Solutions
A view of solar panels and wind turbines with mountains in the background

A year of clean energy milestones

Even as the Trump administration rolled back support for renewable energy in the U.S., wind, solar, and electric vehicles made huge strides globally in 2025.

e360.yale.edu
Solar panels on the roof of a roadside business establishment in South Africa

Can developing countries leapfrog fossil fuels?

Rich nations built their wealth on coal, oil and gas. Now the world is asking poorer countries like Mozambique to chart a different course.
www.dw.com
A technician working on a heat pump installed on the side of a home

Solar panels and heat pumps are set to cost more in 2026 as tax credits expire

The end of key US tax credits for home solar, batteries and heat pumps — combined with new tariffs and domestic manufacturing rules — is expected to raise the cost of electrifying homes in 2026.

www.bloomberg.com
A silhouette of a power plant with billowing smoke and the sun in the background

Minnesota doesn't have an easy path to 100% carbon-free electricity

The state will need firm resources like nuclear, geothermal, hydropower or long-duration batteries — each with advantages and downsides.

minnesotareformer.com
NOAA research vessel in ocean

How Trump derailed a NOAA pioneer’s move from climate impacts to solutions

Libby Jewett founded the U.S. ocean acidification program and had begun work on offshore wind energy. But she joined the past year’s historic exodus from the agency, the impacts of which are still not clear.
insideclimatenews.org
Yellow and white wind turbine towers waiting to be installed

Offshore wind projects challenge Trump administration’s order to stop work

The developers of Revolution Wind off Rhode Island and Empire Wind off New York are the latest to sue the Trump administration.
www.nytimes.com
white and brown metal utility tower viewed from below

Gov. Tina Kotek orders removal of barriers to Oregon renewable energy projects

After investigative reporting highlighted how clogged transmission lines were stalling wind and solar projects, Gov. Tina Kotek issued executive orders to fast-track renewable energy development and push state agencies to expand grid capacity.

www.propublica.org
Yellow and white wind turbine towers waiting to be installed

Trump leaves wind industry reeling — at a perilous moment for his party

Republican worries about energy affordability didn’t deter the administration from halting five major projects that had already begun construction.
www.politico.com
aerial photography of tanker ship.

Oil, gold and rare earth elements: the backdrop to US political tension with Venezuela

The country’s enormous energy and mineral resources are consolidating as a key factor in the geopolitical dispute and in Venezuela’s institutional collapse.

english.elpais.com
an aerial view of a data center flanked by trees, roads and green fields.

The Pentagon and A.I. giants have a weakness. Both need China’s batteries, badly.

As warfare is reinvented in Ukraine, and Silicon Valley races to maintain its A.I. lead, China’s battery dominance is raising alarms far beyond the auto industry.
www.nytimes.com
A row of diesel-powered generators outside of an industrial building

Electrifying these factories could cut a gigaton of CO2 pollution

The U.S. industrial sector relies on gas-fired boilers to make heat. A new report shows how manufacturers can electrify and decarbonize, starting now.
www.canarymedia.com
Vector illustration of large rechargeable lithium-ion battery energy storage stationary for renewable electric power station generation.

Illinois is going all in on battery storage. What will that mean?

As power-guzzling data centers proliferate across the country and drive electricity prices up, batteries could be a part of the solution.
insideclimatenews.org
person holding white and black striped shirt on a clothing store rack.

The case for giving garments a passport

As part of the forthcoming Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, which is set to take effect in 2027, every garment sold in European Union member states will be required to carry a digital product passport: a scannable record that traces an item’s full lifecycle.

atmos.earth
A group of climate protesters holding a sign that says our house is on fire.

One word sums up climate politics in 2025: Greenlash

In a year shaped by Trump's return to the White House, the new administration touted "energy dominance" and protesters threw eggs at "swasticars."

grist.org
A solar panel at sunset with wind turbines in the distance

Trump’s first year back in office has been a roller coaster for clean energy

Dozens of energy developers, experts and politicians say there were some highs amid a lot of lows in a roller coaster year for clean energy as President Donald Trump worked to boost polluting fuels while stymying wind and solar.
apnews.com
a row of solar panels sitting on top of desert land with mountains and sunset in background.

The US has a power crunch. Congress is still far from solving it

A House-passed bill aimed at speeding approvals of energy projects includes language that wind and solar supporters call unacceptable. Now it goes to the Senate.
www.politico.com
Illustration depicting pumpjacks vs solar panels & wind turbines

Lawmakers question clean energy group’s tactics on permitting

The American Clean Power Association’s moves have sparked bipartisan anger.
www.eenews.net
Wastewater flowing from outflow into pond

Buildings turn sewer pipes into heating and cooling solution

Wastewater flushed down the drain can be used to heat and cool homes and buildings in a sustainable way and climate experts say it's an untapped source of energy due to its stable temperature of approximately 70°F.
apnews.com
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