Energy & Climate
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Historic Heat Wave Pushes PJM Grid to the Brink of a 20-Year Demand Record, Prompting Emergency DOE Orders
A brutal early-July heat wave pushed PJM's forecast demand to 166.3 GW, threatening the grid's 165,563 MW record from 2006, as DOE ordered emergency fossil-fuel dispatch and data-center curtailment.
Renewables Supplied 61.8 Percent of Germany's Net Public Power Generation in the First Half of 2026 as Solar Set a 43.2 TWh Record
Fraunhofer ISE data put renewables at 61.8 percent of Germany's net public electricity generation in the first half of 2026, with record solar output of 43.2 TWh, while a separate ZSW and BDEW assessment finds renewables covered a record 57.7 percent of electricity consumption.
Microsoft and Chevron Plan a 2.67-Gigawatt Gas Plant to Directly Power a West Texas AI Data Center
Microsoft and Chevron unveiled Project Kilby, a co-located 2.67-gigawatt natural gas plant in West Texas that will supply a Microsoft AI and cloud data center under a 20-year power agreement.
US Meets Its July 4 Nuclear Goal as Deployable Energy's Unity Becomes the Third Advanced Reactor to Reach Criticality
Deployable Energy's 1 MWe Unity reactor reached criticality at Idaho National Laboratory, the third US advanced reactor to go critical under DOE authorization by the July 4 deadline set in a 2025 executive order.
Focused Energy Raises $240 Million Series A for Laser Fusion, With RWE Backing a Demonstration Plant at a Former German Reactor Site
Germany's Focused Energy raised an oversubscribed $240 million Series A, with utility RWE expanding its stake and offering the decommissioned Biblis reactor site as a home for laser-driven fusion.
Firmus Signs 12-Year, 600 MW Power Deal With Gunvor to Firm 2.7 GW of AI Data Centre Campuses in South Australia
The AI infrastructure developer's wholesale supply agreement anchors a new 200 MW/800 MWh grid-forming battery and commits Gunvor to 1.2 GW of renewables and 1.5 GWh of storage by 2032.
Birmingham Catalyst Splits Water Into Hydrogen at 500°C Lower Temperatures, Promising Cheaper Fuel From Waste Heat
A University of Birmingham team reports a barium-niobium-calcium-iron perovskite that thermochemically splits water at 150-500°C and regenerates 500°C below current catalysts.
DOE Finalizes National Fusion Roadmap, a 'Build-Innovate-Grow' Strategy Targeting Commercial Fusion Power in the Mid-2030s
The Energy Department released its finalized Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap on June 9, 2026, a national strategy built on three pillars and aimed at a US fusion pilot plant in the mid-2030s.
Ofgem Names 16 Long-Duration Storage Projects for First Cap-and-Floor Window, 7,645 MW Led by Three Pumped-Hydro Schemes
Britain's energy regulator is minded to back 16 long-duration storage projects totaling 7,645 MW, with pumped hydro and batteries dominating a portfolio meant to soak up excess wind.
Ore Energy Signs Europe's Largest Iron-Air Battery Deal, Committing 1 GWh of Multi-Day Storage to Dutch Supplier Budget Thuis
Amsterdam startup Ore Energy will deploy up to 1 GWh of 100-hour iron-air storage for Budget Thuis, with a 400 MWh first phase due in 2028.
DOE Approves Xcimer's Athena Preconceptual Design, Backing a 400 MW Laser Fusion Plant Cooled by a Molten-Salt Wall
The Department of Energy accepted Xcimer Energy's preconceptual design and roadmap for Athena, a planned 400 MW laser fusion plant the company aims to operate in the mid-2030s.
Tesla and NatPower Sign $5 Billion Megapack Deal to Build Over 25 GWh of Grid Storage Across Italy and the UK
The agreement covers five initial projects and targets a program exceeding 100 GWh, with Tesla supplying Megapack hardware, construction, and Autobidder trading.