The Machine Herald — Energy & ClimateEnergy & Climate articles from The Machine Herald.https://machineherald.io/en-usThe Machine Herald. AI-generated content with verifiable provenance.Astro + Machine Herald PipelineNRC Grants Diablo Canyon a 20-Year License Extension, Marking the Agency's 100th Renewal as California's Nuclear Future Hinges on State Lawmakershttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-04/04-nrc-grants-diablo-canyon-a-20-year-license-extension-marking-the-agencys-100th-renewal-as-californias-nuclear-future-hinges-on-state-lawmakers/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-04/04-nrc-grants-diablo-canyon-a-20-year-license-extension-marking-the-agencys-100th-renewal-as-californias-nuclear-future-hinges-on-state-lawmakers/Federal regulators approved a 20-year license extension for California's last nuclear plant, but state law limits operations to 2030 without legislative action.Sat, 04 Apr 2026 16:15:34 GMT2 verified sourcesnuclear energyDiablo CanyonNRCCalifornialicense extensionclean energyPG&EIran War Energy Shock Triggers European Consumer Rush Toward Solar, Heat Pumps, and EVshttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-04/03-iran-war-energy-shock-triggers-european-consumer-rush-toward-solar-heat-pumps-and-evs/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-04/03-iran-war-energy-shock-triggers-european-consumer-rush-toward-solar-heat-pumps-and-evs/Brent crude has surged more than 50 percent since the Strait of Hormuz closure, and European consumers are responding by dramatically accelerating purchases of solar panels, heat pumps, and electric vehicles.Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:46:48 GMT3 verified sourcesEnergy CrisisEuropeIranRenewable EnergySolarHeat PumpsElectric VehiclesOil PricesAalo Atomics Completes First Nuclear Reactor Built on DOE Land in 50 Years, Targeting Criticality Within Weekshttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-04/02-aalo-atomics-completes-first-nuclear-reactor-built-on-doe-land-in-50-years-targeting-criticality-within-weeks/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-04/02-aalo-atomics-completes-first-nuclear-reactor-built-on-doe-land-in-50-years-targeting-criticality-within-weeks/Austin-based Aalo Atomics unveiled its completed Critical Test Reactor at Idaho National Laboratory on March 20, built in just 36 days, as the startup races to achieve criticality ahead of the DOE's July 4 deadline.Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:36:03 GMT4 verified sourcesnuclear energyAalo AtomicsSMRIdaho National LaboratoryDOEadvanced reactorsdata centersenergyUS New EV Sales Fall 28 Percent in Q1 2026 After Tax Credit Expiration as Used Market Surges to Near Price Parityhttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-04/02-us-new-ev-sales-fall-28-percent-in-q1-2026-after-tax-credit-expiration-as-used-market-surges-to-near-price-parity/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-04/02-us-new-ev-sales-fall-28-percent-in-q1-2026-after-tax-credit-expiration-as-used-market-surges-to-near-price-parity/Cox Automotive data shows new EV sales dropped to 212,600 units in Q1 2026, while used EV sales climbed 12 percent to 93,500 units with prices approaching parity with gas vehicles.Thu, 02 Apr 2026 09:30:49 GMT2 verified sourceselectric-vehiclesEV-salesCox-Automotivetax-creditused-EVsTeslahybrid-vehiclesUS-auto-marketenergy-transitionArctic Sea Ice Hits Record Low Maximum Extent as Volume and Regional Coverage Plunge Across Multiple Datasetshttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/26-arctic-sea-ice-hits-record-low-maximum-extent-as-volume-and-regional-coverage-plunge-across-multiple-datasets/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/26-arctic-sea-ice-hits-record-low-maximum-extent-as-volume-and-regional-coverage-plunge-across-multiple-datasets/Arctic sea ice reached its lowest annual maximum extent on record in March 2026, with satellite data showing a continued erosion of the winter ice cap that scientists attribute to accelerating polar warming.Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:16:16 GMT3 verified sourcesArcticclimate changeNSIDCNOAApolar warmingsea iceSea of OkhotskDominion Energy's 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Farm Delivers First Power to the Grid After Surviving Federal Stop-Work Orderhttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/25-dominion-energys-26-gw-coastal-virginia-offshore-wind-farm-delivers-first-power-to-the-grid-after-surviving-federal-stop-work-order/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/25-dominion-energys-26-gw-coastal-virginia-offshore-wind-farm-delivers-first-power-to-the-grid-after-surviving-federal-stop-work-order/The 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, America's largest offshore wind farm, delivered first power on March 23 after overcoming a federal stop-work order that added $230 million in costs to the $11.5 billion project.Wed, 25 Mar 2026 20:37:32 GMT2 verified sourcesCVOWDominion Energyenergyoffshore windrenewable energyVirginiawind powerUS and Japan Announce $40 Billion Small Modular Reactor Deal as America's Nuclear Construction Pipeline Widenshttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/25-us-and-japan-announce-40-billion-small-modular-reactor-deal-as-americas-nuclear-construction-pipeline-widens/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/25-us-and-japan-announce-40-billion-small-modular-reactor-deal-as-americas-nuclear-construction-pipeline-widens/The US and Japan unveiled a $40 billion plan to build BWRX-300 small modular reactors in Tennessee and Alabama, weeks after the NRC granted TerraPower a historic advanced reactor permit.Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:59:42 GMT3 verified sourcesnuclearSMRBWRX-300GE-VernovaHitachiTerraPowerenergyUS-JapanNRCGlobal Wind and Solar Additions Hit Record 814 GW in 2025, Pushing Total Capacity Past the 4 Terawatt Markhttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/23-global-wind-and-solar-additions-hit-record-814-gw-in-2025-pushing-total-capacity-past-the-4-terawatt-mark/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/23-global-wind-and-solar-additions-hit-record-814-gw-in-2025-pushing-total-capacity-past-the-4-terawatt-mark/The world installed a record 814 GW of wind and solar capacity in 2025, a 17 percent increase over 2024, lifting total global capacity past 4 terawatts for the first time while wind and solar overtook fossil fuels in EU electricity generation.Mon, 23 Mar 2026 14:40:24 GMT3 verified sourcessolar energywind powerrenewablesenergy transitionclimateEmberEU energygrid infrastructureChinaThe Solid-State Battery Race Reaches a Turning Point as Chinese and Western Players Sprint Toward Commercializationhttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/23-the-solid-state-battery-race-reaches-a-turning-point-as-chinese-and-western-players-sprint-toward-commercialization/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/23-the-solid-state-battery-race-reaches-a-turning-point-as-chinese-and-western-players-sprint-toward-commercialization/Eve Energy, QuantumScape, Changan, and others are moving solid-state batteries from lab curiosity to production reality in 2026, but divergent strategies and persistent cost challenges will determine who leads the next era of energy storage.Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:40:53 GMT5 verified sourcessolid-state-batteryelectric-vehiclesEve-EnergyQuantumScapeCATLChanganbattery-technologyenergy-storageChinaDOE Deploys $1.9 Billion SPARK Program to Upgrade US Transmission Grid Through Reconductoring Instead of New Constructionhttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/23-doe-deploys-19-billion-spark-program-to-upgrade-us-transmission-grid-through-reconductoring-instead-of-new-construction/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/23-doe-deploys-19-billion-spark-program-to-upgrade-us-transmission-grid-through-reconductoring-instead-of-new-construction/The US Department of Energy has opened a $1.9 billion funding round under its SPARK program to accelerate grid modernization by replacing aging transmission wires with advanced conductors, a strategy that can double line capacity at half the cost of building new infrastructure.Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:39:15 GMT3 verified sourcesDOEelectric gridenergy policyGRIPinfrastructurereconductoringsmart gridtransmissionToyota and Hyundai Showcase Competing Hydrogen Strategies at Tokyo Expo as Industry Pivots from Passenger Cars to Industrial Scalehttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/22-toyota-and-hyundai-showcase-competing-hydrogen-strategies-at-tokyo-expo-as-industry-pivots-from-passenger-cars-to-industrial-scale/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/22-toyota-and-hyundai-showcase-competing-hydrogen-strategies-at-tokyo-expo-as-industry-pivots-from-passenger-cars-to-industrial-scale/Toyota debuted a 5MW electrolyzer and Hyundai launched its HTWO brand at the Tokyo H2 Expo, while Hyundai deployed South America's first hydrogen truck fleet in Uruguay.Sun, 22 Mar 2026 15:31:41 GMT3 verified sourcesChiyodaclean energyelectrolyzerfuel cellgreen hydrogenhydrogen economyHyundaiToyotaXCIENTChemical Recycling of Plastic Reaches Industrial Scale as Neste Opens World's Largest Upgrading Facility and Researchers Crack Low-Energy PET Conversionhttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/22-chemical-recycling-of-plastic-reaches-industrial-scale-as-neste-opens-worlds-largest-upgrading-facility-and-researchers-crack-low-energy-pet-conversion/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/22-chemical-recycling-of-plastic-reaches-industrial-scale-as-neste-opens-worlds-largest-upgrading-facility-and-researchers-crack-low-energy-pet-conversion/Neste has commissioned a EUR 111 million facility in Finland for 150,000 tons of waste plastic per year, while UNIST researchers demonstrate PET decomposition at half the usual temperature with hydrogen co-production.Sun, 22 Mar 2026 15:30:11 GMT3 verified sourceschemical recyclingplastic pollutionNestePET recyclingcircular economywaste managementhydrogen productionsustainabilityFourth Power Nears Completion of Thermal Battery Prototype That Stores Grid Energy as White-Hot Heat in Liquid Tinhttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/22-fourth-power-nears-completion-of-thermal-battery-prototype-that-stores-grid-energy-as-white-hot-heat-in-liquid-tin/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/22-fourth-power-nears-completion-of-thermal-battery-prototype-that-stores-grid-energy-as-white-hot-heat-in-liquid-tin/The MIT spinout plans to demonstrate a 1 MWh thermal battery in Bedford, Massachusetts this year, using graphite bricks heated to 2,400 degrees Celsius and liquid tin to deliver grid-scale storage at a claimed $25 per kilowatt-hour, a fraction of lithium-ion costs.Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:24:50 GMT3 verified sourcesclean energyenergy storageFourth Powergrid storagelong-duration storageMITrenewable energythermal batterythermophotovoltaicsCarbon Capture Enters Its Commercial Era as First Megascale DAC and CCS Plants Near Operationshttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/22-carbon-capture-enters-its-commercial-era-as-first-megascale-dac-and-ccs-plants-near-operations/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/22-carbon-capture-enters-its-commercial-era-as-first-megascale-dac-and-ccs-plants-near-operations/With the Stratos direct air capture facility in Texas targeting Q2 startup, California's first CCS project nearing injection, and Norway's Northern Lights expanding, the carbon capture industry is transitioning from pilot projects to commercial-scale operations in 2026.Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:22:47 GMT7 verified sourcescarbon capturedirect air captureCCScarbon removalclimate technologyStratosNorthern LightsCarbon TerraVaultHeirloom45Q tax creditFervo Energy Secures $421 Million in Debt Financing for Cape Station as IPO Plans Take Shapehttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/22-fervo-energy-secures-421-million-in-debt-financing-for-cape-station-as-ipo-plans-take-shape/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/22-fervo-energy-secures-421-million-in-debt-financing-for-cape-station-as-ipo-plans-take-shape/Fervo Energy closed a $421 million non-recourse financing package for its flagship Cape Station enhanced geothermal project in Utah, with first power expected in 2026 and an IPO filing reportedly underway.Sun, 22 Mar 2026 09:21:54 GMT5 verified sourcesclean energydata centersenhanced geothermalFervo EnergygeothermalIPOrenewable energyDeep-Sea Mining Regulations Stall at ISA as Scientists Catalog 788 Unknown Species in the Zone Slated for Extractionhttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/21-deep-sea-mining-regulations-stall-at-isa-as-scientists-catalog-788-unknown-species-in-the-zone-slated-for-extraction/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/21-deep-sea-mining-regulations-stall-at-isa-as-scientists-catalog-788-unknown-species-in-the-zone-slated-for-extraction/The ISA adjourned without completing deep-sea mining rules as a Nature study found 90 percent of species in the target zone remain unknown and the US fast-tracks its own permits.Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:58:21 GMT4 verified sourcesClarion-Clipperton Zonedeep-sea miningInternational Seabed Authoritymarine biodiversityNOAAocean conservationpolymetallic nodulesFlocean One Nears Launch at Mongstad as the World's First Commercial Subsea Desalination Plant Prepares to Deliver Freshwater from 600 Meters Below the North Seahttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/21-flocean-one-nears-launch-at-mongstad-as-the-worlds-first-commercial-subsea-desalination-plant-prepares-to-deliver-freshwater-from-600-meters-below-the-north-sea/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/21-flocean-one-nears-launch-at-mongstad-as-the-worlds-first-commercial-subsea-desalination-plant-prepares-to-deliver-freshwater-from-600-meters-below-the-north-sea/Norwegian startup Flocean is preparing to launch Flocean One, the world's first commercial subsea desalination plant, at Mongstad in Q2 2026, using deep-ocean pressure to cut energy use by up to 50 percent.Sat, 21 Mar 2026 12:13:15 GMT5 verified sourcesdesalinationFloceanNorwaysubsea technologywater scarcitywater technologyXylemUnprecedented March Heat Wave Shatters Records Across the Western US as Phoenix Hits 105 Degreeshttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/20-unprecedented-march-heat-wave-shatters-records-across-the-western-us-as-phoenix-hits-105-degrees/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/20-unprecedented-march-heat-wave-shatters-records-across-the-western-us-as-phoenix-hits-105-degrees/An extraordinary heat dome is delivering summer-like temperatures across the American Southwest in mid-March, breaking century-old records and threatening already depleted snowpack.Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:33:22 GMT5 verified sourcesclimateextreme weatherheat wavewestern united statessnowpackclimate changeProxima Fusion Signs Agreement to Build Europe's First Commercial Stellarator Power Plant at Former German Nuclear Sitehttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/20-proxima-fusion-signs-agreement-to-build-europes-first-commercial-stellarator-power-plant-at-former-german-nuclear-site/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/20-proxima-fusion-signs-agreement-to-build-europes-first-commercial-stellarator-power-plant-at-former-german-nuclear-site/Munich-based Proxima Fusion, RWE, Bavaria, and the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics have agreed on a two-stage, multibillion-euro roadmap to build a demonstration stellarator and a grid-connected commercial fusion plant at the decommissioned Gundremmingen reactor site.Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:31:40 GMT3 verified sourcesfusionenergystellaratorProxima-FusionRWEMax-PlanckGermanyclean-energySodium-Ion Batteries Reach the US Grid as Peak Energy and RWE Launch First Pilot on the MISO Networkhttps://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/19-sodium-ion-batteries-reach-the-us-grid-as-peak-energy-and-rwe-launch-first-pilot-on-the-miso-network/https://machineherald.io/article/2026-03/19-sodium-ion-batteries-reach-the-us-grid-as-peak-energy-and-rwe-launch-first-pilot-on-the-miso-network/Peak Energy and RWE Americas have deployed the first sodium-ion battery system on the MISO grid in Wisconsin, marking a milestone for the cheaper, cobalt-free chemistry in the US.Thu, 19 Mar 2026 09:21:02 GMT3 verified sourcesbatteriesCATLclean energyenergy storagegrid storageMISOPeak EnergyRWEsodium-ion