Climate Tech Newsletter: December 22, 2025

Welcome to last week’s edition of the CBKNY’s Weekly News Highlights. Explore the latest policies, innovations, and market trends driving the future of climate tech.

Climate Tech Insights

AI expansion is rapidly increasing electricity demand, worsening grid congestion, triggering capacity price spikes, and amplifying environmental impacts. Governments and companies now face urgent pressure to scale clean generation, upgrade infrastructure, and redesign long-term energy and climate policies.

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1. 2025’s AI boom comes with huge CO2 emissions and water use, research finds
   December 18, 2025 – The Guardian

2. China’s EV battery-recycling industry is scaling. Will it be enough?
   December 18, 2025 – MIT Technology Review

3. Los Angeles no longer uses coal in city power supply
   December 16, 2025 – Smart Cities World

4. ReNew inks pact with Google to build 150 MW solar project in India
   December 16, 2025 – Reuters

5. Global coal demand hits record high in 2025, set to decline by 2030 – IEA says
   December 17, 2025 – Reuters

6. Google, CalSTRS and B Capital back Fervo’s $462 million geothermal funding round
   December 12, 2025 – ESG Dive

7. GE Vernova–Hitachi’s BWRX-300 SMR moves ahead with UK nuclear regulators
   December 16, 2025 – Energy Tech

8. Revolutionizing glass manufacturing: All-electric furnace reduces emissions by 90%
   December 18, 2025 – Energy Tech

9. Lawmakers question clean energy groups’ tactics on permitting reforms
   December 19, 2025 – E&E News

10. Climate complaint targets ArcelorMittal over ‘green steel’ claims at OECD
    December 17, 2025 – Canary Media

11. California leans into plug-in heat pumps and induction stoves as gas fights back
    December 17, 2025 – Canary Media

12. PJM’s record capacity costs drive rising power bills amid data-center boom
    December 17, 2025 – Canary Media

13. Indiana says it’s retiring two coal plants — but is it making other plans?
    December 15, 2025 – Canary Media

14. Ford is retreating from EVs — but embracing grid batteries
    December 17, 2025 – Canary Media

15. Trump Media is merging with fusion power company TAE Technologies in $6B+ deal
    December 18, 2025 – TechCrunch

16. Radiant Nuclear raises $300 million for its semi-sized 1 MW reactor
    December 17, 2025 – TechCrunch

17. Grid-scale “CO₂ battery” bubble storage is taking off globally
    December 21, 2025 – IEEE Spectrum

18. U.S. plans largest nuclear power program since the 1970s, with $80 billion push
    December 17, 2025 – IEEE Spectrum

19. Cleantech’s rough year ends on an up note for venture funding
    December 17, 2025 – Crunchbase News

20. U.S. company accused of releasing unauthorized emissions from Peru LNG terminal
    December 19, 2025 – Inside Climate News

21. SPEED Act passes U.S. House, threatening clean power projects and permitting safeguards
    December 18, 2025 – Inside Climate News

22. Trump’s plan to transform wildland firefighting raises climate and safety concerns
    December 16, 2025 – Inside Climate News

23. Ethiopia’s EV adoption: first country to ban gas-powered vehicle imports
    December 1, 2025 – Happy Eco News

24. Canada’s risky gamble on carbon capture and storage as cornerstone climate policy
    December 17, 2025 – Corporate Knights

25. Microsoft invests in Louisiana-based C2X’s BECCS plant to capture 3.6 million tons of CO₂
    December 19, 2025 – Carbon Credits

26. Google’s 3,500-tonne carbon removal deal with Ebb boosts confidence in ocean-based solutions
    December 15, 2025 – Carbon Credits

27. EU carbon prices hit 2025 highs as 2040 climate target tightens the market
    December 16, 2025 – Carbon Credits

28. CATL’s multi-country expansion redefines Europe’s battery supply chain and workforce
    December 15, 2025 – Carbon Credits

29. Canada approves Anglo–Teck merger to power the clean-energy copper supply chain
    December 19, 2025 – Carbon Credits