Commentary

As governments adapt to ongoing clean energy goals, such as the Paris Agreement, green technologies have become more important than ever. The U.S. government has confirmed such goals, striving to implement 100% carbon pollution-free electricity by 2035 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. We are further seeing demand for critical minerals for these green technologies grow, as copper, zinc, […]

In an era defined by rapid technological evolution and global labor shortages, industries face unprecedented challenges when it comes to service and maintenance. The energy landscape, in particular, has seen dramatic shifts, with distribution networks more complex than ever, plus uptime performance and system reliability an increasing priority across many different industry sectors. COMMENTARY It’s […]

This month, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and the Commonwealth’s largest utility, Dominion Energy, announced a request for proposal (RFP) for the development and construction of an advanced nuclear small modular reactor (SMR), and the governor signed Senate Bill 454 designed to facilitate the research, design, construction, and deployment of what will be America’s first commercial […]

After Hurricane Beryl laid a path of destruction through the greater Houston area, the storm’s impact on the local power grid is having an outsized effect on the ongoing debate about the future of Texas’ energy and electrical infrastructure. The lessons we take from this incident, which left 2.5 million people without power at the height […]

The urgency for an energy transition has never been more critical. Climate change, air pollution, resilience, and national security concerns make it clear that minor adjustments to our energy system are no longer sufficient. We must revolutionize the 150-year-old electrical grid, transforming it into a robust energy ecosystem capable of meeting today’s demands and the […]

We serve as elected utility regulators in Georgia and Arizona. Our states are thriving. Economic opportunities abound. And we need more energy. Both of our states have nuclear reactors, and there is public support to build more of them—if the right deal can be made. But it is not just Georgia and Arizona. Many states […]

In approving the development of a 2,800-acre wind farm across prime agricultural land in the east of England, the UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband, has confirmed what those who understand renewable market dynamics have known all along: That the UK’s energy transition policymaking has been flawed and riven […]

The Governing Body of the iMasons Climate Accord, a program of Infrastructure Masons, is calling on all suppliers serving data centers to support greater transparency in Scope 3 emissions as part of broader efforts to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint. Consisting of AWS, Digital Realty, Google, Meta, Microsoft and Schneider Electric, the Governing Body released […]

The Solar Energy Manufacturers for America (SEMA) Coalition on July 15 submitted comments for consideration to update the domestic content bonus established in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). “The Biden Administration and Congress made a commitment to reshore the entire solar supply chain with the Inflation Reduction Act, but that will not be possible without […]

On Friday, May 31, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm flew to Georgia to attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Plant Vogtle, the first set of nuclear reactors built in the U.S. in nearly 30 years, where she called for another 198 large-scale reactors to follow. There is a lot I don’t understand in […]

After a decades-long slowdown marked by fits and starts, the U.S. is once again building and innovating in nuclear power. In April, the second of two new nuclear units went into service at Georgia Power’s

Subject matter experts run the risk of losing their audience to overly complex and scientific messaging, as is the case in many technical industries. After all, what’s exciting to an engineer may not be to the average utility customer. Therefore, to make an emotional connection with customers and stakeholders, brands in the electric utility and […]

The U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., on June 28 blocked the coal power industry’s attempt to get out of the requirement that they prevent toxic coal ash from contaminating groundwater. The court affirmed that the EPA regulations established in 2015 already prohibit closing coal ash dumps with ash sitting in groundwater. Industry filed […]

Dr. David Gattie, a University of Georgia engineering professor, recently tweeted, “Nuclear is critical, but the priority must be U.S. national security and ensuring America’s competitive advantage over China and Russia in nuclear science, engineering and technology—not just about climate change.” As I sit in Warsaw, Poland, just a train ride to the Ukrainian border, […]

The utility industry is an unsung hero for nearly every community—until the power falters. A prime example is the extreme weather that passed through much of the central U.S. this spring. In Houston, where my company is based, we recently experienced severe storms that left around a million businesses and homes without power. These acts […]

Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a 1,020-page rule to control carbon dioxide emissions from existing coal-fired power plants and new natural gas-fired power plants. The rule is part of the administration’s plan to shut down coal-fired power plants in the U.S. and impose its will on the nation’s electricity system. This is the […]

It’s welcome that the U.S. House of Representatives in April revived policy discussions over nuclear waste. Our organizations support nuclear energy as a tool of economic opportunity and emissions reduction, and we believe that nuclear’s sustainable expansion is necessary for global health and prosperity. Nuclear’s role in deep decarbonization is clearer than ever, especially as […]

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 was signed on August 16, 2022, and included financial incentives that were intended to drive more investment and deployment of clean hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. This bill has sparked a significant amount of conversation surrounding the production and deployment of hydrogen. However, as we see more and more […]

The past few years have shown that the need for cleaner energy sources is only growing, while balancing economic and infrastructure concerns remains vital to safeguard American energy dominance and security. The 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and 2022 Inflation Reduction Act are two recent examples of massive investments into American infrastructure and jobs, forging ahead […]

In an era defined by rapid electrification, the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources, and sweeping digital transformation, the energy sector stands on the brink of profound change. As we cast our sights on 2050, utilities grapple with the colossal task of scaling up to meet burgeoning energy demands and reshaping their operations to be […]

James Carville famously advised Bill Clinton that regarding elections, “it’s the economy, stupid.” This message has resonated with all presidential candidates since. So, it is no surprise that as the 2024 election approaches, President Biden appears to be banking on $1.6 trillion in new spending—much of it infrastructure spending—to stimulate economic growth. These funds have […]

When I first considered moving to San Luis Obispo, California, I learned of the nearby Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, and almost subscribed to a “not in my backyard” syndrome. But our power grids are strained by many things—including a computing revolution driven by artificial intelligence (AI), causing server stacks in data centers to consume […]

The U.S. is assembling a new power grid infrastructure—and not a moment too soon. The need for dynamic new approaches in the power and utility sector has never been more urgent. New kinds of distributed

Have you heard about the cobra effect? During the colonial era, Delhi had a major cobra issue. The then-British government announced a bounty for dead cobras to reduce the number of snakes on the streets. Entrepreneurial spirits rose as people started breeding cobras and offered a dead one on the bounty. Money given on bounty […]

The manner in which industrial products are currently resourced is no longer fit for purpose. In terms of procurement and supply chain complexity, the traditional seller/buyer model perpetuates historic inefficacies in how one company does business with another. On a macro level, it holds back the urgent improvements required in global energy and power infrastructures […]

Wind power generation stands at the forefront of renewable energy solutions, harnessing the kinetic energy of the wind to produce electricity that ranges from small turbines for individual homes to massive wind farms dotting coastlines and landscapes. However, behind the seemingly simple concept lies a complex integration of various technical disciplines. From civil engineering for […]

Owners and operators of thermal and renewable energy infrastructure are navigating new and emerging risks due to digitization of the grid, an uncertain regulatory landscape, and changing environmental and weather patterns. These factors and others are forcing risk management stakeholders to increase preparation and resilience of their organizations. As digital transformation accelerates in the power […]

Nuclear energy is surging back in a big way. Case in point: Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s comments last week on plans to restart the Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan. To bolster the effort, she announced a $1.5 billion conditional loan guarantee to cover work required to restart the plant after a two-year shutdown. And […]

In recent years, concerns about the lengthy interconnection queue have dominated headlines. This queue has emerged as a major obstacle to adding new generating facilities to the U.S. power grid. It is primarily caused by grid congestion, permitting issues, extensive infrastructure project delays, and the traditional interconnection study approaches used in many states. To address […]

Electric utilities are entering an era of growing investment opportunities following a decade of low load growth. However, there is increasing evidence that regulators are growing more concerned about the