World:
¶ “Iraqi Oil Field On Fire After Drone Strike During Attacks In Kurdish Region” • An oil field in Iraq ‘s Dohuk province was set ablaze after being struck by a drone. It is the latest in a series of similar attacks launched recently against oil facilities in northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. [ABC News]
Soldier with drones (Scott Stewart, CC-BY 4.0)
¶ “BYD Sold 2.14 Million Vehicles In The First Six Months Of 2025” • In the first half of the year, BYD Group’s cumulative sales reached 2.146 million vehicles, becoming the only Chinese car maker to exceed 2 million vehicles in a half-year period. BYD sold 206,900 pure battery EVs in June alone, for a year-on-year increase of 42.50%. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “VW ID.3 Battery Holds 91% Charge After 160,000 Kilometers” • In Germany, Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club conducts widely respected third party testing of cars. It recently wrapped up four years of endurance testing of the Volkswagen ID.3. After driving 160,000 km, the test car still had 91% of its initial battery storage capacity. [CleanTechnica]
Volkswagen ID.3 (Alexander-93, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Tesla Starts Selling Vehicles In India – Finally” • After years and years of delay, Tesla is finally selling cars in India! Tesla opened a store in Mumbai, and you can now buy a Model Y in India. The bad news is that the starting price for a Model Y is about 55% higher in India than in the US, thanks to India’s high tariffs on imported vehicles. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “German Onshore Wind Sector Toasts Bumper Half-Year” • Germany’s onshore wind sector recorded its strongest half-year performance since 2017, according to the German Wind Energy Association. In the first six months of 2025, 409 onshore wind turbines were commissioned with a total capacity of 2.2 GW, up 67% from the first half of 2024. [reNews]
Wind turbines (Trianel image)
¶ “Solar Dominates Wind In Polish Renewables Auctions” • Solar projects dominated wind power in the latest renewable energy auctions in Poland. In total, Poland awarded 1.7 GW of capacity for renewable projects, of which more than 1.6 GW was for solar and only 83 MW for onshore wind installations. Of winning bids, 126 were solar and three were for wind. [reNews]
¶ “Giant Gold Mine Switches Off Gas And Diesel For First Time After Completion Of Largest Off-Grid Hybrid System” • A new 115-MW hybrid power system at a massive gold mine in Western Australia has been testing its hydrocarbons-off functionality recently. It meets the mine’s total energy load and is powered by wind and solar energy. [RenewEconomy]
Renewable energy (Pacific Energy image)
¶ “In Australia, Solar And Batteries Drive Down Power Costs” • It seems extraordinary that Australia had a political tussle over the need for nuclear power plants while the combination of solar and batteries is dropping in price so rapidly. Recent figures from BloombergNEF show that the cost of Chinese solar modules fell below 10¢/watt last year. [Small Caps]
¶ “Sarawak A Renewable Energy Hub, Irrelevant To Talk About Nuclear Energy” • Sarawak does not need to consider nuclear power, as the state is rich in other energy sources, says Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg. He said “Instead we can be a hub for renewable energy.” The state has hydropower and solar power, along with combined cycle gas. [MSN]
Dam in Sarawak (UNIMAS Sarawak, CC-BY-2.5)
US:
¶ “Climate Change Is Amplifying Extreme Rain Events In The Northeast, Research Shows” • The extreme rainfall that fell in the Northeast on Monday will likely occur more often in the future as a result of climate change, research shows. The Northeast had a 60% increase in extreme precipitation recent decades. That is the largest regional increase in the US. [ABC News]
¶ “Brookfield And Google Ink US Hydro Pact” • Brookfield and Google announced a Hydro Framework Agreement to deliver up to 3 GW of carbon-free hydropower in the US. Brookfield said the deal is the first of its kind and the world’s largest framework agreement for hydroelectricity. The first contracts executed are for facilities in Pennsylvania. [reNews]
Brookfield’s Holtwood facility (Brookfield image)
¶ “Most Of The Planned Coal Capacity Retirements Are In The Midwest Or Mid-Atlantic Regions” • Based on what power plant owners and operators reported, the capacity of US coal-fired power plants is to fall from 172 GW in May 2025 to 145 GW by the end of 2028. Of planned coal capacity retirements, 58% are in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Cable-Laying Begins For CVOW Offshore Wind Farm” • The new Prysmian cable-laying vessel Monna Lisa is now installing the first submarine cable for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project. Dominion Energy is developing the project. With a capacity of 2.6-GW, it is the largest offshore wind farm under construction in the US. [reNews]
Mona Lisa cable-laying vessel (Prysmian image)
¶ “Geronimo Power Breaks Ground On The 250-MW Portage Solar Project In Wisconsin” • Geronimo Power, formerly National Grid Renewables, started construction of its 250-MW Portage Solar Project in Portage County, Wisconsin. The project marks a significant step in the state’s expansion of renewable energy capacity. [OilPrice.com]
¶ “Relief From Drought In Southwest US Likely Isn’t Coming, According To New Research” •The Southwest United States is currently facing its worst megadrought of the past 1,200 years. According to a recent study from The University of Texas at Austin, the drought could continue at least until the end of the century, if not longer. [EurekAlert!]
Have an utterly okay day.
geoharvey 