World entering the “age of electricity” as demand outpaces all other forms of energy Energize Weekly, October 23, 2024 The world is set to enter the “age of electricity” as demand has grown more quickly than any other energy source and is set to accelerate even more, according to the…
Google signs deal with nuclear company as data center power demand surges
Google signs deal with nuclear company as data center power demand surges Oct 14 2024 Google said Monday that it will purchase power from small modular reactor developer Kairos Power, as tech companies increasingly turn to nuclear power as a way to fulfill the growing energy demands from data centers.…
New York awards $24M for 26 clean energy innovation projects
New York awards $24M for 26 clean energy innovation projects October 07, 2024 The New York State Energy and Research Development Authority (NYSERDA) awarded $24 million for 26 innovation projects in multiple clean energy sectors on Oct. 3. The projects were selected through NYSERDA’s Innovation program, which is dedicated to…
Shuttered nuclear plants get a new lease on life thanks to power demands of data centers
Shuttered nuclear plants get a new lease on life thanks to power demands of data centers Energize Weekly, October 9, 2024 Aging – and even shuttered – nuclear power plants are getting a new lease on life, thanks to the growing demand for electricity from data centers and artificial intelligence.…
Three Mile Island nuclear plant will reopen to power Microsoft data centers
Three Mile Island nuclear plant will reopen to power Microsoft data centers September 20, 2024 Three Mile Island, the power plant near Middletown, Pa., that was the scene of the worst commercial nuclear accident in U.S. history, will reopen to power Microsoft’s data centers, which are responsible for powering the…
Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft balk at Ohio utility’s demand they pay for electric grid upgrades to support AI rollout
Google, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft balk at Ohio utility’s demand they pay for electric grid upgrades to support AI rollout Sep. 16, 2024 Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta have banded together to fight an Ohio utility that wants them to pay for upgrades to the electric grid that will be…
Promoters of clean-energy data centers in Virginia coal country unfazed by doubters
Promoters of clean-energy data centers in Virginia coal country unfazed by doubters September 10, 2024 Will Payne and Will Clear are all too aware of the skeptics. But those doubters only fuel the duo’s vision for Southwest Virginia. The former Virginia state energy office bureaucrats turned private-sector consultants have an…
Data Centers Face Seven-Year Wait for Dominion Power Hookups
Data Centers Face Seven-Year Wait for Dominion Power Hookups August 29, 2024 Dominion Energy Inc. expects the time it takes to connect large data centers to the electric grid to increase by one to three years amid a surge in requests, bringing the total wait time to as long as…
Why Mississippi coal is powering Georgia’s data centers
Why Mississippi coal is powering Georgia’s data centers Aug 27, 2024 Last October, Georgia Power approached regulators with what it said was a crisis. Unless they did something soon, they discovered, the growing demand for electricity would outpace production sometime in the winter of 2025. Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp and…
FERC rejects Basin Electric’s bid for special cryptocurrency mine and large load rates
FERC rejects Basin Electric’s bid for special cryptocurrency mine and large load rates Energize Weekly, August 28, 2024 The Basin Electric Power Cooperative’s plan for special rates for cryptocurrency mines and other large loads was rejected by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which said the co-op had not proved…
Data centers driving Oklo’s nuclear project pipeline
Data centers driving Oklo’s nuclear project pipeline 8.15.2024 Advanced nuclear company Oklo now has non-binding letters of intent for about 1,350 MW of microreactor capacity, a 93% increase from its 700 MW project pipeline in July 2023, the company told investors in its Q2 earnings call this week. Of the…
US utilities poised to ride data center demand wave in second half
US utilities poised to ride data center demand wave in second half August 13, 2024 U.S. electric utilities sounded bullish on demand from data centers powering the artificial intelligence boom after striking several supply deals during the second quarter, reinforcing market expectations of sales growth through the year. Top utilities,…
US to invest $2.2 billion to overhaul national power grid
US to invest $2.2 billion to overhaul national power grid August 5, 2024 The Biden administration said on Tuesday it is investing $2.2 billion to revamp the nation’s power grid to protect it against growing threats of extreme weather events. The U.S. government has been working to overhaul the country’s…
Eversource completes energy-efficiency upgrades for Torrington, Conn.
Eversource completes energy-efficiency upgrades for Torrington, Conn. August 05, 2024 Eversource conducted major energy efficiency upgrades to five community buildings and street lighting in the city of Torrington, Conn. With these improvements, Torrington is now saving about 427,000 kilowatt-hours of power annually, which is equal to reducing the emissions from…
U.S. electricity demand to rise spurred by the growth of data centers and electric vehicles
U.S. electricity demand to rise spurred by the growth of data centers and electric vehicles Energize Weekly, July 31, 2024 After remaining relatively flat for the last 20 years, U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow 13 percent by 2030, boosted by demands from data centers, electric vehicles (EVs) and…
Federally proposed bill promotes Energy Dept.’s use of AI in energy, national security, science
Federally proposed bill promotes Energy Dept.’s use of AI in energy, national security, science 7/15/2024 A newly introduced bill on Capitol Hill aims to advance America’s leadership in artificial intelligence (AI) by establishing a program at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that would promote the department’s use of the…
U.S. high-speed rail projects: The latest news
U.S. high-speed rail projects: The latest news July 9, 2024 The modern history of fast trains in the U.S. dates back to the High Speed Ground Transportation Act of 1965, an attempt by federal lawmakers to keep up with developments in Japan. In the first demonstration project under the legislation,…
Arizona voters will vote on going green fast or keeping fossil-fuel choices in the mix
Arizona voters will vote on going green fast or keeping fossil-fuel choices in the mix July 8, 2024 Three seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission are up for grabs in the coming primary and general elections, and the results of these votes will help set the state’s water and power…
Federal departments announce about $280M in funding for Alaska projects
Federal departments announce about $280M in funding for Alaska projects July 1, 2024 Three departments of the U.S. government have announced they have awarded about $280 million in new funding for transportation and energy projects in Alaska, money made available through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and…
How Chevron’s fall could remake the energy sector
How Chevron’s fall could remake the energy sector 07/01/2024 The Supreme Court’s decision Friday to give judges more authority over federal agencies creates new hurdles for the Biden administration as it seeks to promote low-carbon energy and address climate change. Forty years after the justices first decided Chevron v. NRDC,…
Taunton to test trains for South Coast Rail project
Taunton to test trains for South Coast Rail project June 17, 2024 The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority will run test trains for the South Coast Rail project starting today. Commuter rail trains will run through the Taunton area. According to the MBTA, The South Coast Rail project will restore commuter…
AI is poised to drive a doubling in data center electricity demand by 2030, studies say
AI is poised to drive a doubling in data center electricity demand by 2030, studies say Energize Weekly, June 5, 2024 Data centers, spurred by increased artificial intelligence applications, could double their demand for electricity in the U.S. reaching 9.1 percent of the nation’s electricity load by 2030, according to…
EchoStar wins $2.7 billion Navy contract
EchoStar wins $2.7 billion Navy contract May 20, 2024 EchoStar has been awarded a $2.7 billion contract to provide 5G smart devices and services for the DoD and federal agencies. In an announcement, the company said it had been awarded a contract for the indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract…
Biden hikes tariffs on Chinese EVs, solar cells, steel, aluminum
Biden hikes tariffs on Chinese EVs, solar cells, steel, aluminum May 14, 2024 President Joe Biden slapped major new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, advanced batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment on Tuesday, taking potshots at Donald Trump along the way as he embraced a strategy that’s increasing…
AEP Ohio: Data center electricity demands to put central Ohio on same tier as Manhattan
AEP Ohio: Data center electricity demands to put central Ohio on same tier as Manhattan May 14, 2024 AEP Ohio is asking state regulators to sign off on a new plan to deal with the surge in data centers in central Ohio that is expected to eat up so much…
AI could drive a natural gas boom as power companies face surging electricity demand
AI could drive a natural gas boom as power companies face surging electricity demand MAY 5 2024 Natural gas producers are planning for a significant spike in demand over the next decade, as artificial intelligence drives a surge in electricity consumption that renewables may struggle to meet alone. After a…
Where Are America’s Most Vulnerable Bridges?
Where Are America’s Most Vulnerable Bridges? April 29, 2024 Hundreds of aging “fracture critical” bridges across the US are in poor condition, according to federal data. But weighing their needs and safety risks is a challenge. On any given day, motorists make some 87,000 trips across the Calcasieu River Bridge,…
Philadelphia begins powering City Hall and the airport by a solar array 100 miles away
Philadelphia begins powering City Hall and the airport by a solar array 100 miles away APRIL 29, 2024 Philadelphia has begun pulling large amounts of power for city-owned buildings from a solar array on farmland near Gettysburg. The project, begun nearly six years ago under former Mayor Jim Kenney, started…
States rethink data centers as ‘electricity hogs’ strain the grid
States rethink data centers as ‘electricity hogs’ strain the grid APRIL 30, 2024 State Sen. Norm Needleman championed the 2021 legislation designed to lure major data centers to Connecticut. The Democratic lawmaker hoped to better compete with nearby states, bring in a growing industry, and provide paychecks for workers tasked…
Internet data centers are fueling drive to old power source: Coal
Internet data centers are fueling drive to old power source: Coal April 17, 2024 A helicopter hovers over the Gee family farm, the noisy rattle echoing inside their home in this rural part of West Virginia. It’s holding surveyors who are eyeing space for yet another power line next to…
North Dakota’s Dept. of Commerce looking at nuclear power to meet the increasing demand for electricity
North Dakota’s Dept. of Commerce looking at nuclear power to meet the increasing demand for electricity April 15, 2024 North Dakota’s Commerce Department has begun studying whether nuclear power could be used to help meet the increasing demand for electricity. That demand is being driven – in part – by…
PSE&G details energy efficiency achievements in new report
PSE&G details energy efficiency achievements in new report April 08, 2024 New Jersey utility PSE&G released a report last week on its Clean Energy Future Energy Efficiency (CEF-EE) program. Since the program launched, approximately 1.8 million customers have benefited from PSE&G’s energy-saving tools, while 360,000 have used PSE&G’s suite of…
Baltimore bridge collapse likely to pinch coal exports and energy-related imports
Baltimore bridge collapse likely to pinch coal exports and energy-related imports Energize Weekly, April 4, 2024 The collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, after being hit by a container vessel, has blocked the Port of Baltimore, throttling imports and exports of a wide range of goods, including cars, sugar,…
US freight rail, supply chain, now at the mercy of California’s net-zero emissions rule
US freight rail, supply chain, now at the mercy of California’s net-zero emissions rule 03/26/24 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is edging toward greenlighting California regulators’ plan to set net-zero emissions standards for locomotives operating in the Golden State. This scheme that could quickly spread to other states, threatening reliable…
Cyberattack knocks out Pensacola city government phone lines
Cyberattack knocks out Pensacola city government phone lines March 18th, 2024 The city government of Pensacola, Florida, is dealing with widespread phone outages due to a cyberattack announced over the weekend. City spokesperson Jason Wheeler told Recorded Future News that officials are experiencing phone issues across city departments that are…
U.S. Power Grid Struggles to Keep Up with Data Center Growth
U.S. Power Grid Struggles to Keep Up with Data Center Growth March 18, 2024 The exponential growth of data centers with a tremendous appetite for electricity rapidly is outpacing the capacity of utilities to meet their needs, pushing data center developers to prioritize new markets where they can be sure…
Housing gets big boost in Biden budget
Housing gets big boost in Biden budget MARCH 11, 2024 President Joe Biden on Monday proposed spending billions of dollars more to increase housing and to reduce homelessness as part of his $7.3 trillion spending plan for the next fiscal year. Biden’s 1,298-page proposal addresses a wide range of issues,…
DOE announces $45 million investment for cybersecurity research
DOE announces $45 million investment for cybersecurity research FEBRUARY 26, 2024 The Department of Energy on Monday announced a $45 million investment into cybersecurity research for the energy sector, including projects on artificial intelligence detection and response and quantum communication for the grid. DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and…
Texas Electric Utility Courts Unnamed Crypto Miners With Five-Year Deals
Texas Electric Utility Courts Unnamed Crypto Miners With Five-Year Deals Feb 17, 2024 In a recent report, the community-driven, nonprofit electric provider in Texas, Denton Municipal Electric (DME), is attracting interest from several crypto mining companies seeking to establish operations. These companies are eyeing a five-year agreement for powering their…
Facing a growing crypto-mining sector, the U.S. to require reports of power use by miners
Facing a growing crypto-mining sector, the U.S. to require reports of power use by miners Energize Weekly, February 14, 2024 Faced with a burgeoning cryptocurrency market and its rising demand for electricity, the U.S. government is going to collect monthly data on the industry’s use of power. The federal Energy…
AES positioned to provide tech sector with growing renewable energy solutions
AES positioned to provide tech sector with growing renewable energy solutions January 19, 2024 With data centers and generative AI (GenAI) driving an enormous demand for power and major technology firms working to fulfill ambitious clean energy goals, AES Corp. said it is positioned as the premiere provider of renewable…
New manufacturing facilities and data centers are driving increased electricity demand
New manufacturing facilities and data centers are driving increased electricity demand Energize Weekly, December 27, 2023 The U.S. electric grid is ill-prepared for a surge in demand coming from new manufacturing, data centers and in future years, electrification of transport and building heating. Meanwhile, the queue of generation projects waiting…
FBI: Play ransomware gang has attacked 300 orgs since 2022
FBI: Play ransomware gang has attacked 300 orgs since 2022 December 18th, 2023 The ransomware gang behind several devastating attacks on major American cities has allegedly launched more than 300 successful incidents since June 2022, according to cybersecurity officials in the United States and Australia. The FBI joined the Cybersecurity…
City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality Passes NYC City Council
City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality Passes NYC City Council Dec 7, 2023 On Wednesday, the New York City Council passed the City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality (COYCN) zoning text amendment, a wonky name for a mighty important change to the city’s zoning laws. The change will remove hurdles…
Ford and Xcel Energy will build 30,000 EV charging ports for fleet businesses
Ford and Xcel Energy will build 30,000 EV charging ports for fleet businesses Dec 5, 2023 Ford may be dialing back some of its larger EV investments, but it’s still operating under the assumption that a lot of businesses will be interested in electrifying their fleets eventually. The company is…
AI threats are here. Are Biden and the energy industry ready?
AI threats are here. Are Biden and the energy industry ready? 10/30/2023 The White House launched a new strategy Monday to protect American privacy — and critical infrastructure like the electric grid — from artificial intelligence gone wrong. But as AI creeps into the energy sector, experts say much more…
Lower fuel prices to lead to lower winter heating bills for homes using natural gas, propane
Lower fuel prices to lead to lower winter heating bills for homes using natural gas, propane Energize Weekly, November 1, 2023 Winter heating bills will be lower than last year for homes using natural gas and propane but will be up for those relying on heating oil, according to forecasts…
EVs could capture 80 percent of new car sales in China, Europe, and the U.S. by 2030
EVs could capture 80 percent of new car sales in China, Europe, and the U.S. by 2030 Energize Weekly, October 11, 2023 While it took six years for electric vehicles (EVs) to climb to from 1 percent to 10 percent of the passenger car market, in another seven, they could…
Dominion, in rare move, details data centers’ big electricity demands
Dominion, in rare move, details data centers’ big electricity demands Sep 18, 2023 Data centers, some of the biggest electricity users of all, have signed agreements with Dominion Energy showing they expect to use the equivalent of 35% of the record flow of electricity the utility saw during last year’s…
Under new state law, Texas will bill electric vehicle drivers an extra $200 a year
Under new state law, Texas will bill electric vehicle drivers an extra $200 a year AUGUST 21, 2023 Earlier this year, state lawmakers passed Senate Bill 505, which requires electric vehicle owners to pay the fee when they register a vehicle or renew their registration. It’s being imposed because lawmakers…