Opinion:
¶ “Who Will Buy Tesla When It Goes Bankrupt?” • Tesla insiders are racing to unload their shares in the company while they still can. The insiders are bailing out like rats deserting a sinking ship. Do you think their doing so has anything to do with proprietary knowledge gained by being inside the Tesla board room? Nah, no one would be that blatant, would they? [CleanTechnica]
Elon Musk at the ready (MSNBC via YouTube)
World:
¶ “How Global Warming Could Threaten Satellites, According To Study” • Global warming is causing space debris to linger above the planet for longer periods of time, leaving less space for functioning satellites and posing a growing problem for the long-term use of Earth’s orbital space, a study published in Nature Sustainability found. [ABC News]
¶ “Billionaire Carlos Slim Cancels $22 Billion In Starlink Orders Due To Elon Musk’s Outburst” • Aside from aligning himself with Trump and his incessant attacks on Mexico, Musk implied in January that Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim was involved in drug cartels in Mexico. Slim soon decided to cancel $22 billion of funds heading to Starlink. [CleanTechnica]
Starlink operating (Official SpaceX Photos, CC0)
¶ “Carney Takes The Helm: What’s Next For Canada’s Carbon Policy?” • With Mark Carney stepping in as the new leader of the federal Liberal Party, Canada’s carbon pricing system faces a critical juncture. Carney recognizes that the consumer carbon price is unsalvageable in its current form. He has been a leading voice in climate finance, however. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “EVs Take 27.3% Share In Germany — Volkswagen ID.7 Still Leading” • In February, EVs took a 27.3% share in Germany, up from 19.3% share YOY. Battery EVs were back to decent volume compared to 2024, though only modestly ahead of February 2023 figures. Plugin hybrids stepped up modestly. Overall auto volume was down 6% YOY. [CleanTechnica]
VW ID.7 (Ssu, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “Renewco Strikes 2.2-GW Spanish Battery Energy Storage Systems Deal” • Renewco Power has entered into an agreement with Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure to develop up to 2,200 MW of standalone battery projects across Spain. Renewco will develop the projects to ready-to-build status, while Atlantica will build and manage the portfolio. [reNews]
¶ “50Hertz To Invest €23 Billion In Grid Expansion” • 50Hertz is to invest almost €23 billion to improve its transmission grid in Germany to 2028. This is to facilitate the energy transition. The €23 billion is being spent on overhead lines, submarine and land cables, substations, digitalisation, and other technologies in the period 2024 to 2028. [reNews]
Offshore generating station (50Hertz image)
¶ “Gujarat Targets 37,350 MW Renewable Energy Generating Capacity By 2026” • By 2026, state of Gujarat’s solar, wind, and solar-wind hybrid power capacity will be 37,350 MW. This will develop from an investment of ₹1.50 lakh crore ($17.2 billion). Gujarat Power Corporation Limited is the nodal agency for the renewable energy initiative. [DeshGujarat]
¶ “Renewables Accounted For 54.1% Of Total Energy In Spain In February” • In February, renewables generated 11,543 GWh in Spain and reached a share of 54.1% of the total. The month’s first source of production was nuclear (22.1%), then hydroelectric (20.2%). These were followed next by wind power (17.3%), and solar PVs (14%). [pv magazine International]
Solar farm in Spain (kallerna, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Premier Reaffirms Green Energy Push, Leaves Door Open To Nuclear” • The government of Taiwan remains committed to developing diverse green energy sources while keeping the door open to “new” nuclear power under certain conditions, Premier Cho Jung-tai said. Reducing carbon emissions is the priority and achieving net zero is the goal. [Focus Taiwan]
US:
¶ “SCOTUS Rejects Republican Effort To Halt Climate Lawsuits In Democrat-Led States” • The Supreme Court rejected a lawsuit from Republican attorneys general in nineteen states aimed at blocking climate change suits against the oil and gas industry in Democratic-led states. The complaint was that the Democratic states are trying to set US energy policy. [ABC News]
Supreme Court Building (TheAgency, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Trump’s Tariffs Are Wrecking America’s Supply Chain For Critical Minerals” • Nickel, cobalt, and platinum-group elements are needed for the US economy. These metals power everything from electric vehicle batteries to jet engines and oil refineries. But the US has to rely on imports, often from nations it targets with trade restrictions. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Renewables Set Records In Texas” • Canary Media reports that Texas is setting records with its fleet of renewables that include wind, solar, and grid-scale energy storage. But Republicans in Congress can’t wait to roll back the federal incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act that have made many of those renewables possible. [CleanTechnica]
Wind turbines (USDA NRCS Texas, public domain)
¶ “Business Leaders Target The Trump-Musk White House For Damaging Profitability Margins” • Instead of embracing the Trump-Musk administration and its supposed pro-business ideology, companies are warning investors that the effects of federal change in Washington are unsettling and likely to hurt profitability margins. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Michigan Lawmakers Explore Nuclear Energy” • Lawmakers are looking to make Michigan a better place for nuclear energy. Bipartisan bills in the House of Representatives will create tax credits and university grants that incentivize nuclear research and energy production. Michigan is to start phasing out use of natural gas in 2030. [WZMQ 19 News]
Have a perfectly easy day.
geoharvey 