Nothing is more fitting for Earth Day than the overwhelming majority of countries coming together to sign the Paris Climate Agreement, which was hosted by the United Nations last year. 

Solar Impulse resumes attempt to become first manned aircraft powered purely by the sun, to circumnavigate the globe. 

Earth Day is just a spin away and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) observed that the U.S. has hit a big milestone—1 million solar installations across the country. It’s launched a new social media campaign Million Solar Strong to recognize and celebrate the achievement.

Today the U.S. Senate passed S. 2012, the Energy Policy Modernization Act of 2016, the most significant piece of energy legislation thus far this session. The new legislation met mixed reviews from renewable energy and environmental organizations. While it held some provisions welcomed by the solar industry, other groups like the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) were more wary of the provisions in the bill, which expressed concern that the bill didn’t do enough to promote clean energy.

That’s according to job site Indeed. The job posting site said that currently oil jobs are the most in demand energy jobs in the U.S. on its site but that demand for renewable energy and solar jobs in particular, are on pace to outstrip demand for oil jobs. The site found that the renewable energy sector has created 7.7 million direct and indirect jobs around the world.

A new political action committee in Arizona Yes on AZ Solar filed late last week to preserve net metering in the state. The new organization, which is supported by the solar industry and renewable energy advocates, including SolarCity and Energy Choice for America, filed paperwork to place a constitutional amendment known as the Arizona Solar Energy Freedom Act on the state’s November ballot.

Haiti is continuing to electrify villages with help. Today (April 19) NRG Energy’s philanthropic arm, NRG Global Giving, partnered with Haitian solar company DigitalKap to install rooftop solar panels at two Haitian non-profits: Les Centres GHESKIO (GHESKIO) in Port au Prince and Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods (SOIL) in Cap-Haïtien. 

Startup mPower has launched a new Indiegogo campaign for its line of mobile solar power generators. The company’s campaign is aimed at giving people a chance to buy a solar generator and to send another generator to a family in need in a developing nation through its “Buy1—Donate 1” campaign. The company plans to deliver 5,000 devices in 2017 with the help of an ambasador.

The Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative has launched a new, $4 million effort to increase access to solar data to help increase solar market transparency and fair pricing. The department has awarded four organizations to establish data standards for the industry.

Two companies partnered across the Atlantic to create highly efficient silicon solar cells made with kerfless wafers. Together imec and Crystal Solar have created a 22.5 percent efficient photovoltaic solar cell on a kerfless (low-waste) silicon wafer. Since their technology reduces waste in the PV manufacturing process it can further reduce the costs of solar power.