Interesting Ideas

Emissions from in-house data centers of Google, Microsoft, Meta and Apple may be 7.62 times higher than official tally

Big tech has made some big claims about greenhouse gas emissions in recent years. But as the rise of artificial intelligence creates ever bigger energy demands, it’s getting hard for the industry to hide the true costs of the data centers powering the tech revolution.

According to a Guardian analysis, from 2020 to 2022 the real emissions from the “in-house” or company-owned data centers of Google, Microsoft, Meta and Apple are likely about 662% – or 7.62 times – higher than officially reported.

Lease areas have potential to power over 4.5 million homes WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced it will hold an offshore wind energy lease sale on Oct. 29, 2024, for eight areas on the Outer Continental Shelf off Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. If fully developed, these areas ... [continued]

The post 1st Offshore Wind Lease Sale in Gulf of Maine to Power More than 4.5 Million Homes appeared first on CleanTechnica.

ISO New England outlined the "transition" proposal that will be submitted to FERC in the coming weeks. If allowed proceed, the MOPR would remain in effect for next year's capacity auction.

One thing that frosts my shorts is a press release from some renewable energy developer touting how many homes a new installation can power. The dirty little secret no one wants to talk about is that much of the new renewable energy coming online today will be used to power ... [continued]

The post Data Center Emissions Much Higher Than Reported appeared first on CleanTechnica.

South Fork Wind Farm is a 132 MW project to be located 19 miles southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island. The project is approved to install 12 or fewer wind turbines and will use Siemens-Gamesa’s 11 MW turbines. Kiewit Offshore Services will design and build the project’s substation.

Senators heard three hours of testimony from anti-wind sources and just one hour from proponents of renewable energy

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has received two applications for preliminary permits for a pumped storage project at Lake Elsinore in California.

The carbon intensity of corn ethanol supported by the U.S.'s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is likely at least 24% higher than gasoline, according to a

Rooftop solar storage and micro inverter company Yotta Energy is back at RE+ this year with a new version of its rooftop battery that much more elegantly provides storage and allows installers to use it as ballast for the system at the same time. When we talked to Yotta Energy ... [continued]

The post Yotta Energy’s New 1kWh Rooftop Battery Pulls Double Duty As Ballast appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Auxin Solar named more than a dozen companies in its petition to Commerce Department officials.

The utility's five-year capital plan totals $63 billion, 80% of which will support investments in grid modernization and zero or lower-carbon emitting generation.

Lake Charles has been battered by storms over the past 20 years – and now its most famous landmark lies in ruins

Last week, one south-west Louisiana city in particular was girding itself for Hurricane Francine’s blow: Lake Charles, located about four hours west of New Orleans and two hours east of Houston.

In the lottery of hurricane paths over the past 20 years, Lake Charles has been very, very unlucky. But Francine’s impact on the city turned out to be relatively minor, a summer storm like locals are used to.

Auxin Solar named more than a dozen companies in its petition to Commerce Department officials.

The carbon intensity of corn ethanol supported by the U.S.'s Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) is likely at least 24% higher than gasoline, according to a

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved plans to add around 25,500 MW of renewable energy resources and 15,000 MW of energy storage and demand response resources by 2032.  The decision also adopted a 35 million metric ton (MMT) electric sector greenhouse gas emission (GHG) planning target. That goal, also to be achieved by 2032, is tighter than an earlier 46 […]

Data shows leaders and laggards for total electric school buses and combined investments driving electric school bus conversion. Introduction Each year, more than 490,000 school buses shuttle children back and forth across the United States –to school, field trips, sporting events and more. As most of these buses burn diesel fuel, children and ... [continued]

The post State of Electric School Buses — 2024 Edition appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has received two applications for preliminary permits for a pumped storage project at Lake Elsinore in California.

Exclusive: Labour will also boost environmental efforts by reestablishing climate role cut by Rishi Sunak

The UK government is planning to appoint a special envoy for nature for the first time, as the foreign secretary, David Lammy, seeks to put the UK at the centre of global efforts to tackle the world’s ecological crises, the Guardian has learned.

Labour will also appoint a new climate envoy, after the Tories abolished the post over a year ago, a move that dismayed foreign governments and climate campaigners.

The utility's five-year capital plan totals $63 billion, 80% of which will support investments in grid modernization and zero or lower-carbon emitting generation.

For most of her life she’s lived without running water, electricity and a fridge. Her toilet is often clogged so she goes to the bathroom in the bush

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On the side of Alice Underwood’s house is a list of things she wants written in chalk. “Shower. Electricity” are at the top, in bright red. “Flowers. Berries” follow.

Alice is 32 years old. For most of her life she has lived without running water, electricity or even a fridge – but not by choice.

MISO's long implementation date for Order 2222 is another reason FERC should schedule a technical conference sooner than later.

U.S. solar industry added 9.4 GW of new installation capacity in Q2 2024, but challenges persist that hinder the market’s full potential. ANAHEIM, California and WASHINGTON, D.C. — Solar module manufacturing capacity in the United States now exceeds 31 gigawatts (GW) — a nearly four-fold increase since the Inflation Reduction ... [continued]

The post Report: U.S. Solar Panel Manufacturing Capacity Grows Nearly 4× Under New Federal Incentives appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved plans to add around 25,500 MW of renewable energy resources and 15,000 MW of energy storage and demand response resources by 2032.  The decision also adopted a 35 million metric ton (MMT) electric sector greenhouse gas emission (GHG) planning target. That goal, also to be achieved by 2032, is tighter than an earlier 46 […]

MISO's long implementation date for Order 2222 is another reason FERC should schedule a technical conference sooner than later.

As rich westerners fuel demand for the ancient fragrance, a lucrative race for the resin is killing the trees but leaving little of the trade’s profit for those gathering it

In a corner of Covent Garden, well-heeled Londoners and tourists browse the range of frankincense products sold by a leading cosmetics brand while they drink a complimentary rose and berry tea. Amid the aromatic resin sheathed under glass, shoppers can buy “age-defying” serums, creams and essences, and tablets to strengthen brittle nails and hair.

At one counter, a sales assistant is advising customers on how much of the essential oil to add to their nebuliser to make guests feel relaxed “without overwhelming them”. Another explains frankincense’s “hydrating and rejuvenating” properties, including its alleged ability to smooth out fine lines caused by smiling and squinting. In terms of popularity, she says, it now far outstrips lavender, tea tree and other botanicals.

South Fork Wind Farm is a 132 MW project to be located 19 miles southeast of Block Island, Rhode Island. The project is approved to install 12 or fewer wind turbines and will use Siemens-Gamesa’s 11 MW turbines. Kiewit Offshore Services will design and build the project’s substation.

Experts unsurprised at intensity of extreme weather but say damage wreaked shows how unprepared world is

• Europe floods – latest updates

Picturesque towns across central Europe are inundated by dirty flood water after heavy weekend rains turned tranquil streams into raging rivers that wreaked havoc on infrastructure.

The floods have killed at least 15 people and destroyed buildings from Austria to Romania. The destruction comes after devastating floods around the world last week when entire villages were submerged in Myanmar and nearly 300 prisoners escape a collapsed jail in Nigeria, where floods have affected more than 1 million people.

ISO New England outlined the "transition" proposal that will be submitted to FERC in the coming weeks. If allowed proceed, the MOPR would remain in effect for next year's capacity auction.

Locals called it a ‘miracle’ when the steel plant in JD Vance’s home town got $500m for an upgrade. But Trump’s running mate calls shifting the US to cleaner energy a ‘green scam’

A hulking steel plant in Middletown, Ohio, is the city’s economic heartbeat as well as a keystone origin story of JD Vance, the hometown senator now running to be Donald Trump’s vice-president.

Its future, however, may hinge upon $500m in funding from landmark climate legislation that Vance has called a “scam” and is a Trump target for demolition.

The sun’s energy is becoming a popular renewable source for everyday power. To meet increasing demand, thousands of acres of solar farms are expected to be developed over the next few decades. Co-locating arrays and agriculture on the same land — known as “agrivoltaics” — can create pollinator habitats in ... [continued]

The post With Some Careful Planning, Solar & Biodiversity Can Go Hand-In-Hand appeared first on CleanTechnica.

A new bill forcing local authorities to remove homeless animals from city streets has led to a furious backlash

Next to the network of the highways that crisscross Turkey, among the lush forests or mountain peaks that dot the country, large stray dogs are a common sight. Most are pale white Akbaş dogs or Kangal shepherds, with their distinctive dark muzzle, pale golden coat and large bodies designed to herd livestock, although on the streets of Istanbul they are more commonly found lazing outside coffee shops, rotund and docile from a lifetime of treats.

In cities at least, the stray dogs are popular enough to be seen as part of the architecture. One particularly large and sleepy example that dozes outside an ice-cream shop on Istanbul’s main shopping street has become a local celebrity nicknamed “The Boulder”, complete with a string of rave reviews left by delighted tourists. The dog is marked as an Istanbul tourist attraction on Google Maps, which features a recommendation to avoid petting him.

Birders and organized labor dominated a recent public comment period, while beach towns were mostly mum. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will now consider the input ahead of an anticipated auction this spring.

The hoiho, which means ‘noise shouter’, triumphed in a year free from the usual scandals surrounding the competition

One of the world’s rarest penguins has been crowned New Zealand’s bird of the year, in an unusually sedate year for the competition, free from the foreign interference and voting scandals of previous events.

The endangered yellow-eyed penguin, or hoiho, is the largest of New Zealand’s mainland penguin species and is distinctive for the pale yellow band of feathers linking the eyes.

Regular readers might think Californians have a lock on poorly thought-through ideas for ‘enhancing’ oceanic carbon uptake, but apparently Italy decided to throw a log on this fire. A startup is promoting the idea of digging up long-sequestered carbon dioxide in the form of limestone to make quicklime to make ... [continued]

The post Another Day, Another Nonsensical Oceanic Carbon Capture Non-Solution, This Time Italian appeared first on CleanTechnica.

The fully electric Volvo EX90 is perhaps the brand’s most important electric vehicle launch to date. It is being built in South Carolina, with shipments to customers expected to kick off in the 4th quarter of 2024. Volvo invited CleanTechnica out to The Resort at Pelican Hill in Newport Beach, ... [continued]

The post Volvo EX90 — First Drive appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Birders and organized labor dominated a recent public comment period, while beach towns were mostly mum. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will now consider the input ahead of an anticipated auction this spring.

Senators heard three hours of testimony from anti-wind sources and just one hour from proponents of renewable energy

Soaring sea temperatures have made the celebrated gastropod lethargic and infertile, so scientists are helping the threatened species to reproduce

Of the many novel initiatives dreamed up by scientists to protect threatened species from the ravages of record ocean temperatures, Florida’s new “speed dating for shellfish” programme might be about the most extraordinary.

Researchers are acting as matchmakers for the queen conch, a mollusc with iconic status in the Florida Keys, by removing them from the heat of their nearshore habitat and relocating them to deeper, cooler waters where a plethora of potential new partners awaits.

The first stop of my heat pump water heater tour across America was an incredible experience that allowed me to see every step of how my favorite technology is made. A lot of magic happens at the Bradford White factory, from metal sheets arriving on pallets to packaged cardboard boxes ... [continued]

The post Touring Bradford White’s Heat Pump Water Heater Factory Was a Dream Come True For This Efficiency Nerd appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Siemens and E.ON have signed a global framework agreement (GFA) to strengthen E.ON’s public charging network GFA comprises SICHARGE D high power chargers Backend access via Sifinity Control to maximize charger reliability and uptime for E.ON customers Siemens Smart Infrastructure and E.ON Drive Infrastructure are collaborating to bring smart and ... [continued]

The post Siemens Awarded Framework Agreement by E.ON to Supply Charging Systems to Decarbonize Road Transport Across Europe appeared first on CleanTechnica.