#renewablesnow — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #renewablesnow, aggregated by home.social.
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#EPA Expected to Erase Limits on Climate #Pollution From Power Plants
Generation of electricity is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States.
By Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman, Sept. 13, 2026
Excerpt: "The #Trump administration plans to announce Monday that the United States will no longer limit the planet-warming pollution that power plants pump into the air while burning coal and gas, according to two people familiar with the proposal.
"The shift by the Environmental Protection Agency would complete the administration’s erasure of the most consequential climate policies of Presidents Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Barack Obama. If the move survives expected legal challenges, it could also prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. [FASCISM!!!]
"The power sector is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the United States. This pollution accumulates in the atmosphere, where it traps the sun’s heat, raising temperatures and supercharging extreme weather events around the globe. Scientists say the United States and other industrialized nations must sharply cut emissions to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change.
" #LeeZeldin , the E.P.A. administrator, is expected to announce the change during a meeting of energy ministers from the Group of 20 nations in Houston, according to the two people familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to describe the proposal before it is made public.
"Representatives for the E.P.A. did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Sunday evening.
" #Environmentalists and energy experts have opposed the move, which has been in the works since last spring. They have noted that if the U.S. power sector were its own country, it would be the fifth-largest climate polluter in the world after China, the entire United States, India and Russia.
" 'This is another nail in the coffin for this administration’s commitment to protecting people and tackling the climate crisis,' said Manish Bapna, the president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. The E.P.A., he said, 'is ending its legal and moral responsibility to end #ClimatePollution. '
"[Idiot-in-chief] President Trump has derided climate change as a 'hoax,' and in his second term, the E.P.A. has systematically dismantled policies aimed at slowing global warming that have been criticized as costly by #oil, #gas and #coal companies. The administration has tried to make it easier and cheaper to produce and use fossil fuels, especially to generate electricity that can meet growing demand from artificial intelligence data centers."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/13/climate/epa-power-plant-climate-rules.html
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/9eoDk#EPA = #EvilPollutersAlliance !
#USPol #TrumpSucks #EPAFail #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChangeIsReal #BigOilKnew #BigOilAndGas #CorporateFascism #CorporatePolluters #ClimateDenial #CorporateColonialism #GreenhouseGas #Datacenters #MakePollutersPay #AIDatacenters #AI #RenewablesNow #CharacteristicsOfFascism -
#EPA Expected to Erase Limits on Climate #Pollution From Power Plants
Generation of electricity is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States.
By Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman, Sept. 13, 2026
Excerpt: "The #Trump administration plans to announce Monday that the United States will no longer limit the planet-warming pollution that power plants pump into the air while burning coal and gas, according to two people familiar with the proposal.
"The shift by the Environmental Protection Agency would complete the administration’s erasure of the most consequential climate policies of Presidents Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Barack Obama. If the move survives expected legal challenges, it could also prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. [FASCISM!!!]
"The power sector is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the United States. This pollution accumulates in the atmosphere, where it traps the sun’s heat, raising temperatures and supercharging extreme weather events around the globe. Scientists say the United States and other industrialized nations must sharply cut emissions to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change.
" #LeeZeldin , the E.P.A. administrator, is expected to announce the change during a meeting of energy ministers from the Group of 20 nations in Houston, according to the two people familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to describe the proposal before it is made public.
"Representatives for the E.P.A. did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Sunday evening.
" #Environmentalists and energy experts have opposed the move, which has been in the works since last spring. They have noted that if the U.S. power sector were its own country, it would be the fifth-largest climate polluter in the world after China, the entire United States, India and Russia.
" 'This is another nail in the coffin for this administration’s commitment to protecting people and tackling the climate crisis,' said Manish Bapna, the president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. The E.P.A., he said, 'is ending its legal and moral responsibility to end #ClimatePollution. '
"[Idiot-in-chief] President Trump has derided climate change as a 'hoax,' and in his second term, the E.P.A. has systematically dismantled policies aimed at slowing global warming that have been criticized as costly by #oil, #gas and #coal companies. The administration has tried to make it easier and cheaper to produce and use fossil fuels, especially to generate electricity that can meet growing demand from artificial intelligence data centers."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/13/climate/epa-power-plant-climate-rules.html
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/9eoDk#EPA = #EvilPollutersAlliance !
#USPol #TrumpSucks #EPAFail #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChangeIsReal #BigOilKnew #BigOilAndGas #CorporateFascism #CorporatePolluters #ClimateDenial #CorporateColonialism #GreenhouseGas #Datacenters #MakePollutersPay #AIDatacenters #AI #RenewablesNow #CharacteristicsOfFascism -
#EPA Expected to Erase Limits on Climate #Pollution From Power Plants
Generation of electricity is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States.
By Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman, Sept. 13, 2026
Excerpt: "The #Trump administration plans to announce Monday that the United States will no longer limit the planet-warming pollution that power plants pump into the air while burning coal and gas, according to two people familiar with the proposal.
"The shift by the Environmental Protection Agency would complete the administration’s erasure of the most consequential climate policies of Presidents Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Barack Obama. If the move survives expected legal challenges, it could also prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. [FASCISM!!!]
"The power sector is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the United States. This pollution accumulates in the atmosphere, where it traps the sun’s heat, raising temperatures and supercharging extreme weather events around the globe. Scientists say the United States and other industrialized nations must sharply cut emissions to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change.
" #LeeZeldin , the E.P.A. administrator, is expected to announce the change during a meeting of energy ministers from the Group of 20 nations in Houston, according to the two people familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to describe the proposal before it is made public.
"Representatives for the E.P.A. did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Sunday evening.
" #Environmentalists and energy experts have opposed the move, which has been in the works since last spring. They have noted that if the U.S. power sector were its own country, it would be the fifth-largest climate polluter in the world after China, the entire United States, India and Russia.
" 'This is another nail in the coffin for this administration’s commitment to protecting people and tackling the climate crisis,' said Manish Bapna, the president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. The E.P.A., he said, 'is ending its legal and moral responsibility to end #ClimatePollution. '
"[Idiot-in-chief] President Trump has derided climate change as a 'hoax,' and in his second term, the E.P.A. has systematically dismantled policies aimed at slowing global warming that have been criticized as costly by #oil, #gas and #coal companies. The administration has tried to make it easier and cheaper to produce and use fossil fuels, especially to generate electricity that can meet growing demand from artificial intelligence data centers."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/13/climate/epa-power-plant-climate-rules.html
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/9eoDk#EPA = #EvilPollutersAlliance !
#USPol #TrumpSucks #EPAFail #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChangeIsReal #BigOilKnew #BigOilAndGas #CorporateFascism #CorporatePolluters #ClimateDenial #CorporateColonialism #GreenhouseGas #Datacenters #MakePollutersPay #AIDatacenters #AI #RenewablesNow #CharacteristicsOfFascism -
#EPA Expected to Erase Limits on Climate #Pollution From Power Plants
Generation of electricity is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States.
By Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman, Sept. 13, 2026
Excerpt: "The #Trump administration plans to announce Monday that the United States will no longer limit the planet-warming pollution that power plants pump into the air while burning coal and gas, according to two people familiar with the proposal.
"The shift by the Environmental Protection Agency would complete the administration’s erasure of the most consequential climate policies of Presidents Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Barack Obama. If the move survives expected legal challenges, it could also prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. [FASCISM!!!]
"The power sector is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the United States. This pollution accumulates in the atmosphere, where it traps the sun’s heat, raising temperatures and supercharging extreme weather events around the globe. Scientists say the United States and other industrialized nations must sharply cut emissions to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change.
" #LeeZeldin , the E.P.A. administrator, is expected to announce the change during a meeting of energy ministers from the Group of 20 nations in Houston, according to the two people familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to describe the proposal before it is made public.
"Representatives for the E.P.A. did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Sunday evening.
" #Environmentalists and energy experts have opposed the move, which has been in the works since last spring. They have noted that if the U.S. power sector were its own country, it would be the fifth-largest climate polluter in the world after China, the entire United States, India and Russia.
" 'This is another nail in the coffin for this administration’s commitment to protecting people and tackling the climate crisis,' said Manish Bapna, the president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. The E.P.A., he said, 'is ending its legal and moral responsibility to end #ClimatePollution. '
"[Idiot-in-chief] President Trump has derided climate change as a 'hoax,' and in his second term, the E.P.A. has systematically dismantled policies aimed at slowing global warming that have been criticized as costly by #oil, #gas and #coal companies. The administration has tried to make it easier and cheaper to produce and use fossil fuels, especially to generate electricity that can meet growing demand from artificial intelligence data centers."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/13/climate/epa-power-plant-climate-rules.html
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/9eoDk#EPA = #EvilPollutersAlliance !
#USPol #TrumpSucks #EPAFail #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChangeIsReal #BigOilKnew #BigOilAndGas #CorporateFascism #CorporatePolluters #ClimateDenial #CorporateColonialism #GreenhouseGas #Datacenters #MakePollutersPay #AIDatacenters #AI #RenewablesNow #CharacteristicsOfFascism -
#EPA Expected to Erase Limits on Climate #Pollution From Power Plants
Generation of electricity is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gases in the United States.
By Maxine Joselow and Lisa Friedman, Sept. 13, 2026
Excerpt: "The #Trump administration plans to announce Monday that the United States will no longer limit the planet-warming pollution that power plants pump into the air while burning coal and gas, according to two people familiar with the proposal.
"The shift by the Environmental Protection Agency would complete the administration’s erasure of the most consequential climate policies of Presidents Joseph R. Biden Jr. and Barack Obama. If the move survives expected legal challenges, it could also prevent future administrations from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from power plants. [FASCISM!!!]
"The power sector is the second largest source of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the United States. This pollution accumulates in the atmosphere, where it traps the sun’s heat, raising temperatures and supercharging extreme weather events around the globe. Scientists say the United States and other industrialized nations must sharply cut emissions to avoid the most devastating impacts of climate change.
" #LeeZeldin , the E.P.A. administrator, is expected to announce the change during a meeting of energy ministers from the Group of 20 nations in Houston, according to the two people familiar with the matter, who requested anonymity to describe the proposal before it is made public.
"Representatives for the E.P.A. did not immediately respond to a request for comment late Sunday evening.
" #Environmentalists and energy experts have opposed the move, which has been in the works since last spring. They have noted that if the U.S. power sector were its own country, it would be the fifth-largest climate polluter in the world after China, the entire United States, India and Russia.
" 'This is another nail in the coffin for this administration’s commitment to protecting people and tackling the climate crisis,' said Manish Bapna, the president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group. The E.P.A., he said, 'is ending its legal and moral responsibility to end #ClimatePollution. '
"[Idiot-in-chief] President Trump has derided climate change as a 'hoax,' and in his second term, the E.P.A. has systematically dismantled policies aimed at slowing global warming that have been criticized as costly by #oil, #gas and #coal companies. The administration has tried to make it easier and cheaper to produce and use fossil fuels, especially to generate electricity that can meet growing demand from artificial intelligence data centers."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/13/climate/epa-power-plant-climate-rules.html
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/9eoDk#EPA = #EvilPollutersAlliance !
#USPol #TrumpSucks #EPAFail #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #ClimateChangeIsReal #BigOilKnew #BigOilAndGas #CorporateFascism #CorporatePolluters #ClimateDenial #CorporateColonialism #GreenhouseGas #Datacenters #MakePollutersPay #AIDatacenters #AI #RenewablesNow #CharacteristicsOfFascism -
However, we need to figure out #Batteries that don't involve #Lithium (or reuse lithium), and also #GreenTechnology that is TRULY green -- ideally from recycled or common place materials, that can be repaired, and that can be recycled/reused once its useful life is over...
#ClimateSolutions most likely to reach ‘positive tipping points’ revealed by scientists
Global shift towards clean electricity could trigger ‘cascade’ of progress, helping reduce air pollution, cut waste and revive oceans
Matthew Pearce
Thu 10 Sep 2026Excerpt: "The report, produced by the University of Exeter with the Earthshot prize, applies tipping point science to 51 priority areas across five environmental goals: protecting nature, cleaning the air, reviving oceans, eliminating waste and tackling the climate crisis.
"Smith said positive tipping points could be understood as the beneficial counterpart to dangerous climate thresholds, such as the collapse of ice sheets or the death of coral reefs.
" 'Tipping points can also work in our favour,' he said. The rapid growth of solar power, wind power and electric vehicles, as well as the recovery of some natural systems, showed beneficial change could accelerate after reaching a critical threshold.
"However, the transition to clean power is being impeded by slow planning and grid expansion, particularly in wealthier economies, and a severe lack of investment elsewhere. Africa receives less than 2% of global clean energy investment despite possessing 60% of the world’s best solar resources, according to the report.
"Research cited in the analysis suggests coordinated policies supporting clean power, transport and heating could bring forward tipping points in those sectors by between two and eight years. Progress in one sector makes the others easier by increasing demand for clean electricity, encouraging investment and driving costs down further.
"Transforming global commodity supply chains is identified as another high-impact intervention. A relatively small number of #companies, #banks and regulators control trade in commodities including #beef, #soy, #PalmOil, #timber, #cocoa and #coffee, which together drive much of the world’s tropical #deforestation."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/hMMv4#SolarPunkSunday #NewTechnology #Capitalism #RenewablesNow #PostOil #PostCapitalism #Earth4All
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However, we need to figure out #Batteries that don't involve #Lithium (or reuse lithium), and also #GreenTechnology that is TRULY green -- ideally from recycled or common place materials, that can be repaired, and that can be recycled/reused once its useful life is over...
#ClimateSolutions most likely to reach ‘positive tipping points’ revealed by scientists
Global shift towards clean electricity could trigger ‘cascade’ of progress, helping reduce air pollution, cut waste and revive oceans
Matthew Pearce
Thu 10 Sep 2026Excerpt: "The report, produced by the University of Exeter with the Earthshot prize, applies tipping point science to 51 priority areas across five environmental goals: protecting nature, cleaning the air, reviving oceans, eliminating waste and tackling the climate crisis.
"Smith said positive tipping points could be understood as the beneficial counterpart to dangerous climate thresholds, such as the collapse of ice sheets or the death of coral reefs.
" 'Tipping points can also work in our favour,' he said. The rapid growth of solar power, wind power and electric vehicles, as well as the recovery of some natural systems, showed beneficial change could accelerate after reaching a critical threshold.
"However, the transition to clean power is being impeded by slow planning and grid expansion, particularly in wealthier economies, and a severe lack of investment elsewhere. Africa receives less than 2% of global clean energy investment despite possessing 60% of the world’s best solar resources, according to the report.
"Research cited in the analysis suggests coordinated policies supporting clean power, transport and heating could bring forward tipping points in those sectors by between two and eight years. Progress in one sector makes the others easier by increasing demand for clean electricity, encouraging investment and driving costs down further.
"Transforming global commodity supply chains is identified as another high-impact intervention. A relatively small number of #companies, #banks and regulators control trade in commodities including #beef, #soy, #PalmOil, #timber, #cocoa and #coffee, which together drive much of the world’s tropical #deforestation."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/hMMv4#SolarPunkSunday #NewTechnology #Capitalism #RenewablesNow #PostOil #PostCapitalism #Earth4All
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However, we need to figure out #Batteries that don't involve #Lithium (or reuse lithium), and also #GreenTechnology that is TRULY green -- ideally from recycled or common place materials, that can be repaired, and that can be recycled/reused once its useful life is over...
#ClimateSolutions most likely to reach ‘positive tipping points’ revealed by scientists
Global shift towards clean electricity could trigger ‘cascade’ of progress, helping reduce air pollution, cut waste and revive oceans
Matthew Pearce
Thu 10 Sep 2026Excerpt: "The report, produced by the University of Exeter with the Earthshot prize, applies tipping point science to 51 priority areas across five environmental goals: protecting nature, cleaning the air, reviving oceans, eliminating waste and tackling the climate crisis.
"Smith said positive tipping points could be understood as the beneficial counterpart to dangerous climate thresholds, such as the collapse of ice sheets or the death of coral reefs.
" 'Tipping points can also work in our favour,' he said. The rapid growth of solar power, wind power and electric vehicles, as well as the recovery of some natural systems, showed beneficial change could accelerate after reaching a critical threshold.
"However, the transition to clean power is being impeded by slow planning and grid expansion, particularly in wealthier economies, and a severe lack of investment elsewhere. Africa receives less than 2% of global clean energy investment despite possessing 60% of the world’s best solar resources, according to the report.
"Research cited in the analysis suggests coordinated policies supporting clean power, transport and heating could bring forward tipping points in those sectors by between two and eight years. Progress in one sector makes the others easier by increasing demand for clean electricity, encouraging investment and driving costs down further.
"Transforming global commodity supply chains is identified as another high-impact intervention. A relatively small number of #companies, #banks and regulators control trade in commodities including #beef, #soy, #PalmOil, #timber, #cocoa and #coffee, which together drive much of the world’s tropical #deforestation."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/hMMv4#SolarPunkSunday #NewTechnology #Capitalism #RenewablesNow #PostOil #PostCapitalism #Earth4All
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However, we need to figure out #Batteries that don't involve #Lithium (or reuse lithium), and also #GreenTechnology that is TRULY green -- ideally from recycled or common place materials, that can be repaired, and that can be recycled/reused once its useful life is over...
#ClimateSolutions most likely to reach ‘positive tipping points’ revealed by scientists
Global shift towards clean electricity could trigger ‘cascade’ of progress, helping reduce air pollution, cut waste and revive oceans
Matthew Pearce
Thu 10 Sep 2026Excerpt: "The report, produced by the University of Exeter with the Earthshot prize, applies tipping point science to 51 priority areas across five environmental goals: protecting nature, cleaning the air, reviving oceans, eliminating waste and tackling the climate crisis.
"Smith said positive tipping points could be understood as the beneficial counterpart to dangerous climate thresholds, such as the collapse of ice sheets or the death of coral reefs.
" 'Tipping points can also work in our favour,' he said. The rapid growth of solar power, wind power and electric vehicles, as well as the recovery of some natural systems, showed beneficial change could accelerate after reaching a critical threshold.
"However, the transition to clean power is being impeded by slow planning and grid expansion, particularly in wealthier economies, and a severe lack of investment elsewhere. Africa receives less than 2% of global clean energy investment despite possessing 60% of the world’s best solar resources, according to the report.
"Research cited in the analysis suggests coordinated policies supporting clean power, transport and heating could bring forward tipping points in those sectors by between two and eight years. Progress in one sector makes the others easier by increasing demand for clean electricity, encouraging investment and driving costs down further.
"Transforming global commodity supply chains is identified as another high-impact intervention. A relatively small number of #companies, #banks and regulators control trade in commodities including #beef, #soy, #PalmOil, #timber, #cocoa and #coffee, which together drive much of the world’s tropical #deforestation."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/hMMv4#SolarPunkSunday #NewTechnology #Capitalism #RenewablesNow #PostOil #PostCapitalism #Earth4All
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However, we need to figure out #Batteries that don't involve #Lithium (or reuse lithium), and also #GreenTechnology that is TRULY green -- ideally from recycled or common place materials, that can be repaired, and that can be recycled/reused once its useful life is over...
#ClimateSolutions most likely to reach ‘positive tipping points’ revealed by scientists
Global shift towards clean electricity could trigger ‘cascade’ of progress, helping reduce air pollution, cut waste and revive oceans
Matthew Pearce
Thu 10 Sep 2026Excerpt: "The report, produced by the University of Exeter with the Earthshot prize, applies tipping point science to 51 priority areas across five environmental goals: protecting nature, cleaning the air, reviving oceans, eliminating waste and tackling the climate crisis.
"Smith said positive tipping points could be understood as the beneficial counterpart to dangerous climate thresholds, such as the collapse of ice sheets or the death of coral reefs.
" 'Tipping points can also work in our favour,' he said. The rapid growth of solar power, wind power and electric vehicles, as well as the recovery of some natural systems, showed beneficial change could accelerate after reaching a critical threshold.
"However, the transition to clean power is being impeded by slow planning and grid expansion, particularly in wealthier economies, and a severe lack of investment elsewhere. Africa receives less than 2% of global clean energy investment despite possessing 60% of the world’s best solar resources, according to the report.
"Research cited in the analysis suggests coordinated policies supporting clean power, transport and heating could bring forward tipping points in those sectors by between two and eight years. Progress in one sector makes the others easier by increasing demand for clean electricity, encouraging investment and driving costs down further.
"Transforming global commodity supply chains is identified as another high-impact intervention. A relatively small number of #companies, #banks and regulators control trade in commodities including #beef, #soy, #PalmOil, #timber, #cocoa and #coffee, which together drive much of the world’s tropical #deforestation."
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/hMMv4#SolarPunkSunday #NewTechnology #Capitalism #RenewablesNow #PostOil #PostCapitalism #Earth4All
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Boo hiss...
Controversial #JackdawGasField set to be approved in weeks, sources say
Simon Jack, 3 September 2026
"The #UK government is set to give the go-ahead for a controversial new #GasField off the coast of #Aberdeen, the BBC understands.
"Approval for the Jackdaw project could come in mid-September, just before #Parliament breaks for party conference season, according to government and industry sources.
"The gas field was approved by the former #ConservativeGovernment in 2022 but was delayed by a legal ruling from a #ScottishCourt, after #EnvironmentalGroups argued consent was given without fully considering the #ClimateImpact.
"Jackdaw's owner says it will account for 6% of UK gas output when at peak production but environmental groups say it will provide only 2% of UK use when imports are included.
"Campaigners launched legal challenges after Jackdaw was approved in 2022 and when the #RosebankOilField off #Shetland was given the green light in 2023.
"The Court of Session in Edinburgh ruled last year that #Rosebank and Jackdaw had been unlawfully approved because the government had failed to take into account the climate impact of burning extracted #OilAndGas from the sites.
"A judge ruled that more detailed climate assessments had to be published, and further estimates were put out for consultation in July.
"Both Jackdaw and Rosebank are operated by #Adura, a joint venture between energy giants #ShellOil and Norway's #Equinor. Aberdeen-based firm Ithaca also owns 20% of Rosebank.
"Adura has estimated that Jackdaw could produce 35.8m tonnes of carbon over its 11-year lifetime, the equivalent of 90% of Scotland's emissions for 2023. But it said a more likely estimate was about 23.6m tonnes - equivalent to 60% of the 2023 figure.
" #Environmentalists insist that more #drilling would be unconscionable, hampering efforts to cut planet-warming carbon emissions as deadly #heatwaves and #ExtremeWeather affect billions across the globe.
"They also say starting production would not protect energy security and that transitioning sooner to #GreenerTechnologies would be better for supporting jobs."
Read more:
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj9xe09jz4eo#RenewablesNow #NoDrilling #NorthSea #ScottishCoast #UKNews #UKPol #Scotland #BigOilAndGas #ShellLies #Oiligarchy
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SimplyInfo.org: 15th Anniversary Report #FukushimaDaiichi
March 2, 2026
Excerpt: "This TV Asahi investigative report from March 2025 [linked below] paints a sobering picture of the enormous challenges still facing the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi, fourteen years after the accident. While #TEPCO achieved a milestone the previous November by extracting roughly 0.7 grams of #NuclearFuel debris for the first time, experts interviewed for the piece emphasized that debris removal is just one piece of a far more complex puzzle. Around 1,000 fuel assemblies
still remain in the spent fuel pools of Units 1 and 2, untouched since the accident, and officials from the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation (#NDF) described clearing these pools as the single most urgent priority — in part because another
#earthquake or #tsunami could strike at any time."Before large-scale debris removal can even begin, the area around the reactor buildings must be cleared of heavily contaminated structures and exhaust stacks to make room for the massive equipment required. Because humans cannot safely approach the highly radioactive debris, all removal work must be done remotely. Radiation levels outside the buildings remain dangerously high — a dosimeter near #Unit2 showed particularly elevated readings — and contaminated water continues to be generated at a rate of roughly 80 tons per day as #rainwater and #groundwater contact radioactive materials on site, despite TEPCO having already released about 80,000 tons of treated [but still radioactive] water into the ocean.
"Perhaps the most troubling concern raised in the article is what happens to the debris and #RadioactiveWaste after it is removed. Hiroshi Miyano, chairman of the Decommissioning Review Committee of the Atomic Energy Society of Japan, was blunt in his criticism, saying no serious thought has been given to managing this waste over the coming century or two.
"The Fukushima debris is uniquely complicated because it is a mixture of melted nuclear fuel and structural materials, and experts warned that removal may not even be possible until a concrete disposal plan is in place. General decommissioning superintendent Toyoshi Fukada warned that without proper storage facilities ready in advance, the entire decommissioning effort could eventually grind to a halt simply because there would be nowhere to put the waste."
Read more:
https://simplyinfo.org/2026/03/simplyinfo-org-15th-anniversary-report-fukushima-daiichi/Asashi investigative report [pdf]:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ysaf6a7hj62286sv4hoql/alps_water_d250130_14-j_translated.pdf?rlkey=3u397ndoafdtiq6fgjczg4a74&st=845tdf30&dl=0#FukushimaIsntOver #TEPCOLies #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #NoNukesForAI #RenewablesNow #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife #NuclearPlants #NuclearDisaster #Remember311
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World’s biggest #NuclearPlant fires up 1,356MW reactor after 13-year freeze
Story by Everett Sloane, February 11, 2026
Excerpt: "Coverage of the planned restart has noted that Japan’s #Kashiwazaki and Kariwa units faced a suspension just hours after an earlier attempt began, after a minor malfunction triggered alarms. Separate reporting on Jan developments stressed that the significance of bringing Reactor No. 6 online was rising as tight supply threatened winter reliability, a reminder that grid operators are juggling risk on two fronts at once: the risk of another accident and the risk of blackouts if demand outstrips capacity. This dual pressure is why I see unit 6 less as a side story and more as the template regulators will use to judge whether No. 7 can safely move from fuel loading to full power."
#KashiwazakiKariwa #TEPCOLies #KEPCOLIes #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #Geothermal #WaveEnergy #Japan #JapanPol #RenewablesNow #FukushimaIsntOver
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Japan Is Restarting Its #NuclearPower Program 15 Years After the #Fukushima Disaster
One of the surviving reactors at the #KashiwazakiKariwa plant was loaded with fuel last summer and recently turned back on, to mixed reactions.
By Elizabeth Rayne, Published: Jan 28, 2026
Excerpt: "Despite the benefits [sic] of nuclear energy, not everyone is so sure about this move. The Japanese government’s strategic energy plan previously intended to reduce the use of nuclear power as much as possible, but as far back as 2021, it has been focused on incorporating nuclear back into its bank of power sources as a way to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels. Its newest plan addresses the progress that has been made since the Fukushima disaster, admitting that the power plant failed to make improvements because of 'the myth [that] created the impression that meeting the standards and conditions set by the government and industry would eliminate all risks.'
"Some citizens see the return to nuclear power as a dismissal of caution."
#RethinkNotRestart #NoMoreFukushimas #TEPCOLies #KEPCOLies #NoNukes #RenewablesNow #Geothermal #Hotsprings #FukushimaIsntOver #WaterIsLife #OceansAreLife #Radiation #NuclearWasteIsForever
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Alas, starting to wind down this #SolarPunkSunday... TY to @MaQuest , @jblue , @BrambleBearGrrrauwling and everyone who used the hashtag and/or boosted the posts! I'll re-post a few articles from yesterday before returning to the "Doom and Gloom" posts. Please join us next week for the 1 year anniversary of SPS! We hope you'll share your stories, art, helpful hints, and tales of hope and community! #InformationIsPower!
#ABetterWorld is possible!
#SolarPunk #SolarPunkArt #SolarPunkMusings #StabilizedWorld #LtG #BuildingCommunity #Decolonize #DeGrowth #SolarPunkSunday
#HopePunk #DeCapitalize
#RightToRepair #NatureRocks #ClimateChange #RenewablesNow
#GrowYourOwnFood #ClimateAdaptation -
So, for the upcoming one year anniversary of #SolarPunkSunday on December 21st, we invite writers, artists and makers to share their works! I'll be focusing on #SolarPunk and #Resiliency around the world, as we are all in this TOGETHER! #AnotherWorldIsPossible!
#SolarPunk #SolarPunkArt #SolarPunkMusings #ABetterWorld #StabilizedWorld #LtG #BuildingCommunity #Decolonize #DeGrowth #SolarPunkSunday
#HopePunk #DeCapitalize
#RightToRepair #NatureRocks #ClimateChange #RenewablesNow
#GrowYourOwnFood #ClimateAdaptation -
Essay - How the climate conversation went punk
From #SlowFashion to #GuerrillaGardening, the internet has transformed solarpunk, a literary movement, into an alternative lifestyle trend.
Written by Sonal Gupta
Mumbai | Updated: November 20, 2025Excerpt: "In 2020, #SolarPunkFarms cropped up in California as a #communal living space whose inhabitants grow and share their own food. The leftovers are sent to local markets. They have designed their #greenhouse after the animations of #HayaoMiyazaki. In fact, the works of the #StudioGhibli founder have found resonance among solarpunks, as he places nature as a character in his plots. In his visions, nature is at its most beautiful—lush greenery, rays of light, the dew on leaves, and the wind blowing life into trees.
"Though these changes are encouraging, it’s ironic that as we move past dystopian visions, the #capitalists of the world, running in the #AI race, threaten to steer us to the very future. The use of AI itself depletes water resources and generates immense amounts of greenhouse gases and electronic waste. If we are to live in a world where technology exists in harmony with #nature, #activists, stakeholders, and individuals must actively call for more #SustainableSolutions, #AffirmativeAction, and policy changes.
"If cyberpunk warned us of what happens when technology consumes humanity, solarpunk invites us to imagine what is possible when humanity reclaims technology. It reminds us that hope, like sunlight, is a renewable resource too."
Read more:
https://indianexpress.com/article/fresh-take/what-is-solarpunk-climate-change-10334376/Archived version:
https://archive.ph/8loNL#SolarPunkSunday #SolarPunk #HopePunk #DeGrowth #DeCapitalize #RightToRepair #NatureRocks #AISucks #ClimateChange #RenewablesNow #GrowYourOwnFood #ABetterWorld #StabilizedWorld #ClimateAdaptation
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World's first '#SandBattery' can store heat at 500C for months at a time. Could it work in Australia?
By technology reporter James Purtill
Mon 18 Jul 2022Excerpt: "Polar Night Energy's chief executive officer Markku Ylönen said the entire battery could be built in "any steel workshop".
" 'It's really a typical #silo with nothing that special,' he said.
"To discharge the stored #ThermalEnergy, air is circulated through pipes in the sand where it's heated, then directed, to wherever it's needed.
"Right now, that's mostly heating homes, but it could also be used for high-temperature industrial processes, Mr Ylönen said."
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#French #NuclearPower production expected to be reduced on Wednesday
By Reuters
August 12, 2025PARIS, Aug 12 (Reuters) - "Power production at France's #Bugey3 #nuclear reactor in the east of the country is expected to be reduced by 500 megawatts (MW) on Wednesday, data from operator #EDF showed on Tuesday, as high river temperatures reduce the plant's ability to intake cooling water.
"A #heatwave throughout #France has led to multiple warnings of power reductions at a number of #NuclearPlants, particularly on the #RhoneRiver in the east and the #GaronneRiver in the west."The #Bugey 3 reactor has a maximum capacity of 910 MW, which will be reduced to 410 MW from 2:30 p.m. (1230 GMT) to midnight on Wednesday as the reactor is required to meet environmental safety measures, EDF's data showed.
"The high water temperature warnings for the #SaintAlban plant - down river of the Bugey site - and the #Golfech site in the west were moved to August 14, but restrictions have not yet been issued.
Average temperatures in the country are expected to continue to peak throughout the week, reaching a high of 28.5 degrees Celsius (83.3°F) on Saturday, LSEG data showed."#NuclearPower accounts for about 70% of total French power consumption annually, but August is the main holiday season throughout the country and electricity demand is often limited."
#EuropeHeatWaves #France #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #NoNukesForAI #NuclearPowerNoThanks #NuclearWasteIsForever #NuclearPowerPlants #ExtremeHeat #RenewablesNow #RenewableEnergy #RethinkNotRestart
#LeNucléaireNonMerci -
We’re having a #heatwave...
And #NuclearPower can’t cope. Worse still, it’s actually a liability under ever more extreme climate conditions, write Karl Grossman and Harvey Wasserman
Posted on July 27, 2025, by #BeyondNuclear
"At the core of the latest attempted 'renaissance' of nuclear power is the big lie that #AtomicReactors are an answer to #GlobalWarming. In fact, they are significant sources of heat.
"There are more than 400 nuclear power plants in the world today that fission atoms at 300 degrees Centigrade, (572 degrees Fahrenheit). More are under construction or proposed. As the International Atomic Energy Agency states, 'water-cooled reactors offer heat up to 300 degrees Celsius. These types of reactors include pressurized water reactors (PWRs), boiling-water reactors (BWRs), pressurized heavy-water reactors, and light-water-cooled graphite-moderated reactors (LWGRs).'
"Some heat is absorbed in the water—drawn from water bodies—used to cool these nuclear power plants and then returned, still with considerable heat, to #rivers or #seas.
"The heatwave going on in recent weeks in Europe, in combination with this discharge of heated water from nuclear plants, has caused #NuclearPlants there to shut down.
"Consider these headlines from recent days:
" '#France and #Switzerland shut down nuclear power plants amid scorching heatwave,' was the July 3rd headline on Euronews. As the piece explained: “To cool down, nuclear power plants pump water from local rivers or the sea, which they then release back into water bodies at a high temperature. However, Europe’s ongoing heatwave means that the water pumped by nuclear sites is already very hot, impacting the ability of nuclear plants to use it to cool down. On top of this, nuclear sites run the risk of posing a dangerous threat to local #biodiversity, by releasing water which is too hot into rivers and seas.'
"A New York Times article, also dated July 3rd, related how in Europe, 'operators shut down one of the two reactors at the #Golfech nuclear power plant in southern #France after forecasts that the #GaronneRiver, from which it draws water and then discharges it after it is used in the plant as coolant, 'could top…82 degrees Fahrenheit.' The Times continued: 'The #Beznau Nuclear Power Plant in #Switzerland, built along the #AareRiver followed suit, shutting down one of its reactors on Tuesday and the other on Wednesday.' "
Source:
https://beyondnuclearinternational.org/blog/#ExtremeHeat #ClimateChange #NuclearPowerPlants #NuclearPowerNoThanks #RenewablesNow! #WaterIsLife #NoNukes #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukesForAI
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'Planet Wreckers': 4 Rich Nations Plotting Nearly 70% of New Oil and Gas Over Next Decade | Common Dreams
This is not just hypocrisy," said one climate campaigner. "It is a death sentence for communities on the frontlines of the #ClimateCrisis."
Brett Wilkins
Jun 16, 2025"Four wealthy nations—the #UnitedStates, #Canada, #Norway, and #Australia—account for the majority of planned oil and gas expansion over the next decade, according to new data published by #OilChangeInternational on Monday, the first day of the #BonnClimateChangeConference in Germany.
"Oil Change's analysis, titled #PlanetWreckers, notes that if those four #GlobalNorth nations stopped their planned new oil and gas extraction, 32 billion tons of carbon pollution would stay in the ground instead of being burned and released into the atmosphere, where they fuel planetary heating. That's the equivalent of three times the annual global emissions created by burning coal.
" 'A handful of the world's richest nations remain intent on leading us into disaster. This is not just hypocrisy. It is a death sentence for communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis,' Oil Change International global policy lead Romain Ioualalen said in a statement Monday.
"It is sickening that countries with the highest incomes and outsized historical responsibility for causing the climate crisis are planning massive oil and gas expansion with no regard for the lives and livelihoods at stake," Ioualalen added."
Read more:
https://www.commondreams.org/news/oil-change-report-planet-wreckers#Oligarchy #Oiligarchy #BigOilAndGas #DrillBabyDrill #LeaveItInTheGround #CorporateColonialism #FossilFuels #Fracking #Oil #Pollution #Drilling #Ecocide #USPol #CanadaPol #PetroState #ThanksBigOil #ClimateCatastrophe #BPKnew #ExxonKnew #WaterIsLife #AirIsLife #OilUpTheSwamp #ExtractiveIndustries #NoPipelines #RenewablesNow #FossillFuel #NoJobsOnADeadPlanet
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‘A very Finnish thing’: Big #SandBattery to store wind and solar energy using crushed soapstone
The battery will be able to store a week’s heat demand in winter - how does it work?
By Lottie Limb
Published on 10/03/2024"A huge sand battery is set to slash the carbon emissions of a Finnish town.
"The industrial-scale storage unit in Pornainen, southern Finland, will be the world’s biggest sand battery when it comes online within a year.
"Capable of storing 100 MWh of thermal energy from solar and wind sources, it will enable residents to eliminate oil from their district heating network, helping to cut emissions by nearly 70 per cent.
" 'It's exciting to build a large-scale thermal energy storage, which will also act as a primary production plant in Pornainen's district heating network,' says Liisa Naskali, COO at Polar Night Energy, the company behind the innovation.
" 'This is a significant step in scaling up the sand battery technology.' "
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HT @btschumy
And this is why we need to #RethinkNotRestart and #ShutDownAllNuclearPlants -- especially the aging ones! This article outlines a very possible #Doomsday scenario -- but it could be a number of things, including a large #SolarFlare...2030 Doomsday Scenario: The Great #Nuclear Collapse
A timeline of the #EndGame for human civilization
"Humanity has constructed a doomsday Deadman switch that threatens civilization. Climate destruction will make it increasingly difficult to avoid the looming global nuclear catastrophe we've created.
"Here's how our future might unravel:
Late 2020s: Climate Red Alert and Infrastructure Strain"By the late 2020s, Earth’s climate is in unprecedented turmoil. Global average temperatures are consistently 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels. Each year brings record-breaking heatwaves, “freak” floods, and droughts that batter infrastructure. Coastal cities flood more frequently, roads buckle in extreme heat, and power grids strain under surging demand for cooling.
"This cascade of climate disasters sets the stage for a systemic collapse: as societies grapple with runaway warming, the resilience of #Criticalnfrastructure (power, water, transit) erodes.
"Energy systems enter a crisis even before 2030. Nuclear power, which in 2025 still provided about 9% of the world’s electricity from ~440 reactors, becomes increasingly unreliable. Many nuclear plants struggle with climate stresses: cooling water sources heat up in summer, forcing reactors to reduce output or shut down to avoid unsafe temperatures. For example, a 2028 European #heatwave pushes river and sea temperatures above 25 °C, triggering emergency shutdowns at multiple reactors that cannot be cooled effectively.
"At the same time, stronger storms and floods threaten reactor safety. Dozens of reactors worldwide are unprepared for #ExtremeFlooding, meaning a dam failure or #StormSurge could lead to a Fukushima-scale accident. Worrisome reports emerge of power plants in #floodplains and #coasts where defenses are overtopped by #RisingSeas and torrential rains.
"By 2029, global carbon output remains high, and natural feedback loops are kicking in. In the Arctic, permafrost thaws and releases methane creating a vicious warming cycle where initial warming triggers more emissions, leading to even more warming. Scientists caution that a tipping point is near, beyond which climate change becomes self-perpetuating (a true “runaway” scenario).
"Society approaches 2030 in a precarious state: aware of looming catastrophe yet unprepared for its speed. The stage is set for the coming collapse, with power grids and nuclear facilities - the backbone of the industrial world - already under severe strain.
Early 2030s: Blackouts and the First Reactor Crises
"2030 marks the breaking point.
"A confluence of climate catastrophes collapses power grids across multiple continents. A severe global heatwave in the summer of 2030 brings record electricity demand while many power plants (nuclear and coal alike) are derated or offline due to overheating coolant water.
"Then powerful Category 5 storms strike in succession: one hurricane inundates the U.S. Eastern seaboard, while an unprecedented typhoon swamps Southeast Asia. These #disasters knock out transmission lines and flood key substations, leading to prolonged blackouts in dozens of major cities. Emergency systems are overwhelmed. With communications down and transportation paralyzed, manpower shortages become acute - many operators and engineers cannot reach their stations.
"Nuclear power plants are among the first to feel the emergency. Grid failure triggers automatic reactor SCRAMs (rapid shutdowns) at plants from Florida to France. Control rods halt the fission reactions, but decay heat in reactor cores still needs cooling for days to prevent meltdown.
"Normally, backup diesel generators would power the cooling pumps, but the scale of the #blackout means diesel resupply is uncertain and some generators fail in flooded facilities. In a grim reflection of 2011’s Fukushima disaster, several coastal reactors lose all power as storm surges drown their backup generators.
"Within hours to days, the first meltdowns occur.
"In 2031, a reactor in South Asia becomes a flashpoint: its cooling pumps falter after the grid collapse, leading the core to overheat. The reactor’s heart melts through containment in a matter of days, releasing a plume of radioactive steam and debris.
"Nearby, an even greater danger unfolds: the plant’s spent fuel pool, packed with years of highly radioactive spent rods, boils dry without cooling. Exposed to air, the zirconium cladding of the fuel ignites, triggering a fire that belches long-lived radioisotopes directly into the atmosphere. This nightmare scenario - once narrowly avoided at #Fukushima by heroic ad-hoc measures - now plays out in full."
Read more:
https://www.collapse2050.com/2030-doomsday-scenario-the-great-nuclear-collapse/#NoNukes #RenewablesNow #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis #Radiation #NuclearMeltdowns #Polycrisis #NoMoreFukushimas #NoNukesForAI #CivilizationCollapse #NuclearFuture #ARadioactiveWorld
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#Palisades power plant will restart. Here's where on the #GreatLakes #NuclearPlants operate
Story by Sarah Moore, Lansing State Journal, 2/27/2025
"Owners of Michigan's Palisades nuclear energy plant this week announced a new five-year program aimed at restarting the power station while adding two smaller, modular reactors to the existing facility.
"Holtec has launched 'Mission 2030,' a program to build America’s first small modular reactors — Holtec’s SMR-300 — at the Palisades site in Covert Township, Michigan, with a target of 2030 for first commercial operation.' Holtec International said in a release. "The new SMR-300s will be co-located with the existing 800-megawatt Palisades plant, which is on track to restart after an extended outage following shutdown in 2022.'
"The program was discussed at a ceremony Feb. 25, at which #Holtec said it has joined forces with #Hyundai Engineering & Construction to build a 10-gigawatt fleet of SMR-300s in North America, the release said.
"Nuclear energy production is seeing growing interest for power generation because it requires no fossil fuels and can help reduce greenhouse gases. The systems, however, generate tons of highly #RadioactiveWaste that has to be stored. In #Michigan, waste is stored within a short distance of the #GreatLakes in some locations."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/palisades-power-plant-will-restart-heres-where-on-the-great-lakes-nuclear-plants-operate/ar-AA1zUV7D
#RethinkNotRestart #NoNukes #Renewables #RenewablesNow #WaterIsLife #RadioactivePollution #HoltecLies -
Since the 2011 #Fukushima accident, Japan has restarted 14 #NuclearReactors
1/10/2025"Japanese utilities restarted two additional nuclear reactors in 2024 that had been suspended from operations in response to the 2011 #FukushimaDaiichi accident, taking the total number of restarted reactors to 14 since the accident.
"In November, #TohokuElectricPowerCo. restarted its 796-megawatt (MW) #Onagawa Unit 2 reactor, and in December #ChugokuElectricPowerCo. restarted its #Shimane Unit 2 (789 MW). Onagawa is the nuclear power plant located closest to the epicenter of the March 2011 #earthquake and tsunami.
"Most of the restarted reactors have been pressurized water reactors (PWR) located in western Japan. Onagawa Unit 2 and Shimane Unit 2, by contrast, are the first boiling water reactors (BWR) to be restarted. Onagawa Unit 2 is also the first reactor in the eastern part of the country to be restarted. Japan’s nuclear regulator prioritized the restart of PWRs due to public safety concerns regarding BWR technology, which is the design of the Fukushima Daiichi units.
"Japan suspended its nuclear fleet from 2013 to 2015 for mandatory safety checks and upgrades following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident. Before the accident, 54 commercial nuclear reactors were operating in Japan, and nuclear power accounted for approximately 30% of the country’s electricity generation. Nuclear restarts have proceeded slowly since the first two units (#Sendai Units 1 and 2) were restarted in 2015. Restarts have been slow due to a significantly more stringent safety inspection and authorization process established after the accident and local court injunctions emerging from ongoing public safety concerns in some regions. Public support for restarts has been growing in Japan recently, however.
"Under the current restart process, once regulatory approvals have been granted, the local municipality and prefectural governments are consulted prior to restart. In addition to the 14 reactors already restarted, three more units (namely, the #KashiwazakiKariwa Unit 6 and Unit 7 and the #TokaiDaini unit) have received regulatory approval to restart but have yet to do so. Tohoku Electric Power announced in 2018 that Onagawa Unit 1 would be decommissioned rather than upgraded, but the utility plans to seek approval to restart Onagawa Unit 3. Restarting another 10 units is under regulatory review.
"The suspension of Japan's nuclear fleet after the Fukushima accident significantly increased dependence on natural gas, oil, and coal imports to make up for lost domestic nuclear generation. It also significantly increased the installed capacity of solar photovoltaic generation in the country, according to data from Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Japan has limited domestic fossil fuel resources and imports virtually all the fossil fuels it uses. Consequently, Japan is the world's second-largest importer of liquefied natural gas (LNG) after China and the third-largest importer of coal.
"As part of Japan’s sixth long-term energy plan, last updated in October 2021, the central government called for the nuclear share of the country’s electricity generation to reach 20%–22% by 2030. Nuclear power accounted for about 6% of Japan’s electricity generation in 2023. A draft of Japan’s seventh long-term energy plan was released on December 17, 2024, and says nuclear power should account for 20% of Japan’s energy supply in 2040.
"Japan’s current policy intends to maximize the use of existing reactors by restarting as many units as possible and extending the #LicensedOperatingLife beyond the current 60-year limit."
Source:
http://gasprocessingnews.com/news/2025/01/since-the-2011-fukushima-accident-japan-has-restarted-14-nuclear-reactors/
#NoNukesForAI #RenewablesNow #RethinkNotRestart #NoMoreFukushimas #TEPCOLies #KEPCOLies #NoNukes #NuclearPlants #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies -
#AI and [#ComputerChip] Manufacturing Drive #Japan's #Nuclear Energy Expansion
By ZeroHedge - Dec 11, 2024- Japan's #Shimane nuclear reactor has restarted for the first time since the 2011 #Fukushima disaster, marking a significant step in the country's renewed embrace of nuclear power.
- Tech giants like #Meta are actively seeking nuclear power solutions to meet the growing energy demands of their #DataCenters and AI initiatives.
- The global resurgence of #NuclearPower is driven by factors such as increasing energy needs, the push for decarbonization, and advancements in nuclear technology."The world continues to 'warm' back up to nuclear, with the latest example coming out of Japan, where its Shimane nuclear power station in western Japan has been restarted for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima meltdown.
"Japan's long-delayed restart of the 820 MW No. 2 reactor at the Shimane plant, shut down since January 2012, raises the number of operational reactors to 14, with a total capacity of 13,253 MW, according to Reuters.
"#TohokuElectricPower also recently resumed operations of its 825 MW No. 2 reactor at the #Onagawa plant, reducing Japan's reliance on liquefied natural gas and thermal coal.
"Reuters writes that the expanded use of nuclear energy is expected to support Japan's growing power needs, particularly for #semiconductor plants and AI-driven #DataCenters."
#NoNukes #NuclearIsNotCarbonFree #RethinkNotRestart #NoNukesForAI #NoNukesJapan #FukushimaIsntOver #ThermalEnergy #TidalEnergy #RenewablesNow #TEPCOLies #KEPCOLies #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies
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GOOD! Japanese #Nuclear Reactor Disqualified Under Post-#Fukushima Safety Standards
Published Nov 13, 2024
"#Japan's nuclear regulator has disqualified the country's #Tsuruga No. 2 reactor from restarting for the first time under post-Fukushima safety standards.
"The #NuclearRegulationAuthority (NRA) announced Wednesday that #JapanAtomicPower Co. had failed to adequately address potential #SeismicRisks from active fault lines near the reactor, located in #FukuiPrefecture.
"The decision is a setback for Japan's energy policy, which aims to expand nuclear power to bolster energy stability and meet carbon neutral goals.
"'We reached our conclusion based on a very strict examination,' said NRA Chairperson Shinsuke Yamanaka. He called the eight-year review process 'abnormal' due to frequent disruptions from data inaccuracies and errors by Japan Atomic Power Co."
#NoNukes #NoNukesJapan #RethinkNotRestart #FukushimaIsntOver #RenewablesNow #ThermalEnergy #HotSprings #TidalEnergy #TEPCOLies #NuclearPowerCorruptionAndLies
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#Diné Youth at #WorldWaterWeek in Sweden 2024
#BlackMesa youth travel to Stockholm, Sweden, for World Water Week to share the need to protect our water in the face of #FalseSolutions and #ClimateChange.
by Adrian Herder, Media/Community Organizer, #CensoredNews
[email protected]FLAGSTAFF, Arizona – "On Friday, August 23, 2024, members of #TóNizhóníÁní traveled to Stockholm, Sweden, for World Water Week 2024, an international leading conference on global water issues organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute. Earlier this year, Tó Nizhóní Ání was invited to attend World Water Week 2024 and asked to be on a panel on #GreenColonialism. The #Sámi national youth organization, #Sáminuorra, organized this panel. Given this panel's #Indigenous youth focus, Tó Nizhóní Ání took this opportunity to fund raise and send a delegation of Diné (#Navajo) youth from the Black Mesa region to represent and speak on this topic.
"During the panel on Green Colonialism, #JarenNumkena, Diné youth from Black Mesa, spoke on his upbringing as a farmer, the history of his family as a #coal-impacted community member, and the proposed projects on and near Black Mesa, such as the #BlackMesaPumpedStorageProject and the #HydrogenPipeline. As our nation moves to alternative forms of energy, we must do so in a way that does not use or impact our water on the #NavajoNation, which is why we need #solar and #wind energy."
Read more:
https://bsnorrell.blogspot.com/2024/09/dine-youth-at-world-water-week-in.html#WaterIsLife #WaterProtectors #RenewablesNow #Greenwashing #NoMiningWithoutConsent #RecycleCopper #LithiumAlternatives #PeabodyCoal #PeabodyEnergy #CorporateColonialism #ProtectTheSacred #ProtectMotherEarth #ReaderSupportedNews
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Hot river water curbs output at French #NuclearPlant
By Forrest Crellin
August 2, 2024PARIS, Aug 2 (Reuters) - "Electricity production at the #Golfech nuclear plant in southern #France was reduced by 1 gigawatt (GW) on Friday, EDF data showed, after the utility said high #WaterTemperatures on the #GaronneRiver could mean reduced output until Aug. 10.
"The restrictions are the first this year linked to high temperatures, which typically represent less than one percent of annual production.
"Nuclear output in France has been relatively consistent this year, following years of disruption caused by extended maintenance.
"EDF sometimes limits production when temperatures are near a threshold that varies depending on the nuclear plant.
On Thursday it extended a warning of possible reduced output that had been expected to end on Saturday.
EDF was not immediately available for comment.
LSEG data showed that the 28°C (82.4 Fahrenheit) temperature limit for the River Garonne that cools Golfech was breached once on July 31."Only one of several forecasts showed temperatures surpassing that level over the next week."
"'Dropping temperatures in France should ease the pressure and allow the plant to return to normal generation levels sooner. However, the beginning of next week has temperatures rising once again and problems could start once again,' LSEG analyst Ulrich Weber said."
#RisingWaterTemperatures #Heatwaves #NoNukes #RethinkNotRestart #RenewablesNow #GlobalWarming
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#IronAir Batteries Are Here. They May Alter the Future of Energy.
Battery tech is now entering the Iron Age.
By Darren Orf
Published: Jan 17, 2023"Each iron-air battery is about the size of a washer/dryer set and holds 50 iron-air cells, which are then surrounded by an electrolyte (similar to the Duracell in your TV remote). Using a principle called 'reverse rusting,' the cells 'breathe' in air, which transforms the iron into iron oxide (aka rust) and produces energy. To charge it back up, a current reverses the oxidation and turns the cells back into iron.
"NASA first started experimenting with iron-air batteries back in the late 1960s, and it’s obvious why this next-gen storage system has engineers excited. For one, iron-air batteries solve a few of lithium’s biggest shortcomings right off the bat. As their name suggests, these batteries use primarily #iron, the fourth most abundant element on Earth, and ... well ... air. This tech’s adoption could help curtail the large amounts of water used to mine #lithium (not to mention alleviating the potential for #GroundwaterContamination
"Secondly, and most importantly, iron-air batteries would be 10 times cheaper, perform better, and last 17 times longer. Right now, these batteries’ primary task would be to bridge the gap when utilities need more power during peak hours, and as green energy eats up a bigger share of the energy pie, they could also crucially store excess energy on sunny days to shore up supply when the clouds roll in. Lithium-ion only provides approximately four hours of storage, whereas iron-air could deliver up to 100 hours—a full four days to bridge those energy gaps.
"The downsides to iron-air batteries? They’re big and also slow to recharge, which is likely why lithium-ion will remain the battery of choice for electric cars and smartphones. #FormEnergy also says these iron-air batteries will form 'power blocks' where iron-air batteries handle long load times, while lithium-ion batteries take care of spikes in demand."
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a42532492/iron-air-battery-energy-storage/
#RenewablesNow #IronAirBatteries
#SolarPower #WindPower #EnergyStorage #NoLithiumMining #RecycleLithium #LincolnMaine -
Former Lincoln paper mill to become site of world's largest multi-day energy storage facility
by Russ Reed
August 7, 2024LINCOLN, Maine — "A multimillion-dollar federal grant will support a multi-day #EnergyStorage system in #Maine that will be the first of its kind in New England, according to Gov. Jane Mills and members of the state's Congressional delegation.
"The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded a $147 million grant to Maine to support the #RenewableEnergy project at the site of a former paper mill in Lincoln, which has been closed for nearly a decade.
"A news release from the Maine Governor's Office states that the Lincoln multi-day energy storage system would be the largest long-duration energy storage project in the world to date.
[...]
"The energy storage facility will hold enough Wwind- and Wsolar-generated power to serve up to 85,000 homes. The proposal calls for 85 megawatts of storage capacity on part of the 400-acre (162-hectare) site of the old Lincoln mill.
"The facility would be built and operated by Massachusetts-based #FormEnergy, using an #IronAir battery system that is touted as safe as well as affordable since it uses abundant iron and oxygen."
Read more:
https://www.wmtw.com/article/old-lincoln-maine-paper-mill-energy-storage-facility/61819119#RenewablesNow #IronAirBatteries #SolarPower #WindPower #LincolnMaine
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Scientists' innovation for #IndoorSolarCells maximizes the use of light energy
Story by Science X staff
7/25/2024"Chemists at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU), #Lithuania have synthesized materials that can improve solar elements for indoor use. Such photovoltaic cells, which can also be integrated into various electronic devices, generate electricity even in #LowLight conditions.
"Their study is published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
"Consumption of oil and gas results in an increase of atmospheric temperatures, leading to global #ClimateChange, currently labeled a #ClimateCrisis. To combat this problem, efforts are being made to use #renewable and environmentally friendly energy sources such as #wind, water and #SolarPower.
"'Wind and #hydropower energy are constrained by high costs and location dependency, while solar energy is flexible, efficient and relatively inexpensive. However, the energy from indoor light sources and natural light entering through windows is lost every day,' says Juozas Vidas Gražulevičius, Professor at the KTU Faculty of Chemical Technology and Head of the Chemistry of Materials research group.
"According to Prof. Gražulevičius, this can be solved by indoor #photovoltaics, which generate electricity even in low-intensity light conditions."
Paper:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsami.4c04105#SolarEnergy #SolarSundays
#SolarSunday #Renewables #RenewablesNow -
Falls Planning Board to weigh zoning change to spur #LoveCanal #SolarFarm
by RICK PFEIFFER | Jul 31, 2024
"The #NiagaraFalls Planning Board is expected to decide in September whether to recommend a zoning change that would allow the site of the worst #EnvironmentalDisaster involving #ChemicalWastes in U.S. history to be transformed into a large-scale, eco-friendly, #solar #RenewableEnergy project.
"Just three residents from the Love Canal neighborhood appeared at a board hearing Wednesday night on a request by city officials and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (#NYSERDA) to change the zoning of 16 acres of city-owned land, south of Colvin Boulevard, north of the LaSalle Expressway and between 93rd and 95th streets from R1-A (Single Family Residential) to OS (Open Space). The change would allow for the land that was once #HookerChemicalCompany’s Love Canal landfill to be reclaimed and developed into the Vincent Welch Build-Ready Solar project.
"That land was also once the location of the Griffin Housing Development [YIKES!] as well as the Love Canal."
#Brownfields #NewYorkState
#SolarSundays #SolarSunday
#RenewablesNow #Solar -
Authorities discuss solar farm project at Love Canal
by Daniel Telvock
7/15/2024NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) – "#NYSERDA and the City of #NiagaraFalls are in preliminary discussions for a large-scale solar farm on 16 acres of #LoveCanal, the location of one of the country’s worst environmental disasters."
Read more:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/authorities-discuss-solar-farm-project-at-love-canal/ar-BB1q2liF#Brownfields #NewYorkState #SolarSundays #SolarSunday #RenewablesNow #Solar
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Fresnel Lenses were used in #Lighthouses since the 1820's until the mid 20th century. They were known as "the invention that saved a million ships".
[Image: Stock image of the fresnel lens at the Pensacola lighthouse]
A new designed linear #FresnelLens #SolarConcentrator based on spectral splitting for passive cooling of solar cells
by Soroush Kiyaee, Yadollah Saboohi, and Alireza Z. Moshfegh
15 February 2021Highlights
• A new design of a Fresnel lens based on spectral splitting.
• Passive cooling of a solar cell through diffracting the undesired spectrum portion.
• Optical-thermal simulation of the concentrator system.
• A temperature-dependent model by considering conduction, convection, and radiation.
• Comparison of different lenses in temperature and electrical efficiency of the cell.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0196890420313054
#FresnelLens #SolarEnergy #SolarSundays #SolarSunday #Renewables #RenewablesNow #SolarPunkSunday
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The '#EnvironmentallyFriendly alternative' way #Dominion Energy is cutting 40 acres of grass 'every few days'
By: Ellen Ice
Posted 9:01 AM, Aug 03, 2024CHESAPEAKE, Va. — "At #SolarFarms in #Chesapeake and #VirginiaBeach, Dominion Energy has found an alternative option to a lawn mower; this one has hooves.
"'It’s an environmentally-friendly alternative, it’s innovative, it’s creative and they do a great job,' said spokesperson Tim Eberly. 'They can eat about 40 acres of grass and vegetation every few days.'
"The flock of 300 sheep and 180 lambs is tended to by a shepherd, along with guard dogs and herding dogs.
“'Our guardian dogs are with the sheep all the time," said Jess Gray with Gray's #Lambscaping. 'They protect the flock when we are not around.'"
[..]
"The goal of the project is to keep the grass below the panels to maximize output. At Bedford #SolarFarm in Chesapeake, one of the sites where the sheep currently graze, the energy generated powers 17,500 homes."
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Could #recycled #SolarPanels hold the key to next-generation #LithiumBatteries?
Story by Victoria Bela
7/27/2024"Scientists in China have found a way to build a longer lasting #lithium battery by using discarded solar panels.
"The researchers created silicon battery anodes and then combined them with a new type of electrolyte to make a lithium battery that can hold more energy than batteries that have traditional graphite anodes."
#RenewableEnergy #RenewablesNow #ReUse #RecycleSolarPanels #SolarEnergy #SolarSundays
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Closed loop? Reused #SolarPanels to power solar panel #recycling facility
Sean Wolfe
7.26.2024"#SolarCycle, a solar recycling company, has installed an on-site solar farm made of reused solar panels that will power its industrial solar panel recycling facility.
"The reused panels come from decommissioned utility-scale solar farms and residential installations across the United States. SOLARCYCLE says the project serves as a model of how to power an industrial facility through renewable energy as the US ramps up domestic manufacturing capacity. It will also help to build a fully closed loop, ultra-low carbon solar industry in America.
"The 500KW system made from around 1,000 reused panels will provide around 50% of the electricity SOLARCYCLE uses to power their advanced recycling factory in #OdessaTexas. SOLARCYCLE’s plan is to expand this secondhand power plant to continue to generate more of the company’s energy demands, including its facilities in #MesaArizona, and #CedartownGeorgia. Two of SOLARCYCLE’s customers provided a significant percentage of the secondhand solar panels in use — #Ørsted from their own Texas utility-scale operations and #Sunrun, from their residential operations.
[...]
"Earlier this year, SOLARCYCLE announced it would invest an estimated $344 million into a new #SolarGlass manufacturing facility in #CedartownGeorgia. The company said it would be the 'first-of-its-kind' in the United States to use recycled materials from retired solar panels to make new solar glass.
"The facility will be located in Cedartown North Business Park, a Georgia Ready for Accelerated Development (GRAD) certified site in Cedartown. The plant, which will be the first of SOLARCYCLE’s facilities to manufacture glass in addition to recycling solar panels, was scheduled to begin construction this year and is expected to be operational in 2026.
"SOLARCYCLE currently operates two solar panel recycling facilities in the United States and says its recycling technology allows it to extract up to 95% of the value from used solar panels. SOLARCYCLE’s new plant in Georgia will make the company one of the first manufacturers of specialized glass for crystalline-silicon (c-Si) #photovoltaics in the U.S., with the capacity to make 5 to 6 GW worth of solar glass every year, it said. The glass will be sold directly back to the domestic solar manufacturers.
"Solar photovoltaics are often recycled the same way as glass, cars, computer monitors, TVs, or lighting, but the process only recovers about 80% of PV materials. Nonspecialized recycling is one of the challenges to achieving a circular economy for solar photovoltaics.
"While the moral incentive to recycle solar panels is clear, little financial incentive exists today. Recycling a solar panel ranges in cost from $20 to $30, while dumping the same panel in a landfill runs $1 to $2 – but SOLARCYCLE believes the cost to #landfill to be much higher when factoring in logistics costs."
#RenewableEnergy #RenewablesNow #ReUse #RecycleSolarPanels #SolarEnergy #Jobs #SolarSundays
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Cutting #forests for #SolarEnergy ‘misses the plot’ on #ClimateAction
By Matthew Lynch
July 26, 2024"As the world grapples with the urgent need to address #ClimateChange, the transition to renewable energy sources is often presented as a silver bullet. Solar energy, in particular, is championed for its potential to reduce #GreenhouseGas emissions and provide a sustainable alternative to #FossilFuels. However, a disturbing trend is emerging: in the quest to establish new solar farms, some regions are cutting down forests, raising questions about whether these actions truly serve the cause of climate action.
The Dilemma of Land Use
"The push for solar energy has led to significant land-use changes across the globe. In some cases, this has meant the clearing of large forested areas to make way for solar installations. Proponents argue that converting forest land into solar farms can produce clean energy and reduce dependency on non-renewable sources. However, this perspective overlooks the critical role that forests play in the global climate system.
"Forests act as vital #CarbonSinks, absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it in their biomass and soil. When these forests are cleared, not only is this carbon storage capacity diminished, but the act of deforestation itself releases stored carbon back into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change. In essence, the emissions produced by cutting down trees can offset the climate benefits of the solar energy generated on that land for years, if not decades.
#Biodiversity Concerns
"Beyond carbon emissions, cutting forests for solar farms poses a significant threat to biodiversity. Forests are home to a multitude of species, many of which are already endangered due to habitat loss, climate change, and human activity. The conversion of these habitats into solar farms disrupts ecosystems and can lead to local extinctions. The loss of biodiversity has far-reaching consequences, affecting ecosystem services such as #pollination, nutrient cycling, and #water purification, all of which are crucial for human survival.
A Holistic Approach to #RenewableEnergy
"The key to achieving meaningful climate action lies in adopting a holistic approach to renewable energy development. Rather than viewing solar energy installations solely through the lens of energy production, it is essential to consider the #environmental and #social implications of land-use decisions. This includes prioritizing #brownfield sites, such as abandoned buildings, #industrial lands, and degraded areas, where solar installations can occur without harming forests and other critical #ecosystems.
"Moreover, a combination of strategies should be pursued to maximize the benefits of solar energy while minimizing ecological impact. This could involve integrating solar panels into existing structures, promoting community solar projects, and investing in research on #agrovoltaics, which combines #agriculture with solar energy generation. Such approaches can help meet energy needs while preserving #NaturalLandscapes and promoting #biodiversity."
Read more: https://www.thetechedvocate.org/cutting-forests-for-solar-energy-misses-the-plot-on-climate-action/
#SolarFarms #SolarEnergy #RenewablesNow #EnergyStorge #Brownfields #SaveTheForests #IndustrialSites #SolarSundays
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#RhodeIsland's largest #landfill #SolarFarm now online
Story by Kate Wilkinson
July 27, 2024BRISTOL, R.I. (WPRI) — "Nearly 21,000 solar panels at the Bristol Transfer Station are now turning sunlight into power.
"And at more than 90 acres, it’s now the largest landfill solar farm in the state.
"Laura Frazier, the managing director of business development and strategy at NuGen Capital, said the site is expected to generate 8.7 million kilowatt hours each year.
"To put that in perspective, Frazier said a gas-powered car would have to drive 9 million miles to offset that much green energy, which is the equivalent of driving 375 times around the Earth.
"A ribbon cutting was held Thursday to celebrate the panels officially being connected to the grid. Frazier said the panels would create enough energy to power 700 homes.
"But Frazier said that green energy will actually be allocated to Toray Plastics, which the #NorthKingstown-based company bought out for the next 25 years.
"While Frazier said it can be more expensive to build on a landfill, the location has its perks.
"For example, a landfill offers a lot of open space, which she said means they don’t have to clear out any trees to install the panels.
"The project also didn’t face any opposition.
"'It doesn’t bother the neighbors,' she said. 'It’s not easily seen by any of them.'
"She also said the project received widespread support from local leaders.
"After eight years of planning, she’s finally glad to see this project come to life."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/ri-s-largest-landfill-solar-farm-now-online/ar-BB1qHDuE
#SolarFarms #SolarEnergy
#RenewablesNow #Brownfield #BristolRhodeIsland #SolarSundays -
In a #Cleveland suburb, this old #CoalPlant will soon be replaced by a massive #SolarFarm
Inside Climate News
July 26, 2024"#CoalFired power plant that started running more than a century ago is about to get a long-overdue retirement, and its electricity will be replaced by a solar farm and a #BatteryStorage system on an existing #brownfield.
"The project in #PainesvilleOhio, a suburb of Cleveland, is one of about two dozen clean energy and emissions-reduction initiatives across the country that are sharing $4.3 billion in funding announced on Monday by the #BidenAdministration.
"It was a happy day for Doug Lewis, Painesville’s city manager. He and his colleagues have been considering how to close the city-owned power plant and replace it with a cleaner alternative. They also have wanted to redevelop the site of a long-shuttered #chemical factory near the shores of Lake Erie.
"The federal government will now pay about $80 million to install solar and batteries on the former factory land and to beautify the rest of the brownfield by planting a #meadow of #wildflowers and constructing a #BikeTrail. The trail will provide a connection between Painesville and a regional trail that runs along the lake.
[...]
"The solar farm will have capacity of 35 megawatts and the battery storage system will have capacity of 10 megawatts. It will be capable of running for three hours at that level before recharging.
"The new construction will be on land that once was home to the Diamond Shamrock Corp. chemical plant, which operated there from 1912 to 1977 and occupied about 1,100 acres. The plant’s products included baking soda, chromium compounds, and hydrochloric and sulfuric acids.
"Since the site closed, the community and the federal government have gone through the slow and trying process of removing #pollutants to make it site safe for redevelopment.
The current project can serve as a case study for many things, including regional cooperation. Painesville, in Lake County, worked with officials in neighboring Cuyahoga County and the Cleveland city government to file an application with the federal government that included #RenewableEnergy projects for all of them."
#SolarFarms
#RenewablesNow
#RenewableEnergy
#LocalEnergy
#NoNewNukes
#NoNukes #Ohio #Bicycles #BikePaths #GreenSpace #Reclamation #SolarSundays -
More of this, please...!
Feds pick #Hanford #nuclear site for massive #SolarFarm
By Conrad Swanson
July 25, 2024"While Washington struggles to contend with surging demand for electricity, federal officials on Thursday announced plans for a massive solar farm on the Hanford nuclear site.
"The U.S. Department of Energy is negotiating a real estate deal with Chicago-based #HecateEnergy, which would build a solar farm across 8,000 acres of federally owned lands on the heavily #polluted site.
"If built as planned, the project would have the ability to generate up to a gigawatt of renewable energy, and would rank among the largest solar installations in the country. That’s about enough energy to power half of Seattle City Light’s customers during record peak demand.
"The project would also include #battery storage, which is a critical component that allows electricity generated by solar power to be used at times when the sun isn’t shining.
"Producing #RenewableEnergy at the #HanfordSite would mark a substantial new chapter for the land.
"The site covers 560 square miles, nearly half the size of Rhode Island, said Sean O’Brien, executive director of the renewable nonprofit Energy Forward Alliance. For decades, the government made plutonium for nuclear weapons there.
"Despite its history — and contamination — large swaths of the site are not #radioactive, O’Brien said. And local organizations like his and the Tri-City Development Council share a vision for the place to be a national hub of clean energy generation.
"The solar array and battery storage would make up just one portion, albeit a large one, of the site’s renewable energy potential, Reeploeg and O’Brien said.
"The partnership between federal officials and Hecate — representatives for which could not immediately be reached for comment — could sidestep major hurdles these types of massive projects face, said Glenn Blackmon, manager of Washington’s Energy Policy Office."
#SolarFarms #SolarEnergy #RenewablesNow #EnergyStorge #Brownfield #WashingtonState #SolarSundays
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Scientists test #agriculture and #SolarEnergy on #Illinois #farms
Two experiments in the state are measuring which crops could grow well under these panels.
By Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco
Jul 18, 2024, 2:58pm EDT"Thousands of #wildflowers are blooming under rows of solar panels in eastern Illinois. #Milkweeds, #BlackEyedSusans and native #PrairieGrasses catch the sunlight that streams past solar panels on one end of this 54-acre property near Champaign.
"'Obviously, this setting is not perfect for the farming system,' D.K. Lee, a professor of crop sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, said about the narrow space between solar panel arrays.
"But this experimental station called #SolarFarm 2.0 could help UIUC scientists determine whether the marriage between Midwestern agriculture and solar power will be a happy one. Researchers are piloting how crops such as grains and #soybeans used primarily to feed livestock grow with solar panels obstructing their full view of the sun. The counterintuitive practice is called #agrivoltaics, a nascent industry that partners solar developers looking for large plots of land and farmers looking to make additional income.
"That’s why two parallel experiments are underway here to find out what can grow and thrive under solar panels. To hit the ambitious clean energy targets set by state and federal officials, solar power will have to increase close to seven times over current capacity by 2035. That will mean millions of acres devoted to solar power — many of which could be in America’s #farmlands. But to make sure that agricultural communities aren’t left behind by the clean energy transition, scientists want to know what it will take for life to persist beneath solar panels — potentially a first step for farmers and solar power to co-exist.
"'We can only farm about 70% of the land here,' said Bruce E. Branham, professor of horticulture at UIUC. 'So we’ve got 30% of the land that would be farmed in full sun that is just vacant.'
"But in just two years and despite physical constraints, initial findings suggest that the #sorghum grain could be a promising crop to grow alongside solar panels. Branham said that so far it appears that combining sorghum with solar panels has resulted in a 59% increase in efficiency. And wildlife, including #birds and #bees, are flocking to the improved habitat. It’s a good start, but there’s still ways to go before solar farms like these are generating serious energy.
"'This is a 54-acre site, and we’re getting 12 megawatts,' Banham said. 'A lot of power plants are much, much greater than that.'
"In all, Solar Farm 2.0 produces close to 1% of the generating power of the #ClintonPowerStation, a #NuclearPowerPlant just a 45 minute drive east. But for Banham and others, this presents an opportunity to combine Midwestern row crops with solar power to generate enough energy to compete with #FossilFuels and other clean energy alternatives."
#SolarPunkSunday #SolarFarms #RenewablesNow #RenewableEnergy #LocalEnergy #NoNewNukes #NoNukes #SolarFarm #SaveTheFarms #IllinoisFarms #MidwestFarms #SolarSundays #Agrivoltaic
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[Paywall] #Australia’s #Renewables Drive Backed By Miners, #Environmentalists
• Support comes after opposition calls for energy policy rethink
• Gas giant Woodside says it backs market operator’s system planBy Ben Westcott
July 18, 2024"A disparate group including Australian mining lobbyists and environmentalists have banded together to back the government’s renewable energy transition plan, after opposition lawmakers called for it to be abandoned.
"The Australian Industry Group joined with a coalition of organizations including the Clean Energy Council, the National Farmers’ Federation and the #WorldWildlifeFund to call for a 'credible and consistent energy framework,' including the retention of the current 2030 emissions reduction target and greater investment in #RenewableEnergy."
#NoNukes #NoNukesAustralia
#Australia #Solar #Tidal #RenewablesNow #ProtectWildlife #ProtectNature #WaterIsLife -
North Texans want more say as nuclear plant seeks to continue operating through 2053
By Haley Samsel
December 11, 2023"Crossing the dark parking lot outside the Somervell County Expo Center, Susybelle Gosslee barely could see the ground in front of her. The experience left her feeling 'vulnerable' — and concerned about why the Nuclear Regulatory Commission [#NRC] didn’t turn on outdoor lights for its Dec. 7 public meeting about the #ComanchePeak #nuclear power plant in #GlenRoseTexas.
"That wasn’t her only critique. Earlier in the day, Gosslee and other #environmental advocates struggled to log on to a virtual meeting hosted by the commission. Officials apologized for the challenges and vowed to host another online session the week of Dec. 18.
"'That is not transparency, and it’s not good government,' Gosslee, the Dallas-based chair of #HazardousWaste issues for the League of Women Voters of Texas, said. 'I’m concerned because of the lack of access to meetings, and you can see that it wasn’t well-publicized because there is nobody here. That’s an indicator that the job did not get done.'
"Gosslee’s criticism comes as #Vistra, the owner of the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant in Glen Rose, seeks to keep its reactors online through at least 2053. The plant began operation in 1990.
"The company’s current licenses for two nuclear units, which have the capacity to power 1.2 million homes under normal electricity conditions, expire in 2030 and 2033. Vistra announced its license renewal application in October 2022, citing a desire to bring more 'carbon-free electricity' to the electric grid.
"'Renewing the licenses of this plant is critical for grid reliability and our environment and is a benefit to the economy, the local community and our company,' Jim Burke, president and CEO of Vistra, said at the time.
As part of the license renewal process, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has already heard from dozens of residents living in the plant’s 50-mile radius, including parts of Tarrant, Hood and Somervell counties.
"Many are supportive of Comanche Peak’s continued operation, citing its economic contributions as Somervell County’s largest taxpayer and an employer of more than 600 full-time staff. At a January public meeting, Glen Rose ISD Superintendent Trig Overbo and Somervell County Judge Danny Chambers were among the plant’s most vocal supporters. Others, including Gosslee, expressed concerns over how the aging plant would handle higher risk of #drought, #wildfires and #earthquake activity.
"Since then, Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff have evaluated the environmental impact of running the plant for 20 years after the current licenses expire in 2030 and 2033. The agency issued its draft environmental impact statement in early November, outlining considerations like air quality, land use, water resources, human health and waste management.
"Commission staff determined that Comanche Peak’s continued operation would have only small impacts on the surrounding environment, said Tam Tran, who led the environmental review. The agency defines small impacts as being either undetectable or so minor that they will neither destabilize nor noticeably alter natural resources. [Apparently, these people either believe in #hormesis or don't believe in #bioaccumulation!]
"The review also found that the plant’s operations may affect, but are not likely to negatively impact, protected species such as the #GoldenCheekedWarbler, #TricoloredBat and #MonarchButterfly. Fish habitats are not expected to be affected, Tran said."