China, the world’s largest crude oil importer, reduced its imports by 32% in the second quarter of 2026 compared to the previous quarter. This decline followed price spikes caused by disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Monthly data from China’s General Administration of Customs show imports averaged 8.1 million barrels per day, falling below 8.0 million in May and June for the first time since 2016. This contrasts sharply with record-high imports in 2025, when China [...]

CleanTechnica editor Zachary Shahan explores the potential ramifications for the power industry if the artificial intelligence sector experiences a significant financial collapse or bubble burst. As investors increasingly slow their massive capital injections into AI infrastructure, Shahan questions how the energy sector will adjust from a trajectory of hypergrowth to a potential crash. The article serves as a thought experiment, inviting readers to consider the broader implications of an AI infrastructure growth story crashing on itself. Shahan [...]

Lower Saxony faces a critical capital decision regarding its hydrogen train fleet as battery-electric alternatives arrive. By 2029, the state must choose between recapitalizing its dedicated hydrogen infrastructure or transitioning to battery-electric multiple units. Currently, only four of fourteen Coradia iLint trains operate due to missing fuel-cell modules, leaving the specialized refueling station at one-third capacity. This underutilization inflates fixed infrastructure costs per train-kilometer. Alstom’s acquisition of Cummins’ rail fuel-cell assets suggests limited supplier expansion for this [...]

SpaceX announced it will not fully remove the unpermitted gas turbines powering its xAI data centers near Memphis until July 2027, as it shifts to a permanent 1.2‑gigawatt natural‑gas plant. The company currently operates 69 turbines that have been running for months, while the new plant will feature 41 turbines ranging from 16.48 to 50 MW. The turbines, located south of Memphis in a highly polluted region, have been sued by the NAACP and Southern Environmental Law Center [...]

China’s National Development and Reform Commission and National Energy Administration released the 15th Five‑Year Plan for Renewable Energy Development, covering 2026‑2030. The plan sets four quantitative targets—installed capacity, power generation, non‑power applications, and supply security—and focuses on desert solar PV, wasteland solar, and large‑scale wind. Seven major bases across Xinjiang, the Hexi Corridor, the Yellow River Bend, northern Hebei, and the Songliao Basin will add at least 370 GW of new capacity. Complementary storage and transmission upgrades will [...]

A Sierra Club report titled Thirsty Power: Coal and gas will leave us high and dry estimates that Wisconsin’s fossil‑fuel power plants consume 1.34 trillion gallons of water each year. The study links this high water use to the state’s growing data‑center industry, which is driving demand for new gas plants. Sierra Club Wisconsin Director Elizabeth Ward warned that the combined water and energy strain threatens the state’s drinking water, recreation, and ecosystems. The report calls for [...]

Europe’s recycling sector is failing to scale, with the majority of critical‑material‑rich “black mass” from end‑of‑life vehicles and batteries being shipped abroad. Transport & Environment estimates that at least 60 % of this material—worth roughly €150 million annually—is leaving the EU, and forecasts suggest up to 200 kt could be exported by 2030, representing about €1.1 billion in recoverable resources. The proposed Circular Economy Act aims to reverse this trend by providing financial, de‑risking and industrial support, mandating on‑shoring of the [...]