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Plans to install a big battery with up to six hours storage in a sweet spot between a coal generation hub and major electricity demand centres have been waved through the federal green queue.

The post Huge six-hour battery gets federal green tick for grid sweet-spot at edge of coal hub appeared first on Renew Economy.

State formally declares five onshore renewable energy zones and one “shoreline” REZ, to guide its step-change to 65% renewable by 2030 and 95% by 2035.

The post State locks in six renewable energy zones after final round of nips, tucks and rethinks appeared first on Renew Economy.

A cut in emissions led by more renewables, batteries and EVs, and less coal, lower prices and a boost in new projects make for a good week for Labor's green energy plan.

The post Lower emissions, lower prices, and new investment: It’s been a good week for Labor’s green energy plan appeared first on Renew Economy.

OK, it’s not an Onion headline (except that it was 15 years ago): the state of California is studying the potential of running 140-mile-per-hour “high-speed buses” on highways, even though the state’s first high speed rail line has been in the works for decades.

We love the latest from Cities by Diana, which explores where versions of the high-speed bus concept are actually a thing around the world, and debates the pros and (mostly) cons of the model for the Golden State and beyond. It’s a big departure from her channel’s usual found-AI-urbanist-fever-dream videos (which you might have seen on Streetsblog before, because we love them), but it’s no less wild, absurd, and fascinating.

• Cities are using porous pavement, light-colored paint, and native plantings and solar panels for shade to cool down parking lots and reduce the urban heat island effect. (Associated Press)
• Suspending gas taxes hurts transportation funding a lot more than it helps drivers (NPR). Gas taxes are already inadequate, and the State Smart Transportation Initiative recommends fees based on mileage and vehicle weight.
• The Federal Transit Administration is releasing $166 million to replace aging train cars. (Metro)
• The Trump administration is loosening regulations on refrigerator trucks, which will result in millions of tons of harmful chemicals leaking into the environment. (Carbon Upfront)
• Elaborate requirements for public comment and a fear of lawsuits are paralyzing bureaucracies and making simple street safety fixes all but impossible, writes Stephanie Nakhleh. (We Can Have Nice Things)
• Car-centric cities in the Midwest and Rust Belt are redesigning their public spaces to be more people-friendly. (Common Edge)
• Salt Lake City recently completed new protected bike lanes on the South Viaduct, offering a safe route to bike and walk over train tracks and freeway approaches. (Salt Lake Tribune)
• About two out of every five pedestrians killed in Austin is a person experiencing homelessness. (KVUE)
• Crashes in the Columbus, Ohio area are down from last year, but there have still been 8,000 so far in 2026. (WOSU)
• Houston is fixing Midtown sidewalks as part of a “walkable place” pilot project. (Chron)
• Pittsburgh’s POGOH bikeshare is expanding outside the city limits. (Axios)
• Portland transit agency TriMet is lawing off hundreds of employees and cutting back bus service. (Tribune)
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill reorganizing the Regional Transportation District board, which oversees Denver transit. (Newsline)
• Maryland passed a law removing parking minimums near transit stops and requiring cities to zone those areas for mixed use to encourage more transit-oriented development. (National Center for Smart Growth)
• Iranian hackers were likely responsible for a March breach at the Los Angeles Metro. (Tech Crunch)
• A California city is using robots to assess sidewalk conditions. (KSBW)
• Washington, D.C. is auctioning off several unused streetcars. (DC News Now)

Jet Charge founder Tim Washington on the need for more chargers, faster machines, multiple bays and electric trucks. Plus: CIS tender results, electrification and other news of the week.

The post Energy Insiders Podcast: Plugging the holes in EV charging appeared first on Renew Economy.

Community members across Perth and the South West have today staged coordinated actions across six WA Labor electorate offices, including those of Premier Roger Cook and senior ministers, calling on the state government to rule out fracking in the Kimberley. 

Big batteries scoop the pool and sideline gas in "firming tender" designed to secure supply at times of system stress as state moves to 100 per cent net renewables.

The post Big batteries scoop the pool in grid firming tender that was also open to gas generators appeared first on Renew Economy.

According to two recently published studies led by scientists from Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE), the Brazilian Amazon is already beginning to experience scenarios previously projected for the coming decades, including longer dry seasons and changes in rainfall patterns. 

The energy-efficient desalination system produces fresh water without chemical additives and transforms leftover salts into useful materials.

The discovery could improve understanding of how the ocean shapes Earth’s climate.

New tool can distinguish among major neurodegenerative diseases with goal of providing clarity for treatment decisions.

Maxing out at around 200 tons, the blue whale is not only the largest animal on the planet, it is also the largest animal ever to exist.

Whales were not always such massive creatures.

An irreversible shift in the chemical make-up of the Arctic Ocean driven by climate change is disrupting the region’s food chain, a study suggests.

Widespread loss of Arctic sea ice has led to a sharp fall in levels of a key nutrient, affecting populations of plankton, fish, seabirds and marine mammals, researchers say.

Their analysis reveals that exposure to sunlight of vast shallow regions of the ocean previously covered by ice fuels a process that breaks down the nutrient – nitrate – and removes it from seawater.

Read more at: University of Edinburgh

The polar research vessel RV Kronprins Haakon in Fram Strait, Arctic Ocean. (Photo Credit: Lawrence Hislop/Norwegian Polar Institute)

Rumours. False announcements. Lies. What’s going on with immigration changes in Canada these days?!

Join us on June 10 for a free online information session just for migrants like you. Let’s break through the noise together to get the facts, and learn how migrants are uniting to take action against unfair immigration rules to win permanent status for all.

What we’ll cover:

• Recent TR to PR announcement
• Changes to Express Entry
• What to do if your permit is expiring
• & more

Don’t miss out! Sign up now and invite a friend:

The post Recent immigration changes: Free online information session first appeared on Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.

The post Recent immigration changes: Free online information session appeared first on Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.

Rule maker kicks off review that will look at role of networks in providing EV chargers, but also the broader issue of "ring fencing" in a rapidly changing energy world.

The post “Contentious piece of work:” Regulator kicks off review of EV chargers and the broader role of networks appeared first on Renew Economy.

Fox ESS announces an important step in the brand’s ongoing journey of innovation, trust, and long-term commitment to a more resilient future.

The post Fox ESS announces rebrand ahead of SNEC Exhibition appeared first on Renew Economy.

Spanish energy giant lobs another plantation wind project into EPBC queue, highlighting the minimal impact these projects will have on highly modified sites.

The post Spanish giant lobs second plantation wind project into EPBC queue just a week after the first appeared first on Renew Economy.

Thermal energy storage hopeful begins key engineering and design study for what could be the largest project of its kind in Australia.

The post Australia’s largest industrial thermal storage project takes next “significant step” appeared first on Renew Economy.