Environment there and here

In Iceland:

¶ Katrin Jakobsdottir, the 41-year-old chairwoman of the Left-Green Movement, has been elected Prime Minister of Iceland. One of the most well-liked politicians in Iceland, Katrín, a former education minister and avowed environmentalist, has pledged to set Iceland on the path to carbon neutrality by 2040. As Iceland’s fourth prime minister in only two years, Katrín will take office at a time when national politics have been tainted by public distrust and scandal. A democratic socialist, Katrín is viewed as a bridge-building leader that may lead the country towards positive, incremental change. “She is the party leader who can best unite voters from the left and right,” said Eva H. Onnudottir, a political scientist at the University of Iceland, according to the New York Times. “Because this coalition includes parties from the left to the right, their work will be more about managing the system instead of making ‘revolutionary’ changes.”

In an era when climate change is making it necessary for countries around the world to implement sustainable energy solutions, Iceland presents a unique situation. ... The story of Iceland's transition from fossil fuels may serve as an inspiration to other countries seeking to increase their share of renewable energy.

About 85% of all houses in Iceland are heated with geothermal energy. ... Renewable energy provided almost 100% of electricity production, with about 73% coming from hydropower and 27% from geothermal power.

In the USA:

¶ President Trump's first EPA Administrator, Scott Pruitt, resigned effective July 6, 2018, amid a series of scandals. Deputy Administrator Andrew Wheeler, a former coal industry lobbyist, started serving as acting administrator on July 9, 2018. Wheeler was confirmed as EPA Administrator on February 28, 2019.

The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. EPA's purpose is to ensure that: ... the United States plays a leadership role in working with other nations to protect the global environment.

The EPA has 14,172 employees, and has a budget of $8,200,000,000.

September 2018

Science and Technology:

¶ “Flood frequency of world’s largest river has increased fivefold, study finds” • Flooding on the Amazon River has increased fivefold over the last two or three decades, a new study has found. Analysis of more than 100 years of river level records from the Amazon showed that both floods and droughts had become more frequent. [The Independent]

World:

¶ “Gujarat Solar Auction Yields India’s Lowest Bid” • Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited secured tariff bids for 500 MW of solar power capacity in the range of ₹2.44/kWh (3.37¢/kWh) and ₹2.88/kWh (3.98¢/kWh). The offer for 500 MW was met by bids from thirteen project developers willing to develop over 1,900 MW. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “SIMEC Atlantis Unveils World’s Largest Tidal Turbine” • Tidal turbine maker SIMEC Atlantis Energy unveiled designs for what may be the world’s largest single-rotor tidal turbine, the 2-MW AR2000. SIMEC Atlantis’s 1.5-MW turbines are used at the world’s largest tidal stream away, the 6-MW MeyGen array off the north of Scotland. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nearly 400 Investors With $32 Trillion In Assets Step Up Climate Action To Support Paris Agreement” • Nearly 400 investors, with assets worth $32 trillion, announced The Investor Agenda, a first-of-its-kind global agenda aimed to accelerate and scale-up actions critical to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electric For All Campaign From Volkswagen – 10 Million EVs Based On MEB Platform” • Volkswagen officially launched its “Electric For All” campaign this week with the official introduction of its MEB platform. The platform is where the powertrain, suspension, brakes, and other vital components all come together. [CleanTechnica]

Illustrated:— VW MEB platform

¶ “Renewables reach 37-year high” • Strong hydro and wind generation saw 85% of the New Zealand’s electricity produced from renewables in the June quarter, government data shows. The country has a target to achieve 90% renewable power by 2025. The Labour-led coalition has suggested going to 100% 2035. [Newsroom]

¶ “Shell Announces Methane Emissions Target For Oil & Gas Of 0.02% By 2025” • Royal Dutch Shell, better known simply as Shell, announced a target to reduce and maintain its methane emissions intensity for all its oil and gas assets below 0.02% by 2025. To achieve the goal the company will implement a variety of programs. [CleanTechnica]

Floating LNG facility

¶ “Canadians fuel 164-MW Spanish sun” • Canadian Solar won a contract to supply 164 MW of modules for the 350-MW Escatron PV project in Spain being developed by Cobra Group. Over 481,900 MaxPower modules will be installed at the project, with shipments starting this month. Escatron is due to be online next year. [reNews]

¶ “Floatgen delivers first power” • Ideol’s 2-MW Floatgen floating wind turbine off the coast of Le Croisic in France has delivered power to the French grid for the first time. The developer said the milestone means Floatgen is now fully operational. The Floatgen system is made up of a Vestas V80 turbine and floating foundation. [reNews]

Floatgen turbine (Ideol image)

¶ “Buoyant gas industry may be blindsided by renewables” • The global gas industry, boosted by new projects to feed booming demand, claims to be in the best shape in five years. Not everybody is buying into the industry’s confidence. Analysts warn it is getting ahead of itself, pointing to renewable energy as a threat. [BOE Report]

US:

¶ “Boise City Aims At 100% Renewable By 2030 For Municipal Operations” • The City of Boise has joined a growing list of cities across the country that have committed to transitioning to 100% renewable energy sources. The Boise city facilities are already fueled by a combination of renewable and non-renewable sources. [Boise State Public Radio]

Solar installation (Tim Henshall | Flickr Creative Commons)

¶ “Renewable energy proposition draws millions of dollars in campaign spending” • Arizona Prop 127 is an initiative to amend the state constitution to require power utilities to get more of their electricity from renewable resources. Both supporters and opponents are currently engaged in a fierce and expensive media battle. [Tucson Local Media]

¶ “Adrian Dominican Sisters Commit To Michigan Renewable Energy” • A religious order with 600 Dominican sisters in Michigan committed to matching 100% of its electricity use with renewables. They are taking part in a green generation program that matches electricity use with clean energy generated in Michigan. [North American Windpower]

Wind turbine (iStock image)

¶ “Colorado Springs Utilities increases commitment to renewable energy with solar purchase agreement” • Colorado Springs Utilities will generate more than a fifth of its electricity with solar power when 150 MW are added to its portfolio. Eight companies have made proposals, and the utility will negotiate for the best deal. [Colorado Springs Gazette]

¶ “Jacksonville utility company wants federal regulators to intervene on Plant Vogtle dispute” • Jacksonville Electric Authority asked federal energy regulators to intervene in its dispute with a Georgia electric agency over an agreement requiring Jacksonville’s ratepayers to help build two nuclear reactors in Georgia. [Savannah Morning News]