FirstEnergy Subsidiaries Select Site for New 1.2 GW Natural Gas Plant in West Virginia
FirstEnergy subsidiaries have identified a West Virginia site for a 1.2 GW natural‑gas power plant, adding to a wave of large‑scale energy projects highlighted this week. Parallel announcements include a 9.2 GW Ohio gas mega‑plant tied to a U.S.–Japan $550 B investment pledge, Portland General Electric’s $1.9 B acquisition of PacifiCorp assets, and industry commentary on data‑center power reliability and EPA regulatory rollbacks. A webinar on renewable natural gas measurement underscored the push for cost‑effective decarbonization tools. Collectively, these developments signal heightened investment in fossil‑fuel capacity while the sector wrestles with sustainability pressures.
INL Enlists NVIDIA on ‘PROMETHEUS’ AI Effort to Halve Nuclear Deployment Timelines Under DOE Genesis Mission
Idaho National Laboratory has teamed with NVIDIA to launch PROMETHEUS, an AI‑driven autonomous reactor demonstration under the DOE Genesis Mission. The partnership targets a 50% reduction in nuclear deployment timelines and multi‑billion‑dollar cost savings by embedding AI across design, licensing,...
Google Teams Up with CTC Global for Grid Intelligence
Google Cloud and Alphabet’s moonshot project Tapestry have deepened their partnership with CTC Global to launch GridVista, an observability platform that embeds optical‑fiber sensors in transmission conductors. The system delivers real‑time strain, temperature and vibration data, feeding it into Google...
Balcony Solar in the UK
Plug‑in or balcony solar lets households connect small PV arrays directly to a wall socket, bypassing traditional wiring and electrician costs. The UK currently bans this approach, unlike 25 of 27 EU states that have deregulated it after safety certifications....
The Energy Transition Has a Price
Ernest Scheyder’s book *The War Below* chronicles the hidden battle over lithium, copper and other critical minerals needed for the global energy transition. The author travels from Nevada to Bolivia, interviewing miners, activists, investors and Indigenous communities to illustrate the...
ECL Targets AI Data Centers with Fuel-Agnostic Power Platform
ECL unveiled FlexGrid, a power‑agnostic platform that lets modular data centers draw electricity from hydrogen, natural gas, renewables or diesel. The system is designed for AI training and inferencing workloads, allowing operators to start with modest 2‑10 MW grid connections and...
Luxembourg Launches New Tender for C&I Solar
Luxembourg’s Ministry of the Economy has opened a €3 million tender to fund commercial and industrial solar projects between 30 kW and 200 kW. Applications are accepted until April 17 and are split into three lots covering rooftop, façade and car‑port installations. Projects that...
First Gen Powers Lyceum Satellite Campuses
First Gen Corp. will supply over 1,150 kW of geothermal electricity to Lyceum of the Philippines University’s satellite campuses in Batangas and Laguna. The deal, enabled by the retail aggregation program, lets the campuses pool demand to meet the 500‑kW threshold...
CleanChoice Energy Triples Capacity with Solar Acquisitions in North Carolina
CleanChoice Energy announced the acquisition of two utility‑scale solar projects in North Carolina—Sumac (103.92 MW) and Sweetleaf (118.3 MW)—adding 222.2 MW of capacity and tripling its portfolio. Construction is slated to start early 2027 with grid interconnection to the PJM market expected in...
Plaid Promises Welsh Communities Share of Renewable Energy Profits
Plaid Cymru announced that a future Welsh government would require renewable projects larger than 10 MW to allocate a 15‑25% community‑ownership stake, ensuring locals share in profits. The party also plans to create a national energy body to manage large‑scale wind...
From UAV Spraying to Climate Intelligence: What Research Reveals About Sustainable Agri-UAS Deployment
Recent research on agricultural UAVs in India shows that drones can deliver genuine sustainability gains, but only when design, flight parameters, and data‑driven decisions are optimized. Life‑cycle assessments reveal reductions in water use, chemical load, and operator exposure under ideal...
As Trump Obliterates Climate Efforts, States Try to Fill the Gap
Democratic‑led states are accelerating climate initiatives as the Trump administration moves to roll back federal greenhouse‑gas regulations. Colorado proposes a $2,000 tax credit for new electric vehicles, Virginia is streamlining approvals for large solar farms, and California aims to make...
IEA’s Net‑Zero Work Supports Energy Security and Stability
Net zero & climate analysis are fully compatible with the IEA’s mission of promoting energy security, economic stability & cooperation among member states @AzizSapphire @SecretaryWright is right that IEA went too far but wrong saying that net zero was all it...
UK Trial Shows Potential of Hydrogen Powered Ground Handling Equipment
A successful trial at Exeter Airport demonstrated that hydrogen‑powered ground handling equipment—including a hydrogen internal‑combustion tug, a fuel‑cell baggage tractor and a hybrid hydrogen‑diesel GPU—can be safely integrated into live airport operations. The Zero Carbon Turn project, backed by the...
Volkswagen Launches The All-New Caravelle PHEV In South Africa
Volkswagen is set to launch the all‑new Caravelle plug‑in hybrid (PHEV) in South Africa mid‑2026, joining a market where PHEV sales surged 280% year‑over‑year to 2,808 units, representing a 0.47% share of new‑vehicle sales. The Caravelle rides on VW’s MQB...
DG Matrix, Which Builds Solid-State Transformers to Handle up to 2.4 MW and Boost Data Center Power Efficiency, Raised a...
DG Matrix, a startup developing solid‑state transformers (SSTs) for data centers, announced a $60 million Series A round led by Engine Ventures. The company’s SSTs can handle up to 2.4 MW, promising higher efficiency and reduced footprint compared with legacy transformer technology....
What It Takes to Thrive in Residential Solar for 20 Years
Residential solar has shifted from simple ownership to complex financing, inflating soft costs despite falling panel prices. Companies that prioritize operational discipline, lean processes, and transparent pricing are better equipped to survive policy volatility. Reducing soft costs through workflow consolidation...
Slow Start to Global 2026 BESS Deployments in January, China Continues to Dominate
Global grid‑scale battery energy storage system (BESS) deployments slowed sharply in January 2026, with only 3.5 GW/10.5 GWh coming online – a 25 % drop from the same month last year. China, still the dominant market, added 1.9 GW/6.2 GWh, reflecting a 30‑50 % decline amid...
1606 Corp to Acquire Plot of Land in Texas for AI Data Center Development
1606 Corp signed a non‑binding term sheet to acquire roughly 132 acres in Lufkin, Texas, including a 55 MW natural‑gas power plant and a 50,000 sq ft warehouse for an AI‑focused data center. The transaction is priced at about $11.67 million, combining $7.5 million in...
Illinois Governor Pritzker to Call for Two-Year Suspension of Data Center Tax Incentives – Report
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker plans to request a two‑year suspension of tax incentives for new data centers, pending a study of the sector’s impact on the state’s electricity grid and residential bills. Current incentives grant up to 20 years of...
Africa’s Data Centre Capacity on Back Foot, Despite Investment Push
Africa’s data‑centre capacity remains under 1% of global supply despite a surge in investment, with active capacity at 360 MW and another 238 MW under construction. The Africa Data Centres Association report projects a total pipeline of 656 MW, but even full delivery...
Hellenic Cables Nets BC-Wind Cable Contract
Hellenic Cables has been awarded a contract by DEME to supply roughly 70 km of 66 kV inter‑array submarine cables for Ocean Winds’ 390 MW BC‑Wind offshore project in the Polish Baltic Sea. The agreement covers design, engineering, manufacturing, testing and delivery of...
India Can Curb Clean Cooking Costs by Scaling Biogas, Electric Stoves: IISD Report
The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) reports that India can lower clean‑cooking costs by scaling decentralized biogas and electric stoves alongside LPG and piped natural gas. While LPG connections have doubled since 2016, 37% of households still rely on...
The New Rules Behind ERCOT Prices with Andrew Reimers
In this episode, Andrew Reimers, deputy director of the ERCOT Independent Market Monitor at Potomac Economics, explains how ERCOT’s market design—particularly operating reserves, scarcity pricing, and the December 5 real‑time co‑optimization—shapes price signals that drive new generation investment in Texas....
Long-Term Trade-Offs of Agrivoltaics on Pear Farming
A four‑year study in Victoria, Australia examined overhead solar panels in a blush‑pear orchard. The agrivoltaic systems cut sunburn and hail damage and boosted energy output, especially with a 5° west tilt that produced about 10% more electricity. However, shading...
U.S. Solar Power Hits Record 304 TWh, Ten‑Fold Growth
U.S. SOLAR GENERATION increased to a record 304 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) or 304 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2024. Solar generation had increased ten-fold over the previous ten years from 29 billion kWh in 2014. Data prepared by the U.S. Energy Information...
Quinbrook Activates 619 MWh Supernode BESS in Queensland
Quinbrook powers up 619MWh Supernode Stage One BESS in Queensland, Australia #energysky -- via Energy Storage News: https://t.co/ImIlFzLmCY
At Mumbai Climate Week, Niti Ayog VC Suman Bery Highlights Growth, Gender Inclusion and India's Clean Energy Push
At Mumbai Climate Week, NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Suman Bery linked India’s economic growth to increased women’s workforce participation and the nation’s push for energy self‑sufficiency. He cited Nobel laureates to argue that faster growth draws more women into the...
Four Decades of Tracking Sun‑Earth Energy Balance
42 Years of Measuring the Sun, the Earth and the Energy in Between https://t.co/uZalndm6yv 5 min read 42 Years of Measuring the Sun, the Earth and the Energy in Between By Denise Lineberry NASA’s Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS), a part of th…...
Farmland Protection Concerns Stall Renewable Energy Projects
Fear of farmland loss slows solar and wind development #energysky -- via Canary Media: https://t.co/wVWoSEYkxG
Are We Doing Enough to Design for Low Temperature Heat in Net Zero Buildings?
The UK Climate Change Committee warns that net‑zero building designs often ignore low‑temperature heat distribution, embedding inefficiencies from the earliest stages. Heat pumps perform best at 35‑50 °C, yet many projects still design for legacy 70‑80 °C boiler systems, compromising seasonal COP...
Solar Needs High‑resolution Data to Curb Weather‑related Curtailments
Solar needs ‘high-resolution data’ to manage weather and grid curtailments, says expert #energysky -- via pv-tech: https://t.co/WT0iWKJmc7
Solar and Wind Capacity Is an Illusion, Storm Proves
For solar and wind, “capacity” is the maximum potential electricity it can generate when there are perfect weather conditions. Storm Fern showed how in real-world conditions, solar and wind’s “capacity” is an illusion.
ISA Unveils Global Mission to Fast-Track AI-Enabled Clean Energy over 120 Countries
The International Solar Alliance announced a Global Mission on AI for Energy at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, targeting more than 120 member countries. The programme aims to fast‑track AI‑enabled clean‑energy solutions for planning, grid management and decentralized solar,...
Brazil Finalizes Battery Auction Rules, 20 GW Ready
Brazil reserve battery auction rules near finalization with 20 GW lined up #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/tJ8et2sYH3
Chris Wright Threatens to Quit Global Energy Watchdog
Chris Wright Threatens to Withdraw from Global Energy Watchdog #energysky -- via Heatmap News https://t.co/8MEj9rfplc https://t.co/TYy0FLuuf8
Indo-UK Offshore Wind Task Force Launched, India Crosses 272 GW Non-Fossil Fuel Power Capacity
India’s non‑fossil electricity generation capacity has crossed 272 GW, driven by 141 GW of solar and 55 GW of wind. In the current fiscal year the country added over 35 GW of solar and 4.6 GW of wind, pushing clean power to more than half...
Philippines Launches World's Largest Solar‑battery Hybrid Plant
World’s largest solar-battery hybrid project powers up in the Philippines #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/ApvTRwFUhX https://t.co/LFEa9eVMSQ
IEA Shifts Priorities to Security, Clean Energy, Affordability
IEA executive director Fatih Birol proposes focusing the agency's work in three areas during the next few years: 1) energy security -- "first and foremost" mission 2) new energy uptake (wind, solar, geothermal, nuclear) 3) afordability of energy "IEA 3.0" may well be...
Edge Data Centers Vs. Edge Devices: When to Use Each
Edge computing can be delivered via purpose‑built edge data centers or through distributed edge devices such as gateways, sensors, and consumer hardware. Data centers provide consolidated compute, storage, and robust security for high‑throughput, latency‑sensitive workloads, while devices excel at mobile,...
Large Battery Begins Commercial Run Beside Unreliable Queensland Coal Plant
New big battery kicks off commercial operations next to outage-prone Queensland coal plant #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/Boj0IYDx6P https://t.co/8NeEaPuvqv
Italy Cuts Carbon Charge on Electricity, Rattles Markets
Italy’s plan to strip carbon cost from power bills jolts markets https://t.co/RZ9Dw7uUKq via @E_Krukowska @Al_Brambilla https://t.co/aVgbxP1Rxm
ZEPA Launches Battery-Electric Container Handling Standards, Load Tool
The Zero Emission Port Alliance (ZEPA) introduced a load‑profile explorer, transition guide, and updated voluntary standards to accelerate battery‑electric container‑handling equipment adoption. The standards aim to reduce design fragmentation and improve interoperability, while total‑cost‑of‑ownership data shows electric gear remains pricier...
IEA Ministerial Unites 50 Nations on Energy Security
Delighted to bring together over 50 countries at the #IEAMinisterial in Paris to discuss major issues of energy security, access, affordability & sustainability Thank you to the Ministers for the rich discussions, confirming the IEA is at the heart of the...
IEA Backs Ukraine’s Energy Resilience Amid Infrastructure Attacks
Important exchange with Ukraine's First Deputy Prime Minister @Denys_Shmyhal We discussed 🇺🇦's efforts to ensure energy security this heating season and beyond – amid ongoing attacks on critical infrastructure @IEA will continue to closely support 🇺🇦's energy sector resilience https://t.co/tQQpcbUtpO
Critical Minerals and Energy Drive Global Economic Competitiveness
Very good meeting with 🇺🇸 US Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy & Business Affairs @CalebOrr__ We discussed developments in global energy markets, the importance of critical minerals for energy & economic security and energy’s role in boosting competitiveness https://t.co/Z4YDq3jEJG
Austria to Host 2027 IEA Energy Innovation Forum
Pleased to meet with Austrian State Secretary for Energy Elisabeth Zehetner at the #IEAMinisterial I thanked the State Secretary for Austria’s offer to host the 2027 IEA Energy Innovation Forum – we look forward to working together to build on the...
Thoughtful Electricity Growth Talk Leaves Key Questions Unanswered
Good to see my friends have a thoughtful conversation on how we meet our electricity growth needs. I think the talking points were a bit thick and many questions remained unanswered.
Singapore and IEA Pledge Deeper Cooperation on ASEAN Power Grid
Excellent meeting with Singapore's Minister Tan See Leng at the #IEAMinisterial on Southeast Asia's growing role in global energy markets @IEA & 🇸🇬 will continue cooperating closely to support the delivery of the ASEAN Power Grid Vision and other key priorities...
US Energy Chief Declares Net‑Zero 2050 Impossible
Net-zero by 2050 has “zero point zero chance of happening,” says US Energy Secretary Chris Wright ahead of the biennial IEA ministerial meeting in Paris. (This ministerial meeting will mark a turning point in global energy policy making across industrialised...