Major European power companies are investing in Romania to create the region’s largest wind farms, bringing welcome investment and jobs. Source: Bloomberg

A novel design of solar-powered refrigerator is giving rural communities without electricity access to vaccines and medicines. The fridge stores power within ice packs, which maintain temperatures overnight. Source: Reuters

The UK Government has overturned the ban on local councils selling renewable electricity. Energy Secretary Chris Huhne has announced that councils across Britain will from 18th August be allowed to sell renewable electricity to the grid and should assume their rightful place leading a local power revolution. At present only 0.01% of electricity in England is generated by local authority-owned renewables, despite the scope that exists to install projects on their land and buildings. In Germany the equivalent figure is 100 times higher. Source: DECC

UK Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne announces the launch of the first Annual Energy Statement. He commented: “Our actions must be informed by the best information about the future. That is why I am publishing our work on 2050 energy pathways, which has been worked up in consultation with industry, scientists, engineers and economists. We are making the data and analysis available and we are inviting comments over the summer. We want to start a grown-up debate about what a low-carbon future will look like and the best way of achieving it”. Source: DECC

Tests on water taken from Russia’s Lake Baikal show the newly re-opened Baikalsk Pulp and Paper Mill continues to pollute, even though it is not yet running at full capacity. Source: Reuters