** A shroud of smoke has sent solar power generation in parts of the eastern US plummeting by more than 50% as wildfires rage in Canada. Solar farms powering New England were producing 56% less energy at times of peak demand compared with the week before, according to the region’s grid operator. Electricity generated by solar across the territory serviced by PJM Interconnection LLC, which spans Illinois to North Carolina, was down about 25% from the previous week.
** After 32 years in Texas, Arrow Truck Sales announced it is closing its three branches across the Lone Star State. The closures are related to a state law prohibiting motor vehicle manufacturers from also owning auto dealerships and selling vehicles directly to consumers. Arrow Truck Sales is a subsidiary of automaker Volvo.
** General Electric Company GE unit, GE Vernova’s Gas Power business, announced that Caithness Energy’s Guernsey Power Station, which is fueled by GE’s HA combined cycle equipment, has begun commercial operations. The power plant is based in Guernsey County, Southeastern Ohio, in the heart of the state’s Utica and Marcellus shale gas development area.
** A California jury has returned a $63 million verdict against Chevron after finding the oil giant covered up a toxic chemical pit on land purchased by a man who built a house on it and was later diagnosed with a blood cancer.
** The U.S. Supreme Court will not consider a challenge to an offshore fracking ban in federal waters off the California coast, providing another win to environmental groups battling against specialized oil drilling in the Pacific Ocean.
A Shell plcSHEL and Ocean Winds (a Spanish renewable energy company) joint venture (JV) announced its decision to petition for the withdrawal of the proposed 1.2 gigawatts (GW) SouthCoast wind power project off the coast of Massachusetts. The venture cited declining economy and lack of financing as the primary reasons behind this move.
World
** Chevron’sCVX unit in Australia and its Gorgon joint venture partners commenced gas production from the Gorgon Stage 2 development project off the coast of Western Australia. This is a milestone in the oil and gas industry.
** U.S. petroleum company, RM Parks Inc. signed an agreement with Sri Lanka on Thursday allowing it to import and sell fuel in the country, less than a month after Chinese petroleum giant Sinopec also acquired rights to enter the retail market, as the Indian Ocean nation grapples with an economic and energy crisis.
** Enbridge Inc’s Woodfibre LNG partnership in British Columbia was on track to enter service in 2027, Cynthia Hansen, president of gas transmission and midstream at the Canadian energy company, said on Thursday.
** Adventure cruise company Hurtigruten Norway revealed plans for a zero-emissions electric cruise ship with retractable sails covered in solar panels, which is due to set sail in 2030. The company currently has a fleet of eight ships, each with a capacity of 500 passengers, that travel along the Norwegian coast from Oslo to the Arctic Circle.
** Environmental campaigners called Wednesday for fossil fuel producers to contribute to a new fund intended to help poor countries cope with climate disasters. The so-called loss and damage fund was a key achievement of last year’s U.N. climate summit in Egypt.