World:
¶ “UN Talks Fail To Reach Agreement On Dealing With Rising Risk Of Global Drought” • Despite two weeks of UN-sponsored talks in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, the participating 197 nations failed to agree early on a plan to deal with global droughts worsened by a warming climate. It is the fourth time this year that UN talks on climate or pollution failed. [ABC News]
Dry and desolate (Juanita Swart, Unsplash)
¶ “Europe Expected To Add 110 Gigawatts Of Solar Next Year!” • According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, and particularly solar market analyst Liam Coman, 56 GW of solar capacity were installed in Europe in 2023, a total of about 95 GW are expected to be installed in 2024, and roughly 110 GW are expected to be installed in 2025. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Largest Floating Solar Power Plant In India Is Turned On” • Floating solar power systems are making their way to ever more places, but they get larger in the places where they already have a presence. The latest example is India, which just turned on the 126-MW Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project, its largest floating solar plant so far. [CleanTechnica]
Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project (Tata Power RE)
¶ “Nation Set To Boost Energy Security” • China is set to further enhance its energy self-sufficiency and expand its renewable energy dominance in the coming years, according to a report released during the International Energy Executive Forum 2024 held in Beijing. China’s energy self-sufficiency rate has climbed to an impressive 85%. [China Daily]
¶ “India And China To Dominate World’s Geothermal Energy As Coal Usage Going Down” • The International Energy Agency forecast that China and India are well-positioned to become dominant players in the global geothermal energy sector as both nations look to reduce their dependence on coal and embrace cleaner energy sources. [EurAsian Times]
Geothermal power plant (Villy Fink Isaksen, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
Australia:
¶ “Using Hot Water To Balance The Grid” • The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has part-funded PLUS ES and the University of New South Wales for a two-year trial to use “20,000 existing smart meters to dynamically orchestrate hot water load.” The trial took place in South Australia, the most advanced state for renewable energy. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Scientists Sound The Alarm Over Concerning Change In Natural Weather Phenomena” • Australia’s weather bureau issued a dire state of the climate report. A result of raising our planet’s temperature is the supercharging of certain forms of extreme weather. Australia faces more intense short-term rainfall events as our world warms. [The Cool Down]
Heavy rain (Linhao Zhang, Unsplash)
¶ “The Biggest Losers From Coalition’s Nuclear Plan Will Be Australia’s 4 Million Solar Households, Industry Says” • Putting nuclear power into Australia’s energy mix would be a disaster for the climate, electricity prices, and renewable energy investors. But the biggest loser would likely be Australia’s four million-and-counting solar households. [RenewEconomy]
US:
¶ “Ford Teaches Electric Car Drivers How To Drive In The Snow And Cold” • Ford, whose headquarters are in cold and snowy Michigan, has some tips for anyone who would like to drive an EV better in the winter snow. Admittedly, the list includes more general common sense than truly special tricks or northerly know-how, but it is worth a look. [CleanTechnica]
Ford F-150 Lightning
¶ “Waymo Leads the Way Again With First Program For First Responders” • How robotaxis interact with first responders and how first responders are expected to handle robotaxis that have been in an accident are issues Waymo takes seriously. Waymo has partnered with TÜV SÜD for an independent evaluation of Waymo’s practices. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Giant Solar Power Project To Highlight Water Conservation, Grassland Restoration” • Critics used to say solar would not work in northern states. They can whine all they want, but a 1.3-GW solar project in the chilly northern state of Wisconsin is moving forward, with water conservation and biodiversity benefits to come with the electricity. [CleanTechnica]
Solar array (Courtesy of Doral Renewables)
¶ “Report Reveals Solar Power Saved Consumers $2.3 Billion In 2024” • A report by energy economist Dr Richard McCann has found that California’s rooftop solar systems saved all ratepayers a staggering $2.3 billion in 2024. This eye-watering amount was saved due to solar power reducing the amount of electricity that utilities needed to produce. [The Cool Down]
¶ “Young Activists Take On A Government Agency In A Florida Climate Lawsuit” • A group of young people in Florida believe the state’s reliance on fossil fuels violates their constitutional rights. They are suing the state agency that regulates public utilities in hopes of forcing the utilities to transition toward renewable energy. [US News & World Report]
Have an extraordinarily fortunate day.
geoharvey 