January 23 NEC Energy News
¶ “Foreign Ministers Of Iran And Russia Discuss New Nuclear Plant Construction” • Russian and Iranian officials met to discuss the construction of new nuclear plants in Iran, Tehran’s foreign minister said. He said Moscow and Tehran would instate a period of “excellent cooperation”, according to a report published by the Anadolu news agency. [The New Arab]
¶ “Japan’s Tepco Hit By Setback In Clean-Up Of Crippled Fukushima Nuclear Plant” • TEPCO has found that a coolant solution, which is used to create an ice wall halting the seepage of groundwater into Fukushima reactor buildings, leaked from two storage tanks. The leaks underscore the unpredictable challenges in the clean-up of the site. [Devdiscourse]
¶ “No New Oil And Gas Leasing! Hearing On Climate And Offshore Drilling” • In a House Committee hearing, committee members focused on the connection between offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and US climate goals. This much is clear: continuing offshore oil and gas leasing as usual will not help us meet our climate goals. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “How Coronavirus Lockdowns May Have Led To Less Lightning In 2020” • Global lightning activity decreased nearly 8% in 2020 amid lockdowns triggered by the pandemic. Scientists who worked on the study discovered a potential cause for this drop in lightning activity: a decrease in atmospheric aerosols, tiny particles of air pollution. [CNN]
¶ “‘Surreal’ January Wildfire Shuts California Highway” • An unseasonal wildfire is raging on California’s Big Sur Pacific coast, forcing evacuations and closing Highway 1, US officials say. The National Weather Service reported a “surreal fire behaviour given the wet Oct and Dec.” It is called the Colorado Fire, and it has burned about 1,500 acres (607 ha). [BBC]
¶ “Plugin Electric Vehicles Get 21% Share Of Auto Market In Another Record Month In China” • Plugin vehicles in China once again ended the year with a record month, growing by 125% year over year in December to 502,000 units. Battery EVs were responsible for 83% of the plugin market in the month, slightly above the year’s 81% average. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “EU Climate Chief Wants Renewables To Stop Making Putin ‘Rich'” • European Union climate chief Frans Timmermans called on member states to increase investment in renewable energy and eventually wean the continent off Russian gas. The threat of a Ukrainian invasion is also giving rise to fears that gas prices could spiral even higher. [Financial Post]
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