World:
¶ “Climate Change Is Making Oat Cultivation Viable In Northern Europe” • Climate change is making cereal cultivation viable in areas of Europe that were previously ruled out due to their extreme conditions. To grow well, oats need temperatures over 10°C (50°F) for 110 days. But the arctic climate is changing, and oats can grow in the far North. [Euronews]
Harvesting oats in Sweden (W.carter, CC BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Why Is China Restricting Rare Earth Exports And How Will The EU Respond?” • Global tensions are escalating over rare earth minerals after China applied severe export controls on them. At the heart of the dispute is China’s decision to respond to US tariffs by restricting exports of rare earth elements. The EU suffered collateral damage. [Euronews]
¶ “Climate Change Threatens To Make Running Marathons Even Harder” • While the “sweet spot” for marathon running varies by gender and ability, researchers believe ideal running conditions are somewhere between 39°F and 50°F (4°C to 10°C). Analysis by Climate Central shows climate change threatens the conditions that help runners do their best. [ABC News]
Runners (Miguel A Amutio, Unsplash)
¶ “The Agrivoltaic Movement Pivots To Green Hydrogen” • The combination of green hydrogen and agrivoltaics is rather new, but researchers have been on the case. The technology pieces are already in place. The next question is whether such a dual-use system is profitable for the farmer and sustainable in the context of the global food supply. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Rio Tinto Goes Its Own Way With Renewable Energy” • Rio Tinto is an Australian mining company that has 150 years of experience and operates in 35 countries, employing over 60,000 people. It take its role as stewards of natural ecosystems and resources seriously. Rio Tinto aims to reduce emissions from its operations by 50% by 2030. [CleanTechnica]
Rio Tinto ore train (Eddie Blair, Unsplash)
¶ “Irish People Surveyed Want Data Centers To Be Powered Only By Renewable Energy” • Data centers should be helped the least in the event of future power shortages, according to a poll from Friends of the Earth. Those polled in Ireland also want all new data centres to be powered completely by renewable energy sources. [Irish Examiner]
¶ “FRV Australia To Build New Zealand Solar Project” • FRV Australia announced plans to develop the 210-MW Rangitīkei solar project on New Zealand’s North Island. The project will occupy around 450 hectares (1,112 acres) and is expected to generate about 350 GWh of electricity annually, enough to provide for annual needs of 45,000 homes. [reNews]
Solar array in New Zealand (FRV Australia image)
¶ “Government Announces £1.08 Billion Budget For Offshore Wind Power Support” • Developers are being offered an initial budget of £1.08 billion annually in support for new offshore wind farms. The UK Government unveiled the cash pot for the next renewable electricity auction, which sees developers bid to secure a fixed price per megawatt hour. [MSN]
¶ “ScottishPower Installs A HVDC Station At East Anglia 3” • ScottishPower Renewables installed its first high-voltage direct current offshore converter station at the 1,400-MW East Anglia 3 wind farm, off Suffolk. The 10,700-tonne, seven-storey structure was lifted and secured last week by Heerema Marine Contractors’ crane vessel Sleipnir, the developer said. [reNews]
Installstion (ScottishPower Renewables image)
US:
¶ “Invasive Species Of Disease-Carrying Mosquito Continues To Spread In Northern California” • Populations of an invasive species of disease-carrying mosquitoes are spreading throughout Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area, health officials say. Aedes aegypti transmits dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya and Zika. [ABC News]
¶ “Texas Adds More Solar Power Because It’s Just Better” • The US solar industry hit a speed bump this year due to the abrupt shift in federal energy policy. But the fact remains that solar is the fastest and most economical way to add more electricity to the nation’s grid. That holds true across the US regardless of politics. Texas is an example. [CleanTechnica]
Solar panels in Texas (ENGIE image)
¶ “Trump Vows Permanent New Jersey Offshore Wind Halt” • President Donald Trump said a temporary halt on offshore wind farm development off the New Jersey coast is to become permanent, according to Reuters. Former New Jersey governor Phil Murphy had set a target of 11 GW by 2040 to boost clean energy and cut emissions. [reNews]
¶ “Meta Signs 600-MW Texas Solar Deal With ENGIE” • ENGIE North America signed additional power purchase agreements with Meta, expanding their total collaboration to more than 1300 MW of renewable energy capacity across four projects in Texas. The new agreements include the 600-MW Swenson Ranch Solar project in Stonewall County. [reNews]
Solar and wind (ENGIE image)
¶ “Solar Beats Wind And Hydro For Top Renewable Electricity Source” • EIA’s latest monthly “Electric Power Monthly” report shows utility-scale solar generation in August increased nearly 30% from August 2024, while rooftop solar increased 10.8%. Solar provided 9.5% of the nation’s electrical output during August, up from 7.6% last year. [Solar Power World]
¶ “Google And NextEra To Revive Major Iowa Nuclear Facility As AI Energy Demand Surges” • Google and American electrical utility giant NextEra Energy announced a partnership to revive Iowa’s only nuclear power plant to meet growing energy demand from AI. The Duane Arnold nuclear plant closed in 2020. With approval, it could be operating again in 2029. [CNBC]
Have an outstandingly jovial day.
geoharvey 