The US plans to purchase and own up to 10 nuclear reactors using Japan’s $550 billion funding commitment, part of a $332 billion investment in US energy projects. The initiative, driven by rising electricity demand for AI and manufacturing, is part of a broader strategy to accelerate the development of energy infrastructure. US to Own Nuclear Reactors Stemming From Japan’s $550 Billion Pledge – Bloomberg
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
Some of the world’s biggest companies pledged tens of billions of dollars to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence infrastructure in Pennsylvania, the latest splashy investments to draw praise from President Trump. Google said it would put $25 billion into data centers needed to train AI models and related infrastructure in Pennsylvania and the surrounding region over the next two years. Private-equity firm Blackstone promised another $25 billion. AI startup CoreWeave announced a $6 billion investment. Power companies FirstEnergy and Constellation Energy are part of a group pouring billions more into increasing electricity generation in the area, according to the White House. Trump Touts Billions in Investments to Create AI Hub in Pennsylvania – WSJ
Submerged in about 40 meters (44 yards) of water off Scotland’s coast, a turbine has been spinning for more than six years to harness the power of ocean tides for electricity — a durability mark that demonstrates the technology’s commercial viability. Keeping a large, or grid-scale, turbine in place in the harsh sea environment that long is a record that helps pave the way for bigger tidal energy farms and makes it far more appealing to investors, according to the trade association Ocean Energy Europe. Tidal energy projects would be prohibitively expensive if the turbines had to be taken out of the water for maintenance every couple of years. Tidal energy technologies are still in the early days of their commercial development, but their potential for generating clean energy is big. Achieving six years in the water with constant operations is a “very significant milestone” that bodes well for the future of tidal energ Underwater Turbine is a Breakthrough for Tidal Energy – electrifiED
The summary of the S. National Power Demand Study— which will be released in its entirety in the coming weeks — highlights the extent of the electricity demand growth facing the United States, and presents some of the tools that can be tapped to meet the moment in furtherance of national energy security. Electricity demand in America will surge by 35 percent to 50 percent between 2024 and 2040, primarily driven by AI data centers, new manufacturing activity, electric vehicles (EVs), space-heating electrification, and broad economic growth, according to the S&P Global study. A key finding is that the demand is growing faster than the supply of new energy solutions that could power it, creating an urgent need for faster policy action on permitting and grid interconnection and an all-of-the-above energy strategy within the sector, according to S&P Global. More electricity needed faster to further national energy security, says S&P Global report – Daily Energy Insider
It’s easy to see the energy benefits of dimming: the more an LED fixture is dimmed, the less electricity it uses. In terms of future-proofing the energy savings of lighting projects, the longevity of LED products makes it paramount to strengthen requirements for dimmability and other lighting control strategies now, since LEDs installed today are expected to work for a decade or more. The latest version of the DesignLights Consortium’s (DLC) Solid-State Lighting (SSL)Technical Requirements stresses the importance of dimming as a way to increase energy savings, while allowing occupants of offices, conference rooms and other spaces to adjust light levels to their comfort or needs. All LEDs are inherently able to dim and nearly 100% of DLC-listed fixtures are dimmable. Expanded adoption is the necessary next step to capturing the benefits of dimming. The Value of Dimming | EC&M
Dozens of massive data centers humming at the outskirts of Dublin are consuming more electricity than all of the urban homes in Ireland and starting to wear out the warm welcome that brought them here. Now, a country that made itself a computing factory for Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft and TikTok is wondering whether it was all worth it as tech giants look around the world to build even more data centers to fuel the next wave of artificial intelligence. Fears of rolling blackouts led Ireland’s grid operator to halt new data centers near Dublin until 2028. What other countries can learn from Ireland’s experience is to carefully manage the effect of data centers on the stability of the electricity system. Ireland Embraced Data Centers That Now Consume Too Much Energy – electrifiED
Why Use AI – 5 Reasons besides making us smarter:
