Policy

The US Department of Energy (DoE) has removed renewable energy, grid modernization, and carbon-management units from its organizational chart and consolidated them into the Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, a shift confirmed in newly published federal documents.

The Italian government has reduced the regions’ influence on permits for photovoltaic and wind energy by centralizing the decision-making process. It has also issued new rules for tax relief under the so-called Transizione 5.0 Decree.

Japan’s solar module shipments reached 1.28 GW in the first quarter of fiscal 2025, supported by strong residential demand and ongoing dominance by foreign manufacturers, with domestic production limited to just 5% of total output, according to the Japan Photovoltaic Energy Association (JPEA).

Ideas about who is “fit” to guide others have long been shaped by traditions that elevated certain traits and dismissed others. These inherited assumptions continue to influence professional environments, often limiting how women’s contributions are perceived and how they perceive their own potential. During the Women in Solar+ Europe gathering at Genera in Madrid, professionals from across our sectors explored how these long-standing views can be challenged and replaced with more empowering perspectives. Through open dialogue, they examined the beliefs that influence confidence, ambition, and presence, and reflected on how a more expansive and human-centered approach to leading can take root.

Ministers in Luxembourg have agreed to allow the installation of solar systems alongside motorways and bypasses in road networks after an independent study estimated it could support up to 1.5 GW of new solar capacity.

The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) says new federal permitting, tax, and grant policies place more than 13,000 MW of planned solar and battery capacity in Texas at risk of failing to come online in 2026, with far larger volumes exposed in 2027.

LCP Delta and Energy Storage Europe say installed storage capacity across the European Union, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Switzerland will exceed 100 GW this month, with battery systems driving the fastest growth.

The Mauritian Central Electricity Board says the number of unauthorized solar systems connected to its distribution network is increasing. It is calling on citizens with unregistered systems to come forward before Jan. 15, 2026, or risk disconnection.

France’s Ministry for Ecological Transition says a new 100 kW to 500 kW solar procurement round attracted far fewer compliant bids than its available capacity.

The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says improving project timelines point to greater stability in the United States utility-scale solar pipeline.