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Renewable Tuesday: Let's Get Real [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-08-01
Are we headed to the #ClimateEmergency that has been trending on X/Twitter, or a Brave New World without greenhouse gas pollution? The answer is Yes, both. We are not going to kill the planet or ourselves, but we are going to kill something—a lot of something—along the way. Still, we are going to get to 100% renewable energy, 100% electric vehicles, perhaps a trillion more trees, and much, much more. And the end of the fossil fuel industry, one way or another.
Cut their subsidies
Price them out of the market
Innovate at unheard-of rates
Sue their burning pants off
The case keeps getting more urgent.
x Yesterday, Antarctic sea ice extent hit a new record statistical low of -6.65σ below the 1991-2020 mean. About a 1-in-70B chance w/o climate change.
This is not a graph of extent or anomaly. It is a graph of standard deviations -- a measure of how abnormal the year's data is. pic.twitter.com/CvnYLde9iD — Prof. Eliot Jacobson (@EliotJacobson) July 29, 2023
Climate trolls like to talk about how climate variation is normal. Nearly all of the graph above lets them make this bogus argument to some extent. The red line, however, is a clear red line.
#ClimateEmergency
x A prolonged #heatwave in the U.S. has led to an uptick in severely burned patients who were injured after touching hot surfaces or objects. Medics said some patients were hurt after falling onto asphalt which had been heated by the sun. #ClimateEmergency
https://t.co/JLCaXkTNzt — Ian Weissman, DO (@DrIanWeissman) July 29, 2023
This is a particular hazard for the homeless sleeping on the street. Increasing numbers of them have been admitted to hospitals with third-degree burns.
Biden announces first-ever heat wave "hazard alert" for workers
x In the sweltering summer heat, nobody tries to cool off by jumping into a hot tub. In parts of Florida, that’s what the ocean has felt like. Sea surface temperatures reached as high as 101.2 degrees Fahrenheit (38.4 degrees Celsius). #ClimateEmergency
https://t.co/sx0fFDBwxK — Ian Weissman, DO (@DrIanWeissman) July 30, 2023
Subsidies
x There’s a single statistic everyone in the world should know this summer: fossil fuel subsidies are ten times greater than climate finance.
https://t.co/nByI7n0tFB — ❤️ Umair (@umairh) July 30, 2023
See, here’s the deal. President Biden has a plan to cut the subsidies by $31 billion, along with other useful changes to our budgeting process.
Let’s finish the job.
That means you need to vote at every opportunity, and tell others to do so as well. There are many millions more of us than of theme. We just have to act like it. Then we get to be agents of karma letting the Wrong-Wingers pwn themselves. Go on. You know you want to.
x MAGA House Republicans are threatening a default that could cost us millions of jobs and trigger a recession.
All because they are demanding deep cuts that will hurt hardworking families – even while they protect tax breaks for the wealthy and corporations.
⁰I’ve got a plan to… pic.twitter.com/8kiBsJRprj — President Biden (@POTUS) May 21, 2023
Letting Markets Be Markets
Biden’s DOT pushes tighter fuel efficiency rules for SUVs, Alex Guillén, Politico, July 28, 2023.
(Sen. Rafael Cruz called this a “de facto EV mandate” — but he said it like that was a bad thing! 🤔)
The Transportation Department on Friday floated a fuel economy rule that would require automakers to more aggressively increase the efficiency of SUVs and pickup trucks compared to passenger vehicles through 2032. Sedans have already improved at a rapid clip, but SUVs and pickup trucks — which have become increasingly popular with American drivers — have “more room to improve,” the proposal said. Doing so could bring the fleetwide average in 2032 to around 46 miles per gallon in real-world terms. “Better vehicle fuel efficiency means more money in Americans’ pockets and stronger energy security for the entire nation,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. ✂️ The fuel economy proposal aligns with EPA’s April tailpipe emissions proposal, Reg. 2060-AV49, that by 2032 would effectively require 67 percent of new vehicles to be zero-emissions. That’s an order of magnitude more than current electric vehicle sales levels, though many automakers plan to significantly expand their electric vehicle offerings.
Major automakers partner on new EV charging network to rival Tesla, Joann Muller, Axios, July 27, 2023.
Seven of the world's largest automakers are forming a new company to build a vast network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers across America, they announced Wednesday. Why it matters: Their goal is to help potential EV buyers get over their "range anxiety" by tapping billions of dollars in federal subsidies to accelerate the rollout of fast-charging infrastructure.✂️ Details: The participants plan to collectively invest at least $1 billion in the new company, the Wall Street Journal reported, although they would not provide further details. They intend to take advantage of $7.5 billion in federal funding, which will cover up to 80% of the cost of charger installations.
Their plan is to roll out 30,000 DC fast-chargers in metropolitan areas and along U.S. highways starting in 2024.
Whitmer signs energy bills to advance Democrats' climate goals, Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, July 27, 2023.
A pair of bills signed by Whitmer — Senate Bills 302 and 303 — modify a clean energy program that allows local governments to provide financing to help commercial and industrial properties improve their energy efficiency. The legislation would expand the program to include agricultural property. ✂️ Whitmer also signed House Bills 4317 and 4318 which create the new "Solar Energy Facilities Taxation Act." The legislation allows local governments to establish solar energy districts, enabling qualified solar facilities to be exempt from property taxes. Instead, they would be subject to a Payment In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) — a solar energy facilities tax — based on the energy capacity of the facility. Both bills received bipartisan support in the state House and Senate.✂️ Michigan's assistance program that helps eligible low-income households cover home energy costs will become permanent after Whitmer signed Senate Bill 288. ✂️ Finally, Whitmer signed Senate Bill 14 which will allow state departments and agencies in Michigan to adopt regulations more stringent than those at the federal level. The Democratic bill passed along a party-line vote. Environmental groups support the bill, seeing it as an opportunity to protect the state's natural resources.
Lights out for incandescent bulbs
The incandescent lightbulbs that have been illuminating American homes and businesses since Thomas Edison first unveiled them in 1879 are finally coming off U.S. shelves. After years of political and regulatory fights over everything from the bulbs’ costs to their effect on former President Donald Trump’s face color, the Department of Energy is starting this month to fully enforce rules that phase out nearly all the products. Along with prohibiting the manufacture, import and retail sales of most incandescent bulbs, the rules finalized last year authorize DOE to slap penalties of $542 on companies per each violation. That could mean millions of dollars in fines for large incandescent orders. DOE enforcement is expected to further entrench U.S. market dominance for more efficient, light-emitting diode (LED) lightbulbs. Environmentalists and efficiency advocates, who have long touted the regulations as important for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, are now taking a victory lap.
Pritzker Focuses on Business Development, Clean Energy Jobs at Joliet Assembly Plant Opening, Peter Hancock, WTTW, July 23, 2023.
SPRINGFIELD – Gov. J.B. Pritzker has spent much of his time in recent weeks promoting the state’s electric vehicle industry and touting the impact of his signature Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, or CEJA, including during a weeklong trade mission to the United Kingdom. CG presents a CTA electric bus! On Friday, Pritzker was in Joliet where he joined other elected officials and local dignitaries to celebrate the grand opening of a new Lion Electric assembly plant, the first new automotive factory in the greater Chicago area since 1965.✂️ The 900,000 square foot facility in Will County is expected to employ about 1,400 people and have a production capacity of 20,000 buses and trucks per year. The Lion Electric factory opening came on the same day that the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced $38 million in funding availability to develop 13 regional “CEJA Workforce hubs,” a training program that’s intended to prepare people for entry-level jobs in the clean energy industry.
Innovation
The Future of EV Batteries Imagine electric car batteries that could take you 500 miles on a charge. How about 1,100 miles on a charge! Incredible new technology is coming soon, from batteries as structural components to batteries extracted from seawater. All this and more is be researched as we speak. Better and Cheaper EV Batteries: The New Gold Rush According to numerous statistics, electric vehicle sales will jump in America in the next five years, climbing from 3 percent of car sales today to about 10 percent in 2025 and almost 30 percent by 2030. Demand for better and cheaper EV batteries is creating a new gold rush as university research teams, start-up companies and automakers delve into exciting new technologies and hurry to meet demand. EV Batteries as Structural Components
Carbon Nanotube Electrodes
Cobalt-Free Batteries
Silicon Anode Batteries
Sand Batteries Offer More Life
Charge Your EV in 5 Minutes
Batteries that Never Die
Solid-State Batteries
Zinc-Air Batteries Excellent. Now let’s see them do better, faster, and cheaper, all at the same time, thus breaking the fundamental law of product engineering, which said that you got to pick two of the three.
Cummins, Blue Bird Unveil Next-Gen Electric School Bus
Accelera by Cummins, the zero-emissions business segment of Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI), and Blue Bird Corporation (Nasdaq: BLBD), the leader in electric and low-emission school buses, recently premiered the next-generation Vision electric school bus at STN Expo West in Reno, Nev. The next-generation electric school bus features the Accelera PowerDrive 7000, the newest version of its electric powertrain system. The upgraded system provides superior performance and is equipped with a next-gen battery that has a capacity of 196kWh – a 25 percent increase from the previous model. With this updated battery technology, these electric school buses can now travel up to 130 miles on a single charge.
Making Infinitely Recyclable Plastics Using Bacteria
Researchers successfully engineered microbes to make biological alternatives for the starting ingredients in an infinitely recyclable plastic Unlike traditional plastics, PDK [poly(diketoenamine)] can be repeatedly deconstructed into pristine building blocks and formed into new products with no loss in quality. “Our new results are extremely encouraging. With even modest improvements to the production process, we could soon be making bio-based PDK plastics that are both cheaper and emit less CO 2 than those made with fossil fuels.”
Axios: Want an affordable electric car? Check the used lot
Why it matters: People buy more than twice as many used cars as brand new models, so a vibrant secondary market is key to broader EV adoption. What's happening: Early EV adopters are now trading in their cars for new models, creating a larger pool of pre-owned options. Dealers sold an estimated 41,000 used EVs in the second quarter of this year — a 36% jump from a year ago, and 77% higher than during the second quarter of 2021, per Cox Automotive.
That’s the kind of growth rate we need to get every driver into an EV soonest.
AP: Stellantis to build second US electric vehicle battery plant
Stellantis says it will build a second U.S. electric vehicle battery factory in a joint venture with Samsung. The automaker didn’t disclose the location but said Monday that it signed a memorandum of understanding with Samsung SDI under its existing joint venture called StarPlus Energy. The new plant will open in early 2027, joining a joint-venture facility in Kokomo, Indiana, that’s already under construction and scheduled to start production in early 2025.
The world’s largest offshore wind turbine provides clean energy to thousands in China
In an incredible feat of engineering, Three Gorges Energy successfully connected the world’s first 16-megawatt offshore wind turbine to the power grid. The MingYang Smart Energy MySE 16-260 towers over the skyline with its 260-meter (853-ft) rotor diameter, ready to offer renewable energy to about 36,000 Chinese residences. Overcoming obstacles: Resilience in the face of nature’s power Though the impressive wind turbine may seem indestructible—standing tall in the Fujian offshore wind farm in the Taiwan Strait—it has seen its fair share of difficulty as the area is infamous for natural disasters such as typhoons.
Maine State Legislature approves plan to deploy floating offshore wind turbines
The Maine State Legislature has approved a comprehensive plan to develop offshore wind during the next two decades, with dual goals of reducing earth-warming carbon dioxide emissions caused by burning fossil fuels for electricity and creating green jobs. Democratic Maine Governor Janet Mills is expected to sign the bill into law, in accordance with her offshore wind roadmap released earlier this year. The plan charts a course to lead the nation in deploying floating offshore wind turbines in the vast Gulf of Maine. The bill authorizes the Maine Public Utilities Commission to procure energy from dozens of turbines, whose platforms and hulls are being designed at the University of Maine.
Heat Pumps sold out so fast in Maine the state upped their target A state that braves some of the most frigid winters in the country has not only enthusiastically adopted heat pumps — it’s also stepping up its commitment to the clean-heating tech. In 2019, Maine embraced heat pumps as part of its climate strategy, setting a goal to install 100,000 of the machines by 2025. But a few days ago, Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) announced that the state had surpassed that target two years ahead of schedule, deploying at least 104,000 heat pumps in homes and businesses. Now, the state has set a new goal: installing another 175,000 heat pumps by 2027. “We are setting an example for the nation,” said Mills at the announcement event. “Our transition to heat pumps is creating good-paying jobs, curbing our reliance on fossil fuels, and cutting costs for Maine families, all while making them more comfortable in their homes — a hat trick for our state.” A Vast Untapped Green Energy Source Is Hiding Beneath Your Feet
New experiments in the deserts of Utah and Nevada show how advances in fracking—technology developed by the oil industry—can be repurposed to tap clean geothermal energy anywhere on Earth. Since 2018, Moore has led a $220 million bet by the US Department of Energy (DOE), called FORGE, or the Frontier Observatory for Research in Geothermal Energy, that this heat can be harnessed to produce electricity in most parts of the world. Geothermal energy is today a rare resource, tapped only in places where the crust has cracked a little and heat mingles with groundwater, producing hot springs or geysers that can power electricity-generating turbines. But such watery hot spots are rare. Iceland, straddling two diverging tectonic plates, hits a geological jackpot and produces about a quarter of its electricity that way; in Kenya, volcanism in the Great Rift Valley helps push that figure to more than 40 percent. In the US, it’s just 0.4 percent, almost all of it coming from California and Nevada. Yet there’s hot rock everywhere, if you drill deep enough. Moore’s project is trying to create an “enhanced” geothermal system, or EGS, by reaching hot, dense rock like granite, cracking it open to form a reservoir, and then pumping in water to soak up heat. The water is then drawn up through a second well, emerging a few hundred degrees hotter than it was before: an artificial hot spring that can drive steam turbines. That design can sound straightforward, plumbing water from point A to point B, but despite a half-century of work, the complexities of engineering and geology have meant no one has managed to make EGS work at practical scale—yet. Geothermal Power is Finally a Reality After Next-Generation Breakthrough of Carbon-Free Energy in Nevada A commercial pilot project confirmed a record production of geothermal energy in northern Nevada this week. Fervo Energy announced it had successfully completed the well test at its full-scale commercial pilot, ‘Project Red’, accelerating the deployment of next-generation geothermal power. The 30-day well test, a standard for geothermal, achieved a flowrate of 63 liters per second at high temperature that enables 3.5 MW of electric production, setting new records for both flow and power output from an enhanced geothermal system. Fervo is the first company to successfully drill a horizontal well into thermal reservoirs of heat to produce commercial geothermal energy, thus “reducing drilling risks”. In 2021, Fervo and Google signed an agreement to develop the next-gen plant with the goal of powering Google’s Cloud servers in Las Vegas with an “always-on,” carbon-free resource that will reduce the company’s hourly reliance on fossil fuels. According to a company statement, Fervo achieved lateral lengths of 3,250 feet, reaching a temperature of 191 °C. Geothermal, unlike intermittent wind and solar, can run 24/7 once set up. The next phase of this project means to double that power output with bigger wells. Can America’s canals double as solar farms?
Some 8,000 miles of federally owned canals snake across the United States, channeling water to replenish crops, fuel hydropower plants and supply drinking water to rural communities. In the future, these narrow waterways could serve an additional role: as hubs of solar energy generation.
EV Porn
Mokurai’s collection of Electric Vehicle pictures on Pinterest
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