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Key developments
Scientists deem worst-case emissions implausible
A new paper published in Geoscientific Model Development says the long-used RCP8.5/SSP5-8.5 worst-case emissions pathway is now implausible, as renewable power, EVs, batteries, and lower clean-energy costs have pulled current trajectories below that baseline. FactCheck.org said Donald Trump misrepresented the update as proof that earlier climate projections were wrong, but the researchers said scenarios are "what-if" tools, not forecasts, and still include substantial warming if policy stays weak.
Why it matters
It undercuts selective use of the worst-case scenario while leaving serious climate-risk projections intact.
Sources & driving stories
SCIENCEALERT · Jess Cockerill
ScienceAlert coverageFACTCHECK.ORG · Kate Yandell
FactCheck.org coverageTrump announces $850 million coal push
Trump said the administration will use Defense Production Act authority to direct about $850 million toward coal, including $425 million for upgrades at 13 coal plants, $75 million for the West Gateway export terminal in Oakland, and up to $350 million more for four previously announced projects. Heatmap and Climate Depot said the move is being framed as a national-security response to AI data-center power demand and energy-price volatility.
Why it matters
It is a major federal reversal toward coal and could reshape power-market expectations and emissions policy.
Sources & driving stories
HEATMAP
Heatmap coverageCLIMATE DEPOT
Climate Depot coverageEPA delays HFC refrigeration transition
EPA extended compliance deadlines by five to six years for supermarkets and cold-storage warehouses to stop buying new HFC-based refrigeration systems, pushing Biden-era deadlines set for 2026 and 2027 out several years. U.S. manufacturers told E&E News the delay rewards importers of legacy equipment and risks stranding domestic investments in lower-GWP alternatives.
Why it matters
It slows one of the clearest refrigerant phaseouts in U.S. climate policy and may shift competition toward older, higher-warming products.
Sources & driving stories
E&E NEWS BY POLITICO
E&E News by POLITICO coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
Blue-carbon guidance leaves rights gaps
Nature's review of 122 guidance documents found coastal tenure rights are often treated as project inputs, with exclusion, withdrawal and alienation rights commonly omitted.
WORTH NOTING
Battery-storage insurance gap exposed
pv magazine said the Polish renewable cyberattack highlighted how BESS losses can fall between property and cyber policies when battery controls are compromised.
WORTH NOTING
Ohio pauses data-center tax exemptions
Heatmap reports Governor DeWine halted access to the state's data-center tax exemption request program, signaling escalating pushback against power-hungry development.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will agencies keep using RCP8.5 in rulemaking?
The new scenario paper says the pathway is implausible, but it still shapes climate-risk framing and political messaging.
OPEN QUESTION
Can coal funding translate into real capacity quickly?
The administration announced emergency-backed support, but the actual effect on generation and exports remains uncertain.