Climate Tech Newsletter: February 16, 2026

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

Beyond policy, corporate and regulatory signals diverge: xAI faces an NAACP Clean Air Act notice over unpermitted methane generators; shipping firms keep $150B+ dual-fuel orders despite an IMO carbon-levy delay. China expands climate reporting as emissions flatten, while US rolls back the EPA endangerment finding. Meanwhile, SOLV Energy’s IPO and Helion’s fusion milestone show capital chasing next-grid solutions globally again.

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1. Elon Musk’s xAI Pollution – NAACP
   February 14, 2026 – The Guardian

2. Tony Blair Oil Lobbying – Fossil Fuel Industry & Renewables
   February 13, 2026 – The Guardian

3. EVs Progress in Africa
   February 12, 2026 – MIT Technology Review

4. Global Shipping Sticks With Green Investments Despite Carbon Price
   February 12, 2026 – Reuters

5. PJM Extends Capacity Auction Price Cap Two Years
   February 12, 2026 – Reuters

6. Constellation Energy Inks 380 MW Deal With CyrusOne
   February 9, 2026 – Reuters

7. Senators Introduce Bipartisan Effort to Curb Utility Bill Hikes
   February 12, 2026 – NBC News

8. SOLV Energy’s $6 Billion IPO – Solar & Battery Storage
   February 12, 2026 – Latitude Media

9. Nairobi/Kenya Solar – Chinese & Middle East Involvement
   February 13, 2026 – The Independent

10. New York Senate Passes Bill Targeting Corporate Climate Disclosures
    February 13, 2026 – ESG Dive

11. State-Level Cost Allocation Shifts – Data Center Power Strategies
    February 12, 2026 – EnergyTech

12. Offshore Wind Project Targeted by Trump Will Begin Operating Within Weeks
    February 13, 2026 – E&E News

13. Offshore Wind Showed Up Big on the East Coast
    February 13, 2026 – Canary Media

14. Chart: Energy Transition Attracted Record Investment in 2025
    February 13, 2026 – Canary Media

15. Carbon Capture Firm in NYC and Canadian Pipelines
    February 12, 2026 – Canary Media

16. As Trump Shreds Climate Rules, China’s Emissions Start to Fall
    February 14, 2026 – Bloomberg

17. SBTi Auto Standard – Electric Vehicle Sales
    February 9, 2026 – Trellis

18. Fusion Startup Helion Hits Blistering Temps Toward 2028 Deadline
    February 13, 2026 – TechCrunch

19. Fusion Power Startup Raises $450M From Bessemer and Alphabet’s GV
    February 11, 2026 – TechCrunch

20. Texas “Batch Zero” Study – Data Centers
    February 15, 2026 – Inside Climate News

21. Controversial Climate Report Dropped From Endangerment Finding Decision
    February 13, 2026 – Inside Climate News

22. Earth’s Unprecedented Shift From Warm to Hot
    February 11, 2026 – Inside Climate News

23. TotalEnergies Signs 1 GW Solar PPA With Google for Texas Data Centers
    February 9, 2026 – ESG News

24. Meta Secures Up to 6.6 GW Nuclear Power to Fuel AI Data Center Growth
    February 11, 2026 – ESG News

25. A Blueprint for Shockproof Food Chains
    January 5, 2026 – Corporate Knights

26. A Simple Way to Fix the Economics of Carbon Capture
    February 9, 2026 – Corporate Knights

27. Nuclear’s Next Chapter: Newcleo Raises $88M to Scale Waste-Fueled SMR
    February 11, 2026 – Carbon Credits

28. How Power Demand, Emissions, and China Will Shape the Global Energy System to 2030
    February 11, 2026 – Carbon Credits

29. China Expands Carbon Reporting to Airlines and Heavy Industry
    February 12, 2026 – Carbon Credits