The administration has withdrawn its appeal of a federal court ruling that shot down Trump’s freeze on federal leasing and permitting for wind projects.

The Trump administration has abandoned its effort to halt wind energy projects across the United States and dropped its challenge to the court ruling that tossed President Donald Trump’s order freezing federal permitting and leasing for wind projects. States that challenged the order hailed the development as one of the most significant legal victories against the Trump White House’s campaign against the energy transition.

On Monday, the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit dismissed the appeal after the Justice Department filed a motion for its voluntary dismissal on June 10.

The case against Trump’s executive order was filed in May 2025 by a coalition of attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, DC, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

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The Trump administration has abandoned its effort to halt wind energy projects across the United States and dropped its challenge to the court ruling that tossed President Donald Trump’s order freezing federal permitting and leasing for wind projects. States that challenged the order hailed the development as one of the most significant legal victories against the Trump White House’s campaign against the energy transition.

On Monday, the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit dismissed the appeal after the Justice Department filed a motion for its voluntary dismissal on June 10.

The case against Trump’s executive order was filed in May 2025 by a coalition of attorneys general from 17 states and Washington, DC, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James.

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The global shift toward net-zero emissions has thrust hydrogen into the spotlight as a promising energy vector capable of decarbonizing sectors traditionally reliant on fossil fuels. Yet, as hydrogen technologies surge from concept to commercial reality, a critical question has emerged: can the insurance industry keep pace with the novel risks intrinsic to these systems? A compelling new article published in Engineering unveils the stark challenge facing insurers and innovators alike. It argues that the nascent nature of hydrogen processes and infrastructures presents a complex risk landscape that current insurance frameworks are ill-equipped to navigate, potentially impeding large-scale deployment needed to meet climate goals.

Central to the discourse is the intricate, multifaceted nature of hydrogen technologies, encompassing production, storage, transport, and utilization systems. Unlike mature renewable technologies such as wind and solar, hydrogen operations are fraught with unique hazards—including extreme flammability, material embrittlement due to hydrogen exposure, and elusive leakage risks—that conventional insurance models have yet to thoroughly address. This gap in risk assessment and management means that financial security mechanisms crucial for investment confidence remain underdeveloped, posing a significant barrier to scalable hydrogen adoption.

The article elucidates that hydrogen’s promise as a clean energy carrier depends not only on decarbonized production but also on scaling the entire value chain rapidly and reliably. However, these pioneering engineering systems entail a gamut of evolving operational risks. These span from property damages and equipment failures to worker safety concerns heightened by hydrogen’s explosive potential. Cybersecurity risks also arise given the increasing digitalization of energy assets, while governance challenges manifest through liability exposures of company directors as projects push technical boundaries. Furthermore, these uncertainties extend into supply chain fragility and performance shortfalls during system ramp-up phases, compounding insurers’ difficulties in crafting comprehensive coverage.

Drawing a parallel to renewable energy insurance markets, the authors observe how wind and solar have benefited from years of data accumulation, modeling refinement, and standardization efforts that underpin sophisticated insurance offerings. This data-driven maturation enables parametric insurance and warranties that safeguard against specific performance metrics and supply chain disruptions. Yet, hydrogen insurance remains embryonic, characterized by cautious underwriting and limited products chiefly targeted at niche applications rather than broad industrial deployment. This immaturity translates to cost premiums and coverage limitations that stall financing and project momentum.

To transcend these hurdles, the article emphasizes the critical need for structured data collection and robust risk characterization specific to hydrogen processes. Without granular operational insights and validated risk models, insurers default to conservative stances that restrict underwriting appetite. The authors champion innovative insurance instruments, notably parametric policies calibrated to predefined risk triggers, and performance warranties that hedge against technology underperformance. These solutions can lower uncertainty for investors and catalyze capital flow, but their success hinges on collaborative data-sharing and transparent risk communication between all stakeholders.

Importantly, the narrative draws attention to a strategic opportunity for insurers. Engagement with hydrogen not only mitigates climate-related portfolio risks but also opens access to a burgeoning industrial market driven by global net-zero ambitions. Nonetheless, disconnects persist between technology developers’ needs and insurers’ capabilities, underscoring the urgency for proactive, multi-stakeholder dialogue. Fostering early-stage collaboration among engineers, academia, private sector, and insurance providers is pivotal to co-design risk assessment methodologies, standardize certification regimes, and ultimately align insurance solutions with engineering innovation trails.

Academia is positioned as a critical catalyst in this ecosystem. Researchers can bridge the gap by aggregating operational data, refining risk models via simulations and real-world studies, and facilitating standardization efforts that underpin insurer confidence. Such integrative efforts advance both scientific understanding and commercial viability. Aligning insurance mechanisms with engineering innovation timelines ensures risk management is embedded from technology readiness level milestones onward, thus streamlining the pathway from pilot projects to full-scale industrial rollouts.

The article also highlights the financial repercussions of currently inadequate insurance coverage. High premiums and coverage gaps retard investment flows and engender hesitancy among financiers wary of unquantified risks. As hydrogen projects are capital-intensive with long development horizons, risk mitigation via comprehensive insurance is non-negotiable for unlocking broader investor appetite. Hence, the advancement of hydrogen insurance products is not merely a financial instrument but a keystone for sustainable market adoption and technological acceleration.

Furthermore, the article delves into technical challenges such as hydrogen’s propensity to induce embrittlement in metals, which degrades structural integrity over time and raises maintenance costs. Insurance models must incorporate such materials science insights to accurately price and cover long-term durability risks. Leakage detection and mitigation technologies also play a vital role in controlling operational hazards, with insurance frameworks incentivizing advancements in sensor deployment and safety protocols. These technological synergies between engineering and insurance amplify resilience and facilitate risk reduction.

In conclusion, the article contends that unlocking hydrogen’s potential as a linchpin of a net-zero future demands a paradigm shift in insurance thinking coupled with systemic collaboration. By gathering rigorous data, designing bespoke risk instruments, and fostering cross-sector partnerships, the insurance market can evolve to support hydrogen innovation robustly. This evolution will serve as the linchpin of investor confidence, enabling swift scale-up while safeguarding public and environmental safety. Without such advancements, the hydrogen economy risks stalling, imperiling global decarbonization trajectories.

The implications extend beyond risk transfer to the very architecture of hydrogen energy systems. Insurance integration informs engineering decisions, safety standards, and policy frameworks, creating a virtuous cycle that harmonizes technical innovation with financial viability. The authors’ clarion call is clear: accelerating the hydrogen transition mandates bridging the gap between emergent technology risks and insurance market readiness. Achieving this nexus will be transformative—not only for hydrogen but for the broader energy transition imperative writ large.

Subject of Research: Insurance frameworks and risk management for new hydrogen technologies and adapted hydrogen processes.

Article Title: Insurance for New and Adapted Hydrogen Processes

News Publication Date: 15-Apr-2026

Web References:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eng.2025.11.018
https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/engineering

Image Credits: Elisabeth Shrimpton, Nazmiye Balta-Ozkan

Keywords: Hydrogen, Net-Zero Energy Transition, Insurance, Risk Management, Engineering Innovation, Parametric Insurance, Performance Warranty, Material Embrittlement, Hydrogen Safety, Technology Readiness, Energy Decarbonization, Financial Instruments

Researchers at Canada’s Western University designed a foam-backed floating photovoltaic (FPV) system. 

It was tested in a stormwater pond in Ontario, Canada. The system generated 7.7 megawatt-hours of electricity over a year, outperforming a standard reference floating system by about 2.7 percent.

“The results of this study established foam-based FPV as a promising and adaptable platform for renewable energy generation,” the team noted in the study paper. 

The ice solution

Solar power has long had a geography problem.

To build the massive solar farms required to displace fossil fuels, developers need land. Usually, that means competing with agriculture or cutting into natural conservation areas. The solution in warmer climates has been “floatovoltaics“—placing solar panels on giant plastic pontoons over lakes and reservoirs.

But if you try that in a Canadian winter, thick moving ice will crush the structures like aluminum cans.

Now, researchers have solved the cold-weather problem using a deceptively simple combination of materials: shipping foam and hot tub bubbles. In particular, a monocrystalline foam-backed FPV system was fabricated.

It shows that floating solar can not only survive freezing temperatures but actually thrive in them. 

Compared with tilted plastic rafts used in warmer climates, this design attaches flexible solar panels directly to thick, waterproof foam sheets, reducing wind exposure.

To prevent ice damage, an underwater air-bubbler system was installed. A shore-based pump pushes bubbles from the bottom of the pond, carrying warmer deep water to the surface to keep the area around the panels ice-free. It acted like a localized defroster.

The results showed that on days when the rest of the pond was frozen, the water directly surrounding the solar array remained completely clear. 

Higher energy yield

Keeping the ice away didn’t break the energy bank, either. Over a year of continuous monitoring, the air-bubbler system consumed as little as 0.02 percent of the total energy the panels generated. At its peak during the worst winter storms, it reduced yield by only 14.5 percent. 

“A regression model developed in this study indicated that the foam-based FPV system generated 7.7. MWh/year, representing up to 2.7% more energy than other PV models,” the study noted. 

It also pulled double duty as a water conservation tool.

In sitting flat against the water’s surface, the foam-backed array acted as a physical shield, blocking direct sunlight and cutting off the wind that typically drives evaporation. The researchers calculated that the relationship between solar coverage and water savings is linear, meaning that every additional square meter of panel added results in a predictable drop in water loss.

“FPV coverage linearly reduced pond evaporation, aiding agricultural water conservation,” the study stated.

If scaled up to cover just half of the Ontario stormwater pond, this innovative setup would trap and save roughly 927 cubic meters of water annually. 

For local communities and farmers, that means keeping hundreds of thousands of gallons of precious water in the reservoir to support agricultural irrigation when it is needed most.

With the concept proven on a small scale, the researchers are looking to take their foam-and-bubble design out of the pond. The next step is testing the technology on a larger scale across harsher, more diverse bodies of water. 

The findings were published in the journal Applied Energy.

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Sweden’s Videberg Kraft selected Rolls-Royce SMR to supply three small modular reactors (SMRs) for a planned nuclear power station on the Värö Peninsula near the existing Ringhals nuclear plant. The decision, announced by state-owned energy company Vattenfall, marks a key milestone in what is set to become Sweden’s first new nuclear power project in more than four decades.

The new plant is expected to add about 1.5 gigawatts of electricity to Sweden’s grid, with the first reactor planned to start running in the mid-2030s. By choosing Rolls-Royce SMR, Sweden becomes the third European country to select this technology, after the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic.

Three-year review narrows field to final two contenders

Videberg Kraft, owned by Vattenfall and Industrikraft, made its decision after three years of reviewing 75 possible reactor options. In the end, the decision came down to two technologies: the pressurized water reactor from Rolls-Royce SMR and the BWRX-300 reactor from GE Vernova Hitachi.

The new plant, called the Videberg Project, will be built next to the Ringhals nuclear power station, one of Sweden’s main electricity sources. When finished, the reactors should help secure Sweden’s energy supply and meet rising demand for electricity.

Desirée Comstedt, acting CEO of Videberg Kraft, pointed out the strong network of companies working with the British reactor developer.

“Rolls-Royce SMR offers a robust network of subcontractors, the majority of which are located in our geographical vicinity. By choosing to move forward with Rolls-Royce SMR, Videberg Kraft and its owner companies also become part of a European program, where we can benefit from shared experience.”

Familiar reactor technology seen as key advantage

Company leaders said that the proven track record of the chosen reactor technology was a key reason for their decision.

Anna Borg, Board member of Videberg Kraft and CEO of Vattenfall, said:

“Overall, the board’s assessment is that Rolls-Royce SMR is the supplier that can give Videberg Kraft the best prerequisites for delivering a successful project. The reactor, a pressurized water reactor (PWR), is the same type used at Ringhals today and is a well-proven technology. Moreover, Rolls-Royce SMR has a commercially attractive contractual set-up.”

Tom Erixon, a board member of Videberg Kraft and Industrikraft, also stressed the project’s focus on industrial methods.

“Rolls-Royce SMR offers an efficient and industrialized concept that reduces the risk of delays. Videberg Kraft, together with Rolls-Royce SMR, is now paving the way for a new nuclear power on the Värö peninsula – something that would not have been possible without a historically unique collaboration between Swedish industry and the energy sector.”

Rolls-Royce expands European nuclear footprint

The Swedish decision gives Rolls-Royce SMR even more momentum as it expands in Europe.

Chris Cholerton, CEO of Rolls-Royce SMR, said, “We are delighted to have been selected by Videberg Kraft as its partner to bring new nuclear power to Sweden. This is a strong endorsement of our transformational approach to the delivery of a standardized fleet of SMRs … [and] further demonstrates growing market confidence in our technology.”

The company’s reactor design can generate 470 megawatts of electricity and is built to provide steady power for at least 60 years. Much of the plant will be made in factories and then brought to the site for assembly. This method aims to reduce construction risks and accelerate the project. Nuclear energy is seeing a revival across Sweden.

This news comes as Sweden is working to speed up the development of its nuclear power. In 2022, the new center-right government became more supportive of nuclear energy. The next year, a roadmap was released calling for new nuclear capacity equal to at least two large reactors by 2035 and up to ten by 2045.

Government support programs introduced in August 2025 have already drawn interest from several developers. Videberg Kraft was the first to apply for state aid in December. More recently, Blykalla, a Swedish reactor developer, asked for funding for a six-reactor project in Norrsundet, and Studsvik submitted plans for up to 1,400 megawatts of new nuclear capacity in southern Sweden.

Asda, Amazon and B&Q among retailers in talks to sell devices that feed into household sockets and can cut electricity bills by 30%

• Spanish homes save €10 a month via renewables expansion

Bosses of some of Britain’s biggest retailers are discussing plans with the government to start selling plug-in solar panels as part of a drive to encourage more UK homes to generate their own electricity.

Executives from brands including Currys, B&Q and Amazon met Martin McCluskey, the minister for energy consumers, on Tuesday to discuss guidelines for selling “balcony solar panels” to the British public.

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© Photograph: Climate Central

© Photograph: Climate Central

© Photograph: Climate Central

A major challenge to dark energy, the mysterious force believed to be driving the universe’s accelerating expansion, has been overturned by a new study. Astronomers say a new analysis has reinforced one of the most important discoveries in modern cosmology, finding that the universe is still expanding at an accelerating rate. The result counters a [...]

Thinktank says decoupling electricity from gas prices has also helped shield Spain from hikes caused by Iran war

Spanish households save €10 a month on electricity bills because of wind turbines and solar panels installed in the last five years, a report has found.

Typical energy bills would be 19% more expensive if electricity costs were still as tightly coupled to gas prices as in 2021, according to Ember, a climate thinktank. It found Spain’s “strategic” expansion of renewables since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 has shielded Spanish households from the latest rises in fossil fuel prices caused by the Iran war.

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© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

© Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

A California startup says it has found a cheaper way to turn an overlooked farm waste product into sustainable aviation fuel, potentially opening a new pathway for airlines racing to meet emissions targets.

Circularity Fuels announced it has completed what it describes as the world’s first end-to-end conversion of raw agricultural biogas into sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The six-month pilot transformed methane-rich gas from a California dairy farm’s manure digester into jet fuel that meets ASTM standards for commercial aviation.

The achievement could reshape the economics of SAF production. The company estimates that commercial plants using its technology would cost roughly one-fifth as much as comparable facilities currently being developed in Europe.

Turning waste into fuel

The demonstration took place at a dairy farm near Madera, California, home to more than 5,000 cattle. Like many operations across the country, the farm produces biogas through manure digesters. Much of that gas often goes unused or gets released into the atmosphere.

Circularity’s system converts that waste stream directly into aviation fuel on-site. According to the company, the pilot operated continuously for thousands of hours using untreated biogas composed of roughly 65 percent methane and 35 percent carbon dioxide. The process produced finished jet fuel that can blend with conventional Jet-A fuel at concentrations of up to 50 percent.

The system combines two modular reactors designed for distributed deployment. An electrified bi-reforming reactor converts the raw gas into synthesis gas, while a compact Fischer-Tropsch reactor transforms it into liquid hydrocarbons suitable for aviation use.

Circularity said its reforming unit achieved methane conversion rates above 98 percent and carbon dioxide conversion rates exceeding 90 percent during testing.

Lower-cost SAF pathway

Sustainable aviation fuel remains in short supply worldwide. Current production satisfies less than one percent of global demand. Most SAF today relies on used cooking oil as feedstock.

Critics argue that supply constraints and import dependence limit its long-term potential. Alternative approaches, such as power-to-liquid e-fuels, also face economic hurdles due to rising electricity costs. Circularity believes agricultural biogas offers a more practical option.

The company projects commercial installations could cost less than $100,000 per barrel per day of installed capacity. Those economics could allow SAF derived from dairy waste to compete directly with fossil-based jet fuel prices. “The hard part of this industry was never designing a theoretical plant that could make SAF,” said Dr. Stephen Beaton, founder and chief executive officer of Circularity Fuels. “It was proving you could do it continuously, from real biogas, at a cost that pencils.” He added that the company has now demonstrated the technology using “real feedstock from a real dairy farm.”

Carbon-negative potential

Circularity’s internal life-cycle analysis suggests the fuel could achieve a carbon intensity score of negative 350.7 grams of CO2 equivalent per megajoule under California’s regulatory framework. That figure stems from capturing methane that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere. Methane traps significantly more heat than carbon dioxide over shorter timescales.

Craig Hartman of Hartman Engineering said dairies have long lacked practical ways to monetize biogas without investing heavily in gas-cleaning infrastructure. “Circularity is the first team I’ve seen take raw biogas straight from a digester and turn it into finished jet fuel on-site,” Hartman said.

Following the successful pilot, Circularity plans to begin construction on its first commercial facility in 2027. The company is targeting dairy and agricultural regions across the United States while also exploring opportunities in Latin America and Europe.