World:
¶ “Unions Warns Of ‘Woefully Low’ Firefighter Numbers As EU Faces Record Wildfires” • Summer of 2025 saw the worst wildfire season in decades for the EU. Over one million hectares have burned since January, with over two-thirds of that in Spain and Portugal. But the number of firefighters in Europe is “woefully low,” European trade unions warn. [Euronews]
Fighting a wildfire in Spain (Bene Riobó, CC BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Mindanao Businesses Embrace Solar Power With Landmark 8.4-MW Agreement” • Mindanao, the southernmost island in the Philippines, is energy-starved. It is highly dependent on fossil fuels, but also has a high potential for renewable energy. Berde Renewables, KCC Malls, and Biotech Farms have announced a PPA for 8.4 MW of solar power. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Infrastructure Supercharges EV Adoption” • While Norway captures headlines with its 89% EV market share, the Dutch have focused on a different form of leadership, based on charging infrastructure. This strategy, prioritizing long-term stability over short-term sales figures, offers a compelling blueprint for the future of electric mobility. [CleanTechnica]
Fastned charging station (Fastned photo)
¶ “Solar Gets Wings, Thanks To Storage Boom” • After tracking over five years of a solar surge, India’s solar boom is at a strange crossroads. The country reached its target of 40% renewable capacity four years ahead of schedule, growing from just over 2 GW to almost 125 GW capacity in barely a decade. The growth of storage adds opportunities. [Saur Energy]
¶ “Kutch Desert Becomes Battleground For Ambani-Adani Mega Renewable Energy Push” • A vast stretch of desert in Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch, within sight of the Pakistan border, has become a centerpiece of India’s clean energy ambitions, attracting multi-billion-dollar investments from tycoons Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani. [Telegraph India]
Rann of Kutch (Superfast1111, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped)
¶ “China’s Offshore Wind Power Surge And What it Means for India’s Renewable Goal” • China’s most powerful floating wind turbine, the OceanX, symbolizes China’s dominance in offshore wind industry, which is facing financial and political setbacks in Europe, Japan, and the US, according to Bloomberg. It also raises urgent questions for India. [Outlook Business]
¶ “Victoria Signs Off On 400-MW South-West Wind Farm” • Victoria approved another major wind project, with the 400-MW Mt Fyans Wind Farm set to supply power to almost 250,000 homes in the state’s south-west. The facility will have 81 turbines and create over 100 construction jobs, alongside ten permanent operational roles. [Ecogeneration]
Wind turbines (Mt Fyans Wind Farm image)
¶ “$4 Billion Private Investment Tipped As WA Opens New CIS Rounds” • Western Australia opened two Capacity Investment Scheme tenders to add 1.6 GW of renewable capacity and 2.4 GWh of storage to the state’s grid, unlocking an estimated $4 billion in private capital. The tenders are to meet annual demand for 900,000 households. [Ecogeneration]
¶ “China Giant Installs World’s Biggest Offshore Wind Turbine For Testing” • Chinese state-owned manufacturer Dongfang Electric installed a 26-MW offshore wind turbine, the largest in the world, at a testing facility. Dongfang Electric says it is being tested at the Wind Power Equipment Testing and Certification Innovation Base in Dongying. [RenewEconomy]
Wind turbine celebration (Dongfang Electric, via Weibo)
¶ “Russians Deny IAEA Access To A Newly Built Dam Near The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant” • An International Atomic Energy Agency team was denied access to a newly built dam on the channel of one of the cooling ponds at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The dam is designed to support the plant’s reactor cooling system. [yahoo.com]
US:
¶ “Florida’s Once-Pristine Springs Threatened By Pollution And Development” • Florida has at least 1,000 freshwater springs, more than any other state. The underground Floridan Aquifer is the source of 90% of Florida’s drinking water. But these treasures are under threat from agricultural pollution, rapid development and climate change. [ABC News]
Madison Blue Springs (Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “EV Share Of USA Auto Market Drops To 7.4%, And Fossil Fuel Vehicle Sales Rise” • The EV share of the overall US auto market dropped to 7.4% in the second quarter, down year over year from 8.1% in Q2 2024, and also down quarter over quarter from 7.6% in Q1 2025. The EV market share is the worst its been since Q1 2024 when the share was 7.2%. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Federal Hurricane Forecasting Saves Lives And Money” • Eliminating some government programs can have devastating effects and cost more than keeping them intact. In this article, Amanda Carter, the Ocean Conservancy’s Director of Climate Science, answered questions about US hurricane forecasting for CleanTechnica. [CleanTechnica]
Cyclone Felleng (NASA, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped)
¶ “High-Tech Sports Arena Puts Significant Upgrade On Its Roof” • Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California, has just scored a major sustainability win. The venue, which is home to the San Diego Sockers and San Diego Clippers, is now powered by a nearly 800-kW solar system with battery storage, according to Renewable Energy Magazine. [The Cool Down]
¶ “‘Swarm Drone Attacks’ Behind Revolution Shutdown” • US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the stop-work order for Orsted’s 704-MW Revolution Wind project is partly due to possible “swarm drone attacks.” He said, “In particular there are concerns about radar relative to undersea, and it doesn’t have to be a large Russian sub but undersea drones.” [reNews] (Really?)
Have an enchantingly memorable day.
geoharvey 