by Jeff Ihnen | Oct 13, 2025 | Energy Rant
I could write about electricity shortages and data centers every week. Maybe I’ll attempt to keep it to one per month. There are many reasons it’s important, but the big one is that it drives load growth, strains the bajeezus out of the grid, and keeps...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Elisabeth Hamilton | Sep 22, 2025 | Energy Rant
Google is still playing the carbon-free hall of mirrors, this time, claiming Gemini inquiries only result in 0.03 grams of carbon dioxide and five drops of water, less than Jalen Carter’s demonstration of contempt for Dak Prescott, the NFL’s highest-paid quarterback,...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Jeff Ihnen | Sep 15, 2025 | Energy Rant
You may have seen last week that Consumers Energy sold its 13 hydroelectric dams for $1 each. Elon Musk, nor anyone else for that matter, can compete with that price tag on dispatchable storage. According to my calculations, Consumers’ 13 million MWh annual...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Jeff Ihnen | Jun 30, 2025 | Energy Rant
Last week, I spent two and a half days at the Mid-America Regulatory Conference (MARC). This was my third consecutive attendance at the annual MARC. Each conference has featured substantially different, new, and engaging content. Last year’s conference in...				
					
			
					
											
								
							
					
															
					
					 by Jeff Ihnen | May 20, 2025 | Energy Rant
I’ll lead with the conclusion: decarbonization will continue if it costs less than conventional sources, with caveats. The caveats are externalities. Thermal sources of electricity, including coal, natural gas, and nuclear, are associated with externalities of...