In this week’s Energy Update, I take a look at some of the biggest developments shaping the global energy landscape — from a nuclear revival in South Carolina to solar and battery breakthroughs overseas.

South Carolina’s Santee Cooper has selected Brookfield as its partner to restart the long-abandoned 2.3 GW V.C. Summer nuclear plant, signaling renewed U.S. interest in large-scale baseload power. Meanwhile, the United Arab Emirates has begun building a $6 billion, 5.2 GW solar + 19 GWh battery hybrid project — the largest of its kind — designed to deliver a full gigawatt of continuous renewable energy.

Back in New York, The Mobility House and Itron are teaming up to support fleet electrification using smart-charging systems that respond to grid capacity in real time. Redwood Materials has raised $350 million to grow its energy-storage and recycling operations, and in China, CATL now operates more than 700 battery-swap stations while Mingyang Smart Energy unveils a twin-rotor 50 MW floating wind turbine.

I wrap up this week’s update with news that the BP / JERA joint venture has canceled its 2.4 GW Beacon Wind project off Massachusetts — a reminder of the challenges still facing U.S. offshore wind.

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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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Energy Future: Powering Tomorrow’s Cleaner World with Peter Kelly-Detwiler explores the forces reshaping the global energy landscape — from grid reliability in the U.S. to renewable breakthroughs in Europe and Asia. Each episode dives into the week’s most important developments across clean energy, power markets, EVs, nuclear innovation, hydrogen, and sustainability policy.

As a leading energy expert and industry analyst, Peter brings clarity and context to complex stories about how technology, policy, and investment are driving the energy transition. Whether it’s the rise of small modular reactors, advances in fusion energy, or how utilities are modernizing the grid, you’ll get trusted insights grounded in real-world experience.

Tune in weekly for concise, data-driven commentary and actionable takeaways about the future of power — how it’s generated, stored, delivered, and consumed.

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.

The rapidly evolving energy landscape of 2025 is bringing remarkable innovations across multiple sectors, from affordable electric vehicles to creative renewable energy solutions and unexpected comebacks in nuclear power.

Ford's announcement of a $30,000 electric pickup truck represents what CEO Jim Farley calls a "Model T moment" for the company. Using revolutionary manufacturing techniques including unicasting and parallel assembly, this vehicle will contain 4,000 fewer feet of wiring than conventional models. Despite having a smaller battery than the current Lightning, it's engineered to power a home for up to six days during outages – positioning it as both transportation and energy resilience infrastructure. In a competitive jab, Ford claims this new vehicle will have lower five-year ownership costs than a three-year-old Tesla Model Y.

The energy storage revolution continues gaining momentum with Tesla securing a massive $2.7 billion battery order from Georgia Power for 3,022 megawatts of capacity across eight sites. Meanwhile, California successfully demonstrated the power of distributed energy resources when thousands of residential Tesla Powerwalls and Sunrun batteries simultaneously discharged 535 megawatts to the grid during a coordinated two-hour test event. This virtual power plant experiment shows how household batteries can collectively function as significant grid assets.

Perhaps most surprising is nuclear power's unexpected resurgence. NextEra Energy is working to recommission Iowa's Duane Arnold nuclear plant – shut down in 2020 for economic reasons – as surging data center electricity demand creates new economic justification for existing nuclear facilities. In New York, state officials propose extending zero-emission credits for upstate nuclear plants for an additional 20 years beyond 2029, recognizing their value for carbon-free electricity. These developments, alongside innovative projects like Ohio's six-megawatt floating solar array, demonstrate how rapidly our energy systems are transforming to meet the challenges of climate change and growing electricity demand.

Subscribe to our weekly energy updates to stay informed about the latest breakthroughs and market shifts shaping our clean energy future!

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.