Global Scans · Resources · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: The world is depleting its natural resources at an alarming rate due to population growth and over consumption. Increased competition for ever-diminishing food and water resources may amplify socio-economically motivated armed conflicts and causing quests for more efficient resources on and beyond Planet Earth.

• [New] Industry forecasts project that the United States could deploy more than 90 GW of additional storage capacity between 2025 and 2030, driven by rising electricity demand, continued renewable generation growth, and a heightened need for flexible grid resources. JD Supra
• [New] The moon harbors resources like rare earth elements, which are mined for electronics on Earth, as well as a potential gold mine in its stocks of helium-3, which could eventually be used in nuclear fusion reactors to make near-limitless clean energy. Live Science
• [New] Shooting for the moon fulfills a broader strategy to find and use resources off Earth, which could make space exploration cheaper because not everything is made on Earth and transported elsewhere. Live Science
• [New] By 2026, lithium mines could impact water resources for over 2 million acres of US farmland. Farmonaut
• [New] Markets with abundant solar resources such as the Middle East and Australia are expected to produce hydrogen at lower costs compared to regions relying on imported renewable electricity. openpr
• [New] By 2026, drone mines, drone in mining, and drone gold will be integral to finding, developing, and managing the world's mineral resources. Farmonaut
• [New] Natural Resources Canada's Multi-Partner Research Initiative will continue to provide funding for research projects related to oil fate, behaviour, environmental impacts, and spill response in marine, coastal, and freshwater environments. Transport Canada
• [New] Interconnection standards are evolving to address distributed resource participation in wholesale electricity markets, with FERC Order 2222 enabling aggregated distributed energy resources to compete alongside traditional generation resources. Discovery Alert
• [New] Cobalt mining in DRC is projected to increase by 25% by 2026, intensifying pressure on local water and soil resources. Farmonaut
• [New] Dominion Energy committed to a $50 billion capital plan for 2025-2029, with approximately 80% aimed at grid upgrades and new generation resources. EnkiAI - Find the right insight
• [New] Cloud providers like IBM, AWS, and Microsoft are expected to further integrate quantum-classical hybrid resources into their platforms throughout 2026. techbrosin
• [New] EMPYREAN will build federations of collaborative resources, to be referred to as IoT-Edge Associations or simply Associations, that will be created and be operated autonomously and seamlessly using the EMPYREAN AI-enabled management scheme. Springer Nature Switzerland
• [New] The EIA's longer-term Annual Energy Outlook tells a starker story still: after 2030, US crude oil production begins to decline across most modelled scenarios, as wells become increasingly uneconomic and remaining resources deliver diminishing returns. Age of Transformation
• [New] As the ice retreats, new shipping lanes and energy reserves will open up, significantly increasing the likelihood of direct clashes between Russia and NATO over territory and resources in 2026. Daily Record
• [New] The EU's strategy on SMRs risks diverting attention, resources, and political momentum away from the proven solutions, such as wind and solar. Euronews
• [New] China will adjust the allocation of educational resources in response to structural changes occurring in school-age populations. Cision PR Newswire
• [New] China's expected 2026 GDP growth reflects a strategic shift toward high-quality development, allowing investment and resources to better support technological innovation and people-centered priorities. chinadailyhk
• [New] On the international scale, major powers like the US and China agree to share (at least some) future resources, while they are both unsure who might dominate without a power-sharing agreement. Forethought
• [New] Lithium Argentina revised mineral resources upward at its Cauchari-Olaroz operation in Jujuy province, Argentina, strengthening the phase 2 development plans that will double lithium carbonate equivalent production to 85,000 t / y. BNamericas
• [New] Human Resources Minister Wang Xiaoping has stated that China is actively leveraging AI to expand opportunities for the 12.7 million university graduates entering the workforce in 2026. devFlokers
• [New] The planned Chang'e 7 mission, launching later in 2026, will likely land at the Shackleton Crater on the south pole to survey it for water ice and other resources that might be used to support the ILRS. Scientific American
• [New] By diverting resources to military operations, the U.S. risks underfunding public health systems, preventive care, and social determinants of health that could reduce disease and mortality rates. Modern Ghana
• [New] For Ukraine, the main risk is associated with the redistribution of resources and attention of Western countries.

Last updated: 25 March 2026