Green Energy Times

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]

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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]

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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]

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Headline News:

• “Germany Switched On A Solar Farm Over 150 Fallow Deer In Time For A Rutting-Season Battles” • Germany has reimagined how solar panels are deployed. An 8.3-MW solar park, developed by Perigus Energy, is in a fallow deer enclosure. The solar panels are elevated 5.2 to 5.9 feet above the ground to allow for rutting season battles beneath them. [Energies Media]

Stag (Pushkaraj Deshpande, Unsplash)

• “What Does The Closure Of Saudi-Arabia’s East-West Pipeline Mean For Gas Prices?” • Global oil prices climbed to their highest level since May after Saudi Arabia shut down a key pipeline, choking worldwide crude supply and threatening to put upward pressure on US gasoline prices. Brent crude had a 50% increase since the start of the war. [ABC News]
• “More Than 56% Of California Electricity Demand Supplied By Wind, Water, And Solar In 2026” • California keeps installing renewable energy power plants and rooftop solar systems. And so it keeps using more renewable energy. Stanford professor Mark Z Jacobson highlighted a few milestones for renewable energy in the state. [CleanTechnica]
• “EPA Announces Repeal Of Power Plant Emissions Limits” • The US EPA said it’s repealing most of the GHG limits for fossil fuel power plants set during the Biden administration. And the agency is proposing eliminating all other other GHG emissions for the power industry, saying there’s been “virtually no benefit” from those regulations. [ABC News]
• “US Solar Has Enough Installed Capacity To Generate Power For 50 Million Homes” • Despite the current administration’s opposition to renewable sources of energy, the US recently hit a significant milestone for solar power. By the end of the second quarter of 2026, US solar installations could match the electricity demand of over 50 million homes. [The Cool Down]

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Headline News:

• “House Democratic Leader Jeffries Calls On Lawmakers To ‘Act Urgently’ On AI” • House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said lawmakers need to take urgent action on a growing threat of AI. Previously, former Anthropic Researcher Jacob Coxon had warned, “The people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.” [ABC News]

Hakeem Jeffries (Maryland GovPics, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped)

• “Solar Power Boosts Odisha Farmers And Women’s Groups, Cutting Costs And Raising Crop Incomes” • For farmers in Odisha, irrigation has depended on monsoon rains or diesel motors. For women’s groups, unreliable electricity has delayed food processing. Now for these groups, renewable energy is helping provide power. [Asianet Newsable]
• “Hitting Climate Goals Means No Coal Power, And No New Petrol And Diesel Cars By 2035, Report Finds” • All coal-fired power stations should close and new petrol and diesel car sales end within a decade if Australia is to meet its climate goals, a Climate Analytics report found. Renewable energy investments would also need to accelerate. [Renew Economy]
• “UK Wind Power Hits Record High As Energy Security Risks Mount” • The UK has increased its wind energy capacity a lot over the last decade, producing record levels of wind power in 2025. With several more projects in the pipeline, wind power is expected to be a major share of the UK energy mix by the end of the decade, boosting energy security. [OilPrice.com]
• “Turn Off The Lights: Birds Are Migrating” • Look around your home this evening. The days are getting shorter, and our craving for light means that we are substituting artificial illumination for sunlight. It also may mean that we are unknowingly causing injury to the hundreds of species of birds that are now migrating to their southern homes. [CleanTechnica]

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Headline News:

• “From Tiny Houses To Skis: Vattenfall Is Finding Creative Uses For Retired Wind Turbines” • In time, every wind turbine built will have to come down. Dealing with waste is important. Blades, nose cones, and nacelles are banned from landfills, but Vattenfall is finding purposes for them. For example, a nacelle might be made into a tiny house. [Euronews]

Tiny house made from nacelle (Vattenfall image)

• “El Niño Brings Record Slow Atlantic Hurricane Season” • No Atlantic hurricanes have formed yet this year and none are likely to form for at least another week, even though this is normally the peak of the season, according to the National Hurricane Center. This year set a record as the longest a season has gone without its first hurricane. [ABC News]
• “US District Court Finds JH Campbell Emergency Order Fake” • Consumers Energy, owner of the coal-burning JH Campbell plant, planned to replace it with methane and solar capacity and battery storage. This would reduce air pollution in the area along with the cost of electricity for customers. A fake emergency order stopped it. Until now. [CleanTechnica]
• “Biogas Faces A Market Reality Check As Wind And Solar Dominate Renewables” • An analysis reveals two structural challenges constraining biogas expansion: its high and stagnant costs, and feedstock limitations as a competitor for agricultural land. But over the past decade, the cost of wind and solar energy has dropped by 70% to 90%. [EIN News]
• “Anthropic CEO Says AI industry Needs To Slow Down For Safety” • Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, said the artificial-intelligence industry should slow its fast-moving development to give safety measures time to catch up. Without it, he warned, AI could be capable within six to twelve months of taking over the entire internet, for example. [ABC News]

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Headline News:

• “Five Positive Tipping Points To Save The World” • Landmark research from The Earthshot Prize and the University of Exeter revealed 51 solutions that can trigger “rapid and transformative change” to repair the planet over the next five years. Out of these 51 solutions, five priority clusters have been identified. They are called ‘Earthshots.’ [Euronews]

Wind turbine in a rainforest (César Badilla Miranda, Unsplash)

• “Rhode Island Energy Looks To Maine Onshore Wind Farm For Electricity” • After a series of failed attempts to get offshore wind power, the Rhode Island utility operator turned landward. Rhode Island Energy announced that it has tentatively agreed to buy 150 MW of electricity from an onshore wind farm planned for northern Maine. [Rhode Island Current]
• “‘Incredible Progress’: Inside The €682 Billion Drive To Turn The Mediterranean Into A Renewable Powerhouse” • An analysis estimates that the Mediterranean region has utility-scale solar and wind projects at 552 GW that have either been announced or are already under development. The analysis used data from the Global Integrated Power Tracker. [Euronews]
• “India Is Rebuilding The Case For Global Climate Finance” • Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz show India’s dependencies on oil and gas. Higher prices constrain the whole economy. The structural lesson is clear: Energy import dependence leaves India exposed not only to physical supply disruption but to long-term economic and security costs. [CleanTechnica]
• “Federal Court Rejects Trump Order Keeping Michigan Coal Plant Open” • A federal court ruled that the Energy Department exceeded its authority when it ordered a Michigan coal-fired plant to stay open past its scheduled retirement date last year. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had claimed to have emergency power to keep it operating. [ABC News]

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Headline News:

• “Vestas Reaches New Turbine Heights” • Vestas claims that a new EnVentus 7.2-MW machine installed in Winnberg, Germany, has the highest hub height ever for an onshore turbine at 199 meters (653 feet). The prototype project also has a Firmengruppe Max Bögle concrete hybrid tower. A second turbine is planned for installation next year. [reNews]

Vestas wind turbine (Vestas image)

• “Spanish Zinc-Air Battery Design Boosts Capacity And Power By 80%” • Researchers at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona developed an architecture for zinc-air batteries that can boost their power output by up to 80% without altering their core chemistry. This opens up a new avenue for designing more efficient, higher-performance batteries. [Euronews]
• “US Solar In 11-GW Q2 Surge” • The US solar industry added 11.4 GW of new electricity generating capacity in Q2 2026, a 45% year-over-year increase and a 43% increase from Q1. The Solar Energy Industries Association and Wood Mackenzie said that utility-scale solar led the Q2 surge with 9.6-GW installed, up 61% year-over-year. [reNews]
• “UK Households Face Higher Energy Bills Unless Aging Grid Is Upgraded, Report Warns” • Failure to accelerate updates to the UK’s aging power grid to handle rising renewable generation could cost consumers billions of pounds by 2030, the official spending watchdog has warned. Up to £70 billion in investment is required for upgrades. [Yahoo News UK]
• “MN Power Ordered To Continue Investigating Alternatives To New Gas Plant” • The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission rejected a request by Minnesota Power to build a costly new gas plant to meet future energy demand and ordered the electric utility to continue investigating alternatives that would maintain grid reliability. [CleanTechnica]

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Headline News:

• “Drones Hold Secret To Producing More Rain, Engineers Say” • Amid perpetual drought, population growth, and trillions of gallons of water used in desert agriculture, much of the West is in desperate need of more rain and snow. A team of engineers at California tech company Rainmaker say they believe drones could be part of a solution. [ABC News]

Preparing a drone for rain making (Rainmaker image)

• “August 2026 Tied For The World’s Hottest Month On Record, According To Copernicus” • August was the hottest month on record, tied with July 2023, according to data published by the European climate observatory Copernicus. The global average air temperature was 1.65°C higher than it was in 1850–1900, the pre-industrial reference period. [Euronews]
• “European Gas Prices Keep Climbing The As IEA Calls For Emergency Reserves” • Europe’s benchmark wholesale gas price, the front-month Dutch TTF contract, traded above €79/MWh, its highest level since early 2023. PFighting between the US and Iran has intensified concerns about LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. [Euronews]
• “Denmark Can Produce 140% Of Its Electricity Demand From Wind Power” • US President Trump may have a peevish vendetta against wind turbines, but the rest of the world’s nations enjoy bumper crops of clean kilowatts from the sky and turn them into export revenues. When windpower provided Denmark with 140% of its needs, the excess was exported. [CleanTechnica]
• “Irish Summer Solar Generation Jumps 58%” • Solar electricity generation in Ireland increased 58% in June, July, and August of 2026 compared with the same three months in 2025. Production reached 692 GWh. EirGrid said solar contributed 7.7% of the country’s electricity fuel mix in August, after achieving 9.4% in July and 8.2% in June. [reNews]

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Headline News:

• “Parched Summer In Rockies Sends Bears Into Urban Areas” • A black bear opened the door of a Toyota SUV and got trapped inside it. The animal ripped apart the Toyota’s interior, as it tried desperately to escape. It was one of hundreds of examples of bears getting into more trouble than usual in the parched Rocky Mountains this summer. [ABC News]

Black bear (sawyer, Unsplash)

• “Why Moscow Still Has A Role In Europe’s ITER Fusion Project” • The EU and Russia are geopolitical adversaries, with Russia under sweeping EU sanctions and its ties to the EU cut back. Yet inside the world’s largest nuclear fusion experiment, the two remain linked by a partnership forged decades ago and built to endure for generations. [Euronews]
• “Global Trade Made Up 35% Of The EU’s Carbon Footprint In 2023” • The EU is making a full-on effort to cut its emissions, but 35% of its carbon footprint was generated abroad in 2023, data from the European Climate Foundation and climate consultancy Matière says. And globally, over 20% of greenhouse gas emissions are linked to global trade. [Euronews]
• “BYD Sales Outside of China Grew 134% To Record 189,466 Vehicles In August” • BYD reportedly sold 189,466 vehicles in August outside of China. That was 134.5% more than it sold outside of China in August 2025. BYD also achieved 5% growth, month over month. That happens often, and BYD’s sales outside of China often hit new records. [CleanTechnica]
• “Ball State Study Finds Utility-Scale Renewable Projects Have No Significant Effect On Indiana Home Prices” • A research brief from Ball State University outlines an analysis of 20 years of data for home sales near large renewable energy projects in Indiana. It finds no statistically significant negative impact on residential property values. [pv magazine USA]

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Headline News:

• “Von Der Leyen Tries To Counter Trump With €200 Million Investment In Greenland” • Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a €200 million investment package to back Greenland’s territorial integrity and counter pressure from US President Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to annex the mineral-rich island. The funds will arrive over the next two years. [Euronews]

Nuuk (Quintin Soloviev, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

• “Nepal Holds A Day Of Mourning For Flash Floods Victims, As Rescue Efforts Continue” • Nepal held a day of mourning for the 1,300 known dead in the floods of August 26. Government offices lowered flags and family members carryed out mourning rituals. Rescue efforts are focused on twelve hydropower projects, where about 500 workers may still be trapped. [Euronews]
• “ICCT Says EV Operating Costs Are A Third Lower In Europe” • The International Council On Clean Transportation said in a report that in 2025 operating an electric car in Europe cost one third less than operating a car powered by internal combustion. With higher fuel costs after the US attack on Iran, the disparity could be greater in 2026. [CleanTechnica]
• “Russia Destroys Solar Plants, But Ukrainian Businesses Continue Investing Millions In Green Energy.” • Russian attacks continue to damage Ukraine’s renewable energy infrastructure. Nevertheless, Ukrainian businesses and banks are still moving ahead with millions of euros in new solar and energy storage investments. [Ukraine Business News]
• “Even More Questions Swirl Around Tesla Cybercab Rollout” • When Tesla unveiled its Cybercab robotaxi in Austin, there was a lot of media buzz. However, it seems that a lot of that buzz was the sound of heads being scratched. One of the questions being asked: How many, if any, fleet managers will stock their robotaxi fleets with Cybercabs? [CleanTechnica]

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Headline News:

• “Fuel Prices At Record Labor Day High Thanks To Iran War And Refinery Issues” • It’s never been more expensive to fill up a tank and take one last summer trip over the Labor Day weekend. The average price of regular gas was $4.14 a gallon heading into the holiday. The previous Labor Day record was $3.82 in 2012, according to the AAA. [ABC News]

Dog on a road trip (Hector O’Connor, Unsplash)

• “European Union Is Racing To Rethink Arctic Policy As The Global Power Grab Continues” • Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, is finishing up her two-day tour of the Greenland’s capital, Nuuk. Her aim is to further EU-Arctic relations and to gather intelligence as the EU maps out a new Arctic Policy. [Euronews]
• “IRENA Chief Calls For Tripling Renewable Energy Capacity By 2030” • The global community needs to ensure a threefold increase in renewable energy capacity by 2030, International Renewable Energy Agency Director-General Francesco La Camera said during the opening of Baku Climate Action Week 2026, Report says. [Report.az]
• “Pesticides Cause 400 Million Farmer Poisoning Cases A Year, Study Finds” • Nearly half the world’s farmers get poisoned with pesticides annually, while global pesticide use continues to rise, a study finds. Between 402 and 433 million cases of acute pesticide poisoning occur among farmers and farm workers worldwide each year, according to the study. [Euronews]
• “Feds Launch Probe Into Tesla’s Deployment Of Cybercabs With No Brakes And Steering Wheels” • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Tesla’s deployment of approximately 1,000 Cybercab vehicles in Austin, Texas. The Cybercabs have no steering wheels or brake pedals, which are required by NHTSA safety standards. [ABC News]

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Headline News:

• “Renewable Energy And Storage Solve Massive Grid Problem In US” • Though President Trump has put a crimp in the wind industry, the killer combo of solar-plus-storage is dominating US capacity additions generally, and in Texas particularly. Utility watchers in the state are crediting the trend with enabling grid operators to avoid outages. [CleanTechnica]

ERCOT dispatcher (Dpysh w, CC BY-SA 3.0)

• “Volkswagen Supervisory Board Approves Plan To Eliminate Models And Reduce Workforce By 100,000” • On September 3, Volkswagen Group announced that a plan to close four factories in Germany and eliminate 100,000 workers worldwide had been approved unanimously by the supervisory board. The plan had been turned down in June. [
• “Eigg’s Electricity System Is Renewable” • On 12 June, 1997, the residents of the Scottish island of Eigg took ownership of the island with financial help from others. They started installing an electric grid in 2005. Now, their electric grid consists of 112 kW of hydro, 170 kW of solar and 24 kW of wind. The wind comes from four small turbines. [Space Daily]
• “Climate Scientist Says He Was Fired At West Point After Refusing To Omit Human Causes” • West Point’s only climate scientist says the academy pushed him out after he refused to omit a central point of climate science from his teaching: that human activity is causing the crisis. That is his allegation, now being laid out in a new lawsuit. [The Cool Down]
• “After Nearly Two Decades Of Failed Attempts, Regulators In Maine Approved 800 MW Of Turbines And A Transmission Line Shared By Four States” • Aroostook County, at the northern tip of Maine, is blessed with some of the strongest onshore winds in New England and vast tracts of land. The state’s regulators are finally acting on that. [Energies Media]

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Headline News:

• “Farmers Turn To Perennial Grains As One Extreme Weather Solution” • Perennial grains don’t need to be planted, harvested, and replanted every year. Instead, they are planted once every few years. Their root systems can reach several feet down to access water deeper in the ground. But the market for annual grains still has to develop. [ABC News]

Perennial wheatgrass (Dehaan, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped)

• “A Reckless Drive for More Nuclear Power” • Connecticut’s government held presentations to encourage more nuclear power plants in the state. But the assumption they start with is wrong. They assume our big challenge is a need for more energy for data centers. Wrong. We are in a climate catastrophe that is coming at lightning speed. [New Politics]
• “Spain Matches Its September Heat Record As Extreme Heat Grips Country” • Spain met a highest September temperature on Thursday, with 45.7°C (114°F) measured in the southwestern town of El Granado as exceptional heat grips the country, according to Spain’s State Meteorological Agency. The temperature matched the September record set in 2016. [Euronews]
• “Global Maritime Decarbonization Stalls Despite The Rising Impact Of Climate Change” • Negotiations at the IMO have drawn a blank for the third meeting in a row, as efforts by the US and Saudi Arabia to stall progress were successful. Meanwhile, delegates from vulnerable countries highlight the tragic cost of this year’s climate disasters. [CleanTechnica]
• “India Plans Mandatory Battery Storage at Solar and Wind Projects” • In India, authorities plan to introduce, from July 1, 2027, with a regulation requiring developers of solar and wind energy projects to have battery storage installed at the sites. The goal is a bid to manage the renewable energy output and reduce curtailments better. [OilPrice.com]

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Headline News:

• “US Forest Service Closing 23 Research Facilities As Part Of Reorganization Under Trump” • The US Forest Service is closing 23 research stations in more than a dozen states as part of an organizational overhaul under President Donald Trump that is intended to trim costs and concentrate the agency’s resources in Western states, officials said. [ABC News]

New Hampshire (Cate Bligh, Unsplash, cropped)

• “EU Heavy-Duty Vehicle Transition Needs Renewed Political Momentum” • Europe’s road transport sector is under growing pressure. The crises triggered by the wars in Iran and Ukraine have pushed diesel prices sharply higher reinforcing concerns over Europe’s energy security. Extreme weather is increasingly disrupting transport operations. [CleanTechnica]
• “El Niño To Be ‘Very Strong’ And Last Until February, UN Climate Agency Warns” • El Niño is set to become “very strong” in the months ahead, with the weather phenomenon near certain to persist through to February, the UN climate agency warned. The World Meteorological Organisation said El Niño would peak towards the end of this year. [Euronews]
• “It’s Game On As Ford Fathom Steals Thunder From Tesla Cybercab Launch” • The Ford Fathom electric pickup truck seems aimed to steal market share from industry leader Tesla one way or another. News broke around the Fathom right in the middle of the leadup to a major promotional event for the Tesla Cybercab robotaxi in Texas. [CleanTechnica]
• “France Had Its Hottest Summer Since Records Began Over A Century Ago, Environment Minister Says” • According to the national weather agency Meteo France, the summer of 2026 had an average temperature of 24°C. That is 3.6°C above the normal average, and 0.9°C higher than the record set in 2003, when the average was 2.7°C above normal. [Euronews]

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Headline News:

• “China’s CO₂ Emissions Fall In Q2 2026 Due To Plummeting Oil Use ” • China’s carbon dioxide emissions fell by 1% in the second quarter of 2026, as oil consumption plummeted with the strait of Hormuz crisis. The country’s use of oil fell by 9% overall and by 16% for transport, after the disruptions to supply from the Gulf through the strait. [CleanTechnica]

Great Wall of China (Hanson Lu, Unsplash, cropped)

• “Designers Unveil Wind Installation Ship Blueprints” • Designs for a new jack-up monopile and wind turbine installation vessel were unveiled by Deltamarin and Offshoretronic. The designs of the Vitruvian Class vessel will address anticipated demand from 20-MW to 30-MW turbines entering commercial service by 2030, the companies said. [reNews]
• “Global Warming Will Exceed Limit, UN Says” • In a strategic retreat in the fight against climate change, the UN acknowledged that the Earth has lost its chance to prevent some of the worst of global warming’s harms. So now the world must figure out how to get temperatures below the danger zone and back to safety, officials say. [ABC News]
• “NY’s Plan To Charge Fossil-Fuel Producers $75 Billion For Climate Change Damages Struck Down” • New York’s attempt to make fossil fuel industries pay into a $75 billion fund to repair the damage of climate change was struck down by a federal judge, who said the law reaches beyond a state’s purview and into an area of federal interest. [ABC News]
• “Trump Twiddles Thumbs As The Balcony Solar Movement Takes Off” • For all his bleating, braying bluster over fossil fuels, US President Donald Trump is presiding over a solar power revolution. So far on his watch, a total of nine states have now adopted balcony solar legislation, with New Jersey being the latest addition to the list. [CleanTechnica]

Have a spontaneously funny day.

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Headline News:

• “The Moonrider Battery-Electric Tractor From GoSun Costing $19,995” • The Moonrider tractor makes it possible for farmers, homesteaders, and landscapers to work in a quieter environment without polluting emissions. It is priced at $19,995, thousands of dollars less than similar tractors powered by internal combustion engines burning gasoline or diesel oil. [CleanTechnica]

Moonrider electric tractor (GoSun image)

• “What It Will Take To Turn Renewables Boom Into A Real Drop In Emissions” • It’s no longer possible to keep global warming below 1.5°C, a UN Environment Programme report says. It projects a best-case 1.8°C of warming and says we will “overshoot, peak and decline.” But we are also challenged by demands for AI and data centers. [Euronews]
• “Air Conditioners Save Thousands Of Lives Every Year In The US” • Home air conditioning prevents over 5,000 heat-related deaths per year in the US, a study found. As rising temperatures take a toll on human health, household air conditioning is about more than comfort, a study in Nature Health found, because it also saves thousands of lives. [Euronews]
• “US Adds 20 GWh Of Energy Storage Capacity In Q2, Largest Quarter On Record” • The US energy storage industry installed a record 20.2 GWh of capacity in Q2, bringing total installations in the first half of 2026 to 30.8 GWh. This is according to a report from the Solar Energy Industries Association and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence. [CleanTechnica]
• “AOC Proposes Data Center At Mar-A-Lago” • After President Trump said every community should want a data center, US Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took a shot at his enthusiastic support for them. She suggested that he put one at Mar-a-Lago after he said the communities that oppose the facilities are “backwards and poor.” [AOL.com]

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Headline News:

• “Rooftop Solar Meets 99.9% Of South Australia Grid Demand” • South Australia’s rooftop solar pushed electricity demand from conventional generation to a record winter low. The Australian Energy Market Operator said rooftop solar met 99.9% of SA’s electricity demand at 1.30 pm, August 31, reducing conventional demand to 2 MW. [Energy Magazine]

Rooftop solar (Ellen Whisk, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

• “Von Der Leyen Says Europe Must Prepare For A New Era Of Simultaneous Disasters” • European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the EU must adapt its civil protection systems to a world of more frequent, simultaneous, and severe emergencies after a European wildfire season stressed national firefighting services badly. [Euronews]
• “Europe On Track For Record Wind Year” • Europe is on track for a record year for wind installations after adding 8.8 GW of new capacity in the first half of 2026, up 30% on the first half of 2025. WindEurope said it now expects Europe to install 24 GW of new wind capacity by the end of 2026 after high installation activity over the summer. [reNews]
• “China’s Solar Power Capacity Overtakes Coal For First Time” • China’s solar power capacity exceeded coal-fired capacity for the first time, marking a milestone in the country’s transition toward cleaner energy, official data showed. Solar capacity reached 1,286 GW at the end of July, edging past coal-fired capacity of 1,285 GW, Xinhua reported. [A News]
• “Trump’s Venezuela Oil Deal May Have No Immediate Impact On US Gas Prices” • President Donald Trump announced the US reached a deal to extract tens of billions of barrels of Venezuelan crude to replenish America’s depleting strategic oil reserves and reduce. Experts say it will be years before the oil can be captured, however, providing no quick relief. [ABC News]

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Headline News:

• “The World Lost A Stealth Eco-Monarch With The Passing Of King Harald V ” • King Harald V of Norway died after a reign of 35 years. Over three decades, a constitutionally silent monarch quietly made green the default without ever legislating a thing. For one example, his country went through the world’s fastest, most complete shift to electric mobility. [CleanTechnica]

Harald V (Sámediggi, CC BY-SA 2.0)

• “How Europe’s scorching summers are reshaping national budgets” • The true price of the European heatwaves, drought, and the wildfires they lead to only surfaces in public accounts months later. The burden of rebuilding roads and rail, propping up health services, and compensating farmers, is outpacing government revenues and reserves. [Euronews]
• “Nepal-Tibet Flood Death Toll Rises To 797, Officials Say, More Than 3,000 Missing” • The death toll from last week’s flash flood disaster in the Nepal-Tibet border region rose to nearly 800 people as of Sunday, according to the latest updates from Nepali and Chinese officials. There are at least 85 Americans still among the missing. [ABC News]
• “How The US-Israeli War On Iran Is Reshaping Global Energy Use” • Six months after US-Israeli strikes disrupted fossil fuel production in the Middle East and turned the Strait of Hormuz into a naval battleground, reports show how the conflict has also been pushing governments, companies and consumers towards renewable energy. [The Japan Times]
• “Maryland Locks In Solar Deal Officials Say Could Save $300 Million” • Governor Wes Moore and the Maryland Department of General Services announced a 20-year agreement to purchase solar energy generated in Western Maryland. State officials say the deal could save Maryland about $300 million and expand the state’s use of renewable energy. [The Cool Down]

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

Headline News:

• “Solar Has Crossed A Critical Economic Tipping Point” • For years, the economic case for solar came with a qualification. Its installation cost a lot. That disadvantage has largely disappeared. According to an Ember analysis, a solar plant can now require less upfront investment than a coal or gas plant for the same amount of electricity delivered. [OilPrice.com]

Solar power plant in Dunhuang (ダモ リ, Unsplash)

• “COP17 In Mongolia Wraps Up With $1.3 Billion Of Green Investment Pledge” • After twelve days of negotiation and debate in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolian, delegates of 197 parties (196 countries plus the EU) who signed the UN Convention for Combating Desertification wrapped up the Conference of Parties (COP17). The results were note-worthy. [Euronews]
• “Is Europe’s Heat Finally Giving Way? And Are Flash Floods Next?” • Europe’s blistering summer was a “grim illustration” of human-caused climate change, the European Commission said in June, There was no relief in July and much of August. Now the heat is not so great along the Mediterranean, but farther North, it is cooler, with warnings of flash floods. [Euronews]
• “Mexico’s Green Energy Push Is Finally Gaining Momentum” • After a slow start, Mexico is now well on its way to undergoing a green transition. President Claudia Sheinbaum has launched an energy reform that opens the country’s energy sector to greater private investment while focusing on expanding the Mexican renewable energy sector. [OilPrice.com]
• “Most ‘Park Outside’ Warnings Involve Vehicles With Internal Combustion Engines” • Battery fires affected only about a dozen first-generation Chevy Bolts but the fallout cost their makers over $1 billion. How is it that the public does not know about the 3 million vehicles, mostly gas-powered, that are required to be parked outside away from homes? [CleanTechnica]

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