Indonesia has taken a bold and likely problematic step with the announcement of its first, early stage regulatory approval for a nuclear power project. Thorcon International, a Singapore-based developer of molten salt reactors, has received permission from Indonesia’s regulator to evaluate a site for a demonstration plant on Kelasa Island. … [continued]
In reading about sustainable energy and writing about it, there have been some happy news stories where former landfills are outfitted with solar power arrays and where abandoned coal mines also are found to have solar power potential. Rivian is involved with one such project as reported on this site. … [continued]
Five countries account for more than two-thirds of the world’s total nuclear electricity generation capacity. The United States has the most capacity, followed by France, China, Russia, and South Korea, based on International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) data as of June 2025. Globally, 416 nuclear power reactors are operating in 31 countries, … [continued]
When I was a kid, my grandmother’s house in New Hampshire was always ready for the electricity to go down. The kitchen range was wood-fired, though there was a newer kerosene alternative (horrible). There were two sconces in every bathroom, each with an oil (kerosene) lamp. About half the house … [continued]
In late July 2025, negotiators from the European Union and the United States unveiled what they described as a historic trade agreement. At first glance, the deal appeared momentous. Headlines around the world highlighted Europe’s commitment to purchasing $750 billion in U.S. energy products over a span of just three … [continued]
In 2024, France increased its cross-border electricity deliveries by 48%, from 70 terawatthours (TWh) in 2023 to 103 TWh in 2024. France’s electricity exports to Belgium and Germany increased the most, but France also exported more electricity to Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Italy, according to data from the European … [continued]
The recent announcement that the UK’s Sizewell C nuclear generation construction’s projected cost has doubled from £20 billion in 2020 to nearly £38 billion today is shocking but predictable. For anyone following Europe’s nuclear power saga, such an escalation is not an anomaly but rather a continuation of a deeply … [continued]
One of the persistent claims made by nuclear energy advocates is that nuclear power plants hold a critical advantage over wind and solar facilities due to their significantly longer operational lifespans. This argument frequently serves as justification for continued investment in nuclear, often at the expense of renewable options. News … [continued]
In 2024, the United States consumed about 94 quadrillion British thermal units (quads) of energy, a 1% increase from 2023, according to our Monthly Energy Review. Fossil fuels—petroleum, natural gas, and coal—accounted for 82% of total U.S. energy consumption in 2024. Nonfossil fuel energy—from renewables and nuclear energy—accounted for the other … [continued]
CATF recently published a report entitled Beyond LCOE: A Systems-Oriented Perspective for Evaluating Electricity Decarbonization Pathways advocating for a shift in how we evaluate energy technologies. At face value, their core criticism, that Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) alone does not capture the full economic complexity of integrating intermittent renewable … [continued]
