[GWSG] Oil prices & the energy transition; Virginia's new power plan; global emissions drop 2% in 2019

[Tilley, Al]

1. The effects of the oil glut on attempts to deal with the climate crisis are hard to pin down. It may weaken the oil industry and make room for renewables; it may lead petro-states to rethink their economic structure. I wonder if it might lower prices for electric vehicles to compete with cheaper fuel costs for gas burners. Generally, I intend to see the economic chaos as an opportunity to build new structures.  https://cleantechnica.com/2020/03/08/oil-prices-plunge-as-opec-countries-fail-to-reach-agreement/



2. Bloomberg Finance ponders the possible effects of the drop in oil prices, including the ways it might augment or hinder the energy transition. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-09/oil-crash-sends-new-shock-through-world-crippled-by-virus?cmpid=BBD030920_GREENDAILY&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=200309&utm_campaign=greendaily

I am going to go ahead an put this news list out, assuming that others are also watching the market gap and wondering about the impact on the green economy. I hope readers who run into clear thinking on the issue will send it on to us.



3. Virginia has adopted a plan to achieve renewable carbon-free power generation by 2045. https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/virginia-dominion-energy-bill/2020/03/06/4524cd20-5fc1-11ea-b29b-9db42f7803a7_story.html



4. Nearly all coal and oil plants run by Virginia’s largest two utilities are to be closed by 2024. Efficiency gains and new renewables power will replace them. Generation from wood pellets will cease in 2028. https://cleantechnica.com/2020/03/08/virginia-legislature-passes-sweeping-carbon-reduction-renewable-energy-plan/



5. Green Tech Media supplies further details on the Virginia plan, largely from the perspective of the utilities. https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/virginia-100-clean-energy-by-2050-mandate-law?utm_medium=email&utm_source=Daily&utm_campaign=GTMDaily



6.  A drop in coal power generation send emissions down by 2% in 2019. That is the right direction but short of the necessary drop. https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4012012/global-coal-decline-leads-fall-co2-emissions-power-sector-research-suggests?utm_campaign=Carbon%20Brief%20Daily%20Briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Revue%20newsletter

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.unf.edu/pipermail/gwsg/attachments/20200309/1329ab64/attachment.html>