The rationale for launching our Powering AI strategy 18 months ago was that the sudden and massive acceleration in electricity demand would force utilities to sharply increase their investments in power generation and transmission, providing a powerful tailwind for equipment suppliers and engineering firms. This capex upside is now becoming clearer, as several major electric…
The recent correction in AI equities increasingly looks like the two major sell-offs of the past 18 months (February–March this year and July-August 2024), suggesting that we are more likely in a healthy profit-taking phase than in the early stages of a bear cycle. The severity, speed, and magnitude are strikingly similar, with AI and…
Just months after President Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders aimed at reigniting the U.S. nuclear energy sector and initiating the construction of 10 new reactors by 2030, U.S. companies are already moving rapidly on this front. Two major announcements in the last couple of days underscore that momentum: Clean energy developer Brookfield…
According to Bloomberg, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright is urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to grant expedited reviews for data-center grid connections. Under the draft rule, reviews would be capped at 60 days, compared with the years such approvals currently take. If adopted, the measure would mark another step in the Trump administration’s…
Data centers are evolving at breakneck speed. Artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) are pushing power demands to new heights, with next generation AI clusters requiring nearly a megawatt per rack. Traditional alternating current (AC) distribution systems, built for lower loads, are buckling under these demands. Multiple power conversions, bulky cabling, and energy losses…
Even though building new nuclear or gas-fired plants and expanding solar and wind capacity will be essential to address the long-term power challenge posed by data centers, these initiatives won’t come online fast enough to meet short-term electricity demand. In the meantime, transitory power solutions are needed — and fuel cells are increasingly emerging as…
Microsoft announced yesterday that it has been testing a new chip cooling technology based on microfluidics, which it says removes heat up to three times more effectively than today’s data center liquid cooling standard, cold plates that are placed on top of chips. The approach channels liquid coolant directly into the processor through microscopic, vein-like…
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright stated yesterday at the International Atomic Energy Agency’s annual conference that the United States is “furiously at work” to rebuild its nuclear fuel supply chain and called for a significant increase in strategic uranium reserves. Data from the IAEA highlight the urgency: U.S. uranium inventories cover only about 14 months…
Cameco announced last night a cut to its production guidance for the McArthur River mine, one of the world’s largest and highest-grade uranium deposits. Output is now expected at 14–15 million lbs in 2025, down from the previous 18 million lbs target, as operations were hampered by development delays and the timing of ground freezing.…
The largest U.S. electric capacity auction, run by grid operator PJM— which serves roughly 20% of the U.S. population — cleared at $329.17/MW-day last night. That’s a 22% increase over last year’s record and well above market expectations. PJM’s capacity auctions determine how much electric utilities will be paid in exchange for committing to provide…