An Entrepreneur op-ed argues that electricity, not chip supply, is becoming the binding constraint on AI growth, citing IEA projections that global data-center power use could nearly double from 485 to 950 terawatt-hours by 2030, with AI-specific demand tripling. It notes that by 2027 a single advanced server rack could draw as much peak power as 65 households, and that grid constraints could delay roughly 20% of planned data-center projects.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-24
In an interview on The Ezra Klein Show, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang argued that AI will require heavy fossil fuel use in the near term because renewable energy capacity is insufficient, likening the resulting pain to surgery necessary to save a patient. He also criticized the US for not building enough fossil fuel plants to meet AI's energy demands.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-24
A tech reviewer evaluated three newly launched home battery systems designed for easier installation than earlier models. The testing comes as electricity prices climb and power outages become more frequent for many households. The reviewer reported spending weeks hoping for an outage to properly assess how the batteries would perform during a real blackout.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-24
Amazon's chief sustainability officer Kara Hurst said at an Axios event that the company does not yet know exactly how it will reach its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. She said Amazon remains committed to the goal, citing its position as one of the largest corporate buyers of clean energy with 42 gigawatts in its portfolio, while acknowledging emissions reduction requires cooperation from suppliers and governments across many sectors.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-23
Between the 1940s and 1980s, multiple countries dumped an estimated 150,000 tons of low-level radioactive waste into the Atlantic Ocean, sealed in barrels and left on the seafloor. Much of this material remains submerged today, with no comprehensive program in place to retrieve or permanently neutralize it.
hardware.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-23
A commentary argues that the United States should prioritize building products manufactured domestically, citing repeated disruptions from the pandemic, tariffs, and geopolitical conflicts that have exposed vulnerabilities in global supply chains. The piece points to newer, economical and more sustainable American-made building materials as a viable alternative to imported goods.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-23
Admiral Daryl Caudle, the U.S. Navy's top officer, described a vision for equipping ships across the fleet with directed-energy weapons. He said the lasers could supplement missile defenses, reduce the cost of shooting down incoming threats, and eventually scale up to megawatt-class power levels.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-23
The publisher has released an author correction to a research paper on large recoverable elastic energy in chiral metamaterials achieved through twist buckling. No details of the specific correction are included beyond the licensing and reprint terms attached to the notice.
nature.com
· 2026-09-23
Researchers identified more than 1,400 local policies across 157 cities addressing clean energy, building efficiency and extreme heat preparedness, according to a new study. The findings come as the Trump administration has restricted states from using Inflation Reduction Act rebates to help homeowners replace fossil fuel appliances with heat pumps.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-22
Warren Buffett, who stepped down as Berkshire Hathaway's chairman last week, built his fortune avoiding flashy AI stocks in favor of utilities and industrial firms. Two of those older deals — the 2000 purchase of MidAmerican Energy and the 2016 acquisition of Precision Castparts — are now benefiting from AI's surging demand for electricity and turbines, according to analysts cited by CNN.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-22
Breakthrough Energy Ventures has unveiled its sixth annual Fellows program, backing 21 early-stage companies working across agriculture, nuclear fusion, robotics and data center power efficiency. The lineup includes Borealis Fusion, which is developing fusion reactors fueled by proton-boron rather than conventional deuterium-tritium mixtures. Managing partner Eric Toone said the selections are made with an eye toward a looming tripling of global electricity demand as economies electrify, not just today's AI-driven power crunch.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-22
British AI cloud provider Nscale, spun out of Arkon Energy two years ago, disclosed over $103 billion in contracts ahead of its NYSE listing, but roughly 85% of that value comes from just two customers: Microsoft and Anthropic. The Anthropic deal remains conditional on Nscale securing financing and hitting milestones the company itself calls stringent, with Anthropic free to cancel if targets are missed. Nscale is targeting a $35 billion valuation and hopes to raise $3 billion, despite posting a $1.02 billion net loss on $140.6 million in revenue for the first half of the year.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-22
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