Technology

Lightsource bp announced two solar power projects in Texas with a combined 288 MW of generation capacity are now online, pushing the company’s operational fleet in that state to more than 1 GW of power production. The company on Jan. 31 said the 163-MW Starr Solar project in Starr County, along with the 125-MW Second […]

The rapid rise of data centers has put many power industry demand forecasters on edge. Some predict the power-hungry nature of the facilities will quickly create problems for utilities and the grid. ICIS, a data analytics provider, calculates that in 2024, demand from data centers in Europe accounted for 96 TWh, or 3.1% of total […]

As the demand for artificial intelligence (AI), and data and cloud services increases, the U.S. is seeing a rapid rise in data center development and a surge in demand for power to fuel the additional load. Leading research estimates that data centers could consume up to 9% of U.S. electricity generation annually by 2030, up […]

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) […]

Talen Energy has reached an agreement with PJM Interconnection, the Maryland Public Service Commission, Maryland electric utilities, consumer representatives, and the Sierra Club to extend operations at its 1.3-GW coal-fired Brandon Shores power plant and 774-MW oil-fired H.A. Wagner units until May 31, 2029, under a reliability-must-run (RMR) contract. If approved by the Federal Energy […]

The new artificial intelligence (AI) model from China called DeepSeek created a stock market meltdown on Monday, with the Nasdaq composite dropping 3% and the S&P 500 falling 1.5%. Beyond hammering the share prices of the world’s most valuable companies, DeepSeek has potential implications on vast swaths of America’s innovation industries—including energy. COMMENTARY While U.S. technology companies […]

The debate over just how much power will be needed to support the artificial intelligence (AI) industry became heated when a Chinese company said it has a low-cost AI model that could upend the sector’s energy needs. DeepSeek created a global stir after releasing information that said the company’s DeepSeek-V3 required less than $6 million […]

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 […]

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 […]

Analysis of the levelized cost of energy shows how renewables have become more cost-efficient every year. Today, the least-expensive way to meet energy needs is with renewable resources. For industries at risk of power outages or those requiring always-on power, clean energy projects can offer a lifeline. Fundamentally, distributed energy resources (DERs) can give organizations […]

Prominent private equity investment firm Blackstone has agreed to acquire the 774-MW Potomac Energy Center—a natural gas power plant located in Virginia’s “Data Center Alley”—in a deal reportedly valued at approximately $1 billion, according to sources familiar with the matter. Previously known as the Panda Stonewall Energy Facility, the Potomac Energy Center is situated within […]

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has selected Bechtel, Sargent & Lundy, and GE Hitachi to spearhead the initial planning and design phases for a potential BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) at its Clinch River Nuclear site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The collaboration, announced on Jan. 23, will leverage an innovative contracting model designed to streamline […]

South Carolina’s largest power provider Santee Cooper has issued a request for proposals (RFP) aimed at finding a buyer—or visionary—to take on what remains of the Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Station expansion. The two partly constructed AP1000 projects, abandoned in 2017 after a cascade of delays and cost overruns, could now offer a second chance […]

As you enjoy the comforts of air-conditioned homes, chilled watermelons at outdoor gatherings, or a cold beer at a barbecue, or perhaps as you charge a new electric vehicle, have you ever stopped to think about where the electricity comes from to make all these conveniences a reality? According to the International Energy Agency, global […]

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 […]

GE Vernova said it has completed a validation test series for its advanced Dry Low NOx (DLN) hydrogen combustion technology, designed for the company’s B- and E-class gas turbines. The group on Jan. 15 said the test campaign was conducted at GE Vernova’s Global Technology Center in Greenville, South Carolina. The testing phase “demonstrated successful […]

Advanced nuclear technology firm Oklo is partnering with Texas-based prime and backup solutions company RPower to roll out an innovative “phased energy model” that will combine natural gas and nuclear to offer a scalable and sustainable turnkey solution for data centers. The companies on Jan. 17 said they signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to […]

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 […]

A Florida-based battery energy storage provider is teaming with Idaho’s largest electric utility for a 200-MW/800-MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project designed to support grid resiliency. Prevalon Energy, a Mitsubishi Power Americas and EES joint venture, on Jan. 14 announced it had secured a contract with Idaho Power for the project, which will feature […]

Estonia energy company Fermi Energia has begun the site selection process for that country’s first nuclear power plant, more than a decade after government officials initially approved construction of a reactor. Fermi Energia on Jan. 14 announced the company has submitted an application to the Estonian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications to begin the […]

Competitive generation giant Constellation has agreed to acquire Calpine Corp. in a $16.4 billion deal that is set to create the largest producer of clean and reliable energy in the U.S. with an asset portfolio of more than 60 GW. The definitive agreement, announced on Jan. 10, includes a cash and stock transaction valued at […]

Deals involving the data center sector are occurring regularly, as tech companies make moves to ensure they have a reliable supply of power for their energy-intensive operations. Several generation types, both thermal and renewable, are being touted and pursued by groups involved with artificial intelligence (AI), data management, and cloud computing. Google, Microsoft, Amazon Web […]

Transmission congestion currently affects approximately 70% of the U.S. grid. Bottlenecks delay the interconnection of cost-effective clean energy sources, limit the transfer of electricity between regions, and raise operational and consumer costs. Dynamic line rating (DLR) technology mitigates these challenges with valuable newfound transmission capacity. DLR allows operators to utilize the maximum capacity of existing […]

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

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 electric power sector is undergoing a digital transformation with mobile applications playing a crucial role by enabling real-time data sharing and more efficient grid management. Innovative technology is

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

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 […]

Boiler systems play a crucial role across industrial, institutional, commercial, and other large-scale facilities. The systems are often complex and require meticulous oversight to ensure optimal performance and safety. This is where supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems are vital in supporting the management of boiler rooms. SCADA platforms are advanced systems used to […]

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 […]