The Institute for Energy ResearchOpinion

Anti-Energy Threats Still Abound

Fueling The Conversation, Week of December 23rd, 2025 During this holiday season, it’s important to take a moment to ...
The Institute for Energy ResearchOpinion

California’s Gasoline Market May No Longer Need to Be an “Energy Island”

California’s unique gasoline blend places it on an “energy island,” and its refinery closures due to onerous state policies ...
The Institute for Energy ResearchOpinion

The Cost of the Energy Transition

According to Irina Slav, the global energy transition cost $4 trillion through 2023 and reduced fossil fuels by just ...
The Institute for Energy ResearchOpinion

Data Centers Are Making It Hard for Utilities to Deliver on Climate Goals

Virginia is the hottest state for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers, and Dominion Energy is trying to meet AI ...
Institute for Energy Research

Blue States, High Rates

Energy affordability has become a top concern for American families and businesses. A recent poll conducted by Ipsos found that 73% of U.S. residents were concerned about their electricity and gas ...
Institute for Energy Research

The IEA Makes a Major Change to Its World Energy Outlook

The IEA has been forced by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright to restore the agency’s original mission of providing accurate, reality-based data about the world’s energy picture. It has moved in that ...
Institute for Energy Research

Data Centers Drive Up Electricity Demand, Causing Concern for Grid Operators

AI data center electricity demand is growing, not only in the United States, but worldwide, with it expected to reach 20% of global electricity demand by 2030-2035. Some utilities such as Dominion ...
Institute for Energy Research

The Grid Reliability Crisis Is Here

PJM found that it was not able to fully cover its reserve margin in a recent capacity auction, prompting outgoing FERC Chairman, Mark Christie, to indicate that the reliability crisis is here. With ...
Institute for Energy Research

China Embarks on a New Hydroelectric Project — the World’s Largest

China has begun construction on the world’s largest hydropower dam, known as the Motuo Hydropower Station, on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau, which is expected to come online sometime in the ...
Institute for Energy Research

U.S. Defense Department Takes a Stake in a Rare Earth Company

DOD is taking a 15% stake in MP Materials and committing to spending billions investing in the company and purchasing its output in order to undercut China’s dominance of rare earth magnets needed in ...
Institute for Energy Research

Energy Department Report Raises Blackout Risks from AI and Increased Electrification if Current Utility Plans Continue

According to the DOE, the massive deployment of wind and solar energy expected over the next five years will not be enough to support the growing power demand brought on by AI data centers and ...
Institute for Energy Research

Renewable Energy Project Cancellations Spike in Texas

Texas is seeing a spike in the cancellation of renewable energy projects and batteries over the past two months due to Trump’s tariffs and uncertainty regarding the future of their tax credits. Texans ...