Green Energy

Tuesday, June 30, 2026

Headline News:

“Trump Killed Climate.gov Last Summer. Scientists Have Just Brought It Back” • Last summer, Trump shuttered climate.gov, NOAA’s portal on climate science. Now a team of roughly eighty volunteer scientists and former NOAA staffers has resurrected climate.gov as the nonprofit climate.us, crowdfunded with over $321,000 in donations. [Gizmodo]

Atmospheric river (NOAA, public domain)

“Power From Here: Most Of Humanity Already Lives Where Solar And Wind Are Strongest” • Most of the world is already rich in the two energy sources we need to decarbonize fast: sun and wind. The global shift to renewables is not constrained by resource scarcity, but by whether planning and investment move fast enough. [CleanTechnica]
“Europe’s Record Heatwave Is Shifting East” • Europe is still going through its most severe heatwave on record, with all-time highs shattered by temperatures across the continent. The death toll is more than 1,300. Now the heat is shifting east towards the Balkans and Ukraine, and Ukraine’s war-damaged power grid is bracing for the heat’s next phase. [Euronews]
“Solar Power: From Intermittent To Reliable Power” • Global solar demand is growing dramatically. China is by far the largest investor in solar PV generation and the largest producer of solar panels. In contrast to many other markets, solar truly is a global growth industry, now representing over 40% of the investment in global power generation. [McKinsey & Company]
“Duke Energy Latest Company to Accept Trump’s Dirty ‘Deal’ to Scrap Offshore Wind” • Duke Energy accepted $129 million in taxpayer money to end an offshore wind lease. The company is the latest to accept such an offer from the Interior Department. California and northeastern states are suing the US government over such agreements. [CleanTechnica]

Headline News:

“A ‘strategic mistake of colossal proportions’ Why Trump is losing the war on renewables” • Despite the Trump regime, solar overtook coal in the US electricity mix for the first month on record in May. According to energy think tank Ember, sunlight supplied a record 12.8 % of US electricity, while coal fell to 12.2%, its fourth-lowest monthly share ever. [Euronews]

Protest sign (Leo_Visions, Unsplash, cropped)

“Climate-Tech Claims Need A Red-Flag Pass Before They Get Money” • Climate-tech claims usually arrive with a promise of a solution for some hard part of decarbonization and a request for support. Sometimes the claim deserves serious diligence. Other times it deserves a narrow demonstration. And there are times it deserves a polite but firm no. [Cleantechnica]
“The Next Frontier: Offshore Wind Power” • Besieged by high electricity costs and heavy reliance on fossil fuels, the Philippine archipelago is positioning itself as a prime destination for Asian offshore wind investment. With massive coastal wind resources, the Philippines recognizes that offshore wind offers the path to energy independence with lowest cost. [MSN]
“Europe Is Still Sweltering With Record-Breaking Heat” • The brutal heatwave is still griping Europe. Paris banned drinking alcohol in public over the weekend, while the city’s Pride March has been postponed, and the Louvre museum and the Eiffel Tower are closing early. Temperatures in the French capital has touched 39°C (102°F). [Euronews]
“China Is Quietly Winning The Clean Energy Trade War” • China’s clean energy dominance is growing. Buoyed by fast rising energy needs and the projected demands of the artificial intelligence boom, clean energy projects are getting greenlit at a breakneck pace. Beijing has near-total control of global supply chains for clean energy tech. [OilPrice.com]

Headline News:

“Solar And Wind Each Produced More Electricity Than Coal In USA In April” • Solar and wind power plants are growing rapidly in the US, as coal keeps declining despite the federal government putting its thumb so heavily on the side of coal. In April alone, wind and solar each produced more electricity than the nation’s coal plants. [CleanTechnica]

Solar, wind, and coal (Arno Senoner, Unsplash)

“Rooftop Solar Systems Can Provide Five Hours Of ‘Free’ Air Conditioning Per Day. But Is It Green?” • AC has consistently been proven to reduce heat mortality during heatwaves. The 2021 Lancet Countdown report estimated that cooling units prevented nearly 200,000 premature deaths in 2019. But with greater demand comes greater emissions. [Euronews]
“Iron-Air Battery Project Aims To Cut Emissions And Boost Renewable Power” • Dutch startup Ore Energy secured what could be Europe’s largest iron-air battery agreement. The firm has signed a deal with energy supplier Budget Thuis to deploy 1 GWh of long-duration energy storage, starting with 400 MWh to be delivered in 2028. [Energy Live News]
“The Nuclear Renaissance Is Missing One Key Ingredient” • The Trump administration is all-in on nuclear energy. It has committed to loaning a total of $17.5 billion to companies that build new reactors. But utilities don’t appear to have much interest. Their investors are too worried about the high cost and long delays of nuclear construction. [MSN]
“Swiss Nuclear Plant Shut Down As River Temperature Rises Amid Heatwave” • In Switzerland, the Beznau nuclear plant, the world’s oldest active nuclear power facility, was temporarily shut down due to high water temperatures in a river used for cooling, the operator said. The water temperature in the Aare river has been measured at 25°C (77°F). [Yahoo]