Energy Gang Energy Gang’s year in review: the highs, the lows, the people and the technologies of 2025
Dec 18, 2025
In this discussion, Melissa Lott, a systems engineer at Microsoft, Amy Myers Jaffe, from NYU’s Energy Lab, and portfolio manager Shanu Mathew delve into the transformative energy landscape of 2025. They cover the rise of AI-driven data centers and the concept of 'bring your own power'. The conversation touches on battery deployment surges, permitting reforms, and the evolving dialogue around nuclear power technologies. They also debate the impact of rising electricity costs and celebrate advancements in congestion pricing for cleaner air in New York.
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Permitting Reform Momentum
- US bipartisan momentum on permitting reform could unlock infrastructure and energy projects if legislation passes.
- Ed Crooks warns progress may stall as the Speed Act faces possible blocking in Congress.
Flexible Data Centers As Grid Assets
- Data centers are becoming flexible loads that can move across time and geography to help grids.
- Shanu Mathew says flexible compute can turn a political challenge into a grid benefit.
Electricity As The New Gasoline
- Rising electricity costs made power a central public issue in 2025 and forced practical debates on reliability.
- Amy Myers-Jaffe highlights utilities and markets refocusing on generation and cost as electricity becomes 'the new gasoline'.