Energy
Mysterious cryptocurrency co. buys out land around Tesla’s Gigafactory
Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada will soon be joined by Blockchains, LLC in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center, with the cryptocurrency firm purchasing 67,125 acres of the 105,000-acre industrial area. Blockchains, LLC’s massive site would be home to its main campus, as well as the company’s other pertinent facilities.
Blockchains, LLC’s purchase of the massive plot of land in the industrial center was confirmed by partner-broker Lance Gilman, who noted that he closed escrow last week on the sale of the land to the cryptocurrency firm. For perspective, Tesla, one of the anchor tenants at the park with its Gigafactory owns nearly 3,000 acres at the center. Google purchased 1,210 acres at the park in 2017. Combined, the two technology giants own a little more than 4,000 acres or roughly 6% of the 67,000 acres being purchased by Blockchains, LLC.
What’s particularly interesting, however, was the fact that the purpose of the land acquisition is shrouded in mystery, as are details for the company itself.
In a statement to The Nevada Independent, Gilman noted that the Blockchains, LLC deal was worth around $175 million. Gilman did not reveal many details about the cryptocurrency firm’s projects in the area, though the TRIC executive teased that the company’s corporate headquarters and software design research center would be built on the site. Overall, the TRIC partner-broker stated that he is quite optimistic about the potential of blockchain technology.
“It has been explained to me that this particular process will revolutionize the globe in a more dramatic way than the internet,” Gilman said.
While very little is currently known about Blockchains, LLC, the company’s website invokes the idea that the mysterious firm is highly dedicated to the development and research of blockchain technology, the backbone of cryptocurrencies such as Ethereum and Bitcoin. According to the company’s official website, Blockchains, LLC is involved in projects focusing on financial services, software development of distributed applications (DAPPS) for the Ethereum blockchain, and trusted identity solutions.
The company is still new, however, with the company’s name registered in Nevada back in May 2017. Listed in the cryptocurrency firm’s registration is California attorney Jeffrey Berns, who is part of the company that owns the URL blockchains.com. Despite the air of mystery around the company and its massive investment in the TRIC, however, Berns has noted in his LinkedIn profile that the firm plans to stay in “stealth mode” for the time being.
As noted in a report from Nevada Newsmakers, Blockchains, LLC’s land in the Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center would be part of the Emerald City initiative, which aims to build a city in the massive industrial area. Emerald City would include a man-made lake, a 500-acre town center, hotels, as well as thousands of housing units and apartments. Shopping centers that would be established in the area are expected to showcase Blockchains, LLC’s technology and services.
Gilman credits Tesla as a key driver in the influx of new, progressive companies that have invested in the industrial park in recent years. According to Gilman, the interest of firms such as Blockchain, LLC appears to have been triggered by Tesla’s decision to set up shop in the center.
“When we met Tesla, that put us on an entirely different international platform. And when that platform started to grow, all of a sudden, here came Switch and others and we just had these corporate groups come in here, following Tesla all of a sudden. And so we’ve entered the tech world,” Gilman said, according to a Nevada Newsmakers report.
Currently, the industrial center is dominated by structures from firms such as Tesla, Google, and Switch. Tesla, for one, has selected the area to be the site for its Nevada Gigafactory 1, which manufactures batteries for its fleet of electric vehicles and energy storage units. As we noted in a recent report, Gigafactory 1 appears to be growing from within, with the California-based electric car maker and energy firm not expanding the facility for the last six months. Once Tesla’s Nevada Gigafactory is completed, however, the facility would be the largest building in the world by footprint.
Energy
Tesla launches first Virtual Power Plant in UK – get paid to use solar
Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom.
Tesla has launched its first-ever Virtual Power Plant program in the United Kingdom. This feature enables users of solar panels and energy storage systems to sell their excess energy back to the grid.
Tesla is utilizing Octopus Energy, a British renewable energy company that operates in multiple markets, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the United States, as the provider for the VPP launch in the region.
The company states that those who enroll in the program can earn up to £300 per month.
Tesla has operated several VPP programs worldwide, most notably in California, Texas, Connecticut, and the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. This is not the first time Tesla has operated a VPP outside the United States, as there are programs in Australia, Japan, and New Zealand.
This is its first in the UK:
Our first VPP in the UK
You can get paid to share your energy – store excess energy in your Powerwall & sell it back to the grid
You’re making £££ and the community is powered by clean energy
Win-win pic.twitter.com/evhMtJpgy1
— Tesla UK (@tesla_uk) July 17, 2025
Tesla is not the only company that is working with Octopus Energy in the UK for the VPP, as it joins SolarEdge, GivEnergy, and Enphase as other companies that utilize the Octopus platform for their project operations.
It has been six years since Tesla launched its first VPP, as it started its first in Australia back in 2019. In 2024, Tesla paid out over $10 million to those participating in the program.
Participating in the VPP program that Tesla offers not only provides enrolled individuals with the opportunity to earn money, but it also contributes to grid stabilization by supporting local energy grids.
Energy
Tesla Lathrop Megafactory celebrates massive Megapack battery milestone
The Tesla Megapack is the backbone of Tesla Energy’s battery deployments.
The Tesla Lathrop Megafactory recently achieved a new milestone. As per the official Tesla Megapack account on X, the Lathrop Megafactory has produced its 15,000th Megapack 2 XL battery.
15,000 Megapack Batteries
Tesla celebrated the milestone with a photo of the Lathrop Megafactory team posing with a freshly produced Megapack battery. To commemorate the event, the team held balloons that spelled out “15,000” as they posed for the photo.
The Tesla Megapack is the backbone of Tesla Energy’s battery deployments. Designed for grid-scale applications, each Megapack offers 3.9 MWh of energy and 1.9 MW of power. The battery is extremely scalable, making it perfect for massive energy storage projects.
More Megafactories
The Lathrop Megafactory is Tesla’s first dedicated facility for its flagship battery storage system. It currently stands as the largest utility-scale battery factory in North America. The facility is capable of producing 10,000 Megapack batteries every year, equal to 40 GWh of clean energy storage.
Thanks to the success of the Megapack, Tesla has expanded its energy business by building and launching the Shanghai Megafactory, which is also expected to produce 40 GWh of energy storage per year. The ramp of the Shanghai Megafactory is quite impressive, with Tesla noting in its Q1 2025 Update Letter that the Shanghai Megafactory managed to produce over 100 Megapack batteries in the first quarter alone.
Tesla Energy’s Potential
During the first quarter earnings call, CEO Elon Musk stated that the Megapack is extremely valuable to the energy industry.
“The Megapack enables utility companies to output far more total energy than would otherwise be the case… This is a massive unlock on total energy output of any given grid over the course of a year. And utility companies are beginning to realize this and are buying in our Megapacks at scale,” Musk said.
Energy
Tesla Megapacks powers the xAI Colossus supercomputer
Tesla Megapacks step in to stabilize xAI’s Colossus supercomputer, replacing natural gas turbines. Musk’s ventures keep intertwining.
Tesla Megapack batteries will power the xAI Colossus supercomputer in Memphis to ensure power stability. The collaboration between Tesla and xAI highlights the synergy among Elon Musk’s ventures.
The artificial intelligence startup has integrated Tesla Megapacks to manage outages and demand surges, bolstering the facility’s reliability. The Greater Memphis Chamber announced that Colossus, recently connected to a new 150-megawatt electric substation, is completing its first construction phase. This transition addresses criticism from environmental justice groups over the initial use of natural gas turbines.
“The temporary natural gas turbines that were being used to power the Phase I GPUs prior to grid connection are now being demobilized and will be removed from the site over the next two months.
“About half of the operating turbines will remain operating to power Phase II GPUs of xAI until a second substation (#22) already in construction is completed and connected to the electric grid, which is planned for the Fall of 2025, at which time the remaining turbines will be relegated to a backup power role,” the Chamber stated.
xAI’s rapid development of Colossus reflects its ambition to advance AI capabilities, but the project has faced scrutiny for environmental impacts. The shift to Megapacks and grid power aims to mitigate these concerns while ensuring operational continuity.
The Megapack deployment underscores the collaboration among Musk’s companies, including Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and The Boring Company. Tesla appears to be the common link between all of Musk’s companies. For example, The Boring Company built a tunnel in Giga, Texas. In addition, Musk has hinted at a potential collaboration between the Tesla Optimus Bot and Neuralink. And from January 2024 to February 2025, xAI invested $230 million in Megapacks, per a Tesla filing.
Tesla Energy reported a 156% year-over-year increase in Q1 2025, deploying 10.4 GWh of storage products, including Megapacks and Powerwalls. Tesla’s plans for a new Megapack factory in Waller County, Texas, which is expected to create 1,500 jobs in the area, further signal its commitment to scaling energy solutions.
As xAI leverages Tesla’s Megapacks to power Colossus, the integration showcases Musk’s interconnected business ecosystem. The supercomputer’s enhanced stability positions xAI to drive AI innovation, while Tesla’s energy solutions gain prominence, setting the stage for broader technological and economic impacts.
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