Henry Harrell"s Blog: August 9 Green Energy News

Headline News:

“You probably have no idea just how much water is needed to produce electricity” • Despite the growth of renewable-energy, most electricity is still generated by fossil fuel or nuclear fuel. The trouble is that thermal electricity generation, a category that includes coal, natural gas, and nuclear power, does not just require fuel, but also a lot of water. [Quartz]

Steam rises from the cooling towers of a thermal power plant. (Photo: Yves Herman | Reuters)

“Solar With Storage Surges as Gas Falls” • Solar-with-storage projects are surging in many states by beating gas plants on economics and reliability. By 2026, the US is expected to add storage capacity equal to 35 nuclear plants, generating $4 billion in annual savings. Some big utilities are already replacing gas facilities with batteries. [Common Dreams]
“US Wind Industry ‘Full Steam Ahead’ Despite Wind Catcher Cancellation” • It’s American Wind Week, and the U.S. wind industry has a lot to celebrate. Wind power has become the country’s largest source of renewable energy capacity. Today, the industry employs more than 105,000 U.S. workers and is building more power than ever before. [Greentech Media]
“$20 Billion Pledged For Middle Eastern Energy Projects By Chinese President” • Loans of $20 billion and $1.6 billion in financial aid was recently pledged by Chinese President Xi Jinping to countries in the Middle East to help boost economic growth. The aid will be used for projects involving oil and gas, nuclear power, and clean energy.   [CleanTechnica]
“Kewaunee farm breaks ground on renewable energy project” • A dairy farm in Wisconsin is turning waste into energy. Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy broke ground on a project that will create renewable natural gas from dairy cow manure. It is the second anaerobic digester in the country whose product will refined to fuel vehicles. [Fox11online.com]

Henry Harrell"s Blog