Headline News:

• “California Wildfires: 560 Blazes Have Scorched More Acres Than There Are In Rhode Island” • Almost every firefighting resource in California is battling hundreds of blazes, including two of the largest wildfires in the state’s history, Gov Gavin Newsom said. About 96% of the state’s firefighting engines have been assigned, according to a spokesman. [CNN]

Lightning (Santa Rosa Fire Department)

• “Bad Policy, Not Renewables, Are To Blame For California Blackouts” • Opponents of climate science, particularly the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal, were quick to condemn renewable energy for the blackouts. So did Donald Trump. But they are both wrong, according to Stephen Berberich, head of California’s power grid operator. [CleanTechnica]
• “Greenland’s Ice Sheet Melted Faster Than Ever Before In 2019, Study Says.” • Research published in the journal Communications Earth and Environment found that in 2019 Greenland’s ice sheet lost an annual record of 532 billion tons of ice. By comparison, between 2003 and 2016 the ice sheet lost an average of about 255 billion tons per year. [CNN]
• “Tulane University Has Launched A New Degree Program In Renewable Energy” • Tulane University’s AB Freeman School of Business has a new program, aiming for a Master of Management in Energy degree. It offers students a deep dive into the business of renewables to better prepare energy professionals for the changing marketplace. [Newswise]
• “Pritzker Wants Illinois To Be A Completely Renewable-Energy State By 2050” • Illinois Governor JB Pritzker provided a look at how he wants the state to be powered completely by renewable-energy by 2050. It would have tighter controls on the utility companies. This comes amid an influence-peddling scheme involving ComEd. [Herald & Review]

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