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World:

¶ “Why Boosting Production Of Venezuela’s ‘Very Dense, Very Sloppy’ Oil Could Harm The Environment” • Even a modest increase in Venezuelan oil production could carry climate consequences on the scale of entire countries, experts warn. The US push to revamp and boost Venezuela’s vast oil reserves could worsen decades of ecological damage. [Euronews]

Oil tanker (Alexandr Popadin, Unsplash)

¶ “Psychological Bias On Climate Change Risks Slowing Down Progress” • Researchers at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg analyzed 83 studies involving more than 70,000 people from 17 countries. They found climate-related risks are “systematically underestimated,” even when people take the consequences of the climate crisis seriously. [Euronews]

¶ “BYD Is Launching Product Updates At The Speed Of Cell Phones” • BYD seems ready for another major wave of product updates. It has started to launch major increases in capability and technology multiple times a year. BYD seems to be taking an update approach more like cell phones than what we have been used to with EVs. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Qin L DM-i (BYD image)

¶ “China Says It Has A Deal With The EU On Steps To Resolve Dispute Over EV Imports” • China and the EU said they have agreed on steps toward resolving their dispute over the European bloc’s imports of Chinese-made electric vehicles. The EU had imposed tariffs of up to 35.3% on Chinese EV imports in 2024 following an anti-subsidy investigation. [ABC News]

¶ “50Hertz Installs Ostwind 3 Topside” • 50Hertz installed the 300-MW Ostwind 3 offshore platform in the German Batlic Sea. The platform is to collect power from Iberdrola’s Windanker wind farm and transmit the electricity to the Stilow substation, 50Hertz said. Ostwind 3 is expected to be completed on time and within budget. [reNews]

Topside installation (50Hertz image)

¶ “GB Power Imports Fall As Wind Hits Record” • British power imports fell 12% last year as wind generation reached a record high, according to Montel EnAppSys. Average net imports were 3.33 GW in 2025, around 0.5 GW lower than in 2024. The flows were predominantly in a net import position, but occasionally they flipped to net exports. [reNews]

¶ “Energy Storage Can Lift Solar Revenues By Up To 40% In Spain” • Energy storage is rapidly becoming a critical lever to enhance the profitability of solar PV projects in Spain. Estimates from AleaSoft indicate that integrating battery systems with PVs can increase revenues by up to 40%, so the PVs can have greater market value. [Strategic Energy Europe]

Energy Storage (Sandia National Laboratories, public domain)

¶ “Tailored Support For Renewable Energy Projects In SIDS And LDCs Is Important” • The Solomon Islands’ Minister of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification stressed to the 16th Session of the IRENA Assembly that tailored support for renewable energy projects in Small Island Developing States and Least Developed Countries is critical. [SIBC]

¶ “Ontario Power Generation Seeks Near-Double Rate Increase For Electricity From Nuclear Plants” • Ontario Power Generation is seeking a near-doubling of payments it receives for electricity produced by its nuclear power plants, a request that could lead to surging power bills. The rate application was submitted to the Ontario Energy Board in December. [News.iAsk.ca]

Pickering nuclear plant (Jason Paris, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “China Issues Guidelines For Industrial Green Microgrids Expansion” • China issued new guidelines for green microgrids in the industrial sector. They say newly built renewable power projects at industrial enterprises and parks must ensure that at least 60% of their electricity is consumed locally or in nearby areas on an annual basis. [Asian Power]

US:

¶ “New York Sues Over Empire And Sunrise shutdowns” • New York is the third state to sue the Trump administration over its blanket shutdown of offshore wind projects under construction. New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a pair of lawsuits challenging the move to halt Equinor’s 810-MW Empire Wind 1 and Orsted’s 924-MW Sunrise Wind. [reNews]

Letitia James (NY AG Office image)

¶ “The Long US Goodbye To New Gas Connections And The Legal Tools States Are Using To Get There” • Gas bans in new buildings have moved from municipal policy to national legal conflict in short order. City ordinances on natural gas hookups used to be treated as a local matter, until the federal government decided to push into the matter. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ørsted, Skyborn To Restart Revolution Build” • Ørsted and Skyborn will restart construction of the 704-MW Revolution Wind project off the US north-east coast as soon as possible after a judge granted the partners an injunction against a US BOEM stop-work order. Revolution Wind has already installed all of its foundations and 58 of 65 wind turbines. [reNews]

Wind turbine construction (Ørsted image)

¶ “Tiny Canadian Startup Picks Up The Electric Truck, Van, And Bus Ball” • The vehicle electrification movement looked like it was grinding to a halt in the US last year, but signs of a rebirth are already emerging. The latest example is a new electric truck, bus, and van factory in New Mexico by the Canadian startup GreenPower Motor Company. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Federal Policy Makers Can’t Stop The Demand For Solar Power” • Solar is the fastest, most economical way to add power to the nation’s grid. That’s why solar investors still pump money into the US market. The latest example is a newly expanded $80 million line of credit for the Virginia-based solar real estate financing firm SolaREIT. [CleanTechnica]

Have an exquisitely beautiful day.

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World:

¶ “Hydrogen Pipeline With No Users Will Raise Germany’s Electricity Prices” • Germany has completed the first 400 km segment of its hydrogen pipeline. The pipes are in the ground, the compressors work, and the system itself is ready. It has one problem. It connects no meaningful hydrogen suppliers with no contracted customers. [CleanTechnica]

First hydrogen station (SchiDD, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Kia Unveils New EV3 GT, EV4 Hatchback GT, And EV5 GT” • Hyundai and Kia had one heck of a party this week in Europe. They launched the compact but practical Kia EV2 as well as the Hyundai STARIA electric van. And that’s not all! While launching the EV2, Kia also introduced the EV3 GT, the EV4 Hatchback GT, and the EV5 GT. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Zeekr Launches New 7GT In Europe” • For the Brussels Motor Show, Chinese EV brand Zeekr launched its new 7GT model for the European market. It’s not as expensive as one might expect. The starting price is just €45,990 for the rear wheel drive model, €50,990 for the Long Range RWD version and €57,490 for the Privilege all wheel drive version. [CleanTechnica]

Zeekr 7X (JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC0 1.0, cropped)

¶ “US Turbulence ‘Could Hit Other Offshore Markets'” • Vestas chief executive Henrik Andersen warned of “negative spillover” from US offshore wind upheaval that could push up the cost of capital for global projects. The comments from the Vestas chief executive and WindEurope president were reported by the Financial Times. [reNews]

¶ “RPC And Greenfield Win Consent For BESS” • Renewable Power Capital and Greenfield have secured planning permission for the 30-MW Coventry and 49-MW Sudmeadow Road battery energy storage projects. According to the companies, the projects follow planning consents gained in 2025 for five sites in England and Wales. [reNews]

Battery system (RPC and Greenfield image)

¶ “Scatec Signs Egypt PPA For hybrid” • Scatec signed a Power Purchase Agreement with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company in Egypt. The deal covers 1.95 GW of solar and 3.9 GWh of battery storage. The company said the agreement includes one integrated solar and BESS hybrid system designed to deliver round-the-clock power. [reNews]

¶ “Pakistan Sets Ambitious 60% Renewable Energy Target By 2030″ • Pakistan set a target for 60% renewable energy in its power mix by 2030, as the country continues its rapid transition to cleaner energy sources. Pakistan’s Coordinator on Climate Change Romina Khurshid Alam announced the goal at the 16th IRENA Assembly in Abu Dhabi. [Geo News]

Solar system (Ab PrinceGabol, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “India’s Non-Fossil Fuel Capacity Hit Record 266.78 GW In 2025″ • India has reached a record-breaking year in 2025, with non-fossil fuel installed capacity rising to 266.78 GW, up 22.6% from 2024. Solar power led the expansion, with its installed capacity reaching 135.81 GW, for a growth of 38.8%. Windpower reaching 54.51 GW, increasing 13.2%. [Asian Power]

¶ “Egypt Seals $1.8 Billion Renewable Energy Deals With China And Norway” • Egypt signed agreements worth over $1.8 billion with Norway’s Scatec and China’s Sungrow to develop two major renewable energy projects, marking a major expansion of the nation’s green energy infrastructure, according to a statement by the Cabinet. [Egypt Oil & Gas]

Wind turbines in Egypt (Fathy Mossad Amer, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “China Advances The Jinqimen Nuclear Project With Plans For Six Reactor Units In Zhejiang” • The China National Nuclear Corporation poured the first concrete for the nuclear island at the new Jinqimen nuclear power plant in Zhejiang province. This marks a significant step in advancing the nuclear energy market in China. [Energies Media]

US:

¶ “How Trump Has Rolled Back Climate Progress In The First Ten Days Of 2026″ • Just ten days into 2026, and Donald Trump has already launched a series of attacks on the climate. The US administration has been peeling away from admitting its part in the climate crisis, despite being the second largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. [Euronews]

Donald Trump (The White House, public domain)

¶ “GM Hit With $6 Billion In Charges As EV Incentives Cut And Emissions Standards Fade” • General Motors will be hit with charges of about $6 billion as sales of EVs sputter after the US cut tax incentives to buy them while it also eased auto emissions standards. GM took a $1.6 billion charge for the same reason in the previous quarter. [ABC News]

¶ “No Wonder Oil Execs Are Skittish, They Know Perovskite Solar Cells Are Coming” • The combination of perovskites with silicon produces a low-cost solar cell with higher efficiency. With that, a fresh wave of perovskite solar cell innovation is adding even more reason to wonder whether the US will ever sell the oil it’s taking from Venezuela. [CleanTechnica]

Perovskite-silicon solar cell (Courtesy of Tandem PV)

¶ “Empire Denied Plea To Finish Safety Jobs Before Shutdown” • The Officials of the US Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement denied a request by Equinor for permission to complete several offshore works on the 810-MW Empire Wind 1 that Equinor said were “necessary to prevent impacts to health, safety or the environment.” [reNews]

¶ “Underground Nuclear Power Plant Construction Is Underway In Kansas” • Deep Fission has started work on the small nuclear reactor it intends to build one mile underground in the town of Parsons, Kansas. The construction is underway at the Great Plains Industrial Park, which is a former site of the Kansas Army Ammunition Plant. [Oklahoma Energy Today]

Have a gleefully joyous day.

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World:

¶ “Ukrainian Drones Set Fire To Russian Oil Depot After Moscow Launches New Missile” • A Ukrainian drone strike sparked a fire at an oil depot in Russia’s southern Volgograd region, regional authorities said. Ukraine’s long-range drone strikes on Russian energy sites aim to deprive Moscow of the oil export revenue it needs to pursue its full-scale invasion. [ABC News]

Volgograd refinery (Governor of Volgograd Oblast, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Canada’s LNG Mirage: Why Most Projects Won’t Be Built And Taxpayers Won’t See The Payoff” • Canada has plans for LNG export infrastructure as if global gas demand growth will persist for decades. With the rapid worldwide deployment of solar and batteries, and rising costs of financing, most proposed LNG capacity will not be built. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Global Centre For Maritime Decarbonisation’s Trial Shows Shipboard Carbon Capture Is A Dead End” • The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation’s Project CAPTURED life cycle assessment finally grounds the discussion in measured data in an end-to-end value chain. It shows that presenting onboard CCS as an effective bridge is misleading. [CleanTechnica]

Container ship (Anastasios Antoniadis, Unsplash)

¶ “2025 Ends with an Uptick in Australian Plugin Vehicle Sales” • In December 2025, 10,384 battery EVs and 5,919 plugin hybrids were sold in the Australian market. A total 101,513 passenger were vehicles sold, and 16,303 came with a plug. These numbers show a penetration rate of 16.7%. And they are up from about 10% sold in December 2024. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Irish Regulator Publishes Offshore Wind Lease Rules” • The Maritime Area Regulatory Authority, the Irish marine regulator, published its competitive framework for offshore wind leasing. The framework is intended to complement Ireland’s approach to offshore renewable energy development and to support national climate and energy targets. [reNews]

Offshore substation (RWE image)

¶ “Electricity From Abroad! India Forms Historic Energy Alliance With Saudi Arabia, UAE” • India is set to collaborate with Saudi Arabia and the UAE on a unique energy exchange project. The initiative will have undersea power cables, enabling seamless electricity trade between the countries. Electricity will go in either direction, as required. [News24]

¶ “Renewables Jobs Slow Down Amid Global Deployment Growth” • Despite renewable energy installations hitting a new peak, jobs in the sector only increased by 2.3% from 2023, to 16.6 million in 2024. Reports highlight increasing impacts of political and economic friction, as well as growing automation, to the renewable energy workforce. [IRENA]

PV worker (IRENA image)

¶ “Fossil Fuel Subsidies Lead The US And EU Into Industrial Decline” • While the US is focusing on fossil fuel extraction, a worldwide transformation is taking place. CO₂ emissions have been stagnating or declining in China for over a year and a half. Against this backdrop, climate and energy expert Hans-Josef Fell sees the world at a crossroads. [Truthout]

¶ “What The Market Gets Wrong About Renewables” • According to a German study, the next target or victim of renewables could be base load power generation itself. The study was set to answer a single question: Could the German economy decarbonize in 20 years relying on just incremental investment in renewables? The answer is definite: “Yes.” [OilPrice.com]

German solar park (Phoenix Solar AG, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Nation With Very Little Sun Defies Misconceptions As Solar Energy Overtakes Other Power Sources” • Germany is defying conventional wisdom with the growth of its solar energy. The country’s solar sector celebrated a symbolic milestone in 2025, as solar power’s share of electricity generation represented 18% of Germany’s electricity. [The Cool Down]

US:

¶ “Stellantis Scraps 4xe Plug-In Hybrid Platform For The US” • Consumer Reports recently found that plugin hybrids have much more problems than conventional cars. Stellantis announced this week that the Jeep Wrangler 4xe and the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe will not be offered for sale to customers in North America for the 2026 model year. [CleanTechnica]

Goodbye Jeep Grand Cherokee 4Xe (Charles, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Fast EV Charger Ports Coming To Brooklyn” • XCharge North America has partnered with Energy Plus on an EV charging hub in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The hub, with 88 fast charging ports, will be backed by 9.6 MWh of batteries. This allows electricity for the hub to be purchased when the demand for electricity is low and it has a low price. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “‘Cowboy Chernobyl’ Nuclear Reactor Backed By Bill Gates Races Toward Approval In Wyoming” • A nuclear reactor backed by Bill Gates, but called “Cowboy Chernobyl” by critics, rushes toward approval in rural Wyoming, alarming both residents and nuclear safety experts as regulators fast-track the project under a Trump-era order. [AOL.com]

Have a nicely refined day.

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World:

¶ “How Clean Energy Could Save Us Trillions Of Dollars” • By replacing fossil fuels with cheaper renewables and smarter grids, the global economy can avoid trillions of dollars in costs. The core paradox is that by investing more today, the world can turn the energy transition into one of the most lucrative cost‑saving opportunities in modern history. [MSN]

Wind turbines (Zac Wolff, Unsplash)

¶ “Pacifico Energy Starts Operations At Its 30-MW Wind Farm In The Mekong Delta” • Pacifico Energy Vietnam, a development platform of Pacifico Energy Group, has announced the start of commercial operations at its 30-MW Sunpro Wind Farm. The wind farm adds capacity to Vietnam’s grid and supports its transition to clean energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Triple Point Funds 57-MW Scottish Wind Project” • Triple Point agreed to arrange debt funding for the 57-MW Whitelaw Brae wind farm in the Scottish Borders. The investment manager said the project is owned by Fair Play Clean Energy Limited, a joint venture between Thrive Renewables plc and TopCashback Sustainability Ltd. [reNews]

Wind farm (Thrive Renewables image)

¶ “Quebec Clears 122-MW Canton MacNider Build” • Parc éolien Canton MacNider Commandité has government authorization to build the 122-MW Canton MacNider wind farm between Saint-Damase and Saint-Noël in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. Construction of the wind farm is to begin in the coming weeks to meet the schedule Hydro-Québec agreed to. [reNews]

¶ “Sekikaiji Buys SMD Trencher For Japan” • Sekikaiji Industry has expanded its submarine cable installation capability with the purchase of new trenching equipment from SMD for use in the Japanese offshore wind market. The company said he vehicle system and tracker align with the demands of Japan’s emerging offshore wind sector. [reNews]

SMD trencher (SMD image)

¶ “Green Party Welcomes ‘Overdue Investment’ In Malta’s Electricity Distribution Network” • The Green Party welcomed the announcement of investment to strengthen the electricity distribution network in Malta.This comes after years of neglect that contributed to frequent power cuts and undermined energy reliability for ratepayers. [The Malta Independent]

US:

¶ “Trump Says His ‘Own Morality’ Is Limit To His Global Power” • In an interview with The New York Times Trump was asked whether there were any limits to his global powers. Reportedly, he said, “Yeah, there is one thing. My own morality. It’s the only thing that can stop me.” He added, “I don’t need international law. I’m not looking to hurt people.” [ABC News]

Donald Trump (“The Trump White House”, public domain)

¶ “Mining, Climate And Smokescreens: What’s Driving Trump’s Interest In Greenland?” • Trump’s growing interest in Greenland highlights the nation’s largely untapped mineral resources. Many experts argue they are key to phasing out fossil fuels. Acquiring Greenland may help the US reduce its dependency on China, but is Trump’s plan really that simple? [Euronews]

¶ “EPA Rejects Colorado’s Regional Haze Plan, Including Coal Plant Retirement Dates” • The EPA rejected Colorado’s Regional Haze Plan, illegally undermining the state’s efforts to rein in pollution from coal-fired power plants and other industrial sources. The state’s plan includes coal plants retirements that utilities had proposed voluntarily. [CleanTechnica]

Colorado (Leslie Cross, Unsplash)

¶ “Environmental Groups Demand Georgia PSC Reconsider Data Center Energy Plan Overreach” • Environmental groups filed a motion to reconsider Georgia Power’s RFP, which the PSC approved on December 19. The plan could lock Georgia utility ratepayers into higher bills for decades while increasing methane pollution. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Mystery Of The Massachusetts Battery Tender” • The first big energy storage tender in Massachusetts was based on a state law that doesn’t specify how much energy is to be stored. What it specifies is ranges of how long batteries can deliver at full power. But what batteries can be used? Lithium batteries can’t deliver for some of the times specified. [CleanTechnica]

Iron-air battery facility (Form Energy image)

¶ “New York Attorney General Sues Trump Administration Over Offshore Wind Project Freeze” • New York’s Attorney General Letitia James sued the Trump administration over its decision to halt two major offshore wind projects. She said the Interior Department’s December 22 order to suspend construction was arbitrary and unwarranted. [ABC News]

¶ “Equinor Warns Empire Wind Faces Cancellation If Restart Is Delayed” • Equinor told a US federal district court that if critical construction activities at its 810-MW Empire Wind 1 do not resume by 16 January, “cascading effects” will likely result in the project’s cancellation. Installation of the offshore substation is on a particularly tight schedule. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (Robert Yang, Unsplash)

¶ “Trump Replaces NRC Chair As He Remakes Agency” • Ho Nieh was appointed chair of the NRC by President Trump. Nieh emphasized his support of Trump’s executive order to change the NRC by reorganizing staff, reconsidering safety standards and setting 18-month deadlines to review nuclear reactor safety designs. [E&E News by POLITICO]

¶ “New York’s Energy Plan Bets On Nuclear Power To Hit Clean Energy Targets” • New York City is doing well on clean energy, but the state is falling beind on its renewable energy pledges overall. The state’s newest energy plan, released late last year, is shaking things up by introducing nuclear energy as a critical part of the state’s decarbonization roadmap. [Yahoo]

Have a stunningly simple day.

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World:

¶ “US Plans To ‘Dictate’ Venezuelan Oil Sales Amid Further Tanker Seizures” • The White House said that Venezuela’s interim government decisions will be “dictated by the United States,” as Washington seized two oil tankers and announced plans to control all sales of the country’s petroleum following the capture of Nicolás Maduro. [Euronews]

Oil Tanker (Scott Tobin, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Tesla’s Germany Sales Down 72% From Their Peak!” • After 2022, Tesla had a modest but clear drop in sales in 2023, then followed it with a collapse in sales in 2024. Tesla was supposed to bounce back last year thanks to the refreshed Model Y coming to town, but the fall wasn’t over. Sales dropped significantly further in 2025 – almost 50%! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “They Really Are Shooting Data Centers Up Into Space, Where Solar Power Is Free” • The temptation of limitless solar power, ambient cooling, and freedom from the aches and pains of terrestrial development has prompted a mad scramble for a piece of the space data center action. The latest to join the fray is Singapore-based Orbit AI. [CleanTechnica]

To take advantage of solar 24/7 (Orbit AI image)

¶ “Tesla’s Dramatic Fall In The UK In 2025, And BYD’s Rise!” • Tesla sales dropped 10% in the UK last year from 2024. A 10% drop certainly isn’t Tesla’s worst. It had far more disappointing results in other markets. But the UK EV market grew 24%. The 10% drop looks especially poor, considering that BYD sales rose from 8,788 in 2024 to 51,422 in 2025! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Europe Needs €1.5 Trillion Renewables Investment By 2050” • Europe will need around €1.5 trillion in cumulative investment by 2050 to triple its renewable energy capacity, according to Aurora Energy Research’s 2026 European Renewables Market Overview Report. Nearly €600 billion of this will be required by 2030 alone. [reNews]

Wind turbines (Anthony Ketland, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Matrix Seals Tesla EPC Deal For 1-GWh Battery System” • Matrix Renewables has signed an EPC contract with Tesla for a 500-MW, 1-GWh standalone battery energy storage system in the village of Eccles, Scotland. According to Bracewell, the deal will support the UK’s transition to a clean, secure, and resilient power system. [reNews]

¶ “China’s Connects The World’s First GWh-Scale Energy Storage Project Using Supercapacitors” • China’s largest supercapacitor-based hybrid energy storage system has been successfully connected to the grid in northwest China. This marks a milestone for hybrid of lithium-based energy storage system and supercapacitor. [ESS News]

Energy storage (Sermatec image)

US:

¶ “Could Venezuelan Oil Bring Down US Gas Prices? Experts Weigh In” • President Trump may tout its value, but Venezuelan oil will likely provide little relief for gas prices paid by Americans over the coming months, analysts told ABC News. They cited the relatively small amount of oil at stake in the near term and a glut of crude flooding global markets. [ABC News]

¶ “Trump Withdraws US From UN Climate Treaty And 65 Other Global Bodies” • President Trump signed an executive order suspending Washington’s participation in dozens of UN agencies, commissions, and advisory panels focused on climate, labour, migration, and other issues that his administration describes as promoting “woke” initiatives. [Euronews]

Donald Trump, 2026 (The White House, public domain)

¶ “The US Had Nearly Two Dozen Billion-Dollar Weather And Climate Disasters In 2025” • The US had nearly two dozen billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2025, causing at least 276 fatalities and costing a total of $115 billion in damages. But for the first time, NOAA did not release the comprehensive analysis on the disasters. [ABC News]

¶ “UL Solutions Debuts Testing And Certification Framework For Safer Plug-In Solar In The US” • UL Solutions announced that it has launched a plug-in solar system testing and certification program, establishing a clear, dedicated testing framework that will help provide a pathway for the safer adoption of this energy generation technology. [CleanTechnica]

Plug-in solar installation (UL Solutions image)

¶ “Treaty Oak Starts Construction On 385 MW Of Solar Projects In Louisiana” • Treaty Oak Clean Energy has announced the start of construction on two solar power facilities in Louisiana, soon after their financial close. They are the 185-MW Beekman Solar Project in Morehouse Parish and the 200-MW Hollis Creek Solar Project in Sabine Parish. [Power Technology]

¶ “USA’s First Public EV-Charging Road – Where To Next?” • Motor City, the former automotive center of Detroit, is the first place in the US to have a public EV-charging road. It charges EVs wirelessly as they drive along it. It is one mile long and comes from the Michigan Department of Transportation, while the tech comes from Electreon. [CleanTechnica]

EV-charging road (Electreon image)

¶ “Pritzker Signs Major Energy Reform Bill Amid Projected Shortages” • Amid warnings of impending energy shortages, Governor JB Pritzker signed a energy reform package aimed at bolstering the state’s power grids. The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act will fund battery storage and lift a ban on new nuclear plants, among other things. [WIFR]

¶ “Meta Signs Nuclear Energy Deals To Power Prometheus Ai Supercluster” • Meta announced agreements with three nuclear power providers, including one backed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, as part of its efforts to secure needed resources for its AI ambitions. The agreements relate to a Meta computing system to be built at a data center in Ohio. [CNBC]

Have a distinctly helpful day.

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(, CC-BY-SA 3.0) km² CO₂ NH₃ CH₄ ₹ NOₓ ‽ ♦♦♦♦♦

Science and Technology:

¶ “MOCHI Blocks 90% Of Heat Transfer In Windows” • Windows do let sunshine in, but they also transmit heat in both directions. About 40% of all energy use is for heating and cooling buildings. Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder say they have invented a coating that lets 99% of light through while it reduces heat transfer by 90%. [CleanTechnica]

Mesoporous Optically Clear Heat Insulator
(Glenn Asakawa, CU Boulder)

World:

¶ “Why Scientists Worry That Greenland’s Prudhoe Ice Dome Could Melt Away” • Scientists warn that it is “only a matter of time” until Greenland’s Prudhoe Dome starts to melt away due to climate change. Its demise might cause 73 cm of sea level rise. Copernicus says each centameter puts roughly six million more people at risk of coastal flooding. [Euronews]

¶ “From ‘Psychedelic’ Spiders To European Eels: 10 Species Heading Into 2026 On The Brink Of Extinction” • Habitat loss, deforestation, the illegal wildlife trade, and climate change are pushing these extraordinary species towards extinction. The international nature charity Fauna & Flora has launched its 2026 Species to Watch list. [Euronews]

Clouded Leopard (Dr Raju Kasambe, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “US Seizes Russian-flagged Oil Tanker In North Atlantic And One Other Tanker” • The US seized two oil tankers linked to Venezuela, including the Russian-flagged Marinera oil tanker that had evaded a US blockade back in December. The other seized tanker was in the Caribbean, according to the Homeland Security Secretary chief. [ABC News]

¶ “Global EV Sales Leaders: Top Selling Brands And OEMs” • In November, BYD remained the top for sales. Tesla was second, despite continuously falling sales, while Geely scored yet another record month thanks to strong performances throughout its lineup, with six models posted 10,000-plus unit performances in November. [CleanTechnica]

BYD EV (Michael Förtsch, Unsplash)

¶ “Orrön Energy Secures UK Grid Links For 2.9 GW” • Orrön Energy secured grid connections for six UK projects totaling an estimated 2.9 GW as part of the country’s grid reform process. The portfolio includes three solar projects with a combined estimated capacity of 1.8 GW and three data center projects totaling an estimated 1.1 GW. [reNews]

¶ “Ming Yang Unveils Recyclable 110-Meter Blade” • Ming Yang Smart Energy has rolled out the MySE23X, described as the world’s first fully recyclable carbon fibre wind turbine blade. The blade exceeds 110 metres in length and optimises degradation conditions while expanding the recyclable material system, according to Ming Yang. [reNews]

Recyclable blade (Ming Yang image)

¶ “Victoria Approves 600-MW Kentbruck Green Power Hub” • Australia approved the 600-megawatt Kentbruck Green Power Hub near Nelson in Victoria. The project can proceed following the Environment Effects Statement process. The wind farm will have up to 105 turbines and generate roughly 2,000 GWh of renewable energy each year. [Asian Power]

¶ “European Energy Hits 2.1 GW In Denmark” • European Energy has reached 2100 MW of grid-connected solar, wind and battery capacity in Denmark following the connection of Glejbjerg solar park and a battery system at Kvosted energy park. The company said the portfolio includes over 40 projects commissioned between 2013 and 2025. [reNews]

Glejbjerg solar park (European Energy image)

¶ “Record Year For Renewables Eases Prices And Pollution As Coal Clunkers Go Missing” • In Queensland, 2025 was a record year for renewable energy. Fossil fuel electricity generation was the lowest the state has seen in decades, so there was price and pollution relief. Evan so, the LNP Government is ideologically committed to gas and coal. [Renew Economy]

US:

¶ “Trump Says He Spoke To Oil Companies Before Venezuela Attack But Didn’t Brief Lawmakers” • Trump spoke to US oil companies prior to the raid on Venezuela, though he said he opted to forego disclosure to members of Congress ahead of time due to concerns about possible leaks. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was taken in the attack. [ABC News]

Pump jack (Jeff W, Unsplash)

¶ “XCharge North America And Energy Plus Partner To Build One Of The Largest Battery-Backed EV Charging Depots In The US” • XCharge North America, the North American subsidiary of XCHG Limited, announced that it partnered with Energy Plus, a leader in energy-efficiency and electrification, to transform New York’s EV charging landscape. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “How To Lose The War On Renewable Energy” • US energy policy took a sharp turn against renewable energy beginning on January 20, 2025. Almost one year later, signs that the policy has failed have already emerged. In the power generation sector, wind and solar have continued to dominate capacity additions by a wide margin. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbine (Cyrus Crossan, Unsplash)

¶ “Sunrise Cancellation Would Cost Ørsted $8 Billion” • The Trump regime suspension of the 924-MW Sunrise Wind project is costing Ørsted upward of $1 million per day, and a complete cancellation of the project would cost the Danish giant over $8 billion. Ørsted filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The figures were in a filing. [reNews]

¶ “Building A Fusion-Ready Workforce: Why STEM And Trades Education Are Key To America’s Energy Future” • The US has a gap to fill in nuclear fusion R&D and workforce development. US public investment lags behind rival nations, slowing progress on commercialization and leaving a shortage of skilled workers to replace aging talent. [Yahoo News Canada]

Have a reputably worthy day.

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World:

¶ “As Trump Pitches Venezuelan Oil Dream For US Companies, Experts Warn It Won’t Be Cheap Or Easy” • President Trump has his sights on Venezuela’s oil. If consolidated with US oil business, about one third of global oil reserves could end up under the US’ control. But experts are skeptical about Trump’s plans, saying they won’t be cheap or easy. [Euronews]

Oil wells on Lake Maracaibo (LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Trump Demands Venezuela Kick Out China And Russia, Then Partner Only With US On Oil” • The Trump administration told Venezuela’s interim president that the regime must meet its demands before being allowed to pump any more oil: First, kick out China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba; then partner with the US on oil production and favor the US on sales. [ABC News]

¶ “Why Venezuela’s Oil Won’t Matter And Why Heavy Crude Is First Off the Market” • The idea of the importance of Venezuelan oil is usually framed as a latent supply story: A large reserve base exists somewhere and could be tapped if only politics aligned. The story is partly based on the mistaken idea that oil is a single interchangeable commodity. [CleanTechnica]

Oil tanker (Ian Simmonds, Unsplash)

¶ “NIO Passes A Million Vehicles” • “NIO’s millionth vehicle rolled off the production line at NIO Factory Two in Hefei, Anhui Province, marking another significant milestone for the company,” NIO wrote. NIO decided to donate this millionth vehicle. The NIO ES8 was donated to the Micius Quantum Foundation in Anhui, China. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ecopower Bags €200 Million For Irish Wind Build” • Irish developer Ecopower has secured over €200 million of project financing that will enable construction at a 100-MW wind farm with 22 turbines in the Republic of Ireland. The project has not been named but is understood to be for the Upperchurch project in County Tipperary. [reNews]

Rahora windfarm, Kilkenny (Ecopower image)

¶ “Boralex Powers Up Its First North American Storage Site” • Boralex commissioned the 80-MW, 320-MWh Sanjgon battery energy storage facility in Ontario, its first operational storage site in North America. The company said the project, developed with Walpole Island First Nation, marks a major milestone in its 2030 strategy and expansion into large-scale storage. [reNews]

¶ “Nordex Lands 414-MW European Turbine Haul” • Nordex has secured orders for fifteen wind projects in France, Belgium and Portugal totaling more than 414 MW. The company said the contracts cover 78 turbines and include multi-year service and maintenance arrangements. Nordex added that all turbine deliveries are scheduled for 2027. [reNews]

Wind turbine (Nordex image)

¶ “Bowen Says Renewables Transition Is On Track After 7 GW Is Added To The Grid In 2025” • Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen insists Australia is on track to meet the government’s flagship target of 82% renewable energy by 2030. Solar, wind, and other renewables supplied about 50% of all power in the grid in the last quarter of 2025. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “UTS solar And Wind PPA To Power Sydney Campus” • In a move to accelerate its Climate Positive Plan, the University of Technology Sydney has secured a 10-year Power Purchase Agreement with Australian renewable energy retailer, Flow Power. The PPA is unique, as it provides a virtual link to specific, traceable renewable projects. [Ecogeneration]

University of Technology Sydney campus (UTS image)

¶ “Japan Stops Chubu Electric’s Nuclear Review Due To Flawed Seismic Data” • Japan’s nuclear regulatorsaid it was halting the review to restart Chubu Electric Power’s only nuclear ​plant, two days after the ‍company ⁠reported bad seismic data handling ‍for the review. The Hamaoka ‍nuclear plant has been idled ‌since the 2011 Fukushima Disaster. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶ “Ford EV Sales Drop In The US, But Not As Badly As We Had Expected” • Somewhat happily, Ford did better than we expected in the fourth quarter. It didn’t do really well, like Cadillac, but it had a loss of EV sales like Kia and Volkswagen. We say somewhat happily because, let’s be frank, the results aren’t good. They just aren’t truly terrible. [CleanTechnica]

Ford Mustang Mach-E (Adrian Newell, Unsplash)

¶ “Enormous Chevrolet EV Sales Drop In The Fourth Quarter” • GM is doing well with Cadillac, whose sales in the fourth quarter were about the same in 2026 as they were in 2025, despite the change in incentives. Sales of most Chevrolet brands are taking a hit, however. The Silverado EV’s drop was not as big, but it was of low volume to begin with. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Connecticut, Rhode Island Sue Over Revolution Wind” • The states of Connecticut and Rhode Island have asked a federal District Court for an injunction against President Trump’s suspension of work on Ørsted’s 704-MW Revolution Wind. Both states are set to acquire power from the project, which Orsted said is 87% complete. [reNews]

Offshore wind marshaling site (Ørsted image)

¶ “A Tesla Finally Completes Coast-To-Coast Journey Driving Itself The Whole Way!” • In October 2016, Elon Musk said that by the end of 2017, a Tesla would drive completely by itself from Los Angeles to New York City. That didn’t happen. And it didn’t happen year after year, for a long time. But nearly a decade later, it did finally happen. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ørsted Challenges Sunrise Wind Lease Suspension” • Ørsted will file a complaint in the US District Court for the District of Columbia challenging a lease suspension order that the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued in December for the 924-MW Sunrise Wind project. Ørsted believes the lease suspension order violates applicable law. [reNews]

Have a wisely intentional day.

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World:

¶ “How The Oceans’ Coral Reefs Could Be The Secret Weapon To Tackle Food Insecurity Around The World” • Overfishing and global warming are depleting food from our oceans, but if we rebuild reef life, it could help provide millions of meals every year. Coral reefs could become a crucial part of the pathway to help fight global hunger. [Euronews]

Coral reef (NEOM, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Making Peatlands A Green Economy In Ireland’s Midlands” • The Irish Midlands, with its vast peatlands, faces a profound crisis. For generations, the local economy relied on harvesting peat for fuel, a practice that produces a significant CO₂ emissions. Peatlands for Prosperity is trying to help the region transition to a sustainable future. [Euronews]

¶ “Crude Oil Prices Down In 2025 Due To Oversupply” • With China’s auto market rapidly electrifying, Europe’s auto market electrifying, and now even many other auto markets around the world electrifying, an oversupply of oil may be the name of the game for a long time. We might ask why US President Trump is convinced that oil is important. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “World’s First Production Solid-State Battery!” • A small company in Finland, Donutlabs, has announced the world’s first production solid-state battery. The batteries are rated at 400 Wh/kg. Verge Motorcycles has incorporated Donutlabs’ true solid-state battery into two motorcycles, giving them up to 600 km (360 miles) of range. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “ABS Clears Seatrium Offshore Substation Design” • ABS has issued approval in principle for Seatrium’s next-generation offshore substation design featuring 500-MW modules. Offshore substations are critical for transferring and exporting power from wind farms, Robert Langford, ABS vice president global renewables, said. [reNews]

Seatrium offshore aubstation (Seatrium image)

¶ “Spain Starts New €355 Million Manufacturing Program For Renewable Energy” • The Spanish government is going down the route a bit that President Biden and Democrats went down. It is subsidizing the manufacturing of various renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, with €355 million under Spain’s recovery and resilience plan. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Acta Marine Takes Delivery Of Acta Pegasus” • Acta Marine has taken delivery of the Acta Pegasus, its fourth walk-to-work vessel and a DP2 construction service operation vessel. The company said the newbuild is the first in a series of four vessels under construction at Tersan Shipyard and will operate under the French flag from Montoir-de-Bretagne. [reNews]

Acta Pegasus (Acta image)

¶ “Poland Readies Grid For Offshore Wind” • PSE, the Polish grid operator, confirmed its transmission system is ready to accept power from the first offshore wind farms. The company said the new Choczewo station, the expanded Żarnowiec station, and the 400-kV line between them are prepared to transmit energy from Baltic Sea projects. [reNews]

¶ “Chubu Electric Shares Tumble On Seismic Review Concerns At Hamaoka Nuclear Plant” • Japanese utility Chubu Electric Power shares fell by the most in more than thirteen years after it disclosed possible problems with how it evaluated seismic waves at an idled nuclear plant during a regulatory review required for a restart. [MSN]

Hamaoka Nuclear Plant (Cubu Electric Power Co, CC BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Trump’s Plans To ‘Exploit’ Venezuela’s Oil Reserves Sparks Climate Backlash” • After claiming the US has de facto control over Venezuela, the US says it will be “very strongly involved” in its oil industry. Trump said he will send large US oil companies to repair oil infrastructure and start “making money for the country.” He sparked heavy backlash. [Euronews]

¶ “Report: Nuclear Power Isn’t Viable In Hawaiʻi” • The Hawaiʻi State Energy Office has released the final report of the Nuclear Energy Working Group created by the state legislature under SCR-136. The report concludes that nuclear power is not viable in Hawaiʻi and that the state should not change its laws or its constitution to enable it. [Honolulu Civil Beat]

Hawaii (Ganapathy Kumarl, Unsplash)

¶ “‘Massive’ Venezuelan Oil Reserve Would Pose Challenges For US Firms, According To Experts” • A potential effort to extract and sell Venezuelan oil could prove a financial boon for major US oil firms but it would run up against major challenges, some analysts say. Ramping up oil production would require billions of dollars of investment over several years. [ABC News]

¶ “Cadillac EV Sales Up Year Over Year In 4th Quarter!” • Despite the $7,500 US EV tax credit ending at the end of the 3rd quarter, leading to a rush of EV purchases before October and then a big dropoff in sales after that, Cadillac actually sold more electric vehicles in the 4th quarter of 2025 than it had aols in the 4th quarter of 2024. [CleanTechnica]

Cadillac OPTIQ (Cadillac image)

¶ “The All-Electric Toyota C-HR EV Really Is Coming To The US” • Toyota plans to launch its all-electric C-HR crossover in the US this year, going mano-a-mano against industry leader Tesla while blithely ignoring the White House war on EVs, too. Toyota may have learned that customers will choose an EV when the right one comes along. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Massachusetts Delays Signing Offshore Wind Contracts” • Massachusetts again delayed finalizing contracts for two offshore wind projects that had been selected at auction in September 2024. Ocean Winds’ 1,287-MW SouthCoast Wind and Iberdrola’s 791-MW New England Wind 1 arrays were delayed due to federal uncertainty. [reNews]

Have a rewardingly worthwhile day.

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(, CC-BY-SA 3.0) km² CO₂ NH₃ CH₄ ₹ NOₓ ‽ ♦♦♦♦♦

Opinion:

¶ “Theories On Venezuela Continue, But Is Greenland Next? And Who Else?” • When Donald Trump’s professional kidnappers snatched up Nicolás and Cilia Maduro, there was immediately confusion and a trove of questions about what was going on, why, and where it was all going to lead? Is it about oil? Distraction from Epstein? Or is it the power? [CleanTechnica]

Greenland (Jean-Christophe André, Pexels)

¶ “Everything You Need To Know About Venezuelan Oil In One Word: Jeffrey Epstein” • Like the proverbial bull in the china shop, US President Donald Trump spent his first year back in office the way any twice-impeached, convicted felon would: trying to distract public attention away from his relationship with a notorious sex offender. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Visible Signal Of Climate Extremes: Unexpected Wildflower Blooms Spark Concern” • Hundreds of wildflower species have bloomed this winter, as climate extremes trigger a drastic “shift” to their natural cycle. Following the extreme weather of 2025, the UK’s Met Office warned that the nation’s flora has become a “visible signal” of the climate crisis. [Euronews]

Daisies (micheile henderson, Unsplash)

¶ “Spain And Five Latin American Countries Reject US Attack On Venezuela” • Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay issued a joint statement rejecting ‘the unilateral military operations in Venezuela’ and warn against exploiting its natural resources. They say the operation to oust Maduro was a violation of international law. [Euronews]

¶ “From Riverboats To Global Ports: CATL Is Winning The Race To Electrify Shipping” • CATL batteries and power management systems are already operating in roughly 900 ships and vessels, a figure that on its own should reframe how maritime emissions reduction is discussed. Now, a CATL subsidiary has unveiled its Ship-Shore-Cloud electric strategy. [CleanTechnica]

Electric ship (Incat Tasmania image)

¶ “In Venezuela, It’s All About The Oil” • What happened this past weekend in Venezuela was just the latest bit of skulduggery by the US concerning oil. Shortly after the news of the operation broke, Bill McKibben wrote on Substack, “Just Possibly It’s The Oil?” Then he posted this graphic, which strongly suggests the answer to his question. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Taiwan Plans 3.6-GW Round 3.3 Auction'” • At least 3,600 MW of capacity will be released in Taiwan’s forthcoming offshore wind round, according to reports. The draft framework for Round 3.3 is expected to be announced soon, local media said. Further consultation with developers and supply chain companies will follow. [reNews]

Offshore foundations (Ørsted image)

¶ “Solar Energy Expands Its Role In Germany’s Power Mix” • In Germany, Solar power increased markedly in 2025, with PVs meeting around 18% of the country’s demand for electricity, up from 14% in 2024, according to the German Solar Industry Association. Solar energy surpassed lignite, which contributed about 14%, and natural gas, at roughly 16%. [Sharjah24]

¶ “Goto Floating Wind Farm Starts Operation” • The Goto Floating Wind Farm consortium said the Goto offshore wind farm is operatin. The company’s owners include Toda, Eneos, and Kanai Electric. It said the facility is Japan’s first commercial floating offshore wind project to be certified under the Marine Renewable Energy Sea-Area Utilization Act. [reNews]

Goto offshore wind farm (Goto image)

¶ “ACEN Completes Transition To Renewable Energy” • Energy company ACEN has secured 100% renewable energy generation portfolio backed by over 7 GW of attributable capacity. ACEN said its portfolio is composed of 4,634 MW of solar power, 1,957 MW of wind power, 115 MW of geothermal power, and 304 MW of battery storage. [Asian Power]

¶ “Nordex Lands 508-MW Of Orders In Canada” • The Nordex group has secured 508 MW of repeat turbine orders in Canada comprising 73 units in two deals. The company said they feature N163 machines and, for the first time in the country, N175/6.X turbines. It said that each contract includes long-term servicing agreements for the projects. [reNews]

Nordex turbine (Nordex image)

¶ “Cherry-Picked Quake Data May Have Been Submitted For Hamaoka Nuclear Plant” • Chubu Electric Power President Kingo Hayashi said the company may have cherry-picked earthquake data that caused authorities to screen safety standards at the Hamaoka nuclear power plant in Shizuoka Prefecture based on weaker quake projections. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶ “Fighting Antisemitism One Solar Field At A Time” • One energy developer discovered an unexpected and effective way to confront antisemitism: Live Jewish values openly and work with American communities that already share them. It turns out that Jewish values and American values are essencially the same, even if some have yet to recognize it. [The Jerusalem Post]

Solar plant in New York (US DOE, public domain)

¶ “Rubio Predicts ‘Dramatic Interest’ In Venezuela From Western Oil Companies” • Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that the Trump administration is “pretty certain” that Western oil companies will be willing to return to Venezuela. However, he would not say if US troops would be used to secure the country’s oil fields. [ABC News]

¶ “‘You Can’t Reduce Carbon Emissions When You Can Pollute For Free’ – Sheldon Whitehouse” • Senator Sheldon Whitehouse does see “a pathway to climate safety,” and it’s a direct, in-your-face, fight ’em where they are strategy. “We should call out the climate denial fraud operation as climate denial fraud. It is fraud,” he reiterates. “Say so.” [CleanTechnica]

Have a wholly superb day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Oil Colonialism In 2025? WTF Is Going On?” • Donald Trump and his merry gang of peacemakers, chasing the Nobel Peace Prize, have bombed Venezuela and abducted its president and his wife. “This wasn’t the first time that Trump has admitted his war with Venezuela is at least partly motivated by oil,” according to The New Republic. [CleanTechnica]

A place to take over (Maria Isabella Bernotti, Pexels)

World:

¶ “VW Unveils New Old-Style Cockpit for ID. Polo” • Volkswagen has decided to throw a lot more buttons and dials back in front of driver’s eyes for its upcoming cheap EV. The company says it is doing this in response to customer feedback. Whatever the reason, what is easy to like is the fact that it brings such different options to the market. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Europe’s Ski Resorts Face Climate Change Threat” • Higher temperatures and a lack of snow are forcing Europe’s ski resorts to rethink their business model. With only a few weeks to go until the Winter Olympics open, the slopes around the ‘pearl of the Dolomites’ are covered in snow, but for many, snow sports increasingly are out of reach. [Euronews]

Artificial snow (Lukas Seitz, Unsplash)

¶ “Ed Miliband To Invest In Solar Power To Create ‘Zero Bill’ Homes” • According to The Times, the Warm Homes Fund is expected to pour billions of pounds into solar energy along with batteries and heat pumps, a move it is hoped will leave some homes paying little or no money for their energy bills while others see significant cuts annually. [AOL.com]

¶ “Why Data Centers Could Power Africa’s Energy Shift” • A quarter of the way into the 21st century, digital technology has crept into the daily lives of billions of people to an amazing degree in many places, but not everywhere. Perhaps the greatest growth potential is in the African market, where penetration is shallow and demand is booming. [CIO Africa]

Solar power in Africa (USAID, public domain)

¶ “With A Focus On Nuclear Power, Takaichi’s Energy Policy Takes Shape” • As she settles into Japan’s top office, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s energy policy is coming into focus. Conventional nuclear power and futuristic technologies like nuclear fusion are being prioritized, while renewable energy is getting less attention. [The Japan Times]

US:

¶ “21 Gigawatts of Solar for California Land That Can No Longer Be Used for Agriculture” • There’s a water district in San Joaquin Valley in California where there’s empty land that “can no longer sustain irrigated agriculture.” The Westlands Water District board of directors have decided to have solar power plants built there, perhaps 21 GW of them. [CleanTechnica]

California Valley solar farm (Jw4nvc, CC BY-SA 4,0)

¶ “Kia EV Sales Drop More Than 50% In December” • Kia is one of the automakers that still publishes monthly numbers in the US, and it’s latest sales report shows that EVs were still bring hit hard in the last month of the year. Despite having a slightly better December 2025 overall than December 2024, its EV sales dropped by more than 50%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Equinor Challenges Empire Wind Stop-Work Order” • A civil suit ws filed by Empire Offshore Wind LLC in the District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the Department of the Interior’s order directing a suspension to the 810-MW Empire Wind project. The order is viewed as unlawful by Equinor and threatens the progress of ongoing work. [reNews]

Eco Liberty (Brian Young, Equinor)

¶ “On Heat Pumps, Colorado Hits The Ground Running” • As sorry as the state of federal energy policy may be today, climate action continues apace among the many US states where public servants prioritize energy affordability alongside job creation, health, and safety. A case in point is Colorado, where the heat pump business is heating up. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hydrogen Found In America – Enough To Produce 104 MW And Power 25,000 Homes” • As the world rushes to meet the deadline of the global mission to achieve zero emissions by 2050, some still struggle to keep up. Fortunately, hydrogen has been discovered in America, and it’s enough to produce 104 MW and to power 25,000 homes. [Energies Media]

Have a perceptibly ideal day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “One Step Closer To The Compostable EV Battery Of The Future” • Singapore-based startup Flint introduced a “paper battery.” The new, compostable battery aims to elevate the sustainability profile of energy storage systems for EVs, along with other applications, by eliminating toxic materials and supply chain complications. [CleanTechnica]

Biodegradable battery (Courtesy of Flint Labs, cropped)

World:

¶ “NIO Explodes Through New Year, 55% Growth in December” • NIO didn’t have the strongest start to the year in 2025, but it did finish with a bang. In fact its last few months have been huge. In December, NIO scored 48,135 vehicle deliveries, a 54.6% increase over the same month if 2024. December was also its fifth month in a row of growth. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China’s BYD Overtakes Tesla As Global EV Leader With 2.26 Million Sales, While Tesla Slips To 1.64 Million” • In 2025, Tesla delivered about 1.64 million vehicles, a 8.6% decrease from 2024 and its second straight annual decline. But China’s BYD surged ahead, selling around 2.26 million battery EVs. Including plugin hybrids, BYD sold 4.6 million cars. [The Tech Portal]

BYD Sealion 7 (Rutger van der Maar, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “XPENG Sales Rise 126%, From 190,068 to 429,445” • XPENG had a blockbuster year in 2025. It grew 126% from 190,068 vehicle deliveries in 2024 to 429,445 vehicle deliveries in 2025. Most of its growth was in China, but the company also had huge growth abroad. It sold 45,008 vehicles outside of China, for 96% growth in its sixty markets. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “UK Renewables Hit Record High In 2025” • UK renewables set records in 2025, though electricity generation from gas still rose as coal plants went offline. Nuclear power declined and demand grew, analysis shows. The assessment from climate and energy publication Carbon Brief shows electricity demand rose slightly, after years of declining demand. [Nation.Cymru]

Transporting tower section (ShellAsp, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “How A Traditional Oil Major Is Turning Into An Integrated Clean-Energy Platform” • Galp Energia SGPS SA is in a tough transition. It is trying to turn a century-old fossil-fuel business into a profitable, low-carbon energy platform without blowing up its balance sheet or alienating shareholders. And it is not just pulling off a branding exercise. [AD HOC NEWS]

US:

¶ “Donald Trump Illegally Extends Life of the Coal-Fired Craig Unit 1, Driving Up Electricity Bills and Increasing Pollution” • A recent by Grid Strategies shows that forcing Craig Unit 1 to keep running past the date its owners had agreed on will cost about $85 million per year. Colorado and neighboring states will be forced to pay for that. [CleanTechnica]

Craig units 1 and 2 (Platte River Power Authority image)

¶ “Elon Musk’s Dramatic Miss On 2025 Tesla Cybertruck Sales” • Tesla unveiled the Tesla Cybertruck in November 2019. It took a long time to deliver it, and it has been just two and a quarter years since Elon Musk said he expected a quarter million sales in 2025. That didn’t happen. In fact, it didn’t even come close. It was “insanely lower” than that. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Kansas Solar Farm Growth To Explode Over AI” • Some solar industry leaders say Kansas is on the verge of a major shift as developers increasingly look to the state for utility-scale solar projects, despite Kansas historically lagging behind most states in installed solar capacity. In Plains states, solar is emerging as a complement to wind. [Oklahoma Energy Today]

Smoky Hills Wind Farm (Drenaline,  CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Battle Brews As Energy Developer Takes On Trump Admin Over ‘Unlawful’ Stop-Work Order” • Developers behind two of the five offshore wind projects recently targeted by the Trump administration took action in federal court this week, seeking preliminary injunctions that would allow construction to go on while the legal battles play out. [Raw Story]

¶ “Three Mile Island Restart ‘Will Never Happen,’ Former Trump Energy Regulator Says” • “A fully shut-down nuclear plant has never been restarted in America for good reason: There are too many regulatory, material, and logistical hurdles to overcome,” said Neil Chatterjee, who chaired FERC during Trump’s first term, in an opinion piece for The Hill. [ABC27]

Have a generously supportive day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Old Solar Panels Are Still Working After 30 Years, And That’s Good News For Renewable Energy” • A study shows that solar panels installed in the 1980s are still producing electricity today, over 30 years later. Scientists say solar power are long-lasting and reliable, which is great for the future of renewable energy around the world. [Microgrid Media]

Solar panels (Soren H, Unsplash)

¶ “Loads Of Renewable Energy Can Be Stored In The Air (Liquid Air, That Is)” • Compared to conventional batteries, liquid air and other alternative systems can offer more hours, economies of scale, longer lifespans, and a more onshore, less geopolitically fraught supply chain. It is a safe technology, and it can be used just about anywhere. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Chinese Solar Panels Are Transforming Africa” • Africa has over 600 million people with no access to reliable electricity. The lack of electrical power has created opportunities for those who dare to take advantage of them, something the Chinese do very well. South Africa is is benefiting from a surge in solar imports from China. [CleanTechnica]

Eskom coal-burning power plant (Eskom image)

¶ “China Built A Supercritical CO₂ Generator. That Doesn’t Mean It Will Last” • China recently placed a supercritical CO₂ power generator, widely considered a breakthrough technology, into commercial operation. But China is large enough to try almost everything. It routinely builds innovative systems just because it can afford to learn by doing. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “AquaVentus Seeks Offshore Hydrogen Backing” • AquaVentus is calling for increased investment support for offshore wind through clear rules enabling hybrid electricity and hydrogen connections under the planned reform of the WindSeeG. The group asked for quick action to establish a framework that allows pipelines and cables to be combined. [reNews]

Wind farm, showing connections (AquaVentus image)

¶ “China Builds Fewer Coal Power Plants As Renewable Energy Takes Over” • China’s permits for new coal power plants are on track to fall to a four-year low. At the current pace, 2025 permits will be the lowest since 2021. The declining approval rate shows that the growing use of renewable energy is cutting into demand for new coal power plants. [Warp News]

¶ “Scientists Warn The Atlantic May Be Closer To A Tipping Point Than Feared” • The Atlantic may be one of the most fragile pressure points in the climate system. Scientists now warn that a shift once treated as a distant, low‑probability scenario could unfold within the lifetimes of today’s coastal residents, reshaping weather, sea levels, and food security. [MSN]

Atlantic Ocean (Jacob Buller, Unsplash)

¶ “Officials Spark Backlash With Controversial Nuclear Power Plan” • A decision by Ontario to refurbish the Pickering Nuclear plant got pushback from the nonprofit Environmental Defence. ED suggested the $26.8 billion plan to refurbish Units 5 to 8 will mean higher electricity bills, more pollution, and sidelining clean energy solutions. [The Cool Down]

US:

¶ “The Case Against Offshore Wind Is Already Crumbling” • On December 22, the Trump regime put an urgent stop-work order on five offshore wind farms in five different states on the Atlantic Coast, citing an extremely dire national security emergency. The issue lost in courts before, and one of the offshore wind farms is already sending 572 MW to the grid. [CleanTechnica]

Vineyard Wind under construction (Vineyard Wind image)

¶ “A Green Hydrogen Innovator In Oklahoma Has A Message For Texas: Hold My Beer” • Texas has emerged as a hotbed of green hydrogen activity, supported in part by know-how from the oil and gas industry. Now another iconic fossil fuel state, Oklahoma, is jockeying for a piece of the action. The Oklahoma City startup Tobe Energy is a case in point. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ørsted And Skyborn File Legal Case Over Revolution Wind Suspension” • Revolution Wind LLC has filed a supplemental complaint in the US District Court for the District of Columbia challenging the lease suspension order issued on 22 December 2025 by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. [reNews]

Moving a nacelle (Ørsted image)

¶ “US Renewable Power Capacity Set To Reach Over 1 TW By 2035” • Renewable power capacity in the US is set to reach 1.06 TW by 2035, up from 414.5 GW in 2024, despite the pushback against renewables by the federal government, GlobalData has said. Renewable energy will remain as the ‘dominant source’ of new capacity additions. [Sustainability Online]

¶ “Geothermal Energy: The Renewable Trump Still Backs” • The Trump administration has rolled back many clean energy rules and pushed fossil fuels like oil and coal, but one renewable energy source has not targeted and may even have support. It is geothermal power. Geothermal continues to attract support from both sides of politics. [Microgrid Media]

Have a splendidly casual day.

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World:

¶ “EU’s Carbon Border Tax On Heavy Industry Goods Goes Into Effect Risking Trade Escalation” • Steel and aluminium exporters to the EU will start paying for the CO₂ emissions linked to their production as of 1 January 2026. The bloc is seeking to protect EU manufacturers facing more stringent obligations compared to foreign peers. [Euronews]

Steel making (yasin hemmati, Unsplash)

¶ “Australia Gives Go-Ahead For Large Solar And 1-GWh Battery Project Despite Local Opposition” • The hybrid Meadow Creek Solar Farm and utility battery passed all the regulatory hurdles put in place by the government, despite some local opposition. The A$490 million project will consist of a 332-MW solar farm and a 1-GWh battery system. [Energies Media]

¶ “Wildfires, Floods And Extreme Heat: These Are The Biggest Weather Stories Of 2025” • Devastating wildfires, flooding, and extreme heat events took place during the past year, several resulting in mass fatalities. Experts link some of the worst events to human-amplified climate change. Here are the year’s biggest weather stories. [ABC News]

Water over road (Wes Warren, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “What Falling Sales? Battery EVs Jump 37% YOY in November in Europe!” • EVs are picking up in Europe, with some 370,000 plugin vehicles registered in November, 258,000 of which are battery EVs. Overall, plugin vehicles were up 36% year on year. We can expect December 2025 to establish a record, maybe even above the 425,000 unit mark. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China Gets World’s Largest Offshore Solar PV Project” • This month, the largest offshore solar PV project build in the open sea (not a lake) was deployed, and it’s rated at 1,000 MW. Naturally, this project was not built in the US, but in China. The offshore solar PV project was built in shallow water 8 km off the coast of Dongying in the Yellow Sea. [CleanTechnica]

Yellow Sea (Ludger Heide, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Adani Green Adds 307.4 MW Of Renewable Power Capacity At Khavda” • Adani Green Energy Limited has brought 307.4 MW of renewable energy projects into operation at Khavda in Gujarat through subsidiaries, the company said in a regulatory filing. AGEL’s total operational renewable energy capacity has risen to over 17,237 MW. [BioEnergy Times]

¶ “China’s Biggest Solar Farm Is Changing The Desert, Not Just Making Power” • China is home to the world’s largest group of solar farms, on the Tibetan Plateau. This massive solar cluster can generate nearly 17,000 MW of electricity. While its main job is to produce clean electricity, scientists found it is improving its environment also. [Renewable Affairs]

Farm on the Steppe (Popolon, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Bangladesh Seeking Contractors For 220-MW Solar Project” • Bangladesh‘s EGCB is inviting construction and consulting firms interested in working on the 220-MW Sonagazi solar project to contact the company for further details. The 220-MW Sonagazi plant will be built in southeast Bangladesh near an existing 75-MW facility. [pv magazine International]

US:

¶ “Austin Cuts Pedestrian Crashes At Sixteen Intersections About 50%” • Cutting car crashes, injuries, and deaths is a perennial goal in city after city and state after state. Things get implemented to help, sometimes big things, but it’s never enough. However, the city of Austin seems to be on to something, for at least some of the problem areas. [CleanTechnica]

Intersection in Austin (Courtesy of the City of Austin)

¶ “Google AI Giving Wrong Information On US EV Tax Credit” • Part of the problem with Google AI is that the answers come in an authoritative way that implies 100% accuracy and infallibility. People think, “Okay, I got the answer,” and move on. But there are a lot of mistakes in the AI answers. And one that could cost a lot is about EV tax credits. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “NYC Congestion Pricing Cut Air Pollution 22% In Just Six Months!” • It took years, but New York City finally implemented congestion pricing on January 5, 2025. Paul Day of Air Quality News wrote that a Cornell University study has found that air pollution was cut 22% in Manhattan’s new congestion pricing zone in the first six months. [CleanTechnica]

Brooklyn Bridge (Michał Ludwiczak, Pexels)

¶ “Trump Administration Orders A Colorado Coal-Fired Power Generator To Stay Open” • The Trump administration has told another coal-fired power facility to remain open. It ordered the owners of the Craig Station unit to keep it running beyond its retirement date at the end of 2025. The plant stopped operating on December 19 because it needs a repair. [ABC News]

¶ “Biggest Obstacle To Care For Creation Is Not Denial But Confusion, Says Evangelical Climate Scientist” • As concerns about climate change increase, the greatest obstacle to action is not denial but confusion over what to do, according to leading climate scientist Katherine Hayhoe, climate ambassador for the World Evangelical Alliance. [christiandaily.com]

Katherine Hayhoe (umseas, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “REI Co-Op Throws Support Behind Renewable Energy Projects Nationwide” • REI is supporting a 2.5-MW community solar project in Woodbury, Minnesota, developed by US Solar. The project will set aside 500 spots for low- to moderate-income households to subscribe to the renewable energy as well as add clean power to the grid. [Solar Power World]

¶ “Illinois Bill Aims To Speed Nuclear Power Plant Production To Meet AI Energy Needs” • Data centers powering generative AI are creating a demand for massive amounts of electricity, and a Republican Illinois lawmaker thinks nuclear energy may be an answer. Proposed projects face local pushback due to concerns about high electricity bills. [25 News Now]

Have an objectively wonderful day.

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World:

¶ “Positive Environmental Stories Of 2025” • Stress, fear, anger and grief are among all the negative feelings that can come up when we are confronted with the reality of a warming Earth. With constant stories of lives lost or ruined by extreme weather, it’s hard to escape the gravity of climate change. But there also are stories of hope. Here are some. [Euronews]

Lowest cost? Solar power (Dad hotel, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Copper And Silver Prices Suggest Gains For Renewables And EVs” • Solar panel manufacturing uses about 20% of the world’s supply of silver, which is vital for converting solar energy into electricity. EVs also rely on silver and copper. Increase for copper and silver futures may indicate anticipation of future trends in manufacturing. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Saudi Arabia Opens Pathway For Electric Air Taxis” • Electric air taxis may work in some markets, and Saudi Arabia may be one of them. Authorities there certainly seem to think so. The country’s aviation regulator, General Authority of Civil Aviation, signed an agreement with Archer Aviation for electric vertical takeoff and landing operations. [CleanTechnica]

Electric VTOL vehicle (Archer Aviation image)

¶ “Vestas Banks 289 MW In Turbine Seals In Europe” • Vestas has secured four onshore wind orders totaling 289 MW in southern Europe, led by a 125-MW contract for ERG’s wind projects in Italy. Vestas said the Italian order covers eighteen 4.5-MW, six 4.5-MW, and four 4.2-MW turbines for the Carlentini and Greci-Montaguto sites. [reNews]

¶ “Vestas Wins 862-MW Of Turbine Deals” • Vestas has secured 862 MW of turbine orders in Australia, the USA and Canada as part of its fourth quarter intake. Vestas said an undisclosed customer in Australia will receive forty 7.2-MW units. The manufacturer has also received orders for 574 MW of turbines from the US and Canada. [reNews]

Wind turbine (Vestas image)

¶ “Construction Of Major UHV Project Gets Underway” • China has broken ground on an ultra-high voltage transmission project, a key green artery designed to transmit huge amounts of energy from renewable sources in the western parts of Inner Mongolia autonomous region to the industrial heartland of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei province. [Ecns.cn]

¶ “India’s 2025 Renewable Energy Sector Review” • From barely 40 GW of non-hydro renewable capacity in the mid-2010s, India has surged past the 203-GW mark by November 2025, driven largely by the rapid deployment of solar and windpower. Utility-scale renewables have transformed India into one of the world’s lowest-cost RE markets. [pv magazine India]

Acme Solar PV project (Acme Solar image)

¶ “Taiwan Is On Track To Deploy 31.2 GW Of Solar By 2035” • Taiwan is on track to reach 31.2 GW of solar by 2035, according to figures from UK consulting company GlobalData. The firm projects annual growth additions between 1 GW and 2 GW over the analyzed period, helping Taiwan to surpass 20 GW of solar in 2029 and 30 GW in 2035. [pv magazine India]

¶ “Ed Miliband ‘To Spend Billions On Solar Power’ In Scramble To Meet Energy Bills Pledge” • The Energy Secretary is expected to set out proposals to allocate up to £13 billion over four years as part of the Government’s warm homes plan. The Times reports that billions of pounds are to go to household grants for solar PVs, heat pumps, and battery storage. [MSN]

Rooftop solar in the UK (Frank Chan, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “What Lies Ahead For Ukraine’s Contested Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant?” • The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is the largest nuclear plant in Europe. It is also one of the main sticking points in US President Trump’s peace plan to end the nearly four-year war between Russia and Ukraine. The issue is a bit complicated. [The Business Standard]

US:

¶ “Maryland’s Largest Solar Project Launches On An Old Coal Mine” • Marylanders seem to have been good and nice this year. Rather than getting coal for Christmas, they got a large solar power plant installed on the site of a retired coal mine. CPV Renewable Power launched the 160-MW CPV Backbone Solar project just before Christmas. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array (CVP image)

¶ “IRS Sued Over Anti-Solar And Anti-Wind Tax Rules” • A broad array of groups with interests in clean and affordable energy sued the IRS and Treasury Department over new rules for tax credits that unfairly and illegally discriminate against wind and solar projects. This lawsuit asks the court to declare the rules arbitrary and capricious. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Dominion Sues Over CVOW Stoppage” • Dominion Energy filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration after the order came to stop work on all five US wind farms currently under construction. Dominion said it has already spent roughly $8.9 billion for the $11.2 billion, 2.6-GW Costal Virginia Offshore Wind project. [reNews]

Staging area for CVOW (Dominion Energy image)

¶ “So Much Winning … For Renewable Energy, That Is” • US President Trump threw everything he had against renewable energy in 2025, killing off thousands of new clean power jobs, eviscerating billions in new investments, and needlessly raising electricity costs, to boot. But for all the pain he created, he failed to stop solar and windpower. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Residential Solar Tax Credit Is Expiring, But New Programs Are Ahead For Colorado Customers” • Solar installers reported a huge rise in sales in 2025, as consumers raced to take advantage of the US tax credit before it ends. The solar industry is bracing for a slowdown next year, but state and local incentives still exist in Colorado. [Colorado Public Radio]

Have a marvelously simple day.

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World:

¶ “Sweden Declares The Famous Snowy Owl Regionally Extinct After A Decade Of ‘Silence’” • The Snowy Owl has vanished from Sweden, marking the first time in 20 years that the country has officially lost a bird species. The Snowy Owl is perhaps one of the most iconic birds on the entire planet, but conservationists warn its future hangs in jeopardy. [Euronews]

Snowy Owl (Dušan veverkolog, Unsplash)

¶ “2025 Was One Of Three Hottest Years On Record, Scientists Say” • Climate change worsened by human behavior made 2025 one of the three hottest years on record, scientists said. It was also the first time that the average for three years passed the threshold set in the 2015 Paris Agreement of limiting warming to no more than 1.5°C (2.7°F). [ABC News]

¶ “Mexico Awards Twenty Renewable Energy Projects 3.3 GWs Of Contracts” • The US may be going backward with renewable energy, trying to drag people back into a pollution-filled world powered by fossil resources, but its neighbor to the south, led by a climate scientist, has just awarded 20 renewable energy projects with a combined 3.3 GW of contracts. [CleanTechnica]

Mexico Energy Minister Luz Elena González
(Juan Carlos Buenrostro, Mexico Office of the Presidency)

¶ “CATL Makes Big Announcement On Sodium Batteries For 2026” • Battery giant CATL, the largest battery producer in the world,  mentioned this week is that its sodium-ion batteries, which have got up to 175 Wh/kg of energy density, could be used in normal passenger EVs providing 500 km (311 miles) of range in 2026. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Synera Completes Formosa 4 PPA Cover” • Synera Renewable Energy has fully subscribed the 495-MW output of its Formosa 4 offshore wind project as it signed two corporate power purchase agreements. Now it is calling for government and local financial institutions to help resolve key financing requirements needed to start construction. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (SRE image)

¶ “Vestas Lands 390-MW Korean Offshore Wind Order” • Vestas got a 390-MW contract for the Shinan-Ui offshore wind project off Jeollanam Province, its first offshore order in South Korea. The order covers 26 15-MW turbines and an agreement for twenty years of service to optimize long-term performance. Deliveries of turbines will start in 2027. [reNews]

¶ “India Adds Record 44.5 GW Renewable Capacity In 2025” • India added a record 44.5 GW of renewable energy capacity, including 35 GW from solar, through November of this year, according to the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The total renewable energy installed capacity reached 253.96 GW in November 2025. [Outlook Business]

Wind turbines in Tamil Nadu (Milin John, Unsplash)

¶ “Tata Power Renewable Delivers 1 GW DCR-Compliant Solar Project For SJVN” • Tata Power Renewable Energy Ltd has commissioned SJVN Ltd’s 1-GW capacity solar power project in Rajasthan. The Domestic Content Requirement-compliant project will supply clean power to Rajasthan, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand. [pv magazine India]

¶ “GREW Solar Secures 1.5-GW Module Order From NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd” • GREW Solar secured a contract from NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd to manufacture and supply 1,464.5 MW of high-efficiency solar PV modules for solar projects at multiple sites in Uttar Pradesh. The contract value stands at ₹2,028.33 crore ($23.88 billion). [pv magazine India]

Solar cell plant (Oregon Transportation Dept, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Zaporizhzhia NPP Restores Operation Of External Power Line” • The occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant has completed restoration work by connecting an external power line to the grid, Reuters reported. The repairs made possible restoration of the stable power supply necessary to maintain the safety of the facility. [Ukrainian news]

US:

¶ “Agrivoltaic Company Okovate Acquires Stanford University And Carnegie Mellon Tech Startup” • Agrivoltaic company Okovate Sustainable Energy believes that a modeling platform for the field developed at Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon is justy what’s needed for planning agrivoltaic systems. It is bringing the system to market. [CleanTechnica]

Agrivoltaics (Okovate image)

¶ “Leading US Utility Trolls Trump Over Coal, Solar Power, And Green Hydrogen” • In this time of skyrocketing electricity costs, it’s a bit of a shock that a leading US utility will reduce household bills by an average of 22% by March of 2026. But that is what the Florida branch of Duke Energy is doing. It attributes the bulk of the savings to solar power. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Renewables Supply Over A Quarter Of US Power” • Almost 26% of US electricity in the first ten months of 2025 came from renewable energy sources, according to analysis by the Sun Day Campaign. The group said monthly data showed solar set fresh records, accounting for just over 9% of total output in the period while wind contributed 9.9%. [reNews]

Wind turbine in a wind farm (Invenergy image)

¶ “Massachusetts’s First Big Energy Storage Tender Dishes Out 1.3 GW Of Contracts” • By law, Massachusetts has to reach 5 GW of energy storage capacity by 2030. To get going toward that target, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources ran its first large energy storage tender. Now it has awarded 1.268 GW of contracts. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Oregon Faced A Huge Obstacle In Adding Green Energy. That Changed” • Governor Tina Kotek, a Democrat, has now issued two executive orders mandating that state agencies speed up the development of renewable energy by any available means they find, including fast-tracking permits and directly paying for new transmission lines. [Oregon Public Broadcasting]

Have an agreeably proceeding day.

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World:

¶ “Hungary’s ‘Water Guardian’ Farmers Fight Back Against Desertification” • A region in Hungary, once an important site for agriculture, is drying out. Where crops once filled the fields, today there are growing sand dunes. With climate change and poor water practice, rains don’t come. ‘Water guardian’ farmers are working on getting water to the area. [ABC News]

Great Hungarian Plain, 2004 (GaborLajos, CC BY-SA 2.5)

¶ “Two Charts, One Grid: Clean Electricity Is Getting Cheaper But Feels More Expensive” • A pair of charts show the same thing but seem to contradict each ohter. One plots nominal residential electricity prices against carbon intensity in 2015 and 2024 for the ten largest electricity producing countries. The other adjusts those prices for inflation. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Electric Buses Prove Their Worth Down Under” • Transport for New South Wales announced that data from regional trials have proven the worth of electric buses. Twelve electric buses in the trial delivered generally positive outcomes, covering more than 300,000 kilometers. They saved emissions, and they saved a lot of money. [CleanTechnica]

Transport NSW Electric bus (Dyson’s media release)

¶ “Renewable Energy Is Cheaper And Healthier. So Why Isn’t It Replacing Fossil Fuels Faster?” • A decade ago, the cheapest way to meet growing demand for electricity was to build more coal or natural gas power plants. Not anymore. Solar and wind power aren’t just better for the climate; they’re also less expensive today than fossil fuels at utility scale. [Yahoo News UK]

¶ “Renault Filante Record 2025 Raises The Efficiency Bar For Electric Cars” • Renault has been involved in Formula One racing since 1977, and it has learned a bit about aerodynamic efficiency in the process. Building on that body of knowledge, the company has just revealed its experimental electric car, the Filante Record 2025. [CleanTechnica]

Filante Record 2025 (Renault image)

¶ “China’s Clean Energy Growth Helps Cut Emissions” • Growth of wind and solar in China for the first half of 2025 was huge, with over 105 GW of solar and 46 GW of wind added. China’s total solar capacity passed 1 TW. The result was that China’s carbon dioxide emissions in the power sector were reduced by about 1 % year-on-year. [Microgrid Media]

¶ “Renewable Energy Becomes The World’s Biggest Source Of Electricity ” • For the first time, renewable energy like solar and wind are producing more electricity than coal in many parts of the world. This change marks a big shift in how the world gets power, and it could help slow climate change. This milestone was reported by BBC News. [Microgrid Media]

Wind turbines (Drew Hays, Unsplash)

¶ “Bucharest’s Main Airport To Produce Its Own Renewable Energy” • The National Company Bucharest Airports announced a major investment in a 31.5-MW PV power plant with 30 MWh of battery storage to cover part of the energy needs of Henri Coandă International Airport, the main airport serving the Romanian capital. [Romania Insider]

¶ “Climate Change Could Put Everyday Food At Risk, Scientists Warn” • According to reporting by The Guardian, scientists have concluded that losses of key global crops to pests will increase significantly as the planet warms. Wheat, rice and maize are forecast to suffer losses of about 46%, 19% and 31% respectively if global heating reaches 2°C. [MSN]

Corn field (Nathan Kelly, Unsplash)

¶ “Engineers Scramble To Make ‘Crucial’ Repairs At Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant” • International experts started “crucial” work on power lines connecting to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, which sits on the front line of fighting between Russia and Ukraine. The safety of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant is of great concern. [Newsweek]

US:

¶ “Cox Automotive Forecasts 9% Sales Decline For Tesla In The USA In 2025” • Cox Automotive, which gets auto sales data from dealerships, has come up with an estimate of how many vehicles Tesla will sell in the US in 2025, and it isn’t pretty. Cox expects 1.8% growth in US auto sales overall in 2025, but it is forecasting a significant decline at Tesla. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla (Taun Stewart, Unsplash)

¶ “How Trump Transformed Energy, Environmental Policy This Year” • Since President Trump’s inauguration, the administration has embraced fossil fuels while eschewing renewable energy, climate actions and regulations. He has pushed nuclear energy and AI, while it eliminated vital parts of the federal work force. It has published information denying science. [The Hill]

¶ “Utah Leaders Are Hindering Efforts To Develop Solar Despite A Goal To Double Its Energy Supply” • Utah needs to meet the energy demands of a growing population as well as data centers and AI it wants to fuel its economy. Governor Cox acted to double its electric ouput. But Utah’s legislature has taken a hard turn against solar power. [Utah News Dispatch]

Have a happily noteworthy day.

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World:

¶ “High Seas Hopes Meet Hard Realities With 2026 Set To Become A Pivotal Year For World’s Oceans” • Euronews looks ahead to 2026, from deep-sea mining to EU marine policy. While 2025 saw tidal shifts in ocean governance, 2026 is the moment of reckoning, when promises to protect the most distant stretches of sea become reality. [Euronews]

The sea (Joydeep Sensarma, Unsplash)

¶ “Amid Massive Sewer Upgrade, Fishermen And Ecologists Hope For Revival Of London’s Thames River” • The River Thames winds 215 miles through England. For centuries, the river has been called “monster soup” and the “dirty old river.” A project beneath London will soon improve it. It is the £4.5 billion (about $6 billion) Tideway Tunnel. [ABC News]

¶ “Cypriot Fishermen Battle Invasive Lionfish And Turn Them Into A Tavern Delicacy” • Lionfish threaten native fish stocks, wreaking havoc on the livelihoods of fishermen in Cyprus. With warmer seas resulting from climate change, they could swarm the entire Mediterranean by the century’s end. They can be eaten, but there are other invasive fish. [ABC News]

Lionfish (Wai Siew, Unsplash)

¶ “EV Sales Are Booming In Bolivia As A New President Scraps The Fuel Subsidy” • Bolivia is ending fuel subsidies. It is not alone among South American countries doing that, as Ecuador did so with gasoline in 2024 and Venezuela has limited subsidies. Now Bolivia is quietly building a massive EV revolution as sales of traditional cars collapse. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volkswagen Renaissance Begins In China” • Volkswagen has introduced the ID. Unyx 08 in China. It bears very little physical resemblance to any other battery electric car from Volkswagen. The car is maximized to appeal to Chinese customers, but the ID. Unyx 08 could offer a glimpse of where the company’s design language is headed in the future. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID. Unyx 08 (Volkswagen China image)

¶ “Egypt Inaugurates Djibouti’s Largest Solar Power Plant” • Egypt’s Deputy Prime Minister for Industrial Development and Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel el-Wazir, inaugurated a solar power plant in the village of Omar Kaji in the Arta region of Djibouti. It is the largest solar power plant completed in Djibouti’s rural areas. [Egypt Independent]

¶ “Repairs Start Near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Plant After IAEA-Brokered Local Ceasefire” • Power line ‍repairs have begun ‍near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant after another ⁠local ceasefire brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the agency said, citing its ‍Director General Rafael ‍Grossi. The repairs may last several days. [Al Arabiya English]

Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant (Ralf1969, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Gas Leak Outside Los Angeles Shuts Down Major Highway, Nearby Residents Told To Shelter-In-Place” • A reported leak from a rupture in a 34-inch gas line in northern Los Angeles County led authorities to urge nearby residents to stay inside and shut down a major Southern California highway for several hours, snarling traffic for miles. [ABC News]

¶ “A 15-Ton Rooftop Heat Pump Is Coming For Your Fossil Fuels” • Heat pumps are scaling up to tackle the tougher job of decarbonizing commercial buildings, with the Florida-based firm Carrier Global Corporation among the industry leaders demonstrating that US innovators can still move the needle on climate action. [CleanTechnica]

Buildings will get big heat pumps (Carrier image)

¶ “Four States Fight To Restore Offshore Wind Projects … Wait, Where Is Virginia?” • Last week Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cited new, classified information from the Defense Department when he abruptly halted work on five offshore wind farms. Now the governors of the affected states want to be let in on the secret. Well, almost all of them. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Massive Solar Plus Storage Facility To Replace Both Coal And Natural Gas” • After this year’s sharp U-turn in federal energy policy , the age of cleaner, more affordable 21st century energy solutions is still in full force in many places, as illustrated by the planned expansion of the Sherco Energy Hub in Minnesota, with 910 MW of solar plus storage. [CleanTechnica]

Have a plainly resplendent day.

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World:

¶ “From Deadly Heatwaves To Flash Floods, Europe’s Extreme Weather Events Defined 2025” • In Europe, flash floods, deadly heatwaves, droughts and record-breaking wildfires became the defining feature of 2025. But experts warn these events will likely become the “new normal” unless drastic action is taken to reduce heat-trapping emissions. [Euronews]

Heatwave in Italy (Richard Vanlerberghe, Unsplash)

¶ “BYD’s at 20% Share of Cumulative Plugin Vehicle Sales!” • The world passed 75 million total plugin vehicle sales in November. A little more recently, BYD passed a significant sales milestone of its own, having sold a total of 15 million plugin vehicles. It seems that Tesla would be a bit less than 12% share of the cumulative plugin vehicle market. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Toyota Confirms Launch Of C-HR+ BEV In Europe While Hybrid Plans Expand In US” • Last May, Toyota made it known that its 2026 Toyota C-HR crossover battery EV would come to the US. While Toyota UK confirmed plans to market the C-HR+ in Europe, the latest news from Toyota USA is a plan for greater production of the Corolla hybrid. [CleanTechnica]

Toyota C-HR (Toyota image)

¶ “Center Gives Green Signal To ₹3,277 Crore Hydro Project On Chenab In J&K” • The Center (Indian government) approved a 260-MW hydroelectric project on the Chenab River in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, giving a major boost to power generation in the region. The total cost is estimated at ₹3,277.45 crore (about $365 million). [Renewable Affairs]

¶ “GIPCL Completes 600-MW Solar Power Project At Khavda With Commissioning Of Final Phase” • Gujarat Industries Power Company Ltd commissioned the final phase of its solar power project at Khavda in Kutch, taking the total operational capacity at the site to 600 MW. The project is in the 2,375-MW Renewable Energy Park at Khavda. [DeshGujarat]

Representative solar panels (Citizenmj, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Belgian Renewable Energy Production Matches Its Nuclear Power Plants” • Solar energy production in Belgium increased by 21% in 2025, setting records and bringing the renewable share of the electricity mix to 34%, according to preliminary data. This matches the share of nuclear power. Definitive data are expected in the first quarter of 2026. [The Brussels Times]

¶ “Renewable Energy Hit Record Highs In 2025 But World Drifts Off Track On 2030 Targets” • Renewable energy posted historic gains as of the end of 2025. Nevertheless, the pace remains insufficient to meet the international goal of tripling renewables by the end of the decade, according to International Renewable Energy Agency analysis. [The Eastleigh Voice]

Wind farm (IRENA image)

US:

¶ “Dominion Energy Sues To Block Offshore Wind Pause” • A federal lawsuit seeking to block a Trump administration order that halted construction on its Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project was filed by Dominion Energy. The lawsuit was filed in US District Court shortly after the BOEM issued a stop-work order pausing offshore construction. [AOL.com]

¶ “Industrial Green Hydrogen Is Going To Europe From The US” • As demand for industrial-scale green hydrogen continues to gather momentum, the Massachusetts startup Electric Hydrogen is among the domestic cleantech firms demonstrating that the US can continue to push the global decarbonization movement, despite the White House. [CleanTechnica]

Electrolyzer factory (Courtesy of Electric Hydrogen)

¶ “UVA Research Could Unlock Better Energy Storage For Solar Power” • A new paper from the University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science shows that battery research would unlock a new energy storage method. The research suggests that flow batteries built with non-aqueous solutions have advantages. [WRIC ABC 8News]

¶ “Public Ownership Won’t Cure Power Market Volatility” • In at least two places, San Francisco and the mid-Hudson Valley in New York, political activists are advocating for a public takeover of the local investor-owned utility. But high electricity prices are driven mainly by volatile natural gas costs, and utility ownership will not change that. [OilPrice.com]

Have a fittingly beneficial day.

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(, CC-BY-SA 3.0) km² CO₂ NH₃ CH₄ ₹ NOₓ ‽ ♦♦♦♦♦

World:

¶ “As The Planet Warmed, Politics Wobbled: The Defining Climate Moments Of 2025” • This was a challenging year for climate politics, and a challenging one for our warming planet. In the past twelve months, climate change has been impossible to ignore, whether we would like to or not. Euronews takes a look back at a year of record highs and lows. [Euronews]

Glacial cave (Akshay Nanavati, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “More Robotaxi + Ride-Hailing Partnerships” • A handful more partnerships between robotaxi companies and ride-hailing apps have popped out recently. First off, Baidu is partnering with Lyft and Uber in London. Also, WeRide and Uber have teamed up in Abu Dhabi and launched fully driverless robotaxi service in the UAE capital. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “You Can’t Buy This, America: FCB Ti7 4WD Luxury SUV” • On a visit to Guangzhou, China, the author saw a showroom for BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao premium SUV brand. The first car inside was a Ti7. Compared to a Land Rover, the Ti7 is only a couple of inches longer and taller. It looks more imposing in person. You can’t buy one in the US. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Fang Cheng Bao Ti7 (AutoLab, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “China’s Installed Power Capacity Sees Steady Expansion” • China’s total installed generating capacity reached 3,790 GW by the end of November, marking a 17.1% year-on-year increase, official data showed. Solar capacity led the growth with a 41.9% YOY surge to 1,160 GW, while windpower capacity expanded by 22.4% to 600 GW. [China Daily]

¶ “XPENG’s Mona M03 Gets Even Better” • XPENG’s Mona M03 was critical to the company’s EV sales growth and march toward profitability this year. Across the first eleven months of the year, 163,299 units of the Mona M03 were delivered. That’s about 42% of the company’s 391,937 total deliveries. Now, the M03 is getting a refresh, at less than two years old. [CleanTechnica]

Pair of Mona Mo3s (XPENG image)

¶ “The DOE To Install Solar Power Systems In Lanao Del Sur Hospitals” • In the Philippines, the DOE is rolling out rooftop solar systems with battery storage in four public health facilities in Lanao del Surto ensure reliable power for essential medical services. The project will combine 170 kW of rooftop solar capacity with battery storage. [Inquirer.net]

¶ “Oceans Are Supercharging Hurricanes Past Category 5” • Hot spots in the deep ocean are getting hotter. As they do, they make the most powerful hurricanes and typhoons more likely and dangerous. These regions, especially near the Philippines and the Caribbean, are expanding as climate change warms ocean waters far below the surface. [ScienceDaily]

Hurricane (NASA, Unsplash)

¶ “Putin Claims Talks With US On Managing Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Without Ukraine” • Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed that the US and Russia are discussing the idea of jointly managing the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has been occupied by Russia since 2022, for cryptocurrency mining without Ukraine’s involvement. [RBC-Ukraine]

US:

¶ “Massachusetts Awards 1.3 GW In First Large Energy Storage Tender” • The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources announced the winners of its first storage procurement. The state selected four projects totaling 1,268 MW, as it aims to reach a legislative demanded 5,000 MW of operating storage capacity by July, 2030. [pv magazine International]

Storage facility (Lightshift Energy image)

¶ “Fact Check: Are Wind And Solar Power ‘Worthless’ When There’s No Wind Or Sun?” • The US DOE posted on social media, “Wind and solar energy infrastructure is essentially worthless when it is dark outside, and when the wind is not blowing.” It seems the DOE doesn’t know that batteries can store energy for such times. [WRAL]

¶ “Trump Energy Department Scuttles Planned Closures Of Two Indiana Coal Plants ” • The Trump DOE issued emergency orders to keep two set-to-be-shuttered coal plants in Indiana running through the end of the year, providing a lifeline to a favored industry while arguing it would ensure people with secure and affordable electricity. [The Hill]

Have an unforgettably cheerful day.

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World:

¶ “Chocolate Could Disappear By 2050. Could This Climate-Resistant Alternative Take Its Place?” • Chocolate production is down 40% in the last two years, as extreme weather conditions threatens the future of global cocoa crops. Scientists at the National University of Singapore are successfully improving carob as an alternative. [Euronews]

Carob tree in Spain (LBM1948, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “How SOFAZ Is Diversifying Azerbaijan’s Sovereign Wealth Beyond Oil And Gas” • The State Oil Fund of the Republic of Azerbaijan is reshaping its investment strategy as it diversifies beyond oil and gas revenues. Managing about $71 billion in fifty countries, SOFAZ says renewables offer stable long-term returns while helping to mitigate oil price volatility. [Euronews]

¶ “Geely Xingyuan EV Reaches 500,000 Deliveries In Just 14 Months!” • In China, there is no EV hotter than the Geely Geome Xingyuan this year. Passing up the Tesla Model Y, the Wuling HongGuang Mini EV, and all of the BYD models on the list, the Xingyuan is by far the top selling electric vehicle in the biggest EV market in the world. [CleanTechnica]

Geely Xingyuan (JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC0 1.0, cropped)

¶ “BYD Reaches 15 Million Plugin Vehicles In Crazy Time” • In November 2024, BYD reached total all-time production of 10 million plugin vehicles (called “new energy vehicles” in China). But in December 2025, the company reached 15 million. BYD has made plugin cars since 2008, and almost a third of them are less than a year old. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford Launches New Electric Bronco” • Ford has launched a fully electric EV and extended-range electric Bronco in China. It is shutting down EV shop in the USA, for the most part, but it is gung-ho about the new electric era in China. The Ford Bronco BE comes with a 105 kWh LFP battery that provides roughly 650 km (404 miles) of range. [CleanTechnica]

Ford Bronco EV (AutoLab, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Two-Way Electric Vehicle Charging At Scale Could Stop Renewable Energy Being Wasted” • The amount of renewable energy generated worldwide increasingly exceeds demand, so clean power has to be curtailed. But “bidirectional charging,” means EVs don’t just have to be energy users; they can store energy and provide it. [Bilyonaryo Business News]

¶ “Russia Plans Nuclear Power Plant On The Moon To Support Lunar Base By 2036” • Russia plans to build a power plant on the moon within the next decade to support its lunar ambitions and a joint research base with China, as major world powers intensify efforts to establish a long-term presence on Earth’s only natural satellite. [Newsweek]

Moon (Neven Krcmarek, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Flash Flood, Thunderstorm Alerts In Effect For California With Heavy Rain Expected To Last” • Torrential rains fell on the California coast on Christmas Eve, leading to many flash flood warnings, turning roads into rivers and causing landslides. More than 43 million Americans in California, southern Nevada and northwest Arizona are under flood watches. [ABC News]

¶ “Judge Upholds Hawaii’s New Climate Change Tax On Cruise Passengers” • A federal judge’s ruling cleared the way for Hawaii to include cruise ship passengers in a new tourist tax to help cope with climate change. The tax goes into effect at the start of 2026. US District Judge Jill A Otake denied a request to stop officials from enforcing the new law on cruises. [ABC News]

Passenger ship (Vidar Nordli-Mathisen, Unsplash)

¶ “Autonomously Navigating The Real World” • Waymo said, “This past Saturday, as a widespread PG&E outage cut power to nearly one-third of San Francisco, our service was put to the test. With power now restored, we want to share an account of our operations during the outage and how we are evolving to better serve the city.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Trump’s Rollbacks Made 2025 A Turbulent Year For Clean Energy. So Why Are Experts Optimistic?” • President Trump is boosting polluting fuels while blocking wind and solar. But amid the lows, there were some highs for clean energy, experts say. For example, despite Trump, solar and storage accounted for 85% of the new power added to the grid. [Euronews]

Wind turbine (Filipe Resmini, Unsplash)

¶ “New England Residents Brace For Inflated Utility Bills As Natural Gas Prices Surge” • Maine Public reported that electric power bills are projected to reach a three-year high because natural gas prices for generating have increased by roughly 40%. In New England, around 50% of the electricity is generated by plants fueled by natural gas. [The Cool Down]

¶ “Purelight Power Lays Off Workers, Citing Republican Rollback Of Solar Credits” • In a notice sent to the state, Medford-based solar company Purelight Power said it is cutting 109 jobs in the US and shuttering operations as it prepares to file for bankruptcy liquidation. Purelight specialized in selling and installing rooftop residential solar panels. [Oregon Public Broadcasting]

Have a cozily jolly day.

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World:

¶ “A French Alpine Ski Resort Is Offering Free Skiing All Winter To Save Money” • Saint-Colomban-des-Villards, a ski resort in the French Alps, is offering skiing free of charge this winter. In a changing climate, the snowfall is increasingly unreliable, and the resort runs deficits that grow each year. Sales of lift tickets brings in less income that it costs to sell them. [Euronews]

St Colomban des Villards(Jean & Nathalie, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “EVs At 35.2% Share In Germany” • November saw plugin EV sales at 35.2% share in Germany, up from 22.8% share year-on-year. Battery EV volume increased by 59% YOY, while plugin hybrid EVs grew 57%. Overall auto volume was 250,671 units, up some 2.5% YOY. In November, the best-selling battery EV was the Volkswagen ID.7. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Passenger & Car Ferry From Incat Is 100% Electric” • In May 2025, Incat Tasmania launched Hull 096, a 130 meter (426 foot) twin hull fast ferry it claims is the largest all-electric ferry in the world. It has successfully passed its initial round of sea trials and will begin its journey to South America early next year after final checks in Hobart. [CleanTechnica]

Incat Tasmania ferry (Incat Tasmania image)

¶ “Tesla Registrations Dropped 34.2% In November In European Union” • The European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association publishes monthly data on sales in the EU and beyond. The great news: full battery EV registrations rose 44.1% in November 2025 compared to November 2024. The bad news: for Tesla’s sales were down by over a third. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “GE Vernova Signs 256-MW Oz Turbine Deal” • GE Vernova has signed an agreement to supply 42 of its 6.1-MW turbines for the 256-MW Carmody’s Hill wind farm in South Australia. The company said the deal with Aula Energy includes turbine supply and installation supported by a five-year full-service operation and maintenance agreement. [reNews]

Wind farm (GE Vernova image)

¶ “Vestas Agrees On 273 MW Of Deals In Germany” • Vestas has booked seven onshore wind turbine orders from the German market totaling 273 MW. The deals include delivery schedules during the first half of 2027 and service agreements of either 20 or 25 years. The various supply agreements will be added to Vestas’ fourth quarter order intake. [reNews]

¶ “European Energy Connects Glejbjerg Solar Park” • European Energy has connected the 148-MW Glejbjerg Solar Park to the Danish grid following final technical checks. The company said the asset strengthens its Northern Europe portfolio through a utility-scale plant supported by a power purchase agreement. The solar park has 238,368 PV modules. [reNews]

Glejbjerg Solar Park (European Energy image)

¶ “Vikran Engineering Secures ₹2,035 Crore EPC Order For 600-MW Solar Power Projects In Maharashtra” • Vikran Engineering Ltd announced that it has received a major work order worth ₹2,035.26 crore ($226.7 million) from Onix Renewables Ltd for the development of a 600-MW solar power projects at multiple sites in the state of Maharashtra. [pv magazine India]

¶ “Dhamma Energy Mexico Is Awarded 440 MW Of PV Capacity In Hidalgo” • Dhamma Energy Mexico said that the Government of Mexico awarded it 440 MW of capacity to develop three PV projects in the state of Hidalgo, as part of the first 2025 Private Power Generation Call, which as a whole granted 3,000 MW of renewable capacity. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Main plaza of Ixmiquilpan (Eric Shalov assumed, CC BY SA 3.0)

¶ “Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Will Not Operate Without Kakhovka Dam, €2 Billion Needed To Rebuild It” • President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the press during a briefing that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant will not be able to operate unless the Kakhovka dam is rebuilt. Rebuilding the dam will cost €2 billion. [Ukrainska Pravda]

US:

¶ “What To Know About Wind Power In The US As Trump Administration Pauses Leases” • The Trump administration’s decision to pause five offshore wind projects will have impacts on the nation’s energy sector, according to energy experts. Halting these offshore wind projects would waste money and eliminate 6 to 8 GW of power. [ABC News]

Block Island offshore windfarm (Ionna22, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “California Records One Of Its Single Largest Drops In Climate Pollution On Record” • In one of California’s single largest year-over-year emissions reductions on record, the state reduced its climate pollution by 3% in 2023. The drop in 2023 was surpassed only by reductions in 2009 during the Great Recession and 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Taking Stock Of The Trump Administration’s Assault On The Environment At One Year” • Since it took office, the Trump administration has waged the worst assault on the environment and public health in history. It has taken or proposed nearly 400 reckless and misguided actions that undermine clean air and water, healthy wildlife, and public lands. [CleanTechnica]

Lake in the mountains (Rob Morton, Unsplash)

¶ “Bill McKibben: Renewable Energy Is Now A Tool To Slow Climate Change” • In an interview, Bill McKibben talked about the growing power of renewable energy, saying that cheap solar PVs, windpower, and batteries could help slow global warming, even if they can’t stop it completely. His comments come as clean energy sees historic growth. [Microgrid Media]

¶ “Living Near A Nuclear Power Plant Raises Cancer Our Risk Significantly, Harvard Study Of Massachusetts Cases Says” • A study from Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health shows that living near a nuclear power plant significantly increases a person’s risk of cancer. The study was published this month in Environmental Health. [NHPR]

Have a valuably lovely day.

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World:

¶ “How Climate Change Is Pushing The Sea’s Smartest Creature Into New Territory ” • An “exceptional” number of octopuses have been spotted along the south coast of England this year, putting on rarely-seen displays in shallow waters. They have been recorded in large numbers before in the UK, but this year’s surge was extraordinary. [Euronews]

Octopus (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “Climate Change Is Reducing Children’s Height, And Humidity Is Making Things Worse” • Millions of children risk experiencing stunted growth if heat-trapping emissions continue to bake the planet. The dangers of extreme heat are already well established, and the World Health Organisation warns against exposure to elevated temperatures. [Euronews]

¶ “Record Month For EV Sales In China!” • In China, plugin cars scored over a million sales in November. There were 1.3 million plugins in a 2.2-million-unit overall market, so plugins took 59% of the market. This figure, however, showed only a 4% increase over November 2025. Full battery EVs took 827,000 units, or 37% of overall sales. [CleanTechnica]

Wuling Mini EV (GZrex, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “EVs Take 38.4% Share Of The UK” • November saw plugin EVs take 38.4% share of the UK auto market, up from 35.3% year-on-year. Battery EVs grew in volume by just 3.6% YOY, while plugin hybrid EVs grew 15%. Overall auto volume was 151,154 units, down some 2% YOY. Tesla was the UK’s leading BEV brand, just ahead of Ford and BYD. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “European Energy Green Lights 225-MW Vizzini PV Farm” • European Energy has taken a final investment decision to begin construction of a 225-MW agri-PV project near Vizzini in Sicily. The company said the project would be operational by the end of 2027, at which point it is expected to become the largest solar operation in Italy. [reNews]

Solar farm (European Energy image)

¶ “ArcelorMittal To Add 1 GW Of Solar And Hybrid Renewable Energy Capacity In India” • ArcelorMittal has announced three renewable energy projects in India totaling 1 GW of solar and wind capacity. The projects will double ArcelorMittal’s renewable energy capacity in India to 2 GW and boost its global renewable energy capacity to 3.3 GW. [pv magazine India]

¶ “Renewable Energy Surpasses Coal In Global Electricity For First Time” • The international academic journal Science selected “rapidly growing renewable energy” as the “Breakthrough of the Year” for 2025. This follows analyses indicating that renewable energy generation has surpassed fossil fuel energy generation for the first time this year. [MSN]

Wind turbines (Daniel Morris, Unsplash)

¶ “Radioactive Substance Leaks From Fukui Nuclear Power Plant In Japan” • During this work, around 20ml of water containing a ‘high’ amount of the radioactive isotope tritium is believed to have leaked out. Japanese broadcaster NHK One reported that detailed investigations are underway to see if any workers were splashed with the water. [Metro.co.uk]

US:

¶ “Waymo Resumes Self-Driving Car Service After San Francisco Power Outage Baffled Vehicles” • A power outage that left about 130,000 homes without electricity in San Francisco also forced the robotaxi operator Waymo to halt services while the driverless vehicles found themselves stuck at darkened traffic lights. Service resumed with electric power. [Euronews]

Waymo taxi (Aamy Dugiere, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Trump Administration Pauses Leases For Some Offshore Wind Projects Citing ‘National Security Concerns'” • The Trump administration is pausing leases for five offshore wind projects due to what the Department of Defense called “national security concerns.” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum did not specify what the security risks are. [ABC News]

¶ “Trump Pause On All Offshore Wind Projects An Attack On Our Economy And Public Health” • Trump’s Department of the Interior just halted construction on all five offshore wind projects underway in the US. The pauses impact these projects: Vineyard Wind 1, Revolution Wind, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind, Sunrise Wind, and Empire Wind 1. [CleanTechnica]

Revolution Wind construction (Ørsted image)

¶ “Ørsted Mulls Legal Proceedings In US” • Ørsted is considering legal proceedings in response to US President Donald Trump’s shutdown of all five in-construction wind farms in the country. In a statement the company said it is evaluating all its options to resolve the matter. Revolution Wind was set to begin generating power next month. [reNews]

¶ “Turbine Installation Begins At 2.6-GW CVOW” • Dominion Energy began turbine installation at its 2.6-GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind array, as the jack-up vessel Charybdis went to sea to begin turbine installation. The current status of the work is unknown, however, after the Trump administration paused all work on five offshore wind leases. [reNews]

Charybdis (Dominion Energy image)

¶ “‘Incredibly Reckless’: Trump’s Wind Halt Stuns Even Some Allies” • The president’s decision to pause construction of five offshore wind projects capable of powering nearly 2.7 million homes along the East Coast marked an escalation of a yearlong effort to shut down the industry, jolting the political debate surrounding rising electricity prices. [Politico]

¶ “Minnesota Utility Says It Won’t Buy From Planned $1 Billion Power Plant In Wisconsin” • Northern Minnesota’s largest power company is backing away from plans for a $1 billion gas-fired power plant in Wisconsin due to legal challenges and permitting delays. Minnesota Power said it will no longer buy capacity or power from the planned plant in Superior. [WPR]

Have a noticeably perfect day.

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World:

¶ “BMW And Mercedes Offer Family Friendly Electric Cars” • Recently, CleanTechnica received word of two new electric cars – one from BMW and one from Mercedes – that are designed specifically to meet the needs of families who have children that need to be taken hither and yon, usually with a full complement of stuff and a few friends. [CleanTechnica]

BMW iX3 (BMW image)

¶ “EVs Take 98.4% Share In Norway” • November saw plugin EVs take 98.4% share in Norway, up from 94.9% year on year. Full battery EVs alone took 97.6% share, and plugin hybrid EVs took the other 0.8%. Overall auto volume was 19,889 units, up some 70% YOY. The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling vehicle in November. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “High-Speed Train Coming To Vietnam Soon” • VinSpeed High-Speed Railway Investment and Development Joint Stock Company, a unit of Vietnam’s Vingroup conglomerate, signed a strategic cooperation and technology transfer agreement with Siemens Mobility GmbH to advance development of high-speed rail in Vietnam. [CleanTechnica]

Rendering of a VinSpeed High Speed Train (VinGroup image)

¶ “European Energy Lifts Måde PtX Capacity” • European Energy has started hydrogen production at the expanded Måde Power-to-X facility in Denmark after increasing the electrolyser capacity. The company said that the upgrade to 8.1 MW follows installation and commissioning of an additional unit, which was produced by Plug Power. [reNews]

¶ “Seatrium, Maersk Reach Jack-Up Agreement” • Seatrium Energy International and Maersk Offshore Wind have agreed on the delivery of a jack-up that is due to work on Equinor’s Empire Wind project in the US. The Singapore shipbuilder said it will deliver the ship by 28 February 2026 and the Danish shipping giant will pay the contract balance. [reNews]

Jack-up ship (Maersk Offshore Wind image)

¶ “Flow Power Reaches Financial Close On Its First Stand-Alone Big Battery, In Victorian Coal Country” • Australian renewables provider Flow Power reached financial close on its first “battery only” project, its largest so far at 100 MW and 223 MWh. Finnish energy storage giant Wärtsilä will supply the battery hardware and software. [Renew Economy]

¶ “Japan Is Preparing To Restart World’s Biggest Nuclear Plant, Fifteen Years After Fukushima” • The Japanese region of Niigata is expected to endorse a decision to restart the world’s largest nuclear power plant, as the country pivots back to nuclear after the 2011 Fukushima Disaster. Kashiwazaki-Kariwa isabout 220 km (136 miles) northwest of Tokyo. [MSN]

Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant (D a, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “What The Threatened ‘Blockade’ Of Sanctioned Venezuelan Oil Tankers Means For Gas Prices” • Oil prices jumped about 3% after President Trump threatened to blockade all sanctioned oil tankers traveling in and out of Venezuela. Venezuela, which has the largest known oil reserves in the world, exports hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil each day. [ABC News]

¶ “Relentless Storms Hitting The West, A Major Pattern Change For Christmas Week” • Repeat atmospheric rivers continue to point relentless streams of rain and gusty wind toward the West Coast. An atmospheric river is diminishing in Washington state, but another is forming in Oregon. This second on is expected to be followed by one in California. [ABC News]

Atmospheric river (GOES imagery)

¶ “It’s A Heckuva Good Time To Launch A New EV In The US, Says Faraday Future” • For all the doom and gloom settling over the vehicle electrification movement in the US, a few bright spots continue to seep through. The latest news involves a new EV from the California-based global automaker Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Misses The Offshore Wind Boat And Aquaculture” • When President Donald Trump decided to stop almost the entire US offshore wind industry in its tracks, he achieved the expected results in terms of lost jobs and missed opportunities to harvest more power from the sea. But the global wind industry just flexes its muscles elsewhere. [CleanTechnica]

SeaTwirl machines (Courtesy of SeaTwirl)

¶ “Coal Decreased From Half To One-Seventh Of US Electricity Production In Fifteen Years” • Fifteen years ago, coal-fired power plants accounted for half of US electricity production. Today, coal accounts for approximately one-seventh. The change is largely the result of Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, which started in the early 2000s. [Warp News]

¶ “Nuclear Firm Working With Chinese Military Companies Pushes For $900 Million US Uranium Contract” • On its face, Orano Federal Services, a North Carolina-based nuclear fuel cycle company, is a plausible partner for a $900 million DOE contract to produce uranium for US nuclear plants. But the firm also works with the Chinese military. [freebeacon.com]

Have a marvelously calculated day.

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World:

¶ “The First Climate Migrants Are Leaving Sinking Tuvalu To Start A New Life In Australia” • Tuvalu is one of the countries at greatest risk from climate change due to the worsening threat of rising sea levels. The nation comprises nine palm-fringed reef islands and coral atolls. Scientists predict that 95% of it will be underwater at high tide by the year 2100. [Euronews]

Group of girls on Tuvalu (Winston Chen, Unsplash)

¶ “US Seized Another Ship In The Caribbean, Noem Says” • The US seized another oil tanker in the Caribbean. Unlike the ship taken earlier this month, this tanker was not on any sanctions list maintained by the US, the European Union, the UK or the UN, according to Kpler, a data firm that tracks transportation and logistics networks. [ABC News]

¶ “EVs At 65.4% Share In Sweden – Incentive Scheme Incoming” • November’s auto sales saw plugin EVs at 65.4% share in Sweden, up from 61.7% year-on-year. Battery EVs were up in share, while plugin hybrid EVs were flat. The overall auto volume was 21,016 units, down by some 15% YOY. The best-selling battery EV was the Volvo EX40. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo EX40 (Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “India Adds 50 GW RE Capacity With Investment Of ₹2 Lakh Crore In 2025; To Keep Momentum In 2026” • India added about 50 GW of renewable energy capacity in 2025, backed by investments of nearly ₹2 lakh crore ($22.3 billion), taking its total non-fossil fuel capacity to about 262 GW. A similar amount of capacity addition is expected for 2026. [News9live]

¶ “Green Transition Emerges As New Engine Of Growth” • The green transition is no longer an option. It has become a strategic priority for businesses, especially as Vietnam has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Challenges are turning into opportunities, promoting a green economy, and creating momentum for sustainable growth. [Vietnam+]

Wind turbines in Vietnam (Tycho, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “The Battery Boom Is Reshaping Power Markets” • The uptake of utility-scale battery storage has grown hugely in recent years as more countries switch to renewables. Battery storage ensures that grids powered by less reliable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, can continue to deliver a stable supply of clean energy through the day and night. [OilPrice.com]

¶ “Guyana Is Using Its Oil Revenues To Spark A Renewable Energy Boom” • As Guyana starts to see revenue from its oil, the government is reinvesting some of the money in renewables to diversify the energy mix and strengthen the country’s energy security. Guyana is aiming for 80% renewable energy in the electricity grid by 2040. [OilPrice.com]

Offshore oil rig (Jonathan Gong, Unsplash)

¶ “China Pours First Concrete At Zhaoyuan Nuclear Site As Construction Starts On A New Hualong-One Reactor” • China has become a dominant force in the international nuclear energy market through its Hualong One reactor. The reactor is the most widely deployed reactor type operating or under construction anywhere in the world. [Energies Media]

US:

¶ “San Francisco Outages Leaves 130,000 Without Power” • An outage knocked out power to 130,000 homes and businesses in San Francisco, Pacific Gas & Electric Co said. The outage hit roughly a third of the utility company’s customers in the city. PG&E did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the cause of the blackouts. [ABC News]

Golden Gate Bridge (Maarten van den Heuvel, Unsplash)

¶ “Tale Of Two Michigans: Intensifying Battle Of Solar Vs Data Centers” • Saline Township, Michigan got steamrolled by their own governor and billionaires when they tried to prevent a $7 billion data center from being built for data center. But when a solar farm proposed for three square miles of Iosco Township was shot down, no one lifted a finger. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The US Has A Power Crunch, And Congress Is Still Far From Solving It.” • The push to reduce the red tape slowing the construction of energy projects has the support of lawmakers from both parties, the Trump administration, and an army of lobbying groups that is ideologically diverse. It may not be enough, however. [Politico]

Wind farm (Vidar Nordli-Mathisen, Unsplash)

¶ “Solar Surge In The Desert” • In deep-red Otero County, the landscape tells a different story from the political rhetoric about renewable energy. Massive solar arrays like the 120-MW Buena Vista Energy Center and community projects like Pluma Solar Alamogordo and Carrizozo Solar stand as testaments to market-driven progress. [2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News]

¶ “Colorado Elected Officials Support Climate Scientists At ‘Save NCAR’ Rally” • Days after the Trump administration announced it would break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, defenders of the lab are speaking out. White House officials had labeled NCAR’s Mesa Laboratory as a source of “climate alarmism.” [Boulder Daily Camera]

Have a magnificently relaxing day.

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World:

¶ “AI Data Centers’ Carbon Footprint Could Match That Of A Small European Country, New Study Finds” • A report estimates that AI systems running in data centres could be responsible for between 32.6 million and 79.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2025. This amount is similart to the emissions of New York City or a small European country. [Euronews]

Vaduz, Lichtenstein (Ondrej Bocek, Unsplash)

¶ “Ukraine Strikes A Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker In The Mediterranean” • The Oman-flagged tanker Qendil was hit by aerial drones more than 2,000 kilometres from Ukrainian territory in what an SBU source described as “an unprecedented special operation”. The vessel sustained critical damage and can no longer be used, the source said. [Euronews]

¶ “BYD Significantly Improves Range And Efficiency With OTA Updates” • In China, over-the-air updates have improved BYD’s 5th generation plugin hybrid EV platform, which started rolling out in models last year. With the updates, consumers are getting more battery-only range and better fuel economy than when they bought their vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Sealion 06 (BYD image)

¶ “EVs Take 32.9% Share In France – Renault 5 Record Volume” • November’s auto sales saw plugin EVs take 32.9% share in France, up from 26.2% year-on-year. Battery EVs grew volume by almost 50% YOY, while plugin hybrid EVs fell. Overall auto volume was 132,927 units, flat YOY. The Renault 5 was the best-selling BEV, with its highest ever volume. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Skyborn Wins Approval For Gennaker Project” • Skyborn has secured state planning approval for its Gennaker offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea. The project will have 63 turbines of the 15-MW class and is expected to generate 4 TWh of green electricity annually, equivalent to the consumption of about one million households. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (Skyborn image)

¶ “Moldova Launches Tender For Construction Of Large Wind Power Plants With Storage Batteries” • Moldova has launched a tender for the construction of wind power plants with a total capacity of 170 MW, accompanied by energy storage systems of 44 MWh. The tender marks a first for Moldova by including the storage component. [Moldpres]

¶ “European Energy Wins Approval For 1.1-GW Upper Calliope Solar Farm” • European Energy secured planning approval for the 1.1-GW Upper Calliope solar farm in Queensland. European Energy said approval advances the project toward final design, grid processes, and construction preparation. The project’s full output is contracted to Rio Tinto. [reNews]

Solar farm in Australia (European Energy image)

¶ “Ireland Achieves 2 GW Of Installed Solar Capacity” • Ireland was able to achieve 2 GW of solar capacity thanks to three solar farms brought online by Dublin-based BNRG. They are the 22-MW Dunmurry, 16-MW Finnis and 6-MW Kerdiffstown projects. Together, they helped push Ireland’s installed solar capacity beyond the 2-GW landmark. [AltEnergyMag]

¶ “Ukraine Adds 324 MW Of Wind Power Capacity In 2025, Up From 248 MW Over Previous Two Years” • Since the beginning of 2025, some 324 MW of new wind power plant capacity has been built in Ukraine, while in the previous two years – between 2022 and the first quarter of 2025 – 248 MW of wind power capacity was commissioned. [Interfax-Ukraine]

Wind turbines in Ukraine (Blitz1980, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “New York Hochul And Ontario Premier Ford Announce An Agreement To Support Nuclear Technology” • Governor Kathy Hochul announced an agreement by New York and Ontario on nuclear technology. The MOU establishes a framework for collaboration on the development of advanced nuclear energy technologies. [Niagara Frontier Publications]

US:

¶ “Warm Weather And Low Snowpack Bedevil The Western Ski Resorts” • Ski resorts are struggling to open runs, walk-through ice palaces can’t be built, and the owner of a horse stable hopes that her customers will be satisfied with riding wagons instead of sleighs under majestic Rocky Mountain peaks. It’s just been too warm in the West with not enough snow. [ABC News]

Ski resort (Nick Rickert, Unsplash)

¶ “Georgia Public Service Commission Issues Final Order On Data Center Power Plan” • The Georgia PSC approved Georgia Power’s plan to build the most expensive gas plants in America. The commission unanimously approved an agreement that is expected to require the expenditure of at least $15 billion in capital costs alone. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Sierra Club Notice of Intent to Sue Flags Agency Failures to Protect Arctic Polar Bears from Oil & Gas Activities” • The Sierra Club and allied organizations filed a notice of violations by the Bureau of Land Management and the Fish and Wildlife Service that threaten polar bears with expanded oil and gas exploration, drilling, and development. [CleanTechnica]

Polar bear taking a dip (Pixabay, Pexels)

¶ “New Jersey Sides With Solar! More State Leadership Needed” • The SPEED Act was followed by some good news. New Jersey is siding with solar. “The New Jersey Senate passed A-5264, a bill to streamline and modernize the process for permitting residential solar energy systems. The law takes effect immediately,” the Solar Energy Industries Association wrote. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Texas Power Grid Will Get A Boost From Batteries This Winter” • Even with less available electric power capacity during cold weather in Texas, battery storage systems are reducing the risk of power outages over this winter, according to the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, as it reported at its December board of directors meeting. [San Antonio Current]

Have a thrillingly easy day.

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World:

¶ “How The Global Food System Is Impacting Obesity And Climate Change” • The same global food system that is fueling rising obesity rates is also accelerating climate change, according to a sweeping new scientific review that argues both crises share common roots and solutions. The review was published in Frontiers in Science. [ABC News]

Cattle (Daniel Quiceno M, Unsplash)

¶ “Energy Efficiency Is The ‘First Fuel,’ But Progress Remains Too Slow, Says IEA Analyst” • The International Energy Agency warns that global energy efficiency gains remain below levels needed to meet international climate goals. Progress is expected to rise to 1.8% in 2025, but the world is still off track to double gains by 2030. [Euronews]

¶ “Cleantech Producers Call On EU To Boost Support For Green Shipping Fuels In Europe” • The present Sustainable Transport Investment Plan estimates that decarbonising the shipping sector will require between €35 and €47 billion in annual investments by 2035. The majority can come from the private sector, but public funding is essential. [CleanTechnica]

Ship (Courtesy Volvo Car Group)

¶ “Financial Markets Already Pricing The Fossil Fuel Phaseout” • Forbes contributor Ingmar Rentzhog, founder of We Don’t Have Time, has an unusual take on COP30. He reports that a recent survey of 950 institutional investors showed that four out of five said they expect to increase spending on sustainable investments over the next two years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “RWE Signs PPA With Thames Water” • RWE has agreed a five-year power purchase agreement to supply clean electricity from its 50-MW Camster onshore wind farm to Thames Water. The company said the deal will run from December 2025 to 2030 and will deliver 132 GWh of power annually, supplying up to 15% of the utility’s essential services. [reNews]

Wind farm (RWE image)

¶ “Poland Awards 3.4 GW In First Offshore Wind Tender” • In Poland’s maiden competitive offshore wind auction, the country awarded 3.4 GW of capacity for three projects, according to the Energy Regulatory Office. The tender had attracted four bids. Of the winning projects, all three are expected to be in operation by the end of 2032. [reNews]

¶ “Aura Power Secures Horton Solar Finance” • Aura Power has secured project finance to build the 49-MW Horton Solar Farm in East Devon. The deal marks the company’s fifth UK solar project to reach financial close in the past fourteen months, bringing its construction portfolio to 298 MW. Senior debt financing was provided by Rabobank. [reNews]

Solar farm (Aura Power image)

¶ “Indian Railways Goes Green: 2,626 Stations Now Powered by Solar Energy” • Indian Railways is moving towards cleaner energy by use of solar power. A number of railway stations are switching to solar power now. By November 2025, there were 2,626 running on solar in India. So far, Indian Railways has 898 MW of solar power operating. [Renewable Affairs]

US:

¶ “Trump Administration Moves To Dismantle Prominent US Weather And Climate Research Center” • In a post on X, the Trump administration announced plans to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. It said, “any vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location.” [ABC News]

NCAR (Paju, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Sierra Club Nebraska Reacts To OPPD Extending Life Of Old Coal Plant” • The Omaha Public Power District board voted to extend the life of a dangerous coal-fired power plant that has harmed the health of North Omaha families for over 70 years. In addition to pollution, the  North Omaha Station, has a history of reliability issues. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “House Passes SPEED Act, But It Does Not Lower Energy Costs Or Speed Clean Energy Deployment” • The “Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act,” was passed by the House of Representatives. The act does not fix the barriers slowing clean energy projects, but weakens the National Environmental Policy Act. [CleanTechnica]

Renewable energy (César Badilla Miranda, Unsplash)

¶ “Sierra Club: Rising Prices Directly Linked To Trump Tariffs, Cuts To Clean Energy” • Eliminating affordable, clean energy development by reducing investments in them, preventing construction, and increasing methane gas exports is causing energy prices to skyrocket. The Concumer Price Index already shows fuel oil up 11.2%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US To Add 7 GW Of Wind In 2025” • The US is expected to install more than 7 GW of wind capacity in 2025, a 36% rise on the previous year, according to the latest US Wind Energy Monitor. The market is on track to add 46 GW from 2025 to 2029 with the timing of additions shifting into 2026 and 2027, the report said. [reNews]

Windpower (Vasilios Muselimis, Unsplash)

¶ “Maine To Benefit From New Solar Projects In New England” • Maine has joined several New England states in selecting new renewable energy projects through a competitive, multistate process that will add new solar power in the region. Roughly 51 MW of solar generation selected is in Maine. That is nearly 30% of the 173 MW total. [The Portland Press Herald]

¶ “Trump Media Merging With Nuclear Fusion Startup In $6 Billion Deal” • Trump Media, the parent company of Truth Social, announced a merger with TAE Technologies, a nuclear fusion startup, in a deal valued at $6 billion. Together, the two companies are planning to create the “world’s first utility-scale fusion power plant.” [The Hill]

Have a delectably satisfying day.

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World:

¶ “EU Commissioner Hoekstra Defends Scrapping 2035 Ban On Combustion Engines” • In an interview European Commissioner for Climate Wopke Hoekstra defended a controversial decision to reduce a planned 100% ban of combustion-engine vehicles from 2035 to 90%, calling it a “smart and wise compromise” for both climate and industry. [Euronews]

Wopke Hoekstra (European People’s Party, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Shipping e-Fuels Production In Europe: State Of Play In 2025” • In its 2025 update of the shipping e-fuels observatory, T&E examined European green hydrogen and e-fuels projects for the maritime sector. There has been progress, but maritime e-fuels production appears unlikely to reach targeted levels without a policy change. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “$13,034 Ora 5 Is Here!” • Well, not here in the US, but in China. The Ora 5, a small “SUV,” is the first new model from GWM’s Ora sub-brand in more than two years. And it was worth the wait. It seems certain the Ora 5 is going to be a competitive, high selling EV. The model starts at just 91,800 yuan ($13,034) with 480 km (300 miles) of range. [CleanTechnica]

Ora 5 battery EV

¶ “Alphabet Google Signs A Solar Power Agreement In Malaysia, Reports Bloomberg” • Bloomberg reported that Alphabet Inc’s Google signed a solar power agreement in Malaysia. Google would be buying power from a 30-MW solar farm in Malaysia’s Kedah state developed by a consortium led by a local unit of Japan’s Shizen Energy Inc. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Vestas Takes Waddi Order With Tilt Renewables” • Vestas took the order for Tilt Renewables’ 108-MW Waddi Wind Farm in Western Australia. The order includes supply and installation of eighteen 6.0-MW EnVentus turbines. The partnership of Vestas and Tilt Renewables has delivered several major Australian wind farms, the companies said. [reNews]

Wind turbine (Vestas image)

¶ “South Korea Launches Its Largest Operational Offshore Wind Farm In Jeju” • South Korea has completed the 100-MW Hanlim Offshore Wind Power Complex. According to the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment, the offshore wind complex is off Jeju. It is the largest offshore wind power complex operating in the country. [Asian Power]

¶ “BayWa RE Gets Nod For 250-MW Swedish Solar Giant” • The Nordic renewable energy unit of BayWa re has secured an environmental permit for the 250-MW Ryamon Solar Park in Alvesta municipality. The company said the project is the largest solar project in Sweden to date to receive such approval. The park is next to the Lyngsåsa wind farm. [reNews]

Renewable generation (BayWa re image)

¶ “Renewable Energy Powers Up As Coal Demand Plateaus” • Mining companies, agencies, and global events are strengthening the world’s renewable footprint. The IEA shows coal demand has reached a plateau and may decline by 2030. A new IEA market report sees global coal demand forecast to edge down through the end of this decade. [Mining.com.au]

¶ “RWE Wins Permit For 1.1-GW Five Estuaries” • UK Energy Minister Alan Whitehead has granted planning consent to RWE’s 1.1-GW Five Estuaries wind farm off East Anglia. The 79-turbine extension of the 353-MW Galloper array is the fifth UK offshore wind farm to reach the milestone this year, one of which was RWE’s 1.2-GW Rampion 2 project. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbines (RWE image)

¶ “EU Renewables Hit 49.3% Of Electricity In Q3 2025, Denmark Leads” • According to the latest data from Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, renewable energy’s share in the EU’s final energy use climbed to 25.4% in 2024, with projections indicating further growth into 2025. The uptick was driven largely by expansions in solar, wind, and heat pumps. [WebProNews]

¶ “Cheaper, Cleaner Energy Drives Germany’s Balcony-Solar Boom” • Transitioning to renewables is critical for confronting the climate crisis, and Germany is seeing this advance at the household level. Small solar devices that can be plugged into household sockets are very popular in the country, with over 1 million installed in the past three years. [DW]

Balcony solar (Triplec85, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Coal For Christmas: Local Advocacy Groups Deliver Coal, Protest Letters To JEA” • Local advocacy and climate groups delivered some coal to Jacksonville Electric Authority just in time for the holidays. Sierra Club Florida and other groups left coal, a joint letter, and holiday cards that protest JEA’s dirty Northside Generating Station coal plant. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Trump Illegally Extends Life Of Centralia Generating Station Coal Plant” • The Trump administration issued an ‘emergency’ order to forcibly and illegally extend operations of Centralia Generating Station past its scheduled retirement. The high cost to keep this aging coal plant online is expected to be passed onto residents in the area. [CleanTechnica]

Centralia plant (Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Tesla Has Engaged In False Advertising, Has To Suspend Vehicle Production & Sales If Problem Not Fixed” • A California judge ruled that Tesla’s use of the terms “Autopilot” and “Full Self Driving” was, in effect, false advertising. The judge’s proposal is that Tesla’s license to manufacture and sell vehicles in California be suspended for 30 days. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Palisades Nuclear Plant Restart Plans Pushed Back To Early 2026” • The restart of a nuclear energy plant in Michigan is behind schedule, and will not happen until early 2026, according to Holtec International, the company behind the restart. The plant stopped operating in 2022, but with a renewed focus on nuclear energy, plans changed. [WCMU Public Radio]

Have a graciously carefree day.

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World:

¶ “ATP Introduces New Extreme Heat Rule To Protect Players During Men’s Tennis Matches” • The ATP Tour will add a rule to address extreme heat during men’s professional tennis matches. It will allow 10-minute breaks during best-of-three-sets singles matches starting next season. The women’s circuit adopted a similar rule over thirty years ago. [Euronews]

Tennis (Andrew Heald, Unsplash)

¶ “EU Carmakers To Comply With 90% Emissions Reduction By 2035” • The EU executive revoked the 2035 ban on the sale of new cars and vans powered by diesel or petrol after pressure from some EU countries and the automotive industry. The remaining 10% of emissions will need to be compensated for by using such mechanisms as low-carbon steel. [Euronews]

¶ “As Reefs Vanish, Assisted Coral Fertilization Offers Hope In The Dominican Republic” • In an underwater nursery just off the Dominican Republic coast, “coral babies” are growing on metal structures that look like large spiders. It’s a technique gaining momentum in the Caribbean to counter the drastic loss of corals due to climate change. [ABC News]

Coral (David Clode, Unsplash)

¶ “Playing For Time Won’t Make European Carmakers Great Again” • Reversing the EU’s 2035 phase-out of combustion engine sales sends a confusing signal, T&E said. Carmakers could continue selling cars with engines, the European Commission proposed, despite the EU’s aim to have the last polluting cars off its roads by 2050. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Nissan LEAF Now In Production In UK” • We have news that production of the new Nissan LEAF in the UK has begun in Sunderland, and the third-gen LEAF is being released in the UK. With 282,704 units of the LEAF produced in Sunderland to date, this updated version should easily push that total past 300,000. But why not 500,000? [CleanTechnica]

Nissan LEAF (Nissan image)

¶ “Renewables Remain Lowest-Cost Option Says CSIRO Report” • The CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) draft GenCost report for 2025-2026 shows that solar and onshore wind power backed by storage and either gas or hydrogen is the least-cost new-build electricity generation technology mix. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “Vestas Wins 828-MW Brazil Deal” • Casa dos Ventos and Vestas have agreed an 828-MW order for the Dom Inocêncio wind complex in the south-central region of Piauí. The project will have 184 turbines, each of 4.5-MW capacity. The companies added that construction is expected to begin in 2026 with final commissioning scheduled for 2028. [reNews]

Vestas turbine construction (Vestas image)

¶ “2025 Solar, Battery, And EV Round Up” • Australia’s clean energy story in 2025 had a clear theme: Households are leading the charge. Rooftop solar remained strong, batteries proliferated, and electrification extended beyond the switchboard. That mix matters because every new panel, battery, EV, and heat pump chips away at fossil fuel demand. [Energy Matters]

¶ “SP Energy Networks Trials Wind Grid Restart” • SP Energy Networks has begun trials to assess whether offshore wind can be used to restart the UK electricity grid following a national power outage. SP Energy Networks stated the trials will model different grid restoration methods using offshore wind in a specialist laboratory environment. [reNews]

Offshore windpower (SP Energy image)

¶ “India Introduces New Bill To Overhaul Its Nuclear Energy Sector” • The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 seeks to replace the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 with a single, comprehensive law aligned with India’s energy requirements. [Asian Power]

US:

¶ “Texas Sues Utility Company To Recover Damages From Historic Wildfire” • Texas has sued the utility company whose downed power lines sparked the largest wildfire in state history, which caused more than $1 billion in damage. The state accuses Southwestern Public Service Company of negligence in its upkeep of aging utility poles. [ABC News]

Wildfire in Texas (Staff Sgt. Eric Harris, US DOD, public domain)

¶ “Electric Utility Cost Crisis Brewing In South Carolina” • An executive order by Donald Trump could block state guardrails around AI and the infrastructure needed to run AI data centers, including popular state-level initiatives, called large load tariffs, that help ensure tech companies have invested to meet the costs of growing electricity demand. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Major Environmental Organizations Sue Trump Regime Over Hold On Billions For EV Charging” • The Sierra Club, Climate Solutions, NRDC, and Earthjustice filed suit challenging the Trump administration’s hold on $2.5 billion in federal funding through the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program. [CleanTechnica]

EV charging (Joint Office of Energy and Transportation image)

¶ “Trump’s Cut to Fuel Economy Regulations Will Cost People Money” • Regulations put in place to make vehicles more fuel efficient and save people money are important for making vehicles more fuel efficient and saving people money. When you eliminate those regulations, people are going to end up paying more. Who would have thought it?  [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Arizona’s Mesquite Solar Hub Expands To Power 150,000 Homes” • From above, theMesquite Solar Complex in Arlington, Arizona resembles an enormous geometric tapestry. On the ground, it represents something more significant: the steady evolution of solar power from a niche technology to a central part of America’s generating fleet. [OilPrice.com]

Have an overwhelmingly splendid day.

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World:

¶ “Europe ‘Needs To Stand Up To Trump And Stop Buying US Energy,’ Tubiana Tells Euronews” • The EU should stand up to US President Trump and reject further purchases of US energy products, as foreseen in the $750 billion trade deal between the transatlantic partners, climate czar Laurence Tubiana said on the Euronews program Europe Today. [Euronews]

Laurence Tubiana in 2016 (UNclimatechange, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “EU Energy Ministers Back New Fund For Cross-Border Infrastructure Projects From 2028” • From 2028, EU countries will be able to expand cross-border energy infrastructure, like grids and pipelines, along with renewable energy projects. EU energy minister backed the makeup of the bloc’s energy budget for 2028-2034 overwhelmingly. [Euronews]

¶ “Scientists Say Rate Of Glacier Disappearance Expected To Peak By Mid-2050s” • The number of glaciers disappearing around the world each year is projected to sharply increase by the mid-century, peaking at 2,000 to 4,000 per year at that time, depending on the warming scenario, a study published Monday in Nature Climate Change found. [ABC News]

Glacier National Park (aparlette, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “How Sunshine Powers The Philippines’ Largest Malls For More Holiday Cheer ” • As COP30 convened to address the planet’s climate crisis, SM Prime Holdings demonstrated that corporate climate action need not sacrifice tradition or spectacle. Instead, the company engineered a model where sustainability powers celebration. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “You Can’t Buy This, America: BYD T4 EV Truck for Hauling” • Americans love their trucks, though much of that love has little to do with actually carrying cargo. What if you actually needed a truck to carry stuff? The BYD T4 might be a good choice, if only it were available in the US. Here is what it’s like, for people in the rest of the world. [CleanTechnica]

BYD T4 electric truck (BYD image)

¶ “How A $14,000 Electric Kei Car Became Japan’s Best-Selling EV And Saved Nissan ” • While Tesla and BYD dominate EV headlines globally, Japan’s EV sales success for three consecutive years is a tiny 11-foot-long kei car that costs roughly $14,000 after subsidies and has just 112 miles of range. The Nissan Sakura arguably has kept Nissan afloat. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Sonnedix Wins 805 MW In Italian Auctions” • Sonnedix has secured 805 MW of solar projects in Italy. The company said the awards strengthen its development pipeline. Sonnedix received awards for 670 MW in nine solar sites in the FER-X auction, 125 MW through the Energy Release mechanism and 10 MW under Italy’s NZIA-compliant auction. [reNews]

Solar array (Sonnedix image)

¶ “Nordex Wins 200-MW Order In Canada” • The Nordex Group received an order to supply 34 turbines totaling 200 MW to a wind farm project in New Brunswick. Nordex added that the cold climate turbines will be equipped with the Advanced Anti-Icing System and delivered on 125-metre-high tubular steel towers from mid-2027. [reNews]

¶ “WindEurope Forecasts 600,000 Wind Jobs By 2030” • Europe’s wind energy workforce is set to grow from 443,000 jobs today to 607,000 by 2030, according to WindEurope’s new Wind Energy Workforce Report. The organisation said the sector currently supports 211,000 direct roles, with offshore wind now accounting for 20% of these jobs. [reNews]

Wind turbine (WindEurope image)

¶ “China’s Farthest Offshore Wind Farm Reaches Full Power” • China’s most remote offshore wind farm reportedly is under ful power and grid-connected. The 800-MW Three Gorges Jiangsu Dafeng project, in Jiangsu Province, comprises four sites that are 53 miles from shore at their farthest point, making it the most distant from land in the country. [4C Offshore]

US:

¶ “Trump Is Losing The War On Solar Power” • Everyone knows about Trump’s personal grudge against wind turbines, but solar panels? For one thing, fighting the Sun is a losing battle. And US innovators in the space solar industry are on track to beam solar energy directly from space, down to just about anywhere on the planet, Trump or no Trump. [CleanTechnica]

Space solar industry illustration (Overview Energy image)

¶ “Tribal Nations Regroup After Loss Of Federal Funding For Clean Energy” • Tribal nations looking to build clean energy projects are exploring new funding pathways after the Trump administration’s cuts to clean energy grants like Solar for All, which earmarked more than $500 million for solar development on tribal lands. [Utility Dive]

¶ “Energy Bills In US Have Increased 13% Since Trump Took Office, New Report Finds” • A Climate Power report points to a massive spending bill Trump signed in July. CP says it is “driving up utility costs and destroying jobs by removing cheaper, cleaner energy sources from the grid, all while funding new tax breaks for the oil and gas industries.” [ABC News]

Transmission lines (Matthew Henry, Unsplash)

¶ “US Study Maps Utility-Scale Solar Land Use With A New AI Framework” • An academic paper published in Communications Earth & Environment introduced a systematic methodology that leverages deep learning and high-resolution aerial imagery to quantify the land required for utility-scale solar projects in the Western Interconnection. [pv magazine USA]

¶ “TVA Nuclear Plant In Alabama Gets 20-Year License Renewal” • The NRC has renewed the operating licenses for all three units at Tennessee Valley Authority’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. This allows continued operation through the mid-2050s. The plant is TVA’s largest generating asset and the third-largest nuclear power producer in the US. [Yellowhammer News]

Have a pleasantly magnificent day.

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World:

¶ “Assessing Global Progress Ten Years After Paris Climate Accords” • Critics claim the Paris Climate Accords have failed, but Émilie Laurence Tubiana, a former French diplomat, one of the architects of the Paris accord, and now chief executive of the European Climate Foundation, told The Guardian it has been a remarkable achievement. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it (Climate Analytics image)

¶ “Tesla’s 8-Year Model Sales Trends in 11 European Countries” • Zachary Shahan: “I poked around a bit more to see what else I could find that was a bit interesting. The good thing with Tesla is that it basically has two models and they’ve been on the market for several years now, so I did have a look at those models. The resulting graphs are truly interesting.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Plugin Vehicles Pass 75 Million Cumulative Sales!” • Reader Madan Rajan commented to CleanTechnica that total plugin vehicle sales passed 75 million units. The most recent global EV sales report showed the world reached 2.1 million registrations for plugins in September. If this level is sustained, it would take just 3 years to reach another 75 million. [CleanTechnica]

Polestar 2 EV (Benjamin Brunner, Unsplash)

¶ “Scottish Ports Sound AR7 Alarm” • Scottish port bosses warn their investments could become stranded without increased UK government funding for fixed-bottom offshore wind. A group of ports have written to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband seeking a higher AR7 budget, warning no Scottish offshore wind farms will secure CfDs, according to the Scotsman. [reNews]

¶ “Towards Net Zero” • Ørsted says, “With renewable energy at the center of our vision and purpose, it should come as no surprise that we take decarbonisation seriously.” Ørsted’s roots lie in coal-fired power stations. But the company refocused its business on renewables in 2009. It achieved a 98% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions by the end of 2025. [Ørsted]

Worker on a wind turbine (Ørsted image)

¶ “NLC India Renewables And PTC India Sign Green Energy JVA In India” • NLC India Renewables Limited and power provider PTC India entered into a green energy joint venture agreement in Tamil Nadu. This agreement aims to develop, operate, and maintain renewable energy projects totaling up to 2,000 MW in phases, start at about 500 MW. [Power Technology]

¶ “Yanara Names Gamuda To Deliver Massive Solar And Battery Project” • Renewables developer Yanara tapped the Australian arm of the Malaysian group Gamuda to deliver a 360-MW solar farm and 600-MWh battery energy storage project in southwest Victoria. The Mortlake Energy Hub will cost A$700 million ($465 million). [pv magazine Australia]

Solar farm (Yanara image)

¶ “Renewables Drive India’s Energy Security Push” • At the same time India’s energy demand has consistently risen in the past few years, generation has kept up allowing supply to keep pace with demand. According to the National Electricity Plan, the total installed generation capacity of all types is projected to reach 874 GW by 2031-2032. [Asian Power]

US:

¶ “The Oilfield Binge And Purge: Another Reason To Ditch Fossil Fuels” • There being no such thing as a free lunch, the oil and gas binge leaves Oklahomans holding the bag. Oklahoma has tens of thousands of abandoned wells. “The state has catalogued about 20,000 orphan wells, but federal researchers believe the true number may be over 300,000 …” [CleanTechnica]

Oklahoma wellhead (Government of Oklahoma image)

¶ “OpenAI Pushes Propaganda Over Research, Researchers Who Quit Argue” • There’s serious concern that an “AI revolution” will lead to a loss of jobs and economic struggles. As it turns out, we now have a former researcher at one of the big AI organizations coming out and saying that not only is this a concern, but the risk is being hushed up. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Power And Farming Can Co-Exist On The Same Land. Just Ask Cameron Krebs’ Sheep” • Thousands of Cameron Krebs’ sheep go from one solar farm to the next, munching on grass, typically from March until June. Once they have eaten their lunch, they settle down to snooze under the shade of hundreds of thousands of solar panels. [The Spokesman-Review]

Sheep at a solar farm (Avangrid image)

¶ “Trump’s AI Dream Risks Being Undercut By His Attack On Solar And Wind Power ” • The plan by President Trump to make the US a world leader in AI and build a network of massive data centers is gaining speed. However, experts warn that his energy policies, which severely restrict solar and wind energy, could sabotage that ambition. [Microgrid Media]

¶ “Diablo Canyon Agrees To Coastal Commission Land Use Plan” • NRC approval for renewal of Diablo Canyon’s operating permit depends on its clearing two hurdles. One is approval of a land use plan by the California Coastal Commission. The is that the California Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board certify the water quality permit. [Neutron Bytes]

Have a particularly combobulated day.

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World:

¶ “‘Hot Droughts’ Could Push The Amazon Into A Hypertropical Climate By 2100” • The Amazon rainforest may be developing a hypertropical climate, unseen on Earth for tens of millions of years. A study published in Nature, scientists argue the region is nearing a hotter, drier and more volatile state that could trigger widespread tree die-offs. [Euronews]

Amazon Forest (Felipe Dias, Unsplash)

¶ “Russia Again Targets Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure” • Russia targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with missile and drone strikes in another “massive attack” Friday night into Saturday morning, Ukrainian authorities said. Russia used almost 500 drones and missiles in a combined strike on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. [ABC News]

¶ “BMW May Finally Do What Auto Industry Has Needed For Decades” • BMW filed a patent application on means to identify whether a person has had too much to drink and shouldn’t be driving. It let them drive in that case. What the patent describes is a breathalyzer linked to a digital key. A person must pass the breathalyzer test to drive. [CleanTechnica]

BMW (Stephan Louis, Unsplash)

¶ “Energy Saved Today Strengthens India’s Energy Security Tomorrow: Pralhad Joshi” • Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi said that saving energy today is key to strengthening India’s energy security in the future. He also reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to responsible energy use and a sustainable, greener country. [The Hans India]

¶ “Wind Power Takes Flight In Asia” • Southeast Asia is a bright spot for the offshore wind industry. As US policy threw billions of dollars worth of US offshore wind projects into turmoil, the investors in offshore wind are looking elsewhere, and the ample wind resources of Southeast Asia give them a lot to gain after the US chaos. [Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]

Offshore wind farm (Jesse De Meulenaere, Unsplash)

¶ “Iran’s Renewable Power Capacity Reaches 3,165 MW” • Iran’s installed capacity of renewable and clean power plants reached 3,165 MW by November 2025, with solar energy being for the largest share, officials said. Iran’s total installed power generation capacity reached 97,909 MW, with renewable energy making up over 3.2% of that figure. [WANA News Agency]

¶ “Backed By China, De Aar Project In South Africa Expands Wind Capacity To Bolster Northern Cape Power Supply” • South Africa has been plunged into a world of darkness in recent years with loadshedding. The De Aar wind project was commissioned in 2017, and since then it has transformed the regional energy supply in the Northern Cape. [Energies Media]

South African wind turbines (NJR ZA, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Donald Trump’s AI Order Could Cost Iowans And Georgians Big Time” • The Sierra Club said, “Donald Trump issued an executive order seeking to remove state guardrails around artificial intelligence and the infrastructure needed to run AI.” If AI companies want to spike power demand, they should pay the bill, not ordinary Americans. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Data Center Opponents Push Back Against “Superhuman” AI” • Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and others are investing billions in new data centers with little regard as to how they well be powered or the amount of water they will use to cool servers. In the investment community, there are worries this whole AI adventure is out of control. [CleanTechnica]

Amazon data center (Amazon image)

¶ “Electricity Scarcity Meets Aluminum Tariffs, And American Citizens Pick Up The Bill” • In the AI bubble, with full-throated support by the Trump Administration, competition between AI data centers and aluminum smelters for electricity is no longer theoretical. Utilities across the US are facing binding constraints on generation and transmission. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California-Based Energy Company Planning Underground Nuclear Reactor In Utah” • Utah appears poised to become a location of an underground nuclear reactor of a company based in California. Deep Fission plans Utah, Texas, and Kansas as the first three planned sites for the company’s testing of its small modular pressurized water reactors. [KSL.com]

Have a truly delightful day.

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