Volume 10, Issue 6
October 26, 2020 – November 1, 2020
Neha Chauhan '21 | Sabrina Reguyal ‘22 | Joe Kawalec '21 | Rei Zhang ‘21 | Amy Amatya '21 | Zihan Lin ‘23 | Marie Li ‘23 | Riti Bhandarkar ‘23 | Casey Conrad ‘21 | Christopher Ferrigine ‘21
Geothermal energy is poised for a big breakout
October 21, 2020 | Vox | David Roberts
The former chief operations officer at Halliburton, one of the world’s largest oil field corporations, said earlier this year that “geothermal is no longer a niche play.” Despite being overshadowed by more prevalent energy systems in the past, geothermal energy has the potential to become a major player in clean energy and a renewable alternative for the oil and gas industry. Generally, geothermal energy describes the process of taking heat from deep under the earth’s surface and redirecting it as direct heat or electricity (or both) for communities. This article is a comprehensive introduction to the topic, including descriptions of four basic types of geothermal energy technologies and the field’s promise for the future. -JK
Aggressive push to 100% renewable energy could save Americans billions – study
October 22, 2020 | The Guardian | Oliver Milman
According to a new study by Rewiring America, switching to 100 percent renewable energy could save America up to $321 billion, or $2500 a household, in energy costs per year. This energy policy organization found that the majority of savings came from alleviating costs that come with fuel extraction and delivery to homes, signaling that a switch to renewable, clean energy could benefit American households. This report comes during a political election cycle that features diametrically opposing energy plans from the two candidates; Biden supports a complete transition to renewable energy like the one outlined in Rewiring America’s report by 2050, whereas Trump has criticized such a plan as costly and unfeasible. -RZ
Photograph: Daniel Leal-Olivas/PA
Environmentalists and Dam Operators, at War for Years, Start Making Peace
October 13, 2020 | New York Times | Brad Plumer
The 50-year long tension between the hydroelectric dam industry and environmental groups has been disrupted by a joint statement recently released by groups including the World Wildlife Fund, the Hydropower Foundation, and the Union of Concerned Scientists. The statement, a product of two years of collaboration, lays out the intent of both parties to increase energy output from hydropower, retrofit existing dams to be more ecologically safe, and phase out vestigial dams. Since their inception, dams have received pushback from conservation groups concerned about proven ecological devastation: the statement, then, signals the necessity of new orders in the face of a climate-changed world. -AA
Oil Industry Turns to Mergers and Acquisitions to Survive
October 19, 2020 | New York Times | Clifford Krauss
The American oil industry is uncertain in its ability to recover in the face of the current catastrophic economic downturn and future government regulations around greenhouse gas emission. More than 100,000 workers in the field have lost their jobs and over 50 oil companies have together totaled debts of more than $50 billion. ConocoPhillips is taking a step up by buying other companies to reduce cost and expand operations. “The combination is remarkable,” said Robert Clarke, a vice president and oil analyst at Wooden Mackenzie, of ConocoPhillips’ acquisition of Concho Resources, a major oil producer. Yet, many experts are questioning whether a full recovery is possible as oil and stock prices remain unpromising. In many parts of the world where the pandemic persists, demands for oil and gas are expected to continue dropping in the upcoming future. Are fossil fuels going to retire from the global stage soon? -ZL
Image by Joel Angel Juarez for The New York Times
Volvo wins $21.7M in grants to deploy electric trucks in California
October 21, 2020 | Utility Dive | S. L. Fuller
Volvo Trucks North America is coming out with a fully-electric commercial truck, and they are slated to roll out a program introducing the new vehicles in Southern California from 2021 through 2022. Volvo is funding the program through grants from both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and South Coast Air Quality Management District, totaling $21.7 million. Southern California is a prime target for this program for two reasons: firstly, the California governor just announced an executive order to halt the sale of all new non-electric automobiles by 2035, and secondly, Los Angeles County has some of the highest ozone and particulate matter pollution in the world. With this rollout, a new milestone for the electric vehicle market will be reached within the next year. -CC