Global Scans · Affordable and Clean Energy · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

• [New] Advances in synthetic biology & fusion energy will influence global sustainability efforts, while next-generation materials will enable lighter, stronger & more efficient technologies. UnfoldLabs
• [New] Hydropower and geothermal energy are more geographically constrained than solar and wind but will still also be vital to the U.S. renewable energy portfolio. Novogradac
• [New] Google has signed a strategic partnership with company Commonwealth Fusion Systems, which is racing to build a donut-shaped machine called a tokamak that could eventually generate 10 million times the energy of coal or natural gas, all without greenhouse gas emissions. CNN
• [New] OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is backing a $5.4 billion nuclear fusion start-up called Helion Energy, which claims it will supply Microsoft with electricity by 2028. CNN
• [New] Wind energy in the US is gaining serious momentum again, with strong growth expected over the next few years. Find EV Charging Stations, Read Reviews & Rate Your Exp
• [New] By 2030 Hurtigruten and Ponant aim to debut zero-emissions ships that tap into hydroelectric energy, solar power, and wind propulsion. Yahoo
• [New] By 2026, energy storage capacity is expected to grow by more than 25%, ensuring consistent supply even during low-generation periods. / India Tata Power
• [New] As India continues its journey toward net-zero emissions, renewable energy growth in India will remain central to achieving national and global sustainability goals. Tata Power
• [New] Solar energy currently accounts for more than 60% of India's projected renewable capacity growth through 2030. Tata Power
• [New] India's renewable energy capacity continues to expand at an impressive pace, aligning closely with India renewable targets 2030, which aim for 500 GW of non-fossil fuel capacity by the end of the decade. Tata Power
• [New] The evolution of storage systems will be a key enabler of global energy security in 2026 and beyond. Tata Power
• [New] Following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU raised its target for the share of renewable energy sources in gross final energy consumption from 32% by 2030 to 42.5%. Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)
• [New] Demand for long-lasting energy storage is accelerating and that offers a rare opportunity for U.S. and European clean technology companies to compete with China in its globally dominant battery sector. Los Angeles Times
• [New] U.S. and European companies see a rare opportunity to compete with China on batteries that release energy for much longer than lithium-ion batteries can. Los Angeles Times
• [New] The EU has warned member countries against the early closure of nuclear power plants as it unveiled measures aimed at alleviating the impact of an energy crisis caused by the conflict in Iran and reducing the economic bloc's long-term fossil fuel dependency. The Independent Global Nuclear News Agency
• [New] Deregulation efforts will unleash American energy, lower costs for Americans [and] revitalize the American auto industry. Wbur
• [New] U.S. electricity consumption expected to reach 4.244 trillion kWh in 2026, driven by AI and data centers, pressuring networks and accelerating the race for energy. CPG Click Oil and Gas
• [New] Capital flow into the global fusion energy sector between 2026 and 2035 is projected at $100 billion. Medium
• [New] In the United States, the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Initiative has partnered with over 900 organizations to improve energy efficiency by at least 20%, while the EU's revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive mandates that all new buildings be zero-emission by 2030. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The revised Directive sets a binding target of at least 42.5% renewable energy in the EU's energy mix by 2030, with the ambition to reach 45%. Energy
• [New] The renewable energy framework for the next decade will seek to secure reliable, affordable, homegrown energy for European citizens and industry, and ensure that renewables contribute to the achievement of the 2040 EU climate target in a cost-efficient and sustainable way. Energy
• [New] Solar is fast-growing as the go-to renewable energy source that will cut the burning of fossil fuels globally to power homes and even complex installations, such as AI data centers. List.Solar

Last updated: 26 April 2026