Climate tech watch list highlights China, data centers and storage

MIT Technology Review’s 2026 Climate Tech Companies to Watch list centers on firms working to cut greenhouse-gas emissions and reshape energy systems. China stands out as a dominant force, with Envision Energy returning to the list after installing over 100 gigawatts of wind power worldwide and over 50 gigawatt-hours of battery storage. The company is expanding beyond China with projects in Germany, Brazil, Australia and planned work in Vietnam.

Battery innovation is another major theme. WeLion New Energy is pursuing next-generation solid-state and semi-solid-state batteries, after reporting a lab result of 824 watt-hours per kilogram, more than three times the energy density of a standard lithium-ion battery today. The list also points to rising demand for steady electricity from data centers, with Fervo Energy advancing next-generation geothermal power and X-energy developing helium-cooled small modular nuclear reactors, including a 320-megawatt cluster with Amazon in Richland, Washington.

Grid support and long-duration storage remain central as solar and wind expand. Form Energy is developing iron-air batteries for a 30 gigawatt-hours project tied to a Google data center, expected in phases between 2028 and 2031. Energy Dome is scaling compressed carbon dioxide storage, with plans for over 30 gigawatt-hours of plants globally, including a Google project in Ireland slated for 2028.