Energy & the Environment News and Discussions

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Yuli Ban
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The growth of renewable capacity is forecast to accelerate in the next five years, accounting for almost 95% of the increase in global power capacity through 2026. We have revised up our forecast from a year earlier, as stronger policy support and ambitious climate targets announced for COP26 outweigh the current record commodity prices that have increased the costs of building new wind and solar PV installations. Globally, renewable electricity capacity is forecast to increase by over 60% between 2020 and 2026, reaching more than 4 800 GW. This is equivalent to the current global power capacity of fossil fuels and nuclear combined. Overall, China remains the leader over the next five years, accounting for 43% of global renewable capacity growth, followed by Europe, the United States and India. These four markets alone account for 80% of renewable capacity expansion worldwide.

China and the European Union are set to overshoot their current targets, setting the stage for a more ambitious growth trajectory. China’s commitment to reach carbon neutrality before 2060 has led to new nearer-term targets, such as 1 200 GW of total wind and solar PV capacity by 2030. We forecast that China will reach this target four years early thanks to the availability of long-term contracts, improved grid integration, and the cost competitiveness of onshore wind and solar PV compared with coal generation in many provinces. The trajectory of renewable capacity growth over the 2021-26 period indicates that renewable power growth in the European Union as a whole is set to outpace what the current National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) envision for 2030. This trend supports the ambition of reaching the stronger targets being finalised under the “Fit for 55” programme. Rapid deployment is being driven by member countries implementing larger auction volumes, corporations contracting for more renewable electricity, and consumers continuing to install large amounts of solar panels.
And remember my friend, future events such as these will affect you in the future
weatheriscool
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Coral reefs of western Indian Ocean at risk of collapse: study
https://phys.org/news/2021-12-coral-ree ... ocean.html
by Nick Perry
The findings warn that reefs along the eastern coast of Africa and island nations like Mauritius and Seychelles faced a high risk of extinction unless urgent action was taken.

Rising sea temperatures and overfishing threaten coral reefs in the western Indian Ocean with complete collapse in the next 50 years, according to a groundbreaking study of these marine ecosystems.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Sustainability on Monday, warned that reefs along the eastern coast of Africa and island nations like Mauritius and Seychelles faced a high risk of extinction unless urgent action was taken.

For the first time, researchers were able to assess the vulnerability of individual reefs across the vast western reaches of the Indian Ocean, and identify the main threats to coral health.

They found that all reefs in this region faced "complete ecosystem collapse and irreversible damage" within decades, and that ocean warming meant some coral habitats were already critically endangered.

"The findings are quite serious. These reefs are vulnerable to collapse," lead author David Obura, founding director at CORDIO East Africa, a Kenya-based oceans research institute, told AFP.
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caltrek
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Catalyzing Clean Energy Industries and Jobs Through Federal Sustainability
December 8, 2021

https://www.federalregister.gov/documen ... ainability

Introduction:
Executive Order 14057 - By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and in order to reestablish the Federal Government as a leader in sustainability, it is hereby ordered as follows:

Section 101. Policy. The Federal Government faces broad exposure to the mounting risks and costs already posed by the climate crisis. In responding to this crisis, we have a once-in-a-generation economic opportunity to create and sustain jobs, including well-paying union jobs; support a just transition to a more sustainable economy for American workers; strengthen America's communities; protect public health; and advance environmental justice. As the single largest land owner, energy consumer, and employer in the Nation, the Federal Government can catalyze private sector investment and expand the economy and American industry by transforming how we build, buy, and manage electricity, vehicles, buildings, and other operations to be clean and sustainable.

We also must build on past progress and pursue new strategies to improve the Nation's preparedness and resilience to the effects of a changing climate, including advancing the Federal Government's strategic planning, governance, financial management, and procurement to ensure climate resilient operations.

It is therefore the policy of my Administration for the Federal Government to lead by example in order to achieve a carbon pollution-free electricity sector by 2035 and net-zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050. Through a whole-of-government approach, we will demonstrate how innovation and environmental stewardship can protect our planet, safeguard Federal investments against the effects of climate change, respond to the needs of all of America's communities, and expand American technologies, industries, and jobs.
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weatheriscool
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The first true millipede has been discovered in Australia. It has the most legs of any living animal
By Katie Hunt, CNN
Updated 12:11 PM EST, Thu December 16, 2021
The first true millipede, with more than 1,000 legs, has been discovered in Australia.

(CNN) Millipedes have lots of legs. It's defining feature of this creature, which is neither worm nor insect.

However, despite a name derived from the Latin for thousand (mille) and feet (pes), no millipede has been found with more than 750 legs -- until now.

Scientists have discovered the first millipede that has more than 1,000 legs -- 1,306 to be precise -- and the most legs of any living creature on Earth. It was found living 60 meters (200 feet) below ground in a drill hole created for mineral exploration in Western Australia.

The eyeless invertebrate -- it's 3.7 inches (9.5 centimeters) long and 0.04 inch (1 millimeter) wide -- has 330 body segments, antennae, a beak for feeding and a cone-shaped head.
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/12/16/asia ... index.html
weatheriscool
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Cobalt's human cost: Social consequences of green energy must be assessed in addition to environmental impacts
https://phys.org/news/2021-12-cobalt-hu ... green.html
by Northwestern University
While driving an electric car has fewer environmental impacts than gasoline-powered cars, the production of the parts necessary for these green technologies can have dire effects on human well-being.

After studying the impacts of mining cobalt—a common ingredient in lithium-ion batteries—on communities in Africa's Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), an interdisciplinary team of researchers led by Northwestern University is calling for more data into how emerging technologies affect human health and livelihoods.

Such data can inform policymakers, industry leaders and consumers to make more socially and ethically responsible decisions when developing, funding and using green technologies.

The case study and perspective paper will be published on Dec. 17 in the journal One Earth.

"We have the framework and tools available to compare the environmental costs of automobiles that run on fossil fuels to battery-powered vehicles," said Northwestern's Jennifer Dunn, who led the study. "I can tell you the greenhouse gas emissions per mile for either one. But when it comes to the social effects, we don't have the same capability for direct comparison. For many engineers, it's easier to measure or calculate environmental effects than to understand the social conditions in a faraway country that they have never set foot in."
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caltrek
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This (see below) is taken from a public document, so size restrictions related to copyright concerns do not need to apply.

Regarding Planning for Establishment of a Program to Support the Availability of High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) for Civilian Domestic Research, Development, Demonstration, and Commercial Use

https://www.federalregister.gov/documen ... upport-the

Extract:
(Federal Register) The U.S Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) is issuing this RFI (Request for Information) to invite input on the planning for establishment of a DOE HALEU (high-assay low-enriched uranium) Availability Program and to gather information to consider in preparing the required report to Congress describing actions proposed to be carried out by DOE under the program. The Energy Act of 2020 authorized the Department to establish and carry out, through the Office of Nuclear Energy, a program to support the availability of... ( HALEU) for civilian domestic research, development, demonstration, and commercial use.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background
The Department is working to enable the development and deployment of advanced nuclear reactors as part of meeting the Administration's job creation, energy security and climate goals. DOE's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program was established to partner with domestic private industry to help accelerate the development and demonstration of advanced nuclear reactors in the United States. Most advanced reactors, including several designs selected for the Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program, are designed to be fueled by HALEU. The Secretary of Energy was authorized in Sec. 2001 of the Energy Act of 2020 to establish and carry out, through the Office of Nuclear Energy, a program to support the availability of HALEU for civilian domestic research, development, demonstration, and commercial use (HALEU Availability Program). A HALEU Availability Program, leading to the deployment and commercialization of clean energy technologies and infrastructure, could secure a critical domestic supply chain for meeting the Administration's climate, economic, and energy security goals. This program would include substantive engagement by stakeholders, including State, local, and Tribal governments. The program would prioritize addressing long-standing and persistent energy justice issues and be responsive to President Biden's Justice40 Initiative… by targeting 40 percent of the benefits of climate and clean infrastructure investments to disadvantaged communities, considering rural communities and communities impacted by the market-based transition to clean energy, and include substantive stakeholder engagement.

Currently, there is very limited domestic capacity to provide HALEU from either DOE or commercial sources. This lack of capacity is a significant obstacle to the development and deployment of advanced reactors for commercial applications.

Specifically, DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) provides highly enriched uranium (HEU), HALEU, and Low Enriched Uranium for its defense and nonproliferation missions. Most of NNSA's HEU is reserved for the Naval Reactors program and for use in the nuclear weapons stockpile, and is therefore unavailable for down-blending to use in advanced reactors used for commercial applications. Other HEU in the inventory is allocated to supply research reactors and medical isotope production facilities worldwide, and to meet critical defense and space requirements. After accounting for these requirements on the inventory, the remaining amount of HEU to be down-blended to HALEU for advanced commercial reactors is very limited. If these supplies were redirected to fuel advanced commercial reactors, they would not be sufficient to meet the projected near-term demands for advanced reactor demonstration and deployment. Furthermore, diverting these resources to support advanced reactor demonstration and deployment would compromise vital nuclear security and nonproliferation missions.

Likewise, on the commercial side, there is no domestic assured source of HALEU to be used to produce fuel for advanced reactors in sufficient quantities to meet anticipated demand. In turn, uncertainty regarding the commercial deployment of advanced reactors and future demand for HALEU undermines private investment to develop an assured HALEU supply capability and related infrastructure.

The HALEU Availability Program envisioned in the Energy Act of 2020 is intended to address this problem by temporarily securing a supply of HALEU to support research, development, demonstration, and equitable deployment of advanced reactors for commercial applications. This action, in turn, could spur demand for additional HALEU production and private investment in nuclear fuel supply infrastructure and ultimately remove the government from any role as a supplier of HALEU for industry. The development of a viable domestic commercial supply of HALEU for advanced commercial power reactors could also supply the needs of medical isotope producers and civilian research reactors. The program outlined in Sec. 2001 of the Energy Act of 2020 would sunset on September 30th, 2034, or 90 days after adequate supply is established.
Don't mourn, organize.

-Joe Hill
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Yuli Ban
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The blast at a Texas oil refinery early Thursday will probably push already high gasoline prices even higher — although not immediately.

The blast and resulting fire at the ExxonMobil (XOM) plant in the Houston-area city of Baytown, Texas, injured at least four workers. The accident could hamper output at one of America's largest refineries for months, weighing on gasoline supply at at time when US refining capacity has already been reduced, said Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service.
"They're not going to have all systems go for a couple of quarters," he said.
The average price for a gallon of regular gas now stands at $3.29, down 11 cents from a month ago, but still up $1.05 per gallon, or 47%, from a year ago. Gas prices have been a major factor in the rate of inflation hitting a 39-year high.
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weatheriscool
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First power achieved on world's largest offshore windfarm

by Bob Yirka , Tech Xplore
https://techxplore.com/news/2021-12-pow ... dfarm.html
Officials with the Danish energy company Ørsted have announced that they have achieved first power on the Hornsea 2 project—a new windfarm off the coast of England in the North Sea. As part of their announcement, posted on the company's web page, officials noted that once the windfarm is fully operational, it will represent the largest windfarm in the world.

Hornsea 2, as its name implies, is the second segment of a four-segment project. Hornsea 1 became operational last year and is currently the largest offshore windfarm—with its 174 turbines, the farm has a capacity of 1.2-GW—enough to power over a million homes in the U.K.

Hornsea 2 was approved for construction back in 2016—it will feature 165 8-MW turbines made by Siemens, which will give it a capacity of 1.32 GW. The offshore substation and reactive stations have been installed and tested while construction continues on the turbines. The windfarm will be located approximately 90 kilometers off the coast of Grims, England, which is not far from Leeds and Sheffield. Once the windfarm is fully operational, it will deliver power to a substation at Killingholme. The project will involve stringing cable under 390 kilometers of ocean water and then 40 kilometers of land before reaching the substation. Hornsea 2 will also be breaking another record—it will be located farther away from shore than any other large-scale windfarm.
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caltrek
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Wind & Solar Amounts to 86% Of New US Power Capacity in January Through October, 2021
by Zachary Shahan
December 27, 2021

https://cleantechnica.com/2021/12/27/wi ... y-october/

Introduction:
(CleanTechnica) Wind and solar power have dominated new power capacity additions in 2021. They’ve also been at the forefront of power capacity growth in the United States in the past three years.

The latest installation data come from October 2021, which was, incidentally, a rare month in which fossil gas (aka “natural gas”) led the show. Such months have been a very uncommon occurrence in the past few years, but especially in the past year. In 2021, wind and solar power have absolutely dominated new power capacity additions, accounting for a whopping 85.9% of new US power capacity (see chart below). That was despite fossil gas getting 51.1% share of the market in October (see chart in linked article).

Actually, aside from wind power plants, solar power plants, and fossil gas power plants, no other source of power production was added to the US electricity grid (which is, technically, a few grids) in October 2021. Other sources were essentially rounding errors in the first 10 months of the year as well, with hydropower, geothermal power, biomass, and oil accounting for a combined 0.4% of new power capacity in the country.

Looking at the big boys, large-scale solar accounted for 37.2% of new US power capacity in the first 10 months of 2021, wind power accounted for 33.2%, small-scale solar accounted for 15.5%, and fossil gas accounted for 13.7%. (Note that this is an imperfect estimate since utility-scale power plant data come from the US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) while small-scale solar power additions are estimated based on US Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) forecasts and data for Q3 2021).
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caltrek
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Peak Oil & Coal Demand Means Peak Shipping Demand Too
by Michael Barnard
December 24, 2021

https://cleantechnica.com/2021/12/22/pe ... emand-too/

Introduction:
(CleanTechnica) In recent months I’ve been looking at the hard-to-decarbonize segments of the transportation industry. My assertion for years has been that all ground transportation will electrify with grid- and battery-electric, that short- and medium-haul aviation would be completely viable to electrify by 2100, and that short- and medium-haul water shipping would electrify as well.
But what did that mean for long-haul aviation and shipping? My assessment in 2017 was that roughly 3-4% of the total transportation fuel cycle would not be easy to electrify, and that other fuels would be required. I recently dove deeply enough into the former to make a projection of aviation refueling through 2100, one which makes it clear, at least to me, that hydrogen has no place, biofuels will be used extensively through 2060, but that the entire segment will be approaching 100% battery-electric by 2100.

I’ve been starting to assess shipping more directly in recent months. I wasn’t nearly as rapturous about Maersk’s methanol-ship investment as most other commenters appeared to be, pointing out that sufficient green methanol was being acquired to fuel one of the eight dual-fuel ships for half of a single journey per year, and that methanol would cost at least four times as much per journey as a fuel. And this week I looked at the fantasies that hydrogen advocates have of shipping hydrogen in tankers between sun-kissed poor nations and energy-intensive rich ones, finding that the delivered hydrogen would cost five times as much as delivered LNG in the absolute best possible scenario, making it economically non-viable compared to obvious alternatives such as HVDC.

But this triggered many questions, of course. For example, how much shipping is bound up in fossil fuels and commodities which are going to diminish in the future? And while everything must decarbonize in order to address climate change, there are no biofuels, synthetic fuels, or batteries that will ever be as cheap as readily available fossil fuels. As a result, transportation costs for the harder to electrify segments will increase until and if batteries develop to the energy density and price ratios necessary to shift to electric, and we have $20 per MWh renewable electricity widely available.
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