The Crown Estate has published its ninth Offshore Wind Operational Report, which provides in-depth insight into the progress of the UK’s offshore wind sector.

Good News: A new normal for wind and solar   The International Energy Agency (IEA) published its latest forecasts for the global growth of the wind and solar industry this week and they have jumped by 25% compared to just six months ago – and by 40% compared to a year ago. This puts the industries on track to match global gas capacity by next year. Around 280 gigawatts of renewable energy – mostly wind and solar – was installed last year, 45% higher than the year before. The IEA said that this was both “exceptional” and “the new normal”. In other happy renewables news, the US’ first major offshore windfarm was given the green light last week, which will generate enough energy to power 400,000 homes and businesses.