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…
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…
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…
Georgia Power says economic growth reason for updated plan to generate more electricity
Georgia Power says economic growth reason for updated plan to generate more electricity Nov. 13, 2023 Georgia Power recently filed an updated Integrated Resource Plan with the Georgia Public Service Commission, citing the need to support recent economic growth. But an environmental group opposed a portion of the proposed update…
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…
Partial owner of Xcel’s newest and last coal plant awarded judgement over year-long power outage
Partial owner of Xcel’s newest and last coal plant awarded judgement over year-long power outage NOVEMBER 4, 2023 A Denver District Court jury recently awarded an electricity distributor $26.45 million after the distributor sued Xcel Energy over what it called mismanagement of a power plant. CORE Electric Cooperative sued Xcel…
Three Rivers Energy dedicates new $1.3 billion power plant near Morris
Three Rivers Energy dedicates new $1.3 billion power plant near Morris October 26, 2023 The new $1.3 billion Competitive Power Ventures (CPV) Three Rivers Energy plant started over eight years ago is finally up and running, and Three Rivers Energy celebrated with a dedication and groundbreaking on Wednesday. CPV Three…
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…
U.S. natural-gas fired plant additions to increase again in 2023, EIA says
U.S. natural-gas fired plant additions to increase again in 2023, EIA says 10.16.2023 New U.S. natural gas-fired capacity additions are expected to total 8.6 GW in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). 16 natural gas-fired plants are expected to come online this year, EIA said in its…
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…
Ameren wants to build two gas power plants. Critics call them ‘a big concern.’
Ameren wants to build two gas power plants. Critics call them ‘a big concern.’ Sep 27, 2023 Regional electric utility Ameren said Tuesday that it aims to build two natural gas power plants over the next decade, a revelation that appears to conflict with corporate goals to slash carbon emissions…
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…
Indigenous tribes urge federal officials to deny loan request for Superior, WI natural gas plant
Indigenous tribes urge federal officials to deny loan request for Superior, WI natural gas plant September 11, 2023 Indigenous tribes in Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin have asked federal officials to deny a utility’s request for a loan to help build a natural gas-fired power plant on the shores of Lake…
Losing member co-ops, Tri-State seeks to sell its electricity on the wholesale power market
Losing member co-ops, Tri-State seeks to sell its electricity on the wholesale power market Energize Weekly, September 13, 2023 Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, a wholesale power supplier for rural electric cooperatives, is seeking to sell excess power on the open market as it loses some of its biggest members.…
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…
California’s energy mix is changing but natural gas still the No. 1 source
California’s energy mix is changing but natural gas still the No. 1 source AUG. 25, 2023 Some things are changing in California’s mix of energy sources for electricity generation, but others are not. With policymakers looking to derive 100 percent of the state’s electricity from carbon-free sources by 2045, the…
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…
State power grid operator calls on Texans to conserve energy late Sunday
State power grid operator calls on Texans to conserve energy late Sunday AUG. 20, 2023 The state’s electric grid operator is asking Texans to limit their power use on Sunday between 7 and 10 p.m., the second such request in three days as extreme heat continues to grip the state.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
How old coal plants could help fuel a renewable boom
How old coal plants could help fuel a renewable boom 06/30/2023 When Pennsylvania’s largest coal plant closes Saturday, it will leave behind more than towering smokestacks and mounds of coal waste. The Homer City Generating Station has a valuable asset: a connection to both the nation’s largest regional power grid…
City eyes recent land purchase for power plant
City eyes recent land purchase for power plant June 28, 2023 In April, the City of Mesa finalized a deal to purchase 9 acres of vacant land at the northeast corner of University and Stapley drives from the U.S. Government for $2.6 million. In the quitclaim deed transferring the property…
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…
Evergy slashes planned renewable energy additions, proposes more natural gas
Evergy slashes planned renewable energy additions, proposes more natural gas JUNE 16, 2023 Kansas’ largest electric utility has drastically scaled back its plans to add more clean energy over the next decade and will keep open its oldest coal plant for years longer. Two years ago, Evergy announced plans to…
Global oil and gas investment rises even as demand slows risking overcapacity in the sector
Global oil and gas investment rises even as demand slows risking overcapacity in the sector Energize Weekly, June 21, 2023 Global demand for oil is set to slow in the next five years even as investment in oil industry infrastructure is projected to grow, risking an overcapacity in production, according…
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…
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…
California unlikely to run short of electricity this summer thanks to winter storms, new power sources
California unlikely to run short of electricity this summer thanks to winter storms, new power sources May 25, 2023 California regulators say the state is unlikely to experience electricity shortages this summer after securing new power sources and a wet winter that filled the state’s reservoirs enough to restart hydroelectric…
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…
Kentucky’s largest utility tests new law creating barrier to retire fossil fuel plants
Kentucky’s largest utility tests new law creating barrier to retire fossil fuel plants May 30, 2023 Republican lawmakers in Kentucky, raising concerns that planned and ongoing retirements of coal-fired power plants could affect the reliability and resilience of the electric grid, passed a new law that creates an extra barrier…
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…
U.S. grid facing blackout risks this summer and next winter, reliability agency warns
U.S. grid facing blackout risks this summer and next winter, reliability agency warns Energize Weekly, May 24, 2023 U.S. power grids are facing a risky summer and an even riskier winter, according to analyses by the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC), the agency that oversees grid reliability and security.…
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…
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…
Winter rains lift California hydropower outlook, easing regional demand for natural gas
Winter rains lift California hydropower outlook, easing regional demand for natural gas Energize Weekly, May 17, 2023 Heavy rains have filled California reservoirs and boosted the prospect for hydropower – welcomed news to the rest of the West, which saw natural gas prices soar last winter as California utilities scrambled…
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…
