Musk Debuts Solar Roof: Elon Musk unveiled solar-powered roof tiles and an upgraded Powerwall battery as he prepares for Tesla’s $2.2 billion takeover of SolarCity. The tiles, made of textured glass integrated with solar cells, look very similar to traditional roof tiles. The solar roof would cost less than a conventional roof and could be rolled out as early as next summer. “We need to make solar panels as appealing as electric cars have become,” said Musk as he explained his vision. (News: Reuters, Ars Technica, Wall Street Journal $, Gizmodo, IB Times $, Wired, BBC, LA Times $, Forbes, CNBC, Christian Science Monitor, Mashable, AP. Commentary: Bloomberg, Tom Randall analysis; Forbes, Jeff MacMahon column)
Exxon To Write Down Reserves: ExxonMobil will eliminate nearly 20 percent of its oil and gas prospects if oil prices remain low for the rest of 2016, the oil giant said. This announcement comes after the SEC and New York State investigations of Exxon for its accounting practices and whether it misled its shareholders on climate risk. (Wall Street Journal $, Reuters, Bloomberg, New York Times $, Financial Times $, CNBC, Houston Chronicle)
TV Show Talks Solar Politics: Years of Living Dangerously, the Emmy Award-winning docu-series, premiered its second season on Sunday, with the goal of elevating climate change as a voting topic by showing viewers the frontlines of the issue. Episode one featured David Letterman reporting on renewable energy development in India in his first TV appearance since retiring from the Tonight Show. SNL’s Cecily Strong highlighted utility attempts to block rooftop solar development in the U.S, focusing on NV Energy’s anti-solar efforts in Nevada and the closely-watched Amendment 1 solar fight in Florida. (News: Mashable, ClimateWire $, Morning Consult, Pacific Standard, ThinkProgress, Rolling Stone, Financial Express. Commentary: BusinessGreen, Joel Bach interview $)
Shipping Industry to Deliver Emissions Plan by 2023: Over 170 members of the International Maritime Organization agreed to a timeline for a comprehensive emissions reduction strategy by 2023. The six-year delay is longer than many stakeholders had argued was necessary. An initial plan is expected in 2018 followed by a three-year collection of fuel use data by large ships, which will then inform a final plan. International shipping emissions, which are not covered under the Paris Agreement, could rise from two percent to 17 percent of global emissions by 2050 if left unregulated. (News: Carbon Pulse $, Guardian, Climate Home, Climate Central. Commentary: Climate Home, Ed King column) |