March 13 NEC Energy News
¶ “US Battery Capacity Increased 66% In 2024” • In the US, cumulative utility-scale battery storage capacity exceeded 26 GW in 2024, according to the January 2025 Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory. Generators added 10.4 GW of battery storage capacity in 2024, the second-largest generating capacity addition after solar. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Iran Rejects Nuclear Talks As UAE Delivers Trump’s Letter” • Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected any idea of negotiations with the US over its nuclear program, as Tehran confirmed receiving a letter from President Donald Trump. The letter was delivered by an official from the United Arab Emirates, but Khamenei dismissed it as deceptive. [BBC]
¶ “Amazon, Google, Meta And Dow Back Goal To Triple Nuclear Capacity” • Tech giants and other major energy users Amazon, Google, Meta, Dow, Occidental, Allseas, and OSGE have signed a pledge supporting the goal of at least tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050, according to an announcement, at CERAWeek 2025 in Houston, Texas. [World Nuclear News]
¶ “Why The Trump Administration Is Wrong About An Energy Crisis In The US” • The Trump administration is attempting to push the idea of a looming energy crisis in the US, but its claims couldn’t be further from reality, according to several experts who spoke to ABC News. There isn’t even the slightest hint of an energy crisis in the US. [ABC News]
¶ “NOAA Braces For Mass Layoffs, With Concerns About Vitally Important Weather Services” • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is preparing to lay off more than 1,000 workers as part of the Trump administration’s mandate for agencies to prepare “reductions in force,” according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. [ABC News]
¶ “Pursuing The Sound Of Every Bird In Ireland” • Over half of Ireland’s birds at risk of extinction, and Seán Ronayne is using recordings he made to advocate for their preservation. He has made about 12,000 recordings of Irish birds and other wildlife. He says “It’s not just birds that are at risk of extinction, these are a symptom of something much greater.” [BBC]
¶ “EPA Takes Aim At Water, Air And Toxics Protections As Part Of Massive Deregulation Campaign” • Calling it the “biggest deregulatory action in US history,” the Environmental Protection Agency rolled out moves aimed at walking back environmental protections and eliminating a host of climate change regulations, some decades old. [ABC News]
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