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U.S. to Lend $1.9 Billion to Restart a Shuttered Nuclear Plant in Iowa

No company in the United States has ever restarted a reactor that was seemingly closed for good, but there are now three major efforts underway to do so.

Β© Nick Rohlman/The Gazette, via Associated Press

The Duane Arnold Energy Center near Palo, Iowa, in January 2025.
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In Nepal and Tibet, Pollution on Glaciers Could Fuel More Flood Disasters

Darkened by soot from vehicles and factories, the region’s glaciers are absorbing more heat and melting at dangerous rates.

Β© Jason Gulley for The New York Times

A meltwater lake on the Ngozumpa Glacier in Nepal in 2025.
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Trump Issues Tariffs on Key Ingredient for Electronics and Solar Panels

The administration will impose a minimum import price for polysilicon, a key component for semiconductors and solar panels, as well as tariffs for products made with the material.

Β© Christian Monterrosa for The New York Times

A worker inspected solar panels at a factory in Dalton, Ga., in 2023.
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Birds Are Dying. Clues Point to El NiΓ±o.

A die-off of seabirds has some experts thinking an El NiΓ±o weather pattern is to blame, a look at data centers and pollution, and more climate news.

Β© American Bird Conservancy

Seabird carcasses in Ecuador.
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The U.S. Is Pulling Back on Energy Efficiency

The Trump administration is undoing fuel-saving efforts even as war in Iran, data centers and heat waves are pushing up gasoline and electricity costs.

Β© Michael Hickey/Getty Images

A dishwasher at a General Electric plant in Louisville, Ky. The Energy Department has moved to repeal 17 standards for dishwashers, washing machines, kitchen appliances and more.
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Advanced Recycling Hits a Rough Patch

In the past weeks, two sites in the United States have halted operations.

Β© Maddie McGarvey for The New York Times

Unlike traditional mechanical recycling, advanced recycling can theoretically process mixed or contaminated plastics that otherwise would end up in landfills.
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In Europe, Tesla Sales Are Rising Despite Views on Elon Musk

Price cuts and low-interest-rate loans are luring buyers, including people offended by the company’s chief executive.

Β© Michael Nguyen/NurPhoto, via Associated Press

A Tesla Supercharger station in Germany. Tesla’s sales have rebounded sharply in Europe alongside sales of all electric cars.
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Energy Dept. Promises $17.5 Billion in Loans for Nuclear Power

The federal government wants to help utilities buy large components for up to 10 large nuclear reactors. It’s unclear which, if any, companies might participate.

Β© Kendrick Brinson for The New York Times

The Vogtle nuclear power plant in Georgia is the only one with AP1000 reactors in the U.S. They generate enough electricity to power 1 million homes, but they took 15 years to build and cost $35 billion, double the initial estimates.
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G.M. Plans to Develop Energy Storage Batteries as E.V. Sales Flag

The carmaker will follow Tesla in making components for large batteries used by electric utilities, data centers and other businesses to handle fluctuations in power supply and demand.
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G.M. Plans to Develop Energy Storage Batteries as E.V. Sales Flag

The carmaker will follow Tesla in making components for large batteries used by electric utilities, data centers and other businesses to handle fluctuations in power supply and demand.

Β© Rebecca Cook/Reuters

The main active ingredient in the storage batteries that General Motors plans to produce is sodium, which is cheaper and easier to process than lithium.
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