The Saudi plan to expand in the renewable energy sector and diversify partnerships with progressive countries in the field is moving forward.

RECHARGE - The EU will spend up to €10bn ($11.37bn) supporting innovative low-carbon technologies in sectors such as renewables and energy storage over the next decade, said the European Commission.

IRENA - Innovative solutions accelerate low-cost renewables in the power sector, providing countries with tools to benefit from renewables scale-up, new IRENA report finds

PLATTS- Germany added almost 3 GW of solar capacity last year, the highest annual figure since 2013 and 68% more than 2017, German solar association BSW said Thursday. Total installed solar PV capacity was 45.929 GW by end-2018, with 377 MW added in December alone.

EIA - U.S. crude oil production continues to set annual records through the mid-2020s and remains greater than 14.0 million barrels per day (b/d) through 2040. The continued development of tight oil and shale gas resources, particularly those in the East and Southwest regions, supports growth in NGPL production—which reaches 6.0 million b/d by 2030—and dry natural gas production. Dry natural gas production reaches 43.4 trillion cubic feet by 2050.

REUTERS - Total capacity - including hydro and biomass as well as solar and wind - rose to 728 gigawatts (GW) by end-2018, the National Energy Administration (NEA) said during a briefing. That amounted to 38.3 percent of China’s total installed power capacity, up 1.7 percentage points on the year and around 7 percentage points higher than at the end of 2015.

POWERMAG - China continues to finance new coal plants in more than two dozen countries, even as the country has taken the lead in global renewable energy investment, according to a report from a U.S. group of energy analysts.

U.S. EIA - EIA expects non-hydroelectric renewable energy resources such as solar and wind will be the fastest growing source of U.S. electricity generation for at least the next two years.

ENA - Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director-General of ADFD, said, "The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development believes in the vital role the renewable energy sector plays in attaining the sustainable development goals in developing countries. This important sector stimulates economic growth, creates employment opportunities, drives innovation, supports the advancement of other key sectors, and optimises the use of natural resources – all crucial factors in improving people’s lives."

SHELL - PGGM and Shell have joined forces to explore the opportunity to participate in the controlled auction for the sustainable energy provider Eneco. In December 2018 Eneco and its shareholders’ committee announced the start of the privatisation process.