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Why Salt Is This Power Plant's Most Valuable Asset

Molly A. Seltzer

August 04, 2017 |

Smithsonian |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, McIntosh, Alabama

One of the greatest challenges to integrating renewable energy sources into the power grid has been the issue of storage - where and how to keep power generated during off-hours (such as overnight) when demand is low. While batteries are on the rise as one solution, an Alabama power plant has discovered a natural way of storing energy until it is needed: pumping air into salt caverns.

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Artificial Intelligence and Decarbonization

Mark Harris

July 01, 2017 |

Anthropocene Magazine |

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Over 3000 Words

Response Location: Netherlands, Amsterdam

As electric utilities expand to include evolving forms of energy such as varied renewables, the already complex puzzle of storage and distribution (effectively addressing surges and lulls in demand) has grown more difficult. Artificial intelligence in the form of super speed algorithms that can detect usage patterns and allocate the right types of energy at the right times is a straightforward solution that can reduce costs and emissions simultaneously, while encouraging consumer behavior change to maximize efficiency.

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When You're in a Carbon Hole, Stop Digging

Robinson Meyer

July 01, 2017 |

Anthropocene Magazine |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Washington, District of Columbia

The burning of coal for fuel is one of the world's largest contributors to CO2 emissions, and continues to worsen the detrimental effects of planetary warming. But while many feel hopeless in light of an administration that denies climate change and the billion-dollar companies that continue full steam ahead with mining and burning coal, a few clever individuals present a simple and straightforward solution: buy up the coal while it's still in the ground, and pay the government to keep it there.

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How Vienna Conquered Its Own Filth

Feargus O'Sullivan

June 27, 2017 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: Austria, Vienna

With the staggering amounts of garbage produced by modern lifestyles, waste disposal is becoming an increasingly difficult challenge for communities around the world. Vienna has tackled the trouble of trash with an innovative system, channeling the heat from incineration to warm homes and provide hot water, recovering reusable items from the waste stream and selling them in a special shop, and proactively educating the populace about how to reduce waste.

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How an IIT Madras Initiative Is Powering 9,000 Homes at a Fraction of Traditional Electricity Costs

Priya Mohan

June 07, 2017 |

The Better India |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: India, Jaipur, Rajasthan

A team of engineers at IIT Madras, a public university in India, has partnered with local utilities and the national Ministry of Power to bring sustainable, low-cost electricity to off-grid rural villages in the northwestern state of Rajasthan. With solar power supplied by DC microgrids, these poor rural communities are experiencing transformations to increase quality-of-life: affordable fridges that aid in food preservation, fans which mitigate heat and repel mosquitoes, and battery-powered phones connecting them to public emergency services.

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How New York Is Building the Power Grid of the Future

Leslie Kaufman

May 25, 2017 |

Inside Climate News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, New York

New York is determined to become a national leader in the renewable energy sector, and they are leveraging numerous approaches to help integrate better and more environmentally conscious technologies into the grid. The multi-faceted approach includes updating laws and regulations to be more renewables-friendly, hosting competitions to foster entrepreneurship and creative solutions in the field, piloting new technologies, and creating better incentives for utility companies.

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Turning CO2 into stone in Iceland

Russell Beard

May 25, 2017 |

Al Jazeera |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: Iceland, Hellisheiðarvirkjun, Southern Region

Iceland, hit by the oil crises of the 1970s, turned to geothermal energy - and they haven't turned back. The island is now powered by 100% renewable energy, and they are taking it one step more, looking to further cut emissions using a unique carbon capture system called CarbFix. It is being pioneered at the Hellsheidi geothermal power plant in western Iceland.

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Coffee grounds and poultry litter proving a viable biomass option in the UK

Matt Mace

May 19, 2017 |

Edie Newsroom |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United Kingdom, Birmingham, West Midlands

The United Kingdom is finding creative ways to simultaneously address renewable energy needs and waste disposal. Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants are utilizing chicken manure from farms and coffee grounds to create electricity. The initiatives have the added benefit of improving standards for the treatment of poultry, as well as reducing the distribution of harmful toxins from the waste.

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The Big Green Bang: How renewable energy became unstoppable

Pilita Clark

May 18, 2017 |

Financial Times |

Multi-Media |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United Kingdom, London, Greater London

An economic shift to renewable energy could take decades, but thanks to rapidly evolving disruptive technologies, dropping prices of solar and wind power sources, and increasing market demand for green business, the new age of renewable energy could encompass the world economy much more quickly.

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The Detroit Success Story Visible From Space

Erick Trickey

May 18, 2017 |

Politico |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

In just three years, Detroit carried out an ambitious $185 million project to re-illuminate the city's 88,000 streetlights, half of which were dark, with new energy-efficient LED lights. Through its new Public Lighting Authority, the city used an innovative funding scheme to pay for the lights even in the midst of municipal bankruptcy. After the lights went up, residents felt safer, and businesses felt a noticeable bump.

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