When I was a kid my Grade 4 teacher said that in the future energy will be free. We’ll have found a way to make energy from water and salt, with no byproducts. Fast forward 40 years: news in the last year suggests we are closer to both hydrogen fusion and storing energy with salt.

Batteries made from salt which can store energy from renewable energy plants may sound like science fiction, but a new grid-scale deployment in the United States suggests the technology is moving closer to reality. It solves a major problem when harvesting solar, wind or geothermal energy. When the grid can’t use the excess energy it needs to be stored, or go to waste. The holy grail in renewable energy are robust batteries that can work without expensive and rare earth metals like lithium.

The news hook comes from a recent announcement by US energy storage company Peak Energy, which is working with RWE Americas to deploy a new sodium-ion battery system for grid storage. The project is designed to store renewable electricity from solar and wind and release it when demand rises.

Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries use sodium, or salt, one of the most abundant elements on Earth and a key component of common salt. Instead of lithium ions moving between electrodes during charging and discharging, sodium ions perform the same function.

The chemistry is similar to lithium batteries, but the materials are far cheaper and easier to source. In its announcement, the company highlighted the cost advantage of the technology.

“Peak Energy’s sodium-ion battery system uses a passively cooled architecture that eliminates the need for complex thermal management systems.”

The design of the system also removes some of the most expensive components found in conventional battery installations.

Energy storage has become one of the biggest bottlenecks for renewable power. Solar panels and wind turbines generate electricity only when conditions are right, which means grids need large batteries to store excess power for later use.

Today most large storage projects rely on lithium batteries, which depend on global supply chains for lithium, cobalt and nickel. Sodium batteries could reduce those costs dramatically because sodium is widely available in seawater and common minerals.

For utilities trying to scale renewable power, the difference could be significant. If sodium-ion systems prove reliable at grid scale, they could provide cheaper, safer storage for solar and wind, making renewable electricity more affordable for power systems around the world.

Peak Energy has raised about $65 million in venture funding since launching in 2023. The company was founded by Landon Mossburg, former president of Northvolt North America and a Tesla manufacturing veteran, together with Liam Maddock, a former operations executive at Zipline who previously held supply-chain roles at Tesla, Apple and Lyft.

Their team includes engineers and battery specialists from companies such as Tesla, Northvolt and SunPower. The company’s $10 million seed round was led by US venture firm Eclipse Ventures with participation from TDK Ventures in Japan, while its $55 million Series A was led by Xora Innovation, a Singapore-based deep-tech fund backed by Temasek.

Additional investors include Doral Energy-Tech Ventures in Israel, Tishman Speyer in the United States and other global energy-tech funds.

The company is entering a rapidly emerging sodium-ion battery race, competing with major Chinese manufacturers such as CATL, BYD, and HiNa Battery, as well as Western players including Northvolt in Sweden, Faradion in the United Kingdom and US grid-storage developer Natron Energy. Unlike lithium batteries, sodium-ion systems rely on abundant salt-based materials, which could make large-scale renewable energy storage significantly cheaper if the technology scales successfully.

Looking to invest in our sustainable future? Check out Peak Energy.

The post Batteries from salt? New grid projects suggest the idea is becoming real appeared first on Green Prophet.

You’ve built your Texas energy consultancy on expertise and trust. Clients rely on you to interpret grid data, advise on renewables strategy or guide them through regulatory change.  Texas’s energy sector is one of the largest in the country, contributing about $390 billion to the state economy and supporting over 819,000 jobs across oil, gas, and renewables. With the state leading in oil, natural gas, wind and utility-scale solar production, it is no surprise that demand for energy consultants continues to grow.

At some point, the side project becomes something more serious. Contracts grow, and so does risk. You may start to wonder whether trading in your own name still makes sense. 

If you feel unsure about the legal aspects of how to form a Texas LLC, you’re not alone. Many founders hesitate because the process sounds complex. The good news is that you can move forward with clarity and confidence when you understand what Texas actually requires.

• Choose the LLC structure

When you form a Limited Liability Company, you create a separate legal entity that stands apart from you as an individual—a structure that gives you limited liability protection. In practical terms, if a client disputes a consultancy report or a project faces financial difficulty, creditors usually pursue the company’s assets rather than your personal savings.

You must decide whether you want:

• A single-member LLC, where you remain the sole owner, or; 
• A multi-member LLC if you work with partners. 

Most independent consultants choose the single-member route because it keeps management simple while still protecting personal assets. 

However, if you co-found the business with another engineer or sustainability advisor, you should agree on ownership percentages early and record them in an operating agreement. This document sets out how you share profits and how you resolve disagreements, reducing confusion later.

• File your formation correctly

Texas requires you to file a Certificate of Formation with the Texas Secretary of State. You can submit this document through SOSDirect or SOSUpload. SOSDirect works well if you want to complete the online form step by step. SOSUpload suits you if you prefer to upload a prepared PDF.

You must include your LLC name, registered agent details and management structure. Texas currently charges a $300 filing fee. After submission, the Secretary of State reviews your documents and issues evidence of filing once they accept them.

Keep your filed copies and the certificate of formation confirmation. Banks often ask for this evidence when you open a business account. Likewise, corporate clients may request proof that your company exists before they sign consultancy agreements.

• Get your EIN the right way

After formation, you need an Employer Identification Number from the IRS. Even if you don’t plan to hire staff, you should obtain an EIN because banks require it to open a business account. You can apply for an EIN online for free through the IRS website.

During the application, you confirm your LLC details and the responsible party. This step links your tax identity to your company rather than your personal Social Security number. That separation strengthens your professional image and supports accurate bookkeeping. 

• Plan for Texas franchise tax

Texas doesn’t impose a state income tax on individuals, yet it does require most LLCs to file an annual franchise tax report. The Texas Comptroller publishes current franchise tax thresholds and rates, including a No Tax Due Threshold of $2,650,000 for 2026 and 2027 and an annual reporting due date of May 15.

If your consultancy earns less than that threshold, you might not owe tax, yet you still must file a report. Mark 15 May in your calendar and set reminders. Keep accurate revenue records throughout the year so you can complete the report quickly. This routine will help you avoid penalties and keep your LLC in good standing.

Protect your momentum with the right foundations

You started your energy consultancy to solve real problems, not to wrestle with paperwork. Yet the legal structure you choose shapes how confidently you can grow. By forming your Texas LLC carefully from the outset, you reduce risk and build credibility at the same time.

With a proactive approach, you can focus on advising clients on strategy while your legal foundations support you in the background. Take these steps methodically, and you will turn your consultancy into a stable, professional business that matches the ambition you already bring to your work.

The post Turning Your Energy Consultancy into an LLC: 4 Legal Steps for Founders in Texas appeared first on Green Prophet.

In the shimmering heat of the world’s great deserts, from Saudi Arabia’s Rub’ al Khali (the Empty Quarter) to the sands outside Abu Dhabi, lies a paradox. These landscapes bask in uninterrupted sunshine yet remain under-leveraged in the global renewable economy. The stumbling blocks to starting solar projects are rarely physical: the sun blazes. The hurdles are administrative, financial, and usually bureaucratic. As we’ve learned from Ipanema some 80-90% of renewable projects fail due to unforeseen, high grid connection costs, which Astro’s AI identifies upfront.

The company secures grid interconnection agreements, then sells these de-risked, shovel-ready projects to larger energy companies who can immediately start construction.

How? Astro, based in Silicon Valley uses artificial intelligence to map, acquire, and ready land for utility-scale clean energy build-out, then sell these “plug-and-play” sites to developers hungry for opportunity but infuriated by paperwork.

Astro’s pitch sounds almost too simple to be disruptive because if the biggest barrier to solar and wind isn’t physics but red tape, what if you solved the red tape first? The company’s machine-learning models ingest satellite imagery, grid maps, land-use data, and localized weather forecasts to pinpoint parcels that are ideal for renewables — not just sunny or windy, but grid-connectable, low-conflict, and low-cost.

Once a site is selected, Astro negotiates land access, coordinates environmental assessments, and aligns utility interconnection agreements, all the elements that typically take years.

For oil-rich, environmentally vigilant Gulf states, this isn’t just another startup story. It is a blueprint for accelerating an energy transition that is now existential, not optional. Regionally, governments have set ambitious targets such Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 (which is most likely going to fail from poor planning and the dropping cost of oil) and the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategy among them — but the execution often collides with an analog world of forms, approvals, and human inertia. Astro’s model turns that world digital, algorithmic, and fast.

Now imagine applying Astro-style intelligence to water resources, wind energy, and even remediation of damaged lands. They could help us map out where to put greenhouses and towns of the future. They can plan cities not based on a feeling but on opportunities.

In arid environments, the scarcity of freshwater supplies is as pressing as the need for clean power. By layering hydrological data onto the same AI platform that identifies prime solar sites, planners could locate aquifer recharge zones, optimize placement for desalination projects powered by renewables, and reduce the energy footprint of water distribution.

Wind isn’t far behind. Coastal zones of the Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea present compelling offshore and onshore wind potential. The same technology that pinpoints grid access for solar can model turbine wakes and logistics corridors, dramatically shortening the time from concept to construction.

And then there’s the elephant in the room: the environmental damage left in the wake of fossil extraction. You don’t have to look far for a cautionary tale — the soil and water crises around Basra’s oil fields which we wrote about last month, have made headlines and sickened communities. While Astro doesn’t sell cleanup services, the implication of its approach is clear: when you can map the viability of a clean project with precision, you can also map the liabilities. That opens the door for investors and sovereign wealth funds to bundle renewable investment with environmental remediation in blended finance vehicles.

Astro is founded by Alex Fuster. He is a Stanford-trained physicist and computer scientist and former energy trader at Citadel, he built Astro after seeing how predictable grid congestion data is overlooked by traditional developers. Astro is part of Y Combinator and is starting business development in Texas. Astro Energy closed a pre-seed funding round of about $500 K in April 2025, with participation from Y Combinator.

The post Astro uses AI to help procure land for renewable energy appeared first on Green Prophet.

Renewable energy has moved from the sidelines to the center of how we power modern life. Costs have fallen, projects scale faster, and grids are adapting. What once felt like a future bet now looks like common sense for homes, businesses, and entire countries.

The Tipping Point for Clean Power

A wave of new solar and wind projects is reshaping the electricity supply. The buildout is happening across rooftops, parking canopies, farms, and utility sites. As the share of clean power rises, grids rely less on imported fuels and more on local resources.

Solar’s Fast Climb

Solar has become the star of the transition thanks to modular hardware and straightforward installation. It fits dense cities and remote towns alike. Many companies are turning to rooftop arrays and carport systems – and exploring commercial solar installation as a practical way to lock in future savings. Falling equipment prices and faster interconnection timelines are helping projects pencil out for small and mid-sized facilities.

Economics that Keep Improving

Power prices have been volatile in recent years, which makes predictable solar output valuable. Analysts tracking U.S. markets reported that faster utility rate hikes can shorten project payback times by about one third, making systems more attractive to finance and own. That shift encourages facility managers to size arrays for daytime loads and pair them with smarter controls.

A recent outlook from European industry researchers described a record year for new solar capacity and a steep rise in global totals. Big volumes matter because they push manufacturers to scale, lowering per-watt costs for panels, inverters, and mounting gear. Those cost drops ripple into quicker timelines and more bankable proposals for site owners.

What Businesses Gain

For many organizations, energy is a top operating expense. Solar can reduce monthly bills and hedge against future spikes. It also helps meet sustainability targets that customers, employees, and regulators expect.

• Lower and steadier energy costs over 20+ years
• Better power quality when paired with smart inverters
• Visible progress toward emissions goals
• New shade and weather protection from solar carports
• Potential tax credits or incentives, depending on location

Smarter design choices

Good design starts with load profiles and roof conditions. Flat roofs might use ballast systems to avoid roof penetrations. Sloped roofs may favor rail and clamp attachments. Carports can free up rooftops for HVAC or future expansions. Right-sizing inverters and planning wire runs can save labor hours and reduce losses.

Storage and Software Tighten The Fit

Batteries make daytime solar more flexible by shifting energy to late afternoon and evening peaks. Simple rules like charging when the sun is strong and discharging during high-tariff periods improve savings. Site controllers can also pre-cool buildings or stagger equipment start times to smooth demand.

Industry analysts recently noted that higher retail electricity rates compress payback periods further when paired with batteries and demand management. That combination can change a 6-year outlook into something closer to 4 years for many commercial users, improving project approvals and access to capital.

Scale that Changes Markets

Global market trackers reported that the world added hundreds of gigawatts of solar in a single year, pushing total capacity into the multi-terawatt range. Rapid growth at that scale is transforming supply chains, workforce skills, and grid planning. It is also normalizing PPAs and leases, providing businesses with more options to fund projects without incurring high upfront costs.

The energy system is changing fast. With solid economics, practical designs, and smarter controls, renewable power is becoming the new baseline. The shift will not look the same everywhere, but the direction is clear, and the momentum is real.

The post How Renewable Energy is Revolutionizing the Way We Power Our World appeared first on Green Prophet.

When people think of sustainable energy and the transition to a renewable model, they might think of it as a clean break: fossil fuels are out, renewables are in. Unfortunately, the process is anything but clean or linear. Decarbonization is moving forward, but hydrocarbons are still an integral part of our energy systems, economies, and infrastructure. It can’t just be turned off.

This creates what amounts to a dual transition. Leaders are in a position where they must reduce emissions while still keeping the lights on and the economies stable. It’s not merely a question of technology, it’s also a huge leadership challenge that calls for strategy, policy, and risk management.

A Dual-Energy Transition: Double the Challenge

Today’s energy systems are under pressure from several directions at once. Climate targets are calling for a rapid reduction in emissions, while energy security concerns are pushing governments and companies to ensure there’s a reliable, affordable supply of energy. As one might expect, these goals don’t always line up neatly.

Geopolitical tensions, trade dynamics, and infrastructure limitations further complicate things. Things like pipeline capacity, grid limitations, and regional resource distribution all influence how quickly new energy sources can be brought to bear. Added to which, demand is continuing to rise. Expanding data centers and AI-driven technologies are currently sucking up enormous amounts of water and electricity. Not only do today’s sustainability professionals have to continue to meet this skyrocketing demand, but they also have to plan for sustainable growth and cut carbon intensity at the same time. It’s a lot.

Hydrocarbon vs. Renewables: Competing or Coexisting?

A dual energy landscape isn’t some dreamed-of future. In reality, hydrocarbons and renewables are already coexisting. Oil and gas are still the backbone of the world energy supply, while wind, solar, and other low-carbon technologies are continuing to grow.

Many companies and organizations now manage mixed energy portfolios that include both renewable and traditional energy projects. Reliable fossil fuels most often provide grid stability, while renewable capacity expands and storage technologies mature. There are also technologies like carbon capture and storage that seek to reduce emissions while long-term transitions take place. Many companies are trying to bridge the current energy reality and the renewable future, which is an ongoing and sophisticated balancing act.

That brings us to the question of leadership and the role it must play in this transitional period.

The Leadership Challenge

Today’s senior leaders in the energy sector are under a lot of pressure. On one hand, they have to pursue decarbonization goals in order to meet regulations and investor demands, while on the other they are held accountable for stability, profitability and access in regards to energy.

Every decision made at this level can have long-term consequences. Investing too slowly in low-carbon technologies could result in stranded assets and damage to one’s reputation for not embracing sustainability; moving too quickly without securing energy supply runs the risk of outages, price spikes, and political backlash.

This sort of complex and delicate situation calls for leaders who can operate in the strategic, regulatory, and commercial spheres with equal skill. Technical knowledge is a necessity, but it’s also not enough. Today’s energy professionals need to understand how markets, policy, and finance all intersect with the realities of sustainable engineering.

Developing Leaders for the Dual-Energy Era

In other words, today’s leaders need a broad and integrated skill set. What kind of skills in particular? For one, a working knowledge of policy and regulatory frameworks is crucial. Financial management skills play a major part, since projects are often long, involved, and can be tremendously costly. Strategic planning and problem-solving are also a vital part of the core skillset, as professionals have to deal with uncertainty, balance stakeholder interests with feasibility, and be able to adapt to a constantly and rapidly changing environment.

This is a large-scale challenge, and one that calls for structured leadership development. Experience in one area of the energy industry isn’t enough to guarantee readiness across all the others. That’s where a structured program like an MBA in energy can come in. Today’s advanced curricula explore energy economics, finance, policy, and strategic management alongside the technical subjects. And when pursuing an energy MBA online, professionals can skill up and retrain without having to step out of the labor market — an important perk at a time when skilled professionals are already in short supply.

The energy transition is not a linear progression. It’s a period of overlap, tension, and recalibration as mistakes are made and technologies emerge or are abandoned. Those technologies will always be evolving, but the need for skilled leadership will remain a constant. Those who can balance decarbonization efforts with energy security and profitability will help shape the future of our energy landscape.

The post Leading Through a Dual-Energy Transition: Balancing Decarbonisation with Energy Security appeared first on Green Prophet.

The American Southwest is where the EV transition faces its most unforgiving conditions. Extreme heat degrades EV batteries, causing range loss of 15% to over 30% when temperatures exceed 95°F to 100°F. Long travel corridors strain range limits of commuters and long-haul trucks. Grid access remains patchy across vast desert and rural zones. In much of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, West Texas, and inland California, electric mobility is not constrained by consumer interest, but by infrastructure reality. This is despite these regions being a hub for EV battery production to be close to the source of building lithium batteries.

This is the environment where M2PV Capital is building its business.

The company frames electric mobility infrastructure as requiring more than chargers. It argues that technical precision, grid independence, and operational excellence are essential in regions where traditional infrastructure does not exist. M2PV Capital develops, owns, and operates off-grid EV charging assets through an in-house technical model designed to bypass grid dependence entirely. Micro-grids are the key.

For Southwest communities and transport corridors, that approach addresses a core bottleneck: grid expansion timelines that stretch years beyond mobility demand. M2PV Capital’s strategy is structured around designing energy independence directly into each project.

The company positions its work around locations where conventional developers often hesitate to operate: desert regions, remote corridors, and underserved communities. Where the grid is absent or unreliable, its systems are designed to function independently and perform reliably for decades. This model reflects the Southwest’s physical realities. Solar resources are abundant. Population density is low. Travel distances are long and infrastructure must operate with minimal external support.

M2PV Capital is currently developing two primary business capabilities: Charging Plazas and power plant development. These projects are intended to demonstrate technical execution while establishing repeatable models for scalable deployment. In practical terms, this means EV charging stations paired with dedicated power assets, allowing each site to operate as an integrated energy system rather than a grid-dependent endpoint.

For Southwest planners and investors, the approach offers a potential blueprint for EV expansion without waiting for large-scale transmission upgrades. That balance is increasingly important as public agencies seek infrastructure models that align climate objectives with regional resilience and fiscal accountability.

M2PV Capital describes its role as building the infrastructure backbone for electric mobility in overlooked markets, combining technical depth, operational ownership, and long-term asset discipline to deliver predictable performance. Green Prophet speaks with M2PV Capital to learn more about opportunities as it tests the ground in the United States, bringing proof-of-concept for regions in Canada where extreme cold is the other side of the same coin, or the Middle East where thousands of miles of relentless desert could be charging station and energy opportunities as the world weans off oil and natural gas.

GREENPROPHET: What is M2PV Capital’s main focus?
M2PV Capital: We develop, own, and operate off-grid EV charging infrastructure in underserved and remote regions where traditional grid access is limited or nonexistent.

Why off-grid?
It allows us to deploy infrastructure where it’s needed most, without waiting for grid expansion. We engineer energy independence into every project.

What business capabilities are you building?
Two core businesses: Charging Plazas for public EV infrastructure and power plant development to generate the energy that powers them independently. Both demonstrate our technical execution and create scalable models.

Why focus on desert and underserved regions?
These areas lack infrastructure but have critical mobility needs. They also require sophisticated engineering—our core strength.

What makes your technical approach different?
Everything is in-house: feasibility analysis, system design, construction oversight, and operations. We control quality and performance at every stage.

How do you ensure long-term asset performance?
Through rigorous upfront planning, robust system design, and continuous operational management. Our assets are built to perform reliably for 20+ years.

What do investors and policymakers gain from this approach?
Confidence. Our projects are technically sound, operationally proven, and financially disciplined. They deliver infrastructure that works and returns that are predictable.

What is the core opportunity you see in the market right now?
We can build power plants rapidly, because we don’t have to wait for grid interconnection (we are off-grid).

This fund aims to reduce downside risk and capitalize on the accelerating EV market by acquiring prime land on which we build off-grid, clean-energy-powered EV charging stations, particularly in the rapidly appreciating desert Southwest. Our differentiation lies in our ability to bypass grid interconnection bottlenecks, enabling faster development and mitigating risks from grid instability, while having a clear path to funding subsequent EV station construction. Because we invest in Opportunity Zones, the gains can be tax free. Creating power generation facilities in areas where the grid is weak or has not reached yet enables industry to co-locate, further increasing the value of the land we invest in.

What types of assets and geographic markets will your fund focus on and why?
Our fund will focus on companies operating in the Southwest United States, specifically land in Opportunity Zones with access to water, highways, and data lines. The Southwest allows us to generate energy at a low cost due to low land cost and high solar irradiation.

How will your fund create value across its portfolio?
By investing in companies that start with low-cost greenfield land and develop energy and transportation infrastructure, we invest in land that increases in value rapidly. While competitors focus on areas with grid connection, our investments can operate slightly outside the range of the grid and generate their own electricity, avoiding competition with large corporations in the current land grab.

Our CEO has 30 years of experience in the solar industry, 10 years in power plant development, five years in batteries, and two years in EV charging stations. He has designed, procured, built, and developed gigawatts of power plants.

Our COO has a background in transportation and logistics as well as EV chargers. We know how to design and build power plants fast.

Our portfolio companies acquire low-cost land and raise its value by creating local infrastructure through EV charging stations for trucks and passenger vehicles. Our strength is the ability to build power infrastructure anywhere.

Why the Southwest comes first

M2PV Capital identifies the Southwest United States as its primary growth region because extreme climate conditions, long travel corridors, and limited grid access create a persistent EV infrastructure gap. While desert regions are a natural fit, the company’s focus extends to any underserved or infrastructure-constrained areas within the region.

Its target audience includes infrastructure- and energy-focused investors, government and regional development decision makers, and participants across the EV and clean energy ecosystem.

Although initial deployments are concentrated in the Southwest, the company’s technical and operational model is designed to be repeatable in similar climates globally. Regions such as the Middle East share many of the same challenges, including extreme heat, remote locations, and the need for energy independence. International markets are viewed as longer-term extensions of the platform rather than immediate priorities.

M2PV Capital frames its five-year outlook around disciplined execution, foundation building, and long-term profitable operation of EV assets.

__

To reach the company, drop them a line: mmesmer@m2pv.com

::M2PV Capital

The post M2PV Capital Targets the American Southwest as Its Launchpad for Off-Grid EV Growth appeared first on Green Prophet.

At a moment when the United States is wrestling with energy policy uncertainty and climate commitments (it left the Paris Accords under the Trump Administration), the conversation around renewable energy has never been more urgent. From grid modernization efforts to biofuel mandates in the pipeline, to renewable energy powering AI, US energy decision-makers are increasingly recognizing that sustainability and resilience must go hand in hand.

Renewable energy is often associated with solar panels and wind turbines. Yet not all renewables are intermittent or dependent on weather conditions. Biogas — methane produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic waste — offers a continuous, reliable source of clean energy that complements intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar. Through engineered systems that capture methane from agricultural residues, wastewater, and landfill gas, biogas technologies can generate electricity, produce renewable natural gas (RNG), and even power transportation fleets and airplanes using SAF.

Embedded in this transformation is a lesser-known but powerful player: biogas engineering — a technology poised to influence long-term environmental planning for decades to come. The engineering behind biogas systems is critical for its uptake. Companies specializing in biogas engineering design, build, and operate facilities that optimize the conversion of waste into usable energy. These systems don’t just generate fuel — they reduce methane emissions, produce valuable by-products such as renewable fertilizer, and help municipalities and farmers meet sustainability goals.

In the context of American energy policy (setting the stage for the world as oil prices are in USD), the relevance of renewable energy planning is increasingly evident. Federal agencies are preparing final biofuel blending mandates under the Renewable Fuel Standard, with decisions expected early in 2026 after delays that have left investors and producers in limbo.

At the same time, cities like San Antonio are demonstrating biogas’s real-world potential: landfill methane is being transformed into renewable natural gas that fuels public transit buses, reducing carbon emissions by up to 85% compared to diesel.Such projects exemplify how renewable energy can weave into everyday infrastructure, supporting decarbonization while enhancing local economies. See how Texas policy supports investment in biogas.

What are the advantages of biogas?

1. Continuous, Dispatchable Clean Energy: Unlike solar or wind, biogas can be scheduled and provided on demand. Its capacity to produce power around the clock strengthens grid reliability as renewable penetration grows.
US EPA

2. Methane Mitigation: Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the warming impact of CO₂ over 20 years. Capturing methane from waste streams and converting it into energy both lowers emissions and generates a valuable resource.

3. Circular Economy Benefits: Biogas systems turn organic waste into energy and soil amendments, advancing waste reduction and creating added value for rural communities.

4. Strategic Energy Independence: By producing domestic renewable fuels like RNG and compressed natural gas for vehicles, biogas supports U.S. energy security while reducing reliance on imported fuels.

As policymakers and planners consider long-term climate strategies — from updating infrastructure to scaling renewable mandates — integrating biogas engineering into broader frameworks will be crucial. Not only does biogas bridge gaps in the renewable energy landscape, it also aligns environmental, economic, and social objectives in a way that few other solutions can. In a time of accelerating climate challenges and policy debates, renewable energy isn’t just about reducing emissions — it’s about building resilient systems that serve communities sustainably for generations. And it will be interesting to see how AI best practices interface in this market.

The post What Renewable Energy Means for Long-Term Environmental Planning appeared first on Green Prophet.

At Green Prophet, we want to start 2026 with a note of genuine thanks. We’re grateful to LinkedIn News for granting us free access to a reporter account. In a media landscape where quality data is often locked behind paywalls, this kind of openness matters — especially for independent journalism focused on climate, sustainability, and the future of work. With LinkedIn we are able to access people and contacts in hours, rather than days.

That access is put to good use in LinkedIn’s newly released Jobs on the Rise 2026, which tracks the 25 fastest-growing roles in the United States based on real employment data from 2023 to mid-2025. Beyond the headlines about AI, which will no doubt play a role in every job in the near future, the report quietly reveals something just as important: sustainability and climate-aligned work is no longer niche — it’s embedded across industries. And this report gives hope, direction and potentially new opportunities for young people starting out in their careers.

We’ve taken a look at the report and helped distill the opportunities that can work with the environment in mind.

Where sustainability shows up in the fastest-growing jobs

While “green jobs” aren’t always labeled as such, many of the fastest-growing roles are directly enabling the energy transition, climate resilience, and lower-carbon systems:

Number one on their list is Artificial Intelligence engineers. But what does that mean? Vibe coding Claude?

AI engineers, AI consultants, and AI/ML researchers
These roles are increasingly central to climate modeling, grid optimization, energy efficiency, climate risk analytics, and sustainable supply chains. AI isn’t abstract anymore — it’s infrastructure for climate decision-making. AI is being used to find new sources for mining, for solar panel optimization, and where to build wind turbines.

Commissioning managers & datacenter technicians
As data centers expand to support AI, commissioning managers play a critical role in efficiency, safety, and performance — including energy use and cooling systems. These jobs sit at the intersection of digital growth and environmental cost control. (This renewable energy company Intersect powers data centers and was just bought by Google for $4.5 billion)

Field marketing representatives in renewable energy and food systems
LinkedIn data shows hiring momentum in industries tied to renewable energy services and food production — sectors under pressure to decarbonize and scale responsibly. We know that Estee Lauder went solar at the source. Other companies are following suit.

Fundraising officers, public affairs specialists, and strategic advisors
Climate action increasingly depends on capital, policy, and public trust. These roles help move funding, shape regulation, and translate sustainability goals into action. find jobs in the government, at NGOs and as the VP of sustainability at a job you create.

Construction project leads & new home sales specialists
As building codes tighten and demand rises for energy-efficient housing, these roles will increasingly influence materials, design, and long-term environmental impact. Definitely in solar panel installation, creating new projects like Binishells from hemp concrete, and so on.

LinkedIn’s research also highlights a striking tension: 56% of professionals plan to job-hunt in 2026, yet 76% say they don’t feel prepared.

This gap matters for climate and sustainability. The transition to a low-carbon economy depends not just on technology, but on people who can adapt, reskill, and move between sectors. LinkedIn’s inclusion of free Learning courses alongside each role (available to all members until February 6) is a practical step toward closing that gap.

So thank you, LinkedIn, for the access — and for publishing data that helps journalists, workers, and policymakers see where the future of work is heading.

::LinkedIn News

The post Thank you, LinkedIn — and what your Jobs on the Rise report means for sustainable careers appeared first on Green Prophet.

Israel’s water and agricultural technologies didn’t emerge from ideal conditions. They were developed under pressure: low rainfall, saline water, political isolation, lack of energy resources, and the constant need to feed a growing population with limited land. Over the years, I’ve written about many of these companies not as miracle-makers, but as problem-solvers. That’s what makes them relevant to places like Somaliland. Israel was the first country in the world to recognize Somaliland as an independent state although Ethiopia has been treating the nation as such for decades.

Below are 10 technologies, and the Israeli companies behind them, that could realistically support Somaliland’s long-term food, water, and energy resilience.

The first is drip irrigation, pioneered by Netafim, founded in the 1960s on Kibbutz Hatzerim after engineer Simcha Blass noticed that slow, targeted watering produced healthier plants. Netafim’s systems are now used worldwide to cut water use while increasing yields, especially in dry regions.

Closely related is low-pressure irrigation and fertigation, advanced by companies like NaanDanJain and Rivulis. These systems work well for smallholder farmers, allowing nutrients and water to be delivered together with minimal waste.

For water supply, desalination technology developed by IDE Technologies has transformed Israel’s water security. While IDE is best known for large plants, the company has also developed smaller-scale systems suitable for coastal communities, which could be relevant for Somaliland’s long shoreline.

In parallel, solar-powered water pumping systems—used widely in Israel’s peripheral regions—can replace diesel pumps. While not a single-company solution, Israeli integrators often combine solar technology from firms like SolarEdge with water systems to power wells, treatment units, and irrigation without fuel imports.

Another promising approach is wastewater reuse, an area where Israel leads globally. Municipal-scale treatment combined with agricultural reuse has been refined through decades of practice, with engineering firms and public utilities supporting reuse rates that reach nearly 90 percent. Scaled-down versions of these systems could help Somaliland’s towns reuse water safely rather than losing it entirely.

In agriculture, greenhouse and net-house farming has been advanced by Israeli companies such as Hishtil, which supplies seedlings and controlled-growing solutions designed for heat and water stress. These systems allow year-round production of vegetables with far less water than open-field farming.

Precision agriculture has also become more accessible through Israeli startups like CropX and Phytech, which use soil sensors and plant data to tell farmers exactly when to irrigate. Even basic versions of these tools can significantly reduce water waste.

On the seed side, Israeli breeders such as Hazera and Zeraim Gedera (now part of Syngenta) have developed heat- and drought-tolerant vegetable varieties suited for semi-arid climates. Crop genetics matter as much as irrigation in a warming world.

Food loss after harvest is another overlooked challenge. Israeli cold-chain innovations, including solar-powered cold rooms used across Africa, help reduce spoilage and increase farmer incomes. These systems don’t require a national grid and can be deployed at cooperative or village scale.

Finally, there is knowledge transfer, often the most underestimated technology of all. Israel’s international development agency MASHAV has trained tens of thousands of farmers and water managers worldwide through hands-on programs focused on dryland agriculture, water reuse, and cooperative farming. Technology adoption succeeds when training is local, practical, and gradual.

None of these tools promise instant prosperity. But together, they form a practical toolkit shaped by environments not unlike Somaliland’s own. In a region too often discussed only through politics or security, focusing on water, food, and energy systems offers a quieter, more durable path forward.

The post 10 Proven Israeli Technologies to Help Somaliland Build Food, Water, and Energy Security appeared first on Green Prophet.

For a long time, large technology companies spoke about renewable energy mostly in terms of climate commitments. And the commitments felt like punishments to all of humanity. Carbon offsets, net-zero timelines, carefully worded sustainability pages. I’ve covered plenty of those announcements over the years, from conference halls and Zoom cals to quiet briefings where the stories always felt more narrative than about opportunity.

We first heard the call about electricity and the Internet around 2005 when people who were starting up websites were expected to use servers powered by renewable energy. We tried but when the wind power failed at a company we chose, our site went down. Electricity is now a practical constraint and a business opportunity.

That shift helps explain why Alphabet, Google’s parent company, has agreed to acquire American renewable energy company Intersect Power in a deal valued at roughly $4.75 billion. It’s a move that reflects a deeper change: technology companies are paying closer attention to the physical systems that support their growth.

Intersect Power is a US-based clean energy developer focused on large solar power plants paired with battery storage. The pairing is important. Solar generation alone is inexpensive but intermittent. Lots of energy can be produced by day and fed to the grid but what isn’t used just disappears. Storage allows energy to be used later, during periods of high demand or grid congestion, rather than only when the sun is shining.

Intersect develops, owns, and operates many of its projects, then sells the electricity through long-term power purchase agreements to utilities or large customers. It’s a familiar infrastructure model, one that prioritizes predictable returns and steady output over experimentation. The early beginnings of this model started around 2007, but the technology of solar energy couldn’t always deliver returns. See how Ivanpah in California was built on promises that are no longer a good business model based on today’s projections.

Intersect’s projects are built to power data centers and are concentrated in California, Texas, and parts of the USSouthwest. Anyone who has followed energy reporting in California over the past decade has seen how fragile the system can feel during heatwaves, when demand spikes and grid operators issue warnings. Locating generation and storage close to demand helps reduce stress on those systems.

Today, Intersect operates and is building multiple gigawatts of solar capacity, along with several gigawatt-hours of battery storage. Altogether, it has well over 10 gigawatts of projects operating, under construction, or in development across the United States. That scale places it among the larger independent clean energy developers in the country.

Intersect Power was founded in 2016 by Sheldon Kimber and Luke Dunnington, both coming from energy finance and infrastructure backgrounds. This is typical in solar energy and renewable energy companies as the deals are mostly based on contracts with banks, financing and investors. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, close to both capital markets and the technology firms that increasingly shape electricity demand.

Before the Alphabet deal, Intersect had raised more than $2 billion in equity and project financing from private investors.

According to CEO Kimber, “Intersect will remain Intersect, remaining separate from Alphabet and Google under the Intersect brand, and I’ll continue as CEO.

“When we founded this company in 2016, the goal was to build something durable and to preserve our planet for future generations through innovative energy solutions and modern infrastructure. To ask why not? when the industry reflexively said, that’s not the way it’s done.

“Today, modern energy infrastructure sits at the center of American competitiveness in AI. Power is the bottleneck.

“I’ve always been excited about tackling what comes next. Exploring new technologies. Continuing to accelerate the redesign of an energy infrastructure for the world we actually live in.”

Alphabet’s and Google’s interest in an energy developer isn’t about public messaging. Running large data operations requires steady, uninterrupted electricity and reliable cooling. Delays in grid connections, power shortages, or price volatility can slow expansion plans. I’ve reported before on renewable projects that were technically complete but couldn’t deliver power because transmission simply wasn’t available. Those kinds of bottlenecks are no longer abstract risks.

Owning or controlling access to generation and storage offers a way around some of those constraints. In that sense, Alphabet’s move resembles earlier shifts in the tech sector, when companies moved from renting infrastructure to building and managing it themselves.

Alphabet is not the only firm thinking this way. Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta have all increased their involvement in long-term power contracts and energy development. What has changed is not the technology, but the motivation. Clean energy is now tied closely to reliability, timing, and operational planning, not just emissions targets.

For investors, Intersect Power itself is not publicly traded, and exposure now largely comes through Alphabet. Other options include infrastructure funds, storage-focused energy investments, or companies that supply batteries, power electronics, and grid equipment if you are looking to invest in a meaningful space for 2026.

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