Sonal Patel
Articles By

Sonal Patel

  • China’s Belt and Road Initiative Is Reshaping Global Power Infrastructure

    Since 2013, when China launched its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), interest in the measure has been sharply divided. Proponents in Beijing and across the Global South view the BRI as a transformational

  • What Comes Next for Carbon Capture in the Power Industry?

    Policy upheavals have cast uncertainty over the future of carbon capture and storage in the power sector, though its momentum is widely expected to continue. In November 2024, the Global CCS Institute, an

  • Last Energy Secures Texas Site for 30-Microreactor Deployment to Power Data Centers

    Advanced nuclear plant developer Last Energy will build 30 microreactors at a site in Haskell County, Texas, a measure aimed at meeting the growing power demands of data centers across the state. The development comes as Texas faces increasing pressure to ramp up its power supplies to address an expansion of energy-intensive industries. The Washington […]

  • POWERnews—Feb. 27, 2025

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   February 27, 2025 Kemmerer 1—TerraPower’s Pioneering Fourth-Generation Nuclear Project—Hits Key NRC Milestone Ahead of Schedule The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed its draft safety evaluation (SE) a month ahead of schedule—albeit with open items—for TerraPower’s Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1, […]

  • NAES, Gecko Robotics Launch $100M AI Partnership Amid Energy Crisis; Shapiro Questions PJM Future

    In a bid to stave off an escalating power crisis, NAES, one of the largest independent power plant operators in the U.S., and Gecko Robotics, a leader in AI-driven robotic inspection and predictive maintenance, have moved to champion a prominent role for the nation’s existing fleet, launching a $100 million strategic partnership to bolster their […]

  • Kemmerer 1—TerraPower’s Pioneering Fourth-Generation Nuclear Project—Hits Key NRC Milestone Ahead of Schedule

    The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has completed its draft safety evaluation (SE) a month ahead of schedule—albeit with open items—for TerraPower’s Kemmerer Power Station Unit 1, a pioneering 345-MWe sodium-cooled fast reactor (SFR) under development in Wyoming. Editor’s note: This article was substantially updated on Feb. 27 at 11 a.m. CST to provide deeper […]

  • Constellation Races to Revive Crane Nuclear Plant Amid Tight Timelines, Market Shifts

    Constellation Energy’s ambitious plan to restart the Three Mile Island Unit 1 as the Crane Clean Energy Center (CEC) is proceeding ahead of schedule, shooting for a 2028 start date, despite a new report that suggests Microsoft may be re-evaluating its data center strategy. Just five months after Constellation announced a landmark 20-year power purchase […]

  • The POWER Interview: Terrestrial Energy’s Push to Commercialize Molten Salt Reactors for Industrial and Grid Applications

    Nuclear technology firm Terrestrial Energy has quietly been making progress on its Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) technology, laying the crucial groundwork for a commercial fleet by the early 2030s. Terrestrial Energy Simon Irish answered key questions about the company’s deployment timeline, market positioning, and competitive edge, offering an inside look at the company’s strategy […]

  • POWERnews—Feb. 20, 2025

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   February 20, 2025 Space-Based Solar Power: The Future of 24/7 Clean Energy Generation Imagine a field of solar panels floating silently in the endless day of Earth’s orbit. Unlike their terrestrial cousins, this space-based solar array never faces nighttime, clouds, or atmospheric […]

  • NRC Proposes Deep Fee Cuts for Advanced Nuclear

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has proposed to sharply reduce its hourly service fees—by more than 50%—for advanced nuclear reactor applicants and pre-applicants in a move designed to incentivize innovation and accelerate the deployment of next-generation nuclear technologies. In a proposed rule published in the Federal Register on Feb. 19, the regulatory body moved to […]

  • Last Energy Secures UK Nuclear Licensing Milestone for South Wales SMR Project

    Last Energy has formally launched the UK’s nuclear site licensing (NSL) process for plans to develop four 20-MWe microreactors in South Wales, becoming the first small modular reactor (SMR) developer to make the move. The UK Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) on Feb. 17 confirmed the U.S.-based nuclear technology firm’s entry into the critical licensing […]

  • Vantage, VoltaGrid Partner to Deliver 1 GW of Fast-Deploying Power for Data Centers

    Vantage Data Centers, a prominent developer and operator of data center campuses, is teaming with VoltaGrid, an innovative microgrid power generator, to deploy more than 1 GW of power capacity across Vantage’s expanding North American data center portfolio. The strategic partnership, unveiled on Feb. 11, will set a “new benchmark for speed, reliability and energy […]

  • POWERnews—Feb. 13, 2025

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   February 13, 2025 TVA, Type One Energy Ink Deal to Develop Commercial Fusion Power Plant The pursuit of energy from fusion technology has taken another step forward, with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) entering into a cooperative agreement with Type One Energy […]

  • The Evolving State of Power Plant O&M

    As power plants confront aging infrastructure, surging demand, and the sweeping changes of rapid electrification, operations and maintenance (O&M) are being redefined to tackle unprecedented challenges and

  • O&M Innovation in the Power Sector: The Latest Tools Redefining Asset Optimization

    As the power sector grapples with aging infrastructure, stricter sustainability mandates, and the rapid integration of renewables, innovation in operations and maintenance (O&M) has become critical to

  • POWERnews—Feb. 6, 2025

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   February 6, 2025 Arizona Utilities Announce Effort to Add More In-State Nuclear Power Arizona's three major electric power utilities said they will collaborate to explore adding more nuclear power generation in the state, possibly placing small modular reactors (SMRs) or building large […]

  • Georgia Power to Keep Coal, Gas Power Plants Running Longer as Demand Climbs

    Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power has proposed a pivot toward extending the life of several existing coal and natural gas-fired power plants into the late 2030s—well beyond previous retirement timelines—citing rising electricity demand, regulatory constraints, and grid reliability risks. The utility’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) on […]

  • Texas A&M Launches SMR ‘Energy Proving Ground’ with Selection of Four Nuclear Firms

    Texas A&M University System has unveiled four nuclear developers with which it plans to explore building and operating small modular reactor plants (SMRs) at its Texas A&M-RELLIS campus near College Station. The project—dubbed “The Energy Proving Ground”—is part of a state-supported initiative to deploy operational advanced reactors in Texas within the next five to seven […]

  • POWERnews—Jan. 30, 2025

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   January 30, 2025 Zeldin Takes the Helm at Trump's EPA Amid Industry Pressure for Regulatory Rollbacks Lee Zeldin has been sworn in as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 17th administrator, inheriting an agency that the power industry sees as increasingly central […]

  • Zeldin Takes the Helm at Trump’s EPA Amid Industry Pressure for Regulatory Rollbacks

    Lee Zeldin has been sworn in as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) 17th administrator, inheriting an agency that the power industry sees as increasingly central to the future of U.S. energy policy, grid reliability, and regulatory uncertainty. At his confirmation hearing on Jan. 16, Zeldin, a former congressman from New York’s First District with […]

  • Talen, PJM Reach Agreement to Keep 2 GW of Coal, Oil Generation Online for Reliability in Maryland

    Talen Energy has reached an agreement with PJM Interconnection, the Maryland Public Service Commission, Maryland electric utilities, consumer representatives, and the Sierra Club to extend operations at its 1.3-GW coal-fired Brandon Shores power plant and 774-MW oil-fired H.A. Wagner units until May 31, 2029, under a reliability-must-run (RMR) contract. If approved by the Federal Energy […]

  • PJM, Facing Capacity Shortage as Early as 2026/2027 Delivery Year, Agrees to Lower Auction Price Cap

    PJM Interconnection and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro have settled a lawsuit over PJM’s capacity market pricing, agreeing to lower the grid operator’s auction price cap from over $500/MW-day to $325/MW-day. The move comes as PJM acknowledges a capacity shortage could affect its system as early as the 2026/2027 delivery year. The agreement announced on Jan. […]

  • Lightbridge, Oklo to Explore Co-Located Advanced Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Facilities

    Two much-watched advanced nuclear fuel technology companies—Oklo and Lightbridge—will consider co-locating their commercial metallic fuel fabrication facilities to explore synergies and potentially accelerate innovation across the nuclear supply chain. Under a Jan. 28–announced memorandum of understanding (MOU), the companies plan to conduct a feasibility study that will explore co-locating a Lightbridge Commercial-scale Fuel Fabrication Facility […]

  • Blackstone to Acquire 774-MW Virginia Gas Plant in ‘Data Center Alley’ in Reported $1B Deal

    Prominent private equity investment firm Blackstone has agreed to acquire the 774-MW Potomac Energy Center—a natural gas power plant located in Virginia’s “Data Center Alley”—in a deal reportedly valued at approximately $1 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter. Previously known as the Panda Stonewall Energy Facility, the Potomac Energy Center is situated within […]

  • NextEra Eyes Restart of Shuttered Nuclear Plant, Partners with GE Vernova on Gas Power Expansion

    Facing a projected surge in power demand across the country, NextEra Energy is taking steps to potentially restart its shuttered 615-MW Duane Arnold nuclear plant in Iowa as early as 2028, while also signing a new partnership with GE Vernova to develop natural gas generation projects that could be paired with renewable energy and storage. […]

  • POWERnews—Jan. 23, 2025

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   January 23, 2025 Santee Cooper Seeks Proposals to Complete AP1000 Units at V.C. Summer Nuclear Site South Carolina’s largest power provider Santee Cooper has issued a request for proposals (RFP) aimed at finding a buyer—or visionary—to take on what remains of the […]

  • TVA Taps Bechtel, Sargent & Lundy, and GE Hitachi for Clinch River SMR Nuclear Project

    The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has selected Bechtel, Sargent & Lundy, and GE Hitachi to spearhead the initial planning and design phases for a potential BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at its Clinch River Nuclear site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The collaboration, announced on Jan. 23, will leverage an innovative contracting model designed to streamline […]

  • Santee Cooper Seeks Proposals to Complete AP1000 Units at V.C. Summer Nuclear Site

    South Carolina’s largest power provider Santee Cooper has issued a request for proposals (RFP) aimed at finding a buyer—or visionary—to take on what remains of the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station expansion. The two partly constructed AP1000 projects, abandoned in 2017 after a cascade of delays and cost overruns, could now offer a second chance […]

  • Nuclear-Gas Synergy: Oklo and RPower Unveil Phased Model to Address Data Center Power Demands

    Advanced nuclear technology firm Oklo is partnering with Texas-based prime and backup solutions company RPower to roll out an innovative “phased energy model” that will combine natural gas and nuclear to offer a scalable and sustainable turnkey solution for data centers. The companies on Jan. 17 said they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to […]

  • POWERnews—Jan. 16, 2025

    POWER Magazine   Jobs   White Papers  Webinars   Events   Store   January 16, 2025 Constellation Moves to Acquire Calpine in $16.4B Deal, Forming Competitive Generation Goliath Competitive generation giant Constellation has agreed to acquire Calpine Corp. in a $16.4 billion deal that is set to create the largest producer of clean and reliable […]