Policy 17 January 2026 - 6 April 2026

Colorado Kills Tech-Backed Right-to-Repair Rollback in Blow to Cisco, IBM
·····

Colorado Kills Tech-Backed Right-to-Repair Rollback in Blow to Cisco, IBM

Colorado’s House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee voted 7-4 to block Senate Bill 26-090, a move that leaves the state’s sweeping right-to-repair law unchanged after the bill cleared the Senate, according to CoPIRG. The legislation, backed by the tech industry, would have exempted some IT equipment from the law. The committee’s decision ends the effort to pare back one of the nation’s most expansive repair policies. This decision lands just as Colorado’s digital-equipment repair law kicked in on Jan. 1, 2024. The so-called “right to repair” lets both device owners and independent technicians access the parts, tools, and manuals needed for fixes—no need to route everything through the manufacturer. Colorado’s statute applies to digital electronics, and it specifically
April 29, 2026
National Grid Gas Rate Hike Faces Key Massachusetts Test at Public Hearing
···

National Grid Gas Rate Hike Faces Key Massachusetts Test at Public Hearing

BOSTON, April 6, 2026, 3:18 PM National Grid plc is back under the microscope in Massachusetts on Monday. Regulators will take public comments in Lynn later today on a plan that could hike gas delivery charges in the company’s service areas. The proposal, if it goes through, would tack roughly $24 onto the average winter heating bill for customers in greater Boston and central Massachusetts, while folks in Cape Cod and the Merrimack Valley would see about $25 more each month.
April 6, 2026
Woodside Energy Group Ltd Resets Browse Carbon Capture Plan Under Australia’s New Law
···

Woodside Energy Group Ltd Resets Browse Carbon Capture Plan Under Australia’s New Law

Woodside Energy pulled its Browse carbon capture and storage plan from Australia’s federal approval track, opting instead to resubmit under updated environment laws. The move keeps a key element of the Browse gas project’s emissions strategy in play. “The new rules allow a revised referral,” a spokesperson said March 30. This is significant: Browse is planned as the supply lifeline for the decades-old North West Shelf LNG plant in Western Australia, which secured federal approval last year to keep running until 2070. The timing is notable—just days ago, Cyclone Narelle knocked production offline at Woodside’s Karratha gas plant, the main onshore facility for the North West Shelf.
March 31, 2026
Glencore Horne Smelter Rescue Takes Shape as Quebec Moves on Emissions Delay, Ottawa Weighs Aid
···

Glencore Horne Smelter Rescue Takes Shape as Quebec Moves on Emissions Delay, Ottawa Weighs Aid

Quebec looks set to extend Glencore’s deadline for cutting arsenic emissions at its Horne smelter, Canadian Mining Journal said Tuesday, citing a proposed provincial bill that would delay tougher caps until 2029. On Monday, Bloomberg reported Ottawa is considering roughly C$150 million in aid for new pollution-control tech. Why does it matter? Horne stands as the only copper smelter in Canada, handling roughly 16% of North America’s smelting capacity each year, Bloomberg notes. Glencore has warned that shutting down the Rouyn-Noranda operation would put its Montreal refinery in jeopardy too—potentially affecting around 3,200 jobs, both direct and indirect.
March 31, 2026
Woodside Keeps Browse CCS Alive With Plan to Refile Under New Australia Law
···

Woodside Keeps Browse CCS Alive With Plan to Refile Under New Australia Law

Woodside Energy plans to resubmit its Browse carbon capture and storage proposal after pulling its initial application from Australia’s federal approval process. The company pointed to updated environmental laws that open the door for a fresh referral, keeping this pillar of its larger Browse gas project in play. Woodside baked in a CCS solution for Browse from the outset, aiming to capture reservoir CO2 that would otherwise vent to atmosphere. The development also hooks into the North West Shelf LNG network, which only got the federal environmental go-ahead through 2070 last year.
March 30, 2026
Lynas Rare Earths Limited’s Vietnam Deal Sharpens Race for Non-China Rare Earth Supply
···

Lynas Rare Earths Limited’s Vietnam Deal Sharpens Race for Non-China Rare Earth Supply

PERTH, March 30, 2026, 04:09 AWST. Lynas Rare Earths announced late last week it’s teaming up with South Korea’s LS Eco Energy for a processing project in Vietnam. The plan: turn Lynas rare-earth oxides into metals used for permanent magnets. This move would bring the Australian miner further along a supply chain that’s still largely controlled by China. LS Eco is eyeing a fourth-quarter launch for the Vietnam plant, with magnet output expected in the U.S.
March 29, 2026
Waymo and Tesla tell Congress: Act now on self-driving cars — or China sets the rules
·····

Waymo and Tesla tell Congress: Act now on self-driving cars — or China sets the rules

Lawmakers in the U.S., alongside executives from Alphabet’s Waymo and Tesla, plan to push Congress on Wednesday to revive stalled legislation aimed at accelerating self-driving car deployment. They warned that China could pull ahead if Washington delays further. https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/us-lawmakers-waymo-tesla-urge-congress-take-action-speed-deployment-self-driving-2026-02-04/ Timing couldn't be more awkward. Robotaxis—ride-hailing without a human driver—are rolling out in more U.S. cities, yet federal regulations still mostly expect a human behind the wheel with pedals and a steering wheel.
February 4, 2026
EU hits China’s Goldwind with fresh subsidy probe as wind turbine battle in Europe widens
··

EU hits China’s Goldwind with fresh subsidy probe as wind turbine battle in Europe widens

On Tuesday, the European Commission launched a detailed probe into Goldwind Science & Technology. The Chinese wind turbine maker is suspected of gaining an unfair advantage in the EU through foreign subsidies. This move is significant as Brussels doubles down on a relatively new trade and competition tool while Europe works to rebuild its wind supply chain and defend it against cheap imports. Wind power sits at the heart of the bloc’s energy goals, yet European manufacturers warn that shrinking margins are slowing down projects.
February 3, 2026
Texas bans Temu and Shein on state devices as Abbott expands China tech blacklist to 26 firms
········

Texas bans Temu and Shein on state devices as Abbott expands China tech blacklist to 26 firms

AUSTIN, Texas, Jan 27, 2026, 09:23 CST Texas Governor Greg Abbott has broadened the state’s banned technologies list—a roster of companies barred from government devices and networks—by including 26 new firms like Alibaba, Temu’s parent company PDD, Shein, and router manufacturer TP-Link, his office announced. The latest revision also covers AI-related products and various other software.
January 27, 2026
Kansas could ban student cellphones bell-to-bell — here’s what SB 302 would do
···

Kansas could ban student cellphones bell-to-bell — here’s what SB 302 would do

TOPEKA, Kan., Jan 17, 2026, 02:18 This week, Kansas lawmakers received mixed testimony on a bill aimed at tightening regulations around student cellphone use in K-12 schools across the state. Supporters argue the measure would reduce distractions, while opponents caution it enforces a rigid, one-size-fits-all rule. The Kansas Board of Education stayed neutral but expressed a preference for allowing districts to set their own policies.
January 17, 2026