Data centers

Batteries

Carrier wants to pair batteries with air conditioners to help the grid

Utilities are struggling to meet demand as AI data centers surge. Equipping air conditioners with batteries could be an easy and hugely scalable way to free up electricity supply at peak times.

By Julian Spector . 29 September 2025
Green steel

Sweden’s Stegra to supply green steel for Microsoft’s data centers

Microsoft agreed to use “near-zero emission” steel in a two-part deal with Stegra. The steelmaker plans to open its hydrogen-fueled plant in late 2026.

By Maria Gallucci . 25 September 2025
Utilities

Utilities are doing even worse on climate than they were five years ago

Major U.S. utilities earn an "F" on a new report card because they're planning to build far too little clean energy and far too many gas-fired power plants.

By Jeff St. John . 22 September 2025
Utilities

As data centers go up, North Carolina weighs how to handle energy demand

Duke wants to build gas plants, but clean energy advocates argue that solar, battery storage, and demand response could help alleviate growing strain on the grid.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 16 September 2025
Utilities

Virginia’s data center boom tests clean energy law

Exploding electricity needs are pushing Virginia's largest utility to seek new gas plants — despite a state mandate to eliminate fossil fuels by 2045.

By Elizabeth Ouzts . 4 September 2025
Utilities

Google’s new plan to keep its data centers from stressing the grid

AI data centers are set to swamp U.S. power grids. Google’s new utility deals aim to flip the script — shifting workloads to ease strain and speed its access to energy.

By Jeff St. John . 28 August 2025
Distributed energy resources

A universal adapter for solar, batteries, EVs, and microgrids is here

DG Matrix and Resilient Power say their solid-state transformers can cut costs, time, and complexity for powering data centers, EV charging hubs, and more.

By Jeff St. John . 18 August 2025
Clean industry

Tech giants look to low-carbon cement to curb their huge climate impact

Cement startups Sublime Systems and Brimstone both announced new partnerships with data-center developers and operators — even as federal funding dries up.

By Maria Gallucci . 8 August 2025
Energy markets

The country’s biggest energy market struggles to reform amid soaring costs

Mid-Atlantic grid operator PJM is under intense political pressure to solve its interconnection backlog and other problems. But experts warn there are no easy fixes.

By Jeff St. John . 28 July 2025
Utilities

Will the AI boom be powered by big, slow energy projects?

This week’s AI summit deepened a trend of datacenter developers hitching their hopes to old-school energy sources, from gas power plants to hydropower.

By Julian Spector, Dan McCarthy . 18 July 2025