The European Commission will update Emissions Trading System (ETS) free allocation benchmarks and utilize the Market Stability Reserve to curb carbon price volatility "within days". President von der Leyen announced a medium-term ETS review to establish a "realistic trajectory" for free allowances beyond 2034. The EU is also proposing a $35 billion "ETS Investment Booster" fund to finance decarbonization projects, prioritizing lower-income states. To address soaring energy costs, the Commission plans to allow member states to reduce grid charges for energy-intensive industries and mandate lower taxes on electricity compared to fossil fuels. This follows intense pressure from steelmakers and EU nations demanding an urgent ETS overhaul by July.

The project is located in Oudomxay Province in northern Laos and was invested in and constructed by China General Nuclear Power Group. It was Laos’s first large-scale PV project. The project was officially commissioned at the end of 2025 and is expected to generate about 1.7 billion kWh of electricity annually on average. As an important supporting power supply for the China-Laos 500-kV transmission line for power interconnection, the clean electricity generated by the project will be transmitted to Yunnan through the China-Laos 500-kV interconnection project, supporting Yunnan’s energy transition and power supply security.

According to recent investor reports, Alcoa's San Ciprián smelter is operating at 90% capacity and is expected to reach full capacity by mid-year. Production at the San Ciprián smelter declined in 2021 due to high electricity prices; a nationwide power outage in Spain in April 2025 further disrupted the overall operations of the smelter and refinery. Prior to the production cuts, the smelter's total annual capacity was 228,000 tons.

Combined US utility-scale wind and solar generation reached a record 17% of the electricity mix in 2025, producing 760,000 GWh. Utility-scale solar drove this surge, jumping 34% year-over-year. Including small-scale solar pushes the combined 'wind and solar' share to 19%. As electricity demand rises—fueled by data centers and electrification—the grid is preparing for a historic 86 GW of new capacity in 2026, with solar and battery storage making up 79% of these planned additions.

[SMM Tin Morning Comment: The Most-Traded SHFE Tin Contract Maintained a Fluctuating Trend After Opening Slightly Higher in the Night Session, Spot Market Transactions Showed Mediocre Performance]

Smart meter deployment in the UK has hit a slump, prompting the government to introduce stricter regulations for energy retailers to ensure full domestic coverage by the end of 2030. While 21.8 million smart electricity meters were operating by the end of 2025, 7.8 million traditional meters still need replacing. To meet the 'Clean Power 2030' target, suppliers must submit binding annual deployment plans to Ofgem, replace outdated 2G and 3G meters before the 2033 network switch-off, and adhere to a strict 90-day window to repair faulty units or face penalties. This regulatory push aligns with the UK's broader efforts to integrate residential batteries and EVs into grid flexibility markets.