Commentary

  • 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, […]

  • America Power’s Statement on EPA’s Proposal to Repeal Carbon Rule

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 11 proposed to repeal the agency’s Carbon Rule. America’s Power president and CEO Michelle Bloodworth released the following statement: “America’s Power commends EPA for proposing to repeal the Carbon Rule. The repeal will make our nation’s electricity system more reliable and electricity prices more affordable, and enable […]

  • Trump Administration Moves to Allow Unlimited Pollution from Power Plants

    Former EPA employees at the Environmental Protection Network (EPN) strongly oppose the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to repeal all federal limits on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel-fired power plants and to rescind the most recent update to the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards (MATS). These proposals represent a sweeping dismantling of critical […]

  • Who Will Pay for Forcing the Campbell Coal Plant to Stay Open?

    The Trump administration moved forward with a controversial market intervention last month, ordering the aging J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant in Michigan to remain open through the summer. The plant had been slated for retirement on May 31, and the unprecedented move, relying on the administration’s previous declaration of an energy emergency, raises a host […]

  • Tariff Tempest: Renewables’ Route Through the Current Tariff Climate

    The current state of play for tariffs is creating headwinds and challenges, along with complexity and uncertainty, for global economies and certainly the renewable energy industry. While the renewable energy sector is no stranger to tariffs and the “challenge” they present, knowing the current status of such tariffs is the first step to developing mechanisms for dealing with them in a way that can give your project the best chance at success.

  • Deep Isolation Welcomes Presidential Action to Reinvigorate U.S. Nuclear Waste Disposal Program

    Deep Isolation, a leading innovator in nuclear waste disposal technology, in a news release said the group applauds the suite of executive orders signed by President Trump on May 23. The orders prioritize revitalizing the nuclear industrial base, accelerating the deployment of advanced reactors, and advancing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) […]

  • The Outlook for Energy M&A Amid Global Tariff War

    The uncertainty surrounding the global tariff war is reshaping the landscape of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) within the energy sector. This dynamic environment presents both challenges and opportunities for investors, compelling them to navigate a complex web of trade policies, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical shifts.

  • Microgrids with Hydrogen: Supporting Energy Systems for the 21st Century

    Why microgrids with hydrogen for backup power will create significant benefits for consumers and utilities. The energy grid in the U.S., particularly in regions like California, Texas, and the Northeast, is overstretched and increasingly unable to meet modern demands. California’s grid, for instance, is facing unprecedented strain with the sale of more electric vehicles (EVs), […]

  • An Under-Appreciated Threat from Airborne Attacks on Large Nuclear Power Plants

    Most of the 440 operable nuclear power plants (NPPs) currently deployed worldwide have long been recognized as potential targets for attack by enemy military forces or terrorists. Such an attack could not only destroy the power-generating capacity of the plant but also release a large plume of radioactive material having the potential to cause long-term […]

  • Nuclear Is the Key to Winning AI Race

    The deciding factor in the artificial intelligence (AI) race may come down to our ability to provide new data centers what they need most: massive amounts of constantly available electricity. In the U.S., data centers and their need to accommodate AI account for about half the projected growth of electricity demand through 2030. But the […]

  • It’s Time to Build American Energy—but It’s Getting Late

    The energy and technology sectors are merging, the demand for power is surging, and the battle lines that have defined energy policy debates for decades are being overtaken by events. To lead the world in artificial intelligence (AI) and—as Adam Smith envisioned—enable people to earn a better living with greater ease, America must learn to […]

  • Rethinking Emergency Power: Hydrogen and the Future of Disaster Resilience

    Today’s energy resilience toolkit includes a growing array of technologies, including diesel generators, natural gas systems, lithium-ion battery storage, solar-plus-battery microgrids—and now, a new class of hydrogen-based solutions that generate clean electricity from moisture in the air. No single option is universally ideal, but understanding their strengths and applications can help communities build more robust and flexible emergency energy strategies.

  • The Erosion of Energy Affordability

    Since 2024, America’s airwaves have been flooded with phrases like “nuclear renaissance” and “drill, baby, drill.” Energy affordability has occupied the minds of the president, state legislators, regulators, energy suppliers, and utility companies, as everyday Americans confront rising energy costs. States like California have seen an increase in electricity bills between 2021 and 2024 of […]

  • The Next Five Years Will Define U.S. Nuclear’s Fate

    The U.S. stands at a critical juncture. We’re experiencing electric load growth for the first time in decades, as fierce global competition reshapes the energy landscape. Nuclear power, both the resurgence of fission and the promise of fusion, could secure our energy future and position the U.S. as the global leader in energy technology for […]

  • The Key to More Clean Energy? Wasting Less of It

    The clean energy transition is progressing rapidly, but this extraordinary transformation is not without its challenges: outdated power grids and a lack of balancing technology means that we are wasting vast amounts of clean energy and resources through curtailment. To address this, we need an integrated approach combining grid upgrades alongside the greater deployment of balancing […]

  • Trump’s Latest Actions Can Make America’s Grid Reliable

    Recent executive actions announced by President Trump will go a long way in restoring the reliability of America’s electric grid, which has been eroding due to green energy policies and regulations that don’t reflect the real energy needs of the country. Under the Biden administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules were designed to force […]

  • How Advanced Data Science Drives Value to Capital Programs

    As businesses wait for artificial intelligence to mature, there is an opportunity to start implementing the data and functionality that is readily available now. Planning and delivering a complex, multi-billion dollar capital project creates a trove of actionable data and insights, if teams are able to manipulate the data to reveal these insights. The detail […]

  • Funding the Power Surge: Navigating the Trillion-Dollar Investment in the U.S. Power Sector

    The U.S. power sector stands at a juncture, facing a confluence of factors that are poised to trigger an era of unprecedented growth and necessitate a large influx of capital. Driven by the increasing demand from data centers, the reshoring of manufacturing, and electrification across transportation, heating, and industry, the demand for electricity is rising at a pace unseen in recent decades.

  • Crafting Integrated Solutions to Minimize Energy and Water Consumption

    Energy and water are like dance partners in a complex ballet, each intricately linked to the other. On the global stage, the greatest demand for water is for electric power generation, while the most energy-intensive sector is the extraction, treatment, and distribution of water.

  • Why We’re Suing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission—and Still Believe in Nuclear Regulation

    At Deep Fission, we’re taking a radically different approach to nuclear energy: smaller, safer, faster to deploy—and located a mile underground. By placing reactors deep beneath the Earth’s surface, we use the natural containment of billions of tons of bedrock to dramatically improve safety and cut costs. COMMENTARY Liz Muller, CEO and co-founder of Deep […]