Meta has significantly increased its renewable energy capacity through several recent agreements. The company announced it will purchase 791 megawatts of solar and wind power from Invenergy across Ohio, Arkansas, and Texas.

Additionally, Meta will acquire environmental attributes from two Adapture Renewables solar farms in Texas, totaling 360 megawatts. These projects are expected to become operational in 2027 and 2028.

This expansion follows Meta's recent deal to buy 650 megawatts of solar power from AES and a partnership with XGS Energy to build a 150-megawatt geothermal power plant in New Mexico. These investments support the growth of renewables, especially solar power, which is a fast and efficient way to power data centers.

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a Texas law requiring websites with "sexual material harmful to minors" to verify the age of all visitors. This decision, in favor of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, allows states to require age verification, potentially impacting internet privacy.

The ruling raises concerns about the security of users' digital information, as age checks may involve uploading government IDs or using third-party verification platforms. Critics also fear that such laws could be used to restrict access to LGBTQ-related content and sex education materials.

Eighteen states have already enacted similar laws, with six more pending. This decision could lead to broader implementation of age verification measures across the internet.

Meta is reportedly in discussions to acquire Play AI, a voice cloning startup, to expand its consumer-facing AI capabilities. The acquisition aims to integrate Play AI's technology and talent into Meta, potentially adding audio features to Meta's creative tools. Play AI allows users to clone voices for AI applications like customer service and has raised $23.5 million from investors. This move follows Meta's recent efforts to bolster its AI features, including chatbots and video editing capabilities.

Redwood Materials, led by co-founder JB Straubel, is launching Redwood Energy, a new business focused on energy storage using repurposed EV batteries. Their first project involves powering a 2,000 GPU modular data center for AI infrastructure company Crusoe with a microgrid comprised of 805 retired EV batteries in Nevada.

The system generates 12 MW of power with 63 MWh of capacity, utilizing energy from an adjacent solar array. Redwood aims to deploy 20 gigawatt-hours of grid-scale storage by 2028, becoming a major player in repurposing used EV battery packs.

Redwood recovers over 70% of used battery packs in North America, processing over 20 GWh annually. The company sees this as a revenue-generating opportunity, with potential for faster growth than its core recycling business. Redwood's expansion includes deals with Toyota, Panasonic, and GM, and new facilities in South Carolina and Europe.

Redwood Energy's model addresses the challenge of grid-scale energy storage, offering an economically viable and carbon-free solution. The repurposing market allows Redwood to capitalize on batteries before they are fully retired, ensuring a continuous revenue stream.

Henrik Werdelin's new venture, Audos, aims to leverage AI to scale startup creation, targeting 'everyday entrepreneurs' without technical skills.

Audos provides AI tools and social media strategies to help users build sophisticated products and find niche customers, operating on a 15% revenue share model instead of taking equity.

Since its beta launch, Audos has launched hundreds of businesses, focusing on 'donkeycorns' - one- or two-person teams creating million-dollar businesses.

Audos secured $11.5 million in seed funding led by True Ventures, with investors highlighting the potential for AI to enable more leverage in entrepreneurship.

The company's mission is to empower smaller entrepreneurs and foster a world with more entrepreneurship, offering funding, AI tools, and distribution support.

Cluely, a startup focused on AI-driven 'cheating' tools, secured a $15 million Series A funding from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). The investment sparked debate due to Cluely's controversial marketing tactics, which some have labeled as 'rage-bait.' However, a16z partner Bryan Kim believes that in the age of AI, rapid marketing and product development are crucial for success. Kim argues that traditional 'artisan' product development is too slow and vulnerable to being overtaken by larger AI models. Cluely's founder, Roy Lee, attributes the startup's buzz to understanding how to create viral content by leveraging controversy, which he says generates more views than many other startups, despite Cluely still developing its core product. A16z sees Cluely's approach as a model for AI startups, where building 'momentum' is key to long-term success.