Duke Energy wins SEPA utility transformation program award for Florida subscription pilot program September 19, 2022 The nonprofit Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) offered its 2022 Utility Transformation Program of the Year award to a Duke Energy subscription pilot program last week for its efforts to provide Florida customers with…
San Diego To Explore Full Public Power Takeover
San Diego To Explore Full Public Power Takeover September 16, 2022 The city of San Diego took one step closer toward full government takeover of its privately-owned power utility Thursday. The San Diego City Council’s Environment Committee approved a $3 million contract to NewGen Strategies & Solutions LLC to study…
Xcel property in Becker eyed for another big data center project
Xcel property in Becker eyed for another big data center project Sep 9, 2022 Xcel Energy Inc. plans to sell 348 acres of land at its Sherco location in Becker to an unknown company that could build a $1 billion data center project there. The utility said the new center…
Lazarus Hackers Exploiting Log4j Vulnerabilities to Target U.S. Energy Companies
Lazarus Hackers Exploiting Log4j Vulnerabilities to Target U.S. Energy Companies September 9, 2022 North Korean Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) group APT38, also known as the Lazarus group, is targeting energy companies in the U.S., Japan, and Canada. According to Cisco Talos, APT 38 targets VMWare Horizon instances by exploiting the…
TVA Board holds base rates steady, increases customer credits for 2023 fiscal year
TVA Board holds base rates steady, increases customer credits for 2023 fiscal year Sep 1, 2022 Despite high inflation and fuel prices, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) says it is maintaining strong, steady electric rates for the next decade. Over the past 10 years, the TVA says their wholesale power…
War and pandemic are leading to a surge in government support for fossil fuels, study says
War and pandemic are leading to a surge in government support for fossil fuels, study says Energize Weekly, September 7, 2022 The combination of the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine has spurred an almost doubling in government support for fossil fuel production among major economies, according to an…
Texas grid avoids summer blackouts with $1 billion in extra spending
Texas grid avoids summer blackouts with $1 billion in extra spending August 25, 2022 Texas’ electric grid operator has powered through record demand this summer by paying more to keep higher reserves and rewarding industrial consumers to cut usage, a combination that has added more than $1 billion to power…
Shelby County suburbs want Memphis, Light, Gas and Water to stay with the TVA
Shelby County suburbs want Memphis, Light, Gas and Water to stay with the TVA Aug. 25, 2022 The six Shelby County suburbs want Memphis, Light Gas and Water to stay with the Tennessee Valley Authority and not switch electricity suppliers. The six suburbs have written a joint resolution that urges…
Onshore and offshore U.S. wind development made big gains in 2021, DOE says
Onshore and offshore U.S. wind development made big gains in 2021, DOE says Energize Weekly, August 31, 2022 Wind generation posted strong performances – both onshore and offshore – in 2021, according to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) market reports. Land-based wind generation grew by 13.4 gigawatts (GW) in 2021…
What the climate bill does for the nuclear industry
What the climate bill does for the nuclear industry AUG 22 2022 The sweeping Inflation Reduction Act that President Joe Biden signed last week includes $369 billion in funding to help combat climate change. As part of that, the law includes significant help for the nuclear energy industry. Overall, the…
SoCalGas to provide water, energy conservation solutions to reach carbon emissions goals by 2045
SoCalGas to provide water, energy conservation solutions to reach carbon emissions goals by 2045 August 19, 2022 SoCal Gas announced Tuesday that it would implement several measures to conserve water and energy as part of its plan to meet net-zero carbon emission goals by 2045. The company said it recently…
Pennsylvania energy companies increasing prices next month
Pennsylvania energy companies increasing prices next month Aug 10, 2022 The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is notifying residents and businesses that electric generation prices for some customers are expected to rise on Sept. 1, 2022. According to PUC, approximately half of Pennsylvania’s major electric distribution companies (EDCs) will reset their…
Developers set to add 44 gigawatts of new generation to the U.S. grid, EIA says
Developers set to add 44 gigawatts of new generation to the U.S. grid, EIA says Energize Weekly, August 17, 2022 Fifteen gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale electric generating capacity were added to U.S. grid in the first half of 2022, with another 29 GW projected to come online by year’s…
Study finds 100% renewables would pay off within 6 years
Study finds 100% renewables would pay off within 6 years AUGUST 8, 2022 New research from Stanford University researcher Mark Jacobson outlines how 145 countries could meet 100% of their business-as-usual energy needs with wind, water, solar and energy storage. The study finds that in all the countries considered, lower-cost…
Sen. Rubio pushes bill to create loan program for electric grid-affiliated manufacturers
Sen. Rubio pushes bill to create loan program for electric grid-affiliated manufacturers August 04, 2022 Responding to ongoing issues in the international supply chain, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced a bill this week that would compel the U.S. Secretary of Energy to create a loan program for manufacturers of…
Climate bill cuts carbon emissions and inflation while boosting economy, studies say
Climate bill cuts carbon emissions and inflation while boosting economy, studies say Energize Weekly, August 10, 2022 The climate, healthcare and budget bill passed by the U.S. Senate Aug. 7 will help curb both greenhouse gas emissions and inflation while providing a modest boost to the economy, according to three…
Utilities join Navajo Nation to bring electricity to thousands
Utilities join Navajo Nation to bring electricity to thousands AUGUST 1ST, 2022 In the year 2022, it is difficult for some to comprehend that over 14,000 families in the United States live without electricity and water, many of whom are Navajo people that reside on the Navajo Nation. With support…
NV Energy seeks right to stick ratepayers with Greenlink bill
NV Energy seeks right to stick ratepayers with Greenlink bill AUGUST 2, 2022 When NV Energy turned to Nevada lawmakers last year to salvage a massive transmission line project that state utility regulators had already partially denied because of the potential cost to ratepayers, the utility’s CEO testified any increase…
Facing trade, tax and economic uncertainties, clean power installations fall in Q2
Facing trade, tax and economic uncertainties, clean power installations fall in Q2 Energize Weekly, August 3, 2022 Beleaguered by uncertainties over the future of tax subsidies and trade policy, new clean power installations plummeted 55 percent in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. Solar…
3 reasons US coal power is disappearing – and a Supreme Court ruling won’t save it
3 reasons US coal power is disappearing – and a Supreme Court ruling won’t save it July 26, 2022 The U.S. coal industry chalked up a couple of rare wins this summer. First the Supreme Court issued a ruling limiting the government’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power…
Firm working for FPL took control of news site, let execs influence coverage, records show
Firm working for FPL took control of news site, let execs influence coverage, records show Jul 25, 2022 Operatives working for Florida Power & Light in the lead-up to the 2020 elections gained control over a Tallahassee-based political news website, making editorial decisions about its content – and allowing executives…
North American power grid faced extreme weather and cyberattack risks in 2021
North American power grid faced extreme weather and cyberattack risks in 2021 Energize Weekly, July 27, 2022 The North American electric grid faced unprecedented challenges from severe weather, cyberattacks and problems with natural gas supplies in 2021, but with except one exception – in Texas – utilities and grid operators…
Biden administration unveils new funding for domestic solar manufacturing
Biden administration unveils new funding for domestic solar manufacturing July 14, 2022 The Biden administration on Thursday said it would pour $56 million into programs aimed at spurring domestic manufacturing of solar energy products as the U.S. seeks to move its clean energy sector away from a dependence on Chinese-made…
Dominion Energy rolls out various energy efficiency programs
Dominion Energy rolls out various energy efficiency programs July 18, 2022 Dominion Energy is expanding energy efficiency and conservation programs, offering various voluntary programs from weatherization assistance for low-income customers to incentives for builders. Read more
DOE to award over $40M for energy efficiency improvements
DOE to award over $40M for energy efficiency improvements July 12, 2022 The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded over $40 million to 21 organizations and five state agencies for energy efficiency improvements. The funding comes from the $3.2 billion Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which was created to help repair,…
U.S. Supreme Court ruling won’t change coal’s downward trend in the power sector
U.S. Supreme Court ruling won’t change coal’s downward trend in the power sector Energize Weekly, July 13, 2022 The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling limiting federal regulation of power plant greenhouse gas emissions will not do much to reverse the decline of coal-fired generation or greenhouse gas emissions, according to two…
New South Carolina law could help electric customers save millions
New South Carolina law could help electric customers save millions July 01, 2022 A new law recently passed in South Carolina could save electric customers in that state millions of dollars in costs to restore service after weather events, Duke Energy said Wednesday. The legislation – Senate Bill 1077 –…
DOE launches $500 million effort to turn mines into clean energy hubs
DOE launches $500 million effort to turn mines into clean energy hubs 7.1.2022 A $500 million program funded by the bipartisan infrastructure package aims to transform current and former mines into clean energy hubs. The Dept. of Energy (DOE) issued a Request For Information (RFI) to inform how the program…
Fossil-fuel electric generation challenged in Texas heat wave, raising reliability questions
Fossil-fuel electric generation challenged in Texas heat wave, raising reliability questions Energize Weekly, July 6, 2022 An early season heat wave in May tested the Texas grid, raising questions about the relation of baseload, fossil-fuel generation to wind and solar, according to analysis by the Institute for Energy Economics and…
US launches new federal-state partnership to grow domestic offshore wind supply chain
US launches new federal-state partnership to grow domestic offshore wind supply chain June 27, 2022 The White House has announced that it is joining with 11 governors from East Coast states to launch the Federal-State Offshore Wind Implementation Partnership, which is intended to accelerate America’s growing offshore wind industry. Read…
DOE: Here’s what’s happened to EV, renewable, fossil jobs
DOE: Here’s what’s happened to EV, renewable, fossil jobs 06/28/2022 Much of the fossil fuel industry continued to hemorrhage jobs last year, even as employment in the electric car sector increased dramatically, according to a report today from the Department of Energy. Released this morning, the 2022 U.S. Energy and…
Ameren aims to charge customers for closure of Rush Island coal plant
Ameren aims to charge customers for closure of Rush Island coal plant June 21, 2022 The costs to close the region’s second-largest power plant, after decades of Clean Air Act violations, are rising. Electric utility Ameren has proposed the construction of $244 million in electric lines and other upgrades before…
New York grid operator sees generating margins shrinking, increased reliability risks
New York grid operator sees generating margins shrinking, increased reliability risks Energize Weekly, June 22, 2022 The buffer of extra generating capacity – the reserve or reliability margin – is shrinking in New York State as fossil-fuel plants retire faster than renewable sources are being added, according to an assessment…
DOE: Here’s where renewable costs are heading
DOE: Here’s where renewable costs are heading 06/14/2022 Recent challenges facing wind and solar likely won’t sink their longer-term progress in the United States, as industries figure out ways to keep the cost of renewable power on a downward slope, according to a new peer-reviewed analysis from Lawrence Berkeley National…
Indiana utilities brace for possible rolling blackouts, Kentucky meeting demands
Indiana utilities brace for possible rolling blackouts, Kentucky meeting demands Jun 13, 2022 Summer is kicking in with heat and humidity this week, and that puts a strain on the power grid to keep up with demand. Parts of Indiana could face rolling blackouts, according to the Midcontinent Independent System…
Lawsuit filed against Mon Power, FirstEnergy after 2021 house fire
Lawsuit filed against Mon Power, FirstEnergy after 2021 house fire June 10, 2022 A lawsuit filed this week in Monongalia County Circuit Court by a Taylor County couple names Monongahela Power Company (Mon Power) and FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. as defendants, along with Mon Power Supervisor for Distribution Technician James Connor…
U.S. Midwest in Danger of Rotating Power Blackouts This Summer
U.S. Midwest in Danger of Rotating Power Blackouts This Summer June 3, 2022 The power grid in the Central United States could be forced to impose rotating blackouts on some of the hottest days of the summer due to rising demand and plant retirements, federal energy officials said in an…
Demand for coal high, but obstacles slow opportunities
Demand for coal high, but obstacles slow opportunities June 4, 2022 Coal production is rebounding slowly in McDowell County as well as in the state, but with the current surge in worldwide as well as domestic demand, the potential market for coal is being hindered by many factors, from manpower…
Here’s what has to happen before CPS Energy can shut down its last coal plant
Here’s what has to happen before CPS Energy can shut down its last coal plant June 6, 2022 In recent months, and with San Antonio facing stricter air quality regulations, calls to diversify CPS Energy’s generation portfolio and speed up the closure of the J.K. Spruce coal-burning power plant have…
New England hits a record low in electricity demand thanks to distributed solar
New England hits a record low in electricity demand thanks to distributed solar Energize Weekly, June 8, 2022 It was a typical spring Sunday afternoon – sunny with temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s – but May 1 was also historic as the demand for electricity in New England dropped…
Duke Energy Wants to Quit Coal Early, But Regulators Say No
Duke Energy Wants to Quit Coal Early, But Regulators Say No May 26, 2022 Duke Energy Corp. planned to close its last six coal power plants in the Carolinas by 2030 to accelerate the company’s carbon-cutting goals. South Carolina regulators said no—ordering the US utility to keep the plants open…
NYSEG and RG&E Announce “Reliable Energy New York” Plans
NYSEG and RG&E Announce “Reliable Energy New York” Plans May 26, 2022 Today, New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E), subsidiaries of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), announced the companies have filed proposed changes to delivery rates with the New York State Public Service Commission…
FERC chair on grid: ‘The old way doesn’t work’
FERC chair on grid: ‘The old way doesn’t work’ 05/20/2022 The growing threat of power outages fueled by extreme weather calls for new approaches to grid oversight, the head of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission said yesterday, adding that utilities and grid operators should “think differently.” Read more
Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack: Lessons for Technologists
Colonial Pipeline Ransomware Attack: Lessons for Technologists May 23, 2022 While technologists have always understood the damage that ransomware could do to an organization’s infrastructure and data, the May 2021 attack that targeted Colonial Pipeline IT infrastructure changed the game for good. Read more
West and Midwest U.S. face summer electricity shortfalls due to heat, drought, and fire
West and Midwest U.S. face summer electricity shortfalls due to heat, drought, and fire Energize Weekly, May 25, 2022 The West and Midwest U.S. risk severe electricity shortfalls this summer due to high temperatures, drought, severe storms and wildfire – all driven by a changing climate, according to the North…
Nuclear plant owner Talen Energy Supply files for bankruptcy
Nuclear plant owner Talen Energy Supply files for bankruptcy May 11, 2022 Talen Energy Supply, the owner of the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Salem Twp., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Woodlands, Texas-based company, a unit of Talen Energy Corp. which runs 18 power generation facilities, filed for…
California Power Officials Warn of Power Shortfalls This Summer Amid Increasing Strain from Climate Change
California Power Officials Warn of Power Shortfalls This Summer Amid Increasing Strain from Climate Change May 6, 2022 California power regulators are warning of power shortages and possible blackouts this summer as the state’s electrical grid faces increasing strain from drought and extreme heat. “We know reliability is going to…
Georgia nuclear plant’s cost now forecast to top $30 billion
Georgia nuclear plant’s cost now forecast to top $30 billion May 8, 2022 nuclear power plant being built in Georgia is now projected to cost its owners more than $30 billion. A financial report from one of the owners on Friday clearly pushed the cost of Plant Vogtle near Augusta…
BPUB customers to see higher bills as program ends
BPUB customers to see higher bills as program ends May 8, 2022 After getting the go-ahead from the Brownsville City Commission on May 3, the Brownsville Public Utility Board announced on May 4 that it will be updating its electric, water and wastewater rates. Read more
U.S. and European EV sales climb but more chargers will be needed to sustain growth
U.S. and European EV sales climb but more chargers will be needed to sustain growth Energize Weekly, May 11, 2022 Electric vehicle (EV) sales in both the U.S. and Europe are posting strong gains, but to reach the market penetration governments are targeting – the Biden administration goal is 50…
