Following his public disputes with California authorities during the COVID-19 pandemic, Elon Musk personally moved to Texas, outside of Austin, in 2020.
Over the next six years, he doubled down on the Lone Star State. In 2021, Musk increasingly focused the Starship program in South Texas, urging SpaceX employees to move there and work on the company's future. In March of that year, he began using the name Starbase to describe the production and launch facilities near the Rio Grande River.
In 2023, he built a massive factory east of Austin to manufacture customer terminals and other electronics for the Starlink program. In July 2024, he announced that SpaceX would relocate its corporate headquarters from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas. He cited California's regulatory and political environment as the motivating factor.
Research & Developments is a blog for brief updates that provide context for the flurry of news regarding law and policy changes that impact science and scientists today.
Science was on the ballot across the United States in Tuesday’s midterm elections. On federal, state, and municipal levels, hundreds of people with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine ran for office. Americans also voted on measures related to conservation projects, pollutant abatement, healthcare access, and environmental reviews.
On the basis of their published platforms, the Democratic Party prioritizes environmental and climate mitigation policies more than the Republican Party; with Democrats regaining majorities in both houses of Congress, many science and environmental advocates hope to see legislation that could reverse some of the changes to federal science and environmental policy over the past 2 years.
Here are a few of the midterm outcomes that might shape the future of science and the environment in the United States.
House Science Committee
Because the next House of Representatives will be controlled by Democrats, the current ranking member of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D–Calif.), will become the committee’s chair. The position is currently held by Rep. Brian Babin (R-Texas), a strong Trump supporter.
With Lofgren assuming leadership and new members reconstituting the committee, it may have more power to reverse some of the Trump administration’s changes to science policy.
Those changes have “really taken a sledgehammer to the foundation of science research and innovation, and we’re going to need to try and put the pieces back together,” Lofgren told FYI, the news arm of the American Institute of Physics.
Democrats hope that their new House/Congressional majority will allow them to exert more oversight of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. Credit: Jack Power/White House, public domain
Lofgren and other Democrats told FYI that in a Democrat-controlled Congress, the House Science Committee would focus on stopping a proposal from the Office of Management and Budget to make sweeping changes to the federal grantmaking process. Democrats also said the committee would put science officials, such as Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., under greater scrutiny for their actions.
The Republican-to-Democrat flip in the House also means that chairmanship of the House’s Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics, which covers NASA, will switch from Rep. Mike Haridopolos (R–Fla.) to current ranking member Rep. Valerie Foushee (D–N.C). Industry sources expect Democrats to prioritize combating proposed cuts in NASA science programs and closures of facilities at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.
“One of the few issues in Washington I can proudly say we can work together on is space,” Haridopolos said at the Space Economy Summit in Orlando, Fla., on 29 October. “It’s something Republicans and Democrats have locked arms about and really believe is the future of our country.”
Congressional and Statewide Seats
Incumbent Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper (D) retained his seat. Hickenlooper, a former geologist, has been an advocate for science while in office.
In Michigan’s 7th District William Lawrence (D) challenged incumbent Rep. Thomas Barrett (R) and is projected to win (with more than 95% of votes counted as of publication). Lawrence is an environmental activist and a cofounder of the Sunrise Movement, a youth-driven climate action organization. He ran on a platform to protect Michigan’s natural areas from data center encroachment, to restore wetlands and rivers, and to hold polluters accountable.
More than half of North Carolinians remain dissatisfied with state and federal efforts to aid their recovery from Hurricane Helene in 2022. Credit: Bill McMannis, CC BY 2.0
The ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene was among the top concerns for voters in North Carolina. After the 2022 disaster, President Trump tapped Republican Sen. Michael Whatley to coordinate disaster recovery efforts, calling him the “Helene Recovery Czar.” North Carolinians have been generally displeased with his efforts, and responded by voting in Democrat Roy Cooper to replace him. And in the state’s 11th district, which includes Asheville and 16 rural counties that were hardest hit by Helene, voters chose Democrat Jamie Ager, an environmental scientist and fourth-generation North Carolina farmer, to replace one-term Rep. Chuck Edwards (R), who withdrew from the race in August.
“I hate to sound totally partisan, but I know that there’s one party that’s trying to do something about climate change, and there’s one party that is denying it,” one NC-11 voter told Grist. “And so, I vote accordingly.”
In California, two Democrats were on the ballot for the role of insurance commissioner, a position which regulates everything from disaster insurance and worker’s compensation to auto, life, pet, and some types of health insurance. It’s an important role in a state wracked by wildfires that have threatened public health and been worsened by climate change. As of Wednesday morning, the election was still too close to call.
While State Senator Ben Allen ran on the platform that a comprehensive wildfire mitigation plan was the way to improve the availability and affordability of disaster insurance, former San Francisco supervisor Jane Kim proposed something more radical: natural disaster insurance for all. If elected, Kim has said she would divert insurance premiums homeowners already pay into a public program that automatically covers all homes in the state. On her website, Kim argued that “a public system would address the climate disaster instead of avoiding it.” Allen’s website argued that Kim’s plan is too risky, threatening to “bankrupt the state and send costs even higher.”
State-Level Ballot Issues
Voters in Rhode Island elected to establish the $55 million Environment and Watershed Protection and Development Bond. The bond will distribute funds to improve and add to statewide water infrastructure, restore and protect the Narragansett Bay watershed, and preserve agricultural land and natural areas for recreation.
Massachusetts voted to establish the Nature for All Fund. The new law will direct into the fund 50% of the tax revenue collected from the sale and use of sporting goods, recreational vehicles, and golf courses before 1 July 2028 (and 100% of the tax collected thereafter). It also establishes a 15-member board consisting of state officials and members of the public, including representatives of underserved communities, Indigenous peoples, and at least one person with expertise or experience in natural resource conservation. The board will direct the use of those funds to natural resource conservation projects across the state.
In Arkansas, voters passed a measure allowing the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to issue up to $500 million in bonds for water infrastructure projects, including water treatment, pollution abatement, irrigation, flood control, and wetland conservation. This reflects a federal-state infrastructure partnership that has grown since the 2021 Infrastructure and Investment Act.
In Michigan, voters chose to support Proposal 2, which, among other changes, amends Michigan’s campaign finance laws to prohibit some electric and gas utilities, as well as utility-funded political action committees (PACs) from making campaign contributions. The proposal also bans people with “substantial connections” to such utilities from running for or holding offices that impact their businesses.
DTE Energy, headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, is one of the largest utilities in Michigan, serving more than 2 million electric customers. Under Proposition 2, DTE and other utility companies will not be allowed to make campaign contributions. Credit: kcerog/Wikimedia Commons, public domain
The ballot initiative was led by Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, a coalition of various advocacy groups, including the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. The coalition hopes that Proposal 2 will make it easier for state lawmakers to regulate these large utilities and work towards clean energy implementation.
Monopoly utility companies “have opposed commonsense clean energy solutions in the Legislature, like community solar and removing unnecessary caps for rooftop solar,” Nick Dodge, senior director of programs at the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, told Eos in an email. “By putting the power back in the hands of Michiganders, not powerful corporate interests, Michigan can pursue common-sense clean energy solutions that bring down energy costs, improve reliability and service, and benefit Michigan communities.”
In Colorado, an amendment to add the right to purchase and sell natural gas to the state constitution seemed unlikely to pass as of Wednesday morning, with only 46% in favor and 55% required for passage. If passed, Amendment 82 would make Colorado the first state with the constitutional right to buy and sell natural gas.
Also as of Wednesday morning, 54.1% of Californians had voted against a proposal to amend the California Environmental Quality Act, with 57% of the expected votes tallied. Proposition 45 proposed expediting environmental review for most housing, transportation, water, and health projects. The proposal would limit the duration of environmental reviews to one year and would require courts to resolve litigation related to reviews within 270 calendar days. Proponents argued that the bill would cut red tape and make California more affordable, while opponents, such as Deja McCauley of Physicians for Social Responsibility, argued that the initiative would mean “more toxic pollution in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we live on.”
These updates are made possible through information from the scientific community. Do you have a story about how changes in law or policy are affecting scientists or research? Send us a tip at eos@agu.org.
Democrats have won the majority in both House and Senate. Vote counts are still ongoing. DW takes a look at who voted Republican, who voted Democrat and what it all means.
1, Rio Tinto begins plans the possible use of a large heat battery, one of the first to be used in an industrial process.
US-based Rondo will work on the design of a 360 MWh heat storage project for an alumina works owned by Rio Tinto in Queensland, Australia. If the plan goes ahead, it will be one of the first such ‘batteries’ in large scale heavy industry. Rondo’s technology is designed to take in electricity at times of day when power is very cheap - an increasing feature of the solar-dominated Australian grid - and convert it to very high temperature heat. The heat is released as steam over the rest of the 24 hours.
2, Electricity generation using cheap aluminium pellets.
The growth of data centres is being accompanied by an increase in behind the meter electricity production, often using highly polluting and noisy generators. This is contributing to the widespread resistance to the building of these large and highly energy intensive plants. Voya Energy uses scrap alumimium made into pellets and then combined with air, water and an electrolyte to produce electricity for buildings such as this. There is no combustion, no CO2 emission, no noise and no other source of pollution. The end product is an aluminium compound that can be used in a variety of other industries but eventually, Voya hopes, will be recycled back into pure aluminium for re-use in electricity generation. This isn’t a process that it is going to out-compete conventional sources of electricity such as solar power but may well be able to beat diesel, particularly in today’s conditions. Initial estimates are for a cost of around 30 cents per kilowatt hour. The company raised $35m in a venture capital fund raising backed by some of the best known US investors. (Thank you to Jesse Scharf).
3, Burgenland, Austria aims for net zero by 2030, largely by over-installing wind and solar.
Burgenland is a small Austrian province on the eastern edge of the country, running along the border with Hungary. Its population is only about 300,000 but it has aggressive ambitions for decarbonisation. It has raised more cash from the European investment bank to build more wind and solar farms. The intention is to use surplus energy to power heat networks and battery storage. This is accompanied by such policies as heavy investment in building insulation improvements and support for agrivoltaics in farming The detailed plan is to achieve full net zero by 2030, making it probably the first part of the EU to hit this target.
4, Should utilities be privately or publicly owned?
Bloomberg carried an article about the comparative electricity prices of two towns in Massachusetts, separated by a narrow lake. On one side, customers of a municipal utility pay 16 cents per kWh while on the other side, households pay 34 cents, a price that rivals the costliest countries in Europe. Their supplier is privately-owned National Grid, a subsidiary of the UK’s main transmission operator. Massachusetts prices are generally high by US standards and have increased above inflation in recent years. Moreover the gap between the two sides of the lake has increased in recent years. Can we generalise from this example to say that municipally owned utilities are more capable of delivering lower priced electricity? Not necessarily, but new work from an Oxford-based group has suggested that the large difference in the costs of capital between publicly owned electricity generators and private competitors may mean a real difference in prices charged. Their analysis suggests that the cost of capital of a fully public system in today’s financial condition may be 3 to 5 % percent less than a private owner. As a result, they conclude the state could buy out all UK generating assets at a fair market price of £72bn to generate an annual saving in electricity bills of almost £15bn.
5, Even as EU manufacturers ask for a relaxation of targets for the EV share of automotive sales, demand booms for electric cars.
Sales of EVs in Europe were up 60% in September 2026 compared to the same month last year. Tesla was up 71%. Chinese makers increased their market share as the EU debates rules that will slow the surge. So almost one third of car sales in Europe were fully electric in September.
6, Separating CO2 from other gases using specialised membranes.
Unisieve in Zurich raised $9m of capital to commercialise its technology for point source carbon capture using metal oxide frameworks (MOFs) to split different gases. The company writes ‘At the core of our technology is a membrane cartridge that continuously separates gas into two streams. Inside, crystal-tuned pores act as molecular sieve, allowing selected molecules through while retaining others’. If this approach works it will be particularly valuable for industries such as cement production. My guess is that MOFs are a plausible contender to be the lowest cost point source carbon capture route.
7, Large scale green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol production in China.
China Energy Engineering started construction of the second phase of a plant that will eventually produce 600,000 tonnes of green ammonia as well as hydrogen and e-methanol. This appears to be the first commercial scale green ammonia plant in China. (For reference, global production is about 200 million tonnes). Separately, ammonia from the existing much smaller factory on the site was used in the first refuelling at sea of a long distance vessel that uses it as a fuel. China’s low costs for producing hydrogen will give it a major advantage in producing internationally competitive ammonia, whether for powering ships or for fertiliser. In an additional boost for ammonia as a shipping fuel, Maersk obtained EU funding to convert four of its large carriers that transport ammonia to dual-fuel engines that can also run on ammonia.
8, Emissions from plug-in hybrid cars (PHEVs) far higher than officially estimated.
Two recent studies demonstrated again that PHEVs are used far less in electric mode than current EU estimates. As a result, their emissions are almost as great as ICE cars. A report from Transport and Environment using data from 2024 car registrations suggested an emissions level of 146 grams per kilometre, not the 24 grams officially estimated. For comparison, T&E wrote that non plug-in cars registered in 2024 had average emissions of 169 grams A study from the International Council on Clean Transportation offered a slightly lower figure for PHEV emissions but stlll far higher than expected. The main reason for the huge underestimate of CO2 emissions appears to be that PHEVs are only driven in electric mode from 21% of the time compared to the 80% assumed in official figures.
9, German battery storage companies go into insolvency even as the national energy storage market booms.
Sonnen, a well-established home battery brand with 150,000 installations, went underthis week. This follows several other failures of local energy storage companies in the German market. Nevertheless battery storage, both commercial and residential, continues to grow rapidly in the country. Over 500,000 new installations were made in the first nine months of this year, with residential customers alone - including those with small plug-in solar kits - buying just under 4 GWh of capacity. (For comparison, the UK probably has about 15 GWh of total battery storage). Perhaps surprisingly, Sonnen’s US subsidiary continues to prosper but in the German market lower priced Chinese competitors and aggressive larger competitors buying their hardware from Asia left Sonnen nursing huge losses.
10, The first Lego bricks made from plastic derived from e-methanol.
Lego said it would use e-methanol from European Energy’s pioneer plant at Kassø to make some of its components. The company suggests it will gradually increase the percentage of e-methanol used in the plastic production process for 90 of its bricks. The European Energy factory makes the e-methanol from green hydrogen and CO2 collected from a biomass electricity plant. Lego’s move into using e-methanol as a raw material follows the increasing use of recycled plastics in its products. Its goal is that the bricks will be 100% low carbon by 2032 as part of the company’s path to net zero by 2050. But this week’s announcement about e-methanol didn’t hide from saying that progress is difficult. The move ‘follows more than five years of partnership, testing, learning and scaling to use e-methanol for the production of plastic. It’s been a complex journey.’
As always, I’m very grateful to those readers who sent in suggestions for news items to cover. Thank you.
Using Google's products and services has always been fundamentally precarious—doing so gives the world's largest advertising company a lot of juicy personal data. Google has long said it won't use the sensitive data from products like Gmail, Drive, and Photos for ad personalization, but a change to the company's privacy policy appears to dismantle that firewall.
On October 16, Google issued an update to its privacy policy, spotted by Android Authority. The ad personalization section used to include a clear limit on data from certain apps. "We don’t show you personalized ads based on your content from Drive, Gmail, or Photos," the document said. Now, Google has updated it with the following language.
Updated language on when your sensitive data might inform ads.
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Google
This equivocation opens the door to using data from apps like Gmail and Photos in ads when it's shared with other Google services, and it just so happens Google has a mechanism for doing that, with Personal Intelligence. The company released Personal Intelligence in early 2026, allowing users to hand data from multiple apps to Google AI products. The idea is that the added context from your existing data will lead to better AI answers, but it's also proving to be a privacy minefield.
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Updated language on when your sensitive data might inform ads.
Credit:
Google
