July 1 NEC Energy News
¶ “Nuclear Energy Is Off The Table, Says Ramaphosa” • President Cyril Ramaphosa says as South Africa tries to diversify its energy capacity, the nuclear energy option is off the table. Earlier, the Mineral Resource and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe said nuclear power is needed as part of the green transition and to combat the country’s energy crisis. [SABC News]
¶ “Russian Occupiers Want To Turn Off Cooling Of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant During Search For Weapons” • According to the Ukrainian nuclear operator, Russian invaders are planning to drain the cooling pools at the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant while they search for weapons belonging to workers. This would create a nuclear danger. [Yahoo]
¶ “Life inside the Dutch earthquake zone” • Gas extraction in the Dutch state of Groningen has caused over 1,000 earthquakes since Exxon Mobil and Shell began government-approved drilling there in 1963. In the village of Overschild, 80% of the buildings need to be completely demolished as they have been deemed too unsafe to occupy. [BBC]
¶ “Supreme Court Limits Biden’s Power To Cut Emissions” • The Supreme Court ruled that the EPA does not have the authority to limit pollution across whole states. The court hasn’t completely prevented the EPA from making such regulations in the future, but it says that the Congress would have to say clearly that it authorizes the power. [BBC]
¶ “EU Takes Historic Decision – Ending Sale Of Polluting Cars By 2035” • EU governments agreed to end sales of polluting cars and vans by 2035, making the switch to zero-emissions vehicles a foregone conclusion. They agreed that manufacturers should not receive credits towards their CO₂ targets for new cars powered by e-fuels, though that could change. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Renewable Power Costs Rise, Just Not As Much As Fossil Fuels” • The costs of renewable plants are rising after years of declines, according to a BloombergNEF report. But costs for natural gas and coal-fired plants are rising even faster. New onshore wind and solar projects cost about 40% less than new coal or gas plants, and the gap is widening. [Engineering News]
¶ “Wind Developers Plan To Add 6 GW Of US Offshore Wind Capacity Through 2029” • Power plant developers and operators have reported plans to install more than 6 GW of offshore wind capacity at sites mostly along the eastern seaboard over the next seven years, according to the DOE’s latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory report. [CleanTechnica]
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