Vermont brewery installs the largest solar canopy in the state

Good News Notes: “Lawson’s Finest Liquids announced the completion of what it says is the largest solar canopy in the state of Vermont. The Waitsfield Brewery and Taproom was generating about 10% of the electricity to run its operation, but with the addition of 215 kW from 495 solar modules, it expects that 60% of…

How Israel used innovation to beat its water crisis

Good News Notes: “How did Israel, a country that is more than half desert, frequently hit with drought, and historically cursed by chronic water shortages, become a nation that now produces 20 percent more water than it needs? Water demand from Israel’s rapidly growing population outpaced the supply and natural replenishment of potable water so…

California solar bill would extend access, savings to renters and low-income families

Good News Notes: “California has been the clean energy frontrunner in the United States, and it has been particularly strong in deploying distributed, rooftop solar. Distributed generation, especially when paired with energy storage, has numerous advantages in cost savings, efficiency, a lessened carbon footprint, the preservation of land, and more when compared to centralized resources….

A new tidal turbine generates as much power as 12 solar panels

Good News Notes: “A Canadian renewable energies company dubbed Idenergie has unveiled a new hydrokinetic design turbine that harnesses power from flowing water and converts it to electricity. With countries looking to switch away from fossil fuels, there is a need to develop means to tap into renewableenergy sources. While solar panels and wind turbines have been…

Ford launches F-150 Lightning this week

Good News Notes: “Ford is set to roll out an all-electric version of its iconic F-150 pickup truck this week. a pivotal moment in the push to move to hybrid and electric vehicles in the United States. The F-150 Lightning was first announced last year, and as of Monday morning, the 2022 model of the Lightning was…

Heat pumps included in GM EVs could give them a real-world range advantage

Good News Notes: “GM confirmed Monday that it plans to include heat-pump technology in all of its current and upcoming Ultium-platform electric vehicles.  That includes the Hummer EV now being delivered and the soon-arriving Cadillac Lyriq, plus many more to arrive in the next several years. In them, the tech will help recover low-level waste heat in ways…

Drew Barrymore Partners With Quorn To Make Plant-Based Meat More Affordable

Good News Notes: “Drew Barrymore says plant-based meat should be accessible and affordable for all. The actor, entrepreneur, and talk show host says she hardly ever eats animal meat, and instead, seeks out plant-based alternatives. After reading Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals, Barrymore vowed to reduce her chicken intake. Eating Animals shines a light on the morals surrounding boycotting…

California grid set record of 97% renewable power on April 3

Good News Notes: “In another sign of progress toward a carbon-free power grid, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) set a new record on April 3, when 97.6% of electricity on the grid came from clean, renewable energy. The peak, which occurred briefly at 3:39 p.m., broke the previous record of 96.4% set on March…

Instant Long Duration Energy Storage: Just Add Carbon Dioxide

Good News Notes: “Long duration energy storage has yet to make a significant dent in the global energy profile. To date, the only widespread form of storage technology that can last longer than a few hours is the century-old “water battery,” in the form of hydropower reservoirs and their cousins, pumped hydro reservoirs. On the plus side, hydropower dams and…

Plan to plant 100,000 hectares of new forest in Ireland

Good News Notes: “Semi-State forestry company Coillte, which manages Ireland’s State-owned woodlands, has launched a major new strategy to optimise the benefits from forestry. The company aims to massively expand carbon capture, forestry planting, biodiversity and recreational facilities between now and 2050. Coillte manages 440,000 hectares of forest in Ireland, amounting to 7% of the…