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] Global investments in clean energy must surge to $4.5 trillion annually by 2030 to keep the world within the 1.5 °C warming limit. Grand Pinnacle Tribune
• [New] With global capacity expected to nearly triple in the next decade, the momentum behind solar is undeniable, promising a brighter and more sustainable energy landscape worldwide. energygain.co.uk
• [New] Google has pledged to reduce its emissions by a staggering 1 gigaton per year by 2030, underscoring the seriousness with which major players are embracing clean energy. Grand Pinnacle Tribune
• [New] A new regulation coming into effect in the spring of 2026 will allow renewable energy sources like solar and wind to participate in voltage control services, which were previously limited to conventional power plants. Passle
• [New] The defining trend for 2026 will be the accelerating investment in energy and digital infrastructure, driven by industrialization, digitalization, and the adoption of electric vehicles. Passle
• [New] As the UK aims for a decarbonized energy system by 2030 and beyond, solar energy will undoubtedly play a vital role in powering a cleaner, more resilient, and sustainable future. energygain.co.uk
• [New] The UK's government has committed to ambitious renewable energy targets, with a clear roadmap to reach 45-47 GW of solar capacity by 2030. energygain.co.uk
• [New] North America is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period, driven by rising electricity costs, grid reliability challenges, and strong policy support for energy storage solutions. Precedence Research
• [New] The efficiency of photovoltaic cells will continue to improve, particularly through the combination of silicon and perovskite-based technologies, which are beginning to consolidate as one of the most relevant technological advances shaping the future of solar energy over the next decade. Mondragon Assembly
• [New] Despite global challenges, solar energy remains one of the greatest opportunities to move towards a cleaner and more secure energy model. Mondragon Assembly
• [New] From the perspective of 2026, further rapid growth in energy consumption driven by artificial intelligence is expected. TTMS
• [New] Data centers and AI infrastructure will need an energy source that can only be met by LNG. Euronews
• [New] The digital sector and adjacent infrastructure (such as energy generation, networks and network interconnectors to support the capacity demands of data centers in particular) will remain attractive for UK investors in 2026. Passle
• [New] Arizona has established the 'Arizona Energy Promise Taskforce' to identify opportunities and policy frameworks to affordably grow infrastructure development while minimizing cumbersome regulatory processes through common sense reforms. National Governors Association
• [New] Although investment in sectors like mobility (EVs) and clean energy will likely continue to grow in 2026, despite Trump's assertion that wind power investment is a new green scam, there are other areas of climate tech that will probably receive a lot more focus over the course of 2026 and beyond. Springwise
• [New] The integration of smart grids and digital technologies will further optimize solar energy utilization across the UK. energygain.co.uk
• [New] The US Energy Information Administration has emphasized how temperature assumptions can materially alter near term pricing expectations, including downward revisions to Henry Hub forecasts when winter demand is expected to underperform seasonal norms. FXStreet
• [New] Sessions will explore how machine learning can optimize smart grids and energy storage systems, a growing need as data center electricity demand is expected to increase dramatically by 2026. Inspenet
• [New] Last year the Commission published the 8th PINC report on nuclear investment needs, which showed that nuclear energy will require significant investments, of €241 billion until 2050, both for lifetime extensions of existing reactors and the construction of new large-scale reactors. Energy
• [New] Virtually all net new electrical generating capacity in 2026 will be provided by solar, wind, and batteries according to a new forecast released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Environment America
• [New] The Nuclear Scaling Initiative is a collaborative effort of Clean Air Task Force, the EFI Foundation, and the Nuclear Threat Initiative to build a new nuclear energy ecosystem that can quickly and economically scale to 50+ gigawatts of safe and secure nuclear energy globally per year by the 2030s. The Nuclear Threat Initiative

Last updated: 08 February 2026