Research and Development

  • Major Solar Tracker Technology Deal as Kinematics Completes Acquisition of P4Q

    Kinematics, an Arizona-headquartered global group focused on intelligent motion control, said it has completed its acquisition of P4Q. Kinematics on Feb. 4 said it will now integrate P4Q’s high-performance electronics portfolio—which includes more than 1 million solar controllers deployed across 2,400 solar sites globally—with Kinematics’ installed base of 2.9 million solar actuators (Figure 1). The […]

  • Could Space Solar Power Play a Key Role in Disaster Relief?

    The Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025 highlight a critical vulnerability in disaster response: power failure. With insured losses potentially reaching $45 billion and more than 170,000 residents displaced, reliable power could have supported essential emergency services and potentially saved lives. Space Solar Power (SSP), which can beam energy directly to disaster zones from space, […]

  • CORE POWER Hires Engineering Firm to Support Floating Nuclear Power Plants

    Shipping nuclear propulsion start-up CORE POWER, which in November of last year announced a deal with Westinghouse for design and development of floating nuclear power plants (FNPPs), has hired an architectural and marine engineering firm to help design FNPPs that could provide energy for operations at U.S. shipping ports. Glosten, with offices in Seattle, Washington, […]

  • Mattiq Partners With Heraeus to Advance Electrocatalyst Innovation for Hydrogen Production

    Mattiq, a Chicago, Illinois-headquartered clean chemistry company, on Jan. 30 announced a strategic partnership with global metals company Heraeus Precious Metals to develop and commercialize advanced electrocatalyst materials for green hydrogen production. The companies will engineer low-iridium catalysts to significantly reduce the amount of this rare and critical raw material for proton exchange membrane (PEM) […]

  • Solar Trade Group’s Plan: 700 GWh of Energy Storage by 2030

    The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) published a white paper outlining the industry group’s vision for U.S. energy storage, setting a target to install 10 million distributed energy storage sites and reach 700 kWh of installed storage capacity the end of the decade. The white paper, released Jan. 28 along with a guide to energy […]

  • Cisco, Gridspertise Join to Support Grid Digitization

    Cisco, a global technology company, and Gridspertise have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop and deploy new solutions for the digital innovation in electricity grids. The companies announced the deal on Jan. 28. The MoU is a collaborative framework that leverages both Cisco and Gridspertise’s technological and business expertise. The companies on Tuesday […]

  • U.S. Energy Independence—Let’s Recycle Our Nuclear Waste

    As an energy veteran with decades at the Department of Energy, I’ve witnessed the highs and lows of nuclear power in America. Now, with President Trump back in office, there’s an opportunity to not just revisit but truly revolutionize our approach to nuclear energy, particularly by closing the nuclear fuel cycle. This isn’t about starting […]

  • Lightbridge, Oklo to Explore Co-Located Advanced Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Facilities

    Two much-watched advanced nuclear fuel technology companies—Oklo and Lightbridge—will consider co-locating their commercial metallic fuel fabrication facilities to explore synergies and potentially accelerate innovation across the nuclear supply chain. Under a Jan. 28–announced memorandum of understanding (MOU), the companies plan to conduct a feasibility study that will explore co-locating a Lightbridge Commercial-scale Fuel Fabrication Facility […]

  • Four Energy Trends to Watch in 2025

    As we enter 2025, the world’s growing need for charging large battery storage in vehicles is driving many changes in how we generate, transmit, distribute and use energy. Against this backdrop, four major trends are poised to impact the energy sector in the coming year and beyond. We expect significant advancements to be seen in […]

  • Sweden Begins Construction on World’s Second Deep Geological Repository for Spent Nuclear Fuel

    Sweden has broken ground on its final repository for spent nuclear fuel (SNF)—a milestone reached after 40 years of research and development—making it the world’s second deep geological repository (DGR) now under construction. Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (SKB), a nuclear fuel and waste management company owned by Sweden’s nuclear operators, officially announced the start of construction […]

  • U.S. Railroading: What Sector’s Future Power Suppliers Will Need to Know

    Among the elements of America’s carbon-based industries and infrastructure being impacted by electrification, transportation exhibits, first, widespread economic and environmental impacts (private highway vehicles) driven by emerging technology, public policy, growing climate and health concerns, government stimuli and private collaboratives, and investment or management opportunities. Second it shows the more muted reassessments by freight and […]

  • Central Theme for Energy’s Future: Decentralizing Power Generation

    The use of distributed energy resources (DERs) will continue to grow as utilities, businesses, and residential neighborhoods look for ways to balance the power grid and support more reliable and resilient

  • The Solid-State Shift: Reinventing the Transformer for Modern Grids

    Transformers have been the backbone of power grids for over a century, but today’s demands for renewable energy, electric vehicles, and smarter grids are exposing their limits. Enter solid-state transformers—compact, efficient, and intelligent power solutions poised to revolutionize how electricity is distributed and managed. The push to modernize the grid is exposing critical shortcomings of […]

  • The Critical Role Engineers and STEM Educators Play in Addressing Climate Change Challenges

    Even with the end of hurricane season, America was once again reminded of the tragic and devastating impact that extreme weather and hurricanes can have on our communities. This hurricane season brought

  • Technology Has Transformed Energy Deployment; O&M Is Next

    Deployment operations management (DOM) systems were born of necessity to help telecom, renewable energy, electric vehicle (EV) charging, and other critical-infrastructure developers tackle the simultaneous

  • Industry Experts Say Storage, Renewables, Transmission Key Parts of 2025 Energy Outlook

    The outlook for the power generation sector in 2025 promises a continuation of the energy transition, though there’s plenty of debate about the direction of the industry. Advocates for renewable energy, particularly in the U.S., are concerned about how the incoming Trump administration—with its support for fossil fuels—could impact the growth of clean technologies. Utilities […]

  • The POWER Interview: Driving the Development of Distributed Generation

    The use of distributed energy resources (DERs), which can include solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, fuel cells, and more, is increasing as the power generation sector becomes more decentralized. The future of the distributed energy generation market is promising, as more commercial and industrial customers, along with residential electricity users, look for cleaner sources of […]

  • Advancements in Electrolyzer Technology Could Make Green Hydrogen Viable Sooner Than You Think

    Historically, the mass production of green hydrogen has not been viewed as a viable alternative energy solution for our climate crisis. But recent technological advancements in proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzers offer new avenues for long-term viability and present an intriguing opportunity for manufacturers. Experts have long deemed electrolyzers as a central technology for meeting […]

  • Virginia Officials Say State Will Be Home to World’s First Fusion Power Plant

    Virginia’s governor and other officials on Dec. 17 said the state has a plan for the world’s first nuclear fusion power plant. Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) on Tuesday announced it will build a 400-MW fusion facility on a 100-acre site at the James River Industrial Park in Chesterfield County. Massachusetts-based CFS, founded in 2018, and […]

  • Siemens Energy Joins Forces for Bold 100% Hydrogen HL Gas Turbine Leap

    Siemens Energy is teaming with UK power giant SSE to develop a combustion system that will allow its flagship SGT5-9000HL gas turbine to run 100% on hydrogen while maintaining the flexibility to operate with natural gas and blends of the two. The two companies on Dec. 9 launched “Mission H2 Power,” a project that will […]

  • Hydrogen For District Heating Part of German Research Project

    Electrolyzer equipment provider IMI said the company has supplied a proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyser to a pioneering research project examining the viability of using the by-product of hydrogen power generation in district heating systems. The project, which will be delivered by the Fraunhofer-Institution for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems in Zittau, Germany, is part […]

  • Russia Advances REMIX Fuel Trials in Boost for Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle

    Russia has launched its third cycle of testing innovative uranium-plutonium REMIX fuel at the Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant in Saratov Oblast, a key step that advances the closed nuclear fuel cycle technology. Designed to recycle spent nuclear fuel (SNF), the REMIX assemblies could significantly expand the raw material base for nuclear energy while reducing radioactive […]

  • Quaise Partners with Nevada Gold Mine to Explore Geothermal Retrofit for Coal Power Plant

    Houston-based geothermal technology firm Quaise Energy is exploring how geothermal heat could hybridize and decarbonize a remote, privately owned power coal-fired plant that supports mining operations at Nevada Gold Mines (NGM), the single largest gold-producing complex in the world. A Dec. 3-announced partnership between Quaise and NGM— a joint venture company owned by Barrick Gold […]

  • Balancing Growth and Sustainability: Power Challenges for Data Centers in the Age of AI

    The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized how industries operate, and data centers have become the nerve center of this transformation. From streaming services to real-time collaboration tools, the data centers that house and manage our digital lives are expanding rapidly to meet the surging demand. Yet, as AI’s impact and importance grow, so […]

  • GE Vernova Will Modernize Two Units at Dominion Hydropower Plant

    GE Vernova said it has secured an order with Dominion Energy South Carolina to modernize two hydropower units at the Saluda Hydro facility on the Saluda River about 10 miles west of Columbia, South Carolina. The company on Dec. 2 said the project “will help extend the lifetime, reliability, performance, and operational flexibility of the […]

  • Trial Run at Finland’s Onkalo Repository Sets Stage for World’s First Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposal

    Finland is making significant strides in a trial run that will demonstrate the entire process for the safe disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at Onkalo on Olkiluoto Island—the world’s first permanent

  • POWER Digest (December 2024)

    Egypt Reducing Renewable Energy Target. Karim Badawi, petroleum minister for Egypt, said the country has cut the amount of renewable energy it will likely have online by 2040. Badawi on Oct. 20, speaking at

  • Lessen Risk for Battery Energy Storage with Analytics Software

    Battery energy storage systems (BESS) have emerged as a crucial technology for storing and dispatching energy when needed. However, the rapid expansion of BESS has been accompanied by safety and risk management challenges. Most BESS units use lithium-ion batteries, which require particular care to avoid fire concerns. Though lithium-ion BESS is overall a safe and […]

  • Wärtsilä Among Groups in New Consortium to Explore Hydrogen-Argon for Net-Zero Power

    Technology group Wärtsilä is part of a new research project exploring innovative technology for cleaner, more energy-efficient engines utilizing a closed-loop combustion cycle. The research, announced on Nov. 26, will focus on the use of argo, a non-toxic ideal gas present in the atmosphere, to increase efficiency of balancing engines. The co-innovation project is run […]

  • Kenya Moves Forward with Plans for Country’s First Nuclear Power Plant

    Officials with Kenya’s Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) said the country is on track to start construction on its first nuclear power plant by 2027. The group at a parliamentary hearing this month said the facility would begin generating power by 2034. Kenya’s move is the latest by an African nation as more countries […]