World:
¶ “Climate Leaders Were Worried Trump Would Derail Talks. They Didn’t Know Their Host Would Be The Wrecking Ball” • The moment the US election results rolled in, climate leaders knew Donald Trump would be a blow to the COP29 talks in Baku. What they didn’t foresee was the demolition job the leader of Azerbaijan would do. [CNN]
President Ilham Aliyev (Michał Koziczyński, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Tropical Storm Sara Dumps More Than 20 Inches Of Rain On Parts Of Honduras” • Tropical Storm Sara is unleashing heavy rainfall in northeastern Honduras, with life-threatening flash flooding and mudslides anticipated through the weekend. Nearly 20 inches of rain had already fallen in parts of Honduras as of Friday morning with more to come. [CNN]
¶ “XPENG Awarded “AAA” ESG Rating ” • EV producer XPENG shared that it got an “AAA” designation for its environmental, social, and governance policies. It’s a happy surprise to find out it’s a leader on ESG as well as smart EV tech. The company has also been an interesting and even special one to communicate with, as it is open and progressive. [CleanTechnica]
XPENG sales (XPENG image)
¶ “ClimeFi Launches Global 1000 Carbon Removal Challenge With XPrize” • ClimeFi, partnering with XPRIZE, launched the Global 1000 CDR Challenge at COP29 in Baku. The challenge calls for each of the world’s largest 1,000 companies to enter new purchase agreements for at least 1,000 tonnes of permanent CO₂ removal in 2025. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Study Proposes Covering Highways With 52 Billion Solar Panels” • Researchers from the three Chinese institutions and Columbia University have proposed a historic initiative they say would generate 60% of the electricity the world uses each year and reduce carbon emissions by 28%. They propose putting 52 billion solar panels over highways. [CleanTechnica]
Highways and weather (Earth’s Future image)
¶ “Plans In For 840-MW UK Solar Site” • Plans for a 840-MW solar site were submitted by Photovolt Development Partners to the Oxfordshire Planning Inspectorate. The Botley West project, once built, would become the UK’s largest solar farm, generating enough energy to power 330,000 homes, the equivalent of every home in the county. [reNews]
¶ “Ocean Winds Installs Final Moray West Turbine” • The 60th and final Siemens Gamesa SG 14-222 DD wind turbine has been successfully installed on Ocean Winds’ 882-MW Moray West project in Scotland. Supplied with “Power Boost” each turbine can generate up to 14.7 MW of output, making them the largest offshore commercial turbines in Europe. [reNews]
Offshore turbine installation (Ocean Winds image)
¶ “Voltalia Signs 3-GW Egyptian Renewable MOU” • Voltalia has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Egyptian Ministry of Electricity, in partnership with TAQA Arabia, to repower the 545-MW Zafarana wind farm, to create a 3-GW wind and solar site. The site was originally commissioned by the Egyptian government two decades ago. [reNews]
¶ “China Floats Its First Gigawatt Scale Offshore Solar Park, And Completes 3-GW PV Project At Old Coal Mine” • Chinese state-owned CHN Energy has completed the installation of two large-scale solar PV projects. One is the world’s second-largest solar facility, measuring in at 3 GW. The other is the first offshore solar PV project of gigawatt scale. [RenewEconomy]
Offshore PV project (CHN Energy image)
¶ “Russian Occupiers Damage Main Power Line at Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Plant” • A Russian shelling attack cut the main power line at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant, bringing it to the brink of a blackout, the National Energy Company Ukrenergo reported. All six reactors are shut down, but they need electricity from Ukraine. [The New Voice of Ukraine]
US:
¶ “It’s Not Just Democrats – Republicans Are Working To Protect Climate Money” • It’s not just Democrats at work to protect the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy policies. Donald Trump is out on a limb within even his own party as he vows to the kill clean energy tax subsidies that many Republicans lawmakers increasingly depend on. [CNN]
Tracking a supercell (NOAA, Unsplash)
¶ “How Drought Is Ruining Christmas In The Northeast” • In the Northeast, Christmas tree farmers don’t look very merry as they struggle to keep their trees alive during a drought that has left vegetation brown and shriveled. Nearly 60% of the region was in drought last week, US Drought Monitor data shows, and it was severe to extreme in over a quarter of it. [CNN]
¶ “US Offshore Wind Industry Pulls The Supply Chain Card In Effort To Survive” • If the US offshore wind industry goes down after Inauguration Day, it will go down swinging. Stakeholders are making their case before the new administration takes office, and they’re not arguing clean energy. Instead, they are rolling out a supply chain defense. [CleanTechnica]
Offshore windpower (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)
¶ “Get Your Electric Car Order In ASAP! Trump Plans To Kill $7,500 EV Tax Credit” • Aside from some truly insane Cabinet picks, we’re getting some leaks on Donald Trump’s legislative plans when he takes office again. One of those, according to exclusive reporting from Reuters based on two sources, is to kill the $7,500 EV tax credit. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “FERC Approves MISO, SPP Transmission Plan Expected To Spur 29 GW Of Renewables ” • FERC approved proposals by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator and the Southwest Power Pool on tariffs and an agreement to advance $1.8 billion in transmission projects that could enable about 29 GW of new renewable capacity. [Utility Dive]
Have a gloriously perspicaceous day.
geoharvey 