QUICK NEWS, January 10: Business Shows The Right Climate Path To Trump; New Energy Dominated 2016 U.S. Power Build; Tech Giants Leading In New Energy

Business Shows The Right Climate Path To Trump Businesses and investors renew plea to Trump: don't ignore climate change; A letter released today contains signatures from 530 companies including Campbell Soup and Johnson & Johnson, urging the president-elect to take action

Carol J. Clouse, 10 January 2017 (UK Guardian)

“More than 600 businesses and investors signed and released a letter on Tuesday urging president-elect Donald Trump to fight climate change…[ The letter contains signatures from roughly 200 more companies and investors than when it was initially submitted after the election in November…Campbell Soup, Johnson & Johnson, the New York State Retirement Fund, [and electric utility giant Pacific Gas and Electric joined] companies like Monsanto, eBay, Levi Strauss and Staples…The letter urges Trump to continue policies that combat global warming, such as the Clean Power Plan created by the Obama administration to cut emissions from coal power plants. The letter also petitions Trump to invest in low-carbon energy at home and abroad and remain committed to the Paris agreement… The letter reflects the hope that Trump, as a businessman, will heed the declaration of so many American companies that climate change is real and could pose a threat to their financial health…” click here for more

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New Energy Dominated 2016 U.S. Power Build Renewable generation capacity expected to account for most 2016 capacity additions

January 10, 2017 (U.S. Energy Information Administration)

“…EIA expects 24 gigawatts (GW) of new generating capacity to be added to the power grid during 2016…[Renewable capacity additions are often highest in the final months of the year…[but, for] the third consecutive year, more than half of these additions are renewable technologies, especially wind and solar…Most renewable generation comes from the Western census division, which accounted for the majority of the hydroelectric (63%) and solar (77%) generation in the United States in 2016. Wind generation was more evenly spread across the country with 37% occurring in the Midwest, 35% in the South, 24% in the West, and the remaining 4% in the Northeast…As of October 2016, the United States had a total of 12.6 GW of small-scale solar PV installed…[with 56% in] the residential sector, 36% in the commercial sector, and 8% in the industrial sector…” click here for more

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Tech Giants Leading In New Energy Report: Apple, Google, Facebook, and Switch are leading advocates for renewable energy; East Asian internet giants lag behind U.S.companies in commitment to clean energy January 10, 2017 (Greenpeace)

“…Apple, Google, Facebook, and newcomer Switch are leading the charge to build a renewably powered internet…[by] coupling transitions of their data centers to clean energy with strong advocacy for access to renewable options. But while nearly 20 internet companies have now committed to 100 percent renewable energy, the reality is that much of the sector continues to grow rapidly in Asia and U.S. markets like Virginia, both of which have little to no renewable energy options [according to Clicking Clean: Who Is Winning the Race to Build a Green Internet?]…Despite some movement, the lack of transparency by some of the largest players in the sector remains a critical barrier, masking both their current size and whether the renewable deals they are claiming are actually changing the power mix in the markets they are expanding into. Much clearer reporting, like we now see from industry leaders Apple, Facebook, and Switch, must be embraced…” click here for more

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