World:
¶ “European Union Seeks To End Dependency On China For Rare Earths” • The EU is working on a strategy to reduce its dependency on Chinese critical raw materials, said Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission. The renewed strategy comes in a response to China’s decision to implement tighter restrictions on rare earths exports. [Euronews]
Ursula von der Leyen (European People’s Party, CC BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Carney’s Nuclear Detour: Darlington’s SMRs Will Raise Prices, Emissions, And Political Risks” • With Prime Minister Mark Carney’s backing and the provincial government’s enthusiasm, Ontario is building the first GE Hitachi small modular reactor at Darlington. That decision might look visionary to some now, but in a decade it will look like an error. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Risk Of Atlantic Current Collapsing Much Higher Than We Had Expected” • Climate risks just keep growing, but it’s not great to hear that one of the possibilities that is most concerning is getting more likely. That is the collapse of the AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation), which brings warm water from tropics up to Europe. [CleanTechnica]
AMOC (R Curry, WHOI (CC BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “The Race To Recycle Renewable Energy” • With renewable energy growing rapidly, as many governments pursue a green transition, the need to recycle more components has become evident. Finding innovative ways to recycle renewable energy equipment could help cut costs and reduce waste, supporting the sector’s green ambitions further. [OilPrice.com]
¶ “Voltalia Commissions 45-MW Solar Plant In Poland” • Voltalia announced its plans to enter the Polish energy market recently when it inaugurated the 45-MW Clifton solar project in Dorset, England. The company has been expanding its portfolio in the EU in recent years. It noted that it plans to commission a similar site in Poland. [Energies Media]
Solar farm (Sungrow EMEA, Unsplash)
¶ “China Turns Coal Lands Into Renewable Energy Hubs” • China is turning inactive coal mining areas to renewable energy hubs with PV arrays and wind farms. The initiative integrates land rehabilitation, workforce retraining, and energy storage to reduce coal dependence, lower emissions, and promote tourism and economic redevelopment. [Evrim Ağacı]
¶ “Morocco Sets 2040 Coal Exit Plan, Triples Renewable Energy Goals” • Coal dominates Morocco’s electricity market, providing 59.3% of the mix in 2024. This is a significant decrease from 70% in 2022. Meanwhile, wind and solar power grew substantially, providing nearly 25% of the country’s electricity in 2024, up from just 9% in 2015. [Morocco World News]
Coal power plant (Trav Wade, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Green Party Leader Criticises Nuclear Reactor Plan” • UK Green Party leader Zack Polanski criticised government plans to build a new generation of nuclear reactors, saying the technology is old and like “creating a fax machine.” He said it was technology “from a long time ago” and that money would be better spent on wind and solar power. [BBC]
US:
¶ “Al Gore Nails It Again: This Is Where We Are” • Al Gore recently took part in a podcast discussion, during which he nailed it on multiple topics. However, it was his comments at the end that triggered this article. He answered a question, “Looking at this year’s report, what are your biggest reasons for optimism and concern?” [CleanTechnica]
Al Gore (World Economic Forum, CC BY-NC 2.0)
¶ “Solar “Hub Home” Program Supports Houston Residents When The Electricity Goes Out” • After Winter Storm Uri, in 2021, a program in northern Houston did exactly what the Solar For All was designed to do. It helped low- and moderate-income homeowners install solar systems on their homes and expanded community solar initiatives. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Can US Hydropower Compete in a New Energy Era?” • While there is huge potential for hydropower in the US, many existing facilities are getting older and more expensive to maintain. The Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law provides $753.6 million to the DOE for hydropower, but more funding is needed to expand it. [OilPrice.com]
Dam (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)
¶ “Waymo Makes A Million Paid Trips Per Month In California” • Waymo puts out big stats and milestones from time to time. And data on the company is available through the California Public Utilities Commission. Charlie Bilello collected some of that data recently and shared how stunning the company’s growth has been in California. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “As Trump Abdicates US Leadership On Climate Change, Asia Is Filling The Void” • The US once stood as the global beacon of scientific excellence. From the time of the Manhattan Project and Apollo missions, America led the world in understanding and confronting the planet’s most pressing challenges. But today, that leadership is eroding. [MSN]
Have an endearingly memorable day.
geoharvey 