This week in cleantech and energy news, scientists discover a way to reduce cattle methane emissions, the EDF plans to launch a greenhouse-gas-monitoring satellite, New Jersey sets ambitious renewable energy goals, and offshore wind investments continue to increase.

What news have you been reading this week? Share with us @GreentownLabs!

 

The Washington Post – This environmental group is launching its own satellite to learn more about greenhouse gas leaks

• The Environmental Defense Fund plans to launch a satellite that will monitor greenhouse gas emissions from space.

“The satellite will enable EDF to more accurately measure methane emissions, which account for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions. The results could be sobering. In February, EDF estimated methane emissions from Pennsylvania’s shale oil and gas sites may be more than five times higher than what oil and gas companies reported to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.”

 

NPR – Gassy Cows Warm The Planet. Scientists Think They Know How To Squelch Those Belches

• Researchers have discovered a way to use cows’ genetics to determine how much methane they will produce, thus opening up the possibility of using selective breeding to decrease emissions.

“[These genes] can be used very well to predict methane emissions, and we can use this for breeding purposes, Roehe says. Simply doing a genetic analysis on a cow’s gut would be far cheaper than directly measuring methane emissions, Migloir adds.”

 

The New York Times – New Jersey Takes a Big Step Toward Renewable Energy (and Nuclear Gets Help, for Now)

• State lawmakers in New Jersey passed a bill requiring utilities to get 50 percent of their electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

“The central piece of legislation, Assembly Bill 3723, sets the renewable energy goal and anchors much of the growth in wind and solar energy, aiming to hit 35 percent renewables by 2025 and eventually 50 percent by 2030.”

 

Greentech Media – America Leads Global Energy Storage Development, But China’s Catching Up

• The U.S. and Australia led the way in energy storage in 2017, however China could surpass everyone in the next five years.

“Based on energy capacity, though, the U.S. remained top dog with 431 megawatt-hours deployed last year. Australia came in second on that metric, followed by Germany, China and Japan.”

 

CleanTechnica – Apple’s Global Operations Now Powered by 100% Renewable Energy

• Apple is now 100 percent powered by renewables confirming that all of its global facilities across 43 countries are now run entirely on clean electricity.

“The achievement informs consumers around the world that it’s not only possible for massive publicly traded global corporations to source 100% of their energy from renewables, but that its also the right financial decision. Maybe instead of asking a question, we should be making demands – if your products are not made with 100% renewable energy, we won’t buy them, because now, we have alternatives, thanks to Apple.”

 

Bloomberg – Giant Wind Turbines Start to Pay Off and Investors Want More

• Investors are stepping up investment in offshore wind, with a record $9.36 billion of stakes in offshore wind farms sold last year, up 77 percent from 2016, according to data compiled by Bloomberg New Energy Finance show.

“After years of public subsidies, turbines as tall as the Eiffel Tower with blades longer than soccer fields are grabbing a bigger share of Europe’s electricity supply, replacing some coal-fired plants on land. With demand rising for renewable energy, developers are selling stakes in older projects to raise cash for new ones.”