POWERnews
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Nuclear
Arizona Utilities Announce Effort to Add More In-State Nuclear Power
Arizona’s three major electric power utilities said they will collaborate to explore adding more nuclear power generation in the state, possibly placing small modular reactors (SMRs) or building large reactor projects at the locations of retiring coal-fired power plants. Arizona Public Service (APS), Salt River Project (SRP), and Tucson Electric Power (TEP) on Feb. 5 […]
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Wind
Enel, Meta Announce PPA for Oklahoma Wind Farm
Enel North America announced it has a power purchase agreement (PPA) for a 115-MW portion of the Rockhaven wind farm in Murray and Carter counties, Oklahoma. “As power demand increases due to electrification, data centers and AI, with nearly 25 years of clean energy leadership, Enel is ready to meet this opportunity with a portfolio […]
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Nuclear
Focused Energy, Livermore Lab Join in Support of Fusion Research
Focused Energy and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California have announced the signing of a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to develop a model simulating the behavior of low-density foams wetted with liquid deuterium and tritium during implosion. The agreement supports the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s INFUSE project. Focused, based in the San […]
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Trends
Georgia Power to Keep Coal, Gas Power Plants Running Longer as Demand Climbs
Southern Co. subsidiary Georgia Power has proposed a pivot toward extending the life of several existing coal and natural gas-fired power plants into the late 2030s—well beyond previous retirement timelines—citing rising electricity demand, regulatory constraints, and grid reliability risks. The utility’s 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), filed with the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) on […]
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Trends
Texas A&M Launches SMR ‘Energy Proving Ground’ with Selection of Four Nuclear Firms
Texas A&M University System has unveiled four nuclear developers with which it plans to explore building and operating small modular reactor plants (SMRs) at its Texas A&M-RELLIS campus near College Station. The project—dubbed “The Energy Proving Ground”—is part of a state-supported initiative to deploy operational advanced reactors in Texas within the next five to seven […]
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Nuclear
Streamlining Outage Efficiency at a Pennsylvania Nuclear Power Plant
Nuclear power plant outages demand efficiency, safety, and a high level of coordination to execute time-critical tasks and bring plants back online quickly. When a Pennsylvania nuclear power plant faced excessive critical path time due to outdated steam line plugs and a unique control rod blade transportation and storage requirement, the plant’s leadership engaged Preferred […]
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Nuclear
Going Nuclear: Why AI Will Lead the Next Energy Transition
As policies and regulations are adjusted to reflect a new presidential administration, the U.S. needs to unleash its full energy potential by embracing nuclear power. With opinions and regulations historically slow to adjust, the impetus for nuclear power may depend on the tech companies whose race for artificial intelligence (AI) may at last solve the […]
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Solar
Major Solar Tracker Technology Deal as Kinematics Completes Acquisition of P4Q
Kinematics, an Arizona-headquartered global group focused on intelligent motion control, said it has completed its acquisition of P4Q. Kinematics on Feb. 4 said it will now integrate P4Q’s high-performance electronics portfolio—which includes more than 1 million solar controllers deployed across 2,400 solar sites globally—with Kinematics’ installed base of 2.9 million solar actuators (Figure 1). The […]
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Commentary
Could Space Solar Power Play a Key Role in Disaster Relief?
The Los Angeles wildfires of January 2025 highlight a critical vulnerability in disaster response: power failure. With insured losses potentially reaching $45 billion and more than 170,000 residents displaced, reliable power could have supported essential emergency services and potentially saved lives. Space Solar Power (SSP), which can beam energy directly to disaster zones from space, […]
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Legislative
Oil and Gas Exec Wright Confirmed to Lead DOE
The U.S. Senate in a 59-38 vote has confirmed Colorado-based oil and gas executive Chris Wright as secretary of the Dept. of Energy (DOE). Seven Democrats, including both Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper from Wright’s home state, crossed party lines and voted with Republicans on Feb. 3 to confirm Wright. Angus King, the independent from […]