World:
¶ “Fur Is Firmly Back In Fashion – And Even More Divisive Than Ever” • In 2017, when Gucci pledged to go fur-free, a number of designer brands followed suit. That movement was welcomed by animal rights activists, but what followed was a new problem: Much of the real fur has been replaced by synthetic alternatives that are derived from fossil fuels. [BBC]
Fur coat (Nick Monica, Unsplash)
¶ “Top Locations For Ocean Energy Production Worldwide Revealed” • Marine renewable energy development is still in its early stages compared to wind and solar power. One challenge is identifying the most feasible and economically viable locations for ocean current energy projects. A global data-based evaluation has been published. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Charting The Changes In The UK Auto Industry” • The UK government reacted to the latest round of tariff insanity in the US by altering its plans to promote the adoption of EVs. Among other things, Keir Starmer announced his country is reinstating a proposed ban on the sale of new cars powered solely by internal combustion engines as of 2030. [CleanTechnica]
BYD Sealion 7 (BYD image)
¶ “Geely Has Launched 48 New Models Since Tesla Revealed The Cybertruck!” • Tesla has quite a limited, simple product line with two mass-market models, a unique EV called a truck, and two premium models introduced more than a decade ago. BYD has introduced new models regularly. But now we see that Geely has brought out 48 new cars. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “GE And BBWind Sign Turbine Deal” • GE Vernova announced that it signed agreements with BBWind to supply three of its 6-MW, 164-m workhorse turbines to community wind farms. The deals were booked in the first quarter of 2025 to support the two-turbine 12-MW wind farm in Heiden and the 6-MW Dorsten project in North Rhine-Westphalia. [reNews]
Wind turbine (GE Vernova image)
¶ “Trump Tariffs Could Boost Demand For Renewables: Think Tank” • Tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump, and the resulting uncertainty, could boost demand for renewable energy, according to energy think tank Ember. Trump’s tariffs have sent energy and equities markets plummeting and stoked concerns about a global recession. [Asia Financial]
¶ “H&MV Completes Electrical Work On Blackhillock BESS” • H&MV Engineering has completed electrical and civil works for the 200-MW, 400-MWh Blackhillock battery energy storage project in Scotland. The BESS was developed by Zenobē, and it is the largest such facility in Europe. H&MV Engineering is the principal designer and contractor. [reNews]
BESS facility (H&MV Engineering image)
¶ “Solar Has Been The World’s Fastest Growing Power Source For Twenty Years Running” • Phil MacDonald, Ember’s managing director, said: “Solar power has become the engine of the global energy transition. Paired with battery storage, solar is set to be an unstoppable force. As the fastest-growing and largest source of new electricity, it is critical …” [Mother Jones]
¶ “Robot Dog Flips Crane Switch At Nuclear Site” • A robot dog has been sent into a potentially hazardous area of a nuclear power site to switch back on a mothballed piece of equipment. Due to safety restrictions, workers are not allowed to go near a switchboard to power up the machine. The crane had not been operational for about two years. [BBC]
Robot Dog at switch (Nuclear Restoration Services Image)
¶ “Thirsty Nuclear Plants ‘Could Suck Water From Farmers'” • Only one of seven nuclear power stations proposed to be built in Australia could access enough water to operate at full capacity, a study has found, and more than 200 billion litres may need to be acquired from farmers, businesses, or residents to meet the shortfall. [MSN]
US:
¶ “Trump Signs Executive Order To Expand ‘Clean’ Coal, But There’s No Such Thing” • At a White House ceremony witnessed by people wearing hard hat, Trump signed an executive order that follows the president’s recent promises to oversee a boost of coal production in the US. One action orders the Department of Interior to facilitate coal leases. [ABC News]
Coal-burning power plant (Chris LeBoutillier, Unsplash)
¶ “The Latest Leak In The Keystone Oil Pipeline Continues Its Troubled History” • The latest leak in the Keystone oil pipeline in North Dakota continues its troubled history. The 2,700 mile (4,350 km) pipeline starts in Alberta and carries tar sands oil south across the Dakotas and Nebraska before splitting to go to refineries in Illinois, Oklahoma, and Texas. [ABC News]
¶ “US Production Of All Types Of Coal Has Declined Over The Past Two Decades” • US coal production peaked in 2008, but by 2023, the US production fell to less than half of what it was at the peak. The decline in coal production was due to rising mining costs, environmental regulations, and competition from other sources of electric power generation. [CleanTechnica]
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
¶ “New York City Congestion Pricing Likely To Remain Through The Summer” • New York’s $9 congestion toll on most drivers entering Manhattan is likely to remain through the summer, and even into fall, as a lawsuit to stop the Trump administration from ending the program moves forward. A briefing schedule calls for court filings as late as October. [ABC News]
¶ “Wood Mackenzie Downgrades Its Five-Year US Wind Energy Outlook” • Wood Mackenzie reduced by 40% its five-year outlook for new US wind energy projects, due to Trump administration policies and concerns about the economy. The energy research firm expects the US to install 45.1 GW of wind, both onshore and offshore, through 2029. [Offshore Engineer Magazine]
Have an extraordinarily quiet day.
geoharvey 
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