Countries making the most progress on renewables rate a lot of attention, but we need to look at the other end of the spectrum, too. Compare the UK, above, with Turkmenistan, below, just starting its first real solar projects, or Benin, one of the poorest countries in Africa.
Which Country Uses the Least Alternative Energy?
Countries like the United Arab Emirates, Benin, Bahrain, Botswana, Kuwait, Libya, Mongolia, Oman, Qatar, Turkmenistan, Trinidad and Tobago, the Republic of Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Brunei Darussalam, and Singapore are listed by the Data World Bank as countries with virtually 0% of their energy being sourced from alternative and nuclear means.
Both oil-rich and desperately poor countries on this list are opening up serious development in renewables in 2024 for the first time.
Renewable energy in Benin: current situation and future prospects
Benin is one of the least-developed countries in West Africa, struggling to satisfy the energy needs of its 12.2 million inhabitants [11]. With a total surface area of 114 763 km2, the country is endowed with a high potential for energy resources [12]. However, almost 59% of Benin’s population currently lacks access to electricity.
The theoretical wind potential of Benin is estimated to be 322 MW.
Benin has recently inaugurated a 25-MW solar PV system.
The Solutions Project at Stanford has laid out a plan in outline for getting Benin to 100% renewables.
More about those on the bottom rungs next Tuesday.
Global Warming News
Investment in #CleanEnergy manufacturing rose to $200B in 2023, per a new @IEA report. This represents a 70% increase over 2022.
40% of these investments went towards facilities set to come online in 2024.
Nevada utility @NVEnergy installed a 220 MW/440 MWh #BatteryStorage system in Moapa, Nevada on a former coal-fired power plant site.
It's saving customers a lot of money by storing and dispatching low-cost #wind and #solar during peak demand.
The global energy storage market almost tripled in 2023, the largest year-on-year gain on record.
And in 2024, the market is set to add more than 100 GW-hours of capacity for the first time, largely driven by growth in China.
Can streetlights unlock big city EV charging? This startup thinks so
Voltpost unveiled its new EV charging product, which is designed to tap into the electricity available in streetlights — and withstand life in urban settings.
Chart: How British electricity supplies are shifting decisively away from fossil fuels
Carbon Brief analysis recently showed that fossil fuels supplied a record-low 2.4% of electricity on the island of Great Britain, for one hour on Monday 15 April.
The analysis illustrated how National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO), which runs the island’s grid, is closing in on its target of “zero carbon operation” for short periods by 2025.
EVs Take 56.9% Share In Sweden — Volvo EX30 Is The Top BEV
#G7 countries have finally agreed to phase out coal by 2035. This move isn't just about the environment; it's economically savvy and promotes #environmentaljustice. Next up? Tackling oil and gas!
DeSmog Launches Investigation Into Food and Farming Misinformation Ahead of EU Elections
A large blue billboard stands outside a park in the town of Conegliano in northern Italy. On the left, a man pops a vast cricket into his mouth. On the right, are the words, “Let’s Change Europe before it changes us” – and the dates of the upcoming elections.
The poster – an advert for the country’s radical right party Lega per Salvini Premier – refers to a conspiracy theory that has swept across Italy in the last 18 months. Elites in Brussels are planning to replace meat with bugs and are using environmental regulations to do so, or so the theory goes.
Who knew that Soylent Green would be insects?
Biden to Announce $7 Billion in Rooftop Solar Grants to Power Nearly 1 Million Households
The Make-or-Break Projects of the Energy Transition
These 10 projects represent the spectrum of solutions that could enable a transition to a carbon-free energy system.
Sun, wind, storage, transmission, nuclear(??), hydrogen, carbon capture
Surging investment in manufacturing of clean energy technologies is supporting economic growth
In a first-of-its-kind analysis, Advancing Clean Technology Manufacturing finds that global investment in the manufacturing of five key clean energy technologies – solar PV, wind, batteries, electrolysers and heat pumps – rose to USD 200 billion in 2023, an increase of more than 70% from 2022 that accounted for around 4% of global GDP growth.
Spending on solar PV manufacturing more than doubled last year, while investment in battery manufacturing rose by around 60%. As a result, solar PV module manufacturing capacity today is already in line with what is needed in 2030 based on the IEA’s net zero emissions scenario. For battery cells, if announced projects are included, manufacturing capacity is 90% of the way towards meeting net zero demand at the end of this decade.
Remote communities in Papua New Guinea are experiencing uninterrupted power supply.
Installation of a mini hydro plant has enhanced the livelihoods, economic development & overall well-being of people in the region.
Learn more @IRENA report
https://irena.org/Publications/2
Turkmenistan to host first large scale solar plants
Turkmenistan’s state power corporation Turkmenenergo and United Arab Emirates Masdar and are currently developing a 100 MW solar plant in Turkmenistan. The new project follows the recent launch of a 10 MW hybrid wind-solar project and will help the country achieve the deployment of its first solar projects.
According to data from the International Renewable Energy Agency, Turkmenistan had no solar or wind capacity installed as of 2021. Its total renewable energy capacity in 2021 was 2 MW, all from hydroelectric power. The country has significant natural gas resources, but has potential to be a solar powerhouse: receiving in excess of 3,000 hours of sunshine a year in some parts, and boasting an average of 300 sunny days a year.
Turkmenistan has been one of the most backward countries in the world on renewables.
South Australia tests energy-smart homes to ease pressure on grid: An "Australian first" demonstration of aggregated flexible demand in residential settings will be rolled out in South Australia, with…
Nothing of note this week.
Tigo Energy introduces solar-plus-storage EI Residential Solar Solution for Puerto Rico
https://renewableenergymagazine.com/pv_solar/tigo-
Community #solar is providing the cost-saving benefits of clean energy for customers and businesses alike — and policymakers are taking note.
Bipartisan efforts to expand community solar are growing in states across the country
RES tapped to manage O&M [Operations and Maintenance] for one of the largest solar projects in the country
Repsol completes largest solar project yet in Texas
Repsol has completed construction of its Frye Solar project, its largest photovoltaic plant to date, with a total installed capacity of 637 MW and 570 MW currently in operation. Located in the United States, the Frye Solar project was built near the city of Kress, Swisher County, Texas. Frye Solar is comprised of almost one million solar panels.
Automaker to capitalize on record-breaking year with first-of-its-kind EV platform: 'A variety of expansion possibilities'
"They make some of the most efficient EVs you can get."
Korean automaker Hyundai is expanding its electric vehicle offerings with what it is calling an "EV business platform," seemingly allowing it to sell battery-electric trucks, camper vans, and more along with its popular electric passenger vehicles, Electrek has reported.
Hyundai sold 268,785 EVs in 2023, as its IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 continued to gain momentum based on their sterling reputations as some of the best-performing EVs relative to their price point.
Now, the company is looking to follow up that record-breaking success by grabbing an even larger share of the EV market with its business platform. The first model that Hyundai is offering on that platform is the Service Type 1, or ST1, a versatile platform intended primarily for delivery services.
From our archives: While Africa is losing vital rainforest, another trend is underway: small farmers are letting trees regrow on their lands.
By one estimate, there are now some 1.4 billion trees on farms across Africa.
Read more @YaleE360: https://bit.ly/43YpOl7
From Daily Kos
Meteor Blades
Earth Matters: GOP climate caucus's malarkey; Biden protects more land, adds $$ to lead pipe fix
Weekly Spotlight on Climate & Eco-Diaries (5/5/24)
Jamie Raskin will testify on congressional exposé of still more fossil fuel lies Wednesday morning
In a 65-page report on the documents released Tuesday, congressional investigators said they found that the industry has engaged in “an elaborate campaign of deception and doublespeak” to throw up obstacles to climate action. That assessment is not news, but the report adds a ton of detail that shows these companies in a still more unflattering light.
Earth Matters: Biden puts up $7 billion for low-income solar; 7 win Goldman Environmental Prize
Overnight News Digest for Weds May 1 (May Day edition) by jeremybloom. The Guardian (UK) — Big oil privately acknowledged efforts to downplay climate crisis, joint committee investigation finds. Internal documents revealed by committee show companies lobbied against climate laws they publicly claimed to support ...Major fossil-fuel firms have also pledged support for international climate efforts, but internally admit these efforts are incompatible with their own climate plans. And they have lobbied against climate laws and regulations they have publicly claimed to support, documents newly revealed by the committee show.
Earth Matters: Biden puts up $7 billion for low-income solar; 7 win Goldman Environmental Prize