geoharvey

World:

¶ “How The Global Food System Is Impacting Obesity And Climate Change” • The same global food system that is fueling rising obesity rates is also accelerating climate change, according to a sweeping new scientific review that argues both crises share common roots and solutions. The review was published in Frontiers in Science. [ABC News]

Cattle (Daniel Quiceno M, Unsplash)

¶ “Energy Efficiency Is The ‘First Fuel,’ But Progress Remains Too Slow, Says IEA Analyst” • The International Energy Agency warns that global energy efficiency gains remain below levels needed to meet international climate goals. Progress is expected to rise to 1.8% in 2025, but the world is still off track to double gains by 2030. [Euronews]

¶ “Cleantech Producers Call On EU To Boost Support For Green Shipping Fuels In Europe” • The present Sustainable Transport Investment Plan estimates that decarbonising the shipping sector will require between €35 and €47 billion in annual investments by 2035. The majority can come from the private sector, but public funding is essential. [CleanTechnica]

Ship (Courtesy Volvo Car Group)

¶ “Financial Markets Already Pricing The Fossil Fuel Phaseout” • Forbes contributor Ingmar Rentzhog, founder of We Don’t Have Time, has an unusual take on COP30. He reports that a recent survey of 950 institutional investors showed that four out of five said they expect to increase spending on sustainable investments over the next two years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “RWE Signs PPA With Thames Water” • RWE has agreed a five-year power purchase agreement to supply clean electricity from its 50-MW Camster onshore wind farm to Thames Water. The company said the deal will run from December 2025 to 2030 and will deliver 132 GWh of power annually, supplying up to 15% of the utility’s essential services. [reNews]

Wind farm (RWE image)

¶ “Poland Awards 3.4 GW In First Offshore Wind Tender” • In Poland’s maiden competitive offshore wind auction, the country awarded 3.4 GW of capacity for three projects, according to the Energy Regulatory Office. The tender had attracted four bids. Of the winning projects, all three are expected to be in operation by the end of 2032. [reNews]

¶ “Aura Power Secures Horton Solar Finance” • Aura Power has secured project finance to build the 49-MW Horton Solar Farm in East Devon. The deal marks the company’s fifth UK solar project to reach financial close in the past fourteen months, bringing its construction portfolio to 298 MW. Senior debt financing was provided by Rabobank. [reNews]

Solar farm (Aura Power image)

¶ “Indian Railways Goes Green: 2,626 Stations Now Powered by Solar Energy” • Indian Railways is moving towards cleaner energy by use of solar power. A number of railway stations are switching to solar power now. By November 2025, there were 2,626 running on solar in India. So far, Indian Railways has 898 MW of solar power operating. [Renewable Affairs]

US:

¶ “Trump Administration Moves To Dismantle Prominent US Weather And Climate Research Center” • In a post on X, the Trump administration announced plans to break up the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. It said, “any vital activities such as weather research will be moved to another entity or location.” [ABC News]

NCAR (Paju, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Sierra Club Nebraska Reacts To OPPD Extending Life Of Old Coal Plant” • The Omaha Public Power District board voted to extend the life of a dangerous coal-fired power plant that has harmed the health of North Omaha families for over 70 years. In addition to pollution, the  North Omaha Station, has a history of reliability issues. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “House Passes SPEED Act, But It Does Not Lower Energy Costs Or Speed Clean Energy Deployment” • The “Standardizing Permitting and Expediting Economic Development Act,” was passed by the House of Representatives. The act does not fix the barriers slowing clean energy projects, but weakens the National Environmental Policy Act. [CleanTechnica]

Renewable energy (César Badilla Miranda, Unsplash)

¶ “Sierra Club: Rising Prices Directly Linked To Trump Tariffs, Cuts To Clean Energy” • Eliminating affordable, clean energy development by reducing investments in them, preventing construction, and increasing methane gas exports is causing energy prices to skyrocket. The Concumer Price Index already shows fuel oil up 11.2%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US To Add 7 GW Of Wind In 2025” • The US is expected to install more than 7 GW of wind capacity in 2025, a 36% rise on the previous year, according to the latest US Wind Energy Monitor. The market is on track to add 46 GW from 2025 to 2029 with the timing of additions shifting into 2026 and 2027, the report said. [reNews]

Windpower (Vasilios Muselimis, Unsplash)

¶ “Maine To Benefit From New Solar Projects In New England” • Maine has joined several New England states in selecting new renewable energy projects through a competitive, multistate process that will add new solar power in the region. Roughly 51 MW of solar generation selected is in Maine. That is nearly 30% of the 173 MW total. [The Portland Press Herald]

¶ “Trump Media Merging With Nuclear Fusion Startup In $6 Billion Deal” • Trump Media, the parent company of Truth Social, announced a merger with TAE Technologies, a nuclear fusion startup, in a deal valued at $6 billion. Together, the two companies are planning to create the “world’s first utility-scale fusion power plant.” [The Hill]

Have a delectably satisfying day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “EU Commissioner Hoekstra Defends Scrapping 2035 Ban On Combustion Engines” • In an interview European Commissioner for Climate Wopke Hoekstra defended a controversial decision to reduce a planned 100% ban of combustion-engine vehicles from 2035 to 90%, calling it a “smart and wise compromise” for both climate and industry. [Euronews]

Wopke Hoekstra (European People’s Party, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Shipping e-Fuels Production In Europe: State Of Play In 2025” • In its 2025 update of the shipping e-fuels observatory, T&E examined European green hydrogen and e-fuels projects for the maritime sector. There has been progress, but maritime e-fuels production appears unlikely to reach targeted levels without a policy change. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “$13,034 Ora 5 Is Here!” • Well, not here in the US, but in China. The Ora 5, a small “SUV,” is the first new model from GWM’s Ora sub-brand in more than two years. And it was worth the wait. It seems certain the Ora 5 is going to be a competitive, high selling EV. The model starts at just 91,800 yuan ($13,034) with 480 km (300 miles) of range. [CleanTechnica]

Ora 5 battery EV

¶ “Alphabet Google Signs A Solar Power Agreement In Malaysia, Reports Bloomberg” • Bloomberg reported that Alphabet Inc’s Google signed a solar power agreement in Malaysia. Google would be buying power from a 30-MW solar farm in Malaysia’s Kedah state developed by a consortium led by a local unit of Japan’s Shizen Energy Inc. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Vestas Takes Waddi Order With Tilt Renewables” • Vestas took the order for Tilt Renewables’ 108-MW Waddi Wind Farm in Western Australia. The order includes supply and installation of eighteen 6.0-MW EnVentus turbines. The partnership of Vestas and Tilt Renewables has delivered several major Australian wind farms, the companies said. [reNews]

Wind turbine (Vestas image)

¶ “South Korea Launches Its Largest Operational Offshore Wind Farm In Jeju” • South Korea has completed the 100-MW Hanlim Offshore Wind Power Complex. According to the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment, the offshore wind complex is off Jeju. It is the largest offshore wind power complex operating in the country. [Asian Power]

¶ “BayWa RE Gets Nod For 250-MW Swedish Solar Giant” • The Nordic renewable energy unit of BayWa re has secured an environmental permit for the 250-MW Ryamon Solar Park in Alvesta municipality. The company said the project is the largest solar project in Sweden to date to receive such approval. The park is next to the Lyngsåsa wind farm. [reNews]

Renewable generation (BayWa re image)

¶ “Renewable Energy Powers Up As Coal Demand Plateaus” • Mining companies, agencies, and global events are strengthening the world’s renewable footprint. The IEA shows coal demand has reached a plateau and may decline by 2030. A new IEA market report sees global coal demand forecast to edge down through the end of this decade. [Mining.com.au]

¶ “RWE Wins Permit For 1.1-GW Five Estuaries” • UK Energy Minister Alan Whitehead has granted planning consent to RWE’s 1.1-GW Five Estuaries wind farm off East Anglia. The 79-turbine extension of the 353-MW Galloper array is the fifth UK offshore wind farm to reach the milestone this year, one of which was RWE’s 1.2-GW Rampion 2 project. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbines (RWE image)

¶ “EU Renewables Hit 49.3% Of Electricity In Q3 2025, Denmark Leads” • According to the latest data from Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, renewable energy’s share in the EU’s final energy use climbed to 25.4% in 2024, with projections indicating further growth into 2025. The uptick was driven largely by expansions in solar, wind, and heat pumps. [WebProNews]

¶ “Cheaper, Cleaner Energy Drives Germany’s Balcony-Solar Boom” • Transitioning to renewables is critical for confronting the climate crisis, and Germany is seeing this advance at the household level. Small solar devices that can be plugged into household sockets are very popular in the country, with over 1 million installed in the past three years. [DW]

Balcony solar (Triplec85, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Coal For Christmas: Local Advocacy Groups Deliver Coal, Protest Letters To JEA” • Local advocacy and climate groups delivered some coal to Jacksonville Electric Authority just in time for the holidays. Sierra Club Florida and other groups left coal, a joint letter, and holiday cards that protest JEA’s dirty Northside Generating Station coal plant. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Trump Illegally Extends Life Of Centralia Generating Station Coal Plant” • The Trump administration issued an ‘emergency’ order to forcibly and illegally extend operations of Centralia Generating Station past its scheduled retirement. The high cost to keep this aging coal plant online is expected to be passed onto residents in the area. [CleanTechnica]

Centralia plant (Steven Baltakatei Sandoval, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Tesla Has Engaged In False Advertising, Has To Suspend Vehicle Production & Sales If Problem Not Fixed” • A California judge ruled that Tesla’s use of the terms “Autopilot” and “Full Self Driving” was, in effect, false advertising. The judge’s proposal is that Tesla’s license to manufacture and sell vehicles in California be suspended for 30 days. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Palisades Nuclear Plant Restart Plans Pushed Back To Early 2026” • The restart of a nuclear energy plant in Michigan is behind schedule, and will not happen until early 2026, according to Holtec International, the company behind the restart. The plant stopped operating in 2022, but with a renewed focus on nuclear energy, plans changed. [WCMU Public Radio]

Have a graciously carefree day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “ATP Introduces New Extreme Heat Rule To Protect Players During Men’s Tennis Matches” • The ATP Tour will add a rule to address extreme heat during men’s professional tennis matches. It will allow 10-minute breaks during best-of-three-sets singles matches starting next season. The women’s circuit adopted a similar rule over thirty years ago. [Euronews]

Tennis (Andrew Heald, Unsplash)

¶ “EU Carmakers To Comply With 90% Emissions Reduction By 2035” • The EU executive revoked the 2035 ban on the sale of new cars and vans powered by diesel or petrol after pressure from some EU countries and the automotive industry. The remaining 10% of emissions will need to be compensated for by using such mechanisms as low-carbon steel. [Euronews]

¶ “As Reefs Vanish, Assisted Coral Fertilization Offers Hope In The Dominican Republic” • In an underwater nursery just off the Dominican Republic coast, “coral babies” are growing on metal structures that look like large spiders. It’s a technique gaining momentum in the Caribbean to counter the drastic loss of corals due to climate change. [ABC News]

Coral (David Clode, Unsplash)

¶ “Playing For Time Won’t Make European Carmakers Great Again” • Reversing the EU’s 2035 phase-out of combustion engine sales sends a confusing signal, T&E said. Carmakers could continue selling cars with engines, the European Commission proposed, despite the EU’s aim to have the last polluting cars off its roads by 2050. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Nissan LEAF Now In Production In UK” • We have news that production of the new Nissan LEAF in the UK has begun in Sunderland, and the third-gen LEAF is being released in the UK. With 282,704 units of the LEAF produced in Sunderland to date, this updated version should easily push that total past 300,000. But why not 500,000? [CleanTechnica]

Nissan LEAF (Nissan image)

¶ “Renewables Remain Lowest-Cost Option Says CSIRO Report” • The CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) draft GenCost report for 2025-2026 shows that solar and onshore wind power backed by storage and either gas or hydrogen is the least-cost new-build electricity generation technology mix. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “Vestas Wins 828-MW Brazil Deal” • Casa dos Ventos and Vestas have agreed an 828-MW order for the Dom Inocêncio wind complex in the south-central region of Piauí. The project will have 184 turbines, each of 4.5-MW capacity. The companies added that construction is expected to begin in 2026 with final commissioning scheduled for 2028. [reNews]

Vestas turbine construction (Vestas image)

¶ “2025 Solar, Battery, And EV Round Up” • Australia’s clean energy story in 2025 had a clear theme: Households are leading the charge. Rooftop solar remained strong, batteries proliferated, and electrification extended beyond the switchboard. That mix matters because every new panel, battery, EV, and heat pump chips away at fossil fuel demand. [Energy Matters]

¶ “SP Energy Networks Trials Wind Grid Restart” • SP Energy Networks has begun trials to assess whether offshore wind can be used to restart the UK electricity grid following a national power outage. SP Energy Networks stated the trials will model different grid restoration methods using offshore wind in a specialist laboratory environment. [reNews]

Offshore windpower (SP Energy image)

¶ “India Introduces New Bill To Overhaul Its Nuclear Energy Sector” • The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025 seeks to replace the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 with a single, comprehensive law aligned with India’s energy requirements. [Asian Power]

US:

¶ “Texas Sues Utility Company To Recover Damages From Historic Wildfire” • Texas has sued the utility company whose downed power lines sparked the largest wildfire in state history, which caused more than $1 billion in damage. The state accuses Southwestern Public Service Company of negligence in its upkeep of aging utility poles. [ABC News]

Wildfire in Texas (Staff Sgt. Eric Harris, US DOD, public domain)

¶ “Electric Utility Cost Crisis Brewing In South Carolina” • An executive order by Donald Trump could block state guardrails around AI and the infrastructure needed to run AI data centers, including popular state-level initiatives, called large load tariffs, that help ensure tech companies have invested to meet the costs of growing electricity demand. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Major Environmental Organizations Sue Trump Regime Over Hold On Billions For EV Charging” • The Sierra Club, Climate Solutions, NRDC, and Earthjustice filed suit challenging the Trump administration’s hold on $2.5 billion in federal funding through the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant Program. [CleanTechnica]

EV charging (Joint Office of Energy and Transportation image)

¶ “Trump’s Cut to Fuel Economy Regulations Will Cost People Money” • Regulations put in place to make vehicles more fuel efficient and save people money are important for making vehicles more fuel efficient and saving people money. When you eliminate those regulations, people are going to end up paying more. Who would have thought it?  [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Arizona’s Mesquite Solar Hub Expands To Power 150,000 Homes” • From above, theMesquite Solar Complex in Arlington, Arizona resembles an enormous geometric tapestry. On the ground, it represents something more significant: the steady evolution of solar power from a niche technology to a central part of America’s generating fleet. [OilPrice.com]

Have an overwhelmingly splendid day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Europe ‘Needs To Stand Up To Trump And Stop Buying US Energy,’ Tubiana Tells Euronews” • The EU should stand up to US President Trump and reject further purchases of US energy products, as foreseen in the $750 billion trade deal between the transatlantic partners, climate czar Laurence Tubiana said on the Euronews program Europe Today. [Euronews]

Laurence Tubiana in 2016 (UNclimatechange, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “EU Energy Ministers Back New Fund For Cross-Border Infrastructure Projects From 2028” • From 2028, EU countries will be able to expand cross-border energy infrastructure, like grids and pipelines, along with renewable energy projects. EU energy minister backed the makeup of the bloc’s energy budget for 2028-2034 overwhelmingly. [Euronews]

¶ “Scientists Say Rate Of Glacier Disappearance Expected To Peak By Mid-2050s” • The number of glaciers disappearing around the world each year is projected to sharply increase by the mid-century, peaking at 2,000 to 4,000 per year at that time, depending on the warming scenario, a study published Monday in Nature Climate Change found. [ABC News]

Glacier National Park (aparlette, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “How Sunshine Powers The Philippines’ Largest Malls For More Holiday Cheer ” • As COP30 convened to address the planet’s climate crisis, SM Prime Holdings demonstrated that corporate climate action need not sacrifice tradition or spectacle. Instead, the company engineered a model where sustainability powers celebration. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “You Can’t Buy This, America: BYD T4 EV Truck for Hauling” • Americans love their trucks, though much of that love has little to do with actually carrying cargo. What if you actually needed a truck to carry stuff? The BYD T4 might be a good choice, if only it were available in the US. Here is what it’s like, for people in the rest of the world. [CleanTechnica]

BYD T4 electric truck (BYD image)

¶ “How A $14,000 Electric Kei Car Became Japan’s Best-Selling EV And Saved Nissan ” • While Tesla and BYD dominate EV headlines globally, Japan’s EV sales success for three consecutive years is a tiny 11-foot-long kei car that costs roughly $14,000 after subsidies and has just 112 miles of range. The Nissan Sakura arguably has kept Nissan afloat. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Sonnedix Wins 805 MW In Italian Auctions” • Sonnedix has secured 805 MW of solar projects in Italy. The company said the awards strengthen its development pipeline. Sonnedix received awards for 670 MW in nine solar sites in the FER-X auction, 125 MW through the Energy Release mechanism and 10 MW under Italy’s NZIA-compliant auction. [reNews]

Solar array (Sonnedix image)

¶ “Nordex Wins 200-MW Order In Canada” • The Nordex Group received an order to supply 34 turbines totaling 200 MW to a wind farm project in New Brunswick. Nordex added that the cold climate turbines will be equipped with the Advanced Anti-Icing System and delivered on 125-metre-high tubular steel towers from mid-2027. [reNews]

¶ “WindEurope Forecasts 600,000 Wind Jobs By 2030” • Europe’s wind energy workforce is set to grow from 443,000 jobs today to 607,000 by 2030, according to WindEurope’s new Wind Energy Workforce Report. The organisation said the sector currently supports 211,000 direct roles, with offshore wind now accounting for 20% of these jobs. [reNews]

Wind turbine (WindEurope image)

¶ “China’s Farthest Offshore Wind Farm Reaches Full Power” • China’s most remote offshore wind farm reportedly is under ful power and grid-connected. The 800-MW Three Gorges Jiangsu Dafeng project, in Jiangsu Province, comprises four sites that are 53 miles from shore at their farthest point, making it the most distant from land in the country. [4C Offshore]

US:

¶ “Trump Is Losing The War On Solar Power” • Everyone knows about Trump’s personal grudge against wind turbines, but solar panels? For one thing, fighting the Sun is a losing battle. And US innovators in the space solar industry are on track to beam solar energy directly from space, down to just about anywhere on the planet, Trump or no Trump. [CleanTechnica]

Space solar industry illustration (Overview Energy image)

¶ “Tribal Nations Regroup After Loss Of Federal Funding For Clean Energy” • Tribal nations looking to build clean energy projects are exploring new funding pathways after the Trump administration’s cuts to clean energy grants like Solar for All, which earmarked more than $500 million for solar development on tribal lands. [Utility Dive]

¶ “Energy Bills In US Have Increased 13% Since Trump Took Office, New Report Finds” • A Climate Power report points to a massive spending bill Trump signed in July. CP says it is “driving up utility costs and destroying jobs by removing cheaper, cleaner energy sources from the grid, all while funding new tax breaks for the oil and gas industries.” [ABC News]

Transmission lines (Matthew Henry, Unsplash)

¶ “US Study Maps Utility-Scale Solar Land Use With A New AI Framework” • An academic paper published in Communications Earth & Environment introduced a systematic methodology that leverages deep learning and high-resolution aerial imagery to quantify the land required for utility-scale solar projects in the Western Interconnection. [pv magazine USA]

¶ “TVA Nuclear Plant In Alabama Gets 20-Year License Renewal” • The NRC has renewed the operating licenses for all three units at Tennessee Valley Authority’s Browns Ferry Nuclear Plant. This allows continued operation through the mid-2050s. The plant is TVA’s largest generating asset and the third-largest nuclear power producer in the US. [Yellowhammer News]

Have a pleasantly magnificent day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Assessing Global Progress Ten Years After Paris Climate Accords” • Critics claim the Paris Climate Accords have failed, but Émilie Laurence Tubiana, a former French diplomat, one of the architects of the Paris accord, and now chief executive of the European Climate Foundation, told The Guardian it has been a remarkable achievement. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it (Climate Analytics image)

¶ “Tesla’s 8-Year Model Sales Trends in 11 European Countries” • Zachary Shahan: “I poked around a bit more to see what else I could find that was a bit interesting. The good thing with Tesla is that it basically has two models and they’ve been on the market for several years now, so I did have a look at those models. The resulting graphs are truly interesting.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Plugin Vehicles Pass 75 Million Cumulative Sales!” • Reader Madan Rajan commented to CleanTechnica that total plugin vehicle sales passed 75 million units. The most recent global EV sales report showed the world reached 2.1 million registrations for plugins in September. If this level is sustained, it would take just 3 years to reach another 75 million. [CleanTechnica]

Polestar 2 EV (Benjamin Brunner, Unsplash)

¶ “Scottish Ports Sound AR7 Alarm” • Scottish port bosses warn their investments could become stranded without increased UK government funding for fixed-bottom offshore wind. A group of ports have written to Energy Secretary Ed Miliband seeking a higher AR7 budget, warning no Scottish offshore wind farms will secure CfDs, according to the Scotsman. [reNews]

¶ “Towards Net Zero” • Ørsted says, “With renewable energy at the center of our vision and purpose, it should come as no surprise that we take decarbonisation seriously.” Ørsted’s roots lie in coal-fired power stations. But the company refocused its business on renewables in 2009. It achieved a 98% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions by the end of 2025. [Ørsted]

Worker on a wind turbine (Ørsted image)

¶ “NLC India Renewables And PTC India Sign Green Energy JVA In India” • NLC India Renewables Limited and power provider PTC India entered into a green energy joint venture agreement in Tamil Nadu. This agreement aims to develop, operate, and maintain renewable energy projects totaling up to 2,000 MW in phases, start at about 500 MW. [Power Technology]

¶ “Yanara Names Gamuda To Deliver Massive Solar And Battery Project” • Renewables developer Yanara tapped the Australian arm of the Malaysian group Gamuda to deliver a 360-MW solar farm and 600-MWh battery energy storage project in southwest Victoria. The Mortlake Energy Hub will cost A$700 million ($465 million). [pv magazine Australia]

Solar farm (Yanara image)

¶ “Renewables Drive India’s Energy Security Push” • At the same time India’s energy demand has consistently risen in the past few years, generation has kept up allowing supply to keep pace with demand. According to the National Electricity Plan, the total installed generation capacity of all types is projected to reach 874 GW by 2031-2032. [Asian Power]

US:

¶ “The Oilfield Binge And Purge: Another Reason To Ditch Fossil Fuels” • There being no such thing as a free lunch, the oil and gas binge leaves Oklahomans holding the bag. Oklahoma has tens of thousands of abandoned wells. “The state has catalogued about 20,000 orphan wells, but federal researchers believe the true number may be over 300,000 …” [CleanTechnica]

Oklahoma wellhead (Government of Oklahoma image)

¶ “OpenAI Pushes Propaganda Over Research, Researchers Who Quit Argue” • There’s serious concern that an “AI revolution” will lead to a loss of jobs and economic struggles. As it turns out, we now have a former researcher at one of the big AI organizations coming out and saying that not only is this a concern, but the risk is being hushed up. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Power And Farming Can Co-Exist On The Same Land. Just Ask Cameron Krebs’ Sheep” • Thousands of Cameron Krebs’ sheep go from one solar farm to the next, munching on grass, typically from March until June. Once they have eaten their lunch, they settle down to snooze under the shade of hundreds of thousands of solar panels. [The Spokesman-Review]

Sheep at a solar farm (Avangrid image)

¶ “Trump’s AI Dream Risks Being Undercut By His Attack On Solar And Wind Power ” • The plan by President Trump to make the US a world leader in AI and build a network of massive data centers is gaining speed. However, experts warn that his energy policies, which severely restrict solar and wind energy, could sabotage that ambition. [Microgrid Media]

¶ “Diablo Canyon Agrees To Coastal Commission Land Use Plan” • NRC approval for renewal of Diablo Canyon’s operating permit depends on its clearing two hurdles. One is approval of a land use plan by the California Coastal Commission. The is that the California Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board certify the water quality permit. [Neutron Bytes]

Have a particularly combobulated day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “‘Hot Droughts’ Could Push The Amazon Into A Hypertropical Climate By 2100” • The Amazon rainforest may be developing a hypertropical climate, unseen on Earth for tens of millions of years. A study published in Nature, scientists argue the region is nearing a hotter, drier and more volatile state that could trigger widespread tree die-offs. [Euronews]

Amazon Forest (Felipe Dias, Unsplash)

¶ “Russia Again Targets Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure” • Russia targeted Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with missile and drone strikes in another “massive attack” Friday night into Saturday morning, Ukrainian authorities said. Russia used almost 500 drones and missiles in a combined strike on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure. [ABC News]

¶ “BMW May Finally Do What Auto Industry Has Needed For Decades” • BMW filed a patent application on means to identify whether a person has had too much to drink and shouldn’t be driving. It let them drive in that case. What the patent describes is a breathalyzer linked to a digital key. A person must pass the breathalyzer test to drive. [CleanTechnica]

BMW (Stephan Louis, Unsplash)

¶ “Energy Saved Today Strengthens India’s Energy Security Tomorrow: Pralhad Joshi” • Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Pralhad Joshi said that saving energy today is key to strengthening India’s energy security in the future. He also reaffirmed the Centre’s commitment to responsible energy use and a sustainable, greener country. [The Hans India]

¶ “Wind Power Takes Flight In Asia” • Southeast Asia is a bright spot for the offshore wind industry. As US policy threw billions of dollars worth of US offshore wind projects into turmoil, the investors in offshore wind are looking elsewhere, and the ample wind resources of Southeast Asia give them a lot to gain after the US chaos. [Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette]

Offshore wind farm (Jesse De Meulenaere, Unsplash)

¶ “Iran’s Renewable Power Capacity Reaches 3,165 MW” • Iran’s installed capacity of renewable and clean power plants reached 3,165 MW by November 2025, with solar energy being for the largest share, officials said. Iran’s total installed power generation capacity reached 97,909 MW, with renewable energy making up over 3.2% of that figure. [WANA News Agency]

¶ “Backed By China, De Aar Project In South Africa Expands Wind Capacity To Bolster Northern Cape Power Supply” • South Africa has been plunged into a world of darkness in recent years with loadshedding. The De Aar wind project was commissioned in 2017, and since then it has transformed the regional energy supply in the Northern Cape. [Energies Media]

South African wind turbines (NJR ZA, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Donald Trump’s AI Order Could Cost Iowans And Georgians Big Time” • The Sierra Club said, “Donald Trump issued an executive order seeking to remove state guardrails around artificial intelligence and the infrastructure needed to run AI.” If AI companies want to spike power demand, they should pay the bill, not ordinary Americans. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Data Center Opponents Push Back Against “Superhuman” AI” • Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and others are investing billions in new data centers with little regard as to how they well be powered or the amount of water they will use to cool servers. In the investment community, there are worries this whole AI adventure is out of control. [CleanTechnica]

Amazon data center (Amazon image)

¶ “Electricity Scarcity Meets Aluminum Tariffs, And American Citizens Pick Up The Bill” • In the AI bubble, with full-throated support by the Trump Administration, competition between AI data centers and aluminum smelters for electricity is no longer theoretical. Utilities across the US are facing binding constraints on generation and transmission. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California-Based Energy Company Planning Underground Nuclear Reactor In Utah” • Utah appears poised to become a location of an underground nuclear reactor of a company based in California. Deep Fission plans Utah, Texas, and Kansas as the first three planned sites for the company’s testing of its small modular pressurized water reactors. [KSL.com]

Have a truly delightful day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Economic Growth Has Been Linked To Rising Emissions For Decades. Now, The ‘Opposite Is Happening’” • A decade on from the Paris Agreement the link between GDP and rising emissions is starting to break. Increasing numbers of countries are reducing CO₂ emissions while their economies keep growing, debunking decades of climate blocking. [Euronews]

Wind turbines (Mark König, Unsplash)

¶ “Ten Years Of The Paris Agreement: Hope Is Clouded By Climate Realities” • Ten years ago at COP21, the leaders of 195 countries signed the Paris Agreement to address climate change. But the mission is still far from complete. The United Nations Environment Programme projects “between 2.3°C and 2.5°C of temperature increases. [Euronews]

¶ “Wind Power Gets The Last Laugh As Trump Fades Into The Mists” • The UK firm GT Wings surfaced on the CleanTechnica radar in 2023, when it proposed the AirWing, a compact, space-saving, wind-harvesting device. Now GT is working on the first major real-world tryout for the AirWing, setting it up on a 124-meter cargo ship. [CleanTechnica]

Wind power (Courtesy of GT Wings)

¶ “By Locking In Russian Assets For Good, The EU Is Finally Playing Hardball” • In an audacious move, the EU is indefinitely immobilizing Russian sovereign assets, pushing back against external pressure to release the funds before Moscow agrees to pay war reparations to Ukraine. The EU is immobilizing €210 billion of assets of the Russian Central Bank. [Euronews]

¶ “XPENG Looks To Start EV Production In Malaysia” • XPENG reportedly told press in Malaysia that it is in negotiations with EP Manufacturing Bhd to get EV production underway in Malaysia. Mass production is supposed to begin at some point in 2026. The focus is to producd cars for right-hand markets across the Asean region. [CleanTechnica]

XPENG P7+

¶ “What’s The Connection Between Soils And Climate Change?” • The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN has long warned that pressures on land, soils, and fresh water systems are intensifying as they are pushed to the limits of production. Many in the field argue that support for agriculture needs to focus on these same things, not finances. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “AR7 Cash Injection Would Be Cost Neutral” • Doubling the size of the UK’s budget for offshore wind in Allocation Round 7 to £1.8 billion would be cost neutral if capacity is procured at a strike price of £94.50/MWh, analysis by Baringa showed. The study, commissioned by MASDAR, predicted the change could result in around 8 GW clearing the auction. [reNews]

Offshore windpower (insung yoon, Unsplash)

¶ “Indonesia Approves 50-MW Solar Project To Help Power Its Upcoming New Capital” • Indonesia’s new capital city, Ibu Kota Nusantara, will be powered by a solar plus storage project that will be developed by State utility PLN and renewables company Sembcorp. The project will have a 50-MW solar plant and 14.2-MWh battery system. [Energies Media]

¶ “RWE Powers Up A44n Solar Farms” • RWE has commissioned several large-scale solar farms along the A44n motorway in North Rhine-Westphalia with a total installed capacity of 86 MW peak. The plants have about 141,000 solar modules that to supply electricity for the equivalent of 27,700 German households, according to RWE. [reNews]

Renewable energy (RWE image)

¶ “Data Centers Told To Increase Use Of Renewable Energy” • Data centers must meet at least 80% of their annual electricity needs through new renewable-energy projects in the Republic of Ireland, the regulator decided. Data center developers have six years to put the renewable projects in place, the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities said. [MSN]

US:

¶ “NLR Analysis Identifies Reservoir Thermal Energy Storage For Data Center Cooling Needs” • In the growth of data center energy consumption, computer servers take the largest share, but cooling systems come in second. A study by researchers at the National Laboratory of the Rockies offers a potential solution to reduce that consumption. [CleanTechnica]

Data center (Dennis Schroeder, NLR)

¶ “US Tesla Sales Drop 23% In November YOY” • Reuters seems to have received exclusive data this week from Cox Automotive showing that it’s looking quite bad for Tesla. Tesla’s November sales in the US were reportedly down 23%, reaching their lowest monthly total since January 2022. Sales were 39,800, down from 51,513 in November 2024. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New Report Illuminates Geothermal Cooling Potential In Hawaii” • In areas of recent volcanic activity and ample ground water, geothermal energy is an option for the electric grid. The UHM’s Hawaii Groundwater and Geothermal Resources Center collaborated on the technology with scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. [CleanTechnica]

Oahu (Christine Doughty, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)

¶ “‘Magic Balls’ Installed By Drones Could Conquer US Market” • Heimdall Power’s drone-deployed sensors, called “magic balls,” attach to overhead power lines to measure real-time conditions such as temperature, humidity, and line capacity. The data helps utilities better manage how much electricity their grids can carry safely, unlocking extra capacity. [The Cool Down]

¶ “FERC Poised To Issue Decision On Colocating Large Loads In PJM” • The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission plans to issue a decision next week on the PJM Interconnection’s rules for colocating large loads such as data centers at power plants over the range of Chicago to New Jersey, the commission’s agenda for its December 18 open meeting says. [Utility Dive]

Have a satisfyingly happy day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Transition Credits: Philippines Takes Novel Approach To Coal Phase-Out” • The Philippines is testing a new type of carbon credit aimed to urge companies to cut their climate-warming emissions by creating funds that can be used to turn coal-fired power plants into renewable energy facilities. They put value on the future emissions they prevent. [Euronews]

Geothermal plant (Mike Gonzalez, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Drones, Diesel, And Policy: Two Countries, Two Agricultural Futures” • China’s rapid adoption of agricultural drones is one of the most interesting examples of technology use. Chinese pilots are treating land with multiple drone passes on the same fields to handle weeds, pests, fertilizer, and at times, seeding. The contrast with US practice is striking. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Korea Targets 4 GW Of Offshore Wind By 2030” • Korea plans annual offshore wind deployment of 4 GW by 2030 under a new government roadmap. The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced the initiative and outlined aims of the includsion of 10.5 GW of cumulative capacity by 2030 and over 25 GW by 2035. [reNews]

Offshore windpower (Doosan image)

¶ “GE Vernova Lands 85-MW Romanian Turbine Deal” • GE Vernova signed an agreement with PPC Renewables to supply fourteen of its 6-MW turbines for a wind farm in Vaslui county, Romania. The company said the deal adds 85 MW to its onshore wind portfolio for Romania. The wind farm is expected to power about 38,000 households. [reNews]

¶ “GE Vernova And Seatrium Win BalWin5 Deal” • GE Vernova and Seatrium signed a contract from TenneT to deliver major elements of the 2-GW BalWin5 offshore grid connection in the German North Sea. The consortium said the project is designed to transmit electricity from offshore wind farms to Germany’s onshore network. [reNews]

Substation (TenneT image)

¶ “Tata Power Renewable Energy Commissions NHPC’s 300 MW Solar Power Project In Bikaner” • Tata Power Renewable Energy, a subsidiary of The Tata Power Company, successfully put into commission NHPC’s landmark 450-MW (DC), 300-MW (AC) DCR-compliant solar power project as the EPC contractor at Karnisar Bhatiyan, Bikaner, Rajasthan. [MSN]

US:

¶ “White House Says US Intends To Keep Seized Tanker’s Oil” • The US intends to take all the oil contained in the tanker seized off the coast of Venezuela, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said as she faced questions on the action. “The vessel will go to a US port and the United States does intend to seize the oil.” Leavitt said. [ABC News]

Generic oil tanker (George E. Koronaios, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Gas Explosion In San Francisco Bay Area Damages Homes, Sends Heavy Smoke Into Air” • A gas explosion set off a major fire in a neighborhood of Hayward, a city in the San Francisco Bay Area. It obliterated at least one home, blowing out windows and shaking nearby houses. Six people were taken to hospitals for injuries, fire officials said. [ABC News]

¶ “Georgia’s Utility Regulator Rushes Deal For Georgia Power Before Public Hearing” • Just an hour before hearing testimony from the public and advocacy groups, the Georgia Public Service Commission posted an agreement approving Georgia Power’s plan to build the most expensive gas plants in the country. It leaves Georgians to foot the bill. [CleanTechnica]

Savannah (Nils Huenerfuerst, Unsplash)

¶ “New Toolkit Helps Communities Push Back Against Big Tech As Data Center Proposals Surge In Wisconsin” • A new toolkit, “Hyperscale Data Centers in Wisconsin: Big Tech Unchecked,” is available to help Wisconsinites protect their communities as Big Tech companies look to build energy-hungry hyperscale data centers in the state. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Peterbilt Unveils New Electric Truck Models While Dispute With California Continues” • There may be a lesson for clean vehicle advocates in an announcement by Peterbilt that it added three electric trucks to its lineup of models. Peterbilt is owned by PACCAR, which is embroiled in a legal dispute with California about emission rules. [CleanTechnica]

Peterbilt electric trucks (Peterbilt image)

¶ “Kentuckians Could Save Billions If Utilities Moved Beyond Fossil Fuels, Study Finds” • A study says Kentucky ratepayers could save billions of dollars through 2050 if electric utilities invested more in renewable energy and energy storage, retired aging coal-fired power plants, and avoided overbuilding power plants that burn natural gas. [Kentucky Lantern]

¶ “Maryland Launches Offshore Wind Procurement” • Maryland launched a fresh procurement for offshore wind capacity, days after a US district court struck down President Donald Trump’s moratorium on offshore wind development. Maryland’s Office of State Procurement invited developers with leases in its waters to submit PPA bids for the state. [reNews]

Ocean City, Maryland (Ocean City image)

¶ “Creekstone Energy Is Studying Nuclear Power To Support World’s Largest Data Center Campus In Utah” • Creekstone Energy signed an MOU with Utah-based EnergySolutions to evaluate potential nuclear power options to support energy needs at Creekstone’s planned data center campus. It is to be the world’s largest when it is complete. [KSL.com]

¶ “California’s Last Nuclear Plant Clears Major Hurdle To Power On” • California environmental regulators struck a deal with Pacific Gas & Electric to extend the life of the state’s last nuclear power plant in exchange for thousands of acres of new land conservation in San Luis Obispo County. The plant provides 9% of the state’s electricity. [AOL.com]

Have a richly endowed day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “A Planet In Peril: UN Calls For Global Climate Investment To Unlock €17 Trillion Benefit By 2070” • The UN Environment Program report ‘A future we choose’ calls for a global change in direction to help secure a healthy planet and “prosperity for all.” We must reshape the economy and environment to deal with climate change. [Euronews]

Beautiful Earth (Courtesy of UNEP)

¶ “Sierra Club Endorses Report Showing Pension Funds Fail To Stop Asset Managers Backing Fossil Fuel Expansion” • Pension funds and other asset owners are exposing clients to growing climate-related financial risks by failing to stop asset managers supporting fossil fuel expansion, according to analysis published by Reclaim Finance. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “T&E, Greenpeace And Twelve Other Organisations Call On The EU To Maintain The Law Promoting Alternatives To Short-Haul Flights” • Article 20 of the EU Air Services Regulation plays a necessary role in avoiding projected emissions growth in the aviation sector. But in the run-up to a revision, industry pressure is mounting to severely limit its scope. [CleanTechnica]

Commuter plane (Miguel Ángel Sanz, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Potentia Secures Financing For 600-MW Portfolio” • Potentia Energy has secured A$830 million ($552.22 million) of financing to support a portfolio of wind, solar, and hydro projects across Australia. The 600-MW of capacity is spread across six projects. The debt is being provided by a group of seven major Australian and international lenders. [reNews]

¶ “DEME To Handle Foundation And Cable Work At BC-Wind” • DEME was awarded three contracts for Ocean Winds’ BC-Wind offshore wind farm in Polish waters. DEME will install monopile foundations, inter-array cables, and the export cable at the 390-MW project. The vessels Orion, Living Stone, and Viking Neptun will take on the installation, DEME said. [reNews]

Orion (DEME image)

¶ “Drax Plans To Turn Coal-Era Power Station Into Data Center By 2027” • Energy generator Drax unveiled plans to develop a data center at its 1,000 acre Yorkshire site in efforts to maximize its value. Drax has been under scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers over its environmental credentials as it burns vast amounts of imported wood pellets. [MSN]

¶ “Sonnedix Seals VW GO Supply Deal” • Sonnedix has signed an agreement with VW Kraftwerk GmbH for the supply of renewable Guarantees of Origin from its 150MW Covatillas PV complex in Spain. The company said the deal entails the delivery of 104 GWh of renewable energy certificates per year for 10 years to support decarbonizing Volkswagen Group. [reNews]

Solar farm and orchard (Sonnedix image)

¶ “ACWA Power And Bapco Energies To Develop 2.8-GW Solar-Storage Project” • ACWA Power and Bapco Energies signed an agreement to develop a solar power plant with battery storage in Saudi Arabia. ACWA Power said the parties committed to jointly develop a solar power plant over several phases, ultimately with a generating capacity of up to 2.8 GW. [Asian Power]

¶ “Renewable Energy Forms 56% Of German Electricity In 2025, Study Finds” • Renewable energies have covered more than half of Germany’s electricity consumption in 2025, a report found. The projection found that renewable energies covered 55.8% of gross electricity consumption this year, an increase from the 55.1% figure in 2024. [Yahoo]

Wind turbine in Germany (Eugen J, Unsplash)

¶ “European Commission Gives Green Light To Building First Nuclear Power Plant In Poland” • The European Commission has approved a support package for the construction and operation of Poland’s first nuclear power plant, declaring it compatible with EU state aid rules. The three-unit NPP is expected to cost around 192 billion złoty ($53,2 billion). [Yahoo News]

US:

¶ “US Government Website Removes Fossil Fuels As Cause Of Global Warming” • The EPA has removed any mention of fossil fuels, the main driver of global warming, from its popular online page explaining the causes of climate change. Now it mentions only natural causes, even though scientists calculate that nearly all of the warming is due to human activity. [Euronews]

Please click on the image to enlarge it (EPA image)

¶ “US Seizes Tanker Off Coast Of Venezuela, Trump Says” • The US seized a tanker off the coast of Venezuela, President Donald Trump announced, as tensions escalate with the South American nation. “It’s been a very interesting day, from the standpoint of news. As you probably know, we’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela,” he said. [ABC News]

¶ “A New Flow Battery Will Get A Good Look-See From The US DOE” • Among the vanadium flow battery innovators to cross the CleanTechnica radar is the UK firm Invinity Energy Systems. The US DOE has also taken notice. In May of 2024, the agency engaged Invinity to install its flow batteries at six sites in the US on a demonstration basis. [CleanTechnica]

Vanadium flow battery (Courtesy of PNNL)

¶ “Stellantis Says It Will Bring Electric Topolino To US” • The US president recently visited Japan, where he noticed the cute little kei cars. Stellantis people quickly told their headquarters that the president was smitten with cars that are small and “cute.” They quickly announced that they have decided to import the FIAT Topolino into the US. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “ERCOT’s Market Is Transitioning Toward Storage And Solar” • Battery storage facilities and solar farms powered virtually all capacity growth in Texas’ electric grid in 2025, as the home of the nation’s oil and gas industry created almost twice as much new solar power as California. The additions include 4,500 MW of solar and 5,200 MW of storage. [Inside Climate News]

Have an honestly grand day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “EU Hydrogen Market Hampered By Costly Production And Uncertainty, Energy Regulators Say” • The development of a hydrogen market in the European Union is far from meeting an ambitious 2030 target thanks to high fuel production costs and regulatory uncertainty, according to the latest report from the bloc’s energy regulators. [Euronews]

Toyota Mirai (Siarhei Besarab, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Excessive Heat: Rising Temperatures Are Harming Young Children’s Development” • Children need “urgent” protection from excessive heat as the climate crisis intensifies. Research warns that children exposed to higher temperatures may have delays in their early stages of development, compared to those living in areas with less heat. [Euronews]

¶ “World Must Jointly Tackle Issues Of Climate Change And Pollution, UN Says” • The world needs a new approach to environmental crises threatening the health of people and the planet by adopting policies to jointly tackle climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation and pollution, according to a report released by the UN. [ABC News]

United Nations, Geneva (Mathias Reding, Unsplash)

¶ “Ukraine: 39% Battery EV Share!” • Despite being a relatively small market, with 7,910 new light vehicles were registered in November, and the ongoing war, Ukraine is one of the unknown EV share leaders of the world! With over 3,000 new full-battery EVs registered in November, translated into 39% BEV share, few markets beat it. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “ONVO Exec Torches Extended-Range EVs” • Shen Fei, the president of ONVO, NIO’s family-oriented sub-brand, has torn into the concept of extended-range EVs. He says using large batteries together with a fossil-fueled powertrain is “a waste of resources.” Extended range is “unnecessary cost burdens to car manufacturers and consumers.” [CleanTechnica]

ONVO L60 (JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC0 1.0)

¶ “Renewables On Rise As AEMO Lays Out Roadmap For Energy Transition” • The Australian Energy Market Operator says total generation and storage capacity needs to triple from the current 92 GW to 297 GW in 2050. In that time the energy consumption in the nation’s main grid forecast to rise by 90% from 205 TWh now to 389 TWh. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “ABL Backs Ocean Winds On 390-MW BC-Wind” • ABL was appointed to provide marine warranty survey services to support Ocean Winds with construction of the BC-Wind offshore wind farm in Poland. The 390-MW project will feature 26 Siemens Gamesa SG 14-236 turbines across a 90-square-kilometre area in the Baltic Sea. [reNews]

Offshore wind construction (Ocean Winds image)

¶ “CorPower Ocean Leads A €30 Million Wave Energy Push In The UK” • CorPower Ocean was selected to lead the €30 million POWER-Farm EU Project to validate wave energy technology for large-scale deployment in UK waters. The initiative, partly backed by a €19 million Horizon Europe grant, aims to address competitiveness and bankability. [reNews]

¶ “Africa’s Largest Off-Grid Solar-Plus-Storage Project Comes Online In Angola” • Portuguese group MCA commissioned an off-grid renewable energy system with 25.40 MW of solar and 75.26 MWh of storage in Angola. The Cazombo Photovoltaic Park is called the nation’s first and Africa’s largest off-grid renewable energy system. [pv magazine International]

Cazombo PV Park (MCA image)

¶ “Southeast Asia Embraces Offshore Wind Power As Trump Bashes Renewable Energy” • White House policy has put billions of dollars’ worth of US offshore wind projects into turmoil. Now industry interest and investment are looking elsewhere. Analysts say developing regions with good wind resources, like Southeast Asia, have the most to gain. [MSN]

US:

¶ “New Solar-Powered Orbiting Data Centers” • Try as President Trump may to stop solar power’s progress, clever entrepreneurs are simply going behind his back to harvest it from outer space. The latest example is the California-based startup Aetherflux, which has zeroed in on the ability of space solar systems to skip the long wait times. [CleanTechnica]

Orbiting solar panels (Screenshot, courtesy of Aetherflux)

¶ “Heat Pumps Prevail Despite Fickle Federal Policy” • The current occupant of the White House pulled out federal support for the domestic heat pump industry. Nevertheless, just as surely as good prevails over evil, ratepayers are demanding relief from high energy costs, and today’s generation of energy efficient heat pumps is just what is needed. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nordex Notches 1-GW Alliant US Turbine Deal” • Nordex Group has secured contracts from Alliant Energy for up to 190 Delta4000 turbines totaling just over 1 GW for Midwest wind projects. The agreements will take effect following regulatory approvals and cover N133 and N163 machines scheduled for installation in 2028 and 2029, Nordex said. [reNews]

Wind turbines (Nordex image)

¶ “US Delivers 11.7-GW Solar Surge In Q3” • The US added 11.7 GW of solar capacity in the third quarter of 2025, marking the industry’s third-largest quarter on record and pushing the year’s additions over 30 GW. The Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie said 73% of this year’s capacity additions were in states won by President Trump. [reNews]

¶ “Governor Hochul Expands Energy Workforce Commitment With $40 Million For New York’s Advanced Nuclear Energy Workforce” • Governor Kathy Hochul  announced $40 million in annual workforce development funding over the next four years to develop the workforce needed to support advanced nuclear energy in Upstate New York. [LongIsland.com]

Have a generously helpful day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Nation Warns Ongoing Concern With Atlantic Ocean Could Be ‘A Direct Threat … To National Security’: ‘Time is running out'” • Iceland has sounded the alarm regarding the potential collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, declaring it a national security risk that requires its immediate attention. “We cannot afford to wait.” [The Cool Down]

Vik, Iceland (Jon Flobrant, Unsplash)

¶ “Deep-Sea Mining Tests Impact More Than A Third Of Seabed Animals” • Calls for a global moratorium on deep-sea mining got louder as the results of a five-year-long investigation have been revealed. The Metals Company, which funded the study, says they are “encouraged” by its findings, but Greenpeace was not happy with it. [Euronews]

¶ “Temperature Average For 2023-2025 On Track To Exceed 1.5°, Copernicus Data Reveals” • The global average temperature anomaly for January to November 2025 is 1.48°C above the 1850-1900 pre-industrial baseline. It is currently beaten only by 2024, the first year to exceed 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, according to Copernicus. [Euronews]

Heat (Jonas Weckschmied, Unsplash)

¶ “New Syncraft Powerplant Being Built In Partnership With Procarbic” • In Zwickau, Germany, construction is starting on a new Syncraft Climate Positive Powerplant that will turn regional forest waste into renewable energy and green carbon. The project is led by BiokohlenWerk Zwickau and is coordinated by Procarbic Management. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “So-Called Technology Neutrality Is Not The Solution To The Car Industry’s Issues” • Next week, an EU announcement will decide the fate of its car industry. The industry and its political allies want ‘technology neutrality’, so they can keep selling combustion cars after 2035. This short-term strategy will have devastating consequences. [CleanTechnica]

BMW at sunset (Tyler Clemmensen, Unsplash)

¶ “Record Battery Discharge Supports Irish Power System” • Provisional EirGrid data shows renewables supplied around 41% of Ireland’s electricity in November. The operator said wind provided 35% of all electricity used, totalling 1,067 GWh. Other renewables including solar and hydropower brought the overall clean energy share to 41%. [reNews]

¶ “Vattenfall And Cemvision Seal Near-Zero Cement Deal In Europe” • Vattenfall and Cemvision have signed an agreement to supply near-zero-carbon cement for onshore wind infrastructure in Europe from 2028. Cemvision’s Re-ment Massive product will be prioritised for use in Vattenfall’s projects. It could cut CO₂ emissions by up to 95%. [reNews]

Turbine base (Vattenfall image)

¶ “University Of Aberdeen Invests £1 Million In Geothermal Pilot” • The University of Aberdeen has secured a public grant of £1 million for the Aberdeen Geothermal Feasibility Pilot, an ambitious city-wide geothermal feasibility pilot study to explore Aberdeen’s geological potential and pave the way for low-carbon heating solutions. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “Equinor Starts Brazil Solar-Wind Hybrid” • Equinor and its Brazilian subsidiary Rio Energy have begun commercial power production at the Serra da Babilonia Solar facility, creating the company’s first hybrid power asset. The company said the 140-MW solar site is co-located with the 223-MW Serra da Babilonia Wind complex. [reNews]

Hybrid power plant (Rio Energy image)

¶ “State Moves Ahead On New Wind Farm And Indigenous-Backed Energy Parks” • Two renewable energy projects proposed for Western Australia took important next steps forward in the race to meet the state government’s pledge to quit coal by the end of the decade. The state is committed to closing its publicly-owned coal plants by 2029. [Renew Economy]

US:

¶ “Federal Judge Vacates Illegal Offshore Wind Order, Says Wind Foes Are ‘Tilting At Windmills'” • A federal judge declared a key part of President Trump’s notorious Offshore Wind Order of January 20 null and void. On December 8 the US District Court District Of Massachusetts, in Boston, determined that all the evidence points to its illegality. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore windpower (NREL image)

¶ “Waymo Drives Right Into Police Scene, And Golf Course” • Robotaxis may be much safer drivers than most humans, but there are still a variety of edge cases where humans would have handled a situation better. The latest example may be a case that is “funny,” but it has warnings that Waymo should take seriously and try to address. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Panasonic To Supply Batteries For Zoox” • Zoox, the robotaxi startup owned by Amazon, has expanded a bit recently. In fact it has scaled up enough that it needed to secure an EV battery supplier for more EV production. Starting in early 2026, Zoox will be receiving batteries from Panasonic Energy, using 2170 cylindrical batteries. [CleanTechnica]

Zoox in Las Vegas

¶ “AI Strengthens Investor Confidence In Renewables” • The value of the renewable energy sector is no longer defined just by installed capacity, but increasingly by data, algorithms, and AI that support it. It is going into a new phase. And investors will require higher levels of predictability, transparency, and long-term performance. [pv magazine USA]

¶ “Secretary Of Energy Supports Quadrupling US Nuclear Power Generation” • Energy Secretary Chris Wright touted the Trump administration’s efforts to “unleash the next American Nuclear Renaissance,” affirming his support for a four-fold expansion of America’s nuclear energy capacity in the next 25 years during a tour of Idaho National Laboratory. [Local News 8]

Have a cozily warm day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Zeekr Enters Germany” • Germany is the biggest auto market in Europe. With Volkswagen, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes based there, one might think it’s just Germans buying German cars, but there’s a lot of opportunity for other brands as well, especially as buyers transition to EVs. Now Zeekr, owned by China’s Geely Group, is pushing the door open. [CleanTechnica]

Zeekr 7X

¶ “China-Funded Port In Peru May Have Ecological Drawbacks” • A new port facility at Chancay, Peru, is the result of nearly two decades of planning and makes Peru South America’s primary transfer point for goods going to and from Asia. It will increase climate impacts in a part of the world where deforestation is of constant concern. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “European Energy Wins Solar CFDs In Italy” • European Energy has secured Contract for Difference for five solar projects totaling 513 MW in Sicily, Apulia, and Molise. The projects range from 20 MW to 225 MW and form a major PV pipeline under the FerX auction scheme. The awards provide predictable price structures during operations. [reNews]

Solar array (European Energy image)

¶ “NKT JV Opens Taiwan Offshore Cable Factory” • A joint venture between NKT and Walsin Lihwa opened Taiwan’s first offshore power cable factory in Kaohsiung. The Walsin Energy Cable System facility covers 231,000 square metres with a 50-meter extrusion tower and will produce AC power cables for the offshore wind market, the partners said. [reNews]

¶ “UK Marks 25 years Of Offshore Wind” • On December 8, 2025, the UK marks 25 years since the Blyth offshore wind farm in Northumberland began generating clean power, launching an industry which has become one of the country’s biggest sources of renewable electricity. Offshore wind produced a record 17% of total UK power last year. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbines (EDF image)

¶ “NESO Grid Reforms Unlock 132 GW For 2030” • NESO has confirmed a new pipeline of shovel-ready projects that will be prioritised for connection to the UK’s grid networks, unlocking 283 GW of generation and storage and 99 GW of transmission demand. In total, 132 GW of projects are aligned with delivery of the UK’s Clean Power 2030 target. [reNews]

¶ “Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub To Boost Victoria’s Grid Capacity” • The Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub battery project, jointly owned by the State Electricity Commission and Equis Australia, is now supplying stored electricity to Victorian households and businesses. The battery project has capacities of 600 MW and 1.6 GWh. [Power Technology]

Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (SEC image)

¶ “Squadron Secures $1 Billion For Wind Farm” • Andrew Forrest’s Squadron Energy secured one of the most significant wind financing deals in recent memory, with $1 billion locked away for the Clarke Creek wind farm in Queensland. Squadron attracted the interest of ten banking partners for what is one of Australia’s largest wind projects. [Energy Magazine]

¶ “How More Wind And Batteries Push Electricity Prices Down, Even While Gas Prices Stay High” • Electricity price increases are less than those for other goods and services, and do not even rate in the top ten, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Consumer Price Index data for 2020 to today. And power rates have increased with the price of gas. [Renew Economy]

Bodangora wind farm (NSW government image, cropped)

¶ “Severe Damage To Ukraine’s Energy Infrastructure After Massive Russian Drone, Missile Strike” • A Russian mass missile and drone attack hammered Ukraine’s energy infrastructure again, hitting substations, generation facilities, and disconnecting one of the power lines that supplies the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. [The Kyiv Independent]

¶ “IAEA Calls For Repair Work On Chornobyl Sarcophagus” • UN nuclear watchdog inspectors visited Ukraine to assess the status of key electrical substations. They said that the protective structure surrounding the exploded reactor at Chornobyl can no longer perform its main function of blocking radiation, after a Russian drone strike earlier this year. [Kyiv Post]

Chernobyl sarcophagus (Mick De Paola, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Destined To Fail: False Assumptions On Climate, Trade, And Society Cripple US Security Strategy” • The 2025 US national security strategy, released on December 4th, tries to present a unified view of American power but the foundation it is based on political viewpoints instead of the realities of physical, economic, and geopolitical forces. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Floating Solar Revolution: Death By A Thousand Cuts For Fossil Fuels” • Despite this year’s sharp U-turn in federal energy policy, the renewable energy transition keeps branching out in new directions. One emerging factor is the relatively new area of floating solar. Creative solar firms are starting to take advantage of its new opportunities. [CleanTechnica]

PVs on an irrigation pond (SPG Solar, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “US Adds 21.2 GW Of Solar Through September 2025” • The US added 21.2 GW of solar through September 2025,  FERC said, up from 20 GW for the same period of 2024. Now, natural gas has the largest share of grid capacity (42.2%), followed by coal (14.61%), wind (11.8%), solar (11.78%), nuclear (7.8%), hydropower (7.6%), and then others. [pv magazine International]

¶ “Arizona Commission’s Vice Chair Insists Renewable Energy Push Won’t Raise Public Utility Bills” • In a move to ensure that the rush towards sustainable energy doesn’t saddle everyday folks with extra costs, Arizona Corporation Commission Vice Chair Nick Myers took a stand regarding a new data center’s vow to go 100% renewable. [Hoodline]

Have a nicely organized day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Is The Winter Of The Century Coming? Experts See Chance Of Arctic Cold Spells” • Meteorologists say the polar vortex will be weaker than usual this winter. For some places like Germany, this will most likely mean a cold winter with Arctic cold spells. Experts are currently still divided, but warn it could be especially frosty after Christmas. [Euronews]

Stuttgart in winter (Urlaubstracker, Unsplash)

¶ “Uzbekistan Proves The Folly Of US Fossil Fuel Madness” • While the US is hell bent on forcing its fossil fuels down the throats of other nations, Uzbekistan is showing the way toward a renewable energy future. Shavkat Mirziyoyev, president of the Republic of Uzbekistan, just celebrated the start of construction for new energy facilities. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “How Students Can Build A Career In Solar Power” •vAs the global climate crisis accelerates, the transition to clean energy is no longer a distant goal; it’s an urgent imperative. For students looking to build a meaningful career while contributing to a sustainable future, the solar industry offers a lot of opportunities. But how do they do that? [The Hindu]

Solar workers (Wayne National Forest, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “India’s Green Corridors: Building The Next-Gen Grid To Power A 500-GW Renewable Future” • India’s clean energy transition has entered a crucial phase as the nation advances toward its target of 500 GW of renewable capacity by 2030. Clean power is only part of the challenge. Delivering it reliably requires a modern, intelligent grid. [Times Kuwait]

¶ “New Energy Policy Focuses On Grid Storage” • Shri Santosh Sarangi, Union Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, affirmed that India has successfully achieved its COP26 commitment to secure 50% of its installed electric power capacity from non-fossil fuel sources, five years ahead of schedule. Now it needs to focus on storage. [Tathya]

Microgrid with storage (Munro89, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Russia Unleashes Massive Drone And Missile Attack On Ukraine As Diplomatic Talks Continue” • Russia unleashed a major attack on Ukraine overnight into Saturday, after US and Ukrainian officials said they’ll meet for a third day of talks aimed at ending the nearly 4-year-old war. The Russian attack was to a large degree on power plants. [AOL News]

¶ “How Mexico Revived Its Renewable Energy Sector” • After years of energy policy that focused on greater nationalisation, the door is once again open in Mexico for private participation. This is expected to include the development of  number of green energy projects and to attract investment from various firms worldwide. [OilPrice.com]

Solar array in Mexico (Oscar Cavazos, CC BY-SA 4.0, copped)

US:

¶ “How Outdated Engineering Models Distort Today’s EV And Road Charges Debate” • The idea that EVs create meaningful additional road damage because they weigh more does not stand up well when set beside contemporary engineering research. Only the heaviest commercial vehicles push pavements toward their design limits. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Largest Utah Coal Plant Goes Quiet As Los Angeles Goes Coal-Free” • Utah’s largest coal-fired power plant, the Intermountain Power Project in the Great Basin region of western Utah and serves primarily southern California, is no longer operating. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power quietly pulled the plug just before Thanksgiving. [CleanTechnica]

IPP (Braddah n8, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “New Bio-Inspired ‘Super Bricks’ Suck Up Carbon” • A research team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute calculates that their new alternative building material sequesters 6.1 kg of carbon per cubic meter during the production process. In contrast, making conventional concrete emits approximately 330 kg of carbon during production. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “DOE Bets Big On Costly SMRs” • Last week, the US DOE made two substantial financial awards to two SMR builders who each proposed 300-MW units. TVA’s estimate that its new 300-MW facility would cost $5.3 billion, or $18,000/kW. This is roughly six times the cost of new gas-fired power plants, which the TVA is also building. [MSN]

Have a really inspired day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “How Climate Change Became The Property Market’s Biggest Nightmare” • From plummeting house prices to uninsurable homes, climate change is impacting the property market around the world. Risks fueled by climate change have now become a “crucial factor in home-buying decisions” for more than 80% of potential buyers. [Euronews]

Real estate (Breno Assis, Unsplash)

¶ “After Decades Of Deforestation, Asia’s Floods Were Among The Deadliest Weather Events Of 2025” • Record-breaking rain and storm surges triggered catastrophic flooding and landslides in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia last week. The UN says the disaster is one of the deadliest weather patterns in southeastern Asia in recent years. [Euronews]

¶ “Uzbekistan Launches €9.46 Billion Green Energy Push” • With international partners behind an Uzbek energy transformation, the country unveiled 42 renewable, storage, and grid projects. The government says green energy generation will reach 23,ooo GWh, enough to provide for the entire annual consumption of the country’s population. [Euronews]

Uzbekistan (Artem Bryzgalov, Unsplash)

¶ “Tesla Sales Drop 19% In UK, While BYD Sales More Than Triple” • Tesla sales dropped in some markets this year, dropped even more in other markets, and risen in a few. At times, the UK has been one of Tesla’s bright spots. However, the trend lately is downward again, and sales were bad in November. Meanwhile, BYD sales more than tripled. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Member States Seize Last Chance To Unlock Clean Truck Deal” • After more than two years of deadlock EU government ministers have finally unlocked negotiations on rules to grant trucks extra weight to accommodate heavier clean technologies. This was the last chance to move forward with the file, and clears the way for trilogue talks. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo electric trucks (Courtesy of Volvo)

¶ “Denmark’s Second Largest PV Plant Goes Online” • Swedish independent power producer Alight switched on the 215-MW Lidsø solar park in the southern municipality of Lolland. It is billed as Denmark’s second largest to date. “The park includes around 350,000 solar panels, and more than 1,700 sheep grazing all year round.” [pv magazine International]

¶ “Windanker Topside Sets Sail For The Baltic Sea” • The offshore substation for Iberdrola’s 315-MW Windanker wind farm in the German Baltic Sea was shipped out for installation after completion of the topside and its jacket foundation. The 4,500-tonne topside left HSM’s Stormpolder yard and went out through central Rotterdam. [reNews]

Topside under way (HSM image)

¶ “Comprehensive Clean-Up Of The Chernobyl Shell Necessary” • The protective shell around the damaged Chernobyl nuclear power plant needs to be extensively renovated in the near future. In its latest safety assessment, the IAEA said the hull had lost its primary protective functions, including containment capability, in a drone strike. [blue News]

¶ “Solar Push of 129-GW Takes Non-Fossil Share Beyond 50% Of Total Installed Capacity” • A surge in solar installations over the past decade was pivotal in doubling India’s installed electricity capacity. Solar capacity stands at 129 GW, and the total non-fossil generating capacity went past 259 GW to be over 50 % of India’s total installed power capacity. [pib.gov.in]

Solar Plant, Maharashtra (Thomas Lloyd Group, CC BY-SA 4.0)

US:

¶ “Trump EPA Opens The Door For More Haze Pollution In Texas” • The EPA approved two do-nothing haze pollution plans from the Texas government, ignoring public pleas to reduce the harmful haze pollution that sickens people. Wealthy coal plant owners have permission to avoid installing readily available pollution controls. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Jaguar Spotted In Arizona Points To Progress In Recovery Of Endangered Species” • Researchers at the University of Arizona says they spotted a big cat for the fifth time in fifteen years after one crossed the US-Mexico border. The animal was seen at a watering hole it visited in November. Its distinctive spots showed it had not been seen before. [ABC News]

Jaguar (James Lee, Unsplash)

¶ “US Startup Heats Up The Solid State EV Race, CAFE Or No CAFE” • Even with a pledged US rollback of Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards, some companies are pursuing realistic visions of the future. Among the solid state innovators attracting attention from the auto industry is the Massachusetts-based startup Factorial Energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Trump Admin Invests $800 Million In Latest Move To Bolster US Nuclear Industry” • In the race to build America’s first small modular reactors, the DOE picked its front-runners. The agency awarded a total of $800 million in grants, originally allocated under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to two projects developing light-water reactors. [Canary Media]

Have a wonderfully reasonable day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “Study On Catastrophic Cost Of Climate Change Retracted, Though Revised Figures Remain Alarming” • A highly publicised study on the catastrophic costs of climate change was retracted after heavy criticism of its methodology. The study originally predicted a 19% fall in global income by 2050 due to climate change. That figure was revised to 17%. [Euronews]

Emissions (Ella Ivanescu, Unsplash)

¶ “From Extreme Heat To Poor Mental Health: How Climate Change Is Harming The Workplace” • Over a billion workers are exposed to high heat episodes, and almost a third of them have negative health effects. Leading scientists and epidemiologists found that climate change was responsible for tripling the death toll from Europe’s heatwaves deaths. [Euronews]

¶ “Norway Halts Deep-Sea Mining Until 2029” • Norway has postponed controversial deep–sea mining plans, a delay some environmentalists say must be “the nail in the coffin” for the industry. The country’s Labour government confirmed it will not issue licenses for deep-sea mining during the current legislative term, which doesn’t end until 2029. [Euronews]

Hughes Glomar Explorer (Tequask, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Geopolitical Developments Contribute to Elevated Diesel Prices” • Global refinery margins for diesel have increased to their highest level all year since late October, following refinery outages in Russia and in the Middle East. New sanctions on Russia’s crude oil also led to limited refinery production and a lower global diesel supply. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “SRE Signs Taiwan CPPA For Formosa 4” • Synera Renewable Energy signed a long-term corporate power purchase agreement in Taiwan for a portion of the 495-MW Formosa 4 wind farm. The CPPA was concluded with the island’s government-backed electricity aggregator Taiwan Smart Electricity & Energy, which will trade it with a range of offtakers. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (SRE Group image)

¶ “Aurora Says 43-GW Offshore Goal Is Cost Neutral” • Aurora Energy Research found that the UK can deliver its 43 GW offshore wind target “cost-neutral for billpayers over the next ten years” if AR7 procures capacity priced up to £94/MWh ($125.37/MWh). The study, commissioned by RWE, also highlighted wider gains from hitting the goal. [reNews]

¶ “Van Oord Hits Monopile Milestone At Windanker” • Van Oord has completed the transport and installation of all 21 monopiles at Iberdrola’s 315-MW Windanker offshore wind farm in the German Baltic Sea. The monopiles, manufactured by a joint venture between Navantia and Windar, have a diameter of 10 meters and weigh of up to 2,145 tonnes. [reNews]

Installing a monopile (Iberdrola image)

¶ “Integrating Solar And Storage For Industrial Users: Lessons From Early Projects In Gujarat ” • Gujarat’s leadership in renewable deployment is extending into the field of solar plus storage, with direct implications for industrial power users. It provides numerous early examples of how solar and storage can work together in practice. [pv magazine India]

¶ “GE Vernova Signs Agreement For 42 Wind Turbines With Greenvolt” • GE Vernova signed an agreement with Greenvolt Power to supply onshore wind turbines for the Gurbanesti wind farm in Călărași county, Romania. The contractual scope covers the supply, installation, and commissioning of 42 turbines, each of 6.1-MW. [Power Technology]

Wind turbine (GE Vernova image)

¶ “Vladimir Putin In India LIVE Updates: PM Modi Says ‘Trust’ Is The Greatest Strength Of India-Russia Relations” • Russian President Vladimir Putin is in New Delhi for his two-day India visit, where he is in summit talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi. They are expected to numerous topics, including civil nuclear energy. [NDTV]

US:

¶ “Groups File Lawsuit Challenging Trump EPA Final Rule That Delays Methane Pollution Protections” • Health, environment, and community groups filed a lawsuit in the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit challenging the Trump EPA’s unlawful final rule to delay protections against methane pollution from the oil and gas industry. [CleanTechnica]

Gas flares (JPeischl, NOAA)

¶ “Solar Companies Urge Congress to Work with DOI to Unleash American Solar Energy; Ensure Certainty, Equal Treatment of All Energy Sources in Permitting Reform” • In a letter, 143 solar energy companies urged both houses of Congress to work with the Department of the Interior to address the July DOI memo that favors specific energy sources. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Sierra Club Statement On Arctic Refuge CRA Vote” • A Senate resolution disapproves a 2024 Record of Decision for the Arctic Refuge oil and gas leasing program. It threatens millions of acres of national public lands in the Arctic, critical habitat for caribou, migratory birds, polar bears, and other species. It went to the president to be signed. [CleanTechnica]

Arctic fox (Jonatan Pie, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Lieutenant Governor-Elect Backs Energy Policy Ideas Aimed To Cut Costs” • Ahead of the 2026 General Assembly legislative session, Lt Gov-elect Ghazala Hashmi joined environmentalists from the National Resource Defense Council and Evergreen Collaborative to share policy ideas they believe will put money back in consumers’ pockets. [Virginia Mercury]

¶ “Trump’s Plan For AI Dominance Threatened By His Own Attacks On Solar, Wind Power” • The Trump administration is moving to fast-track the construction of power-hungry data centers as a matter of national security. At the same time, it’s adding roadblocks for new solar and wind farms. But the two policies could be at odds. [The Detroit News]

Have a fabulously amazing day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “EU Lawmakers Agree To Ban Russian Gas Imports By 2027” • The EU is trying to end all energy dependency on Moscow and to stop financing its war against Ukraine. The EU will ban gas from Russian sources, both pipelines and liquefied natural gas, from entering the bloc by mid-2027 but with exceptions for Hungary and Slovakia. [Euronews]

LNG carrier (Daniil Serhiyevich, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Why Are European Natural Gas Prices Tumbling Despite The Cold Winter?” • European natural gas prices have fallen sharply in recent days, as surging US LNG flows flood the market. The Dutch Title Transfer Facility benchmark dropping below €28/MWh, a level not seen since April 2024. European gas prices are down more than 45%. [Euronews]

¶ “Monsoon Season Or Climate Disaster? What’s Driving Asia’s Flash Floods As Death Toll Hits 1,400” • More than 1,400 people were killed after record-breaking rainfall and storm surges across parts of Asia. Experts have pointed towards global warming as a cause of the worsening the impact of floods, along with human actions such as forest cutting. [Euronews]

Indonesian flood (Iqro Rinaldi, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Turkey’s Energy Minister Warns Of Threat To Oil And Gas Supplies” • Turkey’s energy minister called for the oil and gas supply in the Black Sea to be protected after three Russian fuel tankers were targeted off the Turkish coast. Turkey is concerned by the threat to undersea pipelines that carry natural gas from Russia to Turkey also. [ABC News]

¶ “NCP Chlorchem And Terra Firma Start One Of South Africa’s Largest Behind-The-Meter Solar Projects” • NCP Chlorchem, a chemical producer, and Terra Firma, a developer of solar and batteries, started a 27-MW multi-phase solar project. It will be one of the largest standalone behind-the-meter industrial installations in South Africa. [CleanTechnica]

Solar installation (Terra Firma image)

¶ “Tesla Lobbying UK on EV Policies … as Trump Guts Critical US Auto Policy” • The Guardian reports that Tesla was “privately warning” the UK government that its plans to water down EV policies will hurt EV sales and make it harder for the UK to reach its climate goals. We should note that Tesla has been trying to use its influence to have wise policy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ørsted’s Borkum Riffgrund 3 Delivers First Power” • Orsted’s 913-MW Borkum Riffgrund 3 is now feeding power into the grid. Borkum Riffgrund 3 is about 72 km off the coast in the German North Sea. It has 83 Siemens Gamesa turbines, each with 11-MW capacity. It connects to the grid through the DolWin epsilon offshore converter platform. [reNews]

Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm (Ørsted image)

¶ “FY2029 Renewable Energy Construction Spending To Peak At $23 Billion” • Over the five years starting in 2025, Australia is projected to add an average of 8.9 GW of new renewable capacity each year, more than triple the 2.7 GW annual average of the past five years, according to the report, Renewable Energy Construction Outlook – Australia. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “UK Approves The 190-MW Helios Solar Project” • The UK government granted planning permission to Enso Energy and Cero Generation for the 190-MW Helios solar farm in North Yorkshire. The array, which will be co-located with a battery energy storage system, will connect to the grid via underground cable at the nearby Drax power station. [reNews]

Solar panels (Chelsea, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Does Miliband’s ‘Golden Age Of Nuclear’ Blind The UK To A Future Renewable Dream?” • To most, “renewable energy”brings images of wind farms and hydroelectric dams. For Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary, “renewable energy” seems to mean nuclear power plants. That is not equal to “environmentally sustainable” with hope for a clean energy future. [Palatinate]

US:

¶ “Car Crashes Are A Public Health Crisis. Autonomous Cars Are The Cure” • A report by Waymo has data on nearly 100 million driverless miles in four US cities. Compared to the experience of human drivers on the same roads, Waymo self-driving cars were involved in 80% fewer crashes causing injury and 91% fewer with serious injury or fatality. [CleanTechnica]

Wreck (Scott Greer, Unsplash)

¶ “Inside The Shop Building The World’s Quickest Classic Minis” • In California, Electric Classic Cars has been working closely with Gildred Racing on their “Super Cooper” program. They rework the iconic Mini by swapping its wheezy original 40 hp four-cylinder engine with a 300 hp Tesla motor, making it an entirely different animal. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Rare Win For Renewable Energy: The Trump Administration Funds Geothermal Network Expansion” • The US DOE approved an $8.6 million grant that allows the first utility-led geothermal heating and cooling network to double in size. Co-recipients of the award are Eversource Energy, the city of Framingham, and the Boston non-profit HEET. [Ars Technica]

Geothermal plant (Ásgeir Eggertsson, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “BOEM Reviewing 2.6-GW New England Offshore Permit” • The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management asked a federal court to stall a lawsuit against the construction permit for the 2,600-MW New England Wind offshore wind project off the coast of Massachusetts. BOEM wants the lawsuit stalled while the it reconsiders the project’s permits. [reNews]

¶ “Tech Maven Bashes Nuclear Stocks And Shares The Real Way To Play AI’s Energy Boom” • Investment manager Paul Wick cited Oklo Inc and NuScale Power Corp as two companies that are working to develop nuclear power technology with little or no revenue but “lots of news releases.” He cited Bloom Energy Corp, a fuel cells maker, as an opportunity. [MSN]

Have a conscientiously sensible day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “A Decade Of Climate Court Cases” • Governments worldwide  are being forced by a “surge” in climate litigation to set out clear rules for action. A report from the Climate Litigation Network shows how ten years of court cases helped establish “binding legal duties” for leaders and big polluters to help protect citizens from climate harm. [Euronews]

Justice (Tingey Injury Law Firm, Unsplash)

¶ “India’s Oil Imports Will Be On The Agenda For Putin Meeting With Modi” • Russian President Vladimir Putin is going to India this week for a summit aimed at deepening economic, defense and energy ties, a visit that will also test New Delhi’s efforts to balance relations with Moscow and Washington as the war in Ukraine grinds on. [ABC News]

¶ “Global EV Sales Report: Tiny Wuling Mini Beats Tesla Model Y!!!” • Despite the expected hangover in the US market, down almost 50% year over year in October, global plugin vehicle registrations were up 10% compared to October 2024. There were over 1.9 million registrations. Battery EV sales grew 19% YOY, while plugin hybrids fell by 5%. [CleanTechnica]

Wuling Mini EV (JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC01)

¶ “BYD Commercial Electric Vehicle Sales Up 213% in 2025” • BYD’s having mixed results with plugin passenger vehicle sales lately, with plugin hybrids dropping while full electrics continue to rise. In the commercial vehicle sector, there’s a little bit of an up-and-down matter in one segment, but the overall trend is very positive, growing 213%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nordex Lands 118-MW Turbine Deal In Poland” • The Nordex Group took an order from an international independent power producer for twenty N149/5X turbines for a 118-MW project in Poland. Nordex said the contract includes a Premium Service Agreement for up to fifteen years. Nordex has already installed over 600 turbines for 1.7 GW in Poland. [reNews]

Wind turbines (Nordex image)

¶ “China’s Renewable Energy Boom Has Its Own Challenges. Here’s What We Can Learn” • China is the world’s  largest energy consumer and greenhouse gas emitter. It is also undergoing an ambitious energy transitions. The country is rapidly reshaping its power system to accommodate a new generation of clean energy. [The World Economic Forum]

¶ “Permit Filing Ready For Irish Offshore Wind Port” • Iarnrod Eireann will lodge a planning application for the €220 million Rosslare Offshore Renewable Energy Hub. The project will make Rosslare Europort into Ireland’s primary base for construction, operation, and maintenance of offshore wind farms in the Irish and Celtic Seas, the company said. [reNews]

Site of energy hub (Iarnrod Eireann image)

¶ “Project Incentives To Boost Egypt’s Renewable Energy To 65%” • Egypt is banking on project incentives to boost the share of renewables in its energy mix to 42% by 2030 and 65% by 2040, the Arab country’s electricity and renewable energy minister said. Mahmud Esmat said that one of the incentives is long-term power purchase agreements. [ZAWYA]

¶ “McDonald’s UK Inks 66-MW Wind PPA” • McDonald’s UK has signed a 15-year corporate PPA for all power generated by the 66-MW Douglas West Extension Wind Farm in Scotland. The project, which is owned by Capital Dynamics, is expected to start operations in the first quarter of 2026. McDonald’s will procure 100% of its electricity. [reNews]

Wind turbine (ENGIE image)

¶ “Data Centers Urged To Bring Their Own Wind, Solar, And Big Batteries So They Don’t Trip The Grid” • Global tech giants planning to spend tens of billions of dollars in data centers in Australia will be expected to bring their own renewable and battery storage supplies to support their energy-hungry facilities, industry minister Tim Ayres said. [Renew Economy]

US:

¶ “‘Big Short’ Investor Michael Burry Says Tesla ‘Ridiculously Overvalued'” • An investor with quite a strong track record is chiming in on Tesla stock, and he’s clearly not bullish about it. Michael Burry, who is a famous investor at the center of the book and movie “The Big Short,” has claimed that Tesla stock is “ridiculously overvalued.” [CleanTechnica]

Tesla in orbit (SpaceX, public domain)

¶ “Virtual Power Plants Thwart Plot Against Renewables” • This year the White House has turned sharply against wind and solar power, but the US renewable energy transition is unstoppable. Solar plus storage keeps on adding new capacity to the grid. Even wind has been growing a bit. Now virtual power plants gathering the vast renewable potential. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Massive Data Centers May Make Groundwater Pollution Worse” • Data centers are environmental disaster areas. Not only do they need electricity that is typically sourced from fossil fuels or nuclear, they also tend to suck up huge amounts of water for cooling. Much of that is recycled, but in some cases pollutants in the source water get concentrated. [CleanTechnica]

Amazon data center (Amazon image)

¶ “Terra-Gen Closes Financing For Lockhart III & IV Solar Project In US” • Renewable energy producer Terra-Gen closed project financing for the Lockhart III & IV solar development in San Bernardino County, California. The project’s total financing package amounts to $383 million, the largest part of which is a $236 million tax equity bridge loan. [Power Technology]

¶ “Country’s First Small Modular Reactor To Be Developed In East Tennessee” • Governor Bill Lee announced the first US small modular reactor set to be developed in East Tennessee. Lee said the Tennessee Valley Authority had been selected for a $400 million grant from the US DOE to advance the development of the small modular reactor. [WVLT]

Have an unusually invigorating day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “500 Scientists Are Backing An Urgent Climate Declaration” • Hundreds of scientists signed an urgent declaration calling on world leaders and policymakers to “act now and act fast” on climate change. The Dartington Declaration argues we will fall into the “danger zone” if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t halved by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. [Euronews]

No Planet B (Li-An Lim, Unsplash)

¶ “Missing In Action? Europe’s Mineral Finance Approach” • The EU is looking to build resilient supply chains, but it lacks real outcomes, as it fails to catch up with overseas investments. Since 2020, China has invested over $15 billion in key battery metals projects globally. In contrast, EU companies have invested only $1.7 billion, all in Argentina. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ethio Telecom Expands Its EV Charging Network With A Third Super-Fast Smart Station In Addis Ababa” • Last year, Ethiopia made the bold step to be the first country in the world to restrict the import of internal combustion engine vehicles totally. This bold move resulted in a surge of EV registrations. It also meant more charging. [CleanTechnica]

New charging hub in Addis Ababa (Ethio Telecom image)

¶ “German Study Finds Tesla Model Y Has Worst Reliability of 2022–2023 Models!” • A reliability report included a thorough assessment of EVs. It echoed concerns of fleet owners that the Tesla Model Y had shockingly bad reliability. It had a 17.3% defect rate for cars two to three years old, the worst recorded in the auto industry in ten years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “ILOS Energy Banks €143 Million To Build Irish Solar Site” • ILOS Energy has secured a €143 million debt finance facility to fund construction of a 217-MW solar farm in Ballyhea, County Cork, Ireland. The agreement with Danske Bank will support works that began in April and are progressing ahead of schedule, according to the company. [reNews]

Solar site (ILOS Energy image)

¶ “Grid and storage top net zero concerns” • Of the energy professionals at the Cornwall Insight Live conference, 48% view grid infrastructure and storage as the biggest barriers to getting to net zero, a CI survey of 103 attendees found. Another 26% cited policy uncertainty and investment conditions, according to the conference organisers. [reNews]

¶ “Ocean Winds’ €2 Billion BC-Wind Financial Close” • Ocean Winds secured about €2 billion of project finance and reached financial close for its 390-MW BC-Wind project in the Polish Baltic Sea. Ocean Winds said the funding is supported by the European Investment Bank, ICO and thirteen commercial banks. It will deliver first power in 2028. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm construction (Ocean Winds image)

¶ “Clean Energy Outpaced Fossil Fuel Investments In 2024, IRENA Says” • Investments in renewable power, battery storage, and grids was greater than fossil fuel spending in 2024, an International Renewable Energy Agency report shows. Spending on these technologies was estimated at $1.19 trillion compared with $1.13 trillion for fossil fuels. [Asian Power]

¶ “NexGen Energy Secures 1.7 GW Of Wind Energy Deals In The Philippines” • NexGen Energy Corp secured three new onshore wind energy service contracts through a Philippine subsidiary. The company said Airstream Renewables Corp received the contracts. They total 1.7 GW and have a value of around $2.5 billion in investment. [Asian Power]

Philippine wind turbines (Elmer B. Domingo, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “ADB Funds Central Asia’s Biggest Solar System In Uzbekistan, Pairing 1 GW Of PV With 1,336 MWh Of Storage” • The Asian Development Bank, along with several other large lenders, is set to fund what will be Central Asia’s largest solar complex in Uzbekistan, pairing 1 GW of PV with a 1,336-MWh battery storage system. [Energies Media]

¶ “‘Risk Of Serious Injury’ At Nuclear Plant Site” • There is a “risk of serious injury” at the first nuclear plant to be built in Britain for 30 years, according to regulators who identified “inadequate fire controls” at the plant. Inspections served civil engineering firm Bylor JV with a fire safety notice for its work at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. [BBC]

Hinkley Point C (gov.uk, CC BY-SA 3.0)

US:

¶ “Hurricanes In 2024 Led To The Most Hours Without Power In The US In Ten Years” • US electricity customers had an average of eleven hours of interruptions in 2024, or nearly twice as many as the annual average of the decade before, according to the EIA’s Electric Power Annual 2024 report. Major events accounted for 80% of those hours in 2024. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “More US States Are Promoting Balcony Solar” • Earlier this year, Utah became the first state in the US to pass legislation allowing people to install balcony solar PVs. In other states, there are laws that make balcony solar illegal, but according to The Guardian that may soon change in a number of states, including several in the Northeast. [CleanTechnica]

Balcony solar system (Tornasol Energy image)

¶ “US Renewable Energy Market Forecast 2025 To 2033” • After years of on-going but uneven growth, renewable power went from an alternative option to become a national priority and a high-performing economic sector. Renub Research says the US Renewable Energy Market is expected to be about 1,000 GW by 2033, up from 430 GW in 2024. [vocal.media]

¶ “Trump Administration Renames Colorado’s NREL To Be The National Lab Of The Rockies” • The National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, is to be called by that name no longer. The iconic research hub, first launched during the 1970s energy crisis, is now to be known as the National Laboratory of the Rockies. [Colorado Public Radio]

Have a cleverly contrived day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

World:

¶ “How Can We Decarbonize Shipping Without Damaging The Global Economy?” • Huge amounts of goods are transported by sea, and shipping is a key part of the world economy. The UN’s International Maritime Organisation is trying to introduce a levy on carbon emissions from shipping, but is the industry ready to reduce its impact or face rising costs? [Euronews]

Ship about to sail (Nathan Cima, Unsplash)

¶ “Venezuela Accuses The US Of Wanting To ‘Take Over Its Oil Resources’ And Seeks Help From OPEC+” • The government of Venezuela says US actions seek to “destabilize” the country to affect its ability to export oil. It called on OPEC+ members to show solidarity in the face of actions it believes could endanger the stability of its oil production. [Euronews]

¶ “The Strange Time Compression Of Sodium-Ion Battery Development” • The relatively new Beijing company HiNa makes sodium-ion batteries used in JAC cars and in other areas, including utility storage. HiNa was founded in 2017, and it has already produced the world’s largest sodium-ion storage system, with a 100-MWh capacity. [CleanTechnica]

Sodium-ion battery system (HiNa image)

¶ “ACWA Power Achieves Financial Close For 15 GW Of RE Projects In Saudi Arabia” • ACWA Power, along with its partners Water and Electricity Holding Company, and Saudi Aramco Power Company, reached financial close for the development of 15 GW of solar and wind projects in Saudi Arabia. There are seven projects involved. [Asian Power]

¶ “Adani Green Energy Switches On 200 MW Of Solar Power At Khavda” • In a stock exchange filing, Adani Green Energy Ltd said it recently put into operation an aggregate 200 MW of solar power projects in Gujarat. The projects were commissioned through subsidiaries. AGEL’s operational renewable generating capacity is nearly 16,930 MW. [pv magazine India]

Solar array (Adani Green Energy Ltd)

¶ “Fortescue Delivers Big Battery To Support Pilbara Plans” • A milestone was reached with mining giant Fortescue’s delivery of a 50-MW, 250-MWh battery energy storage system at its North Star Junction site in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The firm has plans to roll out the up to 5 GWh of storage systems over the coming years. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “Why Heritage Buildings Need Solar Roofing” • As renewable energy and clean technology gain momentum, historic buildings face increasing pressure to reduce their carbon footprint. This is partly intensified by concerns around their typically poor energy efficiency, often a result of their age, design, and construction materials. [pv magazine International]

Westminster Abbey with BIPV Roofing (Roofit.solar rendering)

¶ “Officials Switch On Revolutionary Power Plant” • Only four hydrogen plants are currently producing low-carbon hydrogen in Europe, but a new project, HySynergy, was recently opened in Denmark, according to Tech Xplore. The plant is powered by solar and wind energy. It will produce about eight tonnes of hydrogen per day. [The Cool Down]

¶ “$27 Million Renewable Energy Pledge For Remote Aboriginal Communities” • Western Australia announced it will invest $27 million in renewable energy for remote Aboriginal communities. This will allow Horizon Power to upgrade 13 power systems and undertake the planning other initial work for upgrades in eight communities. [Inside State Government]

Children in Western Australia (Nick Dunn, Unsplash)

¶ “Officials Make Alarming Discovery Outside Of Shutdown Nuclear Facility” • The BBC reported that a radioactive fragment categorized as “significant” was discovered around the Dounreay nuclear facilit. The Dounreay facility was an experimental nuclear site. Now, the shores and seabed around Dounreay are heavily contaminated, according to the BBC. [Yahoo]

US:

¶ “Solar And Storage Surge In The US” • A review of EIA data shows utility-scale solar electricity grew 29% over the past year while battery storage expanded by 59%, according to the SUN DAY Campaign. The group said solar set records in September as utility-scale output rose 36.1% year-on-year and small-scale systems increased 12.7%. [reNews]

Solar power (Dad Hotel, Unsplash)

¶ “Solar Power Benefits Public Schools, And What’s Wrong With That?” • The “American Energy Dominance” policy is only part of the partisan political picture. Solar power has become an economic lifeline for K–12 school districts, putting it at odds with a long-standing effort to reshape the nation’s politically neutral system of public education. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hydropower, Energy Dominance, And Tribal Rights” • In 2024, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission put a rule in place that allowed tribes to veto hydropower projects on their land. Last month, Energy Secretary Chris Wright asked FERC to reverse the rule, claiming it is not compatible with a grid that needs to grow as quickly as possible. [CleanTechnica]

Have an excitingly easygoing day.

geoharvey is free and without ads.
geoharvey is not tax-deductible.