World:
¶ “Uzbekistan’s Renewable Expansion Is Powering Long-Term Growth” • With its powerful rivers and rising winds, Uzbekistan is reshaping its energy future. Rapid growth in hydropower, wind, and solar – supported by home-grown technology – is driving the nation towards energy independence and a more sustainable economy. [Euronews]
River in Uzbekistan (Nodir Khalilov, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Europe Eyes Investments In Africa Into Clean Energy And Infrastructure” • European and African leaders met in Angola for the EU-African Union summit in which they pledged to increase trade in renewable energy and critical raw materials. European leaders had just met in Johannesburg for the G20, where the bloc struck a trade deal with South Africa. [Euronews]
¶ “UK ‘Dangerously Unprepared’ For Growing Threat Of Climate Change As 2025 Wildfires Break Records” • The Global Wildfire Information System warned the UK that it is “dangerously unprepared” for the growing threat of wildfires, flooding, and the other impacts of the climate crisis, and its experts are calling for “immediate” investment. [Euronews]
Wildfire in the UK (Neil Mark Thomas, Unsplash)
¶ “Volkswagen EV-Only Full Development Center Launches In China” • Volkswagen has launched a new testing center in China. Interestingly, there was almost no mention in the announcement that the facility is an EV-only center. It is also the first time that Volkswagen has built a full development facility in a country other than Germany. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Biofuels: Hope Or Hype?” • According to Grist, Brazil, Italy, Japan, and India are the primary sponsors of a call for the rapid global expansion of biofuels to decarbonizing transportation. But Cian Delaney, who leads biofuels research at T&E, said, “Biofuels are a terrible climate solution and a staggering waste of land, food and millions in subsidies.” [CleanTechnica]
Tank cars of biodiesel (Olivier Benny, CC BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Feasibility Studies Begin For 2-GW Floating Offshore Wind Farm In The Philippines” • BuhaWind Energy is in a feasibility study for the 2-GW Northern Luzon floating offshore wind project. The developer, a joint venture between PetroGreen Energy and Copenhagen Energy, said it has launched two LiDAR units and a met mast to gather site data. [reNews]
¶ “EnBW Delivers First Power At 960-MW He Dreiht” • The first wind turbine at the EnBW’s 960-MW He Dreiht offshore wind farm is delivering power to the grid, according to EnBW. The German North Sea site is to have 64 Vestas 15-MW turbines. Of these, 27 have been installed so far, and full commissioning is scheduled by summer 2026. [reNews]
Construction at He Dreiht (EnBW image)
¶ “Renewable Energy And EV Growth Have Far Outpaced Old Forecasts – But That Doesn’t Mean the Job is Done” • Less than a decade after the landmark Paris Agreement in 2015, the pace of clean-energy adoption has blown past the forecasts of that time. While this rapid growth is cause for optimism, analysts caution that major challenges remain. [Microgrid Media]
¶ “Smulders Marshalls First TPs For Baltyk 2 And 3” • Smulders completed the first load out and sail away of transition pieces for Equinor and Polenergia’s 1.4-GW Baltyk 2 and 3 wind farms off Poland. The TPs departed from Smulders’ Hoboken yard in Belgium and were transported to Vlissingen, where they will be stored for installation. [reNews]
Transition pieces for Baltyk (Smulders image)
¶ “Zaporizhia NPP Will Need Special Status, Cooperation Agreement Between Russia And Ukraine In Case Of Peace – Grossi” • The Zaporizhia Nuclear Plant requires “special status” and a cooperation agreement between Russia and Ukraine if a peace deal is reached, said Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. [Interfax-Ukraine]
US:
¶ “Mount Rainier May Be Shrinking Due To Climate Change” • Mount Rainier, a volcano in Washington state, is shrinking, likely due to climate change. Since the mid-20th century, the summit of Mount Rainier has likely declined more than 20 feet due to snow and ice melt, according to a paper in the journal Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research. [ABC News]
Mount Rainier (Greg Sellentin, Unsplash)
¶ “Trump’s EPA Abandons Defense Of National Soot Standard That Saves Lives” • The Trump administration’s EPA gave up defending the national, health-based limits on soot, or fine particulate matter (PM2.5), that EPA strengthened last year. The EPA’s court filing asks the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit to strike down the soot standard. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Hawaii’s LNG Detour: Why A Fossil Bridge Arriving In The 2030s Makes No Sense” • Hawaii is re-evaluating its electricity system again and LNG is back on the table as a proposed bridge between oil dependence and a renewable future. The idea is simple at first glance. But there are many powerful argumants against the it. [CleanTechnica]
Wind farm in Hawaii (Yoshi Canopus, CC BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Steelhead Commissions First Utility-Scale Wind Farm” • The first utility-scale wind farm in Arkansas, the 144-MW Crossover wind project in Cross County, has been put into commission by Steelhead Americas. The company said it began development in 2020 and led early-stage work before selling the project in 2023 to Cordelio Power. [reNews]
¶ “New Jersey Energy Master Plan Calls For 750 MW Of Annual Solar Installations” • Governor Phil Murphy has announced the release of New Jersey’s Energy Master Plan. The 2024 EMP relies on the continued, measurable expansion of solar power as an essential mechanism for achieving the state’s mandated 100% Clean Energy Standard by 2035. [pv magazine USA]
Have a carefully balanced day.
geoharvey 
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