The 5 next big things in sustainability and energy

illuminem summarises for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Fast Company or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: Despite US federal renewable energy funding cuts in 2025, private-sector innovation is advancing rapidly across the energy and sustainability landscape
• From thermal batteries in shipping containers to scalable grid mapping tools, five breakthrough technologies are emerging as key enablers of the clean energy transition — especially as electricity demand surges with the rise of AI and data centers

🔭 The context: The transition to clean energy is increasingly being led by startups, automakers, and AI labs as government climate investments decline
• The U.S. grid is under strain from electrification and digitalisation, and stakeholders are seeking modular, scalable solutions for energy storage, emissions tracking, and infrastructure resilience
• These innovations reflect a broader shift: integrating decarbonisation into the backbone of industry, logistics, and computing

⏭️ What’s next: All five technologies are advancing toward scale. Exowatt is targeting data centers with its modular solar units, while GM plans to launch its manganese-based EV batteries by 2028
• Greenlane is expanding its freight charging network across major U.S. corridors
• Persefoni is growing beyond 6,000 users, as X’s Tapestry extends its grid-mapping tools to new global markets
• Their success could serve as a blueprint for decentralised innovation in the face of policy uncertainty.

💬 One quote: “Even in uncertain times, companies are advancing the technology needed to push for a clean-energy transition.” – Morgan Clendaniel, Fast Company

📈 One stat: Persefoni’s AI-powered carbon accounting software has already onboarded over 6,000 users in its first year—many of them small and mid-sized enterprises navigating new global climate regulations.

Explore carbon credit purchases, total emissions, and climate targets of thousands of companies on Data Hub™ — the first platform designed to help sustainability providers generate sales leads!

Click for more news covering the latest on green tech