Concentration of CO2 in the Atmosphere
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Headline News:
- “DOE Just Can’t Quit Concentrating Solar Power (And That’s A Good Thing)” • Fans of concentrating solar power have a dream of a 100-MW facility that can deliver electricity 24/7, just like a nuclear power plant but without the risk and the fancy price tag. Now the US DOE has a new ceramic-based technology that could deliver the goods. [CleanTechnica]
 Concentrating solar power plant (Courtesy of US DOE)
- “No More Fossil-Powered Taxis In Hamburg Soon” • Zero-emissions vehicle zones are already making a big difference in some cities, but that isn’t the only way to electrify. As the German city of Hamburg is showing, one way to take a step forward is to electrify your taxi fleets. Hamburg will ban fossil-powered taxi operations, starting in 2025. [CleanTechnica]
- “Tesla Model Y Expected To Save Police Department $83,810” • Police departments have been investing in EVs, though some critics point to their higher purchas prices and question the move. But police forces stand to save a lot of money in fuel costs and maintenance by using EVs. This was recently pointed out by a department in Wisconsin. [CleanTechnica]
- “China Powers Ahead With Renewables, Carbon Reduction” • China’s renewable energy power generation reached 2.7 trillion kWh in 2022, accounting for 31.6% of the country’s total electricity consumption, an increase of 1.7 percentage points compared with 2021, the latest data from the National Energy Administration shows. [Xinhua]
- “NSW Labor Pledges $1 Billion For New State-Owned Energy Body If Elected In March” • The New South Wales opposition has promised to allocate $1 billion to a new state-run energy body if it is elected on March 25. Labor said the new Energy Security Corporation would drive investment into renewables to ensure services using energy storage. [ABC]
For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.
Headline News:
- “Amazon Boosts Its Sustainability Credentials With Record Renewable Energy Purchases (Plus Offshore Wind Seaweed Farming!)” • Amazon announced adding 8.3 GW of renewable energy to its portfolio in 2022, with 133 projects in 11 countries. It now has access to more than 20 GW of green power. What next for Amazon? Seaweed farming! [CleanTechnica]
 North Sea seaweed farming (Amazon image)
- “Ford First To Build NMC Batteries And LFP Batteries In The USA” • Ford has become the #2 EV seller in the USA, but it’s also now the first automaker to state that it will produce both nickel manganese cobalt and lithium iron phosphate batteries for EVs in the US. It is investing a full $3.5 billion into a new LFP battery factory in Marshall, Michigan. [CleanTechnica]
- “Europe’s Natural Gas Prices Fall To 18-Month Low” • Europe’s natural gas prices fell to their lowest level in nearly 18 months in another sign the region has avoided a much-feared energy crisis. Benchmark wholesale gas prices fell to €49/MWh ($52/MWh), their lowest level since September 2021 and a fraction of the all-time high of €320 hit in August last year. [CNN]
- “Biden Administration Restores Obama-Era Mercury Rules For Power Plants, Eyes More Regulations In Coming Months” • The Biden administration finalized a decision to reestablish Obama-era rules that require coal and oil-fired power plants to reduce toxic pollutants, including mercury and acid gas, that come out of their smokestacks. [CNN]
- “Li-Bridge, US To Double Lithium Battery Revenues To $33 Billion And Provide 100,000 Jobs By 2030” • Li-Bridge, a public-private alliance for US battery making convened by the US DOE and managed by Argonne National Laboratory, released a plan to accelerate the creation of a robust domestic supply chain for lithium-based batteries. [CleanTechnica]
For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.
Affordable Heat Act Advances Unanimously through
Vermont Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee
On February 17, 2023, in a huge victory for climate action and addressing Vermont’s second largest source of climate pollution – the thermal heating sector – the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee voted 5-0 to advance the Affordable Heat Act (S.5). This legislation is the culmination of years of work and analysis, represents a key pillar of the state’s adopted Climate Action Plan, and is a top priority in the 2023 Environmental Common Agenda – a policy agenda signed onto by 19 environmental organizations. The Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee has taken weeks of detailed testimony and made many notable improvements to the policy to ensure that it helps build an equitable and affordable transition to a local, clean energy economy by keeping dollars spent on energy here in Vermont – and requiring that the majority of residential clean heat services go to low- and moderate-income Vermonters.
Johanna Miller, Climate & Energy Program Director at the Vermont Natural Resources Council stated, “Today’s vote marks needed progress towards developing a pathway for Vermonters and Vermont fossil heating providers to help people stay warm with more cost-effective, clean, local heating choices. We must move away from the deeply inequitable and unsustainable status quo, and S.5 offers a way to do that while balancing many important climate, equity and affordability goals.”
“This bill creates a blueprint for Vermont to move to cleaner, more affordable heating options, and requires fossil fuel companies to help Vermonters make that transition – something it’s long past time for,” said Ben Edgerly Walsh, Climate & Energy Program Director with the Vermont Public Interest Research Group. “We deeply appreciate the hard work members of Senate Natural Resources put into this bill, and we look forward to continuing to support it as it moves through the legislative process.”\
Lauren Hierl, Executive Director of Vermont Conservation Voters added, “Figuring out how to help all Vermonters transition to cleaner heating solutions requires vision and leadership. I’m grateful the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee advanced this well-vetted bill, recognizing that the Affordable Heat Act can help bring us a cleaner, healthier, and more affordable future for all.”
Dan Fingas, VT Movement Politics Director, Rights & Democracy commented “We appreciate the members of the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee, who took testimony from over 50 people and heard the call to center equity and affordability in this bill. The Affordable Heat Act is a needed transition that ensures that all Vermonters can benefit from measures that reduce energy use and provides a clear path to a clean energy future.”
“VBSR strongly supports the Affordable Heating Act and the tremendous opportunity it creates to move away from fossil fuels and in doing so reduce our climate pollution, keep more dollars in our local economies, and help Vermonters make the shift to more affordable, clean, and
predictably priced energy sources,” said Roxanne Vought, Executive Director of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. “We thank members of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy for their tireless work on this bill and on behalf of Vermont’s businesses, communities, and natural environment.”
“For the first time, the Vermont legislature is poised to adopt legislation that takes a comprehensive approach to bring down greenhouse gas emissions from the heating sector. This is a very big deal since the thermal energy sector represents 34% of our GHG emissions, second only to the transportation sector. That’s why the Vermont Sierra Club is glad to see today’s vote, and is urging all Senators to vote yes on this bill,” said Peter Malicky, Vermont Sierra Club Chapter Chair.
If enacted, this policy will begin to disentangle Vermonters from their dependence on expensive, price-volatile, and polluting fossil fuels. Instead, it will require the fossil fuel heating industry to offer Vermonters cleaner options – so when people go to replace their oil furnace, for example, they are offered more affordable heat pumps, weatherization services, or advanced wood heat options.
While we celebrate this first important victory today, we look forward to continuing to work alongside legislators to ensure the policy does as much as it can to ensure climate accountability and addresses equity, while also working to advance other bills and programs that will support a just transition for energy overburdened Vermonters. The bill is next anticipated to head to the Senate Committee on Appropriations for consideration, before heading to the full Senate for a vote.
Headline News:
- “Sakuu Announces 3D-Printed Solid-State Battery Success” • Sakuu announced it has successfully and consistently fabricated 3D-printed, fully functional batteries in custom shapes and sizes at its Silicon Valley battery pilot facility since December of last year. The battery cells contain patterned openings for thermal management. [CleanTechnica]
 Sakuu prototype production line (Courtesy of Sakuu)
- “Antarctica Sea-Ice Hits New Record Low” • There is now less sea-ice surrounding the Antarctic continent than at any time since we began using satellites to measure it in the late 1970s. It is the southern hemisphere summer, when you’d expect less sea-ice, but this year is exceptional, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. [BBC]
- “Sonnen And TenneT Power German Grid With Electric Cars” • TenneT and sonnen announced that they powered the German grid with electric cars. TenneT is a top electricity grid operator in Europe, and sonnen produces and manages stationary battery systems. These electric cars are joining sonnen’s core virtual power plant network. [CleanTechnica]
- “Texans Support Expanding Renewable Energy Over Fossil Fuels” • Two years after Winter Storm Uri left millions in Texas without power for days, a poll found that a majority of Texans support expanding US reliance on solar power (64%), geothermal (59%), and wind (57%). Only 41% favored expanding US reliance on onshore conventional oil and gas. [Power Engineering]
- “EDF Renewables Picks Up 10-GW Australian Floater” • EDF Renewables acquired the 10-GW Newcastle floating offshore wind farm in Australia. Currently under development near the Port of Newcastle, the project is proposed for the Hunter‐Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone as part of the NSW Government Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap. [reNews]
- “The Race Across Europe To Build Green Steel Plants” • A small town in Sweden’s frozen north is on course to produce Europe’s first commercial green steel. Steel production is responsible for around 7% of all greenhouse gas emissions. But the new plant will use hydrogen technology, designed to cut emissions by as much as 95%. And others are coming. [BBC]
For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.
Headline News:
- “Celebrating 15 Years Of Tesla Production And The EV” • Tesla has officially been on the road for 15 years since the first Roadster rolled off the production line on February 1, 2008, and what a decade and a half it has been. Tesla used to be a niche startup auto maker. Now, it is an innovating force behind the automobile industry’s shift to electrification. [CleanTechnica]
- “New York City May Soon Set The Pace For Municipal Vehicle Electrification” • The New York City Council is considering a bill that would codify a path toward a 100% zero-emission municipal fleet. This proposal would require the city’s entire on-road fleet, including heavy-duty trucks and specialty vehicles, to transition to zero-emission vehicles by mid-2035. [CleanTechnica]
- “So-Called Doomsday Glacier Is ‘In Trouble,’ Scientists Say After Finding Surprising Formations Under Ice Shelf” • The “Doomsday Glacier” – nicknamed because its collapse could drive catastrophic sea level rise – is melting rapidly and in unexpected ways, new research shows. Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier is roughly the size of Florida. [CNN]
- “Scott Renews Hope In Billion-Dollar Underwater Powerline” • Governor Phil Scott updated a renewed effort to bring a power line under Lake Champlain from Quebec to hook into the New England electric grid. The proposal was first raised over eight years ago, and now governors in New England show interest in the project again. [Vermont Business Magazine]
- “The World’s Largest Outdoor Ice Rink Is Closed Due To Lack Of Ice” • First ski resorts were not able to operate due to climate change. Now, the world’s largest outdoor ice rink might witness a season fully closed, due to a lack of ice. The 4.8-mile skateway in Ottwawa is part of the Rideau Canal, which runs between Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River. [CNN]
For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.
Headline News:
- “2024 Budget Calls on NYPA to Help Develop Renewables” • New York’s 2024 executive budget seeks to advance renewable energy through the New York Power Authority. The agency could use funds from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act to help the state meet its energy-efficiency goals. Some observers feel it is a step in the wrong direction. [Public News Service]
- “Nuclear Exec Would Have Made $100 Million From Sale Of Plants At Heart Of Bribery Trial, Lobbyist Says” • FirstEnergy Solutions executive John Kiani stood to personally gain $100 million from the sale of two nuclear plants at the center of the bribery case against the former Ohio House speaker, according to testimony of a company lobbyist. [Cleveland.com]
- “Bid To Keep California Reactors Running Faces Time Squeeze” • An attempt to extend the life of the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant has run into a predicament. It will take federal regulators until late 2026 to act on an application to extend its operating life, but the plant is scheduled to shut down permanently by mid-2025. [KRCR]
- “10.5% Of New Vehicle Sales Now Electric Vehicle Sales In Colorado” • Last year, 10.5% of new vehicles sold in Colorado were EVs. That’s a great result in the USA, which as a whole is closer to 6% or 7% of new vehicle sales being electric. Colorado got to this place with an extra helping of incentives for people who go electric. [CleanTechnica]
- “EV Revolution Activated: GM Puts $650 Million Into Securing Its US Lithium Supply” • The latest news from GM is that it has signed a deal with Lithium Americas to get lithium sourced from the US – a $650 million deal. They are investing together in the Thacker Pass lithium mine in Nevada, with GM investing $650 million in the lithium firm. [CleanTechnica]
For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.
EVENTS AND PROGRAMS
Wednesday, February 15 | 5:45 – 7 p.m. | Irving Institute Project Hub
Energy Currents: Energy and Climate are Local, too: Community Power and Energy Justice
Undergrads, join us for our last session of Energy Currents! Tonight’s guest expert is April Salas, Executive Director of the Irving Institute for Energy and Society! All undergrads are welcome to attend, even if you haven’t attended a previous session. RSVP
Wednesday, February 22 | 12 – 1 p.m. | Online
New Energy: “Early-life Exposure to Clean Cooking Transitions: Impacts on Cognition and Health” with Emily Pakhtigian, Assistant Professor, Penn State
Learn more and register at dartgo.org/NewEnergy
The February, 2023 edition of Green Energy Times has gone to press and will soon be available in print at the usual outlets. The pdf file is available now, by clicking on THIS LINK.
Posts with individual articles can be seen HERE.
Headline News:
- “EV Battery News From CATL, Toyocolor, And Toyo” • If there is EV battery news, there is a good chance it is about CATL. In today’s case, the CATL news is actually from a CATL supplier using the name to brag a bit. The news is that CATL will be using Toyocolor’s conductive carbon nanotube dispersions in its next-generation batteries. [CleanTechnica]
 Lithium battery with carbon nano-tubes (Toyocolor, Toyo Ink)
- “German States Show ‘Unknown Unity’ In Preparing Faster Wind Power Roll-Out” • The German states signalled readiness to expand onshore wind power “in almost unknown unity,” said economy and climate minister Robert Habeck. His comments came after he met with representatives of the 16 Länder to talk about buildout of renewables. [Clean Energy Wire]
- “Portugal: Almost 85% Of Electricity In January Generated By Renewables” • Of the 5,338 GWh of electricity generated in mainland Portugal in January, 84.4% was renewably generated, data from the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association shows. With renewable production, Portugal avoided spending €263 million to import natural gas. [Macau Business]
- “BOEM Publishes 2400-MW SouthCoast Wind Draft EIS” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management published the draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed 2400-MW SouthCoast Wind energy project in Massachusetts waters. The project is a JV of Shell and Ocean Winds. It could provide power for more than 800,000 homes. [reNews]
- “Natural Disasters, Boosted By Climate Change, Displaced Millions Of People In US In 2022” • Natural disasters forced an estimated 3.4 million people in the US to leave their homes in 2022, according to Census Bureau data collected earlier this year. This underscores how climate-related weather events are already changing American communities. [NBC News]
For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.
Headline News:
- “$65 Million For ‘First-Of-A-Kind’ Concentrated Solar Power Plant” • The Australian Renewable Energy Agency confirmed it approved A$65 million ($44.95 million) to help Vast Solar build VS1, a “first-of-a-kind” concentrated solar power plant north of Port Augusta. The plant will have a capacity of 500 MW and store energy for four to sixteen hours. [pv magazine Australia]
 Concentrated solar plant (Vast Solar image)
- “Solar, Solar Everywhere! Clever And Creative Uses Are Dotting The Landscape” • As the cost of solar panels continues to drop, it is becoming increasingly competitive as a popular energy source for households, businesses of all sizes, and municipalities. As a result, some solar applications are quite clever, creative, and imaginative. [CleanTechnica]
- “US Clean Energy Goals Hinge On Faster Permitting” • The speed and scale the climate crisis requires reforms to the way projects sited and permitted to achieve our national goals. One analysis found that the project build time, including permitting, siting, and construction, for utility-scale solar and wind facility projects averages four years. [CleanTechnica]
- “Electric Trucks And Buses Have Lowest Emissions – ICCT Report” • The European Commission is about to release new proposed emissions regulations for heavy duty trucks and buses. A leaked draft of the rules indicates that they will heavily favor battery-electric vehicles over those powered by hydrogen fuel cells and so-called e-fuels. [CleanTechnica]
- “US DOE Ramps Up Efficiency Standards For Appliances, Funds More Efficient Wind Turbine Manufacturing” • The DOE made several major moves this week. After a conditional $2 billion loan to Redwood Materials for a battery recycling facility, DOE made announcements about the energy efficiency of home appliances and wind turbines. [CleanTechnica]
For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.
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