SVP, Development & Public Affairs | Working with philanthropy to accelerate 🇺🇸 wind, solar, storage deployment
United States
Joined February 2011
- Tweets4.1K
- Following2.8K
- Followers1.9K
- Likes12.9K
Pinned Tweet
MISO's board approved 18 new transmission lines today, enabling 53,000 MW of new, low-cost renewable energy projects.
A big milestone, as it's the single largest transmission expansion enabling clean energy in 🇺🇸 history.
But much more still needed.
If society competes for virtuous behavior - and we understand what actual virtues are (teaching is required) - we get civil society.
A failure to do so yields what we've seen lately.
"if scientists compete for prestige, the rest of us get knowledge. If entrepreneurs compete for wealth, the rest of us get cheaper goods. If athletes compete for glory, we get entertainment. The contest is about status, but it creates spillover benefits." robkhenderson.com/p/some-sta…
Kevin O'Rourke retweeted
"if scientists compete for prestige, the rest of us get knowledge. If entrepreneurs compete for wealth, the rest of us get cheaper goods. If athletes compete for glory, we get entertainment. The contest is about status, but it creates spillover benefits." robkhenderson.com/p/some-sta…
Kevin O'Rourke retweeted
One of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen: a standing ovation for the full Daraxonrasib results
I feel inspired and energised, to put it mildly — we have a targeted therapy for pancreatic cancer now, and nothing is undruggable anymore
Major leap forward for patient outcomes.
It was a team effort getting it across the finish line, as all endeavors are, but my wife (Zeena Salman, who is wisely off X) was at the center of it as the clinical lead.
Very proud of her.
Kevin O'Rourke retweeted
🚨 @kevinolearytv: China doesn’t want America building the compute power needed to win the AI race.
“Who would want us to stop building our electrical grid?… There’s only one. It’s China.”
He says his team traced coordinated anti-data center messaging back to socialist groups tied to Neville Roy Singham and argues they may be acting as CCP proxies.
Kevin O'Rourke retweeted
The ERCOT generator interconnection* queue has over 175 GW of energy storage in it.
*not all the in queue gets built (but still wow)
Kevin O'Rourke retweeted
📸: @ACORE's @krorourke at the Association of Defense Communities Installation Innovation Forum
Kevin spoke on a panel about why transmission policy matters to communities that live around and support U.S. military bases, focusing his remarks on state commission engagement.
Kevin O'Rourke retweeted
Adding wires to the grid adds more electrons
Making the existing wires on the grid bigger adds more electrons
Adding Generators or Storage adds energy but it does not add more electrons
A failure to efficiently plan high-voltage regional & interregional transmission has led to expensive reliability and network upgrades that are hurting consumers right now and will likely slow the growth of AI.
Best time to "plant this tree" was 7-10 yrs ago. 2nd best is today.
An important chart from @washingtonpost on energy costs – generation has become cheaper, but the cost of delivering energy to consumers across the grid has more than doubled.
ACORE's annual Grid Forum is happening in DC this week; it's not too late to grab tickets. Hear:
- latest from Congress on permitting reform
- FERC
- opportunities on upgrading the existing grid
- necessity of building more interregional lines.
Register: acore.org/events/grid-forum/
“Connect and manage” interconnection policy and reasonable property use restrictions are working out relatively well for Texas.
No truly “free” power markets exist but the Lone Star state is freer than most. 🇺🇸
Kevin O'Rourke retweeted
A 350 mile 2.1 GW underground HVDC line in railroad rights of way got its last needed approval.
With a 10' corridor, the project ... is eligible for the Army Corps’ Nationwide Permit program, which has a 6 to 9 month permit review process, Rajan said.
utilitydive.com/news/soo-gre…
Kevin O'Rourke retweeted
People need to understand why many South Koreans view what happened in Georgia as a betrayal.
In the past, South Korea hedged between the U.S. and China (U.S. for security, China for economy). But at a certain point, Seoul stopped hedging, and it chose a side. It chose the U.S.
Firms will hesitate to invest in US after raid - S Korea president bbc.com/news/articles/cly0e4…
“Today, solar is the cheapest, the fastest, the simplest and the most secure source of energy that you can install,” said Marco Arcelli, chief executive of ACWA Power, the company driving the Saudi grid overhaul.”
wsj.com/business/energy-oil/…
Kevin O'Rourke retweeted
The ERCOT interconnection queue is still showing a strong preference for solar + storage
Kevin O'Rourke retweeted
Whatever one thinks about wind energy, this was a mistake to halt this project. It was $6B project & 80% complete, w/ thousands of jobs at stake. It was also going to lower energy costs for two states. Businesses and workers deserve predictability. cnn.com/2025/09/04/climate/t…
Growing the American economy requires building electric infrastructure.
Halting critical transmission lines would hurt American workers and raise power bills.
Former MS PSC Commissioner Brent Bailey explains:
magnoliatribune.com/2025/09/…
