The Real National Emergency?

Should a future president declare climate change a national emergency?

Greta Moran, January 22, 2019 (Grist)

“…[Talk persists that the president will] declare a national emergency on the southern border to get the wall built…[It] would allow Trump to dip into federal funding used for actual crises, like the ongoing Hurricane Maria recovery effort…[Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont tweeted that the real national emergency is the climate change-driven and potentially irreversible] severe damage done to our country and planet…The National Emergencies Act, passed in 1976, gives the president legal authority to declare a state of emergency. Under the law, the president could invoke up to 136 statutes…

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In the case of a climate emergency, the president could theoretically suspend oil leases, support the expansion of battery and electrical vehicles, divert military funds to renewable energy, and impose further regulations on the fossil fuel industry…But Congress doesn’t like being bypassed…[Also,] each statute has its own history and quirks, so there are possible legal snags…[And the money comes at the expense of someone else who was is] prepared to push back legally and politically…[Some lawyers say declaring climate change to be a national emergency] would be an overreach of executive power and a digression from more meaningful legislative work…[Climate change is unlike other] national emergencies…[It is] not an unexpected crisis…[It is] a new normal…” click here for more

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The Better Batteries

Solar Battery Storage Comparison Table

24 January 2019 (SolarQuotes)

“…Once an individual product’s [cost per warranted kilowatt-hour of stored electricity] gets below 10 cents, battery storage is likely to be a worthwhile investment for a large number of households…[The energy stored in a solar battery system that can actually be used is, in most cases,] less than the nominal storage capacity figure provided…For example, the Enphase AC battery has a total storage capacity of 1.2kWh. But as only 95% of that stored energy can be discharged (aka a 95% Depth Of Discharge) the battery’s usable capacity is really 1.1kWh…

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A solar battery’s power is how fast it can be charged or discharged…For example, an Enphase AC battery is a low power battery system (also known as an ‘energy’ battery) because it takes 4 hours and 23 minutes to discharge all its usable energy…[A high power battery] can discharge all its usable energy in under 40 minutes…A high power home battery system isn’t necessarily more desirable than a low power battery – your household’s unique energy usage needs will determine how much power you will require from a solar battery and the best energy storage solution for you…[An All In One Unit] includes batteries, a battery management system (BMS) and an inverter…” click here for more

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Extreme Weather Is Firing The Climate Fight

Most Americans say weather disasters shifted their views on climate change

Ellen Knickmeyer, Hannah Fingerhut, Emily Swanson, January 22, 2019 (Associated Press via PBS Newshour)

“…[Views on climate change are shifting as Americans face] record deadly wildfires in California, rainfall by the foot in Houston when Hurricane Harvey hit and the dome of smog over Salt Lake City…[A November 2018 poll finds 74 percent of Americans say extreme weather in the past five years — hurricanes, droughts, floods and heat waves — has influenced their opinions about climate change. That includes half of Americans who say these recent events have influenced their thinking a great deal or a lot…About as many, 71 percent, said the weather they experience daily in their own areas has influenced their thinking about climate change science…The share of Americans who said they think the climate is changing has held roughly steady over the last year — about 7 in 10 Americans think climate change is happening.

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…Among those, 60 percent say climate change is caused mostly or entirely by humans, and another 28 percent think it’s about an equal mix of human activities and natural changes…Overall, 9 percent of Americans said climate change is not happening, and another 19 percent said they were not sure…[P]ersonal observations of real-time natural disasters and the weather around them have more impact than news stories or statements by religious or political leaders…A majority of Americans, 57 percent, would support a proposal that would add a $1 monthly fee to their electricity bills to combat climate change. But most oppose proposals that would increase their own monthly costs by $10 or more…” click here for more

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The New Energy Policies The Nation Needs

Advanced Energy Economy Recommends Policy Priorities to 116th Congress

January 24, 2019 (Advanced Energy Economy)

“…[The U.S. must focus on] four key priority areas and specific policy actions to help achieve the broad goals of economic growth, cost savings, and a reliable grid…[It must:]…Remove regulatory obstacles for advanced energy, particularly in wholesale markets…Support deep electrification of the transportation system…Accelerate creation of a 21st century electricity system…[and]…Increase market access for corporate buyers…[According to AEE, the] $200 billion advanced energy industry is a strong segment of the American economy, supporting more than 3 million jobs across the country…As the industry continues to grow, there are opportunities to reduce market barriers that prevent advanced energy technologies from deploying fully into the economy

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…Costs have fallen so sharply that in some parts of the country investing in new wind and solar energy projects is more cost-effective than continuing operation (i.e., fuel and maintenance costs) of some traditional generating resources such as coal and nuclear plants…Advanced energy also improves reliability cost-effectively, and provides resilience during extreme weather events. During the 2014 Polar Vortex, extreme cold caused onsite coal piles to freeze, power plant control equipment to fail, and natural gas pipelines to become constrained. But grid operators were able to turn to demand-side resources and wind energy to keep the lights on during the emergency.” click here for more

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Six Trends In Wind (Part 1)

2018 highlights: Six trends shaping the future of wind power

Greg Alvarez, January 10, 2019 (Into The Wind)

“…[2018 was another year of incredible progress for American wind power…Wind energy made huge strides across the U.S., from the shores of Massachusetts all the way out to California and dozens of places in between…There has never been more wind power under construction in the U.S. than right now, which means America’s 105,000 wind workers and 500 wind-related factories are as busy as ever…Just under 38,000 megawatts (MW) of new wind projects are under construction or advanced development…[Much of this activity is centered in] Arkansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Wyoming, Maryland and Massachusetts…

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Since 2009, the cost of wind has fallen by 69 percent, largely due to technological advances and improved domestic manufacturing…[I]n many parts of the country wind is now the cheapest source of new electric generating capacity… Connecticut, Massachusetts, California, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia all passed legislation increasing their Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). On election day, Nevada voters also passed a ballot initiative to amend the state constitution to include a 50 percent RPS, which now must be approved by the legislature…” click here for more

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Six Trends In Wind (Part 2)

2018 highlights: Six trends shaping the future of wind power

Greg Alvarez, January 10, 2019 (Into The Wind)

“…[U.S. wind energy’s 2018 progress] means access to more affordable, reliable, clean electricity is on the way…[It] was a record year for corporate and other non-utility customers buying wind power. In just the first nine months of 2018, non-utility wind customers signed contracts for more wind power capacity than any other year, for a total of 2,904 MW…Over the last several years, non-utility customers including major consumer brands, cities and universities have become a major source of demand for wind power…[C]orporate and other non-utility customers have contracted for more than 10,000 MW of wind capacity through power purchase agreements (PPAs) to date…[Innovations like Volume Firming Agreements, more companies teaming up to procure renewables, and expansion of green tariffs from electric utilities made] it easier for more companies and other non-utility buyers to enter the wind energy market…

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…[Bids in the December U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) auction of three wind energy areas off the coast of Massachusetts] reached $135 million—shattering the previous high of $42 million…This is yet more proof that companies see enormous business potential in developing offshore wind projects…[which means] new jobs, a new domestic supply chain, and port revitalization…[And wind power is an increasingly integral part of the U.S. power grid…[ERCOT, the primary grid for Texas and the largest wind energy market, set records for total electricity from wind and] the highest instantaneous output from wind…SPP set records for both real-time wind output and instantaneous wind penetration…CAISO, MISO, PJM, and ISO-NE all also set records for real-time wind output…Already this year MISO and PJM have experienced record wind output…” click here for more

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10 New Energy Events Coming In 2019 (Part 1)

Transition in Energy, Transport – 10 Predictions for 2019

Angus McCrone, January 16, 2019 (Bloomberg New Energy Finance)

“…[The low-carbon transition is expected] to advance steadily this year, fueled by remorseless reductions in the costs of solar and wind electricity and of lithium-ion batteries – and also by a widening realization on the part of investors and corporations that there is this ‘sustainability thing’ and, for reasons of self-interest, they just need to do it…We should get more gigawatts of both wind and solar installed this year than last…[but total investment will likely be less because solar capital costs fell particularly sharply in 2018 – by some 12%...[and investment in offshore wind in] 2019 will fall modestly short…

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…[Solar installations in 2018 will end up at about 109GW…[and 2019] is likely to see growth to the 125GW to 141GW range…The wind market is set to see a leap in new capacity…from about 53.5GW in 2018 to more than 70GW in 2019…In offshore wind, 2019] will be the last year before Asia takes over as the leading [offshore wind] market…[by] installing 25% more capacity than Europe during the 2020s…Annual global energy storage deployments in 2019 will exceed 10GWh for the first time in the history of the market. This includes both utility-scale and behind-the-meter assets…Fierce competition and the recent easing of cobalt and lithium costs will push average prices below $150/kWh…There are now almost 5 million passenger electric vehicles on the road globally…[Another 2.6 million will] be sold in 2019…” click here for more

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10 New Energy Events Coming In 2019 (Part 2)

Transition in Energy, Transport – 10 Predictions for 2019

Angus McCrone, January 16, 2019 (Bloomberg New Energy Finance)

“…[New Energy growth in 2019 is expected to remain] steady…[despite] slowing global GDP growth…Economic and political troubles during 2019 might influence the flow of investment in the ‘cleaner future’, but they will not halt it… In fact, more innovation than ever is likely on] how to balance a wind/solar-heavy electricity system, how to make zero-subsidy renewables investable, and how to decarbonize heat…[The U.S. natural gas Henry Hub price benchmark [is expected] to average between $2.50 and $3.50 per million British Thermal Units (MMBtu) in 2019…Global LNG demand leapt 10% in 2018 to reach 313 million metric tons per annum – despite higher LNG prices (averaged at $10/MMBtu) than 2017 (averaged at $7/MMBtu). In 2019, we expect the global LNG trade to expand by a further 8%...

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[O]il price volatility will continue into 2019, but [multiple global economic dynamics are like to allow] crude to end the year in positive territory…Industrial equipment manufacturers have recently spent billions of dollars on Internet of Things [IoT], artificial intelligence, asset automation, robotics and sensors…[But] companies like GE, Siemens, Hitachi, ABB and Schneider] do not often have the best or cheapest IoT software products, and buying software from equipment manufacturers is not an ideal fit for customers. In 2018, Schneider and GE both spun out their digital technology IP into separate companies…[I]n 2019 other large industrials [like Siemens, Toshiba, Hitachi, Honeywell and Rockwell Automation] will invest heavily in their digital platforms…[China will add 40GW of solar and 20GW of wind and] remain the world’s largest deployer of new renewable energy capacity…” click here for more

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A Plan To Attack Climate Change

Seven-point plan to help tackle growing threat of climate change: Report

January 14, 2019 (The Economic Times)

A seven-point plan may help policy-makers devise new, coherent and collaborative strategies to fight the greatest global environmental threats…[P]oliticians and legislators can develop a new way to tackle the growing threat of climate change…[in response to the recent IPCC report showing] that the human impacts on the environment are already tipping the world into…[the Anthropocene, a] new era is defined by the effect human-kind has already caused on Earth, from mass extinctions of plant and animal species to polluted oceans and altered atmosphere…

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[The paper argues] there also needs to be a new way to tackle the geographical, boundary, spatial, ecological and socio-political complexities of the issue…[because] there are multiple threats to the resilience of the Earth systems…[It offers no 'simple solutions', but outlines] seven guiding principles to help tackle the growing environmental threat brought by man-made climate change. These include selecting existing, robust policies to help formulate policy decisions, the need for decisions to be made consistently across regional, national and global boundaries, and a more conclusive look at the true extent that the environment is being impacted…” click here for more

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New Energy Is Reshaping The Power System

Renewable Energy Boom Is Pushing The Grid To Its Limits, Prompting Operators To Reinvent Themselves

Jean-Marc Ollagnier, January 14, 2019 (Forbes)

“…[The earnings growth of many electricity distribution utilities will likely] remain under severe pressure until around 2025. The ever-growing amount of distributed energy resources (DER), such as renewable energy sources like home solar photovoltaics and energy storage, are making the grid more difficult and costly to manage for operators…[and] stagnant or even decreasing total electricity demand in some geographies is also putting additional pressure on earnings…[The 2018 Digitally Enabled Grid research] found that 95 percent of respondents agree that deployment of distributed generation is increasing at a more rapid rate than distribution companies can build needed hosting capacity in high demand areas. In addition, 99 percent of respondents believe that parts of their grid will have reached maximum capacity in the next five years…

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[…In the longer term, electric] distribution utilities have the potential for a bright future, both as profitable businesses and playing a key role as a pivotal component in the future power system…[because, according to 97 percent of respondents,] earnings will grow beyond 2025, thanks to expected improvements in process efficiency and network performance as well as new sources of revenue from additional services…The key to adapting to this new landscape is for distributors to develop greater operational agility to further drive cost savings, and to pursue potential new business opportunities by tapping into digital technologies [like advanced analytics, robotics, digital twins and drones] and implementing new business models…[We advise process optimization --by implementing digital asset management, deploying smart infrastructure and supporting more connected workers…” click here for more

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Cliches Changed By Global Weirding

Idioms Updated for Climate Change

Ginny Hogan, January 21, 2019 edition, (The New Yorker)

“…[Some clichés need to be rewritten now. They include] • A rising tide floods all houses…• A bird in the hand is worth more than it used to be because they’re going extinct…• She vanished into oddly thick air!...• Stop and smell the flower…• A rose by any other name would wilt and die without water, which we’re running out of…• Can we please address the elephant in the room? Why has this elephant been displaced from Africa? It doesn’t belong in New York City…• Ugh, she’s giving me the tepid shoulder again…• There’s got to be at least one other fish left in the sea…

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• Let’s save it for a rainy day—and by that I mean let’s never, ever do it…• You can lead a horse to a dried-up reservoir, but you can’t make it drink dirt…• Who let the cat out of the bag? Please be more careful with her. She’s our last cat…• You’re on thin ice, buddy. In fact, we all are. If there’s a part of the world that still has thick ice, we need to know about it immediately…• You killed two birds with one stone! Unfortunately, those were the only two birds we had left…• Shoot for the moon, and even if you miss—damn it, we missed. Well, humans had a good run. Better luck next time…” click here for more

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Coal Country Facing The Change

West Virginia can lead in renewable energy too

Editorial, January 11, 2019 (West Virginia Gazette)

“Americans use energy…We think more of it should come from West Virginia…West Virginia is the nation’s fifth largest producer of U.S. energy, according to the EIA’s State Profile using 2016 figures; second in coal, seventh in natural gas, 15th in crude oil…But any developer who proposes a new energy generation or transportation project faces strong opposition from one group or another…[H]ydropower is one of the world’s oldest sources of energy…With industrialization, humans learned how to capture the energy embedded in carbon based fuels of coal, oil and natural gas…Despite climate change concerns, the world will continue to rely on fossil fuels…But every form of energy has a cost, both financially and environmentally…

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Humans won’t go back to the old ways of horsepower. We’ve got to continually develop and improve energy production, transmission and distribution…For generations, thousands of West Virginians have made their livelihood supplying energy to the nation and the world. That can and should continue. Young West Virginians have opportunities to go into the traditional energy industries of coal, oil and natural gas, and also into renewable green energy…The challenge now is to learn how to design and build energy infrastructure that is accepted in today’s social environment of opposition…But West Virginians are up for it. Hats off to the many mountaineers — past, present and future — who take on the challenge…” click here for more

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A Climate Scientist’s Solutions

What Would An Effective Solution To Climate Change Look Like?

Quora, January 7, 2019 (Forbes)

“…Katharine Hayhoe, Ph.D. Atmospheric Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, proposed four key] climate solutions…Generate energy from clean sources that don’t produce carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases…Reduce heat-trapping gas emissions from other important sectors, like agriculture, land use change, industrial processes, wastewater treatment and more…[Use] resources more efficiently…[Suck some carbon dioxide] out of the atmosphere and put it into the soil, where it helps restore the land, or turn it into fuel, or stone, or other useful products…There’s no one silver bullet that will fix it [she said]…[B]ut there is a lot of silver buckshot…

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…[The best] buckshot are solutions that fix other things at the same time: like increasing clean energy use, which grows the local economy, reduces air pollution, and increases energy security; reducing food waste, which also tackles hunger; …educating women and girls, which reduces infant mortality, increases economic security, and allows them the freedom to choose how many children they have…[Simple solutions should be implemented] in our own lives, our homes, our communities and our organizations…Regional solutions [can be] implemented across a business, an industry, a city, a state or a province…[There are] national and international solutions as well…[W]e need all options on the table and all hands on deck.” click here for more

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A New Energy Primer

Renewable Energy: What's True, What's False

Kevin Krajick, January 7, 2019 (Columbia University’s State of the Planet)

“…In Renewable Energy: A Primer for the Twenty-First Century, Columbia Business School professor and energy entrepreneur Bruce Usher takes readers briskly through the essentials…He spices it up with weird historical surprises…[like the fact that in] 1900, one-third of U.S. vehicles were electric…Renewable energy is growing faster than any other form of power, more than 8 percent annually for the past 6 years…[L]ike any commodity, consumers are going to choose primarily on the basis of price…[A] virtuous cycle in business occurs when growth in demand for a product results in economies of scale that lower manufacturing costs, further increasing demand for the product…[I]n solar power it means that the lower the cost of manufacturing solar panels, the greater the demand, and the greater the demand the greater the manufacturing efficiencies and the lower the cost, which further increases demand…

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…[T]he strongest growth is in wind and solar. Globally in 2017, wind grew 10 percent and solar grew by 32 percent…In theory, nuclear could provide cheap and emissions-free power, but today’s power plants cost a multiple of wind and solar, despite efforts to develop better plants…[Hydropower is the largest single source of renewable energy, but] most of the world’s best rivers already have dams…In the long term, [White House opposition] will have no effect on the transition from fossil fuels to renewables and electric vehicles…[But it] will have a significant long-term effect on something far more important: the planet…In the U.S., the politicized debate over climate change is overshadowing the economic fundamentals. It’s taking the country backwards…” click here for more

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The Costs Of Climate Change Come Home

How Much Climate Change Will Steal From Your Pocket This Year

Joel Anderson, December 4, 2019 (Yahoo Finance)

“…[The Fourth National Climate Assessment] presented a pretty grim outlook on the economic impacts of climate change…[It] suggested that climate change could ultimately cost different sectors of the economy hundreds of billions of dollars a year by the end of this century…[But] global warming is already costing you money and will only cost you more over time…A September 2017 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed that the Office of Management and Budget had placed the estimated cost to American taxpayers over the last decade at $350 billion, or $35 billion a year…[which is] about the entire budget for the state of New Jersey…

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…[Y]ou’re already paying more at the grocery store and those bills will continue to rise…[C]rop yields worldwide could fall by as much as 25 percent from 2030 to 2049…[driving food prices increases] as high as 84 percent…[T]he average person should expect to lose about a quarter of their income to the costs of climate change by 2100…[Millennials are] expected to lose nearly $8.8 trillion in lifetime income…[The frequency and cost of weather-related events will grow along with] your insurance bill…[Your 401k may be compromised by fossil fuel reserves] that are most likely never going to end up on the open market…” click here for more

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The New Energy Refrigerator

Bill Gates-led fund is investing in a startup to build a cheap battery using a “refrigerator on steroids”

Akshat Rathi, December 21, 2019 (Quartz)

“…[To fully replace carbon-based fuels with already cost-competitive New Energy, large amounts of cost-effective energy storage is needed] for when the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow…[Google-founded startup Malta’s answer is] heat pumps, chilled chambers, and molten salt…[It has] raised $26 million toward building its first full-scale pilot plant. The funding round was led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which was set up by Bill Gates with support from the likes of Jeff Bezos, Michael Bloomberg, Jack Ma, and Mukesh Ambani…[The Malta technology uses] excess electricity from solar panels and wind turbines to run a large heat pump…[which is] essentially a refrigerator on steroids…

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…[Malta] extracts heat from a chamber full of antifreeze-like chemicals, lowering the temperature to –70°C (–94 °F). That heat is dumped in another chamber where salt—not exactly table salt, but similar—is heated to as high as 565°C (1,050°F). These insulated chambers hold the energy until…a heat engine—essentially like a steam turbine inside a power plant—is used to convert the heat and the cold back to usable electricity…[Only about half the energy is recovered, but] the overall cost of the system could be potentially lower than one using lithium-ion battery packs…[Malta] already has interest from data centers, large industries, and the defense sector…” click here for more

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