¶ “Plug-In Solar Is Soaring Across Europe, But Is It Better Than Traditional Rooftop Panels?” • Solar has been called the “shining star” in Europe’s clean energy transition, cushioning households from volatile fossil fuel shocks. Amid the war on Iran, which oil and gas prices rising, people are seeking energy independence. But which kind of solar is best? [Euronews]
¶ “Seven EU Countries Push Brussels To Resist Weakening Car Emission Targets Further” • Seven EU countries urged Brussels to resist any rollback of CO₂ standards for cars and vans, arguing that weakening emissions rules would endanger Europe’s climate objectives, economic competitiveness, and energy security, a document seen by Euronews shows. [Euronews]
¶ “The Cost Of Balancing The Grid If The EU Cuts EV Targets: 150 New Power Plants” • Europe’s electricity system could be a big victim of plans to scale back EV targets. EVs can be ‘batteries on wheels,’ providing a different math of the electricity sector. Fewer EVs would mean less storage capacity for the grid and a need for more power plants. [CleanTechnica]
Cost of balancing the grid (Fraunhofer ISI image)
¶ “Majority Of Europeans Back Reducing Fossil Fuel Imports To Make Europe Safer” • Polling in five major European countries showed strong support for electrification and investment in clean energy. The views cut across left-right political divides. Over six in ten (64%) believe that reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels makes Europe safer. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Solar Records Get Busted in Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Portugal” • Solar power keeps growing all around the world. And as days get longer, countries are starting to set new solar power generation records. For example, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal ended May with a bang, setting new daily solar generation records. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Charter Aims To Address Concerns Over Data Centers” • Organizations in the energy sector have launched an industry charter aimed at addressing concerns around the development of data centers in Scotland. The charter focuses on renewable energy, energy efficiency, water consumption, district heat, and community benefits. [Daily Business]
¶ “Acciona Energía Doubles Storage Plans For Chile” • Acciona Energía announced plans to build a 196-MW, 980-MWh battery energy storage system at its El Romero solar plant in Chile. The facility in the Atacama Desert will double AE’s planned energy storage capacity in the country. Commercial operations are expected to begin by the end of 2027. [reNews]
Solar plant in Chile (Acciona Energía image)
¶ “Net Zero Energy Unveils Ireland Storage Project” • Net Zero Energy has unveiled plans for a 600-MW long-duration energy storage project in County Carlow using green hydrogen. The proposed Rathrush Green Energy Park near Rathoe will use surplus renewable energy to produce hydrogen for storage and later convert it back into electricity. [reNews]
¶ “Off-Grid Mine Runs Solely On Renewables For Nearly A Week” • Bellevue Gold is celebrating a milestone at its namesake gold mine in Western Australia. The site was able to run entirely on renewables for 155 consecutive hours. The site’s 90-MW hybrid power station has 27 MW of solar, 24 MW of wind, and 15 MW, 33 MWh of battery storage. [Energy Magazine]
Mine running on renewables (Bellevue Gold image)
¶ “Grossi: Attacking Any Nuclear Facility, Anywhere, Is A Red Line That Cannot Be Crossed” • The director general of the world’s nuclear watchdog opened the IAEA Board of Governors meeting with a blunt declaration that he said was directed at every combatant in every active conflict: nuclear facilities are off-limits. No exceptions. [The Eastern Herald]
US:
¶ “Use Of Bomb-Grade Plutonium For Energy” • The President of the US signed an executive order directing the DOE to stop an operation getting rid of nuclear bomb materials. Instead, it is to give the weapons-grade plutonium to private companies to use in nuclear reactors. They are to get enough plutonium to build 2,000 nuclear bombs. [Green Energy Times]
The core of the Fat Boy bomb was about the size of a softball. (Diana Polekhina, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “US Clean Energy Can Now Power About 80 Million Homes!” • The solar and battery storage project pipelines keep growing in the US, though the government is less supportive for solar and quite antagonistic to wind. In the US as a whole, as in the #1 solar state of California, the clean electricity option is still competitive due to its very low costs. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “The Geysers Is Adding 25 MW Of Geothermal Capacity” • California’s largest geothermal resource added 25 MW of new generating capacity, strengthening the state’s geothermal energy. Calpine, a Constellation business unit, announced completion of the expansion project at The Geysers geothermal complex in Sonoma County, California. [ThinkGeoEnergy]
Geothermal plant at The Geysers, California (Calpine image)
¶ “Trump Forces Florida Coal Plant To Run Past Retirement, Raising Costs For Customers” • The Trump Administration invoked its so-called “energy emergency” to force the Stanton coal plant in Orlando to stay open past its planned retirement. Sierra Club analysis sestimates the plant is responsible for 45 premature deaths each year. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Judge tosses Trump bid to restrict renewable energy tax credits” • A federal judge struck down a Trump administration effort to restrict tax credits for wind and solar energy. The ruling is a win for renewable energy supporters, but it comes less than a month before a deadline to phase out the credits entirely under so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” [The Hill]
§ The most recent reported status of US nuclear power plants can be found at the US Nuclear Power Report, a distressingly dull account of NRC news, posted when the NRC gives us news to post. On June 9, out of 95 US-licensed power reactors, 6 were at reduced output and 2 not operating.
§ Video: Energy Week #678 – 5/28/2026: A coalition of EU Christian organizations is asking for a windfall profits tax on fossil fuel companies. The EU’s public funding for windpower is expected to benefit countries many times over. Car makers are having cars collect information on their drivers. Four western states are kickstarting geothermal energy. Coal has been surpassed by renewable energy, worldwide. Pope Leo XIV is calling for robust regulation of AI. The US is releasing plutonium to use as fuel in new nuclear plants. And there is more.
§ You can get a copy of the latest Green Energy Times, the April, 2026 edition, by downloading the pdf file HERE.
