solar wind

UN News examines how the recent global energy crisis has accelerated the shift toward renewable energy, arguing that solar, wind and other clean sources are now central to national energy security. The piece frames the transition as both a response to volatile fossil fuel prices and a strategy to reduce dependence on imported energy, with governments worldwide reassessing their energy policies.

New figures on global electricity generation show coal remains the largest single source in 2024, producing roughly 34% of the world's power. Wind and solar together now account for about 15%, a sharp rise from just 4% a decade earlier. The data is presented as charts drawn directly on an interactive world map, letting viewers zoom in for country-level detail, and is drawing attention for how clearly it shows the slow pace of the transition away from fossil fuels.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Renewable energy analysts are examining why older wind and solar installations could become more valuable as they age. Early wind and solar projects built decades ago are approaching end of design life, raising questions about repowering, grid interconnection rights, and land already permitted for clean energy. Some argue these existing sites may hold strategic value as demand for renewable capacity and grid access grows.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Solar power has reportedly surpassed both coal and wind as the biggest story in electricity generation. Commentators argue the milestone itself matters less than what comes next: whether grids, storage and policy can keep pace with solar's rapid growth and integrate it reliably at scale. The discussion focuses on the challenges of managing the next phase of the energy transition rather than celebrating the record.

A weather observation from Apache Junction, Arizona, recorded at 05:00, shows 68°F with a high of 72°F and low of 68°F, humidity at 91%, light northeast winds easing to calm, and a waning moon at 92%. Conditions are mild and humid for the Arizona desert, with no solar radiation or UV before dawn.

A weather station in Clifden, Connemara, Ireland, reported current conditions at 12:02: a temperature of 16.4°C, humidity of 87%, pressure of 996.4 hPa, no rainfall so far today, and a northeast wind of 21 km/h. The UV index stood at zero with low solar radiation of 36 W/m², suggesting overcast skies.

Astronomers may have picked up the first radio emissions ever detected from a planet outside our solar system, coming from the young gas giant Beta Pictoris b, some 63 light-years away. The signals, likely generated by the planet's magnetic field interacting with its moon or stellar wind, could open a new way to study distant worlds.