[GWSG] Fast trains; 1.35 cents/kWh; 90% clean by 2035; 100% in April; ion drive planes; CH4 industry melting; seaweed salvation

[Tilley, Al]

1. Amtrak has ordered 28 Alstom high-speed electric trains. The initial systems due next year will serve cities in the Northeast. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/in-crisis-amtrak-is-focused-on-testing-and-training-for-new-trains-to-debut-in-2021/2020/06/06/d40556cc-a427-11ea-b473-04905b1af82b_story.html

Alstom, a French company, has a goal of providing carbon neutral transportation. https://digital.hbs.edu/platform-rctom/submission/climate-change-an-opportunity-for-high-speed-train-manufacturers/



2. The winning bid for a new 2GW solar installation in Abu Dhabi is a record-setting 1.35 cents per kilowatt hour. https://cleantechnica.com/2020/06/08/1-35-cents-kwh-record-abu-dhabi-solar-bid-is-a-sober-reminder-to-upbeat-fossil-fuel-pundits/



3. Lower renewable energy costs mean that 90% clean energy on the US power grid by 2035 is not only feasible but cheaper than the current mix. The UC Berkeley study includes 10% methane power and supplies electricity that is 13% cheaper than at present. (Why not use the savings for storage so that we can close the gas plants?)

“The analysis does not examine demand response or controllable load; such technologies could result in less gas burn for peak capacity and, potentially, cheaper approaches to balancing the grid.

“Similarly, a raft of zero-carbon firm resources in the early stages of commercialization (small modular nuclear, hydrogen-powered turbines, long-duration storage) could make the goal even easier to reach, but the analysis makes things work with tools on the market today.”  A favorable set of government policies would be key to achieving the transition.

https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/90-clean-grid-by-2035-is-not-just-feasible-but-cheaper-study-says?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Daily&utm_campaign=GTMDaily



4. In April all new US power came from renewables. BP, Chevron, and Shell are reducing their work forces.  https://cleantechnica.com/2020/06/09/renewables-provide-all-new-us-electricity-capacity-in-april-oil-companies-shedding-jobs-but-investment-community-remains-oblivious/



5. Ion drives using plasma for power are usually for spacecraft. Chinese engineers have designed an ion drive to provide jet power for aircraft by superheating air. The ion drive runs by electricity and has passed initial testing, though it is far from practical application in airplanes. https://climatenewsnetwork.net/carbon-neutral-aircraft-might-work-with-ion-drive/



6. The International Energy Agency reports that the methane industry is in “meltdown” as demand drops and oversupply increases. https://reneweconomy.com.au/iea-global-gas-market-in-meltdown-as-demand-and-prices-smashed-by-covid-19-91980/



7. If the idea of regenerative ocean farming to grow kelp and shellfish is new to you, try this 4 minute video. https://climatecrocks.com/2020/06/10/ayana-elizabeth-johnson-undersea-farms-vs-climate-change/  The next step might be to read Tim Flannery’s Sunlight and Seaweed (2017). While deep water kelp permaculture has proved to provide challenges, it also has the potential to sequester carbon at the necessary scale and at low cost, and to address ocean acidification. If it were a money-making proposition we would be doing it enthusiastically; as it is, it only promises to save the planet. Here’s a 15 minute TED talk Flannery gave last year on the topic. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuvxXnQrRv8

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