Ameren may turn to natural gas to make up for shuttering Rush Island coal plant AUGUST 17, 2022 Ameren Missouri may restart natural gas burners to offset the court-ordered shuttering of a coal-fired power plant that violated federal law, the company told state regulators Wednesday. The St. Louis-based electric utility…
California lawmakers float legislation to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open
California lawmakers float legislation to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open AUG 15 2022 California lawmakers are circulating draft legislation that would keep the state’s last operating nuclear plant, Diablo Canyon, open beyond its planned 2025 closure date, although there are still significant logistical and political challenges ahead before that…
Developers set to add 44 gigawatts of new generation to the U.S. grid, EIA says
Developers set to add 44 gigawatts of new generation to the U.S. grid, EIA says Energize Weekly, August 17, 2022 Fifteen gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale electric generating capacity were added to U.S. grid in the first half of 2022, with another 29 GW projected to come online by year’s…
Study finds 100% renewables would pay off within 6 years
Study finds 100% renewables would pay off within 6 years AUGUST 8, 2022 New research from Stanford University researcher Mark Jacobson outlines how 145 countries could meet 100% of their business-as-usual energy needs with wind, water, solar and energy storage. The study finds that in all the countries considered, lower-cost…
Time has all but run out for world’s ‘largest carbon capture project’
Time has all but run out for world’s ‘largest carbon capture project’ 5 Aug, 2022 In less than 60 days, the San Juan Generating Station is scheduled to produce its final kilowatt-hour of power and release its last pound of CO2 into the atmosphere. Proponents of a $1.4 billion-plus carbon…
Sen. Rubio pushes bill to create loan program for electric grid-affiliated manufacturers
Sen. Rubio pushes bill to create loan program for electric grid-affiliated manufacturers August 04, 2022 Responding to ongoing issues in the international supply chain, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced a bill this week that would compel the U.S. Secretary of Energy to create a loan program for manufacturers of…
3 issues to watch as heat strains the grid
3 issues to watch as heat strains the grid 08/01/2022 From the Pacific Northwest to coastal New England, millions of Americans have endured sweltering temperatures in recent weeks, driving record energy consumption and offering a snapshot of emerging risks facing the nation’s power system. While grid operators say the electricity…
US power system, PJM reliability storm clouds loom amid transition: exec
US power system, PJM reliability storm clouds loom amid transition: exec 01 Aug 2022 PJM Interconnection could be heading for power system reliability issues as coal-fired power generation continues to retire, little to no new natural gas-fired power plants are likely to be built, and most incremental capacity comes from…
Facing trade, tax and economic uncertainties, clean power installations fall in Q2
Facing trade, tax and economic uncertainties, clean power installations fall in Q2 Energize Weekly, August 3, 2022 Beleaguered by uncertainties over the future of tax subsidies and trade policy, new clean power installations plummeted 55 percent in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021. Solar…
3 reasons US coal power is disappearing – and a Supreme Court ruling won’t save it
3 reasons US coal power is disappearing – and a Supreme Court ruling won’t save it July 26, 2022 The U.S. coal industry chalked up a couple of rare wins this summer. First the Supreme Court issued a ruling limiting the government’s ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from power…
North American power grid faced extreme weather and cyberattack risks in 2021
North American power grid faced extreme weather and cyberattack risks in 2021 Energize Weekly, July 27, 2022 The North American electric grid faced unprecedented challenges from severe weather, cyberattacks and problems with natural gas supplies in 2021, but with except one exception – in Texas – utilities and grid operators…
EXPERTS CONCERNED TEXAS POWER PLANTS WILL START TO DIE AMID HEAT WAVE
Experts Concerned Texas Power Plants Will Start to Die Amid Heat Wave JUL 17, 2022 The power grid in Texas is not doing okay. Crypto mining rigs shut down earlier this week to prevent blackouts and price hikes, and now, experts are worried the state’s power plants won’t be able…
Ameren, Peabody beef up solar power as fastest-growing power source in US
Ameren, Peabody beef up solar power as fastest-growing power source in US Jul 11, 2022 The region’s outlook for utility-scale solar power is getting brighter. Since February, St. Louis-based electric utility Ameren has kicked its solar expansion into another gear, including the announcement of two separate projects that are each…
NuScale to make SMR safety platform widely available
NuScale to make SMR safety platform widely available 12 July 2022 NuScale Power and Paragon Energy Solutions have signed a patent licence agreement that will enable potential widespread use of the highly integrated protection system (HIPS) platform. The HIPS platform is a protection system architecture jointly developed by NuScale and…
U.S. Supreme Court ruling won’t change coal’s downward trend in the power sector
U.S. Supreme Court ruling won’t change coal’s downward trend in the power sector Energize Weekly, July 13, 2022 The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling limiting federal regulation of power plant greenhouse gas emissions will not do much to reverse the decline of coal-fired generation or greenhouse gas emissions, according to two…
DOE launches $500 million effort to turn mines into clean energy hubs
DOE launches $500 million effort to turn mines into clean energy hubs 7.1.2022 A $500 million program funded by the bipartisan infrastructure package aims to transform current and former mines into clean energy hubs. The Dept. of Energy (DOE) issued a Request For Information (RFI) to inform how the program…
Fossil-fuel electric generation challenged in Texas heat wave, raising reliability questions
Fossil-fuel electric generation challenged in Texas heat wave, raising reliability questions Energize Weekly, July 6, 2022 An early season heat wave in May tested the Texas grid, raising questions about the relation of baseload, fossil-fuel generation to wind and solar, according to analysis by the Institute for Energy Economics and…
US launches new federal-state partnership to grow domestic offshore wind supply chain
US launches new federal-state partnership to grow domestic offshore wind supply chain June 27, 2022 The White House has announced that it is joining with 11 governors from East Coast states to launch the Federal-State Offshore Wind Implementation Partnership, which is intended to accelerate America’s growing offshore wind industry. Read…
MidAmerican Energy wants to study small nuclear power plants. How would they work?
MidAmerican Energy wants to study small nuclear power plants. How would they work? June 27, 2022 As part of its proposed $3.9 billion Wind Prime project to enhance its renewable energy generation, Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy wants to spend money to research the use of small-scale modular nuclear reactors. Read…
Ameren aims to charge customers for closure of Rush Island coal plant
Ameren aims to charge customers for closure of Rush Island coal plant June 21, 2022 The costs to close the region’s second-largest power plant, after decades of Clean Air Act violations, are rising. Electric utility Ameren has proposed the construction of $244 million in electric lines and other upgrades before…
New York grid operator sees generating margins shrinking, increased reliability risks
New York grid operator sees generating margins shrinking, increased reliability risks Energize Weekly, June 22, 2022 The buffer of extra generating capacity – the reserve or reliability margin – is shrinking in New York State as fossil-fuel plants retire faster than renewable sources are being added, according to an assessment…
DOE: Here’s where renewable costs are heading
DOE: Here’s where renewable costs are heading 06/14/2022 Recent challenges facing wind and solar likely won’t sink their longer-term progress in the United States, as industries figure out ways to keep the cost of renewable power on a downward slope, according to a new peer-reviewed analysis from Lawrence Berkeley National…
Constellation upgrades ensure 15 million homes get carbon free electricity this summer
Constellation upgrades ensure 15 million homes get carbon free electricity this summer Jun. 10, 2022 The nations leading provider in carbon-free energy make upgrades to its Nuclear Stations in an attempt to reduce carbon emissions in the area, helping the United States move toward its goal of 50% carbon emissions…
Georgia Power retiring some coal units this year but backing off on battery storage
Georgia Power retiring some coal units this year but backing off on battery storage Jun 13, 2022 Georgia Power would retire two coal-burning units and two gas-fired turbines at two power plants by the beginning of August under an agreement filed with the state Public Service Commission (PSC) Monday. But…
Demand for coal high, but obstacles slow opportunities
Demand for coal high, but obstacles slow opportunities June 4, 2022 Coal production is rebounding slowly in McDowell County as well as in the state, but with the current surge in worldwide as well as domestic demand, the potential market for coal is being hindered by many factors, from manpower…
Activists hail Biden’s use of security powers to boost clean energy
Activists hail Biden’s use of security powers to boost clean energy June 7, 2022 Environmental groups have welcomed Joe Biden’s invoking of national security powers to rapidly expand the production of clean energy technology as a significant advance in the effort to curb dangerous climate breakdown. Read more
Here’s what has to happen before CPS Energy can shut down its last coal plant
Here’s what has to happen before CPS Energy can shut down its last coal plant June 6, 2022 In recent months, and with San Antonio facing stricter air quality regulations, calls to diversify CPS Energy’s generation portfolio and speed up the closure of the J.K. Spruce coal-burning power plant have…
New England hits a record low in electricity demand thanks to distributed solar
New England hits a record low in electricity demand thanks to distributed solar Energize Weekly, June 8, 2022 It was a typical spring Sunday afternoon – sunny with temperatures in the 50’s and 60’s – but May 1 was also historic as the demand for electricity in New England dropped…
GEH SMR Technologies Canada, SIMSA to cooperate on small modular reactor deployment in Saskatchewan
GEH SMR Technologies Canada, SIMSA to cooperate on small modular reactor deployment in Saskatchewan 27th May 2022 GEH SMR Technologies Canada Ltd and the Saskatchewan Industrial and Mining Supplier’s Association (SIMSA) have agreed to cooperate to support the potential deployment of the BWRX-300 small modular reactor (SMR) in Saskatchewan. Through…
Duke Energy Wants to Quit Coal Early, But Regulators Say No
Duke Energy Wants to Quit Coal Early, But Regulators Say No May 26, 2022 Duke Energy Corp. planned to close its last six coal power plants in the Carolinas by 2030 to accelerate the company’s carbon-cutting goals. South Carolina regulators said no—ordering the US utility to keep the plants open…
NYSEG and RG&E Announce “Reliable Energy New York” Plans
NYSEG and RG&E Announce “Reliable Energy New York” Plans May 26, 2022 Today, New York State Electric & Gas (NYSEG) and Rochester Gas and Electric (RG&E), subsidiaries of AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), announced the companies have filed proposed changes to delivery rates with the New York State Public Service Commission…
G7 decide to “predominantly” decarbonise grid by 2035, but drop 2030 coal exit date
G7 decide to “predominantly” decarbonise grid by 2035, but drop 2030 coal exit date 29 May 2022 The environment, climate and energy ministers of the Group of Seven western industrialised states (G7) have agreed to largely decarbonise their electricity sectors within 13 years. Following their meeting in Berlin, the ministers…
‘Conservative decision’ leads to Palisades nuclear plant early shutdown
‘Conservative decision’ leads to Palisades nuclear plant early shutdown May 23, 2022 Palisades Power Plant shut down its reactor Friday, ending five decades of operation and likely ending Michigan officials’ attempt to find another operator for the west Michigan nuclear facility. Read more
Gas generation down across US West this spring as renewable capacity grows
Gas generation down across US West this spring as renewable capacity grows 23 May 2022 Recent growth in renewable generating capacity across the Western US is putting downward pressure on gas-fired power burns this spring in a trend that’s only likely to accelerate in the years ahead. Read more
West and Midwest U.S. face summer electricity shortfalls due to heat, drought, and fire
West and Midwest U.S. face summer electricity shortfalls due to heat, drought, and fire Energize Weekly, May 25, 2022 The West and Midwest U.S. risk severe electricity shortfalls this summer due to high temperatures, drought, severe storms and wildfire – all driven by a changing climate, according to the North…
Hydropower is 53% of the renewable energy supply in the West. Drought is slowing down production.
Hydropower is 53% of the renewable energy supply in the West. Drought is slowing down production. May 17, 2022 A large provider of Colorado energy says sagging hydropower production on the Colorado River system, which has raised concern over the long-term reliability of the power source in the West, has…
Nuclear plant owner Talen Energy Supply files for bankruptcy
Nuclear plant owner Talen Energy Supply files for bankruptcy May 11, 2022 Talen Energy Supply, the owner of the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Salem Twp., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Woodlands, Texas-based company, a unit of Talen Energy Corp. which runs 18 power generation facilities, filed for…
California Power Officials Warn of Power Shortfalls This Summer Amid Increasing Strain from Climate Change
California Power Officials Warn of Power Shortfalls This Summer Amid Increasing Strain from Climate Change May 6, 2022 California power regulators are warning of power shortages and possible blackouts this summer as the state’s electrical grid faces increasing strain from drought and extreme heat. “We know reliability is going to…
Georgia nuclear plant’s cost now forecast to top $30 billion
Georgia nuclear plant’s cost now forecast to top $30 billion May 8, 2022 nuclear power plant being built in Georgia is now projected to cost its owners more than $30 billion. A financial report from one of the owners on Friday clearly pushed the cost of Plant Vogtle near Augusta…
U.S. and European EV sales climb but more chargers will be needed to sustain growth
U.S. and European EV sales climb but more chargers will be needed to sustain growth Energize Weekly, May 11, 2022 Electric vehicle (EV) sales in both the U.S. and Europe are posting strong gains, but to reach the market penetration governments are targeting – the Biden administration goal is 50…
Colorado remains uninterested as others turn to nuclear power
Colorado remains uninterested as others turn to nuclear power May 2, 2022 Powering homes by splitting atoms is not part of Gov. Jared Polis’ Greenhouse Gas Roadmap plan for 100% carbon-free energy by 2040, with Colorado appearing uninterested in following other states that are moving to nuclear to supplement wind…
Power demand to grow in Tennessee Valley as economy electrifies, TVA CEO says
Power demand to grow in Tennessee Valley as economy electrifies, TVA CEO says April 28, 2022 Tennessee will soon become the No. 1 state for electric vehicle production as part of a power shift that could nearly double electricity demand in the Tennessee Valley over the next three decades, the…
Renewable generation making major inroads on the grid in Texas and California
Renewable generation making major inroads on the grid in Texas and California Energize Weekly, May 4, 2022 The steady increase in renewable energy generation – primarily wind and solar – is beginning to show signs of dramatically impacting electric grids around the country as it claims a larger and larger…
The US has more clean energy projects planned than the grid can handle
The US has more clean energy projects planned than the grid can handle 20 April 2022 The proposed wind, solar and battery projects seeking interconnection to U.S. transmission grids today are enough to bring the country to 80 percent carbon-free electricity by 2030. But based on historical trends, less than…
Pennsylvania to join Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
Pennsylvania to join Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Apr 22, 2022 After more than 2 years in legal and legislative battles, Pennsylvania is poised to become the twelfth state to join the carbon-cutting effort known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. A Commonwealth Court failed to block the state’s publishing of…
Consumers Energy settles with stakeholders over Clean Energy Plan, pledges coal elimination by 2025
Consumers Energy settles with stakeholders over Clean Energy Plan, pledges coal elimination by 2025 April 22, 2022 After agreeing to a settlement with key stakeholders, Consumers Energy announced this week that, as part of its Clean Energy Plan, it will cease using coal as a fuel source for electric generation…
Biden administration unveils $6 billion program to keep nuclear power plants from closing
Biden administration unveils $6 billion program to keep nuclear power plants from closing Energize Weekly, April 27, 2022 The federal government has launched a $6 billion program to support the operation and prevent the closure of any of the nation’s nuclear reactors – seen by the Biden administration as a…
Droughts threaten one of the Southwest power grid’s biggest electricity generators
Droughts threaten one of the Southwest power grid’s biggest electricity generators APR 17, 2022 Thirty-nine years ago, due to record-breaking snowfall in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Lake Powell rose substantially, catching river managers off-guard. By late June, the reservoir was nearly overflowing, forcing operators—for the first time ever—to rely…
U.S. Is Set to Launch a $6 Billion Effort to Save Nuclear Plants
U.S. Is Set to Launch a $6 Billion Effort to Save Nuclear Plants Apr 18, 2022 The Energy Department is expected to provide details as soon as Monday on a $6 billion program aimed at keeping uneconomical nuclear plants in service, providing a lifeline to an industry that’s seen a…
U.S. nuclear electricity generation continues to decline as more reactors retire
U.S. nuclear electricity generation continues to decline as more reactors retire APRIL 8, 2022 In 2021, for the second consecutive year, U.S. nuclear electricity generation declined. Output from U.S. nuclear power plants totaled 778 million megawatthours in 2021, or 1.5% less than the previous year. Nuclear’s share of U.S. electricity…
