Chart of the week

The Latest

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  Fossil fuels

  The Iran war pushed countries toward clean energy — and coal

  Surging oil and gas prices are boosting coal demand. But the conflict has also spurred cleantech adoption — and fossil-fuel emissions may still drop as a result.

  By Dan McCarthy  .  18 September 2026

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  Fossil fuels

  Trump’s DOE keeps forcing coal plants to stay open. Here’s the latest.

  We’re tracking the seven fossil-fuel plants the Trump admin has required to operate past their retirement dates — and which facilities could be hit next.

  By Ysabelle Kempe  .  14 September 2026

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  Batteries

  The battery era is here — and China is supplying it

  Batteries are taking the energy sector by storm, whether to power vehicles or boost the grid. Most are made, and deployed, in China.

  By Dan McCarthy  .  11 September 2026

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  Solar

  Solar-plus-storage is having a global growth spurt

  Investors spent a record amount in the first half of 2026 on projects that combine renewable energy — mostly solar — with batteries.

  By Ysabelle Kempe  .  4 September 2026

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  Fossil fuels

  America's big but uncertain gas boom

  Data centers are driving plans to build tons of dirty gas plants. Experts say it’s nearly impossible to distinguish pie-in-the-sky proposals from realistic ones.

  By Dan McCarthy  .  28 August 2026

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  Clean energy

  Solar and storage still dominate US power plant construction

  Despite Trump’s attacks on renewables, it’s the same old story so far this year: The U.S. is building lots of solar and storage and a little bit of everything else.

  By Dan McCarthy  .  21 August 2026

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  Energy storage

  Home battery installations climb despite loss of federal incentives

  While solar and EV sales cratered after the Republican Congress eliminated federal tax credits, batteries bucked the trend. Here’s why.

  By Dan McCarthy  .  14 August 2026

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  Solar

  California was mostly solar-powered in May — a global first

  No major economy had previously received over half its electricity from solar across an entire month. Thank the mild, sunny spring weather, and batteries.

  By Dan McCarthy  .  31 July 2026

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  Solar

  Solar is having its best summer yet in Europe

  It was the EU’s top power source in early summer, generating a record 25% of electricity. The clean energy boom is likely to accelerate further from here.

  By Dan McCarthy  .  24 July 2026

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  Nuclear

  Nuclear energy could be in for a big decade

  The global fleet of nuclear power plants is poised to expand quickly as climate goals, security concerns, and rising demand renew interest in the energy source.

  By Dan McCarthy  .  17 July 2026