Texas Electric Utility Courts Unnamed Crypto Miners With Five-Year Deals Feb 17, 2024 In a recent report, the community-driven, nonprofit electric provider in Texas, Denton Municipal Electric (DME), is attracting interest from several crypto mining companies seeking to establish operations. These companies are eyeing a five-year agreement for powering their…
Growing electricity demand from electric vehicles poses risks to the bulk power system, NERC says
Growing electricity demand from electric vehicles poses risks to the bulk power system, NERC says Energize Weekly, February 21, 2024 The growing demand for electricity to charge electric vehicles (EVs) – depending upon the timing of the charging – could threaten the bulk power system, according to a study by…
Facing a growing crypto-mining sector, the U.S. to require reports of power use by miners
Facing a growing crypto-mining sector, the U.S. to require reports of power use by miners Energize Weekly, February 14, 2024 Faced with a burgeoning cryptocurrency market and its rising demand for electricity, the U.S. government is going to collect monthly data on the industry’s use of power. The federal Energy…
U.S. Thermal Coal Finds New Life Overseas
U.S. Thermal Coal Finds New Life Overseas Feb 6, 2024 US thermal coal exporters recorded more than $5 billion in overseas sales in 2023, shipping upwards of 32.5 million metric tons of the high-polluting power fuel, according to Reuters, citing data from ship-tracking firm Kpler. These coal export earnings were…
AES positioned to provide tech sector with growing renewable energy solutions
AES positioned to provide tech sector with growing renewable energy solutions January 19, 2024 With data centers and generative AI (GenAI) driving an enormous demand for power and major technology firms working to fulfill ambitious clean energy goals, AES Corp. said it is positioned as the premiere provider of renewable…
Energy companies gear up for fight on electric regulation bill
Energy companies gear up for fight on electric regulation bill January 16, 2024 As top lawmakers move to strengthen consumer protections for utility customers who shop for electricity suppliers, large national energy companies are countering with a poll showing an overwhelming majority of voters want to retain robust competition in…
Coordination of Texas electric and natural gas sectors key in dealing with blackouts
Coordination of Texas electric and natural gas sectors key in dealing with blackouts Energize Weekly, January 10, 2024 Better coordination between the Texas electric and natural gas industries is key to getting individual generating facilities up and running – a so-called blackstart – after a cold-weather blackout, according to a…
Energy cases to watch in 2024
Energy cases to watch in 2024 01/02/2024 Energy regulators’ power to address planet-warming emissions is in the crosshairs in federal courts in 2024. In one of the year’s biggest cases, the Supreme Court could rein in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s ability to use 50-year-old laws to take bold action…
New manufacturing facilities and data centers are driving increased electricity demand
New manufacturing facilities and data centers are driving increased electricity demand Energize Weekly, December 27, 2023 The U.S. electric grid is ill-prepared for a surge in demand coming from new manufacturing, data centers and in future years, electrification of transport and building heating. Meanwhile, the queue of generation projects waiting…
What are time-of-use (TOU) rates? How do they work?
What are time-of-use (TOU) rates? How do they work? Dec 6, 2023 Across the country, utilities are beginning to introduce innovative rate structures for residential energy consumers. These rate structures–from time-of-use rates to demand charges to real-time pricing–all have a common goal: to incentivize customers to consume energy when the…
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…
Global electricity grid must be upgraded urgently to hit climate goals, says IEA
Global electricity grid must be upgraded urgently to hit climate goals, says IEA 17 Oct 2023 Ministers have been urged to “open their eyes” to the need to build a vast network of new electricity grids to allow countries to hit climate goals, the chief of the world’s energy watchdog…
U.S. Hit Second Highest Hourly Peak Demand This Summer, EIA Reports
U.S. Hit Second Highest Hourly Peak Demand This Summer, EIA Reports October 6, 2023 This summer, the United States hit the second highest peak electricity demand since the Energy Information Administration began collecting data in 2016, the agency said. Peak hourly electricity demand in the continental United States reached 741,815…
U.S. solar installations to set a record in 2023 despite tariff, supply chain, and funding uncertainties
U.S. solar installations to set a record in 2023 despite tariff, supply chain, and funding uncertainties Energize Weekly, September 27, 2023 Solar installations in the U.S. are poised to reach a record 32 gigawatts (GW) of new capacity in 2023, a 52 percent increase over last year, even as the…
United Illuminating lawsuit claims electric rates approved by CT will force it to operate at a loss
United Illuminating lawsuit claims electric rates approved by CT will force it to operate at a loss Sep. 18, 2023 Arguing that an August decision by Connecticut regulators on utility rates will force it to operate at a loss, United Illuminating Co. filed a lawsuit on Monday in New Britain…
California Legislature approves plan allowing the state to buy power
California Legislature approves plan allowing the state to buy power September 14, 2023 The California Legislature voted Thursday to give Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration permission to buy massive amounts of electricity, a move aimed at avoiding blackouts by shoring up the state’s power supply while jumpstarting the West Coast’s…
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.…
First US offshore wind auction in Gulf of Mexico attracts paltry interest
First US offshore wind auction in Gulf of Mexico attracts paltry interest August 29, 2023 The Biden administration’s first ever auction of offshore wind development rights in the Gulf of Mexico ended with a single $5.6 million winning bid on Tuesday, reflecting meager demand for the clean energy source in…
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…
APS says rate hike vital to keep homes in Phoenix powered, recover infrastructure costs
APS says rate hike vital to keep homes in Phoenix powered, recover infrastructure costs Aug 4, 2023 As a rate increase for Arizona Public Service customers is on the horizon, the president of the company said it is necessary to recover infrastructure costs and to continue powering Phoenix homes. Regaining…
Wind and solar are propping up the Texas power grid amid a brutally long heat wave
Wind and solar are propping up the Texas power grid amid a brutally long heat wave July 28, 2023 As Texas bakes under a sweltering heat dome this summer and people crank their air conditioners, the state’s energy demand has smashed records. But the power has stayed on and prices…
PPL outlines first-of-its-kind technology
PPL outlines first-of-its-kind technology Jul 16, 2023 PPL Electric Utilities is bolstering the reliability of the power it delivers to its more than 1.4 million customers with the use of Dynamic Line Rating (DLR) technology, a first-of-its-kind technology that is garnering national recognition. In 2022, PPL Electric became the first…
Avangrid agrees to pay $48m to terminate offshore wind deal
Avangrid agrees to pay $48m to terminate offshore wind deal Jul 17, 2023 Avangrid and the State’s three major utilities on Monday agreed to terminate a power purchase agreement they signed just last year, with the offshore wind developer agreeing to pay a total of $48 million to put the…
Global EV sales set to triple by 2026 led by China, Europe, and the U.S.
Global EV sales set to triple by 2026 led by China, Europe, and the U.S. Energize Weekly, July 12, 2023 Electric vehicle (EV) sales are projected to almost triple between 2022 and 2026, reaching nearly 27 million vehicles as the technology pushes beyond automobiles to trucks and buses, according to…
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…
U.S. solar industry sets record in the first quarter of 2023 but faces a host of challenges
U.S. solar industry sets record in the first quarter of 2023 but faces a host of challenges Energize Weekly, June 28, 2023 After a record-setting first quarter in 2023, the U.S. solar industry is poised for rapid growth while facing a spate of challenges including system underperformance, labor shortages and…
Storage battery installations surge in first quarter of 2023 led by Texas and California
Storage battery installations surge in first quarter of 2023 led by Texas and California Energize Weekly, June 7, 2023 Total battery storage installations in the U.S. are surging with first quarter 2023 capacity up 52 percent to 10.8 gigawatts (GW) with another 3.2 GW slated for the second quarter, according…
Eversource working its way out of wind farm development ventures
Eversource working its way out of wind farm development ventures 5/30/23 Eversource has announced plans to sell its 50 percent stake in offshore wind lease areas totaling 175,000 square miles off the coast of Massachusetts for $625 million to its wind partner, Danish energy giant Orsted. Last May, Eversource CEO…
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…
FPL proposes another rate reduction beginning in July
FPL proposes another rate reduction beginning in July May 19, 2023 After an initial rate reduction early on in May, Florida Power & Light is proposing another rate decrease, this time a $256 million cut to take effect in July. “This is more positive news for our customers,” said Armando…
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.…
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…
Race for ever-larger wind turbines might be unsustainable
Race for ever-larger wind turbines might be unsustainable 8 May, 2023 The offshore wind supply chain is pushing back against the constant pursuit for bigger turbines given the financial difficulties experienced by the major turbine manufacturers and the ripple effects that the race for greater scale could create for other…
Initiative to create a consumer-owned electric utility and replace CMP and Versant will appear on Maine 2023 ballot
Initiative to create a consumer-owned electric utility and replace CMP and Versant will appear on Maine 2023 ballot May 9, 2023 An initiative to create a municipal consumer-owned electric transmission and distribution utility, replacing Central Maine Power and Versant Power, will be on the Maine ballot on Nov. 7, 2023.…
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…
Calpine plans more natural gas power plants in Texas
Calpine plans more natural gas power plants in Texas April 13, 2023 Texas-based electricity generation company Calpine has relaunched its plans to build more gas-fired power plants in the state. The announcement follows the recent decision by Texas regulators to offer market-based incentives. The Texas Public Utility Commission (PUC) adopted…
$2.8 billion sale of Eastern Kentucky power company will not go forward
$2.8 billion sale of Eastern Kentucky power company will not go forward APRIL 17, 2023 The previously announced sale of Kentucky Power, the utility company that serves a large portion of Eastern Kentucky, has been canceled, the company announced Monday. In December 2021, American Electric Power, the parent company of…
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…
Electric prices for Connecticut residents likely to drop dramatically during the second half of 2023
Electric prices for Connecticut residents likely to drop dramatically during the second half of 2023 April 3, 2023 After three months of paying dramatically higher electric rates, there may be some relief coming this summer for a majority of Connecticut electric customers. The state’s two largest electric distribution companies, Eversource…
US Power Plant Firm Goes Bankrupt After Winter Storm Penalties
US Power Plant Firm Goes Bankrupt After Winter Storm Penalties March 31, 2023 Lincoln Power LLC, the owner of two Illinois power plants, filed for bankruptcy after its financial strain was exacerbated by nearly $39 million in penalties levied by the biggest US electric-grid operator. The Chapter 11 filing allows…
The pace of U.S. coal-fired plant closures quickens, coal’s share of generation to plummet
The pace of U.S. coal-fired plant closures quickens, coal’s share of generation to plummet Energize Weekly, April 5, 2023 The pace of U.S. coal-fired plant closures continues to accelerate with half of all the capacity, which peaked in 2011, closed by 2026, according to the Institute for Energy Economics and…
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…
Xcel Energy will cut Colorado bills again in April as natural gas costs continue to fall
Xcel Energy will cut Colorado bills again in April as natural gas costs continue to fall Mar 14, 2023 Xcel Energy is again cutting natural gas costs passed through to consumers starting with April bills, the third price decrease announced in two months, even as a special legislative committee pursues…
California could keep the lights on by expanding grid across the West, report finds
California could keep the lights on by expanding grid across the West, report finds MARCH 03, 2023 Expanding California’s electricity grid to cooperate with neighboring states would bolster reliability and affordability while reducing carbon emissions, researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy concluded in a new report. The report released…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
First Bitcoin Mining Powered By Nuclear Energy To Open In The U.S. In Q1 This Year
First Bitcoin Mining Powered By Nuclear Energy To Open In The U.S. In Q1 This Year January 23, 2023 Positioning bitcoin mining with carbon-free sources, like nuclear energy, offers enormous benefits to the cryptocurrency industry as digital assets grow in popularity, acceptability, and engagement with the broader economy. World Nuclear…