With temperatures rising this spring across the U.S. and travel-starved Americans starting to plan road trips, news stories this week have focused on how the prospect of an increased rate of summer driving is powering sharp increases in the price of gasoline – putting $3/gallon pump prices in sight.
On top of this leap in gas prices, oil prices increased more than 4%, following concern that global supplies of crude and refined products could be disrupted for weeks as experts try to free a giant container ship blocking the Suez Canal.
Headlines also showed how President Biden invited Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin to join other world leaders at a virtual White House climate summit April 22-23. Meanwhile, the Biden administration announced that it set a goal to cut the cost of solar energy by 60% over the next decade as part of a plan to decarbonize the power sector by 2035.
If you have time to catch up on energy headlines this weekend, be sure to check out our five favorite stories!
5Electric Cars powered by tidal energy
Electric vehicles on the island of Yell in Scotland are now being powered entirely by tidal energy. EcoWatch reports that the reality of tidal powered cars is helping the country get to net-zero carbon emissions.
4Floating sea solar farm completed in Singapore
Floating solar farms are becoming more popular, but they are usually located in inland bodies of water such as reservoirs and lakes to avoid the complexities of the ocean, like shipping routes. Electrek explains that Singapore’s new solar farm is one of the world’s largest on sea water: comprising of 13,312 panels, 40 inverters and more than 30,000 floats.
3Buildings as batteries?
Energy storage will become increasingly important as the world transitions to renewable energy. E&E News reports that researchers have found a way to harness materials incorporated in the walls of buildings to store energy, which could give a new purpose to our buildings by functioning as batteries.
2Are bladeless wind turbines the future of wind energy generation?
Innovators have developed a new design for wind turbines without blades. Real Clear Energy explains that the new product uses a vertical cylinder with an elastic rod as the top, which oscillates when wind passes over to generate power through an alternator.
1Heliogen’s AI-powered solar refinery to power giant U.S. mine
You’ve probably heard of the Bill Gates-backed start-up Heliogen for their development of computer-vision-controlled mirrors to harness the power of the sun. CNN reports that the technology will be used as the first concentrated solar technology to power a mine in the U.S., and perhaps even the world!
