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The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) released a study on renewable energy policies for cities last month. The reason for the focus on cities is due to their ability to scale up renewables and meet emission-reduction targets. Large cities have the revenue bases, regulatory frameworks, and infrastructure to support this while smaller ones usually don’t.

The study pointed out that it’s mostly cities that are raising awareness and moving towards energy transitions. Smaller and even medium-sized cities that have 1 million or fewer inhabitants usually don’t have the funding or political support to embrace renewables, and they are also not as highly visible as megacities.

The study analyzed six medium-sized cities from China, Uganda, and Costa Rica. They were chosen due to two reasons:

  1. They have effective policies in place, or
  2. They have untapped renewable energy sources that could launch their sustainable development.

A Quick Look At The Study

The study takes a dive into the challenges and successes that are seen in the deployment of renewable energy in medium-sized cities and provides case studies of the six cities studied. A quick look at the executive summary shows that these cities have a population range from 30,000 to 1 million inhabitants.

Image courtesy of IRENA.

Altogether, cities are responsible for around 70% of global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions. Urban areas have high rates of air pollution as well, with 98% of cities with over 100,000 inhabitants in low- and middle-income countries failing to meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) air quality guidelines.

Renewable energy technologies (RETs) play a central role in easing the severity of climate change while providing cleaner air. Research is often focused on the urban trends of particular sets of global megacities and doesn’t really focus any attention on cities with 1 million or fewer inhabitants, which is the fastest growing category and home to some 2.4 billion people (59% of the world’s total urban population).

Cities are motivated to promote renewables by several factors, such as:

  • Economic development and jobs.
  • Social equity.
  • Governance.
  • Air quality.
  • Secure and affordable energy.
  • Such as access to clean energy.
  • Climate stability.
  • Energy-related policymaking requires a lot of flexibility — it involves governance structures and processes as well as the diverse motivations of many stakeholders.

Image courtesy of IRENA.

Cities’ plans need to be tailored to their own circumstances, and some factors shaping city energy profiles include:

  • Demographic trends.
  • Climate zone.
  • Ownership of energy assets.
  • Settlement density.
  • Regulatory authority.
  • Institutional capacity.
  • Economic structure and wealth.

Image courtesy of IRENA.

Case Studies 1 & 2: Chongli District and Tongli Town

The two cities in this section are Chongli District and Tongli Town. In the cases of these two Chinese cities, the study found that both benefit from the availability of large-scale renewable energy projects, with wind and solar being the best options. It has a level of existing deployment which provides a solid base for the cities’ ambitious targets compared to other cities where renewables aren’t as present.

The Chinese cities benefit from the availability of financial resources that target renewable energy deployment. Tongli Town receives support from its upper-level administration, which has one of the largest revenue streams among Chinese city governments.

Tongli Town is one of the most replicable in developed cities that resemble Suzhou. Although Zhangjiakou City isn’t as wealthy as Suzhou, the Chongli District was able to receive financial support from the national government as a result of the Winter Olympics.

Its example shows that distributed renewables could also play a large role in cities. PV generation systems could be deployed outside of highly populated city centers, for example. Tongli Town also benefits from the relationship between local governments and local manufacturing industries that deploy RETs.

Showcase events such as the Winter Olympics also help a city gain visibility — this is what happened with the Chongli District. It and the Zhangjiakou Municipality linked the development targets of local renewables with the hosting arrangements of the Winter Olympics. This focused political attention and financial support on renewable energy projects.

Cross-governmental collaboration and existing manufacturing industries benefitting from renewable deployment also played key roles.

Case Studies 3 & 4: Kasese and Lugazi

This case study focused on the Ugandan cities of Kasese and Lugazi. Uganda has a variety of energy resources that includes hydropower, biomass, solar, geothermal, peat, and fossil fuels. Yet only 20% of the population has access to electricity. The World Bank estimated in 2017 that only 2% of the nation’s population has access to clean cooking fuels and technologies.

In Uganda, renewable energy deployment benefits the local communities in many ways while boosting socio-economic goals. In both Lugazi and Kasese, solar street lighting and solar home systems (SHSs) massively saved both municipalities and households while extending business hours for street sellers. It’s also improved public safety and telecommunications, which led to the creation of job opportunities.

Ugandan cities face obstacles to greater local deployment. Institutional constraints, such as narrow political mandates and tight municipal finances, present huge obstacles to effective policy action. Scaling up projects will need greater funding as well as capacity building. This requires a national enabling framework that supports the local government at the district and municipal levels. Kasese and Lugazi have benefited from initiatives targeting sustainable energy at the district level.

Financial resources for both district and municipal governments are needed. Renewables may offer savings in the long run, but the upfront costs usually surpass the funds available to Uganda’s municipalities and districts. For now, initiatives such as solar street lighting are usually linked to third-party financing support. An example of this is the World Bank’s Uganda Support to Municipal Infrastructure Development Programme.

Case Studies 5 & 6: Cartago and Grecia, and Guanacaste

Costa Rica has a population of around 5 million people and is the smallest of the three countries that were studied in the report. Some key questions discussed in the country include what role is played by the public and private sectors and what degree to which electricity generation should be based on centralized and decentralized sources. Some of the key issues and challenges that shape the nation’s efforts to promote the use of renewable energy include:

  • Mandates.
  • Strengthening cities’ ability to act with a diverse set of actors.
  • Transport as the next frontier.

For cities without the mandate, their scopes of action are limited and this is one of the main obstacles to a sustainable urban future. In the case of Cartago and Grecia, the cities have taken active measures to promote green policies in the transport and tourism sectors. Costa Rica’s “capital of renewable energy,” Guanacaste, has hosted several projects in the fields of wind, solar, and geothermal energy.

Another key lesson from the study in the case of Costa Rica is that when the share of renewables in the electricity mix is already high, transport becomes the next frontier. Compared to Columbia, Panama, and Chile, Costa Rica has a lack of municipal transport. The other countries are advancing with electric buses and other electric-mobility projects and these contrast with Costa Rica.

You can read the full 158-page report here.


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Chevy opens orders for the 615 hp Blazer EV SS, its quickest ‘SS’ model yet

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Chevy opens orders for the 615 hp Blazer EV SS, its quickest 'SS' model yet

The 2025 Blazer EV isn’t just fast. It’s the quickest SS vehicle that Chevy has ever built. With a staggering 615 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of instant torque, the electric SUV can outrun most sports cars. Plus, with over 300 miles of range, it’s practical enough for an everyday drive. The best part? It’s now available to order.

Chevy opens orders for the 2025 Blazer EV SS

After launching the 2025 Chevy Blazer EV last year, GM promised a full lineup, including FWD, RWD, AWD, and a performance SS model.

Orders opened for the SS trim this week, starting at $61,995. The electric Blazer is the fastest to wear Chevy’s Super Sport, or SS, markings. A dual motor (AWD) powertrain packs up to 615 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque for a 0 to 60 mph sprint in 3.4 seconds (with Wide Open Watts).

Not only is it fast, but the Blazer EV SS is fit for an everyday SUV. It has an EPA-estimated range of up to 303 miles, more than enough for an average day’s worth of driving.

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The exterior upgrades include 22″ machine-face aluminum wheels, a blacked-out roof, mirror caps, trim, and roof rails. It also gains a sporty-looking illuminated light bar up front.

Inside, the sporty electric SUV features a 17.7″ navigation screen with Google built-in and an 11″ driver display screen. You also get a premium 8-speaker Bose audio system, Head-Up Display (HUD), GM’s Super Cruise driver assist, and ambient lighting.

Chevy-Blazer-EV-SS
Chevy Blazer EV SS interior (Source: GM)

Last month, Chevy’s Blazer EV SS became the first electric vehicle to pace the Daytona 500. Although GM said it would go on sale “later this year,” orders are now open online.

The base 2025 Chevy Blazer EV LT FWD model starts at $45,995 with up to 312 miles range. Starting at $48,995, the AWD model has 300 hp and 355 lb-ft of torque with up to 283 miles range.

2025 Chevy Blazer EV trim Starting MSRP (includes DFC)   Range
(EPA-estimated)
Horsepower   Torque  
FWD   $45,995    312 miles 220    243 lb-ft  
AWD   $48,995   283 miles (previously 279 mi)   300 (previously 288)   355 lb-ft (previously 333 lb-ft)  
RWD   $56,990   334 miles (previously 324 mi)   365 (previously 340)   325 lb-ft  
SS   $61,995   303 miles 615 with Wide Open Watts (previously announced 557) Wide Open Watts mode can accelerate from 0 – 60 in 3.4 seconds   650 lb-ft with Wide Open Watts  
2025 Chevy Blazer EV prices and range by trim (Source: Chevrolet)

All Blazer EV trims qualify for the $7,500 federal tax credit, bringing prices down to potentially as low as $38,495.

With the 2025 Blazer EV arriving, Chevy is offering some solid deals on 2024 models. GM is promoting 0% APR for 60 months, with leases starting as low as $369 per month.

If you’re ready to test out Chevy’s electric SUV for yourself, we are here to help you get started. You can use our link to find 2024 and 2025 Chevy Blazer EV models at the best price in your area.

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Elon tells Tesla employees not to sell TSLA stocks as board and execs are dumping

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Elon tells Tesla employees not to sell TSLA stocks as board and execs are dumping

At an all-hands meeting last night, Elon Musk stood before Tesla employees and told them to “hang on to their TSLA stocks” as Tesla board members and top executive are dumping their shares amid a 40% crash.

Tesla has frequently held “all-hands” meetings for employees over the years, but last night, it was the first time that they were streamed publicly.

CEO Elon Musk didn’t announce anything new during the meeting. He mostly recapped Tesla’s latest milestones over the last year, thanked employees for their work, and reinstated several of his overly optimistic predictions about Tesla’s future regarding self-driving cars, robots, and stock valuation.

The CEO again claimed that he believed that Tesla would become the world’s most valuable company by a wide margin.

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Musk went as far as asking employees, and indirectly the public as this was publicly live-streamed, to “hang on to their stocks.”

This comes after Tesla’s stock dropped more than 40% so far this year and Tesla is expected to have its worst quarter of the last 3 years.

The suggestion that Tesla employees and the public should hold on to their shares is a bold statement given that Tesla board members and executives have been selling recently.

We recently reported that several board members and Tesla’s own chief financial officer have been selling millions of Tesla stocks lately.

Here’s a summary of Tesla board members and executives selling their Tesla stocks over the last 3 months:

Insider Position Shares Sold Total Value (approx.)
Robyn M. Denholm Board Chair 224,780 ~$76.9 million​
Kimbal Musk Director (Board Member) 75,000 ~$27.6 million​
James R. Murdoch Director (Board Member) 54,776 ~$13.2 million​
Vaibhav Taneja Chief Financial Officer ~13,500 ~$4.5 million
Kathleen Wilson-Thompson Director (Board Member) 100,000 ~$41.2 million​

Electrek’s Take

I wonder if Elon has given them the same speech about holding on to their shares and that Tesla would soon be the most valuable company in the world?

If they believed him, they would buy Tesla stocks, not sell them.

Not a single Tesla insider who requires SEC reporting to buy or sell Tesla stocks has purchased it in the last few years.

None.

To me, it looks like Elon is getting desperate here. He knows that Tesla is about to have a terrible quarter. April is likely going to be tough for Tesla’s stock with the delivery report in the first week and the earnings later in the month.

He wanted to boost the stock before those events happened in order to limit the damages.

It’s likely going to work for a bit. He exposed his new fans on the right to his now well-known speech about Tesla becoming the most valuable company in the world through robotaxis and humanoid robots. Some of those new fans might decide to buy on this recommendation.

However, they are likely to get burned within weeks. This has become the new normal with this administration pumping cryptos, DJT, etc.

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Leader manufacturer recalls hundreds of thousands of electric scooters

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Leader manufacturer recalls hundreds of thousands of electric scooters

Segway has issued a significant recall affecting approximately 220,000 units of its popular Ninebot Max G30P and Max G30LP electric scooters. The recall addresses a safety issue involving the scooters’ folding mechanism, which can unexpectedly fail during use.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), this malfunction can lead to a sudden collapse of the handlebars or scooter stem, posing a substantial fall risk and potentially resulting in serious injuries to riders.

Segway has reported receiving 68 incidents of the folding mechanism failing, with 20 reported injuries so far. These injuries have ranged in severity from minor abrasions and bruises to more severe incidents involving lacerations and broken bones.

The scooters involved in the recall were widely sold across the United States at major brick-and-mortar retailers, including Best Buy, Costco, Walmart, Target, and Sam’s Club, as well as through online platforms like Amazon and Segway’s official website. Sales occurred over an extensive period, from January 2020 through as recently as February 2025, highlighting the popularity and broad consumer adoption of these affordable and compact electric scooters.

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The Segway Ninebot Max series has been particularly favored among urban commuters and college students due to its combination of performance, affordability, and portability. These scooters typically offer ranges exceeding 20 miles per charge, making them an attractive alternative to cars, public transportation, or even traditional bicycles for short to medium-distance commutes. The ability to fold and conveniently store or carry these scooters has further boosted their appeal, especially in dense urban environments.

However, this recall and others like it in the industry emphasize ongoing concerns within the broader micromobility industry regarding safety standards and manufacturing quality control. As electric scooters continue to grow rapidly in popularity, questions persist about the long-term reliability and durability of certain models, especially in lower-priced segments of the market. Segway has long remained a trusted brand, even after its purchase by Chinese giant Ninebot, but incidents like these can influence public perception, highlighting the importance of robust engineering and rigorous testing procedures.

In response to the recall, Segway advises consumers who own these models to cease using the scooters immediately until repairs can be completed. Owners should contact Segway directly to obtain a free maintenance kit, which includes the necessary tools and detailed instructions for inspecting and adjusting the scooter’s folding mechanism. Consumers can reach Segway’s dedicated customer service team at 1-800-914-6110 or via email at recall@segway.com. Additional resources and details about the recall process are available on Segway’s official recall webpage.

This recall also underscores the critical importance for riders to regularly inspect their vehicles and remain informed about product recalls and safety notices. As the electric scooter market continues to expand and mature, companies will likely face increased scrutiny and pressure to uphold safety standards.

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