Seattle-based Interlune is developing technology to extract helium-3, a rare isotope embedded in lunar soil by billions of years of solar wind bombardment, with the goal of eventually mining it from the Moon and returning it to Earth. The company has been working on methods to simulate and accelerate the natural process that deposits helium-3 into lunar regolith, testing extraction techniques ahead of any full-scale mining mission.
An industry commentary argues that data center providers can no longer treat energy access as a late-stage formality. With surplus grid capacity disappearing, the piece calls for providers to engage utilities earlier and plan for long-term power partnerships rather than opportunistic siting.
New reactor designs, including smaller modular units, are being developed to make nuclear fission a more flexible and reliable source of carbon-free electricity. This shift comes after decades in which nuclear power failed to deliver on early promises of cheap, abundant energy following its transition from wartime use to civilian power generation.
A growing cluster of private companies is building experimental fusion reactors, aiming to harness the same energy process that powers the sun and stars. One facility under construction includes large D-shaped magnetic confinement components and circular platforms designed to contain and control plasma at extreme temperatures.
The Fusion Industry Association reports that 46 companies worldwide are working to turn nuclear fusion into a commercial electricity source, alongside others pursuing niche uses like medical isotopes, materials testing and spacecraft propulsion. As of August 1, the electricity-focused firms had collectively raised $14.6 billion from venture capital, private investors, utilities, government grants and data-center operators seeking new power sources.
Scientists led by James Quach have demonstrated a quantum battery that exploits 'superabsorption,' a collective quantum effect where molecules synchronize their energy absorption rather than acting independently. This causes the charging rate to increase as more molecules are added, defying the classical expectation that each unit absorbs energy at a fixed, independent rate.
Fervo Energy is launching its first utility-scale power plant, aiming to prove that enhanced geothermal technology can produce reliable, round-the-clock clean energy at commercial scale. The project follows a period in which geothermal has lagged far behind solar and wind as a share of the renewable energy mix.
Global Energy Monitor's updated tracking shows gas-fired power capacity in development specifically for data centers reached over 189 gigawatts by mid-2026, up from 97 gigawatts at the end of 2025 and just 4 gigawatts in early 2024. The surge reflects tech companies building private 'behind-the-meter' gas plants to power AI data centers rather than waiting for grid connections.
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center no earlier than 7:26AM Eastern on August 30, with live coverage starting at 6:20AM. If weather or technical issues delay the flight, a backup attempt is planned for August 31 at 7:22AM Eastern. NASA will also host a science briefing and prelaunch news conference on August 29.
Pacific Fusion, a well-funded startup, has begun assembling a large fusion energy machine that uses intense electrical pulses to compress hydrogen fuel capsules, aiming to be the first device to produce more energy than it consumes. The facility, located near a major US nuclear-weapons laboratory, may also support research on maintaining the nation's aging nuclear warhead stockpile. It joins dozens of other startups racing to commercialize fusion as a clean, virtually limitless energy source.
S&P Global Energy projects US clean energy additions will hit a record 45 gigawatts this year, roughly 25% above 2024's record and comparable to Turkey's average electricity demand. The growth is being driven by AI data center power needs, developers racing to use expiring tax credits, and higher energy prices linked to the Iran conflict, even as the Trump administration has moved to cut subsidies and blocked large solar projects like Nevada's Esmeralda 7.
Pacific Fusion has started building a fusion device near Los Lunas, New Mexico, using more than 150 truck-sized Marx generator modules that will discharge enormous electrical pulses to compress a small hydrogen fuel capsule. The company aims to reach 'net facility gain'—producing more energy than the machine consumes—by the end of this decade, while also positioning the facility to support research on the US nuclear weapons stockpile.
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