Energy

Trump’s new running mate went from saying “we have a climate problem” in 2020 to being “skeptical of the idea that climate change is caused purely by man,” The New York Times reports. (Research shows greenhouse gas emissions from human activity are to blame.) Vance suddenly threw his support behind Trump, pushed to repeal EV tax credits and rollback pollution regulations.

The $599 Alternator Charger sits between the starter battery on your RV, van, or truck and the giant EcoFlow battery you use to power your work and play when off the grid. It charges at a rate of 1kWh for every 1.3 hours of driving and can also be used to maintain and jump start the starter battery if needed.

AI, EVs, and Joe Biden’s push for domestic manufacturing are putting more pressure on aging power grids. The nation also needs double the transmission capacity to meet Biden’s goal of 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity.

To get more transmission lines up, FERC just overhauled rules for new projects — including a mandate that grid operators start anticipating energy needs at least 20 years in advance.

More residents across the US are asking that question about carbon dioxide, The Washington Post reports, as technologies that capture CO2 from smokestacks become more popular with companies that want to claim they’re fighting climate change. All that captured carbon dioxide has to go somewhere, and concerns are growing about the safety of new CO2 pipelines and underground storage wells.

Instead of defacing clay tile roofs with standard blue or black solar panels, these 400W double-glass panels from Austria-based Sonnenkraft are available in terracota red, yet still claim a 20.02 percent conversion efficiency. 

I guess Tesla is still working out the kinks with its red roof solution promised back in 2016.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just launched its Energy Star NextGen Certified Homes and Apartments program. For decades, Energy Star has certified efficient products from kitchen appliances to washers, dryers, air conditioners, and heat pumps. Now, it’s also starting to certify homes and apartments that are at least 20 percent more efficient than typical builds.

Shell sold millions of carbon credits that were supposed to represent CO2 emissions captured in Canada. But only half of those credits were linked to real eductions in pollution, according to documents obtained by Greenpeace and shared with the Financial Times. It’s an explosive investigation into carbon capture tech fossil fuel companies are using to make sustainability claims that might not pass the smell test.

The move is supposed to save the average household at least $100 a year in lower utility bills. As new water heaters are shipped out over 30 years, energy savings from the tougher standards are also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 332 million metric tons. That’s like erasing the annual planet-heating pollution of nearly 43 million homes, the Department of Energy says. 

By simplifying the permitting process, the Biden administration hopes to speed the deployment of solar and wind farms and other energy projects crucial to meeting US climate goals. At the same time, the new rules are designed to make potential impacts on local communities (environmental justice) a bigger consideration when permitting new projects.

Earth Month is coming to a close, but there’s still time to catch up on The Verge’s package of stories from Costa Rica on turning cattle ranches into forests, Indigenous leaders fighting for their land back, and how the country runs on nearly 100 percent renewable electricity. On the ground in Costa Rica, we found reasons to be hopeful about solutions to climate change.