Is a Nuclear Renaissance finally here? In our latest update, we look at how the insatiable energy appetite of AI is catalyzing a new era of fusion and fission.

• Fusion Hits the Gas: From Commonwealth Fusion’s massive magnet breakthrough to Google’s $1 billion commitment, the "future" of energy is arriving faster than expected.
• Big Tech as a Utility: We break down Meta’s massive new deals with Oklo and TerraPower, and why Amazon is targeting 5,000 MW of nuclear capacity by 2039.
• The Reality of Scale: It’s not all smooth sailing. We examine the four massive hurdles—from NRC regulatory bottlenecks to "NIMBY" pushback—that could still relegate these technologies to a niche market.

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🎙️ About Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Hosted by Peter Kelly-Detwiler, Energy Future explores the trends, technologies, and policies driving the global clean-energy transition — from the U.S. grid and renewable markets to advanced nuclear, fusion, and EV innovation.

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Offshore wind was targeted by the Trump Administration in 2025, with multiple rationales offered to cripple the industry.

On January 20th 2025, President Trump issued an executive memorandum to suspend issuance of any approvals required to develop and operate wind energy projects, pending wide-ranging federal assessment.

Seventeen states and DC filed suit, and won, with a Circuit Court judge ruling the executive order was “arbitrary and capricious.”

The Department of Interior also went after Orsted’s Revolution Wind project with a stop work order in August 2025, citing unclear national security concerns, though DOI Secretary Burgum cited underwater drones, that could be launched in a swarm attack through a wind farm without detection. A federal judge rejected that order.

In December, the DOI issued new stop work orders impacting five major East Coast offshore wind farms, again citing national security risks.

As a result, Massachusetts – on December 30th – again delayed finalizing offtake contracts for two projects totaling 2,078 MW of capacity.

Last week, the 700 MW Revolution Wind project off Rhode Island and the 810 MW Empire Wind 1 project off New York went to court requesting an injunction against the stop work order.

Revolution Wind argued that it had undergone extensive reviews with federal agencies and agreed to a mitigation plan addressing any national security risks.

Empire Wind also argued that the terms of its lease specify that advance notice “will normally be given before requiring a suspension or evacuation.”

That’s what’s really at stake here. This precedent allows future presidents to take similar actions against other investments they don’t like. Some oil co execs say this type of zigzag is “detrimental to business” because one cannot make long term plans.

Support the show

🎙️ About Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Hosted by Peter Kelly-Detwiler, Energy Future explores the trends, technologies, and policies driving the global clean-energy transition — from the U.S. grid and renewable markets to advanced nuclear, fusion, and EV innovation.

💡 Stay Connected
Subscribe wherever you listen — including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube.

🌎 Learn More
Visit peterkellydetwiler.com
for weekly market insights, in-depth articles, and energy analysis.

Is the "AI butterfly effect" about to send electricity prices through the roof? In this video, we break down the critical PJM Base Residual Auction taking place between December 4th and December 10th, 2025. While grid auctions usually sound arcane and boring, this one is deciding the capacity and cost of power for June 2027—and the stakes have never been higher.

Here is what we cover in this episode:
• The AI Boom & Power Demand: How the launch of ChatGPT and the manufacturing of energy-hungry Nvidia chips kicked off a massive spike in data center load, specifically in states like Ohio and Virginia.

• The Supply Crunch: Why the grid’s supply side hasn't kept up. We discuss the fallout from Winter Storm Elliot in 2022, where nearly 40 gigawatts of gas generation failed to show up, forcing PJM to derate its assets and tighten the supply curve.

• Skyrocketing Prices: We look at the numbers. Capacity prices soared from a three-year average of roughly $37 to over $269 in previous auctions.

• The Price Cap Strategy: How Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro negotiated a temporary price cap (a "collar" between ~175and 325) to protect consumers."

• The Coming "Gloves Off" Moment: This current auction is the last one protected by the price cap. Future auctions scheduled for 2026 will have no floor or ceiling, potentially leading to even more volatile pricing.

• Political Fallout: With data center loads costing the market over $16.6 billion in the last two auctions alone, state governors and the Department of Energy are now fighting over how to fix the interconnection queue and manage the grid’s future.

The results of this auction will be released on December 17th, and they could signal a boiling point for the US electrical grid

Support the show

🎙️ About Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World

Hosted by Peter Kelly-Detwiler, Energy Future explores the trends, technologies, and policies driving the global clean-energy transition — from the U.S. grid and renewable markets to advanced nuclear, fusion, and EV innovation.

💡 Stay Connected
Subscribe wherever you listen — including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and YouTube.

🌎 Learn More
Visit peterkellydetwiler.com
for weekly market insights, in-depth articles, and energy analysis.