Impact on Local Economies

For the first time in more than 40 years, Panama’s crucial ocean upwelling system—a natural engine of marine productivity in the Eastern Tropical Pacific—has effectively shut down, sending shockwaves through local ecosystems and the economy. Typically active during the dry season, this upwelling brings cold, nutrient-dense water from the deep ocean to the surface, fueling huge phytoplankton blooms that support the entire marine food web in the region. In 2025, however, the pattern broke down. The upwelling began 42 days later than usual, persisted for only 12 days instead of the usual 66, and failed to cool surface waters below 23.3°C—significantly warmer than the normal 19°C threshold required to spark strong biological productivity. Consequently, chlorophyll concentrations—used as an indicator of ocean life—plunged to record lows, and satellite observations showed an almost complete halt in marine productivity along Panama’s Pacific shoreline. Scientists attribute this collapse mainly to abnormally weak trade winds, likely driven by a combination of climate change and El Niño conditions, which were unable to sustain the usual ocean circulation. This breakdown threatens Panama’s marine biodiversity and its fishing industry, which brings in close to $200 million a year, largely through exports. Researchers at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) caution that this event may mark the onset of a new, unstable regime in regional ocean dynamics. If such changes persist, they could trigger a long-term ecological transformation, undermining food security and economic resilience in coastal communities that depend heavily on the sea—serving as a stark reminder of how vulnerable ocean systems are to rapidly intensifying climate disruption.

Yesterday, I saw what tomorrow holds for India—a future growing on the land of Mr. Nirmal Das Swami, a farmer in Rajasthan.   Through a government program, Nirmal transformed his 9 hectares of farmland into a solar powerhouse, generating 1.04 megawatts of clean energy.    The impact? Beyond his crops and income, it’s lighting up his entire community:   → Salim, a welding business owner, doubled his working hours and revenue—hiring 6 new workers. → Firoz, a flour mill owner, increased daily production from 500 to 1,000 kg and is employing more people. → Women farmers like Gita, Anju, and Ghisi no longer have to wake up in the middle of the night, the only time power was previously available, to irrigate their crops.   Daytime power has replaced erratic nighttime electricity, enabling livelihoods to thrive.   Rajasthan is proof that changing energy changes lives, especially in rural India.   Today, India is betting big on a just energy transition—by deploying 500 gigawatts of renewable energy by 2030.    So far, they’ve achieved over 200 GW. Partnerships like the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), of which The Rockefeller Foundation is a member, are paving the way for even greater innovation and impact. For example, GEAPP is supporting 59 solar plants like Nirmal’s, providing 108 megawatts in support of 30,000 farms and enhancing 64,000 jobs across Rajasthan.   This kind of work doesn’t just transform lives—it transforms entire communities.   This is more than a story of one village. This is the future of India.

Amazon Web Services (AWS) first launched an infrastructure region in Ireland in 2007, and now 17 years later it supports over 10,000 jobs in different parts of the economy. In fact, AWS directly employs more than 4,200 people at its Irish sites, and direct AWS employment has grown at an average rate of 38% per year over the last decade. But our commitment to Ireland extends beyond infrastructure to include such key elements as education programmes to help grow a sustainable and responsible cloud ecosystem in the country. As part of our global commitment to provide free skills training to 29 million people globally by 2025, AWS offers an array of training and certification programmes in Ireland, such as AWS GetIT and AWS re/Start. These programmes will equip participants with new digital skills and practical qualifications for the cloud industry. In addition to these offerings, AWS is working with Drogheda Institute of Further Education to provide Fusion Splicing Certificate Courses for people interesting in exploring careers in fibre optics. The numerous economic benefits AWS’ infrastructure has provided to the Irish economy are outlined in a new report, based on research undertaken by Indecon International Consultants. The report describes the positive impact AWS’ investment has had in Ireland over the last decade (2012-2022) on jobs, education, local businesses, the environment, and more. The full report is well worth a read: https://lnkd.in/ezeZGsW9 And check out this blog post to discover five ways AWS data centres benefit local communities in Ireland: https://lnkd.in/euHcy283 #AWSIreland #Cloud #AWSGetIT #AWSre/Start

A nice piece was published in today’s Guardian on the growth of Energy Clubs supported by Energy Local to match consumers with generation from nearby wind and solar farms. The concept is simple, and aligns with the idea of a fractal grid - my choice of twitter handle a decade ago. At every level of the grid, matching supply and demand locally minimises the need to expand infrastructure to the next level of the grid. Instead of a single market at a notional balancing point, markets give price signals that enable optimisation of each level. We are inevitably heading towards that state, optimising for self-consumption and dynamic tariffs within the home, and with DSO flexibility markets emerging to manage local congestion. But the cost of grid infrastructure is still recovered from consumers based on their consumption. The License Except Supply model that saves customers up to 30% of their bill doesn't count towards this. And not just grid costs, but also levies on final consumption including FiT, Renewables Obligation, CfD and Capacity Markets. Later this year, the Nuclear RAB levy will hit consumer bills. And those costs have to be paid by other consumers. One of Energy local’s partner suppliers, Octopus Energy, recognises this conflict: “This Energy Local scheme is in effect using the grid’s infrastructure without paying for it” and will lead to “less cover of transmission and distribution costs – which might be a challenge at scale”. Early trials involving Emergent Energy were facilitated by Ofgem’s regulatory sandbox, and the 5MW limit on generator capacity restricted the approach to small installations. The emergence of platforms like tem and UrbanChain facilitate the matching of generation to business customers at a previously unimaginable scale. Matching supply and demand locally at every level of the grid will be a feature of the future energy system. And occupants of a block of flats should have the same opportunity to save using the solar panels on their rooftop as the owner of a detached house. But when the mechanism to facilitate this starts to looks more like the wholesale market, and is commercialised on a scale where households see the impact on their bills, the need to reform network charging and final consumption levies will become urgent. Generators and consumers should benefit from license exempt supply that matches them locally, but only to the extent that this actually reduces system costs. We need to rethink the historic approach to recover network costs fairly while incentivising consumer behaviour for the grid of today... and tomorrow. https://lnkd.in/eik_sCTW

Our 2024 Economic Impact Report is out and I couldn’t be prouder of the way we’re helping local communities thrive and grow. Last year, we invested more in the U.S. than any other company, and these investments directly and indirectly supported nearly 5 million jobs. Since 2010, our investments all up have contributed over $1 trillion to the national GDP. But what does this mean for our teammates and communities we operate in? For one, our economists found that the median household income in counties where Amazon invested increased by up to 2.2%—or $1,350 per household per year—as compared to counties without Amazon investments. Additionally, our hourly associates tell us that their pay at Amazon is on average 7% higher than the industries where they worked before—today, our average hourly wage for ops associates is nearly triple the federal min wage. And, our $1.2B committed to education, upskilling and prepaid tuition is giving hourly employees new career and economic opportunities at Amazon and beyond. We’re also saving Prime members time and making their lives easier through our great selection, low prices, and fast, free shipping, which may not show up in this report, but for me as a customer and dad, has a huge impact. And, I don’t think I’m alone 😊 These are a lot of numbers, but the real takeaway is that Amazon is committed to using our scale for good to support our communities and employees. And we’re working hard every day to do even more. Here’s a look at our 2024 Economic Impact report for anyone interested in learning more: https://lnkd.in/gDXjvPMe

What do real landowners and local officials think about wind and solar projects? We asked them in our last report that focused on Texas: https://txrenewables.net Here is what they said. Oldham County: “Wind has been a Godsend – it allows flexibility in budgeting by providing a constant source of revenues that you know will be there when you need them.” — Don Allred, Former Oldham County Judge. Nolan County: “The cows love wind turbines, they walk around them all day and follow the shadows that they cast. We now have good roads on our land that make it easier to take care of our cattle. I wish we had more of them on our land…”– Louis Brooks Jr., Louis Brooks Ranch, LTD. Bee County: “Wind energy sales produce a passive income that does not materially interfere with the AG operations or other uses of the property. In times of drought, electric power sales continue to create rainfall-independent financial stability... – Michael Manning, Bar T-Black Angus Ranch Angelina County: “It’s great to see these types of projects coming to our region...For smaller, rural schools, the added revenue can make a significant difference – especially for funding enrichment and construction projects.”- Michael Davis, Former Superintendent for Cushing ISD Menard County: “[Because of the better roads that the wind farm put in place, I can] make it clear across the ranch in just a few minutes along the same path that used to take me twenty.” - Former Republican Texas State Representative John E. Davis Tom Green County: “The truth is that the sheep that graze on the grass that grows under the solar panels are more agriculturally productive than the dryland cotton I used to run on it!” - Allen Gully (farms over 3,000 acres on the edge of San Angelo) Pecos County: “My family has a lot of heritage in this land, but my kids don’t want to ranch, so other ways of earning income from the land are important to keeping it in the family.”– George Riggs, Former Pecos County Commissioner

With 1.3 million US-made solar panels, the recent launch of the Orion Solar Belt marks a major milestone in the global renewable energy sector. Located in Buckholts, Texas, this massive installation, developed by SB Energy, is one of the largest of its kind in the United States. The project adds 875 megawatts of capacity to the Texas grid, with the majority of this energy going to power Google’s data centers under a significant power purchase agreement. This collaboration underscores the growing commitment of tech companies to carbon-free energy solutions. By supplying 85% of its energy to Google’s facilities, this solar farm supports the company’s goal of running on carbon-free energy around the clock. The remaining 15% provides clean energy to local homes and businesses, powering approximately 105,000 households. The project is not just about clean energy, it’s a testament to American manufacturing and job creation within the renewable sector. With components sourced from manufacturers across the United States, including solar panels and steel, it reflects a broader vision of supporting the clean energy supply chain. It is expected to be one of the first utility-scale solar projects to qualify for incentives encouraging the use of domestically manufactured materials. During the construction phase, the project employed approximately 3,000 workers, contributing to local economies and supporting jobs in the renewable energy sector. Over its lifespan, it is estimated to inject $100 million into local services, creating sustained benefits for communities. #RenewableEnergy #SolarPower #CleanEnergy #AmericanManufacturing #Sustainability #SolarProjects #EnergyInnovation #CarbonFree #OrionSolarBelt #TexasEnergy https://lnkd.in/gyKggKJk

The major contribution offshore wind farms can make to the energy transition through the clean electricity they produce is well known. However, it is much less well known how strong their positive impact is on the regional economy.    A few examples can illustrate this. Let's dive right into the numbers by looking at: ▪️ Community Offshore Wind: RWE’s proposed project is a joint venture with National Grid Ventures. The project could not only potentially power the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of New York homes, it would also create almost 700 jobs and drive approximately $3 billion in economic activity. ▪️ London Array: Usually, the planning and construction phase is the most labour-intense phase. When London Array was built back in 2013, it was the world’s largest offshore wind farm and created around 6,700 jobs during construction. ▪️ Dogger Bank South: Similarly, the Dogger Bank South offshore wind farms are expected to support up to 2,380 UK jobs during development and construction. Collaborating with local suppliers whenever possible amplifies the positive impact on regional economies. ▪️ Thor: Our future Danish offshore wind farm Thor is another strong case in point. With the Port of Thorsminde serving as the operations and maintenance hub, we aim to maximise career opportunities for local residents, creating jobs and apprenticeships across all phases of the project.    To me, this highlights the importance of sustainability – an opportunity to create a lasting positive impact that benefits regions well into the future, not only by providing clean energy, but also by having a direct economic impact.

Senator John Kennedy made a bizarre comment about omelets, but the crux was: “You have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.” He said it to justify cutting, freezing, or delaying critical government funding, including for farmers—suggesting that short-term pain is just part of the process. But here’s the problem: Farmers aren't eggs. When programs like the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) grants get frozen, it’s not just an inconvenience—it’s livelihoods, businesses, and rural economies at risk. Farmers plan ahead based on promised funding. They take out loans. They make investments in conservation, sustainability, and local food systems. When that support vanishes overnight, the consequences ripple across entire communities. These programs aren’t waste; they improve soil health, boost production efficiency, and strengthen America’s food security. If we truly believe in rural prosperity and economic opportunity, we need policies that support farmers, not undercut them at the worst possible moment. A farm isn’t just another business—it’s a cornerstone of our communities and future. If we let our farmers fail today, who will feed us tomorrow? #RuralAmerica #Farming #Agriculture #FoodSecurity #FarmBill #EconomicOpportunity #SupportFarmers

Warning signs for Queensland communities ‼️ Mitchell Services Limited (ASX: MSV) — a major Bowen Basin drilling company with 100+ rigs and 750 employees — has just reported a 94% collapse in profits. Why? Because coal companies are being squeezed by lower prices and the highest royalty regime in the world on top of already tight margins. CEO Andrew Elf was blunt: “When mining companies are looking to cut costs, drillers and associated coal businesses like ourselves are the first to feel the pinch.” He added: “There has been a noticeable pullback in investment by coal producers over recent months — their pain is our pain.” 👉 When miners are forced to cut back, the pain doesn’t just stop at the mine gate. Contractors, suppliers, and entire towns across Central Queensland feel the ripple effects. Jobs, small businesses, and local economies all get dragged down with them. Stuart Bocking Bocking of Coal Australia warned: “Contractors and associated businesses are so reliant on the prosperity driven by coal mining — when coal hurts, communities hurt.” Unless we see either: ⚡️ a rapid rebound in coal prices, or ⚖️ a fix to Queensland’s broken royalty system, …we should expect more stories like this one. Policy settings matter. If we want regional Queensland to thrive, we cannot afford to keep punishing our most important industry. https://lnkd.in/gdhzQWWR