Green Energy Times

Headline News:

• “China Floating Turbine Passes Testing And Completes A Grid-Connected Flight” • China’s S2000 Stratosphere Airborne Wind Energy System (SAWES) completed a grid-connected test flight in Sichuan Province. The technology is no longer just a concept. It has now generated electricity at altitude and delivered that power into the local grid. [CleanTechnica]

SAWES high-altitude wind turbine (SAWES photo)

• “Most Maritime Shipping Battery Propulsion Studies Are Already Obsolete” • Maritime battery studies are based on the battery costs and energy densities available when they were done. But costs in the $300 to $500 per kWh range are now more like $65, and battery room densities of 30 to 50 kWh per cubic meter have gone to 190 kWh. [CleanTechnica]
• “Experts Weigh In On Trump Repeal Of Key Climate Finding” • The Trump administration revoked the endangerment finding, a scientific statement that climate change is a danger to public health. It is an idea that President Donald Trump called “a scam,” but repeated scientific studies have documented it and the harm has been quantifiable. [Euronews]
• “175 MW Energy Storage Project Launched In Maine” • The Cross Town energy storage site in Gorham, Maine, reportedly has 350 MWh of storage. The project’s capacity is 175 MW, the duration is about two hours. The amount of electricity stored in the new battery system should be enough to provide power to about 19,000 homes. [CleanTechnica]
• “A Climate Supercomputer Is Getting New Bosses, But It’s Not Clear Who” • The US National Science Foundation said that the management and operations of a supercomputer used by more than 2,000 climate and weather scientists across the country is to be transferred from a leading research lab to an undisclosed third party. [MSN]

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

Headline News:

• “Collett Completes Stranoch Turbine Deliveries” • Collett has completed delivery of 189 wind turbine components to EDF power solutions UK’s 102-MW Stranoch Wind Farm in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The logistics specialist transported components for twenty Vestas turbines comprising nine V150s, seven V136s and four V117s. [reNews]

Transporting turbine blades (Collett image)

• “Mexican Navy Ships Carrying Humanitarian Aid Dock In Cuba As US Blockade Sparks Energy Crisis” • Two Mexican Navy ships carrying humanitarian aid docked in Cuba amid an energy crisis caused by a US blockade. The ships arrived two weeks after US President Trump threatened tariffs on any country selling or providing oil to Cuba. [Euronews]
• “BYD Passed Up Ford In Global Auto Sales In 2025” • Here is something that has had almost no attention. It is the fact that BYD delivered more vehicles in 2025 than Ford did! BYD, which only sells plugin vehicles, sold 4.6 million vehicles, while Ford sold 4.4 million and was passed up by the Chinese EV producer for the first time. [CleanTechnica]
• “Africa Leads Growth In Solar Energy As Demand Spreads Beyond Traditional Markets, Report Says” • Africa was the world’s fastest-growing solar market in 2025, defying a global slowdown and reshaping where the momentum in renewable energy is concentrated, according to a report by the Africa Solar Industry Association. [Yahoo Finance]
• “President Trump Makes Most Aggressive Step Yet To Roll Back US Climate Rules” • President Donald Trump reversed the “endangerment finding” of 2009 that underpins US efforts to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, marking Trump’s biggest effort to dismantle climate regulations. The repeal wipes out all greenhouse gas standards. [Euronews]

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

Headline News:

• “Trump Orders Pentagon To Invest In ‘Beautiful, Clean’ Coal Power” • President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed to sustain the US coal industry through federal funding, directing the Pentagon to purchase electricity from coal plants. He recently directed the DOE to distribute $175 million to fund upgrades at six coal plants. [ABC News]

USS Texas, the last coal-burning US warship, converted to oil by 1926 (USN employee, public domain)

• “Scientists Sound Alarm As Multiple Climate Systems Near Critical Tipping Points” • Scientists say multiple critical Earth systems appear closer to destabilisation than previously believed. This is putting the planet in increased danger of following a “hothouse” path driven by feedback loops that can amplify the consequences of global warming. [Euronews]
• “China Coal Power Output Falls 1.9% In 2025 Amid Renewable Surge” • China had a 1.9% decline in coal-fired power generation in 2025, signalling a significant shift in the country’s energy mix as the expansion of non-fossil fuel sources outpaced electricity demand growth for the first time in a decade, according to a report by Wood Mackenzie. [BioEnergy Times]
• “Trump EPA To Repeal Key Climate Finding” • The Trump administration will revoke a scientific finding that long has been the central basis for action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change, the White House said. By contrast, the National Academy of Sciences says the growing harm of climate change is beyond dispute. [Euronews]
• “Haugland And Watson Terminal Services Ink NY Pact” • The Haugland Group, based in New York, signed a memorandum of understanding with Rhode Island’s Waterson Terminal Services to collaborate on port development in the state of New York to support offshore wind development. The project will draw on the expertise of both. [reNews]

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

Headline News:

• “Boreal Forests Are Expanding Northward Due To Warming Climate, Satellite Images Show” • Boreal forests are shifting northward as they warm due to climate change, several decades of satellite images show. Annual surface temperatures in boreal forests have increased about 1.4°C, or 2.52°F, over the last century, according to a study. [ABC News]

Boreal forest (Zosia Szopka, Unsplash)

• “Onshore Wind Lands 1.3-GW Haul” • More than 1300 MW of onshore wind capacity has secured Contracts for Difference in the UK’s Allocation Round 7a (AR7a) auction. A total of 27 projects were successful in winning 20-year support deals at a clearing price of £72.24/MWh (in 2024 prices). The bid ceiling had been £92/MWh. [reNews]
• “ArcelorMittal Invests €1.3 Billion To Produce ‘Green Steel’ At Its Dunkirk Plant” • ArcelorMittal formally confirmed that will invest €1.3 billion in an electric arc furnace at its Dunkirk plant. The company’s plan is to produce steel without coal, whose combustion generates significant CO₂ emissions and contributes to global warming. [Euronews]
• “Cuba Says Airlines Can No Longer Refuel On The Island Due To US Oil Blockade” • The Cuban government issued a notice warning that no jet fuel would be available at nine airports on the island, including José Martí International Airport in Havana, from February 11 until 11 March, due to a US blockade of oil from Mexico and Venezuela. [Euronews]
• “Trump Administration To Make Climate Denialism National Policy” • Continuing the theme of doltishness and mass human harm, the Trump administration seems to be aiming to make climate change denialism US national policy. Why? Because we are apparently a petrolstate being run by a mixture of Homer Simpson and Mr Burns. [CleanTechnica]

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

Carl Pope

Last month was one of New England’s better Januarys. Post-Thanksgiving, the region won a rare rating from the  North American Reliability Council,  It warned that New England uniquely was at “high risk to natural gas pipeline capacity. It warned that “Natural gas production often falls off in extreme winter temperatures, as supply infrastructure is affected by freezing issues, and Generator Operators that fail to secure firm fuel delivery are frequently unable to access fully subscribed pipelines.”

The warning is shown below in NERC’sual winter assessment by the vertical cross bars. No region except New England was put on this super warning list.

Scattered across an array of recent NERC assessments were repeated warnings: New England’s dependence on aged and leaky gas pipelines, combined with its status as a region at the end of limited gas supplies, makes it particularly vulnerable to power outages. When gas and water combine in freezing temperatures they form gas hydrates. The hydrates freeze and plug pipelines, both those which fuel electric power lines and smaller distribution pipes which heat homes and businesses. In the last two major winter storms to hit New England before this year, the power system suffered major outages of both gas and electricity generated by gas. Indeed, more than half of the power serving the region during those major storms came from drawing down emergency supplies of oil. Had the storms lasted a few more days, oil reserves would have been depleted. The entire regional grid could have shut down in freezing weather. That, NERC had warned, was a serious threat this winter.

New England and its neighboring coastal states had developed a robust strategy to provide a reliable backstop to unreliable gas power: tap the dynamic and virtually 24/7 winter winds off its coasts. Five major Atlantic offshore wind projects, with a combined capacity of 6 GW and a demonstrated super high performance in winter storms, were poised for completion or construction over the next several years. One, Vineyard Wind was already delivering partial power. Revolution Wind, the other project closest to New England, was scheduled to start this winter. Three more projects further south would follow to stabilize the entire East Coast grid by adding 20% to the New England’s grid capacity and adding the bulk of that capacity in a winter when the region is currently vulnerable.

When President Trump on his Inauguration Day announced his hostility to wind power, particularly offshore wind, the Governors responsible for the projects that seemed most at risk negotiated with the President. He demanded, and received, their support for unneeded natural gas pipelines. In exchange, Trump promised to allow the offshore wind project to be completed. (NERC had said New England needed less reliance on gas power, but the Governors decided the offshore projects were critical, and pipelines were Trump’s price.)

Then, on December 22, Trump broke his word and issued “stop completion” orders for all five Atlantic offshore projects. Among them Vineyard win, which was already operating, and Revolution, which was about to open.  The only viable, reliable strategy to stabilize the New England grid had just been blown up by the President, who had no Plan B to offer – just more gas which would simply freeze into hydrates.

The next day the weather service announced that a new, tropical storm, named Winter Storm Fern, was forming over the Gulf of Mexico and aiming to bring massive cold weather, snow and ice to a region stretching from Texas to New England.  The New Year prospects for New England were grim. With work frozen on all offshore wind power, and Winter Storm Fern makings its way through the South towards New England, the region prepared for the worst. Meteorologists warned that immediately behind Fern was another Tropical storm, a Northeaster, along the Atlantic Coast.

Fern, of course, we now know, devastated much of the United States. Over a million Americans lost power; hundreds of thousands are still in the dark. The death toll is approaching 100. The damages are estimated at $6 billion.  The South and the mid-Atlantic were socked the hardest. New England got record snow from Fern, but so cold was the weather that hydrate plugging of the gas system was avoided – only snow fell, no water. New Englanders kept their power-and the heat it provides. When Northeaster Gianne came roaring along the coast, like Fern it too concentrated its snow and ice on the south.  Then, as it moved north, it remained far enough offshore that the New England grid was spared, narrowly, a second time.

So, 2025-6 will go down in the record book, but perhaps not the New England record book for damages. Better yet, as Fern and Gianne made their devastating way through the Eastern United States, some incredibly important good news made its way from Federal Courthouses huddling in the snow. In a series of five rulings, one for each of the offshore projects Trump had shut, federal judges lifted Trump’s “stop work” order. They allowed the 6 GW of incremental, winter weather resilient offshore wind projects to resume construction and start adding reliable power before next winter.

The Judges in each case had inspected the classified and allegedly “new” risks posed to national security by allowing power generation off the Atlantic Coast, and in each found the Trump Administration’s arguments unpersuasive and inadequate.  That doesn’t mean Trump won’t appeal; but it strongly suggests that if he does, he will lose at least in the Appellate Courts.

The war on the New England grid by Washington isn’t over. And the New England States need to gird for bigger battles to come. Trump’s attacks on the only viable, reliable and domestic source of power available to an entire region are on a scale with the kind of destruction that Russia is inflicting on the Ukraine.  New England must demand that Trump explain: where is the power going to come from, power that won’t freeze, power that thrive in winter storms?

This winter isn’t over either. The Vineyard Wind and Revolution projects have been delayed and won’t help for another year.  But by next year they may both be online, providing New England with the affordable, reliable winter storm power it has lacked so long.

“To learn more about Carl’s views on the environment, energy and climate, read “Climate of Hope” which he has co-authored with former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg and which can be purchased online or from your local book store.

A veteran leader in the environmental movement, Carl Pope is the former executive director and chairman of the Sierra Club. He’s now the principal advisor at Inside Straight Strategies, looking for the underlying economics that link sustainability and economic development and serves as a Senior Climate Advisor to former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He has served on the Boards of the California League of Conservation Voters, Public Voice, National Clean Air Coalition, California Common Cause, Public Interest Economics Inc, and Zero Population Growth.

Mr. Pope is also the author of the books: Sahib, An American Misadventure in India and Hazardous Waste In America. Carl Pope is the co-author with Michael Bloomberg of Climate of Hope: How Cities, Businesses, and Citizens Can Save the Planet. How to attack climate change as a series of manageable challenges, each with a solution that can make our society healthier and our economy stronger.

Headline News:

• “UK Awards 6.2-GW Of CFDs In Onshore Bonanza” • The UK government has awarded Contracts for Difference agreements to 6.2 MW of onshore wind, solar and tidal stream projects in the Allocation Round 7a renewable energy auction. Solar PV secured the largest haul, with 4.9 GW of awarded deals at a clearing price of £65.23/MWh (in 2024 prices). [reNews]

Ed Miliband at a solar farm (DESNZ image via Flickr)

• “Cold Europe And Burning South: At Both Ends Of The Planet, January Shows Climate Extremes” • While much of Europe and the US braced against frigid cold, the Southern Hemisphere had extreme heat, with wildfires and floods. Global temperatures were at near record highs last month, on average, to make it the fifth-warmest January on record. [Euronews]
• “China To Invest 5 Trillion Yuan In Power Grid Over Next Five Years” • China is set to pour a record-high 5 trillion yuan ($722 billion) into its power grid over the next five years, a massive investment in infrastructure designed to eliminate renewable energy bottlenecks and propel the nation toward its 2030 carbon peak goal. [China Daily]
• “Record Snow Drought In The West Raises Concern For Water Shortages And Wildfires” • Record snow drought and record heat are hitting most of the American West, depleting future water supplies, making it more vulnerable to wildfires and hurting winter tourism and recreation. Both snow cover and depth are at the lowest level in decades. [ABC News]
• “Leading US Utility Goes Rogue, Offers New Round Of EV Funding” • Exelon’s ComEd branch announced another $70 million round of funds to support EV uptake in its territory in Illinois. The initial round totaled more than $160 million in EV funding. ComEd credits the program with more than 10,000 EV charger installations in Illinois. [CleanTechnica]

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

Headline News:

• “Baltic Sea Wind Lifts 50Hertz Output” • Offshore wind farms in the Baltic Sea fed about 5400 GWh of electricity into the East German extra-high-voltage grid via 50Hertz’s connection systems in 2025. 50Hertz said this represents growth of around 10% year on year and is enough to cover the electricity demand of Leipzig and its surrounding area. [reNews]

Technician atop a wind turbine (50Hertz image)

• “TotalEnergies Inks 1-GW Google Solar Deal” • TotalEnergies has signed two long-term power purchase agreements to deliver 1 GW of solar capacity to supply Google’s data centres in Texas. The power will come from its 805-MW Wichita and 195-MW Mustang Creek sites in Texas, the company said. Construction is to begin in the second quarter of 2026. [reNews]
• “EU Courts Gulf Countries For Free Trade Deal As Brussels Seeks To Counter Tariffs” • European officials have called for the negotiation of a free-trade agreement between the EU and the Gulf nations to be fast-tracked, as the bloc looks to diversify trade ties worldwide to counter the impact of US tariffs and an inundation of Chinese exports. [Euronews]
• “Why China’s Aluminum Industry May Have Reached Peak CO₂” • China’s aluminum manufacturing CO₂ emissions likely peaked in 2024. This is not because production collapsed or due to a single policy that suddenly bit, but because the structure of where aluminum is made and how it is made changed in ways that compound over time. [CleanTechnica]
• “Maine Again Looks North For Onshore Wind, But Full Grid Integration Will Have To Wait” • The Maine Public Utilities Commission released a final Request for Proposals for up to 1,200 MW of new onshore wind or other renewable generation plus a new transmission line to carry that power to southern Maine and New England. [Maine Morning Star]

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

Headline News:

• “Cannibalistic Jellies And Aggressive Blue Crabs: Invasive Species Threaten Venice’s Fragile Lagoon” • The city of Venice and its surrounding lagoon are at the mercy of climate change. Research shows how warming seas are bringing invasive species that threaten the lagoon ecosystem and the livelihoods of local fishing communities. [Euronews]

Venice (Kit Suman, Unsplash)

• “Zimbabwe Plans To Build Solar Manufacturing Plant, A Key Industry Body Reveals” • Zimbabwe’s plans to build a solar panel manufacturing plant has attracted global interest and is expected to mark a shift in its energy and industrialisation strategy, a top African solar industry report shows. The thrust signals a push to attract foreign investment. [The Herald]
• “Iowa’s Wind Boom Stalls As Politics Clashes With Power Prices” • Anti-renewable sentiment has grown in rural and red areas recently and pushed by the Trump administration. This stance has caused many state economies to plateau, as some of the most important areas of renewable energy development were unfolding in red states. [OilPrice.com]
• “You Can’t Just Walk Out On Climate Frameworks!” • The US has withdrawn from the historic Paris global climate frameworks by Trump’s executive order, but can a president unilaterally the country from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change? A former US senator asks asks that question. The exutive order has its problems. [CleanTechnica]
• “Trump’s Fossil Fuel Push Gets a Legal Reality Check” • A federal judge ruled that the DOE broke the law when Secretary Chris Wright handpicked five researchers who reject scientific consensus on climate change to write a report. The Federal Advisory Committee Act of 1972 says agencies are not permitted to use secret groups for such purposes. [OilPrice.com]

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

Headline News:

• “Free Bidirectional EV Chargers Provided For Massachusetts Program” • A Massachusetts Clean Energy Center press release about a new state EV charger program says selected participants in a Vehicle-to-Everything Demonstration program, including school districts, residents, and municipal projects, will receive bi-directional EV chargers at no cost. [CleanTechnica]

Boston (Artem Sapegin, Unsplash)

• “Shipbuilder Hanwha Wins Jack-Up Deal” • Hanwha Ocean has taken an order from Ocean Wind Power 1 for a wind turbine installation vessel. The shipyard said the vessel is scheduled for delivery in the first half of 2028. Hanwha Ocean also pointed out that the unit will be Korea’s first WTIV capable of installing turbines of 15-MW capacity. [reNews]
• “US Lawmakers Urge The EU To Keep Methane Rules” • A number of US lawmakers have called on the European Union to uphold its methane rules and avoid exempting American energy operators if US domestic standards lack sufficient accuracy or enforcement. The letter they sent, which has 24 signatories, was  obtained by Euronews. [Euronews]
• “TerraForm Power Acquires 1.5 GW Illinois Solar Project” • TerraForm Power, an affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management, acquired the Steward Creek Solar project from Hexagon Energy. The project site is in Lee County, Illinois. The project’s capacity will be 1.56 GW (DC). First phase construction begins in 2027 with operation starting in 2029. [pv magazine USA]
• “Michigan Pushes Toward 100% Clean Energy By 2040 Despite Funding Cuts” • Michigan’s current renewable energy target is 50% by 2030 and 60% by 2035, with a goal of 100% clean energy by 2040. However, meeting that timeline presents significant obstacles, experts say. One of the challenges involves changes to federal financial incentives. [Great Lakes Echo]

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

Headline News:

• “Worsening Snow Drought In The West Will Have Cascading Impacts, Experts Say” • Prolonged drought across much of the West has been worsened by low snowfall and persistent warmth, fueling a widespread snow drought. With reduced mountain snowpack, the region’s water supplies are facing mounting challenges, experts said. [ABC News]

Low snow cover (Deer Valley Resort image)

• “Why Sodium-Ion Batteries Are Happening Now” • CATL, the world’s biggest battery maker, made a production commitment for sodium-ion batteries. It introduced its Naxtra line of batteries last year. Now it has announced plans for volume production of sodium-ion batteries this year, with integration into production EVs by July. [CleanTechnica]
• “Canada To Spend Up To $200 Billion On Wind, Solar, And Energy Storage” • Canadian investment in wind, solar, and energy storage is forecast to top $200 billion over the next decade, leading to a significant decline in the emissions intensity of electricity production, according to the Canadian Renewable Energy Association. [Yahoo! Finance Canada]
• “Michigan Sues Big Oil For Antitrust Violations” • The state of Michigan filed a suit against several major fossil fuel companies. This suit seems to be more than what has happened in the past. According to The Hill, it says the defendants acted together as a cartel to reduce production and distribution of renewable energy and restrain EVs. [CleanTechnica]
• “GE Vernova Wins 1.1-GW US Repowering Haul” • GE Vernova booked 1100 MW of US onshore wind repower orders in 2025 as developers look to boost output and extend the life of existing fleets. The projects will use nacelles and drive trains made at the company’s Pensacola, Florida facility, GE Vernova’s onshore wind business said. [reNews]

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

Headline News:

• “DOE Prepares To Send Nuclear Waste Cross-Country” • A rail journey years in the making will start from Dominion Energy’s North Anna nuclear plant in Virginia in the fall of 2027 bound for Idaho National Laboratory. A specially designed railcar will be used to move a 180-ton lead and steel cask containing spent nuclear fuel over 2,500 miles. [E&E News by POLITICO]

Railcar for transporting spent nuclear fuel (DOE image)

• “How Climate Economics Got the Risks Wrong” • A study by researchers associated with the University of Exeter and Carbon Tracker argues that widely used economic models underestimate the risks of climate change. They smooth impacts over time, rely on average temperature changes, and ignore shocks, tipping points, and cascading failures. [CleanTechnica]
• “Nova Scotia And Massachusetts Ink Offshore MOU” • The province of Nova Scotia and the state of Massachusetts signed a memorandum of understanding that could see Nova Scotia send offshore wind power to Massachusetts in the coming years. The agreement comes as the Canadian province hopes to launch its first seabed lease auction this year. [reNews]
• “Particle Pollution From Wildfire Smoke Was Tied To 24,100 Deaths Per Year In US” • Chronic exposure to wildfire smoke is linked to tens of thousands of deaths annually in the US, a study in the journal Science Advances found. Tiny particulates in wildfire smoke contributed to an average of 24,100 deaths per year in the lower 48 states from 2006 to 2020. [ABC News]
• “Oregon Bill Seeks Temporary Fast-Tracking For Siting Of Renewable Energy Projects” • Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill that would fast-track siting and permitting of renewable energy projects. The Trump administratio’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” imposed new deadlines on projects, and the state bill may help with that. [Oregon Public Broadcasting]

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

Headline News:

• “As Solar And Wind Hit Record Levels, Why Are We Ignoring Geothermal Energy?” • A study from Stanford University found that enhanced geothermal systems can “significantly reduce” the amount of wind, solar, and battery infrastructure needed for a transition to clean, sustainable energy while keeping electricity prices competitive. [Euronews]

Geothermal plant in Iceland – that’s steam, not smoke (Gretar Ívarsson, public domain)

• “Spain opens talks on first offshore auction” • Spain has opened a consultation on its debut offshore wind auction. It also asks whether a single, large site should be put on the block or several smaller sites, as well as what capacity should be targeted. Spain has a goal of delivering up to 3 GW of offshore wind by the end of the decade. [reNews]
• “Sierra Club And Partners Rally To Make Polluters Pay For Climate Disasters ” • Last week, Sierra Club joined partners from across the country for a “Make Polluters Pay” Week of Action, a coordinated set of advocacy actions and events aimed at holding Big Oil and Gas companies accountable for their climate mess. It was a week of action. [CleanTechnica]
• “Zelestra Signs Meta PPA For Texas solar” • Zelestra and Meta signed a long-term power purchase agreement for the 176-MW Skull Creek Solar Plant in Texas. The project supports Meta’s goal of adding new capacity to match its operations with 100% clean energy. Zelestra and Meta now have PPAs for about 1.2-GW of US solar projects set to be online by 2028. [reNews]
• “Utility Offers Unique Solution For Residents Struggling To Go Solar” • Provo City Power started SharedSolar, a program for city residents to access solar energy even when they don’t have other means. The initiative uses a community-based solar model but with subscriptions to a portion of a larger solar installation under utility management. [The Cool Down]

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

Headline News:

• “Scott Pushes Lawmakers To Reconsider Nuclear Energy In Vermont” • Governor Phil Scott is asking lawmakers to take a second look at nuclear energy as Vermont works to meet its renewable electricity goals by 2030. “Previous policy decisions made in this building prioritize ideology over results,” Scott said in his budget address this week. [WCAX]

A basis for Investment (NextEra Energy May 2023 Investor Presentation, page 10)

• “Trump Claims China Doesn’t Use Wind Power. The World’s Largest Wind Farm Is There” • Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the POTUS made several dubious claims about Greenland, NATO, and renewable energy. Trump consistently criticised the green energy drive, calling wind and solar power “the scam of the century.” [Euronews]
• “The Assumptions That Broke: China, India, And The End Of Fossil Growth Models” • The idea that heavy freight would be the last redoubt of diesel has been repeated for decades, often with confidence and rarely with evidence. In December 2026, that idea finally collapsed. Battery electric heavy duty trucks crossed 50% of new sales in China. [CleanTechnica]
• “Top Economist Urges Europe To Fight Trump By Punishing US Billionaires” • Leading French economist Gabriel Zucman is urging European governments to respond to Trump’s threats to annex Greenland by taxing the super-rich who might benefit. “Access to the European market should be made conditional on paying a wealth tax.” [Common Dreams]
• “Trump Administration Scraps Multimillion-Dollar Solar Projects In Puerto Rico As Grid Crumbles” • The DOE canceled solar projects in Puerto Rico worth millions of dollars, as the island struggles with a crumbling electric grid. The DOE claimed that a push for renewable energy threatened grid reliability. Local experts refute that. [ABC News]

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

Headline News:

• “Trump Rules Out Using Military Force To Acquire Greenland In Davos Speech” • President Donald Trump, speaking at the World Economic Forum, ruled out taking Greenland by military force. He said, “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won’t do that.” [ABC News]

Donald Trump (The White House, public domain)

• “Solar And Wind Overtake Fossil Fuels In The EU For The First Time” • A report from Ember found that renewable energy was the source of almost half of EU power last year, despite a drop in hydro power and increased use of gas. Wind and solar led the boom, generating a record 30% of EU electricity and overtaking fossil fuels by 1%. [Euronews]
• “Seaweed Blooms Suggest The Ocean Is Geoengineering Itself” • Just as a tree is on land, seaweed is a living organism that soaks up carbon dioxide when it grows. Clearly, more seaweed can sequester more carbon. A study by researchers at the University of South Florida, published on January 19, finds the ocean may be geoengineeering itself. [CleanTechnica]
• “Europe’s Largest Rare Earths Mine: How EU Funding Clashes With Environmental Laws” • The EU is pouring its financial resources into Europe’s largest known rare-earth project, the Per Geijer mine in Sweden, to reduce its dependence on China for critical raw materials. However, the same EU legal framework threatens to halt this strategic push. [Euronews]
• “Vertical Aerospace Brings Valo To New York, Outlining Plans For Electric Air Taxi Routes” • Vertical Aerospace launches its US tour in New York City this week, bringing its new commercial electric aircraft, Valo, to the US for the first time alongside plans for electric air travel routes in New York with Bristow Group and Skyports Infrastructure. [CleanTechnica]

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

Headline News:

• “Experts Reveal Stunning Change In Global Energy” • Energy think tank Ember has published positive new data about wind and solar energy. According to reporting by Electrek, renewable energy is growing so much that it is actually outpacing global electricity demand. And dirty power usage is predicted to remain flat. [The Cool Down]

Wind turbines (Serge Le Strat, Unsplash, cropped)

• “EU Leaders Talk Coordination Over Greenland As Trump Readies For Davos Meetings” • The showdown between the US and its NATO allies over Greenland looks set to be a dominant topic as leaders gather at this week’s World Economic Forum event in Davos. President Donald Trump says US ownership of the island is “imperative.” [ABC News]
• “The World Has Entered An Era Of ‘Global Water Bankruptcy’, UN Warns. What Does It Mean?” • A report from the United Nations University warns that pollution, soil degradation, water overallocation, groundwater depletion, and deforestation have combined with global heating to cause “irreversible damage” to the planet’s water supply. [Euronews]
• “(Another) Record Month For EV Sales In China! ” • Plugins scored another million-plus sales in December, reaching a record 1.34 million units. The overall market was 2.26 million units, down a harsh 14% YOY, so the plugin vehicles’ market share was 59%, while full battery EVs reached a 35% share. The final 2025 plugin share was 54%. [CleanTechnica]
• “NNG Launches Major Seabird Monitoring Studies” •  The Neart na Gaoithe offshore wind farm is launching one of the most comprehensive seabird and marine monitoring studies in Scotland to gather continuous data on how key bird species behave around operational turbines. The study has a focus on the 450-MW project itself. [reNews]

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

Headline News:

• “EU Leaders Meet As Trump Demands ‘Complete And Total Control’ Of Greenland” • The leaders of all 27 EU nations will meet this week. “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace,” Trump wrote to the Norwegian prime minister. [ABC News]

President Trump (White House photo)

• “Breaking Down Trump’s Argument For Acquiring Greenland” • President Trump has stepped up his pressure campaign to take Greenland, the Arctic island and semi-autonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark, citing US national security needs. He has not ruled out taking it by military force over the objections of Greenlanders and the Danes. [ABC News]
• “In Sweden, Organic Steel Production Is Already In Progress” • The blast furnaces of Luleå, Sweden, are saying goodbye to fossil fuels. SSAB, the country’s leading steel mill, is pivoting its output to produce environmentally friendly, so-called ‘green steel’, free of fossil fuels. “We will reduce the total CO₂ amount emitted to the atmosphere by 7% in Sweden.” [Euronews]
• “Octopus Energy Launches New ‘Groundbreaking’ Tariff Cutting Social Housing Energy Bills By Up To £200 ” • Millions of social housing tenants face some of the highest energy costs in the UK, with limited ability to cut bills through home upgrades such as solar panels. However a new tariff from Octopus Energy aims to change that. [GB News]
• “Trump Or No Trump, The US Solar Industry Had A $22.2 Billion Year In 2025” • Mercom Capital ran the numbers for 2025. It found that the solar sector “decreased 16% year-over-year in 2025, with $22.2 billion raised in 175 deals, compared to $26.3 billion in 157 deals in 2024.” Total value for the year was down, but deals for what is coming were up. [CleanTechnica]

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Headline News:

• “Meet The Athletes Calling Out The 2026 Winter Olympics’ Polluting Sponsors” • The 2026 Winter Olympics faces growing pressure over a trio of polluting sponsors. Scientists and athletes have joined forces ahead of the Games, which will be held in Italy, to highlight how deals with huge corporations are making its carbon footprint unacceptable. [Euronews]

Speed skating (adrian8_8, CC BY-SA 2.0)

• “Geoengineering The Ocean: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?” • In a study published in the journal Advancing Earth And Space Sciences on January 14, a team of researchers examined all of the current geoengineering proposal to assess what their impact on the ocean would be. Every strategy has risks and rewards, and they have to be understood. [CleanTechnica]
• “Netherlands Plans 1-GW Offshore Wind Tender” • The Dutch government is preparing a 1-GW offshore wind tender in 2026 in response to mounting cost pressures and stalled progress in the country’s wider rollout of sea-based projects, a ministerial letter says. The cabinet said that only 1 GW can be opened within the available budget. [reNews]
• “China Starts Assembling Its ‘Great Wall Of Energy’ In The Desert” • China is breaking barriers in the world’s installed renewable capacity, especially with solar. It has started assembly of the ‘Great Wall of Energy,’ which will consist of eight million panels and 100 GW of capacity in the desert. The GWE will bring new life into the land. [Energies Media]
• “EV Sales Drop 2% in 2025, But Up 162% From 2021” • As we expected, 4th quarter US EV sales don’t look great. Sales dropped a ton in the 4th quarter after Republicans killed the $7,500 US EV tax credit. However, the 3rd quarter was a blockbuster quarter for sales as people rushed to buy EVs before the tax credit was eliminated. [CleanTechnica]

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Headline News:

• “Data Center Energy Demand Provokes Federal Response” • According to Bloomberg, the administration and several state governors will direct PJM to hold an auction for tech companies to bid on fifteen-year contracts for new electricity generating capacity. PJM was not consulted, and the auction reportedly favors fossil fuels and nuclear. [CleanTechnica]

Transmission system (Andrey Metelev, Unsplash)

• “Trump’s Plan To Make Data Centers Pay For Power Plants Has Big Flaws” • The National Energy Dominance Council and some governors of PJM states released an agreement that presses PJM to speed up construction of over $15 billion worth of ​baseload power plants, making data centers pay “whether they show up and use the power or not.” [Canary Media]
• “PJM’s Power-Starved Grid Will Get A Big Battery” • Developer Elevate Renewables is tackling the dire need for reliable energy in the PJM region with something unheard of in the area: a really big battery. The company announced that it had acquired a 150-MW, 600-MWh battery project in northern Virginia that it will complete by mid-2026. [Canary Media]
• “Court Issues Major Ruling In US Nuclear Power Plant’s Legal Battle With Residents” • A nuclear power plant in Massachusetts has been barred from disposing of radioactive water into Cape Cod Bay. Community advocates who have been fighting against the power plant said it was important for officials to reach this verdict in case there are more lawsuits. [The Cool Down]
• “Iberdrola Powers Up US-Canada Link” • Iberdrola has put the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission network into commission through its US subsidiary Avangrid. Iberdrola said the 233-km high-voltage line has a 1200-MW capacity. It is now carrying hydroelectric power from Quebec supplying nearly 10% of electricity used in Massachusetts. [reNews]

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