August 8 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “US Battery Storage Capacity Averaged 70% Growth Over The Last Three Years” • Battery storage capacity in the US grew a lot over the last three years, with an annual average growth rate of 70%. By the end of 2025, the US had battery storage capacity of 43.6 GW operating. Over the first six months of 2026, operators added another 8.3 GW. [CleanTechnica]

Growth in utility batteries (EIA image)

• “Wildfires Keep Raging As Europe Swelters Under Extreme Heat” • Firefighters were battling multiple wildfires in Serbia on Friday, as temperatures remain extremely high. Serbia was not the only country affected, however. Days of extreme heat with temperatures reaching 40°C (104°F) fueled wildfires in several Balkan countries. [Euronews]
• “Rising Temperatures Could Keep More Flights From Taking Off On Time” • Airline passengers know to expect possible flight delays when forecasts call for rough weather. But extreme heat also disrupts flights. On the hottest days, thinner air can make it harder for aircraft to get off the ground safely. Airlines might even remove passengers to save weight. [ABC News]
• “California Produced Over Half Its May Electricity From Solar, A World Record” • California hit a major milestone in May, with over half its electricity coming from the sun. It is believed to be a global first, according to analysis from Ember. And in the first five months of 2026, California made more electricity from solar than from natural gas. [Arizona Daily Sun]
• “New Hampshire Law Empowers Homeowners With ‘Balcony’ Solar Panels” • A state law set to go into effect on January 1, 2027, gives Granite Staters an ability to install so-called “balcony solar” panels. DIY solar power users still need to do their homework to understand the technology, safety requirements, the potential for their home, and possible limits. [NH Business Review]

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

* This article was originally published here

August 7 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “Europe’s Electricity Prices Spike To €500/MWh” • Intense heat waves are threatening energy security across Europe. A scorching, arid summer is causing high electricity demand for air conditioning just as rivers warm up and dry out. For nuclear and hydropower the consequences are devastating, with prices rising to €500/MWh ($576/MWh). [OilPricecom]

Nuclear plant (Hansueli Krapf, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

• “How Europe’s Drought Exposes ‘Weakness Of Fossil Fuels’ As Poland Is Forced To Shut Down Coal Plants” • Polish utility giant Enea has had to reduce generation at two coal-fired power plants after critically low water levels in the Vistula River limited the cooling water supplies. The move is said to have removed 1.3 GW from Poland’s power system. [Euronews]
• “Trump Administration To Pay $1.22 Billion To Cancel RWE Offshore Wind Leases” • The US will pay German energy firm RWE $1.22 billion to cancel its offshore wind leases off New York, California, and Louisiana. “After careful consideration, it was determined there is no path forward to permit these projects in the US for the foreseeable future,” RWE said. [Euronews]
• “The Ford Fathom Is Here” • Finding a truck for less than $30,000 is nearly impossible in this market, but Ford Motor is betting that cash-strapped Americans will sign up to buy its all-new Fathom. It is an electric midsize pickup with a starting price of $28,350. Ford said it will be the first vehicle to be produced on its Universal Electric Vehicle Platform. [ABC News]
• “Court Overturns Trump Administration’s Wind Pause” • The US District Court for the District of Oregon has ruled in favor of clean energy developers. Judge Karin Immergut, who is a Trump appointee, ruled that DOD’s wind project review freeze “violates statutory and regulatory deadlines” and ordered DOD to resume review of onshore wind projects. [CleanTechnica]

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

* This article was originally published here

August 6 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “Short-Haul Electric Flights Could Be A European Reality In Less Than Four Years” • European travelers could take electric flights on some of the continent’s most popular routes by the early 2030s, thanks to rapid advancements in tech. Electric and hybrid flights would make short-haul travel more sustainable, and less dependent on imported fuel. [Euronews]

Electric airplane (Elysian Aircraft image)

• “Cause Determined In The Deadly 2025 Eaton Fire” • The Los Angeles County Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection released a report on the 2025 Eaton Fire. It said the fire was caused by electrical arcing events that took place on a Southern California Edison tower that was out of service. The fire killed 19 people. [ABC News]
• “Climate Change Is Rewriting Europe’s Nuclear Cooling Assumptions” • Romania is redirecting the Danube to get water to one of its four nuclear reactors could keep going for at least two extra days. France had to constrain twelve of its reactors. Switzerland and Hungary have reactors offline. Climate change has effects on nuclear power. [CleanTechnica]
• “Solar Power Is Portugal’s Main Source Of Electricity In July For The First Time” • Last month, renewable sources accounted for 53% of consumption, with solar providing 19% of that energy, followed by hydro (16%), wind (13%) and biomass (5%). Solar power was, for the first time, the main source of electricity for the country. [Euronews]
• “In A First, Utah Got More Power From Solar Than Any Other Source” • Utah’s solar generation eclipsed all other electricity sources for the first time ever in May, after a slow but steady years-long shift away from coal. Energy experts are calling it a win for the environment and the state’s economy. PV panels in Utah produced nearly 1 TWh in May 2026. [Yahoo]

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

* This article was originally published here

August 5 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “The Elusive Dream Of Solar Powered EVs Is Not So Elusive After All” • The pursuit of solar-powered EVs has discouraged more than one would-be automaker, but the US startup Aptera has a unique angle. Instead of pitching four-wheeled passenger cars decked out in solar panels, the company has kept the solar panels and removed one wheel. [CleanTechnica]

Aptera (Aptera image)

• “Europe’s Hydropower Nears ‘All-Time-Low’ As Summer Drought Worsens” • Hydropower in the Alpine region is “close to an all-time low,” as Europe’s summer drought worsens. Fueled by climate change, back-to-back heatwaves and scant rainfall have left much of the continent parched. Concerns go beyond energy to food shortages and wildfires. [Euronews]
• “Five Amazon Countries Arrest Hundreds In Major Crackdown On Environmental Crime” • Police from Brazil, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru have arrested hundreds of people and seized timber, minerals, and thousands of livestock in one of the largest coordinated crackdowns on environmental crime ever carried out in the world’s largest rainforest. [ABC News]
• “As The Stock Market Soars, European Central Bank Warns Climate Change Threatens Global Economy” • As wildfires are devastating almost every continent and water levels are too low to cool some nuclear power plants, stocks in New York hit an all time high, fueled by a belief that AI will lead to unimaginable abundance. But ECB is assessing damage. [CleanTechnica]
• “Remote Mining Proves Australia’s High-Renewables Energy Future” • Remote mining operations in Australia are showing several off-grid industrial sites are consistently operating at renewable energy penetration rates above 80%, according to Zenith Energy. Mining companies are increasingly investing in hybrid energy systems. [Mining.com.au]

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

* This article was originally published here

August 4 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “Tiger Shark Caught Off Massachusetts Could Be Sign Of Warming Waters” • Two brothers from Massachusetts caught a juvenile tiger shark from a beach on Cape Cod. The five-foot shark is far more common in such waters as the Caribbean. Scientists said its appearance off Cape Cod is an indicator that climate change is warming the sea. [ABC News]

Tiger shark (Albert kok, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

• “Extreme Heat Grips Southern Europe As France Shuts Nuclear Reactors” • Emergency services in Southern Europe are operating at peak capacity as severe heat and environmental hazards continue to trigger crises in Spain, France, and Greece. Extreme high temperatures in France forced nuclear operator EDF to take major reactors offline. [Euronews]
• “RWE Signs Google Oklahoma Solar PPA” • RWE and Google have signed a 15-year power purchase agreement covering the full output from the 155-MW Crooked Creek Solar project in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. RWE said that construction is scheduled to begin later this year, with commercial operation expected in 2028. [reNews]
• “England And Wales Record Driest July On Record, Met Office Says” • England and Wales recorded their driest July on record this year, according to the UK’s national weather agency. England had 10% of its usual rainfall. Southern England experienced its “driest month ever recorded” in July, the Met Office said, noting that records date back to 1836. [Euronews]
• “China Sets Green Power Usage Benchmarks” • China took a landmark step in its green transition with its first mandatory minimum usage target for renewable energy. Experts say the move represents a paradigm shift from supply-driven expansion to demand-led integration in the country’s pursuit of its carbon peak and neutrality goals. [China Daily Global Edition]

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

* This article was originally published here

August 3 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “Dominion Runs Into Delay On 2.6-GW CVOW” • Dominion Energy has delayed the expected final turbine installation at the 2.6-GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project to the end of 2027. The utility blamed delays on its own jack-up vessel and weather contingencies, as well as the stop-work order issued to CVOW by the Trump administration last year. [reNews]

Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (Dominion image)

• “Ember’s Electric Coaches Show Intercity Bus Electrification Is Already Here” • Edinburgh makes electric transit visible. The city has electrified regional rail, trams, electric buses, including large battery-electric double-deckers that stand out clearly. The urban buses were always expected to be among the first to electrify, but intercity buses have taken that place. [CleanTechnica]
• “Cierco Signs Lease Agreement For Llŷr Floaters” • Cierco has signed an agreement for lease with the UK Crown Estate for its two 100-MW Llŷr floating wind projects off south-west Wales. The agreement grants Cierco the formal rights to an area around 30 km off Pembrokeshire where the two test and demonstration schemes will be deployed. [reNews]
• “Washington Wildfires Spread To Over 7,700 Acres, 600 Structures Damaged Or Destroyed” • Together, the Old Trails Fire, the Fairview Fire, and the Autumn Lane Fire are being called the Spokane Complex Fire, authorities said. They are burning over 7,700 acres with 0% containment in the Spokane area amid dangerous, windy conditions. [ABC News]
• “Eversource Books $164 Million Impairment On Revolution Wind” • Connecticut utility Eversource recorded a $164 million impairment on the 704-MW Revolution Wind offshore wind farm. CEO Joseph Nolan blamed two separate stop work orders issued by the Trump administration for the charges but said the project is on track to be finished on time. [reNews]

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

* This article was originally published here

August 2 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “Zambia’s Government Delivers On Its Promise To Ramp Up Generating Capacity, With Solar Playing A Key Role” • Zambia made a conscious decision to have an electricity grid powered by renewable energy, mostly hydro. But this bold move has faced severe challenges recently due to prolonged droughts. Now the country is turning to solar. [CleanTechnica]

Boy learning by solar light (Patrick Bentley, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

• “India’s Renewables Hit 20% Power Mix Record in July as Coal Share Drops” • India’s renewable energy generation reached a record 20% of the total power mix in July, while coal’s share fell. But the overall picture was complicated. The total amount generated fell from June, but increased year on year, as electric demand increased. [Whalesbook]
• “Renewable Power Generation Capacity To Hit 12,000 MW By Next March” • Since the 14th government’s term started, about 4,500 MW of new capacity have been added to Iran’s power grid, as the capacity of renewable power plants increased from 1,250 MW to about 5,800 MW. The capacity of renewable power plants will reach 12,000 MW by March 2027. [Tehran Times]
• “Wildfires Spark Evacuations In Washington Amid Dangerous Conditions Across The Pacific Northwest” • A wildfire spreading quickly outside Spokane, Washington, burned more than 2,000 acres and sparked evacuations, according to local authorities. The Old Trails Fire is just one of a number of fires currently threatening the state. [ABC News]
• “KIA Elects To Manufacture The EV3 In Mexico” • The Kia EV3 was introduced two years ago, with the expectation that it would be made at the existing Kia factory in Georgia for sale in the US market. That was before the immigration folks descended on a Hyundai battery factory and hauled off a few hundred South Korean in handcuffs. [CleanTechnica]

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

* This article was originally published here