World:
¶ “New Delhi Blanketed By Thick Smoke After Diwali Fireworks Cause Hazardous Air Pollution” • Thick smog blanketed India’s capital the day after millions celebrated Diwali, a Hindu festival, with fireworks that made air pollution become hazardous. The air was filled with smoke and fine particles, adding to seasonal pollution and stagnant weather. [Euronews]
Diwali fireworks (Anirudh, Unsplash)
¶ “Russia’s New Energy Assault Strategy Pushes Ukraine Into Another Winter Of Blackouts” • Millions of Ukrainians brace for another winter of power cuts and possible blackouts as Russia renews its annual campaign of attacks on the country’s energy grid. But this year looks slightly different as analysts and officials say that Moscow has shifted tactics. [Euronews]
¶ “Fastest Bullet Train in the World in Track Trials Now in China” • China continues to lead the world forward in cleantech. We are not in the 1990s anymore, Toto. China is launching the biggest and the best in tech week after week. This week, news from the country is that it is trialling the fastest bullet train in the world. [CleanTechnica]
CR450 (N509FZ, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “Booking Issues Deter Almost Two in Three Long-Distance Rail Travellers, Poll Finds” • The difficulties of booking train tickets across separate EU rail operators are turning away many long-distance travellers. Almost two thirds of long-distance rail travellers (61%) have avoided using trains due to booking hassle at least once, a YouGov poll finds. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Jan De Nul Launches ‘World’s Largest’ Cable-Lay Vessel” • Jan de Nul launched its cable-laying vessel the Fleeming Jenkin at a shipyard in China. It has a loading capacity of 28,000 tonnes and a length of 215 metres. It will help build 2-GW connections for offshore wind farms in the North Sea for Netherlands and the German grid operator TenneT. [reNews]
Ship under construction (Jan de Nul image)
¶ “Energy Independence with Home Batteries” • There is no denying that the Australian federal government’s Cheaper Home Battery program has been a resounding success. With over 40,000 batteries installed in the first eight weeks of the program, Australians are reaping the benefits of free energy from the abundant sunshine. [CleanTechnica]
US:
¶ “Oshkosh Corporation Is Building The Zero Emission Vehicles That Keep America Running” • Oshkosh Corporation has built vehicles to keep America running for over 100 years. They came up on CleanTechnica’s radar as part of a bidding process for the Next Generation Delivery Vehicle for the US Postal Service. But there is more to the story. [CleanTechnica]
Oshkosh Corp EVs (Oshkosh Corp image)
¶ “Musk Pay Package Proposal Promotes Powerful Push Back” • An investment advisory group is urging Tesla shareholders to reject a proposal by the Tesla board that would reward Elon Musk with emollients valued at nearly $1 trillion if he achieves certain milestones in the years to come. Musk posted threats to quit if he doesn’t get his way. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “The US Wind Industry Is Still Alive And Kicking, Trump Or No Trump” • President Trump has targeted the nation’s own domestic wind industry for destruction, taking down thousands of businesses and many more thousands of working households along with it. But wind stakeholders are already in position to pick up the pieces post-Trump. [CleanTechnica]
Wind turbines (chris robert, Unsplash)
¶ “Scale Microgrids Building Renewable Energy Microgrid For Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority” • A renewable energy microgrid built by Scale Microgrids is poised to power nearly three dozen electric buses for the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority. The Cerone Microgrid project is expected to save VTA over $1.2 million annually. [Microgrid Knowledge]
¶ “US Wind Installations Dip In Early 2025” • In the US, wind installations fell 15% in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period last year, but activity is expected to rebound sharply in the second half, according to the US Wind Energy Monitor report released by Wood Mackenzie and the American Clean Power Association. [reNews]
Wind farm (Zac Wolff, Unsplash)
¶ “Arizona Industrial Steel Manufacturer To Power Electric Arc Furnace With Solar And Storage” • Ameresco announced it has achieved commercial operations for a 50-MW, 200-MWh battery system for Nucor, supporting its steel bar mill industrial operations. The onsite battery will help stabilize the electric load from Nucor’s new arc furnace. [pv magazine USA]
¶ “Australian-Made Solar Microgrid System Enters US Market” • A company headquartered in Melbourne, PHNXX (pronounced “phoenix”), has partnered with California-based Paired Power to launch PairPHNXX, a modular, solar-powered microgrid that requires no assembly for off-grid, remote, and diesel-reliant sites. [pv magazine International]
Solar installation (PHNXX image, cropped)
¶ “US Opens Plutonium Stockpile To Nuclear Firms” • The DOE opened applications for nuclear companies to request access to plutonium from Cold War stockpiles, Financial Times reported, citing a government document. The program would allow firms to seek up to 19 megatonnes of the material, which could be used to make reactor fuel. [breakingthenews.net]
¶ “Palisades Receives Fuel Ahead Of Restart” • The Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan has taken delivery of 68 new nuclear fuel assemblies as efforts to restart the plant later this year continue, Holtec International announced. The fuel was fabricated domestically “by a highly respected nuclear fuel manufacturer … ” [World Nuclear News]
Have a truly pleasant day.
geoharvey 