decarbonisation

The Spanish region of Catalonia will need to have at least 7GW of solar PV installed by 2030 to put it on track to achieving a decarbonised electricity system and energy independence by mid-century.

A record 31.1GW of clean energy was bought by corporations through power purchase agreements (PPAs) last year, with technology companies once again the largest buyers, according to research firm BloombergNEF (BNEF).

Regulators in Nevada have paved the way for two solar-storage hybrid projects to replace a legacy coal power plant in the US state, approving their sale to utility NV Energy.

Raising more than US$1 billion in equity capital in the past year, US independent power producer (IPP) Silicon Ranch is looking to expand its model of developing, owning and operating large-scale PV plants while maintaining a strategy of co-locating projects with regenerative agriculture.

US utility Appalachian Power has unveiled plans to acquire or contract for nearly 300MW of solar PV over the next three years as it transitions towards net zero status by 2050.

Around 5.3GW of solar was installed in Germany last year, however the trade body has warned that additional barriers will need to be “torn down” if the new German coalition government’s target of 200GW of operational solar capacity by 2030 is to be met.

With Democrats needing to come up with revised legislation to salvage President Joe Biden’s US$1.75 trillion Build Back Better Act, renewable energy provisions should be prioritised to accelerate decarbonisation efforts, writes Jules Scully.

The sun wasn’t shining in Glasgow for COP26 and many in the solar sector lamented the lack of mention in countries’ pledges. Nonetheless, some vital announcements were made that will be crucial to the industry’s growth and its role in reaching net zero, writes Sean Rai-Roche.

Mining giant Fortescue is to partner with Australian energy major AGL Energy to examine the potential of repurposing legacy coal assets for renewables-powered green hydrogen facilities.

Tech major Amazon has added a further 2GW to its committed utility-scale solar PV capacity, adding projects in the US and Europe to its renewables portfolio.