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Science and Technology:

¶ “Solar And Battery Storage For Charging Electric Trucks Lead The Way Toward A Blended Grid” • NFI Industries’ decided to install a 1-MW solar array and 7 MWh of batteries at a California warehouse. The microgrid, set to be turned on later this year, will balance grid power so fifty Volvo and Daimler electric big rigs can charge at the site. [CleanTechnica]

Trucks charging (NFI Industries via Canary Media)

¶ “Eleven Years After A Celebrated Opening, Massive Solar Plant Faces A Bleak Future In The Mojave Desert” • The Ivanpah solar thermal plant, once the largest solar power plant of its type, may be destined to close just eleven years after it opened. Owner NRG said the project was successful, but unable to compete with rival PV solar technology. [ABC News]

World:

¶ “UK Survey Finds 60% Of Car Buyers Turned Off By Elon Musk” • Electrifying.com conducted a survey of car buyers in the UK. It found, “60% of car buyers now say Musk’s controversial reputation actively puts them off buying a Tesla.” Is there any other company where 60% of potential buyers aren’t willing to buy the product because of the CEO? [CleanTechnica]

BMW i8 (Edvvc, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Climate Campaigners Win As Scottish Court Invalidates Rosebank Oil Development Plan” • In Scotland, a judge of the Court of Sessions ruled that decisions to permit the Rosebank oil field and the smaller Jackdaw methane field were unlawful as they failed take into account the carbon emissions from burning oil and gas the fields produce. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Chinese Turbine Exports To Surge To 100 GW” • Chinese wind turbine exports are expected to grow from just under 10 GW twelve years ago to more than 100 GW in the next decade, according to data from the analyst Brinkmann. Goldwind and Envision are expected to dominate exports of Chinese onshore wind turbines between 2024 and 2034. [reNews]

Wind farm (Goldwind image)

¶ “Renewable Energy Accounts For 47% Of India’s Total Installed Power Capacity: Economic Survey” • Renewable energy accounts for about 47% of India’s total installed power capacity, according to the Economic Survey for 2024-25. The country’s renewable energy capacity grew by 15.8% year-on-year, reaching 209.4 GW by December 2024. [The New Indian Express]

¶ “Germany Publishes Fresh Offshore Area Plan” • Germany’s Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency has released an updated site development plan for expanding offshore wind farms in the North and Baltic Seas to 40 GW by 2034 and 70 GW by 2045. The lower power density in some zones will help offset wake effects. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (EnBW image)

¶ “Polish PM Heralds Offshore Wind Opportunity” • Poland’s prime minister Donald Tusk described the 1500-MW Baltica 2 offshore wind project as transformative for the economy. The investment is one of the largest in the history of Poland and is the start of a bigger ambition to build 18 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2040, Tusk said. [reNews]

¶ “Renewable Energy Hits Record Highs As Coal Power Drops Below 50% In Australia” • Renewable energy reached a record 46% of Australia’s electricity supply in late 2024. Coal-fired generation dipped below half for the first time, as outages and rising demand sent electricity prices soaring. Solar and wind output hit record highs. [en.econostrum.info]

Yallourn Plant, 2012 (Stephen Edmonds, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “How To Invest Directly Into Solar Projects And Finance A Clean Energy Future” • Big solar projects are often financed by big banks. Residential solar is usually financed by a homeowner, possibly through their solar company or some other lender. But where can ordinary people put money to push solar? Climatize is a company that helps with that. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford Opens Orders for New $36,495 Ford Mustang Mach-E” • Ford has opened up orders for the 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E, which has a starting price of just $36,495. It was one of those models, and at the time had a starting MSRP of $39,995 for the base Select model. The new model can be at the lower price, though it has a little less range. [CleanTechnica]

2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E (Ford image)

¶ “US Nuclear Generators Import Nearly All Of The Uranium Concentrate They Use” • In 2023, US nuclear generators used 32 million pounds of imported uranium concentrate and only fifty thousand pounds that had been produced domestically. Imports made up 99% of the uranium concentrate they used to make nuclear fuel that year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Texas’ Renewable Energy Boom: A $50 Billion Economic Engine” • With over 46,500 MW of installed wind power, 27,210 MW of solar capacity, and nearly 10,000 MW of energy storage, Texas is now leading the nation in clean energy deployment. Its projects are proving to be a financial windfall for communities across the state. [Environment+Energy Leader]

Building wind turbines (homeronz, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Vesper Energy Completes Installation Of A 600-MW Texas Solar Project” • Renewable energy developer Vesper Energy finished installing its Hornet Solar project in Texas. Composed of more than 1.36 million PV panels generating 600 MW of power, Hornet Solar is installed over six square miles. It will provide the annual needs of  160,000 homes. [Solar Power World]

¶ “Scientists Blame Climate Change For Los Angeles Wildfires” • Scientists showed that climate change was largely to blame for the LA wildfires. The World Weather Attribution – researchers from the US, UK, and European countries – said hot, dry, and windy conditions that drove the fires were about 35% more likely due to global warming. [MSN]

Have a gloriously picturesque day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Legacy Automakers Keep Throwing Money At Their Enemies” • Legacy automakers want to make the most money they can from existing fossil-fueled models and the production lines for those models. So they buy EV credits from EV startups. They paid Tesla $2.8 billion in 2024. It’s a bit stunning that automakers would fund their competitors. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla (Charlie Deets, Unsplash)

¶ “DeepSeek Launch Should Prompt AI Security Reviews Across The Nuclear Industry” • DeepSeek is an AI model from China. It could make energy facilities, particularly nuclear facilities, easier to develop, operate, orchestrate, and maintain. But only if these applications can adhere to the strictest standards of data security, privacy, and operational integrity. [POWER Magazine]

World:

¶ “First 100% Green Corridor Between Spain And Morocco: Two 100% Electric ‘Fast Ferries'” • Baleària, a Spanish ferry operator, launched a concept for the first green corridor between Spain and Morocco. It have two 100% electric, zero-emission fast boats. These twin ships will be used to connect Tangier, Morocco, and Tarifa, Spain. [CleanTechnica]

Baleària ferry (Baleària image)

¶ “Flexis Offers Three Vehicles For Connected, Electrified Urban Logistics” • With three cutting-edge EV models and a full set of services to serve the full urban logistics lifecycle, Flexis is out to transform urban logistics. Flexis is presenting three new vehicle variants that are designed to address the urban logistical issues facing Europe. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “In The Netherlands, 31% Of Tesla Owners Consider Selling Their Cars Because Of Elon Musk” • Elon Musk has gone from far right-wing conspiracy theories to doing what looked like a full-on Nazi salute, twice. A Dutch pension fund, one of the biggest in the world, sold sold its Tesla shares. And many Dutch Tesla owners want to sell their cars. [CleanTechnica]

Empty showroom (I’m Zion, Unsplash)

¶ “UK Plans To ‘Unblock’ 16 GW Of Offshore Wind” • The UK government has announced a raft to measures to help up to thirteen offshore wind projects with a total capacity of around 16 GW discharge their consent conditions by preventing delays caused by insufficient environmental compensation measures being agreed. [reNews]

¶ “Locals Voice ‘Overwhelmingly Positive’ Support For Mersey Tidal Power Project” • The Mersey Tidal Power  Project aims to expand the UK’s renewable energy capacity. Between October 1 and November 15, 2024, a consultation gathered 3,039 responses, with 92% supporting increased renewable energy generation in the Liverpool City Region. [Offshore Energy]

Mersey Tidal Power (Liverpool City Region Combined Authority)

¶ “Power Capital Secures Funds For Irish PV” • Power Capital Renewable Energy, in partnership with AIB, Bank of Ireland and Societe Generale, completed a project finance round to develop about 300 MW of solar farms in Ireland. This agreement secures facilities of nearly €220 million to support the development of seven projects. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Honda To Sell Electric Car Under $30,000 In USA?” • While EVs are doing quite well in luxury car segments, many readers (and writers) of CleanTechnica lament that we don’t have enough affordable electric cars, and none that are very affordable. Honda may be arriving to the EV party a decade late, but it may be out to change that. [CleanTechnica]

Honda EV (Honda image)

¶ “Bright Spots Of Solar Energy Cut Through The Clutter” • For anyone who missed the warnings about Project 2025, it’s all true. But the US solar energy industry is still an industry regardless of the chaos touched off when President Trump took office. Solar developers are taking advantage of new financial instruments to keep the momentum going. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “First EV Casualty Of Trump Election: Volkswagen ID.7?” • There are reports that the Volkswagen ID.7 is the first EV casualty of the new administration and his plan to cut EV incentives. Volkswagen decided to drop its plan to bring the ID.7 to North America. It’s a shame, as the ID.7 is the company’s flagship EV model and it’s selling well in Europe. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.7 (Ssu, CC-BY-SA. 4.0, cropped)

¶ “How A New NASA Satellite Could Help Solve The Global Temperature Spike Mystery” • Scientists say the recent El Niño added to global warming to drive the huge spike in global surface heat since mid-2023. But they need to know more. NASA has a new Earth-observing satellite to get data to help scientists see how aerosols impact Earth’s energy balance. [ABC News]

¶ “Encore Renewable Energy Secures $389 Million Of Financing To Advance Solar And Energy Storage” • Encore Renewable Energy, a leading renewable energy company, announced closing a $389 million financing package from Brookfield. This transaction will accelerate Encore’s growth as an independent power producer. [Vermont Business Magazine]

Encore Renewable solar project in Hartland (Encore photo)

¶ “Invenergy Closes $1.1 Billion In Solar Financing” • Developer Invenergy closed debt financing in excess of $1 billion for three solar projects. The financing is for construction of three solar projects: Cadence Solar Energy Center in Ohio (240 MW), Trade Post Solar Energy Center in Indiana (200 MW), and Yum Yum Solar Energy Center in Tennessee (150 MW). [reNews]

¶ “Legislators Introduce Bill To Start Community Solar Program In Washington State” • Sen Sharon Shewmake (D-Bellingham) and Rep Adam Bernbaum (D-Port Townsend) announced the introduction of the Fair Access to Community Solar Act, which enables the establishment of a comprehensive community solar program in Washington State. [Solar Power World]

Have a fastidiously polite day.

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Opinion:

¶ “What In The World Is Going On With AI?” • On Monday, January 27, 2025, the spectacular run-up in the market valuation of Big Tech companies that are driving the AI revolution forward came to a screeching halt. They ended the trading day with losses totaling over a trillion dollars. Someone in China showed they could do AI a whole lot cheaper. [CleanTechnica]

Data center (NREL image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Seaweed Farms Are An Important Carbon Sequestration Strategy” • A study by the Oceans 2050 Global Seaweed Project found that seaweed farming can be an important method of carbon sequestration. Started in September 2020, the project aims to use seaweed farming to mitigate climate change and restore ocean health. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “The Volvo EX30 Leads The Way In South Africa As BEV Sales Go Up 35% In 2024” • Sales of Battery Electric Vehicles breached the 1,000 units per year mark in South Africa for the first time ever in 2024. Last year, 1,257 BEVs were sold in South Africa, up 35% from 929 units sold in 2023. The Volvo EX30 led the way with 406 units. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo EX30 (Matti Blume, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Renewable Energy Accounts For 56% Of China’s Total Installed Capacity” • Newly installed capacity of renewable energy in 2024 made up 86% of China’s total newly installed capacity, while the cumulative installed capacity of renewable energy was a record 56% of the nation’s total, according to data from the National Energy Administration. [Yicai Global]

¶ “Enercon Launches Strong Winds Turbine” • Enercon will offer the E-138 EP3 in a variant for strong wind sites, replacing the E-82 EP2 E4 turbine. The company anticipates strong demand, particularly from customers planning projects at wind-intensive locations near the coast. In addition, an improved power curve is now available for all E-138 EP3 types. [reNews]

Enercon E-138 EP3 (Enercon image)

¶ “Turkey Doubles Solar Power Capacity, Beats 2025 Target” • Turkey has doubled its solar power capacity to over 19 GW in just two and a half years, surpassing its 2025 target by August 2024, according to a report released by energy think tank Ember. This came 18 months ahead of schedule, showing Turkey’s rapid renewable energy growth. [Hürriyet Daily News]

¶ “Offshore Wind Supply Chain ‘Can Boost Profits'” • A white paper offers optimism for the offshore wind sector as it prepares to meet ambitious 2030 clean power targets. In 2023, the global offshore wind capacity was 75.2 GW. The Global Wind Energy Council forecasts that 140 GW of new installations will be needed from 2024 to 2028. [reNews]

Offshore windpower (Innogy image)

¶ “Renewable Records Surge Across The Grid In Midst Of Latest Heatwave” • In New South Wales, scorching conditions of over 41.5°C (106.7°F) pushed demand to record highs, showing off the value of renewable energy. Wind and solar set new records, to show the growing role of renewables can have in meeting peak electricity demand. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “UK Is On Track To Miss Its Renewable Energy Goals” • The UK government has made pledges and efforts to have clean power provide nearly all of Britain’s electricity by 2030. But the country is on track to miss its wind and solar capacity targets as operational and investment constraints are hampering a faster pace of installations. [OilPrice.com]

Renewable energy (Anne Burgess, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Octopus Energy CEO: Powering Bargains With Renewables” • Octopus Energy has grown to be the biggest energy company in the UK. At the World Future Energy Summit, the company’s founder and CEO Greg Jackson urged those in the renewable energy sector to tap low-cost renewables to drive clean energy adoption and acceptance. [pv magazine International]

¶ “MP Pushes For Tidal Lagoon In Bristol Channel” • Building a tidal lagoon in the Bristol Channel could provide clean energy for 120 years, an MP has said. The proposed West Somerset Lagoon would cost £10 billion to build, a third of the cost of a nuclear plant, and its lifespan would be twice that of a nuclear power plant. [BBC]

Minehead, Somerset (Chris Talbot, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “US Solar PPA Prices Rise 3.3% In Q4” • LevelTen Energy, a PPA marketplace operator, released its Q4 “PPA Price Index” report. It says US solar PPA prices rose by 3.3% in the last three months of 2024. It says, “The increase in solar pricing in the United States may be related to uncertainties around tariffs, tax credits, and transmission buildout.” [pv magazine International]

¶ “Lucid Comes Back From The Brink, With Tesla Supercharger Promise Fulfilled” • The US startup Lucid Group has struggled to find a way into the EV market. Now maybe the road is open, just in time to attract drivers looking for an alternative to a Tesla. And Lucid will have access to over 20,000 Superchargers from January 31, no adapter required. [CleanTechnica]

Lucid Gravity luxury SUV (Courtesy of Lucid Group)

¶ “National Grid Turns Sod On US PV Site” • National Grid Renewables announced the start of construction at its 117-MW Sycamore Creek Solar Project in Ohio, within the PJM market. Once operational, Sycamore Creek will deliver an estimated $27 million in direct economic benefit for the local community, the developer says. [reNews]

¶ “Major Bill On Nuclear Power Wins Unanimous Vote In House Committee” • A major bill opening the door for nuclear power in Utah is advancing in the state legislature. The House Public Utilities committee voted unanimously on Monday to support House Bill 249, which lays the groundwork for eventual nuclear power plants in the state. [FOX 13 News Utah]

Have a wonderfully satisfying day.

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World:

¶ “Spanish Fishers In Galicia Report ‘Catastrophic’ Collapse In Shellfish Stocks” • A “catastrophic” collapse in shellfish numbers is reported by Spanish fishers in Galicia, with some stocks falling by as much as 90% in the space of a few years. In 2023 the crop of cockles fell by 80% compared with the previous year, while some varieties of clams fell by 78%. [The Guardian]

Bed of mussels (Wilson44691, public domain)

¶ “Regulatory Challenges Continue To Hound Offshore Wind Growth In The Philippines” • Developing offshore wind energy is painfully slow in the Philippines. The Philippine DOE has approved 92 contracts for offshore wind energy service, but by January 2025, only five of them had moved on to permitting or environmental compliance. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Enphase Announces New Residential Battery For Europe” • Enphase announced a residential energy storage product, the IQ® Battery 5P with FlexPhase, for Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Enphase Energy’s Andy Newbold, Senior Director For Corporate Communications, answered some questions about the battery system for CleanTechnica. [CleanTechnica]

Enphase battery system (Enphase image)

¶ “Innova Gets Nod For 1-GW BESS” • Innova got planning consent for its Almholme Energy Hub project from Doncaster Council, in south Yorkshire. The project will have a 1025-MW, 2050-MWh Battery Energy Storage System and a 49.9-MW solar farm. It will help balance the grid, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and enhance national energy security. [reNews]

¶ “Enercon Puts Together Green Steel Alliance” • Wind turbine manufacturer Enercon is joining forces with Salzgitter and TM Group to produce a lower-emissions steel tower, the first of its kind in Germany. This will make it one of the first onshore wind turbines in Europe to feature a tower made of lower-emissions steel, referred to as “green steel.” [reNews]

Building a wind tower (Enercon image)

¶ “Turkish Steelmaker Launches 1.2-GW Solar Project” • Turkish steelmaker Tosyali has launched a 1200-MW solar project in the country. The company signed an agreement with GE Vernova and Inogen for the first 120 MW of the self-consumption solar project. Tosyali is making progress to be a fully integrated green steel producer. [reNews]

¶ “Juwi To Build 340 MW Of Solar In South Africa This Year” • Juwi Renewable Energies, part of the Juwi Group, is set to build three large private solar projects in South Africa this year with a combined capacity of 340 MW. The three projects include a 120-MW solar facility for Teraco Data Centres, Africa’s largest data center company. [pv magazine International]

Solar plant built by Juwi (Juwi image)

¶ “Enfinity Global Secures 2 GW Of Connectivity For Solar And Wind Projects In India” • Enfinity Global secured connectivity for 2 GW of solar PV and wind projects in the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka in India. The firm is expanding its renewable energy portfolio to contribute to India’s energy transition. [The Manila Times]

¶ “‘We’re Going To Miss The Bus’ If We Wait For Nuclear” • The Australian top scientist faces a showdown with a future coalition government, casting doubt on the opposition’s plan to establish nuclear energy. Professor Tony Haymet said the nuclear industry needs to demonstrate it can build a reactor on time and ensure it operates safely. [RenewEconomy]

Cooling towers (Johannes Plenio, Unsplash)

¶ “China Breaks Nuclear Fusion Record, Again” • Chinese researchers from the Institute of Plasma Physics at the Hefei Institute of Physical Science have managed to sustain a nuclear fusion reaction at a temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius for 1,066 seconds, breaking their previous record of 403 seconds they set in April 2023. [OilPrice.com]

US:

¶ “Solar Farm Being Built Near Byers In Adams County” • United Power agreed to buy 150-MW generated from Byers Solar Farm northeast of Byers, Colorado. Its partnership with United Power will make Silicon Ranch one of the largest independent power producers in the US focusing on community-based renewable energy. [Colorado Community Media]

Solar farm in Colorado (Courtesy United Power)

¶ “Trump Tours LA Wildfires After Threats To Withhold Aid Over Water Policy And Voter ID” • President Trump went to California to tour damage by wildfires in Los Angeles. He and Republican congressional leaders say they have conditions for federal disaster aid. They are mandating changes in California’s water policies and forest management. [ABC News]

¶ “Greenbacker Secures $1 Billion For 500-MW Solar Farm” • Greenbacker Renewable Energy has secured $960 million in financing to acquire the 500-MW Cider solar farm. When it is completed, it will be New York state’s largest solar installation. It will use approximately 2,500 acres of land in Genesee County. Construction began in late 2024. [reNews]

Solar farm (NextEra Energy image)

¶ “SolaREIT Closes Land Deal For 112 MW Of US Solar” • The land purchase deal for Headwater Energy’s 112-MW (DC) solar project in North Carolina has been closed by SolaREIT. Solar developer Headwater Energy worked closely with SolaREIT to ensure a smooth and efficient transaction for land for the Gum Swamp Solar project. [reNews]

¶ “700-kW Solar Project Installed On Unused Former Farmland In Maine” • Norwich Technologies, Solaris Energy, and Bridge Renewable Energy finished a 700-kW solar project in Winthrop, Maine. Originated and permitted by Breakaway Renewables, Norwich Technologies’ development division, its early financing were through Solaris Energy. [Solar Power World]

Have a beautifully simplified day.

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World:

¶ “BYD Shark Set To Disrupt Global Pickup Truck Market” • We love to talk about “game changing” technology and disrupting traditional markets, but the truth is, the US has largely insulated itself from the global auto market. BYD is now selling vehicles in more than 95 countries around the world and every one of them comes with a plug. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Shark plugin hybrid EV pickup (Courtesy of BYD)

¶ “Manso Nkwanta MP Calls For Increased Investment In Solar Power In Ghana” • A Ghanaian MP, Mr Tweneboa Kodua Fokuo, called for more investment in clean energy as the country marks the International Day on Clean Energy. He stressed the need to transition from costly and envi­ronmentally-harmful fossil fuels and protect the planet. [Ghanaian Times]

¶ “Lighting The Path To Recovery With Renewable Energy In Yemen” • Access to energy in Yemen was limited before the current conflict began nearly a decade ago. The energy crisis has only worsened. Most households struggle with irregular power and ongoing outages. The UN is using various ways to deal with the problem. [UN Development Programme]

Solar array (UNDP Yemen)

¶ “Coal Continues To Dominate China’s Energy Landscape” • In China, coal is still king despite booming renewables with their record additions of solar and wind capacity. Thermal capacity is powerfully dominated by coal, and it rose by 1.5% in 2024 from 2023, to a record high of 6,340 TWh, data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics showed. [OilPrice.com]

¶ “German North Sea Wind Output Increases By 8%” • TenneT transmitted 20.8 TWh of wind power generated by wind farms in the German North Sea, in 2024. This is up 8%, compared with 19.24 TWh in 2023. The total wind feed-in result in Germany came to around 150 TWh in 2024, up from the figure for the previous year, 139.56 TWh. [reNews]

North Sea windpower (TenneT image)

¶ “Good News For Solar Power In South Africa” • Around 1,100 MW of solar power capacity was installed in South Africa during 2024. That was 58% less than it had been in the year before, when 2,600 MW was installed. Nevertheless, a major industry body expects the technology will make a big comeback over the next two years. [MyBroadband]

¶ “Chinese Developers Install Record 24 GW Overseas” • Chinese companies installed a record 24 GW of capacity in Belt & Road countries in 2024, with solar and hydropower leading these installations, according to a report from Wood Mackenzie. Solar energy made up two-thirds of the new renewable capacity added in 2024, but 48% was not renewable. [reNews]

Solar plant (Trina Solar image)

¶ “Government Unveils Planning Bill Details” • The government of the UK intends to introduce its Planning and Infrastructure Bill in the spring to remove red tape slowing down approval of wind farms and other infrastructure. Further detail on the bill is being published in a working paper on streamlining decisions on nationally significant infrastructure projects. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Rain Brings Relief To Southern California Firefighters, But With A Caveat” • Rain fell across Southern California on Sunday, bringing some relief to thousands of firefighters battling multiple major blazes for nearly a month in the Los Angeles area, but also prompting new threats of floods and mudslides in the county’s burn-scarred lands. [ABC News]

Rain on a dry landscape (Abhi Verma, Unsplash)

¶ “USA EV Sales In 2024: Up 7% Over 2023, 61% Over 2022, 166% Over 2021” • The US EV market grew in 2024, increasing 7% over 2023, or by nearly 89,000 units. EV sales grew by 61%, or almost 492,000 units, over 2022. EV sales grew by 166%, or more than 813,000 units, over 2021. Some would have liked sales to grow more than 7%, but sales grew. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Fight Against Charging Cable Theft Gets Serious” • Two new technologies were announced by ChargePoint that should help a LOT with EV charger reliability: cut-resistant cables and an alarm system. These should go a long way toward ending the problem or at least reducing its impact on EV drivers, but there’s still a lot more work to do. [CleanTechnica]

ChargePoint charging station (ChargePoint image)

¶ “The Average US Homeowner Can Save $50,000 With Rooftop Solar, But Massive Incentives May Soon Disappear” • Research from renewable energy experts at EnergySage found that the average US homeowner will save roughly $50,000 in energy costs over the lifetime of their solar panel system. But federal incentives may soon go away. [The Cool Down]

¶ “Indiana Debates Nuclear Energy For Power Grid” • Indiana lawmakers are advancing a plan to bring nuclear energy to the state. House Bill 1007 would establish a framework for investing in advanced nuclear technology. Critics cautioned the bill could raise electric bills for residents. The bill has failed to pass out of committee, but is set for another vote. [95.3 MNC]

Have a rigorously reasonable day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Act Urgently On Food Security, Climate Change” • With each passing year, farmers find it more difficult to predict growing seasons, with unpredictable rainfall threatening both crops and livestock. The effects of climate change further extend to the oceans, where even fishermen say they find fewer fish. We must urgently find solutions. [The Standard]

Smallholder farmers in Kenya (McKay Savage, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Ordinary Driving Adds Life To EV Batteries (It’s Official!)” • Estimating the lifespan of EV batteries is a tricky but essential task to make the sustainability case for EVs. Recent studies reveal that batteries last longer than expected when real-world driving conditions are applied, along with some recent improvements in battery technology. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Reviving Lakebeds Show The Value of Water Conservation” • Clean technology isn’t just about technologies like solar panels and batteries. Sometimes, reducing our negative impacts on the landscape is as simple as doing less of something or growing crops differently. When we take too much water from the earth, the impacts can be devastating. [CleanTechnica]

Great Salt Lake (Ccmdav, public domain)

¶ “Car & General Launches Dealership In Kitui For Tuk-Tuks And Motorcycles” • Car & General launched a dealership in Kitui, Kenya. Salaba Holdings will retail the company’s Piaggio three-wheelers and TVS motorcycles as well as offer service and parts. Kitui is 162 km east of Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, and about 435 km from Mombasa. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China-Greece Wind Power Collaboration Boosts Renewable Energy Transition” • According to the Greek government’s revised National Energy and Climate Plan, renewable energy is projected to account for 75% of electricity generation by 2030, increasing further to 95% by 2035. China has been remarkably helpful for Greece. [China Daily]

Wind turbines in northern Greece (Annatsach, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Climate Barometer: How Renewable Energy Is Saving Irish Consumers Billions” • A study entitled “Good for your Pocket: How renewable energy helps Irish electricity consumers,” was published by Baringa Management Consulting. It found that scaling up renewable energy sources since 2000 has cut Irish spending on fossil fuels by €7.4 billion. [The Times]

¶ “The Middle East Is Bracing For A Solar Energy Boom” • With abundant sunlight available to produce vast amounts of clean energy, several countries across the Middle East are investing in giant solar power projects. From Oman and Saudi Arabia to the UAE and Qatar, the future of Middle East energy is appearing increasingly green. [OilPrice.com]

Solar panels in a desert (Dennis Schroeder, NREL, public domain)

US:

¶ “Southern California Is About To Get Soaked – The Good And The Potentially Bad” • The Los Angeles area is preparing for its first rain since wildfires first broke out weeks ago. That’s good news to help dampen the still-active fires and soils, but if it’s too much rain at once, it could bring its own set of significant issues, including a risk of debris flows. [ABC News]

¶ “As Schools In LA Reopen, Parents Worry About Harmful Ash From Wildfires” • Los Angeles school officials say staff are hard at work to make sure schools are clean and safe, and they are sure of their decision to open. But some parents feel the school is in a rush. Some urge officials to relocate temporarily, and others want to transfer students elsewhere. [ABC News]

Palisades fire from space (GOES-18, public domain)

¶ “Tesla, Ford, And Chevrolet Lead US EV Sales” • US electric vehicle sales increased 15% in the 4th quarter of 2024 over the 4th quarter of 2023. It was pretty good growth for the EV market. The Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3 continue to dominate US EV sales. Even if sales are down, no other models are catching them anytime soon. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Auto Industry In Turmoil After First Week Of Trump 2” • One of the Trump executive orders, titled “Terminate the Green New Deal,” goes after programs that support building out the US EV charging infrastructure. Now the American auto industry is faced with the new realities of Trump 2 as it tries to figure out where to go from here. [CleanTechnica]

GM EV and EVgo fast charging stall (Image from EVgo)

¶ “More Bright Green, Clean Energy For A Deep Red State” • When President Biden left office, he left a lot of federally funded cleantech factories and green energy projects, with funds going largely to Trump-voting states. Ironically, Trump plans to undo funding of those actories and projects in favor of fossil fuels. So, where does that leave Idaho? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nuclear Stocks Soar On Stargate AI Announcement” • Nuclear stocks are rising after President Donald Trump announced a $500 billion joint venture with Oracle Corp, OpenAI, and SoftBank to build AI infrastructure in the US. The companies pledged to commit $100 billion to start, and as much as $500 billion over the next four years. [OilPrice.com]

Have an incomparably enjoyable day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Electro-Driven Direct Lithium Extraction From Geothermal Brines To Generate Battery-Grade LiOH” • Researchers from George Washington University and its allied organizations are discovering ways to get ecologically sound lithium efficiently. They created a technique for directly extracting and purifying lithium from geothermal brines. [CleanTechnica]

Professor’s Gate (AgnosticPreachersKid, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

World:

¶ “DRI To Build 120-MW Wind Farm In Croatia” • The EU arm of Ukrainian renewable developer DTEK will be building the company’s second wind farm in Croatia. The 120-MW Ljubovo wind farm will be based in Lika-Senj County, which is in central Croatia. DTEK’s EU arm DRI aims to begin construction on the project in 2027. [reNews]

¶ “EHang Electric Air Taxi Completes Demo Flight in Shanghai Autonomously” • One of the leading electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft companies in the world, EHang has recently completed a demo flight of its autonomous (pilot-free) EH216-S. The eVTOL is capable of carrying human passengers, in the area of downtown Shanghai. [CleanTechnica]

EHang EH216-S

¶ “Teesside Airport Targets Net Zero With Renewable Energy Deal” • A contract with the firm 121 Business Links will provide the airport with 100% renewable energy. This represents a major step toward the airport’s goal of becoming the UK’s first net zero airport operating by 2030. The goal also includes solar power and sustainable fuel. [The Northern Echo]

¶ “UK Gives Consent To Heckington Fen And West Burton Solar Farms” • UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband awarded planning consent to two large-scale solar farms in England totaling almost 900 MW of capacity. Approval has been given to Ecotricity’s 500-MW Heckington Fen and Island Green Power’s 480-MW West Burton projects. [reNews]

Solar array (Andres Siimon, Unsplash)

¶ “Morocco And Mauritania Finalize Deal To Boost Electricity And Renewable Energy Cooperation” • Morocco and Mauritania have finalized an agreement, seeking to boost their partnership in renewable energy. Minister of Energy Leila Benali, signed the agreement with her Mauritanian counterpart Mohamed Ould Khaled. [Morocco World News]

US:

¶ “New Solar Plants Expected To Support Most US Electric Generation Growth” • The EIA expects that US renewable energy capacity additions will continue to drive the growth of US power capacity over the next two years. It expects power producers will add 26 GW of solar capacity in 2025 and 22 GW in 2026, while natural gas declines a bit. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Solar, Wind, And Batteries Providing Texas With Tens Of Billions of Dollars In Tax Revenue” • There’s a growing war on renewable energy, especially in “red” districts and states. One thing those attacking renewable energy forget is the enormous tax revenue of solar, wind, and battery storage projects. A report focused on Texas helps show that. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Heat Pumps Outselling Gas Furnaces In America” • It’s easy to see why. In addition to providing heated air in the winter and cool air in the summer, heat pumps are far more efficient than conventional heat sources, delivering three to four times more heat per dollar spent than oil- or gas-fired heating equipment or electric baseboard heat. [CleanTechnica]

Heat pump (Courtesy of Electrify Now)

¶ “Crews Battle Border 2 Fire Near Otay Mountain For Second Day” • A large vegetation fire is still burning near the US-Mexico border in San Diego County. The Border 2 Fire broke out on Otay Mountain on Thursday now covers 6,273 acres, Cal Fire says. It is sending up a plume of smoke that can seen for miles across San Diego County. [NBC 7 San Diego]

¶ “Trump Pumps Coal As Answer To AI Power Needs But Any Boost Could Be Short-Lived” • President Trump’s promise to go all in on fossil fuels includes coal, a reliable but polluting energy source that’s long been in decline. He suggested coal can help meet surging electricity demand from the massive data centers needed for artificial intelligence. [ABC News]

Ore carrier (Dominik Vanyi, Unsplash)

¶ “Renewables Leader NextEra Expanding Gas And Nuclear for AI Boom” • NextEra Energy Inc, a world-class supplier of wind and solar power, is moving to expand its natural gas and nuclear power generating to meet the demands of artificial intelligence. It has taken the first step to restarting its shuttered Duane Arnold nuclear plant. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “GridStor Acquires Oklahoma BESS Project To Feed Data Center Demands” • In a move to bolster the energy capacity supporting data centers, GridStor announced the acquisition of a battery storage project in Oklahoma, totaling 200 MW and 800 MWh to be developed in two phases, from Black Mountain Energy Storage. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Have a reliably energetic day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Halting New Wind Farms While Coal Plants Buckle: Is This The LNP’s Plan For Queensland?” • We know our old coal-fired power stations are unreliable in the heat. Now three coal units are down unexpectedly in Queensland’s summer. This is such an interesting time for the state government to stop assessments of new wind farms. [RenewEconomy]

Wind farm in Queensland (Lepidlizard, public domain)

Science and Technology:

¶ “UK Government Pledges Record Investment In Nuclear Fusion” • The UK Labour government pledged $506 million in investment for nuclear fusion, which will help develop a new fusion facility at an old coal plant site in Nottinghamshire. The hope is that the financing will help accelerate the development of UK nuclear fusion. [OilPrice.com]

¶ “US Startup Harnesses Cryo-Compression For Hydrogen Vehicles” • The startup Verne is leveraging decades of research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to increase the energy energy density of stored hydrogen by use of cryo-compressed hydrogen technology. This is 87% more efficient than compressed hydrogen gas. [CleanTechnica]

Heavy duty hydrogen vehicle (Courtesy of Verne)

World:

¶ “China Accounts For 60% Of World EV Sales Now” • About 60% of world electric car sales are in China. CNN reported, “Last year, China’s EV sales soared to 11 million, a nearly 40% increase on 2023, according to data from UK research firm Rho Motion.” The country is breaking free after being at the mercy of the US and oil dictatorships for many years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “40% of Safest Car Brands Are Electric Vehicle Brands” • The writers at Confused.com, despite its being focused on the UK market, decided to analyze safety ratings done by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, that is vehicle safety ratings for the USA. The results are quite positive for EVs. Some 40% of the safest brands are EVs. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo V60 Polestar (nakhon100, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Polestar Sees Opportunity In Musk Meltdown” • The CEO of Polestar, the electric car spinoff of Volvo now majority owned by Geely, thinks there is an opportunity for his company to benefit from the political turmoil created by recent comments by Elon Musk on X, the social media platform he owns. Polestar has been suffering from anti-EV ads by Big Oil. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “CIP And Vena Win Korean Off-Take For 500-MW Taean” • Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Vena Energy joint venture Taean Wind Power secured a fixed-price offtake contract in South Korea. The 500MW project is targeting construction beginning in the second half of 2026, with full commercial operations expected by late 2029. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbine installation (CIP image)

¶ “Ministry Of Defense Strikes £9 Billion Deal With Rolls Royce To Help Power UK Nuclear Submarines” • The UK Ministry of Defense struck a deal worth around £9 billion with Rolls-Royce to help power Britain’s nuclear submarines. The contract will cover design, manufacture, and support services for power plants on the UK’s nuclear submarines. [AOL.com]

US:

¶ “Governor Gavin Newsom Signs $2.5 Billion Wildfire Recovery Package For Los Angeles County” • Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation providing $2.5 billion in funding to recovery efforts in Los Angeles County, where wildfires, including two that are massive and ongoing, killed 28 people and are leaving behind trails of destruction. [CBS News]

Newsom in 2023 (Government of California, public domain)

¶ “EIA Expects Higher Wholesale US Natural Gas Prices As Demand Increases” • The EIA expects increases in the Henry Hub natural gas price in 2025 and 2026 as demand for the gas grows faster than supply, driven mainly by more demand from US LNG export facilities, reducing the natural gas in storage compared with the last two years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Cost Of Level 3 Fast Chargers Is Declining” • The cost of batteries for electric cars has dropped sharply over the past 18 months. That’s good news for EV advocates. But Bloomberg has reported that another critical part of the EV revolution is also getting cheaper: Level 3 charging equipment. Their cost had a 26% drop in two years. [CleanTechnica]

Level 3 fast chargers (Courtesy of Chargie)

¶ “Community Solar Still A Bright Spot Amid Trump Turmoil” • President Trump blew into office with big ideas for tilting federal policy in favor of fossil fuels, but gaping holes are beginning to appear in the plans. One of those holes is the community solar movement, which is still gathering steam. The nation’s #1 fast food chain among its fans. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Lags Behind Europe On Wind Expansion” • The US is behind European peers on wind power and risks falling behind other major economies like China, according to energy think tank Ember. Eleven EU countries generated more than a fifth of their electricity from wind in 2024. Denmark generated 58%, and Ireland 36%. The US generated 10%. [reNews]

Wind farm (Invenergy image)

¶ “New Jersey Hits 5-GW Solar Milestone” • New Jersey has reached a milestone of 5GW of installed solar capacity, more than doubling its solar output since 2017. The milestone means that in-state solar power produces over 8% of the state’s power, according to Lyle Rawlings, President of the Mid-Atlantic Solar and Storage Industries Association. [reNews]

¶ “Bloomberg Philanthropies to Fund US Obligation After Paris Withdrawal” • On his first day in office, President Trump signed an executive order to the effect that the US withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Bloomberg Philanthropies and other climate funders in the US will cover America’s funding and reporting obligations to the UN. [OilPrice.com]

Have a remarkably beautiful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Why Is Europe So Obsessed With Green Hydrogen?” • The green hydrogen market has seen plenty of stumbles in its time. But interest runs high especially in Europe, where a domestic green hydrogen industry is emerging, and multiple wheels are in motion to establish points of entry from North Africa, North America, and Ukraine. [CleanTechnica]

Existing pipeline to be used for hydrogen (Hydrogen Ukraine)

¶ “Trump’s Energy Emergency Is A Gift To Fossil Fuel Firms. It’s Likely Headed To Court” • President Trump declared a national energy emergency as part of a flurry of executive orders. But the document is not an emergency for all forms of energy. It mostly supports the production of domestic fossil fuels. “We will drill, baby, drill,” Trump said. [NPR]

¶ “Solar Energy Has Already Won. Now The Real Work Begins To Bring Light To Those Left Behind” • In rural Latin America, a single solar panel can mean that a child studies by electric light rather than by candlelight, or a family with cows can keep their milk refrigerated, protecting their income and improving food security. [Welcome to the United Nations]

Studying by candle light (Nuril Ahsan, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Energy Efficient Data Centers Are Coming For Your Fossil Fuels” • The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory forecasts stormy weather unless something is done about the energy-sucking habits of data centers. NREL Researchers are exploring the use of underground thermal energy storage to reduce cooling needs. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “GM Signs Deal With Vianode For Synthetic Graphite Supply” • China controls that vast majority of battery grade graphite in the world. In the EU and the US, government policies strongly encourage battery supply chains that do not use materials or components sourced from China, and Norway’s Vianode thinks it has the answer. [CleanTechnica]

Vianode building (Vianode image)

¶ “UK Clears Path To Deliver Clean Energy Infrastructure” • The UK’s wind farms will be built quicker thanks to rule changes to stop blockers getting in the way of the Government’s Plan for Change. Major infrastructure needed for clean energy will no longer be held up in the courts, as the UK Government scraps excessive attempts to challenge decisions. [reNews]

¶ “Vestas Picks Up 384-MW Ukrainian Order” • Vestas received a 384-MW order for the second phase of DTEK’s Tyligulska project in Ukraine. This order adds to the 114-MW Tyligulska I order which Vestas received in March 2021 and successfully commissioned in the spring of 2023. For this order, Vestas will be supplying 64 wind turbines. [reNews]

Wind farm (Vestas image)

¶ “Europe Made More Electricity From Solar Than Coal In 2024” • The EU made more power from sunshine than coal last year. Solar PVs generated 11% of the EU’s electricity, but coal-burning plants generated 10%, according to data from climate thinktank Ember. And the role of fossil gas fell for the fifth year in a row to cover 16% of the electricity. [The Guardian]

¶ “Old King Coal Risks Leaving Australia ‘In The Dark’ As Aging Power Plants Grow Unreliable” • Next to avoiding rampant global warming and harnessing the cost benefits of clean technologies like ultra-cheap solar, one of the biggest motives for Australia’s shift to renewable energy is the age the remaining coal plants. They are getting really, really old. [RenewEconomy]

Vales Point Power Station (Webaware, public domain)

US:

¶ “Rain Headed To Fire-Ravaged Southern California Will Bring Threat Of Landslides” • Rain and mountain snow are expected in Southern California over the weekend. The much-anticipated rain could be headed to drought-stricken Southern California, but rainfall also brings the threat of landslides in the wake of the devastating LA fires. [ABC News]

¶ “California Fires Live Updates: New LA County Fire Explodes To Over 9,000 Acres” • The two largest fires, the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, remain active. One of the latest, the Hughes Fire in the Castaic area, now covers 9,400 acres, closed I5, and has prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people. [ABC News]

After the Eaton Fire (Los Angeles County, public domain)

¶ “Toyota Whacked With Gigantic Fine For Diesel Emissions Cheating” • Toyota, that paragon of virtue who advertises its hybrid vehicles as “self charging electric cars,” has been caught with its hand in the diesel cheating cookie jar and slapped with the second largest civil and criminal fines in EPA history. They come to $1.6 billion in total. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Mt Washington Cog Railway Goes Electric!” • Mt Washington, while it is still preserving history, is also highlighting ongoing innovation. Engineering students from the University of New Hampshire are working alongside the Mt. Washington rail staff to develop an all-electric locomotive to replace its iconic steam engine. [CleanTechnica]

Mt Washington Cog Railway (Dnoahg, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Nickel And The Cleantech Revolution, Plus Alaska Energy Metals’ Role In US Energy Independence” • The EV revolution is in full swing, almost almost one out in four new vehicles had a plug in 2024. At the core of that revolution is batteries, and they need a handful of metals. Alaska Energy Metals Corporation, says that it can secure those metals. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Santee Cooper Seeks Proposals To Finish Nuclear Project That Soaked Ratepayers” • State-owned Santee Cooper said it will seek proposals to acquire and complete two nuclear reactors that were left unfinished when the power company walked away from the construction project eight years ago, leaving ratepayers on the hook amid rising costs and delays. [AOL.com]

Have a superbly wondrous day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Climate Fight Is Now The Idiocracy Fight” • We are irrationally concerned about wind turbine risks but not air pollution risks, EV battery fires but not gas tank fires, loss of free speech in an era of the most abundant and open speech in history but not con men demolishing the pillars of democracy. We could go on and on. [CleanTechnica]

High-rises built next to rising sea. (Steele Rutherford, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “South Korea To Shrink Biomass Energy Subsidies After Criticism Over Link To Deforestation” • South Korea will reduce subsidies for biomass energy after increasing international and domestic criticism of its link to deforestation. Environmentalists generally praised the reforms but criticized loopholes and long timelines for phasing out subsidies. [ABC News]

¶ “US EIA Forecasts Lower Oil Price In 2025 Amid Significant Uncertainties” • The US Energy Information Administration forecast benchmark Brent crude oil prices will fall from an average of $81/barrel in 2024 to $74/b in 2025 and $66/b in 2026, with strong global growth in production of petroleum and slower demand growth. [CleanTechnica]

Drilling platform (Sven Piper, Unsplash)

¶ “Financial Watchdog: Markets Could Soon Freak Out From Climate Catastrophes” • The Financial Stability Board warned in a report that financial markets could be disrupted by climate change and associated catastrophes in a number of ways. Climate change has a number of ways to push costs up and bring about financial troubles. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Fossil Fuels Advertising Banned In The Hague” • A ban on fossil advertising in the Hague just took effect. The city council approved the ban in September 2024. The Hague is the first city in the world to ban fossil fuel advertising in public spaces. Jordy Kruse, a Hague board spokesperson, answered some questions from CleanTechnica. [CleanTechnica]

The Hague (Lidia Nemiroff, Unsplash)

¶ “UK To Create Thousands Of Clean Power Jobs” • The UK government announced plans to help workers get thousands of jobs as part of its clean power mission. Aberdeen, Cheshire, Lincolnshire and Pembrokeshire have all been identified as key growth regions for clean energy, with offshore wind, nuclear [not clean – ghh], and solar industries. [reNews]

¶ “Qualitas Energy Bags 117-MW Solar Portfolio” • Qualitas Energy has acquired a 117-MW solar portfolio in Poland from international renewable energy developer ib vogt. The portfolio consists of two solar PV farms, both of which are in a “ready-to-build” phase, with construction scheduled to begin in the second and third quarters of 2025. [reNews]

Solar array in Poland (ib vogt image)

¶ “SUSI Raises Funds For Southeast Asia projects” • SUSI Partners has raised $139 million additional investor capital for its southeast Asia-focused renewable energy strategy, increasing its total size to $259 million. SAETF’s current portfolio has focused on investments in projects in Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Cambodia. [reNews]

¶ “India Needs 3,000 GW Of Renewable Capacity By 2047: Sumant Sinha” • India will need nearly 3,000 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2047, said Sumant Sinha, Chairman and CEO of ReNew. Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meet in Davos, Sinha said this capacity will be needed to meet India’s growing demand. [BW BusinessWorld]

Old woman feeding cows (Monthaye, Unsplash)

¶ “Nuclear Risks Depriving Millions Of The Promise Of Their Solar Investment” • Australia’s energy future is at a critical point. The country has one of the highest global rates of rooftop solar. But its progress could be undermined if it turns to nuclear power, risking the investments made by millions of Australians in clean energy. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “China’s RE Sources To Meet All New Energy Demand By 2025” • As China further increases its renewable energy capacity, it is possible that it will meet its new electricity demand this year. “This paves the way for China’s power sector to achieve peak emissions by 2025,” Greenpeace East Asia Beijing-based project lead Gao Yuhe said. [Asian Power]

Bangui wind turbines (Paolo Dala, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Fire Risk And Strong Winds Continue In Southern California With Potential Rain On The Horizon” • Dry Southern California was forecast to face more dangerous winds on Wednesday but could get some badly needed rain this weekend, dampening the prospects of more killer wildfires. Light rain could could create new challenges, however. [ABC News]

¶ “Sheep To Defend US Solar Industry With Agrivoltaic Projects” • The US kicked itself off the Paris Agreement on climate change again, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a wet blanket was cast over the whole domestic solar industry. One development is a solar-plus-farming collaboration aimed at creating standards for US agrivoltaic projects. [CleanTechnica]

Sheep in a field of PVs (Image courtesy of NREL)

¶ “Renewable Energy Production And Use In Utah” • With ample green energy resources, Utah is just beginning to harness them. Utah has a desert climate with over 300 sunny days per year on average and very low annual rainfall. So unsurprisingly, Utah has great solar resources. Now, the state is beginning to exploit its considerable wind resources. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Utah’s Democrats Focus On Renewable Energy, Homelessness, And The Judiciary As Session Begins” • Democratic leaders in Utah spelled out their priorities for the 2025 legislative session. They say they oppose increasing funds for school vouchers and don’t see pursuit of nuclear energy as financially viable, at least for now. Both issues are GOP priorities. [KSL News]

Have an enviably super day.

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World:

¶ “Increase In Carbon Dioxide Levels Reached A Record High In 2024” • According to Yale Environment 360, CO₂ is accumulating in the atmosphere faster than ever, putting hopes of limiting warming in jeopardy. The proof is the data from the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii, which has been tracking the amount of CO₂ in the atmosphere for 60 years. [CleanTechnica]

Increase in CO₂ at Mauna Loa (NASA image)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Ørsted Unveils 320-MW UK Solar Project” • Ørsted has shared plans for a 320MW solar project in northern England. Residents are being invited to provide their feedback on the proposals for the Kingfisher solar project in the East Riding area of Yorkshire, during an early non-statutory consultation from February 3 to March 9, 2025. [reNews]

 “EnBW Commissions German Wind Farm” • Developer EnBW has commissioned a wind farm in Germany following delays in grid connection. Construction of the Wulkow-Trebnitz wind farm’s turbines was completed in 2023 but the project was held back by delays in connecting to the grid, the company said. The project was permitted in 2020. [reNews]

Wulkow-Trebnitz wind farm (EnBW image)

¶ “China’s Renewable Energy Capacity Installations Surge to Record High” • Chinese installations of solar and wind power jumped last year as the country continued to lead globally in new additions and beat its own records. In 2024, China added 277 GW of solar capacity, up 45.2% from 2023, while new wind generating capacity came to 80 GW. [OilPrice.com]

¶ “Saudi Arabia Commissions Its Largest Battery Energy Storage System” • Saudi Arabia connected its largest battery system to the grid. The project proponents describe the 500-MW, 2000-MWh battery development in the southwestern Saudi Arabian province of ‘Asir, as the world’s largest operational single-phase energy storage project. [pv magazine International]

Battery system (China Power image)

¶ “Labor’s Green Aluminum Play Is Canny Politics, Not Least For Exposing Dutton’s Energy Ignorance” • After federal Labor’s announcement of a A$2 billion green aluminum production credit scheme, anyone who isn’t loudly singing its praises is most likely in the Liberal National Party. The aluminum industry needs cheap power, not nuclear. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “India’s Green Investments To Surge Fivefold Through 2030” • India is expected to have a fivefold increase in green investments to reach ₹31 lakh crore ($350 billion) between 2025 and 2030. Around ₹19 lakh crore is expected to go into renewable energy and storage, ₹4.1 lakh crore into the transport sectors, and ₹3.3 lakh crore into oil and gas. [Asian Power]

Wind turbines (arunpnair_787, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Trump Calls North Korea A ‘Nuclear Power,’ Drawing A Rebuke From Seoul” • Denuclearization of North Korea is a prerequisite for global stability, South Korea said after President Donald Trump described the reclusive regime as a “nuclear power,” raising concern that the US could be moving toward recognizing the North as a nuclear-armed state. [NBC News]

US:

¶ “Trump’s Agenda To Change The Nation’s Approach To Climate Issues On Day 1” • On the first day of his second term, President Trump announced his energy and environmental policy priorities. He declared a “national energy emergency,” rolled back vehicle emissions standards, and withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement. [ABC News]

Pres Trump (The Trump White House, public domain)

¶ “Trump Renames Gulf Of Mexico To ‘Gulf Of America’ Among First Executive Orders” • Among the first executive orders signed by President Donald Trump was an order to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” Now much of our oil capacity and many of our hurricanes can be properly assigned to the country they come from. [ABC News]

¶ “Trump Halts Offshore Wind Leasing And Permitting” • US President Donald Trump has put a temporary halt to offshore wind lease sales and paused permits for both onshore and offshore wind projects. Renewable energy companies have reacted with dismay after the President signed his wind energy executive order yesterday. [reNews]

Donald Trump (Gage Skidmore, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Donald Trump Reverses Joe Biden’s LNG Pause On Day 1” • Donald Trump has taken office. One of his first “presidential” actions has been to end the pause on liquefied natural gas exports. More fossil fuels are allowed to flow again. The US DOE’s statement on the issue is in the article. There’s nothing positive to say here. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Louisiana Aims To Dominate US Offshore Wind Industry” • If President Trump carries through on his promise to blow up the offshore wind industry, public officials in the deep red state of Louisiana may be hoping they don’t get hit by falling debris. Louisiana’s leading role in the offshore wind industry surfaced during the Obama administration. [CleanTechnica]

SouthCoast Wind (Courtesy of Ocean wind)

¶ “Six Organizations Join US Green Workforce Collaborative” • The most critical resource needed in the ongoing transition to electric vehicles isn’t lithium, silicon, or nickel. It is an adequate workforce. Training people for the green industrial workforce needed for the 21st century industrial revolution is critically important. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Vineyard Wind To Remove Canadian-Made GE Blades” • The 804-MW CIP-Avangrid joint venture Vineyard Wind will be required to remove all turbine blades made at GE Vernova’s LM Wind Power facility in Gaspe, Canada from the array, under a plan issued by the US government. The plan allows Vineyard Wind to resume blade installation. [reNews]

Have an inspiringly care-free day.

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Opinion:

¶ “WTF Is Actually Going On With Elon Musk?” • The things that Elon Musk does can be weird, and there are many examples. We can spend a lot of time looking into odd things, such as the way he plays video games. But is he running Tesla the same way? Here we look into weird things, first outside of time at Tesla, and then things he does at work. [CleanTechnica]

Elon Musk (Trevor Cokley, USAF, public domain)

¶ “For Low-Cost Electricity, Virginia Needs Renewable Energy, Not Gas Plants ” • The era of low-cost renewable energy is fairly new, but it is already impacting utility bills across the country. Virginia used to boast of its low rates, but now there are 22 states with residential rates that are lower. And most of it is generated by renewable resources. [Virginia Mercury]

World:

¶ “Toyota Promoted Its Hybrid While Funding Climate Deniers” • Toyota, the world’s largest automaker, has a significant track record of funding climate deniers. Sorry, but it’s true. Toyota Motor Corporation is opposed to the EV revolution, and it has become the largest funder of US lawmakers who deny that there is a climate crisis. [CleanTechnica]

Toyota Land Cruiser Prado (OSX, public domain, cropped)

¶ “Volkswagen And VinFast Are Taking Different Routes To The Electric Car Future In India” • Volkswagen in particular would love to find a new revenue source as it faces increasingly strong headwinds in the Chinese market. VinFast is also interested in selling its cars in India, but it is taking a much different path than Volkswagen has chosen. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wind Energy To Push Dirty Bunker Fuel Overboard, Trump Or No Trump” • The US oil industry may regret backing Trump. Global decarbonization is still a force to be reckoned with. A case in point is the shipping industry, which is beginning to edge fuel oil aside in favor of harvesting the wind energy resources right under their feet. [CleanTechnica]

Airwing hard sail by GT Wings (Courtesy of GT Wings)

¶ “Australian Government Pledges $1.24 Billion For Green Aluminum” • Australia’s Labor government pledged $1.24 billion in production credits to support the country’s four aluminum smelters’ switch to renewables before 2036. “Green aluminum” usually refers to metal made using solar, wind, or hydropower, instead of the coal used today. [VOA]

¶ “Portugal Mulls 10-GW Offshore Wind Ambition” • Portugal’s government has indicated it wants to create a cluster of offshore wind farms off its Atlantic Ocean coast that could eventually total 10 GW. The government recently approved four ocean areas where offshore wind farms can be installed, moving a step closer to its first offshore licence auction. [reNews]

Floating wind turbine (JDR Cables)

¶ “Record-Breaking Year For German Wind Power Sector” • Germany approved 2,400 new wind turbines in 2024, marking the highest number ever and displaying the sector’s momentum, despite the far-right’s election promises to dismantle wind farms and restore nuclear power. In 2024 as authorities approved a record-breaking expansion of 14 GW. [China Daily]

US:

¶ “LA Fires Live Updates: Governor Newsom Deploys Additional Firefighting Resources” • At least 27 people have died as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought and strong winds, rage in the Los Angeles area. California Governor Gavin Newsom declared that he would deploy additional resources ahead of the extreme fire weather expected this week. [ABC News]

Eaton Fire (CalFire image)

¶ “Climate Scientist: ‘There’s No Place That’s Safe'” • Though firefighters seem to have it cornered, the monster that roared through LA County last week is still alive. A few people are returning to their homes. Insurance, if they had it, is a whole other battle. The focus now is turning from what happened to why, and what in the world is next? [MSN]

¶ “GE Wind Repowering Scheme Puts Wind Whiners To Bed” • Wind repowering is one bright point for the US wind industry, which is facing uncertain times as the incoming administration takes the reins of national energy policy. Instead of trying to build new wind farms from scratch, fighting political battles, old sites can be repowered. [CleanTechnica]

Wind repowering project (Courtesy of GE Vernova)

¶ “BOEM Approves 2.4-GW SouthCoast Construction Plan” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced approval of the construction and operations plan for the SouthCoast offshore wind project. The SouthCoast Wind Project, south of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, will be able to generate up to 2.4 GW of offshore wind energy. [reNews]

¶ “Fire At Moss Landing Could Turn Back The Clock On Battery Storage In California” • A fire at the Moss Landing battery plant between Santa Cruz and Monterey could be a major setback for battery storage in the Golden State. According to Lookout Santa Cruz, when a portion of the Vistra battery storage facility caught fire, it shocked the industry. [CleanTechnica]

Moss Landing battery storage (LG Energy Solution)

¶ “Convergent Bags $585 Million for PV And Battery Projects” • US energy storage developer Convergent closed a $585 million guaranteed loan facility from the US DOE to build solar and battery capacity in Puerto Rico. The financing, from the DOE’s Loan Programs Office will be invested in the construction of a 100-MW solar plant and a 55-MW battery. [reNews]

¶ “NREL: US Could Deploy 51 GW To 84 GW Of Renewables On Federal Land By 2030” • The US could deploy 51 GW to 84 GW of renewable energy on federal lands by 2035, a report from the US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory says. It could supply 10% of the clean energy required for the country to reach net zero emissions. [Data Center Dynamics]

Have a seriously unconcerned day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Robot Bees From MIT May Be The Pollinators Of The Future” • Worried that alterations to the Earth’s climate may wipe out bees, leading to a steep decline in the availability of fruits and vegetables? Fear not. Researchers at MIT say they have successfully created robot bees that can do the job of real bees just as well and maybe better. [CleanTechnica]

Artificial bee (MIT image)

World:

¶ “Using Commercial Freezers To Balance The Grid In Australia” • In the ongoing quest to move to a more stable grid, supported by renewable energy, all options are being considered, whether it is the humble home hot water system or commercial freezers. As one of our readers has commented, “Brilliant, low hanging fruit. Bring it on.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Laos-Based 600-MW Monsoon Wind Power To Export Power To Vietnam Soon” • The 600-MW Monsoon wind power project in Laos is reaching final phases of construction and will soon be exporting electricity to Vietnam, investor Monsoon Wind Power reported. The first wind facility in in Laos, it is also the biggest in Southeast Asia. [Theinvestor.vn]

Power grid in Laos (Courtesy of Monsoon Wind Power)

¶ “Telangana Plans To Turn 25 Villages Into Solar Villages” • The Deputy Chief Minister, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, announced the government of Telangana plans to transform 25 selected villages into “Solar Villages.” As part of this initiative, solar panels will be installed for agricultural pump sets and on rooftops of residential buildings. [The New Indian Express]

¶ “Malta Joins Global Offshore Wind Alliance” • Malta has joined the Global Offshore Wind Alliance, an alliance of around thirty countries and organizations established in 2022. The alliance was started during the UN’s COP27 conference through the joint efforts of IRENA, the Danish government and the Global Wind Energy Council. [Times of Malta]

Offshore wind farm (Dmitry Eliuseev, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Over Time, Over Budget … Will Our New Nuclear Plants Ever Be Built?” • The cost of nuclear power in the UK came roaring back into the headlines as reports that the final bill for Sizewell C, the planned new power station on the Suffolk coast, would be £40 billion, twice what was initially expected. This was followed by a damning report on EDF. [The Times]

US:

¶ “Solar Farms Are Booming In The US And Putting Thousands Of Hungry Sheep To Work” • The booming solar industry has found an unlikely mascot in sheep. In Texas, SB Energy operates the fifth-largest solar project in the country, with a capacity of 900 MW, on 4,000 acres. All that grass is managed with the help of about 3,000 sheep. [ABC News]

Solar PVs and sheep (Agrivoltaic Solutions via Green Energy Times)

¶ “LA Fires Live Updates: Mayor Names Chief Recovery Officer, Plans Outside Probe” • At least 27 people have died as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought and winds, rage across 45,000 square miles of the Los Angeles area. About 82,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders and another 90,000 are under evacuation warnings. [ABC News]

¶ “‘Mighty Mite’ Electric Truck Gets A Solar Power Makeover” • The MT1 compact electric truck from TELO Trucks hasn’t even hit the market and it’s already getting a solar makeover. Fans of the tiny but functional pickup can pre-order a truck with solar panels on the cab roof and a tonneau cover for extended driving range. Aptera helped with technology. [CleanTechnica]

TELO MT1 with solar panels (TELO Trucks via Aptera)

¶ “Ohio’s Solar Revolution: How Renewable Energy Is Changing The Rules Of The Game” • Ohio is stepping into the spotlight as a leader in renewable energy, with massive solar projects like the Union Solar Farm and Fox Squirrel Solar Farm driving a clean energy revolution. The projects are not just about sustainability. They’re transforming local economies. [Tododisca]

¶ “USA Needs More Electricity to Win AI Race, Says Trump Energy Czar ” • The US risks forfeiting a global competition to dominate artificial intelligence if it doesn’t build more reliable, always-on electricity to supply the industry, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Interior Department warned. He said AI needs baseload power. [Rigzone]

Have a stimulatingly serene day.

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World:

¶ “Aviation Industry Plans for Growth “Irreconcilable” with Europe’s Climate Goals” • Europe’s aviation industry plans to double its passenger traffic by 2050 and will deplete its carbon budget as early as 2026, a new study by green group T&E shows. Policy makers must act to address airport growth, frequent flying, and under-taxation. [CleanTechnica]

Commercial jet (Chris Leipelt, Unsplash)

¶ “Recycling Battery Metals Could Supply 25% Of Europe’s Electric Cars By 2030 – Study” • Recycling could enable Europe to cut its reliance on EV battery mineral imports by up to 25% by the end of the decade, a study finds. Materials from end-of-life batteries and gigafactory scrap could build up to 2.4 million EVs locally in 2030. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “ARENA Funds Electric Truck Take-Up in Australia” • The Australian Renewable Energy Agency is actively supporting the transition of heavy-duty trucks to electric in Australia. Great news. One hundred million Aussie dollars is on the table. That’s $62 million at today’s exchange rate. ARENA is also funding logistics companies. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo electric trucks (Courtesy of Volvo)

¶ “UK Households ‘Support Renewable Energy Drive'” • UK households want the government to expand renewable energy generation, according to the Vattenfall Energy Barometer. The survey found that Britons are optimistic about renewable energy’s role in cutting costs and boosting the reliability of the UK’s energy system. [reNews]

¶ “Two Solar Sites Enter Operation In Brazil” • VH Global Energy Infrastructure has powered up two new solar sites in Brazil, bringing its total to twelve. The company says the sites will contribute to economic growth and grid improvements, while supporting meaningful progress in the country’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions. [reNews]

Solar array (Lightsource image)

¶ “Estonia Seeks Developers For 552-MW Offshore Windpower Plot” • Estonia is inviting developers to file license requests for a 552-MW offshore wind plot after receiving an application from Sunly Wind. License bids for the creation of an offshore wind farm in the Saare 7 area are invited by the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority. [reNews]

¶ “BC Clean Economy Growth Can Help Us Face An Uncertain Future” • With an uncertain future of Canada’s government, the unpredictability of President-Elect Donald Trump, and a global economy rife with talk of trade tensions and tariffs, 2025 is off to a choppy start. But some indications are that British Columbia can weather this storm. [Business in Vancouver]

Meikle wind farm in BC (Pattern Development image)

¶ “Pioneers In Irish Solar Energy” • From modest beginnings in 2011, Power Capital Renewable Energy became one of Ireland’s foremost independent power producers. CEO and co-founder Justin Brown told pv magazine that despite Ireland’s challenging environment for solar, PCRE sees a lot of opportunity and is taking full advantage. [pv magazine International]

US:

¶ “US DOE Announces $15 Billion Loan Guarantee To Pacific Gas & Electric Company To Expand Hydropower Generation, Battery Energy Storage, And Transmission” • As part of the Investing in America agenda, the US DOE’s Loan Programs Office announced closing a $15 billion loan guarantee to Pacific Gas & Electric Company. [CleanTechnica]

PG&E power lines (Cheers, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Buy A Hyundai IONIQ 5, Get A Free Home Charging Station” • One of the biggest concerns people looking to go electric for the first time have is how and where to charge. Many truly don’t realize how easy home charging is. Hyundai is looking to help out its EV buyers by giving them a charging bonus, and they get to choose which bonus. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “NM Supreme Court Rejects Utilities’ Challenge to Community Solar Rules” • In a big victory for community solar advocates, the New Mexico Supreme Court rejected electric utilities’ efforts to reshape the state’s community solar program. The court has affirmed its March 2024 verbal decision upholding the rules of the Public Regulation Commission. [CleanTechnica]

New Mexico (Steve Adams, Unsplash)

¶ “A Battery Plant Fire In California Started During A Boom For Energy Storage” • A fire at one of the world’s largest battery plants in Northern California contained tens of thousands of lithium batteries. They store power from renewable energy and have become an important electricity source, but residents near the fire were concerned about the impact. [ABC News]

¶ “New Research Shatters Common Myth About Power Outages” • Some critics said that the clean energy transition would lead to more blackouts, but California researchers debunked this myth. The team found there were no power outages in the state when solar, wind, and hydro supplied 100% of electricity needs for a record 98 of 116 days in 2024. [The Cool Down]

Solar plant in California (Reegan Moen, US DOE, cropped)

¶ “US Announces $1.2 Billion To Help With Renewable Energy Projects In Puerto Rico” • The US DOE said it was setting aside $1.2 billion in federal funds to help finance renewable energy projects in Puerto Rico to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. The funding includes a $585 million loan guarantee to finance a 100-MW system of solar panels in four cities. [MSN]

¶ “It’s Time To Pump The Brakes On Talk Of A Mega Nuclear Energy Buildout, Experts Warn” • Big technology companies are turning their focus toward nuclear energy to power data centers required to train artificial intelligence tools, but experts are warning the industry might be moving too quickly on that front given the risks involved. [WHAM]

Have a fulfillingly independent day.

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Opinion:

¶ “‘It’s Going To Be Rough’: What Trump’s Response To LA Fires Portends” • Donald Trump’s response to the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles provided a stark prologue to how his administration will likely handle the growing threat of such disasters: acrimony, brutal dealmaking, and dismissal of a climate crisis that is at the cause of disasters. [The Guardian]

Thunderstorm (NOAA, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “BP Cutting 4,700 Jobs Worldwide In Cost-Saving Drive” • Oil company BP, based in the UK, is cutting 4,700 jobs worldwide and 3,000 contractors as part of a cost-saving drive. In an email to staff that was seen by The Associated Press, BP CEO Murray Auchincloss said the job reductions “account for much of the anticipated reduction this year.” [ABC News]

¶ “More Electric Buses For Australia” • Despite stagnant electric car sales, the influx of electric buses is still strong in Australia. The EV market leader is BYD, which is on a roll, both in Australia and elsewhere around the world. Technology advancements, which lead to greater driver and rider comfort, are a feature of BYD’s new products. [CleanTechnica]

Electric school bus in NSW (Photo courtesy Go Zero)

¶ “Volkswagen’s Green Electricity For ID. Models” • It may not be taking the world by storm like BYD and Tesla have been doing, but Volkswagen is leading the way on EVs among legacy car makers from countries of the West. With an eye on being super green and clean, Volkswagen plans to power many of those EVs with renewable electricity. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Avery Dennison And Zelestra Sign Solar PPA” • Avery Dennison has signed a 10-year power purchase agreement with Zelestra for renewable energy from its 44-MW solar plant in Spain. Zelestra’s Las Rozas solar plant in Seville will generate 90 GWh of renewable electricity per year, equivalent to the annual demands of 25,000 Spanish households. [reNews]

Las Rozas solar plant in Seville (Zelestra image)

¶ “UAE’s Masdar Forays Into Philippines With $15 Billion Clean Energy Project” • Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, Masdar, has made its first major foray into the Philippines’ renewables market, with a $15 billion deal to develop solar, wind, and battery systems. The investment is expected to deliver up to 1 GW of clean energy by 2030. [Gulf Business]

¶ “Fred Olsen Unveils 158-MW Proposal For Scotland” • Fred Olsen Renewables set out proposals to develop a 158-MW wind farm with a battery in Scotland. The Invercassley project will consist of up to 22 turbines and 30 MW of battery storage. The proposed site would create a community benefit fund of more than £25 million. [reNews]

Wind farm (Courtesy of Fred Olsen Renewables)

¶ “Masdar’s Capacity Up By 150% To Over 50 GW In Two Years Taking Its Place as Global Clean Energy Leader” • Masdar, the UAE’s clean energy leader, has announced that it has significantly increased its overall renewable energy capacity by 150% to 51 GW by the end of 2024, up from 20 GW in 2022. This makes Masdar a global clean energy leader. [WindInsider]

US:

¶ “Floating Solar On Federal Reservoirs Could Power 100 Million Homes In The US” • Federal reservoirs could help meet much of the country’s solar energy needs, a study published in the journal Solar Energy shows. The study was done by geospatial scientists and a legal and regulatory analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. [CleanTechnica]

Floating solar array (Earth.com via Instagram)

¶ “Hundreds Ordered To Evacuate As Fire Erupts At Huge California Battery Storage Plant” • Hundreds of people were ordered to evacuate and, part of Highway 1 in California was closed when a major fire erupted at one of the world’s largest battery storage plants. The Moss Landing Power Plant has tens of thousands of lithium batteries. [ABC News]

¶ “Contract Secured For 200-MW, 800-MWh Energy Storage Project In Idaho ” • Idaho Power has a goal of generating 100% clean energy by 2045. Big battery systems can be used to support the achievement of that goal. Prevalon Energy just announced the company has secured a contract for a huge energy storage project in Idaho. [CleanTechnica]

Rendering of big battery (Idaho Power image)

¶ “US Backs Plug Power’s $1.66 Billion Clean Hydrogen Fuel Project” • The US DOE took a major step to advance clean energy by approving a $1.66 billion loan guarantee for Plug Power. This investment will support construction of up to six cutting-edge facilities producing hydrogen fuel using Plug Power electrolyzers. [Innovation News Network]

¶ “BOEM Finalises Fisheries Mitigation Guidance” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management finalized guidance for mitigating the impacts of offshore wind energy projects on commercial and for-hire recreational fisheries. The guidance, informed by public input, creates processes for the offshore wind industry to address potential disruptions to fisheries. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (ABB image)

¶ “Trump Nominee Says Approved Offshore Wind Farms Can Continue” • In confirmation hearings for President-to-be Donald Trump’s cabinet picks, nominee for Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum said that US offshore wind projects can continue if already approved. He said Trump was concerned about tax incentives for the renewable sector. [reNews]

¶ “New Ohio Law Designates Nuclear Power As ‘Green Energy’” • Republican Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed into law state legislation designating nuclear power as “green energy.” The green designation implies state recognition that nuclear energy causes no environmental harm. The law also expands fracking leases on state land. [Daily Energy Insider]

Have an altogether agreeable day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Is It A Cost-Of-Living Election Or A Nuclear Power Election? Peter Dutton Can’t Have It Both Ways” • With the Australian election coming up, Peter Dutton is pushing nuclear power, claiming it will save the people 44% on their electric bills. There is plenty of highly credible research to skewer this claim and show the high cost of nuclear power. [RenewEconomy]

Nuclear plant (Glunggenbauer, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

World:

¶ “Colombia EV Sales Report: EVs Grow 159% YoY, Reach Record 8.5% Market Share In December!” • After years of EV prices well above their thermal competition, the arrival of a real armada of competitively priced EVs in Colombia has resulted in an obvious consequence: people are buying them in droves. Most, but not all, of these EVs are Chinese. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China Has Plans For A Gigantic Solar Array In Space” • A report by Live Science says Chinese scientists have announced a plan to build an enormous solar power station in space that is 1 km (0.6 mi) wide and will beam continuous energy back to Earth as microwaves. It will be ten times as efficient as land-based array of solar panels. [CleanTechnica]

Launch (China National Space Agency image)

¶ “Wind And Solar Farms Saved Irish Electricity Consumers €840 Million Since 2000” • Renewable power generated from wind and solar saved Irish electricity customers as much as €840 million, energy specialists Baringa said. They found the financial benefit of developing renewable energy in Ireland significantly outweighed all possible costs. [The Irish Times]

¶ “Volkswagen ID.7 Goes 941 Kilometers (585 Miles) On A Single Charge” • The Volkswagen ID.7 is an extremely capable, cool, and compelling car that deserves more attention than it gets. Now the company is pulling in a little bit more attention. A non-modified, standard VW ID.7 Pro S just drove 941 kilometers (585 miles) on a single charge. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.7 (Volkswagen image)

¶ “Aukera Files Plans For 250-MW UK Battery System” • Aukera Energy submitted a full planning application to the City of York Council for its proposed 250-MW grid battery project in the north of England. The battery system is designed to provide a reliable source of renewable energy storage and supporting the UK’s journey toward a net zero future. [reNews]

¶ “Corio Seeks Permit For Sceirde Rocks” • Corio Generation has submitted a planning application for the 450-MW Sceirde Rocks wind farm off the western coast of Ireland to An Bord Pleanála. The submission marks an important step to deliver clean energy for the people of Ireland and support the government’s targets for renewable energy. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (Insung Yoon, Unsplash)

¶ “China Is Ramping Up Grid Spending After Green Power Supply Boom” • After launching the biggest boom in renewable power in history, China is now paying to make sure all that clean energy can get to homes and businesses. Spending on power transmission surged 19% to 529 billion yuan ($72 billion) in the first 11 months of last year. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Aker And Siemens Secure Vanguard Substations Nod” • Aker Solutions, in a consortium with Siemens Energy, received the notice to proceed from RWE for the Norfolk Vanguard West and East offshore wind farms. Once complete, the Norfolk Offshore Wind Zone will produce enough renewable electricity to power more than four million homes. [reNews]

Substation (Aker Solutions image)

US:

¶ “LA Fires Rewriting Record Books As Residents Brace For More Dangerous Winds” • Even as four wildfires burn on in Los Angeles County and people brace for a new round of dangerous winds, the blazes already hold records. Each of the two biggest fires, Palisades and Eaton, is one of the most destructive blazes in the history of California. [ABC News]

¶ “How LA Fires Impact Farmers And Agriculture Industry” • While raging flames, persistent smoke and damaging winds continue to plague residents in Los Angeles County, farmers across Southern California are also facing the possibility of devastating damage to their crops. One challenge for farmers is air quality; the other is economic. [ABC News]

Palisades Fire (CalFire, public domain)

¶ “Wright Wants To Increase Domestic Energy Production, Says ‘There Isn’t Dirty Energy And Clean Energy'” • Chris Wright, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to be secretary of the DOE, set out his priorities, including restoring “energy dominance,” increasing technological innovation, and cutting regulatory red tape, during a lengthy hearing. [ABC News]

¶ “US DOE Invests $68 Million Into Innovative Heavy-Duty Electric Vehicle Charging Solutions” • As part of the US DOE’s commitment to commercial road EVs, the agency announced a $68 million investment to design, develop, and demonstrate innovative EV charging sites near key ports, distribution hubs, and major corridors. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo Supertruck 1 (Volvo Group)

¶ “The US EIA Extends Five Key Energy Forecasts Through December 2026” • In its January 2024 Short-Term Energy Outlook, which includes data and forecasts through December 2026, the Energy Information Administration forecasts five key energy trends that it expects will help shape markets over the next two years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Department of Transportation Invests $635 Million To Expand Zero-Emissions EV Charging And Hydrogen Refueling” • The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced $635 million in grants to build out EV charging and alternative fueling infrastructure. Funds are from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. [CleanTechnica]

Have a truly wonderful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Contrarian: Journalism Is An Antidote To Cowardly Media Outlets” • For years, the motto of the Washington Post has been “Democracy Dies In Darkness.” But when Ann Telnaes, a political cartoonist for the Post for sixteen years, recently had a cartoon rejected, she’d had enough. Her cartoon criticized the Post’s owner and others as suck-ups. [CleanTechnica]

Journalism ap (appshunter.io, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Community Batteries: Will They Make A Difference?” • As Queensland’s fastest growing city, with over 200,000 people, Ipswich was chosen for a community battery trial because over 35% of homes and businesses have rooftop solar systems. The community batteries are more cost effective than building out extra poles and wires. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Fate Of Our Food Systems Is Wrapped Up In Climate Change And Plant Nutrition” • Global climate change has had a significant impact on the way the world grows its food. Climate change introduces a suite of ominous factors, all intensifying environmental stresses on crops and can even deplete essential plant nutrition levels. [CleanTechnica]

Wheat field (Polina Rytova, Unsplash)

¶ “Masdar And EWEC Plan 24/7 Solar And Battery System For UAE” • Masdar and EWEC announced plans for the first large ‘round the clock’ solar and battery storage project in the world, delivering up to 1 GW of power, in Abu Dhabi. The project will have a 5.2-GW (DC) solar plant with 19-GWh of battery storage, the largest such system in the world. [reNews]

¶ “CIP Kicks Off 800-MW German Hydrogen Project” • Project Anker is a green hydrogen production plant in Sande, Germany, belonging to Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. Its capacity is 400 MW and there are plans to expand the capacity to 800 MW at a later stage. It is projected to produce 80,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually. [reNews]

Green hydrogen (Enel Green Power image)

¶ “Green Power And Imports Snuff Out Gas” • Rising renewable energy is pushing gas-fired electricity out of Britain’s power mix. Last year gas generated at its lowest level in 20 years. According to a report from Montel Analytics gas-fired output fell to 72.6 TWh, down from 86.8 TWh in 2023 and a significant fall from 111.4 TWh in 2022. [Energy Live News]

¶ “Floating Solar Panels Powering Sustainability From Water Bodies” • Because of the water bodies, floating solar panels not only occupy underutilized spaces but also operate at a higher performance level due to their cooler operating conditions and reflective surroundings, making them an important addition to renewable energy technology. [Tata Power]

Floating solar array (Wikideas1, public domain)

¶ “Negative Electricity Prices And Grid Bottlenecks In Europe Threaten Renewable Energy Targets” • In a report the company presented for the first time, Aurora experts said that negative electricity prices and grid bottlenecks will likely slow renewable growth. Even if installed capacity triples, it will not be enough to meet EU climate targets. [pv magazine International]

¶ “TREDA To Set Up Over 10,000 Solar-Powered Pump Sets In Rural Areas” • The Tripura Renewable Energy Development Agency announced it is to set up over 10,000 solar-powered pump sets to ensure assured irrigation in the rural farmland under PM Kusum scheme. TREDA has already set up 3,616 solar power pumps. [India Today NE]

Farmers at a solar-powered pump (Prabuddha Raj, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “EDF Reject Claims Sizewell C Will Cost £40 Billion” • EDF has rejected claims that plans for a new nuclear power station will cost £40 billion. The French contractor planned to build Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast which was originally expected to cost £20 billion. However, industry sources close to the scheme estimated a rise of double this. [BBC]

US:

¶ “Re-X Before Recycling Prize To Extend The Lifetimes Of Manufactured Products” • The US DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office announced the Phase 2 winners of the Re-X Before Recycling Prize, a competition with a focus on reusing, repairing, refurbishing, remanufacturing, or repurposing before recycling. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (US DOE image)

¶ “Interagency Study Finds Expansion Of Renewable Energy Production On Federal Lands Could Power Millions More US Homes By 2035” • The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, with the Departments of Agriculture, Interior, and Defense, released a study showing great potential for expanding renewable energy on federal lands. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “AZ And USFS Struggle To Balance Protecting Nature And People Enjoy It” • Outdoor recreation is a massively growing industry, important to the economy as a whole. It’s important also for responsible people to have better respect for nature, especially young people, because it will increase their desire to protect the environment. [CleanTechnica]

Mesa (Wallace Bentt, Unsplash)

¶ “LA Fires Update: At Least 25 Fire-Related Deaths, Medical Examiner Says” • At least 25 people have died as multiple wildfires, fueled by severe drought conditions and strong winds, rage across the Los Angeles area. Thousands of firefighters are battling wildfires in 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. [ABC News]

¶ “BOEM Launches Vineyard Mid-Atlantic Review” • The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will initiate a review of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ plan for construction and operations of a 2-GW lease area in the New York Bight area. The Vineyard Mid-Atlantic Offshore Wind proposal calls for up to 117 turbines twenty miles out to sea. [reNews]

Have a perfectly superb day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Natural Power Spins Off Bat Sensing Tech” • Natural Power has spun off a smart turbine curtailment technology in the US, developed to reduce bat collisions and fatalities. The system limits bat fatalities at wind farms while simultaneously reducing curtailment hours and associated energy losses when compared to a blanket curtailment strategy. [reNews]

Wind turbines at night (Natural Power image)

World:

¶ “China’s Electric Car Sales Grow In 2024, As Sales Of Gasoline Cars Plunge” • Sales of all types of EVs rose more than 40% in China last year, while sales of gasoline-powered automobiles plunged, industry data shows. A total of 31.4 million vehicles were sold last year in the world’s biggest market by sales, and exports rose 20%. [ABC News]

¶ “Melting Glaciers In Antarctica May Encourage More Volcanic Activity” • Research by Allie Coonin of Brown University and her colleagues show that as that ice melts, the weight of the glaciers on the land below is reduced. The reduction in weight of the glaciers causes compressed magma to expand. This expansion can lead to eruptions. [CleanTechnica]

Volcano in Antarctica (Josh Landis, NSF, public domain)

¶ “This Is What’s Driving Growing EV Sales” • As we’ve seen now, EVs had healthy sales growth in 2024. Many companies actually had spectacular EV sales growth. The higher EV sales were not forced on consumers. They are buying more EVs because they are good purchases. One critical thing has been driving sales is falling battery costs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nordex Celebrates Huge 638-MW Haul In Turkey” • Nordex received orders for a total of 97 turbines, for 638 MW of capacity altogether, from Turkey in the fourth quarter of last year. Most of these were placed at the end of December. These latest orders mean the Nordex Group reached more than 1 GW of orders in Turkey in 2024. [reNews]

Moving a turbine blade (Nordex image)

¶ “PH Expedited Renewable Energy Projects Worth Over $70 Billion In 2024” • The Philippines has granted green lane access to a total of 176 projects as of 26 December last year, of which 141 projects worth $70 billion are renewable energy facilities. The Board of Investments advised that six projects were approved in December alone. [Asian Power]

¶ “Last Turbine Installed At Borkum Riffgrund 3” • The last wind turbine has been installed at the 913-MW Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm in Germany. The project, owned equally by Ørsted and Nuveen Infrastructure, breaks new ground for the country’s offshore wind industry in terms both of its capacity and its business model. [reNews]

Borkum Riffgrund 3 (Ørsted image)

¶ “MET Energia Italia launches Renewable Energy Community” • MET Energia Italia, a subsidiary of Swiss-based MET Group, launched the first Renewable Energy Community in Lombardy. The Staffora 1 community is open to all citizens, companies and local authorities in the area, and uses renewable energy to generate savings. [reNews]

¶ “‘Always On’ Nuclear Power Is About As Reliable As Wind And Solar – During A Renewables Drought” • A key selling points for nuclear power, its “always on,” reliability, was put to the test in an analysis that found that a fleet of modern nuclear plants is about as reliable as a fleet of wind and solar farms in the midst of a bad renewable energy drought. [RenewEconomy]

Nuclear plant in France (Stefan Kühn , CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “France ‘Far From Ready’ To Build Six New Nuclear Reactors” • France is “far from ready” to begin a project estimated at €50 billion to build six nuclear reactors, a report from the country’s top audit body said. Due to financing uncertainties, the supply chain has been unable to prepare for the massive construction project, the report said. [Yahoo News UK]

US:

¶ “Possible Links Between Utility Companies And La Wildfires Under Investigation” • As the Los Angeles area braces for another wind system to move in this week, and fire fighters continue to battle wildfires that erupted last week, officials seek to find out what caused some of the worst fires in California’s history. Power lines are being considered. [ABC News]

Sky reddened by wildfire smoke (Mick Haupt, Unsplash)

¶ “Los Angeles Residents Face Cost Of Devastating Wildfires” • Los Angeles residents who fled devastating wildfires are facing huge recovery efforts, as they gather what they can from the ruins of their homes. As firefighters continue a massive effort to contain and subdue the historic infernos, Angelenos grapple with unthinkable loss. [ABC News]

¶ “Officials Nationwide Should Prepare For Potential Climate Disasters, Researchers Say” • Experts say that extreme weather events worsened by climate change are knocking on the doors of people all across the country. Local officials must proactively prepare their regions before their residents become the next victims of tragedy. [ABC News]

Lightning (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “JP Morgan Thinks Tesla Will Be The Biggest Loser From Trump Anti-EV Policies” • The joy about the rise in Tesla’s stock price is not universal among investors. Bloomberg Hyperdrive says JPMorgan analysts think the market is in a false euphoria. They believe Tesla may have the most to lose of any car maker from the shifting regulatory landscape. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “USDA Strikes Again: $6 Billion For Rural Clean Energy Projects” • A $6 billion funding package for rural clean energy projects is the latest departing shot by the Biden administration. It’s gigantic, and not just due to its $6 billion size. The funds are going to support the energy transition among the nation’s rural electric cooperatives. [CleanTechnica]

Have a fundamentally jubilant day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Making Cement With Fewer The Carbon Emissions” • The Production of cement, the world’s most used commodity after water, produces 8% of global CO₂ emissions. A study from the University of Michigan describes an electro-chemical approach that greatly reduces the amount of CO₂ released by the process of making cement. [CleanTechnica]

Making cement (Energy and Environmental Science)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

World:

¶ “2024 Is Over, And Legacy Auto Could Be Doomed, But The ICE Is Not Yet Defeated” • As EV sales grow, economies of scale get better and prices maintain the downward trend we’ve been seeing for the last few years. For internal combustion engines, however, the effect is the inverse: as sales fall, economies of scale are lost, and prices have to increase. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “DEME And Van Oord Bag Fengmiao 1 Contracts” • DEME Offshore and Van Oord were awarded contracts by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners on the 500-MW Fengmaio 1 offshore wind project, off Taiwan. DEME, through a joint venture, CDWE, will provide installation services for the project’s foundations and an offshore substation. [reNews]

Foundation installation (Courtesy of CSBC and DEME)

¶ “Solar Duck Sends Rooftop Feed-In Tariff Close To Zero. Is This The New Normal?” • Victorian households could soon be paid next to nothing for the rooftop solar energy they export to the grid, after a proposal from the state pricing regulator to reduce the minimum feed-in tariff greatly, from 3¢/kWh to 0.04¢/kWh, starting in July. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Nordex Swoops on 247 MW Of Canadian wind” • Nordex was awarded 247 MW of turbine orders for wind projects in Canada. Nordex will supply 36 N163/6.X turbines of the Delta4000 series for several projects under development in Nova Scotia. Nordex will deliver the turbines, each with a nominal output of 7 MW, in the spring of 2026. [reNews]

Nordex wind turbine (Nordex image)

¶ “S&P Global Commodity Insights Predicts A Transformative Shift As Investments In Cleantech Outpace Fossil Fuels For The First Time” • The S&P Global Commodity Insights report, Top Cleantech Trends for 2025, underscores the growing dominance of renewable technologies while addressing the opportunities and challenges of the clean energy sector. [StreetInsider]

¶ “The Fastest Energy Change In History Continues” • Solar and wind are being installed at a rate that is three times faster than all other new electricity sources combined. This offers compelling market-based evidence that PV and wind are currently the most competitive and practical methods for deploying new generating capacity. [pv magazine International]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (ISES image)

¶ “South Korea’s Nuclear Agency Probes Abnormal Discharge Of Radioactive Waste” • South Korea’s nuclear safety agency began an investigation into an abnormal discharge of radioactive liquid waste from a nuclear reactor in southeastern Korea, Yonhap news agency said. The waste was discharged into the ocean without normal analysis. [chinadailyhk]

US:

¶ “The Climate Benefits Of Congestion Charges In New York City” • Congestion charges can be seen as a tribute to the power of economic forces. Almost every decision we make includes an analysis of how much it will cost. We might all crave a Mercedes-Benz or a Ferrari, but we also need to eat. And congestion has always been an issue in cities. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it. (MTA image)

¶ “EXPLORE Act Signed Into Law, Helping EVs, Bikes, and YouTubers” • The EXPLORE Act was signed by President Biden. Unlike the PATRIOT Act, this bill’s acronym is an honest take on what the law really does! The Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act helps all of us explore, even if only from the comfort of home. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “KU Research Suggests Wind Power Isn’t A Red Vs Blue Issue In Kansas” • Wind power can spark passionate reactions, but how this one shakes out across Kansas may not follow political lines. New wind installations aren’t allowed in about one-fifth of the counties in Kansas, in part to protect America’s last big swath of tallgrass prairie. [KMUW]

Bison graze in tallgrass prairie (Reservoirhill, public domain)

¶ “Death Toll In Los Angeles Fires Rises To 24” • At least 24 people are believed to be dead and over a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple fires, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds and severe drought conditions, continue to rage across Southern California, leaving fire crews scrambling to contain the historic destruction. [ABC News]

¶ “People Are Rushing To Install Solar Panels Before Trump Becomes President” • The solar power industry is growing fast, accounting for more than half of all new electricity on the grid last year. But soon President-elect Trump and fellow Republicans in Congress may try to reduce or halt government incentives that have driven much of that growth. [NPR]

Have a palpably sensible day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Los Angeles Is On Fire And Big Oil Are The Arsonists” • The private forecaster AccuWeather estimates initial damage and economic loss of the Los Angeles fires at over $50 billion and says they could be the costliest wildfire disaster in American history. Oil, gas, and coal companies have been lying to us for decades, and their lies have costs. [The Guardian]

Palisades fire (CalFire image)

¶ “Is Tesla In Trouble? Was Alignment With A Trump 2.0 A Profit Gamble?” • Tesla CEO Elon Musk single-handedly rallied voters in November’s win for Donald J. Trump. Sure, the allegiance came at a cost of $238 million from a fundraising arm that Musk founded. But was it good for Tesla’s bottom line? Some analysts at JPMorgan think not. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “You Can Lease A Neta V In Kenya For Just $30 Per Day!” • Late last year, MojaEV launched 100 NETA V electric cars for the taxi market in Nairobi. MojaEV plans to get 500 vehicles to drivers by the middle of this year. These EVs will be leased to taxi drivers in Nairobi at prices starting from just 4,000 Kenya shillings ($30) per day! [CleanTechnica]

MojaEV event for Skyworth (Courtesy of MojaEV)

¶ “EVs Take 23.4% Share In Germany – Disappointing Year For EV Transition” • December saw plugin EVs take 23.4% share in Germany, down from a 30.0% share in December 2023. Battery EV volume was sharply down in a hold-back ahead of tighter 2025 emissions regulations. Overall auto volume was 224,721 units, down 7%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Minister Hopes Targeted Subsidy Will Turn Malaysians To Renewable Energy” • Natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad hopes that the government’s targeted subsidy initiative will lead to Malaysians turning more to renewable energy. He said that in the past they used fossil fuel because it was cheap. [MSN]

Malaysia (Mahmud Ahsan, Unsplash)

¶ “NLC Forms JV To Set Up 1000 MW Of Solar Power Projects In Assam” • Government-owned NLC India Ltd announced that its renewables arm entered into a joint venture agreement with Assam Power Distribution Company Limited to develop 1000 MW solar power projects. NLC India Renewables Ltd will have an equity shareholding of 51%. [deshsewak.org]

¶ “Planning Permission For 15-Turbine Wind Farm Sought In Waterford” • A planning permission application  was submitted to An Bord Pleanála for a 15-turbine wind farm, roughly 4 km northeast of Cappoquin, on Scart Mountain, in Waterford. The wind farm would be able to provide energy for between 45,598 and 65,661 Irish households. [waterford-news.ie]

Michael Street, Waterford (David P Howard, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “More Headaches For Natural Gas: Next-Gen Heat Pump Water Heaters Are Here” • While attention has been lavished on EVs as necessary for a green future, hot water heaters are also due for a makeover. “Water heating accounts for about 18% of your home’s energy use and is the typically the second largest energy expense in any home,” the US DOE says. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California Fires Weather Forecast: Nearly 10 Million On Alert For Fire Conditions” • Nearly 10 million people are on alert for fire weather conditions in southern California. Red flag warnings are in effect through Wednesday for 8.8 million people in much of Los Angeles and Ventura counties with a fire weather watch for another 1 million south to Mexico. [ABC News]

Pacific Palisades fire (CalFire image)

¶ “Rep John Block Proposes Tax Increase On Renewable Energy” • Republican Representative John Block who represents most of Otero County, New Mexico, filed a pre-bill which would increase taxes on homeowners and businesses who use renewable energy. Block is known as a radical on social issues and against use of renewable energy. [newsbreak.com]

¶ “Governor Says Drones Spotted Over Louisiana Nuclear Power Plant: Here’s What We Know” • Drones have been spotted flying over a nuclear power plant in Louisiana, but their origin is not known. Governor Jeff Landry spoke to Donald Trump about it. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said she believes state or local officials can act if the drones seem threatening. [MSN]

Have a magnificently comfy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Enron Egg Parody Stunt Shows Us How Ridiculous Nuclear Promises Can Be” • In a presentation, a fake CEO tells us about a nuclear device that’s supposedly safe to keep in your home with the family. A quick search shows the design is full of intentional flaws. The Enron Egg parody is a commentary on the endless stream of hucksters. [CleanTechnica]

Humpty Dumpty (WW Denslow, public domain)

World:

¶ “Breaking Fossil Domination In Plastics: Interview With Lignin Industries CEO Fredrik Malmfors” • Fredrik Malmfors of Lignin Industries talks about his company and its patented technology. They are taking on fossil-based plastics with good old-fashioned horse sense, supply chains, waste materials, and … What? carbon sequestration technologies? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “ProLogium Unveils Fast Charging Inorganic Battery At CES 2025” • South Korea’s ProLogium is at CES 2025 to introduce its 4th generation lithium ceramic battery system. The company says its new battery technology addresses many of the concerns electric car drivers experience every day: total cost of ownership, range anxiety, and safety. [CleanTechnica]

ProLogium battery (ProLogium image)

¶ “OnPath Energy To Invest About £1 Billion In UK Renewables” • OnPath Energy has announced plans to invest around a billion pounds in clean energy projects across the UK over the next five years. Richard Dunkley, the CEO at OnPath Energy, commented, “The new government has been very firm in its commitment to accelerating the transition to net zero.” [reNews]

¶ “Nearly Half Of The UK’s Energy Is Already From Renewables – Why Are Bills So High?” • Electricity from renewables should be cheaper to generate than from gas. But the UK’s reality is far more complicated. The biggest driver of high electricity prices is the UK’s marginal pricing model, which means that electricity prices are mostly dictated by gas prices. [AOL.com]

UK wind turbine (Oast House Archive, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Permitting And Grids Holding Back EU Wind Progress” • The EU built 13 GW of new wind farms last year, a figure that falls well below the 30 GW annual target needed to meet 2030 goals. WindEurope estimates show that three main hurdles block the growth of wind energy. One big problem is lack of access to the transmission grid. [Power Engineering International]

¶ “Chile Generated More Than 40% Of Its Electricity From Solar And Wind Sources In December” • In December 2024, Chile set a record by generating 42% of its electricity from solar and wind sources, according to the international energy think tank Ember. The previous monthly record of 39.6% of all electricity was set in September of 2024. [BNamericas]

Solar array in Chile (Digitmed, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

US:

¶ “California Wildfires Maps Show Evacuations, Power Outages, Air Quality” • Wildfires are tearing through thousands of acres in Los Angeles County, California, as strong Santa Ana wind gusts stoke the blazes. The Palisades Fire, which is 8% contained, has impacted over 20,400 acres and the 3% contained Eaton Fire has impacted over 13,600 acres. [ABC News]

¶ “L.A. Fires Show The Reality Of Living In A World With 1.5°C Of Warming” • The Southern California blaze was a kind of hell. Residents at a nursing home were evacuated in wheelchairs and pushing walkers, many in their night clothes, as embers fell. Fire fighters, with hoses at the ready but without water at hydrants, could only watch as houses burned. [Time Magazine]

Palisades Fire (CalFire image)

¶ “$1.67 Billion To Montana Renewables To Significantly Expand US Sustainable Aviation Fuel Production” • As part of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda, the DOE’s Loan Programs Office announced closing a $1.67 billion ($1.44 billion of principal and $233 million of capitalized interest) to Montana Renewables, LLC. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Three-Wheeled Electric Vehicles Are Coming For Your Fossil Fuels” • A market for three-wheeled electric vehicles is beginning to take shape, and that’s good news for the US EV startup Aptera. The company just earned a big vote of confidence from the A-list battery manufacturer LG Energy Solutions, smoothing the path to full production this year. [CleanTechnica]

Aptera (Courtesy of Aptera)

¶ “25% Of Americans Avoiding Tesla Tech Because Of Elon Musk” • Three things are no secret: (1) Elon Musk benefits more than any other individual from Tesla’s success, (2) Elon Musk has gotten extremely involved in political matters (emphasis on “extremely”), and (3) many people won’t buy Tesla products because of those first two facts. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Vineyard Wind 1 Finishes Monopile Installation” • The CIP-Avangrid joint venture Vineyard Wind has completed monopile installation at the 804-MW Vineyard Wind 1 site off the coast of Massachusetts. An announcement on Vineyard Wind’s website shows all 62 monopiles installed. Vineyard Wind is starting cable laying, which will run through April. [reNews]

Ship loading wind components (Wosketomp, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Seven States Power Corporation Receives $439 Million Investment From USDA New ERA Program For Renewable Power Solutions” • Seven States Power Corporation is proud to announce that it will receive $439 million in federal funding through the US Department of Agriculture’s New Empowering Rural America program. [FOX40 News]

¶ “Constellation Energy To Buy Calpine In Blockbuster $16.4 Billion US Power Deal” • Nuclear power provider Constellation Energy agreed to buy privately held natural gas and geothermal company Calpine Corp for $16.4 billion. It is one of the biggest acquisitions in US power industry history. The deal comes at a time of rising electricity demand. [Reuters]

Have a consummately gracious day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Wildfire Climate Misinformation Is Rampant, And Social Media Platforms Are Promoting It” • Devastating consequences of the climate crisis are being hidden by climate misinformation messengers, who are persuaded by a very powerful minority to mistrust scientific evidence. Social media has become a tool of the right-wing to brainwash citizens. [CleanTechnica]

Firefighter in California (CalFire image)

World:

¶ “Scientists Were Shocked By How Warm It Was In 2023. The Following Year Was Even Hotter” • Copernicus Climate Change Service says the global temperature for 2024 was 1.6°C above pre-industrial level. The year easily beat out the previous record holder, 2023, for the warmest year on record globally, according to Copernicus’ data. [ABC News]

¶ “Volkswagen Sold 383,100 Fully Electric Vehicles In 2024” • Across all full battery EV models, Volkswagen reached 383,100 sales in 2024. On the one hand, find me a legacy automaker doing better. On the other hand, that’s a small fraction of what BYD and Tesla are doing, and it’s barely more than several Chinese EV startups. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.3

¶ “2025 To Be Year Of Electrification In Africa And South America” • Perhaps most would agree that the biggest EV story of 2024 was the rapid rise of EV sales in China, particularly by future automotive king BYD. But the big story of 2025 for EVs could turn out to be rapid electrification of auto markets in Africa and South America. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “South Africa Introduces Tax Incentives To Encourage Local Production Of Electric Vehicles” • South Africa is now moving to incentivize local production of EVs by offering some tax benefits for manufacturers. The South African government approved a 150% tax deduction on investments in production of electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles. [CleanTechnica]

EV charging station in South Africa

¶ “Ireland Passes 5-GW Wind Milestone” • Installed Irish wind capacity has passed the 5-GW mark, with wind farms providing almost a third of the island of the country’s electricity in 2024, according to Wind Energy Ireland. Irish wind farms generated 13,258 GWh last year, more than one and a half times the total demand of all residential customers. [reNews]

¶ “Belgian Offshore Wind Produced 7 TWh In 2024” • Belgian North Sea wind farms accounted for 8.7% of Belgian electricity demand in 2024, according to figures from the trade group Belgian Offshore Platform. The nine wind farms had a total production of approximately 7.07 TWh, or roughly the annual electricity needs of 2 million families. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (MUMM Scientific Service)

¶ “Envision Scores 1-GW Indian Turbine Deal” • Envision Energy has been awarded a 1GW turbine order by Juniper Green Energy in India. The order comprises 200 units from the EN 182/5MW turbine platform as well as 320 MWh of battery storage. JGE will deploy the turbines for various projects won under state and central auctions. [reNews]

¶ “Germany Added Nearly 20 GW Of Renewable Power Capacity In 2024” • According to the German Federal Network Agency, the installed renewable power capacity in Germany increased by nearly 20 GW to nearly 190 GW in 2024. Solar additions came to 16.2 GW, bringing Germany’s total to 99 GW. A majority of solar additions were in rooftop systems. [Enerdata]

German wind farm (Franzfoto, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “India Installed ‘Record’ 24.5 GW Of Solar Power Capacity In 2024” • India added about 24.5 GW of new solar and 3.4 GW of new wind capacity in the twelve months ending December 2024. The solar installations were more than double those of 2023, setting a record for the year. Also, wind installations increased nearly 1.21 times from 2023. [pv magazine India]

US:

¶ “California Fires: At Least Ten Fire-Related Deaths, Medical Examiner Says” • Thousands of firefighters are battling at least five sprawling wildfires spread around the Los Angeles area. The largest, the Palisades Fire, in Pacific Palisades, has scorched over 19,000 acres, destroyed thousands of structures and remains zero percent contained. [ABC News]

Fighting the Palisades Fire (CalFire image)

¶ “Biden Says Federal Government To Cover 100% Of Costs For Initial La Fire Recovery” • President Joe Biden announced the federal government would cover 100% of certain costs for the initial disaster response to the Los Angeles wildfires. The funds will go toward debris removal, temporary shelters, salaries for first responders, and more for 180 days. [ABC News]

¶ “Mercedes-Benz EV Drivers Will Be Able To Charge At Tesla Superchargers In February” • In February, US Mercedes-Benz EV drivers will be able to access Tesla Superchargers in the US and Canada. That’s a big deal because there are over 20,000 such chargers and they have the reputation for being the most reliable and among the fastest. [CleanTechnica]

Mercedes charging (Mercedes-Benz USA image)

¶ “EDF Renewables North America Announces Commercial Operations At Huck Finn Solar Project” • EDF Renewables North America announced that the 200-MW Huck Finn Solar project is operating. EDF Renewables developed the Huck Finn Renewable Energy Center for Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation. [Business Wire]

¶ “Drones Spotted Flying Near Nuclear Power Plant In Southern Minnesota” • Police in southern Minnesota saw two drones flying around a nuclear plant Wednesday but were unable to identify the pilot. Drones are prohibited from flying over nuclear power plants and other “sensitive facilities,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration. [NewsNation]

Have a productively fulfilling day.

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World:

¶ “Zeekr Sales Increase 87% In 2024!” • Zeekr, a young EV brand under the enormous Geely Holding Group umbrella, had a super end of 2024, and a great year overall. In fact, it beat XPENG’s and NIO’s great numbers, in volume terms and percentage growth terms. Zeekr sold 27,190 EVs in December, a 102% increase year over year. [CleanTechnica]

Zeeker 7X in Europe

¶ “Pony.ai To Launch Robotaxis In Hong Kong” • Pony.ai now has over 250 robotaxis operating in Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. It’s now looking to expand into Hong Kong, following somewhat more mature rival Baidu there. To start with, Pony.ai will operate robotaxis at the Hong Kong International Airport as shuttles for airport employees. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Mexico To Build Its Own Cheap Electric Car – Forget Tesla” • You read that right. Mexico – the country – got tired of waiting for Tesla to build a factory and produce cheap electric cars there, and it’s going to build cheap electric cars itself! Well, correction, it will do with with a private sector partner in a unique public-private partnership. [CleanTechnica]

Made in Mexico (Please click on the image to enlarge it.)

¶ “Nordex Takes 750 MW Of German Turbine Orders” • Nordex has secured turbine orders totaling 738 MW from three German wind farm developers for multiple projects across the country. The orders for turbines from the Delta4000 series, were placed late last year by Umweltgerechte Kraftanlagen, DenkerWulf, and WPD for projects in Germany. [reNews]

¶ “Van Oord Takes Delivery Of Boreas” • Offshore installation vessel Boreas was passed to Van Oord in a festive ceremony at the Yantai CIMC Raffles Offshore shipyard in China. The Boreas, named after the Greek god of the Northern winds, is purpose-built for the transport and installation of the next generation of offshore foundations and turbines. [reNews]

Boreas ceremony (Van Oord image)

¶ “Albanese Government Approves More Renewable Energy Projects Than Any Government Before It” • With the approval of the 800-MW Prairie Wind Farm, the Albanese Government has a record 70 renewable energy projects. They could power over 8 million Australian homes. This is the most renewable energy of any Australian government. [The National Tribune]

¶ “Oz Wind Giant Gains Government Consent” • The Australia Government approved an 800-MW wind farm in Queensland. Windlab is developing the Prairie wind farm project, which will include 116 wind turbines. It is to be constructed on active cattle property in the Flinders Shire in north-west Queensland, about 340 km south-west of Townsville. [reNews]

Wind farm (Windlab image)

US:

¶ “Los Angeles ‘Not Prepared’ For Size And Growth Of Raging Wildfires: Fire Chief” • Fire departments in Los Angeles have long had to deal with wildfires near homes and businesses. But the Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire, and Hurst Fire, which burned over 16,000 acres as of Wednesday afternoon, left first responders stretched thin, the fire chief said. [ABC News]

¶ “Climate Change Contributed To The California Wildfires” • Climate change plays a major role in the unprecedented wildfires raging in Southern California. Five wildfires – Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Woodley, and Lidia – are burning in the counties of Los Angeles and Ventura. Climate change is making things that may happen naturally more intense and frequent. [ABC News]

SLO Firefighter, Palisades Fire, 1-8-2025 (Courtesy of Cal Fire)

¶ “US Focus On Domestic EV Battery Supply Chain Pushing Tesla To Move Supplies From China To US” • The most critical element of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was the effort to bring manufacturing jobs back to the US, especially cleantech blue collar jobs in the fast growing EV, battery storage, and solar industries. That includes battery cells. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Can Biden’s Ban On Federal Offshore Oil & Gas Drilling Withstand The Trump Administration?” • President Biden took another big step to secure his environmental legacy, with a decree to protect our coasts from offshore oil and natural gas drilling. To do this, he used a law that has no language allowing a subsequent president to revoke a ban. [CleanTechnica]

Teton Range (Michael Gäbler, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “US Solar Power Generation Holds Steady Even During Extreme Fire Seasons” • In a paper in Nature Communications, researchers from Colorado State University show that while wildfire smoke increasingly covers large parts of the US it does not have much of an impact on overall, long-term solar power generation activity. [Tech Xplore]

¶ “DOE Mulls Backing Long-Duration Storage Project” • The developer Hydrostor received a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee to help fund a 500-MW, 4000-MWh energy storage project in California. The loan guarantee is for up to $1.76 billion with the US Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Financing Program. [reNews]

Hydrostor project (Hydrostor image)

¶ “Oversized Solar Farm Keeps Lights On Until Midnight” • A massive 2.4-GW solar power plant, coupled with six hours of energy storage, is approved in northern Oregon. It is the nation’s largest approved solar and storage project. It’s driven by two of the most important clean energy trends: low cost solar panels and advancing battery technology. [pv magazine USA]

¶ “Caught In A Climate Bind, New York State Is Reconsidering Nuclear Power” • Just a few years ago, the closure of the Indian Point nuclear power plant was celebrated by a broad coalition of environmentalists, residents and even actors as a victory for public safety and environmental protection. But times may be changing in New York. [Inside Climate News]

Have a sublimely worthwhile day.

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World:

¶ “Honda’s 0 Electric Vehicle Prototypes: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly” • Honda unveiled two EV prototypes: the Honda 0 SUV and the Honda 0 Saloon. We can see Honda is actually developing 100% EVs that might be competitive, compelling models. These vehicles will be produced beginning next year, in 2026. Let’s take a look. [CleanTechnica]

Honda 0 Saloon prototype

¶ “Volvo Electric Car Sales Grew 54% In 2024 Globally” • Volvo Cars has released its 2024 sales figures globally, and also region by region. One nice thing is the company provides a detailed breakdown of fully EV sales and plugin hybrid sales, including by region. For starters, globally, fully electric vehicle sales were up 54% in 2024 versus 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Exus Acquires A 130-MW Portuguese PV Project” • Exus Renewables acquired the 130-MW ready-to-build Cibele solar farm, in the municipalities of Rio Maior and Cadaval, Portugal, from Lightsource BP. Construction is slated to begin in coming months, and the facility is to be operating in 2026. A windpower component can be added later. [reNews]

Solar array (Exus  image)

¶ “Wind Blows Gas Away From Top Power Spot” • In the UK, wind outperformed gas in 2024. Commenting on the record RenewableUK’s Director of Future Electricity Systems said: “Wind is the UK’s most important clean power source all year round, outperforming gas – and that role is set to grow as fresh projects go live in 2025.” [Energy Live News]

¶ “NeXtWind Acquires Twelve German Wind Farms” • Twelve onshore wind farms located in western, northern and eastern Germany, all built between 2007 and 2011, were acquired by NeXtWind. Their current generating capacity of 140 MW will be expanded by NeXtWind to over 300 MW through repowering and further optimizations. [reNews]

Wind turbines (Waldemar, Unsplash)

¶ “India’s Energy Generation Up Nearly 85% In November 2024 From 2014” • The installed power generation capacity of India has jumped 83.8% to 457 GW as of end November 2024, from 249 GW at the end of March 2014. Part of what was added was 129 GW of renewable capacity, including 91 GW of solar power, 27 GW of wind power, and more. [Asian Power]

¶ “Energy Prices ‘Among Top Barriers To Net Zero'” • Energy prices, clean energy availability and lack of capital have been revealed as top barriers to net zero, UK sustainability leaders said. New research from Mitie reveals that over four in five (84%) sustainability leaders feel confident businesses will be able to align with the UK’s net zero goals. [reNews]

Farm and wind farm (Mateusz Niezgoda, Unsplash, cropped)

US:

¶ “Some 1,400 Firefighters Battling ‘Unprecedented’ Fires” • A pair of wildfires have burned over 3,900 acres of Los Angeles, and over 30,000 people have been told to evacuate, as 1,400 firefighters work on them. Over 200,000 people have lost their electric power. Governor Newsom said the fires ravaging parts of Los Angeles are “unprecedented.” [ABC News]

¶ “US Puts CATL On Military Blacklist” • At the request of the Defense Department, the US has placed CATL and Tencent, two of the largest companies in China, on a government blacklist. Both companies are alleged to have close ties to the People’s Liberation Army, a suggestion both vigorously deny, saying they have no ties with the military. [CleanTechnica]

CATL display (CATL image)

¶ “Solar And Storage Industry Statement On Final Rules For Technology-Neutral Energy Tax Credits” • The US Department of the Treasury released the final rules for the Section 48E technology-neutral energy Investment Tax Credit. Here is a statement from Abigail Ross Hopper, president and CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association: [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Invenergy Powers Up US Solar Site” • Invenergy announced that its 150-MW Hardin 2 Solar Energy Center has commenced commercial operations in Hardin County, Ohio. Meta will buy the renewable energy generated from Hardin 2. The project increases energy generation capacity in the region, thereby enhancing the reliability of its grid. [reNews]

Solar farm (Invenergy image)

¶ “US Support And New Investments Buoy Hopes For Marine Energy” • The ocean is one of the planet’s biggest untapped sources of renewable energy. The amount of energy available is huge: Theoretically, the waves off the West and East Coasts of the US could provide over 60% of US grid electricity demand. There are challenges, but there is hope. [Yale E360]

¶ “Trump Plans Policy To Halt Wind” • Donald Trump pledged to introduce policy to halt the construction of wind turbines. The President-elect told the press: “We are going to have a policy where no windmills are being built.” He added: “They litter our country. Nobody wants them and they are very expensive. It’s the most expensive energy there is.” [reNews]

Donald Trump (White House image, public domain)

¶ “US Government Enshrines Renewables Tax Credits” • The US Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service have moved to enshrine certain tax credits under President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act into the American tax code before Donald Trump moves into the White House. The new rules go into effect on January 15. [reNews]

¶ “Jimmy Carter, A Former Nuclear Engineer, Created DOE, And Opposed Reactor” • Jimmy Carter was a former Navy nuclear engineer who established the Department of Energy and became the first sitting US president to visit Oak Ridge, but his impact on nuclear energy was distilled in East Tennessee, where he stood opposed to a reactor. [Knoxville News Sentinel]

Have a noticeably merry day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “New Offshore Oil & Gas Drilling Ban: Implications For Clean Hydrogen” • To the extent that the drilling ban puts the squeeze on the domestic supply of natural gas, it will help support the growth of green hydrogen. The US domestic hydrogen supply chain depends almost entirely on extracting hydrogen from natural gas. [CleanTechnica]

Deepwater Horizon (USCG, public domain)

¶ “Underwater Robots Could Lower Offshore Renewable Costs, Edinburgh Study Suggests” • The unpredictable nature of waves has limited the use of robots in the upkeep of offshore platforms. Such machines have difficulty remaining stable and able to move with precision. Technology from the University of Edinburgh addresses this. [Power Engineering International]

World:

¶ “November Global EV Sales: Automakers” • In November, #1 BYD, deep into pricing out the competition (fossil fueled and electric…) didn’t disappoint. It scored some 485,000 registrations, a new record. With sales at this level already, one might wonder how high the Shenzhen make’s sales could go. Would 800,000 units per month be possible? [CleanTechnica]

BYD Song Plus (Zotyefan, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “November Global EV Sales: Models” • Global plugin vehicle registrations were up 32% in November 2024 . There were 1.84 million registrations, which is a new record month, the third in a row. BEVs were up by 22% YOY, to a record 1.2 million units. Plugin hybrids did even better, jumping 55% YOY, its sixth record month in a row! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Jeonnam 1 Enters Commissioning Phase” • All the turbines have been installed at the 96-MW Jeonnam 1 offshore wind farm off South Korea and it is being prepared for commissioning. Construction began in early 2023. Siemens Gamesa installed the final turbine in December 2024. The wind farm is expected to be operating in the first half of 2025. [reNews]

Wind turbine installation (Siemens Gamesa image)

¶ “Renewables Supply Nearly Half Irish Demand” • Electricity from renewable sources provided for close to half of Ireland’s total demand in December, according to provisional data from grid operator EirGrid. Overall, renewables provided 46.7% of electricity in December, from sources that included solar, wind, and hydropower. [reNews]

¶ “Ziton Expands O&M Jack-Up Fleet” • Wind Discovery has been registered in the Danish International Register of Shipping. Ziton added the jack-up ship to its fleet, to provide operations and maintenance services in the offshore wind industry. The fleet of Ziton-operated offshore wind vessels now includes six O&M-dedicated jack-ups. [reNews]

Wind Discovery (Ziton image)

¶ “First Nations Chiefs Shouldn’t Be Duped By ‘Nuclear-Is-Green’ Deception” • The federal government needs the support of Indigenous peoples to expand nuclear power generation capacity in Canada. So nuclear power is now being touted as “Green.” It is not green, but big corporations are paying to support that particular myth. [NB Media Co-op]

US:

¶ “Biden’s Move To Permanently Block Offshore Oil Drilling Sparks Trump’s Ire” • President Joe Biden is making a sweeping move to ban all future offshore oil and natural gas drilling on America’s East and West coasts, the Eastern Gulf of Mexico and Alaska’s North Bering Sea. President-elect Donald Trump is angrily vowing to reverse the move. [ABC News]

Offshore Oil&Gas rig (Zachary Theodore, Unsplash)

¶ “USA Can Recycle 90% Of Wind Turbine Mass” • A report from the US DOE advises on how to increase recycling and reuse of wind energy equipment to create a more circular economy and sustainable supply chain. Among other findings, the research shows that existing US plants could process 90% of the mass of decommissioned wind turbines. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Thomas Built Buses Unveils Its Second Generation Electric School Bus ” • Thomas Built Buses, a division of Daimler Trucks, is a leading maker of school buses in North America. Thomas Built announced the second generation Saf-T-Liner C2 Jouley battery electric school bus, with customer driven improvements and advanced technology. [CleanTechnica]

Gen 2 Jouley electric school bus (Thomas Built Buses image)

¶ “US Government Agrees To Ten Year Nuclear Power Plan” • Building new nuclear power plants is not easy, and old ones are having their lives extended to meet growing demand, largely from data centers. Now, the General Services Administration is buying over $1 billion for electricity in the next ten years from Constellation Energy nuclear plants. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ohio’s Largest Solar Project Goes Online” • The 577-MW Fox Squirrel Solar project in Ohio is now fully operational, delivering full generational capacity to Amazon. Fox Squirrel Solar is a 50-50 partnership between EDF Renewables and Enbridge. The solar farm is the largest solar project in Ohio, though larger ones are being built. [pv magazine USA]

The Fox Squirrel Solar project (Matt Reese, EDF Renewables)

¶ “Delaware Signs $128 Million Deal With US Wind” • The Delaware government has signed agreements with US Wind to provide renewable energy, community and lease benefits to the state and its residents worth over $128 million. The company is preparing to build two proposed offshore wind projects over the coming years. [reNews]

¶ “Aptera Motors Is Back And Showing Off Its Solar-Power Car” • Aptera Motors, once on the brink of being relegated to the scrap heap of good but impractical ideas, is not only back, but about to show off the latest iteration of the solar electric vehicle. Aptera says its three-wheel vehicle needs no charging at all for most daily driving uses. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Have a perfectly funny day.

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World:

¶ “EVs Take 62.8% Share In Sweden” • December saw plugin EVs take 62.8% share in Sweden, down a bit from the 63.1% reported in December 2023. The battery EV share increased year over year, but was outweighed by falling plugin hybrid share. Overall auto volume was 26,237 units, down by 10% YOY. The best selling battery EV was the Tesla Model Y. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Pontus Jerand Wernhammar, Unsplash)

¶ “Boskalis Unveils New Vessel” • Boskalis has unveiled the latest addition to its offshore wind fleet, a subsea rock installation (SRI) vessel with a cargo capacity of 45,500 metric tons. This “state-of-the-art vessel will stand as the largest SRI vessel in the industry”, stated Boskalis. With the introduction of the Windpiper, Boskalis will effectively double its capacity. [reNews]

¶ “Germany Passes 100-GW Solar Milestone” • Germany’s installed solar capacity exceeded 100 GW at the turn of the new year, according to government data analyzed by the German Solar Industry Association. This installed capacity provided for around 14% of electricity consumption in 2024, up from the 12% it covered in 2023. [reNews]

German solar array (BayWa RE image)

¶ “ArcelorMittal Nippon Moves Forward With Part Of 975-MW Solar Project” • Oriano commissioned a 211.2 MW solar project in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, for captive consumption by ArcelorMittal Nippon Group, which is developing a 975-MW hybrid renewable energy project to decarbonize operations of its steel production. [pv magazine International]

¶ “NTPC Renewable Energy Wins 1 GW In UPPCL’s Solar PV Auction” • A wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Green Energy Ltd won 1 GW in Uttar Pradesh Power Corp Ltd’s 2-GW solar PV project auction. NTPC Renewable Energy Ltd won the capacity at a tariff of ₹2.56/kWh (3.0¢/kWh) in the e-reverse auction conducted by UPPCL. [pv magazine India]

Engie’s 75-MW solar PV plant in Uttar Pradesh (Engie image)

¶ “PH Coal Consumption Rises Amid Surging Power Demand” • The Philippines’ coal use continues to rise, driven by growing power demand despite the government’s push for renewable energy. The IEA projects the Philippines’ coal consumption will reach 47 million tons within three years, citing robust economic outlook and rising power demand. [Power Philippines]

¶ “Wind Is Biggest Source Of UK Electricity For First Time” • Thousands of wind turbines, both on and offshore, have become the biggest single source of Britain’s electricity for the first time, according to analysis of the annual energy mix. Wind generation rose to a 30% share last year from 29% in 2023, displacing gas-fired plants as the primary source. [The Times]

Windfarm construction (Zanaszanas, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “IAEA Reports Explosions And Gunfire Near Zaporizhzhia NPP” • International Atomic Energy Agency staff reported loud explosions near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant. There were also reports of machine gun fire coming from the area around the plant. IAEA experts noted that military activity near the ZNPP intensified in the last 24 hours. [RBC-Ukraine]

US:

¶ “US Reservoirs Could Host Up To 1,042 GW Of Floating Solar” • US Federally controlled reservoirs have “ample” potential for floating solar generation capacity, an NREL study says. Capacity estimates range from 861 GW to 1,042 GW, showing a potential to generate about half of the solar energy needed to decarbonize the US electric grid. [pv magazine International]

Floating solar array (NREL image)

¶ “Regulatory Chaos Could Disrupt US Solar Manufacturing And Implementation” • The Inflation Reduction Act is a spectacular success. A recent White House press release says that, in the two years since its passage, companies have announced $265 billion in clean energy investments, creating over 330,000 jobs. The new leadership wants to dismantle it. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Why Is The Sea Level Rise Higher In The Southeast Than In Other Parts Of The US?” • NOAA 210 continuously operating water level stations throughout the US and its territories. The Fort Pulaski tide gauge, near Savannah, Georgia, has recorded roughly ten inches of sea level rise since 1935 – over seven of which came since 2010. [CleanTechnica]

Ocean (Greg Rosenke, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Eolus Offloads 100-MW US Battery” • Eolus has signed an agreement to sell a 100-MW battery system project in California. The 400-MWh stand-alone Pome project, in Poway, is under construction, with planned commercial operation in the first half of 2025. The buyer is a privately held producer of renewable energy in the US. [reNews]

¶ “US Treasury Signals A New Hope For Green Hydrogen” • In the US, green hydrogen stakeholders have been eagerly waiting for clarification on a potentially lucrative federal tax credit. They finally got what they wished for, when the Treasury Department issued its Final Rule. The new rule looks like a win-win for the US green hydrogen industry. [CleanTechnica]

Have a comfortingly flawless day.

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

Opinion:

¶ “What Is Going Wrong At Tesla?” • Zachary Shahan: Once being an extremely influential site covering Tesla’s positive, I feel reality has pushed CleanTechnica increasingly to cover concerns. Many Tesla fans (especially TSLA shareholders) have not been thrilled with this, and some even hate us, or I should probably say me, quite vehemently. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla (Austin Hervias, Unsplash)

¶ “Jamaica’s Headlong Rush Into SMRs Quagmire: Wisdom, Please! ” • As global climate change accelerates and energy needs evolve, Jamaica must make decisions about its energy future. But the adoption of small modular nuclear reactors would not be progress. It would be a reckless leap into a technical, financial, and environmental quagmire. [Jamaica Gleaner]

World:

¶ “EVs And Solar Can Help Reduce Zimbabwe’s Negative Trade Balance” • Zimbabwe’s trade deficit was recently estimated to be close to $1.7 billion. This is a lot of money for a small economy that has perennial foreign currency shortages. Using EVs, which don’t need imported oil, and solar panels can help fix that trade deficit. [CleanTechnica]

Zimbabwe (St John Wilson, Unsplash)

¶ “Global Overheating Is Making The Land Drier And Saltier” • The UN Convention To Combat Desertification says that as the Earth gets hotter, the land gets drier and saltier. The latest report from UNCCD finds that global heating made 77% of the arable land on Earth drier over the past three decades. Another UN report says 10% of the land is saltier. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “TN Aims To Generate 7,500 MW Of Additional Renewable Power Via Three New Policies” • The state of Tamil Nadu is aiming to add 7,500 MW of renewable energy capacity in the financial year 2025-26, supported by new policies, plans from major corporate players, and an exemption from interstate transmission charges. [The New Indian Express]

Tamil Nadu (Harshal More, Unsplash)

¶ “Iran, South Korea To Collaborate On Renewable Energy Development” • A professor at Seoul National University has proposed a pilot project and the formation of a joint working group involving government entities, universities, researchers, and companies from Iran and South Korea to collaborate on renewable energy. [Tehran Times]

US:

¶ “GM’s EV Sales Skyrocket And Soon We’ll All Be Driving Mushroom Cars” • General Motors is mighty pleased with last year’s EV sales record. Along with Ford and other EV companies, GM put to rest all the gloomy headlines dominating the news in 2024. The big question is whether GM will bring back the Bolt, with parts made from mushrooms? [CleanTechnica]

Cadillac SOLLEI luxury concept EV (courtesy of GM)

¶ “Waymo Robotaxis MUCH Safer Than Any Human-Driven Cars” • Swiss Re has over 500,000 liability claims and more than 200 billion miles of exposure in its data bank. Waymo has logged 25.3 million fully autonomous miles for analysis. Waymo Driver provided an 88% reduction in property damage claims and a 92% reduction in bodily injury claims. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Solar Manufacturing Is Soaring” • US solar manufacturing got a big boost from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and has provided a lot more blue collar jobs in the country again. The IRA has been the biggest reshoring legislation in the history of the US. The Solar Energy Industries Association published some facts about solar manufacturing. [CleanTechnica]

Solar manufacturing (SEIA image)

¶ “The Price Of Solar Power Is Plummeting” • When it comes to buying solar, there’s no time like the present. In just a decade, the price of solar declined by 43%, according to the Florida Phoenix. Across the entire country, nearly 5 million homeowners have solar panels, and as installation prices continue to drop, more homeowners will hop on board. [The Cool Down]

¶ “US Senator Alex Padilla Applauds New Treasury Guidance Boosting Clean Hydrogen Power Development” • US Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) applauded the Department of Treasury’s final rules governing the 45V clean hydrogen production tax credit. The rules include critical changes to support development of a clean hydrogen industry. [Sierra Sun Times]

Have a grandly gracious day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Illinois Carbon Capture Project Captures Almost No Carbon” • EPA records show that over the last decade, a demonstration project in Decatur only captured between 10% and 12% of its total emissions each year, and the rest escaped into the atmosphere. Oil & Gas Watch says this raises questions about industrial-scale carbon capture technology. [CleanTechnica]

Many kinds of carbon capture (Juan Davila, Unsplash, cropped)

World:

¶ “Janus Electric Prime Movers” • CleanTechnica has followed the progress of Janus Electric truck conversions for over three years. In about four minutes (less time than it takes a truckie to visit the loo), the facility will swap the 2-metre-by-1.2-metre depleted truck batteries for batteries full of sunshiney goodness, ready for the next 400 km of their run. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “An $8,000 Electric Car: The Wuling Binguo” • Kyle and Alyssa from Out of Spec Reviews checked out the tiny, 5-door, fully electric Wuling Binguo, which is the product of a SAIC–General Motors collaboration. The base model hatchback costs $8,000 and there is a premium version for $12,000. Three LFP battery pack options are available. [CleanTechnica]

$8,000 EV (SAIC-GM-Wuling image)

¶ “‘Visit Hull’ Invitation To Trump After Social Post” • Donald Trump is being invited to Hull to see for himself the impact of renewable energy on the region after he criticized the UK’s move away from oil and gas production. Posting on social media, Trump urged the government to open up the North Sea and “get rid of windmills.” [BBC]

¶ “RES Submits Plans For 49.9-MW Solar Farm” • RES has submitted a planning application for a 49.9-MW solar farm in Hertfordshire. The Beane Solar Farm project is proposed for land west of Cottered village and would contribute to net-zero carbon emission targets while generating enough energy to power 15,000 homes. [reNews]

Solar farm (RES image)

¶ “RWE Nets 31 Solar Projects In Polish Auction” • RWE has been awarded 31 solar projects in Poland with a total capacity of 102 MW DC. In the latest auction for renewables, Polish regulator Urząd Regulacji Energetyki awarded RWE the 31 projects. The total capacity of 102 MW DC corresponds to 84 MW AC. Most of the solar schemes have received permits. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Ford Reaches New Electric Vehicle Sales Heights” • Ford’s EV sales in the fourth quarter reached a new high for the company. Across the full year, Ford nearly reached 100,000 pure EV sales. It had 51,745 sales of the Mustang Mach-E, up 27% from 2023, and 33,510 sales of the F-150 Lightning, up 39%. The E-Transit had 12,610 sales, up 64%. [CleanTechnica]

Ford EVs (Ford image)

¶ “Huge Growth In Nissan LEAF And Ariya EV Sales In USA ” • The Nissan LEAF has seen a revival. It had a 170.4% year-over-year increase in sales in the 4th quarter, and a 57% increase in 2024 versus 2023 as a whole. It scored 3,645 sales in the 4th quarter, up from 1,348 a year before, and banged in 11,226 sales in 2024, up from 7,152 in 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford ‘Power Promise’ Extended into 2025 for US EV Buyers” • Ford had a record year for EV sales. One program the company has used to help spur on sales is Power Promise, which provides complimentary home chargers and installation to new EV buyers (in most cases). The company is extending the program through March 31, 2025. [CleanTechnica]

Charging a Ford EV (Ford image)

¶ “California’s Progress In Renewable Energy: A Closer Look” • The Renewable Portfolio Standard pushed California to start big renewable energy projects. From 2004 to 2009, California began a series of large-scale solar energy projects that were not only important for the state but also helped the whole country think more about clean energy. [Microgrid Media]

¶ “BOEM Seeks Lease Areas Off Guam Coast” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is seeking nominations for possible wind energy leasing areas off the coast of the US Pacific territory of Guam. BOEM has announced a Call for Information and Nominations, which will gather public comments to inform potential leasing areas. [reNews]

Guam (yeojin yun, Unsplash)

¶ “Indian River Power Plant To Close In February” • Delaware’s only coal-fired energy power plant will cease operating in February, almost two years before its previously scheduled shutdown. PJM has touted the early shutdown as a win for electricity consumers, who the RTO says will save roughly $93 million with the shutdown. [Delaware LIVE News]

¶ “Solar Power Is Cutting Daytime Electricity Demand On New England’s Grid” • There were more than 100 days in 2024 when customers used more electricity from the region’s grid at night, when most people are asleep, than during the day. Before 2018, there wasn’t a single day when this happened. The trend reflects increasing use of  rooftop solar panels. [Yahoo]

Solar power (Oskar Kadaksoo, Unsplash)

¶ “US Chamber, Oil Industry Sue Vermont Over Law Requiring Companies To Pay For Climate Change Damage” •  The US Chamber of Commerce and a top oil and gas industry trade group are suing Vermont over its new law requiring that fossil fuel companies pay a share of the damage caused over several decades by climate change. [CTV News]

¶ “Monticello Nuclear Plant Gets Federal Approval To Keep Operating Until 2050” • The Monticello nuclear plant can run for another couple of decades. The US NRC renewed the 53-year-old plant’s operating license, allowing it to keep generating power through September 8, 2050. The plant is about 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis. [InForum]

Have an energetically quiet day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Fossil Fuel Interests Ramp Up Their ‘Solar Makes Electricity More Expensive’ Falsehood” • It shouldn’t be a surprise that the fossil fuel industry is trotting out its big guns to attack renewable energy and electric cars. They paid to get Trump elected and now they want to make sure they get the maximum return on their investment. [CleanTechnica]

Nothing to see here, folks (Chris LeBoutillier, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Next-Gen ‘Massless’ EV Batteries Could Have No Weight” • Simply removing the weight of the battery would increase an EV’s range by 70%. The scientists behind that estimate have been hard at work developing a “massless” EV battery, meaning a battery that adds no extra weight because it also serves as a working part of the EV’s structure. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “BYD Bus And Commercial Vehicle Sales Explode” • Most of the EV story is about consumer vehicles. But there is a lot more: electric buses, shipping trucks, delivery trucks, ore trucks, etc. BYD sells a lot of those. The company’s electric bus sales were up in 2024 by 18.6%. But BYD’s non-passenger commercial EV sales were up by 138% for the year. [CleanTechnica]

BYD SkyRail (Courtesy of BYD America)

¶ “BYD Car Sales Rose 60% in December, 41% in 2024” • In December, BYD’s plugin vehicle sales were up 60%! Across the full year, they were up 41.3%. In volume terms, BYD’s sales were up by 173,766 units in December 2024 compared to December 2023, and they were up by 1,241,968 units across 2024 as a whole. Meanwhile, Tesla’s sales fell. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China Plans 48,000 Kilometers Of High Speed Rail By 2030” • China has the  most extensive railway network on Earth, with 162,000 km (100,000 miles) installed. As part of its rail network, it currently has 48,000 km of high-speed rail lines and plans to add another 12,000 km by 2030. Travel between major cities will be possible in just 1 to 3 hours. [CleanTechnica]

Fast train in China (Courtesy of CRRC via Reddit)

¶ “Windey Energy Plans 16-MW Onshore Turbine” • Chinese manufacturer Windey Energy is planning to develop an ultra-large 16-MW onshore wind turbine. The groundbreaking scheme is led by Windey Energy under the Inner Mongolia autonomous region’s Science and Technology Innovation Major Demonstration Project. [reNews]

¶ “Trump Calls To ‘Open Up’ North Sea, Get Rid Of Windmills ” • US President-elect Donald Trump has called to “open up” the North Sea and get rid of windmills. Oil companies have been exiting the North Sea in recent decades. Production has declined from a peak of 4.4 million barrels of oil equivalent per day in 2000 to around 1.3 million today. [Yahoo]

North Sea Oil & Gas Platform (JanChr, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Renewables Near 30% Of Belgian Power Mix” • In Belgium renewables reached the highest level to date in 2024, increasing to just under 30% compared with just over 28% in 2023. In figures released by grid operator Elia, Belgium’s electricity mix last year saw a significant 23% increase in solar generation and low use of gas-fired generation. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Jimmy Carter Was Ahead Of His Time On Energy” • Carter’s environmental legacy is sizable. He is well-known for wearing a sweater and turning down his thermostat (and asking Americans to do the same). But his faith and support of solar technology helped push it to the viable industry that exists today. Solar costs fell 78% while he was in office. [ABC News]

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter fishing, 1978 (National Archives)

¶ “Tesla Reports 1.1% Sales Drop For 2024, First Annual Decline In At Least Nine Years” • Tesla’s global annual sales fell for the first time in at least nine years, with a 2.3% increase in the final quarter not enough to overcome a sluggish start to 2024 despite offers of 0% financing, free charging and low-priced leases. Sales were 1.1% below 2023 sales. [ABC News]

¶ “Equinor Shields Self Against Trump Offshore Wind Threat, Nails $3 Billion For New Wind Hub In Brooklyn” • News from Equinor is that it has $3 billion in new financing, a significant slice of the expected total of $5 billion in capital investments needed for its new wind hub. Equinor seems unfazed by Donald Trump’s attitude toward windpower. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbine at South Brooklyn Marine Terminal
(Beyond My Ken, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Geothermal Research Funding Opportunity In USA” • The US DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs released the FY25 Phase I Release 2 Notice of Funding Opportunity. The funding is for qualified small business projects in geothermal heating and cooling, and in enhanced geothermal systems. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Shoreline Nuclear Plant Could Get OK To Reopen In 2025” • This year could be pivotal for a plan to reopen a nuclear plant along Lake Michigan. Operations at the Palisades nuclear plant stopped in 2022, but its owner, Holtec International, is seeking approval to reopen, and the Biden administration pledged $2 billion in loans to help the restart. [WMUK]

Have a relaxingly trouble-free day.

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Opinion:

¶ “In The New Year, Climate Activists Must Resolve To Appeal To Emotional Intelligence And Local Contexts” • The new year is a time for us to resolve to do better, to make healthy decisions that lead to personal and general satisfaction and growth. This year is different, with an oligarchy ready to pursue anti-climate goals once it’s in office. [CleanTechnica]

Alone at dawn (想 李, Unsplash)

¶ “Taking A Second Look At The Honda/Nissan Merger” • When Toshihiro Mibe, the CEO of Honda, was asked recently what the strategic benefits of the new partnership were, he replied, “That’s a difficult one.” He is not alone in finding it hard to explain. The merger causes skepticism among analysts and confusion among industry insiders, Autoblog says. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Toyota bZ4X EV Gets $6,000 Price Cut For 2025” • Toyota’s bZ4X hasn’t sold very well. Toyota has reduced the oddly-named EV’s cost by $6000 for 2025 to just under $39,000, and maybe it’s more attractive at that price point. Toyota certainly has a big customer base and some are brand loyal. Maybe some Toyota stalwarts will buy a bZ4X soon. [CleanTechnica]

Toyota bZ4X (Mariordo, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Brisbane Hits Net-Zero Milestone” • Brisbane Airport reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 97% by buying 100% renewable electricity generated by Stanwell for a Queensland-based wind farm and solar energy, expanding its on-site solar capacity to 10 MW, and replacing 24 traditional internal combustion engine fleet vehicles with EVs. [Airports International]

¶ “ZTT Upgrades Monopile Vessel” • China’s ZTT Group has upgraded its flagship monopile installation vessel to enhance its capabilities in offshore wind projects. Zhongtian 39’s upgrades include the addition of a DP2 positioning system for precise positioning in challenging environments, room for up to 210 crew members and a helipad. [reNews]

Zhongtian 39 (ZTT image)

¶ “Pension And Insurance Industry Bankrolls Renewable Energy Project In Zimbabwe” • After realizing the efficacy of accelerating deployment of solar plants, stakeholders in the insurance and pensions industry invested in a solar project in Mashonaland West, making it not just Zimbabwe’s breadbasket, but its energy basket as well. [NewZimbabwe.com]

¶ “LionLink Included In Nederwiek 3 Blueprint” • Dutch Climate and Green Growth Minister Sophie Hermans has included an electricity interconnector project between the Netherlands and the UK in the Offshore Wind Energy Development Framework. The LionLink DC interconnector will be realised through the Nederwiek 3 offshore grid project. [reNews]

Workers at an offshore windfarm (TenneT image)

¶ “2024 Sets Heat Record And Caps Off Deadliest Decade” • The year 2024 is set to be the hottest on record, capping off a deadly decade of intense heat. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world had just had its ten hottest years: “This is climate breakdown – in real time. We must exit this road to ruin – and we have no time to lose.” [InDaily Queensland]

¶ “EU Achieves Cleanest Power Mix In 2024” • In 2024, the EU achieved the cleanest power generation mix ever, with higher levels of renewables leading to a 59% cut in emissions compared to 1990 levels, according to Eurelectric. The year 2024 marked the lowest emissions from the EU power sector with a 13% drop compared with 2023. [reNews]

Wind farm (Enercon image)

¶ “First Unit Of China’s Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Project Starts Commercial Operations” • The first power generating unit of the Zhangzhou nuclear power project in East China’s Fujian province has begun commercial operations, according to China National Nuclear Corporation. Hualong One is a domestically developed third-generation reactor. [China Daily]

US:

¶ “USDA Funds Renewable Energy Project In Rural Texas” • One part of Texas is so rural that the local utility, San Miguel Electric Cooperative, has only 340,000 customers in 47 counties. Much of the electricity for those customers comes from a generating station that burns lignite, but none from renewable energy. That is about to change. [CleanTechnica]

San Miguel lignite generating station (SMECI via LinkedIn)

¶ “Ormat Starts Up 20-MW US Battery” • Ormat, a US storage and geothermal player, has begun commercial operations of a 20-MW battery system in New Jersey. The 20-MWh Montague BESS will provide ancillary services on the merchant market to PJM Interconnection and is expected to be eligible for a 30% Investment Tax Credit. [reNews]

¶ “Worried About Grid Reliability, State Officials Seek To Boost Renewables And Energy Storage” • A growing number of data centers are demanding massive amounts of energy. The Illinois fossil fuel industry is, by design, in decline. And backlogs at grid operators have delayed almost 600 MW of generation capacity from coming online. [Herald-Whig]

Have an impressively productive day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Year In Review: The State of Biodiversity 2024” • The state of biodiversity is at a critical crossroads as 2024 ends. Nature in all its gifts provides the basic elements on which all life depends: clean air, temperature control, fertile soil, and clean water. But too few people seem to grasp the centrality of protecting and restoring nature and biodiversity. [CleanTechnica]

Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings (USFWS, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

World:

¶ “The Great Solar Wall Of China” • As of June 2024, China led the world in operating solar farm capacity with 386,875 MW, representing about 51% of the global total, according to Global Energy Monitor’s Global Solar Power Tracker. The US ranked second with 79,364 MW, about 11%, followed by India with 53,114 MW, about 7%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Became The Second Best Selling Automaker In World In November!” • According to reporting out of China, BYD passed Volkswagen in November and trailed only Toyota in global auto sales. Toyota sold 667,900 vehicles in November, but BYD sold 417,000 vehicles, which surpassed Volkswagen and made it rank second in global auto sales. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seal (Tiago Ferreira, Unsplash)

¶ “Foreign Investment Is Fueling Colombia’s Green Energy Revolution” • Colombia, a major oil and gas producer, is even so developing its renewable energy. It is working to diversify its energy mix, supported by national policies aiming for a move away from a reliance on fossil fuels in favor of a green transition. It is accepting investments to do this. [OilPrice.com]

¶ “NTPC Allocates 1.2 GW Wind-Solar Hybrid Capacity At 4.0¢/kWh” • State-owned NTPC has concluded its auction for 1.2 GW of wind-solar hybrid capacity at an average price of ₹3.43/kWh (4.0¢/kWh). JSP Green won 350 MW with the lowest price of ₹3.38. Out of the other bidders, Adani Renewable Energy won 350 MW at ₹3.44. [pv magazine India]

Adani Green hybrid wind-solar plant in Rajasthan (AGEL image)

¶ “Saudi Group Announces 1 GW Of Renewables As Part Of $50 Billion China Investment” • ACWA Power announced that it is developing over 1 GW of renewable energy projects in China. The company said the portfolio includes solar and wind power projects that will be owned jointly by ACWA Power and Chinese renewable energy developers. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Swiss Trains Switch To 100% Renewable Electricity” • Swiss Federal Railways trains are 100% renewably powered. Up to January 1, around 90% of SBB’s electricity needs were met by hydropower and the remaining 10% from nuclear. The nuclear power is now being sold, as SBB buys an equivalent amount of certified renewables. [Railway Gazette International]

Swiss train (SBB CFF FFS image)

¶ “Scientists Uncover Natural Phenomenon That Significantly Exacerbated Last Year’s Record-High Temperatures” • There was record-breaking heat in 2023, and GHGs and El Niño played a role. But they were not enough to explain it alone. Now, a study in the journal Science shows that fewer low-lying clouds over our oceans supercharged the warming. [The Cool Down]

US:

¶ “Power Slowly Being Restored In Puerto Rico After More Than 1 Million Left In Dark In New Year’s Eve Blackout” • An island-wide blackout in Puerto Rico left more than a million residents without power on New Year’s Eve. Crews worked through the day and by 11:00 PM restored power to roughly 700,000 customers, about 47.8% of them. [ABC News]

Coast of Puerto Rico (Briana Tozour, Unsplash)

¶ “It’s A Wrap – Sprucing Up Tesla Vehicles” • Tesla promised to sell 50% more cars each year than it sold the year before, through 2030, at least on average. But it’s not happening. The company is pulling every sales lever possible to try to sell more cars in the fourth quarter of 2024 than it sold in the fourth quarter of 2023. Why is this sales lag happening? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Green Energy Firms’ Pitch To Trump: You’re Going To Need A Lot Of Power” • After being a favorite punching bag of the Trump campaign, green energy companies are reaching out to incoming cabinet appointees, hunting for friendly people in the transition team, and visiting Republican members of Congress with a message: We need a lot of power.  [MSN]

Wind turbines (Emily Allen, (CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Chicago To Power All City-Owned Buildings With Renewable Energy Starting January 1” • Starting January 1, all 411 city-owned buildings in Chicago will run entirely on renewable energy. It is a major milestone in the city’s sustainability efforts. The transition will eliminate 290,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. [Chicago Construction News]

¶ “An Inside Look At Work To Restart Palisades Nuclear Plant” • The Palisades plant has been closed since May of 2022. Holtec, the owner, hopes to have it back up and running sometime next year. During a tour, the NRC showed News 8 where work stands to reopen the plant, including a steam generator, which is still to be tested and repaired. [AOL.com]

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