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Solar, Batteries Dominate New US Power Plants in H1

William Attardi on August 13, 2026

Solar has dominated a surge in utility-scale projects between January and June, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. Of the 368 utility-scale power plants added in the first half of the year, 207 were solar projects with a combined 11,458 megawatts of capacity across 207 projects. Batteries followed with 8,207 megawatts from 95 projects. However, the largest new projects were the SunZia Wind farms in New Mexico. So Much Solar: Digging Into the List of Every US Power Plant That Went Online This Year – Inside Climate News

Electricity Consumption Set to Hit Records This Year and Next

William Attardi on July 8, 2026

US power consumption is expected to reach record highs in 2026 and 2027, driven by data centers and electrification, according to the Energy Information Administration. The EIA projects power demand will increase from a record 4,195 billion kWh in 2025 to 4,269 billion kWh in 2026 and 4,399 billion kWh in 2027, with the commercial sector outpacing residential demand for the first time. The EIA also projects renewable energy will account for 27% of generation by 2027, while coal’s share will drop to 15%. Reuters

Commercial Electricity Use Will Likely Surpass Residential in 2027: EIA

William Attardi on May 19, 2026

Commercial electricity consumption is likely to surpass residential use for the first time on record in 2027, the U.S. Energy Information Administration said Tuesday in its Short-Term Energy Outlook. The commercial sector, which includes hyperscalers, bitcoin miners and cloud computing, is expected to see electricity sales grow 2.2% to about 1,530 billion kWh in 2026 — roughly the same as the residential sector — followed by 5.3% growth the following year, EIA said. Demand from the residential sector, which has historically accounted for the largest share of U.S. electricity use, will remain largely flat over the next two years, growing about 0.5% in 2026 and 2027. Total U.S. electricity consumption in 2026 will be almost 4,250 billion kWh, up 1.3% from 2025, and is expected to grow 3.1% in 2027. Commercial electricity use will likely surpass residential in 2027: EIA | Utility Dive

U.S. Regular Gasoline Prices (dollars per gallon)

William Attardi on December 5, 2025

 

Gasoline and Diesel Fuel Update – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) 
11/17/25 11/24/25 12/01/25 week ago year ago
U.S. 3.062 3.061 2.985 -0.076 -0.049
East Coast 2.953 2.985 2.931 -0.054 -0.058
New England 2.980 2.996 2.971 -0.025 -0.041
Central Atlantic 3.131 3.122 3.086 -0.036 -0.034
Lower Atlantic 2.834 2.896 2.824 -0.072 -0.076
Midwest 2.907 2.858 2.740 -0.118 -0.162
Gulf Coast 2.600 2.643 2.551 -0.092 -0.030
Rocky Mountain 2.949 2.872 2.783 -0.089 -0.004
West Coast 4.120 4.070 4.031 -0.039 0.168
West Coast less California 3.746 3.702 3.672 -0.030 0.151

 

US Power Use to Reach Record Highs in 2025 and 2026, EIA Says by Scott Disavino

William Attardi on October 8, 2025

US power consumption is expected to reach record highs in 2025 and 2026, according to the Energy Information Administration, driven by data centers for AI and cryptocurrency and increased electrification in homes and businesses. The EIA projects a decrease in natural gas’s share of power generation from 42% in 2024 to 40% in 2025 and 2026, while renewables are expected to rise from 23% to 26% over the same period. US power use to reach record highs in 2025 and 2026, EIA says | Reuters

It’s Back to School – How Some of Our Most Acknowledged Universities Got Their Name – Who were the true visionaries who would donate half of their estate to sculpting the minds of the future. These stories are monuments to history and culture. Let’s take a stroll through academia’s memory lane and uncover the origins of these storied university names!

  1. Ah, Harvard! The Ivy League giant was once a small college in the Massachusetts Bay Colony settlement called New Towne. But where did “Harvard” come from? Enter John Harvard, a clergyman who, in 1638, decided to bequeath half his estate and his library (a whopping 400 books!) to the fledgling college. Grateful for this generous gift, they promptly named the institution after him.
  2. A gem of New Haven, Connecticut, Yale is another Ivy League powerhouse known for its prestigious law and drama schools. It owes its name to Elihu Yale, a wealthy merchant who, in 1718, donated a modest shipment of goods (including portraits, books, and textiles) to a struggling collegiate school. Those goods were auctioned off, raising a much-needed £562 –a small fortune at the time.
  3. Dartmouth is renowned for its beautiful rural setting, nestled in the picturesque town of Hanover, New Hampshire. It was named after the Earl of Dartmouth, William Legge, a British nobleman who supported the college’s founding –despite never actually setting foot in America!
  4. Brown, this Rhode Island Ivy University, known for its open curriculum and emphasis on student choice, was founded with a mouthful of a name – the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. It was renamed in 1704 for Nicholas Brown, Jr., a prominent merchant whose family donated generously to the school.
  5. Perched atop a hill overlooking Ithaca, New York, Cornell is celebrated for its diverse academic programs and its stunning natural surroundings. Founded by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, this university was unique for its commitment to practical education, allowing students the freedom to choose their own course of study. It was a revolutionary notion at the time, which would guide a curricular reform across the country.
  6. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Stanford is renowned for its entrepreneurial spirit and its close ties to the tech industry. But this California powerhouse has a touching origin story. Leland Stanford, Jr., the founder’s son, tragically died young from typhoid fever. His father Leland Sr., railroad magnate and former state governor, and his mother Jane, founded the university in his memory, ensuring his legacy lived on through the pursuit of knowledge.
  7. This North Carolina research giant, known for its strong medical and law schools, underwent a bit of a name change in its history. Originally called Trinity College, it was renamed Duke University in 1924 after James Buchanan Duke, a tobacco and electric power industrialist who founded the American Tobacco Company. He established The Duke Endowment, to which he donated throughout his life and left half his estate after his death.
  8. Nestled in Nashville, Tennessee, Vanderbilt is a renowned research university with a vibrant campus life. It owes its name to “The Commodore,” Cornelius Vanderbilt, a shipping and railroad magnate, who provided the initial gift to establish the university.
  9. Texas businessman William Marsh Rice provided the initial funding for this Houston university, but did not live to see its opening. He was murdered by his valet as he slept, in a plot to forge the man’s will. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, Rice University flourished through the years, becoming an institution known for its strong engineering and science programs.
  10. Who was Harvard named after? Origin of university names