1. Huaneng energizes 5.4 GW hydro-solar complex in southwest China
Huaneng Group has commissioned the Xiaowan hydro-solar complementary project in Yunnan Province, with a total installed capacity of 5.43 GW, comprising 4.2 GW of hydropower and 1.23 GW of PV. The project integrates 16 PV stations using "hydro-solar intelligent coordinated control" technology. The Xiaowan Dam has a reservoir capacity of approximately 15 billion cubic metres, enabling multi-year regulation and supporting the coordinated operation of large-scale renewable energy across the province.
2. Record solar, wind surge drives 3.3% drop in India’s fossil generation in 2025
According to Ember data, renewable energy generation in India grew by 98 TWh (+24%) in 2025, twice the growth in electricity demand (49 TWh), driving a 3.3% decline in fossil fuel generation. Solar generation increased by 53 TWh (+37%), surpassing hydropower to become India's largest source of clean electricity, accounting for 9.4% of generation. India has become the world's third-largest solar power generator.
3. Bangladesh launches 495 MW solar tender
The Bangladesh Power Development Board has launched a 495 MW grid-connected solar tender, comprising ten projects ranging from 25 to 100 MW, requiring developers to purchase their own land and provide fully private investment. Investors are concerned about the lack of payment security mechanisms and contract guarantees, which affect bankability. Industry has called on the government to shift to a public-private partnership model and provide land support to enhance project attractiveness.
4. India launches 500 MW renewables tender requiring dispatch via power exchanges
Solar Energy Corporation of India has tendered 500 MW of renewable energy projects requiring delivery through power exchanges, providing three consecutive hours of peak power between 18:00 and 24:00 daily, totalling 1,500 MWh. Winners will supply power for 12 years under a contract-for-difference mechanism. Projects may include energy storage and must be built at a single location. Each MW of capacity must deliver 3,000 kWh daily during peak hours. Bidding capacity ranges from 50-125 MW.
5. South Korea plans 3 GW of reservoir floating solar by 2030
Korea Rural Community Corporation plans to increase floating solar on agricultural reservoirs from the current 105 MW to 3 GW by 2030, having identified 2,333 of 3,428 reservoirs as suitable. Revenues will be equally distributed among generators, the corporation, and local agricultural and fishing communities. Separately, Korea Western Power and K-water are also advancing floating solar projects on river dams. The government aims for 100 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
6. Bangladesh’s PV capacity to reach 8.5 GW by 2035, says GlobalData
GlobalData forecasts that Bangladesh's solar installed capacity will increase from approximately 1.3 GW in 2025 to 8.5 GW by 2035, with solar becoming the main driver of renewable energy growth. Growth is shifting from off-grid rural deployment to grid-connected and distributed generation, with both rooftop PV and utility-scale projects expanding. However, due to high population density and limited land, innovative models such as floating solar need to be developed.
7. TotalEnergies, Nextnorth close financing for 440 MW Philippines solar
TotalEnergies and Philippines-based Nextnorth have reached financial close for a 440 MWp solar project in Isabela province, securing US$300 million in financing from international banks. The project is 65% owned by TotalEnergies and is expected to come online by the end of 2027, generating 13.5 TWh over 20 years. More than 50% of its output is already covered by long-term power purchase agreements, with the remainder to participate in the government's Green Energy Auction Program.
8. Myanmar commissions two 40 MW solar plants in Mandalay region
Myanmar's Ministry of Electric Power has commissioned two 40 MW solar plants in Mandalay region, with an annual generation of approximately 202 million kWh, sufficient to supply about 130,000 households. The country is facing grid bottlenecks and power cuts due to delays in generation projects, transmission losses, and damage from natural disasters. A 210 MW solar project is also under construction and expected to be completed soon.
9. Submarine link to connect island solar to South Korea’s grid
Korea's Taihan Cable & Solution has won a contract to supply and install 154 kV submarine cables for the Bigeum Island solar project and the Dogo floating PV project in Shinan County, South Jeolla Province, connecting to the Anjwa Island substation. This is the first full-scope project for the company together with its subsidiary Taihan Ocean Works, covering manufacturing, transport, and installation.
10. Bulgaria seeks to revive 864 MW Chaira pumped-storage hydropower plant
Bulgarian state-owned power company NEK has signed a memorandum with Toshiba to restart the 864 MW Chaira pumped-storage hydropower plant, the largest such facility in Southeast Europe, which has been out of service since March 2022 due to a turbine accident on Unit 4. Toshiba will be responsible for the restoration of Unit 1 and technical support for the entire plant, including operation and maintenance recommendations and equipment reliability improvements.
11. Ireland’s grid-scale solar breaches 1 GW generation mark
Grid-scale solar generation in Ireland exceeded 1 GW for the first time in April, reaching a peak of 1,133 MW. As of the end of 2025, the country's cumulative installed PV capacity exceeded 2.3 GW, with 1 GW added in 2025 alone. Due to grid connection bottlenecks, nearly 89 GWh of solar generation was curtailed in the first half of 2025. The government is investing €1.1 billion to upgrade the grid and has allowed solar-storage projects to share connection points.
12. Installed BESS capacity in Spain grew by 589% since 2025 blackout
One year after Spain's major blackout on 28 April 2025, installed battery energy storage capacity has grown from 28 MW to 193 MW, an increase of 589%. The blackout exposed issues such as insufficient voltage control and weak grid interconnection under a high share of renewables. Regulation has been strengthened to require real-time monitoring and renewable energy participation in voltage regulation, while increased natural gas generation has led to higher carbon emissions.
13. Renewables growth cut Spain’s electricity bills by 24.2% over the past two years
A Positive Money report shows that between 2023 and 2025, renewable energy expansion reduced electricity prices in Spain and Portugal by an average of 24.2%, with the two countries' sensitivity to natural gas price fluctuations falling 53% compared with three years earlier. Although natural gas still influences European electricity price formation, renewables lower prices both by displacing marginal units and through their own near-zero marginal cost. The widening intraday price spread in Spain is creating opportunities for storage investment.
14. Montenegro developer signs grid deal for 385 MW solar plant
Montenegro's M Energy has signed a grid connection agreement with transmission operator CGES for a 385 MW PV plant, planning to connect to the 400 kV Lastva-Pljevlja line in 2027 and subsequently to the Italian grid via submarine cable. The country's current cumulative installed PV capacity is approximately 30 MW, making this project its largest solar plant.
15. Meta gains early access to 1 GW of space-based solar power
Meta has signed an agreement with Overview Energy to gain early access to up to 1 GW of capacity from its space-based solar power system. The system collects solar energy in geosynchronous orbit and transmits it via near-infrared beams to existing ground-based PV plants, enabling 24-hour generation without the need for new transmission lines. A demonstration is expected in 2028, with commercial power delivery by 2030, aiming to bypass grid bottlenecks to meet AI data centre electricity demand.
16. Solar and storage expected to drive 86 GW capacity surge in the U.S. this year
Data from the US Energy Information Administration shows that 86 GW of new utility-scale capacity is planned for 2026, with solar and battery storage accounting for nearly 80% — 43.4 GW and 24 GW, respectively. Texas and California lead in new projects. Solar and wind are expected to account for more than 20% of generation by early 2027, with natural gas's share falling below 39%.
17. US utility signs 4 GW solar, storage buildout deal
Salt River Project has signed power purchase agreements with NextEra Energy Resources to develop 3 GW of solar and 1 GW of battery storage in Arizona, providing power for 675,000 homes and supporting the retirement of coal-fired power by 2032. The storage systems are designed to shift solar generation to the evening peak hours, reducing reliance on natural gas. The state currently has more than 11.4 GW of installed solar capacity.
18. Chile reaches 4.6 GW of energy storage under construction
A report from Chile's Ministry of Energy shows that as of March 2026, there were 38 energy storage systems under construction in the country, with total power of 4,597 MW, energy capacity of 18,780 MWh, and investment of US$4.1 billion. The country has already achieved its 2030 storage target of 2 GW ahead of schedule, and projects under construction are expected to reach the 2050 target of 6 GW by early 2027. Solar under construction totals 2,294 MW, accounting for 69% of generation projects.
19. Mozambique relaunches 30 MW solar tender in EU-backed program
Mozambique's energy regulator has relaunched the prequalification process for a 30 MW solar project in Sofala province, with bids due by 22 June. The project was originally awarded to Total Eren in 2022 and is now being retendered. It is part of the PROLER program, supported by the European Union and the French Development Agency, which originally included four projects totalling 120 MW. None of the projects have yet reached financial close or started construction.
20. Solar break quarterly generation records in Australia in Q1
Utility-scale solar generation in Australia reached 2,706 MW in the first quarter of 2026, an increase of 648 MW year-on-year, setting a quarterly record. Average distributed solar output was 4,090 MW, up 8.1% year-on-year. Cumulative residential battery storage reached 6,716 MWh, with more than 250,000 units installed. Renewables accounted for 46.5% of generation, the highest for any first quarter. Battery storage is changing the pattern of intraday electricity prices.