J1. Green Tech Industry & Utilities

The company has until November to formally appeal the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s order to directly assign some costs of transmission. Dominion Energy has an October deadline to propose compliant policy changes.

Headline News:

• “Why Beer At Oktoberfest Could Soon Be In Short Supply” • Heat, parched soil, and noticeably smaller hop cones: for many hop farmers in Austria this year’s harvest is sobering. One of the country’s most important hop-growing regions, the Mühlviertel, is especially hard hit. Even the plants that survived the dry spell have not developed as they should. [Euronews]

Growing hops vines (NRCS Oregon, public domain)

• “BYD Planning Four Factories in Europe” • To help achieve its sales goals, now that the EU has high tariffs on EVs produced in China, BYD has to set up production facilities in Europe. The news this week is that BYD is planning on having three vehicle assembly plants and one battery factory in Europe. That’s the plan for now, at least. [CleanTechnica]
• “Greenland And Antarctica Have Lost 12 Trillion Tonnes Of Ice Since 1979” • Greenland and Antarctica have lost 12.5 trillion tonnes of ice since 1979, raising global sea levels by around 3.2 cm, according to a major scientific study. The researchers found that ice loss has accelerated in recent decades, particularly since the 1990s. [Euronews]
• “Greenpeace Satellite Analysis Exposes Disinformation By Moscow On Ukrainian Attacks” • An investigation by Greenpeace Ukraine and McKenzie Intelligence Services, exposes the Russian disinformation campaign claiming that Ukrainian artillery and drone strikes have badly damaged critical electric infrastructure supplying the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. [Greenpeace]
• “Ørsted Installs Second Hornsea 3 Topside” • Orsted has installed the second and final offshore converter station at the 2.9-GW Hornsea 3 wind farm off east England. The OCS was built by Aibel in Thailand, before sailing 13,000 nautical miles to Haugesund, Norway, for the installation and commissioning of high voltage equipment by Hitachi. [reNews]

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

As demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services grows, so does demand for the data centres that power them. These facilities can help strengthen Canada's digital economy, support innovation, attract investment and expand...

CALGARY — A new Pembina Institute report, From Principles to Practice: Making data centre development work for Canadians, outlines how governments, regulators, utilities, municipalities, Indigenous rights holders and host communities can translate...

While President Trump attacks electric vehicles, a few states are charting a path to expand electric transportation and reduce residents’ costs, writes Katherine García at Sierra Club.

Meta will receive “exclusive rights to all environmental attributes associated with energy” from the project, including all renewable energy credits, according to Apex.

The off-price retailer is planning installations at upcoming facilities in Arizona and California, as well as an existing warehouse in Georgia.

The bill would “largely reinforce” a transition that is already underway as more states adopt large-load tariffs and is unlikely to pass the Senate before the midterm elections, according to ClearView Energy Partners.

Headline News:

• “Five Takeaways From Ursula Von Der Leyen’s State Of The Union Speech” • Ursula von der Leyen gave an hour-long State of the Union speech, laying out solutions to cope with the “exceptional” challenges and the “incredible” change that Europe is undergoing. One thing that was predictable after last summer was attention to climate change. [reNews]

Ursala von der Leyen (European Parliament, CC BY-SA 4.0)

• “Sierra Club Strongly Opposes Bill To Give Legal Immunity To Fossil Fuel Companies” • Fossil fuel corporations knew they were causing climate change in the 1950s and spent millions of dollars to mislead the public. A study found that climate costs for the US economy will exceed $1 trillion this year. HR 8330 would give the companies immunity. [CleanTechnica]
• “Vineyard Wind And GE Vernova Settle Litigation” • Vineyard Wind and GE Vernova have reached an amicable settlement resolving all outstanding litigation concerning the 800-MW Vineyard Wind offshore wind project off the north-east US coast. The parties said GE Vernova withdrew its notice of termination as part of the agreement. [reNews]
• “Climate Change Was A Key Factor In Deadly Nepal-China Flood, Scientists Say” • Climate change played a significant role in last month’s deadly Himalayan disaster in Nepal, thinning glaciers and thawing mountain permafrost in ways that likely destabilized the slope before it collapsed, according to a report by World Weather Attribution. [Euronews]
• “Trump’s Slashing Of EPA Pollution Rules Will Cost Trillions” • At first glance one might think the Trump Administration’s move to reduce federal climate protection laws would be a good thing for energy stocks. The Environmental Defense Fund calculated that the move is so unhealthy it will result in between $1.5 trillion and $4.2 trillion in harm. [Yahoo]

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

After an extended period of limited deployment, renewable energy is once again gaining momentum in Ontario. Wind, solar and batteries swept the most recent, technology-neutral, procurements, outcompeting other technologies to deliver the lowest-cost...

Ask people across Canada about this summer’s wildfire season and they will tell you how the resulting smoke affected their daily lives. This underscores the urgency of getting our country on a credible path to net-zero by 2050. I’d like to think this...

The company says it can help large loads better respond to changing weather conditions as data centers are asked to play a more active role in grid management.

Rates are high compared to household income in many places, and over time, this could reduce flexibility for public finance entities, say S&P Global analysts. This isn’t currently leading to significant bond rating actions, but it’s a “simmering risk.”

State utility helps to bring major new battery project to financial close, in a deal that secures 50 per cent of the battery's output for 15 years.

The post State utility buys $43 million stake in new big battery, locks in November construction start appeared first on Renew Economy.

States should step in with new long-term planning processes to bolster nuclear, offshore wind and other technologies that face major barriers, according to the Clean Air Task Force.

More clean energy tax credits are hitting the market. Credits tied to electricity production are holding their value, while investment tax credits based on the cost of building face price pressure as buyers weigh uncertainty over new federal rules.

By participating in programs that ease grid congestion, school districts can recoup thousands of dollars from the price of electric school buses.

Headline News:

• “Congress Must Reject Attack On Clean Air Protections For Port Communities” • Congress is considering Congressional Review Act resolutions that would roll back state clean air protections, including standards that cut toxic diesel pollution from ships and commercial harbor craft that. They will be voted on in the House this week. [CleanTechnica]

Tugboat at San Francisco (Bruce Warrington, Unsplash)

• “How can Europe decarbonize without sacrificing economic development?” • Europe wants to clean up its heavy industries without sacrificing jobs or economic growth. A study suggests that may be possible, but it will require compromises. For example, most steel, ammonia, and methanol would have to be produced using green hydrogen. [Euronews]
• “What Are The Top Threats Posed By AI And Should You Be Worried?” • The most powerful AI industry executives warn of a grave threat the technology poses. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned of “serious risks.” Sam Altman of OpenAI said AI could go “very badly.” Elon Musk said AI could prove more dangerous than nuclear weapons. [ABC News]
• “Enter The Hoax Buster: Trump Dismisses AI Concerns As Europe And China Fret” • US President Donald Trump has dismissed AI extinction fears as a “hoax.” In a barrage of six posts on Truth Social, he cast himself as the only safeguard the world needs. Meanwhile, Europe and China both call for guardrails on the fast-moving technology. [Euronews]
• “Loosened EPA Power Plant Regulations Could Negatively Impact Wisconsin Public Health” • The EPA removing its rules regulating emissions for coal and gas power plants. That could hurt people, but it won’t ultimately buck the economic trend toward cleaner fuels, according to Steph Tai, University of Wisconsin Law School professor. [WPR]

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

Solar recycling hopeful says it is "losing an insane amount of money" waiting for the federal government to restart its mysteriously suspended pilot program.

The post Solar recycler losing “insane amount of money” and about to shed staff as PV pilot program remains suspended appeared first on Renew Economy.

For renters watching rooftop solar spread across the neighbourhood, Australia’s energy transition can feel frustratingly distant. The case for legalising plug-in solar and batteries is now clear.

The post The case for plug-in solar and batteries has never been clearer – and renters deserve it appeared first on Renew Economy.