Our Scans · (LF.7) 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] 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] 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] 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] 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] 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 global investors navigate evolving tariff regimes and regulatory complexities, MENA will continue to be a promising venue to deliver large-scale infrastructure and energy projects in 2026 - and beyond. Passle
• [New] Oil should not be dismissed, nor should any energy source, as the SDG 7 2030 deadline for universal access to electricity looms ever nearer. Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
• [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] Shell has issued its 2026 Energy Security Scenarios outlining how intensifying geopolitics, economic fragility, technological disruption, and climate pressures are driving a global polycrisis that shapes three divergent pathways. SAFETY4SEA
• [New] Outlook for 2026-2030 The years 2026-2030 will be a period of intensive technological transformation in the energy sector, during which changes will no longer be isolated or incremental, but will instead affect the entire architecture of the power system. TTMS
• [New] Adaptive protection supports better integration of renewable energy sources into the power grid and reduces the risk of unnecessary outages, which is why it is considered one of the most important trends in the development of protection systems over the coming decade. TTMS
• [New] Beijing will advance the ecosystem for industries including clean energy technology, new energy vehicles, robotics and commercial aerospace. chinadailyhk
• [New] The computational power used to train the largest AI models could grow 125-fold by 2030 without hitting hard limits in energy, chips, or data. International AI Safety Report
• [New] SpaceX contends that moving AI compute off-planet will address terrestrial data center limitations in energy, cooling, and land use, advancing a vision of humanity's expansion to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. Futurum
• [New] The integration of smart grids and digital technologies will further optimize solar energy utilization across the UK. energygain.co.uk
• [New] CATL plans to mass-produce its Tianxing II high-density sodium-ion battery, with an energy density of 175 Wh / kg, for use in light commercial vehicles. / China Argus Media
• [New] Orbital data centers will become the cheapest and most scalable AI infrastructure within 30-36 months due to unlimited solar energy and regulatory ease, with SpaceX launching hundreds of gigawatts annually by 2031. NextBigFuture.com
• [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] The Trump administration is loosening the decades-long bipartisan opposition to the spread of enrichment and reprocessing, increasing the risk that States will hedge or develop nuclear capabilities relevant to both weaponization and a civil energy program. Just Security
• [New] The global energy transition is both a climate imperative and an unprecedented economic opportunity for Latin America. CAF
• [New] Replacing thermal distillation could reduce annual U.S. energy costs by $4 billion and save 100 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Last updated: 09 February 2026