/ Access to power is widespread in the Western world and so is the awareness of a need for cleaner, lower carbon fuels. But who should decide which formats are worth investing in? Some argue that only the free market can determine which energies can sustain themselves in the long term: others believe such a crucial resource requires state control. We assess the arguments to understand the pressures and challenges of ensuring the strength of the global energy mix.

We also examine the future of hydropower, as the relationship between the water-dependent practice and climate change is becoming more strained, with regions hit by rising temperatures are subject to droughts and increasing outages.

Also, we ask if onshore wind is set for a UK comeback, take a snapshot of the most influential solar power developers, and hear about flatpack anaerobic digestion kits, cloud-based smart metering payment solutions for off-grid Africa, and a mass roll-out of EV rapid charging stations.  /

Read on for all this and more, and join the conversation on Twitter. 

Ceri Jones, Editor