Daily Digest for

MCJ announced its Series A investment in Pacific Fusion, a startup focused on pulsed magnetic fusion technology for clean energy.

• Pacific Fusion, founded in 2023 in Fremont, California, builds on the 2022 NIF fusion ignition breakthrough using pulsed magnetic compression of fuel-filled metal cylinders.
• The technology aims for 100-fold higher energy gain than NIF at less than 10% cost, enabling affordable fusion power at scale.
• The Series A round is led by General Catalyst, with participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Eric Schmidt, and Patrick Collison.
• Key leadership includes President Will Regan, Founding CEO Eric S. Lander, CTO Keith LeChien, and Senior Founding Engineer Leland Ellison with deep fusion and plasma physics expertise.
• Pacific Fusion’s path to “net facility gain” could enable commercialization in electrical power generation and high-heat industrial applications.

This investment marks a strategic bet on breakthroughs enabling practical fusion power deployment.

The Dutch Emission Authority (NEa) updates enforcement and reporting policies for CBAM importers.

• Importers exceeding 50 tons of CBAM goods yearly must continue quarterly reporting with enforcement triggered only upon failure to report and respond to inquiries.
• Requirement to submit actual emission data is removed, allowing declaration via standard values or noting data unavailability without report incompleteness penalties.
• Changes align with the European Commission’s 2026 simplification proposal for CBAM to reduce administrative burdens.
• Information is accessible on the NEa’s oversight and enforcement webpage.
  These adjustments reduce reporting complexity for importers while maintaining regulatory oversight.

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the energy consumption and sustainability challenges posed by rapidly increasing data centers in the United States.

• As of March 2025, there were 5,426 data centers nationally, consuming about 17 GW of power in 2022, with projections to increase to 130 GW by 2030.
• Approximately 56% of the electricity used in these data centers is sourced from fossil fuels, significantly contributing to carbon emissions and climate change.
• Data centers emitted about 105 million metric tons of carbon in 2023, up from 31.5 million tons in 2018, marking a 300% increase.
• Virginia, especially Northern Virginia, is a major hub with hundreds of data centers consuming more than 3 GW power, mostly from fossil fuels, posing challenges to renewable energy goals.
• Sustainable solutions include siting data centers near renewable energy sources, on-site renewable generation, and energy efficiency measures.

The article underscores the urgent need for sustainable energy strategies in data center operations to mitigate climate impact.

Fervo Energy announces a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Shell Energy North America for 31 MW of 24/7 carbon-free geothermal energy.

• The PPA is for power from Phase I of Cape Station in Beaver County, Utah, expanding Fervo’s geothermal capacity from 400 MW to 500 MW.
• Innovations in well design and development enable a 100 MW capacity increase without extra drilling.
• Shell Energy will deliver the geothermal power to retail load customers starting in 2026.
• The deal supports California’s mandate for 1,000 MW of non-weather-dependent, non-battery zero-emission energy.
• Cape Station is the world’s largest enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) project, now fully contracted at 500 MW capacity.
  This agreement highlights the growing demand for firm, carbon-free geothermal energy within the renewable energy mix.

The Russian government, led by First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, chaired the 13th meeting of the Russian-Indonesian Joint Commission on Trade, Economic and Technological Cooperation.

• Bilateral trade increased by over 80% in five years, reaching $4.3 billion in 2024, making Indonesia one of Russia’s top three ASEAN trade partners.
• Russia exports fuel and energy, foods, mineral fertilizers, and resumed wheat deliveries to Indonesia; plans to begin exporting halal meat products and potentially expand timber and metal goods exports.
• Signed agreements include a free trade agreement between Indonesia and EAEU, a customs cooperation agreement, a halal quality control MoU, quality and business excellence cooperation, and sports cooperation.
• Emphasis on implementing digital technology and AI solutions in Indonesia by Russian companies, and cooperation in space projects such as Earth remote sensing and satellite navigation.

The meeting highlighted diversified trade growth, technological collaboration, and strengthened bilateral agreements, setting a robust framework for expanded economic cooperation.