It’s the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web.
2022 Is The Year For Next-Generation Clean Energy Technologies (CleanTechnica) Next-generation clean energy technologies are reducing overall global energy demand and helping to make the energy supply side climate neutral. 2022, by all accounts, will be the year that makes the energy mix cleaner, more secure, and more competitive. To fulfill optimistic forecasts, energy investments this year will need to accentuate risk/reward performance ratios by demonstrating reliability across a broad portfolio of renewable energy solutions. In line with the “do no harm” principle for the environment, actions for all next-generation clean energy technologies must improve the environmental sustainability of the technologies, deliver products with reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and improve environmental performance regarding water use, circularity, pollution, and ecosystems.
How China dominates the electric vehicle supply chain (NPR) The entire auto industry is making a massive pivot to electric vehicles. The world is going to need a lot more batteries. And China dominates the supply chain.
Webinar: Apples to Oranges: Creating a Currency to Measure the Impacts of Renewable Energy (Calpine Energy Solutions) Wednesday, March 9, 2022 Not all impacts are created equal; renewable energy opportunities – even those with the same price – can have a drastically different value. Meanwhile, different organizations will vary in the prioritization of the benefits of renewable energy, so PR/marketing, biodiversity, financial impact, and carbon impact will be more easily compared when converted to the same “currency”. This presentation from Calpine will share a holistic approach to comparing different scope 2 reduction opportunities, including balancing these opportunities with internal stakeholder goals and mission alignment.
Bitcoin mining as a grid resource? ‘It’s complicated.’ (Utility Dive) Energy use by the Bitcoin network in the United States and globally could grow significantly in the next five years, adding many gigawatts of demand, according to some experts. With concerns increasing about utilities’ carbon footprints, there is a growing push within the cryptocurrency industry to reimagine cryptomining systems as potential grid assets that can help balance demand and encourage renewable energy.
The absurd Supreme Court case that could gut the EPA (Vox) West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency is a case about an environmental regulation that no longer exists, that never took effect, and that would not have accomplished very much if it had taken effect. If the plaintiffs prevail in their case, they will be in the exact same position they are in right now. It is a case about nothing. Yet West Virginia could also be the most consequential environmental case to reach the Supreme Court in a very long time.
Solar Power Without Direct Sunlight? This Researcher Says It’s Possible. (The Debrief) A Philippine engineering student has created a solar panel that doesn’t require direct sunlight to generate power. Instead, his solar power collector can use indirect ultraviolet light to generate power on cloudy days, eliminating one of the most significant shortcomings of conventional solar panels. Solar power use is steadily increasing. Residential rooftop panels are becoming more widespread, and commercial use of solar power is also on the rise. However, conventional perovskite panels have one critical shortcoming; they require direct sunlight to generate power.
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