Fossil fuel divestment leads as Power Technology lists ten of the most popular tweets on power in July 2020 based on data from GlobalData’s Influencer Platform.

The top tweets were chosen from influencers as tracked by GlobalData’s Influencer Platform, which is based on a scientific process that works on pre-defined parameters. Influencers are selected after a deep analysis of the influencer’s relevance, network strength, engagement, and leading discussions on new and emerging trends.

Top tweets on power in July 2020

1. Bill McKibben’s tweet on University of Vermont divesting from fossil fuels

Bill McKibben, an author and environmentalist, tweeted on the University of Vermont’s Board of Trustees voting to end direct investments in fossil fuels. Further, the university will end all public investments in fossil fuels by July 2023.

The decision marks another milestone in the university’s history of commitment towards environmental issues since 1972. It was taken in light of the growing concerns towards climate change and several years of student advocacy.

Username: Bill McKibben

Twitter handle: @billmckibben

Retweets: 507

Likes: 2446

2. Mike Cannon-Brookes’ tweet on Sun Cable’s new solar farm

Mike Cannon-Brookes, cofounder of collaboration software firm Atlassian, tweeted on Sun Cable’s 10GW solar farm being awarded Major Project status by the Australian government. He noted that the move was an important step towards moving away from fossil fuels.

The solar farm will be one of the largest in the world and is being developed with an estimated investment of $22bn. It will include battery storage facilities of up to 30GW and a 3,750km-long high voltage direct current sub-sea cable capable of transmitting power to Singapore.

Username: Mike Cannon-Brookes

Twitter handle: @mcannonbrookes

Retweets: 118

Likes: 588

3. Mike Hudema’s tweet on Copenhagen becoming carbon neutral

Mike Hudema, a climate campaigner, tweeted on how Copenhagen will become the world’s first carbon neutral capital by 2025. A number of cities have announced their plans to become carbon neutral by 2050 but Copenhagen is expected to achieve this goal 25 years ahead of the other cities.

Hudema included a video in the tweet detailing the ways in which the city plans to achieve this goal. Copenhagen is retrofitting social housing with energy efficient equipment and encouraging the use of cycling and public transport. It has also banned the use of diesel cars and plans to generate 100% of its energy from renewable sources.

Username: Mike Hudema

Twitter handle: @MikeHudema

Retweets: 160

Likes: 320

4. Zach Shahan’s tweet on the electric crossover

Zach Shahan, CEO of Clean Technica, tweeted on how despite Covid-19 being the most significant event in 2020, other developments during the year including the release of Tesla Volkswagen and Ford’s new electric car models.

Tesla released its mid-size SUV named Model Y, while Volkswagen released the compact electric car ID.3, and Ford released the Mustang Mach-E. Tesla also became more valuable than oil company ExxonMobil as well as other automakers. Shahan noted that the developments marked the crossover from fossil fuel based cars to electric cars.

Username: Zach Shahan

Twitter handle: @zshahan3

Retweets: 21

Likes: 140

5. Assaad Razzouk’s tweet on wind power projects in Vietnam

Assaad Razzouk, CEO of Sindicatum, tweeted on Vietnam approving the development of 7GW of wind power capacity, which is 18 times the capacity in 2019. The country will develop this capacity across 91 onshore and offshore projects.

Vietnam plans to achieve a total wind power generation capacity of 12GW by 2025, as the country is forecast to face severe power shortages from 2023. The country is expected to require 130GW of electricity by 2030, which is double the existing 54GW capacity.

Despite the new capacity approvals, Vietnam still faces challenges in terms of stress on transmission lines due to fluctuating and intermittent electricity from clean energy sources. The country is carrying out infrastructure upgrades to deal with these challenges.

Username: Assaad Razzouk

Twitter handle: @AssaadRazzouk

Retweets: 76

Likes: 123

6. Mary Anne Hitt’s tweet on retirement of coal plants in Europe

Mary Anne Hitt, national director of Campaigns at Sierra Club, tweeted on the retirement of coal plants announced in Europe including seven in Spain and several in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Another plant is Spain will be closed despite being recently upgraded.

The announcement comes after renewable energy plants in Spain produced seven times more electricity than coal plants in 2019. Closure of the coal plants will make the country one of the fastest country to achieve decarbonisation.

Username: Mary Anne Hitt

Twitter handle: @maryannehitt

Retweets: 40

Likes: 111

7. Mark Z. Jacobson’s tweet on decarbonising the shipping industry

Mark Z. Jacobson, professor of civil and environmental engineering at Stanford University, shared an article on a Danish electric ferry called Ellen completing ten months of sea trials. The successful completion of sea trials can serve as an example for increasing the adoption of electric shipping, the article notes.

Maritime transport accounts for approximately 900 million tonnes of carbon emissions per year. A single ferry such as Ellen can help offset 2,250t of carbon dioxide per year. Decarbonisation of the shipping industry, however, is expected to cost approximately $1tn.

The shipping industry may not be willing to make new investments amid the current COVID-19 pandemic but continued investment in clean energy alternatives is essential to decarbonise the industry, the article adds.

twitter.com/mzjacobson/statuses/1287066277064790016

Username: Mark Z. Jacobson

Twitter handle: @mzjacobson

Retweets: 57

Likes: 94

8. Simon Evans on Japan’s plans to build new coal plants

Simon Evans, deputy editor at Carbon Brief, tweeted on Japan’s plans to develop new coal power plants although it plans to close some of the old fossil fuel plants. The country is heavily reliant on coal power to meet its electricity requirements and is the seventh largest emitter of green house emissions in the world.

The Japanese government plans to increase both renewable and nuclear power plants but it also plans to develop new coal power plants. The country has planned to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26% below 2013 levels by 2030, which some analysts believe is high insufficient to meet the Paris Agreement goals.

Username: Simon Evans

Twitter handle: @DrSimEvans

Retweets: 44

Likes: 86

9. Jesse Jenkins’ tweet on NextEra’s plans to develop a green hydrogen plant

Jesse Jenkins, professor at Princeton Engineering, shared an article on NextEra Energy’s plans to develop a green hydrogen plant in Florida with an estimated investment of $65m. The pilot plant will be equipped with a 20MW electrolyser to produce hydrogen using solar power.

The plant is expected to be commissioned in 2023, upon receiving approval from state authorities. The hydrogen produced by the plant will be utilised to replace the natural gas used at the Okeechobee gas-fired plant operated by NextEra’s subsidiary Florida Power & Light.

Username: JesseJenkins

Twitter handle: @JesseJenkins

Retweets: 15

Likes: 57

10. Dr Thomas Hillig’s tweet on the need for charging infrastructure

Dr Thomas Hillig, founder of consulting firm THEnergy, tweeted on the importance of charging infrastructure for emobility. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is working towards developing sustainable transportation, for which charging infrastructure will be essential.

Hillig tweeted a video of a new charger launched by Siemens in the Middle East. The company is playing a major role in providing emobility solutions in the region. The 22KW charger can charge two cars at the same time and has a compact design capable of withstanding harsh weather conditions.

Username: Dr Thomas Hillig

Twitter handle: @THEnergyNet

Retweets: 17

Likes: 43