Good morning. As astronauts plan for longer and more distant space trips, they’ll need to (somehow) acquire plenty of cosmic capacity. This challenge has inspired some out-of-this-world energy ideas—why not apply some to the grid here on Earth? After all, managing data center power demand can feel like a moonshot. 🌚
Check out the key lessons we can take from unconventional power planning, courtesy of EC Community Manager Matt Chester—and don’t forget to sound off in the comments.
— Molly, Carrie, and the Energy Central editorial team
Disconnected network data is slowing utilities down. Learn how leading teams unify GIS, connect field to office, and improve speed and accuracy with this practical white paper—tap into the insights here.
The DOE wants to give nuclear startups weapons-grade plutonium…experts have concerns.
The agency is in talks with five SMR companies (including Oklo and Exodys Energy) for what could become the first-ever transfers of such plutonium to the private sector.
The background: The agency has long sat on >50 tons of leftover plutonium from Cold War-era weapons—which it now sees as a prime fuel source to kick-start the US advanced nuclear industry. President Trump floated the idea in an executive order last year, which sparked plenty of backlash.
The risks: Some politicians and energy experts aren’t huge fans of the idea. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) worries “rogue states or terrorists” could get their hands on the plutonium and build nuclear weapons. That’s why the Biden administration had hoped to dilute and bury all that extra plutonium. Due to these risks, “the developers of commercial reactors should not be handling plutonium—period,” Dan Yurman, an energy consultant and nuclear expert, told Energy Central.
The prognosis: It isn’t the most practical idea, either. For one, churning out fuel from this excess plutonium would likely take years longer (and cost far more) than producing HALEU. (The DOE is already beefing up the country’s HALEU supply chain.) Plus, the agency has already tried—and failed—at turning leftover plutonium into juice for traditional light-water reactors.
Ultimately, Yurman said, these deals are tied to a “far-fetched idea that probably has little future.”
Damage from the Trump administration’s anti-wind moves (on both land and sea) keeps piling up.
Onshore: Stalled Pentagon wind project reviews are threatening $50B in investments and 150K US jobs, per a document that the American Clean Power Association released to Bloomberg News.
Catch up: The Trump Administration has already paid out nearly $2B in its wind-sinking crusade. Now, these projects could be next on the chopping block.
PA Gov. Josh Shapiro has unveiled finalized standards to hold data center developers accountable.
The details: The GRID standards include orders for developers to 1) demonstrate how they’ll secure generation without passing costs to utilities and ratepayers 2) craft a community engagement plan and 3) commit to over $250M in local investments, including 200+ construction jobs.
The big picture: Shapiro is one of the most vocal governors in the movement to push data center developers and utilities to protect ratepayers. Now, he’s not only talking the talk, but also walking the walk.
Smarter meters are reshaping grid operations. Tune in on June 9 to find out how Sense turns real-time data into faster fixes, sharper decisions, and stronger customer programs across the grid.
Hyperscalers will test out sustainability tech at data centers.
The players: Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Meta have signed on to pilot clean tech projects for their data centers. For each of these projects, nonprofit investor Elemental Impact says it will offer $500K to $5M through 2027. These concepts will include clean concrete and metals, energy storage, and more efficient cooling systems.
The goal: Scale these solutions to curb data centers’ emissions…a major sticking point among the public, government officials, and environmental groups.
The landscape: These fresh funds arrive amid a decline in clean tech investment and staunch local opposition to data centers. In Utah, for example, activists hope to gather signatures for a referendum that could reverse the county's support for the controversial, 40K-acre Stratos Project.
A draft New York budget would probe the state’s soaring energy bills.
The proposed 2027 budget would form a commission to study why residents’ utility rates are rising—and how to bring them back down. The bill would also curtail the state’s emissions goals, a controversial shift that Gov. Kathy Hochul insists is key to lower energy bills.
DigitalBridge is buying ArcLight in a $1B deal.
The new power couple: The combined enterprises will be worth over $150B. By marrying data centers with the capacity to power them, DigitalBridge says it’s poised to become “a leading alternative asset manager at the convergence of power, AI, and digital infrastructure.”
Rate cases are changing. Explore why utilities are losing time and capital — and how top teams are responding
💨 To adapt to a quickly evolving grid, utilities’ tech needs to keep pace. AI-augmented insights are helping utilities meet the operational needs of today’s demanding environment. Want real-world examples in wildfire modeling, vegetation analytics, and asset health use cases? Get the rundown from our partners at Schneider Electric.
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