Latest
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Trends
Extra Effort: Filling the Gaps in Demand Response
The dual challenges of affordability and growing load demand are putting enormous stress on utilities, communities and households. Demand response, a key part of the solution, is falling short, but innovative payment plans can help fill the gap. Residential demand response (DR) is like the aerobic exercise of the electric utility industry. We all know […]
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Commentary
Why Grid Hardening Is No Longer Optional
In the past decade, we have seen “once in a century storms” almost every year, flash floods wiping out entire towns, and extreme heat that melts shoes on pavement. Our climate is becoming more extreme, and we need to be proactive in preparing our infrastructure for more to come. The annual average for U.S. billion-dollar […]
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O&M
From Static Maps to Smart Systems: How GIS, LiDAR and Geospatial AI are Reshaping Utility Inspections
Visual inspections of the power grid have traditionally relied on manual methods and reactive responses. These inspections, whether performed on foot, by helicopter or drone, often involve fragmented data systems and delayed reporting cycles. The approach worked for decades, but it is no longer sufficient. Utilities are now facing intensified pressure on several fronts. Infrastructure […]
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Energy Storage
Fullmark Energy Brings Another Energy Storage Project Online in California
A Midwest-based energy storage developer and independent power producer said it has brought the third project in a strategic collection of California energy storage facilities online. Fullmark Energy, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, on August 20 announced the start of commercial operation for the company’s 20-MW/40-MWh Ortega energy storage project in Lake Elsinore. Fullmark on Wednesday […]
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Data Centers
Aalo Atomics Secures Capital, Regulatory Backing for 2026 Modular Nuclear Project at INL, Eyes Potential First Data Center Pairing
Advanced nuclear firm Aalo Atomics has secured new capital and regulatory backing to complete construction of its 10-MWe Aalo-X reactor at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The project, recently selected under the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) new Nuclear Reactor Pilot Program, will demonstrate cold criticality by July 2026 in an unusually aggressive federal milestone for advanced […]
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Trends
AI and the Energy Transition: Building a Smarter, Decarbonized Energy System
Solar energy generation from a rooftop panel system can be monitored quickly and easily, an example of how artificial intelligence (AI) and digital tools are empowering businesses to optimize energy use and contribute to a decentralized, decarbonized grid. The energy transition is accelerating. Electrification is surging, renewable power generation is expanding and energy consumption patterns […]
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Commentary
Powering the Data Center Future: Understanding the Resurgence of Nuclear
With billions of dollars pouring into the sector from power players like Google and Amazon, the data center industry is having a moment. But this surge in investment and interest has also brought up serious questions—particularly around how we are going to power these massive computing engines. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, data […]
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Renewables
Solar Farm Will Power Meta Data Center in South Carolina
A major solar farm owner and operator is partnering with an electric cooperative to build a 100-MW solar power facility that will serve Meta’s first data center in South Carolina. Meta, the parent of Facebook, Instagram, and other social media and communication platforms, is expanding its relationship with Silicon Ranch, a project developer and independent […]
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nuclear technology
TVA Inks First U.S. Utility PPA for Gen IV Nuclear Power in Landmark Three-Way Deal with Google, Kairos
The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has signed a first-of-its-kind power purchase agreement (PPA) with advanced nuclear technology firm Kairos Power to buy power from the company’s planned Hermes 2, a molten salt nuclear reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The deal makes TVA the first U.S. utility to contract for electricity from a Gen-IV reactor. Under […]
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Partner Content
Schweitzer Drive Presents: New Nuclear, Thinking Big With Westinghouse
Sponsored by:In this episode of Schweitzer Drive, host Dave Whitehead sits down with Dr. Luca Oriani, President of Long-term Operations at Westinghouse, to explore the future of large-scale nuclear energy. They discuss the resurgence of advanced nuclear reactors, the lessons learned from the AP1000 deployment at Plant Vogtle, and how modern technology is reshaping the safety, […]
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