Legislative
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Legal & Regulatory
Federal Court Strikes Down Trump’s Wind Energy Moratorium
On Dec. 8, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris of the District of Massachusetts granted summary judgment against the Trump administration declaring that the Jan. 20, 2025, executive memorandum directing federal agencies to halt wind energy development (and all related agency actions to implement the memorandum) were unlawful. Wind Energy in the U.S. […]
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Coal
DOE Orders Last Coal-Fired Unit in Washington State to Remain Online
The last coal-fired power generation unit in Washington state, scheduled to close by year-end, is the latest U.S. coal facility ordered to remain in operation by the Trump administration. The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) on December 16 told TransAlta, a Calgary, Canada-based independent power producer (IPP), to keep the 730-MW, coal-fired Centralia Unit 2 […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Permitting the AI Boom: A New NEPA Landscape for Energy Infrastructure Projects
In the push for more efficient and streamlined permitting processes, recent changes from Congress, the U.S. Supreme Court, and the executive branch have reshaped the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) landscape.
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Legal & Regulatory
Looking Back at 2025 to Look Forward for 2026: Navigating Policy Shifts and Market Surges
The past year saw a multitude of factors driving up electricity prices, including rapid growth in electricity demand, supply chain tightness, deployment delays for transmission and production projects, and an uncertain political and permitting climate. We expect all of these trends to continue in 2026. Changing economics have turned the justification for project development in […]
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Interview
A U.S. Manufacturer’s Take on Tariffs: ‘We Haven’t Had to Make Any Wild Pivots’
Sentry Equipment, headquartered in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, is a century-old, employee-owned manufacturer that specializes in industrial sampling equipment and solutions for process industries including power generation, water treatment, and oil and gas. It has earned global recognition for its expertise in providing accurate, representative sampling and analysis systems. As a U.S. manufacturer that sources some materials […]
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Point-Counterpoint
Welcome to the Jungle: We Got FEOC (and Games)
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced sweeping changes to the Internal Revenue Code, but some of the most impactful changes for the renewable energy and fuels industries are the foreign entity of concern rules (FEOC) rules. These rules present real challenges for project owners, but they are not relevant for facilities that begin construction […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Advocating for Public Power Companies: LPPC Focuses on Load Growth, FEMA Reform, and Tax-Exempt Bonds
Public power utilities are community-owned, not-for-profit electric utilities that deliver reliable, low-cost electricity to about 2,000 communities serving more than 55 million Americans. Among the cities served by public power utilities are Austin, Texas; Nashville, Tennessee; Los Angeles, California; Jacksonville, Florida; and Seattle, Washington. The Large Public Power Council (LPPC) is the voice of large […]
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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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Energy Storage
Analytics Can Help Energy Storage Operators Find More Revenue
Using modeling through analytics, battery energy storage system operators can determine exactly what size system they need for their site with advanced predictive software.
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Nuclear
Policy Shift, Private Sector Drive Put Nuclear Recycling Back on the Table
Over nearly five decades, nuclear waste has been treated as an intractable problem, locked in dry casks, relegated to repositories that are slow to materialize, and generally viewed as a costly liability
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Nuclear
Debunking Nuclear Power’s Biggest Misconceptions and Why It’s Needed Today
Despite nuclear power’s unmatched ability to produce reliable, carbon-free energy at scale, it is often dismissed by clean energy advocates in favor of renewable resources like wind and solar. Cost arguments and public misconceptions around safety and radioactive waste have kept it out of many mainstream climate strategies. But as Tim Gregory argues in his […]
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Renewables
Trump Administration Further Restricts Tax Credits for Solar and Wind Energy
The Trump administration has announced another policy that will likely harm the U.S. renewable energy industry. New guidance from the Treasury Department announced August 15 will make it even harder for wind and solar power projects to take advantage of federal tax credits, which already were under fire from the White House. Friday’s move is […]
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Legislative
One Big Beautiful Bill Act: What It Means to the Power Industry
On July 4, 2025, President Trump officially signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA) into law. The White House called it “a once-in-a-generation piece of legislation.” The power sector is among
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Solar
Rush Toward Another ‘Safe Harbor’ Begins for Solar Industry
It’s no secret the solar industry has been stockpiling components such as panels and racking since before the Inflation Reduction Act. Under threat of a shortened runway to qualify for credits recently made reality with the passage of the reconciliation bill, the trend has very definitely accelerated.
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Trends
Renewable Energy Surges, but Grid Crisis Looms as Demand Grows and Policies Shift
The U.S. electric power sector is experiencing a surge in renewable energy deployment, yet the grid faces mounting pressure from skyrocketing demand and shifting federal policies. As data centers and
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Commentary
IBEW ‘Strongly Opposes’ GOP’s Draft of ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’; Cites Hundreds of Thousands of Lost Jobs
IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper on June 29 issued the following statement on Senate Republicans’ draft reconciliation bill, the so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” that threatens several sectors, including renewable energy: “This budget reconciliation bill is a direct attack on working families, shoveling tax breaks to the rich while turning its back on the people […]
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Commentary
Powering the Future Without Paralyzing It
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 […]
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Renewables
‘World’s Largest’ Energy Storage Site Approved as Part of California Solar Project
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has approved the Darden Clean Energy Project, which the agency said is the first to be fast-tracked under the group’s Opt-In Certification program. The commission said the installation features 1,150 MW, or 4,600 kWh, of battery energy storage, along with a 1,150-MW solar array with about 3.1-million panels.
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Gas
Regulators Approve Plans for Two New Gas-Fired Plants in Wisconsin
Regulators in Wisconsin have approved We Energies’ plan to invest about $1.5 billion for construction of two new natural gas-fired power plants in the southeastern part of the state. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin on May 22 said it backs the utility’s proposal for gas-fired facilities in Oak Creek in Milwaukee County, and Paris […]
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Commentary
Deep Isolation Welcomes Presidential Action to Reinvigorate U.S. Nuclear Waste Disposal Program
Deep Isolation, a leading innovator in nuclear waste disposal technology, in a news release said the group applauds the suite of executive orders signed by President Trump on May 23. The orders prioritize revitalizing the nuclear industrial base, accelerating the deployment of advanced reactors, and advancing spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level radioactive waste (HLW) […]
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Legal & Regulatory
EPA Moving to Axe Emissions Limits from Coal- and Gas-Fired Power Plants
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has confirmed it is drafting a plan to eliminate all limits on greenhouse gases (GHG) from coal- and natural gas-fired power plants. The EPA on May 24 said a new rule on emissions would be published after interagency review.
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Commentary
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 […]
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Legal & Regulatory
17 States Sue Trump Over Halt to Wind Energy Projects
A group of attorneys general from 17 states, along with the District of Columbia, is suing the Trump administration over the president’s move to suspend leasing and permitting of new U.S. wind energy projects.
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Energy Security
What Trump’s First 100 Days Have Meant to the Power Industry
U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn into office for the second time on Jan. 20, 2025. That means April 30 marks his 100th day back in office. A lot has happened during that relatively short period of time (Figure 1). The Trump administration has implemented sweeping changes to U.S. energy policy, primarily focused on promoting […]
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Coal
U.S. Coal Production Continues Steady Decline as Generation Capacity Falls
U.S. production of coal has continued to decline since peaking in 2008, according to a report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The EIA–on the same day earlier this month when President Trump signed an executive order designed to increase U.S. coal production and coal-fired power generation—released data showing the U.S. produced 578 million short tons (MMst) of coal in 2023, or less than half of the amount produced in 2008.
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Coal
Trump’s EPA Grants Dozens of Coal Plants Exemption from Emissions Rules
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has granted nearly 70 coal-fired U.S. power plants a two-year exemption from federal requirements to reduce emissions of toxic chemicals such as mercury, arsenic and benzene. It’s another move by the Trump administration to boost the U.S. coal industry, measures that include encouraging electric utilities to continue operating coal-fired power plants that might otherwise be closed.
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Commentary
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 […]
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Legal & Regulatory
Trump’s EPA Set to Undo Limits on Power Plant Emissions
The Trump administration has announced several regulatory rollbacks designed to curb limits on power plant emissions, along with cutting protections for air and water quality. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin on March 12 said the agency is moving to undo at least 31 regulations established during the Biden administration in an effort to […]
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Gas
Maryland Officials Support Gas Plants Among Cleaner Forms of Generation
Maryland lawmakers have introduced a bill in the state legislature that sponsors say would provide an easier path to build new power plants, including natural gas-fired facilities, and lower utility bills for ratepayers as part of the process.
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Legal & Regulatory
Lawmakers Scrutinize Power Sector’s Future as Surging Demand Raises Alarms
In a hearing that underscored the mounting challenges facing the American power sector, industry leaders warned Congress that the nation’s power infrastructure is approaching a precarious juncture as unprecedented demand growth collides with retiring baseload generation. At the House Energy Subcommittee hearing on March 5, titled “Scaling for Growth: Meeting Demand for Reliable, Affordable Electricity,” […]