Sustainability - GeekWire

Jun 4, 2026, 8:00 AM

Helion hits $15.5B valuation with $465M in new cash as it aims to commercialize fusion this decade

Helion is chasing the highly ambitious goal of becoming the first company to commercialize fusion energy. They already have a high-stakes agreement to supply power to a Microsoft data center by 2028 and have broken ground on a power plant. Read More

Jun 3, 2026, 12:41 PM

With $12M second fund, fintech startup aims to pump more cash into climate entrepreneurs

Enduring Planet, a fintech company with Pacific Northwest roots, on Wednesday announced it has closed its second fund at more… Read More

May 29, 2026, 10:45 AM

Microsoft holds up rural Washington as data centers ‘gone right,’ but does the model still work?

As data center backlash builds nationwide, Microsoft is pointing to Quincy, Wash., as Exhibit A in making the case that… Read More

May 26, 2026, 9:00 AM

No dirt, no tractor, no problem: Canopii aims to tuck robotic farms into tennis court-sized urban spaces

Oregon startup Canopii is tackling the food supply system by launching automated, tennis court-sized greenhouse franchises that use robots to grow 40,000 pounds of greens a year. Read More

May 26, 2026, 7:00 AM

Climate progress at 30,000 feet: Alaska Airlines’ Ryan Spies on the flight path to sustainable aviation

The former civilian Navy engineer turned airline executive discusses the physics gap facing electric aviation, the regional push for sustainable fuel, and why customer feedback still moves needles inside major corporations. Read More

May 21, 2026, 9:33 AM

EV startup Electric Era launches battery systems to tackle data center energy crunch

Seattle EV startup Electric Era is launching the CoPower Platform to bypass utility delays and provide rapid battery storage for power-hungry data centers. Read More

May 8, 2026, 10:14 AM

Helion makes big bet on ‘Tiny Merge’ fusion testbed to meet aggressive Microsoft timeline

Beyond massive curtains inside its Everett, Wash., R&D facility, Helion is betting that a downsized testbed can answer key technology questions as the company races to meet deadlines. Read More

May 7, 2026, 10:29 AM

Report: As AI electricity demands soar, Microsoft weighs retreat from ambitious carbon-free energy pledge

The same AI boom that is minting record profits for Microsoft is now threatening to derail its climate leadership as it looks to weaken its ambitious clean energy goals. Read More

May 5, 2026, 9:07 AM

Moment Energy lands $40M to scale EV battery repurposing at planned Texas gigafactory

With a fresh $40 million investment and plans for a massive Texas gigafactory, Moment Energy is turning the end-of-life for EV batteries into a 30-year infrastructure play. Read More

May 4, 2026, 2:49 PM

Data centers at sea: Panthalassa nets $140M led by Peter Thiel for wave-powered AI

By combining massive floating power generators with onsite AI hardware, Panthalassa turns the ocean into a self-sustaining computing powerhouse — all without needing a single mile of underwater power cables. Read More

Apr 29, 2026, 6:31 AM

Zap Energy’s nuclear double play: Fusion startup adds traditional fission to its lineup, in industry first

Fusion startup Zap Energy is adding fission to its quest for nuclear power, naming Zabrina Johal as CEO to lead the new dual-purpose effort. Read More

Apr 23, 2026, 10:31 AM

A nuclear first: TerraPower officially starts construction on next-gen Natrium plant in Wyoming

TerraPower is officially moving dirt on its facility in Wyoming, making it the first company in the U.S. to break ground on a next-generation nuclear plant. Read More

Apr 17, 2026, 9:53 AM

The fusion pivot: Helion CEO David Kirtley’s journey from starships to sustainable star power

Before he was trying to bottle the sun in Everett, Wash., David Kirtley was building rockets. Now, he’s adapting those space-based technologies in the race for fusion energy. Read More

Apr 9, 2026, 1:55 PM

Flush with cash: Washington startup lands up to $500M to deploy facilities treating sewage, dairy waste

Wastewater treatment startup Sedron Technologies – a company that once served Bill Gates a glass of water purified from sewage – is being acquired by Ara Partners. The firm is investing up to $500 million in Sedron to facilitate the deployment of its sewage and manure cleaning technologies. Read More

Apr 8, 2026, 9:25 AM

Avalanche Energy lands share of $5.2M DOD award to develop long-lasting ‘nuclear batteries’

Forget charging your laptop — fusion startup Avalanche Energy is part of a team developing a roughly 10-pound nuclear battery designed to provide continuous power for months. Read More

Apr 2, 2026, 1:27 PM

Startup launched by former AWS energy team emerges with $7M to help solve data center power crunch

Founded by former AWS energy leaders, British Columbia-based Soma Energy emerged from stealth with $7 million and tech to optimize the power grid for data centers and utilities. Read More

Apr 2, 2026, 7:00 AM

From kelp pots to kilns: UW’s CoMotion Labs reveals 8 startups joining its newest climate cohort

University of Washington’s CoMotion Labs selects its second climate tech cohort. Meet the eight startups tackling EV adoption, biochar and sustainable packaging. Read More

Apr 1, 2026, 9:31 AM

GeekWire Awards: Sustainable Innovation finalists tackle energy, fashion and farming

The Sustainable Innovation Award finalists this year are energy companies Helion, OCOChem and TerraPower; fashion recycler Ravel; and agtech startup IUNU. Read More

Mar 30, 2026, 10:16 AM

Report: Amazon buys 1,300 acres near Columbia River that could become a giant data center

Amazon has purchased 1,300 acres in Boardman, Ore., for a potential $12 billion “exascale” data center campus capable of housing up to 20 buildings, the Oregonian reports. Read More

Mar 26, 2026, 7:41 AM

Forget new power plants — Seattle startup Edo wants to turn your office building into one

Edo spent five years building tech to turn commercial buildings into virtual power plants, and with the grid buckling under data center demand and extreme weather, utilities and building operators are taking notice. Read More

Mar 24, 2026, 8:35 AM

The guardian angel of groceries: Katherine Sizov’s tech-led quest to modernize our food system

Meet Katherine Sizov, a former budding neuroscientist who ditched the lab, cornered a grocery employee about peaches, and built a $22 million startup called Strella that’s revolutionizing how food gets from farm to shelf. Read More

Mar 23, 2026, 9:23 AM

Report: Helion is working on a massive fusion power deal with OpenAI

The Seattle-area fusion startup Helion Energy is negotiating a deal to supply OpenAI with a staggering 5 gigawatts of power by 2030 — if its technology works. Read More

Mar 20, 2026, 8:08 AM

Tech Moves: Carbon Robotics’ new CFO; Microsoft gaming GM goes to Netflix; Nordstrom gets VP of AI

Carbon Robotics names a CFO; Nordstrom gets a VP of AI; and a Microsoft gaming GM goes to Netflix while one of its longtime legal leaders retires. Read More

Mar 18, 2026, 11:50 AM

Microsoft nixes NDAs with local governments worldwide when deploying data centers

Amid widespread blowback against the spread of data centers, Microsoft on Wednesday announced it is abandoning its practice of secrecy… Read More

Mar 18, 2026, 10:41 AM

Backed by Nvidia, Seattle’s Phaidra targets data center overheating with proactive AI

Phaidra, a startup using artificial intelligence to make data center operations more energy efficient, this week announced key collaborations with Nvidia, CoreWeave and Applied Digital. Read More

Mar 13, 2026, 10:22 AM

Report: TerraPower leadership faces tough questions about Gates, Myhrvold and Epstein ties

TerraPower employees questioned CEO Chris Levesque about connections between sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and company board leaders Bill Gates and Nathan Myhrvold, according to The Seattle Times. Read More

Mar 12, 2026, 8:05 PM

The ‘Tesla exemption’ no more: Rivian and Lucid break through Washington state’s dealership wall

At the start of next year, Washington state shoppers will for the first time be able to visit showrooms for Rivian and Lucid Motors, take a test drive and buy an EV. Read More

Mar 10, 2026, 7:00 AM

Seattle-area startup turns industrial emissions into high-performance battery materials

Homeostasis is building a business at the intersection of climate policy, trade wars and the global race for battery materials with its graphite production tech. Read More

Mar 9, 2026, 8:20 AM

Contractors sue Modern Hydrogen, alleging the Bill Gates-backed startup left their final invoices unpaid

Five contractors are suing the Seattle-area clean energy startup for more than $363,458, alleging unpaid invoices when the company suddenly slowed operations late last year. Read More

Mar 5, 2026, 8:51 AM

Fully charged: Meet the local leader energizing the Pacific Northwest battery boom

Grayson Shor, founder of the Pacific Northwest Battery Collaborative, is the driving force that’s uniting the region’s battery community. Read More