The Geothermal Energy Wild Card Is Getting Wilder

cleantechnica.com Sep 26, 2026

The Geothermal Energy Wild Card Is Getting Wilder

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 26, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

The U.S. Department of Energy released a $99 million grant to 21 next‑generation geothermal projects, including Quaise Energy’s Project Obsidian, touted as the world’s first commercial super‑hot geothermal plant. The funding aims to lower technical risks, validate new technologies, and make data publicly available through the DOE Geothermal Data Repository. President Trump’s administration highlighted the program as a means to unlock domestic geothermal resources and strengthen American energy independence.

💡 Why It Matters

· By investing in high‑temperature geothermal, the U.S.
· could diversify its clean‑energy mix and reduce reliance on fossil fuels for data‑center power, a sector that is rapidly expanding.
· The public‑access data strategy may accelerate broader industry adoption of proven technologies.

Capsules Energy

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Donut Battery Vindicated: Element Analysis Proves Battery Not Lithium Or Sodium

Donut Lab released a new video debunking claims that its “I Donut Believe” battery uses lithium or sodium. CTO Ville Piippo presented elemental analysis showing only trace amounts of lithium and sodium, far below levels found in conventional batteries. The lab’s evidence confirms the device is neither lithium nor sodium‑based, countering a persistent conspiracy narrative. The video aims to dispel misinformation and protect the company’s credibility amid growing skepticism.

💡 By conclusively disproving the lithium‑battery claim, Donut Lab removes a key obstacle to its technology’s adoption, potentially accelerating alternative energy solutions.

cleantechnica.com · Sep 26

Publish Your Book Through CleanTechnica Press

CleanTechnica Press has opened its doors to authors, announcing it will accept book submissions on clean energy technologies. The launch follows the release of founder Scott Cooney’s book Outta Gas, which is already selling well through the site’s channels. The press invites writers to submit without an agent, promising publication of at least one book this autumn. A Google Hangout on September 30 will provide details for interested authors.

💡 By lowering entry barriers for clean‑tech authors, the press accelerates the spread of practical knowledge that can shape policy and industry practices.

cleantechnica.com · Sep 26

OceanX Made Downwind Floating Wind Worth Another Look

OceanX’s floating wind platform survived Super Typhoon Yagi with minimal nacelle tilt, demonstrating credible performance under extreme conditions. The design features two turbines on one platform, downwind rotors, slender inclined supports held by pretensioned stays, and a whole‑platform weather‑vaning system that keeps the rotor‑support alignment stable. Measurements recorded wind speeds above 41.5 m/s, waves up to 9.8 m, and nacelle inclination changes of only 0–3°, matching pre‑storm simulations. The data suggest the unconventional architecture can mitigate traditional downwind fatigue and aerodynamic issues.

💡 By proving that a downwind, stayed‑support design can endure typhoon‑level loads, OceanX challenges long‑standing assumptions about floating turbine safety and opens a new pathway for efficient offshore wind deployment.

thisdaylive.com · Sep 26

WOULD NIGERIA KNOW WHEN AN AI AGENT BREAKS INTO OUR SYSTEM?

Nigeria announced the successful unlocking of the 53‑year‑old Ima gas field, a development that could significantly boost the country’s natural gas output. TotalEnergies and the Amni consortium signed an $800 million final investment decision (FID) to develop the field, marking a major step in the nation’s energy strategy. The move follows the Central Bank’s recent 350‑basis‑point interest‑rate cut to 23%, which is expected to lower borrowing costs for large projects. The development is part of Nigeria’s broader push to diversify its economy and reduce dependence on oil exports.

💡 The Ima field’s activation could lift Nigeria’s gas supply, supporting industrial growth and energy security. It also signals a strengthening partnership between Nigerian operators and international investors, potentially attracting further foreign direct investment into the sector.

techtarget.com · Sep 25

Nuclear renaissance is hyperscaler PR hype, experts agree

A wave of high‑profile power purchase agreements between Amazon, Google and Microsoft and U.S. nuclear operators has revived talk of a “nuclear renaissance,” but experts warn the hype outpaces reality. The deals, signed after the Trump administration’s 2025 executive orders to speed licensing and revive shuttered reactors, aim to supply the growing electricity demand of AI‑driven cloud services while reducing carbon footprints. Critics such as Vaclav Vincalek argue that no nuclear plant can yet be co‑located with data centers, rendering the narrative moot, while MIT professor Koroush Shirvan calls the marketing “greenwashing,” noting that most billed power remains natural gas. The consensus is that nuclear may grow over the next decade, but current claims of imminent, large‑scale deployment are largely promotional.

💡 The narrative lets hyperscalers portray environmental leadership while masking continued reliance on fossil fuels, influencing policy and public perception of nuclear’s role in the AI energy surge.

cleantechnica.com · Sep 25

Utah Advocates Call for Air Agency to Hold Strong on Coal Plant…

The Utah Division of Air Quality (UDAQ) held a public hearing on September 24 to discuss a revision of its regional haze plan that would eliminate the previously mandated shutdown of the Intermountain Power Plant’s (IPP) coal units by the end of 2027. Advocates, including the Sierra Club and the Beyond Coal Campaign, urged the agency to retain the enforceable closure date after the EPA’s August 2024 partial disapproval of UDAQ’s plan for failing to curb emissions from Utah’s biggest coal polluters. The new draft removes the deadline and rejects modern pollution controls, despite state legislators and Governor Cox supporting continued operation to safeguard energy supply. Data‑center interest and expired California power contracts have been cited as reasons to keep IPP running, while critics warn the plant’s emissions degrade visibility in Utah’s “Mighty Five” national parks and distant sites such as Yosemite.

💡 Keeping IPP open would lock in additional haze pollution that directly threatens the visual and health benefits of iconic national parks, undermining federal air‑quality goals and the tourism economies that depend on clear skies.