August 20, 2025
- Downtown Newsmagazine
- Aug 20
- 2 min read
New data centers powered by DTE Energy may trigger “offramp” provisions in Michigan’s 2023 climate and clean energy laws that allow utilities to keep running or building fossil fuel plants if renewable sources cannot handle the energy grid’s load. (Tom Perkins/Inside Climate News)
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A new study finds climate pollution is making GPS and communications satellites even more vulnerable to solar storms. (Andrew Freedman/CNN)
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The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued new rules restricting wind and solar companies from claiming federal tax breaks. (Brad Plumer/The New York Times)
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The Trump administration reopens the $5 billion program to establish reliable EV charging along major highways including in underserved parts of the country after losing legal battles in court. (Jeff St. John/Canary Media)
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Environmental groups are suing the Trump administration to block the repeal of the legal foundation for regulating climate pollution, alleging they broke the law recruiting people who reject climate change to write a report that downplays global warming. (Lisa Friedman/The New York Times)
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to eliminate $7 billion in grants for rooftop solar projects aimed at serving lower- and middle-income consumers. (Jake Spring/The Washington Post)
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The city of Chicago is installing nearly 300 high-quality air pollution sensors making it the largest network in the U.S. intended to help shape city planning and establish public health safeguards to mitigate pollution. (Brett Chase/The Chicago Sun Times)
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New research using data from California emergency departments shows hotter summers could be making us sicker in unexpected ways. (Ruby Mellen/The Washington Post)
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Negotiations over a global plastic pollution treaty collapsed as countries failed to align on how the world should limit plastic manufacturing and restrict the use of harmful plastic chemicals. (Hiroko Tabuchi/The New York Times)
Then there’s this…
Calling all citizen scientists - Michigan environmental regulators are seeking citizen scientists to help monitor the persistent wildfire smoke across the state this summer and contribute to the datasets being analyzed. (Sheri McWhirter/MLive)
