New Modelling Shows Renewable Electricity Can Meet NZ’s Future Demand – without Importing Gas
New modelling indicates New Zealand can satisfy its projected electricity demand through 2030 using existing renewable projects, especially if offshore wind is added. Without offshore wind, hydro would fall short for about 474 hours a year, but offshore wind would keep reservoirs near full and reduce hydro reliance. The analysis also quantifies short‑term (≈1.45 GW) and long‑term (≈1.5 TWh) storage needs, highlighting battery and pumped‑hydro solutions. Consequently, the government’s plan to fund an LNG terminal via an electricity levy appears misaligned with a renewable‑dominant grid.
San Francisco’s Argonaut Hotel: 2026 Green Key Global Property of the Year
San Francisco’s Argonaut Hotel was named the 2026 Green Key Global Property of the Year at the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Responsible Stay Summit. The hotel now holds five consecutive Green Keys, a rating it will retain through 2028,...
Syensqo Advances Circular Carbon Fiber Composite Recycling Partnership with Fairmat
Syensqo and Fairmat have signed a multiyear industrial partnership to recycle carbon‑fiber composite waste from Syensqo’s Östringen plant in Germany. The recycled fibers will be re‑introduced into Fairmat’s markets, including sports, mobility, construction and energy, while preserving high technical performance....
Wolfspeed Launches First Commercially Available 10kV SiC Power MOSFET
Wolfspeed announced the industry’s first commercially available 10 kV silicon‑carbide (SiC) power MOSFET, the CPM3‑10000‑0300A die. The device promises a 158,000‑year dielectric lifetime, sub‑10 ns rise time and up to 99% conversion efficiency. Wolfspeed says the technology can cut system cost by...
Iran War Exposes Fossil Fuel’s Hidden Global Costs
On The Climate Brink, my latest post is on what the war in Iran tells us about the hidden costs of fossil fuels https://www.theclimatebrink.com/p/the-war-in-iran-shows-us-another
Voluntary Data‑Center Pledges: History Shows No Real
who among you is brave enough to take a guess what happened the last time tech companies made a voluntary pledge to protect the public from the harmful impacts of data centre over-development
Cuba Suffers Widespread Power Outage After Guiteras Plant Failure: Timeline of the National Grid Restoration
A boiler explosion at the Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric plant on March 4 caused a sudden partial blackout across Cuba’s national grid from Camagüey to Pinar del Río. The government activated emergency protocols, deploying micro‑islands, diesel generators and bringing additional thermal units online to...
Greenwashing Risk Is Widespread, Survey of 3,500 Companies Finds
A new study of 3,574 companies with climate commitments finds that 96% exhibit at least one greenwashing risk indicator. The seven‑point test highlights missing Scope 3 targets, vague offset usage, and lack of interim goals as the most common flaws. Only...
Nickel Nationalism Holds Back Indonesia’s Clean Tech Ambitions – by Riandy Laksono (East Asia Forum – March 5, 2026)
Indonesia’s 2020 ban on raw‑nickel exports sparked a surge in domestic smelting and processing, positioning the country as a textbook case of resource‑based industrialisation. Yet its clean‑technology ambitions remain modest: EV exports totaled only US$12 million in 2024, dwarfed by Thailand’s...
Strong Demand for Building Sustainability Standards: BREEAM
BRE Global reports a 90 % increase in BREEAM certifications across North America between 2023 and 2025, highlighting rapid adoption in the U.S. market. California leads with over 60 certified projects, followed by Texas, Minnesota, Tennessee and Indiana. Industrial properties show...
Oklahoma Lawmakers Move to Protect Ratepayers From Effects of Data Centers
Oklahoma House Bill 2992 aims to shield residential electricity bills by requiring new large‑load customers—such as data centers, cryptocurrency miners and AI computing facilities—to negotiate their own power contracts and provide collateral for infrastructure costs. The measure, which passed the...
Inside the Radical Plan to Power London’s Tube Network with Solar Energy
Transport for London (TfL) announced a partnership with SSE Energy Solutions to build solar farms that will feed up to 65,000 MWh of renewable electricity directly into the London Underground network, bypassing the National Grid. The tube currently consumes about 1.6 TWh...
Dachser Achieves Emission-Free Deliveries in 25 City Centres
Dachser now operates emission‑free inner‑city delivery zones in 25 European cities, deploying 60 battery‑electric trucks and 13 cargo bikes. In 2025 the network covered roughly 1.8 million kilometres without greenhouse‑gas emissions, averaging 7,000 km per day. The rollout follows a modular...
UK’s Carbon Storage Drive Advances with Go-Ahead for North Sea Appraisal Well
The UK’s North Sea Transition Authority has granted a two‑year consent to drill a carbon‑storage appraisal well as part of the Endurance project off Teesside. The well, scheduled to spud on 1 March and complete drilling in about 90 days, is...
Africa Has a Nuclear Bros Problem
African nations are rapidly pursuing nuclear power, with Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and others signing agreements and joining the IAEA pledge to triple capacity by 2050. Analysts warn that many of these ambitions are unrealistic, citing projects that would dwarf current...
Bloom Energy Secures $500M IDF Contract, Expands U.S. Fuel‑
Bloom Energy $BE gets an additional $500M contract from IDF (Infrastructure Development Fund. Industrial Development Funding (IDF) is expanding its collaboration with Bloom and is now funding over $650 million of Bloom fuel-cell Energy Servers across three portfolios in...
3 Solar Stocks to Watch Amid Policy and Tariff Headwinds
U.S. solar demand stays robust as utilities, businesses and households adopt solar‑plus‑storage solutions, but the sector now faces near‑term policy and tariff headwinds. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act curtails Inflation Reduction Act tax credits and adds Foreign Entity of Concern rules, creating procurement...
Iran Conflict May Accelerate Solar and Battery Adoption
Past fossil-fuel price spikes left import-dependent countries with two options: pay up or cut fuel use. Now there is an alternative in solar and batteries. I looked at recent examples in Europe, Pakistan and Cuba to glean what might happen...
Bp and Iberdrola Near Completion of Hydrogen Plant
bp and Iberdrola’s joint venture is finalising a 25 MW green hydrogen plant in Castellón, Spain, now 90% assembled with all equipment on site. The €70 million project, powered by a renewable power‑purchase agreement, will use Plug Power electrolyser technology. Once operational, it...
EIB to Provide Advisory Support for VÆRIDION Aircraft Development
The European Investment Bank will provide advisory services to German start‑up VÆRIDION under the EU Innovation Fund Project Development Assistance programme. The support is aimed at moving VÆRIDION’s Microliner – a nine‑seat, fully electric regional aircraft – from prototype to...
Jet2's Collection of Certified Sustainable Hotels Grows to 1,500
Jet2holidays has expanded its Certified Sustainable Hotel programme to 1,500 properties, up from 800 at launch in 2023. The certification follows ABTA’s standards, covering energy, water, waste, local sourcing and community support. A dedicated trade portal now lets agents easily...
Four-Party Consortium Sets up Japan-New Zealand Hydrogen Corridor
Japanese firms Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Obayashi, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Chiyoda have formed a four‑party consortium to create a Japan‑New Zealand hydrogen corridor. The partnership will launch feasibility studies this year to build a green‑hydrogen supply chain that transports production from...
UK Must Double Down on Renewables as Wars Drive up Energy Costs, Experts Say
The UK faces renewed fossil‑fuel price volatility after the US‑Israel attacks on Iran, echoing the 2022‑2025 energy shock that cost the EU and Britain $1.8 trillion. Experts and climate groups argue the government must accelerate its clean‑energy transition, focusing on renewables...
Solar Energy for Renters Has Taken Off in 10 States. Not in California
Community solar, a proven tool for renters and low‑income households, has flourished in ten states but remains marginal in California, which has launched only about 34 projects totaling roughly 235 MW since 2015. In West Goshen, a pilot project delivered a 20%...
How Australia Can Turn the Data Centre Boom Into a Grid Growth Story
Australia’s data‑centre boom, now consuming about 2% of NEM electricity, is set to rise to roughly 6% by 2030, threatening grid capacity. Fluence’s Jeff Monday argues that battery energy storage systems (BESS) can turn this constraint into an opportunity by...
Renewables Only Escape as Fossil Reserves Fail Fast
254 days of reserves don't mean a thing when the pressure hits on day 7. This isn’t a "market adjustment" - it’s a math-driven massacre Fossil fuel reliance is a trap door, and the floor just fell out for half the...
Oil Spike Highlights Renewables' Growing Competitive Edge
The Middle East conflict is stress testing global energy. Bloomberg sees oil at $108 in a severe escalation. We have seen this before. The difference now is that solar and batteries are more cost competitive. Every fossil fuel spike strengthens the...
Industrial IoT in Manufacturing: Driving Smart Factory Efficiency and Sustainability
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is turning smart factories from concept to reality, linking sensors, edge devices, AI analytics and cloud platforms across production lines. Real‑time data enables predictive maintenance, automated workflows and energy optimization, driving higher productivity while trimming...
Fluence Delivers 600MWh BESS Enclosures Ahead of Schedule
Fluence completes ahead-of-schedule delivery of all enclosures to 600MWh BESS in Australia #energysky -- via Energy Storage News: https://t.co/jqxtRVrdmj
UK Coal Use Hits 400‑year Low, Emissions Drop 2.4%
NEW ANALYSIS: UK emissions fell 2.4% in 2025 as coal fell to a 400-year low. Incredibly, we used less coal last year than than in 1600, when Queen Elizabeth I was on the throne and Shakespeare was writing Hamlet. All the...
The State of Alternative Propulsion Aircraft? Part 6.
The article reviews the limitations of series‑hybrid aircraft, highlighting the significant energy losses when a turbogenerator feeds an electric motor through multiple conversion stages. These inefficiencies make series hybrids uneconomical compared to conventional models like the Cessna Caravan or Saab 340....
Battery Tech Slashes Data Center Power Costs by 90%
Glad to see a recognition that batteries and grid enhancing technologies can integrate 100GW of new data centers at 90% less cost than business-as-usual. https://t.co/H1IIqfo7u3
Grand Duke of Luxembourg Discusses Global Energy Transition Collaboration
It was a pleasure meeting with His Royal Highness Grand Duke of Luxembourg. We discussed opportunities to collaborate in advancing the global energy transition and accelerating progress toward climate goals. https://t.co/0O1SIM4ZbQ
E706 | Jo Slota-Newson & Marc Sabas, Almanac Ventures: Systemic Deep Tech for Industrial Decarbonisation
Almanac Ventures, founded by deep‑tech scientist Jo Slota‑Newson and finance‑focused Marc Sabas, invests seed‑stage deep‑tech solutions for industrial decarbonisation across Europe. They target technologies that improve performance, lower costs, and cut emissions in complex, capital‑intensive sectors that account for 75%...
Italy's Carbon Reform and the ETS Decree
The episode examines Italy's controversial decree that seeks to shift EU ETS costs from gas‑fired power producers to consumers, aiming to lower wholesale electricity prices and boost industrial competitiveness. Guests Enza Tedesco and lawyer Lorenzo Parola explain the economic rationale,...
Rio Tinto Signs Mining Electrification MoU with CATL
Rio Tinto and battery giant CATL have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate electrification across mining operations. The partnership will develop strategies for battery‑powered equipment, supply‑chain integration, and circular‑economy initiatives such as battery material recycling. CATL will contribute its...
China Advances Power of Siberia 2 and Far‑East Gas Pipeline
March 5 (Reuters) - China will push forward early-stage work on the Power of Siberia 2 project, while building the China-Russia Far East natural gas pipeline under its 2026-2030 five-year plan, which was released on Thursday.
Forrest Says AI the Stuff of Nightmares, but Also Critical to Fortescue’s Push to Real Zero
Mining and clean‑energy giant Fortescue is leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate its decarbonisation agenda, deploying over 200 autonomous haul trucks and using AI to manage a 500 km renewable grid. AI simulations recently produced 2,650 scenarios to inform a six‑year green‑steel...
Special Episode: How to Close Down Oil and Gas
The Energy Insiders podcast released a special episode featuring Francis Norman, head of the Centre of Decommissioning Australia, who outlines the complex process of shutting down and removing oil and gas wells. He highlights the technical, regulatory, and financial challenges...
Jyoti Structures Commissions 400 kV Line for ReNew Power in Karnataka
Jyoti Structures Limited has commissioned a 400 kV twin HTLS transmission line linking Gadag and Koppal power stations in Karnataka for ReNew Power. The 100‑km line traverses challenging terrain and black cotton soil, completed on a Build‑Own‑Operate‑Maintain (BOOM) basis. It enables...
State Proposes Go-Betweens to Lead Negotiations on Community Benefits From Renewables
Western Australia has unveiled community benefits guidelines that create a fund‑custodian role to negotiate payments with renewable developers and implement locally‑chosen projects. An independent organisation will help councils decide on a single benefit plan, after which the custodian negotiates rates....
State-Backed Wind Farm Gets Federal Green Light, with Long List of Conditions
The federal environment minister has approved SynergyRed’s 100 MW Scott River wind farm in Western Australia, subject to five stringent conditions under the EPBC Act. The project will install 20 turbines up to 250 m tall, disturbing 107 ha of land but clearing...
As New York Energy Costs Surge, Attention Turns to Landmark Climate Law
New York’s electricity bills have surged past $400 per month for many residents, reigniting debate over the state’s 2019 climate law. Governor Kathy Hochul is weighing revisions that could affect the law’s aggressive renewable targets amid concerns the mandates may...
Microbial Assembly Line Makes Plastic Upcycling Programmable
Scientists engineered a programmable microbial assembly line that transforms PET plastic waste into pyruvate, a universal metabolic feedstock, which downstream microbes then convert into a range of valuable products such as dyes, biopolymers, fuels and electricity. The core bacterium, Pseudomonas...
What This Texas Republican Primary Revealed About the Politics of AI Data Centers
Texas Republican primary saw incumbent Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller lose to businessman Nate Sheets. Miller warned that AI data centers were devouring farmland and water, proposing “agriculture freedom zones.” Voters rejected his message, indicating AI economic momentum may trump rural...
Solar Electricity Cost, Not Panel Price, Drives Value
This. It is the cost of solar electrons that matter, not the cost of solar panels. And those two costs do not always move in the same direction. Innovation needed (and coming) on form factor, system design and automation.
Alabama Power Installs Tesla Megapacks at Former Coal Plant Site for State’s First BESS Project
Alabama Power has installed Tesla Megapacks at the former Plant Scherer coal site, creating Alabama’s first utility‑scale battery energy storage system (BESS). The 100‑MW/400‑MWh installation marks a major step in repurposing retired fossil‑fuel assets for clean‑energy resilience. At the same...
Why Data Center Firms Are Working With Trump on Energy Costs
The White House, led by former President Donald Trump, convened executives from Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI and other AI‑focused firms to address rising electricity costs tied to new data centers. The companies signed a voluntary "ratepayer protection pledge" committing to...
Head of L.A.'s Department of Water and Power Resigns
Janisse Quiñones, who has led Los Angeles’ Department of Water and Power since 2024, announced her resignation to become chief executive of Luma, a private electric‑utility operator in Puerto Rico. During her tenure she bolstered grid and water reliability, guided...
Victoria Expands Battery Recycling Network with 50 New Collection Points
The Victorian Government announced the addition of 50 new battery recycling collection points, supplementing upgrades at 17 existing sites, to make disposal safer and easier. Funding will support local councils and registered charities, with more than 30 locations placed in...