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February 19, 2025
K Kaufmann
Mid-Atlantic Bureau Chief
I didn’t start out to be an energy reporter. Back in 2005, I was a beat reporter at The Desert Sun, covering a town called Palm Desert -- about 12 miles east of Palm Springs -- when the city launched ambitious and, at the time, innovative energy efficiency and solar programs. I quickly got hooked and ultimately became the paper’s first energy reporter, covering wind, solar and geothermal development in the California desert. I came back East to D.C. in 2014 to become communications manager at the Smart Electric Power Alliance, a nonprofit working to accelerate the U.S. energy transition through cross-industry collaboration. What I learned there, among other things, is that utilities and regulators are lousy at telling their own stories, and that the energy transition is one of the most misunderstood, underreported and compelling narratives of our time. Before the pandemic, when I was not geeking out on cleantech stories, I could often be found at D.C.’s storied 9:30 Club, listening to very loud indie bands or at the local rep houses watching indie films and documentaries. Guilty pleasures include superhero movies, the Fast & Furious franchise and, of course, John Wick.

Recent Articles
EPA Gives W.Va. Primacy for Permitting CCS Injection Wells
West Virginia is the fourth state to be granted primacy for permitting Class VI wells.
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Energy Innovation: US Needs New Approach to Grid Reliability
To build a reliable, affordable and clean electric power system, the U.S. energy industry and customers will need to shift their thinking about what a reliable system looks like, according to a study from nonprofit think tank Energy Innovation Policy & Technology.
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US Grid Has Flexible ‘Headroom’ for Data Center Demand Growth
A new study from Duke University says the existing power system could handle much of the demand growth expected in the coming years with no additional generation if artificial intelligence data centers can be persuaded to cut their energy use by as little as 1% during times of peak demand.
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NASEO Panel Explores Coordinated Planning to Meet Demand Growth
The U.S. electric power industry faces unprecedented challenges from the size, pace and impacts of demand growth and should look to new approaches for possible solutions, according to speakers at NASEO’s Energy Policy Outlook Conference.
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DOE Official to NASEO: ‘There is not an Energy Transition’
Hrkman got a respectful, if not enthusiastic reception from state energy officials at the NASEO conference, many of whom are waiting to see if they will receive the billions in IRA and IIJA dollars they were awarded for a range of clean projects.
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