Rahul Mewawalla writes in Power about the role that America’s heartland is playing in the digital revolution. The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is transforming our world, but it comes with an insatiable surge in data centers that are powered by an ever-growing appetite for energy. As AI and high-performance computing (HPC) applications proliferate, the tech...
Andrew Freedman of Axios writes on Zillow and First Street’s partnership to include climate risk in home listings. Mindful of increasing risks from extreme weather events such as hurricanes, Zillow will combine climate risk scores, interactive maps and insurance information on its home listings, the company announced this morning. Why it matters: This step gives prospective buyers their...
Maria Gallucci of Canary Media reports on Meta’s investment in a clean concrete startup. The United States makes some 90 million metric tons of cement every year to bind together the nation’s concrete buildings, bridges, and other infrastructure. In the process, U.S. cement plants generate huge amounts of planet-warming emissions — equivalent to those from 16 million gas-powered cars. Decarbonizing cement...
Robert Walton of UtilityDive reports on grid damage caused by Helene. Recovery efforts continue after Hurricane Helene knocked out power to about 6 million customers and devastated communities in the U.S. Southeast. In some areas served by rural cooperatives, utility leaders warn it could be weeks before service is restored. “The consumers of electric cooperatives...
Diversified supply chains that are subject to market forces are a win for people and the planet.
"Air Company makes its SAF using a proprietary system that involves capturing carbon dioxide directly from the atmosphere and combining the CO2 with hydrogen to create paraffins — colorless, oily liquids that it says can be dropped into conventional jet engines. Companies such as Twelve and LanzaTech are also vying to repurpose CO2 into sustainable jet fuels."
"Together, Canada and the U.S. have dominated global oil and growth in the past decade, creating an energy secure North America while driving billions into innovation and technologies designed to lower emissions. Policy actions that limit production and export capacity could reverse this progress, leaving us and our allies more vulnerable. We must instead leverage our deeply interconnected energy systems and rock-solid commercial relationships in support of a North American Energy Security framework that will deliver benefits for decades to come. Our organizations and collective membership stand ready to be a fully committed partner in this effort."
"The White House enacted steep increases in tariffs Friday that could quadruple the price of electric vehicles from China and double fees on imported solar cells, upping the trade war between the U.S. and the Asian manufacturing giant."
"Exxon Mobil, for example, acquired 120,000 acres in the Smackover Formation in 2023 and aims to start producing battery-grade lithium by 2027. The company said it will produce enough lithium to supply the manufacturing more than 1 million EVs per year by 2030. Standard Lithium, which has operated in Arkansas since 2020, is also expanding its Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) facility in El Dorado, thanks to a $100 million investment from Koch Strategic Platforms. DLE is touted as a more eco-friendly extraction method, using advanced filters to reduce energy and water usage."
"Suing fossil fuel producers for the costs of climate change is economically damaging, environmentally suspect, and based on dubious claims. It will also harm families, particularly working families, at a time when they are already struggling with the high cost of living. Ultimately, there are many serious adverse consequences from state and local litigation against traditional energy companies, but no economic upsides should the plaintiffs prevail."
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