This Week in Cleantech

Top five cleantech stories.
Fifteen minutes. Every week.

This week, Mike Casey and Paul Gerke examine a new report showing carbon removal efforts remain far behind what’s needed to meet global climate goals. They discuss proposed restrictions on solar development on U.S. farmland, mounting delays in AI-driven data center construction, and a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s offshore wind settlement deals. E&E News reporter Ben Storrow joins the show to explain why several Democratic governors in New England are warming to natural gas pipeline expansion amid rising electricity demand, slow clean energy buildouts, and changing political realities.

This week’s episode examines how clean energy is increasingly intersecting with politics, economics, and local communities. The hosts discuss a Texas primary race influenced by solar-backed political spending, a federal plan to repurpose Cold War plutonium for nuclear fuel, and growing turmoil in China’s dominant solar industry. They also look at how stalled federal reviews are putting billions in U.S. wind investments at risk. Heatmap News’ Robinson Meyer joins the show to explain why local opposition to data centers is surging and what it could mean for future development.

Mike Casey fills in for Paul Gerke and breaks down the week’s biggest cleantech stories, including Tim Pawlenty taking over SEIA, CMBlu’s $58 million flow battery raise, Fervo Energy’s massive geothermal IPO, and EDP’s bullish outlook on U.S. renewables despite political headwinds. WIRED reporter Molly Taft joins to discuss how AI data centers are driving a surge in gas turbine deployments and whether renewables can realistically keep pace with exploding power demand.

Paul Gerke and Mike Casey break down the week’s biggest cleantech stories, including a massive lithium discovery in Appalachia that could reduce U.S. import reliance, Europe’s move to block Chinese-made solar inverters from EU-funded projects, and the rise of plug-in balcony solar systems in the U.S. They also discuss organized solar theft rings in Chile and welcome Heatmap News reporter Andrew Moseman to discuss Ford’s secretive EV skunkworks operation aimed at producing affordable electric trucks and reinventing the automaker’s EV strategy.

This episode breaks down rising U.S. electricity costs tied to grid constraints and growing demand, controversial federal payouts halting offshore wind projects, and Europe’s struggle with gas-driven power pricing. The hosts also explore the rise of affordable long-range EVs despite policy setbacks. Guest Oliver Millman explains why clean energy growth continues globally, even amid political resistance, highlighting strong market forces and legal challenges shaping the energy transition.

This week’s episode covers Stegra’s $1.65 billion push to finish a green steel plant in Sweden, Texas’ data center rush straining ERCOT, and renewables outpacing global electricity demand. The hosts also discuss why the U.S. is falling behind on EV adoption. Bianca Giacobone of Latitude Media joins to explain how strikes on aluminum smelters in Iran could raise costs for U.S. grid equipment, solar, batteries, and consumers.

This week’s episode covers how the Iran conflict is reshaping global energy strategies, negative power prices in the U.S., and Michigan regulators pushing utilities toward virtual power plants. The hosts also discuss the UK’s plan to boost energy demand during renewable surpluses. Jennifer Hiller of the Wall Street Journal joins to explain why utilities plan to spend $1.4 trillion to support AI-driven data center growth—and what it means for ratepayers.

This episode explores growing backlash to data centers, record U.S. fusion funding amid global competition, and political efforts to roll back climate laws as energy prices rise. The hosts also examine how the Iran war is reshaping global energy decisions, with some countries temporarily turning back to coal. Politico’s Kelsey Tamborrino joins to discuss how federal permitting delays are slowing clean energy projects and influencing where developers choose to build.

This week’s episode explores rising electricity costs and why they’re so hard to track, alongside growing concerns about overbuilding power for AI data centers. Paul and Mike break down supply chain bottlenecks slowing U.S. data center growth, Europe’s hydropower shortfall due to climate impacts, and a massive solar development in California that could reshape rural energy and land use. The energy transition is accelerating, but not without real-world constraints.

In this episode, we covered how renewable energy could reduce global conflict, Asia’s temporary shift back to coal amid gas shortages, and growing concerns about U.S. grid vulnerabilities. We also explored the rise of virtual power plants as a fast, scalable energy solution and the UK’s push to require solar panels and heat pumps in new homes, highlighting how resilience and energy security are becoming central to the clean energy transition.