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World:

¶ “China Surges Ahead In Global Science As US Retreats From Research” • The latest Nature Index results show that Harvard University is the only American institution left in the top ten list of research organizations by contributions to leading scientific journals. Harvard sits in second place, but far behind the Chinese Academy of Sciences. [CleanTechnica]

Public Science Day (Uuongkinghe, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Philippine President’s Commuter Ride Into the Future: The Love Bus Returns” • President Bongbong Marcos Jr revived the Love Bus service for Manila. “We encourage everyone to take advantage of our new Love Bus to help reduce transportation costs, save a little, reduce traffic, and cut down on pollution since these buses are electric.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ørsted Faces $25 Million Weekly Hit From US Stop Order” • Ørsted has warned it faces up to $25 million in additional weekly costs after the US government ordered construction to stop on the 704-MW Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island. Ørsted said the order has introduced “significant uncertainty” around the project. [reNews]

Nacelle construction (Ørsted image)

¶ “UK And US Unveil Nuclear Deal To Build New Generation Of Plants” • Britain and America will work together to build a new generation of nuclear plants. Sir Keir Starmer will sign a “nuclear partnership” with Mr Trump, opening a new era of projects in Britain, based on nuclear technology. They hailed a “golden age” of energy cooperation. [Yahoo.com]

¶ “DOE Expediting Approval Of Renewable Energy Projects” • President Ferdinand ”Bongbong” Marcos Jr guaranteed that the Philippine DOE would enforce measures to hasten approval of renewable energy projects. He spoke at Citicore Solar Batangas 1 Power Plants, during commissioning of the country’s first hybrid agro-solar and battery storage system. [GMA Network]

Pres Ferdinand Marcos Jr (Presidential Communications Office)

Australia:

¶ “Australia’s Growing Need For Large-Scale Batteries” • In Australia, renewable energy is surging, but curtailment wastes clean power. Large-scale batteries can store surplus solar and wind, reduce waste, stabilise the grid, cut emissions, and secure a reliable energy future. As they do these things, the batteries also reduce any need for curtailment. [Energy Matters]

¶ “Australia’s Rooftop Solar And Battery Installations Are Surging Despite Broader Lag In Renewables” • Australia is on track to overshoot its 2030 rooftop solar targets, with enthusiasm for panels and batteries offsetting drops in large projects and broader renewable investment. About 27 GW of rooftop solar had been installed as of end-June. [Energy Connects]

Solar PVs on a motor inn (Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “How Is Australia Affected By Climate Change? The National Climate Risk Assessment Models The Future” • For the first time, the Australian government has drilled into the risks the country faces from a changing climate in a detailed report. Some key risk areas are coastal communities, Australia’s north, outer suburban areas, and remote areas. [ABC]

US:

¶ “California Refineries Close As Gasoline Demand Slips Into Permanent Decline” • Gasoline consumption in California has been declining for nearly a decade. That reshapes the economics of refining. The closures we are seeing are less about regulators pushing firms out and more about the market pulling the floor out from under them. [CleanTechnica]

Chevron Richmond Refinery (Bastique, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Experts Fired By Trump Revive Popular Climate Website” • US president Donald has cut funding for renewable energies like wind, as he promotes oil and gas. People who monitor ocean and climate conditions and issues weather forecasts and warnings were fired. NOAA’s climate.gov website was taken down. Now, a private replacement site has been put up. [DW]

¶ “Trump Waves Good-Bye To Offshore Wind Jobs, Hello To Glitzy New Ballroom” • Trump has dumped practically the entire domestic offshore industry into the toilet along with thousands of jobs, but lol the joke’s on us. But he is making America great again without windpower by doing such things as building a Whitehouse ballroom. [CleanTechnica]

‘Large event space’ (Courtesy of whitehouse.gov)

¶ “Evanston Residents Embrace Solar Power Despite Federal Cuts” • With the Trump administration slamming the brakes on federal support for renewable energy, the future of solar power in this country is uncertain. But the sun continues to shine, and in Evanston, Illinois, residents continue to install rooftop panels to turn that into electricity. [Evanston RoundTable]

¶ “Elon Musk Claps Back At DOE Over Claims That Renewable Energy Is ‘Worthless’: ‘Um, Hello?” • Tesla CEO Elon Musk took the US DOE to task recently, after the latter’s easily debunked post about clean energy, Fortune reported. Musk had been a supporter of Donald Trump, but that ended, possibly due to lack of support for Musk’s work. [Yahoo News]

Have an exquisitely excellent day.

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World:

¶ “The Solar Empire Strikes Back! ” • The mood at the annual US Renewable Energy Market conference this month was somber. Bill McKibben says not to count US solar out just yet. In his latest blog post, however, McKibben compares the US and China and finds a clear winner. The investments in renewable energy come from China. [CleanTechnica]

Wind turbines (Sang-Eun Kim, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “EU Reaffirms 2035 ICE Phaseout Plan” • European car makers are lobbying to end the internal combustion phaseout changed. But EU policymakers defend the 2035 target, calling it essential for climate goals and seeing it as achievable. Environmental groups argue industry warnings are exaggerated and point to a steady rise in EV sales. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Why Electrifying Motorcycles In India Is Important” • There are a lot of motorcycles in India, about 250 million of them, counting them separately from scooters. Only a small number of the motorcycles are electric, and they consume about 60% of the gasoline burned for transportation. Electric motorcycles cost less to run, and they don’t pollute. [CleanTechnica]

Ultraviolette electric motorcycle

¶ “How Dependent Is Europe On Korean EV Battery Makers?” • Europe heavily relies on factories that are run by South Koreans for EV batteries. About 75% of existing battery cell manufacturing capacity in Europe is owned by Korean companies, 50% of which is owned by LG, according to the International Energy Agency. Numbers are similar in the US. [Euronews]

¶ “Resource-Scarce Japan Is Turning to Renewables To Power Trains” • Trains in resource-poor Japan are increasingly powered by renewables, as their operators seek to do their part in the country’s drive to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Tokyu Corp, for example, buys electricity certified to be generated from non-fossil fuels to run its trains. [The Mainichi]

Tram in Hiroshima (Wikimedia, public domain)

¶ “Indigenous Communities Lead Remote Clean Energy Charge” • Australia is in a renewable energy boom, so it’s important for isolated communities to be empowered to decide what is best for them. One man, Mr Greechan, launched Amboranj to make sure the people of the Kimberley aren’t left behind and have a voice in the projects in their Country. [The Queenslander]

US:

¶ “California Extends Cap-And-Trade Program To Promote Climate Goals” • The California Legislature, dominated by Democrats, voted to extend the its cap-and-trade program, which is set to expire after 2030. In 2006, Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, signed the law authorizing the program. It took effect in 2013. [ABC News]

California (Matthew Hamilton, Unsplash)

¶ “How The End Of The US EV Tax Credit Could Supercharge EV Sales” • We may expect EV sales to drop after September 30, because the financial incentives will be gone and people had thoughts of buying an EV rushed to buy one before October 1. But the fact that owners love their EVs is getting to be known and they may do well without subsidies. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Can Kentucky Harness More Clean, Reliable Power From Its Rivers?” • Dozens of Kentucky’s existing dams could be suitable for hydroelectric generation but have not yet been developed to produce electricity. They offer an opportunity to increase the state’s share of the oldest form of renewable energy. And other dams could be developed. [The Courier-Journal]

Dam in Kentucky (George Green, Army Corps of Engineers)

¶ “Ørsted Battles For Survival As Trump Targets Wind Energy” • Danish wind giant Ørsted is fighting to survive after President Donald Trump introduced a barrage of orders limiting the wind energy sector’s growth. Since declaring an energy emergency in January, Trump has been supporting fossil fuel production with executive orders and legislation. [Oil Price]

¶ “Engineer Launches Quest To Address Dangerous Threat At Nuclear Power Plants” • Nuclear infrastructure can easily be disrupted by seismic activity. To address the issue, University of Wyoming researcher Ankit Saxena recently received a two-year grant of nearly $200,000 from the National Science Foundation to study particle dampers. [Yahoo News]

Have a consistently inspiring day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “A Reversible Self-Assembling Solid-State Battery Electrolyte From MIT” • Researchers at MIT published a study in the journal Nature Chemistry detailing a process that creates a self-assembling electrolyte for solid-state batteries that can be broken down and reused in a simple, non-toxic liquid bath. The process of reuse has been made easy. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it (MIT via Nature Chemistry)

World:

¶ “EU Auto Summit Confirms Strategic Focus On Electric Cars” • A high-level industry summit in Brussels has confirmed the clear strategic focus on electric cars in Europe. “No matter what, the future is electric,” a person with knowledge of the talks between EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and executives of the automotive sector told Euronews. [Euronews]

¶ “BYD Dolphin Surf Gets 5 Stars From EURO NCAP” • In the latest round of EURO NCAP safety testing, the BYD Dolphin Surf (aka Seagull) scored the maximum 5 star rating (as did the Nio Firefly, Hyundai IONIQ 9, smart #5, and MINI Cooper). The Dolphin Surf will be the first vehicle to be produced at the BYD plant in Szeged, Hungary. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Dolphin in a crash test (EURO NCAP image)

¶ “EVs At 38.3% Share In The UK – Vauxhall Frontera Arrives” • August’s auto market saw combined plugin EVs at 38.3% share in the UK, with full battery EVs taking 26.5% and plugin hybrid EVs taking 11.8%. These compare with August 2024 shares of 29.4% combined, 22.6% battery EVs, and 6.8% plugin hybrids. Tesla took 12% of the battery EV market. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Vingroup Launches Unprecedented Legal Campaign Against Online Disinformation” • Vingroup, the largest conglomerate in Vietnam, is taking 68 individuals and organizations to court, alleging a coordinated campaign to spread false information about the company and its leadership. Vingroup owns EV car maker VinFast. [CleanTechnica]

Vingroup headquarters Landmark 81 (Vingroup image)

¶ “China Is Leading The Way To A Fossil Fuel Free Future” • In a report, Ember said: “China’s surge in renewables and whole economy electrification is rapidly reshaping energy choices for the rest of the world, creating the conditions for a decline in global fossil fuel use.” China is leading the world in the transition away from fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Enercon Launches Integrated Wind-Battery Product” • The German firm Enercon launched an integrated wind and battery storage product. The company said the turnkey integration of a battery energy storage system and hybrid controller into new or existing wind farms is a “key to a regulated energy system based on renewable generation technologies.” [reNews]

Wind turbines (Thomas Reaubourg, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Across The US, Cities Combine Art, Shade And Education To Help People Beat The Heat” • Cities are adapting to worse heat, driven by human-caused climate change. Shade is playing a critical role, but communicating heat risks and safety can be a challenge. That is where art comes in, engaging, bringing hope, and even making thing feel cooler. [ABC News]

¶ “Renewable Energy Capital Of The Nation? Houston!” • The US DOE’s 2025 US Energy & Employment Report provides data on employment trends in the energy sector. Houston has long been the leader based on fossil fuels, but its renewable energy sector is by far the fastest growing in the nation, as measured by employee headcount. [Greater Houston Partnership]

Houston (Rome Wilkerson, Unsplash)

¶ “Community Solar Offers Cost Savings, Renewable Energy Benefits Without Need For Panels” • As a result of the State of New Mexico’s Community Solar Act, qualified small businesses, nonprofits, and households can gain access to solar energy while saving money on utility bills, all without solar panels, through a community solar program. [Yahoo News]

¶ “Iowa Could Have 100% Carbon-Free Power By 2045” • Iowa’s electricity needs are expected to rise by 30% to 60% in the next 20 years, and a report finds the state might be able to meet the demand and achieve 100-percent carbon-free electricity with renewable energy. The operating costs for wind and solar are cheaper than coal and natural gas. [Radio Iowa]

Wind turbines in Iowa (Wikideas1, CC0 1.0, cropped)

¶ “Texas Hangs Onto Its Lead In New Solar Capacity Despite A Decline In Utility-Scale Projects” • Texas added enough solar capacity to power nearly a million homes in the first half of 2025, as it again led the nation in solar installations, according to a new report from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie. [San Antonio Express-News]

¶ “$10 Billion Plan Could Restart Indian Point Nuclear Plant In Buchanan” • Several years after ending operations, the 2,000-MW Indian Point nuclear plant in the Hudson Valley could still be restarted, but it would take billions of dollars, a Politico report says. It would also require backing from Governor Kathy Hochul and President Donald Trump. [AOL.com]

Have a perfectly marvelous day.

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World:

¶ “EU To Speed Up Phase Out Of Russian Energy Amid US Pressure” • EU energy chief Dan Jorgensen is confident that a deal to end Russian energy from entering the bloc by 2027 will happen “quite soon.” The US is pressuring the EU to import American liquified natural gas instead of Moscow’s. Critics say the EU should stick to climate goals. [Euronews]

LNG carrier (kenhodge13, CC BY 2.0, cropped)

¶ “Smoke From Canada’s 2023 Wildfires Linked To Over 80,000 Early Deaths Worldwide” • Over 350 million people in North America and Europe were exposed to the smoke from Canada’s record-breaking 2023 wildfires, according to research. Scientists estimate that long-term exposure to smoke likely caused over 80,000 premature deaths. [Euronews]

¶ “Wind And Solar Power Fuel Over One-Third Of Brazil’s Electricity For First Time” • Wind and solar power accounted for 34% of Brazil’s electricity generation last month, producing a monthly record of 19 TWh. The previous high of 18.6 TWh was set in September 2024. Meanwhile, hydroelectric output, Brazil’s main power source, fell to a four-year low.  [ABC News]

Wind turbines in Brazil (Delatfrut, CC BY 2.0, cropped)

¶ “VinFast Rolls Out Armored EV” • When we go out to shop for a vehicle, most of us do not have how well armored the vehicle is at the top of our list. Nevertheless, some people do have to make sure they’re driving around in armored vehicles. And certain vehicle producers have to build and supply those vehicles. Now VinFast is making an armored EV. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The New Ti7: BYD’s $25,000 Premium SUV PHEV Destroys Remaining Justifications for Pure ICE” • BYD’s Fang Cheng Bao brand recently released the Ti7, a premium SUV with an evolved PHEV platform. While some have been reluctant to embrace PHEVs, the quality and value in this segment makes traditional ICE models hard to justify. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Ti7 (BYD image)

¶ “CATL Unveils New EV Batteries For Europe” • China’s CATL, the world’s largest battery maker, unveiled its latest EV batteries for the European market, highlighting a growing presence and commitment in the region. One model offers a life of 12 years and a range of 758 km (471 miles). The other can add 478 km (297 miles) of range in ten minutes. [MSN]

¶ “Seaway7 Installs Final Monopile At Dogger Bank C” • Seaway7 has installed the last of 87 monopiles at the 1.2-MW Dogger Bank C wind farm off north-east England, a joint venture of Equinor, SSE, and Vårgrønn. In total, Seaway7 has hammered in 277 bases in the three phases of the 3.6-GW Dogger Bank complex in the North Sea. [reNews]

Seaway7 installation vessel (Seaway7 image)

¶ “India Eyes Indigenous Solar Cell Manufacturing By 2028” • India aims to establish its own solar cell manufacturing by 2028 by establishing a complete solar value chain. This goal will not just reduce import dependence and create jobs. It will boost investment, and strengthen India’s position as a global leader in clean energy manufacturing. [Asian Power]

¶ “Allseas orders heavy transport vessel Grand Tour” • Allseas has ordered a new-build heavy transport vessel to expand its fleet and strengthen its offshore wind capabilities. The ship Grand Tour will be built at Guangzhou Shipyard International in China with delivery scheduled for the first quarter of 2028. It will have a 40,000-tonne capacity. [reNews]

Allseas Grand Tour (Allseas image)

¶ “Ethiopia’s GERD Equals Energy Of ‘Three Nuclear Power Plants’: Webuild” • With an installed capacity of more than 5,000 MW and an annual output projection of 15,700 GWh, Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam can generate electric energy equivalent to “three medium-sized nuclear power plants,” Italian engineering group Webuild said. [MSN]

US:

¶ “Tesla Market Share Dips Below 40% In USA For First Time Since 2017” • According to Cox Automotive, Tesla’s share of the EV market in the US fell to an 8-year low, to just 38% of US EV sales in August. That is a pretty severe drop for a company that at one time dominated the US market for electric cars with more than an 80% share. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla Model Y (Pontus Jerand Wernhammar, Unsplash)

¶ “US Biodiesel And Renewable Diesel Imports Fall Sharply in 2025 after Tax Credit Change” • US imports of biodiesel and renewable diesel decreased in the first half of 2025 compared with the same period in earlier years. This decline is primarily due to the loss of tax credits for imported biofuels and generally lower use of the fuels in the US. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Power For Rural And Blue-Collar Areas” • Reactivate, American Farmland Trust, and Edelen Renewables Community Solar have formed Farmers Powering Communities. Its mission is, “Bringing together those working to feed the planet with those working to power America.” One goal is 500 MW of community solar PVs within five years. [CleanTechnica]

American farm (Colton Sturgeon, Unsplash)

¶ “Trump Administration Defends Empire Wind” • A September 5 filing in federal court by President Trump’s Department of Justice argues that the court should deny the Save Long Beach Island opposition group’s request for an injunction against the 810-MW Empire Wind project. The project is an Equinor wind farm off the coast of New York. [reNews]

¶ “California Requires Utilities To Offer Dynamic Pricing That Favors Low-Cost Renewables” • The California Public Utilities Commission ordered the state’s three major electric utilities to develop and offer to all customer classes demand flexibility rates in which prices change at least hourly in response to changes in the wholesale cost of electricity. [pv magazine USA]

Have a patently superior day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Small Modular Reactors And The Big Questions Of Cost And Waste” • Small modular reactors are advertised as cheaper, safer, faster to build, and easier to finance than traditional reactors. A study published in Progress in Nuclear Energy takes a sober look at those claims and finds them wanting. The study examines both costs and waste. [CleanTechnica]

NuScale nuclear plant (NuScale image)

World:

¶ “Zero-Emission Trucks Are Ready, But Europe Is Not” • The EU’s current regulatory path is setting Europe’s truck and bus makers up for failure, argues Christian Levin, the Chairman of the Commercial Vehicle Board of ACEA and CEO of Traton Group and Scania. He is calling for concrete results from the Strategic Dialogue for the auto sector. [Euronews]

¶ “EU Proposes Regional Hub On Cyprus To Tackle Wildfires Better, Von Der Leyen Says” • The European Commission will propose setting up a regional firefighting hub based in Cyprus as climate change makes the fires worse. The hub could also assist Middle East countries in battling major wildfires, the head of the bloc’s executive arm said. [Euronews]

Ursula von der Leyen (European Parliament, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “On Average, Plug-in Hybrids Emit Five Times What Official EU Tests Claim” • The European carmakers lobby has demanded the EU cancel its efforts to reflect hybrid emissions better when calculating their progress towards climate targets. But emissions of plug-in hybrids average almost five times higher than official tests suggest, EU data shows. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Most Carmakers On Track To Meet EU Emissions Reduction Requirements” • European carmakers sold 38% more electric cars in the first seven months of the year, and all but Mercedes-Benz are on track to comply with the EU’s 2025–27 emission targets. But the two-year extension of the targets allowed carmakers to move more slowly on their goals. [CleanTechnica]

New fully electric Volvo ES90

¶ “EU EV Market Being Left Behind By China, UK, Thailand, And Vietnam!” • Some countries are well ahead of the EU as a whole. The UK and Thailand have a far higher BEV share of their auto sales, China has about twice as high of a BEV share, and then Vietnam is in a league of its own! Kudos to Vietnam for doing so well on the issue! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “500-MW Taean Offshore Wind Project Secures Offtakers” • Taean Wind Power, a joint venture of Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Vena Energy, announced signing two PPAs totaling 500 MW with South Korean companies. The PPAs were signed with Korea West Power for 300 MW, and Gangneung Eco Power for 200 MW. [reNews]

Offshore wind farm (CIP image)

¶ “Octopus And Mingyang Sign UK Wind Pact” • UK supplier Octopus Energy and wind turbine maker Mingyang Smart Energy are partnering on the UK’s renewable rollout. Octopus Energy’s renewables arm plans to deploy Mingyang machines to deliver up to 6 GW of capacity for landowners and communities keen to host onshore wind projects. [reNews]

¶ “Oil Giant Saudi Arabia Is Emerging As A Solar Power” • Saudi Arabia is building some of the biggest solar farms in the world, along with giant arrays of batteries that can store their electricity until after dark. The rapid rollout is making the country into one of the fastest-growing markets for solar power from a start that was nearly at a standstill. [MSN]

Solar farm in Saudi Arabia (© EDF Power Solutions)

US:

¶ “Study Links Frequent, Severe Heat Waves To Pollution From Major Fossil Fuel Producers” • Planet-warming emissions from 180 cement, oil, and gas producers contributed significantly to all of the heat events considered in a study published in the journal Nature. The study examined a set of 213 heat waves that took place from 2000 to 2023. [ABC News]

¶ “Musk Loses Crown As World’s Richest Person To Software Giant Larry Ellison” • Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison wrested the title of the world’s richest man from longtime holder Elon Musk early Wednesday, according to wealth tracker Bloomberg, as stock in his software giant rocketed more than a third in a stunning few minutes of trading. [ABC News]

Larry Ellison (Oracle Corporate Communications, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Funding For Renewables-Friendly Flywheel Energy Storage” • The US government has punted on the transition to renewable energy, but private sector investors are picking up the ball and running with it. One example is the investment firm Magnetar Finance, which put $200 million in funding towards the flywheel energy storage innovator Torus Energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US DOE Pushes Ahead With Plan To Fast-Track New-Age Nuclear Reactors” • The DOE recently launched its Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, selecting eleven projects to fast-track. With a goal is to see at least three test reactors reach criticality by July 4, 2026, it will use its own authorization process instead of the standard routes. [The Cool Down]

Nuclear Plant (Aalo Atomics image)

¶ “Burgum: No Future For US Offshore Wind” • Donald Trump’s Interior Secretary Doug Burgum has said there is “not a future” for offshore wind projects in the US. “We’re ending the era of the mass subsidies of offshore wind.” Burgum made the comments speaking alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright at a natural gas conference in Milan. [reNews]

¶ “New Hampshire Has Never Been A Trailblazer On Solar, But Advocates Still See A Path” • New Hampshire has been slower than the rest of New England to lean into renewable electricity, including solar power. Some clean energy advocates view growth of solar as an accessible way to increase renewable capacity in New Hampshire. [New Hampshire Bulletin]

Have a powerfully casual day.

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World:

¶ “Is The EU Failing To Prevent Forest Fires?” • More than a million hectares of EU forest burned this year by the end of August, according to Copernicus satellite data. This is almost five times larger than the area affected by forest fires in the EU the previous year. The hardest hit country was Portugal, where 3% of the land was burned. [Euronews]

Satellite image of wildfires in Portugal (ESA image)

¶ “EVs At A Record 98.4% Share In Norway” • August saw plugin EVs at a record 98.4% share in Norway, up from 95.7% year on year. BEVs alone took 96.9% share. Full battery EVs took a 96.9% share, and 1.5% were plugin hybrids. Overall auto volume was 13,915 units, up 25% year over year. The Tesla Model Y was the best-selling vehicle. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD And Shenzhen Port Group Deepen Cooperation On Clean Ports And Green Shipping”  • BYD and Shenzhen Port Group signed an agreement to expand cooperation between the automaker and port operator. The scope of the agreement goes far beyond BYD’s home ports to develop international logistics and decarbonize global shipping.  [CleanTechnica]

BYD car carrier (BYD image)

¶ “Global Wind Capacity To Double By 2032” • The global wind sector will install its second terawatt of capacity by 2030, adding in seven years what took 23 to reach in 2023, according to Wood Mackenzie. The latest Global Wind Power Market Outlook says additions will hit a record 170 GW in 2025. Annual additions are forecast to peak at 200 GW in 2034. [reNews]

¶ “First Turbine Up At 99.2-MW Romanian Array” • The first of sixteen Vestas turbines has been installed at a wind farm project in Romania. The 99.2-MW Green Breeze wind farm in Galati province is being developed by OX2 for Nala Renewables. It is OX2’s first project to be built in Romania. It is made up of  Vestas 6.2-MW turbines. [reNews]

OX2 wind turbine (OX2 image)

¶ “Calls For Drax Boss To Be Sacked Over Claims Renewable Power Station Is As ‘Toxic As Tobacco'” • Billionaire Louis Bacon blasted energy firm Drax’s “egregious” failings, calling it an “environmental and ethical calamity.” He said the power station in North Yorkshire is “toxic as working for tobacco,” and it should sack its boss. [MSN]

¶ “Extend Life Of Offshore Wind Farms To 35 Years” • Allowing offshore wind farms to operate for up to 35 years would increase cost efficiency and electricity yields, according to a study prepared by Fraunhofer IWES. The study looked at the continued operation and subsequent use scenarios of offshore wind farms and grid connection systems. [reNews]

Riffgat offshore wind farm (EWE image)

¶ “Pakistan Targets 60% Renewable Energy In Power Mix By 2030” • Federal Minister for Energy, Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari, reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to achieving 60% renewable energy in its national power mix by 2030. He stressed the value of regional cooperation in clean energy development, such as the ECO Clean Energy Centre. [UrduPoint]

¶ “EDF And PS Renewables Consult On 500-MW Solar Farm” • EDF Power Solutions UK and PS Renewables are starting a public consultation on early-stage plans for a 500-MW solar farm with battery storage in Kent. The South Brooks Solar Farm would connect to the National Grid at Dungeness Substation, producing enough power to supply 20% of all homes in Kent. [reNews]

Solar Farm (SBSF image)

¶ “China Leads Clean Energy Revolution, But Also CO₂ Pollution, Says Report” • China’s investment in clean energy is the main determining factor in how quickly the world decarbonises, a report by UK-based think tank Ember shows. China makes 60% of global wind turbines and 80% of global solar panels, driving cost reductions for everyone else. [Al Jazeera]

¶ “Top EU Court Upholds Nuclear Green Label” • The EU’s top court dismissed a complaint by Austria and upheld the European Commission’s decision to label investments in natural gas and nuclear power as sustainable. The EU argued that both have a role to play as cleaner power sources during the transition to a net-zero carbon future. [Yahoo Finance UK]

“Warning! Clean energy!” at Chernobyl (Ilja Nedilko, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Need Help Getting Off Gas? Call The Free Quitline!” • Let’s be honest, getting off natural gas isn’t as easy as it could be. Maybe you love your gas stove or the price tag for new appliances feels too high. As part of Clean Air Week 2025, a new, free Natural Gas Quitline is launching to help people make the switch from gas to clean electric alternatives. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Jetson Air Introduces Smart Heat Pump That Features Lower Installation Costs” • Jetson Air announced a new line of heat pumps that come with a number of advantages. Among them one thing stands out. The Jetson Air heat pumps are installed by trained, factory-certified professionals, which JA says lowers the cost of installation by about 50%. [CleanTechnica]

Jetson Air heat pump (Jetson Air image)

¶ “Northern Colorado’s Largest Solar Project Starts Powering Homes” • The largest solar energy project in northern Colorado is online and delivering power to homes and businesses, while construction continues. Platte River Power Authority announced that the Black Hollow Sun, which covers about 1,400 acres, will supply renewable energy to its customers. [KUSA.com]

¶ “CNN’s Matt Egan Explains Why Electricity Prices Are Rising So Fast” • Right-wing media and the Trump administration are trying to blame Democrats and renewable energy, even though a greater supply of renewable power would bring costs down. In fact, in states with higher adoption of renewables, prices have risen modestly or not at all. [MSN]

Have a surprisingly prolific day.

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World:

¶ “Even Moderate Warming Could Cause Irreversible Damage To Mediterranean Ecosystems” • Research shows how serious the threat of sea warming is in the Mediterranean. The findings show that warming of just 0.8°C above current levels could lead to irreversible damage to marine biodiversity, fish populations, and vulnerable coastal habitats. [Euronews]

Mediterranean Sea (Jennifer Biagioni, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Who Is Leading The Global Renewable Energy Race?” • While China maintains an insurmountable lead in absolute capacity, the US is holding onto an unsteady second place. India’s growth trajectory is reshaping the global renewable energy hierarchy, however, and it is challenging established rankings among clean energy superpowers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “India’s Electric Pickup Truck Revolution Could Determine The Country’s EV Future” • India’s EV market is growing steadily at close to 25% annually, but from a surprisingly small base, as EVs represent just 2.5% of all vehicles sold in 2024. Nevertheless, one segment could change that trajectory dramatically: electric pickup trucks. [CleanTechnica]

Montra Electric’s EVIATOR (Photo from Montra)

¶ “EDF Backs 360-MW Staythorpe BESS” • EDF has signed a long-term deal with Elements Green to support delivery of one of the UK’s largest battery energy storage projects. The 360-MW, 720-MWh Staythorpe battery energy storage system is under early-stage construction in Nottinghamshire. It is scheduled to be operational in 2027. [reNews]

¶ “Cerulean Files 1-GW Aspen Offshore Consent Bid” • Cerulean Winds has submitted an offshore consent application to the Scottish government for its proposed 1-GW Aspen floating wind farm off east Scotland. The developer aims for the 67-turbine INTOG project to be online by the end of the decade. The wind farm’s lifetime is to be fifty years. [reNews]

Floating wind turbines (Cerulean image)

¶ “ESB Energises Irish Solar Farm” • ESB has energised its first wholly-owned solar project, Bullstown Solar Farm in Ireland. The project forms part of the group’s ambition to develop 1 GW of solar energy by 2030. Construction of the solar farm began on the 44-acre site in January 2024. The Bullstown Solar Farm has a capacity of 8.4 MW. [reNews]

¶ “Van Oord Completes Sofia Array Cable Installation” • Van Oord has completed array cable installation at RWE’s flagship Sofia offshore wind farm in the North Sea. This marks the completion of Van Oord’s full scope of works on the 1.4-GW project and follows its successful installation of Sofia’s 100 monopile foundations in July this year. [reNews]

Calypso (Van Oord image)

¶ “IAEA Records Six Of Seven Compromised Power Lines At Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant” • Six of the seven power poles of the Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant have been compromised, leaving only one operational line outside the site. This poses serious safety risks, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said at a meeting of the Board of Governors in Vienna. [Interfax Ukraine]

¶ “Jellyfish Invasion: What’s Behind The Growing Population?” • French nuclear power plants have had to close down because of jellyfish blooms more than once this summer. And jellyfish have caused problems in the past. Jellyfish breed faster in warm waters, and climate change is making the oceans warmer, so this is likely to happen more in the future. [Impakter]

Jellyfish (Naomi August, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “How College Racing Can Solve Cleantech’s Biggest Crisis” • The dirty secret slowing clean transportation adoption isn’t battery chemistry or charging infrastructure anymore – it’s finding engineers who can seamlessly integrate EV powertrains with autonomous systems. Now we know where they can be found. Our schools are training them. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “ConnectDER Introduces IslandDER Home Energy Storage System” • ConnectDER offers a new way to connect distributed energy resources. It designed “meter socket adapters,” so you can pull the meter, insert the correct MSA, and connect your solar panels, EV charger, or residential storage battery without going into your breaker panel. [CleanTechnica]

Product introduction (ConnectDER image)

¶ “Green Hydrogen Keeps Poking Its Nose Into The US Energy Business” • The green hydrogen industry could monetize excess capacity from wind farms and solar arrays, gathering up energy that would otherwise go to waste. That puts the industry a bit at odds with the current state of affairs in US energy policy. But new ventures keep coming. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar And Storage Lead US Power Build” • The US solar PV industry installed nearly 18 GW of new capacity in the first half of 2025, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie. Solar and storage accounted for 82% of all new power added to the grid in the first six months of the Trump administration. [reNews]

Solar array (Intec image)

¶ “Cincinnati Zoo Becomes A Source Of Solar Power For The Community” • If you’ve been to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, you’ve walked by huge solar panels in its parking lots. They create lots of shade. But they also generate 4.55 MW of solar power on the zoo’s campus. The zoo has also installed solar panels for the community. [Cincinnati Enquirer]

¶ “In LA Port, Bobbing Blue Floats Are Turning Wave Power Into Clean Energy” • In a channel at the Port of Los Angeles, seven blue steel structures that look like small boats were lowered into the ocean one by one. Attached to an unused wharf on a site that once housed oil tanks, they bob up and down with the waves to generate renewable energy. [ABC News]

Have a downright wonderful day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Scientists Created A Compact, Room-Temperature Fusion Reactor That Fits On A Tabletop” • Most approaches to fusion involve enormous machines designed to squeeze plasma under extreme heat and pressure, mimicking the sun. But a team at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has taken a very different route. It fits on a lab bench. [Yahoo News]

UBC fusion reactor (UBC image)

World:

¶ “European Carmakers Look To EU For Salvation” • Europe’s car industry is “in mortal danger,” EU industry chief Stéphane Séjourné said a few months back. The European automotive industry continues to be in a crisis that can be seen as an acute threat to Europe’s economic future. The auto sector will meet with Ursula von der Leyen on Friday. [Euronews]

¶ “Global EV Sales Report: Plugin Vehicles Reach 26% Share!” • Global plugin vehicle registrations were up 19% in July 2025 from July 2024. In the top twenty models, the Tesla Model Y stood at #1, and the Model 3 was #5, both probably helped by a rush to buy before subsidies end on October 1. But BYD took ten of the top twenty, and the rest were all Chinese. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Song, 2024 (JustAnotherCarDesigner, CC0 1.0)

¶ “Good News For Solar And Virtual Power Plants In Canada” • A CBC story shows that in Blatchford, a residential community in Alberta, twenty homes with rooftop solar panels and storage batteries are networked together to become a virtual power plant or VPP. Eventually, the network will include 100 homes with 2 MWh of energy storage. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Is In Europe Because Of Its Buses And Trucks” • BYD’s most visible success has been in electric buses, with BYD vehicles now operating in many major European cities. The presence in cities represents part of BYD’s deployment of 70,000 electric buses worldwide, though Europe accounted for just 2.5% of that total volume as of early 2022. [CleanTechnica]

BYD bus made in Komárom, Hungary (Photo from BYD)

¶ “Taxpayer-Funded Clean Energy Finance Corporation Floats A$126 Billion Investment On Shared Renewable Energy In The Pilbara” • A report commissioned by the federal government’s ‘green bank’ argues that A$126 billion ($83 billion) should be spent in the Pilbara over the next 25 years on shared renewable energy infrastructure. [The West Australian]

¶ “Energy Firm Switches On New Facility That Will Transform Power Grid” • Romania took another step toward a clean energy future, Renewable Energy Magazine reported. Clean power firm Econergy announced that its 87-MW Oradea solar farm is grid-connected and in commercial operation. It is Econergy’s fourth Romanian solar installation to go live. [The Cool Down]

Solar facility (Econergy image)

¶ “Servotech Renewable Ties Up With China’s Zhuhai Piwin To Manufacture BESS In India” • Servotech Renewable Power System, an Indian firm, entered into a partnership with Zhuhai Piwin New Energy Co Ltd, based in China. The collaboration will focus on local manufacturing of advanced battery energy storage systems in India. [pv magazine India]

US:

¶ “Another Sodium Energy Storage Startup Vows To Carry On After Natron Crashes” • Natron, which planned to make sodium batteries, is gone due to withdrawal of federal support. But now, Inlyte, in partnership with the Swiss sodium battery specialist HORIEN Salt Battery Solutions, will build a factory in the US, based on a sodium-iron formula. [CleanTechnica]

Inlyte batteries at a charging site (Inlyte image)

¶ “2026 Chevy Silverado EV Gets 454 Miles In Highway Range Test” • Recently, a 2026 Silverado EV was driven 454 miles on one charge during a 70 mph range test. While there had been earlier tests with similar range results, they had been done at speeds of 20 to 25 mph, so this result represents a significant improvement in range. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Donald Trump Slams Wind Power Again: ‘Any Country That Relies On Windmills Is Dead'” • US President Trump launched a fresh attack on the wind power industry, reiterating his belief that any country that relies on “windmills” is “dead”. In a social media post, he argued that they have multiple disadvantages, including “high” energy costs. [NDTV Profit]

Wind turbines (Karsten Würth, Unspash)

¶ “Elmya And Atlantica Form 4-GW Renewables JV” • Elmya Energy and Atlantica Sustainable Infrastructure formed a joint venture to develop 4 GW of renewable energy projects in the US. The joint venture, Elmantic, will initially focus on greenfield development of wind, solar, and energy storage projects in ERCOT and WECC markets. [reNews]

¶ “Alaska Discovers Over 1,200 TWh Hidden Under The Ice” • For years, the US has chased the dream of energy independence. From offshore drilling to wind farms and desert solar arrays, every strategy has aimed to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and foreign oil. But what if the future of clean, constant energy is under frozen rivers in Alaska? [info-culture.com]

Yukon River in Alaska (BLM Alaska, public domain)

¶ “Trump Imposes Regulations On Renewable Energy, Citing Inefficiency And High Costs” • US President Donald Trump is putting major regulations on the renewable energy industry since his return to power. The industry is engulfed in uncertainty as projects are canceled due to permitting freezes, reductions in tax benefits, and trade regulations. [Chosun Biz]

¶ “Is A ‘Nuclear Renaissance’ Possible In The US?” • The nuclear energy field is now “in a hype bubble that is driving unrealistic expectations,” according to Edwin Lyman, the director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit science advocacy organization that has long acted as a nuclear safety watchdog. [Undark Magazine]

Have a deliberately amusing day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Warning Signs In Trump’s Crusade Against Wind” • The Trump attacks on the wind industry strikes against the core of the free market and private enterprise. Targeting projects with active construction creates an unprecedented level of regulatory uncertainty that threatens development and puts government whims in the driver’s seat. [Time Magazine]

Windpower (Nejc Soklič, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Scientists Tap ‘Secret’ Fresh Water Under Ocean, Raising Hopes For A Thirsty World” • Nearly fifty years ago, a US government ship drilled into the seafloor off the US Northeast to see what it could find. It found fresh water. There are similar places around the world where frest water lies under the ocean. It is water the world needs. [ABC News]

¶ “Solnit Calls The Renewable Energy Revolution ‘Nothing Less Than Astonishing'” • In an editorial in the Guardian, historian, author, and activist Rebecca Solnit reminds us how renewables are now adequate to provide almost all our energy needs. The renewable energy transition is happening all around us, and “it is nothing less than astonishing.” [CleanTechnica]

Wind farm (Spencer DeMera, Unsplash)

¶ “Mozambique Embraces A $6 Billion Hydroelectricity Project” • Mozambique has won World Bank backing for the $6 billion Mphanda Nkuwa hydroelectric plant. Mozambique, one of the world’s poorest countries by per capita income, aims to connect all of its 33 million mostly rural citizens to electricity by 2030, largely through renewable energy. [ABC News]

¶ “Volvo Teases EX60 As ‘Groundbreaking'” • Volvo Cars has the most ambitious electrification plan among legacy automakers. Its global vehicle sales include 20% that are full EVs and 24% plugin hybrids. Volvo plans to reach over 90% plugin vehicle sales by 2030. It expects one models to supercharge this transition, the coming Volvo EX60. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo EX60 teaser

¶ “Battery Officially Opened” • A big battery has joined Victoria’s growing network of energy storage systems, supporting the state in its shift to renewable energy. Lily D’Ambrosio, Minister for Energy and Resources, opened the 100-MW Latrobe Valley Battery Energy Storage System, which is beside the existing Morwell terminal station. [TRFM]

¶ “Adani Group Plans To Invest $60 Billion In India’s Renewable Energy And Power Sector” • The Adani Group unveiled plans to invest around $60 billion by FY32 in India’s power sector, with a sharp focus on renewable energy, thermal generation, and power transmission. Renewable and thermal capacity would each get over $20 billion. [BW Businessworld]

Solar array in Gujarat (Citizenmj, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “China Breaks Ground On Unprecedented Project That Could Reshape Global Energy” • China just kicked off construction on a power project that could reshape what global energy looks like: the world’s first large-scale turbine designed to run entirely on hydrogen. The 30-MW turbine does not require that methane be mixed with its hydrogen. [The Cool Down]

US:

¶ “NHTSA Rule Changes Favor Autonomous Cars” • If you want to sell a car in the USA, it must meet federal motor vehicle safety standards known as FMVSS. The old rules had never anticipated autonomous vehicles. Now the Transportation Department has announced it will create them. Federal overreach may be hidden in the plan. We will see. [CleanTechnica]

Zoox Fully Autonomous electric robotaxi

¶ “How US Politics Killed A Nearly Complete Offshore Wind Farm” • Some speculate that the halt to Revolution Wind that the US government ordered may have less to do with the project itself and more to do with geopolitics. Denmark, Ørsted’s home country, has clashed with Washington over issues ranging from Arctic policy to Greenland. [OilPrice.com]

¶ “Iowa Nuclear Plant Is The Next Contender To Restart” • The Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Iowa has plans to restart by the end of the decade. It had been shut down for economic reasons in 2020. The plant is the third, and likely the last, mothballed reactor in the US that is in shape to come back online to support growing power demand. [MSN]

Have a sensationally meditative day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Tesla Board Offers $1 Trillion To Get Musk To Pay Attention To Business” • A board of directors of a major public corporation should not have to beg its CEO to pay attention to the business. If that person is not interested, get someone who is. But that is not how things work at Tesla, where the board is made up of slaves to the wishes of one person. [CleanTechnica]

Tesla in orbit (SpaceX, CC0 1.0, public domain)

¶ “Nuclear Power Is Failing, And AI Can’t Rescue It” • An intensive influence campaign seeks to resurrect a “nuclear renaissance” from the industry’s slow-motion collapse documented in the independent annual World Nuclear Industry Status Report. The illusion of rebirth neatly fits the industry’s business-model shift from selling products to harvesting subsidies. [Utility Dive]

World:

¶ “Cloud Seeding, Flash Floods, And A Thirsty City: The UAE’s Fragile Relationship With Rain” • Rainfall has long fascinated the people of the Emirates. That includes both its locals crowding into the deserts for any downpour and its vast population of foreign workers, many of whom grew up with monsoon deluges. But rain has peril with its promises. [Euronews]

Palm trees in Dubai (Vangelis Kovu, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Radioactive Metal At Indonesia Industrial Site May Be Linked To Shrimp Recall” • Contaminated metal at an industrial site in Indonesia may be the source of radioactive material that led to massive recalls of imported frozen shrimp, international nuclear safety officials say, as efforts continue to halt more shipments bound for the US. [ABC News]

¶ “Ethical Power Commissions A 55-MW Spanish PV Farm” • Ethical Power commissioned a 55-MW solar farm in the Seville region of Andalusia. The Fundici solar farm is owned by Encavis AG, who selected Ethical Power as the principal EPC contractor. The solar farm was developed by Hive Energy, and Ethical Power optimized the design. [reNews]

Fundici solar farm (Ethical Power image)

¶ “BYD BEV Sales Up 34% While PHEV Sales Down 23%” • BYD’s full electric vehicle (BEV) sales were up YOY, 34.4% higher in August 2025 than in August 2024. Looking across the first eight months of the year, they were up 39.4% in 2025 compared to 2024. BYD’s plugin hybrid vehicle (PHEV) sales, however, were down YOY in August. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “AMDA Bags Permit For 1-GW Wind Farm” • A 1-GW wind farm in the Western Cape is the largest permitted wind energy project in South Africa. AMDA Developments will build the 154-turbine Carissa Wind Energy Facility near Beaufort West. The scheme has been granted environmental authorisation after an environmental impact assessment process. [reNews]

Wind farm (AMDA image)

¶ “AGEL Picks Andritz To Kit Out 1.8-GW Hydro Plant” • Andritz has an order from Adani Green Energy Limited to equip the new 1,800-MW Gandikota pumped storage hydro plant in India. Andritz will supply reversible pump turbines, motor-generators, and related electromechanical equipment for the project, which is in Andhra Pradesh. [reNews]

¶ “1.3-GW Upper Calliope Solar Power Farm Australia’s Largest Solar Plant Underway” • The 1.3 GW Upper Calliope Solar Farm is a flagship renewable energy development in Queensland led by European Energy. It will be the largest solar project by the company in Australia, and it is expected to meet about 5% of Queensland’s total demand. [Construction Review]

Solar array (Manny Becerra, Unsplash)

¶ “Safety Costs For Reactors In Japan Jump To ¥6.5 Trillion” • Costs for safety measures by 11 power companies to restart idle reactors at their nuclear power plants in the aftermath of the 2011 Fukushima disaster have risen to ¥6.5 trillion ($43.98 billion), an Asahi Shimbun survey shows. Total costs are expected to continue to rise. [The Asashi Shimbun]

US:

¶ “ICE Took 475 People Taken Into Custody At Hyundai Plant In Georgia” • US immigration authorities have arrested 475 people in a raid on a Hyundai manufacturing site in Georgia, Steve Schrank, a special agent in charge of Homeland Securities Investigations Atlanta, said at a press conference. Those taken were all employees of contractors. [ABC News]

Hyundai plant in Georgia (Hyundai image)

¶ “Tesla’s Proposed Pay Package Could Make Elon Musk A Trillionaire” • Tesla’s board proposed compensation for CEO Elon Musk that would bring the tech entrepreneur’s wealth above $1 trillion if the company fulfills a set of strict benchmarks over the next decade, a securities filing shows. Musk could get roughly $900 billion over ten years. [ABC News]

¶ “Natron Closes Its Doors, Ending Job Opportunities In Michigan And North Carolina” • Natron Energy was to develop sodium-ion batteries as a cost-effective sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries. With federal incentives, it was to build a gigafactory in North Carolina. Now, with the One Big Bad  Bill, it’s gone bust, taking its jobs with it. [CleanTechnica]

Natron battery (Natron image)

¶ “Hell’s Kitchen: Can Lithium And Geothermal Power Thrive In The Salton Sea?” • The Hell’s Kitchen project in Imperial County, California, gets attention because it could deliver on two goals in one place. Controlled Thermal Resources is building a facility that would generate geothermal electricity while also extracting lithium from the same brine. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Georgia Power Receives Approval For Five New Solar Facilities” • Georgia Power is moving forward with five new solar projects, after receiving approval from the Georgia Public Service Commission. The facilities will be built by third-party companies and have a total generating capacity of 1,068 MW, which will be supplied through PPAs. [WTOC]

Have an unimaginably dreamy day.

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World:

¶ “Volvo Crushes Other Automakers On Green Steel” • Volvo invented the seatbelt, and then gave the invention away. The company leads on sustainability matters, and it has aggressive plans for full electrification. Now we also get news from Transport & Environment that Volvo is the industry leader on use of green steel. [CleanTechnica]

Volvo ES90 (Volvo Cars image)

¶ “The Importance of How BYD Spends on R&D” • In their interim H1 financial report, BYD’s R&D spending was up 53% YOY and was roughly twice its net profits. BYD’s R&D spending has also exceeded its net profits 13 of the past 14 years. Some “industry insiders” claim that this is “hiding profits.” But that might not be what’s happening. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD Recasts Targets Down by 16%, Stocks Drop 8%” • Amid progressively contracting sales revenue, Chinese EV giant BYD has recast its 2025 sales targets. The company cut its forecast by 16%, from 39,300 million yuan ($5.5 million) down to 32,850 million yuan ($4.6 million), possibly signaling an end to its era of record-setting expansion. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Dolphin (BYD image)

¶ “Unigea Romania Closes Financing On 85-MW Solar Farm” • Unigea Solar Projects Romania has reached financial close on an 85-MW PV project in Transylvania. Development financing of €30.25 million for the Helios 1 solar project was secured in a deal with Kommunalkredit Austria. The PVs will be on a 68 hectare (168 acre) site at a former coal-fired plant. [reNews]

¶ “Engie To Optimise 120-MW French BESS” • Engie signed a contract with Kallista Energy to optimise a 120-MW, 240-MWh battery storage project in France. Kallista Energy is building the battery energy storage system in Saleux in northern France. The batteries will be optimised to provide grid services, managing the recharge and discharge cycles. [reNews]

BESS site in Saleux (Kallista Energy image)

¶ “Big Canberra Battery Is A Step Closer” • The Big Canberra Battery project reached another milestone, as a transformer was delivered to the Williamsdale construction site. The transformer makes sure the electricity stored in the battery is converted correctly to be safely supplied to the grid when demand is high and solar generation drops. [ACT Government]

¶ “Enercon Adopts New Renewables Strategy” • Enercon is going beyond manufacturing turbines to offer an expanded portfolio of green energy solutions to wind farm developers. Its flagship E-175 EP5 turbine is still takeing center stage, but the company is offering to include battery energy storage, optimisation, and grid connections. [reNews]

E-175 EP5 turbine (Enercon image)

¶ “Jellyfish Force Shutdown Of Nuclear Reactor” • Electricity production at the Paluel nuclear plant in northern France was almost halved after the number 4 reactor was shut down and power at the number 3 reactor was reduced to protect the plant’s infrastructure, a statement from provider EDF said. It is not the first time jellyfish shut reactors this year. [MSN]

US:

¶ “DOJ Sues SoCal Edison Over Eaton Fire, Seeking More Than $40 Million In Damages” • The US Department of Justice is suing Southern California Edison over the Eaton Fire, seeking tens of millions of dollars in damages for alleged negligence it claims led to the deadly fire. The fire’s cause is still under investigation, according to Cal Fire. [ABC News]

Fairview Fire, 2022 (Cal Fire, Riverside County Fire Dept)

¶ “More Evidence That The War On Solar Energy Is Another #FAIL” • If President Trump doesn’t happen to know the solar industry is unstoppable, the world of real estate just provided him with three more pieces of evidence that underscore the staying power of the US solar industry, despite the abrupt shift in federal policy this year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Danish Firm Ørsted Vows To Save Offshore Wind Jobs Trump Wants To Crush” • In his campaign for president, Donald Trump made many campaign promises, one of which was to obliterate the US offshore wind industry. He has been trying. Now Ørsted plans to revive one of his victims, the 704-MW Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island. [CleanTechnica]

Work on Revolution Wind (Revolution Wind image)

¶ “RES Inks 1.5-GW Solar O&M Contract” • RES signed a major contract with Repsol to provide operations and maintenance services for large solar projects. The agreement covers over 1.5 GW of solar projects, including the 825-MW Pinnington and 620-MW Outpost projects in Texas, and the 120-MW Jicarilla 1 and 2 projects in New Mexico. [reNews]

¶ “ContourGlobal Powers Up 185-MW US Solar Park” • A solar park in Colorado was powered up by ContourGlobal. The 185-MW Black Hollow Sun 1, the first phase of a larger solar project, has begun delivering electricity to Platte River Power Authority. The facility is near the town of Severance. It is ContourGlobal’s first operational US renewable plant. [reNews]

Black Hollow Sun 1 (ContourGlobal image)

¶ “Lawsuit Seeks To Stop ‘Arbitrary And Capricious’ Trump Attack On New England Wind Farm” • The attorneys general of Connecticut and Rhode Island joined renewable energy firms in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s suspension of an offshore wind farm that would power hundreds of thousands of homes in the two states. [Common Dreams]

¶ “Trump Supports Nuclear Power As It Is ‘More American’ Than Wind, Solar, US Official Says” • The Trump administration is more willing to support loan guarantees and tax breaks for nuclear power than for wind and solar because nuclear is “more American” than those forms of energy, the director of the US Energy Dominance Council said. [AOL.com]

Have a casually gleeful day.

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Science and Technology:

¶ “Plastic Recycling Not Requiring Sorting Could Be Comin” • Northwestern University chemists developed a plastic upcycling process that can drastically reduce, or perhaps even fully bypass, the laborious chore of pre-sorting mixed plastic waste. The new process selectively breaks down polyolefin plastics consisting of polyethylenes and polypropylenes. [CleanTechnica]

Waste plastics (Nick Fewings, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Climate Change Has Fueled Wildfires Of ‘Unprecedented Intensity’ In Spain And Portugal, Experts Say” • Climate change made weather that fueled deadly wildfires in Portugal and Spain this summer around forty times more likely, researchers found. Fuelled by temperatures above 40°C (104°F) and strong winds, the fires set records for the area burned. [Euronews]

¶ “Can The EU Help Greece And Other Thirsty Member States?” • Certain regions in Greece face their fourth consecutive drought year. Lack of water is affecting consumers and several economy sectors, especially the agriculture. Are national authorities and the European Union doing enough to help? Euronews went to the fire areas to try to find out. [Euronews]

Kambos plain (Robin Rönnlund, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “EVs At 26.0% Share In France; Renault 5 Consolidates Lead” • August’s auto market saw plugin EVs at 26.0% share in France, up from 22.4% year on year. Battery EVs grew 30% and gained an additional 4% share of the overall market, whereas plugin hybrids were slightly down. The Renault 5 was France’s best-selling BEV in August. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “400-MW Wind Farm Given Nod In Australia” • Woolnorth Renewables has been granted state planning permission for a 400-MW wind farm in Victoria, Australia. The Government of  Victoria has granted a permit for the developer to build the Mt Fyans project. The 81-turbine wind farm will be built on private land in southwest Victoria. [reNews]

Wind farm (Woolnorth Renewables image)

¶ “India Adds 30 GW Renewable Energy Generation Capacity So Far In 2025” • India has added 30 GW of renewable capacity so far this year and is expected to close 2025 with an addition of up to 43 GW, said Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi. The government’s goal is 500 GW of renewable genrating capacity by 2030. [Punjab News Express]

¶ “CWHI Ships Out First Monopiles For Inch Cape” • CWHI has shipped out the first eight XXL monopiles for ESB and Red Rock Renewables’ 1,100-MW Inch Cape offshore wind farm. Produced at the Chinese company’s Qinzhou Yard, the monopiles were shipped aboard the COSCO vessel Xian Taikou. They are now on the way to Scotland. [reNews]

Xian Taikou shipping monopiles (CWHI image)

¶ “Russia Pledges To Help China Expand Nuclear Power” • Russia has said it will help China grow its nuclear power capacity and overtake the US as a leading producer of nuclear energy.  China is boosting the number of its nuclear reactors and “has ambitious plans for the development of atomic energy,” Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said. [The Daily Signal]

¶ “Sweden’s Largest Solar Farm Powers Up” • Developers have commissioned Sweden’s largest solar farm. Nordic independent power producer Alight and renewables developer Neoen said the 100-MW Hultsfred solar farm is fully operational. The solar farm has 174 000 low-carbon PV panels installed around the runway of Hultsfred Airport in Småland. [reNews]

Solar panels at Hultsfred Airport (Alight and Neoen image)

US:

¶ “VinFast Rocks Into USA And Canada With 10-Year Warranty” • No matter what car you’re buying these days, you are almost definitely not getting a 10-year warranty on the vehicle. Unless you’re buying a VinFast. VinFast is offering the 10-year warranty in both the US and Canada. This is the longest term by far. The usual warranty is three to five years. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Trump Takes Aim At 1.2-GW SouthCoast Wind” • The Trump administration signalled its intent to withdraw federal permitting for the 1,200-MW EDP Renewables and ENGIE joint-venture SouthCoast Wind. The Department of Justice revealed the plan in a filing on a challenge to the project by the Massachusetts municipality of Nantucket. [reNews]

Offshore windfarm (Jesse De Meulenaere, Unsplash)

¶ “The Renewable Energy Smackdown Is Failing” • President Donald Trump’s “American Energy Dominance” plan left a big, gaping hole where wind and solar energy ought to be. However, industry stakeholders are not taking the smackdown lying down. A case in point is the North American branch of the leading global energy firm ENGIE. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Colorado Goes Big On Clean Energy Before Tax Credits Vanish” • Colorado is pushing hard to approve a massive amount of renewable energy projects while they are eligible for federal incentives. The Republican tax and spending law that passed this summer drastically shortened the timeline for wind and solar projects to qualify for federal tax credits. [Canary Media]

Twin Buttes Wind Farm (Joshua Heyer, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Florida’s Planned Coral ‘Baby Boom’ Will Help Fortify Its Coastal Reefs” • The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is funding growth of 5,000 juvenile corals over the next two years along with hundreds of thousands of coral larvae that will be installed in reefs as part of its Coral Reef Restoration and Recovery Initiative. [ABC News]

¶ “These Conservatives Want Government To Stop Working Against Clean Energy” • Hundreds people filled a downtown Cleveland conference hall for the National Conservative Energy Summit. One major theme: the need for both the federal and local governments to remove increasingly high hurdles to building renewable energy. [Canary Media]

Have a basically magical day.

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World:

¶ “Study Finds Europe’s Red Squirrels May Cope Better With Global Warming Than Expected” • A study from Bournemouth University and the Wight Squirrel Project has found that red squirrels are surprisingly resilient in the face of climate change. The research used climate models to test how they would fare under different warming scenarios. [Euronews]

Red squirrel (Rebecca Prest, Unsplash)

¶ “Summer 2025 Was UK’s Hottest On Record And Experts Say ‘Extremes’ Are Getting More Common” • Summer 2025 is the UK’s warmest on record, provisional figures from the Met Office indicate. Now, all five of the UK’s hottest summers have occurred since 2000. Climate scientists say such hot summers are 70 times more likely due to climate change. [Euronews]

¶ “Wind Energy Spurned In US, Is Welcomed In Bosnia And Herzegovina” • So much for “American Energy Dominance.” US President Trump’s war on wind energy is killing off thousands of US jobs, but China is gleefully taking its wind industry on the road to pick up ripe targets. The latest example is the Balkan nation Bosnia and Herzegovina. [CleanTechnica]

Ivovik wind farm (Courtesy of POWERCHINA)

¶ “XPENG Sales Rise 169%, Year Over Year!” • XPENG vehicle sales continue at a vastly higher level than a year ago. In August 2025, XPENG scored 37,709 deliveries, 169% more than in August 2024. Across the first eight months of this year, XPENG has completed 271,615 deliveries. That’s 252% more than in the first eight months of 2024! [CleanTechnica]

¶ “VinFast Electric Buses Headed For Europe” • Vietnamese automaker VinFast is launching a calculated, high-stakes entry into the European Union’s lucrative public transport market, scheduling the debut of two purpose-built electric bus models for the Busworld Europe 2025 exhibition. The move is a critical test of VinFast’s global ambitions. [CleanTechnica]

VinFast electric bus for Europe (VinFast photo)

¶ “South Korea Awards Nearly 700 MW Of Capacity” • The South Korean government has awarded nearly 700 MW worth of capacity across four fixed-bottom projects in the country’s latest auction results released this week. The energy ministry said in a release that all four selected projects were from the carve out for public-led consortiums. [reNews]

¶ “Energiekontor Closes Financing On German Wind Duo” • Energiekontor has reached financial close on the Haberloh and Heidkrug wind park projects in Germany. With a total 94 MW, the two wind farms in Lower Saxony are ready for construction and are scheduled to become operational in 2027. Building permits issued in August 2024. [reNews]

Energiekontor wind turbine (Energiekontor image)

¶ “Australia’s Multi-Billion Dollar Undersea Power Cable Hits Financial Close” • Australia reached financial close on a subsea power cable linking the mainland to renewable generation on Tasmania. The first stage of the 345-km (214-mile) Marinus Link has A$3.8 billion ($2.5 billion) funding from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. [Energy Connects]

US:

¶ “Wildfire Scorches Historic California Gold Mining Town, Burning Multiple Homes” • A quick-moving wildfire scorched thousands of acres and burned homes in a California Gold Rush town settled around 1850 by Chinese miners who were driven out of a nearby camp. The blaze, the 6-5 Fire, was caused by lightning, according to CalFire. [ABC News]

The 6-5 Fire (CalFire image)

¶ “General Motors Kills It, Racks Up New Monthly EV Sale Record” • GM has had great fun with its status as the #2 EV seller in the US over the past couple of years, topped only by longtime industry leader Tesla. The fun continued into August, when GM added up the numbers to total sales of 21,000 EVs from all EV branches combined. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Americans For Prosperity Comes For Vermont Voters” • The Vermont legislature is Democratic, the governor is Republican, and one Senator is fiercely independent. Vermonters tolerate those who march to the beat of a different drummer. Clearly, the Heritage Foundation can’t stand to see a state that is so respectful of others. [CleanTechnica, parts One and Two]

Vermont fall foliage (Pixabay, cropped)

¶ “For Many Farmers, Steady Income From Renewable Energy Sources Like Wind And Solar Are Lifelines” • Drive through the plains of Iowa or Kansas and you’ll see more than rows of crops. You’ll also see tall wind turbines. Renewable energy provides a steady income, helping farms stay viable when crop prices fall or drought strikes. [Wisconsin State Farmer]

¶ “Ingeteam Commissions 640-MW US Solar Plant” • Ingeteam has helped to commission a 640 MW solar park in Texas. The company supplied PV inverters for the Parliament Solar project, which is developed and managed by Parliament Energy. The project represents Ingeteam’s largest installation of photovoltaic inverters in the US to date. [reNews]

Parliament Solar array (Ingeteam image)

¶ “Scientists Say Trump Admin’s Climate Report Is Riddled With Errors” • Over 80 scientists panned the DOE’s recently released report on climate change, describing it as riddled with errors, founded on cherry-picked data and “just plain wrong.” Andrew Dessler, a climate scientist at Texas A&M University, said “This report makes a mockery of science.” [HuffPost]

¶ “New Agreement Could Add Up To 6 GW Of Nuclear Power To TVA Grid” • TVA signed an agreement with ENTRA1 Energy to develop up to six generating plants that will provide up to 6 GW of nuclear power on sites in TVA’s seven-state region. This is enough energy to power 4.5 million homes or sixty new data centers. [Yahoo]

Have an indescribably gorgeous day.

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World:

¶ “Can Green Hydrogen Decarbonise The Shipping Sector?” • Five partners from Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, and the UK  got together to help ports in the North Sea region make the transition towards clean and green shipping in the cross-border project Zero Emissions Ports North Sea. They are fueling barges and ferries with hydrogen. [Euronews]

Zero-emissions barges (Future Proof Shipping image)

¶ “Now Europeans Can Order A Chinese EV Online” • Who’d like to buy a brand new Chinese EV or PHEV online and have it delivered to their door? OK, if you live in the US, put your hand down. Your government has decided you can’t have one. But for those who live in Europe, China EV Marketplace may have the very service you want. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “India Is Building A Strong EV Ecosystem While The World Only Sees Tesla And BYD” • Tesla dominates headlines. BYD gets the analysis articles. BMW and Mercedes compete for luxury coverage. Meanwhile, three Indian companies have been selling electric cars by the thousands, and most people outside India have never heard of them. [CleanTechnica]

Harrier EV (Photo from Tata)

¶ “From Crisis To Clean Energy: Iloilo’s Offshore Wind Gambit” • In the Philippines, economic growth is outpacing the energy infrastructure. When aging coal plants failed and transmission lines couldn’t cope, Panay, Guimaras, and Negros lost power for days. For Iloilo Province, however, the crisis became a catalyst for transformation. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Northern Offshore Orders Twelve Crew Transfer Vessels” • Northern Offshore Services has ordered twelve hybrid E-Class crew transfer vessels to expand its fleet. The company said the order it made is one of the largest CTV orders in history, with four vessels on the way and eight more on order from an undisclosed shipyard partner. [reNews]

Crew transfer vessel (Northern Offshore Services image)

¶ “600-MW Wind Farm Begins Operations In SE Asia” • A 600-MW onshore wind farm achieved commercial operation in Laos. Described as Asia’s first cross-border renewable energy initiative, the Monsoon Wind Power Project transmits electricity from Laos to Vietnam. The 133 turbines span roughly 68,000 hectares of mountainous terrain. [reNews]

¶ “Sembcorp Wins Bid For Floating Solar Farm” • Sembcorp Industries was named the winning bidder by PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency, to build an 86-MW floating solar PV system on Pandan Reservoir. The PV farm on Pandan Reservoir will be Sembcorp’s third floating solar project in Singapore. The first was completed in 2021. [reNews]

Floating solar at Tengeh Reservoir (Sembcorp image)

¶ “Africa Sees Record Boom In Chinese Solar Panel Imports” • African nations are turning to clean energy faster than ever, with imports of Chinese solar panels surging 60% in the past year. According to Bloomberg and Ember, which analyzed Chinese customs records, the continent imported 15 GW of solar capacity in the twelve months through June. [One Green Planet]

¶ “GES To Build 695-MW Hybrid Renewables Park In Chile” • GES won a contract for construction of a 695-MW hybrid solar, wind and battery energy storage project in Chile. It will be the largest project in the history of the Spanish renewable energy outfit. GES has been present in Chile since 2013, building 1,178 MW of wind and PV projects to date. [reNews]

Hybrid renewables park (GES image)

¶ “Russia Open To ‘Cooperation’ With Ukraine And US At The Occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant, Putin Claims” • Moscow is open to “three-way cooperation” with the US and Ukraine, as regards the occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, according to the Russian news channel Vesti. [The Kyiv Independent]

¶ “EDF Energy Extends Life Of Two UK Nuclear Plants” • EDF Energy said on Tuesday it will extend the life of its Heysham 1 and Hartlepool nuclear power plants in Britain for twelve more months to March 2028. The decision follows a series of positive graphite core inspections at the plants over the last nine months, EDF Energy said in a statement. [MSN]

Heysham nuclear plant (Kevin Waterhouse, CC BY-SA 2.0)

US:

¶ “The Labor Day Legacy Of Offshore Wind Workers” • Workers marched this Labor Day, September 1, 2025, in opposition to the Trump administration’s policies that forced federal employees from their jobs, attempted to weaken collective bargaining, cut the minimum wage, eviscerated Medicaid, and removed legal immigrant workers. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The New York Center For Climate Solutions Stays Calm, Carries On” • President Trump has returned to office with a powerful fossil fuel agenda in his pocket and willing enablers in Congress. Nevertheless, the Center for Climate Solutions is still on track, with the forthcoming New York Climate Exchange as its centerpiece. [CleanTechnica]

New York Climate Exchange (Rendering from nyc.gov)

¶ “US Automakers Still Plan To Make More EVs, Faster” • Oh the irony, it burns. The President of the United States of America aimed to kill the vehicle electrification movement in its cradle, but lately he’s been the one ruminating about heaven while US automakers keep laying more plans to populate the roads of the US with more EVs. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Ormat Extends 25-Year PPA To Provide Renewable Energy For Southern California To SCPPA” • Ormat Technologies, Inc secured a 25-year power purchase agreement extension with the Southern California Public Power Authority for 52-MW from its Heber 1 geothermal facility. The PPA will take effect in February 2026 and last until 2052. [MSN]

Have a grandly elegant day.

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World:

¶ “Unions Warns Of ‘Woefully Low’ Firefighter Numbers As EU Faces Record Wildfires” • Summer of 2025 saw the worst wildfire season in decades for the EU. Over one million hectares have burned since January, with over two-thirds of that in Spain and Portugal. But the number of firefighters in Europe is “woefully low,” European trade unions warn. [Euronews]

Fighting a wildfire in Spain (Bene Riobó, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Mindanao Businesses Embrace Solar Power With Landmark 8.4-MW Agreement” • Mindanao, the southernmost island in the Philippines, is energy-starved. It is highly dependent on fossil fuels, but also has a high potential for renewable energy. Berde Renewables, KCC Malls, and Biotech Farms have announced a PPA for 8.4 MW of solar power. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Infrastructure Supercharges EV Adoption” • While Norway captures headlines with its 89% EV market share, the Dutch have focused on a different form of leadership, based on charging infrastructure. This strategy, prioritizing long-term stability over short-term sales figures, offers a compelling blueprint for the future of electric mobility. [CleanTechnica]

Fastned charging station (Fastned photo)

¶ “Solar Gets Wings, Thanks To Storage Boom” • After tracking over five years of a solar surge, India’s solar boom is at a strange crossroads. The country reached its target of 40% renewable capacity four years ahead of schedule, growing from just over 2 GW to almost 125 GW capacity in barely a decade. The growth of storage adds opportunities. [Saur Energy]

¶ “Kutch Desert Becomes Battleground For Ambani-Adani Mega Renewable Energy Push” • A vast stretch of desert in Gujarat’s Rann of Kutch, within sight of the Pakistan border, has become a centerpiece of India’s clean energy ambitions, attracting multi-billion-dollar investments from tycoons Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani. [Telegraph India]

Rann of Kutch (Superfast1111, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

¶ “China’s Offshore Wind Power Surge And What it Means for India’s Renewable Goal” • China’s most powerful floating wind turbine, the OceanX, symbolizes China’s dominance in offshore wind industry, which is facing financial and political setbacks in Europe, Japan, and the US, according to Bloomberg. It also raises urgent questions for India. [Outlook Business]

¶ “Victoria Signs Off On 400-MW South-West Wind Farm” • Victoria approved another major wind project, with the 400-MW Mt Fyans Wind Farm set to supply power to almost 250,000 homes in the state’s south-west. The facility will have 81 turbines and create over 100 construction jobs, alongside ten permanent operational roles. [Ecogeneration]

Wind turbines (Mt Fyans Wind Farm image)

¶ “$4 Billion Private Investment Tipped As WA Opens New CIS Rounds” • Western Australia opened two Capacity Investment Scheme tenders to add 1.6 GW of renewable capacity and 2.4 GWh of storage to the state’s grid, unlocking an estimated $4 billion in private capital. The tenders are to meet annual demand for 900,000 households. [Ecogeneration]

¶ “China Giant Installs World’s Biggest Offshore Wind Turbine For Testing” • Chinese state-owned manufacturer Dongfang Electric installed a 26-MW offshore wind turbine, the largest in the world, at a testing facility. Dongfang Electric says it is being tested at the Wind Power Equipment Testing and Certification Innovation Base in Dongying. [RenewEconomy]

Wind turbine celebration (Dongfang Electric, via Weibo)

¶ “Russians Deny IAEA Access To A Newly Built Dam Near The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant” • An International Atomic Energy Agency team was denied access to a newly built dam on the channel of one of the cooling ponds at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. The dam is designed to support the plant’s reactor cooling system. [yahoo.com]

US:

¶ “Florida’s Once-Pristine Springs Threatened By Pollution And Development” • Florida has at least 1,000 freshwater springs, more than any other state. The underground Floridan Aquifer is the source of 90% of Florida’s drinking water. But these treasures are under threat from agricultural pollution, rapid development and climate change. [ABC News]

Madison Blue Springs (Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “EV Share Of USA Auto Market Drops To 7.4%, And Fossil Fuel Vehicle Sales Rise” • The EV share of the overall US auto market dropped to 7.4% in the second quarter, down year over year from 8.1% in Q2 2024, and also down quarter over quarter from 7.6% in Q1 2025. The EV market share is the worst its been since Q1 2024 when the share was 7.2%. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Federal Hurricane Forecasting Saves Lives And Money” • Eliminating some government programs can have devastating effects and cost more than keeping them intact. In this article, Amanda Carter, the Ocean Conservancy’s Director of Climate Science, answered questions about US hurricane forecasting for CleanTechnica. [CleanTechnica]

Cyclone Felleng (NASA, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

¶ “High-Tech Sports Arena Puts Significant Upgrade On Its Roof” • Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California, has just scored a major sustainability win. The venue, which is home to the San Diego Sockers and San Diego Clippers, is now powered by a nearly 800-kW solar system with battery storage, according to Renewable Energy Magazine. [The Cool Down]

¶ “‘Swarm Drone Attacks’ Behind Revolution Shutdown” • US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said the stop-work order for Orsted’s 704-MW Revolution Wind project is partly due to possible “swarm drone attacks.” He said, “In particular there are concerns about radar relative to undersea, and it doesn’t have to be a large Russian sub but undersea drones.” [reNews] (Really?)

Have an enchantingly memorable day.

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World:

¶ “Finnish City Starts Up 1-MW, 100-MWh Sand Battery” • The ways to store energy go far beyond using batteries. One uses sand. A really big pile of sand is heated with excess renewable electricity to around 500°C (932°F). That heat is later used to heat homes, factories, even swimming pools. The sand can stay hot for three months or more. [CleanTechnica]

Sand battery (Polar Night image)

¶ “Induction Cooking Is Gaining Acceptance With Professional Chefs” • Induction cooking is a new concept for most people. Until now, most food preparation by professional chefs has been done over a methane or propane flame. Now Bloomberg reports that some top level professional chefs are beginning to embrace induction cooking technology. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Power Transforming Lives Of Indian Farmers: PM Modi” • Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his radio program ‘Mann ki Baat’, on Sunday, emphasised the growing importance of solar power in India’s farm sector. He also narrated the story of a woman from Bihar who changed “the fate of her village with a solar pump.” [Public TV English]

Solar powered pump (USDA NRCS Montana, public domain)

¶ “Jigawa Gov Unveils N1.2 Billion Solar Mini Grid” • Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State, Nigeria, has inaugurated a 500-kW solar hybrid mini-grid worth N1.2 billion ($786,000) in Kafin Hausa Local Government Area. The project marks a major step toward improving power supply and prospects for economic activities in the state. [Punch Newspapers]

¶ “Ethiopia Accelerates Renewable Energy Drive to Power And Connect East Africa” • Ethiopia is leveraging its potential for renewable energy to grow and interconnect East African nations, its energy minister said. Ethiopia is using its renewable resources to position itself as Africa’s energy hub, with plans to extend the supply to other countries. [MSN]

Ethiopia (Daniele Levis Pelusi, Unsplash)

¶ “Meridian And Nova To Develop Mega Solar Projec” • In New Zealand, construction of the Te Rahui solar farm in Rangitāiki is going ahead after definitive agreements between Meridian and Nova were signed. The companies will share 50/50 ownership of the project. They have secured NZ$300 million ($176.56 million) in financing for the 200-MW first phase. [Inspenet]

¶ “Poland To Build Europe’s First Of Its Kind Small-Scale Nuclear Power Plant In Włocławek” • Poland’s first small nuclear power plant will be built in Włocławek, energy company Orlen announced. It will be the first project of its kind in Europe. The Polish SMR, a BWRX-300, with a capacity of 300 MW will be the first of at least two at the site. [Euronews]

Włocławek (Rafał Jendrzejewski, CC0 1.0)

US:

¶ “Tesla Still Nearly 50% Of US EV Sales, GM Rises To 15%” • The big sales drop by Tesla year over year (and even more so going back two years), still had the US EV brand dominate US EV sales. The company accounted for 48.5% of the US EV sales last quarter. With almost 144,000 sales, Tesla had over four times as many sales as #2 Chevrolet. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “A Push For Change In The US Electoral College Gives Us Hope For Future Climate Action” • The National Popular Vote non-profit argues that the national popular vote winner should be President. The National Popular Vote Interstate Compact has 209 electoral votes, and it will go into effect when states with at least 270 electoral votes have joined. [CleanTechnica]

Elephant and donkey (Kelly Sikkema, Unsplash)

¶ “The Offshore Wind Industry Is Forever (Offshore Wind Jobs, Not So Much)” • On August 29, the Trump administration yanked another rug out from under the US offshore wind industry, sending thousands of construction jobs spinning into the black hole of malevolent incompetence that passes for the US government these days. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “What To Know About Monsoon Season In The US” • The monsoon season, with its inclement conditions in the western US, is expected to last for another few weeks following a massive dust storm in the Phoenix region. In the Southwestern US, a monsoon has dry mornings and storms in the afternoons of the warm summer months. [ABC News]

Dust storm, Phoenix, 2011 (Zooey, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “Sea Power Turned Into Energy At Los Angeles Port” • Floating blue paddles dance on the waves that lap a dock in the Port of Los Angeles, silently converting the power of the sea into useable electricity. This innovative installation may hold one of the keys to hastening a transition away from fossil fuels to avoid the worst effects of climate change. [Free Malaysia Today]

¶ “White House Wants Government Stakes In More Companies” • The Trump administration’s move to take stakes in companies across industries may soon have a new target: nuclear power. The DOE’s recent establishment of a consortium for nuclear fuel paves the way for the Trump administration to take stakes in companies. [Yahoo Finance]

Have a congenially raucous day.

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Opinion:

¶ “Stand Up To Trump’s War On Renewable Energy” • Recently, the USDA announced that federal funding for wind and solar projects will be curtailed to end support of “unaffordable and unreliable ‘green’ energy sources.” That criticism rings hollow in Iowa. Nearly 60% of the state’s electricity comes from wind. It attracts companies to the state. [The Gazette]

Wind turbine (Jason Mavrommatis, Unsplash)

World:

¶ “Europe Faces Stormy Future As Climate Change Increases Supercell Risk” • Research has revealed how climate change is intensifying supercell thunderstorms in Europe. The study, published in Science Advances, warns that the Alpine region and parts of Central and Eastern Europe can expect a significant increase in storm activity. [Euronews]

¶ “How Flash Droughts Driven By Climate Change Sparked Record Wildfires In Spain” • Flash droughts, a relatively new climatic phenomenon, are rapidly becoming one of the most dangerous weather extremes linked to climate change. In just weeks, they can turn lush forests into tinder ready to burn, as the fires in Spain this August show. [Euronews]

Drought (Johannes Plenio, Unsplash)

¶ “Hyundai CRADLE Partners With UNCAGED Innovations To Develop Sustainable Leather Alternatives” • Hyundai CRADLE, Hyundai Motor Group’s open innovation hub, is partnering with UNCAGED Innovations, a leading biomaterials company to create sustainable, animal-free leather for automotive interiors using grain byproducts. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “1,212 EV Chargers Installed In Richmond, British Columbia” • A huge number of electric vehicle chargers were installed in the parking area of the Cadillac Fairview Richmond Center: 1,212 smart Level 2 EV chargers. This massive installation has chargers for Richmond Centre residents and an additional 20 to 40 will be added for the public. [CleanTechnica]

CF Richmond Center (Wpcpey, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

¶ “US Pressuring Other Countries To Abandon Clean Energy And Climate Goals” • If the US is going to build massive new LNG terminals, it will need plenty of customers for that climate-killing fuel. Since those terminals are for export, the customers must be foreign. So the US is trying to bully foreign countries into buying fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “France Strikes EU Deal To Unlock Hydro Investment” • France reached an agreement with the European Commission to resolve two disputes that blocked investment in hydroelectric power for over a decade. The government said the breakthrough will allow a relaunch of investments in dams and valleys, supporting its climate goals and energy sovereignty. [reNews]

Chief Joseph Dam (Wikimedia Commons, public domain)

¶ “JERA Nex BP, EnBW Get Green Light For Morgan” • The UK energy secretary, Ed Miliband, has granted planning consent to JERA Nex BP and EnBW for the 1.5-GW Morgan wind farm off north-west England. The 96-turbine array is the second Round 4 development to reach the milestone after Irish Sea sister array 1.5-GW Mona got a permit nod in July. [reNews]

¶ “Tesla Sales Plunge Again In Europe As Anger At Musk Keeps Buyers Away” • Europeans angry at Elon Musk still aren’t buying his cars months after the billionaire predicted a “major rebound” in Tesla sales, data shows. Tesla sales plunged 40% in July in the 27 European Union countries year over year, even as sales of EVs soared overall. [ABC News]

Cyberinfliction (Mylo Kaye, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “FDA Expands Warning Of Radioactive Shrimp As Two More Brands Are Recalled” • The US Food and Drug Administration is expanding its warning about radioactive shrimp, recalling more brands due to possible contamination. The FDA said the brands were processed by an Indonesian supplier, PT Bahari Makmur Sejati, operating as BMS Foods. [ABC News]

¶ “Twenty Years After Hurricane Katrina: Could Cuts To Disaster Preparedness Leave The US Vulnerable Again?” • Twenty years ago this week, Hurricane Katrina ripped into Louisiana and left New Orleans flooded. Nearly 2,000 people died, and entire neighbourhoods were lost. But the systems built in Katrina’s wake are now under threat. [Euronews]

After Katrina (Library of Congress via Unsplash)

¶ “Slate Auto’s New EV Is Coming For Your Gasmobile” • Despite Republican opposition to EVs, Slate Auto is forging ahead. As befits its new EV-on-a-budget business model, the company has been refurbishing a former printing plant in Warsaw, Indiana, to produce the Blank Slate pickup along with other variants on the same platform. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Trump Admin Cancels $679 Million For Offshore Wind Projects As Attacks On Reeling Industry Continue” • The Transportation Department canceled $679 million in federal funding for a dozen offshore wind projects. Funding for projects in eleven states was rescinded, including $435 million for a floating wind farm in Northern California. [MSN]

Oil rig (Arvind Vallabh, Unsplash)

¶ “North Carolina Governor Stein Establishes Energy Policy Task Force” • In the face of federal cuts to clean energy funding and manufacturing tax credits, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein has established an energy policy task force to determine how the state can continue to keep utility costs affordable and manage increasing energy demand. [The Well News]

¶ “Idaho National Lab Breaks Ground On The Nation’s First Experimental Modular Reactor” • Two years after the Energy Department approved development of the MARVEL nuclear reactor, Idaho National Lab officials met with Aalo Atomics on a 1-acre parcel inside the Idaho National Lab’s Materials and Fuels Complex for the groundbreaking. [KSL.com]

Have a nicely fulfilling day.

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World:

¶ “Deforestation Linked To Thousands Of Heat-Related Deaths Each Year, Study Warns” • A study published in Nature Climate Change finds that local warming caused by tropical deforestation exposes over 300 million people to higher temperatures and is associated with around 28,000 excess deaths every year, about half a million in the past twenty years. [Euronews]

Deforestation (roya ann miller, Unsplash)

¶ “Record Amount Of Wildfire Destruction Marks Dark Year For Europe” • In Europe, the 2025 wildfire season has already broken records for the amount of land burnt. So much, in fact, that it’s more than four times as much as last year. Experts say the higher temperatures and lower rainfall brought by climate change are making forest fires worse. [Euronews]

¶ “BYD’s Opportunity To Establish Brand Preference In The Developing World” • Because EVs are relatively new technology in these markets, there is an additional opportunity to be the first to mind when people think about EVs. Even where a preference for an fossil-fueled vehicle existed, disruptive technology helps buyers be open to new preferences. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Seagull (BYD Cars Philippines image)

¶ “Think How Much Climate Progress We Could Make If We Protected The World’s Forests” • Better science and policy to improve nature-based solutions to support climate mitigation outcomes can make a real difference to protect the world’s forests. It would take willingness on the part of governments to move forward with this approach. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Bottlenecks Threaten Offshore Wind Surge” • Europe’s offshore wind pipeline is 411 GW in 386 projects but bottlenecks threaten targets, a report from the Energy Industries Council shows. Only five of Europe’s eighty specialist installation vessels can handle 14-MW turbines. Moreover, port upgrades take six to ten years to complete. [reNews]

Offshore windfarm (Pete Godfrey, Unsplash)

¶ “30-Year-Old Solar Panels Still Going Strong” • An analysis of six solar panel systems installed in Switzerland over 30 years ago shows they remain effective, with material quality emerging as the main factor determining their longevity. Solar panel makers typically guarantee their products for 25 to 30 years, but these all did better than that. [Chemistry World]

¶ “Kelag Starts Work On 48-MW Lavamund Project” • Kelag will begin implementation work on the 48-MW Lavamund wind farm in September 2025. The project, in the Austrian state of Carinthia, will feature seven turbines producing 79 GWh of electricity per year, enough to supply around 23,000 homes. Commissioning is expected in 2027. [reNews]

Kelag wind project (Kelag image)

¶ “July Power Use Hits All-Time High Of 1 Trillion kWh” • In July, China’s electricity consumption passed 1 trillion kWh for the first time, driven by strong demand from production and consumption sectors. The country’s total power consumption reached 1.02 trillion kWh in July, an increase of 8.6%, YOY, the National Energy Administration said. [China Daily]

¶ “Wholesale Electricity Market Generation And Storage CIS Tenders Now Open” • The Capacity Investment Scheme Tenders 5 and 6 of Australia’s federal government are now open, seeking 1,600 MW of renewable energy generation and 2,400 MWh of dispatchable electric capacity in the Western Australia wholesale market. [pv magazine Australia]

Western Australia (Sophia Simoes, Unsplash)

¶ “UK solar generation hits record levels in 2025, says Ember” • A report from clean energy think tank Ember shows that 2025 has been the UK’s strongest year for solar energy generation on record. The first six months of this year have seen solar energy generation in the UK rise 32%, producing a record-breaking 9.91TWh. [Solar Power Portal]

US:

¶ “Why Is A Tiny Floating Solar Project Making Such Big Waves?” • Floating solar is a relatively new development in the PV field, requiring its own suite of water-specific hardware. Solar trackers have not been high on the to-do list, but that’s where the California firm Noria Energy spotted an opening. It has a tiny demonstration project in Colorado. [CleanTechnica]

Floating solar project (Noria Energy image)

¶ “Solar Power With Energy Storage System Launched At Denver Public Library” • Not all energy projects in the US take place at the federal level: regions, states, counties, cities, and towns may carry on with their own initiatives. A new solar power and energy storage system at the Denver Public Library is a case in point. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “$200 Million More For Clean Energy Here, There, And Everywhere” • Despite shifting federal policy, opportunities to push forward on electrification and clean energy are growing on the technology side. Activity on the investor side is supporting the momentum, the latest example being a fresh round of $200 million in capital commitments. [CleanTechnica]

Distributed solar (Sunrock DG via prnewswire.com)

¶ “US Agency Sparks Backlash After Throwing Up New Barriers For Crucial Projects” • Under new guidance from the Treasury Department, large renewable energy projects can no longer use a simple method of spending 5% of total project costs to qualify for tax credits. Instead, they must demonstrate ongoing “physical work of a significant nature.” [The Cool Down]

¶ “Commonwealth Fusion Raises $863 Million For Commercial Fusion Power” • Commonwealth Fusion Systems just raised $863 million in additional funding as it works to reach the decades-old dream of commercializing nuclear fusion. With its Series B2 funding round, the startup has raised about $3 billion in capital since it was spun out of MIT in 2018. [Canary Media]

Have a preposterously perfect day.

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World:

¶ “Can Cruising Be Emission-Free? Havila Voyages Plans The World’s Longest Climate-Neutral Cruise” • Norwegian cruise line Havila Voyages showed plans to start what could be the world’s longest climate-neutral cruise as soon as this autumn. The 12-day voyage would sail along the coast from Bergen to Kirkenes and back, a distance of 9,260 km (5,734 miles). [Euronews]

Havila Voyages ship (Havila Voyages image)

¶ “Climate Change Intensified Weather That Fueled Deadly Wildfires In Türkiye, Greece, And Cyprus” • Rapid analysis from World Weather Attribution shows that the hot, dry, and windy conditions, which drove the spread of blazes in Türkiye, Greece, And Cyprus, were around 22% more intense because of human-caused climate change. [Euronews]

¶ “Countries Must Include Aviation Contrails In Climate Plans Under Paris Agreement, Legal Advice Shows” • Legal analysis carried out by leading environmental law barristers concludes that countries must include non-CO₂ emissions, estimated to account for at least half of aviation’s climate impact, in their national climate plans. [CleanTechnica]

Contrails (Betsy Kellenberger, public domain)

¶ “Volvo Cars Reveals The New XC70 PHEV” • The new Volvo XC70 SUV is Volvo Cars’ first long-range plug-in hybrid, offering an all-electric driving range of over 200km under the CLTC testing cycle — the longest of any Volvo plug-in hybrid to date. It is built on Volvo Cars’ Scalable Modular Architecture platform for long-range plug-in hybrids. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nordex Wins 46-MW German Order From Trianel” • Nordex will supply and install eight N149/5.X turbines for the 46-MW Tasdorf wind farm in northern Germany. The customer is Trianel Erneuerbare Energien, an association of 36 municipal utilities and Stadtwerke cooperation Trianel. A 20-year premium service agreement is part of the contract. [reNews]

Wind farm (Nordex image)

¶ “Japan Confident On Wind Power After Mitsubishi Exit” • Japan remains optimistic about renewable energy adoption after Mitsubishi pulled out of three big offshore wind projects, the government said. Mitsubishi blamed high costs as it exited the projects, which planned 134 turbines to generate power for over a million homes. [Free Malaysia Today]

¶ “RP Global Begins 50-MW Harbke Solar Build” • RP Global has started construction of a 50-MW solar park in Saxony-Anhalt, on the spoil tip of one of Germany’s oldest lignite mines. RP Global said this is its first German solar project and is being delivered with EPC partner MaxSolar. An expansion of the plant is planned for the future. [reNews]

Solar farm (RP Global image)

¶ “France, Germany, Britain To Reimpose Iran Sanctions After Talks Falter” • France, Germany, and the UK are preparing to reimpose sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program after weeks of diplomacy failed to deliver results. The three countries, called the E3, had met with Iranian officials in a final attempt to revive stalled nuclear talks. [EUobserver]

US:

¶ “The Colorado River Is In Trouble. Some Groups Want The Government To Step Up” •A group of environmental advocates earlier this year sent a petition to the federal government with a simple, seemingly obvious message: Ensure that water from the imperiled Colorado River is only being delivered for reasonable and beneficial uses. [ABC News]

Sunset on the Colorado River (Clay Banks, Unsplash)

¶ “Trump Reports Distort Science To Justify Rollback Of Key Climate Protections, Experts Warn” • Two key documents from the Trump administration aimed at denying the long-standing finding that climate change is dangerous were filled with errors, bias, and distortions, according to dozens of scientists surveyed by The Associated Press. [Euronews]

¶ “Pumped Hydropower Storage Project Aims For Fast-Track Approval” • For all the attention lavished on lithium-ion battery technology, the fact is that good old fashioned pumped storage hydropower still accounts for the overwhelming majority of US grid-scale, long-duration energy storage. That’s overwhelming as in 96% as of last year. [CleanTechnica]

Proposed 1.5-GW pumped storage project (courtesy of NMSU)

¶ “Ford: Why Simplicity Is The Blueprint For Our Future EV Platform” • Doug Field, chief EV, digital, and design officer at Ford: “A century ago, Henry Ford said he would build a car for the great multitude, one ‘constructed of the best materials…after the simplest designs that modern engineering can devise.’ That car, the Model T, … transformed society.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Enlight Secures $403 Million US Financing Package” • Enlight has raised $350 million through a mezzanine loan with Bank Leumi and $53 million in tax equity for its Atrisco project in [New Mexico]. The company said the transactions complete its 2025 financing plan for 4.8 GW of new projects scheduled to connect by 2027. [reNews]

Solar power (Enlight image)

¶ “California Pushes The Electric Truck Envelope, Again” • With a tremendous amount of buying power in their pockets, fleet operators have been flexing their muscles in the electric truck field in California. One example is Amazon’s electric delivery van partnership with the Rivian. Fedex is another example in the area of electric vans. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Soaring Power Bills In The Largest US Grid Pose A Risk For Republicans” • Surging utility bills in key battleground states are threatening to become a political liability for Republicans as they head into upcoming elections. Nowhere is that more clear than in the largest US grid, where almost all electricity is generated by coal, gas, and nuclear. [Yahoo Finance]

Have a richly bountiful day.

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World:

¶ “Same Space, Two Harvests: Euronews Visits The First Seaweed Farm At An Offshore Wind Park” • In sea waters sheltered from vessel traffic, Euronews visited North Sea Farm 1, an experimental five-hectare seaweed plantation. It is part of a pioneering project combining offshore wind energy with ocean farming. And it just yielded its first crop. [Euronews]

Seaweed (Oleksandr Sushko, Unsplash)

¶ “EU Defends Sovereign Right To Regulate Tech Against Trump’s Latest Tariff Threat” • The fragile alliance between the EU and the US took a new turn for the worse after US president Trump unexpectedly threatened to put “substantial additional tariffs” on countries that implement legislation targeting US tech companies. [Euronews]

¶ “BYD’s Revised YangWang U9 Breaks EV Top Speed Record” • A recent post on BYD’s Xiaohongshu (aka RedNote) page says the YangWang U9 set a new EV top speed record of 472.41 km/h (293.54 mph) at ATP Automotive Testing Papenburg, a track in Germany. Such tests as top speeds in hypercars help develop EV technology. [CleanTechnica]

BYD YangWang U9 (BYD image)

¶ “Evacuations Under Way In Eastern Pakistan As India Releases Water From Swollen Rivers” • A day after New Delhi alerted Pakistan about possible cross-border flooding Pakistan evacuated tens of thousands of people to safer areas. The alert India gave Pakistan was the first public diplomatic contact between the two nuclear-armed rivals in months. [Euronews]

¶ “R Power Launches 650-MW BESS Portfolio In Poland” • R Power is developing a 650-MW battery storage portfolio in Poland after winning long-term capacity market contracts. The company said the three projects – Jedwabno, Tursko and Gdansk – total 2300-MWh and form one of the largest storage pipelines in Central and Eastern Europe. [reNews]

Construction of Polish solar farm (R Power image)

¶ “Indonesia Bets On Thorcon’s Molten Salt Reactor, But History Suggests Trouble Ahead” • Indonesia has taken a bold and likely problematic step, announcing its first regulatory approval for a nuclear power project. It gave a developer of molten salt reactors based in Singapore, Thorcon International, permission to use a site to evaluate a demonstration plant. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “SSE And Equinor Finalize Dogger Bank D Lease” • Equinor and SSE Renewables finalized a seabed lease with The Crown Estate to progress the proposed 1,500-MW Dogger Bank D offshore wind farm. Dogger Bank D would add up to 1.5 GW to the 3.6-GW Dogger Bank wind farm, already the world’s largest offshore project under construction. [reNews]

Dogger Bank D lease area (Dogger Bank image)

¶ “Enviromena Switches On 71-MW Essex Solar Farm” • A solar farm in Essex was energized by Enviromena, backed by the UK’s largest corporate power purchase agreement with an educational institution. From September, 71-MW Medebridge solar farm will supply The University of Manchester with 65% of its electricity demand under a 10-year deal. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Paving the Road for Cement and Concrete Technologies” • Cement and concrete are essential to infrastructure in the US. Accounting for 50% of all materials produced globally, domestic production of this critical material is highly energy intensive. It relies on outdated technology and requires imports of nearly 30 million metric tons of cement a year. [CleanTechnica]

NREL meeting (Agata Bogucka, NREL)

¶ “Yet Another Massive New Solar Factory Takes Shape In The US, Against The Odds” • While the domestic solar industry is operating under a thick pall of gloom this year, plans are already in the works for a full speed revival leading up to January 20, 2029, when the current occupant of the White House leaves peacefully, one hopes. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Trump Administration Is Investing In US Rare Earths In A Push To Break China’s Grip” • US production of crucial materials for EVs, smartphones, and fighter jets is set to expand in coming years, as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to build up the critical mineral industry in the US to work to break China’s hold on the global supply chain. [ABC News]

Smartphone (Jonas Leupe, Unsplash)

¶ “Ben And Jerry’s New Wastewater Plant Works A Lot Like The Human Body” • William Brangham reported for PBS how Ben and Jerry’s chose an alternative process for waste management that works a lot like our own bodies do when we eat: anaerobic digestion. The process produces methane, which is captured and used as biogas. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “The Trump-Orsted Wind Project Crisis: A Wake-Up Call For Renewable Energy Investors” • The Trump-Ørsted Wind Project Crisis has laid bare the fragility of renewable energy investments in the US, exposing how geopolitical and regulatory volatility can destabilize long-term infrastructure projects and erode investor confidence. [AInvest]

Offshore windpower (Mary, Unsplash)

¶ “Palisades Becomes The First Decommissioned US Nuclear Plant To Return To Operational Status” • The Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Michigan has returned to operational status, becoming the first US nuclear plant to do so. While it won’t allow the plant to generate power, the new status will allow it to order and receive fuel for plant reactors. [WMUK]

¶ “FERC Approves NextEra’s Request To Restart Duane Arnold Nuclear Plant” • The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved a waiver request from NextEra Energy that clears the way for the company to begin the process to restart the Duane Arnold nuclear power facility. Duane Arnold is the only nuclear plant in Iowa. [Power Engineering Magazine]

Have a deeply prepossessing day.

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World:

¶ “Solar Plus Battery Storage Changes Everything” • Energy Monitor reported that Pakistan imported 17 GW of solar PV and an estimated 1.25 GWh of lithium-ion battery packs in 2024. The expectations are that by 2030, battery imports could increase to 8.75 GWh. Pakistan’s rapid adoption of solar power, is driven primarily by market forces. [CleanTechnica]

Microgrid in Nigeria (Husk Power Systems via Canary Media)

¶ “Zambia’s Removal Of Customs Duties On EV Imports Spurs Growth In EV Adoption” • About a year and a half ago, Zambia moved to encourage the adoption of removing customs duties on EVs and reducing excise duties on most hybrids. Here, we look at the number of EVs registered in Zambia before and after the change. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Luxcara To Ditch Mingyang For Siemens Gamesa” • Luxcara plans to switch from Mingyang turbines to Siemens Gamesa units for its Waterkant project of up to 300 MW in the German North Sea. The developer reserved nineteen 15.5-MW units from Siemens Gamesa, as part of a wider reservation it confirmed for its nearby 1.5-GW Waterekke project. [reNews]

Turbines ready to ship (Siemens Gamesa image)

¶ “GreenGo Has Secured Approval For 120-MW Italian BESS” • GreenGo received authorisation for the 120-MW San Sostene battery storage project in Calabria, bringing its total approved storage capacity to 249-MW. The Bologna-based developer said San Sostene will deliver 480 MWh of capacity and connect to the 150-kV SE San Sostene node. [reNews]

¶ “Mingyang ‘Fully Committed’ To Europe” • Mingyang said it is “fully committed” to the European wind market after mutually agreeing with Luxcara to step away from the 300-MW Waterkant project in the German North Sea.  The Chinese OEM issued a statement saying that it is still aiming to support a number of projects in the region. [reNews]

Mingyang turbine (Mingyang image)

¶ “Federal Government Powers Innovation In Offshore Wind” • To make the most of Australia’s offshore energy potential, the Federal Government proposed new guidelines for research and demonstration licenses. The new guidelines aim to support the offshore renewable industry in developing technology and unlocking the sector’s potential. [Energy Magazine]

¶ “Why Investors Are Avoiding US Renewable Energy Projects” • In the first half of 2025, global investment in renewable energy hit a record, but fell in the US, a BloombergNEF analysis shows. Since the 2024 US election, the EU saw a big jump, supporting “the idea that developers and investors may be reallocating capital out of the US and into Europe.” [MSN]

Wind turbines (Nipun Jagtap, Unsplash)

¶ “Putrajaya Eyeing 70% Of Renewables In National Power Mix By 2050” • The government will of Malaysia continue efforts to increase the capacity of renewable energy within the national electricity supply system, according to the Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation. This includes introducing Battery Energy Storage Systems. [The Edge Malaysia]

¶ “China First To Surpass 1,000 GW Of Solar Capacity” • China passed a historic milestone in renewable energy by becoming the first country to surpass 1,000 GW of installed solar capacity. The China Electricity Council says the country added 210 GW of new solar systems in the first six months of 2025, taking its installed capacity to 1,100 GW. [Transformers Magazine]

Solar array (Maksym Diachenko, Unsplash)

US:

¶ “Some FEMA Staff Warn That Trump Cuts May Weaken Disaster Response” • On the twentieth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, about 180 Federal Emergency Management Agency employees wrote in a warning to Congress that the Trump administration’s changes and leadership at the agency could harm the US if disaster strikes. [ABC News]

¶ “Applications Open For Collegiate Competitions Aimed At Inspiring Future Water Power Workforce” • Calling all student innovators looking to make waves in the water power sector! The application windows for the Hydropower Collegiate Competition and Marine Energy Collegiate Competition will be open through September 19, 2025. [CleanTechnica]

Student presentation (Agata Bogucka, NREL)

¶ “Rivian To Build New Electric Vehicle Factory Despite Loss Of Federal Tax Credit” • Although efforts to throttle back federal support for the vehicle electrification movement gathered steam, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp did not get the memo. EV startup Rivian’s on-again, off-again plans for a massive EV factory in Georgia are on track again. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Trump ‘Plans To Revoke Permit For 2.2-GW Maryland'” • The Trump administration aims to revoke a permit for US Wind’s Maryland offshore wind farm of up to 2,200-MW. Reportedly, Attorneys from the Justice Department told a Delaware court that the Interior Department would move to vacate a plan for construction and operations by 12 September. [reNews]

Offshore wind turbines (Sam Farallon, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “Could The ‘Faltering’ US Dollar Create Global Clean Tech Investment Opportunities?” • Bloomberg reported that the value of the dollar fell almost 11% against ten leading global currencies in the first six months of 2025. It is its worst H1 performance since 1973. But the fall of the dollar may create opportunities to invest in clean technology. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Cold War Plutonium Could Power Future US Reactors” • The US does not use plutonium in nuclear power facilities. Now the Trump Administration is considering making available 20 metric tons of plutonium from dismantled nuclear warheads to US power firms, Reuters reports, citing a source with knowledge of the Administration’s plans. [OilPrice.com]

Have an unforgettably luminous day.

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World:

¶ “The Mobility House Promotes Energy Independence” • The Mobility House focuses on charging systems for EVs, despite the changing winds of politicals. It has a large presence in the US, but also works with partners in Europe as well as India, Singapore, and Thailand. The company manages some of Europe’s largest depot charging operations. [CleanTechnica]

Electric bus fleet (Courtesy of The Mobility House)

¶ “Ørsted Reaffirms Rights Issue After Revolution Setback” • Ørsted has moved to reassure investors of its commitment to a planned €8 billion ($9.4 billion) rights issue following the US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s order to halt offshore activities at its 704-MW Revolution Wind project. Ørsted is looking at options. [reNews]

¶ “Gentari, Gamuda Plan 1.5-GW Solar In Malaysia” • Gentari Renewables and Gamuda Energy have agreed to collaborate to develope about 1,500 MW of solar capacity with battery storage in Malaysia. The project will be delivered under the national Corporate Renewable Energy Supply Scheme to support the energy demand of hyperscale data centers. [reNews]

Signing ceremony (Gentari and Gamuda image)

¶ “Odisha’s Green Energy Ambitions: $1.5 Trillion Economy Or Unrealistic Dream?” • Odisha has unveiled one of India’s most ambitious renewable energy roadmaps, targeting a $500 billion economy by 2036 and $1.5 trillion by 2047 through green energy expansion. Odisha plans to increase its renewable capacity from the current 18% to 70% by 2047. [Down To Earth]

¶ “Ignitis Brings 137-MW Polish Wind Farm Online” • Ignitis Renewables has achieved commercial operation at the 136.8-MW Silesia II wind farm in southern Poland. The project in Opole Voivodeship features 38 Nordex N117/3600 turbines and can supply power to cover annual demand for approximately 177,000 households, the company said. [reNews]

Wind turbines (Ignitis Renewables image)

¶ “ADB Lends $2.8 Million For Solar Power Plant Upgrade In Samoa” • The Asian Development Bank provided a $2.8 million loan to Sun Pacific Energy Ltd to upgrade an existing solar farm in Samoa by replacing older solar panels, increasing renewable generation in the Pacific nation. The solar farm will be upgraded from 4.2 MW to 6 MW. [Renewables Now]

¶ “How A Solar Energy Company Is Trying To Lower Arctic Communities’ Diesel Dependency” • A solar energy company in Canada says it is reducing carbon emissions in Canada’s north by nearly 1.3 million kg per year. Green Sun Rising completed four solar installations in Nunavut this summer: in Pond Inlet, Grise Fiord, Arctic Bay and Clyde River. [Yahoo News Canada]

Solar installation (Green Sun Rising image)

¶ “Fukushima Nuclear Plant Clean-Up Faces Yet Another Delay” • The full removal of nuclear fuel from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi power plant was delayed by several years, as the operator now targets 2037 or later for the operation. An estimated 880 tons of damaged nuclear fuel and structural debris remain in the three reactors that had meltdowns. [MSN]

¶ “Lamborghini Can Build A Powerful Electric Car, But The CEO Says Customers Don’t Want One” • Owners and enthusiasts are pushing back against battery-powered two-seaters, demanding internal combustion engines that rattle homes and echo through the neighborhood. The fabled Italian marque has not entirely abandoned electrification, however. [ABC News]

Lamborghini Revuelto (Lamborghini image)

US:

¶ “Our Children’s Trust Represents Young People In Wisconsin In Climate Suit” • Our Children’s Trust and Wisconsin law firm Midwest Environmental Advocates joined to represent a group of fifteen young Wisconsin residents in a legal action to void two state statutes that they say unfairly benefit fossil fuels for power generation and limit renewable energy. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “When An Offshore Wind Project Shuts Down, A Gas Pipeline Gets Its Wings” • The Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island was brought to a screeching halt by order of the Interior Department even though it is already 80% complete. And, once again, a proposed multistate gas pipeline is lurking in the background. [CleanTechnica]

Revolution Wind offshore wind project (Ørsted image)

¶ “Trump Works To Sabotage Offshore Wind Alliances” • Do you think a nearly complete $4 billion wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island would be safe from the Trump administration’s wrath? With all necessary permits in place, wouldn’t its future seem secure? Nope. Now only a handful of US offshore wind projects are still under construction [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Executives Warn That Trump Attack On Renewables Will Lead To Power Crunch That Spikes Electricity Prices” • President Trump’s attack on solar and wind projects threatens to raise energy prices for consumers and undermine a stretched electric grid that’s already straining to meet rapidly growing demand, renewable energy executives warn. [CNBC]

Solar construction (Ernie Journeys, Unsplash, cropped)

¶ “US Solar Plant Construction Is On A Record-Breaking Spree – For Now” • The US is still on track to build a record amount of solar capacity this year, even as the Trump administration works to obstruct renewables. For now, the power industry is building more solar than any other type of power plant, as has been the case for several years running. [Canary Media]

¶ “Sunniest State Turns Its Back On The Sun” • The Arizona Corporation Commission voted 5-0 to repeal the state’s nearly two-decade-old renewable energy standards for its regulated investor-owned utilities. The rules require Arizona’s regulated utilities to source at least 15% of the electricity they sell from renewable sources. [pv magazine International]

Have a gracefully delightful day.

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World:

¶ “Rising Visitor Numbers Are Leaving A Harmful Human Footprint On Antarctica’s Ecosystems” • A study published in Nature Sustainability warns that surging tourism and expanding research bases are polluting the southern continent, accelerating snow melting, and threatening fragile ecosystems already at risk from climate change. [Euronews]

Penguin on watch (Jeremy Stewardson, Unsplash)

¶ “CLT As The Fastest Lever For Housing, Jobs, And Climate” • Canada is in the middle of two crises that are converging in uncomfortable ways. Housing supply has failed to keep up with demand for decades, but building constructions remain a major source of GHG emissions. Cross laminated timber can deal with both issues. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “BYD’s Sales Transition: Clearing Out The Old To Make Way For The New In China” • Sealion 06 sales are still ramping up as it is rolled out to different markets in China this month. Initial reports already place it as the best-selling vehicle in its class and the second best-selling SUV, even before it was available in the whole country. [CleanTechnica]

BYD Sealion 06 (BYD image)

¶ “Greens Pass Resolution Against Nuclear Power” • At their delegates’ meeting in Vicques in the Swiss canton of Jura, the Greens passed a resolution calling for a definitive exit from nuclear energy. They said that among the various forms of renewable energy, solar energy has the greatest potential, and they want subsidies increased. [blue News]

¶ “Energy Company Secures Contract To Harness Near-Limitless Power From Deep Beneath Island” • A Portuguese island chain will soon generate more electricity from underground heat after an energy company won a contract for €24.5 million to upgrade existing facilities. The new system on the island of São Miguel in the Azores will generate 5 MW. [NewsBreak]

Village of Maia (José Luís Ávila Silveira, public domain)

¶ “Taiwan Referendum Fails To Reopen Nuclear Power Plant” • Taiwan’s referendum to reopen the Manshan Nuclear Power Plant has failed after voter turnout fell short of the required threshold, foreign media reported. The failure reflects ongoing safety concerns over nuclear energy production and waste management in Taiwan. [24 News HD]

¶ “Fire Breaks Out At Nuclear Plant After Russia Claims Downing Ukrainian Drone” • A fire broke out at Russia’s Kursk Nuclear Power Plant after the military shot down a Ukrainian drone. The facility said the blaze has been extinguished, according to the News.Az, citing the Kiyv Post. The drone detonated on impact, sparking the fire. [Latest news from Azerbaijan]

Kursk NPP (Way 147711211, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

US:

¶ “Oil & Gas Pollution Linked To 90,000 Premature Deaths A Year In The US” • It may be time to focus on some other issues of Oil & Gas. A study published this week in the journal Science Advances says that extracting, transporting, refining, distributing, and burning fossil fuels causes at least 90,000 premature deaths in the US every year. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Firefighters Battle Wildfire In California’s Napa Valley” • A growing wildfire in California’s wine country sparked evacuation orders. The Pickett Fire in Napa County has burned over 5,800 acres since it broke out on Thursday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. On Saturday evening, the fire was just 11% contained. [ABC News]

Smoke over a vineyard (CalFire image via flickr)

¶ “Two-Thirds Of River Trash Is Plastic (Research)” • Recent research conducted at the University of California, Santa Barbara found that rivers have far too much plastic in them. In this article, Chase Brewster, a project scientist in UCSB’s Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory and the paper’s lead author, answered some questions about the research. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “PJM Surplus Interconnection Can Support 153 GW Of Solar, Wind, And Storage” • In the PJM Interconnection, thermal and renewable generating facilities have surplus interconnection capacity that could support about 153 GW of solar, wind, and storage, according to a working paper by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley. [Utility Dive]

Wind turbines (Veronica White, Unsplash)

¶ “Tesla Shareholder Group Challenges Musk Compensation Award” • A shareholder organization called SOC Investment Group has asked NASDAQ to invalidate the latest proposed compensation package for Elon Musk on the grounds that it violates NASDAQ’s rules designed to protect shareholders of publicly traded companies. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Texas Regulators Consider Cost Caps For Entergy Gas Plants” • The Public Utility Commission of Texas is considering putting cost caps on an Entergy proposal to build two gas-fired power plants with a combined capacity of about 1.2 GW, saying the utility failed to consider alternatives and has not shown the projects to be cost effective. [Utility Dive]

Have an excusably celebratory day.

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World:

¶ “Billions At Risk Of Extreme Heat In The Workplace” • Billions of workers worldwide need better protection from extreme heat as they work, a joint report by the World Health Organisation and the World Meteorological Organisation has found. Over 2.4 billion workers, 71% of all workers, are exposed to excessive heat, partly due to climate change. [Euronews]

Baking muffins (Taylor Grote, Unsplash)

¶ “What To Know About China’s New Regulations On Rare Earths” • China released new interim measures tightening controls on mining and processing of rare earth metals. China has been gradually tightening restrictions on exports of such materials, partly in response to US controls on its access to American advanced technology. [ABC News]

¶ “China Races To Build The World’s Largest Solar Farm To Meet Emissions Targets” • Chinese government officials showed off what they say will be the world’s largest solar farm, high on a Tibetan plateau. It will cover 610 km², which is about the size of the city of Chicago. As China is installing solar panels, its carbon emissions have started falling. [Euronews]

Tibetan plateau (Jiasong Huang, Unsplash)

¶ “Have We Reached Peak BYD? July 2025 China EV Sales Report” • July saw the Chinese EV market continue its growth, with plugins scoring close to a million sales in July in market with 1.8 million sales. Battery EVs are up 26% to over 607,000 units, or 34% of overall sales, while PHEVs were actually down. Plugins had 54% market share. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Syncraft Builds New Climate-Positive Power Plant In Wallern, Austria” • Ground was broken in Wallern, Upper Austria for a Syncraft climate-positive power plant. This facility will convert regional forest residues into baseload clean electricity, heat, and carbon removal, moving energy forward and removing carbon from the atmosphere. [CleanTechnica]

Syncraft plant (Syncraft image)

¶ “Global EV Patent Counts are Growing, with BYD in the Lead” • Li Yunfei, General Manager of BYD Group’s Brand and Public Relations Department, showed BYD well ahead in the global patent count for EVs. BYD has over 120,000 R&D engineers, and they submit an average of 45 patent applications and have 20 patents awarded per day. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Study Finds Space Solar Power Could Make Europe Net-Zero” • Space could play a key role in helping the EU reach its goal of net zero GHG emissions by 2050, a study says. Researchers from King’s College London and Xi’an Jiaotong University proposed that space-based solar power could account for 80% of Europe’s renewable energy by the EU’s deadline. [Payload Space]

Solar panels on the ISS (NASA image)

US:

¶ “California’s Long-Delayed Bullet Train Slated To Run In The Central Valley By 2032” • California’s long-delayed high-speed rail project could be operating in the Central Valley by 2032, but it is far short of securing the funding it needs to connect up north toward the San Francisco Bay Area and south toward Los Angeles, a report by officials says. [ABC News]

¶ “The Global Space Solar Race Is Heating Up, And NASA Holds The Keys” • The emerging field of space solar should have a spot on the federal energy policy to-do list, considering its potential for 24/7 power generation. NASA also has two technologies in the works that researchers have identified as keys to unlocking solar power based in space. [CleanTechnica]

Space-based solar technology (Courtesy of CalTech)

¶ “Eco-dynamic Solar Awnings Make It Easy For RVs To Capture More Sunshine” • Eco-dynamic’s solar awnings are much like a traditional roll-up shade awning for RVs, but with integrated, flexible solar panels that are designed to withstand the rigors of RV life and the wide range of weather conditions that come with it. The awnings can be sized widthwise. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Trump Administration Stops Construction On 80% Complete Offshore Wind Farm” • Only days after Ørsted reported that its 704-MW Revolution Wind was 80% compled, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management issued a stop-work order halting all offshore construction activities on the project. [OffshoreWIND.biz]

Ørsted blade loadout (Ørsted image)

¶ “Governor Signs Bills To Boost Solar Generation And Battery Storage” • Governor Phil Murphy signed two bills to boost New Jersey’s renewable energy capacity. One allows state energy regulators to register 3,000 MW additional community solar capacity; the other creates an incentive program to build 1,000 MW of battery storage by 2030. [New Jersey Monitor]

¶ “Mile High City Sparks Fury Over Plan For One Of America’s Busiest Airports” • Bosses at one of America’s busiest airports sparked fury by unveiling controversial plans to explore using nuclear energy. Leaders at Denver International Airport made the announcement earlier this month, sparking a backlash from locals who say they were never consulted. [Daily Mail]

Have an absolutely perfect day.

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World:

¶ “Why Is Arctic Sea Ice Melting More Slowly Despite Global Warming?” • Arctic sea ice has been melting at a slower rate over the last 20 years, despite human-caused global warming, new research has found. Experts say this pause shouldn’t be mistaken for recovery, as Arctic sea ice coverage is still much lower than it was in the 1980s. [Euronews]

Arctic (Annie Spratt, Unsplash)

¶ “Toyota And Mazda Start Tests of Energy Storage System Using EV Batteries” • For a test, the power at Mazda’s headquarters campus and Toyota’s system to utilize batteries from EVs will be connected through their energy management systems. This will make it possible to the verify stable, high-quality, and efficient charging and discharging. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Vineyards Begin 2025 Harvest Early After Hot Temperatures” • French winemakers were forced to bring forward the 2025 harvest earlier after heat made grapes ripen earlier than in the traditional wine harvesting season of September to October. Harvesters in Château Carbonnieux found temperatures near 40°C strained white wine grape clusters. [Euronews]

Wines of Château Carbonnieux (Chlescuyer, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “When Will Battery Prices Fall, And By How Much?” • Prices for lithium-ion batteries have fallen by more than 50% in the last three years, and EV makers are now paying about €54/kWh ($62.62/kWh) for LFP batteries. Meanwhile, CATL is claiming its sodium-ion batteries, called Naxtra, will eventually cost as little as $10 per kWh. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Cadeler Wins Formosa 4 Installation Contract” • Cadeler has signed a firm contract with Synera Renewable Energy for the transportation and installation of 35 Siemens Gamesa 14-MW turbines at the 495-MW Formosa 4 offshore wind farm in Taiwan. The work will be carried out by one of Cadeler’s new M-class wind turbine installation vessels. [reNews]

Cadeler M-class installation vessel (Cadeler image)

¶ “Masdar Consortium Seals $1.1 Billion Saudi Solar Deal” • A consortium led by Masdar reached financial close on the 2-GW Al Sadawi solar project in Saudi Arabia. The independent power producer scheme will rank among the world’s largest solar plants and contribute to the Kingdom’s goal of sourcing 50% of its energy from renewables by 2030. [reNews]

¶ “Drone Deliveries Hit Spot For Ørsted” • Ørsted is carrying out an offshore cargo drone operation across its UK offshore wind fleet. The developer and UK operator Skylift use FlyingBasket drones to lift evacuation equipment boxes weighing up to 70 kg onto turbine nacelles at Hornsea 1 & 2 and Walney 1 & 2. More than 550 flights are planned. [reNews]

Drone delivery (Photo by Richard McCrilley, Ørsted)

¶ “Sweden Picks Mini-Reactors For First Nuclear Expansion In Fifty Years” • Sweden said that it had selected “small modular nuclear reactors” for its first nuclear power expansion in a half-century. Greenpeace said the government was “trying to trick the Swedish people into believing that new nuclear power would lead to cheap and green electricity.” [24 News HD]

US:

¶ “Hurricane Erin Live Updates: New Jersey Under State Of Emergency As Monster Storm Roars North” • Erin, a massive Category 2 hurricane more than 700 miles wide, is located about 285 miles east of North Carolina’s Outer Banks and is moving northeast through the Atlantic. High surf advisories continue from Florida to Maine. [ABC News]

Wave (Matt Paul Catalano, Unsplash)

¶ “Smart(er) EV Charging Could Slash US Electricity Bills By $30 Billion, 10% Per Household By 2035” • EV charging management firm ev.energy released a study showing that next-level charging programs could yield $30 billion in savings on utility costs in the US, a cut of about 10% per ratepayer by 2035 whether they own an EV or not. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Connecticut High School Gets Solar Power Carport” • In Ridgefield, Connecticut, Ridgefield High School just had a 1-MW solar carport installed, a joint effort of Davis Hill Development and the Connecticut Green Bank. Micah Brill, Vice President of Asset Management at Davis Hill Development, answered some questions about the project. [CleanTechnica]

Solar power carport (Davis Hill Development image)

¶ “The US Opens A Turbine Imports Investigation” • The Trump administration has opened a national security investigation into the import of wind turbines and components. The so-called Section 232 probe, which was opened earlier this month but was only just made public, could push tariffs higher for the sector, according to Reuters. [reNews]

¶ “Solar Leads US Capacity Growth” • Three-quarters of new US generating capacity was solar in the first five months of 2025, as solar extended its lead as the largest source of additions for the 21st consecutive month, the SUN DAY Campaign said. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission data showed solar took 75.3% of new capacity, while 15.6% was wind. [reNews]

Solar array (Green Genius image)

¶ “Trump Blames Renewables For Rising Electricity Prices, But Experts Point Elsewhere” • With electricity prices rising at over twice the rate of inflation, President Trump lashed out at wind and solar power, blaming them for price hikes. Energy analysts blame higher demand, aging infrastructure and more extreme weather events due in part to climate change. [MSN]

¶ “Renewable Energy Stocks Fall As Trump Vows To Block Wind, Solar” • A handful of renewable energy stocks slumped after President Donald Trump indicated that his administration will block new solar and wind projects. Shares in Enphase Energy, Sunrun, Solaredge, and First Solar fell with the news, as did some companies overseas. [Yahoo Finance]

Have a particularly enjoyable day.

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World:

¶ “Renaturalisation Of Wetlands Slows Global Warming And Species Decline” • For many centuries, farmers drained swamps to gain arable land. This contributes to climate change, so the EU wants to reverse it. Now a law sets out a detailed timetable: By 2050, half of the damaged moors are expected to be “healed” – a third of them through rewetting. [Euronews]

Moor (Maksim Shutov, Unsplash)

¶ “Spain Reports Nearly 400,000 Hectares Burned And 37 Arrests Due To Fires” • Humid weather and rainfall gave some relief to Spanish firefighters in their battle against the fires that have ravaged much of the country this year. Over 391,000 ha (966,000 acres) have burned so far this year, European Forest Fire Information System data shows. [Euronews]

¶ “China Rushes To Build Out Solar, Emissions Edge Downward” • China has been installing solar panels far faster than anywhere else in the world, and the investment is paying off. A study found that the country’s carbon emissions edged down 1% in the first six months of the year compared to a year earlier, extending a trend that began in March 2024. [ABC News]

PV power station in China (w0zny, CC BY-SA 3.0)

¶ “Two Energy Paths: China Locks In Renewables, US Clings To Coal” • China’s coal consumption dropped by about 2.6% in the first six months of 2025 while electricity demand rose roughly 5%, year over year. So China added solar and wind capacity fast enough to cover more than new demand. US coal fired electricity jumped 14% in the same span. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “China Flexes Its Green Hydrogen Muscles In Europe” • The Chinese firm Sungrow Power Supply has set up an elaborate new state-of-the-art hydrogen R&D facility at the Munich Airport Business Park through its Sungrow Hydrogen branch. Sungrow is aiming to establish a foothold in the ripe but difficult-to-pluck European market. [CleanTechnica]

Sungrow Hydrogen R&D in Germany (Courtesy of Sungrow)

¶ “From Norway To Nigeria, Beijing To Bogotá: Mapping The World’s EV Inflection Points” • In this piece we take a look at EV tipping points, starting with growth models, then exploring what 5% to 15%, 15% to 40%, and 40% to 80% penetrations look like, and then examining key markets including Europe, China, India, the US, Africa, and South America. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “SPR Completes EA3 Converter Station Jacket Installation” • The jacket foundation for the offshore converter station for ScottishPower Renewables’ 1.4-GW East Anglia 3 wind farm has been put in position 69 km off east England. The installation of the 3,700-tonne and 59-metre-high base was completed by Heerema crane vessel SSCV Sleipnir. [reNews]

SSCV Sleipnir (east Anglia 3 image)

¶ “UK Renewable Approvals Soar To Record 16 GW” • A record 16 GW of new renewable energy capacity won planning approval in the UK during the second quarter of 2025, government figures show. The Financial Times first reported the surge, which covered 323 projects and marked a 195% growth compared with the same period of last year. [reNews]

¶ “BayWa RE Wins Consent For 500-MW Redshaw Battery” • BayWa re has secured Section 36 planning consent for its 500-MW Redshaw battery system in South Lanarkshire. The facility will be the company’s largest battery system in Europe. It is next to the site of Scottish Power Transmission’s planned Redshaw substation at the B6 boundary. [reNews]

Battery system (BayWa re image)

¶ “Japan Sends Robots Into Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant To Get Radioactive Debris” • Technicians at Japan’s Fukushima nuclear plant are taking another cautious step toward one of the most challenging operations of nuclear decommissioning. They sent remote-controlled robots into a damaged reactor to obtain radioactive material they could assess. [WION]

US:

¶ “Hurricane Erin Could Bring Destruction To The East Coast Despite Not Making Landfall” • Hurricane Erin may not make landfall, but it still could have devastating consequences for East Coast residents. Sea levels for many East Coast communities are now about a half foot higher today than they were a few decades ago, intensifying coastal erosion. [ABC News]

Miami Beach with storm coming (Dylan Sauerwein, Unsplash)

¶ “Climate Change Brings More Rapidly Intensifying Hurricanes; NOAA Cuts Make Forecasting Them Harder” • A remarkable 96% of Cat 4 and Cat 5 storms undergo rapid intensification. Those that intensify rapidly just before landfall are especially perilous, as they can catch forecasters and populations off guard, risking inadequate evacuations. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Over 50% of New US Electric Generating Capacity Will Come from Solar in 2025” • Developers added 12 GW of utility-scale solar capacity in the US during the first half of 2025, and they plan to add another 21 GW in the second half. If they realize that plan, solar would account for more than half of the 64 GW that developers bring online this year. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “California’s Biggest Virtual Power Plant May Get A Funding Reprieve” • California’s premier ​“virtual power plant” program is reducing the state’s reliance on polluting, costly fossil-fueled power, and it’s just the start of what its scattered network of solar and batteries could do. But only if the state Legislature can stave off funding cuts to the program. [Canary Media]

¶ “Trump Escalates His War On ‘Windmills'” • President Trump began an attack on ‘windmills” again, calling them inefficient and expensive, just a day after his administration unveiled new tariffs on wind turbines. Experts told Newsweek provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act could lead to higher costs as projects are postponed or abandoned. [MSN]

Have a fascinatingly frolicsome day.

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World:

¶ “Hurricane Erin’s Rapid Intensification And What It Means For Europe’s Weather” • Hurricane Erin, the first Atlantic hurricane of the 2025 season, grew from a Category 1 storm to Category 5 in just over 24 hours. It is not projected to make landfall on this side of the Atlantic. But weakened to storm status, it could cross the Atlantic and hit Ireland and the UK. [Euronews]|

Projected path of Erin (Please click on the image.)

¶ “Adaptation Efforts Like Early Warnings And Preparedness Have Cut Europe’s Flood Deaths And Losses” • Flooding deaths in Europe fell 52% since 1950, thanks to such solutions as early warning systems and emergency preparedness, a study from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research has found. This is despite an 8% increase in flooding. [Euronews]

¶ “Record UK Wildfires Have Burned an Area Twice the Size of Glasgow in 2025 ” • Wildfires have scorched more than 40,000 hectares of land so far this year across the UK, an area more than twice the size of the Scottish city of Glasgow. This is already a record amount of land burned in a single year, far exceeding the previous high, GWIS data shows. [CleanTechnica]

Forest fire (Pixabay, Pexels)

¶ “BYD Rises To #91 On Fortune Global 500 List” • BYD has been growing, growing, growing, and CleanTechnica has been keeping track. As a testament to its rise and its increasingly strong place in markets around the world, we got news that the Chinese EV company has risen up the Fortune Global 500 list and is now in the top 100. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Why the Recent Slowdown in Arctic Sea Ice Loss Is Only Temporary” • The retreat of sea ice in the Arctic has long been a prominent symbol of climate change. Yet, since the late 2000s, the pace of Arctic sea ice loss has slowed markedly. Climate model simulations suggest we should expect periods like this to occur relatively frequently. [CleanTechnica]

Mount Erebus, Australia (Josh Landis, US NSF, public domain)

¶ “CDWE Completes Hai Long Jacket Installation” • CDWE (CSBC-DEME Wind Engineering) has completed installation of all 73 jacket foundations at Northland Power’s 1-GW Hai Long offshore wind farm in the Taiwan Strait. The project is the largest CDWE has undertaken in both scale and technical complexity. It was completed early. [reNews]

¶ “RWE Powers Up 34-MW Wind Farm In Aldenhoven” • RWE has commissioned the 34-MW Aldenhoven wind farm in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The site, developed on recultivated land at the Inden opencast lignite mine, features six 5.7-MW turbines, which are capable of powering 24,000 households with clean electricity. [reNews]

Wind farm (RWE image)

¶ “Eskom Pivots Towards Renewable Energy With New Solar Power Procurement Initiative” • Eskom announced the launch of its first Renewable Energy Offtake Programme. Now Eskom has shifted its focus from merely addressing the crippling issue of loadshedding to making itself a sustainable and competitive player in the energy market. [MSN]

US:

¶ “FDA Warns Public Not To Eat Possibly Radioactive Shrimp Sold At Walmart” • US Customs and Border Protection alerted the FDA that possible radioactive Cesium-137 was detected in shipping containers at four US ports, the FDA said. No shrimp in the US food supply were found to be radioactive. The source of Cs-137 in the shrimp is not known. [ABC News]

Dinner with shrimp (Pirata Studio Film, Unsplash)

¶ “Ford Is Doing What Has To Be Done: Leading On EVs And Innovating Are Imperative” • Ford says it is investing billions of dollars into advanced manufacturing, EV batteries, and a whole new vehicle platform in Kentucky and Michigan. It is all about creating affordable, competitive EVs. It makes one think, what else could we expect from Ford? [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Washington Blocks Funding For Solar On Farmland” • US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has announced that the US DA will no longer fund solar panels on productive farmland or allow equipment made by foreign adversaries to be used in USDA-backed projects. She said that subsidised solar projects displace farmland. [reNews]

Brooke Rollins, at center (USDA image)

¶ “New Nissan LEAF Adds Range And Features, For Under $30,000” • The Nissan LEAF is a classic among EVs. But it’s not done and collecting dust in history books. Nissan is launching the 3rd-generation LEAF, and it just keeps getting better. The starting MSRP of the 2026 Nissan LEAF is $29,990, the lowest of any EV in the US. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “US Extends 50% Tariff To Wind Turbines” • The Department of Commerce added 407 product categories to Section 232 steel and aluminium tariffs, which carry a 50% duty rate. The scope now covers wind turbines and components, along with other equipment such as mobile cranes, bulldozers, compressors, pumps, and railcars. [reNews]

Attaching a blade (Enercon image)

¶ “Coal Power Plant Demolished For Nuclear Fusion Prototype” • We have seen such things as solar arrays on former landfills. Now comes another reversal of technologies. This one is about getting rid of a coal power plant for a cleaner source of electricity. Chris Mowry, CEO at Type One Energy, answered some questions about the project. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Nuclear Waste Could Provide Fuel For Fusion Energy, Says Los Alamos Physicist” • Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico have unveiled simulations showing how radioactive nuclear waste could be repurposed to generate tritium, the rare hydrogen isotope that fuels nuclear fusion. Tritium is rare and expensive. [NucNet]

Have a comfortably constructive day.

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Opinion:

¶ “The Thing Pollution-Heads Extolling Climate-Policy Sabotage Don’t Understand” • The US is an oil nation, and often corrupt and disinformative. At the moment, the Oil & Gas lobby is very clearly trying to hold the US back when it comes to the transition to EVs and clean energy. But the world is not waiting for us, and the technology will march on. [CleanTechnica]

Capitol Building (Jorge Alcala, Unsplash, cropped)

Science and Technology:

¶ “New Technologies Will Hasten The End Of Fossil Fuels” • It seems now the fossil fuel industry is getting its way. The US administration is about to eliminate the “endangerment finding” that found carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas to be regulated. But one thing the fossil fuel thugs forgot is that science advances. Here are two examples. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Solar Power With Batteries Became 22% Cheaper In One Year” • A new report from Ember shows dramatic cost reductions for solar power with batteries. The average cost of electricity from such systems dropped 22% in just one year. The cost reduction means solar power with batteries can deliver electricity around the clock, continuously. [Warp News]

Solar with batteries (BLM California)

World:

¶ “Tracking Mosquito-Borne Illnesses Across Europe” • Viral diseases, which usually occur when an infected mosquito bites someone, are becoming more common in Europe due to more travel and warmer summer temperatures driven by climate change. Hundreds of cases of mosquito-borne infections have been reported so far this summer. [Euronews]

¶ “Cloudbursts, Deadly Climate-Fuelled Deluges, Cause Chaos In India And Pakistan” • Climate change is disrupting monsoons, as cloudbursts hit vulnerable mountain regions with deadly force. In a cloudburst, a large volume of rain falls in a very short time, usually over 100 mm (4 in) in an hour. They create chaos in the mountains of India and Pakistan. [Euronews]

Sunset in Uttarakhand (Soham Kalghatkar, Unsplash)

¶ “VicGrid’s 2025 Transmission Plan Unveiled” • The Victorian Government has released the 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan, marking a major step in the state’s renewable energy transition. It sets out the transmission infrastructure the state needs to build over the next 15 years to ensure all Victorians have access to safe, reliable and affordable power. [Energy Magazine]

¶ “IEA: Renewables Will Be World’s Top Power Source ‘by 2026′” • Renewable energy will overtake coal to become the world’s top source of electricity “by 2026 at the latest,” say forecasts from the International Energy Agency. The rise of renewables is driven by extremely rapid growth in wind and solar output, which will pass 6,000 TWh by 2026. [CleanTechnica]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Masdar Deploys $1.7 Billion Green Bond Proceeds” • Masdar channelled more than $1.5 billion from its green bond issuances into clean energy projects by the end of 2024, according to its latest Green Finance Report. The proceeds supported new solar, onshore and offshore wind, and energy storage developments around the world. [reNews]

¶ “Galileo Empower Files To Build 476-MW Dorenell 2” • Galileo Empower has submitted a planning application for the 476-MW Dorenell Extension wind farm and biodiversity enhancement plan in Scotland. The proposals include 67 turbines, alongside a battery storage facility, on the Cabrach and Glenfiddich Estate about 10 km south of Dufftown. [reNews]

Wind farm (EDF Renewables image)

¶ “Boulder clearance begins at Baltica 2” • Seabed preparation is underway for the 1500-MW Baltica 2 offshore wind farm, a joint project of PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna and Ørsted. Boskalis vessel BOKA Falcon has arrived in Polish waters to clear large boulders along the planned cable routes. Baltica 2 will feature 107 turbines with a total capacity of 1.5 GW. [reNews]

US:

¶ “Data Center Owners Urge US Treasury To Keep Renewable Energy Subsidy Rules” • The Data Center Coalition, including Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and others, called on US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to uphold existing rules for wind and solar subsidies, saying they enable the industry to grow quickly and stay ahead of competition from China. [MSN]

Sustainable technology (Mark König, Unsplash)

¶ “Trump’s Climate Report Includes More Than 100 False Or Misleading Claims ” • A “critical assessment” report the Trump administration commissioned to justify a rollback of US climate regulations contains at least 100 false or misleading statements, according to a Carbon Brief factcheck involving dozens of leading climate scientists. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Veterans Back Lombardo Letter Urging Interior Secretary To Get Solar Back On Track” • A veterans group praised Republican Governor Joe Lombardo’s efforts to open an economic pipeline important to Nevada. Lombardo wrote that Burgum’s decision to review solar and wind projects personally and in detail was a cause of major delays. [KLAS 8 News Now]

Solar array (Michael Förtsch, Unsplash)

¶ “OCI Sells 100-MW Texas Solar Project To Sabanci” • OCI Energy, a developer of utility-scale solar and battery projects, sold a 100-MW AC solar project in Texas to Sabanci Renewables, Turkish conglomerate Sabanci Holding’s US green energy unit. Development of Lucky 7 Solar will proceed under Sabanci Renewables’ management. [Yahoo Finance]

¶ “Google Announced The First Nuclear Site To Power Its Data Centers” • Google announced the site of its first nuclear reactor, as part of its 2024 deal with startup Kairos Power. Oak Ridge, Tennessee, will be home to the Hermes 2 plant to supply Google with 50 MW of power under a long-term purchase agreement with the Tennessee Valley Authority. [Yahoo News]

Have an immensely rewarding day.

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World:

¶ “Pakistan Expands Rescue And Relief Efforts After Floods Kill Over 200” • Rescue workers in northwestern Pakistan expanded relief operations after flash floods killed more than 220 people in a single district, officials said. In Buner, a mountainous district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, torrential rains led to flash floods and landslides. [ABC News]

Mountains in Buner district (Shahzadk007, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Wildfires In Spain And Portugal Force Evacuations And Deployment Of Thousands Of Emergency Personnel” • The heatwave at the Iberian Peninsula keeps going on. Thousands of firefighters have been deployed to battle ongoing blazes, and towns have been evacuated. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited affected regions. [Euronews]

¶ “Solar Power Is An Isolated Island’s Weapon Against A Fossil Fuel Monopoly” • The Philippines has 7,641 islands. One of the most serene and relatively isolated of them is the beautiful island of Siquijor. This mystical island is a paradise in peril because its tourism is threatened by power outages. It is a problem that solar power can address. [CleanTechnica]

Pier at Siquijor (Marlene Centeno, Unsplash)

¶ “Alberta Planning To Power Some Of Its Jails With Solar Energy” • Alberta’s government is looking to power some of its jails with solar energy. It says it’s planning to install solar plants at five of its ten jails. The solar facilities are expected to save an estimated $1 million per year while providing about 80% of the energy at each site. [Rocky Mountain Outlook]

¶ “RWE Wins 37 MW In German Solar Tender” • RWE secured two new solar projects in North Rhine-Westphalia in the latest German Federal Network Agency solar tender. The Manheimer Bucht solar farm in the Rhein-Erft district will deliver 17.2 MW, while an extension of the PV project along the A44n motorway will add 19.9 MW. [reNews]

Solar and wind (RWE image)

¶ “Statera Connects 300-MW Thurrock Battery System” • Statera Energy energised one of the UK’s largest battery storage sites, the 300-MW, 600-MWh Thurrock Storage project in Essex. The facility can deliver its full output within seconds, according to the developer. Thurrock adds rapid-response capacity for the grid in the UK’s South-East. [reNews]

¶ “Iberdrola And Ingeteam Add Storage In Spain” • Iberdrola and Ingeteam will hybridise solar farms in Burgos, Extremadura, and Huelva with 100 MW, 200 MWh of battery storage. Ingeteam will supply medium-voltage power electronics, control systems, and SCADA monitoring to integrate the batteries with existing Iberdrola PV plants. [reNews]

Storage (Image by Iberdrola And Ingeteam)

US:

¶ “Coastal Communities Restoring Marshes, Dunes, Reefs To Protect Against Rising Seas” • Coastal communities across the nation are ramping up efforts to fend off rising seas, higher tides and stronger storm surges that are chewing away at coastlines, pushing saltwater farther inland and threatening ecosystems and hundreds of communities. [ABC News]

¶ “Arizona, Nevada, And Mexico Get Less Colorado River Water For A Third Year” • Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will again live with less water from the Colorado River as drought lingers in the West, federal officials announced. The Colorado River is a critical lifeline to seven US states, thirty Native American tribes, and two Mexican states. [ABC News]

Colorado River (Emma Renly, Unsplash)

¶ “US Energy Secretary Calls For An End To All Subsidies For Solar And Wind” • US Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who made his fortune by drilling holes in the Earth to access methane and then leaving taxpayers to clean up his company’s mess, said it is time to do away with all federal subsidies for wind power, the Des Moines Register reported. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Chevy Silverado EV Driven Over 1,000 Miles On A Single Charge” • Recently, a 2026 Chevy Silverado EV was driven over 1,000 miles on a single charge. There were differences from an earlier impressive drive of 460 miles. For one, the earlier drive was at highway speeds, but the drive that got over 1,000 miles was kept low speeds. But it is a record. [CleanTechnica]

Chevrolet Silverado EV (Courtesy of GM)

¶ “Gas Station Owners Are Smiling At The Return Of NEVI, And So Are EV Advocates” • The Trump administration had another TACO moment and relinquished funds for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. There is some dilution of former language, but the EV charging infrastructure’s federal funding is back on the table. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Energy Experts Condemn US Government For Giving China An Energy Advantage” • A US DOE report raised questions about delaying renewable energy. The July Resource Adequacy Report “recycled familiar, but flawed, talking points against renewable energy, warranting a closer look at the facts behind the rhetoric,” EnergySage reported. [The Cool Down]

Wind turbines (Daniel Morris, Unsplash)

¶ “Trump Guidance Tightens Tax Credit Rules For Renewables” • New guidance released by the Trump administration tightens up the rules under which wind and solar projects can qualify for Biden-era tax credits. According to the new guidance, developers must begin physical work by 6 July, 2026 in order to qualify for tax credits. [reNews]

¶ “US Eyes 90,000 Tons Of Nuclear Waste As Fresh Fuel For Future Power Reactors” • The Trump administrationis looking at ways to use spent nuclear fuel and plutonium to fuel advanced reactors. Expanding the share of nuclear in the country’s overall energy production and consumption is considered an important step towards increased clean energy adoption. [MSN]

Have a comforably thoughtful day.

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World:

¶ “Hydrogen Mobility Vs Platinum Reality” • Only four of the fourteen Cascadia trains Lower Saxony purchased are operating. It is tempting to dismiss this as a simple supply chain hiccup, but the problem runs deeper. Following the thread back reveals not only the weakness of hydrogen in transportation but a structural material constraint as well. [CleanTechnica]

Alstom Coradia LINT 41 (X-angel, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “China Is Winning On Renewables. Will It Win On Green Steel, Too?” • While China leads the world in both the production and adoption of clean energy tech, the country has been slower to decarbonize heavy industry. That is changing. HBIS Group, a Chinese steelmaker, agreed to sell over 10,000 metric tons of green steel to an Italian buyer. [Canary Media]

¶ “Death Toll Rises As Wildfires Continue To Burn Across Southern Europe” • Firefighters in Spain, Portugal, Greece, and Turkey are battling wildfires that have raged on for weeks. The wildfires in souther Europe are tied to an ongoing heatwave. Hot and dry conditions are expected to persist, and temperatures are set to climb over the weekend. [Euronews]

Satellite image of a wildfire in Greece (NASA, public domain)

¶ “A New Energy Malta: Wind, Solar, And Green Maritime Fuels” • Malta’s energy story must change. For decades, Malta has been dependent on imported fossil fuels, leaving its energy system exposed to rising costs, supply risks, and carbon emissions. But Malta’s maritime territory gives it an opportunity to develop large floating wind farms. [MaltaToday]

¶ “Can Google’s AI Stop Aircraft Contrails from Warming Earth?” • According to the Royal Meteorological Society, an aircraft’s contrails could be more responsible for warming the Earth than its carbon emissions. To address this, Google has joined forces with American Airlines in a six-month experiment to reduce contrail formation. [Energy Digital Magazine]

Contrail (Adrian Pingstone, public domain)

¶ “Global Nuclear Power Hits Record High as Asia Surges Ahead” • Nuclear power has always been a paradox. The latest Statistical Review of World Energy shows that while nuclear generation is growing globally, setting a new record high in 2024, the trend is anything but uniform. Some countries are charging ahead, while others are stepping back. [OilPrice.com]

¶ “Victorians Pay The Lowest Wholesale Energy Prices After Renewable Energy Investment, State Government Says” • Lily D’Ambrosio, the Minister for Energy and Resources, said over 42% of Victoria’s electricity was produced by cheap renewable energy, making the state well on track to hit its legislated target of 40% by the end of 2025. [9News]

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

US:

¶ “Shopping For An Affordable EV In Colorado” • Colorado has one of the hottest EV markets in the US. There’s a $3,500 instant tax credit for EVs under $80,000, with $2,500 extra if the price is below $35,000. There’s even a program that gives up to $6,000 more off an EV purchase if you retire a gas car over twelve years old and meet income limits. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Texas Sends Yet Another Solar Manufacturing Love Letter To The US” • Texas’ booming solar manufacturing sector is sending solar equipment all over the US to help the renewable energy transition keep going, regardless of the abrupt shift in federal policy. The Solar Industries Association is telling everyone who listens OBBA could hurt Texas. [CleanTechnica]

Solar manufacturing in Texas (Courtesy of T1 Energy)

¶ “Investor State Dispute Settlement Treaties Protect Private Investors From Climate Action” • ISDS treaties are an outgrowth of the nationalization that swept some parts of the world in the 20th century. Such action denies investors an ability to recover their investments and the profits they expected. But the treaties endanger effective climate action. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “California Supreme Court Hands Victory To Rooftop Solar Panel Owners” • The California Supreme Court sided with environmental groups in a case seen as pivotal for rooftop solar power proliferation in California. In a unanimous vote, justices told a lower court to revisit a ruling that upheld reducing payments to solar panel owners. [Edhat]

California solar installation (Kate Costa, US DOE, public domain)

¶ “Minnesota Approves First Stand-Alone Battery System, A Key Step Toward A Clean Energy Future” • The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved a site permit for the 150-MW Snowshoe Energy Storage Project, which will be built west of Rochester on 18 acres. The batteries will store electricity from nearby solar and wind farms. [MPR News]

¶ “Trump Administration Attacks On Science Extend Far Beyond Climate, Loom Large In WV” • The EPA is proposing to remove greenhouse gas standards for vehicles and heavy-duty engines. The EPA’s proposed rule cites a DOE report to claim “extreme weather events have not demonstrably increased relative to historical highs.” [The Logan Banner]

Have a really fantastic day.

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World:

¶ “European Seas Break Temperature Records: Are They Too Warm?” • In August 2024, the Mediterranean Sea hit a record of 28.7°C (83.7°F). High sea temperatures in Europe fuel marine heatwaves that threaten marine life and worsen extreme weather events. In 2024, Europe’s seas hit their highest annual average surface temperature on record, 13.73°C. [Euronews]

Please click on the image to enlarge it.

¶ “Flash Floods In India And Pakistan Kill Over 280 People, Scores Remain Missing” • Flash floods triggered by torrential rains killed over 280 people in India and Pakistan, and rescuers are searching for at least eighty in one remote Himalayan village. Experts say cloudbursts have increased in recent years partly because of climate change. [Euronews]

¶ “Wärtsilä To Deliver 68-MW Energy Storage In Shetland” • Wärtsilä will provide a 68-MW energy storage system to Zenobē in Shetland. It will improve energy security, reduce emissions, and help with moving toward a cleaner, more resilient power system. Here, Christopher Wolf, Director at Wärtsilä Energy Storage, answers some questions. [CleanTechnica]

Energy storage site (Zenobē image)

¶ “Wind Power Progress in Australia” • The report Clean Energy Australia 2025 paints a picture of investment progress in onshore wind in 2024. Sadly, this has not been carried forward into 2025, but we must celebrate the wins when we can. It also illuminates the reasons for the lack of progress in Australia’s offshore wind development. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Petrostates Blow Up UN Plastics Conference” • In March 2022, 175 nations agreed to make the first legally binding treaty on plastic pollution by the end of 2024. Sadly, those countries are not the ones who produce plastics, but the ones hurt by plastic waste. The oil producing nations all furiously oppose limiting production in any way. [CleanTechnica]

Microplastics (Oregon State University, CC BY-SA 2.0)

¶ “China Builds Record-Breaking Floating Wind Turbine That Could Change The Face Of Renewable Energy” • Engineers at two state-owned Chinese companies have created a prototype floating wind turbine that they say has broken power generation records. They say the design could usher in the next generation of renewable power generation. [MSN]

¶ “Century Completes Hai Long Jacket Deliveries” • The Hai Long Offshore Wind Project has completed delivery of 21 three-legged jacket foundations manufactured by Taiwan’s Century Wind Power. Each jacket stands over 90 metres tall and weighs about 2000 tonnes, the heaviest ever produced for a Taiwanese wind farm, Hai Long claimed. [reNews]

Final jackets (Hai Long Offshore Wind image)

¶ “S&P Downgrades Orsted Credit Rating” • S&P Global Ratings has downgraded Ørsted’s long-term credit rating citing stalled progress on the planned sale of a 50% stake in the Sunrise Wind project in the US. The rating agency said that the inability to complete the divestment “severely and directly hinders credit metric performance.” [reNews]

US:

¶ “At GM, Our Electric Pickups Are Built To Handle Truck Stuff – Press Release” • “When teams across General Motors designed and engineered today’s electric trucks, they made sure these vehicles were ready to handle all kinds of truck stuff – so you can rely on your EV. And we’re building them with more than 100 years of truck leadership…” [CleanTechnica]

2025 GMC Sierra EV Denali (GM image)

¶ “Solar & Storage Industry Statement On Treasury Department Changes To Tax Credit Guidance” • “The Treasury Department’s new guidance to further restrict energy tax credits is part of an unprecedented side deal the administration made with anti-clean energy ideologues to undermine Congress and further harm America’s solar industry.” [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Farley’s Model T Moment: Bold EV Strategy In A Risky Policy Era” • Ford’s presentation of its Universal EV Platform was equal parts engineering showcase and strategic declaration. Jim Farley framed the new architecture as Ford’s “Model T moment.” He was clear that the bet was enormous, but, just as clearly, Ford must remain competitive. [CleanTechnica]

Ford F-150 Lightning (Elise240SX, CC BY-SA 4.0)

¶ “Gas Valve Failure During Maintenance Work May Have Led To Fatal Explosion” • Preparations for a routine maintenance task may have led to an explosion at a US Steel coal-processing plant near Pittsburgh. It left two dead and sent ten to hospitals, the company said. The explosion started around ovens where coal is heated to 1,200°F to make coke. [ABC News]

¶ “Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners Acquires 1-GWh Beehive Battery From EDF” • CIP acquired full ownership of the 1-GWh Beehive battery energy storage project in Peoria, Arizona, from EDF power solutions North America. The 250-MW four-hour facility is under construction and is expected to enter service in the first half of 2026, CIP said. [reNews]

Battery storage (EDF image)

¶ “Trump Administration Tightens Vise On Wind And Solar With New Tax Rules” • The Trump administration has a new roadblock for US wind and solar power. Treasury Department guidance puts new restrictions on the rules that have for decades guided whether solar and wind projects have ​“commenced construction” for tax purposes. [Canary Media]

¶ “US Lab Begins Post-Irradiation Studies On High-Burnup Fuel” • Researchers at the US DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are in post-irradiation studies on GE Vernova’s high burnup fuel after it has spent six years in a commercial reactor. High burnup fuels use more of the fissile material in nuclear fuel, allowing more cycles. [World Nuclear News]

Have an entirely pleasant day.

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World:

¶ “Philippines’ First Floating Solar Farm Sets A National Blueprint For Clean Energy” • The Philippines is entering a new era of energy with a landmark 4.99-MW floating solar plant on the Malubog Reservoir in Toledo City, Cebu. The floating PV farm is a pioneering project, a collaboration between Carmen Copper Corp and Black & Veatch. [CleanTechnica]

Floating solar plant in Toledo City (Black & Veatch photo)

¶ “Flash Floods Triggered By Heavy Rains Kill At Least 49 People In Pakistan” • Flash floods triggered by heavy rains killed at least 49 people in northwestern Pakistan and elsewhere in the country over the past 24 hours, officials said. More than 360 people, mostly women and children, have died in rain-related incidents in Pakistan since June 26. [ABC News]

¶ “Mitie And Elements Green Start A 360-MW BESS” • Mitie Power & Grid and Elements Green have broken ground on the 360-MW, 720-MWh Staythorpe battery energy storage system in Newark, Nottinghamshire. The £71.5 million facility will be one of the largest in Europe, with enough renewable energy to power 95,000 homes for a full day. [reNews]

Battery system area (Elemenyts Green image)

¶ “Foton Philippines Launched A Full Commercial EV Lineup ” • Foton Motor Philippines, Inc hosted an “EV Forward” event at its Clark assembly plant, showcasing its comprehensive lineup of electric vehicles. The event was held in collaboration with the Clark Development Corporation, reaffirming its strong support for the initiative. [CleanTechnica]

¶ “Harmony Powers Up 100-MW French Battery” • Harmony Energy has energised France’s largest battery energy storage project at the port of Nantes Saint-Nazaire. The 100-MW, 200-MWh Cheviré facility is the country’s first large-scale, two-hour duration system and is capable of powering about 170,000 homes for two hours. [reNews]

Cheviré battery project (Harmony Energy image)

¶ “BC-Wind Begins Seabed Survey For Cable Route” • Ocean Winds started the next stage of research for its BC-Wind offshore wind farm off Poland with a seabed survey for the export cable route. The specialist vessel Ocean Marlin is operating from the port of Gdansk to find unexploded ordnance and other wartime remnants that might be on the seabed. [reNews]

¶ “Gentari And PCL Construction Turn Sod On Renewable Energy Zone Project” • Gentari, based in Malaysia, broke ground on the Maryvale Solar and Energy Storage project in the heart of the New South Wales Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone. The facility will integrate 243 MW of solar with a 172-MW, 409-MWh battery system. [pv magazine Australia]

Installation site (Gentari image)

¶ “Problems With Reactor Water Supply Are Increasing At The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant” • Over the past two weeks, IAEA staff have recorded a deterioration in the cooling system situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, though its reactors are in a state of cold shutdown. They also noted burnt trees near the cooling towers. [Odessa Journal]

US:

¶ “Heavy Rain And Flooding In Tennessee Kill At Least Four” • At least four people have been killed in heavy rain and flooding in Tennessee. This summer, parts of the US are having more frequent flash flooding, as record-breaking rains hit some areas, a phenomenon that scientists attribute to climate change caused by pollution from fossil fuels. [Euronews]

Flooding in Tennessee (National Weather Service image)

¶ “As Canada Wildfires Choke US With Smoke, Republicans Demand Action. But Not On Climate Change” • Sternly worded statements are filled with indignation as Republican lawmakers say Canada has done too little to contain wildfire smoke that foul the air in several states. But they haven’t recognized the role of climate change in the issue. [ABC News]

¶ “US DOE Supports Critical Minerals And Materials Supply Chain” • The DOE issued “notices of funding opportunities totaling nearly $1 billion to advance … mining, processing, and manufacturing technologies across key stages of the critical minerals and materials supply chains.” The industry seems not to be too ‘woke’ to support after all. [CleanTechnica]

CATL Freevoy battery (CATL image)

¶ “Which States Have The Most At Stake In Trump’s Anti-Wind Push?” • The cost of Trump’s war on wind could be $317 billion in lost investment, analysis from research firm Cleanview shows. That figure is based on the 790 projects totaling 213 GW that developers plan to build, all of which are at risk of delay or even cancellation under current policies. [Canary Media]

¶ “16.5-GW Wind Build Splurge On Cards In US” • The US will add over 16 GW of wind and nearly 60 GW of solar capacity over the two-year period from the end of 2024 to the end of 2026, according to projections released by the US Energy Information Administration. This is despite the president’s repeated attacks on renewable energy as a “scam.” [reNews]

Wind turbine construction (BayWa re image)

¶ “US Transformer Shortage To Hit 30% In 2025” • US power transformer supply is set to face a 30% deficit next year, with distribution transformers short by 10%, according to Wood Mackenzie. The consultancy said surging demand since 2019 has left domestic manufacturing struggling to keep pace. Power transformer demand has risen 116%. [reNews]

¶ “Scientists Push Back On Trump Climate Report With Strong Rebuttal” • CNN reported that dozens of climate scientists are joining forces to challenge a new Trump administration report that downplays the severity of the climate crisis. The document is being used to justify weakening pollution rules and rolling back federal climate protections. [One Green Planet]

Have an outrageously fine day.

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