Staff Technical Program Manager

Former Meta CTO launches $250 million climate investment fund amid contrarian market trends. Former Meta CTO Mike Schroepfer has raised a $250 million climate-focused fund to back innovative carbon removal, clean energy, and sustainability startups. Learn how the new fund aims to accelerate climate technology development and support long-term environmental solutions. Jun 2, 2026 - 12:16 Gigascale, the venture capital firm founded by former Meta CTO Mike Schroepfer, announced Monday that it has raised a new $250 million fund to support entrepreneurs focused on rebuilding what the firm calls the "physical economy." The latest fund will focus on sectors such as energy, grid infrastructure, and critical minerals, all within the broader climate technology landscape. By maintaining a strong climate-focused investment strategy, Gigascale is taking a path that contrasts with broader investor sentiment, which has become increasingly cautious about the climate-tech sector in recent years. The new vehicle represents Gigascale's second fund and largely continues the investment approach Schroepfer - widely known as "Schrep" - has pursued since launching the firm three years ago. During that period, Gigascale has invested in several prominent climate-tech companies, including Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Heron Power, Mill, and Form Energy. The firm grew out of Schroepfer's exploration of climate technology opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. This latest fund is also notable as the company's first early-stage fund backed by institutional investors. Climate technology has always covered a broad range of industries, and Gigascale's portfolio reflects that diversity. However, in recent years, the sector has increasingly centred on energy production and infrastructure, a trend that has accelerated alongside growing demand for artificial intelligence technologies. As a result, energy has become a major priority for the new fund. Rising electricity consumption is creating opportunities for companies developing both new power-generation technologies and improved methods for delivering energy to businesses and consumers. Schroepfer highlighted solar power as a recent example of a clean-energy technology that has succeeded because it is both cost-effective and efficient, allowing it to gain market share rapidly. While solar energy and battery storage dominate many discussions around clean power, Schroepfer believes additional opportunities are emerging across the sector. The rapid growth of AI, combined with broader electrification trends, has increased pressure on existing grid infrastructure and made it more difficult for businesses to secure power connections. As a result, many organisations are exploring self-generated power solutions. Even there, however, supply remains constrained. Demand for natural gas turbines, for example, has created waiting lists that stretch into the early 2030s. That growing power shortage is creating opportunities for startups. Speaking on the Inevitable podcast last year, Schroepfer said that in energy-intensive industries, the ability to provide independent power sources could become a major competitive advantage. Companies capable of delivering electricity more cheaply, more flexibly, or both may gain a significant edge. Gigascale's investment strategy extends beyond power generation alone. The firm identified grid infrastructure, critical minerals, and physical AI systems as additional areas where it expects to find attractive opportunities. "The companies we back win because they're cheaper, faster, and more reliable," Schroepfer said in a statement. "That's how adoption scales. Climate impact is the result of better-performing systems." As investment trends continue to evolve, Gigascale is betting that businesses solving real-world infrastructure, energy, and industrial challenges will remain attractive opportunities, regardless of changing attitudes toward climate-tech investing.

People on the move: ECA Solar, Powin, form energy and more. Job moves in solar, storage, cleantech, utilities and energy transition finance. Image: pv magazine / Churchill Living The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) announced the addition of ECA Solar, a leading distributed generation developer, to its board of directors. The board addition comes as several states, including Virginia, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Maryland, among others, have advanced legislation to deploy more distributed solar to keep energy prices down for Americans. "We are proud to join forces with the premier association for solar and storage in America," said CEO and Founder Todd Fryatt, ECA Solar. "Last year, cumulative installed solar capacity in the United States reached 279,000 Megawatts, and SEIA is a driving force behind all these energy infrastructure projects. The nation's energy independence and dominance is now directly tied to the United States having thriving storage and solar industries." Americans for a Clean Energy Grid (ACEG), a leading non-profit advocacy coalition focused on transmission expansion, announced that Christina Hayes will conclude her service as Executive Director effective later this month. Under her leadership, ACEG became a pivotal force in federal transmission reform and FERC-level policy; the board has launched a national search for a successor to lead the organization as it enters a critical phase of implementation for regional grid planning and the "Connect the Grid Act." Powin, a global provider in battery energy storage platform solutions, announced the appointment of James Marshall as Senior Vice President of Global Supply Chain. A veteran of the semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing industries, Marshall is tasked with optimizing Powin's international LFP cell procurement and logistics to support the rapid scaling of its Centauri and Stack hardware platforms across North America and Europe. Intersect Power, a developer and owner-operator of utility-scale clean energy projects, announced the appointment of Sarah Devine to its Board of Directors. A expert in international project finance with a background at top-tier law firms, Devine joins the board as Intersect Power accelerates its pivot toward complex hybrid assets, including co-located green hydrogen production and large-scale solar-plus-storage installations. Form Energy, a developer and manufacturer of multi-day iron-air battery systems, announced that Arumugam Manthiram has joined the company as a Technical Fellow and Advisor, effective April 9, 2026. A world-renowned battery chemist and longtime collaborator of Nobel laureate John Goodenough, Manthiram joins the team as the company ramps up production at "Form Factory 1" in West Virginia to provide technical oversight on the long-duration storage chemistry that will stabilize the grid. The #1 trusted provider of fully-furnished apartments nationwide, Churchill Living delivers tailored workforce housing solutions for renewable energy projects with an expansive inventory and award-winning customer service. Job of the week: NABCEP PV Design Specialist WSB - Littleton, MA Forge ahead with WSB. We seek a NABCEP PV Design Specialist who will be responsible for developing comprehensive electrical and mechanical designs for commercial, industrial, and utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. This role supports the preconstruction phase by producing accurate, code-compliant designs and documentation. The specialist collaborates closely with electrical engineers and solar analysts to ensure the delivery of efficient, high performing system design, construction phase by producing accurate, code-compliant designs and documentation. Our office is located in Littleton, MA. What You Will Do: * Develop complete PV system designs, including mechanical layouts for mounting structures and detailed electrical system configurations (modules, inverters, wiring, etc.). * Conduct site assessments and evaluate shading, orientation, and racking opportunities to support system layout decisions. * Prepare construction-ready design documentation, including electrical schematics, single-line diagrams, mechanical layouts, and site plans. * Ensure all designs comply with applicable local, state, and federal codes, including the National Electrical Code (NEC). * Utilize modeling and simulation software to optimize design performance and system efficiency. * Support permitting processes by preparing and submitting required design packages and responding to jurisdictional inquiries. * Collaborate with project managers, engineers, and analysts during project development and design refinement. What You Will Bring: * A NABCEP PV Design Specialist (PVDS) Board Certification. * Or a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Renewable Energy, Engineering Technology, or related field; or equivalent technical training and experience. * 2+ years of experience designing industrial, or utility-scale solar PV systems. * Familiarity with the pre-construction phases of PV project development, including design, assessment, and permitting. * NABCEP PV Design Specialist (PVDS) Certification required. * Proficiency with AutoCAD (or similar CAD platforms). * Proficiency with power system design and modeling software (e.g., Etap, CYMCAP, WinGIS, PSCAD, PSS/E, CDEGS). * Strong understanding of electrical engineering fundamentals and design tools. * Work is primarily performed in an office environment with standard office equipment. * Occasional travel or field visits may be required to support project needs or stakeholder collaboration. This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: [email protected]. The pv magazine editorial team includes specialists in equipment supply, manufacturing, policy, markets, balance of systems, and EPC. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment. Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so. You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. 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Crusoe secures deal for long-lasting batteries to power data centers. March 25, 2026 at 2:18 PM - by MLQ Agent Key points. * Crusoe agreed to purchase 12 gigawatt-hours of 100-hour iron-air batteries from Form Energy, with deliveries starting in 2027123. * Batteries will be manufactured at Form Energy's facility in Weirton, West Virginia, to power Crusoe's AI data centers independently of the grid34. * The deal supports Crusoe's 'Bring Your Own Capacity' strategy for projects like Stargate, aiming to enhance grid reliability and protect ratepayers4. * Form Energy has over 75 GWh of projects under agreement, following a 30 GWh deal with Google valued at about $1 billion13. * Announcement made at CERAWeek 2026 in Houston on March 2434 Crusoe, an AI infrastructure provider, has secured a deal for 12 gigawatt-hours of iron-air batteries from Form Energy to power its data centers. The batteries, capable of discharging for up to 100 hours, will begin delivery in 2027 and support Crusoe's grid-independent operations amid rising AI power demands1234. Deal details and technology. The agreement reserves volume, pricing, and delivery terms for Crusoe, enabling deployment of Form Energy's iron-air batteries, which use iron, water, and air to store energy through oxidation and de-rusting processes 24. These systems provide multi-day discharge, contrasting with typical four-hour lithium-ion batteries 1. Production will occur at Form Energy's Form Factory 1 in Weirton, West Virginia, where manufacturing expansion began last year 23. Deliveries to Crusoe start in 2027, following Form's first pilot in Minnesota set for 2026 35. Strategic context for Crusoe. Crusoe's purchase aligns with its Bring Your Own Capacity approach, securing power alongside compute to speed AI infrastructure rollout and reduce grid reliance 34. This supports projects like Stargate and includes a separate expansion with Redwood Materials for second-life battery microgrids 156. The strategy insulates ratepayers from cost increases and bolsters grid reliability, echoing the U.S. administration's 'build, bring, or buy' directive 4. Crusoe aims to lock in lower-carbon electricity for AI workloads amid grid constraints 1. Form Energy's momentum. Form Energy, which has raised $1.4 billion and is pursuing a $500 million funding round, now has over 75 GWh of commercial projects, including a 30 GWh Google deployment in Minnesota estimated at $1 billion 123. The Crusoe deal, likely worth hundreds of millions, marks Form's second major sale and underscores multi-day storage's role in energy-intensive sectors 12. CEO Mateo Jaramillo stated, 'This partnership with Crusoe demonstrates how multi-day energy storage can unlock new capacity for data centers' 4. Crusoe's Cully Cavness added, 'This agreement reinforces our commitment to energy innovation' 4. Long-Duration storage viability. Iron-air batteries address a core challenge in AI data center expansion: securing reliable, long-duration power without overburdening grids. Crusoe's 12 GWh commitment, following Form's Google project, validates the technology's commercial viability for hyperscale users, potentially shifting data center operators from short-duration lithium-ion reliance to multi-day alternatives 12. This deal highlights cost dynamics, with implied pricing in the hundreds of millions based on the $1 billion Google benchmark, suggesting economies of scale as Form ramps production 12. By pairing storage with renewables, Crusoe mitigates intermittency, enabling off-peak energy purchases and peak-time dispatch, which could lower operational costs over time 45 . The partnership also signals a broader industry pivot toward 'energy-first' AI infrastructure. Crusoe's BYOC model decouples data center growth from grid upgrades, allowing faster deployment in constrained regions like Texas and Nevada 45. For Form, the order accelerates manufacturing optimization and second-generation battery development for higher throughput and reliability, positioning it amid surging demand from AI and utilities 25. This move reinforces U.S. domestic production, with West Virginia jobs tied to the Weirton factory 34. Battery deployment timeline. Deliveries beginning in 2027 will test iron-air batteries at scale for Crusoe's AI facilities, potentially paving the way for broader adoption if performance matches 100-hour claims 23. Form's pipeline of over 75 GWh, including Crusoe's share, positions it to capture a growing segment of data center storage needs, especially as AI power consumption projections climb 3. Success here could prompt similar deals from competitors, accelerating multi-day tech integration. Grid operators and utilities may see reduced peak strain from such deployments, aligning with policy pushes for resilient infrastructure 4. Crusoe's dual deals with Form and Redwood suggest a hybrid storage strategy, blending iron-air for duration with second-life systems for density, which could evolve into standardized off-grid models for AI campuses 16. Form's funding round and manufacturing upgrades will be key milestones, with 2026 focused on pilot execution and 2027 on Crusoe-scale projects 25. Market reaction will hinge on cost competitiveness versus alternatives amid AI's electricity surge. Iran war triggers rush to irs-approved "golden retirement" Accounts. Markets react unpredictably during conflicts - millions of investors are moving retirement funds into gold for safety. Gold holds value during uncertain times. It returned 64% in 2025, crushing the S&P 500 by more than 3x. Now a little-known IRS-approved program lets you move your 401(k), IRA, or TSP into gold without taxes or penalties. Anchor Point Research released a free guide explaining how it works. Further sources. Written with AI assistance, verified and edited by its team. Questions? Contact MLQ.ai.