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Energy-related CO2 emissions in U.S. rise in 2018 for the first time in five years

Energize Weekly, December 4, 2019 Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from energy-related activities in 2018 rose in the U.S. for the first time in five years, posting a 2.7 percent annual increase to 5.27 billion metric tons, according to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA). Driving the increase were higher emissions from natural gas-fired power generation,…

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International action has been insufficient to curb GHG, drastic action needed, the UN says

Energize Weekly, December 4, 2019 The gap between international efforts to curb greenhouse gases (GHG) and the growing emissions has grown so large that dramatic reductions over the next decade are needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, according to a United Nations (UN) report. Under the 2015 Paris Climate Accord, countries set…

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West’s biggest coal-fired power plant, the Navajo Generating Station, is shuttered

Energize Weekly, November 27, 2019 The biggest coal-fired power plant in the West – the Navajo Generating Station (NGS) – beset by uncompetitive economics, closed permanently on Nov. 18 after 45 years of operation. The 2,250-megawatt (MW) plant located on the Navajo Nation, east of Paige, Ariz., was once a prime source of electricity for…

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Coal-fired generation set to grow over the next 10 years despite the rise in renewables

Energize Weekly, November 20, 2019 Coal – despite the rapid growth in renewable and natural gas generation – still accounts for the majority of the world’s electricity and is projected to increase at a compounded annual rate of 1.1 percent through 2030 to 2,345 gigawatts (GW), according to analytics consultant GlobalData. Even with strong opposition…

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Climate and energy policies around the world are falling short in meeting goals, IEA says

Energize Weekly, November 20, 2019 Even if all the commitments made by countries to cut carbon emissions and provide dependable energy were enacted, the world would still fall far short of having clean, reliable energy in 2040, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The IEA placed all those emission and energy plans into a “Stated Policies…

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Invenergy’s planned Rhode Island natural gas plant lost out to renewables and energy efficiency

Energize Weekly, November 13, 2019 Invenergy’s proposed, large-scale, natural gas-fired power plant in Rhode Island was undone by delays that enabled renewable power and market efficiencies to overtake the project, according to state regulators. In August, the Rhode Island Energy Siting Board voted to deny Invenergy a permit for the proposed 850-megawatt (MW) to 1,000-MW…

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Coal mine prospects in the Powder River Basin are on a poor trajectory, Moody’s says

Energize Weekly, November 6, 2019 A string of coal mining company bankruptcies in the Powder River Basin (PRB), straddling Wyoming and Montana, has changed the basin’s competitive landscape, but not its “poor overall long-term trajectory,” according to an analysis by Moody’s Investor Services. “All of the rated coal companies that produce PRB coal are now…

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Utilities running inefficient coal plants in wholesale power markets cost ratepayers

Energize Weekly, October 30, 2019 Electric customers of regulated utilities in four of the biggest U.S. wholesale electric markets shouldered a $3.8 billion burden for inefficient coal plants between 2015 and 2017, according to a Sierra Club analysis. The Sierra Club report focused on the “shelf-scheduling” of coal plants by regulated utilities in markets run…

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Coal production in the fourth quarter drops 17 percent, hitting a 42-year low, EIA says

Energize Weekly, October 16, 2019 Coal production in the U.S. is projected to fall 159 million short tons in the fourth quarter of 2019, a 17 percent drop when compared to the same period in 2018, according to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA). For the year, the EIA is forecasting a 10 percent drop…

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PacifiCorp to close 20 of 24 coal plants by 2038 and invest in wind, solar and storage

Energize Weekly, October 9, 2019 PacifiCorp unveiled a new resource plan that takes a sharp turn away from coal-fired plants toward renewable generation – closing 20 of its 24 coal units by 2038 and adding 8,300 megawatts (MW) of wind and solar. Portland, Ore.-based PacifiCorp, which serves 1.6 million people in the Pacific Northwest and…

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EIA forecasts a 50 percent increase in energy demand by 2050 driven by Asian economies

Energize Weekly, October 2, 2019 World energy consumption is projected to grow by 50 percent by 2050, with most of that demand coming from growing Asian economies, according to the federal Energy Information Administration’s (EIA) International Energy Outlook. “Energy consumption was greater in Asia than in any other region in 2018, and we project that…

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Utilities to close coal-fired units but plans to replace them with natural gas draws fire

Energize Weekly, July 10, 2019 Utilities are moving to close coal-fired power plants and add more renewable generation, but the large role played by new gas-fired power plants is drawing fire from environmental groups, arguing that no more fossil fuel-based units should be built. In the last two weeks the Tennessee Valley Administration (TVA), Xcel…

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