World:
¶ “El Niño Looms: Near-Record Sea Temperatures In April Raise Fears Of More Global Heat” • Data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service show average sea surface temperatures reached 21°C in April, the second-highest level ever recorded for the month. Parts of the tropical Pacific were especially warm, and the heat can intensify storms. [Euronews]
Storm brewing (Braden Egli, Unsplash)
¶ “Shell Profits Surge As Iran War Drives Up Oil Prices” • Shell plc posted stronger-than-expected first-quarter earnings as the Iran war drove up oil and gas prices and boosted trading profits, offsetting conflict-related declines in production. The adjusted earnings rose to $6.9 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 24% from $5.6 billion a year earlier. [Euronews]
¶ “Europe Needs To Be More Radical On The Energy Crisis, EU Climate Commissioner Explains” • The only way out of energy crises fueled by wars is homegrown energy, Wopke Hoekstra told Euronews. The EU Climate Commissioner said, “We owe it to our citizens and our companies.” The EU must transition to EU alternative energy sources more quickly. [Euronews]
Wopke Hoekstra (European People’s Party, CC BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “735 Electric Buses Coming To Dubai Soon ” • Dubai will be getting 735 new electric buses in 2026. We don’t know how it is possible to get so many new electric buses so quickly, but the Emirates News Agency posted the information. Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority has about 40 electric buses and found that their operations were successful. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Space Is Becoming Climate Infrastructure, And China Knows It” • China is is building space as national infrastructure. It is not a question of whether China can beat NASA or SpaceX at every technical frontier this year. It cannot. The question is whether China is building capability in every strategic layer of the space economy. That may be the case. [CleanTechnica]
Earth from the Moon (NASA, Unsplash)
¶ “Thistle Submits Bowdun Offshore Application” • Thistle Wind Partners has submitted the offshore consent application for its Bowdun offshore wind project to the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate. At 1 GW, the fixed-bottom offshore wind project should generate electricity equivalent to the annual demand of over 1.2 million households. [reNews]
¶ “Rezolv Commissions Bulgarian St George Solar Park” • Rezolv Energy has commissioned the 225-MW St George solar park in Bulgaria. Rezolv said the project is one of Bulgaria’s largest solar parks and was delivered in under three years from acquisition of the development rights. The $300 million project is capable of generating about 313 GWh annually. [reNews]
Solar park (Rezolv image)
¶ “Clean Energy Challenges Fossil Fuels” • Clean energy can provide reliable, around-the-clock electricity at prices that rival fossil fuels, as the war on Iran forces Europe to re-think its reliance. A report from IRENA found that when solar and wind power are combined with battery storage, they can undercut the price of even new gas power. [Yahoo News Australia]
US:
¶ “Battery Array As Powerful As Twelve Nuclear Plants Comes To Major Milestone In California” • While Californians were getting ready for spring break in late March, the state quietly broke an energy grid record: For the first time, its battery fleet discharged more than 12,000 megawatts of power, roughly the output of twelve large nuclear plants. [Yahoo]
Diablo Canyon Power Plant (Doc Searls, CC BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “DOJ Probing $2.6 Billion In Oil Trades Related To Iran War, Sources Say” • The Department of Justice is investigating a series of suspiciously timed trades in the oil market just ahead of major announcements by President Donald Trump and a top Iranian official about the war in Iran, sources told ABC News. The DOJ is probing at least four trades. [ABC News]
¶ “US Air Force Sets Its Sights On Space Solar Power” • Despite the sharp U-turn in federal energy policy, the US Air Force is continuing its pursue of the next generation of decarbonization, and space solar is in the mix. Yes, space solar. That nutty idea about beaming solar energy down to Earth. It may not be all that nutty after all. [CleanTechnica]
Space solar energy (Courtesy of Overview Energy)
¶ “SEC Moves Toward Rescinding Climate Disclosure Rule, Retreating Further From Investor Protection” • The Securities and Exchange Commission submitted a proposed rule titled “Rescission of Climate-Related Disclosure Rules” to the White House for review. The original disclosure rule has still not taken effect amid litigation. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Air Conditioning Battery Program For Renters Could Help Manage Grid Stress” • A renter-friendly pilot program in New York City is testing a different approach to AC: plug-in batteries that can power air conditioners offline during peak demand, helping take pressure off the grid at its most stressed moments while still keeping residents cool. [ABC News]
Air Conditioner (Andrianto Cahyono Putro, Unsplash)
¶ “NY Pension Fund Mulls TotalEnergies Divestment” • The New York State Common Retirement Fund told TotalEnergies that it is considering divesting its stock, the Financial Times reported. The state’s pension fund’s motivation is the French developer’s decision to scrap two US offshore wind leases for a refund of nearly $1 billion in lease payments. [reNews]
¶ “Vermont Renewable Gas Reaches Agreement With Agriculture Agency” • Clean Energy Technologies, Inc, a company focused on converting waste into power and fuels, announced that its affiliate, Vermont Renewable Gas, made an agreement with the state’s Agriculture Agency on a proposed 2.2-MW renewable energy facility in Lyndon. [Yahoo Finance]
Have an endlessly worthwhile day.
geoharvey 
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