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.
geoharvey 
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