Struggles + Victories for U.S. Energy Projects
Energy Terminal Weekly Newsletter
August 22nd, 2022 | Issue #20 | Subscribe here
Happy Monday!
Welcome to the ET weekly, a platform dedicated to building the next generation of energy leaders. In this week's issue we cover:
🐄 Manure -> Power ?
💨 Direct-air carbon capture
🔋 15 min EV charging?!
💥 Should this nuclear power plant be closed?
💌 Green energy incentives
🌟 Startup Spotlight: Exponent Energy
This Banglador based tech company boasts a way to charge EV's in 15 minutes. Exponent Energy hopes to achieve this through a combination of charging infrastructure and battery packs for commercial EV fleets.
⏰ Missed Episode 13?
Episodes released bimonthly, subscribe to stay updated!
📚 Reading List (8/15 - 8/22)
Cow 💩 powering cars? New energy incentives? U.S energy project slowdowns? Check out this week’s handpicked reading list to learn more about these groundbreaking energy topics 🔥
🎙️Podcasts:
The Energy Gang, Will Direct-Air Carbon Capture Be Viable?
Summary 📖 :
Carbon capture has long been criticized as too nascent, too expensive, and too distracting
Swiss company Climeworks officially launched a direct-air capture plant in Iceland, called Orca
New research shows just how drastically we need to slash fossil fuels to limit dangerous warming
Politico Energy, Why green energy incentives aren’t just for big utilities
anymore
Summary 📖 :
The Inflation Reduction Act has clean energy incentives, for the first time, for “entities that are exempt from federal taxes”
These entities can get direct government funding that is equivalent to the amount of money they would have received through tax credits
Entities include nonprofits, cities, public power utilities, schools, and rural electric co-ops
This may cause an increase in solar and battery power in locations where clean energy has yet to be fully utilized
Watt It Takes, Monolith Co-Founder and CEO Rob Hanson
Summary 📖 :
Monolith produces low-carbon hydrogen and other chemicals through methane pyrolysis, which creates hydrogen from natural gas
A huge part of their development has been funded by a $1 billion loan guarantee from the DOE’s Loan Programs Office, headed by Jigar Shah
The episode focuses on successes and failures and why picking shareholders and investors wisely is critical to company success
📰️ Articles:
Canary Media, Should California keep its last nuclear plant open?
Summary 📖 :
The Diablo Canyon nuclear plant provides 9% of California’s power (and 17% of its clean power)
With a scheduled shutdown in 2025, California is considering pumping in $1.4 billion of funding and waiving environmental restrictions to keep it’s Diablo Canyon nuclear plant running an extra 10 years until 2035
Proponents advocate for the benefits in grid stability and low-carbon energy produced by the plant, while the opposition cites high expenses that will detract from investment in other low-carbon energy sources
Forbes, Manure From California Dairy Farm Powers 17,000 Electric Vehicles
Summary 📖 :
Digesters on dairy farms allow the methane gas from cow manure to be converted into electricity via fuel cells
This electricity produced significantly lowers the carbon emissions of Bar 20 Dairy, the dairy farm being analyzed, and provide power for electric vehicles
Bar 20 Dairy is one of 40 similar digester projects that are currently active
The Wall Street Journal, Energy Projects Sought Across the U.S. Face Local Hurdles
Summary 📖 :
Building the infrastructure to meet rising energy needs has proven difficult due to requiring approval from several jurisdictions
Communities near projects, environmental groups, and others frequently object projects
A permitting bill faces resistance from Senate Republicans, who are skeptical that it will help the fossil-fuel industry
And head here to check out previous reading lists !
☄️ Thanks for reading this edition of ET weekly!
New episodes will be out soon, get excited. And, if you missed Episode 12 listen here!
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