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.
geoharvey 