World:
¶ “How Pope Francis Viewed Climate Change” • With the death of Pope Francis, the world lost the first Catholic pontiff to take a public stance on combating climate change. Tributes poured in after the Vatican announced that Pope Francis died, including from leaders in the fight against climate change, who praised him for supporting those efforts. [ABC News]
Pope Francis (Zebra48bo, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “How The Trump Administration’s Policies Will Impact Global Decarbonization” • The actions of the Trump administration will decelerate the race to decarbonize economies around the world significantly, energy and climate change experts say. But they won’t cause global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to come to a screeching halt. [ABC News]
¶ “China’s Solar Capacity Installations Grew Rapidly In 2024” • Utility-scale solar power capacity in China reached over 880 GW in 2024,China’s National Energy Administration said. China has more utility-scale solar than any other country. The utility-scale solar capacity installed in China in 2024 came to 277 GW, which is more than the US has in total. [CleanTechnica]
Please click on the image to enlarge it. (US EIA image)
¶ “China’s Electrification Of Trucks, Buses, And Construction Vehicles Accelerates Rapidl” • China’s heavy vehicle sector took major strides toward electrification in 2024. China continues to lead in the transition toward zero-emission heavy commercial transportation, and new energy vehicle adoption in the segment is accelerating significantly. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Record 117 GW Of Wind Installed In 2024” • A record 117 GW of windpower capacity was installed globally in 2024, according to a Global Wind Energy Council report. But the report shows big disparities in terms of the pace of deployment across global markets, with the lion’s share of installations taking place in a small number of key mature markets. [reNews]
Offshore windfarm (GWEC image)
¶ “Australia On The Way To Fully Renewable Electricity” • You probably didn’t hear it on the news but Australia took a vital first step towards being powered fully by renewable energy. The first stage of a new transmission line was finally hooked up and will become the key to South Australia hitting 100% renewable power by the end of 2027. [Small Caps]
¶ “Poll Reveals Business Tipping Point On Renewables” • A landmark global poll found that 97% of business leaders at mid-sized and large companies support a transition away from fossil fuels towards renewable electricity. More than half of executives said they would relocate their operations or supply chains to countries with better access to renewable power. [reNews]
Wind turbines (George Dagerotip, Unsplash)
¶ “Spain Hits First Weekday Of 100% Renewable Power On National Grid” • Spain’s grid ran entirely on renewable energy for the first time on April 16, with wind, solar, and hydro meeting all peninsular electricity demand during a weekday. Solar set a new record five days later, generating 20.12 GW of instantaneous power, 78.6% of demand. [pv magazine International]
US:
¶ “Tesla Profits Drop 71% Amid Anti-Musk Backlash” • Tesla’s profits fell 71% over the first three months of this year, a company earnings release shows. Total revenue decreased by 9% from one year earlier, to $19.3 billion, while revenue derived from car sales plunged 20% over the first three months of 2025 compared to a year ago, the data show. [ABC News]
Elon Musk and Donald Trump (The White House, public domain)
¶ “How Rock Dust Is Used To Fertilize Farms, Clean The Air” • Rocks like limestone and basalt naturally absorb CO₂, so a based carbon removal company in Seattle is collecting rock dust left over from mining material used for construction and using it as way of removing the greenhouse gas from the atmosphere. It also makes farming more productive. [ABC News]
¶ “Study Shows Big Drop In Pollution With Switch To Electric Trains” • Caltrain, which operates commuter rail service between San Francisco and San Jose, replaced all its diesel-powered self-contained trains and locomotives with electric equipment in six weeks. The rapid change gave researchers a chance to measure the improvement in air quality. [CleanTechnica]
Electric trains (Caltrain image)
¶ “New Petroleum Product Pipelines Dropped Off A Cliff During Biden Era In USA” • In 2024, pipeline companies completed just five pipeline projects to transport petroleum liquids in the US, according to the EIA’s Liquids Pipeline Projects Database. The five projects included three hydrocarbon gas liquid pipelines and two petroleum product pipelines. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “How Renewable Energy Projects Can Enhance Ecosystems” • With the renewable energy transition, we can strengthen our relationship with nature. The goals of expanding renewable energy and enhancing ecological integrity are not mutually exclusive. We can create systems that restore natural processes while generating clean power. [pv magazine USA]
Sheep and solar power (Enel image)
¶ “Lawmakers Push Controversial Bill That Could Derail Texas’ Booming Energy Growth” • Legislation proposed in the Texas Senate proposes sweeping administrative rules, imposes fees, and requires the Texas PUC to approve wind and solar projects before they can break ground. A Senate committee advanced the matter to the full chamber. [The Cool Down]
¶ “Deep Fission To Build Nuclear Power Plants Below The Earth’s Surface” • Deep Fission is the latest venture to come up with a way to finally make nuclear energy safe and abundant. It wamts to bury 15-MW nuclear power plants a mile below the surface of the Earth. A quick poll in the CleanTechnica breakroom showed many people are not convinced. [CleanTechnica]
Have an acceptably perfect day.
geoharvey 