The Energy Department on Thursday finalized a $1.6 billion loan guarantee for American Electric Power to optimize and rebuild around 5,000 miles of transmission lines across five states.
Why it matters: Getting new interstate lines approved is really hard even as power demand rises, and grid analysts see lots of potential in boosting capacity along existing infrastructure and corridors.
Google DeepMind is partnering with a Boston-area energy startup to use AI to speed the development of fusion as a clean energy source.
What they're saying: "Everyone talks about how much energy AI is going to use, but AI can actually help the energy equation on the supply side too," Commonwealth Fusion Systems (CFS) CEO Bob Mumgaard told Axios.
Amazon on Thursday unveiled plans and renderings of its forthcoming small modular reactor facility in Washington state to power AI and cloud services.
Why it matters: The Cascade Advanced Energy Facility is one of the country's first SMR projects, with Energy Northwest and X-energy planning to build up to 12 SMRs.
The man who made TED a household name is moving from ideas to (climate) action.
Why he matters: After nearly 25 years at TED, Chris Anderson is stepping back to launch a new initiative seeking to mobilize businesses on climate change — as political focus wanes and investor energy shifts to AI.
The Florida man accused of starting the deadly Palisades Fire, one of California's most destructive blazes, was indicted by a federal grand jury on Wednesday.
The big picture: Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, who was originally charged with destruction of property by fire over the blaze that erupted during powerful Santa Ana winds in the Los Angeles area in January and led to the death of 12 people, faced two additional charges in the indictment.
As cars begin to drive themselves, the onus of liability gets murkier, which is creating new headaches for the insurance industry.
Why it matters: More than half of all new cars in the U.S. will offer hands-free driving by 2028, according to Telemetry's 2025 Assisted and Automated Driving Forecast.
For insurers, that means rethinking risk assessments based on whether humans or robots are driving and writing policies that separate driver liability from that of the vehicle itself.
