By Kathy Barnes, Better Homes and Gardens.  Excerpt: “If you’ve ever wanted to try solar power without committing to rooftop panels, permits, or installation costs, plug-in panels might be the way to go. Plug-in solar panels won’t power your entire home or replace a rooftop system. But in the right setting—with good sunlight and realistic expectations—they can trim energy costs, reduce daytime grid use, and make solar more accessible.” ...Unlike traditional rooftop solar systems, these units don’t require permanent installation. Anyone can use plug-in solar units, including renters , and place them on a balcony or patio, in the yard, or near a sunny window, with a power cord plugged into an outdoor-rated outlet. ...Experts say that a 300- to 400-watt system can reduce daytime electricity use by 5% to 15%, depending on how much sunlight it captures and your usage habits. ...A starter plug-in solar system has a relatively low barrier to entry. Smaller systems cost up to $800 for a 4...

By  Maxine Joselow , The New York Times. The New York Times. Excerpt: “Nobody wants a full blanket ban or zero exports of diesel,” [Energy Secretary Chris] Wright said. ...Asked why he did not see a brighter future for solar energy in the United States, Mr. Wright said, “Every day, actually, the sun goes down, it doesn’t produce power at all.” While it is true that solar panels can only produce power when the sun is shining, enormous batteries can store excess electricity generated during the day for use around the clock. Mr. Wright also defended the Energy Department’s cancellation of more than $7.5 billion in grants for clean energy projects in states that had voted for Democrats. He told Congress in June that politics had nothing to do with the decision. Federal officials later acknowledged in court documents that they had rescinded the funding “based solely” on political considerations....  Full article at https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/23/climate/chris-wright-trump-ener...

By Anna Conkling , Grist, and co-published with The Kyiv Independent .  Excerpt: On a spring day earlier this year, 10 men stood on the rooftop of a door manufacturing facility in the central Ukrainian town of Bila Tserkva, surveying the rows of solar panels that surrounded them. Since Russia invaded in 2022, the town has endured repeated attacks, triggering mass power outages. For the factory, which supplies doors to homes and businesses, ...outages were particularly brutal in the winter, when limited power supplies led to rolling blackouts across the country. Some days, the employees burned discarded wood in a fireplace to keep the warehouse warm. ...Tired of relying on a grid that was being routinely bombarded by Russian missiles, Yaroslav, the facility’s owner, decided to switch to solar earlier this year. ...Volodymyr Hershtun, a service maintenance manager ...who led the project in Bila Tserkva, said ...“The enemy is trying to destroy energy infrastructure, and we are buildin...

By NRDC Nature's Voice Fall 2026 issue.  Excerpt: This past April marked the first time ever that wind and solar power accounted for more electricity generation than gas worldwide, with the two renewable sources responsible for 22 percent of global electricity generation versus 20 percent from gas. …just five years ago, in aApril 2021, gas accounted for nearly twice the electricity generation as wind and solar. As for the United States, May was the first month that solar provided more power than coal.  From https://issuu.com/nrdc/docs/nature_s_voice_fall_2026 . 

By Ian James , Los Angeles Times.  Excerpt: A newly passed California bill would let farmers in water-stressed regions convert fallowed fields to solar arrays without paying steep exit fees on long-standing farmland protection contracts. The measure targets Central Valley and Central Coast lands facing strict groundwater pumping limits, offering a lifeline for growers as climate change deepens droughts. Supporters say shifting unproductive cropland to clean energy will help California meet its 100% renewable power goal, while farm groups warn of losing valuable agricultural land....  Full article at https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-09-02/farmland-solar-bill . 

By Preeti Jha , Semafor.  Excerpt: Africa is set for a record year of solar installations, according to new analysis. The continent is on track to install 17 gigawatts of solar in 2026 , up 45% year-on-year, according to the global energy think tank Ember and the African Tech Futures Lab. ...International Renewable Energy Agency...IRENA said solutions such as solar mini-grids were “ crucial for expanding access to dispersed and underserved populations ” in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, and Senegal, where rural electrification rates can range from 2% to 10% in certain areas. Inadequate energy and infrastructure investment has meant nearly 600 million people in Africa still lack access to electricity. Many countries are turning to the potential of solar power: Last year, Nigeria struck a $200 million deal with a renewable energy company to connect rural areas with solar mini-grids....  Full article at https://www.semafor.com/article/08/28/2026/africa...

By Ivan Penn , The New York Times.  Excerpt: California lawmakers passed a bill late Wednesday that would allow residents to install solar panels that can be plugged into standard electrical outlets in a bid to lower their electricity costs and reduce their contribution to climate change. The bill passed with broad bipartisan support in both chambers of the Legislature despite opposition from the state’s investor-owned utilities, highlighting the growing political salience of energy affordability . California has the highest residential electricity rates in the 48 contiguous states, and those prices have climbed sharply in recent years. If Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signs the measure, California will become one of nearly a dozen states that have legalized plug-in solar systems, often referred to as balcony solar. These systems, typically made up of a handful of panels, first became popular in Germany , where the panels are sold online and in stores. Last year, Utah became the...

By Lucas Smolcic Larson , MLive.  Excerpt: Michigan law allowing renewable energy developers to bypass local opposition by seeking approval for sprawling solar and wind farms at the state level has passed its first test. State regulators approved a settlement agreement between an energy company and three Ingham County townships Thursday, Aug. 27, giving the green light to more than 600-acre solar farm. The Acceleration Solar project was the first to seek review by the Michigan Public Service Commission, under a divisive 2023 law passed by Democrats to speed renewable energy development that had been bogged down by a patchwork of local zoning rules....  Full article at https://www.mlive.com/news/2026/08/first-michigan-solar-farm-to-seek-state-approval-gets-green-light.html . 

By The Economic Times.  Excerpt: Sheep grazing beneath solar panels not only boosts farmer profits but also leads to purer wool. This innovative approach creates shaded environments that retain moisture, thereby enhancing pasture conditions during droughts. Research highlights an increase in nitrogen levels in grasses found under panels, which contributes to improved digestion for the sheep. Nevertheless, successful integration of grazing with solar farms demands careful site planning, influenced by regional and seasonal factors....  Full article at https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/us/news/an-australian-farmer-put-sheep-beneath-solar-panels-he-reported-15-more-wool-and-green-grass-surviving-through-drought/articleshow/133296849.cms . 

By Stephanie Pappas , Scientific American. Excerpt: Forty-seven years ago U.S. President Jimmy Carter stood grinning in front of a set of 32 bulky solar panels. It was 1979, and the oil crisis had sent fuel costs skyrocketing. Carter, in response, was making the White House an example of conservation and alternative energy. “Solar energy will not pollute our air or water,” he said. “We will not run short of it. No one can ever embargo the sun or interrupt its delivery to us.” ...Even before the U.S.-Iran conflict closed the Strait of Hormuz for months, causing fossil-fuel prices to spike, solar was soaring. Last year the world added 600 terawatt-hours of solar photovoltaic generation, enough to power Canada for a year. It was the first time that a renewable source took the top slot in global supply growth. It was also the largest single-year increase for any electricity-generation technology, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). ...Solar Is Now the Cheapest Way to Produc...

By Dan Gearino , Inside Climate News.  Excerpt: Utility-scale solar leads by a mile, followed by batteries. Fossil fuels, not so much. ...368 utility-scale plants that began operation from January to June, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration . The group is dominated by utility-scale solar. This is a top-heavy list, led by SunZia Wind South and SunZia Wind North in New Mexico , which went online this spring and are the largest wind farms in the country, with a combined generating capacity of 3,650 megawatts. ...the story of power plant completions in the first half of 2026 was mainly about utility-scale solar and batteries. Utility-scale solar led in the number of projects coming online, with 207, followed by batteries, with 95. ...If we look at projects in terms of generating capacity, utility-scale solar led with 11,458 megawatts, followed by batteries, 8,207 megawatts, and then onshore wind, mostly because of the SunZia projects, with 5,473 megawatts...

By Arcelia Martin , Inside Climate News.  Excerpt: The Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), the state’s grid operator, reported last week that 70 percent of generation in the 460-gigawatt interconnection queue is from solar and battery storage. Natural gas facilities make up less than 17 percent of that line. ...State Sen. Phil King, a Republican from Weatherford, asked the leaders of ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) at a public hearing last week whether there should be a rule that puts a quota on what share of new generation connecting to the grid comes from fossil fuels....  Full article at https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06082026/texas-republicans-consider-natural-gas-minimums/ . 

By Leia Larsen , The Salt Lake Tribune.  Excerpt: Utah’s solar generation eclipsed all other electricity sources for the first time ever in May.... Photovoltaic panels in Utah produced nearly 1 terawatt hour in May 2026. That represented nearly a third of all electricity generated in the state that month, according to data from Ember , a global energy think tank. Natural gas generated 32%, coal generated 28% and wind generated 2%. ...Schroeder attributes the trend to several large solar farms coming online in recent years. The 2,500-acre Green River Energy Center in Emery County became operational this spring and includes 400 megawatts of solar generation and 400 megawatts of battery storage. Excelsior Energy Capital’s Faraday Solar project in Utah County started providing up to 685 megawatts for the Meta data center there last fall . ...Solar also supports nearly 8,000 jobs in Utah, according to the latest information from the Solar Energy Industries Association . The state is ...

By Arcelia Martin , Inside Climate News.  Excerpt: Amid triple-digit temperatures, solar and storage have created far more breathing room than in the last stretch of record energy demand.... Full article at https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22072026/texas-grid-operator-ercot-prepares-for-heat-demand/ . 

By Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor.  Excerpt: Less than two decades ago, Uruguay was facing a predicament that would feel familiar to people in many countries today. Global oil prices were spiking. The small but growing country’s economy now depended on more imported fossil fuels to meet rising demands for electricity. ...These days, up to 98% of Uruguay’s electricity comes from a combination of wind, solar, hydropower, and biomass. The nation of about 3.4 million people even exports surplus energy to neighboring Argentina and Brazil....  Full article at https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2026/0621/uruguay-green-energy-crisis-hormuz . 

By Alexis Abramson , Time Magazine.  Excerpt: Americans are seeking out solar , batteries, and electric vehicles at a pace unlike anything the clean energy movement has seen in fifty years. In the 23 days after the Iran war began and the Strait of Hormuz closed, requests for home solar systems paired with battery storage jumped 21% . Used EV sales reversed course sharply, rising 17% in a single quarter after hitting their lowest point since 2022.  ... Across the U.S. and globally , interest in clean energy is accelerating faster than at any point in history, and not necessarily because of anything the clean energy movement achieved on its own. Understanding why is critical. ...By 2010, after four decades of moral-based advocacy, solar still represented less than 0.1% of U.S. electricity generation. ...over a system's lifetime, today, solar generates electricity at costs comparable to or less than what utilities charge in most parts of the country. ...Gas prices set b...

By Noelle Corbett, BGR.  Excerpt: In addition to supplying clean energy, solar panels have a surprisingly positive impact on degraded land and local wildlife . The panels block the sun, allowing the soil to retain more moisture to the point where China's largest solar farm is changing the desert around it , turning a once dry landscape green with plant life. Animals can also benefit from solar farms, including the San Joaquin kit fox, an endangered species that lives in central California, whose population faces many threats, including habitat loss and predators. ...Researchers examined how the facilities impacted local foxes in two separate studies carried out from 2014–2017, with results published in a 2019 report .... They found that solar farms' fences kept out common predators like bobcats and coyotes, animals too large to fit underneath. Additionally, the solar panels provided shielding from birds of prey like the golden eagle.... Another study carried...out between 2019 ...

By Ishan Thakore , Colorado Public Radio (CPR) News.  Excerpt: Renewable energy production has more than doubled in Colorado over the last decade, according to a new report from the advocacy groups Colorado Public Interest Research Group (CoPIRG) and Environment Colorado. In 2025, solar, wind and geothermal produced the equivalent of 44% of the power consumed in the state, up from just 19% in 2016. Solar saw a particularly large jump — the state generated eight times as much solar power last year compared to 2016.  The lion’s share of Colorado’s renewable electricity comes from wind energy. The state produced enough electricity from wind last year to power more than 1.5 million homes, according to the report.  Colorado also saw a massive increase in the number of registered electric vehicles and installed EV charging ports compared to 2016. ...The nationwide increase in renewable energy is being driven in part by its lower costs. Utility-scale solar and wind farms now pr...

By Ben Tracy of Climate Central .  Excerpt: ...Unlike traditional rooftop solar, which requires thousands of dollars in upfront costs, specialized mounting hardware and professional electricians, this system is designed for the everyday consumer. It’s a $400 kit from Bright Saver, a non-profit advocating for “plug-and-play” solar that works for renters and homeowners alike. The setup is deceptively simple: you hang the panel on a balcony or prop it up in a back yard and plug it directly into a standard wall outlet. ...While these panels won’t take a home entirely off the grid, Stryker says the units can trim monthly costs by 10% to 25% depending on how many panels a user installs. More savings can be had if the panels are paired with batteries that can store excess solar energy. “They cover a part of your energy bill and then you do need to draw the rest from the grid as you do now,” Stryker said. While the technology is just gaining a foothold in the US, it is already a cultural p...

By Claire Barber , Inside Climate News.  Excerpt: SAN FRANCISCO ...in late March ...For the first time, California discharged just over 12,000 megawatts, equivalent to 12 large nuclear plants, of energy from its battery arrays. That’s enough to meet over  40 percent  of the state’s energy demand.  ...While more than more than 60 percent of the state’s electricity generation came from carbon-free sources last year, momentum toward bridging the last gap is fraught, as President Trump takes aim at  offshore wind , orders  oil pipelines to reopen  and retires renewable energy tax credits.  ...[Ed] SMELOFF:  Interestingly, the Trump administration has been supportive of batteries and the [One Big Beautiful Bill] ....continued the investment tax credit for batteries through 2032. ...the war on Iran...reinforces the understanding that fossil fuels are volatile, insecure, vulnerable to these international disruptions, so it makes sense to continue to deve...