In 2025, the US accounted for 47% of the world's CO2 emissions growth due to fossil fuel-biased policies and AI infrastructure, while renewables, particularly solar power, saw significant growth in total energy supply. Despite fossil fuels dominating global energy supply, positive trends include the growth of solar and wind power, decline in China's oil and diesel use, and Europe's reduction in fossil fuel dependence through renewable energy expansion. The EU's accelerated deployment of wind and solar power has led to a decrease in coal and gas generation, with wind and solar generating more power than coal, gas, and oil combined by 2025. This shift has saved the region €72bn in fossil fuel imports between 2022 and 2025, driven by the cost-effectiveness, stability, and ability of solar power to reduce fossil fuel dependency globally.
Category: Electricity & Industry
Cut Emissions:
– Enhance Efficiency
– Cut Fugitive Emissions
– Shift Production
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Passive mooring system enables floating PV to track water-level changes
Researchers from Morocco have developed a novel mooring system for floating PV systems that automatically adjusts to water-level changes, reducing platform motion without the need for active control or external energy. The system, based on a counterweight-and-pulley mechanism, showed significant reduction in horizontal displacement and achieved a high tracking efficiency of 75%. This passive mooring system offers a mechanically simple design for stable FPV installations in remote, low-maintenance environments. Future research will focus on scaling up, testing with real hydrodynamic loading, and field pilot deployment after the system's proof of concept was presented in a study published in Scientific Reports.
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‘Australian first’ compressed CO2 battery project takes shape
Victoria's State Electricity Commission (SEC) is partnering with Energy Dome to deploy a 10-hour duration compressed CO2 battery energy storage system near Morwell in the Latrobe Valley, marking Victoria's first long-duration energy storage facility and Australia's first commercial compressed CO2 battery. This technology aims to ensure around-the-clock reliability of supply for renewable energy generation from wind and solar, supporting Victoria's transition to clean energy and helping meet its 2030 clean energy targets. Additionally, stakeholder and community consultation has begun for the new SEC Energy Works energy innovation precinct in the Latrobe Valley, which will focus on developing new energy infrastructure and storage technologies to further support the state's future energy system. Projects at SEC Energy Works will contribute to the government-owned renewable energy company's portfolio, including the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub and the SEC Renewable Energy Park, emphasizing the importance of energy innovation, early investment, and confidence building for new energy technologies.
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Study finds heatwaves cause hourly losses of up to 90% in PV plants in Iberian peninsula
Scientists analyzed the performance of three photovoltaic plants in Spain and Portugal during extreme heat events in 2024 and 2025, finding that heatwaves can cause significant yield losses in PV energy production. High temperatures affect module efficiency and trigger thermal derating in inverters, with yield losses concentrated during the hottest hours of the day. The study compared production data with meteorological information, confirming the dataset's suitability and highlighting the need to consider actual weather inputs during extreme heat events for accurate PV generation predictions. The European solar sector is now focused on improving the resilience of PV installations against production losses during periods of extreme heat, moving away from solely maximizing annual generation.
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Environmental News Network – Beyond Lithium: New Battery Tech Starts to Break Through
The demand for batteries has surged with the increase in electric cars and the need for energy storage from renewables like solar. Electric vehicle sales hit 20 million in 2025, making up a quarter of all global car sales. The battery market is rapidly evolving, with a strong emphasis on innovation and research in battery technology. While lithium-ion batteries are currently the norm, new technologies like sodium batteries and solid-state batteries are emerging as potential challengers. Researchers are exploring various battery chemistries in search of new solutions for future energy storage demands.
https://www.enn.com/articles/78143-beyond-lithium-new-battery-tech-starts-to-break-through
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Argentina awards 700.5 MW of battery storage across critical grid nodes
Argentina's Energy Secretariat has awarded the AlmaSADI battery energy storage tender, selecting 20 projects totaling 700.5 MW across critical nodes of the Argentine Interconnection System. The projects, representing an estimated investment of $700 million, aim to improve grid reliability, respond rapidly to changes in electricity demand, and reduce the likelihood of outages in regions facing transmission constraints. With strong private-sector interest and 235 technical bids totaling 8,338 MW, the program is part of Argentina's efforts to address operational bottlenecks and relieve constraints in the electricity system.
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Peak Energy to build US sodium-ion storage factory in Sacramento
Peak Energy has selected Sacramento, California, as the location for the US' first manufacturing facility for grid-scale sodium-ion energy storage systems. The facility is expected to produce up to 4GWh of battery systems annually, with over 6GWh of customer commitments already in place. With a capital investment of up to $71m, the project is set to create 239 new local positions. By using sodium-ion batteries made with domestic materials, the facility aims to lower energy storage costs while creating high-quality jobs in the region, with plans to begin shipping batteries in the first quarter of 2027.
https://www.power-technology.com/news/peak-energy-build-us-storage-factory/
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Green light for Technip-backed floater project that could halve hull weight
A new floating wind technology that can reduce hull weights by half will be tested on an 8.5MW pilot project at the PlemCat test site in the Spanish Mediterranean, revolutionizing the wind energy industry. With environmental approvals obtained, the project can proceed, marking a significant step towards advancing climate solutions and transitioning to renewable energy sources. This development has the potential to make offshore wind farms more efficient and cost-effective, contributing to the fight against climate change.
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With blue economy boom, coastal communities seek to benefit
At the Our Ocean Conference in Mombasa, governments and institutions pledged billions for offshore wind, cleaner shipping, and marine protection to promote the blue economy as a source of jobs and climate action. Inclusivity and community involvement are emphasized to ensure sustainable development pathways that respect indigenous knowledge systems and harmony with nature. Lessons from failed blue economy projects highlight the importance of community involvement, rigorous environmental impact assessments, and transparent processes. Blue carbon schemes and offshore wind projects can bring climate and conservation benefits, but must be carefully planned to avoid disrupting marine ecosystems and small-scale fishers' access to the sea. Stronger safeguards and legal frameworks are needed to ensure sustainable ocean-based development.
https://www.climatechangenews.com/2026/07/08/blue-economy-coastal-communities-mombasa-ocean-finance/
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Software can unlock 300 GW of capacity on U.S. grid without building a single power plant
The traditional conservative planning model for the electric grid in the United States has hindered the deployment of clean energy by underutilizing infrastructure. Shifting to software-driven monitoring can unlock significant capacity on existing infrastructure without the need for new transmission lines or power plants. Startups like GridCARE are using software to identify and utilize idle capacity, leading to efficiency gains in a matter of weeks. This shift in planning approach is crucial for integrating renewable energy sources and improving grid stability, while also maximizing the value of the existing grid infrastructure to lower costs for consumers and activate latent capacity. Advanced software can help identify immediate opportunities to interconnect new generation and alleviate multi-year queue backlogs, providing a bridge to uncover hidden capacity in the existing system.