energy

Companies are racing to roll out nuclear reactor designs that would be faster to build and could meet rising demand for energy from AI data centers. Two nuclear companies have proposals for new reactors in Kansas. Plus: Data centers are fundamentally changing the landscape for electric utilities in Missouri and beyond.

Deep Fission is a fledgling startup that says it can help tech companies meet the "explosive demand" for more energy to power artificial intelligence. It's one of two nuclear companies that have announced plans related to Kansas in the past month.

Staff at Missouri's Public Service Commission said that regulators should reject a new proposal from Ameren, which they say would raise rates on customers while enriching Ameren shareholders.

The new solar field in mid-Missouri would be built next to the Callaway nuclear plant. Ameren has requested approval for the project from Missouri's Public Service Commission.

When consumers get their utility bills every month, it’s not always clear why energy costs as much as it does — and there are usually no other options. Why? The upfront investment and barriers to entry create natural energy industry monopolies. Plus: Learn why local fruits and veggies are often more expensive than produce shipped thousands of miles.

A new Missouri law will protect people from electric or gas utility shutoffs for longer periods of time during extreme heat and cold weather.

Large data centers are coming to Missouri, and they need a lot of power. Right now, there aren't regulations governing how they will use energy, so Evergy and Ameren is working to develop new rules.

Several planned projects would have brought solar to communities in the Midwest and Great Plains for the first time. Others would have expanded existing efforts. Now, the projects are on hold after the Environmental Protection Agency abruptly terminated $7 billion in funding.

Energy companies in Missouri have been raising their prices to recoup costs of investments and the price of fuel. Except unlike other goods and services, customers usually have one choice when it comes to electricity.

The U.S. Department of Energy said it canceled a loan guarantee for the transmission project, which would transport wind energy generated in Kansas to Missouri and other Midwest states, because it was not a responsible use of taxpayer money. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley had advocated for the cancellation.

Data centers are expanding across the central U.S. to meet growing demand for artificial intelligence. That's raising concerns about growing energy demand and freshwater usage.

In states without policies to drive renewable energy, power prices could surge as federal tax incentives for clean energy disappear, according to the think tank Energy Innovation. The firm expects rates to rise by at least 39% in Missouri and 30% in Kansas.