dechant over at bsky and 🐘. Senior climate writer @techcrunch. Teach at @MIT_Sciwrite. Formerly @arstechnica, @KSJatMIT, @NOVApbs.
Cambridge, MA
Joined November 2009
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SCOOP: Japan joined the Netherlands and the U.S. in restricting export of next-gen semiconductor manufacturing equipment to China. My latest for @thewirechina: thewirechina.com/2021/02/07/…
The DOE is giving Constellation a $5 billion loan to modernize its nuclear reactors, and the new capacity is already reserved for Google, Amazon, and Meta. Is this an indirect subsidy for hyperscalers? techcrunch.com/2026/10/28/tr…
Two leading fusion startups, Helion and Commonwealth Fusion Systems, gave the U.S. government a stake in their respective companies in exchange for federal award money. Was it worth the tradeoffs? techcrunch.com/2026/10/26/fu…
Fusion startup Helion just landed a $175M federal award to make semiconductors that could halve losses of its power electronics. Since fusion power is a game of percentages, even a bit more efficiency makes a commercial power plant that much more viable. techcrunch.com/2026/10/22/fu…
Plants are trying to talk, if only we'd listen. Now, one startup says it has decoded their language. “We’re listening more than we’re speaking, but listening’s the first step,” Electric Plant CEO Justin Mast told me. techcrunch.com/2026/10/20/pl…
"EVs will be cheaper...someday," analysts said. I guess that day is today. BMW announced prices for its gas- and electric-powered 3 series, and the electric i3 undercuts the equivalent gas model by $4,400. techcrunch.com/2026/09/30/bm…
New York Climate Week could have been called New York Data Center Week, that's how many conversations were focused on the AI buildout. And while that focus was on everyone's minds, it wasn't necessarily at the top of their priority list. techcrunch.com/2026/09/28/th…
Volkswagen loves a halo car, and the Mission Efficiency is its latest, capable of traveling over 400 miles on a measly 54.9 kWh battery. It took some keen engineering — and borrowing some ideas from competitors — to get there. techcrunch.com/2026/09/14/vo…
If you're as old as me, you might remember Steve Jobs's "digital hub" strategy that envisioned the Mac at the center of a person's digital life. Now, Apple's new CEO John Ternus is revisiting that strategy, updated for the AI era. techcrunch.com/2026/09/09/ap…
In a world awash in AI slop, Apple wants you to trust images shot on its iPhones. techcrunch.com/2026/09/09/ap…
Two Google DeepMind alumni have founded Fusionality, a startup providing control systems to fusion companies. The fusion supply chain is starting to fill out. techcrunch.com/2026/09/08/go…
Google said it would revive a nuclear power plant, now the plant's operator is getting a $1.9 billion loan from the DOE, a clear sign of the lengths to which the Trump administration will go to ensure AI data centers get enough electricity. techcrunch.com/2026/09/08/go…
Utilities have been courting fusion startups, hoping to get an early seat at the table for what could be a transformative technology. Wisconsin-based Realta Fusion is the latest to find a partner. Here's what it all means. techcrunch.com/2026/09/03/ut…
Tesla killed its solar roof, a promising product that never lived up to expectations. What went wrong? Plenty. techcrunch.com/2026/08/21/te…
How do you make fusion cheaper? One step at a time. Today, let's talk about fuel.
Inertia Enterprises gave me an exclusive look at how they sped up the fueling process. What used to take a week or more now takes a few hours. techcrunch.com/2026/08/20/in…
What if it wasn't the reactor that's making nuclear power plants expensive, but another overlooked part?
Apollo Atomics gave me a peek at how they've shrunk the steam generator, which they say will help nuclear beat natural gas on price. techcrunch.com/2026/08/20/ap…
Tim De Chant retweeted
An Amazon customer in Texas was not enthused when her first drone-delivered order was dropped into her swimming pool. After hearing the loud buzzing of the drone arriving, she ran outside to record the delivery, and to her surprise, it landed in her pool.
Most nuclear reactors are great at running full steam all the time, making them excellent partners for the grid, less so for AI data centers. But TerraPower has a reactor that's almost tailor made for the task. Here's what sets it apart. techcrunch.com/2026/08/19/te…
In months, home batteries have gone from pricey additions to solar installations to relatively inexpensive alternatives to backup generators. Here's how that happened. techcrunch.com/2026/08/19/ho…
I've been closely following the top funded fusion startups for almost two years now, and this summer has been very good to the industry, with over $1.5 billion raised. Take a look at who's in the lead and who's gaining ground. techcrunch.com/2026/08/15/ev…
Amazon, Meta, Google, and Microsoft — seemingly every hyperscaler has embraced natural gas. They're betting it can get them power quickly, but at what cost?
If a new forecast proves correct, the costs could be very material to their bottom line. techcrunch.com/2026/08/14/hy…
