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N.J. Explores Nuclear Strategy for Energy Goals

 New Jersey is projected to need as much as 10 gigawatts of clean, firm energy capacity by 2035 to maintain system reliability and meet the state’s clean electricity goals. The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities has initiated a request for information to evaluate the possible role new nuclear power plants could have in meeting the state’s energy objectives. The RFI seeks insights into how nuclear can support growing energy demands, particularly from large consumers like AI data centers.  New Jersey BPU eyes potential for new nuclear | Utility Dive

U.S. Economy Shows Remarkable Resilience in Face of Trade Turmoil

The world’s most powerful economy is showing remarkable resilience in the face of enormous pressure. Employers added more jobs than many economists expected last month, and the low unemployment rate held steady. The U.S. economy contracted in the first quarter, but the result was distorted by a rush of imports that offset generally solid demand. The stock market rallied sharply from its April lows. Yet real turmoil is threatening that strong foundation. President Trump’s ever-changing tariff policies, government cuts and immigration restrictions are disrupting trade and sparking deep unease among consumers, businesses and investors. Trump’s 145% tariffs on Chinese imports are causing cargo shipments from China to plummet, prompting major retailers to warn of likely price hikes and even shortages of some goods. In early April, economists forecast the likelihood of a recession in the coming year to be twice as high as it was at the start of the year.  At the moment, however, things are still looking surprisingly good. U.S. Economy Shows Remarkable Resilience in Face of Trade Turmoil – WSJ

NEMA Urges Passage of Critical Mineral Legislation

A Senate committee unanimously approved the Critical Mineral Consistency Act, legislation aimed at boosting the development of reliable critical mineral supply chains. NEMA Senior Vice President of Public Affairs Spencer Pederson thanked the committee for quickly advancing the legislation and urged lawmakers and President Trump to turn the bill into law. “The advancement of [the bill] through Committee brings us one step closer to reaching our goals by removing dependence on unreliable foreign sources like China for the raw materials that are essential to the electroindustry and will help bolster supply chains,” Pederson said. NEMA urges passage of critical mineral legislation

Energy Storage Industry Commits $100B to American-Made Grid Batteries

On April 29th, the American Clean Power Association (ACP), on behalf of the U.S. energy storage industry, announced a historic commitment to invest $100 billion into building and buying American-made grid batteries. This investment is expected to fuel the creation of 350,000 jobsacross the battery energy storage industry and transform the United States into a global battery manufacturing leader.  This announcement aligns with actions taken by the Trump Administration to unleash American energy and develop critical minerals in the United States. The industry’s investment will advance a manufacturing expansion in the United States with the aim of enabling American-made batteries to meet 100% of domestic energy storage project demand. Energy Storage Industry Commits $100B to American-Made Grid Batteries – electrifiED

Supply Chain Bill Passes the House 

On April 28, the House of Representatives passed the Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act of 2025, sponsored by Rep. John James (R-MI). The bill establishes a Supply Chain Resiliency Program within the Department of Commerce, using AI and quantum computing to anticipate and mitigate supply chain disruptions from natural and man-made disasters. It includes an Early Warning System, fosters public-private collaboration, and incentivizes domestic manufacturing to reduce reliance on adversarial nations like China. Supply Chain Bill Passes the House  – tEDmag

Can Solar Help Offset the AI’s Energy Demand? by Greg Zimmerman

Demand from data centers is expected to more than triple by 2028, according to the Department of Energy. This is largely due to the explosion of Artificial Intelligence, and its intense demand for electricity.  Meta, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are just a few of the big tech companies investing billions in solar technology. Two of the main reasons for the investment in solar is that the solar development timeline is much shorter than for other sources electricity. At 1.4 years, solar is the shortest timeline to develop an 800-megawatt solar plant. That’s compared to 15 years for a nuclear power and 6.7 years for a coal-fired power plant.  Also, solar is much less expensive, is easily scalable, and pays back much quicker than other sources of electricity.   Can Solar Help Offset the AI’s Energy Demand?  – Facility Management Green Quick Read

NEMA Make It American™ BABA Resource Center

NEMA has developed the Make It American Program to help members confidently offer BABA-compliant products to the market. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law —a once in a generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure—included a provision known as the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act, with the intent of ensuring American tax dollars are spent supporting America’s workers, communities, and businesses. This policy, commonly referred to as “BABA”, sets stringent domestic content requirementsfor iron and steel products, manufactured products, and construction materials in all infrastructure projects receiving federal funding with the goal of increasing domestic manufacturingMake It American™ – NEMA

Ultra-efficient LEDs: Perfect for High-Performance Indoor Lighting Applications

High efficacy, deep dimming performance, reliability, robustness, and flexibility are crucial criteria for indoor lighting and applications. ams OSRAM is now presenting new mid-power LEDs that embody all these essential features. The OSCONIQ® S 3030 offers luminous efficacy ratings of up to 235 lm/W at 4000K (CRI 80) and advanced features such as deep-dimming capability and precise color control. The LED reduces maintenance cycles making it perfect for office panels, troffers, and continuous linear lighting. When integrated into high-bay and low-bay fixtures, it provides consistent illumination in warehouses and manufacturing spaces. With high color rendering options (CRI 80 and CRI 90) and a wide CCT range from 2700K to 6500K, the OSCONIQ® S 3030 also optimizes architectural accents and retail displays. Its superior hydrogen sulfide resistance and robust thermal cycling performance ensures long-term stability, even in harsh operating conditions. [News] Ultra-efficient LEDs: perfect for high-performance indoor lighting applications – LEDinside

GenAI in Procurement: from Buzz to Bottom-Line Cost Reductions

Companies have made huge investments in AI, including generative AI (GenAI),and they’re seeing sizable gains in productivity and efficiency. Yet many organizations struggle to translate those improvements into concrete financial savings. Procurement is one area where AI can swiftly reduce costs. Some procurement processes are repeated over time and quantifiable, generating a volume of data that AI can sift through to rapidly improve performance and lower costs. In Boston Consulting Group (BCG), work with companies, procurement functions that use AI can reduce overall costs by roughly 15% to 45% (depending on the category) and eliminate up to 30% of the work for employees and teams. Those gains enable companies to reallocate procurement team capacity to more strategic, value-added tasks.  From Buzz to Bottom Line – Cost Savings Using GenAI | BCG

Foreign and Domestic Investments Totaling Over $5T Under Trump, Adds 451k Jobs for Americans by Alec Schemmel

In total, through both domestic and foreign investments from four different countries, various U.S. industries and manufacturers have garnered roughly $5.2 trillion in investments since January 20. In turn, these commitments are estimated to generate at least 451,000 new jobs for Americans. In total, the private sector has invested more than $1.8 trillion in U.S. ventures. Meanwhile, foreign investments accounted for more than half of the U.S. total investments since Trump entered office – roughly $3.3 trillion. Foreign investments in U.S. industries came from the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Saudi Arabia and India. Private investments totaling over $5T under Trump, adds 451k jobs for Americans | Fox Business.

Key Themes of Washington’s Farewell Address 

Crafted with the assistance of his close advisors, including Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, President George Washington’s Farewell Address was intended to offer guidance and warnings to the American people as they faced the challenges of the future. Among the most significant themes were:

  1. Neutrality in Foreign Affairs – advising that the United States should avoid becoming involved in the conflicts and political machinations of foreign powers. He argued that such alliances could lead to unnecessary entanglements and could jeopardize American interests and independence.
  2. The Dangers of Political Parties – Washington expressed concern that political factions could lead to divisions within the country and weaken the unity of the nation. He believed that political parties could become sources of discord and could prioritize their own interests over the common good. He encouraged Americans to work together for the benefit of the nation as a whole.
  3. The Importance of National Unity – He emphasized that the strength of the United States depended on the unity of its people and the coherence of its government. Washington urged Americans to set aside regional and political differences and to work together to build a strong and prosperous nation. Source: Day in History