Energy, Utilities & Environment

The Woodlands, Texas – September 15, 2026 -- Arena Energy, LLC was named apparent high bidder on nine Outer Continental Shelf blocks in the Gulf of America, covering more than 40,000 gross acres, following Lease Sale BBG3 held August 12, 2026, at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans.

Sale marks third of 30 mandated Gulf lease auctions under federal law

The auction, conducted by the Department of the Interior's Marine Minerals Administration, was the third of 30 Gulf of America lease sales required under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Sale-wide, the event generated more than $80 million in apparent high bids across 59 blocks spanning over 300,000 acres, with 16 companies submitting bids.

Norwalk, Connecticut – September 15, 2026 -- GameChange Energy's subsidiary, GameChange Solar Corp., has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Nextpower in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware, alleging unauthorized use of its high-tilt stow tracker technology.

Lawsuit targets Nextpower's tracker systems over U.S. Patent 12,449,161

The complaint states that GameChange Solar Corp. holds U.S. Patent 12,449,161, which covers the disputed high-tilt stow technology used in its single-axis solar tracker systems. GameChange contends that Nextpower's products infringe on one or more claims of this patent.

GameChange seeks injunction and monetary damages

GameChange Solar Corp. is seeking injunctive relief to halt further alleged infringement by Nextpower, along with monetary damages tied to the claim. No financial figures for damages sought were disclosed in the filing.

Houston – September 15, 2026 -- Gulf Coast Midstream Partners (GCMP) has launched a non-binding open season for firm natural gas storage and wheeling service at its Nash Storage Hub in Fort Bend County, Texas, running through October 23, 2026.

Nash Storage Hub secures permits for 57 Bcf of salt cavern capacity

The Railroad Commission of Texas has authorized GCMP to develop up to five underground salt caverns on the Nash Dome, totaling approximately 57 billion cubic feet (Bcf) of working gas storage capacity. The initial phase will consist of two salt caverns delivering 23 Bcf of combined working gas storage, 0.9 Bcf/d of injection capacity, and 1.5 Bcf/d of withdrawal capacity.

Greenwood, S.C. – September 14, 2026 -- ES Foundry has secured ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 45001:2018 certifications for its Greenwood, South Carolina facility, passing an integrated audit with zero major and zero minor nonconformities. The certifications follow the company's recent 2 GW expansion, which pushed the plant's annual solar cell manufacturing capacity to 3 GW.

Auditors confirm quality, environmental and safety systems held during rapid capacity growth

The independent Integrated Management System (IMS) audit evaluated ES Foundry's quality, environmental and occupational health and safety frameworks as a single system across manufacturing operations, covering procurement, material handling, quality assurance and worker safety processes tied to monocrystalline photovoltaic cell production.

Reno, Nev. – September 14, 2026 -- The U.S. Department of Energy awarded approximately US$2.7 billion in contracts in January 2026 to expand domestic low-enriched and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) capacity, cementing the federal government's role as the sector's largest customer, lender and permitting authority in one move.

Singapore – – September 14, 2026 -- The Alliance to End Plastic Waste has catalysed US$641 million in third-party and impact-investor funding commitments since 2019, according to its newly released 2025 Progress Report covering the first year of Strategy 2030 implementation.

Cumulative waste reduction reaches 378,147 tonnes since 2019

The organisation reduced 138,162 tonnes of unmanaged plastic waste and valorised 165,317 tonnes in 2025 alone, pushing cumulative totals to 378,147 tonnes reduced and 418,529 tonnes captured for value since inception. Education and behaviour-change programs have reached over 1.5 million people, and the Alliance engaged 559 organisations in 2025 to finance, develop, and implement projects.

Singapore – September 14, 2026 -- The Alliance to End Plastic Waste has valorized 418,529 tonnes of plastic waste and reduced unmanaged plastic waste by 378,147 tonnes since 2019, according to its 2025 progress report, Strategy in Action, released to mark the first year of its 2030 Strategy implementation.

In 2025 alone, the nonprofit cut unmanaged plastic waste by 138,162 tonnes and valorized 165,317 tonnes. Since inception, it has mobilized $641 million in funding commitments from third parties and impact investors, engaged 559 organizations in 2025 to fund and execute projects, and reached more than 1.5 million people through education and behavior-change initiatives.

New York – September 14, 2026 -- Chestnut Carbon has agreed to supply Improved Forest Management (IFM) carbon credits to RBC, giving the global financial institution access to one of the largest forest-based carbon credit portfolios in the United States.

Chestnut's portfolio spans 200,000 acres across 37 states

The agreement draws on Chestnut's network of private forest landowners enrolled in IFM practices such as longer harvest rotations, retention of larger trees, strategic thinning, and prescribed burns. These practices are designed to improve forest resilience against wildfire and drought while sustaining long-term timber productivity.

Austin, Texas – – September 14, 2026 -- Moment Energy has become the first battery energy storage system (BESS) provider in North America to secure third-party verified non-Prohibited Foreign Entity (non-PFE) status and full Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) compliance, the company announced. A Top 10 U.S. law firm conducted the independent review, examining Moment Energy's corporate ownership, effective control and debt financing structure.

Independent legal review confirms compliance status ahead of tightening federal rules

The verification arrives as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act has significantly raised FEOC and PFE requirements for companies seeking federal Investment Tax Credits (ITC). The U.S. Treasury has issued interim guidance through Notice 2026-15 to help taxpayers interpret the new rules, with further clarification expected as implementation proceeds.

Newport Beach, Calif. – September 14, 2026 -- Maksim Markevich, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of PVFARM, has been named a finalist in the Rising Star Individual category of the 2026 Platts Global Energy Awards, organized by S&P Global Energy. Winners of the 28th annual awards will be announced on September 14, 2026, following review by an independent panel of international energy experts.

Markevich is one of finalists selected from 36 countries, with more than 57% originating outside the United States. Other nations represented among finalists include Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Turkey and China, across 19 award categories spanning the global energy and chemicals value chain.