Energy Security, EV Growth & China's Emissions

Energy security is increasingly shaping the global energy landscape, with geopolitical tensions adding momentum to renewable power expansion. Meanwhile, electric vehicles are approaching a major milestone, China's emissions are falling, and ambitious infrastructure projects are raising new questions about energy supply and environmental impact.

⚡ Energy Security Drives Renewable Growth

Global renewable power capacity is expected to expand by nearly 60% more over the next 5 years than during the first half of the 2020s. Energy security concerns, intensified by the Hormuz crisis, are emerging as a major driver of investment.

Growth in renewable power is surging, with energy security concerns amid the Hormuz crisis emerging as the main driver of their expansion Nearly 60% more capacity is set to be added globally over the next 5 years compared to the first half of the 2020s 👉 https://t.co/TMCZR1yeIJ https://t.co/2nFoJS2CzQ

— International Energy Agency (@IEA) November 7, 2026

🚗 Electric Cars Could Overtake Petrol Sales by 2027

Electric vehicle sales could overtake petrol cars sooner than previously expected, with monthly sales potentially reaching parity by April 2027. By October, EVs could outsell petrol cars every month, reflecting accelerating changes in the global car market.

Electric cars about to overtake petrol. I always said EVs would take over by 2028. It’s looking like we can bring that prediction forward, by at least 6 months. On the current trends, it’s possible that we will see a month, where more EVs are sold than petrol by April 2027. By October 2027, EVs will outsell petrol cars, every month, forever. .

— Jordan - The EV Guy (@JordanEVGuy) November 5, 2026

🌍 China's CO2 Emissions Record Largest Fall Since 2022

China's CO2 emissions fell 3.1% in Q3 2026, marking their largest decline since the 2022 Covid lockdowns. Higher oil prices, EV adoption and expanding clean energy reduced fossil fuel demand, while falling steel and cement emissions added to the decline.

Breaking: China’s CO2 emissions fell 3.1% in Q3 of 2026, the largest drop since 2022 Covid lockdowns. High oil prices and EVs pushed down oil demand, clean energy growth displaced coal power, steel and cement emissions fell, and coal-to-chemicals industry growth kept slowing. https://t.co/eNxPp0GBq0

— Lauri Myllyvirta (@laurimyllyvirta) November 6, 2026

🔥 Turkey Plans Gas Pipeline to Supply Cyprus

Turkey is planning a 101km gas pipeline from Anamur to northern Cyprus, primarily running beneath the sea. The project would supply gas-fired power generation in the north, with potential future electricity exports southwards and a possible route for East Mediterranean gas to reach Europe.

🇹🇷 Turkey wants to power all of 🇨🇾 Cyprus with Turkish gas. The pipe is 101 km long, mostly under the sea and runs from Anamur to Teknecik in the Turkish Cypriot north. The plan, as Turkey’s energy minister Bayraktar puts it: 🔹 Turkish gas fuels a gas power plant in the north 🔹 The north could later sell power to the Greek Cypriot south 🔹 The line can run in reverse, so East Med gas could reach Turkey and then Europe Turkey is the only country that recognises the north, and it doesn’t recognise the government in the south. Cyprus sits in the middle of the East Med gas field and the Greek Cypriot government is the one with EU backing. This is a pipeline built as diplomacy. Whether the south ever buys a single megawatt will decide if it works as an energy project.

— Jack Prandelli (@jackprandelli) November 7, 2026

🏭 $70bn Canadian Data Centre Raises Heat Concerns

A proposed 18GW data centre development in Alberta, backed by investor Kevin O'Leary, is attracting scrutiny over its environmental impact. Preliminary analysis suggests the Wonder Valley project could release around 1.5 petajoules of waste heat into the surrounding environment every day.

A mega data center backed by Kevin O'Leary is set to become the largest single heat source on Earth. Celebrity investor Kevin O'Leary is facing intense scrutiny over a proposed $70 billion mega data center project in Alberta, Canada. Known as the Wonder Valley development, a preliminary analysis by Utah State University physicist Robert Davies reveals that the massive 18-gigawatt facility would dump approximately 1.5 petajoules of thermal energy into the surrounding environment daily. This staggering output equals the thermal energy released by roughly 23 Hiroshima-sized atomic bombs every 24 hours. While Davies clarified that this metric measures pure thermodynamic heat transfer rather than nuclear explosions or blast damage, the sheer concentration of localized energy represents an unprecedented environmental footprint. Conducted on behalf of the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation—whose traditional territory encompasses the project site—the assessment also estimates the facility will generate 30 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, accounting for over 4% of Canada's total emissions. Because data center servers convert virtually all consumed electricity into waste heat that must be actively dissipated to prevent overheating, operating at such an astronomical scale poses severe ecological risks to localized ecosystems. As tech companies scramble to build massive infrastructure to power the next generation of artificial intelligence, the Wonder Valley project highlights growing global friction between rapid AI expansion, indigenous land rights, and environmental preservation. source: Davies, R. (2026). Technical Assessment of the Proposed Wonder Valley Data Center Project. Utah State University.

— Shining Science (@ShiningScience) November 6, 2026