The November election changed America’s direction in many ways, but none more than energy policy. For an example, consider the Biden Administration’s political two-step designed to give a President Kamala Harris the ability to block liquefied natural gas export projects. Recall that in January President Biden, prodded by White House climate adviser John Podesta, announced the Administration was...
CPUC approves $723 million in ratepayer costs to extend life of Diablo Canyon nuclear plant
The California Public Utilities Commission has approved $722.6 million in ratepayer costs to cover the continued operation of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant — the state’s only functioning nuclear energy source. The plant was scheduled to begin shutting down in November, but its lifespan was extended in a last-minute legislative deal struck by Gov. Gavin...
AI’s energy hunger fuels geothermal startups but natgas rivalry clouds future
Geothermal energy startups are on the upswing with Big Tech companies looking to feed their power-intensive AI data centers, but long-term investments remain uncertain as oil majors double down on natural gas. Meta and Alphabet’s Google are among the tech companies partnering with startups proposing to produce geothermal electricity, to power their data centers. Large data-center operators...
Qcells says technology breakthrough could reduce space needed for solar panels
Hanwha Corp’s Qcells said on Wednesday it had made a breakthrough in an emerging solar technology that has the potential to reduce the amount of space required by panels that generate power from the sun’s rays. Space is among the most pressing issues for the rapidly growing solar power industry, which has encountered growing opposition...
Chris Wright Poised to Restore U.S. Energy Dominance at DOE
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...
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...
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...