China-Backed Solar Project Powers up in Laos Amid Iran War Energy Shock
China General Nuclear Power Group has completed a 1‑gigawatt solar farm in northern Laos, the country’s first large‑scale mountainous photovoltaic installation. The plant, equipped with about 2.23 million panels, is linked to the 500‑kilovolt China‑Laos power line and is expected to generate roughly 1.65 billion kilowatt‑hours annually. This output could save 500,000 tonnes of coal and cut CO₂ emissions by about 1.3 million tonnes, bolstering Laos’ clean‑energy capacity amid regional energy shocks.
Developer Behind Australia’s Biggest Operating Wind Farm Advances Plans for New 50-Turbine Project
Australian wind developer Westwind Energy has moved its 400 MW Bottle Tree Energy Park, a 50‑turbine wind farm with a potential battery, into the federal environmental assessment stage by submitting over 1,100 pages of documentation to the EPBC. The project, sited...
Fresh Progress for Eight-Hour Pumped Hydro Project Proposed to Help Replace Ageing Coal Plant
EnergyAustralia and EDF Power Solutions Australia have moved a 350 MW, eight‑hour pumped‑hydro storage project forward by releasing its Environmental Impact Statement for public comment. The Lake Lyell facility, slated to use the same water source as the aging Mt Piper coal plant,...
BIR Urges Policymakers to Emphasize Steel Recycling
The Bureau of International Recycling (BIR) has warned policymakers that current green‑steel standards using a sliding‑scale methodology reward carbon‑intensive production and penalize recycled‑steel use. It criticises two competing standards—ResponsibleSteel’s sliding scale and the Global Steel Climate Council’s approach—for creating a...
Iran War: How Wind and Solar Are Saving the UK Millions of Pounds a Day in Fossil Fuel Costs
The latest analysis shows that Britain’s expanding wind and solar capacity is cushioning the domestic market from the fossil‑fuel price spikes triggered by the recent US‑Israel‑Iran conflict. Renewable generation now accounts for roughly 45% of the UK’s electricity mix, delivering...
Recycling Heat In Data Centers
Data center workloads are surging, tripling U.S. power demand over the past decade and set to double or triple again by 2028. The resulting thermal output, especially from AI‑driven, high‑density racks, is prompting facility leaders to shift from merely rejecting...
How Data Center Location, ESG Regulations, and AI Infrastructure Are Reshaping Risk
Data center location has moved from a purely technical choice to a core governance decision, as it directly influences energy costs, cooling requirements, water usage, and grid reliability. Climate stressors such as heat and drought are concentrating in key hubs,...
New Carbon Trading Regimes Advance, Details Change
Developing and middle‑income nations are rolling out a new wave of emissions trading systems (ETS) as climate goals and trade pressures intensify. The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a key catalyst, prompting countries to keep carbon revenues domestically....
Adani Green CEO Sees Massive Scalability for Solar, Wind
Adani Green Energy has surpassed 19 GW of renewable capacity and is targeting 50 GW by 2030‑32, cementing its role as a global leader. The company’s Khavda solar‑wind hub in Gujarat already hosts 9.4 GW and is slated to expand to 30 GW by...
Defra Plots Faster Planning Process for Sizewell C Nuclear Plant and Teesside SAF Refinery
Defra announced that the Environment Agency will serve as the single point of contact for environmental approvals on the Sizewell C nuclear power plant and the Lighthouse Green Fuels SAF refinery, aiming to speed up planning and cut costs while maintaining standards. Sizewell C,...
How China Positioned Itself to Win the Global Energy Crisis
China entered the Iran‑War with extensive oil and gas stockpiles and a clean‑energy infrastructure that outpaces any other nation. The conflict has throttled Hormuz shipments, prompting a rapid global shift toward renewables where China already dominates solar panels, wind turbines,...
What the Iran Conflict Means for Gas Prices, Clean Energy, and the Climate
U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have forced Iran to restrict traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, cutting global oil supply by more than 10% and pushing crude prices up $40 per barrel. U.S. gasoline prices have risen above $4...
The UK’s Largest Solar Farm Just Got the Green Light
The UK government approved the 800 MW Springwell Solar Farm in North Kesteven, set to become the nation’s largest solar project. Developed by EDF Power Solutions and Luminous Energy, the farm will begin generating power in 2029, enough to supply over...
Peru Scales up Solar Capacity as Sunny Complex Reaches 345 MW
Peru’s utility‑scale solar sector accelerated with the commissioning of Sunny Expansión, a 141 MW addition that lifts the Sunny complex in Arequipa to 345 MW. The expansion, approved by COES on April 3, 2026, followed a rapid six‑month development cycle after the original...
Chevron-Microsoft Talks Hint at the Future of AI Power Infrastructure
Chevron, Microsoft and investment firm Engine No. 1 have entered an exclusivity agreement to explore a multibillion‑dollar natural‑gas power plant in West Texas. The proposed facility, estimated at $7 billion, would deliver roughly 2,500 MW—enough to power a large AI‑focused data‑center campus. While...
Can US Innovation Shift the Second-Life EV Battery Landscape?
The United States lags behind China and the EU in second‑life EV battery deployment due to weak federal policy, costly UL certification, and limited battery supply. A partnership between AI‑infrastructure firm Crusade and recycler Redwood has built the world’s largest...
Illinois County Courthouse Cuts Ribbon on 1.3-MW Solar Project
Cook County, Illinois, celebrated the ribbon‑cutting of a 1.3‑MW solar array at its Skokie courthouse, installed by Ameresco. The project is part of a broader Clean Energy Plan that already includes an 806‑kW system at the Markham courthouse and 17...
The Hormuz Crisis Is Making Low-Carbon Energy Strategies More Expensive
The Iran‑Houthi conflict in the Strait of Hormuz has sharply disrupted sulfur shipments, driving global sulfur prices up more than 70 percent and reaching about $600 per metric ton. Sulfuric acid, a by‑product of oil refining, is essential for hydrometallurgical...
800MW Springwell Solar Farm by EDF Power Receives Greenlight, Largest of Its Kind in the UK
The UK government has approved EDF Renewables' Springwell Solar Farm, an 800 MW photovoltaic project that will power roughly 180,000 homes. Spanning an area equivalent to 1,700 football pitches between Lincoln and Sleaford, the development also includes a large‑scale battery‑storage system....
Arpit Dwivedi on the 2,000-Year-Old Battery That Could Power the World | Believe in Aliens Episode 4
Cache Energy is commercializing a 2,000‑year‑old chemical reaction that stores electricity in limestone (quicklime) pellets housed in ordinary grain silos. Founder Arpit Dwivedi argues the approach is three to five times cheaper than competing long‑duration storage and can be deployed...
India Climbs to Third Globally in Renewable Energy Capacity, Adding Record 55 GW in FY2025-26
India added a record 55.29 GW of renewable capacity in FY 2025‑26, pushing total non‑fossil capacity to 283.46 GW and moving the nation to third place globally, overtaking Brazil. Solar contributed 44.61 GW, wind 6.05 GW, and distributed solar supplied over a third of the...
$4 Billion Arunachal Pradesh Hydropower Projects Accelerate India’s Clean Energy Transition Drive
India has approved more than $4 billion (≈₹40,000 crore) to build the Kamala and Kalai‑II hydropower schemes in Arunachal Pradesh. The Kamala project alone will deliver about 1,720 MW of clean electricity, while Kalai‑II adds further capacity across three remote districts. The investment...
More On Batteries, Or How To Grow Lemons In Vermont
The author explores modern portable battery power stations—like Anker Solix, Bluetti and Jackery—and shows how they enable off‑grid greenhouse operations in Vermont, providing heating, water circulation, and monitoring without noisy generators. By coupling these batteries with small solar panels and...
TikTok Investing $1.16 Billion for Second Data Center in Finland
TikTok announced a €1 billion ($1.16 billion) investment to build a second data center in Lahti, Finland, with an initial 50 MW capacity that can scale to 128 MW. The project is part of ByteDance’s broader €12 billion ($14.02 billion) European data‑sovereignty initiative aimed at keeping...
TikTok Doubles Down on Finland With Second €1B Data Center
TikTok announced a €1 billion ($1.16 billion) investment to build a new data center in Lahti, Finland, marking its second major facility in the country after a similar spend in Kouvola. The Lahti site will start with 50 MW of power capacity and...
Data Centers and AI Won’t Fix Climate, Raise Bills
I will never understand how anyone can look at a situation like this and think "man, data centres and AI are really going to help solve climate change and incentivse renewable energy" https://www.politico.com/newsletters/power-switch/2026/04/03/the-supply-crunch-that-could-raise-your-electric-bill-00858418?_sc=MTA0OTY5MjQjMTM3OTQ%3D
Sodium‑ion Storage Could Boost France’s Energy Flexibility
Can sodium-ion storage drive energy flexibility in France? #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/tUO4Idz6FI
JPMorgan Invests $600,000 to Scale Atlanta’s Clean Tech Workforce, Startups
JPMorgan Chase is allocating $600,000 to the Georgia Cleantech Innovation Hub (GACIH) to expand Atlanta’s clean‑technology workforce and startup ecosystem. The grant, administered through Georgia Tech’s Partnership for Innovation Network, will fund university‑linked programs at Georgia Tech, Georgia State, Morehouse...
Battery Storage Buying Free Solar Raises Prices
Batteries buying “free” California solar, driving up price #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/faU0jOiUap https://t.co/GD0pdaGUTw
Fortescue's New Electric Excavator Cuts Million Litres Diesel
Fortescue adds another electric excavator, says it saving a million litres of diesel per unit #energysky -- via Renew Economy: https://t.co/xspHZsss42 https://t.co/ugpv8KEX0P
Scientists Reach 130% Quantum Yield in Solar Cells Using Singlet Fission
An international team led by Kyushu University has demonstrated a 130% quantum‑yield solar‑cell efficiency by pairing tetracene with molybdenum in a singlet‑fission process. The result exceeds the traditional Shockley‑Queisser limit and could reshape photovoltaic technology.
New Solar Panel Grid Shields PV Systems From Pigeons
Sassmann develops “solar panel grid” for PV systems for pigeon protection #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/3bfBmYevfZ
Maximizing Battery Storage Value in Australia’s NEM
VIDEO: Extracting more value from battery storage assets in Australia’s NEM #energysky -- via Energy Storage News: https://t.co/qiEiRcisAk
Single-Atom Swap Halves Heat Flow in Molecule, Unlocking Nanoscale Thermal Control
A University of Michigan-led team demonstrated that swapping a single hydrogen atom for iodine in a benzene‑diamine molecule cuts its thermal conductance by half while leaving electrical conductance unchanged. The finding, published in Nature Materials, showcases atomic‑scale control of heat...
Transformers: Powertrain Driving Grid Upgrade Surge
Why we who track the AI buildout should care about transformers. They are the “powertrain” of the grid upgrade cycle, with demand being driven by three forces at once: aging grid infrastructure, the shift toward renewables, and a sharp increase...
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[Episode #273] – Solar and Batteries Can Power the World
In this episode, host Chris Nelder talks with Prof. Tom Brown about his simple yet powerful model showing that solar photovoltaics combined with battery storage can economically supply 90% of global electricity demand. By focusing on the sunbelt regions where...
Arizona Task Force Roadmap Prioritizes Virtual Power Plants and Distributed Solar to Cut Energy Costs
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs’ Energy Promise Taskforce issued a 31‑point roadmap urging rapid deployment of virtual power plants, distributed solar and 2,000 MW of battery storage by 2025 to absorb an anticipated 40% surge in peak demand. The plan streamlines permitting...
UK Approves Biggest Solar Farm as Output Hits Record High
The UK government approved the Springwell solar farm, the nation’s largest, capable of powering over 180,000 homes and slated to connect to the grid by 2029. The approval marks the 25th nationally significant clean‑energy project since the 2024 election, contributing...
New ‘Universal Shock Absorber’ Is Stabilizing Force for Tomorrow’s Grid
Ramboll unveiled the Universal Damping STATCOM (UD‑STATCOM), a patent‑pending upgrade to conventional STATCOMs that automatically absorbs harmful grid oscillations while preserving normal voltage support. The device monitors voltage waveforms, injects proportional current to damp disturbances, and returns the absorbed energy...
Storage Is the Energy Transition’s Biggest Illusion
The article argues that grid‑scale storage cannot replace dispatchable generation in the U.S. energy transition. Current U.S. storage capacity is only about 0.4 % of daily electricity throughput, with most batteries limited to 2‑4 hours. Even aggressive forecasts to 2050 fall far...
Virginia Grid Utilization Bill Set to Become Law
Virginia’s pending legislation will compel Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to submit detailed distribution‑grid utilization metrics to the State Corporation Commission and propose ways to tap existing capacity. The commission will then publish its own analyses and evaluate non‑wires alternatives...
Stop Waiting for a Miracle Battery, Act Now
Stop waiting for the “miracle” battery. Read more and sign up to my newsletter here: https://t.co/4dMz7BPBGk https://t.co/nT1oy5d94r
Inside the 'Baffling' Mindset of US Offshore Wind Opponents
President Donald Trump’s early‑term memorandum froze offshore wind leasing, collapsing a 74 GW pipeline to roughly 5.9 GW of projects in the Northeast and Mid‑Atlantic. The freeze earned praise from anti‑wind groups, who view Trump as a defender of marine habitats, even...
Why Windfarms and Electricity Pylons Have Become a Major Issue in the Welsh Election
Renewable energy is a decisive issue in Wales's Senedd election as the Labour government pushes a deal to meet a 100% renewable electricity target by 2035, requiring extensive new wind farms, solar parks and transmission lines. Opposition to on‑shore wind...
U.S. Launches First Vertical Rooftop Solar Panels
Vertical rooftop PV debuts in the U.S. #energysky -- via pv magazine usa: https://t.co/bqUE7TbL8P https://t.co/HT8kqxxPUf
Emobi and DIMO Deliver Customized Plug & Charge-Enabled EV Charging for Fleets
Emobi and DIMO have introduced a Plug & Charge‑enabled device that lets electric‑vehicle fleets use ISO 15118 digital certificates without automaker‑issued credentials. The solution, built on Emobi’s JustPlug platform and DIMO’s aftermarket bridge device, issues fleet‑level certificates directly to vehicles, bypassing firmware updates...
Solar Keeps Slimming Down While Power Rises
An international study shows commercial silicon PV modules have tripled their specific power since the early 2000s, reaching 23.6 W/kg today. The rise stems from advances in module architecture, bifacial designs, and temperature‑management strategies, while glass and aluminum frames still dominate...
Vertical Rooftop PV Debuts in the U.S.
Norwegian specialist Over Easy Solar has launched its first U.S. vertical rooftop photovoltaic system, a 100 kW bifacial array installed on a green roof in Queens, New York. The lightweight, ballast‑free design delivers an estimated 100,000‑140,000 kWh per year, matching the output...
Government Greenlights 'UK's Largest' Solar Power Project in Lincolnshire
The UK government has approved the Springwell Solar Farm, an 800 MW photovoltaic project in Lincolnshire, positioning it as the nation’s largest solar development. The scheme will be built in phases and is slated to reach full capacity before the end...
Grid Bottlenecks Jeopardize 120 GW of European Renewables
Grid bottlenecks threaten 120 GW of planned renewables in Europe #energysky -- via pv magazine global: https://t.co/zwodAIFyvJ https://t.co/Po78YoGDjF