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Bloomberg NEF forecasts falling battery prices enabling surge in wind and solar to 50% of global generation by 2050

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The arrival of cheap battery storage will mean that it becomes increasingly possible to finesse the delivery of electricity from wind and solar, so that these technologies can help meet demand even when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining. NEO 2018 sees $11.5 Coal emerges as the biggest loser in the long run.

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Rhodium Group estimates US GHG fell 2.1% in 2019, driven by coal decline

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The Rhodium Group, an independent research provider, estimates that, after a sharp uptick in 2018, US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions fell by 2.1% Emissions from buildings, industry and other parts of the economy rose, though less than in 2018. That’s higher than the 3% gain in 2018, but lower than the 13% gains posted in 2016 and 2017.

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BNEF ups forecast for global investment in stationary energy storage, sees majority of capacity likely to be grid-scale

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Energy storage installations around the world will multiply exponentially, from a modest 9GW/17GWh deployed as of 2018 to 1,095GW/2,850GWh by 2040, according to the latest forecast from research company BloombergNEF (BNEF). In the near term, renewables-plus-storage, especially solar-plus-storage, has become a major driver for battery build.

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Solar and Battery Companies Rattle Utility Powerhouses

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Analysts and power insiders sketch scenes including interconnected local renewable grids that draw on short-duration battery storage (including the small batteries in electric vehicles in a garage, models for which Tesla just happens to make) combined with multi-day storage for power generated by wind and solar.

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CMU study finds controlled EV charging can reduce generation cost, but at greater health and environmental costs depending upon the generation mix

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Results from the study also suggest that with sufficient coal plant retirement and sufficient wind power, controlled charging could result in positive net benefits instead of negative. High Wind Future: In this scenario, they modified the future case to add wind plants sufficient to produce 20% of generation.

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New MIT metal-mesh membrane could solve longstanding problems with liquid metal displacement batteries; inexpensive grid power storage

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A battery, based on electrodes made of sodium and nickel chloride and using thea new type of metal mesh membrane, could be used for grid-scale installations to make intermittent power sources such as wind and solar capable of delivering reliable baseload electricity. Sadoway (2018). Nature Energy doi: 10.1038/s41560-017-0072-1.

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U.N. Kills Any Plans to Use Mercury as a Rocket Propellant

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In 2018, an employee at Apollo Fusion approached the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER), a nonprofit that investigates environmental misconduct in the United States. And it’s cheap—there’s not a lot of competition with anyone looking to buy mercury.

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