The 5 next big things in sustainability and energy

After federal funding for renewables evaporated this year, the future path of the energy sector has been unclear. But even in uncertain times, companies are advancing the technology needed to push for a clean-energy transition—while also accommodating for a new grid that needs to keep up with the huge power demands of the wave of data centers coming online. From new battery tech to all-day solar power to better ways to track emissions and more, these innovations can help see the sector through this precarious period.

Exowatt
For generating solar power even when the sun isn’t shining
Exowatt’s P3 unit is a power plant in a 40-foot-long shipping container. The unit uses solar energy to heat a thermal battery—essentially a very hot piece of clay—that can then provide consistent power from solar even at night. The modular design will allow a series of P3 units to be quickly deployed to power new data centers without overwhelming the existing grid and needs no rare earth materials like lithium to operate. The company has raised $70 million so far from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Open AI’s CEO Sam Altman.

General Motors
For rolling out a new kind of battery
Lithium batteries may only have one element in the name, but they also require quite a bit of nickel and cobalt, two rare earth elements that have expensive (and sometimes ethically fraught) supply chains. Researchers at General Motors say they have recently made a breakthrough with a new kind of lithium-manganese rich (LMR) battery, which uses cheap and abundant manganese. Besides solving supply chain and cost issues, the automaker’s innovation has also addressed old issues with LMRs losing charge quickly. The company is planning to roll out its new formulation batteries by 2028, and it says they could boost the range of its EVs to 400 miles per charge.

Greenlane
For building the electric truck charging infrastructure network
As the electrification wave comes for freight trucking fleets, the truck stop must also evolve, providing fast charging for large vehicles on highways around the country. Greenlane, a company founded with backing from Daimler Truck North America and BlackRock’s climate fund, aims for widespread deployment of its Greenlane High-Speed Charging System, with 12 pull-through lane 400 kW chargers. The company opened its flagship charging station on I-15 Southern California in April 2025 and plans to expand to electrify the entire highway from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

Persefoni
For powering climate reporting, with some help from AI
As governments around the world demand more climate disclosure from companies, the time and money it takes to keep track of all the data can be daunting, especially for small and medium-sized businesses. Climate accounting software company Persefoni’s newest Pro offering helps those companies collect and report that data—even Scope 3 emissions, involving emissions from suppliers and customers, which are notoriously hard to track. To solve the problem, the software’s Scope 3 Data Exchange lets companies request emissions data directly from their suppliers. It also uses generative AI to help generate reports and ensure compliance with major emissions standards around the world. In its first year available, the software amassed more than 6,000 users.

X, the Moonshot Factory
For building the first map of the entire grid
There is currently no working map of the world’s electric grid. Tapestry, a project from Google’s X, the Moonshot Factory, is working to change that. The effort—now active in the U.S., U.K., Chile, South Africa, New Zealand, and Australia, is combining AI-powered inspection and advanced simulation tools to help operators plan, maintain, and scale the grid. Its two products use machine learning to help quickly inspect grids and solve problems and to plan for future grid expansion. This year, the company began partnering with Chinese operators. It’s also helping PJM—the largest grid operator in North America—model ways to bring renewable sources online faster. 

The companies and individuals behind these technologies are among the honorees in Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech awards for 2025. Read more about the winners across all categories and the methodology behind the selection process.

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