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Climate Tech

Trump and technology.
Climate Tech

Crusoe Is Pushing the Definition of Climate Tech

A climate tech company powered by natural gas has always been an odd concept. Now as it moves into developing data centers, it insists it’s remaining true to its roots.

Climate Tech

Climate Tech Is Facing a ‘Moment of Truth’

The uncertainty created by Trump’s erratic policymaking could not have come at a worse time for the industry.

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Climate Tech

AI Weather Forecasters Still Need NOAA

While they’re getting more accurate all the time, they still rely on data from traditional models — and possibly always will.

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An airplane and carbon capture.

United Airlines Bets on Heirloom’s Direct Air Capture

The airline is making an investment with an eye toward one day producing jet fuel from the captured carbon.

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Wind turbines and money.

What Could Happen Next With the Funding Freeze

Romany Webb, the deputy director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University, has some answers.

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Climate Tech

Breakthrough Energy Is Slashing Its Climate Grantmaking Budget

Grantees told Heatmap they were informed that Bill Gates’ climate funding organization would not renew its support.

Bill Gates.
<p>Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images</p>

Bill Gates’ climate tech advocacy organization has told its partners that it will slash its grantmaking budget this year, dealing a blow to climate-focused policy and advocacy groups that relied on the Microsoft founder, Heatmap has learned.

Breakthrough Energy, the umbrella organization for Gates’ various climate-focused programs, alerted many nonprofit grantees earlier this month that it would not be renewing its support for them. This pullback will not affect Breakthrough’s $3.5 billion climate-focused venture capital arm, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, which funds an extensive portfolio of climate tech companies. Breakthrough’s fellowship program, which provides early-stage climate tech leaders with funding and assistance, will also remain intact, a spokesperson confirmed. They would not comment on whether this change will lead to layoffs at Breakthrough Energy.

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Carbon Removal

Forest Carbon Removal Gets a $160 Million Vote of Confidence

Chestnut Carbon announces a major new funding round on the heels of its deal with Microsoft.

A forest.
<p>Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images</p>

The embattled nature-based carbon removal market got a significant show of support today as Chestnut Carbon announced a whopping $160 million Series B funding round, led by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. The startup focuses on planting trees and vegetation as well as on improving forest management practices to better remove carbon from the atmosphere.

This announcement comes on the heels of the company’s recent deal with Microsoft to remove over 7 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over a 25-year period. That involves planting about 35 million native trees over about 60,000 acres. It’s Microsoft’s largest carbon removal contract in the U.S., and one of the largest domestic carbon removal projects period — including those that rely on engineered solutions such as direct air capture.

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