Duke Energy to lay off employees as part of ‘clean energy transition’ Jan. 22, 2024 A Duke Energy spokesperson confirmed that the Charlotte-based utility company will be laying off employees as part of a “clean energy transition.” The company did not specify how many employees will be laid off, or…
BLM roadmap opens 22 million acres of public lands to utility-scale solar development
BLM roadmap opens 22 million acres of public lands to utility-scale solar development Energize Weekly, January 24, 2024 A total of 22 million acres of public lands in the West would be open to utility-scale solar development under a plan proposed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) on…
World’s most advanced battery energy storage system comes online, speeding Hawaii’s transition to 100% renewable energy
World’s most advanced battery energy storage system comes online, speeding Hawaii’s transition to 100% renewable energy 11 Jan, 2024 Plus Power™ announced it has begun operating its Kapolei Energy Storage facility on Oahu, Hawaii, the most advanced grid-scale battery energy storage system in the world, helping transition the state’s electric…
First Uranium Mines to Dig in the US in Eight Years Begin Operations Near Grand Canyon
First Uranium Mines to Dig in the US in Eight Years Begin Operations Near Grand Canyon January 15, 2024 Three uranium mines have gone into production along the Arizona-Utah border, with more on the way elsewhere in the Mountain West, as market conditions for the mineral needed for nuclear energy…
PJM Urges Delayed Retirement of 840-MW Fossil Fuel Power Plant, Citing Reliability Impacts
PJM Urges Delayed Retirement of 840-MW Fossil Fuel Power Plant, Citing Reliability Impacts January 10, 2024 PJM has urged Talen Energy to delay its deactivation of two of four units at the 840-MW coal, oil, and gas–fired Herbert A. Wagner Generating Station in Maryland until transmission upgrades are put into…
Energy companies gear up for fight on electric regulation bill
Energy companies gear up for fight on electric regulation bill January 16, 2024 As top lawmakers move to strengthen consumer protections for utility customers who shop for electricity suppliers, large national energy companies are countering with a poll showing an overwhelming majority of voters want to retain robust competition in…
Puget Sound Energy says region set new record for electrical demands
Puget Sound Energy says region set new record for electrical demands January 15, 2024 Puget Sound Energy says the region set a new record for demand on the natural gas and electrical systems on Friday. A faulty fiber optic cable temporarily took down one of its gas storage facilities in…
Solar generation continues expand rapidly on the U.S. grid while coal continues its decline
Solar generation continues expand rapidly on the U.S. grid while coal continues its decline Energize Weekly, January 17, 2024 Solar and coal-fired electricity generation are continuing to head in opposite directions over the next two years with solar being the leading source of new generation and coal activity falling to…
Microsoft, Qcells strike massive supply deal for US-made solar panels
Microsoft, Qcells strike massive supply deal for US-made solar panels January 8, 2024 South Korea’s Qcells on Monday said it will supply Microsoft (MSFT.O) with 12 gigawatts of American-made solar panels through 2032 in what the companies called one of the largest ever deals of its kind. The agreement locks…
Energy Department has cyber threats to infrastructure in mind with $70 million funding offer
Energy Department has cyber threats to infrastructure in mind with $70 million funding offer JANUARY 5, 2024 The Department of Energy is offering $70 million in funds toward research and development for technology that would protect delivery infrastructure against cyber-related threats and other physical hazards, part of what a senior…
Only a nuclear reactor can make Pueblo “whole” after Xcel Energy closes last coal-fired plant, local group says
Only a nuclear reactor can make Pueblo “whole” after Xcel Energy closes last coal-fired plant, local group says Jan 8, 2024 The only way Pueblo can be “made whole” after the closure of Xcel Energy’s massive, coal-fired Comanche Station is for the utility to replace it with an advanced nuclear…
AES Closes California Natural Gas-Fired Plant
AES Closes California Natural Gas-Fired Plant January 4, 2024 AES Corp. has ended operations at one of the group’s four remaining natural gas-fired power plants in California. AES on Dec. 31 shut down its 1,300-MW Redondo Beach Generating Station, a facility that operated at less than full capacity in recent…
After referendum, Maine advocates and lawmakers look to bolster utility accountability and performance
After referendum, Maine advocates and lawmakers look to bolster utility accountability and performance January 9, 2024 Following the defeat of a ballot measure that sought to replace Central Maine Power (CMP) and Versant with a consumer-owned power company, policymakers and advocates are looking to explore other ways of further regulating…
Coordination of Texas electric and natural gas sectors key in dealing with blackouts
Coordination of Texas electric and natural gas sectors key in dealing with blackouts Energize Weekly, January 10, 2024 Better coordination between the Texas electric and natural gas industries is key to getting individual generating facilities up and running – a so-called blackstart – after a cold-weather blackout, according to a…
American Electric Power (AEP) to Sell Stake in New Mexico Asset
American Electric Power (AEP) to Sell Stake in New Mexico Asset Dec 28, 2023 American Electric Power Co. Inc. AEP and PNM Resources Inc. PNM have inked a deal to divest 50% stake each in New Mexico Renewable Development, LLC (“NMRD”) to Exus North America Holdings, LLC for approximately $230…
Biden administration awards $9M grant to research carbon capture for proposed Southcentral Alaska coal power plant
Biden administration awards $9M grant to research carbon capture for proposed Southcentral Alaska coal power plant December 29, 2023 The University of Alaska Fairbanks is set to receive a $9 million dollar grant from the Biden administration to research a project that would aim to capture carbon emission from a…
Japan’s nuclear power plants largely undamaged following quake
Japan’s nuclear power plants largely undamaged following quake Jan 2, 2024 Japan’s nuclear power plants along the Sea of Japan coast escaped serious damage in the New Year’s Day earthquake that struck the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. But the 7.6 magnitude quake, which triggered tsunami warnings from Hokkaido to…
Hawaii completes assessment of Oahu energy system and critical infrastructure
Hawaii completes assessment of Oahu energy system and critical infrastructure December 29, 2023 The Hawaii State Energy Office (HSEO) recently concluded work on an initiative called the O‘ahu Energy System and Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability and Resiliency Assessment. The assessment involved a comprehensive hazard and risk assessment of O’ahu’s critical energy…
Energy cases to watch in 2024
Energy cases to watch in 2024 01/02/2024 Energy regulators’ power to address planet-warming emissions is in the crosshairs in federal courts in 2024. In one of the year’s biggest cases, the Supreme Court could rein in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s ability to use 50-year-old laws to take bold action…
FERC sets exit fee formula ending four-year battle between Tri-State G&T and its largest co-op
FERC sets exit fee formula ending four-year battle between Tri-State G&T and its largest co-op Energize Weekly, January 3, 2024 After a four-year battle over how much it will cost the Colorado electric cooperative United Power to leave its wholesale power provider, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, federal regulators settled…
New manufacturing facilities and data centers are driving increased electricity demand
New manufacturing facilities and data centers are driving increased electricity demand Energize Weekly, December 27, 2023 The U.S. electric grid is ill-prepared for a surge in demand coming from new manufacturing, data centers and in future years, electrification of transport and building heating. Meanwhile, the queue of generation projects waiting…
FBI: Play ransomware gang has attacked 300 orgs since 2022
FBI: Play ransomware gang has attacked 300 orgs since 2022 December 18th, 2023 The ransomware gang behind several devastating attacks on major American cities has allegedly launched more than 300 successful incidents since June 2022, according to cybersecurity officials in the United States and Australia. The FBI joined the Cybersecurity…
Duke Energy finishes first floating solar project in Florida
Duke Energy finishes first floating solar project in Florida December 18, 2023 An almost 1 MW floating solar array entered service last week in Florida, as part of a pilot from Duke Energy’s Vision Florida program – a first for the state. The new array consists of more than 1,800…
Building transmission takes forever. The Biden administration is pushing to change that
Building transmission takes forever. The Biden administration is pushing to change that DECEMBER 19, 2023 The SOO Green electric transmission project, a 350-mile high-voltage line between Mason City, Iowa, and Plano, Illinois, was proposed in 2018 to deliver renewable power and to better connect the nation’s two largest power markets.…
Grid monitor warns of blackout risks as coal plants retire
Grid monitor warns of blackout risks as coal plants retire 12/14/2023 Rolling blackouts are a rising threat across the U.S. as aging power grids collide with extreme weather, rising electricity demand and a shift to cleaner fuels, the nation’s top grid monitor warned Wednesday. In a report, the North American…
California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030
California regulators vote to extend Diablo Canyon nuclear plant operations through 2030 DECEMBER 14, 2023 California energy regulators voted Thursday to allow the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant to operate for an additional five years, despite calls from environmental groups to shut it down. The California Public Utilities Commission agreed to…
Xcel Energy natural gas, electricity bills to lower in 2024
Xcel Energy natural gas, electricity bills to lower in 2024 Dec 15, 2023 Xcel Energy told Colorado customers Friday that they can anticipate lower heating bills in the first quarter of 2024 because the wholesale cost of natural gas has decreased. Xcel said the average residential natural gas customer could…
City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality Passes NYC City Council
City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality Passes NYC City Council Dec 7, 2023 On Wednesday, the New York City Council passed the City of Yes for Carbon Neutrality (COYCN) zoning text amendment, a wonky name for a mighty important change to the city’s zoning laws. The change will remove hurdles…
FirstEnergy Subsidiaries Awarded More Than $800 Million in Transmission Upgrades
FirstEnergy Subsidiaries Awarded More Than $800 Million in Transmission Upgrades 12 Dec. 2023 FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) subsidiaries Potomac Edison and Mid-Atlantic Interstate Transmission (MAIT) have been awarded transmission projects totaling more than $800 million in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia by regional transmission organization PJM Interconnection. The projects…
Pritzker signs Illinois measure allowing new small-scale nuclear technology
Pritzker signs Illinois measure allowing new small-scale nuclear technology December 10, 2023 Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday signed into law a measure that will allow for the limited development of new nuclear power generation technology in the state. The measure, House Bill 2473, does not allow new large-scale power generation…
Dominion regulator recommends rejection of utility’s long-term plan
Dominion regulator recommends rejection of utility’s long-term plan DECEMBER 12, 2023 A utility regulator with the State Corporation Commission is recommending the body reject Dominion Energy’s most recent long-term plan because of its inclusion of new natural gas plants. In her Friday recommendation, which will now go to the three-member…
What are time-of-use (TOU) rates? How do they work?
What are time-of-use (TOU) rates? How do they work? Dec 6, 2023 Across the country, utilities are beginning to introduce innovative rate structures for residential energy consumers. These rate structures–from time-of-use rates to demand charges to real-time pricing–all have a common goal: to incentivize customers to consume energy when the…
FirstEnergy’s 4 Pa. subsidiaries, including Met-Ed, to combine into one company
FirstEnergy’s 4 Pa. subsidiaries, including Met-Ed, to combine into one company Dec 10, 2023 First Energy Corp. has won regulatory approval to combine its four Pennsylvania electric-distribution subsidiaries, including Met-Ed, into one company. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved that move on Thursday, Dec. 7, allowing for the combination…
Solar generating capacity to set a record 33 gigawatts of new installations in 2023
Solar generating capacity to set a record 33 gigawatts of new installations in 2023 Energize Weekly, December 13, 2023 Bolstered by a strong third quarter, a record 33 gigawatts (GW) of solar capacity were installed in 2023, even as the sector faces headwinds in 2024, according to a market report.…
Refunds on horizon for Colorado solar customers facing utility delays, after thousands waited months to connect to the power grid this year
Refunds on horizon for Colorado solar customers facing utility delays, after thousands waited months to connect to the power grid this year DECEMBER 1, 2023 In a state known for its sunshine, Colorado homeowners have been struggling to go solar this year. The Colorado Public Utilities Commission found the utility…
Ford and Xcel Energy will build 30,000 EV charging ports for fleet businesses
Ford and Xcel Energy will build 30,000 EV charging ports for fleet businesses Dec 5, 2023 Ford may be dialing back some of its larger EV investments, but it’s still operating under the assumption that a lot of businesses will be interested in electrifying their fleets eventually. The company is…
What Wyoming shows about going ‘carbon negative’ in coal country
What Wyoming shows about going ‘carbon negative’ in coal country 12/05/2023 Wyoming is highlighting a question at the center of the nation’s electricity mix: Can a coal state go “carbon negative”? Republican Gov. Mark Gordon’s stated goal for the nation’s top-producing coal state is to suck more carbon out of…
Palisades owner plans for two more reactors at shuttered nuclear plant on Lake Michigan
Palisades owner plans for two more reactors at shuttered nuclear plant on Lake Michigan Dec. 4. 2023 A nuclear power company seeking to restart the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in southwest Michigan has plans to build two additional small reactors to nearly double the capacity of the site. Holtec International…
Eversource announces new discount rate to begin Friday in Connecticut
Eversource announces new discount rate to begin Friday in Connecticut Nov 30, 2023 Eversource’s new discount rate for low-income households in Connecticut will start Friday, according to an announcement Thursday from the energy company. The rate is for customers defined as having “financial hardship.” Depending on a household’s income, the…
IEA takes aim at oil and gas sector at COP28, industry offers an agreement to cut methane
IEA takes aim at oil and gas sector at COP28, industry offers an agreement to cut methane Energize Weekly, December 6, 2023 As the climate conference – COP28 – opened in Dubai, the International Energy Agency (IEA) fired a shot across the bow of the oil industry with an analysis…
Offshore Wind’s Power Grid Costs in States Add to Industry Woes
Offshore Wind’s Power Grid Costs in States Add to Industry Woes Nov. 28, 2023 Atlantic Coast states and energy regulators are working to avoid the looming cost of plugging offshore wind into the nation’s power grid as the industry confronts rising inflation and project cancellations. The push to improve regional…
NYISO says “peaker plants” should remain open longer than expected to meet demand
NYISO says “peaker plants” should remain open longer than expected to meet demand November 28, 2023 In its Short-Term Reliability Process Report, the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) said plants scheduled for retirement in May of 2025 may have to stay in service longer temporarily to keep the grid…
As Arkansas bows out of Entergy fight over Grand Gulf, Louisiana regulators dig in
As Arkansas bows out of Entergy fight over Grand Gulf, Louisiana regulators dig in Nov 26, 2023 Utility regulators in Mississippi and Arkansas have both settled a contentious fight over Entergy’s alleged mismanagement of its massive Grand Gulf nuclear plant, after Arkansas abruptly accepted an offer it had rejected a…
NARUC establishes new gas-electric working group to tackle grid-related reliability
NARUC establishes new gas-electric working group to tackle grid-related reliability November 28, 2023 At its annual meeting and education conference last week, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) launched a new 15-month gas electric working group to improve reliability for both the gas and electric industries. “The safety…
Clean energy jobs growth worldwide surpasses fossil-fuel sector jobs which saw a decline
Clean energy jobs growth worldwide surpasses fossil-fuel sector jobs which saw a decline Energize Weekly, November 29, 2023 Clean energy employment is growing more rapidly than fossil-fuel jobs across the globe and accounted for the majority of the 67 million jobs in the energy sector in 2022, according to an…
ERCOT cancels additional capacity request for winter, CEO says Texas grid is ‘adequately’ prepared
ERCOT cancels additional capacity request for winter, CEO says Texas grid is ‘adequately’ prepared November 19, 2023 The state’s power grid won’t add any additional capacity this winter, according to an ERCOT statement. ERCOT said it made this decision after weighing various factors and accounting for a limited market response.…
Entergy’s nuclear plant north of Baton Rouge was forced into temporary emergency shutdown
Entergy’s nuclear plant north of Baton Rouge was forced into temporary emergency shutdown November 21, 2023 Entergy’s River Bend nuclear power plant near St. Francisville was forced into a temporary emergency shutdown over the weekend due to a technical issue, but was brought back online the following day, officials said.…
Giant batteries drain economics of gas power plants
Giant batteries drain economics of gas power plants November 21, 2023 Giant batteries that ensure stable power supply by offsetting intermittent renewable supplies are becoming cheap enough to make developers abandon scores of projects for gas-fired generation world-wide. The long-term economics of gas-fired plants, used in Europe and some parts…
PG&E bills to soar next year after regulators approve 13% rate increase Thursday
PG&E bills to soar next year after regulators approve 13% rate increase Thursday Nov 16, 2023 Monthly bills for Pacific Gas and Electric Co. customers will climb even higher next year after California regulators on Thursday unanimously approved allowing the utility giant to increase its rates for electricity and natural…
My Top 10 Takeaways from the EUCI Leadership Conference for Women in Energy
My Top 10 Takeaways from the EUCI Leadership Conference for Women in Energy November 15, 2023 Last week, I stepped into the EUCI Leadership Conference for Women in Energy and discovered a sisterhood of ambitious, barrier-breaking female leaders in the energy industry. Thanks to them, I returned to the PCI…