Commentary
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Commentary
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 […]
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Commentary
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 […]
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Commentary
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 […]
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Commentary
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.
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Commentary
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 […]
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Commentary
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 […]
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Commentary
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 […]
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Commentary
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 […]
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Commentary
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 […]
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Commentary
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.