Qatar’s largest solar project to begin construction in 2017
A joint venture between Qatar Electricity and Water Company (QEWC) and Qatar Petroleum will begin construction on a 200 megawatt (MW) solar project this year.
Climate crisis
Northern Ireland reaches 1 GW of renewables
According to NIE, which owns the power transmission and distribution network, the 1 GW milestone was reached back in December 2016, with renewables now generating over 25 per cent of Northern Ireland’s total electricity consumption.
Philippines unanimously votes to ratify Paris Agreement
The Philippines Senate has voted unanimously to ratify the Paris Agreement on climate change, four months earlier than previously expected.
San Francisco moves to divest $1.2B from companies financing Dakota Access Pipeline
The board approved a resolution introduced by Supervisor Sandra Lee Fewer urging City Treasurer Jose Cisneros to add the Dakota Access Pipeline to the list of screening factors he considers when making city investment decisions.
Barcelona to ban old polluting cars in 2019
Barcelona will begin banning cars older than 20 years on weekdays in 2019 in a bid to curb the city’s air pollution problems.
Chile to build massive 450 MW solar thermal power plant
This week, the Chilean government gave the green light to development of SolarReserve’s 450 megawatt (MW) Tamarugal concentrated solar power project.
London’s black cabs go electric
Any motorized vehicle will have to meet strict exhaust emissions standards or pay a heavy surcharge to commute around the city center. Electric vehicles (EVs) are one way for drivers to stay compliant and move about freely on the city’s streets.
U.K. emissions fall to lowest level since 19th century
According to the Carbon Brief, CO2 emissions fell by 5.8 per cent in 2016, after coal use fell a record 52 per cent.
Wind overtakes hydro as renewable energy leader in the U.S.
According to new data released on Monday 6 March, installed wind capacity in the U.S. surpassed hydroelectric generating capacity, long the nation’s largest source of renewable energy, in 2016.
Lithium-ion battery inventor introduces new technology for fast-charging, noncombustible batteries
A team of engineers led by 94-year-old John Goodenough, professor in the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin and co-inventor of the lithium-ion battery, has developed the first all-solid-state battery cells that could lead to safer, faster-charging, longer-lasting rechargeable batteries for handheld mobile devices, electric cars and stationary energy storage.