Spanish grid operator validates tower resistance against cascading failures
Redeia used advanced simulation to test anti-cascading transmission towers under extreme multi-tower collapse scenarios. The results confirm that current Spanish grid design standards effectively prevent cascading failures and support overall grid resilience.
Storing renewables with compressed air in urban heating pipeline
Researchers in China have developed a heating pipeline compressed-air energy storage (HP-CAES) concept that repurposes urban district heating networks as large-scale storage vessels for surplus renewable electricity. The system stores compressed air and recovered compression heat within existing pipelines, enabling both energy storage and heating functions with improved efficiency and lower infrastructure requirements compared to conventional tank-based CAES.
Europe creates map to locate available capacity in power grids
The new pan-European digital platform is designed to enhance transparency and improve access to information on the hosting capacity of European electricity grids, including both transmission and distribution networks.
IRENA proposes global electrification target of 35% by 2035
New report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says renewables will be key to meeting rising global demand for electricity but with up to 2.5 TW of solar, storage and wind projects already in connection queues worldwide, increased investment in grid infrastructure will be pivotal.
China conducts first experiments for space-based solar power plants
China is advancing the Sun Chasing project to develop space-based solar power systems that collect energy in orbit and beam it wirelessly to Earth or spacecraft for continuous power supply. Early tests demonstrated over 100 m wireless power transmission and efficient microwave beaming to moving targets, with up to 1,180 W delivered and promising system efficiencies.
Grid-forming tech on centre stage as search for system resilience steps up
Maintaining grid stability becomes more challenging as the share of intermittent renewables grows in the electricity generation mix, but system resilience is essential to continued solar deployment. Grid-forming inverters offer a solution, and their capabilities are increasingly being tested and relied upon in key energy markets globally.
U.S. Solar developer seeks connection to wrong powerline, delays project five years
The OFW Solar Project in Virginia submitted an application to connect to powerlines run by the wrong power company, instead of a second set of nearby transmission lines, necessitating a total restart of the PJM interconnection process that could push construction back to 2032.
Grid operators may reduce renewables penetration if data center growth continues unchecked, says ENTSO-E
A new report from the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity explores the potential for data centers to become flexible assets in Europe’s electricity system, as well as how to manage grid planning and grid security.
Europe’s negative electricity price hours double in Q1 amid renewables surpluses, market imbalances
UK-based consultancy Ricardo, part of the WSP Group, reports that EU-27 day-ahead power markets saw 1,223 negative-price hours in Q1 2026, more than double Q1 2025, driven mainly by Spain, Portugal, and Greece, while Nordic markets fell back to zero after prior spikes. Germany’s April 2026 data shows negative prices aligning with large renewable forecast errors and likely curtailment during oversupply periods.
Longer-duration BESS finds footing in Germany’s toll market
BlackRock‑backed developer Akaysha Energy says lenders require 60% to 80% contracted revenue before committing project debt to utility‑scale battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in Germany – a threshold that structured offtake products borrowed from its home market can meet.
