Power
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Commentary
The Next Blackout Won’t Be Caused by a Storm—It Will Be Sparked by a Talent War
Imagine a city going dark, not from a hurricane or a cyberattack, but because there weren’t enough skilled workers to restore power after a routine failure. While utilities scramble to fill critical roles, hyperscale data centers are hiring the same talent at premium salaries. The grid’s biggest vulnerability isn’t hardware; it’s a talent war that utilities are losing.
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O&M
Understanding Cable Rejuvenation: A Modern Approach to Grid Reliability
For more than 60 years, polyethylene (PE) and ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR) underground cables have powered communities, industries, and progress. The hope was these cables could last decades before needing to be replaced, but due to water treeing—microscopic moisture-induced formations that degrade insulation and threaten reliability, they’re aging more rapidly than expected. With traditional replacement being costly and labor-intensive, it was time for a new solution.
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Press Releases
Exus Renewables North America Closes $400-Million Credit Facility for Solar, Wind, Storage Projects
Exus Renewables North America (Exus), a leading independent owner, developer and operator of utility-scale renewable energy projects, announced the closing of a $400-million senior secured corporate credit facility. The facility will fund the development and expansion of the company’s growing wind, solar and battery portfolio.
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Data Centers
Wyoming Approves Data Center Campus That Includes 2.7 GW of New Natural Gas-Fired Generation
A major data center complex that would be served by 2.7 GW of new natural gas-fired generation has been given the go-ahead by county commissioners in Wyoming.
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Commentary
A Simple Way to Prevent Electricity from Becoming Less Affordable
Affordable electricity prices have become a top priority for consumers, policymakers, voters, and elected officials. Electricity prices for the residential, commercial, industrial, and transportation sectors averaged 6.7% higher in September 2025, compared to the same month one year ago. Residential prices alone increased by more than 7%, making it especially challenging for low- and middle-income […]
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Workforce
Building a Fusion-Ready Workforce: Why STEM and Trades Education Are Key to America’s Energy Future
Recent breakthroughs at U.S. fusion labs, along with new public-private partnerships, are bringing us closer than ever to realizing fusion energy’s limitless potential. However, the U.S. has a major gap to fill in fusion research and development (R&D), and workforce development.
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O&M
Generator Bearing Failures: Root Cause Analysis and the Role of Integrated Data
Hydropower is among the most mature and reliable renewable energy technologies, but its dependability rests on thousands of tonnes of rotating equipment humming quietly for decades. Generators are at the heart of those units, and their performance hinges on bearings that carry enormous radial and axial loads. When a bearing fails, the result is not […]
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Renewables
Renewable Properties Secures Additional $40 Million From AB CarVal
California-based Renewable Properties, a developer and investor in small-scale utility, community solar, energy storage, and EV charging infrastructure projects, announced that it has increased its existing corporate capital facility with funds managed by AB CarVal by $40 million to a total of $120 million. The funds will be used to secure new project opportunities and […]
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Commentary
Software: Batteries’ Unsung Hero
Global demand for power is increasing. In order to meet that demand, we need fast, dependable options. Battery energy storage systems (BESS) are the fastest path to new capacity, thanks to their agile deployment and ability to support flexible interconnections.
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Interview
The POWER Interview: Challenges and Opportunities for DERs
Akshai Baskaran is VP and GM, Energy Management, for Gravity, a San Francisco, California-based company that helps enterprises and their supply chain partners manage their carbon footprint. Baskaran provided POWER with his take on the challenges and opportunities for distributed energy resources in the current regulatory landscape.
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Interview
The POWER Interview: Investing in Energy Solutions for the Data Center Boom
The race to lead when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more about securing the power necessary for data centers and other AI infrastructure. In this POWER Interview, Andrejka Bernatova, founder, chairman, and CEO of Dynamix Capital Partners, discusses Dynamix’s belief that the energy and infrastructure industry is in the early phases of a decades-long transition to a low-carbon, sustainable future.
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Nuclear
Commonwealth Fusion Systems, Siemens, NVIDIA Will Develop Fusion Digital Twin
Nuclear energy company Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) said it would collaborate with chipmaker NVIDIA and energy technology group Siemens to develop a digital twin of its SPARC fusion machine. The companies said their work will apply artificial intelligence (AI) and data and project management tools to accelerate commercial fusion.
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Nuclear
DOE Backs Terrestrial Energy Molten Salt Reactor Project
A North Carolina-headquartered developer of small modular nuclear power plants announced it has an agreement with the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) for an initiative to build and operate a molten salt reactor.
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Press Releases
HASI, Sunrun Expand Business with $500 Million Joint Venture
HA Sustainable Infrastructure Capital (HASI), a leading investor in sustainable infrastructure assets, and Sunrun, a provider of home battery storage, solar, and home-to-grid power plants, announced the closing of an innovative joint venture to finance distributed energy assets. The partnership announced January 6 is expected to ultimately finance more than 300 MW of capacity across […]
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O&M
Shock Pulse Technology: Redefining Boiler Performance
The thermal utilization of sustainable fuels and the recovery of waste heat play a central role in today’s energy generation and the decarbonization of the global industry. Industrial boilers are the backbone of this transition and provide steam for district heating, process applications, and electricity generation. To unleash their potential, boilers must operate cleanly and […]
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Data Centers
Liberty Energy Will Develop Gas-Fired Power for Data Center Group
Two Colorado-based groups are partnering to develop power generation solutions for data centers. Liberty Energy, the Denver-based oil and gas company founded by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Vantage Data Centers (also headquartered in Denver) on January 5 announced a partnership to “develop and deliver utility-scale, high-efficiency power solutions,” presumably natural gas-fired units, for Vantage’s continued expansion of its North American portfolio.
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Renewables
First Japanese Floating Offshore Wind Farm Comes Online
Japanese officials announced the start of commercial operation of a 16.8-MW floating offshore wind farm, a first for that country. The project partners, a consortium that includes some of the biggest names in Japanese energy, on January 5 said the Goto Floating Wind Farm also represents the first commercial application of a hybrid SPAR-type floater technology.
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Gas
GE Vernova Deploys Vietnam’s First HA Turbine at LNG-Powered 1.6-GW Plant
A major independent power producer in Vietnam said its 1.6-GW Nhon Trach 3&4 Power Plant has entered commercial operation. PetroVietnam Power Corp., a subsidiary of the state-owned PetroVietnam (PVN) Group, on January 5 said the facility is the first in the country to be powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG).
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Engineering
Selecting the Right Three-Phase Transformer Configuration: A Decision Guide for Power Distribution Systems
In power distribution systems, three-phase transformer configuration directly impacts system reliability and load management. Understanding the trade-offs between Delta and Wye connections enables engineers to
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News and Notes
POWER Digest [January 2026]
Vattenfall, Industrikraft Advance SMR Program at Ringhals in High-Stakes Deal. Swedish state utility Vattenfall and industrial consortium Industrikraft i Sverige AB signed an agreement, announced on Nov. 10
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Trends
Meeting the Moment: Industry Leaders Chart the Course for Power in 2026
From artificial intelligence-driven efficiency to transmission bottlenecks, power industry insiders share their perspectives on the opportunities and obstacles shaping 2026 and beyond. The power generation
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Electrification
Reshaping the Power Grid: Driving Resilience Through DERs
Distributed energy resources (DERs) have become a major part of the power generation landscape, particularly in support of a more reliable and resilient grid. Generating electricity from a variety of sources, including fossil fuels and renewables, using smaller-scale installations is now a key element of demand response and energy efficiency.
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O&M
Bridging the Gap: How the Power Industry Is Tackling Its Workforce Crisis
The power industry’s ambitious expansion plans for 2026 face an unexpected obstacle that has nothing to do with technology, regulations, or capital: there simply aren’t enough skilled workers to build and
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Gas
Germany Cuts New Gas-Fired Generation as Country Works on Energy Strategy
Officials in Germany are scaling back their plans to develop more natural gas–fired power plants, as the government wants to continue its path toward decarbonization while also recognizing the need to back
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O&M
Marnie Surfaceblow: Marnie and Maya—She Spies
Critical plant control systems can be vulnerable to both physical and remote attacks. Marnie and Maya demonstrate some of these vulnerabilities as they become white-hat hackers at a biomass power plant. The
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Interview
How Remote Operations Centers Are Reshaping Power Plant Operations
Centralized remote monitoring is reshaping power plant operations, enabling specialized teams to oversee multiple facilities from a single location. This discussion examines the technology, benefits, and
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O&M
New Products [January 2026]
Chicken Switch Hitter CBS ArcSafe, a leading manufacturer of remote racking and switching solutions for low- and medium-voltage switchgear, introduced the RSK-CSH-W Chicken Switch Hitter (Figure 1), a wireless
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Commentary
Grid Reliability Hinges on Workforce Stability
The grid faces unprecedented pressures as data center-driven demand skyrockets, with expected growth hitting 50% over the next 15 years. Meanwhile, utilities contend with record-high turnover rates and an aging workforce, half of which is expected to retire over the next decade. Without workforce stability, there can be no grid reliability. The sector is racing to modernize its infrastructure, but no amount of intelligent technology can replace human input.
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O&M
Filter Debris Analysis: High-Resolution Diagnostics for Power Generation Reliability
In reliability engineering, few indicators are as consistently revealing as the particles that infiltrate a lubrication system. Long before vibration, temperature, or performance changes become measurable
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Legal & Regulatory
Despite Federal Support, Economic Forces Are Driving the Future of Coal
The Trump administration during both its terms has prioritized its efforts on reviving the coal industry by introducing a series of policy changes and executive actions intended to boost coal leasing and production on federal lands. Yet, despite these political moves, coal’s trajectory in the U.S. energy market has followed a different path.