Blog

As the world grapples with climate change and seeks sustainable energy solutions, solar energy has emerged as a front-runner in renewable energy sources. Despite the numerous benefits associated with solar power, many property owners remain unaware of the federal, state and utility incentives available to them for installing solar panels. There are also many grant […]

Lightning-fast changes continue to happen daily as the Trump administration seeks to implement its energy policies. With stated policies firmly in support of promoting America’s fossil fuel development, curtailing renewable energy, and reducing regulatory burdens, recent and ongoing actions reflect these goals. What remains to be seen are what impacts the broad swath of energy […]

Electric utilities are facing numerous converging challenges posing major complications to the way they manage their infrastructure, manage their operations, and meet evolving customer needs. The increasing frequency of storms and wildfires are pressing issues. Aging infrastructure and a graying workforce create additional vulnerabilities. And other challenges include unprecedented increases in demand, supply chain disruptions […]

Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) represent the environmental attribute of 1 MWh of energy generated from eligible sources of generation. They can be bought or sold together with energy, in which case they are referred to as “bundled” RECs, or without the energy component, in which case they are referred to as “unbundled” RECs. COMMENTARY There […]

As the global community shifts toward renewable energy, electric mobility, and sustainable practices, lithium has emerged as a cornerstone of this transition. Lithium-ion batteries power electric vehicles (EVs) that are revolutionizing transportation, enable the energy storage systems balancing renewable grids, and drive countless portable technologies. Yet, while the global lithium market currently faces oversupply, driven […]

As renewable energy generation continues to grow, the use of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in solar farms has become increasingly important for stabilizing the grid and enabling the integration of intermittent solar and wind power. The permitting process to build a BESS facility often requires a formal plan for site decommissioning and disposal, even […]

The necessity for sustainable energy solutions has never been more pressing. As global carbon emissions continue to rise along with the increase of natural disasters, innovative companies are stepping up to offer practical, eco-friendly alternatives to traditional energy sources. Advanced solar power products not only represent a technological triumph but also contribute significantly to the […]

As an energy veteran with decades at the Department of Energy, I’ve witnessed the highs and lows of nuclear power in America. Now, with President Trump back in office, there’s an opportunity to not just revisit but truly revolutionize our approach to nuclear energy, particularly by closing the nuclear fuel cycle. This isn’t about starting […]

Trade policy changes are likely going to reshape the landscape for mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the energy sector in 2025. Navigating this shifting terrain will require adaptability and a good understanding of global dynamics. From geopolitical tensions to technological advancements, the stakes are high, but the opportunities are abundant for those who prepare strategically. […]

COMMENTARY As the incoming administration prepares its list of priorities once President-elect Trump is sworn in for a second term on Jan. 20, 2025, it is a national security imperative that cybersecurity policy be sufficiently prioritized in a manner that enhances the security of America’s electric grids and the energy sector, as a whole. Shortly […]

Yet another nuclear power “renaissance”? Again? The industry and its friends in high places would like us all to believe so. But, besides the fact that “relapse” would be a better word choice, we’ve also seen this bad horror flick before. Anyone recall the George W. Bush administration’s attempted nuclear power relapse? Of some three-dozen […]

As an energy professional in Georgia with a front row seat to the construction of Plant Vogtle, I found the October 23 Washington Post editorial endorsing nuclear energy as a tool for combating climate change astonishing. Georgia is the first state to build nuclear power in 30 years and the editorial board profoundly mischaracterized what […]

With the 2024 U.S. presidential election rapidly approaching, energy mergers and acquisitions (M&A) professionals are considering how a new presidency could impact the transaction planning, structuring and execution of deals, including how the candidates are likely to approach regulation, especially around M&A. Both candidates are prioritizing different energy subsectors as part of their economic vision […]

I’m no Thomas Edison, but he sure was on to something with direct current (DC). Edison was a prolific inventor and extraordinary entrepreneur with many of his innovations still in operation today. How exactly did he do that? Well, he wasn’t just someone who invented stuff. He had another aspect of his character that’s underappreciated—his […]

Dennis Wamsted and Seth Feaster at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis recently wrote a commentary looking at Energy Capital Partners’ (ECP) deal to take over ownership of the General James M. Gavin coal-fired power plant in Ohio. The 2,709-MW Gavin plant is ranked as the fifth-largest carbon dioxide-emitting power plant in the […]

As part of the energy transition journey, there is a global push to prioritize the production of renewable energy sources in the fight against climate change. One solution that is propelling this transition forward is the transformation of waste and residue materials such as used cooking oil (UCO) into renewable fuels including sustainable aviation fuel […]

The rising demand for artificial intelligence (AI)-powered workloads and high-performance computing driving a surge in electricity consumption by the data center industry. Worldwide, data centers account for 1-2% of global electricity use, and in the U.S. data centers are responsible for about 2% of total electricity consumption. The demand will continue to grow. Today’s generative […]

The rapid acceleration of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI) and large language models, is significantly increasing the computational demands on data centers. This growth is not only stressing the infrastructure but also exacerbating environmental impacts due to high power consumption. 

In an era of increasing environmental awareness, companies, particularly those in the energy sector, face heightened scrutiny over how they market their products. Natural gas, often promoted as a cleaner alternative to other fossil fuels, has become a focal point of this scrutiny. However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Green Guides, a set of guidelines […]

As government incentives continue to accelerate investment, new manufacturing facilities are driving community resurgence, economic development, and job growth. That was the message from panelists during a session at the recent RE+ event, the largest renewable energy trade show in North America, held Sept. 9-12 in Anaheim, California. In order for U.S. economic policy to […]

This week marks the second anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), a critical milestone for the section 45Q tax credit, the foundational policy for the deployment of carbon management technologies, which was further enhanced in the IRA. The 45Q tax credit provides a credit on a per-ton basis for carbon that is captured from […]

Over the last few years, the energy industry has moved down a path of massive change, disruption, and uncertainty. In the U.S., growth projections over the next 15 years include 2,000 GW of PV solar and wind, 1,100 GW of storage, all seemingly coming from nowhere, driving grid interconnection requests at the end of 2023 […]

As governments adapt to ongoing clean energy goals, such as the Paris Agreement, green technologies have become more important than ever. The U.S. government has confirmed such goals, striving to implement 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. We are further seeing demand for critical minerals for these green technologies grow, as copper, zinc, […]

In an era defined by rapid technological evolution and global labor shortages, industries face unprecedented challenges when it comes to service and maintenance. The energy landscape, in particular, has seen dramatic shifts, with distribution networks more complex than ever, plus uptime performance and system reliability an increasing priority across many different industry sectors. COMMENTARY It’s […]

This month, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the Commonwealth’s largest utility, Dominion Energy, announced a request for proposal (RFP) for the development and construction of an advanced nuclear small modular reactor (SMR), and the governor signed Senate Bill 454 designed to facilitate the research, design, construction, and deployment of what will be America’s first commercial […]

After Hurricane Beryl laid a path of destruction through the greater Houston area, the storm’s impact on the local power grid is having an outsized effect on the ongoing debate about the future of Texas’ energy and electrical infrastructure. The lessons we take from this incident, which left 2.5 million people without power at the height […]

The urgency for an energy transition has never been more critical. Climate change, air pollution, resilience, and national security concerns make it clear that minor adjustments to our energy system are no longer sufficient. We must revolutionize the 150-year-old electrical grid, transforming it into a robust energy ecosystem capable of meeting today’s demands and the […]

We serve as elected utility regulators in Georgia and Arizona. Our states are thriving. Economic opportunities abound. And we need more energy. Both of our states have nuclear reactors, and there is public support to build more of them—if the right deal can be made. But it is not just Georgia and Arizona. Many states […]

The Governing Body of the iMasons Climate Accord, a program of Infrastructure Masons, is calling on all suppliers serving data centers to support greater transparency in Scope 3 emissions as part of broader efforts to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. Consisting of AWS, Digital Realty, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Schneider Electric, the Governing Body released […]

The Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition on July 15 submitted comments for consideration to update the domestic content bonus established in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). “The Biden Administration and Congress made a commitment to reshore the entire solar supply chain with the Inflation Reduction Act, but that will not be possible without […]