Science and Technology:
¶ “Fact-Checkers Debunk The Most Prominent Claims About The Reliability Of Solar Power” • Several misleading claims about solar power are circulating that could deter homeowners from upgrading. Fact-checkers at Carbon Brief debunked some of the most common myths. Spoiler: Even without incentives, solar is a great way to save money. [MSN]
Solar power (Nuno Marques, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “August 2025 China EV Sales Report: BYD Down 21% And PHEVs Down 7%” • We saw plugins score another million-plus sales in August, but growth has been slowing down, with August showing just an 8% increase over August 2024. Battery EVs grew to 34% of overall sales. Plugin hybrid EVs sales fell, year on year, and BYD sales fell in China. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Iraq’s First Large-Scale Solar Plant Opens To Tackle Electricity Crisis” • Iraq is set to open its first large-scale solar plant in a vast desert in Karbala province, southwest of Baghdad. The 300-MW plant is part of a push by the government to expand renewable energy production in a country that is often beset by electricity crises despite being rich in oil and gas. [ABC News]
Substation in Baghdad (Thomas Hartwell, US AID, public domain)
¶ “Startup Develops Revolutionary Tech To Solve Major Problem With Plastic” • A German startup found a way to recycle plastic that could help us address the plastic waste problem. Radical Dot, based in Munich, developed a form of chemical recycling that converts mixed and contaminated plastic waste back into its raw chemical materials. [The Cool Down]
¶ “Floating Wind Power Sets Sail In Japan’s Energy Shift” • Still heavily reliant on fossil fuels, Japan said offshore wind energy is a “trump card” in its drive to make renewables its top power source by 2040, and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. That’s despite rising costs and fears over inadequate infrastructure to produce turbines en masse. [High Point Enterprise]
Floating wind turbine (US DOE, public domain)
¶ “Sault Ste Marie Moves On New Solar And Wind Projects” • Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, is weighing several renewable energy proposals. The city could see four new solar farms and one large wind farm. The solar projects together are worth about $500 million. When online, they could make up to 250 MW of clean power. [Microgrid Media]
US:
¶ “Wouldn’t You Really Rather Have An Electric Ferry?” • New York Climate Week 2025 has a schedule packed full of reminders why the era of fossil fuels is finally winding down. Exhibit A is an electric ferry from the Dublin firm Artemis Technologies, which aims to replace the diesel power travel experience with the quiet ride of an electric hydrofoil. [CleanTechnica]
Hydrofoil electric ferry (Courtesy of Artemis Technologes)
¶ “Uber Eats Will Launch US Drone Delivery In Partnership With Flytrex” • Uber Technologies said that it’s partnering with Flytrex Inc, a drone company. The companies expect to begin deliveries in test markets by the end of this year. Uber didn’t say where those markets will be, but Flytrex is already operating in Texas and North Carolina. [ABC News]
¶ “US Administration Attacks Vermont Superfund Law” • The folks who scream the loudest about government overreach are trying hard to force Vermont to abandon its Superfund law that establishes a duty on fossil fuel companies to pay to clean up the ungodly mess they have made of the environment in their quest for obscene profits. [CleanTechnica]
Flood in Montpelier (USAF SMSgt Michael Davis, public domain)
¶ “New Map And Research Expose Disturbing Side Effects Of AI Industry Boom” • As part of the latest wave of Big Tech spending on AI, Google announced a $9 billion investment to build a new data center campus in Loudoun County, Virginia, part of what’s being called “Data Center Alley.” This kind of development is not confined to Northern Virginia. [The Cool Down]
¶ “US Energy Dept Begs For More Renewable Energy” • After cutting US solar and wind off at the knees as much as it could, the Trump administration may be waking up to the fact that they are the only abundant, accessible domestic energy resources that can meet the surging US demand for electricity ASAP, cheaply, safely, and at scale. [CleanTechnica]
Agrivoltaics (US DOE via CleanTechnica archives)
¶ “Power Companies Could Face Multimillion Dollar Fines In Dispute With Solar Homeowners” • Two power companies in California could face millions of dollars in fines because they are dragging their feet on approving grid connections for clients with solar panels, PV Magazine reported. Owners invest in solar to reduce their energy bills. [The Cool Down]
¶ “US Government Approves Breakthrough Facility That Sounds Like Something From Sci-Fi” • The Pacific Fusion company recently proposed a cutting-edge billion-dollar nuclear research facility. Although the logistical details remain undecided at present, the city of Livermore is a strong contender for the site’s future location. [The Cool Down]
Have a uniquely exhilarating day.
geoharvey 