France Plans to Double Domestic Electricity Production Share
France announced a sweeping energy plan to double the share of domestically produced electricity to 60% by 2030. The government will boost state support to €10 billion ($11 billion) a year, mobilising 6,000 firms and aiming to protect 600,000 jobs. The strategy includes doubling EV‑charging capacity, ramping up electric radiator output and producing one million heat pumps, while EDF earmarks €240 million ($262 million) for broader electrification projects. The push seeks to replace imported fossil fuels with nuclear and renewable power and to cement France’s energy independence.
Goldman Sachs Forecasts 160% AI Data Center Power Surge as Activist Map Highlights Local Strain
Goldman Sachs projects global AI data center electricity use will jump 160% by 2030, with U.S. demand nearly tripling, while activist Erin Brockovich launches a crowdsourced map documenting over 2,700 community complaints at more than 4,200 facilities. The clash pits...
Google Signs 200 MW Power Deal for Solstice Solar Project in Oklahoma
Google has entered a 15‑year power purchase agreement to buy 200 MW of electricity from the Solstice Solar Project in LeFlore County, Oklahoma. The utility‑scale solar farm, developed by Enlight Renewable Energy through its U.S. subsidiary Clēnera Holdings, will have a...
Toyota and Pepsi Buy Power From 400-MW Sequoia Solar Project in Texas
Enbridge’s 400‑MW Sequoia Solar project in Callahan County, Texas, has entered full operation, supplying clean electricity to corporate off‑takers AT&T, Toyota, PepsiCo and Donaldson Company under long‑term power purchase agreements. The first phase marks the start of a two‑phase development,...
Transparent Solar Cells Could Be Mounted Right on Windows
Researchers at Nanyang Technological University have created ultrathin, semi‑transparent perovskite solar cells only 10 nm thick—about 10,000 times thinner than a human hair. The cells achieve up to 12% efficiency in opaque form and 7.6% while letting 41% of visible light...
Wind Repowering—A Second Wind for the Industry
U.S. wind farms, now numbering over 75,000 turbines across 45 states, are approaching the 15‑20‑year end of life for many units, prompting a shift toward repowering—replacing or upgrading existing turbines with newer, higher‑capacity models. Repowering leverages existing foundations, grid interconnections,...
Iran Conflict Makes Clean Energy Look More Secure – This Week in Cleantech
The This Week in Cleantech podcast highlights four critical trends shaping the clean‑energy landscape. U.S. utilities are gearing up to invest roughly $1.4 trillion over the next five years to modernize the grid and meet soaring electricity demand from AI data...
Our Solar Roof Costs Us More per Kilowatt
A Filipino household that fully funded a rooftop solar system generated 932 kWh last month but only purchased 471 kWh from the grid. Because the Energy Regulatory Commission’s Resolution 15 bases mandatory fees on total consumption (932 kWh + 471 kWh = 852 kWh), the utility charged a higher per‑kilowatt‑hour...
Sunrun Ranked No. 5 on TIME’s 2026 Most Impactful Companies List
Sunrun was placed at No. 5 on TIME’s inaugural 2026 World’s Most Impactful Companies list, topping the utilities category. The recognition underscores the company’s subscription‑based model that has delivered $1.9 billion in customer savings and avoided 26.2 million metric tons of carbon emissions,...
Energy Storage Surge Powers Clean Transport, Subsidy Reliance
In the latest Current Climate newsletter: 🔋 Boom times for energy storage batteries 🚛 Tesla’s ongoing reliance on California subsidies ⚡️ A deal to supply clean hydrogen, generated underground, to power buses and trucks https://www.forbes.com/sites/current-climate/2026/05/26/boom-times-for-energy-storage-batteries/
Half of Planned US Data Centers “Highly Exposed” To Natural Disaster, $800bn in Investments at Risk - Report
Half of the more than 670 data center projects slated for construction or expansion in the United States are located in states deemed highly vulnerable to severe convective storms, hurricanes, winter storms or earthquakes, according to MS Amlin. The analysis shows...
China’s World-Beating Solar Industry Is in Turmoil
China produces more than 80% of the world’s solar panels, cementing its role as the global supply hub. A surge in geopolitical tension from the Middle‑East war has lifted energy prices, but it hasn’t stabilized China’s solar sector, which is...
New Mexico Regulators Approve SPS’ $9B, Gas-Heavy Resource Plan
New Mexico’s Public Regulation Commission approved Southwestern Public Service’s $9.38 billion resource plan, adding about 3.8 GW of new utility‑owned generation. The portfolio is led by 2,088 MW of gas‑fired capacity, complemented by 1,100 MW of wind, 189 MW of solar and 472 MW of battery...
Darden Clean Energy Project Secures $4.95Bn to Build California’s Largest Solar and Battery Facilit
IPX Power has secured a $4.95 billion financing package to build the Darden Clean Energy Project in California’s Central Valley. The development will combine 1.15 GW of solar capacity with a 4.6 GWh battery energy storage system, positioning it as the world’s largest...
How Illinois’ Energy Policy Blueprint Can Address Affordability, Reliability
Illinois enacted the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act six months ago, pivoting from new gas‑plant and nuclear proposals to fast‑deploying local solar, storage, and virtual power plants. The legislation mandates 3 GW of utility‑scale battery storage by 2030 and...
How I Make My Solar Panels Last Long Enough to Pay for Themselves
Adrian Kingsley‑Hughes explains that a typical 400 W flexible solar panel costs about $550 and, at an average U.S. electricity rate of $0.19/kWh, needs roughly five years to recoup its expense. Because panels endure sun, rain, dust and other environmental stressors,...
Avoid These 8 Solar Mistakes that Cut Your Power Output in Half - I Learned the Hard Way
ZDNet author Adrian Kingsley‑Hughes warns that simple installation and maintenance errors can slash solar output by up to 50 %. He outlines eight common mistakes—from mis‑orienting panels and unrealistic power expectations to dirty modules and cheap equipment—and offers practical fixes. The...
Consumers Energy Moves to Sell 13 Michigan Dams to Maryland PE Firm for $13 Million
Consumers Energy has filed to sell 13 hydroelectric dams across Michigan to Hull Street Energy’s subsidiary Confluence Hydro for $13 million, pairing the deal with a 30‑year power purchase agreement at $160/MWh. Supporters say the transaction preserves aging infrastructure, while critics...
EDPR North America to Build 100MW PV Project for Appalachian Power
EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) signed a build‑and‑transfer agreement to develop a 100 MW solar‑PV project for Appalachian Power, valued at roughly $300 million. The project, expected to be operational by 2028, aligns with Appalachian Power’s request for 1.1 GW of renewable...
Enbridge to Build $1.2 B Solar‑Storage Project for Meta Data Centers
Enbridge announced a $1.2 billion solar‑plus‑storage development in Wyoming that will supply Meta’s data centers with 365 MW of solar and a 200 MW/1,600 MWh battery system. The Cowboy Project, slated for service by end‑2027, expands the two companies’ clean‑energy partnership to roughly 1.6 GW...
Op-Ed: Passive Solar Commissioning Is Dead Long Live Active Solar Commissioning
Solar now supplies most new U.S. generation capacity, and installations routinely bundle storage, EV chargers and smart controls. The legacy static‑passive commissioning model, which validates systems only after installation, is increasingly mismatched with this complexity, leading to slower jobs and...
Bałtyk 2 and 3 Foundations Installed
Equinor and Polenergia have begun installing the first offshore wind foundations for the Bałtyk 2 and 3 projects in the Baltic Sea, using Heerema’s Thialf vessel to place a dozen monopiles and transition pieces. A total of 100 foundation sets will be...
Are Data Centers Pushing Grid Costs Onto Consumers?
A Reuters review reveals that utilities in at least 40 U.S. states are using Construction Work In Progress (CWIP) incentives to charge customers for grid upgrades before projects are completed. The policy, driven by soaring power demand from AI‑heavy data...
24/7 Renewable Power Beats Fossil Costs Globally
Anytime solar is here >Cost of a typical utility-scale battery installation collapsed over half since 2022 >In 2025 alone, costs plunged another 27% according to BloombergNEF The math today: >Real-world, 24/7 firm renewable systems are undercutting fossil legacy grids right now >As an example, Abu...
Passive Bidding Generates $743K Monthly for Swanbank BESS
Passive bidding strategy delivers AU$743,000 monthly revenue for Swanbank BESS in Australia #energysky -- via Energy Storage News: https://t.co/lNg2ObOquO
Intersect Spinoff IPX Power Secures $4.95 Billion to Build Massive California Solar & Storage Project
IPX Power, a spin‑off of Intersect Power, announced a $4.95 billion financing package to build the Darden solar‑plus‑storage project in California’s Central Valley. The development will generate up to 1.15 GWac of solar power and 4.6 GWh of battery storage, targeting commercial operation...
Renewable Energy Grows Double Digits During Trump's Second Term
Renewable energy sees double-digit growth in Trump’s second term #energysky -- via Solar Power World: https://t.co/sBFG2pWKir
Solar Energy Companies Tap Battery Energy Storage Systems
Indian solar manufacturers are rapidly expanding into Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) as renewable‑power tenders now require integrated storage. Waaree Energies plans a ₹10,000 crore ($1.2 bn) investment, targeting 20 GWh of BESS capacity by FY 28, while Vikram Solar, Premier Energies and Swelect...
Nvidia’s Case for Why AI Will Cut Emissions
Nvidia’s head of sustainability, Josh Parker, argued on the Shift Key podcast that artificial‑intelligence workloads can actually lower global carbon emissions, even as AI‑powered data centers face mounting community resistance. Heatmap reports more than 100 data‑center projects have been cancelled...
How Power Electronics Cut Generator Run Hours in AI-Scale Data Centers
AI‑scale data centers are turning to advanced power‑electronics—grid‑forming inverters, AI‑ready UPS, high‑voltage DC architectures, and universal damping controls—to slash diesel generator run hours. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) paired with these converters can instantly ride‑through grid faults, stabilize voltage and...
GRID Secures £141m Battery Project Financing
British fund Gresham House Energy Storage (GRID) secured £141 m (~$176 m) senior‑debt financing for three battery projects totaling 397 MW/794 MWh. The loans, covering up to 70 % of each project’s cost, are priced at SONIA + 250 bps with a 15‑year repayment term. Additional £6 m ($7.5 m)...
Vattenfall Signs Norway AI Power Deal
Vattenfall and Nscale have signed a long‑term renewable power purchase agreement to supply electricity for the first phase of Nscale’s Kvandal data‑centre in northern Norway. The deal covers most of the power needed for the AI‑focused facility, which will have...
The Grid Is in Better Shape This Summer. Thank Solar and Batteries.
The North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) reports that the U.S. grid is better positioned for the 2026 heat wave, thanks to a surge in solar and battery installations rather than aging coal plants. Since last summer, 30.5 GW of solar...
This AI Tool Helps Community Solar Developers Connect to the Grid Sooner
MeanderX, an AI‑driven platform launched last year, now serves developers in the service territories of more than 20 investor‑owned utilities across eight states, including ConEd, Xcel and Ameren Illinois. The tool scrapes publicly available utility data to provide live tracking...
Fortescue Breaks Ground on Turner River Solar Farm
Fortescue Metals Group has broken ground on the 690‑megawatt Turner River solar farm in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. The project is the last solar installation needed for the company to achieve its "real zero" emissions target across all Australian iron‑ore...
Wind Industry Warns of Capital Flight if Liberals Press “Pause” On Transmission Projects
The Victorian Liberal Party has signaled it will pause the VNI West and Western Renewable Link transmission projects if it wins the November election, prompting wind‑industry leaders to warn that such a pause would trigger a flight of clean‑energy capital to...
Solar Surge Hits Coal Wall, 300 GWh of Clean Power Wasted in Q1 of 2026
Coal‑fired plants in India blocked solar generation, leading to about 300 GWh of clean power being curtailed in Q1 2026. The curtailment accounts for nearly two‑thirds of total renewable waste that quarter. A 2023 government order to cut coal plants' minimum technical...
Gujarat Industries Power Co Seeks Bids for 120MWh Vanadium Flow Battery Pilot Project
Gujarat Industries Power Co Ltd (GIPCL) has issued a competitive solicitation for a 20 MW/120 MWh vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) pilot at its 165 MW natural‑gas plant in Vadodara. The six‑hour storage system will operate about 1.5 cycles per day, aiming to...
SM Group Lifts Renewable Energy Share to 31% in 2025, CEO Says It Cuts Carbon by 370,000 Tons
SM Investments Corp., the parent of the SM Group, announced that renewable energy now supplies 31% of its electricity consumption for 2025, up from 27% in 2024. The shift, driven by CEO Frederic C. DyBuncio, sourced 730 million kWh and avoided 370,644 metric...
Kempower Sets 2030 Goal to Rank Among Top Three Global DC Fast‑Charging Leaders
Kempower Oyj announced an updated strategy that pivots the company from a Europe‑centric hardware supplier to a global lifecycle player in DC fast charging. The firm targets 15‑25% annual revenue growth and a 10‑15% EBIT margin by 2030, with the...
Passive Bidding Strategy Delivers AU$743,000 Monthly Revenue for Swanbank BESS in Australia
Queensland’s 250 MW/500 MWh Swanbank battery earned AU$743,000 (US$533,000) in dispatch revenue in May, more than double the AU$306,000 (US$219,000) generated by Victoria’s 300 MW/450 MWh Big Battery. The gap reflects Swanbank’s passive bidding strategy—setting a price and waiting for the market—versus the Victorian...
China Turns Green Tech Into an Economic Lifeline
China has solidified its role as the world’s largest sponsor, market and exporter of alternative‑energy systems and electric vehicles. Generous state subsidies and aggressive industrial policy have turned green technology into a primary growth engine, offsetting weakness in traditional sectors...
AWS Signs First Carbon‑free Solar PPA in Malaysia, 23 MW Plant to Power 50,000 Homes
Amazon Web Services has signed a long‑term power purchase agreement with Elphil Energy for a 23‑megawatt solar project in Sungai Siput, Perak. The plant will generate enough clean electricity to serve more than 50,000 homes and is AWS’s first carbon‑free...
Fortescue Begins Building WA's Largest Solar PV Plant
Fortescue starts construction on Western Australia’s ‘largest solar PV power plant’ #energysky -- via pv-tech: https://t.co/vEfQi7N5HT
Texas Solar to Overtake Coal on ERCOT Grid in 2026, EIA Forecast Shows
The U.S. Energy Information Administration forecasts that utility‑scale solar will generate 78 billion kilowatt‑hours in ERCOT in 2026, outpacing coal's 60 billion kilowatt‑hours. The shift marks the first time solar is expected to exceed coal on an annual basis in the nation’s...
Victoria’s Electricity System Will Collapse without Coal
Victoria has legislated a 95% renewable electricity target for 2035, one of the most ambitious globally. The Renewable Energy (Jobs and Investment) Act 2017 sets clear milestones: 25% by 2020, 40% by 2025, 65% by 2030, and 95% by 2035....
Australia Advances Billion-Dollar Hydrogen Push with Shortlist of Large-Scale Projects
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has shortlisted a slate of large‑scale renewable hydrogen projects under Round 2 of its Hydrogen Headstart program, moving them to the full‑application stage. The federal government has earmarked an additional $1 billion in the 2026 budget,...
Hundreds Protest Utah's 40,000‑Acre Data‑Center Plan Amid Water and Climate Fears
Hundreds of Utah residents rallied on Capitol steps to block the 40,000‑acre Stratos Project, a data‑center campus twice the size of Manhattan approved by Box Elder County commissioners. The protest underscores mounting political and community resistance to energy‑intensive AI infrastructure in...
California Advances $4.7 B Offshore Wind Project Amid Federal Opposition
California is proceeding with a $4.7 billion offshore wind initiative at the Port of Long Beach, even as the Trump administration seeks to block such projects. State officials say the effort is essential to meet the 2045 offshore wind target, while...
SolarSquare Raises up to $60 Million at $500 Million Valuation, Backed by B Capital and Lightspeed
SolarSquare, the Mumbai‑based rooftop solar platform, is negotiating a Series C round of $55‑$60 million that would value the company at $450‑$500 million. The round is being co‑led by B Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners, with existing backer Elevation Capital also expected to participate.