EDITOR'S CHOICE

U.S. Solar Electricity Generation to Exceed Hydroelectricity in 2024, EIA Predicts

09 Nov 2023 | Synopsis

"...electricity from solar energy will exceed the amount of energy coming from hydropower sources by about 14%..EIA attributes this prediction to continuing growth around the U.S. in both utility-scale and small-scale solar facilities.

"installed solar capacity has had a growth rate of 44% per year on average from 2009 to 2022, while installed hydropower electric capacity’s growth rate averaged less than 1% per year in the same time frame."

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Why Fossil Fuel Companies Can't Leave Resources Stranded

09 Nov 2023 | Synopsis

"Hundreds of fossil fuel extraction projects now planned or already in production constitute so-called carbon bombs...Fossil fuel companies' production levels render such temperature goals all but impossible to achieve. A University College London study found that limiting heating to 2 C would require stranding a third of oil reserves, almost half of gas reserves, and more than 80 percent of coal reserves...aggressive energy policies to limit warming to 2 C would mean that $1.4 trillion in existing projects would lose their value."

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Inside the Global Fight to Lead the Electric Car Market by 2050

09 Nov 2023 | Synopsis

"The electric car era is transforming economies around the world - and creating new flashpoints, as communities vie for jobs, investment and innovation

"BloombergNEF forecasts the cumulative value of all forms of EV sales will hit $8.8 trillion by 2030 and $57 trillion by 2050...It''s all up for grabs. And nobody wants to be left behind."

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What The Mazda Rotary EV's Reveal Means For The Miata's Future

08 Nov 2023 | Synopsis

"...new two-rotor rotary EV system in the Iconic SP Concept, Mazda has taken its classic rotary technology and given it some future flavor. The engine is electric, but its batteries take power from a rotary engine which, apparently, can run on different types of fuel...a highly scalable rotary engine that can burn various fuels such as hydrogen, generates electricity with carbon-neutral fuel."

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EV Drivers Aren't Helping The Environment - Because They Don't Drive Enough, Study Reveals

08 Nov 2023 | Synopsis

Researchers from George Washington University...report that the current generation of EV owners drive notably less than owners of gas vehicles, which means lower emissions savings from EVs...study notes gaps among both cars and SUVs; electric cars traveled 7,165 miles while gas-powered cars traveled 11,642 miles..For maximum impact, we need the highest-mileage drivers behind the wheel of EVs rather than low-mileage drivers"

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EVs Are Switching to Tesla Chargers. Here's When It'll Actually Happen

08 Nov 2023 | Synopsis

"Tesla's NACS connector is smaller and the cable is more lightweight, meaning it's easier to plug in and charge your car...Most importantly, though, there are around 19,000 ports with NACS connectors in the US, while there are around 10,000 ports with CCS connectors.

"During 2024, carmakers will begin providing adapters for drivers of their current EVs. From 2025, new EVs will come equipped with Tesla charging ports built in."

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Republic Airways Moves On Electric Regional Aircraft

08 Nov 2023 | Synopsis

"The Electric Regional Airliner [ERA] Auro Aero is a 19-seater with eight motors...claims a hybrid speed of 250 knots and a range between 200 and 900 NM.

Aura...cannot provide what US regionals must deliver. The regional jets that work best now seat about 76. They fly up to 750 miles at 0.8Mach...All electric-hybrid OEMs face the same challenge: Can you sell 100 aircraft to SkyWest? That is the acid test." See also Electric Planes: Fantasy to Reality

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European Conservatives Are Putting Cars Before People: We Cannot Let That Happen

08 Nov 2023 | Synopsis

"Unless changes are made, the Euro 7 standard will allow new petrol and diesel cars to emit harmful levels of toxic fumes for years to come

"Conservative Europe has teamed up with the car industry to centre the debate on competitiveness and prices, instead of healthy and clean air...70,000 Europeans die prematurely due to pollution from road transport. The parliament will decide what it deems more important: the car industry or the people."

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The 2025 Ram Ramcharger Is An Electric Truck That Gets Its EV Juice From A Gas-Powered Generator

07 Nov 2023 | Synopsis

"The Ramcharger does have a 92 kilowatt-hour battery pack with 145 miles of range. It also happens to have a 3.6-liter V6 engine on-board 130 kilowatt generator. That combo gives the Ramcharger a targeted range of 690 miles...The V6 engine generates mechanical power and sends it to the on-board 130 kW generator, which is mounted directly to the engine. The generator converts this to electrical power, which can be used to charge the 92 kW battery or be applied to the two electric drive modules."

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How Your Child's School Bus Might Prevent Blackouts

07 Nov 2023 | Synopsis

"When not driving around, electric buses and other vehicles could help utilities by storing their solar and wind energy and releasing it to meet surges in demand.

"Electric school buses, in particular, could be very useful to the grid because of their limited use during school days and broad availability during summer’s sweltering temperatures...Schools in every state except Wyoming have committed to begin using electric buses,

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Opinion: How Fossil Fuel Money Compromises Climate Research -- And How To Fix It

07 Nov 2023 | Synopsis

"...the sway of oil and gas companies has watered down language on fossil fuels, to universities and think tanks, climate research and policymaking is awash in influence-peddling.

"... involvement in academia may provide oil and gas companies a sheen of respectability while potentially influencing those whose research and scholarship drive climate policy...led advocates to demand stringent regulations around, if not outright bans on, fossil-fuel-funded climate change research."

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Nuclear Energy & Free Market Capitalism Aren't Compatible

07 Nov 2023 | Synopsis

"...nuclear is completely fine as a low-carbon electricity generation technology... It's efficient enough, it's effective, it doesn't emit greenhouse gases in operation...successful nuclear programs of the past like France's, the USA's, and South Korea's share common traits. They were national strategic programs

"While market economics work brilliantly for lowering costs of modular, manufacturable, and simpler solutions, they don?t work for commercial nuclear generation."

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