August 14 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “Solar Helps ‘Stabilize’ Europe’s Grids As Heatwaves Spike Power Demand” • Solar has done some “heavy lifting” to help Europe meet its energy needs in a string of blistering heatwaves. An analysis by Ember found that solar generating in European countries rose by up to 17% on days during heatwaves in June and July, helping the grid meet demand. [Euronews]

Solar panels (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)

• “Bilfinger To Support Ocean Winds At Polish Offshore Site” • Bilfinger has been selected to provide technical advisory services during the execution phase of the 390-MW BC-Wind project in the Polish Baltic Sea for Ocean Winds. Bilfinger said that it will oversee key offshore construction activities, supporting Ocean Winds in its activities. [reNews]
• “Millions Across Europe Swelter Through A New Wave Of Extreme Temperatures” • Millions of Europeans, particularly in France, Italy, Spain, and the UK, sweltered through a new wave of extreme temperatures as the continent’s latest heatwave picked up. Parts of France went past 42°C and the UK marked the hottest day so far this year. [Euronews]
• “Solar Surpasses Wind In Global Electricity Generation For The First Time” • The latest Statistical Review of World Energy shows how dramatically the renewable landscape has changed. Solar generation has surpassed wind as a source of electricity worldwide. Hydropower remains the largest renewable source overall, but solar is growing fast. [OilPrice.com]
• “Joby Buys Defense Company For Half A Billion Dollars” • The electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft startup Joby seems to have been here for ages. Like other eVTOL aircraft companies, it has been hard to know if it is going anywhere. Now, however, it turns out that Joby has enough money to buy Resonant Sciences for half a billion dollars. [CleanTechnica]

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August 13 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “Trump-Connected Greenland Energy Company Falls On Its Face” • The self-declared US firm Greenland Energy Company was all set to drill for oil in Greenland. It had no permit, but it did have a personal connection from President Donald Trump. As may be expected, the plan soon unraveled and Greenland Energy put the plan on hold. [CleanTechnica]

Pump jack (US DOE image)

• “Extreme Weather And Jellyfish Knock One-Fifth Of France’s Nuclear Capacity Offline” • France normally gets around 70% of its electricity with nuclear power. But the country is experiencing a shortfall of over 20% in nuclear power production as it was hit by environmental-related outages linked to drought, extreme heat, and an invasion of jellyfish. [Euronews]
• “How Nuclear, Gas, Wind, And Solar Power Are Affected During Heatwaves” • When temperatures soared past 40°C in parts of Europe this year, nuclear reactors shuttered, gas plants’ efficiency fell, wind speeds dropped, and electricity networks sagged. But solar power production increased because the heat came with clear skies. [CleanTechnica]
• “Nordex Lands 82-MW German Citizen Deal” • Nordex Group took orders totaling around 82 MW from EFG Energy Farming Group to supply and install twelve wind turbines for citizen wind projects in Lower Saxony. Nordex said the orders cover the Erlte-Endel project in the district of Vechta and the Bad Essen project cluster in the district of Osnabrück. [reNews]
• “What To Know About Elon Musk’s Massive $16.8 Billion Chip Factory” • Elon Musk plans to build a $16.8 billion chip factory that he says is set to be the largest building in the world. Musk, the CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, announced the project as chip makers worldwide ramp up production in response to a surge of demand triggered by advances in AI. [ABC News]

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August 12 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “Heatwaves In France: Is Thermal Comfort Becoming A New Property Criterion?” • Heat is a factor during property viewings in France now, after the heatwaves of this summer. Home buyers are paying more attention to the thermal comfort of a property, evaluating its exposure, shutters, air conditioning, ventilation, and shade of nearby trees. [Euronews]

Cottage in France (Pascal Bernardon, Unsplash)

• “Jellyfish Force Shutdown Of Three Reactors At Gravelines Nuclear Power Plant” • A nuclear plant in France shut down three reactors after a swarm of jellyfish clogged pumps used to cool its reactor units, EDF said. Overfishing, plastic pollution, and warming seas due to climate change have created conditions allowing jellyfish to thrive. [Euronews]
• “Vernon Now Faces Three Futures For The Valley That Once Held Vermont’s Only Nuclear Plant” • The decommissioning task for the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant went to NorthStar Group Services, in 2019. NorthStar leased the site recently to PowerTransitions, which offers three use options: a data center, a battery center, or a nuclear plant. [Energies Media]
• “UK Set For ‘Warmest Summer On Record’ As Europe Preps For Yet Another Heatwave” • The UK is on course to record its “warmest summer on record,” according to the Met Office. Provisional statistics showed that the current recorded mean temperature across the UK from 1 June to 10 August was 1.88°C (3.38°F) above the average for 1991-2020. [Euronews]
• “Federal Government Ends Support For Key Arctic Climate Report” • For two decades, NOAA’s Arctic Report Card has provided a comprehensive view of the health and changing conditions of the Arctic, where climate change is having its greatest effect. But now, the agency has announced that it will no longer sponsor the annual report. [ABC News]

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August 11 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “Plastic Made From Sugar Can Be An Alternative To Harmful Microplastics” • A Massachusetts lab, CJ Biomaterials, ferments sugar to make plant-based polymers that microbes will consume. These alternatives to traditional plastics made of fossil fuels are seen by some as one of many solutions needed to confront global plastic pollution. [ABC News]

Plastic tableware (Alanthebox, public domain)

• “FEMA Says It’s Providing Water Trailers To Puerto Rico Amid Water Crisis” • The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that it’s providing water trailers to Puerto Rico as the island grapples with a water crisis. The trailers will be distributed for up to 30 days initially, following the Puerto Rican government’s request for federal support. [ABC News]
• “CATL Battery For Electric Aviation Passes Important Safety Test” • CATL, the world’s largest battery maker, has developed a battery for use in electric aircraft. In particular, this battery is designed for passenger eVTOL aircraft (electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft). The battery has now passed an important safety test in China. [CleanTechnica]
• “Drought Declared In ‘Almost Three-Quarters’ Of England, UK Government Says” • Some 71.3% of England is in drought, the UK government said. This year, the nation experienced its driest July on record, with a fifth heatwave and scant rain forecast for the week ahead. Farmers battling low crop yields warned of possible food shortages. [Euronews]
• “Drought Forces Water Restrictions Across Nearly 70% Of France, Government Says” • “As France is experiencing a particularly severe drought, the effects of climate change continue to increase pressure on water resources,” the ministry for ecological transition said, adding that “nearly 70% of French territory is subject to restrictions on water use.” [Euronews]

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

* This article was originally published here

August 10 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “AI Making Renewable Energy Generation More Reliable” • Through real-time analysis of rainfall, wind, solar conditions, and other data, an AI “commander” is making renewable energy generation in China more stable and reliably dispatchable. The model aims to help tackle challenges such as intermittency and instability facing green power output. [China Daily]

Wind turbines in Hunan (Huangdan2060, public domain)

• “Western Europe Sets New Temperature Record As Heat Waves Continue To Pummel Region” • Western Europe experienced its hottest June-July on record as climate change fuels an historic summer of heat, drought, and wildfires across the region, the EU’s global warming monitor said. Europe is warming faster than any other continent. [Euronews]
• “Cadeler In €805 Million Deal For Two New Installation Vessels” • Cadeler signed firm contracts with COSCO Shipping Offshore shipyard for two new T-class offshore wind installation vessels for about €805 million together. Cadeler said the vessels will be built at the shipyard in Qidong, China, with delivery scheduled for 2030 and 2031. [reNews]
• “As Extreme Heat Spreads To The Midwest, The East Coast Remains Hot And Sticky” • Continuing high temperatures in Colorado caused 72 people to be treated for heat-related illnesses at the Tacos and Tequila festival in Colorado Springs, including seven who had to be hospitalized, the Colorado Springs Fire Department said. [ABC News]
• “Are Heat Domes Getting More Common In North America?” • Yes. The number of heat domes in North America has increased every year since 1940, a study found. The rise in heat domes comes with an increase in extreme heat due to human-caused climate change. Their number in northwestern North America is projected nearly to double by 2080. [The Colorado Sun]

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August 9 Green Energy News

Headline News:

• “Wildfire Smoke Poses Growing Risk To Pregnant Women As Climate Change Worsens” • A study published in Frontiers in Environmental Health tracked exposure to fine particulate matter from US wildfires from 2003 to 2019. It found that emissions from transport and industry fell in that time, smoke from wildfires offsets some of the gains. [Euronews]

Statue of Liberty in a smoky sundown (Chris Barbalis, Unsplash)

• “World’s Largest 12.8-GWh Battery Storage Cluster Activated in China” • Sources at Envision told Cleantechnica that its 4-GWh flagship plant could very well be “the world’s largest single-site electro-chemical energy storage facility.” It serves as the central anchor for a network of energy storage installations distributed across energy production centers. [CleanTechnica]
• “Renewable Energy Equipment Now Duty-Free for Import in Cuba” • A range of renewable energy components, including solar panels, transformers, lithium-ion batteries, and other batteries, can now be imported into Cuba without incurring customs duties. The plan is for this exemption to be in effect until December 31, 2027. [CubaHeadlines]
• “Harvesting Rainwater From Rooftops Could Cut The Number Of Heatwave Days And Reduce AC Reliance” • Rooftop rainwater could be a secret weapon to address urban heat. Researchers at The University of Manchester modeled capturing rainwater from rooftops and spraying it onto buildings during hot weather, reducing a need for air conditioning. [Euronews]
• “Twenty Thousand Flee Wildfires As British Columbia Declares State Of Emergency” • British Columbia has declared a state of emergency after a fast-moving wildfire destroyed homes and forced more than twenty thousand people to flee communities along Okanagan Lake in western Canada. Dozens of them were rescued by aircraft. [ABC News]

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

* This article was originally published here

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]

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* This article was originally published here