geoharvey

Opinion:

¶ “Presidential Climate Policy Report Card: Biden vs Trump” • The US is approaching an election which will be pivotal for climate action. While not ideal, the Biden-Harris administration delivered enormous movement on climate action. By contrast, Trump’s first term and promises are a sea of red, a tsunami of climate action failure. [CleanTechnica]

America (Matthew Smith, Unsplash, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “ETH Zurich Heat Pump Technology For Process Heat Applications” • About 95% of process heat comes from burning fossil fuels. It accounts for 8% of global carbon emissions. A heat pump can supply heat for manufacturing up to 200ºC (392ºF), and heat pumps can supply process heat for industrial and commercial applications. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Zimbabwe Wants To Increase Rooftop Solar Adoption To Address Electricity Generation Shortfall” • In a bid to get some generation capacity online ASAP, Zimbabwe is looking to speed up adoption of solar PV. The country’s electricity transmission and distribution company called for homes and business to install more rooftop solar. [CleanTechnica]

Zimbabwe (St John Wilson, Unsplash)

¶ “Portugal Plans To Raise Share Of Renewables In Electricity Consumption To 93% By 2030” • Portugal plans to increase the amount of renewables in electricity generation to 93% by 2030, as part of its decarbonisation push, found in an updated draft of its energy and climate plan. The draft will be available for public consultation until September 5. [Yahoo Finance UK]

¶ “Renewable energy costs to see big drop: Tata Power CEO Praveer Sinha” • In India, Tata Power Company Ltd expects energy storage and green power related costs to fall “drastically” backed by technological innovations amid growing demand for uninterrupted power, chief executive and managing director Praveer Sinha told ET. [MSN]

Solar plant in Telangana (Thomas Lloyd Group, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Nuclear Option Would Mean Shutting Off Cheap Solar To Use Expensive Power” • A Queensland Conservation Council analysis shows that the equivalent of 45,000 Queensland household solar systems would need to be shut off daily for one nuclear station to operate in 2040. By the time we build a nuclear power plant, we won’t need it. [Queensland Conservation Council]

¶ “Residents Protest Over Power Cuts In Southern Russian City” • Residents angry over power cuts in southern Russia staged a rare public protest in the city of Krasnodar, posts on social media said. The local governor blamed a heatwave for the blackouts. Unusually hot weather led to the shutdown of a power unit at the Rostov nuclear plant. [Reuters]

Krasnodar (Alexey Komarov, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

US:

¶ “Heat-Related Texas Deaths Climb After Beryl Left Millions Without Power” • Almost two weeks after Beryl hit, heat-related deaths during the prolonged power outages have pushed the number of storm-related fatalities to at least 23 in Texas. It may be weeks or even years before the full human toll of the storm in Texas is known. [ABC News]

¶ “Where Kamala Harris Stands On Green New Deal And Climate Initiatives” • Vice President Kamala Harris has thrown her hat in the ring for the 2024 presidential race with President Joe Biden’s endorsement, following his announcement that he’s stepping aside. Harris said she will make the climate crisis a top national security priority. [ABC News]

Kamala Harris and Joe Biden (Adam Schultz, The White House)

¶ “Maine Offshore Wind Plan Splits Environmentalists” • The Maine coastal town of Searsport is a balance of tradition and tourists, of long winters and trusted neighbors. That shifted in May, when the state applied for a $456 million federal grant to build a specially designed port on about 100 acres to support a floating offshore wind industry. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Van Life Testing Shows Us That Appliances Could Be A Lot More Efficient” • A recent video at CheapRVLiving on YouTube shows us that the comforts of home don’t necessarily require a lot of electrical power to enjoy. While most people want a clothes washer with more features, people living an off-grid life have to optimize for other things. [CleanTechnica]

Washing machine (Costway image)

¶ “Puerto Rico Could Soon Build Its Biggest Solar And Grid Battery Plants” • Utility-scale solar in Puerto Rico has received a $861 million boost from the federal government. The DOE’s Loan Programs Office announced a conditional commitment to finance 200 MW of solar and 285 MWh of battery storage on the southern coast of the island. [Canary Media]

¶ “Renewable Wind Energy Blows Away Coal-Fired Power In The US” • Good news for planet Earth. According to the US Energy Information Administration, in the five years from 2019 to 2024, in March and April specifically, electricity production using wind power has almost doubled, greatly outdoing generation from coal plants in the US. [New Atlas]

Have an absolutely grand day.

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Opinion:

¶ “JD Vance And Climate Issues: Blowin’ With The Political Winds” • Remember when flip-flopping on issues was a political death knell? No more. JD Vance, US vice presidential candidate on the Trump/MAGA ticket, has vacillated about climate change many times since he entered politics. He once supported solar. Now he supports fracking. [CleanTechnica]

JD Vance (Gage Skidmore, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

World:

¶ “Uruguay EV Sales Report June: BYD Dominates, Unreal Growth Brings BEV Market Share To 15%!” • In Uruguay, battery EV market share in June 2023 was already 2.5%, relatively high for the region. But growth in June 2024 amounted to an amazing 477% YOY! So Uruguay’s EV sales went to an impressive 15% market share. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “One of Kenya’s Oldest Bus Companies Goes Electric!” • One of Kenya’s oldest public transport operators, Kenya Bus Service Management Limited, is going electric! KBS, which has operated since 1928, recently took delivery of its first electric bus, the E9 Kubwa from BasiGo. It is the first of 25 buses to be delivered to KBS by the end of this year. [CleanTechnica]

Bus interior (Courtesy of BasiGo)

¶ “Germany Held Back EU Electric Car Market in First Half of 2024: T&E Analysis” • EU electric car sales continued to grow this year, with the exception of Germany. Battery electric sales in the rest of the EU (excluding Germany) increased by 9.4% on average in the first half of the year, YOY. Including Germany, the number of battery EVs sold grew by just 1.3%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “2024 Could Be World’s Hottest Year As June Breaks Records” • Last month could be the hottest June on record. Every month since June 2023 has ranked as the planet’s hottest since records began, compared with the corresponding month in previous years, the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service said in a monthly bulletin. [Yahoo]

Cooling off (Gary Cole, Unsplash)

¶ “India’s Renewable Energy Capacity Reaches 195 GW, Minister Highlights Green Hydrogen Potential” • India’s renewable energy capacity has more than doubled since 2014, reaching 195 GW, according to Union Minister Pralhad Joshi. He announced this at the inauguration of an electrolyser manufacturing facility in Doddaballapur, Karnataka. [menafn]

¶ “Indigenous Group Considers Legal Battle Over Proposed Port Augusta Nuclear Power Plant” • Earmarking Port Augusta for Peter Dutton’s nuclear plan has an Indigenous leader saying he feels so strongly about the issue that he is willing to go to court to fight the proposal. Lindsay Thomas said his community is against mining fissionable elements. [MSN]

Near Port Augusta (Peterdownunder, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Czech Nuclear Deal Shows CSIRO Gencost Is Too Optimistic, And New Nukes Are Hopelessly Uneconomic” • In 2020, the Czech government sought tenders from three firms to build at least two, and possibly four 1000-MW reactors. Recently, it was announced that KNHP submitted the winning bid, which set the cost per GW at $8.6 billion. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶ “US Election 2024: Land Use Climate Solutions Report Card” • In the fight against climate change, land use policies are a major factor in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and enhancing community resilience. Urban planning that promotes compact, mixed-use development can greatly cut vehicle emissions. Here is a look at political platforms. [CleanTechnica]

San Francisco (Ronan Furuta, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Electric Vehicle Market Share At 21.4% In California” • In California, 21.4% of five new car sales were full electrics in the first half of this year. That market share is just slightly down from 2023, when it ended at 21.5% market share, but interestingly, Tesla is down a lot while several others are up. Plugin hybrid sales were stable at 3.4%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “As States Recover From Climate-Related Disasters, They Also Must Prepare For Future Ones” • This summer has brought a revolving door of climate-fueled disasters across the US. For many states, recovery is no longer just about trying to return to normal, but rather rebuilding to prepare for future disasters as climate change accelerates. [Inside Climate News]

Tracking a supercell (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “Minnesota Governor Signs New Law To Reform State’s Energy Permitting Process” • In a move to energize Minnesota’s clean energy future, Governor Tim Walz cut the red tape on renewable projects. He signed a law aimed at streamlining the state’s energy permitting process, potentially shortening the construction time by eighteen months or more. [The Cool Down]

¶ “Houston Embraces Solar Power Post-Hurricane Beryl, Texas Sees Surge In Residential Solar Projects” • Since Hurricane Beryl, Texas residents, especially those near Houston, have increasingly turned to residential solar power for self-reliance. Bill Swann’s solar setup kept his Hilshire Village home powered during the long power failures. [Hoodline]

Have a neatly constructed day.

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World:

¶ “BYD Launches In Senegal, Starting With The ATTO 3” • BYD is one of the few big car makers that is not ignoring the South American and African markets. Which is great, because it shows that even the smallest markets around the world will not be left behind by the EV transition. Senegal is the latest market to get BYD EVs. [CleanTechnica]

Trying out a BYD EV (BYD image)

¶ “Global Vulnerability To The Disruption Of Undersea Cables Exposed” • We tend to think that most digital intercontinental digital traffic is done via satellites, but in fact 99% of such traffic is transmitted via undersea cables. That’s a problem, because those cables are a critical for global communications but are subject to sabotage anywhere along their length. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Enbridge, First Nations And Métis Partners To Advance 200-MW Wind Energy Project In Saskatchewan” • Enbridge Inc and Six Nations Energy Development LP, a new consortium of six first nations and Métis partners, announced plans to advance development of a new wind energy project to be sited southeast of Weyburn, Saskatchewan. [CSRwire]

Near Weyburn (Gauravdeep Singh Bansal, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “EXERGY And RentCo Sign Co-Operation Agreement For Geothermal Power Project In Olkaria” • Exergy International, a provider of geothermal power plants, signed an agreement with RentCo Africa Ltd, which provides energy leasing in Kenya, for the development of RentCo’s Wellhead 67-MW geothermal project in Olkaria, Kenya. [Energy Global]

¶ “Grid Backlog Drives Innovative Approaches In Brazil” • Grid connection queues in Brazil are offering new opportunities for energy storage and hybrid systems and opening new energy business models. Renewables companies are adding solar and batteries to their wind power sites to use existing transmission capacity. [pv magazine International]

Solar farm in Brazil (CoyoteBR, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Caribbean Energy Chamber Brings Renewable Energy Into Focus” • Caribbean Energy Chamber President and CEO, Eugene Tiah, says energy is judged to be around 15% of the Caribbean’s GDP. “Energy is therefore one of the most important factors influencing Caribbean economies and by extension the lives of all Caribbean citizens.” [Loop Caribbean News]

¶ “China’s Renewable Energy Share In Power Generation Hits New High” • China’s installed power generation capacity from new energy sources is growing rapidly, as the share of electricity generated reaches an all-time high. From January to May, key national firms put over 70% of their total power investments into renewable energy generation. [巴士的報 – Bastille]

Chuanshan wind farm (Siyuwj, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Chinese Wind Turbine-Makers Move Into Europe As Trade Tensions Flare” • Chinese wind turbine-makers took their first order in Germany, adding to concern in the EU wind industry that it faces an existential threat. The European Commission has launched an investigation into whether Chinese players enjoy unfair subsidies. [Reuters]

¶ “UK Energy Secretary Slams Fearmongering Over Solar Farm Food Security” • Ed Miliband condemned the “myth” that solar farms threaten national food security. He told the House of Commons, “The biggest threat to nature and food security and to our rural communities is not solar panels or onshore wind; it is the climate crisis.” [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Solar array in England (N Chadwick, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Nearly 5,000 Workers Evacuated From Russian-Occupied Nuclear Power Plant In Zaporizhzhia” • Around 5,000 workers were rescued from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said during a press conference. The plant has been under Russian control since March, 2022. [The Kyiv Independent]

US:

¶ “Tesla Provides Intersect Power With 15.3 GWh Of Megapacks For Solar + Storage Projects” • Tesla and Intersect Power reported a contract for 15.3 GWh of Megapacks for Intersect Power’s solar + storage project portfolio through 2030. Combined with earlier agreementments, this makes Intersect Power one of the largest buyers of Megapacks globally. [CleanTechnica]

Intersect Power battery system (Courtesy of Intersect Power)

¶ “Puerto Rico Sues Fossil Fuel Companies For Damages From Global Heating” • Puerto Rico is suing fossil fuel companies, The Verge reports. The complaint claims those companies misled the public about climate change, slowing a transition to clean energy. The suit seeks $1 billion in damages to help Puerto Rico defend itself against climate disasters. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California Residents Increasingly Pairing Battery Storage With Solar Installations” • California residents are increasingly pairing battery storage with solar installations, preliminary data in the EIA’s Monthly Electric Power Industry Report shows. In April 2024, more than 50% of residential solar PV installations were paired with battery storage. [CleanTechnica]

Have an altogether wonderful day.

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World:

¶ “Toyota Invests In Perovskite Solar Cells, And The World Will Never Be The Same” • Toyota tapped its Woven Capital branch to put a ¥5.5 billion stake into the perovskite solar startup EneCoat Technologies. That may mean the solar-powered electric car of the future is coming, because EneCoat lists mobility applications among its areas of focus. [CleanTechnica]

Toyota Prius (Courtesy of Toyota)

¶ “Will Baidu Apollo Go Be The First Profitable Robotaxi Service?” • In the USA, most discussion of robotaxis centers around Waymo, Cruise, and Tesla. And perhaps Zoox. However, on the other side of the world, there’s a different robotaxi service making a lot of progress and getting a lot of attention. That is Baidu Apollo Go. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD’s Electric Car Price Cuts Upset BYD Buyers in Thailand – Investigation Ensues As Factory Inaugurated” • Thailand is to investigate sharp price cuts from BYD. This story appears to be a bit different from the ones in the US and Europe. Reportedly, the investigation wasn’t started by competitors or an auto lobby. It was started by BYD customers! [CleanTechnica]

BYD Atto 3 in Thailand

¶ “Renewable Electricity To Outstrip Coal Next Year: IEA” • The amount of electricity produced worldwide from renewable sources is set to surpass output from coal-fired plants for the first time in 2025, the International Energy Agency said. The forecast comes as electricity demand is set to rise 4% this year and next, up from 2.5% in 2023. [Tech Xplore]

¶ “176-MW NZ Array Hits Full Power” • New Zealand’s 176-MW Harapaki wind farm is fully operational, having been delivered within a month of its original completion date and inside its $448 million capital forecast. It is the country’s second-largest onshore array and is able to produce enough electricity to power 70,000 average homes. [reNews]

Harapaki wind farm (Nzwino, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “85% Of Capacity Built In 2023 Came From Renewables” • Last year, renewables made up nearly 86% of new electric generating capacity worldwide, the International Renewable Energy Agency data shows. A whopping 473 GW of renewable capacity was put up last year, up from 308 GW the year before and nearly twice the amount for 2021. [Canary Media]

¶ “Renewable Energy Key To Forging ‘Green Iron Corridor’” • Steelmaking needs to be electrified, investors warn, but that requires governments to commit to the end of coal-fired blast furnaces. An investor survey found that 59% viewed effective climate policies as crucial for “green steel,” which most said could not be produced by burning fossil fuels. [MSN]

Wind turbines (News Oresund, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Labour To Launch State-Owned Great British Energy With £8.3 Billion Market Intervention” • Labour is advancing its ambitious plan to establish a state-owned energy company, Great British Energy, supported by £8.3 billion of taxpayer funds. This represents one of the most significant market interventions in decades. [Business Matters]

¶ “Italy’s Renewable Power Output Overtakes Fossil Fuels For First Time” • Electricity produced from renewable sources in Italy in the first six months of the year surpassed the power generated from fossil fuels for the first time, the power grid operator Terna said. Italy plans to increase renewables to 63% of total electricity by the end of this decade. [MSN]

Solar system (Balfabio, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Energy Ministers Reject Nuclear. Consumers Will Control Their Own Energy Needs” • Australia’s energy ministers agreed to the development of the national consumer energy resources roadmap to give consumers control over their energy needs, while unanimously rejecting nuclear as too expensive and too slow to meet emissions targets. [pv magazine Australia]

US:

¶ “Small-Scale Distributed Wind Projects Could Leave a Large Impact” • Distributed energy generates, stores, and manages power locally. Distributed wind energy is ideal for a wide range of customers. Installations can range from a less-than-1-kW off-grid wind turbine, or a 15-kW wind turbine at a home or small business, to over 2.5-MW. [CleanTechnica]

Small wind turbine (Joshua Bauer, Bryan Bechtold, NREL)

¶ “In Texas, CenterPoint Says Customers Must Pay Them Now AND Pay Them Later” • When Hurricane Beryl slammed into the Texas coast, 2.7 million people lost power. A week later, power has yet to be restored to many CenterPoint customers. The utility claims its infrastructure just wasn’t built for this kind of extreme weather. Of course it wasn’t. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “During Historic California Heat Wave, A Hero Emerged: Giant Solar-Powered Batteries” • In California, an investment in solar batteries may have saved the state from widespread blackouts and brownouts during a heat wave from June 23 to July 12. Palm Springs had a high of 124°F, and the extreme heat put millions of citizens in the state at risk. [CNET]

Solar plus batteries ( Bureau of Land Management California)

¶ “Biden Administration Moves To Bolster Solar Power In Puerto Rico” • The Biden administration made a pair of announcements that aim to bolster solar energy in Puerto Rico, which frequently deals with power outages. The Energy Department announced a conditional agreement to loan $861 million to finance two solar farms and batteries. [The Hill]

¶ “Company Can’t Dump Nuclear Plant Wastewater Into Cape Cod Bay” • Massachusetts’s Department of Environmental Protection shot down the plan in a final decision. According to the department, they can’t allow plant owner Holtec to discharge the water because Cape Cod Bay is protected under the state’s Ocean Sanctuaries Act. [WLIW]

Have an extraordinarily superior day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Startup Launches ‘Tabletop Nuclear Reactor’ Using Cold Fusion To Generate Clean Energy” • In Hyderabad, Hylenr says it has come up with a low-energy nuclear reactor that can be kept on a tabletop and produce enough energy to meet a household’s needs. The company says that it’s the world’s first cold fusion technology to generate clean energy. [MSN]

Hylenr technology (Hylenr image)

World:

¶ “Greece Shuts Acropolis During Hottest Part Of Day As Southern Europe Swelters” • A heat wave across southern Europe forced authorities in Greece to close the Acropolis for several hours from noon to 5:00 PM. Also, two firefighters died while putting out a wildfire in the Basilicata region in southern Italy, Italian authorities said. [ABC News]

¶ “R25 Billion Wind Farm Project Launches In South Africa” • Seriti Green has launched the first phase of its R25 billion ($1.38 billion) wind farm project in Mpumalanga. The group plans to build 900 MW of renewable wind energy projects over the next three years, with the first phase being the 155-MW Ummbila Emoyeni facility. [BusinessTech]

Wind turbine in South Africa (NJR ZA, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “Nigeria Attracts $2 Billion Investment In Renewable Energy Sector” • President Bola Tinubu disclosed that Nigeria attracted over $2 billion in investment in renewable energy, making it a fast-growing economic sector. Mr Tinubu stated this during the opening session of the African Natural Resources & Energy Investment Summit, 2024. [Daily Nigerian]

¶ “King’s Speech Launches GB Energy And Takes Leash Off Crown Estate For Offshore Wind” • King Charles III set out in Parliament the legislative agenda of the Labour government led by Keir Starmer, whose party swept to victory on the back of a highly ambitious pledge to kick fossil fuels off the UK grid by 2030. [Latest renewable energy news]

Official picture (UK Government)

¶ “Nuclear Power Plan Puts Thousands Of Farms In ‘Radiation Alert Zone’” • Nuclear energy threatens Australia’s food sources, as over 11,000 farms are near the opposition’s proposed reactor sites, the government says. The farms are within an 80 km radius of the seven earmarked sites, says a data analysis released by the federal government. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶ “Flood Emergency Hits Arkansas After Months Of Rain Falls In A Few Hours” • Flash flooding in Arkansas and Missouri forced evacuations and washed a bridge after months of rain fell in just a few hours. Such extreme rainfall rate would be expected once in 500 years, but it is getting more common as the world warms due to fossil fuel pollution. [CNN]

Flood in Arkansas (DVIDSHUB, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “California First State To Get Federal Funds For Hydrogen Energy Hub To Help Replace Fossil Fuels” • California will be the first state to receive federal funds under a program to create regional networks, or “hubs,” that produce hydrogen as an energy source for vehicles, manufacturing, and generating electricity, officials announced. [ABC News]

¶ “US Coal Shipments Declined 8% In 2023 As Coal Use Fell Sharply” • The amount of coal transported in the US fell 8% in 2023, continuing a trend in which coal shipments generally fell over the past two decades as coal’s share of power generation has decreased. The amount of coal transported to power plants fell by more than half. [CleanTechnica]

Coal consumption and shipments (EIA image)

¶ “Twelve American Companies Will Help Expand Distributed Wind Across the Rural US” • The US DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory announced plans to award $3.15 million to 12 American component suppliers and makers of medium-sized and smaller wind turbines as a part of the 2024 Competitiveness Improvement Project. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “West Coast Summer Refinery Margins Decline Despite Reduced Capacity” • This spring, California refinery crack spreads for gasoline and diesel dipped below average despite shrinking refinery capacity on the West Coast. Crack spreads are the difference between refined product prices and an equivalent volume of crude oil. [CleanTechnica]

Reductions in margins and capacity (EIA image)

¶ “Sunrise Wind Construction Gets Underway” • At the Boys and Girls Club of Bellport on Long Island officially kicked off the start of the Sunrise Wind project. The project will support over 800 direct jobs during construction and will “spur economic benefits” from the Capital Region to Long Island, including a $700 million investment in Suffolk County. [reNews]

¶ “Intersect Power To Build $837 Million Worth Of Grid Batteries In Texas” • Intersect Power announced $837 million in financing commitments for three battery projects in Texas, totaling nearly 1 GWh of storage capacity. The financing includes portfolio-level construction debt and term debt financing from Deutsche Bank and HPS. [Canary Media]

Battery system construction in Texas (Intersect Power)

¶ “Massachusetts House Approves Bill To Boost Renewable Energy Efforts” • The Massachusetts House approved a bill that would help boost the state’s reliance on renewable energy, in part by streamlining the state and local permitting for projects that shift the state away from using fossil fuels. The Senate approved a climate bill a few weeks ago. [Caledonian Record]

¶ “Wind Power Operations Off Nantucket Island Are Suspended After Turbine Blade Parts Washed Ashore” • After some parts of a damaged turbine blade washed up on the beaches, the federal government ordered an offshore wind developer off Nantucket Island, a popular summer tourist destination in Massachusetts, to suspend operations. [ABC News]

Have a highly valuable day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Developing Countries Around World: Drop Import Duties On Electric Cars” • Zachary Shahan is not an expert in economic development for developing countries. But he says one thing is well known across the world: if you are not a big oil-producing nation, you are sending a lot of your money abroad. National costs of importing oil are immense. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Explorer No 1 (BYD image)

¶ “Many Americans Think They’re Insulated From Climate Change. Their Finances Indicate Otherwise” • Insurers are raising premiums for homeowners in many states across the country, pointing to mounting losses from natural disasters as a factor. Extreme weather and flooding raise prices for everyone at the grocery store. [NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Modern Hurricanes Are Rewriting The Rules Of Extreme Storms” • Hurricanes are fuelled by heat from ocean waters. Ocean temperatures are now breaking all records, and these “engines” are responding accordingly, cutting different paths across the ocean, slowing down, and becoming less predictable and more dangerous. [BBC]

Hurricane Beryl (Matthew Dominick, NASA)

World:

¶ “Mexico EV Sales Report: 90% Growth YOY in June Brings EV Market Share To 2.5%!” • The last three years have had consistent growth for EVs in Mexico at about 100% per year. Battery EV sales exploded at about 400% growth in 2022 and 300% in 2023. EV growth remains high in 2024. Mexico is becoming an arena for Chinese EV makers to compete. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China’s Carbon Emissions Fall As Economy Slows, While Other Emissions Rise” • Carbon dioxide emissions in China are on track for their first annual decline since 2016, a signal the world’s top polluter may have already hit a peak in its output of greenhouse gases, Bloomberg reports. Coal use for generating power plunged last month. [CleanTechnica]

Midon 3.5-GW solar plant (China Green Development Group)

¶ “Scottish Government Funds Over £7 Million to Support Electric Vehicle Infrastructure” • The Scottish government is providing over £7 million to the Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, The Highland Council, Moray Council and Dundee City Council to encourage private investment in the EV charging network. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “RWE Obtains Oz Offshore Wind Licence” • RWE was granted a feasibility licence from the Australian Government for the development of an offshore wind farm close to the Kent Group islands in the Bass Strait, in Victoria. This area, which RWE said has the potential to generate up to 2 GW, is the first designated offshore wind zone in Australia. [reNews]

Bass Strait, Victoria (Dietmar Rabich, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Chris Bowen Warns Nuclear Power Will Stifle Renewables Investment” • Energy Minister Chris Bowen says that a taxpayer subsidised nuclear power plant program would put investment in renewables on ice, stalling Australia’s energy transition by at least eleven years. He says Labor is already investing billions of dollars to modernise the grid. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “Statkraft And Boralex Sign Scottish Wind PPA” • Statkraft has signed a fixed-price power purchase agreement with Boralex for a 106-MW wind farm in Scotland. The transmission-connected Limekiln wind farm, to be sited in the Scottish Highlands south of Reay, is under construction and will be commissioned by the end of 2024. [reNews]

Wind farm in Scotland (Boralex image)

¶ “Spain To Launch New $2.5 Billion Plan To Support Green Hydrogen And Renewable Industry” • Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a new plan worth €2.3 billion to boost the country’s transition to clean energy, including subsidies for green energy industries and hydrogen made from renewable power. [Yahoo Finance UK]

US:

¶ “California Continues Its War On Solar To Please Investor-Owned Utilities” • The California Public Utilities Commission, with the active support of the state’s largest investor-owned utilities, depleted the net metering regulations last year. The plan, NEM 3.0, reduces the amount the utilities have to pay their rooftop solar customers by 75%. [CleanTechnica]

Star Charge storage (Star Charge image)

¶ “US DOE Selects Two Winners In Prize To Train Workers for Skilled Jobs In Solar Manufacturing Workforce” • The US DOE announced the winners in the first round of the American-Made Upskill Prize for the Solar Manufacturing Workforce. The two selected teams will receive up to $500,000 each to implement workforce training plans. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “238-MW Texan Solar Farm Produces First Energy” • Avangrid has begun to produce power from the 238-MW True North solar project in Texas with 20-MW commissioned so far. The site in Falls County, near Waco, will enter full production by the end of this year. It will be the largest solar asset in Avangrid’s portfolio and its first solar project in Texas. [reNews]

Solar project (Iberdrola image)

¶ “Solar, Wind Surpass 20% US Generation Capacity” • Between them, solar and wind now constitute more than one-fifth of the total available installed utility-scale generating capacity in the US. A review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data just released by FERC reveals that the mix of renewable energy sources is nearly 30% of US generating capacity. [reNews]

¶ “California’s Grid Passed The Reliability Test This Heat Wave. It’s All About Giant Batteries” • California’s power grid emerged from a nearly three weeklong record-setting heat wave relatively unscathed, and officials credit years of investment in renewable energy, especially giant batteries that store power for use when the sun is not up. [The Spokesman-Review]

Have a radically cool day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Climate Change Is Messing With Time More Than Previously Thought” • Polar ice melt caused by global warming is changing the speed of Earth’s rotation and increasing the length of each day, in a trend set to accelerate over this century as humans keep emitting planet-heating pollution, a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says. [CNN]

Time (Ales Krivec, Unsplash, cropped)

World:

¶ “VinFast Breaks Ground On EV Assembly Plant In Indonesia” • Vietnamese car maker VinFast Auto has broken ground on its electric vehicle assembly plant in Subang, West Java, Indonesia. This strategic move into one of Southeast Asia’s most promising EV markets is set to create numerous job opportunities for the local workforce. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Stellar Year For The Solar Market, At Home And Abroad” • The year 2023, according to National Renewable Energy Laboratory analyst David Feldman, was a year of historic proportions in the solar power industry. International Energy Agency reports say global PV installations increased dramatically, with up to 446 GW of direct current connected. [CleanTechnica]

Solar panels (Michael Förtsch, Unsplash)

¶ “Green Steel Can Cut Climate Impact of Car Production for Just €57 a Vehicle” • Steel made with green hydrogen and electric arc furnaces, or produced from scrap, can reduce CO₂ emissions of producing cars in Europe by 6.9 megatonnes in 2030, analysis shows. That’s equivalent to avoiding the annual emissions of 3.5 million fossil fuel cars. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “SunCable Secures Key Approval For AAPowerLink Project” • Renewables developer SunCable has announced that it has obtained principal environmental approval from the Northern Territory government and the NT Environment Protection Authority for its 800-km HVDC Australia-Asia Power Link (AAPowerLink) project. [pv magazine Australia]

Solar array and transmission lines (SunCable image)

¶ “Clean Energy Sector Rallies Against Nuclear ‘Mistruths’” • The clean energy industry has accused nuclear energy proponents of threatening the nation’s fragile hold on vital economic reform with “mistruths and outright disinformation.” The Clean Energy Council chief executive said, “The Australian public are being confused and misled.” [The Northern Daily Leader]

¶ “Record Low Fossil Fuel Power Generation” • In Europe, fossil fuel electricity generation fell to its lowest recorded level in the second quarter of 2024, a report by Montel Analytics shows. It suggests the period also saw record high solar and wind power output, leading to an increased number of negative day-ahead electricity prices across Europe. [Energy Live News]

Coal-burning plant (Sam LaRussa, Unsplash)

¶ “Ireland Surpasses 1.2 GW Of Solar Capacity” • Ireland has surpassed 1.2 GW of cumulative installed solar PV capacity, with the residential segment of the market making up 20% of the total additional capacity installed over the past six months. Ireland has more than 100,000 rooftop solar projects, adding over 400 MW to the national grid. [Power Technology]

¶ “Brazil’s Green Power Surge Leads G20 With 89% Renewable Electricity” • In a world where sustainable energy is gaining prominence, Brazil stands out as a shining example. According to the latest findings from the energy think tank Ember, Brazil achieved an astounding 89% of its electricity generation from renewable sources in 2023. [Brazil Energy Insight]

Rio de Janeiro (Agustin Diaz Gargiulo, Unsplash)

¶ “Nuclear Too Slow To Replace Coal, And Baseload ‘Simply Can’t Compete’ With Wind And Solar, AEMO Boss Says” • The head of the Australian Energy Market Operator rejected nuclear power as an option to replace the country’s ageing coal fleet. He said it is too slow and expensive, and that baseload power sources won’t be able to compete. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶ “Southwest Airlines And Archer Aviation Agree To Develop Operational Concepts For Electric Air Taxi Network” • Southwest Airlines Co and Archer Aviation Inc have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop operational plans for electric air taxi networks to use Archer’s eVTOL aircraft at California airports where SA operates. [CleanTechnica]

eVTOL (Archer Aviation image)

¶ “North American Battery And EV Supply Chain Investment Grew To More than $250 Billion By End Of 2023” • Cumulative battery and EV supply chain investment in North America grew to more than $250 billion by the end of 2023. Investment in supply chains increased rapidly the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act passed. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Agrivoltaics Conserve Precious Water For Arizona Farmers” • Arizona farmers have a problem: too much sun and not enough water. Agrivoltaics offers some relief, however. The searing heat dehydrates crops and evaporates water the state vitally needs to conserve. Creating shade using agrivoltaics is one way to combat the problem. [CleanTechnica]

Agrivoltaics (Argonne National Laboratory image)

¶ “Texas Governor Criticizes Houston Energy As Utility Says Power Will Be Mostly Restored By Wednesday” • The majority of Houston outages that followed Hurricane Beryl should be fixed within the next two days, the city’s main utility company as Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened to punish CenterPoint Energy even after the lights come back. [ABC News]

¶ “Severe storms with tornadoes whip through Midwest, cutting power to 460,000” • Storms spawning multiple tornadoes blew through Iowa, Illinois, including Chicago, and Indiana, downing trees and power poles and cutting power to more than 460,000 customers. The National Weather Service confirmed that Des Moines was hit by a tornedo. [ABC News]

Have a vastly contented day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Are We Seeing A Last Gasp From Oil Lovers And Apologists?” • Zach Shahan: A few recent trends got me thinking that we might be seeing a ‘last gasp’ for oil lovers and apologists as they try to cling onto their oil-related wealth and cultural inertia. … People stop buying the old tech quicker than they start buying the new tech. [CleanTechnica]

Relic (Timothy Abraham, Unsplash)

¶ “Green Energy Revolution Can Be Sabotaged And Delayed, But It Cannot Be Stopped” • The renewable energy transformation is accelerating, no matter how hard the fossil fuel industry and its supporters push back. It’s about time. A cleaner, better world is in sight, but that world can’t be realized until we leave oil, gas, and coal in the ground. [Common Dreams]

¶ “America Is Better Than This” • Jennifer Sensiba: While Trump needs to be stopped, there are obvious moral limits to what we should do to accomplish that goal. There is no justification for the violent act against former president Trump this weekend. It makes no sense at all for people to start acting as judge, jury, and executioner. [CleanTechnica]

US Army National Guard (Capt Joe Legros, Public Domain)

¶ “No Room For Nuclear Power, Unless The Coalition Switches Off Your Solar” • Before renewables came along, coal-fired power stations pumped out electricity (and carbon emissions) 24 hours a day. But baseload power is neither necessary nor commercially viable. This is one of many reasons why the Coalition’s proposed nuclear strategy is flawed. [The Conversation]

¶ “Is Earth’s weather getting weirder?” • Wherever we look, it looks like extreme weather events are getting more common. Weather events happened in the past, but the problem is now they’re happening more frequently and far more powerfully. The author spoke with climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe to find out what’s going on and what we can do to help. [Space.com]

Hurricane Beryl (NASA-JSC image)

World:

¶ “Ireland Climbs To Number Five In EY Renewable Energy Attractiveness Index” • Ireland is the fifth most attractive country in the world to invest in renewable energy projects, according to the latest EY Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index. Moves to enable large scale projects, and growth in Corporate Power Purchase Agreements were positive. [RTE.ie]

¶ “Ireland Reaches 400 MW Of Distributed-Generation Solar” • According to figures from Ireland’s distribution system operator ESB Networks, the country now has more than 100,000 rooftop solar projects, cumulatively adding more than 400 MW of clean energy to the national grid. Of that, 20% was installed in the last six months. [pv magazine International]

Dublin (Jordan Harrison, Unsplash)

¶ “Egypt And UAE Target 4 GW Of Renewable Energy On Egyptian Grid By Next Summer” • Egypt and the UAE pledged to deepen their cooperation in renewable energy, aiming to bring 4 GW of clean power onto Egypt’s grid by next summer. Both parties emphasised the importance of renewable energy for Egypt’s energy needs. [ZAWYA]

¶ “Rio Tinto Signs Up To Power Pilbara Iron Ore Operations With 80-MW Solar Farm” • Mining giant Rio Tinto has signed another solar deal with another Pilbara Indigenous group, as it slowly replaces gas power with renewables. The deal with the Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation will allow an 80-MW solar farm next to an existing power station. [RenewEconomy]

Iron mine in Western Australia (Bäras, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Cà Mau Province Licenses Fourteen Wind Power Farms In 2024” • Fourteen wind power projects have been approved for investment in Vietnam’s southernmost province of Cà Mau so far this year. They will have a combined capacity of 800 MW. The province’s renewable energy plans envisage having sixteen wind power farms. [EIN News]

US:

¶ “The Duck Curve And Solutions For It” • In the US, the “duck curve” is a California phenomena. It’s a change to the legacy way of operating generation. There was too much solar during the middle of the day, when demand was highest. The long-awaited duck curve issue is here in a big way, with some days in spring now being 100% solar. [CleanTechnica]

Solar duck curve (Marta Victoria, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Rising Seas Wiped Out An Entire US Species For The First Time” • The combined effects of sea level rise, rising tides and intense storms drove the wild Key Largo tree cactus population to extinction in its only known US location in the Florida Keys, according to the paper published in the Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. [CNN]

¶ “Rocky Shores Of Pacific Northwest Show Low Resilience To Changes In Climate, Research Shows” • A 15-year period ending in 2020 that included a marine heat wave and a sea star wasting disease epidemic saw major changes in the groups of organisms that live along the Pacific Northwest, a study by Oregon State University scientists showed. [Del Norte Triplicate]

Research (Courtesy of Oregon State University)

¶ “Texas Governor Greg Abbott Demands Answers As Customers Remain Without Power After Beryl” • With about 270,000 homes and businesses still without power in the Houston area almost a week after Hurricane Beryl hit Texas, Governor Greg Abbott said he’s demanding an investigation into the response of the utility that serves the area. [ABC News]

¶ “Santa Barbara County Fire Grows To Over 38,000 Acres” • The largest blaze of the California wildfire season, the Lake Fire in Santa Barbara County, grew to over 38,000 acres by Friday, fueled by gusty winds and extreme heat, authorities said. The Lake Fire burning near Los Padres National Forest has burned over 38,000 acres. [ABC News]

Have a consequentially beneficial day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Signs That Scotland’s Renewable Energy Revolution Is Taking Off Must Not Be Put At Risk By Party Politics” • Recent reports provide a tantalising glimpse into a possible future for Scotland as it takes its next steps toward net zero. These examples are set out by their potential to create jobs in renewable, energy-related manufacturing. [The Scotsman]

Anstruther, Scotland (Paul Chambers, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Study Finds Health Risks in Switching Ships From Diesel to Ammonia Fuel” • It is estimated that maritime shipping makes up almost 3% of global CO₂ emissions and cause about 100,000 premature deaths each year. But in a study, researchers from MIT and elsewhere caution that burning ammonia for maritime fuel could worsen air quality. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “45% Of New Cars Sold In Netherlands In 2024 Have A Plug!” • In a negative month in the overall market, June saw plugin registrations also drop by 15% YOY, to 16,089 units. As a result, the Dutch plugin vehicle market reached 45% market share last month, in line with the year’s average. That’s mostly thanks to pure battery EVs. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Michal Lauko, Unsplash)

¶ “Lower Cost Batteries Will Move The EV Revolution Forward More Quickly” • For the past decade, we were told that someday batteries will cost less, making electric cars more affordable. Now Bloomberg says someday is here, for parts of the world. The cost of LFP battery cells in China has fallen by 51% to an average of $53/kWh since 2023. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wind Farm Planned For Area Near Proposed Gold Mine” • EverWind Fuels hopes to build one of three wind farms it plans in Guysborough County on land not far from the proposed site of a controversial open-pit gold mine and a now-protected lake near Sherbrooke. EverWind plans to build two other wind farms, also in Nova Scotia. [Yahoo News Canada]

Wind farm (Sebastian Grochowicz, Unsplash)

¶ “Fire Breaks Out At Russian Oil Depot As Russia And Ukraine Exchange Drone Attacks” • Russian shelling of Ukraine killed four people, as the two countries exchanged drone attacks. An oil depot in Russia’s Tsimlyansky district was set ablaze in early hours following a Ukrainian drone attack, the latest long-range strike by Kyiv’s forces. [ABC News]

¶ “Sunnica £600 Million Solar Farm Approved Despite Some Objections” • A 2,500-acre solar farm has been approved by the secretary of state for energy. Sunnica’s £600 million energy farm on the Cambridgeshire-Suffolk border has been given the green light. A decision had been delayed several times, including most recently due to the UK general election. [BBC]

Solar panels in England (Partonez, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Government Proposes Scaled Down Nuclear Purchase” • The South African government is moving forward with plans for nuclear energy. Speaking at the two-day Cabinet Lekgotla held in Pretoria, Energy Minister Ramokgopa made clear that the new proposal seeks to procure 2,500 MW of nuclear energy, down from 9,000 initially proposed. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Texas Needs Money To Keep The Lights On During Extreme Weather. It’s Funding More Fossil Fuel Instead” • Houston was struck by two massive storms: A powerful derecho in May, then Category 1 Beryl. But instead of putting money into its grid so the lights and A/C stay on during extreme weather, it’s pouring billions into natural gas power plants. [CNN]

Texas (Desert Rose, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Improved EV Credits Makes The Switch Even Easier For US Drivers” • The Treasury Department and IRS recently finalized rules on federal credits applicable to new EVs, with the transfer of the new and used EV credits and mineral and battery sourcing of components included. These rules provide greater clarity for automakers, dealers, and consumers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Offshore Wind Turbines Offer Path for Clean Hydrogen Production” • Using electricity fron offshore wind turbines as one pathway to split water to produce clean hydrogen may make economic sense, particularly along the US Atlantic Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, say researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. [CleanTechnica]

Two configurations for generating H₂ (Alfred Hicks, NREL)

¶ “After Hurricane Beryl’s Destruction, Climate Scientists Fear For What’s Next” • Prognosticators at Colorado State University amended their already miserable seasonal tropical cyclone forecast precisely as Hurricane Beryl was filling Houston’s streets with floodwaters. Climate scientists fear for what’s to come, with “crazy” ocean heat. [The Guardian]

¶ “Was This Heat Wave Extraordinary? Climate Expert Thinks It’s A New Normal” • Most people have gone on a mission to beat the heat at some point over the past two weeks as California endured an early heat wave. The state’s climatologist says heat waves like this one are far more likely to occur now than they were in the 1960s or 1970s. [CBS News]

Have an absurdly comical day.

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(, CC-BY-SA 3.0) km² CO₂ NH₃ CH₄ ₹ NOₓ ‽ ¦ – ¦♦♦♦♦♦

Opinion:

¶ “What Twisters Gets Right – And Wrong – About Tornado Science” • Science has an even bigger role in the plot of the new film Twisters than it had in the original of 1996, say researchers who worked as consultants for Twisters. Not only does it show advanced radar data, but it highlights links between climate change and tornadoes. [Nature]

Twister (Greg Johnson, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Ørsted Pilots New Technology Optimizing Offshore Wind Monopile Installation” • Building on marine life protections, Ørsted developed a lower-noise method that could potentially revolutionize the way offshore wind foundations are installed. The groundbreaking technology has been successfully tested in Germany. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “New QuantumScape Solid-State EV Battery Exposes EV Sales Flop Fakery, Again” • Fears of a global downslide in EV sales had the headlines just a few months ago, only to wilt in the light of actual facts. The latest example is a deal made by solid-state EV battery innovator QuantumScape and the electrification division of Volkswagen, PowerCo. [CleanTechnica]

QuantumScape is ready (Courtesy of QuantumScape)

World:

¶ “Are Electric Car Sales Slowing Or Accelerating? Audi And BMW Have Different Answers” • Audi says its electric car sales for the Q8 have cratered while BMW is crowing about its recent electric car sales success. Such divergence is perplexing, since both companies cater to basically the same clientele. But the truth is rather nuanced. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Gotland Sweden Backs “Noemi” Electric Seaplane for Zero-Emission Flights” • Elfly Group, developers of the all-electric seaplane program ‘Noemi’ (No Emissions), is partnering with the government of Gotland, Sweden, on zero-emission commercial flights to the island by 2027. The parties recently signed a Letter of Intent for collaboration. [CleanTechnica]

Noemi electric airplane (Courtesy of Elfly Group)

¶ “EV Sales H1 2024: Europe Slowest Growing Region” • Europe is the slowest region of growth for EV sales so far this year, Rho Motion, the leading research house focused on the EV market, revealed in their half yearly update. China’s sales grew 30% to 4.1 million. Compare that to sales of 1.5 million in Europe and the UK, which grew by 1%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Japan Aligning With US, Europe Over Offshore Wind Amid China Fears” • Japan is enhancing cooperation with the US and Europe in developing floating offshore wind power, concerned over possible overreliance on China for renewable energy supply chains. It has set up an industry platform for commercializing the nascent technology. [毎日新聞 – Mainichi]

Offshore windpower (Jesse De Meulenaere, Unsplash)

¶ “As Climate Change Threatens Hydropower, Zambia And Zimbabwe Hurry Toward Solar Power” • Zambia and Zimbabwe, both heavily reliant on Lake Kariba for power, face daily power cuts of 12 to 18 hours due to dropping water levels caused by climate change. This prompted the two neighbors to speed up a move toward solar power. [Al Mayadeen English]

¶ “Rajasthan Government Aims To Produce 30 GW Of Solar Power By The End Of FY25” • The Rajasthan government aims to produce 30 GW of solar power by the end of FY25 to become self-reliant in the power and energy sector. One objective is to enhance the state’s energy security by reducing dependency on imported fuels. [Business Standard]

Solar power (Harisankar, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “When Will The Extreme Heat End? What Current Forecasts Are Saying” • Keep the air conditioners running – the extreme heat is not going anywhere soon. Portions of the country have been experiencing scorching temperatures over the past week, but significant relief from the stifling conditions will not come in the near future, forecasts show. [ABC News]

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Invests $120 Million To Help Tribes Build Climate Resilience” • Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the availability of $120 million in funding supported by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for Tribal dwellers to prepare for climate-related environmental threats to their homelands. [CleanTechnica]

Deb Haaland speaking (Department of Interior image)

¶ “Trump Intends To Assemble “An Army” To Deconstruct the Administrative State And The Environment” • The editorial board of the New York Times stated this week the failures that Trump would bring to the executive office. Here’s another list which continues to chronicle the treacherous shifts in climate policy that Trump would implement. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Success Story – Working with Co-ops to Increase Community Solar Access” • Community solar projects give people who might not otherwise be able to install solar panels a chance to benefit from solar energy. Funded through the US DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, ACCESS engaged in research, field tests, and conversations with seven cooperatives. [CleanTechnica]

Solar array (Courtesy of Anza Electric Cooperative, Inc)

¶ “Construction Begins On Largest US Transit Depot Microgrid Powered By Renewable Energy” • Work is underway on the landmark David F Bone Equipment Maintenance and Transit Operation Center. The center will feature electric bus charging and on-site green hydrogen production powered by solar and battery energy storage. [WSP]

¶ “NRC Taking The Next Step Toward A Possible Restart Of Palisades Nuclear Plant” • The effort to restart the Palisades nuclear plant in southwest Michigan took another step forward on Thursday night when the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission spent three hours listening to impassioned pleas from both sides of the issue. [Toledo Blade]

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Opinion:

¶ “Is GM Making An EV Comeback?” • GM made a press release announcing end of quarter sales numbers finally had what we’ve all hoped to see: recovering EV sales figures! But, numbers are never anything without context. So, in this article, we will cover what GM revealed and then discuss whether this means GM’s EV effort is back on track or not. [CleanTechnica]

Chevrolet Equinox EV (GM image)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Peaches, Grapes, And The Agrivoltaic Farm Of The Future” • The emerging field of agrivoltaics has come a long way in just a few years. From a focus on pollinator habitats and grazing lands, agrivoltaic stakeholders are expanding their ambitions to raise peaches, grapes, and more within the arrays of ground-mounted solar panels. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “The Absurd “Sin Tax” On Electric Vehicles In Brazil” • In an unexpected move, Brazil recently proposed a “sin tax” on EVs. The introduction of this tax has been met with mixed reactions. Environmental groups have expressed concern, arguing that such a tax could slow the adoption of EVs and undermine efforts to reduce carbon emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines in Brazil (Vitor Paladini, Unsplash)

¶ “Scientists Want The Paris Olympics To Dump Toyota’s Mirai As An Official Car. Here’s Why” • A group of 120 scientists, engineers and academics penned an open letter calling on the Paris Olympics’ organizers to ditch Toyota’s Mirai as the official vehicle of the Games. They say the hydrogen-powered car erodes the event’s green credentials. [CNN]

¶ “Essar Unveils 125-MW UK Hydrogen Plant” • Essar Energy Transition has announced the launch of the 125-MW EET Hydrogen Power, Europe’s first hydrogen-ready combined heat and power plant. It is to be built at its Stanlow refinery, aiming to complete construction in 2027. EET Hydrogen Power will be an independent vertical under EET. [reNews]

Hydrogen plant (Essar Energy Transition image)

¶ “Microsoft 365’s Chinese Host Uses Just 4.35% Renewable Energy: Greenpeace” • China’s major cloud computing and datacenter players aren’t going green in a hurry, according to a Greenpeace study. The group found that just eight companies in the field have announced plans to operate entirely on renewable energy by 2030. [The Register]

¶ “SSE And Equinor Establish Terms Of Dogger D Seabed Lease” • SSE Renewables and Equinor, the developers of the proposed Dogger Bank D fourth phase of 3600-MW Dogger Bank Wind Farm, established commercial terms with The Crown Estate for an amendment to the Dogger Bank C seabed lease. Dogger Bank could have 2 GW of capacity. [reNews]

Dogger Bank (SSE Renewables image)

¶ “South Australia’s Renewable Triumph Is Stunning Proof That Dutton’s Nuclear Plans Are A Folly ” • When the federal and state governments were deciding on a location to announce a funding deal that will underwrite South Australia’s final leap to its goal of 100% net renewables within the next three years, Port Augusta was the obvious choice. [RenewEconomy]

¶ “Over Half Of Turbines At Taiwan’s 640-MW Wind Project Start Producing Energy” • Skyborn Renewables announced that 42 wind turbine generators (WTG) at the Yunlin Offshore Wind Farm have been connected to the grid. In a statement, it also said the installation of all 80 monopiles of the 640-MW project has been completed. [Asian Power]

Wind turbine (Expect Best, Pexels)

¶ “UN General Assembly Demands Russia Withdraw From Europe’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant In Ukraine” • The United Nations General Assembly demanded that Russia “urgently withdraw its military and other unauthorized personnel” from Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and return it to the full control of Ukrainian authorities. [MSN]

¶ “German Coal Power Production Drops To Record Low In Q2 As Renewables Soar To 65% Share” • Electricity generation from coal dropped to a record low in Germany in the spring, while renewables produced more electricity than ever. Lignite feed-in fell more than 18% YOY, while hard coal production dropped more than 38% YOY. [RenewEconomy]

Wind farm (BWE image)

US:

¶ “Devastated By Record Flooding And Tornadoes, Iowa Tallies Over $130 Million In Storm Damage” • Record flooding and powerful tornadoes ravaged parts of Iowa for weeks this spring, destroying or damaging thousands of homes, closing roads and bridges and costing over $130 million in infrastructure damage, officials said Thursday. [ABC News]

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Announces Nearly $2 Billion to Support American Auto Workers, Convert Facilities For Electric Vehicles” • The US DOE announced $1.7 billion to support the conversion of eleven shuttered or at-risk auto manufacturing and assembly facilities across eight states to manufacture electric vehicles and their supply chain. [CleanTechnica]

Grant selectees (US DOE image)

¶ “Tesla’s Cybertruck Defies The Naysayers And Becomes Best-Selling Electric Truck” • It’s official — Tesla’s Cybertruck was the the best selling EV pickup truck in the US during Q2, and is among the fastest production ramps in Tesla’s history. The Cybertruck is also the best selling vehicle of any kind priced above $100,000. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Solar And Wind Power Generation Tops Nuclear For First Time” • For the first time ever, US electricity generation from utility-scale solar and wind exceeded nuclear power plants’ power output in the first half of 2024, according to data from energy think tank Ember and quoted by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire. [OilPrice.com]

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Rondo Energy Is Working On Ways To Decarbonize Process Heat” • Rondo Energy is commercializing systems that reduce the carbon footprint of industrial systems that rely on process heat. According to the US DOE, industrial process heat is the use of thermal energy to produce, treat, or modify manufactured goods. [CleanTechnica]

Processing waste heat (Courtesy of Rondo Energy)

World:

¶ “Ford Launches Sporty New Capri EV … Across The Pond” • Ford has cooked up a surprise: an electric makeover of the ultra-cool Capri, which personified the era of sleek, rocket-to-the-moon automotive design in the 1960s and 1970s before coming to an end when the dot-com boom descended on the 1980s. It is for the European market. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 Completes EV Rally Tour Of The UK” • A battery-powered Mercedes-Benz eActros tractor proved its readiness for work in the UK in a gruelling five-day journey of 1,400 miles around the country. Hauling a standard road trailer loaded to 40 tonnes, the eActros 600 easily met the challenge of the EV Rally event. [CleanTechnica]

Mercedes-Benz eActros 600 (Mercedes-Benz image)

¶ “Countertrade Model Cuts Danish Wind Curtailment” • A countertrade arrangement across the Danish-German border has reduced curtailment of Danish turbines and also reduced power prices. Previously,up to 1,000 GWh of electricity from Danish hardware was stopped annually due to a lack of expansion in the German electricity grid. [reNews]

¶ “China Wind And Solar Capacity Nearly Twice The Rest Of The World’s” • At present, China has 339 GW of renewable generating capacity under construction. That is “nearly twice as much as the rest of the world combined,” accordin to a report by Global Energy Monitor. The US, in second place, is building a total of just 40 GW, the monitor said. [DW]

Wind farm in Xinjiang (taylorandayumi, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Record Growth ‘Only Way’ To Hit COP28 Target” • To stay the course, the world will now have to grow renewables capacity at a minimum 16.4% rate annually through 2030, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency publication Renewable Energy Statistics 2024. To do that growth must reach levels that are unprecedented. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Wildfire Risk Rises As Western States Dry Out Amid Ongoing Heat Wave Baking Most Of The US” • There risk of wildfires is rising in the West as heat and low humidity dry out the landscape in a protracted heat wave that is expected to continue baking the are. More than 142 million people in the country were under heat alerts on July 10. [ABC News]

Wildfire (From the EPA)

¶ “Seeking Carbon-Free Power, Virginia Utility Considers Small Nuclear Reactors” • Virginia’s largest utility said it will explore the use of small nuclear reactors to help meet growing electricity demands while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A project to build the first SMR in Idaho was terminated last year due to cost increases and a lack of subscribers. [ABC News]

¶ “Shell And EDF File Atlantic Shores Bid In NJ Solicitation” • The Shell and EDF partnership Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind has submitted a proposal into New Jersey’s Fourth Offshore Wind Solicitation. The proposal concerns the Atlantic Shores Projects 1&2, which have a combined capacity of 2,800 MW. All permit approvals are expected this year. [reNews]

New Jersey (Cameron Smith, Unsplash)

¶ “1.3 Million Without Power In Houston As Sweltering Heat Follows Beryl” • More than 1.3 million electrical customers in the Houston area are without power as sweltering temperatures set in after the destruction left by Hurricane Beryl. The main utility company in the area, CenterPoint Energy, warned “it will take days” to restore power to everyone. [ABC News]

¶ “Californian Commission Adopts Offshore Wind Plan” • The California Energy Commission adopted its Strategic Plan for a pathway to develop 25 GW of offshore windpower by 2045 to help the state meet its climate goals. The strategic offshore wind plan will now be submitted to the California Natural Resources Agency and the Legislature. [reNews]

Floating offshore wind turbines (Principle Power image)

¶ “LPO Announces Conditional Commitment To ENTEK Lithium Separators To Build Indiana EV Battery Separator Plant” • The US DOE Loan Programs Office announced a conditional commitment of up to $1.2 billion for a direct loan to ENTEK Lithium Separators LLC. If finalized, the loan will provide funds for a plant in Terre Haute. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Construction Begins On Colorado Solar Farm” • Construction has begun on a 257-MW solar project in Colorado, which will be one of the largest power plants of its kind in the state when it is completed. Platte River Power Authority and turnkey solutions partner Qcells USA Corp, broke ground on the Black Hollow Solar project on 10 July. [reNews]

Colorado solar (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

¶ “Amazon Says It Now Runs On 100% Clean Power. Employees Say It’s More Like 22%” • Amazon announced that it had met a goal to run on 100% renewable electricity seven years early. But a report from the group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice argues that only 22% of the company’s data centers in the US actually run on clean power. [Fast Company]

¶ “Biden Signs Bill Bolstering Nuclear Power” • President Biden signed a bipartisan bill aimed at bolstering the nation’s nuclear power in what supporters describe as a historic win for the sector. The nuclear package is expected to speed up the timeline for licensing new nuclear reactors and cut fees that companies have to pay to do so. [MSN]

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Opinion:

¶ “Some Things About The EU Tariffs On Chinese EVs You May Not Know” • “Our friends at WysokieNapiecie.pl visited China a few weeks ago to get more information on the EU tariffs on Chinese EVs, and they’ve provided the following content for CleanTechnica. It includes … some information and context that I haven’t seen elsewhere.” [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seagull production (Courtesy of BYD)

World:

¶ “Strike A Balance: Trade Agreements For Supply Chains To Be Resilient And Responsible” • To secure the demand for battery minerals, the EU needs to set the right trade framework to boost resilience, sustainability, and mutual benefit. A new report and briefing explore how Free Trade Agreements can be one way to strike this balance. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Good News, Bad News: Last Coal-Fired Generating Station In Alberta Closed” • As recently as 2021, Alberta still got most of its electricity from coal-fired thermal generation. Now Genessee 2, the last dedicated coal plant in Alberta, went offline. But Alberta did this by switching coal plants to burn natural gas, and it is restricting wind power. [CleanTechnica]

Genessee Two, Alberta (Capital Power image)

¶ “Juniper Green Secures PPAs For 480 MW Of hybrid Wind-Solar” • Juniper Green signed power purchase agreements with NTPC and Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd for 290 MW and 190 MW of hybrid wind-solar projects, respectively. The NTPC project will be Juniper’s largest hybrid project so far, with 210 MW of solar and 80 MW of wind. [pv magazine India]

¶ “Global Warming Alert: Earth Has Passed 1.5°C Milestone” • According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service, average global temperatures between July 2023 and June 2024 were the highest on record, creating a year-long stretch in which the Earth was 1.64°C hotter than in pre-industrial times. “This is not good news at all.” [CleanTechnica]

Protest sign (Markus Spiske, Unsplash)

¶ “President Marcos: Use Dams To Generate Renewable Energy” • President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr called on dam operators across the Philippines to maximize their facilities not only to provide water but also to generate renewable energy. He made his appeal during the Upper Wawa Dam impounding ceremony in Montalban. [Philippine News Agency]

¶ “Transition Bro Gwaun Turbine Paves The Way For Exciting Plan” • In Wales, Transition Bro Gwaun put up a community wind turbine in a joint-venture with Parc y Morfa Farms in 2015. So far, it has so far generated £76,000 of profit that has been reinvested in the local community. Now, two other towns plan to do the same. [The Western Telegraph]

Fishguard, Wales (Nick Russill, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “EDF Pulls Out Of UK Mini-Nuclear Reactor Race” • French energy giant EDF was one of six firms shortlisted last October for UK government support to deliver new types of nuclear reactors to provide cheap and clean energy. However, EDF has withdrawn from a competition to construct mini-nuclear reactors in Britain, the company said. [Business Recorder]

¶ “ACT Electric Fleet Powered Grid In Energy Crisis” • Sixteen ACT Government fleet EVs fed power back into Australia’s grid during a major power emergency in 2024. The response proves the viability of vehicle-to-grid technology, which was tested as part of the Realising Electric Vehicles to Grid Services trial which began in 2020. [Mirage News]

Car charging (Tommy Krombacher, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “US Offshore Wind Farm Progress” • Of the 7,200 MW of capacity reported in May in EIA’s latest Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory, projects off the coast of New Jersey totaling about 2,400 MW were canceled last December. However, others totaling 4,800 MW are still active and are in various stages of development. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Don’t Recycle Those Old Wind Turbines … Re-Use Them!” • End-of-life issues have begun to bedevil the US wind industry as wind turbines get old. But help is on the way. Re-powering older wind farms with new equipment is one way to salvage at least some parts of an old wind turbine for re-use instead of dumping them in a landfill. [CleanTechnica]

Re-using and recycling wind turbines (US DOE image)

¶ “Georgia’s Clean Energy Manufacturing Surge Is A By-Product Of Federal Investments” • Data released by Atlas Public Policy and the CHARGE coalition confirm that Georgia’s clean energy commitments for personal transportation electrification lead the nation. Georgia’s shift to clean energy has been fueled in large part by Federal Investments. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “LS Greenlink Unveils US Cable Factory” • LS Greenlink has announced it will build a new $681m cable production facility in Chesapeake, Virginia. The company is the US subsidiary of South Korean manufacturing company LS Cable & System, and the new plant represents the first offshore wind manufacturing plant for the state of Virginia. [reNews]

Factory (LS Cable & System image)

¶ “First Project In 1.3-GW Indiana Solar Complex Is Nearing Operation” • Doral Renewables is about to put its 400-MW Mammoth North Solar project into operation. The Mammoth North Solar project is the first phase of the 1.3-GW Mammoth Solar complex. It will be the largest operating solar installation in Indiana. [Solar Power World]

¶ “US Offshore Wind To Invest $65 Billion By 2030” • The US is projected to invest $65 billion in offshore wind projects by 2030, which will support 56,000 domestic jobs. According to the American Clean Power Association’s 2024 Offshore Wind Market Report, there are 12 GW of projects being developed with active offtake agreements. [reNews]

Have a splashingly resplendent day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Demystifying Coal Repurposing In The Energy Transition” • Alongside retirement, “repurposing” coal plants is surfacing as a key strategy in emerging markets for regulators, utilities, and plant owners to achieve net-zero targets and moderate climate change, especially where access to low-cost clean technology and financing is limited. [CleanTechnica]

Power plant in Niederaußem (Wim van ‘t Einde, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Nova Scotia’s First Large Battery Energy Storage Facilities” • Canadian Solar Inc announced that e-STORAGE, a part of the Company’s majority-owned subsidiary CSI Solar Co, Ltd, signed a contract from Nova Scotia Power to develop energy storage projects at three sites in Nova Scotia: Bridgewater, Waverley, and White Rock. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar And Wind Uptake To Reach 5.4 TW (AC) From 2024 To 2033” • From 2024 to 2033, developers will bring more than 5.4 TW (AC) of new solar and wind capacity online, increasing the cumulative global total to 8 TW (AC), as the world endeavors to electrify economies and meet decarbonisation targets, according to analysis by Wood Mackenzie. [CleanTechnica]

Solar power (Kay Dittner, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Ten Largest EV Battery Producers In The World” • One company has absolutely run away with the trophy for largest EV battery producer in the world. That would be Chinese battery giant CATL (Contemporary Amperex Technology Co Ltd). In fact, two Chinese companies, CATL and BYD, produce over 53% of all EV batteries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Statkraft Signs PPA For Major Yorkshire Solar And Battery Project” • Statkraft, Europe’s largest renewable power generator, entered a ten-year power purchase agreement with international investor FP Lux Group for the 80.6-MW Scurf Dyke Solar Farm and an adjacent battery storage system near Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire. [Energy Live News]

Solar farm (Statkraft image)

¶ “China’s Renewable Energy Boom Strains Its Power Grid” • In China, rapid expansion of wind and solar power has exacerbated regional power imbalances, leading to the need to curtail surplus renewable energy at times. To address this challenge, the Chinese government is enhancing its long-distance power transmission connections. [Transformers Magazine]

¶ “PM Announces Solar-Power Package For Balochistan Farmers” • In Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that an agreement was reached between the federal and Balochistan governments, under which 28,000 agricultural tube wells in the province would be changed over to run on solar power within three months. [Business Recorder]

Balochistan has its surprises (Junaidkori, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Ukraine Has Lost The Capacity Of Europe’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant For A Decade” • The Zaporizhia nuclear power plant will be able to be restarted only seven to eight years after it is liberated, as it depends on the reconstruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, according to Prime Minister’s adviser Yuriy Boyko. [Ukraine Business News]

¶ “Reeves To ‘Scrap England’s Onshore Wind Ban’” • The new UK Labour government is set to lift the de-facto ban on onshore wind in England, Rachel Reeves will declare in her first major speech as Chancellor. Reeves will make the pledge as part of an overhaul of the planning system that she will outline later today, according to the BBC. [reNews]

Wind turbine (Josh McCausland, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Hurricane Beryl Tracker: Death Toll Rises To 6 In Texas, Over 2 Million Without Power” • Tropical Storm Beryl is tearing across Texas after making landfall in the state as a Category 1 hurricane. At least six people have been killed by fallen trees or by drowning and over 2 million customers lost power in Texas due to heavy rain and powerful winds. [ABC News]

¶ “Community Solar Benefits Low Income Communities And Renters” • A study by researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the NREL that analyzed data from eleven states found people who adopt community solar are 6.1 times more likely to live in multifamily buildings, are 4.4 times more likely to rent. [CleanTechnica]

Peacham Community Solar (Image via YouTube)

¶ “In 2023, USA Had Battery Recycling Facilities Capable Of Reclaiming More Than 35,000 Tons Of Battery Materials” • As of 2023, the US had enough domestic battery recycling capacity to reclaim 35,500 tons of battery materials. More facilities are being planned for the next two to four years to reclaim an additional 76,000 tons. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wind Energy Is Powering America More Than Coal For The First Time Ever” • American energy generation has got just a bit cleaner this year. Data from the EIA suggests that wind power is a bigger source of electricity than coal for the first time ever. Data from the agency says that wind was responsible for 47.7 TWh of energy in April, vs coal’s 37.2 TWh. [Quartz]

Wind farm (Jonny Clow, Unsplash)

¶ “In A First, A Solar Microgrid Will Directly Power An Industrial Plant” • In Ravenswood, West Virginia, Titanium Metals Corp, or Timet, is building a facility to cast titanium parts for airplanes and other things. Just next door, BHE Renewables is preparing to install arrays of solar panels and large battery systems of a solar microgrid for the titanium facility. [Canary Media]

¶ “US Battery Market Is On Track For Its Best Year Yet” • The US battery sector is off to the best start to a year it has ever seen. In the first quarter of 2024, nearly 1.3 GW of battery storage was installed at US power plants, homes, and commercial facilities, according to data from the American Clean Power Association and Wood Mackenzie. [Canary Media]

Have an astonishingly easy day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Without A Massive Grid Upgrade, The Coalition’s Nuclear Plan Faces A High-Voltage Hurdle” • The CSIRO and others say a nuclear power plant of any size would not be operational in Australia until after 2040. If transmission lines are congested at that future point, nuclear power plants may not be able to send all their electricity to the grid. [The Conversation]

High Voltage Lines in South Australia (Solarence, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

World:

¶ “June Sizzles To Thirteenth Straight Monthly Heat Record. String May End Soon, But Dangerous Heat Won’t” • The Earth’s streak of thirteen record-breaking hot months continued in June, EU climate service Copernicus said. There’s hope that the planet will soon see an end to the record-setting part of the heat streak, but not the climate chaos that it brought. [ABC News]

¶ “IEA Makes More of Its Data And Statistics Freely Available through Upgraded Countries And Regions Pages” • In another major step towards making more IEA data freely available, the IEA upgraded the Countries and Regions section of its website by adding a comprehensive range of statistics at the global, regional and national levels. [CleanTechnica]

World weather patterns (NASA image)

¶ “Electric Car Companies Push Back Against Restrictive Trade Policies” • As new trade policies in North America and Europe seek to stem the tide of cheap electric car models and subsidized batteries from China, Chinese companies are exploring ways to blunt those policies. The march of commerce will not be easily stanched if they have any say. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Labour And Climate Celebrate Big Wins In UK” • Britain’s Labour Party won the UK general election by a landslide, ending 14 years of Conservative Party rule. The time has come in which Labour and climate activists will be working together toward common goals. The next prime minister, Keir Starmer, has a 326-seat majority in the parliament. [CleanTechnica]

Abingdon-on-Thames (Benjamin Elliott, Unsplash)

¶ “A New Horizon: Former Oil Expert Advocates For Renewable Energy Careers In Wales” • Naomi Bowen worked in oil and gas for over 14 years. She recently moved into the renewable energy sector to help in the fight against climate change. Now, she wants to encourage prospective school leavers to choose this industry to start their career journey. [Wales 247]

¶ “DVC To Add 4 GW Of Solar Power Capacity By 2030” • The Kolkata-headquartered Damodar Valley Corp. plans to invest ₹20,000 crore ($2.4 billion) by 2030 to install around 4 GW of solar capacity. Overall, it plans investments worth ₹50,000-60,000 crore by 2030 to enhance thermal, pumped storage and solar power capacities. [pv magazine India]

Solar panels with coal plant in the background (DVC image)

¶ “New Report Reveals Staggering Increase Of Wind And Solar Power Generation In Last Five Years: ‘A Historic, Permanent Shift’” • Think tank Ember said the EU increased wind and solar power generation by 46% from 2019 to 2023. Last year, the EU set a binding target of at least 42.5% renewable energy sources by 2030, with an aim to reach 45%. [MSN]

¶ “Wavepiston And Ørsted To Collaborate On Combined Wind And Wave Energy” • Danish company Wavepiston has started a collaboration with Ørsted to investigate the potential for co-location of offshore wind and wave energy in Denmark. The collaboration will analyze the benefits of combining offshore wind and wave energy. [renewableenergymagazine.com]

Offshore windfarm (Wavepiston image)

¶ “Russian Troops Seize Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant Amid Warnings Over Spread Of Radioactive Waste” • Russia has seized control of the Chernobyl nuclear exclusion zone after an intense fight, the Ukrainian government said. “It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians.” [Yahoo News UK]

¶ “Wind Provided 34% Of Irish Power In 2024” • The June Wind Energy report shows Ireland’s wind farms provided 34% of the country’s electricity in the first half of 2024. The latest figures published by Wind Energy Ireland show wind power generation in June 2024 was the third highest on record for a June month, totaling 771 GWh. [reNews]

Wind turbines in Ireland (Nordex image)

US:

¶ “What The Heck Is Going On With Ford Electric Car Demand And Forecasting?” • Zach Shahan: “Ford said that it was adjusting its EV plans to be a bit less ambitious. I found it particularly odd at the time since Ford’s electric vehicles actually had a strong 4th quarter. But hey, I didn’t have insight into what was coming in terms of Ford demand like Farley did, right?” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Torrid Heat Bakes Millions Across US, Setting Records And Fanning Wildfires” • A long-running heat wave that has already shattered previous records across the US persisted on Sunday, baking parts of the West with dangerous temperatures that caused the death of a motorcyclist in Death Valley and held the East in its hot and humid grip. [ABC News]

Death Valley (Pablo García Saldaña, Unsplash)

¶ “Motorcyclist Dies From Heat Exposure In Death Valley As Temperature Reaches 128°F” • A visitor to Death Valley national park died Sunday from heat exposure and another motorcyclist in the same group was hospitalized in Las Vegas for “severe heat illness” as the temperature reached 128°F (53.3°C) in eastern California, officials said. [The Guardian]

¶ “HECO Retiring 35% Of Firm Generators On Maui By 2028, Replacing With Renewable Energy” • Hawaiian Electric is gearing up for a transformative decade on Maui, as it plans to retire 88 MW of its fossil fuel generators, roughly 35% of the island’s firm capacity. State environmental regulations and ageing generators are driving the change. [Maui Now]

Have a sincerely lighthearted day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Researchers Unveil Innovative Technology That Outperforms Conventional Solar Panels Using Both Sun And ‘Cold Universe’ Energy” • Penn State researchers developed a way to harvest solar energy in a solar cell (like normal) but also direct heat away from Earth using “radiative cooling,” sending infrared light off into outer space. [The Cool Down]

Solar panels with reflectors (Image from Penn State University)

¶ “Key Drivers For Thermal Energy Storage Technologies In Industry” • Industries have long used fossil fuels to produce heat for their processes or to fuel power plants to generate electricity from natural gas, oil, and coal. That heat produces about 25% of global emissions. The emissions could be reduced by thermal energy storage. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

World:

¶ “The Frequency And Magnitude Of Extreme Wildfires Have Doubled In Last 20 Years, Study Finds” • The frequency and magnitude of extreme wildfires – the most damaging to climate, society, and ecosystems – appear to have doubled over the past 20 years, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution. [ABC News]

Wildfire near Athens in 2021 (Anasmeister, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “EVs Take 28.2% Share In The UK – Tesla Still Leads” • June’s auto market saw plugin EVs take 28.2% share in the UK, up from 25.1% year on year. Battery EVs grew modestly, but plugin hybrids grew more strongly. Overall auto volume was 179,263 units, well below pre-2020 seasonal norms. Tesla was the UK’s leading battery EV brand. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Model S Has 430,000 Miles On One Battery” • One of the many false claims some EV critics make is that somehow EV batteries just magically and suddenly stop working after a while. A YouTube video on the AutoTrader channel is about a Tesla Model S that has 430,000 miles on it using just one battery, and it’s still going. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model S (Matt Henry, Unsplash)

¶ “Germany Set To Overhaul Subsidy Regime For Renewable Energy” • Germany’s coalition government is set to overhaul the way renewable energy is subsidised so that power producers would get one-off support for their investment costs instead of a guaranteed price for power they produce, a finance ministry document showed. [Bangladesh Post]

¶ “President: Uzbekistan Plans To Increase Renewable Energy Share To 40% By 2030” • President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced at the informal summit of the Turkic States Organization in Shusha about the country’s plans to increase the share of renewable energy in the overall energy balance to 40% by 2030. [UzDaily.uz]

Shavkat Mirziyoyev (МВД Узбекистана, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Gulf Nations Make Significant Strides In Renewable Energy Integration” • The Gulf countries, endowed with abundant solar and wind energy resources, have leveraged these assets in their renewable energy portfolios to varying extents, and achieved significant progress toward their ambitious targets, according to Fitch Ratings. [arab times – kuwait news]

¶ “Bangladesh To Import 1,000 MW Of Renewable Power From India” • The Bangladesh government signed an MOU with India to import 1,000 MW of renewable electricity. It also plans to tap Nepal and Bhutan for its energy needs. To have renewables meet 10% of all the electricity it needs by 2025, it will need 2,600 MW of green energy by then. [Outlook Planet]

Dhaka, Bangladesh (Austin Curtis, Unsplash)

¶ “Russia Is Firing Artillery From A Captured Nuclear Power Plant, Leaving Ukraine Reluctant To Shoot Back” • Russian troops are firing artillery at Ukrainian targets from a nuclear power plant, The New York Times reported. Russia selected the Zaporizhzhia site because it made it difficult for Ukrainian troops to retaliate, Ukrainian officials said. [Yahoo Movies UK]

US:

¶ “US Gets More Offshore Wind Farms And A New WIV, To Boot” • The US offshore wind industry has faced some choppy waters in past years, including demonstrably false accusations of whale-killing and the impact of a maritime law dating back to 1920. Nevertheless, the clouds are clearing, despite opposition from various groups. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind turbines (Courtesy of EDF-RE)

¶ “Evacuation Orders Issued For Latest California Wildfire Amid Scorching Heat Wave” • Evacuation orders have been issued due to a wildfire in central California, the latest among more than a dozen blazes burning in the state amid a scorching heat wave. The French Fire near Yosemite National Park has burned over 900 acres since erupting Thursday. [ABC News]

¶ “Professor Details Florida’s State-Directed Changes In Science Textbooks” • Ken Miller, a science textbook author and professor emeritus of biology at Brown University, told the Orlando Sentinel in an article published Friday that his publisher was told by state officials that some references to “climate change” had to be removed from the text. [Newsweek]

Have an enormously cool day.

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World:

¶ “Globally, 48% Of Volvo Cars’ Sales Now Plugin Vehicles” • Yet another automaker highlighting its EV sales growth last quarter is Volvo Cars. Its data shows that 48% of all the cars it sold in June were plugins! Volvo’s overall sales grew 8%, but its plugin vehicle sales grew a whopping 41%. That tells us that Volvo’s non-plugin vehicle sales actually declined. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo EX30 cloud blue exterior

¶ “EVs Take 56.5% Share In Sweden, Going Nowhere, Backwards” • June’s EVs took 56.5% share in Sweden, down year on year from 59.2% in June 2023. The battery EV share fell YOY, while the plugin hybrid share was flat, and both lost volume. Overall auto volume was 25,401 units, down 10% YOY. The Tesla Model Y was the best selling battery EV. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EU Tariffs On Chinese EVs Commence, But Discussions Ongoing” • There are discussions ongoing between Chinese government officials and EU officials and administration in regard to tariffs on battery-electric cars produced in China. But in the meantime, the tariffs, ranging from 17.4% to 37.6%, are now in effect. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Yuan Plus (Mariordo, CC-BY-SA 4.0) 

¶ “What Labour Means For Your Energy Bills” • The average British home currently pays yearly energy bills of £1,568 thanks to the Ofgem set price cap, with this figure set to rise later in the year. Labour’s energy policy is to launch a state-funded company called GB Energy, is intended to save every household £300 on their power bills. [This is Money]

¶ “Digital World Driving Growing Demand For Renewable Generation” • The world’s reliance on the internet, the shift to cloud computing, and the emergence of AI all fuel increasing demand for data centers. The IEA projects that by 2026, data centers will consume more than 800 TWh annually, more than double what they used in 2022. [pv magazine Australia]

Data center with rooftop solar (Iron Mountain image)

¶ “End Subsidies For Fossil Fuel: RE100” • An official of the RE100 renewable energy initiative called on the government of Taiwan to remove subsidies for fossil fuels to further boost the development of the renewable energy market. RE100 director of energy Sam Kimmins was welcoming the Hon Hai Technology Group to the RE100 family. [Taipei Times]

¶ “Europe’s Largest Solar Power Plant Connects To Transmission Grid” • Europe’s largest solar power plant was established south of Leipzig. The Witznitz Energy Park, with a capacity of 650 MW, is tied to the 50Hertz transmission grid. The facility injects electricity directly while also helping to maintain grid stability around the clock, even at night. [Energy Global]

Saxony (Michael Gäbler, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “‘Based On Facts’: Kean Sceptical On Nukes” • Incoming Climate Change Authority chair and former NSW Liberal treasurer Matt Kean has poured cold water on the Coalition’s nuclear plans, arguing that a turn to atomic energy would take “far too long” and be “far too expensive.” He said he would take a “pragmatic approach” to energy policy. [Yahoo]

¶ “Nations Pressed To Reach ‘Historic’ Climate Agreement” • The Emirati head of the UN’s climate conference pressed countries to strive for common ground and reach a “historic” deal by early next week. It is rare for UN climate talks to end as scheduled but COP28 President Sultan Al Jaber set the ambitious goal of having a deal in place by 11 am (0700 GMT) on Tuesday. [MSN]

Net Zero Nuclear Event (IAEA Imagebank, CC-BH-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “West Coast Historic Heat Wave Could Break All-Time Records” • The western US is facing a historic heat wave with alerts issued not just for areas inland, but also normally cooler coastal places like Seattle and Portland, Oregon. The heat wave could break all-time records. The record heat will not stop this weekend, with more expected next week. [ABC News]

¶ “Pongamia Trees Grow Where Citrus Once Flourished, Offering Renewable Energy, Protein” • As parts of the Florida citrus industry have all but dried up over the past two decades due to two fatal diseases, some farmers are planting pongamia trees, a climate-resilient species that can produce plant-based proteins and a sustainable biofuel. [ABC News]

Pongamia trees (Jumanous, CC-BY-SA 3.0a)

¶ “Fossil Fuel Crazies Ask Supreme Court To Protect Them From CARB” • The lunatics in the fossil fuel industry, who destroy the environment as they seek obscene profits, have banded together to do a full frontal assault on the California Air Resources Board that for decades has been working to lower emissions from the cars and trucks on California roads. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US EPA And NMED Inspections Find Widespread Emissions at Oil & Gas Facilities in the Permian Basin Area” • The US EPA Region 6 and the New Mexico Environment Department posted reports for 124 facilities the two agencies inspected in the New Mexico Permian Basin area in April. A total of 75 of the facilities had non-compliant emissions. [CleanTechnica]

Pumpjacks (Zorin09, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “New Panel Charged With Helping Massachusetts Meet Its Renewable Energy Goals” • Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced the formation of a new panel charged with guiding the state’s transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The Energy Transformation Advisory Board includes a broad array of representatives. [Caledonian Record]

¶ “New York May Miss 70% Renewable Electricity Goal Of 2030: Draft Report” • A draft report on the status of renewable energy in New York casts doubt on whether limiting fossil fuels to no more than 30% by 2030 is possible. The report is from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority and the Department of Public Service. [NEWS10 ABC]

Have an intensely relaxing day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Battery Chemistry From Nyobolt Promises Faster Charging For Electric Cars” • Nyobolt, a battery company in Cambridge, UK, has some news that came to us at CleanTechnica via CNN. Nyobolt claims it developed a battery that can be charged in five minutes or less and is durable enough to power an electric car for 600,000 miles of driving. [CleanTechnica]

Charging with a Nyobolt battery (Courtesy of Nyobolt)

World:

¶ “Europe Is Slapping Tariffs On Chinese EVs” • The EU is imposing sharply higher customs duties on EVs imported from China. EVs are the latest flash point in a broader trade dispute over Chinese government subsidies and Beijing’s burgeoning exports of green technology to the 27-nation EU bloc. A final decision will be made in four months. [ABC News]

¶ “Hurricane Beryl Earliest Category 5 Hurricane Ever, And Other Facts” • Climate insecurity is rising, including larger, more frequent hurricanes. The latest example is Hurricane Beryl, a Category 5 hurricane. In fact, as the title notes, this is the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. And that’s not Hurricane Beryl’s only record. [CleanTechnica]

Predicted Hurricane Beryl path (NOAA image).jpg

¶ “Our Obsession With Growth Is Killing The Planet – UN Report” • Olivier De Schutter is a Belgian legal scholar working on economic and social rights. He submitted a report to the UN that warns humanity’s obsession with growth is enriching elites and killing the planet. We need an economy based on human rights, the report argues. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “What Falling Sales? Global EV Sales Grew 23% in May!” • Global plugin vehicle registrations were up 23% in May 2024 from May 2023. There were 1.3 million registrations. Battery EVs were up by 17% YOY, while plugin hybrids jumped 37%. Plugins represented 20% share of the overall auto market and are in the disruption zone. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Pontus Jerand Wernhammar, Unsplash)

¶ “China Could Lead The World To Net Zero” • China, with 18% of the global population, uses 26% of the world’s primary energy and emits 33% of the world’s energy-related CO₂. Renewables are poised to supplant coal massively over the next three decades, however. The effects of the energy transition unfolding in China will echo globally. [pv magazine International]

¶ “Labour Party Wins UK General Election With Promising Implications For The UK Green Economy” • The Labour Party has won the UK General Election, making Sir Keir Starmer the country’s new Prime Minister, and former PM Rishi Sunak conceded defeat. The result has promising implications for the UK green economy. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

Renewable energy (Courtesy of NREL)

¶ “Hydro-Québec Announces $9 Billion Wind Power Project” • Hydro-Québec announced its plans to create a $9-billion wind farm in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. It could become one of the largest in North America. The area of 5,000 sq km could generate up to 3,000 MW as part of the utility’s strategy to increase wind power capacity. [CBC]

¶ “Germany Gives Apartment-Dwellers Legal Right To Solar Power” • Germany’s lower house of parliament has passed legal amendments allowing apartment owners and tenants to install solar systems on their balconies, as the country seeks to increase uptake of the energy form. More than half of the population of Germany live in rented homes. [Yahoo News UK]

Balcony power (PantheraLeo1359531, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Ford Electric Vehicle Sales Report: Take That, Haters!” • Ford Motor Company issued its mid-year sales report this week. To the surprise of no-one who is actually counting, EV sales are up. There is one surprise, though, and it has something to do with Ford CEO Jim Farley’s widely reported hopes for a small car renaissance in the US. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “GM Hit With Penalty Due To Failure To Comply With EPA CO₂ Emissions Over A 6-Year Span” • The US EPA announced that General Motors agreed to retire roughly 50 million metric tons of GHG credits to resolve excess CO₂ emissions identified through EPA’s light-duty vehicle in-use testing program. GM will pay a $145.8 million penalty. [CleanTechnica]

2015 Cadillac Escalade (AlBargan, CC BY-ND 2.0)

¶ “FBI Warns Of Growing Cyberthreats Targeting US Renewable Energy Sector” • The FBI is warning of increased cyberthreats against the US renewable energy sector. With increased adoption of renewable energy driven by federal incentives and such local initiatives as Virginia’s ambitious energy goals, the sector has become a prime target. [GovInfoSecurity]

¶ “Renewable Energy Projects On Books In Northern Nevada” • Completion of NV Energy’s Greenlink West power transmission line from Southern Nevada to the Fort Churchill substation will enable renewable energy development in northern Nevada. Two projects are slated to add over 1,100 MW of solar PVs and storage to the state’s grid. [Nevada Appeal]

Children learning about PVs (Flickr.com, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “New Renewable Energy Facility In Upstate New York Creates Electricity With Dairy Manure And Food Waste” • State and local leaders cut the ribbon yesterday on a new renewable energy facility at Lent Hill Dairy Farm in Steuben County. Over 35,000 gallons of food waste and about 90,000 gallons of manure will be recycled per day at the facility. [Feedstuffs]

¶ “Constellation Talking To Pennsylvania On Three Mile Island Restart, Sources Say” • Constellation Energy is in talks with the Pennsylvania governor’s office and state lawmakers to help fund a possible restart of part of its Three Mile Island power facility, the site of a nuclear meltdown in the 1970s, three sources familiar with the discussions said. [MSN]

Have a fruitfully productive day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Let’s Put Sheldon Whitehouse In The White House!” • After the Supreme Court’s disastrous decision on immunity, Senator Whitehouse took to social media to express his outrage. He said, “We face three huge threats: persistent internal attacks on our democracy, unbridled climate upheaval, and a captured Court with some deeply corrupt justices.” [CleanTechnica]

Photo provided by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse’s office

World:

¶ “Hurricane Beryl Forecast: Storm Slamming Jamaica With Life-Threatening Conditions” • Hurricane Beryl is slamming Jamaica with life-threatening impacts. As of Wednesday evening, Beryl remains at Category 4 criteria, with winds now at 130 mph as it starts its push away from Jamaica, passing near the island’s southwest corner. [ABC News]

¶ “EVs Take 85.3% Share In Norway – Tesla Takes Top Spots” • The June auto market saw plugin EVs take 85.3% share in Norway, down from 90.9% year on year. Battery EVs took 80.0% share, down from 82.2% YOY, despite volume growth. Overall auto volume in June was 17,512 units, up 12.5% YOY, while year-to-date volume remains 8% down. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Murphy Zheng, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Research With Insurers And Pension Funds Shows A Desire To Invest Across A Range Of Renewable Energy Technologies” • A survey of UK pension funds and insurers that manage a total of over £350 billion in assets shows a preference for diversification of renewable energy assets. Nearly 90% of survey respondents plan to invest more in onshore wind. [IFA Magazine]

¶ “Record Electricity From Green Power In Germany” • At 140 TWh, more renewable electricity was generated in Germany in the first half of 2024 than ever before, accounting for 65% of net public electricity generation, data from the Fraunhofer Institute shows. Fossil fuels output continues to decline as do the prices for electricity on the exchange. [CleanTechnica]

Sunset and turbine (Joseph-Evan-Capelli, CC-BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Government Approves Direct Sales Of Renewable Power” • Renewable power can be sold through private transmission lines without having to go through Vietnam Electricity. Solar, wind, biomass, micro-hydropower, geothermal, wave, and tidal energy plants are included in a government decree on direct power purchase agreements. [VnExpress International]

¶ “India Solar Power Output Growth Slows As Coal Generation Jumps” • Growth in power generation from solar installations in India declined over the first half of the year while coal generation rose by 10.4% in the period. Solar output growth was the slowest in six years. Coal generation, on the other hand, surged with an increase in demand. [OilPrice.com]

Bhadla Solar Power Plant (Sarvajanik Puralekh, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “European Energy Secures Solar PPA From The Danish State Railways” • A solar park is set to be built in eastern Denmark after Danish State Railways has signed an agreement with European Energy to buy some of the power. The Lidsø Solar Park, which will be at Rødby Harbour in Lolland Municipality, will be one of the biggest in Denmark. [pv magazine International]

¶ “75% Of Italians Are Against Nuclear Power” • Some 75% of Italians are against nuclear power, a poll shows. Italy abandoned its nuclear power program in 1987, a year after the Chernobyl disaster, but the government’s plan for the Green transition features a mixture of renewable sources including 10% nuclear, which officials said will come small reactors. [MSN]

Florence (Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “RE100 Has No Plan To Include Nuclear Power, Says Energy Director” • Sam Kimmins, the director of energy of the Climate Group, a nonprofit that co-launched RE100, told a climate forum in Taipei that the group is often asked whether it will consider nuclear power as a source of renewable electricity as defined by RE100. “The answer is no.” [Focus Taiwan]

US:

¶ “Glaciers On Alaskan Ice Field Melting At ‘Incredibly Worrying’ Pace, Study Finds” • The glaciers on a major Alaskan ice field are melting twice as fast as recorded over a decade ago. Researchers say the rate of ice loss is “incredibly worrying.” The research, led by scientists at Newcastle University in the UK, was published in Nature Communications. [ABC News]

Juneau Icefield (Gillfoto, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Heat Wave Sets In On West Coast With Worst Yet To Come” • Heat alerts were issued for 21 states from Washington to Florida on Wednesday, with more than 90 million on alert for extreme weather. The dangerous heat is just beginning in the West, but it has already claimed the life of a 10-year-old boy who was hiking in Phoenix on Tuesday. [ABC News]

¶ “Biden-Harris Admin Over $600 Million Available For Projects That Reconnect Communities” • US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced a Notice of Funding Opportunity for the third round of the popular Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program. The program’s most recent funding has more than $600 million available. [CleanTechnica]

Introducing an electric bus (Courtesy of the EPA)

¶ “The State Of Electric School Bus Adoption In The US” • More than 21 million US children ride school buses, and over 90% of which run on diesel fuel. Diesel exhaust is a known carcinogen, with proven links to serious issues for both physical health and cognitive development. With more electric school buses on the road, these risks can be reduced. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California Approves $475 Million For Port Upgrades” • A $10 billion piece of climate bond legislation, SB 867, was approved by California lawmakers. It includes $475 million for upgrades to make the state’s ports floating wind-ready. The investments in upgrade swill be crucial for the Golden State’s goals of 5 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045. [reNews]

Have a uniformly funny day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Refuting Myths About Nuclear And Renewable Energy” • The proponents of Nuclear energy are attempting to discredit renewable energy and promote nuclear energy and fossil gas in its place. This article refutes several of the myths they are disseminating that are receiving little or no challenge in the mainstream media. [Pearls and Irritations]

Nuclear plant (Frédéric Paulussen, Unsplash)

Science and Technology:

¶ “When It Comes To Power, Solar Is About To Leave Nuclear And Everything Else In The Shade” • Whereas nuclear power is barely growing, and is shrinking as a proportion of global power output, The Economist reported solar power is growing so quickly it is set to become the biggest source of electricity on the planet by the mid-2030s. [MSN]

World:

¶ “Europe EV Sales Report – Volkswagen Is Recovering Its Mojo” • Some 226,000 plugin vehicles were registered in Europe in May, a figure that is down 10% year over year, which is a more significant slip than what the overall market experienced (-3% YOY). Tesla carries most of the blame, as its deliveries crashed 35% YOY in May. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.4 (Ssu, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “47% Plugin Vehicle Market Share In China – EV Sales Report” • Plugin vehicles are all the rage in the Chinese auto market, with plugins scoring 816,000 sales in a 1.7-million-unit overall market. That’s up 33% year over year. Battery EVs were up 22%, while plugin hybrids jumped 55% in May. The year-to-date tally is around 3.3 million units. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Many Small Countries At Risk Of Devastation And Death From Climate Change” • For years, climate scientists have been telling us that climate change means the temperature of the oceans is rising, which would cause worse storms. Hurricane Beryl set records for its timing, the speed with which it gathered strength, and much more. [CleanTechnica]

Hurricane Beryl (Screenshot)

¶ “Renewables Accounted For More Than Half Of European Power Generation In 2024 So Far” • New research showed that renewables accounted for more than 50% of all power generated in Europe during the first half of 2024. Nuclear energy’s share was stable, contributing 24% to the region’s energy mix. Fossil fuels provided just 26%. [edie]

¶ “Maersk Launches Offshore Wind Installation Company” • Maersk Offshore Wind will provide installation services to the offshore wind market with a vessel based on a state-of-the-art offshore Wind Installation Vessel concept. Maersk said the design and concept are estimated to reduce the installation time of offshore wind turbines. [reNews]

Wind Installation Vessel (Maersk Offshore Wind image)

¶ “Ocean Winds Delivers First Power At Moray West” • Ocean Winds has delivered first power from the 882-MW Moray West offshore wind farm off north-east Scotland. The project is on track to become fully operational in 2025. Around 40 Siemens Gamesa 14.7-MW turbines remain to be installed at the 60-unit project in the Moray Firth. [reNews]

¶ “Rio Tinto Leans Into Solar PV For End-Of-Life Mines” • Rio Tinto has finished building a 3.5-MW solar farm in Canada and will begin construction on two more solar projects in Australia’s Northern Territory, as the company installs solar PVs to support end-of-life operations at various mines. The Canadian project is for the Diavik diamond mine. [RenewEconomy]

Diavik diamond mine (Rio Tinto image)

¶ “Mingyang To Supply Waterkant Turbines” • Luxcara signed a preferred supplier agreement with Chinese wind turbine maker Mingyang Smart Energy for the turbines for the approximately 270-MW Waterkant offshore wind farm in German waters. The reservation agreement covers sixteen machines with up to 18.5-MW capacity apiece. [reNews]

US:

¶ “’Project Poppy’ Brings Diesel-Killing Electric Truck Battery Factory To Mississippi” • The deep red state of Mississippi is set to host a new battery factory for electric trucks featuring new lithium iron phosphate technology. If all goes according to plan, the new venture will serve as the biggest single job creation engine in state history. [CleanTechnica]

Electric trucks in PACCAR’s Kenworth line (Kenworth image)

¶ “Google Falling Short Of Important Climate Target, Cites Electricity Needs Of AI” • Three years ago, Google set out a plan to address climate change by going “net zero” by 2030. Now a report from the company shows it is nowhere near meeting that goal, and in fact its emissions are growing. The company blames the energy needs of AI. [ABC News]

¶ “Michigan HOAs Can’t Ban Solar Panels Under Newly Passed Bill” • A bill awaiting Gov Gretchen Whitmer’s signature would prohibit homeowners associations from banning rooftop solar panels and other “energy-saving equipment.” The proposed Homeowners’ Energy Policy Act passed along party lines in the Democratic-led Legislature. [Bridge Michigan]

Rooftop solar system (Vivint Solar, Unsplash)

¶ “Feds Give OK To Two Wind Farms Off New Jersey’s Coast” • Federal authorities approved the construction of up to 195 wind turbines off of New Jersey’s coast in a victory for Governor Phil Murphy’s wind energy agenda. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved two offshore wind farms ten miles from Atlantic City. [New Jersey Monitor]

¶ “Scientists Discover Clean Energy Offers United States Nearly $250 Billion In Health Savings” • Imagine getting paid $249 billion just for doing the right thing. Well, that’s what the US earned over the last few years by increasing its use of renewable energy such as wind and solar power, according to an article in The Guardian. [The Cool Down]

Have a totally okay day.

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Opinion:

¶ “High Crimes: The Case For Charging Fossil Fuel Companies With Criminal Acts” • Four Authors at Public Citizen released a position paper that examines charging Big Oil with climate homicide. Bringing criminal charges against these companies may seem like a giant leap into the unknown, but the analysis in the paper is extensive and exhaustive. [CleanTechnica]

Burning fossil fuel (Travis Leery, Unsplash)

¶ “Creation Of Local Renewable Zones Is What Australia’s Energy Transition Needs” • The Queensland government’s launch of ‘Local Renewable Energy Zones’ may prove to be significant for energy market innovation. Distributed energy resources could be the largest source of generation, storage, and firming capacity by 2050. [RenewEconomy]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Algae Biofuel Fans Get Another Do-Over” • The big investors ditched algae biofuel last year, with ExxonMobil among those making a rush for the exits. However, among the small fry hope springs eternal. The US DOE is still forging ahead with new algae-related programs for development, and a consortium in the EU is cranking up as well. [CleanTechnica]

Algae biofuel in a laboratory (Fuelgae image)

World:

¶ “How Unprecedented Ocean Temperatures Are Affecting This Year’s Hurricane Season” • Warmer-than-usual sea temperatures have allowed for the earliest-ever Category 4 hurricane on record to barrel through the Atlantic Basin. Sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic, where hurricanes form, are two to three degrees Celsius higher than normal. [ABC News]

¶ “Dynamics Of Electric Mobility Transition In Kenya” • Kenya is rapidly emerging as the East African e-mobility leader amid the bourgeoning EV market on the continent. With President Ruto’s endorsement during the last Africa Climate Summit, where he drove an EV to the venue, the Kenyan EV ecosystem has made rapid strides. [CleanTechnica]

President of Kenya in an Autopax Air EV Yetu (Citizen TV on X)

¶ “SJVN’s Green Energy Arm Signs Deal With AM Green To Supply 4.5 GW Renewable Energy For Its Ammonia Plants” • In what is one of the world’s largest green energy supply contract, state-run SJVN’s green energy arm will supply 4.5 GW of energy to AM Green Ammonia Holdings for one of the world’s largest green ammonia plants. [MSN]

¶ “Maserati Is First To Put A Battery Electric Convertible Into Production” • There are lots of choices if you want an electric SUV, compact SUV, or sedan. If you want an electric convertible today that is not a retrofitted Jaguar XK-E, you have one choice and one choice only. Open up your wallet and say hello to the Maserati GranCabrio Folgore. [CleanTechnica]

Maserati electric convertible (Maserati image)

¶ “German Industry Turns To Solar In Race To Cut Energy Costs” • Since the war in Ukraine began and Russian fossil fuel exports to Germany fell, Berlin has passed laws to speed up solar power expansion in an effort to cover 80% of the country’s energy from renewables by 2030. German companies are getting around high energy costs with solar PVs. [1470 & 100.3 WMBD]

¶ “Irish Families To Get Free Hot Water Thanks To Harnessing Of Surplus Renewable Energy” • Over 150 Galway families will soon have their homes supplied with free tanks of hot water by harnessing surplus renewable energy. Their homes will be fitted out with EnergyCloud enabled smart devices powered by surplus renewable energy. [Connacht Tribune]

Homes in Galway (Chan Hyuk Moon, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “French Nuclear Giant Scraps SMR Plans Due To Soaring Costs, Will Start Over” • The French nuclear giant EdF, the government owned company that manages the country’s vast fleet of nuclear power stations, has reportedly scrapped its plans to develop a new design for small nuclear reactors because of fears of soaring costs. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶ “Puerto Rico Approves Electricity Rate Increase Weeks After Massive Blackout” • Puerto Ricans were hit with a 4.6% increase in electricity rates through September, in a blow to 3.2 million people who struggle with chronic power outages as the territory’s grid keeps deteriorating. For clients who consume 800 kWh, the new rate will be 23.77¢/kwh. [ABC News]

San Juan (Andreea Munteanu, Unsplash)

¶ “The Ports of Long Beach And Los Angeles Invest $25 Million for 207 Truck Chargers” • The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach will provide $25 million for a partnership with regional air quality agencies to jump-start charging infrastructure for electric heavy-duty drayage trucks in one of the most populous regions in the nation. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BOEM Approves 2.6-GW New England Wind 1&2” • The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management approved Avangrid’s New England Wind 1&2 Construction and Operations Plan for a total capacity of up to 2,600 MW. The COP authorises construction and operation of two wind energy projects off the US east coast and is BOEM’s final approval of the sites. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (Bob Brewer, Unsplash)

¶ “Mercury Marine Goes Electric With Its New Family Of Avator Motors” • New motors in Mercury Marine’s Avator lineup are on the smaller side with ratings from 750 watts up to 11 kW. That’s roughly 1 hp up to 14.75 hp for those of you still measuring power for boats in farm animals. Mercury believes these small motors will find solid market traction. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Wendy’s Inks Deal With Solar Company To Cut Restaurant Emissions” • The Wendy’s Company is partnering with solar provider Ampion Renewable Energy for clean energy at its US restaurants and franchises, the companies announced. Over a hundred restaurants in three stattes will get 30% to 100% of their electricity from solar power. [Restaurant Dive]

Have a movingly successful day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “China Makes History With Installation Of Record-Breaking Wind Turbine In Open Water” • China installed an 18-MW wind turbine earlier this month off the shore of Guangdong province. It is the largest wind turbine ever by power rating, and experts expect it to produce enough electricity to meet the annual needs of 36,000 homes. [The Cool Down]

Blade installation (Dongfang Electric Corporation image)

¶ “Energy Efficiency: Why Are We Wasting Two-Thirds Of The Energy In Fossil Fuels?” • The folks at RMI, formerly known as the Rocky Mountain Institute, tell us that we waste about two-thirds of all the energy in the coal, oil, and methane we extract from the Earth every year. Wasting energy, released as heat, is unavoidable when we burn fuel. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Arctic ‘Dirty Fuel’ Ban For Ships Comes Into Force” • A ban on the dirtiest and most climate-damaging fuel for ships has come into effect in Arctic waters. Heavy Fuel Oil is a tar-like but cheap oil widely used in shipping around the world. However, HFO is particularly damaging in the Arctic, where its black smoke makes snow and ice melt faster. [BBC]

Tanker (Bernd Dittrich, Unsplash)

¶ “China To Meet Its 2030 Renewable Energy Target By End Of This Year: State-Owned Researcher” • China’s solar and wind energy will provide the momentum needed to meet its 2030 renewable targets this year, a state-owned researcher’s forecast shows. China will add 70 GW of wind capacity and 190 GW of solar by the end of 2024. [South China Morning Post]

¶ “Massive Trove Of Manganese Discovered On The Sea Floor: Implications For EV Batteries” • Benchmark, a market research firm, expects an eight-fold increase in demand for magnesium for batteries over the coming years. Japanese researchers found a huge new cache of manganese nodules on the ocean floor, and the race is on to harvest them. [CleanTechnica]

Manganese nodules on the ocean floor (USGS image)

¶ “Nxtra By Airtel Joins RE100 Initiative And Commits To 100% Renewable Energy” • Nxtra by Airtel joined the RE100 initiative and committed to operating on 100% renewable electricity. With this, Nxtra is the 14th Indian company, and the country’s only data center organisation, pledged to RE100. Nxtra’s Its aim is to be net-zero by 2031. [digital terminal]

¶ “Google And BlackRock Partner To Boost Solar Power In Taiwan” • Google and BlackRock’s Climate Infrastructure arm joined forces on solar power development in Taiwan. They are targeting a 1-GW solar pipeline, significantly boosting clean energy on the island’s grid and supporting Google’s goal of 24/7 carbon-free operations. [W.Media]

Solar panels at a car park (SSJF01, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Gunvor And Quercus Announce Partnership To Develop Solar In Italy” • Gunvor Group, a leading global energy commodities trading company, together with Quercus Real Assets Limited, the London-based renewable energy specialist, have announced a partnership targeting development of up to 3 GW of solar PV capacity in Italy. [Lelezard]

¶ “Eolus Seeks Permit For 2.2-GW Skidbladner Floater” • Eolus has applied to the Swedish government for permission to build the 147-turbine, 2,200-MW Skidbladner floating offshore wind farm 20 km north of Gotska Sandön. The estimated electricity production is 11.7 TWh per year. It is less than half of the offshore wind capacity Eolus plans for Sweden. [reNews]

Early floating offshore turbine (Lo83, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “Bangladesh Can Meet Entire Electricity Demand By Solar Energy: Study” • Bangladesh could generate enough solar energy to meet its entire electricity demand, contrary to the myth of land scarcity, as the country’s abandoned land, rooftops, water bodies, and arable land can be used to produce a significant amount of solar power. [The Business Standard]

¶ “Germany Achieves 58% Renewable Energy Share In First Half Of 2024” • Germany achieved a new record for renewable energy generation, covering some 58% of its electricity consumption in the first half of 2024 with wind, solar, biomass, and hydropower. The share of renewable energy has increased from 52% in the first half of last year. [ZAWYA]

German wind turbines (M.Minderhoud, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Study On US Attitudes Toward EV Adoption Mirrors GM’s Sustainability Goals” • A study by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago reveals that high prices and limited charging infrastructure are major barriers to EV adoption. This is consistent with GM’s sustainability goals. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Colorado Aims To Reduce Light Pollution With Dark Sky Month” • Colorado Governor Jared Polis announced Dark Sky Month to raise awareness of a serious problem affecting people, animals, and plants without many of us even noticing. It’s just a proclamation that carries symbolic meaning, but at the same time brings attention to the issue. [CleanTechnica]

Light pollution (Paige Weber, Unsplash)

¶ “Thumbs Up For 1.2-GW Delaware Offshore Wind Law” • The US offshore wind industry welcomed the passage of a bill before the Delaware legislature that sets a 1200-MW state target. Trade group Oceantic Network said the Delaware Energy Solutions Act of 2024 encourages regional cooperation, and could streamline transmission development. [reNews]

¶ “Senate Poised To Send Bill Boosting Nuclear Power To Biden’s Desk” • The Senate is poised to send an energy bill to President Biden’s desk that could allow for more nuclear power to be built in the US. The legislation seeks to reduce fees for companies that are proposing to build nuclear reactors and establish a prize that aims to incentive nuclear deployment. [Yahoo]

Have a profoundly lovely day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Climate Records Keep Getting Shattered. Here Is What You Need To Know” • Month after month, global temperatures are setting new records. Scientists and climate policymakers are meanwhile warning of the growing likelihood that the planet will soon exceed the warming target set at the landmark Paris 2015 climate talks. [MSN]

Supercell (NOAA, Unsplash)

¶ “Do The Research And End The Nuclear Hype In NB” • New Brunswick’s ARC nuclear project is in trouble. If NB Power and the provincial government reviewed available research, they would learn that neither sodium-cooled nor molten salt reactors have ever been operated successfully on a commercial electricity grid. [NB Media Co-op]

Science and Technology:

¶ “Breakthrough Solar Power Technology Could Replace Fossil Fuels In Heavy Manufacturing” • An advanced proof-of-concept technology uses synthetic quartz crystals to trap solar energy at temperatures over 1,000°C, demonstrating a potential to provide clean energy for carbon-intensive industries like metal, cement, and chemicals manufacturing. [Yahoo News UK]

Cement kilns (LinguisticDemographer, public domain)

World:

¶ “Japan Looks Farther Out To Sea For Overdue Wind Power Boost” • Japan isn’t close to being on track to meet its fiscal 2030 target of a 46% greenhouse gas reduction from 2013 levels. Fossil fuels still consist of 69% of the nation’s power mix, with just 24% coming from renewables. Windpower, especially offshore, needs a boost from parliament. [The Japan Times]

¶ “The 2024 Fiat 500e: An Italian Classic That (Still) Rides on Style” • The author’s wife is sensible, practical, measured, and understated. She could have whatever she chose, but she wanted a compact electric car. Do you know what car she went with? A powder blue 2017 Fiat 500e. Do you know why? Because it was cute. … That’s it. … It was cute. [CleanTechnica]

2024 Fiat 500e (Courtesy of Fiat)

¶ “Basic Energy Injects P13.6 million For Wind Project” • Basic Energy Corp is setting aside more funding for the development of the 50-MW wind power project in the Philippine provence of Batangas. The Board of Directors of Basic Energy approved the allocation of P13.6 million ($233,000) for Mabini Energy Corp, a subsidiary overseeing the project. [Philstar.com]

¶ “Renewable Energy 44.7% of EU Electricity Production in 2023 – Now #1!” • Eurostat released electricity data from 2023, and it shows that 44.7% of EU electricity was produced from renewable resources last year! Natural gas production was down, a lot. Coal production was down even more. Even production from oil and petroleum products was down. [CleanTechnica]

Windpower (Karsten Würth, Unsplash)

¶ “Village Leader Spearheads Renewable Energy Project” • A story at One Earth, diesel-fueled pumps had been used by past heads of a village in Java to divert water from the nearby Elo River, but the cost of oil meant that they could only operate for a month per year. The village has installed solar-powered pumps to take up the load. [The Cool Down]

¶ “Five Billion People Affected By Extreme Heat Due To Climate Change In Nine Days Of June” • Globally, nearly 5 billion people endured extreme heat from June 16 to June 24, a consequence of climate change exacerbated by emissions from fossil fuels, says a report from Climate Central, a US-based nonprofit organization focused on climate science news. [Saudi Gazette]

Hot day (Alexander Fastovets, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Commercial Electricity Demand Grew Fastest In US States With Rapid Computing Facility Growth” • US Consumption of electricity in the commercial sector has recovered from levels of the pandemic. But the growth in commercial electricity demand is centered in states with rapid development of large computing facilities such as data centers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tesla Model Y Much Cheaper Than These Three Competitors” • Since the Tesla Model 3 Long Range is gaining eligibility for the $7,500 US tax credit, this is a good time to compare costs among competitors. It turns out that the Tesla Model Y is much cheaper now than they are, and that’s without even taking into account long-term fuel costs. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Tesla image)

¶ “PACE Loans Are Expanded For Energy Efficiency And Wind Resistance Improvements To Homes” • Florida Gov DeSantis signed legislation expanding the universe of improvements covered on July 1. With hurricane season underway, a low-cost loan program was expanded allowing property owners to better prepare homes for storms. [Florida Politics]

¶ “UPPCO Announces Plans To Transition To Renewable Energy By 2040” • Upper Peninsula Power Company says it is commited to plans to meet sustainable energy solutions required by statutes of Michigan over the next 16 years. UPPCO intends to transition 60% of power delivery to renewable energy sources by 2035, with a full transition by 2040. [Keweenaw Report]

Have a gracefully helpful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Chinese Car Innovation Rate Is Kind Of Bonkers” • “Chinese automakers are expected to go from 59% market share within the Chinese auto market to 72% market share by 2030.” And “Chinese EV producers have been rolling out new electric cars at a fast pace, very fast. It seems like a new electric car rolls out in China every week, if not every day!” [CleanTechnica]

BYD EVs in Shanghai (Zotyefan, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “Cooling Solutions For Cities That Lower Surface And Air Temperatures” • City surface and air temperatures are in critical need of cooling. More than 300 million people live in cities of the US, where climate change has made them vulnerable, amidst asphalt and buildings that absorb and retain heat. Here are some mitigation strategies. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Coating Technologies Crucial For Offshore Wind Farms” • In 2023, BloombergNEF reported that investment in offshore wind totaled more than $76 billion worldwide. To protect such vast investments, effective anti-corrosion protection is essential for equipment that must withstand the relentless fluctuations of tides, weather, and wind. [POWER Magazine]

Installation vessel (Rob Webbon, Unsplash, cropped)

World:

¶ “Portugal Has 28% Plugin Vehicle Share” • After previously checking out Spain, we turn west, to its neighbor, Portugal, for a new EV sales report. As a Southern European market with low purchase power, one would think that this would be another market lingering in the back of the group, struggling to reach double digits. Think again! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Leading Baltic States To Energy Security” • In recent years, Baltic countries have had a solar generation boom. Now the region’s nations seek to kill two birds with one stone. They aim to break away from energy dependence on Russia amid growing security concerns while they maximize the transition to green energy. [pv magazine International]

Tallinn, Estonia (Hongbin, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “NHPC And ENGIE Are To Add 400 MW Of Solar Capacity In Gujarat” • State-owned NHPC and ENGIE announced signing of PPAs with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd for two solar projects of 200 MW each. NHPC said it signed a power purchase agreement with GUVNL for a 200-MW solar power project in a renewable energy park at Khavda. [Outlook Planet]

¶ “Germany And Morocco Sign Hydrogen And Renewables Pact” • Germany and Morocco signed a pact on climate and energy to boost cooperation in renewable energy facilities and hydrogen production in the North African country. Morocco has excellent conditions to host solar and wind power generation capacity and to produce green hydrogen. [OilPrice.com]

Aït Benhaddou, Morocco (Toa Heftiba, Unsplash)

¶ “Infinity Power To Develop 4 GW Of Renewable Energy In Cameroon” • Infinity Power has entered a memorandum of understanding with the Cameroon West Regional Council to establish up to 4 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2035. The move is part of the company’s strategy to expand its renewable energy footprint in Africa. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “China Three Gorges Renewables To Invest $11 Billion In Integrated Power Project” • China Three Gorges Renewables plans to invest $11 billion in a huge integrated power project in China with solar, wind, and coal power capacity plus a storage facility. The company plans to build the 16-GW energy complex in Inner Mongolia. [OilPrice.com]

Three Gorges Dam (Hugh, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “World On The Brink As ‘Shelling Destroys Key Equipment’ At Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant” • The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was damaged after being shelled, increasing fears that a catastrophic release of radiation is “dangerously close.” ZNPP is the biggest nuclear facility in Europe and has been under Russian control since March 2022. [MSN]

US:

¶ “GreenPower Delivers First Of 37 Electric School Buses For West Virginia School Districts” • GreenPower Motor Company Inc, a manufacturer of all-electric medium and heavy-duty vehicles, delivered the first Type D BEAST electric school bus made at its plant in South Charleston, West Virginia to a school district in the state. [CleanTechnica]

GreenPower school bus (GreenPower Motor Company)

¶ “Tesla Gets Order To Stop Polluting Excessively in California – 112 Notices of Violation Since 2019” • It seems that the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is getting a bit fed up with a problem at the Tesla Fremont factory and Tesla’s unwillingness to correct it. The district published a news release, as it tries to get Tesla to address the problem. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Crowley Christens The First Fully Electric Tugboat In The USA” • Joined by diverse partners and industry supporters, Crowley christened the eWolf, America’s first all-electric ship assist harbor tugboat. Operating with zero-emissions and other sustainable technology, the tugboat delivers the high-power capability, safety, and efficiency. [CleanTechnica]

Crowley electric tugboat (Crowley image)

¶ “Bakers Island Lighthouse Shines Bright, Thanks To A Grant” • In Massachusetts, the historic Bakers Island Light Station at the entrance of Salem Sound runs on 100% renewable energy, thanks to a $45,000 sustainability grant from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. The grant funded an off-grid solar array and battery storage system. [CSRwire]

¶ “US To Hold Central Atlantic Lease Sale” • The US Department of the Interior announced it will hold an offshore wind energy lease sale in the Central Atlantic. The areas to be auctioned on 14 August 2024, by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management could generate up to 6.3 GW of clean, renewable energy and power up to 2.2 million homes. [reNews]

Have a comfortably fulfilling day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Many Climate Refugees Will Become Climate Nomads – This Must Be Planned For” • Most people don’t take climate change seriously, so their first experience may be a shock. But repeated insane heatwaves or winter storms might make them want to live in someplace safe. We will have climate refugees, and places that aren’t prepared will be caught flat footed. [CleanTechnica]

Climate nomad camp (BLM, Public Domain)

World:

¶ “AlixPartners Predicts Chinese Automakers Will Have 33% Market Share By 2030” • AlixPartners’ 2024 Global Automotive Outlook suggests that traditional automakers who see themselves as perennial market leaders are in for a very bumpy ride in the next few years as Chinese car makers increase their share of the world’s new car market to 33%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Record-Breaking Global Offshore Wind Capacity Rises 24% in 2023” • In 2023, despite the macroeconomic challenges faced by the sector in some key markets, the wind industry installed 10.8 GW of offshore wind capacity, taking the global total to 75.2 GW. New capacity increased 24% on the previous year, a growth rate that could continue to 2030. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore wind turbines (Jesse De Meulenaere, Unsplash)

¶ “132 MW Of Solar Power Added To National Grid In First Five Months Of 2024” • In Sri Lanka, Minister of Power and Energy Kanchana Wijesekera says 132 MW of solar capacity were added to the National Grid in the first five months of 2024. Providing a breakdown of solar generation, the minister said over 1000 MWh was generated by solar by June 2024. [Newswire]

¶ “EDF Subsidiary Invests In Italian Floater” • Edison, owned by EDF has signed an agreement with Blunova SpA (Carlo Maresca Group) for the joint development of a floating offshore wind power project in Italy. They created Wind Energy Pozzallo to develop a floating offshore wind plant with a capacity of 975 MW off the coast of Pozzallo, Sicily. [reNews]

Foundation of a floating wind turbine (US DOE, public domain)

¶ “BC Announces Its First Solar Rebate Program” • The world’s governments have been giving incentives for solar systems for decades. Now British Columbia will offer rebates up to $10,000 to households and up to $150,000 to organizations for the first time next month. Solar system owners will also be able to feed energy to the grid. [Vancouver Island Free Daily]

¶ “Forecourt Operator Circle K Signs Deal With EDF To Buy Electricity From Its Solar Farms” • Petrol station owner Circle K signed a deal to use solar energy from EDF Renewables Ireland to power its network from October. Circle K committed to buy electricity for the 168 branches it owns in Ireland from three EDF solar farms until 2036. [The Irish Times]

Ireland (Aldo De La Paz, Unsplash)

¶ “Enel Launches Northern Italy’s Largest Solar Power Plant” • The Trino solar power plant is in Piedmont. Its site, formerly that of a nuclear power plant shut down after the 1987 vote banning atomic energy, is now home to 160,000 PV panels. The plant will generate around 130 GWh per year, supplying green energy to around 47,000 homes. [energynews.pro]

¶ “Europe And North America Could Trade Solar Power Via World’s Biggest Subsea Interconnector” • Three European businessmen are proposing a subsea power interconnector to link Europe with North America. The world’s biggest subsea energy interconnector would harness the sun’s movement across the sky. [Balkan Green Energy News]

Atlantic Ocean (Jacob Buller, Unsplash)

¶ “Australian Capital Territory Commits To 100% Renewables, Rejects Nuclear” • The Australian Capital Territory legislative assembly has passed a motion expressing a commitment to power Australia with 100% renewable energy as soon as possible, and ensure the ACT remains free of nuclear power and nuclear waste. [pv magazine Australia]

US:

¶ “The Non-Passenger Side Of The EV Industry” • Large vehicle electrification could reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality in US cities while it reduces upkeep and maintenance costs for fleet operators. So the Biden administration encouraged almost $1 billion in grants for deployment of commercial vehicle electrification. [CleanTechnica]

Electric bus charging depot (Provided by Highland Fleets)

¶ “$16.7 Million for Marine Technology Innovation Through the Inflation Reduction Act” • The Department of Commerce and NOAA announced $16.7 million in funding of twelve awards to support the development of innovative new technologies and public-private partnerships as part of the Marine Life and Ocean Technology Transition programs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Renewables Surpass 30% Of US Electrical Generation For The First Time” • A review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data newly released by the US Energy Information Administration confirms that solar power has continued its decade-long streak as the fastest-growing source of electricity in the US, growing to 8.4% of the total. [Solar Power World]

Solar farm (Kyle Mesdag, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “White Cap Announces 10-Year Solar Power Pact” • White Cap, a leading distributor of specialty construction supplies and safety products for contractors, agreed to buy the majority of electricity generated annually by a 114-MW solar system, through a 10-year Virtual Power Purchase Agreement. The system is being built in Lamar County, Texas. [Industrial Distribution]

¶ “Providence Is Poised To Build The Future Of Offshore Wind” • The future of offshore wind is unfolding here in New England, and Rhode Island is poised to play a key role. The northeastern region hit a milestone this year by sending 100% clean power to the grid from Vineyard Wind 1, the nation’s first large offshore wind farm. [The Providence Journal]

Have an ingeniously insightful day.

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(, CC-BY-SA 3.0) km² CO₂ NH₃ CH₄ ₹ NOₓ ‽ ¦ – ¦♦♦♦♦♦

Science and Technology:

¶ “Reducing The Strain On The Power Grid” • Technology is transforming the batteries in EVs into versatile assets for storing excess renewable electricity and making it available for demand spikes. Millions of EVs can be used as a huge energy system that can help support the grid. After years of talk, we can see tangible results. [The Santa Barbara Independent]

EV plugged in (Michael Fousert, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “A Tale Of Two Countries And Why One Is Holding The Agricultural Sector Responsible For Its Emissions” • In New Zealand, agriculture will be excluded from its national carbon pricing system. Denmark is set for one of the world’s first carbon taxes on agriculture. What’s the difference between the two? We can examine that here. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Lithium Mining In Argentina: Jobs Vs Environment” • Lithium extraction in Salinas Grandes is relatively cheap and effective, but it begs the question of sustainability and long-term impact. The Harvard International Review asked whether lithium mining will benefit the globe and its inhabitants or lead to societal and environmental harm. [CleanTechnica]

Salinas Grandes (Florian Delée, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Volvo’s Electric Trucks Reach 80 Million Kilometers In Five Years” • Volvo’s electric trucks have driven more than 80 million kilometers or 2,000 laps around the world since Volvo launched its first electric truck models in 2019. These trucks have reduced CO₂ emissions while improving the working environment for drivers significantly. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China Is To Leapfrog From Coal To Renewables Without Relying On LNG As Bridge Fuel: Study” • Liquefied natural gas is unlikely to be the transition fuel that will help China ditch coal, but the onus will fall on renewable energy because of the sector’s faster-than-expected progress and its ability to compete on costs, according to a study. [South China Morning Post]

Shanghai (Li Yang, Unsplash)

Australia:

¶ “Queensland To Pilot Second Local Renewable Energy Zone” • The Queensland government announced a second A$40 million ($26 million) investment in a local renewable energy zone pilot project in Townsville, 1,300 km north of Brisbane. The project will include an 8.4-MW, 18.8-MWh battery system and up to 2.8 MW of solar capacity. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “’Resilient’ Renewable Micro-Grid To Power Town Threatened By Bushfires For Up To Five Days” • Work has started on a solar and battery based microgrid that will help ensure the supply of more reliable, resilient and renewable power to one of the Victorian towns hardest hit by the 2019-2020 Black Summer of bushfires. [One Step Off The Grid]

Victorian countryside (Courtesy of Upper Murray, Inc)

¶ “Transmission Lines To Power Up Renewable Energy Zone” • Transmission lines spanning hundreds of kilometers have been approved to connect a key renewable energy precinct in New South Wales to the grid, paving the way for work on the project to begin. The area should attract around $20 billion in private investment for at least 4.5 GW of capacity. [MSN]

¶ “Community Battery Switches On To Help Power Apartments With Excess Rooftop Solar” • The City of Melbourne switched on the first of three community batteries for central business district apartments. They are designed to accelerate the city’s transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030, speeding its way to net-zero emissions by 2040. [RenewEconomy]

Melbourne CBD (Nazareth College, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Nuclear Push Would Drag Out Energy Transition, PM Warns” • The federal opposition outlined plans to build seven nuclear reactors across five states if it wins the next election. But the proposal risks further delay to Australia’s energy transition, said the prime minister, who warns it would undermine certainty for business and industry. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Few Have Flood Insurance To Help Recover From Devastating Midwest Storms” • Climate change produces wetter rainstorms, like those that hit the upper Midwest. But federal data shows that across the flooded states of Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa, and Minnesota, the government has only issued about 26,500 flood insurance policies combined. [ABC News]

Flood in Nebraska (Army Corps of Engineers, public domain)

¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Has Announced $1.8 Billion in Infrastructure Grants Across the Country” • US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has announced $1.8 billion in awards from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity discretionary grant program for 148 projects across the country. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Waymo Goes Big In San Francisco” • Waymo’s progress may go under the radar a bit compared to Tesla’s Full Self Driving progress, but Waymo actually is offering robotaxi service in some areas. Now, in San Francisco, the company is making a big step forward by opening up its service to anyone in the public who wants to use it. [CleanTechnica]

Waymo car (Waymo image)

¶ “More Winning For Electric Vehicles: New $5 Billion Love Letter To Rivian From VW” • The EV industry’s leading car maker may have a sales problem, but others in the industry have not been suffering. Volkswagen announced a $5 billion joint venture with the US EV maker Rivian. And that is not the only recent big boost for Rivian. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “National Grid Renewables Launches South Dakota’s Largest Solar Project” • National Grid Renewables announced the start of operations at a 128-MW solar project in Pennington County, SD. As the largest solar project in the state, the Wild Springs Solar Project stands as a significant milestone in renewable energy development. [Environment+Energy Leader]

Have a fascinatingly fruitful day.

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Opinion:

¶ “’Certified Gas’ Is The Latest Greenwashing Scam From The Methane Industry” • After methane monitors became available that promised to detect methane leaks, the industry took up a marketing strategy of selling “certified gas” it claims is free of leaks at a premium. But the monitoring systems have yet to be proven effective in real world use. [CleanTechnica]

Gas facility (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Doctors Treat Thousands Of Heatstroke Victims In Southern Pakistan As Temperatures Soar” • A days-long intense heat wave has disrupted normal life in Pakistan, especially in its largest city, Karachi, where doctors at various hospitals treated thousands of victims of heatstroke, health officials said. Temperatures soared as high as 47°C (117°F). [ABC News]

¶ “BYD Celebrates The One Millionth Installation Of Its Home And Small Commercial BatteryBox Energy Storage Product” • BYD sells the home storage unit called the BatteryBox. Launched in 2015, BYD says the BYD BatteryBox series is now a leading residential energy storage system worldwide, and now has over one million installations! [CleanTechnica]

Celebrating the millionth BatteryBox (BYD image)

¶ “Boost To Local Renewable Energy In Queensland A Win For Renters And Environment” • Queensland Government funding aims to unlock the renewable potential of communities and households, largely through solar and batteries, to reduce energy bills and emissions, addressing both climate change and the cost of living. [Queensland Conservation Council]

¶ “The 300-MW Zhong Neng Powers Up In Taiwan” • The 300-MW Zhong Neng offshore wind farm, a project of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and China Steel Corporation, delivered first power. Zhong Neng is expected to be fully operational by the end of this year, when it will provide clean energy to about 300,000 households in Taiwan. [reNews]

Turbine in Zhong Neng offshore wind farm (James Fisher image)

¶ “Wind Turbine Recycling Hub In Repurposed Warehouse Turns Renewable Energy Greener” • A 100-year-old engineering works in Glasgow is getting a new lease of life as home to a wind turbine processing facility that will help Scotland’s renewables industry become even greener. It will be a recycling hub for old, defunct wind turbines. [The Scotsman]

¶ “North Macedonia Announces $500 Million Project To Build Country’s Largest Wind Farm” • North Macedonia’s government announced a $500 million project with renewables investor Alcazar Energy Partners to build the largest wind farm in the country. Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski said the project would boost energy independence. [ABC News]

Ohrid, North Macedonia (Bojan Bogdanovski, Unsplash)

¶ “Coal-Free In 14 Years As Renewables Rush In: New Blueprint Shows How To Green The Grid – Without Nuclear” • Burning coal for power will end in Australia within 14 years. To replace it will require faster deployment of solar and wind, storage, new transmission lines and some firming gas capacity, the Australian Energy Market Operator says. [The Conversation]

¶ “Siemens Gamesa Secures Type Certification For 15-MW Turbine” • Siemens Gamesa has been awarded type certification for its 15-MW wind turbine. The manufacturer achieved first power from the 15-MW offshore turbine prototype at the Oesterild test site in Denmark in March 2023. Since then, the turbine has undergone thorough testing. [reNews]

Siemens Gamesa turbine (Siemens Gamesa image)

US:

¶ “LCOE Of Solar And Wind Still Super Cheap – New Lazard Report” • Lazard recently released its latests analysis of LCOE (levelized cost of energy) for different power sources. As has been the case for the past several years, solar and wind power remain highly competitive (aka cheap), despite a slight rise in costs for the least expensive systems. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California Could Provide Up To $14,000 In Incentives For Low-Income EV Buyers” • The California Air Resources Board unveiled a Driving Clean Assistance Program that offers major incentives to people who purchase or lease a new or used clean vehicle and meet certain income guidelines. The incentives can total as much as $12,000. [CleanTechnica]

Hyundai EV (Hyundai, Unsplash)

¶ “Utilities: Batteries Are Most Commonly Used for Arbitrage And Grid Stability” • Electricity utilities increasingly report using batteries to move electricity from periods of low prices to those of high prices, a strategy known as arbitrage, according to new detailed information recently published by the US Energy Information Administration. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Vineyard Wind: 136 MW Now Grid-Connected” • Electric utility Avangrid Inc and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners say 10 turbines at the Vineyard Wind 1 offshore project are now delivering up to 136 MW of power to the Massachusetts grid. When the project is completed, it will be able to provde up to 806 MW. [North American Windpower]

Block Island wind farm (Ionna22, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Industry Thumbs Up For California Offshore Strategy” • The California Energy Commission’s final strategic plan to deploy large scale offshore wind in the state won praise from Offshore Wind California, which called the effort a “watershed.” The plan lays out steps to achieve goals of 5 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045. [reNews]

¶ “Massachusetts Senate Approves Bill To Expand Reliance On Renewable Energy” • The Massachusetts Senate approved a bill aimed to expand adoption of renewable energy in a bid to help Massachusetts meet its climate goals, including reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Supporters say the proposal will help lower utility bills. [Bowling Green Daily News]

Have a monumentally efficacious day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Rooftop-Ready Perovskite Solar Cells Are Coming To The Residential Market” • Oxford PV, a spin-off based on Oxford University perovskite solar cell research, has been working on tandem silicon-perovskite solar cells. It reported that its new residential-sized solar module achieved an ”unprecedented” solar conversion efficiency of 26.9%. [CleanTechnica]

Silicon-perovskite solar cell (Courtesy of Oxford PV)

World:

¶ “British Columbia Sues PFAS Makers” • The government of British Columbia has filed a lawsuit against manufacturers of the so-called “forever chemicals,” the chemicals often referred to as PFAS. These chemicals are involved in widespread pollution of drinking water, and when they get into our bodies, they cause a variety of health problems. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Sealion 06 Launched in Australia” • The Sealion 06, now being released in Australia, has some interesting features. It can drive in EV only mode with a range of around 90 km (56 miles). In series mode, the 1.5 liter petrol motor acts as a generator. And in parallel mode, both electric and petrol are delivering power to the wheels through a wet clutch. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seal (Matti Blume, CC-BY-SA 4.0, Cropped)

¶ “European Union Allocates €3 Billion For Renewable Energy Projects” • The EU announced a €3 billion ($3.2 billion) funding boost for renewable energy projects, the largest disbursement through its Modernisation Fund to date. The funding aims to upgrade energy systems and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a range of sectors. [Power Technology]

¶ “L&T To Develop 185-MW Solar PV Project In India” • The power transmission and distribution vertical of Larsen & Toubro is set to build a grid-connected 185-MW solar photovoltaic plant with a 254 MWh battery storage system in Kajra, Lakshisarai district, Bihar. L&T’s renewable EPC portfolio has a cumulative capacity of 18 GW peak. [Asian Power]

Solar power in India (Sarvajanik Puralekh, CC-BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Shree Cement Reneweable Power Capacity Reaches 1 GW” • Shree Cement, the third-biggest cement producer in India, has announced that it achieved 1,000 MW of installed capacity when it commissioned a 19.5-MW solar plant in Andhra Pradesh. The 1-GW capacity includes a mix of solar, wind, thermal, and waste heat recovery. [Saur Energy International]

¶ “UK-First Trial Shows Dynamic EV Charging Pricing Can Help Manage Renewable Energy” • An EV charging trial by UK Power Networks, Octopus Energy, and EV.Energy is proving consumers hold the key to balancing energy supply and demand across the country. Already underway, the trial involves more than 1,500 EVs to help manage demand. [Fleet World]

EV charging in England (Vauxford, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Iran Calls For New Nuclear Talks Amid Worsening Middle East Crisis” • Iran appealed for new negotiations toward reviving a multilateral nuclear agreement against the backdrop of growing geopolitical tensions and unrest in the Middle East. The appeal came Monday in a statement addressed to the president of the UN Security Council. [Newsweek]

US:

¶ “Arcadis Completes Charger Installation For bp pulse’s First High-Speed EV Gigahub In The US” • Arcadis, a leading global design and consultancy organization for natural and built assets, announced the completion of bp’s latest high-speed EV charging site, at the company’s North America headquarters in Houston, Texas. It is called a “Gigahub™.” [CleanTechnica]

bp pulse chargers

¶ “Climate Hazards Are Raising Your Household Consumer Costs” • Along the Gulf and South Atlantic coasts, sea levels have risen at least 6 inches since 2010. It might not sound like much, but it is forcing groundwater to rise, which leads to elevated risks of overflowing septic tanks. It is just one example of the costs of climate change. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “New EV Depot Capable Of Charging 96 Heavy-Duty Electric Trucks Launched By Prologis/Maersk” • Prologis and Maersk opened an EV charging depot that will be able to charge up to 96 heavy-duty electric trucks at once, with a range of about 240 miles per charge. The charging depot is near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. [CleanTechnica]

EV depot (Prologis image)

¶ “Heat Dome Scorches Cities Coast To Coast As Dangerous Temperatures Enter Second Week” • From coast to coast, sixty-five million Americans are under heat alerts as a life-threatening heat dome continues for its second week. The West, Northeast, and Southeast all saw daily record temperatures shattered this past weekend. [ABC News]

¶ “The Fastest-Growing Career In The US Is In Wind Power. Here’s What Employees Make, What It’s Like, And How To Land A Job” • Federal data indicates wind-turbine technician is the fastest-growing job in the US. While the absolute number of new jobs isn’t that big, it represents a projected 45% increase between 2022 and 2032. [MSN]

Rail Splitter Wind Farm (© EDP Renewables North America)

¶ “Detroit Plans Solar Power On Vacant Lots Throughout The City” • Detroit is to use vacant land, which it has in abundance, for something the city needs: clean and relatively inexpensive energy. With approval by the City Council, three neighborhoods eventually will see solar arrays on a total of 104 acres (42 hectares) of land. [ABC News]

¶ “Louisiana’s Largest Industries Tired Of Waiting For Renewable Energy” • Frustrated with the lack of renewable energy from utilities in Louisiana, some of the largest corporations doing business in the state have banded together to acquire their own solar power. Their plan includes what is called a sleeved power purchase agreement. [dailyworld.com]

Have a magically happy day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Overcoming The Volatility Of Renewable Energy: Researchers Explain Why Green Hydrogen Is ‘The Best’” • A research team at the Energy AI and Computational Science Laboratory in the Korea Institute of Energy Research say green hydrogen is the most effective way to overcome the volatility of a renewable energy grid combining solar and wind power. [MSN]

Wind farm (Anastasia Palagutina, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Twelve EU Countries Will Fail to Comply With 2030 National Climate Targets” • Without prompt action, twelve EU countries will miss their national climate targets under the Effort Sharing Regulation, according to a study. Seven more countries are at risk of not meeting their goals. Germany and Italy are the two worst performing countries. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “EU And China Holding Talks On Electric Car Tariffs” • China and the EU have agreed to start talks on the planned imposition of tariffs on EVs made in China and imported into the European market, senior officials from both sides said. China gives its EV makers subsidies that let them sell at prices so low that EU car makers are uncompetitive. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seal (Michael Förtsch, Unsplash)

¶ “Two Thirds Of Renewables Applications In The UK Fail To Get Through Planning Stage” • The Renewables Pipeline Tracker by Cornwall Insight shows that between 2018 and 2023, 63% of the UK’s applications to build renewable projects failed to make it through planning, but were abandoned, refused, withdrawn, or expired. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “Brookfield Targets $10 Billion Of Renewable Assets Under Management In India In Four Years” • Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management, one of the largest investors in renewable power and climate transition assets, plans to increase its renewable energy assets under management in India to over $10 billion within the next four years. [pv magazine India]

Mountains in India (Aditya Siva, Unsplash)

¶ “Vattenfall Dements Onshore Foundations Deal” • Vattenfall and Cemvision entered an agreement for near-zero emission cement for turbine bases. The new cement could reduce CO₂ emissions by 95% compared to traditional cement and can be used in power distribution and prefabricated concrete elements as well as hardware foundations. [reNews]

Australia:

¶ “Australian Capacity Tender Flooded By 40 GW Of Renewable Energy Projects” • Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen said that over 40 GW of renewable energy projects were registered in the first national Capacity Investment Scheme tender, which aims to increase dispatchable renewable capacity for Australia’s clean energy transition. [pv magazine International]

Wind turbine in Australia (Kshithij Chandrashekar, Unsplash)

¶ “Edify Plans Solar And Storage Complex Near Queensland Coal Plant” • Australian renewables developer Edify Energy plans to take advantage of existing infrastructure to maximise its access to the power grid by siteing a 200-MW solar farm and four-hour battery energy storage system near the Callide coal-fired power station. [pv magazine Australia]

¶ “Nuclear Plan A ‘Big Danger’ To Investment In Renewables” • In Australia, the opposition coalition has pledged to build seven nuclear plants across five states on the sites of coal-fired power stations if it wins the federal election. Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said, “The big danger is that Peter Dutton will distract and divert investment.” [The New Daily]

Rooftop solar (Daniele La Rosa Messina, Unsplash)

¶ “Nuclear Lobby Concedes Rooftop Solar Will Have To Make Way For Reactors” • The nuclear lobby in Australia has conceded one aspect of the nuclear power plan that the federal Coalition does not like talking about – that the rooftop solar embraced by households and businesses will have to make way for the reactors planned by the Opposition. [RenewEconomy]

US:

¶ “Bill Nye Says Record-Breaking Extreme Heat ‘A Taste Of The Normal Of The Future’” • After a week of record-breaking heat in the US, science educator Bill Nye told “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz that the extreme weather is “a taste of the new normal.” Heat and floods have been amplified by climate change caused by human activity. [ABC News]

Hot day (Syed Muazzam Ali Taqi, Unsplash)

¶ “Senate In Massachusetts Passes Bill Curtailing Use Of Plastics Including Bags, Straws” • The state Senate in Massachusetts has passed a wide-ranging bill curtailing the use of plastics, including carry-out plastic bags at retailers. A growing number of states are addressing concerns about plastics that harm wildlife, pollute waterways, and clog landfills. [ABC News]

¶ “Sheep And Solar: A ‘Beautiful Symbiotic Relationship’” • It’s quite appealing to think that agrivoltaics could meet 20% of US electric generation with less than 1% our farmland. Of course, vegetation must be managed to maintain electricity production. This is increasingly done with sheep. Combining sheep and solar has multiple benefits for farmers. [CleanTechnica]

Sheep and solar panels (Oregon State University, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “$20 Billion Potential Savings From Targeted Electrification” • As California transitions to all-electric appliances, the most cost-effective way to reduce pollution from buildings, state leaders face a choice: Keep pouring billions into new gas infrastructure that is likely to be underutilized or realign our spending with the clean energy transition. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US EPA, DOE Announce $850 Million to Reduce Methane Pollution from the Oil & Gas Sector” • The US EPA and US DOE announced that applications are open for $850 million in federal funding for projects to help monitor, measure, quantify, and reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sectors, as part of the Investing in America agenda. [CleanTechnica]

Have a simply magnificent day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “How To Power the South Pole By Using Renewable Energy Technologies” • Researchers at two US DOE laboratories – NREL and ANL – looked at how a combination of solar modules, wind turbines, and battery storage could provide a cost-effective way to expand research capabilities at the South Pole while reducing costs significantly. [CleanTechnica]

Solar panels set up vertically (Silvana Ovaitt, NREL)

World:

¶ “Petrol Sales In Norway Drop 8% Year Over Year” • Norway has been the European leader in terms of EV market share, with even 90%+ of sales being plugin sales in recent years. The majority of vehicles on its roads, though, are still fossil-powered. It takes time for cars to be retired. Now we see that in Norway, sales of petrol fell 8% in May, YOY. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Yin & Yang Of Delivery Vans: Electric Vs Diesel” • Two news stories have opposite messages about delivery vehicles and emissions. One, from Transport & Environment, says delivery fleet emissions in the UK are rising as more diesel-powered vans are added. In the other, UPS says it is adding 100 battery electric vans to its Paris delivery fleet. [CleanTechnica]

UPS delivery van in Paris (UPS image)

¶ “Europe Battery Factory Plans Are In A Shambles” • Reuters had some shocking news about BMW and its EV plans. It said BMW cancelled a €2 billion ($2.15 billion) order for battery cells from Northvolt, saying, “Northvolt and the BMW Group have jointly decided to focus Northvolt’s activities on the goal of developing next generation battery cells.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Tajikistan Plans To Leverage Kazakhstan’s Experience In Renewable Energy” • Tajikistan plans to leverage Kazakhstan’s experience in renewable energy, Azernews reports. The Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources of Tajikistan, Sharifa Khudobakhsh, stated this at a meeting of the parliaments of the two countries. [AzerNews]

Tajikistan (hey emmby, Unsplash)

¶ “Azerbaijan’s Green Energy: A Promising Shift In Electricity Production” • In the first five months of 2024, Azerbaijan made significant strides in its renewable energy sector. The Energy Ministry said the share of green energy in the nation’s electricity has increased to 14%. The installed capacity of renewable energy in Azerbaijan is now 1,748.6 MW. [AzerNews]

¶ “Ukraine Rushes For Solar Panels As Russia Hits Its Power Grid” • Waves of devastating Russian drone and missile attacks again crippled Ukrainian power plants, causing blackouts and forcing Ukrainians to plan for the worst. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that all hospitals and schools in Ukraine must be equipped with solar panels “as soon as possible.” [Kyiv Post]

kyiv (Eugene, Unsplash)

¶ “NCRTC’s Solar Power Initiatives Reduce CO₂ Emissions By 3,100 Tons Annually” • In India, the National Capital Regional Transport Corporation is installing solar power along the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor, according to officials. Its 3-MW capacity reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 3,100 tonnes per year. [Outlook Planet]

¶ “Iceland’s Ice Is Melting So Fast It’s Boosting Hydropower” • Iceland gets more than 70% of its electricity from hydropower fed by glacial meltwaters. So as the Earth heats up and glaciers melt faster, hydroelectric plants have more water to spin turbines and power the grid. It is a silver lining for a country mourning the decline of its glaciers. [Scientific American]

Reykjavík (Tom Podmore, Unsplash)

¶ “Nuclear Reactor Build Could Cost Up To A$600 Billion” • Building seven nuclear power plants under the opposition’s proposal could cost up to A$600 billion ($4.67 billion) while delivering just 3.7% of Australia’s 2050 energy, an industry body says. Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has promoted his plan for nuclear without detailing costs. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Conservationists Tout Indiana Old Mines, Brownfields To Develop Renewable Energy” • In a report called “Mine the Sun,” The Nature Conservancy says the quickest way for Indiana to gain energy independence is to utilize unused sites, such as abandoned mines, brownfields, or dumpsites, to develop solar and wind farms. [95.3 MNC]

Solar array (Chelsea, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Energy Giant Doubles Order From Qcells’ Georgia Solar Panel Plant ” • A little more than a year ago, a Virginia energy company announced plans to buy millions of Georgia-built solar panels in the largest “community solar” purchase in US history. This week, Summit Ridge Energy said it plans to nearly double that huge commitment. [AJC.com]

¶ “88-2: Only Markey And Sanders Oppose ‘Expensive, Risky’ Nuclear Power Expansion” • Just US Senators Ed Markey and Bernie Sanders voted against legislation that one scientist warned this week “will only increase the danger to people already living downwind” of nuclear power facilities. The legislation is on its way to the president’s desk. [Common Dreams]

Have a superbly unruffled day.

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World:

¶ “Major Power Outage Hits Balkan Region As Countries Swelter In An Early Summer Heat Wave” • A major hours-long power outage hit much of the Balkans as the southern European region sweltered in an early heat wave that sent temperatures soaring to over 40°C (104°F). Several countries were left with almost no electricity for hours. [ABC News]

Evening in Kotor, Montenegro (Dragisa Braunovic, Unsplash)

¶ “Canada Follows Europe, China, And The USA With Provisions Against Greenwashing; Oil & Gas Industry Freaks Out” • The Canadian government is taking significant steps to combat greenwashing with the introduction of new provisions in Bill C-59. The Oil & Gas Industry is circling the wagons, or maybe advancing to the rear, in confusion. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Shell Opens Megawatt Charger for Trucks And Vessels in Amsterdam” • Shell developed its first megawatt charger at the Energy Transition Campus Amsterdam. Both electric trucks and electric ships can use the charging system. The capacity of the megawatt charger is equal to about three regular 350-kW fast chargers that trucks use. [CleanTechnica]

Megawatt charger (Image from Shell)

¶ “Hunter Water Signs Renewable Energy Deal With AGL” • NSW-owned Hunter Water announced it’s entering into a Retail Renewable Power Purchase Agreement with AGL. AGL will provide renewable energy and certificates from a wind farm to power Hunter Water’s largest sites, with a goal of hitting 100% renewables by 2030. [Government News]

¶ “Philippines Emerges As Southeast Asia Renewable Power Pacesetter” • The Philippines has leapfrogged its Southeast Asian neighbors to become a regional leader in clean-power projects as fewer investment restrictions and green-minded policies attract investment. Changes have helped secure a pipeline of 99 GW of wind and solar developments. [The Japan Times]

Manilla (Alexes Gerard, Unsplash)

¶ “Global Data Center Electricity Use To Double By 2026: IEA Report” • Data center electricity usage is set to double by 2026, an International Energy Agency report says. It blames the rise of demand on such workloads as AI and cryptocurrency mining. Data centers consumed 460 TWh in 2022, but that could rise to 1,000 TWh in 2026. [Data Center Dynamics]

¶ “EnBW And Total Win Leases In €3 Billion German Offshore Tender” • EnBW and TotalEnergies have won development rights in the latest German offshore wind tender after agreeing to pay just over €3 billion in total lease fees. EnBW secured the 1-GW N-12.3 site in the German North Sea, and a RWE-TotalEnergies partnership won area 1.5GW N-11.2. [reNews]

North Sea (Robert Katzki, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “FEMA Is Ready For An Extreme Hurricane And Wildfire Season, But Money Is A Concern, Mayorkas Says” • The head of the Homeland Security Department said the agency tasked with responding to disasters is prepared for what is expected to be an intense hurricane and wildfire season, but he’s concerned about looming budget shortfalls. [ABC News]

¶ “Coal Capacity Factor Drops from 55% to 35% in 10 Years in PJM” • Use of the coal fleet in PJM, the largest US wholesale electricity market, has fallen over the last decade, driven largely by higher relative fuel costs. Since 2013, the PJM operators have retired about 34 GW of coal capacity and switched about 2 GW of coal capacity to other sources. [CleanTechnica]

PJM, based on EIA data

¶ “USDOT Awards Nearly $60 Million in Advanced Vehicle Technology Grants to Arizona, Texas, And Utah” • The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration announced that it is awarding $60 million in grants to advance connected and interoperable vehicle technologies. The grants are to recipients in Arizona, Texas, and Utah. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Some US Regions At Risk Of Energy Shortfalls In Extreme Summer Conditions” • Parts of the US could be at risk for power supply shortages if electricity demand peaks are higher or if less electricity is generated than expected, according to the 2024 Summer Reliability Assessment by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. [CleanTechnica]

Areas at risk – Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Sunrise Wind Receives Final Approval From US Department of the Interior” • Sunrise Wind, New York’s largest offshore wind project, had its construction and operations plan approved by the US Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. It is the final permit needed from BOEM to move the project forward. [Renewable Energy Magazine]

¶ “Driving On Sunshine: Car Cover Charges EVs With Solar Power” • Solar company GoSun has rolled out a foldable car cover that harnesses the power of the sun to add miles of range for EV drivers. The solar cover, which can charge EVs with electricity generated by the sun, is said to be able to provide about 30 miles of energy. [NBC Los Angeles]

GoSun car cover (Image from GoSun)

¶ “New York Approves Plan To Add Six Gigawatts Of Energy Storage By 2030” • Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the New York State Public Service Commission has approved a new framework for the state to achieve 6 GW of energy storage by 2030. The nation-leading amount is at least 20% of the state’s peak power load. [Power Engineering]

¶ “Georgia Power Customers Paying Extra After Completion Of State’s Nuclear Power Plant” • As temperatures rise, so does your electric bill. Georgia Power customers are getting hit twice this summer with the increased costs associated with cooling their homes plus a 5% increase that went into effect on May 1 when plant Vogtle’s fourth unit came online. [Yahoo]

Have a perfectly refreshing day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Pyrolysis Is The Latest Climate-Killing Plastics Scam From ExxonMobil” • Fossil fuel companies are touting a new way to deal with plastic waste called pyrolysis, and to hear the industry spin it, it is the greatest thing since ice cream. It is nothing short of a flimflam, the point of which is to keep profits high for fossil fuel companies. [CleanTechnica]

Plastics, part of the climate crisis (Courtesy of the US DOE)

¶ “Dutton’s Nuclear Option Is Nothing But A Power Grab” • Peter Dutton’s nuclear gambit is about power but not necessarily about electricity. Those now in charge of the Coalition have judged that the path back to governing Australia is to stoke and exploit fears about power prices, cost of living, and renewables not being enough to keep the lights on. [Riotact]

Science and Technology:

¶ “What The ‘Warming Stripes’ Tell Us About Climate Change” • Created by climate scientist Ed Hawkins, the “warming stripes” are visual representations of annual or monthly temperature anomalies for a specific location or region over the past 100+ years. The visualization uses a color scale to represent anomalies of temperatures. [Earth.Org]

Warming stripes with temperatures (RCraig09, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Award-Winning Software Tool Improves Cyber Defense Using Machine Learning” • An award-winning project helps utilities and manufacturers prevent cybersecurity attacks from affecting the US electric power grid. The software identifies cybersecurity vulnerabilities in firmware and improves the defense of devices and the electric system. [CleanTechnica]

World:

¶ “Some Interesting Insights From Uganda’s 2024/2025 National Budget” • Uganda’s Minister of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development released a national budget with some interesting features. They give us a good look into the country’s electricity generation landscape, its current state, and its plans to grow the electric mobility ecosystem. [CleanTechnica]

Kiira Motors electric coache (Courtesy of Kiira Motors)

¶ “Equinor And Oceanex Bag Licence For 2-GW Oz Floater” • The Australian government has offered Equinor and Oceanex a feasibility licence for a 2-GW floater in the Hunter offshore wind area in New South Wales. Should the project go ahead, it would employ around 3,000 workers during construction and create around 200-300 permanent local jobs. [reNews]

¶ “Europe Unveils Solar Academy” • The European Commission has launched the European Solar Academy, the first in a series of EU Academies to be set up under the Net-Zero Industry Act to develop the necessary workfoce and skills along the net zero value chains. The PV manufacturing sector is expected to need 66,000 skilled workers by 2030. [reNews]

Solar array (First Solar image)

¶ “UK Offshore Wind Farms Vulnerable To Cyberattacks” • The Alan Turing Institute issued a warning about the vulnerability of offshore wind farms to cyberattacks, highlighting potential risks to the UK’s renewable energy goals. The research shows that old software and the remote sites of wind farms put them at risk of cyber threats. [Energy Live News]

¶ “Domestic Solar Power Output Up 80% In A Year” • Electricity generated from domestic rooftops in Ireland is up 80% in a single year, a new report has found. According to the current Scale of Solar report, solar energy could power 280,000 homes this year. Overall solar power output, including energy from commercial solar farms, went up by 43%. [Newstalk]

Solar tiles in Ireland (Stephen Craven, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Europe’s Solar Power Surge Hits Prices, Exposing Storage Needs” • Wholesale power markets in most of Europe turned out zero or negative prices for a record number of hours in the first five months of this year. The mismatch between demand and supply as solar power generation soars, could potentially help shift investment to storage solutions. [MSN]

US:

¶ “EnergyX Announces Major Lithium Development In Ark-La-Tex Region” • Energy Exploration Technologies Inc (EnergyX) announced a major lithium project, Project Lonestar Lithium. The project aims to solidify EnergyX’s position as a leader in the global energy transition and bid to help secure the US battery supply chain. [CleanTechnica]

EnergyX plant (Courtesy of EnergyX)

¶ “The Electric Revolution Of Gardening Tools Is Here” • If you go to your local Home Depot, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, or Farm & Fleet store, you will find brands of battery electric gardening tools that will do almost any gardening job as well or better than your old corded or gas-powered tools. Old gas-burning machines can be replaced with electric! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Volkswagen ID.4 Is The Third Most American Car! The Tesla Model Y Is Still Number One!” • What is the car with the highest proportion of its parts produced in the USA? It’s the Tesla Model Y. The number two place is taken by the Honda Passport. But it is really interesting to see that Volkswagen took the number three place this year with the ID.4. [CleanTechnica]

Volkswagen ID.4 (Mariordo, CC-BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “NY Unveils New Onshore Solicitation” • Governor Kathy Hochul has announced a new large-scale onshore renewable energy solicitation for New York. The process seeks proposals for the development of large-scale land-based renewables projects which are expected to spur billions of dollars in clean energy investments and create thousands of jobs. [reNews]

¶ “Carter’s Nuclear Energy Measure Set To Become Law” • A bipartisan bill sponsored by US Representative Buddy Carter (R-GA) to establish requirements concerning international nuclear energy cooperation and safety is headed to the president to be signed into law as part of larger legislation, the Fire Grants and Safety Act of 2023, S. 870. [Ripon Advance]

Have a harmoniously balanced day.

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geoharvey is not tax-deductible.

(, CC-BY-SA 3.0) km² CO₂ NH₃ CH₄ ₹ NOₓ ‽ ¦ – ¦♦♦♦♦♦