West

Utilities

3 ways to fix California’s utility spending problem — if lawmakers act

SB 905 would curb returns on wildfire costs, seek new financing, and explore performance metrics to curb sky-high electric rates. Can it overcome utility opposition?

By Jeff St. John .

11 August 2026

Two people in green vests on transmission tower with some charred landscape visible on the ground — Inspectors climb on Southern California Edison transmission towers in Eaton Canyon alleged to be responsible for igniting the Eaton fire above Altadena and Pasadena on March 20, 2025. (Dean Musgrove/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images)

Nuclear

Microreactor startup Valar Atomics raises $1B

Valar, which has been called “the Trump administration’s favorite nuclear startup,” faces a steep path to realizing its vision — even with a giant funding round.

By Alexander C. Kaufman . 4 August 2026
Geothermal

How to bring a geothermal well back from the dead

Startup Zanskar has created one of the most productive geothermal wells in the U.S. by squeezing more life out of a power plant that had been in decline for years.

By Molly Taft . 4 August 2026
Solar

California was mostly solar-powered in May — a global first

No major economy had previously received over half its electricity from solar across an entire month. Thank the mild, sunny spring weather, and batteries.

By Dan McCarthy . 31 July 2026
Climatetech finance

Antora snags $550M for heat batteries to run data centers and factories

As the California firm boots up a giant thermal battery system in South Dakota, fresh funds will help it build a second U.S. factory and more large-scale projects.

By Maria Gallucci . 30 July 2026
Electric vehicles

California to offer a novel $3,500 rebate for first-time EV buyers

Research shows that once drivers try an EV, they stick with them. That's why these incentives target those who’ve never owned one to maximize the bang for the buck.

By Jeff St. John . 27 July 2026
Batteries

A pioneering grid-battery factory is headed for this California city

Sodium-ion batteries promise cheaper, more durable energy storage. Peak Energy seeks to kick-start the next-gen battery market by building the first big U.S. plant.

By Julian Spector . 10 July 2026
Liquefied natural gas

Hawaiʻi committed to 100% clean energy. Now it’s flirting with natural gas.

Gov. Josh Green, a Democrat, wants to import LNG to slash energy bills. But the move might not lead to savings — and it could trip up the state’s climate goals.

By Julian Spector, Savannah Harriman-Pote . 9 July 2026
Electrification

Southern California clean-heat rule survives key legal challenge

A U.S. appeals court upheld the first-in-the-nation measure, which will slash smog-forming emissions from certain gas-fueled boilers and heaters in the region.

By Maria Gallucci . 8 July 2026
Geothermal

Quaise Energy raises $134M to fuel superhot geothermal ambitions

The startup closed the first tranche of Series B funding as it pushes to build a novel geothermal plant in Oregon and advance its rock-melting drilling tech.

By Maria Gallucci . 7 July 2026
Carbon-free buildings

California’s choice: Cleaner air for schools or money for utilities

State lawmakers must decide whether to unlock $194M to fix aging school HVAC and plumbing systems or return it to utilities for a few dollars off monthly bills.

By Jeff St. John . 29 June 2026