Energy Efficiency, Microgrids, Commercial, Solar, Sourcing Renewables, Wind  -  February 1, 2020

Weekend reads: Fossil fuels are done; Microsoft's efficiency roadblock

It's the weekend! Kick back and catch up with these must-read articles from around the web.

Jim Cramer on CNBC: ‘I’m done with fossil fuels. They’re done’ (Electrek)  Jim Cramer, the host of CNBC’s Mad Money, cofounder of The Street, and former stockbroker and hedge fund manager, declared fossil fuels dead after oil giants Exxon Mobil and Chevron reported Q4 earnings this morning. When asked about Exxon’s and Chevron’s stocks, which are dragging down the Dow today, on Squawk Box, Cramer gave a damning prognosis to a surprised Rebecca Quick: I’m done with fossil fuels. They’re done. They’re just done. We’re starting to see divestment all over the world. We’re starting to see companies just regard them as, I mean big pension funds saying, listen, we’re not gonna own them anymore. It doesn’t matter how good they are. 

Chicago shines in a new global study of cities’ resiliency and clean energy plans. But can it keep its promises? (Energy News Network) Chicago got high marks among global cities for incorporating renewable energy, energy efficiency and an equity lens into its resiliency planning in a study released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, or ACEEE. Chicago’s resiliency plan, released under former Mayor Rahm Emanuel, is indeed ambitious, with a major focus on energy — including distributed solar, energy efficiency, vehicle electrification, and making sure the most vulnerable and marginalized communities benefit from these improvements. But will the city live up to its promises? 

How the Xbox stands between Microsoft and its climate goals (Grist) By 2030, Microsoft has pledged to become “carbon negative” — meaning it will remove more carbon from the air than it emits. To do so, the U.S. tech giant announced this month that it will slash annual emissions not only from its offices, factories, and data centers but also from the living rooms and basement dens where people use its products. That means tackling the outsized impact of a relatively small device: the Xbox.

Will The First Test Case For Renewable Energy Come From A Small Hawaiian Island? (Forbes) Oracle founder and billionaire Larry Ellison already owns about 98% of Lanai, a small Hawaiian island with approximately 3,000 residents nine miles from and politically part of Maui. Two weeks ago, the island announced that it had entered into discussions with Hawaiian Electric Co., a company owned by Mr. Ellison, to sell to his company the island’s power plant and energy grid. 

Colorado hopes to make cannabis industry more eco-friendly by recycling breweries’ carbon dioxide (The Denver Post) In an effort to make Colorado’s cannabis industry more eco-friendly, the state’s health department and energy office launched two new pilot programs Wednesday focused on reducing carbon emissions and improving energy efficiency at local cultivations. Both programs support Gov. Jared Polis’ mission to cut greenhouse gasses 50% by 2030. For the first program, the Carbon Dioxide Reuse Project, the Denver Beer Co. is partnering with the Clinic dispensary to recycle carbon emissions.

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