‘Absolutely crazy’: Wind turbine in Dodge County collapses Jan 20, 2023 Wednesday night the blades and top portion of a wind turbine came crashing down to the field below in a rural area of Dodge County, near the town of Herman. The impact scattered massive pieces of debris across the…
State lawmakers propose power grid protections after attacks
State lawmakers propose power grid protections after attacks January 22, 2023 When gunshots at two electrical substations cut power to thousands of central North Carolina homes for several days in early December, Republican state Rep. Ben Moss watched his vibrant district full of family farms, small businesses and sprawling golf…
CPS Energy will phase out coal, close Spruce plant
CPS Energy will phase out coal, close Spruce plant January 24, 2023 Before the end of the decade, the electricity powering San Antonio’s homes and businesses won’t rely on a polluting coal plant. But CPS Energy isn’t committing to all renewables just yet. The city-owned utility’s board voted 4-1 yesterday…
First Bitcoin Mining Powered By Nuclear Energy To Open In The U.S. In Q1 This Year
First Bitcoin Mining Powered By Nuclear Energy To Open In The U.S. In Q1 This Year January 23, 2023 Positioning bitcoin mining with carbon-free sources, like nuclear energy, offers enormous benefits to the cryptocurrency industry as digital assets grow in popularity, acceptability, and engagement with the broader economy. World Nuclear…
PUC approves electric market redesign in ‘big step for ERCOT’
PUC approves electric market redesign in ‘big step for ERCOT’ Jan 19, 2023 The Public Utility Commission of Texas on Thursday approved a redesign of the state’s electric market, recommending a new model they said will improve grid reliability, but critics said could pass more costs onto the consumer. The…
Electricity generation global demand for fossil fuels is about to peak, RMI says
Electricity generation global demand for fossil fuels is about to peak, RMI says Energize Weekly, January 25, 2023 The world has reached – or is close to reaching – peak demand for fossil fuels for generating electricity as the installation of cheaper renewable generation continues to grow, according to an…
Substation attacks may lead to new energy security rules in 2023, experts say
Substation attacks may lead to new energy security rules in 2023, experts say Jan. 17, 2023 Amid a growing cyber threat to the U.S. electric grid, 2022 ended with a spate of physical attacks that could portend new security rules for some energy infrastructure, say experts. “The physical substation attacks…
Japan’s ‘clean coal’ power experiment is starting to bear fruit
Japan’s ‘clean coal’ power experiment is starting to bear fruit January 16, 2023 On a small island in western Japan’s Hiroshima prefecture, reachable only by a 30-minute ferry ride from the mainland, a decadelong attempt to prove coal can be made “clean” is drawing to an end — though its…
Coal-to-nuclear plans may speed up reactor build in series
Coal-to-nuclear plans may speed up reactor build in series January 16, 2023 New nuclear projects, especially first-of-a-kind (FOAK) technology, are expected to be expensive and difficult to plan efficiently as their deployment must also include the creation of new supply chains, the training of a new workforce, and the construction…
Puerto Rico to privatize power generation amid outages
Puerto Rico to privatize power generation amid outages January 15, 2023 Puerto Rico announced Sunday that it plans to privatize electricity generation, a first for a U.S. territory facing chronic power outages as it struggles to rebuild a crumbling electric grid. The move marks the beginning of the end for…
Winter Storm Elliott stressed regional electric grids across the U.S. in different ways
Winter Storm Elliott stressed regional electric grids across the U.S. in different ways Energize Weekly, January 18, 2023 Winter Storm Elliott, the bomb cyclone with freezing temperatures and blizzard conditions that swept across the U.S. east of the Rockies, sparked a wave of outages with its impacts varying from regional…
US to Help Mexico Pay for Ambitious Solar Plan, Official Says
US to Help Mexico Pay for Ambitious Solar Plan, Official Says January 10, 2023 The US wants to help Mexico bankroll its ambitious plan for a slew of solar parks along their border, which is likely to require private funds and development bank loans, according to top diplomat focused on…
Biden declares emergency in California as more winter storms advance
Biden declares emergency in California as more winter storms advance JAN 9 2023 President Joe Biden on Monday declared an emergency in California after a barrage of deadly winter storms has prompted widespread power outages and flooding since last week. Extreme downpours, high winds and flash floods have caused at…
India expects utilities’ annual coal demand to surge about 8% after renewables shortfall
India expects utilities’ annual coal demand to surge about 8% after renewables shortfall January 10, 2023 India expects its power plants to burn about 8% more coal in the fiscal year ending March 2024, according to a senior government official and a power ministry presentation, after the country missed its…
Holtec seeks $7.4 billion loan for expansion tied to new reactor
Holtec seeks $7.4 billion loan for expansion tied to new reactor Jan. 9, 2023 Holtec International Inc. has applied for a $7.4 billion federal loan to fund expansion expected from future sales of a company-designed nuclear reactor. Holtec would tap the loan to boost capacity to make parts at its…
AEP Ohio asking for rate increase to boost system reliability after last summer’s storms
AEP Ohio asking for rate increase to boost system reliability after last summer’s storms Jan. 6, 2023 Several months after powerful storms whacked AEP Ohio’s transmission system and forced the power company to turn off electricity to some Columbus-area neighborhoods to avoid a larger power loss, AEP is now asking…
Colorado co-ops say Xcel Energy mismanaged natural gas supplies during 2021 storm
Colorado co-ops say Xcel Energy mismanaged natural gas supplies during 2021 storm Energize Weekly, January 11, 2023 The fallout from the soaring natural gas prices created by Winter Storm Uri in 2021 continues as four rural Colorado electric cooperatives have filed a complaint with federal regulators saying they were overcharged…
Meet the renewable energy source poised for growth with the help of the oil industry
Meet the renewable energy source poised for growth with the help of the oil industry 01/01/2023 One of the oldest forms of clean power is ready for a comeback — and it’s not wind or solar. Geothermal energy — the technology that harnesses the heat beneath the Earth’s crust —…
Two Puyallup men charged in Pierce County power substation attacks
Two Puyallup men charged in Pierce County power substation attacks January 3, 2023 Two Puyallup men alleged to have attacked four Pierce County power substations over Christmas weekend will appear in U.S. District Court Tuesday. Matthew Greenwood, 32, and Jeremy Crahan, 40, were arrested Dec. 31, and face charges of…
Sweden turns to France as it looks to buy two new nuclear reactors
Sweden turns to France as it looks to buy two new nuclear reactors January 3, 2023 Sweden and France could be set to join forces to build new nuclear power stations in the Nordic nation, to boost domestic power production and guarantee security of supply. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson…
Hackers stole data from multiple electric utilities in recent ransomware attack
Hackers stole data from multiple electric utilities in recent ransomware attack December 27, 2022 Hackers stole data belonging to multiple electric utilities in an October ransomware attack on a US government contractor that handles critical infrastructure projects across the country, according to a memo describing the hack obtained by CNN.…
Pleasants Power Purchase Under Consideration in West Virginia PSC Order
Pleasants Power Purchase Under Consideration in West Virginia PSC Order JAN 3, 2023 An order from the West Virginia Public Service Commission last week approving rate increases for two power companies also included a provision for those companies to evaluate the possible purchase of the Pleasants Power plant. In an…
Energy efficiency investments jump in 2022 spurred by energy security concerns
Energy efficiency investments jump in 2022 spurred by energy security concerns Energize Weekly, December 28, 2022 Global investment in energy efficiency – from building renovations to public transport to electric vehicle infrastructure – increased 16 percent in 2022, reaching $560 billion as efficiency gains grew fourfold, according to the International…
Developer of 1,200 MW offshore wind farm asks Massachusetts regulators to dismiss PPAs
Developer of 1,200 MW offshore wind farm asks Massachusetts regulators to dismiss PPAs 12.19.2022 The developer of Commonwealth Wind in Massachusetts asked state regulators to dismiss their review of power purchase agreements tied to the 1,223 MW offshore wind farm. Avangrid has cited economic conditions such as supply chain disruptions,…
Entergy Louisiana files proposed 10-year Entergy Future Ready resilience plan
Entergy Louisiana files proposed 10-year Entergy Future Ready resilience plan 12/19/2022 Today, Entergy Louisiana filed its proposed Phase I Entergy Future Ready resilience plan with the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Phase I seeks approval of the first five years of a 10-year resilience plan that would aim to accelerate the…
Global coal use is on course to hit all-time high this year, IEA says
Global coal use is on course to hit all-time high this year, IEA says DEC 19 2022 Global coal use is on course to increase by 1.2% to hit a record high this year, according to a report from the International Energy Agency. It comes at a time of significant…
Holtec to reapply for funding to restart Palisades
Holtec to reapply for funding to restart Palisades 20 December 2022 Holtec agreed in 2018 to purchase the plant for decommissioning from operator Entergy, completing the acquisition in June. In July, Holtec – with the support of Governor of Michigan Gretchen Whitmer – submitted an application for funding under the…
PG&E wildfire and catastrophe proposal may trigger higher monthly bills
PG&E wildfire and catastrophe proposal may trigger higher monthly bills December 19, 2022 Higher monthly bills might jolt PG&E customers due to the utility’s request that state regulators allow the company to collect more revenue for its spending linked to wildfires and catastrophes. PG&E wants to recover costs that arose…
Intermedia Cloud Communications Further Demonstrates Commitment to Highest Levels of Data and Platform Security with New ISO Certification
Intermedia Cloud Communications Further Demonstrates Commitment to Highest Levels of Data and Platform Security with New ISO Certification Dec 13, 2022 Intermedia Cloud Communications, a leading provider of cloud communications and collaboration solutions to businesses and the partners that serve them, announced today that its cloud communications platform has received…
Baltimore utility to deploy Itron smart streetlights
Baltimore utility to deploy Itron smart streetlights 12 Dec 2022 Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) is to deploy 260,000 smart streetlights as it bids to reduce energy consumption and enhance the wellbeing and safety of the community. Critical infrastructure solutions specialist Itron is working together with Maryland’s largest gas and…
Boise State prof receives grant to develop power grid security that thinks like a human
Boise State prof receives grant to develop power grid security that thinks like a human DECEMBER 08, 2022 A Boise State associate professor is researching ways to improve the power grid’s reliability by creating electronics to make it think like a human brain. The United States Department of Energy is…
DTE Energy retires two coal plants as part of its vision to generate carbon-free power for the grid of the future
DTE Energy retires two coal plants as part of its vision to generate carbon-free power for the grid of the future December 08, 2022 DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE), Michigan’s largest producer of clean energy, today announced the retirement of two coal-fired power plants, bringing Southeast Michigan closer to a carbon-free future…
U.S. announces nuclear fusion energy breakthrough
U.S. announces nuclear fusion energy breakthrough DECEMBER 13, 2022 The U.S. Department of Energy announced Tuesday a monumental milestone in nuclear fusion research: a “net energy gain” was achieved for the first time in history by scientists from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. “Simply put, this is one…
US FERC to act on backstop transmission siting, long-running gas pipeline disputes
US FERC to act on backstop transmission siting, long-running gas pipeline disputes 12 Dec 2022 The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is poised to act on transmission siting, key pipeline rate disputes, and two important natural gas pipeline certificates at its last meeting of the year Dec. 15, potentially Democrat…
Wholesale on-peak electricity rates set to jump this winter by as much as 60 percent, EIA says
Wholesale on-peak electricity rates set to jump this winter by as much as 60 percent, EIA says Energize Weekly, December 14, 2022 On-peak wholesale and retail electricity prices are set to rise across the country this winter, with some regional wholesale rates jumping as much as 60 percent compared to…
Renewables to overtake coal and become world’s biggest source of electricity generation by 2025, IEA says
Renewables to overtake coal and become world’s biggest source of electricity generation by 2025, IEA says DEC 6 2022 Renewables are on course to overtake coal and become the planet’s biggest source of electricity generation by the middle of this decade, according to the International Energy Agency. The IEA’s Renewables…
Tens of thousands still in the dark after ‘targeted’ attacks on North Carolina power substations
Tens of thousands still in the dark after ‘targeted’ attacks on North Carolina power substations December 5, 2022 With no suspects or motive announced, the FBI is joining the investigation into power outages in a North Carolina county believed to have been caused by “intentional” and “targeted” attacks on substations…
Utility recommends natural gas plant despite objections
Utility recommends natural gas plant despite objections Dec 2, 2022 The nation’s largest public utility on Friday recommended replacing an aging coal burning power plant with natural gas, ignoring calls for the Tennessee Valley Authority to speed its transition to renewable energy. TVA announced the completion of its environmental impact…
Department of Energy rejects Holtec International’s plan to restart Palisades Nuclear Power Plant
Department of Energy rejects Holtec International’s plan to restart Palisades Nuclear Power Plant Dec 6, 2022 No second life for Palisades: after applying for a Civil Nuclear Credit program, the United States Department of Energy rejected Holtec International’s plan to restart the decommissioned facility. “Obviously, it was disappointing news when…
Duke Energy Kentucky files request for rate adjustment with public service commission
Duke Energy Kentucky files request for rate adjustment with public service commission December 05, 2022 Duke Energy Kentucky recently filed a request with the Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) to review its electric distribution rates and approve a rate adjustment. Overall, the company has proposed an adjustment that includes a…
Wind energy is now South Dakota’s No. 1 producer of electricity, but not every day
Wind energy is now South Dakota’s No. 1 producer of electricity, but not every day November 28, 2022 Wind has surpassed hydroelectric power as the largest generator of electricity in South Dakota. South Dakota now produces twice as much electricity as it uses. It exports the rest to nearby states,…
NYISO reports sufficient electricity supplies expected to meet winter demands
NYISO reports sufficient electricity supplies expected to meet winter demands 11/28/22 The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) reported Monday, that they expect sufficient electricity supplies in the state are expected to meet demands this winter. “The New York State bulk electric system is well positioned to meet this winter’s…
Entergy Texas gets approval to build Orange County plant capable of powering more than 230K homes
Entergy Texas gets approval to build Orange County plant capable of powering more than 230K homes November 28, 2022 An upcoming Entergy Texas facility is set to create more than $1 billion in economic activity in Southeast Texas and bring thousands of jobs to the area. The Public Utility Commission…
Experts say Virginia is capable of building a small modular nuclear reactor today if approvals were in place
Experts say Virginia is capable of building a small modular nuclear reactor today if approvals were in place November 28, 2022 It would likely take a decade to place a small modular nuclear reactor in Southwest Virginia as Gov. Glenn Youngkin has proposed, but nuclear experts say the technology is…
Georgia Power’s long campaign for state approval to sign off on a 12% rate hike nears final showdown
Georgia Power’s long campaign for state approval to sign off on a 12% rate hike nears final showdown November 28, 2022 The final several weeks of Georgia Power’s $2.9 billion rate case will determine whether state regulators sign off on plans for customers to pay hundreds of dollars more per…
Highway charging stations for EVs may need as much electricity as a small town
Highway charging stations for EVs may need as much electricity as a small town Energize Weekly, November 30, 2022 A growing number of electric cars and trucks on highways will by 2035 require charging stations demanding the same power as an outdoor sports arena or even a small town, according…
OW, Shell defend viability of 1.2GW Mayflower Wind
OW, Shell defend viability of 1.2GW Mayflower Wind 21 November 2022 Ocean Winds and Shell have reaffirmed that their 1.2GW Mayflower offshore wind farm off the US East Coast remains “viable” after regulators raised concerns over their commitment to the project. In a filing to the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting…
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $13 Billion To Modernize And Expand America’s Power Grid
Biden-Harris Administration Announces $13 Billion To Modernize And Expand America’s Power Grid NOVEMBER 18, 2022 The Biden-Harris Administration, through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $13 billion in new financing opportunities for the expansion and modernization of the nation’s electric grid. Funded by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,…
Biden grants PG&E $1.1 billion to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open
Biden grants PG&E $1.1 billion to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open NOV 21 2022 The Biden administration on Monday said it’s providing Pacific Gas & Electric Co. with a $1.1 billion grant to help the company prevent the closure of Diablo Canyon, California’s last nuclear power plant. Diablo Canyon…
Eversource, UI will cut electric rates for some, but not until 2024
Eversource, UI will cut electric rates for some, but not until 2024 November 21, 2022 The electric bills for roughly 1.5 million power customers in Connecticut are expected to spike dramatically come January, but a long-awaited initiative that would ease monthly energy costs for the state’s lowest-income residents is still…
