From electric vehicles taking off in emerging markets to new microreactor experiments in the U.S., this week’s energy stories reveal how technology, policy, and power systems are shifting fast. China continues to set the pace on solar, a new AI model draws inspiration from energy principles, and a striking report shows that just 36 companies are behind half of fossil fuel and cement CO₂ emissions. Here’s what you need to know.

Tesla co-founder JB Straubel is back with a new venture—Redwood Energy—using second-life EV batteries to power the grid. This week also brings a new observatory tracking AI’s growing energy footprint, warnings over lagging climate pledges, and EU-backed innovation in offshore wind maintenance. Electrification continues to play a key role in cutting fossil fuel imports.

The UK government has unveiled a new strategy linking clean energy development with industrial growth, workforce opportunities, and regional investment. The Clean Energy Industries Sector Plan outlines a roadmap to double annual clean energy investment to over £30 billion by 2035 — with a strong emphasis on expanding domestic supply chains and revitalising the industrial regions that once powered the nation.

Public support for green energy incentives is softening, according to a new AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll — and the biggest shift is coming from groups historically most supportive of clean energy policy. Democrats and independents are showing declining enthusiasm for tax credits tied to electric vehicles, solar panels, and large-scale renewable energy projects, raising fresh questions about the political momentum behind U.S. climate efforts.

From a solar surge in the UK to the climate footprint of LNG, this week’s stories highlight big shifts in how energy is produced, stored, and distributed. Batteries are making around-the-clock solar more viable, advanced grid technology is gaining traction, and a new study raises questions about whether current energy growth patterns are serving those who need it most.

A widespread blackout disrupted electricity across Spain and parts of the European grid on 28 April, halting high-speed trains, cutting power to homes and businesses, and sparking questions about the resilience of Europe’s energy infrastructure. Although power was mostly restored within an hour, the incident triggered speculation about potential cyberattacks, renewable energy overloads, and deeper structural weaknesses in the grid.

This week’s energy highlights trace major shifts in global electricity and industrial strategy. China now generates more electricity than the U.S., EU, and India combined. In Europe, electrification is central to all industrial decarbonization scenarios. Meanwhile, Stanford researchers question the economics of carbon capture, and new studies explore how solar panels can help grasslands during drought. We also look back at the rise, fall, and future of nuclear power in the UK.

The UK government has announced a sweeping £86 billion research and development package aimed at fuelling innovation across science and technology — with longer-lasting batteries and breakthroughs in artificial intelligence among its top priorities.

From Brazil’s soaring solar output to China’s record coal buildout, this week’s global energy stories reveal both climate progress and contradictions. New data shows that electricity demand—especially from AI and industry—is reshaping the energy mix, while studies suggest offshore wind farms may offer ecological benefits.