Watering Smarter, Not More: A Modern-Day Robotic Divining Rod
University of California‑Riverside researchers have created a robotic system that maps soil moisture at the individual tree level in citrus orchards. By measuring electrical conductivity and integrating data from existing moisture sensors, the robot generates detailed moisture maps that guide precise irrigation. The technology promises to cut water usage, lower fertilizer runoff, and help growers meet tightening groundwater regulations. A related patent has been filed, and the team is preparing for commercial field trials.
Innergex Commissions 13.2MW La Cense Wind
Innergex Renewable Energy and partner EOLFI have completed commissioning of the 13.2 MW La Cense onshore wind farm in France’s Oise region. The facility, consisting of four 3.3 MW Nordex N117 turbines, is expected to produce about 33 GWh of electricity per year...
North Sea Carbon Capture Projects Showing Steady Progress
Carbon capture and storage projects in the North Sea are moving from experimental pilots to commercial operations. Legacy gas producers such as Equinor, TotalEnergies and Shell are leading initiatives like Northern Lights, Northern Endurance Partnership and Porthos, each targeting multi‑megaton...
More Generation, More Transmission, More Load, More Challenges: Texas Grid Roundup #90
ERCOT’s interconnection queue has absorbed roughly 9,275 MW of new projects since December, spanning solar, wind, battery storage and gas. Gas proposals have surged to 57,403 MW, nearly doubling the previous year, while solar (163,000 MW) and storage (178,000 MW) still dominate. Planned transmission...
Ireland Must Accelerate Offshore Energy Production
Ireland aims for up to 37 GW of offshore renewable capacity by 2050, relying heavily on floating wind in its deep Atlantic waters. The government’s climate and industrial strategies earmark billions of euros—roughly $327 billion—in the National Development Plan, but current port...
Inside Sweden’s Policy U-Turn: Q&A with the Government’s Nuclear Lead
Sweden has abandoned its nuclear phase‑out, lifting the ban on new reactors and unveiling a roadmap that adds 2.5 GW of large‑scale capacity by 2035 and aims for 8.2 GW by that year. The government introduced a state‑backed financing scheme covering the...
Jet2 Achieves Fuel and Emissions Savings with Lightweight Paint
Jet2.com has begun applying AkzoNobel’s lightweight aircraft paint to more than 80 of its planes, delivering a weight reduction of over 20 kg per aircraft. The paint saves roughly a quarter‑million litres of fuel each year, cutting carbon emissions by more...
The Scramble for Green Hydrogen in South Africa: Screening and Discussion
The UK will host the UK premiere of the documentary “The Scramble for Hydrogen in South Africa” on 5 May 2026, spotlighting the nation’s aggressive green‑hydrogen agenda. Britain aims for 10 GW of production by 2030, backed by over £2 billion (≈ $2.5 billion) in...
Reject Talen-Energy Capital Power Plant Deal, PJM Market Monitor Tells FERC
Federal regulators are being urged to reject Talen Energy’s proposed purchase of about 2.6 GW from Energy Capital Partners because the deal would amplify Talen’s market power in the PJM Interconnection. Monitoring Analytics warns the acquisition could pull capacity out of...
Boralex Secures $202m Ontario BESS Financing
Boralex and Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation have closed a CAD $202 million financing package (≈ US$147 million) for the 125 MW/500 MWh Oxford battery energy storage system in Ontario, slated for commercial operation in 2027. The deal, funded by Canadian Imperial Bank...
Digital Realty’s Aaron Binkley Outlines Heightened Focus on Data Center Energy Efficiency
Digital Realty’s sustainability chief Aaron Binkley highlighted the company’s intensified focus on energy‑efficient data centers as AI‑driven workloads surge. The firm is expanding its clean‑energy portfolio while adopting liquid‑cooling technology to curb water use. Binkley emphasized that transparent ESG reporting...
EnerVenue Lands $300 Million Series B Extension to Commercialize Lithium‑free Batteries
EnerVenue announced a $300 million Series B extension and the appointment of veteran executive Henning Rath as CEO. The funding, led by Full Vision Capital and backed by Hong Kong’s Investment Corporation, will fuel large‑scale manufacturing and a new regional headquarters in...
Off‑grid AI Data Centers Need Grid Connection, Not Isolation
Off grid data centers are more about “male energy” than about speed. An AI training load shape will burn straight through a turbine, so you have to develop an expensive integrated package with storage. And at that point just connect...
Radisson Hotel Group Raises Net-Zero Ambition for 100 Hotels, Sets 2030 Goal
Radisson Hotel Group announced a 2030 ambition for all 100 of its hotels to achieve net‑zero status, expanding the Verified Net Zero Hotels pilot that currently operates in Manchester and Oslo. The initiative targets full elimination of Scope 1 and 2...
Kaunas Airport Pioneers Use of Hydrogen Powered Truck
Lithuania’s Kaunas Airport successfully trialed a 10‑ton hydrogen‑powered heavy‑duty truck, completing roughly 100 km of apron, runway and taxiway cleaning without emitting CO₂. The test is part of the EU‑funded Interreg Baltic Sea Region BSR HyAirport project, which also sees similar pilots...
Improving Recycling Rates for Cell-to-Pack Battery Systems
The Fraunhofer IPA‑led ‘Difference’ project targets the low recyclability of Cell‑to‑Pack (CTP) battery designs, which replace traditional modules with directly integrated cells. By focusing on robot‑assisted, laser‑based disassembly, the consortium aims to separate adhesives, foams and metals efficiently. The initiative,...
China Inland Waterways Set for Zero-Carbon Push Under New Partnership
Wah Kwong NatPower and Huzhou Wuxing Ruituo Energy have signed an MOU to build zero‑carbon inland shipping corridors in China, starting with the Hangzhou‑Jiaxing‑Huzhou stretch of Zhejiang province. The partnership will install electric vessel charging stations and battery‑swap facilities, linked...
Rising Gas Prices Won’t Halt Asia’s Renewable Shift
Don't fall for the easy narrative that costly gas will mean more coal burn in Asia. Briefly in the short term maybe, but the long term trajectory toward renewables gets stronger. Look at the math behind the argument. 🎁🔗 https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2026-04-01/iran-war-the-lng-shock-isn-t-driving-asia-back-to-coal
Loganair and BETA Technologies Plan Expanded Electric Flight Trials in Scotland
Loganair, Royal Mail and BETA Technologies completed a ten‑day electric flight trial across Scotland, operating BETA’s ALIA CTOL aircraft on 23 legs that covered 1,006 nautical miles. The flights demonstrated an energy consumption of 1.37 kWh per nautical mile and speeds...
TotalEnergies, Masdar Establish US$2.2 Billion Asia Renewables Partnership
TotalEnergies and Masdar have formed a $2.2 billion 50‑50 joint venture to develop on‑shore solar‑PV, wind and battery‑storage projects across nine Asian countries. The new entity combines roughly 3 GW of operational assets with a 6 GW pipeline slated for completion by 2030....
Colorado House Passes Legislation to Legalize Plug-In Solar for Renters
The Colorado House approved HB26‑1007, a bill that legalizes plug‑in solar systems for renters and multifamily residents. The legislation treats these portable photovoltaic arrays as personal property, sidestepping HOA and municipal bans, and mandates UL 3700 safety certification. It also...
T1 Energy Produced 2.8GW Solar Modules in 2025, Forecasts up to 4.2GW in 2026
U.S. solar maker T1 Energy reported 2.79 GW of module production in 2025, aligning with its 2.6‑3 GW guidance. Q4 net sales surged to $358.5 million, while the net loss narrowed to $190 million, half of the prior year’s loss. The company secured a...
Workforce Gap of 53,000 Threatens 2026 Solar Deployment Targets
The U.S. solar sector must meet a July 4, 2026 construction deadline to secure full federal tax credits, prompting a surge in project activity. Current employment stands at 280,000, but analysts project a need for 355,000 workers by late 2026, leaving a 53,000‑person...
SSE Appoints Derrymeen BESS Contractors
SSE has named Kirby Group Engineering and Sungrow as the primary contractors for the 100 MW/200 MWh Derrymeen Battery Energy Storage System in County Tyrone. Sungrow will provide its PowerTitan 2.0 battery technology while Kirby will manage construction and balance‑of‑plant work. Mobilisation is underway...
Uber Expands $4,000 Grants For Drivers Who Switch To EVs
Uber has broadened its $4,000 "Go Electric" grant to every driver in the United States, extending a program that was previously limited to New York, California, Massachusetts and Colorado. The incentive applies to Platinum and Diamond drivers who switch to...
VIDEO – Energy Storage Summit 2026: Assessing Germany’s Unique Merchant Opportunities
At the Energy Storage Summit 2026 in London, a panel examined Germany’s merchant‑only energy‑storage market, where subsidies are scarce and revenue must come from grid services and market participation. Speakers highlighted that Germany is projected to install 24 GW of utility‑scale storage...
E-Bus Radar 2026: Germany Operates 600+ Hydrogen Buses in 2026
PwC’s E‑Bus Radar 2026 shows Germany added 1,397 new electric city buses in 2025, a 79% jump over the previous two years, pushing the total zero‑emission fleet to 4,752 vehicles. Battery‑electric buses dominate with 4,034 units, while fuel‑cell buses surged...
Five Key Lessons for a Data Centre and Energy Win-Win
Adrian Del Maestro argues that the rapid expansion of AI‑driven data centres hinges on secure, clean power and strategic use of "powered land". He highlights that under‑utilised sites with grid connections can generate new revenue streams while supporting the UK’s digital...
Meta Funds Ten Natural‑gas Plants to Power $27 B AI Data Center, Sparking Climate Backlash
Meta announced funding for seven additional natural‑gas power plants, bringing its total to ten plants that will supply the $27 billion Hyperion AI data center in Louisiana. The 7.5 GW of capacity will match the electricity use of South Dakota, but environmental...
DOE, Amazon Launch AI Hub to Recycle Battery‑Grade Graphite
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory and the Critical Materials Innovation Hub have teamed up with Amazon to unveil an AI‑driven Critical Materials Hub that will recover battery‑grade graphite and other strategic minerals from textile and electronic waste....
Dimension Energy Secures $650m for Community Solar Projects
Dimension Energy secured a $650 million financing package to develop a 132 MW portfolio of 25 community solar projects across Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Illinois. The deal includes $415 million in debt from MUFG, First Citizens Bank, ING Capital and National Bank of...
TNO Claims ‘World’s First’ Perovskite Solar Roof Tile
Dutch research institute TNO, together with thin‑film specialist ASAT, unveiled what it calls the world’s first perovskite solar roof tile. The flexible perovskite module delivers 13.8% efficiency on foil and 12.4% after being bonded to a curved composite tile. TNO...
AquaChile Incorporates Sustainable Fuel Into Truck Transport Logistics Strategy
AquaChile, Chile's largest salmon farmer, will power its 270‑truck transport fleet with renewable BioLNG starting in 2025. The BioLNG, produced by partner Lipigas from agricultural waste, can run on existing LNG equipment, enabling a seamless transition. The switch is projected...
Onsemi’s Hybrid Power Integrated Modules Used in Sineng Electric’s Solar and Energy Storage Solutions
onsemi announced that its next‑generation hybrid power integrated modules (PIMs) will be used in Sineng Electric’s 430 kW liquid‑cooled string energy storage system and 320 kW utility‑scale solar inverter. The FS7 IGBT and EliteSiC‑based F5BP modules deliver 32% higher power density and...
Port of Rotterdam Develops Liquid Hydrogen Facility
Air Products is building a liquid hydrogen plant in the Port of Rotterdam that is now more than 65% complete and slated to start operations in 2027. When online, it will be Europe’s largest liquid hydrogen facility, bolstering Rotterdam’s status...
Why Doesn’t Texas, the Leader of Onshore Wind Energy, Have Any Offshore?
Texas, the nation’s onshore wind leader, has no offshore projects because state officials blocked approvals, causing zero bids in the 2023 federal Gulf lease auction. Despite the Gulf’s high wind potential and Texas’s oil‑gas expertise, political hostility, stringent easement requirements,...
New Data Center Developments: April 2026
Data center capital spending is surging worldwide, with the six largest U.S. hyperscalers projected to invest about $700 billion in 2026, a six‑fold increase from 2022. Major projects include Meta’s $10 billion, 1 GW El Paso facility slated for 2028, a 900 MW AI center...
Chinese Solar Makers Raise Prices, Market Remains Stagnant
Yicai: "Leading Chinese manufacturers of solar modules have raised the prices of their products, as China is lifting the 9 percent rebates on the export value-added tax for photovoltaic products. However even as large manufacturers have raised prices, the market...
Delaying Coal Closures Risks Higher Prices and Unreliability
“It’s a risky strategy:” Why delaying coal closures may backfire on price and reliability #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/HYRCRQ04NT https://t.co/I4f2Ny9CkJ
Amid Europe’s Energy Storage Boom, Residential Batteries Offer New Trading Potential
Europe’s residential battery fleet is expanding rapidly, with Germany alone installing hundreds of thousands of home storage units. Yet most of these batteries operate only in self‑consumption mode, missing out on lucrative electricity markets. Podero proposes aggregating thousands of modest...
Google Turns to Natural Gas Amid AI Energy Surge
Google, considered the leader in clean energy, eyes natural gas as AI power demand rises https://t.co/nY2HfdjLsq via @axios
Plug‑in Solar Panels Repay in 5 Years, Save £1,100
NEW ANALYSIS: Plug-in solar panels could save a typical UK home £1,100 over their lifetime, after paying back the initial investment within 5 years By my colleague Ho Woo Nan https://t.co/i5ELgpMRk2
TenneT, National Grid Ink Joint Development Agreement for LionLink Interconnector
Transmission system operators TenneT and National Grid Ventures have signed a joint development agreement to advance LionLink, a 2‑GW hybrid interconnector linking the UK and the Netherlands via the planned Nederwiek 3 offshore wind farm. The JDA outlines joint procurement, governance...
Tiny Solar Panels Together Drive Energy Transition
"While individual systems are small, their aggregate impact is becoming meaningful, both in terms of distributed generation and consumer engagement in the energy transition." I told @newscientist when asked what I made of plug-in solar or 'balcony solar' as the...
Europe’s Battery Runs Low After Weak Snowfall
The country acts as Europe’s battery, but it doesn’t have enough charge after below-normal snowfall. https://t.co/nyKjJBBsEB
Big Wind Ambition, Real Infrastructure Gap: Ireland Must Accelerate Now
Ireland aims to harness up to ~37 GW of offshore renewable energy by 2050, leveraging its deep Atlantic waters for floating wind. However, existing ports lack the depth, capacity and lay‑down space—currently only 40‑50 ha—required for large‑scale projects. The government has outlined...
Germany and Poland Build First Renewable Cross-Border District Heating System
Construction has begun on United Heat, a renewable cross‑border district heating network linking Görlitz, Germany and Zgorzelec, Poland. The system combines heat pumps, biomass, solar thermal, power‑to‑heat and waste‑heat from sewage gas to replace gas‑fired and coal plants. A 3.8 km...
Zambia Launches 300MW Solar PV Tender Through CFIP Scheme
Zambia has opened a 300 MW solar photovoltaic tender under its Carbon Feed‑In Premium (CFIP) programme, targeting projects with on‑site battery storage. The Ministry of Green Economy and Environment and the Ministry of Energy invite local and international independent power producers,...
A Quick Look at Dispatch Error for Each Individual Wind Unit (at 03:05 on Thursday 2nd April 2026)
Part 5 of Paul McArdle’s series analyses dispatch error for 84 semi‑scheduled wind farm units at 03:05 on 2 April 2026. The chart shows most units maintaining balanced dispatch error thanks to healthy regional electricity prices, which limited the semi‑dispatch cap’s effect on frequency....
New Funding Transforms Lives by Expanding Electricity Access Across Africa
New financing from the European Investment Bank ($1.15 billion) and the Rockefeller Foundation ($10 million) will accelerate the World Bank‑led Mission 300 initiative, which aims to connect 300 million people in sub‑Saharan Africa to electricity by 2030. The funds support a mix of grid...