AI This Decade, Hydrogen Freight & Africa’s Solar Surge
Electricity demand from AI, breakthroughs in clean transport, and rapid solar expansion across emerging markets are reshaping how energy systems evolve. From data centres and hydrogen freight to record-setting solar imports and experimental energy concepts, these developments highlight how technology, infrastructure, and innovation are increasingly intertwined with the future of power.
🤖 AI and the Energy System
Artificial intelligence is set to become a major driver of global electricity demand as data centres scale rapidly worldwide. The IEA highlights how AI’s growth will increasingly shape power systems, grid planning, and investment needs — while access to reliable, affordable energy may also influence where AI infrastructure ultimately concentrates.
🚚 Hydrogen Truck Efficiency Breakthrough
A new milestone for hydrogen mobility: the H49 hydrogen truck has achieved world-leading efficiency at 7.1 kg per 100 km, with further gains targeted ahead of its 2026 launch. The next-generation platform aims for sub-6.5 kg consumption, 1,000+ km range, and subsidy-free commercial viability, signaling progress toward competitive zero-emission heavy transport.
☀️ Africa’s Solar Imports Hit a New Record
Africa imported 2 GW of solar panels in a single month for the first time, marking a clear acceleration in solar deployment across the continent. Growth is broad-based, with Egypt and Algeria seeing sharp increases as large utility-scale projects come online, underscoring a continent-wide solar “take-off” beyond South Africa alone.
🗺️ U.S. Data Center Geography in 2025
Virginia now hosts more than 600 data centers, cementing its role as the most critical internet hub in the United States. Network effects, hyperscaler clustering, and access to power have driven extreme concentration, while states like Texas are emerging as secondary hubs as AI and cloud demand reshape digital infrastructure geography.
⚛️ Can Ambient Energy Be Harvested?
Researchers are exploring whether motion at the atomic scale — such as vibrations within graphene lattices — can be converted into usable electricity. Described as “energy from everything,” the concept challenges traditional ideas of power generation and hints at speculative but potentially transformative approaches to future energy systems.