Plus: Big US utility commits to 100% clean energy; Shell to set new sector-leading targets
Hi Everyone,
The scooter stampede of 2018 is (mostly) great news for urban transportation. I ride the bus and the train to and from work (it gives me the time to find the stories to bring you each week). Lately though, I’ve been weighing the pros and cons of using an electric scooter to replace the bus trip – mostly for the convenience of not having to wait for the bus, plus I’d be able to take a more direct route. However, the cost of a scooter has given me pause. The one had my eye on is now on sale for $447 CAD, a bit too steep still. Tell me what you think.
Spread the word. Forward on to a friend or colleague who’d be interested.
Thanks,
Peter
Even in a carbon-constrained world, fossil fuels remain dominant: WoodMac
Excerpt: “Even with an accelerated pace of change, a ‘2-degree world’ remains out of reach in our accelerated scenario,” David Brown, senior analyst at Wood Mackenzie, said in a statement. “Much more needs to happen around lowering non-power sector emissions to achieve such an outcome.”
Globally, natural gas will see continued demand growth through 2040, according to the report. But Wood Mackenzie also says that in “slower-growing power markets like the EU and USA with high penetration of renewables, gas demand growth will be more limited.” …more from Utility Dive
Sails make a comeback as shipping tries to go green
‘Rotor sails’ can replace up to half a ship’s engine propulsion on a windy day, Norsepower says
Excerpt: European and U.S. tech companies, including one backed by airplane maker Airbus, are pitching futuristic sails to help cargo ships harness the free and endless supply of wind power. While they sometimes don’t even look like sails — some are shaped like spinning columns — they represent a cheap and reliable way to reduce CO2 emissions for an industry that depends on a particularly dirty form of fossil fuels. …more from CBC
Shell to set sector-leading emissions targets after investor pressure
Shell intends to set targets in 2020 that will include so-called Scope 3 emissions from the burning of fuels sold to customers. Shell already links 10% of executive pay to reducing emissions of the company’s operations, which will expand to include Scope 3 emissions. …more from REUTERS
For the first time, a major US utility has committed to 100% clean energy
Excerpt: The energy world got some big news on Tuesday: Xcel Energy, one of the biggest utilities in the US, has committed to going completely carbon-free by 2050 (and 80 percent carbon-free by 2030). …more from Vox
Big Tesla battery earned $24 million in 2018, saves over $40 million
Built in 4.5 months at a cost of $91 million, the battery has made $24 million in revenue in 2018 with a market benefit pegged at $40-$50 million and payout projected in 4 years. Impressive. Its ability to more rapidly respond to events such as coal plant upset is rather striking. This set up works where the market structure suitably rewards grid frequency regulation services. …more from RenewEconomy
Volkswagen slashes costs by $6.8B to fund Tesla pursuit; Says the next generation of combustion cars will be its last
Excerpt: To improve profitability after lagging behind mass-market peers for years, the VW nameplate will trim management ranks, slash factory costs and eliminate a quarter of engine and gearbox variants in Europe. …more from Bloomberg
Excerpt: Volkswagen AG expects the era of the combustion car to fade away after it rolls out its next-generation gasoline and diesel cars beginning in 2026. …more from Bloomberg
UK’s Social Energy aiming to ‘disrupt’ energy markets with AI-powered home storage hub
Comment: A consultancy determined that the savings to a homeowner could add up to £593 ($1000 CAD) per year for a combined solar plus storage set up.
Excerpt: Using Duracell’s domestic batteries – which have been developed in conjunction with battery manufacturer BYD – in combination with the AI-powered ‘Social Energy Hub’, the system can predict home energy usage patterns and optimising the times at which homes draw from the grid, while also enabling the set-up to “uniquely optimise between multiple grid trading opportunities”. …more from Current
California utilities prep nation’s biggest time-of-use rate roll out
So here’s the question: do you think you would shift your electricity use if you had a financial incentive. I’ve heard at least one view from an Alberta utility that they see Albertans as not likely to be able to shift their usage to make a difference. What do you think?
In California, the evidence suggests people respond very well to time-of-use rates.
Excerpt: Over 300 time-varying rates in 62 pilots have shown consumers can “understand and respond,” but California’s three IOUs are dealing with more than 20 million people. …more from UtilityDive
Tesla’s giant virtual power plant with Powerwalls expands to 1,000 more homes in Australia
Excerpt: Tesla’s plan to deploy 50,000 Powerwalls in Australia in order to create a giant virtual power plant is moving forward with 1,000 more homes as part of the second phase. …more from Electrek
China Targets Cut in Wind-, Solar-Power Blocked From Grid Access
Excerpt: China set three-year targets for allowing more wind and solar power onto the power grid after the rapid addition of panels and windmills forced some electricity distributors to partly block that energy from flowing into their systems. …more from Bloomberg
‘A kind of dark realism’: Why the climate change problem is starting to look too big to solve
Excerpt: “If you’re driving on a highway and the car in front of you stops short, and you slam on brakes and realize that you’re going to hit the guy no matter what, that’s not the time to take your foot off the brake,” said John Sterman, a professor of management at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s business school. “And you certainly don’t step on the gas.” …more from Washington Post