Science and Technology:
¶ “Why Refrigerant Matters More Than You Think For AC And Heat Pump Efficiency” • Wherever you live, chances are you’re only a few feet from a refrigerant-containing system. They are in cars, buildings, supermarkets, and a data centers, working behind the scenes as invisible chemical compounds. Refrigerants are everywhere. [CleanTechnica]
Mitsubishi Heat Pump (Santeri Viinamäki, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
World:
¶ “Competing Through Creativity And Resilience: How Regions Can Lead” • Creativity and efficiency are the new operating models for economic and community development, defining which regions will lead in the next chapter of the energy transition. This was made clear at the International Economic Development Council conference. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “European Imports Of Russian Liquefied Natural Gas Send €8.10 Billion To Moscow” • According to a Greenpeace study, Belgium, France, and Spain were the main countries importing LNG from 2022 to June 2025. The Kremlin reaped around €8.10 billion in taxes from European energy companies importing Russian LNG from 2022 to 2024. [Euronews]
LNG carrier (Wmeinhart, CC BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “EU Groups of Youth, Consumer, And Environmentalists Push for Change On Rail Tickets” • As revisions to taxes on passenger travel are coming up in Europe, there is a push for changes to make rail competitive. “The new Youth on Track coalition wants EU decision makers to seize upon the unique chance to boost train travelling in Europe,” T&E writes. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “An Electric Boat Goes 200 Miles In Norway” • Canal Boats Telemark rents fully electric boats (not hybrids) for touring the waters in and around Norway. An American couple who rented an electric boat spent sixteen days on it and traveled about 203 nautical miles. That was sixteen days, enjoying the view in quite space and clean air. [CleanTechnica]
Norwegian Fjord (Hendrik Cornelissen, Unsplash)
¶ “Nordex Secures Type Certification For N175/6.X” • Nordex has received the IECRE type certificate for its N175/6.X turbine from TUV SUD three months ahead of schedule. The certification confirms that theoretical designs match measured values in the field. The values measured include performance, mechanical loads, and rotor blade lifespan. [reNews]
¶ “Vestas Closes Out Q3 With 585-MW Order Flurry” • Vestas secured firm orders totaling 585 MW across thirteen wind farms in Germany, Denmark, and the UK as part of its Q3 2025 intake. The largest share comes from Germany, where the manufacturer will supply a combined 239-MW of EnVentus turbines to eight community-led projects. [reNews]
Sunrise on a wind turbine (Vestas image)
¶ “Clean Power Share Hits Over 73% In Britain” • Government figures show that over 73% of electricity generated in the UK in 2024 came from low carbon sources, up from 68% the previous year. The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero had the data in its latest Energy Trends report. The UK target for 2030 is 95% clean power. [reNews]
¶ “Norwegian Wind Developer Receives Recommendation For 1.4-GW Project” • A Norwegian wind farm developer received a recommendation from Swedish authorities to build its proposed 1.4-GW offshore project. The County Administrative Board of Uppsala recommended that the government grant Deep Wind Offshore a permit to proceed. [4C Offshore]
Offshore wind farm (Deep Wind Offshore image)
¶ “Alibaba, Tencent And ByteDance Bet On Batteries” • China’s leading cloud and internet companies are pushing strategically into energy infrastructure, particularly energy storage, to cope with the surging power needs of generative AI. By the end of 2025, new national hub data centers are mandated to use at least 80% renewable power. [pv magazine International]
¶ “NSW Solar Farm To Supply Microsoft Data Centers Now Fully Operational” • A 300-MW solar farm that will supply Microsoft with power for its data centers in Australia is fully operational, almost a year after first power was sent to the grid. Fotowatio Renewable Ventures Australia says the Walla Walla solar farm in NSW is the largest in its portfolio. [Renew Economy]
Solar farm (FRV Australia image)
¶ “‘Critical Situation’ At Nuclear Plant In Zaporizhzhia” • The situation at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station is critical, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said, as Russian shelling prevents restoration of a power line needed to cool the reactors and prevent a meltdown. Russia said that backup electricity supply is sufficient. [RTE.ie]
US:
¶ “Arnold Schwarzenegger Downplays Trump And Backs Vatican Initiative On Global Warming” • Arnold Schwarzenegger trashed Trump administration’s climate scepticism and threw his weight behind the Vatican’s environmental initiative, saying its moral leadership, local regulations, and the choice to “terminate” global warming were far more important. [Euronews]
Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2019 (Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Illinois Lawmakers Can Fight Rising Energy Costs During Veto Session” • Illinois clean energy advocates are calling on the Illinois General Assembly to pass the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act during the legislature’s October veto session. The act is projected to help protect families and businesses from rising energy costs. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “The Solid-State EV Battery Race Heats Up As Corning Ans QuantumScape Join Forces” • In the latest example of a move toward the future, the legacy New York materials firm Corning Incorporated joined with the California startup QuantumScape to help launch a new solid-state EV battery off the drawing table and into the mass market. [CleanTechnica]
Have an energetically fulfilling day.
geoharvey 