April 4 NEC Energy News
¶ “EPA Grants California Electric Heavy Trucks Waiver” • For decades, California has had stricter standards on emissions, but only for passenger cars and light trucks. Cement mixers, tractor trailers, and garbage trucks, and other heavy trucks sold in the state only had to meet federal guidelines. Now the California Air Resources Board may regulate them also. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “DOE’s Nuclear Growth Proposal ‘Untethered to Reality’” • The US DOE is once again promoting large-scale reactors after it had spent a decade advancing smaller models. It boldly declared in a report last month that the domestic nuclear industry has the potential to scale up to about 300 GW by 2050. This is beyond absurd – it’s irresponsible. [Energy Intelligence]
¶ “Researchers In Australia Find A New Reason To Recycle Solar Panels” • Dr Mokhlesur Rahman, a lead researcher at the Deakin Institute of Frontier Materials, and his team of co-workers say they have developed a sustainable way to reclaim silicon from old solar panels, purify it, and reconfigure it to to use in better batteries. It is highly lucrative. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “From Nearly No Snow To A Potentially Record-Breaking Pile-Up In California” • After a remarkable series of winter storms, California water officials reported in their April snow survey the Sierra snowpack is among the largest on record, dating back to the 1950s. Last year, the snow depth in early April 2 was just 2.5 inches. This year it’s 126.5 inches. [CNN]
¶ “Climate Change: Catalonia In Grip Of Worst Drought In Decades” • In the Sau reservoir of Spain, teams in small boats are hard at work hauling out fish with nets. The idea is to remove them before they die and rot in the water, making it unusable for human consumption. The water level has dropped to below 10% of the reservoir’s capacity. [BBC]
¶ “UN Asks International Court Of Justice For Advisory Opinion On Climate Change” • The UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States in respect to climate change, with most speakers hailing the move as a milestone for climate justice. [CleanTechnica]
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