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Building Transparency to Showcase Next Generation of EC3 at Greenbuild 2026

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Nonprofit to Introduce EC3 2.0 Beta, Launch Membership Program and Expand Open Embodied Carbon Data Globally

SEATTLE, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Building Transparency, a nonprofit organization that provides open-access data and tools to mobilize the construction industry to decarbonize, today announced it will showcase the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) 2.0 at the Greenbuild International Conference + Expo, October 20-23 in New York City. The organization will offer attendees a first look and opportunity to join the EC3 2.0 beta, introduce a new membership program, share progress on its Open Data for Climate Initiative (ODCi) and participate in Greenbuild programming focused on the future of digital material data.

Building Transparency will demonstrate EC3 2.0 at the Autodesk booth (#1137), where attendees can preview the evolving platform and register to join the beta.

“Greenbuild marks an important milestone for Building Transparency as we advance EC3 and the open data infrastructure needed to drive meaningful embodied carbon action,” said Alison Kinn Bennett, Executive Director of Building Transparency. “EC3 2.0 builds on years of progress while expanding access to trusted data, strengthening our global reach and engaging the community that relies on these tools every day. We’re excited to share what’s ahead and invite the industry to help shape this next chapter.”

Introducing the Next Generation of EC3

Building Transparency stewards EC3, the world’s largest nonprofit-led, open-access platform for construction material life cycle assessment data. It includes 250,000+ Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) representing 200+ material categories and supports 70,000+ registered users, 2,000+ manufacturers and 19,000+ projects across 80+ countries.

EC3 2.0 builds on that foundation as verified, comparable material data becomes increasingly important to design, carbon accounting, building standards and policy. Development of EC3 2.0 is supported by a grant from the ClimateWorks Foundation, with additional funding from Amazon and Google, among many other supporters and partners worldwide.

Enhancements include new data types, improved AI-assisted data quality and ingestion, clearer data-quality indicators, expanded international coverage, modernized Find & Compare Materials and Project Planner and expanded integrations. EC3 2.0 represents a complete rebuild—providing a faster and smoother experience.

“EC3 2.0 is a natural evolution of the platform,” said Mark Chen, National Carbon Manager at Skanska. “The experience is streamlined and more intuitive, with new functionality that makes it even easier to use. For existing EC3 users the transition is seamless, but the overall experience is a significant step forward.” 

Today’s beta release—focused on the Find & Compare Materials portion of the tool—is available to all, with additional data and functionality released in phases. Everyone is invited to experience the platform and help inform its continued development.

Creating a New Way to Support Open Infrastructure

Alongside EC3 2.0 beta, Building Transparency will introduce a new membership program that gives practitioners, manufacturers and organizations that rely on EC3 a direct way to support the infrastructure behind it at a pivotal moment in its evolution. As embodied carbon moves from voluntary leadership toward broader reporting and compliance requirements, the decisions shaping the next generation of open data infrastructure are being made now.

Membership does not change EC3’s commitment to neutrality and open access. Core tools and functionality will remain free; membership helps sustain that shared infrastructure while offering recognition, premium features, opportunities to provide input into the roadmap and access to member insights and forums. For organizations that want to support the future of Building Transparency, this is the moment to engage—while EC3 2.0 is moving from beta toward full production and key decisions about the platform’s next chapter are still being shaped.

“Reliable, comparable EPD data is the foundation for every low-carbon decision our customers make. We’ve worked alongside Building Transparency on PCR and EPD initiatives for years and have seen how much the industry depends on EC3,” said Shane Mulligan, Manager, Market Solutions and Development, Heidelberg Materials. “Membership is how we invest in keeping that infrastructure open, neutral and growing, and it keeps us engaged as EC3 2.0 evolves.”

“Every Buy Clean program we support for governments runs on open EPD data. EC3 is that foundation, and Building Transparency has been a strong partner in keeping it public and reliable,” said Taylor Linnell, Co-Founder and CEO, BuiltCold.

Closing the Global Carbon Data Gap

Building Transparency will also share progress on ODCi, the Open Data for Climate Initiative, which addresses a global data gap: many regions lack sufficiently complete and reliable construction product environmental data to support life cycle assessment, policy development and investment decisions.

ODCi is developing methodologically consistent generic life cycle assessment datasets to provide credible baselines where product-specific data is limited or does not yet exist. Its defining feature is a common quality framework: datasets released under ODCi are intended to be independently verified against common guidelines, ensuring consistent quality across regions and data providers. The initiative spans 58 material categories across seven global regions, with the current pilot, funded by the Autodesk Foundation, focused on cement, ready-mix concrete, timber and steel sections.

ODCi’s growing network of partners includes ECO Platform and the University of Washington Life Cycle Lab. Following verification, ODCi datasets are intended to be openly available through trusted digital infrastructure, including the ECO Portal and EC3, alongside product-specific EPDs. The framework is designed to grow as additional qualified data providers contribute.

Join Building Transparency at Greenbuild

In addition to EC3 2.0 demonstrations at the Autodesk booth, Building Transparency Executive Director Alison Kinn Bennett will participate in the “In a New York Minute: Innovators Bridging the Digital Materials Divide” session on Tuesday, October 20, part of the “Accelerating the Adoption of Low Embodied Carbon Materials” Summit, which will explore how digital workflows can simplify sustainable product selection, documentation and reporting.

To learn more about Building Transparency and register for the EC3 2.0 beta, visit here.

About Building Transparency

Building Transparency is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides open-access data and tools that support broad and swift action across the architectural, engineering and construction industries in addressing embodied carbon’s role in climate change. Formed in 2020, Building Transparency hosts, manages and maintains the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3), which provides thousands of digitized EPDs in a free, open-access database alongside powerful “Find and Compare” and “Project Planner” tools used by both the public and private sectors in decarbonizing buildings and infrastructure. Building Transparency strives to provide the global data and tools needed to shape a better building future.

Media Contact
Kelly Ronna
Trevelino/Keller
kronna@trevelinokeller.com 

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SOURCE Building Transparency

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Trive Capital Announces Sale of EarthLink

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DALLAS, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trive Capital (“Trive”) is pleased to announce that it has closed on the sale of EarthLink, LLC (“EarthLink” or the “Company”) to a family office consortium consisting of WaveDivision Capital (“Wave”), The Pritzker Organization (“TPO”) and Stephens Capital Partners (“SCP”), in partnership with EarthLink’s management team. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, EarthLink is one of the largest internet service providers in the United States, serving over 500,000 internet and managed services customers nationwide. Through partnerships with several of the nation’s largest fiber and 5G providers, EarthLink has built an asset-light, nationwide network that can offer fiber internet service to more than 68 million homes.

Since Trive’s investment in EarthLink in 2018 as part of a corporate carveout, the Company has transformed from a legacy DSL and email business in precipitous decline to an asset-light connectivity platform serving over 500,000 consumers and small businesses nationwide. The Company has grown and will continue to grow based on its expanded fiber and 5G internet solutions and commitment to customer service for consumers and small businesses.

Shravan Thadani, Partner at Trive, stated, “EarthLink has been a true partnership between management and Trive in every sense of the word. The team built a differentiated, asset-light platform that gives consumers and small businesses real choice in how they get connected, and did so while standing up every function of the platform outside of its former, public parent. We are proud to have been a part of such an iconic brand’s journey and will continue to support Wave, TPO and SCP as they work with management to accelerate growth in the coming years.”

“During our partnership with Trive, we have taken one of the most trusted brands in the internet space and turned it into a trusted option for consumers and small businesses nationwide,” commented Glenn Goad, Chief Executive Officer of EarthLink. “As internet access has become one of the most important utilities in a consumer’s life, EarthLink has a renewed focus on making it easier for our customers to access the best internet options at affordable prices. Trive was critically important through and after the carve-out, and we are excited to partner with Wave, TPO and SCP to continue to grow EarthLink alongside our trusted fiber and 5G partners. Our collective goal remains the same: to provide the right technology at the right price, supported by a world-class customer experience.”

About EarthLink

EarthLink is an internet service provider offering fiber and 5G internet solutions for homes and businesses nationwide. With a focus on dependable connectivity, flexible plans, and customer-focused service, EarthLink provides broadband options designed to meet the needs of modern households and businesses. EarthLink is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and serves over 500,000 customers. To learn more, visit earthlink.net.

About Trive Capital

Trive Capital is a Dallas, Texas based private equity firm with more than $8 billion of regulatory assets under management. Trive focuses on investing equity and debt in what it sees as strategically viable middle-market companies with the potential for transformational upside through operational improvement.

The Trive team is comprised of seasoned investment professionals who have been involved in over 250 middle-market transactions representing in excess of $10 billion in revenue across Trive’s targeted industry sectors and situations.

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SOURCE Trive Capital

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Rondo Energy and Rio Tinto Advance Australia’s Largest Thermal Energy Storage Project

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GLADSTONE, Australia, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Rondo Energy and Rio Tinto have started front-end engineering and design on the project for a 360 MWh storage / 30 MW discharge Rondo Heat Battery, supported by a grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).

ARENA’s funding for the project will be provided in stages, with an initial $3.6 million to complete front-end engineering and design work. Following successful completion of that study, ARENA will provide up to $38 million for deployment. ARENA has also approved up to $33.3 million in conditional contingency support, which would only be made available in defined circumstances to manage specific project risks, including cost overruns and electricity costs. 

If progressed, the project would be delivered at Rio Tinto’s Yarwun alumina refinery near Gladstone, Queensland and would be one of the first large-scale demonstrations of thermal energy storage for industrial process heat globally, and a world-first for the alumina industry.

Rondo Heat Batteries use abundant, low-cost midday electricity to charge, storing energy as high-temperature heat in refractory brick, and supplying energy as 24/7 continuous process heat to industry. Typically, the heat is delivered as steam, directly into an industrial facility’s steam network. Australia regularly has 4-6 hours of surplus solar-generated renewable electricity in the middle of the day, but industrial facilities need heat 24 hours a day, not just when the sun is shining. By charging when electricity is cheap and abundant and discharging continuously, Rondo Heat Batteries turn short periods of low-cost electricity into 24/7 delivery of low-cost steam. 

For energy-intensive industries such as alumina refining, Rondo Heat Batteries create a pathway to electrification that addresses both emissions and energy costs. Because the heat battery slots into the existing steam network, the facility’s processes run exactly as before — the only thing that changes is the energy for that heat: no longer from fossil fuels, but sourced from low cost electricity instead. The Yarwun study will assess the technical and economic viability of integrating the technology into refinery operations.

“This project shows how Australia’s abundant energy can become a competitive advantage for industry,” said Dr. Kira Rundel, Rondo’s Head of Australia. “Heat batteries allow manufacturers to use low-cost electricity to produce the reliable, round-the-clock heat their operations need. Australia’s largest heat battery will show how factories can cut emissions without increasing energy costs, helping Australian industry to increase global competitiveness and supporting local manufacturing jobs.”

Rio Tinto Pacific Operations Managing Director Armando Torres said: “Reducing emissions from alumina refining is complex, particularly when it comes to generating the high-pressure steam needed for our operations.

“This study will help us determine whether thermal energy storage can provide a technically and economically viable alternative to fossil fuels for part of Yarwun’s steam requirements.

“The best way to tackle challenges of this scale is through collaboration between industry, government, and technology partners. We welcome ARENA and Rondo’s support as we assess technologies that could help reduce our Scope 1 emissions while maintaining reliable operations at Yarwun.”

About Rondo Energy

Rondo Energy delivers firm heat and power, including combined heat and power (CHP), to heavy industry and provides power solutions and long duration storage to data centers. For industrial heat applications, Rondo Heat Batteries convert 4-6 hours of low-cost electricity into continuous 24-hour, high-temperature heat, delivered as steam or hot air up to 1,000°C. The heat delivered integrates directly with existing industrial equipment and processes, eliminating on-site emissions and running on lower cost energy. Rondo heat storage can integrate with steam turbines to deliver combined heat and power (CHP) for industry, and long duration power-to-power solutions for large energy consumers such as data centers. Built on proven refractory brick as the thermal storage medium, Rondo’s platform is engineered for multi-decade operation in the most demanding industrial environments.

Rondo Heat Batteries have been delivering firm heat and power at scale since 2023, with operational facilities serving customers in fuels and cement (including steam driving turbines for electricity) in the United States and in Asia. The next unit will come online shortly – a 100 MWh Rondo Heat Battery under construction in Europe for a chemical plant. Rondo is a global company based in California, with teams across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. Providing heat and power solutions to the alumina industry is an area of focus for the company due to the strong fit of Rondo’s technology with the heat and power needs of the alumina industry.

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SOURCE Rondo Energy

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14 Organizations Earn CHIME’s Highest Digital Health Most Wired Designation for 2026

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ANN ARBOR, Mich., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), the leading professional organization for digital health leaders, today announced 14 organizations have achieved Level 10 in the 2026 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired (DHMW) survey. Powered by Digital Health Analytics (DHA), the survey is CHIME’s global assessment of digital health excellence, with Level 10 as its highest designation.

Representing health systems across the U.S., this year’s Level 10 organizations demonstrated exceptional performance across the enterprise digital ecosystem, leveraging technologies, data, infrastructure, and strategic practices shaping modern care delivery. The prestigious designation recognizes organizations that have moved beyond technology implementation to integrate digital investment across clinical and operational environments, producing measurable value for their health systems, patients, and providers.

The 2026 DHMW survey maintains a rigorous scoring methodology designed to account for differences in organizational size, complexity, risk, and resources, creating an equitable measure of performance across diverse healthcare environments. The model evaluates organizations across 10 distinct segments, measuring both the foundational elements required for digital maturity and the advanced practices that demonstrate broader adoption, integration, and value.

“Healthcare is experiencing extraordinary technological acceleration, driven in large part by the rapid adoption of AI and increasingly sophisticated digital capabilities,” said Russ Branzell, President and CEO of CHIME. “As that pace intensifies, the Digital Health Most Wired Survey continues to provide a rigorous benchmark for evaluating whether technology is translating into meaningful progress. It gives leaders a data-driven view of performance, critical gaps, and opportunities for high-impact investment while setting an industry standard of excellence for responsible technology adoption. The Level 10 organizations recognized this year exemplify the leadership and innovation required to turn digital investment into measurable improvements in care delivery.”

The 2026 Digital Health Most Wired survey includes data from more than 45,000 facilities worldwide, offering a global view of technology adoption, investment and performance across healthcare organizations and the evolving role of digital health in care delivery, operations and the patient and provider experience.

Each participating organization received a customized benchmarking report through the Digital Health Analytics (DHA) portal, offering detailed insights into performance metrics across 10 key segments:

InfrastructureSecurityAdministrationSupply chainAnalytics and data managementInteroperabilityPopulation healthPatient engagementInnovationClinical quality and safety

Fourteen healthcare organizations achieved Level 10 distinction, the highest designation awarded through the 2026 CHIME Digital Health Most Wired survey. The recipients are Baptist Health System (Jacksonville, Florida); Bon Secours Mercy Health (Ohio); MetroHealth Medical Center (Ohio); MultiCare Health System (Washington); Northeast Georgia Health System (Georgia); NYU Langone Health (New York); Parkview Health (Indiana); Roper St. Francis Healthcare Services, Inc. (South Carolina); Stanford Health Care (California); UCHealth (Colorado); UNC Health (North Carolina); University Health (Texas); University of Utah Health (Utah); and UPMC (Pennsylvania).

Collectively, the 2026 Level 10 designees reflect a healthcare environment in which digital performance increasingly depends on the alignment of technology strategy, data, infrastructure, and organizational priorities with strong leadership and a sustained commitment to innovation. Their results demonstrate how leading health systems are converting digital investment into measurable gains across clinical and operational environments while establishing the foundations required to responsibly adopt emerging technologies at scale.

CHIME will formally recognize these distinguished Level 10 honorees on November 12, 2026, during the CHIME26 Fall Forum in Denver, CO, which runs from November 11-14.

For additional details on the 2026 Digital Health Most Wired survey and the complete list of all Level 7-10 award recipients, visit dhanalytics.org.

About CHIME 
The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) is the leading professional organization for digital health executives and leaders. CHIME provides a trusted, collaborative environment where members and partners connect, share best practices, advance professional development, and advocate for the effective use of information and technology to improve health and care in the communities they serve. For more information, please visit chimecentral.org.

About Digital Health Analytics (DHA)
Digital Health Analytics provides healthcare organizations, technology companies, and academic researchers with the data, benchmarking, and market intelligence they need to lead digital transformation — 365 days a year. Powered by the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), DHA helps provider organizations supercharge their digital health transformation capabilities. For more information about DHA, visit dhanalytics.org.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Calli Dretke
Executive Vice President & Chief Digital and Marketing Officer
CHIME
734.665.0000
cdretke@chimecentral.org

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SOURCE College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME)

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