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Oil crashes as crude producers brawl and coronavirus spreads
“The immediate outlook for the oil market will ultimately depend on how quickly governments move to contain the coronavirus outbreak, how successful their efforts are, and what lingering impact the global health crisis has on economic activity,” the IEA said in a statement. The long-term impact on American energy and climate policy is unclear as experts are struggle to figure out how long the decline will last. Some analysts are expressing concern that U.S. shale producers could be hard hit. [ read more … ]
Coronavirus
What scientists know about coronavirus and warming
President Trump assured the American public that the onset of warmer weather could halt the spread of the coronavirus. But experts caution there’s no evidence to support that idea.
His assertion raises new questions about the role temperatures have on infectious diseases as Earth gets warmer. The impacts of climate change on the coronavirus are unknown, but research related to other illnesses suggest that the risk of pandemics is growing as rising temperatures ignite animal migrations and other changes. [ read more … ]
Wind Energy
A Recycling Plan to Clear Wind Turbine Blades From Graveyards
A Danish startup has found a way to crush these blades, turning an ultra-resistant mix of fiberglass and industrial glue into barriers designed to block noise from highways and factories. Copenhagen-based Miljoskarm can grind the blades into small pieces of 1 to 2 centimeters with the same type of machines used in auto junkyards. The material is then placed in recycled plastic cases that block noise at least at the same level as barriers made from aluminum and mineral wool, with less maintenance required. [ read more … ]
Shipments begin arriving for massive N.M. wind farm
The components needed for a massive wind farm under development in eastern New Mexico have started to arrive by rail. Xcel Energy Inc. said Friday that the wind turbine parts for the Sagamore Wind Project are rolling into a railhead north of Hobbs and will be transported to the construction site in Roosevelt County starting in April. [ read more … ]
Solar Energy
‘Tandem solar cell’ could slash industry costs
he technology — a blend of an emerging solar technology called perovskites and traditional silicon solar cells — has a 25.7% efficiency rate and can withstand high temperatures without affecting performance, according to a paper published in Science last week. For comparison, solar company SunPower Corp. claims to have the most efficient traditional photovoltaic cell on the market today at a little over 22% efficiency. The new cell is groundbreaking, researchers said, because it is both cheaper to produce and longer-lasting than others of its kind. [ read more … ]
FERC
Manchin looks ahead
“My goodness, they’re afraid of one woman. They’re afraid of this one lady who’s smarter than all of them put together because she understands the system and knows it better than them. And they’re afraid of having that person there with the input she could bring to the table.” [ read more … ]
Democratic Senators push to include FERC reform in comprehensive Senate energy bill
Democratic senators last week filed amendments on the comprehensive American Energy Innovation Act that would have prevented the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from carrying out its controversial Minimum Offer Price Rule (MOPR) orders and mandated a more politically balanced commission. A third amendment would have prevented the federal body from delaying rehearing requests indefinitely. Though none of the three amendments were adopted in the modified substitute bill filed on Thursday by Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, observers say their introduction shows growing Congressional worry about FERC’s role in advancing or slowing down clean energy adoption in wholesale power markets, worries that could be raised again in the House. [ read more … ]
Wind, solar and storage take up 95% of ISO-New England interconnection queue, marking ‘dramatic shift’
About 95% of nearly 21 GW of energy resources currently proposed for the New England region are grid-scale wind, solar and battery projects, according to the Independent System Operator of New England (ISO-NE). The number “reflects a dramatic shift” in the grid operator’s interconnnection queue, ISO-NE president and CEO Gordon van Welie said in a press call on Friday. Five years ago, the majority of projects sought by developers were natural gas resources, he said. [ read more … ]
2020
Bullock run in Mont. gives Democrats hope of Senate takeover
Montana Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. Steve Daines for his Senate seat. Bullock, who briefly ran for president last year before dropping out, announced his campaign today, which is the filing deadline in the state. [ read more … ]
Note: News clips provided do not necessarily reflect the views of coalition or its member governors.