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President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the AES Corporation Andres Gluski speaks during an interview with Reuters in Santiago, Chile June 4, 2019. Picture taken June 4, 2019. 

Rodrigo Garrido | Reuters

The euphoria over nuclear energy as a power source for data centers is “overblown,” the CEO of a major power provider for large tech companies told CNBC in an interview Monday.

AES Corporation CEO Andrés Gluski said renewable energy is the future, though natural gas will also play a role as a transition fuel. Nuclear power, on the other hand, faces challenges in meeting the growing power demand from data centers, Gluski said.

AES is a major power provider for large tech companies building out data centers, with more than 40% of its 12.7 gigawatt backlog coming from customers including Amazon, Microsoft and Google, according to its most recent earnings presentation to investors.

Some Wall Street analysts have predicted a nuclear renaissance as power demand increases thanks to artificial intelligence, data centers, re-industrialization and the electrification of the vehicle fleet. Nuclear provides reliable, carbon-free energy, though new projects have long lead times and are expensive.

Gluski said the “euphoria” over nuclear power is a “little overblown.” There is only so much existing nuclear energy that merchant power providers can re-contract to sites such as data centers, the CEO said.

“The question is, going forward, what’s the price of new nuclear,” Gluski said, adding that only one new nuclear plant has been built in the U.S. in decades and it came in far above budget.

‘The future is going to be renewable’

The second of two new nuclear reactors at Vogtle Plant in Georgia came online in April, but the project was seven years behind schedule and cost double the original projections, according to the Energy Information Administration. The reactors, operated by Georgia Power, are the first newly-constructed nuclear units built in the U.S. in more than 30 years, according to the Department of Energy.

“The Street got ahead of it saying you’re not going to build renewables, it’s all going be nuclear,” Gluski said. “It’s going to be natural gas and renewables, but the bulk of it’s going to be renewables,” the CEO said.

AES current gross power generation is 54% renewables, 27% natural gas, and 17% coal. Renewables represent 89% of the company’s gross power generation under construction while gas makes up the remaining 11%.

Gluski pointed to the recent agreement between Microsoft and Brookfield Asset Management for 10.5 gigawatts of renewable energy between 2026 and 2030 as a sign of the future. Microsoft and Brookfield described the agreement as the largest renewable purchase ever between two corporate partners.

“It tells you that’s where most of the energy is going to be coming from,” Gluski said. “They are cheaper, they are clean and quite frankly easier to site, so the future is going to be renewable energy.”

Natural gas vs. renewables

The natural gas industry views data centers as major source of demand growth, arguing that renewables will need a backup power source when they are not generating enough power due to sun or wind conditions.

“I do agree that we’re going to need natural gas to shore up, if you want, renewables until batteries become ubiquitous and cheap enough to make up for that,” Gluski said.

Goldman Sachs estimates that power demand from data centers will more than double to 8% of total U.S. electricity consumption by 2030, according to an April report. The investment bank sees natural gas supplying 60% of the demand growth, and renewables 40%.

But battery prices are coming down, the CEO said, and there is as much battery storage waiting for connection to the grid as solar power. There are some hours during the day in California where storage represents the biggest source of energy being dispatched, Gluski said.

“You can do it 100% with renewables, you just need a whole lot more renewables,” he said.

Solar, storage and wind represented about 95% of the power capacity in line waiting for connection to the grid at the end of 2023, while gas was just 3% and a grab bag made up the rest, according to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Renewables and storage in line for connection is nearly twice the installed capacity of the U.S. power plant fleet.

AES has already signed long-term contracts with data centers to provide them hourly matched renewable energy 24/7, Gluski said. “We’ve done that already for two years. So we can do that today,” he said.

AES signed an agreement with Google in 2021 to power its Virginia data center campus with 90% carbon-free energy on an hourly basis using a combination of wind, solar, hydro and battery storage resources.

The power company recently signed an agreement with Amazon for an additional gigawatt of solar and storage at a site in Kern County, California, bringing the project to a total of two gigawatts in a 15-year contract that is expected to come online in 2025 to 2026. AES has described the agreement as the largest solar and storage project in the U.S.

All told, the power company has signed agreements to provide Amazon with 3.1 gigawatts of power, Microsoft with 1.7 gigawatts, and Google with 800 megawatts, according to its first quarter earnings presentation.

“All of them want to be part of an energy transition,” Gluski said. “I don’t see anybody saying build me gas and coal plants to power my data centers, unless it’s a temporary situation, give me power from your gas plant until the renewables are available.”

AES stock is up 26% over the past three months and 6% year to date. Some 67% of Wall Street analysts rate AES the equivalent of a buy, 25% have a hold on the company’s stock and 8% rate it the equivalent of a sell.

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MG begins deliveries of the world’s first mass-produced EV with a semi-solid-state battery

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December 18, 2025

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MG begins deliveries of the world's first mass-produced EV with a semi-solid-state battery

First-EV-semi-solid-state-battery

SAIC MG delivered the first MG4 model with a semi-solid-state EV battery in China, starting at under $15,000.

The MG4 is the first EV with a semi-solid-state battery

In August, SAIC MG launched the all-new MG4 at the Chengdu Auto Show, deeming it “the world’s first mass-produced semi-solid-state” electric vehicle.

The new MG4 is available in five different trims: Comfort, Ease, Freedom, Smart, and the semi-solid-state “Secure” edition.

SAIC MG announced on Thursday that it had delivered the first MG4 equipped with the new battery tech. The new MG4 is on sale starting at 68,800 RMB ($9,800), with prices rising to 102,800 yuan ($14,500) for the semi-solid-state battery model.

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It’s available with two lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery sizes: 42.8 kWh or 53.95 kWh. The three lowest-priced trims are equipped with the smaller (42.8 kWh) battery, providing 437 km (271 miles) CLTC driving range, while the Smart version uses the 53.95 kWh battery, delivering 530 km (330 miles) of range.

First-EV-semi-solid-state-battery
The new MG4 with a semi-solid-state EV battery (Source: SAIC MG)

Meanwhile, the semi-solid-state variant is powered by a 53.95 kWh semi-solid manganese-based lithium-ion battery, delivering 530 km (330 miles) of CLTC range.

All new MG4 models are powered by a single front-mounted “six-in-one” electric motor with 120 kW (161 hp) and 250 Nm torque. Using DC fast charging, it can recharge from 30% to 80% in 20 minutes.

First-EV-semi-solid-state-battery
The new MG4 (Source: SAIC MG)

The electric hatch is 4,395 mm long, 1,842 mm wide, and 1,551 mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,750 mm. That’s about the size of the BYD Dolphin.

Like most Chinese EVs nowadays, the new MG4 is loaded with modern tech and features. The smart cockpit is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8155 in-car chip.

First-EV-semi-solid-state-battery
The interior of the new MG4 with a semi-solid-state battery (Source: SAIC MG)

While the three lower-priced trims feature a 12.8″ central infotainment screen, upgrading to the Smart and semi-solid-state models adds a bigger 15.6″ display with 2.5K resolution.

The company said that by reducing the liquid electrolyte content to just 5%, the semi-solid-state EV battery significantly reduces the risk of combustion and improves the cycle life.

In two recent needle penetration tests, the new battery produced no smoke, no fires, and no explosions after two hours. SAIC MG said it was an industry first, exceeding industry standards by 20%.

SAIC MG delivered over 13,000 new MG4 models in November. It’s also the best-selling independent Chinese car brand overseas, A “beacon of Chinese automotive success,” in the EU and British markets, the company said.

Source: CarNewsChina, SAIC MG


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GM considers former Tesla Autopilot head Sterling Anderson as next CEO, report says

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December 18, 2025

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GM considers former Tesla Autopilot head Sterling Anderson as next CEO, report says

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Cadillac Escalade IQL interior (Source: GM)

GM CEO Mary Barra is reportedly considering Sterling Anderson, the former head of Tesla Autopilot and co-founder of Aurora, as her potential successor. But first, she is putting him through a “tough test” in his new role as Chief Product Officer.

We reported back in May that GM hired Anderson as its new Chief Product Officer in a surprising move that put a tech executive in charge of the legacy automaker’s entire vehicle development program.

Anderson is well-known in the EV community. He led the Model X program at Tesla and was the director of the Autopilot program during its formative years (2015-2016). He later left to co-found Aurora Innovation, a self-driving startup that has focused heavily on autonomous trucking.

Now, a new report from Bloomberg states that Barra sees Anderson as a frontrunner to replace her when she eventually steps down.

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According to the report, Barra is “gauging” Anderson for the top job by giving him a massive portfolio that serves as a trial by fire. Since joining in June, Anderson has been tasked with overseeing the end-to-end lifecycle of GM’s products, both gas and electric, including the critical integration of hardware and software.

The “test” essentially boils down to whether Anderson can successfully execute Barra’s vision of transforming GM into a tech-first company. This involves untangling the automaker’s software woes and delivering on the promise of “eyes-off” autonomous driving for personal vehicles, a pivot away from the robotaxi-focused strategy of its former Cruise unit.

While Barra, 63, hasn’t announced a retirement date, the pressure is on to find a leader who can navigate the rapid transition to electric and software-defined vehicles. If Anderson passes this “test,” he could become the first outsider with a tech background to lead the 117-year-old automaker.

Electrek’s Take

“Tech background” is not entirely true, but mostly accurate. He has spent a few years at Tesla and then built Aurora; both are in the auto industry, but certainly on the techy side of it. Before that, he spent years at MIT, and the ‘T’ stands for technology.

I’ve only had a few interactions with Sterling, but from what I could tell, he is a smart guy who was among the most realistic about autonomy at Tesla, which is probably why he didn’t last long at the head of the program and went on his own.

He helped build Aurora into a multi-billion-dollar company that is now seen as the leader in autonomous trucking.

GM is starting to build an extensive and impressive EV lineup, but it still has issues committing to high volume due to the political landscape, which, in my opinion, the company itself often lobbied the wrong way.

I think some fresh blood could help.


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House passes bill to ease permits for building out AI infrastructure

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December 18, 2025

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House passes bill to ease permits for building out AI infrastructure

House passes bill that would help advance AI data center buildout

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill aimed at making it easier to get federal permits to build infrastructure for artificial intelligence projects.

The bill, known as the SPEED Act, is backed Big Tech giants such as OpenAI, Micron and Microsoft

The bill cleared the House in a 221-196 vote, overcoming a conservative rebellion that nearly sank the legislation in a procedural vote earlier this week.

The bill now heads to the Senate, where it is likely to be part of a larger conversation around permitting reform. 

The SPEED Act’s proponents argue it is critical to help the U.S. outpace China and other global competitors in the race for AI dominance. 

“The electricity we will need to power AI computing for civilian and military use is a national imperative,” said Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., the bill’s sponsor and chair of the House Natural Resources Committee. 

The SPEED Act would reform the 1969 National Environmental Policy Act, which mandates federal reviews for projects that would impact the environment.

It would tighten the timelines for NEPA reviews and shrink the statute of limitations for NEPA litigation to 150 days from the current six years. 

Permitting reform has drawn bipartisan support recently as clean energy projects supported by Democrats became ensnared in permitting delays.

Pressure has built on Congress to act as AI has emerged as a key sector and power-hungry data centers have placed an increased strain on the electric grid. 

Read more CNBC politics coverage

The Democratic cosponsor of the bill, Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, said the SPEED Act would allow the U.S. to be “nimble enough to build what we need, when we need it.”

Most Democrats opposed the SPEED Act, however, demanding that any permitting bill overturn President Donald Trump‘s moves to choke renewable energy sources like offshore wind. 

Democratic resistance was only compounded after GOP leadership inserted language to exempt Trump’s efforts to block renewables from provisions in the SPEED Act that would limit the White House’s ability to arbitrarily yank permits it does not like.

The amendment was added after a standoff on the House floor during a procedural vote, where conservatives opposed to renewable energy demanded concessions for their votes.

“That provision codifies a broken permitting status quo,” said Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., who supports permitting reform but opposed the SPEED Act.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle in the Senate to craft a bipartisan product that can become law.”

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