Chiba Prefecture held its first meeting of an expert panel to discuss establishing regulations for large-scale solar power generation facilities following a case of illegal forest clearing. The proposed regulations would require permits for large facilities and mandate ongoing responsibility for maintenance and decommissioning.
There will still be a need to have gas in the wings to keep the lights on, so the financials stack up on Severn plant purchaseThe eye-catching non-Hormuz news in energy-land last month was that Great Britain is set for a record-breaking summer for wind and solar power generation. The national energy system operator even thought there could be periods – a sunny weekend or a bank holiday afternoon of low demand, for example – when more renewable power would be available than the electricity grid needed.So, on the face of it, it is an odd moment for Centrica, owner of British Gas, to fork out £370m to buy a 16-year-old combined-cycle gas turbine plant in south Wales. After all, the government’s clean power plan imagines that, come 2030, Great Britain’s entire fleet of gas plants will be used to generate only 5% of its electricity, down from 31.5% in 2025. Continue reading...
The Gates Foundation Trust holds a significant $3.6 billion stake in Caterpillar, a company increasingly vital for AI infrastructure. Caterpillar's Power Generation business is booming due to data center demand, with its stock soaring 183% in a year. This investment comes as the foundation itself announces substantial job cuts, impacting 20% of its workforce.
Japan plans to build a 1-gigawatt floating wind farm in the Izu Islands to power Tokyo and the islands themselves by 2035, announced by Governor Yuriko Koike at a 2024 climate conference in Azerbaijan. The project would produce equivalent capacity to a nuclear reactor, but faces skepticism over its 2035 timeline, power generation forecasts, and technical demands, especially given the world's largest current floating wind farm in Norway produces just 94.6 megawatts.
Cuba's solar power generation has surged from 6% to over 20% within 12 months through February, driven by Chinese-financed solar panels, according to Microgrid Media. The report concludes that by rendering the oil blockade ineffective through alternative energy, Cuba neutralises America's primary weapon. By 2028, all 92 Chinese-financed solar parks could provide 2,000 megawatts—matching Cuba's fossil fuel capacity for its 10 million people. The global energy crisis, marked by Middle East oil and gas supply disruptions, is accelerating worldwide adoption of renewables, with China leading in solar, EVs and clean energy infrastructure.
China has announced that it now has the capacity to build up to 50 nuclear reactors simultaneously, as it doubles down on a push to rapidly expand its nuclear power generation and become a global leader in the sector. The figure came from a report released by the China Nuclear Energy Association (CNEA) on Friday, which highlights the country’s ability to run dozens of nuclear projects concurrently spanning the full project life cycle – from design to construction. “China’s nuclear technology...
The world passed a significant turning point in 2025 as clean power generation rose faster than global demand for electricity, preventing an increase in fossil fuel generation, according to Ember's annual global electricity review. Global clean power generation increased by 887 TWh while demand rose by 849 TWh. Renewables accounted for 34 per cent of total generation, overtaking coal's 33 per cent share for the first time in a century.
