DOE Archives - Learners Live

How AI Is Ushering in a New Nuclear Age

William Attardi on November 26, 2025

Atomic energy is back, thanks to the ravenous demands of AI, favoritism from Trump, and the zeal of young entrepreneurs raising billions to build mini-reactors. The upside is unlimited. So far in 2025, venture capitalists, stock market investors, billionaires, the DOE and others have poured more than $4 billion into these and other new U.S. nuclear ventures, versus closer to $500 million in 2020, per PitchBook. Tens of billions more will be needed if nuclear power is to make a comeback. Sure, lots of folks still oppose nuclear reactors, particularly in their own backyard. But support is now both broad-based and top-down. The Nuclear Power Entrepreneurs Getting Rich From AI

DOE Launches Speed to Power Initiative to Accelerate Grid Infrastructure Development

William Attardi on September 26, 2025

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Speed to Power initiative aims to fast-track large-scale transmission and generation projects to meet rising energy needs, support AI and data centers, and ensure grid reliability by 2030. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has introduced the Speed to Power initiative, aimed at expediting the development of large-scale grid infrastructure projects for both transmission and generation. The program is intended to help meet rising energy demand while supporting the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers. As part of the launch, DOE is issuing a Request for Information (RFI) seeking input on large-scale transmission and generation projects. The agency is asking for feedback on near-term investment opportunities, project readiness, expected load growth, and infrastructure constraints. Responses due November 21, 2025 https://www.energy.gov/speed-to-power The goal is to determine how DOE funding programs and authorities can be applied to accelerate grid capacity expansion. DOE Launches Speed to Power Initiative to Accelerate Grid Infrastructure Development | T&D World

DOE Announces Data Center Site Selection on Federal Lands

William Attardi on July 28, 2025

DOE has selected four sites—Idaho National Laboratory, Oak Ridge Reservation, Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and Savannah River Site—to move forward with plans to invite private sector partners to develop cutting edge AI data center and energy generation projects. The announcement supports the Trump administration’s goals of utilizing Federal lands to lower energy costs and help power the global AI race. The chosen locations are well-situated for large-scale data centers, new power generation, and other necessary infrastructure. More details regarding project scope, eligibility requirements, and submission guidelines at each site will be available with the site-specific releases. These solicitations are expected to be released in the coming months, and partners could be selected by the end of the year. DOE Announces Data Center Site Selection on Federal Lands – electrifiED

Energy Secretary Announces Updated NEPA Procedures

William Attardi on July 3, 2025

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced new updates to the Department’s National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) procedures. As part of a government-wide effort to restore common sense to permitting, DOE published an interim final rule rescinding all NEPA regulations and published new NEPA guidance procedures for the Department of Energy. The Council on Environmental Quality coordinated a historic, interagency effort to simplify NEPA compliance, lower construction costs, eliminate years-long delays, and ensure environmental reviews can no longer be used to stall American energy production and infrastructure development. This action fulfils President Trump’s Executive Order 14154, Unleashing American Energy, and implements reforms enacted by Congress under the 2023 BUILDER Act. These reforms will enable the deployment of more efficient technologies and the better environmental outcomes that they provide. Energy Secretary Announces Updated NEPA Procedures – electrifiED

DOE: Why Tunable? A Look at Schools Using Tunable Lighting

William Attardi on June 27, 2025

LED technology enables dynamic lighting solutions that can adapt to the occupants, tasks, and daylight in a space. Tunable lighting systems can alter the intensity and/or spectral characteristics (color) of the source. As more schools across the U.S. transition from fluorescent to LED technology, many are likely to consider tunable lighting. This case study aims to help decision-makers by looking at past and current tunable lighting projects.

- Why did schools choose tunable lighting?
- What features were selected?
- How was tunable lighting implemented?
- What was the teacher feedback?

This case study examines tunable lighting installations at eight school districts across the United States. Why Tunable? A Look at Schools Using Tunable Lighting

DOE Announces New Pathway to Test Advanced Reactors

William Attardi on June 26, 2025

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced the start of a new pilot program to expedite the testing of advanced nuclear reactor designs under DOE authority outside of the national laboratories. In accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order, Reforming Nuclear Reactor Testing at the Department of Energy. This action represents an important step toward streamlining nuclear reactor testing and ensuring at least three reactors achieve criticality by July 4, 2026. DOE Announces New Pathway to Test Advanced Reactors – electrifiED

DOE Terminates 24 Clean Energy Projects

William Attardi on June 2, 2025

U. S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright announced the termination of 24 awards issued by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) totaling over $3.7 billion in taxpayer-funded financial assistance. After a thorough and individualized financial review of each award, DOE found that these projects failed to advance the energy needs of the American people, were not economically viable, and would not generate a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars. Of the 24 awards cancelled, nearly 70% (16 of the 24 projects) were signed between Election Day and January 20^th. DOE Terminates 24 Clean Energy Projects – electrifiED

DOE Announces Accelerated Siting of Data Centers

William Attardi on May 29, 2025

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Elementl Power have teamed up to advance a data-driven siting approach for advanced nuclear projects. The work started through a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) GAIN voucher and contributed to Elementl’s recent agreement with Google to prepare three U.S. sites for advanced nuclear deployment. Each site would have at least 600 megawatts of capacity and would likely be used to power large-scale data centers. Nuclear energy can provide around-the-clock abundant and reliable electricity, making it an attractive solution to meet rising energy demand from AI and data centers. Google will provide early-stage capital to develop three sites for advanced reactor projects with final technology selection and site confirmation pending further development milestones. DOE Announces Accelerated Siting of Data Centers – electrifiED

Energy Department Proposes to Cut 47 Rules in ‘Largest Deregulatory Effort in History’ by Rachel Frazin

William Attardi on May 13, 2025

The Energy Department plans to ax a long list of efficiency regulations, including those pertaining to stoves, ovens, showerheads, clothes washers, dishwashers and microwaves. The rules also apply to a smattering of other policies ranging for guidelines under which the department buys oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to nondiscrimination requirements for grant recipients. Energy Department proposes to cut 47 rules in ‘largest deregulatory effort in history’

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

William Attardi on April 30, 2025

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