POWERnews

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced on March 27 that it will no longer defend its controversial rules requiring companies to disclose climate-related risks, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and governance practices. The decision, approved in a 3-2 vote along party lines, marks a significant shift in the agency’s approach to climate-related financial disclosures. […]

South African officials will allow some of the country’s coal-fired power plants to operate without the need to adhere to regulations on carbon and other emissions. The move comes as South Africa continues to struggle with producing enough electricity to power the country’s growing economy. South Africa, which relies on coal for more than 80% […]

Vestas said the company has secured a firm order for 68 of its model V236-15.0 MW wind turbines for Vattenfall’s Nordlicht 1 offshore wind project. The agreement announced March 31 is for the supply, installation, and commissioning of the turbines. The scope of the contract includes a comprehensive five-year service and warranty agreement followed by […]

Recognizing their desirable attributes and long-term potential to meet data center demands for power, several technology companies have announced their intention to team up with nuclear developers. At the same time, three companies with shuttered nuclear plants have notified the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission of their plans to restart those facilities, which were closed for economic reasons.

One week after a catastrophic fire at the North Hyde electrical substation plunged the UK’s flagship Heathrow Airport into chaos, questions are mounting about what went wrong—and what the incident reveals about the vulnerabilities in Britain’s aging power infrastructure. A massive explosion and fire that erupted around 8:20 p.m., on Thursday, March 20, at the […]

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has reissued a $900 million funding opportunity to accelerate deployment of Generation III+ small modular reactors (SMRs), removing community benefit requirements and shifting the focus solely to technical merit—a move that reflects the Trump administration’s revised energy and industrial priorities. The funding opportunity announcement (FOA)—officially designated DE-FOA-0003485—was first issued […]

The increasing reliance on battery-powered devices plays a substantial role in the unfolding environmental crisis. With industries and consumers dependent on single-use and rechargeable batteries, the global waste problem continues to escalate.

Lithium-ion batteries, while effective, contribute significantly to environmental degradation due to resource extraction, manufacturing emissions, and disposal challenges. Radio frequency (RF)-based wireless power technology is emerging as a viable alternative.

An Ohio town known as a hub for the burgeoning data center industry may soon have one or more new natural gas-fired power plants to support the area’s need for energy.

An Egypt-based construction group is partnering with a Spanish energy infrastructure company to build a 3-GW combined-cycle natural gas-fired power plant in Saudi Arabia.

German multinational chemical company BASF has commissioned that country’s largest proton exchange membrane (PEM) electrolyzer. The company said the 54-MW facility will have an annual capacity of as much as 8,000 metric tons of hydrogen.

Energy experts have called for bold reforms—from transmission planning to permitting streamlining and faster interconnection approvals—to prevent further volatility and ensure PJM Interconnection meets its reliability mandate without disproportionately burdening consumers. During a March 19 webinar hosted by Advanced Energy United—a trade group that advocates for policies supporting the transition to 100% clean energy—industry experts […]

You may have heard of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), our nation’s largest public utility and source of cheap, clean, and reliable electricity for 10 million people. You may even know that its Board of Directors is appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the United States Senate, making it directly […]

Advanced nuclear firm Oklo has signed an Interface Agreement (IAG) with Idaho National Laboratory (INL), marking a key regulatory milestone in the siting and environmental review of its first commercial Aurora powerhouse—a compact passive fast-spectrum reactor—targeted for deployment at INL by late 2027. The IAG with INL—a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)-owned and funded national […]

The energy industry is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by advancements in digital technology and the ever-growing need for real-time data analytics. As energy companies look to modernize their operations, they face unique challenges that demand innovative solutions. Some of the most pressing concerns for energy professionals today include: Increased risk of downtime and the […]

A virtual power plant (VPP) is a network of decentralized, small- to medium-scale power generating units, flexible power consumers, and storage systems that are aggregated and operated as a single entity through sophisticated software and control systems. Unlike a traditional power plant that exists in a single physical location, a VPP is distributed across multiple […]

California-based Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and hydrogen technology group Verne have demonstrated a novel pathway for creating high-density hydrogen through a research program funded by the federal government’s ARPA-E group. The companies announced their results on March 18. The demonstration validated that it is possible to efficiently reach cryo-compressed hydrogen conditions with liquid hydrogen-like […]

Data centers serve as the silent backbone of our daily lives, the epicenter of digital communication, corporate data, and countless innovations including artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and the Internet of Things. To ensure maximum uptime, data centers rely on robust security and consistent utility infrastructure—critical considerations in the design and development of data center […]

GE Vernova said it has an agreement with global energy developer RWE to provide 109 of GE Vernova’s 2.8-MW wind turbines for two projects in Texas. The new Honey Mesquite wind farm in Glasscock County, along with a repowering project at the Forest Creek wind facility near Big Spring, each will have GE Vernova turbines […]

The Trump administration has released a second loan disbursement of $56.8 million to Holtec International as part of an up to $1.52 billion loan guarantee for the restart of the 800-MW Palisades Nuclear Plant in Michigan. The funding, a key step in reviving the shuttered facility, reinforces a loan guarantee initially issued under the Biden […]

ABB and Canada-based Charbone Hydrogen Corp. have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement to collaborate on the development of up to 15 modular and scalable green hydrogen production facilities across North America over the next five years. The deal is designed to provide a clean fuel source for existing hydrogen users and heavy industrial […]

LS Power, a development, investment, and operating company focused on the North American power and energy infrastructure sector, on March 14 announced it has applied to build about 700 MW of new generation supply as part of PJM’s Reliability Resource Initiative (RRI), which is designed to expedite connecting shovel-ready, high-reliability projects to the grid.

An India-based company said it has started commercial operation of a 1,200-MW natural gas-fired power plant in Malaysia, part of a buildout of power generation capacity as that country’s population grows and its economy expands.

Increasing adoption of cloud computing gave rise to the development of data centers, but the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and the increasing demand for digital services has resulted in an exponential surge of data center growth. The industry is in a transformative phase that will be marked by significant developments in infrastructure, technology […]

Net-demand energy forecasts are critical for competitive market participants, such as in the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and similar markets, for several key reasons. For example, accurate forecasting helps predict when supply-demand imbalances will create price spikes or crashes, allowing traders and generators to optimize their bidding strategies. It’s also important for asset […]

The Trump administration has announced several regulatory rollbacks designed to curb limits on power plant emissions, along with cutting protections for air and water quality. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin on March 12 said the agency is moving to undo at least 31 regulations established during the Biden administration in an effort to […]

The SHINES project, or Showcasing Hydrokinetic energy Innovations for Northwest European Energy Sovereignty, is underway, bringing together 14 partners from France, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany. Co-financed by Interreg North-West Europe under the fourth call for projects, SHINES is set to unlock the potential of tidal and river energy systems, an opportunity still […]

Among the various types of valves on the market, ball valves are critical in high-pressure systems, enabling precise fluid control in industries like power generation, chemical processing, and oil and gas. Although they’re designed to handle extreme operational demands, the intense conditions of high-pressure environments make regular maintenance or replacement essential to minimize downtime, extend […]

Technology company Cisco is among the groups involved in six virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs) to secure energy from two solar power plants being developed in Texas.

A coalition of large energy users—including Google, Amazon, Meta, Occidental, and Dow—have pledged their support for tripling global nuclear capacity by 2050. The cross-industry commitment, announced on the sidelines of CERAWeek by S&P Global in Houston, marks the first time large energy users beyond the nuclear sector have collectively backed such an extensive expansion of […]

Maryland lawmakers have introduced a bill in the state legislature that sponsors say would provide an easier path to build new power plants, including natural gas-fired facilities, and lower utility bills for ratepayers as part of the process.