Global Investment Shift, US Renewables Rise & EV Forecast Flaws
From record-breaking solar output in the UK to shifting global investment flows and sharp critiques of nuclear megaprojects, this week’s energy stories highlight how clean power is accelerating while traditional technologies face mounting challenges.
🌍 Global Electricity Investment Shifts to Clean Power
Over the past decade, electricity investment has undergone a dramatic shift. Spending on low-emissions generation and batteries has more than doubled since 2015, while solar PV is set to attract more than three times the investment in 2025 compared with ten years ago. The trend underscores how capital is being redirected toward technologies driving the energy transition.
☀️ UK Solar Generation Surges by One-Third
France’s biggest battery energy storage system (BESS) has entered operation at the port of Nantes-Saint-Nazaire. Built by Harmony Energy, the 100 MW/200 MWh project will provide grid stability, support renewable integration, and improve energy security. It marks a milestone in France’s efforts to scale up large-scale storage to complement its nuclear-heavy grid.
🚗 EV Forecasts Prove a Cautionary Tale
While the global shift to electric vehicles has accelerated, many bullish forecasts from the past decade have not materialized as predicted. Analysts who were overly optimistic on adoption rates have often failed to revisit or revise their projections, leaving important lessons unlearned for future outlooks on clean transport.
☀️ US Solar and Wind Defy Policy Headwinds
Despite efforts by the Trump administration to slow solar growth, public demand for affordable, reliable energy continues to rise. Solar and wind projects are stepping up to fill the gap, making up over 90% of all new US power capacity additions between January and May 2025, a clear sign of market momentum.
⚛️ EDF’s Former Chief Blasts UK Nuclear Design
The design of Sizewell C, the UK’s latest planned nuclear power station, has come under fire from Henri Proglio, former head of EDF. He described the project as “terrifying,” “phenomenally complex,” and “almost unbuildable,” adding to mounting concerns over cost, feasibility, and execution challenges for new nuclear in Europe.