Weather, war, and energy intersect in the first half of 2026 The halfway point of 2026 can be marked by an intersection of weather extremes, geopolitical tensions, and energy security, with climate impacts, severe storms, and global energy policy decisions shaping both environmental and political landscapes. On June 23, the UN Secretary-General delivered a special address at London Climate Action Week, linking the worsening climate crisis and growing energy insecurity to con

More and more people are selecting renewable solar when they "choose one" The United States added 7.8 gigawatts (GW) of new solar capacity in the first quarter of 2026, surpassing 6 million cumulative installations as solar remained the leading source of new power added to the grid. Despite changing tax policy and regulatory actions targeting clean energy, solar and energy storage represented 91% of new capacity installed in Q1 as utilities, homeowners and businesses seek ene

IMTS unveils format for upcoming convention: nine co-located conferences IMTS has always managed the impressive feat of maintaining its quality despite the massive scale of innovations and sheer technological development it covers every two years. This year, it’s upping the ante once again. This year’s show will encompass nine conferences and more than 90 sessions spotlighting the full manufacturing ecosystem, including advanced technologies, job shops, additive manufacturin

A leaky labor force tries to power through in an uncertain economy U.S. job growth slowed sharply in June and payroll gains for the prior two months were revised lower, pointing to a cooling labor market and prompting financial markets to dial back expectations for a near-term interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve. While the Labor Department's closely watched July 2 employment report showed the unemployment rate dropped to 4.2% last month from 4.3% in May, that was due

The state of the water industry includes heavy responsibilities--and burdens AWWA's latest report on the state of the water industry doesn't hold back from telling hard truths. According to the association, the water industry faces aging infrastructure, funding gaps, climate risks, supply chain disruptions, and cybersecurity threats. The 2026 State of the Water Industry report reveals a sector facing growing pressure across infrastructure, financing, and long-term water suppl

Yaskawa America awarded for customer experience Yaskawa America, Inc. has earned Interaction Metrics' Outstanding CX Award for its 2025 customer experience, based on a third-party survey of their Distributors, OEMs, and End Users in the United States and Canada. The survey, conducted by customer experience research firm Interaction Metrics, evaluated Yaskawa across 112 distinct performance dimensions, resulting in an overall score of 90 out of 100. Yaskawa's Net Promoter Sco

Recycling methods are developing in the battery world Continental Battery Systems has announced an initiative designed to support "a more sustainable battery supply chain" by collecting, testing, reconditioning and recycling used batteries. “Our goal is to keep batteries out of landfills,” said Juan Sierra, Senior VP Supply Chain of Continental Battery Systems. “Every battery we collect is either tested for reuse, reconditioned or sent back into the recycling stream so those

Arizona plant announces switch to natural gas Arizona Public Service (APS) announced July 2 that it plans to convert two units at its Cholla Power Plant in Joseph City, Navajo County, Arizona to natural gas. The repurposed resource, with operations beginning in 2029, "will help meet the state’s growing energy demand while maintaining reliable, affordable electric service for customers," the utility said in a July 2 press release. Originally commissioned in 1962, the Cholla Po

National Weather Service breakdown of America's current heatwave Hydrate before you start reading this. It's July, so you expect it to be hot. Still, a dangerous heat wave continues across the central and eastern U.S. through the end of this week, with severe weather and heavy rain threats continuing across "the Plains, Upper Midwest, Southeast, and Northeast the next few days," according to the most recent update from the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center.

Schneider just selected Cognite as its partner for the future Schneider Electric, the multinational industrial-tech company, announced June 30 that it has acquired Cognite, a leading provider of industrial data and AI software, in an all-cash transaction valued at $3.1 billion. Industrial AI is shifting from supporting analytics to executing operations, from describing what is happening in industrial infrastructure to deciding and acting on it. Capturing this shift requires m

The "Golden Era of Nuclear Power" event is underway in Idaho The "Golden Era of Nuclear Power" event at Idaho National Laboratory’s (INL) Materials and Fuels Complex in Idaho Falls, Idaho is taking place today, Thursday, June 25. As with most things (especially live events) centered around nuclear power, it's had mixed responses in the early going. This event comes just ahead of the 250th anniversary of the United States, underscoring the country’s progress in what some are c

Megger Baker User Conference set for October 6-8 in Colorado Join the 2026 Megger Baker User Conference October 6th–8th in Fort Collins, CO. The event offers an opportunity to connect with fellow Megger Baker equipment users from a diverse range of industries at an upcoming three-day conference. Set in beautiful downtown Fort Collins, this event provides a dedicated space to share your experiences, explore new technologies, and expand your professional network. The agenda inc

Summary of this year's convention in figures and more EASA recently sent its post-expo package to exhibitors for the 2026 Solutions Expo, which took place last week in Orlando. It offered the usual heartfelt thank you to its members and all participants, along with a useful summary of recent numbers showing how attendance has mostly been on the upswing. "On behalf of EASA’s Board of Directors, membership and staff, THANK YOU for participating in EASA’s 2026 Solutions Expo at

"The Floor Runs on Us" theme debuted at this year's A3 show Under the theme "The Floor Runs on Us," Vention showcased software-defined automation through integrated hardware, software, motion control, cloud connectivity, and Physical AI. Vention's entire Automate 2026 booth (2848) ran on "MachineMotion" AI, powered by NVIDIA Jetson and NVIDIA Isaac, CUDA-accelerated libraries, and open models, including NVIDIA FoundationPose. Live demos across three locations featured collab

Innovations help offshore wind farm in the Baltic Sea As wind farms become more globalized and suitable sites are being taken up, so turbines are being built further out to sea. The impact of this is that their foundations’ diameters and heights are increasing to stand up to, and harness, the full force of stronger winds, according to a June 25 press release from Dutch heavy lifting company Mammoet, which just used such data to aid in construction of a Baltic Sea offshore win

Traffic Plan marks milestone with 250th TMA celebration Traffic Plan, a leading traffic control service provider based in Tinton Falls, N.J., recently expanded its fleet with the acquisition of its 250th truck-mounted attenuator (TMA) vehicle, reinforcing the company’s continued investment in roadway safety, utility support, and traffic management operations. Traffic Plan commemorated the milestone during a ceremony held May 12 at its flagship Long Branch, New Jersey, facilit

A summit devoted to battery safety is set for its 6th year this August in Chicago With safety as the core focus, the Solid State Battery Safety Summit is on schedule for its sixth edition, August 11-12 at the InterContinental Hotel in Chicago. Solid-state and semi-solid-state batteries are "well positioned to be the breakthroughs that will help propel advanced battery technologies to the next level of global adoption," according to Cambridge EnerTech, the show's organizers. "

A new solution for autonomous manufacturing operations Rockwell Automation, the Milwaukee specialists in industrial automation and digital transformation, announced the availability of "FactoryTalk ResilientEdge," June 18, something it calls "a next-generation execution architecture designed to support autonomous manufacturing operations across highly automated environments." The aptly-branded "FactoryTalk ResilientEdge" reportedly creates a single execution layer that spans

Motor efficiency champions say power quality is the new focal point Infinitum, the Austin-based motor manufacturer, announced the introduction of "Aircore EC+" June 16. The company calls this development "the next evolution in its award-winning motor system platform, designed to help customers do more with less energy, costs and complexity." The new product is expected to help with cooling applications used in power-intensive facilities. Traditional variable frequency drives

Over $765 million in renewable projects slated for cancellation Investment in renewable energy projects continues to be in limbo. Just this week, the Department of the Interior announced a settlement agreement with affiliates of Invenergy, one of North America’s largest privately held operators of independent power infrastructure. The decision is aimed at "strengthening American security and lowering costs," as well as "advancing goals central to the Energy Dominance Agenda,"