Green Energy Times

Headline News:

• “Trump Retreats from Lawsuit Challenging Illegal Wind Ban” • The Trump administration has voluntarily dismissed its own appeal in a lawsuit challenging Donald Trump’s executive order banning wind project development in the US. The judge had ruled the order was “capricious and arbitrary.” This effectively ends the unlawful windpower ban. [CleanTechnica]

CVOW (BOEM-OPA, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

• “Spain’s Renewables Revolution Is Paying Off” • New analysis shows that Spanish households have each saved €10 per month on their electricity bills since the Hormuz strait was effectively closed in March. In the Spanish’s transition to renewable energy, the influence fossil fuels have on the electricity price has been reduced by 75% since 2019. [Euronews]
• “Cuba Quantifies Impact Of US Oil Blockade On Children’s Health And Daily Life” • The survival rate for Cuban children with cancer has fallen from 85% before the US energy blockade began in January to 65%, according to a report from Cubadebate. The report said 100,000 children younger than seven can’t even get a daily liter of milk from the state. [ABC News]
• “Gas Prices Fall Below $4 A Gallon, GasBuddy Says” • After an agreement between the US and Iran, the national average price of a gallon of gas stands at $3.99, marking a decline of more than 9¢ over the past week, according to a GasBuddy post. Gas prices, however, continue to register well above where they stood before the Iran war. [ABC News]
• “Circularity Cuts Cost Of Making Sustainable Aviation Fuel From Bio-Methane” • In recent six-month trial, Circularity Fuels showed that biogas from a California dairy farm manure digester was successfully converted to a drop-in aviation fuel. It meets the ASTM D7566 Annex A1 specifications in use for the jet engines of commercial aircraft. [CleanTechnica]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Headline News:

• “Wind Farms Lift Irish Rates Income” • Wind farms in Ireland will contribute almost €75 million in commercial rates to local authorities in 2026. Wind Energy Ireland said analysis compiled by Halpin’s showed annual rates payments from wind farms increased from €69.27 million in March 2025 to €74.87 million in March 2026. [reNews]

Wind turbine (FuturEnergy Ireland image)

• “Electricity Scarcity Will Shape AI’s Future Trajectory” • The race for supremacy in artificial intelligence is often portrayed as a contest of intellectual prowess: better models, faster chips and more sophisticated algorithms. But this perspective misses a harder, less glamorous truth. The real frontier of AI isn’t the silicon. It’s the electricity. [China Daily]
• “New World Record Set For Solar Module With Perovskite” • Another day, another reason why fossil fuels are toast. Persistent innovation in solar cells has sent the conversion efficiency in the industry through the roof. Last week some new world efficiency records were set, one of which is for solar modules made tandem perovskite-silicon cells. [CleanTechnica]
• “Italy’s Cinque Terre Coastline Could Be Flooded By 13-Meter Waves By 2150 As Sea Levels Rise” • In the Italian region of Liguria, the Cinque Terre National Park is known for its colorful houses, fishing harbors, steep cliffsides, and hiking trails. But analysis suggests its villages could be at serious risk of flooding in the next 125 years. [Euronews]
• “Energy Experts Warn Of Slow Oil And Gas Supply Recovery After Iran Deal” • It will likely take months for energy companies to resume operations and meet global demand fully, according to energy experts. The slow pace of shipping and refining crude oil, along with uncertainty over safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, means relief will take time. [Euronews]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Headline News:

• “Trump Allows Iran Civilian Nuclear Program In Peace Bid” • Donald Trump agreed to a major concession to end the war in Iran: allowing the Islamic Republic to retain some of its civilian nuclear program. The Trump administration gave Iran a green light to hold onto its civilian nuclear power plants as long as they can’t be used to create a nuclear weapon. [MSN]

Guided-missile destroyer in the Strait of Hormuz (Cpl Gary Jayne III, public domain)

• “Clean Energy Investments Surge, But That Is Only Part Of The Story” • The general perception is that the US massive push favoring the dirtiest forms of energy means global investments in fossil fuels are soaring. The reality is quite different. According to the IEA, clean energy investments last year were $2.2 trillion, while $1.2 trillion went into fossil fuels. [CleanTechnica]
• “Inner Mongolia To Turn Its Vast Renewable Energy Into An Edge In Green Computing” • AI makes power supply, cost, and carbon emissions key concerns for the industry. As AI pushes demand for data centers, China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region is seeking to turn its vast renewable energy resources into a competitive edge in green computing. [China Daily]
• “US Democratic Lawmakers Pledge To Help Speed Up Disaster Recovery In Puerto Rico” • A group of US Democratic lawmakers promised Puerto Ricans that they would try to speed up the slow recovery from destructive hurricanes and earthquakes, a process that relies heavily on federal funds. There have been a number of factors slowing down the response. [ABC News]
• “Gas Prices Are Falling Toward $4 Per Gallon But Outlook Is Uncertain, Analysts Say” • Gas prices have fallen toward $4 per gallon in recent weeks, nearing the milestone as oil costs have eased in response to negotiations between the US and Iran. The US average price of a gallon of gas stands at $4.10, after declining 40¢, or 8.8%, over the past month. [ABC News]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Headline News:

• “SpaceX Soars After Trading Begins In Largest IPO Of All Time” • Rocket and AI company SpaceX, led by Elon Musk, soared in trading on Friday, moving well above an initial public offering price of $135 per share. The IPO made Musk the first trillionaire, vaulting the world’s richest person further ahead of other financial titans. [ABC News]

SpaceX Falcon Heavy Demo Mission (SpaceX, Unsplash)

• “UK Sprints Forward With Grid Connections for 700 Clean Energy Projects” • The UK’s system for grid connections was “first come, first served.” That may not sound too bad, but it led to major bottlenecks for grid connections. The UK implemented some reforms, and now it’s getting clean power projects the grid connections they need. [CleanTechnica]
• “Renewables Meet All Growth In China’s Electricity Demand In 2025” • China reached a historic climate milestone in 2025 as its additional renewable energy covered the entirety of China’s growing power needs. The country’s newly installed renewable power generating capacity also accounted for more than 60% of global additions. [Xinhua]
• “Rare Coastal Floods Now 12 Times More Likely – Human-Driven Climate Change Is A Major Contributor” • Once rare extreme floods in coastal communities are far more common than they had been. Human-caused climate change makes sea levels higher, research shows, and when higher sea levels add to high tides, storm surges are worse. [Euronews]
• “Largest Wind Farm In The United States Is Slated To Begin Commercial Operations” • The SunZia Wind Project, the largest wind farm in the US, is slated to begin commercial operations this month. The wind farm, which is in New Mexico, has a total net summer generating capacity of 3,650 MW. It is composed of 916 wind turbines. [CleanTechnica]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Headline News:

• “Anthropic CEO Calls For Stronger Regulation Of AI” • AI has advanced at an exponential pace. Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, an AI company based in San Francisco, is calling for stronger regulation of the technology. In an interview with ABC News, he said AI has to be developed with the proper guardrails to ensure it has a positive impact. [ABC News]

Dario Amodei (TechCrunch, CC BY-SA 2.0)

• “France To Publish 10-GW Offshore Tender” • The French Government is publishing the specifications for a 10-GW French offshore wind tender. The Ministry of Energy already published the tender itself on the Official Journal of the EU website. The offshore tender will cover a mixture of eleven bottom-fixed and floating projects. [reNews]
• “The Threat To Nuclear Power Plants Around The World” • The “vulnerability” of the civilian energy infrastructure was exposed this week when a drone strike on the United Arab Emirates cut off power to a nuclear reactor, Bloomberg said. It’s the first time a fully operating nuclear plant had to rely on back-up generators because of a military attack. [MSN]
• “El Niño Returns, Likely Will Intensify Into A Strong Event This Year, NOAA Says” • El Niño conditions are present and expected to strengthen in the coming months. They can bring potentially significant impacts to our weather, the upcoming hurricane season, and global temperatures, according to the latest forecast from the NOAA. [ABC News]
• “Balcony Solar Bill Is Moving Forward In California” • The California Supreme Court just decided to kill efforts to appeal the California Public Utilities Commission’s net metering cuts, but perhaps balcony solar can help boost the industry a bit. No need for a permit. No need to wait. You just plug in your solar panels and collect the energy. [CleanTechnica]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Global surface temperature anomaly in GISS analysis relative to 1880-1920 mean.

30 April 2026
James Hansen, Pushker Kharecha, Dylan Morgan and Jasen Vest

Abstract. We infer that 2026 is likely to be the warmest year in the period of instrumental data, based on a physics-based approach with identifiable assumptions. This approach may help us learn something in 2026 about the mechanisms of climate change.

The figures in this post and our other current papers will be continually updated on our website, when they remain relevant. We are also now on Substack.

A Carbon Brief article last week (“Strong El Nino Puts 2026 on Track for Second Warmest Year”) makes us wonder about the basis for such expert projection. We are reminded of IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) expert projections with unstated assumptions and whose physical basis is inscrutable to the public. Organized climate model runs for the Climate Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) are valuable for climate analyses, but the fog of all model results should not be misinterpreted as a probability distribution for the real world.

As an alternative, let’s try a physics-based approach, with the hope to learn something from it by the end of the year. Specifically, let’s assume that the budding El Nino will have strength at least comparable to the 2023-24 El Nino. We assume that global temperature change is caused by climate forcings (imposed changes of the planet’s energy balance) and that “Nino” variability is the only substantial source of global “noise,” i.e., unforced global temperature change.

Why is this exercise of interest? Because, as we discussed in prior posts, the main issue is not El Nino, but the need to understand accelerated warming, unprecedented marine heat waves, and increasing climate extremes. … 

READ MORE at https://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2026/2026GlobalTemperature.2026.04.30.pdf

Headline News:

• “Solar Power Outstrips Coal In US Despite Trump’s Attacks” • Even as President Donald Trump boosts coal over clean energy, solar power is hitting new milestones in the US and remains the leading source of new power. States won by Trump in the 2024 election accounted for 74% of all solar capacity installed in the first quarter of 2026. [Euronews]

Solar power (Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, CC BY-SA 2.0)

• “France Adds 157,000 Hectares Of Protected Forest” • From the rain forests of French Guiana to ancient woodlands in eastern France, thousands of hectares of forest have new protections. France said it added 157,000 hectares to its biological reserves as it works toward placing 10% of its land under ‘strong protection’ by 2030. [Euronews]
• “This Electric Aircraft Is The First To Take Flight Using Solid-State Batteries” • Helios Horizon, a Florida nonprofit, did what it says is the first piloted flight of an electric aircraft powered by solid-state batteries. Founder and test pilot Miguel Iturmendi carried out a series of short test flights at Zephyrhills Municipal Airport in central Florida. [Robb Report]
• “Trump Claims Over 100 Million Barrels Of Oil Have Gone Through Strait Of Hormuz” • President Trump said a “secret mission” was conducted last month for 200 ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The operation was “wildly successful,” he said. ABC News could not immediately verify the accuracy of Trump’s claims. [ABC News]
• “‘Man Who Killed Offshore Wind’ Now Pushing Fossil Fuels And Nuclear” • David Stevenson, who led a national campaign against offshore wind power for the Caesar Rodney Institute, is now fighting land-based solar and wind farms while promoting fossil fuels and nuclear power with the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. [Energy and Policy Institute]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Headline News:

• “A Bog Is Like A Minefield” • Talking about defence, people usually imagine tanks, drones, or hardened borders. Peatlands usually don’t come to mind. But their wetness, inaccessibility, and limited passability make them a factor of relevance for security policy. The issue combines climate action, biodiversity, and water management with defence. [Euronews]

Bog (Luke Hodde, Unsplash)

• “Solar And Storage Provide Over 90% Of All New Power Added To The US Grid In Q1” • The US added 7.8 GW of solar capacity in the first quarter of 2026, as solar remained the leading source of new power added to the grid. Despite changing tax policy and regulatory actions targeting clean energy, 91% of new capacity were solar and energy storage. [CleanTechnica]
• “A Pair Of Bills Now Head To Ayotte’s Desk” • Governor Kelly Ayotte kicked off 2026 with a call to open New Hampshire to advancement and expansion of nuclear power. None of the three bills that came would do. Lawmakers say they have successfully worked with the governor to draft a compromise bill that pushes nuclear power. [New Hampshire Bulletin]
• “‘EU’s Environmental Policy Must Be Part Of Defence Strategy,’ Commissioner Roswall Says” • The environmental policy of the EU should now be considered a key part of Europe’s defence strategy, according to Jessika Roswall, European Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy, in an interview. [Euronews]
• “GM Announces A Sodium-Ion Grid-Scale Battery Storage Developed In The US” • GM announced an effort for sodium-ion batteries in partnership with Peak Energy, with an investment by GM Ventures. It’s a deliberate bet on matching the chemistry to the right application rather than forcing one solution across every use case. [CleanTechnica]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Headline News:

• “The Geysers Adds 25 MW Of Geothermal Capacity” • California’s largest geothermal resource added 25 MW of new generating capacity, strengthening the state’s geothermal energy. Calpine, a Constellation business unit, announced completion of the expansion project at The Geysers geothermal complex in Sonoma County, California. [ThinkGeoEnergy]

Geothermal plant at The Geysers, California (Calpine image)

• “The Cost Of Balancing The Grid If The EU Cuts EV Targets: 150 New Power Plants” • Europe’s electricity system could be a big victim of plans to scale back EV targets. EVs can be ‘batteries on wheels,’ providing a different math of the electricity sector. Fewer EVs would mean less storage capacity for the grid and a need for more power plants. [CleanTechnica]
• “Off-Grid Mine Runs Solely On Renewables For Nearly A Week” • Bellevue Gold is celebrating a milestone at its namesake gold mine in Western Australia. The site was able to run entirely on renewables for 155 consecutive hours. The site’s 90-MW hybrid power station has 27 MW of solar, 24 MW of wind, and 15 MW, 33 MWh of battery storage. [Energy Magazine]
• “Use Of Bomb-Grade Plutonium For Energy” • The President of the US signed an executive order directing the DOE to stop an operation getting rid of nuclear bomb materials. Instead, it is to give the weapons-grade plutonium to private companies to use in nuclear reactors. They are to get enough plutonium to build 2,000 nuclear bombs. [Green Energy Times]
• “Judge tosses Trump bid to restrict renewable energy tax credits” • A federal judge struck down a Trump administration effort to restrict tax credits for wind and solar energy. The ruling is a win for renewable energy supporters, but it comes less than a month before a deadline to phase out the credits entirely under so-called “Big Beautiful Bill.” [The Hill]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Headline News:

• “Elon Musk Said He Wouldn’t Take SpaceX Public, But Two Things Changed His Mind” • The stress of taking Tesla public seems to have worn Musk down tremendously. He said he would not do that again. But he needs money for SpaceX, and with the IPO that is coming, he will be able to retain control of 85% of the company’s stock. [CleanTechnica]

Lift off (Kim Shiflett, NASA, public domain)

• “How Hot Conditions Could Impact The World Cup” • The World Cup is set to begin during one of the hottest times of year in more than a dozen cities in Canada, the US and Mexico, and several of the host cities may see high temperatures during the soccer tournament. High temperatures that may put athletes and even spectators at risk. [ABC News]
• “Mexico Reaches 5 GW Of Distributed Solar Power” • Mexico has reached another renewable energy milestone. From 600,368 installations across the country, Mexico reached 5,164.98 MW of small-scale, distributed solar power capacity by the end of 2025. Net metering has been a key driver of small-scale solar growth in the country. [CleanTechnica]
• “Nordex Wins 255-MW German Haul” • Nordex Group has secured orders totalling 255 MW for fourteen wind projects in Germany during the first two months of the second quarter. The orders cover 39 turbines, including nineteen N163/6.X units, eleven N175/6.X units and nine N149 turbines, according to the company. [reNews]
• “Greek Solar Producers With CfDs To Get Paid When Prices Reach Zero” • Currently, when prices are zero or lower for two consecutive hours, solar power producers with contracts for difference (CfDs) don’t get paid. The Greek Energy Ministry decided that renewable energy producers will be paid when the price is zero. [Balkan Green Energy News]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Reproduction of the demon core. A sphere of plutonium about the size of a softball, it weighed about 13.7 pounds. It was about the size as the core in the bomb that leveled Nagasaki. Notice of Permission: This image is from Los Alamos National Laboratory. Unless otherwise indicated, this information has been authored by an employee or employees of the Los Alamos National Security, LLC (LANS), operator of the Los Alamos National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC52-06NA25396 with the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Government has rights to use, reproduce, and distribute this information. The public may copy and use this information without charge, provided that this Notice and any statement of authorship are reproduced on all copies. Neither the Government nor LANS makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any liability or responsibility for the use of this information.

George Harvey

This story is what I would call almost incredible. The President of the United States signed Executive Order 14302, titled “Reinvigorating the Nuclear Base,” which directed the US Department of Energy to stop its operation getting rid of nuclear bomb materials by diluting and dispersing them. The DOE would instead give the weapons-grade plutonium to private industries to use in nuclear reactors.

The amount of plutonium under discussion is to be twenty metric tons. The Fat Man bomb used on Nagasaki contained about 6.2 kilograms, or 13.66 pounds. It leveled about two square miles of the city. Twenty metric tons is enough to make thousands of such bombs.

The plutonium would go to five nuclear energy startups with the idea that it would be used to make electricity. But the theft of just a few pounds of it could be enough to make the terrorist attack on the twin towers look like a children’s game.

U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) commented on this at his official web site. We have reprinted the comment in full, here.

# # #

Washington (June 2, 2026) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), co-Chair of the bicameral Nuclear Weapons and Arms Control Working Group, today wrote to President Trump urging him to cancel the Department of Energy’s (DOE) plans to give 20 metric tons of weapons-usable plutonium—enough for approximately 2,000 nuclear bombs—to private industry for commercial energy use. If implemented, this would be the first time the U.S. government has made weapons-grade plutonium available to private companies. These plans go against long-standing bipartisan U.S. nuclear security policy, raise serious weapons proliferation concerns, make little economic sense, and raise conflict of interest issues. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright recently served on the Board of Directors of Oklo, one of the companies that may receive plutonium.

In the letter, Senator Markey wrote, “For five decades, the United States has avoided the commercial use of plutonium and opposed the spread of technology to separate (“reprocess”) plutonium from used reactor fuel. We did so to prevent nations with nuclear power plants (such as Iran) from being able to extract plutonium from that fuel, which they—or terrorists into whose hands it could fall—could use to make nuclear weapons.”

Senator Markey continued, “I am concerned that your Administration is moving forward with plans to transfer plutonium to Oklo not because these proposals make sense for the United States, but because Oklo stands to benefit financially and Secretary Wright is acting in his former company’s interest. Secretary Wright’s close ties to the company present an appearance of impropriety.”

In the letter, Senator Markey requested answers by June 15, 2026, to questions that include:

• Why should the U.S. government facilitate the transfer of plutonium to private industry and the development and export of proliferation prone reprocessing technologies?
• What safety and security measures are planned for the transport of weapons-grade plutonium to private actors?
• What role did Secretary Wright play in the selection of Oklo for the Surplus Plutonium Utilization Program?
• Does Secretary Wright currently have a financial stake in Oklo, and does he stand to benefit in any way from Oklo’s role in this program?

On September 23, 2025, Senator Markey wrote to Trump raising concerns about Secretary of Energy Chris Wright’s close relationship with Oklo Inc., a nuclear technology company that suggests a conflict of interest within the Administration that could compromise U.S. national security by providing weapons-usable plutonium to private industry. On September 10, 2025, Senator Markey and Representatives John Garamendi (CA-08) and Don Beyer (VA-08) wrote to President Trump expressing concern over DOE’s plan to transfer at least 20 metric tons of weapons-usable plutonium to private industry for commercial energy use.

# # #

We should keep in mind that the purpose of the organizations that intend to use the plutonium is to use it to make electricity. It is worth looking at that.

No commercial nuclear reactor has ever been run entirely on plutonium. Reactors using what is called MOX (mixed oxide) are used in France, but they only contain about 11% plutonium, at most. A nuclear reactor that uses plutonium would have to be developed from scratch, a process that would take years.

There would have to be adequate security on the plutonium. This goes beyond meaning that terrorists would not get any of it. The security around moving it would be complex, but it would have to be very sure. If the reactor were in Wyoming and the plutonium at Los Alamos, in New Mexico, it would have to be transported between those sites. How would that be done? It would have to be done entirely in secret, to be safe. But that means secret shipments of a material that is potent enough to make a nuclear bomb out of less than twenty pounds. And that is just one of many considerations.

On the other hand, we have ways to generate electricity that are almost certainly less expensive, do not produce waste, are non-polluting, and are highly reliable. These are solar, wind, and batteries. Solar and batteries are commonly used for off-grid homes, but they can be scaled from up to provide for a power grid. This is not new technology. It is used all over the world. And the electricity it produces is highly reliable and just about the least expensive out there. It can be installed very quickly.

Why would anyone what to pay extra to have bomb-grade materials moved secretly through their communities for the sake of making what may be the highest-cost power available?

Headline News:

• “Fuel Prices Are Shaping Summer Plans As US Boaters Get Ready To Hit The Water” • Recreational boaters, like motorists, are feeling a pinch from the Iran war. US gas prices have come down in recent weeks, but a gallon of regular gas still cost an average of 34% more than it did a year earlier, according to motor club AAA. [ABC News]

Motorboat at sunset (Zia Ur Rehman, Unsplash)

• “Heat Map Shows Most Of Spain In Intense Heat” • Clear skies will dominate almost everywhere in Spain, and 34ºC (100°F) will be reached in much of central and southern regions. Madrid will hover around the high, and Seville and Córdoba will reach 36ºC at noon. And even along the Cantabrian coast temperatures will rise sharply. [Euronews]
• “CATL Developing 12,000 Wh Per Kg Lithium-Air Battery” • Now that CATL, the largest battery manufacturer in the world, has begun mass production of sodium-ion batteries, it is turning its attention to the batteries it will manufacture in the future. And reportedly, the company’s long-term focus is on lithium-air battery technology. [CleanTechnica]
• “Scientists Blame Climate Change For UK Heatwave And Say 35°C In Spring Is ‘Absolutely Astonishing'” • The UK is in the midst of a spring heatwave, in which the temperatures in parts of the country are hitting highs of 35.1°C (95.2°F). As people struggle to find some relief, scientists are blaming climate change for the blistering heat. [MSN]
• “Why Solar Power Is Booming Under Trump” • The Trump administration may pivot away from renewable energies, but solar still rules. Newly released data from FERC shows that at the close of last year, solar energy additions were the single largest form of new energy capacity installations for the 28th straight month, starting in September of 2023. [MSN]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Headline News:

• “Innovative Strategies The Wine Industry Is Using To Adjust To Climate Change” • An increase in heat has been found to alter the chemistry of grapes and the taste of the wine. In response, some vintners are changing the way they cultivate their crops to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce their own carbon footprint. [ABC News]

Napa Valley vineyard (Daniel Salgado, Unsplash)

• “Governor Polis Signs Bill Countering Expensive Federal Coal Plant Orders” • Colorado Governor Polis signed a bill requiring more transparency on the costs incurred from running coal units past their retirement dates. It requires modern pollution controls for coal plants operating after 2033 and directs the PUC to help the state reach its 2030 climate targets. [CleanTechnica]
• “Fossil Fuel Imports Have Dropped Across The EU Since War On Iran, Except In Three Countries” • While the EU responded to the latest fossil fuel crisis by limiting fossil fuel imports, a trio of states, Germany, Italy, and Belgium, have “deepened their exposure by increasing them.” Overall, EU imports have fallen 1.2% since the war started in March. [Euronews]
• “Renewable Energy Is Overtaking Traditional Power Projects Across Africa, Industry Leaders Say” • Africa’s next generation of power projects is increasingly being built around solar and wind power with battery storage, as governments and investors shift away from coal and large hydropower dams in search of cheaper, faster, and more reliable electricity. [AOL.com]
• “Governor Lamont Signs Solar Energy Bill” • Connecticut Gov Ned Lamont signed a solar power bill to ensure that the state’s families and businesses can continue to choose to go solar. The new law extends rooftop solar programs, promises to bring faster solar permitting, and moves towards allowing sales of “balcony” solar systems. [Environment America]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Headline News:

• “Trump Delivers Boost To Coal Worth Hundreds Of Millions” • The Trump administration is putting $700 million into coal. Trump announced the move during remarks in the Oval Office, saying his administration is “taking historic action to bring down the price of energy and the cost of living for all Americans with the power of clean, beautiful coal.” [The Hill]

Clean, beautiful coal mine (Carol M Highsmith, public domain)

• “France Accused Of ‘Climate Denial’ As Green Funding Quietly Shrinks Following Blistering Heatwave” • Last month, France sweltered under a powerful heat dome. Weather agency Météo France said that new monthly highs had been logged at 352 weather stations. The highest temperature was 37.1°C. But France repeatedly cut its funding to deal with heat. [Euronews]
• “Energy, Water Use And Pollution Of AI And Data Centers Rival Most Countries” • The environmental footprint of data centers already rivals some of the world’s largest countries, a United Nations University report says. The report predicts their water and energy use will double in just four years as use of AI grows. So will their pollution. [MSN]
• “Citing Cleaner, Cheaper Alternatives, Colorado Regulators Deny Xcel Energy’s $2.9 Billion Gas System Plan ” • Colorado’s Public Utilities Commission declined to approve much of Xcel Energy’s Gas Infrastructure Plan, which lays out the utility’s forecasted investments in methane gas infrastructure over the coming years. [CleanTechnica]
• “Wind And Solar Are Saving Texans $20 Million A Day” • In Texas, more than a third of electricity came from wind and solar projects as early as the first half of 2022. This year, wind and solar capacity have both set records already. RMI estimates that, on average, wind and solar projects in Texas have avoided $20 million per day in fuel costs. [RMI]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Headline News:

• “Regenerative French Farms Lost Only A Third As Much As Others To Drought” • Data on drought-hit French farmland reveals that the most promising solution could be the greenest. In a study of over 1,200 farms during the 2023 droughts, early findings show that highly regenerative farms recorded an 8% drop in yields, while the others lost 22%. [Euronews]

French farm (Lucas van Oort, Unsplash)

• “Higher Gas Prices Fueling Pain At The Pentagon” • A growing list of unplanned and rising expenses is increasingly straining the Pentagon, with fuel costs emerging as one of the most significant pressures. Oil and fuel prices have surged during the Iran war. That surge could saddle the Pentagon with more than $1 billion in unplanned costs this year. [ABC News]
• “BMW iX3 Starting $5,000 Cheaper Than Comparable BMW X3” • Is the new BMW iX3 about to shake things up? Based on the key facts we’ve seen released about it, it should! The iX3 is coming in a whopping $5,000 cheaper than the comparable version of the gas-powered BMW X3. And the iX3 also offers 434 miles of range. [CleanTechnica]
• “India’s Renewable Energy Boom, Over 4.4 Million Jobs By 2030: Report” • India’s push towards renewable energy could generate over 4.4 million jobs by 2030, according to a study released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water and NRDC India. The study forecasts rooftop solar to be the single largest employment engine. [Times Now]
• “US Will Dismantle The Ocean Observatories Initiative” • As the US seeks to halt science, the National Science Foundation announced it is “descoping” the Ocean Observatories Initiative. OOI is a vast ocean observation network that comprises more than 900 instruments deployed throughout the world’s oceans. It seems the US would rather not know. [CleanTechnica]

For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.

Headline News:

• “Markey Demands Trump Cancel DOE Plan To Give Private Companies Enough Plutonium To Build 2,000 Nuclear Bombs” • Senator Ed Markey implored President Donald Trump to cancel his DOE’s plan to give private companies enough plutonium to build around 2,000 nuclear bombs, warning the move raises a number of important concerns. [Common Dreams]

Senator Markey (USDAgov, public domain)

• “Almost Everywhere Will Face Above Average Summer Heat, WMO Warns” • El Niño will hit this summer with 80% certainty, according to the latest forecast by the World Meteorological Organization. El Niño is expected to leave virtually nowhere untouched, with above-average temperatures forecast around the globe for June to August. [Euronews]
• “The UK Government Set A Target Of An 87% Cut In Carbon Emissions By 2042” • The British government said that it will stick to its net-zero goal, despite pressure on energy supplies from global conflicts. It will reduce the UK’s planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions by 87% of 1990 levels in the next decade and a half. [ABC News]
• “What Hormuz Is Teaching Traders About Utilities” • The Strait of Hormuz shows how vulnerable electricity markets are to fuel price shocks, even after years of investment in renewable energy. The effects of the disruption are steadily working their way through natural gas markets, fuel contracts, and wholesale electricity worldwide. [OilPrice.com]
• “Sierra Club Applauds Northeast States For Challenging Trump Administration’s Illegal Offshore Wind Lease Buyout” • “These states recognize what this administration refuses to accept: Offshore wind lowers energy costs and strengthens our grid. Trump’s backroom buy-outs are a bad deal for families already struggling to pay their bills.” [CleanTechnica]

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Headline News:

• “A €100 Billion Queue: Why Europeans Wait Years For Clean Energy” • Over €100 billion of renewables are stuck in Europe, as communities across the continent wait years for solar panels and heat pumps. A report found that 375 GW of clean energy projects and 455 GW of battery storage projects are trapped in distribution grid queues. [Euronews]

Wind turbine (Wolfgang Weiser, Unsplash)

• “Electricity Prices Fall Across Australia As Renewables Build Momentum” • As bulk power costs decline in Australia’s eastern states due to high renewable energy inputs, the price reductions are finally reaching the household and small business consumer. More than 400,000 small-scale storage systems have a stabilizing influence on the grid. [CleanTechnica]
• “Australia’s First 8-Hour Battery Gets Go-Ahead As 144 Tesla Megapacks Prepare To Transform The Grid” • Australia’s first eight-hour battery energy storage system has cleared a major hurdle. The project pairs 144 Tesla Megapacks with an existing solar farm in New South Wales, aiming to help keep electricity flowing long after sundown. [The Cool Down]
• “Turning Point For Power Market As Storage Is No Longer Optional” • Battery storage is becoming conventional and a critical element of the electricity system, according to a panel held at Belgrade Energy Forum. Countries in Southeastern Europe must show clarity and enable operators to participate in multiple markets. [Balkan Green Energy News]
• “Court Dismisses GE Vineyard Appeal” • A Massachusetts judge has rejected GE Vernova’s request to throw out a previous order requiring it to continue working on CIP-Iberdrola’s 806-MW Vineyard Wind 1 array off the coast of Massachusetts. Turbine supplier GE Vernova is required to continue maintaining and servicing the project. [reNews]

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Headline News:

• “In Venice, A Growing Flamingo Population Finds Refuge In Recovering Wetlands” • Flamingos started showing up in the vast Venetian Lagoon in the early 2000s, but they were rare enough that the local dialect has no word for them. Last year, climate change brought the number of wintering flamingos in Venice to a record of nearly 24,000. [ABC News]

Flamingo (Gislane Dijkstra, Unsplash)

• “The Race To Build The World’s Largest Solar Farms” • As panel prices fall and governments worldwide look to diversify their energy mix, some developers are launching mega-projects to meet the growing demand. One in China will have 16.9 GW of capacity. California plans a 21 GW solar project with batteries. They aren’t the largest. [OilPrice.com]
• “Wind Power Sets A Clear Course For Shipping’s $1 Trillion Energy Transition” • Conflict in the Middle East is driving fuel price uncertainty. Scientific validation shows that fuel saved by wind propulsion can be predicted with greater confidence and consistency than the commodity markets can. The value of the transition could be $1 trillion. [Energy Voice]
• “Ford Mustang Mach-E Cheaper than Ford Escape! (5-Year Total Cost of Ownership)” • The Ford Mustang Mach-E is clearly a superior vehicle to the Ford Escape. It’s got better tech, better driving quality, better acceleration, and a cooler look. It comes at a higher price. Nevertheless, its 5-year total cost of ownership is quite a lot lower. [CleanTechnica]
• “Energy Giant Switches On First Phase Of $1.1 Billion Texas Solar Farm Set To Power AT&T And Toyota” • Sequoia Solar, in Callahan County, Texas, has brought its first 400 MW of capacity online. That first phase is now operating, while a second 415-MW phase is due online before the end of the year. The two phases combine to 815 MW. [Yahoo Finance]

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Headline News:

• “Clean Energy Saved EU €51 Billion In 2025 By Cutting Fossil Fuel Imports” • Using wind and solar to generate power meant significantly less reliance on imported oil and gas, according to energy think tank Ember. Europe looks set for further savings in 2026 as renewable energy generation hits record highs thanks to ideal Spring conditions. [Euronews]

Solar array in Italy (Sungrow EMEA, Unsplash)

• “Cuba Bets On Solar Power As Energy Crisis Deepens” • Cuba has gone through a worsening energy crisis for years, leading it to rely on Venezuelan oil. Following the US intervention in Venezuela in February, the energy crisis has grown even worse, as Cubans face regular blackouts and the economy suffers. Now Cuba is turning to solar power. [OilPrice.com]
• “California Has Lowest Wholesale Electricity Prices In USA” • Wind power, water power, and solar power all mean no fuel and low wholesale electricity prices. But given how much people love to exclaim “California is expensive,” it is a shock to find out that wholesale electricity is cheaper in California than anywhere else in the country. [CleanTechnica]
• “Company Bets $1.2 Billion On Massive Wyoming Solar And Battery Hub For Meta Data Centers” • A clean energy project tied to one of Meta’s data centers is drawing attention after Enbridge announced a $1.2 billion investment in Wyoming. The Cowboy Project combines 365 MW of solar capacity with battery storage of 200 MW and 1,600 MWh. [Yahoo Finance]
• “Connecticut Approves Plug-In Solar” • Small-scale solar is growing every year. Connecticut passed HB 5340, making the state the sixth to send a plug-in solar bill to the governor for final approval. Colorado, Maine, Maryland, Virginia, and Utah are the other states that are making it easier for consumers to add new types of solar. [CleanTechnica]

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Headline News:

• “European Energy Receives German Hydrogen Support” • European Energy secured support under Germany’s hydrogen auction framework linked to the European Hydrogen Bank for adding 150 MW of hydrogen production capacity in Denmark. Funding of up to €228 million will support additional hydrogen production connected to its Kassø site. [reNews]

Kassø hydrogen plant (European Energy image)

• “Four EU Countries Push Brussels To Ease Carbon Market’s Pressure On Industry” • Estonia, France, Germany, and Spain are urging the European Commission to rethink part of its planned carbon market reforms, warning that some industries could face serious competitive pressure under stricter emissions rules due to take effect between 2026 and 2030. [Euronews]
• “Iran Deal Coming Soon – Because Exxon Is Running Out of Oil” • Exxon Mobil Senior Vice President Neil Chapman warned that oil inventories are draining fast and could reach “really low levels” in the coming few weeks if the situation in the Middle East isn’t resolved. Naturally, if that happens prices will spike. We could be in for a real shock. [CleanTechnica]
• “Africa Is Embracing Renewable Energy” • African countries are increasingly looking to renewable energy to meet growing power demand. In 2025, African countries added a total of 11.3 GW of renewable capacity, up from 4.2 GW in 2024, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency. And increasingly, renewables are displacing fossil fuels. [Yale E360]
• “Over 100 Home Heat Pumps Helped Balance Germany’s Grid For Nearly Three Years Without Affecting Comfort” • Viessmann Climate Solutions, part of Carrier Global Corporation, said it has concluded a pilot in Germany that shows residential heat pumps can actively support grid operations, according to Renewable Energy Magazine. [The Cool Down]

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