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…
Fossil-fuel producing countries set to blow past climate targets for oil, natural gas, and coal
Fossil-fuel producing countries set to blow past climate targets for oil, natural gas, and coal Energize Weekly, November 15, 2023 Fossil-fuel producing countries are set to turn out double the amount of coal, oil, and natural gas between now and 2050 needed to keep the increase in global warming to…
Fukushima water released without technical concerns, IAEA says
Fukushima water released without technical concerns, IAEA says Oct 28, 2023 Japan’s release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant into the sea is “progressing as planned and without any technical concerns,” the U.N. nuclear watchdog has said. The International Atomic Energy Agency wrapped up…
Global oil, coal, and gas demand to peak by 2030: IEA
Global oil, coal, and gas demand to peak by 2030: IEA October 24, 2023 Many countries have mandated that automobiles, businesses, and more employ clean energy initiatives, aimed at reducing their carbon footprint. The rate of production and adoption of things like electric cars and the use of solar energy…
The problem with making green hydrogen to fuel power plants
The problem with making green hydrogen to fuel power plants 10 October 2023 Today, utility Florida Power & Light will begin operations at its Cavendish NextGen Hydrogen Hub, one of the country’s first green hydrogen facilities. The 25-megawatt project will use solar power to split water into oxygen and hydrogen…
Constellation’s Carbon-Free Nuclear Fleet Ran at Near 100% Capacity During Hottest Summer on Record
Constellation’s Carbon-Free Nuclear Fleet Ran at Near 100% Capacity During Hottest Summer on Record Sept. 21, 2023 While wildfires, hurricanes and extreme heat battered Americans from coast to coast during the hottest summer in Earth’s recorded history, Constellation’s carbon-free nuclear units ran nearly 100% of the time, powering more than…
Xcel plans to replace Colorado power plant in Pueblo with renewable energy battery system
Xcel plans to replace Colorado power plant in Pueblo with renewable energy battery system SEPTEMBER 25, 2023 Xcel Energy recently announced its intent to construct a long duration energy storage system at the site of a coal-fired power plant in Pueblo. Once operational, the system in Colorado “will allow Xcel…
Dominion to seek air permit for proposed Chesterfield gas plant
Dominion to seek air permit for proposed Chesterfield gas plant SEPTEMBER 14, 2023 Dominion Energy’s plans to build a new natural gas plant in Chesterfield will require a state permit for major new sources of emissions, state air quality regulators said Wednesday. Mike Dowd, the Department of Environmental Quality’s director…
West Virginia coal-fired power plant targeted for deactivation to be restarted for hydrogen use
West Virginia coal-fired power plant targeted for deactivation to be restarted for hydrogen use August 31, 2023 A West Virginia coal-fired power plant that had been targeted for deactivation was restarted Wednesday under a new owner that plans to retrofit the facility to use hydrogen to generate electricity, Gov. Jim…
TVA Plans to Invest $15 Billion Over the Next Three Years to Meet Region’s Growth
TVA Plans to Invest $15 Billion Over the Next Three Years to Meet Region’s Growth Aug. 28, 2023 During the decade before COVID, TVA’s seven-state region saw almost no electric load growth. Post-COVID, the region has experienced tremendous economic growth, fueled by several factors. The Tennessee Valley Authority Board of…
Duke seeks approval for SMRs at retiring N.C. coal plant
Duke seeks approval for SMRs at retiring N.C. coal plant Aug 18, 2023 Duke Energy has filed an update to its 2022 state-mandated carbon-reduction plan with the public utility commissions of North and South Carolina, proposing the deployment of small modular reactors at the Belews Creek coal plant in Stokes…
Inflation Reduction Act could unleash $3 trillion in renewable energy investments
Inflation Reduction Act could unleash $3 trillion in renewable energy investments Energize Weekly, August 23, 2023 The $1.2 trillion in incentives proposed under the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) will spur about $3 trillion investment in renewable energy technology over the next decade, according to Goldman Sachs Research. Goldman Sachs…
Public meeting held to address proposal to close four coal plants in Western Kentucky
Public meeting held to address proposal to close four coal plants in Western Kentucky Aug. 14, 2023 People from across Western Kentucky voiced their concerns over a proposal to close several coal plants. In Madisonville, the Public Service Commission hosted a public comment session Monday to address a recent proposal…
Quebec government says it is open to studying whether to restart nuclear reactor
Quebec government says it is open to studying whether to restart nuclear reactor Aug 14, 2023 Quebec Energy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon said Monday he agrees with Hydro-Québec’s decision to study a possible reopening of the province’s only nuclear power plant. Fitzgibbon was reacting to last week’s news that the power…
PSC to retire several coal, natural gas plants
PSC to retire several coal, natural gas plants Aug 4, 2023 The Kentucky Public Service Commission (PSC) will provide several opportunities over the next month for the public to receive information and provide comments regarding Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities’ (LG&E/KU) request to retire four coal-fired electric generating…
America’s first new nuclear reactor in nearly seven years starts operations
America’s first new nuclear reactor in nearly seven years starts operations JUL 31 2023 Monday marked the first time a new nuclear reactor has begun delivering power to the electric grid in the United States in nearly seven years. Nuclear energy does not generate the greenhouse gas emissions that cause…
Michigan PSC approves DTE Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan, setting path to net zero emissions by 2050
Michigan PSC approves DTE Energy’s Integrated Resource Plan, setting path to net zero emissions by 2050 July 28, 2023 DTE Energy received approval for its CleanVision Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) this week from the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC), greenlighting a clean energy plan that will speed the end of…
Global temperatures are rising in 2023 and so is worldwide consumption of coal and oil
Global temperatures are rising in 2023 and so is worldwide consumption of coal and oil Energize Weekly, August 2, 2023 As the world sizzles, with July the hottest month on Earth since records have been kept, consumption of coal and oil – the two main sources of climate-warming greenhouse gases…
NV Energy wants $1.8B to replace Nevada’s last coal plant
NV Energy wants $1.8B to replace Nevada’s last coal plant July 20, 2023 NV Energy is committing to shutting down its last coal plant by 2025, the utility announced Wednesday, and will spend nearly $2 billion to do it. The news comes after questions were raised early this year on…
DTE Energy to move up retirement of its coal-fired Monroe Power Plant by 3 years
DTE Energy to move up retirement of its coal-fired Monroe Power Plant by 3 years July 12, 2023 Detroit-based DTE Energy Co. announced a clean energy plan Wednesday that includes moving up the retirement of its coal-fired Monroe Power Plant — one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases in…
Holtec gets NRC go-ahead for US used nuclear fuel store
Holtec gets NRC go-ahead for US used nuclear fuel store 13 July 2023 Holtec International has received the final licence from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for construction and operation of a waste storage facility in Lea County, southeast New Mexico. The site will temporarily store nuclear waste from…
Duke Energy Kentucky partners with Amazon for solar project
Duke Energy Kentucky partners with Amazon for solar project July 10, 2023 Duke Energy Kentucky recently completed a new utility-scale rooftop solar project on the Amazon Air Hub rooftop adjacent to the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport. This project is the largest rooftop solar array in the state, with over 5,600…
Ontario Building More Small Modular Reactors to Power Province’s Growth
Ontario Building More Small Modular Reactors to Power Province’s Growth July 07, 2023 The Ontario government is working with Ontario Power Generation (OPG) to commence planning and licensing for three additional small modular reactors (SMRs), for a total of four SMRs at the Darlington nuclear site. Once deployed, these four…
NS Power plans to produce electricity with fuel oil until 2050 instead of with coal
NS Power plans to produce electricity with fuel oil until 2050 instead of with coal July 4, 2023 Nova Scotia’s power utility plans to convert a coal-burning electricity station in Cape Breton to burn heavy fuel oil once federal regulations phase out coal entirely in 2030. The proposal has raised…
Colorado and Wyoming, at odds over energy policy, find common ground on carbon capture
Colorado and Wyoming, at odds over energy policy, find common ground on carbon capture Energize Weekly, July 5, 2023 When it comes to energy policy, there isn’t a lot that Wyoming and Colorado see eye to eye on, but the two neighbors have common ground on capturing carbon dioxide from…
TVA preparing to start up new gas-powered turbines at former Alabama coal plant
TVA preparing to start up new gas-powered turbines at former Alabama coal plant June 21, 2023 Seven years after the last of the coal-fired generators were shut down at the Colbert Fossil Plant, the Tennessee Valley Authority is preparing to start up three new natural gas combustion turbines at the…
West Virginia bets on hydrogen in gamble to save coal plant
West Virginia bets on hydrogen in gamble to save coal plant 06/25/2023 A little-known company that enjoys the backing of West Virginia’s top political leaders is in talks to turn one of the state’s largest coal plants into a clean energy behemoth. Omnis Global Technologies, a California-based firm, says it…
Nuclear storage talks could mean changes for San Onofre
Nuclear storage talks could mean changes for San Onofre June 9, 2023 U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm says the process of moving spent nuclear fuel currently stored at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station is moving forward. Granholm visited the decommissioned nuclear power plant on Camp Pendleton on Friday to…
Montana gas power plant can resume construction, judge rules
Montana gas power plant can resume construction, judge rules June 9, 2023 NorthWestern Energy will resume construction of a natural gas power plant along Montana’s Yellowstone River following a two-month delay, a company spokesperson said Friday, after a state judge revived a pollution permit for the project despite lingering concerns…
Local opposition to wind and solar development growing across the country, survey finds
Local opposition to wind and solar development growing across the country, survey finds Energize Weekly, June 14, 2023 The number of local regulations on renewable energy projects, which could hamper, delay or block development, is on the rise in the U.S., according to a report by the Columbia University Sabin…
Xcel power plants in Texas, New Mexico could get solar power in 2026
Xcel power plants in Texas, New Mexico could get solar power in 2026 June 6, 2023 A plan to add solar generating facilities to two Xcel Energy natural gas power plants in Texas and New Mexico is going forward, according to an Xcel news release on Monday. The plan will…
Protest Against 2nd Proposed Woodbridge Natural Gas Power Plant
Protest Against 2nd Proposed Woodbridge Natural Gas Power Plant Jun 6, 2023 This past Saturday morning, June 3, some people held a rally to protest the second proposed natural gas power plant in the Keasbey section of Woodbridge. Competitive Power Ventures (CPV), a national energy company, seeks to build the…
Duke Energy working to clean up Gallagher coal ash site, will follow any new regulations
Duke Energy working to clean up Gallagher coal ash site, will follow any new regulations May 24, 2023 Stricter guidelines could be on the horizon for getting rid of hazardous waste at coal ash dumps in Indiana, including Gallagher Station in New Albany. The Indiana Capitol Chronicle reports the Environment…
Ocean Wind 1 project moves forward; BOEM completes environmental analysis
Ocean Wind 1 project moves forward; BOEM completes environmental analysis May 23, 2023 The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management on Monday said it completed its environmental analysis of the proposed Ocean Wind 1 wind project off the New Jersey Shore. BOEM said Ocean Wind could power up to a half-million…
Hawaiian Electric proposes to repower Waiau Power Plant
Hawaiian Electric proposes to repower Waiau Power Plant 5/18/2023 Hawaiian Electric is proposing to replace six aging fossil fuel-powered generators at its Waiau Power Plant in Pearl City with smaller, more efficient and fuel-flexible units that can provide reliable, firm generation to back up the expanding portfolio of variable resources…
How is Colorado doing in shutting down coal power plants?
How is Colorado doing in shutting down coal power plants? May 15, 2023 Colorado clean air advocates had a swift reaction to the Environmental Protection Agency’s sweeping new rules to eliminate greenhouse gas and toxic pollution from electric power plants nationwide: Great idea, we’re already there. By the timeline the…
PG&E has a new way to store radioactive waste at Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant
PG&E has a new way to store radioactive waste at Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant MAY 12, 2023 PG&E will soon have an additional way it stores casks of new highly radioactive spent fuel from Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant. Currently, the spent fuel — radioactive waste that remains dangerous…
Legal war brews over EPA power plant rule
Legal war brews over EPA power plant rule 05/12/2023 EPA has rolled out its strongest-ever proposal to slash planet-warming emissions from power plants — but before the agency can tackle one of the nation’s leading sources of climate pollution, the strategy must first survive the courts. Legal observers say that…
Hundreds of gas plants could escape EPA climate rules
Hundreds of gas plants could escape EPA climate rules 05/03/2023 About 1,000 natural gas-fired power plants that provide energy at periods of peak demand could be excluded from the toughest standards under EPA’s upcoming carbon rules. These plants are often located in urban areas, raising concern among some environmental advocates…
Years past deadline, Georgia will submit plan to close loophole in pollution regulations
Years past deadline, Georgia will submit plan to close loophole in pollution regulations May 1, 2023 Under pressure from the federal government, Georgia is rewriting a rule governing industrial air pollution limits to end a loophole that currently exposes communities near coal plants and other facilities to harmful pollutants. Federal…
Duke Energy’s Impact Report details progress toward ESG, business goals
Duke Energy’s Impact Report details progress toward ESG, business goals May 01, 2023 Duke Energy released a report that outlines its approach to sustainability and its progress on strategic business priorities and goals. Among the key points in Duke’s Impact Report, the company said its planned investment of $145 billion…
EPA to propose strongest emission limits yet for coal- and gas-fired power plants
EPA to propose strongest emission limits yet for coal- and gas-fired power plants 4.24.2023 The Biden Administration is expected to propose stringent requirements on utilities to reduce carbon emissions from fossil-fired power plants, according to multiple published reports. The proposal would be a transformational approach from the U.S. Environmental Protection…
PPL Corp. advanced its commitment to ESG in 2022
PPL Corp. advanced its commitment to ESG in 2022 April 24, 2023 In its 2022 Sustainability Report, PPL Corp. gave an overview of its approach to a clean energy transition while outlining the company’s performance on the environment, social responsibility, and governance (ESG). “PPL is focused on excelling in safety,…
World Leaders Agree to Boost Nuclear Power, While Germany Shuts Its Plants
World Leaders Agree to Boost Nuclear Power, While Germany Shuts Its Plants April 17, 2023 Some of the world’s largest most influential nations have formed an alliance to create new supply chains for nuclear energy—the same weekend that another country announced it had completely weaned itself off the energy source.…
PacifiCorp eyes renewables as it plans to stop burning coal at most of its Wyoming plants
PacifiCorp eyes renewables as it plans to stop burning coal at most of its Wyoming plants April 5, 2023 Wyoming’s largest power company is shifting toward renewables and away from coal; however, the state is still planning a future that includes fossil fuels. PacifiCorp, also known as Rocky Mountain Power…
Montana Judge Cancels Air Permit for Gas-Fired Power Plant
Montana Judge Cancels Air Permit for Gas-Fired Power Plant Apr 10, 2023 A judge in Montana has canceled the air quality permit for a natural gas-fired power plant under construction in the state, citing concerns about emissions of greenhouse gases from the facility. State District Judge Michael Moses on April…
The pace of U.S. coal-fired plant closures quickens, coal’s share of generation to plummet
The pace of U.S. coal-fired plant closures quickens, coal’s share of generation to plummet Energize Weekly, April 5, 2023 The pace of U.S. coal-fired plant closures continues to accelerate with half of all the capacity, which peaked in 2011, closed by 2026, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and…
Radioactive water leaks at Minn. nuclear plant for 2nd time
Radioactive water leaks at Minn. nuclear plant for 2nd time Mar 23, 2023 Water containing a radioactive material has leaked for a second time from a nuclear plant near Minneapolis and the plant will be shut down, but there is no danger to the public, the plant’s owner said Thursday.…
White House threatens veto for Republican energy package
White House threatens veto for Republican energy package 03/27/23 The White House on Monday threatened a veto of a House Republicans’ energy package, known as H.R. 1, if it makes it to President Biden’s desk. “H.R. 1 would take us backward. Therefore, if presented to the President in its current…
Xcel is cleaning up radioactive water spill at Monticello plant
Xcel is cleaning up radioactive water spill at Monticello plant MARCH 16, 2023 A broken pipe at Xcel Energy’s Monticello Nuclear Generating Plant leaked about 400,000 gallons of water containing radioactive tritium, and the utility is working to clean up the contaminated plume, state regulators said Thursday. Both Xcel and…
