"Clean energy is also benefiting from a flurry of technological innovation. After concerns that supply bottlenecks for critical minerals such as lithium could hamper the production of EV batteries, the industry responded by quickly bringing to market new battery chemistries that will reduce their dependence on key minerals. And innovation is moving fast in other emerging low-emissions technologies such as electrolysers for producing hydrogen and new processes for making green steel."
The best climate policies are good for people and the planet.
"Maine used to host a nuclear power plant that generated 119 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity — enough for the entire state’s energy needs. The Maine Yankee Atomic Power plant in Wiscasset provided good jobs and massive tax revenue for the town, with the plant contributing 91% of the town’s tax base in 1996. Plant employees who lived locally did not have to pay for their utilities, a great perk for many Wiscasset residents. After several referendums against the plant and maintenance that became too expensive to fix, Maine Yankee was closed in 1996. Today, almost 20 percent of Wiscasset residents live below the poverty line."
"So, today, some leaders of the anti-nuclear community are headed to the exits, while a new generation of pro-nuclear climate activists enters to take their place — although, admittedly, the shift is not universal. It is a change mirrored in Congress and among the public. In the face of the existential risk of climate change, there has been a significant reconsideration of nuclear energy and, I believe, it will lead to the widespread deployment of a new generation of advanced nuclear units. What a difference."
"There is no shortage of conservative leaders in this space today, and they all have one thing in common: supporting American-driven innovation that allows us to lead the world in emissions reductions while also providing reliable, affordable, clean energy here at home and around the world."
More knowledge, better data, and greater efficiency from AI will be critical to meeting the world’s energy needs and environmental goals.
Deep geothermal is safe and secure, making it the solution for clean baseload power. Legislative support, exemplified by recent rare bipartisan legislation for geothermal energy and investment, is a strong barometer for the future of this limitless green energy that has the operations and technological prowess to deliver. Watch for 2024 to be the year geothermal moves past promise and into a leading role for global power.
"Republican lawmakers have been vocal about the need for permitting reform, and while there are ongoing conversations with their Democrat counterparts, the looming November election has seemingly put these discussions on hold. House Republicans continue to advance permitting measures out of the House, only for them to die in the Democrat-led Senate. Any durable policy must have buy-in from both political sides, and permitting for energy projects fits the bill."
"The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Belgium have been the primary users of geothermal aquifers, but Darcy aims to change that. Ed said the startup has expanded to Wisconsin and will now begin adding more states that have the right groundwater characteristics to work with its technology."
"One challenge for all these approaches is determining exactly how much CO2 the decarbonated water absorbs and at what rate, figures that are critical for selling carbon credits to companies looking to offset their emissions. To avoid that uncertainty, Equatic plans to pipe its CO2-stripped seawater to the top of a 13-meter-high cooling tower and drop it through the air, where it absorbs atmospheric CO2 in a way that can be precisely measured before it is returned to the ocean."
