The huge CERAWeek energy conference in Houston that was slated to begin March 9 has been canceled due to concerns about the novel coronavirus, organizers announced Sunday.
Why it matters: The week-long annual conference is among the world's biggest and most prominent industry gatherings, drawing CEOs of the world's most powerful energy companies, energy ministers, U.S. Cabinet secretaries, OPEC leadership and more.
Pollution levels have plummeted over China and it's "partly related to the economic slowdown following the outbreak of coronavirus," NASA said in a statement accompanying the release of satellite images demonstrating the nitrogen dioxide (NO2) changes.
Driving the news: The outbreak caused China's factory activity to fall to a record low of 35.7 in February from 50.0 in January, officials said Saturday, per the Financial Times. NO2, a key contributor to smog and a major health hazard, is the gas that's emitted by motor vehicles, power plants and other industrial facilities.
Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said Saturday that the Trump administration is "about to finalize a leasing plan" to sell rights for oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Bloomberg reports.
The intrigue: Some of America's biggest banks are cutting off financing for Arctic oil and gas projects.
Overall energy use from data centers has increased slightly over the past decade, but improved efficiency means that they're using less energy per operation, according to a new analysis.
Why it matters: Ultra-efficient server farms have kept energy consumption from growing as fast as data use. But with 5G and AI on the horizon, new innovations will be needed to prevent an explosion in energy use.
