Plus: AI could drive gas boom; Realism for hydrogen; Clean electricity reaches 30% globally; $10B for power centers; Tesla axes supercharger team
Hi everyone,
Hopefully my “click bait” subject line piqued your interest. Read my take below and let me know what you think.
There’s plenty of other stories and some commentary as well. Until next time, please keep forwarding this on to others who may be interested.
Thanks,
Peter
Peter’s take: Why walk to school?
I am attending a conference this week for work to hear about Canada’s progress towards net zero. In an interesting approach, the organizers are having us attend as a cohort the breakout sessions for the key themes below, then reconvene again as a plenary for a panel that will attempt to “pull it all together”.
You’ve heard me say this before, but it bears repeating: how we design and build cities must become part of the conversation for the solutions. Roughly 80% of end use emissions from fossil fuels is at the consumer. With more people living in cities, we need to design cities to get away from being so car-dependent and better leverage public transit, make neighbourhoods more walkable and bikeable with convenient access to everyday goods and services, parks, schools, recreation, etc. That means completely rethinking the go-to design models for just about everything. Take schools: too many kids are being driven to school. Some of this is distance, some of it is safety. Both need to be addressed. Smaller catchment areas make it possible for kids to rediscover walking to school, netting health and learning benefits. See this from Fraser Health Authority:
- Children who walk to school have higher academic performance, longer attention spans and are more alert. They have better verbal, numeric, and reasoning abilities, lower levels of stress during school and higher levels of happiness, excitement and relaxation on the journey to school.
Who doesn’t want that for their kids? See also Uytae Lee’s About Here video for more on this topic: Why did Kids Stop Walking to School?
For any of you who happen to be attending this Net Zero Forum with me, drop me a note and maybe there’ll be a chance to connect. If not, I welcome your take.
Meanwhile, I am managing my expectations for the “pulling it all together” conversation. It would be an encouraging bright spot if the theme of sustainable city design – something really does “pull it all together”, will be mentioned.
Finance & Sentiment
A $9.5 Trillion ESG Investor Group Wants Private Market Reforms | BNN Bloomberg
Global ESG investors with $9.5 trillion under management say it’s time to demand more accountability from private markets, amid evidence they’re increasingly absorbing fossil-fuel assets.
HSBC Asked by $890 Billion Investor Group to Set New Energy Goal | BNN Bloomberg
A group of HSBC Holdings Plc investors wants the bank to set a funding target for renewable energy amid concerns its current green pledges are too vague. It’s part of a list of demands that includes asking Europe’s biggest bank to spell out exactly how it plans to hit a sustainable-finance target of up to $1 trillion.
European Oil Giants Eye Wall Street Move to Boost Valuations | MSN
[Excerpts] Two of Europe’s largest oil companies, Shell and TotalEnergies, are contemplating a significant move to Wall Street. Both companies have noted that their shares are trading at lower price-to-cash flow ratios compared to U.S. oil majors like Exxon Mobil and Chevron.
[Comment] As noted by Alex Mitchell, “Americans are more forgiving of the oil industry than Europeans”.
The Fraught Process of Measuring Bank Climate Progress BNN Bloomberg
[Comment] Worth a read if you’re following how banks are being gauged. The wide acknowledgment that current metrics aren’t yet providing the necessary insights suggests further evolution can be expected and likely will include more granular information, as well as the leveraging of AI to make sense of it all.
ISSB and EU to streamline sustainability reporting with new guidance material | edie
The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation and the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group (EFRAG) have jointly unveiled new guidance material aimed at streamlining sustainability reporting practices, in a bid to make reporting more cost effective and resource efficient for companies.
[Comment] I also saw that the EU approved a 2-year delay to sustainability reporting standards for specific sectors and non-EU companies. See ESG Today.
AI could drive a natural gas boom as power companies face surging electricity demand | CNBC
Power companies say gas is needed to meet demand when renewable energy sources are not generating enough power.
Marriott International commits to achieving net-zero by 2050 | edie
Marriott International has announced that its near and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets have been verified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), committing the company to achieving net-zero emissions across the value chain by 2050.
Technology
Hydrogen
Maersk enters deal for half a million tonnes of green methanol annually | Reuters
Maersk on Wednesday announced it had entered into the shipping industry’s first large-scale agreement for green methanol from China’s Goldwind and said production of green methanol was high on the political agenda in China.
Industry leaders urge realism in green hydrogen push | Argus
Hydrogen and its derivatives will have a critically important role to play in accelerating the energy transition but policymakers need to be more realistic given that many of the technologies are still in their infancy, energy industry leaders from the Middle East and Europe said Sunday at a special meeting of the World Economic Forum in the Saudi capital Riyadh.
[Comment] Total CEO Patrick Pouyanne threw doubt on heavy-duty hydrogen trucks, saying “I think electric will win out in the end.”
Carbon Capture
Can this ocean-based carbon plant help save the world? Some scientists are raising red flags | CNN
On a slice of the ocean front in west Singapore, a startup is building a plant to turn carbon dioxide from air and seawater into the same material as seashells, in a process that will also produce “green” hydrogen — a much-hyped clean fuel.
[Comment] For me, the scale to which this technology would have to rise magnifies the risks. Perhaps I just haven’t thought long enough about how impacts to ocean ecosystems could be mitigated. I admit to somehow having less unease with solar geoengineering than I do with ocean geoengineering. Tell me what think.
The Grid
South Australia tests energy-smart homes to ease pressure on grid | pv magazine
An “Australian first” demonstration of aggregated flexible demand in residential settings will be rolled out in South Australia, with the state’s principle electricity distributor to deliver smart energy upgrades for 500 households as part of a pilot program to coordinate power usage and support the grid.
Geothermal
How Texas unleashed a geothermal boom | The Hill
[Excerpt] State lawmakers passed four key bills in 2023 that helped lay the foundation for a new generation of drilling — with just one vote against. The regulatory clarity established by those bills has laid the groundwork for a new generation of startups powered by the state’s urgent need for reliable electricity in the face of increasingly extreme weather, as well as a growing trickle of oil and gas veterans leaving an industry they see as plagued by boom-and-bust cycles.
Urban Design & Buildings
[Ontario] Ford government unveils sweeping new changes to housing rules | Global News
[Excerpt] The new Cutting Red Tape to Build More Housing Act includes a reduction in the amount of parking developers need to build, special rules to fast-track the construction of student accommodation and a long-awaited use-it-or-lose-it policy.
The Father of the 15-Minute City Doubles Down on His Vision | Bloomberg City Lab
In the wake of attacks by conspiracy theorists, Carlos Moreno is out with a new book that seeks to school the world on his pervasive urban planning concept.
Energy Performance of Buildings Directive adopted to bring down energy bills and reduce emissions | European Commission
[Excerpt] All new residential and non-residential buildings must have zero on-site emissions from fossil fuels, as of 1 January 2028 for publicly-owned buildings and as of 1 January 2030 for all other new buildings, with a possibility for specific exemptions. The strengthened Directive contains new provisions to progressively phase-out fossil fuels from heating in buildings and boost the deployment of solar power installations, taking into account the national circumstances. Member States will also have to ensure that new buildings are ‘solar ready‘. Subsidies for the installation of stand-alone boilers powered by fossil fuels will not be allowed as of 1 January 2025. It will also boost the uptake of sustainable mobility thanks to provisions on pre-cabling, recharging points for electric vehicles and bicycle parking spaces.
Suburban backlash threatens country’s biggest transit systems | Politico
The nation’s largest mass transit systems are edging closer to solving their post-pandemic budget crises, but one thing is standing in their way: the suburbs.
[Comment] Have a look at the recovery of transit usage in Calgary, courtesy of LiveWireCalgary.
Small Modular Reactors
Canada’s nuclear ‘renaissance’ prompts BWXT Ontario expansion | Reuters
[Excerpt] BWXT Canada, which forms a major part of Ontario’s nuclear supply chain serving CANDU and Pressurized Water Reactors and manufacturing nuclear-ready steam generators, heat exchangers, tube and pipe assemblies, pressure vessels, tanks, and spent fuel containers, announced in April it was expanding its operations through a CAN$80 million investment.
Transportable Nuclear Power? Prodigy Clean Energy and Des Nëdhé Group Partner to Bring Plants to Remote Regions | the deep dive and Des Nëdhé Group
Under the MOU, Prodigy and Des Nëdhé will explore potential TNPP projects, and engage with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis across Canada, identifying ways in which Indigenous Peoples could have ownership in TNPP new builds, and how an Indigenous workforce could take a leading role in TNPP commercialization and strategic infrastructure development.
Energy Storage
Energy Vault and NV Energy commission 440MWh Nevada BESS in ‘compressed schedule’ | Energy Storage News
Energy Vault and utility NV Energy have put a 220MW/440MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) into operation in Nevada, US. The Reid Gardner BESS project in Moapa, Nevada, was built on the site of a decommissioned coal plant and the 2-hour unit is one of the largest BESS in the state.
Australia: Neoen launches phase two build of 2.2GWh Collie BESS following capacity market award | Energy Storage News
[Excerpt] The France-headquartered independent power producer (IPP) has given notice to proceed (NTP) to contractors Tesla and UGL, an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm, to start building the 341MW/1,363MWh phase two portion of the project.
RenewableUK: Battery projects pipeline increase by 38.5GW in 12-months | Current±
A report published by trade association RenewableUK today (2 May) shows that the total pipeline of battery projects has reached 95.6GW, a two-thirds increase on last year. Operational battery storage capacity has risen to 4.4GW and the capacity of projects under construction has reached 4.3GW.
Tesla deployed 4.1GWh BESS in Q1, storage and generation is highest-margin business line | Energy Storage News
Tesla made “all-time high” energy storage deployments in the first quarter of this year, “leading to record profitability” for its energy business line, CEO Elon Musk has said this week.
Giga Storage gets go-ahead for 2.4GWh Belgium project, still choosing BESS provider | Energy Storage News
Dutch developer Giga Storage has received a permit for construction for its 600MW/2,400MWh BESS project in neighbouring Belgium and will choose the BESS technology provider after summer.
[Comment] This is a massive battery, especially for Europe.
Japan allocates 1.09 GW of storage in capacity auction | pv magazine
The Japanese authorities selected 30 battery storage projects in the procurement exercise. The selected developers and plant owners will be awarded a 20-year fixed revenue.
Solar and Wind
More and faster: Electricity from clean sources reaches 30% of global total | AP News
[Excerpt] Solar made up the biggest share of new clean energy last year. More than twice as much solar power was added as coal power. It was the 19th year in a row that solar was the fastest-growing source of electricity generation. A surge in solar installations happened at the end of the year and the report predicts 2024 will see an even larger jump.
[Comment] This also from CarbonBrief: Wind and solar are growing faster than any other sources of electricity in history, according to new analysis from thinktank Ember.
Global electricity generation technology expansion by technology (TWh), showing the time it has taken for key technologies to grow from 100TWh to 1,000TWh. Source: Ember.
Microsoft signs deal to invest more than $10 billion on renewable energy capacity to power data centers | CNBC
[Excerpt] Brookfield will deliver 10.5 gigawatts of renewable energy for Microsoft between 2026 and 2030 in the U.S. and Europe under the agreement. The companies described the deal as the largest single electricity purchase agreement signed between two corporate partners.
Three NY offshore wind projects unravel after GE scraps turbine plans | Canary Media
GE pivoted away from making huge offshore wind turbines. Now, New York authorities have denied contracts to three major projects banking on the design.
India’s renewable tenders hit 70 GW | pv magazine
India has accepted bids to set up 69.8 GW of renewable energy capacity, far surpassing its annual bidding target of 50 GW in fiscal 2024. Activity surged due to large-scale potential for market growth, central government support, and higher operating margins.
Solar and battery manufacturing levels aligned with net-zero trajectories | edie
Global manufacturing rates for solar PV are already matching the capacity needed under a net-zero scenario in 2030, according to new research that found that global investment into green technology increased by 70% last year.
[Comment] As encouraging as this is, it is simply not sustainable. With the increase in manufacturing, demand has not kept up with the supply. Solar and battery prices have come down and plants are being idled, likely until supply and demand comes back into balance.
Transportation
Honda announces four Ontario EV and battery factories in $15-billion deal | Electric Autonomy
Honda is building a series of four factories in Ontario as part of a massive $15-billion investment in its North American EV manufacturing footprint. [Excerpt] Honda is eligible to receive up to $5 billion in incentives and subsidies, divided equally between the provincial and federal governments.
Cadillac’s Lyriq Is Becoming a Dark Horse In the US Electric Car Wars | Bloomberg
The Cadillac LYRIQ Courtesy of Cadillac
[Excerpt] Roberts isn’t the only US car buyer convinced by the Lyriq’s look and feel: Even as the shine wears off much of the EV market, Cadillac’s Lyriq has emerged as a rising star. General Motors Co. sold almost 6,000 of them in the first quarter, besting nearly all of its German luxury rivals and a number of more pedestrian battery-powered models, according to new data from Cox Automotive.
Tesla Axes Most of Supercharger Team in Blow to Other Automakers | BNN Bloomberg
Tesla Inc. eliminated almost its entire Supercharger organization, which has built a vast network of public charging stations that virtually every major automaker is in the process of tapping into in the US.
Global heavy duty vehicle manufacturers falling short on EV transition, research finds | edie
[Excerpts] However, only a fraction of the required number of zero-emission HDVs have been deployed globally, with less than 100,000 new units produced in 2023, far below the target of 13 million by 2035.
[Comment] Transitioning to zero-emission HDVs is going to take longer. Period. I don’t yet see governments motivated to provide the supportive policy needed.
Shell Plans to Divest 1,000 Retail Sites in Shift to EV Charging | Financial Post
The reckless policies that helped fill our streets with ridiculously large cars | Vox
Dangerous, polluting SUVs and pickups took over America. Lawmakers are partly to blame. SUVs and pickup trucks make up more than 80 percent of new car sales in the US. Their height and weight make them significantly more likely to injure pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users, and they also make it harder to see pedestrians crossing the street.
Volkswagen revamps its approach in China in bid to overtake upstart EV makers | AP News
[Excerpt] Volkswagen’s response has been to shift to developing cars in China from the ground up, rather than adapting European models to the local market. The company announced earlier this month that it would invest 2.5 billion euros ($2.7 billion) to expand research and development and production in the city of Hefei, where it has teamed up with Chinese EV maker XPENG Motors to develop two midsize VW models to launch in 2026. The company is developing a new EV platform, which includes the chassis and battery packs, just for China to try to bring down costs by 40%.
Chinese automakers redefine car as living space at Beijing Auto Show | AP News
How about turning a car’s front bucket seats 180 degrees so they face the rear seats and extending out a table so the occupants can play cards or eat a meal? Or a 43-inch (109 centimeter) screen for the passengers in the back seat?
Rivian Secures $827 Million in Funding to Expand in Illinois | Financial Post
Rivian Automotive Inc. will receive incentives valued at $827 million from Illinois to expand its electric-vehicle plant in the state after the company halted work on a separate facility in Georgia.
BC Transit purchases 66 new electric buses from Canadian manufacturers Nova Bus, New Flyer | Electric Autonomy
The new electric bus order signals the transit agency is doubling down on its electrification plans after setback due to Proterra’s 2023 collapse.
Circular Economy
12 innovative circular economy startups in 2024 | GreenBiz
[Excerpt] This year, we at GreenBiz identified a dozen of the most innovative circular startups, based on their strength across six criteria: the uniqueness of their solution; robustness of their business model; focus on customer needs; demonstrated traction; the relevant expertise of their team; and the quality of their pitch presentation. Other requirements: They are all incorporated, have a product ready and employ at least one person full-time.
Policy
EPA awards $7B to 60 low-income solar access programs | Utility Dive
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded $7 billion to 60 recipients under the Solar for All provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act. Per the IRA, the funds must be used to improve low-income households’ access to solar energy.