Mega-scale and distributed renewables growth
Key Questions
What major renewable projects are reaching milestones?
SunZia 3,650 MW wind farm is starting operations, Dominion secured land for CVOW South offshore expansion, and France launched 10GW offshore wind tenders.
How are countries advancing toward high renewable shares?
New Zealand reached 94.5% renewables while China invested 12.9B yuan in Gansu clean energy and Brazil sees 92% of corporate leaders viewing renewables as competitive.
What tools help address solar siting conflicts?
The Nature Conservancy released a new siting tool balancing deployment with conservation, alongside agrivoltaics research and solar-powered farming solutions.
What progress is occurring in green hydrogen and SAF?
Global renewable hydrogen certification frameworks are emerging and China's SAF sector hit milestones with a $6.1B bio-aviation fuel complex.
How is India scaling solar and storage infrastructure?
Bondada Group announced 10 GW solar and BESS plans while solar irrigation projects provide positive examples in tribal areas.
What land-use challenges face renewable expansion?
India farmers protested solar farms on fertile land in Rajasthan, Taiwan saw fish-solar corruption issues, and Sedgwick County approved a solar pause.
What is the IRENA roadmap targeting?
IRENA released a roadmap to triple global renewables capacity by 2030 as a benchmark for national policies.
How are steel and aviation sectors decarbonizing?
POSCO's new electric arc furnace advances steel decarbonization while Sinopec progresses on sustainable aviation fuel projects.
SunZia (3,650 MW) largest US wind farm starting ops. China's Gansu 12.9B yuan clean energy investment. Italy battery project. Spain offshore solar potential. New Zealand 94.5% renewable. France 10GW offshore wind tenders. Global renewable hydrogen certification frameworks. New: Dominion Energy secures land option for CVOW South offshore wind expansion (Virginia). Local solar siting conflicts persist (Albany debate). Also: Deep-dive video on global HVDC subsea grid engineering reinforces viability of long-distance transmission for renewable scaling, though supply chain and geopolitical hurdles remain. The Smarter E Europe event showcases 24/7 renewables and hydrogen integration. Weekly Anthropocene roundup highlights Indonesia's ambitious solar target and Brazil's deforestation decline as positive signals. New: $3.3B new renewable energy investment and 1.4 GW committed in Q3 2024; Nature Reviews piece on rooftop solar potential clarifies gap between technical and deployable potential, highlighting grid limits and equity barriers. New: Solar beat coal in US electricity generation for first time; Brazil corporate electrification sees 92% of leaders viewing renewables as competitive edge. China's Inner Mongolia links green energy to AI computing hubs. New: IRENA's roadmap to triple global renewables by 2030 provides authoritative benchmark; China's SAF sector sees two milestones (Sinopec FEED for $6.1B bio-aviation fuel complex in Uzbekistan, Shanghai Carbonology kiloton-scale DAC-to-e-SAF pilot). POSCO's new electric arc furnace signals steel decarbonization progress. Recent: India's farmers protest solar farms destroying fertile land (Rajasthan) – a critical just transition warning. Agrivoltaics research (CSU) and solar-powered farming explainers offer potential solutions to land-use conflicts. New: Taiwan fish-solar corruption scandal adds to just transition concerns. New: Columbia Airport solar+storage project shows local distributed deployment. New: Sedgwick County solar pause reflects ongoing local siting friction. New: Bondada Group's 10 GW solar and BESS plans signal India's infrastructure growth. New: Solar irrigation in tribal village provides positive just transition example. New: Invisible solar panels (Ubiquitous Energy) represent niche BIPV innovation. New: The Nature Conservancy releases powerful new tool for siting solar projects, balancing renewable deployment with conservation—addresses land-use conflicts.