This week in clean energy news, electric vehicle charging stations are cropping up along the Massachusetts Turnpike. The Obama-era SunShot program has reached it’s goal three years early and the Department of Energy is increasing resiliency funding in the aftermath of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. In the UK, offshore wind power is officially cheaper than nuclear power!  Surprisingly, researchers discovered a fungus that can break down plastics as well as that increased CO2 in the atmosphere is causing an increase in photosynthesis activity.

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

 

Metrowest Daily News- State officials tout electric vehicle charging stations along Massachusetts Turnpike

• The state Department of Transportation is installing stations along the Turnpike to support the use of electric vehicles, including for long-distance travel

“We are pleased to continue working to reduce vehicle emissions and upgrade our transportation infrastructure in ways that provide sustainable options to travelers”

 

BBC News–  Offshore Wind Power Cheaper than New Nuclear

• The latest offshore wind energy subsidy auction in the UK shows that offshore wind power generation is cheaper than new nuclear power for the very first time. Wind power cannot sustain a country alone so solutions need to focus on storage.

“We’ve placed clean growth at the heart of the Industrial Strategy to unlock opportunities across the country, while cutting carbon emissions.”

 

UPI– Obama-era solar power program reaches goal early

• A U.S. solar power initiative enacted by former President Barack Obama reached a goal for cost competitiveness three years early

“The rapid system capital cost decline of solar photovoltaic systems, driven by lower module prices and higher market competition this year, demonstrates the continuing economic competitiveness of solar photovoltaic in today’s energy investment portfolio”

 

Greentech Media– In a Season of Storms, DOE Invests $50M in High-Tech Resiliency R&D

• The Department of Energy announced $50 million in funding for projects aimed at making that vision a reality — though not specifically as part of recovery efforts from hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

“At the center of the funding is $33 million for seven projects from the Grid Modernization Laboratory Consortium. The GMLC launched early last year with $220 million in funding for 88 projects around the country.”

 

The Washington Post- Some good news about global warming for once — plants are speeding up their use of carbon

• If plants around the world continue to adjust to rising carbon dioxide concentrations, increasing their biomass on a global scale, they could actually help offset some of our human carbon emissions by removing more carbon dioxide from the air.

“We looked across a range of processes and couldn’t find anything to explain this offset except if there were changes going on in photosynthesis that were making the plants even more selective for carbon-12 than they were in the past”

 

Futurism– Researchers Find a Fungus that Can Break Down Plastic in Weeks

• Researchers have identified a fungus that can break down plastics. The species could be a useful tool as we attempt to reduce the impact of waste material on the environment.

“Aspergillus tubingensis is typically found in soil, but the study found that it can also thrive on the surface of plastics. It secretes enzymes which break down the bonds between individual molecules and then use its mycelia to break them apart.”