Heading into New York Climate Week, we anticipated a mood of resilience and a focus on steadfast progress against a backdrop of obstacles. We got that in spades, but we also got a jolt of passion that only comes when thousands of like-minded individuals converge in a city like New York. And the rallying cry we kept hearing? More energy.
Energy at the Center
It’s impossible to separate energy from climate, but what stood out this year was the urgency of producing more scalable and resilient energy, not just using energy more efficiently. With headlines dominated by the AI arms race and the massive power demands of hyperscalers, the question was no longer “can the grid handle it?” but “how can we generate enough clean baseload to power both AI and everyone else?”
That made nuclear and geothermal the stars of the week for us. A few highlights:
- Tim Latimer, CEO of Fervo Energy, at the SOSV event — Tim captivated the crowd with stories of how his enhanced geothermal company came to be and laid out massive plans for scaling this reliable baseload source. Lucky for you, the recording is here.
- The Institute for Policy Integrity’s annual conference — This was a gathering for clean-energy “nerds” in the best sense. Ellen Ginsberg of the Nuclear Energy Institute made a compelling case for fission as a much-needed and predictable clean power source. Kathleen Barron of Constellation Energy echoed that sentiment, confirming her company’s renewed focus on nuclear (they are already the largest nuclear operator in the U.S.).
In a week that is always about optimism, this year felt different: the conversation about “what’s next” in energy was more pragmatic, more mainstream and more urgent.
Corporates Still Care
Another theme that resonated loud and clear: corporates are not backing down. Despite policy shifts that make it easier for companies to deprioritize climate, many are doubling down.
At Axios House, sustainability leaders from Salesforce and Amazon stood up to remind the community that doing the hard work is non-negotiable. Their presence sent a clear message: climate action isn’t a “nice to have” — it’s a business imperative, one that drives innovation, talent retention and long-term value. PepsiCo told Semafor the same thing: it is sticking to its goals to use more clean energy and climate-friendly farming practices. “We’re not doing these [things] out of ideological reasons,” Chief Sustainability Officer Jim Andrew said. “It was good for our business last year, it’s good for our business this year and it’s still going to be good for our business next year and the year after.”
For those of us watching closely, this commitment matters. Corporates remain essential in driving demand for clean power, shaping supply chains and keeping momentum alive even when federal policy winds blow the other way.
Innovation Matters
Throughout the week, we also felt the energy and passion from entrepreneurs and their investors who also remain steadfast in their mission. A highlight for us was attending the launch of the Climate Tech Atlas, an incredible resource for anyone wanting to learn about the innovation needed to solve climate change. It’s a free platform that identifies the “innovation imperatives” and “moon shots” to accelerate decarbonization. It was developed by a group of collaborators, including Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, Energy Innovation, Speed & Scale, Breakthrough Energy, McKinsey Sustainability and Elemental Impact.
Progress in the Face of Obstacles
Yes, the challenges are real: political headwinds, grid constraints, public skepticism and economic uncertainty. But what stood out in New York was the refusal to be discouraged. The mood wasn’t about survival; it was about progress.
Progress was visible everywhere: from the scrappy innovators pitching bold and scalable ideas, to the policymakers refining regulatory frameworks, to the corporate leaders proving that sustainability is sticky.
If there was one takeaway from the week, it’s that the climate community is ready to meet the moment with urgency and ambition. NY Climate Week 2025 wasn’t about incrementalism; it was a rallying cry for “more”.