Grid & storage push: Pakistan’s energy minister said BESS is now essential to stabilize a grid reshaped by fast-growing rooftop solar, shifting demand from daytime surplus to evening peaks. Grid reliability & planning: Kuwait’s tendering agency floated consultancy work to strengthen grid control and monitoring centers, protection studies, and GCC interconnection-related planning. Universal access drive: Lesotho pledged universal electricity by 2030 as it expands the Ha-Ramarothole solar project and rolls out free household connection installations. Clean energy funding: Canada announced $26M for 17 clean-tech projects in Alberta and Saskatchewan, including storage, solar/wind, transmission planning, and methane cuts. Renewables for renters: New Jersey cleared the way for plug-in “balcony solar,” aiming to make solar access easier for renters and apartment dwellers. Battery deals: JSW Energy secured 200MW/400MWh BESS and PCS orders, while Powerica won a 50MW wind tender bid in Gujarat. Transmission upgrade: National Grid began a multi-year $470M project to modernize a major high-voltage line in New England. Hydropower risk: Reports highlight concerns around Canada’s wildfire-linked power stress and low dam reservoir levels, with wildfires threatening hydro facilities. Policy friction: A critique argues the “grid crisis” is driven by state policy disagreements rather than a pure market failure. Energy diplomacy: Jordan and the Czech Republic expanded cooperation across cybersecurity and renewable energy alongside trade and development.