Concentration of CO2 in the Atmosphere

Green Energy Times May-June Issue

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The May-June 2025 issue of Green Energy Times has gone to press and will soon be available at the regular outlets.

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The issue is available online as a pdf file and can be downloaded HERE.

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Individual articles will be available online soon.

May 17 Green Energy News

Headline News:

  • “Hidden Source Of Clean Energy Could Power Earth For 170,000 Years” • Sources of hydrogen could be hiding in the Earth’s crust, enough to power Earth at its current energy needs for 170,000 years, according to a paper published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. The researchers developed ways to assess where to find it. [ABC News]

Geologic provinces (USGS, public domain)

  • “Wind Industry Hit New Record In 2024” • New figures show the wind industry delivered a record 127 GW of new capacity globally in 2024 despite economic and policy challenges. The figures from Global Wind Energy Council’s annual Supply Side Data report show that 29 turbine suppliers installed 23,098 units last year. [reNews]
  • “ReNew Commits $2.5 Billion To Build One Of India’s Largest Hybrid Renewable Projects” •ReNew Energy Global will invest ₹22,000 crore ($2.5 billion) to develop one of India’s largest hybrid renewable energy projects in Andhra Pradesh. It will have 1.8 GW of solar capacity, 1 GW of windpower, and a 2-GWh battery storage system. [ESG News]
  • “A Perfect Storm For Energy May Be Coming To The US” • It looks like a perfect storm for energy could be coming to the US. The Trump administration is trying to push energy resources that cannot be built quickly, while attempting to kill some that can. And this is happening just as demand is increasing. This could become a problem. [CleanTechnica]
  • “Solar Opportunity As Electricity Demand For Datacenters Is Expected To Triple In Five Years” • The datacenter boom is well underway. Electricity demand is expected to triple for AI and cloud computing from 200 TWh in 2025 to 600 TWh in 2030, says a report from LandGate. The increase represents 11.7% of the total US electricity demand. [pv magazine USA]

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

May 16 Green Energy News

Headline News:

  • “US EIA Forecasts World Oil Consumption Growth To Slow Amid Less Economic Activity” • The US Energy Information Administration forecasts consumption growth of crude oil and other liquid fuels will slow over the next two years, driven by a slowdown in economic growth, particularly in Asia, in its May Short-Term Energy Outlook. [CleanTechnica]

Offshore oil platform (Zachary Theodore, Unsplash)

  • “Canadian Wind Project Secures $1 Billion In Financing” • A Canadian consortium that includes Boralex has financing for the 400-MW Des Neiges – Secteur sud wind project in Quebec. La Societe de projet BVH1 also inclues Energir Developpement and Hydro-Quebec, and it has in place $960 million of financing for the wind project. [reNews]
  • “‘Rogue’ Communication Devices Found On Chinese-Made Solar Power Inverters” • US officials have discovered undisclosed communication devices on the power inverters of some solar panels manufactured in China, Reuters reported. The inverters are part of the hardware package connecting solar arrays to the power grid. [Utility Dive]
  • “US Bill Will Deter Renewables” • The United States draft budget reconciliation bill would deter renewable energy projects, analysts warn. Energy analytics company Wood Mackenzie has warned that if the bill is passed, solar, wind, and energy storage forecasts could be downgraded, while 95% of announced green hydrogen projects will be put at risk. [reNews]
  • “National Grid Takes £303 Million US Offshore Wind Hit” • National Grid booked an impairment of £303 million ($403 million) on its paused 2,800-MW Community Offshore Wind in the New York Bight, a joint venture with RWE. The company cited the regulatory uncertainty created in the US since the election of President Donald Trump. [reNews]

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

May 15 Green Energy News

Headline News:

  • “Federal Court Rules Against Withholding Endangered Species Act Protections From Joshua Tree” • A federal court in California struck down a US Fish and Wildlife Service attempt to withhold Endangered Species Act protections for the Joshua tree. A FWS decision to not provide ESA protections for the Joshua tree is unlawful and sidesteps climate science. [ABC News]

Joshua trees (Cedric Letsch, Unsplash)

  • “China’s CO₂ Emissions Have Started Falling – Is This Finally The Peak?” • China, the world’s largest emitter of carbon dioxide, has seen a slight decline in those emissions over the past twelve months, even as power demand went up. This is an encouraging sign that the country’s massive investment in clean energy might have begun to displace fossil fuels. [New Scientist]
  • “GM, Ford Tease New Game Changing LMR EV Batteries” • General Motors and The Ford Motor Company are both over the moon about new lithium manganese-rich EV batteries, which GM is pitching as “a leap forward that will offer consumers EVs with an attractive combination of long range and low cost.” But Tesla is nowhere to be seen. [CleanTechnica]
  • “Vermont Reverses Course On EV Sales Targets” • Phil Scott is the Republican governor of Vermont, a state known for maveric politicians. Vermonters take their obligations to sustainability and the environment seriously. But he signed an executive order to direct the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources to be in line with GOP goals. [CleanTechnica]
  • “New Hampshire Budget Bill Would Defund State Renewable Energy Grant Program” • A sprawling budget bill working its way through the New Hampshire legislature includes some under-the-radar provisions that would redirect millions of dollars from a state renewable energy fund to the general budget and rebates for utility customers.[Canary Media]

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

May 14 Green Energy News

Headline News:

  • “Trump Administration Attempts Burying Climate Change Evidence to Further Fossil Fuel Agenda” • To limit the damage of the climate crisis, the country must transition quickly from fossil fuels to clean energy and invest in resilience. The administration is hell-bent on doing the exact opposite. And what better way than to hide the facts and spread the lies? [The Equation]

Flood (Justin Wilkens, Unsplash, cropped)

  • “Ocean Winds Celebrates Portuguese Floater” • Ocean Winds, a 50-50 joint venture between EDP Renováveis and Engie, is celebrating five years of successful operator of the 25-MW WindFloat Atlantic project, the first semi-submersible floating offshore wind farm in the world, located approximately 20 km off the coast of Portugal. [reNews]
  • “A New Era of Wheelchair Accessible Electric Vehicles” • Kia Corporation showcased the PV5 WAV (Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle) model at the Financial Times’ Future of the Car Summit in London in collaboration with UK-based Motability Operations Ltd. The PV5 WAV comes in response to increasing demand for accessible vehicles. [CleanTechnica]
  • “Powertech Warns Skills Shortage Poses Threat To Energy Transition” • Perth-headquartered engineering and technical services business Powertech has warned that the industrial sector’s desperate skills shortage must be addressed for Australia to meet its lofty clean energy targets. Australia will require up to 700,000 clean energy workers, [pv magazine Australia]
  • “Extreme Heat Will Make It Feel More Like August Than May For Texas And Southeast US” • Triple-digit temperatures more commonly seen in the throes of summer and not in the spring were making an unwelcome visit to Texas and other parts of the southeastern US this week, placing millions of Americans under extreme heat warnings. [ABC News]

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

May 13 Green Energy News

Headline News:

  • “Solar And Wind Make Up 98% Of US Generating Capacity Added In Trump’s First Three Months” • Analysis of government data revealed that solar and wind accounted for nearly 98% of new electricity generating capacity in the US through the first quarter of 2025, despite efforts by President Trump to unravel clean energy efforts. [RenewEconomy]

Solar farm (Raphael Cruz, Unsplash)

  • “Report: Renewables Soaring, Coal Declining” • Renewable capacity is soaring in Australia’s electricity market while coal availability declines, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator’s latest Quarterly Energy Dynamics report. During the March quarter 2025, while solar and wind generation grew, battery output surged 86%. [Energy Magazine]
  • “So Much For ‘Drill, Baby, Drill’” • Hurt by weakening demand and depressed prices, US oil production is expected to shrink in 2026, S&P Global Commodity Insights projected. S&P estimates that US oil output will dip to 13.3 million barrels per day in 2026, 130,000 barrels less than its 2025 forecast. Oil production last fell during the COVID pandemic. [CNN]
  • “Empire Wind ‘Faces Axe Within Days’” • Equinor reportedly said it will be forced to terminate the Empire Wind project “within days” unless President Donald Trump’s administration makes a U-turn on an order that halted construction. The order stopped the New York offshore wind project after Equinor had already invested $2.5 billion. [reNews]
  • “America Closed For Business: Bill Rolling Back IRA Provisions Will Depress Investment” •The Inflation Reduction Act, enacted in 2022, introduced comprehensive, decade-spanning incentives designed to catalyze investments in renewables, hydrogen hubs, EV, and domestic manufacturing. It was working, until the return of Donald Trump. [CleanTechnica]

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

May 12 Green Energy News

Headline News:

  • “Carbon Dioxide In The Atmosphere Surged In 2024” • The latest update from NOAA shows an alarming increase in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, and no one is quite sure how to explain it. If the president has his way, NOAA will never have enough staff or funding to find the answer. But clearly, the levels are accelerating rather than slowing. [CleanTechnica]

Increases in CO₂ emissions (NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory)

  • “First Turbine In Place At 488-MW French Offshore Wind Farm” • Ocean Winds is celebrating the installation of the first turbine at the 488-MW Îles d’Yeu et de Noirmoutier (EMYN) offshore wind farm. In total, 61 Siemens Gamesa 8-MW turbines will be installed at the French offshore wind project between May and September this year. [reNews]
  • “Cerulean’s 1-GW Aspen Floater ‘To Support 1,000 Jobs'” • Cerulean Winds said that the 1-GW Aspen floating wind project in the UK’s Central North Sea is expected to support more than 1000 jobs and attract a total investment of £10.9 billion over its lifespan. Aspen is being built by several partners with experience in large scale offshore projects. [reNews]
  • “Illinois’ Grid Needs Batteries. Can The Legislature Deliver?” • Illinois’s clean energy transition mandates a phaseout of fossil-fuel power by 2045, but it depends on large amounts of energy storage. This is especially true now with the proliferation of data centers. Energy companies are pushing for action on batteries before the legislative session ends. [Canary Media]
  • “Scars From The World’s First Deep Sea Mining Test 50 Years On” • A section of the Blake Plateau, off the east coast of the US, is barren with the scars from the world’s first deep-sea mining pilot test carried out in 1970. Half a century after the world’s first deep sea mining tests picked metal nodules from the seafloor the damage has barely begun to heal. [BBC]

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

May 14: Estimating Big Polluters’ Sea Level Rise Responsibility

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) invites you to a virtual discussion next Wednesday to learn more about how the past emissions by the world’s biggest polluters are driving current global warming and future sea level rise.

There’s still time to register!

Nearly half of the increase in present-day average surface temperature and one-third of present-day sea level rise can be traced to emissions from the 122 largest fossil fuel producers and cement manufacturers, according to new peer-reviewed UCS research. These big polluters, known as the carbon majors, have locked in as much as 22 inches of global sea level rise by 2300.

Tracing Tides: How Major Carbon Producers Drive Sea Level Rise and Climate Injustice
Date: Wednesday, May 14
Time: 4:00–5:00 p.m. ET / 1:00–2:00 p.m. PT

Register now for the webinar.

Speakers:
• Shaina Sadai, PhD, lead author, former UCS Hitz Fellow and current visiting assistant professor at Mount Holyoke College
• Delta Merner, PhD, Associate Director for the Science Hub for Climate Litigation, UCS

Moderator:
• Sarah Goodspeed, Climate Accountability Outreach Manager

Thank you to the Kurt Gottfried Society for hosting this webinar!

If you have any questions about the webinar or need assistance, please email us at events@ucs.org.

REGISTER

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Receive opportunities from UCS to defend science on your cell phone:
Text SCIENCE to 67369

May 11 Green Energy News

Headline News:

  • “Australian Giant Fortescue Plans 100-GW Renewable Energy Hub In Morocco” • Australian industrial group Fortescue, led by billionaire Andrew Forrest, is developing an ambitious project to transform Morocco into a green energy bridge between Africa and Europe. The initiative aims to establish 100 GW of solar and wind capacity in North Africa. [Medafrica Times]

Morocco (Sergey Pesterev, Unsplash)

  • “More Chinese Energy Investments In Africa Are Going To Renewables, Report Finds” • China is increasingly channelling its energy investments in Africa into renewable projects, with solar and wind power now accounting for 59% of its energy projects on the continent, according to a report by UK-based think tank ODI Global. [South China Morning Post]
  • “Japan And China Are In A Race For Space Solar Power Plants” • China launched a project to build an orbiting space solar power plant that could produce more energy than what can be obtained from all sources on Earth. Meanwhile, Japan announced that it is also on track to begin transmitting solar energy from space to Earth early next year. [KosovaPress]
  • “We Mustn’t Snatch Defeat From The Jaws Of Victory On Wind Power” • The news that Ørsted is downing tools on its massive Hornsea 4 offshore wind farm may be a shock, but rough winds have been buffeting the industry for some time. The UK has led the world on offshore wind. And it still can, despite the squall that hit Hornsea 4. [The Times]
  • “Energy Star Program Gets The Kiss Of Death” • In 1992, during the term of George H W Bush, the Energy Star program was created to promote more energy efficient appliances: air conditioners, water heaters, dishwashers, clothes dryers, and others. Now, though it provides a guide and costs very little, it is to be tossed. Why? Glad you asked. [CleanTechnica]

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

May 10 Green Energy News

Headline News:

  • “Trump’s Nuclear Energy Policy Prioritizes Deregulation” • The White House is drafting four executive orders, expected to be released within the coming weeks, attempting to expand the ability of the DOE and Department of Defense to deploy prototype reactors, possibly without the oversight provided by the US NRC. [Energy Intelligence]

Nuclear plant (Lukáš Lehotský, Unsplash)

  • “Trump Tightens Control Of Independent Agency Overseeing Nuclear Safety” • Going forward, the NRC must send new rules regarding reactor safety to the White House, where they will be reviewed and possibly edited. That is a radical departure for the watchdog agency, which historically has been among the most independent in the government. [WBHM 90.3]
  • “What Pope Leo XIV Has Said About Climate Change” • Robert Francis Prevost, now the leader of the Catholic Church as Pope Leo XIV, has been outspoken about the need for action to fight global warming, according to the College of Cardinals Report. He as warned against the “harmful” consequences of unchecked technological advancement. [ABC News]
  • “UK Increases Funding And Areas To Spur Offshore Wind Energy Development” • Offshore wind energy continues to be a key for the UK’s plan for renewable energy with the government announcing that it will expand funding and the available areas in response to industry demand. The goal is 50 GW of offshore windpower by 2030. [The Maritime Executive]
  • “BYD Electric Truck Sales Up 1,195%” • BYD’s commercial vehicle sales are reported separately as buses and “others.” BYD’s non-bus commercial vehicles sales have grown like gangbusters in recent months. They were up from 525 in April 2024 to 7,080 in April 2025, and from 1,595 in January–April 2024 to 20,659 in January–April 2025. [CleanTechnica]

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