Commentary
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Commentary
Net-Zero Needs Nuclear: Why Following Science Is a Must to Meet Climate Targets
Arguing whether or not climate change is “a thing” seems like it’s (thankfully) in our past. Climate change is part of our lexicon and our everyday habits are positively changing to reflect a new sense
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Commentary
Addressing a Skilled-Trades Gap in the Energy Sector—and How to Ease the Transition
Increasing demands on the energy sector are driving a handful of serious workforce challenges. One of the most concerning is an aging workforce with high levels of retirement, colliding with a shortage of skilled workers to fill the gaps. Case in point—the average age of U.S. utility workers is more than 50 years old, several […]
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Legal & Regulatory
CEQ Proposes to Restore Impactful NEPA Provisions
The federal government’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) on Oct. 7 issued a proposed rulemaking to rescind several Trump-era regulatory amendments that limit the scope of environmental reviews completed by federal agencies under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). If finalized, the proposed rule would restore agencies’ discretion to broaden the scope of NEPA reviews. […]
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Commentary
Getting to Net-Zero GHG Emissions Will Take More Than Closing Coal Plants
The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, next month. The roughly two-week-long event will bring together delegates from around the world with a goal
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Commentary
Digitalization and Decarbonization: Optimizing Humanity’s Largest Machine
Burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat, and transportation is by far the largest contributor to greenhouse gases, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Renewable power generation is taking off, but more than 60% of North American energy generation is still carbon-based. The percentage is even higher in other parts of the world. Optimizing the […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Avoiding an ‘American Nightmare’—Cybersecurity Initiatives in the Power Sector
Cyberattacks on the U.S. energy system threaten our national security and way of life. While the sources of such risks may be debatable, the threats are real and the potential consequences are grave. Former
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Commentary
Why Now Is the Time to Push for Carbon Neutrality
In March 2021, we reached an important milestone in the push for carbon neutrality across industries. A report by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU), a UK-based non-profit, found more than 21% of
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Commentary
The Future is Now for Distribution Cooperatives
There is an adage in the cooperative electric business that “if you have seen one cooperative, you have seen one cooperative.” And we think that holds true. But in today’s rapidly transitioning energy supply space—due to the continued proliferation of low-cost and clean energy generation—there is commonality across cooperatives and regions of the country on […]
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Commentary
A Life Worth Living
I think it’s fairly common for people to reflect on the meaning of life from time to time. Often, those thoughts arise following the death of a loved one or the passing of some particularly influential person. Recently, POWER received an obituary for Ronald Stanley Redfield. Mr. Redfield was said to have been a lifelong […]
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Commentary
Competition for Cleaner Energy Will Pay Dividends for Climate and the Economy
America’s energy system has entered a new era where companies are competing against one another to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Customers—large and small—are concerned about climate change, forcing business models to adapt beyond keeping the lights on. Today, 75% of households in the U.S. are served by a utility with a carbon or emissions reduction goal—to […]