China is the world’s largest purchaser of oil. But three months after the war with Iran began, it cut its imports, cushioning the global market.

© Hector Retamal/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

A prolonged drought means the nation’s largest reservoirs are dwindling, and litigation over access to water could lie ahead.

© Nina Riggio for The New York Times

Tuesday’s runoff for a slot on the Alabama Public Service Commission has a familiar ring to it, with talk of data centers and electricity costs. But in a southern twist, solar power has joined the list of villains.

© Audra Melton for The New York Times

I hope balcony solar’s charisma and low cost help us imagine the energy-abundant future we are so close to achieving.