solar power facility

The New York Power Authority is set to become the majority owner of a new solar facility in Canton, New York. The project marks a further step in the state's push to expand renewable energy generation in the North Country region, though details on capacity, cost and timeline have not yet been released.

Google has launched a satellite to test whether data centers could be built and operated in space. The experiment will assess how the company's computing infrastructure might perform in orbit, where solar power is constant and cooling costs differ. The move signals growing interest among tech firms in moving parts of the AI-driven data center boom beyond Earth, though analysts note enormous technical and cost hurdles remain before such facilities could be viable.

Renewables company X-NOOR has completed a solar installation at a steel wire rope factory in Dubai. The project adds to the growing uptake of solar power by industrial facilities in the United Arab Emirates. Details on the system's capacity and expected output have not been disclosed, and reaction to the announcement has so far been limited.

Renewable energy developer Q ENERGY has inaugurated an 11 MWp solar farm in the Marne department in northeastern France. The facility adds new photovoltaic capacity to the region's energy mix and marks another step in France's push to expand solar power. Industry outlets reported the opening as part of ongoing solar development activity across the country.

SpaceX's Starship rocket is at the center of a new debate over whether orbital data centers could become economically viable. The argument holds that Starship's projected low launch costs could make it cheaper to put computing infrastructure in orbit, powered by continuous solar energy, than to expand terrestrial facilities. The idea carries potentially trillion-dollar market implications, though skeptics question thermal management, maintenance and latency challenges.

DTE Energy has completed construction of the Cold Creek Solar Park, a 100-megawatt solar facility. The project adds new renewable generating capacity to the utility's power grid, supporting its shift away from fossil fuels toward cleaner energy sources for customers.

Turkish steelmaker Kardemir has announced plans to invest in a 120.5 MWp solar power facility to supply its steel production operations. The move would add renewable energy capacity to the company's energy mix and support efforts to lower the carbon footprint of steelmaking at its Karabük operations.

SpaceX and Google have launched AI chips into orbit as part of an effort to build data centers in space, according to Fox News. The project points to growing interest in placing computing infrastructure off Earth, where solar power is abundant and cooling challenges differ from ground-based facilities. Details on the hardware, timeline and scale of the operation remain limited.

El Paso's city council has moved forward with an application for a $4 million grant from Meta that would fund solar-powered lighting across parks and schools in the city. The proposal now advances to the next stage, with the funding aimed at improving safety and sustainability in public spaces and school facilities.

Blacksburg Transit in Virginia is installing an 867-kilowatt solar system at its facility. The project, reported by the Roanoke Times, would put solar power on the agency's buildings and support its operations with renewable energy. Further details on cost, contractors and timelines were not included in the initial report.

Pittsburgh Water is planning a solar power project aimed at lowering energy costs at its water treatment facility. The utility hopes generating solar power on site will reduce operating expenses, a move that could help keep customer water rates down. Details on the project's size, cost and timeline have not yet been made public.

Solar developer X-Elio has begun commercial operations at a 368MW solar photovoltaic project in Spain, according to PV Tech. The facility is among the larger solar plants to come online in the country, adding significant renewable capacity to the Spanish grid as the sector continues its rapid expansion.

Florida Power & Light's solar farm operations are being reported on in local coverage via the Citrus County Chronicle. The utility, the largest in the United States, has been expanding solar capacity across Florida as part of its shift toward renewable energy generation. Details beyond the report of the facility remain limited, and no specific development or controversy is confirmed.

Exus has acquired large solar projects in Louisiana and Wisconsin from ibV Energy, according to an exclusive report. The projects are located in areas identified as data center hot spots, tying the deal to growing power demand from data infrastructure. The move reflects continued investment in US solar capacity driven by energy-hungry facilities.

A lightning strike knocked the Gering solar farm in Nebraska offline for 59 days before it was restored to service, according to a Rural Radio Network report. The extended outage highlights how vulnerable utility-scale solar installations can be to severe weather, and the incident is drawing attention to repair timelines and resilience planning for renewable energy facilities in the region.