Subscribe to our Technology & Innovation newsletter
Kenya launches Africa's largest wind farm
Lake Turkana Wind Power is expected to produce enough electricity to power 330,000 local homes.
- The new wind farm is located in a remote part of Kenya with strong winds.
- Kenya is leading Africa in terms of renewable energy and hopes to soon cease its reliance on fossil fuels altogether.
- Globally, China represents the biggest market for wind power.
Kenya has launched Africa's largest wind farm, a move that should bring the nation closer to its ambitious goal of 100 percent green energy by 2020.
Lake Turkana Wind Power includes 365 turbines in northern Kenya near Lake Turkana, a remote area with strong winds. It's estimated to produce about 310 megawatts — or enough electricity to power about 330,000 local homes — contributing approximately 15 percent of the nation's total power supply.
"Today, we again raised the bar for the continent as we unveil Africa's single largest wind farm," said Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. "Kenya is without doubt on course to be a global leader in renewable energy."
One major benefit of Lake Turkana Wind Power is that it's expected to lower costs of electricity for many of the nation's 52 million people. That's mainly because the wind farm will sell electricity to Kenya Power & Lighting Company Ltd — the nation's biggest utility company — at a fixed price. Lake Turkana Wind Power cost about $700 million to develop, and was paid for by an international consortium of lenders and producers, including the Danish Climate Investment Fund, which was established to invest in renewable energy projects in developing nations.
Carlo van Wageningen, co-founder and board member of Lake Turkana Wind Power, said the new wind farm is a "perfect example of a PPP, which is a private-public partnership."
Kenya's renewable energy sector is by far the strongest in Africa. The nation currently generates about 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, primarily hydropower and geothermal. Kenya ranks 9th in the world for its geothermal power generating capacity of up to 700 megawatts, according to the Renewables 2018 Global Status report. Lake Turkana Wind Power isn't the continent's only wind farm — other large-scale farms are currently operating in Morocco, Ethiopia and South Africa.
Globally, China is leading the way in wind power. In 2018, the nation "installed an additional capacity of 21 Gigawatt and has become the first country with an installed wind power capacity of more than 200 Gigawatt," reads a report from the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA). "It has re-taken the growth path after a not-so-strong year in 2017 when a comparatively modest 19 Gigawatt were installed. China continues its undisputed position as the world's wind power leader, with an accumulated wind capacity of 217Gigawatt."
The U.S. has the second largest wind power market, and soon will likely become the second nation to reach an installed capacity of more than 100 Gigawatts, according to the WWEA.
Befriend your ideological opposite. It’s fun.
Step inside the unlikely friendship of a former ACLU president and an ultra-conservative Supreme Court Justice.
- Former president of the ACLU Nadine Strossen and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia were unlikely friends. They debated each other at events all over the world, and because of that developed a deep and rewarding friendship – despite their immense differences.
- Scalia, a famous conservative, was invited to circles that were not his "home territory", such as the ACLU, to debate his views. Here, Strossen expresses her gratitude and respect for his commitment to the exchange of ideas.
- "It's really sad that people seem to think that if you disagree with somebody on some issues you can't be mutually respectful, you can't enjoy each other's company, you can't learn from each other and grow in yourself," says Strossen.
- The opinions expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect the views of the Charles Koch Foundation, which encourages the expression of diverse viewpoints within a culture of civil discourse and mutual respect.
Physicists find new state of matter that can supercharge technology
Scientists make an important discovery for the future of computing.
- Researchers find a new state of matter called "topological superconductivity".
- The state can lead to important advancements in quantum computing.
- Utilizing special particles that emerge during this state can lead to error-free data storage and blazing calculation speed.
Physicist advances a radical theory of gravity
Erik Verlinde has been compared to Einstein for completely rethinking the nature of gravity.
- The Dutch physicist Erik Verlinde's hypothesis describes gravity as an "emergent" force not fundamental.
- The scientist thinks his ideas describe the universe better than existing models, without resorting to "dark matter".
- While some question his previous papers, Verlinde is reworking his ideas as a full-fledged theory.
How to heal trauma with meaning: A case study in emotional evolution
As tempting as it may be to run away from emotionally-difficult situations, it's important we confront them head-on.
- Impossible-sounding things are possible in hospitals — however, there are times when we hit dead ends. In these moments, it's important to not run away, but to confront what's happening head-on.
- For a lot of us, one of the ways to give meaning to terrible moments is to see what you can learn from them.
- Sometimes certain information can "flood" us in ways that aren't helpful, and it's important to figure out what types of data you are able to take in — process — at certain times.
