Blog
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Commentary
Nuclear ‘Renaissance’ Recalls Past Boondoggles, Legacy of Failures
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 […]
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Commentary
Ratepayers First: The Economic Case Against Nuclear’s Data Center Dreams
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 […]
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Commentary
November Elections Could Reshape Energy M&A Strategy and Regulation
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 […]
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Commentary
The Do’s and Don’ts of Cleantech 3.0
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 […]
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Commentary
Questions Arise About Private Equity Involvement in Purchase of Gavin Coal-Fired Plant
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 […]
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Gas
From Kitchen to Combustion: How Used Cooking Oil Plays a Significant Role in Renewable Fuels Production
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 […]
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Commentary
How the Data Center Industry is Redefining Energy Efficiency
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 […]
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Trends
Advanced Diamond Chips Are the Key to Alleviating AI Data Center Power Demand Concerns
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.
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Legal & Regulatory
FTC Green Guides: The Growing Scrutiny on ‘Clean’ Natural Gas Claims
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 […]
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Renewables
U.S. Solar Manufacturing Generates More Than Electricity
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 […]
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