World:
¶ “How Many Birds Are Killed By Offshore Wind Turbines?” • Wildlife Imaging Systems installed 16 thermal cameras on an offshore wind turbine, covering all angles and operating 24 hours a day. Over almost a year of monitoring, including the migration seasons, in 22 possible bird collisions seen, two were confirmed and one considered highly probable. [Euronews]
¶ “How Solar Saved The EU €37.4 Billion Since The War On Iran Began” • Gas prices remain sky-high seven months into the war on Iran, despite POTUS Trump’s assurances that the conflict will end “very soon.” But analysis by SolarPower Europe reveals that harnessing sunlight for power has saved Europe €37.4 billion by lowering demand for gas imports. [Euronews]
¶ “First Coffee Grown And Harvested In Italy” • A plantation on the outskirts of Palermo has for the first time produced Arabica coffee beans grown and harvested entirely in Italy. The result, achieved on the Morettino family estate, has been made possible by climate change, which has effectively brought the heat of the tropics to southern Italy. [Euronews]
¶ “Dutch Cattle Farmers Switch To Rice As Solution To Warmer Climate And Sinking Peatlands” • For centuries, cows were a staple for farms in the Netherlands. But now farmers are trying out produce previously unthinkable in the country: rice. And the crop has the side benefit that it helps address the fact that peat soils are drying out. [Euronews]
¶ “European Fleet Operators Urge EU Commission Not To Weaken Truck Emissions Policy” • As Europe suffers due to high prices for diesel fuel, several of its most prominent companies, including IKEA, EDF, Geopost, and DFDS, have petitioned the European Commission to stay the course and not weaken heavy truck emissions standards. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “TEPCO Begins Inserting Robot Arm To Retrieve Fukushima Nuclear Fuel Debris” • Tokyo Electric Power Co Holdings Inc began work to insert a remote-controlled robotic arm into the containment vessel of the No 2 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, in preparation for a new attempt to retrieve melted fuel debris next year. [Japan Today]
¶ “Germany Approves Rules For Storage And Bidirectional Charging” • Germany’s Federal Network Operator approved long-awaited rules for the market integration of electricity storage systems and charging points. Bidirectional charging points will generally be treated in the same way as electricity storage systems. [pv magazine Global]
¶ “Sondeva Launches Platform To Track Renewable Energy Projects Across Spain’s Official Journals” • Sondeva has started to use a way to aggregate renewable energy project announcements from Spain’s national and regional official journals. The database currently tracks 3,871 active projects, including energy storage, PV, and wind developments. [pv magazine Global]
¶ “India Expands Grid To Evacuate 135 GW Of Renewables” • India has approved a scheme to expand intra-state transmission systems and deploy 50 GWh of battery energy storage systems to enable evacuation (transmission) of up to 135 GW of renewable energy among Indian states and union territories, according to the government. [Asian Power]
¶ “APAC To Drive Nearly Three‑Quarters Of Global Power Demand Growth To 2035” • The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is expected to account for nearly three-quarters of all global electricity demand growth through 2035, driven by economic expansion, industrialization, and urbanization, according to Wood Mackenzie. [Asian Power]
US:
¶ “Puerto Rico Faces Record Electric Rate As Demand And Costs Increase” • A record electric rate went into effect in Puerto Rico as outages persist and the power grid crumbles. A residential customer that consumes 800 kWh a month will see the monthly bill rise about 18%, from $229 to $271, according to Puerto Rico’s Energy Bureau. [ABC News]
¶ “Households Will Pay More For Energy Because Of Trump’s Policy Changes” • Households in the contiguous US will pay thousands of dollars more for energy through 2040 because of federal policy changes since President Donald Trump returned to office, according to modeling by the nonpartisan think tank Energy Innovation. [ABC News]
¶ “ACP Welcomes US Permitting Reforms” • The American Clean Power Association has welcomed the prospect of new measures to speed up permitting and grid buildouts being included in a new Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act. The new Act would exempt many activities from some legal processes and streamline permitting. [reNews]
¶ “Texas PUC Greenlights Coal Plant Closure And Renewables Construction, Saving Millions of Gallons Of Water Every Year” • The Texas Public Utility Commission ruled that Southwestern Public Service Company can close its Tolk coal plant and build renewable energy and battery storage to provide electricity to customers. This will save water. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Santee Cooper’s New Energy Plan Is Bad News For South Carolina Customers” • In 2023, Santee proposed building 1,500 MW of solar by 2030 and 3,000 MW by 2040. Now, however, rather than meet demand with affordable solar and wind, Santee Cooper wants to double down on expensive new gas plants and delay coal plant retirements. [CleanTechnica]
Have an altogether delightful day.
geoharvey is free and without ads.
