Growing energy demand, advances in reactor technology, and recent legislative and regulatory progress are fueling rising interest in nuclear energy. This momentum could open the door to repowering retiring coal plants with nuclear—an approach that could boost local economies while providing the grid with clean reliable energy, as outlined in BPC’s 2023 report, Can Advanced Nuclear...
This DOE-backed software is helping to unclog the grid
Brian Fitzsimons, CEO of GridUnity, doesn’t think his company alone can solve the grid interconnection backlog that’s holding back the U.S. energy transition. But he’s sure that its software is a lot better than the combination of paper, spreadsheets, and email that most grid operators use right now. In fact, he claims his firm’s software can shave about a year or more from the...
Study Group Report Says Texas Ready To Dominate In Nuclear Energy, Too
“Texas is the energy capital of the world, and we are ready to be No. 1 in advanced nuclear power,” Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a news release Monday announcing the final report produced by the Texas Advanced Nuclear Reactor Working Group (TANRWG) that he created in August, 2023. The group’s charge was to conduct a study and...
HEATS On in the Lame Duck
Last week, the House voted to advance the Harnessing Energy At Thermal Sources (HEATS) Act, a critical piece of legislation aimed at accelerating the development of geothermal energy on federal lands.
Low-Energy Fridays: Are all these energy subsidies worth it? Not really.
The tax cuts adopted during the first Trump administration as part of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act are set to expire by the end of next year, putting extra pressure on the next Congress to adopt another tax reform. Republicans will likely try to extend those cuts as part of a budget reconciliation bill,...
How Hydrogen Can Strengthen the United States’ Energy Sovereignty
Political uncertainty over the past few months has hindered U.S. leadership in the global hydrogen sector. The Biden administration struggled to formalize a long-term clean hydrogen policy, posing risks to the country’s energy security. Following the recent election results and upcoming change of administration, there is now an opportunity to accelerate the adoption of clean...
Majority Leader John Thune and the Era of Energy Abundance
In his first public statement as elected Majority Leader, Senator John Thune (R-SD) remarked that one of Congress and the Trump administration’s priorities would be to “restore American dominance” to “lower costs and bolster national security.” With the right policy and regulatory reforms, policymakers can supercharge an abundance agenda that lowers costs and improves the...
Unleashing New Potential for State Trust Lands
In October, The Property and Environment Research Center (PERC) published a report, Diversifying State Trust Land Revenue Through Conservation Uses, which examines the growing shift toward conservation-oriented management of state trust lands in the American West. These 40 million acres, granted to the states by the federal government to generate revenue for public schools and...
Exxon’s Chief Has a Warning for Republicans
Exxon Mobil Chair and CEO Darren Woods urged the incoming Trump administration to avoid making turbulent climate policy swings — and he pushed the president-elect to reject carbon border taxes favored by some GOP lawmakers. In an interview with POLITICO, Woods signaled that one of the most powerful players in the energy industry might serve...
Farm Bill Faces Uncertain Path Forward Post-Election
While the election is now behind us, the future of the long-awaited Farm Bill remains in question. Farmers and ranchers have been waiting for the reauthorization of the bill for more than a year, since the last bill expired in September 2023. While there is a ready, bipartisan-supported version released by House Agriculture Committee Chair GT Thompson, it remains...