World:
¶ “Bolivia’s Fuel Shortages And ‘Junk Gasoline’ Drive A Surge In Electric Cars” • A small but growing number of Bolivians are switching from combustion cars to EVs as the South American country has fuel shortages and a presidential decree that ended long-standing fuel subsidies. And the gasoline is of low enough quality to damage vehicles. [ABC News]
Sucre, Bolivia (Andrea Huls Pareja, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Malaysia Is Increasing Local Tariffs To Protect Its National Car Brands” • Starting July 1 of this year, local tariffs for imported EVs to Malaysia will increase based on the value of the vehicle. Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry said that the policy shift is designed to protect national automakers of the lower-priced EV segment. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Lotus Sent Its First Batch Of Eighteen EVs To Canada” • With its ownership of the British performance marque Lotus Cars and its Nasdaq-listed technology arm Lotus Technology, Chinese automotive giant Geely has now physically delivered the first Chinese-made EVs into Canada under Ottawa’s newly revised trade framework with Beijing. [CleanTechnica]
Lotus Eletre (Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Solar Is The Rising Power Source Says IEA” • Analysis from the International Energy Agency’s Global Energy Review 2026 shows global energy demand rose by 1.3% last year despite economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, and slowing growth in some major economies. But the biggest part of that story was not oil or gas. It was solar. [Energy Live News]
¶ “More Electric Trucks Take To Australian Roads” • Despite our vast distances in Australia, most trucks operate along transport corridors north-south on the east coast. With a will and some investment, this corridor can be electrified. Here are some stories of progress along the route to electrification. It may not be as fast as China, but it is happening. [CleanTechnica]
Daimler truck (Courtesy of Daimler Truck AG)
¶ “Mining Giant Signs 30-Year Off-Take Deal On Indigenous-Led Solar And Battery Project” • A major Indigenous-led renewable energy initiative reached financial close for a solar farm of up to 150 MW and a battery system in Western Australia, after sealing an off-take deal for the Pilbara iron ore operations of mining giant Rio Tinto. [Renew Economy]
¶ “New Network Rail Deal To Run Sites With Wind Power” • In the UK, Network Rail took another major step towards powering all its offices, depots, and managed stations by renewable energy as it signed a deal with leading renewable energy company RWE to supply around 65% of its non-traction electricity from an offshore wind farms. [Ethical Marketing News]
Gwynt y Môr (Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “US-Bangladesh Deal May Obstruct Bangladesh’s Renewable Energy Growth” • While a US-Bangladesh trade deal may have brought some relief from tariffs on the export-based Bangladesh garment industry, it is also a matter of debate. The provisions of the deal require Bangladesh to purchase $15 billion worth of US LNG over 15 years. [The Business Standard]
¶ “Firm Solar And Storage Costs Fall To $54/MWh, Says IRENA” • Solar-plus-storage LCOE range from $54/MWh to $82/MWh in high-irradiance regions, the International Renewable Energy Agency said in its report, “24/7 Renewables: The Economics of Firm Solar and Wind.” That compares with over $100/MWh for new gas globally. [pv magazine Australia]
Solar plus battery system (Wikideas1, public domain)
¶ “Moscow Accuses Ukraine of Escalating Drone Strikes Near Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Site” • Russian authorities have alleged a significant increase in Ukrainian drone attacks targeting the area around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the nearby city of Energodar. The city has recently had complete power outages lasting for days. [Menafn.com]
US:
¶ “Oregon Democrats’ Gas Tax That Was Used To Improve Roads Could Hit Pothole” • Under Democrat leadership, the Oregon Legislature raised the gas tax and a range of fees last fall as a way to pay for road improvements and plug a hole in the state’s transportation budget. Republicans complicated that with a petition to repeal the increases. [ABC News]
Country road in Oregon (Yulia M, Unsplash)
¶ “Greenlane Expands Electric Truck Charging, Plans Chargers In Texas” • Earlier, Greenlane shared details with CleanTechnica about its truck charging expansion in southern California and Arizona. Now Greenlane announced it is expanding its truck charging offerings into the state of Texas, with charging sites planned for Houston and Dallas. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Confusing Ballot Wording May Have Tipped Ohio Vote On Renewables Ban” • Confusing ballot language could be why an Ohio county upheld a ban on renewable energy. Early analysis of exit poll responses suggests a majority of voters likely meant to vote against Richland County’s ban, but the ballot’s wording confused many of them. [Canary Media]
Have a quietly comfortable day.
geoharvey 
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