In 2017, I met the CEO of a major German manufacturing company. The CEO was envious of the U.S. and its position as an energy powerhouse. Our development of oil and gas had made energy so abundant and affordable that he was exploring opportunities to open new manufacturing facilities in the U.S. On the Senate...
Articles by Cecilia Fassett
National Grid to Invest Up to $44.5 Billion in U.K. Electricity Transmission
National Grid plans to ramp up investment in its electricity-transmission business as the world accelerates the transition from fossil fuels to clean power. This follows a trend of energy utilities across Europe that are increasing investments to update old grids as they bet on a boom in power demand amid rising electrification, industrial decarbonization, and artificial-intelligence...
Oklo inks 12-GW advanced reactor supply agreement with data center developer Switch
The Oklo-Switch deal represents “one of the largest corporate power agreements in history,” Oklo said. It is larger than a 10.5-GW deal announced in May between Microsoft and Brookfield Asset Management that was “almost eight times larger than the largest single corporate [power purchase agreement] ever signed,” a Brookfield executive said at the time. The five-year Microsoft-Brookfield...
‘Good riddance’ says Oklahoma governor as DOE nixes 7 national transmission corridors, refines 3
The U.S. Department of Energy on Monday opened a 60-day public comment on three potential national interest electric transmission corridor designations, known as NIETCs, which would allow the federal government to support and expedite grid expansion projects in those areas. The three potential NIETCs were chosen from an initial list of 10, published in May. The remaining areas...
Congress to Extend 2018 Farm Bill and Allocate $10 Billion in Aid
With lawmakers unable to pass a new farm bill this Congress, $10 billion in economic assistance was included for farmers facing hardships from low crop yields, declining commodity prices, and natural disasters, which resulted in $21.94 billion of crop losses in 2023 alone.
A Tale of two Studies: DOE Study Rehashes Debunked Claims While New Analysis Highlights Critical Impacts of U.S. LNG
The U.S. Department of Energy released its long-awaited study on LNG exports Tuesday, and while the administration didn’t officially call for a ban on LNG exports – they might as well have. In a politically charged statement, U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said “that a business-as-usual approach is neither sustainable nor advisable,” echoing similar claims to those made...
Vineyard Wind Resumes Turbine Blade Installation Following Five-Month Suspension
Vineyard Wind has resumed turbine blade installation on its offshore wind farm, marking the first such activity since a blade broke off earlier this year. Vineyard Wind and government officials confirmed that the work commenced on Saturday, and three blades were successfully installed over the weekend. The resumption follows a five-month hiatus after a catastrophic...
What’s in, what’s out of the year-end funding deal
Congressional leaders finalized a deal Tuesday to extend government funding, approve more than $100 billion in disaster aid and advance a slew of bipartisan priorities that had been awaiting action for months. The stopgap funding measure, if approved this week as expected, will kick Friday night’s funding deadline to March 14, buying congressional appropriators nearly...
The World’s First Commercial Fusion Plant Will Be in Virginia
Commonwealth Fusion Systems, the buzziest and most well-funded company in the increasingly buzzy and well-funded fusion sector, announced today that it will build a commercial fusion power plant in Chesterfield County, Virginia — a first for both the company and the world. CFS will independently finance, build, own, and operate the 400-megawatt plant, which will produce...
This Hydrogen Storage Startup Envisions A Breakthrough on the Horizon
A new player in the hydrogen storage market is emerging. California-based H2MOF, co-founded in 2021 by two renowned scientists Fraser Stoddart and Omar Yaghi, is preparing for a technological breakthrough in the field of hydrogen storage. Stoddart won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2016 and has received more than 73 global awards and metals....









