Japan’s Marubeni to halve coal-fired power capacity by 2030
Japan’s Marubeni Corp said it would no longer start new coal-fired power plant projects and will halve its net coal power generating capacity of about 3 gigawatts (GW) by 2030.
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.
Germany launches world’s first hydrogen-powered train
Hydrogen-powered trains moved from concept to reality when two passenger trains began quietly serving real commuters across rural northern Germany — on routes too sparse to justify overhead electric lines, where diesel had been the only option. The trains emit nothing but steam and water, matching diesel on practicality, and other countries quickly began exploring the technology after seeing it work in the real world. The bigger challenge ahead is cost: green hydrogen remains significantly more expensive than diesel at scale, and the supply infrastructure is still maturing.
California state universities commit to 100% clean energy by 2025
The schools have 40 MW of onsite renewable energy generation, with an additional 20 to 30 MW in planning stages.
California pledges 100% clean electricity by 2045
Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill Monday that puts California — the world’s fifth largest economy if it was an independent country — on an ambitious path: using 100% clean electricity by 2045.
In ‘world first’, ultra-cheap printable solar panels are launched in Australia
Printable solar cells could quietly rewrite who gets access to clean energy — and how fast. Developed at the University of Newcastle, these paper-thin panels cost under $10 per square meter and can be installed with adhesive tape by a small crew in a single day. The technology is less efficient than silicon and degrades faster, so durability remains an open question any rollout must honestly reckon with. But if the economics hold, solar could shift from a capital investment into something closer to a subscription service — accessible to renters, small businesses, and communities conventional panels have never reached.
Ireland to raise carbon tax to help fight climate change
Taoiseach says move is necessary as part of climate change obligations.
World now has 1 TW of wind and solar capacity, 2 TW expected in 2023
The capital expenditure for constructing these plants totalled USD 2.3 trillion (EUR 1.99tr), while the next 1 TW of capacity will cost 46% less.
New ‘flow battery’ could power green homes when the sun goes down and the wind stops blowing
Researchers report the discovery of a potentially cheap, organic molecule that can power a flow battery for years instead of days.
The island of Samoa to go 100% renewable by 2025
The local utility has worked with Tesla to install a key piece of that plan, battery storage, and also a software system that can control Samoa’s entire electricity supply.
Bids open for first utility-scale wind farm in Saudi Arabia
$500m Dumat Al Jandal wind project forms part of Saudi goal to have 10% renewable energy by 2023.