Clean energy developers set a new US record in the third quarter by installing 11.7 GW of utility-scale solar, wind and energy storage, marking a 14 percent increase from the previous year, according to the American Clean Power Association. So far in 2025, 30.9 GW have been connected to the grid, with the clean power pipeline reaching 86,185 MW by the end of the third quarter.

NextEra Energy and Alphabet's Google Cloud have announced an expanded partnership to build new large-scale US data center hubs paired with dedicated power generation. The utility expects to bring online at least 15 gigawatts of capacity for data centers by 2035, including gas-fired plants with carbon capture developed jointly with ExxonMobil. Separately, NextEra's infrastructure unit has reached a deal to acquire gas retail platform Symmetry Energy Solutions to expand its natural gas footprint.

The Energy Information Administration will eliminate redundant reports, including some on natural gas and electricity, and introduce over 10 new surveys next year, including on data centers and critical minerals, EIA Administrator Tristan Abbey announced. Abbey also outlined plans to revise the Annual Energy Outlook, fold international analysis into all projections and potentially split near- and long-term forecasts. The agency is also evaluating a possible field office in Houston.

Entergy Louisiana has launched the 49-megawatt Sterlington Solar Facility in Ouachita Parish, adjacent to the historic Sterlington Station. The facility is part of a broader renewable energy initiative that includes about 225 megawatts of new facilities. Entergy leadership said that the plant marks a significant step toward clean and sustainable power for the region.

The EU is initiating a strategic overhaul of its cross-border energy grid by adopting a centralized, top-down planning approach. This new method will see Brussels develop a comprehensive scenario for energy infrastructure, identifying investment gaps and prioritizing projects to address long-standing bottlenecks. The European Commission aims to coordinate with member states and transmission operators to streamline planning, simplify permitting, and accelerate construction.

A federal judge in Massachusetts has struck down an executive order by President Donald Trump that halted offshore wind projects, including the nearly completed Revolution Wind. The court said the order was "arbitrary and capricious," ruling it unlaw and allowing projects to resume. The decision comes after a coalition of 17 state attorneys general challenged the order, arguing that it jeopardized the states' economies, public health and climate goals.

The Solar Energy Industries Association and more than 140 industry companies have mounted a coordinated response to a July Department of the Interior memo that introduced regulatory hurdles for solar energy permitting. In a letter to Congress, industry leaders urged action, arguing that the directive is halting progress on over 500 projects nationwide by creating unnecessary regulatory barriers. SEIA President Abigail Ross Hopper called for permitting reform and equal treatment across all energy sources, warning that the current situation threatens project deployment and investment amid rising energy demand.

The Department of Energy is offering up to $134 million in funding to support projects that prove the commercial viability of recovering and refining rare earth elements from sources such as mine tailings and electronic waste. This financial support is part of a broader federal initiative to reduce US dependence on foreign critical minerals by investing in innovative extraction and processing technologies.