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] Enhanced geothermal systems could unlock up to 150 GW of clean, constant energy in the U.S., far beyond current capacity. oilprice.com
• [New] Renewable energy is surging ahead because of sharp falls in the cost of solar and wind energy components, and fears over national security raised by the Iran war and oil crisis. The Guardian
• [New] A coalition of the willing - including 54 countries and various subnational governments, civil society groups and academics - will try to chart a new path to powering the world with low-carbon energy. The Guardian
• [New] Ozhan said it will become the largest wind power plant in Kazakhstan to date, including a battery energy storage system. The Astana Times
• [New] Wind energy in the US is gaining serious momentum again, with strong growth expected over the next few years. Find EV Charging Stations, Read Reviews & Rate Your Exp
• [New] By 2026, energy storage capacity is expected to grow by more than 25%, ensuring consistent supply even during low-generation periods. / India Tata Power
• [New] As India continues its journey toward net-zero emissions, renewable energy growth in India will remain central to achieving national and global sustainability goals. Tata Power
• [New] Solar energy currently accounts for more than 60% of India's projected renewable capacity growth through 2030. Tata Power
• [New] India's energy demand is projected to increase more than that of any other country in the coming decades due to its population size and economic potential. Tata Power
• [New] Following the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the EU raised its target for the share of renewable energy sources in gross final energy consumption from 32% by 2030 to 42.5%. Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP)
• [New] The share of electricity in final energy consumption, which was fairly constant at 20% in the 2010s, will need to rise to 49% by 2040. EurekAlert!
• [New] The Government of the Republic of Namibia has committed to increasing the share of renewable energy in the national energy mix from 54% to 70% by 2040, as outlined in the Sixth National Development Plan and the Namibia Energy Compact. Namibia Oil and Gas - Namibia Oil and Gas is Namibia's
• [New] As Namibia advances its green hydrogen and broader green industrialization agenda, the lessons drawn from China's experience are expected to inform national strategies on scaling renewable energy generation, strengthening storage capacity, and developing cleaner industrial value chains. Namibia Oil and Gas - Namibia Oil and Gas is Namibia's
• [New] 2026 could be a year of unprecedented advancements and output for US wind energy. Tesevo
• [New] Google has signed a strategic partnership with company Commonwealth Fusion Systems, which is racing to build a donut-shaped machine called a tokamak that could eventually generate 10 million times the energy of coal or natural gas, all without greenhouse gas emissions. CNN
• [New] OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is backing a $5.4 billion nuclear fusion start-up called Helion Energy, which claims it will supply Microsoft with electricity by 2028. CNN
• [New] Hydropower and geothermal energy are more geographically constrained than solar and wind but will still also be vital to the U.S. renewable energy portfolio. Novogradac
• [New] Offshore wind energy is central to the European Union's renewable strategy, with plans to boost North Sea capacity more than tenfold by 2050. SciTechDaily
• [New] The hydrogen roadmap goes together with the national energy transition roadmap as one of the key levers to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. IEA
• [New] From 2027 to 2030, actions include: five or more schemes including banking, fuels, energy, and finance; long-term plan for cross-sector governance; substantial private investment in smart data; more developed international cooperation and influence. www.hoganlovells.com
• [New] In the United States, the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Initiative has partnered with over 900 organizations to improve energy efficiency by at least 20%, while the EU's revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive mandates that all new buildings be zero-emission by 2030. Persistence Market Research
• [New] Solar is fast-growing as the go-to renewable energy source that will cut the burning of fossil fuels globally to power homes and even complex installations, such as AI data centers. List.Solar

Last updated: 27 April 2026