Nuclear

Feds deal blow to dream of data centers connected to nuclear plants

Amazon and Talen Energy can’t fast-track expansion of a data center connected to a Pennsylvania nuclear plant. Will other nuclear “colocation” deals fall through?

By Jeff St. John . 6 November 2024

The cooling towers of the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station, majority-owned by Talen Energy. (Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)

Nuclear

Fusion breakthrough thrills physicists, but won’t power your home soon

A nuclear fusion milestone (with frickin’ laser beams!) is a big deal. Alas, it could be decades before fusion might actually help clean up our energy system.

By Eric Wesoff . 13 December 2022
Nuclear

A small nuclear reactor with off-the-shelf parts: Can it work?

The unusually nimble nuclear startup Last Energy relies on proven technology to steer clear of the pitfalls that have stymied its competitors, incumbents and newcomers alike.

By Julian Spector . 1 December 2022
Nuclear

California faces big power challenges — even if Diablo Canyon stays open

Lawmakers voted to keep the state’s last nuclear plant operating, but California still needs to massively ramp up renewable energy, grid storage, efficiency and distributed energy.

By Jeff St. John . 2 September 2022
Nuclear

Bill Gates' nuclear startup wins $750M, loses sole fuel source

TerraPower notches a record-setting investment round led by South Korea's SK. But it has no supplier of the enriched fuel it needs, now that sourcing from Russia is off the table.

By Eric Wesoff . 18 August 2022
Nuclear

Should California keep its last nuclear plant open? The battle is back

Is the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant vital to a clean and reliable grid, or a costly threat to environmental and energy goals? State lawmakers have less than three weeks to decide.

By Jeff St. John . 15 August 2022
Nuclear

This tiny fusion reactor is made out of commercially available parts

Nuclear startup Avalanche Energy has modest funding, a skeleton crew, a pocket-sized prototype — and grand ambitions.

By Eric Wesoff . 26 May 2022
Podcast

Will advanced reactors solve nuclear's problems?

Startups are testing new technologies to solve the challenges facing conventional nuclear. Will they succeed?

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By Lara Pierpont . 25 February 2022
Nuclear

Nuclear startup Oklo gets thumbs-down from regulators. What does this mean for next-gen nuclear?

If innovative reactor designs can't pass muster with the federal government, the U.S. nuclear industry is in trouble.

By Eric Wesoff . 13 January 2022
Climatetech finance

DOE Loan Programs Office is back in action, plus the latest climatetech deals

Monolith is about to get a mammoth loan; NuScale is going public via SPAC; AES is buying Community Energy; and more.

By Eric Wesoff . 30 December 2021
Podcast

Is nuclear fusion getting closer?

A technical expert discusses when (or if) fusion will become a reality.

Play

By Shayle Kann . 24 December 2021