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☆ Column: 'Dispatchable' renewables in spotlight after upbeat IEA report: Maguire
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

LITTLETON, Colo., Dec 8 (Reuters) - This week's upbeat renewable energy supply outlook by the International Energy Agency (IEA) contained an important but overlooked lament about the slow roll-out of so-called dispatchable renewable energy sources. In an optimised renewables-based electricity system, dispatchable power sources may only be required in minimal amounts during periods of abundant solar and wind power generation. (A column on the locations of major renewable energy installations is available here.) That statement implies that overall conditions could become more favourable for dispatchable renewable energy sources if their worth was better understood. Ultimately, it may be the utilities that have the biggest direct impact on the prospects for dispatchable energy projects.

☆ Column: Europe's smaller coal importers to feel the pinch as China reopens
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Any sustained increase in competition for coal with a re-invigorated China may push up coal prices, further sapping the budgets of European utilities and governments and jeopardising efforts to finance an energy transition away from fossil fuels. BANNER YEAREurope's thermal coal imports through November jumped by 36.2% from the same period in 2021 to roughly 83 million tonnes, according to ship-tracking data from Kpler. China's coal production has also scaled a record, fuelled in part by Beijing's efforts to improve energy security. China thermal coal pricesEurope's main coal price benchmarks have also pushed higher in recent days, with prices for the first quarter of 2023 flipping to a widening premium over front-month prices this week. Europe coal prices point higher this winterCOLD SNAPTemperatures on the ground in China will be a major driver of price direction going forward.

☆ Alito jokes about Black Santa and Ashley Madison during Supreme Court arguments
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Summer-Concepcion-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Summer Concepcion | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Justice Samuel Alito joked about Black Santa, children in Klan robes and dating websites as the Supreme Court heard arguments Monday in a case weighing a web designer's bid to avoid working on same-sex weddings because she is a conservative evangelical Christian. David Zalubowski / AP fileEric Olson, the Colorado solicitor general, said that the Black Santa wouldn’t have to follow through with the request since KKK outfits are not protected characteristics under accommodation laws. Alito quipped, “You do see a lot of Black children in Ku Klux Klan outfits, right? Kagan, who is Jewish, jumped in to confirm that Alito was correct, which drew laughter from those in attendance. Conservative justices on the high court appeared sympathetic toward the web designer’s bid as they heard arguments for more than two hours Monday.

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Monday hears the latest clash between religious conservatives and LGBTQ rights as it weighs a conservative evangelical Christian web designer's bid to avoid working on same-sex weddings. Lower courts ruled against Smith, prompting her to appeal to the Supreme Court. The remaining 21 states do not have laws explicitly protecting LGBTQ rights in public accommodations, although some local municipalities do. The court ruled on the baker case before the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, who voted in favor of LGBTQ rights in key cases. In another major victory for LGBTQ rights, the Supreme Court in 2020 — to the surprise of many court-watchers — ruled that a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination in employment protects LGBTQ employees.

[1/2] Web designer Lorie Smith, plaintiff in a Supreme Court case who objects to same-sex marriage, poses for a portrait at her office in Littleton, Colorado, U.S., November 28, 2022. The court in that case stopped short of carving out a free speech exemption to anti-discrimination laws. Like Phillips, Smith is represented by attorneys from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative religious rights group. The Supreme Court did not take up one aspect of her challenge to Colorado law based on religious rights also protected by the First Amendment, focusing on free speech instead. The Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, has become increasingly supportive of religious rights and related free speech claims in recent years even as it has backed LGBT rights in other cases.

☆ Web designer opposed to gay marriage at center of U.S. Supreme Court clash
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Andrew Chung | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/4] Web designer Lorie Smith, plaintiff in a Supreme Court case who objects to same-sex marriage, poses for a portrait at her office in Littleton, Colorado, U.S., November 28, 2022. She argues that Colorado anti-discrimination law violates free speech rights by forcing artists - including web designers - to express messages through their work that they oppose. The Supreme Court did not take up one aspect of her challenge to Colorado law based on religious rights also protected by the First Amendment. His legal battle with Colorado also reached the Supreme Court, which ruled narrowly in his favor in 2018. The state warned against endorsing Smith's view of free speech protections.

☆ Brad William Henke, ‘Orange Is the New Black’ actor, dead at 56
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Brad William Henke, a veteran character actor known for his work on “Orange Is the New Black” and other series, has died, according to his agent and manager. “Brad Henke was an incredibly kind man of joyous energy. Henke in a secene from "Orange is the New Black." Henke opened an acting studio in Los Angeles in 2000 where he helped to guide the careers of other actors. Henke is survived by his mother Tammy, his sister Annette, his wife Sonja, his stepson Aaden, his stepdaughter Leasa and his grandchild Amirah.

☆ Column: China on track to hit new clean & dirty power records in 2022: Maguire
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-23 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

LITTLETON, Colo Nov 23 (Reuters) - China is set to delight and depress climate trackers in equal measure in 2022 by setting new global records in both clean power utilisation and coal-fired electricity emissions. Indeed, Beijing's commitment to developing renewable energy supplies at unmatched scale cannot be questioned. The country deployed more renewable energy generation capacity in 2021 than the rest of the world combined. Clean electricity generation by key marketIn 2022, China's expansions in solar and wind power have put it on track to hit 3,000 terawatt-hours of clean energy electricity generation - far more than any other country - and lifted the share of clean energy in China's electricity mix to a national record of 31.9%, Ember data shows. That compares to a 26.3% share in 2015, and puts China top among global leaders in terms of large-scale clean energy deployment.

☆ Column: Key African nations set off on energy & emissions growth paths
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

However, the power mix varies greatly by country depending on locally available power sources, legacy power production infrastructure, and proximity to energy exporters. Electricity generation by source in key African economiesThis wide variance in power mix is clear when comparing the electricity source profiles of Africa's two largest electricity producers, South Africa and Egypt. In contrast, Egypt uses natural gas for 77% of its electricity, and uses no coal in electricity generation at all. The two countries' electricity systems have starkly divergent emissions footprints as a result of their different primary fuels. Across Northern Africa, natural gas is making rapid inroads into energy systems, primarily from the abundant local supplies in Algeria and Egypt.

The rapid moves Tuesday in Berkeley County, the fourth largest school district in the state, showed the impact of Moms for Liberty’s focus on electing conservative school board members, and prompted uproar among some community members in attendance. Deon Jackson was voted in as district superintendent during a special meeting of the Berkeley County School District board on May 19, 2021 in South Carolina. Berkeley County School DistrictMoms for Liberty said it has endorsed more than 500 school board candidates across the country this year, and 49% have won. Berkeley County School DistrictNone of the board members responded to emails or phone calls Wednesday. Each vote — firing the superintendent, picking his replacement, terminating the district’s lawyer and banning critical race theory — passed with support from only the six Moms for Liberty-backed members.

☆ Column: France's muted nuclear recovery can cool Europe's LNG demand
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

But a slow recovery is now underway in France's nuclear power output. LNG BINGEFrance normally relies on nuclear power for 70% of its electricity. But reactor shutdowns due to maintenance work, labour disputes and reduced availability of cooling water during a summer heat wave forced Europe's third-largest economy to boost LNG imports. Further resumptions in nuclear output going forward could raise total electricity supply back to early-2022 levels and herald the start of a slowdown in French LNG purchases, which have historically fallen off during periods of sustained high French nuclear power output. The group kept its output forecasts for 2023 and 2024 unchanged at 300 to 330 TWh and 315 to 345 TWh respectively, however, indicating confidence of a further rise in nuclear output.

☆ Column: A gasier Asia would emit less CO2, but may lift global power costs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Asia coal and gas power production & emissionsTop polluter Asia relies on coal for roughly 57% of electricity production, BP Statistical Review of World Energy data shows, so switching out coal for gas offers a potential way for power producers there to cut emissions without drastically overhauling current power supply systems. Asian power firms plan to build out natural gas pipeline infrastructureHowever, power producers across the region are planning to expand existing networks and link major consumer hubs to distant suppliers. According to a Global Energy Monitor study released in February 2022, more than 70,000 kilometres (43,000 miles) of gas pipelines are under construction globally, with more than 45,000 kilometres in Asia. Global gas markets have been drastically disrupted by Russia's invasion of Ukraine since the Global Energy Monitor study was published, and surging gas prices have clearly cooled Asia's near-term appetite for gas in some areas. However, more Asian gas supplies and use will also allow power producers to lower emissions, which for many of the attendees of the COP27 talks is of greater consequence for global energy markets.

☆ Tesla, Mercedes, and Jeep cars give owners the most problems, Consumer Reports says. These are the most and least reliable brands.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: 1 min

The nonprofit outlet surveyed vehicle owners about issues they've experienced with their cars' engines, transmissions, electronics, and more. It used their answers to predict how new cars from most brands will hold up over time. Pickup trucks at a car dealership in Littleton, Colorado. David Zalubowski/AP

☆ Home Buyers Get Creative With Cash Deals to Fend Off High Mortgage Rates
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Libertina Brandt | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

By the time he found a 3,000-square-foot townhouse he wanted to buy in September, mortgage rates were significantly higher than they were a year ago. On Sept. 15, Freddie Mac announced that the average rate that week on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage topped 6% for the first time since 2008. To avoid the rising rates, Mr. Brown, 56, said he bought the three-bedroom home in Littleton, Colo., for $965,000 in cash. To access the capital he needed for the purchase, he tapped into his personal savings and took out a loan using his stockholdings as collateral, receiving an adjustable rate based on the federal-funds rate plus a 2.25% margin. On Nov. 7, the federal-funds rate target was 3.75% to 4%.

☆ The Key to Avoiding High Mortgage Rates? Buying Homes With Cash.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Libertina Brandt | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Top 10 oil & gas CO2 emittersMore than 40% of the oil and gas sector emissions came from China's two largest oil majors alone - Sinopec (600028.SS) and PetroChina (601857.SS) - while investor staples including Shell (SHEL.L), Saudi Aramco (2222.SE) and Chevron also ranked high in the emissions table. As hefty as their collective discharges have been, however, oil and gas companies have not been the only steady polluters. Top 10 power companies by CO2 emissionsOnce again, China-based companies came out on top, and accounted for over half of the CO2 from the 10 largest global firms in the utilities and power segment last year. However, companies from the United States, Europe, India and Japan also made the top 10 leader board, underscoring the wide scope of polluters on the global emissions stage. STEELY RESOLVEGlobal metals and mining firms also racked up a significant collective emissions tally in 2021, hitting close to 600 million tonnes of CO2 and equivalent gases.

☆ Column: U.S. rush for renewable diesel may ignite fresh food fight
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Renewable diesel, however, is chemically identical to petroleum-based diesel - so can be consumed in place of or along with normal diesel in whatever quantities are desired by end users. US renewable diesel vs biodiesel useRenewable diesel also emits fewer emissions than both biodiesel and regular diesel. US renewable diesel vs biodiesel production capacityFurther increases in renewable diesel production capacity are expected in the near term, with the EIA projecting capacity to climb to 5.1 billion gallons a year by 2024, from less than 1 billion in 2020. But that consumption share looks set to grow further as more renewable diesel production comes on line. Other major renewable diesel suppliers include Finland and the Netherlands, although both those countries have stepped up their own domestic consumption of renewable diesel in recent years, leaving little left for exports.

☆ Column: Wet, windy & mild weather wanted this winter in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Gavin Maguire | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterBut helping to offset that has been increased pollution across Europe, where power producers and industry have scrambled to replace reduced Russian natural gas supplies with high-emitting coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. European natural gas imports by main sourceImporters have managed to replenish natural gas stockpiles to try to prepare for greater heating demand later this year, but power producers will be relieved by the curtailed demand for warmth so far. Weather forecasts deteriorate in accuracy farther out, but historically it is clear that the winter months tend to generate more wind power than other seasons. So power producers will also be hoping for blustery conditions to kick in, especially in wind-heavy economies like Germany, which in 2021 got roughly 20% of its electricity from wind power, according to data from BP. For European citizens, wet and windy weather may not sound like the ideal conditions for a comfortable winter.

Procurorul districtual Michael Dougherty a anunţat că prezumtivul atacator a fost rănit şi se află în custodia poliţiei. Postul CNN, citând o sursă neidentificată din eşalonul superior la poliţiei, a relatat că arma folosită în atac a fost una de tip AR-15. Statul Colorado a fost scena unora dintre cele mai şocante atacuri în masă din istoria modernă a Statelor Unite. Preşedintele Joe Biden a fost informat despre schimbul de focuri, a indicat purtătoarea de cuvânt a Casei Albe, Jen Psaki. La rândul său, poliţia a deschis focul atunci când a ajuns în parking.

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