Nine European countries announced plans to both expand and increase interconnection between renewable energy generation on and around the North Sea on Monday. The various projects, including building offshore windfarms and developing interconnected infrastructure will both cut fossil fuel use and climate pollution as well as the countries’ reliance on Russian gas. A draft declaration from leaders of seven EU countries (France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, and Denmark), the UK, and Norway aims to dramatically expand the current combined 25 gigawatts of North Sea offshore wind capacity to 120 GW by 2030 and 300 GW by 2050. (Reuters, The Guardian, New York Times $, EcoWatch, OilPrice)