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The Hydrogen Stream: World’s largest electrolyzer to be deployed in Norway

9/19/2022

 
​HydrogenPro has announced that the world's largest electrolyzer has arrived at its test facility in Herøya, Norway. The electrolyzer will be assembled and installed in the coming weeks, with the validation process to be initiated when possible. The electrolyzer shipment left Tianjin, China, in July. The electrolyzer will have an output of 1,100 Nm3/hour of hydrogen at normal current density. “This equals 100 kg of pure hydrogen per hour, which will set a new standard for the industry,” said HydrogenPro. The electrolyzer has a diameter of 2 meters. - PV Magazine
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Five of Asia’s biggest economies are forecast to see dramatic solar growth

9/19/2022

 
Five of Asia’s biggest economies are expected to see exponential growth of solar, positioning the region to become a global hub of solar power, according to independent energy think tank Ember.
Ember analyzed existing national power sector development plans across China, Japan, Indonesia, India, and the Philippines. It found that solar capacity is expected to grow an average of 22% annually across the five economies. Of the five, the fastest solar capacity growth rates are expected in Indonesia – 41.81% – and the Philippines – 34.64%: - Electrek

Batteries helped (mostly) as California’s grid endured record demand

9/19/2022

 
As a power crunch precipitated by an extended heat wave eased, the California Solar and Storage Association (CALSSA) said that the state had more than 80,000 customer-sited batteries connected to the electric grid capable of providing 900 MW of solar power. It said that while not all the batteries were set to discharge during the peak hours of 4pm-9pm on September 6, an estimated 76% were, capable of providing up to 684 MW of power at any given moment. The trade group said that 50% of these batteries’ aggregate power was put into use during peak hours. - Renewable Energy World

Federal study: New climate law to slice carbon pollution 40%

9/1/2022

 
 - AP News
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Solar Power Is Bailing Texas Out This Summer

9/1/2022

 
On Monday the good people of Texas, many still suffering from lingering trauma as a result of the February 2021 failure of the state’s power grid, braced for bad news. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the much-maligned entity that manages Texas’s famously independent grid, warned that the situation was dire because of “a projected reserve capacity shortage with no market solution available.” If things got worse, rolling blackouts might be needed. Not great!  Fortunately, the worst didn’t happen. There are a few reasons why. To reduce demand, many Texans turned up the thermostat by a few degrees to help save power, and ERCOT’s emergency response program paid some large energy customers to scale back usage during peak times. And significantly, solar power, which has been the star of the Texas grid so far during this interminable summer, continued to set records for energy production. If your air conditioner has been steadily running all summer long, you can thank the mighty power of the sun. - Texas Monthly
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Transforming skyscrapers into gravity batteries

9/1/2022

 
Gravitational accumulation is no longer a novelty. Since 2012, the so-called “gravity batteries” have made their official debut in the world of energy storage. And today more than one company has demonstrated its potential thanks to full-scale projects that exploit mineral wells, quarries or mountains. But researchers at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Vienna, Austria, want to take technology to another level. Or, better, in another environment: that densely urbanized metropolis. In a new study published in the journal Energy, scientists proposed to transform skyscrapers into gigantic gravity battery. How? Through their Lift Energy Storage System, a system that would exploit lift systems and empty apartments to store energy in very high buildings. The idea is to accumulate energy by lifting containers of wet sand or other high-density materials. Basically, the LEST would benefit from any downtime of the lift, moving the sand from the bottom of the building upwards, in case of an excess of electricity production on the grid. And from top to bottom to release energy when electricity demand rises. - SEN

In 'aggressive' step toward clean energy, Hawaii is closing its only coal power plant

9/1/2022

 
Hawaii is getting ready to say goodbye to its only coal power plant on Sept. 1 as part of its "aggressive push to renewable energy," according to the state's top energy official. The state received its final shipment of coal last week to the AES Hawaii power plant, located on the western side of Oahu, and  s looking toward new solar and battery storage energy projects. "It's the first large fossil fuel power plant that we're retiring," said Scott Glenn, chief energy officer at Hawaii State Energy Office. "The rest of the country is also grappling with this and we don't have the tools that the rest of the country does. ... (As an island chain) we can't reach out to others for help. It's an important step for Hawaii, and I also think it's going to be something that other states look to."- USA Today

California just ran on 100% renewable energy, but fossil fuels aren't fading away yet

9/1/2022

 
On a mild Sunday afternoon, California set a historic milestone in the quest for clean energy. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing and on May 8th, the state produced enough renewable electricity to meet 103% of consumer demand. That broke a record set a week earlier of 99.9%. Energy experts say the falling records are a sign of the remarkable progress that renewable energy has made. But that doesn't mean fossil fuels were out of the picture. Even as the record was broken, natural gas power plants were still running in California. - NPR
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Misinformation is derailing renewable energy projects across the United States

9/1/2022

 
On a winter night in early 2016, Jeremy Kitson gathered in his buddy's large shed with some neighbors to plan their fight against a proposed wind farm in rural Van Wert County, Ohio. The project would be about a mile from his home. From the beginning, Kitson — who teaches physics and chemistry at the local high school — knew he didn't want the turbines anywhere near him. He had heard from folks who lived near another wind project about 10 miles away that the turbines were noisy and that they couldn't sleep. "There were so many people saying that it's horrible, you do not want to live under these things,'" Kitson says. - NPR
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Micro hydropower system for building applications, usable with solar

9/1/2022

 
apanese startup Yumes Frontier has developed a micro-hydroelectric power generation system that uses small amounts of water in factories, buildings, and water purification plants. “Our system was conceived to utilize unused water pipes and is aimed at reducing electricity bills in commercial and industrial buildings,” a company spokesperson told pv magazine. “The system can be used in different kinds of commercial and industrial buildings, provided a few conditions are met. For example, a minimum flow rate of 4L/s and a water drop from a height of more than 4 meters. And if these conditions are met, it may even be installed in residential buildings or houses. - PV Magazine
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Solar ‘tax’ removed from Diablo Canyon extension proposal, advocates say

9/1/2022

 
Solar advocates said that a so-called "monthly tax" on rooftop solar customers that was included in a proposal to extend the life of a nuclear power plant in California has been removed from the legislation at the urging of industry supporters. The Solar Rights Alliance said that the authors of Senate Bill 846, Gov. Gavin Newsom's push to approve a $1.4 billion loan to keep the Diablo Canyon Power Plant running, clarified that the legislation "will not impose a solar tax on the solar energy produced and consumed" by solar customers. The Environmental Working Group also joined the last-minute push against a potential "nonbypassable solar tax of up to $60 a month" that the group attributed to utility interests.
- Renewable Energy World 
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Wind and Solar Are Saving Texans $20 Million a Day

8/21/2022

 
In a year of record-high prices for fossil fuels, as lawmakers consider new policies that can help fight inflation, renewable energy is already helping to shield Americans from steep jumps in their electricity bills. For example, in Texas, even as some observers have incorrectly blamed renewables for the state’s strained power grid, more than a third of electricity in the first half of 2022 came from wind and solar projects. Wind and solar have both set records already this year. High production from renewables and high fossil fuel prices together mean wind and solar are having an outsized impact on lowering energy costs. Based on benchmark natural gas prices, RMI estimates that, on average, wind and solar projects in Texas have avoided $20 million per day in fuel that otherwise would have been needed for fossil fuel-based power plants to meet electricity demand.- RMI
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The world’s largest offshore wind farm is about to officially launch

8/21/2022

 
The 1.32 GW Hornsea Two will dethrone the 1.2 GW Hornsea One as the largest operating offshore wind farms in the world. It’s 462 square kilometers (178 square miles) in size, and it will power more than 1.3 million homes. Hornsea Two is off the east coast of England and was developed and is owned by Danish wind giant Ørsted. It features 165 Siemens Gamesa 8 megawatt (MW) turbines; most of the wind turbines’ blades were manufactured at Siemens Gamesa’s factory in Hull. All of Hornsea Two’s wind turbines are now commercially operational. The entire project will be fully commissioned after the final reliability runs are completed, and that’s expected later this month. - Electrek
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How The Inflation Reduction Act Will Spur a New Climate Tech Ecosystem

8/21/2022

 
On the surface, the Inflation Reduction Act that President Biden signed into law on Tuesday may sound like a massive government spending program. Indeed, it promises to put nearly $370 billion in federal funding behind the energy transition. But, if you dig deeper, the IRA is less about the power of government spending and more about the power of the private sector. The tax incentives, loans, and grants at its center are all intended to nudge the private sector to go faster in deploying existing technologies like wind and solar while also advancing future technologies. “The path they went down is 100% the ‘sweeten the deal path,’” says Karen Karniol-Tambour, chief investment officer for sustainability at Bridgewater. “Let’s just give lots of incentives to make the green stuff really competitive.” - Time

Four Ways the Inflation Reduction Act Speeds Shift to a Cleaner, More Affordable Energy Future

8/21/2022

 
The passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a once-in-a-career opportunity, permanently shifting the course of both the US economy and global climate to a better future. And it represents the culmination of decades of work by RMI — our experts and analysis played a direct role advancing key provisions — along with countless other NGOs, businesses, communities, scientists, and policymakers The full implications of the nearly 800-page bill continue to be assessed. But early modeling suggests its incentives will drive dramatic emission reductions: at least 40 percent by 2030, just shy of US commitments to lower emissions by half in that time. - RMI

New US Climate Law Will Reduce Carbon Emissions & Make Electricity Less Expensive Economists Say

8/21/2022

 
U.S. consumers are expected to save money on their electricity bills under the nation’s first comprehensive climate law—perhaps more than $200 billion over the next decade, economists project. Even utilities are talking about eased prices at the same time they are detailing new clean energy investments. The potential price drop flies in the face of an argument made by climate action foes for years—that a move to cleaner power will mean higher energy prices for U.S. homes and businesses. Instead, the Inflation Reduction Act signed this week by President Joe Biden will direct government support to companies that invest in and generate carbon-free power, lowering their costs in a way that will enable them to pass those savings to their customers, analysts say. - Inside Climate News
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Powell’s looming power problem

4/12/2022

 
Over the last two decades, climate change-induced drought and increasing water demand have depleted Lake Powell substantially: It is now less than one-fourth full. As water levels drop, so, too, does the potential energy of the falling water. That, in turn, lowers the turbines’ generating capacity and power output. In the 1990s, the dam produced as much as 7,000 gigawatt hours per year, enough to power nearly 600,000 homes. Last year, it was down to just 3,000 gigawatt hours. - HCN
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Why geothermal energy is being viewed as a viable alternative to fossil fuels

3/26/2022

 
President Biden and the European Union on Friday announced new plans to enable Europe to become less dependent on Russian oil and gas. But for now, the Russian invasion has opened up much larger questions over our dependence on fossil fuels and the need to develop cleaner renewable energy. Science correspondent Miles O'Brien reports on how and why geothermal energy is attracting new interest. - PBS
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Renewables make up nearly all of Texas’ new generating capacity.

3/6/2022

 
Texas' love affair with renewable energy is undeniable. But even after another banner year for clean energy in the state, a market redesign, fueled by political rhetoric from state leaders, could thwart future deployment, experts say. Wind and solar accounted for nearly all new generating capacity added to the Texas grid in 2021, according to newly released market data. S&P Global Market Intelligence notes that power plant operators added 8,139 MW of new generating capacity to the ERCOT market last year -- 42% came from wind and 40% from solar. Natural gas-fired additions made up 13% of the new capacity. Nationally, wind and solar made up a slightly smaller share of new generating capacity -- 41% and 36%, respectively -- of the 27,959 MW of capacity added. - Renewable Energy World
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Hawaii relies on Russian oil — but clean energy could change that

2/28/2022

 
Russia invaded Ukraine, global oil prices spiked, and one U.S. state in particular will feel the crunch. Hawaii imports all of its oil, much of it from Russia itself. As the U.S. Energy Information Administration succinctly notes, ​“Isolated by the Pacific Ocean, Hawaii is the most petroleum-dependent U.S. state.” And while gasoline prices are rising everywhere, Hawaii is unique among the states in how much it depends on oil for electricity. The geopolitical strife in Eastern Europe catches Hawaii at an awkward moment of transition from fossil-fueled electricity to clean energy. - Canary Media
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Largest US offshore wind lease auction attracts $1.5B in bids and counting

2/24/2022

 
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's (BOEM) largest leasing auction for rights to offshore wind development attracted nearly $1.54 billion in bids on Wednesday for six areas with an estimated potential for 5,600 to 7,000 MW of development, depending on the efficiency of the turbines. BOEM said 14 bidders participated in the first day of the auction, from a total of 25 eligible bidders. BOEM did not identify the bidders, but eligible bidders include Avangrid Renewables, PSEG Renewable Generation, Equinor Wind US, and subsidiaries of EDF Renewables, BP and Shell. Provisional winners will be announced following the end of the auction. - Utility Dive
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People power: Hawaii utility wants to pay households to share clean energy

2/17/2022

 
Something unusual is happening in Hawaii: An electric utility and rooftop solar installers have agreed on a proposal to reward households for sharing clean energy with the grid at useful times. In many places around the U.S., utilities treat rooftop solar as an obstacle. They say it shifts grid-maintenance costs from customers who have solar to those who don’t, or causes headaches for their system planning and operations. Utilities in California are currently urging regulators to levy a monthly fee on anyone who adds rooftop solar, regardless of how it operates. - Canary Media

Corn-Based Ethanol May Be Worse For the Climate Than Gasoline New Study Finds

2/17/2022

 
Ethanol made from corn grown across millions of acres of American farmland has become the country’s premier renewable fuel, touted as a low-carbon alternative to traditional gasoline and a key component of the country’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But a new study, published this week, finds that corn-based ethanol may actually be worse for the climate than fossil-based gasoline, and has other environmental downsides. “We thought and hoped it would be a climate solution and reduce and replace our reliance on gasoline,” said Tyler Lark, a researcher with the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and lead author of the study. “It turns out to be no better for the climate than the gasoline it aims to replace and comes with all kinds of other impacts.” - Inside Climate News

California Will Stick Solar Panels Over Canals to Fight Two Disasters at Once

2/17/2022

 
A water and electric utility in central California will install a first-of-its-kind network of solar panels on water canals. Turlock Irrigation District (TID) has secured a $20 million grant from the state to pursue the first-in-the-nation project, which could serve a beneficial double whammy: create renewable energy and save some water in the process. Project Nexus is based off an analysis published last year in Nature Sustainability, which put some real numbers behind the idea that solar panels over canals could do some good. A lot of water in California wends its way through the state’s 4,000 miles (6,437 kilometers) of open delivery canals that comprise the aqueduct system, transporting water supply from the Sierra Nevada mountains and northern parts of the state to reservoirs, lakes, hydropower plants, and farms. The water supply in the state is already under serious dual threats from overuse and climate change, so every drop counts. And these exposed canals have a serious flaw: They allow some of that precious water to evaporate. - Gizmodo (from Nature)
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Amazon, Target & othespace record ‘clean’ energy buying, little sign of stopping

2/12/2022

 
Influential companies, including retail giants Amazon.com and Target; and tech powerhouses Microsoft and Meta — parent company of Facebook FB, -3.74% bought a record 31.1 gigawatts of renewable energy to run their operations in 2021. That’s a jump of nearly 24% from the previous year’s record of 25.1GW of renewables, mostly solar and wind. The latest tally comes from research firm BloombergNEF, which said in a release Monday that over two-thirds of these purchases occurred in the U.S. America has trailed Europe and parts of Asia in shifting from coal and natural gas-derived NG00, +1.04% power to renewable alternatives ICLN, -2.60% to create electricity. Within the U.S., the largest technology companies are leading the move, however; they collectively signed over half of the deals. - MarketWatch
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