energy security
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Legal & Regulatory
DOE Issues $2.7B Orders to Scale Domestic Nuclear LEU and HALEU Enrichment
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued its first production-scale task orders under a $2.7-billion uranium enrichment program launched in 2024, awarding $900 million each to Centrus Energy Corp., General Matter, and Orano Federal Services to expand domestic capacity for conventional low-enriched uranium (LEU) and high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) over the next decade. The […]
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Trends
The Age of Electricity and 5 Other Forces Reshaping the Global Energy Outlook
The world has firmly crossed into the “Age of Electricity.” That is a unifying finding in the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) 2025 edition of the World Energy Outlook (WEO), which shows a global
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Nuclear
UK Confirms Wylfa as Launch Site for First Nuclear SMR Fleet
The UK has confirmed that Wylfa on the island of Anglesey, North Wales, will host three Rolls-Royce small modular reactors (SMRs) that could deliver first power in the mid-2030s—launching a state-backed, fleet-based nuclear deployment through publicly owned entity Great British Energy–Nuclear (GBE-N). The UK government has framed the SMR project, which is underpinned by more […]
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Trends
U.S.–UK Nuclear Partnership Spurs Historic Wave of Fuel, SMR, and EPC Deals—Here’s the Rundown
The most significant week in transatlantic nuclear cooperation since the 1950s atomic partnership unfolded Sept. 14–24, 2025, as a coordinated surge of commercial agreements—totaling over $100 billion—spanned advanced reactor deployments, advanced nuclear fuel supply chains, nuclear waste management, maritime nuclear applications, engineering services, and regulatory harmonization. Formalized under the Atlantic Partnership for Advanced Nuclear Energy […]
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Commentary
How Innovation in Nuclear Power Projects is Rewriting the Business Energy Playbook
Global energy demand is accelerating, and organizations are increasingly turning to nuclear power to secure stable, long-term electricity supplies. Advances in AI, modular design, and predictive analytics are helping overcome legacy hurdles of cost, complexity, and schedule, while business leaders shift capital toward projects that prioritize resilience as much as efficiency.
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International
Cuba Accelerates Solar Expansion with 2,000 MW Plan by 2028
The Cabaiguán photovoltaic park, with a capacity of 21.87 MW, located in the central province of Sancti Spíritus, began operations after just over two months of installation. This is part of Cuba’s national plan that calls for the construction of 55 solar parks by 2025, each with a capacity of 21.8 MW, with a total […]
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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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Coal
China Coal-Fired Generation Additions Tied to Economics, Energy Security
China’s construction of coal-fired power plants reached nearly a 10-year high in the past year, even as the country also continues a massive expansion of renewable energy installations. A February report
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Power
Europe Risks Grid Crisis Without Immediate Action on Dispatchable Power, Group Warns
Europe’s ambitious push toward carbon neutrality is rapidly replacing fossil fuel–fired power generation with variable renewable resources (VRE), but this shift is exposing the region to a growing risk of
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T&D
Heathrow Airport Transformer Fire Prompts Urgent Inquiry, Exposes Cracks in Grid Resilience
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 […]
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Trends
Tech and Industry Giants Pledge to Triple Global Nuclear Power by 2050
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 […]
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Data Centers
The SMR Gamble: Betting on Nuclear to Fuel the Data Center Boom
Data center power demand is accelerating, pushing the grid to its limits and prompting tech giants to bet on next-generation nuclear reactors. But given steep costs, regulatory hurdles, and uncertain
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International
China’s Belt and Road Initiative Is Reshaping Global Power Infrastructure
Since 2013, when China launched its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), interest in the measure has been sharply divided. Proponents in Beijing and across the Global South view the BRI as a transformational
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Power
Vantage, VoltaGrid Partner to Deliver 1 GW of Fast-Deploying Power for Data Centers
Vantage Data Centers, a prominent developer and operator of data center campuses, is teaming with VoltaGrid, an innovative microgrid power generator, to deploy more than 1 GW of power capacity across Vantage’s expanding North American data center portfolio. The strategic partnership, unveiled on Feb. 11, will set a “new benchmark for speed, reliability and energy […]
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Nuclear
Six Companies Tapped for $2.7 Billion LEU Push to Boost Domestic Nuclear Fuel Supply
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has named six companies that will compete for 10-year contracts totaling $2.7 billion for the supply of low-enriched uranium (LEU) to support the nation’s nuclear power fleet. The initiative seeks to reduce reliance on Russian imports and foster strong commercial sector investment to build out a resilient fuel supply […]
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Renewables
POWER Digest (December 2024)
Egypt Reducing Renewable Energy Target. Karim Badawi, petroleum minister for Egypt, said the country has cut the amount of renewable energy it will likely have online by 2040. Badawi on Oct. 20, speaking at
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Trends
Can Nuclear’s Big Recent Wins Propel a True Global Revival?
While the past year has marked stunning triumphs for nuclear energy, experts caution that high costs, regulatory bottlenecks, and the need for market alignment remain major hurdles on the path to a true
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Power
Project Pele, DOD’s HTGR Mobile Nuclear Microreactor, Breaks Ground
Groundbreaking has kicked off at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), where Project Pele—the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) full-scale transportable microreactor prototype—will be placed for testing in 2026. When operational, the reactor will become the “first-ever Generation IV nuclear reactor to generate electricity in the U.S.,” the DOD said on Sept. 24. Project Pele, developed under a […]
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Trends
IAEA: Aging Nuclear Fleet Warrants Reactor Life Extensions, Much More New Capacity
While global nuclear power capacity has remained at a consistent level over the past decade, newly released data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) suggests that more than two-thirds of the world’s nuclear reactors are more than 30 years old, and nearly a third have been in operation for 40 years. According to the […]
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Supply Chains
U.S. Seeks Bids for Domestic Low-Enriched Uranium to Counter Russian Influence
In a strategic move to jumpstart domestic uranium enrichment capacity in the U.S., the Department of Energy (DOE) has launched a request for proposals (RFP) to buy low-enriched uranium (LEU) from domestic suppliers. The RFP will seek LEU through procurement contracts for indefinite quantity and indefinite delivery (IDIQ). It could result in awards of “two […]
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Nuclear
Congress Approves Ban on Imports of Enriched Uranium From Russia
The U.S. Senate on April 30 passed—by unanimous consent—a bill to ban imports of unirradiated low-enriched uranium (LEU) produced in Russia. The bill now heads to the president’s desk for signature into law. The Senate passed the Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act (H.R. 1042), which the House of Representatives passed (also by unanimous consent) by […]
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Interview
Landrieu: Politics Not Aligned with Energy Reality
A significant disconnect between political rhetoric and the practical realities of energy production is posing an insidious hurdle for the future of power, former Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) has warned. Speaking candidly to POWER during CERAweek by S&P Global in Houston on March 21, the influential three-term Democrat (1997–2015) who chaired the U.S. Senate Energy […]
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Nuclear
OPG, Capital Power to Explore Small Modular Nuclear Reactors in Alberta
Ontario Power Generation (OPG) and North American power producer Capital Power Corp. will jointly examine the feasibility of developing small modular reactors (SMRs) in Alberta, including possible ownership and operating structures. The companies on Jan. 15 announced they signed a two-year commitment agreement to assess the feasibility of jointly owning and operating SMRs in Alberta […]
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Nuclear
UK Lays Out Fourfold Nuclear Power Expansion in Comprehensive Roadmap
A roadmap released by the UK government on Jan. 11 aimed at quadrupling the country’s nuclear power capacity by 2050 sets out a series of goals and actions that could enable the delivery of 3 GW to 7 GW every five years from 2030 to 2044. In its 78-page Civil Nuclear Roadmap, the UK lays […]
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Trends
UK Eyes Domestic HALEU Nuclear Fuel Production as Global Interest Ramps Up
The UK may be poised to become the first European country to launch domestic production of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU). New funding announced by the country’s government this week signifies global momentum to establish a reliable supply of the specialist fuel that will be required for advanced nuclear reactors. The UK’s Department for Energy Security […]
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Trends
A Multi-Dimensional Crisis: Six Global Power Sector Trends to Watch
Fifty years after the first global oil shock in 1973, the world’s energy sector is again facing high geopolitical tensions and uncertainty—though this time around, “pressures are coming from multiple
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Trends
SRP Shifts from Traditional IRP to ‘Holistic’ Power Planning
Salt River Project (SRP) has become one of the first U.S. utilities to shift from an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) to an Integrated System Plan (ISP), a “holistic roadmap” that takes into account evolving power system needs, energy affordability, and carbon reduction goals. The pioneering move by the public power entity that provides power and […]
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Gas
Melaka: Malaysia’s 2.2-GW Cutting-Edge Combined Cycle Gas Power Plant
The Edra Melaka Power Plant (EMPP), the world’s second GE 9HA.02 gas turbine power plant, is the largest combined cycle gas-fired power plant currently in operation in Malaysia. A POWER Top Plant winner, the
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Commentary
Germany’s Energy History Is at the Root of Its Current Challenges
Over a year after the start of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, Germany is at the heart and center of current debate when it comes to energy dependence. Like most European countries, Germany did not have adequate time to wean off Russia’s rich and steady inflow of natural gas. But the impact of Russia’s abrupt supply […]
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Nuclear
Major Engineering Services Contract Launches Poland’s First Nuclear Power Project
Polskie Elektrownie Jądrowe (PEJ), Poland’s designated entity tasked with developing the country’s first nuclear plant in Pomerania, has signed an engineering services contract with a Westinghouse-Bechtel consortium, allowing site-specific work to begin on the AP1000 power plant. The companies announced the “historic” contract on Sept. 27, one week after nuclear technology giant Westinghouse and global […]