Longtime Slashdot reader AmiMoJo shares a report from Clean Energy Wire: Renewable energy sources covered nearly 56 percent of Germany's gross electricity consumption in 2025, according to preliminary figures by energy industry group BDEW and research institute ZSW. Despite a 'historically weak' first quarter of the year for wind power production and a significant drop in hydropower output, the share of renewables grew by 0.7 percentage points compared to the previous year thanks to an increase in installed solar power capacity.
Solar power output increased by 18.7 percent over the whole year, while the strong growth in installed capacity from previous years could be sustained, with more than 17 gigawatts (GW) added to the system. With March being the least windy month in Germany since records began in 1950, wind power output, on the other hand, faced a drop of 5.2 percent compared to 2024. However, stronger winds in the second and third quarter compensated for much of the early-year decrease.
Onshore turbines with a capacity of 5.2 GW were added to the grid, a marked increase from the 3.3 GW in the previous year. Due to significantly less precipitation this year compared to 2024, hydropower output dropped by nearly one quarter (24.1%), while remaining only a fraction (3.2%) of total renewable power output.
Green light intended to limit amount consumers pay for windfarms to turn off during periods of high generation
Three major UK electricity “superhighways” could move ahead sooner than expected to help limit the amount that households pay for windfarms to turn off during periods of high power generation.
Current grid bottlenecks mean there is not enough capacity to transport the abundance of electricity generated in periods of strong winds to areas where energy demand is highest.
America's Energy Department runs a research lab in Idaho — and this week announced successful results from a ground-breaking experiment. "This is the first time in history that chloride-based molten salt fuel has been produced for a fast reactor," says Bill Phillips, the lab's technical lead for salt synthesis. He calls it "a major milestone for American innovation and a clear signal of our national commitment to advanced nuclear energy."
Unlike traditional reactors that use solid fuel rods and water as a coolant, most molten salt reactors rely on liquid fuel — a mixture of salts containing fissile material. This design allows for higher operating temperatures, better fuel efficiency, and enhanced safety. It also opens the door to new applications, including compact nuclear systems for ships and remote installations.
"The Molten Chloride Fast Reactor represents a paradigm shift in the nuclear fuel cycle, and the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE) will directly inform the commercialization of that reactor," said Jeff Latkowski, senior vice president of TerraPower and program director for the Molten Chloride Fast Reactor. "Working with world-leading organizations such as INL to successfully synthesize this unique new fuel demonstrates how real progress in Gen IV nuclear is being made together."
"The implications for the maritime industry are significant," said Don Wood, senior technical advisor for MCRE. "Molten salt reactors could provide ships with highly efficient, low-maintenance nuclear power, reducing emissions and enabling long-range, uninterrupted travel. The technology could spark the rise of a new nuclear sector — one that is mobile, scalable and globally transformative.
More details from America's Energy Department:
MCRE will require a total of 72 to 75 batches of fuel salt to go critical, making it the largest fuel production effort at INL since the operations of Experimental Breeder Reactor-II more than 30 years ago. The full-scale demonstration of the new fuel salt synthesis line for MCRE was made possible by a breakthrough in 2024. After years of testing, the team found the right recipe to convert 95 percent of uranium metal feedstock into 18 kilograms of uranium chloride fuel salt in only a few hours — a process that previously took more than a week to complete...
After delivering the first batch of fuel salt this fall, the team anticipates delivering four additional batches by March of 2026. MCRE is anticipated to run in 2028 for approximately six months at INL in the Laboratory for Operation and Testing (LOTUS) in the United States test bed.
"With the first batch of fuel salt successfully created at INL, researchers will now conduct testing to better understand the physics of the process, with a goal of moving the process to a commercial scale over the next decade," says Cowboy State Daily.
Thanks to long-time Slashdot reader schwit1 for sharing the article.
Nuclear engineer Lonnie Johnson worked on NASA's Galileo mission, has more than 140 patents, and invented the Super Soaker water gun.
But now he's working on "a potential key to unlock a huge power source that's rarely utilized today," reports the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. [Alternate URL here.]
Waste heat...
The Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter, or JTEC, has few moving parts, no combustion and no exhaust. All the work to generate electricity is done by hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe. Inside the device, pressurized hydrogen gas is separated by a thin, filmlike membrane, with low pressure gas on one side and high pressure gas on the other. The difference in pressure in this "stack" is what drives the hydrogen to compress and expand, creating electricity as it circulates. And unlike a fuel cell, it does not need to be refueled with more hydrogen. All that's needed to keep the process going and electricity flowing is a heat source.
As it turns out, there are enormous amounts of energy vented or otherwise lost from industrial facilities like power plants, factories, breweries and more.
Between 20% and 50% of all energy used for industrial processes is dumped into the atmosphere and lost as waste heat, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The JTEC works with high temperatures, but the device's ability to generate electricity efficiently from low-grade heat sources is what company executives are most excited about.
Inside JTEC's headquarters, engineers show off a demonstration unit that can power lights and a sound system with water that's roughly 200 degrees Fahrenheit — below the boiling point and barely warm enough to brew a cup of tea, said Julian Bell, JTEC's vice president of engineering. Comas Haynes, a research engineer at the Georgia Tech Research Institute specializing in thermal and hydrogen system designs, agrees the company could "hit a sweet spot" if it can capitalize on lower temperature heat...
For Johnson, the potential application he's most excited about lies beneath our feet.
Geothermal energy exists naturally in rocks and water beneath the Earth's surface at various depths. Tapping into that resource through abandoned oil and gas wells — a well-known access point for underground heat — offers another opportunity.
"You don't need batteries and you can draw power when you need it from just about anywhere," Johnson said. Right now, the company is building its first commercial JTEC unit, which is set to be deployed early next year. Mike McQuary, JTEC's CEO and the former president of the pioneering internet service provider MindSpring, said he couldn't reveal the customer, but said it's a "major Southeast utility company." "Crossing that bridge where you have commercial customers that believe in it and will pay for it is important," McQuary said...
On top of some initial seed money, the company brought in $30 million in a Series A funding in 2022 — money that allowed the company to move to its Lee + White headquarters and hire more than 30 engineers. McQuary said it expects to begin another round of fundraising soon.
"Johnson, meanwhile, hasn't stopped working on new inventions," the article points out. "He continues to refine the design for his solid-state battery..."
UPDATE (12/7): The New York Times clarifies today that the damage at Chernobyl hasn't led to a rise in radiation levels:
"If there was to be some event inside the shelter that would release radioactive materials into the space inside the New Safe Confinement, because this facility is no longer sealed to the outside environment, there's the potential for radiation to come out," said Shaun Burnie, a senior nuclear specialist at Greenpeace who has monitored nuclear power plants in Ukraine since 2022 and last visited Chernobyl on October 31. "I have to say I don't think that's a particularly serious issue at the moment, because they're not actively decommissioning the actual sarcophagus."
The I.A.E.A. also said there was no permanent damage to the shield's load-bearing structures or monitoring systems. A spokesman for the agency, Fredrik Dahl, said in a text message on Sunday that radiation levels were similar to what they were before the drone hit.
But "A structure designed to prevent radioactive leakage at the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine is no longer operational," Politico reported Saturday, "after Russian drones targeted it earlier this year, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog has found."
[T]he large steel structure "lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability" when its outer cladding was set ablaze after being struck by Russian drones, according to a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Beyond that, there was "no permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems," it said. "Limited temporary repairs have been carried out on the roof, but timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in astatement.
The Guardian has pictures of the protective shield — incuding the damage from the drone strike. The shield is the world's largest movable land structure, reports CNN:
The IAEA, which has a permanent presence at the site, will "continue to do everything it can to support efforts to fully restore nuclear safety and security," Grossi said.... Built in 2010 and completed in 2019, it was designed to last 100 years and has played a crucial role in securing the site.
The project cost €2.1 billion and was funded by contributions from more than 45 donor countries and organizations through the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, according to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which in 2019 hailed the venture as "the largest international collaboration ever in the field of nuclear safety."
"A structure designed to prevent radioactive leakage at the defunct Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine is no longer operational," reports Politico, "after Russian drones targeted it earlier this year, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog has found."
[T]he large steel structure "lost its primary safety functions, including the confinement capability" when its outer cladding was set ablaze after being struck by Russian drones, according to a new report by the International Atomic Energy Agency. Beyond that, there was "no permanent damage to its load-bearing structures or monitoring systems," it said. "Limited temporary repairs have been carried out on the roof, but timely and comprehensive restoration remains essential to prevent further degradation and ensure long-term nuclear safety," IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said in astatement.
The Guardian has pictures of the protective shield — incuding the damage from the drone strike. The shield is the world's largest movable land structure, reports CNN:
The IAEA, which has a permanent presence at the site, will "continue to do everything it can to support efforts to fully restore nuclear safety and security," Grossi said.... Built in 2010 and completed in 2019, it was designed to last 100 years and has played a crucial role in securing the site.
The project cost €2.1 billion and was funded by contributions from more than 45 donor countries and organizations through the Chernobyl Shelter Fund, according to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which in 2019 hailed the venture as "the largest international collaboration ever in the field of nuclear safety."
An early grid battery was installed in the Atacama Desert in Chile 15 years ago. Now, as prices have tumbled, they are increasingly being used around the world.
Employees working on battery units at the solar project, which is owned by AES, a Virginia company that holds utilities and power plants across the world.
The US Department of Energy has approved an $8.6 million grant that will allow the nation’s first utility-led geothermal heating and cooling network to double in size.
Gas and electric utility Eversource Energy completed the first phase of its geothermal network in Framingham, Massachusetts, in 2024. Eversource is a co-recipient of the award along with the city of Framingham and HEET, a Boston-based nonprofit that focuses on geothermal energy and is the lead recipient of the funding.
Geothermal networks are widely considered among the most energy-efficient ways to heat and cool buildings. The federal money will allow Eversource to add approximately 140 new customers to the Framingham network and fund research to monitor the system’s performance.
Worries about the US grid’s ability to handle the surge in demand due to data center growth have made headlines repeatedly over the course of 2025. And, early in the year, demand for electricity had surged by nearly 5 percent compared to the year prior, suggesting the grid might truly be facing a data center apocalypse. And that rise in demand had a very unfortunate effect: Coal use rose for the first time since its recent collapse began.
But since the first-quarter data was released, demand has steadily eroded. As of yesterday’s data release by the Energy Information Administration (EIA), which covers the first nine months of 2025, total electricity demand has risen by 2.3 percent. That slowdown means that most of the increased demand could have been met by the astonishing growth of solar power.
Better than feared
If you look over data on the first quarter of 2025, the numbers are pretty grim, with total demand rising by 4.8 percent compared to the same period in the year prior. While solar power continued its remarkable surge, growing by an astonishing 44 percent, it was only able to cover a third of the demand growth. As a result of that and a drop in natural gas usage, coal use grew by 23 percent.
Two coal plants in Mumbai (in India) that were scheduled to close last year continue operating after the state government of Maharashtra reversed shutdown decisions in late 2023 and extended the life of at least one facility by five years. The largest single factor the Indian conglomerate Tata cited in its petition for an extension was increased energy demand from data centers.
The Guardian reports that Amazon operated 16 data centers in Mumbai last year. The company's official website lists three "availability zones" for the city. Amazon's Mumbai colocation data centers consumed 624,518 megawatt hours of electricity in 2023. That amount could power over 400,000 Indian households for a year. Residents of Mahul live a few hundred metres from one coal plant. Earlier this year doctors found three tumours in the brain of a resident's 54-year-old mother. Studies show people who live near coal plants are much more likely to develop cancer. By 2030 data centers will consume a third of Mumbai's energy, according to Ankit Saraiya, chief executive of Techno & Electric Engineering. Amazon's colocation data centers in Mumbai bought 41 diesel generators as backup. A report in August by the Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy identified diesel generators as a major source of air pollution in the region.
Long-time Slashdot reader jenningsthecat shared this article from IEEE Spectrum:
By dropping a nuclear reactor 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) underground, Deep Fission aims to use the weight of a billion tons of rock and water as a natural containment system comparable to concrete domes and cooling towers. With the fission reaction occurring far below the surface, steam can safely circulate in a closed loop to generate power.
The California-based startup announced in October that prospective customers had signed non-binding letters of intent for 12.5 gigawatts of power involving data center developers, industrial parks, and other (mostly undisclosed) strategic partners, with initial sites under consideration in Kansas, Texas, and Utah... The company says its modular approach allows multiple 15-megawatt reactors to be clustered on a single site: A block of 10 would total 150 MW, and Deep Fission claims that larger groupings could scale to 1.5 GW. Deep Fission claims that using geological depth as containment could make nuclear energy cheaper, safer, and deployable in months at a fraction of a conventional plant's footprint...
The company aims to finalize its reactor design and confirm the pilot site in the coming months. [Company founder Liz] Muller says the plan is to drill the borehole, lower the canister, load the fuel, and bring the reactor to criticality underground in 2026. Sites in Utah, Texas, and Kansas are among the leading candidates for the first commercial-scale projects, which could begin construction in 2027 or 2028, depending on the speed of DOE and NRC approvals. Deep Fission expects to start manufacturing components for the first unit in 2026 and does not anticipate major bottlenecks aside from typical long-lead items.
In short "The same oil and gas drilling techniques that reliably reach kilometer-deep wells can be adapted to host nuclear reactors..." the article points out. Their design would also streamline construction, since "Locating the reactors under a deep water column subjects them to roughly 160 atmospheres of pressure — the same conditions maintained inside a conventional nuclear reactor — which forms a natural seal to keep any radioactive coolant or steam contained at depth, preventing leaks from reaching the surface."
Other interesting points from the article:
They plan on operating and controlling the reactor remotely from the surface.
Company founder Muller says if an earthquake ever disrupted the site, "you seal it off at the bottom of the borehole, plug up the borehole, and you have your waste in safe disposal."
For waste management, the company "is eyeing deep geological disposal in the very borehole systems they deploy for their reactors."
"The company claims it can cut overall costs by 70 to 80 percent compared with full-scale nuclear plants."
"Among its competition are projects like TerraPower's Natrium, notes
the tech news site Hackaday, saying TerraPower's fast neutron reactors "are already under construction and offer much more power per reactor, along with Natrium in particular also providing built-in grid-level storage.
"One thing is definitely for certain..." they add. "The commercial power sector in the US has stopped being mind-numbingly boring."
"On the slopes of an Oregon volcano, engineers are building the hottest geothermal power plant on Earth," reports the Washington Post:
The plant will tap into the infernal energy of Newberry Volcano, "one of the largest and most hazardous active volcanoes in the United States," according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It has already reached temperatures of 629 degrees Fahrenheit, making it one of the hottest geothermal sites in the world, and next year it will start selling electricity to nearby homes and businesses. But the start-up behind the project, Mazama Energy, wants to crank the temperature even higher — north of 750 degrees — and become the first to make electricity from what industry insiders call "superhot rock." Enthusiasts say that could usher in a new era of geothermal power, transforming the always-on clean energy source from a minor player to a major force in the world's electricity systems.
"Geothermal has been mostly inconsequential," said Vinod Khosla, a venture capitalist and one of Mazama Energy's biggest financial backers. "To do consequential geothermal that matters at the scale of tens or hundreds of gigawatts for the country, and many times that globally, you really need to solve these high temperatures." Today, geothermal produces less than 1 percent of the world's electricity. But tapping into superhot rock, along with other technological advances, could boost that share to 8 percent by 2050, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Geothermal using superhot temperatures could theoretically generate 150 times more electricity than the world uses, according to the IEA. "We believe this is the most direct path to driving down the cost of geothermal and making it possible across the globe," said Terra Rogers, program director for superhot rock geothermal at the Clean Air Task Force, an environmentalist think tank. "The [technological] gaps are within reason. These are engineering iterations, not breakthroughs."
The Newberry Volcano project combines two big trends that could make geothermal energy cheaper and more widely available. First, Mazama Energy is bringing its own water to the volcano, using a method called "enhanced geothermal energy"... [O]ver the past few decades, pioneering projects have started to make energy from hot dry rocks by cracking the stone and pumping in water to make steam, borrowing fracking techniques developed by the oil and gas industry... The Newberry project also taps into hotter rock than any previous enhanced geothermal project. But even Newberry's 629 degrees fall short of the superhot threshold of 705 degrees or above. At that temperature, and under a lot of pressure, water becomes "supercritical" and starts acting like something between a liquid and a gas. Supercritical water holds lots of heat like a liquid, but it flows with the ease of a gas — combining the best of both worlds for generating electricity... [Sriram Vasantharajan, Mazama's CEO] said Mazama will dig new wells to reach temperatures above 750 degrees next year. Alongside an active volcano, the company expects to hit that temperature less than three miles beneath the surface. But elsewhere, geothermal developers might have to dig as deep as 12 miles.
While Mazama plans to generate 15 megawatts of electricity next year, it hopes to eventually increase that to 200 megawatts. (And the company's CEO said it could theoretically generate five gigawatts of power.)
But more importantly, successful projects "motivate other players to get into the market," according to a senior geothermal research analyst at energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie, who predicted "a ripple effect," to the Washington Post where "we'll start seeing more companies get the financial support to kick off their own pilots."
Meta is venturing into the complex world of electricity trading, betting it can accelerate the construction of new US power plants that are vital to its AI ambitions. From a report: The foray into power trading comes after Meta heard from investors and plant developers that too few power buyers were willing to make the early, long-term commitments required to spur investment, according to Urvi Parekh, the company's head of global energy. Trading electricity will give the company the flexibility to enter more of those longer contracts.
Plant developers "want to know that the consumers of power are willing to put skin in the game," Parekh said in an interview. "Without Meta taking a more active voice in the need to expand the amount of power that's on the system, it's not happening as quickly as we would like."
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations no longer appear in an organizational chart posted by the Energy Department on Tuesday.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from CNBC: The Trump administration will provide Constellation Energy with a $1 billion loan to restart the Crane Clean Energy Center nuclear plant in Pennsylvania, Department of Energy officials said Tuesday. Previously known as Three Mile Island Unit 1, the plant is expected to start generating power again in 2027. Constellation unveiled plans to rename and restart the reactor in Sept. 2024 through a power purchase agreement with Microsoft to support the tech company's data center demand in the region.
Three Mile Island Unit 1 ceased operations in 2019, one of a dozen reactors that closed in recent years as nuclear struggled to compete against cheap natural gas. It sits on the same site as Three Mile Island Unit 2, the reactor that partially melted down in 1979 in the worst nuclear accident in U.S. history. The loan would cover the majority to the project's estimated cost of $1.6 billion. The first advance to Constellation is expected in the first quarter of 2026, said Greg Beard, senior advisor to the Energy Department's Loan Programs Office, in a call with reporters. The loan comes with a guarantee from Constellation that it will protect taxpayer money, Beard said.
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Wired: Startup Valar Atomics said on Monday that it achieved criticality -- an essential nuclear milestone -- with the help of one of the country's top nuclear laboratories. The El Segundo, California-based startup, which last week announced it had secured a $130 million funding round with backing from Palmer Luckey and Palantir CTO Shyam Sankar, claims that it is the first nuclear startup to create a critical fission reaction. It's also, more specifically, the first company in a special Department of Energy pilot program aiming to get at least three startups to criticality by July 4 of next year to announce it had achieved this reaction. The pilot program, which was formed following an executive order President Donald Trump signed in May, has upended US regulation of nuclear startups, allowing companies to reach new milestones like criticality at a rapid pace.
There's a difference between the type of criticality Valar reached this week -- what's known as cold criticality or zero-power criticality -- and what's needed to actually create nuclear power. Nuclear reactors use heat to create power, but in cold criticality, which is used to test a reactor's design and physics, the reaction isn't strong enough to create enough heat to make power. The reactor that reached criticality this week is not actually Valar's own model, but rather a blend of the startup's fuel and technology with key structural components provided by the Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the DOE's research and development laboratories. The combination reactor builds off a separate fuel test performed last year at the laboratory, using fuel similar to what Valar's reactor will use. "Zero power criticality is a reactor's first heartbeat, proof the physics holds," Valar founder Isaiah Taylor said in a statement. "This moment marks the dawn of a new era in American nuclear engineering, one defined by speed, scale, and private-sector execution with closer federal partnership."
A.J. Jacobs went 48 hours without interacting with artificial intelligence. The experiment revealed just how embedded artificial intelligence already is in our daily lives.
The new projects would include a Westinghouse reactor, like those used in the recent construction of two units at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Waynesboro, Ga.
As tech companies build data centers worldwide to advance artificial intelligence, vulnerable communities have been hit by blackouts and water shortages.
When Microsoft opened a data center in central Mexico last year, nearby residents said power cuts became more frequent. Water outages, which once lasted days, stretched for weeks.
If you’re on the lookout for a powerful charger for your phone and other gadgets, then you’re gonna want to jump on this fast Anker Nano USB-C charging block (which comes with a free cable included) that’s now on sale for just $34.99 on Amazon (was $49.99). That’s a lovely 30% discount on a lovely accessory you won’t regret.
This tiny power adapter features three ports: two USB-C and one USB-A. The USB-C ports are faster, each delivering up to 70W of charging, which will juice up your phone in under an hour and is even fast enough to power many laptops, including MacBooks. That’s only when the USB-C ports are used on their own, though. When multiple are being used, the 70W total gets split up. (The USB-A maxes out at 33W, by the way.)
Apart from being able to charge three devices at once, what I love about this wall plug is that it’s compact with foldable prongs. It fits easily into pockets and bags, and you can take it with you while traveling without worrying that it’ll get damaged or scuff up anything else. And don’t forget that it comes with a free USB-C cable that’s capable of handling the fast charging power of this power block.
One thing you absolutely need but probably don’t even think about is a new power strip—something better and more modern than that clunky traditional six-outlet mess you’ve probably been using for over a decade. This 10-in-1 Anker power strip is such a great upgrade option because it’s way more organized and versatile, and it’s down to just $19.99 right now on Amazon (was $25.99).
Conventional power strips suck because they have lined-up outlets, meaning your chunkier plugs and adapters get in the way of each other and sometimes even cover up neighboring outlets. But with this one, the six AC outlets are spaced out and oriented away from each so your plugs never collide or overlap. That’s plenty for all your devices, monitors, PCs, accessories, and whatever else needs tethered power.
But what takes this power strip a step further is the inclusion of two USB-A and two USB-C ports along the bottom edge, allowing you to charge your phones, tablets, laptops, earbuds, etc. without taking up valuable AC outlet vacancies. (The USB-C ports deliver up to 20W and the USB-A ports up to 12W, so they aren’t blazingly fast but fast enough.)
Other nice details include the 5-foot power cable so you can position this almost anywhere, the flat profile plug that easily reaches behind furniture, and a built-in 8-point safety system to protect your devices from surges, short circuits, excess heat, overloads, fires, and more.
This is a pretty crazy get for just $19.99, allowing you to streamline your charging station setup for years to come. Get this 10-in-1 Anker power strip on sale while you can before this deal expires!
Save on Anker's 10-in-1 power strip with USB ports, now just $19.99
The Little Elk solar project in Elkton, Md., is among those owned by CleanCapital, a company that develops and operates solar and battery storage projects around the country.
While my current’s phone battery is still in good health, I developed a habit a few years ago where I’d always have a power bank in my bag when leaving the house. If you’re like me and want to ensure you can still recharge your phone anywhere you may be, you should look at batteries too, including this tiny Iniu model that’s only $11.21 at Amazon right now.
With a $30 MSRP, this Iniu power bank has a 10,000mAh capacity, which means it has enough juice to recharge you phone about twice over, although that depends on what phone you have and if you’re using the device while it’s recharging or not.
The Iniu power bank has a cute strap you can use to carry it around town. The best part is that the strap is actually a short USB-C cable you can use to plug your phone in.
The power bank has a total of three ports, two of which are USB-C and one of which is USB-A, which means you can technically recharge multiple devices at once. With the 45W total output, charging speed would drop considerably if you plug in multiple gadgets.
Remember that in order to get the fabulous $11.21 price, you have to redeem the on-page coupon for the extra 40% discount that goes on top of the 38% off that’s already available for the power bank. Stop wasting time because there’s no way to know when this deal will expire.
Let’s face it: your home office probably deserves a lot more love than you give it. But who has the time (or funds) to deck out a home office as it deserves? Well, one thing you can do without breaking the bank is replace that clunky traditional power strip with a much better one like this Anker 8-in-1 USB charging station—and now’s a great time to grab one because it’s on sale for $19.99 (was $25.99) on Amazon.
This charging station features four three-prong AC outlets oriented in opposite directions so your bulky plugs don’t get in the way of each other. And you know how all your USB power adapters take up so much room on your power strip? This solves that problem with built-in USB ports along the bottom edge—two USB-C, two USB-A—so those AC outlets can be reserved for importance stuff (like monitors).
As far as power, the main USB-C maxes out at 20W, the secondary USB-C at 15W, and the USB-A ports at 12W. When multiple ports are used at the same time, they typically max out around 15W shared (except for the USB-As, which max out at 12W shared). While that’s far from “super fast” charging speeds, it’s still plenty speedy for a budget-friendly charging station that’s meant to be used while you’re at home for a while.
I also love this charging station’s flat profile—measuring 4.72 x 3.15 inches and only 0.71 inches thick—and the AC outlets recess when you aren’t using them, so the whole thing takes up less space than your typical power strip and feels quite sleek. The power cord is 5 feet long so you can position it almost anywhere, and the end plug is flat and angled so you can easily reach it behind furniture hassle-free.
Smartphone manufacturers have been omitting the power bricks (you know, the wall plug adapters for USB cables) from their packaging for a while now, and it can suck at times. The silver lining there is that you can grab yourself a much better, much faster one—and it won’t cost you all that much if you wait for a sale like this one.
Today, you can score this Baseus Enercore 100W charger block for 20% off on Amazon, bringing its price down from $59.99 to a more affordable $47.99. But that’s not all! With this special promotion, you can also get a fast 100W USB-C charging cable included for free. (That’s a $15 value!) On the promo page, add both products to your cart and you’ll see the discounts applied at checkout.
The Baseus Enercore is a wall plug adapter that delivers up to 100W of power, meaning it’s super fast at charging devices like phones, tablets, and earbuds, and it’s fast enough to work with most laptops as well. The charger block itself has a built-in retractable USB-C cable, which you can pull out and connect on demand, then push back in when you’re done. It’s really convenient, especially with its 2.6-foot length.
On top of the retractable USB-C cable, this charger block also has two other ports—one USB-C, one USB-A—that you can use to charge other devices. That’s up to three devices at once. (Note that the total 100W of charging power gets split up when multiple ports are being used. When used on their own, the retractable cable and the USB-C port both reach up to 100W max while the USB-A tops out at 22.5W.)
I also mentioned a free USB-C cable with your purchase, right? This Baseus promo tosses in a 3.3-foot 100W cable with a right-angle plug for free at checkout. You can never have too many cables on hand.
Energy costs have become a central issue in the governor’s race between Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican, and Representative Mikie Sherrill, the Democrat.
The year’s second Amazon Prime Day may be done, but we’re still seeing steep discounts on all sorts of tech. Looking to mop up any loose ends on your shopping list or simply spruce up your quality of life without breaking the bank? This list of cool tech still going for under $50 is just what you need, Prime Day or not.
Charge it faster: $39.99
Ugreen
We don’t know what you need to charge, but we’re sure there’s something in your house with a failing battery. Well, this Ugreen Nexode GaN charger is 41% off on Prime Day and it delivers a 100W max output through the top two USB-C ports — so those are your go-to if you want to recharge your laptop — while the bottom two ports have a max 22.5W output. If you’re charging multiple devices at once, the 100W will get split between all ports.
Webcams are important if you often have to attend online meetings or want to record yourself while streaming. This Anker PowerConf C200 is not only affordable, but it also captures video in 2K, features AI-noise canceling mics, and has an adjustable field of view. Oh, and when you don’t feel like worrying about your privacy, you can just slide in the physical privacy cover.
A long time ago, flash drives were quite large. Now they’re literally the size of your thumbnail, like this SanDisk Ultra Fit. For $38.28, you get 512GB of storage space, which is absolutely amazing. With up to 400MB/s transfer speeds, you’ll be backing up that data in a flash.
One of the best things you can get this October Prime Day is an Echo Spot — they’re cheap, they’re cute, and they give you full access to Alexa’s awesome powers. You can play music, control smart home gadgets, set alarms, and ask Alexa about that recipe you always forget. It also doesn’t hurt that the Echo Spot is cheaper than ever.
We love a good upgrade of a power strip and this Anker Nano charging station is a solid model. There’s no direct discount for this thing, but there is a $10 coupon available on the page, so you just have to tick the box. There are two AC outlets, two USB-A and two USB-C ports, therefore allowing you to charge six things at once.
A good security camera will make your life so much easier when you’re away and this TP-Link Tapo SolarCam C402 is one of the best ones you can get for less than $50. Not only is it a wireless camera with 1080p video, but it also comes with a solar panel so it doesn’t need any wiring.
Stop blaming your gaming fails on your mouse: $37.99
Razer
We know you’ve blamed your mouse at least once when you failed a boss fight, so it’s time to upgrade, right? The super speedy Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed wireless gaming mouse is 46% off. It has an 18K optical sensor, 9 programmable buttons, and gorgeous RGB lighting. What’s not to love?
I don’t know about your laptop, but I haven’t seen a card reader in the past two laptops I’ve owned — it’s been maybe a decade. Obviously, I’m not buying the right laptops, but what I can get is one of these Acer card readers with both USB-A and USB-C plugs. This will make transfering data off the microSD in your dashcam, security cam, and so on, an absolute breeze. Plus, it’s super cheap.
Many laptops need a few extra ports, and you can get some for $14 with this Ugreen Revodok Pro 6-in-1 USB-C hub. There’s a 4K HDMI for another display, a USB-C with 100W power delivery, two USB-A ports, and two USB-C data ports for all sorts of peripherals and charging.
Everyone needs a cute Bluetooth speaker in their lives because music is everything, right? The Anker Soundcore 2 is an affordable option. Not only is this thing IPX7 waterproof, but you also get an impressive 24-hour playtime on a single charge. It’s great for home use, having fun in the yard, or taking it to the beach.
We’re smack-dab in the middle of Prime Big Deal Days, also known as October Prime Day, and we’re seeing all kinds of great deals on everyday products and tech goodies—like these Amazon Basics AAA batteries!
These batteries offer 1.5V power and have a shelf life of 10 years, making them ideal for gaming controllers, flashlights, digital cameras, toys and gadgets, remotes, and all the other little things that take AAA. With an improved design, new zinc composition, and corrosion protection, they’re also leak-proof. These batteries have a stunning 4.7 rating across nearly 630,000 reviews—that’s downright insane.
The best part? They come in a pack of 100 and only cost $22.89 right now, which is a 24% discount from its original $29.99. That’s just under 23 cents per AAA battery, and with a bundle this large, you’ll be set pretty much for the next decade (unless you really burn through them).
Note that these are not rechargeable. These are disposable alkaline AAA batteries meant to be used up and discarded. They come in certified frustration-free packaging and a tight seal that ensures longevity.
Everyone could use 100 long-shelf-life AAA batteries
With this pocket-friendly Anker Nano power bank, you’ll never have to worry about your phone’s battery level hitting red while you’re out and about and hours away from a charger. It’s one of the best backup batteries for a phone because it doesn’t even require a cable—just flip out the built-in USB-C connector and plug it in!
I gotta tell you, this is one of my favorite power banks ever. It has a super-compact design that makes it so easy to carry around and bust out whenever I need it, and the 5,000mAh capacity is enough to recharge my phone to full from zero. I’ve been using it for well over a year, taking it with me everywhere I go, from concerts to day trips. I love the foldable USB-C connector as I don’t need a separate cable, and I can conveniently keep using my phone even while it’s plugged in.
As an added bonus, there’s another USB-C port on the side that you can use to simultaneously charge a second device if you want to. (That’s the same port you use to recharge the power bank itself, by the way.) Both the built-in connector and this side port can deliver 22.5W each when used on their own, so it’s perfect for fast-charging phones. It’s also compatible with both Androids and iPhones! Love that.
Take this tiny power bank with you everywhere you go
That sinking feeling you get when you see your phone’s battery levels go red, knowing you’re still hours away from being anywhere near, can have an easy fix because this tiny Anker Nano power bank is only $19.19 right now at Amazon on Prime Day.
This is a super compact power bank with a 5,000mAh capacity that’s enough to give your phone a full recharge anywhere you may be. This is a power bank that I’ve been using for well over a year, taking with me anywhere I go, from concerts to day trips.
The built-in foldable USB-C connector is extremely useful because you don’t have to carry an extra cable with you. Just pop up the USB-C and plug it into your phone, and you’re good to go.
Of course, if you want to use a cable, nothing’s keeping you from doing it because there’s a USB-C port on the side that can be used for both charging the power bank and for recharging your gadgets. Both the plug and the port can deliver 22.5W of power, making this charger perfect for both iPhones and Android devices.
Tech geeks know you can never have too much storage or too many ports. And if you’ve got a gaggle of gadgets cluttering up your desk, the same axiom applies to power outlets (especially if you’re a monitor freak like me). Welp, this October Prime Day deal has you covered on that last front in glorious excess.
Poking around Amazon, I discovered the SUPERDANNY (we don’t normally capitalize names unless they’re acronyms but SUPERDANNY) power strip. Most power strips tap out around 12 outlets and a couple USB ports, but they’re NORMALDANNY. SUPERDANNY’s power strip scoffs at social norms by packing a whopping 22 three-prong AC outlets and 6 USB ports (two USB-C, four USB-A) inside its sleek-yet-bulky frame. You could run the Large Hadron Collider off this thing!
It’s not just a power strip, either. SUPERDANNY provides electrical surge protection for up to 2,100 joules, 15 amp overload protection, protection against overheating, short circuits, you name it. Like Moby Dick, this beast is built to last—and protect your precious gadgets all the while. Four mounting holes and a drill template can help you tuck the strip somewhere nice and discreet if staring at a mass of wires isn’t your thing.
Best of all? The SUPERDANNY power strip is an absolute bargain during October Prime Day, costing a mere $21.59 until the sale ends at midnight Pacific on October 8th. That’s under a buck per outlet! Embrace glorious excess and don’t miss out on this bargain.
The year’s second Amazon Prime Day event is here and we’re seeing steep discounts on tech gadgets all over the place, from laptops to fancy monitors and beyond. That’s great and all but if you’re looking for things that you can afford without breaking the bank, this list of cool tech under $50 is just what you need.
An Anker laptop hub: $36
Anker
Without spending a ton of money, you get to turn one of your laptop’s ports into eight of them. This compact Anker USB-C hub includes a 4K HDMI port, two USB-A ports, a USB-C data port, a USB-C PD port with 85W pass-through charging, an Ethernet port, and both SD and microSD card readers. Since it can also help you add another monitor to your setup, this hub is the perfect splurge during October Prime Day.
We don’t know what you need to charge, but we’re sure there’s something in your house with a failing battery. Well, this Ugreen Nexode GaN charger is 41% off on Prime Day and it delivers a 100W max output vithrough the top two USB-C ports — so those are your go-to if you want to recharge your laptop — while the bottom two ports have a max 22.5W output. If you’re charging multiple devices at once, the 100W will get split between all ports.
Everyone needs a fun way to rock out. Whether you set this up in the kitchen while you cook dinner, take it with you in the bathroom for some shower singing, or crank some tunes on your patio, you can jam to your new favorite album while you work, do chores, or chill out. Despite how small this speaker is, it’s actually quite loud. Plus, it also doesn’t hurt that it has an IP67 waterproof and dustproof rating and that you get 5 hours of playback on a single charge.
If your laptop is missing an SD card slot, then you should shell out the $9 to get this Anker card reader. This is a 2-in-1 device that can handle both your SD and your microSD cards, thus enabling you to read recordings off card you used with your dashcam, security cam, or your professional camera. This is a USB-C gadget so you’ll easily be able to plug it into your laptop. With a 50% discount, this is an impulse buy.
Get this half-off Anker SD card reader USB-C dongle
If you’re going to splurge on just one thing during October Prime Day, make sure to keep your hand comfortable while working or gaming. The Logitech M705 is a stellar mouse with five programmable buttons, a durable build, and cross-platform compatibility. I’m actually using this exact mouse mouse right now and can vouch that it’s absolutely perfect for day-to-day activities and gaming.
Webcams are important if you often have to attend online meetings or want to record yourself while streaming. This Anker PowerConf C200 is not only affordable, but it also captures video in 2K, features AI-noise canceling mics, and has an adjustable field of view. Oh, and when you don’t feel like worrying about your privacy, you can just slide in the physical privacy cover.
It’s tiny, it’s affordable, and it will keep an eye on your home when you’re not there. It’s great to record video at all times of the day and can even deliver color night vids. It has two-way audio so you can tell your dog off for hopping on the couch, or check in your baby while making lunch.
Your power strip is probably pretty old, right? Well, let’s upgrade to this one from Anker. There are six AC outlets on this thing, as well as two USB-A and two USB-C ports on its very edge, thus enabling you to charge ten gadgets at once. It will be perfect on your desk, in your office, and just about anywhere you spend a lot of time.
A long time ago, flash drives were quite large. Now they’re literally the size of your thumbnail, like this SanDisk Ultra Fit. For $35.88, you get 512GB of storage space, which is absolutely amazing. With up to 400MB/s transfer speeds, you’ll be backing up that data in a flash.
One of the best things you can get this October Prime Day is an Echo Spot — they’re cheap, they’re cute, and they give you full access to Alexa’s awesome powers. You can play music, control smart home gadgets, set alarms, and ask Alexa about that recipe you always forget. It also doesn’t hurt that the Echo Spot is cheaper than ever.
I have a weak spot for well-priced power banks in my house because I never leave home without one shoved in a pocket or a backpack. That’s never been easier than with this ultra-portable Baseus Picogo power bank, and right now it’s on sale for just $19.75 (was $39.99) with this 51% discount for Prime Big Deal Days. Make sure you clip the on-page coupon (click the “Redeem” button) to score this price!
What makes the Baseus Picogo so great? For starters, it’s ultra-compact and fits comfortably in the palm of your hand (no matter how small your hand is). Measuring just 3.47 x 2.35 x 1.06 inches, it’s small enough to toss in your bag or pocket without it bothering you. But the next best thing is that it comes with a built-in USB-C cable that doubles as a carrying strap, making it perfect for concerts, tourism, and errands.
The Baseus Picogo will quickly recharge your gadgets, delivering up to 45W of power through the built-in cable or through the USB-C port. The USB-A port can only hit 22.5W charging. (Yes, you read that right. This power bank can charge up to three devices at once with the built-in cable plus the other two USB ports!) The Picogo’s 10,000mAh capacity should be enough to recharge your phone about two times over.
Again, this power bank is listed for sale at $24.69, but you can click the “Redeem” button to bring it down to just $19.75. Score this power bank for 51% off while you can with this October Prime Day deal! It’s the lowest price we’ve seen for it yet. Meanwhile, check out some of the other amazing tech deals we found for October Prime Day.
Save 51% on this ultra-portable 3-device power bank with built-in cable
Amazon’s October Prime Big Deal Days 2025 sales event is almost over, but there are still some excellent deals to be found on chargers and power banks. This year’s event runs October 7-8 and whether you’re looking to snag a travel-friendly pocket charger or upgrade to a high-capacity drive, there is no better time to get discounted chargers and power banks.
As a tech editor, I’ve been following and writing about the latest tech deals professionally for years, and have developed a keen eye for finding the best sales from all over the internet. My picks take into account a combination of online reviews from tech sites like PCWorld (when available), user feedback, and pricing history. Read on for all of the best deals on chargers and power banks, and be sure to check out our Amazon October Prime Day Tech Deals 2025 hub for more great sales across all the tech categories.
Best October Prime Day 2025 deals on chargers & power banks
Anker MagGo, 10,000 mAh/1x USB-C/15W Qi wireless charging, $54.99 (31% off on Amazon)
Charmast Portable Charger, 10,000 mAh/2x USB-A/1x USB-C/1x micro-USB/1x Lightning, $19.99 (33% off on Amazon)
This Prime Day 2025 deal are hot. The Anker MagGo wireless charger for $25 off on Amazon is a personal favorite thanks to its charging stand as well as its Magsafe charging compatibility for convenient on-the-go charging.
If you need something rugged and reliable that you can bring on even the harshest of adventures, then look no further than the Blavor Solar Charger Power Bank on sale for $13 off on Amazon. This absolute tank of a power bank can recharge without the need for an outlet thanks to its built-in solar panel, and its IPX5 waterproof rating.
Other great October Prime Day deals
These aren’t the only Prime Day deals being tracked by the PCWorld team. If you’re looking to supercharge your home setup with the juiciest tech sales, hit the links for only the best expert-curated picks we’ve found.
What should I look for in a portable charger and power bank?
Quality can differ greatly among power banks, so it’s best to stick to recognizable brands like Anker, Mophie, Belkin, and the like. That said, there are a few things you should always look for when shopping for a power bank.
First, make sure the battery pack is Quick Charge 2.0, 3.0, or PD certified. Next, don’t put too much confidence in a company’s claims that it can charge certain devices in a specific amount of time, such as the pack can charge an iPhone 15 in two hours. Focus more on the battery capacity, along with weight and size. Larger capacities in the 20,000 mAh or higher range should be enough for most small devices such as tablets or smartphones. Finally, make sure that the power bank comes with all of the correct connectivity options you need—USB-A or USB-C, etc.
2.
What battery capacity should I look for in a charger?
For a portable power bank that you can easily travel with, you should look for a minimum of 10,000 mAh. Most models these days even offer 20,000 mAh for reasonable prices. The more mAh, the better. Just be sure to weigh your capacity needs against the physical size of the power bank.
Generally, the more mAh a power bank has, the larger its physical size and the heavier it is, as well. Therefore, we recommend when looking at a power bank, you first consider the amount of power you need to charge your devices, and then adjust your expectations according to the size and weight you are willing to carry around with you.
3.
What is mAh capacity?
The mAh (milliampere per hour) capacity rating refers to the available storage capacity for a battery. A higher number means that the battery can store more energy and has a longer battery life when charging a device. So for example, an iPhone 13 Pro Max’s battery is rated at 4,352 mAh. This means that a power bank with 10,000 mAh can fully recharge that phone a little over twice before running out of power.
With cold weather looming ahead, I’m excited for all those days where I’ll be working in a coffee shop with a pumpkin spice latte to warm me up. But what I’m not looking forward to? All those times when I find myself without proper outlet access for my laptop. That’s why I’ve learned to never leave home without a laptop power bank.
If you ever take your laptop on the go, you should also do the same. What’s that? You don’t have a good laptop power bank? Not a problem! Right now, you can snag this large-capacity Baseus Blade for just $54.99 on Amazon (was $99.99). That’s a huge 45 percent discount!
The Baseus Blade has a special laptop-friendly design that’s slim and flat (only 0.7 inches thick), unlike many other high-capacity power banks that are bulky and chunky. You can slip this one right into your bag next to your laptop and it won’t weigh you down (0.98 pounds).
And its 20,000mAh capacity is enough to recharge most laptops one full time (or a phone up to four times), yet it’s still within FAA limits so you can take it with you on planes. The 100W charging power is fast enough for most laptops, and it actually has four ports (two USB-C and two USB-A) so you can charge up to four devices at once.
It’s hard to do better if you’re looking for a laptop-friendly power bank that’s slim, light, fast, and affordable. Get the Baseus Blade for $54.99 on Amazon before this limited-time deal runs out!
Save 45% on this fast-charging Baseus Blade power bank for laptops
One of the silver linings of phones and tablets no longer coming with power adapters in their boxes is that they usually sucked anyway. These days, you can buy your own that’s way better, and it won’t cost you very much if you can catch a good sale. Like right now, this 2-port Anker Nano USB-C charger is only $19.99 on Amazon with a 33 percent discount.
That’s a darn good price for such a useful and versatile accessory that’ll level up your device-charging game. This charger provides up to 45 watts of power when a single USB-C port is used, which gets split up as 27 watts and 20 watts when both ports are being used. If you’re still using that wimpy 5-watt adapter that came with an old phone, you’ll immediately notice how much faster this one charges.
Other nice aspects of this tiny charger block include the foldable prongs (so you can pack it away and take it with you while traveling), the compact size (thanks to the newer GaN tech under the hood), and the real-time temperature protection mechanism that keeps your devices safe.
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