This Is A Doom & Gloom Free-Zone

Just a quick hit of some videos that crossed my path this week.

First up, I feel every mood Robert has in this video.

May 19, 2024

Join Robert for May’s Almost Breaking News! This episode tackles misinformation about electric vehicles spread by the BBC, busts myths surrounding secondhand EVs, and delves into the world of BIG electric trucks. Robert also explores Amazon’s extraordinary charging network, wooden wind turbines, the surge in EV chargers in the UK, gas leaks from old oil wells, the ongoing issue with Tesla and the Supercharger Network and some good news on Gigabatteries.Get ready for a whirlwind tour of all the essential news from the world of EVs and clean energy from the past month, peppered with Robert’s signature rants! @fullychargedshow @EverythingElectricShow

==========

A compilation of energy storage in rocks (mostly via heat) and its viability:

show full post on front page

Climate Solutions: Angry Rant On Myths and Misconceptions, Induction and Battery NewsPost + Comments (37)

I don’t remember when I stumbled on Beau – he describes himself as a southern journalist and his takes are thoughtful – but this morning there was this nugget I was unaware of, so I went searching for more information. This is why I’m posting a quick hit climate post this morning before I run off to take care of my long list of things-to-do today.

Here’s the announcement:

There is a lot to disseminate, but you can read more here, here, and here.

FERC’s new transmission and cost allocation rule, Order No. 1920, continues the essential work of the Commission – ensuring a reliable grid – by requiring the nation’s transmission providers to plan for the transmission we know we will need in the future.

This rule adopts specific requirements addressing how transmission providers must conduct long-term planning for regional transmission facilities and determine how to pay for them, so needed transmission is built. The final rule reflects more than 15,000 pages of comments from nearly 200 stakeholders representing all sectors of the electric power industry; environmental, consumer and other advocacy groups; and state and other government entities.

The grid rule contains these major elements:

• Requirement to conduct and periodically update long-term transmission planning to anticipate future needs.
• Requirement to consider a broad set of benefits when planning new facilities.
• Requirement to identify opportunities to modify in-kind replacement of existing transmission facilities to increase their transfer capability, known as “right-sizing.”
• Customers pay only for projects from which they benefit.
• Expands states’ pivotal role throughout the process of planning, selecting, and determining how to pay for transmission facilities.

Now back to how transforming soil and rewilding is an important part of climate solutions:

show full post on front page

Climate Solutions: New Grid Rules and Big BisonPost + Comments (94)

A reminder as we come up on Earth Day:

Climate scientist Michael E Mann & historian Timothy D Snyder define doomerism:
Doomerism is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.
It is how authoritarians win. Let’s try to fight the doom.

I’m going to start this post out with a caveat, while I’ve been a long time proponent of examining the United States electric grid and revamping it – everything about electricity traveling over long distances is way above my limited technical knowledge.

I have pulled together some experts I trust and am sharing their opinions on what needs to happen to the grid in order for alternative energy sources to be viable, and to meet the 2030 and 2050 climate goals.

From Dave Roberts’ Volts Podcast:

Getting More Out of  Current Transmission Infrastructer

Audio Here

One of the primary threats to the clean energy buildout spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act is a lack of transmission. Models show that hitting our Paris climate targets would involve building two to three times our current transmission capacity, yet new lines are desperately slow to come online. Meanwhile, existing lines are congested and hundreds of gigawatts of new clean energy sits waiting in interconnection queues.

Wouldn’t it be cool if there were some relatively cheap and speedy ways to get more capacity out of the transmission infrastructure we’ve already built? To ease some of that congestion and get more clean energy online while we wait for new lines to be completed?

As it happens, there are. They are called grid-enhancing technologies, or GETs, and they can improve the performance of existing transmission lines by as much as 40 percent. Full transcript here

Another from David (he has several you can search for more on his website):

Upgrading Current Powerlines 

Audio Here

Utilities are not under constant pressure to improve their products, and consequently, power lines haven’t improved much over the years. The standard design used in the industry dates back to the early 1900s. The more “modern” design dates back to the 1970s.

Now, at long last, some companies are popping up with new power lines that can transmit more power, and leak less of it, than traditional lines. Simply replacing old lines (or “conductors”) with the latest technology — or “reconductoring” — could, according to some recent studies, double the capacity of the existing grid, or more. But that would involve persuading utilities to actually deploy the latest tech, which is no mean feat. Full transcript here

show full post on front page

Climate Solutions: Upgrading the Energy GridPost + Comments (72)