Feed aggregator

Federal Labor tips $250 million into upgrading and expanding the electricity grid in the Northern Territory, as it races to get to 50 per cent renewables.

The post Bowen backs NT renewables drive with $250 million for batteries, solar and grid upgrades appeared first on RenewEconomy.

What do you know about your national currency? How about the cash used overseas? We studied wildlife imagery on banknotes around the world. Here’s what we found. Guy Castley, Associate Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Clare Morrison, Lecturer in Ecology, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Virtual power plants, community batteries and flexible industrial loads could soon compete directly with coal and gas plants and big batteries, as part of proposed rule change that promises to slash energy costs.

The post New rules will allow consumer energy to compete with coal and gas, make solar visible and power cheaper appeared first on RenewEconomy.

State of the UK Climate report shows sea surface temperatures 0.9C higher than the 1961 to 1990 average

The water near the UK’s coasts was hotter in 2023 than scientists have ever before recorded, a report has found, with children today experiencing a hotter and wetter climate than that in which their parents and grandparents grew up.

The sea surface temperature near coasts was 0.9C hotter and winter rainfall across the country was 24% greater over the last decade than the average from 1961 to 1990, according to the State of the UK Climate 2023 report. It found the number of “hot” (28C) days has more than doubled over that period, and the number of “very hot” (30C) and “extremely hot” (32C) days has more than tripled.

Continue reading...

Scheme will use taxpayer money to develop parts of seabed owned by the royal family

Keir Starmer will promise to build enough offshore wind over the next five years to power 20m homes, by using taxpayer money to develop parts of the seabed owned by the royal family.

The prime minister will announce details of the government’s energy generation company, known as Great British Energy, during a visit to the north-west designed to highlight the government’s promises on green energy.

Continue reading...

Change equivalent to removing 200,000 cars for a year, with capital’s air quality improving at faster rate than rest of England

Levels of harmful air pollutants have dropped significantly since the ultra-low emission zone was enlarged to cover Greater London last year, according to a report from city hall.

Analysis covering the first six months since the Ulez expansion found that total emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from cars across London were 13% lower than projected had the scheme remained confined to inner London, while NOx from vans was 7% lower.

Continue reading...

Fortescue starts production from its first solar farm as it insists its "real zero" target by 2030 remains on track, despite the timeline shifting on its green hydrogen plans.

The post Fortescue opens first solar farm as it gathers wind assets to help real zero and green hydrogen plans appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Experts say around 1700MW of aging wind generation in Australia could be repowered to deliver 6GW, using just a third of the turbines. But there are issues to address.

The post Repowering old wind farms could treble capacity, using a lot less turbines appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A Singapore-based investment firm has announced a cohort of eight companies that will take part in an initiative aimed at scaling nature-positive businesses.

Dutton dismissed report on nuclear SMR by the highly respected Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, saying he is not interested in the views of "fanatics."

The post “I’m not interested in the fanatics:” Dutton responds to science academy’s report on nuclear SMRs appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The attorneys general (AG) of West Virginia and Indiana headlined on Tuesday a consolidated emergency application to the US Supreme Court for an immediate stay of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) power plant emissions rules after lower courts denied motions to pause the regulations.

Golden California Carbon Offsets (G-CCOs) with direct environmental benefits to the state (DEBs) sold at a premium to California Carbon Allowances (CCAs) over several days this month when the California-Quebec futures market fell to year-to-date lows, while regulator ARB slowed the pace of offset issuance.

A scan of Canadian corporations demonstrated that while a large majority was unengaged with carbon dioxide removal (CDR), the remaining minority either had limited knowledge with high enthusiasm to learn more or already had active plans to purchase CDR credits, according to a report published by a Canadian think-tank Thursday.

An ethanol producer’s plans for a bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) plant in Brazil are proceeding, but critical investments are held up by a bill that failed to clear the national legislature before it adjourned last week.

Origin to double size of Eraring battery, adding a more than four-hour second stage to help soak up solar at the site of Australia's largest coal generator.

The post Origin to double size of Eraring battery to soak up solar next to country’s biggest coal generator appeared first on RenewEconomy.

US states that have primacy to approve carbon storage projects, assume post-injection liability, and codify a legal framework are favoured when considering citing of projects in the nascent technology, attendees of a conference heard this week.

The increase in the number of 'very hot days' of 30C or more has also been dramatic.

The increase in the number of 'very hot days' of 30C or more has also been dramatic.

An endangered rodent and a thorny, impenetrable weed doesn’t sound like a good match. But stick-nest rats have made homes out of African boxthorn Annie Grace Kraehe, PhD candidate, Australian National University Kathryn Hill, Research associate, plant ecophysiology, Adelaide University Robert S. Hill, Executive Dean, Faulty of Sciences, Adelaide University Vera Weisbecker, Associate Professor, Flinders University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

We’re making the case for 21st-century, modern public ownership that serves our communities

• Ed Miliband is the energy secretary

The public voted for change at the general election. Perhaps nowhere more than when it comes to energy. Every person and business has paid the price of our country’s energy insecurity. As Vladimir Putin sought to use energy as a weapon in his illegal invasion of Ukraine, bills went through the roof in a cost of living crisis unprecedented in modern times.

As the Climate Change Committee (CCC) recently made clear, there is one obvious answer to preventing us being so exposed again – a sprint for homegrown clean energy. As it said in its progress report to parliament last week: “British-based renewable energy is the cheapest and fastest way to reduce vulnerability to volatile global fossil-fuel markets. The faster we get off fossil fuels, the more secure we become.”

Ed Miliband is the Labour MP for Doncaster North and secretary of state for energy security and net zero

Continue reading...