Residential solar prices drop as size of installations grow and more batteries are added Energize Weekly, September 4, 2024 The size of residential solar systems has been rising as solar module efficiency increases and solar panel costs decline, according to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s annual Tracking the Sun report.…
ERCOT successfully navigates heat wave, new peak demand record
ERCOT successfully navigates heat wave, new peak demand record Aug 26, 2024 Despite record temperatures last week and a new peak demand record, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas said it was able to maintain service without conservation requests, which it required last summer. Large additions of renewables and battery…
Renewable energy projects are facing increased delays, cancellations, and big losses
Renewable energy projects are facing increased delays, cancellations, and big losses Energize Weekly, August 21, 2024 Wind and solar projects across the U.S. are facing increased local and state opposition, leading to delays, cancellations, and millions of dollars in lost investments, according to university and national laboratory analyses. A Lawrence…
Texas grid’s first geothermal deal will put clean-energy battery on coal facility land
Texas grid’s first geothermal deal will put clean-energy battery on coal facility land 08/13/24 Early next year, the Texas grid will get its first dose of clean power from underground — by means of a “battery” buried in the rock. On Tuesday, the San Miguel Electric Cooperative announced a deal…
SRP Sets New Record for Amount of Energy Delivered to Customers
SRP Sets New Record for Amount of Energy Delivered to Customers August 6, 2024 Arizona public power utility Salt River Project recently set a new record for the amount of energy delivered to its retail customers. On Sunday, Aug. 4, between 5 and 6 p.m., SRP delivered its highest system…
U.S. electricity demand to rise spurred by the growth of data centers and electric vehicles
U.S. electricity demand to rise spurred by the growth of data centers and electric vehicles Energize Weekly, July 31, 2024 After remaining relatively flat for the last 20 years, U.S. electricity demand is projected to grow 13 percent by 2030, boosted by demands from data centers, electric vehicles (EVs) and…
Largest US Offshore Wind Farm Begins Construction
Largest US Offshore Wind Farm Begins Construction July 22, 2024 Governor Hochul recently announced the start of construction on New York’s largest offshore wind project, Sunrise Wind, a 924-megawatt project developed by Ørsted. Once completed, the project will provide enough clean energy to power approximately 600,000 New York homes, according…
Manchin, Barrasso announce permitting reform deal, breaking lengthy impasse
Manchin, Barrasso announce permitting reform deal, breaking lengthy impasse 07/22/24 Sens. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) have reached an agreement on a bill to speed up the nation’s energy and infrastructure projects after about two years of trying to reach a deal. The bill takes on a suite…
U.S. offshore wind development falters in 2023 but is projected catch up in the next 10 years
U.S. offshore wind development falters in 2023 but is projected catch up in the next 10 years Energize Weekly, July 17, 2024 Offshore wind development in the U.S. suffered setbacks in 2023 with projects being cancelled and less than half of the 30-gigawatt (GW) target set by the Biden administration…
Arizona voters will vote on going green fast or keeping fossil-fuel choices in the mix
Arizona voters will vote on going green fast or keeping fossil-fuel choices in the mix July 8, 2024 Three seats on the Arizona Corporation Commission are up for grabs in the coming primary and general elections, and the results of these votes will help set the state’s water and power…
FBI warns of increased cyber threats to expanding US renewable energy sector
FBI warns of increased cyber threats to expanding US renewable energy sector JULY 02, 2024 The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published Monday a Private Industry Notification (PIN) emphasizing how malicious cyber actors may seek to disrupt power-generating operations, steal intellectual property, or ransom information critical for normal functionality to…
Arizona utility SRP seeks proposals for emerging storage technologies
Arizona utility SRP seeks proposals for emerging storage technologies Jul 02, 2024 Arizona utility Salt River Project (SRP) has launched a request for proposals (RFP) for non-lithium-ion, long-duration energy storage (LDES) demonstration projects, aiming to back its goal for a sustainable power system. The company said it is targeting both…
Despite bad weather and forced power plant outages the nation’s grid was reliable in 2023
Despite bad weather and forced power plant outages the nation’s grid was reliable in 2023 Energize Weekly, July 3, 2024 Even in the face of extreme weather events and higher rates of forced outages at generating facilities, the U.S.-Canadian electric grid remained “reliable and secure” in 2023, according to the…
NYSERDA reaches MOU for Witmer Road Landfill solar project
NYSERDA reaches MOU for Witmer Road Landfill solar project 6/25/24 The former Witmer Road landfill in the Town of Wheatfield is a step closer to potentially housing a solar farm. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority announced recently it has reached a memorandum of understanding on the…
N.C.’s ratepayer advocate: Duke Energy ‘failed’ to consider incentives that would cut costs & enable more clean energy
N.C.’s ratepayer advocate: Duke Energy ‘failed’ to consider incentives that would cut costs & enable more clean energy June 25, 2024 Duke Energy’s plan to zero out its carbon pollution all but ignores a federal loan program that could save ratepayers hundreds of millions of dollars and enable more clean…
Record temperatures will increase electricity demand, but not natural gas or coal prices
Record temperatures will increase electricity demand, but not natural gas or coal prices Energize Weekly, June 26, 2024 Record temperatures are set to increase electricity demand this summer, but analyses find that a combination of ample gas storage and more renewable generation will help prevent a spike in natural gas…
Ontario’s new energy minister says natural gas plants must stay ‘to help fuel our economy’
Ontario’s new energy minister says natural gas plants must stay ‘to help fuel our economy’ June 13, 2024 Ontario’s new energy minister says the fast-growing province can’t afford an “ideological” push to wean its electricity system off fossil fuels even as concerns about climate change mount. “I cannot underscore this…
Clean energy mandate for Vt. utilities becomes law after Democrats override veto
Clean energy mandate for Vt. utilities becomes law after Democrats override veto June 17, 2024 The biggest energy policy to come out of Montpelier this year is hitting home in concrete ways for two Vermont mothers who showed up to the Statehouse on Monday. The legislation requires all Vermont utilities…
Big energy projects moving fast, face $150 billion a year in cost overruns, Bain & Co. says
Big energy projects moving fast, face $150 billion a year in cost overruns, Bain & Co. says Energize Weekly, June 19, 2024 The scale and speed of the energy transition risks project delays and setbacks leading to cost overruns of 15 percent to 20 percent, equal to $150 billion a…
U.S. Solar Sector Shows Record-Setting Growth
U.S. Solar Sector Shows Record-Setting Growth Jun 6, 2024 A new report from two leading energy industry groups said a record 11 GW of new solar power module manufacturing capacity entered service during the first three months of this year, representing the largest quarter of solar manufacturing growth in U.S.…
Babcock & Wilcox to proceed with coal-to-biomass plant conversion
Babcock & Wilcox to proceed with coal-to-biomass plant conversion JUN 4, 2024 Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) has been granted a limited notice to proceed (LNTP) by NorthStar Clean Energy to begin work on a Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) conversion of a former coal-fired power plant in Filer…
AI is poised to drive a doubling in data center electricity demand by 2030, studies say
AI is poised to drive a doubling in data center electricity demand by 2030, studies say Energize Weekly, June 5, 2024 Data centers, spurred by increased artificial intelligence applications, could double their demand for electricity in the U.S. reaching 9.1 percent of the nation’s electricity load by 2030, according to…
Wind towers crumpled after Iowa wind farm suffers rare direct hit from powerful twister
Wind towers crumpled after Iowa wind farm suffers rare direct hit from powerful twister May 22, 2024 A wind farm in southwest Iowa suffered a direct hit from a powerful tornado that crumpled five of the massive, power-producing towers, including one that burst into flames. But experts say fortunately such…
California ISO Greenlights Transmission Plan for Offshore Wind Integration
California ISO Greenlights Transmission Plan for Offshore Wind Integration May 24, 2024 The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) has approved the 2023-2024 Transmission Plan that identifies and plans for key upgrades to California’s transmission system to deliver power from offshore wind turbines to the state’s homes and businesses. CAISO unveiled…
FERC adopts sweeping transmission planning regulations with the aim of speeding projects
FERC adopts sweeping transmission planning regulations with the aim of speeding projects Energize Weekly, May 22, 2024 The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) adopted a sweeping new regulation, on May 13, aimed at spurring the planning and construction of new transmission lines to meet the growing needs of the nation’s…
Zombie coal plants could threaten the US energy transition
Zombie coal plants could threaten the US energy transition 14 May 2024 On the banks of Maryland’s Patapsco River, about 10 miles south of Baltimore, there’s an aging coal plant that pretty much everyone wants to shut down. Local community activists, environmental groups, state officials, even the company that owns…
Biden hikes tariffs on Chinese EVs, solar cells, steel, aluminum
Biden hikes tariffs on Chinese EVs, solar cells, steel, aluminum May 14, 2024 President Joe Biden slapped major new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, advanced batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment on Tuesday, taking potshots at Donald Trump along the way as he embraced a strategy that’s increasing…
Global financing for clean tech manufacturing soared to $200 million in 2023
Global financing for clean tech manufacturing soared to $200 million in 2023 Energize Weekly, May 15, 2024 Global investment in clean technology manufacturing grew year-over-year by 70 percent to $200 billion in 2023, making it one of the largest industrial sectors for new financing, according to a report by the…
AI could drive a natural gas boom as power companies face surging electricity demand
AI could drive a natural gas boom as power companies face surging electricity demand MAY 5 2024 Natural gas producers are planning for a significant spike in demand over the next decade, as artificial intelligence drives a surge in electricity consumption that renewables may struggle to meet alone. After a…
Philadelphia begins powering City Hall and the airport by a solar array 100 miles away
Philadelphia begins powering City Hall and the airport by a solar array 100 miles away APRIL 29, 2024 Philadelphia has begun pulling large amounts of power for city-owned buildings from a solar array on farmland near Gettysburg. The project, begun nearly six years ago under former Mayor Jim Kenney, started…
U.S. hydropower generation expected to increase by 6% in 2024 following last year’s lows
U.S. hydropower generation expected to increase by 6% in 2024 following last year’s lows APRIL 18, 2024 Last year, U.S. hydropower electricity generation fell to its lowest since 2001. This year, we expect hydropower to increase 6% and account for 250 billion kilowatthours of electricity generation in the power sector,…
New cybersecurity center to protect grids integrated with renewables, microgrids
New cybersecurity center to protect grids integrated with renewables, microgrids 23-Apr-2024 Bringing renewable energy to the power grid raises all kinds of “internet-of-things” issues, said Iowa State University’s Manimaran Govindarasu. That’s because “everything is connected,” said the Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering. Solar inverters are connected to the internet.…
Bureau of Land Management finalizes rules for renewable energy projects on public lands
Bureau of Land Management finalizes rules for renewable energy projects on public lands April 15, 2024 The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently published its final rules regarding leasing and rental rates for renewable energy projects on public lands. The new rules will reduce rents and fees for renewable…
PacifiCorp scales back renewables
PacifiCorp scales back renewables April 16, 2024 PacifiCorp, parent company to Wyoming’s largest utility, Rocky Mountain Power, has issued major updates to its Integrated Resource Plan, a blueprint that highlights key changes to the company’s business strategy and its ever-evolving energy portfolio. The update shines a light on the world…
DOE Opens $25M Funding Opportunity To Support Tribal Clean Energy Projects
DOE Opens $25M Funding Opportunity To Support Tribal Clean Energy Projects APRIL 15, 2024 The U.S. Department of Energy has opened a funding opportunity making up to $25 million available to support clean energy technology deployment on Tribal lands. Certain projects fueled by biomass, biogas, renewable natural gas (RNG) or…
With time short, S.C. senators take up comprehensive energy bill
With time short, S.C. senators take up comprehensive energy bill Apr. 5, 2024 Utilities, conservation groups, and other stakeholders are all in agreement: South Carolina needs to expand its energy capacity to keep up with its growth. It’s a top priority for leaders in Columbia as well, but they face…
Tri-State G&T faced with co-ops leaving and a stalled rate increase sees bond ratings drop
Tri-State G&T faced with co-ops leaving and a stalled rate increase sees bond ratings drop Energize Weekly, April 10, 2024 Facing the departure of four member cooperatives and the failure to get federal regulators to approve a rate increase, Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association bonds were downgraded by two rating…
Dominion Energy gets 764MW of new solar capacity approved in Virginia
Dominion Energy gets 764MW of new solar capacity approved in Virginia April 2, 2024 Virginia regulators on Friday approved more than a dozen new solar projects from Dominion Energy in a move that will expand the company’s clean energy fleet in the US state. The projects approved by the Virginia…
Evergy Plan Maintains Lowest-Cost Approach to Meeting Growing Customer Electricity Demand, Maintaining Reliability, and Advancing Sustainability
Evergy Plan Maintains Lowest-Cost Approach to Meeting Growing Customer Electricity Demand, Maintaining Reliability, and Advancing Sustainability April 1, 2024 Evergy, Inc. (NASDAQ: EVRG) today filed its triennial Integrated Resource Plan with the Missouri Public Service Commission. This outlines the plan to meet customer electricity needs over the next 20 years.…
Senate signs off on license extension for new hydropower projects
Senate signs off on license extension for new hydropower projects March 26, 2024 The Senate recently advanced a bill (S.4050) by U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) and John Kennedy (R-LA) that would allow the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to extend construction licenses for new hydropower projects beset by…
Hawaii Faces Lengthy Blackout Risk Amid Power-Plant Outages
Hawaii Faces Lengthy Blackout Risk Amid Power-Plant Outages March 25, 2024 The big island of Hawaii is at risk of blackouts through the end of April because several large power plants have broken down or are undergoing maintenance, the state’s main utility operator said. Hawaiian Electric on Monday asked customers…
BOEM Finalizes Wind Energy Area in the Gulf of Maine
BOEM Finalizes Wind Energy Area in the Gulf of Maine Mar 17, 2024 The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has finalized its designation of a Wind Energy Area (WEA) in the Gulf of Maine. The Final WEA has the potential to support generation of 32GW of clean energy, surpassing…
After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans
After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans March 18, 2024 State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce…
New solar installations set a record in 2023 with 32 gigawatts of new capacity
New solar installations set a record in 2023 with 32 gigawatts of new capacity Energize Weekly, March 13, 2024 New solar installations – spurred by federal grants and tax credits – reached a record 32.4 gigawatts (GW) of capacity in 2023, a 51 percent increase year-over-year, according to a Solar…
A massive proposed Wisconsin solar farm could wreak havoc on threatened prairie chickens
A massive proposed Wisconsin solar farm could wreak havoc on threatened prairie chickens March 2, 2024 The plan for a massive solar energy development in Portage County has caused conservationists to sound the alarm over the project’s potential detrimental impacts to Wisconsin’s threatened population of greater prairie chickens. The Vista…
Xcel says big reason it needs to spend millions on new projects is regional grid’s reliability risks
Xcel says big reason it needs to spend millions on new projects is regional grid’s reliability risks MARCH 4, 2024 The growing risk of unreliability and potential expense of buying energy on the open market is a big reason why Xcel Energy wants to make significant investments in its infrastructure.…
Poor grid interconnection policies are causing project backups across the U.S., study says
Poor grid interconnection policies are causing project backups across the U.S., study says Energize Weekly, March 6, 2024 The grid interconnection process in the U.S. is so “dysfunctional” that more than two million megawatts of generation and storage are waiting to be hooked up, according to an analysis by Advanced…
Vineyard Wind Starts Delivering Steady Power
Vineyard Wind Starts Delivering Steady Power February 25, 2024 Five offshore wind turbines in the waters south of the Vineyard are now sending 68 megawatts of power to the regional grid, the first time such a project has ever delivered a steady flow of electricity in Massachusetts. The milestone was…
US to add 36.4GW of new solar generation capacity in 2024, 58% of all capacity additions
US to add 36.4GW of new solar generation capacity in 2024, 58% of all capacity additions February 19, 2024 US power developers expect to add 36.4GW of new solar generation capacity in 2024, which would account for 58% of all new capacity additions in the US power sector, according to…
New method utilizes hydropower project signals to monitor grid stability
New method utilizes hydropower project signals to monitor grid stability 12 February 2024 Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), have unveiled an algorithm designed to forecast electric grid stability by harnessing signals from pumped storage hydropower (PSH) projects. This innovation emerges as…