I'm very confused about the new reality of the latest change. Is the equipment I have no longer useful (ie, reactors)?
I don't think so (unless 1 energy point per minute is good enough for you), but please clarify what you're trying to do so I can answer you better.
I unmounted my reactor and replaced it with a spare engine. It still shows +10. If this is a bug, that will really make mining with a trucker nearly impossible since you're restricted to 2 equipment slots and it will take 40 minutes just to fill up again.