China

For decades, renewables like solar and wind have been hailed as the answer to our looming climate and infrastructure challenges. However, persistent issues have surfaced—especially with surging demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and broad electrification. Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently pointed to analysis wind and solar only supply about 3% of raw energy […]

A Chinese state-owned energy infrastructure group has proposed a decarbonization plan that would increase the country’s use of nuclear power. The China Energy Engineering Group Co. (CEEC) is studying ways to convert retiring coal-fired power facilities into nuclear power plants, according to recent research reports.

A solar power project in the Gobi Desert has moved the needle on the size and scope of global photovoltaic installations, aided by innovation in equipment and construction. The numbers tell much of the story

China has started construction of what would be the world’s largest hydropower dam. Chinese Premier Li Qiang on July 19 led a ceremony marking groundbreaking for the Motuo Hydropower Station, a project with an estimated cost of $167 billion that could generate as much as three times the electricity of the 22.5-GW Three Gorges project. […]

Built on degraded tidal flats in China’s Jiangsu Province, CHN Energy’s Rudong project combines 400 MW of offshore photovoltaic generation, grid-scale battery storage, and green hydrogen production with

Hydroelectric power generation hit a 10-year high in Europe in 2024, while hydro growth in other regions—most notably China—kept the technology at the top of the list when it comes to global energy output from renewable resources. The International Hydropower Association (IHA) in its 2025 World Hydropower Outlook said hydro is playing a “stablizing role” in Europe and elsewhere when it comes to power supplies at a time of heightened concern about volatile markets and shifting policies around energy, particularly in the U.S.

Behind the scenes of every new artificial intelligence (AI) app and program is a staggering amount of energy needed to power its data centers. We’re already in the throes of the AI revolution and with

The commercial solar industry, now more than 50 years old, is facing a pivotal moment. Years of rapid growth—driven by exponentially falling costs and rising demand—are running up against global supply chain instability, geopolitical tensions, and structural vulnerabilities in the latest module designs.

A new report from GlobalData, a data and analytics group, projects global nuclear power capacity will hit 494 GW by 2035. The group said capacity gains will be tied to advancements in deployments of small modular reactors (SMRs), along with the continuing worldwide shift to cleaner forms of energy.

Siemens Gamesa has completed work on what to date is the world’s most powerful installed wind turbine. The final blades for the 21.5-MW prototype offshore turbine were installed April 2 at the Østerild test center in northern Denmark. Development of the turbine, the latest entrant in a global race to build ever-larger offshore wind turbines, […]

China’s construction of coal-fired power plants reached nearly a 10-year high in the past year, even as the country also continues a massive expansion of renewable energy installations. A February report

The China Global Power (CGP) Database, developed by Boston University’s Global Development Policy Center, systematically tracks power plants outside of China that are financed through Chinese foreign direct investment and its two major policy banks—the China Development Bank and the Export-Import Bank of China. As of mid-2022, China-backed investments supported 648 power plants across 171.6 […]

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

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

A research team at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) has published a study that supports use of a new type of chemical battery system for energy storage and electric vehicles. The USTC team, in their report published in the Angewandte Chemie International Edition, said the system utilizes hydrogen gas as the […]

The new artificial intelligence (AI) model from China called DeepSeek created a stock market meltdown on Monday, with the Nasdaq composite dropping 3% and the S&P 500 falling 1.5%. Beyond hammering the share prices of the world’s most valuable companies, DeepSeek has potential implications on vast swaths of America’s innovation industries—including energy. COMMENTARY While U.S. technology companies […]

The debate over just how much power will be needed to support the artificial intelligence (AI) industry became heated when a Chinese company said it has a low-cost AI model that could upend the sector’s energy needs. DeepSeek created a global stir after releasing information that said the company’s DeepSeek-V3 required less than $6 million […]

China’s thermal power generation reached a record high in 2024, primarily due to the country’s coal-fired power plants, even as the country continues to add renewable energy resources to its power grid. Data from China’s National Bureau of Statistics showed electricity production from the country’s coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear power sectors increased 1.5% […]

GE Vernova and Harbin Electric said a 2-GW natural gas-fired power plant has entered commercial operation in China, providing power to that country’s most-populated province. The companies on Jan. 9 announced the start of operation of the Guangming power plant, owned and operated by Chinese state-owned power utility Shenzhen Energy Group Corp. The plant, located […]

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

Saudi Arabia energy major ACWA Power announced it is developing more than 1 GW of renewable energy projects in China. The company in reports published Dec. 31 said the portfolio includes solar and wind power installations that would be owned jointly by ACWA Power and Chinese renewable energy developers. ACWA Power in a statement to […]

The Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) issued a construction license to Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC) for Chashma Nuclear Power Plant Unit 5 (C-5), on Dec. 26. PAEC applied for the construction license in April this year, along with the preliminary safety assessment report (PSAR) and other licensing submissions covering design and operational aspects of […]

India added 4 GW of coal-fired power generation capacity this year, according to the country’s Central Electricity Authority, about the same amount of new coal-based generation it added in 2023. Last year’s total was the highest level of new coal-fired capacity added in the country since 2019. The Indian government has said the country plans […]

The International Energy Agency (IEA) in a new report said global use of coal, including for power generation, is expected to reach a record 8.77 billion tonnes this year. The group said China’s continued use of coal in its power plants, along with the impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on global gas markets, means […]

The need for emissions-free power generation, along with the ability to provide more power when and where it’s needed, is driving research and development of smaller nuclear reactors. Energy industry

China state-owned utility Guangdong Energy Group has started commercial operation of the Dongguan Ningzhou combined-cycle facility in Guangdong Province, China. GE Vernova, which supplied three 9HA.02 gas turbines for the project, on Oct. 24 announced the startup of the power station. The plant is among the largest gas-fired facilities in China. Officials said Dongguan Ningzhou […]

Voters in Kazakhstan reportedly have approved a plan that would bring the country its first nuclear power plant. Election officials said 70% of voters in a referendum held October 6 support the strategy promoted by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who has said nuclear power is a way to move the country away from reliance on coal-fired […]

Fusion energy is a promising form of power generation that aims to harness the same process that powers the sun and stars. Fusion involves combining two light atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, releasing a large amount of energy in the process. This is the opposite of nuclear fission, which splits heavy atoms apart. […]

Research from a group that tracks fossil fuel and other energy projects shows that just 15 countries, led by China and India, account for 98% of coal-fired power plants under development worldwide. Global Energy Monitor (GEM), a San Francisco, California-based non-governmental organization, in its latest Global Coal Plant Tracker (GCPT) said China and India alone […]

Pumped-storage hydropower is seen as a key technology in China to balance the grid and store excess energy from intermittent sources like wind and solar. The 1.2-GW Jinzhai pumped-storage project is a model