World:
¶ “As Solar Costs Fall, Fossil Fuels Are Fast Becoming The More Expensive Option” • More than 700 million people still have no electricity, and many of those who have it face frequent outages. Now a report from energy think tank Ember found that a recent downward cost shift could bring renewables to the billion people left behind by fossil fuels. [Euronews]
Installing a solar system (Raze Solar, Unsplash)
¶ “Russia And China Veto UN Resolution Aimed At Reopening Hormuz Strait As US Deadline For Deal Looms” • Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that was aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. The resolution had already been repeatedly watered down in the hope that the two countries would allow it to pass. [Euronews]
¶ “Crude Oil And Petroleum Product Prices Increased Sharply In The First Quarter Of 2026” • Crude oil and petroleum product prices were up markedly in the first quarter of 2026, particularly after military action in the Middle East on February 28 and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Futures price of Brent crude oil almost doubled. [CleanTechnica]
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
¶ “BMW Group And Rimac Technology Cooperate On Novel High-Voltage Battery For The BMW i7” • BMW is cooperating with Rimac Technology on the new all-electric BMW i7. The joint project is to bring the Gen6 technology developed by BMW for an innovative high-voltage storage system for more range and higher charging speed. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Battery Energy Storage Key To India Emissions Reduction Goal” • India updated its carbon emissions goals to reduce its emissions intensity of 2005 by 47% by 2035. An Ember report says, “solar and battery storage can meet as much as 90% of India’s electricity demand at lower LCOE than the average power purchase costs in most states.” [CleanTechnica]
ACEN Solar Project (Photo from ACEN)
¶ “Netherlands Opens Permits With Subsidy For Two Wind Farms” • Developers will be able to apply in 2026 for permits with subsidy for two offshore wind farms at IJmuiden Ver Gamma-A and Gamma-B. The Netherlands Enterprise Agency said each site will have a capacity of 1 GW, and both tenders expected to close in December 2026. [reNews]
¶ “Jan De Nul Launches Cable Vessel” • Jan De Nul has launched its subsea cable-laying vessel William Thomson, one of two identical ships under construction. The company said the vessel, launched at the CMHI Haimen shipyard in China, has a cargo capacity of 28,000 tonnes and a length of 215 metres, making it among the largest of its kind. [reNews]
William Thomson (Jan De Nul image)
¶ “Hundreds Of Cuban Women Rally Against The US Energy Blockade” • Hundreds of Cuban women gathered in Havana to decry a US energy embargo and other measures imposed by US President Donald Trump that are strangling the Caribbean island. “This policy of abuse has to stop,” said Deputy Foreign Minister Josefina Vidal. [ABC News]
¶ “Spark Secures Australian Approval For Massive Solar And Battery Project” • The New South Wales Independent Planning Commission granted approval for the Dinawan Solar Farm and battery project. Spark Renewables said the project combines 800 MW of solar capacity with a 356-MW, 1,574-MWh battery energy storage system. [pv magazine International]
Solar array (Spark Renewables image)
¶ “Norwegian Nuclear Committee Says No To Nuclear Power In Norway” • The government-appointed Norwegian Nuclear Committee will submit its report to Norwegian energy minister Terje Aasland after a year and a half of work. It rejects nuclear power in Norway, saying that to be viable, “investment costs must be 70-80% lower.” [EnergyWatch]
US:
¶ “Would Trump’s Threatened Attacks On Iran’s Infrastructure Be A War Crime?” • President Trump escalated threats to target civilian sites in Iran if the country does not re-open the Strait of Hormuz. This made lawmakers, human rights organizations, and experts on international law sound alarms that the attacks would amount to war crimes. [Time Magazine]
Pay attention! (Mike Newbry, Unsplash)
¶ “Connecticut Organizations Urge Federal Leaders To Protect Climate Accountability Efforts” • Big Oil is lobbying Congress and the Trump regime for legal immunity from laws and lawsuits holding them accountable for their role in the climate crisis, 78 Connecticut organizations are calling on federal leaders to ensure that doesn’t happen. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Trump Administration Finalizes Methane Rule That Will Loosen Restrictions On Gas Flaring, Increase Pollution” • The EPA finalized its first reconsideration of the 2024 methane rule. The action will increase gas flaring at oil wells and increase air and climate pollution. The Sierra Club’s Director of Beyond Fossil Fuels Policy responds. [CleanTechnica]
Gas flaring (Joshua Doubek, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped)
¶ “Cadillac EV Sales Up In 2026!” • At a time when the US EV market is suffering, thanks to the end of the US EV tax credit and some legacy automakers deciding they just can’t sell EVs here, writing off billions in investments, Cadillac is actually doing quite alright. In fact, Cadillac’s EV sales were up in the US in the first quarter. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Harvard To Launch New ‘Energy, Climate, And Environment’ Concentration” • Harvard faculty voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new interdisciplinary “Energy, Climate, and Environment” concentration, to launch in the 2026-27 academic year. Some professors warned that its success will depend on resources and coordination, however. [The Harvard Crimson]
Have an elegantly grand day.
geoharvey 
Leave a comment