While there is a great deal of excitement about fusion, there are huge challenges too.
Jose A. Bernat Bacete | Moment | Getty Images
The U.K. government has chosen the location for a prototype fusion energy plant, with the country’s Energy Secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg, describing the technology as “a great hope.”
In a statement Monday, authorities said the STEP facility would be based at the West Burton power station, in Nottinghamshire, England. The aim is to build STEP, which stands for Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production, by 2040.
The government said it would provide £220 million (around $249.6 million) of funding for the STEP project’s first phase, in which the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority will ready a concept design by 2024.
Fusion is not the same as fission, which is used in today’s nuclear power plants. The U.S. Department of Energy describes fusion as occurring “when two atoms slam together to form a heavier atom, like when two hydrogen atoms fuse to form one helium atom.”
The DOE adds that this “is the same process that powers the sun and creates huge amounts of energy—several times greater than fission. It also doesn’t produce highly radioactive fission products.”
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In a speech at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, Rees-Mogg, who is the U.K.’s secretary of state for business, energy and industrial strategy, sought to highlight the potential of fusion.
“Fusion is a great hope, it is a potential ace up our sleeve,” he said. “It offers unparalleled potential for clean power production, promising a future of inexhaustible energy that could unshackle us from hydrocarbons and make us truly self-sufficient and secure,” he went on to add.
While there is a great deal of excitement about fusion, there are huge challenges too. The DOE says fusion reactions are “difficult to sustain for long periods of time” due to what it says are “the tremendous amount of pressure and temperature needed to join the nuclei together.”
In his speech, Rees-Mogg made a similar point when he acknowledged that the technological hurdles were “big.” Nevertheless, he was bullish about the U.K.’s prospects going forward.
“We will build the U.K.’s first prototype fusion energy plant in Nottinghamshire, replacing the West Burton coal-fired power station with a beacon of bountiful green energy,” he said.
“The plant will be the first of its kind, built by 2040 and capable of putting energy on the grid. And in doing so, it will prove the commercial viability of fusion energy to the world.”
West Burton A is a coal-fired power station that started generation in 1966. Generation at the facility is slated to end in March 2023.
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Monday’s announcement was welcomed by the nuclear industry. Tom Greatrex, who is chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said the news represented “a huge moment for fusion energy in the UK.”
“As we look to moving away from fossil fuels towards net zero, it is important that we find new ways of meeting our growing energy demands,” he later added.
“Fusion offers the opportunity to produce virtually limitless energy that will power low-carbon economies across the world. The UK can play a central role in making that a reality.”
The past few years have seen a number of significant developments in the fusion energy sector.
This surpassed a previous record from 1997, when 22 megajoules of heat energy was generated. The results were achieved at the Joint European Torus, or JET, facility in Oxfordshire, U.K.
Co-funded by the European Commission, Eurofusion is made up of thousands of engineers, scientists, students and other experts from throughout Europe.
The amount of energy produced by the experiment was not huge, however, with reports at the time stating that 59 megajoules could boil around 60 kettles of water.
The Honda Prologue was a top-selling EV, thanks in part to discounts that climbed over $20,000 at times. But after losing the $7,500 tax credit, sales of the electric SUV fell 86% in November.
Honda Prologue sales fall in November despite discounts
After launching the Prologue last March, the electric SUV quickly became one of the most popular EVs in the US, thanks to its competitive range, affordable price, and Honda’s trusted name.
The momentum carried into this year, with the Prologue consistently ranking among the most popular EVs alongside the Tesla Model Y, Model 3, Chevy Equinox EV, Hyundai IONIQ 5, and Ford Mustang Mach-E.
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Thanks to policy changes under the Trump administration, including the elimination of the $7,500 tax credit at the end of September, nearly every automaker reported significantly fewer EV sales in November. Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and Toyota all reported significant EV sales declines last month, and Honda was no exception.
Honda Prologue Elite (Source: Honda)
Honda sold just 903 Prologues in November, 86% fewer than the over 6,800 it sold the year prior. Through November, Honda sold 38,262 Prologues, which is still more than the roughly 33,000 it sold in all of 2024.
Despite the lower EV sales, Honda said “electrified” vehicles, which are mainly gas-powered hybrids, reached 30.9% of brand sales. With another 28,258 units sold last month, Honda’s electrified vehicle sales reached 385,453 through November, a new annual sales record.
The interior of the Honda Prologue (Source: Honda)
Although Honda confirmed the Acura ZDX will not return for a 2026 model year, the Prologue will remain on sale for at least another year.
The Prologue is built on GM’s Ultium platform, the same one that underpins all electric Chevy, GMC, and Cadillac vehicles.
Honda Prologue at a Tesla Supercharger (Source: Honda)
Honda has been offering some of the most significant discounts on the Prologue, with combined savings exceeding $20,000 in some months. Even after the tax credit expired, Honda is still offering nearly $17,000 off select Prologue models.
Next year, Honda will introduce its new 0 Series electric vehicles, based on a dedicated EV platform. The first vehicle based on the platform will be an SUV in 2026, followed shortly by a sedan.
Of the over 102,000 vehicles Honda sold in the US last month, only 925 were all-electric vehicles (including the Prologue and Acura ZDX), or less than 1%. Those 0-series EVs can’t come soon enough.
As most automakers agree, the policy changes under the Trump administration led to a rush of buyers ahead of the tax credit expiration at the end of September. Despite reports claiming the credit created false demand for EVs, the market is expected to reset over the next few months.
With nearly $17,000 in savings, the Prologue is still a great deal. If you’re looking to test drive one for yourself, we can help you get started. You can use our link to find the Honda Prologue in your area.
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The official dates for Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have passed, but that doesn’t mean the savings train has pulled out of the station, as EcoFlow has launched its Cyber Week Sale with up to 80% continued savings on power stations, alongside free gifts and bonus savings using the code 25EFBFAFF at checkout. Among the offers, you’ll find the brand’s latest DELTA 3 1000 Air Portable Power Station down at $309 shipped, which comes with a FREE waterproof bag ($99 value), but sadly isn’t eligible for the extra savings code. We saw this new model launch early last month during early Black Friday sales with $200 cut from its $499 full tag price. While it’s not returning to that launch rate, if you missed out, you’re still getting the next-best price that sits only $10 higher. Head below for more on this new backup power solution and browse the entire sale lineup while it lasts through the rest of the week.
We’re seeing some slightly changed promotions during EcoFlow’s Cyber Week Sale, starting with the continued 5% extra savings you can score on many units by using the code 25EFBFAFF at checkout. From there, you will get a FREE 45W portable solar panel after spending $500, which becomes 2x 160W Bifacial portable solar panels once your order reaches $2,500. The brand is also offering an additional 10% automatic savings when buying two eligible accessories in one order, as well as the continued chance at the Lucky Draw.
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As the name implies, EcoFlow’s new DELTA 3 1000 Air power station is a lighter and more compact solution for powering devices and small appliances. It houses a 960Wh LiFePO4 battery that EcoFlow boasts to “power 99% of home-essential appliances” with a 500W steady output that can climb to 1,000W at most. You’ll have a mix of AC, Type-C, and Type-A ports for connections, complete with indicator lights for grid status when tapped in and immediately switching over power supplies when any instability is detected.
It comes with four primary means to top its own battery off, starting with two hours of charging from an AC outlet. There’s also the option to utilize up to 500W of solar input or a gas generator, as well as the usual on-the-go solution from your car’s auxiliary port (with a 500W alternator charger ramping that rate up to much faster heights).
***Note: The prices below have not had the bonus 5% savings factored in, so be sure to use the promo code 25EFBFAFF at checkout to score the absolute best prices. Some offers may not be valid.
EcoFlow’s other Cyber Week DELTA 3 1000 Air offers:
EcoFlow Cyber Week website-only deals/bundles:
RAPID Mag Qi2 10,000mAh 15W magnetic power bank: $55 (Reg. $90)
RAPID Mag Qi2.2 10,000mAh 25W magnetic power bank with built-in cable: $70 (Reg. $100)
DELTA 2 (2,048Wh) with extra battery and 2x 110W panels: $929 (Reg. $2,646)
Get $1,620 exclusive savings on EcoFlow’s DELTA 3 Ultra 3,072Wh power station at a new $879 low
Holiday savings are still running strong, as we have secured an exclusive deal from Wellbots on EcoFlow’s DELTA 3 Ultra Portable Power Station for $879 shipped, after using the exclusive code 9TO5ECOCM120 at checkout, beating the brand’s current Cyber Week sale pricing by $220. Coming down from its $2,499 price tag, we saw this new model drop as low as $999 between its launch in late September and today. That rate is getting beaten out by the combined $1,620 exclusive markdown here, which lands it lower than ever for the best price we have tracked. You can also find new continuing lows on the DELTA Pro Ultra 400W solar bundle, as well as 20 various offers on the latest DELTA Pro Ultra X power station and bundles.
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.
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National Grid is rolling out new AI tools to get ahead of increasing wildfire risk across the Northeast. The utility is partnering with Washington DC-based Rhizome, a grid resilience planning company, to identify and prevent potential ignition threats across its transmission and distribution networks in Massachusetts, New York, and the UK.
Rhizome’s gridFIRM (Fire Ignition Reduction and Mitigation) platform launched in July 2024. It uses AI to calculate the likelihood that utility equipment could spark a wildfire and highlights the most cost-effective ways to mitigate those risks. The system builds on Rhizome’s existing weather-driven grid-failure modeling tools that utilities are already using.
Casey Kirkpatrick, director of strategic engineering at National Grid, said, “This groundbreaking new tool will allow us to pinpoint and address risks within our transmission and distribution systems while minimizing costs for customers.”
“As we’ve seen in both the data and the destruction in recent years, wildfire risk is not a regional problem but an increasingly global one,” said Mishal Thadani, cofounder and CEO of Rhizome. “Today’s partnership with National Grid is a significant step forward in our mission to shield society from the effects of climate change through intelligent planning.”
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National Grid says using the gridFIRM platform will help it identify high-risk areas where utility assets could spark wildfires, quantify and prioritize wildfire risks across its networks, develop cost-effective prevention and response strategies, and improve overall grid-resilience planning.
While wildfires have long been associated with the West Coast, the Northeast is increasingly feeling the heat. In 2024, New York and Massachusetts saw a combined 2,626 wildfires — more than double the number from the previous year. As both the human and financial tolls rise, National Grid says that comprehensive wildfire planning is becoming a necessity for utilities and the communities they serve.
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