Drax Deploying Solar Panels at Scottish Hydropower Stations
Drax has completed its first photovoltaic project at the Glenlee run‑of‑river hydro station in Galloway, installing 1,500 SunPower panels that deliver 693 kW of solar capacity and an expected 480 MWh of annual generation. The £850,000 ($1.16 million) investment is the first of eight planned hydro‑solar installations across its Scottish sites. The solar array is wired to the low‑voltage board, allowing the plant to offset its own electricity demand and potentially export surplus power. Drax cites the project as a step toward its 2040 net‑zero emissions ambition.
Two Passivhaus Care Homes Built, Third Planned
Robert Templeton, managing director of Care is Central, owned by Central Bedfordshire Council, said: "We have already got, including this one, two care homes that are Passivhaus, with plans to build a third one in Sandy soon." #passivhaus #passivehouse https://t.co/1WCMXQRnwN https://t.co/DCmV0KdExT
Iran Oil Crisis: Geography of Energy Risk Is Changing with Renewables, Not Disappearing
The article warns that batteries, while touted as a path to energy independence, are creating a new concentration risk because China dominates the supply chain for cells and critical materials. It cites the $1.5 trillion, ten‑year JP Morgan initiative focused on nuclear,...
All-Electric Hotel Marcel to Host Passive House Network Conference
The Passive House Network will hold its 2026 conference on June 4‑5 in New Haven, Connecticut, at Hotel Marcel. The venue is the nation’s first Passive House‑certified hotel, an all‑electric renovation of a 1970 brutalist building that includes EV charging,...
2026 IEEE PES T&D: Powering Reliability and Engineering Resilience on the Show Floor
The 2026 IEEE Power & Energy Society Transmission & Distribution Conference convened over 15,000 power‑engineering professionals at Chicago’s McCormick Place. Participants hailed from 50 countries, underscoring the event’s global reach. The three‑day expo highlighted the theme “Powering Reliability, Engineering Resilience,”...
Decarbonizing Desert Greenhouses with Direct Air Capture
A research team has demonstrated a pilot greenhouse in the Sahara that integrates a direct‑air‑capture (DAC) unit to harvest ambient CO₂ and feed it to crops. The system, powered primarily by solar panels, captures roughly 2 tons of CO₂ per hectare...
U.S. Transformer Market Faces Severe Supply Constraints as Lead Times Extend to Four Years
The U.S. power‑transformer market is under severe strain, with lead times for high‑capacity units stretching to four years. Demand has surged, driven by AI data centers, electrified transport and industrial growth, pushing step‑up transformer orders up 274% since 2019. Prices...
Utility in Ypsilanti, Michigan, Imposes One-Year Moratorium on Supplying New Data Centers
The Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) has enacted a one‑year moratorium on providing water and sewage services to any new data‑center projects within its jurisdiction. The pause follows votes by the Ypsilanti City Council and Charter Township Board and will...
Ireland Urged to Create National Clearing House to Streamline Solar Projects
Ireland’s solar industry is urging the government to establish a national clearing house that would streamline coordination among planners, grid operators, developers and contractors. The move comes as the country’s grid‑scale solar output topped 1 GW in April and total installed...
Iran Conflict Fuels Surge in European Clean Energy Adoption
A new New York Times piece shows: The Iran war is accelerating something that was already underway: Europeans turn to solar, heat pumps & EVs in large numbers. E.ON reports solar interest in the UK up 63%. Enpal in Germany: inquiries...
IKEA Launches $185 NÄMMARÖ Shelving Unit and Solar‑Powered SOLVINDEN Light for Indoor‑Outdoor Spaces
IKEA rolled out two new products aimed at blurring the line between indoor and outdoor living: the $185 NÄMMARÖ open kitchen unit, a compact storage and work surface, and the SOLVINDEN solar‑powered ground stick light, a budget‑friendly way to achieve...
Orsted and PGE Start Baltica 2 Build
Ørsted and Poland's state utility PGE have kicked off offshore construction on the 1.5 GW Baltica 2 wind farm, located 40 km off the Baltic coast near Ustka. The first foundations—111 monopiles weighing about 1,500 tonnes each—have been installed by Van Oord, with turbine...
YOFC Cuts GHG Emissions Intensity 13% in 2025, Boosts ESG Performance
Yangtze Optical Fibre and Cable (YOFC) announced a 13.12% year‑on‑year drop in greenhouse‑gas emissions intensity for 2025, eliminating 86,333 tonnes of CO₂. The achievement came alongside a 4.54% fall in energy‑use intensity, a 28.54% reduction in water‑use intensity and the...
Hybrid Tidal-Photovoltaic System for Modular Renewables Deployment in Estuarine Channels
Researchers in Brazil simulated a hybrid tidal‑hydrokinetic and photovoltaic floating farm for estuarine channels. By placing solar panels on each diffuser‑augmented turbine, the system mitigates wake‑induced losses and achieves annual generation between 5.2 and 24 GWh depending on turbine spacing and...
Trinasolar Module Factories Awarded Silver Supply Chain Traceability Certificates by SSI
Trinasolar’s Yiwu and Yancheng factories have been awarded Silver supply‑chain traceability certificates from the Solar Stewardship Initiative, the highest level granted to any solar manufacturing site to date. The certification, verified by TÜV SÜD, confirms end‑to‑end traceability from metallurgical‑grade silicon through...
Oracle Scraps Natural‑gas Plant for New Mexico AI Data Center, Pivots to Fuel‑cell Power
Oracle announced the cancellation of a planned natural‑gas power plant for its Project Jupiter AI data center in New Mexico after the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the state land office denied pipeline permits. The company will instead partner with...
SoftBank Launches GWh‑scale Battery Venture in Japan to Power AI Data Centers
SoftBank Corp. announced the launch of a Japan‑based gigawatt‑hour battery business aimed at feeding its AI data centers and broader grid applications. Partnering with COSMOS LAB and DeltaX, the firm plans mass production by FY2028 and expects over ¥100 billion ($645 million)...
PPL ‘Advanced’ Data Center Pipeline Grows to 28.3 GW in Pennsylvania
PPL Electric reported its "advanced" stage data‑center pipeline surged 12% to 28.3 GW for 2034, up from 25.2 GW three months earlier. The utility expects 0.6 GW to come online this year and 20.7 GW by 2030, with 5 GW already under construction in Pennsylvania....
Solar Developer Seeks Connection to Wrong Powerline, Delays Project Five Years
The OFW Solar Project in Mount Jackson, Virginia mistakenly filed its PJM interconnection application to connect to Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative lines instead of the intended Dominion Energy transmission corridor. The error forces a full restart of the interconnection process,...
LG Sinar Mas Tops Out Data Center in Indonesia, Jakarta
LG Sinar Mas, a joint venture between South Korea’s LG and Indonesia’s Sinar Mas, topped out its SMX01 data center in Jakarta’s Central Business District. Phase 1 will deliver 6 MW of IT capacity and is slated to go live in Q4 2026, while the full...
Aetherflux Rebrands, Pivots Business—And Raises $275M
Aetherflux has rebranded as Cowboy Space Corporation and closed a $275 million Series B round at a $2 billion valuation. The company is pivoting from a sole focus on a solar‑power small‑sat constellation to a dual strategy that adds a dedicated launch vehicle...
Last Coal Fired Hospital Gets Cleaned Up
Nottingham City Hospital has become the NHS’s last coal‑fired facility to switch to clean energy after a £34.8 million (≈$44 million) decarbonisation programme. The upgrade, delivered by Vital Energi, replaced coal and gas boilers with an energy centre, 400 kW air‑source heat pumps,...
Ionic Closes Recycled Rare Earth Loop
Ionic Rare Earths (IonicRE) announced the first fully circular supply chain for permanent‑magnet rare earths used in electric‑vehicle motors, delivering a Ford EV rotor made entirely from recycled material. The project demonstrates that rare‑earth magnets can be produced without any...
The Many Shapes of Nuclear Power’s Revival
After years of stagnation, nuclear power is re‑emerging as a key source of firm, low‑carbon electricity. Growing electricity demand—particularly from hyperscale data centers—and the push to decarbonize industrial heat are spurring both new builds, from gigawatt‑scale plants to SMRs and...
Connecticut Legislature Passes Solar Bill to Extend Incentives, Streamline Permitting, Authorize Plug-In Solar and More
Connecticut lawmakers approved House Bill 5340 on the final day of the 2026 session, sending a comprehensive solar package to Governor Ned Lamont. The bill extends the Residential and Non‑residential Renewable Energy Solutions tariffs through 2035 with an $85 million annual...
China April Battery Installations Grow 15%, Reversing 2-Month Decline
China’s power‑battery installations rebounded in April 2026, reaching 62.4 GWh – a 15.2% year‑on‑year gain and a 10.4% rise from March. Lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) units dominated the market, delivering 50.8 GWh and capturing 81.5% of total installs, while ternary chemistries grew 24.2% YoY....
New York SEIA Says Flexible Interconnection Could Enable 3.3 GW More Community Solar
The New York Solar Energy Industries Association (NY SEIA) estimates that offering a flexible interconnection option with 5% curtailment could unlock an additional 3.3 GW of community solar in upstate and western New York. A typical community solar project is about...
First Hydrogen Helicopter Just Proved It Can Fly a Real Mission
A modified Robinson R44, retrofitted by Unither Bioélectronique, completed the first full‑mission flight powered by hydrogen fuel cells, proving take‑off, climb, pattern, approach and landing under real‑world conditions. The system delivered roughly 178 kW, with more than 90% of that power...
Microsoft's Carbon Retreat
Microsoft announced it will pause new purchases of carbon‑removal credits, a move that reverberates through a market where the company accounts for about $12 billion of the $15 billion ever spent. The pause follows a record $228 million regenerative‑farming deal signed earlier this...
EU Consults on ETS Benchmark Values for 2026-30
The European Commission opened a public consultation on draft benchmark values that will determine free allowance allocations under the EU Emissions Trading System for the 2026‑2030 period. The proposed numbers match those seen in earlier internal documents, meaning the methodology...
GS Architecture Meets Passivhaus EnerPHit Low‑Energy Standard
Beautiful project: "GS Architecture set out to achieve the rigorous Passivhaus EnerPHit standard, which certifies low-energy buildings that have been refurbished" #passivhaus #passivehouse https://t.co/sRI9IdHWO1 https://t.co/kK2cfgw5v6
MiTAC Computing Showcased New OCP Liquid Cooled Servers and Software Integration
MiTAC Computing returned to the OCP EMEA Summit 2026 in Barcelona to unveil its latest open‑compute‑based server portfolio. The company highlighted the C2810Z5 air‑cooled and C2811Z5 liquid‑cooled rack servers, both powered by AMD EPYC 9005 CPUs and designed for high‑density AI and cloud workloads....
A Qatari Gas Tanker Passed the Strait of Hormuz
A Qatari LNG tanker, Al Kharaitiyat, became the first vessel to navigate the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran‑Israel war began, using a Tehran‑approved northern route. The transit signals a tentative reopening of a critical oil‑and‑gas corridor, easing some pressure on...
How Viritopia Grew From a Plant Nursery Business Into Providing 'Living Walls' For Cityscapes
Viritopia, originally a UK plant nursery, has pivoted to designing and installing large‑scale living walls on commercial and public buildings. Leveraging its horticultural expertise, the company now offers modular green façades that shade structures, improve air quality, and cut cooling...
Competitive Power Markets Have Delivered. Abandoning Them Would Be a Mistake.
Competitive wholesale electricity markets, exemplified by PJM, have spurred billions in private generation investment and created a 40% surplus in Pennsylvania, while Virginia’s vertically integrated model leaves it the nation’s largest electricity importer. The author argues that rising power prices...
Assessment of Nigeria’s Agrivoltaic Potential Identifies Northern States as Optimal Areas
A geospatial study by the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Indiana University and Cornell identifies Nigeria’s northern states—Kano, Katsina and Jigawa—as having the highest agrivoltaic potential. The analysis shows that meeting projected 2050 solar capacity in these states would...
BayWa R.e. Lands German BESS Deal
BayWa r.e. has secured an eight‑year operations contract with Denmark’s Scale Fund to run the Alfeld battery energy storage system (BESS) in Lower Saxony. The Alfeld project, slated for commercial operation in Q3 2026, will be Germany’s largest BESS with 137 MW of...
Great North Road Solar Nears Decision
Elements Green’s Great North Road Solar and Biodiversity Park, an 800 MW solar farm in Nottinghamshire, has completed its six‑month planning examination. The project, capable of powering roughly 400,000 UK homes, underwent two hearings, site inspections and extensive environmental reviews. The...
Hyperscaling Responsibly: Data Center Design for Sustainability
U.S. data‑center electricity use was 180 TWh in 2024 and is projected to more than double to 420 TWh by 2030, while water demand for AI‑server cooling could hit 300 billion gallons. Operators are responding with tighter Power Usage Effectiveness—average PUE now 1.56...
Berg Propulsion to Supply Systems for India’s Green Tug Pair
Berg Propulsion won a contract to supply electric propulsion and integration technology for two all‑electric harbor tugs built under India’s Green Tug Transition Program. The 33.55‑meter vessels, slated for delivery in Q4 2027, will provide 60 tonnes of bollard pull and rely...
Presentation on Recent Trends in Electricity Markets
The author presented a three‑part analysis of European electricity markets, focusing first on the rapid expansion of solar generation and battery storage. The second segment examined how these renewables are reshaping day‑ahead market pricing, pushing prices lower and altering the...
Comstock Metals Prepares for June Start-Up of Solar Panel Recycling Facility
Comstock Metals, a subsidiary of Comstock Inc., will launch its commercial‑scale solar panel recycling facility in Silver Springs, Nevada, in June after completing equipment commissioning and testing the first unit. The plant uses a closed‑loop tailings recovery system to extract...
The Biggest Hurdles for Data Center Contruction
The permitting process is the biggest bottleneck for AI data center construction, requiring approvals from local, county, state and private landowners as well as environmental clearances. Emissions permits must be secured before any combustion equipment can operate, and offset credits...
PJM Interconnection Signals Power Curtailments for New Data Centers Amid Surge in Demand
PJM Interconnection warned that, because of rapid data‑center expansion, plant retirements and permitting delays, it could restrict electricity to newly connected large‑load customers during peak periods. The move targets a grid that serves more than 67 million people across the Midwest...
Philippine Data Center Boom Attracts $170-Million IFC Investment
International Finance Corp. (IFC) is set to invest up to $170 million in YCO Global Cloud Centers to expand data center capacity beyond Metro Manila. The package includes a $20 million quasi‑equity stake and $150 million in senior loans for two 50 MW facilities...
GE Vernova Announces Maraen Port of Nigg for Dogger Bank B and C Phases
GE Vernova has named Scotland’s Maraen Port of Nigg as the marshalling hub for the upcoming B and C phases of the Dogger Bank Wind Farm. The hub will store and prep GE’s Haliade‑X turbine components before they are shipped...
The Drive to Deepen China-Africa Clean Tech Cooperation
China’s renewable sector is pivoting toward Africa, where solar panel exports rose 17% last year. The South‑South Cooperation Renewables Centre, launched by the China Renewable Energy Industries Association, facilitates matchmaking, technology showcases and skills transfer across 16 African nations. The...
PowerX Inks $5.5 M Equivalent MOU with Montenegro's EPCG for 500 MWh BESS Rollout
PowerX, the Japanese battery‑energy‑storage specialist, signed a memorandum of understanding with Montenegro’s national utility EPCG to deliver roughly 500 MWh of BESS capacity over three years. The deal gives PowerX a foothold in Europe and adds a strategic enterprise customer as...
National Heat Pump Week to Debut Across the UK in October
The Heat Pump Association UK and Nineteen Group will launch the UK’s first National Heat Pump Week, running from 12 to 16 October 2026. The five‑day campaign targets more than one million installers, manufacturers, suppliers and built‑environment professionals through webinars, interviews, competitions...
Why Tech Needs Smarter Contracts for Data Centers
Data centers are the backbone of today’s AI, e‑commerce and streaming services, prompting tech giants and governments to race for long‑term build‑outs. However, a surge in community opposition—up 125% in Q2 2025—has sparked litigation that threatens project timelines. Experts argue that...