J1. Green Tech Industry & Utilities

Headline News:

• “Invasive Plant Spreads Across Portugal And Lengthens Allergy Season” • Pampas grass, Cortaderia selloana, has large feathery plumes that make it a familiar in decorative arrangements in gardens. But what many regard as a showy plant is, in Portugal, an invasive alien species that can spread rapidly with potential consequences for health. [Euronews]

Pampas grass (Arnim Littek, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

• “Physicist Raises Alarm Over Proposed Massive Nuclear Power Project” • A proposal for a huge industrial project in Utah would be powered by over 450 nuclear reactors. Dr Robert Davies, a professor of physics at Utah State University, worries that current regulations do not consider the massive thermal footprints that facilities like this can leave behind. [KSL News]
• “Von Der Leyen Turns To Europe’s Refineries As Shrinking Capacity Raises Energy Security Concerns” • President Ursula von der Leyen of the European Commission announced a new “strategic dialogue” on European refineries, drawing attention to a growing vulnerability for the EU: Its refining capacity has been declining since 2009. [Euronews]
• “GWEC Alliance Unveils Floating Wind Action Plan” • The Global Wind Energy Council and more than fifty companies and organizations have set out an industry action plan aimed at commercializing floating wind. The plan focuses on reducing costs and demonstrating value, scaling the supply chain and expanding access to finance and insurance. [reNews]
• “Heart’s Electric Airliner Still Needs Fuel” • For 27 minutes, batteries flew a machine roughly the size of the regional aircraft Heart Aerospace eventually wants airlines to operate. There was no engine aboard aside from the electric motors, but by adding a turbogenerator, the airplane can fly as a hybrid aircraft. Further development will doubtless come. [CleanTechnica]

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

Headline News:

• “Climate Change Takes Center Stage In SCOTUS Battle Over Oil Companies” • The City of Boulder and Boulder County, Colorado, in 2018 sued major fossil-fuel producers. They allege the companies “knowingly caused and contributed” to climate change by promoting fossil fuels. The case is before the US Supreme Court. [ABC News]

Impacted forest (Dan West, Colorado State Forest Service)

• “Aula Energy Plans 1.8-GWh battery To ‘Optimise’ 330 MW Solar Farm” • Aula Energy, owner of one of Australia’s biggest solar farms, has revealed plans to add a 1.8 GWh battery energy storage system at a site in central west New South Wales. It is seeking to overcome limitations associated with the intermittent nature of solar energy. [pv magazine Australia]
• “Climate Damage Already ‘Locked In’ – But These 10 Insights Show Our Future Is Still Being Decided” • The 10 New Insights In Climate Science report points to a “narrowing window for action” but one that is still open, showing us what is already locked in, what can still be avoided, and where policy can have the greatest effect. [Euronews]
• “BYD Commercial Vehicle Sales Up 113% In September” • Sales of BYD’s commercial vehicles, all EVs, look great now. BYD has separated reporting them into bus sales and non-bus sales, but we can combine them. BYD’s total was 6,848, 194.8% more than the 2,323 sold in August 2026 and 113.3% more than the 3,210 sold in September 2025. [CleanTechnica]
• “The EPA Cooks The Books And The Planet” • The Trump EPA went past repealing the 2024 power plant standards. It issued a new proposal purporting to find that the EPA lacks any authority to regulate power plants’ climate pollution under the Clean Air Act. The proposal is yet another step on this administration’s campaign against climate action. [CleanTechnica]

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

Global Citizen's Michael Sheldrick on why the global push to electrify could lift millions out of poverty, and why Collie is a key test case for the transition from coal.

The post SwitchedOn podcast: Why electricity is now central to the fight against poverty appeared first on Renew Economy.

Controversy has erupted over a planned cap on land lease payments for wind farms in Germany, with the industry and banks warning it could jeopardise new projects.

The post Plan to cap wind farm land lease payments sparks controversy, may jeopardise new projects appeared first on Renew Economy.

Australia dedicates $13 million to help Pacific nations quit fossil fuels, electrify and transition to renewables as countries across the region race to switch from the costly and polluting fossil fuel imports.

The post Australia pledges $13 million to help Pacific nations quit diesel, switch to renewables and electrify appeared first on Renew Economy.

Australian gold mine, largely powered by renewables and the first in the world to reach "net zero", selected as supplier for first regarding of cathedral since 1863.

The post Australian renewable-powered mine to supply “green gold” for repairs to London’s St Paul’s Cathedral appeared first on Renew Economy.

Dominion said it wasn’t relevant to its merger with NextEra Energy, but Clean Virginia, a customer advocacy group, said it spoke to the governance “fitness” of the potential combined company.

The tech giant and energy producer are backing improvements and renovations at the 1,790-MW Calvert Cliffs Clean Energy Center, the state’s largest source of clean energy.

Mandates and long-term trends toward electrification are supporting demand for these HVAC technologies despite federal headwinds.

For utilities, keeping capital expenditures well-balanced is “going to be a little more challenging with [interest] rates going higher as quickly as they have,” said Tim Keller, managing director of U.S. Bank’s power and utilities group.

The 120-day study process would be available for loads larger than 200 MW and new generation that *are*>is* in the same local resource zone, which generally cover individual states.

Headline News:

• “Ireland’s Heat Study Adds More Evidence Against The Fabric First Trap” • Insulation, draught-proofing, building repair, and ventilation can all be valuable, sometimes very valuable, but that does not mean that every household should complete extensive renovation before replacing fossil heating with a heat pump. The distinction matters. [CleanTechnica]

Irish home (Greg Lauver, Unsplash, cropped)

• “Major Oil Exporters Agree To Keep Production Steady In November” • Seven major oil-exporting countries agreed to keep production steady in November at a time when the Iran war has driven the price of benchmark Brent crude oil to over $100 per barrel. The so-called OPEC+ subgroup will meet again to review oil market conditions on November 1. [ABC News]
• “Gas Build‑Out In Southeast Asia Risks Committing to Less Competitive Infrastructure” • Southeast Asia has nearly 49 GW of new gas capacity planned in five countries. That could expose power systems to less competitive gas infrastructure just as solar becomes increasingly cost-competitive with gas and companies increasingly buy renewable electricity. [Asian Power]
• “Over 35 Million People Under Alert As October Heat Wave Bakes California” • More than 35 million people are under heat alerts as a dangerous multi-day October heat wave continues in nearly all of California. Temperatures are expected to be up to 20°F above normal for this time of year, into the 90s and 100s, from Northern California to Mexico. [ABC News]
• “Pentagon Backs Ambitious Plan To Beam Solar Power From Space” • Space-based solar power just got another powerful vote of confidence. The US Department of Defense signed a contract with Overview Energy to “design, build, and test a homing beacon that will … accurately beam power from orbit to receiving solar arrays on Earth.” [OilPrice.com]

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

The fastest megawatt may already be on the grid. Here’s how utilities can unlock it.

Utilities turn to onsite power as demand outpaces grid capacity.

Customer payment behavior is shifting. Utilities that aren't paying attention will pay the price. Five trends reshaping the bill pay landscape in 2026 and beyond.

Origin Energy seeks approval for new addition to its Eraring battery that would take the total size to 1200 MW and 8600 MWh, easily the biggest in the country.

The post Australia’s biggest coal generator set to be replaced by the world’s biggest battery appeared first on Renew Economy.

More projects are going hybrid: A $2 billion solar and battery addition is proposed to what is already the state's biggest and newly expanded wind farm.

The post Going full hybrid: Massive, $2 billion solar and battery proposed at site of newly expanded wind farm appeared first on Renew Economy.

Canberra is becoming a real-world laboratory for mass electrification, but its local electricity network will be watching from the sidelines.

The post Where’s Evo? The missing network in Canberra’s bold electrification experiment appeared first on Renew Economy.

Headline News:

• “Like A ‘Huge Game Of Monopoly’: Green Councillor Not Impressed By Amazon Wind Farm Agreement” • The Shetland Islands Green councilor Alex Armitage says he is “disgusted at the way Shetland’s renewable resources are being passed around by huge corporations.” He said it is as if corporations are “playing a huge game of Monopoly.” [Shetland News]

Mossy Hill wind farm (Statkraft image, cropped)

• “Australia Is Making Big Bets On A Slow Transition, But The Technology S-Curve Tells A Different Story” • Based on the historical Australian and global energy data, logistic S-curve projections suggest that renewable electricity growth and decline of fossil fuels are approaching the fastest part of a transition that has been under way for decades. [Renew Economy]
• “Top Democrats Battle Over California’s Proposed Billionaire Tax” • Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Ro Khanna rallied in support of an initiative that would place a one-time, 5% tax on California billionaires’ wealth. Their efforts to barnstorm the state come as early voting begins. Millions of dollars have been spent to kill the initiative. [ABC News]
• “OpenAI Safety Staffer Quits, Says AI Labs Should Run Like Nuclear Plants” • A leading member of OpenAI’s safety team has quit, warning that the company is not taking enough care with AI’s risks. In an essay for The Atlantic, David Robinson wrote that the ChatGPT maker “has thrived by trial and error.” He warned that approach no longer works. [The Next Web]
• “Big Oil Fears The Evidence Of Its Deliberate Climate Lies” • No one knows how the US Supreme Court will rule in Suncor v Boulder, which will likely decide whether the city and county of Boulder, Colorado, will be able to put oil giants ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy on trial for deceiving the public for decades on the climate harms of fossil fuels. [Asia Times]

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

The Macorna wind project will have a simpler ride through state planning, and insists it is still viable even if the proposes VNI West transmission line is not built.

The post Not a “dealbreaker:” Big Victorian wind project doesn’t need VNI West appeared first on Renew Economy.