Upward revision: Can the U.S. build 70 gigawatts of renewables a year? (Photo: Duke Energy) It will be feasible to power the U.S. on 90 percent clean electricity by 2035 thanks to stunning declines in the costs of renewables, a new study finds. In just a few years, decarbonizing the grid went from a solar-lover’s pipe dream to something many major American utilities have committed to , from Southern Company to Duke Energy. But utilities typically pick a midcentury deadline, as do states that have passed such goals. That puts execution comfortably beyond the tenure of anyone in power today. The new study , from UC Berkeley and GridLab, raises the stakes considerably. By using updated cost figures for wind, solar and batteries, the researchers found that it will be economically feasible to power a reliable grid by 2035, while only depending on natural gas for 10 percent of annual electricity production. “Previous studies concluded either we need to wait until 2050 to decarbonize or the bills will go up if you decarbonize,” said co-author Amol Phadke on a call with reporters. “I think we really need to revisit these conclusions because of the dramatic decline in costs.” No […]
Latest Articles
Cabbage-Growing Experiment Shows Human Waste Can be Good to Use as Fertiliser
Takeaways: New research has shown that using fertilizers from human waste can be as productive as conventional organic ones.
Scientists studied a crop of...
Mercedes-Benz Becomes First Stadium in the World to Earn Platinum Certification for Zero Waste
Takeaways: The Mercedes-Benz Stadium has become the first professional sports stadium in the world to be awarded the Total Resource Use and Efficiency Platinum...
Float Anywhere; this Solar-Powered Houseboat is the Future of Tiny Living.
Float Anywhere; this Solar-Powered Houseboat is the Future of Tiny Living. Float Anywhere; this Solar-Powered Houseboat is...
Biodiversity: Fungi are ‘Underloved and Understudied’
Takeaways: The vast majority of fungi in the world are harmless to humans and animals and are often beneficial.
The Saprophytic fungi, for example,...
The Top 5 Happy Eco News Stories for February 6, 2023
The Top 5 Happy Eco News Stories for February 6, 2023 Thanks for reading the Top 5 Happy Eco News! This week, we have two guest...
Baby Seals Spotted in Record Numbers on Norfolk Coast
Takeaways: A record number of baby seals have been spotted on a five-mile stretch off the coast in Norfolk.
3796 seal pups have been...