Ohio county looks to microgrids to attract and retain business by boosting resilience 9.19.2022 Cuyahoga County plans to use microgrids to bolster climate change resilience and overall reliability for key manufacturing and industrial operations in the Greater Cleveland area. The work furthers the county’s goals of adding clean energy and…
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…
Old coal-fired power plants could gain a second life as sites for nuclear units, DOE says
Old coal-fired power plants could gain a second life as sites for nuclear units, DOE says Energize Weekly, September 21, 2022 Old coal-fired power plants could have an economical, second life as sites for a new generation of nuclear power projects, according to a study by the U.S. Department of…
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…
Colorado’s Drake Power Plant to Shut for Good After 100 Years: ‘Milestone’
Colorado’s Drake Power Plant to Shut for Good After 100 Years: ‘Milestone’ 9/1/22 A Colorado power station that has operated for almost 100 years shut down for good on Thursday as part of a clean energy transition. The coal-fired Drake Power Station, located in the city of Colorado Springs, has…
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…
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…
Dominion May End $10B Offshore Wind Project Over Performance Clause
Dominion May End $10B Offshore Wind Project Over Performance Clause AUG 28, 2022 The giant utility Dominion Energy has found itself in a disagreement with state regulators over a proposed performance guarantee for its $10 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, one of the largest planned wind farms in the…
ComEd opens new overhead transmission training center
ComEd opens new overhead transmission training center August 29, 2022 A first of its kind training facility opened its doors under the direction of ComEd this week, extending the possibilities of beginner and refresher training courses for more than 120 of the company’s overhead transmission-focused employees annually in Illinois. Coursework…
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…
Tesla’s Virtual Power Plant’s First Emergency Response Was A Success
Tesla’s Virtual Power Plant’s First Emergency Response Was A Success August 21, 2022 Due to recent high temperatures and energy demands in California, Tesla’s new virtual power plant (VPP) had its first emergency response event, which was a success and helped to pool power from Powerwall owners to power the…
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…
SoCalGas to provide water, energy conservation solutions to reach carbon emissions goals by 2045
SoCalGas to provide water, energy conservation solutions to reach carbon emissions goals by 2045 August 19, 2022 SoCal Gas announced Tuesday that it would implement several measures to conserve water and energy as part of its plan to meet net-zero carbon emission goals by 2045. The company said it recently…
National Grid’s first-of-its-kind renewable energy RFI validates a fossil-free energy strategy for the Northeast
National Grid’s first-of-its-kind renewable energy RFI validates a fossil-free energy strategy for the Northeast August 16, 2022 National Grid has located robust stocks of renewable natural gas (RNG) and hydrogen potentially available for its customers in Massachusetts and New York through the Company’s first-of-its kind Northeast clean energy request for…
PG&E Developing Several New Remote Grid Systems to Replace Overhead Powerlines and Promote More Wireless Power in High Fire Threat Areas
PG&E Developing Several New Remote Grid Systems to Replace Overhead Powerlines and Promote More Wireless Power in High Fire Threat Areas August 11, 2022 Today, Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) announced an expansion of its remote grid program, including progressing four new Standalone Power Systems in 2022 and deploying…
Climate bill: Could coal communities shift to nuclear?
Climate bill: Could coal communities shift to nuclear? August 13, 2022 A major economic bill headed to the president has “game-changing” incentives for the nuclear energy industry, experts say, and those tax credits are even more substantial if a facility is sited in a community where a coal plant is…
Why the Midwest worries about future blackouts
Why the Midwest worries about future blackouts 08/08/2022 Tightening electricity supplies across the Midwest are a problem a decade in the making. And it may take nearly that long to solve it. In the meantime, the possibility of widespread, Texas-style outages caused by a lack of adequate generating reserves —…
Nuclear milestone: Feds greenlight Vogtle to fuel up
Nuclear milestone: Feds greenlight Vogtle to fuel up 08/04/2022 Federal regulators cleared the way yesterday for Southern Co.’s nuclear business to load radioactive fuel rods into one of its newly constructed reactors at Plant Vogtle, officially moving the long-troubled project closer to producing electricity in Georgia. The approval from the…
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…
Climate bill cuts carbon emissions and inflation while boosting economy, studies say
Climate bill cuts carbon emissions and inflation while boosting economy, studies say Energize Weekly, August 10, 2022 The climate, healthcare and budget bill passed by the U.S. Senate Aug. 7 will help curb both greenhouse gas emissions and inflation while providing a modest boost to the economy, according to three…
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…
NV Energy seeks right to stick ratepayers with Greenlink bill
NV Energy seeks right to stick ratepayers with Greenlink bill AUGUST 2, 2022 When NV Energy turned to Nevada lawmakers last year to salvage a massive transmission line project that state utility regulators had already partially denied because of the potential cost to ratepayers, the utility’s CEO testified any increase…
MISO Approves 18 Transmission Projects in US Midwest, Integrating More Renewable Energy
MISO Approves 18 Transmission Projects in US Midwest, Integrating More Renewable Energy July 26, 2022 In a move it says will integrate more renewable energy into North American power grids, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator has approved its largest portfolio of regional transmission projects in recent history. Read more
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…
EPA rejects Holtec Pilgrim Plant wastewater discharging plan, see why they disagreed
EPA rejects Holtec Pilgrim Plant wastewater discharging plan, see why they disagreed July 20, 2022 The company overseeing the decommissioning of the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth has landed in a bit of hot water with the Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA rejected what it described as Holtec Decommissioning…
Firm working for FPL took control of news site, let execs influence coverage, records show
Firm working for FPL took control of news site, let execs influence coverage, records show Jul 25, 2022 Operatives working for Florida Power & Light in the lead-up to the 2020 elections gained control over a Tallahassee-based political news website, making editorial decisions about its content – and allowing executives…
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…
Waterloo becomes fourth city in the country to adopt carbon-free plan
Waterloo becomes fourth city in the country to adopt carbon-free plan Jul 18, 2022 The city of Waterloo has vowed to run on carbon-free electricity by 2035, making it the fourth city in the U.S. to adopt the pledge. The City Council voted unanimously to adopt a carbon-free electricity goal…
U.S. Firms Enter into Partnership to Recycle Nuclear Fuel
U.S. Firms Enter into Partnership to Recycle Nuclear Fuel July 15, 2022 As the world moves away from the use of fossil fuels in favor of renewable energies in an effort to decrease carbon emissions, interest in the use of uranium as a nuclear fuel continues to grow. Uranium, which…
Dominion Energy rolls out various energy efficiency programs
Dominion Energy rolls out various energy efficiency programs July 18, 2022 Dominion Energy is expanding energy efficiency and conservation programs, offering various voluntary programs from weatherization assistance for low-income customers to incentives for builders. Read more
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…
DOE to award over $40M for energy efficiency improvements
DOE to award over $40M for energy efficiency improvements July 12, 2022 The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded over $40 million to 21 organizations and five state agencies for energy efficiency improvements. The funding comes from the $3.2 billion Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which was created to help repair,…
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…
New South Carolina law could help electric customers save millions
New South Carolina law could help electric customers save millions July 01, 2022 A new law recently passed in South Carolina could save electric customers in that state millions of dollars in costs to restore service after weather events, Duke Energy said Wednesday. The legislation – Senate Bill 1077 –…
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…
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…
Indiana utilities brace for possible rolling blackouts, Kentucky meeting demands
Indiana utilities brace for possible rolling blackouts, Kentucky meeting demands Jun 13, 2022 Summer is kicking in with heat and humidity this week, and that puts a strain on the power grid to keep up with demand. Parts of Indiana could face rolling blackouts, according to the Midcontinent Independent System…
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…
Lawsuit filed against Mon Power, FirstEnergy after 2021 house fire
Lawsuit filed against Mon Power, FirstEnergy after 2021 house fire June 10, 2022 A lawsuit filed this week in Monongalia County Circuit Court by a Taylor County couple names Monongahela Power Company (Mon Power) and FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. as defendants, along with Mon Power Supervisor for Distribution Technician James Connor…
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…
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…
