by Judith Curry
A few things that caught my eye this past week.
Well, actually, the past month; it’s been a while since I’ve done an energy thread.
Fossil fuels
Beginning of the end for fossil power [link]
Much of huge change in energy/co2 during Obama years due not to POTUS but fracking [link]
Addicted to Oil: U.S. Gasoline Consumption is Higher than Ever [link] …
Southern’s $6.9 Billion Clean #Coal Plant Produces First Power [link]
‘Green’ China Investing Massively in Fossil Fuel Power” [link]
New Bangladesh coal power plant “will be big enough to provide around 10% of the country’s electricity generation” [link]
Southeast Asian Nations Plan Huge Expansion Of Fossil Fuel Economy [link]
Shell CEO: Red lights on path to greener energy [link]
Renewables and nuclear
#CostaRica demonstrates life w/o #fossilfuels is possible by running on 100% #renewableenergy for 2 months straight: [link] …
Interesting piece on #solar & molten-salt storage & how they are a sustainable #energy security match [link]
Biofuels cause four times more carbon emissions [link]
The Race To Clean Energy May Leave Utilities In The Dust [link]
A reality check on renewable energy potential [link] …
New @NREL study shows E US grid can operate reliably with 30% #wind + #solar [link]
Portugal cuts green subsidies = renewables fall off the cliff [link] …
Terrestrial Energy’s Advanced Nuclear Technology – The IMSR – Takes Several Steps Forward [link]
Scotland hosts first offshore tidal turbines to deliver electricity to grid: [link]
The federal government itself is shifting to clean energy — and the Navy is leading the way [link]
Battery that could revolutionise renewables on trial in Scotland [link]
What if renewables + storage needs ‘baseload’ more than ever? [link]
Former Unilever chief scientist promotes Stable Salt Reactor as cheaper alternative to Hinkley [link]
New Nuclear Designs Are Great. Don’t Expect to See Any of Them for Decades [link]
So it was wind power that caused the South Australia blackout after all, says Australian Energy Market Operator [link] …
Review of supercritical CO2 power cycle technology for nuclear power [link]
This engineer wants to convince you that nuclear is just what the climate needs [link] …
“Are lithium-ion batteries reaching the point of diminishing returns?” [link]
Ethanol is the wrong solution [link]
Offgrid solar lighting up Ethiopia [link]
A small island in the India Ocean offers big lessons on clean power [link]
MIT: Calculating the financial risks of renewable energy [link]
The long-running biofuel boondoggle is hamstringing US refiners at the worst possible time: [link]
Policies focused on solar & wind will contribute only marginally to solving #globalwarming. [link]
Solar Panel Plan Is Basically A $206 Billion Handout To China, Report Finds [link]
Department of Energy Task Force Backs @EnvProgress Call for Temporary Subsidy to Save Nuclear Plants [link]
Grid
.@GulfPower’s investments in storm-hardening technology have significantly reduced power outages [link]
Armor for the grid: the grid is vulnerable to attack [link]
“The extraordinary decoupling between economic growth and [CO2 emissions] is happening” [link]
The birth and troubled childhood of an American super grid [link]
Why smart utilities are embracing distributed #electricity: [link]
New regulatory approaches for #electricity #utilities: [link]
Policy
Memo to next president: Here’s how to avoid our history of energy policy mistakes. [link] …
An energy policy based on wishful thinking [link]
David Battie: An unprecedented challenge [link]
The historical context of court battle over the U.S. Clean Power Plan [link]
The carbon tax is not just political; it’s ineffective, too [link]
US emissions set to miss 2025 target in Paris climate change deal [link]
The Paris Climate Accords will cost developing economies in Asia $3 billion a year [link]
Bloomberg editorial: Fuel Subsidies Are the World’s Dumbest Policy [link]
The real cost of environmental regulation: ‘many Indians won’t get the benefits that go with air-conditioning.’ [link]
Energy efficiency: The enormous scale of all the energy that we never used: [link]Filed under: Energy, Week in review