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…

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PNM joins WPP’s reliability planning and compliance program in western US

PNM joins WPP’s reliability planning and compliance program in western US 10 Apr 2023 The Public Service Company of New Mexico has joined the first region-wide reliability planning and compliance program in the Western US, known as the Western Resources Adequacy Program. Seattle City Light and Snohomish County Public Utility…

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Southwest Power Pool takes a first step in creating a western wholesale electricity market

Southwest Power Pool takes a first step in creating a western wholesale electricity market

Southwest Power Pool takes a first step in creating a western wholesale electricity market Energize Weekly, April 12, 2023 A group of 26 utilities and organizations representing power producers – ranging from the Rockies to the Southwest to the Pacific Northwest – agreed to join the initial phase of the…

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Deep freeze and data concerns test Southeast power market

Deep freeze and data concerns test Southeast power market 03/28/2023 When several large electric utilities launched a first-of-its-kind energy trading platform in the Southeast last fall, the pitch was simple: Lower energy bills and deliver more solar power to customers. Now, more than four months after the Southeast Energy Exchange…

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Texas lawmakers propose bills moving away from renewable energy in attempt to shore up power grid

Texas lawmakers propose bills moving away from renewable energy in attempt to shore up power grid March 9, 2023 Some Texas senators unveiled plans Thursday to shift the focus away from wind and solar and toward resources like natural gas. It was part of nine bills Texas lawmakers announced aimed…

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Kentucky lawmakers advance bill to keep coal on the power grid, cite reliability concerns

Kentucky lawmakers advance bill to keep coal on the power grid, cite reliability concerns FEBRUARY 28, 2023 Kentucky lawmakers are advancing a bill to try to keep coal-fired power plants on the state’s electric grid “for the foreseeable future,” pointing to concerns over rolling blackouts that some utilities implemented when…

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Duke Energy plans gas plants as it moves away from coal, but critics see higher cost and emissions

Duke Energy plans gas plants as it moves away from coal, but critics see higher cost and emissions February 14, 2023 Three years ago, Duke Energy opened its newest natural gas-fired power plant in Asheville, on the site of an old coal-fired plant. Duke wants to build more gas plants…

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More than half of new U.S. electric-generating capacity in 2023 will be solar

More than half of new U.S. electric-generating capacity in 2023 will be solar FEBRUARY 6, 2023 Developers plan to add 54.5 gigawatts (GW) of new utility-scale electric-generating capacity to the U.S. power grid in 2023, according to our Preliminary Monthly Electric Generator Inventory. More than half of this capacity will…

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The United States Is Facing Electricity Famine

The United States Is Facing Electricity Famine Feb. 7, 2023 There are signs that we are heading towards an electricity famine; a life-threatening energy Holodomor throughout many areas of the United States caused by political decisions. The system is being set up to fail. This problem this time is not…

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Judge dismisses lawsuit over TVA’s long-term deals

Judge dismisses lawsuit over TVA’s long-term deals Feb. 7, 2023 A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by environmental groups that challenged how the nation’s largest public utility signs up local power providers for two-decade contracts. A ruling by U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker in Memphis last week sided…

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Renewable tax credits and changes on the grid are making most coal-fired plants uneconomical

Renewable tax credits and changes on the grid are making most coal-fired plants uneconomical

Renewable tax credits and changes on the grid are making most coal-fired plants uneconomical Energize Weekly, February 8, 2023 A combination of new federal incentives for renewable generation and a shift in the way electric grids are managed has led to a point where it is more expensive to operate…

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US solar PPA prices keep rising with demand set to grow further – LevelTen

US solar PPA prices keep rising with demand set to grow further – LevelTen January 31, 2023 US solar power purchase agreement (PPA) prices continued to climb in Q4 2022, as supply chain blockages and uncertain legislation increased costs for developers, according to renewables transaction infrastructure provider LevelTen Energy. Its…

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Senators explore power supply failure — especially natural gas — during Christmas storm

Senators explore power supply failure – especially natural gas – during Christmas storm January 26, 2023 The winter storm of Dec. 23-25 produced an unexpectedly high demand for electricity. Despite the surprise, PJM, the 13-state power grid organization — thought it had plenty of reserve on hand. But the power…

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CPS Energy will phase out coal, close Spruce plant

CPS Energy will phase out coal, close Spruce plant January 24, 2023 Before the end of the decade, the electricity powering San Antonio’s homes and businesses won’t rely on a polluting coal plant. But CPS Energy isn’t committing to all renewables just yet. The city-owned utility’s board voted 4-1 yesterday…

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Electricity generation global demand for fossil fuels is about to peak, RMI says

Electricity generation global demand for fossil fuels is about to peak, RMI says

Electricity generation global demand for fossil fuels is about to peak, RMI says Energize Weekly, January 25, 2023 The world has reached – or is close to reaching – peak demand for fossil fuels for generating electricity as the installation of cheaper renewable generation continues to grow, according to an…

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Coal-to-nuclear plans may speed up reactor build in series

Coal-to-nuclear plans may speed up reactor build in series January 16, 2023 New nuclear projects, especially first-of-a-kind (FOAK) technology, are expected to be expensive and difficult to plan efficiently as their deployment must also include the creation of new supply chains, the training of a new workforce, and the construction…

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Puerto Rico to privatize power generation amid outages

Puerto Rico to privatize power generation amid outages January 15, 2023 Puerto Rico announced Sunday that it plans to privatize electricity generation, a first for a U.S. territory facing chronic power outages as it struggles to rebuild a crumbling electric grid. The move marks the beginning of the end for…

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Winter Storm Elliott stressed regional electric grids across the U.S. in different ways

Winter Storm Elliott stressed regional electric grids across the U.S. in different ways

Winter Storm Elliott stressed regional electric grids across the U.S. in different ways Energize Weekly, January 18, 2023 Winter Storm Elliott, the bomb cyclone with freezing temperatures and blizzard conditions that swept across the U.S. east of the Rockies, sparked a wave of outages with its impacts varying from regional…

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Colorado co-ops say Xcel Energy mismanaged natural gas supplies during 2021 storm

Colorado co-ops say Xcel Energy mismanaged natural gas supplies during 2021 storm

Colorado co-ops say Xcel Energy mismanaged natural gas supplies during 2021 storm Energize Weekly, January 11, 2023 The fallout from the soaring natural gas prices created by Winter Storm Uri in 2021 continues as four rural Colorado electric cooperatives have filed a complaint with federal regulators saying they were overcharged…

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Meet the renewable energy source poised for growth with the help of the oil industry

Meet the renewable energy source poised for growth with the help of the oil industry 01/01/2023 One of the oldest forms of clean power is ready for a comeback — and it’s not wind or solar. Geothermal energy — the technology that harnesses the heat beneath the Earth’s crust —…

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Sweden turns to France as it looks to buy two new nuclear reactors

Sweden turns to France as it looks to buy two new nuclear reactors January 3, 2023 Sweden and France could be set to join forces to build new nuclear power stations in the Nordic nation, to boost domestic power production and guarantee security of supply. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson…

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Pleasants Power Purchase Under Consideration in West Virginia PSC Order

Pleasants Power Purchase Under Consideration in West Virginia PSC Order JAN 3, 2023 An order from the West Virginia Public Service Commission last week approving rate increases for two power companies also included a provision for those companies to evaluate the possible purchase of the Pleasants Power plant. In an…

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Developer of 1,200 MW offshore wind farm asks Massachusetts regulators to dismiss PPAs

Developer of 1,200 MW offshore wind farm asks Massachusetts regulators to dismiss PPAs 12.19.2022 The developer of Commonwealth Wind in Massachusetts asked state regulators to dismiss their review of power purchase agreements tied to the 1,223 MW offshore wind farm. Avangrid has cited economic conditions such as supply chain disruptions,…

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DTE Energy retires two coal plants as part of its vision to generate carbon-free power for the grid of the future

DTE Energy retires two coal plants as part of its vision to generate carbon-free power for the grid of the future December 08, 2022 DTE Energy (NYSE:DTE), Michigan’s largest producer of clean energy, today announced the retirement of two coal-fired power plants, bringing Southeast Michigan closer to a carbon-free future…

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Wholesale on-peak electricity rates set to jump this winter by as much as 60 percent, EIA says

Wholesale on-peak electricity rates set to jump this winter by as much as 60 percent, EIA says

Wholesale on-peak electricity rates set to jump this winter by as much as 60 percent, EIA says Energize Weekly, December 14, 2022 On-peak wholesale and retail electricity prices are set to rise across the country this winter, with some regional wholesale rates jumping as much as 60 percent compared to…

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Renewables to overtake coal and become world’s biggest source of electricity generation by 2025, IEA says

Renewables to overtake coal and become world’s biggest source of electricity generation by 2025, IEA says DEC 6 2022 Renewables are on course to overtake coal and become the planet’s biggest source of electricity generation by the middle of this decade, according to the International Energy Agency. The IEA’s Renewables…

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Utility recommends natural gas plant despite objections

Utility recommends natural gas plant despite objections Dec 2, 2022 The nation’s largest public utility on Friday recommended replacing an aging coal burning power plant with natural gas, ignoring calls for the Tennessee Valley Authority to speed its transition to renewable energy. TVA announced the completion of its environmental impact…

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NYISO reports sufficient electricity supplies expected to meet winter demands

NYISO reports sufficient electricity supplies expected to meet winter demands 11/28/22 The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) reported Monday, that they expect sufficient electricity supplies in the state are expected to meet demands this winter. “The New York State bulk electric system is well positioned to meet this winter’s…

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Entergy Texas gets approval to build Orange County plant capable of powering more than 230K homes

Entergy Texas gets approval to build Orange County plant capable of powering more than 230K homes November 28, 2022 An upcoming Entergy Texas facility is set to create more than $1 billion in economic activity in Southeast Texas and bring thousands of jobs to the area. The Public Utility Commission…

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Experts say Virginia is capable of building a small modular nuclear reactor today if approvals were in place

Experts say Virginia is capable of building a small modular nuclear reactor today if approvals were in place November 28, 2022 It would likely take a decade to place a small modular nuclear reactor in Southwest Virginia as Gov. Glenn Youngkin has proposed, but nuclear experts say the technology is…

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Highway charging stations for EVs may need as much electricity as a small town

Highway charging stations for EVs may need as much electricity as a small town

Highway charging stations for EVs may need as much electricity as a small town Energize Weekly, November 30, 2022 A growing number of electric cars and trucks on highways will by 2035 require charging stations demanding the same power as an outdoor sports arena or even a small town, according…

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OW, Shell defend viability of 1.2GW Mayflower Wind

OW, Shell defend viability of 1.2GW Mayflower Wind 21 November 2022 Ocean Winds and Shell have reaffirmed that their 1.2GW Mayflower offshore wind farm off the US East Coast remains “viable” after regulators raised concerns over their commitment to the project. In a filing to the Massachusetts Energy Facilities Siting…

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Biden grants PG&E $1.1 billion to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open

Biden grants PG&E $1.1 billion to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open NOV 21 2022 The Biden administration on Monday said it’s providing Pacific Gas & Electric Co. with a $1.1 billion grant to help the company prevent the closure of Diablo Canyon, California’s last nuclear power plant. Diablo Canyon…

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U.S. grid faces “unprecedented” risk of electricity shortfalls this winter, NERC warns

U.S. grid faces “unprecedented” risk of electricity shortfalls this winter, NERC warns

U.S. grid faces “unprecedented” risk of electricity shortfalls this winter, NERC warns Energize Weekly, November 23, 2022 A large swatch of the U.S. electricity grid – in Texas, the Midwest, Southeast and New England – is at risk of being unable to provide adequate power in the face of extreme…

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NET Power Natural Gas Generating Plant Captures Its Own Emissions

NET Power Natural Gas Generating Plant Captures Its Own Emissions Nov. 14, 2022 NET Power, based in Durham, North Carolina, has developed a new way to make electricity by burning natural gas that it says is cheaper than conventional gas generation. That’s good news, sort of, but the real benefit…

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As Europe Quits Russian Gas, Half of France’s Nuclear Plants Are Off-Line

As Europe Quits Russian Gas, Half of France’s Nuclear Plants Are Off-Line Nov. 15, 2022 An army of engineers has fanned out through nuclear power plants across France in recent months, inspecting reactors for signs of wear and tear. Hundreds of expert welders have been recruited to repair problems found…

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DTE looks to close Monroe Power Plant in 2028, ahead of earlier planned date of 2040

DTE looks to close Monroe Power Plant in 2028, ahead of earlier planned date of 2040 Nov. 7, 2022 DTE Energy unveiled a new 20-year plan that includes increasing solar and wind energy while reducing reliance on coal, which translates into closing the Monroe Power Plant by 2028. According to…

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Clean power installations hampered by supply and trade issues cool in Q3 of 2022

Clean power installations hampered by supply and trade issues cool in Q3 of 2022

Clean power installations hampered by supply and trade issues cool in Q3 of 2022 Energize Weekly, November 9, 2022 Wind, solar and storage installations for the third quarter of 2022 were the lowest in three years as developers struggled with supply chain and trade restrictions, according to a market report…

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PG&E formally moves to extend life of Diablo Canyon, the last nuclear plant in California

PG&E formally moves to extend life of Diablo Canyon, the last nuclear plant in California NOVEMBER 01, 2022 PG&E Corp. formally asked federal regulators Monday to extend the life of Diablo Canyon, the last operating nuclear plant in California, as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s effort to improve reliability of…

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Xcel to exit coal nationwide by 2030

Xcel to exit coal nationwide by 2030 October 31, 2022 Xcel Energy plans to stop using coal nationwide by the end of 2030 after announcing Monday that it will speed up retirement of coal-fired units at its Tolk Generating Station in Texas. Xcel said it now plans to retire the…

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War in Ukraine is speeding a global energy transition, hobbling Russian exports, IEA says

War in Ukraine is speeding a global energy transition, hobbling Russian exports, IEA says

War in Ukraine is speeding a global energy transition, hobbling Russian exports, IEA says Energize Weekly, November 2, 2022 Global fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are slowing with oil, coal and natural gas either peaking or reaching a plateau by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).…

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Inside EPA’s climate strategy for power plants

Inside EPA’s climate strategy for power plants 10/24/2022 EPA’s game plan to comprehensively attack pollution from the coal-fired power industry began to take shape almost immediately following President Joe Biden’s inauguration, recently released records show. In early February 2021, senior EPA appointees briefed White House officials on a strategy that…

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An Alaska Air Base Wants to Build a Micro Nuclear Plant for Backup Power

Alaska Air Base Wants to Build a Micro Nuclear Plant for Backup Power October 17, 2022 Last month, the Air Force issued a request for proposals to construct a 2.5-megawatt micro-reactor at Eielson to supplement its current 20-MW coal-fired heat and power plant that delivers power across the installation on…

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Xcel Energy-Colorado positioned to lead clean energy transition, new president says

Xcel Energy-Colorado positioned to lead clean energy transition, new president says October 16, 2022 Robert Kenney took over as President of Xcel Energy-Colorado as the utility sought approval from state regulators for rate increases, a new clean energy plan and a proposal to reduce emissions from its natural gas system.…

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Ontario’s electricity sector will need more natural gas generation: report

Ontario’s electricity sector will need more natural gas generation: report October 11, 2022 Ontario plans to secure more natural gas generation in order to fuel an expected surge in demand for electricity, the energy minister said Friday, the latest announcement in what critics describe as a scramble in the face…

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Despite pandemic and supply chain problems, utility-scale solar posts a record in 2021

Despite pandemic and supply chain problems, utility-scale solar posts a record in 2021

Despite pandemic and supply chain problems, utility-scale solar posts a record in 2021 Energize Weekly, October 12, 2022 A record 12.5 gigawatts (GW) of large, utility-scale photovoltaic solar projects came online in 2021 as the levelized cost of such projects has fallen 85 percent in the last 12 years, according…

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