World:
¶ “Oceans Cannot Become ‘Wild West’, Warns UN Chief” • It is a key aim of the now running UN oceans conference is to get sixty countries to ratify a High Seas Treaty and thus bring it into force. One aim of the conference is to take a stand on unregulated mining in the deep sea. It should not be allowed to go ahead, the head of the UN has warned. [BBC]
Dolphin (Noah Boyer, Unsplash)
¶ “Scotland To Prioritize Renewable Energy Over Nuclear” • Scotland will focus on renewable energy not nuclear power, a government minister said after England decided to fund nuclear plants. Acting Energy Secretary Gillian Martin told BBC Scotland News that they would “capitalize on renewable energy capacity” rather than “expensive new nuclear.” [BBC]
¶ “Emperor Penguins Show Dramatic Decline, Satellite Photos Show” • The population of emperor penguins in one part of Antarctica appears to be declining faster than had been thought, according to an analysis of satellite imagery. Between 2009 and 2024 the population of sixteen colonies had declined 22% due to climate change reducing sea ice. [ABC News]
Emperor Penguin (Andrew Dawes, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Reassessing Steel: Falling Cement Use Alters Projections” • Cement and steel are closely intertwined, with about half of global steel demand tied to construction and infrastructure, the sectors driving cement consumption. A whitepaper by the World Cement Association says global cement demand will soon peak and then steadily decline. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “What Can We Do To Save The Insects? Build Solar Arrays” • Insects play key ecological roles. They are critical to the survival of many other species. We need to protect them. Research shows how solar arrays (yes, those maligned tools of renewable energy) offer safe havens for not only insects but birds, mammals, and other creatures. [CleanTechnica]
Deer graze under the PV array (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)
¶ “Ocean Winds Toasts Assembly Of First EFGL Turbine” • Ocean Winds toasted the successful assembly of the first turbine at its Éoliennes Flottantes du Golfe du Lion floating offshore wind project at Port-La Nouvelle. The 10-MW Vestas turbine, the most powerful ever installed in France, was mounted at a dedicated offshore wind terminal. [reNews]
¶ “Danske Commodities Signs German Wind Deal” • Danske Commodities signed a PPA with Germany’s largest independent energy purchasing group to deliver around 180 GWh of wind energy from July 2025 to December 2026. The Danish company said the deal with e.optimum will supply renewable electricity to roughly 48,000 households. [reNews]
German wind farm
¶ “Wins Worth Celebrating For Australia’s Climate Progress” • New data from the Clean Energy Regulator and the Federal Department of Climate Change show some great steps in Australia’s energy transition. And three important reports all indicate a decline in emissions and record levels of renewable energy generation. [pv magazine Australia]
¶ “NDA To Consider Renewables At Sellafield” • UK energy minister Michael Shanks asked the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and Cumberland Council to explore the potential for siting clean energy projects on land adjacent to the Sellafield nuclear waste, processing, and decommissioning site in north-west England. [reNews]
Solar array (Enel Green Power)
¶ “Russia Has Deal To Build Eight Nuclear Power Plants In Iran” • The president of Iran’s nuclear energy agency said officials in that country signed an agreement with Russia for construction of at least eight nuclear power plants in Iran. Mohammad Eslami, president of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, confirmed the deal. [POWER Magazine]
US:
¶ “US Adds 8.6 GW Of Solar Manufacturing Capacity, One Of Its Strongest Quarters of Growth Ever” • The US solar industry added 8.6 GW of solar module manufacturing capacity in Q1 2025, marking the third-largest quarter for new manufacturing capacity on record. The surge comes from eight factories in Texas, Ohio, and Arizona. [CleanTechnica]
Solar wafer manufacture (Oregon DOT, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “The US Produced More Energy Than Ever Before In 2024” • US total energy production was over 103 quadrillion British thermal units in 2024, a 1% increase from the previous record set in 2023. Several energy sources each set domestic production records last year: natural gas, crude oil, natural gas plant liquids, biofuels, solar, and wind. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Artificial Intelligence Models Improve Efficiency Of Battery Diagnostics” • Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have developed and demonstrated a groundbreaking physics-informed neural network model that can predict battery health nearly 1,000 times faster than traditional models. Earlier models are resource-intensive. [CleanTechnica]
NREL battery researcher (Werner Slocum, NREL)
¶ “Ben And Jerry’s Powers Organic Waste-To-Energy Facility” • PurposeEnergy, a provider of organic waste-to-renewable energy solutions, has officially opened its new anaerobic digestion plant in St. Albans, Vermont. Construction commenced in May 2023, and the facility began exporting electricity to the Vermont grid in December 2024. [Recycling Product News]
¶ “How The ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ Positions US Energy To Be More Costly For Consumers And The Climate” • When it comes to energy policy, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” – the official name of a massive federal tax-cut and spending bill passed in May by House Republicans– risks raising Americans’ energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. [The Conversation]
Have a passably lovely day.
geoharvey 
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