Saudi Arabia's East-West crude pipeline, shut after drone attacks from Iraq by Iran-backed proxy groups, will resume operations within days according to U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who characterized the closure as a brief, temporary interruption; satellite imagery, however, suggests months-long pumping station repairs may be required. With the pipeline down, Riyadh has shifted some crude exports back through the Strait of Hormuz under U.S. military escort. An unexpected build in U.S. crude inventories briefly weighed on oil prices Wednesday, even as Saudi Arabia simultaneously suspended oil loadings at its Yanbu port. Brent and WTI futures nonetheless hovered near four-month highs of $107.8 and $104.6 per barrel respectively, with the pipeline outage putting 4 million barrels per day at risk. The seven-day average of Hormuz transit recovering gradually rose to nearly 12 million barrels per day as of Sunday, still less than 60% of pre-war levels.

The conflict's geographic scope widened further when Saudi air defenses intercepted a Houthi drone before it could reach Mecca, with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation condemning the strike as a "heinous" attack. The incident marks the first security alert in Mecca since a failed Houthi ballistic missile attempt in 2017 and is testing a month-old defense pact among Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, testifying before the House Financial Services Committee, touted the Iran sanctions campaign while noting that U.S. gasoline averaged $4.32 per gallon and diesel $6.23, each sharply higher year-on-year. Germany is weighing fuel relief measures as gasoline prices soar in the wake of the U.S.-Iran war and Strait of Hormuz restrictions.

Energy-cost inflation is spreading across Europe. UK headline inflation jumped to 3.1% in August, driven by a 23% year-on-year surge in motor fuel costs and a 6% rise in household energy costs, with gasoline and diesel prices at levels not seen in four years. Separately, a Bloomberg Economics analysis projects that UK household bills rising 25% in January, threatening Prime Minister Andy Burnham's cost-of-living agenda as the regulator Ofgem prepares its next price-cap revision.

On the structural demand side, a BloombergNEF outlook finds that U.S. data centers consuming 15 billion cubic feet per day of additional natural gas over the next decade, placing their aggregate gas demand above that of most nations. A separate incident underscored data-center energy infrastructure risks: a 5,000-gallon diesel spill from a storage tank at a Secaucus, New Jersey facility flowed into a tributary of the Hackensack River, triggering a cleanup operation.

In private equity and upstream activity, Carlyle Group is backing newly formed Avenrock Energy in its acquisition of privately held Parallax Energy Operating in Canada, marking Carlyle's second major investment in the country's oil sector within a year. In Arizona, the Sierra Club and Synapse Energy Economics released a report warning that Arizona Public Service's planned methane gas expansion — including eight new gas turbines in Maricopa County — could raise average residential bills by more than $112 annually, exposing ratepayers to full fuel-cost pass-through with no utility cost-sharing obligation. In Maine, Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles unveiled a 12-step natural gas plan pledging to expand pipeline capacity and cut household energy costs by approximately 37%, criticizing the incumbent administration's climate policies as the primary driver of rising utility bills.

On longer-term market structure, Rystad Energy executives argued at a Houston summit that the current supply disruptions are reinforcing an "energy addition" paradigm rather than a clean energy transition, with oil demand expected to remain stickier than previously forecast and global oil supply projected to fall short in the 2030s even as natural gas production trends higher. A separate academic study modelling European heavy industry through 2050 concluded that importing energy-intensive intermediates such as ammonia and hot-briquetted iron from regions with cheaper renewables could be the lowest-cost decarbonisation path while preserving downstream manufacturing employment on the continent. The global biogas purification filters market is forecast to expand at an 8.5% CAGR through 2035, underpinned by tightening renewable gas purity mandates and rapid build-out of biomethane upgrading capacity in Europe and North America.

SK Innovation announced on September 16 its participation in the 2026 World Climate Industry EXPO, where it will showcase an integrated energy solution combining renewables, battery energy storage systems (BESS), small modular reactors (SMR), and liquefied natural gas for AI data centers. The company has secured a global renewables pipeline of 5.3 GW as of end-May, with solar and wind projects operating across Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, and the Jeonnam offshore wind project — South Korea's first large-scale privately led offshore wind development — already in commercial operation, with capacity targeted to reach 900 MW. On the nuclear front, SK is cooperating with TerraPower on a next-generation SMR ecosystem, and the Natrium SMR in Wyoming received a construction permit from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in March, marking the first such permit issued for a commercial-scale advanced nuclear plant. The Natrium design is distinguished by its flexible output capability, allowing power generation to be adjusted in line with demand — a feature positioned as directly suited to large-scale consumers such as AI data centers. SK Innovation is also expanding a distributed power generation business using LNG-based cogeneration for data centers, while exhibiting an AI-based Intelligent Power Plant platform designed to integrate and optimize multiple energy sources simultaneously.

Georgia Power brought its 128 MW Robins BESS into commercial operation near Warner Robins, Georgia, pairing four hours of battery storage with the adjacent Robins Solar Facility; the project is one of four storage facilities approved under the 2023 Integrated Resource Plan, with the utility having now completed 579.5 MW across Cherokee and Lowndes counties and the Georgia Public Service Commission having approved nine additional BESS sites totaling more than 3,000 MW statewide. In Morocco, OCP Green Energy completed installation of North Africa's first LFP BESS, a 25 MW/125 MWh lithium iron phosphate system at its Benguerir phosphate mining complex, which is now energised and undergoing commissioning; the system will charge from a co-located 67 MWp solar plant and received US$20 million from the African Development Bank's Clean Technology Fund. Dubai's Supreme Council of Energy announced plans for a 1,000–2,000 MW lithium-ion facility targeting 6,000 MWh of capacity by 2029 to support round-the-clock solar supply, while Masdar's Abu Dhabi round-the-clock project, combining 5.2 GW of solar with 19 GWh of storage for US$6.1 billion, was cited as a regional engineering benchmark at the same forum.

Masdar separately disclosed it has reached financial close on its 315 MW Neftchala solar PV project in southeastern Azerbaijan — co-developed with Socar Green and financed by the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the Asian Development Bank — while also entering a new agreement with Azerbaijan Green Energy Company to explore a minimum 350 MW Garadagh expansion plus 200 MWh of storage, bringing Masdar's total Azerbaijani pipeline to over 1.2 GW. In South Korea, Gurīn Energy and NAVER signed an MoU and a long-term power purchase agreement under which NAVER will take an equity stake in the 216 MW Jindo Green Solar project on Jindo Island to supply NAVER's AI and cloud data centers, with the project having already secured its Electricity Business Licence. In the Philippines, ib vogt broke ground on the 99 MWp Luca solar plant in Ajuy, Iloilo, expected to generate approximately 158 GWh annually and avoid 109,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, with British International Investment providing development finance; the project doubles ib vogt APAC's constructed capacity in the country toward a 500 MW target by end-2026. In South Africa, GameChange Energy completed commissioning of its Genius Tracker 1P system for the 283 MWp Mooi Plaats plant near Noupoort in the Northern Cape, a facility developed by the EDF–Anglo American joint venture Envusa Energy that will supply Anglo American's mining operations and is projected to generate nearly 360 million kWh annually.

In Romania, LONGi and Enexus signed an agreement for 50 MWh of liquid-cooled BESS across two solar-plus-storage projects in Titu, Dâmbovița county — the 20 MWp/15 MWh Titu 1, which is completed and awaiting grid connection, and the 35 MW/35 MWh Titu 3, currently under development — marking LONGi's largest BESS order in Romania to date. North Macedonia is seeing accelerating activity in both standalone and solar-coupled storage, with its Ministry of Energy having approved 96 storage facilities totalling 2.2 GW in its 2026 construction plan alongside 59 solar projects representing more than 3 GW of capacity; Chinese conglomerate PowerChina was separately selected to build a 30 MW split-site solar project for state utility ESM following an EBRD-administered tender. Illinois is advancing toward meeting its decarbonisation targets, with reporting indicating the state's grid requires more battery storage capacity to integrate solar and wind generation effectively.

On the corporate and transactional side, Xpansiv acquired Formbay, described as the AI platform powering one in three Australian residential solar installations. Sungrow concluded its Vietnam installer skills competition, the final leg of a regional campaign to elevate PV installation standards across Southeast Asia, including the global debut of the company's MGTL Series three-phase hybrid inverters. A new podcast featuring PERC solar cell co-inventor Andrew Blakers argues that the clean-energy transition is execution-constrained rather than technology-constrained, with solar, wind, pumped hydro, and batteries sufficient for a fully renewable global grid. A review of China's leading solar thermal system manufacturers in 2026 has also been published, covering advances in solar energy utilisation across that segment.

At the municipal and community level, the Maine Public Utilities Commission unanimously ruled in favour of Northport, clearing the path for the town's 38 kW net-billing project after a dispute with Central Maine Power over eligibility under the state's revised net energy billing law. Hooksett, New Hampshire is constructing a nearly 2,300-panel landfill array on five acres of capped land off West River Road, joining other New Hampshire municipalities in deploying solar on brownfield sites. Cincinnati launched the Southwest Ohio 2026 Solar Co-op, a group-purchasing programme open to residents, small businesses, and nonprofits across eleven counties, with projected annual savings of approximately US$1,000 per 5 kW system against Duke Energy bills. Wayne County, Pennsylvania is participating in the ASES National Solar Tour on October 3–4, with three sites — including an off-grid solar-plus-battery cabin, a retreat centre ground-mount array, and an organic farm installation — open for public education events. Bhutan is diversifying beyond hydropower with solar capacity now rising, anchored by the 22 MW Sephu project and a national target of 25,000 MW by 2040 with solar comprising one-fifth of that total, as winter hydropower shortfalls and growing data centre demand accelerate the push for energy diversification.

Econergy has acquired Escofi for €134.3 million, securing a 740 MW French onshore wind platform with 128 MW in commercial operation, 34 MW under construction, and 432 MW in early-to-mid development; more than 90% of operational and under-construction capacity carries 20-year Contracts for Difference revenues, and the deal marks Econergy's entry into France while opening repowering and battery co-location opportunities across the portfolio. In a separate large-scale transaction, NOVVA Group has executed a binding framework agreement to acquire a 3.17 GW portfolio of Argentine renewable energy projects from ABO Energy, with confirmatory due diligence underway before a share purchase agreement is finalized; the deal follows Novva's earlier acquisition of roughly 40 MW of Colombian solar assets from the same developer and is positioned to serve AI-era data centre power demand across Latin America.

In Serbia, Masdar and Taaleri Energia inaugurated the 154 MW Čibuk 2 wind farm, completing the Western Balkans' largest wind complex alongside the adjacent 158 MW Čibuk 1; the two projects together represent 25% of Serbia's total wind and solar capacity and supply nearly 180,000 households. Following the ceremony, Serbia's Minister of Mining and Energy met with Masdar's CEO to discuss a forthcoming MoU between state utility EPS and Masdar that would open large-scale BESS projects as the next phase of cooperation. Nova Scotia has launched a 350 MW procurement round under its Green Choice Program, offering 25-year pricing contracts with Nova Scotia Power; the program's first round selected two wind projects totalling 262 MW, and the current solicitation, which closes January 14, 2027, sits within a broader Clean Power Plan targeting 80% renewable electricity and full coal phase-out by 2030.

The Hinduja Group has expressed wind investment interest in Tamil Nadu during a London meeting with Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, reiterating commitments under a Rs. 2,500-crore MoU signed in August 2026. Wyoming-based startup Airloom Energy has advanced an oval-track airfoil turbine design that the company claims costs 50% less to operate per square meter than conventional turbines, contains 42% fewer parts, and can be transported on standard trucks; a commercial demonstration is targeted for 2027, with Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy among its backers. Egypt's effort to tie wind power to manufacturing is being cited as a model for Nigeria and broader African markets.

The 16th annual Iowa Climate Statement, endorsed by over 180 scientists and sustainability scholars from 31 institutions, warns that AI data centres — projected to account for up to 12% of U.S. electricity use by 2028 — are driving sharp load growth in a state where Iowa is already among top data-centre states; the statement calls for accelerated wind and solar deployment, noting that Iowa's renewable-heavy grid already keeps electricity costs 30% below the national average, and frames the choice between fossil expansion and renewables as an immediate decision requiring action from utilities, tech companies, and elected officials, as detailed across multiple institutional endorsements and faculty presentations statewide.

On the technical side, the 40-month BIODHYL project has delivered multi-year biofouling monitoring data from Atlantic and Mediterranean sites, establishing that a minimum two-year material deployment is required to characterize biocolonisation dynamics and yielding design-relevant load values for floating offshore wind mooring lines and dynamic cables that go beyond North Sea-based standards currently in use. Separately, analysis of grid curtailment patterns — including CAISO's record 1.46 TWh curtailed in April 2026 — highlights the case for sector coupling via electric boilers and district thermal storage as a mechanism to absorb surplus wind and solar output, with Vicinity Energy's 42 MW electric boiler at its Cambridge, Massachusetts plant cited as a scaled working example and Ontario's regulatory framework offered as a replicable model for utility cost recovery on non-wires investments.

Energy security concerns triggered by elevated fuel prices are accelerating government interest in clean hydrogen, with the Hydrogen Council reporting that $130 billion committed to projects is now 90% under construction or operational, even as Air Liquide's chief executive warns Europe risks falling behind China, which holds more than half of planned clean hydrogen capacity. South Africa is pursuing the same logic at a national level, with Trade Minister Parks Tau announcing at the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit that green hydrogen anchors reindustrialisation strategy, including €40 million in KfW-backed feasibility work across 24 strategic projects; the South Africa Green Hydrogen Fund closed its first R3 billion tranche in August, with an additional R628 million in Global Gateway grants, of which R490 million targets hydrogen infrastructure leverage of up to R10 billion, and R12.5 million has been unlocked for the Hive Hydrogen Coega ammonia project.

On the supply-chain and infrastructure front, H2APEX and Lhyfe agreed up to 100 tonnes annually of renewable hydrogen for Germany under a two-year deal, expanding an existing partnership to serve mobility and industrial demand in that market. Canada's Natural Resources ministry awarded Next Hydrogen CA$2 million to develop high-performance electrodes for third-generation water electrolyser technology. In the United Kingdom, GeoPura partnered with Elsa Recycling to replace diesel generators with hydrogen at a Stockport recycling facility, substituting two 400 kVA units with green Hydrogen Power Units. Hyroad Energy began fuelling IMC Logistics' Class 8 fleet of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in Fontana, California, also providing maintenance services.

Maritime hydrogen is advancing on multiple fronts. Yokogawa Electric received orders from Kawasaki Heavy Industries to supply integrated automation systems for a 40,000 m³ liquefied hydrogen carrier, the largest vessel of its type, as well as for two hydrogen-fuelled vessels operating under Japan's NEDO Green Innovation Fund. Chart Industries will supply liquid hydrogen systems for Samskip boxships, covering storage, fuel conditioning, bunkering interfaces, and safety solutions.

In passenger and commercial vehicle hydrogen, Toyota confirmed at IAA Transportation in Hannover that the fuel cell Hilux enters production in 2028 with a WLTP target above 400 km and 2,500 kg towing capacity, down from the 600 km claimed by ten Burnaston prototypes; the company also announced with Iveco that the S-eWay Fuel Cell truck will use Toyota's third-generation stack for more than 900 km range and a 25,000-hour life target, with road tests planned for the first half of 2027. Infrastructure context is stark: the European Hydrogen Observatory records 179 public stations across Europe, with Germany's H2 Mobility having closed 22 passenger-car pumps in the first half of 2025 and converting remaining sites to 350-bar truck dispensers. BMW simultaneously began real-world validation testing of the next-generation iX5 Hydrogen prototype, targeting 750 km WLTP range and sub-five-minute refuelling, while initiating third-generation fuel cell assembly at its Munich Hydrogen Competence Center and installing production equipment at Steyr, Austria; the iX5 shares its jointly developed stack with Toyota. Hyundai Motor Group, speaking at the Jeju Green Hydrogen Global Forum, positioned FCEVs as complementary to battery electric vehicles, and separately signed an MOU to supply 480 hydrogen buses to Seoul-area operator Sunjin Group by 2032, with existing CNG stations in Gyeonggi Province to be converted into hydrogen refuelling sites by HyNet.

On the research side, South Korea's Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering is operating a 100-kilowatt offshore electrolysis system on a platform off Jeju Island's west coast, converting wave-generated electricity into hydrogen as a potential long-duration storage mechanism for remote offshore renewables, with researchers noting that the conversion process carries an energy loss of approximately 40%. Jeju's governor, speaking at the same forum, stated that green hydrogen production at scale is central to the island's plan to absorb surplus renewable output and achieve net-zero by 2035, fifteen years ahead of Korea's national target, while also attracting climate-technology industries to reduce dependence on tourism and agriculture. Dutch researchers at the University of Groningen are separately engaged in electrolysis work in the Hydrogen Valley aimed at making green energy more widely available. Across the project-development spectrum, a sector assessment finds that low-emissions hydrogen investment accelerates even as demand, infrastructure, and commercial viability challenges remain unresolved.

The Texas General Land Office launched a request for information on geothermal, small modular nuclear reactors, and natural gas development across its 13 million acres of state-managed land, framing the initiative under its broader Texas Engine program to support dispatchable power generation. In New Mexico, the State Land Office reported that its 55 active renewable energy leases generated $8 million in revenue this year — a 1,287% increase from 2019 — with existing leased projects projected to yield $2.5 billion by 2040; separately, the office published a new rule enabling larger geothermal projects on state lands, reinforcing the governor's prior designation of New Mexico as a prospective geothermal leader.

In the Philippines, First Gen Corp.'s subsidiary Energy Development Corp. executed 15-year geothermal supply agreements with 10 electric cooperatives in the Visayas, delivering more than 24 MW of baseload power from the Unified Leyte Geothermal Power facilities through the National Electrification Administration's competitive aggregation process; the company accounts for 63% of the Philippines' installed geothermal capacity. On the island of Nevis, Premier Mark Brantley announced that a drilling rig inspection in Iceland was completed successfully, with rig deployment expected in September and production well drilling targeted for October or November; a US$4 million well pad must be constructed prior to drilling, with financing drawn from Saudi Arabia, Italy, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the Green Climate Fund, while funding for the geothermal power plant itself remains to be arranged.

On the technology side, modular process equipment supplier Sharp Eagle detailed two skid-mounted systems: a supercritical CO₂ heat exchanger skid deployed for China Huaneng in Zhengzhou, drawing heat from a 2,500-meter geothermal well at 20 MPa design conditions, and a companion hydrogen skid designed to test liquid organic hydrogen carrier storage and release — illustrating how skid-based engineering can serve distinct future-energy applications. In California, a draft power content label submitted by MCE noted that 75% of its "light green" plan energy derives from eligible renewables including geothermal among listed sources; however, MCE staff acknowledged that only 42% of that renewable share represents new long-term generation, with the remainder sourced from purchased energy attribute credits costing upwards of $73 million, prompting the agency to begin compiling hourly emissions data ahead of California's 2028 shift to hourly accounting standards.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized the repeal of 2024 Carbon Pollution Standards on September 14, 2026, eliminating the requirement that coal and new baseload gas plants capture 90% of their CO₂ emissions, with the agency projecting $310 billion in compliance-cost savings; a separate proposal to rescind all remaining power-sector greenhouse gas standards remains open for a 45-day public comment period and could yield an additional $370 million in savings. The EPA simultaneously abandoned Biden-era CO₂ capture rules and argued it lacks the legal authority to regulate carbon dioxide, a position that follows the earlier 2026 revocation of the 2009 endangerment finding. Environmental groups including the Environmental Defense Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity, and the New York Attorney General have all signaled plans to sue over the repeal. Wisconsin utility providers said they are still reviewing the rules change, while a University of Wisconsin law professor noted economic forces continue to push power companies toward natural gas and renewables regardless of regulatory rollback, and a public health researcher warned the deregulation would extend negative health impacts from fossil-fuel emissions.

West Virginia industry leaders applauded the EPA deregulation, saying the repeal will help prevent premature plant retirements and free capital for maintenance and modernization, while the state's Gas and Oil Association added the move creates regulatory certainty for new natural gas-fired generation investment. West Virginia lawmakers and regulators are simultaneously weighing costly coal plant upgrades to extend the lives of facilities some approaching 50 years old, with FirstEnergy reporting it has spent roughly $500 million over five years on maintenance and now studying whether to keep the Fort Martin and Harrison stations running beyond 2040; the Public Service Commission noted that coal plants generating power at $35–$40 per megawatt-hour offer a cost advantage when PJM market prices averaged approximately $73 per megawatt-hour in the first half of 2026. West Virginia's current energy policy calls for keeping coal plants operational through at least 2050 to supply baseload power to the PJM grid serving 13 states and Washington, D.C. West Virginia energy officials also touted coal plant investments to lawmakers as federal regulations roll back, arguing continued spending could preserve coal jobs and lower-cost electricity.

On coal ash regulation, the EPA moved to approve Indiana's state-led CCR program, which would transfer permitting authority for coal combustion residuals from federal to state oversight and create what would be the largest such permitting program in the country, covering more than 100 coal ash units; the proposal enters a 60-day public comment period with a November 12 public hearing before any final decision. Indiana state officials, including Governor Mike Braun and Attorney General Todd Rokita, supported the state takeover, arguing it would lower energy costs and provide stronger tools to prevent groundwater contamination, while federal environmental standards and EPA oversight would be retained throughout. Separately, a Michigan court ruled in Michigan's favor on a coal plant case, though Indiana's plants remain open under a separate federal order.

On global demand, the IEA's Coal Mid-Year Update 2026 forecasts that global coal consumption will reach a record 8.94 billion tonnes in 2026, a 1.2% year-over-year rise driven by Middle East conflict disrupting LNG shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, which has elevated natural gas prices and prompted a fuel shift toward coal in Europe, Japan, South Korea, China, and other markets; El Niño conditions are adding further upward pressure in India and Vietnam through higher cooling demand and reduced hydropower output. China has also raised coal use for chemicals production due to high oil prices. Global coal production is expected to decline in 2026, remaining above 9 billion tonnes for a third consecutive year, following a reduction in Chinese output after safety inspections triggered by a major mine accident in May; the 2027 outlook hinges on whether LNG Strait of Hormuz flows recover, with demand set to fall if they do and rise further if they do not. China Shenhua Energy reported August coal sales rose 0.7% year-over-year to 55.9 million tonnes, with commercial production also up 0.7% to 44.1 million tonnes.

Against the demand backdrop, investors are tracking U.S. coal equities including Core Natural Resources, Alliance Resource Partners, and SXC, which benefit from export exposure and high-quality production, even as the EIA projects domestic coal output to fall from 528 million short tons in 2025 to 516 million in 2026 and 497 million in 2027, and coal's share of U.S. electricity generation to drop from 17% in 2025 to 14% in 2027. Warrior Met Coal shares fell 4.0% to $91.60 on September 15, extending a 13.2% weekly decline, with GF Value assessing the stock as 33.4% overvalued against a fair value estimate of $68.66 and insiders having sold $26.4 million in shares over the past twelve months.

In Russia, the Akhmetov coal assets transferred to Russian Industrial Company (RPK), whose CEO has ties to the Roskhim industrial group linked to Igor Rotenberg; the transferred entities — Obukhovskaya Mine Management Company and Donskoy Anthracite, operating in Russia's Rostov region with combined anthracite reserves of 97.3 million metric tons — were originally acquired by Akhmetov's DTEK for $39 million in 2012, later moved to state-controlled Sberbank, and RPK was established in May 2026 with undisclosed ownership, with sources indicating the assets could be prepared for resale. In India, a think-tank study found that Rajasthan could save up to $886 million in 2030 power procurement costs by substituting a proposed 3,200 MW of new coal capacity with renewables-plus-storage, a pathway the analysis finds would also cut state power-sector CO₂ emissions by 24% and generate 27,000 jobs against 2,560 under new coal. In the Philippines, grid planners face a coal financing deadlock as local banks, including state-owned DBP and Landbank, have added greenfield coal projects to exclusion lists, leaving 3,000–5,000 MW of moratorium-exempt coal capacity paralyzed despite the DOE's acknowledgment that aging coal plants accounting for 3,400–3,600 MW are essential to baseload reliability in the absence of sufficient alternative capacity. In California, Berkeley residents urged the city council to oppose the Oakland coal terminal that President Trump has backed with $75 million under the Defense Production Act, while state legislation AB40 requiring full environmental review of large coal projects awaits Governor Newsom's signature. A study also found that a wind fence could reduce the spread of coal dust in Newport News, Virginia.