COP30 president André Corrêa do Lago is prioritizing a thorough review of national climate action plans ahead of the November summit, and has launched a series of consultations to collect countries' initial views on how to respond to the upcoming UN synthesis report, which will assess the adequacy of plans for 2030 and 2035. With major emitters like the EU, China, and India still outstanding, Corrêa do Lago is urging a collective, creative dialogue to address the gaps and ensure the review leads to stronger global climate action.

The Trump administration is considering eliminating or privatizing the Energy Star program, which has saved more than $500 billion in energy costs since 1992, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin has questioned the program's financial benefits and says several entities have expressed interest in taking over.

Circularity Fuels' Ouro Reactor has converted biogas from manure on dairy farms into syngas, a precursor of jet fuel at 1% the capital cost of typical systems. The California-based startup says the reactor is able to electrically convert the raw biogas without combustion and can still operate even with contaminants that would hamper other reformers. "If deployed across all viable US waste sites -- including farms, landfills, and wastewater treatment plants -- biogas-to-SAF technology could [meet] 70% of the nation's jet fuel demand," the company said in a statement.

Puget Sound Energy has started operations at its 248-megawatt Beaver Creek wind farm in Montana, which is expected to power 83,000 homes. The project utilizes existing transmission infrastructure and highlights Montana's natural resources and energy economy, says Gov. Greg Gianforte.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection plans to allocate $46 million for electric-vehicle charging infrastructure through fiscal 2027 to expand charging stations, specifically targeting transportation corridors and for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles.

Pickering Interfaces has introduced high-voltage programmable resistor modules in PXI and PXIe form factors, capable of handling up to 1.2 kV. The modules are designed for applications in automotive, energy and aerospace sectors, simulating fault conditions and resistive loads for devices-under-test such as electric vehicle power inverters and battery management systems.

A study published in Geophysical Research Letters has found a significant slowdown in Arctic sea ice melting over the past 20 years. The study attributes the slowdown to natural ocean current variations, although it warns that melting could accelerate within a decade. "It has bought us a bit more time but it is a temporary reprieve -- when it ends, it isn't good news," researcher Mark England says.

The demolition of the old Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, N.D., involved nearly 3,000 truckloads of materials, including concrete and other general building materials. Bricks from the hospital, as well as from the University of North Dakota's Hyslop Sports Center, are being recycled by Berger Enterprises for use in highway construction. The University of North Dakota has salvaged some architectural items and bricks for historical preservation.

The Treasury Department and the IRS have issued guidance on the beginning-of-construction requirements for wind and solar facilities to qualify for clean electricity tax credits under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The guidance discontinues the 5% safe harbor for most projects starting Sept. 2, except for low-output solar facilities, and maintains the physical work test and continuity requirements from previous guidance.