Opinion:
¶ “On Clean Energy, Too Many Republicans Appear To Forget That Batteries Exist” • When targeting solar and wind power, Donald Trump routinely repeats an old mistake: After sundown or when the wind isn’t blowing, those energy sources are nearly useless. He’s not, however, the only Republican who has shown confusion about this. [MSNBC News]
Wind turbines (Daniel Morris, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “Australia Finalizes FID For Marinus Link Cable To Boost Renewable Power” • Australia has reached the final investment decision for the Marinus Link Stage 1 undersea electricity cable project, marking a key milestone in its energy transition. The 750-MW connection will bring electricity from Tasmania to the National Electricity Market. [S&P Global]
¶ “Vatican Strikes Solar Farm Deal To Become The World’s First Carbon-Neutral State” • Italy agreed to a Vatican plan to turn a 430-hectare field north of Rome, once the source of controversy between the two, into a solar farm. The Holy See hopes it will generate enough electricity to meet its needs and turn Vatican City into the first carbon-neutral state. [Euronews]
St Peter’s Basilica (Fabio Fistarol, Unsplash)
¶ “ONVO’s Flagship SUV L90 Officially Launched, Starting at 265,800 Yuan” • ONVO, NIO’s second brand, started sales of its Smart Large-Space Flagship SUV, the L90, in Hangzhou. The L90 offers two seat layouts: six-seater and seven-seater, with price starting at 265,800 yuan ($36,914), or 179,800 yuan with the battery subscription option. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Wind Multiplikator Charters CSOV For Global Tech 1” • The German servicing outfit Wind Multiplikator signed a long-term charter with Norwind Offshore to deploy a Commissioning Service Operation Vessel for the 400-MW Global Tech 1 wind farm in the German North Sea. The Norwind Maestro will enter service in early 2026. [reNews]
Norwind Hurricane (Norwind image)
¶ “Aura Power Wins Nod For 49.9-MW UK Solar Farm” • Aura Power has secured full planning permission for the 49.9-MW Moreton Brook Solar Farm in East Staffordshire. The approval follows East Staffordshire Borough Council’s March resolution to grant consent, which was finalized after completion of a Section 106 Agreement. [reNews]
¶ “RES Wins Consent For Northern Ireland Wind Farm” • RES won consent for the six-turbine Magheramore wind farm near Dungiven, after a planning appeal in April 2025. The Planning Appeal Commission approved the project after three months. The company said construction of the wind farm could deliver a £1.6 to £2 million boost to its area. [reNews]
Wind turbine (RES image)
US:
¶ “One Dead As Torrential Rains And Flooding Sweep Northeast” • Torrential rain pummeled parts of the Northeast on Thursday, stranding rush-hours passengers on a train stuck in floodwaters and inundating some roadways. Areas most affected were from New York City, through New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, DC. [ABC News]
¶ “ChargePoint Launches Service Program It Should Have Had Years Ago” • ChargePoint took a big lead in US EV charging early on. It dominated the Level 2 charging market at commercial and workplace sites. However, its rapid expansion had some serious problems with reliability and maintenance. Now the problems are being addressed. [CleanTechnica]
ChargePoint technician (ChargePoint image)
¶ “Avangrid, Tyba Complete Pilot to Advance Battery Energy Storage Systems” • Avangrid, Inc, a part of the Iberdrola Group, ran a pilot project with Tyba, a platform for energy analytics and optimization, to enhance its battery system modeling. This week it announced the successful completion of the pilot. It can now identify potential sites for storage. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “A New Chevy Equinox EV For $32,000?” • Jake Richardson writes, “After finding online information about a new Nissan Ariya for $31,000 before incentives, I wondered about the availability of other new EVs that are affordable. … So, in less than five minutes I found a new Chevy Equinox EV LT for $32,000, also before incentives.” [CleanTechnica]
Chevrolet Equinox EV (JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC0 1.0)
¶ “Oregon Takes Aim At Utility Pushback Against Independent Solar Projects” • Oregon Governor Tina Kotek (D) signed SB 688 into law. It aims to address its utilities’ resistance to community solar, rooftop solar, and other forms of clean energy generation. The governor also signed a bill that expands microgrids beyond utility ownership. [pv magazine USA]
¶ “NRC Orders Safety Changes At Quad Cities Nuclear Plant After March 2023 Leak Incident” • Federal nuclear regulators are ordering safety improvements at the Quad Cities nuclear plant in Cordova after a March 2023 incident that violated multiple NRC rules and exposed serious gaps in training, oversight, and emergency response. [WQAD]
Have a distinctly gorgeous day.
geoharvey 