Morning Brief: Scientists at US automakers have known since the 60s that car emissions caused climate change

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Scientists at two of America’s biggest automakers knew as early as the 1960s that car emissions caused climate change, a monthslong investigation by E&E News has found. The discoveries by General Motors and Ford Motor Co. preceded decades of political lobbying by the two car giants that undermined global attempts to reduce emissions while stalling U.S. efforts to make vehicles cleaner. Researchers at both automakers found strong evidence in the 1960s and ’70s that human activity was warming the Earth. Source: E&E News

Four Community Choice Aggregators from the Bay Area and Central Coast of California are funding – in total, with state financial contributions – $65 million in infrastructure to support the rising number of EVs in the state. This funding will support thousands of new EV chargers, a significant and essential step toward meeting California emissions reductions goals and Gov. Gavin Newsom’s target of no new combustion engine passenger and light duty vehicle sales by 2035. San José Clean Energy, Silicon Valley Clean Energy, Peninsula Clean Energy, and Central Coast Community Energy are aiming for EV charging infrastructure that is available readily for users of all incomes throughout their communities.

Canadian Solar announced a supply contract to deliver and integrate a 75 MW/300 MWh lithium-ion battery storage project in California. The agreement on the Mustang solar plant is with Goldman Sachs Renewable Power. The energy storage system is a retrofit addition to the 100 MW Mustang solar plant in Kings County in California’s Central Valley. It was originally developed by Canadian Solar subsidiary Recurrent Energy. Source: Kallanish Energy

A U.S. DOE report concludes carbon capture at Colstrip coal plant ‘not financially attractive’: High operating and capital costs could make carbon capture, utilization and storage “not financially attractive” at a large coal plant visited by Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette this month, according to a DOE analysis recently made public. According to the report, which was conducted by DOE and Leonardo Technologies, capturing and compressing 63% of carbon dioxide from each of the Colstrip units to support advanced oil recovery would cost more than $1.3 billion. Annual operating costs at Colstrip could come in at about $108 million, the report said. Completed in May 2018 at the request of Gov. Steve Bullock (D), the analysis assessed strategies for reducing emissions and improving efficiencies at Colstrip, one of the largest and most polluting coal-fired power plants in the West.   Source: E&E News

Source: Kavya Balaraman of Utility Dive

 

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