EGEB: Insurance warning coastal cities, 3D printed wind turbine towers, Trump and Suniva moves along, more

Electrek Green Energy Brief: A daily technical, financial, and political review/analysis of important green energy news. Featured Image Source.

Moody’s Warns Cities to Address Climate Risks or Face Downgrades – In its report, Moody’s lists six indicators it uses “to assess the exposure and overall susceptibility of U.S. states to the physical effects of climate change.” They include the share of economic activity that comes from coastal areas, hurricane and extreme-weather damage as a share of the economy, and the share of homes in a flood plain. Based on those overall risks, Texas, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi are among the states most at risk from climate change. Moody’s didn’t identify which cities or municipalities were most exposed. If the politicians won’t act because they are owned by the groups that specifically cause this problem, then the insurance companies are acting. Already, the State of Florida has serious home owner insurance issues because of hurricanes. Now, this is going to expand. A smart friend of mine a month or two back suggested a structural breakdown in certain regions could happen sooner than later because of financial withdrawal. The US Government already suggested 10 million people worth of land ought be left to fend for their financial selves. The insurance companies now agree. This is huge. Commercial development will bear consequence first.

Is 3-D Printing the Solution for Ultra-Tall Wind Turbine Towers? – The California Energy Comission has awarded RCAM Technologies a 1.25m grant to research and develop 3D printing technology for concrete turbine towers. RCAM explains that their technology: “will enable fabrication of a wind turbine tower onsite, in one day at half of the cost of conventional steel towers, and reduce the levelized cost of wind generated electricity in a low wind speed site by 11 percent.” A robot that builds a tower underneath it – right onsite. This would change so many aspects of the construction process. I wonder if it would lead toward taller structures as well. This is, of course, before the 11% drop in costs of electricity.

Trump Seeks Details on Solar Imports Before Setting Tariffs – Lighthizer specifically asked the trade commission to identify any “unforeseen developments” that led to U.S. companies being harmed. The move may be an effort to head off any challenges at the World Trade Organization should Trump impose tariffs, said Clark Packard, a trade policy analyst for the Washington-based free-market think tank R Street Institute. The US has lost every case of this type has come up at the WTO. It could still take a 18 months for a WTO case to come to fruition after a tariff is put in place, I’ve been told. Not sure if a US judge could issue an injunction and stop implementation.

Israel’s Iron Dome Software Developer Targets US Utility Clients – “System of systems” that will eventually “allow our consumers to decide what they do with the electricity from their electric car; they could sell it to someone else; have peer-to-peer trading; be able to move electricity from your battery in your house, to the battery down the street, to your car, or even hot water.” When will I have a piece of hardware inside of every device that uses electricity in the house (and my car) that speaks with my central electricity box and my phone?

Google’s Project Sunroof Puts an End to Its Lead-Gen Business – The article suggests Google didn’t see value in selling leads when Google is an expert at selling ads. I love clicking on buildings in the software. It’s so cool looking.

I do feel for your way of life, and your jobs – but its time to move on.

https://twitter.com/russellgold/status/936211415517597696

Featured image is from the Department of Energy SunShot program. Overlooking downtown Des Moines, Iowa, the Market One commercial building’s photovoltaic solar canopy contains 787 solar panels. Photo by Jared Heidemann.

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