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 […]

  • 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 […]

  • How Solar Developers Can Navigate California’s Ever-Changing Energy Landscape

    With its history of solar-friendly policies over the past two decades, California set the pace for solar adoption across the U.S., leading the nation in installed solar capacity for eight of the past 10 years, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

  • The Time to Scale Up Geothermal Energy in Europe Is Now

    We’re at a pivotal moment for geothermal energy in Europe, a clean, homegrown source of power, heating, and cooling. The signs are clear: interest from both politicians and investors is rising. In fact, there are numerous signals that now is the time to truly scale up geothermal energy in Europe. COMMENTARY Ever since Russia’s full-scale […]

  • What Was Learned from Building New Nuclear Reactors?

    Georgia Power’s Plant Vogtle 3 and 4 are the only new reactors that have been built in the U.S. in over 30 years. At the start, Georgia Power executives claimed that, unlike the first two reactors, Vogtle 3

  • Nuclear-Powered Data Centers—What U.S. Developers Need to Know

    Recognizing their desirable attributes and long-term potential to meet data center demands for power, several technology companies have announced their intention to team up with nuclear developers. At the same time, three companies with shuttered nuclear plants have notified the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission of their plans to restart those facilities, which were closed for economic reasons.

  • From Waste to Wireless: How RF Power is Eliminating Disposable Batteries

    The increasing reliance on battery-powered devices plays a substantial role in the unfolding environmental crisis. With industries and consumers dependent on single-use and rechargeable batteries, the global waste problem continues to escalate.

    Lithium-ion batteries, while effective, contribute significantly to environmental degradation due to resource extraction, manufacturing emissions, and disposal challenges. Radio frequency (RF)-based wireless power technology is emerging as a viable alternative.

  • America’s Nuclear Renaissance: How the TVA Can Lead Our Energy Future

    You may have heard of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), our nation’s largest public utility and source of cheap, clean, and reliable electricity for 10 million people. You may even know that its Board of Directors is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate, making it directly […]

  • Legal, Regulatory Risks Bring Uncertainty for the Energy Sector

    Lightning-fast changes continue to happen daily as the Trump administration seeks to implement its energy policies. With stated policies firmly in support of promoting America’s fossil fuel development, curtailing renewable energy, and reducing regulatory burdens, recent and ongoing actions reflect these goals. What remains to be seen are what impacts the broad swath of energy […]

  • Mitigating the Business Risks of AI for Utilities

    Electric utilities are facing numerous converging challenges posing major complications to the way they manage their infrastructure, manage their operations, and meet evolving customer needs. The increasing frequency of storms and wildfires are pressing issues. Aging infrastructure and a graying workforce create additional vulnerabilities. And other challenges include unprecedented increases in demand, supply chain disruptions […]

  • Navigating International Arbitration in Power Generation: Key Insights for Dispute Resolution and Asset Protection

    The Uniper Global Commodities SE (Uniper) dispute highlights geopolitical and legal risks in volatile markets. Uniper, once Germany’s top Russian gas importer, was nationalized after it faced financial chaos when Russia cut supplies in 2022. Uniper then sought arbitration against Gazprom Export (Gazprom) to end its contract and claim damages. Despite winning, a Russian court […]

  • Emerging Risks in Energy Trading, and Best Practices for Navigating Them

    The energy market is the newest frontier for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance risk. This sector is highly complex; it is dynamic, volatile, and under mounting regulatory pressures.

  • Tripling Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2050: Maximizing a High-Energy Future for Data Centres, Refineries, Manufacturing, and Beyond

    Next week, the world’s most influential energy conference, CERAWeek, will see more than 10,000 delegates assemble to hear from the industry’s leaders about the future of energy. The conference has traditionally been dominated by oil and gas, but in recent years, nuclear energy has become more prominent—and this year, World Nuclear Association will be there […]

  • Powering the Next Electrical Revolution

    As we stand on the brink of an all-electric future in North America, we find ourselves amidst a monumental shift—from a reliance on oil, coal, and gas to a world powered by electricity. This transformation

  • Transitioning to a Cleaner Energy Future Without Sacrificing Reliability

    As 2025 kicks off with new leadership, the U.S. faces new challenges like a rapidly growing demand of electricity driven in large part by data center expansion, electric vehicle adoption, bitcoin mining operations, and continued industrial growth. Electricity supply and security remains a critical concern, particularly as aging infrastructure and supply chain disruptions complicate efforts […]

  • Responsible Resource Development: The Path to Sustainable Lithium

    As the global community shifts toward renewable energy, electric mobility, and sustainable practices, lithium has emerged as a cornerstone of this transition. Lithium-ion batteries power electric vehicles (EVs) that are revolutionizing transportation, enable the energy storage systems balancing renewable grids, and drive countless portable technologies. Yet, while the global lithium market currently faces oversupply, driven […]

  • Why Forecast Accuracy Makes or Breaks Power Suppliers in Today’s Market

    Between plummeting temperatures and surging demand, the record-breaking Arctic blast that swept across the Northeast in January put power suppliers to the test. Their success in managing the volatility traces back to decisions made days and weeks earlier. Those with accurate forecasting models navigated the cold spell successfully. Others faced stark choices between absorbing massive […]

  • How Utilities Can Activate Data to Improve Asset Management

    Nearly every utility in the world has embarked on their own journey of digital transformation, using data to help make processes faster and more efficient. Traditionally, utility data has been collected in silos to support individual functions, and utilities have been hard at work to break down these silos so data can be shared among […]

  • BESS Decommissioning and End-of-Life Planning: Why Care Today?

    As renewable energy generation continues to grow, the use of battery energy storage systems (BESS) in solar farms has become increasingly important for stabilizing the grid and enabling the integration of intermittent solar and wind power. The permitting process to build a BESS facility often requires a formal plan for site decommissioning and disposal, even […]

  • Creating a Successful Utility Workforce Succession Plan

    Succession planning is a priority in the utility industry as an aging workforce, changing technologies, and turnover reshape the sector. The utility sector faces unique challenges, striving for seamless