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PG&E’s fossil fuel-powered microgrids

Workers install portions of the 8.5 megawatt-per-hour battery system at Fort Carson, Colorado. Huntsville Center’s Energy Savings Performance Contracting program coordinated the project designed to reduce peak electricity use costs, especially during the summer cooling season. (Photo by Scott Clark) found on by Scott Clark, found on https://www.hnc.usace.army.mil/Media/Images/igphoto/2002081389/

by Kavya Balaraman, Utility Dive Highlights: The towns of Angwin, Calistoga, Placerville, and Grass Valley are part of PG&E’s effort to build a network of “resilience zones” and temporary microgrids in portions of its service territory that are especially vulnerable to fire-related outages. PG&E deployed 23 MW of temporary generation from fossil fuel power (diesel) … Read more

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Want to do something about climate change? Follow the money

Divest from Fossil Fuel

by Lennox Yearwood Jr. and Bill McKibben, NY Times Highlights: JPMorgan Chase is among the worst companies to aid the rapid warming of the earth by lending billions to gas and oil companies. “Wells Fargo lent over $151 billion, Citibank lent over $129 billion and Bank of America lent over $106 billion” and “JPMorgan Chase … Read more

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Wind, solar to dominate new power plants in 2020

Rooftop PV installation on the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe administration building

Highlights: As of January 1, 2020, new houses in California are required to install rooftop solar. “One utility, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, has asked regulators to approve a plan that says builders in its territory can comply with the solar mandate by subscribing to the utility’s community solar programs instead of putting solar on every … Read more

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Rhode Island becomes the first US state to commit to 100% renewables by 2030

by Carolyn Fortuna, Clean Technica, January 20, 2020 Highlights: The littlest state in the US has set the biggest goals for renewable energy.  Democratic governor Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island signed an executive order this month calling for an end to fossil fuel dependence in Rhode Island by 2030 The governor outlined her goal of … Read more

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Industry’s 3 largest landfill operators among California’s biggest methane emitters: report

Tractor pushing garbage in a landfill.

Highlights: A report found that the top methane point source polluters are landfills. The three landfill operators, Republic Services, Waste Connections and Waste Management, “represent 26.8% of all methane from California facilities – the warming equivalent of more than 725,000 cars on the road annually.” The large emitters have plans to offset their emissions generated … Read more

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Governor’s climate budget: one step forward, one step back

Governor Gavin Newsom recently released his proposed state budget for the fiscal year 2020-21 and it includes some important line items for decarbonization and climate resilience. The governor has proposed $12.5 billion over five years to boost climate resilience, curb greenhouse gas pollution, and tackle the climate change-driven wildfire crisis. The total California state proposed … Read more

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World’s consumption of materials hits record 100bn tonnes a year

by Damian Carrington, The Guardian, January 22, 2020 Highlights: The report highlights that every person’s ecological footprint equates to 13 tonnes of materials per year Half of the 100.6 billion tonnes of material consumed in 2017 were sand, clay, gravel, and cement Only 8.6% of the material consumed is recycled and this percentage is falling … Read more

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GM and Honda unveil electric self-driving car with no steering wheel or pedals

GM CEO Mary Barra

by Matt McFarland, CNN Business, January 22, 2020 Highlights: GM and Honda have engineered a new 6-seat electric vehicle, the Origin, that drives itself The self-driving car isn’t for sale but is rather available for rides through a ride-share app The six-seat electric vehicle has no steering wheel, brake or accelerator pedals, windshield wipers or … Read more

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NASA has broken down all the disturbing ways 2019 smashed records

The sun sets on the Building 29 High Bay. Credit: NASA/GSFC/Michael Weiss

by Carly Cassella, Science Alert, January 21, 2020 Highlights: According to data from more than 20,000 weather stations and Antarctic research stations, 2019 was the second-hottest year ever recorded, beaten only by 2016 The earth has continually warmed since the 1960’s Since 1750, the global annual mean CO2 level has gone up by 46 percent Rapid … Read more

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‘Green Swan’ climate event could trigger global financial crisis, BIS warns

Green Swan

by Jana Randow, Bloomberg Green, January 20, 2020 Highlights: Climate change threatens to provoke “green swan” events that could trigger a systemic financial crisis unless authorities act against such risks, according to the Bank for International Settlements Many central banks already contribute to the effort by monitoring climate-related risks through stress tests, incorporating environmental, social … Read more