The background: As we reported, experts say the US permitting system is broken—it takes way too long to build new generation and transmission. But Capitol Hill can’t seem to agree on a fix.

One way out: GOP senators from across the country have sponsored the American Energy and Mineral Infrastructure Act. This bill would streamline federal permitting and avoid “political vetoes for all types of energy and mineral infrastructure.”

Translation? The bill appears to target Democrat-led states’ legal battles against fossil fuel projects (for example, New York’s attempt to block the Constitution Pipeline via the Clean Water Act). The bill would also bolster hardrock mining on federal lands, supporting the White House’s goal of strengthening the domestic critical mineral supply chain.

The supporters are all over the map: they include NextEra, the National Hydropower Association, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and oil & gas industry orgs.

Heads up: Woody Rickerson told the state PUC that these blackouts could arrive within five years, according to demand forecasts. 

But TX officials have a Tx solution: A $33B plan for new high-voltage lines across the state, which would send power from the East to the power-hungry West (where oil & gas industry growth demands plenty of gigawatts). Residents have criticized the proposed lines, fearing damage to their properties and local ecosystems.

The public POV: Last year, around 60% of US adults said they favor more nuclear plants, Pew found. In 2020, that figure sat at 43%. And as public support grows for nuclear, so do hyperscalers’ ambitions: Major tech companies have signed deals for up to 13 GW of nuclear capacity.

Storytelling shift: Despite the momentum, nuclear still faces some cultural hurdles (for one, its depiction on The Simpsons). Some ratepayers have safety concerns, and aren’t caught up on the latest tech. “I think it's important to recognize that, acknowledge it, and empathize with it,” Energy Central Community Manager Matt Chester said. “Engage with them, understand the concerns, but then meet them with facts.”

While we’re here: The DOE is handing PG&E $271M to keep California’s sole operating nuclear plant online. Diablo Canyon’s extension has sparked controversy among ratepayers (and outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom has thrown up his hands).

The deal: Voltus will tap into “a portion” of Sunrun’s thousands of residential solar-plus-storage systems in PJM and MISO, and send “megawatts” of that flexible capacity to data centers. These households get paid to participate.

Zooming out: This arrangement will fuel Voltus’s “Bring Your Own Capacity” programs, which help hyperscalers lock down quick power. In June, Voltus announced an agreement with Google to aggregate DERs from PJM homes and businesses for the tech company’s data centers—the companies called it the first hyperscaler-funded VPP. 

Speaking of data centers: Oracle has scrapped its lawsuit against the Wisconsin PSC. The tech giant sued over the PSC’s requirement to post collateral for service from We Energies (which WI officials ordered due to Oracle’s BBB credit rating). Oracle claimed this would cost the company over $100M per year.

The issue: The Newsom administration claims that utilities are left holding the bag after wildfires…enabling attorneys, hedge funds, and other actors to swoop in for profits. So when a utility declares bankruptcy, like PG&E did in 2019, this prevents wildfire survivors from receiving full compensation.

The solution? The administration’s proposal includes: 1) Limiting claims by insurance companies, corporations, and public entities 2) banning utility CEO bonuses in years when a company ignites “a catastrophic fire and causes fatalities” and 3) increasing shareholder penalties for safety violations by 10x (to $10M per violation per day).

The pushback: Survivor advocates and insurance industry groups have opposed this effort. They claim that reducing utility liability “would shift billions of dollars in costs away from utility shareholders and onto insurance policyholders, cities, counties, taxpayers, and wildfire victims.”

Step it up to step it down: Heron Power plans to produce up to 10K of its solid-state transformers annually, which the company says marks the “largest single-year buildout in over two decades.” To achieve this feat, Heron Power will spend over $100M to convert a 286K-square-foot warehouse in California. 

Next steps: Mass production is slated to kick off late next year, and CEO Drew Baglino told Reuters he’s seeing “strong interest” from electric utilities and data center developers. 👀