solar projects
Coverage of solar projects in the Nexus archive.
- In rural communities, fears amplified by ‘AI slop’ and social media hamper solar boom
Opposition in Iberia Parish centered on fears that utility-scale solar projects would poison the soil or leach chemicals into bayous, concerns experts suggest are imagined. After a heated debate, the local council passed an ordinance requiring such projects to be set back at least half a mile from residential property lines. This action appears to have halted the project, potentially eliminating millions in expected tax revenue for the rural parish.
- Roundup: Meta Platforms / US jobless claims / Gaming goes green
Meta Platforms has $279 billion in future lease commitments for AI data centers, a 53% increase from last quarter, with $68 billion added in July alone. U.S. unemployment claims rose slightly to 197,000 but remain low, indicating a resilient job market. CleanPlay's SuperPower service funds solar projects through gamer subscriptions, aiming to leverage the gaming community for renewable energy investment.
- Environmental groups challenge North Carolina’s pause on Duke Energy solar projects
Environmental groups are challenging North Carolina’s decision to pause Duke Energy’s utility-scale solar and battery projects until a long-term plan is approved. The state commission argues this prevents overcommitment to potential surplus energy, while environmental groups claim the delay risks missing tax incentives and increasing customer costs due to growing electricity demand.
- Indigenous energy sources overtake thermal power
Pakistan's energy sector saw hydel, renewable, and nuclear sources surpass thermal power in installed capacity for the first time, contributing 50.8% of 49,651MW total capacity. The Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB) facilitated 102 IPPs, attracting $35 billion in foreign investment, while solar projects and Thar coal initiatives advanced energy security.
- Ghana offers lessons on Chinese power projects — report
A new report by the Energy for Growth Hub highlights Ghana's successful execution of five Chinese-supported power projects (2013-2020) as a model for other African nations, emphasizing cost efficiency, timely delivery, and quality. The report identifies four key lessons: setting cost benchmarks, competitive tendering, expert negotiation, and construction oversight.
- How big can solar go? These 3 projects show us the gigascale future
Solar projects are growing significantly in scale as panel costs decrease and installation efficiency improves, with power companies now building projects larger than previously imagined. China has been at the forefront of this gigascale solar development.