February 13 NEC Energy News
¶ “No Coal, Gas Or Nuclear: Greens Cut Deals To “Dutton-Proof” Labor’s Flagship Renewable Policies” • The Australian Greens have had a busy week “Dutton-proofing” the federal Labor’s flagship renewable energy policies to prevent them being used to support coal, gas, or nuclear power in the event of a Coalition election victory this year. [RenewEconomy]
¶ “Nuclear Plants Could Use Three Times More Water Than Current Coal Plants” • A 2018 Australian National University study found that only hydropower consumes more water than nuclear. The Coalition’s promised nuclear plants could consume three times as much water as existing coal sites. Where could that water come from? [MSN]
¶ “New Coal Power Plant Projects In China Hit The Highest Level In Nearly Ten Years, Report Says” • China’s power industry began construction on nearly 100 GW of new coal plant capacity last year, the most in nearly a decade, a report from two clean-energy groups said. They are concerned about China’s ability to meet its carbon reduction goals. [ABC News]
¶ “Charybdis Begins Sea Trials” • The first US-made offshore wind turbine installation vessel has begun sea trials, and is to be ready for this year’s construction schedule. Dominion Energy’s Charybdis began sea trials this month off of Brownsville, Texas. It is contracted to Dominion Energy’s 2.6-GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind array. [reNews]
¶ “Lucid And BMW Execs Claim Efficiency More Important Than Range For Electric Cars” • Peter Rawlinson, CEO of Lucid, and Frank Weber, the head of development at BMW, agree on a smaller battery with efficiency. “Then we can make a battery pack for about $2,500 – maybe $2,000 – instead of $20,000 or $25,000 today,” Rawlings said. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Australia’s Residential Battery Installations Rise 30% In 2024” • Residential battery installations have grown 30% in Australia since 2023, according to the CEC Momentum Monitor. Its latest figures show that 121,551 household battery systems have been installed in Australia, a figure that includes the 28,262 units put in over 2024. [pv magazine International]
¶ “The Great Disappearing Data Center Demand Crisis” • A Duke University research team has developed “curtailment-enabled headroom,” a more accessible and potentially less expensive way to address data centers’ energy demands. It’s one of a growing list of solutions to the data center demand crisis, which turns out to be not much of a crisis after all. [CleanTechnica]
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