World:
¶ “The Country Sparking Africa’s E-Bike Revolution” • The tiny East African nation of Rwanda has a grand plan to convert its motorbikes to e-bikes. There are over 100,000 of them. Officials know the project will put significant pressure on the country’s electricity grid, but a host of e-bike startups are experimenting with innovative solutions. [BBC]
Motorcycles in Kigali (Mrbobax, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “What Pope Leo XIV Has Said About Climate Change” • Robert Francis Prevost, now the leader of the Catholic Church as Pope Leo XIV, has been outspoken about the need for action to fight global warming, according to the College of Cardinals Report. He as warned against the “harmful” consequences of unchecked technological advancement. [ABC News]
¶ “Government Approval For Large Solar Farm” • A large solar farm in East Yorkshire was given a government go-ahead. The solar farm will be built on 3,155 acres of land and will connect to the National Grid at the Drax substation. The developer, Boom Energy, said it will produce 400 MW of electricity, providing enough power for 100,000 homes. [BBC]
Solar farm (Courtesy of Boom Energy)
¶ “BYD Electric Truck Sales Up 1,195%” • BYD’s commercial vehicle sales are reported separately as buses and “others.” BYD’s non-bus commercial vehicles sales have grown like gangbusters in recent months. They were up from 525 in April 2024 to 7,080 in April 2025, and from 1,595 in January–April 2024 to 20,659 in January–April 2025. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “SolarPower Europe Forecasts 1 TW Annual Installations By 2030” • The global solar industry experienced unprecedented growth in 2024, with a record 597 GW of new solar capacity installed, marking a 33% increase over the previous year. This surge brought the total global solar capacity to 2.2 TW, according to SolarPower Europe. [CleanTechnica]
Solar array (Courtesy of SolarPower Europe)
¶ “EVs Take 97.4% Share In Norway” • The April auto market saw plugin EVs take 97.4% share in Norway, up from 91.0% year on year. Battery EVs accounted for 97.0% of all new car registrations, with diesels taking 1.5%. Total registrations of new passenger vehicles for the month reached 11,286 units, a slight increase compared to April 2024. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “UK Increases Funding And Areas To Spur Offshore Wind Energy Development” • Offshore wind energy continues to be a key for the UK’s plan for renewable energy with the government announcing that it will expand funding and the available areas in response to industry demand. The goal is 50 GW of offshore windpower by 2030. [The Maritime Executive]
Offshore wind turbines (Vestas image)
¶ “Adani And Druk Green Team Up For 5 GW Of Hydro Projects” • Indian renewables company the Adani Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Druk Green Power Corporation of Bhutan for the joint development of 5 GW of hydropower projects, which will consist of both conventional hydropower and pumped storage. [reNews]
US:
¶ “Uber to Use Volkswagen ID Buzzes for Robotaxis” • After a week of news about Uber, we have more news from Uber. This time it is the robotaxis that the ride-hailing platform will use. Uber is partnering with Volkswagen to launch autonomous ID Buzzes. Testing is to happen in 2025, with commercial service to launch in Los Angeles in 2026. [CleanTechnica]
Volkswagen ID Buzz (Nan Palmero, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Texas’ Retroactive Energy Bill Shakes Market Trust” • Texas just introduced a striking new piece of legislation, Senate Bill 715. It demands that renewable power plants retroactively [emphasis by ghh] guarantee power availability by pairing their wind and solar farms with dispatchable backup power, typically natural gas or large-scale battery storage. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Solar Gets Cheaper, Systems Get Bigger: EnergySage Report Maps A Shifting Market” • The 20th edition of EnergySage’s Solar & Storage Marketplace Report offers a deep look at the residential solar and storage sector in the US during a turbulent 2024. It tracks market trends in pricing, equipment preferences, financing, and consumer behavior. [CleanTechnica]
Solar power (Raphael Cruz, Unsplash)
¶ “SLO County Airport To Install Solar Carport Canopies” • In collaboration with the County of San Luis Obispo’s Public Works Department, the SLO County Airport made a major step forward in its commitment to sustainability with the installation of a 940-kW solar carport canopy system over the its largest passenger parking lot. [Aviation Pros]
¶ “Trump’s Nuclear Energy Policy Prioritizes Deregulation” • The White House is drafting four executive orders, expected to be released within the coming weeks, attempting to expand the ability of the DOE and Department of Defense to deploy prototype reactors, possibly without the oversight provided by the US NRC. [Energy Intelligence]
Nuclear plant (Lukáš Lehotský, Unsplash)
¶ “Trump Tightens Control Of Independent Agency Overseeing Nuclear Safety” • Going forward, the NRC must send new rules regarding reactor safety to the White House, where they will be reviewed and possibly edited. That is a radical departure for the watchdog agency, which historically has been among the most independent in the government. [WBHM 90.3]
¶ “Why Virtual Power Plants Are A Climate Solution For Our Divided Times” • Tens of thousands of homes equipped with rooftop solar and home battery storage in California and Texas are linking up in the latest examples of a growing and innovative energy solution called the Virtual Power Plant. This week, there have been two VPP announcements. [Newsweek]
Have an invigoratingly composed day.
geoharvey 