Commentary

  • Young Americans Are the Future of Energy—It’s Time to Unleash Them

    Throughout the first nine months of the Trump Administration, “energy dominance” has been the agenda. To win the artificial intelligence (AI) race, ensure energy reliability for Americans, and beat China on the world stage, we need more energy – period. But we can’t do it without America’s young people. Fortunately, it’s a dynamic time to get […]

  • Powering AI: From CERA Week Optimism to New York Climate Week Realism

    This week, the energy world convenes in New York for the United Nations Climate Week. The gathering will encompass the most vital sectors of the U.S. economy at present—technology firms and utilities will be well-represented, along with a host of consultants, suppliers, experts, and academics, who consistently attend these events. UN Climate Week mirrors another […]

  • Nuclear Power is Not Just About AI—It’s the Linchpin of American Geopolitical Strength

    As nations compete for energy dominance, America’s policy framework demands strategic clarity and bold ambition, and nuclear must be at the center of it. As an advocate for an “all-of-the-above” approach where the U.S. invests in energy sources that make sense and are proven economically viable at scale, I champion natural gas for its flexibility, […]

  • How Innovation in Nuclear Power Projects is Rewriting the Business Energy Playbook 

    Global energy demand is accelerating, and organizations are increasingly turning to nuclear power to secure stable, long-term electricity supplies. Advances in AI, modular design, and predictive analytics are helping overcome legacy hurdles of cost, complexity, and schedule, while business leaders shift capital toward projects that prioritize resilience as much as efficiency.

  • Keep Powering the Energy Transition With Storage Technologies

    With the energy transition well underway, energy storage options, including zinc batteries, have been building capacity to meet demand. The International Zinc Association developed the Zinc Battery Initiative to serve as the voice of this safe and sustainable technology and promote its many advantages. Now that zinc batteries have achieved a pivotal milestone–reaching more than […]

  • A Solar Opportunity in C&I: Monetize, Upgrade, Restructure Existing Arrays

    In the early 2010s, the “build-to-sell” model dominated the commercial and industrial (C&I) real estate solar market. Building owners, especially REITs (real estate investment trusts), with an understanding and comfortableness in investing in long-term assets, would pay solar developers to build arrays on their roof or parking lot. Owners reaped the benefits associated with solar, […]

  • RE+ Opener: Storytelling is Clean Energy’s Missing Link, Says WRISE’s Constance Thompson

    As RE+ kicked off America’s largest solar conference on September 8, Constance Thompson, president of WRISE (Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy), made the case during the “Deep Dive on Storytelling” session that the clean energy transition will stall without one essential ingredient: a compelling narrative. “We are talking about people today,” she opened, […]

  • How Provider Partners Can Help Integrate, Innovate, and Improve Energy Resiliency

    We know the current energy grid isn’t enough to handle today’s needs. Across industries, the demand for power is accelerating at rapid-fire speed. Over the next five years, electricity demand from artificial intelligence (AI)-optimized data centers is projected to more than quadruple, according to the International Energy Agency. Fueled by AI use, the U.S. is […]

  • AI and the Grid: Smarter Paths to Renewable Integration and Grid Modernization

    According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 70% of the nation’s grid transmission lines and transformers are more than 25 years old, straining under the pressures of rising electrification and renewable integration. As power producers, utilities, and grid operators push toward decarbonization targets, the need for more intelligent, responsive, and resilient grid infrastructure […]

  • High Power Prices Are Stoking a Grassroots Wildfire—Here’s How to Respond

    As Labor Day beckons, the hottest conversation topic isn’t a hit movie or summer pop anthem, but rather the widespread shock that ratepayers are seeing amidst unexpectedly high power bills. While widely predicted in the spring to those in the industry, this development is already causing headaches for operators and serving as an unpleasant surprise […]

  • Why Grid Hardening Is No Longer Optional

    In the past decade, we have seen “once in a century storms” almost every year, flash floods wiping out entire towns, and extreme heat that melts shoes on pavement. Our climate is becoming more extreme, and we need to be proactive in preparing our infrastructure for more to come. The annual average for U.S. billion-dollar […]

  • Powering the Data Center Future: Understanding the Resurgence of Nuclear

    With billions of dollars pouring into the sector from power players like Google and Amazon, the data center industry is having a moment. But this surge in investment and interest has also brought up serious questions—particularly around how we are going to power these massive computing engines. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, data […]

  • Nuclear Industry Ponders Risks of Building New Reactors

    Everybody is now jumping on the pro-nuclear bandwagon. With U.S. electricity demand ramping up due to the rapid build-out of energy-intensive data centers across the country, there is finally broad political and business support for dispatchable 24/7 nuclear power to help meet projected load growth and ensure overall grid reliability. The Trump White House, the […]

  • Transforming Energy Finance Through AI-Driven Processes

    The power and utility sector underpins every part of modern life, from residential comfort to industrial productivity. Yet, as the global energy landscape evolves, so must the internal operations that keep these organizations running. COMMENTARY With total U.S. power use expected to reach around 4,189 billion kWh in 2025, and 4,278 billion kWh in 2026, […]

  • How Smarter Cooling Choices Can Cut AI’s Energy Use

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving, and so is the demand for the infrastructure behind it. However, for those looking to build a sustainably conscious system, this growth raises a crucial question: What does an energy-efficient data center system look like? While rightfully, much of the attention has focused on controlling energy usage of bigger systems […]

  • Public Safety Power Shutoff? Utilities Must Be Proactive

     Yes, you need to shut off the power … 60-plus-mile-per-hour winds whipping down the mountains, ample dry vegetation in their path, and a significant population in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) with unassuming residential areas beyond. These conditions set the stage for catastrophic fires, including those in Eaton Canyon in Los Angeles, California, in 2025, and in […]

  • Beyond Co-Location: The Emerging Opportunity for Vertically Integrated Utilities in the Data Center Boom

    The explosive growth of hyperscale data centers is reshaping the power sector at unprecedented speed. In just a few short years, load requests from data center operators have gone from occasional filings to a full-on wave of gigawatt-scale development across North America. While much attention has been paid to the trend of co-locating data centers […]

  • Virtual Power Plants: How to Power the Energy Economy by Stretching Today’s Grid

    The challenge posed by surging demand for electricity from data centers and high-performance computing facilities presents an ideal time for innovative energy solutions that efficiently improve grid reliability and increase the availability of clean, affordable electricity. Not only does the U.S. risk missing more than $100 billion of artificial intelligence (AI) market growth over the […]

  • Unlocking Opportunities in AI Through Power Demand, Administration’s Initiatives

    The U.S. is bracing for a reality where artificial intelligence and data centers overwhelm the power grid, and rightfully so, as America seeks to lead the global AI race. But this push is coming at the same time that the federal government is reshuffling fiscal priorities and prioritizing energy independence. While that dynamic may seem like a challenging juxtaposition, one thing is clear: regardless of political affiliation or preferred priority, if the U.S. wants to lead the world in AI, it must power it first.

  • Data Is the New Diesel: Understanding the Role of Telematics in the EV Transition

    The fleet industry is approaching a pivotal juncture, with electrification increasingly positioned as a potential path forward for businesses working to reduce emissions and operating costs. Yet, during this period with evolving expectations and uncertain environmental regulations, the direction and pace of this transition remain fluid. While momentum is building around the shift from traditional […]

  • 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 […]

  • IBEW ‘Strongly Opposes’ GOP’s Draft of ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’; Cites Hundreds of Thousands of Lost Jobs

    IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper on June 29 issued the following statement on Senate Republicans’ draft reconciliation bill, the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” that threatens several sectors, including renewable energy: “This budget reconciliation bill is a direct attack on working families, shoveling tax breaks to the rich while turning its back on the people […]

  • Energy Policy—We Can’t Afford to Hit ‘Pause’ Now

    As Donald Trump took office in January, the administration immediately declared a national energy emergency, explaining that “we need a reliable, diversified and affordable supply of energy to drive our Nation’s manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and defense industries.”   Both ends of the political spectrum agree that the U.S. desperately needs more power on the grid—among other […]

  • Private Equity Reprioritizes for a New Energy Landscape

    The advent of President Trump’s second term has heralded significant changes for the U.S. energy industry, and savvy private equity investors are adapting. Six months down the road, the reprioritization of investment opportunities by such savvy private equity investors has delineated some clear—and familiar—near-term winners. Two of the top five private equity investment trends in […]

  • 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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • AI on the Edge: Can Distributed Computing Disrupt the Data Center Boom?

    As artificial intelligence (AI) usage and sophistication grows, questions about the sustainability of the traditional model of utilizing huge, centralized data centers are frequently raised. Hyperscale data centers handle most AI workloads today, but they come with high energy demands and environmental costs.

  • Three Strategies for Seamlessly Incorporating AI into the Modern Energy Equation

    In the ongoing effort to improve the profitability of energy production and delivery while mitigating the risks, companies are incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) to drive more powerful, effective analytics. This technological leap is critical as the industry navigates evolving demands, embraces new sources, and strives for greater efficiency, reliability, and sustainability. However, some energy companies […]

  • Safe, Secure, Economically Viable Nuclear Fuel Recycling is Here

    Nuclear reprocessing technology has advanced significantly in the 80 years since aqueous technologies were developed near the end of World War II, thanks to innovation from the private sector in the U.S. Having taken up the challenge of developing a proliferation-resistant, efficient, and profitable way to recycle used nuclear fuel, American companies like Curio are […]

  • The Risk of Political Rebranding in the Clean Energy Industry

    The U.S. solar industry has increasingly begun to rebrand itself as “MAGA-friendly,” emphasizing cost savings, energy independence, and job creation over climate concerns. This shift marks a departure from its traditionally left-leaning roots, as companies attempt to appeal to conservative consumers and policymakers. Some solar companies have changed their messaging to align with Trump-era rhetoric, […]