Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

LightNews

Heatmap News

@heatmap.news

31K followers 130 following 2.3K posts

A new media company focused on the biggest story of our time: climate change. Subscribe to our newsletter at https://heatmap.news.

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · Nov 13

Welcome to our new BlueSky followers!

We've put together this handy Heatmap starter pack for you all. Follow our news team for the latest on climate and clean energy:

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 25m

A decarbonized grid will need longer-lasting batteries. It's about time to replace most of our existing grid infrastructure, anyway, so surely this should all work out. Right?

@zeitlin.bsky.social has the story on why the math doesn't quite work yet for long-duration energy storage:

The Grid Needs Longer-Lasting Batteries. But How to Pay for Them?

Long-duration storage is still an awkward fit in most U.S. electricity markets.

Reposted by Heatmap News

katie brigham @kbrigham.bsky.social · 5h

amidst a string of battery failures, there's a new sodium-ion chemistry on the market. Alsym Energy - spun out of MIT 10 years ago - is planning to deploy its batteries for grid-scale energy storage beginning next year

Alsym Thinks It Can Break the U.S. Battery Manufacturing Curse

After a string of high-profile failures, this sodium-ion startup has a proprietary chemistry and a plan to compete on cost.

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 5h

The U.S. military is building up a $1 billion critical mineral stockpile to counter China's influence over the global trade in these crucial raw materials.

Read more about it, plus new projections on hydrogen and Europe's flagging green steel flagship, from @alexckaufman.bsky.social

The Pentagon Is Stockpiling Critical Minerals

On hydrogen woes, Stegra’s steel costs, and refining vs. mining

Reposted by Heatmap News

Matt Zeitlin @zeitlin.bsky.social · 1d

It's not a climate economics nobel, but Philippe Aghion has applied his insights about creative destruction to climate. Namely that climate policy should seek primarily to foster and induce technological innovation especially by firms that specialize in green technology heatmap.news/economy/nobe...

The Latest Nobel Winner Thinks ‘Creative Destruction’ Can Stop Climate Change

Economist Philippe Aghion views carbon taxes as a tool to decarbonize, but not a solution in themselves.

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 1d

Another year, another Nobel Prize-winner in economics whose work concerns how governments around the world should approach the transition to clean energy.

Here's @zeitlin.bsky.social on Philippe Aghion — and his low-key difference of opinion with William Nordhaus:

The Latest Nobel Winner Thinks ‘Creative Destruction’ Can Stop Climate Change

Economist Philippe Aghion views carbon taxes as a tool to decarbonize, but not a solution in themselves.

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 1d

"This is how we lose the AI/energy arms race with China," Utah Governor Spencer Cox said Friday in response to @jael.bsky.social's reporting on the Esmeralda 7 cancellation.

Trump voters in Georgia, too, are angry about the withdrawal of funding for rooftop solar.

Read more in today's Heatmap AM:

Republicans Balk at Trump’s Solar Cuts

On Corpus Christi’s drought, China’s Scottish factory, and no more ships to give

Reposted by Heatmap News

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 4d

the republican governor of utah spencer cox cites my story about esmeralda 7’s apparent cancelation to criticize the trump administration:

“this is how we lose the AI/energy arms race with china”

Spencer Cox: This is how we lose the AI/energy arms race with China. Our country needs an all-of-the-above approach to energy (like Utah). We should be all in on nuclear/natural gas/geothermal and keeping our coal plants open for as long as possible. However, there are innovation/permitting/supply chain issues slowing those down. While intermittent sources have been overvalued in the past (and offshore wind is a disaster and should be discontinued), the incredible leaps in battery technology completely change the value proposition of solar in the right places. Solar with batteries can now be close to baseload power and we should keep these projects rolling until we get the gas/nuclear/geothermal plants we need.

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 4d

That's awesome! Thanks for reading :)

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 4d

NEW in this morning's Heatmap AM:

🚫 The end of a solar megaproject in Nevada
🚫 New export controls on rare earths from China
🚫 And Nestle pulls out of an alliance to control dairy emissions

Read all these stories and more from @alexckaufman.bsky.social

Nevada’s Behemoth Solar Megaproject Sunsets After Trump Delays

On the Chevy Bolt’s return, China’s rare earth crackdown, and Nestle’s spoiled climate push

Reposted by Heatmap News

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 4d

SCOOP: The Bureau of Land Management says the largest solar project in Nevada — the Esmeralda 7 mega-farm — has been canceled

The news was quietly dropped via a sudden website update with no public word from any of the companies involved or a statement from the agency

@heatmap.news

Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says

It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 4d

This just in: The Esmeralda 7 Solar Project — which would have generated a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power — has been canceled, the BLM says.

Esmeralda 7 Solar Project Has Been Canceled, BLM Says

It would have delivered a gargantuan 6.2 gigawatts of power.

Reposted by Heatmap News

Robinson Meyer @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social · 5d

The AI boom is driving a new buildout of natural gas power plants — but they’re going up off grid, with new pipelines running straight to cheap, low-tech and inefficient turbines: heatmap.news/energy/natur...

Data Centers Have Solved Their Speed-to-Power Problem — With Natural Gas

“Old economy” companies like Caterpillar and Williams are cashing in by selling smaller, less-efficient turbines to impatient developers.

Reposted by Heatmap News

Jeff Colgan @jeffcolgan.bsky.social · 5d

Great new piece on China's climate ambitions, or lack thereof, by @jeremywallace.bsky.social
heatmap.news/ideas/china-...

China Can’t Decide if It Wants to Be the World’s First “Electrostate”

The country’s underwhelming new climate pledge is more than just bad news for the world — it reveals a serious governing mistake.

Reposted by Heatmap News

Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 5d

"The leadership seems unwilling to jettison older industries in favor of the higher-value added industries of the future," writes @jeremywallace.bsky.social of China's refusal to double down on its green tech lead. heatmap.news/ideas/china-...

China Can’t Decide if It Wants to Be the World’s First “Electrostate”

The country’s underwhelming new climate pledge is more than just bad news for the world — it reveals a serious governing mistake.

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 5d

The new winners of the AI boom are two old-school Midwestern pipeline and equipment-makers: Caterpillar and Williams Companies.

Here's the full story from @zeitlin.bsky.social

Data Centers Have Solved Their Speed-to-Power Problem — With Natural Gas

“Old economy” companies like Caterpillar and Williams are cashing in by selling smaller, less-efficient turbines to impatient developers.

Reposted by Heatmap News

Matt Zeitlin @zeitlin.bsky.social · 5d

The case for renewables I hear all the time is something like "Ignore emissions, we can do this faster than gas" and that may be true about combined-cycle power plants, but it may be much less true with using cheap turbines behind the meter heatmap.news/energy/natur...

Data Centers Have Solved Their Speed-to-Power Problem — With Natural Gas

“Old economy” companies like Caterpillar and Williams are cashing in by selling smaller, less-efficient turbines to impatient developers.

Reposted by Heatmap News

katie brigham @kbrigham.bsky.social · 5d

sustainable infrastructure investment firm Generate Capital is realigning its strategy, replacing its longtime CEO and conducting layoffs. an executive told me that rapid growth led to strategic mistakes in the heady days after the passage of the IRA

After Replacing Its CEO, Generate Capital Lays Off Staff

“We grew quickly and made some mistakes,” Generate executive Jonah Goldman told Heatmap.

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 5d

Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill that would would have made permitting for geothermal easier in California, much to the chagrin of developers.

Find more on that story, plus layoffs at Generate and Orsted, in this morning's AM newsletter by @alexckaufman.bsky.social

heatmap.news/am/californi...

Gavin Newsom Vetoes Landmark Geothermal Bill

On billions for clean energy, Orsted layoffs, and public housing heat pumps

Reposted by Heatmap News

Robinson Meyer @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social · 5d

Generate Capital, a key source of clean energy & infrastructure finance, has commenced layoffs, @heatmap.news has learned heatmap.news/climate-tech...

After Replacing Its CEO, Generate Capital Lays Off Staff

“We grew quickly and made some mistakes,” Generate executive Jonah Goldman told Heatmap.

Reposted by Heatmap News

Jesse D. Jenkins @jessedjenkins.com · 5d

If you want to understand what's going on with China's electricity system and emissions goals, don't miss this one!

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 6d

NEW on this week's Shift Key, @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social and @jessedjenkins.com talk with UC San Diego's @michaeldavidson.bsky.social about China's climate progress, how its electricity markets work and what to make of those coal subsidies.

Listen here, or wherever you get your podcasts:

How China’s Power Grid Really Works

Podcast Episode · Shift Key with Robinson Meyer and Jesse Jenkins · 10/08/2025 · 1h 13m

podcasts.apple.com

Reposted by Heatmap News

Robinson Meyer @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social · 5d

We have a fantastic new essay on China’s new climate pledge by @jeremywallace.bsky.social at @heatmap.news this morning. He argues the country’s indecision about its green future is more than just an environmental disappointment — it is a serious governing mistake.

heatmap.news/ideas/china-...

China Can’t Decide if It Wants to Be the World’s First “Electrostate”

The country’s underwhelming new climate pledge is more than just bad news for the world — it reveals a serious governing mistake.

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 5d

This just in:

After Replacing Its CEO, Generate Capital Lays Off Staff

“We grew quickly and made some mistakes,” Generate executive Jonah Goldman told Heatmap.

Reposted by Heatmap News

jael holzman @jael.bsky.social · 7d

this is such an enormous story

Robinson Meyer @robinsonmeyer.bsky.social · 7d

NEW: Trump is moving to kill all funding for proposed Texas and Louisiana mega-hubs to capture CO₂ from the atmosphere

The bipartisan-backed hubs represented a rare clean tech industry where the US was on the cutting edge

by @emilypont.bsky.social for @heatmap.news

heatmap.news/politics/doe...

Trump to Cancel Direct Air Capture Hubs in Texas, Louisiana

A new list of grant cancellations obtained by Heatmap includes Climeworks and Heirloom projects funded by 2021 infrastructure law.

Heatmap News @heatmap.news · 6d

Tesla isn't the only EV company figuring out creative ways to reduce prices now that the EV tax credit is dead.

Here's Andrew Moseman on how automakers are aiming to stay cheap and cheerful:

Tesla’s New EVs Are Worse, But Cheaper. That’s the Point.

With the federal electric vehicle tax credit now gone, automakers like Ford and Hyundai have to find other ways to make their electric cars affordable.

Reposted by Heatmap News

Emily Pontecorvo @emilypont.bsky.social · 6d

10 out of 13 grants awarded for domestic Heat Pump manufacturing (the IRA’s Heat Pump Defense Production Act Program) are also listed. 🔌⚡

Awards for Gradient, Mitsubishi, and York International appear to be safe.

Emily Pontecorvo @emilypont.bsky.social · 6d

Some additional info on the new list of axed DOE projects circulating.
- All 7 H2 Hubs
- All 13 IRA grants to convert at-risk auto plants to EV mfg
- 11 of 15 grants to speed domestic clean energy mfg in former coal communities
- 10 of 38 grants for battery materials
heatmap.news/politics/doe...

Trump to Axe All 7 Hydrogen Hubs, Bucking Bipartisan Law

A new list of Department of Energy grants slated for termination will hit clean energy and oil majors alike, including Exxon and Chevron.