Big Moves
RWE secures approval for 1.1 GW Australian wind farm
RWE has received federal environmental approval for its 1.1 GW Theodore wind farm. The project is located in Central Queensland, Australia. The project secured State Development Approval in June 2025 and was awarded the Capacity Investment Scheme contract under Tender 7 in May 2026. The project, valued at A$3 billion, will comprise up to 170 wind turbines and a battery energy storage system (BESS).
News
Econergy secures €229 million for hybrid project in Romania
Econergy has signed financing agreements of approximately €229 million for its Părău 2 hybrid project in Romania. The project combines a 342 MWp solar plant with a 150 MW co-located battery energy storage system (BESS). The project is currently under construction and is expected to commence operations in late 2027 or early 2028. Financing close of the project is expected to be completed by November 2026.
Interviews
Floating solar is getting more reliable and profitable: Ciel & Terre’s Vincent Grumetz
The first floating solar projects were installed 15 years ago, and we can see that those power plants are still running and producing electricity. Thus, the technology is proven. Further, growth is also being driven by the price, and floating solar technology is becoming more competitive. For instance, the price of solar modules went down, and so did the capex of floating solar, thereby making this technology more profitable.
Opinion & Perspective
Making EU Electrification Smart and Fair
As conflict in Iran disrupted global oil and gas supplies, the gas price volatility from this disruption added roughly EUR 13 billion to the EU’s wholesale electricity bill, and this could have been much higher. Fortunately, renewable electricity accounted for around 44% of EU generation, which the EEA estimates has saved the EU approximately €29 billion. To fulfill its potential, electrification needs to form part of a smart and resilient energy system, ensuring renewable electricity can flow where and when it is needed. Achieving this will require scaling up investment in modernising grid networks and relying on an array of flexible options and technology such as energy storage, interconnectors and smart meters for demand-side flexibility.
Mega Trends & Analysis
Capacity Markets in Operation and Under Development in Europe
There is a concerning lack of oversight over Europe’s capacity markets. Evidence suggests that advancements in Germany, Poland and Italy may violate EU state aid rules; with the schemes manipulated to favour gas power plants. European Commission is urged to enforce technology neutrality rules to ensure clean flexibility technologies have equal access; and ensure there is robust evidence of the necessity of these subsidies. A number of capacity markets will require EU state aid reapproval in the coming years, as they come up to their 10-year lifespan. At the same time, a number of countries are looking to introduce capacity markets. The clear, viable alternative to a gas-dominated system is a renewables-based approach, replacing the role that gas currently performs to provide flexibility with clean solutions like batteries, demand side response, interconnectors and long-duration energy storage.
Policy Watch
New US Western Grid: EDAM, Markets+ redefining wholesale power across the West
The US’ western energy markets are undergoing a major transformation. On May 1, 2026, the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) and PacifiCorp switched on the extended day-ahead market (EDAM), the biggest expansion of centralised electricity trading in the US Western Interconnection in a decade. For the first time, a day-ahead, security-constrained economic dispatch (SCED) will co-optimise generation and transmission across balancing authority areas (BAAs) that stretch from California to Wyoming. It builds on the real-time Western Energy Imbalance Market (WEIM), which has generated cumulative benefits of USD8.6 billion since its launch in 2014 across a region representing approximately 80 per cent of western electricity demand.
Tech Talk
AI-Based Performance Analysis in Solar Energy Systems: From Monitoring to Fault Detection
Solar energy systems are designed to generate power consistently, but performance can decline due to factors such as soiling, shading, equipment degradation, and inverter issues. These losses do not always trigger immediate alerts and can go unnoticed, gradually reducing output. Operators rely on monitoring systems to track generation and flag major deviations. While these systems provide visibility, they are designed to catch larger failures, not smaller performance losses that develop gradually and often go unreported across systems.
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Webinars & Videos
The Future of Electricity in the Middle East and North Africa Webinar
Across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) – a region that has long been a cornerstone of the global energy system – electricity demand is surging, driven by cooling and desalination needs, as well as urbanisation, electrification and digitalisation. How countries meet this increased demand will have profound implications for both regional economies and global energy markets.
Knowledge Centre
Solar Supports European Grid Amid Extreme Heat: Report
During June and July 2026, successive heatwaves pushed temperatures above 40°C in many parts of Europe, driving up electricity demand as air conditioning use soared, while disrupting nuclear, gas, coal and hydropower generation. The boost in solar output helped stabilise grids as other power sources struggled but this was accompanied with high prices and supply scarcity most pronounced in the evenings. As extreme heat becomes more common, governments and regulators will need to make greater use of proven solutions, including battery storage and demand response.
Finance
Clean Power Delivers During July 2026 Heatwaves in the US
As extreme temperatures drove electricity demand to seasonal highs, wholesale power prices surged, and regional power systems relied heavily on expensive gas and coal peaking plants to maintain reliability. The grid was pushed to its limits in some areas, and nearly 400,000 households across the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast experienced power outages during some of the hottest hours of the year. Across the areas most affected by the heatwave, wind and solar generation increased during the highest-demand hours compared to the days before and after the event, providing electricity when it was needed most. Markets with higher levels of clean energy experienced substantially lower wholesale electricity prices, while regions with relatively little clean generation experienced the highest prices despite having tens of gigawatts of clean energy waiting to connect to the grid.
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This space is reserved for sponsored content and advertising banners. Sponsored content can include white papers, webinars, case studies, research reports and other relevant content. The advertising can be in the form of banners with links to the advertiser’s landing page. If you would like to promote sponsored content or advertise, please write to us at: marketing@reglobal.co