Renewable vitality’s favourite season has arrived.
Spring is when every thing comes collectively for clear energy sources. Days get longer, boosting photo voltaic technology. Winter’s blustery winds preserve blowing, propelling generators to their max. And melting snow and heavy rains mix to drive hydropower technology.
Earlier springs have proven us simply what this wild climate is able to. Within the first week of March 2025, Texas’ energy grid, generally known as ERCOT, set all-time information for wind and solar energy manufacturing in addition to battery storage discharge.
Now, only a few weeks into spring, and with lots extra renewable energy technology added up to now yr, Texas is as soon as once more reaching new heights. On March 14, ERCOT reached an all-time excessive of 28.7 gigawatts of wind energy, in line with GridStatus.io. Much more spectacular is the state’s photo voltaic technology, which has already set a number of information to this point this yr.
And in California, batteries saved a ton of that clear vitality, after which set file after file for dispatching it all through March.
A variety of these information had been solely made attainable because of the U.S. including 26.5 GW of utility-scale solar energy technology in 2025, and one other 5.7 GW of wind technology. A huge 13 GW of grid battery installations final yr helped make full use of these renewables.
There’s an added bonus to all these information occurring because the climate begins to heat. Most of us are beginning to flip down our furnaces and warmth pumps, however haven’t but turned on our air conditioners. Meaning total energy demand tends to be at its lowest within the spring, and with renewables at their peak, we want far much less fossil-fueled energy to choose up the distinction.
That confluence resulted in one thing monumental in March 2025: For the primary time ever, fossil fuels accounted for lower than half of U.S. energy manufacturing throughout a entire month, whereas clear sources generated the remainder. Let’s see if the U.S. can repeat that feat this yr.
Extra massive vitality tales
A world vitality disaster is in full swing
Continued battle within the Center East is highlighting the dangers of counting on fossil fuels.
It’s been 5 weeks for the reason that U.S. and Israel first attacked Iran, sparking a battle that has largely shut down oil and gasoline manufacturing and transportation within the area. Home pure gasoline provides have blunted the blow within the U.S., however a lot of the world is going through a main vitality disaster. Thailand has inspired staff to ditch enterprise fits to curb using air con, whereas Sri Lanka has carried out a four-day workweek to restrict gasoline use.
The EU’s vitality chief this week equally urged residents to drive and fly much less, and pushed international locations to hurry their transition to wash vitality, saying fossil fuels’ value volatility received’t finish even with a decision within the Center East. That’s been particularly clear within the years since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which spurred the EU to chop off Russian gasoline provides and switch its consideration towards a photo voltaic and wind buildout as an alternative.
