World:
¶ “400 Offshore Wind Turbines Survived Typhoon Danas In Taiwan” • Taiwan and Japan collaborated on a strict new standard for offshore wind turbines in the Taiwan Strait back in 2017, and all that hard work is paying off. Typhoon Danas barged through the region earlier this week, leaving all 400 wind turbines were untouched and ready for operation. [CleanTechnica]
Wind farm sites (Taiwan National Meteorological Center)
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
¶ “Seven Rail Megaprojects Get More EU Funds Than 84 Other Key Upgrades” • A T&E report found that just seven projects got 31% of the EU’s main funding envelope for transportation, the Connecting Europe Facility, between 2021 and 2023. Meanwhile, 84 urgently needed key upgrades received only 27% of these funds. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “How Solar Power Is Helping In Ukraine” • In addition to dealing with climage change and pollution, there’s another use for clean renewable electricity: humanitarian aid. Portable solar power systems can be used in conflict zones for civilians who have no access to electricity or not enough so they can meet their basic daily needs. [CleanTechnica]
Solar power (Image from Hope for Ukraine)
¶ “An Indigenous Australian Community Is Fighting To Protect Sacred Springs From A Coal Mine” • A small ceremonial fire has been burning for over 1,300 days in Wangan and Jagalingou Country in central Queensland. It is at the heart of a standoff between a part of the local Indigenous community and the Carmichael coal mine. [BBC]
¶ “Ørsted Wraps Up Jacket Installation At Changhua 2b&4″ • Ørsted finished installing all 66 suction bucket jacket foundations at its 920-MW Greater Changhua 2b and 4 offshore wind farms in Taiwan. The final structure was installed this week, completing the program ahead of schedule. Heerema Marine Contractors was also on the job. [reNews]
Installation (Heerema Marine Contractors image)
¶ “Australian Solar Farms To Lose Power Due To Bottlenecks On The Grid” • By 2027, almost all large solar farms in southeastern Australia will be forced to curtail at least one-third of the power they generate due to critical delays in energy infrastructure projects, according to new analysis from the Australian Energy Market Operator. [Channel News Australia]
¶ “EGEC Report Forecasts Resurgence In Deployment Of Geothermal Energy Solutions Across Europe” • The European Geothermal Energy Council released its Geothermal Market Report, which expects to see a significant upturn in business activity linked to geothermal energy projects in Europe, starting in 2025. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
Geothermal power plant (Gretar Ívarsson, public domain)
¶ “Lepreau Nuclear Plant Outage To Cost At Least $140 Million” • A 140-day planned shutdown starting this month at the Point Lepreau nuclear generating station will cost at least $140 million, according to New Brunswick Power. CEO Lori Clark said the cost of replacement power during the outage, scheduled for July 14 to December 1, is about $1 million per day. [Yahoo]
US:
¶ “Refinery Closures Present Risk For Higher Gasoline Prices on the West Coast” • California is set to lose 17% of its oil refinery capacity over the next 12 months, as Phillips 66 and Valero plan to close down one refinery each. If realized, the closure of the facilities is likely to contribute to increases in fuel price volatility on the West Coast. [CleanTechnica]
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
¶ “Climate Change Made Texas Floods 20% To 30% More Severe” • The devastating floods that swept through Central Texas in early July 2025 are a human tragedy, with over 120 dead and more than that still missing. This catastrophe, unfortunately, also has a clear and scientifically measurable fingerprint from climate change. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Came For The Coal, Stayed For The Rare Earths: New Mine Breaks Ground In Wyoming” • The first US rare earth mine in decades is breaking ground in Wyoming. Ramaco Resources was considering reopening a closed coal mine, when they realized it was sitting on the edge of a deposit of rare earth minerals needed for permanent magnets. [Wyoming Public Media]
Coal mine in Wyoming (Mr Satterly, public domain)
¶ “FEMA Maps Underestimated Risk In Catastrophic Texas Flood” • First Street, a risk modeling company, believes that more than double the 8 million homes nationwide that are designated by FEMA to be in flood zones are actually at risk. It found that government models are outdated and fail to consider extreme weather events. [ABC News]
¶ “Texas Renewable Energy Grid Defies Trump’s Claims” • The Texas renewable energy grid shows resilience and low costs, challenging Trump’s claims that the rapid adoption of solar and wind power leads to instability and high electricity costs. Texas’ main grid operator, ERCOT, reported significant improvements in both reliability and costs. [Yahoo Finance]
Have a wonderfully pleasant day.
geoharvey 