Here is today’s sustainable IT services and climate tech news, research and analysis -- written for technology partners, green IT service providers, CIOs, chief sustainability officers (CSOs) and climate accounting professionals.
A. Sustainable IT, Talent, Partnerships and Green Tech Alliances
1. Stargate Project and Solar Power: The Stargate Project -- an AI data center effort and startup business from OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle -- will leverage solar power, Bloomberg reported. The Stargate Project surfaced during a White House press conference hosted by President Trump. As Sustainability Tech Partner reported first: By hosting the press conference, Trump essentially endorsed renewable energy without mentioning it by name.
2. Meta - AI Data Center Spending: Meta Platforms, parent of Facebook, plans to spend $60 billion to $65 billion to expand the company's AI infrastructure, CEO Mark Zuckerberg, SeekingAlpha reported.
3. Intel Pitches Modular PCs: In a blog, Intel pitched modular PC designs to simplify PC repairs and reduce e-waste. The authors include Gurpreet Sandhu, VP of platform engineering group; Reshma PP, director of system design for the platform engineering group; and Roberta Zouain, sustainability product strategy & marketing manager, client segments.
4. Right to Repair and E-Waste Reduction: The Logitech Repair Hub, hosted by iFixit, now features replacement parts for more than 20 Logitech devices. The effort spans spare parts and repair guides in multiple languages to "enhance repairability worldwide." iFixit can help customers to repair Logitech mice, keyboards, headsets across 62 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan, and Europe, the companies said.
5. IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) Software: USU has updated its IT asset management (ITAM) software platform to track SaaS spending, software license management, and hardware asset management to help customers reduce e-waste.
6. Leadership - IT Asset Disposition (ITAD): Guardian Data Destruction, an ITAD specialist focused on trusted data destruction, added two executives to its board of directors. They are:
- Ned Bicks, former chief strategy officer at Iron Mountain. Bicks "spearheaded [Iron Mountain's] entry into the ITAD space with the acquisition of ITRenew and oversaw the launch and scaling of two other new ventures," Guardian Data Destruction asserted.
- Grace Huang, president of inventory solutions at Cox Automotive. She "brings 25 years of leadership experience in a range of industries, including 12 years in the automotive industry, with a focus on strategy and operations," the announcement said.
Among the board's key priorities: Strengthen Guardian’s relationships with channel partners, broaden its geographic footprint, and expand its portfolio of solutions.
7. Partnership - EV Charging Networks: Ziegler Energy Solutions (ZES), an independent business focused on emerging electrification technologies, is now a Kempower Certified Partner. The result: ZES can "deliver advanced electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging solutions tailored to meet the needs of commercial fleet services and charging infrastructure projects," the company said.
8. Zero-Emission Truck Bankruptcy?: Nikola's stock was down 29% in afternoon trading on January 23, 2025 amid bankruptcy speculation, SeekingAlpha reported. Nikola, founded in 2014, initially focused on natural gas-fueled turbine-electric semis. The company pivoted to hydrogen fuel cell technology as it advanced, SeekingAlpha noted.
9. Rebrand - Clean Energy Company: NextEra Energy Partners has changed its name to XPLR Infrastructure.
B. Sustainability M&A, Climate Tech Investments, Funding and Green IT Business Launches
1. Startup to Watch: Station A, founded by a pair of MIT alumni and their colleagues, simplifies the process of buying clean energy for property owners, an MIT news report asserts.
C. Regional and Global Sustainability Policies and News
1. United States - Trump Policies Impact Michigan?: Industries and communities in Michigan that benefited from Biden-era policies to invest in clean energy technology could take major hits, Planet Detroit alleged, if President Donald Trump’s executive orders against green policies are carried out.
2. United States - Michigan Net Zero Projects: The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) announced the third round of Renewables Ready Communities Awards (RRCA). The effort involves solar power and battery storage deployments that can power more than 975,000 Michigan households and businesses.
D. Sustainable IT and Green Technology Conference Calendar
- Global Conference on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Sustainability (GCEIS) 2025 (January 24-26, Vancouver, Canada)
- Cleantech Forum North America 2025 (January 27-29 in San Diego, California)
- Seminole Tribe of Florida Renewable Energy and Sustainability Conference 2025 (January 27-29, Hollywood, Florida)
- Sustainability Forum Middle East 2025 (January 28-29, Kingdom of Bahrain)
- EV Charging Infrastructure Summit North America: East (January 28-29, Atlanta, Georgia)
- Complete Calendar of Sustainability Conferences
E. Previous Updates & Future News
Did You Miss Yesterday's Daily Update?: Here is our previous sustainable IT, climate tech and renewable energy news for technology partners.
Future Updates: If you have news to share then please email me the details.
