Xcel Energy’s Greater Sandhill Solar Farm north of Alamosa, Colo. Colorado’s San Luis Valley has some of the nation’s best solar resource. Photo/Allen Best

Wind farm Logan County

From ThinkProgress.org (E. A. Crunden):

The Connecticut Senate passed a sweeping climate change bill Wednesday, in a move that could push the state ahead of much of the coastal United States. The legislation centers on adapting to accommodate rising sea levels as well as setting new pollution targets.

Senate Bill 7, “An Act Concerning Climate Change Planning and Resiliency,” passed overwhelmingly early Wednesday morning. In a 34-2 vote, the state senate agreed to adopt recommendations to reduce greenhouse gas by 45 percent below 2001 levels within the next 12 years, the Connecticut Post reported Wednesday morning.

Assuming a sea level rise of nearly two feet by 2050 based on projections by the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation, the bill also updates pre-existing statutory references guiding building and development.

The legislation would require all federally-funded development projects or similar endeavors funded or undertaken by a state agency to adhere to the new restrictions. Meaning these new projects will have to take sea level rise into account when being built.

“Climate change is real, it’s man-made, and it’s here,” said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy (D) following the vote.

Environmental advocates and organizations cheered the bill’s passage. In a statement sent to ThinkProgress and other publications, the Nature Conservancy Connecticut Chapter’s director of government relations, David Sutherland, emphasized the importance of accounting for sea level rise in particular.

From The Independent (Tom Embury-Dennis):

Costa Rica’s new president has announced a plan to ban fossil fuels and become the first fully decarbonised country in the world.

Carlos Alvarado, a 38-year-old former journalist, made the announcement to a crowd of thousands during his inauguration on Wednesday.

“Decarbonisation is the great task of our generation and Costa Rica must be one of the first countries in the world to accomplish it, if not the first,” Mr Alvarado said.

“We have the titanic and beautiful task of abolishing the use of fossil fuels in our economy to make way for the use of clean and renewable energies.”

Symbolically, the president arrived at the ceremony in San Jose aboard a hydrogen-fuelled bus.

Last month, Mr Alvarado said the Central American country would begin to implement a plan to end fossil fuel use in transport by 2021 – the 200th year of Costa Rican independence.

From TruckingInfo.com:

According to Volvo Group’s European division, just three weeks after the unveiling of Volvo Trucks’ first all-electric truck, the FL Electric, the OEM is expanding its product range with yet another electric truck. The Volvo FE Electric is designed for heavier city distribution and refuse transport operations with gross weights of up to 30 tons. Sales will commence in Europe in 2019…

Rüdiger Siechau, CEO of Stadtreinigung Hamburg, the city’s largest waste-removal provider, sees large potential for environmental benefits with electric trucks in the city. “Today, each of our 300 conventional refuse vehicles emits approximately 31.300 kg carbon dioxide every year,” he said. “An electrically powered refuse truck with battery that stands a full shift of eight to ten hours is a breakthrough in technology. Another benefit is the fact that Stadtreinigung Hamburg generates climate-neutral electricity that can be used to charge the batteries.”

The new Volvo FE Electric will be offered in several variants for different types of operations. For instance,Volvo’s low-entry cab makes it easier to enter and exit the cab and gives the driver a commanding view of surrounding traffic. Volvo also said the working environment is improved thanks to the low noise level and vibration-free operation of electric power. Battery capacity can be optimized to suit individual needs, with charging taking place either via main power lines or quick-charge stations.

“Our solutions for electrified transport are designed to suit the specific needs of each customer and each city,” said Volvo’s Oldermalm. “In addition to the vehicles, we will offer everything from route analysis to services and financing via our network of dealers and workshops throughout Europe. We also have close partnerships with suppliers of charging infrastructure.”

According to Volvo, features of its electric trucks include:

Volvo FE Electric

Fully electrically powered truck for distribution, refuse collectio,n and other applications in urban conditions; GVW of 30 tons.

Driveline– Two electric motors with 370 kW max power (260 kW cont. power) with a Volvo 2-speed transmission. Max torque electric motors 626 lb-ft. Max torque rear axle 28 kNm.

Energy storage– Lithium-ion batteries, 200–300 kWh. Range– Up to 124 miles.

Charging–: Two different charging systems are available. CCS2: Maximum charge power 150 kW DC. Low Power Charging: Maximum charge power 22 kW AC.

Charging time– From empty to fully charged batteries (300 kWh): CCS2 150 kW appr. 1.5 hours, low power charging approximately 10 hours.

Volvo FL Electric

Fully electrically powered truck for distribution, refuse collection. and other applications in urban conditions; GVW of 17 tons.

Driveline– Electric motor with 185 kW max power (130 kW cont. power) with a Volvo 2-speed transmission. Max torque electric motor 313 lb-ft. Max torque rear axle 16 kNm.

Energy storage– Lithium-ion batteries, totaling 100–300 kWh. Range– Up to 186 miles.

Charging– Two different charging systems are available. CCS2: Maximum charge power 150 kW DC. Low Power Charging: Maximum charge power 22 kW AC.

Charging time– From empty to fully charged batteries: fast charge 1-2 hours (DC charging), night charge up to 10 hours (AC charging) with maximum battery capacity of 300 kWh.

For more information: http://www.volvotrucks.com/electromobility