Despite its huge potential in the region, solar PV has not yet gained traction in Central Asia. In Kazakhstan, two utility-scale PV projects have been realized, and a few are in the pipeline for Uzbekistan as it begins to attract international investors. But many challenges on the policy level have yet to be overcome, as Komila Nabiyeva explains.
While the Trump administration attempts to prop up fossil fuels, China has implemented policies to support renewable energy. The rapid expansion of solar power and investments in electric transport are pushing China’s energy transition forward, explains E.A. Crunden.
Solar’s time has (nearly) come in the Middle East: natural potential is high, and given the right policy environment, clean energy can thrive. But national governments must stop subsidizing fossil fuels and instead invest in solar power. Mike Munsell of Greentech Media takes a look at Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman and more.
Portugal produced more power from clean energy sources in March than it actually needed, marking the first time in the 21st century that renewables have topped 100% of its production. But a dearth of energy connections with the rest of Europe remains problematic, explains Sam Morgan.
There are an estimated 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who may remain without electricity by 2040. Could solar be the key to electrifying the region? Only if investors embrace the change, explain Akinyi Ochieng and Fadekemi Abiru.
Emiliano Bellini of PV Magazine interviewed Luiz Augusto Barroso, the head of the Brazilian government-run energy agency EPE. He explains how the newly-implemented mechanism for power auctions increases competition.
Researchers at Germany’s Öko-Institut have published a review of nearly a dozen previous studies on the need for new power lines in a future renewable electricity supply. The main finding is that the research community isn’t yet speaking the same language. Craig Morris explains.
South Africa still gets most of its energy from coal, but in sunny Northern Cape province, a different electricity source is taking hold. Munyaradzi Makoni of the Thomson Reuters Foundation explores how thermal solar plants are affecting the region.
Touted as the world’s third largest emitter of greenhouse gas, India is steadily on its way to transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. The targets that the country has set itself are closer to being achieved and even surpassed. Sadia Sohail explains the newest study on India’s energy policy.
In the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), renewables contributed 8% to final energy consumption in 2014. Since then, the share renewable energy has only slightly increased whereas fossil fuel-powered generation is the main source for new power plants. Lars Blume and Nguyen Thi Hang illustrate why momentum in Southeast Asia is changing.
