Energy — September 2026

UK commits $3.3 billion to build a fusion industry

The UK's new fusion strategy commits over $3.3 billion through 2030, aiming for a working prototype power plant, STEP, by 2040.

Trump rolls back fuel economy rules for new cars

The new rule loosens mileage standards for cars through 2031, reversing a Biden-era push toward roughly 50 mpg.

Sierra Club: US utility clean-energy scores hit new low

Sierra Club's annual report card says American utilities are building more gas plants and delaying coal retirements even as data-center demand soars.

ESR buys a 1.6-gigawatt Asia-Pacific clean energy platform

The Singapore firm is acquiring all of Aquila Clean Energy APAC's solar, wind and battery assets across five countries.

Italy reverses its 40-year nuclear power ban

Italy's Senate approved a law reopening the door to nuclear energy, nearly 40 years after Chernobyl pushed the country to abandon it.

US lost 37,000 clean energy jobs in 2025, report finds

It's the sector's first-ever annual job loss, following the rollback of federal clean-energy tax incentives.

Nigeria launches $300M fund for off-grid clean power

The fund aims to bring electricity to Nigerian households and businesses still without reliable power.

Nova Scotia's offshore wind plan could power the US too

The province wants far more turbines than it needs, just as Trump tries to block American wind.

Virginia's Spanberger cracks down on data center secrecy

Gov. Spanberger's new executive order bans state NDAs with data centers and creates an AI task force.

Meta locks up more Texas solar power for its AI hubs

Meta signed a deal for a new 144-megawatt Texas solar project, part of a fast-growing pile of clean-power contracts to feed its data centers.

Fusion experiment creates the brightest X-rays ever made

Lawrence Livermore's fusion reaction produced the brightest X-rays ever recorded on Earth, rivaling flashes seen from deep space.

Tennessee, TVA and the UK team up on nuclear fusion

The deal speeds up fusion supply chains and jobs, not a working power plant.

EPA moves to end its power to limit plant carbon pollution

The Trump administration is repealing the finding that lets the EPA limit greenhouse gases from coal and gas power plants under the Clean Air Act.

Thea Energy unveils steadier fusion reactor design

Thea Energy's Helios design targets 400 megawatts of continuous power, without the plasma disruptions of other fusion reactors.

Court says Trump's Michigan coal rescue order was illegal

A federal appeals court says DOE had no authority to force Consumers Energy's Campbell plant to keep running past its planned 2025 retirement.

xAI built one of the biggest batteries at any US data center

Satellite images show xAI installed hundreds of Tesla battery packs at its Memphis AI hub to handle huge power swings.

Inflated data center forecasts are raising Ohio bills

A Canary Media investigation found Ohio utilities are charging customers more based on data-center demand forecasts that may never come true.

Google signs 22-year deal for Finnish nuclear power

It's Google's first nuclear power contract outside the US, meant to keep an aging Finnish plant running through 2050.

Massachusetts orders new data centers to bring clean power

Gov. Healey's executive order also lets local communities block data centers that don't strike a deal with them first.

Drought pushes Lake Mead to a record low

The Colorado River's biggest reservoirs have hit historic lows, threatening the hydropower that lights millions of homes.

Iowa task force lays out a plan to bring back nuclear power

Iowa's only nuclear plant shut down in 2020. A new task force report lays out nine steps to bring nuclear power back to the state.

Realta Fusion signs a Wisconsin utility for a power plant

Madison Gas and Electric will study building a 200-megawatt fusion plant with startup Realta Fusion.

New Jersey becomes 9th state to legalize balcony solar

Gov. Mikie Sherrill signed a law letting New Jersey renters and homeowners plug small solar panels straight into a wall outlet, no permit required.

US installs a record amount of battery storage in Q2

The 20.2 gigawatt-hour quarter is the biggest ever recorded, led by new projects in Arizona, Texas, and California.

Tennessee issues the US's first fusion power license

Type One Energy can now start building its fusion plant at a former coal site, under rules no US state had before.