With governments and industry engaging more frequently and decisively on how nuclear energy can help meet their climate, electrification, and economic goals, attention is now turning to how we get the needed capacity built. While extending the operating lives of existing nuclear plants, some countries will need to build new nuclear capacity to meet their goals. But siting new commercial nuclear power plants is a […]
How Off-Grid Solar-Powered Electrification Can Drive More Revenue for Agriculture
As the U.S. pushes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, reaching that goal will require effort from all industry sectors. While transportation, electricity production, industrial manufacturing, and heating and cooling generate the majority of U.S. emissions, addressing the 11% contributed by agriculture is also critical to mitigating climate change impacts. COMMENTARY One way the industry can help reduce emissions is by electrifying […]
Powered Up—Taking Financial Viability of Solar to Next Level with Carbon Credits
Despite recent economic slowdowns, the global voluntary carbon credit market has nearly quadrupled since 2020, reaching a value of about $2 billion. COMMENTARY California, leading the way in the U.S. market, is again pushing for more action to combat climate change by implementing a grant program of $200 million for remote and disadvantaged communities to implement renewable energy systems. With the cost of solar decreasing […]
NEI Head: ‘This Is the Biggest Moment for Nuclear Energy Since the Dawn of the Atomic Age’
“Everywhere we look, we’re seeing demand surging,” Maria Korsnick, president and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI), said. “When we talk about demand for nuclear, we’re talking about the future of our planet, the future that our children will inherit.” Korsnick spoke those lines on May 15 as part of her “State of the Nuclear Industry Address” to open the Nuclear Energy Assembly, an […]
500-MW Hydrogen Power Plant Planned in Arkansas
An Arkansas city known for its use of renewable energy announced plans to break ground this year on a power plant that would be part of the state’s first so-called “hydrogen hub.” Officials in Clarksville on May 12 signed an agreement with Syntex Industries, part of SyntexNRG, to design and build the Syntex Hydrogen Power Plant. The current timeline for the project calls for at […]
Investment, Innovation, Job Creation—Why Solar’s U.S. Growth Drivers Will Suffer if Tariff Moratorium Isn’t Restored
Solar power is having a moment. While rooftop solar technologies have been around for decades, consumer demand, urgent climate change concerns, and competitive price points have coalesced, creating historical interest in solar power, including 700,000 homeowners installing solar panels in 2022 alone. COMMENTARY The industry is expected to grow by up to 30% this year, and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis has […]
NRC Issues License for Holtec’s New Mexico Consolidated Spent Nuclear Fuel Storage Facility
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has granted Holtec International a license to build and operate a consolidated interim storage facility (CISF) for spent nuclear fuel in southeastern New Mexico, despite the state’s opposition. Granted on May 9 after an eight-year process, the NRC’s license allows Holtec to “receive, possess, transfer, and store” 500 canisters holding about 8,680 metric tons of commercial spent nuclear fuel for […]
X-Energy, Dow Unveil Texas Site for ARDP Nuclear Demonstration
X-energy and Dow will site a proposed four-unit 320-MWe Xe-100 advanced nuclear reactor facility at Union Carbide Corp. Seadrift Operations, a sprawling Dow chemical materials manufacturing site in Seadrift, Calhoun County, Texas. The companies on May 11 said the small modular reactor (SMR) project, part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program (ARDP), will provide the energy-intensive manufacturing site with carbon-free […]
Microsoft Has Deal to Buy Fusion Power from Helion
Software giant Microsoft on May 10 announced it has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with nuclear fusion startup Helion Energy to buy electricity from Helion as soon as 2028. Andrew Holland, CEO of the Fusion Industry Association, said Microsoft’s deal is the first time a fusion company has signed a deal to sell electricity. Fusion power for decades has held promise as a source […]
Patent Filings Provide Clues to Future of EV Batteries
We are in the preliminary stages of an historic transition from internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The transition will be expensive and difficult in many ways. Innovation should ease this transition. Recently filed patent applications may provide clues about the direction of BEV innovation. COMMENTARY Most U.S. patent applications are published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) soon […]