Holtec International said the Palisades Power Plant, which was closed in 2022 and set for decommissioning, is now the first U.S. nuclear power plant to officially return to operations status. Holtec, which bought the Michigan-based plant to decommission it but instead decided the facility could be restarted, on August 25 said Palisades is now authorized […] The post Palisades Nuclear Plant Moved to Operations Status, […]
AI and the Grid: Smarter Paths to Renewable Integration and Grid Modernization
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, more than 70% of the nation’s grid transmission lines and transformers are more than 25 years old, straining under the pressures of rising electrification and renewable integration. As power producers, utilities, and grid operators push toward decarbonization targets, the need for more intelligent, responsive, and resilient grid infrastructure […] The post AI and the Grid: Smarter Paths to […]
Tigo Energy Initiates Manufacturing Partnership with EG4 Electronics
Tigo Energy, a provider of intelligent solar and energy software solutions, has announced a manufacturing and marketing partnership with EG4 Electronics, an American provider of innovative solar solutions. The agreement announced August 25 will see EG4 produce Tigo optimized inverters and Module Level Power Electronics (MLPE) together with EG4 solar inverters in the U.S. Solar […] The post Tigo Energy Initiates Manufacturing Partnership with EG4 […]
High Power Prices Are Stoking a Grassroots Wildfire—Here’s How to Respond
As Labor Day beckons, the hottest conversation topic isn’t a hit movie or summer pop anthem, but rather the widespread shock that ratepayers are seeing amidst unexpectedly high power bills. While widely predicted in the spring to those in the industry, this development is already causing headaches for operators and serving as an unpleasant surprise […] The post High Power Prices Are Stoking a Grassroots […]
Pacifico Energy Building Massive Gas, Energy Storage Project to Serve Texas Data Centers
An energy infrastructure company said it’s moving forward with the GW Ranch project, an off-grid complex in Texas that will combine natural gas-fired generation and battery energy storage to provide nearly 7 GW of power in Pecos County. The campus, sited on more than 8,000 acres, is designed “to support hyperscale data centers and the […] The post Pacifico Energy Building Massive Gas, Energy Storage […]
600 Workers Take TVA Buyout as Utility Seeks to Cut $1 Billion in Spending
A spokesperson for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) confirmed that about 600 of the utility’s employees have taken buyouts. Some workers left the company starting in May, while others will exit by the end of September. The TVA on August 21 said the move is part of a plan to reduce costs as the federally owned utility tries to cut nearly $1 billion in spending […]
It’s Time to Listen to Transformers
A transformer fire at Heathrow Airport earlier this year triggered cascading power outages, cutting electricity to more than 66,000 homes, grounding more than 1,300 flights, and causing losses of up to £100 million. According to a recent report, the fire started because of a fault in a 50-year-old asset that subsequently led to short circuiting […] The post It’s Time to Listen to Transformers appeared […]
Vattenfall Narrows SMR Field to Two Finalists: GE Vernova’s BWRX-300 and Rolls-Royce SMR
Swedish utility Vattenfall has narrowed its small modular reactor (SMR) supplier selection to two finalists—GE Vernova Hitachi Nuclear Energy’s (GVH’s) BWRX-300 and the Rolls-Royce SMR—for potential construction of new nuclear capacity adjacent to its Ringhals plant site on Sweden’s Värö Peninsula. The announcement represents a critical step in what could become Sweden’s first new nuclear build project in more than 40 years. While the utility ultimately intends […] The post Vattenfall Narrows SMR Field to Two Finalists: […]
Debunking Nuclear Power’s Biggest Misconceptions and Why It’s Needed Today
Despite nuclear power’s unmatched ability to produce reliable, carbon-free energy at scale, it is often dismissed by clean energy advocates in favor of renewable resources like wind and solar. Cost arguments and public misconceptions around safety and radioactive waste have kept it out of many mainstream climate strategies. But as Tim Gregory argues in his […] The post Debunking Nuclear Power’s Biggest Misconceptions and Why […]
From Static Maps to Smart Systems: How GIS, LiDAR and Geospatial AI are Reshaping Utility Inspections
Visual inspections of the power grid have traditionally relied on manual methods and reactive responses. These inspections, whether performed on foot, by helicopter or drone, often involve fragmented data systems and delayed reporting cycles. The approach worked for decades, but it is no longer sufficient. Utilities are now facing intensified pressure on several fronts. Infrastructure […] The post From Static Maps to Smart Systems: How […]