Key developments
IEA says solar led global energy growth
The International Energy Agency's 2026 Global Energy Review said global energy demand rose 1.3% in 2025, slower than the prior decade, while electricity demand increased about 3% on electrification, EV adoption and data centers. Solar was the biggest contributor to supply growth, accounting for more than 25% of the increase and about 600 terawatt-hours of added generation; the IEA said it was the first time a modern renewable led global primary energy growth. Renewables and nuclear together met nearly 60% of demand growth, while battery storage added about 110 GW and electric-car sales topped 20 million.
Why it matters
It marks a major shift in where new global energy supply is coming from, with clean power covering most incremental demand growth.
Sources & driving stories
ELECTREK · Michelle Lewis
Electrek coverageStudy finds wildfire nights burn longer
A Science Advances study found North American wildfire weather has become far more fire-friendly, with 36% more favorable hours than the mid-1970s and 44% more fire-prone days. Researchers analyzed nearly 9,000 larger fires from 2017 to 2023 and reported especially large nighttime gains, including about 550 more potential burning hours in California and as many as 2,000 additional hours a year in parts of southwest New Mexico and central Arizona. The authors say warmer nights and weaker humidity recovery are making fires harder to suppress after dark, including in Lahaina, Jasper and Los Angeles.
Why it matters
Longer burn windows make overnight suppression harder and increase the odds that fires intensify before crews can contain them.
Sources & driving stories
HONOLULU CIVIL BEAT
Honolulu Civil Beat coverageCalifornia water system contracts solar power
California's Department of Water Resources celebrated the 105-megawatt Pastoria Solar Project near Kern County's Edmonston Pumping Plant, calling it its largest renewable contract and a major step toward carbon-neutral State Water Project operations by 2035. The agency signed a 20-year power purchase agreement at $1 per megawatt hour, while Pacific Gas & Electric separately contracted for the adjacent 80-megawatt, 320-megawatt-hour battery bank. The solar site sits next to Calpine's 750-megawatt gas plant, reflecting the reliability tradeoff as the state tries to clean up one of its biggest power loads.
Why it matters
It shows a critical public water system using long-term clean power procurement to decarbonize a massive electricity demand center.
Sources & driving stories
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Los Angeles Times coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Wood BECCS may stay net-positive
A Nature Sustainability study and Guardian reporting say forest-fuelled BECCS is unlikely to become carbon negative for about 150 years because most emissions occur upstream of the plant.
WORTH NOTING
New South Wales climate planning overhaul
A draft state policy would fold climate-scenario assessments, urban heat rules and natural-hazard controls into one planning instrument, tightening review of major projects.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will clean power buildout keep pace with rising load?
The IEA says electricity demand is rising on EVs, electrification and data centers, so the next test is whether solar, storage and nuclear additions can keep up.
OPEN QUESTION
How quickly can fire response adapt to longer nights?
If wildfire-favorable hours keep expanding, suppression strategies may need to change for the overnight period that used to offer crews a break.