All 50 states have now partially reopened, and as parks and beaches start opening up with some precautions, Americans are beginning to emerge from COVID-19 lockdowns. For many Americans, staying home this Memorial Day weekend meant finding alternative ways to celebrate. From smaller social distancing gatherings and grilling meals to online shopping, this holiday weekend was definitely different from years past. Regardless of where you are celebrating Memorial Day from, these are some headlines to help you finish your weekend off, but don’t forget to read our favorite energy stories from the past week! You can also check out last week’s right here.
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Gasoline pump prices increasing, but currently Americans are seeing the cheapest prices in almost 20 years.
Gasoline pump prices continue to increase across the U.S. with nearly every state’s average pushing higher this week – which may not sound good, but it actually is. At the start of the Memorial Day work week, the national gas price average is $1.87. The last time it was under $2/gallon going into the holiday was 17 years ago in 2003. CBS News breaks down the forecast.
4Last month oil plunged as COVID-19 took over the world. Now prices are surging.
Just a few weeks ago, crude oil prices were plunging as the commodity was running out of storage space. Now prices are surging, up about 70% in New York since the start of May. Houston Chronicle explains why.
3IEA projects that new renewable energy will decline for the first time in 20 years.
Delays in construction caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed a drop in the number of new renewable power installations worldwide. This decline is the first one to occur in 20 years, according to the International Energy Agency. UPI reports on the IEA projections.
2Imagine charging your smartphone while canoeing in the near future.
An inventor is trying to create a canoe that captures solar energy while it’s on the water in order to charge electronic devices – such as your smartphone, tech gadgets or activity tracker. The key is harnessing the sun’s power by using organic photovoltaic panels that are light and flexible. GZero talks about this new invention.
1How can you speed up solar cell testing from hours to minutes? A 3-D-printing system.
Thanks to a new system that uses 3-D-printed key components, tests on new designs for next-gen solar cells can now be done in hours instead of days. This new invention means that the performance and commercial potential of new solar cell compounds can be rapidly evaluated, significantly speeding up the development process. Tech Xplore details the new technology.
