Energize Weekly, February 14, 2018 The prospects for coal-fired and nuclear electricity generation got off to a shaky start in 2018 with a projected record number of coal unit closures and three nuclear power plants set for shutdown. The Trump administration has been trying to find ways to bolster the two sectors. It proposed giving…
Energize Weekly, February 7, 2018 The U.S. wind industry installed 7,017 megawatts (MW) of new generating capacity in 2017, $11 million in new investment, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) fourth quarter market report. Helping to spur project development were agreements to buy power by a growing list of corporate customers seeking clean…
Energize Weekly, February 7, 2018 The Maryland Public Service Commission is reviewing a plan, proposed by the state’s utility companies, to create a statewide network of 24,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The $105 million “Statewide Electric Vehicle Portfolio” would set up the second-largest charging network in the nation. California has the largest program. Signing…
Energize Weekly, February 7, 2018 The majority of people living within five miles of a windfarm view the projects positively, although attitudes are more polarized among residents within a half-mile of the turbines, according to a survey by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The survey of 1,700 people found that attitudes were shaped by whether…
Energize Weekly, January 31, 2018 The growth in plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) will not have a big impact on overall residential power demand, but even one vehicle charging at home could stress a local transformer, according to a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The modeling study using data for 200 Midwest homes…
Energize Weekly, January 31, 2018 The tariff placed on imported solar cells by the Trump administration last week is roiling markets and is projected to slow growth, but not blunt the development of the solar industry. On Jan. 22, President Donald Trump approved a four-year tariff, starting at 30 percent and stepping down 5 percent…
Energize Weekly, January 31, 2018 A rapidly shifting, yet slow-growing electricity market is forcing utility executives and state regulators to redefine the role of utilities—from expanding their monopoly positions to becoming open platforms for competition, according to a study by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). The question, the study by the energy consulting group said,…
Energize Weekly, January 24, 2018 Renewable energy projects are becoming cost-competitive with fossil fuel generation around the world, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). “Bioenergy-for-power, hydropower, geothermal and onshore wind projects commissioned in 2017 largely fell within the range of generation costs for fossil-based electricity . . . Some projects undercut fossil fuels,”…
Energize Weekly, January 17, 2018 Consumer advocates and attorneys general from 18 states are calling for federal energy regulators to ensure that hundreds of millions of dollars in tax savings utilities are likely to gain from the new federal tax law are passed on to consumers. In letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC),…
Energize Weekly, January 10, 2018 Xcel Energy received an “unprecedented” response to a call for new generation projects for its Colorado subsidiary with more than 430 proposals, according to a report filed by the utility with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. “For comparison, the Company received 55 bids in the 2013 All-Source Solicitation,” Xcel said…
Energize Weekly, January 10, 2018 In a move further fragmenting the Western power sector, the California grid operator last week announced it would become its own reliability coordinator, leaving the 14-state regional system. The move was prompted by the prospect of seven utilities and transmission operators in the Rocky Mountain region leaving the regional system,…
Energize Weekly, January 10, 2018 The federal tax overhaul may provide a windfall in tax cuts and write-offs for utilities. Now, utility commissions and state officials around the country are looking to see if some of that money ought to flow back to customers. On Jan. 4, Oklahoma Corporation Commission administrative judges recommended that five Oklahoma…
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