News

The fleet industry is approaching a pivotal juncture, with electrification increasingly positioned as a potential path forward for businesses working to reduce emissions and operating costs. Yet, during this period with evolving expectations and uncertain environmental regulations, the direction and pace of this transition remain fluid. While momentum is building around the shift from traditional […]

As billions of dollars flood into the historically niche electricity sector, U.S. power generation is having a moment and entering what may be its most consequential investment cycle in decades. The U.S. power space saw record levels of capital investments in 2024. These billions in new investments are coming not just from legacy participants, but […]

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 […]

Westinghouse Electric Co. and officials with the ITER project in France signed a contract for $180 million for the assembly of the vacuum vessel for the fusion reactor. This is a key milestone in the construction of the ITER reactor, leading the way toward the use of fusion as a practical future source of reliable carbon-free energy.

Tech giant Google has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) to buy at least 200 MW of energy from CFS’s planned fusion-based power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

A software group that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help automate processes said it was joining with a nuclear power deployment company on an AI-driven system to accelerate construction of nuclear reactors. Palantir Technologies on June 26 said it will work with The Nuclear Company, a nuclear power startup, to jointly create a nuclear operating […]

In a new pilot program, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) issued an ambitious challenge: bring at least three advanced nuclear test reactors to criticality by July 4, 2026. Announced in June, the program sidesteps traditional Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) licensing, seeking instead to authorize full-scale reactors on private sites through DOE’s internal review process. […]

As government policies around energy transition continue to evolve, the pace of coal plant retirements in North America has shifted in some regions, slowing in a few cases due to energy reliability concerns. But broadly speaking, many coal-fired units have already retired, leaving behind a significant legacy challenge: the long-term management of coal ash stored […]

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 […]

In the proverbial shadow of the Naughton Power Plant, a station in Kemmerer, Wyoming, that will stop burning coal at the end of this year, TerraPower is constructing what it calls “the only advanced, non-light-water reactor in the Western Hemisphere being built today.” The project represents more than just a new power source—it’s a symbolic […]

Centrus Energy has produced and delivered 900 kilograms (kg) of High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), completing Phase II of its pioneering enrichment contract with the agency. The shipment marks the first significant domestic production of HALEU—a specialized fuel required for many advanced reactors now under development—and stands as a […]

Intelligent power management company Eaton is working with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to repurpose the utility’s retired Bull Run Fossil Plant in Clinton, Tennessee, into a critical asset supporting reliable and clean energy. The two groups on June 25 noted the importance of maintaining grid stability as more electricity comes from variable renewable energy […]

Hydroelectric power generation hit a 10-year high in Europe in 2024, while hydro growth in other regions—most notably China—kept the technology at the top of the list when it comes to global energy output from renewable resources. The International Hydropower Association (IHA) in its 2025 World Hydropower Outlook said hydro is playing a “stablizing role” in Europe and elsewhere when it comes to power supplies at a time of heightened concern about volatile markets and shifting policies around energy, particularly in the U.S.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state is ready to build a utility-scale nuclear power plant and would seek funding from the private sector to make it a reality. The governor on June 23 provided few details about the project, except to say it likely would be located in an upstate location.

Renewable energy developer and project operator Agilitas Energy announced it the company has acquired two late-stage hydropower development projects from Advanced Hydro Solutions. Agilitas on June 24 said the 30-MW Tygart Hydropower Project in Grafton, West Virginia, and the 14-MW Jennings Randolph Hydropower Project in Garrett County, Maryland, represent Agilitas Energy’s first hydropower assets. It […]

A revolution is underway in the nuclear energy sector. For the first time in decades, the field is brimming with urgency, ambition, and capital. Buoyed by growing energy demands, geopolitical recalibration, and climate pressures, nuclear power is undergoing a renaissance, one that will be driven not just by next-generation reactor designs, but by the materials […]

Japanese integrated heavy industry group IHI Corp. and GE Vernova have inaugurated a new Large-Scale Combustion Test (LCT) facility at IHI’s Aioi Works in Hyogo, Japan, marking a pivotal step in their joint effort to commercialize gas turbine combustors capable of burning up to 100% ammonia by 2030. The facility will accelerate full-scale prototype testing […]

Scientists in India said they have developed a scalable next-generation device that produces green hydrogen by splitting water molecules using only solar energy. A group at the Bengaluru-based Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), said the process would produce a clean fuel that could support decarbonizing industries, along with fueling vehicles.

Ireland is no longer burning coal to produce electricity after the country’s last coal-fired unit was converted to use heavy fuel oil. ESB, the plant’s operator, on June 20 issued a notice that the 305-MW Unit 3 of the Moneypoint station, located on Ireland’s southwest coast, has ended its use of coal after 40 years. ESB previously had said Moneypoint after the conversion would operate under direct dispatch instructions from EirGrid, the grid operator, as part of the balancing market.

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 […]

Small modular reactor (SMR) technology developer NuScale Power has unveiled research programs that could advance an energy system that integrates its nuclear technology to produce desalinated water and hydrogen, while reusing brine waste as an industrial feedstock. The research, developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and […]

By their very nature, all chemical fuels contain energy that needs to be released easily and are therefore inherently flammable. However, if that release is not sufficiently controlled, it presents a significant injury risk both to people and property through explosions and fires. Hydrogen, of course, is especially flammable. Counterintuitively, when it comes to safety, […]

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is inviting private-sector nuclear developers to submit proposals for experiments and demonstrations using its Microreactor Application Research Validation and Evaluation (MARVEL) project. The first-of-its-kind operational test bed for advanced microreactor technologies is now 90% through its final design phase, with key components already under fabrication. Idaho National Laboratory (INL), […]

A nonprofit environmental group said at least 130 natural gas-fired power plant projects are planned in Texas over the next few years as part of that state’s effort to meet growing demand for energy. The Washington, D.C.-based Environmental Integrity Project (EIP), in a report published June 11, said the projects would provide about 58 GW of new generation capacity, while noting that many of the proposed facilities may not move beyond the planning stage.

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.

XGS Energy and Meta Platforms announced announced an agreement to support development of 150 MW of next-generation geothermal energy in New Mexico. The groups on June 12 said XGS Energy’s proprietary geothermal technology, which enables geothermal power production with zero operating water use, will be deployed to the state’s PNM electric grid and support Meta’s […]

Talen Energy has restructured and significantly expanded its nuclear energy agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS), finalizing a 17-year, $18 billion power purchase agreement (PPA) that will supply up to 1,920 MW of carbon-free electricity from the 2.5-GW Susquehanna nuclear plant to Amazon’s data centers across Pennsylvania. The deal, announced on June 11, restructures a […]

U.S. power infrastructure—the intricate physical fabric that laces together generation, transmission, and distribution—is under intensifying strain. Outdated and overextended, it must now absorb relentless growth from electrification and data centers or risk escalating reliability threats, surging costs, and a weakened global competitive edge. POWER examines the dysfunction and what it will actually take to future-proof […]

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 […]

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 […]