Energy

• [New] The windiest and sunniest places on earth are often far from cities, so we will need new ways to transmit wind and solar power without high power losses.
• [New] Gas will still be widely used in power generation in 2060, as a rapid and flexible balancer between sources like nuclear and wind or solar, and will be a central element of national power management.
• [New] Renewable energy is growing so fast that it will supply all growth in annual power consumption globally by 2028 or earlier, which means that fossil fuel consumption is likely to fall year on year from peak consumption in that year.
• [New] Biden's once-in-a-generation effort to tackle climate change and create jobs could kill jobs, too, specifically the steady, fixed-location work provided by coal mines and power plants.
• [New] Electrifying the vast majority of America's residences and commercial spaces by 2050 could reduce net greenhouse gas emissions from the residential and commercial sectors by about 306 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2050.
• [New] In a race to tackle climate change, dozens of the world's biggest economies have adopted targets for net zero emissions by 2050 and are cutting fossil fuels and boosting clean energies.
• [New] Sea level could rise by about half a meter by 2100 even if greenhouse gas emissions are sharply reduced or rise up to 1 meter if greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase strongly.
• [New] Labor groups are already growing nervous that Biden's plan will eliminate the kind of steady, fixed-location jobs provided by coal mines or fossil fuel power plants, and instead will lead to temporary construction jobs that require mobility.
• [New] Carbon emissions from Chinese bitcoin mines are accelerating rapidly and will soon exceed energy consumption levels of Italy and Saudi Arabia if urgent action is not taken.
• [New] Growth in U.S. natural gas production remains subdued, with limited growth even for associated natural gas, based on what we expect to be a slow recovery in oil production volumes in 2021.
• [New] A unit of Occidental Petroleum Corp. is partnering in a pilot project that could produce 1 metric tons / month of ethylene using human-made carbon dioxide (CO2) instead of hydrocarbon feedstocks like natural gas and oil.
• [New] The Climate Action Bill approved by government commits Ireland to halving greenhouse gas emissions by the end of the decade and achieving net-zero by 2050.
• [New] Targets under discussion for the U.S. pledge include a range of 48% to 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2030.
• [New] Between 2021 and 2030, new offshore capacity in the US is expected to average 4.5GW per year and will comprise 40% of annual wind turbine build.
• [New] If Romania is to make its contribution to the EU's target of 32% renewable energy production and a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, it needs to establish a cohesive legislative framework that will speed up the development of a sustainable renewables industry.
• [New] Small nuclear batteries power the Voyager spacecraft - still running after more than four decades - and larger-scale nuclear powerplants could one day provide energy to lunar astronauts.
• [New] Volvo will start manufacturing the first concept vehicles and machines with steel from SSAB using hydrogen already in 2021.
• [New] Volvo plans in 2021 to start the production of concept vehicles and components from steel made by SSAB using hydrogen.
• [New] Innovative Financial Initiatives for Africa will help close adaptation finance gaps, enhance access to existing finance and mobilize new public and private sector investment.

Last updated: 11 April 2021