Global Monitor
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International
China’s Belt and Road Initiative Is Reshaping Global Power Infrastructure
Since 2013, when China launched its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), interest in the measure has been sharply divided. Proponents in Beijing and across the Global South view the BRI as a transformational
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Nuclear
Zimbabwe Joins Other African Nations in Pursuit of Nuclear Power
Officials in Zimbabwe recently said the country will work with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and likely with investment from Russia, to develop a nuclear power program in the country. Zimbabwe
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Trends
POWER Digest (March 2025)
Major Solar-Plus-Storage Project Announced in Middle East. A solar-plus-storage project that could provide gigawatts of generation capacity was unveiled in January during Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW)
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Trends
2025’s Energy Crossroads: 6 Trends Redefining the Global Power Sector
Compared to recent years, which have been characterized by chronic energy shortages and price volatility, the world appears to be trundling toward a new energy market context, defined by an unprecedented
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Renewables
Amazon Supports Three New Wind Farms in Greece
U.S. tech giant Amazon will power operations in Greece with three new utility-scale wind farms that also will provide electricity for the grid in three parts of the country. Company officials in November
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News and Notes
POWER Digest [January 2025]
First Hualong One at Zhangzhou No. 1 Mega-Nuclear Plant Powers Up in China. China National Nuclear Corp. (CNNC), on Nov. 28, successfully connected Zhangzhou Nuclear Power Plant No. 1, a 1.1-GW Hualong One
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Hydrogen
Scaling Production of Green Hydrogen with Water Electrolysis
Green hydrogen is a crucial component in the global effort to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors, like long-haul transportation, construction, and manufacturing. A process first discovered in the early 19th
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Trends
THE BIG PICTURE: How Much Power Will Data Centers Consume? (Infographic)
Driven by artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and the digital transformation, U.S. data centers consumed an estimated 150 TWh of electricity in 2023—equivalent to around 3% of the nation’s power demand. Globally, data center demand hovered at 340 TWh in 2023—about 1.3% of worldwide electricity use. Multiple sources project this demand will surge dramatically through […]
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Trends
Trial Run at Finland’s Onkalo Repository Sets Stage for World’s First Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal
Finland is making significant strides in a trial run that will demonstrate the entire process for the safe disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at Onkalo on Olkiluoto Island—the world’s first permanent
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Renewables
HydroWing and PLN Partner to Launch Indonesia’s First Tidal Power Plant
HydroWing, a division of UK-based Inyanga Marine Energy Group, has signed a binding agreement with Indonesia’s state-owned power company Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) to develop Indonesia’s first tidal
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Renewables
Solar Power Leads Buildout of India’s Renewable Energy
India has long been dependent on coal-fired power for much of its electricity, and the country still gets about 70% of its energy from burning coal according to government data. The Institute for Energy
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Renewables
POWER Digest (December 2024)
Egypt Reducing Renewable Energy Target. Karim Badawi, petroleum minister for Egypt, said the country has cut the amount of renewable energy it will likely have online by 2040. Badawi on Oct. 20, speaking at
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Hydrogen
THE BIG PICTURE: Hydrogen Cofiring at U.S. Gas Power Plants (Infographic)
While natural gas power accounted for 43% of total U.S. power generation in 2023, several state and federal policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions are bolstering interest in hydrogen cofiring. These policies include the Environmental Protection Agency’s recently finalized Carbon Pollution Standards, federal production tax credits, and the federal hydrogen hub program. However, only […]
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Gas
Diversification Key to Finland’s Goals Around Energy and Environment
Finland has a diversified energy mix, comprised mostly of renewable energy resources and nuclear power. Recent power generation project announcements highlight this diversification, which has led to industry
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News and Notes
POWER Digest [October 2024]
China Completes World’s Largest Pumped Storage Facility. China has completed the 3.6-GW Fengning Pumped Storage Power Station, in Hebei province. Operated by the State Grid Corp. of China (SGCC), the
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Infographics
THE BIG PICTURE: Geothermal Power Landscape (Infographic)
According to the Global Geothermal Power Tracker (GGPT), a comprehensive dataset of geothermal power facilities, about 14 GW of geothermal power is operational worldwide. The U.S. has the largest installed capacity at 3,900 MW, followed by Indonesia (2,418 MW), the Philippines (1,952 MW), Türkiye (1,691 MW), New Zealand (1,042 MW), and Kenya (985 MW). Most […]
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Power
Market for Energy Storage Growing Across Europe
The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), in 2023 issued recommendations on how member states should proceed with deployments of energy storage. The group said EU countries should
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Solar
POWER Digest [September 2024]
Investment Fund Buys Spanish Solar Projects. NextEnergy Capital, an investment fund focused on renewable energy, in August said it had an agreement to buy 12 solar power projects in Spain. The installations in
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International
South Africa Announces Bold Shift to Renewables and Nuclear
Emerging from a historic election that stripped the African National Congress (ANC) party of its majority, South Africa’s new government has indicated it will accelerate the transition to renewable power to
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Legal & Regulatory
EU Mandates Biodiversity Restoration, Setting Up New ‘Green’ Requirements Alongside ‘Clean’ Ones for Power Sector
This June, the European Council formally adopted a first-of-its-kind regulation that sets out to restore at least 20% of the European Union’s (EU’s) land and sea areas by 2030 and all ecosystems in need of
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Trends
POWER Digest [August 2024]
Malaysia Slightly Moves Up Timeframe for Coal Phaseout. Malaysia will halve its coal use by 2035 and phase out coal generation by 2044, slightly earlier than previously anticipated by the country’s National
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Offshore Wind
Ireland’s Energy Strategy Embraces Offshore Wind
The global wind industry is entering a new phase of accelerated growth as both companies and countries adopt ambitious sustainable energy goals. 2023 was a record year for wind installations, with a 50%
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Renewables
Hydropower Remains Renewable Leader Despite Climate Challenges
As the oldest renewable energy resource, hydropower is well-established as a reliable source of dispatchable energy. Yet, it is often overlooked and taken for granted. It’s commonly believed that hydro’s
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Gas
Mexico Increases Reliance on Natural Gas to Support Electricity Demand
Mexico is ramping up its use of natural gas for power generation, with several plants coming online in recent years, and at least 10 more (Table 1) expected to come online this year, next year, or in 2026. The
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Hydrogen
POWER Digest [July 2024]
Economics Could Bring Early Closure for Slovenia Coal-Fired Plant. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob in May said the Termoelektrana Šoštanj (TEŠ) facility, the country’s only remaining coal-fired
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Hydro
China Brings High-Elevation Hydropower Project Online
The first unit of one of the world’s highest-elevation hydropower plants began operating in China in April. China Energy said the Maerdang hydropower station (Figure 5), sited at more than 16,000 feet above
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Hydrogen
Global First: JERA, IHI Launch Testing of Fuel Ammonia at Coal Power Plant
Japanese firms JERA and IHI Corp. have launched the world’s first large-volume fuel ammonia demonstration testing at JERA’s 1-GW Unit 4 of its 4.1-GW Hekinan Thermal Power Station in Aichi Prefecture
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Hybrid Power
Eaton Among Groups Supporting Microgrid Buildout in Puerto Rico
Companies operating in Puerto Rico have paid particular attention to the reliability and resiliency of their power supply after a series of major hurricanes battered the island in recent years. Those storms
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News and Notes
POWER Digest [May 2024]
IRENA: 70% Global Renewable Deployment Led by Asia in 2023. Global renewable deployment over 2023 reached a total capacity of 3,870 GW—a new record in the power sector, according to the International
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IIOT Power
The Big Picture (Infographic): Power Sector Digitalization Use Cases
In a recent article in the journal Energy, experts from universities in Portugal, Switzerland, the U.S., and Romania identify digitalization as a pivotal phenomenon affecting the electricity sector, alongside other “megatrends” such as decarbonization, decentralization, and deregulation. Despite the increasing focus on the effects of digitalization on power systems, the authors highlight a notable gap: […]