World:
¶ “The First Planned Migration Of An Entire Country Is Now Underway” • Tuvalu is preparing to carry out the first planned migration of an entire country. Recent studies project that much of its territory could be submerged in the next 25 years due to rising sea levels. Its inhabitants must consider migration as an urgent survival measure. [Wired]
Sunset at Tuvalu (INABA Tomoaki, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped)
¶ “Portugal Announces €137 Million Investment In Power Grid Upgrades After Blackout” • Authorities in Portugal announced a raft of measures to strengthen the country’s electricity system after the 28 April blackout that left most of Spain and Portugal without power for several hours. Included are €137 million of investments in the electricity grid. [Euronews]
¶ “The ICE Age Ends: How Electric Cars Are Shutting Down Gas Stations And Garages ” • A gasoline-powered car has long been relatively cheap convenience. As EV adoption accelerates past critical mass, this convenience will rapidly unravel. Gas stations will close, oil-change shops will close, and basic maintenance costs will climb sharply. [CleanTechnica]
Abandoned gas station (Dominique Hicks, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Australia’s Most Renewable State To Install 16 ‘Community Batteries,’ Add Them To VPP” • Australian energy giant AGL announced that it will build and operate 16 community batteries in South Australia. They will subsequently be incorporated into the virtual power plant that AGL acquired from Tesla earlier this month. [One Step Off The Grid]
¶ “Geotechnical surveys begin for Lillebaelt Syd” • Geotechnical surveys have begun for the 11-turbine, 165-MW Lillebaelt Syd offshore wind project in Denmark. It is owned by TotalEnergies, European Energy, and the Danish utility company SONFOR. A mobile drilling platform will perform drilling and testing at each of the turbine locations. [reNews]
Mobile drilling platform (European Energy image)
¶ “‘We Went Too Quickly:’ Bp Defends Dramatic Renewable Exit As Fortescue Accelerates To Net Zero” • The head of BP Australia defended its decision to quit the giant 26-GW renewable energy project in the Pilbara. Fortescue CEO Dino Otranto, sitting next to her, underlined the company’s determination to lead the world to “real zero.” [RenewEconomy]
¶ “Canada Designates Four Offshore Wind Areas” • Canada has designated its first four offshore wind energy areas off Nova Scotia, advancing plans to license 5 GW of capacity by 2030. The federal and provincial governments have selected French Bank, Middle Bank, Sable Island Bank and Sydney Bight for future offshore wind projects. [reNews]
Offshore wind areas (Province of Nova Scotia)
¶ “Fukushima Nuclear Plant Workers Evacuate After Japan Warns Of 3-Meter Tsunami Waves” • Workers were evacuated from the Fukushima nuclear power plant after the country issued tsunami warnings in the wake of an 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Russia’s far east. The earthquake hit near the Kamchatka Peninsula, and its tsunami waves are of up to four meters. [MSN]
US:
¶ “Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency Plans To Kill Landmark ‘Endangerment’ Climate Rule” • The EPA moved to repeal the “endangerment finding,” a 2009 declaration that determined the current and projected concentrations of six greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide, “endanger both the public health and the public welfare.” [ABC News]
Smoke from burning car batteries, 1972 (Marc St Gil, EPA)
¶ “Extreme Heat Dome Puts 170 Million Americans In Danger For Hot, Humid Temperatures” • Around 170 million Americans from Nebraska to the Northeast are experiencing dangerously warm temperatures due to an ongoing heat wave. The eastern half of the country ia experiencing temperatures that can feel anywhere between 100°F and 110°F. [ABC News]
¶ “Electric Tractor Cost Can Be Reduced By Tens of Thousands With California Program” • Some people think electric vehicles are just about personal transportation. Fortunately, there are many other EVs available. Electric tractors, like the other EVs, have a lot of benefits that their fossil-fuel burning counterparts don’t have. [CleanTechnica]
Electric Tractor (Monarch Tractor image)
¶ “Want To Buy A Used Electric Car Before US Tax Credit Expires? Seven Things To Know” • There are just two months and two days left to get a used electric car in the US and get a $4,000 tax credit. But not everyone is eligible for the tax credit, not every used electric car qualifies, and there are some things to know going into the process. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Trump Administration Considering Blocking Onshore And Offshore Wind Sites” • The Trump administration is pursuing new measures to stymie onshore and offshore wind. The Interior Department said it is evaluating “whether to stop onshore wind development on some federal lands and halting future offshore wind lease sales.” [reNews]
Flag and turbine (Dominion image)
¶ “Elon Musk Hoped To Sell 150,000 Tesla Cybertrucks A Year – On Track For 20,000 In 2025” • At one point, Tesla reportedly pulled in more than one million “reservations” for the Tesla Cybertruck. Many Tesla fans and shareholders were expecting it to reach hundreds of thousands sales a year. It looks like a tiny fraction of that will be sold in 2025. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Energy Company Strikes Deal To Deliver Next-Gen Nuclear Power To Critical US Military Base: ‘We Are Honored'” • Oklo Inc has been selected to deliver carbon-free power to Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska through its advanced fission technology, according to Business Wire. Oklo’s fast reactor technology can recycle nuclear waste. [The Cool Down]
Have an especially cheerful day.
geoharvey 