The White House is set to announce that $1 trillion in private sector investments have been made in clean technology and manufacturing, attributed to Biden-era legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act. This milestone highlights the ongoing impact of Biden's policies, even as President-elect Trump has threatened to roll back these laws. The investments are seen as crucial for future American industries, potentially making it challenging for future administrations to reverse these initiatives.
The United States is facing a power crunch as demand for electricity skyrockets due to the proliferation of data centers and clean-technology factories, leaving utilities and regulators struggling to expand the aging power grid. The surge in demand, driven by factors such as artificial intelligence, crypto-mining, and the Biden administration's industrial policy, is leading to battles over who will pay for new power supplies and threatening the transition to cleaner energy. As the grid struggles to keep up, companies are exploring off-the-grid solutions and alternative energy sources, while officials are grappling with the challenges of building new transmission lines and addressing the strain on the overtaxed grid.
The UK government has announced plans for the biggest expansion of the nuclear power sector in 70 years, aiming to quadruple supplies by 2050 to lower energy bills and improve security. The government is exploring a new site for a large-scale nuclear plant and has committed £300m to produce reactor fuel in the UK. However, critics argue that all clean energy sources, especially renewable power, need to be accelerated, and express skepticism about the government's slow progress in developing new nuclear power stations.
