December 24 NEC Energy News
¶ “Power Wells For Remote Villages In Indonesia” • Substation33 is the training arm for YFF, an NGO. To address the reliance of people in isolated villages on kerosene and difficulty finding electricity to power cell phones, they developed the Power Well, a solar cell and a battery built into a bucket. Now they are installing Power Wells in Indonesia. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “US Still Doesn’t Know How And Where It Will Store Its Growing Pile Of Nuclear Waste” • A year-and-a-half after a scathing GAO report revealed that the US DOE has no coherent plan to manage nuclear waste from weapons manufacturing piling up at more than 150 sites across the country there has been little progress. [Earth Island Institute]
¶ “New Zealand Gets Its First Big Battery” • On a freezing cold night in New Zealand, fossil fuel generators couldn’t crank up fast enough and the grid failed. The event inspired a move towards big batteries. Meridian will build the first of these on the southern part of the northern island to support both north and south island grids. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Renewables Became Second-Most Prevalent Electricity Source In 2020 – Analysis” • In 2020, renewable energy sources (wind, hydroelectric, solar, biomass, and geothermal energy) generated a record 834 billion kWh of electricity, or about 21% of all the electricity generated in the US. Only natural gas, at 1,617 billion kWh, produced more. [Eurasia Review]
¶ “Massive 100+ Vehicle Accident Shows The Need For Self-Driving Cars” • NBC Chicago reported crashes involving over 100 vehicles along I-94 in Jackson County, Wisconsin. While some people fear automated vehicles, the NHTSA says that 94% of serious crashes are due to human error, and automated vehicles could prevent them. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “A Look At Argonne’s Biggest Breakthroughs In 2021” • It was a big year for discoveries at the Argonne National Laboratory. From improving solar cells and brain imaging to combating Covid-19 and developing better nuclear reactor models, Argonne researchers accelerate science and technology to ensure our prosperity and security. [CleanTechnica]
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