West

Heat pumps

Oregon pushes new homes to install heat pumps over ACs

In a state where energy costs have risen sharply, new rules will boost adoption of the clean heating and cooling appliances.

By Alison F. Takemura . 5 March 2026
Geothermal

Quaise looks to advance ‘superhot’ geothermal power plant in Oregon

The Houston firm aims to raise $200 million to develop a next-generation geothermal plant in Oregon as the technology gains momentum with investors.

By Maria Gallucci . 3 March 2026
Heat pumps

California’s heat pump push faces a big hurdle: high electric bills

The state has one of the boldest heat pump strategies in the U.S. But it also has some of the highest power prices, making electrification a tough sell to many.

By Ben Christopher, Alejandro Lazo . 3 March 2026
Energy efficiency

How Oregon is building back smarter after wildfire

After a destructive fire, residents faced the task of rebuilding. Thanks to state incentives, the new homes are more energy efficient and resilient to future threats.

By Juliet Grable . 23 February 2026
Heat pumps

Zero Homes nabs $16.8M to go big on easier heat pump installation

The Denver-based startup’s software eliminates the usual in-person home visit to quote a heat pump project, saving customers time and money.

By Alison F. Takemura . 19 February 2026
Climatetech finance

Heron Power raises $140M to modernize electrical transformers

Transformers are an old technology that’s in short supply. Tesla alum Drew Baglino thinks his startup can help meet rising demand with new solid-state hardware.

By Jeff St. John . 18 February 2026
Carbon capture

A firm capturing carbon at NYC high-rises tackles Canadian gas pipelines

CarbonQuest’s new project cutting emissions from an engine along a gas pipeline could help it scale to applications at universities, AI data centers, and factories.

By Julian Spector . 12 February 2026
Climatetech finance

Lunar Energy lands $232M to boost smart home batteries

The Silicon Valley startup wants to enter new markets, like Texas, and enroll more customers in virtual power plants that make the grid more reliable and affordable.

By Jeff St. John . 4 February 2026
Clean energy manufacturing

California has abundant solar power. Here’s how factories can use it.

High electricity costs in California have slowed industrial decarbonization in the state. New industrial rates and other fixes could change that, experts say.

By Maria Gallucci . 4 February 2026
Fossil fuels

Colorado co-ops to Trump: Let us close our aging coal plant

Tri-State and Platte River become the first utilities to challenge Trump’s emergency stay-open orders for coal plants, citing the cost to customers.

By Jeff St. John . 3 February 2026