Newest Voters Want Action On Climate Change

Poll: Millennials Embrace Action to Combat Climate Change

Steve Michaels, February 26, 2018 (NewsMax)

“Millennials overwhelmingly believe human-caused climate change is real and that steps must be taken to slow it…[ A new poll shows] 77 percent of millennials think the U.S. should take steps to slow or stop climate change…80 percent say they are more concerned with pollution than gun violence (70 percent) and immigration (58 percent)…70 percent think climate change will affect them in their lifetimes…62 percent believe human activity is responsible for climate change…51 percent of Republicans are concerned about climate change…[and] 57 percent of millennials believe the U.S. is headed in the wrong direction on the climate change issue…” click here for more

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The High Cost Of The Cold On The Mid-Atlantic Grid

PJM Report on Cold Weather Performance Shows Grid Performed Well, Need for Pricing Reform

Feb. 26, 2018, (PJM Interconnection)

“…The grid connecting 65 million people in Mid-Atlantic and Midwestern states served well during this winter’s cold snap…Though not as severe as the 2014 Polar Vortex, the cold snap demonstrated [the PJM Interconnection’s system remains] reliable, according to PJM Cold Snap Performance…On Jan. 5, 2018, demand reached 137,522 megawatts, which is the sixth highest overall winter peak demand…[but even] during peak demand, PJM had excess reserves and capacity…[However, the report adds, the 11-fold increase in uplift charges] during the cold snap shows the need to reform pricing for energy and reserves…Uplift is paid to generators when locational marginal prices do not cover the costs of units needed to serve load. Over the last several years, uplift charges have been relatively low in PJM, averaging approximately $389,000 per day. By contrast, during the peak days of the cold snap, uplift charges averaged approximately $4.3 million per day…” click here for more

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Southeast’s Utilities Starting To See The Sun

Solar in the Southeast: New Report Highlights Solar Data and Trends Throughout the Southeast

February 27, 2018 (Southern Alliance for Clean Energy)

“…[Using the metric “watts per customer,” which looks at the amount of installed solar relative to the total number of customers served, a new report provides] detailed information at the regional, state, and utility level…[about solar in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. It shows Duke Energy Progress, Duke Energy Carolinas, and Georgia Power as] the region’s current solar leaders…[It recognizes] seven utilities with the highest forecasted solar growth by 2021…[and] identifies three major utility systems - Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Santee Cooper, and Seminole Electric Cooperative – as laggards…for low levels of solar development over the next four years…Leading states like North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia have enacted strong policies…[U]tilities in other Southeastern states – particularly Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi – continue to operate in a public policy vacuum…” click here for more

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World’s Women Are A Key To The Climate Fight

Climate Change: Women Will Save the World

February 26, 2018 (The Mark News via The Bogata City Paper)

“…The human and economic costs of failing to act [to stop climate change] are too high…[and acting] presents a great opportunity…Climate action can lift people out of poverty and ensure their needs are met, even as the world’s population creeps towards 10 billion by 2050…[But national] governments alone cannot deliver lasting prosperity…[It will require the transformation of] our societies and our economies…Gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls [is among the top ten solutions]. Including and empowering women and girls to develop and implement climate solutions is the right thing to do. It is also the smart thing to do…[But] gender equality and women’s empowerment in the field of climate change and sustainable development…[faces cultural, structural and institutional barriers] across all sectors of the economy – in private enterprise, public and political institutions and entrepreneurship. It is a dynamic we can and must change…” click here for more

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The Market’s Picks For Best Wind Turbine Makers

Vestas Holds the Top Spot in Global Wind Turbine Supplier Ranking in 2017; FTI Intelligence Releases Preliminary Findings from Its Global Wind Market Update – Demand & Supply 2017

February 26, 2018 (Nasdaq/Globe Newswire)

“…[Preliminary rankings for the world’s top five wind turbine manufacturers found Denmark’s Vestas to be] the world’s largest supplier of wind turbines in 2017, due to the Danish supplier’s wide geographic diversification strategy and strong performance in the U.S. market…[Global new wind installations dropped 5% in 2017, primarily] due to a slowdown in installations in China. However, Europe installed more than 16 GW last year, representing [a record 16%] growth..[Solar photovoltaic (PV) was] the No. 1 non-hydro renewable energy source for the second year in a row. Global solar PV installations in 2017 reached nearly 100 GW, which is almost double the installations that wind achieved in 2017…Auctions are becoming the norm. 2017 saw auctions occur in more than 15 markets, with more than 20 GW of onshore wind and nearly 5 GW of offshore wind awarded contracts in the past 12 months. However, such transition has caused near-term market volatility, as seen in India and Germany…Mexico’s latest auction set a new world record for onshore wind with the average awarded price of USD$18.68/MWh…” click here for more

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Solar’s Rising Star In The Stock Market Is This Solar Energy’s New Growth Stock? SunPower may be growing faster than you think.

Travis Hoium, February 26, 2018 (The Motley Fool)

“…[SunPower Corporation (NASDAQ:SPWR) may] be a growth story in the solar industry. After years of struggling with costs that were higher than competitors' and a foundering project-finance business, the company is focusing on its roots as a solar manufacturer -- and the strategy may pay off with growth as early as this year…[but] it's where SunPower is growing that will also be important for investors…[SunPower's growth plans in 2018] included a wide range of potential deployments of between 1.5 GW and 1.9 GW of solar panels this year…The wide range comes from SunPower's joint venture (JV) in China…Growth could really start kicking into high gear in 2019. Management recently said that China's JV capacity will be [up from a maximum in 2018 to] nearly 2 GW, and still ramping…[SunPower is already in the process of transitioning] to a next-generation solar cell (NGT)…But Sunpower’s full-year] guidance of $1.8 billion to $2.2 billion of non-GAAP revenue may fall short of 2017's $2.13 billion of revenue…[because its transition may not] drive revenue growth until 2019…” click here for more

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Cities’ Climate Fight Sets Goals

As the Trump administration retreats on climate change, US cities are moving forward

Katherine Levine Einstein, David Glick, Maxwell Palmer, February 20, 2018 (The Conversation)

“…[The White House infrastructure plan] contradicts the priorities of many local leaders who view climate change as a growing concern…Mayors overwhelmingly believe that climate change is a result of human activities… Perhaps even more strikingly, [a summer 2017 poll showed] two-thirds of mayors agreed that cities should play a role in reducing the effects of climate change – even if it means making fiscal sacrifices. Cleaner, smarter cities. [Almost two-thirds of the U.S. population lives in cities or incorporated places. While mayors and local governments cannot comprehensively tackle climate change alone, their sizeable political and economic clout may make them an important force.]

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…[The] mayors highlighted a number of environmental initiatives that they were interested in pursuing…Over one-third prioritized reducing the number of vehicles on the road and making city assets, such as buildings and vehicles, more energy-efficient…Other popular programs included shifting toward green and alternative energy sources; promoting energy efficiency in private buildings; reducing risks of damage from flooding; and installing smart traffic lights that can change their own timing in response to traffic conditions. Many mayors are already implementing these initiatives in their communities…[M]ayors largely did not think that such initiatives would require imposing costly new regulations on the private sector…” click here for more

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Solar On Every Roof

A solar panel on every roof in the US? Here are the numbers; Estimate shows rooftop solar could produce almost 40 percent of our electricity.

Scott K. Johnson, February 16, 2018 (Ars Technica)

“…[Detailed new research estimates] that there are a little over 8 billion square meters of suitable roofs in the US. Cover that in solar panels, and you would produce about 1,400 terawatt hours of electricity each year—about two-thirds of which would come from small residential buildings. The total production is equal to nearly 40 percent of the total electricity currently sold by utilities in the US…[That is almost twice the less detailed 2008 estimate] of 22 percent of electricity…[The new estimate is higher] partly because solar panel efficiency has improved but also because new sources of data made a more accurate estimate possible…States with strong sunlight and plenty of roofs obviously have the most potential…But that’s partly because of different electricity use. New England doesn’t have the sunniest skies, but the limited need for air conditioning in the summer helps keep electricity use down. As a result, that region could produce about half its total electricity from rooftop solar…[The output of the all-in scenario would not be enough to replace all power plants, but it is significant]…” click here for more

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Wave Power For Ocean Water Desalination

Fresh drinking water from the ocean: Delmarva company harnesses waves to make it happen

Maddy Lauria, February 9, 2018 (Delaware Online/New Journal via USA Today)

“…[In places like the hurricane-devastated Caribbean islands, a way to remove the salt from ocean water and provide clean drinking water without using electricity could be a vital lifeline and a prototype device is being tested] off the coast of Delaware. It would use wave energy to desalinate ocean water. Initially, it would be for use in emergencies but could eventually be scaled] to augment or replace traditional municipal water services in coastal communities…[A barge is designed to absorb the energy of ocean waves and use it] to operate a filtration system capable of removing the salt from seawater to produce up more than 100,000 gallons per day of fresh water…[The Murtech, Inc., device]is the first of its kind to be individually permitted in the United States…” click here for more

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The Campaign To Get Conservatives To Fight Climate Change

Seeking conservative converts to climate change cause; Former congressman Bob Inglis tries to steer his party away from denialism

Brian Nearing, February 18, 2018 (Albany Times Union)

“Bob Inglis is putting a lot of faith in young people…Inglis is a former U.S. Congressman from South Carolina who in 2010 was turned out of office by Republican voters after he bucked the party line concerning the role fossil fuels play in climate change…Since then, this avowed conservative has been crisscrossing America on a mission to persuade Republicans that climate change science is neither a hoax nor a fraud, and that solutions capable of heading off further damage to the environment can abide by conservative principles such as free enterprise and energy abundance…Inglis has [done over 400 talks to young people] since 2013 targeting conservative audiences…[Recent polls show] that compared to a decade ago, significantly fewer Republicans believe climate change is happening or that human activities cause it…But Inglis, 58, said he remains encouraged by the attitudes of the youngest generation of Republicans…” click here for more

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A Perfect Match Of Distribute Energy And The Grid

Pushing the Limit: How Demand Flexibility Can Grow the Market for Renewable Energy Cara Goldenberg and Mark Dyson, February 14, 2018 (Rocky Mountain Institute)

“…Demand Flexibility: The Key to Enabling a Low-Cost, Low-Carbon Grid…shows how demand flexibility can be a lower-cost, less-polluting alternative to natural gas-fired power plants for balancing renewable energy on the grid…[The use of demand flexibility across a large geographic area can] shift electricity consumption from times of the day with high demand but low renewable supply to times with high renewable supply…[It] can significantly reduce customer costs, curtailment of renewable energy, peak demand, and carbon emissions compared to relying on natural gas-fired generation…Due to its low operating costs, new renewable capacity often displaces more expensive generators on the grid, lowering wholesale clearing prices. Higher amounts of variable renewable energy on the system also creates a mismatch between energy demand and supply, increasing the risk of renewable curtailment…[The combination, coupled with inflexible thermal generation, can significantly lower the revenues of renewable projects…[RMI]shows how this] can be addressed by the deployment of control and communication technologies used to manage energy consumption…” click here for more

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U.S. Navy Moves On Wave Energy

US Navy picks Irish wave energy system; The US Navy is to carry out grid-scale testing of a wave energy convertor developed by an Irish company.

5 February 2018 (The Construction Index)

“…[Irish-designed OE Buoy will be built in the US]and deployed at the US Navy’s wave energy test site on the Hawaiian Island of O’ahu in autumn 2018. The contract value of is €5.25m out of a total project value of almost €10m for testing…The 750t OE Buoy measures 38m by 18m with a draught of 9m and has a potential rated capacity of up to 1.25MW in electrical power production…It is estimated that a 100MW wave farm could power up to 47,000 Irish homes…[The pilot project is part of the Navy’s effort to test the reliability of near-full-scale wave energy converters and obtain data to validate performance predictions and levelized cost of energy estimates]…” click here for more

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Infrastructure Spend Fails To Prepare For Changing Climate

Trump's infrastructure plan may ignore climate change. It could be costly.

Dan Drollete, Jr., 12 February 2018 (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists)

The White House’s $1.5 trillion infrastructure building plan transfers $1.3 trillion of the cost to state, local, and private sources. Along with the administration’s discounted climate science and weakened climate change regulations, engineers and researchers say it leaves the new build plans obsolete and vulnerable to rapidly changing flood patterns and extremes of weather. prepare U.S. infrastructure for this century’s climate change-driven chaos. The White House has been unwilling to say whether climate realities were considered in the preparation of its infrastructure plan. click here for more

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Pennsylvania Loves Solar Job Growth

With solar-friendly policies, state solar jobs rise 26 percent

Daniel Moore, February 13, 2018 (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

“…Jobs in Pennsylvania’s solar sector increased by 26 percent to nearly 4,000 people in 2017…It was the second consecutive year of employment growth after three years of declines, a sign that solar-friendly policies at the state level — and falling equipment prices encouraging more installations — are making their mark…The gains come as the national solar workforce declined by 4 percent, the first annual drop since the group began releasing job counts in 2010…[Larger installers and manufacturers are also threatened by new] tariffs on solar imports…[But solar] jobs went up in 29 states…[showing] that solar is taking hold across the country…[I]n 2017, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection gathered input from solar advocates on policy changes that would help spur growth. Gov. Tom Wolf has said he wants to boost solar generation to at least 10 percent of in-state electricity sales by 2030…” click here for more

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Pennsylvania Wind Moves Nestle Toward 100% New Energy

Nestlé Leverages Wind Power in Partnership with EDP Renewables in Step Toward 100% Renewable Electricity Goal; Power purchase agreement will provide approximately 80 percent of the electricity load for five Nestlé facilities in southeastern Pennsylvania

February 12, 2018 (Nestle via PR Newswire)

“…[A new 15-year power purchase agreement for wind power] will provide approximately 80 percent of the electricity load for five Nestlé facilities in southeastern Pennsylvania. The agreement is a major step forward for Nestlé's ambition to procure 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources…EDP Renewables' Meadow Lake VI wind farm will generate and deliver 50 megawatts of electricity through the PJM Interconnection grid to manufacturing facilities and distribution centers operated by Nestlé Purina PetCare, Nestlé USA and Nestlé Waters North America in Allentown and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Because the wind farm and the recipient facilities are located on the same regional grid, the power purchase agreement provides traceability from the Pennsylvania facilities back to the wind farm. With the addition of the energy from the wind farm, 20 percent of the electricity Nestlé uses in the U.S. will come from renewable sources in 2019…This renewable energy project will help Nestlé cut energy costs, avoid the volatility of fossil fuel prices, and stay competitive…” click here for more

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2017 Media Turned Climate Change Into Reality TV

How broadcast TV networks covered climate change in 2017

Kevin Kalhoeffer, February 12, 2018 (Media Matters For America)

“Broadcast TV news neglected many critical climate change stories in 2017…79 percent of the time that corporate broadcast networks spent covering climate change, or 205 out of 260 total minutes, featured actions or statements by the Trump administration. The networks gave vastly less coverage to the many ways that climate change affects people's lives through its impacts on things like extreme weather, public health, and national security…[94 of 95 minutes on Sunday show climate coverage revolved around the administration. 52% of TV news climate coverage was about the] decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris climate agreement…Despite 2017 being a record year for weather and climate disasters, the corporate broadcast networks rarely covered the link between climate change and extreme weather events…CBS and PBS led all broadcast networks in the number of segments they devoted to climate change in 2017…[but] were also the only two networks to feature guests who flatly denied that human activity causes climate change…” click here for more

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How New Energy Protects The Grid

Want a World Without Blackouts? Power the Future With Renewable Energy

Dom Galeon, February 9, 2018 (Futurism)

“…With solar and wind power leading the charge, renewables are steadily finding their way into the energy infrastructure of a number of countries and companies. Some have already become 100 percent renewable, while others continue to carefully wean themselves from fossil fuel…There is, however, a sizable hurdle that early renewable energy adapters will inevitably encounter…A new study from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley (UCB) argues that [the variability of such a high penetration of renewables] could very well be overcome by a combination of solutions…[The study’s modeling of three scenarios in which nations struck a proper balance between energy output from renewables and predicted energy demand for 2050 showed] blackouts at low energy costs were avoided…[H]aving various energy storage options available was an important factor in that outcome…” click here for more

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Nevada’s Gigawatt 1 Solar Bet

Cheap Solar Energy Makes a Big Bet in Nevada

Nathaniel Bullard, February 9, 2018 (American Journal of Transportation)

“…Swiss asset manager Capital Dynamics AG will build a one-gigawatt portfolio of solar farms in Nevada, one of the largest such projects in the U.S., with technology infrastructure company Switch Inc. as an ‘anchor tenant.’ The two companies expect the cost of power generated by Gigawatt 1 to be significantly lower than what the local utility charges…Gigawatt 1 is 16 times larger than a 60-megawatt solar farm in North Carolina that signed on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as its anchor tenant in 2016…Switch’s Northern Nevada data center will require more than 10 times as much electricity as MIT’s project could instantaneously provide…Switch is paying millions [to incumbent utility NV Energy] in exit fees to join Gigawatt 1; Capital Dynamics says it offers financing options for those exit fees to companies looking to join the project…” click here for more

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Mural Makes Climate Change More Than Real

Augmented-reality mural in Miami warns of climate-change danger

Leslie Ovalle, February 5, 2018 (Miami Herald)

Miami is the proverbial ‘canary in the coal mine’ with respect to the effects of sea level rise caused by climate change, according to Juan Carlos Gallo, a digital designer for Miami Murals, at the unveiling of an augmented-reality mural depicting the dangers of climate change to South Florida in front of the Historic City of Miami Cemetery. Gallo said the fight against the dangers offer an opportunity for the people and the government to work together…The mural, painted by artists Odobo and Muta Vision, depicts the city’s skyline and name in big letters, each representing an area of its famous nightlife —diamond studs, skyscrapers, neon lights and a Xanax pill. A cell phone app simulation projects two alternate futures for the city on it. To complete the AR experience the audience is asked to answer one question: Be the change or not be the change? click here for more

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The Fight For Solar In Kentucky

Will GOP let utilities crush solar (and 1,200 jobs) in Kentucky? This could get ugly.

Tom Eblen, February 5, 2018 (Lexington Herald Leader)

“…[GOP leaders allowed Rep. Jim Gooch] to add three members to the Natural Resources and Energy Committee he chairs…to try to pass a bill he is sponsoring to let electric utility monopolies crush Kentucky’s residential solar power industry…[House Bill 227’s] fate in the Republican-controlled legislature could have significance beyond solar energy…[If passed, it] would cut by 70 percent the rate utilities pay homeowners for excess solar power they pump into the grid…[Solar adovcates say that would have measurable economic reverberations because it would] kill 1,200 jobs in small solar energy businesses across Kentucky in order to protect utility monopolies…” click here for more

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States Are Choosing Offshore Wind

Trump Wants Offshore Drilling, but States Are Choosing Wind Energy; States bordering the outer continental shelf are looking for carbon-free electricity as the Trump administration rolls back rules requiring it

Brittany Patterson, February 5, 2018 (ClimateWire via Scientific American)

“…[Atlantic coast states bordering the outer continental shelf are looking for carbon-free electricity, even as the Trump administration rolls back rules requiring it...[New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) just] announced that his state will aim for 3,500 megawatts of installed offshore wind by 2030…Massachusetts has a goal to build 1,600 MW of offshore wind power by 2027, and New York has committed to 2,400 MW by 2030…At the same time, wind technology is quickly advancing, thanks to its popularity in Europe. Ten countries across Europe had deployed 12,600 MW of offshore wind power by the end of 2016…[The U.S.] Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has issued 13 wind energy leases off the Atlantic coast…It's unclear how the growth in offshore wind might be affected by Trump's plan to open nearly all U.S. waters to oil and gas drilling…The administration's proposal to open the Atlantic coastline to oil drilling was criticized by many of the governors along the Eastern Seaboard…” click here for more

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McKibben On How To Fight Climate Change Without The White House

We can battle climate change without Washington DC. Here's how; Global warming is an immediate battle with enormous consequences. We dare not wait for Washington to return to sanity – nor do we have to

Bill McKibben, 1 February 2018 (UK Guardian)

“…The State of the Union address omitted] mention of climate change, the greatest problem the world faces…[and] official Washington seemed barely to notice…The Democratic response from Representative Joe Kennedy didn’t touch on global warming, either…[Winning the midterm elections is crucial because] it will help the effort to play defense] but since global warming is an immediate battle with enormous consequences, we dare not wait for Washington to return to sanity…The strategy that’s been evolving for US climate action – and for action in many other parts of the planet – bypasses the central governments as much as possible…[because that is where oil and coal] money is most toxically powerful…[The flank attack at local levels begins with joining in work pioneered by groups like the Sierra Club] to persuade towns, cities, counties, and states to pledge to make the transition to 100% renewable energy…Job two is to block new fossil fuel infrastructure…And third is to cut off the money that fuels this industry – by divestment…” click here for more

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Top Ten Most Active States Of 2017

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The Future Of Jobs In The Wind

Reasons For Hope: The Answer Is Blowin’ In The Wind; Learn how wind energy is an engine for job creation across the US.

January 19, 2018 (Climate Reality Project)

“…Wind energy isn’t just a clean alternative to the fossil fuels driving the climate crisis – it’s also an engine for job creation across the US…As the coal industry continues to decline, many former fossil fuel workers in cities and towns across the US are seeing which way the wind is blowing and training for new careers in renewable energy…[In Casper, Wyoming, Goldwind Americas, runs] a wind energy technician training program that teaches former fossil fuel workers to operate and maintain wind technology across the country…[The decline of the fossil fuel industry in Wyoming and other areas across the US] has created opportunities for experienced workers to transfer their valuable skills to new jobs in new sectors like wind…[Recent employment data shows] the US wind sector put over 101,000 Americans to work in 2016 – a 32 percent increase from the previous year. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that wind technician jobs are expected to increase 108 percent over the next decade…[A] recent study found that investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency create more jobs than expanding the fossil fuel sector…” click here for more

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Tesla and Aussies To Build The World’s Biggest Virtual Power Plant

Solar power and Tesla batteries will create the world’s largest “virtual power plant” in Australia

Akshat Rathi, February 5, 2018 (Quartz)

“…[In the state of South Australia,] about 1,000 homes in public housing will receive Tesla batteries connected to solar panels installed on rooftops. The government will own the equipment, and residents will pay for the usage as they did before. Those who don’t consume all the energy produced by their solar panels can feed it back to the grid, and those who consume more can take extra from the grid…[Where South Australia’s program differs from similar subsidized programs around the world] helping users cut their energy bills and reduce their carbon footprint…[is that] the state will open up the program to 50,000 homes…[T]he state would have, in effect, a distributed power plant that can produce 250 MW of power from rooftop solar panels and store 650 MWh of energy in Tesla batteries…[By 2021, it] will be the world’s largest virtual power plant…” click here for more

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