Technology

"U.S. President Donald Trump today unveiled a set of scientific advisers heavily skewed toward artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, topics his administration has emphasized. The roster, unlike previous iterations of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), features some of the world’s wealthiest people and several of Trump’s biggest political supporters from high-tech industry—but only one academic scientist."

"As the deadly war in Iran triggers what the International Energy Agency has described as the worst oil crisis in history, climate advocates are calling for a faster shift away from fossil fuels, but the conflict may also hamper that transition."

"Ohio regulators have blocked yet another major solar project because of local pushback, even though a significant number of public comments opposing the array appear to be fabricated. It’s the latest blow to solar in a state that defers to local governments on renewable energy, but not on fossil fuels."

"A tool thousands of communities at risk for hurricanes use to decide when to evacuate residents is set to expire Friday because the acting Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator has held up its full renewal, according to emails reviewed by The Washington Post, as well as four current and two former officials familiar with the situation."

"Energy storage is surging on the U.S. grid — and now the country has more than enough battery-making factories to meet that booming demand."

"The Trump administration reached a nearly $1 billion agreement with French energy giant TotalEnergies on Monday to cancel its offshore wind leases off the coasts of New York and North Carolina."

"More than two dozen states are considering bills that would make it easier for households to adopt plug-in solar arrays. Illinois could be next to pass one."

"The North American transmission watchdog warns of cascading outages if the largest data centers aren’t regulated."

"Factory farms in California routinely avoid pollution regulations intended to protect the state’s water, finds a new white paper out of Stanford. Ten million tons of animal manure in the Golden State are unaccounted for, the report finds, thanks to a combination of non-compliance, non-enforcement and opaque disclosure rules."