Legal & Regulatory

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a novel pilot program that will allow private developers to build and operate full-scale advanced nuclear test reactors outside of the national laboratory system, without a license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Through a new authorization model grounded in the Atomic Energy Act and a Trump-era […]

As Donald Trump took office in January, the administration immediately declared a national energy emergency, explaining that “we need a reliable, diversified and affordable supply of energy to drive our Nation’s manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and defense industries.”   Both ends of the political spectrum agree that the U.S. desperately needs more power on the grid—among other […]

In an industry grappling with decarbonization mandates, volatile energy markets, and supply chain uncertainty, another threat has quietly emerged with the power to upend everything: the courtroom. Mega verdicts—jury awards exceeding $10 million—are not new. But the scale, frequency, and unpredictability of these rulings are escalating. According to a 2025 corporate verdicts report published by […]

The future of energy is rapidly evolving. The explosion of artificial intelligence (AI) and the enormous energy infrastructure it demands will continue to drive unprecedented electricity needs. Goldman Sachs projects that U.S. power demand could grow by as much as 20% by the decade’s end, in large part due to the construction of data centers. These […]

What happens when a political U-turn suddenly upends years of decarbonization strategy? As the U.S. House of Representatives moves to dismantle key clean energy tax credits, POWER examines how utilities and developers are rethinking timelines, technologies, and financing, while racing to keep the energy transition on track.  On May 22, 2025, the U.S. House of […]

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced sweeping changes to regulations on emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and other pollutants from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants, weakening rules established under the Biden administration that sought to combat climate change.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 11 proposed to repeal the agency’s Carbon Rule. America’s Power president and CEO Michelle Bloodworth released the following statement: “America’s Power commends EPA for proposing to repeal the Carbon Rule. The repeal will make our nation’s electricity system more reliable and electricity prices more affordable, and enable […]

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 […]

The current state of play for tariffs is creating headwinds and challenges, along with complexity and uncertainty, for global economies and certainly the renewable energy industry. While the renewable energy sector is no stranger to tariffs and the “challenge” they present, knowing the current status of such tariffs is the first step to developing mechanisms for dealing with them in a way that can give your project the best chance at success.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on May 13 of this year issued an order addressing the formula rate filings and requests for transmission rate incentives for the Valley Link Transmission Project Portfolio. The project is a $3-billion, 417-mile multi-state transmission initiative spanning Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia (collectively, Valley Link). While FERC approved several […]