Green Energy

By Ricardo Amansure, Stellenbosch University (The Conversation) – About 85% of South Africa’s electricity is produced by burning coal. The country’s move to renewable energy means that the coal industry will be phased out. To this end, the South African cabinet recently approved the country’s first renewable energy masterplan, which sets out what’s needed to […]

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Solar Power doubling every 3 Years; 41% of world Electricity now Low-Carbon

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – It may be that Trump can slow the advance of renewables, including solar energy, in the United States. That would be a shame for the US, because consumers will have to pay more for electricity, the grid will be dirtier, and the country will fall farther behind China in the […]

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European CO2 Emissions keep Plummeting, as 47% of Electricity is Green

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The 27 countries of the European Union, with a population of about 450 million, produce 3.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide every year, helping heat up and destabilize the global climate. This is according to the new EU report on energy dated 2025. But the good news is that […]

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Germany: A Not-So-Green Departing Government, A Future Coalition even Less Ambitious on Climate?

Marc Martorell Junyent

Zwickau/Munich (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) –– When Germans voted in a national election in September 2021, 33% of the population considered that the environment and climate were among the two main problems Germany was facing. In a poll from January 2025, one month before last weekend’s election, only 13% of the population held the […]

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For First time, US is at 42% Zero Carbon Electricity, as Solar Surges by 49 GW

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The Business Council for Sustainable Energy Factbook is out, and it has good news for the environment despite the dark shadow being cast by a climate denialist White House. The good news is that the incredible advance of solar power generation has boosted renewable sources of power to 24% of […]

Asia

As Trump Shutters US Offshore Wind, Asia’s Renewables Promise Cheaper Manufacturing, Trade Surpluses

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Trump has halted the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management from granting new offshore wind licenses. This move will gut the growing US offshore wind industry, though it does not necessarily affect already-granted licenses. Gavin Maguire at Reuters explains the outcome of this policy will be high energy costs for Americans, […]

Australia

First Nations Peoples are now Key to Australia’s clean Energy Revolution, after 65,000 Years of Caring for this Land

The Conversation

By Heidi Norman, UNSW Sydney (The Conversation) – Australia is on the cusp of a once-in-a-generation transformation, as our energy systems shift to clean, renewable forms of power. First Nations peoples, the original custodians of this land, must be central to – and benefit from – this transition. That is the key message of the […]

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Morocco to double Green Energy in Sahara in anticipation of 2030 World Cup

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The World Cup, disputed territory and green energy are three of the things that increasingly make the world go round, and they are coming together in Morocco. Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner is even in the background of it all. Morocco’s Atalayer reports that Rabat will attempt to double sustainable energy […]

China

China’s Green Energy Wave enters the Middle East

Neil Thompson

London (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Facing rising trade barriers and diplomatic tensions with the US and the EU, Chinese renewable energy companies are turning to Middle Eastern states as an alternative market for goods including electric vehicles (EVs), lithium-ion batteries, and solar panels. The US, the EU and Canada have all imposed tariffs […]