In brief | 7 May '26

FT: EU weighs get-out for gas leaks after US and fossil fuel industry pressure

Guidelines would see penalties suspended during energy crises. 

Bloomberg: Microsoft in talks to axe energy pledge amid data centre boom

Microsoft is in discussions to shelve one of industry’s most ambitious clean-energy targets as it tries to remove hurdles in the race to power data centres, according to people with inside knowledge. 

Euronews: Sweden generates 99 percent of electricity from clean sources. So why is wind power under attack?

Thousands of anti-wind social media posts have been analysed, as researchers warn that Europe’s energy security could be threatened. 

Euronews: ‘Significantly lower energy bills’: How do solar batteries work and are they worth the investment?

As Europeans scramble to install rooftop solar panels or even plug-in alternatives, the need for battery storage systems continues to grow. 

Euractiv: Europe's energy trilemma sharpens as EDF maps path to net-zero by 2050 - Advocacy

French utility's decarbonisation scenario finds clean electrification the most cost-effective route to energy security - but warns action cannot wait.