Plus: EU Bank to stop investing in fossil fuels within 2 years; Tesla picks Berlin for gigafactory
Hi Everyone,
If you only have time to read one story, read the article by UBC Ecological Economist Bill Rees. It comes in two parts – so your assignment is to read both. See the first posted story below.
It’s been a busy week for me which cut into my recreational reading time, so this update may not have caught all the big stories of the past week. Feel free to share stories I missed.
By all means, please continue to share this around with friends, family and colleagues and encourage them to subscribe. You’d be surprised how many people appreciate getting better insights about what is going on in the climate-energy nexus. As always, please feel free to share your comments and reactions.
Have a great week!
Peter
Don’t Call Me a Pessimist on Climate Change. I Am a Realist | The Tyee
Comment: As I said in the opening remarks, this two part piece by UBC Ecological Economist Bill Rees is definitely worth the time. The way in which he knits all the facts together is simultaneously sobering and depressing. Frankly, I admit I’m still noodling on his 11 point plan to REALLY course correct on climate change, especially the last one.
The daunting complexity of the challenge Bill lays out means it will take many minds to work the solutions. I’m trying to do my part, both in my job and with this hobby that I’ve been doing for over 3 years now – sharing stories of big investments, the synergistic triangulation of multiple new or improved technologies in the production or use of energy – this energy shift that is going on – in the hope that it spurs others to join in or go further.
Sweden dumps Australian bonds over “large climate footprint” | RenewEconomy
Comment: Note that Alberta’s bonds were also ‘singled-out’ because the province is “not known for good climate work”.
Orsted Brings 460MW Solar-Plus-Storage Project to Texas Oil Country | Greentech Media
Excerpt: The storage facility will be relatively modest in size by the standards of the latest projects, at 40 megawatts with one hour of capacity, running alongside a 420 MW AC solar array. The solar plant itself will crack the top 10 for size in the U.S. market, according to Wood Mackenzie data. The combined project will be built across a 3,600-acre site in Andrews County.
100% ‘clean’ electricity: Where things stand | E&E News
Excerpt: The report said that roughly 1 in 3 Americans, or approximately 111 million people, now live in a city or state that has committed to, or achieved, 100% clean electricity. While policies differ from state to state, researchers said seven states, in addition to Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., have already adopted 100% clean energy transition laws.
GE Signs 715 Megawatt Wind Deal In China, Puts World’s Most Powerful Wind Turbine Into Service | CleanTechnica
Excerpt: GE will provide 286 of its 2.5-132 turbines with 130-meter soft steel towers for the wind farm. These turbines were designed specifically for the unique low wind speed needs in Henan province and will be manufactured by GE in China. When completed in the middle of next year, the wind farm will supply enough electricity to power 500,000 homes.
Other headlines of interest…
Energy Storage
- Tesla has a new big Megapack project to replace a gas peaker plant | Electrek
- Flow batteries picked for New Zealand’s rural telecoms networks | Energy Storage News
- Moixa claims milestone as battery storage fleet [10,000 homes] surpasses 100MWh | Current News
Solar (& Battery)
- Travers – Largest solar project in Canada | Green Energy Futures
- Orsted Brings 460MW Solar-Plus-Storage Project to Texas Oil Country | Greentech Media
- Printable solar cells for lightweight energy | CSIRO
- S. Korea Has a 20 Mile Solar-Covered Bike Lane in the Middle of the Freeway | Renewsable
Wind (& Battery)
- GE Signs 715 Megawatt Wind Deal In China, Puts World’s Most Powerful Wind Turbine Into Service | CleanTechnica
Transport
- B.C. signs $200-million deal for four more electric-hybrid ferries | JWN Energy
- U.S. Electric Bus Demand Outpaces Production as Cities Add to Their Fleets | Inside Climate News
- CurbFlow pilot reduced double parking in DC by 64% | Smart Cities Dive
- Mercedes-Benz releases lifecycle environmental assessment of EQC electric SUV | Electrek
- Qantas aims for zero net emissions by 2050, cap emissions at 2020 levels | RenewEconomy
- Tesla’s new gigafactory in Berlin seen as “head on attack” on BMW, VW and Daimler | The Driven
Transition
- 100% ‘clean’ electricity: Where things stand | E&E News
Finance
- European Investment Bank to cease funding fossil fuel projects by end-2021 | Reuters
Carbon Capture
- Carbon capture just got cheaper and more efficient | Anthropocene
Electric scooters already seeing big discounts in early Black Friday deals | Electrek
