Green Energy

cross-posted from: https://lazysoci.al/post/25304615

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21310246

archived (Wayback Machine)

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21310065

archived (Wayback Machine)

Title and subtitle come from the article version of this newsletter which is otherwise identical. Linking the newsletter version because it has no paywall.

• In early April, the governor of Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province said his administration would review all geothermal development on Flores Island.
• The statement followed a campaign by the Catholic Church, led by the Archdiocese of Ende, which advocated for local residents concerned about environmental damage.
• Indonesia has the world’s largest potential for geothermal energy, and use of the technology has grown in recent years as the country seeks to expand renewables to meet its international climate commitments.
• The Vatican assumed a leadership role on climate change under the late Pope Francis, who died over Easter at the age of 88.

archived (Wayback Machine)

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21225647

archived (Wayback Machine)

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21225462

archived (Wayback Machine)

Hydrogen has long been hyped as the “Swiss army knife” of the energy transition, but today – despite billions in investment – it largely remains limited to niche industrial applications.

In a new review article, published in Nature Reviews Clean Technology, we look at where hydrogen could plausibly become competitive – and the applications where it is unlikely to ever be a viable solution.

For each use case, the review looks at the cost and carbon emissions of using hydrogen relative to alternative solutions, identifying the barriers which stand in the way of uptake.

For example, high-profile applications, such as home heating and fuelling cars, are still widely promoted, but are failing to take off.

Fundamentally, this is because hydrogen is an inefficient and costly option in these cases, with Ferraris globally outselling all makes of hydrogen fuel-cell cars combined.

Finally, the review looks at the current state of government hydrogen policy around the world, plus the ways that its potential could be maximised in the future.

archived (Wayback Machine)

The last of 75 turbines has been installed at the biggest wind project yet built in South Australia which will help edge the state closer to its 2027 target of reaching 100 per cent net renewables.

The 412 megawatt Goyder South wind project, near Burra, is being built by Neoen Australia and is also the largest wind project in its 10 GW of renewable energy projects currently operating, under construction or in development.

The Goyder renewable energy zone is expected to be one of the biggest renewable energy hubs in the world, combining multiple gigawatts of wind, solar and battery storage – with the final capacity likely to depend on the success of new green industries in the state, and its green hydrogen prospects.

Technologies that can power our lives and jobs while doing less harm to the global climate — wind, solar, batteries, etc. — are getting cheaper, more efficient, and more abundant. The pace of progress on price, scale, and performance has been so extraordinary that even the most optimistic forecasts about green tech in the past have turned out to be too pessimistic. Clean energy isn’t just powering our devices, tools, and luxuries — it’s growing the global economy, creating a whole suite of new jobs, and reshaping trade.

And despite what headlines may say, there’s no sign these trends will reverse. Political and economic turmoil may slow down clean energy, but the sector has built up so much momentum that it’s become nigh unstoppable.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/21175201

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

archived (Wayback Machine)

Here is the direct comparison, clearly stated once more for emphasis: Solar generates approximately 2 kilograms of inert, recyclable waste per megawatt-hour. Coal generates around 90 kilograms of highly toxic ash per megawatt-hour along with nearly a tonne of CO₂. Gas generates roughly half a tonne of CO₂ per megawatt-hour, along with the attendant methane leakage upstream. By any sensible measure, solar panel waste is trivial by comparison. The ongoing attempt to frame solar waste as a crisis or even an issue is not only misplaced but actively counterproductive, distracting us from the far more urgent issues of climate change and fossil fuel pollution.

Paywall

In 2024, Bolivia’s state-owned lithium company, signed contracts worth a combined $2 billion with Russian and Chinese companies to mine lithium from Salar de Uyuni in the country’s southwest.

Local communities already experiencing water shortages say they’re concerned the projects will divert large amounts of freshwater from agricultural lands.

Experts have pointed out inconsistencies with the contracts, including the lack of environmental impact assessments required under Bolivian law, and the lack of community consultation.

Bolivia holds an estimated 23 million metric tons of lithium reserves, or about a fifth of the global total, which is in growing demand for production of electric vehicle batteries.

archived (Wayback Machine)

The top-level post uses a gift link with a view count limit. When it runs out, there is an archived copy of the article

Given that this is the WSJ, you might actually prefer the archived copy to avoid giving them ad revenue.