Bases get ‘electric facelift’ as Marines deploy smart grids, electric vehicles

Good News Notes: “Marine installations from West Coast air stations to deep South depots are getting an electric facelift as the Corps ramps up its electric vehicle fleetand base “smart grids” for powering the force at home stations. Following new executive orders to reducecarbon fuel use that would also make for resilient, blackout-proof power grids, the Corps is…

Believe or not, this new vegan meat is made from air

Good News Notes: “Air Protein is an entirely unique approach to making meat substitutes. It literally turns air into protein, without methane gas release and other harmful effects from agriculture. Meat substitutes offer a plethora of benefits to the environmentas a food source without deforestation, factory farming or carbon emissions. According to their website, Air Protein is…

Solar generation up 36% in the first two months of 2022

Good News Notes: “The solar PV train has left the station with strong momentum in 2022, showing 36% year-over-year growth through February when compared to the first two months of 2021. This marks significant growth despite a year of challenges for the industry. This figure includes both large-scale and small-scale generation, as reported by the Energy Information…

Vermont brewery installs the largest solar canopy in the state

Good News Notes: “Lawson’s Finest Liquids announced the completion of what it says is the largest solar canopy in the state of Vermont. The Waitsfield Brewery and Taproom was generating about 10% of the electricity to run its operation, but with the addition of 215 kW from 495 solar modules, it expects that 60% of…

California grid set record of 97% renewable power on April 3

Good News Notes: “In another sign of progress toward a carbon-free power grid, the California Independent System Operator (ISO) set a new record on April 3, when 97.6% of electricity on the grid came from clean, renewable energy. The peak, which occurred briefly at 3:39 p.m., broke the previous record of 96.4% set on March…

250MW solar project planned for former West Virginia coal mine

Good News Notes: “SEVA WV has gained approval to build a solar project on the site of a former coal mine, the likes of which West Virginia has never before seen. Not only is the Sun Park installation set to be the largest solar project in the state, its 250MW of capacity multiplies the state’s…

How a biofuel crop can mitigate climate change

Good News Notes: “Newly published Michigan State University research details how switchgrass, a biofuel crop, can mitigate effects of climate change when grown on marginal land—agricultural land of little value. For farmers, it may also provide economic returns in these otherwise unproductive spaces. The research was published in Environmental Research Letters. The team was led by…

Texas has enough solar and wind planned to permanently shut down coal

Good News Notes: “ A research team at Rice University is modeling least-cost paths to a renewable energy future for Texas, a state that burns more coal and emits more sulfur dioxide than any other. The myriad of health and climate-related harms caused by coal do not need to persist any longer, according to the researchers. The…

Small City Sets Example for Floating Solar, Empowered by NREL Data Set

Good News Notes: “Two city employees of Cohoes, New York, were brainstorming how to power the city’s municipal buildings with renewable energy, but few options made sense. Cohoes does not have acres of unused land for solar panels, and the slate-topped buildings cannot hold rooftop solar. Moreover, with its high amount of low- and moderate-income…