France Deploys 1.41 GW of Solar in Q1
France’s grid operator Enedis reported that 1,418 MW of new photovoltaic capacity was connected in Q1 2026, essentially matching the 1,407 MW added in the same quarter a year earlier. The deployment spanned 31,565 PV systems, with the bulk in the sub‑36 kW segment, while storage‑integrated capacity fell to 8 MW from 38 MW a year ago. Despite a sector‑wide slowdown linked to regulatory shifts and delayed tenders, roughly 10 GW of projects remain in the pipeline awaiting grid connection. Cumulative French PV capacity now sits at about 31.1 GW.
Deals of the Week: Equinor, Amazon, RWE and Envision
Equinor announced the sale of a 30% stake in its renewables developer for roughly $500 million, marking a strategic divestment in offshore wind assets. Amazon and European utility RWE sealed a power purchase agreement for a 1 GW onshore wind project in...
Double Opportunity for Plug Power: Europe’s Hydrogen Storage Successfully Filled, US Government Halts Cutback Plans
Plug Power announced the successful injection of 90 tons of hydrogen into German salt caverns under the H2CAST project, demonstrating large‑scale underground storage capability. In the United States, the Biden administration reversed earlier plans to cut funding, keeping roughly $5 billion for...
Hydro-Quebec’s 300 MW Solar Tender Oversubscribed
Hydro‑Quebec announced that its 300 MW solar tender attracted 60 bids, offering a combined 481 MW of capacity—well beyond the 300 MW it plans to select. Each project can be up to 25 MW and must connect to the grid by the end of...
Why Trinity College Is Investing in Retrofitting and Resilience for the UK's Future Climate
Trinity College, Cambridge, has launched a multi‑year programme to retrofit its historic buildings and upgrade campus infrastructure for climate resilience. The initiative earmarks roughly £30 million to improve foundations, install renewable energy systems, and enhance flood‑defence measures across the university estate....
AI ‘Time Machine’ Predicts Missing 1.5C Target
Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have built an AI‑driven “time machine” that back‑tests historic renewable growth to forecast future deployment. The model predicts onshore wind could supply roughly 25% of global electricity and solar about 20% by 2050, falling...
From Captured GHG Emissions to Green Tomatoes
Value Maritime and its ME2CC consortium will install a compact carbon capture and storage (CCS) system on the 4,900‑dwt LNG‑powered ro‑ro vessel Samskip Kvitbjorn. The modular unit reduces height and footprint by up to one‑third and can capture up to 75%...
VIDEO – Energy Storage Summit 2026: Lessons Learned From BESS Construction Projects
The Energy Storage Summit 2026 in London hosted a panel on "Lessons Learned from BESS Construction Projects," highlighting the intricate web of supplier contracts, site acceptance tests, data analysis, and multi‑contractor coordination that define utility‑scale battery builds. Panelists from Solar Media,...
Sensor Set-Up Gives Orsted Edge on Generator Failures
Ørsted has deployed a patented debris sensor and condition‑monitoring model across 560 offshore wind turbines, allowing it to predict generator failures at least three months ahead 70% of the time in 2025. The system, developed after engineers identified metallic debris...
DNV Merges Data Platforms in Bankability Drive
DNV has combined its wind and solar data‑management platforms, Resource Panorama and GPM Horizon, into a single system to improve data traceability for renewable‑energy project financing. The unified platform processes about 10 billion data points per second, applying DNV’s quality‑control algorithms...
What to Know Before You Get Balcony Solar
Plug‑in balcony solar, a DIY system that plugs into a standard 120‑volt outlet, is poised to hit U.S. markets as states adopt supportive legislation. Utah led the way in 2025, and six other states are now considering similar bills, while...
China Exports a Ton of Cleantech — and the World Is Poised to Want More
China remains the world’s leading producer of solar panels, batteries and wind‑turbine equipment, and it is rapidly expanding exports of electric vehicles and batteries, especially to Europe. Despite EU tariffs introduced in October 2024, Chinese EVs captured 9% of EU...
South Africans Want Solar Power But They Worry Panels Will Be Stolen – Study
A study of 143 households in South Africa’s Eastern Cape reveals strong interest in solar power—90% cite loadshedding as a driver—but theft fears dominate the conversation, especially among wealthier homes. Cost remains a major barrier, with 86% of high‑income and...
Hithium Signs €400 Million Spain Battery Gigafactory Investment Agreement After Two-Year Courtship
Chinese battery maker Hithium has signed a €400 million (US$471 million) investment commitment to build a gigafactory in Navarre, Spain, slated to create 700 direct jobs and start operations in 2027. The deal, signed by Hithium’s founder Jeff Wu and Spanish officials...
Hybrid Heating Technology Offers Cement Producers Flexibility
Cement producer NOC Energy has introduced a hybrid electric heating system that can be retrofitted onto existing kilns, allowing plants to blend electricity with traditional fossil fuels. The induction‑based technology heats steel spheres to 1,200 °C and can reach 1,500 °C, while...
Akaysha Inks Deal with Copenhagen Energy for ‘Mega-Scale’ Battery Storage Projects in Germany
Akaysha Energy, backed by BlackRock, has signed a joint‑development agreement with Copenhagen Energy to launch mega‑scale battery storage projects in Germany. The partnership blends Akaysha’s proven track record of utility‑scale batteries with Copenhagen’s power‑trading and market‑optimisation expertise. Akaysha recently secured...
Using Wood Twice Is EU’s Best Path to Net Zero — Nature Study
A new peer‑reviewed Nature study finds that using wood twice—first as a durable product such as particleboard and later as fuel in a BECCS plant—delivers far greater long‑term carbon removal than burning wood directly or leaving forests unmanaged. The research,...
Government and Ofgem Admit Grid Queue Blunders
UK government and regulator Ofgem acknowledged delays in grid‑connection reforms as a surge in battery storage projects strains the system. The overhaul cleared 221 GW of stalled projects, creating a pipeline poised to attract roughly £200 bn (about $250 bn) of investment by...
How Big Tech Wrote Secrecy Into EU Law to Hide Data Centres’ Environmental Toll
Microsoft and the industry lobby group DigitalEurope succeeded in inserting a secrecy clause into EU law that classifies individual data‑centre environmental metrics as confidential. The provision blocks public and freedom‑of‑information requests for data on energy use, water consumption and emissions,...
Stunning Growth of Battery Storage Puts It at Centre of Global Energy Security Needs, for Cars and for Grids
Battery storage is experiencing rapid expansion as global lithium‑ion demand jumped 29% in 2025 to 1.59 TWh, driven largely by a 50% surge in grid‑scale installations to 300 GWh. The ongoing Iran war and broader energy‑security concerns are accelerating EV adoption and...
Snowy Elbows Out Origin and Others to Land $1.9 Billion Renewable Power Deal for State’s Trains and Electric Buses
Snowy Hydro's retail arm, Snowy Energy, secured a seven‑year contract worth about $1.9 billion Australian dollars (≈$1.25 billion USD) to supply renewable electricity for New South Wales' trains, trams and electric buses. The deal consolidates the state's transport power procurement under a...
Energy Insiders Podcast: Batteries Take Centre Stage as World Wrestles with Fuel Crisis
In the latest Energy Insiders episode, Iola Hughes of BMI highlights the rapid expansion of battery storage for electric vehicles and grid applications, emphasizing its pivotal role in bolstering energy security amid a global fuel crisis. The discussion covers the...
More than 60% of Home Battery Installations Inspected in Australia Are ‘Substandard’
Australia’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program has installed over 250,000 residential battery systems, delivering roughly 7.7 GWh of storage. A Clean Energy Regulator audit of 1,278 installations found 60.8% substandard and 1.2% unsafe, mainly due to poor wiring and labeling. The sample...
What Can Bangladesh Learn From Pakistan’s Solar Shift?
Bangladesh’s reliance on spot LNG after the Iran‑Hormuz crisis cost it roughly $880 million—about 15% of its monthly import bill—while Pakistan avoided spot purchases by shifting to solar, cutting its fossil‑fuel import share to 25%. The divergent strategies highlight the financial...
State Threatens to Step in if Regulator and Networks Fail to Remove EV Charging “Handbrakes” And Sort Out Tariffs
Victoria’s Labor government issued a Charging Regulatory Statement outlining four priority actions—network tariff reforms, demand‑charge adjustments, data transparency, and a review of the Victorian Service and Installation Rules—to eliminate “handbrakes” on electric‑vehicle charging. The state warns it will step in...
Plugging Into Reality: The ASEAN Power Grid
Southeast Asia’s long‑standing ASEAN Power Grid (APG) vision remains hampered by limited interconnection capacity, fragmented institutions, and regulatory gaps. Indonesia has pledged roughly $38 billion to expand its transmission network, while the World Bank and ADB’s ASEAN Power Grid Financing Initiative...
Global Steelmaker POSCO Steps up Involvement in HILT CRC
POSCO Holdings has upgraded its relationship with Australia’s Heavy Industry Low‑carbon Transition Cooperative Research Centre (HILT CRC) from International Trading Partner to Key Partner. The new status grants POSCO seats on research advisory committees, the ability to propose research priorities,...
Fast-Tracked Waitaha Hydro Project Aims to Strengthen West Coast Energy Resilience
The Waitaha Hydro scheme, a 23 MW run‑of‑river project on New Zealand’s West Coast, has secured fast‑track approval after two decades of planning. Developed by Westpower Limited with Poutini Ngāi Tahu, the plant will generate enough renewable electricity to power roughly 12,000...
Agrovoltaic Systems Can Save Water, Generating Energy and Making Tomato Cultivation More Sustainable at the Same Time
Researchers from the University of Seville and the Polytechnic University of Madrid demonstrated that tomatoes can be cultivated under photovoltaic panels while generating solar power, creating a dual‑use agrovoltaic system. By pairing regulated deficit irrigation with the shade of solar...
Welcome RFS Rule Will Boost Iowa's Economy
President Trump and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin unveiled the 2026‑2027 Final Renewable Fuel Standard rule during the White House Great American Agriculture Celebration. The rule raises the biodiesel mandate to 2.5 billion gallons, a significant increase from the previous year. Iowa’s...
Bowen Says Australia’s Small but Growing Fleet of EVs Is Saving 15 Million Litres of Petrol a Week
Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen highlighted that the nation’s modest electric‑vehicle fleet is already saving about 15 million litres of petrol each week. The saving stems from an estimated 410,000 EVs—less than 2 percent of the 22 million‑vehicle fleet—yet EVs accounted for...
Renewable Generation Records Fall Across the UK, as Imported Gas Consumption Tumbles
The UK’s electricity mix is now dominated by renewables, with renewable generation reaching a record 52.5 percent of total output in 2025. Imported primary energy fell to 46 percent, the lowest share since 2004, as North Sea gas production continues to decline....
Making Solar Truly Sustainable: The Case for Recycling End of Life Panels
Corporate sustainability drives rapid solar adoption, but a looming wave of end‑of‑life panels threatens waste management. The EPA estimates 0.17‑1 million metric tons of PV waste by 2030, rising to 10 million tons by 2050, with about 1.7 million tons of recoverable aluminum....
FERC Sets June Deadline to Rewrite Large-Load Grid Rules for AI-Era Power Demand
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) set a June 2026 deadline to rewrite rules governing the interconnection of large loads—defined as 20 MW or more—to the U.S. interstate transmission system. The move follows a Department of Energy advance notice that highlights the...
Rural Co-Ops Navigate a New Era of Load Growth, Rising Costs, and Policy Pressure
Rural electric cooperatives, which power 42 million customers across more than half of the United States, are confronting an unprecedented surge in electricity demand driven by heat‑pump adoption, electric‑vehicle charging, and AI‑powered data centers. At the same time, supply‑chain bottlenecks and...
Trump List of Saved Projects Spares $5B Hydrogen Hubs
The U.S. Energy Department released a 39‑page list preserving roughly $5 billion in funding for five hydrogen hub projects across Texas, Appalachia, the mid‑Atlantic and the Midwest. The list also reinstates $1.2 billion for two direct‑air capture initiatives and retains $1 billion in...
BBC Inside Science
Marking the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, scientists like Professor Jim Smith of the University of Portsmouth continue to study the exclusion zone’s environmental recovery. Recent observations show pockets of lingering radiation but also robust wildlife populations thriving in...
Mazda Hits the Road to Carbon-Neutral Motoring
Mazda is advancing algae‑derived biofuels that can run existing internal‑combustion engines with net‑zero or even carbon‑negative emissions. The company has demonstrated small‑batch production, using roughly 1,000 litres of water to yield one litre of fuel over two weeks, proving technical feasibility....
Loud, Power Hungry - Opposition Grows to Datacenters as Maine Passes Bit Barn Ban
Maine lawmakers approved the nation’s first statewide moratorium on new datacenters that draw 20 megawatts or more, pausing approvals until November 1, 2027 pending the governor’s signature. The pause gives regulators time to assess the facilities’ impact on power grids, water use, noise,...
Maine Moves to Pause Data Centers Before Demand Arrives
Maine lawmakers approved the nation’s first statewide moratorium on large data centers, banning permits for facilities of 20 MW or more until November 1 2027. The pause is enforced while a newly formed Maine Data Center Coordination Council evaluates the projects’ impact on...
Wärtsilä 25 Ammonia Engine Gets a Power Rating Increase
Wärtsilä has boosted the output of its four‑stroke Wärtsilä 25 ammonia engine, delivering 315 kW per cylinder at 900 rpm and 345 kW at 1,000 rpm. The upgrade raises total power to 1.9‑3.1 MW, aligning the ammonia version with the LNG‑fuel Wärtsilä 25DF. Fewer cylinders are needed...
Hydropower Expected to Bounce Back From the West’s Snow Drought
The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects hydropower generation to rise 5% in 2026, reaching 259 billion kilowatt‑hours (BkWh) and accounting for roughly 6% of total electricity. While output will still sit 1.8% below the ten‑year average because of lingering snow‑drought...
India’s Oil and Gas Crisis Is a Wake-Up Call for Transport Electrification
India’s oil and gas supply shock from the West Asia conflict highlighted the nation’s heavy reliance on imports and accelerated its push for transport electrification. The government responded by diversifying crude sources to 40 countries, boosting LPG output and rationing...
Suniva Announces 4.5-GW Solar Cell Facility in South Carolina
Suniva announced a $350 million investment to build a 4.5‑GW solar‑cell plant in Laurens, South Carolina, slated for operation in Q2 2027. The new facility will raise Suniva’s U.S. capacity to over 5.5 GW, making it the largest merchant solar‑cell manufacturer in the...
MP CM Yadav Reviews Renewable Energy Schemes, Stresses Affordable Power to Farmers
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav reviewed renewable‑energy programmes, pledging affordable electricity for farmers and setting a goal to equip over 200,000 farms with solar pumps by the end of the fiscal year. He urged farmers to become self‑reliant energy...
Solar Rooftop Works to Be Accelerated Across Andhra Under PM Surya Ghar Scheme
Andhra Pradesh is speeding up rooftop solar installations under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, using a Utility‑Led Aggregation (ULA) model for Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) households. To date, 20,636 SC/ST homes have received solar systems,...
POWERGRID Wins Green World Award 2026 for Climate Change Excellence
Power Grid Corp. of India (POWERGRID), a Maharatna public‑sector utility, won the Green World Award 2026 for climate‑change excellence at a ceremony in Cardiff Castle, Wales. The accolade recognises POWERGRID’s push for energy‑efficient transmission infrastructure and its integration of sustainability...
Daytime Power Supply Now Reaches Farmers in 24 Districts, Says Rajasthan CM
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma announced that daytime electricity is now reaching farmers in 24 districts, with a goal to achieve full daytime power supply across the state by 2027. The announcement came after a review meeting of the energy...
Mayor Bass Has a New Plan for Addressing Climate Change in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass unveiled a comprehensive Climate Action Plan that aims to double solar capacity, electrify the city bus fleet and install 120,000 EV chargers by 2030, and achieve 80% renewable energy by 2030 and 100% by 2035....
Abaxx Exchange
Abaxx Exchange, a Singapore‑based Recognised Market Operator, launched in June 2024 offering centrally‑cleared, physically deliverable LNG futures across three regional contracts. Since then it has expanded its suite to include nickel‑sulphate, gold kilobar, carbon‑offset and the world’s first exchange‑traded solar futures,...