2024-06-19 18:33

BRUSSELS, June 19 (Reuters) - EU countries failed to agree on a 14th package of sanctions on Russia as Germany remained a blocking force despite the scrapping of a clause that Berlin found problematic, EU diplomats said on Wednesday. Officials from the 27 EU countries have been debating the package for over a month. The new measures include a ban on Russian LNG trans-shipments and a plan to make EU operators responsible for sanctions violations by subsidiaries and partners in third countries. Germany's hesitation was due in part to an internal disagreement between its foreign ministry and the chancellor's office, diplomats and a source familiar with the matter said. The removed clause was an expansion of the so-called "No Russia clause" to subsidiary companies in third countries. The clause under article 12G was removed in a compromise text circulated to member states shortly before ambassadors met late on Wednesday afternoon, they said. The clause would have forced these subsidiaries to "contractually prohibit re-exportation to Russia and re-exportation for use in Russia", a draft of an earlier version of the package showed. The EU has been continually ramping up sanctions on Moscow for its 2022 invasion of Ukraine but its efforts are being undermined by circumvention via third countries. The inclusion of this clause would have further tightened the bloc's measures. Ambassadors will continue the debate on Thursday, they said. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/germany-holds-up-passage-new-eu-sanctions-package-russia-2024-06-19/

2024-06-19 18:13

June 19 (Reuters) - At least one person died due to the wildfires in New Mexico which have also led to the evacuation of thousands of people and damaged hundreds of structures, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham's office said on Wednesday. "We don't have any additional details," a spokesperson of the governor's office told media. "Only one fatality as a result of the fire." As of late Tuesday, about 1,400 homes and other structures had been destroyed. The entire New Mexico village of Ruidoso, population 7,000, was evacuated, officials added. At least two individuals were injured in the wildfires, the governor told reporters on Tuesday. The governor also declared a state of emergency in the Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Reservation due to the two wildfires - South Fork Fire and Salt Fire. The South Fork fire is estimated at 15,276 acres (61.82 square kilometers) and is zero percent contained while the Salt Fire has consumed at least 5,557 acres, according to an update from the governor's office. "It was really scary with the ashes coming down. Maybe it was like snow falling down, it was pretty bad. It was scary," said Karen Sandoval, an evacuee from Ruidoso told KOB 4 media station. Some rain was expected going forward this week in New Mexico. Separately, firefighters in California also battled high temperatures, low humidity and strong winds as they sought to contain a wildfire that started Saturday northwest of Los Angeles and has burned at least 12,000 acres. U.S. cities have been breaking decades-old temperature records this week as a heatwave stretched from central to eastern portions of the country, the National Weather Service says, in what officials are warning could become a deadly weather event. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/least-one-dead-due-new-mexico-wildfires-thousands-evacuated-2024-06-19/

2024-06-19 17:55

MUMBAI, June 19 (Reuters) - The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sold $3.65 billion on a net basis in the spot foreign exchange market in April, data released on Wednesday as part of the central bank's monthly bulletin showed. The RBI said it purchased nearly $8 billion and sold $11.6 billion. In March, the central bank had bought a net of $13.2 billion in the spot market. The Indian rupee was little changed month-on-month in April but fell to its record low of 83.5750 during the month while its upside was capped at 83.15. The RBI's net outstanding forward sales stood at $16.3 billon as of end-April, compared with net forward sales of $541 million at the end of the previous month, the data showed. The central bank intervenes in the spot and forwards market to curb exchange rate volatility of the rupee. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/india-cenbank-sold-net-36-bln-spot-forex-market-april-bulletin-2024-06-19/

2024-06-19 17:31

YENAGOA, Nigeria, June 19 (Reuters) - Nigerian energy firm Aiteo has shut down all oil production at its Nembe Creek facility, nearly 50,000 barrels per day of output, after detecting a leak, the company said on Wednesday. Aiteo Eastern E&P said the leak was reported on Monday during routine operations in the Nembe area of Nigeria's oil-rich Bayelsa state. It is one of the most polluted places on Earth after decades of spills that have hurt farming and fishing. The Nembe Creek facility is the largest of 11 fields under an oil mining lease operated by Aiteo, which also produces significant natural gas volumes that supply the Nigeria LNG plant at Bonny Island. The leak's cause was undetermined, Aiteo said, adding that the shutdown was precautionary while it contained the spill. Aiteo said it has notified regulators. "While we regret the production losses ... and the potential environmental impact, our current priority is to expedite an efficient spill-management process in line with regulatory standards and collaborate with all stakeholders to restore production and mitigate associated risks," said Aiteo Managing Director Victor Okoronkwo. Solomon Ukponevi, head of the country's oil-spill detection and response agency NOSDRA, said an investigation was underway. In Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer, oil spills have had a catastrophic impact on communities where people have no other water supply than creeks and rely on farming and fishing. Oil spills, sometimes due to vandalism or corrosion, are common in the Niger Delta, a vast maze of creeks and mangrove swamps crisscrossed by pipelines and blighted by poverty, pollution, oil-fuelled corruption and violence. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/nigerias-aiteo-shuts-production-oml-29-due-oil-leak-2024-06-19/

2024-06-19 17:16

ATHENS, June 19 (Reuters) - Greek firefighters appeared close to containing a wildfire near Athens on Wednesday that forced dozens to flee their homes, and authorities now believe the fire was the result of arson as well as hot, dry conditions. Traffic was suspended along a main highway connecting Koropi to Athens' southern suburbs, about 30 km (19 miles) south of Athens. There were no reports of deaths or injuries. A fire service official said the intensity of the blaze had eased but it was not out, noting that high winds carry sparks that can quickly open new fronts. Civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias said officials have verified indications that the fire near Athens was the result of arson as well as extreme weather conditions. He said there is a video and photos of the suspected arsonist and authorities will publish them. In Koropi, a storage facility and at least one home were burned, and flames crept into a boat dry dock and across fields of dry grass and olive trees. Authorities evacuated two nearby villages. "I saw a lot of smoke behind our building, it was very close to us. It went around the hill and passed in front of us," local resident Anastasia Papadopoulou told Reuters. Volunteer and professional firefighters dragged hoses over blackened fields in 35 degree Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) heat. Much of the area has had no rain for weeks, leaving large areas bone dry. Six firefighting planes, 16 helicopters, dozens of fire engines and more than 150 firefighters were dispatched to the scene, the fire service said. Several hundred firefighters were deployed to battle more than 60 forest fires across the country, with 16 fires still active, including a big one in Peloponnese. High winds and hot temperatures will extend the risk into Thursday. "Since noon we had a new fire breaking out almost every 10 minutes," Kikilias said. After forest fires last year forced 19,000 people to flee the island of Rhodes and killed 20 in the northern mainland, Greece has scaled up its preparations this year by hiring more staff and increasing training. Wildfires are common in the Mediterranean nation, but they have become more devastating as summers have become hotter and drier, which scientists relate to climate change. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/wildfire-rages-outside-athens-fanned-by-strong-winds-2024-06-19/

2024-06-19 12:00

LITTLETON, Colorado, June 19 (Reuters) - California has long been the dominant player in the U.S. solar sector, but its share of national solar electricity output has fallen from 100% in 2003 to under 30% last year, data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows. That rapid drop in California's solar power share reveals that other states have now built up substantial solar capacity footprints of their own, and are helping to drive the country's ongoing efforts to replace fossil fuels with cleaner energy. Below is a breakdown of solar capacity development and generation trends in key U.S. states. TOP 5 California remains the top state in terms of solar generation capacity, with just over 20,482 megawatts (MW) as of early 2024, according to the EIA and energy data platform Cleanview. That capacity sum is up by 44% since 2020, and indicates that California's generators continue to build out clean capacity at a rapid pace. However, in terms of total clean electricity generation, California has lost the top spot to Texas, which has sharply increased both wind and solar output over the past five years. Between 2020 and early 2024, Texas boosted solar generation capacity by 12,579 MW, which is more than twice the capacity gains posted by California over the same time frame. In terms of total electricity generation, California produced a record 68,816 gigawatt hours (GWh) of electricity from solar assets in 2023, compared to Texas' 31,739 GWh, according to energy think tank Ember. Those totals equated to just over 28% of California's total electricity output, and 5.82% of total electricity production in Texas. Florida has the third largest solar capacity in the U.S. as of early 2024, with 9,585 MW, while North Carolina (6,710 MW) and Nevada (4,815 MW) round out the top five solar producers in terms of generation capacity. Florida generated 6.76% of its electricity from solar farms in 2023, while North Carolina generated 9.3% and Nevada generated 26%, Ember data shows. Collectively, the top 5 solar producers lifted solar capacity by 28,428 MW since 2020, and account for around 59% of total national solar capacity, according to the EIA. SECOND TIER SOLAR STARS Georgia, Arizona, Virginia, Colorado and Ohio have the next largest solar capacity footprints in the U.S. Virginia brought on the largest volume of solar capacity within that second tier group since 2020 (2,433 MW), followed by Ohio's 2,049 MW. Those new capacity additions have catapulted Ohio from the 29th largest solar capacity base in 2019 to 10th largest as of early 2024, EIA data shows. Ohio also brought on the fourth largest amount of capacity (1,676 MW) nationally within the past year and looks primed to leap even higher up the capacity rankings, once the planned Oak Run solar project's 800 MW of further capacity is completed. In terms of the share of electricity generated by solar assets, Arizona ranked top among the second-tier producers, generating around 10% of all electricity from solar sources last year. Colorado ranked second with 9%, followed by Virginia (6.56%), Georgia (6.09%) and Ohio (1.32%). FAST GROWTH Outside of the top 10, several other states are also posting rapid growth in solar generation capacity. Utah, New York, New Mexico, Wisconsin and South Carolina are the next largest states by total installed solar capacity, and added an average of 900 MW of capacity since 2020. Wisconsin alone added 1,407 MW of capacity during that window, which helped solar boost its electricity generation share from 0.36% in 2020 to 2.35% last year. Utah generated nearly 14% of its electricity from solar last year, while New Mexico sourced 8.2%, New York 5% and South Carolina 3.3%. For the United States as a whole, solar power generated just under all utility-supplied electricity in 2023, according to Ember. But solar's share of daily generation can easily surpass 70% in key markets such as California, especially during bright, sunny days. And with total solar generation capacity climbing sharply throughout the country, solar power's share of total electricity generation looks set to scale fresh record highs in 2024. Sign up here. https://www.reuters.com/markets/commodities/key-states-driving-us-solar-power-boom-2024-06-19/