MIT

New Jersey regulators have issued a record $1.1m fine against DataOne's datacenter facility in Vineland after dozens of unpermitted generators were documented there. The enforcement action followed a visual investigation by Floodlight, carried out with The Guardian, which found the backup power equipment had been installed without required permits. The case highlights growing scrutiny of datacenters' environmental impacts and their rapidly expanding energy infrastructure.

The German Olympic Committee has chosen Munich as its candidate city, setting the southern city up to pursue a future Olympic Games. Munich, which hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics, is expected to build its bid around existing venues and public support for the Games. The decision now clears the way for Germany to formalise its candidature.

A major battery storage facility is being built in Waltrop, Germany, at a cost of around 500 million euros. The project would use 800 containers of lithium batteries to store up to 1,800 megawatt-hours of electricity and deliver up to 900 megawatts of power, allowing surplus wind and solar energy to be fed into the grid. It is being discussed as an example of Germany's push to expand grid-scale storage for renewable energy.

An environmental group is challenging air quality permits issued for a massive Amazon data center project in North Carolina, with Duke Energy also named in the challenge. The dispute centers on emissions linked to powering the facility. Data centers have drawn growing scrutiny over their electricity demands and pollution footprint.

The Utah Wildlife Board has approved a package of changes covering fishing regulations, elk hunting rules, and conservation permits. The decisions will shape how anglers and hunters operate across the state in upcoming seasons. Coverage so far is limited to regional reporting, and the specific details of the approved changes have not yet been widely detailed.