Business
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Trends
GM, Redwood Materials Pursue Use of Vehicle Batteries for Energy Storage
General Motors (GM) has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Redwood Materials, an agreement meant to accelerate deployment of energy storage systems using both new U.S.-manufactured batteries from GM, and second-life battery packs from GM electric vehicles (EVs). This collaboration, announced July 16, marks a significant step toward taking GM’s advanced battery technology beyond […]
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Renewables
Google Signs Deal with Brookfield for 3 GW of Hydropower Capacity
Technology giant Google announced the company will buy as much as 3 GW of hydropower generation capacity from Brookfield Renewable, an affiliate of Brookfield Asset Management. The companies on July 15 said the deal is a “hydro framework agreement” that will support Google’s goal of having data centers and other operations run continuously on carbon-free power.
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Press Releases
South Texas Electric Cooperative Issues Request for Proposals to Meet Long-Term Capacity and Energy Needs
Proposals of up to 500 MW of firm, dispatchable capacity and associated energy requested. NURSERY, Texas, July 14, 2025 — South Texas Electric Cooperative Inc. (STEC) today issued a request for proposals (RFP) through which it seeks to obtain long-term generating capacity and associated energy. The RFP solicits bids for up to 500 megawatts (MW) […]
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Data Centers
Regulator Approves AEP Ohio’s Landmark Data Center Tariff
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has approved a landmark tariff structure requiring large new data center customers to pay for a minimum of 85% of their subscribed electricity usage—regardless of actual consumption—for up to 12 years. The measure marks a pivotal step in Ohio’s efforts to address surging demand from hyperscale data centers […]
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Gas
Kansas Regulators Back Plan for Two New Gas-Fired Plants, Along with Solar Farm
Kansas regulators have given Evergy the go-ahead to raise the utility’s rates to help finance construction of two new natural gas-fired power plants, along with a utility-scale solar power project, in the state.
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Gas
Private Equity Firm Moves to Secure Ohio Gas Power Plant as Demand for Firm Power Rallies
Private equity firm ArcLight Capital Partners has entered into definitive agreements to acquire 100% of the economic interests in the 484-MW Middletown Energy Center, a combined cycle natural gas power plant in Butler County, Ohio. The firm said on July 10 that the acquisition—structured through a series of transactions with a consortium of sellers—adds a […]
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Cybersecurity
Securing the Power Grid: Cybersecurity Strategies for Smart Energy Systems
As the backbone of modern energy systems, smart grids and digital substations promise efficiency and sustainability—but they also open the door to escalating cyberthreats. This article dives into a layered cybersecurity strategy that blends integrated vulnerability assessments, robust protocols, and defense-in-depth tactics. Packed with practical insights and a look at breakthrough technologies, it empowers utilities […]
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Solar
Rush Toward Another ‘Safe Harbor’ Begins for Solar Industry
It’s no secret the solar industry has been stockpiling components such as panels and racking since before the Inflation Reduction Act. Under threat of a shortened runway to qualify for credits recently made reality with the passage of the reconciliation bill, the trend has very definitely accelerated.
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gas turbines
“We’re Writing a New Chapter”: Mitsubishi Power CEO Bill Newsom on AI, Gas Turbines, and the Path to Decarbonization
The U.S. power sector seems to be increasingly pulled in two directions. While trundling toward rapid electrification, it is seeking to hold its ground on recent decarbonization triumphs. And while utilities and power companies are racing to add generation capacity, their prospects are limited by aging infrastructure and upended by supply chain constraints that have […]
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Nuclear
Nuclear at Sea: Navigating Regulatory Confluence
A new paper titled “Facilitating Global Deployment of Floating Nuclear Power Plants” has been published by World Nuclear Association’s Cooperation in Reactor Design Evaluation and Licensing (CORDEL) Working Group. This paper highlights the benefits of the technology and focuses on progress made in the regulatory space, which is required for their international deployment. The pledged […]
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O&M
Transforming Mission-Critical Utility Operations with Field Service Management Technology
Utilities operate in high-stakes environments where operational resilience, infrastructure reliability, and workforce efficiency are essential for maintaining uninterrupted service. Cutting-edge field service management technology enhances field operations, improves safety, and streamlines emergency response with scalable automation, seamless geographic information system (GIS) integration, and predictive field service intelligence, ensuring efficiency and reliability in even the most […]
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Nuclear
Why Nuclear Maintenance Equipment Requires a Single-Source Solution
There is no room for missteps, miscommunication, or misunderstandings when it comes to nuclear maintenance. It demands precision, speed, and accountability. The tools and systems used during outages must function flawlessly, because when they don’t, the cost is more than money—it’s exposure, downtime, and slipping maintenance schedules. Some nuclear plants use a segmented model for […]
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Hydrogen
A Modern Blueprint for Coastal Power: China’s Offshore Solar-Hydrogen Integration
Built on degraded tidal flats in China’s Jiangsu Province, CHN Energy’s Rudong project combines 400 MW of offshore photovoltaic generation, grid-scale battery storage, and green hydrogen production with
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Sustainability
CHP and District Energy: Key Technologies for Efficiency and Grid Resilience
In an era where energy costs continue to rise and climate concerns intensify, the inefficiencies of traditional power generation have become increasingly difficult to ignore. Conventional power plants often
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O&M
How an Advanced Air Gap Measurement Tool Streamlines Hydroelectric Generator Maintenance
An air gap is the distance between the rotor and stator of a large-scale hydroelectric generator. This gap is a very small distance in relation to the size of the rotor. Its measurement to tight tolerances is critical to prevent damage to and maintain efficiency of the generator. Static measurement of the air gap (Figure […]
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Commentary
Buyer Beware: Deeper Pockets Funding Deeply Speculative Power Sector Expansion
As billions of dollars flood into the historically niche electricity sector, U.S. power generation is having a moment and entering what may be its most consequential investment cycle in decades. The U.S. power space saw record levels of capital investments in 2024. These billions in new investments are coming not just from legacy participants, but […]
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Nuclear
Westinghouse, ITER Sign $180-Million Contract to Advance Nuclear Fusion
Westinghouse Electric Co. and officials with the ITER project in France signed a contract for $180 million for the assembly of the vacuum vessel for the fusion reactor. This is a key milestone in the construction of the ITER reactor, leading the way toward the use of fusion as a practical future source of reliable carbon-free energy.
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Nuclear
Google Signs Deal to Buy Fusion Energy from Future Virginia Plant
Tech giant Google has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to buy at least 200 MW of energy from CFS’s planned fusion-based power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia.
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Nuclear
Groups Partnering to Develop AI Software to Speed Nuclear Reactor Construction
A software group that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help automate processes said it was joining with a nuclear power deployment company on an AI-driven system to accelerate construction of nuclear reactors. Palantir Technologies on June 26 said it will work with The Nuclear Company, a nuclear power startup, to jointly create a nuclear operating […]
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Nuclear
Deadline vs. Deployment: Can U.S. Advanced Reactors Meet DOE’s 2026 Criticality Goal?
In a new pilot program, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued an ambitious challenge: bring at least three advanced nuclear test reactors to criticality by July 4, 2026. Announced in June, the program sidesteps traditional Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing, seeking instead to authorize full-scale reactors on private sites through DOE’s internal review process. […]
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Coal
Reclaimed Ash: Turning Domestic, Legacy Materials into Modern Infrastructure Solutions
As government policies around energy transition continue to evolve, the pace of coal plant retirements in North America has shifted in some regions, slowing in a few cases due to energy reliability concerns. But broadly speaking, many coal-fired units have already retired, leaving behind a significant legacy challenge: the long-term management of coal ash stored […]
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Nuclear
Understanding TerraPower’s Natrium Reactor Design and Demonstration Project Progress
In the proverbial shadow of the Naughton Power Plant, a station in Kemmerer, Wyoming, that will stop burning coal at the end of this year, TerraPower is constructing what it calls “the only advanced, non-light-water reactor in the Western Hemisphere being built today.” The project represents more than just a new power source—it’s a symbolic […]
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Legal & Regulatory
The Courtroom Risk No One in Power Generation Can Afford to Ignore
In an industry grappling with decarbonization mandates, volatile energy markets, and supply chain uncertainty, another threat has quietly emerged with the power to upend everything: the courtroom. Mega verdicts—jury awards exceeding $10 million—are not new. But the scale, frequency, and unpredictability of these rulings are escalating. According to a 2025 corporate verdicts report published by […]
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Data Centers
The Overlooked Contributor to AI’s Climate Impact: Cooling Fluids
Artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly, and so is the demand for the infrastructure behind it. From the explosive growth of generative models to the rise of AI-driven data analytics, companies are scaling up data centers at an unprecedented pace. But for the sustainably-conscious, this rapid growth sparks a real “down the rabbit hole” question, “what […]
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Commentary
How Digital Modeling of Materials Will Make Next Generation Nuclear Possible
A revolution is underway in the nuclear energy sector. For the first time in decades, the field is brimming with urgency, ambition, and capital. Buoyed by growing energy demands, geopolitical recalibration, and climate pressures, nuclear power is undergoing a renaissance, one that will be driven not just by next-generation reactor designs, but by the materials […]
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ammonia combustion
GE Vernova, IHI Launch Test Hub to Enable 100% Ammonia Combustion in F-Class Gas Turbines by 2030
Japanese integrated heavy industry group IHI Corp. and GE Vernova have inaugurated a new Large-Scale Combustion Test (LCT) facility at IHI’s Aioi Works in Hyogo, Japan, marking a pivotal step in their joint effort to commercialize gas turbine combustors capable of burning up to 100% ammonia by 2030. The facility will accelerate full-scale prototype testing […]
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Commentary
Powering the Future Without Paralyzing It
The future of energy is rapidly evolving. The explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) and the enormous energy infrastructure it demands will continue to drive unprecedented electricity needs. Goldman Sachs projects that U.S. power demand could grow by as much as 20% by the decade’s end, in large part due to the construction of data centers. These […]
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Hydrogen
Delivering Decentralised Hydrogen Safely
By their very nature, all chemical fuels contain energy that needs to be released easily and are therefore inherently flammable. However, if that release is not sufficiently controlled, it presents a significant injury risk both to people and property through explosions and fires. Hydrogen, of course, is especially flammable. Counterintuitively, when it comes to safety, […]
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Nuclear
DOE Opens Door to Private-Sector Demonstrations at MARVEL Nuclear Microreactor Test Bed
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is inviting private-sector nuclear developers to submit proposals for experiments and demonstrations using its Microreactor Application Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) project. The first-of-its-kind operational test bed for advanced microreactor technologies is now 90% through its final design phase, with key components already under fabrication. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), […]
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Gas
Report Says 130 New Gas-Fired Power Projects Proposed in Texas
A nonprofit environmental group said at least 130 natural gas-fired power plant projects are planned in Texas over the next few years as part of that state’s effort to meet growing demand for energy. The Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), in a report published June 11, said the projects would provide about 58 GW of new generation capacity, while noting that many of the proposed facilities may not move beyond the planning stage.