katie brigham
@kbrigham.bsky.social
climate tech reporter (aka ENERGY DOMINANCE reporter) at @heatmap.news | signal: katieb.40
📍 Seattle, WA
📍 Seattle, WA
Reposted by katie brigham
Google is spending tens of billions of dollars a year on its data center buildout and its hiring some human capital too: some of America’s most prominent energy wonks heatmap.news/energy/googl...
Google Is Cornering the Market on Energy Wonks
The hyperscaler is going big on human intelligence to help power its artificial intelligence.
heatmap.news
December 23, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Google is spending tens of billions of dollars a year on its data center buildout and its hiring some human capital too: some of America’s most prominent energy wonks heatmap.news/energy/googl...
Reposted by katie brigham
One big takeaway from Mamdani bringing YIMBYs into his transition is that advocates can often gain a lot of power by
1.) having useful answers to questions and accurate information
2.) being reasonably polite and pleasant to elected officials
3.) understanding the actual mechanics of government
1.) having useful answers to questions and accurate information
2.) being reasonably polite and pleasant to elected officials
3.) understanding the actual mechanics of government
December 19, 2025 at 7:43 PM
One big takeaway from Mamdani bringing YIMBYs into his transition is that advocates can often gain a lot of power by
1.) having useful answers to questions and accurate information
2.) being reasonably polite and pleasant to elected officials
3.) understanding the actual mechanics of government
1.) having useful answers to questions and accurate information
2.) being reasonably polite and pleasant to elected officials
3.) understanding the actual mechanics of government
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp, which runs Truth Social, just merged with fusion company TAE Technologies, which seemingly makes no sense but also why not i guess
via @matt-levine.bsky.social
via @matt-levine.bsky.social
December 18, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Trump Media & Technology Group Corp, which runs Truth Social, just merged with fusion company TAE Technologies, which seemingly makes no sense but also why not i guess
via @matt-levine.bsky.social
via @matt-levine.bsky.social
as the U.S. pulls back from direct air capture, japan’s largest conglomerates and investors are leaning in, viewing the global DAC market as a major commercial opportunity. now, the country has become a magnet for international DAC and carbon removal startups seeking funding
DAC Is Struggling in America, But It’s Big in Japan
With new corporate emissions restrictions looming, Japanese investors are betting on carbon removal.
heatmap.news
December 17, 2025 at 7:37 PM
as the U.S. pulls back from direct air capture, japan’s largest conglomerates and investors are leaning in, viewing the global DAC market as a major commercial opportunity. now, the country has become a magnet for international DAC and carbon removal startups seeking funding
Reposted by katie brigham
With U.S. investors retreating and new corporate emissions restrictions about to kick, Japanese investors are seeing big opportunities in one of the trickiest climate tech sectors: direct air capture.
Here's @kbrigham.bsky.social with the full story:
heatmap.news/carbon-remov...
Here's @kbrigham.bsky.social with the full story:
heatmap.news/carbon-remov...
DAC Is Struggling in America, But It’s Big in Japan
With new corporate emissions restrictions looming, Japanese investors are betting on carbon removal.
heatmap.news
December 17, 2025 at 7:33 PM
With U.S. investors retreating and new corporate emissions restrictions about to kick, Japanese investors are seeing big opportunities in one of the trickiest climate tech sectors: direct air capture.
Here's @kbrigham.bsky.social with the full story:
heatmap.news/carbon-remov...
Here's @kbrigham.bsky.social with the full story:
heatmap.news/carbon-remov...
Reposted by katie brigham
China's rise in fusion energy research has been meteoric, as this chart in NYT illustrates:
December 15, 2025 at 12:40 PM
China's rise in fusion energy research has been meteoric, as this chart in NYT illustrates:
love it or hate it, a new addition to the hydrogen 🌈 is gaining traction. startup Vema is pioneering the production of orange H₂ - made underground by expediting the natural process of H₂ formation in iron-rich rocks - and just signed a (conditional) offtake agreement to provide it to data centers
There’s a New Color for Hydrogen: Orange
The startup Vema just signed a new offtake agreement to provide 36,000 tons of orange hydrogen per year for data centers.
heatmap.news
December 16, 2025 at 4:37 PM
love it or hate it, a new addition to the hydrogen 🌈 is gaining traction. startup Vema is pioneering the production of orange H₂ - made underground by expediting the natural process of H₂ formation in iron-rich rocks - and just signed a (conditional) offtake agreement to provide it to data centers
Reposted by katie brigham
Fascinating new developments in geologic hydrogen from @kbrigham.bsky.social
heatmap.news/climate-tech...
heatmap.news/climate-tech...
There’s a New Color for Hydrogen: Orange
The startup Vema just signed a new offtake agreement to provide 36,000 tons of orange hydrogen per year for data centers.
heatmap.news
December 16, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Fascinating new developments in geologic hydrogen from @kbrigham.bsky.social
heatmap.news/climate-tech...
heatmap.news/climate-tech...
it is!!!! ☀️
The color of the sky in Seattle is cerulean frost #708dc1
![2025-12-13 11:55:01 #708dc1 cerulean frost | [#708dc1 - 70%] [#5b7bb4 - 18%] [#4a6aa1 - 12%]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ohjjzadgzeub2ffc5agg7k4z/bafkreihizgi6zmlavr6dh2zisnuzqtp6cbzkckezpqfqcuamtquyxwxhva@jpeg)
December 13, 2025 at 9:32 PM
it is!!!! ☀️
good analysis of the AI/water use q. AI doesn't use that much water in the grand scheme of things, but "ppl who don’t think twice about eating a burger or buying a new t-shirt are angry about LLMs and water because they're rejecting the entire premise that AI is worth the price of its water use"
new from me: are data centers going to wipe out water supplies? how much water does ChatGPT really use? and what's going on with that big correction in Empire of AI?
i went long on the conversation around AI and water, and how it's actually about what we want resources to be used for:
i went long on the conversation around AI and water, and how it's actually about what we want resources to be used for:
You’re Thinking About AI and Water All Wrong
Fears about AI data centers’ water use have exploded. Experts say the reality is far more complicated than people think.
www.wired.com
December 12, 2025 at 7:29 PM
good analysis of the AI/water use q. AI doesn't use that much water in the grand scheme of things, but "ppl who don’t think twice about eating a burger or buying a new t-shirt are angry about LLMs and water because they're rejecting the entire premise that AI is worth the price of its water use"
Reposted by katie brigham
In Feb 2023, I attended a climate skeptics conference in Orlando. I was the only reporter.
David Stevenson told me there that the offshore wind industry would “crumble” before it reached South Carolina. And that he was leading the opposition.
I followed him for 3 years and wrote this story.
David Stevenson told me there that the offshore wind industry would “crumble” before it reached South Carolina. And that he was leading the opposition.
I followed him for 3 years and wrote this story.
The man behind the fall of offshore wind
David Stevenson has solar on his roof and drives a hybrid. How did he become the leader of the movement that helped Trump crush offshore wind farms?
www.canarymedia.com
December 11, 2025 at 2:44 PM
In Feb 2023, I attended a climate skeptics conference in Orlando. I was the only reporter.
David Stevenson told me there that the offshore wind industry would “crumble” before it reached South Carolina. And that he was leading the opposition.
I followed him for 3 years and wrote this story.
David Stevenson told me there that the offshore wind industry would “crumble” before it reached South Carolina. And that he was leading the opposition.
I followed him for 3 years and wrote this story.
the rise of genAI has materials scientists dreaming of room temp superconductors and ultra-high density batteries. but the gap between scientific breakthroughs and commercial reality is vast. here's why one materials company is focusing on the latter for developing new sustainable materials
AI Is Supercharging the Hunt for Sustainable Materials
Citrine Informatics has been applying machine learning to materials discovery for years. Now more advanced models are giving the tech a big boost.
heatmap.news
December 11, 2025 at 9:57 PM
the rise of genAI has materials scientists dreaming of room temp superconductors and ultra-high density batteries. but the gap between scientific breakthroughs and commercial reality is vast. here's why one materials company is focusing on the latter for developing new sustainable materials
Reposted by katie brigham
I did a lengthy interview with the CEO of Stardust, in which he walked back the solar geoengineering startup's testing and deployment plans a bit. The company also intends to release details about its proprietary particles early next year and expects to open a US office soon.
How one controversial startup hopes to cool the planet
And why many scientists are freaked out about the first serious for-profit company moving into the solar geoengineering field.
www.technologyreview.com
December 10, 2025 at 4:17 PM
I did a lengthy interview with the CEO of Stardust, in which he walked back the solar geoengineering startup's testing and deployment plans a bit. The company also intends to release details about its proprietary particles early next year and expects to open a US office soon.
🪐 SPACE-BASED SOLAR POWER 🪐 is the latest futuristic cleantech vision to begin the transition from sci-fi fantasy to commercial reality heatmap.news/climate-tech...
Exclusive: Startup Emerges From Stealth Aiming to Beam Solar Energy From Space
Overview Energy has raised $20 million already and is targeting a Series A early next year.
heatmap.news
December 10, 2025 at 6:04 PM
🪐 SPACE-BASED SOLAR POWER 🪐 is the latest futuristic cleantech vision to begin the transition from sci-fi fantasy to commercial reality heatmap.news/climate-tech...
relatedly: heatmap.news/climate-tech...
December 9, 2025 at 8:43 PM
relatedly: heatmap.news/climate-tech...
Reposted by katie brigham
Additionally, it appears that all of EPA's previously extensive "indicators of climate change" pages have been scrubbed entirely. The pages no longer exist; there are numerous dead links on the current/live EPA site, and no indication they have been moved to a new URL.
December 8, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Additionally, it appears that all of EPA's previously extensive "indicators of climate change" pages have been scrubbed entirely. The pages no longer exist; there are numerous dead links on the current/live EPA site, and no indication they have been moved to a new URL.
permitting reform is on the table once again. with the SPEED act expected to come to a vote on the house floor in the coming weeks, @emilypont.bsky.social breaks down where the debate stands this time around
Permitting Reform is Back. What Are We Even Talking About This Time?
Get up to speed on the SPEED Act.
heatmap.news
December 5, 2025 at 7:48 PM
permitting reform is on the table once again. with the SPEED act expected to come to a vote on the house floor in the coming weeks, @emilypont.bsky.social breaks down where the debate stands this time around
Reposted by katie brigham
Wonderful piece from Katie Brigham at Heatmap on our new tool—the Clean Industrial Capabilities Explorer. She captures its central motivation so well: we created this tool to help countries understand their manufacturing bases and design more targeted industrial policies.
December 4, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Wonderful piece from Katie Brigham at Heatmap on our new tool—the Clean Industrial Capabilities Explorer. She captures its central motivation so well: we created this tool to help countries understand their manufacturing bases and design more targeted industrial policies.
the clean energy manufacturing leaders of today won't necessarily be the industrial giants of tomorrow --- or at least not the only ones. here are the countries poised to become climate tech’s future stars @bentleyallan.bsky.social heatmap.news/economy/clea...
The Future of Climate Tech Is Emerging in Some Unexpected Places
A new model from Johns Hopkins’ Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab uses machine learning to predict tomorrow’s industrial powerhouses.
heatmap.news
December 4, 2025 at 10:21 PM
the clean energy manufacturing leaders of today won't necessarily be the industrial giants of tomorrow --- or at least not the only ones. here are the countries poised to become climate tech’s future stars @bentleyallan.bsky.social heatmap.news/economy/clea...
Reposted by katie brigham
In NY, ConEd’s Electric Advantage program is paying 100% of the cost to switch gas customers to electric. Heat pumps, water, dryers, stoves, insulation, electric panel, the whole 9. Right now they do about a dozen/year. This profile looks at what it would take to scale. heatmap.news/energy/coned...
Meet Con Edison’s One-Woman Electrification Show
Julie Liu is converting gas customers to heat pumps, one home at a time.
heatmap.news
December 3, 2025 at 1:21 PM
In NY, ConEd’s Electric Advantage program is paying 100% of the cost to switch gas customers to electric. Heat pumps, water, dryers, stoves, insulation, electric panel, the whole 9. Right now they do about a dozen/year. This profile looks at what it would take to scale. heatmap.news/energy/coned...
November 26, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Reposted by katie brigham
The Department of the Interior's policy, basically:
November 26, 2025 at 12:30 AM
The Department of the Interior's policy, basically:
Reposted by katie brigham
Utah of all places blazing a trail for solar uptake, we love to see it. the vote was unanimous in the legislature too
Today on Volts: I've had more requests to cover this than almost any other topic in the pod's history, so now, at long last, balcony solar! We dig into how "plug-in solar" took off in Europe & how it's making its way to the US, starting in Utah. Backyard DIY types rejoice!
What's the deal with balcony solar?
Cora Stryker joins me to explain how "plug-in" solar took Europe by storm and is finally, via Utah (?), making its way to America.
www.volts.wtf
November 26, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Utah of all places blazing a trail for solar uptake, we love to see it. the vote was unanimous in the legislature too
Reposted by katie brigham
for instance, GPT-3 took 700,000 liters of water to train. That sounds like a lot! It is roughly the amount of water used to raise the amount of beef that *two* Americans eat in a year.
November 25, 2025 at 5:38 AM
for instance, GPT-3 took 700,000 liters of water to train. That sounds like a lot! It is roughly the amount of water used to raise the amount of beef that *two* Americans eat in a year.
as electricity costs climb, the economics of some decarb-focused technologies is shifting, potentially delaying adoption and putting some already-expensive and power-intensive solutions further out of reach
With Power Prices Surging, Can We Still Electrify Everything?
In some cases, rising electricity rates are the least of a company’s worries.
heatmap.news
November 14, 2025 at 1:06 AM
as electricity costs climb, the economics of some decarb-focused technologies is shifting, potentially delaying adoption and putting some already-expensive and power-intensive solutions further out of reach