Articles

Electrification

Bay Area looks to exempt some households from gas water-heater phaseout

The region is finalizing its first-in-the-nation rule to limit the sale of polluting gas water heaters, which will take effect next year.

By Alison F. Takemura . 20 May 2026
Solar

How big can solar go? These 3 projects show us the gigascale future

A handful of sensationally large developments are underway around the world, testing just how big solar can get.

By Julian Spector . 19 May 2026
Fossil fuels

Trump admin defends its coal must-run orders in court

The administration told judges that it alone has the power to decide whether an energy emergency exists, a claim that a Michigan official called “unprecedented.”

By Marianne Lavelle . 19 May 2026
Nuclear

X-energy gets federal environmental approval for Texas nuclear reactors

It’s a milestone for the Amazon-backed firm, which still needs safety approvals from the NRC before it can begin building its 80-MW gas-cooled reactors.

By Alexander C. Kaufman . 18 May 2026
Solar

Solar to overtake coal on Texas grid for the first time ever this year

The Trump administration likes to cast renewables as a socialist scam, but solar has soared in the competitive markets of the Lone Star State.

By Julian Spector . 18 May 2026
Utilities

Ohio utilities report subpar grid reliability as they seek a lower bar

FirstEnergy and Duke say factors like worsening extreme weather led to missed 2025 targets. The state will soon decide whether to accept more and longer outages.

By Kathiann M. Kowalski . 18 May 2026
Electric vehicles

Soaring gas prices have drivers turning to EVs — except in the US

European drivers are escaping high gas prices and buying more cheap Chinese EVs. In the U.S., that’s impossible.

By Kathryn Krawczyk . 15 May 2026
Batteries

The world is installing grid batteries at a blistering pace

A total of 112 gigawatts of batteries were deployed around the world in 2025 — 10 times the amount added just four years prior.

By Dan McCarthy . 15 May 2026
Data centers

Elon Musk’s xAI adds more unpermitted gas generators for data centers

Mississippi residents want relief from the air and noise pollution caused by 46 'temporary' generators — and the 41 permanent ones the state just approved.

By Alex Rozier . 15 May 2026
Solar

North Carolina groups fight regulator’s order to cancel solar for 2026

The state’s top utility regulator issued a surprise directive to halt Duke Energy’s solar investments for the year. Industry advocates are petitioning to revoke it.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 14 May 2026