Solar power growth energy transition
Credit: Gerry Machen/Flickr

Solar power's unstoppable rise: a new dawn in global energy

In a groundbreaking study, scientists assert that solar energy has reached a pivotal tipping point, ensuring its rapid and irreversible global proliferation.

Simrin Sirur reports for Mongabay.


In short:

  • The study predicts that solar energy, alongside wind power, will become the predominant electricity sources within the next two decades, outpacing all other forms of energy.
  • Key factors driving this shift include technological advancements, cost reductions, and significant investment increases in solar energy deployment, especially in India and China.
  • However, challenges such as grid resilience, financial accessibility, unstable mineral supply chains, and resistance from traditional industries could impede solar energy's full potential.

Key quote:

"Our analysis establishes quantitative empirical evidence, from current and historical data trends, that a solar energy tipping point is likely to have passed."

— Study authors

Visit EHN's energy section for more top news about energy, climate and health.

A woman wearing safety goggles, gloves and a face mask holds the sides of her goggles.
Credit: Andy Dean Photography/BigStock Photo ID: 362087353

CDC faces backlash for removing key public health data from its website

The CDC is under fire after abruptly removing crucial health data from its website, with top advisers demanding answers on why the information disappeared and when it will return.

Usha Lee McFarling reports for STAT.

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Senator Whitehouse & climate change

Senator Whitehouse puts climate change on budget committee’s agenda

For more than a decade, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gave daily warnings about the mounting threat of climate change. Now he has a powerful new perch.
Document with redacted sections blacked out.

Trump administration removes climate information from federal websites

The Trump administration has begun deleting climate science information from federal websites, raising concerns among scientists and watchdog groups about restricted access to critical data.

Bob Berwyn reports for Inside Climate News.

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Credit: Trump White House Archived

EPA employees face sudden job threats amid growing tensions

More than 1,100 Environmental Protection Agency employees were blindsided with emails warning of immediate termination, fueling fear and frustration within the agency.

Tracy J. Wholf reports for CBS News.

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Trump's push for more drilling clashes with market realities

Despite Donald Trump's efforts to expand offshore drilling, oil companies are sitting on thousands of unused leases in the Gulf of Mexico due to high costs and an oversupply of crude.

Tristan Baurick reports for Grist and Verite News.

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Offshore wind industry faces uncertainty after new federal order

The U.S. offshore wind industry, which spans 40 states and supports thousands of jobs, faces potential setbacks after a new executive order halted lease approvals and federal permits for wind projects.

Trista Talton reports for Coastal Review.

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Power plant equipment in a black-and-white photo.

Duke Energy pushes to weaken pollution rules on coal and greenhouse gases

Duke Energy and other utilities have asked the Trump administration to roll back Biden-era regulations on coal ash disposal and greenhouse gas emissions, arguing they are costly and unworkable.

Emily L. Mahoney reports for Tampa Bay Times.

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Oatly explores clean heat alternatives as food industry eyes decarbonization

Oatly is working to replace gas-fired boilers at its U.S. factories with electric heat pumps, highlighting the broader challenge food and beverage manufacturers face in reducing their reliance on fossil fuels for industrial heat.

Maria Gallucci reports for Canary Media.

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New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

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Op-ed: Why funding for the environmental justice movement must be anti-racist

We must prioritize minority-serving institutions, BIPOC-led organizations and researchers to lead environmental justice efforts.

joe biden

Biden finalizes long-awaited hydrogen tax credits ahead of Trump presidency

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Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Op-ed: Toxic prisons teach us that environmental justice needs abolition

Prisons, jails and detention centers are placed in locations where environmental hazards such as toxic landfills, floods and extreme heat are the norm.

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LISTEN: Reflections on the first five years of the Agents of Change program

The leadership team talks about what they’ve learned — and what lies ahead.

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