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The GreenWave Podcast By Synergy International Episode 19 is out! May 06, 2025 |
💚🌊 The GreenWave Podcast By Synergy International 🌊💚 Episode 19 is out and you don't want to miss this one!
The Great Iberian Blackout
In this episode, SYNI dissects the lessons from the electricity blackout in Portugal, Spain, and parts of France on April 28th. On that Monday, life was proceeding as normal for millions across the Iberian Peninsula. People filled office buildings, shopped in bustling downtown areas, drove on motorways, and carried on with daily tasks that rely on the steady, ever-present hum of electricity. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a substantial portion of the grid went down, leaving homes, businesses, and public transportation networks without power. SNYI tells you what happened, why it happened, and how we can learn from it to build a more stable and sustainable energy future. Let’s dive right in.
Episode 19
Our posts from last week touched on some important topics: When Hank Speaks, We Listen: True Back in 2008 and Also Now
There were dark days in the Financial Crisis of 2008 when the entire financial world hung on the words of Hank Paulson, then US Treasury Secretary. Hank would make a daily appearance on TV to explain what he and his team needed to do that day to save the global financial system. Forget about tomorrow, because if Hank & Co. didn't save us today, you didn't want to think about how bad the future could be. Yes it was that bad. 🔦So maybe it's a delayed PTSD reaction, but when Hank speaks up, we still listen. And we have to admit Paulson's recent musings on the interconnection between AI and power generation more than grabbed our attention. ⚡ Paulson’s warning shot is brutally clear: the AI arms race is really an energy arms race. Training ever-larger models eats electrons for breakfast, lunch, and midnight snack. China’s already laying track—$275 billion in new data-centre capacity and renewables spend that dwarfs the US, EU & UK combined. Their secret sauce? Long- term industrial strategy plus a fire-hose of capital. Read more... Iberian Blackout: Don't Blame It On Too Much Solar Power
The expression whistling in the dark took on an eerie Iberian tune yesterday as electricity was totally cut across Portugal and large swaths of Spain. Neither did what's now being called the “Iberian Blackout” have anything to do with too much partying in Ibiza. And it was unfortunate, not to mention totally untrue, to see isolated "fake news" posts blaming the system failure on an abundance of cheap solar energy flooding the Spanish electricity grid.
🔍 What really happened? At 11:33 CET a sudden 150 mHz frequency sag rippled through Europe’s high-voltage backbone. Spain’s grid slipped its French interconnection, marooning the peninsula and pulling the plug on ten million Iberian customers faster than you can shout “¡Olé!”. Low-inertia renewables were cruising; conventional plants couldn’t accelerate in time. Result: lights out. Read more... The Latest Sustainability DevelopmentsThe latest LinkedIn newsletter post highlights recent developments in sustainability.Check it out here. UPCOMING EVENTS Hydrogen Economy Forum Date: May 13, 2025 Location: Kuching, Malaysia The Hydrogen Economy Forum aims to discuss the development and implementation of hydrogen as a key component of the future energy economy, featuring experts from various sectors.
World Hydrogen Summit 2025 Date: 20-22 May 2025 Location: Rotterdam, Netherlands The World Hydrogen Summit gathers global industry experts to exchange insights, build alliances, and sign agreements to advance hydrogen project developments into the 2030s. world-hydrogen-summit.com
International Hydrogen Technologies Congress Date: May 25, 2025 Location: Izmir, Turkey This congress focuses on advancements in hydrogen technologies, providing a platform for researchers and industry professionals to discuss innovations and applications in the hydrogen sector.
2025 UN Ocean Conference Date; 9 June - 13 June 2025 Location: Nice, France The high-level 2025 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development (the 2025 UN Ocean Conference) will be co-hosted by France and Costa Rica and held in Nice, France, from 9 – 13 June 2025.
African Energy Week (AEW) 2025 Date: September 29 to October 3, 2025 Location: Cape Town International Convention Centre 2 (CTICC2) in Cape Town, South Africa Organized by the African Energy Chamber, AEW serves as a premier platform uniting African energy stakeholders, global investors, and industry leaders for discussions on the continent's energy future. The event features high-level discussions, networking opportunities, exhibitions, private meetings, deal-signing forums, and project site visits, all aimed at driving industry growth and development.
20th Conference on Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES) Date: September 2025 (Exact dates to be confirmed) Location: Dubrovnik, Croatia This conference will gather scientists and professionals to discuss sustainable development in energy, water, and environmental systems. It serves as a platform for sharing research and advancements in these fields.
COP30 – 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference Date: November 10–21, 2025 Location: Belém, Pará, Brazil The 30th UN Climate Change Conference will convene global leaders to discuss and negotiate actions to address climate change. This marks the first time the conference will be held in the Amazon region, highlighting the importance of rainforest conservation. Visit the sustainability conferences and events calendar. |
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