Congratulations to consumers the world over, who on Friday were spared a new tax—for now at least. This week we warned that a United Nations agency you’ve never heard of was about to impose the first global carbon tax—on shipping. We’re pleased to report it blinked. The International Maritime Organization (IMO), an arm of the...
Energy Department Closes Loan Guarantee to Strengthen U.S. Grid Reliability
U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright today announced the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Loan Programs Office (LPO) closed a loan guarantee to strengthen grid reliability and ensure lower electricity costs across the midwestern region of the United States. In accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order, Strengthening the Reliability and Security of the United States Electric Grid,...
Pittsburgh’s $1.7B Terminal Redefines Sustainable Travel
Pittsburgh International Airport’s (PIT) new $1.7 billion terminal marks a defining moment in U.S. airport modernization—combining sustainable design, operational efficiency, and economic renewal for Western Pennsylvania. The 811,000-square-foot terminal, part of the airport’s Terminal Modernization Program (TMP), is built to streamline travel, reduce emissions, and serve as a model for resilient infrastructure investment. A Terminal Built for People —...
AI Data Centers, Desperate for Electricity, Are Building Their Own Power Plants
Tech companies in the AI race need power, and lots of it. They aren’t waiting around for the archaic U.S. power grid to catch up. In West Texas, natural-gas-fired power generation is under construction as part of the $500 billion Stargate project from OpenAI and Oracle. Gas turbines are in use at Colossus 1 and 2,...
Scientists hope underwater fiber-optic cables can help save endangered orcas
As dawn broke over San Juan Island, a team of scientists stood on the deck of a barge and unspooled over a mile of fiber-optic cable into the frigid waters of the Salish Sea. Working by headlamp, they fed the line from the rocky shore down to the seafloor — home to the region’s orcas. The...
Indonesia allows resumption of international carbon trade after four years
Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto has issued a new decree to restart international carbon emission trading after a four year hiatus, according to a copy of the decree seen by Reuters on Wednesday. The Southeast Asian country issued carbon market rules in 2021 that focused on compliance carbon markets rather than transactions in voluntary markets. Read...
The future of energy is subatomic
I’m lucky to learn firsthand about some of the world’s most cutting-edge technologies. I’ve seen artificial intelligence ace an AP biology test, long before AI became an everyday tool. I’ve seen genetically modified mosquitoes stop malaria in its tracks. I’ve seen geothermal wells go 15,000 feet below the surface of the earth. But if I had to pick...
Cities Redefine Resilience as an Investment Strategy
With the escalation of climate risks and surging insurance rates, local governments worldwide face an urgent financial reality. Cities that fail to adapt face economic erosion, declining tax bases, and increased exposure to disasters. A new report from Resilient Cities Network and Tokio Marine Group, “Under Pressure, Overdue: The Portfolio Approach and Financing Cities for Resilience”,...
Abbott activates emergency resources ahead of growing wildfire threat, flood risk in Texas
With expected growing wildfire danger across Texas and the potential for a flood risk this weekend, Gov. Greg Abbott is activating more state emergency response resources Friday. A press release from Abbott’s office said he amended and renewed Texas’ wildfire disaster declaration to now include 179 counties. Read more in The Hill here.
This Texas Town Is an Energy Powerhouse. It’s Running Out of Water.
South Texas lured Tesla, along with Exxon Mobil and other energy behemoths, with the promise of land, cheap energy and, perhaps most critically, abundant water. The companies spent billions of dollars over the past two decades building plants that use huge amounts of water to transform fossil fuels into gasoline, jet fuel and other refined products. More set...









