Clean & renewable energy

This archive tracks real progress in clean and renewable energy — from solar and wind expansion to grid upgrades and policy wins. Each story focuses on what’s working, where, and why it matters for people and the planet.

A row of electric vehicles charging at public stations for an article about electric car sales in the E.U.

Electric car sales surpass petrol vehicles across the E.U. for the first time

By / / Good News For Humankind

Electric car sales reached a historic milestone in December 2025, surpassing petrol vehicles for the first time across the European Union. Battery-electric vehicles claimed 22.6 percent of new car registrations, narrowly edging out petrol at 22.5 percent, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers Association. The shift reflects years of falling EV prices, improved battery range, and rapid expansion of public charging infrastructure. Hybrids led all categories at 44 percent, signaling a broad move away from fossil fuels even among cautious buyers. The milestone arrived ahead of schedule and strengthens confidence in Europe’s 2050 climate neutrality goal.

Aerial view of large industrial energy facility for an article about compressed air energy storage

China opens the world’s largest compressed air energy storage plant

By / / Good News For Humankind

China has switched on the world’s largest compressed air energy storage plant, a 300-megawatt facility in Shandong province that more than doubles the previous global record for this technology. Built by China Huaneng Group, the plant stores surplus renewable electricity by compressing air into underground caverns, then releases it on demand to power roughly 300,000 households. This matters because storing clean energy at scale remains one of the central engineering challenges of the global energy transition. Unlike batteries, compressed air storage requires no rare minerals and avoids chemical degradation over time, making it a promising long-duration option worldwide.

Aerial view of rooftop solar panels on Australian suburban homes for an article about Australia renewable energy milestone — 13 words.

Australia hits 50% renewable energy milestone for the first time

By / / Good News For Humankind

Australia renewable energy hit a historic milestone in 2024, with solar and wind together supplying more than 50% of the country’s electricity for the first time ever. A decade ago, coal dominated at roughly 75% of the grid while renewables barely reached double digits, making this shift one of the fastest energy transformations on record. Rooftop solar drove much of the change, with over 3.5 million Australian homes now generating their own power. The milestone matters because electricity is one of Australia’s largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and the next target, 80%, is already within reach.

Offshore wind turbines rising from the North Sea at dusk for an article about the North Sea wind hub

Ten nations pledge €11 billion for a 100GW North Sea wind hub

By / / Good News For Humankind

North Sea wind hub: Ten European nations have pledged €11 billion to build a 100-gigawatt offshore wind network in the North Sea, enough clean electricity to power roughly 100 million homes. The commitment, formalized through the Esbjerg Declaration, is the largest coordinated offshore wind investment in European history. Beyond the raw numbers, the agreement marks a fundamental shift from competing national energy projects toward a shared multinational grid spanning northwestern Europe. It directly addresses Europe’s dependence on imported fossil fuels while setting ambitious targets of 100GW by 2030 and 300GW by 2050.

Wind turbines and solar panels generating power across a European landscape for an article about European renewable energy

Wind and solar generated more electricity than fossil fuels in Europe for the first time

By / / Good News For Humankind

European renewable energy from wind and solar surpassed coal and gas combined for the first time in history, supplying 30% of the continent’s electricity in 2024. That share had been less than 14% just a decade earlier, making the speed of this shift remarkable. Solar alone generated more electricity than coal across Europe for the first time ever. Carbon emissions from European power generation fell to their lowest level in decades. While challenges around energy affordability and grid infrastructure remain, the milestone marks a genuine turning point in how an entire continent powers itself.

A glowing plasma ring inside a fusion tokamak reactor for an article about commercial fusion power

Fusion power achieves commercial viability for the first time

By / / Archive of Human Genius

Commercial fusion power could be feeding the grid at competitive prices by 2045, if Commonwealth Fusion Systems’ Arc-3 plant in Massachusetts delivers on its promise. The groundwork is already visible: a 2021 breakthrough in high-temperature superconducting magnets made smaller, cheaper reactors possible. If it holds, fusion could finally solve the always-on clean energy puzzle.