1. The largest solar project in Arkansas history

Learning: "Climate United and Scenic Hill Solar have partnered on a large-scale solar project for the University of Arkansas, the largest of its kind in the state."

Implication: "The project, funded by $31.8 million from Climate United via the Environmental Protection Agency's National Clean Investment Fund, aims to develop 18 solar projects across 13 utility districts, saving the university more than $120 million in energy costs over 25 years and providing significant environmental benefits."

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2. The Best Products in the Consumer Electronics Show 2025

Learning: An incredible rolling laptop screen, a smart dimmer switch for older homes, and more are revealed at CES 2025.

Implication: A backup power device may be one of the most popular items. "The latest innovation from Brooklyn-based energy brand BioLite is poised to offer a power-backup option that’s practical for both renters and homeowners.

The Backup by BioLite is a slim, wall-mountable power bank that plugs into a wall outlet. Its lithium battery has a capacity of 1.5 kilowatt-hours, enough to power a full-size fridge for about nine hours.

You can also connect multiple units together, expanding the total capacity to as much as 10.5 kilowatt-hours. Unlike gas generators, the Backup is quiet and emission-free, so it can be used safely indoors.

And while many comparable systems must be installed by a licensed electrician, the Backup has a simple plug-and-play setup, as well as an easy-to-use app that alerts you to power outages, lets you remotely monitor battery life, and allows you to toggle individual devices on and off (you can plug in up to two devices per unit). In a situation that reaches emergency status, the Backup could come in extremely handy."

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3. Texas tops US states for renewable energy and battery capacity

Learning: "Texas is dominating the development of renewable energy generation and battery capacity within the United States and is estimated to have installed nearly 80% more combined solar, wind and battery capacity than the next largest state."

Implication: "In absolute terms, Texas has installed around 19,000 MW of solar, 14,000 MW of wind and 6,200 MW of battery capacity within the past five years.

Those installations have resulted in wind and solar farms generating roughly 30% of the state's electricity in 2024."

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4. A new solar project in Brooklyn could offer a model for climate justice

Learning: "An industrial waterfront in Brooklyn, New York, is transforming from a gritty area of abandoned warehouses and crumbling piers into a hub of clean energy activity. A terminal for assembling giant offshore wind turbines is well under construction, and plans are taking shape for a $100 million center where startups can test new climatetech solutions.

Now the shoreside stretch is set to add a clean energy project to its portfolio: a unique solar initiative driven by the local community"

Implication: "Construction will begin early this year on the 725-kilowatt array, which is spearheaded by the grassroots organization UPROSE and will span the roof of a former military supply base. The project is expected to reduce the energy bills of some 150 participating households in Sunset Park... Revenue from selling power to the grid will go into a community wealth fund that allows residents to invest in local programs, including potentially more solar."

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5. Solar balconies take off in Europe

Learning: "They are easy to install and knock chunks off electricity bills. It may not be Romeo and Juliet, but Spain’s balcony scene is heating up as the country embraces what has hitherto been a mainly German love affair with DIY plug-in solar panels."

Implication: "Panels have already been installed on about 1.5m German balconies, where they are so popular the term Balkonkraftwerk (balcony power plant) has been coined.

Manufacturers say that installing a couple of 300-watt panels will give a saving of up to 30% on a typical household’s electricity bill. With an outlay of (a few hundred Euros) and with no installation cost, the panels could pay for themselves within six years.

In Spain, where two thirds of the population live in apartments and installing panels on the roof requires the consent of a majority of the building’s residents, this DIY technology has obvious advantages."