biden

  • Hydropower Growth Continues, Though Policy Challenges Loom in U.S.

    Hydroelectric power generation hit a 10-year high in Europe in 2024, while hydro growth in other regions—most notably China—kept the technology at the top of the list when it comes to global energy output from renewable resources. The International Hydropower Association (IHA) in its 2025 World Hydropower Outlook said hydro is playing a “stablizing role” in Europe and elsewhere when it comes to power supplies at a time of heightened concern about volatile markets and shifting policies around energy, particularly in the U.S.

  • Hydrogen at a Crossroads: What’s Next for U.S. Infrastructure?

    The federal government in 2021 passed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (BIIJA), which allocated $8 billion in funding to establish hydrogen hubs at multiple locations across the U.S. Seven hubs were approved for funding by the Biden administration, and some work has already begun to build centers of low-carbon hydrogen production within these […]

  • Navigating the Energy Future of Data Centers

    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 […]

  • Plug Power Gets $1.7 Billion Loan Guarantee From DOE to Produce Hydrogen Fuel

    The U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE) has continued to announce billions of dollars of loan guarantees to energy companies in the final days of the Biden administration, including for upgrades to energy infrastructure. The DOE’s Loan Programs Office (LPO) on Jab. 16 said it had given a $1.66 billion loan guarantee to Plug Power’s subsidiary, […]

  • DOE Announces $15 Billion Loan Guarantee for PG&E

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Loan Programs Office (LPO) has announced a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $15 billion to Pacific Gas & Electric, (PG&E), the natural gas and electric utility serving Northern and Central California. It’s the largest loan guarantee ever for the LPO, which under the Biden administration […]

  • DOE Loan Programs Office Publishes Community Benefits Plans for Energy Projects

    The U.S. Dept. of Energy’s (DOE’s) Loan Programs Office (LPO) has published Community Benefits Plans (CBPs) for several projects that recently finalized financing from the agency. The projects include the restart of the Palisades nuclear power station in Michigan, which is expected next year. The DOE on Oct. 29 said the CBPs are part of […]

  • Concerns About Appalachian Hydrogen Hub as Companies Drop Out; New Participants Sought

    A report from a group that looks at economic conditions in the Appalachia region of the U.S. says a hydrogen hub proposed for the area already faces significant challenges. The Ohio River Valley Institute in a research brief published this month said five of the 15 originally proposed projects in the hub have been canceled, […]

  • How the Presidential Election Could Impact Renewable Energy Tax Credits

    President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law in 2022. The IRA is the largest public investments in renewable energy in American history and created more than 20 different tax incentives for renewable energy and related manufacturing. Certain Republic politicians have directed vitriol at the IRA. However, even if Republicans win the White […]

  • Supreme Court Clears Way for Limits on Power Plant Mercury, Methane Emissions

    The U.S. Supreme Court has said that rules requiring power plants burning fossil fuels to reduce emissions of toxic substances can stand, dealing a blow to several Republican-led states and some power generators that had challenged the regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in May of this year finalized rules on emissions of mercury, after […]

  • Germany Will Support 10 GW of New Gas Plants, With Eye Toward Hydrogen

    German officials announced a new plan for the country’s power generation, a strategy that includes putting at least 10 GW of new gas-fired capacity up for tenders. Officials on Feb. 5 said the plants would be designed to eventually burn hydrogen at some point between 2035 and 2040, according to Germany’s Economy Ministry. The agency […]

  • Report: Biden Administration Will Provide $1.5 Billion for Palisades Nuclear Restart

    The Palisades nuclear power plant in Michigan could be another step closer to restarting, with reports saying the Biden administration in February will announce $1.5 billion in funding for the project. Holtec International Corp. purchased the 800-MW facility from Entergy in 2022, after Entergy closed the nuclear plant. Holtec was prepared to decommission the site […]

  • India’s Largest Solar PV Manufacturer Planning U.S. Factory

    India’s largest solar photovoltaic (PV) module maker is moving some of its manufacturing to the U.S. Mumbai-based Waaree Energies on Dec. 21 said it would build its first U.S.-based facility in Brookshire, Texas, near Houston. Waaree, a major equipment supplier for the U.S. solar power sector, on Thursday said the new plant would have an […]

  • Wind Project Approvals, Tax Credits Look to Outpace Macroeconomic and Supply Chain Headwinds in 2024

    Recent events in the wind power industry, all occurring on a single day, provide a snapshot of the sector’s challenges and opportunities heading into 2024. Ørsted, the world’s largest developer of offshore wind, on Oct. 31 announced the cancellation of Ocean Wind 1 and 2, two 1,000-MW-plus projects off the coast of New Jersey. In […]

  • U.S. Pledges to Help Philippines Develop Nuclear Power

    The U.S. will help develop a nuclear power industry in the Philippines after both countries signed an agreement Nov. 17 during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in San Francisco, California. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, speaking Friday during the meeting, said, “The United States will be able to share equipment and material with […]

  • Current Trends in Climate Change Technology Investment

    As the world grapples with fast-changing weather patterns, wildfires, record-breaking heat, and many other climate-related issues, it is becoming increasingly important to develop the technologies that will help to combat climate change. There is a race to develop new technologies that can capture, remove, and store carbon, create renewable energy, improve energy management and efficiency, […]

  • How to Unleash the Climate Action Potential of the IRA

    Throughout this past summer, we have seen some of the highest temperatures on Earth on record, and July was possibly the hottest month in more than a century. Wildfire smoke this year has blanketed the East Coast, marine heat waves have buffeted the Southeast, and Antarctic Sea ice has reached record lows. Washington lawmakers can […]

  • Streamlined Permitting Key to California’s Floating Offshore Wind Development

    Earlier this year the Biden administration hosted its inaugural Floating Offshore Wind Shot Summit, showcasing the efforts of federal departments to work with state, tribal, industry, and other interests to

  • Carbon Capture Key to EPA’s New Power Plant Emissions Rule

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unveiled new greenhouse gas (GHG) standards for the nation’s power plants, moving to require both existing and new facilities to capture emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) for the first time. The rule announced May 11, if implemented, would mean coal- and natural gas-fired power plants would have to […]

  • Biden Administration Announces First Offshore Wind Lease Sales for Gulf of Mexico

    The Biden administration on Feb. 22 announced the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind power development in the Gulf of Mexico. The Dept. of the Interior, through its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), said it would open more than 300,000 acres in the Gulf, an area that long has been a major part of […]

  • ‘Largest’ Floating Offshore Wind Farm Comes Online in North Sea

    An installation that at present is considered the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm has produced its first power, providing electricity for oil and gas exploration operations in the North Sea. Hywind Tampen on Nov. 13 began powering Equinor’s drilling at the Gullfaks oil and gas field. The wind farm is located about 87 miles […]

  • U.S., Others Tout $20 Billion Plan to Move Indonesia Away from Coal, Toward Renewables

    The U.S. and other countries have announced a $20 billion financing plan to help Indonesia more quickly shutter the country’s coal-fired power plants and decarbonize its power generation sector. “We’ve built a platform for cooperation that can truly transform Indonesia’s power sector from coal to renewables and support significant economic growth,” U.S. Special Envoy on […]

  • The Reasons Behind the Strong Support for Renewable Wood Energy

    President Biden recently laid out a detailed plan to strengthen America’s forests. Renewable wood energy—that is, biomass energy produced from wood that is not suitable for higher-value products—is an

  • Amprius Technologies Among First Funding Recipients From Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

    FREMONT, Calif. (Oct. 20, 2022) — Amprius Technologies, Inc. (“Amprius”) (NYSE: AMPX), a leader in ultra-high energy density lithium-ion batteries with its Silicon Nanowire Anode Platform, today announced that the company was awarded a $50 million cost sharing grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (“DOE”)’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (“MESC”). Amprius is […]

  • New Report Says ‘Historic Expansion’ Coming for U.S. Offshore Wind

    A new report from a business group that supports development of U.S. offshore wind projects details several factors that it says will contribute to a “historic expansion” of the technology over the next several years. The Business Network for Offshore Wind’s inaugural “Offshore Wind Quarterly Market Report,” released Oct. 13, highlights how recent government actions […]

  • Biden Administration Throws Support Behind Floating Offshore Wind

    The Biden administration announced a goal of installing as much as 15 GW of floating offshore wind energy capacity by 2035, and said it plans to auction off leases to support project development by the end of this year. The Sept. 15 announcement touted both the potential of offshore wind and its impact on reducing […]

  • Biden Signs Bill to Transform U.S. Energy, Combat Climate Change

    President Biden’s signing of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) should provide further impetus for growth of U.S. renewable energy, coming on the heels of a report from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) that installations of solar and wind power accounted for more than two-thirds of new domestic utility-scale generation in the first six months […]

  • Renewable Energy, Electrification Big Winners in Inflation Reduction Act

    The U.S. House on Aug. 12 passed a bill with major implications for the power generation industry, joining the U.S. Senate in supporting the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The bill, which now heads to President Joe Biden for his signature, includes major provisions to combat climate change, including support for a variety of clean energy […]

  • The Biden Administration Should Change Course or Else Your Energy Investment Portfolio Could Suffer

    Americans now face the highest inflation rates in more than a generation. That’s certainly true for energy prices, where oil has soared past $100 a barrel. Americans are now paying $5 a gallon for gas on average heading into the summer. But energy scarcity and high prices aren’t just problems for consumers; they’re problems for investors […]

  • Biden Pausing Solar Tariffs, Pushes for U.S. Production

    The White House is moving to support the solar power industry, including U.S. manufacturing of solar panels and other equipment, by pausing tariffs on imported solar panels from four Southeast Asian countries. The 24-month moratorium announced June 6 will exist while U.S. officials continue to look at the practices of Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, […]

  • DOE Launches $2.5B Fund to Upgrade and Build New Transmission Lines

    The Biden administration has launched efforts to shape the $2.5 billion Transmission Facilitation Program (TFP), a key Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) initiative dedicated to building out critical new transmission lines and related facilities across the country. The Department of Energy’s Grid Deployment Office on May 10 issued a joint notice of information (NOI) […]