World:
¶ “Iran War Sparks Renewables Boom As Europeans Rush To Buy Solar, Heat Pumps, And EVs” • The case for green energy looks stronger than ever, as the war on Iran highlights the many risks of fossil fuel dependency. Brent crude, a global benchmark for oil prices, is up over 50% since the war began in the Middle East, hitting $116 a barrel. [Euronews]
Installing solar panels (Bill Mead, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Options Dwindle For Getting Oil Out Of Middle East If Bab-El-Mandeb Strait Closes” • The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz during the war with Iran has choked global oil supply and exports through alternative routes still leave the world supply short by about 13 million barrels per day. There is no clear replacement for the shortfall. [ABC News]
¶ “Oil-thirsty Asian nations Seek Russian Crude As Iran War Strains Supplies” • Asian nations are competing for Russian crude oil as the energy crisis mounts with the month-old war by the US and Israel against Iran. It has choked off about a fifth of the world’s oil supply. Much of the oil that went through the Strait of Hormuz was headed to Asia. [ABC News]
Oil carrier (B-joy Abraham, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Oil Companies To Make €24 Billion In Excess Profits From European Drivers This Year ” • Oil majors are set to make a €24 billion windfall from European drivers with the Middle East war, a T&E tracker shows. T&E calls on the EU to implement a tax on excess profits and use the funds to support Europeans to become less vulnerable to future oil shocks. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “$200 A Barrel Oil? Bloomberg Says It’s Possible” • Officials in the US government officials Wall Street analysts are starting to give thought to the prospect that oil prices might surge to an unheard-of $200 a barrel, according to a Bloomberg report. If that happens, many of the foundations of the global economic system will be disrupted. [CleanTechnica]
Pump jacks (Documerica, Unsplash)
¶ “Solar For The Win! Energy From The Sun Is Setting Records Worldwide” • One thing that few seem to appreciate about solar panels is that once they are installed, the “fuel” that makes them produce electricity is free. By contrast, a thermal generating station – coal, natural gas, oil, or nuclear – needs fuel of some sort every second it is operation. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Argentina And Mexico Just Placed Massive EV Orders On Brazil: 50,000 BYDs Each For 2027” • Stella Li, president of BYD Americas, in Rio de Janeiro, said that amidst high demand and high tariffs for Chinese-made EVs, BYD Brazil had received a massive 100,000 vehicle order, half from Mexico and half from Argentina. [CleanTechnica]
BYD celebrating order (BYD image)
¶ “R.Power Starts Jedwabno BESS Construction” • R.Power has started construction of its 150-MW, 300-MWh Jedwabno battery energy storage project in Poland. R.Power added the project is one of Poland’s largest energy storage projects in construction. It has secured revenues through a 17-year capacity market contract with Axpo. [reNews]
¶ “Etem Gestamp Signs Cross-Border VIFOR PPA” • Rezolv Energy and Etem Gestamp signed a 10-year VPPA linked to the 461-MW VIFOR wind farm in Romania. Etem Gestamp said the agreement will supply clean energy to its Bulgarian operations reduce its environmental footprint. The VIFOR wind farm is nearly ready to come onstream. [reNews]
Vifor wind farm
¶ “Nuclear Won’t Shield Europe From Energy Price Shocks” • Every time energy prices spike, nuclear power has a comeback in the debate. With more nuclear, Europe would be insulated from volatile fossil fuel markets. But the idea that Europe can now build its way into nuclear-driven price stability runs into a hard reality: timelines and costs. [OilPrice.com]
US:
¶ “The US Is Sitting On 161 GW In Underused Wind Farm Capacity” • The US has hundreds of functioning wind farms spinning out clean electricity with outdated blades, rotors, and other equipment. If the oldest of these were repowered with newer turbines, the domestic wind industry could add 161 GW in capacity without using more land. [CleanTechnica]
Repowered Pyron Wind Farm (GE Vernova image)
¶ “EPA Watchdog Finds Nation’s Most Contaminated Sites Are Vulnerable To Flooding, Wildfires” • About 100 of the worst toxic waste sites in the US are in areas prone to flooding and wildfires. This is a potential public health threat to millions of Americans who live in nearby communities, the internal watchdog at the US EPA has found. [ABC News]
¶ “The Only New Energy Coming Online In 2026 Is Renewables” • The EIA reports continued growth for renewables. Meanwhile, forecasted growth for fossil fuels and nuclear power is even bleaker than that experienced last year. Zero growth is currently projected for nuclear power while net fossil fuel capacity is expected to fall by 4,261.3 MW. [Solar Power World]
Solar array in Shirley, MA (Stephen Coffrin, US DOE)
¶ “Wall Street Raises Recession Odds With The Iran War” • The US-Israeli attacks on Iran set off one of the worst oil shocks in decades. Now there are gloomy forecasts about the risk of a US recession. Goldman Sachs raised the odds of a recession within a year from 25% to 30%, while Moody’s Analytics pegged them at just below 50%. [ABC News]
¶ “The Nuclear Safety Protections in Federal Crosshairs” • Last May, Trump signed four executive orders aimed at reviving what he called an industry “atrophied” by regulation. The DOE began stripping away regulations that reduce the amount of radiation exposure workers can face at national laboratories, cleanup sites, and energy infrastructure. [Undark Magazine]
Eat slowly and chew your food well.
geoharvey 
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