By James Morton Turner, an environmental studies professor at Wellesley College and author of the forthcoming book Charged: A History of Batteries and Lessons for a Clean Energy Future. He published the lead op-ed in the journal Science’s special climate change issue two weeks ago (June 24, 2022).
My friend Marco “Speedy” Jeanrenaud, a resident of the Lake Geneva region of Switzerland, is a lifelong car lover — over the years, he has owned, among others, a 1976 Cadillac, a Dodge Charger, several Ford Mustangs, a Range Rover SUV, and Harley and BMW motorcycles. In 2016, he bought … [continued]
Lithium-ion batteries are the most popular battery in use today. First commercialized in 1991, their cost has declined by a remarkable 97 percent over the last three decades, enabling the rapid growth of mobile phones, laptops, and, more recently, electric cars. Global demand for the batteries is projected to increase dramatically by … [continued]
“It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it.” This pearl of wisdom is usually attributed to Upton Sinclair, but many other thinkers have made similar observations. “Never argue with a man whose job depends on not being convinced,” was … [continued]
AUSTIN, Texas — More of the world’s coastal glaciers are melting faster than ever, but exactly what’s triggering the large-scale retreat has been difficult to pin down because of natural fluctuations in the glaciers’ surroundings. Now, researchers at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and Georgia Tech have … [continued]
Tesla’s overall deliveries in Q2 were plagued by the COVID-19 lockdowns, which caused a 22-day production pause at its Shanghai Gigafactory. In spite of this fact, Tesla’s establishment of new Gigafactories in Berlin and Texas are already showing their upsides, beginning with impressive production in the last month of the quarter. … [continued]
During the first four months of 2022, electrical generation by renewable energy sources accounted for over 25% of the nation’s electricity. In April alone, renewables accounted for 29.3% — an all-time high. And for the first time ever, the combination of just wind and solar produce more electricity in April … [continued]
JACKSON, MS and WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, the Mississippi Public Service Commission (PSC) voted to adopt its updated Net Metering and Interconnection Rules. The new rules expand the state’s net metering program by raising the participation cap for rooftop solar and prioritizing solar adoption for low-to-moderate income (LMI) customers, among … [continued]
Today, the EU is investing over €1.8 billion in 17 large-scale innovative cleantech projects with a third round of awards under the Innovation Fund. Grants will be disbursed from the Innovation Fund to help bring breakthrough technologies to the market in energy-intensive industries, hydrogen, renewable energy, carbon capture and storage … [continued]
OAKLAND, California — Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Tesla Inc. have launched a new pilot program that creates a virtual power plant, to help support electric grid reliability and save customers money. On June 22, Tesla invited approximately 25,000 PG&E customers with Powerwalls to join the VPP and … [continued]
