Fueling the data center boom AI has dominated discussions in the global energy sector in 2025. Governments are racing to develop the most advanced AI models, and data center developers are building as fast as they can. But no one will get very far without finding ways to produce and deliver more electricity to these energy-hungry consumers.
Spectrum the most popular energy stories in 2025 centered on this theme. Readers were particularly interested in stories about next-generation nuclear power, such as small modular reactors and salt-cooled reactors, and how these technologies could support data centers. Readers also turned to Spectrum to learn more about the strain all of this is putting on power grids and new technologies to address these issues.
Despite the importance of the energy sector’s challenges, we also found some fun and quirky stories to tell. An American company is building the largest plane in the world – bigger than a football field – and it will have only one goal: transporting wind turbine blades.
I don’t know what 2026 has in store for us, but like SpectrumAs Energy Editor, I will do my best to bring you true, useful and engaging stories. Happy Energy New Year!
GE Vernova
The world suddenly needs more energy, but one solution currently being tested is to reduce energy production and distribute it more widely. Small modular reactors (SMRs) are an example. These nuclear fission reactors are less than a third the size and power of conventional reactors. And as the April deadline approaches for applying for the US$900 million offered by the United States for the development of SMRsthe readers came Schest en masse to learn more about the program in a news article written by contributor Shannon Cuthrell.
But the SMR money pales in comparison to the $80 billion the United States is spending on a fleet of large-scale nuclear reactors designed by Westinghouse. Will this next group of reactors suffer from the same delays and cost overruns that bankrupted Westinghouse just a few years ago? Spectrum brought readers expert analysis on the subject from Ed Crooks of Wood MacKenzie.
Edmon de Haro
The United States may have the largest number of SMRs in development, but China is the most advanced. Linglong One, on Hainan Island, is expected to begin operation in the first half of 2026. And it’s just one part of an assortment of nuclear reactor experiments in China. One of the most interesting projects in the country is a molten salt reactor powered by thoriumconstruction of which began in 2025 in the Gobi Desert. Prior to this project, the last operating molten salt reactor was at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which closed in 1969.
The advantage of thorium as a fuel is that it reduces dependence on uranium. Very little information is available on the progress of China’s thorium reactor, but with the help of our Taiwan-based freelancer Yu-Tzu Chiu, we know that it is small (just 10 megawatts) and should be operational by 2030. Check back with Spectrum for updates on this reactor and the Linglong One.
Radiate
While nuclear reactors need to get smaller, wind turbines need to get bigger, some renewable energy advocates say. And the biggest obstacle to the growth of wind energy – besides the current political backlash – is transportation. Roads, bridges and railways dictate the size of onshore wind turbine blades and generally cannot accommodate objects more than 70 meters long. That’s why Radia, an aerospace startup based in Boulder, Colorado, built the largest plane in the world. It will stretch 108 meters long, be designed to hold a 105 meter blade and will be able to land on a makeshift dirt runway. Spectrum Contributor Andrew Moseman visited Radia headquarters to check out the plane’s design and fly the giant on the company’s simulator. (Spoiler: he got it.)
National Electricity Transmission Grid/Smart Wires
None of this new energy production will matter if we can’t transmit it across the grid to the customers who need it. But many key transmission corridors are being maximized. Power outages are becoming longer and more frequent. Building new transmission lines takes years and is often thwarted by NIMBY pushback. Queues to connect to the grid, whether you’re supplying or requesting electricity, can be ridiculously long.
To bridge the gap, network operators around the world are turning to innovative network technologies. Collectively known as Grid Enhancement Technologies (GET), some of the boldest examples can be found in the UK. For example, the United Kingdom’s National Grid was implementation of electronic power flow controllerscalled SmartValves, which move electricity from blocked circuits to those with available capacity.
The United Kingdom and other countries have also been renewal old lines and installing dynamic row rankingwhich calculates how much current high-voltage lines can safely carry based on real-time weather conditions. And Scotland has strengthened its network-wide battery stations with advanced converters. These spring into action within milliseconds to release the extra power needed when energy supplies elsewhere on the network falter. Spectrum Contributor Peter Fairley, author of several of these articles, traveled to the UK to investigate network congestion issues and technological solutions.
Yamil Lage/AFP/Getty Images
In contrast, one of the most neglected networks in the world is found in Cuba. There, decades of poor fuel and maintenance have left the country’s energy infrastructure in crisis. Lately, Cuba’s entire power grid has been collapsing every two months. Power outages are so frequent that citizens prepare several meals at once and work with a flashlight, says Ricardo Torres, a Cuban economist who explained the situation for Spectrum readers in this popular guest post written by experts.
Neighboring Caribbean island Puerto Rico is also experiencing more frequent power outages, leading some to speculate that that U.S. territory’s power grid could follow the same path as Cuba’s. The turmoil prompted widespread development of solar and storage systems across the island which are financed by the private sector, reports Spectrum Contributor Julia Tilton.
Edmon de Haro
On the lighter side, we also explored the world of nuclear batteries. These devices store energy in the form of radioactive isotopes. They can last for decades, making them ideal for medical implants, remote infrastructure, robots and sensors. But the lure of a small battery with a 50-year lifespan has given this sector several false starts. In the 1970s, surgeons implanted nuclear-powered pacemakers in more than 1,400 people, only to lose track of them over time. Regulators balked when devices containing plutonium-238 began showing up in crematoriums and coffins.
Today, this area is experiencing renewed interest. Companies on several continents claim to be on the verge of commercializing nuclear batteries. It is unclear whether they will find favorable markets. In a feature for SpectrumNuclear battery expert James Blanchard details the history of these devices and why there’s suddenly more activity in this field than he’s ever seen in his 40-year career.
Brittany Greeson
Sometimes a story is so good that we just have to publish it, even if we find it elsewhere. This was the case of a chapter of the book Inevitable: in the disorderly and unstoppable transition to electric vehicles (Harvard Business Review Press, 2025). The chapter tells the story of a powertrain engineer at Ford whose expertise in internal combustion engines gradually became irrelevant as automakers shifted to electric vehicles. With permission, we have published an adapted version of the chapterwhich is full of excellent reporting from author Mike Colias, a veteran automotive journalist. Don’t miss it! (Spoiler: Engineer Lem Yeung, who left Ford after 30 years, ended up returning to the company a few years later to help clean up the mess caused by the loss of old-school talent. We caught up with Yeung after his return. in this question and answer session.)
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