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Michelle Lewis

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Michelle Lewis is a writer at Electrek. She has previously worked for Fast Company, The Guardian, News Deeply, Time, and others. She lives in Massachusetts.

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Illinois awards $18.4M in restored NEVI funds to build EV charging stations

Illinois NEVI DC fast charging

Illinois is expanding its EV charging network with $18.4 million in federal grants that were restored after being unlawfully frozen by the Trump administration. The grants come from the second round of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which supports Illinois’s goal of registering 1 million EVs by 2030.

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EVs and batteries fuel the US VPP boom, hitting 37.5 GW in 2025

virtual power plants US VPPs

The US virtual power plant (VPP) market is growing fast, with 37.5 gigawatts of behind-the-meter flexible capacity now online, according to a new Wood Mackenzie report. VPPs connect small energy systems and smart devices into a single network managed by an energy company or utility. That can include residential solar panels, battery storage, EVs, and smart thermostats. When the grid needs help during peak demand or emergencies, they can be tapped – and you get paid for participating.

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$75M boosts EV Realty’s first big rig charging hub in California

EV Realty charging hub California

EV Realty just broke ground on its first big truck charging hub in San Bernardino, California. The site sits in a prime location: by the San Bernardino Intermodal Facility, 60 million square feet of warehouse space, and Interstates 10 and 215 – a major freight route from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.

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Solar + nuclear to surge in Middle East as electricity demand soars – IEA

Middle East electricity

Electricity demand is skyrocketing across the Middle East and North Africa, and it’s being driven by two big factors: cooling homes and businesses in extreme heat, and making seawater drinkable through desalination. A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows just how dramatic the surge is. Electricity use in the region has tripled since 2000, and it’s expected to jump another 50% by 2035. That’s like adding the current combined electricity demand of Germany and Spain.

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China’s surge pushes global wind toward fastest growth ever

global wind growth

The global wind industry is going to hit some unprecedented growth milestones, according to Wood Mackenzie’s Global Wind Power Market Outlook for Q3 2025. The world is on track to add its second terawatt of wind capacity by 2030. To put that in perspective, it took 23 years to install the first terawatt, which was reached in 2023. The second will come in just seven.

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Nissan EVs will help power Silicon Valley’s data centers

Nissan-Juke-electric

Nissan and ChargeScape just launched a new EV-to-grid (V2G) pilot in Silicon Valley, where demand on the power grid is growing fast thanks to the rapid rise of AI-driven data centers. The pilot is backed by the California Energy Commission’s Demand Side Grid Support (DSGS) program and is happening in utility Silicon Valley Power (SVP) territory.

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China’s wind + solar revolution is shaking up the global energy game

China wind solar

China’s clean energy surge is starting to transform the world’s energy systems, according to Ember’s “China Energy Transition Review 2025.” The report shows that China’s massive investments in solar, wind, storage, and electrification are cutting fossil fuel use at home while sending clean tech around the globe.

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Mercedes-Benz + Alpitronic to roll out 600 kW fast charging in 2026

Mercedes-Benz Alpitronic

Mercedes-Benz is expanding its DC fast-charging network with Alpitronic’s high-power technology. Starting in 2026, the automaker will roll out Alpitronic’s new HYC1000 fast charging system at its stations in Europe and North America, capable of delivering up to 600 kW at each charging point – or 200 miles in 10 minutes.

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Solar growth surges, but Trump roadblocks put 55 GW at risk

rooftop solar SolarEdge

The US solar industry put nearly 18 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity on the grid in the first half of 2025. Even as the Trump administration rolled out anti-clean energy policies, solar and storage still made up 82% of all new power added to the grid in the first six months of the year. But the growth picture isn’t as sunny as it looks, according to the SEIA.

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Costco members get up to $1,250 off certified Volvos –here’s how

Volvo-EX90

Costco members looking for a break on car prices can tap into a new Volvo deal this fall. Members can tap into limited-time manufacturer incentives through the Costco Auto Program, a year-round auto-buying service that secures prearranged low pricing. The latest: a Certified by Volvo Limited-Time Special launched this week.

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FERC: Solar + wind made up 91% of new US power generating capacity in H1 2025

RWE Texas wind H1 2025

Solar and wind accounted for 91% of new US electrical generating capacity added in the H1 2025, according to data just released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which was reviewed by the SUN DAY Campaign of data. In June, solar alone provided 82% of new capacity, making it the 22nd consecutive month solar held the lead among all energy sources.

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US residential solar prices stay low, tax credit cuts and tariffs loom

residential solar installs

The US residential solar market hit a bumpy patch in the first half of 2025, according to the newly released 21st EnergySage Intel: Solar & Storage Marketplace Report. The semiannual report digs into millions of data points from EnergySage.com, where homeowners shop for solar panels, inverters, and batteries. This edition also includes EnergySage’s annual Electrification Contractor Survey, fielded between January and March 2025.

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H1 2025: China installs more solar than rest of the world combined

China solar 2025

Global solar installations are breaking records again in 2025. In H1 2025, the world added 380 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity – a staggering 64% jump compared to the same period in 2024, when 232 GW came online. China was responsible for installing a massive 256 GW of that solar capacity.

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