On October 21, 2025, the grid reliability conference held by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) considered the issue of how to safely add data centers to the grid. [1] At the meeting, the North American Electric Reliability Corp (NERC) president and CEO Jim Robb stated that although grid reliability in the US is strong, challenges are growing. He mentioned the increasing number of small scale events and near misses that reinforce the idea of a “five-alarm fire” when it comes to reliability. Robb suggested that grid reliability challenges entail dwindling resource adequacy, weakening reliability services, extreme weather, interdependency with natural gas, policies affecting resource and fuel development, and more. FERC Commissioner Judy Chang warned that the US faces potential imbalances between electricity supply and demand amid uncertainty about how much load may come online and how much generation and transmission will be required to manage it. The need for planning and accurate load forecasting to resolve these issues was a prominent topic throughout the conference.
[USA] DOE releases nuclear fusion road map
As of October 16, 2025, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a nuclear fusion road map that reviews barriers to deployment and provides strategies to address them. [1] The road map suggests that the goal is to achieve private-sector fusion scaleup in the 2030s. The DOE stated that the road map will start the transition to a future Office of Fusion Energy and Innovation once its goals are met, after which the office will carve a path to fusion commercialization. The barriers to deploying fusion originate from Structural Materials, Plasma-Facing Components, Advancing Confinement Approaches, Fuel Cycle and Tritium Processing, Blankets and Fusion Plant Engineering, and System Integration. DOE envisions that in the next two to three years, the public sector will build small-to-medium test stands, start design of large-scale facilities, and pursue research and development regarding neutron sources. The road map plans for the private sector to start nuclear operation of early generation power plants five to 10 years from now.
[1] https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2025-10/fusion-s%26t-roadmap-101625.pdf
[USA] 12 Amazon SMRs to be deployed at Washington nuclear facility
As of October 16, 2025, Amazon announced that the planned Cascade Advanced Energy Facility in Washington will deploy 12 small modular reactors (SMRs). [1] The facility will be built by Energy Northwest with funding from Amazon. Three 320-MW sections will together comprise a 960-MW plant, in contrast with traditional nuclear power facilities with a 1-GW plant. The SMRs will be supplied by X-energy, which received $500 million in Series C funding from Amazon last year, using the company’s advanced nuclear reactor design. The facility will be built outside Richland, Washington, near Energy Northwest’s Columbia Generating Station. Construction is expected to commence at the end of the decade, with operations targeted to start in the 2030s. The SMRs will be the Xe-100 design, a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor developed by X-energy, each module of which can provide 80-MW of full-time electricity.
[1] https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/sustainability/amazon-smr-nuclear-energy
[USA] FERC ordered MISO to specify merchant projects inclusion in transmission planning
As of October 16, 2025, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) ordered the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) to specify when and how merchant high-voltage (HVDC) direct-current transmission projects will be integrated into its transmission models. [1] The decision, ruled 3-0, was in response to a complaint by Invenergy Transmission in 2022. The issue centered on MISO’s management of Invenergy’s planned Grain Belt Express project. The 5-GW, 600-kV project, which is set to run approximately 800 miles between Kansas and Indiana, is moving forward despite the US Department of Energy’s cancellation of a $4.9 billion conditional loan commitment. Invenergy complained that MISO failed to account for the project in its transmission planning process, creating duplicative projects. FERC gave MISO 90 days to specify when and how merchant transmission projects will be incorporated into its transmission planning processes. FERC rejected parts of Invenergy’s complaint, including the company’s request that the Grain Belt line be included in MISO’s long-range transmission plan’s base cases, Tranche 1 or Tranche 2.1.
[USA] Senate confirms FERC nominees, creating Republican majority
As of October 7, 2025, the Senate confirmed Republicans Laura Swett and David LaCerte to fill vacant seats at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), providing the agency with a 3-2 Republican majority. [1] Swett is an energy attorney and former FERC staffer. LaCerte is an official in the US Office of Personnel Management. [2] He was previously the acting managing director at the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. The nominees are joining the agency during the federal government shutdown. FERC will have three Republicans once Swett and LaCerte are sworn in, including Commissioner Lindsay See. Currently, FERC is considering potential rules for colocating data centers at power plants in the PJM Interconnection footprint.
[1] https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/416/7?s=1&r=1
[2] https://www.congress.gov/nomination/119th-congress/246/15?s=1&r=3
[USA] Dominion Energy seeking proposals for solar, wind, and storage projects
On October 8, 2025, Dominion Energy’s Virginia and North Carolina subsidiaries issued a request for proposals, seeking power purchase agreements for new solar, onshore wind, and energy storage projects in both states. [1] The company is interested in proposals for five categories, including: new photovoltaic (PV) solar, new PV solar generation co-located with energy storage, new onshore wind, new onshore wind co-located with energy storage, and new stand-alone energy storage. Dominion is also looking to acquire projects in the same categories. For PPAs, the company is seeking utility-scale solar projects of 3 MW or more and distributed solar projects of 3 MW or less. Only facilities located in Virginia will be considered.
[USA] Newsom vetoes bill to improve load flexibility in California grid planning
As of October 1, 2025, California Governor Newsom vetoed a bill that would have required the state energy commission to evaluate new and existing load management mechanisms and authorize it to include those findings in its biennial integrated energy policy report. [1] AB44 directed the commission to adopt a set of technical requirements and load modification protocols upfront to provide the load-serving entity with an option to reduce or modify its electrical demand forecast. In a brief statement, the governor said that the bill does not align with the California Public Utility Commission’s Resource Adequacy framework, so the requirements would not improve grid reliability planning and create uncertainty around energy resource planning and procurement processes. Many of the provisions were welcomed by clean energy advocates and utilities, though some lamented the loss of funding for the state’s grid reliability programs, including one program dubbed the largest virtual power plant in the world.
[1] https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AB-44-Veto.pdf
[USA] DOE announces termination of 223 projects worth $7.56 billion
As of October 2, 2025, the Department of Energy announced the termination of 321 financial awards supporting 223 projects, all from Blue states that voted for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election. [1] The awards, amounting to $7.56 billion, were issued by the Offices of Clean Energy Demonstrations, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Grid Deployment, Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy and Fossil Energy. Democratic lawmakers and consumer advocates said DOE’s funding cancellation is illegal and an example of a presidential administration executing a political vendetta that will hurt Americans. Award recipients have 30 days to appeal a termination decision. Some of the projects have already begun this process.
[USA] Permitting reform framework released by Bipartisan group in House
As of September 18, 2025, a bipartisan House group released a permitting reform framework that aims to simplify the process to build transmission lines, pipelines, and other power projects in the face of rising energy demand. [1] The 47-member group, also known as the Problem Solvers Caucus, intends to transform this framework into legislation. It calls for streamlining the permitting process by setting deadlines for court reviews of permitting decisions. The framework has arisen from repeated calls to address permitting reform in Congress this year. It includes several provisions, including: reducing the statute of limitations for permitting lawsuits to one year or less; restricting judicial standing for litigating projects to parties who submitted detailed comments during public review; requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to initiate interregional transmission planning while prohibiting allocating costs to customers; amending the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETC) process to allow for individual high-impact transmission lines; among others.
[USA] Connecticut and Rhode Island file injunction for Revolution Wind restart
As of September 17, 2025, the attorneys general for Connecticut and Rhode Island requested an injunction to lift the Trump administration’s stop-work order for the 700-MW Revolution Wind project, which is 80% complete. [1] In their complaint filed with the federal district court of Rhode Island, the states said that the project has been vetted through every layer of the federal and state regulatory process, yet the federal government has “arbitrarily reversed course and issued a Stop Work Order without explanation.” [2] The lawsuit is similar to one filed by Revolution Wind in Washington DC, also seeking an injunction. In response to that request, the Trump administration had replied saying that the fact that Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) previously “approved Revolution Wind’s [construction and operations plan] does not eliminate the Secretary’s authority for continued oversight.” The states have emphasized that the project’s supportive infrastructure is also far along with 90% of physical construction at the mainland interconnection site “substantially completed.”
[USA] Senate committee approves FERC nominees in party-line vote
As of September 11, 2025, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee advanced the nominations of Laura Swett and David LaCerte to fill the empty seats at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). [1] The vote was 12-8, with Senator Angus King (I-Maine) voting with the committee’s Republicans to advance the nominations. The Democrats on the panel opposed the nominations, however the full Senate must ultimately approve the nominations. Swett is an energy attorney at Vinson & Elkins and former FERC staffer. LaCerte is an official in the US Office of Personnel Management. Previously he was acting managing director at the US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board. During a September 4 confirmation hearing, Swett and LaCerte told senators that if confirmed, they would uphold the agency’s independence while remaining neutral toward generating technologies.
[USA] 2 Entergy gas plants approved by Texas regulators with $2.4B cap
As of September 11, 2025, the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUCT) approved a pair of new gas plants proposed by Entergy, but imposed a hard cap on costs of $2.4 billion to protect ratepayers. [1] This followed regulatory concerns that the utility had not made sufficient efforts to ensure the projects were cost-effective. [2] In a statement, Entergy CEO stated that the 754-MW Legend Power Station and 453-MW Lone Star Power Station plants are critical to serve significant growth in southeast Texas. [3] Entergy expects summer coincident peak load to increase 20% by 2028. According to a memo filed by PUCT Chair Thomas Gleeson, the capital costs for the dispatchable portfolio, inclusive of allowance for funds used during construction on which Entergy Texas may seek a recovery and a rate of return are capped at Entergy Texas’ modified estimated costs for each project in the portfolio ($1.6 billion for the Legend power station and $799 million for the Lone Star). A previous memo by Gleeson had contemplated a lower cost cap of $1.8 billion.
[1] https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Documents/56693_471_1537672.PDF
[2] https://www.entergy.com/news/entergy-texas-receives-puct-approval-for-two-power-plants-to-support-southeast-texas-growth#top
[3] https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Documents/56693_453_1532808.PDF
[USA] More than 85 scientists assert that DOE climate report lacks merit
As of September 2, 2025, a group of over 85 scientists has issued a joint rebuttal to a recent US Department of Energy (DOE) report about climate change, suggesting that it misrepresents climate science. [1] The group submitted a 400-page review of the assessment written by five scientists selected by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who allegedly share a contrarian view of mainstream climate science. [2] This comes weeks after the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Environmental Defense Fund filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration that alleges that the secretive selection process of scientists who share only one perspective violates the law. [3] The DOE’s Climate Working Group consisted of four scientists and one economist who have all questioned the scientific consensus that climate change is a threat, sometimes framing global warming as beneficial. The group of climate scientists found several examples where the DOE authors cherry-picked evidence and neglected to mention the negative impacts of heat and climate-change-fueled extreme weather events. They also suggested that the DOE relied too heavily on debunked research, misinterpreted other research, and failed to undertake a peer-reviewed process to ensure credibility.
[1] https://library.edf.org/AssetLink/0kdlw6oq5v8hsvj152eqx01b0qn74uuq.pdf
[2] https://sites.google.com/tamu.edu/doeresponse/home?authuser=0
[USA] Palisades one of the first to reach ‘operations’ status out of decommissioned nuclear plants
As of August 25, 2025, the Palisades power plant in Covert Township, Michigan, became the first decommissioned US nuclear plant to officially transition to “operations” status under the oversight of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), according to owner Holtec International. [1] This milestone follows the agency’s July 24 approval of Holtec’s licensing package to reauthorize power operations. [2] The plant is not yet generating electricity as it still requires extensive work, including reassembling the main generator and turbine. When Palisades returns to service, it will be capable of producing over 800 MW of baseload electricity. The plant’s new status follows its receipt of key licensing and regulatory approvals by the NRC in July. With this transition, Palisades is authorized to receive nuclear fuel and restart the plant once allowable conditions are met. Holtec is also planning to build a new small modular reactor (SMR) on the same site by the start of the next decade.
[1] https://holtecinternational.com/2025/08/26/hh-40-18/
[2] https://www.nrc.gov/cdn/doc-collection-news/2025/25-046.pdf
[USA] PacifiCorp urges FERC to dismiss challenges to wildfire-related costs in transmission rates
As of August 22, 2025, PacifiCorp is urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to dismiss challenges to the company’s inclusion of $1.7 billion in wildfire-related costs and liabilities in transmission rates. [1] The utility company contends that “formal challenges” and complaints brought by the Bonneville Power Administration, Powerex Corp., Deseret Generation & Transmission Co-operative, and the Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems fail to show the costs were imprudently incurred. [2] The dispute arises as utilities face financial challenges stemming from wildfires exacerbated by climate change. In an August 4 filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, PacifiCorp stated that outstanding wildfire-related complaints in Oregon and California totaled approximately $54 billion, excluding any potential doubling of damages or punitive damages. PacifiCorp requests FERC for permission to include costs and liabilities related to wildfires from 2020 and 2022 in its transmission rates. The challengers to the updated rates assert that the company failed to show its wildfire-related costs were prudent. In joint comments, Pacific Gas & Electric, San Diego Gas & Electric, and Southern California Edison urged FERC to continue assessing allegations of imprudence on a case-by-case basis.
[2] https://www.sec.gov/ix?doc=/Archives/edgar/data/0000075594/000108131625000013/bhe-20250630.htm
[USA] 704-MW Revolution Wind project halted by Trump administration
As of August 22, 2025, 704 MW offshore wind farm Revolution Wind was ordered to stop work by the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. [1] The project developer Ørsted said that the project is about 80% complete and was set to supply energy to Rhode Island and Connecticut. Ørsted, which owns the project in a 50/50 joint venture with Global Infrastructure Partners’ Skyborn Renewables, said that the project is fully permitted and has all offshore foundations installed and 45 out of 65 wind turbines installed. [2] The Trump administration has previously issued a similar stop-work order on the 810-MW Empire Wind 1 project in New York in April. [3] The order was revoked and the project allowed to continue after New York Governor Kathy Hochul negotiated with the administration to move forward on “critical pipeline capacity” for natural gas. In this case, the project is currently complying with the order and taking appropriate steps to stop offshore activities. The uncertainty has caused Ørsted’s shares to tumble to an all-time low of $9.31 following the news. Ørsted said in an August 11 announcement that it plans to move ahead with a $9.4 billion rights issue to shore up its capital structure.
[3] https://www.equinor.com/news/20250519-empire-wind-project-resumes-construction
[USA] Arizona regulators repeal the state’s renewable standard
As of August 14, 2025, the Arizona Corporation Commission voted unanimously to direct Staff to take the next step to repeal the Renewable Energy Standard and Tariff Rules (REST), which required electric utilities to deliver 15% renewable energy by 2025. [1] The rule was set by the Commission in 2006 and its targets have already been surpassed by the state’s major regulated utilities. Regulators say the rule drives up energy costs and is unnecessary. Arizona’s two largest regulated electric utilities have already met or exceeded the REST rules requirement. Arizona Public Service Company (APS) reported about 19% of its energy contains renewable energy sources in 2024, in 2023 the number was 13%. Tucson Electric Power Company (TEP) reported that 29% of its energy portfolio included renewables in 2024; in 2023, the number was 27%. The debate began when APS backed away from its pledge to go carbon free by 2050. Regulators indicate that cost concerns are at the heart of their efforts to repeal REST rules.
[USA] Alaska residents spent three times more on energy than Florida residents in 2023
As of August 21, 2025, the US Energy Information Administration found that Alaska has the highest per capita energy expenditures of any state at $12,100. [1] According to their recently published State Energy Data System information for 2023, Wyoming and North Dakota spent the next most on energy (spending over twice the national average of $4,700), and Florida had the lowest per capita energy expenditures at $3,700, followed by New York and Maryland. These differences in expenditures are attributable to weather, economic composition, industrial energy consumption, and other factors. Alaska, Wyoming, and North Dakota have cold winters that require more energy for heating, and their state economies also have more energy-intensive industrial sectors. Florida has warm weather and therefore requires less energy for heating. New York has widespread public transit use and lower expenditures for transportation fuels. Both states have less energy-intensive industries. Nationwide average energy expenditures decreased in the US in 2023, but remained higher than long-term averages. Energy expenditures in 2023 were 12% less than in 2022, largely due to lower energy prices.
[USA] Congress wants the administration to continue ENERGY STAR
As of August 4, 2025, appropriations work is on pause as Congress has left Washington for recess. [1] Despite President Trump’s attempts to eliminate or privatize the Energy Star program, there has been strong bipartisan support for keeping the Energy Star program fully funded at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). On July 22, the House Appropriations Committee advanced its fiscal year 2026 (FY26) spending bill for the EPA, with the adoption of a bipartisan manager’s amendment directing the agency to maintain level funding of $32 million for the Energy Star program. Soon after, the Senate Appropriations Committee voted nearly unanimously to pass its own spending bill requiring EPA to fund Energy Star at $36 million for the year. After President Trump’s FY26 budget request proposed eliminating funding for Energy Star and EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the program should be privatized, the administration appears to still be considering its next steps for the program. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees, however, have signaled full support for Energy Star and believe it should be preserved at the EPA.
[1] https://www.usgbc.org/articles/congress-wants-administration-continue-energy-star
[USA] President Trump names David Rosner Chairman of FERC
As of August 13, 2025, the White House named David Rosner, a Democratic member of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, as agency chairman. [1] Rosner joined FERC in 2017 as an energy industry analyst and has been a commissioner since June 2024. He spent two years on detail from FERC to the US Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. During his time as a staff member at FERC, he led efforts on electric transmission, fuel security, energy storage resources, and natural gas-electric coordination. Rosner was previously a senior policy advisor for the US Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Policy and Systems Analysis and an associate director at the Bipartisan Policy Center’s energy project. Rosner replaces former FERC Chairman Mark Christie, a Republican whom President Donald Trump nominated in his first term. Christie left FERC on Friday after Trump declined to name him to a second term at the agency.
[1] https://ferc.gov/news-events/news/president-trump-names-david-rosner-chairman-ferc