Stepchange News — 2026-07-11

1

Trump names climate skeptic Matthew Wielicki to oversee US climate impacts report — Matthew Wielicki frequently criticizes established climate science online, including in videos from rightwing PragerU The Trump…

More: Guardian Environment

2

New York City's decarbonization effort stalls as heat wave strains grid capacity — New York City’s decarbonization plan has stalled. The events of this year’s Fourth of July weekend all but prove it.

More: Heatmap News

3

Global oil demand set to fall in 2026, first decline since COVID pandemic — Global oil demand, disrupted by the Iran war, is poised to shrink in 2026, the first time that’s happened since the COVID-19 pandemic, the…

More: Inside Climate News

4

Virginia household electricity bills jump 12% as data center demand strains grid — With higher temperatures come higher electricity bills. Whether through higher seasonal charges or greater usage, Americans across the…

More: Heatmap News

5

National Grid invests $1.75 billion in Joulent for AI data center power — Joulent emerged from stealth in late June, purpose-built to develop power plants for GW-scale AI data centers.

More: Latitude Media

6

America's first nuclear plant restart moves toward completion — Up until recently, the U.S. was in a yearslong dry spell in the construction of new nuclear power plants.

More: Canary Media

7

Supreme Court expands presidential power to fire independent agency regulators — “Stripping those agencies of their independence will leave consumers exposed to the worst aspects of competitive markets without the…

More: Utility Dive

8

DOE says transmission bottlenecks cost grid $12 billion in 2024 wholesale power — Transmission congestion added $12 billion in wholesale power costs in 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy said in a draft report on U.S.

More: Utility Dive

9

Trump administration spends $3.8bn to boost coal, undercut wind energy — Critics accuse president of ‘fattening the wallets of his cronies’ as working Americans face higher energy rates The Trump administration…

More: Guardian Environment

10

Seven top-selling EVs in Australia are Chinese-owned or built, including Tesla Model Y — Australia just posted its biggest month ever for electric car sales, and for the first time seven different EVs each cleared 1,000 units in…

More: Electrek

11

BYD wins contract to supply 11.3 GWh of batteries for Abu Dhabi solar-storage project — BYD Energy Storage has landed a contract to supply 11.275 GWh of battery storage for Masdar’s Round the Clock (RTC) project in Abu Dhabi —…

More: Electrek

12

Southeast could cut power costs by connecting to PJM, MISO, DOE estimates — The Department of Energy estimates the region needs to build transmission lines connecting it to neighboring markets.

More: Latitude Media

13

Americans turn to plug-in solar as grid stress mounts during heat waves — Why Americans are bolting solar panels to their balconies, and what the July 4th heat wave revealed about mounting grid stress The post…

More: Latitude Media

14

COP31 president-designate backs electrification as decarbonization priority — Last month, COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum launched a target for 35% of the world’s final...

More: Carbon Brief

15

Microsoft's carbon emissions surge 25% as data center demand strains climate goals — When I helped start Heatmap News three years ago, I didn’t think I would be writing this much about big tech companies.

More: Heatmap News, Heatmap News, Wired Science, Trellis

16

Study: Solar panel recycling economics hinge on material diversity approach — Researchers from Australia and Poland have collaborated on a study to determine the value of upcycling key materials from end-of-life…

More: PV Magazine

17

European solar module prices climb as bifacial TOPCon segment weakens — The price of PV modules in Europe has continued the upward trend in June 2026, except for the bifacial TOPCon segment.

More: PV Tech

18

Peak Energy to build first U.S. sodium-ion battery gigafactory in Sacramento — Startup Peak Energy launched in 2023 with a promise to bring the up-and-coming sodium-ion battery chemistry to American shores.

More: Canary Media

19

Solar firms navigate tariff risks in US procurement contracts — Intertek CEA explores how companies have to navigate US solar PV procurement contracts amidst tariffs and customs risks.

More: PV Tech

20

Clean energy generation helped U.S. grid manage heat-wave demand surge — This analysis and news roundup come from the Canary Media Weekly newsletter. Sign up to get it every Friday.

More: Canary Media

Jul 10, 2026 · 5:00 PM PT edition · 20 stories

Trump names climate skeptic Matthew Wielicki to oversee US climate impacts report — Matthew Wielicki frequently criticizes established climate science online, including in videos from rightwing PragerU The Trump…

New York City's decarbonization effort stalls as heat wave strains grid capacity — New York City’s decarbonization plan has stalled. The events of this year’s Fourth of July weekend all but prove it.

Global oil demand set to fall in 2026, first decline since COVID pandemic — Global oil demand, disrupted by the Iran war, is poised to shrink in 2026, the first time that’s happened since the COVID-19 pandemic, the…

Virginia household electricity bills jump 12% as data center demand strains grid — With higher temperatures come higher electricity bills. Whether through higher seasonal charges or greater usage, Americans across the…

National Grid invests $1.75 billion in Joulent for AI data center power — Joulent emerged from stealth in late June, purpose-built to develop power plants for GW-scale AI data centers.

America's first nuclear plant restart moves toward completion — Up until recently, the U.S. was in a yearslong dry spell in the construction of new nuclear power plants.

Supreme Court expands presidential power to fire independent agency regulators — “Stripping those agencies of their independence will leave consumers exposed to the worst aspects of competitive markets without the…

DOE says transmission bottlenecks cost grid $12 billion in 2024 wholesale power — Transmission congestion added $12 billion in wholesale power costs in 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy said in a draft report on U.S.

Trump administration spends $3.8bn to boost coal, undercut wind energy — Critics accuse president of ‘fattening the wallets of his cronies’ as working Americans face higher energy rates The Trump administration…

Seven top-selling EVs in Australia are Chinese-owned or built, including Tesla Model Y — Australia just posted its biggest month ever for electric car sales, and for the first time seven different EVs each cleared 1,000 units in…

BYD wins contract to supply 11.3 GWh of batteries for Abu Dhabi solar-storage project — BYD Energy Storage has landed a contract to supply 11.275 GWh of battery storage for Masdar’s Round the Clock (RTC) project in Abu Dhabi —…

Southeast could cut power costs by connecting to PJM, MISO, DOE estimates — The Department of Energy estimates the region needs to build transmission lines connecting it to neighboring markets.

Americans turn to plug-in solar as grid stress mounts during heat waves — Why Americans are bolting solar panels to their balconies, and what the July 4th heat wave revealed about mounting grid stress The post…

COP31 president-designate backs electrification as decarbonization priority — Last month, COP31 president-designate Murat Kurum launched a target for 35% of the world’s final...

Microsoft's carbon emissions surge 25% as data center demand strains climate goals — When I helped start Heatmap News three years ago, I didn’t think I would be writing this much about big tech companies.

Study: Solar panel recycling economics hinge on material diversity approach — Researchers from Australia and Poland have collaborated on a study to determine the value of upcycling key materials from end-of-life…

European solar module prices climb as bifacial TOPCon segment weakens — The price of PV modules in Europe has continued the upward trend in June 2026, except for the bifacial TOPCon segment.

Peak Energy to build first U.S. sodium-ion battery gigafactory in Sacramento — Startup Peak Energy launched in 2023 with a promise to bring the up-and-coming sodium-ion battery chemistry to American shores.

Solar firms navigate tariff risks in US procurement contracts — Intertek CEA explores how companies have to navigate US solar PV procurement contracts amidst tariffs and customs risks.

Clean energy generation helped U.S. grid manage heat-wave demand surge — This analysis and news roundup come from the Canary Media Weekly newsletter. Sign up to get it every Friday.