solar wind

UN News has published a feature looking at how the shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy is changing the idea of energy security. The piece argues that the recent global energy crisis pushed countries to rethink dependence on imported fuels, and that expanding wind, solar and other renewables can reduce exposure to price shocks and supply disruptions while supporting climate goals.

Global renewable energy from wind and solar continues to expand, but fossil fuel use is rising alongside it rather than declining. Commentators note that clean energy growth is being outpaced by overall energy demand, meaning renewables are adding to the energy mix instead of replacing coal, oil and gas.

New figures for 2024 show coal remains the world's largest source of electricity, producing about 34% of the global total. Wind and solar together reached 15%, a sharp rise from just 4% a decade earlier. Map-based charts breaking the mix down by country are drawing attention as people debate the pace of the energy transition.

Growth in solar and wind power is limiting the use of natural gas in the United States even as overall electricity demand increases. The finding suggests renewables are increasingly meeting new consumption needs that would previously have been covered by gas-fired generation, a notable shift in the US energy mix.

Texas is turning its attention to solar power as part of a broader shift in its energy mix, long dominated by oil and gas. The move highlights how the state, already a leader in wind generation, is increasingly adding large-scale solar capacity to meet growing electricity demand and diversify its power sources.

As solar and wind replace conventional power plants, grids lose the natural inertia that traditionally kept frequency stable, raising concerns about blackout risks. UK-based Reactive Technologies is addressing this by sending sonar-like pulses through the grid to measure live inertia directly, revealing risks that standard models miss. The company has received €19 million in backing from the European Investment Bank to expand the approach.

Renewable sources are now generating 61 percent of Turkey's electricity, according to a report by Informed Comment. The figure is being highlighted against the backdrop of an energy crisis tied to the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil shipments. Turkey's growing reliance on wind, solar and hydro is being framed as insulation from disruptions in Persian Gulf energy supplies.

Thailand's Electricity Generating Public Company (EGCO) has closed the purchase of a 49% stake in a 339-MW portfolio of solar and wind assets in the United States. The deal adds US renewables capacity to the Thai power producer's portfolio, reflecting continued foreign investment in American clean energy infrastructure. Further financial terms and project details were not disclosed.

A new report argues the next wave of American battery demand will come not from electric vehicles but from grid-scale storage, as utilities add batteries to balance growing amounts of wind and solar power and to stabilize an aging electricity network under rising demand from data centers. Industry watchers see this as a structural shift in where battery manufacturing and investment will flow next.

A new Visual Capitalist graphic ranks how much clean energy countries have added since 2015, charting the global shift toward renewables over the past decade. The comparison is drawing attention as readers weigh which nations have expanded solar, wind and other clean sources fastest and whether the pace matches climate goals set under the Paris Agreement.

A new commentary argues that the relationship between solar power, wind power, battery storage and politics has become complicated. The piece examines how political factors shape the deployment of renewable energy technologies and storage. It is drawing attention among readers following the clean energy transition, where policy decisions increasingly influence how fast solar, wind and battery projects can move forward.

French renewable energy company JP Energie has announced acquisitions totalling 202 MW of wind and solar capacity. The company is expanding its renewables portfolio across France through a series of project purchases. Details on the individual assets, sellers, and financial terms have not been disclosed, but the move underlines continued consolidation in the country's fast-growing wind and solar sector.

A rural Idaho county that banned renewable energy development is now reconsidering the decision, according to Grist. The story is drawing attention among climate and clean energy observers, who see it as an example of communities weighing the economic and practical costs of rejecting wind and solar projects after the fact.

Pennsylvania State University is hosting a talk on October 2 examining how artificial intelligence can offer insights into climate change impacts on renewable energy. The event will bring together researchers to discuss how AI tools can help predict and manage climate-related challenges facing solar, wind and other renewable power sources.

The European Space Agency says that science operations have begun for Smile, its Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer. The mission is designed to study how the solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetosphere. Little further detail has been released so far, and reaction is limited as news of the milestone circulates in space and science communities.

Zhongtian Hechuang has opened a tender for an electrolysis hydrogen production testing and evaluation center at its Wushenqi wind and solar power hydrogen production project in Inner Mongolia, with an investment of 65.13 million yuan. The project is part of China's expanding green hydrogen build-out, converting renewable power into hydrogen at scale. Industry watchers are tracking progress as a sign of momentum in the country's hydrogen sector.

Environment+Energy Leader reports that older wind and solar installations could become more valuable over time. As renewable infrastructure built decades ago matures, questions are turning to how these sites might be repowered, upgraded or repurposed, and whether existing grid connections and permits make them increasingly attractive assets for developers and investors in the energy transition.

Carbon Brief analysis finds that UK wind and solar generation avoided £5.9bn in gas imports during the Strait of Hormuz crisis, which disrupted global energy shipping routes. By reducing reliance on imported gas, renewable output shielded British consumers and industry from higher costs. The findings are fuelling debate about the strategic value of homegrown renewables for energy security, not just emissions cuts.

Solar power has passed both coal and wind in capacity, a milestone in the global energy transition. But analysts say the bigger question is what happens next: whether grids, storage and policy can keep pace with solar's rapid growth, and how the technology will scale from here.

Polling from Texas shows that while the oil and gas industry is viewed 20 points more favorably than unfavorably in the state, solar and wind are still far more popular, with renewables enjoying roughly 46 points of net favorability — more than twice that of fossil fuels. Commenters note the irony of a fossil-fuel stronghold embracing clean energy, suggesting political support for oil and gas does not reflect consumer enthusiasm for renewables.

Apex Clean Energy has sold a minority stake in a 339MW portfolio of solar and wind projects in the United States. The deal brings in an outside investor while Apex retains control of the assets, part of a broader pattern of renewable developers selling equity stakes to fund continued growth. Details of the buyer and the transaction value were not disclosed.

Solar power has moved past both coal and wind in the global energy mix, a milestone in the shift to renewables. Commentators say the real story is what comes next: how grids, storage and policy adapt as solar keeps growing at record pace and reshapes the electricity system.

Spain, Portugal and Luxembourg are jointly pressing the European Union to adopt an ambitious renewable energy target for 2040, arguing that a binding goal is needed to keep the bloc's climate commitments on track. The joint push puts the three countries at the forefront of debate over how fast Europe should phase out fossil fuels and scale up wind and solar capacity.