Global Scans · Affordable and Clean Energy · Weekly Summary

In September 2015, 193 world leaders agreed to 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. If these Goals are completed, it would mean an end to extreme poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030.
Goal 7: Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

• [New] In the United States, the Department of Energy's Better Buildings Initiative has partnered with over 900 organizations to improve energy efficiency by at least 20%, while the EU's revised Energy Performance of Buildings Directive mandates that all new buildings be zero-emission by 2030. Persistence Market Research
• [New] The revised Directive sets a binding target of at least 42.5% renewable energy in the EU's energy mix by 2030, with the ambition to reach 45%. Energy
• [New] The renewable energy framework for the next decade will seek to secure reliable, affordable, homegrown energy for European citizens and industry, and ensure that renewables contribute to the achievement of the 2040 EU climate target in a cost-efficient and sustainable way. Energy
• [New] Solar is fast-growing as the go-to renewable energy source that will cut the burning of fossil fuels globally to power homes and even complex installations, such as AI data centers. List.Solar
• [New] By 2030, data centers could account for up to 80% of the energy demand in the United States. Mexico Business
• [New] Helion Energy has a signed power purchase agreement with Microsoft targeting 2028 grid delivery. The ClimateTech Memos
• [New] Focused Energy targets a fusion power plant prototype by 2037. The ClimateTech Memos
• [New] The State Grid Energy Research Institute has released its China Electricity Supply and Demand Analysis Report 2026, forecasting that wind and solar will account for 49.1% of China's total installed power capacity by 2026, up 1.8 percentage points from 2025. TaiyangNews - All About Solar Power
• [New] The severe scenario assumes infrastructure damage to Middle Eastern energy facilities, oil at $110 in 2026 and $125 in 2027, gas prices tripling, and food costs rising 5-10%. The Rio Times
• [New] As renewables continue scaling up and costs continue falling, the March crossover will be remembered as the moment America's energy transition shifted from aspiration to inevitability. Positive Current
• [New] Directed energy guns by 2040 will be supercharged by AI-enabled targeting, miniaturized emitters, and algorithmic modulation. The Washington Times
• [New] LNG exporters like Cheniere Energy (LNG) stand out: long-term contracts insulate from spot weakness, while U.S. arbitrage opportunities persist amid global disruptions. Energy News Beat
• [New] Russia will exploit pressure on Western bandwidth and benefit from tighter energy markets. Global Policy Journal
• [New] The PCE price index rose 2.8% year-over-year in Q4 2025, and is expected to average 2.9% in 2026, driven by a sharp rise in energy prices. Kavout
• [New] Energy commodity prices are now projected to rise 19% in 2026, with oil prices expected to increase 21.4%. forbesindia
• [New] The ASEAN Power Grid offers Southeast Asia a path to lower energy costs, stronger energy security, and faster use of cleaner power as demand rises and fossil fuel risks grow. The Asia Cable
• [New] The International Energy Agency expects renewable, especially solar, to grow faster than any other power source, driven by rising demand from data centers, electric vehicles, and air conditioning. www.hoganlovells.com
• [New] The EU's 2050 climate goals and policies like the Renewable Energy Directive are pushing investment in clean energy. www.hoganlovells.com
• [New] We project 19% order growth for Marine and Energy, essentially entirely driven by a large data center power plant order in the US in Q4. Inderes
• [New] The agreement between Algeria's Sonatrach and Saudi Arabia's Midad Energy is expected to strengthen Algeria's upstream hydrocarbon sector by increasing production capacity, particularly in natural gas, and attracting significant foreign investment. Dispatch Risk Advisory | Tunis, Tunisia

Last updated: 19 April 2026