Energy Efficiency, GHG Emissions, Regulation  -  May 13, 2023

Weekend Reads: Nuclear Power Soars, Next Level Zero Energy Design

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

US support for nuclear power soars to highest level in a decade (Grist) As the country looks to decarbonize, nuclear’s popularity continues to climb. A Gallup survey released in late April found that 55 percent of U.S. adults support the use of nuclear power. That’s up four percentage points from last year and reflects the highest level of public support for nuclear energy use in electricity since 2012. Additionally, the Biden administration has identified nuclear energy as a key climate solution to achieve grid stability in a net-zero future.

A California bill could help make EVs a blackout solution (Grist) Proponents of Senate Bill 233 say using electric vehicle batteries to power homes, buildings, and even the grid could provide energy resilience and bolster grid reliability. Such a solution is called vehicle-to-grid integration, in which EV owners could plug their cars into bidirectional charging stations at home and sell the power in its battery to utilities during peak demand, buttressing the grid and reducing their utility bills. 

Analysis Points To Massive Photovoltaic Deployment To Meet Decarbonization Target (CleanTechnica) An “unprecedented ramp-up of production capacity” over the next two decades is needed to provide enough solar power to completely decarbonize the global electrical system, but that goal can be achieved, according to an analysis led by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The target is 63.4 terawatts of installed nameplate capacity of photovoltaics (PV) needed in the decade between 2050 and 2060. 

Disrupting Climate Change: 13 Tech Innovators Helping to Save the Planet (Newsweek) The latest in a series of dire warnings about the dangers of climate change came this March when a prominent United Nations panel of experts flagged that the world is likely to pass a dangerous temperature threshold within the next 10 years. Where governments around the world are failing to act or at least act fast enough, individual innovators are stepping up. These disruptors are pushing the boundaries of technology in creative ways to find solutions to the climate crisis.

Solar Decathlon 2023 Winners Take Zero-Energy Design and Construction to Next Level (NREL) The 2023 winners of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Decathlon® are leading the clean energy revolution by designing and constructing better buildings. The annual collegiate competition challenges the next generation of building professionals to design and construct high-performance, low-carbon buildings powered by renewable energy, while promoting student innovation, STEM education, and workforce development opportunities in the buildings industry.

Read These Related Articles:

• Weekend Reads: COP29 on Energy Efficiency; Unscrambling Hydrogen
• Weekend Reads: Five Things to Know About COP29; Rethinking Gas Stations
• Weekend Reads: Where Climate Triumphed at the Polls; Iceland Goes to Space for Solar
• Weekend Reads: Candidates Avoid Clean Energy; Costco (Cautiously) Adds EV Charging
• Weekend Reads: The Carbon Offset Debate; New Powder Captures CO2

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