June 14 NEC Energy News
¶ “California Reaching 100% Renewable Electricity At Times” • In early April, California achieved a new record at 97.6% renewable power, and on May 2 the state was able to reach 99.9%. On May 8 the record was broken yet again, with 103% of the state’s power needs being met by renewables for a few hours. Now it’s time for California to work on storage. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “‘We’re Still Recovering’: 11 Years After Fukushima Nuclear Disaster, Residents Return To Their Village” • Over 11 years after Japan’s worst nuclear disaster, the government lifted evacuation orders in part of a contaminated village, allowing residents to move back into their homes. Katsurao village is about 40 km (24 miles) from the Fukushima Daiichi plant. [MSN]
¶ “Norway Is Building The World’s Largest Wind Farm – To Power Oil And Gas Fields” • Norway still has a very complicated relationship with oil and gas. Now, the country will start up the world’s largest wind farm to power its offshore oil and gas fields. The project is being built by Equinor, the largest exporter of natural gas in Europe. [ZME Science]
¶ “BLM OKs Construction Of Large California Solar Projects” • The Interior Department gave notice that construction could proceed on two projects in the Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan area in California. The area includes 10.8 million acres of federal lands already evaluated by the Obama administration in 2016. [E&E News]
¶ “What Is Load Shedding And Why Is It A Sign That Australia’s Largest Electricity Market Is In Crisis?” • When demand for electricity exceeds capacity, the most extreme tool is load shedding, shuting down power to an area for a time. A cold snap with several large, coal-burning power plants offline threatens eastern Australia with load shedding. [ABC]
¶ “New Federal Rule Aims To Phase Out Residential Furnaces That Waste Natural Gas” • President Joe Biden’s DOE will propose a rule to make residential, natural gas furnaces more energy-efficient. It would be the country’s first significant update to furnace standards since the 1990s. Just over 40% of furnaces made today meet the proposed standard. [CNN]
¶ “Candela Cabin Cruiser Concept Takes Flight!” • The Candela P-8 Voyager cabin cruiser made its debut at the Salone Nautico show in Venice. The new craft is aimed squarely at Vencie’s water taxi business, and the company hopes it will help replace the gas and diesel motorboats that are currently used by the area’s commercial operators. [CleanTechnica]
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