Category: Energy

EnergyPolicy

Trump Administration Backs Texas Firm’s Offshore Drilling Expansion After California Oil Spill

The Trump administration is supporting a Texas-based fossil fuel company’s plan to resume oil pumping through a pipeline that caused California’s worst coastal spill in decades. The 2015 rupture released over 140,000 gallons of crude, devastating marine life and local fisheries along 150 miles of coastline.

California’s Devastating Oil Spill Legacy

When a corroded pipeline burst in 2015, inky crude spread along the Southern California coast, becoming the state’s worst oil spill in decades, according to reports. More than 140,000 gallons (3,300 barrels) of oil gushed out, blackening beaches for 150 miles from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles and polluting biologically rich habitats for endangered species.

by Megan Carter
Assistive TechnologyEnergy

Amazon’s Cascade Nuclear Project Advances with X-energy SMR Technology Targeting 2030 Construction

Amazon has unveiled detailed plans for the Cascade Advanced Energy Facility, a groundbreaking small modular reactor project developed with X-energy. The initial 320-MW nuclear complex in Washington state represents the first major initiative in Amazon’s broader 5-GW nuclear partnership targeting carbon-free energy for digital infrastructure.

Amazon’s Nuclear Ambition Takes Shape with Cascade Facility

Amazon has unveiled detailed plans and renderings for what sources indicate could become a landmark advanced nuclear project in Washington state. The Cascade Advanced Energy Facility, an initial 320-MW small modular reactor complex, represents the first major project in Amazon’s broader partnership with advanced reactor developer X-energy, according to reports from industry publications.

by Megan Carter
BusinessEnergy

California Refinery Closure Impacts Skilled Workers as State Transitions from Fossil Fuels

A California pipe fitter earning $118,000 annually faces career uncertainty as the Phillips 66 Los Angeles refinery prepares to close. The shutdown reflects broader industry transitions affecting thousands of skilled workers across the state’s refining sector.

California refinery workers are facing unprecedented career uncertainty as the state’s energy transition accelerates, with skilled tradespeople like pipe fitter Wilfredo Cruz reaching substantial earnings only to confront potential job loss when facilities close. The 37-year-old has worked for twelve years at the Phillips 66 refinery in Los Angeles, building his income to $118,000 annually, but now wonders what comes next as the facility prepares to cease operations.

Refinery Closure Impacts Skilled Workforce

by Megan Carter