Tesla charges ahead with plans for more gigafactories
Tesla claims that by the end of 2018, the Nevada factory will assemble more lithium-ion batteries than what were produced globally in 2013.
Sustainability
This archive tracks real progress on sustainability — from clean energy adoption and circular economy breakthroughs to policy wins and community-led conservation efforts. Each story focuses on what’s working, where, and why it matters for the long-term health of people and the planet.
7,000 railway stations in India to go solar
The Indian Finance Minister Arun Jaitley announced that the 7,000 railway stations across the country will be fed with solar power as per the Indian Railways mission to implement 1,000 megawatts of solar power capacity.
Saudis kick off $50 billion renewable energy plan to cut oil use
Bidders seeking to qualify to build 700 megawatts of wind and solar power plants should submit documents by March 20, and those selected will be announced by April 10, Saudi Arabia’s energy ministry said Monday in an e-mailed statement.
Renewables accounted for 90% of Europe’s new power last year
In 2016, 21.1 GW of the 24.5 GW of new energy sources added to Europe’s electrical grids were from renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydro, and biomass.
Solar now provides twice as many jobs as the coal industry
As solar power keeps getting cheaperand more and more of it is built as a resultthe industry is also an increasingly important source of new jobs, adding workers at a rate nearly 17 times faster than the overall economy.
U.S. solar power installations nearly triple in a single year
Solar power in the United States crossed a threshold in 2016, when the country added roughly 14.6 gigawatts of new capacity — nearly tripling the year before and outpacing every other energy source, including natural gas. Behind the numbers stood more than 260,000 solar workers, quietly proving that a cleaner grid was arriving faster than forecasters had dared to predict.
Florida votes overwhelmingly to remove property tax on solar equipment
Florida solar got a boost on Election Day 2016, when roughly 73% of voters approved Amendment 4, exempting home solar equipment from property tax assessments. The measure drew a rare bipartisan coalition and passed alongside the defeat of a utility-backed counter-measure. In the years that followed, Florida climbed from near the bottom of U.S. solar rankings toward the top.
Dubai breaks ground on the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant
Concentrated solar power is getting its biggest test yet in Dubai, where an 800-megawatt facility is rising inside the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. Using mirrors and molten salt, it can keep generating electricity after sunset — a quiet but remarkable pivot for a city built on oil wealth.
Poland’s glow-in-the-dark bicycle path runs entirely on solar power
A glow-in-the-dark bicycle path opened in the rural Polish town of Lidzbark Warminski, emitting deep blue light for up to 10 hours a night without touching the electrical grid. Luminophore particles embedded in the 328-foot surface soak up sunlight by day and release it after dark. A small, quiet experiment in making rural roads safer — and unexpectedly beautiful.
Renewables top all other new power sources for the first time
Renewable energy quietly crossed a threshold in 2015, when solar, wind, and other renewables made up roughly two-thirds of all new power capacity added worldwide, according to an IEA report released the following year. China led the wave, installing more solar and wind than any other country. It was the moment the energy transition stopped feeling hypothetical.