Opinion:
¶ “Europe’s Energy Problem Isn’t The Transition; It Is That Europe Never Finished It” • Europe made a mistake, but it was not moving too quickly on clean energy. It was moving halfway. We invested in renewable generation, but underinvested in the grids, storage, flexibility, and electrification required to make the system work efficiently at scale. [OilPrice.com]
Transmission lines (Matthew Henry, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “The US Backs A South Africa Project To Extract Rare Earths Despite A Diplomatic Clash” • The Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project has US support through a $50 million equity investment by its International Development Finance Corporation and is part of accelerated US efforts to reduce reliance on economic rival China. [ABC News]
¶ “XPENG GX Exemplifies The Large, Premium SUVs Coming Out Ahead Of Auto China 2026” • Auto China 2026 begins next week, and new product announcements have started. This year, many focus on large, luxurious electrified SUVs. XPENG’s new GX is one of the most significant announcements, as it shows where the segment is heading. [CleanTechnica]
XPENG GX (XPENG via Facebook)
¶ “Hydropower Is Making a Global Comeback” • Hydropower has long played a major role in global energy production, with several countries around the globe relying on the power of water to provide vast amounts of clean energy. And the IEA’s Executive Director, Fatih Birol, has suggested that hydropower is often overlooked. Now it is getting attention. [OilPrice.com]
¶ “Sea Ice In Antarctica Was Expanding Until 2016. Then It All Changed” • Antarctic sea ice expanded in the decades before 2016, as increased precipitation made surface waters fresher, with saltier waters below, resulting in stratification. That fresher water at the surface was able to freeze to form new sea ice. Then everything changed. [CleanTechnica]
Antarctic ice (NOAA Earth Observatory image)
¶ “Uruguay Is Building The Biggest Solar Power Plant With Capacity Of 100 MW” • UTE, the state-owned power company of Uruguay, started construction of a 100-MW solar power plant, which will become the largest facility of this type in the country. Uruguay already produces almost all of its electric energy with renewable sources. [The Global Energy Association]
US:
¶ “How Strait Of Hormuz Volatility Impacts Soybean, Corn, And Dairy Farmers: What It Means For US Consumers” • Farmers across the country are in peak planting season, but with some pivotal means of agriculture production such as fertilizer and fuel supplies impacted by the war in Iran. Fuel and fertilizer prices have soared. [ABC News]
Farm (Michael Bourgault, Unsplash)
¶ “Why The Future Of Energy Storage Is Spinning To Make A Comeback ” • Flywheels are no longer a niche technology just for frequency regulation. They are being reconsidered as serious systems for a renewable-heavy grid. Amber Kinetics has been running a prototype in Hawaii, engineered for a four-hour discharge duration. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Low-Cost Community Solar Keeps Growing Despite Tide Of Negative Federal Policy” • The community solar movement has emerged as a significant source of new generating capacity in the US. Last year the sector passed the 10-GW mark, and an 8-GW development pipeline of new projects is already in the works. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. [CleanTechnica]
Community solar on a rooftop (Dimension Energy image)
¶ “Cincinnati Flips Long-Dead Landfill Into $24 Million Solar Power Play” • Cincinnati leaders gathered to break ground on the Center Hill Solar Array, an installation of about 10-MW that will turn the dormant Center Hill landfill into one of the city’s largest renewable-energy investments. The project is a way to cut city energy costs and put the site to work. [Hoodline]
¶ “White House Wants A Nuclear Reactor Orbiting The Moon By 2028” • Last year, Trump issued a plan to install a nuclear reactor on the moon, but new orders describe a brand new vision. The plan lays out a mandate for NASA, the Pentagon, and the DOE to develop a nuclear system capable of orbiting the moon, and have it launch-ready as soon as 2028. [OilPrice.com]
Have a remarkably restful day.
geoharvey 