The UK's grid connection queue is overwhelmed with speculative data center projects that are unlikely to ever be built, worsening wait times and complicating energy demand forecasts. Ofgem has proposed requiring developers to post large nonrefundable deposits, potentially reaching hundreds of millions of dollars for the biggest projects, and to demonstrate secured customers and funding before joining the queue. The plan is open for industry feedback until September before being finalized.
wired.com
· 2026-08-27
The Asahi Linux project has released version 7.2 of its Progress Linux distribution, continuing its effort to bring full Linux support to Apple Silicon Macs. This update focuses heavily on improving power management, particularly around how the application CPU cores enter and exit sleep states using ARM's Wait For Interrupt instruction and Apple's deep-sleep variant. The team is also working to align its downstream power management driver with the standardized Power State Coordination Interface required for upstream kernel acceptance.
asahilinux.org
· 2026-08-26
Amazon has opened pre-orders for Apple's new M6 and M5 Pro Mac mini models across several configurations, ranging from $899 to $1,699. Best Buy is separately offering up to $500 off the M6 Mac mini when trading in an older M4 unit, while other current discounts include AirTag 2 at $20, renewed iPhone 17 Pro units up to $220 off, and Apple's official iPhone Air Bumper case down to under $13.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-08-26
New tracking data shows gas-fired power capacity under development in the United States has surged past China's, reaching roughly three times the amount, driven largely by data center demand. The volume of U.S. gas power projects tied to data centers nearly doubled in just the first half of 2026.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-08-26
Nature.com published a compilation summarizing five notable developments in nuclear-power research, though the underlying content was inaccessible due to browser compatibility restrictions. The page redirected visitors to a stripped-down, styleless version of the site rather than displaying the actual research summaries.
nature.com
· 2026-08-26
New reactor designs, including smaller modular units, are being developed to make nuclear fission a more flexible and reliable source of carbon-free electricity. This shift comes after decades in which nuclear power failed to deliver on early promises of cheap, abundant energy following its transition from wartime use to civilian power generation.
nature.com
· 2026-08-26
Researchers and policymakers are advancing new approaches to nuclear waste disposal, including deep geological repositories and advanced reprocessing techniques, as governments seek durable solutions for spent fuel that has accumulated for decades. The effort comes amid renewed global interest in nuclear power as a low-carbon energy source.
nature.com
· 2026-08-26
Nature reports that the nuclear power sector is increasingly turning to small modular reactors (SMRs) as a way to overcome the cost overruns and construction delays that have long plagued large-scale nuclear plants. These smaller, factory-built designs promise faster deployment and lower upfront capital costs than traditional gigawatt-scale reactors.
nature.com
· 2026-08-26
A new analysis of seven states housing roughly half of America's data centers finds that generating the electricity these facilities consume uses far more water than cooling their servers does. Across Virginia, Texas, California, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio and Arizona, data center power demand draws about 3.4 trillion gallons of freshwater a year—about 12 times the combined annual water use of Los Angeles, Phoenix and Washington, D.C. Most of that electricity comes from water-dependent power plants, and two-thirds of them sit in regions already facing significant water stress or drought.
ceres.org
· 2026-08-25
Amazon has cut the price of Anker's clamp-on Nano Power Strip to $57.99, down from its $69.99 list price, marking a 17% discount and the first price reduction the device has seen on the platform. The strip offers six AC outlets and four USB ports (two USB-C, two USB-A) with up to 70W total output, plus surge and overload protection.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-08-25
Pacific Fusion has started construction on a new demonstration facility in Albuquerque designed to test whether its pulsed-power approach to fusion can achieve net facility gain, producing more energy than the entire facility consumes. The company says no other US facility under construction targets this milestone, and it aims to reach it by 2030 en route to a commercial plant in the mid-2030s.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-08-25
New testing of robotic pool vacuums shows that suction strength, measured in gallons of water pulled through per hour, matters less than how efficiently a robot navigates and targets debris. This year's test batch included models with AI-powered cameras and sensors that detect debris and redirect the robot toward it, a first for these tests. Corded models like the Dolphin Nautilus CC Plus generally outperformed cordless ones like the Aiper Scuba V3 due to continuous power for repeated cleaning cycles.
cnet.com
· 2026-08-25
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