Bloomberg: Europe Is Losing Its Reputation as a Renewable Energy Leader

Europe is losing its status as a global leader in clean energy, with investment in the region plummeting 21 percent last year, while spending in the rest of the world boomed.

A record $328.9 billion was invested worldwide in solar, wind and other renewable energy sources in 2015, according to a report released Tuesday by REN 21, an international coalition of governments, renewable energy trade associations and financial institutions including the World Bank Group. Spending in Europe was $48.8 billion, down from $62 billion a year earlier.

Quartz: The Developing World Is Outspending Rich Countries on Renewable Energy Investment

Renewable energy had its best year ever in 2015, in terms of both investment and building. As a relatively small industry, that might not be surprising. Without massive setbacks (like the 2008 financial crisis), and with a lot of room for growth, each successive year might be expected to be better than the one before.

What’s surprising is the scale, and the source of the most growth: developing countries.

MIT Technology Review: Shifting Economic Winds Spell Trouble for Solar Giants SolarCity and Sunrun

The U.S. solar market is booming -- 2016 is predicted to be the largest year ever for both rooftop solar and utility-scale installations. But shifting economic forces could spell trouble for some of the largest companies in the industry.

But price declines, the extension of the federal Investment Tax Credit for solar, and an increase in the number of lenders willing to finance solar purchases are combining to make owning panels a much cheaper option for consumers.

That could be bad news for SolarCity and Sunrun, two big solar providers that currently dominate the U.S. residential solar market.

Electrek: Tesla Could Triple Output of Gigafactory 1, Says Musk

During the 2016 shareholders meeting today, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the company could triple the total planned battery output of the Gigafactory to ~105 GWh of cells and ~150 GWh of battery packs -- or over three times the current total Li-ion battery production worldwide.

The new potential total capacity would be based on the current planned factory of 13 million square feet -- with no expansion needed. Musk also revealed a few other tidbits of information about the plant during the meeting.

Morning Consult: Clinton Rolls Out Plan to Use Federal Land for Renewable Energy

Hillary Clinton wants to increase renewable energy generation on public lands and in offshore water, the Democratic presidential hopeful wrote in an op-ed published in The Mercury News.

“Now, as we work to combat climate change and build America into the world’s clean energy superpower, our public lands can once again play a key role in unlocking the resources we need,” Clinton wrote. “While protecting sensitive areas where development poses too great a risk, we can accelerate our transition to a clean energy economy by increasing renewable energy generation on public lands and offshore waters tenfold within a decade.”