Energy — October 2026

Share of new US solar paired with batteries hits 16%

EIA says over 16% of utility-scale solar added this year has co-located storage, up from 2% in 2017. Plans for 2027 and 2028 top 30%.

Shell's profit nearly doubles as war lifts refining margins

Shell earned $10.8B in the third quarter, up from $5.4B a year ago, and raised its share buyback to $5B.

Maryland launches $200M auction for in-state clean power

Gov. Wes Moore's 'Megawatts for Maryland' aims to add power generation over two years. A state official says bills won't drop right away.

IEA chief warns clean energy leans on a few suppliers

At a Singapore conference, IEA head Fatih Birol said a few countries dominate clean energy supply chains, a growing risk for Southeast Asia.

Columbia and Germany's Max Planck team up on fusion

The $13.3 million research center will combine lessons from fusion's two rival reactor designs, tokamaks and stellarators, starting in 2027.

Google backs a 1-gigawatt virtual power plant

Voltus plans to pool batteries, thermostats and flexible demand across the PJM grid; the full capacity will take years to build.

Missouri approves Ameren solar and battery projects

Regulators cleared three battery sites and two solar projects that Ameren plans to bring online in 2028 and 2029.

US eyes CHIPS Act deal for fusion startup Helion

A proposed CHIPS Act award would fund Helion's semiconductor research and give the Commerce Department a non-voting stake in the company.

Trump admin targets a 4th offshore wind project

The administration wants a judge to let it reconsider federal approval for the New England Wind project off Massachusetts.

Spanberger demands 6-year rate freeze for Dominion deal

Gov. Spanberger says she won't back the $67 billion Dominion-NextEra merger unless it freezes Virginians' electric rates for six years.

Amazon funds a 12-reactor nuclear plant in Indiana

AEP and X-energy will build 12 small nuclear reactors on a retired coal plant site, with Amazon funding the project for its data centers.

China's gas-car sales crash 49% as EVs hit 67%

September data show electric vehicles took two-thirds of China's car market, while pure gas-engine sales kept collapsing.

A cheap fix could free up gigawatts of grid power

Adding speed controls to the motors running America's fans and pumps could unlock power without new plants.

US clean energy additions set to hit a record this year

A tax-credit deadline, not climate policy, is driving the rush — and AI's power needs are fueling a gas buildout too.

FERC proposes blanket approvals for LNG, gas projects

The energy regulator voted Oct. 15 to speed up permits for gas projects and loosen how it reviews their air-quality impact.

Tesla finally unveils its new Roadster tonight

After nearly nine years of delays, Tesla will reveal its next Roadster today — and try to settle whether it can actually fly.

Fervo's next-gen geothermal plant just went commercial

Fervo Energy's Cape Station in Utah is the first enhanced geothermal project in the world to start selling power commercially.

Tesla's two best-selling cars can now power your house

Every Model 3 and Model Y ordered in the US after Oct. 1 can send power into a home during an outage, with the right hardware.

US utility rate hike requests hit record $4.5B in Q3

Electric and gas utilities asked regulators for more money in the third quarter than in any Q3 on record, a watchdog group found.

Dominion-NextEra merger may cost Virginia its offshore wind

An updated $67 billion merger agreement between Dominion Energy and NextEra drops an offshore wind project, worrying analysts about Virginia's clean-energy plans.

Avalanche Energy picks Tri-Cities for fusion factory

The startup will build its first factory for compact fusion machines in Washington's Tri-Cities, aiming to make hundreds of them a year.

Google signs $4.3B nuclear deal with Constellation

The 20-year deal upgrades 11 nuclear reactors in three states to add 890 megawatts of power for Google's AI data centers.

Type One Energy raises $200M for a fusion power plant

The $200 million Series B, backed partly by Siemens Energy's venture arm, funds a planned 400-megawatt commercial fusion plant in Tennessee.

Europe finishes its part of the ITER fusion reactor

The last of Europe's five vacuum vessel sections just reached France, completing a 15-year manufacturing effort.

Tories vow to override Scotland's nuclear power ban

Shadow energy secretary Andrew Bowie says a Conservative government would pass a law forcing new nuclear plants into Scotland.

States, green groups sue Trump over fuel-economy rule

Two coalitions are suing to block new rules that let cars burn more gas starting next year.

Data centers are driving up power bills in South Carolina

Santee Cooper's new energy plan leans on a $5 billion gas plant to keep up with data centers' soaring demand for electricity.

Newsom signs California bills for cheaper home power

New laws let households use virtual power plants and plug-in solar to cut electric bills as California rates spike.

Fusion startup locks up the wire its reactors need

Commonwealth Fusion ordered over 6,200 miles of superconducting tape from Japan's Fujikura, the largest such order ever placed.