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…
PUC approves electric market redesign in ‘big step for ERCOT’
PUC approves electric market redesign in ‘big step for ERCOT’ Jan 19, 2023 The Public Utility Commission of Texas on Thursday approved a redesign of the state’s electric market, recommending a new model they said will improve grid reliability, but critics said could pass more costs onto the consumer. The…
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…
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…
US to Help Mexico Pay for Ambitious Solar Plan, Official Says
US to Help Mexico Pay for Ambitious Solar Plan, Official Says January 10, 2023 The US wants to help Mexico bankroll its ambitious plan for a slew of solar parks along their border, which is likely to require private funds and development bank loans, according to top diplomat focused on…
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…
Energy efficiency investments jump in 2022 spurred by energy security concerns
Energy efficiency investments jump in 2022 spurred by energy security concerns Energize Weekly, December 28, 2022 Global investment in energy efficiency – from building renovations to public transport to electric vehicle infrastructure – increased 16 percent in 2022, reaching $560 billion as efficiency gains grew fourfold, according to the International…
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,…
Global coal use is on course to hit all-time high this year, IEA says
Global coal use is on course to hit all-time high this year, IEA says DEC 19 2022 Global coal use is on course to increase by 1.2% to hit a record high this year, according to a report from the International Energy Agency. It comes at a time of significant…
US FERC to act on backstop transmission siting, long-running gas pipeline disputes
US FERC to act on backstop transmission siting, long-running gas pipeline disputes 12 Dec 2022 The US Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is poised to act on transmission siting, key pipeline rate disputes, and two important natural gas pipeline certificates at its last meeting of the year Dec. 15, potentially Democrat…
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…
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…
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…
Georgia Power’s long campaign for state approval to sign off on a 12% rate hike nears final showdown
Georgia Power’s long campaign for state approval to sign off on a 12% rate hike nears final showdown November 28, 2022 The final several weeks of Georgia Power’s $2.9 billion rate case will determine whether state regulators sign off on plans for customers to pay hundreds of dollars more per…
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…
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…
Spurred by high commodity prices, energy production revenues on federal lands surge
Spurred by high commodity prices, energy production revenues on federal lands surge Energize Weekly, November 16, 2022 Energy production on federal lands and offshore areas in 2022 generated $22 billion for the federal and state governments – the highest in revenues since 2008 and second highest in 39 years, according…
ComEd to file multi-year grid plan, rate plan
ComEd to file multi-year grid plan, rate plan November 07, 2022 ComEd, a Chicago-based energy company, will file a multi-year grid plan along with a four-year rate plan in line with the requirements of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA). The plan will align closely with the state of…
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…
American Electric Power hit with second subpoena tied to nuclear bailout bill
American Electric Power hit with second subpoena tied to nuclear bailout bill Oct. 28, 2022 American Electric Power has been hit with a second subpoena from federal regulators looking for information tied to the power company’s involvement in the scandal-ridden House Bill 6 legislation enacted three years ago to bail…
A colder winter and higher energy prices will boost winter heating costs, EIA says
A colder winter and higher energy prices will boost winter heating costs, EIA says Energize Weekly, October 19, 2022 American households will pay more for natural gas, electricity, heating oil and propane to heat their homes, spurred by increased energy prices and the forecast of a colder winter, according to…
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…
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…
Xcel Energy’s ability to meet next summer’s electricity demand hangs on two Pueblo solar projects
Xcel Energy’s ability to meet next summer’s electricity demand hangs on two Pueblo solar projects Oct 4, 2022 Xcel Energy is moving to close a gap in electricity supplies that, for the moment, leaves the region short on electric generation and reserves for the summers of 2023 and 2024. In…
PG&E Lays Out Plan to Sell Stake in Generation Capacity
PG&E Lays Out Plan to Sell Stake in Generation Capacity Sept. 29, 2022 PG&E Corp. executives have sketched out a plan to house the company’s non-nuclear generation assets in a new subsidiary, stakes in which could be sold to fund future safety and reliability investments. Representatives of the company’s Pacific…
New York ISO issues long-term system and resource outlook
New York ISO issues long-term system and resource outlook September 26, 2022 The New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) issued a report identifying the amount of electrical system investment required to meet New York State’s long-term climate policy requirements. NYISO’s 2021-2040 System & Resource Outlook, developed in collaboration with stakeholders…
Rhode Island Communities Announce Launch of First-Ever Electricity Aggregation Programs
Rhode Island Communities Announce Launch of First-Ever Electricity Aggregation Programs September 22, 2022 Six Rhode Island cities and towns have joined together to launch aggregation programs that leverage community-wide buying power to provide their residents and businesses with new options for electricity supply. These Community Electricity Aggregation (CEA) programs will…
Global coal-fired generation spikes in 2021, even as wind and solar reach new highs
Global coal-fired generation spikes in 2021, even as wind and solar reach new highs Energize Weekly, September 28, 2022 The world recorded an unprecedent spike in coal-fired generation in 2021 – even as wind and solar generation also reached record levels, according to a report by Bloomberg NEF and Bloomberg…
Gas, a ‘bridge fuel,’ dominates U.S. power at any price
Gas, a ‘bridge fuel,’ dominates U.S. power at any price 09/20/2022 Surging natural gas prices normally result in booming coal generation. But 2022 isn’t normal. Power companies are shrugging off the highest gas prices in over a decade as they ramp up electricity generation at U.S. gas plants, which are…
Duke Energy wins SEPA utility transformation program award for Florida subscription pilot program
Duke Energy wins SEPA utility transformation program award for Florida subscription pilot program September 19, 2022 The nonprofit Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) offered its 2022 Utility Transformation Program of the Year award to a Duke Energy subscription pilot program last week for its efforts to provide Florida customers with…
San Diego To Explore Full Public Power Takeover
San Diego To Explore Full Public Power Takeover September 16, 2022 The city of San Diego took one step closer toward full government takeover of its privately-owned power utility Thursday. The San Diego City Council’s Environment Committee approved a $3 million contract to NewGen Strategies & Solutions LLC to study…
Could the Nation’s Coal Plant Sites Help Drive a Clean Energy Transition?
Could the Nation’s Coal Plant Sites Help Drive a Clean Energy Transition? SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 The nation’s coal power plant sites that helped build the U.S. economy during the country’s electrification could play a huge role once again in helping the nation transition to clean energy. A new U.S. Department…
California ISO issues alert due to high energy demand amid heat wave
California ISO issues alert due to high energy demand amid heat wave September 06, 2022 The California Independent System Operator (CAISO) on Tuesday extended a call for consumers to reduce energy due to the impact of record-breaking temperatures in California that have created higher demand for power. Forecasted loads are…
Diablo Canyon: Newsom signs bill to keep reactors running at CA’s last operating nuclear power plant
Diablo Canyon: Newsom signs bill to keep reactors running at CA’s last operating nuclear power plant September 3, 2022 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation Friday intended to open the way for California’s last operating nuclear power plant to run an additional five years, a move that he said was needed…
TVA Board holds base rates steady, increases customer credits for 2023 fiscal year
TVA Board holds base rates steady, increases customer credits for 2023 fiscal year Sep 1, 2022 Despite high inflation and fuel prices, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) says it is maintaining strong, steady electric rates for the next decade. Over the past 10 years, the TVA says their wholesale power…
War and pandemic are leading to a surge in government support for fossil fuels, study says
War and pandemic are leading to a surge in government support for fossil fuels, study says Energize Weekly, September 7, 2022 The combination of the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine has spurred an almost doubling in government support for fossil fuel production among major economies, according to an…
Texas grid avoids summer blackouts with $1 billion in extra spending
Texas grid avoids summer blackouts with $1 billion in extra spending August 25, 2022 Texas’ electric grid operator has powered through record demand this summer by paying more to keep higher reserves and rewarding industrial consumers to cut usage, a combination that has added more than $1 billion to power…
Shelby County suburbs want Memphis, Light, Gas and Water to stay with the TVA
Shelby County suburbs want Memphis, Light, Gas and Water to stay with the TVA Aug. 25, 2022 The six Shelby County suburbs want Memphis, Light Gas and Water to stay with the Tennessee Valley Authority and not switch electricity suppliers. The six suburbs have written a joint resolution that urges…
Onshore and offshore U.S. wind development made big gains in 2021, DOE says
Onshore and offshore U.S. wind development made big gains in 2021, DOE says Energize Weekly, August 31, 2022 Wind generation posted strong performances – both onshore and offshore – in 2021, according to U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) market reports. Land-based wind generation grew by 13.4 gigawatts (GW) in 2021…
What the climate bill does for the nuclear industry
What the climate bill does for the nuclear industry AUG 22 2022 The sweeping Inflation Reduction Act that President Joe Biden signed last week includes $369 billion in funding to help combat climate change. As part of that, the law includes significant help for the nuclear energy industry. Overall, the…
Ameren may turn to natural gas to make up for shuttering Rush Island coal plant
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…
Pennsylvania energy companies increasing prices next month
Pennsylvania energy companies increasing prices next month Aug 10, 2022 The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is notifying residents and businesses that electric generation prices for some customers are expected to rise on Sept. 1, 2022. According to PUC, approximately half of Pennsylvania’s major electric distribution companies (EDCs) will reset their…
