Energy production

Industrial-scale commercial-charging hardware key to successful U.S. zero-emissions freight operations

A new study published today [May 11, 2023] by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) assesses where, when, and how much charging infrastructure will be required by 2030 to support the fast-moving transition to zero-emission medium and heavy-duty vehicles in the United States. Infrastructure development creates economic opportunity for local communities, and business opportunities for … Read more

Taking stock – Part II: California – a frontlines leader in taking on GHG

There is no other place on Earth quite like California. In fact, if an independent nation, California’s economy would rank as the world’s fifth largest. That’s no idle boast. Neither is the fact that the Golden State is 105 million acres in size* on which some 40 million residents have staked out some kind of … Read more

Carbon-capture tech., lithium mining topics of two televised reports

This past weekend on both Saturday (Apr. 29, 2023) and Sunday (Apr. 30, 2023), I watched two of what I thought were powerful, made-for-television programs. The first “In Real Life,” the Mining for Clean Power, episode, and first aired on the Scripps News network on May 15, 2022, dealt with one aspect of the renewable energy … Read more

Unsafe levels of air pollution still persist across Europe, children among those most affected

More needs to be done to protect the health of children and adolescents from the negative impacts of air pollution, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA) air quality assessments published [Sunday, Apr. 23, 2023]. Air pollution causes over 1,200 premature deaths per year in people under the age of 18 in Europe and significantly … Read more

Groups sue to block FEMA funds going to Puerto Rico-based eco-unfriendly grid renewal

Conservation and community groups sued the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Department of Homeland Security today [Apr. 11, 2023] over their plans to rebuild Puerto Rico’s centralized electric grid back to the fossil fuel status quo instead of investing in the distributed renewable energy Puerto Ricans need. “Fossil fuel power plants produce pollutants that … Read more

Today’s proposed Biden-Harris Admin. car/truck pollution standards strongest ever

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced new proposed federal vehicle emissions standards that will accelerate the ongoing transition to a clean vehicles future and tackle the climate crisis. The proposed standards would improve air quality for communities across the nation, especially communities that have borne the burden of polluted air. Together, these proposals … Read more

Global energy picture looking forward a mixed bag, one group reports

Despite game-changing climate policies and pledges, nations around the world are reckoning with historically high demand for fossil fuels. But at the same time, investment in clean energy technologies is reaching new peaks. The future is uncertain, but a new report from researchers at Resources for the Future (RFF) concludes that the public and private … Read more

Energy-tied carbon emissions drop 25-38% below 2005 levels by 2030, EIA projects. Ongoing progress in said emissions-reductions to 2050 projected

U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions drop 25% to 38% below what they were in 2005 by 2030, according to projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) Annual Energy Outlook 2023 (AEO2023). By the end of the projection period, 2050, U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions are 17% lower in this year’s Reference case compared with last year, … Read more

Why dual-mode train may be the best one going

Information I read recently regarding plane versus train travel asserted that Acela trains on the Amtrak-owned Northeast Corridor (NEC) running between Washington, D.C. and New York City enjoy a 75 percent market share of air/rail-based commuter traffic in that service lane. Wow! Seventy-five percent! So, there are any number of reasons for the 75/25 train/plane … Read more