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Texas Virtual Plant // S.C. Nuclear Reboot // American Energy Wins

Welcome to this week’s GridBrief, where we break down the latest energy developments and provide insight into the evolving power landscape. Energy news this week served up a potent mix of optimism, uncertainty, and hard realities. From a South Carolina utility attempting to offload a nuclear fiasco to Texas innovating with grid-optimizing virtual power plants, we’re watching the high stakes of energy economics play out across America. Meanwhile, the federal government edges closer to policies that might finally match the ambitions of its rhetoric. As always, innovation races ahead while bureaucracy wrestles with itself.

South Carolina Utility Seeks Buyers for Failed Nuclear Project

South Carolina’s Santee Cooper is looking to turn its expensive nuclear failure into someone else’s opportunity. The utility announced it is accepting bids to finish two reactors at the V.C. Summer power plant that were abandoned in 2017. At less than 40% complete, the reactors symbolize a cautionary tale of nuclear cost overruns but also a glimmer of possibility for tech companies seeking zero-carbon energy to power their AI-driven futures.

Key Takeaways:

  • Santee Cooper spent $9 billion on the reactors before halting construction, citing delays and cost overruns.

  • Tech giants like Microsoft and Alphabet are showing renewed interest in nuclear energy for powering data centers.

  • The U.S. Department of Energy has stepped in recently to support nuclear with billion-dollar subsidies and loan guarantees.

  • Any buyer would face significant costs and challenges, including radioactive waste disposal and public skepticism.

Texas Virtual Power Plant Goes Live

In a move that could redefine how we think about grid reliability, Sonnen and SOLRITE Energy launched a virtual power plant (VPP) in Texas. This innovative program uses residential solar panels and battery installations to provide grid services while saving homeowners up to 40% on their electricity costs. By leveraging real-time price arbitrage and smart battery control, this VPP supports renewable energy integration and promises to ease grid congestion during peak demand periods.

This model highlights the future of energy markets, where distributed solutions aren’t just supplementary but integral to system resilience.

Heritage: The Case for U.S. Energy Dominance

A new Heritage Foundation report makes a sharp argument for America to reclaim its position as the global energy leader. With vast reserves of oil and gas, policies that prioritize energy independence could deliver trillions in GDP growth, millions of jobs, and lower energy costs for consumers. Critics of overregulation have long pointed to permitting delays and government red tape as roadblocks to tapping these resources.

The report warns, however, that misguided environmental policies and slow permitting processes could squander America’s energy potential. With advanced technologies like fracking and horizontal drilling, the U.S. has the tools—it just needs the political will.

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Conversation Starters

  • The EconomistWhy Don’t More Countries Import Their Electricity?
    Singapore is turning to undersea transmission cables to import electricity from neighboring countries. The move makes economic sense but raises geopolitical risks.

  • NewsweekRecord-Breaking Science Brings Unlimited Clean Energy Closer
    China’s “artificial sun” just broke its own record, sustaining nuclear fusion for nearly 18 minutes, proving that fusion energy may be closer to reality than ever before.

  • UtilityDiveThe 47th Presidency Offers Hope for Permitting Reform
    With bipartisan frustration mounting over the permitting process, the incoming administration has a rare opportunity to make energy projects faster and cheaper to build.

Good Bet, Bad Bet

Good Bet: Constellation Energy and the GSA’s Nuclear Power Deal
Constellation Energy scored a $1 billion, 10-year deal to supply nuclear power to 80 federal facilities, marking the largest energy contract in GSA history. By securing a reliable, zero-carbon energy source for government agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration, Constellation sets the stage for nuclear’s resurgence. The deal locks in affordability for taxpayers while bolstering confidence in nuclear’s role in America’s energy future.

Bad Bet: “We’ll Freeze in the Dark!”—The 1970s Natural Gas Shortage Panic
In the 1970s, U.S. policymakers and energy analysts predicted a looming natural gas shortage that would leave Americans shivering in the cold. Deregulation in the 1980s and the advent of hydraulic fracturing turned this dire forecast into a bad joke. The U.S. is now the world’s largest natural gas producer, with more supply than it knows what to do with—a stark reminder that energy “crises” often underestimate human ingenuity.

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