POWERnews

Ontario’s provincial government has given Ontario Power Generation (OPG) the green light to begin construction on the first of four  BWRX-300 small modular reactors (SMRs) at its Darlington New Nuclear Project (DNNP) site in Clarington, Ontario. “This represents the first new nuclear build in Ontario in more than three decades,” the utility noted. The province […]

U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on May 7 told lawmakers that the Department of Energy (DOE) is entering what he called “a golden era of American energy dominance,” outlining the Trump administration’s strategy to prioritize fossil fuels, nuclear power, grid modernization, and permitting reform, while positioning the U.S. to lead in artificial intelligence (AI) […]

On April 28, 2025, at 12:33 p.m. local time, a significant blackout affected the entire Iberian Peninsula, plunging Spain and Portugal into darkness. During a webcast on May 6, Sean McGuinness, Transmission and Distribution Protection Research Program Manager with EPRI, provided background on the Spanish and Portuguese power grids, and an overview of the events […]

A nuclear power project developer said it has a deal with Google, with the technology company agreeing to commit funding for at least three projects that each would have 600 MW of generation capacity. Elementl Power, founded in 2022 and based in Greer, South Carolina, on May 7 said Google would help the company move toward its goal of bringing more than 10 GW of nuclear power capacity online by 2035.

District energy systems can accelerate decarbonization of buildings in cities. The clock is ticking for building owners in U.S. cities that have enacted performance standards to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The carrots and sticks of local energy codes to tackle climate change are quickly becoming mostly sticks. With compliance deadlines looming, many owners of large […]

Residents to benefit from 75 MW of new renewable energy resources Chipotle Mexican Grill, the fast casual restaurant company cultivating a better world by serving responsibly sourced, classically-cooked, real food, has entered into an agreement with Nexamp, the nation’s largest community solar provider, to purchase renewable energy bill credits to support the construction and operation […]

Enverus, an energy-dedicated, software-as-a-service company that leverages generative artificial intelligence across its solutions, has released its 2025 Interconnection Queue Outlook, a comprehensive collection of power generation and transmission projects that show requests to connect to the U.S. power grid.

A group of attorneys general from 17 states, along with the District of Columbia, is suing the Trump administration over the president’s move to suspend leasing and permitting of new U.S. wind energy projects.

EDP Renewables North America (EDPR NA) has inaugurated the company’s 200-MW Scarlet II Solar Energy Park, in Fresno County, California. Scarlet II follows EDPR NA’s Scarlet I Solar Energy Park—a 200-MW solar farm with and 40 MW/160 MWh of battery energy storage system (BESS)—which achieved commercial operation in 2024.

Abundance Energy, sonnen, and Energywell Technology Licensing on May 6 said they will work together on development of behind-the-meter, battery-enabled VPPs. The program is designed to support retail energy customers of Texas-based Abundance Energy, while also providing support for the state’s power grid.

In late March, the Department of Energy (DOE) announced it would eliminate four efficiency standards enacted during the Biden administration. In addition, the Trump administration has issued statements suggesting that the power to choose appliances and energy-efficiency standards should not belong to the federal government, setting the stage for a state-level approach.

Sunraycer Renewables LLC, a developer, owner and operator of clean energy power sites, on May 1 announced the execution of two Environmental Attribute Purchase Agreements with Meta Platforms for Sunraycer’s Midpoint and Gaia projects in Texas. Meta will purchase 100% of the Environmental Attributes from Sunraycer’s Midpoint Solar project in Hill County, Texas, and the […]

Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are revolutionizing our power grids, dramatically enhancing resilience, and facilitating greater integration of renewable energy sources like solar and wind. This technological evolution promises a cleaner, more sustainable energy future, but it also introduces significant new risks, particularly fire safety challenges. High-profile incidents involving lithium-ion battery systems highlight critical gaps […]

Since 2024, America’s airwaves have been flooded with phrases like “nuclear renaissance” and “drill, baby, drill.” Energy affordability has occupied the minds of the president, state legislators, regulators, energy suppliers, and utility companies, as everyday Americans confront rising energy costs. States like California have seen an increase in electricity bills between 2021 and 2024 of […]

The U.S. stands at a critical juncture. We’re experiencing electric load growth for the first time in decades, as fierce global competition reshapes the energy landscape. Nuclear power, both the resurgence of fission and the promise of fusion, could secure our energy future and position the U.S. as the global leader in energy technology for […]

While Alberta’s historical energy legacy has been defined by coal and crude oil, the Canadian province has embraced renewables and carbon capture over the past two decades, and is now exploring small modular

Electrification is about offsetting energy coming directly from fossil fuels with electrons. And it’s a key strategy to support decarbonization across sectors. Depending on the generation mix providing the electrons, the amount of decarbonization may vary. But wherever a customer has electrified their energy usage, they stand to benefit from future deployments of clean generation resources.

U.S. President Donald Trump was sworn into office for the second time on Jan. 20, 2025. That means April 30 marks his 100th day back in office. A lot has happened during that relatively short period of time (Figure 1). The Trump administration has implemented sweeping changes to U.S. energy policy, primarily focused on promoting […]

Clean energy is accelerating, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a major driver. It introduced the largest package of federal clean energy tax incentives in U.S. history, with significant implications for developers, investors, and manufacturers across the sector. But taking advantage of these incentives isn’t automatic. The credits come with detailed rules around eligibility, […]

Alliant Energy said a 200-MW solar facility in Linn County, Iowa, was recently brought online.  The Pleasant Creek Solar installation—renamed after being known as Duane Arnold Solar during development and construction—is the largest solar power installation built to date in the state. Pleasant Creek Solar joins two other solar projects—Creston and Wever, which began operating […]

Aggreko said it has launched a 500-kW liquid-cooled resistive load bank, purpose-built for liquid-to-liquid data center commissioning and testing for North American customers. The energy solutions group said the load bank enables the testing of data center liquid cooling systems to ensure they will keep server racks within their optimal operating parameters, a key part […]

Pittsburgh International Airport, in partnership with Duquesne Light Company (DLC) and IMG Energy Solutions, a Liberty Energy company, on April 29 announced an expansion of a solar field as part of the airport’s energy innovation plans. The project marks DLC’s first power purchase agreement, boosting local energy production and economic development while making clean energy more accessible for the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania region.

The commercial solar industry, now more than 50 years old, is facing a pivotal moment. Years of rapid growth—driven by exponentially falling costs and rising demand—are running up against global supply chain instability, geopolitical tensions, and structural vulnerabilities in the latest module designs.

As wind and solar dominate global investment in renewable energy, hydropower’s potential to enhance grid resilience and expand energy supply remains largely untapped, and that potential is only expanding with the integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).

The clean energy transition is progressing rapidly, but this extraordinary transformation is not without its challenges: outdated power grids and a lack of balancing technology means that we are wasting vast amounts of clean energy and resources through curtailment. To address this, we need an integrated approach combining grid upgrades alongside the greater deployment of balancing […]

Recent executive actions announced by President Trump will go a long way in restoring the reliability of America’s electric grid, which has been eroding due to green energy policies and regulations that don’t reflect the real energy needs of the country. Under the Biden administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules were designed to force […]

GE Vernova will install new equipment at a power plant in Iraq, its first use of the company’s upgraded AGP XPAND technology. The latest version is an evolution of GE Vernova’s Advanced Gas Path (AGP) system introduced more than a decade ago on the company’s 9E.03 fleet to boost gas turbine capacity.

Utility Global, a clean hydrogen production group, announced it will partner with Hanwha Corp. E&C Division to carry out a preliminary front-end engineering (pre-FEED) and design study for the deployment of its proprietary H2Gen system at wastewater treatment plants in South Korea.

The U.S. power sector stands at a juncture, facing a confluence of factors that are poised to trigger an era of unprecedented growth and necessitate a large influx of capital. Driven by the increasing demand from data centers, the reshoring of manufacturing, and electrification across transportation, heating, and industry, the demand for electricity is rising at a pace unseen in recent decades.

A massive surge in energy demand is about to reshape the U.S. power landscape, presenting an opportunity for forward-thinking utilities. The nation’s energy demands are poised to explode, as everything from the enormous data centers powering the artificial intelligence (AI) boom to broad electrification efforts increase the need for electricity.