Plus: BP provide look at global energy markets; Nissan’s 1st EV in China; a round-up of Canada stories; California – 100% renewable by 2045?
Hi Everyone,
So it turns out Tesla won’t be trying to go private after all (I had previously reported the news that the Saudi’s were going to invest in the move to take Telsa private, so wanted to catch you up on where this was at).
Lots more coal plant plants in the US set to be shut down. Hard to imagine Trump waving a magic wand to make them economic again, but who knows.
Do check out the set of stories from Canada further down – and as usual – send this on to others who may be interested.
Thanks,
Peter
A year in global energy markets – by BP
Great Graphics! BP’s chief economist Spencer Dale distills a full year of energy market activity into a 4-minute read: what’s changed, what’s stayed the same and what are the areas to watch? Did renewables outperform oil and gas? What happened to carbon emissions? And can the increasing demand for battery metals be met? BP
Excerpts:
- “The constant in the oil market in recent years has been the strength of demand growth – and last year was no different with demand up by around 1.7 million barrels a day (mb/d), similar to that seen in 2016 and up from the 10-year average of 1.1mb/d.
- “Renewable power grew by 17%, the largest increment on record and higher than the 10-year average. Wind provided more than half of renewables growth, but solar energy was the real star. Solar generation increased by a third, while capacity increased by nearly 100 gigawatts, with China alone installing more than 50 GW. Dramatic falls in solar costs have underpinned this growth – price drops that would have been unthinkable for most projects even just a few years ago.”
- “The share of coal used today in the power sector is identical to almost two decades ago. And the share of non-fossil fuels is actually slightly lower than 1997 as the growth of renewables hasn’t fully compensated for the declining share of nuclear.”
- Will the availability of either metal (Cobalt and lithium) act as a constraint to electric vehicle growth? The data suggests that out of the two metals, cobalt is the more likely to pose a bottleneck, although its availability may also provide momentum to develop new, less cobalt-intensive technologies.”
Download the full 56 page report here.
FirstEnergy to retire more than 4 GW of coal plant capacity in Pennsylvania and Ohio
Excerpt: The shutdowns would be the end of its Ohio coal fleet, but the generator said retirements could be “reversed or postponed” if the Trump administration moves to bail out the plants. FirstEnergy’s proposed closures now include three nuclear plants totaling more than 4 GW, three coal plants also totaling more than 4 GW, and a lone oil-fired facility capable of generating 13 MW. Utility Dive
Comment: The reason: the plants “are not able to compete against a newer class of gas-fired plants and renewable resources”.
Colorado approves Xcel plan to retire coal, shift to renewables and storage
Excerpt: The plan will see the utility retire 660 MW of coal power and invest $2.5 billion in renewable energy, part of Xcel’s “steel for fuel” strategy. In January, the utility solicited notably low bid prices for wind-plus-storage, $21/MWh, as well as $36/MWh for solar-plus-storage, some of the lowest bids for renewable energy plus storage on record. Utility Dive
Germany reaches 100,000 home battery storage installations
Excerpt: The country appears to be on a more rapid trajectory to achieving that goal than many others. By way of illustration, there were around 50,000 systems installed by mid-2017. Energy-Storage.news reported in July this year that as many as 37,000 units were sold and connected to the grid during last year. The 100,000th system joins 1 million homes in Germany now with their own PV system, as announced by BSW Solar in June. Energy Storage News
Nissan launches first low-cost electric car in China
Excerpt: News agency AP reported the Sylphy would cost 166,000 yuan ($25,850, €22,266) after government subsidies, or just half the sticker price of the Nissan Leaf. Brands including Nissan itself and Tesla, GM and Audi have been selling imported electric cars in China, but their high price has limited their appeal. Nissan’s rival automakers such as General Motors and Volkswagen are planning to release electric models designed solely for China starting this year. Deutsche Welle
Toyota to invest $500M in Uber for driverless vehicle collaboration
Excerpt: Uber will outfit Toyota Sienna minivans with its driverless technology and use the fleet for its ride-sharing service starting in 2021. Smart Cities Dive
Governor’s desk last stop to California pledging 100% carbon-free energy by 2045
I felt the need to create this graph, just so I know where California stands today. 100% renewables would require wind turbines on an area 4 times the size of LA county. If you can overcome intermittency and nimbyism.
Excerpt: On Wednesday evening, California’s Senate passed SB 100, a bill mandating that utilities serving the state move to 100-percent carbon-free energy by 2045. If the Governor signs the bill into law, it will become one of the most aggressive in the nation, matching only Hawaii’s carbon-free by 2045 commitment. Ars Technica
Bosch unveils new electric semitrailers that can save over $10,000 per year through regen braking
Excerpt: German auto parts giant Bosch has several different electrification programs. The latest involves electrifying semitrailers to add regenerative braking on their axles. The company estimates that trucks will be able to save up to $10,000 per year through the system. Electrek
Pollinator habitats: The bees’ knees of rural solar development
Excerpt: “If we can develop solar facilities in a little more of an environmentally friendly way that also benefits pollinators and nearby agriculture then that might mitigate or alleviate some of the environmental concerns of the large amounts of land that these solar facilities require,” Leroy Walston, one of the authors of the report, told Utility Dive.
Canada, eh. Stories from this glorious land
Three Canadian Cities sign on to Net Zero Carbon Buildings declaration
Excerpt: Three Canadian mayors, alongside 16 mayors from around the world, representing 130 million urban citizens, committed to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions from their cities by ensuring that new buildings operate at net zero carbon by 2030. By signing the Net Zero Carbon Buildings Declaration, the leaders of Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Copenhagen, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Newburyport, Paris, Portland, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Monica, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo, Tshwane & Washington D.C also pledged to ensure all buildings in the cities, old or new, will meet net-zero carbon standards by 2050. Building.ca
Transport Canada is investing $265,000 to prepare for a driverless future
About the only tangible place money will go: In Ottawa, $140,000 will help install smart traffic signals that can improve traffic flow and reduce vehicle emissions. Mobile Syrup
Federal government commits $1.4 million for Calgary grid pilot project
Excerpt: The funding will support an Enmax pilot project, the first of its kind in Canada, that seeks to enable two-way power flow in urban downtown cores, allowing customers to send extra renewable self-generated electricity back into Calgary’s electricity grid for others to use. In Calgary, Enmax already enables two-way power flow on its standard distribution system. But that’s not the case on its secondary network, a highly specialized system used in the downtown core. Calgary Herald
Calgary home certified as Alberta’s 1st ‘passive house’
Excerpt: Ania Kania-Richmond says special energy efficient features heat her family’s nearly 2,000-square-foot home in Rocky Ridge without a furnace, despite Calgary’s frigid winters. CBC
Nova Scotia Supports Sustainable Transportation in Halifax Regional Municipality
Excerpt: Halifax residents will have more walking, cycling and other emission-reducing transportation options with support from the province’s sustainable transportation grant program, Connect2. NovaScotia.ca
Look, no driver Ireland’s first driverless public transport vehicle to debut next month
Excerpt: The Easymile ‘EZ10’ is a driverless, electric shuttle bus, which can carry up to 15 people and is ideal for last mile transportation in particular. The ‘EZ10’ is currently in daily operation at locations in the US, Holland, China, and Estonia and is expanding globally. The shuttle route will run for nearly one kilometre with 4 stops in place from the Dublin Convention Centre to the 3 Arena. Irish Tech News