** The state of Oregon has advanced its sustainability efforts by approving the Sunstone Solar project, which will span about 10,000 acres in Morrow County. Set to be the largest of its kind in the U.S., the project will use nearly 4 million solar panels to generate 1,200 megawatts of power—enough to provide clean, emission-free electricity to around 800,000 homes annually.
** Officials in a small Pennsylvania city announce plans to convert a shuttered coal-burning power plant to a natural gas-fired station and double its capacity, making it the largest gas-burning plant in the country.
** Hundreds of abandoned coal mines that have hollowed out the ground in parts of western Pennsylvania raise renewed safety concerns after a four-day search for a woman who fell into a sinkhole last week.
** A crypto mining company purchases a 114 MW wind farm in Texas and will remove it from a regional grid to power its operations.
** A class-action lawsuit initiated by West Virginia landowners leads to a $6.5 million settlement in which an energy company will clean up 2,600 unplugged or abandoned gas wells in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Tennessee.
World
** OPEC+ nations will lose market share to non-member states in the coming years, Bank of America said. The OPEC+ decision to delay production increases is unlikely to boost oil prices, the bank said. Some coalition members are producing above their quota, adding to OPEC’s issues.
** Germany’s Volkswagen Group is planning to sell its plant in the Chinese city of Nanjing to the north-west of Shanghai, the German business weekly Wirtschaftswoche reported on Saturday.
** A new iron making technology developed in China is set to significantly impact the global steel industry. Developed after more than 10 years of research, this method injects finely ground iron ore powder into a very hot furnace, causing an “explosive chemical reaction”, according to the engineers.
** Electra is revolutionizing the aviation industry with its new hybrid-electric aircraft. According to Interesting Engineering, the electric aircraft offers 1,265-mile range, 201 mph speed, and an ultra-short takeoff.
** India’s Mahindra and Mahindra said on Saturday it would rename its latest electric car, a significant move after aviation market leader IndiGo sued the automaker for use of its call sign and widely used brand name “6E”.
