Tom Gunthorpe, a farmer hosting a wind farm, emphasizes the importance of negotiating as a group to ensure fair agreements with developers. The creation of an escrow fund for quick access to funds for any issues that may arise from the wind project operation is highlighted. Gunthorpe is not concerned about decommissioning costs due to lease agreements and the likelihood of turbine refurbishment. The escrow fund, managed by an independent organization, provides off-farm income for farmers and ensures the farm can be passed down for generations despite droughts and economic challenges, ultimately securing the future for farming families.
Category: Other Energy
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Transforming Britain’s Old Coalfields Into Clean Energy Sources
In Gateshead, England, a mine water heat network has been successfully implemented to draw warmth from flooded mine workings, saving 72,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide over 40 years. The system uses a water-source heat pump to extract heat from geothermally warmed water, delivering five to six units of heat for every unit of electricity used. This initiative showcases the potential of utilizing renewable energy sources and existing infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills for residents and businesses. The success of similar projects in Canada, the Netherlands, and potentially in northern China highlights the significant climate solution that mine water energy systems can offer if implemented effectively.
https://reasonstobecheerful.world/mine-water-heat-gateshead/
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UK launches programme for ultra-long energy storage
The UK has launched a programme for ultra-long energy storage, offering grants to developers working on technologies that can store clean energy for over 100 hours. Micheal Shanks has been appointed as Minister of State in the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). This initiative aims to support the development of energy storage solutions to help achieve net zero emissions goals.
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“Prices have doubled”: Farmers turn to wind and solar to make fertiliser, and change dialogue about renewables
Australian farmers are considering green energy options like wind and solar in response to global market impacts caused by Trump's actions. The Australian Renewables in Agriculture Conference highlighted the benefits of transitioning to renewables, with farmers looking to host wind and solar farms and produce green hydrogen and ammonia locally. Projects like the GEGHA pilot project in the Gwydir Valley are seen as a lifeline for rural communities. Additionally, initiatives like Morona's commercial scale plant to produce NH3 aim to reduce emissions in agriculture and promote the use of green hydrogen. The renewable energy project in Moree, focusing on minimal water usage, is seen as a game changer for the local community, providing opportunities to benefit from energy produced in the south-west Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and driving down costs further. Overall, these projects represent a step towards utilizing clean energy to benefit local communities and address climate change.
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World’s largest offshore wind farm to also feature first directly integrated grid-scale battery
Danish offshore wind energy giant Ørsted is constructing the world's largest offshore wind farm, the 2.9 GW Hornsea 3 project, with 197 wind turbines expected to be completed by 2027. The project will also include a 300 MW/600 MWh battery energy storage system named Iceni, integrated into the transmission infrastructure. Iceni will utilize Tesla batteries and the Nimbus platform by Arenko for optimization and asset management. This project represents a pioneering effort in combining significant generation capacity with utility-scale storage, addressing operational and trading challenges in the renewable energy sector.
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The clean energy transition needs land. Can it help restore it too?
At a UN desertification conference in Mongolia, experts discussed how renewable energy expansion can co-exist with land protection and restoration, showcasing examples such as repurposing degraded mining land in South Africa and combining solar panels with vegetation in China. Renewable energy projects like solar irrigation in India are proving to generate electricity while benefiting agriculture and restoring land. The UN is calling for case studies on successful projects that integrate renewable energy with land, water, biodiversity, and communities to break dependence on fossil fuels while protecting and restoring nature globally. Planning for impactful renewables should consider wider landscape context, biodiversity, and input from local communities to minimize environmental impacts. Discussions are ongoing on how to pursue these goals simultaneously on the same land.
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India’s model solar villages
Distributed renewable energy (DRE) systems are gaining popularity in India for generating electricity locally, driving rural development, empowering communities, and building economic resilience. India is actively implementing DREs in villages and rural areas to address climate change and promote sustainable energy solutions.
https://www.pv-magazine.com/2026/08/19/indias-model-solar-villages/
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“We are still in early days:” World’s biggest battery buyer says costs have fallen dramatically, and have more to go
The cost of grid-scale battery storage has significantly decreased in the last 24 months, making solar and wind projects more bankable by allowing them to store excess energy. Brookfield Renewables has seen a dramatic decrease in the long-term cost of energy for batteries and aims to be a leading procurer of utility-scale energy storage equipment globally. They are actively investing in battery storage projects, with 30% of their project pipeline dedicated to batteries. Despite setbacks, Origin Energy is focusing on building battery storage while closing its coal generator. Subscribe to a clean energy newsletter for more updates on the renewable energy industry.
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Researchers model 1,708 pathways for global PV waste recycling
An international research group has developed a framework to evaluate the economic and climate benefits of local versus outsourced PV waste recycling, assessing 1,708 different scenarios across 32 regions. Despite anticipated technological advances, global PV waste recycling is not expected to reach its break-even point for over a decade, with rising material prices impacting profitability and new PV deployment. Combining region-specific recycling technologies with outsourced strategies can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 3.32 billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent by 2060, but may concentrate benefits in a few regions. A well-designed declining-subsidy scheme can help mitigate inequalities, with high-carbon-price subsidies potentially increasing disparities. The study highlights the importance of considering various waste-trade configurations and subsidy schemes to maximize global recycling benefits and reduce regional disparities in the future.