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Australia's biggest generation companies now have a new tool to help push prices to the market cap - big batteries.

The post The big battery being used to push electricity prices to the market cap appeared first on RenewEconomy.

After almost half a century, the United Nations has waded back into the murky world of water policy. But one of the ideas following this year’s international meeting has been shot down. Sarah Ann Wheeler, Professor in Water Economics, University of Adelaide Claudia Ringler, Deputy Director, Environment and Production Technology Division, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Guyana is reportedly attracting interest for the sale of the remaining 70% of its REDD+ credits, after a landmark deal with US energy company Hess.

Drought in Mexico and depleting water supply in the Colorado River has led to a scarcity in red jalapeños, the key ingredient

Sriracha lovers everywhere are feeling the not so pleasant sting of the beloved hot sauce shortage, now in its second year. Drought in Mexico has resulted in a scarcity of chilli peppers – in particular, red jalapeños, the raw material of sriracha – leading Huy Fong Foods, the California-based maker of the iconic condiment, to scale back production.

“It is a challenging crop to grow,” said Stephanie Walker, a plant scientist at the New Mexico State University, who serves on the advisory board of the Chile Pepper Institute. “Jalapeños are really labor intensive, requiring people to de-stem them by hand before they go for processing.”

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If there’s a lesson to be learned from the collapse of Thames Water, it is that utility giants have to pioneer a new kind of company

There is universal agreement that privatisation was never meant to result in news like this. Last week, the government announced it was on standby to take Thames Water – our biggest water company, serving 15 million people – into “special administration” as its £15bn of debt threatens to overwhelm it and its CEO resigned. What went so wrong? Is this proof that public ownership should immediately be restored?

After all, we’ve witnessed a litany of debacles, from the government’s takeover of TransPennine Express and electricity supplier Bulb to the creation of Great British Railways to integrate the fragmented management of the rail system. It’s safe to say that privatisation cannot be trumpeted as an unalloyed success.

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Prime minister under fire as government backtracks on plan for more onshore turbines to keep voters on side

Rishi Sunak is facing mounting criticism for putting politics above the fight against climate change, amid clear signs that ministers are backtracking on plans to allow more onshore windfarms in England before a general election.

The Observer understands that a much-vaunted government consultation on ending what has in effect been a ban on new onshore wind projects will lead to a minimal relaxation of planning rules – because ministers do not want to anger potential Tory voters who oppose huge wind turbines in their neighbourhoods.

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Research suggests buried carcass unlikely to attract sharks so long as it is placed above water table and high tide mark

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A 30-tonne humpback whale has been buried in the dunes behind where it beached and died on Seven Mile beach on the New South Wales mid-north coast.

The adult whale became stranded early on Saturday morning and, despite attempts by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to save it, died about 7pm.

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Prices go negative across Western Europe electricity markets on Saturday, and are expected to do so on most weekends over summer.

The post “Crazy world” of EU power – negative prices across western Europe, all day in Germany appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Sea algae could take over coral reefs after an unknown disease decimated sea urchin populations.

Demands for an end to the ‘revolving door’ as ex-Ofwat directors are hired by key firms

Two-thirds of England’s biggest water companies employ key executives who had previously worked at the watchdog tasked with regulating them, the Observer can reveal.

Cathryn Ross, the new interim joint chief executive of Thames Water and a former head of watchdog Ofwat, is one of several ex-employees working for water companies in senior roles such as strategy, regulation and infrastructure.

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Met police make arrests after activists block parade in Piccadilly by sitting in front of Coca-Cola truck

Just Stop Oil protesters have disrupted London’s Pride march in protest over the event accepting sponsorship money from “high-polluting industries”.

A number of protesters were arrested after blocking the road in front of a Coca-Cola truck.

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The Liberian government has warned the public against participating in the ‘black market’ for carbon credits.

An all-female team tracked it down amid deadly snakes and 50C heat in a forest known as 'hell on Earth'.

Brazil expects to see a $9.1 billion mobilisation of clean energy investment in the country after a multilateral fund’s board on Friday endorsed a $70 million plan to support renewable power onto the grid.

South Korea and Vietnam have signed a deal to collaborate on carbon trading under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Emitters trimmed their net short position in California Carbon Allowances (CCAs) while depleting their RGGI Allowance (RGA) net length this week, as financial entities did not alter their holdings to a significant degree, according to US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) data published Friday.

The number of entity accounts pending approval to participate in California’s WCI-linked cap-and-trade system continued to balloon during the second quarter, according to Carbon Pulse analysis of government data published Friday, as more speculators sought physical exposure to the market.

A summary of legislative, regulatory, and policy action on carbon, clean fuel standard, and clean energy markets at the US federal and subnational levels this week, including a Maryland climate plan that features an economy-wide cap-and-invest programme, and a California Senate committee advancing two carbon credit related bills.