Energy & Environment

San Francisco – October 06, 2026 -- Renew Home, the largest residential virtual power plant (VPP) operator in the U.S., is rebranding as Everyday Electric and acquiring connected-vehicle platform Smartcar as it expands beyond smart thermostats into a whole-home energy management system.

Company shifts from thermostat optimization to whole-home VPP coordination

Everyday Electric already coordinates more than 6 gigawatts of capacity across connected thermostats, electric vehicles, solar and storage systems. The new Everyday VPP platform builds on traditional demand response programs, integrating HVAC, EV, EVSE, storage and solar OEM partnerships into a single coordinated system for utility partners.

Gothenburg – October 06, 2026 -- MacGregor has secured an order from Nantong Rainbow Offshore & Engineering Equipment Co., Ltd to equip four Commissioning Service Operation Vessels (CSOVs) with three-dimensional motion-compensated cranes and Horizon gangway systems. The contract is booked into MacGregor's fourth-quarter 2026 order intake.

Four Skywalker-class vessels head to Norwegian operator IWS Fleet by 2030

The CSOVs will be delivered from the shipyard to Integrated Wind Solutions ASA subsidiary IWS Fleet during 2029 and 2030. The vessels are built to the Skywalker class design, which has seen strong market uptake for offshore wind commissioning and service operations.

Seoul – October 06, 2026 -- SK chemicals has launched a four-partner consortium to build a regional circular economy for waste banners, targeting more than 1,000 tons of annual waste across South Korea's Gyeongsang, Honam and Jeju regions.

Consortium links collection, recycling and manufacturing into a closed loop

SK chemicals formed the Waste Banner Resource Circulation Consortium with MOA, Daehan Media, Upcloth and the Resource Circulation Team of Seogwipo City in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province. The group emerged from a challenge SK chemicals posed at the Solveathon idea competition, held alongside the Social Value Festa and hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. – October 05, 2026 -- AMPERA has submitted a comprehensive Regulatory Engagement Plan to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, with plans to file its combined manufacturing and fuel fabrication facility license application by October 2027.

AMPERA targets October 2027 for combined reactor and fuel facility license filing

The submission marks the pre-application phase of the NRC licensing process for AMPERA's advanced reactor technology. The company is providing regulators with detailed design features, methodologies and analysis intended to accelerate and de-risk the review period ahead of the 2027 filing.

Pune – – October 05, 2026 -- The global CDU heat exchanger antifoulants market reached USD 215 million in 2024 and is forecast to climb to USD 270.24 million by 2032, a compound annual growth rate of 2.9%, according to a new report from Credence Research Inc.

North America controls 35% of global antifoulant demand on refinery scale

North America leads the market with roughly 35% share, backed by substantial refinery capacity and sustained investment in operational optimization. Europe follows at approximately 25%, driven by environmental regulation and refinery modernization mandates. Asia Pacific holds near 20% of the market, Middle East & Africa accounts for about 15%, and Latin America contributes roughly 5%.

Florham Park, N.J. – October 05, 2026 -- Reworld employees collected 84 bags of garbage during a September cleanup of Newark, New Jersey streets, earning the company first place and the Gold Broom Award at the city's Slam Dunk the Junk community event.

Reworld deploys employees across six U.S. regions for World Cleanup Day

The waste management company organized volunteer efforts in Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Florida, New York and Pennsylvania in September to mark World Cleanup Day. In Derwood and Dickerson, Maryland, and Alexandria, Virginia, staff joined the Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail to clear trash and invasive vegetation at Gravelly Point. Rahway, New Jersey employees worked at Rahway Riverfront Park, while the Newark team cleared litter from the facility's access road in addition to its award-winning citywide effort.

Camden, N.J. – October 05, 2026 -- The American Water Charitable Foundation has awarded a $260,000 Corporate Strategic grant to the National Urban League to fund workforce development programs across its Affiliate Movement network.

Grant targets eight city affiliates for skills and career training

The funding will support workforce development initiatives delivered by eight National Urban League affiliates: Chicago Urban League, Greater Sacramento Urban League, Urban League of Greater Chattanooga, Urban League of Greater Philadelphia, Urban League of Lexington-Fayette County, Urban League of Metropolitan Saint Louis, Urban League of Northwest Indiana, and Urban League of Union County. The programs aim to expand skills, education, and job opportunities in communities served by American Water (NYSE: AWK), the largest regulated water and wastewater utility in the U.S.

Eleanor, W.Va. – October 05, 2026 -- West Virginia American Water is investing $100,000 to replace 580 feet of aging pipe with 2-inch PVC main on Eleanor Alley in Eleanor.

Crews began work the week of September 23 along Eleanor Alley

The project spans from Cypress Street to the area behind the residence at 2371 Charleston Road. Work is scheduled for completion by the end of October, with final street restoration set for fall 2026. Crews operate Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., with traffic restrictions in place for the duration.

Scott Wyman cites proactive investment in community infrastructure

"Making proactive investments in the communities we serve helps us to continue providing safe, clean, and reliable water to our customers, and this project on Eleanor Alley is an example," said Scott Wyman, President of West Virginia American Water.

Houston – October 05, 2026 -- TruGrid, a Houston-based engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for battery energy storage systems (BESS) and solar projects, has published new guidance arguing that integrating engineering, procurement, and construction planning before mobilization reduces financial risk and strengthens lender confidence in utility-scale clean energy developments.

TruGrid links engineer-of-record selection to fewer costly construction surprises

The company's analysis identifies design and engineering partner selection as the first risk-reduction lever, stating that the right engineer of record can flag constructability issues before they become expensive change orders during construction.

Pune – October 05, 2026 -- The global lithium compound market is projected to grow from $9.82 billion in 2025 to $39.74 billion by 2034, a 16.8% compound annual growth rate, according to new analysis from Maximize Market Research.

Battery demand drives roughly 80% of global lithium consumption

Global lithium production reached approximately 130,000 tons in 2025 against consumption of around 134,000 tons, underscoring tight supply-demand balance. Lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide dominate battery-grade applications, while lithium chloride, lithium bromide, lithium metal and butyllithium serve glass, ceramics, lubricants, metallurgy, air treatment and pharmaceutical markets. Stationary battery storage demand is growing at an estimated 40% annually, adding a new layer of consumption beyond electric vehicle batteries.