Climate Tech Newsletter: March 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

Iran war sent oil past $120/barrel, triggering IEA's record 400-million-barrel reserve release—barely covering 20 days of lost Hormuz supply. Trump clawed back $87M from Sublime Systems, forcing two-thirds of staff laid off. US battery startups kept collapsing; nuclear advanced globally; EU proposed a major green infrastructure fund. Carbon Brief confirmed: UK electricity bills are driven by expensive gas, not net-zero.

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1. The US Battery Industry Is Having a Rough 2026
   March 12, 2026 – MIT Technology Review

2. Countries in Europe and Asia Relax Energy Rules as Iran War Disrupts Gas Supplies
   March 14, 2026 – Reuters

3. IEA Agrees to Release Record 400 Million Barrels of Oil from Strategic Reserves
   March 11, 2026 – Reuters

4. Greenwashing Suits Continue to Climb Despite Uncertainty Over How They'll Fare
   March 9, 2026 – Law.com / Corporate Counsel

5. New York Needs 'Breathing Room' on 2030 Climate Law, Gov. Hochul Says
   March 13, 2026 – ESG Dive

6. HSBC Hires Sustainable Finance Veteran to Lead Transition in Europe, Americas
   March 9, 2026 – ESG Dive

7. Blackstone Acquires Majority Stake in Advanced Cooling Technologies
   March 12, 2026 – ESG Dive

8. Vallourec Supplies Tubing for California's First Long-Term Carbon Storage Project
   March 11, 2026 – EnergyTech

9. Energy Department Touts $1.9B for Grid Upgrades
   March 12, 2026 – E&E News

10. The Damage to the World Economy from the Iran War Will Be Severe, but Uneven
    March 12, 2026 – The Economist

11. As Californians Electrify, Tech Could Prevent Grid Overload
    March 10, 2026 – Canary Media

12. Trump Admin Courts Westinghouse Rivals Amid South Korea Nuclear Dispute
    March 13, 2026 – Canary Media

13. Draft Bill Would Let Ohio Utilities Own Nuclear Plants
    March 12, 2026 – Canary Media

14. Illinois to Data Centers: Bring Your Own Renewables and Skip the Line
    March 12, 2026 – Canary Media

15. Clean Cement Startup Sublime Cuts Jobs After Trump Pulled Funding
    March 12, 2026 – Canary Media

16. Von der Leyen Pitches for Nuclear Power at Paris Summit Amid Energy Fears
    March 10, 2026 – Bloomberg

17. Net Zero Costs Less Than One Fossil Fuel Shock, UK's CCC Says
    March 11, 2026 – Bloomberg

18. EU to Pitch Infrastructure Fund to Drive Green-Energy Transition
    March 9, 2026 – Bloomberg

19. Group14 Opens Factory to Produce Battery Materials for Flash-Charging EVs
    March 12, 2026 – TechCrunch

20. Google and Tesla Think We're Managing the Electrical Grid All Wrong
    March 10, 2026 – TechCrunch

21. Republican Lawmakers Are Pushing Legislation to Shield Polluters from Climate Lawsuits
    March 14, 2026 – Inside Climate News

22. AI Boom Drives Data Centers Into a New Era of Power Demand
    March 14, 2026 – Inside Climate News

23. China's Clean Energy and Coal Cushion Its Oil Dependence Amid Iran War
    March 13, 2026 – Inside Climate News

24. UK Launches Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard to Define Credible Climate Claims Across Property Sector
    March 10, 2026 – ESG News

25. How Big Business Is Rewriting the U.S. Sustainability Story
    March 11, 2026 – Corporate Knights

26. IEA: Carbon Management Technologies Gain Funding and Policy Support but Financing Gap Deepens
    March 7, 2026 – Carbon Herald

27. CATL's Profit Surges 42% with Global Battery Demand and the Shift to a Zero-Carbon Future
    March 13, 2026 – Carbon Credits