Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are reshaping the nuclear energy landscape with their compact size (typically up to 300 MWe per unit, versus 1,000–1,400 MWe for traditional large reactors), factory-built modular designs, enhanced safety features, and faster deployment potential. These attributes make SMRs ideal for powering data centers, remote communities, industrial sites, and replacing retiring coal […]
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In a significant setback for one of the most ambitious AI infrastructure projects in the United States, Blackstone-backed QTS Realty Trust has decided to abandon its portion of the Prince William Digital Gateway (also known as the PW Digital Gateway) in Northern Virginia’s Prince William County. The move comes just days after Bloomberg reported the […]
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This article first ran yesterday on the Energy News Beat Substack. From the wood fires that warmed homes and fueled early industry in 1776 to the sophisticated mix powering AI data centers, electric vehicles, and global exports today, energy has been the invisible backbone of American prosperity, innovation, and geopolitical strength. The U.S. Energy Information […]
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In a landmark achievement for America’s nuclear renaissance, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that Deployable Energy’s Unity demonstration reactor successfully achieved criticality on June 30, 2026 (late yesterday), at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This marks the third DOE-authorized advanced reactor to reach this milestone by the July 4, 2026, deadline set by President […]
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On June 22, 2026, Virginia’s General Assembly approved its two-year biennial budget (HB 30), which includes a first-of-its-kind electricity consumption tax on qualifying data centers. The tax took effect July 1, 2026, and runs through June 30, 2028. The measure levies $0.011 per kWh (1.1 cents) on all electricity consumed at covered data centers each […]
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The latest development in America’s shifting energy landscape came on June 29, 2026, when the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) announced a settlement with Duke Energy. The utility will voluntarily terminate its $129 million Carolina Long Bay offshore wind lease and reinvest that capital into new natural gas generation, nuclear power, and grid enhancements […]
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A powerful thunderstorm packing extreme straight-line winds slammed into central South Dakota this morning, leaving critical damage at a wind farm near Highmore in Hyde County. Storm chaser Jakob McMillin documented the scene in a widely shared post on X (formerly Twitter), showing multiple wind turbine towers collapsed or heavily damaged, with blades and structural […]
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Coal-fired power plants have long been portrayed as outdated, expensive burdens on the American grid — relics that must be retired to make way for “cheaper” renewables. But the data tells a very different story. Energy Bad Boys (analysts Mitch Rolling and Isaac Orr) have delivered the receipts with a rigorous analysis of real-world operating […]
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In a world rocked by geopolitical tensions around the Strait of Hormuz — a critical chokepoint for global oil supplies — and an explosive surge in electricity demand from AI data centers, nuclear power is experiencing a powerful resurgence. Reliable, low-carbon baseload energy is no longer a niche option; it is becoming central to energy […]
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In a powerful symbol of America’s accelerating nuclear renaissance, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright visited the Aalo-X campus next to Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on June 25, 2026, and signed the final authorization allowing Aalo Atomics to turn on its Aalo-X Critical Test Reactor (CTR). This marks the final regulatory step before fuel loading […]
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