net energy gain" from an experimental fusion reactor.

    That would represent the first time that researchers have successfully produced more energy in a fusion reaction - the same type that powers the Sun - than was consumed during the process, a potentially major step in the pursuit of zero-carbon power.

    Energy Department and LLNL spokespeople told AFP they could not comment or provide confirmation regarding the FT report, but said US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm would "announce a major scientific breakthrough" on Tuesday.

    The LLNL spokesperson added that their "analysis is still ongoing."

    "We look forward to sharing more on Tuesday when that process is complete," she said.

    The fusion reaction that produced a 120% net energy gain occurred in the past two weeks, the FT said, citing three people with knowledge of the preliminary results.

    The Washington Post later reported two people familiar with the research confirmed the development, with a senior fusion scientist telling the newspaper, "to most of us, this was only a matter of time."

    Nuclear fusion is considered by some scientists to be a potential energy of the future, particularly as it produces little waste and no greenhouse gases.

    "If this fusion energy breakthrough is true, it could be a game changer for the world," tweeted Ted Lieu, a member of Congress from California.

    Fusion differs from fission, the technique currently used in nuclear power plants, by fusing two atomic nuclei instead of splitting one.

    The LLNL fusion facility is the size of three football fields and consists of almost 200 lasers which bombard a tiny spot with high levels of energy to initiate a fusion reaction.

    As CBS News' Haley Ott discovered earlier this year, the quest to harness the power of nuclear fusion for clean energy has led to one of the biggest, longest running collaborative science experiments in the world – an experiment which, like the LLNL project, has taken on new expediency given the global energy crisis.

    Ott visited the multibillion-dollar fusion project known as ITER — which means "the way" in Latin and is short for "International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor" in southern France this year, where 35 countries are working together to try and crack the same scientific riddle that the U.S. is working on at LLNL unilaterally.

    Some of the participating countries in the ITER project — which include the United States, Russia, China, India, South Korea, Japan, and the nations of the European Union — are frequent collaborators, but some are major adversaries on the world stage.

    Russia's invasion of Ukraine has prompted an unprecedented barrage of sanctions against Moscow from some partner nations, for example, and in response, Moscow has restricted its natural gas supplies to Europe, exacerbating the energy crisis.

    The international science experiment was born out of an attempt to cool tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, and the joint project has continued despite the ongoing tension between not only the U.S. and Russia, but also China, which is also involved.

    In March, the White House announced a plan to accelerate fusion's commercial development over the coming decades through continued investment in ITER, and through domestic projects like that underway at the LLNL facility. The White House heralded in the spring fusion's "potential to revolutionize the energy industry, helping combat the climate crisis while meeting the growing electricity needs of the U.S. and the world."

    "Of the more than 30 fusion companies in the world, two-thirds are based in the U.S., and most were founded in the last decade," the White House noted. "By partnering with these companies, we have an opportunity to keep these companies growing within our borders and cement U.S. technological leadership on fusion."

    The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee is chaired by Senator Joe Manchin, who visited the ITER facility earlier this year. The committee recently held a hearing to examine how the federal government could further support the commercial development of fusion energy.

    "The race to fusion is also a race for future global leadership," said Dr. Scott C. Hsu, lead fusion coordinator at the Office of the Undersecretary for Science and Innovation at the U.S. Department of Energy. "While fusion has long enjoyed international collaboration and should continue to do so, make no mistake, fusion is now also an international competition. Failure to act now may relegate the U.S. to being importers rather than exporters of fusion technology."



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    Secretary Granholm to Announce Major Scientific Breakthrough by DOE National Laboratory


    'America has achieved a tremendous scientific breakthrough'

    U.S. scientists have scored a breakthrough in fusion technology, showing for the first time that humans can wield the technology to combine atoms to create a net increase in energy, a major breakthrough that could eventually lead to a new source of clean, inexpensive power, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said Tuesday.

    “It’s the first time it’s ever been done at a laboratory. Simply put, this is one of the most impressive scientific feats in the 21st century,” Granholm said in a capacity-filled auditorium at the Department of Energy’s headquarters in Washington. “Today we tell the world that America has achieved a tremendous scientific breakthrough.”

    The achievement at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory employed lasers to produce a fusion reaction that generated more energy than was needed to create it for just a tiny fraction of a second. But that was enough to prove for the first time that it was possible to mash together atoms and release a greater amount of energy than was used to trigger the reaction.

    Fusion energy has long been a dream for scientists who say the technology will enable cheap, plentiful power that does not produce the planet-heating gases or pollution that come with burning fossil fuels. And it would not leave behind the piles of radioactive waste that the fleet of current fission reactors produce — and whose disposal has vexed Washington for decades.

    The achievement was greeted with a wave of excitement — as well as calls for patience. Tuesday’s announcement was the product of decades worth of research, which often seemed at the cusp of a breakthrough that remained frustratingly out of reach.

    “Just getting above one [in energy] net out is a milestone,” Paul Dabbar, a former DOE Undersecretary of Science who oversaw the National Labs fusion program, said in an interview. “Being able to contain fusion and get net energy out that we just accomplished, that was the biggest of the challenges” facing the idea of nuclear fusion becoming a widespread technology. “But believe me, they’re still plenty of others.”

    But as significant at the new achievement it, scientists say it will be take decades — and hundreds of billions of dollars — to reach a point where the technology can be deployed commercially.

    Livermore Lab Director Kimberly S. Budil said commercialization would still take “a few decades,” but was “moving to the foreground.”

    “There’s very significant hurdles, not just in the science, but in the technology,” Budil said.

    The experiments were conducted at Livermore’s National Ignition Facility, which runs the laser fusion research as a means of advancing U.S. weapons capability, rather than as a source of commercial energy.

    The new breakthrough will give researchers and companies that are pouring money and effort into that science a new boost of confidence.

    “There are a lot of private individuals putting a lot of money into research – literally billions of dollars,” former Rep. Rush Holt, a physicist who was assistant director of the DOE’S Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, said in an interview.

    Much of that money, he said, was focused on “real long shots.”

    ________

    Wilson Ricks - The National Ignition Facility (NIF) has achieved net energy gain from fusion! This is incredibly exciting scientifically, but what does it mean for the future of energy? Thread by @wilson_ricks

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    With Tesla battery packs and largest hydrogen tank in Japan, Panasonic tests a factory of the future

    As bullet trains whiz by at 285 kilometers per hour, Panasonic’s Norihiko Kawamura looks over Japan’s tallest hydrogen storage tank. The 14-meter structure looms over the Tokaido Shinkansen Line tracks outside the ancient capital of Kyoto, as well as a large array of solar panels, hydrogen fuel cells and Tesla
    Megapack storage batteries. The power sources can generate enough juice to run part of the manufacturing site using renewable energy only.

    “This may be the biggest hydrogen consumption site in Japan,” says Kawamura, a manager at the appliance maker’s Smart Energy System Business Division. “We estimate using 120 tons of hydrogen a year. As Japan produces and imports more and more hydrogen in the future, this will be a very suitable kind of plant.”

    Sandwiched between a high-speed railway and highway, Panasonic’s factory in Kusastsu, Shiga Prefecture, is a sprawling 52 hectare site. It was originally built in 1969 to manufacture goods including refrigerators, one of the “three treasures” of household appliances, along with TVs and washing machines, that Japanese coveted as the country rebuilt after the devastation of World War II.

    Today, one corner of the plant is the H2 Kibou Field, a demonstration sustainable power facility that started operations in April. It consists of a 78,000-liter hydrogen fuel tank, a 495 kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell array made up of 99 5kW fuel cells, 570kW from 1,820 photovoltaic solar panels arranged in an inverted “V” shape to catch the most sunlight, and 1.1 megawatts of lithium-ion battery storage.

    On one side of the H2 Kibou Field, a large display indicates the amount of power being produced in real time from fuel cells and solar panels: 259kW. About 80% of the power generated comes from fuel cells, with solar accounting for the rest. Panasonic says the facility produces enough power to meet the needs of the site’s fuel cell factory — it has peak power of about 680kW and annual usage of some 2.7 gigawatts. Panasonic thinks it can be a template for the next generation of new, sustainable manufacturing.

    “This is the first manufacturing site of its kind using 100% renewable energy,” says Hiroshi Kinoshita of Panasonic’s Smart Energy System Business Division. “We want to expand this solution towards the creation of a decarbonized society.”

    ______________




    With action at federal, state and local levels, along with surging demand for EVs, the energy transition accelerated remarkably in the last 12 months.

    Here are some of the key developments:

    The Inflation Reduction Act: President Biden signed this measure in August following more than a year of ups and downs as Democrats tried to coalesce around a proposal that could pass the House and Senate.

    State Energy and Climate Laws Get Bigger: Massachusetts and Rhode Island were among the states that passed major energy and climate legislation in 2022. The laws were indicative of a broader trend of states becoming more comprehensive and ambitious in their approaches to energy and climate.

    The Shift to EVs Hits Overdrive: Market share for electric vehicles is rising at a rapid pace, which is happening at the same time that automakers and battery manufacturers are investing tens of billions of dollars in new factories in the United States to prepare for a near future in which EVs are a mainstream product.

    An Increasing Emphasis on Equity: State and federal energy laws are now more likely to include provisions to ensure that low- and moderate-income consumers receive a share of the benefits.

    But Wait, There’s More: In any other year, the state policy changes for rooftop solar net metering would be a top story. In 2022, they’re just another part of the big picture of legislators and regulators trying to figure out a fair way to move toward a cleaner grid.

    California regulators are likely to vote next week on a proposal that would reduce the payments utilities make to rooftop solar owners for their excess electricity. The proposal is less onerous for rooftop solar owners than a previous version was, but it still represents a shrinking of benefits as utilities and regulators deal with the rapid growth of consumers producing their own electricity.

    Offshore wind continued to move forward in 2022, with the federal government taking steps toward allowing projects on the West Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as several East Coast projects that are close to construction. But this progress was still slower than many advocates would like.

    In Hawaii and elsewhere, another point of emphasis for states was ensuring the durability of the electricity system in the face of extreme weather and other challenges. In Hawaii, the state’s largest utility has a plan to spend $190 million on making the grid more resistant to damage.

    First-Ever West Coast Offshore Wind Auction Nets $402 Million—So Far: The country’s first auction for leases to build wind farms off of the West Coast resulted in $402 million in bids this week, the first step of a regulatory process that could unlock a significant source of renewable energy in the region. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management oversaw bidding as companies competed to win the rights to develop five sites off Morro Bay and Humboldt County in California, as Nadia Lopez reports for CalMatters. After 20 rounds of bidding the top bid was $100.3 million for a 125-square-mile area off of Morro Bay.

    Renewables Will Overtake Coal Globally by Early 2025: Worldwide renewable power capacity is set to double by 2027 and renewable energy sources are poised to pass coal as the largest source of electricity generation by early 2025, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency. The growth of renewable power is accelerating because of the energy crisis that stems from the war in Ukraine and because of new energy policies introduced by China, the European Union and the United States, as Elena Shao reports for The New York Times. “This is a clear example of how the current energy crisis can be a historic turning point toward a cleaner and more secure energy system,” said Fatih Birol, the IEA executive director, in a statement.

    _____________

    • Solar Provider Powers 1400 NJ Homes by Installing Panels on Storage Units


    Solar Landscape, New Jersey’s largest community solar provider, recently completed construction to power over 1,400 homes. It’s the first solar project approved by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) in Year 2 of the Community Solar Energy Pilot Program.

    For the project, the solar provider installed panels on an Extra Space Storage facility in Neptune, New Jersey. The storage unit company partnered with Solar Landscape to host community solar projects at ten locations, including the one in Neptune. Extra Space Storage’s impressive 6.5-megawatt (MW) community solar reserve spans 800,000 square feet of rooftop solar.

    https://www.powerofpositivity.com/so...energy-panels/

    _______________

    • BMW CE 04 electric scooter showcased in India



    BMW has showcased the CE 04 in India, alongside the launch of the 2023 S 1000 RR. The futuristic looking e-scooter has a 8.9kWh lithium-ion battery, allowing it a range of 130km on a single charge.

    The CE 04 has a compact front apron, large side panels and a lean tail section with a bench-like seat. BMW has also incorporated storage compartments in the CE 04 e-scooter that are located on the sides as well as the front. There’s a ventilated mobile charging compartment as well with a Type-C USB charging port.

    The BMW CE 04 employs a permanent magnet motor that's mounted in the steel frame between the battery and rear wheel. It has a rated output of 15kW (20hp) and a maximum output of 31KW or 42hp. It enables the CE 04 to sprint from 0-50kph in a claimed 2.6sec and on to a claimed top speed of 120kph.

    Inside the floorboard of the CE 04 lies the 8.9kWh lithium-ion battery that powers the motor. BMW claims the scooter can cover 130km on a full charge. The battery can be charged from 0 percent to 100 percent in 4 hours and 20 minutes using a 2.3kW charger. A 6.9kW fast charger, however, brings that time down to an hour and 40 minutes.

    BMW’s CE 04 features a traction control system and three standard riding modes – Eco, Road and Rain. The ride modes can be accessed via the massive 10.25-inch, high-resolution TFT display that features full smartphone connectivity. The dash also offers a split function between navigation and other riding functions.

    https://www.autocarindia.com/bike-ne...n-india-426633

    __________

    • Biden announces $2.5B loan for electric vehicle battery hubs in three states


    The Biden administration on Monday announced a loan of $2.5 billion to a joint General Motors (GM) and LG venture that will manufacture electric vehicle (EV) batteries.

    The Energy Department will provide the loan through its Loan Programs Office to the joint venture, Ultium Cells, which plans to establish battery manufacturing facilities in Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.

    The announcement comes as GM pursues a goal of all-electric vehicle production by 2035. It’s also the first closed loan specifically for battery-cell manufacturing, according to the Energy Department.

    “Investing in American production and Ohio workers is part of the work we are doing to put in place a new pro-American, pro-worker industrial policy,” Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who is up for reelection in 2024, said in a statement Monday.

    “This loan will support Ohio in taking another step to lead the country and the world in producing sustainable technology and electric vehicles that Americans will need and drive over the next century,” he added.

    Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement that the loan “will jumpstart the domestic battery cell production needed to reduce our reliance on other countries to meet increased demand and support President Biden’s goals of widespread EV adoption and cutting carbon pollution produced by gas-powered vehicles.”

    Workers at the Ohio plant voted overwhelmingly last week to unionize, forming the first union at a U.S. electric vehicle battery plant. The vote suggests union labor could play a major role in the EV build-out.

    The Energy Department estimates the three facilities will sustain some 11,000 jobs. As of November, the department has received 98 applications for $104 billion worth of loans, according to the administration.

    https://thehill.com/policy/energy-en...-three-states/

    ____________

    • Renewable share of electricity load in 2022



    https://www.energy-charts.info/chart...&interval=year

    ____________

    • Battery recycling startup to build second factory in South Carolina


    Battery-recycling startup Redwood Materials Inc. Plans announced Wednesday it plans to build another factory in South Carolina.

    The company, run by former Tesla CTO JB Straube, will build the facility on a 600-acre campus just outside of Charleston in the “battery belt” or a stretch of battery manufacturers from Michigan to Georgia.

    The facility will recycle used lithium-ion batteries and manufacture “components” of cathode and anodes, or positive and negative electrodes needed for electric car batteries.

    “Localizing the production of critical battery components and ensuring these materials are recycled is the only way to drive down costs, emissions, and geopolitical risks while meeting U.S. battery and electrification demand,” the company said in the statement.

    Most of the resources needed to build advanced batteries for vehicles and other electronics are sourced in Asia.

    Redwood Materials added in the statement that the $3.5 billion factory will employ 1,500 people over the next 10 years and create enough cathode and anode parts a year to power over a million electric vehicles.

    The startup plans to break ground on the factory in Berkeley County in early 2023 with the goal of recycling its first batteries by the end of the year and eventually building out its manufacturing operations.

    Localizing battery production is important for U.S. car manufacturers as companies prepare to comply with new sourcing regulations for electric vehicles passed under the Inflation Reduction Act.

    https://thehill.com/changing-america...outh-carolina/

    _____________

    Extra

    • Keystone pipeline has now leaked more oil in the US than any other since 2010: report


    On the heels of another spill last week, the massive Keystone pipeline has now leaked more oil than any other pipeline since 2010, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

    With more than 26,000 barrels of crude oil spilled in the last 12 years, the hazardous liquid pipeline system has come under controversy after some two dozen accidents and takes the top spot for most spillage in the last 12 years, Bloomberg reported.

    Keystone leaked an estimated 14,000 barrels into a creek in northeastern Kansas last week, spurring TC Energy to shut down the massive vein while the company tries to contain the oil and recoup what was lost.

    The U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration has issued a corrective order to operator TC Energy, requiring the company address the current Keystone leak, develop and submit “restart plan” to resume operations for approval, and submit quarterly reports moving forward.

    The 2,687-mile hazardous liquid pipeline runs from Hardisty, Alberta, in Canada through the Midwest U.S. to Port Arthur, Texas.

    According to data from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) last year, Keystone has carried more than 3 billion barrels across the U.S. since 2010, but “the severity of its spills has worsened in recent years.”

    The pipeline saw 22 accidents from 2010 to 2020, which isn’t unlike other pipelines — but six of those met agency criteria for an incident “impacting people or the environment,” according to the GAO.

    https://thehill.com/policy/energy-en...e-2010-report/

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    Solar energy company wants to bolt panels directly into the ground


    Solar power grid installation costs have dropped precipitously over the past decade, with arrays averaging nearly 90 percent cheaper in 2021 than in 2010. This is due to a number of key advancements in scalability, materials, and rapidly improving technology—but nothing lasts forever. Industry analysts predict solar power’s cost-benefit ratio is largely stabilizing, and may even backslide as global markets and supply chains constrict.

    This also means that for solar power to continue to transition society towards green, renewable energy systems, designers will need to get creative on how to keep costs down while maintaining efficacy.

    One potential solution courtesy of the solar installation startup, Erthos, is to embrace a hyper-minimalist approach to their panel arrays. The company recently announced a partnership with Industrial Sun for a radically designed, 100 megawatt (mW) utility-scale solar farm in Texas that does away with traditional elevated, racked setups in favor of installing panels directly across the ground. If successful, it could revolutionize the solar industry—and ease the concerns of understandably critical skeptics.

    Picture a standard solar panel setup: the photovoltaic cells framed and propped up above the ground using metal frames and protective glass cases. Currently, the designs required to physically encase and support solar panel farms comprise around 20 percent of their total price tag. If engineers were to do away with them entirely, then overall costs could dramatically decrease while simultaneously cutting down on additional resource mining, production, and consumption. That’s exactly what Erthos aims to do, although there are a few reasons why this has never been tried at scale.

    As Canary Media reports, solar experts have pointed towards issues such as the lack of airflow around a ground-installation scenario, which could hypothetically increase humidity and therefore attract organic materials like mold and fungus. Then there’s the ability to access broken panels in the middle of arrays without stepping on or damaging its surrounding siblings. Add ground instability and everyday varmints moseying around the areas, and there could be a recipe for failure.

    By removing aluminum and glass racks and trackers, the company asserts it can construct a project in half the time on one-third of the land using 70 percent less cable and trenching. Proper protective fencing will keep critters and plant life away from the paneling, and small, mobile robots will safely traverse across the arrays’ surfaces for cleaning and minor repairs.

    No one at Erthos is arguing there won’t be further opportunities for optimization and improvement, but as the company’s chief marketing and product officer, Daniel Flanigan, posited last year, one could look at traditional solar farming methods as the truly inefficient and burdensome approach compared to in-ground alternatives. Traditional methods, he adds, require triple the land, trenching, and cable requirements, large amounts of steel and other natural resources, driving piles into the ground, and all the additional mechanical complexities and issues that come with that.

    ____________



    The U.S. Postal Service’s new fleet of “next generation” vehicles will be 75 percent electric by 2028, the agency announced Tuesday, months after controversy erupted over the initial majority-gas-powered order.

    The Postal Service’s order of next-generation vehicles will comprise 60,000 new cars and trucks, 45,000 of them electrified.

    New vehicle acquisitions from 2026 onward will be 100 percent electric, USPS officials said Tuesday.

    Officials also said USPS intends to buy 21,000 additional electric vehicles from commercial automakers.

    Earlier this year, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy announced the new U.S. fleet would only be 10 percent electric. While the USPS left the door open to increasing the percentage of electric trucks, DeJoy claimed at the time the service lacked the funds to electrify at a larger scale.

    Climate advocates took umbrage at the announcement, accusing DeJoy, a longtime Republican donor appointed during the Trump administration, of deliberately undermining the Biden administration’s emission-reduction goals.

    USPS maintains the single largest federal vehicle fleet, and a majority gas-powered fleet would have significantly hindered the Biden administration’s target of net-zero emissions federal government operations by 2050.

    USPS emphasized the possibility of additional electric order from the beginning, and signaled the percentage would increase over the summer. In the Tuesday announcement, meanwhile, the service attributed the upgrade in part to $3 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act.

    ____________




    State ecology and environmental panels in Oregon and Washington have approved plans to transition vehicles in their states to meet zero emission standards by 2035.

    The Oregon Environmental Quality Commission voted on Friday to require all new cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the state to be zero emissions, while the Washington Department of Ecology updated its Clean Vehicles Program to require all new, light-duty vehicles sold in the state to meet zero emissions by that year.

    Both states are following California’s lead in moving toward zero-emission vehicles, adopting identical policies. The Clean Air Act allowed California to establish emissions standards that are stricter than national standards.

    Other states can adopt stricter policies as long as they are identical to California’s.

    A release from the Oregon state government says that the rules build on regulations that have been in place since 2005 to lay the groundwork for automakers to produce zero-emission vehicles, which include full battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell vehicles.

    The release states that the action will provide better air quality and enhance all state residents’ health.

    “With today’s adoption of the [Advanced Clean Cars] II Rule, all those living in Oregon will benefit from the cleaner air and improved public health outcomes achieved by reducing pollution from transportation,” said Leah Feldon, the interim director of the commission.

    ___________




    All new houses in Tokyo built by large-scale homebuilders after April 2025 must install solar power panels to cut household carbon emissions, according to a new regulation passed by the Japanese capital's local assembly on Thursday.

    The mandate, the first of its kind for a Japanese municipality, requires about 50 major builders to equip homes of up to 2,000 square metres (21,500 square feet) with renewable energy power sources, mainly solar panels.

    Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike noted last week that just 4% of buildings where solar panels could be installed in the city have them now. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared with 2000 levels.

    Japan, the world's fifth-largest carbon emitter, has committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 but faces difficulty as it has relied heavily on coal-burning thermal power after most of its nuclear reactors were in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima disaster.

    "In addition to the existing global climate crisis, we face an energy crisis with a prolonged Russia-Ukraine war," Risako Narikiyo, a member of Koike's regional party Tomin First no Kai, said at the assembly on Thursday. "There is no time to waste."

    ____________





    GE Renewable Energy announced today that its Haliade-X wind turbine, the first 12 MW+ turbine built, has received a full type certificate for operations up to 14.7 MW from DNV, the world’s largest independent certification body.

    DNV is an international accredited registrar and classification society headquartered in Hřvik, Norway.

    This certification follows an earlier DNV certification that the Haliade-X could operate at up to 13.6 MW. The full type certficate is verification that GE’s turbines will operate safely, reliably, and according to design specifications. Haliade-X is now the largest wind turbine with a full type certification.

    The process of certifying the Haliade-X 14.7 MW-220 involved a series of tests on a prototype located in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The prototype was extensively tested and validated from November 2019 and has set several world records for continuous power output in one day.

    __________

    • UK signs new renewable energy agreement with EU neighbours


    The UK has signed a new agreement with EU and North Seas neighbours on developing renewable energy.

    Ministers hailed the move as “essential” for the delivery of Britain’s net-zero goals and “bolstering” energy security.

    The memorandum of understanding was signed by climate minister Graham Stuart on Sunday.

    It enables the UK to work with the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC), which includes the European Commission, to develop renewable projects, specifically those linking energy interconnectors and windfarms.

    The agreement represents a renewal of Britain’s relations with the NSEC after Brexit.

    The UK will not regain its membership, but the European Commission said it will benefit from a “privileged framework for co-operation”.

    The offshore grid links Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway.

    The initiative is expected to support the UK’s targets to increase offshore wind fivefold to 50GW and deliver 18GW of electricity interconnector capacity – up from 8.4 GW today – by 2030.

    https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/uk-...212719626.html

    __________

    • USDA awards $500,000 to rural Oklahoma businesses for renewable energy projects


    Half a dozen rural Oklahoma businesses and agriculture producers will receive funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

    The USDA broke down how the $500,000 will be used in its announcement:


    • Woodshed of Buffalo Ranch, LLC will use a $142,500 grant to purchase and install a 291 kilowatt (kW) solar array. Woodshed of Buffalo Ranch, LLC is a locally owned convenience store and truck stop in Afton, Oklahoma. The project generates 467,181 kilowatt hours (kWh) per year, which is enough energy to power 43 homes.


    • Lake Holdings, LLC will use a $125,000 grant to purchase and install energy efficient improvements to 32 broiler grower houses. Lake Holdings LLC is an agricultural producer located in Jay, Oklahoma. The project will replace 199,333 kilowatt hours (kWh), a 53 percent energy reduction for the agricultural producer.


    • Woodshed of Monkey Island LLC will use a $78,731 grant to purchase and install a 165.75 kilowatt (kW) solar array. Woodshed of Monkey Island LLC is a rural small business in Afton, Oklahoma. The project generates 165,888 kilowatt hours (kWh) (55 percent of the company's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power 15 homes.


    • Clink's Inc. will use a $70,300 grant to purchase and install Energy Efficient Refrigeration Systems at two grocery stores in Comanche and Hobart, Oklahoma. Clink's Inc. is a locally owned and operated rural small business. The project will replace 155,929 kilowatt hours (kWh), a 54 percent energy savings for the small business.


    • Ultimate Air Stillwater LLC will use a $34,212 grant to purchase and install a 85 kilowatt (kW) solar array. Ultimate Air Stillwater LLC is a locally owned rural small business in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The project generates 119,946 kilowatt hours (kWh) (87 percent of the company's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power 11 homes.


    • Richardson Rentals will use a $27,238 grant to install a new Geothermal system. Richardson Rentals is a rural small business in Weatherford, Oklahoma. The project will replace 172,619 kilowatt hours (kWh) (76 percent of the company's energy use) per year, which is enough energy to power 15 homes.


    • Richardson Rentals will use a $22,481 grant to purchase and install LED lighting throughout its store. Richardson Rentals is a rural small business in Weatherford, Oklahoma. This project will replace 47,300 kilowatt hours (kWh) (20 percent of the company's energy use) per year.


    In this latest round of Rural Energy for America funding, the USDA has announced $285 million toward rural renewable energy infrastructure across 46 states, including Oklahoma.

    https://www.kosu.org/local-news/2022...nergy-projects

    __________

    Just for fun.


    • Emily Atkin - If you let any story cut through all the Twitter noise today, please let it be this:


    At least six local news websites across Alabama and Florida have been secretly taking payments from power companies to run stories attacking clean energy + other policies

    In the Southeast, power company money flows to news sites that attack their critics https://www.npr.org/2022/12/19/11437...onsulting-firm

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    Scientists have set a new world record for the efficiency of solar cells, marking a “really big leap” forward for renewable energy.

    A team from Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) has succeeded in converting 32.5 percent of solar radiation into electrical energy using a new type of tandem cell technology.

    The design featured a bottom cell made of silicon – a material typically used in conventional solar panels – along with a thin top cell made of the so-called “miracle material” perovskite.

    “This is a really big leap forward that we didn’t foresee a few months ago,” said Professor Steve Albrecht from HZB.

    “We are very excited about the new value as it shows that perovskite/silicon tandem technology has great promise to contribute to a sustainable energy supply.”

    The record, independently verified by the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI) in Italy, beat the previous record set in October by a substantial 1 percent. For comparison: The current efficiency record for conventional silicon-based cells is around 22 percent.

    __________




    After a scientific breakthrough, cheaper solar panels could be on the way.

    Using improved halide perovskite — a man-made material with repeating cube-shaped crystals — instead of silicon could lead to lower-cost devices that are better able to withstand light and heat, according to researchers led by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). .

    Solar power still accounts for a little less than 3% of all electricity generated in the US, in large part due to the high cost of producing solar panels.

    One way to reduce production costs would be to develop solar cells that use less expensive materials than today’s silicon-based models, the researchers claim. To achieve this, some engineers have turned their attention to halide perovskite, a type of man-made material with repeating crystals shaped like cubes.

    In theory, perovskite-based solar cells could be made from raw materials that cost less and are more readily available than silicon; They could also be made with less energy and a simpler manufacturing process.

    Cost is a major barrier to more widespread adoption of nuclear power (Yang Lab/UCLA)

    “Renewable energy is critical,” said UCLA professor Yang Yang. “Perovskite will change the game because it can be mass-produced in a way silicon cannot, and we’ve identified an additive that will make the material better.”

    A stumbling block was that perovskite breaks down under the influence of light and heat – particularly problematic for devices designed to generate energy from the sun.

    But the UCLA team has devised a way to use perovskite in solar cells while protecting it from the conditions that lead to its degradation. In a recent study published in Nature Materials, scientists added small amounts of ions — electrically charged atoms — of a metal called neodymium directly to perovskite.

    Not only did they find that the expanded perovskite was much more durable when exposed to light and heat, but that it was also more efficient at converting light into electricity.

    “The ions tend to move through the perovskite like cars on the highway, and that causes the material to break down,” Zhao said. “Using neodymium, we identified a roadblock to slow traffic and protect the material.”

    __________




    A West Virginia poultry farm is now equipped with 1,400 solar panels, the largest such system so far in the state, a company said.

    Solar Holler said it installed the panels at Oak Tree Farm in Hardy County. The company partnered with Davis Hill Development, Skyview Ventures and West Virginia Poultry Partners on the project, which will provide the farm with 941,371 kilowatt hours of energy per year.

    Thirty-party power purchase agreements allow companies like Solar Holler to own and operate a solar panel system while the farm reaps the benefits of low-cost fixed utility rates and clean energy.

    The farm will see a 10% reduction in the cost of its electricity and the solar panel system will allow for expanded operations, Shepherdstown-based Solar Holler said in a statement Tuesday.

    “We are thrilled to have reached our latest milestone, building and turning on the largest solar system in West Virginia history.″ Solar Holler founder and CEO Dan Conant said.

    ___________




    Marubeni is pleased to announce that it started commercial operation based on the feed-in tariff program for renewable energy (hereinafter, “FIT”) at the Noshiro Port Offshore Wind Farm on December 22, 2022.

    The Akita Port Offshore Wind Farm is currently under commissioning work and its commercial operation based on FIT is expected in due course. AOW plans to operate and maintain the Offshore Wind Farms for 20 years with its basis located at Noshiro Port.

    Marubeni was selected as the potential main owner and operator of Akita Prefecture’s “Public Offering for the Offshore Wind Farm Project” for the purpose of expanding the introduction of renewable energy and industrial development on February 5, 2015. Thereafter, Marubeni established AOW (in which the Joint Business Partners have also decided to invest), carried out a feasibility study, and reached a decision to implement the Offshore Wind Farm Project in February 2020.

    Since the start of construction in February 2020, though there have been various restrictions under the COVID-19 crisis, the installation of a total of 33 wind turbines at Akita Port and Noshiro Port was completed in September 2022, and commercial operation has been achieved almost on the original schedule.

    Marubeni set the Marubeni Long-Term Vision on Climate Change in March 2021 and positions Green Strategy as one of the basic principles to enhance corporate value in its Mid-Term Management Strategy GC2024. The company will take a progressive approach to expand its renewable energy business by making the most of its experience of the Offshore Wind Farm Project.

    Outline of the Offshore Wind Farm Project:

    Site Location: Akita Port and Noshiro Port in Akita Prefecture
    Installed Capacity: Approximately 140MW
    Project Cost: 100 billion Japanese Yen
    Generation Type: Bottom-fixed offshore wind farm

    ___________


    • Aptera - the 1,000 Mile Range EV That Will Change Everything



    Aptera Motors is making a 1,000 mile range EV. This is an ambitious project, but if they can pull it off, they'll have an EV that is unrivaled in terms of range and efficiency.

    Aptera Motors is making a 1,000 mile range EV and this is going to change everything. It's one of the most unique vehicles you will ever see and its efficiency blows every other EV out of the water.

    A 1,000 mile range EV is unheard of today as the average is anywhere between 200 to 300 miles, with higher end EVs at around 400 miles of range. How is Aptera able to produce an EV with so much range?

    The answer is pretty simple. They've created a lightweight EV that has 3 wheels, which reduced friction on the ground. They've also made the weight of the EV about 50% of the average weighted EV. They've also added solar panels to be built into the EV, further increasing range.

    These innovations are what allows Aptera to sell a 1,000 mile range EV. I think many people are going to order one of these to see how they do. Sandy Munro sees Aptera doing very well and that by 2028, there will be 50% EVs and 50% gas cars.

    When you look at buying an Aptera EV, you have to realize the cost of it. The lowest end model will be sold for $25,900. This is with a range of 250 miles. This is a very small and simple EV.

    The 400 range model has a base cost of $29,800. The 600 mile range Aptera has a range of $34,600 and the 1,000 mile range version costs $44,900. A young person who has home charging will be able to afford the $25,900 EV.

    You can also add solar panels to the roof, dashboard, hood, and rear hatch for $900. There are solar panels on the roof and dashboard for free. These solar panels will help keep the car charged while driving or while parked outside.


    ___________


    • Jaguar I-TYPE 6 has finished the official pre-season tests



    Jaguar TCS Racing's new Jaguar I-TYPE 6 finished the official pre-season testing for the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Mitch Evans and Sam Bird tested the new Gen3 racing car for five days at Spain's Circuit Ricardo Tormo race track.

    Less than a month before the season started in Mexico City, the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 made its first appearance on the racetrack, and the drivers showed off the new designs in their own cars.

    During the eight rounds of testing, the new race car taught the Jaguar TCS Racing team a lot about how to make it lighter, faster, and more efficient. With a front drive train, new tires, and more regenerative braking power than ever, the tests gave the team a great chance to learn more about the race car and figure out how to set it up best.

    Since the same two drivers were on the Jaguar TCS Racing team as last year, the experienced pair could focus on getting used to the new car. During the five days of testing, the drivers went more than 1,500 kilometers. This is the same distance from Gaydon, UK, where Jaguar TCS Racing is based, to Monaco.

    Mitch Evans, a driver from New Zealand, came in third in the third free practice session and qualifying. Mitch and Sam had the fastest overall lap times with the new maximum power of 300 kW in the fifth test round.

    https://media.jaguar.com/news/2022/1...-race-car-ever - https://www.electrichunter.com/ev-ne...e-season-tests

  22. #622
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Texas led the country in building new renewable energy projects last year, according to a report released this week by the American Clean Power Association, continuing a promising trend in a state that’s largely dependent on planet-warming fossil fuels.

    Texas installed 7,352 megawatts of new wind, solar and energy installation projects in 2021, significantly outpacing California, which installed 2,697 megawatts of storage projects. Oklahoma, Florida and New Mexico were the other top producing states.

    Texas also surpassed other states in the amount of storage it has under construction or in advanced development, reaching nearly 20,000 megawatts, followed by California at nearly 14,000 megawatts.

    Texas is experiencing a rise in renewable energy deployment not necessarily due to concerns over human-caused climate change, but rather because of the low costs of renewable energy sources like solar and wind development.

    Republicans for decades have overseen the the energy sector in Texas, which still ranks 10th in the country for fossil fuel consumption, as nearly 90% of its energy is derived from fossil fuels and only about 7% derived from renewable sources.

    Texas has avoided federal regulation by establishing its own power grid that’s nearly cut off from the rest of the country. During a winter storm in 2021, the system collapsed amid a surge in demand and frozen utility plants, which then increased energy prices and triggered the state’s worst blackouts in decades.

    During the state’s grid failure, Gov. Greg Abbott, along with other conservative state leaders, falsely blamed the outages on renewable energy sources like wind and solar. However, most of the outages stemmed from problems with limited natural gas production and frozen supplies at natural gas, coal and nuclear facilities, and not from solar and wind failures.

    ______________




    Shares of General Motors Co. rallied Wednesday, after the automaker reported U.S. fourth-quarter and 2022 vehicle sales that rose from a year ago, as a big jump in electric vehicle sales provided a boost.

    The company delivered 623,261 vehicles in the last three months of 2022, up 41.4% from a year ago. Among GM’s brands, Chevrolet sales jumped 43.3% to 413,560 vehicles, GMC sales grew 42.3% to 143,645 vehicles and Cadillac sales soared 74.8% to 39,135 vehicles, while Buick vehicle sales fell 6.5% to 26,921.

    Among GM’s electrified vehicles, Bolt EV and Bolt EUV (electrified utility vehicle) sales totaled 16,108 in the fourth quarter, up from 25 vehicles a year ago, while 72 Hummer EV Pickups sold after only 1 sold a year ago and 86 Cadillac LYRIQs sold versus zero last year.

    That brought total 2022 vehicle sales to 2.274 million, up 2.5% from a year ago, as Chevrolet sales rose 5.6%, GMC sales were up 7.3% and Cadillac sales increased 13.9% to offset a 42.4% drop in Buick sales.

    In EVs, Bolt EV and Bold EUV sales rose 53.5% to 38,120 vehicles, while Hummer EV Pickup sales jumped to 854 from 1 in 2021 and 122 Cadillac LYRIQs were sold versus none in 2021.

    The company said it expects Bolt EV and Bolt EUV production to increase to more than 70,000 units in 2023, and expects LYRIQ production to also increase. GM said it expects to launch three Chevrolet EVs in 2023.

    GM’s stock rose 2.9% in midday trading Wednesday, after tacking on 0.5% to start 2023 on Tuesday. The gains come after the stock plunged 42.6% in 2022, the worst yearly performance since it plummeted 45.0% in 2011.

    “We see opportunities to grow our EV market share with nine all-electric models on sales, expand our truck leadership with four new Chevrolet and GMC heavy-duty and midsize pickups and win new customers with the affordable and stylish 2024 Chevrolet Trax, which is the best entry-level vehicle we have ever built,” said Steve Carlisle, president of GM North America.

    ___________




    Soon, Tata Tiago EV will make its entry into the Indian market with a high-voltage setup and a host of features that are not available on its sedan counterpart.

    Tata Motors has confirmed to launch another electric car in the Indian market, and this time around, it is a hatchback. No, it isn’t the Altroz EV, it is the Tata Tiago EV instead. The company has showcased the Altroz EV a couple of times, but it is now preparing to launch the Tiago’s electrified version in the Indian market soon. The Tata Tiago EV will officially be unveiled on September 28, and it will be the most affordable electric car of the homegrown brand. In fact, it will be the first-ever Indian-made high-voltage electric hatchback.

    Tata Tiago EV Features

    The Tiago EV will come loaded to the gills, with cruise control, regenerative braking, and driving mode on board. Expect a touchscreen infotainment system and a sound system from Harman in the Tata Tiago EV electric hatchback. Keyless entry, automatic climate control, power ORVMs, an all-digital instrument cluster, and a slew of passive safety measures will also be included.

    Tata Tiago EV Styling

    The Tiago EV will resemble the ICE model rather closely on the outside, with a few minor differences. As with the Nexon EV and Tigor EV, the hatchback's chrome highlights will be swapped out for Teal Blue inserts. The Tata Tiago EV will also have a closed grille with the "EV" badging. The major part of the design will remain unchanged. Teal accents will also be used within the cabin in place of the piano black and chrome finishes. In order to give the EV appeal inside as well, the upholstery might also feature the tri-arrow design in the same blue colour.

    Tata Tiago EV Specs

    The Tiago EV is most likely to use the same drivetrain as its sedan counterpart. A 55 kW motor and a 26 kWh battery pack are likely to be used on the Tiago EV. According to claims, this configuration will offer a range of about 300 kilometres after a full charge.

    Tata Tiago EV Price

    Prices for the Tata Tiago EV might start at around Rs 9 lakh, ex-showroom. The top-spec trim should cost between Rs 12 to Rs 13 lakh. It's interesting that it won't encounter any competition in our market.

    _____________





    In recent years, Australia has made significant strides towards increasing its reliance on renewable energy sources. As of 2022, the country has made significant 40% progress in transitioning from fuel fossils, specifically coal and gas, towards renewable options such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power.

    Victoria has started shutting down all coal-fired power facilities over the next ten years and replacing them with sustainable energy sources to safeguard the local populations and prevent the worst impacts of climate change.



    Main drivers of the shift

    One of the main drivers of this shift has been the falling cost of renewable technologies. As solar and wind power have become increasingly affordable, more and more households and businesses have begun to switch to these clean energy sources. This has led to a surge in the installation of solar panels and wind turbines across the country and has contributed to a significant increase in the amount of renewable energy generated in Australia.

    In addition to the falling cost of renewables, there has also been a growing recognition of the need to address climate change and reduce carbon emissions. This has led to the Australian government’s adoption of more ambitious renewable energy targets and the implementation of policies designed to encourage the adoption of clean energy technologies.

  23. #623
    Guest Member S Landreth's Avatar
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    Korean solar power company Q CELLS will spend over $2.5 billion to expand its Dalton, Ga., facility, the largest one-time investment in solar manufacturing in U.S. history, Biden administration officials announced Tuesday.

    White House officials projected the expansion, as well as a separate facility to be built northwest of Atlanta, will create about 2,500 jobs in the state.

    “Tomorrow’s announcement will have a tangible impact for Georgia workers and Georgia’s growing green economy,” Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) told reporters on a call Tuesday.

    The Biden administration has frequently emphasized the role of private-sector investment in achieving its renewable-energy goals, which include a target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030.

    The White House touted what it says are more than $25 billion in investments in Georgia alone for renewable energy and electric vehicle manufacturing, including a $5.5 billion Hyundai plant near Savannah, a joint venture between Hyundai and SK On for a $5 billion EV battery plant and a $178 million Energy Department grant to Solvay to manufacture battery components in Augusta.

    “Hanwha’s Q CELLS investment will create thousands of good-paying jobs in Georgia, many of which won’t require a four-year degree,” President Biden said in a statement. “It will bring back our supply chains so we aren’t reliant on other countries, lower the cost of clean energy, and help us combat the climate crisis. And, it will ensure that we manufacture cutting-edge, solar technology here at home. It’s a win for workers, consumers, and our climate.”

    ____________




    Researchers in the city of Aomori have begun to study how to generate electricity from snow, with the aim of securing a renewable energy source to cover potential power shortages.

    The city of Aomori, which sees heavy snow every year, started a trial in a swimming pool at an abandoned elementary school in December to explore the feasibility of producing energy by utilizing the temperature difference between stored snow and the surrounding air.

    In the joint project, local information technology startup Forte Co. and the University of Electro-Communications in Tokyo are looking to power a turbine with energy produced when liquid cooled by stored snow is then vaporized by the heat of the surrounding air.

    Electricity generation using stored snow has recently drawn attention as an environmentally friendly, low-cost and safe power source.

    In Aomori, large volumes of snow are dumped into the sea and elsewhere after being collected by snowplows and trucks. In the previous fiscal year that ended last March, snow removal costs ballooned to a record Ą5.9 billion.

    “Snow has been treated as a nuisance but we can put it to good use,” a city official said.

    On Dec. 16, around 10 Forte workers placed insulating materials inside the pool to keep the piled-up snow cold.

    Further research into preserving snow as well as into the amount of electricity that could be generated will then be conducted before power production begins in the spring.

    According to Forte, challenges include finding a large-scale facility to store snow as well as securing heated air during the winter.

    To obtain a large temperature difference, the company will consider using heat from hot springs.

    “It is a renewable energy source unique to a region with heavy snow. It will also lead to creating a new industry,” said Jun Kasai, the head of Forte.

    ___________




    ‘Test bed’ showcases clean energy solutions – receives $5.6 million funding from Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation

    A new $23 million renewable energy hub will transform an entire city block at the University of British Columbia into a smart energy district, including the province’s first-ever hydrogen refuelling station for light- and heavy-duty vehicles.

    It will also include the addition of a solar array, as well as intelligent charging infrastructure for electric vehicles.

    “This is an exciting moment for UBC,” said Prof. Santa J. Ono, UBC president and vice- chancellor. “In the face of a growing climate crisis, we are mobilizing even more of our institutional education, research and innovation capacity to pursue climate solutions. This renewable energy hub is an important piece, and we are truly grateful to our partners in government and industry who helped bring it to life.”

    The project is supported by the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, which today announced $5.6 million in low-carbon fuel standard credits for the project.

    “In order to realize our CleanBC climate goals, we must invest in innovative energy solutions, like UBC’s renewable energy hub,” said Bruce Ralston, Minister of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation. “B.C. is well positioned to become a world leader in clean energy, and this project demonstrates the excellent potential right here in the Lower Mainland.”

    Other funding was provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, BC Knowledge Development Fund, Natural Resources Canada, Western Economic Diversification Canada and industry partners.

    _____________



    The EU installed 15GW of new wind farms in 2022, a third more than 2021, according to WindEurope.

    This increase in new installations is an encouraging result given the overlapping challenges the industry faced in 2022, the representative body said.

    In terms of new capacity installed Germany, Sweden and Finland are leading the way, followed by Spain and France.

    WindEurope found that 90% of the new wind capacity was onshore wind, which were nearly all in new greenfield sites.

    However, it said that 15GW still falls significantly short of what Europe needs to build to deliver on its climate and energy security targets.

    The shortfall is largely due to permitting bottlenecks, with 80GW of wind energy projects are currently stuck in permitting procedures across Europe.
    In addition, in the first 11 months of 2022 the total new investments in wind farms in the EU covered only 12GW of new capacity.

    WindEurope chief executive Giles Dickson said: "15GW new wind in 2022 is not too bad given the challenges faced last year by Europe’s wind industry.

    'It’s not enough for the EU’s energy targets, but Governments know the latter can only be achieved if they simplify the permitting rules and procedures – and there are now signs of progress on this.

    "Less encouraging is the slowdown in investments in new wind farms. Confusion about electricity market rules is turning investors away.

    "The EU must make Europe an attractive place for renewables investments again."

    ______________




    Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahaabhiyan (PM KUSUM Yojana) was launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The motive of this scheme is the installation of solar pumps and grid-connected solar and other renewable power plants in the country.

    Many farmers face difficulty in irrigating their farms due to lack of rainfall. Moreover, equipment running through diesel or electricity increases the cost of cultivation. To solve this problem, the government launched PM Kusum Yojana.

    Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahaabhiyan (PM Kusum Yojana) was launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The objective of this scheme is to increase farmers' income, provide reliable source for irrigation & de-dieselise the agriculture sector.

    This government scheme is one of the biggest initiatives with the aim to provide clean energy to more than 10 crore farmers in the country.

    What are the Components of PM Kusum?

    Component A- Setting up of 10,000 MW of Decentralized Ground/ Stilt Mounted Grid Connected Solar or other Renewable Energy-based Power Plants.

    Component B- Installation of 17.50 Lakh Stand-alone Solar Agriculture Pumps

    Component C- Solarization of 10 lakh Grid Connected Agriculture Pumps

    _____________


    • Wind Farms on Lake Michigan part of plan to go from ‘Rust Belt’ to ‘Green Belt’


    Renewable energy. Federal money. Local jobs. Illinois lawmakers are calling the “Rust Belt to Green Belt” program a win-win-win.

    The idea is to build offshore wind ports. State Rep. Edgar Gonzalez (D–Chicago) said he’s totally here for it.

    “In short, it’s a very good thing, it’s about d--- time that we do this, and I’m very excited that we’re able to bring good jobs to the Southeast Side of Chicago — hopefully across the whole shore,” Gonzalez said. “Inflation and the energy crisis [have] been affecting everybody. It’s a matter of investing in future generations by investing in this current generation.”

    State Sen. Robert Peters (D–Chicago) said the plan would see Illinois take advantage of federal money to jumpstart the offshore wind pilot project, which Peters added would bring thousands of quality jobs to Black and brown communities on the Southeast Side.

    “We saw the smokestacks and steel mills go down and yet those communities aren’t given the jobs that they deserve and that they need,” Peters said. “This is an opportunity for us to re-engage an industrial revolution that is built on a dream.

    Peters said when he first heard about the plan to build offshore wind farms in Lake Michigan, he thought this could be a way to go “from Rust Belt to Green Belt.”

    https://www.audacy.com/wbbm780/news/...reen-belt-plan

    _________


    • Sony and Honda unveil EV prototype called Afeela




    Sony and Honda unveiled their new electric vehicle prototype called Afeela on Wednesday at the Consumer Electronics Show.

    Sony Honda Mobility CEO Yasuhide Mizuno revealed few details about the prototype, but showcased its more than 40 sensors inside and outside of the car that will help the vehicle detect other objects on the road.

    “Afeela represents our concept of an interaction relationship where people feel the sensation of interactive mobility,” he said.

    Epic Games, the developer behind the popular game Fortnite, and semiconductor company Qualcomm will work with Sony Honda mobility on the project.

    Sony will take orders in the first half of 2025 and the first shipment is expected in the spring of 2026.

    Along the front of the car, there is a narrow display screen that Sony called the media bar. During the announcement, Sony showcased how the display screen can light up with different announcements and colors to allow people to interact with others outside of the vehicle.

    https://edition.cnn.com/2023/01/04/t...ela/index.html - https://thehill.com/changing-america...called-afeela/

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    The E.U. plans to fight for its place in the clean energy race.

    Ursula von der Leyen, head of the European Commission, announced at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday that the European Union will create extensive new clean energy subsidies to keep firms from moving to the U.S. and China.

    The goal is for the E.U. to become a leader in the transition to a clean economy and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 — and von der Leyen said that both carrots and sticks were on the table.

    “The net-zero transformation is already causing huge industrial, economic and geopolitical shifts — by far the quickest and the most pronounced in our lifetime,” der Leyen said. “It is changing the nature of work and the shape of our industry.”

    The E.U.’s “Green Deal” industrial plan aims to make Europe a center for clean technology and innovation and to counter aggressive attempts to attract E.U. industrial capacities away to China and elsewhere.

    In particular, the E.U. worries that its green tech firms will move to the United States, which last summer passed a $369 billion scheme to subsidize green production.

    But she also singled out China, which she said “dominates global production in sectors like electric vehicles or solar panels … with the promise of cheap energy, low labor costs and a more lenient regulatory environment.”

    The E.U.’s plans appear to involve heavy subsidies of its own to compete with the U.S. and China. Von der Leyen also announced that the organization will temporarily adapt the E.U. state aid rules to speed up and simplify permitting for clean energy production.

    “We know we have a small window to invest in clean tech and innovation to gain leadership before the fossil fuel economy becomes obsolete,” she said.

    She also connected the drive to attempts to wean the continent off Russian gas.

    “In less than a year, Europe has overcome this dangerous dependency,” she said, noting that the continent had “replaced around 80 percent of Russian pipeline gas.”

    But the move of clean energy firms to the U.S. and China worried her.

    “For rare earths, which are vital for manufacturing key technologies — like wind power generation, hydrogen storage or batteries — Europe is today 98 percent dependent on one country – China,” she said.

    She also pointed to lithium, for which three countries — Australia, Chile and China — control 90 percent of production, leading to “incredibly tight” supply chains.

    “This has pushed up prices and is threatening our competitiveness. So, we need to improve the refining, processing and recycling of raw materials here in Europe … without creating new dependencies,” she said.

    It’s not clear yet how much money will be given for the new clean energy subsidies — that figure will be part of the budget review later this year.

    But the E.U. has already given 672 billion euros (about $725 billion) for member states to deal with the impact of the war in Ukraine — making it likely that a” massive” amount will be given for this new clean energy plan, The Associated Press reported.

    The E.U. is also creating a new Net-Zero Industry Act as part of the Green Deal industrial plan. This act will focus on investments in projects along the entire supply chain, like simplifying and fast-tracking permits for new clean technology production sites.

    A European sovereignty fund will also be created as part of the budget review. This fund will be used to avoid a fragmenting effect on the single market — which could be caused if national governments create their own subsidy regimes — and to support the clean tech transition across the whole bloc.

    ___________




    Global electric vehicle sales reached 10 percent of all new cars sold in 2022, an increase from 8.3 percent in 2021.

    EVs continue to become more popular year over year, and consumers are making the switch from gas-powered vehicles to battery-powered ones across the world. Some markets have proven to be hot spots for electrification, while others are slowly coming around to the idea. With manufacturers planning to offer many new EV models this year, 2023 could have even more growth.

    New data provided by LMC Automotive and EV-Volumes.com (via Wall Street Journal) shows global EV sales made up 10 percent of every new car sold globally last year, with most of the sales occurring in Europe and China. In these two markets, manufacturers focus heavily on EV sales and are rushing to push competitive models out while optimizing and improving past vehicles.

    Last year, 7.8 million electric vehicles were sold. Continuing the adoption of EVs has provided not only new, sustainable powertrains to consumers but also new revenue streams for automakers through subscription-based programs and charging infrastructure.

    The United States, while not as EV-committed as other markets, also saw an increase in overall sales of battery-electric vehicles. Other data shows automakers in the U.S. sold 807,180 EVs last year, up 2.6 percent from the year prior. EVs made up 5.8 percent of all cars sold in 2022, the report said.

    Overall, auto sales in the U.S. fell 8 percent in 2022 compared to 2021. Vehicle availability continued to dwindle amid intense supply chain bottlenecks, and companies continued to push back build and delivery dates on vehicles across the board.

    2023 will likely see another increase in EV sales. S&P Global Mobility said it forecasts up to ten million EV units to be sold this year, which would make up 14 percent of the total new vehicle sales for the year.

    ___________


    • One year later: Hodag Solar Park delivers renewable energy in the Northwoods


    The end of this month marks one year of the Hodag Solar Park being operational.

    The 50-acre solar farm is 21,000 solar panels just south of Rhinelander.

    When it first went online, the Hodag Solar Park was expected to produce 7.5 megawatts or enough power for more than 2,000 homes.

    According to Wisconsin Public Service spokesperson Matt Cullen, it’s been doing just that.

    “It did produce enough power last year to power more than 2,000 homes for an entire year. Some other interesting stats and figures when it comes to the amount of energy that it generated: Hodag Solar Park produced enough energy to power more than 3.5 million smartphones for a year last year,” said Cullen.

    He also says the power it generated was enough to run 136,000 laptop computers for a year, more than 32,000 refrigerators for a year, 4,000 electric vehicles for a year, or wash and dry a year’s worth of laundry for 24,000 households.

    Overall, Cullen says the solar park functioned as it was intended to.

    “Really no matter what the weather conditions were or what the circumstances were, Hodag Solar Park reliably delivered that clean energy and that renewable energy to our customers through the last year,” said Cullen.

    WPS has set a goal of being net carbon neutral by 2050. It also expects to eliminate coal as an energy source by the end of 2035.

    https://www.wxpr.org/energy-environm...the-northwoods

    __________


    • New Mingyang Offshore Wind Turbine Exceeds 18 MW Threshold


    Mingyang Smart Energy has released its next flagship offshore wind turbine, the MySE 18.X-28X. The turbine, with 140-meter-long blades and a rotor diameter of over 280 meters, can sweep a vast 66,052 square meters, equal to the area of nine football fields.

    Under an annual average wind speed of 8.5 m/s, each turbine can generate 80 GWh of electricity per year, sufficient to supply 96,000 residents, while reducing CO2 emissions by 66,000 tonnes. When compared to the installation of 13 MW models, the higher output of the MySE18.X-28X would save 18 units required for a 1 GW wind farm, shaving off construction costs by $120,000-$150,000/MW.

    Going beyond the 18 MW threshold, MySE 18.X-28X’s modular and lightweight design, as well as the use of holographic sensing MPC and digital twin DTC technology, serve as the basis for its intelligent, efficient and reliable operations against the most extreme ocean conditions such as a level-17 typhoon with wind speeds >56.1 m/s.

    https://nawindpower.com/new-mingyang...8-mw-threshold

    __________


    • Renault and CEA Announce New Bidirectional Onboard Charger That Will Reduce Losses by 30%


    The crucial part about the new onboard charger is something that Renault promised but did not explain. According to the French automaker, the new component provides “faster charging of the vehicle while ensuring the durability of the battery.” Anyone looking for anything that sustains what Renault claims about this onboard charger will get frustrated.


    Another main advantage of the new bidirectional component is that it reduces energy losses by 30%, and it is also more compact than regular onboard chargers. The top charging speed is about the same as the best currently available in the market: 22 kW in three-phase mode. Having to wait seven more years to see it in vehicles is far from the “soon” Renault said it would take to check how good this onboard charger really is.


    Until then, Renault may have time to tell us how the new component protects the battery pack and how much longer it would last if it were a crucial element in a bidirectional system. If you are not aware of how that works, you should before you buy a vehicle with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capability.


    All current battery packs lose capacity as they are charged and discharged. In other words – and following the industry’s jargon – they have a maximum number of cycles (each complete charge the battery packs get). BEVs can use that discharge process to power the motors or a house, or the grid. Vehicles that spend cycles as batteries will run less than if they only used electricity to move around.


    Some car companies say battery packs have to retain 70% of their original capability to remain useful in vehicles. Others restrict that to 80%. When a battery pack is no longer suitable for a car, it has to be replaced. Tesla charges between $16,000 and more than $20,000 for a battery pack. Nissan already charged $35,000 for a LEAF replacement.


    Who will want to help the grid when they may have to replace a battery pack that costs so much? Most will only use V2G in emergencies to power their homes. If power companies want to use the electricity stored in someone’s car, they must include compensation for the battery degradation V2G will cause. So far, we have not heard of anyone discussing this, as if battery packs could be used indefinitely. When the bill for these components starts arriving, let’s see who will have to pay for new ones – we suspect it will be the EV owner in most cases.

    https://www.autoevolution.com/news/renault-and-cea-announce-new-bidirectional-onboard-charger-that-will-reduce-losses-by-30-208504.html#

    ___________


    • Shell’s 500MW/1,000MWh Battery Storage Project At Former Coal Power Station In NSW


    Shell Energy has announced plans to build, own, and operate the Wallerawang 9 Battery, a 500 MW/1,000 MWh battery storage facility in New South Wales. The project is located at the Wallerawang power station, a former coal power station in NSW. It will help to support the integration of renewable energy sources into the grid, provide stability for the power system, and boost the local economy.

    This announcement aligns with Shell’s strategy to transition to a low-carbon energy future, where the company aims to be a net-zero emission business by 2050. The Wallerawang 9 Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) project is a part of this strategy. It will be critical to achieving this goal by supporting the integration of renewable energy sources and providing energy storage capacity.

    Shell Energy Chief Executive Officer Greg Joiner said, “Battery energy storage has a vital role to play in the energy transition by supporting renewable generation and contributing to improved reliability for the grid and consumers. Shell Energy is proud to take an important step forward in NSW’s energy future, particularly in helping regional communities such as Lithgow continue to play a role when energy is increasingly decarbonised.”

    “The greater Lithgow region has contributed to powering NSW for nearly 70 years,” said Greenspot CEO Brett Hawkins. “As the economy decarbonises, and new energy technologies are adopted, it is critically important that strategies are implemented to attract a range of new businesses to areas like Lithgow which have traditionally relied heavily on coal-based industry.”

    “Shell is building a significant renewable energy portfolio in Australia and we look forward to working with Shell on Wallerawang 9 to make this a success for the Greenspot precinct and the Lithgow region more broadly.”

    https://www.energymatters.com.au/ren...tation-in-nsw/

  25. #625
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    How an Alaska village’s switch to renewable energy helps local Native economies



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