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World:

¶ “BYD Continues To Go After Europeans’ Hearts, And Enters Estonia” • Earlier this year, BYD went after Europeans’ hearts by sponsoring the Euros football (soccer) tournament. BYD has been on the European market for just two years, but it has a network of 270 stores across the continent where you can buy its vehicles. It has eight models on offer. [CleanTechnica]

BYD in Estonia (BYD image)

¶ “Building A Sustainable Supply Chain For Philippine Offshore Wind” • The Philippines needs eight years to build and operate its first offshore windmill. The country stands at the threshold of a renewable energy transition, with offshore wind expected to be crucial for meeting its energy security and climate targets. But it must move faster. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Stellantis And CATL’s New JV Will Invest Up To €4 Billion To Build Large LFP Battery Plant In Spain” • Stellantis and CATL recently announced a strategic agreement for a joint venture that could see up to €4.1 billion invested for a lithium iron phosphate battery plant. They are to build the facility in multiple phases in Zaragoza, Spain. [CleanTechnica]

Opel Frontera Electric

¶ “Goldwind Rolls First 22-MW Offshore Turbine” • Chinese wind turbine manufacturer Goldwind recently produced its first 22-MW turbine. It is expected to be installed at an offshore wind farm in the first quarter of 2025. The new turbine is specifically designed for deep-sea areas of 50 to 70 meters such as those off Guangdong. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Solar Swing State: From Nearly Too Much Grid Demand To Warnings Of Not Enough In Less Than A Day” • Victoria’s grid posted a new high for electric demand of 9,581 MW in the midst of a record-breaking December heatwave. Two coal generating units were offline, but the state’s renewables met demand. The next day, demand was too low. [RenewEconomy]

Solar car park (Flicker02, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Dutton’s Home State Rips Into Nuclear Plan” • The policy issue Peter Dutton hopes will propel the Coalition into Australia’s federal government faces fierce opposition from his own side, with Queensland’s Deputy Premier effectively ruling out support for the nuclear plan. Queensland has its own moratorium against nuclear power. [Yahoo]

UK:

¶ “First 20 Vestas Turbines Installed At 220-MW North Kyle” • Scottish developer Brockwell Energy has reached a milestone at its flagship 220-MW North Kyle wind farm in East Ayrshire, with the installation of the first 20 Vestas turbines. The 49-turbine project is being built on the site of one of the largest former coal mining sites in Scotland. [reNews]

Wind turbine (Vestas image)

¶ “RES Given Nod For 50-MW Scottish Battery Venture” • RES has secured consent from Moray Council in Scotland for a 50-MW battery energy storage system. The Corshellach BESS will be built on land next to an existing substation. The facility will be important for a reliable, resilient, decarbonised electricity system for the future. [reNews]

¶ “EOS Submits Plans For 100-MW UK BESS” • Plans have been submitted to build a 100-MW battery energy storage system on Teesside in north-east England. If Redcar & Cleveland Council grants planning permission, the £62 million BESS will be built on a three-acre plot at the Long Acres section of the 2,500 acre Teesworks site on the River Tees. [reNews]

Proposed battery storage system (EOS image)

¶ “Solar Energy UK Expects Installed Solar To Greatly Exceed UK Government Clean Power Plan Targets” • Trade association Solar Energy UK expects installed solar in Britain to exceed the goals in the government’s Clean Power 2030 Action Plan greatly. The plan sets an objective of 45 to 47 GW by 2030. Solar Energy UK foresees 60 GW. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

US:

¶ “Amazon Investing Another $10 Billion In Ohio-Based Data Centers” • Amazon Web Services will invest another $10 billion to bolster its data center infrastructure in Ohio. The company said the exact sites have not been determined yet and noted that its investment plans are contingent upon the execution of long-term energy service agreements. [ABC News]

Ohio landscape (Michael Bowman, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Hurricanes Were Extra Disruptive To Energy Infrastructure In 2024” • NOAA reported 18 named storms in 2024. Eleven of the storms were hurricanes, with five of them major hurricanes. An average hurricane season has 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes, NOAA said. Five hurricanes made continental US landfall this year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford Mustang Mach-E Wins TOP SAFETY PICK+ Award” • The Ford Mustang Mach-E is the third best selling EV in the US this year, only trailing the Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3. Now there’s more good news about Ford’s first serious EV offering: It won a TOP SAFETY PICK+ award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. [CleanTechnica]

Ford Mustang Mach-E (Ford image)

¶ “Trump Transition Team Plans To Take A Sledgehammer To Biden Era EV Policies” • Reuters says it has seen the proposals the Trump transition team recommends for transportation, and they include taking the portions of the Inflation Reduction Act that deal with EVs and EV charging infrastructure and throwing them in the trash. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Energy Chief Granholm Warns Against ‘Unfettered Exports’ Of Liquefied Natural Gas” • The US should proceed cautiously on new natural gas export terminals, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said, warning the incoming Trump administration that “unfettered exports” of liquefied natural gas could drive up domestic prices. [NPR]

Have an unabashedly great day.

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World:

¶ “Study Reveals Benefits Of Agrivoltaics In East Africa” • The University of Sheffield lead research that shows agrivoltaics leads to greater crop yields with less water than crops grown in open fields. An international team found certain crops, such as maize, Swiss chard, and beans, thrived under the partial shade provided by solar panels. [CleanTechnica]

Agrivoltaics in Africa (University of Sheffield)

¶ “HVDC Transmission Between Europe And North America Makes Fiscal Sense” • Ember has published a report, Security and efficiency: The case for connecting Europe and North America. Modern HVDC cables see line losses of under 1% 1,000 kilometers and do not need substations. And long, submarine power cables are no longer technically difficult. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Athens Has A Water Problem, So They Looked Back To The Ancients For Answers” • It’s been another year of record heat and dwindling rainfall in Greece. Athens’ water supply is under stress. In response, the city is reviving an aqueduct dating to the Roman Emperor Hadrian, a 15-mile, mostly underground network that still runs beneath the city. [CleanTechnica]

Parthenon (Theo Topolevsky, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Intilion To Deliver 65-MWh Swiss BESS” • German energy storage outfit Intilion is to construct one of Switzerland’s largest battery storage systems for Swiss company Primeo Energie. Intilion will install a 65MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Kappel in the canton of Solothurn. Construction will begin in spring 2025. [reNews]

¶ “EU Solar Growth Slows, Raising Fears For Energy Transition” • The growth of solar power installations in Europe slumped to just 4% this year, after years of double-digit increases, industry data shows. The 65.5 GW installed, while a record, is just 4% more than what was installed in 2023. It raises concerns about the EU’s clean energy transition. [MSN]

Solar power (Andreas Gücklhorn, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “India Doubles Renewable Energy Capacity Addition, Targets 500 GW By 2030” • India’s renewable energy capacity addition nearly doubled to 15 GW during the April-November period of the current fiscal year, compared to the same period last year. This reflects the country’s commitment to its target of 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030. [Swarajya]

¶ “Japan Would Make Renewables Top Power Source By 2040” • Japan wants renewables to be its top power source by 2040 in its push to be carbon neutral by mid-century, government plans show. The world’s fourth-largest economy has the dirtiest energy mix in the G7, campaigners say, as fossil fuels generated nearly 70% of its electricity last year. [Yahoo News Singapore]

Wind farm in Japan (BehBeh, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Queensland’s Wholesale Power Prices Down 39%” • A report by the Queensland Audit Office found the average wholesale electricity price fell 39% in the state, over the last financial year. The national average average was a fall of 36.2%. The report credits increased renewable energy generation as one reason for the change. [Queensland Conservation Council]

¶ “Chinese Coal Power Generation Rises Despite Renewables Jump” • Despite growing renewable energy capacity installations, thermal power generation in China, which comes mostly from coal-fired power plants, rose between January and November by 1.9% from the same period a year earlier, according to Chinese statistics data. [OilPrice.com]

Coal power in China (Shubert Ciencia, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Ford Gets $9.63 Billion Loan For BlueOval SK From US DOE” • There actually seems to be a sprint under way within the Biden administration to get as much done as possible before Trump takes over. One thing is a huge Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing  loan for Ford from the US DOE in order to help its transition to EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EVs Create More Jobs Than Fossil Fuel Vehicles” • A study published by University of Michigan researchers earlier this year found that automotive assembly jobs increased a lot, as much as ten times, with EV production as opposed to building internal combustion vehicles. That is not what was expected, because EVs have fewer parts. [CleanTechnica]

First Rivian 2021 (Rivian, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “US Supreme Court Rules Against Red States In California Emissions Waiver Case” • The US Supreme Court has denied a petition filed by a number of states dominated by conservatives who were asking the court to review constitutional challenges to California’s authority to enforce its own emissions limits for new cars and light trucks. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Apex Secures Finance For 300-MW US Wind” • Apex Clean Energy has financing for a 300-MW wind farm in Illinois. The Prosperity Wind project, built with Vestas turbines, is under construction, supported by White Construction. It will create nearly 400 jobs during construction. The project is scheduled to be operating in early 2025. [reNews]

Wind farm (Apex Clean Energy image)

¶ “Innergex Closes Bridge Loan For Hawaiian Hybrid Project” • Innergex has closed a $100 million non-recourse bridge loan for a solar + battery project in Hawaii. The construction phase is complete and Hale Kuawehi is moving forward with the final stages of commissioning and testing. The project has 30 MW of solar and a 120-MWh battery. [reNews]

¶ “NJ’s Largest Utility Firm Begs Feds To Shut Down Airspace Over Nuclear Plant As Mystery Drones Spotted” • New Jersey’s largest utility has asked the feds to halt all air traffic over two of its nuclear power plants, after drones were spotted over the sensitive sites. There has been a spate of mysterious drone sightings across the Garden State. [AOL.com]

Have a superbly enjoyable day.

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World:

¶ “Northvolt Bankruptcy May Delay Porsche And Audi Electric Models” • As if Volkswagen Group didn’t have enough challenges now, Handelsblatt reported that several Volkswagen Group brands may have to postpone planned model launches because the necessary battery cells they expected to get from Northvolt will not be available as planned. [CleanTechnica]

Porsche Macan 4 (Alexander-93, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “UK And Norway Unveil Green Industrial Partnership” • The UK and Norway have launched a Green Industrial Partnership to combine clean energy capabilities and drive economic growth. The agreement will support the UK’s aim to secure homegrown energy, protect billpayers, and put Britain on track to be a “clean energy superpower” by 2030. [reNews]

¶ “Enercon Scores Romanian Turbine Deal” • Enercon is to supply seven turbines for a 38-MW wind project in Romania. The German manufacture will supply seven E-160 EP5 turbines for customer Smart Power Generation Alfa. The order, Enercon’s first in Romania in twelve years, is for a project in Cudalbi Galati in the east of the country. [reNews]

Wind turbines (Enercon image)

¶ “The Gulf Stream Is On The Verge Of Collapsing, Climate Scientists Warn” • In an open letter, 44 leading climate scientists say that key Atlantic Ocean currents, including the Gulf Stream, are on the brink of failure. The scientists warn that the collapse of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation could lead to devastating impacts. [MSN]

¶ “GE Vernova Amd Drydocks To Deliver Ostwind 4” • 50 Hertz selected GE Vernova and Drydocks World to deliver the 2-GW Ostwind 4 grid connection in the German Baltic Sea. GE Vernova and Drydocks World are to build the DC converter system, which will comprise two converters, one at sea and one on land, for the Ostwind 4 project. [reNews]

Converter platform (50 Hertz image)

¶ “Audit Shows Renewables Driving Down Wholesale Power Prices In State Where Targets To Be Scrapped” • New data shows that wholesale electricity prices in Queensland fell by nearly 40% over the 2023-24 financial year, prompting calls for the new Liberal government to keep the state’s renewable energy targets and maintain the trend. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Aker And Aibel Scoop Green Volt FEED Deals” • Flotation Energy and Vargronn have awarded the first phase front-end engineering and design contracts for the 560-MW Green Volt floating wind project, off Scotland, to two teams. Green Volt will be eighty miles off the Scottish coast. It won a UK Government Contract for Difference last September. [reNews]

Floating offshore turbine (Flotation Energy and Vargronn)

¶ “Lepreau Nuclear Plant Back In Service After Second-Longest Outage In Forty Years” • The Point Lepreau nuclear generating station is back online producing electricity for N.B. Power. But the cost to customers of an eight-month shutdown that began in early April and ended last week is still being calculated by the utility. [Yahoo News Canada]

¶ “Tesla Says Dutton’s Nuclear Plan Will Result In “Severe” Curtailment Of Household Rooftop Solar” • Tesla, electric car maker and leading supplier of utility scale and household batteries, has warned that Australian households face “severe curtailment” of their rooftop solar PV systems under the federal Coalition’s nuclear power plan. [RenewEconomy]

Rooftop solar system (Giorgio Trovato, Unsplash, cropped)

US:

¶ “Miss The Snow? Experts Explain Why You May See Less Over The Years” • With climate change, winter is the fastest warming season for much of the US, according to climate research group Climate Central. There are less freezing temperatures, but more moisture. Climatologists explain that the impact of this on snowfall is complicated. [ABC News]

¶ “EVgo Shares New Construction of 7,500 High-Power Fast Charging Stalls, Bringing Total To 10,000 Fast Charging Stalls” • EVgo announced that it plans to build 7,500 more high-power fast charging stations in the US in the next 5 years. By 2029, the company will have more than tripled its network footprint to at least 10,000 fast charging stations. [CleanTechnica]

Hummer EV at an EVgo charging stall (Image from EVgo)

¶ “Giant Solar-Plus-Storage Project Turned On In California” • Renewable energy company Arevon Energy commissioned the Eland 1 Solar-plus-Storage Project in California. The solar portion provides 384 MW of power capacity, while the energy storage component provides 150 MW and 600 MWh of power and energy storage capacity. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Federal Hostility Could Delay Offshore Wind Projects, Derailing State Climate Goals” • Numerous East Coast states are counting on offshore wind projects to power tens of millions of homes and to help them transition to cleaner energy. But the US government will be led by Donald Trump, who has said he will “make sure that ends on Day 1.” [Stateline]

Have a really fine day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Renewable Energy Boom Is Remaking The American West” • In Nevada, plans are moving ahead for transmission lines, solar farms, geothermal plants and more in the name of fighting climate change. Even among environmental groups and government officials, the projects are controversial. Support for it seems not to relate to political party. [Type Investigations]

Nevada (Abhi Verma, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “From Electric Motorcycles On Uber And Bolt To Neta V Electric Taxis, Nairobi’s EV Scene Is Starting To Flourish” • With over 2 million internal combustion engine motorcycles in Kenya, the motorcycle sector presents a large addressable market for companies interested in electrification. In Kenya, motorcycles are mainly used for public transport. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “War, Wind Power, And The Green Way Forward For Ukraine” • When Russia launched its attack on Ukraine in February 2022, one of the first energy resiliency cracks to emerge was within the Ukrainian nuclear fleet. Now, the energy planners in Ukraine are turning to wind power and other renewable resources for energy security and resilience. [CleanTechnica]

Dnistrovska wind plant (Courtesy of Elementum Energy)

¶ “Egypt Inaugurates 500-MW Solar Power Plant” • Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has inaugurated a $500 million solar plant in the southern city of Aswan as part of Egypt’s efforts to boost renewable energy production. The Abydos Solar PV Plant was developed by Dubai-based energy company AMEA Power. [The Financial Express]

¶ “New Solar Panels To Cut Bills At Schools And Kelvin Hall” • Glasgow City Council is installing solar arrays on a number of public buildings, with the aim of generating more than 700,000 kWh of electricity every year. More than 1,700 new solar panels are set to cut energy bills at schools, daycare centers, and the Kelvin Hall. [Yahoo News UK]

Installing solar panels (Glasgow City Council)

¶ “World’s Highest Solar Power Project Put Into Operation In China’s Xizang” • The second phase of the Huadian Xizang Caipeng PV Power Station in Shannan Prefecture of southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, the world’s highest-altitude PV project, has begun operations. The second phase is from 5,046 to 5,228 meters above sea level. [Bastilepost]

¶ “Ukraine Adds Over 860 MW Of Renewable Energy Capacity In Two Years” • Between 2022 and 2024, Ukraine commissioned over 860 MW of renewable capacity. Deputy Minister of Energy Mykola Kolisnyk emphasized that the war had deprived Ukraine of much of its coal capacity, which now needs to be replaced with climate-neutral technologies. [Ukrinform]

Dunayskaya solar station (Activ Solar, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “First Time After Independence Solar Power Lights Up Lives Of Tribals In Maoist-Affected Villages Of Bastar” • In the tribal areas often cited as Maoist strongholds in the Indian district of Bastar, the villagers have a reason to cheer as their region saw lights for the first time through solar power. They have had no electricity before. [The New Indian Express]

¶ “Researchers Sound The Alarm After Discovering ‘Fingerprint’ Following Recent Extreme Weather Events” • A study showed that scientists can now spot the “fingerprint of climate change” on extreme weather events. An analysis showed the shocking impacts of the climate crisis on the most deadly weather events from the past 20 years. [The Cool Down]

Climate crisis (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “More Coal, More Gas, Higher Prices, Higher Emissions: What Coalition’s Nuclear Plan Will Do To The Grid” • Another highly respected firm of energy analysts has produced an assessment of the Coalition’s plan to build over 7 GW of nuclear capacity in Australia: More coal, more gas, higher wholesale prices, and higher emissions. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶ “Volvo And DHL Begin Autonomous Truck Trials In Texas” • Despite the challenges, Volvo Autonomous Solutions and DHL Supply Chain have taken a significant step towards transforming freight transportation with the launch of autonomous operations in the US. Freight will initially be hauled on two routes: Dallas to Houston, and Fort Worth to El Paso. [CleanTechnica]

DHL truck by Volvo (DHL image)

¶ “Kalamazoo Chooses Utility-Scale Solar Projects To Reach Carbon Neutrality By 2040” • A contract between Kalamazoo, Michigan, and utility Consumers Energy signals a change in direction for the city’s clean energy strategy as it seeks to be carbon neutral by 2040. Solar is still a pillar of the city’s plans, but the method has changed. [Planet Detroit]

¶ “Offshore Wind Companies Pitch Projects In The Gulf Of Mexico” • After a period of stagnation for the offshore wind sector, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management just announced that two new areas in the Gulf of Mexico have attracted interest from energy companies, a hopeful sign for a fledgling industry that Louisiana has sought to boost. [NOLA.com]

Have a splendidly creative day.

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World:

¶ “UN Talks Fail To Reach Agreement On Dealing With Rising Risk Of Global Drought” • Despite two weeks of UN-sponsored talks in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh, the participating 197 nations failed to agree early on a plan to deal with global droughts worsened by a warming climate. It is the fourth time this year that UN talks on climate or pollution failed. [ABC News]

Dry and desolate (Juanita Swart, Unsplash)

¶ “Europe Expected To Add 110 Gigawatts Of Solar Next Year!” • According to S&P Global Commodity Insights, and particularly solar market analyst Liam Coman, 56 GW of solar capacity were installed in Europe in 2023, a total of about 95 GW are expected to be installed in 2024, and roughly 110 GW are expected to be installed in 2025. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Largest Floating Solar Power Plant In India Is Turned On” • Floating solar power systems are making their way to ever more places, but they get larger in the places where they already have a presence. The latest example is India, which just turned on the 126-MW Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project, its largest floating solar plant so far. [CleanTechnica]

Omkareshwar Floating Solar Project (Tata Power RE)

¶ “Nation Set To Boost Energy Security” • China is set to further enhance its energy self-sufficiency and expand its renewable energy dominance in the coming years, according to a report released during the International Energy Executive Forum 2024 held in Beijing. China’s energy self-sufficiency rate has climbed to an impressive 85%. [China Daily]

¶ “India And China To Dominate World’s Geothermal Energy As Coal Usage Going Down” • The International Energy Agency forecast that China and India are well-positioned to become dominant players in the global geothermal energy sector as both nations look to reduce their dependence on coal and embrace cleaner energy sources. [EurAsian Times]

Geothermal power plant (Villy Fink Isaksen, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

Australia:

¶ “Using Hot Water To Balance The Grid” • The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has part-funded PLUS ES and the University of New South Wales for a two-year trial to use “20,000 existing smart meters to dynamically orchestrate hot water load.” The trial took place in South Australia, the most advanced state for renewable energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Scientists Sound The Alarm Over Concerning Change In Natural Weather Phenomena” • Australia’s weather bureau issued a dire state of the climate report. A result of raising our planet’s temperature is the supercharging of certain forms of extreme weather. Australia faces more intense short-term rainfall events as our world warms. [The Cool Down]

Heavy rain (Linhao Zhang, Unsplash)

¶ “The Biggest Losers From Coalition’s Nuclear Plan Will Be Australia’s 4 Million Solar Households, Industry Says” • Putting nuclear power into Australia’s energy mix would be a disaster for the climate, electricity prices, and renewable energy investors. But the biggest loser would likely be Australia’s four million-and-counting solar households. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶ “Ford Teaches Electric Car Drivers How To Drive In The Snow And Cold” • Ford, whose headquarters are in cold and snowy Michigan, has some tips for anyone who would like to drive an EV better in the winter snow. Admittedly, the list includes more general common sense than truly special tricks or northerly know-how, but it is worth a look. [CleanTechnica]

Ford F-150 Lightning

¶ “Waymo Leads the Way Again With First Program For First Responders” • How robotaxis interact with first responders and how first responders are expected to handle robotaxis that have been in an accident are issues Waymo takes seriously. Waymo has partnered with TÜV SÜD for an independent evaluation of Waymo’s practices. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Giant Solar Power Project To Highlight Water Conservation, Grassland Restoration” • Critics used to say solar would not work in northern states. They can whine all they want, but a 1.3-GW solar project in the chilly northern state of Wisconsin is moving forward, with water conservation and biodiversity benefits to come with the electricity. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array (Courtesy of Doral Renewables)

¶ “Report Reveals Solar Power Saved Consumers $2.3 Billion In 2024” • A report by energy economist Dr Richard McCann has found that California’s rooftop solar systems saved all ratepayers a staggering $2.3 billion in 2024. This eye-watering amount was saved due to solar power reducing the amount of electricity that utilities needed to produce. [The Cool Down]

¶ “Young Activists Take On A Government Agency In A Florida Climate Lawsuit” • A group of young people in Florida believe the state’s reliance on fossil fuels violates their constitutional rights. They are suing the state agency that regulates public utilities in hopes of forcing the utilities to transition toward renewable energy. [US News & World Report]

Have an extraordinarily fortunate day.

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Opinion:

¶ “AI, Data Centers, And Climate Risks” • Microsoft, Apple, Meta, Amazon, and Google are all rushing headlong into the AI future, frantically building data centers. But the electrical energy needed to power data centers is increasing exponentially. So the hunt is on for more generating capacity. Is that a problem? It very well could be, for a number of reasons. [CleanTechnica]

Data center (imgix, Unsplash)

¶ “Is Big Tech Going All In On Nuclear? Google And Microsoft Have Just Pledged $45 Billion On Renewables” • Did you hear the one about big tech going nuclear? One of the lines being trotted out in support of nuclear power is that everyone’s doing it, even the global tech giants Google and Microsoft. But do they support nuclear power? Possibly not. [RenewEconomy]

Science and Technology:

¶ “The Lifespan of EV Batteries May Exceed Expectations By 40%” • Since the early 1990s, the cost of a lithium-ion battery has dropped by over 97% per kilowatt-hour, making EV prices more competitive than gasoline-powered cars. But how long do they last? A Stanford-SLAC study shows EV batteries may last up to 40% longer than expected. [CleanTechnica]

Hyundai EV (Hyundai Motor Group, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “EV Sales: LatAm’s Laggards And Smaller Markets” • Latin America’s largest vehicle markets are undergoing significant EV growth, and several minor markets are showing meteoric growth, but this does not mean the entire region is moving as fast. Time is due for a report on laggards, as well as smaller markets that are important regardless. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Vestas Confirms 1.1-GW Inch Cape Order” • Vestas received a firm and unconditional turbine order for ESB and Red Rock Renewables’ 1.1-GW Inch Cape wind farm off Scotland. The announcement confirms a conditional agreement signed in September for Vestas to supply, install, and commission 72 of its V236-15MW machines. [reNews]

Vestas nacelle (Vestas image)

¶ “First Gen Commits To 13 GW Of Renewable Energy By 2030” • First Gen Corporation pledged to deliver 13 GW of renewable energy by 2030 to support the Philippine government’s target of a 35% renewable energy share in the energy mix. First Gen vice president Carlos Lorenzo Vega said geothermal, solar, wind, and hydro will be included. [Philippine News Agency]

¶ “Brazilian Senate Gives Nod To Offshore Wind Bill” • Brazil’s Federal Senate passed the country’s offshore wind bill, sending the legislation on to the President for final approval. Offshore wind presents a huge opportunity for Brazil to play a key role in the global wind industry supply and support the global energy transition on the path to Net Zero. [reNews]

Rio de Janeiro (Sea Twirl image)

¶ “Miliband Unveils New Powers To Approve Large Wind Farms” • The UK government unveiled plans to give ministers the final say on approving large onshore wind farms rather than leaving decisions to local councils, where opposition has often been fierce. The government has an “ambitious” action plan to reach 95% clean energy in the UK by 2030. [MSN]

¶ “Ambuja Cements Commissions 200-MW Solar Project In Khavda” • Ambuja Cements, the cement and building material company of the diversified Adani Portfolio, made its 200-MW solar project in Khavda, Gujarat, operational and started power transmission from it. The Khavda solar project will supply green power to twenty cement plants. [pv magazine India]

Ambuja Cements plant (Ambuja Cements)

¶ “Dutton’s Nuclear Plan A ‘Heroic’, Cherrypicked ‘Recipe For Higher Energy Bills’, Experts Say” • Some of the top Australian energy analysts criticized the Coalition’s nuclear plan, saying it will be more expensive, burn more carbon, result in a smaller economy, and be more disruptive than claimed. One described the Coalition’s assumptions as defying reality. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Residential Energy Storage Installations Hit All-Time High In USA” • Years ago, Ron Corio said that energy storage will be the next big thing since solar power. Well, developments happen quickly, and now it’s here to stay. Residential energy storage installations just hit an all-time high, and US grid-scale energy storage is coming on fierce. [CleanTechnica]

Solar with batteries (Arizona Public Service image)

¶ “US DOE: Flurry of Solar And Wind Power Announcements” • As Joe Biden’s time leading the US approaches an end, various government agencies have been sprinting to get things done before they are at risk of being dropped and forgotten. Here is a quick overview of some of the announcements from the US Department of Energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ford And Southern Company Team Up On Charging Initiative” • Ford’s commercial vehicle division, Ford Pro, has teamed up with energy giant Southern Company on a 6-month pilot. The partnership is focused on helping businesses to electrify their fleets. The partnership may help Ford expand its EV business. [CleanTechnica]

Ford Mustang Mach-E (Adrian Newell, Unsplash)

¶ “BOEM Reschedules Gulf Of Mexico Auction” • The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management will hold a lease auction in the Gulf of Mexico in 2026 for two lease areas after finding that there is interest in developing offshore wind there. A lease auction had been cancelled previously, but BOEM received an unsolicited request to develop a project. [reNews]

¶ “Climate Scientists ‘Demoralized’ By Trump 2.0” • President-elect Donald Trump has promised to do his worst to unravel climate policy when he retakes the White House next month. He has pledged to re-exit the Paris climate agreement, dismantle his predecessor’s landmark climate law, and roll back environmental regulations across the government. [Politico]

Have a certifiably ideal day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Wind And Solar Researcher: ‘We Are Actually Trying to Use the Natural Variability Itself to Address the Variability.'” • MIT engineers demonstrated how precise mapping of energy use and weather patterns may direct the placement of renewable energy installations with high efficiency, in a recent study in the journal Cell Reports Sustainability. [CleanTechnica]

Deer graze under a PV array (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

World:

¶ “Floating Solar Power To Rise To 77 Gigawatts By 2033” • From a start as an obscure, niche idea to a common solution, floating solar power is starting to be a notable solar market segment. A report from Wood Mackenzie, focused entirely on floating solar power, forecasts that the overall floating solar market could reach 77 GW by the year 2033. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Philippines Building World’s Largest Solar+Battery Project” • The Philippines is working on the largest solar power+battery storage project in the world, breaking ground on the project just a few weeks ago. The project is going to have a solar power capacity of 3,500 MW and a battery storage system with 4,500 MWh of energy storage capacity. [CleanTechnica]

Nueva Ecija, Philippines (Vee V, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “India Solar Power Installations Growing 106% in 2024” • India continues to be a solar and wind powerhouse. Its solar power installations have absolutely soared this year. Compared to the first three quarters of 2023, newly installed solar power capacity in the first three quarters of 2024 was up 106%. New wind power capacity was up 15%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Mingyang Dual Turbine Floater Starts Operation” • Mingyang has commenced operations of a floating foundation designed to host two turbines with a total capacity of more than 16 MW. The OceanX platform is installed at Mingyang’s Yangjiang Qingzhou IV offshore wind farm, 70 km from shore at 45 metres depth, off Guangdong. [reNews]

Mingyang dual turbine (Mingyang image)

¶ “German Onshore Wind Tender Awards 4 GW” • Germany’s Federal Network Agency has awarded 4 GW of capacity in the latest onshore wind tender results. More than 6 GW of bids were submitted to the oversubscribed tender on 1 November. For the first time since February 2022, the bid volume submitted was more than the unreduced tender volume. [reNews]

¶ “TotalEnergies To Develop 300 MW in Oman” • TotalEnergies, along with its partner OQ Alternative Energy, signed agreements to develop 300 MW of renewable energy projects in Oman. The electricity will be delivered to Petroleum Development Oman, the leading exploration and production company in the country, through long-term PPAs. [reNews]

Renewable energy (TotalEnergies image)

¶ “Tasmanian Offshore Wind Zone Declared” • Australia’s Federal Government declared Tasmania’s Bass Strait an offshore wind zone. The new industry could create up to 12,000 jobs in construction and a further 6,000 ongoing roles for engineers, electrical technicians, cable installers, crane operators, riggers, divers, seafarers, etc. [Energy Magazine]

¶ “Vestas To Repurpose Isle Of Wight Site” • Following an agreement in principle with the UK Government, Vestas intends to repurpose its Isle of Wight factory to build onshore blades, mainly to support the UK market. Currently the factory focuses on manufacturing blades for the V174 offshore turbine, for which demand is coming to an end. [reNews]

Worker in a blade factory (Vestas image)

¶ “‘Not A Hope In Hell’ Nuclear Power Can Replace Australian Coal-Fired Power By 2040” • Australia’s industry group for electricity retailers and generators told a nuclear inquiry the country should focus on policies that will drive a faster rollout of renewable energy and storage, saying nuclear is unlikely to be a viable coal-fired power replacement. [The Guardian]

¶ “Adani Green Commissions 250-MW Solar Power Project In Rajasthan” • Adani Green Energy Ltd announced that Adani Green Energy Twenty Five Ltd commissioned a 250 MW solar power project in the Indian state of Rajasthan. With that, AGEL’s operational renewable power generation capacity has increased to 11,434 MW. [pv magazine India]

Solar project (Adani Green Energy Ltd)

US:

¶ “Amazon Autos Begins Selling Hyundai Cars Online” • Most of us want to avoid the aggravation of battling with dealers when it comes time to buy a new car. There are some people who love haggling, but they are rare. Now Amazon Autos is trying to take some of the sting out of the process. It created Amazon Autos so people can buy cars online. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Clean Power Capacity Installations Up 86% In 2024” • The American Clean Power Association released a report on clean energy growth in the US in 2024, highlighting a surge in growth in the 3rd quarter: 10.2 GW of capacity. Through the first three quarters of the year, 29.6 GW of clean power capacity have been installed in the US, up 86% from 2023. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array (Virtue Solar, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Verogy Finishes 2 Solar Systems In Connecticut For FedEx” • Verogy completed two solar systems on the rooftops of FedEx facilities in Connecticut. They are an 866-kW system in Stratford and a 2,075-kW array in Middletown. The Sustainability and Global Vehicles manager of FedEx said the installations are part of a transition to renewables. [Solar Power World]

¶ “Acadia and Microsoft Plan $9 Billion Worth of US Renewable Energy Projects” • Clean energy investor Acadia Infrastructure Capital is launching a coalition with tech giant Microsoft as an anchor investor as part of plans to develop $9 billion worth of clean energy projects in the US, Acadia’s Vice President Brian O’Callaghan told Reuters. [OilPrice.com]

Have a nicely formulated day.

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World:

¶ “How Global Tourism Negatively Impacts Climate Change” • The carbon footprint from the travel industry is growing at rates never seen before. An increasing demand for international travel over the past decade has led to higher rates of carbon dioxide emissions every year, according to a paper published in Nature Communications. [ABC News]

Passenger jet (Tim Dennert, Unsplash)

¶ “China’s CATL And Stellantis To Jointly Build Electric Vehicle Battery Factory” • Chinese electric battery company CATL and automaker Stellantis will build a major battery factory in Spain, the partners announced. They said the plant will be in Zaragoza, and it will start producing lithium iron phosphate batteries by the end of 2026. [ABC News]

¶ “Italy Awards 1.5 GW For Agrivoltaics” • Italy just recently held its first ever tender for agrivoltaics, and it was big! The country awarded contracts for 1.5 GW of agrivoltaics solar projects within its borders. The tender was spread across 540 different projects, and it was oversubscribed. There were 643 bids totaling 1.7 GW of power capacity. [CleanTechnica]

Italy (Faith Crabtree, Unsplash)

¶ “Chinese EV Companies Are Getting A Warm Welcome In Mexico” • The New York Times reports that BYD, Chery, Geely, and SAIC are rushing to open dealerships in Mexico. Mexico City has some of the worst air pollution of any world city. When it gets really bad, some drivers are prohibited from operating their cars within city limits. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Zeekr Sales Increase 106% In November” • We saw XPENG sales increase 54% in November. We saw NIO sales increase 29%. We saw BYD sales increase 67% (with more than 500,000 sales in November). But Zeekr, a super young company, has got them all beat. Zeekr’s sales were 106% higher in November 2024 than they were in November 2023. [CleanTechnica]

Zeekr 007

¶ “EU Approves €2.6 Billion Estonian Aid For Offshore Wind” • The European Commission has approved a €2.6 billion Estonian scheme to support offshore wind energy to foster the transition towards a net-zero economy. The measure supports construction and operation of offshore wind farms in the areas determined by the Estonian Maritime Spatial Plan. [reNews]

¶ “SSEN Transmission Plans £22 Billion Grid Boost” • SSEN Transmission is planning to invest at least £22 billion in UK grid infrastructure over a five-year period from April 2026 to March 2031. The company, which is 75% owned by SSE plc, says the plans will support the creation of thousands of new jobs in the UK, and especially Scotland. [reNews]

Bringing a line ashore (SSEN Transmission image)

¶ “Two New Wind Farms In Victoria Start Generating Electricity” • Two new wind projects in Victoria have gone online, according to the government. The Ryan Corner Wind Farm has 52 turbines producing 218 MW, enough to power 140,000 homes. And with 23 turbines, the Hawkesdale Wind Farm can produce 97 MW to power 67,000 homes. [Asian Power]

US:

¶ “Dam Removal Revitalizes Salmon In Win For Native Tribes” • It’s only been a month since a project on the Klamath River in which four dams were removed. Now the salmon are returning. The dams impeded fish migration for almost a century, but since they came down, salmon are swimming up the river to spawn. It is a benefit to native tribes. [CleanTechnica]

Fish-friendly turbine (Andrew Baumgartner, US DOE)

¶ “Trump To Trample On USPS Electric Delivery Vehicle Contracts” • The transition team is considering cancelling the USPS contracts to electrify its delivery fleet, people familiar with the plans told Reuters. They claim the transition team is looking at ways to terminate the Postal Service’s contracts with Oshkosh Defense and Ford, among others. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Google Plans To Build Gigawatts Of Clean Power And Data Centers Together” • Big tech companies need huge amounts of clean energy for their rapidly growing data-center fleets while meeting climate goals. The grid can’t provide what they need. Google plans to spend $20 billion to build data centers close to solar, wind, and battery farms. [Canary Media]

Building a solar farm (Intersect Power)

¶ “Tesla Second Highest Selling Automaker In California” • EV sales trends in California are good, but not great. EV sales and EV market share continue to grow, but not at a very high pace for now. Tesla sales are clearly a big part of the market’s EV sales and they are down 12% in the state. Nevertheless, Tesla is the state’s second highest car seller. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Boston Doctors Prescribe Solar Energy” • The Boston Medical Center Health System has begun its Clean Power Prescription program to offer bill savings to patients who may struggle to pay for electricity during recovery. The pilot program enables the hospital’s providers to write patients prescriptions for renewable energy, reducing their bills. [pv magazine USA]

Rooftop solar system in Boston (NREL image)

¶ “Delaware Gives Onshore Nod For US Wind” • US Wind has received state permits to connect its offshore wind power to the regional electrical grid in Sussex County, Delaware. Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has approved three permit applications for the Maryland Offshore Wind project. [reNews]

¶ “Nuclear Wastewater Discharged Into Cape Cod Bay Could Linger A Month Or More” • A study conducted by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution finds that any wastewater discharge allowed as part of the decommissioning of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station has a “high probability” of lingering in Cape Cod Bay for more than a month. [MSN]

Have an amazingly tranquil day.

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World:

¶ “Steps To Achieving ‘Real Zero’ At Fortescue” • Hot on the heels of his record purchase of electric mining equipment from Liebherr, Twiggy Forrest ordered A$400 million ($256 million) of emissions-free heavy mining equipment from China’s Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co, Ltd to decarbonise Fortescue’s mining. [CleanTechnica]

Fortescue real zero ore carriers (Fortescue Future Industries image)

¶ “We’re Doing Net Zero All Wrong, Scientists Say” • Ever since the historic Paris Climate Accords in 2015, the phrase “net zero” has been on the lips of every corporation, industry lobbyist, and politician, all promising they are working hard to do their part to avoid turning the planet we live on into a burnt cinder. But what does the phrase even mean? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “CSIRO Study: Nuclear Energy Is Not The Savior Some People Say It Is” • Data centers and bitcoin mining operations use vast amounts of electricity, and some operators want nuclear power plants to provide their needs. However, a study from Australia’s premier science agency, CSIRO, shows that in the end, nuclear energy is a futile solution. [CleanTechnica]

SMR artist rendering (Courtesy of US DOE)

¶ “UK Green Power ‘Set To Overtake Fossil Fuels'” • UK low-carbon renewable power is on course for a major milestone in 2024, overtaking fossil fuel generation for the first full year, according to a report from global energy think tank Ember. It also claims wind power is close to becoming the single largest source of UK power for the first time. [reNews]

¶ “Iberdrola Bags Permit For 274-MW Portuguese Wind Project” • Iberdrola received a production license from the Portuguese Directorate-General for Energy and Geology of Portugal for a 274-MW wind project. The €350 million project will be linked to the existing Tamega hydropower plant, taking advantage of the existing connections. [reNews]

Tamega hydropower plant (Iberdrola image)

¶ “Data Centers To Scupper Climate Targets As They Eat Up All New Renewable Electricity, Research Finds” • Data centers will make it impossible for Ireland to meet its climate commitments if their continued growth is not halted, a research paper shows. They have eaten up all the new renewable electricity generated for the last six years. [Independent]

¶ “GB Railfreight’s Class 99 Locomotives To Run Entirely On Renewable Power And Electricity” • GB Railfreight, one of the UK’s leading goods movers announced that its latest locomotive, the Class 99, will operate solely on electricity or renewable fuels such as hydrotreated vegetable oil. The Class 99s are set to enter service in late 2025. [Rail Business Daily]

Class 99 at show (Matti Blume, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Juniper Green Places 1-GW PV Module Order With First Solar” • Juniper Green Energy has signed an agreement with First Solar, Inc for 1 GW of First Solar’s Series 7 FT1 cadmium telluride thin-film PV modules. The Gurgaon-based renewable energy company will deploy the modules for projects in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. [pv magazine India]

¶ “Nation Gains Lead In Offshore Wind Power Equipment Manufacturing” • According to a recent report on the global offshore wind supply chain released during an international wind power innovation conference in Shantou, China accounts for 60% of the global capacity in terms of complete offshore wind power machines. [Ecns.cn]

Wind turbine (Giuseppe Famiani, Unsplash)

¶ “Norway Defining New Rules For Energy Communities” • The Norwegian government is creating a regulatory framework for energy communities. It will allow PV systems up to 5 MW to sell power and share surplus energy within specific industrial areas. Also, it will boost the renewable energy share without straining the power network. [pv magazine International]

US:

¶ “The Sunshine State Projected To Take Over As Top-Ranked Residential Solar State In 2028” • Florida has wide-open skies and plenty of light. Unsurprisingly, Florida businesses and people continue to vote with their dollars in support of solar power. Florida installed the second most solar power capacity in the US in 2024, only behind Texas. [CleanTechnica]

Florida energy (From the Florida Public Service Commission)

¶ “SAE Working On Universal Plug And Charge System For US” • SAE, which sets standards for the auto industry in America, is making a determined effort to create a universal plug and charge system that will become standard in the US. With such a system, electric car drivers need do nothing more than connect their cars to a properly configured charger. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Sweeps Podium for Top Selling Electric Vehicles in USA – Charts” • The Tesla Model Y and Model 3 have so many more sales every quarter than any other model that it’s almost boring. They still get into so many more driveways than any other EVs. The interesting thing recently was to see the Tesla Cybertruck climb into third place. [CleanTechnica]

Cybertruck (Somalia Veteran, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Avantus 100-MW Solar Project Aiding Energy Resilience In Warming Arizona” • Solar project developer Avantus signed a power purchase agreement with Arizona Public Service for the Kitt Solar Project, a 100-MW array to be paired with 400 MWh of energy storage. Construction will start in 2025, and operations are to begin in 2026. [Solar Power World]

¶ “NOAA And American Indian Higher Education Consortium Work For Climate Resilience” • NOAA and the American Indian Higher Education Consortium have signed an MOU to advance Indigenous Knowledge, technology, science, engineering and mathematics education, and workforce training for tribes to build climate resilience. [NOAA.gov]

Have a conspicuously superb day.

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World:

¶ “EU To Invest €1 Billion To Boost Domestic Supply Of Battery Components” • The EU announced that companies who source less of their important materials for their battery production from China will be in line for grants totaling €1 billion. The EU also said it is interested in financing domestic hydrogen projects and net-zero technologies. [CleanTechnica]

Batteries (Courtesy of Northvolt)

¶ “France Reaches 23.7 GW Of Solar Power” • France is among the top nations for growth in solar energy generation in recent years, and that continued in the third quarter. The Ministry of Ecological Transition has shared the most recent data from its third-quarter 2024 solar PV energy dashboard. Highest installed capacities are in the South. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EVs At 22.8% share in Germany – Volkswagen Group Is Dominating Home Ground” • November saw plugin EVs at 22.8% share in Germany, down from 25.7% year on year. Battery EV sales were down YOY, though from an elevated baseline. Plugin hybrid EV sales were up 14%. November’s overall auto volume was 244,544 units, roughly flat YOY. [CleanTechnica]

Škoda Enyaq IMG (Alexander-93, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Greencells Offloads 4-GW Solar-Storage Platform” • Global investment management company Davidson Kempner Capital Management and private equity player Nature Infrastructure Capital will jointly acquire the 4-GW portfolio of developer Greencells. The portfolio includes 800 MW of projects that are ready to build. [reNews]

¶ “Study Finds 21 Regions With High Potential For Development Of Wind Farms In Cuba” • Cuban researchers identified 21 areas in the country with favorable conditions for the installation of wind farms. A representative of the Renewable Energy Sources Group of the Institute of Meteorology, said the potential capacity is about 1,100 MW. [POWER Magazine]

Cuban pump jacks (Philip Gabrielsen, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Sungrow And CREC Sign Landmark 1.5 GWh Battery Energy Storage Agreement In The Philippines” • Sungrow, a leading PV inverter and energy storage system provider, announced signing an agreement with Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation for a 1.5-GWh battery system. The agreement is for the largest system of its type in Southeast Asia. [ANTARA News]

¶ “2024 ‘Certain’ To Be Hottest Year On Record: EU Monitor” • This year is “effectively certain” to be the hottest on record and the first above a critical threshold to protect the planet from dangerously overheating, Copernicus Climate Change Service said. We have exceeded 1.5°C of temperature increase. Scientists said we would need to avoid that. [Digital Journal]

Weather over warm water (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “Nuclear ‘Most Expensive’ For Replacing Coal-Fired Power” • Respected scientists, energy experts, and industry players have backed in the latest official data that shows nuclear energy does not stack up for Australia. Power planners warn taxpayers will need deep pockets to develop nuclear energy. Solar and wind are the least expensive energy sources. [Yahoo]

US:

¶ “Arizona Looks For More Power” • Population growth and rising temperatures are starting to not be the only thing upping power demand in Arizona. Large manufacturing companies are looking to build or expand in the state, and large data centers are also considering building in the Phoenix metro area. So, finding more kilowatt-hours is key. [CleanTechnica]

Arizona (Gautier Salles, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Trump’s Energy Secretary Pick Preaches The Benefits Of Climate Change” • Chris Wright, President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for energy secretary, says that climate change poses only a modest threat to humanity. Wright agrees that burning fossil fuels adds to rising temperatures, but says some good is in that. The biggest US oil companies disagree. [MSN]

¶ “Why These Doctors Started Writing Medical ‘Prescriptions’ For Solar Power” • A primary care physician at Boston Medical Center got tired of hearing that her patients couldn’t afford the electricity needed to run breathing assistance machines, turn on air conditioning, or keep their refrigerators plugged in. So she worked with her hospital on a solution. [NPR]

Have a generously rich day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Giant Underground ‘Batteries’ Are Shaping The Future Of Renewable Energy Storage” • A study from several universities and national labs in the US and Canada shows that large-scale deployment of long-duration energy storage isn’t just feasible but essential for renewables to reach their full potential, and would even cut utility bills. [Gizmodo]

Hydrostor energy storage (© Hydrostor image)

World:

¶ “EVs Take 35.3% Share Of The UK – Laggards Rush To Meet ZEV Mandate” • November saw plugin EVs take 35.3% share of the UK auto market, up from 25.7% year on year. Battery EVs grew volume by 58%, year over year, and took a quarter of the market, while plugin hybrids remained flat. Overall auto volume was 153,610 units, down 2% YOY. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “European Auto Industry Turmoil At Volkswagen And Stellantis Likely To Accelerate In 2025” • The European auto industry is facing a “perfect storm” in 2025. Analysts predict a tumultuous year for Volkswagen and Stellantis as declining sales, increasing emissions restrictions, and labor unrest beset the companies. [CleanTechnica]

Auto manufacture (Volkswagen image)

¶ “Three-Fold Rise In Rooftop Solar In Island City In Two Years” • Despite space constraints, the island city of Mumbai does not lag when it comes to rooftop solar installations. With most of the installations being put on schools, hospitals, and government buildings, the capacity has risen threefold, to 17,679 kW, over a period of just two years. [Times of India]

¶ “Madhya Pradesh’s Renewable Energy Output Grows 14 Times: CM Mohan” • Power generation from the renewable sources in Madhya Pradesh increased by fourteen times to 7,000 MW in the last twelve years. The feat is part of the move to generate clean energy to combat the challenge of climate change, chief minister Mohan Yadav said. [Deccan Chronicle]

Madhya Pradesh (Shruti Singh, Unsplash)

¶ “Iran’s Nuclear Leap ‘Extremely Serious,’ Western Source Says” • Iran’s acceleration in its enrichment of uranium to close to bomb grade is “extremely serious,” has no civilian justification and contradicts Tehran’s assertions on wanting serious nuclear negotiations, a Western diplomatic source said. Iran has long denied seeking nuclear weapons. [DFA]

US:

¶ “Renewable Energy-On-Rails Scheme To Cure Transmission Line Blues” • If you’re thinking some clever soul has proposed loading large batteries onto freight cars, stuffing them full of renewable energy, and shipping them out to energy-thirsty locations, run right out and buy yourself a cigar. The US startup SunTrain is doing just that. [CleanTechnica]

SunTrain energy storage system (courtesy of SunTrain)

¶ “ConnectDER Will Expand Distributed Energy Products Business” • To be able to use the electricity from your solar panels during an outage, you need a switch installed in your electrical panel that disconnects your system from the electrical grid until repairs are completed. That switch is expensive, but ConnectDER offers an alternative. [CleanTechnica]
8**** ConnectDER system (ConnectDER image)

¶ “Wisconsin School Project Gives Kids A Solar Plus Storage Microgrid Learning Environment” • A Wisconsin school is getting a solar plus storage microgrid project that will save the district significant money on energy. Eaton, an intelligent power management company, will provide the microgrid for affordable and sustainable power. [CleanTechnica]

School in Menasha (Courtesy of Menasha, WI School District)

¶ “Alaska’s Utilities Forced To Shift To Different Energy Sources As Fuel Costs Soar: ‘We Have A Very Old And Outdated Grid'” • In Alaska, renewable projects are proving more cost-effective than traditional power sources. As Alaska’s natural gas supplies dwindle, utilities are facing the prospect of importing expensive liquefied natural gas by 2027. [The Cool Down]

¶ “Andrews Backing Legislation To Encourage Development Of Nuclear Energy In Michigan” • Legislation intended to boost Michigan’s nuclear industry could come up for a vote in Lansing in the next week. State Representative Joey Andrews says the bills he has worked on with multiple colleagues would attract nuclear energy providers to the state. [WSJM]

Have a simply marvelous day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Lithium-Sulfur EV Battery Could Reverse The Ill Fortunes Of Stellantis” • The lithium-sulfur EV battery formula has been a tough nut to crack. Early attempts ran into both mechanical and chemical degradation obstacles. But Stellantis has lithium-sulfur batter deal and a loan commitment of $7.5 billion from the US DOE for a new battery factory. [CleanTechnica]

Stellantis EV at charger (courtesy of Stellantis)

World:

¶ “MAN Energy Mega Heat Pump Activated For District Heating In Denmark” • A seawater-based heat pump from MAN Energy Solutions is now supplying zero emissions heat for the district heating system operated by DIN Forsyning in Esbjerg, Denmark. The heat pump will supply about 280,000 MWh of heat per year to local district heating networks. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “WeRide Deploys Autonomous Streetsweepers” • Autonomous robotaxis from WeRide, the Robosweeper S6 and Robosweeper S1, were commercially deployed in Singapore, at Marina Coastal Drive and Esplanade. This is Singapore’s first commercialized autonomous sanitation project. It seems a fitting application of autonomous technology. [CleanTechnica]

WeRide Robosweeper S1 (WeRide image)

¶ “Mercedes-Benz Seeks Sustainable EV Battery Made From Rice Hulls” • The search for a sustainable EV battery has taken the automaker Mercedes-Benz in some strange directions. The latest news involves a method for extracting hard carbon from rice hulls, leading to new EV battery anodes that outperform anodes made of conventional graphite. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Polhem Infra Joins Prime Capital For 265MW Of Swedish Wind” • Polhem Infra and Prime Capital formed a partnership to build the 265-MW Lynx onshore wind portfolio in Sweden. The Fjällberg, Vinliden, and Hornmyran wind farms are expected to start construction in 2027. The €420 million partnership will bring 1 TWh of energy to the country. [reNews]

Wind farm (Polhem Infra photo)

¶ “Meta-Analysis Of Current Global Warming Impacts Suggests A Third Of All Species Could Be Extinct By 2100” • A biologist at the University of Connecticut has found evidence that up to a third of all species alive today could become extinct by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions are not slowed or stopped. His study was published in the journal Science. [MSN]

¶ “New Regulations To Protect Alberta’s Agricultural Lands And Environment” • Over the past decade, Alberta has seen rapid growth of its renewable energy sector. However, the regulations governing this have not kept pace with development, leading to concerns from municipalities, agricultural producers, and land owners, so the government has had to act. [ABP Daily]

Alberta (Chris Henry, Unsplash)

¶ “Serentica To Invest $5.9 Billion For 10,000 MW Of Renewable Energy Projects In Rajasthan” • Serentica Renewables announced a significant investment of ₹500 billion ($5.9 billion) to develop 10 GW of renewable energy capacity in Rajasthan, according to The Economic Times. This involvement supports the state’s energy development objective. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Energy Bills Set To Skyrocket As Miliband ‘Opens Door’ To Nuclear Reactors In Net Zero Push” • Energy Secretary Ed Miliband could heighten energy bills as he confirms plans for new nuclear projects in the UK. But interested developers are reportedly asking for assurance of financial support to ensure their projects get a minimum return. [GB News]

Ed Miliband in Baku (UK Government, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Floating Solar Array Launches In Ohio. Yes, Ohio!” • When you think of Ohio, you might be more likely to think of the myth about people in Springfield eating cats and dogs than to think of deployment of floating solar PV power. But that’s what’s happening. Not the eating cats and dogs part, of course, but the part about floating solar PVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “USA’s Largest Solar+Stoage Project Approved: Emission-Free Electricity for 800,000 Homes” • Sunstone Solar, the US’ largest proposed solar project, has final discretionary permission from the Oregon Energy Facility Siting Council. It brings owner Pine Gate Renewables close to building the project’s 1.2 GW of solar PVs and 1.2 GW of storage. [CleanTechnica]

Fire mop-up work (Image via the US DOI)

¶ “Electric Plus Hybrid Vehicles Reach Record US Auto Market Share In Q3” • The US EIA points out that combined sales of electric and hybrid vehicles reached a record high share of the US auto market in the 3rd quarter. All together, they accounted for 19.6% share, half a percentage point above their 19.1% share of the auto market in the 2nd quarter. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nexamp Is To Bring 350 MW Of Distributed Solar Power Generation To Illinois And New York” • Nexamp announced it has partnered with Fuyo General Lease USA to deploy more than 350 MW of distributed solar power generation projects in Illinois and New York, bringing both states closer to their goals for carbon-free power. [pv magazine USA]

A Nexamp solar project (Nexamp image)

¶ “Funding Secured For Solar + Storage Project Set To Power Green Steel Mill” • Newly formed Green & Clean Power has raised about $300 million to build a solar and storage project, which will ultimately power a recycling steel rebar mill, Hybar. GCP is expected to supply Hybar with roughly 40% of its total annual power needs. [Power Engineering International]

¶ “Future Is Bright For SC Solar Power, Report Finds” • The sun is rising on a new era for solar power in South Carolina with the industry poised to create $19 billion in economic activity and more than 3,000 new Palmetto State jobs by 2035, according to a report. The findings point the way toward energy independence for the state. [Statehouse Report]

Have a wonderfully classic day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Purpose-Built Ship Deploys Wave Energy To Produce Green Ammonia Fuel” • Instead of putting an ammonia plant on land, the Dutch startup SwitcH2 plans theirs out at sea. Initially, the plan was to use offshore wind and solar to make green hydrogen, which would be used to make green ammonia fuel. Now SwitcH2 is planning on adding wave energy. [CleanTechnica]

Harvesting wave energy (Courtesy of Corpower Ocean)

World:

¶ “Cuba Restores Power Grid And Resumes Planned Blackouts Of About Five Hours Per Day” • After a nationwide blackout left millions without electricity for several hours in Cuba, the power grid was restored Thursday, authorities said. They added that scheduled power outages of five hours per day, largely caused by fuel shortages, will now resume. [ABC News]

¶ “Volvo EX30 Gets Maximum 5-Star Safety Rating from Euro NCAP” • The new(ish) Volvo EX30 earned another distinguished, and expected, accomplishment. The highly rated and quiet small SUV has earned a 5-star safety rating from the Euro NCAP rating system. That’s the highest possible ranking. One thing Volvo Cars is known for is safety. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo EX30 (Courtesy of Volvo Cars South Africa)

¶ “Chinese Companies Responsible For 76% Of Global EV Sales” • A headline in The Guardian caught our attention at the daily staff meeting at CleanTechnica global headquarters. “China’s Share Of Global Electric Car Market Rises To 76 Percent,” it said. Think about that. Three-quarters of all electric cars in the world are made by Chinese companies! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Chantiers Bags Dunkirk Substation Gig” • The French grid operator RTE signed a contract with Chantiers de l’Atlantique for a substation for the Dunkirk offshore wind project. It is for the design, construction, and installation of an AC electrical offshore platform that will transmit power from EDF Renewables and Enbridge’s 600-MW offshore wind farm. [reNews]

Small offshore substation (DOTI, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “UK Solar Scheme To Become ‘Biodiversity Haven’” • A large solar farm development in the UK’s midlands is set to become a “biodiversity haven” after a series of new eco-partnerships were agreed upon. Communities who were consulted on the original proposals in early 2024 expressed a strong desire to protect and enhance their natural environment. [reNews]

¶ “Latest Solar Farm Plan Could Power 12,000 Homes” • Plans for a solar farm that could power 12,000 North Yorkshire homes will be recommended for approval, a report has concluded. The scheme, which is set to stretch across 66 hectares (163 acres) of land between Harrogate and Ripon, attracted 38 objections and five responses in support. [BBC]

Yorkshire (Illiya Vjestica, Unsplash)

¶ “South Australia Has The Most Wind And Solar And No Baseload: So Why Is It The Only State Not Fretting About A Vulnerable Grid?” • South Australia has the highest wind and solar share, an average of around 72% over the last 12 months, vastly more than other state in Australia. But it is also the most reliable grid in the country. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Climate Change Threatens Global Food Supply: Scientists Sound Alarm” • Scientists are raising alarms about the impacts of climate change on global food security. A study published in Trends in Plant Science points to the urgent need to develop climate-resilient crops to avert severe food shortages, famine, mass migration, and global instability. [India Today]

Farming (Dietmar Reichle, Unsplash)

¶ “Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plants Almost Restored Generation After Russian Attacks” • Ukraine’s three operating nuclear power plants have mostly restored electricity production, following a significant reduction last week due to fresh Russian attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure. But some of the power lines they depend on are still disconnected. [Ukrainska Pravda]

US:

¶ “Waymo Going To Miami” • Waymo announced that it will be bringing its robotaxi service, Waymo One, to Miami early next year. Waymo also revealed that it is going to be working with the company Moove to help manage its fleets in a new and better way. But before it does that, Waymo will work with Moove in Pheonix, its first market. [CleanTechnica]

Waymo is coming to Miami (Waymo)

¶ “Clean Energy Cybersecurity, Clean Energy Tech Startups, And Clean Energy & Manufacturing Innovation In Underserved Communities” • New US DOE announcements cover improving electric sector cybersecurity, five Phase 2 winners in the Energy Program for Innovation Clusters Round 3, and 19 Community Energy Innovation Prize teams. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ace Green Recycling Becoming a Public Company, Leading on Sustainable Battery Recycling” • As a global leader in battery recycling technology, Ace Green Recycling has a modular battery recycling platform intended to reduce battery waste while it preserves vital battery materials of strategic relevance. Now Ace is going public. [CleanTechnica]

Ace recycling plant (ACE Green Recycling via PRNewsfoto)

¶ “European Energy And Oklahoma Forge Renewables Ties” • European Energy entered into an agreement with the state of Oklahoma to co-develop a range of renewable energy assets. The partnership encompasses solar, wind, batteries, and power-to-x technology. European Energy has a US development pipeline of over 4 GW of projects. [reNews]

¶ “California Solar+Storage Plant Pioneers Fossil-Free Power for Peak Demand” • The launch of one of the first US solar+storage peaker plants is paving the way for renewables to replace gas-fired facilities during peak power demand. Built in Imperial County, California, the Vikings project is a benchmark for safe, reliable configurations of its kind. [The Energy Mix]

Have an actually fantastic day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Baseload Power Stations Not Needed For Secure Renewable Electricity Supply” • An energy system dominated by solar and wind energy does not require baseload power for security, say German researchers. They showed that baseload plants could become part of future energy systems if they save costs, but they consider this unlikely. [Clean Energy Wire]

Nuclear power plant (Frédéric Paulussen, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Volvo Plugin Vehicle Sales Grow 40%, Equal 48% Of Volvo Sales Globally!” • Since Volvo took a lead on the competition and said it would be 100% electric by 2030, several years ago, the company has gradually moved toward that goal. Plugins took 48% of the company’s global sales last month, and fully electric cars alone accounted for 21%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Philippines, Completing Its EV Lineup, Introduces Latest Sedan” • BYD Cars Philippines launched the BYD Seal 5 DM-i sedan, starting at P948,000 ($16,400). The sedan is specifically targeted towards first-time car buyers. This entry completes the segment lineup, with one EV in each category of Philippine automobiles. [CleanTechnica]

The BYD Tech Tour (Courtesy of BYD)

¶ “What Falling Sales? Plugin Vehicles Grew To A Record 1.74 Million Units In October!” • Global plugin vehicle registrations were up 36% in October 2024 over October 2023. There were 1.74 million registrations, which is a new record. BEVs were up by 23%, year over year, to over one million units. Plugin hybrids did even better, jumping 65%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wärtsilä Bags Oz Battery Order” • Wärtsilä has been chosen to deliver one of Australia’s largest energy storage systems, as part of the third stage of Origin’s Eraring battery project in New South Wales. Wartsila will install 700 MWh of additional battery capacity directly to the Eraring Stage 1 system, making it the largest battery project in Australia. [reNews]

Wärtsilä battery system (Wärtsilä image)

¶ “ARENA Funds Decarbonisation For Mining Vehicles” • The Australian Renewable Energy Agency will provide Fortescue with a $10 million grant to develop, build, and demonstrate a fast charger for heavy mine site vehicles. Fortescue’s $35.3 million project aims for a unit to charge a 240 ton battery electric truck in under 30 minutes. [Energy Magazine]

¶ “Irish Partners Outline 72-MW Ballyfasy Plan” • FuturEnergy Ireland and ART Generation have outlined plans for the 72-MW Ballyfasy wind farm in southern Ireland, the partners’ second joint development. They are planning the project in County Kilkenny, as reported in October. The site is expected to feature up to ten turbines. [reNews]

Wind turbine (FutureEnergy Ireland image)

¶ “Nuclear Power Plant Closures Are Delayed Amid Fears Over Net Zero” • The closure of four of Britain’s oldest nuclear power stations has been delayed over fears Labour’s net zero drive could trigger electricity costs to surge and lead to blackouts. The owner of the ageing plants, France’s EDF, has agreed to extend the lives of its reactors yet again. [MSN]

US:

¶ “How Climate Change Is Impacting This Iconic Florida Bird Species” • Populations of the Florida scrub-jay, a bird found only in the state, have been declining significantly since researchers began studying them in 1969. With warmer temperatures, it seems that snakes have more time during the spring season to feed on the nests. [ABC News]

Scrub-jay nest (FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute)

¶ “USA Adds Record Amount of Solar Manufacturing In Fourth Quarter” • Solar PVs are part of the growth of manufacturing in the US, and the US Solar Market Insight Q4 2024 report by the US Solar Energy Industries Association shows that well. A record 9.3 GW of solar module manufacturing capacity were added in the third quarter. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Duke Energy Will Replace A Coal Generating Station With Battery Storage” • Duke Energy may have seen the light on renewable energy at last. It will demolish the coal-fired Allen Steam Station west of Charlotte, North Carolina, that has been generating electricity since 1957. It will replace the plant partly with a 50-MW, ​200-MWh battery. [CleanTechnica]

Allen Steam Station (Courtesy of Duke Energy)

¶ “Nissan ARIYA Drivers Getting Access To Tesla Superchargers” • The convenience of EV charging on road trips is going to get much better soon in the US for Nissan ARIYA drivers. Following EVs from some other auto brands gaining access to the Tesla Supercharger network in recent weeks, ARIYA drivers are the next in line. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Firm Reaches Financial Close On Arizona PV Project” • US developer Longroad Energy has reached financial close of Sun Pond, its 111-MW solar and 85-MWac, 340-MWh storage project Arizona. The output of the Sun Pond project will be purchased by the City of San Jose, California, and Ava Community Energy through long-term Power PPAs. [reNews]

PV project (Longroad Energy image)

¶ “City Of Chelsea, Massachusetts, Launches Solar-Powered Microgrid Project” • The City of Chelsea, Massachusetts, has launched a solar-powered, cloud-based microgrid project for city buildings. The first phase of it began on December 2 involving a three-day installation of hundreds of solar panels on the City Yard building. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “Lawsuit Filed Against Owners Of Seabrook Nuclear Plant Over Alleged Project Sabotage” • In a lawsuit, energy company Avangrid is accusing NextEra Energy, owners of the Seabrook nuclear power plant, of sabotaging the development of a new transmission line meant to bring Canadian hydropower onto the New England grid. [Concord Monitor]

Have a relaxingly lazy  day.

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World:

¶ “Faster Than Predicted: Heatwave Hotspots Defy Climate Models” • A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that the hottest regions on Earth are experiencing extreme heat trends that far exceed the projections of state-of-the-art climate models. It raises questions about how we can deal with climate change. [Environment+Energy Leader]

Dust devil (NASA, public domain, cropped)

¶ “EVs At 61.7% Share In Sweden – BEVs Still Floundering” • Auto sales in November saw Swedish plugin EVs at 61.7% share, up slightly year over year from 60.6% in November 2023. Battery EVs share fell back, while the plugin hybrid share increased. Overall auto volume was down 2% YOY. The Tesla Model Y was again the best selling battery EV. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Extreme H Tests The Limits Of Fuel Cells” • Formula E racing burst upon the scene in 2015, aimed at testing the limits of battery EVs. Now the series founder, Alejandro Agag, is giving fuel cells an opportunity to show off. His latest project is the hydrogen fuel cell-only racing series Extreme H, all set to hit the track in 2025. [CleanTechnica]

Pioneer 25 Extreme H race car (Courtesy of Extreme E)

¶ “European Energy Plans 250-MW Oz Project” • European Energy and the First Nations Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng and a First Nations development corporation announced that they will develop a 250-MW wind farm together in Queensland. The development corporation is to ensure traditional custodians share in the area’s economic prosperity. [reNews]

¶ “Australian Utility Switches On Solar Farm Built For Cyclonic Conditions” • Australian gas and electricity company APA Group said that construction of its 45-MW Port Hedland solar farm and battery project in Western Australia is complete and it is being commissioned. Commercial operations are expected to begin in January 2025. [pv magazine International]

Solar farm (APA Group)

¶ “Big Battery Powering Melbourne’s South-East” • Melbourne’s south east will be powered by one of Victoria’s biggest batteries, boosting the state’s energy reliability, supporting the transition to renewable energy and sending cheap electricity to local homes and businesses. The Rangebank battery has capacities of 200 MW and 400 MWh. [Premier of Victoria]

¶ “CrossBoundary Energy Has Secured $140 Million To Scale Renewable Energy Portfolio Across Africa” • Renewable energy solutions provider CrossBoundary Energy, which is focused on Africa, secured $140 million of debt from the Standard Bank of South Africa on a fully underwritten basis to scale its renewable energy portfolio across Africa. [MSN]

Wind turbines in Kenya (Andrew Owuor, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Women Strongly Opposed To Nuclear Power, Just One In Three Men Willing To Live Near A Plant” • In Australia, Women are strongly opposed to nuclear energy and are most concerned that the controversial power source will delay the switch to renewables, polling shows. Men favor nuclear by a small margin, but don’t want to live near a plant. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶ “Hyundai IONIQ 5 Sales Soar 110% In The USA!” • Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 started out a bit quietly when it hit the US market. Zachary Shahan liked the Kia EV6 a bit more, but he says the IONIQ 5 has grown on him, and it would now be his #1 choice for a new electric car if he were ready to buy one. Other people have said similar things. [CleanTechnica]

Hyundai IONIQ 5 (Hyundai image)

¶ “Madison, Wisconsin’s Transit Goes Electric Again After 100 Years” • In the 1920s, Madison had a fully functioning overhead electric pantograph steel rail streetcar system. In those days, the efficiency of running on steel rails with electric motors trumped any other way to transport the public. Now, after 100 years of burning gas, it is back to electric. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Postal Workers Love Their New Electric Mail Trucks!” • New electric mail trucks have been spotted all across the US. It’s been all smiles for carriers since the US Postal Service launched its new fleet of electric mail trucks. What’s changed with the new USPS electric mail trucks? Nearly everything, with some changes suggested by workers. [CleanTechnica]

US electric postal truck (USPS image)

¶ “New York Contracts 2.3 GW Of Land-Based Projects” • New York Governor Kathy Hochul has announced contracts for 23 large land-based renewable energy projects that will provide over 2300 MW of clean energy. The projects are expected to create more than 2,500 near-term jobs and generate more than $4.7 billion in private investment. [reNews]

¶ “BOEM Approves US Wind Construction Plan” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved the construction and operations plan for US Wind’s wind farm of up to 2-GW off the coast of Maryland. The approval marks the agency’s final permit on US Wind’s federal permitting application. The COP allows for up to 114 wind turbines of up to 18 MW. [reNews]

Jeff Grybowski (Image via LinkedIn)

¶ “NYSERDA, Clean Path NY Developers Terminate Contracts Underpinning 175-Mile Transmission Line” • The state of New York and developers of the Clean Path NY transmission line agreed to terminate contracts relating to the project, which was to come online in 2027. The Clean Path project was billed as “critical” to New York’s climate goals. [Utility Dive]

¶ “Meta Joins Race For Nuclear Power” • Meta, the owner of Facebook, has joined the race for nuclear power generation to secure the energy supply for artificial intelligence. The company said it was looking to contract developers to build up to 4 GW of nuclear generating capacity in the US, to be completed by the early 2030s. [OilPrice.com]

Have an understandably awesome day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Invinity Unveils Next-Generation Battery” • Energy storage company Invinity Energy Systems has introduced Endurium, its next-generation vanadium flow battery. The technology has no cycle limits, no fire risk, high efficiency, and a modular, scalable architecture optimized for large scale projects, according to a statement by Invinity. [reNews]

Invinity Endurium battery (Invinity image)

¶ “German Researchers Learn New Way To Store Solar Energy” • Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and the University of Siegen in Germany have found a way to store solar energy for weeks or months. Instead of using sunlight to create electricity, they use it to store heat in molecular bonds in what are known as photoswitches. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “More Electric Buses for Victoria, With Innovative Charging Solutions” • Kinetic is bringing 137 new Zero Emission Buses to join the Melbourne metropolitan bus network, in line with Victoria’s Zero Emission bus transition plan. The transition begins formally on July 1st 2025, and all new public buses for Victoria will be zero emission. [CleanTechnica]

Charging (Department of Transport and Planning Victoria)

¶ “BYD Sells 1 Million Plugin Vehicles In Just 2 Months!” • BYD keeps shattering records for plugin vehicle sales. After delivering over 500,000 plugin vehicles in October, the company sold a few thousand more than that in November. Extrapolate that out to 12 months, and we see that BYD could be selling 6 million plugin vehicles per year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “XPENG Sales Soar 54%” • All the talk about declining EV sales is getting to be good for a laugh. In November, XPENG delivered 30,895 pure EVs to customers. That’s a whopping 54% increase over November 2023, and it’s up 29% over October 2024, which may be the even more impressive point. Naturally, it’s also a new monthly sales record for XPENG. [CleanTechnica]

XPENG EV (XPENG image)

¶ “Recurrent, PVH Ink 426-MW Spanish Solar Tracker Deal” • Recurrent Energy awarded PV Hardware the contract to supply solar trackers for its 426-MW Rey solar complex in Spain. The agreement concerns the Rey solar project in Seville. PVH will supply its AxoneDuo Infinity solar trackers for the project, which is to be operational in December 2025. [reNews]

¶ “Tata Power Renewable Switches On 431-MW Solar Park In India” • Tata Power announced that its Tata Power Renewable Energy unit commissioned a 431 MW solar project in Madhya Pradesh, which it won in competitive bidding. The project has single-axis trackers, as well as 560-W and 565-W bifacial glass-to-glass modules. [pv magazine International]

Solar farm (Tata Power Renewable Energy image)

¶ “‘No-Cost’ Home Solar And Battery Start-Up Raises Funds To Target 2,000 Homes Per Month” • The Sydney-based renewable energy startup National Renewable Network, which pioneered a no-cost solar and battery service, closed a $4.28 million funding round, helping the company prepare for a Series A funding round in 2025. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Wind, Solar, And Rooftop PV Set Output Records, And Send Coal And Gas Plunging To New Lows” • The record season for renewable energy has extended from its traditional period over spring into summer, with numerous output records tumbling for the instantaneous generation of large scale wind, solar farms, and rooftop PVs in Australia. [RenewEconomy]

Solar farm (Courtesy of Nextracker)

US:

¶ “US Commits To $7.54 Billion Loan For Stellantis Venture To Build Two EV Battery Plants” • A Stellantis joint venture with Samsung SDI won a commitment from the US government for up to a $7.54 billion loan to help build two EV battery plants in Indiana. The project is expected to create at least 2,800 jobs at the plants and hundreds more nearby. [ABC News]

¶ “Automakers Attempt To Cultivate Trump’s Good Side – While They Push To Stay The Course On EV Mandates” • A coalition of 42 automakers, including Ford and General Motors, sent a letter to President-elect Donald J Trump requesting to continue the current EV policies favoring existing EV tax incentives and emissions regulations. [CleanTechnica]

Ford Mustang EV (Adrian Newell, Unsplash)

¶ “Texas Could Become A Major Producer Of Another Source Of Renewable Energy” • Texas could become a major producer of green hydrogen due to its existing energy infrastructure, a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found. That infrastructure makes Texas a “valuable case study” as a fossil fuel producer being decarbonized. [ABC News]

¶ “Small US State Launches Game-Changing Agrivoltaic Project” • One of our smallest states has been punching way above its weight for installed solar capacity for almost 25 years. Now, a New Jersey project is in the works to draw more farms into the agrivoltaic movement, in which solar panels and agriculture combine for mutual benefit. [CleanTechnica]

Cows and PVs together (Courtesy of Rutgers University)

¶ “Confederated Tribes Of Warm Springs, Partner Start Work On Solar Project” • Warm Springs Power & Water Enterprises, manager of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs’ energy assets, announced that it will collaborate with renewable energy developer BrightNight to develop a solar-plus-battery project on the Warm Springs Reservation. [KTVZ]

¶ “NextEra Risked Seabrook Meltdown For Profit, According To Lawsuit” • NextEra, owner of Seabrook Station, allowed the plant to degrade to the point of risking a nuclear meltdown as part of a scheme to keep competitors at bay, alleges a lawsuit brought by the clean energy company Avangrid in the US District Court of Massachusetts Western Division. [InDepthNH.org]
Thanks to Tad Montgomery

Have an inwardly jubilant day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Musk Stirs The Trump 2.0 Inner Circle And Adds In A Splash Of Cronyism” • Tesla CEO Elon Musk is now an integral part of the Trump 2.0 administration. How Musk will fare in the long haul is still unknown. Musk’s mercurial nature may be undone by Trump’s furious outbursts and inability to maintain attention or loyalty for long. [CleanTechnica]

Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster (SpaceX, public domain)

World:

¶ “Talks Fail To Reach Agreement On Plastic Pollution Treaty” • Negotiators working on a treaty to address the plastic pollution crisis won’t reach an agreement and plan to resume the talks next year. The impasse is whether the treaty should reduce the total plastic on Earth and put global, legally binding controls on toxic chemicals used to make plastics. [ABC News]

¶ “Japanese Car Sales Plummet In Southeast Asia As Chinese Cars Gain Market Share” • Japanese car brands have had big sales in southeast Asia for decades, but Chinese brands have stolen a march on the Japanese brands. BYD just started selling cars in Indonesia last July, but it is already that country’s sixth best selling car company. [CleanTechnica]

BYD opening in Guatemala (BYD image)

¶ “Rosatom Starts Building A 300-MW Wind Power Plant In Daghestan” • Rosatom Renewable Energy, a unit of the Russian nuclear company Rosatom, started construction of a 300-MW onshore wind project in the Republic of Daghestan, in south-western Russia. Rosatom said the wind park will be the largest in the country when completed. [Enerdata]

¶ “ADB And MSEL Sign Deal To Establish 20-MW Solar Power Plant In Bangladesh” • The Asian Development Bank signed a $24.3 million financing package with Muktagacha Solartech Energy Limited to establish a grid-connected solar PV plant in Bangladesh. The plant will have a capacity of 20 MW and is to be grid-connected. [The Business Standard]

Scene in Bangladesh (ATM Arafath Ali, Unsplash)

¶ “Australian Utility Strikes Offtake Deal For 288-MW Solar Farm” • TasRex signed a power purchase agreement with Hydro Tasmania for the 288-MW Northern Midlands Solar Farm, under development near the city of Launceston. Hydro Tasmania will take 100% of the energy from the A$500 million ($325.8 million) project. [pv magazine International]

¶ “Australia Opens Tender 4 For 6 GW Of Renewable Energy Projects” • Australia opened registration for Tender 4 of its Capacity Investment Scheme, for 6 GW of renewable capacity in the National Electricity Market. Stage A for project bids will open on 13 December 2024.  Bidders will have until 18 February 2025 to submit project bids. [MSN]

Wind turbines (Irina Iriser, Unsplash)

¶ “Trial Run At Finland’s Onkalo Spent Nuclear Fuel Repository” • Finland is in a trial run to demonstrate the process for the safe disposal of spent nuclear fuel at Onkalo, the first permanent geological repository. So far, nuclear waste specialist Posiva has encapsulated and stored three canisters of non-radioactive test elements. [POWER Magazine]

US:

¶ “Solar Project Converts Cranberry Bog Into An Efficient Power Source” • In Carver, Massachusetts, a 7.1 MW-DC community solar installation with a 4-MW, 2-hour battery storage system will supply clean energy to nearby institutions and residents through Eversource Energy. The array was sited on 28 acres of a cranberry bog. [CleanTechnica]

Carver Solar (Courtesy of Syncarpha)

¶ “Iron-Air Energy Storage Finishes What Natural Gas Started” • When phase 1 of the massive Sherco solar plant in Minnesota went online last week, partially replacing the nearby Sherco coal plant, an iron-air battery system went with it. Though it only has 10 MW of capacity, the pilot-scale system will unlock the full 24/7 potential of solar power. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Leading California Winery Makes Transition To 100% Solar Power” • A leading sustainable winery in Alexander Valley is making major strides once again after announcing a crucial energy switch. A report by Wine Industry Advisor says Skipstone has just gone 100% solar. Thanks to a SolarCraft installation, Skipstone fully runs on solar power. [MSN]

Vineyard (Skipstone image)

¶ “US Renewable Energy Growth In First Three-Quarters” • A report from FERC highlighted main facts about the renewable energy growth in the US in the first three-quarters of 2024. Of new US generating capacity in the first three quarters of 2024, 89.6% was renewable. Solar was most important, with 77.7% of the new capacity during this period. [GreentechLead]

¶ “Nuclear Energy Proposal In The Northwest Is A ‘Distraction’ From Proven Renewables” • Interest is growing in nuclear energy as a solution to “dirty” sources of power. But Kelly Campbell, policy director for Columbia Riverkeeper, said companies are looking into nuclear because they want a “magic bullet” for climate change. [MSN]

Have a mindbogglingly easy day.

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World:

¶ “Landmark Climate Change Case Will Open At The Top UN Court” • After years of lobbying by island nations, the top UN court is to take up the largest case in its history. It is opening two weeks of hearings into what countries are legally required to do to combat climate change and help vulnerable nations fight its devastating impact. [ABC News]

Peace Palace (Kris Roderburg, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Limit On Plastic Production Is Still Under Debate As Treaty Talks Come To A Close” • Negotiations on a plastic pollution accord are drawing to a close, as nations debate whether to tackle the exponential growth of plastic production. One contentious item is setting a limit on the amount of plastic that companies are allowed to produce. [ABC News]

¶ “Baltic Nation Deploys Solar Power Plant For 100% Energy Independence” • Last week Estonian solar developer Sunly rolled out a 244-MW solar power plant in Risti, Lääne County. A 144-MW battery array will complement the solar panels, and Sunly is in discussions with local communities to determine the location of nine wind turbines. [CleanTechnica]

Estonian National Library (Courtesy of Roofit Solar)

¶ “Philippines Inks MOU With UAE On Renewable, Nuclear Energy Partnership” • The Philippines signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Arab Emirates to collaborate on renewable and nuclear energy among others, with an agreement on implementation set to be signed with a state-owned UAE company in January 2025. [GMA Network]

¶ “Glittering Dreams: India’s Big Push For Solar Power” • India is building what it boasts will be the largest renewable power plant in the world, along its desolate border with Pakistan. The Khavda plant in Gujarat state consists of 60 million solar panels and 770 wind turbines spread over 538 sq km (208 sq mi). It is to produce 30 GW in 2029. [South China Morning Post]

Earlier solar farm (Citizenmj, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Oxford Professor To Celebrate Solar Power Roof Anniversary” • Professor Sue Roaf, ignored the sceptics in 1995 to install the first integrated solar roof in Oxfordshire at her home in North Oxford. The naysayers told her it would not work in the English weather. Now she is planning a big party in June to celebrate 30 years of solar power. [Oxford Mail]

¶ “Aviation Industry Told To Prepare For Inevitable Impact Of Climate Change” • A report says the aviation industry must prepare for the effects of climate change to ensure the continued safety and effectiveness of air travel. It says disruptive weather patterns, such as extreme temperatures, storms, and flooding, will increasingly pose risks. [LARA Magazine]

Aircraft in Newark (Tim Gouw, Unsplash)

¶ “Japan Eyes Next-Gen Solar Power Equivalent To 20 Nuclear Reactors” • The Japanese government is planning to generate 20 GW of electricity, equivalent to the output of 20 nuclear reactors, through perovskite solar cells in fiscal 2040. Japan is the world’s second largest producer of iodine, which is the primary material in perovskite solar cells. [The Mainichi]

US:

¶ “Connecticut Police Departments Test Out EVs – With Some Naysayers” • Some Connecticut police departments are piloting EVs for their workday needs. With EV prices near parity with internal combustion engine vehicles and highly efficient batteries providing more than adequate range, it makes sense. But local media are spreading myths. [CleanTechnica]

Chevrolet Blazer police EV (Chevrolet image)

¶ “Now Is The Time To Buy Used Electric Cars, Too!” • If you want to have the $7,500 EV tax credit, you should probably buy an electric car ASAP. It is likely to disappear quickly after the change in government. However, it’s not just new electric cars that buyers should sprint to buy. The same goes for used electric cars, maybe even more so! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Steel Dynamics Recognized For Use Of Green Power” • Steel Dynamics, Inc has joined the US EPA’s Green Power Partnership. Steel Dynamics was recognized by the EPA, appearing Number 21 on their list of Green Power Partners from the Fortune 500® and number 33 on the National Top 100 List of the largest green power users from the GPP. [American Recycler]

Have an acceptably exquisite day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Lightweight, Fast Charging Lithium Sulfur Batteries Unveiled” • Researchers at Monash University in Melbourne say they have developed lithium sulfur batteries that have twice the energy density of traditional lithium-ion batteries. The Li-S batteries can charge and discharge faster than conventional batteries and are lighter and cost less to make. [CleanTechnica]

EVTOL (Hyundai Motor Group)

World:

¶ “Tesla Offers New Discount On Model Y In China” • Tesla has been offering to try to move more vehicles, the company is also trying to stimulate sales in China in a few ways. Those who take delivery of the either of the two cheaper Tesla Model Y options by December 31, can get a RMB 10,000 ($1,380) discount. The Model 3 also has incentives. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Zimbabwe Is To Reduce The Import Duty On EVs From 40% To 25% Starting January 1, 2025” • Zimbabwe’s Finance Minister, Professor Mhtuli Ncube, presented the 2025 National Budget with a number of new taxes. One thing stands out: The import duties on EVs are falling from 40%, the rate still paid on internal combustion vehicles, to 25%. [CleanTechnica]

Fuel line, Zimbabwe (Samwise Gamgee, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “LG Chem And ExxonMobil Sign Lithium Offtake Agreement” • After making huge sums extracting “black gold,” oil, through the last century, it’s only fitting that Exxon is planning to extract and sell some “white gold,” lithium. In a recent announcement, the oil company said it had signed a lithium offtake agreement with LG Chem. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Enercon Secures 120-MW Iceland Contract” • Enercon and state-owned energy supplier Landsvirkjun signed a contract for the first large-scale wind farm in Iceland. It is expected to have 28 of the E-138 EP3 turbines for a capacity of 120 MW. The wind farm will be built on an area of 17 sq km in the south of Iceland, about 130 km from Reykjavik. [reNews]

Iceland ponies (redcharlie, Unsplash)

¶ “Associated British Ports Completes £35 Million Lowestoft Port Facility” • ABP announced completion of its Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility. It is set to serve the offshore wind sector. Built to meet the growing needs of the offshore energy industry, LEEF will support operations and maintenance work and construction phase requirements. [reNews]

¶ “Petrovietnam Unit Building Substation Platforms For 1.5-GW Offshore Wind Power Project In Baltic Sea” • Petrovietnam Technical Services Corp started building substation platforms for the 1.5-GW Baltica 2 offshore wind project in the Baltic Sea. The 1.5-GW Baltica 2 project is to be finished in 2027, and the 1-GW Baltica 3 project in 2030. [Theinvestor.vn]

Baltic Sea (Aleksey Malinovski, Unsplash)

¶ “Powering The Future Of Wind Energy With Tech-Driven Efficiency” • The UK Government’s nine new offshore wind contracts highlight the global surge in renewable energy. The global wind industry added 117 GW of new capacity in 2023, marking a record year for wind energy growth. But wind power has to be kept efficient. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “Some 60% Of Latin America’s Electricity Is Generated From Renewable Energy” • According to the analysis that collects data from the International Energy Agency, 60% of Latin America’s electricity is generated from renewable energy, making it one of the cleanest electricity networks in the world. Chile, Mexico, and Brazil are leading countries. [q costa rica]

Geothermal plant (President of Mexico, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Decommissioning Old Nuclear Sites To Cost £130 Billion” • UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband faces a bill of £128.8 billion ($164 billion) to clean up Britain’s eight operational nuclear sites, according to an investigation by the National Audit Office. That is £23.5 billion more than previously expected. Seven nuclear stations are due to shut down in 2028. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Eastport, Maine Is The Ideal Place For Solar, Tidal Power, And A Microgrid” • In January 2025, Eastport Community Solar’s 1-MW solar array will go online to supplement an existing 1.8-MW of distributed solar already operating. But solar alone will not meet all the city’s energy needs. That’s where tidal power and batteries will come in. [CleanTechnica]

Eastport, Maine (Dougtone, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “NJ’s Renewable Energy Goals In Jeopardy With Incoming Trump Presidency” • President-elect Donald Trump’s return to office could challenge New Jersey’s plan for 100% renewable energy by 2035. Trump criticizes renewable energy, vowing to cut funding from the Inflation Reduction Act and halt offshore wind projects. [New Jersey Digest]

¶ “US Sets Tariffs Up To 271% On SEA Solar Imports” • The US Department of Commerce announced preliminary duties of up to 271% on solar imports from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The decision targets crystalline silicon PV cells and modules. US solar panel makers see trade practices of the SEA area as unfair. [Tech in Asia]

Solar panels in Virginia (Virtue Solar, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Michigan’s Controversial Wind, Solar Energy Law Is In Effect. What To Know” • A controversial law allowing Michigan to approve large wind and solar farms over local objections went into effect on November 29. It was among the more contentious aspects of a suite of reforms enacted to speed Michigan’s clean energy transition. [Bridge Michigan]

¶ “Solar Power: A Bright Future For Fairfield Businesses” • Just imagine saving money on energy bills while making money and contributing to a cleaner planet!  Solar power is on the rise in Fairfield, Iowa, as it’s getting to be a cornerstone of the local business landscape. In fact, the city is going through a surge in solar installations. [Southeast Iowa Union]

Have a totally okey-dokey day.

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World:

¶ “Renault 5 Carsharing EVs Used in European First V2G Scheme ” • Utrecht is one of the most renewable-energy-savvy cities in Europe. Now Utrecht, Renault Group, MyWheels, and We Drive Solar have introduced the first V2G-enabled carsharing program in Europe. Renault Group will supply 500 Renault 5 E-Tech EVs with Mobilize’s V2G technology. [CleanTechnica]

Grid-tied Renault EVs (Courtesy of Renault Group)

¶ “CHARGE Officially Opens First Off-Grid, Green EV Charging Station In South Africa” • CHARGE started work on its system of charging stations in South Africa about a year ago. In an exciting development, CHARGE has opened its first off-grid, ultra-fast, green EV charging station to the public in Wolmaransstad in the North West province. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Hamburg Orders 350 Electric Buses from Daimler” • The latest news on the electric bus front comes from Hamburg and Daimler Buses. Hamburger Hochbahn AG has tapped Daimler to supply the transit agency with 350 electric buses. In particular, these will be Mercedes-Benz eCitaro and Mercedes-Benz eCitaro G city buses. [CleanTechnica]

Daimler bus (Courtesy of Daimler Truck)

¶ “Utsira Nord Has Scope The To Expand To 750 MW” • The Norwegian Offshore Wind Association (NVE) has recommended that the government expand the capacity at the floating offshore wind area Utsira Nord by up to 750 MW. The Ministry of Energy had requested NVE investigate Vestavind B and assess it for potential opening. [reNews]

¶ “Hitachi Energy Kit To Integrate 960-MW EA2” • Hitachi Energy will provide onshore and offshore grid connection and power quality equipment for ScottishPower Renewables’ 960-MW East Anglia 2 offshore wind project. The agreement covers Hitachi Energy’s Grid-eXpand, offshore grid connection, and onshore grid connection. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbines ( ScottishPower Renewables)

¶ “ADB Inks $820 Million Loan For Twelve Renewable Energy Projects In Thailand” • The Asian Development Bank and Gulf Renewable Energy Company Limited signed an $820 million loan to fund construction of twelve renewable energy projects in Thailand. Thailand is planning to increase its renewable energy generation to 50% by 2037. [Asian Power]

¶ “Half Million Wind Technicians Needed By 2028” • About 532,000 new wind technicians will need to be hired worldwide by 2028 to meet the increasing demand for onshore and offshore wind, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. Around 40% of these posts will need to be filled by new entrants, GWEC’s Global Wind Workforce Outlook says. [reNews]

Wind technician at work (GWEC image)

¶ “Tender Launched Seeking 6 GW Of Wind And Solar For NEM” • Australia’s federal government launched a new tender in its Capacity Investment Scheme, with registrations now open for National Electricity Market – Generation Tender 4. This tender is seeking an indicative target of 6 GW of renewable generating capacity. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “Cuba Decrees Contingency Plan, New Restrictions As Energy Crisis Deepens” • In Cuba, new regulations, summarized in a 16-page decree, give top energy consumers in both the public and private sector three years to install renewable energy sources capable of producing at least 50% of the electricity they consume during daylight hours. [MSN]

Havana (MJ Haru, Unsplash)

¶ “Sofia Offshore Wind Farm Creating Economic Value For UK Businesses And Communities” • RWE commissioned a study on the socio-economic impacts of its Sofia offshore wind project, spotlighting the significant value it is creating for communities across the UK. Located 195 km off England’s North East coast, its capacity is to be 1.4 GW. [RWE]

¶ “Canada Selects Underground Site To Store Used Nuclear Fuel In Perpetuity” • Canada has chosen a site in northern Ontario to be its first deep underground depository for used nuclear fuel following a 14-year selection process, the country’s Nuclear Waste Management Organization said. If approved, construction would start in the 2030s. [MSN]

Ontario countryside (Derek Sutton, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Ukrainian Nuclear Plants Reduce Output In Response To Large-Scale Russian Attack” • Nuclear power plants in Ukraine reduced electricity production on November 28 as a precaution, in response to a massive Russian aerial attack on Ukraine, said Rafael Mariano Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency. [The Kyiv Independent]

US:

¶ “California Drafts Plan To Save Its Iconic And Imperiled Joshua Trees” • The California Department of Fish and Wildlife released a 294 page plan to protect the state’s Joshua trees from wildfires, human development, and climate change. The draft plan calls for minimizing impacts from overgrazing, use of pesticides, and unauthorized off-roading. [ABC News]

Joshua trees (Megan Clark, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Eleven Republican States Sue Financial Giants Over Coal Investments And ESG ” • Several years ago the world of finance decided it was high time to align their investment strategies with the need to prevent global heating from making the Earth uninhabitable for humans. Now AGs of eleven states are suing over what they call a conspiracy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California Reaches 2 Million Electric Car Sales, 26.4% Market Share” • California just passed a major milestone. In the third quarter, it reached 2 million cumulative EV sales, according to data from the California Energy Commission. By the end of the quarter, it had got to 2,113,135 EV sales. That’s also 39% of USA’s 5,466,139 cumulative EV sales. [CleanTechnica]

Have a relaxingly sensible day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Turning Carbon Dioxide Into Renewable Diesel Fuel With Electricity And Microbes” • Instead of releasing CO₂, some scientists want to turn it into things of value. Researchers at Washington University report a way to work with electricity and bacteria to turn CO₂ into fatty acids, which can be converted into renewable diesel fuel. [CleanTechnica]

Electricity and Microbes (Joule image)

¶ “Scientists Achieve Major Milestone With High-Energy, Donut-Shaped Vacuum Chamber” • Several groups of scientists are hard at work trying to unlock the key to nuclear fusion, sometimes referred to as the “holy grail” of clean energy. The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor in France is one of the largest projects. [The Cool Down]

World:

¶ “Wireless EV Charging Leaders Are Joining Forces To Chase Gasmobiles From Road” • Wireless EV charging has been an object of R&D for years, promising hands-free charging for drivers of electric cars. So, how soon will we scale up to mass market? Not much longer, say two leading startups, InductEV of the US and ENRX of Norway. [CleanTechnica]

Representation of wireless EV charging (Courtesy of ENRX)

¶ “Sonnedix Opens 150-MW Spanish Solar Site” • Sonnedix has opened its 150-MW Betierra project in Spain, so the company now owns and operates 1 GW of Spanish renewable capacity. The project has three 50-MW solar plants sharing interconnection infrastructure, a first for a project of this scale in the company’s Spanish portfolio. [reNews]

¶ “Vestas Confirms 900-MW Nordseecluster B Order” • Vestas confirmed a turbine order for RWE’s 900-MW Nordseecluster B offshore wind project in Germany, after RWE reached a final investment decision on the 1600-MW Nordseecluster complex in the German North Sea in May 2024. The order includes 60 V236-15.0MW wind turbines. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbines (Vestas image)

¶ “Renewable Energy Momentum Builds As Australia Eyes 2030 Targets” • Australia’s renewable energy transition is speeding up with government policies and private investments promising impacts on energy, transport, and industry, said a report by The Climate Council. It cited better vehicle efficiency and greater capacity investment. [Australian Manufacturing]

¶ “NeuConnect Advances UK-Germany Energy Link” • The NeuConnect project reached another key milestone this week with a first phase of cabling works now completed on land and in UK waters, as the first direct energy link between the UK and Germany starts to take shape. At a cost of €2.8 billion, the subsea cable is to be 725 km long. [reNews]

Ships at work (NeuConnect image)

¶ “Manufacturer Wants More Renewables To Soften The Price Crunch And Avoid Shutdowns” • An Australian manufacturer has called on governments to “get out of the way” so developers can build more renewable energy projects, after it was forced to shut its operation due to threatened outages caused by the failure of multiple fossil fuel power stations. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Voltalia Signs Solar PPAs With CERN” • Voltalia has signed PPAs for the energy produced at two solar parks that are under development in France with CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research). The particle accelerators that CERN operates on both sides of the French-Swiss border near Geneva consume large amounts of electricity. [reNews]

Solar array (Voltalia image)

US:

¶ “Ocean Salt Water Entering Delaware River Due To Drought And Sea Level Rise” • Drought and sea level rise have caused salt water from the Atlantic Ocean to creep into the Delaware River Basin. The point where ocean water and freshwater met had been typically near Wilmington, but it is now about twenty miles farther north, nearing Philadelphia. [ABC News]

¶ “Two US Representatives Try To Suspend 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit” • The 45X Advanced Manufacturing Production Tax Credit is a top incentive for stimulating clean energy and battery making in the US. Chinese companies can take advantage of it by having factories in the US. So two legislators want to end it. [CleanTechnica]

Equipment (Courtesy of Gotion)

¶ “Report Shows Solar Power Is Skyrocketing In Popularity” • A report said the US has over 5 million solar installations, 97% of which are on residential rooftops. The number is set to double by 2030. The Solar Energy Industries Association said 7% of US homes have solar, and that is expected to increase to over 15% in six years. [The Cool Down]

¶ “DE Shaw Completes 50-MW Solar Tracker Project” • Entergy Louisiana and DE Shaw Renewable Investments started commercial operations at Sunlight Road Solar, in Washington Parish, Louisiana. The 50-MW solar facility in Franklinton, developed and built by DESRI, will supply power to Entergy Louisiana’s grid. [Solar Power World]

Solar farm (Courtesy of DE Shaw Renewable Investments)

¶ “US $5 Billion Loan Guarantee For Key Green Power Transmission Link” • The US DOE announced a conditional commitment to guarantee a loan of up to $4.9 billion to Grain Belt Express, which is an Invenergy inter-regional renewable energy transmission line project with 2.5 GW of first-phase carrying capacity. [Latest renewable energy news]

¶ “Goldman Sachs Makes $440 Million Investment In US Power Company” • With concerns over how “dirty energy” like gas, oil, or coal impact the environment, renewable energy has become vital to the planet’s health and its life forms. That is the reason why Goldman Sachs Alternatives is making a $440 million investment in BrightNight. [The Cool Down]

Have a perfectly worthwhile day.

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Opinion:

¶ “North Carolina Republicans Aren’t Worried About Cuts To Clean Energy” • It is refreshing not to hear the hate filled bombast that has characterized the public utterances of the next occupant of the Offal Office from the group of Republicans in North Carolina. Maybe their “don’t worry, be happy” position will come true. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind industry (Courtesy of EDF-RE)

World:

¶ “The Earth Is Tilting Because of Humans” • This is a wild one. And it’s not even all about climate change. Apparently, humans are pumping so much groundwater out of the Earth that it’s making our planet tilt more. So far, from this activity, the Earth has tilted 31½ inches, a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters says. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Belgium Launches 700-MW Offshore Tender” • Belgium has published the documentation for its latest offshore wind tender, for Princess Elizabeth Zone 1 (Lot 1), with a capacity of 700-MW. The filing deadline followed by evaluation will take place in the third quarter of 2025, with the result announced in the fourth quarter of 2025. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (Parkwind image)

¶ “EU Capital Markets Failing Renewables” • Europe’s capital markets are falling short of the $215 trillion needed to hit 2050 net zero targets, says a report from European think tank Themis Foresight and Nord/LB. One reason for shortfalls is a capital allocation model that is ineffective at unlocking and moving critical funds towards renewables. [reNews]

¶ “Low Carbon Commissions 53 MW Of Dutch PV Sites” • Low Carbon has announced that a portfolio of four Dutch solar farms with a capacity of 53 MW have become fully operational. The four assets include the 26.7-MW Ter Apel site in the province of Groningen, one site in the province of Overijssel, and two sites at Wijk bij Duurstede, in the province of Utrecht. [reNews]

Ter Apel Solar farm (Low Carbon image)

¶ “UK Is Developing Solar Energy And Wind Farms In The Philippines” • The British Embassy in Manila is celebrating two milestones in UK-Philippines renewable energy collaboration. The Embassy underscored the UK’s commitment to driving sustainable energy solutions in the Philippines. It announced four new wind farms totaling 380 MW. [UK.GOV]

¶ “Why Are New Nuclear Projects Still Too Costly In Europe?” • Nuclear energy may be ready to play a crucial role in Europe’s energy security efforts, but the financial and logistical challenges of building new reactors remain massive. High construction costs, financial risks, and reliance on state support make such projects a daunting challenge. [MSN]

Nuclear plant in Czechia (Lukáš Lehotský, Unsplash)

UK:

¶ “Spiralis Energy Unveils Alderney Tidal System” • Spiralis Energy has unveiled its scalable “shell-like” tidal energy system, Axial Skelter, near Alderney. Spiralis Energy aims to capture power from tidal currents and river flows to generate electric energy. The Axial Skelter has no sharp edges or no fast-moving parts, Spiralis said. [reNews]

¶ “Offshore Wind Represents £21 Billion UK Steel Opportunity” • Up to 25 million tonnes of steel will be needed over the next 25 years for offshore wind investment around the coast of Britain, according to a report by LumenEE for UK Steel. This single opportunity alone is worth approximately £21 billion in steel purchases. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbine foundations (Seajacks image)

¶ “Statkraft Hits Milestone With UK 200-MW BESS” • Statkraft has reached a crucial milestone in the construction of its 200-MW Thornton Greener Grid Park in west Yorkshire with the arrival of the first of 620 battery units to be installed on site. The 200-MW two-hour battery energy storage system represents an investment of £150 million. [reNews]

US:

¶ “The Enormous Increase In US Manufacturing Construction From Biden’s Green New Deal Policies” • The graph is overall construction spending in the manufacturing sector. Spending for new manufacturing capacity was clearly stagnant during Donald Trump’s first presidency. It shot up with laws passed under Joe Biden. Trump wants to change them. [CleanTechnica]

Spending on manufacturing construction (FRED image)

¶ “New Study Examines The Impacts Of Wind Turbines On Our Visual Landscape” • Some people, such as NREL’s Anthony Lopez, are working to change this and offer contextualization of a shared communal landscape, with a fresh “lens.” He and his co-workers looked into the visual impacts of wind turbines on the places where people live. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Rivian Scores $6.57 Billion From Program Republicans Want To Kill” • Soon after the news about a deal with Volkswagen, the US EV maker Rivian scored a $6.5 billion conditional loan from the Biden administration, enabling it to move forward with the construction of Project Horizon, bringing thousands of new jobs to Georgia (of all places). [CleanTechnica]

Rivian loan announcement (US DOE image)

¶ “Massachusetts Governor Signs Transformative Clean Energy Legislation” • Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has signed Senate Bill 2967 into law. It has siting and permitting reforms that will help to speed the buildout of clean energy technologies. It extends regional clean energy timelines, and it offers battery energy storage incentives. [pv magazine USA]

¶ “TotalEnergies Pauses US Offshore Wind Project After Trump Victory, CEO Says” • TotalEnergies paused development of a wind farm off the coast of New York after Donald Trump’s US election victory, the French company’s CEO said. The French energy group was part of a JV developing the Attentive Energy offshore wind project in New York waters. [MSN]

Have a surprisingly brilliant day.

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Opinion:

¶ “COP29 Climate Deal: Historic Breakthrough Or Let-Down?” • Relieved COP delegates from rich countries applauded after a last-minute pledge in which rich countries will ‘take the lead’ in climate finance to poor countries of at least $300 billion each year by 2035. Some low-and middle income countries, such as China, will be expected to contribute. [Nature]

Distant wind turbines (Marcin Jozwiak, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Wärtsilä Joins New Consortium To Explore Hydrogen-Argon Power Cycle For Net-Zero Power Generation” • In the Argon Power Cycle, the air is replaced by argon and oxygen. The new research focuses on scaling up an Argon Power Cycle to medium speed engines with full argon recovery. Argon enables higher thermodynamic efficiency. [Wärtsilä]

World:

¶ “EV Sales Are Not Just Rising, They Are Stealing Market Share From Gasmobiles ” • Automotive data firm AutoMotive released its Global Electric Vehicle Tracker. According to their analysis, sales of internal combustion engine vehicles drifted down from a 78% market share two years ago to their current level of 63%, with EVs taking up the slack. [CleanTechnica]

Battery costs going down and energy density going up

¶ “Black Mass To Rescue EV Battery Supply Chain” • When the topic of recycling comes up, the big question is whether or not second-use materials perform as well as new. Independent tests confirm that lithium-ion battery cells made with RecycLiCo’s high performance materials matched the performance of cells made with virgin materials. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “TotalEnergies Halts Adani Investments” • French energy giant TotalEnergies has halted investments into the Adani Group after the Indian business was hit with allegations of corruption. The US filed criminal charges against chairman Gautam Adani and seven other people over allegations they agreed to pay around $265 million in bribes. [reNews]

Renewable generating capacity (Adani image)

¶ “Trio Sign 1.2 GW Of Egyptian Solar PPAs” • Masdar, Infinity Power, and Hassan Allam Utilities announced an agreement with the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company. The effort is to include two power purchase agreements for development of PV projects with a total capacity of 1.2 GW of generating capacity and 720 MWh of battery storage. [reNews]

¶ “CleanMax Secures Wind-Solar PPA With Pipavav Cargo Port” • CleanMax, a renewable energy provider for the commercial and industrial sector, secured a power purchase agreement with APM Terminals Pipavav for a hybrid wind-solar power project in Gujarat. The port will reduce its scope 1 and 2 emissions 65% by 2030, from 2022 levels. [pv magazine India]

CleanMax project (CleanMax image)

¶ “Singapore Told Not To Be A Guinea Pig For Small Modular Reactors” • Singapore, with Asia’s smallest land area, should not be a test bed for small modular reactors in its push to diversify its energy mix away from oil, given the high cost and safety risks of nuclear power, said energy analysts at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. [MSN]

Australia:

¶ “CSIRO Spin-Off Raises Record Amount To Fund Solar Heat And Power Tech, Get Industry Off Gas” • A new concentrated solar thermal company spun out of Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, promises zero emissions, 24/7 heat, and power that is competitive with gas. FPR Energy launched after raising $15 million in venture capital. [RenewEconomy]

Concentrated solar thermal (CSIRO image)

¶ “Solar Farm Celebrates First Generation Milestone” • Fotowatio Renewable Ventures Australia announced the generation of the first energy from Walla Walla Solar Farm in New South Wales’ Riverina region. The new solar farm has a peak power capacity of 353 MW and is set to be one of the largest solar projects in the state. [Energy Source & Distribution]

¶ “Call To Listen To ‘Farmers Not Facebook’ On New Energy” • Perceptions of farmers being opposed to renewable energy are false, but they do want more from developers, according to an Australian farming group. The latest polling found 70% support clean energy projects on farmland in their local areas and 17% were opposed. [Yahoo]

Wind farm in Victoria (John Englart, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “Tesla Supercharger Upgrades” • Tesla’s Supercharger team (what’s left of it) has announced improvements to the charging experience. Among the improvements are software upgrades, locations, and the length of the charging cables. The cables have become important since the Supercharger network was opened up to other car companies. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Record Year Projected For US Solar In 2024” • The American Clean Power Association has released a report that predicts a record-breaking year for the US solar industry, with over 32 GW of new systems in 2024. The Solar Market Monitor, a market analysis of the US utility-scale solar industry, was produced by S&P Global Commodity Insights. [reNews]

Urban solar system (Eco Energy World image)

¶ “US Grid Operators Kept The Lights On This Summer With More Solar, Storage, And Wind” • The demand for electricity is often at its peak during summer afternoons, when the AC runs. The bulk power system met this demand with hydropower and fossil fuels. What a shift this past summer was, with renewables taking up the extra load. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Consumers Energy To Add 100 MW Of Battery Storage To Make Renewable Energy-Heavy Electric System Stable” • Some 100 MW more battery energy storage is to be put on the grid as Consumers Energy brings its total to 400 MW. The utility will buy the electricity from a new facility being built by Voyager Energy Storage. [WCMU Public Radio]

Have a warmly received day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Silver Lining At A Disappointing COP29? It Showed Climate Progress Can Survive Trump 2.0” • The resolutions reached at COP29 on tackling the climate crisis, in the early hours of Sunday morning, are gravely disappointing but much better than nothing. And the result of this climate conference in Baku was almost nothing. [The Guardian]

Opposition (Markus Spiske, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Rumors About Electric Cars And Short Battery Life Debunked In This Study” • One myth about EVs is that they will be nearly impossible to sell because the batteries age quickly and need to be replaced at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars. Consultancy P3 did a detailed study of this and other myths about batteries in electric cars. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Pakistan Is Experiencing A Solar Power Boom. Here’s What It Can Teach Us” • Pakistan’s rapid adoption of solar energy is largely market-driven with minimal political support. As more consumers abandon the grid, the resulting decline in demand drives up fixed costs for those who stay connected to the grid, and tariffs are up 155%. [The World Economic Forum]

Solar and fossil fuel plants (Reon Energy image)

¶ “Nations Meet In Final Round To Address Global Plastic Crisis” • Negotiators gathered in South Korea in a final push to create a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution. In addition to the national delegations, representatives from the plastics industry, scientists, and environmentalists came to shape how the world tackles the problem. [ABC News]

¶ “TotalEnergies Unveils French Hydrogen Project” • A green hydrogen production project was launched by TotalEnergies with Air Liquide on the La Mède platform in France, as part of its goal to decarbonize its European refineries by 2030. The project will reduce the biorefinery’s CO₂ emissions by 130,000 tonnes per year, the company said. [reNews]

TotalEnergies refinery (TotalEnergies image)

¶ “The State Govt Approves A $1 billion Battery Energy Storage System” • The government of New South Wales has approved a $1 billion BESS near Newcastle. With 500 MW of power, storing 2,000 MWh of electric energy, it will play a key role in keeping the city’s lights on during peak demands, as it will cover needs of about 200,000 homes. [The Lismore App]

¶ “Danske Commodities Inks 1.4-GW Baltyk Deal” • Danske Commodities has signed balancing agreements for the 720-MW Baltyk 2 and 720-MW Baltyk 3 Polish offshore wind projects. The Energy trading outfit will offtake 100% of the arrays, totaling 1.4 GW, making this the biggest renewables deal in the history of the company. [reNews]

Offshore windpower (Pete Godfrey, Unsplash)

¶ “Albany Wave Energy Project To Help Australia Become World Leader In Renewables” • Australia is well-placed to decarbonize its economy by leading offshore renewable energy, including wave energy. M4, the ‘Moored MultiMode Multibody’ device, was sited about 1.5 km offshore in King George Sound, Western Australia. [The University of Western Australia]

¶ “Can Lebanon’s Renewable Energy Sector Rise To Meet The Challenge?” • Lebanon has been facing an ongoing energy crisis for several years, with regular blackouts leading to over-reliance on diesel generators for power. This is largely due to years of misspending public funds and under-investment in the country’s energy infrastructure. [OilPrice.com]

Beirut, Lebanon (Sara Calado, Unsplash)

¶ “Russia Must Stop Its Threats To Use Nuclear Weapons: The Japan News” • Russia violated international law and subjected Ukraine to a campaign of aggression. Now it is now threatening to use nuclear weapons if it is counterattacked, as Putin signed a decree on Russia’s use of nuclear weapons. Russia’s lawlessness is too much to tolerate. [Asia News Network]

US:

¶ “US Automakers Face Major Changes To EV And Emissions Policies” • US automakers invested nearly $146 billion over the past three years in design, engineering, and making EVs, the Center for Automotive Research says. Now, they are mounting lobbying campaigns to convince Donald Trump not to tear up the agreement behind their work. [CleanTechnica]

Ford F-150 Lightning (HJUdall, public domain)

¶ “Mercedes-Benz Gives Hints Of Future Charging Locations” • Like a number of other manufacturers, Mercedes-Benz figured out over the past few years that relying on charging companies and government to power EVs wasn’t going to work out. Putting out their own charging stations became important. The question was, where would they do this? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Adapture Renewables’ 14.6-MW Solar Project Operating Commercially In Virginia” • Utility-scale solar and energy storage project developer, owner, and operator Adapture Renewables announced the completion and start of operations of Rivanna Solar, a 14.6-MW solar project in Charlottesville, Virginia. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Rivanna Solar (Courtesy of Adapture Renewables)

¶ “What’s Going On With California’s Solar Power Grid?” • Based on research from Melody Petersen at the Los Angeles Times, very strange things seem to be happening with solar and wind power in California. As Petersen writes, “large commercial operators are increasingly forced to stop production” of solar power when the state’s systems produce too much of it. [InsideHook]

¶ “Texas’ Transformation Into A Renewable Energy Leader” • It is traditionally known as the heartland of oil and gas, but Texas has emerged as a leader in renewable energy. Over the past few days, clean energy sources have impressively powered over a third of the Texas energy grid. But the surge in renewable energy is in spite of opposition. [Microgrid Media]

Have a marvelously simple day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Aviation Contrails: Low Hanging Fruit of the Climate Fight” • In a report, “Contrail avoidance: aviation’s climate opportunity of the decade,” Transport & Environment explained how cheap it would be to avoid 80% of the contrails damage. The report was published just before COP29. It got a followup with an event at the conference in BAKU. [CleanTechnica]

Contrails (William Hook, Unsplash)

¶ “Journals Co-Publish Call For Collaborative Microbiological Research To Combat Climate Change” • Researchers and 14 scientific journals are calling on governments and industry to take coordinated action to counter climate change by harnessing microbiological research. They propose six areas of action that promise quick and effective solutions. [Phys.org]

World:

¶ “World Leaders Reach $300 Billion Climate Cash Deal At COP29” • In a surprising turn of events, world leaders at the UN climate conference in Azerbaijan announced they have reached agreement on a new deal that calls for wealthy countries to contribute $300 billion annually to help developing nations deal with the effects of climate change. [ABC News]

Setting up COP29 (IAEA Imagebank, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “After A Long Wait, Zimbabwe’s Utility-Scale Solar PV Sector Is Starting To Grow” • Zimbabwe has nearly 3,000 MW of installed generating capacity, but much of it is not working. Another issue is that very few of the over 100 projects from IPPs with licenses to generate electricity from renewable sources have taken off. The situation is changing, however. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Chambers Wants Mayo To Become Leader In Renewable Energy” • Mayo election candidate Senator Lisa Chambers restated her pledge to ensuring Mayo be a leader in renewable energy, underlining her years of advocacy for wind energy. Now her position is included in the renewable energy targets in her party’s election platform. [Connaught Telegraph]

Lisa Chambers (OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Armenia Joins International Solar Alliance” • Armenia has become the full member of the International Solar Alliance family. Armenia is a South Caucasian country, endowed with rare natural beauty, and nearly subtropical. The announcement was made by Randhir Jaiswal, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson. [Times of India]

US:

¶ “Undersea Pods Deployed For Energy Efficient Desalination” • Seawater desalination systems are gigantic, expensive, energy-sucking beasts, but they are badly needed, especially in an era when freshwater resources are strained to the breaking point. Its nature is a challenge, but a California startup has come up with a unique solution. [CleanTechnica]

OceanWell water farm (Courtesy of OceanWell)

¶ “The Fight Over Emissions From Heavy Trucks Moves To The Courts” • California’s Air Resources Board enacted rules that require sales of more battery-powered heavy trucks. The rules, also taken up by other states, begin on January 1, 2025. Truck dealers say they can’t be ready with new electric trucks, so the issue is going to court. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Trump Promised To Kill Offshore Wind Energy: What It Will Mean For The Gulf” • Trump’s vow to kill offshore wind energy development “on day one” of his second term is already having effects on the East Coast, but the biggest wind farm proposed in the Gulf of Mexico will likely stay on track, as his term will end before it really gets under way. [Louisiana Illuminator]

Lake Charles (David Wilson, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Maine’s Easternmost City Could Be A Model For The Nation’s Renewable Future” • Eastport Maine is the easternmost city in the US and has the East Coasts’s deepest port. It is also at the end of the electric line, and it is exposed, so the power goes out more often than other places. It is developing solar and tidal power to feed a microgrid. [Maine Morning Star]

¶ “Council Recommends Tax Incentives For Nuclear Energy” • The Tennessee Nuclear Energy Advisory Council recommended creating a new tax credit to attract more of the sector to the state. It also recommends lawmakers include nuclear energy on the list of industries eligible for the Certified Green Energy Production Facilities tax break. [The Center Square]

Have an iridescently colorful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Why Renewables Must Replace Nuclear” • With the discussion around nuclear energy becoming polarized and ideological, it’s essential to return to the data and facts – and these show that investing in nuclear will not reduce emissions within the next decade. Renewables offer a cheaper, more reliable route to cut carbon emissions. [The Parliament Magazine]

Wind energy (Daniel Morris, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Jaguar Responds To Falling Sales By Raising Prices – A Lot!” • Usually when sales fall, manufacturers cut prices to stimulate demand. But at Jaguar, sales have been falling and falling and falling for so long that Tata Motors, which owns Jaguar at the present time, has decided to tear up the old playbook and create a new one. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Kia EV9, EV6, And EV3 News” • Kia’s going on a bit of an EV news sprint. It’s got three EV stories out in the past week, in a time that has seen several months of EV news drought among legacy automakers. There’s nothing revolutionary here, but the company keeps stepping forward. Interestingly, each story is about a different model. [CleanTechnica]

Kia EV9 (Kia image)

¶ “‘Cut UK Energy Costs By Raising PV Target'” • Solar Energy UK is calling on the government to triple the current solar generation capacity to 60 GW by 2030. The trade association highlighted an academic study which claimed that tripling the current solar capacity would significantly lower the cost of the UK’s electricity. [reNews]

¶ “Race For Bigger Turbines ‘Paralyses’ Suppliers” • The “rat race” to build ever-larger turbines is paralyzing the offshore wind supply chain, consultancy Roland Berger says. Europe has chosen offshore wind as a key pillar of its energy transition. The offshore wind sector has pledged to ramp up its capacity to 20 GW per year to realize its goal for 2030. [reNews]

Jack-up barge (Rob Webbon, Unsplash)

¶ “SRE And MWE Partner For 840-MW Korean Array” • Synera Renewable Energy Group formed a joint venture with Moondo Wind Energy to develop an 840-MW offshore wind project in Korea’s South Sea. The JV, Moondo Offshore Wind Energy, is the group’s first entry into the South Korean market and its second venture beyond its base in Taiwan. [reNews]

¶ “Amazon Invests In First Utility-Scale Wind Energy Projects In Greece” • Amazon is investing in its largest renewable energy deal so far in Greece, three new wind farms. These wind farms will help match Amazon’s electricity use in Greece with carbon-free energy, while helping the country on its goal for renewable electricity. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Athens (Arthur Yeti, Unsplash)

¶ “Masdar Teams Up With China’s Silk Road Fund To Invest In Renewable Energy Projects” • Abu Dhabi clean energy company Masdar and China’s Silk Road Fund signed an agreement to jointly invest in renewable energy projects in Belt and Road Initiative countries. Masdar plans for 100 GW of BRI renewable sites by 2030. [MSN]

US:

¶ “The Great Grid-Scale Battery Boom Comes To The US” • The US has installed 20 GW of grid-scale battery storage for its grids, up from barely any just a few years ago. The EIA predicts total grid-scale battery storage capacity could double again to 40 GW by the end of next year, with the completion of the new projects already in the pipeline. [CleanTechnica]

Battery system (Element Energy image)

¶ “Milestone Puts Battery Recycling Industry One Step Closer to Increasing Lithium-Ion Processing in North America” • A Cirba Solutions battery recycling facility in Lancaster, Ohio, will create battery-grade metal sulfates and lithium carbonate when it’s up and running. These will become the raw materials for newly made batteries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Renewable Energy Investors Are Gearing Up For Another Big Year” • Regardless of who occupies the White House, renewable energy will be pushing fossil power plants out of the picture next year and beyond. The community solar movement is one thing in play, and the old rivalry between coal producers and natural gas is starting to heat up. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines (Jason Mavrommatis, Unsplash)

¶ “Carbon Removal Developers Unveil First All Wind-Powered Direct Air Capture Plant” • Carbon removal project developers Return Carbon and Verified Carbon are collaborating on a direct air capture facility that will run entirely on wind power, a feat the pair called a first for the sector. The DAC facility will be powered by a wind farm Greenalia will build. [ESG Dive]

¶ “Scientist Awarded $1 Million In Lawsuit Against Writers Over Defamation” • Scientists everywhere scored a major victory when a jury in the District of Columbia ruled in favor of climate scientist Michael Mann in a defamation case that spanned over a decade, the Associated Press reported. Two writers had alleged his work was “fraudulent.” [MSN]

Have a happily tempered day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Chinese Electric Cars Are Leaving The US In The Dust” • With our storied history as automobile leaders of the 1900s, it is easy to assume the US will continue to be the automotive leaders globally and especially domestically. However, we are rapidly being outmaneuvered, out-innovated, and left in the dust by our Chinese competitors. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Z9 interior (BYD image)

¶ “Faster Charging Doesn’t Help As Much As We Think” • One thing we haven’t really seen is what happens when a Bolt goes head to head against the car most people consider the gold standard for EV road trips: a Tesla. Now we have that. The EV Geek on YouTube tested to see how much time driving a cheap EV really loses you. (Not much.) [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Giraffes Need Endangered Species Protection For The First Time, US Officials Say” • The tallest animal on Earth is in danger, says the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and it is calling for federal protections for giraffe species for the first time. FWS proposes listing three subspecies of northern giraffes as endangered due to poaching, habitat loss, and climate change. [ABC News]

Giraffe (Judah Legge, Unsplash)

¶ “The US Energy Information Administration Acknowledges Electric Vehicles Are Eating Into Chinese Oil Demand” • The US EIA put out an “in-brief analysis” on “What’s driving decreasing gasoline consumption in China?” It notes that with EVs, demand for oil in China has been down for the past few months from the same months in 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Honda Is Building Its Own Solid-State Batteries” • Honda had already announced it is moving on from its relationship with GM and will build its own EVs in the future. In the past few days, it announced that it has opened a 27,000 sq m (300,000 sq ft) demonstration production line for solid-state battery cells at its R&D center in Sakura City. [CleanTechnica]

Honda solid-state battery factory (Courtesy of Honda)

¶ “OX2 Turns Sod On Oz Solar Project” • OX2 has begun the construction of a 119-MW solar farm in Australia, one of the first publicly owned renewable energy projects in the country. SEC is a government-owned renewable energy company in Victoria, a fact that has also enabled a 100-MW battery energy storage system to be added to the project. [reNews]

¶ “Indonesia’s Prabowo Plans To Retire All Fossil Fuel Plants In Fifteen Years, But Experts Are Skeptical” • Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto stated that his government plans to retire all fossil fuel-power plants while drastically boosting the country’s renewable energy capacity in the next 15 years. But the country is among those most dependent on coal. [ABC News]

Java (Hugo Matilla, Unsplash)

¶ “SA Secures The World’s First 100% Hydrogen-Capable Gas Turbines” • The South Australian Government has secured an agreement with ATCO Australia to contract GE Vernova to supply a first-of-its-kind, advanced gas turbine that can operate on 100% renewable hydrogen for the Whyalla hydrogen power plant. [Energy Source & Distribution]

US:

¶ “Northern California Faces Possible Record-Breaking Rainfall From Atmospheric River And Another Storm Is Coming” • A powerful atmospheric river is unleashing torrential, flooding rainfall across Northern California and parts of the Pacific Northwest in the wake of a historically strong bomb cyclone. Now another storm is on the way. [CNN]

Flooding from an atmospheric river (DJ Cane, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Water Levels At Reservoirs All Over The Northeast Dried Up Due To Drought Conditions In Recent Months” • Bodies of water that provide for populated regions in the Northeast have dried due to drought conditions in recent months, experts say. Water levels at reservoirs in the region have decreased to the point of concern for water supply managers. [ABC News]

¶ “Record Levels of Solar And Storage Installed for Tech, Retail, And Manufacturing Giants in USA” • Corporations in the US are spending heavily on solar and energy storage to power their operations despite current circumstances. On that topic, the Solar Energy Industries Association just released its annual Solar Means Business report. [CleanTechnica]

Ivanpah Solar Project (Dennis Schroeder, NREL)

¶ “Coal Producer To Produce 5.5 GW Of Solar Power” • Data centers are expected to drive a surge in demand for coal power in the US, but the leading coal producer Peabody is not waiting for it. Following a series of setbacks in recent years, Peabody is converting some of its properties to solar power plants, and they are not talking small potatoes. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BayWa RE Sells US Solar Trio” • BayWa’s renewables arm has completed the sale of a US solar portfolio totaling 517 MW (dc) of capacity. The three projects, in the service areas of grid operators Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland Interconnector (PJM) and the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), will be connected in 2025. [reNews]

Solar farm (BayWay RE image)

¶ “Welch Introduces Ambitious Renewable Energy Standard Bill” • Vermont Senator Peter Welch joined with other Democrats to introduce a climate bill for a 100% renewable energy standard within twenty years. The American Renewable Energy Act puts a priority on solar, wind, and geothermal energy, and bio-digesters on farms and wastewater plants. [WCAX]

¶ “Hermes 2 Construction Permits Approved By US Nuclear Regulatory Commission” • The NRC voted to issue construction permits to Kairos Power for the Hermes 2 Demonstration Plant. The permits will authorize Kairos to build a facility with two 35 MW molten salt-cooled reactors that would also include a shared power generation system. [World Nuclear News]

Have an abundantly ducky day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Sufficiency: It’s All We Need” • Lloyd Alter teaches sustainable design at Toronto Metropolitan University, and in his spare time, writes a blog on Substack called Carbon Upfront! In a piece this week, he focuses on sufficiency, a concept that we used consider normal before the Super Size Me movement took hold and we turned to extreme self-indulgence. [CleanTechnica]

It’s all we need (Architecture 2030)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Dangerous Hurricanes Are Being Made Even Worse Because Of Climate Change, Study Finds” • A study from Climate Central adds to growing evidence that human-amplified climate change is leading to more intense storms. It found that 84% of Atlantic hurricanes between 2019 and 2023 averaged 18 mph stronger due to climate change. [ABC News]

World:

¶ “At Least One Dead And Hundreds Of Thousands Without Power As Bomb Cyclone Slams Washington State And British Columbia” • A “once in a decade” bomb cyclone lashed the west coast with hurricane-force wind gusts, leaving at least one person dead and hundreds of thousands without power in Washington state, California, and British Columbia. [CNN]

Rainstorm (Dan Kreibich, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Ford To Cut 4,000 Jobs In Europe As It Faces Weak EV Sales And Economic Headwinds” • Ford Motor Co says it will reduce its workforce by 4,000 in Europe and the UK by the end of 2027, citing economic headwinds with increased competition and weaker than expected sales of electric cars. Most of the job cuts will be in Germany. [ABC News]

¶ “Tesla Model Y News From Around The World” • The Model Y news started this month by announcing that Tesla would offer one full year of free European Supercharging for anyone who buys and takes delivery of a Model Y in Europe before December 31, 2024. The thinking is clearly that the promotion will boost overall 2024 Tesla sales. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Michal Lauko, Unsplash)

¶ “Ocean Winds Submits Plans For 2-GW Scottish Project” • Ocean Winds has concluded three years of development work and submitted applications for planning consent to the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate for the 2-GW Caledonia Offshore Wind Farm in the outer Moray Firth. Caledonia was awarded the site in 2022. [reNews]

¶ “Crown Estate Launches Research Projects” • The Crown Estate is partnering with a range of expert bodies across the UK on five new projects to support the acceleration towards net zero, while enabling marine and coastal ecosystems to thrive. The projects will aim to discover any negative effects of offshore windfarms and how to remedy them. [reNews]

Fish at an offshore foundation (BOEM image)

¶ “Solar Energy Corp Bars Anil Ambani’s Reliance Power For 3 Years Over Fake Tender Document” • In a setback for Reliance Power’s green energy plans, Solar Energy Corp of India has barred the Anil Ambani company, its subsidiaries and Reliance NU BESS Ltd from participating in tenders issued by the state-owned company for three years. [MSN]

¶ “Victoria To Build First State-Owned Solar And Battery Project” • The government of Victoria announced that the State Electricity Commission is investing A$370 million to build a solar-plus-battery project in Horsham. The facility is projected to generate around 242,000 MWh of renewable energy per year, enough to power 51,000 homes. [Asian Power]

Mitre Lake, Victoria (Ed Dunens, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant Faces Second Blackout Of The Week After Russian Attacks” • The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is on the verge of a blackout after Russian attacks on power lines left the plant connected to only one line, Ukraine’s Energy Ministry reported on November 21. It is the second threatened blackout of the week. [The Kyiv Independent]

US:

¶ “Biden Administration Trying To Throw A Hail Mary To Save The Colorado River Before Trump Takes Over” • The Biden administration trying to get seven Western states to agree to divvy up the Colorado River’s water so as to protect the river basin and the West’s largest single water source – before Donald Trump takes office. [CNN]

Colorado River (Zoshua Colah, Unsplash)

¶ “What Trump’s ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’ Fracking Agenda Could Look Like” • Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign was partly built on a bedrock of US Oil & Gas production. Trump repeated his “drill, baby, drill” slogan, as he promised a fracking boom that he said could help make America more “energy independent” and lower the price of fuel. [ABC News]

¶ “Mitsubishi Reaffirms Commitment To EV Battery Swapping” • Skeptics abound, but EV battery swapping is attracting serious attention from automakers. The latest development is that Mitsubishi Corporation has announced a strategic partnership with the US battery swapping startup Ample, punctuated by an investment of $25 million. [CleanTechnica]

Mitsubishi battery swapping vans (Courtesy of Mitsubishi)

¶ “SOLARCYCLE’s New Georgia Facility Will Recycle 5 GW Of Solar Panels Per Year ” • SOLARCYCLE’s 5-GW recycling facility in Georgia will be able to recover “up to 90%” of the materials in solar PVs. Some will end up as feedstock for the company’s solar glass factory. The plant will start with recycling 2 million solar panels annually. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Billionaire Gautam Adani Indicted In New York On Bribery Charges” • Indian billionaire Gautam Adani and other executives were indicted in New York by US prosecutors for their alleged roles in a yearslong, multi-million-dollar bribery and fraud scheme involving plans to develop a major solar power plant. The fraud allegedly hurt US investors. [CNN]

Have a certifiably amusing day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Why Cloud Seeding Cannot Make Or Control The Weather” • Meteorology may have come a long way since its inception, but it is not possible for anyone – whether government, scientists or billionaires – to control the weather, experts say. We might get a 10% increase in local rain by seeding clouds, but creating or even steering hurricanes is another thing. [ABC News]

Clouds (NOAA, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Money To Respond To Climate Change Is Key To UN Talks In Baku. Nations Are Finding Ways To Raise It” • Rich nations hope to get financial leverage to come up with the money that poorer nations need to cope with climate change. It involves a complex package of grants, loans, and private investment. At the COP29 climate talks, it’s a major issue. [ABC News]

¶ “Chery Claims to Have 1-GWh Solid-State Battery Production Line” • Chinese automaker Chery claims to have a GWh-level solid-state battery production line under development in Wuhu, Anhui Province. It is developing the plant jointly by Anhui Anwa New Energy Co, Ltd and the Wuhu Economic and Technological Development Zone. [CleanTechnica]

Chery A5 (Overlaet, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “XPENG Entering UK” • XPENG will launch the G6 via partner International Motors Ltd. Reportedly, the company will start to deliver the G6 SUV to customers in the UK very soon. XPENG notes that the UK is a priority market for it in Europe. The UK government wants internal combustion cars to be completely phased out of new car sales by 2030. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Reaches 10 Million New Energy Vehicles!” • BYD is the first automaker to produce 10 million plugin vehicles (known as “new energy vehicles” in China). The most exciting thing about BYD’s growth is that it is quickly expanding around the world. BYD is bringing EVs to all sorts of markets, from Ethiopia to Colombia to Australia. [CleanTechnica]

BYD celebration (BYD image)

¶ “Lithuania To Achieve 100% Renewable Energy In Electricity By 2030” • By 2030, Lithuania’s national electricity grid will turn green, with renewable generating capacity providing 100% of the country’s electricity, said Lithuania’s Minister of Environment Simonas Gentvilas as he addressed the COP29 summit in Baku, Trend reports. [Trend News Agency]

¶ “COWI Joins Nature-Focused Offshore Project” • COWI has joined the Wood Thilsted Joint Industry Project to develop a nature inclusive approach to offshore wind farms. This effort aims to “explore and redefine” collaboratively what it means to create offshore wind farms that positively impact ecosystems throughout their lifecycle. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbine (COWI image)

¶ “Australia’s Emissions Down 30% Thanks To Renewables” • A report published by the Clean Energy Council and Green Energy Markets shows that a surge in renewable energy investment since 2015 reduced emissions by 30% relative to what they would be if Australia had remained reliant on the fleet of power stations it had in that year. [Energy Source & Distribution]

¶ “Voltalia To Deliver 135-MW Spanish PV Scheme” • Voltalia will build a 135-MW solar project in Spain for its client Green Arrow Capital. Voltalia has signed a contract with Green Arrow Capital to provide Engineering, Procurement and Construction as well as Operation & Maintenance for the facility in Sanlucar la Mayor, Seville. [reNews]

Solar project (Voltalia image)

¶ “Iran Increasing Stockpile Of Near-Weapons-Grade Uranium, UN Says” • Iran has defied international demands to rein in its nuclear program and has increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near-weapons-grade levels, says a confidential report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog that was seen by The Associated Press. [CNN]

US:

¶ “A Once-In-A-Decade Bomb Cyclone Is Taking Shape Off The West Coast” • A powerful “bomb cyclone” will combine with an atmospheric river to unleash over a month’s worth of rain, hurricane-force wind gusts, and feet of mountain snow to parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. Power outages already affect 400,000 customers. [CNN]

Cloudburst (Linhao Zhang, Unsplash)

¶ “Chris Wright, Trump’s Pick For Energy Secretary, Is Wrong About Green Energy, Experts Say” • Donald Trump’s pick for Energy Secretary, Chris Wright, is the chief executive of Liberty Energy, the world’s second-largest fracking services company. He has said, “There is no climate crisis, and we’re not in the midst of an energy transition either.” [ABC News]

¶ “Creating Green Shipping Possibilities Through New Digital Solutions” • The US Environmental Protection Agency says that investing in port infrastructure and operations is vital to US economic prosperity. Because these investments provide not only economic but environmental gains, green shipping is essential for US ports. [CleanTechnica]

Maersk container ship (Petar Milošević, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “National Blueprint for a Clean And Competitive Industrial Sector” • The US Department of Energy and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, with input from Departments and Agencies across the federal government, released “The National Blueprint for a Clean & Competitive Industrial Sector.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Salt River Project And Flatland Storage Plan 200-MW BESS In Arizona” • Salt River Project and Flatland Storage, a subsidiary of EDP Renewables North America have entered into an agreement to provide 200 MW of new energy storage to Arizona’s grid. The Flatland Energy Storage Project will be a 200-MW, 800-MWh battery energy storage system. [Solar Power World]

Have an inconceivably sagacious day.

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World:

¶ “How Is The World Doing On Tackling Climate Change?” • Last year, at the COP28 meeting, countries agreed to “transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems.” Nevertheless, fossil fuel use is still rising, despite positive steps by some countries including the UK and by the EU to wean themselves off the energy sources that do most to heat up our planet. [BBC]

Wind farm in Greece (Feri & Tasos, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Trump Might Nix America As A Climate Tech Leader. Five Charts Show China Winning That Race” • China is installing wind and solar power projects faster than any other country on the planet. As President-elect Donald Trump is likely to roll back on the US’ role as a global climate leader, experts say China will have to lead the charge. [CNN]

¶ “New Autonomous Air Taxi Trial In Thailand” • A while back, EHang’s EH216-S aircraft became the first autonomous electric aircraft in the world to be approved for commercial flight. Now, it has conducted its first pilot-free test flights, in Bangkok. The company has more test flights planned for the islands of Phuket and Koh Samui in 2025. [CleanTechnica]

EHang EH216-S EVTOL

¶ “CATL Will Put Its Second-Generation Sodium-Ion Batteries Into Production In 2025” • Battery technology is advancing so fast that by the time you get it home, it’s close to being obsolete. CATL announced its second-generation sodium battery. Chief scientist Wu Kai announced development of the battery and said it would be launched in 2025. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Financial Investments In Smallholder Farmers Are Big Talk At UN Climate Change Conference” • An estimated 28-31% of world crop production and 30-34% of the food are produced by 600 million smallholder farmers, who work less than two hectares of land each, combining to 24% of the farm land. Their finances are being considered at COP29. [CleanTechnica]

Rooster (David Brooke Martin, Unsplash)

¶ “Italy’s Enel Unveils €43 Billion Plan To Increase Renewable Energy Production” • Italian energy group Enel announced a plan to spend around €43 billion ($45.6 billion) over the next three years, mostly to improve energy grid efficiency and boost renewable energy production. Enel said €26 billion is to improve and expand its grids, mostly in Europe. [Daijiworld]

¶ “COP’s 96-MW South Korean Project Achieves First Power” • Copenhagen Offshore Partners has announced that the 96-MW Jeonnam 1 Offshore Wind Project in Korea achieved first power, advancing Korea on its path towards energy independence. The project’s owner is a JV of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and SK Innovation E&S. [reNews]

Wind turbines (Herztier Kang, Unsplash)

¶ “Quebec Plans To Achieve 100% Renewable Energy In Its Buildings” • The Government of Quebec is aiming to remove fossil fuels from all buildings, except those in the industrial sector, by 2040. The Environment Minister and the Energy Minister announced “a plan to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2040.” [CityNews Montreal]

¶ “Sany’s 15-MW Onshore Turbine Powers Up” • Sany Renewable Energy’s independently designed SI-270150, a 15-MW onshore wind turbine, has successfully achieved operation at rated power. As a flagship product in the 12.X–16.X MW onshore and offshore platform, the SI-270150 boasts a rotor diameter of 270 meters and a lifespan of 25–30 years. [reNews]

Wind turbine (Sany image)

¶ “Nuclear Plant Operator Rejects Ideas To Restart Germany’s Reactors On Economical Grounds” • Restarting decommissioned German nuclear plants is not viable, former plant operator E.ON said. The company insisted that its plans to fully dismantle all plants remain unchanged. A return to nuclear power production would not be economical. [Reccessary]

¶ “Enel To Invest €12 Billion In Renewables” • Enel Group plans to invest about €12 billion in renewable capacity with flexible capital allocation and a selective approach aimed at maximizing returns while minimizing risks. It is also seizing on brownfield opportunities with the aim for greater profitability. The group plans to add around 12 GW of capacity. [reNews]

Wind farm (Enel image)

US:

¶ “NYC Issues First Drought Warning In 22 Years And Pauses Aqueduct Repairs To Bring In More Water” • New York City issued its first drought warning in 22 years. It will restart the flow of drinking water from an out-of-service aqueduct as supplies run low. With the drought, city and state officials implemented water-conservation protocols, as well. [ABC News]

¶ “American Petroleum Institute Submits Its Christmas Wish List” • Just one week after the US presidential election, the American Petroleum Institute released its wish list for the incoming administration. The 5-point plan would eliminate many of the Biden administration’s most far reaching efforts to limit the global heating. [CleanTechnica]

Pump jacks (Arne Hückelheim, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “House Republicans Take A Victory Lap In Baku” • As reported by Jake Bittle for Grist, at a swaggering press conference just a few hundred feet from where international negotiators had spent a week hashing out a transition away from fossil fuels, the GOP delegation delivered an aggressive message in support of oil, gas, and even coal. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Green Hydrogen And Energy Storage Makeover Planned For Colossal Superfund Site” • In New Mexico there was a massive environmental disaster until it closed in 2014. Now an intricate, decades-long remediation effort is under way, and plans are in the works to produce green hydrogen at the site, advancing the Kit Carson Energy Coop goals. [CleanTechnica]

Have a punctiliously moving day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Why EV Subsidies Are Important For US Economy” • At CleanTechnica we have had articles about the probability that the US EV tax credit will be killed. We’ve noted that this is bad for future US economic competitiveness. Some people don’t know why that is so, so we’re going to tease it out with the help of some of our commenters. [CleanTechnica]

EV (Hyundai Motor Group, Unsplash)

¶ “Will Solar Succeed Where Nuclear Failed And Become ‘Too Cheap To Meter’?” • In September 1954, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Lewis Strauss used the phrase “too cheap to meter.” Fast forward to 2024 and it seems that renewable energy, while not too cheap to meter, are certainly cheaper than any other form of electricity generation. [RenewEconomy]

World:

¶ “RES Submits Plans For NI Wind Farm Extension” • RES is seeking permission from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council for its Dunbeg South Extension Wind Farm proposal in Northern Ireland. The 16.8-MW wind farm site lies adjacent to a disused quarry near the A37 and close to the operational Dunbeg and Dunmore wind farms. [reNews]

Wind farm (RES image)

¶ “Surging Wind Power To Curb Prices As Europe Braces For Cold Snap” • While temperatures are expected to be well below the 30-year norm, increased heating demand will be offset by stronger wind generation. UK wind power is expected to reach a peak of 16,963 MW next week, and Germany is projected to hit a new wind peak of 63,211 MW. [Luxembourg Times]

¶ “Fossil Fuels Continue To Keep Pace With RE In SEA” • The Center for Energy, Ecology, and Development says that while renewable energy is continuously extending in Southeast Asia, fossil fuels continue to keep pace. CEED’s report says the region witnessed a rapid expansion in renewable energy, but fossil fuels are also being developed. [Power Philippines]

Pollution (Marcin Jozwiak, Unsplash)

¶ “Can Central Asia And The Caucasus Become World’s Next Green Energy Hub?” • As COP29 begins, the focus is on ‘green energy corridors’ to boost renewable energy through regional collaboration. Central Asia and the Caucasus have vast potential for green energy corridors to drive large-scale renewable energy development, a report by Ember says. [Asian Power]

¶ “Egypt’s New Renewable Energy Projects To Produce 10-GW” • Egypt will add nearly 10 GW to its renewable energy production after projects in this sector are completed, an Egyptian Minister has said. Renewable energy projects that will be carried out by the private sector alone will generate nearly 4.7 GW, just under half the targeted output until 2030. [ZAWYA]

Windpower in Egypt (Hatem Moushir, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “UN Chief Condemns Russian Strikes On Ukraine’s Energy System” • Large-scale strikes occurred overnight and reportedly caused power outages and civilian casualties. A UN spokesperson said, “Directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects is prohibited by international humanitarian law. Any such attacks are unacceptable and must end immediately.” [UN News]

¶ “Field Acquires 200-MW UK Battery” • Field Energy has announced the acquisition of the 200-MW Hartmoor battery storage project in England from Clearstone Energy. The project becomes the latest addition to Field’s 11-GW portfolio of battery storage projects in development and construction across Europe. The Hartmoor project is to come online in 2026. [reNews]

Battery system (Ads-Tec image)

Australia:

¶ “Horizon Power Projects Cut Diesel Reliance In Remote Towns With Solar And BESS” • In Perth, Pacific Energy has completed its sixth solar and battery energy storage system for Horizon as part of the regional energy provider’s Midwest solar program in Western Australia. The final project is a 758-kW solar farm with a 336-kWh BESS. [pv magazine International]

¶ “Iberdrola Strikes Renewable Energy Supply Deal With 13 NSW Councils” • Iberdrola Australia has secured a multi-year power purchase agreement with a collective of 13 regional New South Wales councils with a portion of the renewable energy to come from the 190-MW Avonlie Solar Farm near Narrandera in the state’s Riverina region. [pv magazine Australia]

Solar farm (Courtesy of Iberdrola Australia)

¶ “Australia Pledges $125 Million To Support Pacific’s Renewable Energy Shift” • The Australian government announced at the UN Climate Change Conference in Azerbaijan that it is partnering with Pacific nations to support their clean energy transition and improve energy security with A$125 million ($80.76 million) of investment in renewables. [pv magazine Australia]

US:

¶ “Why Three-Row Electric Vehicles Are So In Demand” • What could really move the needle on electric vehicle sales? Three-row SUVs and minivans, some industry experts say. The market for a three-row electric SUV has been limited up until now, and Tesla’s Model X has had complaints for its cramped rear-seating. More models are coming soon. [ABC News]

Rivian R1T (Rivian image)

¶ “No New Red Flag Warnings, But Fire Danger Persists In The Northeast” • For the first time in days, the Northeast was under no red flag warnings, but officials cautioned that fire danger in the region remains high as drought conditions persist. All red flag warnings were lifted as conditions improved following days of wildfires burning. [ABC News]

¶ “Federal Incentives And Rebates May End Soon. Now Is The Time To Act!” • Bloomberg advised that if you are thinking of buying an electric car or an energy-saving heat pump eligible for federal tax credits and rebates, now might be the time. The next occupant of the Offal Office pledged to rescind funding for over $8.5 billion in incentives. [CleanTechnica]

Have a totally copacetic day.

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Opinion:

¶ “States Can And Should Save Climate Research And Weather Service” • It’s no secret that the incoming Trump administration has it out for NOAA. But it may surprise some readers that they also have a strange axe to grind with NOAA’s National Weather Service, because they’d rather a private company charge people for weather alerts. [CleanTechnica]

Hurricane Milton (Courtesy of NOAA)

¶ “Government Subsidies And Untaxed Externalities. Is Elon Crazy Like A Fox?” • Elon Musk, the idiot savant from Pretoria, is about to become the second most powerful person in the world, thanks to being appointed by the incoming president of the US to take a sledgehammer to the federal bureaucracy. But will he repay the incentives? [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Latest Typhoon Batters The Philippines, Displacing About 400,000 People” • A powerful typhoon wrecked houses, caused towering tidal surges and forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee to emergency shelters as it cut across the northern Philippines in the sixth major storm to hit the country in less than a month. [ABC News]

Typhoon tracks, 1980-2005 (Nilfanion, public domain)

¶ “Russia’s Gazprom Stoped Flow Of Natural Gas To Austria, Utility Says” • Russia’s state-owned natural gas supplier Gazprom stopped supplies to Austria, the Vienna-based utility OMV said. Earlier, OMV said it would stop paying for Gazprom gas to its Austrian arm to offset a €230 million award it won in arbitration after gas was cut off to a German subsidiary. [ABC News]

¶ “Private Sector Key In Kenya’s Journey To 100% Renewable Energy By 2030” • Kenya is emerging as a leader in renewable energy on the African continent, with 90% of its electricity from renewable sources, such as geothermal, hydro, and solar power. However, Kenya’s increasing population means the demand is growing faster than the supply. [The Star, Kenya]

A tree grows in Kenya (Damian Patkowski, Unsplash)

¶ “Australia Is Awash With Solar Power. Experts Say We Can’t Store It All” • The number of Australian homes and businesses with solar installations clicked past 4 million. And everywhere, it seems, demand for power from the grid, demand for power not being met by rooftop solar, has fallen to record lows. There are times when there is too much solar. [MSN]

¶ “Cornwall Hits Renewable Energy Milestone” • Cornwall has become the first local authority area in the UK to have more than 40,000 renewable energy installations, according to official figures. The Microgeneration Certification Scheme said the county had 40,873 installations of items including solar panels and heat pumps. [BBC]

Rooftop solar in Cornwall (David Medcalf, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Scientists Attribute Devastating Flood Events To Concerning Pattern: ‘No Longer A Distant Threat'” • Nepal endured its worst flooding in decades during September, with torrential monsoon rains inundating entire neighborhoods of Kathmandu. It is one more example of how overheating our planet is supercharging weather events. [The Cool Down]

US:

¶ “What To Know About Trump’s Energy Secretary Nominee Chris Wright” • President-elect Donald Trump announced that he has nominated Chris Wright, an executive of a fracking company who has fiercely criticized the existence of a climate crisis and the transition to renewable energy sources, to run the Department of Energy. [ABC News]

Chris Wright (Gage Skidmore, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Trump Has Ambitious Plans For Federal Land Use. He May Not Be Able To Accomplish Them All” • President-elect Donald Trump promised at the Republican National Convention in July to “drill, baby, drill” if he were to be reelected. But he may not be able to accomplish the vast majority of his plans due to existing protections. [ABC News]

¶ “Algae Biofuel Is Booming Without Help From ExxonMobil” • ExxonMobil sent shivers through the algae biofuel world, when it gave up a longstanding research partnership with the US firm Viridos last year, after it decided there were better opportunities to make money elsewhere. Maybe they dropped the ball just a little too soon. [CleanTechnica]

Algae for biofuels (Honeywell, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Huge Gas Plant Eyed To Power Mystery $5 Billion Louisiana Data Center” • In an area of northeast Louisiana known for rice, sweet potatoes, and poverty, an unnamed company has agreed to build a new data center with an investment of at least $5 billion. The development will need energy, and Entergy wants to build a new gas-burning plant. [Louisiana Illuminator]

¶ “Pilgrim Worker Claims He Was Poisoned by Radiation” • A 41-year-old worker assigned to the decommissioning of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station for several months in 2021 claims he was poisoned by radiation and that Holtec Pilgrim, the plant’s owner, misled workers about safety. He sued for injuries by release of toxic substances. [The Provincetown Independent]

Have a mystifyingly beautiful day.

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