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Michelle Ma

@michellema.bsky.social
9.6K followers 1.5K following 89 posts

Reporter @bloomberg.com | I cover all things climate tech | Read my stories: www.bloomberg.com/authors/AWTYlfwjE… | mma304@bloomberg.net | She/her | Opinions mine | Based in LA

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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
NYC climate folks: I'm going to be in town Mon-Wed next week for Climate Week! DM or email me panels, happy hours, meetups, and if you want to just meet for a coffee chat. I write about climate tech, the environmental impacts of AI and the rising costs of climate change. Email in bio.
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Fusion is having a moment: Investors have poured more than $14 billion into the tech. But proving fusion works is only the first step. The bigger question is whether it can ever make power cheaply enough to compete. From me and @willwwade.bsky.social: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Fusion Gets $14 Billion Bet It’s More Than a ‘Science Project’
So far, scientists have pulled off energy-generating reactions only in laboratory settings, and the path there has been slow and costly. But companies say they’re getting rapidly closer to commercial ...
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Will Wade @willwwade.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
“We know it works. Now it’s a matter of scaling up.” Companies are racing to prove fusion technology can finally move beyond the lab and become an abundant clean power source. A deep dive into fusion energy, with @michellema.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Fusion Gets $14 Billion Bet It’s More Than a ‘Science Project’
So far, scientists have pulled off energy-generating reactions only in laboratory settings, and the path there has been slow and costly. But companies say they’re getting rapidly closer to commercial ...
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Asking a chatbot a quick question vs. having it build you a software app: the environmental gap between them can be 10,000x, according to new independent research from Vals AI. @shiringhaffary.bsky.social and I dug into what's driving it: www.bloomberg.com/news/article... (free gift link)
bloomberg.com
AI’s Environmental Impact Per Task Balloons With More Complexity
Benchmarker Vals AI finds that multi-stage tasks can require models to use exponentially more energy or water than simple queries do.
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
How much water do data centers really use, why do they use so much, and is it a problem? I talked to researchers and industry experts to understand the true water footprint of the AI boom: Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Why Do Data Centers Use So Much Fresh Water?
The artificial intelligence boom has inspired one of the largest infrastructure build-outs seen in decades: Tech firms are investing billions into constructing the data centers powering AI. This has m...
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Believe it or not, there is still climate tech funding activity outside of the AI data center space. Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Ventures just announced the first investment out of its SAF fund, to clean aviation fuel startup Lydian. Free gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Gates-Founded Firm Bets on Cheaper Way to Produce Clean Jet Fuel
The investment focuses on startup developing lower-carbon jet fuel made from hydrogen and carbon dioxide.
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Wildfire smoke in NY. Flooding in Texas. Climate risk is turning insurance into a political fight. @leslieatlarge.bsky.social and I spoke with Jane Kim and Ben Allen, top contenders to regulate CA’s $15B home insurance market. Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
California Rivals Have Starkly Different Plans to Remake Home Insurance
Ben Allen and Jane Kim are running to be the state’s next insurance commissioner. Both promise change, but not along the same lines.
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Lauren Rosenthal @laurenthal.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
El Niño has arrived - and it's on track to be a big one. From transatlantic flight times to Panama Canal shipping delays, to the cost of a candy bar or even just a bottle of soap, its effects can pop up all over the economy. (gift link) www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
El Niño Slams Into a Global Economy Unprepared for More Chaos
Scientists warn a blockbuster weather event risks pushing costs higher for everything from building materials to groceries.
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John Ainger @johnainger.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
⚡ The AI data center boom in the US is threatening to claim its biggest victim yet — the nation’s largest electric grid operator. ⚡ In an explosive speech, the FERC chair said it may have grown "too big to function." 🎁Gift link to our deep dive below 🎁 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
AI Data Center Boom Risks Breakup of Biggest US Power Grid Operator
Soaring utility bills and sluggish bureaucracy are fueling calls to split up PJM Interconnection, which runs the grid in 13 states.
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Emily Forgash @emilyforgash.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
Artificial intelligence data centers are on the verge of reaching their limits. That’s forcing a reckoning among hyperscalers, data center operators, chip makers and power equipment producers. As they scale up, they are having to reimagine how data centers are designed, built and powered. 🎁 link:
bloomberg.com
The Race to Rethink Data Centers for AI’s Power Surge
With energy demand already straining infrastructure, AI players are reimagining the data center from the ground up.
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Mark Chediak @mchediak.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Friday afternoon scoop 👇 About $50 billion in wind investments and 150,000 jobs are imperiled by the Trump administration’s effective halt to approvals for new onshore projects, according to a trade group report reviewed by Bloomberg News. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Wind-Permit Stall Is Threatening $50 Billion in US Developments
About $50 billion in wind investments and 150,000 jobs are imperiled by the Trump administration’s effective halt to approvals for new onshore projects, a trade group said.
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Todd Woody @toddwoody.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
New: Microplastics are already in our food and water and contaminating ecosystems and wildlife around the world. Now scientists have discovered that tiny plastic particles in the atmosphere are heating the planet, magnifying climate change impacts. Free link. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Heat-Trapping Microplastics Found to Play Role in Climate Change
The ubiquitous tiny particles absorb sunlight when airborne, contributing to the warming of the planet, according to new research.
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Fervo's looking to raise $1.33 billion in its IPO, per a filing today: www.bloomberg.com/news/article... A good time to re-up my deep dive into the company from March! www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
Geothermal Energy Developer Fervo Seeks $1.33 Billion in US IPO
Fervo Energy Co., a geothermal energy developer, is looking to raise as much as $1.33 billion in a US initial public offering, as more firms seek to capitalize on the growing power demand for data cen...
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
The story of Fermi is in some ways the story of the AI moment: Co-founded by a former Texas governor and a brash entrepreneur, Fermi offered companies racing to build data centers the two things they crave most: open land and an astonishing amount of power.
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
Everyone seems to be talking about mahjong these days. From London to Mumbai, mahjong events are popping up everywhere. I grew up around the game but never learned how to play. And so I took a foray into the world of mahjong and discovered why everyone's hooked on this old tile game.
bloomberg.com
Mahjong Is the Third Place of the Moment for a Burned-Out Generation
“There’s a lot of joy that comes from seeing people make connections across the table, especially people that you wouldn’t expect to meet.”
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Zahra Hirji @zhirji.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
BREAKING: FEMA this week officially called back staffers who have been on administrative leave for *8 months* after signing a whistleblower letter last August. Some of the disaster workers started back today. Story @bloomberg.com, with gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
FEMA Reinstates Staffers Who Had Criticized Trump Cuts to Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency this week told more than a dozen staffers to return to work after placing them on administrative leave eight months ago for signing an open letter criticizing t...
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Fervo Energy might be the one clean tech startup having a good time in Donald Trump's America. The company's commercial geothermal pilot came online in 2023, just as ChatGPT became a household name and the AI race took off in earnest. And geothermal tax credits have remained intact.
bloomberg.com
Geothermal Escapes Trump’s Renewable Crackdown, Boosts Fervo’s IPO Bid
Fervo Energy is also benefiting from AI’s ravenous electricity needs as it aims to go public later this year.
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weathersullivan.bsky.social @weathersullivan.bsky.social · 11/03/2026
Record heat will bake Los Angeles and the Southwest melting precious snow and setting the stage for a fire summer. CA measures its snow on April 1 to set supplies for the coming year. We will see what is left. #climate #water #california www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Record March Heat to Scorch Los Angeles, US Southwest
An unusually early heat wave is set to grip Los Angeles and much of the Southwest, putting California’s already fragile snowpack, and therefore its water supplies, at risk.
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
From California to Texas, electric utilities are struggling to manage mounting fire risk in a warming climate. They are spending more than ever before on lawsuits and settlements, as well as on preventative measures, such as undergrounding lines. 1/5
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Alexandre Rajbhandari @alexrajbhandari.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
Story with @michellema.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
Besieged Berkshire Utility Tries to Rewrite Who Pays for Wildfires
Utility-ignited fires have become a thorny issue for Warren Buffett’s successor.
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Alexandre Rajbhandari @alexrajbhandari.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
PacifiCorp, a utility owned by Berkshire Hathaway, has been facing mounting liabilities since the 2020 Labor Day fires in Oregon. It's fighting back in an all-out battle in courts and state capitols.
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Alexandre Rajbhandari @alexrajbhandari.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
One of the thorniest issues for Warren Buffett's successor Greg Abel is the increasing risk of wildfires across the Western US amid climate change.
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Brian Eckhouse @brianreports.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Scoop: The Climate Prediction Center is being folded into other agencies overseen by the National Weather Service The change follows moves by the Trump administration to dismantle climate science programs By @weathersullivan.bsky.social & @laurenthal.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
US Climate Forecaster to Be Absorbed in Weather Agency Reshuffle
The US climate forecasting service will be absorbed into other federal departments as part of a re-organization announced to staff Thursday.
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Zahra Hirji @zhirji.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
Anyone used to be able to freely order print copies of FEMA preparedness material. When FEMA secretly closed the division behind that material, the backlog of copies were destroyed. "Talk about a waste of taxpayer dollars," said former FEMA chief Deanne Criswell www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
How Trump's FEMA Secretly Dismantled Program to Prepare Americans For Disasters
The administration last year closed a division that helped individuals get ready for emergencies.
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Lauren Rosenthal @laurenthal.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Why wasn't AI more helpful in predicting this week's giant snowstorm for New York and much of the Northeast? As one scientist put it, "there’s no perfect model yet -- that's the problem." Gift link 🔗 www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
AI Lost Out to Traditional Models in Forecasting NYC's Blizzard
Two days before New York's biggest snowstorm in a decade began, forecasters were still unsure how much snow would fall. One traditional US model had consistently predicted a major hit, while newer art...
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Zahra Hirji @zhirji.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Another day, another rollback. The EPA on Friday rolled back rules limiting mercury & other toxic air pollution from power plants, the latest in a series of moves by Trump designed to boost the nation’s shrinking coal sector. Story @bloomberg.com, gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Trump Eases Mercury Rules for Power Plants in Bid to Boost Coal
The Environmental Protection Agency rolled back limits on mercury and other toxic air pollutants for coal- and oil-fired plants.
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Emma Court @emmarcourt.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Today, the US EPA scrapped a key scientific determination — that greenhouse gases are harmful — that supports a swath of federal climate policies curbing emissions. It marks President Donald Trump’s most consequential retreat yet from the fight against climate change. More at @bloomberg.com:
bloomberg.com
Trump’s EPA to Scrap Landmark Emissions Policy in Major Rollback
The US Environmental Protection Agency plans this week to repeal a policy that provides the legal foundation for a raft of rules regulating greenhouse gas emissions, marking President Donald Trump’s m...
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Bloomberg News @bloomberg.com · 07/02/2026
When facing fire risk, US power companies use data, technology and human judgment to weigh whether to turn off transmission lines.
bloom.bg
Rising Fire Risk Prompts Utilities to Deliberately Cut Power
Data, technology and human judgment help US power companies consider when to turn off transmission lines.
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
"Don't be afraid to break some eggs," former Biden-era Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said to the next Democratic administration at the BloombergNEF Summit in SF: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
What Democrats Can Learn From the Trump Energy Playbook
Democrats shouldn’t be afraid to take more aggressive actions on clean energy, former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said.
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Coco Liu @cocojournalist.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
My latest for @bloomberg.com www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
As Trump Destroys Climate Programs, Gates Warns ‘Market Forces’ Not Enough
The billionaire also said the world needs to put more of an emphasis on adapting to global warming as impacts worsen.
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Amanda Kolson Hurley @amandakhurley.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
In addition to the UNFCCC and IPCC exits, Treasury just announced it's withdrawing from the global Green Climate Fund, calling it a "radical" organization
bloomberg.com
Trump Expands US Climate Retreat With Exits From UN Bodies
President Donald Trump extended the US retreat from global cooperation on climate action by signaling a withdrawal from flagship international organizations, including the main United Nations and scie...
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
A year after the LA wildfires, the price tag for the costliest blazes in US history is still climbing. Who pays is uncertain. Our story on how risk and damage have spread beyond burned neighborhoods and the fight to limit losses and shift liability: www.bloomberg.com/features/202...
bloomberg.com
One Year After LA Fires, Recovery Is a Battleground
The price tag for the costliest blazes in US history is still climbing and disputes over who will pay are escalating.
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Laura Millan @lauramillan.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Not sure what presents to give your love ones this holiday season? @oliviarudgard.bsky.social and I have you covered with a green gift guide that includes climate-friendly choices. Enjoy, and happy holidays! www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
How to Give a Greener Gift
This holiday gift guide can help you pick original and unique presents — and hopefully avoid clutter and waste.
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Lauren Rosenthal @laurenthal.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Cajun Navy groups may raise a few million dollars in a good year, collectively. As President Trump weighs major changes to FEMA - like shutting it down - some leaders say they wouldn't be able to replace it. Or simply aren't interested. As one put it: "We don't want to end up sucking like them."
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Alexandre Rajbhandari @alexrajbhandari.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
When Greg Abel takes over the reins of Berkshire Hathaway next year, he will oversee a $1 trillion conglomerate with a whooping $382 billion war chest.
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Zahra Hirji @zhirji.bsky.social · 01/12/2025
In a reversal from this morning, FEMA puts whistleblowers back on leave after reinstating them Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
FEMA Puts Whistleblowers on Leave Shortly After Reinstating Them
Days after reinstating a group of Federal Emergency Management Agency employees who raised concerns about the government’s disaster preparedness, federal officials have placed those whistleblowers bac...
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Bill McKibben @billmckibben.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Landmark move: New York City's comptroller @bradlander.bsky.social, with hundreds of billions under his control, recommends dropping investment giant Blackrock because they won't reckon with climate change. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
NYC’s Lander Recommends Dropping $42 Billion BlackRock Mandate
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is urging three of the city’s pension funds to drop BlackRock Inc. because of “inadequate” climate plans, the latest move to penalize investment firms for failing...
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Lauren Rosenthal @laurenthal.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
PG&E, National Grid and other big utilities are using AI models to pick out relatively cheap, targeted fixes that cut the risk of sparking a deadly fire -- think individual poles to replace and trees to trim back. Story w/ @joewertz.bsky.social (gift link) www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Massive Wildfire Liabilities Push Utilities to Use AI to Stop Blazes
Power companies are turning to tech firms that can spot fragile trees and map high-risk areas before fires start.
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 25/11/2025
Scoop: Tesla co-founder JB Straubel's battery recycling firm Redwood Materials laid off dozens of staff, as the company shifts its focus to energy storage and critical minerals. This comes a month after Redwood raised $350 million for an over $6 billion valuation. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Tesla Co-Founder Straubel’s Battery Startup Redwood Fires Dozens
Tesla Inc. co-founder JB Straubel’s battery recycling firm Redwood Materials Inc. cut dozens of jobs as the startup scales back some of its ambitious projects to refocus on tapping into demand for gri...
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Todd Woody @toddwoody.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
New: California Governor Gavin Newsom seized the mantle of US climate leadership at COP30 in Brazil in the face of Trump hostility to climate action. Here's the data on how the world's fourth-largest economy is decarbonizing and slashing emissions. Free link. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
What California's Record Shows About Newsom’s Claims to Climate Leadership
As the US retreats on climate policy, the governor is pitching himself as a global leader.
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 10/11/2025
Two of the world’s biggest data center developers have projects in Nvidia's hometown that may sit empty for years because the local utility isn’t ready to supply electricity. We called the developers and utility in question to find out why: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Data Centers in Nvidia’s Hometown Stand Empty Awaiting Power
The fate of two facilities in Santa Clara, California, highlights a major challenge for the US tech sector and indeed the wider economy.
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Battery recycling firm Redwood Materials has begun producing critical minerals at its $3.5 bn South Carolina facility, amid a chill in the US EV market. CEO JB Straubel told me most of its customers today are outside of the EV sector. More on the company's pivot: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Tesla Co-Founder's Critical Minerals Plant Starts Production
As the Tesla co-founder’s battery recycler opens a new facility, it’s also selling critical minerals to a wider set of buyers as the EV market is set to decline.
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Akshat Rathi @akshatrathi.bsky.social · 03/11/2025
Most people don't have high expectations from COP30. But with the US govt intent on wrecking climate policies at home and abroad, things could get testy. For a preview, tune into a conversation later today with Bloomberg's crack team on the ground at COP30. www.bloomberg.com/sessions/202...
bloomberg.com
Live Q&A: Six Ways the COP30 Climate Summit Can Succeed or Fail
Bloomberg journalists answer your questions about what to expect at the COP30 climate summit in Brazil. Stream our Live Q&A on Monday, Nov. 3 at 1 p.m. EST
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
Arbor Energy was founded as a carbon removal company that uses waste biomass to create electricity and remove CO2 from the atmosphere. Now, the company is pivoting to generating carbon-free electricity with natural gas, supported by a $55M Series A. Our story: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Rocket Tech Is Poised to Generate Clean Power for Data Centers
Founded by SpaceX alumni, Arbor Energy’s technology runs on natural gas and uses carbon capture.
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Lauren Rosenthal @laurenthal.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
NEW: Weather models were performing worse ahead of a devastating storm in Alaska compared to a year ago. As one scientist @ecmwf.int put it, "the fact that all the models mis-captured this event tells us something." From me + @joewertz.bsky.social (gift link): www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Deadly Alaska Storm Hit After a Month of Wider Forecast Errors
Scientists say outages at federal monitoring sites in the state may have contributed to confusion over the storm’s predicted track.
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Scoop: Rondo Energy has turned on a 100 MWH battery, helping a local oil and gas producer generate steam for thermal enhanced oil recovery. Paired with solar, the battery heats up clay bricks to produce steam, which is used to force oil out of reservoirs. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
The World’s Largest Battery Made of Bricks Turns On in California
Rondo Energy’s heat battery is helping power enhanced oil recovery.
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Scoop: CarbonCapture Inc. has moved its 2,000-ton direct air capture project from the US to Canada, compelled by shifting political winds and a better policy environment in the north, CEO Adrian Corless told me: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
Carbon Capture Startup Moves Project to Canada From US
The startup building it moved the project north due to better incentives and what it views as a more stable regulatory environment.
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Lili Pike @lilipike.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
A double news update after a summer respite from social media: 1) I’ve joined @bloomberg.com to report on China & climate! 2) Just in time for China’s new climate targets, announced by Xi today. I’m thrilled to cover this special beat—and to be diving right in: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
bloomberg.com
China Played It Safe With First Pledge to Cut Greenhouse Emissions
Other nations have achieved larger declines after reaching peak climate pollution — and the world’s biggest emitter has exceeded its own goals
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
Eight months after the LA wildfires, people who have lost everything are grappling with slow permit approvals, high costs and low insurance payouts. Prices for burnt-out lots are coming down as some residents give up on returning. My latest (free to read): www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
The LA Fires Destroyed 11,000 Homes. Less Than 10% Have Permits to Rebuild
Of the thousands of residents needing to rebuild after this year’s California wildfires, Andy Weyman would seem especially well positioned. The TV and stage director had remodeled his Malibu home just...
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Michelle Ma @michellema.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
California's last nuclear power plant was supposed to be shut down. But now it's on the verge of a 20-year extension, thanks to the state's mounting power needs. Here's an inside look at Diablo Canyon amid its bid for relicensing (free gift link): www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
bloomberg.com
California’s Last Nuclear Plant Is Poised to Stave Off Extinction
Diablo Canyon is nearing the end of a long relicensing process as the need for round-the-clock power grows.
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