By Kennedy Maize Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York has thrown a monkey wrench into the Trump administration’s plans to rapidly remold the federal government in his image through executive branch appointments. Schumer on Saturday (Aug. 2) forced the Senate into its month-long August recess without acting on a long list of … More Schumer stymies Trump and Thune on Senate nominees
By Kennedy Maize Disarray dominates the leadership at two important federal government energy agencies–the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Tennessee Valley Authority — a result of the Trump administration’s sloppy mismanagement. On Tuesday (July 29) Republican NRC Commissioner Annie Caputo abruptly announced her resignation a year ahead of the end of her term. She … More Fear and loathing at the NRC and TVA
By Kennedy Maize The Wyoming legislature is in a politically radioactive tizzy over lust for nuclear lucre and distaste for nuclear waste. Here’s how the statewide, online news service Cowboy State Daily summarized the atomic kerfuffle: “The Wyoming Freedom Caucus is pushing back against expanding nuclear waste storage in the state, opposing efforts supported by some … More Wyoming’s political nuke waste merry-go-round
By Kennedy Maize The massive PJM Interconnection, which governs the high-voltage electric grid among 13 Middle- Atlantic states and the District of Columbia and serving some 67 million people, held its annual auction for reserve capacity July 22 to protect against system-wide electricity outages for the 2026-2027 season. The PJM variant of a “reverse Dutch … More PJM’s latest capacity auction: success or failure?
By Kennedy Maize Departing Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Mark Christie said farewell to his colleagues, commission staff, and the public at yesterday’s (July 24) open meeting. He left offering advice that he said he received when he joined the Virginia State Corporation Commission 31 years ago. Christie said he left his first public SCC … More Mark Christie bids FERC adieu…maybe
By Kennedy Maize In acquiring control of the nation’s only rare earth mining company, the Trump administration has mimicked the model developed by China’s Communist Party government, according to an analysis by London’s prestigious Financial Times newspaper. On July 10, MP Materials of Las Vegas announced a deal where the Pentagon acquired a controlling interest … More Financial Times scopes out Trump’s rare earth communism
By Kennedy Maize The Interior Department has approved a tiny new strip mine in Tennessee, claiming hyperbolically that the action by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) would “strengthen America’s energy independence and create local jobs. The coal from this mine will support important industries like steelmaking and power generation.” The 635-acre … More Interior approves a strip mine, much ado about not very much
By Kennedy Maize Demand side management, or “DSM”, was a hot topic in the electric business in the 1990s. It was often seen as a magic elixir for how to reduce pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and other bad “externalities” without burdening customers with either higher prices or reduced supply. DSM was often seen as no-cost, … More The dollars and sense of decreasing electricity demand
By Kennedy Maize The Trump administration last week (July 11) joined a groundbreaking ceremony at a new Wyoming coal mine, where the more important product is expected to be rare earth minerals. At the same time, the administration was buying a controlling interest in the only currently producing U.S. rare earth mine, in southern California. … More A rare flurry of rare earth news from Wyoming and California
By Henry Sokolski Of all the questions America’s bombing of Iran has generated, the one that’s received the least attention is how we got here. The US and Israeli assault on Iran’s nuclear facilities was the predictable result of persistent US and international unwillingness to draw the line properly between safe and dangerous nuclear activities … More Guest Commentary: The old nuclear rules won’t stop proliferation