Volume 8, Issue 8
December 2, 2019 – December 8, 2019
Neha Chauhan '21 | Sabrina Reguyal ‘22 | Joe Kawalec '21 | Rei Zhang ‘21 | Amy Amatya '21 | Patrick Huang ‘21
Trump Energy Pick Faces Questions on Coal, Nuclear Power
November 14, 2019 | Reuters | Timothy Gardner
Dan Brouillette, President Donald Trump’s pick to replace Rick Perry as the U.S. Secretary of Energy, was questioned on energy greenhouse gas emissions and nuclear power during his U.S. Senate confirmation hearing on Thursday, November 14. Perry is alleged to be involved in the controversial Ukrainian foreign policy that is the heart of the Trump impeachment probe. During the confirmation hearing, senators from both parties treated Brouillette warmly. Brouillette is a former lobbyist at Ford Motor Co and Louisiana state energy regulator. During his hearing, he stated that he would further Trump’s “energy dominance” strategy of increasing U.S. output of oil and natural gas, while also supporting research on carbon capture and advanced nuclear power plants. He emphasized that fossil fuels would support a significant share of global energy needs for the next 40-50 years, and that there is a need to further technologies that would curb climate change. -SR
Like Restaurants, Buildings Will Get Grades (D’s for Energy Guzzlers)
November 21, 2019 | New York Times | Jane Margolies
Starting next year, all mid- to large-sized buildings in New York City will be required to post energy grades given to them by the city, reminiscent of health inspection grades posted on restaurant windows. The new system was signed into law last year with the aim of reducing buildings’ greenhouse gas emissions, which account for ⅔ of the entire city’s emissions. In addition to annual inspections, the new program will require buildings to report their energy use trends and conspicuously display their earned letter grades, which some hope will encourage a shift toward environmentally-conscience operations. Though the grades are only a small step in a modest subset of the population, they will hopefully pave the way for stricter regulations and fines. -AA
One of the largest coal-fired power plants in the Western US has just closed for good
November 19, 2019 | CNBC | Pippa Stevens
The Navajo Generating Station closed its doors for good on Monday after being in operation for almost 50 years, a sign of the times as consumers shift to cheaper and cleaner power sources. This plant closure is one of 540 coal-fired plants that have closed since 2010, with eight coal companies filing for bankruptcy just this year. The owners of the plant determined that it was uneconomical to continue operating, a “difficult but necessary” decision that was exacerbated by the “changing economics of the energy industry.” With the demand for coal falling to its lowest level in 40 years last year and renewable energy sources providing more of the U.S.’ electricity than coal in April, the casualties of the coal industry are piling up. -JK
A new solar heat technology could help solve one of the trickiest climate problems
November 20, 2019 | Vox | David Roberts
Heliogen, a solar power company, has come out of left field with a new way to use the sun’s rays to produce sustained high temperatures. They have developed a new way of concentrating solar power (CSP), which uses hundreds of mirrors to reflect sunlight onto a water tower, heating water to power a steam turbine. Heliogen has improved on CSP by relying on increased innovations in computing power to prevent miscalibration of mirrors and ensure that all the mirrors are precisely aligned onto the central tower. This new method of CSP can produce temperatures up to 1000 °C, whereas previously, conventional methods of CSP could only reach 560 °C. Heliogen is hopeful that they will eventually be able to produce temperatures of 1500 °C, which is in the range needed for common industrial processes like concrete and steel production. Reaching 1500 °C would enable the production of carbon-free industrial heat, and possibly direct fuel generation, a step towards carbon neutral power. -RZ
California to Stop Buying From Automakers That Backed Trump on Emissions
November 18, 2019 | New York Times | Coral Davenport
California’s government has said that it will no longer purchase vehicles from automakers such as General Motors, Toyota, Fiat Chrysler, and others for its state agencies. This ban is in response to these companies’ support for the Trump administration, which is lowering previously set vehicle pollution standards set and taking away California’s ability to set its own standards. The 2,000 to 3,000 new vehicles that California’s state agencies purchase each year will now be solely from Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW. In the same statement, California’s government also established that the state may only purchase sedans that are electric or hybrid vehicles. Governor Gavin Newsom is hoping to leverage California’s buying power to push for lower carbon emissions, even if the federal government and some automakers are in opposition. -PH