October 8 NEC Energy News
¶ “Is Restarting Three Mile Island Really A Good Idea?” • From an emissions perspective, nuclear’s resurgence is a good thing: consuming nuclear fuel doesn’t create greenhouse gas emissions. But does a focus on nuclear power really make sense? Solar and wind power plants, with battery storage, are safe and cheaper to build and operate. [Fast Company]
¶ “On Army Bases, Nuclear Energy Can’t Add Resilience, Just Costs And Risks” • Sometimes, the US government offers a huge subsidy to an industry on grounds that make no sense to anyone with even basic knowledge of the subject. The Army’s Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations program to install small reactors on military bases is an example. [Breaking Defense]
¶ “Better Energy Signs First Finnish PPA” • Better Energy signed its first power purchase agreement in Finland, to build a solar park near Hanko. Faerch will offtake enough renewable energy to cover around 70% of its annual electricity use in the country. The solar park is expected to be connected to the grid in 2026 and generate 38 GWh annually. [reNews]
¶ “Global Floating Wind Pipeline Hits 266 GW” • The global floating offshore wind project pipeline grew by 9% over the last 12 months to 266 GW, according to a RenewableUK report. A year ago, the pipeline stood at 244 GW, and it expanded by 22 GW in the past year. The number of projects increased globally during that time from 285 to 316. [reNews]
¶ “Toyota Puts Nearly $1 Billion Into Electric Aviation Startup” • Toyota, still the largest automaker in the world, has announced that it is going to “invest an additional $500 million to support the certification and commercial production of Joby’s electric air taxi, with the aim of realizing the two companies’ shared vision of air mobility.” [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Salmon Swim Freely In The Klamath River For First Time In A Century After Dams Removed” • For the first time in over a century, just days after the largest dam removal project in US history was completed, salmon are swimming freely along the Klamath River and its tributaries. The river is a major watershed near the California-Oregon border. [ABC News]
¶ “Home Insurers Argue For A 42% Average Rate Hike In North Carolina” • With many western North Carolina residents still lacking power and running water from Hurricane Helene, a hearing began on the insurance industry’s request to raise homeowner premium rates by more than 42% on average, with variations depending on location. [ABC News]
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