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 —…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
U.S. grid faces “unprecedented” risk of electricity shortfalls this winter, NERC warns
U.S. grid faces “unprecedented” risk of electricity shortfalls this winter, NERC warns Energize Weekly, November 23, 2022 A large swatch of the U.S. electricity grid – in Texas, the Midwest, Southeast and New England – is at risk of being unable to provide adequate power in the face of extreme…
NET Power Natural Gas Generating Plant Captures Its Own Emissions
NET Power Natural Gas Generating Plant Captures Its Own Emissions Nov. 14, 2022 NET Power, based in Durham, North Carolina, has developed a new way to make electricity by burning natural gas that it says is cheaper than conventional gas generation. That’s good news, sort of, but the real benefit…
As Europe Quits Russian Gas, Half of France’s Nuclear Plants Are Off-Line
As Europe Quits Russian Gas, Half of France’s Nuclear Plants Are Off-Line Nov. 15, 2022 An army of engineers has fanned out through nuclear power plants across France in recent months, inspecting reactors for signs of wear and tear. Hundreds of expert welders have been recruited to repair problems found…
Big Utilities See Inflation Reduction Act Helping Reduce Customers’ Energy Bills
Big Utilities See Inflation Reduction Act Helping Reduce Customers’ Energy Bills November 14, 2022 Utility giants planning to spend billions of dollars to move away from fossil fuels see the Inflation Reduction Act helping to reduce the cost of that transition as its customers grapple with high energy bills. Executives…
Spurred by high commodity prices, energy production revenues on federal lands surge
Spurred by high commodity prices, energy production revenues on federal lands surge Energize Weekly, November 16, 2022 Energy production on federal lands and offshore areas in 2022 generated $22 billion for the federal and state governments – the highest in revenues since 2008 and second highest in 39 years, according…
DTE looks to close Monroe Power Plant in 2028, ahead of earlier planned date of 2040
DTE looks to close Monroe Power Plant in 2028, ahead of earlier planned date of 2040 Nov. 7, 2022 DTE Energy unveiled a new 20-year plan that includes increasing solar and wind energy while reducing reliance on coal, which translates into closing the Monroe Power Plant by 2028. According to…
PNM customers continue to pay for San Juan coal plant that’s no longer operating
PNM customers continue to pay for San Juan coal plant that’s no longer operating Nov 7, 2022 In the two months since the San Juan Generating Station shut down in New Mexico, the region’s customers have been paying the same rate for a facility that’s no longer giving them energy.…
Clean power installations hampered by supply and trade issues cool in Q3 of 2022
Clean power installations hampered by supply and trade issues cool in Q3 of 2022 Energize Weekly, November 9, 2022 Wind, solar and storage installations for the third quarter of 2022 were the lowest in three years as developers struggled with supply chain and trade restrictions, according to a market report…
Puerto Rico’s Fragile Grid to Get Boost from Networked Batteries
Puerto Rico’s Fragile Grid to Get Boost from Networked Batteries November 1, 2022 Sunrun Inc was selected to develop a 17-megawatt electricity generation project in Puerto Rico that harnesses excess battery power from its residential solar customers. The California-based company will begin enrolling households into what is known as a…
PG&E formally moves to extend life of Diablo Canyon, the last nuclear plant in California
PG&E formally moves to extend life of Diablo Canyon, the last nuclear plant in California NOVEMBER 01, 2022 PG&E Corp. formally asked federal regulators Monday to extend the life of Diablo Canyon, the last operating nuclear plant in California, as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s effort to improve reliability of…
Xcel to exit coal nationwide by 2030
Xcel to exit coal nationwide by 2030 October 31, 2022 Xcel Energy plans to stop using coal nationwide by the end of 2030 after announcing Monday that it will speed up retirement of coal-fired units at its Tolk Generating Station in Texas. Xcel said it now plans to retire the…
American Electric Power hit with second subpoena tied to nuclear bailout bill
American Electric Power hit with second subpoena tied to nuclear bailout bill Oct. 28, 2022 American Electric Power has been hit with a second subpoena from federal regulators looking for information tied to the power company’s involvement in the scandal-ridden House Bill 6 legislation enacted three years ago to bail…
War in Ukraine is speeding a global energy transition, hobbling Russian exports, IEA says
War in Ukraine is speeding a global energy transition, hobbling Russian exports, IEA says Energize Weekly, November 2, 2022 Global fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are slowing with oil, coal and natural gas either peaking or reaching a plateau by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).…
TVA studies new sites for more nuclear reactors
TVA studies new sites for more nuclear reactors October 22, 2022 The Tennessee Valley Authority was the first utility in the country to obtain an early site permit to build a small modular reactor near the U.S. Department of Energy lab in Oak Ridge. Although the new advanced and smaller…
Inside EPA’s climate strategy for power plants
Inside EPA’s climate strategy for power plants 10/24/2022 EPA’s game plan to comprehensively attack pollution from the coal-fired power industry began to take shape almost immediately following President Joe Biden’s inauguration, recently released records show. In early February 2021, senior EPA appointees briefed White House officials on a strategy that…
Global carbon capture capacity set to grow sixfold by 2030, BloombergNEF says
Global carbon capture capacity set to grow sixfold by 2030, BloombergNEF says Energize Weekly, October 26, 2022 Global carbon capture capacity, with more than $3 billion invested in the technology this year, is set to increase sixfold from current levels by 2030, according to an analysis by energy research firm…
An Alaska Air Base Wants to Build a Micro Nuclear Plant for Backup Power
Alaska Air Base Wants to Build a Micro Nuclear Plant for Backup Power October 17, 2022 Last month, the Air Force issued a request for proposals to construct a 2.5-megawatt micro-reactor at Eielson to supplement its current 20-MW coal-fired heat and power plant that delivers power across the installation on…
Louisiana project highlights unknowns of carbon capture
Louisiana project highlights unknowns of carbon capture October 17, 2022 A carbon capture project proposed for a central Louisiana power plant has been dubbed “Project Diamond Vault” by its owner, Louisiana utility Cleco. The utility says the project will have “precious value” to the company, customers and state. Yet less…
Xcel Energy-Colorado positioned to lead clean energy transition, new president says
Xcel Energy-Colorado positioned to lead clean energy transition, new president says October 16, 2022 Robert Kenney took over as President of Xcel Energy-Colorado as the utility sought approval from state regulators for rate increases, a new clean energy plan and a proposal to reduce emissions from its natural gas system.…
Nuclear central in Virginia’s energy plan
Nuclear central in Virginia’s energy plan 05 October 2022 As directed by the Virginia General Assembly, every four years the Virginia Department of Energy develops a comprehensive Virginia Energy Plan. In the foreword to the latest plan, Youngkin said: “We must reject the mindset that it is ‘either/or’, and embrace…
Ontario’s electricity sector will need more natural gas generation: report
Ontario’s electricity sector will need more natural gas generation: report October 11, 2022 Ontario plans to secure more natural gas generation in order to fuel an expected surge in demand for electricity, the energy minister said Friday, the latest announcement in what critics describe as a scramble in the face…
Despite pandemic and supply chain problems, utility-scale solar posts a record in 2021
Despite pandemic and supply chain problems, utility-scale solar posts a record in 2021 Energize Weekly, October 12, 2022 A record 12.5 gigawatts (GW) of large, utility-scale photovoltaic solar projects came online in 2021 as the levelized cost of such projects has fallen 85 percent in the last 12 years, according…
Xcel Energy’s ability to meet next summer’s electricity demand hangs on two Pueblo solar projects
Xcel Energy’s ability to meet next summer’s electricity demand hangs on two Pueblo solar projects Oct 4, 2022 Xcel Energy is moving to close a gap in electricity supplies that, for the moment, leaves the region short on electric generation and reserves for the summers of 2023 and 2024. In…
Holtec, Nuclear Regulatory Commission keep focus on dismantling Palisades
Holtec, Nuclear Regulatory Commission keep focus on dismantling Palisades Oct 2, 2022 Despite efforts to resume the operation of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant in Covert Township, it appears its decommissioning will begin in earnest. Holtec International, which bought the plant from Entergy Inc., has been given the green light…
PG&E Lays Out Plan to Sell Stake in Generation Capacity
PG&E Lays Out Plan to Sell Stake in Generation Capacity Sept. 29, 2022 PG&E Corp. executives have sketched out a plan to house the company’s non-nuclear generation assets in a new subsidiary, stakes in which could be sold to fund future safety and reliability investments. Representatives of the company’s Pacific…
New York ISO issues long-term system and resource outlook
New York ISO issues long-term system and resource outlook September 26, 2022 The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) issued a report identifying the amount of electrical system investment required to meet New York State’s long-term climate policy requirements. NYISO’s 2021-2040 System & Resource Outlook, developed in collaboration with stakeholders…
NYPA, GE Successfully Pilot Hydrogen Retrofit at Aeroderivative Gas Turbine
NYPA, GE Successfully Pilot Hydrogen Retrofit at Aeroderivative Gas Turbine September 26, 2022 A pioneering GE aeroderivative gas turbine project to demonstrate hydrogen combustion as part of a retrofit at an existing U.S. natural gas power plant has successfully utilized blends of 5% to 44% hydrogen with natural gas—some of…
Argonne National Laboratory and Constellation look at producing hydrogen at NPPs
Argonne National Laboratory and Constellation look at producing hydrogen at NPPs 27 September 2022 Constellation Energy Corporation and the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have announced a long-term agreement to evaluate trends in the US energy system and develop technologies for more efficient, carbon-free power generation. One…
Global coal-fired generation spikes in 2021, even as wind and solar reach new highs
Global coal-fired generation spikes in 2021, even as wind and solar reach new highs Energize Weekly, September 28, 2022 The world recorded an unprecedent spike in coal-fired generation in 2021 – even as wind and solar generation also reached record levels, according to a report by Bloomberg NEF and Bloomberg…
