Colorado River Fallout: Lake Mead hit a new record low at 1,040.5 feet as drought tightens water and hydropower risks across the basin. Hydropower vs. Ecology: Federal officials won’t release cool water from Lake Powell this year, prioritizing strained hydropower while leaving a threatened fish more exposed. Grid Stress in Heat: China’s summer peak load reached a new record, pushing utilities toward storage, virtual power plants, and long-distance transmission to keep cooling demand covered. Clean Power Funding (Canada): Nunavut is set to receive $3M for five solar projects under Canada’s National Electricity Strategy, including rooftop PV to cut diesel use. Solar Procurement (India): U-Solar won L1 for a 20 MW floating solar project in Chhattisgarh, targeting commissioning within a year. Trade Shock for Solar (US): Trump’s 15% polysilicon tariff plus minimum pricing threatens higher US solar panel costs and could widen the green tech divide. Offshore Wind Backlash (US): The Interior Department paid $1.22B to end offshore wind leases, with more taxpayer buybacks nearing $4B. Energy Deals (US): Constellation signed 920 MW of new long-term power deals, including a Walmart nuclear PPA. Home Storage Boom (Australia): Western Australia passed 50,000 home battery installs, adding over 1.1 GWh of storage. Renewables Diplomacy (South Asia): India and Bhutan reaffirmed hydropower and cross-border electricity cooperation; India and Sri Lanka reviewed HVDC and solar plans. Floating Wind Milestone (China): CNOOC connected a 16 MW typhoon-resistant floating wind platform to an offshore oilfield grid.