The Trump administration has launched Project Vault, a $12 billion public-private initiative aimed at building a long-term U.S. stockpile of critical minerals used across energy, manufacturing, technology and defense supply chains.

Global power generation is becoming increasingly concentrated, while market forces, technology costs, and industrial innovation continue to reshape energy systems. From China’s outsized role in global electricity supply to Texas’ market-driven clean energy buildout, Europe’s coal decline, new forms of heat storage, and tightening metals markets.

Geothermal energy is beginning to take on a larger role in the U.S. energy system, driven by steady capacity growth, a rising project pipeline, and major advances in drilling and reservoir technology. U.S. geothermal power capacity now sits at just under 4,000 megawatts-electric (MWe) — roughly 4 gigawatts — up around eight percent since 2020.

From the rapid build-out of AI-driven data centers to the world’s first round-the-clock gigawatt-scale solar plant, these stories capture how quickly the global energy system is evolving. Falling battery costs are reshaping electricity markets, emerging economies are charting new transition pathways, and critical materials like copper are emerging as potential bottlenecks.

At this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos, the Trump administration used one of the world’s most prominent global stages to do something unusual: rather than moderating its energy message for an international audience, it reaffirmed it in full.

A new ultra-small hydro generator is showing promise for delivering electricity in remote and underserved areas. Designed to operate in shallow, slow-moving water, the system has already been tested powering street lights. Its portability and simplicity could allow off-grid communities to generate reliable local power without large infrastructure, expanding access to clean electricity in hard-to-reach regions.

Across the global energy system, a new balance is emerging between clean power, grid resilience, and the resources that still dominate today’s economy. From record-breaking battery deployments and heat-tested power systems to LNG markets and oil geopolitics, these developments show how energy is being reshaped by both technology and supply chains.

The UK new car market returned to growth in 2025, with registrations reaching 2.02 million, up 3.5% year on year, marking the strongest annual total so far this decade. Electric vehicles continued to gain traction, with almost half a million battery-electric cars sold and around one in four buyers choosing to go fully electric.

Electricity demand from AI, breakthroughs in clean transport, and rapid solar expansion across emerging markets are reshaping how energy systems evolve. From data centres and hydrogen freight to record-setting solar imports and experimental energy concepts, these developments highlight how technology, infrastructure, and innovation are increasingly intertwined with the future of power.

The United States’ sudden military action against Venezuela has triggered one of the most dramatic geopolitical shocks in the region in decades. President Donald Trump said U.S. forces had captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and that Washington would temporarily “run” the country until what he described as a “safe, proper and judicious transition” could take place.

Energy, resources, and infrastructure are being reshaped by powerful structural shifts. From falling battery costs and changing oil demand to coal’s slow plateau and the explosive growth of AI-driven power use, the global energy system is entering a new phase defined by concentration, scale, and electrification.

Europe’s energy and transport landscape is being reshaped by fast-moving market responses, falling battery costs, and growing scrutiny of long-term infrastructure investments. From trade policy and power pricing to electric mobility and nuclear economics, these developments highlight how technology, regulation, and cost dynamics are increasingly intertwined.