World:
¶ “Trump Claims China Doesn’t Use Wind Power. The World’s Largest Wind Farm Is There” • Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the POTUS made several dubious claims about Greenland, NATO, and renewable energy. Trump consistently criticised the green energy drive, calling wind and solar power “the scam of the century.” [Euronews]
Wind farm in Xinjiang (taylorandayumi, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped)
¶ “Report Ties Top Polluters To Countries Blocking Fossil Fuel Phaseout” • An increasingly concentrated group of fossil fuel giants dominates global emissions and sabotages climate action to weaken government ambition. Analysis from Carbon Majors’ dataset found that just 32 companies were responsible for 50% of the world’s CO₂ emissions in 2024. [Euronews]
¶ “The Assumptions That Broke: China, India, And The End Of Fossil Growth Models” • The idea that heavy freight would be the last redoubt of diesel has been repeated for decades, often with confidence and rarely with evidence. In December 2026, that idea finally collapsed. Battery electric heavy duty trucks crossed 50% of new sales in China. [CleanTechnica]
BYD electric truck (Huangdan2060, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped)
¶ “China’s Efforts In Climate Response And Renewable Energy Widely Recognized: FM Spokesperson” • China is a responsible country, and its efforts on the climate and promoting renewable energy development are widely recognized, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said, responding to President Trump’s assertions on China’s windpower. [China Daily]
¶ “EU To Phase Out Damaging Soy Biofuels” • Report findings published by the EU Commission show the EU will phase out soy in an attempt to curb the use of biofuels linked to indirect land-use change, a major cause of CO₂ emissions and biodiversity loss. The report shows the deforestation risk of promoting food and feed crops for fuel, T&E says. [CleanTechnica]
Field of soy (Ginger Jordan, Unsplash)
¶ “Top Economist Urges Europe To Fight Trump By Punishing US Billionaires” • Leading French economist Gabriel Zucman is urging European governments to respond to Trump’s threats to annex Greenland by taxing the super-rich who might benefit. “Access to the European market should be made conditional on paying a wealth tax.” [Common Dreams]
¶ “Wind And Solar Surpassed Fossil Fuels In EU In 2025” • They might be close, but the trend is clear. In a report on renewable energy in the EU, Ember found that wind and solar provided 30% of the electricity used in the Continent in 2025. Fossil fuels were close behind at 29%. But renewables are trending up while fossil fuels are trending down. [CleanTechnica]
Solar array (Ember image)
¶ “Japan’s Largest Nuclear Plant Hit By New Halt After Brief Restart” • Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings said it halted operations at a reactor at the Kashiwazaki Kariwa nuclear power plant just one day after restarting it. The move comes as Japan tries to bring nuclear capacity back online over a decade after Fukushima, Reuters reported. [OilPrice.com]
¶ “Baltic TSOs Set Coordinated Offshore Plan” • Transmission system operators from eight Baltic states published a regional study outlining coordinated offshore grid and wind development to 2040. It identifies about 13 GW of new interconnectors and up to 50 GW of additional offshore wind, including point-to-point links and potential hybrid hubs. [reNews]
Offshore wind construction (50Hertz image)
US:
¶ “Trump Administration Scraps Multimillion-Dollar Solar Projects In Puerto Rico As Grid Crumbles” • The DOE canceled solar projects in Puerto Rico worth millions of dollars, as the island struggles with a crumbling electric grid. The DOE claimed that a push for renewable energy threatened grid reliability. Local experts refute that. [ABC News]
¶ “Scott Pushes Lawmakers To Reconsider Nuclear Energy In Vermont” • Governor Phil Scott is asking lawmakers to take a second look at nuclear energy as Vermont works to meet its renewable electricity goals by 2030. “Previous policy decisions made in this building prioritize ideology over results,” Scott said in his budget address this week. [WCAX]
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
(NextEra Energy May 2023 Investor Presentationt, page 10)
¶ “Environmental, Consumer Groups Challenge DOE’s Unlawful Coal Plant Extensions” • Seven environmental and consumer advocacy groups filed rehearing requests after Trump’s DOE unlawfully invoked Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act and forced two coal power plants in Indiana to stay online after their planned retirements. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “How A Warming Arctic Is Pushing The US And Eastern Europe Into A Deep Freeze” • Warm Arctic waters and cold continental land are combining to stretch the dreaded polar vortex in a way that will send much of the US a devastating dose of winter weather later this week. The country is expecting some painful subzero temperatures. [Euronews]
Snow (Hannah Krueger, Unsplash)
¶ “US Developer Greenlit For Massive Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project On Brownfield ” • Good old fashioned pumped hydro still accounts for about 95% of utility-scale storage in the US. Now the news is that pumped storage firm Rye Development received a 40-year license for the proposed 1.2-GW Goldendale project in Washington State. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “US Developer Hecate To Go Public” • Hecate Energy Group and EGH Acquisition Corp agreed a business combination that will result in Hecate becoming a public company listed on the Nasdaq. The transaction values Hecate at a pre-money enterprise value of $1.2 billion, the companies said. EGH’s trust account will provide up to $155 million. [reNews]
Have a convincingly thoughtful day.
geoharvey 
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