Yesterday the EPA proposed to extend a deadline from October 2028 to October 2031, for certain coal combustion residuals surface impoundments—essentially preventing some coal plants from forced closure. EPA said the extension will ensure electric grid reliability by allowing a small subset of baseload coal-fired power producers to continue operating for an additional three years beyond the original deadline.
In very good news for the U.S., Reuters is reporting that the U.S. is making progress in its efforts to wean the country off Chinese rare earths, but it may stand alone in that distinction as other countries have failed to loosen China's grip on their supply chains. According to a Reuters analysis, by 2030 China will still supply roughly 60% of the world's key magnet-making rare earths by 2030but the U.S. is on course to meet about 95% of its own demand from domestic sources.
Global electricity consumption by data centers is forecast to grow by 16 percent in 2025 and double by 2030, driven primarily by the explosive expansion of artificial intelligence (AI), according to new projections from business and technology firm Gartner. The jump clearly presents a significant challenge for energy infrastructure in countries around the world.
