World:
¶ “How Europe’s Drought Exposes ‘Weakness Of Fossil Fuels’ As Poland Is Forced To Shut Down Coal Plants” • Polish utility giant Enea has had to reduce generation at two coal-fired power plants after critically low water levels in the Vistula River limited the cooling water supplies. The move is said to have removed 1.3 GW from Poland’s power system. [Euronews]
¶ “Europe Heatwave Puts All Major Italian Cities On Red Alert As Austria Sets Heat Record” • Italy put all of its major cities under the highest heat alert as a blistering heatwave gripped Europe. The heatwave also set a national temperature record in Austria, fueled wildfires in France and disrupted energy and transport systems across the continent. [Euronews]
¶ “New Zealand Electric Vehicle Market Rises from the Depths!” • In December 2023, EVs reached a market penetration of 37.7% in New Zealand. This dropped to 2% in January 2024, when a change in government brought a radical change in incentives. EVs have come back, however, and plugin vehicle penetration has been nudging 30% for the past few months. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “China Unveils Safety Standards For Autonomous Driving Systems” • The government of China released new national standards for the safety requirements of autonomous driving systems. The standards apply to M- and N-category vehicles with Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous driving systems. They go into effect on July 1, 2027. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Seaway7 Hits Finish Line On Inch Cape TP Installation” • All 54 transition pieces at the 1.1-GW Inch Cape wind farm have been installed by Seaway7 off east Scotland. The milestone by the company’s heavy lift crane vessel Seaway Alfa Lift comes just two months since all the project’s 54 monopiles were put in place at the North Sea site. [reNews]
¶ “Latvia’s Solar Capacity Surpasses 1.5 GW” • Latvia’s solar capacity has reached 1,521 MW, according to figures shared by the Latvian Renewable Energy Alliance. This means around 601 MW of solar have been added in the country so far this year, making 2026 already the most successful year for the country’s solar deployment. [pv magazine Global]
¶ “Ming Yang Commissions 16-MW Floating Turbine” • Ming Yang Smart Energy has commissioned what it says is the world’s first 16-MW tension leg platform floating wind turbine, to supply power to the Lufeng offshore oilfield 136 km off Guangdong in 136 meters of water. The company said the complete system stands over 307 meters (1007 ft) tall. [reNews]
¶ “World’s Largest Cattle Station Installs Microgrid As Primary Power Source” • As the Australian energy sector responds to the government’s tenfold expansion of the small-scale renewable energy scheme from 100 kW to 1 MW, a South Australian cattle station has already set up rooftop solar to tackle reliability and fuel cost issues. [pv magazine Australia]
¶ “Europe’s Electricity Prices Spike To €500/MWh” • Intense heat waves are threatening energy security across Europe. A scorching, arid summer is causing high electricity demand for air conditioning just as rivers warm up and dry out. For nuclear and hydropower the consequences are devastating, with prices rising to €500/MWh ($576/MWh). [OilPricecom]
¶ “Europe’s Nuclear Sector Feels Drought Impact” • The full threat of the extreme heat and drought conditions affecting much of Europe this summer has been expressed in the starkest terms after it was revealed that at least fifteen nuclear reactors across the continent have had to be temporarily shut down or operated at reduced output. [China Daily]
US:
¶ “Trump Administration To Pay $1.22 Billion To Cancel RWE Offshore Wind Leases” • The US will pay German energy firm RWE $1.22 billion to cancel its offshore wind leases off New York, California, and Louisiana. “After careful consideration, it was determined there is no path forward to permit these projects in the US for the foreseeable future,” RWE said. [Euronews]
¶ “NOAA Maintains Prediction For Below-Normal Atlantic Hurricane Season” • NOAA predicted seven to thirteen named storms this year, numbers reduced due to El Niño. Two to six of those could become hurricanes, NOAA said. It is now predicting zero to two major hurricanes, a drop from late May when the agency predicted one to three. [ABC News]
¶ “The Ford Fathom Is Here” • Finding a truck for less than $30,000 is nearly impossible in this market, but Ford Motor is betting that cash-strapped Americans will sign up to buy its all-new Fathom. It is an electric midsize pickup with a starting price of $28,350. Ford said it will be the first vehicle to be produced on its Universal Electric Vehicle Platform. [ABC News]
¶ “Court Overturns Trump Administration’s Wind Pause” • The US District Court for the District of Oregon has ruled in favor of clean energy developers. Judge Karin Immergut, who is a Trump appointee, ruled that DOD’s wind project review freeze “violates statutory and regulatory deadlines” and ordered DOD to resume review of onshore wind projects. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Zoox To Start Charging Passengers Next Week” • Zoox got approval last week from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to deploy up to 5,000 robotaxis in the next two years and to charge passengers for the rides. The news now is that the company will start collecting fares from passengers in Las Vegas next week. [CleanTechnica]
Have a verifiably fabulous day.
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