Legal & Regulatory
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Legal & Regulatory
EPA Extends Steam-Electric Wastewater Deadlines to 2034, Citing Grid Reliability and Rising Power Demand
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has moved to shift capital planning and permitting timelines for the nation’s remaining coal-fired power units, acting on two measures targeting wastewater discharge under the Clean Water Act, and separately, air-quality visibility programs and the Clean Air Act. On Sept. 29, the EPA issued a proposed rule and companion […]
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Legal & Regulatory
How Utilities Need to Prepare for a Landscape Driven by Regulatory Shifts
As utility leaders look to manage the ever-growing volatility in the industry, they also need to prepare for a shifting regulatory landscape that could bring unprecedented competition.
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Legal & Regulatory
FERC Acts on Four Reliability Standards, Probes AI and Data Center Load Forecasting
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Sept. 18 advanced four reliability measures for the U.S. bulk power system (BPS), formalizing frameworks around supply chain risk, cloud computing and virtual infrastructure, cybersecurity, and extreme cold weather preparedness. The commission finalized a new supply chain risk management rule—effective in 60 days—that expands protections against vulnerabilities stemming […]
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Legal & Regulatory
EPA Streamlines Preconstruction Permitting to Accelerate Power Plants, Data Centers, and Manufacturing Reshoring
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued new guidance under its New Source Review (NSR) preconstruction permitting program that could allow power plant developers to begin certain non-emissions‐related site work—such as installing concrete pads, grading, and utility trenching—before obtaining a Clean Air Act construction permit. The change, described in a sparse set of paragraphs […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Navigating the Property Tax Maze: Why Utilities and Energy Companies Need Smarter Solutions
In today’s business climate, where uncertainty is the only constant, all energy companies and utilities are looking for opportunities to preserve profit and enhance efficiency. For organizations managing
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Legal & Regulatory
Preparing for the Freeze: A Practical Guide to NERC EOP-012 Cold Weather Compliance
The stakes have never been higher for power generation facilities when it comes to extreme cold weather. Severe winter events exposed critical vulnerabilities across the U.S. power grid, leading to widespread outages and cascading failures. These events underscored a harsh reality: cold weather preparation is no longer an option; it’s a necessity. To meet this […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Federal Grid Interventions Enter a Second Phase as DOE Extends Emergency Orders
The Trump administration’s unprecedented use of emergency grid authorities entered a second phase in August 2025, as the Department of Energy (DOE) extended three critical reliability orders. The measures signal that this year’s historic string of federal interventions—staked in Section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act—are likely to continue beyond the traditional summer peak and […]
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Nuclear
DOE Allocates Second Round of HALEU Fuel to Three U.S. Nuclear Companies
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has unveiled three more companies to which it will allocate high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) under conditional commitments in a bid to support advanced reactor development and domestic fuel production. The Aug. 26 announcement marks the second round of allocations under DOE’s HALEU Availability Program but it links to two […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Trump Names Democrat David Rosner as FERC Chairman
President Trump has appointed David Rosner as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), elevating the Democratic commissioner to lead the independent energy regulator after Republican Mark Christie stepped down from the position. Rosner has served as a FERC commissioner since June 2024 and officially assumed the chairman role on Aug. 13. The appointment […]
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Legal & Regulatory
DOE Approves Fifth Loan Disbursement to Holtec for Historic Restart of Palisades Nuclear Plant
The U.S. Department of Energy released an $83.2 million loan disbursement to Holtec International on Thursday, bringing total federal funding to $335.1 million as the company moves toward completing America’s first commercial nuclear reactor restart. The fifth installment under DOE’s $1.52 billion loan guarantee follows key Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) approvals that authorized Holtec to […]