Published

5 months ago

May 5, 2025

Alice Rush

Weather Guard Lightning Tech

RWE Milestone Thor Wind, Texas Recycling Bills Passes

RWE successfully installs the first monopile for the 1.1 GW Thor offshore wind farm in Denmark, China investigates a fishing vessel collision with a wind turbine, Texas House approves bills for recycling renewable energy equipment, and Enel launches an international wind turbine design competition.

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Allen Hall: RWE has reached a milestone in constructing the 1.1 gigawatt tho offshore wind farm in the Danish North Sea, with a successful installation of its first mono pile foundation. The project will eventually include 72 such foundations, the massive mono piles measuring about 100 meters of length and weighing up to 1500 metric tons each.

Which is equivalent to about a thousand small cars. Were shipped from the Netherlands to the construction site, approximately 22 kilometers off jut Ludens West coast. The vessel La Aliza is handling installation with each shipment carrying five monopiles. The CEO of RDB offshore wind called this quote, A highly [00:01:00] symbolic moment and a great achievement, unquote, following years of planning. The Thor Wind Project features several sustainability innovations, including reused hard covers to protect the mono piles. CO2 reduced steel towers for 36 turbines. Recyclable rotor blades for 40 turbines. When fully operational In 2027, the wind farm will generate enough green electricity to power more than 1 million Danish households and create 50 to 60 local jobs.

Over in China, a fishing vessel that sank after colliding with a wind turbo in China’s yellow sea failed to maintain proper lookout according to report from the China Maritime Safety Administration. The collision occurred around 12:25 AM local time on August 24th last year when the ZDUU vessel struck the southeast side of the Ong H one dash 40 wind turbine while returning from fishing operations, the accident sent [00:02:00] all 10 crew members overboard.

Eight were rescued, but one died and another was never recovered. The collision caused severe flooding and eventual sinking of the vessel while the turbine sustained only minor damage. Investigators determine the primary cause with the vessels, quote, failure to maintain proper lookout and negligent navigation practices. High intensity work, lights, impeded visibility, and the crew didn’t properly utilize radar equipment. A secondary factor was inadequate public notification of the wind farms precise layout, unquote, by the operating company, which led to navigational oversight.

Moving over to Texas. The Texas House recently passed two bills aimed at improving recycling of retired renewable energy equipment. Currently, most wind turbines and solar panels end up in landfills when decommissioned, despite Texas law requiring complete removal of the infrastructure and land restoration. House House Bill 32 28 requires renewable energy companies to recycle all components. [00:03:00] Practicably capable of being reused or recycled and properly disposed of non-recyclable parts. A complimentary bill House Bill 32 29 establishes reporting and financial assurance requirements for recycling facility owners to prevent situations like the one in Sweetwater, Texas where GE allegedly paid millions of dollars to a company that shut down.

Without recycling the turbine blades.

And energy leader Enel has launched wind design, a international competition seeking innovative wind turbine designs that better integrate with landscapes while maintaining functionality. The contest. Offers substantial prices, including 250,000 Euros for first place, with special awards for design excellence, technical feasibility, and sustainability, innovation, open to architectural firms, engineering companies, startups, students and universities worldwide.

Wind design accepts [00:04:00] first phase submissions until June 16th of this year. Projects advancing to the second phase receive 5,000 euros. With final submissions due September 29th of this year. Participants can join workshops on May 15th to learn more about the requirements and ask questions directly to the NL team.

To register or get complete details? Visit the website shown in the show notes below. That’s this week’s top. News stories. Stay tuned tomorrow for the Uptime Wind Energy Podcast.

https://weatherguardwind.com/rwe-thor-texas-recycling-bill/

Renewable Energy

Trump Welcomes Qatar to Build Air Force Base in Idaho

Published

2 days ago

October 12, 2025

Alice Rush

No one seems to understand Trump’s motivation here. Did it have anything to do with the $400 million gift aircraft?

Does Qatar fear attack from Alberta or Saskatoon?

The Qataris say they need to be prepared to help achieve peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians. I’m suspicious, though I’m no expert in military logistics. We’re talking about a 6000-mile plane ride.

Trump Welcomes Qatar to Build Air Force Base in Idaho

Renewable Energy

Trump’s Avalanche of Lies

Published

2 days ago

October 12, 2025

Alice Rush

What? I’m confused. “Trump’s Statement” of a few months was that “Gas prices are (present tense) under $2.”

It would have been interesting if one of the gaggle of reporters surrounding him could have asked the obvious question: “That’s great, sir, but can you name a single state in the union whose gas prices are under $2?

It would have been a tense moment, for sure, but don’t we have any self-respect?

Trump’s Avalanche of Lies

Renewable Energy

Where Does Domestic Violence Come From?

Published

3 days ago

October 12, 2025

Alice Rush

Over the past few months, and especially since the murder of Charlie Kirk, the right-wing news sources are telling us that most of the politically related violence is coming from the left, in particular from the left-wing “terrorist associations,” e.g., Antifa.

If you look at some coverage on the subject, however, you’ll learn that this is simple false. Here’s a bit from a PBS piece:

PBS: Policymakers and the public need reliable evidence and actual data to understand the reality of politically motivated violence.

Craig: No, they don’t. Are you serious? Are we to believe that Donald Trump is sending federal troops to democratically-led cities based on “reliable evidence and actual data?” This is a sick joke.

PBS: From our research on extremism, it’s clear that the president’s and Miller’s assertions about political violence from the left are not based on actual facts.

Here’s more from the PBS article:

After the Sept. 10, 2025, assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, President Donald Trump claimed that radical leftist groups foment political violence in the U.S., and “they should be put in jail.”

“The radical left causes tremendous violence,” he said, asserting that “they seem to do it in a bigger way” than groups on the right.

WATCH: Extremism scholar analyzes influence of rhetoric on political violence

Top presidential adviser Stephen Miller also weighed in after Kirk’s killing, saying that left-wing political organizations constitute “a vast domestic terror movement.”

“We are going to use every resource we have … throughout this government to identify, disrupt, dismantle and destroy these networks and make America safe again,” Miller said.

Political violence rising

The understanding of political violence is complicated by differences in definitions and the recent Department of Justice removal of an important government-sponsored study of domestic terrorists.

Political violence in the U.S. has risen in recent months and takes forms that go unrecognized. During the 2024 election cycle, nearly half of all states reported threats against election workers, including social media death threats, intimidation and doxing.

WATCH: Trump conspiracies inspire threats against judges, jurors and election workers

Kirk’s assassination illustrates the growing threat. The man charged with the murder, Tyler Robinson, allegedly planned the attack in writing and online.

This follows other politically motivated killings, including the June assassination of Democratic Minnesota state Rep. and former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband.

These incidents reflect a normalization of political violence. Threats and violence are increasingly treated as acceptable for achieving political goals, posing serious risks to democracy and society.