Commentary

John Stevens Cabot Abbott, the 19th century American historian perhaps best known for writing History of Napoleon Bonaparte and History of the Civil War in America , is attributed with the quote, “War is the

Advanced nuclear energy can, and should, play a major role in meeting the societal goal of 100% clean energy by mid-century. Advanced nuclear energy would complement other energy sources like wind and solar

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) includes the largest clean energy incentive effort in U.S. history. It builds on the energy initiatives included in 2009’s American Reinvestment Recovery Act

Even more than technology and processes, power and utilities leaders must focus on that most timeless of resources—people—to be successful against a landscape of ever-evolving cybersecurity threats. Users

Coal is the most polluting of all fossil fuels. When burned, it emits greenhouse gases, causes acid rain, and pollutes the environment. With all of the talk about hydropower, nuclear energy, as well as biofuels, one might be forgiven for assuming that filthy coal is on its way out. But that is not the fact […]

Hurricane Ian, which struck Florida in late September last year, was a devastating storm and a harsh reminder of the impact of Mother Nature’s wrath. Unfortunately, extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and powerful, and our aging grid is struggling to keep up. COMMENTARY Sanibel Island on Florida’s west coast, for example, lost power […]

Listen up, power plant operators: moving forward, environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting is going to impact your material handling equipment (MHE) buying process. Purchasing forklifts is no longer just about comparison shopping for the best products, adding an item to the expense column of your ledgers, and creating processes for the ongoing monitoring, managing, […]

In today’s rapidly changing world, the effects of severe weather are felt more acutely and often; take Britain’s recent record temperatures topping 40°C. As nations commit to lowering emissions, promoting energy equality, and moving toward a more sustainable world, resilience to the effects of climate change must also be top of mind—namely, extreme weather events. […]

Building on analysis in its February 2021 Public Citizen, Inc. v. Centerpoint Energy, Inc. opinion, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) recently issued decisions in Evergy Kansas, Inc. (Evergy) and Transalta Energy Marketing (U.S.), Inc. (Transalta) analyzing whether investments that were under 10% of outstanding voting shares, but were paired with appointment of directors that […]

It’s kind of exciting to be able to write that events are back in full swing. In case you missed it, POWER hosted the co-located Experience POWER, Distributed Energy Conference, and HydrogeNext events, Oct

A major lesson from the global energy price crisis has been the value of having a diversity of supplies—not relying on a small number of (sometimes unreliable or politically controlled) sources. With

President Biden recently laid out a detailed plan to strengthen America’s forests. Renewable wood energy—that is, biomass energy produced from wood that is not suitable for higher-value products—is an

Cybersecurity risks can occur daily, taking multiple forms. While there are personal measures that the general population can do to eliminate some of these risks, power utility companies must take a more aggressive approach to keep the communities they serve safe and their security unquestioned. COMMENTARY Should a power utility company face a cyberattack, it […]

The recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is the largest clean energy investment by the federal government in U.S. history. The passing of this $430 billion bill shows that the American government recognizes it is time for businesses to make crucial, sustainable changes in order to combat global warming. This historic bill further demonstrates that […]

In mid-August, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, marking this country’s most ambitious climate legislation to date. I applaud Congress and the President for working to pass the IRA and taking an important step toward net zero. The passage of this bill is a monumental achievement for everyone who cares about […]

California seems to face the prospect of electricity shortages almost every summer. For example, Californians were asked to voluntarily reduce their electricity consumption for 10 days in a row in August. A few weeks later, the state’s grid operator issued another emergency alert: “Conserve energy now to protect public health and safety … Power interruptions […]

Solar power has transformed the energy landscape over the past decade, growing from a minimal percentage of U.S. energy use to become the top source of new electric generating capacity for three years in a

After the Supreme Court handed down its decision in West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) earlier this year, many speculated on what it does—and does not—mean for future power plant rules

Only about 1% of the 250 million cars, SUVs, and light-duty trucks on American roads are electric vehicles (EVs). But that’s about to change. While it’s difficult to estimate future sales, an analysis by IHS Markit projects that up to 30% of new car sales could be electric by 2030, rising to up to 45% […]

The nation’s coal power plant sites that helped build the U.S. economy during the country’s electrification could play a huge role once again in helping the nation transition to clean energy. A new U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) study finds that hundreds of coal power plant sites across the country could be converted to nuclear power plant […]

Although the 730-page, $740 billion reconciliation bill signed into law by President Biden recently was touted as the “Inflation Reduction Act” ahead of the mid-term elections, the package might have been more accurately dubbed, at least in part, the “Electric Battery Manufacturing Expansion Act.” Whatever effect the combination of taxes, climate change, and other provisions may have […]

It’s an enthusing time in the energy world. The signing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) has brought terms like “heat pumps” and “photovoltaics” into the national spotlight and homeowners’ vocabularies. One thing that’s flying under-the-radar: how both clean energy generation and efficient energy usage can come together for homeowners, landlords, and renters to save […]

On the final day of the Supreme Court’s term, the Court ruled in favor of West Virginia and other petitioners challenging the claimed regulatory authority that underlaid the Clean Power Plan (CPP)—the

California in the not-so-distant past was a consistent top 10 state for nuclear power in terms of net generation. It was even known as “a pioneer in harnessing nuclear energy.” Today, though, the state has

The 2018 agreement to close the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant by 2025 is being undermined by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, and the pro-nuclear community. They falsely claim the energy

An ancient proverb imparts: the fox knows many little things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing. This insight is expanded through the moral of Aesop’s fable, “The Fox and the Hedgehog,” which

Solar technology is advancing at a rapid rate, making solar easier to adopt. However, there is still a large potential of growth when it comes to the solar market. Looking at global data, solar photovoltaic (PV) generation has steadily increased for the past several years, and showed the second-largest absolute generation growth of all renewable technologies […]

Environment, social, and governance (ESG) reporting has never been easy—and with pressures rising from investors, corporate leaders, and the government, organizations are struggling to meet the needs of all stakeholders. Facility managers must grapple with reaching and documenting progress toward ESG goals that align with the desires of sustainability-minded investors while boards and corporate leaders […]

The variety of battery-powered, and battery-assisted (hybrid) motor vehicles available today is the widest ever. But the total number of such vehicles that can be built in the West is limited by the availability of the lithium required to manufacture and power the storage batteries necessary for their electric (motor) powertrains and the lack of […]

Reaction on both sides of the issue was swift after the U.S. Supreme Court in a 6-3 vote said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) should not have the authority to broadly regulate emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) from the nation’s power plants. The case, West Virginia vs. EPA, could have ramifications for federal government […]