Energy & Environment

Hamburg – – September 12, 2026 -- German households will illuminate a record 23.39 billion Christmas lights this festive season, pushing national electricity consumption for holiday lighting to roughly 533 million kilowatt-hours, according to the 16th annual LichtBlick Christmas survey conducted by YouGov Deutschland.

Electricity demand for holiday lighting rises 42 million kilowatt-hours year-on-year

The survey, based on 2,103 respondents polled between August 24 and August 25, 2026, found that total power consumption for Christmas lighting climbed from approximately 491 million kilowatt-hours last year to 533 million kilowatt-hours. Powering all lights with green electricity would avoid 159,900 tonnes of CO2, based on a grey-power emissions factor of 300 grams CO2 per kilowatt-hour (BDEW, 2025 data), which currently implies direct emissions of 146,200 tonnes.

Hyderabad – September 12, 2026 -- Indian deep-tech firm Hylenr Technologies has detected signatures of 32 elements, including rare-earth species and actinides, forming inside engineered hydrogen-loaded nickel-palladium lattice structures, opening a potential alternative pathway to mining for strategic-material production.

Two years of analysis reveal 32 elemental signatures across light, heavy and noble-gas categories

Over approximately two years of post-operation material analysis, Hylenr Technologies identified signatures corresponding to 32 elements compared against pre-operation baseline samples of the same catalyst material used as a control. The detections span light and heavy elements, noble gases including helium, neon and argon, strategically important rare-earth species such as yttrium, and actinides including uranium.

Singapore – September 12, 2026 -- The Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW) has mobilized $641 million in financing commitments from third parties and impact investors since 2019, according to its 2025 Progress Report released today marking the first year of its Strategy 2030 rollout.

Alliance diverts 138,162 tonnes of unmanaged plastic waste in 2025 alone

The organization reduced 138,162 tonnes of unmanaged plastic waste and valorized 165,317 tonnes during 2025, bringing cumulative totals since 2019 to 378,147 tonnes reduced and 418,529 tonnes recovered for value. AEPW worked with 559 organizations last year to finance, develop and deploy its projects, while its education and behavior-change initiatives have reached more than 1.5 million people since inception.

Singapore – – September 12, 2026 -- The Alliance to End Plastic Waste has mobilized $641 million in third-party and impact-investor financing since 2019 while diverting 378,147 tonnes of uncontrolled plastic waste and creating value from 418,529 tonnes of plastic, according to its 2025 Progress Report, "Strategy in Action," released today. The report marks the first year of implementation under the organization's Strategy 2030 framework.

Alliance diverted 138,162 tonnes of plastic waste in 2025 alone

In 2025, the nonprofit reduced 138,162 tonnes of uncontrolled plastic waste and recovered 165,317 tonnes, contributing to the cumulative totals since its founding. Education and behavior-change initiatives have reached more than 1.5 million people since inception, and the Alliance engaged 559 organizations in 2025 to finance, develop and implement its projects.

Bamako – September 12, 2026 -- DoGo Power has officially entered the Malian market, deploying grid-forming energy storage systems (ESS) for commercial and industrial (C&I) users and utility-scale power plants as the country's national electrification rate remains below 50%, dropping under 30% in rural areas.

Diesel supplies more than 80% of Mali's electricity, driving up costs and outages

More than 80% of Mali's power generation currently relies on diesel, a costly fuel source, while frequent blackouts tied to weak grid stability have become a major constraint on local economic development. Mali averages over 3,000 hours of sunshine annually, providing a strong resource base for solar-plus-storage deployment.

St. Louis – September 12, 2026 -- Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE) priced a public offering of $900 million in junior subordinated notes due 2057 at 100.000% of principal, with the transaction expected to close September 18, 2026.

Notes carry a fixed 6.450% rate through 2032 before shifting to a floating structure

The junior subordinated notes will bear interest at an annual rate of 6.450% from issuance through March 15, 2032. After that date, the rate resets during each interest reset period to the Five-Year Treasury Rate plus 1.868%, with a contractual floor ensuring the rate never falls below the initial 6.450% level.

Proceeds target short-term debt repayment and general corporate needs

Ameren said net proceeds from the offering will be used for general corporate purposes, including repayment of outstanding short-term debt.

Sacramento, Calif. – September 12, 2026 -- Consumer Watchdog has released a video accusing Pacific Gas & Electric of withholding $2 billion in already-funded infrastructure spending to pressure California lawmakers into approving liability relief legislation in a special session.

PG&E withholds $2 billion in ratepayer-funded upgrades pending bailout approval

The advocacy group alleges PG&E is halting infrastructure work that customers have already paid for through approved rate hikes, after the state legislature declined to grant the utility liability protections during its regular session. Former California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) President Loretta Lynch calls the move "bailout blackmail" in the video, arguing PG&E CEO Patti Poppe misrepresented the company's financial position.

Singapore – September 12, 2026 -- Kenon Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: KEN, TASE: KEN) has received approximately $93 million, net of costs and subject to tax, from the Republic of Peru following payment of an International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) arbitration award, closing a dispute first won in October 2023. The total payment from Peru was approximately $203 million, with the remainder allocated to a capital provider and outstanding expenses.

Streator, Ill. – September 12, 2026 -- Illinois American Water has invested $26.5 million over the past five years into its Streator Water Treatment Plant and distribution system, upgrades that serve roughly 7,600 customers, the company said following a legislative tour of the facility.

Ultraviolet disinfection system adds $4.1 million in treatment capacity

The company installed a new ultraviolet treatment system at a cost of $4.1 million, adding disinfection capability designed to treat bacteria and microorganisms that could be present in raw water drawn from the Vermilion River, the plant's source water.

Filter improvement project worth $3.7 million completed in 2024

A separate $3.7 million project upgraded two aging water filters and added a new structure over the plant's sedimentation and flocculation basins to protect the equipment from weather exposure. Construction on that project was completed in 2024.

Montreal – September 12, 2026 -- PMET Resources Inc. has collected more than 2.5 tonnes of pollucite pegmatite from the Vega Caesium Zone (CV13) at its Shaakichiuwaanaan Property in Quebec, advancing a bulk-sampling initiative called the BerryPick program aimed at feeding downstream caesium chemical testwork.

PMET deploys large-diameter coring to cut sampling costs and speed

The company used very large diameter drill core (~30 cm) drilled through a grid of shallow holes (under 60 cm deep) across the mineralized outcrop, avoiding costlier alternatives such as blasting or PQ coring (8.5 cm). Prior testwork had relied on smaller NQ (4.8 cm) and HQ (6.4 cm) core, which supported only initial-stage programs; the larger fragments better approximate blasted run-of-mine material after crushing, a requirement for feasibility-level data.