Good News Notes: “United Nations scientists have warned that most countries are on track to totally botch the climate goals needed to curb catastrophic global warming. But there’s at least one bright spot. Scotland is on track to move its energy sector to 100 percent renewables by the end of this year. That’s just in…
Tag: solar
Rhode Island Is 1st US State To Commit To 100% Renewable By 2030
Good News Notes: “In the annual State of the State speech to lawmakers, the Democratic governor called for addressing climate change “with urgency.” Raimondo celebrated the announcement for the full transition to fully renewable energy but also cautioned that the climate crisis demanded no less action. ‘When we meet this goal, Rhode Island will be the first…
Falling Battery Price Transforms Economics of Green Energy
Good News Notes: “A dramatic fall in the price of lithium-ion batteries over the past decade is transforming the economics of renewable energy as well as the affordability of electric vehicles. Since 2010 the cost of a lithium-ion battery per kilowatt hour (kWh) has fallen almost 90%, from $1,183 in 2010 to just $156 in…
Zero-carbon electricity outstrips fossil fuels in Britain across 2019
Good News Notes: “Zero-carbon energy became Britain’s largest electricity source in 2019, delivering nearly half the country’s electrical power and for the first time outstripping generation by fossil fuels. Following a dramatic decline in coal-fired power and a rise in renewable and low-carbon energy, 2019 was the cleanest year for electrical energy on record for…
South Australia’s clean-energy shift brings lowest power prices on national grid, audit finds
Good News Notes: “The shift to more than 50% clean energy in South Australia led to the lowest average wholesale power prices in the national electricity grid over the past two months, an audit has found.” “According to the national energy emissions audit published by the Australia Institute, South Australia has had lower monthly wholesale electricity…
‘Shovel ready’: Spanish firm to put $500m into Australian wind and solar farm
Good News Notes: “Spanish energy giant Iberdrola says it has decided to invest $500m in a wind and solar farm in South Australia as the first of a series of renewable power projects it hopes to develop in Australia.” “Iberdrola’s head of renewables, Xabier Viteri, said that in the new year the company would also probably…
First US steel plants powered by wind, solar energy are coming
Good News Notes: “Nucor’s $250 million micromill in Sedalia, Missouri, is set to be the first U.S. steel plant to run on wind energy.” “A recycled steel plant run by EVRAZ in Colorado is transitioning from coal to solar in a partnership with Xcel Energy and a solar developer half owned by BP.” “Although recycled…
Solar, wind power to boost Turkey’s renewable capacity in next 5 years
Good News Notes: “Turkey’s renewable energy capacity is expected to increase by 50% from its current 42 gigawatts (GW) to 63 GW by 2024, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Renewables 2019 report.” “The surge in capacity will place Turkey among Europe’s top five and 11th worldwide in terms of renewable capacity, the report…
Amazon announces three renewable energy projects in Spain and the US
Good News Notes: “These three projects will begin construction in both the US and Spain. The first will be a solar farm in Sevilla, Spain, and it will provide 149 megawatts of “new renewable capacity” to the region. Amazon says this project will be the company’s first “large-scale” renewable energy effort in the country. The next two…
New Hybrid Device Efficiently Captures and Stores Solar Energy
Good News Notes: “Researchers from the University of Houston have reported a new device that can both efficiently capture solar energy and store it until it is needed, offering promise for applications ranging from power generation to distillation and desalination.” “Unlike solar panels and solar cells, which rely on photovoltaic technology for the direct generation…