energy policy

The US Department of Energy has opened a $1.9 billion funding round under its SPARK program to accelerate grid modernization by replacing aging transmission wires with advanced conductors, a strategy that can double line capacity at half the cost of building new infrastructure.

Senators McCormick and Welch introduce legislation to streamline reconductoring of existing transmission lines, projecting $180 billion in savings by 2050.

Federal judges have struck down all five Trump administration stop-work orders on Atlantic offshore wind projects, clearing the way for 7.5 GW of capacity to power 2.5 million homes.

Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle, and xAI pledge to fund their own power generation for AI data centers, but experts question enforceability as moratorium bills spread across U.S. states.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration projects developers will add 86 gigawatts of utility-scale generating capacity this year — nearly double 2025's total — with solar and battery storage accounting for nearly four-fifths of new installations.

Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy has shut down new investments from its Catalyst project-finance fund, compounding pressure on climate startups already losing federal support under the Trump administration.