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Maryland’s Skipjack Wind 1 offshore wind farm leaps forward with a $20M facility

Ørsted’s Skipjack Wind 1 will be a 120-megawatt (MW) offshore wind farm in Maryland that will power 40,000 homes once it goes live in the second half of 2026. It will generate $225 million in economic investment and create nearly 1,400 jobs in the state. Large offshore wind farms give rise to other projects, such as a new $20 million maintenance facility in Maryland for Skipjack Wind 1, which the Danish wind giant announced today.

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EGEB: Maryland will spend $3.7M on electric car chargers

Maryland chargers

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

  • Maryland is funding 36 public fast chargers and 145 workplace charging ports.
  • The Inc. 5000 2021 list is out, and solar has a solid foothold in the Top 20.
  • UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.
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EGEB: Maryland 50% renewable by 2030 — but GOP governor wants more, Vietnam’s solar push

solar panels

In today’s EGEB:

  • Maryland is enacting a law to get to 50% renewable energy by 2030.
  • Vietnam is planning a rapid increase in solar power with new plants coming online.
  • Mining giant BHP warns that coal’s phase out could come earlier than some might expect.
  • Chile is ahead of its renewable targets.
  • Palestine looks to gain some energy independence with solar power.


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Chevy SparkEV, more torque than a Ferrari 458 Italia at a tenth the price

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAG8QpbEAS4]

I’m still infatuated with the Chevy Spark EV. The Korean/American EV can be had for significantly under $20K or $200/month meaning it can be free after gas cost savings for big commuters. The practical little 4 seat hatchback can go around 80 miles on a charge and can be charged quickly using the same SAE DC  charger as the BMW i3.

There’s more!

It has more torque (over 400ft/lbs) than a Ferrari 458 Italia and can hit 60 miles per hour in 7 seconds flat.

Did I mention it is essentially free if you currently spend $10/day on gasoline?

The Spark EV starts its life in Changwon, South Korea where gasoline and electric sparks are built by GM Korea, which was once known as Daewoo. But the heart of the Spark comes from America. GM is building the permanent magnet motors in Maryland, and instead of LG batteries made in Korea (like the Volt) GM is using American-made batteries courtesy of B456 (formerly A123. I’m not making this up). For reasons we don’t understand, GM isn’t “doing a CODA” and shipping cars sans-drivetran to America for assembly. The plant in Maryland ships the batteries and drivetrain to Korea, GM Korea inserts it in the car and ships the completed unit back to the USA.

Anyway, here’s a great review. I have no idea how they keep these in stock. Chevy please send these outside of California and Oregon.  Money quote:

Power is supplied by a 560lb, 21.3 kWh lithium battery pack located where the gas tank is in the gasoline Spark. As with the Chevy Volt, GM is taking the cautious path to battery preservation equipping the pack with an active heating and cooling system. That’s a stark contrast to the Nissan Leaf which uses a passive cooling system. Thanks to the lightest curb weight in the group (2,989lbs), the Spark scores 82 miles of EPA range and the highest efficiency rating of any EV to date. Depending on the weight of my right foot, my real world range varied from 70-100 miles.