Alan Cordova
@alancordova.bsky.social
Tax credits, power markets, new technologies. Williams College + Columbia Business School. If the Mariners ever win it all, you’ll be the first to know.
“‘The world remains in an energy addition mode, rather than a clear transition.’” www.ft.com/content/c406...
The global boom in solar — with or without the US
Despite the scepticism about renewables in Washington, falling prices for new panels are making a compelling business case around the world
www.ft.com
October 30, 2025 at 6:14 AM
“‘The world remains in an energy addition mode, rather than a clear transition.’” www.ft.com/content/c406...
Reposted by Alan Cordova
58. Traded electricity wholesale markets are the worst way of deciding how to dispatch energy resources, except for all the others that have been tried.
October 20, 2025 at 8:04 AM
58. Traded electricity wholesale markets are the worst way of deciding how to dispatch energy resources, except for all the others that have been tried.
"In Washington State, a government-led effort has just started to build what is expected to be the country’s largest #solar generating station." www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/b...
Hanford, a Contaminated Nuclear Site, It Set to Be Largest US Solar Farm (Gift Article)
Plans to transform Hanford, which was integral to the nation’s nuclear arsenal after World War II, had just begun inching forward when President Trump started his second term.
www.nytimes.com
March 5, 2025 at 10:17 PM
"In Washington State, a government-led effort has just started to build what is expected to be the country’s largest #solar generating station." www.nytimes.com/2025/03/05/b...
“‘We could just go out and buy it on the open market and have green electricity…but we said actually we want to be the reason that [wind & solar] parks are being built. So right now around ⅔ of our electricity is from new parks where we have helped by creating this PPA’” www.ft.com/content/f290...
Big businesses step up to buy energy from new wind and solar farms
Renewable developers say upfront agreements to buy power are increasingly vital to make projects happen
www.ft.com
March 3, 2025 at 7:35 AM
“‘We could just go out and buy it on the open market and have green electricity…but we said actually we want to be the reason that [wind & solar] parks are being built. So right now around ⅔ of our electricity is from new parks where we have helped by creating this PPA’” www.ft.com/content/f290...
“The burst of new gas [-fired power generation] pushed up greenhouse gases, offsetting modest #carbon declines from coal and establishing gas as the leading source of #climate #pollution in the power industry — another first.” subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene... #globalwarming #climatecrisis
E&E News: Wind and solar surpassed coal, but CO2 is still climbing. Here’s why.
Renewable energy broke records last year, but so did gas generation. That's a climate problem.
subscriber.politicopro.com
March 2, 2025 at 8:12 AM
“The burst of new gas [-fired power generation] pushed up greenhouse gases, offsetting modest #carbon declines from coal and establishing gas as the leading source of #climate #pollution in the power industry — another first.” subscriber.politicopro.com/article/eene... #globalwarming #climatecrisis
“Rate of natural sequestration of CO2 from atmosphere by terrestrial biosphere peaked in 2008. Atmospheric concentrations will rise more rapidly than previously in proportion to annual CO2 emissions, as natural sequestration is now declining by 0.25%/yr” rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Natural sequestration of carbon dioxide is in decline: climate change will accelerate
The rate of natural sequestration of CO2 from the atmosphere by the terrestrial biosphere peaked in 2008. Atmospheric concentrations will rise more rapidly than previously, in proportion to annual CO....
rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
February 26, 2025 at 7:38 AM
“Rate of natural sequestration of CO2 from atmosphere by terrestrial biosphere peaked in 2008. Atmospheric concentrations will rise more rapidly than previously in proportion to annual CO2 emissions, as natural sequestration is now declining by 0.25%/yr” rmets.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
“Money for clean industry–related projects fell by nearly 60% last year compared with 2023 — even as investment in the broader energy transition grew to a record $2.1 trillion in 2024, per BNEF.” www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...
Chart: Global clean industry investment fell sharply in 2024
Money to clean up steel, ammonia, chemicals, and other sectors dropped by more than half compared with 2023.
www.canarymedia.com
February 25, 2025 at 6:51 AM
“Money for clean industry–related projects fell by nearly 60% last year compared with 2023 — even as investment in the broader energy transition grew to a record $2.1 trillion in 2024, per BNEF.” www.canarymedia.com/articles/cle...
“The turn to #naturalgas reflects the current reality #datacenters face — they want more power than the electric grid can provide, and they want it ASAP.” pocket.co/share/33fa99...
Utilities want to power Big Tech's AI ambitions with natural gas. These are the data centers they're betting on.
From the Midwest to the Southeast, electricity demand from Big Tech's AI data center projects has become so great that in some states, utilities want to build new natural gas-fired power plants to ser...
pocket.co
February 25, 2025 at 6:44 AM
“The turn to #naturalgas reflects the current reality #datacenters face — they want more power than the electric grid can provide, and they want it ASAP.” pocket.co/share/33fa99...
Reposted by Alan Cordova
My annual decarbonization presentation is here.
200 slides, covering everything from water levels in Lake Gatún to sulfur dioxide emissions to ESG fund flows to Chinese auto exports to artificial intelligence. www.nathanielbullard.com/presentations
200 slides, covering everything from water levels in Lake Gatún to sulfur dioxide emissions to ESG fund flows to Chinese auto exports to artificial intelligence. www.nathanielbullard.com/presentations
January 30, 2025 at 12:28 PM
My annual decarbonization presentation is here.
200 slides, covering everything from water levels in Lake Gatún to sulfur dioxide emissions to ESG fund flows to Chinese auto exports to artificial intelligence. www.nathanielbullard.com/presentations
200 slides, covering everything from water levels in Lake Gatún to sulfur dioxide emissions to ESG fund flows to Chinese auto exports to artificial intelligence. www.nathanielbullard.com/presentations
"Total PJM RTO energy [load] is forecasted to be 1,328,045 GWh in 2035, a 10-year increase of 495,264 GWh," or 60% more than today's consumption www.pjm.com/-/media/DotC...
www.pjm.com
January 25, 2025 at 6:13 AM
"Total PJM RTO energy [load] is forecasted to be 1,328,045 GWh in 2035, a 10-year increase of 495,264 GWh," or 60% more than today's consumption www.pjm.com/-/media/DotC...
"Hyperscalers…will generate approximately 60% of industry’s growth from 2023 through 2028, increasing their share of global demand for data center power from 35% to 45%…to realize growth, hyperscalers will need to spend $1.8T in #datacenter-related capex in US from 2024 to 2030." on.bcg.com/4hpNRzr
Breaking Barriers to Data Center Growth
Data centers are booming, but power, supply chain, and sustainability challenges threaten growth. Here’s how companies can surmount the obstacles and meet the growing thirst for computing power.
on.bcg.com
January 22, 2025 at 4:34 AM
"Hyperscalers…will generate approximately 60% of industry’s growth from 2023 through 2028, increasing their share of global demand for data center power from 35% to 45%…to realize growth, hyperscalers will need to spend $1.8T in #datacenter-related capex in US from 2024 to 2030." on.bcg.com/4hpNRzr
"Batteries have not only changed the face of generation-focused ancillary services, but together with large flexible loads have substantially altered the disposition of Regulation Down...this type of transition...is very rare in power markets" blog.gridstatus.io/batteries-er...
Batteries have Reshaped ERCOT’s Ancillary Services Procurement
For most of their tenure on the ERCOT grid, batteries have largely made their bones supplying ancillary services as opposed to energy, but that is beginning to change.
blog.gridstatus.io
January 17, 2025 at 2:26 AM
"Batteries have not only changed the face of generation-focused ancillary services, but together with large flexible loads have substantially altered the disposition of Regulation Down...this type of transition...is very rare in power markets" blog.gridstatus.io/batteries-er...
New GREET model www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcel... and new domestic content guidelines home.treasury.gov/news/press-r... for all you tax credit nerds!
U.S. Department of Energy Releases Updated 45VH2-GREET
The updated model includes new feedstock, technologies, and assumptions in alignment with final rules.
www.energy.gov
January 16, 2025 at 4:32 PM
New GREET model www.energy.gov/eere/fuelcel... and new domestic content guidelines home.treasury.gov/news/press-r... for all you tax credit nerds!
"Battery storage is increasingly setting the marginal price in ERCOT's RTM, with 55% of RTM intervals set by batteries in 2024...we expect that ERCOT will see some of the same dynamics as CAISO, with energy storage setting marginal energy prices in the DAM & the RTM" www.ess-news.com/2025/01/15/c...
California vs. Texas: A comparison of battery energy storage market participation - Energy Storage
California and Texas stand out as national leaders in existing and planned battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity. While both states share the goal of integrating renewable energy and stabilizi...
www.ess-news.com
January 16, 2025 at 5:16 AM
"Battery storage is increasingly setting the marginal price in ERCOT's RTM, with 55% of RTM intervals set by batteries in 2024...we expect that ERCOT will see some of the same dynamics as CAISO, with energy storage setting marginal energy prices in the DAM & the RTM" www.ess-news.com/2025/01/15/c...
“'Thanks to limited ex-China supply & limited appetite by integrators & developers for [nickel manganese cobalt] & [nickel cobalt aluminum] batteries, tariff-inclusive Chinese import prices are likely to set marginal price of BESS for at least the next 2 years'” www.utilitydive.com/news/us-batt...
US battery market faces possible ‘significant tariff impacts’: Clean Energy Associates
With limited production capacity outside China, the consultancy’s Q4 2024 report sees heavily tariffed Chinese production setting the market price for lithium-iron-phosphate batteries over the next tw...
www.utilitydive.com
January 16, 2025 at 5:13 AM
“'Thanks to limited ex-China supply & limited appetite by integrators & developers for [nickel manganese cobalt] & [nickel cobalt aluminum] batteries, tariff-inclusive Chinese import prices are likely to set marginal price of BESS for at least the next 2 years'” www.utilitydive.com/news/us-batt...
Nice overview of #energystorage in California: n.pr/3PAkrml
How batteries are already changing the grid : The Indicator from Planet Money
Renewable energy, when it comes to solar and wind power, has always had a caveat: it can only run when the wind blows or the sun shines. The idea of a battery was floated around to make renewables ava...
n.pr
January 14, 2025 at 9:32 PM
Nice overview of #energystorage in California: n.pr/3PAkrml
"Investors, armed with billions of capital, find themselves at the crossroads of what to do next as pipeline valuations went south, as did return expectations, amidst these delays and added expense." newprojectmedia.com/ma-the-fight...
M&A: The fight for capital continues in 2025 as rising project lifecycle costs continue to pressure the developer model - NPM
M&A: The fight for capital continues in 2025 as rising project lifecycle costs continue to pressure the developer model The […]
newprojectmedia.com
January 14, 2025 at 2:14 AM
"Investors, armed with billions of capital, find themselves at the crossroads of what to do next as pipeline valuations went south, as did return expectations, amidst these delays and added expense." newprojectmedia.com/ma-the-fight...
“As many as 80 new gas-fired power plants will be built in the US by 2030…adding 46 gigawatts of capacity — the size of the electricity system in Norway and nearly 20 per cent more than was added in the past five years.” www.ft.com/content/63c3...
January 13, 2025 at 5:47 AM
“As many as 80 new gas-fired power plants will be built in the US by 2030…adding 46 gigawatts of capacity — the size of the electricity system in Norway and nearly 20 per cent more than was added in the past five years.” www.ft.com/content/63c3...
"Already, #datacenters account for 1-2% of global #energy demand, similar to the airline industry...that figure is poised to skyrocket, given rising AI demands, potentially hitting 21% by 2030, when costs related to delivering AI to consumers are factored in." mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-t...
AI has high data center energy costs — but there are solutions | MIT Sloan
AI workloads have sent data center emissions skyrocketing. An MIT expert details ways to reduce energy use and promote sustainable AI.
mitsloan.mit.edu
January 12, 2025 at 6:09 AM
"Already, #datacenters account for 1-2% of global #energy demand, similar to the airline industry...that figure is poised to skyrocket, given rising AI demands, potentially hitting 21% by 2030, when costs related to delivering AI to consumers are factored in." mitsloan.mit.edu/ideas-made-t...
"ERCOT forecasts peak load growth of over 80% between 2024 and 2034...PJM forecasts peak load growth of over 30% between 2024 and 2034." investors.constellationenergy.com/static-files... #ERCOT #PJM
January 11, 2025 at 5:51 AM
"ERCOT forecasts peak load growth of over 80% between 2024 and 2034...PJM forecasts peak load growth of over 30% between 2024 and 2034." investors.constellationenergy.com/static-files... #ERCOT #PJM
"Development of 500 MWac of #communitysolar over 10 years could contribute up to $1.76B to [Washington State's] Gross State Product (GSP), generate $76.49M in state tax revenues over a 10-year period, support 16,521 job-years" communitysolaraccess.org/wp-content/u...
communitysolaraccess.org
January 11, 2025 at 5:35 AM
"Development of 500 MWac of #communitysolar over 10 years could contribute up to $1.76B to [Washington State's] Gross State Product (GSP), generate $76.49M in state tax revenues over a 10-year period, support 16,521 job-years" communitysolaraccess.org/wp-content/u...
Constellation looking to buy Calpine for $30B, just under 2x the value at which it was taken private in 2017 bloom.bg/3PqfgFF
Constellation Energy Nears $30 Billion Deal for Calpine
Constellation Energy Corp. is nearing an acquisition of Calpine Corp., people familiar with the matter said, in what would be one of the biggest ever deals in the power generation sector.
bloom.bg
January 8, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Constellation looking to buy Calpine for $30B, just under 2x the value at which it was taken private in 2017 bloom.bg/3PqfgFF
"If positive use-case reports continue to bolster Gen AI’s value proposition, the challenges related to power and capacity are likely to intensify in both the short and long term, driven by increasing demand from corporate boardrooms and investors." www.bakerbotts.com/~/media/File...
www.bakerbotts.com
January 8, 2025 at 1:27 AM
"If positive use-case reports continue to bolster Gen AI’s value proposition, the challenges related to power and capacity are likely to intensify in both the short and long term, driven by increasing demand from corporate boardrooms and investors." www.bakerbotts.com/~/media/File...
4 forces driving #investment in #electricity #infrastructure:
1. #Decarbonization of power generation
2. #Electrification of legacy oil & gas applications
3. Overall rise in demand
4. Need for grid resilience to address extreme weather events
econ.st/4h3nQGc
1. #Decarbonization of power generation
2. #Electrification of legacy oil & gas applications
3. Overall rise in demand
4. Need for grid resilience to address extreme weather events
econ.st/4h3nQGc
A new electricity supercycle is under way
Why spending on power infrastructure is surging around the world
econ.st
January 5, 2025 at 9:43 PM
4 forces driving #investment in #electricity #infrastructure:
1. #Decarbonization of power generation
2. #Electrification of legacy oil & gas applications
3. Overall rise in demand
4. Need for grid resilience to address extreme weather events
econ.st/4h3nQGc
1. #Decarbonization of power generation
2. #Electrification of legacy oil & gas applications
3. Overall rise in demand
4. Need for grid resilience to address extreme weather events
econ.st/4h3nQGc
"@microsoft.com plans to spend $80 billion in fiscal 2025 [ending in June] on the construction of #datacenters that can handle artificial intelligence workloads...over half of the expected AI infrastructure spending will take place in the U.S." www.cnbc.com/2025/01/03/m...
Microsoft expects to spend $80 billion on AI-enabled data centers in fiscal 2025
Over half of Microsoft's $80 billion in spending will take place in the U.S., Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith wrote in a Friday blog post.
www.cnbc.com
January 3, 2025 at 7:33 PM
"@microsoft.com plans to spend $80 billion in fiscal 2025 [ending in June] on the construction of #datacenters that can handle artificial intelligence workloads...over half of the expected AI infrastructure spending will take place in the U.S." www.cnbc.com/2025/01/03/m...