The US Supreme Court hears Exxon and Suncor's bid to end Boulder's climate damages case, and two dozen like it

The rest of the day

36 more stories on this beat.

Each with its own sources. None of these is a link to the story above.

1. 02

   Trump waives the road tax on diesel

   President Trump signed an order on Monday letting road vehicles run on red-dyed diesel, a fuel normally kept for farms and building sites because it carries no road tax. [10][12] The order also defers the federal tax of 24.4 cents a gallon on road diesel to the end of the year. [12][10] US diesel averages more than $6.30 a gallon, after a record of about $6.50 last month. [10][11] At least 10 states had already let farm diesel onto their roads. [12]

   Why it matters — Trump said a typical trucker would save over $100 a fill-up, four weeks before the 3 November elections. [12] The order only defers the tax and tells agencies to look for ways to cancel it, so nobody yet knows whether it will be owed later. [10]

2. 03

   Conservatives would scrap Britain's clean-heat rule for new homes

   Britain's Conservative party said on Monday it would scrap the Future Homes Standard if it wins the next election. [13] The rule makes builders fit new homes with heat pumps and solar panels instead of gas boilers. [13] E3G, a climate research group, says dropping it would leave the owner of a three-bedroom home about 1,000 pounds a year worse off in energy bills. [13] Over 25 years that is at least 25,000 pounds. [13]

   Why it matters — Builders would spend less on each house they build. [13] The family who buys the house would get the higher bills, for as long as they live there. [13]

3. 04

   Petrol-only cars fall below half of world sales

   Cars that run only on petrol made up 49% of the world's new car sales in the first half of 2026, down from 73% in 2021, according to Mobility Global, a car data firm. [14] It is the first time on record they have been under half. [14] Fully electric cars rose 12% to 6.87 million, or 17% of sales, and ordinary hybrids took 18%. [14] Nikkei, a Japanese newspaper, ties the speed-up to fuel prices since the Middle East war began. [14]

   202173%

   Jan-Jun 202552%

   Jan-Jun 202649%

   Why it matters — Most of the cars replacing petrol-only models are hybrids that still carry a petrol tank. [14] Buyers are choosing cars that cost less to run while fuel stays dear. [14]

4. 05

   Saudi Aramco cuts its oil price for Asia

   Saudi Aramco, the world's biggest oil exporter, will sell its main crude to Asian buyers in November at $5 a barrel below the regional benchmark, its lowest price in six years. [15] Traders had expected a rise. [15] Kpler, a firm that tracks tankers, says Gulf oil exports outside Iran matched their pre-war average in September. [17] Now 40% of them avoid the Strait of Hormuz by pipeline or other routes, against 17% before the war. [17]

   Before the war17%

   September40%

   Why it matters — A barrel of Brent, the world's benchmark oil, still cost about $102 on Monday, against about $72 before the war. [17] Aramco's chief, Amin Nasser, said refilling the world's oil stocks could take up to two years. [16]

5. 06

   The UAE signs a gas deal with Thailand

   Adnoc, the United Arab Emirates' state oil company, agreed on Monday to supply about 2 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas to Gulf Development, a Thai energy company, from 2027. [19] Gas makes more than 60% of Thailand's electricity. [19] About 2.2 million tonnes of its yearly gas imports normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely shut since late February. [19] Adnoc did not say what the gas will cost or where it will come from. [19]

   Why it matters — Thailand is buying from more sellers so that one closed strait cannot cut its power. [19] The deliveries start in 2027, so they do nothing for this winter. [19]

6. 07

   Pacific climate talks open with few leaders

   About 4,000 people gathered in Nadi, Fiji, on Monday for a pre-COP, the meeting that prepares November's UN climate summit in Antalya, Turkey. [20] Australia is co-hosting it with Fiji under a deal struck at last year's summit. [21] Only 14 national leaders are going on to Tuvalu, a low-lying island nation, on Tuesday, and only two of them come from outside the Pacific. [20] Australia's climate minister, Chris Bowen, promised A$7.29 million for the region's move to clean power. [21]

   Why it matters — A negotiator for small island states said low tides now show the foundations of old homes and the graves of ancestors. [22] Australia hosts these talks a week after its biggest state approved its largest coal mine project. [20]

7. 08

   Heat is harming more pregnancies, health workers say

   Nearly three in four maternal health workers say heat-related problems in pregnancy have risen over the past five years, in a survey for Wellcome, a health research charity. [23] It asked 1,000 doctors, midwives and others in Australia, Brazil, India, the UK and Zimbabwe. [23] Wellcome links each extra 1C to about 5% more premature births. [23] Simon Stiell, the UN's climate chief, cited it at the talks in Fiji on Monday. [23]

   Why it matters — Stiell said better heat warnings and reliable water and power in clinics can cut much of the danger. [23] Pacific countries at the same talks want climate money for the poorest countries guaranteed. [21]

8. 09

   Scientists publish ten new climate findings

   More than 70 scientists from nearly 30 countries published the yearly 10 New Insights in Climate Science report on Tuesday. [9] It says warming past 1.5C, the Paris Agreement's safer limit, raises the risk of damage to ice, oceans and frozen ground that cannot be undone. [9] It says newer models put the harm from each tonne of carbon dioxide at up to four times older estimates. [9] The world's sea surface reached 21.1C in August, the hottest ever measured. [9]

   Why it matters — The report says science can now trace damage back to the emissions of a single company. [9] It says that evidence could strengthen climate lawsuits, like the one the US Supreme Court heard on Monday. [9]

9. 10

   Australia's second-hottest September

   Australia had its second-hottest September on record, 2.71C above the 1961-1990 average, Bureau of Meteorology data showed. [24] Nights were the warmest of any September since records began in 1910. [24] Snow depth in Kosciuszko National Park fell to zero in September for the first time since 1954. [24] A strengthening El Nino, the Pacific warming pattern, added to the heat. [24]

   Why it matters — Every state and territory except Western Australia had below-average rain. [24] A University of Melbourne scientist said winter is ending earlier and spring starting sooner. [24]

10. 11

    A slow ocean wave heads for California

    A Kelvin wave, a slow pulse of warm water thousands of miles across, is moving up the Pacific coast toward Mexico and California, Scientific American reported. [25] El Nino's weaker winds let these pulses cross the Pacific from west to east over two to three months. [25] When one reaches the Americas, part of it turns north and lifts the average sea level along the coast for a time. [25] It is not a tsunami. [25]

    Why it matters — The danger comes when the raised sea meets a very high tide or a storm surge. [25] Some coastal places have already put out sandbags. [25]

11. 12

    Amazon deal keeps Maryland's nuclear plant running

    Amazon signed a 20-year deal to buy 690 megawatts from Calvert Cliffs, Maryland's only nuclear plant, owned by Constellation Energy. [26] Constellation says the steady income lets it renew the plant's licence for another 20 years. [26] It will also add about 190 megawatts of new output between 2030 and 2032. [26] The companies put the investment at over $3 billion. [26]

    Why it matters — Amazon gets steady power for its data centres. [26] Maryland keeps its largest source of clean power for two more decades. [26]

12. 13

    Virginia's energy plan leans on data centres

    Virginia's governor, Abigail Spanberger, published an energy plan on 1 October that keeps the state's law requiring carbon-free power by 2050. [27] Virginia has more data centres than anywhere in the world, and the plan expects electricity demand to grow 85%. [27] It puts the cost of meeting that at up to $422 billion, and says the tech industry could provide $265 billion of it. [27] A fifth scenario, dropping the clean power goals, saves $90 billion in power costs but adds $145 billion in health damage. [27]

    Why it matters — Republican critics used the $90 billion saving to argue for repealing the clean power law. [27] The plan has no force of law, but regulators will have it in front of them when Dominion Energy, the state's biggest utility, asks to build new gas plants. [27]

13. 14

    Dominion told to release a memo

    A hearing examiner at Virginia's utility regulator ruled on Friday that Dominion Energy and NextEra must release documents they had held back from the review of their $67 billion merger. [30] They include a memo said to describe an investigation into political activity by Florida Power & Light, NextEra's Florida utility. [30] Clean Virginia, a customer group, had asked for it. [30]

    Why it matters — The examiner said the merged company's governance is relevant to the review. [30] Virginia's regulators must decide whether the combined company is fit to run the state's main power supply. [30]

14. 15

    MISO wants to connect big users in 120 days

    MISO, which runs the power grid across much of the US Midwest and South, asked federal regulators on Friday to approve a fast-track study for large new users. [28] It would cover users above 200 megawatts, such as data centres and factories, that come with new power plants in the same area. [28] Each study would take 120 days. [28] MISO expects demand on its grid to grow 1% to 3% a year through 2044. [28]

    Why it matters — MISO asked for a decision by 2 December so the first study can open early next year. [28] Data centres and factories are driving its forecasts, as on other US grids. [28]

15. 16

    A bank counts a 32-gigawatt gap for data centres

    Morgan Stanley, an investment bank, said on Monday that the US data-centre power crunch is getting worse. [29] It estimates developers face a 34% shortfall in power through 2028, about 32 gigawatts, even after counting their own generators and fuel cells. [29] It said chipmakers Nvidia and Broadcom are fairly well protected. [29] Makers of memory and other parts could see orders pushed back if data centres cannot be switched on. [29]

    Why it matters — Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have both flagged limits on how fast US data centres can be built. [29] Morgan Stanley names labour, power and politics as the limits. [29]

16. 17

    Heat pumps near a record share of US sales

    Heat pumps made up close to half of all heating and cooling units shipped in the US in July, AHRI, the industry's trade group, reported. [31] Heat pump shipments rose 17.6% on July last year, second only to July 2024. [31] Electric water heaters outsold gas ones by about 52,000 units. [31] Since July 2016, heat pump shipments have grown about 77%. [31]

    Why it matters — State rules and a long shift to electric heating are keeping sales up despite cuts to federal support, the report says. [31]

17. 18

    California cities wait a year to cut gas

    Seventeen local building rules from 15 California cities and counties, including Alameda and Palo Alto, are still waiting for state approval, some for nearly a year. [32] A 2025 state law, AB 130, paused building code updates for six years to speed up house building, with a narrow exception for climate rules. [32] The local rules push owners toward electric appliances, such as fitting a heat pump when an old air conditioner breaks. [32] The state's Building Standards Commission says the 17 need more review. [32]

    Why it matters — Buildings make about a quarter of California's planet-heating emissions. [32] City officials say the delay is holding back their plans to cut pollution from gas appliances. [32]

18. 19

    Caribbean solar is twice the official count

    Caribbean countries installed about 2.3 gigawatts of solar between 2021 and 2024, roughly twice what official counts show, Ember, an energy think tank, found from Chinese customs data. [33] More than 90% of the region's electricity comes from burning imported oil and gas, so its power is among the dearest in the world. [33] Much of the new solar sits on roofs that are not connected to the grid. [33] Their spare power goes to waste instead of being sold. [33]

    Why it matters — In several countries the power company can block other sources from joining the grid. [33] Analysts want regulators, not power companies, to decide who connects. [33]

19. 20

    Africa's off-grid solar set to grow fast

    Off-grid solar in Africa south of the Sahara could grow 450% by 2035, with more than 35% of it in Nigeria, Wood Mackenzie, a research firm, forecasts. [34] Weak national grids mean many homes and firms already run their own diesel generators. [34] Dearer fuel since the Iran war, Nigeria's end of fuel subsidies and much cheaper panels are pushing them to solar. [34] Kenya and DR Congo are expected to be other big markets. [34]

    Why it matters — The report says rural power plans and money from governments and private investors together are needed to reach more of the continent. [34]

20. 21

    China starts a giant air-storage plant

    China Huaneng, a state power company, has started both 350-megawatt units at its Jintan plant in Jiangsu, which stores electricity as squeezed air in salt caves about 1,000 metres underground. [35] At 700 megawatts it is the biggest salt-cave air store reported anywhere. [35] It uses power to pump air in, then lets the air out through turbines for about four hours, without burning gas. [35] It gets back more than 70% of the electricity it stores. [35]

    Why it matters — The plant will now test its connection to the grid before it starts working. [35] It is expected to make about 924 gigawatt-hours a year. [35]

21. 22

    First Solar sues a Chinese rival over a cell design

    First Solar, a US solar panel maker, sued China's JA Solar and American Panel Solutions in a court in Delaware. [36] It says they used its patented method for making TOPCon cells, a kind of high-efficiency solar cell. [36] American Panel Solutions belongs to Corning, a US glass maker, which bought an Arizona panel plant once tied to JA Solar. [36] First Solar wants money and a permanent ban on importing, assembling and selling the panels in the US. [36]

    Why it matters — A win would keep some imported and US-assembled panels off the US market. [36]

22. 23

    Two German solar firms in trouble

    Next2Sun, a German maker of upright solar panels used on farmland, filed for insolvency for two of its companies after a share sale meant to raise 5 million euros fell through. [37] Its project companies keep running, and the group employs about 140 people. [37] More than 100 possible buyers have shown interest in Enerparc, one of Germany's biggest solar power producers, which went insolvent in September. [38] Its administrator hopes to announce a first sale in December. [38]

    Why it matters — Further sales of Enerparc's solar parks are unlikely before early 2027. [38]

23. 24

    A flooded solar farm in Japan burns

    A solar farm in Narita, east of Tokyo, caught fire on 24 September after typhoon floodwater from a burst lake bank covered its electrical boxes. [39] Fire officials think the boxes short-circuited as the water fell and left them exposed. [39] Firefighters stayed back because of the risk of electric shock, and more than 10 explosions were heard. [39] No one was hurt. [39]

    Why it matters — A flooded solar farm stays dangerous after the water goes down, because wet equipment can short-circuit as it dries. [39]

24. 25

    EU backs a wind and solar plant on the Polish-German border

    The European Commission gave cross-border status to three clean power projects, including Deploy, a 180-megawatt wind and solar plant in Gubin, Poland. [40] Its power will be turned into heat for factories and homes in Guben, the German town on the other side of the border. [40] The status gives it access to EU money for studies and building. [40] A final decision to build is expected by mid-2028. [40]

    Why it matters — Guben's shared heating system would move from fuel to wind and solar power. [40]

25. 26

    Britain's Green party drops its opposition to nuclear

    Members of the Green Party of England and Wales voted at their conference to end their blanket opposition to nuclear power. [41] The party still puts wind and rooftop solar first, but its elected members may now back new reactors case by case. [41] Its MP Carla Denyer said keeping existing nuclear stations running can be low-carbon, because much of their carbon comes from building them. [41] In 2023 she called nuclear very slow and very expensive. [41]

    Why it matters — Opposing nuclear power was one of the party's oldest positions. [41]

26. 27

    Cenovus buys Athabasca Oil

    Cenovus Energy agreed on Monday to buy Athabasca Oil for about $4 billion, making it one of Canada's largest producers from the oil sands, the thick oil deposits of Alberta. [42] The deal adds about 45,000 barrels a day, and Cenovus says the fields could make 115,000 a day by 2032. [42] It follows Prime Minister Mark Carney's changes to remove barriers to fossil fuel investment. [42] Athabasca was one of the last independent oil sands companies. [42]

    Why it matters — Canada is aiming to raise its crude output, and fewer, bigger companies now hold the oil sands. [42]

27. 28

    Ukraine looks to Siemens for gas equipment

    Naftogaz, Ukraine's state oil and gas company, is considering buying five gas-turbine compressor units from Siemens Energy, Ukraine's energy ministry said on Monday. [43] The companies signed an agreement during a visit by Germany's chancellor, Friedrich Merz, when German firms signed 14 deals worth about 6.6 billion euros. [43] Russia has been attacking Ukraine's gas fields, pipeline compressors and gas processing plants. [43]

    Why it matters — Ukraine says Russia wants to leave people without power and heating before winter. [43] Neither side gave a price or a delivery date. [43]

28. 29

    British coach firms warn of cuts

    British coach operators warned on Monday that record diesel prices could force them to cut services, including school transport. [44] Diesel at UK filling stations averaged more than 2 pounds a litre last week, a record. [44] The Confederation of Passenger Transport, their trade body, says 85% of independent coach firms are family businesses. [44] Local bus companies in England get help with fuel costs, and coach firms get none. [44]

    Why it matters — Lorry firms say hundreds of companies are going out of business as fuel costs climb. [44] Children who ride coaches to school are among those who could lose a service. [44]

29. 30

    South Africa's petrol passes 30 rand

    Petrol in Gauteng, the province around Johannesburg, rises to a record 30.25 rand a litre on Wednesday, up 3.33 rand. [45] The last record was 28.06 rand in June. [45] Diesel rises by up to 3.24 rand a litre, and paraffin, used for cooking and light, by 4.77 rand in shops. [45] The Central Energy Fund, which sets the price for South Africa's government, said world fuel prices had risen. [45]

    Why it matters — The exchange rate barely moved the price; nearly all of the rise came from world fuel prices. [45]

30. 31

    A car battery line turns to military drones

    The US Department of War gave Amprius Technologies $75 million to convert an electric car battery line in the US to make batteries for military drones. [46] The line is run by an unnamed major South Korean manufacturer. [46] Amprius, a California company, makes cells that hold more energy for their weight. [46] The money comes from a programme that pays to keep key factories in the US. [46]

    Why it matters — Amprius has not said which drone maker will use the batteries. [46]

31. 32

    Six Flags covers its car parks with solar

    Six Flags Magic Mountain, a theme park near Los Angeles, has built California's largest solar carport, 12.37 megawatts over about 4,300 parking spaces. [47] It should make about 20.8 million kilowatt-hours a year, enough to cover the yearly power use of the park and the water park next door. [47] A battery stores 8 megawatt-hours, about four hours of output at full power. [47] There are 109 car charging points. [47]

    Why it matters — The panels sit on land already used for parking, so no new field is covered. [47]

32. 33

    Newer solar panels may leak less lead

    Researchers led by China's Huazhong University of Science and Technology modelled the lead from solar panels in China up to 2060. [48] Perovskite panels, a newer kind made from a crystal that contains lead, could leak up to 94% less lead than silicon panels made with lead solder, if handled with best practice. [48] The result depends on how factories and recyclers handle the lead. [48]

    Why it matters — Their model expects China's solar fleet to reach about 6,781 gigawatts by 2060. [48]

33. 34

    Cheap electric cars spread across Europe

    Electric cars sold 1.64 million in the EU in the first eight months of 2026, up 45%, about 22% of the market. [49] Transport and Environment, a campaign group, counts 16 models under 25,000 euros on sale by the end of the year, twice last year's number. [49] It says the EU's carbon rules for carmakers brought those cheap models. [49] Its modelling says a weaker 2035 target now before the European Parliament would cut sales of the cheapest models by nearly three quarters by 2030. [49]

    20258 models

    End of 202616 models

    Why it matters — Carmakers have already closed three quarters of the gap to their 2025-2027 targets. [49] Britain, outside the EU, reached 29.8% electric in August. [49]

34. 35

    Lucid cuts production by 38%

    Lucid, a US maker of luxury electric cars, delivered 3,806 cars from July to September, 7% fewer than a year earlier. [50] It built only 2,954, 38% fewer than the quarter before, its lowest since early 2025. [50] Its new boss, Silvio Napoli, is selling off cars it had piled up earlier this year. [50] Lucid cut its second factory shift in June and laid off 18% of its staff. [50]

    Why it matters — It was the first quarter this year in which Lucid delivered more cars than it built. [50]

35. 36

    Toyota will build an electric car in Argentina

    Toyota will invest about $1.3 billion to make a new electric vehicle at its plant in Zarate, near Buenos Aires, the largest investment ever in Argentina's car industry. [51] It won approval under RIGI, Argentina's scheme of incentives for very large investments. [51] The project should create about 3,600 building jobs and about 2,600 lasting ones. [51] An electric Hilux pickup is the likely model, Automotive News reports. [51]

    Why it matters — Chinese brands such as BYD are pushing into South America. [51] Toyota sold 267,649 electric cars worldwide through August, more than double a year earlier. [51]

36. 37

    Hyundai's small electric car goes on sale in Britain

    Hyundai opened UK orders on Monday for the IONIQ 3, a small electric hatchback, from 18,495 pounds after a 3,750-pound government grant. [52] The base version goes up to 213 miles on a charge, and the bigger battery up to 308. [52] Hyundai's UK president said more buyers registered interest before launch than for any new Hyundai in the UK before. [52]

    Why it matters — With the grant, it is one of the cheapest long-range electric cars on the British market. [52]