Science and Technology:
¶ “Small Modular Reactors And The Big Questions Of Cost And Waste” • Small modular reactors are advertised as cheaper, safer, faster to build, and easier to finance than traditional reactors. A study published in Progress in Nuclear Energy takes a sober look at those claims and finds them wanting. The study examines both costs and waste. [CleanTechnica]
NuScale nuclear plant (NuScale image)
World:
¶ “Zero-Emission Trucks Are Ready, But Europe Is Not” • The EU’s current regulatory path is setting Europe’s truck and bus makers up for failure, argues Christian Levin, the Chairman of the Commercial Vehicle Board of ACEA and CEO of Traton Group and Scania. He is calling for concrete results from the Strategic Dialogue for the auto sector. [Euronews]
¶ “EU Proposes Regional Hub On Cyprus To Tackle Wildfires Better, Von Der Leyen Says” • The European Commission will propose setting up a regional firefighting hub based in Cyprus as climate change makes the fires worse. The hub could also assist Middle East countries in battling major wildfires, the head of the bloc’s executive arm said. [Euronews]
Ursula von der Leyen (European Parliament, CC BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “On Average, Plug-in Hybrids Emit Five Times What Official EU Tests Claim” • The European carmakers lobby has demanded the EU cancel its efforts to reflect hybrid emissions better when calculating their progress towards climate targets. But emissions of plug-in hybrids average almost five times higher than official tests suggest, EU data shows. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Most Carmakers On Track To Meet EU Emissions Reduction Requirements” • European carmakers sold 38% more electric cars in the first seven months of the year, and all but Mercedes-Benz are on track to comply with the EU’s 2025–27 emission targets. But the two-year extension of the targets allowed carmakers to move more slowly on their goals. [CleanTechnica]
New fully electric Volvo ES90
¶ “EU EV Market Being Left Behind By China, UK, Thailand, And Vietnam!” • Some countries are well ahead of the EU as a whole. The UK and Thailand have a far higher BEV share of their auto sales, China has about twice as high of a BEV share, and then Vietnam is in a league of its own! Kudos to Vietnam for doing so well on the issue! [CleanTechnica]
¶ “500-MW Taean Offshore Wind Project Secures Offtakers” • Taean Wind Power, a joint venture of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Vena Energy, announced signing two PPAs totaling 500 MW with South Korean companies. The PPAs were signed with Korea West Power for 300 MW, and Gangneung Eco Power for 200 MW. [reNews]
Offshore wind farm (CIP image)
¶ “Octopus And Mingyang Sign UK Wind Pact” • UK supplier Octopus Energy and wind turbine maker Mingyang Smart Energy are partnering on the UK’s renewable rollout. Octopus Energy’s renewables arm plans to deploy Mingyang machines to deliver up to 6 GW of capacity for landowners and communities keen to host onshore wind projects. [reNews]
¶ “Oil Giant Saudi Arabia Is Emerging As A Solar Power” • Saudi Arabia is building some of the biggest solar farms in the world, along with giant arrays of batteries that can store their electricity until after dark. The rapid rollout is making the country into one of the fastest-growing markets for solar power from a start that was nearly at a standstill. [MSN]
Solar farm in Saudi Arabia (© EDF Power Solutions)
US:
¶ “Study Links Frequent, Severe Heat Waves To Pollution From Major Fossil Fuel Producers” • Planet-warming emissions from 180 cement, oil, and gas producers contributed significantly to all of the heat events considered in a study published in the journal Nature. The study examined a set of 213 heat waves that took place from 2000 to 2023. [ABC News]
¶ “Musk Loses Crown As World’s Richest Person To Software Giant Larry Ellison” • Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison wrested the title of the world’s richest man from longtime holder Elon Musk early Wednesday, according to wealth tracker Bloomberg, as stock in his software giant rocketed more than a third in a stunning few minutes of trading. [ABC News]
Larry Ellison (Oracle Corporate Communications, CC BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Funding For Renewables-Friendly Flywheel Energy Storage” • The US government has punted on the transition to renewable energy, but private sector investors are picking up the ball and running with it. One example is the investment firm Magnetar Finance, which put $200 million in funding towards the flywheel energy storage innovator Torus Energy. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “US DOE Pushes Ahead With Plan To Fast-Track New-Age Nuclear Reactors” • The DOE recently launched its Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, selecting eleven projects to fast-track. With a goal is to see at least three test reactors reach criticality by July 4, 2026, it will use its own authorization process instead of the standard routes. [The Cool Down]
Nuclear Plant (Aalo Atomics image)
¶ “Burgum: No Future For US Offshore Wind” • Donald Trump’s Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has said there is “not a future” for offshore wind projects in the US. “We’re ending the era of the mass subsidies of offshore wind.” Burgum made the comments speaking alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright at a natural gas conference in Milan. [reNews]
¶ “New Hampshire Has Never Been A Trailblazer On Solar, But Advocates Still See A Path” • New Hampshire has been slower than the rest of New England to lean into renewable electricity, including solar power. Some clean energy advocates view growth of solar as an accessible way to increase renewable capacity in New Hampshire. [New Hampshire Bulletin]
Have a powerfully casual day.
geoharvey 
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