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.
geoharvey 