January 22, 2022

Weekend Reads: The Unexpected Rise of Wind Power; Could Geothermal Be the Answer to Lithium Sourcing?

It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web.

BP claims EV charging stations ‘on the cusp’ of being more profitable than gas pumps (Electrek) Oil giant BP claims the use of its BP pulse electric vehicle chargers is “on the cusp” of being more profitable for the company than filling up an internal combustion-powered car with gas. Once that happens, it could mark a major turning point for EVs and “big oil”. The business of EV charging – filling up a car with electrons rather than petroleum-based gas or diesel – has always been a loss leader for oil companies like Shell and BP, who are seemingly being dragged into the electric future kicking and screaming. That may be about to change, however, as BP’s latest numbers show that, on a margin basis, its UK-based “BP pulse” network of fast battery charging stations, is nearing the levels of profitability they see from filling up with petrol. And the division could be profitable on its own by 2025.

Biden decarbonization goals could triple reliance on electric grid: EPRI (Utility Dive) Meeting President Joe Biden's greenhouse gas reduction goals will require a "massive transformation" of the electric sector and could triple the United States' reliance on its power grid, according to Daniel Brooks, the Electric Power Research Institute's (EPRI) vice president of integrated grid and energy systems. About 20% of end-use energy consumption in the United States today is electricity, but that could rise to 60% by 2050 as the country moves towards a carbon-neutral economy, according to EPRI's analysis. There will be a "massive increase in dependence on the electricity sector by society as we go forward," requiring better energy planning and modeling, collaborative innovation across the industry, and supportive policies and regulations, Brooks said Thursday in a call with reporters.

Webinar: Energy & Sustainability Reporting Best Practices: Your Data. Your Way. (EnergyCAP) From corporate America to the public sector, energy efficiency and sustainability is a key imperative, making energy & sustainability reporting more important than ever. Organizations need to be able to report on various pieces of energy data, define it, and customize it for their needs. But how do you go about getting this customized data made available to your stakeholders the way they want to see it? Tune in to this webinar as EnergyCAP and special guest, Lalit Agarwal, VP of Energy Management & Sustainability at EnergyCAP, discuss tips and best practices to streamline energy & sustainability reporting. REGISTER HERE

Predictions Favored Solar Over Wind Power. What Happened? (The New York Times) Robert C. Seamans, the man President Gerald Ford had entrusted to deal with the energy crisis of the 1970s, didn’t think wind power had much of a future. In 1975, at the dedication of an experimental turbine in Ohio, Seamans opined that wind would never account for more than 1 percent of the U.S. energy supply. Solar power, on the other hand, was one of Seamans’ great hopes for energy independence. It had been two long years since the OPEC oil embargo, and gas prices were still high. Six months into his term as president, Ford formed Seamans’ agency — the Energy Research and Development Administration — to galvanize homegrown fuel industries and end reliance on foreign oil.

What Does a Gas Country Do Without Gas? The Dutch Can Answer (Bloomberg) The Netherlands is throwing a hydrogen life preserver to pipelines that are on the brink of becoming stranded assets. The nation will end most natural-gas production this year, forcing NV Nederlandse Gasunie to find alternative uses for its 15,000 kilometers of pipes. The state-owned company is studying which segments of its wide network to adapt to transport, produce and store hydrogen over the next decade as the European Union seeks to green its economy. While 80% of the nation’s energy needs are met by fossil fuels, the domestic industry is no more than an economic blip. Government revenue from natural gas dropped to 140 million euros ($160 million) in 2020, compared with 10.7 billion euros a decade before, according to national statistics.

Webinar: reLED = Efficiency2 Upgrade legacy LEDs to improve performance and savings (EMC) When something is “squared,” the power has been raised. That’s what happens to the efficiency of your aging LED lighting program when you upgrade to the latest LED technology. Not only will your lighting performance be more efficient than ever, it will become smarter to set the stage for next-level controls and IoT technology. Shift your expectations to how lighting will be maintained long term. Even if a capital project is not on your radar today, you can maintain light levels in your facilities using the latest LED technology and recognize greater savings. An Efficiency as a Service (EaaS) strategy could mean that today’s LED installation can be upgraded before the term expires with incremental bottom-line savings and no upfront costs. REGISTER HERE

The world is hungry for lithium. Geothermal energy could transform how it’s sourced (CNBC) The southwest of England is famed for its dramatic coastline, verdant countryside and fresh seafood. If all goes to plan, another string could be added to the region’s bow over the next few years: lithium extraction. In the county of Cornwall, efforts are underway to tap into the area’s natural resources and establish an industry which could, one day, produce both renewable energy and establish a local source of lithium. Alongside its use in cell phones, computers, tablets and a host of other gadgets synonymous with modern life, lithium is crucial to electric vehicles and battery storage, two technologies with a big role to play in the planet’s shift to a low and zero emission future.

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• Weekend Reads: Nuclear Is Having a Moment; All About Carbon Credits

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