The risks posed by this concentration are worth taking seriously. The problem is that these tools may force taxpayers to take on unnecessary risk—leaving them stuck with the bill if the companies fail—without addressing the underlying problem.
Post
US race to compete with China on lithium runs into water battles
The US attempt to shift away from dependence on China for lithium, critical for batteries in electric vehicles and smartphones, has seen the Trump administration invest in Lithium Americas’ $3 billion Thacker Pass mine in Nevada. The renewed interest in developing the metal domestically has resulted in about 115 proposed mines popping up across the...
Post
Competitive transmission delivers benefits for the AI economy and customers
In April, incumbent utilities in MISO and SPP seized on grid strain from elevated electricty demand to make a remarkable ask. A coalition calling itself the Grid Acceleration Coalition — ITC, Ameren, American Transmission Company (ATC), Entergy, Evergy, Xcel and others — asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to suspend competitive bidding for transmission projects...
Post
Federal Grid Reforms Pick the Right Route and the Wrong Builder
The Department of Energy’s recent National Transmission Needs Study identifies several of these cases, where regions’ electricity costs would decline substantially if they were connected by a high-capacity transmission line. Providing these benefits to consumers, however, requires confronting not just the incentives that discourage utilities from building interregional lines, but the state laws that let incumbent monopolies control who builds them.
Post
High Blue State Gasoline Prices: New Study Details The Causes
It’s no secret that gasoline prices at the pump are higher in California than any other state in the U.S. and have been so for many years. The daily publications of gas prices by state from sources like AAA and GasBuddy clearly show this for anyone who takes time to look. Amazingly, the Golden State’s...
Post
Pennsylvania Wants Data Centers to Pay Their Own Way. There’s a Better Way to Do It.
Lawmakers in both parties are scrambling to address the issues revealed by data centers. President Donald Trump, his administration officials, and several governors (including Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro) signed on to a statement of principles that encourage data centers to bring their own power or pay for the power they need.
Post
AEP secures 13 GW of gas turbines as generation ‘central’ to growth plans
American Electric Power secured 3 GW of gas turbine capacity in the second quarter, bringing its total turbine supply that can be deployed by 2031 to about 13 GW, Bill Fehrman, AEP chairman, president and CEO, said Thursday during a quarterly earnings conference call. AEP has also secured options for an additional 10 GW of...
Post
Will the Ratepayer Protection Pledge Work?
As Americans crank up their air conditioning bills in the summer months, the importance of affordable, dependable power is critical but often taken for granted. Especially today, families are more acutely aware of how much they’re paying as electricity rates have risen at a pace more than double the rate of inflation over the past year.
Post
Growing Electricity Use Lowers Rates—Until It Doesn’t
Electricity bills are up, and data centers are getting the blame. But in the data so far, the states with the fastest-growing power use have mostly seen rates rise slower than elsewhere, not faster. Rising demand is supposed to push rates up, not down, but there are good reasons to think rising demand has held electric rates down in some areas. The question worth asking is whether we can count on that to last.