World:
¶ “Germany Has Become A Leader In Plug-In Solar. What’s Taking Other European Countries So Long?” • An analysis from SolarPower Europe found that harnessing sunlight for energy has saved the continent more than €100 million per day since 1 March by reducering demand for imported gas. This means Europe saved €3 billion last month alone. [Euronews]
Plug-in solar (Yuma Solar, Unsplash)
¶ “Jet Fuel Crisis: Rationing Triggered At Four Airports In Italy” • Four northern Italian airports have introduced restrictions on jet fuel due to the energy crisisof the Iran War. Priority is being given to long-haul and medical flights. Meanwhile, Ryanair has warned that if the war continues, summer flights are at risk all across Europe. [Euronews]
¶ “‘Vulnerable And Extremely Precious’: Italy Ramps Up Coastal Protection As Erosion Worsens” • Italy has more than 8,000 km of coastline, ranging from long sweeps of sandy beach to striking rock formations. But erosion of these natural wonders is now a critical environmental emergency. The cause is sea level rise and more extreme weather. [Euronews]
Beach at Positano (Nahum Ashworth, Unsplash)
¶ “Death Toll From Extreme Weather In Afghanistan Increases To 110” • The death toll from extreme weather that has triggered widespread flooding and landslides in many parts of Afghanistan has increased to at least 110, according to authorities, with seven more people missing. Heavy rain began twelve days ago, and more is forecast. [ABC News]
¶ “Microwaves From Space: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?” • The idea of space-based solar power was been tossed about by science fiction writers for more than a century. But in the past few years it has actually become the topic of serious discussion. It’s one of those concepts that seems to make perfect sense on the macro level. [CleanTechnica]
Solar power from space (NASA, public domain)
¶ “We Need To Tax Billionaires At 2%, And Economist Gabriel Zucman Just Explained Exactly How” • Gabriel Zucman’s book, We Need to Tax Billionaires, is barely 60 pages long. But it has rattled billionaires, sparked a parliamentary vote in France, and put a concrete policy proposal on the table at the G20. Here is what matters and why it’s simple. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “European Firms Launch Noise Consortium” • Chantiers de l’Atlantique, EDF, Heerema Marine Contractors, Menck, RTE, Sealence, and Smulders have formed the Searénité consortium to develop a noise mitigation system for offshore wind farms. The project is to reduce underwater noise during installation of floating offshore turbines and substations. [reNews]
Offshore wind turbines (The Crown Estate image)
¶ “Zelestra And EDP Sign Hybrid PPA” • Zelestra and EDP have signed Spain’s first power purchase agreement to hybridize an operational solar plant with battery storage in Cáceres. Zelestra said it will develop a 160-MWh battery energy storage system to complement the 50-MW Pizarroso solar plant, which has been operational since 2023. [reNews]
¶ “Nine RE Projects Cleared To Add Over 50 MW To Grid” • The Philippine Department of Energy has cleared nine renewable energy projects for detailed evaluation under the Open and Competitive Selection Process 5, signaling a potential addition of more than 50 MW of hydropower, geothermal, and wind energy to the country’s power grid. [Daily Tribune]
Philippine wind farm (Ranieljosecastaneda, CC BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “South Australia Opens Up New Areas For Renewable Energy Opportunities” • The South Australia government is calling for investors from around the world to propose large-scale solar, wind, and storage projects across more than 11,000 square km of land that has been released under the state’s renewable energy framework. [pv magazine International]
¶ “Kenya Finishes One of Africa’s Largest Wind Farms, Targeting 100% Renewable Energy by 2030” • At the heart of Kenya’s clean energy push is the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project in Marsabit County in northern Kenya. The facility spans 160 square km and has 365 turbines, producing 310 MW of electricity. It is one of the largest wind farms in Africa. [Microgrid Media]
Lake Turkana Project (Andrew Owuor, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “IAEA Says Strikes Near Iran Nuclear Power Plant ‘Must Stop'” • Rafael Grossi, chief of the UN nuclear watchdog, warned that attacks near Iran’s Bushehr atomic power plant “pose a very real danger to nuclear safety and must stop.” He added that one strike hit just 75 metres (82 yards) from the plant perimeter. The plant has a 1,000-MW reactor. [MSN]
US:
¶ “Kia EV Sales Holding Up Okay In 2026 In USA” • In March, Kia didn’t see didn’t see notable growth, but it also didn’t have the massive dropoff that most of the US EV market had. In sales are barely any different from March 2025 overall. The first two months of the year, however, had sales that were down. We can take what good news we get. [CleanTechnica]
Coming 2027 Kia EV3 crossover (Kia image)
¶ “Why Tesla’s Stock Price Has Dropped Nearly 20% In Six Months” • Tesla’s stock price continues to slide. The reasons for this might include a failure to meet the promised robotaxi targets, declining EV sales, and even the IPO of SpaceX. But it is clear that the stock is trading at a price many times higher than what the market likes. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “California’s Battery Boom Rewrites Power Markets” • Some people treat batteries as a marginal technology, but real-world systems are starting to show how wrong they are. Storage is not just filling small gaps. It is beginning to replace the role that had been played by large, flexible fossil generation. And it is doing so faster than expected. [OilPrice.com]
Have an especially delightful day.
geoharvey 