Michigan Just Unlocked $51M to Fix EV Charging Gaps
Michigan has secured the final $51 million of its $106 million NEVI allocation after receiving “fully built out” certification from the Federal Highway Administration. The state can now shift from corridor‑focused chargers to a broader deployment that addresses geographic gaps, reliability, medium‑duty fleets, and long‑term planning. To date, MDOT has installed 83 NEVI‑funded fast‑charging stations and is coordinating with local governments, utilities, and private partners. A third round of applications will open, giving every Michigan community a chance at funding.
Why the Power Boom Could Break the Grid
U.S. electricity demand, spurred by rapidly expanding AI data centers, is projected to outpace new generation and transmission capacity, raising concerns of shortages and reliability lapses. Short‑term measures such as keeping aging polluting plants online, encouraging self‑generation, or tolerating degraded...
Antares Receives DOE Approval of Mark-0 Demonstration Reactor
Antares, a California‑based advanced nuclear firm, received U.S. Department of Energy approval for the Documented Safety Analysis of its Mark‑0 micro‑reactor, confirming the final design and safety case. The approval follows a preliminary safety review earlier this year and triggers...
Nuclear Recycling Has Reached a Prime Moment—And the U.S. May Be Running Out of Time
The Energy Innovation Reform Project (EIRP) released a new assessment urging the United States to adopt a national policy that supports commercial nuclear fuel recycling, citing shifts in economics, waste‑management costs, and proliferation concerns. The report calls for a White...
Codelco and SANY Conduct Successful Pilot of 100% Electric Transport Truck on Strategic Northern Route
Codelco and Chinese equipment maker SANY completed a 680‑kilometre round‑trip pilot using a 100% electric heavy‑duty truck that hauled 27 tonnes of copper between the Radomiro Tomic mine and Angamos Port in Chile's Atacama Desert. The test, conducted under a new...
Solar United Neighbors Publishes Consumer Guide to PPAs, Leases
Solar United Neighbors released a consumer‑focused guide on power purchase agreements and solar leases, the two primary third‑party ownership (TPO) models for residential solar. The report notes that TPO financing now represents 45% of U.S. residential solar installations. These arrangements...
Where Does Balcony Solar Stand in Your State?
Balcony solar, a DIY plug‑in photovoltaic kit, is gaining legislative attention across the United States. Roughly half of the states are evaluating bills that would allow residents to install these systems without utility permission or subsidies. Maine became the latest...
Eco Wave Power Completes Its First US Wave Energy Pilot Program
Eco Wave Power has completed its first U.S. wave‑energy pilot off the California coast, deploying a 2‑MW floating converter that produced roughly 5,000 MWh in its inaugural year. The project, funded with about $15 million in private and public capital, achieved a...
India Delays Mandatory Energy Efficiency Rules for Induction Hobs Amid LPG Concerns
India has pushed back the mandatory star‑labelling and energy‑efficiency standards for countertop induction hobs to January 1 2027, a six‑month delay from the original July 2026 deadline. The Ministry of Power issued a notification replacing the earlier date, citing the need to boost...
Scaling Advanced Nuclear Power: Picking Winners Now
Across the United States more than 60 advanced reactor developers are competing for billions in public and private capital, yet the nation still lacks a clear path to scale nuclear output. The Department of Energy announced in August 2025 that...
Duke Energy Girds for the Future
Duke Energy, one of two offshore wind lessees for the Carolina Long Bay area, is advancing its all‑of‑the‑above generation strategy. On February 10, the utility unveiled a $103 billion capital expenditure plan for 2026‑2030, an 18 % rise over its previous 2025‑2029 outlook....
Two New England States Say No to New Data Centers
Maine has become the first state to impose a moratorium on new data center projects of 20 MW or greater, halting construction until November 2027 while the environmental and grid impacts are studied. The measure, passed by the Maine House with...
South 8 Technologies Lands $9.2M California Grant to Scale LiGas Electrolyte Production in San Diego
South 8 Technologies secured a $9.2 million grant from California’s PowerForward Battery Manufacturing program to expand its LiGas® liquefied‑gas electrolyte production in San Diego. The funding will enable the startup to reach an annual electrolyte capacity of 100 MWh and produce 2 MWh of battery cells,...
Inside the IEEE PES T&D Conference and Expo
The 2026 IEEE PES Transmission & Distribution Conference in Chicago will convene over 15,000 engineers, utility leaders, and technology providers to address grid reliability and resilience. Hosted by ComEd, the event features more than 900 exhibitors and four themed exhibit‑floor...
Neocloud Storm Gathers as Data Center Deals Stall Over Credit Risk
Neocloud providers are finding that aggressive pricing, long‑term terms and prepaid fees no longer secure colocation capacity. Providers now demand investment‑grade credit and solid utilization visibility, turning lease underwriting into a project‑finance exercise. Even premium rates of $155‑$160 per kW...
Boeing Signs 40,000 Ton Soil-Based Carbon Removal Deal with Grassroots Carbon
Boeing has signed a multi‑year agreement with Grassroots Carbon to purchase a minimum of 40,000 tons of durable soil‑based carbon removal credits. Grassroots uses regenerative grazing, one‑meter‑deep soil measurements and third‑party verification to generate high‑integrity CDR credits. Boeing will apply these...
In Light of Energy Shocks, Xi Urges Faster Development of Nuclear and Solar Projects
Chinese President Xi Jinping urged an accelerated rollout of nuclear, solar and hydropower projects to fortify China’s energy security amid global shocks from the Iran‑U.S. conflict. While emphasizing that coal will remain the backbone of the power system, he called...
Greenhouse Gas Protocol Changes Can Bring Trust Back to Climate Accounting
The Greenhouse Gas Protocol’s current electricity accounting rules let companies claim renewable power generated anywhere, at any time, even when their actual consumption relies on fossil fuels. This mismatch has eroded confidence in corporate climate reporting as firms tout 100%...
Planon Supports Resilient Data Centers with Unified Platform
Planon has launched “Planon for Data Centers,” a unified software platform that extends its CMMS capabilities to mission‑critical data‑center environments. The solution integrates maintenance, compliance, asset lifecycle, and energy workflows while feeding real‑time alarms into work‑order processes. By digitizing procedures...
Nevada PUC Approves NV Energy Plan to Join Day-Ahead Market
The Nevada Public Utilities Commission approved NV Energy’s plan to join the California Independent System Operator’s Extended Day‑Ahead Market (EDAM) in fall 2028. The move leverages NV Energy’s 6.6 GW of owned capacity and 3.7 GW of renewable power purchase agreements, and...
Researchers Find Higher UV Degradation in Tracker-Based PV Systems
Researchers at the University of New South Wales have built a high‑precision global UV irradiance model for tilted PV surfaces, revealing that single‑axis tracking (SAT) systems receive markedly more ultraviolet radiation than fixed‑tilt arrays. In desert and tropical climates, trackers...
Analysis-Investors Press Amazon, Microsoft and Google on Water, Power Use in US Data Centers
Investors are intensifying pressure on Amazon, Microsoft and Google to disclose detailed water usage for their U.S. data centers after community opposition forced the abandonment of multibillion‑dollar projects. Shareholder resolutions filed by Trillium and others demand site‑level data and clarity...
Broker’s Call: Emmvee Photovoltaic (Add)
Emmvee Photovoltaic is adding a 6 GW integrated cell‑and‑module plant, boosting its total capacity to 16.3 GW of modules and 8.9 GW of cells, making it India’s fourth‑largest solar manufacturer. Kotak Institutional Equities initiates coverage with an Add rating and a DCF‑derived fair...
What FMs Need to Know About Data Center Immersion Cooling Fluid Selection
Rising rack densities are pushing traditional air‑cooling to its limits, prompting data‑center operators to adopt immersion cooling, where servers sit in a dielectric liquid. As these systems transition from niche crypto farms to AI and HPC workloads, the choice of...
India Records Sharpest Emissions Drop Among Major Economies in 2025: Report
India posted the steepest emissions decline among major economies in 2025, with power‑sector emissions dropping 2.6% despite rising electricity demand and economic growth. The fall reflects accelerated renewable‑energy deployment and expanding electric‑vehicle adoption, signaling early decoupling of growth from carbon...
Octopus Energy Launches 50% Cheaper On-Street EV Charging
Octopus Energy announced a new on‑street EV charging offer that cuts rates by half. New customers can charge at about 22.5p per kWh (≈$0.28/kWh), translating to roughly £16 ($20) for a full MG4 charge or 7p ($0.09) per mile. The...
Why Chemical and Materials Science Engineers Are the Unsung Heroes of Solar Innovation
The solar industry is shifting focus from pure cell physics to materials science as efficiency gains near theoretical limits. With global manufacturing capacity exceeding 1.5 TW and oversupply driving down prices, durability and long‑term reliability have become the primary performance constraints....
First Large-Scale Biomethanol Bunkering for Global Shipping Launched
Shanghai Electric successfully completed the world’s first large‑scale biomethanol bunkering, fueling the CMA CGM OSMIUM container ship at Shanghai’s Yangshan Port. The operation is part of China’s inaugural commercial biomethanol plant, delivering an initial 50,000 tons per year with plans to...
Solar, Mining Groups Partner to Improve Mineral Traceability
The Solar Stewardship Initiative (SSI) and the Initiative for Responsible Mining Assurance (IRMA) have signed a memorandum of understanding to boost traceability and sustainability across solar supply chains. The partnership will span the entire value chain, from mineral extraction to...
Construction Continues for French Full-Scale Wave Energy Demonstrator
Wave‑Op, a joint venture of the Legendre Group and Geps Techno, is advancing construction of the Dike Wave Energy (DIKWE) full‑scale demonstrator in Boulogne‑sur‑Mer, France. Approved in March 2025 and backed by the Hauts‑de‑France region, ADEME, Ifremer and engineering firm Fimetal, the...
‘Photovoltaics Are, First and Foremost, About Energy Security’
Moldova’s Ministry of Energy announced that the country’s solar capacity reached 1 GW, a twelvefold increase over five years, as part of a broader push to hit 30% renewables by 2030. The government launched a 170 MW wind tender coupled with 44 MWh...
Novonesis & DTU to Convert Carbon Into Protein As Part of Bill Gates-Backed Project
Novonesis has teamed up with the Technical University of Denmark’s Bright hub to engineer microbes that convert waste carbon dioxide into protein using acetate as feedstock. The collaboration is part of the Gates‑ and Novo Nordisk‑backed Acetate Consortium, which has...
A Church’s Geothermal Experiment Could Pave the Way for Projects Across New York
Christ Church Bronxville installed a $4.4 million geothermal heating and cooling system, using 14 deep boreholes drilled in its parking lot. The project, funded by federal rebates and Con Edison incentives, reduces reliance on natural‑gas boilers and cuts the church’s carbon footprint....
Your Door Is Costing You More than You Think
Commercial buildings devote roughly 32% of energy to space heating, and a large share of that load stems from air infiltration through poorly sealed doors. Oak Ridge National Laboratory research shows door gaps cause more energy loss than any other...
Data Centers Are Straining the Grid. Can They Be Forced to Pay for It?
Tech giants are expanding data centers nationwide to support the AI boom, dramatically increasing electricity demand and straining the U.S. grid. A White House meeting led companies like Microsoft, Meta, OpenAI and Amazon to sign a voluntary Ratepayer Protection Pledge,...
Quantum Computing Could Fix AI’s Sustainability Problem
Artificial intelligence’s soaring energy demand threatens to raise the tech sector’s carbon footprint beyond 3 % of global emissions. Neutral‑atom quantum processing units, such as Pasqal’s Orion system, consume only a few kilowatts and emit kilograms of CO₂ per hour, dramatically...
The Impact of Annealing on Copper-Plated Heterojunction Solar Cells
A University of New South Wales team examined how different annealing regimes affect copper‑plated contacts on heterojunction (HJT) solar cells. Fast annealing at 205 °C for 45 seconds increased microstrain in both the copper and the underlying indium tin oxide (ITO),...
New Time Targets Large-Scale Perovskite Production in Italy
New Time announced a four‑year plan to industrialize perovskite solar cells in Italy, targeting pilot‑scale production within three years and full‑scale output by the fourth year. The roadmap includes formulation optimization, small‑scale certification runs, and the development of an industrial...
How a Community Solar Breakthrough Took Shape in Illinois
Illinois utility ComEd has pioneered a flexible interconnection program that fast‑tracks community solar projects, adding more than 50 MW in its first year. By allowing solar farms to curtail output during rare grid‑constrained hours, the approach sidesteps expensive grid upgrades and...
Neoen Unveils Large-Scale Battery Projects in France, Japan
Neoen, a Brookfield subsidiary, announced two large‑scale battery energy storage projects: a 248 MW/496 MWh system in Vernou‑la‑Celle‑sur‑Seine, France, and a 100 MW/400 MWh facility in Hyogo, Japan. The French battery will be the country’s largest and the first to connect to the 400 kV...
Chart of the Day: How Renewables Have Helped Slash Emissions on Australia’s Main Grid
Australia’s National Electricity Market has cut its average emissions intensity by 25% since 2020, reaching 510 kg CO₂e per MWh in the 12 months to February 2026. The decline represents a 40% reduction since 2015, driven largely by rapid renewable adoption in...
Nigeria Is Flaring the Answer to the World’s Biggest Tech Problem
Nigeria burns about 192 million standard cubic feet of natural gas each day, wasting roughly $720 million annually and forfeiting $56.75 billion in revenue since 2002. This flared gas could generate roughly 3,400 MW of electricity—enough to match the nation’s current grid output and...
Overview of Photocatalysts and Biocatalysts in Advancing Artificial Photosynthesis
Artificial photosynthesis aims to mimic plant metabolism by turning sunlight and carbon dioxide into fuels. Recent research highlights two complementary catalyst families: semiconductor photocatalysts that harvest photons and generate charge carriers, and biocatalysts—engineered enzymes—that steer those carriers toward selective carbon‑fixation...
From Fishing Nets to Filament: Chula Innovation Turns Marine Waste Into 3D Printing Material
Researchers at Chulalongkorn University have created a process that recycles discarded fishing nets into nylon filament for FDM 3D printing. The method cleans, shreds, compounds and extrudes the waste into 1.75 mm filament suitable for consumer and industrial applications, including lightweight...
De-Risking Offshore Wind Could Put Philippines Ahead in Clean Energy Race: GWEC’s Ann Francisco
The Philippines is accelerating offshore wind development, leveraging a World Bank‑identified 178 GW technical potential and launching its first dedicated offshore wind auction, GEA‑5, which offers 3,300 MW of fixed‑bottom capacity. Over 90 service contracts covering roughly 68‑69 GW have already been awarded,...
The Scottish Home Hydrogen Trial And The Ethics Of Delay
SGN’s H100 Fife project launches in Easter 2026 as Scotland’s first end‑to‑end home hydrogen system, but a detailed cost analysis shows it is dramatically more expensive than natural gas and heat‑pump electrification. The £32 million (≈ $40 million) trial, sized for up to 900 homes...
Cambodia Scraps EV Import Taxes, Citing Fuel Price Pressure
Cambodia eliminated import taxes on electric vehicles, batteries, solar lamps and related equipment on April 1, citing soaring fuel prices caused by the Middle East war. Tariffs that previously ranged from 7 % to 35 % were cut to zero, including a reduction...
‘Yes, We Can’: A Blueprint for a Clean Economy and Healthy Society
Nicholas Stern's new book "The Growth Story of the 21st Century" outlines a blueprint for a clean economy that can deliver prosperity, health, and sustainability. It revisits his earlier climate‑economics arguments, emphasizing that rapid decarbonisation is cheaper than climate damage...
Agrivoltaics Can Save US Farmers In More Ways Than One
A new Cornell study shows that agrivoltaic solar arrays can slash wind speeds by up to 50%, outperforming traditional windbreaks and cutting soil erosion. The research used computational fluid dynamics to identify a lowered‑front‑row configuration that protects 90% of the...
How One Local Council Helped 1,200 Low-Income Residents Finance Solar and Home Energy Upgrades
Darebin City Council’s Solar Saver program (2014‑2025) enabled roughly 1,200 low‑income Melbourne homeowners to install rooftop solar, reverse‑cycle air conditioners and heat‑pump water heaters, covering A$4.8 million (about US$3.2 million) of upfront costs. The council financed the installations and attached an interest‑free,...