CCL: Sweeping carbon pricing bill

On Wednesday, Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (RI) and Brian Schatz (HI) introduced the Save Our Future Act, comprehensive legislation that dramatically reduces emissions and protects environmental justice and coal communities.

In a statement, Citizens’ Climate Lobby Executive Director Mark Reynolds said, “The Save Our Future Act would place an ambitious price on carbon to reduce America's emissions, but it doesn't stop there. This legislation would also address long-standing environmental justice concerns by directly pricing emissions of fossil fuel co-pollutants in frontline communities, and it would invest in coal communities to support them through the transition to a clean energy economy.”

The bill is drawing positive comments from unions and environmental justice organizations.

In the House, the number of representatives cosponsoring the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act has grown to 68 already.

Find the full agenda and FAQ’s on the CCL website

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) recently announced plans to retire its five remaining coal-fired power plants by 2035.

However, it is seriously considering replacing them with large fossil gas power plants and new gas pipelines!

That’s like “two steps forward, one step back.”

TVA could take many more steps forward by prioritizing clean energy.

TVA’s new gas plan is not final, and the time to influence our public utility is now!

Click here to tell TVA, No new fossil gas plants!

Comment deadline is June 10

The rainbow colors show the diffraction of sunlight by a mirror with a nanostructured grating, which was applied to the back of the silicon subcell. The sun’s spectrum is thus captured even better in the silicon bottom cell.  © Fraunhofer ISE / Photo: Michael Schachtner

Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems: Tandem Photovoltaics Enables New Heights in Solar Cell Efficiencies – 35.9 % for III-V//Silicon Solar Cell

The photovoltaic (PV) solar panels most commonly used for commercial applications today have an efficiency in the range of 16 to 22 percent. On the lower side of this range, one finds less-expensive panels, mostly made with poly-crystalline solar cells, while monocrystalline cells dominate the upper side.

The highest-efficiency panel presently on the market is SunPower’s A-Series residential panel, with a claimed 22.8 percent efficiency in converting photons to electrons under standard conditions. That's up just slightly by 0.73 percent from five years ago. Although many other manufacturers have caught up to offer panels rated at more than 21 percent, development progress of silicon-based monocrystalline PV toward the theoretical limit of around 30 percent has slowed to a crawl.

Over the same period, newer technologies for multijunction PV cells with thin subcell layers of gallium-arsenide and similar semiconductors, grown on top of silicon or perovskite crystalline materials, has been progressing rapidly and may be capable of exceeding 50 percent efficiency in the future. Lab results still require years of research and manufacturing development before panels come to market. Initially their high price will limit them to market niches where low-weight and small-surface per Watt will justify the cost, such as for aerospace applications or covering electric vehicle surfaces. The following links provide a good overview of such technologies and discuss their longer-term outlook.

DOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy: Multijunction III-V Photovoltaics Research

Frauenhofer ISE: Tandem Photovoltaics – The Road to Higher Conversion Efficiencies

Apr 29  ^{submission deadline} 

Voices of the River Contest

Show Us What the River Means to You!

RiverLink

Details, Contest Guidelines and Submission Form

2020 Winners video

CBS News: Eye on Earth

This outstanding video summary by meteorologist and climate specialist Jeff Berardelli explains why scientists fear further deforestation of the Amazon or collapse of Antarctic ice shelves would wreak ultimate havoc in coastal areas around the world.

Apr 22  ^{1 p.m. EDT}

Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development (SEEED)

In-person event with virtual participation option

SEEED is building a completely solar-powered, energy efficient home, including battery backup, and will sell it at an affordable price to a low-income family. The groundbreaking will take place in the Lonsdale neighborhood, and will also be live streamed through Facebook. If you attend in-person, please wear a mask and practice social distancing in line with guidance from the CDC.