Henry Harrell"s Blog: May 19 Green Energy News

Headline News:

Researchers in Antarctica have discovered rapidly growing banks of mosses on the ice continent’s northern peninsula, providing striking evidence of climate change in the coldest and most remote parts of the planet. Because of the warming of the last 50 years, they found two species of mosses growing at an accelerated pace. [ScienceAlert]

A green Antarctica – this is not a good sign. (Photo: Matt Amesbury)

One of the world’s most beloved toy makers, the LEGO Group, announced that it had reached its 100% renewable energy goal three years ahead of schedule thanks to the completion and commissioning of the 258-MW Burbo Bank Extension Offshore Wind Farm. LEGO has not stopped, as it still has solar panels going up in China. [CleanTechnica]
A planned coal-fired 4,000-MW ultra-mega power project plant in India has been scrapped because the government wants to focus on green energy. Gujarati state officials had planned it, but the government decided the state was already sufficiently supplied with energy and focusing on renewables was a better longer term strategy. [malaysiandigest.com]
In a survey of 1,000 US adults, 54% believe “government regulations are necessary to encourage businesses and consumers to rely more on renewable energy sources.” Just 38% say “the private marketplace will ensure that businesses and consumers rely more on renewable energy sources, even without government regulations.” [Environment News Service]
Ameren Corp has completed an advanced utility-scale microgrid at Ameren’s Technology Applications Center, adjacent to the University of Illinois campus in Champaign, Illinois. The $5 million facility includes solar, wind, and natural gas generating capacity with battery storage, and can operate at between 4 kV and 34.5 kV. [Electric Light & Power]

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