Energy efficiency news.
Rebate updates, policy changes, and technology developments — aggregated from 50+ sources, AI-enriched, and scored for relevance.
Antora and Pratt Energy to build 5.8 GWh thermal battery in Kansas
A company called Antora Energy is building a large thermal battery in Pratt, Kansas, to supply heat to Pratt Energy's ethanol refinery there. The system stores 5.8 gigawatt-hours of energy by heating insulated blocks of solid carbon with electricity, then releasing that heat for industrial use over multiple days. It's one of two major thermal battery projects Antora has announced this year, following a similar 5 gigawatt-hour installation in South Dakota earlier in 2026. For the refinery, the project is meant to help it move toward producing ethanol with no net carbon emissions, which could open up new markets for its fuel. The deal is backed by outside investors, including Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, an Australian firm called Grok Ventures, and University Pension Plan Ontario. Antora says the project will create more than 100 construction and operating jobs and will draw little extra water beyond what the refinery already uses. The company has also set up a paid internship program with Pratt Community College to give local students experience with energy systems, and says it plans to hire locally for permanent jobs at the site. This isn't a residential technology and doesn't involve home upgrades or rebates. It's part of a broader push by Antora, which recently raised $550 million and is expanding its manufacturing in California, to bring large-scale thermal storage to heavy industry as a way to handle rising electricity demand, including in states like Kansas.
The Litmus Test for “Made in Europe”
This story is about European electric car battery policy, not a home energy upgrade, so it has no direct bearing on your house. It covers a dispute over EU-UK trade rules that require electric vehicles to use European-made batteries and cathode materials to qualify for tariff-free sales between the two markets. Those rules were set to take effect after a three-year delay granted in December 2023, with EU and UK officials saying at the time there would be no further postponement before 2032. Now European automakers are asking for another delay, arguing the European battery supply chain isn't ready. Industry groups representing battery and chemical makers are pushing back, saying European suppliers are already building capacity: one estimate puts planned 2027 cathode-material production at 121,000 tonnes, well above the 52,000 to 75,000 tonnes needed to meet the rules. The letter's authors argue carmakers want to keep buying cheaper materials from China while still getting tariff-free access to the UK market, and that another delay would undermine confidence in EU industrial policy ahead of a related law still being developed, the Industrial Accelerator Act. For a homeowner, this is background on how Europe's EV and battery manufacturing policy is playing out, not something tied to home electrification, heating, or rebate programs. It does not affect appliance costs, incentives, or upgrade decisions here.
Africa’s Unseen Solar Energy Revolution
Africa's solar growth is much bigger than official numbers show, according to the UK-based energy think tank Ember. Many countries report capacity poorly, so Ember looked at Chinese solar panel exports to Africa instead, which jumped 53% to 23 gigawatts in the year ending June 2026. Combining that data with government records, Ember puts 2025 solar growth at 12 gigawatts, roughly double the estimates from the International Energy Agency and the International Renewable Agency. Most of this growth is not coming from big utility power plants. It is rooftop and other small-scale, customer-installed solar, what's called distributed solar, going up on homes and businesses rather than large centralized projects. Ember expects this pattern to continue in 2026, with distributed systems making up about three-quarters of the roughly 26 gigawatts of new solar expected across the continent. Egypt is a notable example, where nearly half of new solar growth comes from these smaller rooftop-style installations even as the country also builds massive solar farms and strikes major power deals. For a homeowner in the US or elsewhere, this is mostly a story about how solar costs have fallen far enough that small rooftop systems are now spreading fast even in places with limited grid infrastructure. It does not point to any new program, rebate, or deadline relevant to your own house. But it does reinforce a broader trend: rooftop solar paired with batteries is becoming a practical, affordable option in more parts of the world, not just a niche technology for wealthier countries.
OTEC Works. The Seawater Flow Is The Problem.
Ocean thermal energy conversion, or OTEC, generates electricity from the temperature gap between warm tropical surface water and cold water pulled from about a kilometer down. The idea works: a plant off Hawaii has sent power to the grid before. The catch is scale. Because the temperature difference is small, the technology only converts a few percent of that heat into usable electricity, so producing even a modest amount of power means moving huge volumes of seawater. A 100-megawatt plant would need roughly 705,000 liters of water every second, pulled through an intake pipe about 10 meters wide and a kilometer long, built to withstand ocean currents, storms, and corrosion. That infrastructure burden, not the physics, is why OTEC has never become a mainstream power source despite decades of testing since the 1970s. While solar, wind, and batteries have scaled into the hundreds of gigawatts installed each year, OTEC has stayed stuck at the demonstration stage, without the larger plants, repeat orders, and standardized equipment that usually follow a technology's commercial success. For homeowners, this isn't something to act on. OTEC only makes sense in narrow situations, such as a steep tropical island where very deep, cold water sits close to shore, electricity is costly, and land is tight. Even there, it competes with solar, batteries, and other local options. It has no bearing on typical home energy upgrades or rebate programs.
UK EV sales surge 36% to record high in September
This is UK news, but it's worth a quick look if you're weighing an EV for your own home charging setup. Britain registered a record 99,199 battery-electric cars in September, up 36% from a year earlier, making up 28.3% of all new car sales. Plug-in hybrids also jumped, up 56% to a record 17% share. Together, cars with a plug made up 45% of the UK market that month, while gas-only cars kept losing ground. Tesla's Model 3 was the top-selling EV, helped by a cheaper China-built version, with BYD and Kia models close behind. The surge comes as the UK's auto industry group argues the government's EV sales targets, which call for 33% electric share this year, are too strict given high electricity prices there. Supporters counter that the rules include flexibility for automakers and that the market is already outperforming the "real" adjusted target once credits are factored in. None of this changes rebates or programs here, but it's a sign of where EV costs and model choice are heading. More competition among brands, including budget options from Chinese automakers, has been pushing prices down and choices up abroad. If you're considering an EV and planning for home charging or solar, it's a reminder that battery costs and model variety are moving fast worldwide, even if the US market looks different for now.
Tesla Model 3 gets range and performance boost, plus a new 16-inch screen in US
This is car news, not a home energy upgrade story, but here's the gist for anyone tracking EVs as part of their home charging setup. Tesla has given every US, Puerto Rico, and Mexico Model 3 a larger 16-inch center touchscreen, replacing the old 15.4-inch display, including the base rear-wheel-drive version at $36,990. The two dual-motor versions also got boosts: the Performance trim now gets a black headliner, EPA range up to 316 miles (from 309), and peak power listed at 528 hp, though its 0-60 mph time stays at 2.9 seconds. The Premium AWD gets the bigger change, dropping its 0-60 time to 3.8 seconds (from 4.2) with 346 miles of range. Tesla hasn't said what's behind the extra power and range, or whether existing owners will get any of it. Prices are unchanged: $36,990 for the base Model 3, $42,490 for Premium RWD, $47,490 for Premium AWD, and $54,990 for Performance. One feature still missing from the US Model 3 is vehicle-to-load, the ability to use the car's battery to power outside devices or appliances. Tesla added that in China and already offers it on some other US models, but not yet the Model 3. A lighter gray interior available in China also hasn't reached US buyers, who still choose between black and black-and-white. Canada isn't included in this update either, and its configurator still shows the older screen, despite building its Model 3s at the same factory as China.
The world’s tallest wind turbine just reached 1,197 feet
A wind turbine in Schipkau, Germany, has reached 1,197 feet, making it the tallest in the world and the second-tallest structure in the country, behind Berlin's TV tower. Built by the company GICON for a German government innovation agency, the turbine's rotor hub sits 984 feet off the ground. The idea is simple: wind blows stronger and steadier at greater heights, so a turbine up there can generate more power than one of the same blade size closer to the ground. GICON says the design could roughly double the electricity output compared with a conventional turbine, though that's a projection, not yet a proven result. The turbine itself is rated at 3.8 megawatts, with larger 7-plus megawatt versions planned. To build it this tall, crews used a telescoping tower raised into place by a special lifting system, rather than a giant crane. Full commissioning is expected in November, with some work still remaining. This isn't something that affects your home directly, but the bigger idea behind it might matter down the road. GICON and the agency backing it think taller turbines could be added to existing wind farms as a second layer above current turbines, potentially fitting thousands more into land already in use rather than building new sites. That's still just an estimate of what might be possible. For now, the Schipkau turbine is a pilot project, and its real-world energy output has yet to be tested once it starts running.
Leveraging the IAA to Build Europe’s Battery Value Chain
This news is about European Union policy on battery manufacturing for electric vehicles, not something that touches U.S. home energy upgrades. A group called Transport & Environment looked at a proposed EU law, the Industrial Accelerator Act, meant to build up Europe's own supply of EV batteries instead of relying on imports, mainly from China and South Korea. The report found that about a quarter of planned European battery factory capacity since 2022 has been canceled or put on hold, with Germany hit hardest. But it also found Europe already makes more than half the battery cells used in EVs sold there, and could cover demand for most vehicle types by 2030 if the law's requirements stay in place. The report pushes back on car industry claims that Europe faces a serious battery shortage, arguing those estimates used overly narrow accounting and overstated cost increases from building batteries locally. It also flags a weak spot further up the supply chain: the materials that go into battery cathodes, especially a component called precursor CAM, where Europe still depends heavily on outside suppliers. For homeowners, this doesn't connect to home energy rebates, heating equipment, or weatherization programs. It's relevant only if you're tracking the broader EV industry or interested in where the batteries in electric cars get made. It has no bearing on insulation, heat pumps, or any U.S. incentive program for home upgrades.
Yozma IN 10 Pro electric dirt bike exclusive low ($700 off), EcoFlow + Bluetti 192Wh and 288Wh power stations, Worx mulcher, more
This roundup of deals touches on a few items that could matter for home energy setups, mainly portable power stations and yard equipment rather than home upgrades. EcoFlow's TRAIL power stations, sized at 192Wh and 288Wh, start at $109, and Bluetti's 288Wh Elite 30 V2 is down to $237.50. These smaller power stations are meant for backup power on a modest scale, like keeping a few devices charged during an outage, not whole-home backup. If you want something with more capacity, the deals also mention Anker's SOLIX C2000 Gen 2, a larger 2,048Wh power station, priced at $900. On the yard care side, Worx's 13A electric leaf mulcher is back down to $125, which the deals call a 2026 low. There's also a Greenworks 40V mower and blower combo at its annual low price, useful if you're looking to replace gas-powered yard tools with electric ones. Rounding things out are solar-powered pathway lights and a batch of permanent outdoor smart lighting deals, both relevant if you're thinking about cutting down on wiring work or your outdoor electricity use. None of these are home energy-efficiency upgrades like insulation, heat pumps, or weatherization, and there's no rebate or program news here. If you're simply looking to add backup power for small devices or swap out yard equipment for electric versions, these deals are worth a look, but they don't affect any broader home energy planning.
A New Star Is Born As EVs Reach 19% Market Share In Ecuador In August!
Electric vehicles are taking off in Ecuador, a country that just a few years ago had almost no EV sales at all. In August, battery electric vehicles (EVs that run only on a battery) made up nearly 14% of new car sales, and plug-in hybrids (cars with both a battery and a gas engine, charged from an outlet) added another 5.5%, for a combined 19.3% market share. Total EV sales for the month came close to 3,000 units, with growth driven partly by the end of government fuel subsidies, which pushed gasoline and diesel prices up and made electric options more appealing. The market is also getting more competitive. BYD still leads sales but its share has dropped sharply as Chevrolet and Kia gain ground with more affordable models. One notable entry is the Kia EV2, built in Slovakia and priced around $23,000, making it one of the first reasonably priced European-made EVs sold in Latin America. Another is the Chery iCar V23, a rugged electric SUV aimed at rural and off-road buyers, priced similarly to a gas-powered Suzuki Jimny. None of this changes rebate programs or incentives in the US, since this news is about Ecuador's car market, not American energy or weatherization programs. But it's a sign that affordable EVs with decent range are spreading quickly in markets outside the US, which could eventually mean more model choices and competition reaching American buyers as manufacturers scale up production for these growing markets.
FERC rejects TransAlta 202(c) cost recovery plan for Centralia unit
Federal regulators have turned down a plan by TransAlta to charge electric customers across a wide swath of the West for keeping its coal-fired Centralia power plant in Washington running past its planned 2025 retirement. The U.S. Department of Energy had ordered the plant kept online under an "emergency" directive, and TransAlta wanted to recover nearly $20 million in costs tied to that order. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said TransAlta cast too wide a net, trying to bill utilities as far away as California and the Southwest Power Pool region. Instead, FERC said any revised recovery plan should bill only utilities in the Northwest, where federal regulators had cited winter reliability concerns. The commission also ruled that TransAlta is owed payment even though the plant has produced no electricity this year. For most homeowners, this is not an immediate bill. The costs in question would flow through wholesale power markets and could eventually show up in rates charged by utilities in the Northwest, not nationwide. TransAlta has separate plans to convert the unit to burn natural gas by 2028, with the power sold to Puget Sound Energy, a Washington utility. The bigger picture: this is one of several Department of Energy orders issued since 2025 to delay retirement of aging power plants, mostly coal-fired, across the country. A federal court recently struck down the first such order, covering a Michigan plant, finding the government's definition of "emergency" too broad. More fights over these orders, and who pays for them, are likely ahead.
NIO Sales Up 49% in 2026
Chinese electric vehicle maker NIO delivered 37,408 vehicles in September, up 4.4% from the prior month and 7.7% from a year earlier. The bigger story is the full-year trend: deliveries for the first three quarters of 2026 reached 300,301, a 49% jump over the same period in 2025. Third-quarter deliveries alone rose 25% year over year, to 109,178. NIO's total deliveries since the company began now stand at nearly 1.3 million vehicles. September sales broke down across NIO's three brands: 21,318 for the main NIO brand, 8,763 for ONVO, and 7,327 for FIREFLY. NIO also highlighted some model milestones: its ES8 large SUV passed 150,000 deliveries in its first year on the market, and its ES9 model hit 30,000 deliveries within about four months of launch, both ranking at the top of their price categories in China. This is a sales report on a Chinese automaker, not a U.S. rebate or incentive program, so it doesn't change what's available to homeowners here. But it's a sign of how fast electric vehicle sales are growing globally, which matters indirectly for anyone thinking about EV chargers or home electrical upgrades. NIO doesn't sell vehicles in the U.S., so this growth doesn't open up new car options for American buyers. If you're weighing a home EV charger or panel upgrade, the relevant numbers to track are domestic EV sales and local utility or tax incentives, not international delivery figures like these.
Rivian continues to ramp with R2 even as EV market growth slows
This is automaker news rather than a home energy story, but it touches on electric vehicles, which some homeowners pair with home charging and solar setups. Rivian, the EV maker, reported strong third-quarter numbers for 2026, delivering 19,248 vehicles, up 58 percent from the prior quarter. The growth is largely credited to its new, lower-cost R2 model, even though only the pricier Performance version of the R2 is on sale so far. A cheaper version is expected in "late 2026." Rivian says it's still on track to hit its full-year delivery goal of 65,000 to 70,000 vehicles. One wrinkle: the lidar sensor suite (a laser-based system used for advanced driver assistance) that was supposed to come with the R2 has been delayed until 2027. The bigger picture is that EV sales growth nationally has slowed this year. EVs now make up about 6 to 7 percent of new vehicle sales, down from more than 10 percent in 2025. The article points to the loss of federal EV purchase tax credits in late 2025 and higher interest rates as reasons buyers are holding back, along with rising gas prices tied to the Iran war. For homeowners thinking about an EV and a home charger, the main takeaways are that federal purchase incentives for EVs have gone away, and if you're considering a Rivian specifically, the lidar-equipped version won't arrive until 2027.
Ride1Up just launched a 28 MPH German mid-drive e-bike for an insanely low $1,295
This one's about e-bikes rather than home energy upgrades, but here's the gist: Ride1Up has launched a new electric bike, the Prodigy V2 Eco, priced at $1,295. What stands out is that it keeps the expensive core components usually found on much pricier bikes: a German-made Brose mid-drive motor (the motor built into the pedal area rather than the wheel hub) with 90 Nm of torque, a torque sensor, and a 504 Wh battery using Samsung battery cells. It can go up to 28 mph with pedal assist. To hit that price, Ride1Up cut costs on parts that are cheaper to replace later, like the tires, brakes (two-piston hydraulic instead of four-piston), and a basic 9-speed drivetrain. It still comes with a suspension fork, integrated lights, fenders, a rear rack rated for 40 pounds, and both step-through and step-over frame styles. For comparison, bikes with similar motors from brands like Trek and Specialized typically sell for more than $4,000. The bike is available for pre-order now, with shipping expected to begin within a couple weeks of the announcement. This doesn't tie into any home energy-efficiency program or rebate, so it won't affect weatherization or heat pump plans. If you're simply curious about e-bikes as a transportation option, it's worth knowing the price gap between budget and premium models may be narrowing.
Kia emerges as Europe’s fastest-growing top 10 car brand after EV sales surge 58%
Kia's electric vehicle sales are booming in Europe, growing 58% year-on-year through August and helping make Kia the fastest-growing major car brand on the continent this year. The company now sells a full range of electric cars, from the entry-level EV2 to the three-row EV9 SUV and a PV5 van, giving buyers options at many price points. In Germany, the EV2 starts around €26,600 ($30,500), while in the UK it starts at about £22,245 ($32,500). This matters mostly as a sign of how fast the electric vehicle market is expanding and diversifying, with more affordable options reaching buyers rather than just high-end models. Demand jumped sharply in several countries, including France, Germany, the UK, Spain, and Italy, suggesting electric vehicles are becoming a mainstream choice rather than a niche one in those markets. For homeowners in the US thinking about an electric vehicle, the news is relevant mainly through Kia's EV3, which recently went on sale here and sold just over 500 units in its first full month. If you're considering an EV purchase, a wider range of models and price points generally means more chances to find a vehicle that fits your budget and needs, along with planning for home charging. The EV2 itself is not coming to the US, but its success in Europe points to where automakers are investing next, and more affordable EV models may follow in other markets over time.
Discussing VLA 2.0 vs. FSD on Ludicrous Feed
This story is about electric vehicles and self-driving technology, not home energy upgrades, so there isn't much here for someone planning insulation, heat pumps, or rebates. It covers a podcast appearance where a writer discussed his hands-on comparison of two driver-assist systems: XPENG's VLA 2.0, tested in the XPENG L03, and Tesla's Full Self-Driving (FSD), tested in a Model 3. Both systems aim to handle driving tasks automatically, and the comparison was done in Amsterdam. The conversation happened on Ludicrous Feed, an Australian YouTube channel that started in 2018 covering Tesla and has since expanded to discuss a wider range of EVs now sold in Australia. Beyond the Tesla-versus-XPENG comparison, the discussion touched on other recent EV industry news. If you're a homeowner weighing whether to add an EV charger to your electrical upgrade plans, this piece doesn't offer charging costs, installation details, or rebate information you could use. It's really a note about a video discussion of driving-assistance software rather than anything tied to home energy efficiency, insulation, heating systems, or utility incentives. For practical decisions about your own house, this one is worth skipping.
Podcast: Tesla Roadster delay, EV deliveries, battery swap comes back, and more
This is a roundup of electric vehicle and energy industry news, not something that calls for action on your part, but a few items may interest homeowners who also think about EVs or home energy setups. Tesla's third-quarter deliveries slipped 2% to 486,532 vehicles, though that still beat analyst estimates. Rivian continues ramping up production of its R2 model even as overall EV market growth cools. On the charging front, Tesla added a feature letting drivers quickly drive away while still plugged in, a safety response after a deadly shooting at one of its Supercharger stations. Battery swapping, an alternative to plug-in charging where a depleted battery is physically swapped for a charged one, is getting new momentum: China's NIO sold a 30% stake in its battery-swap business to Geely for more than $2 billion. Elsewhere, Hyundai began selling an electric Ioniq V for under $15,000, though availability is limited, and BMW unveiled a redesigned 2027 i3 with up to 468 miles of range at a higher price point. None of this directly changes rebates or upgrade programs for your house, but it reflects a broader shift in electric vehicle costs and technology that could eventually affect home charging equipment choices or incentives tied to EV ownership, especially if you're weighing an EV purchase alongside other home energy upgrades like a heat pump or solar panels.
Kia sweetens EV deals with up to $10,000 off
Kia is running discounts on several of its electric models through November 2, 2026, with deals varying by state. The newly arrived 2027 EV3, Kia's cheapest EV at around $30,000, doesn't have a special discount right now, but it does come with a $1,500 customer cash offer or 0.90% APR financing for 48 months. The EV3 comes in several trims, with the base version offering 221 miles of range and higher trims reaching 321 miles. All models include a built-in NACS port, meaning no adapter is needed to charge at Tesla Superchargers. Bigger discounts are available on Kia's other EVs. The three-row EV9 has up to $10,000 in customer cash this month, plus an option for 0% APR with $5,000 in bonus cash. The outgoing all-electric Niro also has $10,000 off while stock lasts, and the EV6 comes with $5,000 off. Lease deals are available too: the EV9 starts around $399 a month, the Niro around $289 a month, and the EV6 around $369 a month, each with several thousand dollars due at signing. If you're considering an EV purchase or lease, these offers are temporary and end November 2. Since deals can differ depending on where you live, it's worth checking what's actually offered in your area before assuming a specific price applies to you.
Vermont Gas invests in geothermal for the first time
Vermont Gas, which serves about 56,000 customers in the northwestern part of the state, is paying for its first geothermal heating and cooling system. The system uses underground pipes (a "ground loop") connected to ground-source heat pumps to heat and cool buildings without burning fossil fuels. The utility is covering nearly $400,000 of the roughly $2 million project, which will serve 44 units of affordable housing, with Dandelion Energy handling design and drilling. The project got cheaper to build after a Department of Energy grant Vermont Gas was counting on got stuck in limbo under funding freezes from the Trump administration. Rather than cancel, the utility and Dandelion redesigned the system to cost about $1 million less, hoping the new design can be copied at other housing developments around the state. Residents in the new homes will pay a regular utility bill plus a separate fee of $25 to $35 a month for 20 years to access the geothermal system. Combined, that's still expected to cost less than heating with fuel oil or propane, which is what most Vermont homes currently use and which can swing sharply in price. Geothermal also provides air conditioning, a growing draw as Northeast summers get hotter. The utility says the savings math works best in new construction, not in retrofitting existing homes, since Vermont's gas pipelines are relatively young. Vermont Gas is one of roughly two dozen utilities nationwide testing this kind of "gas-to-geo" shift, alongside similar projects from Eversource in Massachusetts and National Grid in New York.
REAP grant update makes solar projects on farmland ineligible
The USDA is changing the rules for the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), which gives grants to rural farmers and small business owners for renewable energy projects. The update takes effect October 16. Ground-mounted solar built on farmland will no longer qualify for REAP grants, though rooftop solar is still said to be eligible. The application process is also changing. Instead of applying before building a project, applicants will now need to build it first, then submit 12 months of data from before installation and 12 months of production data afterward. Grants will be awarded based on actual, documented performance rather than projected savings. Multi-site projects won't qualify, and systems with parts from certain foreign manufacturers are also excluded. Grants can still range from $1,500 to $500,000, but a single grant still covers only 25% of a project's total cost, whether it's a new system or a retrofit. If you live on or own rural farmland and were considering a ground-mounted solar array, this program will no longer help pay for it once the rule takes effect. Rooftop solar on a rural property may still be an option under REAP, but you'd need to complete the project and track a full year of energy data before and after installation to apply. There is a public comment period on this change, though the USDA has noted it can finalize the update without waiting on public input.
The USDA just made it way harder for farmers to get grants for solar
The federal government has sharply cut back a grant program that farmers and rural small businesses have used for years to put solar panels on their land. The program, called REAP (Rural Energy for America Program), used to let farms build solar arrays bigger than what they needed, so they could sell extra power back to the grid. New rules now block grants for any system that produces more than a farm's own energy use, bar projects on cropland, and exclude solar components from certain foreign countries. Grants are also capped at a quarter of project costs, down from half under the previous rules, and farmers now have to wait a full year after their system is running before they can even apply, rather than getting approved before construction starts. The changes hit hardest because REAP works by reimbursement: farmers often pay for a system up front, expecting the grant money later. Some who already built solar systems based on promises of funding are now being told they may never see that money. One Illinois family is owed close to half a billion dollars for grain-drying solar projects they already built; an Iowa farmer spent over $250,000 on a rooftop system expecting more than $100,000 back. A lawsuit filed by farmers, solar companies and advocacy groups argues the changes are illegal and retroactive. A public comment period runs through November 2, but the rules take effect before that period ends. This program applies to farms and rural businesses, not typical homeowners, but it shows the kind of reversal now happening to federal clean energy incentives more broadly.
California governor signs bills approving virtual power plants
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed two laws, SB 913 and SB 905, meant to use home batteries and other equipment to hold down electricity bills instead of having utilities spend more on new infrastructure. More than 300,000 California homes already have solar-charged batteries, with about 2,000 more added each week. These laws aim to turn that equipment into a "virtual power plant," a network of home batteries and devices that utilities can draw on together during peak demand, in place of building new power lines or plants. SB 913 removes restrictions that kept home batteries from fully competing in the wholesale energy market. It directs state regulators to figure out how to value batteries that send power back to the grid during times of high demand, so homeowners with batteries can get credit for the full amount of energy their systems can supply, not just the energy they save for themselves. SB 905 requires utilities to track and report how much spare capacity exists on each part of the grid, so money isn't spent expanding lines that sit mostly unused. It also opens the door for batteries, electric vehicle chargers, and smart thermostats to help shift electricity use to cheaper, off-peak hours. Neither law changes anything immediately. The real effect on bills depends on how state regulators implement the rules over the next year or so, including a June 2027 deadline for improving how aggregated home batteries qualify for grid reliability programs. If you already have a solar battery, or are considering one, these changes could eventually make it easier to earn value by letting your battery supply power to the grid when it's needed most.
A gas utility is picking up the upfront tab for geothermal
A gas utility in Vermont is covering the biggest upfront cost of switching to geothermal heating and cooling at a new affordable housing development. Vermont Gas (VGS) is partnering with Dandelion Energy to bring geothermal to Riggs Meadow in Hinesburg, Vermont, a project with 44 townhomes and apartments for low- and moderate-income renters and owners. Rather than the housing developers paying for the underground pipes, called ground loops, VGS will pay for and own that infrastructure itself. Dandelion will handle the system design and drilling. Geothermal systems work by circulating fluid through pipes buried underground, where temperatures stay steady year-round. Electric heat pumps use that steady ground temperature to pull heat into buildings in winter and push heat out in summer, which makes the system efficient even through cold winters and hot summers. Four of the development's buildings, with 36 of the homes, are set to get geothermal loops under this plan. Under VGS's broader geothermal program, called Clover Energy, the utility owns and maintains the ground loops while customers own the equipment inside their homes and pay a monthly fee to use the loops. VGS hasn't yet said what that fee will be at Riggs Meadow or what residents can expect to pay for heating and cooling. Drilling is scheduled to start in early 2027, with residents expected to move in by late 2027. For homeowners elsewhere, the model is worth watching: utility-owned ground loops could make geothermal more affordable to install, though availability depends on whether a local utility offers something similar.
North Carolina food bank gets microgrid backup for future storms
A food pantry in Marshall, North Carolina, has installed a solar and battery system that will keep it running during future storms. Beacon of Hope Food Pantry, which came through Hurricane Helene largely unscathed two years ago, now has 56 rooftop solar panels and three batteries that store power from the sun and release it at night or when skies are cloudy. The setup, known as a microgrid, can keep the internet, lights, and heating, cooling, and refrigeration running in the pantry's food distribution area even if the main power grid goes down. The $100,000 project cost the pantry nothing. It was paid for mostly through a $5 million state grant program North Carolina set up last year, using federal infrastructure funds, to build 24 similar microgrids in counties hit by Helene. A philanthropic foundation and a regional development fund also helped cover costs and bridge the gap until federal rebates come through, since nonprofits can wait over a year to get reimbursed for 30% of solar costs. Beacon is one of the first two sites in the program to reach completion, alongside a community center in Lake Lure. State officials say the program, due to wrap up by next summer, is shifting toward smaller, simpler projects like this one because larger microgrids often run into delays tied to federal rules on equipment sourcing. Beyond storm backup, the solar panels are expected to cut Beacon's electric bill by at least a quarter each year, freeing up roughly $5,600 for food assistance.
Newsom finally says yes to virtual power plants
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a group of bills meant to slow the rise in electricity bills, including two that open the door for homeowners to get paid for letting their batteries, EVs, and smart thermostats help the power grid. These setups, called virtual power plants, link up devices people already own so utilities can draw on them during periods of heavy demand, usually hot summer evenings, instead of building more power plants or grid equipment. One bill, SB913, pushes the state to better measure and pay for the value these home devices provide, rather than relying mainly on paying customers to simply turn off air conditioners during peak hours. The other, SB905, requires utilities to start measuring how well they're using their existing grid equipment, a step toward figuring out where batteries, EVs, and similar devices could reduce the need for expensive upgrades. Newsom had vetoed similar virtual-power-plant bills in past years, so supporters called this a surprising shift. The same legislation also limits how much profit utilities can earn on wildfire-prevention spending and requires them to borrow more for grid projects instead of passing all the cost to ratepayers through rates. Other new laws require tracking of utility transmission projects to keep them on schedule and limit certain cost pass-throughs utilities have used to bill customers. None of this creates an immediate program for homeowners to sign up for yet. How much these changes end up lowering bills, or what a device owner might eventually be paid, depends on how state regulators carry out the new rules under California's next governor.
Solar for All grantees seek damages from EPA over ‘devastating’ cuts
Solar for All, a $7 billion federal grant program meant to help fund residential solar for around 900,000 households, mostly in low-income and disadvantaged communities, is set to resume after two federal judges ruled the EPA broke the law when it tried to cancel the program. Judges in Rhode Island and Washington, D.C. both found that the EPA illegally terminated the program in 2025, even though Congress had preserved its funding in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed that July. The program was first announced in 2024 under the Biden administration, then frozen in February 2025 and formally terminated that August. The cancellation forced some of the 60 grant recipients, including nonprofits and state agencies, to cut staff and pause solar project plans that were ready to move forward. Several grantees, including Inclusive Prosperity Capital, the Maryland Clean Energy Center, and groups in Texas and rural America, are now suing the EPA not just to get the funding restored, but to recover damages from the delay and disruption. For homeowners, this mainly matters if you live somewhere that had a Solar for All grant lined up to help cover the cost of rooftop solar. The money is expected to start flowing again, but the EPA has not said when, and it is still weighing whether to appeal the rulings. If you were counting on help through this program, it is worth checking with your state or local grantee for updates on timing, since the legal fight is not fully resolved.
Looking beyond peak: Industry coalition floats new approach to measuring grid utilization
A new industry group called Utilize Coalition is pushing for a standard way to measure how much of the electric grid's capacity actually gets used. The idea is that America's grid currently runs at only about half its total capacity, mostly because the system is built to handle rare peak moments, like the hottest summer afternoon, and sits underused the rest of the time. Research cited in the piece suggests that squeezing just 10% more use out of existing power lines and equipment could save Americans over $100 billion over the next decade, since it would mean less need for costly new infrastructure. This matters to homeowners because it's part of a broader shift toward using flexible technology, such as smart thermostats, home batteries, and electric vehicle chargers, to soak up power during low-demand hours instead of building new poles and wires. Virginia has already passed a law requiring its two major utilities, Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power, to submit proposed measurement methods to state regulators by October 15. Other states are reportedly considering similar policies. None of this changes anything about your home right now. There's no new rebate or program tied to this news. It's a policy and measurement debate happening at the utility and regulatory level, aimed at making the grid cheaper to run overall. If it leads to real changes, the practical effect for homeowners would likely show up later, potentially as utility rate structures that reward using power during off-peak hours, which could make things like smart water heaters, EV charging schedules, or home batteries more valuable financially.
Engineering for performance: Turning LEED v5 ambition into technical reality
This is an industry piece about LEED v5, the latest version of a widely used green building certification system, and it focuses on large commercial and institutional construction projects rather than single-family homes. It describes how engineers on these projects are being asked to do more than design for energy efficiency. Under LEED v5, they also have to account for carbon emissions, resilience, indoor air quality, and long-term measured performance, not just plans on paper. Decisions about electrification, renewable energy, refrigerants, and energy recovery systems are now being made earlier in design because they affect a building's performance for decades. The piece also stresses that building systems, heating and cooling, lighting controls, automation, and renewable energy, need to work together rather than being designed separately, and that owners increasingly want ongoing proof of performance through metering and monitoring after a project is finished, not just a certification at completion. There is nothing here about rebates, incentives, or standards that apply to individual houses. The news is really about how the commercial building industry and its engineers are adapting to a new certification framework. It does not describe any new homeowner program, deadline, or dollar figure, so there is no direct action for someone upgrading their own house to take from this. It is more a signal of where green building standards are heading at a large-project scale, which may eventually shape products and practices, but nothing concrete for home energy upgrades yet.
Battery storage paired with 37% of new U.S. residential solar systems in 2025
Home battery storage is becoming a standard part of rooftop solar, not an extra. In 2025, 37% of new residential solar systems in the U.S. included a battery, up from 25% the year before, according to data from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory covering about 450,000 systems installed that year. California remains the biggest driver, with 74% of new residential solar installs there now including storage, up from 58% in 2024. That shift followed the state's move to a new rule for crediting exported solar power, called NEM 3.0, in April 2023, which pays less for electricity sent back to the grid during many hours. That makes storing your own excess solar power for later use more valuable than selling it back. But the trend isn't just a California story anymore: in the rest of the country, the share of new solar systems paired with batteries jumped from 7% to 17% in a single year, with especially sharp growth in Arizona and Texas. Installers point to similar changes in net-metering rules and time-of-use electricity rates in other states as a likely reason. The size of a typical home battery hasn't changed much, holding at 13.5 kWh of storage capacity. But newer batteries, including Tesla's Powerwall 3, can deliver power much faster, with median output nearly doubling to 11.4 kW. If you're considering solar, it's worth checking how your state's export rates and time-of-use pricing affect whether adding a battery makes financial sense for your home.
AI and Manufacturing: How HVAC OEMs are Using AI
Major heating and cooling manufacturers, including Daikin, Carrier, and Trane, are building artificial intelligence into both their products and their internal operations. Trane's AI Control system adjusts building equipment in real time and can cut HVAC energy use by up to 25 percent, though this has mainly been used in commercial buildings so far. Carrier has rolled out AI tools, including a feature called "Tell Me More," that help building staff get faster answers about equipment issues. These systems work in the background, learning patterns and making adjustments without someone having to manually tune the equipment. For homeowners, the more relevant changes may show up in service rather than the equipment itself. Carrier said AI is already cutting down call times and resolving many customer service questions without a person getting involved. Looking ahead, the company expects AI to help contractors prioritize service calls, diagnose problems remotely, and catch issues before they become breakdowns, meaning fewer surprise repair calls for homeowners. All three manufacturers stressed that people still review and oversee the AI's work, since the technology can make mistakes or give outdated answers if not checked. None of this points to a specific new product or rebate you need to act on right now. It mainly signals that the equipment and support behind your heating and cooling system are likely to get smarter and more proactive over time, with technicians potentially catching problems earlier.
help please- spray foam closed cell insulation disaster
A homeowner on the South Shore of Massachusetts is dealing with a spray foam insulation job gone wrong. Closed-cell spray foam (a dense, plastic-like foam insulation sprayed into attics and walls) was installed in their attic, and more than 35 days later it's still releasing a strong chemical smell. The installer tried blaming a separate fireproof coating, removed and replaced it, but the odor persisted. The family has been out of their house for over a month, through a range of fall temperatures, and say air quality tests show pollutant levels in a "moderate but elevated" range. They're now asking the installer to remove the foam entirely. Responses from building science forum members offered a blunt diagnosis: a bad chemical mix during spraying can leave foam that never fully cures, meaning it keeps off-gassing indefinitely. In cases like this, patching or adding more product rarely fixes the problem — full removal and specialized cleaning is usually the only real option. One commenter also noted that homeowners in this situation sometimes need to pursue legal action to get the cost of removal and cleanup covered. For homeowners considering spray foam insulation, the case is a reminder that improper mixing or application during installation can turn into a serious, long-lasting indoor air quality problem rather than a quick fix. If you ever notice a chemical smell lingering well beyond the first few days after a spray foam job, it's worth treating that as a sign something went wrong with the installation itself.
Building Resilience – Part 2: The Role of the Building Enclosure
A video tour walks through a small accessory dwelling unit built to a passive house standard, a construction approach that uses heavy insulation and airtight sealing so a home needs very little energy to heat or cool. The building combines energy efficiency with features meant to keep people safe and comfortable through wildfires, earthquakes, and power outages. Details include mineral-fiber (Rockwool) insulation in the roof for fire resistance, blocking inside stud walls so sheathing can be nailed securely for earthquake strength, and continuous exterior insulation that prevents moisture problems and keeps the walls fire-resistant. Triple-pane windows add comfort but also buy time during a fire, since an outer pane can break without shattering the inner ones. Outside, metal flashing and a stainless-steel screen keep embers from catching on ledges or sneaking into wall cavities, vents use small 1/8-inch openings to block sparks, and the roof is metal to resist ignition and to collect rainwater for three 5,000-gallon storage tanks. A 6.4 kilowatt solar array charges a battery, and the house also stores heating and cooling energy as hot or cold water in a tank connected to an air-to-water heat pump, letting the home stay warm or cool for a while even if the grid goes down. The builder describes this as "passive survivability": even with no power, the insulation and airtight construction alone are enough to keep the indoor temperature from dropping below about 52°F in winter. He notes homeowners can choose how far to take these features, from bare survivability to full comfort during an outage, depending on budget and the risks where they live.
New Trane Heat Pumps Deliver Full Capacity at 5°F
Trane Technologies has released its first residential cold-climate heat pumps: the Trane 20 TruComfort with WeatherGuard and the American Standard AccuComfort Platinum 20 with All Weather. A heat pump moves heat to warm or cool your home instead of burning fuel, but older models lose heating power as it gets colder outside. These new units are built to hold 100% of their heating capacity down to 5°F and keep running in temperatures as low as -20°F, which means less reliance on backup electric heat strips during cold snaps. They're also designed to work alongside a furnace in homes that want a dual-fuel setup. The systems come in 3, 4, and 5 ton sizes and use a variable-speed compressor that adjusts output in tiny increments for steadier temperatures and quieter operation. They can also cool in outdoor temperatures up to 115°F. Trane says the units beat the performance targets set by the U.S. Department of Energy's Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge, and were tested for nearly 18,000 hours in real homes across Minnesota, Montana, New York, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Texas, including conditions down to -21°F. The new heat pumps are available this fall and pair with Trane Link smart thermostats and indoor air quality equipment for zoned, connected control. They come with a limited warranty covering the compressor for up to 12 years and the outdoor coil and other parts for up to 10 years if you register the equipment. For anyone in a cold climate weighing a switch to an all-electric heating system, this adds another option built specifically for harsh winters.
California just made it legal to turn balconies into tiny power plants
California has legalized "balcony solar," also called plug-in solar: small, cheap solar panel setups that plug directly into a regular outlet instead of requiring a full rooftop installation. Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill removing the main obstacle to using this technology in the state — the requirement to negotiate a formal interconnection agreement with your utility, like PG&E. California joins states including Utah and Maine in allowing plug-in solar. These systems won't replace a full rooftop array, but they offset some of a home's electricity use, which can lower your bill. A basic setup costs a few hundred dollars, and some homeowners could recover that cost in savings within about four years — faster in states with higher electricity costs. Because the panels plug into an existing outlet, there's no need for the electrical upgrades or installation work that rooftop solar often requires, which also makes the technology an option for renters with a balcony or backyard, not just homeowners. Beyond individual savings, panels like these can help ease strain on the broader electrical grid, since sunny days often coincide with high air-conditioning demand. If you don't live in California, your state may not yet allow plug-in solar without a utility agreement — supporters of the bill expect California's move to push other states to consider similar rules. It's worth checking what your own state currently permits, and whether any rebates exist, before assuming you can simply buy a kit and plug it in.
Does Radiant Cooling in a Humid Climate Make Sense?
Radiant cooling works differently from a standard air conditioner. Instead of blowing cool air, it circulates chilled water through panels or slabs, and your body loses heat directly to those cool surfaces. It can feel very comfortable, skips bulky ductwork, and avoids the mold and grime that sometimes build up in air conditioner coils and drain pans. The worry in humid climates has always been condensation, since a surface cooler than the dew point of the air will start to sweat. That worry is real but manageable. In humid areas, the cooling surfaces need to stay above about 65°F to avoid dropping below the dew point of typical indoor air, and the home still needs a separate dehumidifier running alongside the radiant system. Without one, a humid-climate house cooled only by radiant panels would grow mold and get slippery, sweating floors. With dehumidification handling moisture and the panels handling temperature, the combination can cool a new, energy-code-level home just fine. The catch is cost. Installed radiant panel systems can run from roughly $10 to $40-plus per square foot of floor area, meaning a 2,500-square-foot house could cost anywhere from about $25,000 to $100,000, on top of the dehumidifier. That is well above typical heat pump or air conditioner pricing, though it can be closer to the cost of a high-end inverter heat pump system. For most homeowners in humid regions, this points to a system better suited to new construction or major renovations than a typical cooling upgrade, and finding an installer experienced with hydronic systems in humid climates can be difficult.
Strongest El Niño on Record Triggers California State of Emergency and Is Already Affecting Global Weather Patterns
Scientists say this is now the strongest El Niño on record, a natural ocean-warming cycle in the Pacific that reshapes weather worldwide. California has declared a state of emergency, directing state agencies to prepare roads, infrastructure, and emergency supplies ahead of expected flooding, landslides, and coastal erosion this winter. Sea levels off California could rise by a foot in the coming days due to a surge of warm water called a Kelvin wave, on top of 8 inches of rise already caused by climate change. High tides around Thanksgiving and Christmas, combined with storms, could push coastal flooding higher still. For homeowners in California and the broader Southwest, seasonal forecasts point to an above-average rainy winter, which could ease ongoing drought but also raises the risk of flooding and landslides similar to the severe El Niño winter of 1998. That said, El Niño's effects aren't guaranteed — during the last major event in 2015-2016, California actually saw a slightly drier winter than usual. If you're in a flood-prone or coastal area, it's worth knowing your home's exposure to these risks this season. Beyond the West Coast, this El Niño is shifting rainfall patterns globally, contributing to drought in places like Indonesia, parts of Brazil, and southern Africa, while increasing rain in South America. It's also linked to a quiet Atlantic hurricane season and a busier one in the East Pacific. Scientists expect global food prices and heat-related health risks to rise over the next year as the event releases stored ocean heat into the atmosphere.
PJM’s ‘unexpected twist’ is a win for distributed capacity
This is a story about grid policy, not something that changes what a homeowner can do right now, but it touches the systems that keep power reliable and affordable in parts of the country served by PJM, the grid operator covering a large swath of the mid-Atlantic and Midwest. PJM has been trying to figure out how to get enough electricity supply lined up as data centers drive up demand. Regulators just approved the broad outline of PJM's plan, which lets big power users sign direct deals for backup supply instead of risking being cut off during grid stress, with any remaining gap filled through an auction. But federal regulators delayed that auction by five months, saying PJM hadn't proven that data centers, not regular customers, would actually pay for the extra capacity being bought. The delay gives more time for "virtual power plants," networks of home batteries, smart thermostats, and other small devices that can be bundled together and sold to the grid as backup capacity, to strike deals directly with data centers before the auction happens. PJM has also loosened some rules so these distributed setups, including batteries added to homes that already take part in demand response (programs that pay people to cut power use at peak times), count more easily toward this capacity. None of this requires anything from homeowners yet. But if you already have a smart thermostat, battery, or other device enrolled in a demand response or similar program, these are the kinds of regulatory shifts that affect whether and how much your setup can earn.
U.S. exports of propane reached records in the first half of 2026
U.S. exports of propane hit record levels in the first half of 2026, averaging 2 million barrels a day, up 11% from the same period in 2025. Exports peaked at 2.1 million barrels a day in April, driven by rising U.S. production and growing demand from India and other South Asian countries, along with buyers looking to replace supplies disrupted from the Middle East. Propane is a byproduct of natural gas processing and oil refining, and it's used not just for home heating but also in making plastics. More U.S. production has kept prices here lower than in Asia, making American propane attractive to overseas buyers. Trade patterns have shifted, though. China, once a major buyer, cut back sharply after imposing tariffs on U.S. propane starting in 2025. Those tariffs spiked as high as 125% before settling at 10%, and U.S. exports to China fell 19% in the first half of 2026 compared with a year earlier. A terminal expansion project in Texas, expected to finish this year, will add more export capacity, but shipping bottlenecks remain a concern. Drought tied to El Niño has lowered water levels at the Panama Canal, limiting how many ships can pass through and raising costs for propane shipped that way. For homeowners who heat with propane, especially in rural areas without natural gas service, this growing export demand is worth watching. When more U.S. propane goes overseas, it can tighten domestic supply and put upward pressure on local prices, particularly heading into the winter heating season.
California gives the green light to balcony solar
California has signed three new energy laws that could matter for homeowners, especially those who cannot install rooftop solar. The biggest change for individual households is a new law legalizing "balcony solar" — small plug-in solar panels that sit on a balcony, patio, or backyard and plug directly into a regular household outlet to offset some electricity use. Systems up to 1,200 watts are allowed, as long as they meet electrical codes, carry safety certification (such as UL), and include protection so they don't send power into the grid during an outage. Utilities can no longer demand an interconnection agreement, advance approval, or fees for these systems — just a simple online notice with the address, make, model, and size. This utility exemption is set to expire January 1, 2030. The other two laws focus on the broader grid rather than individual homes. One directs regulators to make it easier for networks of home batteries, EVs, and smart thermostats to count toward utilities' power-reliability requirements, giving these "virtual power plants" more of a formal role by June 30, 2028. The other requires large utilities to publish data on how full their local grids are and to consider cheaper fixes, like batteries or shifting usage to off-peak hours, before building new infrastructure — with the stated goal of slowing bill increases. None of this requires homeowners to do anything right away, but it opens a lower-cost, lower-hassle path to small-scale solar for people who could not previously install it, and it could eventually affect utility bills depending on how regulators and utilities carry out the new rules.
Senate introduces landmark permitting bill as industry data and environmental groups clash over reforms
A bipartisan group of senators has introduced a bill called the American Affordability and Jobs Act of 2026, aimed at speeding up how the country approves power lines, power plants, and other energy projects. It would change federal rules under the National Environmental Policy Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act, with the goal of cutting delays in building new electric transmission lines and connecting new power generation to the grid. Supporters point to research showing permitting delays are already raising costs. A recent industry survey found that federal permitting problems touched nearly all clean energy projects that got delayed or canceled over the past year, adding millions of dollars to typical project costs and raising consumer power bills by as much as 5 percent. Backers of the bill, including grid analysts, argue that faster, more predictable permitting for transmission lines and solar and battery projects could lower electricity bills over time by making it easier to access cheaper power sources. Not everyone agrees. Environmental law groups, including the Southern Environmental Law Center, say the bill would make it easier to fast-track oil, gas, and pipeline projects while weakening protections communities rely on to challenge harmful projects or protect local water supplies. They argue it would also limit the time communities have to contest permits in court and reduce the environmental data used to protect endangered species. The bill now heads to committee, where lawmakers will debate how to balance faster grid buildout against environmental review and public input. For homeowners, the bill itself doesn't change anything yet, but if passed, it could eventually affect electricity prices and how new power infrastructure gets built near your area.
Here are all the jobs and investment lost from republican attacks on manufacturing
A nonprofit group called the BlueGreen Alliance has built an online tool tracking clean energy manufacturing projects that have lost funding, been delayed, or been cancelled since Congress passed a 2025 bill that cut federal support for US manufacturing. The group's tally covers 3,446 projects nationwide, sorted into categories like lost tax credits, awards at risk or delayed, cancelled awards, and stalled or cancelled projects outright. Each entry can be clicked to see the specific jobs and investment dollars tied to it. These projects fall under the "green energy economy" umbrella, meaning things like battery plants, solar manufacturing, and other clean energy supply chain investments that were originally spurred by federal incentives passed under the Biden administration. The 2025 legislation rolled back much of that support, and with it, the manufacturing growth tied to those incentives. For homeowners, this is less about a direct rebate or incentive change and more about the bigger picture: the pipeline of US-made clean energy equipment, including things like batteries and solar components, is shrinking as projects move overseas. The tool itself does not list a specific home-related rebate or deadline, but it does let you search by location to see whether any manufacturing projects near you have been affected. You can look up your area through BlueGreen Alliance's interactive map if you want to see what's happened in your state.
U.S. small-scale solar adds 1.6 GW in Q2 2026 as fossil fuel capacity surges
Small-scale solar — the rooftop and local systems installed on homes, businesses, and communities — added almost 1.6 gigawatts of new capacity in the second quarter of 2026, according to a report from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. Combined with large utility-scale solar farms, solar made up 55% of all new electricity generating capacity added to the U.S. grid in that quarter. That share is smaller than in recent quarters, mainly because fossil fuel power plants came online at a faster pace, with Q2 seeing more new fossil capacity than any quarter in the past two years. Even so, small-scale solar kept growing steadily, partly because home and local installations avoid the long waits that big power plants face when connecting to the grid. Alongside solar, battery storage paired with these systems grew quickly too, with more than 2.5 gigawatt-hours of storage added at homes, businesses, and community sites in the quarter. Much of this pairing is tied to changes in net metering, the billing system that credits solar owners for power sent back to the grid. Many of these policies now reward homeowners more for using and storing their own solar power rather than exporting it, making battery storage a more attractive add-on for anyone considering solar. For homeowners weighing a solar installation, the trend suggests that pairing panels with a home battery is becoming more common and, in many areas, more financially worthwhile under current net metering rules. Rules vary by state, so it is worth checking what applies where you live.
XPS around windows?
A homeowner installing new triple-pane windows ran into an unusually wide gap — up to 2 inches in places — between the window frames and the rough openings in the wall. That gap matters because it has to be sealed properly to keep the home airtight; gaps like this are where outside air can leak in and out, driving up heating and cooling costs. The homeowner had already stuffed the gaps with mineral wool insulation (a fire-safe alternative to spray foam) and was looking for an affordable way to seal the inside edge. They asked whether rigid foam board (XPS) left over from a basement project, combined with a flexible sealant tape, could work as well as the specialty foam backer rod and tape products usually used for this job, since those products add up in cost on a house with many large windows. This is a hands-on construction question posted to an online builder forum, not a product or policy announcement, so there is no deadline or rebate tied to it. For most homeowners, the takeaway is simply a reminder that gaps around new windows need a continuous air seal, not just insulation stuffed into the opening — insulation alone does not stop air movement the way a taped or sealed barrier does. If you are planning a window replacement, it is worth asking whoever does the installation how they plan to air seal the rough opening, since larger-than-expected gaps are apparently not unusual and can need extra material and labor to handle correctly.
U.S. Electricity Use For Electric Vehicles Increasing At A Slower Pace In 2026
Electric vehicles are still pulling more power from the grid, but growth has slowed down. Federal data show electricity use by EVs rose 8% in the first half of 2026 compared with the last half of 2025, well below the 13–24% jumps seen in earlier years. Total EV electricity use has more than doubled since early 2023, reaching nearly 14 billion kilowatt-hours in the first half of this year. The slowdown follows a drop in EV sales after federal tax credits for new electric vehicles expired on September 30, 2025. Those credits had lowered the purchase or lease cost of new EVs. With them gone, new EV sales fell 19% in the first half of 2026 compared with the second half of 2025. EVs still make up a small slice of vehicles on the road overall — about 2% of registered light-duty vehicles as of 2024, the most recent year with full data. For homeowners, this mostly matters if you're weighing an EV purchase or already own one and are thinking about home charging. It signals that federal purchase incentives for new EVs are no longer available, which may affect the math on buying one and installing a charger at home. It doesn't change anything about existing EVs or home charging setups — just the pace at which new ones are joining the grid.
Senate permitting bill would expand federal role in transmission siting
A bipartisan group of senators has introduced a bill in Congress that would change how new power lines get approved. Right now, states mostly decide where big transmission lines can be built, and those decisions can take years. The bill would give the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), a federal agency, more power to approve transmission projects itself when it decides a project serves the public interest. It would also make it harder for the government to revoke permits already granted for energy projects, and it would end a rule that let the utility already serving an area have first dibs on building new regional power lines. For homeowners, this is mostly background policy rather than something to act on right away. But it matters over time because faster, more coordinated transmission planning could affect how quickly new power sources, including wind and solar, get connected to the grid, and how reliable and affordable your electricity is. The bill also says that costs for new transmission lines needed to serve large data centers should fall on those data centers and their owners, not get spread across regular household electric bills. The bill still needs to pass the Senate, with lawmakers expected to debate changes to it when they reconvene in November. It is not law yet, and there is no rebate, program, or deadline here for homeowners to respond to. It is worth watching mainly because it could shape how reliable and how expensive the power grid is in the years ahead.
Ford’s $30,000 Fathom EV pickup production launch faces uncertainty [Update]
Ford's plans for the Fathom, an electric pickup expected to start at $28,350, are facing some uncertainty. Ford CEO Jim Farley said the automaker hasn't yet figured out how to build the truck "at scale, at cost, on time," pointing to tough competition from Chinese EV maker BYD, whose batteries reportedly have about a 20% cost advantage over Fathom's. Ford says it has redesigned the motors, gearboxes, and inverters to allow for a smaller, cheaper battery pack, but Farley acknowledged the mass-production plan isn't locked down yet. Despite the uncertain comments, a Ford spokesperson has since said there's no change to the truck's 2027 launch timeline. The company is putting $5 billion into its Louisville, Kentucky assembly plant and a Michigan battery plant to get ready for production, and reports suggest Ford hopes to sell 100,000 Fathoms in the first year. For homeowners interested in EVs, the Fathom is worth watching because of its price point, well below most electric trucks on the market today. It's expected to offer more interior space than a Toyota RAV4, a large touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Ford's BlueCruise driver-assist system, a NACS charging port (compatible with Tesla Superchargers), and bidirectional charging, meaning the truck could potentially power a home during an outage. Nothing about the launch date has changed yet, but the production challenges Farley described suggest the timeline could still shift.
Real-world supermarket cuts energy use by 60%
A test supermarket in Denmark is showing how much energy a store can save by combining existing technologies rather than relying on any single breakthrough. The Danfoss Smart Store in Nordborg, run as a real working Coop 365 supermarket, has cut net energy use by 60% compared to typical stores, three years after opening in 2023. The savings come from linking several systems together: CO₂-based refrigeration (a more climate-friendly alternative to standard refrigerants), heat recovery that captures warmth from the refrigeration equipment and reuses it for heating and hot water, solar panels, and cloud-based monitoring that tracks energy use. So far the store has reused 130,000 kWh of recovered heat for its own heating and sent another 50,000 kWh to the local district heating network, with the heat-recovery equipment paying for itself in about three years. Solar panels covered 38% of the store's electricity needs in 2025, producing 100,000 kWh, a quarter of which went back to the power grid. While this is a commercial project, not a home one, it points to a trend worth watching: heat recovery and efficient refrigeration, paired with solar and smart controls, can meaningfully cut both energy bills and emissions when the pieces work together. Homeowners won't be installing CO₂ refrigeration systems, but the same basic idea, pairing efficient heating equipment with solar power and monitoring, is increasingly available at residential scale through heat pumps and home energy management tools.
Newsom signs California plug-in solar bill, establishing the nation’s largest balcony solar market
California now allows plug-in solar panels, sometimes called balcony solar, under a new law signed by Governor Newsom. Senate Bill 868, the "Plug In the Sun Act," takes effect January 1, 2027. It defines these as small solar devices that plug directly into a wall outlet to offset a home's electricity use. A single home can have up to 1,200 watts of these devices, and they must be certified by UL or an equivalent testing lab. Utilities cannot charge fees for them or require permission to install and use them, and the devices are exempt from the usual utility interconnection paperwork that applies to rooftop solar systems. This matters most for renters and condo owners, who often cannot install traditional rooftop solar but can plug a portable panel into a balcony or patio outlet. California joins Utah and several other states that have passed similar laws over the past two years, and New York has a similar bill awaiting the governor's signature. Companies like EcoFlow and the nonprofit Bright Saver already sell these kits and expect California's size and sunny climate to make it the country's biggest market for the technology. One catch: lawmakers added a provision that lets the new rules expire in 2030 unless renewed. Advocates say the law passed unusually fast, but utilities pushed for this sunset clause as a condition of support. Supporters of the law hope that by 2030, enough Californians will be using these devices that lawmakers won't want to roll back the rules. For now, if you rent or live in a condo without access to full rooftop solar, this law opens a simpler, cheaper way to generate some of your own power starting next year.
Under Trump, California’s clean car rules are essential — and vulnerable
The Trump administration has rolled back federal fuel-efficiency rules for cars, and Congress already removed the penalties automakers faced for missing those targets. That leaves California as the main force still pushing carmakers toward more efficient vehicles. Because of a decades-old exemption tied to its early smog problems, California can set its own tailpipe emissions standards, which function much like fuel-efficiency rules. Nineteen other states plus Washington, D.C. have adopted California's standards, and many automakers build cars to meet them nationwide rather than make separate versions for different states. The Trump administration has been trying to strip California of this authority. Congress voted to block the state's plan to phase out new gas-powered car sales by 2035, and a separate effort targeted California's older emissions standards, though a federal judge blocked that move in September. Legal experts say California has a reasonably strong case in court, partly because government watchdogs called the congressional maneuver against it unlawful. A separate, bigger lawsuit could decide whether California keeps any special authority to regulate emissions at all—a case that may eventually reach the Supreme Court. For now, none of this changes what's available to individual homeowners, since it concerns car emissions rules rather than home energy programs. But it matters for anyone weighing a vehicle purchase: hybrid sales have been rising, automakers remain divided on how fast to keep building electric vehicles, and the rules shaping efficiency and EV availability are still being fought out in court rather than settled.
The surprising allies backing Boulder’s climate case before the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is hearing a major climate case that could shape who pays for damage from heat, wildfires, floods, and drought. Boulder, Colorado sued Suncor and Exxon Mobil in 2018, seeking damages for the rising costs of adapting to climate change. The oil companies want the case thrown out before it goes to trial, arguing federal law and the Constitution block states from hearing such claims. The court will first decide whether it can even step in at this early stage, before considering the companies' arguments. Support for each side has split in surprising ways. Rio Blanco County, Colorado, joined oil companies in the case, prompting local ranchers to push back. They argue worsening wildfires, drought, and heat are driving ranching families toward bankruptcy, forcing them to haul in water and feed or sell off land and livestock, while local governments struggle to cover the costs of disaster relief and recovery. Some conservative legal scholars, including two former Republican EPA administrators, have also broken from the oil industry, saying nothing in federal law clearly stops Boulder's lawsuit from proceeding in state court. A notable development this week: Justice Samuel Alito, who holds oil company investments, recused himself, making it harder for the companies to win a majority on the court. The case won't directly change homeowner costs or rebates, but its outcome could affect whether local governments and residents elsewhere can sue oil companies for climate-related damages, and who ultimately bears the financial burden of adapting to a hotter, more disaster-prone climate.