World:
¶ “The Race To Unlock ‘Superhot’ Geothermal Energy Is Heating Up” • The IEA highlighted superhot geothermal in its “State of Energy Innovation” report, calling it “clean, firm power” capable of helping support the transition away from fossil fuels. While a geothermal project is breaking ground in Oregon, it is already the source of 30% of Iceland’s electricity. [Euronews]
Geothermal site (Matt Palmer, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “What’s In Store If A ‘Super’ El Niño Hits This Year” • An El Niño event is expected to develop from the middle of this year, impacting global temperature and rainfall patterns, the WMO said. While the models indicate that this may be a strong event, the WMO cautioned that the models also have a harder time making accurate forecasts in the spring. [Euronews]
¶ “Asia Braces For A Second Wave Of Energy Shocks From The Iran War” • When the war started, governments scrambled to adapt to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. They made difficult trade-offs: saving power at the risk of slowing businesses, saving gas at the risk of fertilizer production. But such measures were based on the war ending quickly. [ABC News]
Persian Gulf at night (NASA ISS, public domain)
¶ “Report: 34 Northvolt-Sized Battery Factories Could Be Lost If EU Scales Back EV Targets” • Scaling back EU car climate rules would put a potential 34 Northvolt-sized battery factories at risk. That’s according to a T&E report that models the ‘industrial opportunity cost’ of weakening EU car CO₂ targets as carmakers are demanding. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Fugro Lands Berwick Bank B Survey” • Fugro was awarded a major geotechnical survey contract by SSE for the Berwick Bank B offshore wind farm in the North Sea.The 1.4-GW Berwick Bank B is the second phase of the wider Berwick Bank project, which aims at 4.1 GW of offshore wind capacity. With that capacity, it would be the world’s largest offshore wind farm. [reNews]
Fugro work site (Fugro image)
¶ “Adani Adds 150 MW Solar Capacity To Khavda 30-GW Renewable Energy park” • Adani Green Energy Ltd, through its arm Adani Green Energy Twenty Five C, has commissioned a 150-MW solar power project at the Khavda renewable energy complex. The project is planned to have an installed capacity of 30 GW by 2029. [pv magazine International]
¶ “Ørsted And PGE Start Baltica 2 Build” • Ørsted and PGE started offshore construction work on the Baltica 2 offshore wind farm in the Polish Baltic Sea. The first foundations have been installed at the 1.5-GW project site, about 40 km off the Polish coast near Ustka. Baltica 2 is being developed by the companies in a 50/50 partnership. [reNews]
Construction (Ørsted image)
¶ “SMRs Aren’t Losing On Technology. They’re Losing On Economics” • Small Modular Reactors are still unlikely to drive the energy transition because renewables, batteries, and grid flexibility attract far more investment, scale faster, and generate quicker returns. Wind, solar, storage, and transmission upgrades are already delivering on investments. [OilPrice.com]
US:
¶ “Trump Is Floating A Gas Tax Holiday Amid Rising Fuel Costs. What Does That Mean?” • As the nationwide price of gasoline soars, President Trump told reporters he’d like to suspend the national gas tax temporarily. Though it would help keep costs down, estimates are that that suspending the tax would cost the fund billions over a period of months. [ABC News]
Last stop (Bruno Aguirre, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “EPA To Allow Power Plants To Bulldoze Through Pollution Protections” • The Environmental Protection Agency announced it would allow data centers, power plants, and industrial facilities to begin construction on “non-emitting” components before the project has received its necessary air permits. The Sierra Club issued a statement in response. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Introducing Ford Energy” • Ford Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, will provide US-assembled battery systems for utilities, data centers, and large customers in the US. With a century of manufacturing expertise, Ford Energy plans to deploy at least 20 GWh annually, with first deliveries planned for late 2027. [CleanTechnica]
Ford Energy (Ford image)
¶ “Appeals Court Delivers Split Ruling On Michigan’s Renewable Energy Regulations” • A three-judge Michigan Court of Appeals panel last week upheld the bulk of Michigan’s regulations that limit local control over renewable energy projects, while it rejected narrow aspects that critics had decried as regulatory overreach. [Insurance Journal]
¶ “370 Tesla Semi Trucks Ordered” • Over 300 Tesla Semis will be deployed in a program of WattEV with the Port of Oakland. Delivery of the first 50 Semis coincides with WattEV’s planned opening of charging stations with Tesla’s Megawatt Charging System chargers for trucks. The chargers can add 300 miles of range to a Semi in about 30 minutes. [CleanTechnica]
Tesla Semis (Korbitr, public domain)
¶ “Critics Question NJ’s Nuclear Power Plant Ambitions” •“Hell no, we won’t glow!” That was the reaction of the Green Party of New Jersey, borrowed from a slogan popularized in the 1970s and 1980s, after the state’s Governor, Mikie Sherrill, recently signed legislation that clears the path for a new wave of nuclear energy development. [MSN]
¶ “Trump’s Battleship Will Be Nuclear Powered, Navy Says” • A new battleship named after President Trump will be nuclear powered, the US Navy said, a move expected to increase the cost and complexity of the multibillion-dollar project that already faced questions about whether it would actually be built. Defense experts question the need for it. [MSN]
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