Climate

From high school science project to $18.3M: AI-accelerated enzymes are coming for fast fashion’s plastic waste

A U.K. startup, originating from founder Jacob Nathan’s high school science project on using enzymes to break down plastic waste, has secured an oversubscribed $18.3 million in Series A funding. Founded in 2019 in London, Epoch Biodesign now a 30+ strong multidisciplinary team of chemists, biologists and software engineers. It will be using the new […]

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Solar installer Sunnova races to raise cash as it issues ‘going concern’ warning

Solar installer Sunnova issued a “going concern” warning as the company runs short on cash. The stock is currently down around 68% as investors gauge the risk that Sunnova is headed for bankruptcy, a frequent outcome for companies that issue such warnings. In a bid to stave off insolvency, Sunnova said Monday it is planning

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Solar crushed 2024, but emissions were up as industry used more natural gas

The U.S. invested a record-breaking $338 billion in the energy transition last year, according to a new report, but it wasn’t quite enough to lessen the country’s overall carbon emissions. Solar took the lead, adding 49 gigawatts of new electrical generating capacity in 2024, far more than any other technology. Solar and wind together now

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Valar Atomics comes out of stealth with $19M and a pilot reactor site

Companies developing small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) have raised more than $1.5 billion in the past year, as tech companies hunger for power to train AI models and governments decide to commit to the industry. For example, X-energy raised $700 million this month, and Paris-based Newcleo raised $151 million last year, and one would be

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Global electricity demand expected to grow 4% annually through 2027

Industry, data centers, and air conditioning are all expected to drive some of the fastest growth in electricity demand in years, according to International Energy Agency forecasts. The agency predicts in a forecast released Friday the world will need 4% more electricity annually through 2027. Meeting that demand will require adding more generating capacity than

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Microsoft powers AI ambitions with 400 MW solar purchase

Microsoft has added another 389 megawatts of renewable power to its portfolio as the tech giant scrambles to meet the power demands required to match its AI ambitions.  The additional renewable power spans three solar projects developed by EDP Renewables North America — two in southern Illinois and one outside Austin, Texas. Microsoft is buying

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Tracking the EV battery factory construction boom across North America

The onshoring of battery manufacturing for EVs started as a trickle during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then it turned into a tsunami. In 2019, just two battery factories were operating in the United States with another two under construction. Today there are about 34 battery factories either planned, under construction, or operational in the country. Former

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Microsoft signs massive carbon credit deal with reforestation startup Chestnut Carbon

Microsoft announced Thursday that it’s buying over 7 million tons of carbon credits from Chestnut Carbon. The 25-year deal would enable Chestnut Carbon to reforest 60,000 acres of land across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, Axios reported. Recently, the tech company has struggled to rein in its carbon emissions as AI has driven a surge in

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