Higher Power PV Modules Drive Up BOS Costs

As data center development accelerates across Minnesota and the country, energy and infrastructure developers are increasingly aligned around a shared understanding: large digital infrastructure must be built transparently, responsibly, and with clear community benefit. Drawing on more than 20 years of experience developing largescale clean energy infrastructure, Geronimo Power (Geronimo) is helping lead that movement in Minnesota.

Founded in 2004 by a Minnesota farmer, Geronimo has shaped a development philosophy grounded in early engagement, open communication, and long-term local partnership.

"Our experience in rural communities has taught us that development has to deliver real, lasting benefits for the people who live there — and in our home state of Minnesota, we're proud to help lead that effort by putting community benefit, transparency, and environmental stewardship at the center of our approach," said Blake Nixon, President and CEO of Geronimo.

In a recent interview with FOX 9, Blake discussed the responsibility developers carry as data center growth accelerates, emphasizing the importance of doing what Geronimo has long done in the power sector — engaging communities early and addressing questions directly as projects take shape.

"There has been a fair amount of information shared on both sides of the discussion," said Darcy Ulbrich, a Reading resident. "Open and transparent communication is essential to making good decisions as a community. By focusing on accurate information, respectful dialogue, and a thoughtful public process, we can ensure residents are informed, heard, and confident in how decisions about our future are made."

Throughout the Nobles County (Nobles) Powered Data Park (PDP) development process, Geronimo has actively sought and advocated for public involvement, including hosting multiple open houses and weekly coffee hours, as well as opening a local office with drop-in and appointment times. In coordination with its Worthington-based employees, Geronimo has donated to and sponsored several local organizations and has received significant press coverage regarding its Nobles PDP and transparent development approach. 

"Modern data centers are simply today's version of the industries that built our communities—responsibly converting local resources into essential services we all rely on," said Michael Hoeft, Worthington resident and local concrete construction contractor. "The Nobles County Powered Data Park is a 21^st century opportunity that deserves to be considered on its merits and long-term benefits."

Geronimo's proposed Nobles PDP located in southwestern Minnesota is currently progressing through the Alternative Urban Areawide Review (AUAR), a robust study that looks at how a proposed development needs to consider environmental measures, such as water, noise, air quality, roads and more. As longtime environmental stewards, Geronimo is proud to be working with local and state officials to progress the Nobles PDP forward with open dialogue, collaboration and conservation top of mind.   

"A project of this scale will transform the economy in Nobles County for generations to come," said Greg DeGroot, Worthington resident and retired local business owner. "The Nobles County Powered Data Park will drive enormous capital investment, increase demand for local services and create a ripple effect of economic opportunity across our entire region."

The Nobles PDP is anticipated to bring significant economic growth to the local region, including the creation of new jobs and millions of dollars in new tax revenue benefiting the county, township and local schools. Additionally, Geronimo's 10/10/10 Community Benefits Plan will establish three separate $10 million commitments – a charitable fund, neighbor shared benefits program, and a community development fund – each designed to address a different community priority and create long-term value for the broader region.

Geronimo Power | www.geronimopower.com

Enverus launched Enverus ONE, the governed AI platform that serves as the new execution layer for the energy industry. Built on decades of data, intelligence and workflows across the energy sector, Enverus ONE accelerates the work of energy by embedding into existing processes, automating tasks, and surfacing answers that used to take days into just minutes. 

The highest-value work in energy has always been fragmented across data, documents, models, systems, and teams. That fragmentation slows decisions, obscures risk, and traps critical work inside manual loops. Enverus ONE was built to end that.

• Register for an Enverus ONE webinar featuring live Flow demonstrations on April 15 at 8 a.m. CT.

• Live demonstrations of Enverus ONE will be presented at EVOLVE 2026, Enverus’ annual conference, taking place May 4–6 in Houston, Texas.

“Enverus ONE is live,” said Manuj Nikhanj, CEO of Enverus. “We have spent decades building the intelligence layer of the energy industry. Enverus ONE is what we have always been building toward: a single, governed platform where fragmented energy work resolves into execution. This is the platform energy runs on. The gap between the companies that move now and the companies that wait is going to be significant and it is going to compound."

While generic AI can reason across the surface, it lacks the operating context that determines how energy assets are evaluated, developed, operated, transacted, and optimized. Enverus ONE is the only AI platform that can, and it gets sharper over time.

Enverus ONE pairs frontier AI models with Astra, Enverus’ proprietary energy model. Frontier models provide general intelligence. Astra provides the operating context required to evaluate assets, validate costs, interpret contracts, and resolve energy workflows that generic AI cannot efficiently execute with reliability. Built on the same proprietary data foundation trusted by more than 8,000 energy companies, Astra gives Enverus ONE domain precision that deepens as new Flows, applications and customer work accumulate across the platform.

Enverus ONE resolves work from across upstream, midstream, power, renewables, capital markets, utilities, and adjacent energy infrastructure into auditable, decision-ready work products. 

The platform is the foundation. The Flows are the proof.
Enverus ONE launches with four execution-ready Flows designed to eliminate the manual, fragmented processes that slow land, operations, and development teams. Many more Flows are in production and slated for future releases.

• AFE Evaluation
  AFE Evaluation ingests AFEs, validates ownership, and runs offset-based economics automatically compressing evaluation cycles that typically take weeks into hours so teams can determine whether to participate, non-consent, or market their interest with greater speed and defensibility.
• Current Production Valuation
  Current Production Valuation automates the sequence of well selection, production data loading, forecasting, and economic analysis into one connected workflow, reducing manual error and compressing the path from evaluation to action.
• Project Siting
  Project Siting enables developers and analysts to apply multi-criteria filters across land parcels and generate structured multi-site reports, compressing weeks of evaluation across competition, infrastructure access, land availability, grid constraints, permitting realities, and other critical variables into a disciplined workflow.
• QuickStart
  QuickStart allows teams to upload internal documents and immediately stand up a secure knowledge layer for secure conversational Q&A. Instead of losing time across PDFs, presentations, spreadsheets, reports, and internal files, users can begin working against proprietary information from day one.

These Flows are only the beginning. New Flows and capabilities are being added continuously across land, operations, engineering, finance, development, and commercial decision-making — expanding the platform across the energy enterprise.

Work products with enterprise-grade security. Not just chat.
Enverus ONE is built for the real requirements of the energy enterprise. Governance is embedded in the platform. Proprietary customer data remains isolated within a private tenancy, protected by role-based access controls and audit trails, and has zero disclosure to public AI models or third-party ecosystems.

“For energy companies, the barrier to AI adoption is control,” said Jimmy Fortuna, Chief Product Officer at Enverus. “Sensitive operational, commercial, technical, and financial data cannot be pushed into loose AI systems and public models. Enverus ONE was built so every interaction is governed, auditable, and contained within a SOC 2 Type II certified private environment. That is what it takes to responsibly move from experimentation to execution at scale.”

Enverus has spent over 25 years earning the data, workflows, and trust that make Enverus ONE possible. More than 8,000 energy companies across 50 countries already run on Enverus solutions — inside secure environments that keep proprietary data exactly where it belongs. That is not a starting point. That is an ending point for anyone trying to catch up.

Enverus | https://www.enverus.com/

Sitetracker, the leading Asset Lifecycle Management platform for critical infrastructure, announced the launch of Scout, its new Agentic AI platform designed to help infrastructure owners, operators, and contractors gain deep insights and drive automation within their operations. “Our customers are looking to create compounding competitive advantages,” said Giuseppe Incitti, Chief Executive Officer of Sitetracker. “Scout delivers by providing easy to deploy agentic workflows that drive automation, compress timelines and ultimately expand margins."

Scout, ready for real work

As your AI analyst and agent, Scout is ready to work on day 1. Scout provides clarity when decisions are forming and momentum when action is required. It surfaces risk, synthesizes information, and helps accelerate execution by connecting data and driving action. Scout creates operational intelligence and turns it into action all in a secure environment that protects data sovereignty.

Scout automates common workflows including

• Document processing - summarize and extract data from permits, leases, invoices and other document types.
• Photo intelligence - perform quality control checks on photos to automate close out reviews, inspections and field work.
• Risk analysis - identify hidden risks within your deployment and maintenance programs, and receive mitigation recommendations.

Scout, in action

Connecting data from a variety of sources, Scout is ready to execute agent-assembled work packages that drive productivity to new levels through the entire asset-lifecycle from planning, development, construction and maintenance phases.

Examples of work packages that can be automated by Scout’s AI platform include

• Lease comparison
• Invoice processing
• Deficiency reporting
• Contractor performance assessments
• Plan-of-the-day preparation with recommendations

Scout not only provides out of the box agentic work packages, but also allows customers to build their own agents to align directly with their way of working, opening new opportunities for enhancing productivity within their organization.

Scout, available this Spring

Scout is now in limited release, with strong customer demand and a growing waitlist.

Sitetracker | sitetracker.com/scout

Lion Energy, a leader in advanced energy storage systems and power management solutions, announced a strategic partnership with American Battery Factory (ABF), a U.S.-based manufacturer of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cells, developing one of the first networks of domestic giga-scale battery cell manufacturing facilities. The partnership further reinforces Lion Energy’s position as a key enabler of the emerging U.S. battery supply chain and is strategically aligned with ABF’s recently announced offtake agreements for its planned lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery cell gigafactory in Tucson, Arizona.

The agreements, securing more than 4.5 GWh of initial production capacity, mark a significant milestone for ABF and validate strong demand for domestically manufactured battery cells. As a strategic partner with an equity position in ABF, Lion Energy is closely aligned with the long-term growth and commercialization of U.S. produced LFP technology.

This alignment takes on additional significance with Aqua Metals’ (NASDAQ: AQMS) recently announced acquisition of Lion Energy. The transaction is expected to accelerate the development of a vertically integrated, U.S.-based battery ecosystem, encompassing critical stages of the lifecycle—from advanced cell manufacturing and real‑world deployment to intelligent energy management and end‑of‑life recycling.

“The strong customer demand we are experiencing and our recently announced offtake agreements reinforce the importance of building a fully domestic battery supply chain,” said Tyler Hortin, CEO of Lion Energy. “Our strategic partnership and equity position in ABF reflect our confidence in their vision and strengthen our ability to bring American-made battery technology to market at scale.”

"ABF's success in securing over 4.5 GWh of offtake agreements demonstrates the accelerating demand for domestically manufactured battery cells and validates the strategic value of our pending acquisition of Lion Energy,” said Steve Cotton, CEO of Aqua Metals. “Through Lion's equity position and partnership with ABF, Aqua Metals will be uniquely positioned to participate in the growth of U.S. battery manufacturing while extending our platform across the full battery lifecycle, from domestic cell production and intelligent deployment to sustainable end-of-life recycling.”

Lion Energy’s role in system integration and deployment supports the adoption of U.S. produced battery cells across residential, commercial, and industrial applications. In parallel, the company is expanding its U.S. battery assembly capabilities, with new production lines scheduled to come online in June of this year. These assembled energy storage systems are anticipated to be both FEOC and Domestic Content compliant, allowing Lion Energy to deliver compliant, U.S.-aligned energy storage solutions today while preparing to integrate domestically produced cells as supply from ABF comes online.

“Lion Energy is focused on building a platform that delivers control, scalability, and long-term value across the energy lifecycle,” added Brady Hoggan, CRO of Lion Energy. “By aligning system integration, manufacturing, and lifecycle management, we are positioning the company to meet growing demand for secure, domestically controlled energy solutions.”

ABF’s planned U.S. based facility will produce advanced prismatic LFP battery cells engineered for safety, longevity, and performance. Lion Energy’s proprietary systems, including hardware, firmware, and the LionESS™ energy management platform, are well positioned to integrate with these cells, enabling secure and domestically controlled energy storage.

As demand for energy storage surges across residential, commercial, AI data centers, and grid applications, Lion Energy is positioned to deliver solutions that align with evolving regulatory requirements, domestic supply chain priorities, and long-term infrastructure needs, supporting a more resilient and independent U.S. energy future.

American Battery Factory I americanbatteryfactory.com

Lion Energy | lionenergy.com

Aqua Metals | aquametals.com

Full Circle Lithium Corp. ("FCL" or the "Company") (TSXV: FCLI) (OTCQB: FCLIF) (FSE: K0Q), a leading US-based lithium-ion battery fire extinguishing products manufacturer, announces its first commercial sale of FCL-X, its ground-breaking lithium-ion battery fire extinguishing agent, to a USA based waste management operator for on-site deployment. This milestone marks a significant step forward in addressing a rapidly escalating crisis across North America: lithium-ion battery (LIB) fires in landfills, recycling facilities, and waste collection systems.

A Growing and Costly Industry Crisis

LIBs, embedded in everything from smartphones and e-bikes to vapes and power tools, are increasingly entering the waste stream, often undetected. When crushed or punctured during collection or processing, these batteries can ignite or explode, triggering fires that are uniquely hazardous and difficult to control.

Recent real-world incidents underscore the scale of the problem:

• In Winnipeg, multiple landfill fires were linked to discarded lithium-ion batteries, with officials reporting a surge in incidents over just a few months¹. (City of Winnipeg)
• In Oregon, one landfill recorded 21 lithium battery fires in just three months, escalating from monthly to weekly occurrences². (opb)
• In Edmonton, lithium-ion battery fires caused $2.5 million in damage, with temperatures reaching up to 2,000°C and fires taking hours to extinguish³. (CityNews Edmonton)
• In Maine, a landfill experienced six fires in six weeks, all attributed to improperly discarded batteries⁴. (Town of Fort Fairfield)

Industry-wide, the scale is even more striking:

• Over 5,000 fires occur annually at recycling facilities, many linked to lithium-ion batteries⁵. (Recycling Today)
• More than 2,400+ waste facility fires were estimated across the U.S. and Canada in 2022 alone⁶. (wastemanagementpressreleases.com)

Unlike conventional fires, LIB fires are driven by a phenomenon known as thermal runaway, a self-sustaining chemical reaction that produces intense heat, flammable and toxic gases, and a risk of reignition.

LIB fires:

• Burn hotter and faster than typical combustible materials
• Can reignite hours or even days later
• Release toxic and hazardous gases
• Extremely difficult to suppress with water or traditional extinguishing methods

Additionally, waste operators face a critical challenge: LIBs are nearly impossible to detect within mixed waste streams moving at industrial speeds, making prevention alone insufficient⁷. (Battery News)

Historically, landfill and waste management operators have relied on water, soil smothering, or isolation techniques, none of which are optimized for LIB fires. This gap has created a pressing need for targeted, scalable solutions.

FCL-X is designed specifically to address these challenges, offering:

• Rapid suppression of thermal runaway reactions
• Reduced reignition risk
• Safer handling for on-site personnel
• Compatibility with existing firefighting protocols

Unlocking a Multi-Billion-Dollar Market Opportunity

As LIB adoption accelerates globally, driven by electrification, consumer electronics, and energy storage, the downstream risks to waste infrastructure are expanding in parallel. With thousands of fires annually, rising regulatory pressure, and increasing insurance and infrastructure costs, the market for LIB fire mitigation solutions is poised for substantial growth.

Industry analysts and waste operators increasingly view LIB fire prevention and suppression as a critical infrastructure requirement, positioning FCL, with its state-of-the-art specialty extinguishing agent, at the forefront of a rapidly emerging multi-billion-dollar global opportunity.

"This first sale into the waste management industry of FCL-X represents another pivotal moment for the Company," said Carlos Vicens, CEO. "Waste operators are facing a growing and costly threat with no effective solution, until now. FCL-X is purpose-built for this challenge and is quickly becoming the new standard in lithium-ion battery fire response."

Full Circle Lithium | https://fcl-x.com/

References
¹ City of Winnipeg landfill fire data (City of Winnipeg)
² Oregon landfill fire report (opb)
³ Edmonton Waste Management Centre report (CityNews Edmonton)
⁴ Fort Fairfield landfill incident report (Town of Fort Fairfield)
⁵ NWRA / RRS industry report (Recycling Today)
⁶ U.S. & Canada waste fire estimates (wastemanagementpressreleases.com) 

Netherlands headquartered Subsea Cable Assets (SCA) has won its first framework contract with German grid operator 50 Hertz Transmission GmbH, secured through a competitive European tender process, to deliver four of its newly designed cable storage and handling systems.

The innovative SCA solution has been developed specifically to support 50Hertz’s offshore and onshore electricity grid infrastructure, which ensures safe and reliable transmission of high-voltage power to homes and businesses across the north and east of Germany.

The contract scope includes providing onshore cable handling equipment for offshore applications, covering the engineering, manufacturing, delivery, installation and commissioning of four systems, including all associated loading equipment. SCA’s unique solution has specifically designed partition walls that allow both ends of a cable to remain accessible for testing, even within warehouse and deck space constraints, a challenge its team overcame through a smart carousel-based design.

SCA manufactured and operates the largest fleet of cable carousels in the sector, including modular systems capable of handling up to 12,000 tonnes. All SCA carousels are electrically driven, rather than hydraulic, and, in this particular case, engineered for low floor bearing loads and long-term reliability, supporting 25+ years of service.

SCA managing director Sil de Rijke said: “Our team’s experience in equipment design and manufacturing, cable handling and storage, has allowed us to engineer a system that meets 50Hertz’s stringent size and operational parameters. SCA provides a combination of advanced electrical drives, and proven roller technology to provide a scalable, low-maintenance solution capable of reliable, right-first-time operation. It demonstrates how we can integrate equipment, software, engineering expertise and our manufacturing capabilities into a fully connected capability for our clients.”

SCA Group, through its joint ventures and subsidiaries, operates advanced engineering and manufacturing facilities in Europe and Dubai. The facilities have supported the group in delivering over 45 carousels worldwide, including some of the largest modular cable transports in the market.

The business also recently won a N-Sea Group contract covering the full design, manufacturing, delivery and commissioning of a cable installation deck spread for the cable-laying vessel Altera. This new 50Hertz award highlights the company’s ability to provide fully integrated carousel solutions, from design and fabrication to commissioning and operational support, across international energy projects.

Subsea Cable Assets | https://sca.llc/

Supra Elemental Recovery, Inc. (“Supra”) announces a strategic investment from Rio Tinto and Founders Factory through their mining technology accelerator. The investment, structured as a combination of cash and in-kind services, will enable Supra to build and commercialize its modular critical mineral recovery technology with insight and support from Rio Tinto.

Supra was selected as one of six startups globally from more than 500 applicants. The cohort is focused on advancing exploration and processing technologies to meet growing demand for materials such as copper, lithium, and critical minerals. Supra joins Foresight Spatial Labs (Ottawa, Canada), Chemshift (Calgary, Canada), Material Difference (Cambridge, UK), Voluna (Boston, U.S.), and Watergenics (Berlin, Germany).

Emily Hilton, General Manager of Innovation at Rio Tinto, said: “Startups have an important role to play in solving some of mining’s toughest challenges. Through our partnership with Founders Factory, we are connecting exceptional founders with Rio Tinto’s operational and technical expertise to help turn promising ideas into technologies that could improve exploration, processing, and critical mineral recovery. This cohort reflects the quality of innovation emerging globally, and we’re excited about the potential to accelerate these solutions toward real-world deployment.”

Jordan Sessler, co-founder and COO of Supra, said: “We look forward to working closely with Rio Tinto and leveraging the firm’s global expertise to accelerate our path to commercial deployment. We look forward to recovering high-purity elements from complex streams, including ore, tailings, and byproducts.” 

Rio Tinto and Founders Factory join Supra’s existing pre-seed investors, including Crucible Capital, Climate Capital, Portmanteau Ventures, and UT Seed Fund. The funding will support continued technology development and preparation for commercial pilots.

Supra Elemental Recovery | www.getsupra.com

Rio Tinto | www.riotinto.com

Founders Factory | www.foundersfactory.com