Aaron Larson
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Executive Editor for POWER Magazine (@POWERmagazine). Navy nuke, worked at commercial nuclear, biomass, and coal facilities. www.powermag.com/
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Articles by Aaron Larson
America Needs a Fifth Nuclear Executive Order Original
President Trump’s four nuclear executive orders issued on May 23, 2025, represented a historic liftoff for American nuclear energy. As electricity demand surges, geopolitical energy competition intensifies, and America’s power infrastructure faces mounting strain, the administration acted decisively. It recognized that American energy dominance—and leadership in the digital age—requires a resurgence of nuclear reactor capabilities.
Siemens Energy Will Shed the Siemens Name, Rebrand as Omterra Original
The Siemens name is coming off one of the power industry’s largest equipment and service suppliers. Siemens Energy announced July 14 that it has begun preparing the transition to an independent corporate brand, with Siemens Energy and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy to be united under a single new name: Omterra. The rebranding process is scheduled to begin later this calendar year and will be rolled out in stages.
Modernizing the Plant That Powers 40% of Kyrgyzstan Original
GE Vernova modernized four hydro units at the plant that supplies roughly 40% of Kyrgyzstan’s electricity—without ever taking the plant fully offline. The project is a POWER Top Plant award finalist. When a single power station carries about 40% of a country’s electricity, the conventional rehabilitation playbook—drain the plant, gut it, rebuild it, bring it back—is off the table. There is no spare grid to lean on while the work gets done.
Why a Calmer Summer Outlook Hasn’t Settled the Capacity Question Original
A milder reliability assessment, 58 GW of new resources, and softening load forecasts have eased the near-term mood. Analysts and executives warn the breathing room is borrowed time. For the first time in several summers, the North American grid is heading into the cooling season without a single region flagged as high-risk.
A Water Plant That Happens to Make Power: Inside the Moccasin Rewind Original
At a 57-year-old hydro plant where the real product is drinking water for 2.7 million people, GE Vernova replaced two original generators on a four-month outage window—proving that reliability, not output, drives the calculus on some aging hydro assets. The project is a POWER Top Plant award finalist.
A Republican and a Democrat Walk Into EEI—and Agree on Data Centers Original
Brian Kemp is a Republican. Katie Hobbs is a Democrat. The governor of Georgia campaigns on tax cuts and a growth agenda; the governor of Arizona calls herself a social worker who came to the job from a different perspective than most of her colleagues. Put them on the same stage and they would disagree about plenty.
NRC Charts a Disposal Path for Nuclear Waste Stuck at a ‘Dead End’ Original
For decades, the most radioactive category of low-level waste in the U.S. has had a disposal plan that exists only on paper: a deep geologic repository that was never built. Late last week, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) moved to replace that plan with one that can actually be licensed.
Public Power’s Affordability Edge Faces Its Hardest Test in Years Original
For decades, the pitch for community-owned electric utilities has been simple enough to fit on a bill insert: lower rates, reliable service, and decisions made close to home. The numbers still back that up. What has changed, according to Scott Corwin, president and CEO of the American Public Power Association (APPA), is the difficulty of holding that ground.
Ormat Bets on Standardization to Win the Geothermal Race Original
Electricity demand is climbing at a pace the power industry hasn’t seen in a generation, and the companies trying to feed it with geothermal energy are mostly racing in one direction: drill faster. Ormat Technologies is making a different bet. The company that has built and run geothermal plants for six decades thinks the constraint that matters most isn’t underground at all. It’s the power plant sitting on top.
A New Coal Plant in the U.S.? Once Unthinkable, Now a Strong Maybe Original
A $350 million Department of Energy (DOE) coal-revival program has put $18.5 million toward the TerraSpark Energy Campus, a 1.6-GW greenfield project in West Virginia pairing Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) supercritical boilers with Mantel Capture’s molten borate carbon capture. In responses to POWER, developer TerraSpark laid out a 2030 startup target, a 95% to 98% capture design, and a four-pathway plan for the captured CO2.
Advanced Weather Forecasting: How Sub-Kilometer Models Are Reshaping Utility Risk and Wildfire Decisions Original
As fire-weather risk expands beyond California, utilities are turning to sub-kilometer, asset-level forecasts to support public safety power shutoff decisions they can defend in front of regulators. When the National Weather Service (NWS) issued routine convective outlooks on the morning of May 27, 2025, public guidance for the Houston metro called for widespread 30 to 40 mph wind gusts, with isolated pockets reaching 45 to 60 mph.
The Heat Is On: Summer Safety for Power Crews Original
Summer is the season utilities brace for. Demand peaks as air conditioners run flat out, equipment runs hot, and the workforce that keeps the grid alive does so under some of the year’s most punishing conditions. The same months that strain transformers and conductors also strain the people climbing structures and pulling cable beneath them. For power professionals, warm-weather preparedness is not a seasonal courtesy—it is a core safety discipline.
How the Power Sector Is Bracing for a More Violent Climate Original
Utilities, federal agencies, and the national labs have finally assembled the tools to harden the grid against an increasingly hostile environment. The question is whether they can put them together fast enough.
How Trump’s EO 14300 Is Reshaping NRC Nuclear Licensing and Regulation Original
In a news release marking the anniversary, the NRC tallied milestones it says are reshaping U.S. nuclear regulation for the first time in nearly half a century.
Duke Energy’s Nuclear Playbook: Three Horizons, One Strategy Original
Duke Energy’s 11-unit nuclear fleet finished 2025 with a capacity factor greater than 97%—its best result on record. For Steven Capps, Duke’s senior vice president and Chief Nuclear Officer, that number is the foundation everything else has to sit on. “2025 was the best year we have had in terms of overall capacity factor for the fleet,” Capps said as a guest on The POWER Podcast.
State of the Nuclear Industry 2026: Korsnick Says the Real Test Is Now Scale Original
1. Meaningful construction progress is being made on nuclear projects in Tennessee and Wyoming. Source: NEI Eight reactors are now under construction across North America, with 90 in development, and many of those projects are aiming for startup by 2030. That tempo framed the central argument of her annual “State of the Nuclear Industry” address. “The question before us is not whether we can build. It’s clear—we’re starting—we’re showing that we can.
The Many Shapes of Nuclear Power’s Revival
After decades of stagnation, nuclear power is firmly back in the energy discussion. Surging electricity demand, hyperscale data centers hunting for firm round-the-clock power, and growing pressure to decarbonize industrial heat have converged to revive interest in both new reactor construction and lifetime extensions of the existing fleet.
Ontario Advances Bruce C Nuclear Project with $300M Pre-Development Agreement Original
Ontario took its most decisive step yet toward building Canada’s first large-scale nuclear station in more than three decades, directing the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) to enter a cost-sharing and recovery agreement with Bruce Power to advance pre-construction work on the proposed Bruce C project.
77 Miles, One Drone: Rewriting the Rules of Infrastructure Inspection Original
Transmission corridors can be difficult to inspect, sometimes requiring helicopters and boots on the ground. A Daytona Beach, Florida, company is using drones to improve the process—at roughly a quarter of the cost. On the morning of Feb. 3, 2026, a small team from Censys Technologies stood at their Daytona Beach headquarters and watched a fixed-wing drone the size of a large model airplane climb into the Florida sky.
Data Centers and Communities: Why the Conversation Demands More Nuance Original
On April 7, the Maine House voted 82–62 to advance Legislative Document (LD) 307, a bill sponsored by Rep. Melanie Sachs, D-Freeport, that would impose a moratorium on artificial intelligence (AI) data centers with loads of 20 MW or greater until Nov. 1, 2027.
NRC Unveils Part 57: A Streamlined Path for High-Volume Microreactor Licensing Original
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has proposed a sweeping new licensing framework designed to push microreactors out of the lab and onto the grid at unprecedented speed. The proposed rule, called Part 57, is paired with a broader agency overhaul that earlier this year created the Office of Advanced Reactors (OAR), headed by longtime NRC official Jeremy S. Bowen.
How Corporate Energy Buyers Are Reshaping the U.S. Grid: CEBA CEO Rich Powell on Data Centers, Nuclear, and Permitting Reform Original
Corporate America has become one of the most consequential forces shaping the U.S. electricity system. Speaking as a guest on The POWER Podcast, Rich Powell, CEO of the Corporate Energy Buyers Association (CEBA), explained how the country’s largest energy buyers are responding to unprecedented demand growth, betting on a widening mix of clean technologies, and pressing policymakers for the permitting reforms they feel are critical to meeting the moment.
Duke Energy’s Robinson Nuclear Plant Gets NRC Approval to Operate Until 2050 Original
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has approved a subsequent license renewal (SLR) for Duke Energy’s Robinson Nuclear Plant, clearing the 54-year-old reactor to continue generating electricity in the Pee Dee region through 2050. The decision, announced on Thursday, comes roughly a year after Duke Energy filed its renewal application in April 2025.
Rural Co-ops Navigate a New Era of Load Growth, Rising Costs, and Policy Pressure Original
After decades of relatively flat electricity demand, the U.S. power sector is suddenly racing to keep up—and rural electric cooperatives, which serve 42 million people across 54% of the nation’s land mass, are feeling the squeeze as acutely as anyone.
Project Glasswing: What Power Companies and Grid Operators Need to Know Original
On April 7, Anthropic announced Project Glasswing, a coalition of 12 major technology companies marshaling a new frontier artificial intelligence (AI) model to find and fix critical software vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. While the announcement is framed around technology infrastructure broadly, the implications for the power sector are immediate and serious.
Renewables Reenvisioned: How Linea Energy Built a 7-GW Renewable Pipeline in Under Two Years Original
Cassidy DeLine has spent more than 16 years developing renewable power plants. Now, as the founder and CEO of Linea Energy, she’s building an independent power producer that she believes can do the work better, not by tearing up the playbook, but by running every play better. As a guest on The Power Podcast, DeLine laid out the philosophy, strategy, and ambitions behind Linea’s rapid rise.
Inside AMPERA’s Bet on Subcritical Thorium Microreactors Original
A Florida-based startup intends to build factory-produced nuclear systems designed to fit in shipping containers and run for 30 years without refueling. Here’s how the technology works—and where it stands. The global appetite for electricity is surging. Data centers, industrial electrification, and perhaps a coming wave of humanoid robotics are layering exponential demand onto a grid that was never designed for it.
The Genesis Mission: How AI Supercomputing Is About to Reshape American Science and Energy Original
Dr. Dario Gil, the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Under Secretary for Science, lays out a bold vision to double the productivity of U.S. research and development (R&D) within a decade—and explains why energy and artificial intelligence (AI) are two sides of the same coin. After 22 years at IBM, where he rose to senior vice president and director of IBM Research, Dr. Dario Gil now leads one of the most ambitious science and technology initiatives in a generation.
Cracking the Power Supply Chain Code Original
The power industry finds itself in an uncomfortable bind. Demand for electricity is surging, driven by data center buildouts, broad electrification, and the retirement of aging coal fleets, but the equipment needed to meet that demand is stuck in a supply chain that is having trouble keeping up with the pace. Large power transformers, high-voltage switchgear, and transmission cables now carry multi-year lead times.
Investing in Energy’s ‘Anti-Fragile’ Future Original
With federal tax credits under threat and regulatory stability in short supply, Bala Nagarajan, managing director of the energy investments team at S2G Investments, explained what he looks for in a company. “Is the product or the solution sold by this business cheaper, faster, better than the incumbent solution?” he asked. If so, it’s worth considering. If not, the investment may not be a fit for his company’s portfolio.
Anatomy of a Blackout: Findings from the Spain-Portugal Grid Collapse Final Report Original
An analysis of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) Expert Panel’s final report on the April 28, 2025, Iberian Peninsula power grid incident. On a mild, sunny Monday in late April 2025, the power grids of Spain and Portugal collapsed in less than 90 seconds.
Nuclear Sprint: DOE and Industry Race to Meet Trump’s Target Original
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources convened March 19 for a full committee hearing to examine the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) implementation of President Trump’s May 2025 nuclear energy executive orders. Three witnesses—DOE Assistant Secretary Theodore Garrish, Kairos Power CEO Dr. Michael Laufer, and Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Director Dr. John C.
How a University and Industry Partner Are Building Tomorrow’s Power Workforce Original
The power industry is staring down a workforce crisis. An aging labor force is heading for the exits, new recruits aren’t arriving fast enough to replace them, and a historic wave of energy infrastructure investment is only widening the gap.
The Frog Is Dead: North America’s Power Grid Faces Its Biggest Reckoning in a Generation Original
For much of the 21st century, the North American power sector drifted along on near-zero demand growth. Utilities retired aging coal plants, developers filled interconnection queues with wind and solar, and investors looked elsewhere for excitement. Then came the data center boom—and seemingly overnight, the industry found itself in a full-blown supply crisis.
How America's Power Regions Chose Their Futures and How That Has Played Out Original
On April 24, 1996, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued Order 888, requiring all public utilities owning or operating interstate transmission facilities to file open-access, non-discriminatory transmission tariffs. Three years later, FERC followed with Order 2000, which encouraged—but critically did not mandate—the voluntary formation of Regional Transmission Organizations (RTOs).
Engine Power Plants Surge as Data Centers Drive Unprecedented Demand Original
Manufacturers respond with gigawatt-scale deployments, fast-start technology, and expanded production capacity. The global appetite for electricity has never been more insatiable, and at the heart of this surge stands an insatiable driver: artificial intelligence (AI). Data centers, once modest consumers of grid power, have transformed into voracious energy hubs demanding gigawatts of reliable, rapidly deployable capacity.
Powering Tomorrow: A Multi-Technology Roadmap for the Global Energy Transition Original
As global electricity demand surges 40% by 2035 and warming projections worsen, nuclear, geothermal, gas, offshore wind, storage, and fusion must all advance—along with the workforce to build them. The global energy landscape is undergoing its most significant transformation since the Industrial Revolution. Electricity demand is surging at unprecedented rates while the imperative to decarbonize intensifies.
Battery Storage Comes of Age: From Grid Accessory to Essential Infrastructure Original
From plunging costs to policy upheaval, the global battery storage sector is transforming grid design—and facing unprecedented challenges. The energy storage industry stands at a pivotal crossroads. On one side, costs are plummeting so dramatically that utility-scale batteries can now deliver solar power around the clock at competitive prices. On the other, regulatory upheaval—particularly in the U.S.—threatens to disrupt supply chains and slow deployment at the very moment storage is most needed.
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