Energy

Donald Trump has touted an oil deal with Venezuela as the biggest in world history, but reporting points to major obstacles. The arrangement faces legal challenges and logistical problems, with questions over whether it can actually be implemented. Observers are questioning the scale of the claims and the feasibility of the agreement between Washington and Caracas.

Iraq has resumed oil trucking operations after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted tanker shipments, a key export route for its crude. Baghdad is relying on overland routes and its pipeline through Turkey to keep oil moving while the vital waterway remains shut. The move highlights how the closure is reshaping global energy flows.

The European Union is moving to restrict the energy and water use of data centres, as the sector's rapid growth strains power grids and water supplies across the bloc. The proposal targets the booming infrastructure behind cloud computing and artificial intelligence, and is drawing debate about how far regulators should go in limiting an industry seen as key to Europe's digital economy.

Researchers report the first direct radio signal detected from a planet outside the solar system, a milestone in the search for worlds beyond our own. The detection, picked up by astronomers studying distant planetary systems, could open a new way to study exoplanets' magnetic fields and potential habitability. Scientists caution that more observations are needed to confirm the signal's origin.

Researchers affiliated with Harvard University report detecting a radio signal originating directly from a planet outside our solar system. The detection would mark a rare direct radio observation of an exoplanet, potentially revealing details about its magnetic field and environment. The news is drawing wide attention online, with commenters speculating about whether the signal could have a natural origin or something more intriguing.

A major battery storage facility is being built in Waltrop, Germany, at a cost of around 500 million euros. The project would use 800 containers of lithium batteries to store up to 1,800 megawatt-hours of electricity and deliver up to 900 megawatts of power, allowing surplus wind and solar energy to be fed into the grid. It is being discussed as an example of Germany's push to expand grid-scale storage for renewable energy.

The US Energy Information Administration projects that solar power generation in Texas will surpass coal in 2026, marking a milestone in the state's energy transition. Texas, already the leading US state for both wind and utility-scale solar additions, is expected to see coal's share of its electricity mix fall further as new solar capacity comes online and coal plants continue retiring.

A new player has emerged in the growing conflict over siting solar farms on agricultural land, according to Politico. The dispute pits renewable energy developers seeking open space for large-scale solar projects against farmers and rural communities concerned about losing productive farmland. The identity and motives of this unlikely influential figure are drawing attention as the battle over land use and clean energy intensifies across rural areas.

The Trump administration's crackdown on solar companies with Chinese ties is slowing the wave of new solar manufacturing factories that had been planned or under construction in the United States. The measures, aimed at curbing Chinese influence in the supply chain, are reportedly causing investment delays and putting the momentum of the domestic solar factory boom at risk.

A data center developer is suing a city in the St. Louis area after local officials required it to supply renewable energy on-site as a condition for building. The case has sparked debate about whether cities can impose green energy mandates on large power-hungry developments, and it highlights growing tension between booming data center construction and local environmental rules.

Commentary circulating online argues the fossil fuel industry keeps moving the goalposts as renewable energy outperforms past predictions. It revisits 2013 Australian Senate debate, when Barnaby Joyce dismissed a 5% solar target as impossible — a target later surpassed. Writers say climate denial tactics have evolved from rejecting renewables outright to questioning their scale and reliability, as solar and wind success makes outright denial harder to sustain.

Solar procurement firm Anza forecasts that US solar module prices will rise by at least 40% as a result of Section 232 tariffs. The projected increase would raise costs for developers and could slow new solar projects across the United States. Industry watchers are weighing the impact on clean energy buildout and domestic manufacturing incentives.

Asteroid 2024 YR4, discovered in December 2024, has drawn attention from NASA and space watchers worldwide after early calculations suggested a small but nonzero chance it could hit Earth in December 2032. The roughly 40-metre-wide rock briefly topped impact-risk monitoring lists, and astronomers have been refining its orbit as it moves away from view.

First Solar shares are falling toward their lowest level in a year, prompting debate among investors over whether the solar panel maker's stock now represents a bargain. The drop has drawn attention to valuation questions around the company, one of the largest US solar manufacturers, as market watchers weigh whether recent weakness reflects deeper problems or a buying opportunity.

A city council is set to hold a discussion on new rules governing solar energy development. The proposed regulations would shape how and where solar projects can be built within the city, a topic of growing interest as renewable energy expansion accelerates. Details about the specific provisions and the council's position have not yet been made public ahead of the meeting.

Questions are being raised over whether the rapid expansion of solar power in the United States is finally losing momentum. Analysts and readers are debating the state of the industry, its growth trajectory, and what factors could be holding back new installations after years of strong gains.

New findings suggest asteroid Bennu, a near-Earth object studied by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, may have originated much closer to the Sun than previously believed, challenging existing models of how the solar system's early materials were distributed. Scientists say the asteroid's composition could indicate it formed in a warmer region before migrating outward.

A creator has pushed back against a meme circulating online that criticises solar panels for taking up land, arguing that US cattle farming consumes far more water than solar energy production and that livestock grazing and solar panels can share the same land. The rebuttal frames solar development as compatible with agriculture, countering a common talking point used against renewable energy projects.

Lightstar has expanded its project pipeline in Illinois, adding battery energy storage systems and community solar developments. The move strengthens the company's position in the state's growing clean energy market, where community solar programs continue to attract developer interest under state renewable energy incentives.

CGTN's RAZOR programme explores whether solar technology can play a role in protecting global water supplies. The report examines how solar power could be used to address water scarcity, from powering desalination plants to pumping and purification systems. As droughts and water shortages intensify worldwide, the intersection of renewable energy and water security is drawing renewed attention from researchers and policymakers.

Geothermal energy is being described as an increasingly volatile wild card in the global energy transition. The technology, which promises constant low-carbon power regardless of weather, is drawing renewed attention as new drilling approaches and projects push the boundaries of what geothermal can deliver, with observers weighing its potential against technical and financial uncertainty.

A new residential development in Colorado is being presented as a preview of how American homes may produce and consume energy in the future, according to reporting by Inside Climate News. The neighborhood is drawing attention for its approach to home energy use, a topic of growing interest as utilities, builders and policymakers weigh how residential communities can cut emissions and adapt to a changing grid.

A South Korean solar company has returned to Cheyenne, Wyoming, pitching a 140-megawatt solar farm under the name Project Wrangler. The proposal marks a renewed push by the firm to build in the area, and local coverage is drawing attention to what a project of that scale could mean for the city's energy landscape and economy.

NASA's mission to asteroid Psyche remains in the spotlight as the spacecraft travels toward the metal-rich object between Mars and Jupiter. The mission aims to study what may be the exposed core of an ancient planetesimal, offering clues about how rocky planets like Earth formed. Interest continues as the spacecraft progresses on its journey toward a planned arrival.

A public hearing on the proposed Helmstetter's Curve solar project is expected to take place in the coming weeks, according to local reporting in the Cumberland, Maryland area. The hearing will give residents and officials a chance to weigh in on the renewable energy development before any approval decisions are made.