Full Coverage

  • The Great Shift: Navigating the Global Energy Transition

    As the world grapples with the urgent need to combat climate change, the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is accelerating, driven by technological advancements and governmental directives. This global shift promises not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also to create a more sustainable and resilient energy future. The world stands […]

  • How Decreasing Inertia Is Affecting Power Grids and What to Do About It

    People in the power industry understand inertia and its importance to grid stability. As large thermal power plants and other inertia-providing units are replaced with renewable resources that provide no inertia, grid stability is at risk. Cost-effective solutions are available today, however, to maintain and even enhance grid operations. Concerning power grid operation, inertia refers […]

  • IRA Incentives Fuel U.S. Solar Manufacturing Surge

    The U.S. solar manufacturing landscape has undergone a remarkable transformation since the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022. Through targeted domestic content incentives, the federal government has successfully ignited a manufacturing renaissance, boosting capacity nearly five-fold and creating thousands of jobs across the country. Catalyzing Growth Through Strategic Incentives The centerpiece of […]

  • Duke Energy Advances New 1.4-GW Gas-Hydrogen Power Plant in South Carolina Under New Energy Security Mandate

    Duke Energy intends to submit an application to South Carolina’s Public Service Commission (PSC) for approval to build a 1.4-GW gas-fired combined cycle plant with hydrogen capability in Anderson County. If approved, the project, which could come online in 2031, will mark the company’s first new generation proposal in the state in a decade. The […]

  • NuScale’s 77-MWe SMR Clears NRC Review, Sets Stage for First Firm Order

    The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved NuScale Power’s uprated 77-MWe (250-MWth) small modular reactor (SMR) design, clearing the nuclear technology firm’s second standard design approval (SDA). The development marks a boost for ENTRA1 Energy, NuScale’s exclusive commercialization partner, which is in “various stages of discussions with potential customers” in the U.S. and abroad, the […]

  • DOE Scraps $3.7B in OCED Projects, Upending Carbon Capture Progress at Power Plants

    The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) abrupt termination of 24 previously awarded projects—including four prominent power-related carbon capture projects— will rescind $3.7 billion in financial assistance from its Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED). In a terse press release on May 30, the DOE cited “a thorough and individualized financial review” in its justification for canceling […]

  • Perovskite Solar Cells: What They Are and Why They Matter

    Perovskite solar cells are a high-efficiency, low-cost alternative to traditional silicon-based solar panels. With the perovskite solar cell industry expected to reach $1.2 billion by 2033, there’s enormous potential for this next-generation technology. The Basics of Perovskites Perovskites are a type of material, with a distinctive crystal structure described as ABX3 (Figure 1). These crystals […]

  • Grid Enhancing Technologies Do Exactly What They Say

    The world’s electricity grids are facing unprecedented strain as demand surges from electrification, data centers, and renewable energy integration, while aging infrastructure struggles to keep pace. Traditional approaches to grid expansion—building new transmission lines and substations—face mounting challenges including sometimes decade-long permitting processes, escalating costs that can reach billions per project, and growing public resistance […]

  • Tackling Weld Failures in Thermal Energy Storage Tanks

    Concentrated solar power (CSP) plants with thermal energy storage (TES) systems face significant material challenges. Specifically, industry-standard 347H austenitic stainless steel used in the manufacture of molten salt tanks can be subject to severe stress relaxation cracking (SRC). The results of a consortium project could have an answer for the problem. The findings suggest that […]

  • DOE Issues Rare Emergency Order to Delay Michigan Coal Plant Retirement Amid MISO Grid Risk

    The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued an emergency order to delay the closure of Consumer Energy’s 1,560-MW J.H. Campbell coal-fired power plant in West Olive, Michigan, citing urgent reliability concerns for the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) grid as the Midwest braces for peak summer electricity demand.  The rare order, issued May 23 by Energy […]

  • Type One Energy Completes Formal Initial Design Review of Fusion Power Plant

    Type One Energy announced on May 27 that it had successfully completed the first formal design review of Infinity Two, which is based on the world’s only implementable, peer-reviewed physics basis for a fusion power plant recently published by the prestigious Journal of Plasma Physics. The Infinity Two design is progressing in support of a […]

  • Vistra to Acquire 2.6 GW Gas Fleet for $1.9B, Citing Surging U.S. Power Demand

    Vistra Corp. has agreed to acquire seven natural gas power plants totaling 2,557 MW from Lotus Infrastructure Partners for $1.9 billion, as part of a strategy to meet surging U.S. electricity demand and expand its competitive generation portfolio. The deal, announced on May 15, is valued at approximately $743 per kilowatt and includes five combined […]

  • FERC Anticipates Higher Energy Prices This Summer

    The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC’s) 2025 Summer Energy Market and Electric Reliability Assessment has forecast higher wholesale electricity prices this summer in most regions. The assessment, published May 15, notes that if normal operating conditions prevail, all regions of the country will have adequate generating resources to meet expected summer demand and operating reserve […]

  • Modular Geothermal Power: Gradient’s Scalable Solution for Oil and Gas Sites

    As the world transitions toward renewable energy sources, geothermal power has emerged as one of the most promising, yet underutilized, options in the clean energy portfolio. Unlike solar and wind, geothermal offers consistent baseload power generation capacity without intermittency challenges, making it an increasingly attractive component in the renewable energy mix. The geothermal sector has […]

  • World’s First Fleet of 100 5G-A Autonomous Electric Mining Trucks Launched at Yimin Mine

    A fleet of 100 Huaneng Ruichi autonomous electric mining trucks, the first of its kind in the world, has officially entered operation at the Yimin open-pit mine in Inner Mongolia, China. Powered by a 5G-Advanced (5G-A) network, the mine became the world’s first open-pit mine to achieve large-scale vehicle-cloud-network synergy, which has greatly improved production […]

  • Con Edison Investing in Major Reliability Projects Serving Customers in Brooklyn and Staten Island

    New transmission lines will help meet power needs this summer. Con Edison will energize newly constructed transmission lines in Brooklyn and Staten Island this month, helping to keep service reliable when the demand for power rises and challenges the electric delivery system. The underground cables, which represent a combined investment of $505 million, will provide […]

  • NERC’s Summer Grid Outlook Shows Progress, but Elevated Risks Persist as Load Growth Outpaces Flexibility

    All regions across the North American bulk power system (BPS) are generally positioned to meet peak demand under normal summer conditions, though elevated risks of electricity supply shortfalls could persist under extreme heat, surging demand, and resource variability, the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) warns. In its May 14–released 2025 Summer Reliability Assessment (SRA), […]

  • 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 […]

  • How ADMS and DERMS Are Delivering Smarter Solutions for Utilities and Customers

    Advanced Distribution Management Systems (ADMS) and Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS) are crucial grid management technologies in today’s modern power delivery system. ADMS integrates multiple utility operational systems into a unified control platform. It combines functions like outage management, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, and distribution automation (DA) to provide operators with […]

  • Ontario Authorizes OPG to Start Construction of First Commercial Nuclear SMR

    Ontario’s provincial government has given Ontario Power Generation (OPG) the green light to begin construction on the first of four  BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs) at its Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) site in Clarington, Ontario. “This represents the first new nuclear build in Ontario in more than three decades,” the utility noted. The province […]

  • DOE Chief Backs Fossil, Nuclear Push Amid Budget and Staffing Questions

    U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on May 7 told lawmakers that the Department of Energy (DOE) is entering what he called “a golden era of American energy dominance,” outlining the Trump administration’s strategy to prioritize fossil fuels, nuclear power, grid modernization, and permitting reform, while positioning the U.S. to lead in artificial intelligence (AI) […]

  • TVA Submits First Portion of Construction Permit Application to NRC for Clinch River BWRX-300 SMR

    The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has submitted the first portion of a construction permit application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to build a GE Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at its Clinch River Nuclear Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. If built, the Clinch River unit—dubbed CRN-1—will serve as a flagship for U.S. commercial […]

  • Understanding the April 2025 Iberian Peninsula Blackout: Early Analysis and Lessons Learned

    On April 28, 2025, at 12:33 p.m. local time, a significant blackout affected the entire Iberian Peninsula, plunging Spain and Portugal into darkness. During a webcast on May 6, Sean McGuinness, Transmission and Distribution Protection Research Program Manager with EPRI, provided background on the Spanish and Portuguese power grids, and an overview of the events […]

  • How Building Owners Can Achieve Performance Standards with District Energy

    District energy systems can accelerate decarbonization of buildings in cities. The clock is ticking for building owners in U.S. cities that have enacted performance standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The carrots and sticks of local energy codes to tackle climate change are quickly becoming mostly sticks. With compliance deadlines looming, many owners of large […]

  • Nexamp and Chipotle Partner to Expand Community Solar Access with 15 New Solar Farms Across the Country

    Residents to benefit from 75 MW of new renewable energy resources Chipotle Mexican Grill, the fast casual restaurant company cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food, has entered into an agreement with Nexamp, the nation’s largest community solar provider, to purchase renewable energy bill credits to support the construction and operation […]

  • Fire Suppression in Battery Energy Storage Systems: Why Immersion Cooling Offers a Safer Future

    Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are revolutionizing our power grids, dramatically enhancing resilience, and facilitating greater integration of renewable energy sources like solar and wind. This technological evolution promises a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, but it also introduces significant new risks, particularly fire safety challenges. High-profile incidents involving lithium-ion battery systems highlight critical gaps […]

  • 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 […]

  • Hydrogen’s Power Play: What Comes After the Hype

    As hydrogen production scales up, power professionals must weigh where—and when—it fits into a decarbonized grid. For now, experts say real progress may depend on addressing structural bottlenecks: project

  • How PG&E Is Supporting EV Growth Without Expensive Grid and Home Upgrades

    As electric vehicles (EVs) surge in popularity, many American homeowners are discovering a hidden obstacle to the EV transition: the aging electrical infrastructure of the nation’s housing stock. While

  • Optimizing Power Plant Performance: Innovations in Pump Efficiency and Flow Control

    Modern pumping systems and precision control valves are revolutionizing how power generation facilities manage their critical fluid systems, delivering substantial energy savings, reduced emissions, and