Opinion:
¶ “Without A Massive Grid Upgrade, The Coalition’s Nuclear Plan Faces A High-Voltage Hurdle” • The CSIRO and others say a nuclear power plant of any size would not be operational in Australia until after 2040. If transmission lines are congested at that future point, nuclear power plants may not be able to send all their electricity to the grid. [The Conversation]
High Voltage Lines in South Australia (Solarence, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
World:
¶ “June Sizzles To Thirteenth Straight Monthly Heat Record. String May End Soon, But Dangerous Heat Won’t” • The Earth’s streak of thirteen record-breaking hot months continued in June, EU climate service Copernicus said. There’s hope that the planet will soon see an end to the record-setting part of the heat streak, but not the climate chaos that it brought. [ABC News]
¶ “IEA Makes More of Its Data And Statistics Freely Available through Upgraded Countries And Regions Pages” • In another major step towards making more IEA data freely available, the IEA upgraded the Countries and Regions section of its website by adding a comprehensive range of statistics at the global, regional and national levels. [CleanTechnica]
World weather patterns (NASA image)
¶ “Electric Car Companies Push Back Against Restrictive Trade Policies” • As new trade policies in North America and Europe seek to stem the tide of cheap electric car models and subsidized batteries from China, Chinese companies are exploring ways to blunt those policies. The march of commerce will not be easily stanched if they have any say. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Labour And Climate Celebrate Big Wins In UK” • Britain’s Labour Party won the UK general election by a landslide, ending 14 years of Conservative Party rule. The time has come in which Labour and climate activists will be working together toward common goals. The next prime minister, Keir Starmer, has a 326-seat majority in the parliament. [CleanTechnica]
Abingdon-on-Thames (Benjamin Elliott, Unsplash)
¶ “A New Horizon: Former Oil Expert Advocates For Renewable Energy Careers In Wales” • Naomi Bowen worked in oil and gas for over 14 years. She recently moved into the renewable energy sector to help in the fight against climate change. Now, she wants to encourage prospective school leavers to choose this industry to start their career journey. [Wales 247]
¶ “DVC To Add 4 GW Of Solar Power Capacity By 2030” • The Kolkata-headquartered Damodar Valley Corp. plans to invest ₹20,000 crore ($2.4 billion) by 2030 to install around 4 GW of solar capacity. Overall, it plans investments worth ₹50,000-60,000 crore by 2030 to enhance thermal, pumped storage and solar power capacities. [pv magazine India]
Solar panels with coal plant in the background (DVC image)
¶ “New Report Reveals Staggering Increase Of Wind And Solar Power Generation In Last Five Years: ‘A Historic, Permanent Shift’” • Think tank Ember said the EU increased wind and solar power generation by 46% from 2019 to 2023. Last year, the EU set a binding target of at least 42.5% renewable energy sources by 2030, with an aim to reach 45%. [MSN]
¶ “Wavepiston And Ørsted To Collaborate On Combined Wind And Wave Energy” • Danish company Wavepiston has started a collaboration with Ørsted to investigate the potential for co-location of offshore wind and wave energy in Denmark. The collaboration will analyze the benefits of combining offshore wind and wave energy. [renewableenergymagazine.com]
Offshore windfarm (Wavepiston image)
¶ “Russian Troops Seize Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Amid Warnings Over Spread Of Radioactive Waste” • Russia has seized control of the Chernobyl nuclear exclusion zone after an intense fight, the Ukrainian government said. “It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians.” [Yahoo News UK]
¶ “Wind Provided 34% Of Irish Power In 2024” • The June Wind Energy report shows Ireland’s wind farms provided 34% of the country’s electricity in the first half of 2024. The latest figures published by Wind Energy Ireland show wind power generation in June 2024 was the third highest on record for a June month, totaling 771 GWh. [reNews]
Wind turbines in Ireland (Nordex image)
US:
¶ “What The Heck Is Going On With Ford Electric Car Demand And Forecasting?” • Zach Shahan: “Ford said that it was adjusting its EV plans to be a bit less ambitious. I found it particularly odd at the time since Ford’s electric vehicles actually had a strong 4th quarter. But hey, I didn’t have insight into what was coming in terms of Ford demand like Farley did, right?” [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Torrid Heat Bakes Millions Across US, Setting Records And Fanning Wildfires” • A long-running heat wave that has already shattered previous records across the US persisted on Sunday, baking parts of the West with dangerous temperatures that caused the death of a motorcyclist in Death Valley and held the East in its hot and humid grip. [ABC News]
Death Valley (Pablo García Saldaña, Unsplash)
¶ “Motorcyclist Dies From Heat Exposure In Death Valley As Temperature Reaches 128°F” • A visitor to Death Valley national park died Sunday from heat exposure and another motorcyclist in the same group was hospitalized in Las Vegas for “severe heat illness” as the temperature reached 128°F (53.3°C) in eastern California, officials said. [The Guardian]
¶ “HECO Retiring 35% Of Firm Generators On Maui By 2028, Replacing With Renewable Energy” • Hawaiian Electric is gearing up for a transformative decade on Maui, as it plans to retire 88 MW of its fossil fuel generators, roughly 35% of the island’s firm capacity. State environmental regulations and ageing generators are driving the change. [Maui Now]
Have a sincerely lighthearted day.
geoharvey 