During the period from June 26th to July 2nd, 2025, the following international news occurred:
1. China hits 1 TW solar milestone
China's solar power installed capacity has surpassed 1 terawatt (1,080 gigawatts), setting a new global record. In the first five months of 2025, newly installed capacity reached 197.85 GW, with 92.92 GW added in May alone, representing a 388% year-on-year growth. Policy support has been the primary growth driver, including initiatives for distributed solar power and electricity market trading mechanisms. However, analysts predict the growth rate may slow down in the second half of the year. Starting from just 1 GW in 2010, China's solar sector has achieved a thousand-fold expansion over 15 years, marking a crucial milestone in global energy transition.
2. Hybrid plants ‘fastest way’ to unlock 8 GW of solar capacity in Turkey, says Ember
Ember stated that Turkey can bypass grid restrictions through hybrid power plants to add 8GW of solar capacity the fastest. Its analysis shows that revising regulations such as removing capacity limits on hybrid plants and adjusting site selection rules, and utilizing existing grid infrastructure without new investment, can increase the existing solar capacity by at least 35%, and 25 existing hybrid plants have already increased hydropower and wind power output by 14%.
3. Wind farm power prices surge despite Trump efforts to quash industry
In 2024, the average power purchase agreement (PPA) price for U.S. wind farms increased from $36.76/MWh to $56/MWh, while financially distressed project capacity decreased from 20.3GW to 14.3GW. Although the industry currently relies on the $27.5/MWh Production Tax Credit (PTC) under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Trump administration plans to reduce the credit amount starting in 2026. Analytics firm IntelStor indicates that stabilized PPA prices may attract investors and help mitigate risks associated with potential tax credit reductions.
4. Greenskies installs solar portfolio across 7 New Jersey school buildings
U.S. renewable energy service provider Greenskies Clean Focus has completed a 1.62MW solar project portfolio for Hackensack Public School District in New Jersey, covering eight systems across seven school campuses with over 3,600 solar panels. The project operates under a 15-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) model, featuring an innovative rooftop-plus-carport solar combination at the high school campus. The school district expects annual electricity cost savings, allowing funds to be redirected to education while providing students with hands-on sustainability case studies. Greenskies managed the project's full lifecycle, including development, financing, and ongoing operations and maintenance.
5. US solar tax credits cut electricity bills by $51 billion per year, says SEIA
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) released new research showing that while the federal solar tax credit program costs $25 billion annually, it saves U.S. households and small businesses $51 billion in electricity bills, while generating $12 billion in federal tax revenue and $3.7 billion in state and local tax revenues. The policy delivers a 1:2.67 return on investment and contributed $75.5 billion to U.S. GDP growth in 2023. SEIA warns that eliminating the credits would stall $286 billion in investments, eliminate 330,000 jobs, and increase electricity rates by 7-10%. The association emphasizes these tax incentives are critical investments for enhancing U.S. energy security and competitiveness.
6. Armenia’s largest solar plant comes online
Spanish company FRV has commissioned a 62 MW solar power plant in Armenia, currently the country's largest operational photovoltaic project. Located in Masrik, Gegharkunik Province, the facility was developed in partnership with China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC). Awarded in 2018, the project secured $35.5 million in financing from institutions including the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and will supply electricity to Armenia's grid under a long-term power purchase agreement. Armenia's total installed solar capacity reached 485 MW by the end of 2024.
7. France shifts electricity spot market to 15-minute intervals
France will reduce its electricity spot market trading intervals from one hour to 15 minutes starting this year to align with EU standards and accommodate renewable energy development needs. The French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) stated this change will better reflect the variable nature of solar and wind power, optimize price signals, and promote energy storage and demand response development. Beginning April 2026, renewable energy compensation contracts (CR) will also shift to 15-minute settlement intervals. During the transition period, compensation will be calculated based on hourly average prices.
8. France: Plans to Suspend New Wind and Solar Projects
The French National Assembly has passed Amendment No. 486 proposing a suspension of new wind and solar projects pending completion of an energy structure assessment. The amendment reduces the 2035 solar installation target to 65-90GW while planning to restart nuclear plants and build 14 new reactors. The renewable energy sector strongly opposes the measure, warning it threatens jobs and energy transition efforts. The amendment criticizes renewable expansion for driving up electricity prices, citing Spain's power outages as evidence of grid risks. The Senate will hold a final vote on June 24.
9. Ireland’s solar capacity hits 1.76 GW
Ireland's solar installed capacity reached 1.76 GW by the end of May 2025, up 156.8% from 2023. Utility-scale solar PV (885 MW) is the mainstay, with another 752 MW of projects under construction. Commercial and industrial (2.29 MW), small-scale (40 MW) and micro-scale (55 MW) solar PV are growing rapidly with policy support, and household self-generated electricity installations have reached 576 MW. However, there is still a gap from the 2030 target of 8 GW, with only 13.8% of suitable rooftops having solar PV installed.
10. Siemens Gamesa eyes Japanese wind power supply chain boost
Siemens Gamesa has recently strengthened its layout in Japan's wind power supply chain through two agreements: it signed a memorandum of understanding with electronic component supplier TDK to ensure the local supply of permanent magnets for wind turbines; meanwhile, it established a public-private cooperation framework with Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) to jointly explore the building of a resilient supply chain and the improvement of the investment environment. Currently, Japan's wind power installed capacity stands at 6.2GW (288MW offshore). Although Siemens Gamesa has no local factories, it has supplied 1.4GW of onshore wind turbines and 112MW of offshore wind turbines to Japan. This move will help Japanese developers cope with the development of large-scale offshore wind power projects under cost pressure.
11. Sonnen launches virtual power plant in Canadian sustainable home community
German energy storage company Sonnen has built a virtual power plant (VPP) demonstration project in the Blatchford Lands community in Edmonton, Canada, deploying 100 household battery systems (0.5MW/2MWh) to provide peak shaving and emergency power supply services for the power grid. The project, developed by Landmark Homes in conjunction with local energy enterprises, is Canada's first energy solution for a net-zero carbon community. Sonnen plans to promote this model in Alberta in the next three years, aiming to achieve a distributed energy storage scale of 18MW/60MWh.
12. Neara calls for smarter grid to cut delays in Australia transmission
Jack Curtis, co-founder of Australian grid software company Neara, stated that upgrading existing transmission networks through smart technologies can release capacity faster and with lower risks than building new lines. He pointed out that although New South Wales has a budget of 2.1 billion Australian dollars for new transmission projects, the renovation of existing grids can also release 5-15GW of renewable energy grid-connection capacity, with costs much lower than new projects. This move can mitigate the risk of delays in new projects and accelerate the integration of clean energy into the grid.
13. New research confirms residential PV tends to increase household power consumption
Latest research from the University of Bern in Switzerland shows that households with rooftop PV systems consume 7.9%-11.1% more electricity than non-PV households. This "solar rebound effect" is mainly due to PV users being more inclined to purchase high-power-consuming equipment such as electric vehicles, or increasing electricity usage driven by electricity price incentives. The research emphasizes that this phenomenon is not entirely a waste but a natural result of energy transition. A previous Australian study also found a similar 16.3% increase in electricity consumption. The research is based on an analysis of data from 58,000 Swiss households between 2008 and 2019.
14. Transmission delays threaten growth of PV projects in Colombia
Colombia added 13 photovoltaic power plants (16MW) in the first quarter of 2025, but XM, the national grid operator, stated that delays in 55% of transmission projects are severely restricting the development of photovoltaics. At present, 1,348MW of photovoltaics have been connected to the grid, and another 699MW are pending testing, but only 1.4% of the planned 3.5GW projects have achieved grid access. Over 60% of the 30 photovoltaic projects auctioned for 2027-2028 may be delayed, mainly due to lagging transmission infrastructure and lack of supporting energy storage. Currently, 143 pending projects (10.2GW) face grid connection bottlenecks, and XM calls for accelerating grid expansion; otherwise, photovoltaic development may stagnate.