US adds Chinese battery, solar firms to military-linked list
The U.S. added some of the largest solar and battery manufacturers in the world to a list that it believes is aiding China's militaries. Washington has added Trinasolar, JA Solar Technology, and a number of other top technology companies to the long-awaited list of names?on monday. These include e-commerce giant Alibaba, and internet search provider Baidu. The list also included two of the world's largest battery manufacturers for electric vehicles and energy storage, JA Solar Technology and EVE Energy.
Qcells begins cell production in Georgia factory, a milestone for US solar
Qcells is the U.S. arm of Hanwha's solar division in Korea. The company announced on Tuesday that it had begun'making solar cells' at its Cartersville factory, Georgia. This was a significant milestone for the United States' efforts to reduce reliance on imported 'equipment' from Asia. The production of cells is an important step in Qcells' quest to produce all key components for a silicon-based panel. Solar cells are the basic building blocks for modules or panels that convert sunlight to electricity.
Nvidia's AI PC push banks on unproven demand beyond niche users
Analysts said that Nvidia’s entry into AI PC market last week with its RTX Spark Superchip is less a breakthrough 'for regular users as it is a high-stakes wager on a concept which has been largely unproven to find a 'wider appeal. The chipmaker at the Computex show in Taiwan pitched a future that laptops would run large 'AI models' locally and function as personal 'digital agents. No cloud is needed. PC?makers?HP and Dell make this claim for almost three years…
China's major solar companies are focusing on batteries to boost panel sales as they falter
China's largest solar panel manufacturers are increasing exports of higher-margin batteries to boost revenues as the growth in PV sales slows. They bet on growing global demand for renewable energy storage, to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Executives expect global demand to drop in 2026 due to weaker domestic installations, slower exports and record low prices. Company executives said that this has prompted players such as JinkoSolar and JA Solar to expand into battery storage.
Experts say that green jobs cannot solve South African unemployment.
According to the most recent government statistics, nearly one in three South Africans is unemployed. Experts say that the true level of unemployment is likely to be around 10% higher. They say that youth unemployment is about 60%. As part of the Just Energy Transition Investment plan, South Africa has phased out only one coal-fired plant, Komati, in Mpumalanga Province. This closure resulted in the loss of thousands of jobs, and very few new opportunities.
BlackRock's Atlas invests $1 billion into renewable energy in Brazil
Atlas Renewable Energy has put on hold plans to invest $1 billion in Brazil because the Brazilian grid operator has repeatedly rejected renewable energy, said CEO Carlos Barrera. Barrera noted that Atlas, owned by BlackRock's Global Infrastructure Partners, had planned projects for last year and this, noting that the company's existing projects were curtailed up to 15%-25% in the second quarter. The curtailment of power is the amount that could have been generated by solar or wind but was rejected pre-emptively because a grid reached?its limit.
Andy Home: Investors are still betting on scarcity despite the rebalancing of ROI-Tin
What can tame a wild tin industry? The London Metal Exchange's (LME) smallest base metal contract continues to defy the market. LME 3-month tin trades?at $55,225 a metric ton. This is close to the previous all-time record of $59,040, which was reached during the febrile cross-metals rally that took place in January. In March 2022 metal prices rose in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. London's tin prices are up 36% from the beginning of the year. Aluminium is the next best performer, with a rise of 23%.
Andy Home: Investors are still betting on scarcity despite the rebalancing of ROI-Tin
What can tame a wild tin industry? The London Metal Exchange's (LME) smallest base metal contract continues to defy the market gravity. LME 3-month tin trades at $55,225 a metric ton. This is close to the previous all-time high of $59,040, reached during the febrile cross-metals rally that took place in January. In March 2022 metal prices soared as a result of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. London's tin prices have risen by 36% in the first six months of this year. Aluminium is the next best performer, with a 23% increase.
The US solar industry is suffering from the price increase of aluminium due to the Mideast war.
The war in Iran has caused a shortage of aluminium, which is making racking systems more expensive. This adds to the financial pressures already being felt by an industry that has been struggling with high silver prices. Aluminium is a vital component for solar racking components, such as rails and clamps used to mount solar panels. The London Metal Exchange benchmark aluminium price has risen 15% since the end of February. CME's COMEX aluminum futures contract is up more than 30%.
The US solar industry is suffering from the price increase of aluminium due to the Mideast war.
The war in Iran has caused a shortage of aluminium, which is making racking systems more expensive. This adds to the financial pressures already being felt by an industry that has been struggling with high silver prices. Aluminium is a vital component for solar racking components, such as rails and clamps used to mount solar panels. The London Metal Exchange benchmark aluminium price has risen 15% since the end of February. CME's COMEX aluminum futures contract is up more than 30%.
Report shows that US energy storage added in the first quarter hit a record.
A report on Thursday showed that U.S. energy developers installed 9,7 gigawatt hours of new capacity during the first quarter of 2026. This was a record-high quarter. The Solar Energy Industries Association and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence report said that energy?storage capacity increased by?32% over the past quarter, despite federal policies the industry claims are slowing down clean energy development. SEIA says that data centers, volatile electric prices and disruptions in global gas and gas-turbine supplies are driving demand.
Report shows that US energy storage added in the first quarter hit a record.
A report on Thursday showed that U.S. energy developers installed 9,7 gigawatt hours of new capacity during the first quarter of 2026. This was a record-high quarter. The Solar Energy Industries Association and Benchmark Mineral Intelligence report said that energy?storage capacity increased by?32% over the past quarter, despite federal policies the industry claims are slowing down clean energy development. SEIA says that data centers, volatile electric prices and disruptions in global gas and gas-turbine supplies are driving demand.
Maguire: The NextEra-Dominion AI deal is not the last.
AI isn't just a way to increase electricity demand, it also resets the minimum scale for power supply. The proposed tie up between NextEra Energy and Dominion looks less like an one-off deal and more like a model. The $67 billion merger of two U.S. companies into one of the?world's largest energy producers is a sign that utilities must consolidate in order to build and finance the massive electricity networks needed to?run the U.S. data-heavy economy.
Want to join the "China is back" rally? Raychaudhuri: Be careful!
Investors often repeat the phrase "China is back", pointing to the successes of the country's?artificial-intelligence companies, and its ongoing recovery from a deflationary slump of three years. Stock-picking remains difficult in China. China appears to be emerging from its slump. The first-quarter gross national product increased by 5.0% on an annual basis, compared to a low of 4.5% for the fourth quarter, mainly due to strong manufacturing and exports. The consumer spending is still patchy, and the property market continues to decline.
Maguire: New models are needed to track China’s chaotic commodity transition.
China is the most energy-intensive country in the world and the top consumer of power. But analysts who monitor the raw material requirements for the country may need to adjust their models to take into account key structural changes to its economic makeup. Years of weakness in the real estate sector, historically the primary driver of economic expansion, has forced the country to re-calibrate how it generates demand and creates jobs. This has led to a contraction of?activity in the property sector.
Maguire: New models are needed to track China’s chaotic commodity transition.
China is the most energy-intensive country in the world and the top consumer of power. But analysts who monitor the raw material requirements for the country may need to adjust their models to take into account key structural changes to its economic makeup. Years of weakness in the real estate sector, historically the primary driver of economic expansion, has forced the country to re-calibrate how it generates demand and creates jobs. This has led to a contraction of?activity in the property sector.
Maguire: New models are needed to track China’s chaotic commodity transition.
China is the world's largest energy consumer and the most energy-intensive country, but analysts who monitor the country's raw materials needs may have to adjust their models in order to take into account key structural changes to its economy. Years of weakness in the property sector, historically the main driver for economic growth, has forced the country to re-calibrate how it generates demand and creates jobs. This has led to a contraction of activity in the property sector. These?developments? have changed China's economy in a material way.
Maguire: New models are needed to track China’s chaotic commodity transition.
China is the world's largest energy consumer and the most energy-intensive country, but analysts who monitor the country's raw materials needs may have to adjust their models in order to take into account key structural changes to its economy. Years of weakness in the property sector, historically the main driver for economic growth, has forced the country to re-calibrate how it generates demand and creates jobs. This has led to a contraction of activity in the property sector. These?developments? have changed China's economy in a material way.
US solar panel manufacturers seek tariff investigation on Ethiopia
A group of U.S. manufacturers of solar panels?asked federal trade officials on Tuesday to investigate solar shipments coming from Ethiopia. They alleged that the companies were completing their products in Ethiopia to avoid paying import duties for Chinese-made goods. This is the latest attempt by domestic solar panel manufacturers to get tariffs imposed on imports made by Chinese companies. The filing claims that Toyo of Japan and Origin Solar Manufacturing use Chinese wafers in Ethiopia to manufacture solar cells…
US solar panel manufacturers seek tariff investigation on Ethiopia
A group of U.S. solar panels makers asked federal trade officials on Tuesday to investigate solar shipments coming from Ethiopia. They claimed that companies were finishing their products there to avoid paying import duties for Chinese-made products. The filing at the U.S. Department of Commerce comes after a decade of efforts by the owners of domestic solar panels factories to obtain tariffs on imports that are primarily made by Chinese companies.
