NetZero Insider Weekly Intelligence Report: Resources

Welcome to NetZero Insider’s latest Resources Intelligence Report.

We have a diverse batch of news this week, but let’s start with an issue that was front of mind in much of 2024 and is likely to be prominent in 2025 as well: the capacity of the U.S. grid, and whether it can meet the demands soon to be placed on it.

Our K Kaufmann dives into a new study by Duke University that suggests demand response would allow existing infrastructure to avert a shortfall that otherwise would require expensive and time-consuming construction. The existing power system has headroom for 126 GW of new demand if energy-intensive AI data centers would cut their energy use just 1% during peak demand, the authors note.

Even if that happens, utilities seem likely to continue proposing upgrades. Amanda Durish Cook has details on DTE Energy’s year-end earnings call, during which the Michigan utility said it plans a $5 billion boost to its five-year capital investment plan, bringing it to $30 billion, and could spend even more if data center demand arises.

Over in New England, Eversource Energy made a similar announcement during its year-end earnings call: It will add $1.9 billion to the five-year capital plan for its core electric and gas operations, bringing the total to $24.2 billion, with $2 billion more potentially tacked on for advanced meter and electric vehicle infrastructure. Jon Lamson fills us in.

And while we are focused on the future, here’s a story by John Cropley about nuclear fusion: Type One Energy and the Tennessee Valley Authority announced a cooperative agreement to work toward a potential commercial fusion facility that could go online as early as the mid-2030s. It is an evolution of previous projects, and will incorporate technology developed by Commonwealth Fusion Systems, another company chasing the long-elusive goal of commercially viable fusion power.

Here is a random sample of the diverse selection of news gathered from other outlets:

Axios follows up on news Cropley reported earlier in February — three Arizona utilities exploring the idea of building a nuclear power plant — with a cautionary note about some of the hurdles that stand in the way of any such project coming to fruition.

Recharge covers a federal court ruling that allows foreign-flagged vessels to continue construction of U.S. offshore wind projects by using a workaround to avoid a century-old protectionist measure that might seem to bar such activity.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that FREYR Battery will not move forward with plans to build a $2.6 billion factory that was one of the largest in the spate of clean-energy manufacturing projects announced in Georgia during the Biden administration.

The Hill looks at the phenomenon of the clean energy transition making the most progress in red states and gives some reasons why this is happening.

Stateline has a piece on blue states fighting to keep their clean energy agendas alive under the Trump onslaught.

The Wall Street Journal editorial board looks at the latest offshore wind setback in New Jersey and asks how many multibillion-dollar projects have to collapse before the governor comes to his senses.

And Green Prophet argues that pioneering efforts such as the Ivanpah concentrating solar plant have value even if they end in failure.

All this and much more is gathered in this week’s Intelligence Report:

Jump To

Biofuels
Carbon Capture
Coal
Demand Response
Fossil Fuels
Geothermal
Hydrogen

Lng
Minerals
Natural Gas
Natural Gas, Nuclear
Natural Gas/lng
Nuclear
Offshore Wind

Oil, Gas
Onshore Wind
Renewable Energy
Solar
Solar, Storage
Storage
Utility-scale Solar

Wave Energy
Wind

Biofuels

U.S.

The numbers don't lie' -- US ethanol exports soar to new record

While U.S. exports surged last year, imports of fuel ethanol plunged to just 4 million gallons in 2024 -- less than one-fifth of 2023's imports and the lowest level in three decades. Michigan Farm News