Thailand invests in rooftop solar to protect against LNG price shocks
Akanat PROMPHAN, Thailand's Energy Minister, said that the country will assist 1 million households in installing 5 gigawatts of rooftop solar panels by year-end to protect citizens from soaring energy prices caused by the Iran War. This move is financed through a 200 billion Baht ($6.01billion) emergency energy transition fund. It's the third major Asian importer of liquefied gas to use rooftop solar as a hedge against rising prices after the Philippines, and Bangladesh.
Kosovo parties strike deal to elect president, breaking deadlock
?Vetevendosje, the party of Kosovo caretaker prime minister Albin Kurti and the Democratic League of 'Kosovo, the opposition, agreed to support the election of a a new president on Monday, a move which could break nearly a??years of political deadlock. Bekim Sejdiu is a 51-year-old law professor who teaches at the University of Pristina. He was previously Kosovo's Ambassador to Turkey and the consul general of New York. Kurti's?party, which won the snap June 7 election, only needs a few votes from smaller minor parties to form a coalition.
Sembcorp India Renewables, backed by Temasek, filess for $393 Million IPO
Draft papers from Wednesday show that Sembcorp Green Infra (the Indian renewable energy division of Temasek-backed Sembcorp Industries) has filed to make an IPO in Mumbai. The aim is to raise up to 37.5 billion rupees (393,04 million dollars). Sembcorp has filed its second application to make its Indian energy division public. The move comes at a time when India's IPO markets are showing signs of resurgence after a sluggish first half of the calendar year.
Europe and Asia boost renewable energy in response to the US-Iran War
The U.S. and Israel war against Iran has lasted six months. Governments in Europe and Asia are now scrambling to build out renewables to?cut dependency on fossil fuel imports. This will provide a new impetus for the global energy transformation. The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has slowed down a fifth of world oil and LNG shipments, has led governments from South Korea to Thailand and the European Union to pledge to increase funding to renewable energy sources. Has the conflict benefited the transition to clean energy?
China's fossil fuelled power production falls in July due to a slowdown in electricity generation
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that China's fossil fuelled?power production fell in July, in line with an overall?decrease?in power?generation. The data shows that China generated 943.9 kilowatt hours (kWh) in July, a 0.1 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. The thermal electricity generated mainly by coal-fired power plants fell 3.5% in the month of July, but rose 1.8% for the first seven months. The volume of hydropower increased by 6.7% in July, and 8.8% for the first seven-month period.
SMA Solar: EU restrictions on Chinese solar inverters will boost European suppliers
The European Union's ban on public funding for utility-scale inverters made by "high-risk countries" is set to shift the market toward European suppliers, according to?SMA Solar?s chief executive?on Thursday. The European Union's 27-country bloc imposed the ban on May 1, primarily affecting Chinese products. They cited fears that inverters connected to the internet from countries they deemed "high-risk", could be used by those countries to disrupt Europe’s power grid.
S&P 500 and Dow futures tempered ahead of jobs data, but chips and software stocks rise
S&P 500 futures and Dow futures were little altered on Friday, ahead of an important U.S. employment report that may influence the interest rate outlook. Nasdaq's futures rose as Microchip Technology's and Atlassian’s strong forecasts helped chip and software shares. Wall Street's major indexes are on course for a strong week of gains. The S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq all look set to have their best weeks since April. Stronger-than-expected results…
Source: Trump is likely to reject US industry's requests for a faster polysilicon tariff.
Trump's administration will reportedly?spurn? requests from a?few?U.S. Solar?manufacturers are asking for a faster timeline to implement a new tariff and price floor on polysilicon imports, according to a source familiar with the matter. Four sources claimed that a new 15% tariff on polysilicon derivatives and the price floor was originally scheduled to take effect 120 days after the announcement. Some in the industry have lobbied the administration to implement the plan within 90 days…
Source: Trump is likely to reject US industry's requests for a faster polysilicon tariff.
Trump's administration will reportedly?spurn? requests from a?few?U.S. Solar?manufacturers are asking for a faster timeline to implement a new tariff and price floor on polysilicon imports, according to a source familiar with the matter. Four sources claimed that a new 15% tariff on polysilicon derivatives and the price floor was originally scheduled to take effect 120 days after the announcement. Some in the industry have lobbied the administration to implement the plan within 90 days…
Australia reduces the cost of rooftop solar systems for businesses
The Australian government announced on Wednesday that it will reduce the cost of installing rooftop solar panels in factories, warehouses, farms, and other businesses by around one fifth. The policy extends existing subsidies to rooftop solar and home batteries that have led to a surge in installations. This has boosted renewable energy supply and reduced Australia's dependence on coal-fired power plants. According to the Australian government, around one-third (33%) of Australian homes now have solar panels.
US considers tariffs and a price floor for polysilicon to counter China's solar and chip industry
According to four people familiar with the plan, the 'Trump administration' is planning to set a price floor for polysilicon, and to impose tariffs. This will put a material that is critical for solar panels and semiconductors in the forefront of U.S. efforts against China to compete on artificial intelligence and energy. The decision is expected later this month and aims to protect U.S. Polysilicon?factories that are owned by Hemlock Semiconductor or Wacker Chemie against growing Chinese ambitions within the?chip supply chains.
Morocco will build a $1.5 billion waste to energy plant in Casablanca
The consortium, led by Swiss-Japanese Kanadevia Inova, plans to begin constructing a $1.5billion waste-to energy plant in Casablanca before the year's end. Full operations are expected by mid-2030. The facility in Morocco's largest city is the second in Africa of its kind. It aims to reduce methane emissions, as well as other environmental impacts caused by the Mediouna landfill. This is the biggest in the country. On Monday, waste management company Kanadevia Inova signed a contract with its partners.
Ameresco wins new contracts worth $1.8 billion as demand for power remains high
Ameresco announced on Monday that it had added $1.8 billion to its backlog of projects in the second quarter. This is more than tripled from a year ago, amid a strong demand for programs promoting 'energy efficiency' and a reliance on renewable energy. According to the Energy Information Administration, this growth is due to the rising demand for AI-focused data centres and rapid electrification in homes, businesses, and transportation. The U.S.
For the first time, China produces less than half its electricity using coal
China, which is the world's biggest coal consumer, produced?less that 50% of its electricity in the six-month period ending June. This was a?first for a country promoting renewable energy. Xing Yiteng said at a Thursday press conference that coal's share in the mix of power was 49.7%. Xing said that the share of renewable energy grew from 41.2% to 24.6%. Natural gas and nuclear power make up the rest. Analysts believe that despite coal's declining share, China could still use more than last year as the demand for power is rapidly increasing.
Local media report that China regulator will meet with solar industry to curb competition
Cailianshe, a local media outlet, reported Wednesday that China's market regulator would meet with solar industry representatives on Friday to discuss pricing compliance and the implementation of industry cost accounting standards. The report stated that the meeting was to curb what authorities described as irrational competitiveness in the sector. This sector has been 'hit by a long-running price war caused by excess capacity. China's market regulator has renewed its?crisis against what it calls "involution style" or cutthroat competition.
