California Legislature approves plan allowing the state to buy power September 14, 2023 The California Legislature voted Thursday to give Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration permission to buy massive amounts of electricity, a move aimed at avoiding blackouts by shoring up the state’s power supply while jumpstarting the West Coast’s fledgling offshore wind industry. Five…
Increased U.S. natural gas production in 2023 is boosting LNG and ethane exports Energize Weekly, September 20, 2023 Record U.S. natural gas production in 2023 is leading to a record ethane production and liquified natural gas (LNG) exports, according to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA). The EIA is forecasting 2023 dry gas production will…
Solar is keeping the Texas grid running. Next month’s eclipse will be a new test. Sept. 8, 2023 Texas quickly spiraled into a power emergency on Wednesday night, when record September demand and a drop in supply prompted appeals to consumers to conserve electricity to avoid blackouts. Hot, humid weather put the squeeze on the…
Legal assault awaits Biden’s Alaska lease cancellation 09/11/2023 An Alaska corporation is already teeing up a legal battle over the Biden administration’s decision to cancel contested oil and gas leases in a massive wildlife refuge. The Interior Department announced plans last week to revoke seven leases held by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority…
China-Linked Hackers Breached a Power Grid—Again SEP 12, 2023 The loose nexus of Chinese-origin cyberspies collectively called APT41 is known for carrying out some of the most brazen hacking schemes linked to China over the past decade. Its methods range from a spree of software supply chain attacks that planted malware in popular applications to…
Indigenous tribes urge federal officials to deny loan request for Superior, WI natural gas plant September 11, 2023 Indigenous tribes in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin have asked federal officials to deny a utility’s request for a loan to help build a natural gas-fired power plant on the shores of Lake Superior, calling the project unthinkable…
Bruce Power Unit 6 powers up Sep 08, 2023 A renewed Unit 6 at Bruce Power’s Tiverton nuclear generation station has been connected to Ontario’s electricity grid following a Major Component Replacement (MCR) outage. The Unit 6 MCR began in January 2020 and was completed ahead of schedule and on budget despite the challenges of…
CMP accused of overspending $53.6 million in storm recovery efforts Sep 8, 2023 Maine’s advocate for utility customers wants state regulators to withhold more than $50 million that it says Central Maine Power Co. overspent in violation of staffing guidelines when restoring power to customers during a dozen storms in 2022. The Office of the…
Losing member co-ops, Tri-State seeks to sell its electricity on the wholesale power market Energize Weekly, September 13, 2023 Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a wholesale power supplier for rural electric cooperatives, is seeking to sell excess power on the open market as it loses some of its biggest members. The association is offering energy…
New EPA Data Shows 27 Million Americans Receive Drinking Water Contaminated With PFAS August 30, 2023 The U.S. EPA has announced a new official estimate for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in public water systems, releasing data that could shape forthcoming regulation and compensation from manufacturers. “Toxic ‘forever chemicals’ have contaminated water systems around…
California regulators OK gas storage expansion despite risks SEP 5, 2023 California regulators have approved a proposal to vastly increase natural gas storage at the site of the nation’s largest known methane leak, which sickened thousands of families and forced them from their Los Angeles homes in 2015. Despite opposition from lawmakers and nearby residents,…
Eversource presents plans for electrical grid upgrades, without fossil fuels Sep. 03, 2023 Eversource has announced its first draft of improvements it hopes to make to the state’s electrical grid, boosting clean energy production and reducing the use of fossil fuels. The final plan — which will meet company requirements under the commonwealth’s 2050 decarbonization…