Power Surge 12.2

Volume 12 Issue 2
November 8, 2021 – November 14, 2021
Zihan Lin ‘23 | Joe Kawalec ‘21 | Riti Bhandarkar ‘23 | Wilder Crosier '25 | Andrew Ji '25

World Leaders Vow to Cut Methane Emissions
November 2, 2021 | The Wall Street Journal | Timothy Puko and Katy Stech Ferek

In Glasgow, countries are teaming up to cut down on methane emissions, which trap far more heat than CO2. Over 100 countries have signed the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to cut 30% of emissions by 2030. President Biden announced an increase in US regulation of the oil and natural gas industry, which generates 30% of methane emissions, through EPA regulation of methane wells. The EPA will monitor leaks and intentional venting, and estimates a 74% reduction in emissions by 2030. - SJ

Countries pledge to quit coal - but the U.S., China and India are missing
November 4, 2021 | CNBC | Chloe Taylor

At COP26, twenty-eight new nations have joined the international alliance to phase out coal by the 2040s, including Poland, Ukraine, Vietnam, Chile, and Singapore, joining members such as the U.K., Germany, and New Zealand. However, the group still lacks the world’s largest polluters: China, India, and the U.S.. In order to achieve a net zero emissions world by 2050, however, new investments in coal plants must be stopped immediately, according to a May report from the IEA. “The end of coal is in sight,” said Alok Sharma, a U.K. lawmaker and the COP26 president. - AJ

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U.S. Air Force Base To Be First To Deploy New Nuclear ‘Microreactor’ - Soon Every Town Could Have One
November 1, 2021 | Forbes | James Conca

The Ellison Air Force Base near Fairbanks, Alaska has been chosen to receive the branch’s first nuclear microreactor. Currently the base gets its energy from its own coal-fired power plant which burns 800 tons of coal per day. The new reactor, which is set to be operational by 2027, will supply roughly a third of the base's energy needs. The military is interested in microreactors because they are sources of clean energy and can provide power to remote bases without relying on the grid, which can undergo outages and attacks. In addition to this project, the US Department of Defense is working on Project Pele, which plans to create mobile nuclear reactors. The US military has been concerned with climate change for a long time, and their moves to accelerate the world into the nuclear age are promising for the future of sustainable energy production. –WC

Power Surge 12.1

Volume 12 Issue 1
November 1, 2021 – November 7, 2021
Zihan Lin ‘23 | Joe Kawalec ‘21 | Riti Bhandarkar ‘23 | Wilder Crosier '25 | Andrew Ji '25

UN Finds Nations’ Plans Fall Short of Paris Accord
October 26, 2021 | The Wall Street Journal | Matthew Dalton

A UN report showed that the pledges made by countries in the Paris climate agreement are insufficient, as they would only limit warming to 2.7 degrees by the end of the 21st century. Ahead of the upcoming COP26 summit, the US has been unable to pass policies through Congress, and China’s net-zero timetable extends all the way to 2060. The US has criticized China and developing countries like India, but these nations have in turn criticized the US’s high per capita emissions and past administrations’ inconsistent messaging surrounding climate change. -SJ

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China to cut fossil fuel use to below 20% by 2060
October 24, 2021 | Guardian Energy | Agence France-Presse

During the pandemic, dozens of coal-fired power plants were planned by China to boost its economic recovery. According to its most recent official plan, China is heading towards a more sustainable future by planning on reducing fossil fuel use to below 20% by 2060, with emissions peaking by 2030. For a country that builds 60% of its economy on fossil fuels, the plan faces many obstacles. China addressed many of the challenges in its guidelines, including reaching a fossil fuel contribution of 25% of the country’s total energy when emission peaks. Many fear that the rapid change can hurt the economy. But President Xi Jinping emphasizes that the process will be under strict and reasonable control.  - ZL

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Doping solar cells to improve performance
October 18, 2021 | Advanced Science News | Lucie Bradley

Over the past hundred and fifty years, solar cell technologies have seen drastic improvements in efficiency and reductions in costs. One type of solar cell made from the crystalline solid perovskite has gained much popularity today thanks to its low cost of manufacturing. Although their energy efficiency rivals most modern solar cell technologies, perovskite cells are unfortunately quite unstable and therefore have short lives. However, new research led by professor Wallace C. H. Choy of the University of Hong Kong finds certain additives can improve the lifespan of perokostike solar cells. In a recentarticle published in Advanced Functional Materials, Choy and colleagues showed how the addition of the chemical 2-(dimethylamino) ethyl methacrylate greatly improves the stability of these cells, opening doors for their ability to be commercialized. –WC

Burundi's first solar plant increases generation capacity by 10%
October 26, 2021 | The Jerusalem Post | Eytan Halon

This week, Burundi’s first-ever solar farm came online, boosting the nation’s total generation capacity by 10%. The solar plant, built in collaboration with the renewable energy developers Gigawatt Global and supported by UK government funding, is now powering tens of thousands of homes with clean renewable energy. Completion of the project marks a major milestone in Burundi’s energy infrastructure — it is the largest major private investment in three decades in the nation’s energy industry, and represents a significant milestone in international public and private cooperation ahead of COP26. Gigawatt Global is also working on a solar-powered community center as well as eight other renewable energy projects around the world. - AJ