1. Decarbonization: Air Liquide selected to invest up to 850 MUSD in largest low-carbon oxygen production in the Americas

Learning: "Air Liquide plans to invest up to 850 million dollars to build, own and operate four Large Modular Air separation units as well as related infrastructure in the framework of a long-term binding agreement with ExxonMobil for its planned low-carbon hydrogen project in Baytown, TX. This will enable Air Liquide to increase its oxygen production capacity by 50% in Texas."

Implication: "Pending final investment decision, this major project would mark the largest industrial investment in the history of the Air Liquide Group. This new Air Liquide Baytown low-carbon platform would serve primarily ExxonMobil with vast amounts of low-carbon oxygen and nitrogen, as well as significant volumes of argon and rare gases such as krypton and xenon for Air Liquide’s other customers. Thanks to low carbon electricity supply and Air Liquide’s innovative solution, the CO2 footprint of oxygen production will be reduced by two-thirds. In line with Air Liquide’s Advance strategic plan, this decarbonization project will also contribute to enhancing the Group’s Industrial Merchant footprint in the U.S."

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2. Energy Grid, Electric Company Limits Are Biggest Barrier to Commercial EV Charger Deployment

Learning: "Seventy-five percent of electric vehicle (EV) charging station developers and operators say energy grid limitations present a significant barrier to deploying commercial EV charging infrastructure, according to a survey released June 13 by Endeavor Business Intelligence and Xendee, an EV charging and microgrid design services provider. The percentage of EV developers who say distributed energy resources and microgrids will enable them to overcome energy grid limitation rose to 89 percent, up from 74 percent in 2023.

Implication: "A large number of Xendee’s clients have been unable to secure the energy they need for their projects and have resorted to installing fossil fuel-powered generators to run their chargers."

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3. Startup aims to transform the power grid with superconducting transmission lines

Learning: " More than 10,000 renewable energy projects at various stages of development are seeking permission to connect to U.S. grids. The White House has said the U.S. must more than double existing regional transmission capacity in order to reach 2035 decarbonization goals.

All of this comes as electricity demand is skyrocketing amid the increasing use of data centers and AI, and the electrification of everything from passenger vehicles to home heating systems.

Despite those trends, building high-power transmission lines remains stubbornly difficult."

Implication: "Unlike traditional transmission lines made from steel and aluminum, VEIR’s transmission lines leverage decades of progress in the development of high-temperature superconducting tapes and other materials...

But the core innovation at VEIR is the cooling system

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4. Wendy’s inks deal with solar company to cut restaurant emissions

Learning: "The Wendy’s Company is partnering with solar acquisition and services provider Ampion Renewable Energy to source clean energy and reduce carbon emissions across its United States restaurants and franchises."

Implication: "Wendy’s said restaurants and franchises utilizing Ampion+ will source around 30% to 100% of their energy through solar power without having to install on-site solar panels."

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5. Nearly every state feeling clean energy job growth

Learning: "Preliminary modeling from Energy Innovation forecast the Inflation Reduction Act driving the creation of up to 1.3 million jobs by 2030 and more than 313,000 of them are already on the horizon thanks to more than $360 billion worth of planned projects."  

Implication: "Texas is on track to be the largest beneficiary with more than 100,000 new jobs, followed by Michigan, Georgia, California and South Carolina."