This week in cleantech and renewable energy news, a startup works to produce potable water from thin air, the USDA gives the green light to gene-edited crops, Google hits its 100 percent renewable target, and renewable energy sees more big investments.
- India-based startup Uravu is developing technology that will convert atmospheric moisture into usable, potable water to be available for household use in around two years from now.
“’There’s no need of any electricity or moving parts. It is just a passive device that you can leave on your rooftop and it will generate water. The process starts at night, and by evening next day you’ll have water,’ Shrivastav, an alumnus of the National Institute of Technology Calicut, explained.”
Offshore Wind Journal – Offshore wind ‘poised to take off’ in the US northeast
- According to Moody’s Investors Service, the US offshore wind market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years, thanks to decreasing costs and a supportive regulatory environment.
“Europe and Asia have been leading the way in developing the 32 GW of offshore wind estimated to come online by 2020, but with more than 13 GW under development, the US is poised to become a more material player in the industry as well.”
Futurism – USDA Announces Super-Chill Stance on Gene-Edited Crops
- Crops that have been genetically modified using CRISPR don’t require any additional regulation because they’re just as safe as those produced through conventional breeding practices.
“’Plant breeding innovation holds enormous promise for helping protect crops against drought and diseases while increasing nutritional value and eliminating allergens,’ Perdue wrote in the statement. ‘Using this science, farmers can continue to meet consumer expectations for healthful, affordable food produced in a manner that consumes fewer natural resources. This new innovation will help farmers do what we aspire to do at USDA: do right and feed everyone.’”
NPR – In March, Portugal Made More Than Enough Renewable Energy To Power The Whole Country
- This past month, Portugal produced renewable power that was equal to 103.6 percent of electrical demand on the mainland.
“It is expected that by 2040 the production of renewable electricity will be able to guarantee, in a cost-effective way, the total annual electricity consumption of Mainland Portugal”.
Greentech Media – Google Officially Hits Its 100% Renewable Energy Target
- Google’s renewable energy purchases met and exceeded the amount of electricity used in its operations last year.
“Over the course of 2017, across the globe, for every kilowatt-hour of electricity we consumed, we purchased a kilowatt-hour of renewable energy from a wind or solar farm that was built specifically for Google,” Urs Hölzle, senior vice president of technical infrastructure wrote in a blog post. “This makes us the first public Cloud, and company of our size, to have achieved this feat.”
Greentech Media – EDF Plans to Invest $10B in Energy Storage by 2035
- EDF unveiled a new Electricity Storage Plan last week that aims to develop 10 gigawatts of energy storage around the world by 2035.
“’Electricity storage technologies have a potential to radically change the energy sector,’ said Jean-Bernard Lévy, EDF’s CEO and chairman, in a statement. ‘EDF’s Electricity Storage Plan is based on the expertise coming from all entities within our Group and 25 years of investment in R&D.’”
Bloomberg – Lego Billionaires Are Planning Big Investments in Renewable Energy
- The fund managing the wealth of the billionaires behind Lego A/S is planning to step up investments in renewable energy. What started as an effort to reduce carbon footprint has transformed into something that makes financial sense for Kirkbi A/S.
“’We see this as an investment area,’ Soren Thorup Sorensen, Kirkbi’s chief executive officer said in a phone interview from western Denmark. ‘I’m very pleased that after beginning with this back in 2012, it’s starting to show up on the profit line.’”